Master Of None

”You need what? You’re an archer and you are asking for me to…” The merfolk looked behind Gil to see Leon waving with a smile. His eyes returned to Gil and just shook his head. ”I have told that kid multiple times that I have retired from hunting and guarding anything. I teach on the side now and that’s it. If you think you will get real world experience then go elsewhere.” 

”Um, so you are actually going to teach me dagger arts that the merfolk use?” 

”Don’t ask questions and just get in line with us. I had to wait a week for the fastest swimmer in the guards to train me!” One of the kids using a sword to train yelled at Gil making him wonder if he was actually doing the right thing. 

”So apparently today we are going over dagger techniques. You can thank Leon for that even though I had all of you train with your swords first. Again, yell at Leon., not me.” The man pulled a set of wooden replica daggers from his bag on the side. ”These are made with the same weight and balance as our traditional water slicing daggers. Just take them and get ready to follow me through. If you are lucky, you might have the skills to match my flow.” 

The thought that the dagger skills used to battle for the merfolk were related to the flow of water made a lot of sense. But that still did not mean that Gil would be able to grasp it. He was more in tune with the forests than the water. It was just the simple upraising he had on the farm along with his training with the elves. 

”Being able to stab at something one way is great, but we focus on slashing and severing. As long as you leave the tail undamaged the fish will still get away. your dagger is to incapacitate and end the prey you chase. It adds to maneuverability so that you are not finding yourself slower than anything else. Make sure that you think about how you move on land and in the water. One day you may find yourself in the shallows having to adapt.” This made sense since it was one way that the merfolk would hunt, it also made sense that they were near the edges of the river training. 

”Is this guy going to be able to do it then he’s a human, right? He can’t swim like us.” The same boy that had yelled at Gil before was judging him yet again. It was the young attitude that hadn’t learned to respect those older than them yet. 

”If you say another thing about him I will let him duel you. With his bow. By the time you realize your mistake, you will easily have fifty arrows where you were standing. Not to mention ones that could freeze the entire area you swim and breathe in. He’s one of the founders of this city and is standing right next to you to learn.” The man obviously knew who Gil was but had just been flat with Gil in the beginning because of the schedule he kept. It wasn’t that the man had any disrespect himself. The boy on the other hand was a little lost. Gil just stayed focused. 

”Watch me demonstrate how we flow on land. We are less controlled by the currents of water and can use what we have felt and seen to replicate a flow comfortable for us. The more you have stood in the shallows and felt the way the current s move, the better because you will have a natural feeling for how it should flow.” The demonstration began without another word. 

The man that the boy had called the fastest swimmer started to move slowly. One foot back and another forward so that he could change his standing in an instant. That was exactly what he did, he flowed from back and forth while being able to move side to side easily. The pace changed in an instant making Gil struggle to keep up with the slashing motions that seemed to involve the entire body. What shocked him was the moment that the man started to move around them. He was close to cutting them but never did so. It was as if he could move through them without any risk of injury. One of the younger boys even tried to touch him as he passed but it seemed that the man just slightly moved to avoid it. The same way when someone tried to grasp something floating in water and it would be missed due to the change in water pressure around the hand. 

”What are you waiting for? Copy my stance and practice. If I see anyone flat footed you will be running to the river jumping in and swimming back home. It would be a waste of time to just stand when you can flow.” Gil couldn’t agree more. He had long lost his flat footed style of using a bow. If he did he wouldn’t be able to rush to another location or to adjust his distance. Therefore, he easily adapted to this style of using a dagger. But he still felt something was missing. 

”I can tell you grew up on land. Go to the water and try to do exactly as I was doing. Stand there and move slowly. Don’t resist the slow current around you. Just see what it does to you when you are knee deep.” Gil was sure the advice was good. The man had called him out after just a few seconds of him moving. But Gil looked down at his shoes, he had to mentally prepare himself for walking through the city soaking wet at the end of the day. But if this was the price, then he would pay it. 

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