The True Born Huntress✔

Book 9⌇6. Jack of All Trades

Chapter 6 ∣ Jack of AllTrades

-Mavis 12 Years Old

"Come on Mavis, you're twelve now, it's time to put Zak in his place!" My grandma cheered from the side bench that she and Killian were watching from. My grandma and dad were amazing at teaching me how to control and use my blood magic however, Zak had been placed in charge of teaching me how to use weapons.

I'd been favoring my blood magic lately and my dad wasn't impressed by this. He'd mentioned to me a few times that what would I do if I couldn't use my blood magic? I didn't know the answer to that question because I asked him how that would even be possible...

...well, he said blood thinners are a blood magic hunter's worse enemy and that I should be prepared if that ever happens in the future. In a way, I agreed with him and my great grandpa was the one to bring up showing me what happens if I'm under the influence of a blood thinner. My dad refused to allow that, telling my grandpa that it could do more harm than good.

Now...each time I've picked up a weapon against Zak in this training round...I've felt an immediate innate connection to it. Refusing to give in, knowing I might actually hurt Zak as I did with the squirrel when I was little, I refrained from using my full potential.

"Mavis, you're not performing at your best," Killian crossed his arms, reading me easily and I felt my heart sink when Zak took a few steps back and sheathed both of his blades.

Zak nodded his head and said, "Don't hold back, because if someone wants to end your life, they'll show you no mercy."

"I don't want to hurt you..." my voice trailed off, the last weapon Zak had handed to me was a compound bow, and arrow nocked, but not pulled back, the tension of the string still loose.

"Fight," Zak urged me, ready to grab his weapons. When his stance reflected, he was ready for me, I inhaled slowly before letting go of everything that bound me into fear. The fear of doing something I'll regret; it's gone and replaced by an uncanny connection for the weapon I held in my hand.

In the blink of an eye, I pulled back the string and released the arrow. Zak was in shock when he hadn't expected the speed and force to equate to what I'd used. The arrow pierced through his shoulder, the force driving him where his back hit the opposite wall of the room. I drew back another arrow and this time when I loosed it, Zak used his noninjured arm, bringing it up and deflecting the oncoming arrow just in time.

Dropping the bow as Zak ripped the arrow from his shoulder, I crouched down and took into my hands the handles of two short swords. Pushing off the ground, I attack Zak with such fluidity, he was doing his best to keep a stable defense, not having a chance to begin his own assault. Zak fell to the ground and attempted to kick my feet out beneath me. I jumped into the air, my foot landing on his back as I pushed off of him and backflipped in the air.

After landing a few feet away from him, he turned his sights back on me when he recompressed himself. By the time he could react, I held four throwing knives in my right hand while my left still held a short sword. Running head-on at him before using an evasive action, I threw the knives quickly, two of them landing on him. They made contact at his lower side and thigh, grimacing as he dropped to his knee and tried to remove it.

When I went to end this fight, my grandma ran in front of me, a sword held high as my own clattered against it. She defended Zak, a look in her eyes something I've never seen before. Adapting, I dropped to my knee and swiped my leg out, contacting her ankle and throwing her off balance.

I exhaled, a shift in movement behind me as I realized it was Killian. The blade I held I flipped in my hand, rotating around as I strike backward. It almost connects, but his hand wrapped itself around my wrist and pulled back further. Focusing, I fall into the motion and allow it for my own momentum. I spiraled downward to the floor, breaking my wrist free and springing away from them all.