Chapter 6
Raddyth hung in the water, hating the feeling of using his gills to suck in water and breathe. Garajnare had brought him and Jarrox to a clear space near the city’s boundary, a space surrounded on all sides by a fence of coral with sharp spikes protruding from it on the outside to keep away aquatic predators. He had led them to a rack of weapons near the entrance to this fence, and had bade the prince to choose something that suited him. Raddyth had looked them over, and had decided on a strange weapon that looked like a sliver of moon, being made of some pale material and shaped like a thin crescent. The farthest edge was razor sharp, and you held it with both hands thrust through a narrow slot. It was very light but not brittle, and he found his curiosity being roused in spite of himself. He wanted to know how to use this strange new weapon properly.
Garajnare had also acquired one of the crescent moon weapons, and he turned to face Raddyth in the open space. “This is called a k’than,” he told the prince. “It is made to move quickly and easily through the water, and to do as much damage as possible with only one swing. Drawing blood is key, as it attracts predators and weakens your opponent greatly. The whole point of fighting under water is to finish the battle as quickly as you can. If the fight goes on for too long, both of you will quickly become tired. And then you’re vulnerable to being attacked by predators seeking to take advantage of your weariness. The k’than is also good for attacking and warding off predators, as it is so sharp. For example, if you cut a shark seeking to bite you, its blood will often attract more of its own kind who will not hesitate to attack their injured brethren. Whenever you go out from now on, you will carry one of these weapons with you at all times. And always be on the alert. A careless, unwary person is far too often a dead person.”
Raddyth listened to this recitation with more interest than he would have expected. Garajnare lifted his own k’than. “Now I will demonstrate to you how to use this weapon properly,” he began.
He turned and approached a weird contraption made of stone and long fronds of seaweed used as ropes to bind it together. The stone already had numerous cuts in it, and Garajnare’s controlled swing of the k’than in his hands showed just why. The weapon sliced into the rock neatly, and little chip drifted down to the sea floor as he looked over his shoulder at the prince. “Now you try it,” he encouraged. “Do as I did.”
Raddyth swam over with the weapon in his hands, and tried to imitate Garajnare’s swing. But unfortunately he couldn’t put as much force behind it, and he barely scratched the stone. He frowned angrily, but the mer man remarked: “You have the form down, you simply need to learn to adjust your swing to the resistance of the water. You may practice while I speak with the wizard about his spell casting.” he swam away toward Jarrox, leaving Raddyth beside the stone structure.
The prince glowered at the weapon. He was going to learn to do this properly! He’d show that arrogant Lavisnare that he was as capable as any of these ridiculous mer folk. Determined, he made a second swing at the stone. This time he managed to actually hit it with a bit more force, and his lips lifted in a grim smile of triumph.
Jarrox looked nervously at Garajnare as the mer man approached him. “Don’t be scared, wizard,” the weapons teacher said soothingly. “I don’t bite,” he added, baring his sharp teeth in a shark-like smile.
“Erm…” Jarrox replied. While he’d cast a spell that would allow both he and prince Raddyth to speak clearly even while they had gills, his nervousness was keeping him form articulating properly at the moment.
Garajnare chuckled like a steam kettle. “I want to hear about your magic, Wizard Jarrox,” he said next. “The more I know of it, the easier a time I’ll have helping you adapt your combat spells to being underwater.”
“Oh. Well…” Jarrox began, then started talking hurriedly as he blurted out words as fast as he could. Garajnare listened silently as he poured out as much magical theory and execution as he could manage on one breath, then came to a halt as his gills expanded rapidly to take in more oxygen. It was the underwater version of panting.
The mer man said: “Do not speak so quickly, Jarrox. You’ll tire yourself out. I do not need to know the whole history of human magic, just how you cast your spells normally. Can you tell me how you do that? And show me as well?”
Jarrox nodded. He began to take Garajnare through the casting of a single spell, bringing light. He explained how he used words to bind the magic and channel it into a certain spell, and he spoke the single word that would bring a bit of glowing light into his cupped hands. Garajnare watched and listened with interest, and when he was done nodded. “It will be simple to adapt your spells, I think,” he noted thoughtfully. “We’ll work on it a bit at a time each day. And afterward - you can help me with that other thing that you said you would,” he went on, and there was a devilish expression in his eyes that both rather scared Jarrox - and also enthralled him for some reason as well.
