Next drill: disarm mechanics.
Varik showed the sequence first.
Simple. Three steps.
Block.
Slide to grip.
Twist at the wrist.
Lucen tried.
Failed.
Varik yanked his blade out of Lucen's hands twice in under ten seconds.
Lucen glared.
"You're twisting before the slide," Varik said.
"Because I think I'm doing it right."
"You're thinking. That's the problem."
Lucen reset. Tried again.
This time, he blocked.
Slid.
Twisted.
The sword slipped once, but stayed in Lucen's grip.
Varik nodded.
Lucen smiled slightly. "Next time I'll just steal it."
"Try."
—
Varik struck. A flurry of quick cuts, not deep, just enough to test Lucen's reaction timing.
Lucen blocked two.
Caught the third.
Twisted hard.
For a second, their grips locked.
Then Varik let go.
Lucen stepped back, holding both blades.
Varik raised an eyebrow.
"You're learning."
Lucen handed his sword back.
"Yeah," he said. "Because you keep beating the stupid out of me."
—
