The elves had agreed to perform the ceremony, and the same event happened again. Carla, Kurt, Susan, Jerry, Robby, and Sara, had all gathered at the top of the pillar to witness.

"Yes, this should be good," said Carla.

"I don't see what the big deal is about," said Sara, "it's just a bunch of people drinking from a cup. Though some of those elves are kind of cute though, why are we up here?."

"Just wait for it," said Kurt.

After the all of the elves had drunk the waters, Layla had done as she did before and a massive pillar of light tore through the azure sky.

"Ohh," said Sara, "that is pretty impressive."

"I'd say," said Susan.

"Glory to the Princess, and her champions. Dith, rid-so, ma, kir!" said Carla, holding out her arms.

"It's like some firework display," said Jerry, "and we have the best view. Little much though don't you think?"

"Yeah," said Kurt, "but I'd figured y'all would see it and be like why didn't you get us Kurt?"

"That was probably a smart move," said Sara, silk gazing at the spectacle that was starting to fade.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, Kurt had invited everyone to visit, the top of the pillar was sort of his since his residence was there.

The days kept going by, the elves had taken a floor of the pillar to themselves, so there was only two floor left unaccounted for, the throne room, the mess hall, Susan's and Jerry's half floor, the hospital floor, and now an elf floor. After a few day there came a knock on Kurt's door.

And there was tall elf man, not any of the ones that had come to Layla's audience. He seemed to be more fit than many of the rest. And wore a simple tunic, and was carrying two wooden swords.

"Hello, you are Sir Kurt? Correct?" said the elf.

"Yes and who might you be?"

"I am Weapons Master Trenton, I was told that you were looking for a teacher?"

"Well I guess I was."

"Then is this a good time for a spar, I would like to get to know what your current level is?"

"You want the job?" said Kurt.

"It would be my honor sir, I assure you that I have taught many students to use weapons before."

"I'm not really busy."

"Well we can do it right here, there is plenty of room up here on the top of the tower, if you need a few moments."

"No, it sounds like fun," Kurt walked out of his house.

"I hear, you are a complete novice to weapons, and have a particular hand to hand technique."

"Yeah I guess that's true," Kurt said, putting up a water fist.

"Ohh my, yes that technique is quite rare, I've never seen it so perfectly formed, it's not one elves are really capable of," said Trenton, "but it does look like the basics will still apply. Here." Tossing Kurt a wooden sword.

Kurt caught the sword instinctively. "Okay."

"You think you could start the same thing over the entire sword?"

Kurt looked at him, maybe he could, make the wooden sword essentially a water sword. He attempted the feat, he was barely able to make it work, but he felt it was just because it was new, a little practice could work.

"That's very good," said Trenton, "you can stop now but I would advise practicing that, I think my sword would break if you do that during our spar."

They walked out to the middle of the pillars top, and walked a few paces away from each other.

"You may attack me at will, please don't hold back, I can take a hit if you somehow accomplish that," said Trenton with his sword held behind his back.

"You mean just go?"

"Yes this is an assessment of your skill, don't worry I'm quite confident in myself. After this I will know more about what your strengths and weaknesses are."

"But I've never actually held a sword."

"This is better if you have no good or bad habits yet. We can begin when you are ready, attack me."

Kurt dashed at Trenton, using his water boots to quicken his step, he did say to go at him. SwingIng his sword swiftly somehow Trenton had moved with ease and blocked. "Good, you have a lot of speed."

Kurt swung again from the side, another block. Kurt was starting to get angry. Trenton appear completely unimpressed, barely moving yet his sword was always in the way.

"Hmm, I see, very aggressive."

Kurt made a few more swings, Trenton blocked seemingly with ease. Kurt attacked thinking he find an opening that never came,

Kurt made a vertical slash, and Trenton blocked holding the blades bound against each other. Kurt pushed harder. "Yes you have a lot of strength too." Pushing even harder Kurt was overpowering Trenton, then Trenton quickly twisted his blade, and they were no longer bound, the flat part of Trenton blade started sliding towards Kurt's wrist. Kurt wasn't expecting this and his wrist was caught up with another motion of Trenton's sword, and Kurt ended up being forced to drop the wooden sword.

"Very good," said Trenton, "you may get your blade, I won't attack."

Kurt bent over to grab his blade, and was poked in the back by Trenton wooden sword, "Lesson One: never trust your opponent," said Trenton.

They continued to spar, Kurt was moving faster, trying to hit harder but Trenton was easily blocking his attacks. The spar was very one sided, Kurt was actually getting winded.

Kurt swung almost hitting his neck.

"So let's see about defense."

