“If I say no, will you stab me with one of those spears?” Sam asked.

“No, I’m afraid corporal punishment is not allowed by the academy’s rules,” Lin said with a sorrowful smile. “I will simply have you run more laps for warming up until you are ready to begin.”

“Kind of seems like a lose-lose situation for me,” said Sam, who was beginning to lose his initial fear of his new teacher. Why the hell was that happening to someone who usually maintained his anxiety of newly met authority figures for far longer than was rational, he could only guess.

“How so? Either way, you will begin on your path towards mastering the spear. A good deal if I ever saw one.”

“Why the spear, though?” Sam wasn’t willing to concede his future so easily.

“Is there another weapon with which you are more familiar? I had been under the impression, the same as Ritter, I think, that you are a novice in all forms of combat.”

“Now that’s just not true. We had self-defense classes at school at least two times during my tenure there. And, I have also been an avid fencer in my youth. Before a terrible bout with ingrown toenails stripped me of the ability to wear shoes for a good amount of the year.” Sam crossed his hand, still not quite satisfied that he had defended his honor against such ungrounded accusations.

“Fencing? As in the sport? Or something more practical? How good were you? Perhaps some of the footwork you’ve learned could still be of use.”

“Oh… you took me seriously. Yeah… no. I doubt it will have any effect. It was a long time ago, and I wasn’t even very good.”

“Then I fail to see what to problem with picking up the spear as your weapon of choice.”

Sam himself wasn’t sure why he was so disinclined towards the pointy weapons. Maybe because he always saw himself as a sword kind of guy. Duel wielding. Now that was the name of the game. “What I’m trying to get at is… Why spear and not any other weapon? Just want to be sure that I make the right choice.”

“Ah, I see you are that kind of person. A fair enough question, I suppose. Very well, sit down. It is better to have this conversation from a place of equals.” Lin motioned to Sam and sat down.

“Is this a joke about my height?” Sam asked in confusion, while complying with the taller man’s directions.

“Not at all. It is because when a person sits, they are more vulnerable to attack. When we both sit down, we are equally vulnerable to each other.”

“In what world am I just as dangerous to you as you are to me?”

“In one which you are more skillful in the spear than me.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you level 8? I don’t see how being better at waving a pointy stick will help me bridge that gap.”

“Level 8, yes. But you forget that while in this room, we do not use magic.”

“I did forget that, yes. Didn’t think that restriction still applied to a situation in which we are hostile to one another. Also, I didn’t know that the restriction against magic applied to you as well.”

“Of course it does. As teacher and student, or aim is to be equal in all aspects besides knowledge. Only so can we ensure that I correctly pass on my education to you. If I simply batted you aside with a swipe every time you tried to stab me, you would not learn anything except to hate me.”

“Not supposed to hate teacher…” Sam muttered while mimicking writing on his palm.

“I didn’t say that. Feel free to hate me all you want if that is what helps you become better. I spent most of my childhood hating my great aunt. May she rest in peace. But let’s go back to your original question: ‘Why, out of all possible weapons, you should learn to fight with a spear?’ This was the gist of your concern if I am not mistaken, yes?”

“More or less.” Sam nodded. “I wouldn’t put it quite so succinctly, and with no references to my own conceptions of magical combat, but I’ll mention them when appropriate.”

“Very well. Then let me be blunt. All cadets who are accepted are well versed in magic if not in combat, with most being familiar with combat as well. You are completely lacking in both of these fields. Not to mention… the more direct aspects of strength in which you are behind your peers. Physical fitness is a less of a problem; it will come to you in time and there is not much else you can do about it besides putting the same effort in as everyone else. Your level, however, is the main problem. I trust that it has been adequately explained to you before?”

“Yeah. I’m level zero while everyone else is at least level 2.”

“There is no level zero.”

“So I keep hearing. So what does me being shit compared to everyone else have to do with me having to train with the spear?”

“Simple. You are already far behind everyone else. So why make it more difficult for yourself by not picking the weapon that’s most commonly used in the Web for a reason?”

Sam blinked in surprise. “Surely the spear can’t be so much easier than any other weapons. I mean yeah, the basics are easy enough, I guess.. Carry upright, stab with the pointy end and so on. But still, we’re talking about proper combat here. How harder can it be to become a good swordfighter than a spear one?”

