After Kashan had purchased his mostly unneeded sundries, he returned to the guild manor. The weary sun’s amber rays followed him through the oakwood doors into a quiet room with only a single receptionist and a pair of two other slayers. One of them noticed Kashan as he entered and whispered a quick apology as their conversation cut itself short. The man’s height surprised Kashan as he approached, but the polite bow threw him further off.

“Good day, sir Telkarov,” the tall man said, bowing deeply as his cowl sagged. “I am Eh’Wahn, a future comrade. I wish to meet you and test your capabilities.”

“A spar then? To what end?” Kashan responded as he set down his weighted pack that clinked and clanged with assorted gear.

Eh’Wahn motioned a door left ajar to a training ground. The clash of steel and occasional whirl of wind and flame echoed from earnest training. “We will stand side by side soon, and I wish to know your strengths and weaknesses. Should I have the appropriate wisdom, we may form stratagems and contingencies.”

Kashan was still unsure of the limits of his current form so accepting would be in his favor. Besides, building a good rapport with his comrades would bolster their effectiveness during the battle. “I accept, sir Eh’Wahn. I hope to learn.”

“I as well, sir Telkarov.”

The training area was spacious, only sparsely populated with the occasional combatants either striking at a stationary target or sparring with each other with soft wooden weapons. As the pair moved towards an instructor, Kashan smiled at the mages who’d wielded a staff or wand in one hand and a blade in the other. Some mages preferred a bracer with a fitted focus, allowing for a shield or larger weapons. His head spellblade’s teachings had survived, her name living on… Kashan couldn’t remember her name. He felt an invasive dread, his mind clawing at the edges of his skull until a gentle shake from Eh Wahn’s hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his stupor.

“Are you alright, Kashan?” From a closer perspective, Kashan was able to see a mask that covered Eh Wahn’s mouth and nose, leaving only an oddly familiar furrow of his brow and his violet eyes. “If you are exhausted, there is always another day.”

“I am well, I simply realized I left my belongings in the guild hall. What sort of sparring do you suppose we practice?” Kashan replied as he brushed away the dread as best he could.

“I wish for you to use all the tactics at your disposal. I am three years experienced and quite the fighter myself, despite my apparent set of skills.” Kashan was unsure of Eh’Wahn’s meaning as he glanced between the instructor and his sparring partner. “Although I assure you, I can repel and direct your blows. Wooden weapons, of course,” he explained as he motioned toward a small rack of weapons. The instructor picks up a wooden spear and tosses it to a trainee. They looked completely new to wielding spears, let alone weapons in general as they fumbled through basic stabs and rudimentary stances.

Kashan didn’t hesitate to reach for a heavy ironwood greatsword mostly rounded from use, but comfortably weighted near the hilt like his own. Eh’Wahn chose a broadsword and an accompanying dagger, swirling the shorter blade with acute control while stabbing the air with the longer blade to acclimate to its weight. “You prefer dual wielding?” Kashan began to notice the oddities in Eh’Wahn’s gait, creeping and gentle as the sand didn’t so much as whisper.

Eh’Wahn nods as he rolls his shoulders and steps into a low stance with both blades pointed towards Kashan. He bounces slightly, preparing himself mentally to test his new comrade’s skills. “Aye. I am trained with a shield as well, but the parrying dagger is more discreet and offers more directions of attack. It also won’t obscure my vision.” Eh’Wahn held his two blades at differing heights and angles, forcing his opponent to predict multiple paths of attack that would shift in the midst of battle.

“Different tools with different advantages. Greatswords are simple weapons with complex attacks. A sword, a spear, a hammer, all in one.” Kashan held the hilt of his wooden greatsword close to his heart with the blade pointed toward the sky, ready to initiate wide swings or vertical slashes at any moment.

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The both of them slowly moved further and further from the weapon rack, assessing each other as they did until Eh’Wahn broke the silence. “Instructor, a coin if you would. Victory by the first solid strike.”

