(Drakken's POV)
"Again." I said to Riktor, "Get up."
He was on the ground, he had been planted by me, getting hit in the back as he had tried to swing his practice sword at me.
"Agh...." He groaned as he stood up, "It hurts..."
"It does." I said as I twirled the wooden sword in my hand, "And it will keep hurting. It is the pain that will teach you to improve. Now, do it again."
He nodded and held his wooden greatsword, which he was holding with surprising stability. He then took a step forward and lunged at me, thrusting it at me.
"Wrong." I said as I parried it and smacked him in the face, causing him to stumble to the ground, "Do not do such stupidity again."
He rubbed his cheek, "Ah..." He said, "Why.....?"
"Don't complain." I said as I stood there, "Again."
He looked at me and nodded, straightening up and holding his sword in a stance, "Y-Yes...." he said, "Here I come."
He took a step forward and then lunged at me, swinging his sword horizontally. I noticed that his footwork was a bit off, and I stepped to the side and smacked his shin with my sword.
"It is all wrong." I said as he stumbled, "Correct your footwork."
"B-But..." He said, "This is..."
"Again." I said
He immediately composed himself and then lunged at me, swinging his sword at me and as I parried it, I stepped to the side but he immediately followed up with a thrust, causing me to take another step to avoid it.
I then saw as he rushed in, spinning around and swinging the sword and I simply blocked it with mine. I then pushed him off and smacked the top of his head, causing him to grimace in pain.
"Ahh...." He said, "Father...."
"You'd be dead if you didn't immediately compose yourself after I pushed you off." I said as I smacked his shoulder again, "You need to hone your reflexes to always react to any attack thrown at you. No matter what, you must never drop your guard. Even if the enemy manages to counter your attack, you must counter with your own counter. Again."
He nodded and rubbed the top of his head, "Yes..."
I stepped back, "Come."
He lunged at me, swinging his sword again and I simply blocked it. I then pushed him off and before I could smack him, he immediately parried my wooden sword and then pivoted and swung his at my chest. I stepped to the side and then hit with another smack in the nose, causing him to jerk back and fall on his ass.
"You did good until the second counter." I said, "You need to keep your guard up, I just said that."
"Ahh..." He said as he rubbed his nose, "Father, that was a bit too hard...."
"You want to be a Knight, don't you?" I asked, "A fierce warrior. You wish to wield the Valyrian Steel Greatsword, and what, wear shiny armor that covers your entire body? Well, to do that, you must earn it. And to earn it, you have to know how to fight. You must know how to do the one thing that is expected of you. You need to be strong through your own hard work, your own efforts. You cannot have everything handed to you, even if some things are...."
He nodded, "Yes..." He said as he slowly stood up, "I understand."
"I hope you do." I said as I pointed my wooden sword at him, "Now, then.....don't just stand there."
He lunged at me and swung his sword at me, only for me to parry it several times I stepped back, feeling the pressure he was giving me as he completely walked forward, swinging the sword at me. I saw the look of complete focus in his face, it is as if he had decided to do so after getting hit so many times.
"That is good." I said as I pivoted to the side and parried one of his thrusts, "Just like that, keep those movements up."
He spun around and swung the sword at me, and I simply blocked it, pushing him away almost instantly. He wasted no time and stepped to the side to avoid the smack to the head, and then countered with an upwards swing that was aimed at my arm.
I stepped away to avoid it but he immediately rushed me, trying to hit me in the thigh with a thrust.
"Nice try." I said as I parried the blow and then countered with a smack
The smack hit him right in the face again and he stumbled to his knees, "Ahh!" He exclaimed, "Curses...."
I smacked his shoulder, "You would be dead so many times by now." I said before smacking his back again, "You need more honing.....your movement is getting better but it is your reaction time that requires more work. A few months' worth of training and we'll get rid of your habits."
"That hurts...." He said as he rubbed his shoulder
"Pain is the only teacher that will instill skill in you." I said, "Don't go crying on me."
"I can keep going." He said
I looked to the side, seeing that Maegelle was standing at the edge of the training yard with a smile on her face.
"No. It is over." I said, "Go and take a bath before dinner."
He looked at Maegelle, "Oh, Mama!" he said as he stood up and ran over to her, "Were you watching?"
He hugged her as she patted his head, "If you mean if I was watching you get smacked around, Yes." She said, "Your Father can be quite rough, can he?"
"It is okay." Riktor said as he pulled back, "I can handle it."
"I hope so." I said as I walked over, "Your body needs tempering."
"I will get stronger." Riktor said with a determined face
"Yes, you will." Maegelle leaned in and kissed his cheek, "Now, go and have a bath. Your Mother is waiting."
He nodded, "Yes." He said before running off
I looked at him as he ran, a strange feeling stirring inside of me.
"He's grown so much, has he not?" Maegelle said as she grabbed my hand, "Hm?"
I looked at her, "Yes." I said, "I suppose he has."
"Do you plan on making him into a powerful warrior?" She asked with a smile, "You are rather enthusiastic about training him yourself. You can have Jon or someone else do that."
"No. I must do it myself." I told her, "But you....."
I reached for her stomach and felt the lifeforce within her.
"Yes?" She said while blushing
"You are beautiful." I said softly, "And I thank you.....for bearing my child....."
"It is expected of me..." She said as she tucked her hair behind her ear,
"I am your Lady after all..."