“Significantly. You’re are partly right that becoming a master of the spear can take just as much time to become a master of the sword. But I am not teaching you to be a master but only the basics. Which, while much more complex than your examples, are still less complex than the basics of many other weapons. And that is just basic mechanical fighting. The gap in difficultly widens even further when it comes to the usage of weapons in magical combat. Like I said, there is a reason why the spear is the most commonly used weapon in the Web and why Ritter chose for you to train with one. It is one thing to teach someone how to fight with sticks and stones. It is a completely different matter when those sticks light on fire and the stones explode on impact.”

Sam blinked in confusion. “But you said that we’re not going to learn magic. Or with magic, I can’t tell the difference.”

“The difference is that I will never teach you magic, but I might just teach you to fight with magic if you match up to my expectations. But that will only happen once you are be able to fight with a spear. Then, and only then, will I train in the usage of magic during combat. I stand on separating the two in order to prevent magic from a becoming a crutch with which you might compensate for your lacking martial skills.”

“That thought hadn’t crossed my mind. It will now, though, so it’s probably a good idea to nip that in the bud. So… Am I allowed to ask what makes a spear so much better than other weapons when magic is involved? Or is one of those practical things that you shouldn’t be wasting time teaching me about just yet?”

“Nothing about practical magic, I assure you. I wouldn’t be talking about anything of the sort anyway, not only because it’s stupid to try and explain before someone’s awakening, but also because it’s not in my purview as your combat instructor. To answer your question: Using magic together with weapons, or simply outside of your body, is complicated. So the simpler the weapons, the easier it is to use magic with it. A spear is a pretty simple weapon, all things considered. A stick with a sharp pointy end, to use your words. Of course, most spears are a more than just a whittled down stick but the… ahem, point, still stands.”

“So that’s it? A spear is more basic in its design than other weapons, so it’s easier to use with magic? That’s really the reason why everyone’s using it, even though it’s not as cool as a sword? No, never mind, don’t answer that. I’ve literally thought of a dozen examples from history that prove what you just said. It’s just a little harder for me to buy the fact that the same still holds in a world with magic.”

“You’ll just have to take my word for it. I believe that this is how teaching is generally done.”

“Whoa. You almost strayed into one of the great fallacies there; you just about equated between is and ought. Still, you’re right, I’ll take your word for it that the spear retained one of the reasons for its predominance in history. But with that being said, why should I be satisfied with the best weapon for ease of use and not the best weapon overall? Shouldn’t I be aiming to become the strongest version of myself? And not just the version of me that’s the fastest to get a confirmed kill?”

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Lin looked at him with disapproval. “There is no best weapon. Only the best weapon for you—”

“Right, OK. So how do you know that the spear is the best weapon for me?”

“Considering your circumstances, as I’ve described them to you. You can see why the spear is most suited for you.”

“Yeah, I get it. I’m shit at everything, so I better pick up the spear, which is easier to learn than all others, cause I can’t afford to waste time learning something more complex. But how do you know that I am even suited to using a spear? What if I’m shit with it? Or way better at something else? What if I am some sort of duel wielding prodigy and also very good with daggers? Or maybe a flail?”

“A flail is… very impractical. Never heard of one being used in combat. Don’t know how you would actually use it; seems like a huge headache even if you manage to make the patterns work. Daggers, while much simpler, are still just as complex as swords, and much less practical. If you’re already so close to the enemy that you can’t use a longer weapon like a sword, then just hit them with your bare hands; faster and can be just as deadly. The main use of the modern weapon in combat is its reach. Another point to the spear, by the way.”

“OK, I don’t know enough about modern combat to disagree with any of the points you’ve made. But still, what about duel wielding? That’s a classic after all.”

“Let me put it this way: Shield users are a rarity, not because of a lack of advantages, but because of the complexity in using one. And as hard as it is to use a shield, it’s dwarfed by the difficulty of fighting with two weapons.”

“Dare I ask why?”

