Ashan 4th, 719
When she first opened up The Roost, Alexander had informed her that she was absolutely without a doubt one trial going to come to work and hate it. She hadn't believed him at first. She didn't mind children or teaching, and spreading knowledge was something important to her. While she didn't mention it as often as she mentioned her love for Ethelynda, she also had a deep adoration for Treid. The Immortal of wisdom encouraged the spread of knowledge when he was still around, at least according to the stories she'd heard as a child. She took great pleasure as an instructor for that fact. Even if the Immortal was incapacitated, and possibly gone for good, she'd still follow the lessons that had represented his teachings when she first learned about Immortals. That's why she'd decided a long time ago she'd never decided one Trial that she'd made a mistake. She'd always stick to her belief and try to enjoy her job.These two, these two were starting to test her patience though.
Maud and Zion were both very different creatures, perhaps that was the heart of the problem in this situation. Zion was trying to prove something to other people and Maud's determinations were more so that she wanted to prove something to herself. Two very different motivations, and while not conflicting at face value, the two people who those dispositions belonged two were very confliction, both in their nature and their methodology.
Maud was good with a broad sword and a kite shield. In fact, she was better with shields than Nightshade herself currently was. A situation the half-breed would remedy as soon as possible, but a simple fact of things none the less. Maud liked to take things slow, she fought carefully and enjoyed the defensive more than she did the offensive. Night had slowly been working up her confidence so that Maud could start fighting others, and so far, things had gone well. Usually, the meek girl would wear out her opponents with a flawless defense before delivering the 'final blow' as the half-breed had started to dub it. Neither was experienced enough that she'd moved them to real weapons. She certainly didn't trust Zion with real weapons yet, though she might be willing to pass Maud along sooner or later.
Zion was the total opposite of Maud. Zion was reckless, careless, he lashed out quite quickly and quite easily without much care for his own personal health. Suffice to say, the half-breed didn't trust him in any actual fights. She was still struggling to instill him with caution and after the whole of Cylus, she still hadn't gotten him to use a shield properly. Not that she could really do much with a shield herself, she was at least trying to learn. That was more than Zion had attempted to do within the last season of practice. It was starting to become obvious he wouldn't learn from, let alone listen, to her in regards to this topic in particular. It was troublesome and unless she found a resolution for his reckless nature it wasn't likely she was ever going to be able to move him past competent. Not that she minded really, but his confidence could prove lethal if he ever got into an actual fight.
That was her logic for putting Zion and Maud into the same room to fight each other. For the most part, she'd kept the two separate. They'd mostly ignored each other when they passed each other, their lessons being close enough together that they saw one another often. She'd even go out on a limb and say that the two were starting to become, dare she imply it, friends. Whenever they were in the building at the same time they'd slowly begun to interact more and more. It was a slow process of holding conversations between their lesson slots. A slow process which had evolved into one coming in to watch the other during lessons if their shedual allowed. It was, for this reason, she thought having the two spar would do them both some good. Allow them both to get an idea of other styles and maybe learn adaptability.
She'd very quickly learned that her well-intentioned attempt at a better teaching style had produced quite the opposite.
Zion took another swing at the older girl, his sword glancing off as Maud took another strike at his ribs. He got hit, releasing a smaller yelp that Night's attacks usually got but a distressed yelp none the less. Currently, the record was 20 hits to 0, the 20 belonging of course to Maud. Zion for his part in the activity had only become more reckless, allowing his ambitions and his pride to drive his actions. This was exactly what she feared might happen if he ever got into a real fight. Realizing that he might just lose would drive him to act with no regard for his safety or that of anyone else's. There were a couple times he almost hit Maud, but those attacks were genuinely malicious in nature and if they stuck they would have actually hurt the older girl past the point of just a sparring match. Maud seemed apprehensive, unsure if she should be scared of the angry man or assured in the fact that one of her best friends wasn't going to kill her or anything. Right?
"Posture Zion, posture!" The half-breed called out as the boy almost tripped over his own feet in his next attempt to attack. Scratch that, he did trip.
The half-breed, as well as Maud, just simply watched as Zion's form collided with the floor. Ashan give her strength, she needed all the easy-going nature and patience that the patron of spirituality and spring could provide her. This was his season. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she composed herself. "Well then... First of all, let's talk about all the things that Zion did wrong," she said. She didn't have the patience to sugar coat her words and Zion wasn't the kind who needed sugar coating. He was an odd creature, and he found it funny whenever she insulted him. Sometimes it seemed like the more she insulted him the more likely he was to compliment her. It was... odd. Maud giggled, seemingly enjoying it as well.
"Excuse you, but I'm proud of my fuck up. We die like men," Zion boasted as he tossed his head backward.
"Without common sense and underprepared?" The half-breed asked with a tilt of her head as she helped to pull the boy to his feet. Another giggle from Maud, an amused fake groan from Zion.
"Yes, absolutely, that's completely what I meant," he rolled his eyes at her and she shook her head. "Anyway, I am trying," he attempted to defend himself. "I do everything you say but then whenever I get into a fight I just get so... overcomes. I just gotta beat whoever I'm fighting. Sorry Maud," the apology was fairly half-hearted but at least he meant it. Graceful and gentle as almost, quiet as a temple mouse, Maud took the apology with a quick nod and a gentle smile. She was too forgiving, but that was something for another time.
"Perhaps we can switch out strength training for practice with meditation. You are perfectly capable of continuing strength training on your own, but I believe you might need a little extra instruction in keeping a level head if we're to ever actually make a fighter out of you. That's perhaps my biggest praise of Maud. No matter the situation she always manages to keep herself entirely calm. She doesn't panic and she doesn't get overcome with rage. That being said, Maud, you need to take the defensive a little earlier. You've been doing some good work lately, but I've noticed sometimes you take too long to launch your attack and some of the more experienced fighters are able to get the better of you during that time. I think you might be hesitating. That might just be you trying to analyze the whole situation, but the problem is an experienced fighter will always analyze faster than you can. If that happens, then you're just going to lose," the half-breed tried to give the pair whatever instruction she could, picking out the weaknesses of each child.
"Now the, try it again, the both of you," the half-breed said as she took a couple steps back to give the sparing pair room. The fight continued, but Zion seemed to have a much leveler head. Maud, unfortunately, wasn't being any more agressive than usual. Perhaps she hadn't seen the shift in Zion's style or she was waiting for the right moment, but she was about to get a shock.
"YES!" Zion shouted as he finally landed a hit on Maud. The girl looked baffled. Oh Immortals, the woman loved these children but sometimes they were feking idiots.
