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[COLOR=39b54a][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]Judge Kalon's Residence[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][sup][color=darkgray]The Southern Jewel, Grand Kingdom of Kron-Nesis[/color][/sup][/INDENT]

[color=39b54a]"Remember, keep your arm bent when resting... blade out. Never extend your arm when defending."[/color]

Darius' stature hovered over Talos Caron, a young elf-human halfling boy. He was the son of Judge Kalon's mostly-elven maid, and the maid and her son were not at all treated as the slaves they technically were. Judge Kalon's insistence in having the boy trained in the art of swordsmanship was just a confirmation of the obvious for Darius. He didn't need 27 years of training to understand what was going on.

The boy gripped his wooden sword with both hands, adjusting his grip so his arms remained somewhat bent. He was ready to defend, planting his feet as Darius swung the sword towards the boy's right shoulder. This time, the grip and sword held... a successful block. The boy's face lightened, before furrowing into a quizzical glance.

[color=gray]"Why did that work?"[/color]

Darius gave a small smile, setting his own practice sword on the ground as he knelt in front of the boy to be on his level. [color=39b54a]"Bending your arm... it lets your arm carry the weight of the blow. Keeps your defense strong, which is what matters most."[/color] As he spoke, his eyes turned up towards his proper student. She had her arms folded, wearing a casual outfit of mostly a tunic and trousers. Her gaze was knowing and sarcastic, her eyebrows raised at the little speech Darius was giving. In response, he quickly patted the boy on the shoulder to send him off to see his mother.

[color=a187be]"So... a strong defense is what's most important, huh? What happened to-"[/color]

[color=39b54a]"Don't start with me, Cress. He's a weak kid and a slave. He's not going to be a bodyguard to the Royal Family."[/color]

Cressida rolled her eyes, walking over to the rack of practice sword against the wall of the courtyard in the midst of the Judge's estate. She tossed a secondary sword towards Darius, who caught it in the air, before grabbing one for herself. Darius gave a small smile. It was clear his apprentice had some emotions to work out. She wasn't the only one.

Cressida struck first, only to find wood instead of flesh. Her swings had a surprising amount of strength behind them, but nothing Darius hadn't seen before. Darius' swings had little strength behind them, which was clear as a small flurry of swings were wildly blocked by Cressida. The precision was what was key. Every swing was calculated, near every block anticipated. Darius was well within his element.

It was no surprise, then, when one of Darius' swings managed to hit Cressida's blade just appropriately enough to disarm the Junior Justice. The next three swings met Cressida's form, the audible cracks of wood against barely padded flesh ringing out in the courtyard.

Then Cressida did something that managed to surprise him. As Darius' practice sword bounced off her ribcage, Cressida grabbed what would be the blade. She ripped the sword away, rushing in to swing at her master's face. A smile began to form on the edge of Darius lips. He, of course, was prepared for this. His left arm rose up to grab Cressida's fist, providing just enough force to stop it. Simultaneously, he lifted his remaining blade up towards her neck, and she stopped in her tracks.

The two simply looked each other in the eye, and the conversation was understood but not spoken. Cressida knew her mistakes and her inadequacies. Darius knew her determination and grit. It was the most they could have gained from the spar thus far. With a short nod in unison, Darius fetched his practice sword while Cressida grabbed her own. They squared up in the courtyard, getting into their stances and preparing for the next round.