“Let’s see…” Lin said before pausing in order to formulate an answer that even a totally ignorant idiot like Sam would understand. “When you use magic with a weapon, what you’re essentially trying to do is make that weapon an extension of your body, trace through it as though it were one of your own pathways. This is a very inaccurate description but just so you conceptually understand the problem, imagine the body as thus: A closed circuit in the shape of a circle. When you use a weapon, you’re intersecting the circle with another shape; a straight line for a spear or a straight line with another line crossing it in the middle for a sword’s hilt guard. Clear so far?”

Sam scratched his head. “I think so.”

“Good. The problem with ‘duel wielding’ is that the complexity of the adding two new shapes into the closed circuit that is your body is not additive but exponential. You’re not trying to control just the two lines jutting out of the circle, but the whole new shape as a whole. You’ll understand why when you try it for yourself for the first time.”

“Wait, so does that mean that using a weapon with both hands is also out of the equation?”

“No. Using two hands to hold a weapon just means that you’ll trace into it from one hand and out from another, but it still functions as just one circuit. So, is that clear? Can we finally move on to training?”

“Just a moment! I apologize for being stubborn, I really do, but I’m still not clear on one thing. Even if the spear will be the easiest for me to learn, that doesn’t mean that it’s the best weapon for me to fight with, right? After all, why should I be satisfying my self with mediocrity just because it’s represents the easier path to take?”

“What makes you think that fighting with a spear will result in your mediocrity? I’ve already told you, there is no best weapon, only the weapon that is best for you. And seeing as you’ve never had any combat education, all weapons are equally good for you.”

“Then shouldn’t I go along and pick up every weapon available and see how good I am with it? I mean, what if I’m a sword prodigy or something and you’re just holding me back by shoving a spear in my hands?”

“There isn’t such a thing as prodigies in real life, only cultivated talent and different physical and mental characteristics that make a certain weapon more suitable to certain people. When I started training with a spear, I wasn’t better than the people that started at the same time as me. If you take two identical people, and have one train in the sword and another in the spear, the only difference between their prowess will be the amount of effort they put in. True, that amount can be influenced by their psychology, dictating which weapon they enjoy more. But that’s all. And I assure you, most people don’t really have a preference for which weapon to fight with. They just end up liking the first weapon they were trained in.”

“Which would mean the sword for me, then.”

“We’ve already determined that your fencing… career doesn’t count.”

“No, not that! I had a wooden sword that I play fought with a lot. My sister bought it for me when she was on vacation. I think it was supposed to Narsil, but I’m not sure about that, cause it was pretty short for a long sword… anyway, that doesn't matter. What does matter is that I used it a lot, as any child (and young adult) would when the mood to smite some evil strikes them. And I think I was pretty good at it, twirled it around with ease, struck fast and whatnot. I mean, isn’t it worth the shot to see maybe I’m better with a sword than with a spear?”

Lin eyed him through squinted eyes, but eventually sighed and got up. “Very well. I’ll go get you some training swords so we can make sure that you’re not Makros Falvan in disguise. Wait here.”

“Fucking hell, stop with the name dropping,” muttered Sam once the door closed behind Lin. “Would have it been so hard for you to use a name that makes sense? Like Zorro, he was a good swordsman, right? Or maybe one of the musketeers… Except the only one whose name I can remember was D'artagnan, and I don’t think that he was the best swordfighter among them.”

Sam sighed. He kicked the ground in a childish attempt at throwing a tantrum, but the cushioned rubber floor wasn’t nearly as satisfying as your classic patch of dirt, with all its different sorts of detritus that helps you feel powerful to push around. Why the fuck am I even putting up such a stink about all of this? I mean, he told me to use a spear, so I should have said “yes” and used the spear. It’s not like any of that matters to me. Fuck, but what if it does? What if I make the wrong choice? What if I’m shit with a spear and the right weapon for me was an axe or a staff or anything else that can bash a head in?

A million different choices and the one… thing that can help me make the correct one is an anti-social, long-winded AI, that only pops up when the plot demands it. Well, now would make for a pretty great reveal, asshole! I’m on the precipice of a huge choice and I could do with a word of encouragement or its opposite. Shit… maybe the fact that they don’t say anything means that I’m on the right track? Fuck it, let’s trying asking.