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Raddyth hung in the water, hating the feeling of using his gills to suck in water and breathe. Garajnare had brought him and Jarrox to a clear space near the city’s boundary, a space surrounded on all sides by a fence of coral with sharp spikes protruding from it on the outside to keep away aquatic predators. He had led them to a rack of weapons near the entrance to this fence, and had bade the prince to choose something that suited him. Raddyth had looked them over, and had decided on a strange weapon that looked like a sliver of moon, being made of some pale material and shaped like a thin crescent. The farthest edge was razor sharp, and you held it with both hands thrust through a narrow slot. It was very light but not brittle, and he found his curiosity being roused in spite of himself. He wanted to know how to use this strange new weapon properly.
Garajnare had also acquired one of the crescent moon weapons, and he turned to face Raddyth in the open space. “This is called a k’than,” he told the prince. “It is made to move quickly and easily through the water, and to do as much damage as possible with only one swing. Drawing blood is key, as it attracts predators and weakens your opponent greatly. The whole point of fighting under water is to finish the battle as quickly as you can. If the fight goes on for too long, both of you will quickly become tired. And then you’re vulnerable to being attacked by predators seeking to take advantage of your weariness. The k’than is also good for attacking and warding off predators, as it is so sharp. For example, if you cut a shark seeking to bite you, its blood will often attract more of its own kind who will not hesitate to attack their injured brethren. Whenever you go out from now on, you will carry one of these weapons with you at all times. And always be on the alert. A careless, unwary person is far too often a dead person.”
Raddyth listened to this recitation with more interest than he would have expected. Garajnare lifted his own k’than. “Now I will demonstrate to you how to use this weapon properly,” he began.
He turned and approached a weird contraption made of stone and long fronds of seaweed used as ropes to bind it together. The stone already had numerous cuts in it, and Garajnare’s controlled swing of the k’than in his hands showed just why. The weapon sliced into the rock neatly, and little chip drifted down to the sea floor as he looked over his shoulder at the prince. “Now you try it,” he encouraged. “Do as I did.”
Raddyth swam over with the weapon in his hands, and tried to imitate Garajnare’s swing. But unfortunately he couldn’t put as much force behind it, and he barely scratched the stone. He frowned angrily, but the mer man remarked: “You have the form down, you simply need to learn to adjust your swing to the resistance of the water. You may practice while I speak with the wizard about his spell casting.” he swam away toward Jarrox, leaving Raddyth beside the stone structure.
The prince glowered at the weapon. He was going to learn to do this properly! He’d show that arrogant Lavisnare that he was as capable as any of these ridiculous mer folk. Determined, he made a second swing at the stone. This time he managed to actually hit it with a bit more force, and his lips lifted in a grim smile of triumph.
Jarrox looked nervously at Garajnare as the mer man approached him. “Don’t be scared, wizard,” the weapons teacher said soothingly. “I don’t bite,” he added, baring his sharp teeth in a shark-like smile.
“Erm…” Jarrox replied. While he’d cast a spell that would allow both he and prince Raddyth to speak clearly even while they had gills, his nervousness was keeping him form articulating properly at the moment.
Garajnare chuckled like a steam kettle. “I want to hear about your magic, Wizard Jarrox,” he said next. “The more I know of it, the easier a time I’ll have helping you adapt your combat spells to being underwater.”
“Oh. Well…” Jarrox began, then started talking hurriedly as he blurted out words as fast as he could. Garajnare listened silently as he poured out as much magical theory and execution as he could manage on one breath, then came to a halt as his gills expanded rapidly to take in more oxygen. It was the underwater version of panting.
The mer man said: “Do not speak so quickly, Jarrox. You’ll tire yourself out. I do not need to know the whole history of human magic, just how you cast your spells normally. Can you tell me how you do that? And show me as well?”
Jarrox nodded. He began to take Garajnare through the casting of a single spell, bringing light. He explained how he used words to bind the magic and channel it into a certain spell, and he spoke the single word that would bring a bit of glowing light into his cupped hands. Garajnare watched and listened with interest, and when he was done nodded. “It will be simple to adapt your spells, I think,” he noted thoughtfully. “We’ll work on it a bit at a time each day. And afterward - you can help me with that other thing that you said you would,” he went on, and there was a devilish expression in his eyes that both rather scared Jarrox - and also enthralled him for some reason as well.
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