Anemoi 22 – Anemoi 30, Imperial Year 1644
The Secondary Workshop, Hills Above Velathri
The morning air was cold, but the sky was clear. Vlad stood in the training clearing, watching the Hound and Sparrow run through their drills. The Hound worked with a wooden longsword, practicing the cuts Vlad had taught him – the Zornhau, the Scheitelhau, the Krumphau. Sparrow moved through a series of archery drills, drawing, aiming, releasing, each arrow thudding into a straw target fifty paces away.
Vlad said nothing for a long time. He observed. He noted. He calculated.
Then he walked to the Hound.
"Stop."
The Hound lowered his sword, breathing hard. "What did I do wrong?"
"Your footwork. You are planting your back foot before you cut. It makes you slow to recover. Watch."
Vlad took the wooden sword and demonstrated. His feet moved in a tight, controlled pattern – step, cut, pivot, recover. The motion was fluid, almost dance‑like.
"The power of a cut comes from the hips, not the arms. But the hips cannot turn if your feet are stuck. Keep your weight centered. Do not commit so deeply."
The Hound nodded and tried again. Vlad watched for five minutes, then stopped him again.
"Better. But now you are rushing. Speed without control is useless. Slow down. Feel the balance point. Let the sword become an extension of your arm."
The Hound slowed his movements. The cuts became cleaner, more precise.
"Good. Practice that for an hour. Then we will work on grappling."
Vlad turned to Sparrow. She had been watching, her bow lowered.
"Your turn," he said.
"What did I do wrong?" she asked.
"Your draw is uneven. Your left shoulder rises before your right elbow locks. It costs you accuracy at range."
Sparrow frowned. "I have been shooting since I was a child. No one ever noticed that."
"I noticed." Vlad walked to the target and pulled out the arrows. "Draw again. Slowly."
Sparrow nocked an arrow, raised the bow, and drew. Vlad stood beside her, watching her shoulders.
"Stop. Hold."
She held the draw.
Vlad reached out and placed a hand on her left shoulder. "This side is higher than the right. It tilts your spine. The arrow will drift left."
He gently pressed her shoulder down until it was level.
"Now release."
She released. The arrow struck the center of the target.
"Again," Vlad said. "Without me touching you."
She drew again, consciously lowering her left shoulder. The arrow struck a finger's width from the center.
"Better. You have muscle memory to unlearn. It will take time. But you are capable."
Sparrow nodded. "What else?"
"Your stance is too wide. It limits your ability to pivot for moving targets. Narrow your base by two inches. You will feel unstable at first. That is correct – instability is mobility."
She adjusted her stance, drew, and released. The arrow struck dead center.
"Good. Practice that for an hour. Then we will work on shooting while moving."
Anemoi 25, Imperial Year 1644
The Workshop – Evening
The day's training was over. The Hound sat on a bench, rubbing his sore shoulders. Sparrow was fletching arrows, her hands steady. Vlad stood at the workbench, cleaning the assault rifle.
"Zero," the Hound said. "How long will this training last?"
"Until you are ready."
"And when will that be?"
Vlad set down the rifle. "When you can investigate a target without bias. When you can judge based on evidence alone. When you can take a life without hesitation – and without pleasure." He looked at them. "That is not a matter of weeks. It may take months. Years."
"Years?" Sparrow said.
"You are learning more than combat. You are learning a philosophy. A way of seeing the world. That cannot be rushed."
The Hound was quiet. Then he said, "And you? How long did it take you?"
Vlad was silent for a moment. "I am still learning."
Anemoi 28, Imperial Year 1644
The Hills – Live Fire Exercise
Vlad had set up a course through the forest – marked targets at varying distances, some stationary, some moving. The Hound and Sparrow moved through it together, coordinating their movements.
The Hound engaged the close targets with his sword, cutting through straw dummies. Sparrow covered him from a distance, picking off targets that appeared on the flanks. Vlad followed behind, watching.
When they finished, he called them together.
"Assessment," he said. "Hound. You are still planting your back foot under stress. In the third engagement, you nearly tripped."
"I know. I felt it."
"Good. Awareness is the first step. Sparrow. You hit seven of nine moving targets. The two misses were when you rushed your draw."
"I was trying to keep up with him."
"Do not keep up. Control your own pace. A miss is worse than a delay."
Sparrow nodded. "Understood."
"Again," Vlad said. "From the beginning."
They ran the course three more times. Each time, they improved.
Anemoi 30, Imperial Year 1644
The Workshop – Evening
Vlad sat at his desk, writing in his journal. The Hound and Sparrow were asleep in their cots, exhausted.
He wrote:
Hound: Progress on footwork. Still prone to planting under stress. Need more pressure drills. Sword work adequate; grappling weak. Will focus on unarmed techniques next week.
Sparrow: Draw uneven but improving. Moving shots still inconsistent. Need more dynamic range exercises. Stance adjustment helped. Recommend night shooting drills to build confidence.
Both: Coordination improving. Trust developing. They will be ready for field work in two months.
He set down the quill and looked at the armor of Zero, standing in the corner. The black cape hung still. The Geass crest caught the lamplight.
Two knights, he thought. Soon, more.
He blew out the lamp and went to his own cot.
Tomorrow, they would train again.
End of Chapter Twenty-Six