“Hey Web-Web,” he said to the room, barely above a whisper. “Can you hear me, asshole? If you do, knock once if you think that I should train with a spear and knock three times if you don’t.” No answer. The silence was only broken by the room’s door opening without a knock, admitting Lin, two wooden swords in hand.

“Here you go.” He handed him one.

“Oof.” Sam grunted as he grabbed hold of it. “Why is it so fucking heavy?”

“This one is built in order to be similar in weight to your average sword, just like those two,” he pointed to one of the set of spears lying on the ground. “Would you rather try your talent with the lighter sword?”

Sam, who at this point was barely holding the sword in both hands, handed it back to Lin. “Very much so, if you please.” Lin silently took the sword back, with no trace of effort showing on his face, and handed Sam the lighter weapon. “Now that’s more like it.” Sam nodded in relief. It was still much heavier than his old cellotaped sword, but it was still light enough for his weak little arm to hold in one hand. After a couple of half circles, he managed to twirl it around a full rotation in his hand. But alas, the second time he tried it, the sword flew out of his hand and barely missed his foot.

“Now hold on,” Sam said. “Before you judge me, you should know that I am a bit rusty.”

Lin raised an eyebrow in response. “Show me what you can do, then.” And he beckoned him forward, holding the heavier sword in his left hand. Sam bent down to pick up his dropped weapon. Wouldn’t he just smash mine away because his sword is so much heavier than mine? He wondered. “I’ll only block. Feel free to focus on attacking,” Lin said, as if reading his thoughts.

Sam, compiling with the instructions, raised the sword above his shoulder and brought it down in a downward arc towards Lin’s neck. Lin’s hands moved much faster than his and before Sam even knew it, his opponent’s blade was there to meet his. Rebuffed, Sam felt momentarily out of balance, but managed to right himself and keep on the offensive. Striking from the right once again, he aimed towards Lin’s abdomen this time. However, his attack proved even less effective than before as he was blocked right at the moment that he finished the windup for the cut.

On and on he tried to break through Lin’s simple defenses, but each time he found himself held back by a simple positioning of his opponent’s sword. Quickly growing tired, in both hand and lungs, Sam decided to gamble and try to land a strike by making his best approximation of a feint. It didn’t work out. It wasn’t even Lin that tripped him up. Sam himself wasn’t able to change the direction of the strike and found himself off balance. Lin’s sword, there to meet his—which by now was completely out of alignment—proved to be the final straw as Sam’s legs hit each other and he fell head first towards the ground.

Dropping the sword, more by luck than by intention, Sam managed to block his fall with both hands, but not without feeling the impact reverberate up to his spine. “Ow,” he muttered as he stopped holding himself away from the ground and started lowering his body in order to rest his weary hands.

“You don’t look so good,” said Lin from above him. Sam couldn’t see him right now, but from the slight inflection in his voice, he guessed his vanquisher was smiling.

Sam tried to avoid scowling, and rolling on to his back, he stared at Lin and started rubbing and stretching his right hand. “So what’s the verdict, coach?”

“There’s nothing to indicate that you’ll be any better with a sword than with a spear,” Lin answered as though Sam didn’t already know it and they both didn’t know that this was a complete waste of time.

“Guess that’s that.” Sam sat up while letting out a long breath. “Just promise me that fighting with spear wouldn’t prevent me from being the strongest in the world some day.”

Lin smiled down at him. “Strongest in the world or strongest in the Web? Either way, you don’t need to worry about that at all. The popularity of spears extends to the Rulers themselves, after all. In fact, our supreme commander himself is recognized as both one of the strongest Rulers in the Web and one of the best spearfighters. So, I assure you, your choice of weapon isn’t going to be what prevents you from towering over all creation.”

“Alright, good to know.” Sam nodded. And muttering, mostly to himself, “Don’t know why I was so against the spear in the first place. Just wanted to make sure that I won’t make a wrong choice, you know? And honestly, it’s not like the spear isn’t cool or anything. Sure, it’s not as cool as duel-wielding two swords, but what is? It’s still just as cool as fighting with a single sword, or with a big ass pistol. And hey, arguably the coolest character in Malazan: a spearfighter. That’s gotta count for something in the wish fulfillment department.”