So my schedule filled up even more. On top of the daily tasks of taking care of my own studies, improving my writing, and shopkeeping for Boss Kylie, I also had to undergo magical training in the night and combat training in the morning. There was little to no rest within the following weeks.
The reality of such only truly setting in as I get flung back by a swipe of Esshiek's own sword and a kick that followed. It was close to impossible to even combat Esshiek's inhuman strength combined with his technique was an unbreakable shield and spear. Sweat already flowing in many rivulets down my face as my breathing remains unstable. Deep long breaths followed by choking short ones. I try to pick myself off the ground but my body refuses to listen. I could only feel my muscles screaming for mercy at the mere attempt of any movement, so I laid on the ground, surrendering the round.
Esshiek would walk over, sword resting on his shoulder as he looks down at me with a hand on his hip and a proud smile. "You almost lasted a minute this time! Progress!" He speaks with a prideful tone as he turns back around to create the distance we once had before.
"You lack footwork. Foundation. For a Goliath, you strangely lack this connection to the ground. As I have said, ground yourself first before planning a strike. If your opponents have the initiative, they will focus on that stance of yours and try to break it. Oh, and do remember to keep your arm up." Esshiek added, as he turns back around to face me, sword now pierced against the dirt below, the smile still proudly drawn across his face.
Taking a deep breath, I sit back up again, clutching the sword and staring at the handle. It felt off. I did what he told me but every time I swung, my balance was off. Every time I blocked, my grip almost slipped. Many other mistakes happened during the spar, yet I couldn't pin point why. I shook my head and stood up, hands firmly wrapped around the grip and blade pointed towards Esshiek. There was no way to find out unless I continue to practice. Groundwork. I shift my weight closer to my center. Arms. I lift them slightly higher, yet still having the blade at a comfortable angle. Taking one more shot of air for confidence before I rushed in to strike once more.
Yet I fall to the ground again, this time with a sword planted close to my cheek. Esshiek leaned on the pommel of the weapon as his foot remains planted on my abdomen to root me to the ground as he hummed to himself.
"You did worse this time, young pebble."
"I know..."
I could barely last even half a minute this time before I was unarmed and tripped. I didn't know what was wrong, but I was determined to try harder with each failure. I wanted to get stronger and being trained by the Ironblood Guillotine might be a gift from Enes herself. I haven't given up then, I won't give up now. I painfully pushed off Esshiek's leg and took my own footing as the lizardman grows his signature smirk and creates the distance for me once again.
With the sword in my hand, I take a deep breath, recounting the time I fought the Eclipse. The memory was a blur and all I could possibly recall was the stench of death and the deathly cold claws and teeth of the Cloaked piercing my flesh. Fear crept up my body in a cold grasp yet I still tried to call back to that moment. With an exhale, I open my eyes and visualized it. I set my foundation, my grip, and struck once more.
Swing, Cleave, Smash, Repeat...
Once more.
Swing, Block, Crush, Repeat...
Again!
Thrust, Cleave, Swing-
Each strike, I could feel my grip getting loose. My footing more erratic. My eyes doesn't seem to land on where I wanted to strike. I'm losing my composure, yet I could feel Esshiek pushing back this time. His counter attacks had more weight into them, and he reacted faster, blocked and flowed in rhythm with my movements and executed a technique to counter in turn.
Until one moment where I was swept. My footing gave out and I was falling. Esshiek wound up for a downward strike. It was going to be too strong to block and I was unable to move out the way. In this moment of short deliberation, I thought of ways to counter it, to somehow find a way out of this situation but to no avail. My mind continued to wander but all I was left with was a wasteland, void of any escape. Until a grim darkness crossed my mind.
I am going to die.
In a moment of instinct, I raised my arm upwards in an attempt to block the attack, at least to slow it down a little even if it meant hurting myself, but as I did so, the sword and my hand were covered in a growing mass of Frozen Enesial. Esshiek seemed to have not noticed yet as he focused on his attack more than anything and as his weapon struck the crystal, it bursts out.
Shattering the training sword he had in his grip and pushing him back in an explosion of shards and rock. After the burst, I could feel a familiar grip resting in my hand. The familiar metallic shine now replaced with this jagged and crude shape that forms its base. The crystalline heart now molded with the rest of the head and the ends of the weapon were still sharper, yet longer this time with the same glass-like make it had. The sword I once had in my grip seemed to have molded into this new form, shaped by Frozen Enesial and fused together with Reinforced stone.
