The Black Necromancer-Book 4

Chapter 31

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Chapter 31

                Dahlia flashed a triumphant grin at her and clambered to her feet too. She unsheathed two daggers, one in each hand and tensed up, like she was expecting Kayla to attack her. Instead, Kayla continued talking.

                “Now, the first thing you need to understand is that fighting is not all about strength and skill,” she said. “Okay, strength is a bonus and skill is necessary, but sometimes brains are even more important. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes.”

                Dahlia snickered. “Are you sure you didn’t read Percy Jackson?” she asked.

                Kayla blinked. “Who is this Percy Jackson that you and Troy keep mentioning? Is he a magician?”

                Dahlia shook her head. “Never mind.”

                Kayla shot her a you’re-weird-look before continuing. “Think about it, Dahlia. If I’m your opponent and I’m using a spear, what should you do?”

                Dahlia frowned at her, then down at her daggers. “Uh… avoid getting hit?” she suggested.

                Kayla nodded patiently. “Yeah, that’s good. But spears have a long range. Can you harm me if you’re playing defence all the time?”

                Dahlia shook her head. “So you’re saying that I have to attack more?”

                “Not just that,” Kayla said, getting more animated now. “What do your daggers have that my spears don’t?”

                Dahlia bit her lip, like she was thinking. “Uh, a shorter range,” she offered.

                “Exactly,” Kayla said. “So what do you do?”

                She could sense Dahlia’s frustration at not getting the right answer. Kayla’s method for teaching was making sure that her student could give her the answer, not just being spoon-fed the whole time. Spoon-feeding was for the weak and in a fight, your opponent would not give up out of his own accord. She hadn’t properly trained people before; sometimes she had helped Mitchell, Yasmine and Tristan with training the younger Magicians of Earth, but it wasn’t something that she did on a permanent basis.

                “Get in closer?” Dahlia suggested, ending in a question.

                “Are you asking me or telling me?” Kayla asked.

                “Uh, telling,” Dahlia replied.

                Kayla nodded. “Good job. So that’s what you have to do with your opponents: get inside their weapon range. Daggers are less practical than swords; they don’t have that reach. But once you’ve got inside my spear, I can’t retract it fast enough to counter your blows. One quick stab and I’m dead. Got it?”

                Dahlia nodded. “So I have to be faster than you, get inside your spear and kill quickly.”

                “Yep,” Kayla replied. “Look for weak chinks in our armour; your dagger might not be sharp enough to actually pierce the metal.”