154 Nina’s Training Advice.
Abel smiled, “Stepmom, I bet I can dig dirt around her with shovels. Albeit I hate sneaking around family.”
“I want something shady to keep her in check, something that will make her think twice before coming for us.”
“You only need to worry about getting me that cubus.” Abel patted Arad’s arm, walking past him. “Should I take you to the brothel now?”
“I want to check on Aella and get the moose registered. I can come later.”
“Moose?” Abel gasped, looking back to a massive shadow standing in the dark corners of the street. “That’s your?”
“Yeah. Haven’t named him yet.”
“Let’s head back to the guild,” Abel sighed. They talked to the guild to register the moose, and Nina wasn’t happy they only informed her now.
“You could have told me earlier. I would have enough time to inspect him as you went around.” Nina sighed, “Follow me to the training ground and bring the moose.”
“Why do you need that?” Arad asked.
“Physical inspection so I can mark down a description of him. That would allow other people to recognize him.” Nina said with a smile, walking in front of Arad and Abel.
Arad’s eyes scanned her body from her head to her bare toes. Yes, she walked barefoot for some reason, and Arad soon guessed.
“You’re walking is strange,” Arad asked, glaring at her.
Abel felt his skin crawl, “Are you trying to get us killed?”
Nina smiled, looking at Arad, “It’s hard to not run or rush,” She turned her head forward.
“Why are barefoot?” Arad asked again, “Are you trying to sense something?”
Abel grabbed Arad by the shoulder, “Hoi! Stop commenting on her,”
“Tremorsense. I can feel the faint vibration on the ground if I walk barefoot. It helps me tell how many people are around, their weight, what type of creature are they, and more. I can even tell invisible creatures since they have to move.” Nina tapped her foot on the ground, “There are 215 people in a hundred-foot radius from us.”
Arad took his shoes off and stood beside Nina, closing his eyes. He could use Tremorsense when digging to feel his surrounding, but he never tried it in his human form.
Arad could feel a faint vibration on the ground. But without his scales, it was almost impossible to tell the direction.
“You’re doing it wrong,” Nina tapped his shoulder. “Don’t put any pressure on your toes, they only need to touch the ground. You can use them to detect the direction and strength of the vibration. Also, don’t stand with all your toes pointing forward.”
Arad shifted his legs and kept feeling the ground. He still couldn’t tell how many people are in the room let alone outside.
“You only need to train,” Nina smiled as she started hopping on one leg. “Let me show you more.”
Nina waved her arms, “By wearing fewer clothes. I can sense the air around me, when an attack approached my skin, I can feel it. After that, I only needed to train my reaction to respond fast enough,” BAM! For a moment, Arad saw Nina’s abdominal muscles emerge from beneath her soft skin. Her body bent forward like a monster’s jaw snapping shut, causing a shock wave.
Abel jumped back, scared by the sudden blast. He couldn’t even see her move. Arad started sweating, that move was faster than him snapping his jaw. ^Even if I had her between my teeth, she would rip my head off before I could do anything.^
Nina smiled, “There is more,” She smiled, “I bet Alcott told you about echolocation, I learned it from him. Combine it with tremor sense and I could fight blind.”
Arad looked at her, “I’m sure you have more tricks,”
Nina giggled, “They aren’t tricks, I only honed what a human body can do with its natural abilities. That is what barbarians are, we don’t rely on spells or magic, nor armor or weapons. Albeit I have an axe.”
Arad stared at Nina. He pulled his fist back, tensing his muscles to strike.
TAP! Arad stopped, his fist still pulled back. Nina held it in place with her foot as she stood in a kick stance. He couldn’t even see her more. “You lack training,” She smiled.
“What…” CRACK! From her stand, Nina swung her body, smacking Arad with her leg in the neck. Sending him rolling to the training ground.
Arad opened his eyes, the shock from her hit knocked him out for a second, and he stood gasping. “Listen,” Nina walked out the door, with Abel skulking back with a pale face. “Try to move from a relaxed position. There is no need for stances or telegraphing, they only waste time.”
