The small arena was filled to capacity with hundreds of observers. Students who had been going through the Fundamentals of Combat class had been waiting with baited breath for this day. Now it was finally here, and there was a sense of anticipation in the air that you could almost smell.
Facen stepped out of the northernmost door to the arena floor and immediately the crowd of students erupted into a thunderous applause. He'd been their instructor for the last two weeks. They'd come into the class expecting to get involved in melee combat exercises from day one. They'd been subjected to lectures, exams, and observations, but none had seen any actual combat yet. This was the first day any of their hungers would be teased. Facen had arranged for a combat demonstration, with which they would finally get to see a fight, albeit a controlled one.
When Facen reached the center of the arena, he raised his hands, and the crowd grew silent. He smiled and addressed them all simultaneously. "Thank you all for coming. As you know you were each chosen to participate in this class because you displayed abilities superior to that of regular humans. For some, you have enhanced physical abilities, others have the gift of flight, some can control some minor level of magic. Here you will see how these enhanced capabilities can assist you in a combat situation. It will be particularly beneficial to those of you who have enhancements similar to those wielded by myself and the associate I have arranged this display with.
Facen bent down and picked up an iron bar. "You have all seen me display a few of my physical enhancements. I've bent metal bars with my moderately enhanced strength." He bent it over his knee easily, then dropped it.
"I've shown you how agility and flexibility can come into play in many different scenarios where physical demands are needing to be met." He gave them a brief display of the moves of an expert gymnast doing a floor routine, and added in a couple extra spins and flips to exhibit the enhancement.
"And you've seen the benefit of enhanced hand-eye coordination." A series of discus launchers hurled plaster targets at the professor. He shattered each one as it came close, never missing with a single strike.
"What I have yet to show you is, personally, my favorite enhancement, though that's because it is the one that I enjoy on a far higher level than the others." Before they could take another breath their professor was gone from their sight, with only a trail of dust leading back to the entrance from which he came. In but a moment, another trail of dust came back into the arena floor from the exact opposite door. He darted off to one side, and again repeated the performance by entering again from the opposite door only a moment later, splashing through the small pond that was on that side of the arena floor as he came back. He then stopped, and when the dust cleared enough to where he could be seen, he continued. "Speed."
The crowd, again, erupted into applause, and he raised his hands to settle them, once more.
"And now, my dear pupils, allow me to introduce my associate. Please, I humbly request, stand to your feet and welcome him now." Facen turned and gestured toward the northernmost entrance, once more, nodding to his companion with whom he'd arranged to show the students the basics of combat.
Facen stepped out of the northernmost door to the arena floor and immediately the crowd of students erupted into a thunderous applause. He'd been their instructor for the last two weeks. They'd come into the class expecting to get involved in melee combat exercises from day one. They'd been subjected to lectures, exams, and observations, but none had seen any actual combat yet. This was the first day any of their hungers would be teased. Facen had arranged for a combat demonstration, with which they would finally get to see a fight, albeit a controlled one.
When Facen reached the center of the arena, he raised his hands, and the crowd grew silent. He smiled and addressed them all simultaneously. "Thank you all for coming. As you know you were each chosen to participate in this class because you displayed abilities superior to that of regular humans. For some, you have enhanced physical abilities, others have the gift of flight, some can control some minor level of magic. Here you will see how these enhanced capabilities can assist you in a combat situation. It will be particularly beneficial to those of you who have enhancements similar to those wielded by myself and the associate I have arranged this display with.
Facen bent down and picked up an iron bar. "You have all seen me display a few of my physical enhancements. I've bent metal bars with my moderately enhanced strength." He bent it over his knee easily, then dropped it.
"I've shown you how agility and flexibility can come into play in many different scenarios where physical demands are needing to be met." He gave them a brief display of the moves of an expert gymnast doing a floor routine, and added in a couple extra spins and flips to exhibit the enhancement.
"And you've seen the benefit of enhanced hand-eye coordination." A series of discus launchers hurled plaster targets at the professor. He shattered each one as it came close, never missing with a single strike.
"What I have yet to show you is, personally, my favorite enhancement, though that's because it is the one that I enjoy on a far higher level than the others." Before they could take another breath their professor was gone from their sight, with only a trail of dust leading back to the entrance from which he came. In but a moment, another trail of dust came back into the arena floor from the exact opposite door. He darted off to one side, and again repeated the performance by entering again from the opposite door only a moment later, splashing through the small pond that was on that side of the arena floor as he came back. He then stopped, and when the dust cleared enough to where he could be seen, he continued. "Speed."
The crowd, again, erupted into applause, and he raised his hands to settle them, once more.
"And now, my dear pupils, allow me to introduce my associate. Please, I humbly request, stand to your feet and welcome him now." Facen turned and gestured toward the northernmost entrance, once more, nodding to his companion with whom he'd arranged to show the students the basics of combat.