Hawk & Stri

Nico gave a small nod, then shifted his sword so that it covered more of his lower body instead of just his upper half. His brows raised as he looked at Rue – it was something of a challenge. He knew her instincts likely were telling her not to strike. It was safer to stay back and run. Monsters were clever, though. They could tell when you wanted to run. They could corner you. No matter how good Rue was at running, eventually her luck would run out. Nico wanted to make sure she was well equipped to handle that sort of situation if it happened. Being the daughter of Demeter, she likely hadn’t faced as many monsters as the children of more powerful gods had.
“When you travel with me,” he said after a moment, not moving from his position, “you’ll face many more monsters than you’re used to. My father is powerful, and they can sense me from further away. I apologize for bringing this additional challenge. I can handle most of them, but it means that the chances are greater that you’ll have to fight. Attack me. I need to see what your instincts are. What you know already, and what you need to learn.”

Nico watched Rue’s movements, nodding appreciatively as she changed up her attack. It was still easy enough to defend against (he had faced far less timid assailants than Rue), but it was unexpected. Unexpected could win battles as well as proper technique could. He took a small step back.
“An actual enemy would be on the offensive as well, but this is a first lesson. We can get to defense later. You can’t win a fight on defense, though. That’s why we learn how to attack first. Your attack was good,” he added, shifting his weight to exaggerate the feigned weakness in his stance just a little bit more. “Doing something unexpected is a great way to fool an enemy. You’re clearly very intelligent. You’re going to be able to use that to your advantage in a fight.” He let his sword dip down to touch the ground for a moment as he looked at Rue, then seemed to reach a conclusion.
“I’d like you to try to attack me one more time. Don’t tell me what you’re going to do, just do it. Trust your body like you trust your mind. Your instincts know what to do. We just have to build the muscle memory that allows you to listen to them.” Easier said than done in the time they had, but something was better than nothing. And, in theory, Nico could continue training Rue as they travelled. It would be easiest if she decided to fight with a sword or a dagger, but he could figure out other weapons as well, if needed.

Nico knew that Rue wasn’t going to get a hit in. He wasn’t going to tell her that (he didn’t want to make her feel like there was no point in trying), but the actual point of the exercise wasn’t for her to get a hit in. It wasn’t for him to show off, either. He was assessing exactly how she moved naturally. Teaching her a way of fighting wasn’t going to work unless it was something he knew her body would take to easily. There were many different techniques with swords, so as long as they found one that suited Rue, she’d be able to fend off an enemy or two at the very least. It was about learning how Rue moved and figuring out how he could turn that into a fighting style that she wouldn’t have to work for too long to gain muscle memory of.
“Good,” Nico said, easily moving out of the way of her blow. He didn’t need to block it – not yet, at least. He moved forward, sword held out to the side.
“Imagine I’m an enemy that’s underestimating you. I’m bigger than you are, and I don’t think you’re going to put up much of a fight. What do you do?” He swung his sword casually by his side, looking as nonchalant as possible. He wanted to see Rue’s instinctive reaction. Which would, of course, be to run. That wasn’t an option here. At least, he figured, he wouldn’t have the issue of Rue choosing to fight battles she couldn’t win. She didn’t seem as reckless (in that way, at least), as most of the demigods he knew.

Nico gave a small nod, moving forward and holding the sword almost lazily. He knew how much sword fighting took out of you, especially if you had never done it before, but he could tell that Rue was still going strong. If she wanted a break… well, she’d have to tell him. He would give her a break soon enough, but he was aware that what he could stand was different from what others could. Rue had never done this before. He didn’t know her limits yet. All that meant was that he was going to try not to push them for now. That could wait for the second session.
“You might have to attack first if you’re cornered, but I can see why you’d be reluctant to. If you’re hiding and you think that someone is going to corner and find you, then your best course of action might be to attack before they see where you are and before they’re ready for you. But if someone is approaching you head on like this, you might be right. The best thing to do might be to wait and see what their actions are.” He took another step forward, then lunged forward, sword out. He was going far slower than he would in a real situation, but this was a simulation. He wanted to test Rue’s instincts, not necessarily her reaction times. That could come later.

Nico jumped, easily clearing Rue’s blow. He gave a quick nod, meeting her eyes for just a moment before he pressed forward, aiming his blade at her chest. He was a little bit larger than her (which wasn’t an advantage he often had), so he had to adjust his fighting style to take advantage of that. He wasn’t trying very hard, though he figured Rue would be offended to know that.
“You’re doing good,” Nico informed her, his voice as calm as though he were talking while taking a leisurely stroll. He wasn’t out of breath in the slightest. “That would have been a good move, but you betrayed where you were going to attack with your eyes. An experienced swordsperson may still guess where you would attack, but a mediocre fighter – as most monsters tend to be – wouldn’t see it coming if you manage to control where you’re looking and how you shift your body. You have to prepare for a strike, but don’t make those adjustments until you can make the strike. You’re fast. Use that to your advantage.”

