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Vesper knelt in front of her mentor and pricked her ears when she realized that a lesson was coming. She was not a student used to theorizing and learning through speech, but the Exultare way of combat seemed to rely on these concepts such as instinctual trust. She knew that she would have to listen carefully in order to fully embrace X’yrin’s culture and way of fighting as well as adapt it to her own.
The older woman first spoke of trying to pacify an opponent before resorting to violence, and that was an easy enough concept to understand. She went on to explain the technique of changing energy, which made the Tirones frown though after a moment she mimicked the head-tapping. Rather than actively attacking the opponent, one could read their movements ahead of time and suppress the enemy’s aggressive actions.
When X’yrin spoke of killing, Vesper’s mind flashed again to the lesson that Ezekiel had imparted on her—always assuming that the other was fighting to kill. It made more sense to the hybrid now more than ever, and she listened with a contemplative frown and thoughtfully narrowed eyes. It seemed like the instinct to kill was both blessing and curse, a way to eliminate threats yet something that could consume the warrior.
She straightened slightly and nodded at her friend’s admonishment, listening carefully. She had killed before—had hated it, hated the look in the fool’s eyes as his life drained away—but she wasn’t sure what the ability to kill again readily would do to her. With X’yrin helping her condition her mind, it wouldn’t be a problem. It would help her keep a level head in other ways, too, she knew—tame the flames running under the ice that was her composure.
X’yrin asked her if she was ready for such an undertaking, and Vesper took in a deep silent breath, meeting her friend and mentor’s amber eyes. “To be able to control my mind like that… It is something I want—something I need. I’m ready for anything.”
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