Nina stood relaxed with her arms at her hips. CLAP! Her fist snapped into a punch, causing a small shockwave. “Teach your muscles to snap. Otherwise, you’re telling your opponent what you’re going to do.”
CLAP! Her body snapped forward like a mouse trap, extending a kick from no stance at all. “Even when I’m walking.” She started walking and sending sudden punches and kicks. “Sitting, greeting someone, or jumping.”
It didn’t matter what mundane action she was doing. She could always snap a punch before Arad could notice any change on her face. She’s smiling in one moment, and her fist had killed someone in the other. There was no in-between.
Nina looked at the moose standing right outside the training ground. He started sweating. “Come here,” She said and the moose walked inside.
“Arad, you better start training your reactions. They are the most important part of a fight,” Nina smiled. Patting the moose’s head, “Training to fight with fewer senses is also important.”
Arad approached, “You want me to close my eyes and fight?”
Nina looked at him, “That’s one way to do it. But it will be better to slice them and train if you have a decent healer.”
Abel cringed in the back, feeling his skin tingle.
“Slice?” Arad gasped.
“Yes, or you can pluck them out. Same for your ears. You can burn your skin as well.” Nina smiled, “Even people who could use tremor sense forget how to do it feeling the pain of their eyes taken out.” She pointed with two fingers at Arad’s face. “In a real fight, it’s a sword that will blind you.”
“That seems too much, but you’re right.” Arad scratched his head. “What is the most extreme condition you fought in?”
Nina scratched her head, “There are plenty, but the most painful was against a demon swordsman. He sliced my head before I could react.”
“What? You survived that?” Arad gasped and Abel pulled a paper to write, this wasn’t a story he heard of Nina.
“I managed to land a few hits after he took my head off out of instinct.” Nina smiled. “It was scary to see your body away in front of you. But It kicked on instinct.”
“Wait? You kicked him after being decapitated?” Arad gasped.
“Yes. Reaction happen in the spine, so my body kept moving for a solid minute before going limp.” Nina sighed, “In the end, that demon healed me. I couldn’t have expected him to be able to cast healing magic.”
Arad couldn’t believe his ears. He can’t say what’s more impressive. That some cut Nina’s head or that she survived.
“How did that demon look?”
“A tall body with long black hair tied in a ponytail. Six black and red eyes and carrying a single-edged sword.” Nina scratched her head, “No matter how strong you get, there are always people above you.”
Nina looked at the moose, patting its head. “What a beautiful creature. I bet his meat tastes nice,”
“He isn’t for food,” Arad sighed.
“I know,” Nina smiled, “I already got his description down. What do you want to name him.”
Arad didn’t have a name yet, “I didn’t think of one. I was thinking of asking Aella about it.”
“You have to name it now to get him registered. We can’t register him under no name.” Nina patted the moose’s back, “A good name for emergency food. Ration?” She looked at the moose, and he started shaking.𝚍ｏ𝚟𝚕.ｏｒｇ
“Please stop joking.” Arad looked at the moose, “You’re scaring him.”
Nina giggled, jumping on the moose, “Start moving.” She patted his neck and he started walking.
“I will call him Elliot if I wanted a mundane name or Mcgonnegal if I wanted something from history.” Nina looked at Arad.
“A mundane name would be best,” Arad replied.
“The mother of all life Gracie’s right-foot Melissa had a moose in the past. Naming it after her moose might drive her to please her goddess for a blessing for him.” Nina jumped from the moose.
“What?” Arad couldn’t keep up with her.
“Gracie, a goddess. She’s also called the mother of all life. She has four archons serving her, each one referred to by a lib. Kai, the right hand. Amanda, the left hand, Melissa, the right foot, and Meliliana the left foot.” Nina looked at Arad, “Melissa had a moose in the past. Naming this one after him might convince her to ask the goddess Gracie for a blessing for him.”