Nico was more than happy to help Rue improve at sword fighting. It made him feel useful, for one. He knew he didn’t need to be useful to be worth the air he took up, but… it was hard to shake the feeling that he was only there to be useful to other people. Having a purpose… well, it made him feel like his life was worth something. Teaching others how to do things fulfilled that need well enough. He was able to actually make a difference in someone else’s life by teaching them how to make it last just a little bit longer. This… fighting, eyes narrowed as he watched for an opponent’s weaknesses and strengths… this was where he felt most himself. He wondered if that said anything about him. It wasn’t so much the violence as it was being in a situation where he had some amount of control. Where he could actively do good without messing up by saying the wrong thing. Being in a situation where his powers were a good thing instead of a curse. He was… beginning to understand why Will had been so big on him getting therapy.
The sword flew out of Rue’s hands and Nico kicked it back her direction with a firm nod.
“Next time someone attacks you like that, try to get out of the way before blocking it with your own sword. If you can duck under it or move back quickly enough, then you’ll have more control over your sword and you can decide what angle to block it at.”

Nico watched Rue carefully, trying to make sure that she was actually ready. There were plenty of demigods who would try to convince him they were with an act of bravado because they didn’t want to seem weak. While Rue still seemed to be having a hard time catching her breath, Nico didn’t think she was saying she was ready just so it seemed like she was ready earlier. She seemed ready. She was a fast learner. Nico could tell that already. And as far as he was concerned, the best way to learn was by making mistakes where it was safe to make those kinds of mistakes.
“I understand why you don’t want to attack first,” Nico told her, letting the tip of his sword drop towards the floor. If she wanted to attack now, it was possible she would catch him off guard. Unlikely, but still possible. “I think it’s a skill you should practice, in case you end up in a situation where that’s the only way out. If you had to attack me, how would you do it?”

Nico had never trained anyone from scratch before. He had helped people who were just learning to fight, and he had been trained himself, but he had never actually worked with anyone at Rue’s skill level. He wasn’t exactly the most nurturing, though he tried to be kind. He was trusted to teach people who had a little bit more experience and at least half a chance of getting a hit in. Rue, though she was clearly trying, was new enough at this that Nico doubted she would be able to even get a hit in. If she did, it meant Nico was out of practice and needed to spend more time practicing himself.
Nonetheless, her request surprised him. Nico’s brows raised for a moment as he took her in, almost seeming to regard her in a new light. He hadn’t actually expected her to want to attack on her own. She had seemed hesitant at the beginning of the lesson, and though he hadn’t actually taught her anything, he was pleased that she seemed to be growing a little bit bolder.
“Yes,” he said after a moment, dipping his head and backing up to give her just a little bit more space. “I think that might help me determine how best to teach you, actually.” It was one thing to see how she tried to defend herself. Seeing how she naturally went on the offensive would be even more informative.

Nico knew how hesitant Rue was to attack. He knew that this situation was uncomfortable for her, but that was why they needed to make it happen now. It was better to be uncomfortable in a situation like this when your attacker wasn’t actually going to try to kill you. Rue was much more likely to survive a real encounter like this if she had handled a similar situation here, where it was safe. Where Nico wasn’t actually going to hurt her. He watched her carefully, wondering what she was going to try. He ahd a feeling it wouldn’t be a straight attack. She didn’t know how to use a sword, and the clever move would have been to try to take Nico by surprise and disarm him. He saw her intent about a millisecond before she moved.
“Good,” Nico gasped from a few feet away, breathing hard from how quickly he had needed to move. “My first reflex was to reach forward to help you up from tripping. That might catch an enemy by surprise, especially one that isn’t as experienced. That’s exactly what you need to be doing in a situation where you’re cornered and can’t run from a fight. Catc h your opponent by surprise. Be clever.” He straightened up, sheathing his sword in a solid motion before striding forward towards Rue.
“You have good reflexes. Let me teach you a couple of potential attacks to back those reflexes up.”