But before I could celebrate the return of Obsidian, my eyes immediately shifted towards Esshiek, who was still on the ground with the crystals now growing in massive veins across his clothing. In a panic, I crawled over and shook him, calling out to him.
Esshiek however, could only laugh after a cough.
"That was amazing! I did not know you could do magic now, Young Pebble!" He asked, sitting upright as if he wasn't just hit by shrapnel from jagged crystals. I couldn't say anything as I stared down at his wounds. Only for the proud Lizardman to swipe them off and let out a hearty chuckle.
"Worry not for my wellbeing, the Starlight Witch has hit me with worse!" He spoke through his laughter before standing up.
Stunned, I remained on the ground. Obsidian still resting in my grip. Not of my choice though as it seemed to have fused with my hand in a mass of Frozen Enesial somehow.
Back on my feet, Esshiek suggested that we may have to call it a day due to my circumstance, but something within calls for me to continue. Like a new spark had lit the heat of confidence within me once more. This familiar feeling in my hand felt natural. More attached to my sense of self, in more ways than one. So, I refused the suggestion.
"We continue."
"Are you sure? A pick is never a good weapon against practical weaponry."
"I'm sure. Let's continue sir."
Hesitantly, Esshiek created the distance once more. Readying himself as I did so. This time, I did not go into the same form that I would with a sword, instead, I shifted my footing and grip in a way that I always did when mining. Grip at the end and at the middle of the handle. The jagged edges of the new form would make it tougher to shift my grip around but it was still worth a shot. Years of experience and I figured that my stance was perfect.
Once ready, marked with a nod, Esshiek would strike. A sword swinging downwards in momentum with his dash. Normally, I would block this attack or let it slide along my sword but this time I wasn't fighting with a sword. I swung back, aiming for his sword and catching it in the hook of the pick before I kicked over and shoulder charged Esshiek. The lizardman was crafty enough to meet it in return with his own before stepping back. He had been safe from being hit by the charge, but unfortunately, he lost his grip on his own sword. Esshiek ruled that even unarmed, we still continue to fight until the person was knocked to the ground. So I continued.
Without changing grip, I swung the heavy tool at him using the blunt side, Esshiek would use his tail to bind and deflect the attack, causing it to go wide as he ducked under and picked up his sword again.
Without losing too much momentum, I grounded myself again and switched grips. Turning the pickaxe around to the sharp part and twisting my body to support the heavy swing in his direction. Esshiek effortlessly backsteps it before using both pommel and tail to strike, exploiting the gap in between my heavy swings. As I get pushed backwards, Esshiek would use this moment to dash and point the sword at my head, tapping the stone plate at my cheek. We freeze for a good few seconds before I start to relax.
"I lost again"
"But take it with pride, because you did well." Esshiek responded as he helped me up.
"A pickaxe. So that was what you were missing. It is what I was missing! That was a new experience! No one has fought with a pickaxe before!" Esshiek goes on with a proud speech before turning back towards me and striking the bound grip with a solid Pommel strike, cracking the crystal before continuing as if nothing had happened.
"You must train with me every day. I need to learn how to fight this new weapon!"
"It's not like I have a choice, Sir Esshiek..." I chuckled before Esshiek nodded.
"Yes! A new combat style! This will be legendary!" He laughs.
At the end of the morning and the afternoon heat had now rolled into the Academy, I chose to retreat into the dorm for a quick shot of rest before anything else. Obsidian in tow. When in the safe space of my bed, I stared at the new form Obsidian has taken and wondered how I even had this in the first place.
I thought Obsidian was lost for good, yet here it was. It looked more crude than it originally looked but somehow it felt more natural to swing it around. Lighter, despite the size. Yet heavier in it's strikes, as if it adapted to the action at hand. It was a mystery to pile up along with the rest in the back of my head. However, within the few hours I had of downtime, I chose to try and practice calling it again. Placing it on the bed, I stood a few feet out and recalled the moment back during sparring and extended a hand...
Nothing. I chanted a few words, thought about dying again, and maybe did a little magic but nothing. I couldn't figure out how I managed to call upon Obsidian. I guess it was something I had to figure out along the way during my magic practice with Miss Maryanne, but the main problem now though is how do I hide such a massive weapon?