The instructor nods as he fumbles around his pockets for a single silver coin. “Combatants, ready yourselves!” spoken at full volume pulled the attention of nearby resting slayers while distracting one just enough to be tripped by a swift strike of a staff. Eh’Wahn was well known to the townsfolk and slayers alike and the sight of him directly testing Kashan sparked interest and bets.

“You will begin when the coin hits the dirt. Be ready!” was the instructor’s declaration before launching the coin with his thumb, the pearlescent glint of silver flashing like a hummingbird’s fluttering wings. After the tense silence was followed by a slight thud of silver impacting sand and dirt, Kashan and Eh’Wahn closed the distance leaving a trailing breeze and waves of particulate earth in their wake. Both were faster than the other anticipated as they quickly observed and adapted to each other's choice of engagement. Kashan opted to rely on wide slashes as he orbited Eh’Wahn’s positioning in an attempt to force him to retreat.

Eh’Wahn proved more than capable of defending against Kashan’s heaviest strikes, able to hook onto the greatsword’s blade with either hilt of his main and offhand before painlessly directing them towards the earth or sky. He did know that allowing his opponent to continue the momentum would only exhaust his own strength, but needed an opportunity. After a few more swings, Eh’Wahn was able to use his shortsword to hook the greatsword’s false edge before forcing the blade into a circular path, breaking its momentum. The end of the blade was where Eh’Wahn had the most leverage. There he took the opportunity to add his parrying dagger to the mix, locking the blade’s path safely away from himself as he stepped towards Kashan, both blades sliding down towards the guard as he prepared for a stab at his stomach.

Before Eh’Wahn could change his movements again, Kashan placed a swift kick towards the rogue’s knee, forcing it to straighten and disrupting his footwork. Before he could recover and riposte, Kashan pulled his blade back and receded into a neutral defensive stance, sword held at rest with the tip pointed towards his opponent to ensure a guarded front.

“You have your fundamentals, but you are simple,” Eh’Wahn said as he tossed his wooden daggers back into their proper places on the weapon rack with frightening accuracy. “Your movements are straight out of a treatise, but like that treatise, are read easily. You have the skill, but lack true experience. That will be remedied with time and practice. I do like your quick thinking. Use that.”

Kashan was surprised at how short the spar was, closer to a clash than an actual test. “A lot to say from such a short skirmish,” he replied, his boots digging deeper into the sand than Eh’Wahn’s footwraps as he placed the wooden sword back onto the rack. When he turned to face the elf again, his soul jumped from his skin as he noticed the stares of the slayers around them. Not to be outdone by a newcomer, they brandished their blades, staves, and bows to resume their training. Kashan had a sneaking suspicion he was brought here for this exact reason.

“Knowing your opponent is paramount in battle. If I failed to find my opponent's flaws as swiftly as I have with yours, you would have found my headstone quite close by,” he lectured as he nodded to the instructor standing by. “If you have no other errands for the day, you should rest. Can’t accept bounties this late in the day.”

Kashan curses under his breath. He had hoped to try his hand at foraging herbs for tonics and balms as a safer way to earn enough to survive should he incur wounds beyond simple bandages. “I suppose I’ll head to the inn early. I found an older bestiary for a discounted price, and it should be current enough to serve as a guide.”

Eh’Wahn nods and replies, “Good, occupy and fortify yourself with knowledge. If you do plan on taking on a request tomorrow, research the area of your target and see if you can find anything of value,” before he waves and exits through a fence gate rather than through the guild manor. Kashan heads inside to collect his belongings, handed to him by one of the staff that collected it when he had left it behind. After being reprimanded by the young guild woman about the importance of your gear and where you store it for what felt like an eon, he was finally permitted to leave with his tail between his legs.

With no other prospects for today, Kashan retires to his inn room, seated on his hay-layered bed rather than sleeping. The last sleep he had disoriented him greatly and he refused to be taken by surprise a second time. He did his best to center his thoughts on his own being, solidifying who he was, who he wanted to be, and just how different they were. Before long, fatigue began to grip his shoulders, the hay felt softer, the blanket felt warmer, and the lids of his eyes grew heavier with each passing moment…