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“There’s more involved, but basically, yes. It takes some strength to wield properly, so you should be fine, but it has its drawbacks. Every weapon does.”
“Just like a normal bat,” Nick muttered. “I think I’m getting the hang of it.”
“It’s closer to a club than a bat,” Henry said. “It’s called a kanabo.”
“A kanabo?”
“Yes. It’s an old Japanese weapon.”
“Like a medieval baseball bat.”
“No.”
Nick nodded to himself. “Medieval baseball bat.”
“Why do I bother?” Henry muttered, shaking his head and turning back to the weapons. He closed and locked it, and then led the way to the back door. “Let’s get some more space while I show you how to use it. I don’t particularly want to watch you destroy half the furniture tonight.”
In the backyard, Henry taught Nick the basics. An hour later, he felt like he was getting the hang of it.
“Don’t get overconfident,” Henry said. “You’ve barely started. It will take a long time before you’re good at it.”
“I don’t know,” Nick said, testing it with another swing. “It feels natural.”
Henry didn’t comment on it, but his silence said enough. He set up some targets for Nick - an old sandbag was tied to the tree in the backyard and a few lightweight folding cardboard targets shaped like men.
“Did you just have all this stuff lying around?” Nick asked.
Henry shrugged. “Most of it. Here, grab this while I tie it.”
Nick got under the sandbag and took its weight while Henry tightened the knot holding it to the sturdy branch above.
“This was Brett’s, actually,” Henry said, nodding to the sandbag. “I think he was going through a fitness phase. Or maybe he wanted to be a boxer. It was years ago.”
“I remember that,” Nick said. “Didn’t it break and spill sand all over his room?”
“That’s the one,” Henry nodded.
“What about those?” Nick asked, nodding to the cardboard cutouts.
“From my hunter days. They’re not ideal for what we’re doing, but they’ll help you practise your aim. And they fold up pretty small, so I never bothered putting them into storage.”
“What are they meant for?”
“Shooting practice, mostly. Guns, crossbows, and maybe some arrows, if you’re feeling medieval.”
Nick’s eyes lit up. “Can I do that?”
“Later,” Henry said. “Right now, the main threat is vampires. We’re keeping to the basics, and most of them will attack you with their hands and their teeth. Close quarters. It’s a lot more important to prepare you for a direct physical attack.”
“But I get to shoot things later.”
Henry laughed. “Sure.” He grabbed some duct tape and ripped off two strips, taping them to the sandbag in a cross. “There’s your target. We’ll work with these until I think you’re ready, and then we can spar.”
“Against each other?”
Henry raised an eyebrow. “Unless you know another way to do it.”
Nick grinned. “Can’t wait.”
