AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Okay, but you guys use weapons, right?"
"Weapons are for students who have proven themselves formidable and trustworthy in hand-to-hand combat. Most hunters have been trained from early childhood in various martial arts, long before they ever lay hands on a firearm or a blade."
"Oh," he said, seeming to consider my words. "Well, how long does it take to learn how to fight?"
"That depends on a lot of things, predominantly your natural ability," I said, taking a step toward him. He stared at me expectantly, completely oblivious as I raised my foot and kicked him in the solar plexus hard enough to send him flying all the way across the mat.
He hit the floor with a thump that was admittedly more satisfying than it should've been. I watched as he rolled onto his side, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain.
"What the hell?" he cried.
"I was testing your natural reflexes," I said, folding my hands behind my back as I went to stand over him. "Of which you have none."
He looked up at me with newfound wariness, which I infinitely preferred to his infatuated gaping.
"One of the first things you are going to have to learn if you aren’t going to be entirely useless is how to anticipate your opponent's actions,” I continued. “If you fail to do that in the field, you are going to get yourself killed, and your partner as well. Now, get up."
He grimaced, but he dragged himself back onto his feet. He kept a distance from me, as if that was going to stop me from hurting him again if I wanted to.
And, oh, I wanted to.
"So how do I anticipate?" he asked, still rubbing his chest.
"For the most part, it should be second nature," I said pointedly. "Since that clearly isn't the case, we're just going to have to run drills until something manages to sink in."
He winced. "You don't like me very much, do you?"
"What gave it away?" I asked in a dry tone.
He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry you got stuck with me. I didn't mean to cause trouble for you when I asked to become a hunter."
"You did, regardless," I informed him. "But it doesn't matter what I think, or whether I like you. Father Marius has instructed me to train you, and I intend to do just that. Now stop talking, and come at me."
He hesitated, as if he didn't understand. "I'm sorry, what?"
I took a step toward him, and he staggered back. He was learning.
Miracle of miracles.
"I said, come at me," I repeated so slowly, even a child could understand. That was probably still giving him too much credit, though. He was more like a dog, and not a particularly clever one.
"Oh," he said, jolting to attention. He reluctantly took a step forward, and it seemed to take all his willpower to do so. I watched as he reared his fist back, and I rolled my eyes at the pathetic stance he took. When he took a swing, I easily caught his fist and resisted the urge to snap his wrist.
I wasn't even sure what it was about him that burned through my fuse so easily, but if nothing else, kicking his ass until he became somewhat less pathetic would be satisfying.
"First lesson," I said, squeezing his fist until his face crumpled in pain. "Never hit with your thumb inside your fist."
I released him and he stumbled backward, shaking out his hand. To his credit, rather than whining like I had expected, his gaze hardened and he circled around away from me. He clenched his fists, keeping his thumbs on the outside this time.
"Thanks for the tip," he mumbled.
I snorted. "You never want to face an opponent head on, for another thing. It's too easy to knock you off your balance that way, and it gives them a broader target to hit. Keep the foot on your dominant side back. That way, when you strike, you can lean all the way into it."
He paused to adjust his stance, looking up at me for approval. "Like this?"
"That will do," I said. "Now, try again."
He hesitated, but not for as long as before. This time, he took a swing at me, and it wasn't half bad. Not for a bar fight, at any rate. There was still going to be plenty of work to do before he was fit to spar with even the greenest recruits, but at least he was capable of learning.