“You’re right,” Nico nodded, stepping back a little as he tried to decide what would be best to teach Rue next. “An enemy is going to be a lot more likely to try to attack you when you go down. If you’re going to try that same trick on them, you’d have to time it so you’re ready to attack before they could take advantage of your moment of weakness. Even if it’s just a fake moment of weakness, there is half a second where you have to adjust yourself, and you’ll want to make sure that it doesn’t overlap with your opponent’s strike.” Nico didn’t know if that advice was helpful, but he wanted to do everything he could to make sure Rue survived their upcoming quest. That meant relying on her instincts and the things she could already do well rather than training her into a completely new set of habits. Which was also why teaching her sword fighting was probably not the most effective way to approach preparing her. Still, he thought it a valuable skill, if only so she would know how to wield his blade in an emergency.
“Now… there are a couple things you’re going to want to practice,” Nico told her, frowning just a bit. “You want to be able to carry a sword without it being so heavy you have to actively think about it. I can’t train that into you right now, but you might want to start carrying a small sword around camp, if only to practice carrying one. It likely won’t be your main weapon, but it’s best you’re prepared for any eventuality. As for right now…” he considered for just a moment, then gave a small nod. “I want you to try to fend me off while I ‘attack.’”

Nico shifted to get a better look at Rue, then nodded. Clearly, she had some sort of breakthrough between their last bout and now. Nico may not have known what it was, but he was looking forward to figuring out what her epiphany was. He knew why she couldn’t tell him – it would be more difficult to take him by surprise if he knew what she had realized. He would have to talk to her later about the fact that sometimes she would be fighting people who knew her fighting style, but hopefully that wouldn’t come up during her first quest. He couldn’t imagine having to deal with fighting a friend the first time he stepped out of camp. The only person she might need to face who would know how she fought would be him, and… he wasn’t planning on turning against her. The only thing that could make him do that would be some sort of magic, and it seemed unlikely that would come up in a quest like this. As high stakes as it was, it wasn’t a Great Prophecy. Although… Nico knew all too well how dangerous even a ‘normal’ quest could be.
“Good,” he said after a moment, getting back into position. He watched her for a second, making sure there wasn’t something glaringly obvious that he needed to correct in her posture. She had good instinct, he had to give her that. The sword as a weapon was probably a bit big for her, but she would be skilled with it if it was what she ended up choosing. He considered that for less than a second before he struck forward, aiming to strike at her left knee.

Nico watched Rue carefully. He may not have done much training from this side of affairs, but he knew what it looked like when someone was planning an attack. He knew what to watch out for and how to make sure he kept himself safe. Rue hadn’t yet learned how to hide her plan. That was something she would need to work on, but they likely didn’t have the time for her to perfect that before they left. How soon would they have to leave?
Nico pushed all those thoughts from his mind. It didn’t matter when or how they left. Not right now, at least. What mattered was that he teach Rue as much as he could in the short time they had. He wanted to give her the best chance at surviving this quest. He knew more than most how dangerous they could be. It was a miracle that Percy had survived his first one with no training. It was surely one of the reasons Bianca had died… she hadn’t had much time to practice before she had been thrown into the thick of it. Nico would never forgive Chiron or Artemis for allowing that to happen.
He gave an approving nod as she moved into the right position, then danced out of the way right in time as she aimed for his leg.
“Good job.” The words issued in a rush of breath as he turned towards her and struck out towards her right arm.

Nico could tell there was something different about Rue now. He didn’t know if it was because he had awakened some sort of competitive spirit that had been buried deep down in Rue or if something else was motivating her, but there was something different about the way she was moving. Something purposeful about the way her eyes darted this way and that, as though she were trying to gauge what he was going to do and how she could counteract it. He nodded approvingly. That was the first step to winning a fight - thinking of all the ways you could, being ready to predict your enemy’s moves ahead of time.
Her sword was moving faster than Nico had expected, blocking him and striking back almost immediately after. Her reflexes were good - that wasn’t something that could be taught, but it was something innate in a lot of demigods. You couldn’t expect to survive long if you couldn’t move quickly and think faster.
“Good,” he managed, lifting his sword to block the strike just to prove that he could. He made sure Rue saw it, then let her strike hit so she could get used to the feeling of making contact, of what to do when she got a hit in. It was one thing to react to hitting metal and quite another to react to the feel of a blade against flesh. Luckily, these were just training blades. There would be no bloodshed today.

Nico took a step back, eyes narrowing just a little as he looked at Rue. He had expected her to be startled by hitting flesh instead of metal, but he hadn’t expected her to actually drop her sword. It had been a long time since he had first learned. There had been nobody around for him to hit when he had been learning how to make strikes connect, and though he could still remember the first time he had actually injured someone, he hadn’t thought it would be as bad if there weren’t an actual injury.
“I’m okay,” he told her, raising his hands to prove that the sword hadn’t been able to cut him. He might have a bruise in the morning, but he was no stranger to bruises. It would fade with no trouble whatsoever. “But you need to get used to the feeling of hitting someone, no matter what weapon you use. It can be… jarring. I’m sorry for not warning you.”