Chapter 260: Dancing With Weapons

Those in the archer group still had not finished the task he gave them... well, except for three. But it had been just those three for a while now, and Orion wasn’t sure if the rest of the archer group would ever manage to finish what he had set before them. Some of them lacked focus, others lacked precision, and a few were simply unwilling to push beyond what they thought they were capable of. Orion didn’t comment, though; he let the silence weigh, observing their movements carefully.

The spear and axe group, on the other hand, were improving drastically. Each day, he could see subtle adjustments in their stance, the way they shifted their weight, and how their eyes tracked their opponents. There was fluidity now that hadn’t been there before. But there was still one outlier—Micah.

Orion’s gaze landed on him as Micah swung his axe, locking in combat with Cat. His free hand twitched nervously as though it was protesting being idle. Cat alternated her axe between her hands with ease, seamlessly adjusting to each swing. Micah, however, gripped the weapon with one hand alone, stubbornly refusing to let it go. As he watched, Cat outmaneuvered him again, landing a successful strike that forced him back. Orion frowned, stepping closer.

Cat had just scored another point against him when he intervened. He moved to Micah, taking the his free hand gently.

"Does your hand feel empty?" Orion asked as he released it.

Micah’s eyes widened slightly. "I... I tried to follow your instructions. I’m trying to alternate, using both hands, but it’s... difficult. The axe feels perfect in this hand. Moving it to the other doesn’t feel natural—it doesn’t feel like it should be there."

Orion studied him closely, his sharp eyes tracking the minute tension in Micah’s posture, the way his shoulders stiffened when he considered switching. "Have you thought of what you could do to resolve this issue?"

Micah hesitated, then gave a small nod. "I have... I thought maybe I could... but I don’t know if it’s ideal. The weight would..."

"What is it?" Orion prompted, cutting through the hesitation.

"I was thinking about taking a second axe," Micah admitted quietly. "So my other hand doesn’t feel empty... but I—"

"Do it."

Micah froze. "What?"

"Do it," Orion repeated, voice firm. "Pick up another axe. Your vacant hand is restless because it needs something to do. I’ve been watching, thinking about how you can improve. Cat isn’t supposed to be besting you like this."

"Really?" Cat asked, surprise flickering across her face.

Orion nodded, then turned to Cat. "You can handle the weapon well, and that’s a good point. But your footwork still needs refinement. I like how you dance with your weapon, using not only your strength but the power from your wolf as well. We are werewolves; that’s what you should do. Don’t rely only on your physical strength."

He turned back to Micah, his gaze piercing. "You do it better. But you are not dancing. Your footwork, your stance, it’s all good but you are not flowing with it. You read Cat’s moves, yes, but it’s not enough. There’s something missing—a connection that makes you one with your weapon. Something that makes it feel like an extension of yourself. If you think picking up another axe will help, then do it. You don’t need to be tied to rules when you fight; you create your own. Be like Sophia... she uses her clumsiness as a weapon."

"She does?" both Micah and Cat asked simultaneously, eyes wide.

Orion frowned. "Why are you surprised? It’s obvious."

"It’s not," they replied in unison, shaking their heads.

Orion chuckled softly. "The test where she got me out of the circle... she almost slipped multiple times, yet each near-fall became part of her strategy. Everyone knows Sophia is clumsy. The first day she trained here, she fell off a rack and turned it to her advantage."

Cat nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "So that means we can turn our weaknesses into strengths."

"Exactly," Orion said, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "Make your weaknesses work for you. A weakness shouldn’t appear as a weakness at all—it should be a hidden strength. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now spar again," Orion commanded. "Pick up the second axe, Micah."

Micah nodded, moving to the rack to select another weapon. He tested the weight briefly in his hands, adjusting his grip until the feel was comfortable. Then he returned to Cat, who had settled into her stance, waiting patiently.

Orion observed silently as they resumed. The difference was immediately noticeable. Micah’s movements were no longer rigid; there was rhythm now, a subtle sway of his body that allowed him to anticipate and react to Cat’s swings. The awkwardness that had previously made his attacks stiff, vanished. Now, each swing flowed into the next as if the axes were extensions of his arms.

He watched as Micah feinted left, spinning on the balls of his feet, and swung his right axe at Cat’s side. Cat blocked, but the force of Micah’s follow-through forced her to step back, a move she hadn’t had to make before. Micah’s footwork was no longer just functional—it was expressive, precise, and strategic.

Orion’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He had been hoping to see this shift, the moment where Micah finally found his rhythm. Micah was one of the oldest trainees after all and he had enough promise. He was good but he just needed the push to be better.

Micah spun, allowing the momentum to carry him past Cat, then shifted axes mid-step, delivering a calculated strike toward her shoulder guard. Cat parried, but there was a spark of exhilaration in her eyes—she recognized the improvement immediately and Orion knew it was only with time until Cat improved too to match up with Micah.

Orion allowed them a few more rounds, carefully observing, interjecting only when necessary. "Again," he instructed. "Use your momentum. Let your body and mind move as one."