In a remote corner of the village sounds of metal hitting metal rang out.

Lyall and Arick, both with their spear in hand, clashed again and again. They were covered in sweat, a testimony of how long they had been at it already, but also of how intense their little spar had been.

By the side-lines stood Jyl and Harald, patiently observing.

"He's pretty good", Harald admitted, "His movements are sharp and controlled, he has a good read on the situation, however..."

Jyl nodded.

He was too stoic. This way of fighting was more fitting of a battlefield where there was little room to evade. Against beasts however, you couldn't afford to get hit. Even if the blow didn’t outright crush you, the chances of it being poisonous, or able to track you through a blood trail you leave behind, are not something you want to risk.

Evasion was crucial, especially for the solo hunt Arick would have to undertake. There would be nobody to help him if he got hurt. He would have to leave and return on his own.

"And then there's his stealth", said Jyl, causing both of them to sigh.

Disregarding his ability with the spear, his hunting skills were pathetic. Even a ten year old aspiring hunter could outdo him when it came to stealth, instinct or agility. If they sent him out into the forest in his current state, he would succumb to the first beast he stumbled across, before it even came to a fight.

"He's been trained to fight against people, not beasts", Harald determined.

He glanced at his granddaughter, who was studying the fight with furrowed brows and determined eyes. To his own annoyance, Daren had assigned her to prepare Arick for the First Hunt. He understood why, but that didn't mean he was particularly happy with the arrangement. Not to mention the fact that their fighting styles were completely different, which was why they had asked Lyall to spar with him.

On the other hand, Jyl didn't seem bothered by the whole thing. This was her first time training someone, and Harald could tell she was determined to do her very best.

She had asked Rina to teach him about the plants and beasts in the forest, and it didn't take long for that other demon named Mirus to join them during those little sessions. Lyall and Aiden had been roped in to help him in learning different battle techniques designed for fighting different types of beasts. The practical classes Jyl taught herself. She would head into the forest with him to give him a feel for everything he was taught. And also to 'scare him to death in an attempt to teach him' as Arick put it.

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When the black winged demon had first told him about Jyl's teaching methods, Harald had been unable to keep back his laughter, ruining the serious image he had attempted to project.

On the other end of the field Aiden and Alcaeus were teaming up against Cecile. Using her axe and shield, she managed to hold both of them off at the same time. Though, they were giving her more trouble each time they tried.

Despite Daren telling him to keep an eye out, the three demons were fitting in quite well. Even the obvious differences in appearance didn't discourage the curious villagers. In fact, the horns weren't even considered particularly special, as there were many hunters who liked to dress in the pelts, scales or feathers of beasts they had hunted, and wore accessories made of claws, teeth, horns or beaks. On the contrary, it was the demons who sometimes looked strangely at the villagers.

Jyl clapped her hands, signalling the end of the fight. Both Arick and Lyall were breathing heavily, but they didn't let their fatigue show in their posture. Harald couldn't help but nod in approval at that, it was important never to show a beast weakness or it could make use of it.

"We should go eat", she said, before turning around to leave.

"How did I do?" Arick asked his opponent.

"You're still defending far too much", Lyall lectured, "If the thing attacking you wasn't my spear, but a lion's claw, there's no way you would get out of it unscathed. You need to learn to evade more."

"Many beasts out there are far larger than you", Harald added, "They also have more power behind their strikes. However, if you make use of their size by circling them, you can gain an advantage."

Their responses got a sigh in return. It had been a week and there wasn't much progress, so it wasn't difficult to determine what worried him. As far as Harald was concerned, the longer they stayed the better, but that obviously wasn't an option for the three demons. They had their own lives to get back to, and, even more pressingly, the war.

"Don't worry too much", Aiden tried to cheer him up, "You have a good teacher in Jyl, and you have the capabilities to learn."

"She is definitely a good hunter, but honestly, I am not really sure what to make of her teaching methods."

Lyall smirked. "She got those from grandpa, you know. He taught us to stay alert by sneaking up on us at the most unexpected times. Though I'm pretty sure he also enjoyed scaring us by popping up out of nowhere."

Harald snorted at the accusation. 

"It worked, did it not? You should be glad I took the time, you brat, if it was up to that father of yours you wouldn't even be able to sneak up on a hibernating bear, nevermind a hunting one."

"Let's go, let's go!" Cecile shoved them out of the way. "Rina is cooking lunch today, and I for one don't want to be late!"