Lorelai stood in the center of the training hall, sweat trickling down her brow as she gripped the practice sword. It felt unnaturally heavy, awkward in her hands. She swung it in a wide arc, trying to mimic the fluid strikes she had seen other students make, but each motion felt clumsy. The weight of the blade seemed to pull her off balance, as though it were a burden she could hardly bear. Every strike came slower, heavier, more labored than the last, and the frustration gnawed at her.

Behind her, she heard the quiet, deliberate sound of Avantus’s boots approaching, the faint scrape of his sword sliding in its sheath. His presence filled the space like the shadow of something immense. When he spoke, his voice was low, cutting through the silence.

"Stop. You’re flailing around like a child with a stick, not like someone who’s been practicing with a sword. They let an amateur like you in here? Are the academy's standards slipping?," Avantus berated, his tone clipped, disapproving.

Lorelai froze, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, like he was examining her very soul. She turned to face him, her chest heaving with exertion.

"I..." she started, but the words caught in her throat.

Avantus, a middle aged human man with hair speckled white and numerous scar littered his corded muscle and gruff face. He tilted his head slightly, studying her carefully. His expression was stern, unreadable, but his eyes… those eyes saw through every student who came before him. There was something calculating in his gaze, something that made Lorelai feel like an open book.

"You’re stronger than this, but aren't used to the weight of a sword." he continued, crossing his arms over his chest. "You’ve been trained to fight, haven’t you? So why do you struggle with something as simple as handling a sword?"

Lorelai’s grip tightened on the hilt of the blade, her fingers beginning to ache from the strain. She didn’t want to explain herself, she didn’t want to appear weak, but there was something in his voice that cut through her pride, forcing her to confront the truth.

"It’s too heavy for me," she outburst. Her voice on the verge of escalating her volume, "I've never had any training, the only weapon I have EVER had the luxury of wielding has been a stick before it broke during a fight I could not avoid. I'm not like the others here who had the luxury of proper instruction or even the right weapons."

There was a long silence as Avantus studied her. She could almost feel him weighing her words, deciding how to respond, what to make of this shortcoming. This will most certainly slow down the schedule he had for her training.

"You’ve been fighting without the proper tools or knowledge then," Avantus said after a moment, his voice softer now, though there was still an edge to it. "I see. So you’ve trained with makeshift weapons, or no weapons at all?"

Lorelai nodded, the tightness in her chest growing. "I trained wherever I could. It was with nothing more than sticks, I wasn’t ever taught how to wield a sword properly no matter how many people or times I asked. My whole life was about survival." She glanced down at the blade in her hands, the words coming more easily now. "I tried to copy what I had seen, but they made sure to use more advanced techniques that I would have significantly more difficulty understanding them. I just had to fight, with no hope of victory but I refuse to just lay down and take it, hence the flailing."

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Avantus was silent for a long moment, his eyes never leaving her. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and thoughtful.

"That explains a lot." He uncrossed his arms and took a step closer, his movements slow and measured. "Your strikes are instinctive, but they lack the control that comes with proper training. Your form is all wrong, you’re relying too much on brute force and no technique at all, as you've stated. The sword is too heavy for you because you’re not used to the weight. Well, lucky for you those are easy fixes."

Lorelai’s lips tightened and remained silent to the truth, but a feeling of anticipation seeped into her about the 'easy fix' .

"You need to learn to handle a sword with grace not just force, and there is a place for force," Avantus continued, his voice firm. "And you need to stop thinking like you’re always fighting to survive. Here, you’re learning to fight to win. To control the fight, not just react to it."

Lorelai met his gaze, her jaw set. "I get it. I need to learn how to control the fight, but… how do I start? Where do I even begin?"

Avantus studied her for another long moment, his eyes narrowing as if considering something. Then he nodded, as if reaching a decision. "You’re not going to get it all at once. But I can help you. I’ll give you access to the skill athenaeum. Isha has informed me of your class's preferred weapons, so I will grant you permission to choose one sword technique tome and one spear technique tome. You will start wielding one handed weapons, and start you off by practicing for two hours daily. The first hour will be with your left hand and the second hour in your right hand, and you're to do this with both the sword and spear. We are going to build your strength up. I expect significant improvement by the next time we meet."

Lorelai’s eyes widened, admiration swelling in her chest, the intimidating guy was actually pretty considerate. Lorelai swallowed the surge of gratitude that nearly overwhelmed her. She had never expected someone like Avantus, a man who seemed to hold nothing but disdain for mediocrity, to offer her such a chance. She had fought so hard to get here and for the first time since she’d entered the academy, she felt like she might actually be able to succeed, "You’ll let me access the athenaeum? I thought only the higher-ranked students..."

"Don’t misunderstand me," Avantus interrupted, his voice sharp. "This is not a gift. It’s an opportunity to level the playing field. I try to make sure everyone has a fair shot, and I don't have the time to create a fighting style tailored to you. Don’t waste the opportunity, if you fail to learn those techniques or don't show progress, I’ll revoke your access. But if you do, I’ll help you train."

"Thank you," she said quietly, her voice thick with sincerity, she was more grateful than she could even explain.

Avantus nodded once, curtly and handed her a written pass. "Get better. You’ll need every advantage you can get here. Once you have the tomes your homework will begin. Then I will assess how far you've come next week when your training will begin in earnest."

Before she could respond, he turned on his heel and strode toward the door, leaving Lorelai alone with her thoughts and the weight of her future resting on her shoulders. She stared at the practice sword, her grip still tight around the hilt. Survival had never been enough, if it was enough she would have been complacent when she had the seal on her. Now, with the chance to truly learn, to truly master something, Lorelai felt a different kind of fire ignite inside her.