Trenton started to make counter strikes back at Kurt, and he was being struck often. He started to see, managed to block a few, but it always seemed like somehow even though Kurt was faster Trenton was always at an advantaged position. Kurt was pushing himself stronger and faster, he was starting to learn something. Taking strikes he deserved, a feeling of joy when he was able to block one.

Trenton made a thrust toward Kurt face, he had only managed to partially avoid it, the wooden sword hit his cheek. That was unexpected. Kurt, took a step back, and made another attempt. Swinging then attempted the same thrust against him, which Trenton easily deflected.

"Stop."

And Kurt stopped. "This isn't a trusting opponent thing? Is it?" Gripping the wooden sword in hand tightly, in a defensive position.

"No, I have an assessment for you. I see the problem, you have absolutely no skills, but there is a rough talent somewhere in there, and you learn from your mistakes quickly. That is very good, you are incredibly fast and strong, but depend too much on those traits being more than your opponents'. A weaker creature wouldn't be able to block some of your strikes. Even your water fist may just break an opponent's sword. I doubt many other elves would have been keeping up with you by the end of it, even if they were more skilled. It may not seem like it but, I was about to have to actually start trying. You have a lot to learn, you're clumsy and don't have a good idea how blades interact with each other. Your strike lacks confidence and precision. You swing wildly and thrust almost never. You depend more on brute strength and speed than space and technique, you don't lead your opponent, and are easily led by them."

Kurt looked at him like he was being told he failed a class.

"These problems are all things I can teach you to be better at," said Trenton, "you are stronger and faster than me, You are a very formidable opponent as you are, but by the time I'm done with you, defeating me shall seem easy. If you had half my skill, or experience with a sword, your speed and power would have easily overwhelmed me. We shall start with some forms, a few swings I will show you, I want you to do two hundred of each of the three I show you, a day. You lack some muscle memory, this will help. Your precision and confidence will drastically increase with practice, your muscles will naturally start working together with each other better as you swing a blade more. In the end if this was a real battle you would have not relied on the blade, as soon as I disarmed you, you would have gone back to your water fist, and I'm not sure how I would have responded, especially if you broke my sword with it. I'm not confident I would really win if you weren't limiting yourself, but I don't think I would have made it easy for you, one mistake can kill you sometimes. How often are you available for lessons?"

"Basically anytime I'm not traveling, I'll also work on using the water blade idea," said Kurt, "and you're probably right," forming a water disk and shooting it off in the distance."That probably would have gone right through your blade and you, and if we were enemies, I would have used it."

"You must realize most of the time I use a magically enhanced blade. I'm confident it would block that, obviously with our wooden training sword I couldn't."

"I realize that," Kurt tries again to make just water fist cover the wooden blade in his hands.

"Yes, but honing a blade to your water fist be beneficial," said Weapons Master Trenton. "Even twenty of the two hundred with water edge should help a lot, if you are ambitious you can try for all two hundred but you may run out of mana by then. If you could produce a small water shield in your off hand, that would also be advantageous for you, I showed you two handed techniques, but if you have a strong shield available at will, there are options. Eventually we will have multiple techniques. In the next assessment we will spar with spears, spears are usually the main weapon, a sword should be the last resort, when you lose your spear, from breaking or throwing it. Or in close combat. Unless you think of yourself as more of an archer? Then we can find some targets for practice. I will be showing you how to use a sling in any event, they can be kept in your pocket, and don't take the same skill to use effectively, but are only so accurate,"

"No I think swords and spears would be more my style, Sara might light the bow though."

"Would Lady Sara be interested in lessons as well? I was not told of such a thing."

"We can ask, she seems a little stressed about defending the other well, so having some help with a bow might put her at ease."

Master Trenton showed Kurt a virtual slash, concentrating more on foot placement and form, then a horizontal form swing from the left, then the right. And a basic thrust, apparently three forms meant four to elves These were completely basic movements. But as Kurt was performing them Master Trent would push his feet, adjust his arms. Kurt could feel the correct form, it was strong but doing it properly was a struggle. His muscles simply weren't used to such movements, there were some weird strains in his sides and back. This was the proper training Kurt had wanted.

"There we are," said Trenton, "remember that feeling. Two hundred of each of these four a day. I think I can find a proper blade for you as well, it would be better with the weight, our eleven blacksmith has joined the goblins blacksmiths, I think they will make great things together, but you can keep the wooden sword for now."

Kurt couldn't hold anything but respect for Master Trenton. It was completely clear he had way more skill than Kurt. And he seemed to be direct and honest. Traits rare in the world. He finally felt maybe he could actually be a protector, a proper guardian with him as teacher.

"Thank you Master Trenton," said Kurt, bowing, "I look forward to our lessons."

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