-Black Wolf POV-
The wolf gripped the hilt of the sword, preparing himself against the oncoming blows. The sun beat down from the sky, chasing all the shadows from the earth. The wolf didn't understand how Xi-ren could stand the heat in his dark gray robes- he would've been clawing at the fabric. Instead, Xi-ren stood still, a picture of cold perfection.
"You are wasting my time, Will," Xi-ren uttered, and he attacked. Even armed with just a sheath, he moved with speed the wolf could not compare to. The wolf swung the sword upwards, and Xi-ren swiftly disarmed him, proceeding to beat him into the dirt in a series of quick, precise blows.
"I won't tell you to leave any more. There's no reason we must do this," Xi-ren said. The knight stared down at the wolf. "Let us be done, Will."
The wolf wiped the blood off his face, and he picked up the sword again.
"I should just knock you unconscious," Xi-ren told him flatly. Still, the knight waited for the wolf to set his awkward stance before mercilessly striking him again. The sheathe was made of wood, not metal, but that didn't erase the fact that it stung. The wolf rolled back onto his hands and knees, gasping hard for air.
"Give up, Will. You will never win."
The wolf picked the sword up. Again and again, even as his muscles burned in protest and bruises pressed against his bones. It wasn't about winning- no, it was about how powerless he had been when Ant had been about to be killed, about how Blue Eyes' irises had flickered grey when the wolf needed strength the most. If someone attacked the bunny and he couldn't save her-
Xi-ren knocked the sword out of his hands again. The white sword was impossibly heavy, and the wolf was certain he had met boulders that were easier to move. Xi-ren's sheath slammed right into his face, and the wolf hit the ground, coughing hard.
"Look at yourself." Xi-ren pointed the sheath at his throat, leaving him no place to move. Xi-ren's cold eyes bore down into the wolf. "Do you think I enjoy this, Will?"
The wolf glared up at him. He pushed himself upright, forcing Xi-ren to pull the sheath back. The wolf wiped away the blood from his face with the back of his hand. Xi-ren's expression darkened, and he tossed the sheath aside. He said, "Forget it. We're done."
No, the wolf thought, dragging himself over to the sheath. His fingers wrapped around the wood, and his own blood coated the end of it. Xi-ren's back was turned to him, and after taking one look at that cold, distant figure, the wolf threw the sheath at Xi-ren.
It was possibly the stupidest thing he'd ever done. The sheath seemed to fly in slow motion, colliding against the back of Xi-ren's head. Xi-ren stilled. Slowly, he turned back around to look at the wolf.
Their eyes met at the same level. They were both standing, even if Xi-ren was practically untouched and the wolf was on the verge of falling over. The wolf breathed hard, blood smeared across his face. Xi-ren stared at him. Finally, he asked, "What do you want?"
The wolf picked up Xi-ren's sword in answer. Train me. Xi-ren glanced down at the sheath at his feet, and he shook his head.
"You'll never be able to wield it," Xi-ren said, and the wolf clenched his teeth. He marched over, ready to shove the sheath into Xi-ren's hands, but-
"It's not just raw strength," Xi-ren said. His voice was quiet, and something about it made the wolf glance at him. Xi-ren looked past him, staring at the clouds above. "It's difficult to explain, but... a knight lives by the blade. The sword is not just the weight; the sword is the burden. My sword is mine. You can't lift it."
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Xi-ren reached over his back, unhooking the second sword. He held it out to the wolf. His expression was complicated, but all he said was, "You'll need a weapon."
The wolf nodded, grabbing the sword. Xi-ren didn't let go. The wolf looked at him questioningly, and Xi-ren's eyes hardened.
"Don't die," Xi-ren told him, like he could burn the words into him by sheer force of will. Then he let go. The sword was around the same size as Xi-ren's, but it was shockingly light in comparison. The blade was unadorned, and it felt empty.
"Unsheathe the sword," Xi-ren said briskly, picking the sheath up. The wolf fumbled to follow his instruction, and as usual, Xi-ren gave no warning before he attacked.
