Aziel circled him slowly, boots crushing the desiccated rose stems with each deliberate step. His gaze was penetrating, assessing every aspect of Arthur's form with the precision that belies his age.
"You aren't ever gonna be a good swordsman in the conventional term, no matter how much you train," Aziel declared, his voice cutting through the still air.
Arthur was thrown for a small loop after hearing him, breaking his stance in surprise. "What!?" His grip loosened momentarily on the sword hilt, the carefully maintained posture faltering.
Aziel stopped his circling and looked at Arthur sternly, unmoved by the reaction. The dead roses around them seemed to emphasize the harshness of his assessment. "Don't get your panties in a bunch," he said firmly. "I said in the conventional term, that doesn't mean you can't become effective with a sword..." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Now get back in your stance."
Arthur raised an eyebrow but put up no more fight before going back into his stance. The weight of the sword felt heavier now, as if Aziel's words had added physical mass to the blade. He readjusted his fingers on the hilt, trying to recapture the position he had just been in.
"You aren't built to be a technical and perfect swordsman, that much I can tell already," Aziel continued, walking through the field of dead flowers, occasionally kicking aside a withered stem. "So instead you'll be different, you'll be fast, you'll use that unique ability of yours and become awkward and unlike anybody else who's touched a sword." The dead petals swirled around his boots as he moved. "You'll do things wrong but for you they'll be right."
Arthur's confusion grew with Aziel's odd explanation, but he let him keep talking. Arthur simply stood firm hands gripped tightly on the hilt with his head forward and his mind focused.
"But before you build on this style of swordsmanship you have to at least learn and perfect the basics to some degree..." Aziel's voice grew firmer, more instructional. "With that being said, show me a downward slash."
Arthur silently nodded and proceeded to slash vertically with the sword. The blade whistled through the air, disturbing a few dried petals that had been carried by the breeze. He did one strike and reassumed his stance, waiting expectantly.
Aziel stared for a second or two before finally speaking, his voice flat and unimpressed. "Wrong."
Arthur's head spun towards him, disbelief evident in his expression. "What?"
Aziel closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. The gesture was dramatic against the backdrop of the field. "Do it like this," he instructed.
Aziel proceeded to rearrange Arthur into a better form for his slash, adjusting his elbow, repositioning his feet, correcting the angle of his wrists. His touch was firm but not rough, the hands of a teacher who demanded perfection but wasn't cruel in seeking it. The dry rose stems flattened and formed around their feet as they shifted positions in the desolate field.
Eventually, Arthur finally did a slash Aziel approved of. The blade cut cleanly through the air, with better balance and control than before. Arthur stepped out of his stance with a smile of pride, but was shocked when he didn't see a pleased face on Aziel.
"What are you doing? You're not done yet..." Aziel's voice carried over to Arthur with a hint of amusement in Aziel's voice. "Do a thousand more just like that and then we'll get back to walking."
Arthur's jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide as he stared in disbelief. "A thousand?!?"
Aziel raised an eyebrow, unmoved by Arthur's shock. "Did I stutter?"
Arthur grunted under his breath. "Asshole." The word was barely audible, lost in the space between them.
Arthur got back into his stance and began to do his strikes. One after another after another after another. The repetitive motion seemed endless, each strike identical to the last. Time stretched on as the sun moved across the sky. His arms grew heavier with each repetition, but still he continued, driven by determination and Aziel's unrelenting gaze.
Finally, after about two hours, Arthur finished his thousand strikes... well, it was probably well over that, as any time Aziel saw a strike he didn't approve of, he didn't count it. But either way, he was finally done and ready to fall over in exhaustion.
His arms hung dead at his sides, so tired he couldn't even lift them anymore. The sword felt like it was made of lead, and every muscle in his body protested the slightest movement. The roses that surrounded them seemed to mirror his state—drained, and spent.
But sadly, he couldn't lay down to rest as he wanted, as they had to make some ground before night time. They began walking once again through the endless field of withered blooms. Despite going a bit slower than usual due to Arthur's tiredness, they were still making solid ground, pushing forward through the landscape of decay.
As they walked, Arthur noticed the frequent yawns escaping from Aziel's mouth. After probably the hundredth yawn, Arthur realized they hadn't slept in almost three days. While their chosen bodies allowed them to go long periods without sleeping, it wasn't a great idea to dull their senses with lethargy in such a dangerous environment.
Arthur looked over to Aziel, noting the fatigue etched on his companions face. "When day breaks tomorrow, we should get a couple hours of sleep before moving on."
Aziel nodded in agreement, another yawn escaping despite his attempt to suppress it. "Yeah, I agree. I'm nodding off over here."
Arthur nodded in response, the decision made. They continued onward through the field into night and the dangers that come with it, both men pushing through their exhaustion with sheer willpower. It was settled... tomorrow they would sleep. But for now, they pressed on.
'I hope the roses won't cause any problems while we try to sleep.' Arthur wondered knowing that either way he would be fine but he couldn't help but worry about his companion. Aziel may be fully capable of resisting the temptation with ease when awake but will he be able to do it while sleeping? Neither of them have fallen asleep in the roses yet, how would it effect them? Would they dream? Would they be taken over? Arthur looked at Aziel for a moment before deciding it was best not to think about it. After all they are gonna have to sleep eventually.