[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/G9xaVXn.png[/img] [color=000000][u][b]Location[/b][/u][/color] 💀 Happy Harbour. [color=000000][u][b]Interactions[/b][/u][/color] 💀 Those Present. [/center] [hr] A gust of wind made its way past Casper’s features, strands of hair briefly pushed aside as phantasmal eyes peered ahead at Black Canary, his combat teacher. The differences between the two were staggering, to say the least. Casper, or Hex, wielded far more power than his current mentor, but as Zatanna had revealed, power meant nothing in the eyes of a tactical approach. “Good luck,” Coal spoke, the bird soon vanishing from place, his shape and being fading with a small, ghostly flash. It left Hex and Black Canary upon the stage, eyes meeting moments before the storm. It was ironic, in a way, where the actor with superior power felt anxiety building within. Was the Canary worried? Were her thoughts on anything other than the battle at hand? In an instant, there was a charge. Despite claiming to be ready, Hex stumbled back, a fist moving towards his face. [i]’When fighting an agile enemy, you don’t want to be stationary. Always be on the move, always keep them guessing. Be a Ghost, which shouldn’t be too difficult for you’.[/i] Zatanna had left the boy with countless lessons, her methods a harsh combination of trial and error, and magical bombardment. Before Dinah’s clenched fist connected with her mark, Casper’s shape dissipated into phantasmal energy, all before manifesting a short distance from his sparring teacher. A black flow of Necrotic magic taking him from one location to the next. Black Canary, however, did not let up. Don’t hold back, words Dinah had uttered only moments prior. With a quick motion of his hand, Hex conjured forth a flash of spectral energy, darkness coming into being hungerly attempting to swallow Dinah within its infinite void. The Canary was not deterred, her movements expertly executed as one foot pushed her to the next, maneuvering around Casper’s spell before a kick aimed to slam into his side. [i]’You can’t dodge everything. Blinking requires you to know where to go, which is an extra thought, something you don’t always have time for. You need to be able to block.’[/i] True to his teaching, Hex willed a ghostly barrier into shape, Dinah’s kick halted by its ebony surface, as if connecting with a soft field nullifying the impact. [i]’But blocking keeps your enemy at a short distance. Use the second you’ve bought to reposition.’[/i] Memories of Zatanna were still fresh within his mind, and reflexively, Casper’s shape burst into a spectral force, this time appearing behind his teacher. Thinking he had acquired the upper hand, Hex cast another spell, the ground beneath his mentor growing utterdark, with Necrotic tendrils rising from its depths, attempting to wrap themselves around her and restrain the woman. Typically, they would have drained her soul. With Casper’s training, they would merely paralyze her. However, none of these effects came to pass, as Dinah executed an impressive backflip, evading the spell’s reach and spun, her knee nearly slamming into Casper’s forehead as gravity did its job, lowering her towards the ground. Again, the boy was attentive enough to dissipate, allowing for another brief moment of distance, another spell to be cast. Hex manifested a series of dark, Necrotic bolts launching forward, warranting a response from the warrior he was confronting. Gracefully dropping southward, Dinah lowered her upper body, dodging the dangers of magic before spinning back to her feet, yet another kick caught by Casper’s ghostly barrier. [i]’Great, you’ve blocked, but have you thought of everything? When you’re enemy’s that close, you need to pay attention to more than the one attack you’ve negated.’[/i] The boy’s eyes widened, recalling another of Zatanna’s lessons. Black Canary’s kick was a distraction, mere theatrics, as it instantly led into a low sweep. Before he knew it, Casper was forced to the ground, his legs knocked out from under him, and the Wraithborn was defeated. Had air traveled through his lungs, Casper would have been out of breath, surely. Was he capable of growing tired outside of very specific mistakes, he’d have been exhausted. Rather, the boy’s attention rose towards Black Canary who extended a hand, clawed digits accepting her help as the woman pulled him back to his feet with little effort. [i]’Your enemy is going to read your every move, Casper. Eventually they’ll notice a pattern, a weakness, a mistake, and they will use that. Never be predictable.’[/i] Zatanna was right. Black Canary was the superior warrior in every way, and it showed. She dodged, evaded, and slid past fearsome Necrotic magic as if wind given form. She barely thought about her movements, every motion a reflex, every action practiced perfection. “Woah! That was awesome!” Coal exclaimed, the spirit appearing on his favorite spot once more, upon Casper’s shoulder. “I mean, she kicked your ass, but damn! You held your own, kid!” Though a moment passed, Casper’s phantasmal eyes lowered, a small, timid smile bridging its way across his lips. [color=FFE4C4]”Thanks..”[/color]