Xi-ren knocked the sword out of his hands. Again, then again. The wolf swung his sword at Xi-ren with all his might, and-
He was tumbling across the dirt. The wolf spat out the mouthful of grass he had swallowed, crawling back to his knees. Xi-ren stared down at him.
"You're overcompensating," Xi-ren said sharply. "You think you are weak. You are. But swinging like you are weak does not make your blows stronger. The sword is an extension of yourself. Hold the sword, feel its weight, and you will know how to move it."
The wolf clenched his teeth. Somehow, Xi-ren was even more infuriating when he was trying to be helpful. He stood up again, gripping his sword tighter.
"Wrong," Xi-ren said sharply, pointing out flaws that the wolf neither understood nor knew how to fix. The wolf tried to feel the so-called "weight", but all he could feel was the tightness in his chest. Frustration burned in his throat, his blistered palms.
If nothing else, he had felt power in the weight of Xi-ren's sword. He could not wield the power, of course, but he had been able to swing it around. His sword was the opposite of that. It responded almost instantly to his movements, but it felt like nothing more than a blade of grass in the wind.
"Wishing for power you cannot bear is ultimately pointless. Do not succumb to future wishes or past regrets. Your sword exists only in the present," Xi-ren said.
Instead, he focused on what he could understand. He had a pretty good grasp on the weight of his sword now. He knew how much strength he had to use to move it, how fast he could swing it forward. The wolf lifted his sword, meeting Xi-ren's eyes in challenge.
Xi-ren attacked, and this time, he focused on tracking the movement of the sheath. And he knew, with sudden certainty, that if he shifted his weight forward, swinging his sword at the correct angle-
The sheath smashed into his face.
"Better." The world was swimming, sky and grass mixing into a vivid shade of blue-green. "But too slow."
They went again and again. Beaten to the ground, the wolf stared up at the sky. He could block the first two or three blows, but the fourth, the fifth- he couldn't hold out forever against Xi-ren. He walked unsteadily over to his sword, swaying.
The wolf hadn't cared about winning before. It had been so far out of reach that he couldn't dream of it, but now-
There was a chance, the wolf thought. He planted his feet in the dirt. Xi-ren had beaten him down hundreds of times, and when Xi-ren lunged at him, the wolf knew exactly where he was going to strike. Right shoulder. Xi-ren shifted his weight to attack again, and the wolf moved first.
A single moment hung in the air before him. He could feel the entirety of the sword to its tip through his palm, and he knew how to strike. When he swung the sword, it was no different from taking a breath.
[Lvl 1: [Silver Slash] has been activated!]
Xi-ren raised the sheath to block the blow, then- it all happened too fast. His sword sliced through the sheath, then pain exploded through his arm. The force of impact knocked his sword out of his hands, and it sent him flying.
The wolf coughed hard, dragging himself to his hands and knees. His arm felt awful, like his bones were still reverberating from the impact. Xi-ren stood in the same place as before, expression indifferent, and-
His sword was floating.
"There is more than one way to bear the burden," Xi-ren said calmly, reaching out and wrapping his fingers around the hilt as if there were nothing strange about it. The white blade shimmered.
Where was his flying object? The wolf wondered, feeling a little dissociated from reality. Xi-ren had a flying sword. The bunny could fly, period. He stared at the horizon.
What had he been thinking? He hadn't even considered that he might injure Xi-ren, or anything at all. He had just... moved. As if taking pity on him, Xi-ren sighed.
"You weren't supposed to manifest a sword skill, either- no, it shouldn't have even been possible," Xi-ren said. He sounded angry. The wolf nodded mutely, looking down. He didn't dare meet Xi-ren's eyes.
The grass looked very... tall.
"Go get your sword," Xi-ren said eventually, breaking the silence. Not knowing how to interpret the peculiar tone of Xi-ren's voice, the wolf hurried off. He picked the sword up, and the blade felt heavier than before.