“Didn’t know you could do that with spirit,” Diego said, sounding equal parts disgusted and impressed.
“Just takes some getting used to,” Capitan said, still maintaining his fighting stance. “That was an excellent thrust, though. I hadn’t planned on having to deflect it with spirit.”
“Really? Looks to me like I’m not giving you much of a challenge.”
“On the contrary. If anything, I’m the one slipping. Haven’t fought anyone worth their salt in a while, so it looks like I’ve grown rusty. Figure it’s time for me to get serious.”
“What, you weren’t before?”
“Well, we’re here to teach you how to use spirit, so I had to see what you were capable of. Couldn’t have you knocked out cold from the get-go, could I?”
“Hah! Bold words! Looks like I’ll have to get serious too, then!”
“That’s it! Give me everything you’ve got!”
No sooner had the words left Capitan’s mouth than the pair dashed straight at each other. But while it looked simultaneous, I could tell Capitan had been slightly faster. That went for his weapon too—his hunting knife was closing the distance quicker than Diego’s spear.
But while that single exchange would have decided the fight for any ordinary warrior, Diego avoided Capitan’s knife by jerking his head to the side. It was a feat that most humans would have found difficult to pull off, but as a beast-folk—and one from a cat lineage, no less—Diego’s body could be particularly flexible when the situation called for it.
I could do something similar, but in my case, I did it by dislocating my joints entirely. It felt kind of unfair to compare that to the capabilities of a living creature. I tried not to make a habit of it, since I planned on regaining my humanity one day, but I couldn’t avoid it sometimes. It was just so useful...
While I was having those idle thoughts, Capitan’s hand kept moving. He must have expected Diego to dodge—that, or he’d crafted his strike in such a way that it would connect regardless.
My money was on the latter. Capitan was usually the type who didn’t sweat the small stuff, but when it came to hunting and combat, he was a creature of precise logic. It was rare that he ever left anything to chance, and it showed in his fighting style.
In contrast, Diego seemed to mostly rely on his instincts. Definitely not in a negative sense, though—he was moving like he had an intuitive understanding of Capitan’s attacks. The way he’d jerked his head aside just now was a perfect example.
The thing was, those wild, natural movements were exactly the kind of thing Capitan was used to dealing with while hunting his prey, whether monster or animal. The knowledge of how to handle them was etched into his bones. And there were some attacks that even if you knew they were coming—or sometimes, precisely because you knew they were coming—were hard to avoid. In that regard, Capitan was an expert. Case in point, what he did next could only be described as shocking.
As Diego made to pull his spear back for a thrust, Capitan tossed his hunting knife at the curse vendor’s feet without a shred of hesitation. Caught off guard, Diego’s balance crumbled. His spear tilted up slightly, his grip weakening for an instant—and that was exactly what Capitan had been waiting for. The old hunter kicked Diego’s arm, causing him to drop his weapon, then grabbed that same arm and, in one smooth movement, threw the beast-folk to the ground, putting him in an armlock.
At first, Diego looked unbothered, likely because he expected his flexibility would save him once again. However, as he found himself unable to escape Capitan’s grasp, his expression morphed into one of surprise. It seemed the joints he could usually count on weren’t obeying him.
“Wh-Why...” he muttered.
Capitan chuckled. “Ready to admit defeat?”
It took Diego a moment to respond, but he seemed to realize that no amount of struggling would do him any good. “Doesn’t matter, does it?” he said. “You’ve obviously got me beat, regardless. Good fight.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Capitan! Diego!” I called out, approaching with Pherousa in tow.
They looked over at me as they stood up. “Rentt,” Capitan said. “Finished shopping already?”
Rather than me, though, he was looking at Pherousa. I could sense the question he wanted to ask: What have you gone and picked up now? Though he knew me well enough that he probably already had a good guess.
“Yeah, the shopping’s done,” I said. “As for the girl, this is Pherousa. It’s a bit of a long story...”
“You don’t say,” Capitan muttered, scratching his chin. “And unless my eyes have failed me, she’s a fish-folk, right?”
“I am,” the girl confirmed. “Like Rentt said, I’m Pherousa. Child of the old sea.”
“Oh? I’m Capitan. Pleasure.”
Circumstances aside, it was only polite to give your name to someone who’d given theirs. The two extended their hands, exchanging a handshake.
Diego, however, looked surprised to hear the girl’s name.
“Diego? Is something the matter?” I asked.
“Rentt...” he said slowly. “Do you know who she is?”
“A fish-folk girl, right?” Nothing else about her seemed particularly noteworthy to me. I supposed, if I was pressed to say, I also could have described her as a pickpocket. But I could tell that Diego was getting at more than just a physical description.
The curse vendor shook his head incredulously. “I mean, yes, obviously. But that’s not the problem. See, when fish-folk name themselves ‘child of the old sea,’ that’s the equivalent of a human saying they’re royalty.”
There was a moment of silence before I spoke. “Huh? But...she tried to pickpocket me. Why would...” If she was royalty, shouldn’t the other fish-folk in Lucaris have been falling over themselves to help her? Why had she said she couldn’t rely on them?
Pherousa herself provided the answer to my question. “You’re the first person in this city I’ve given my proper name to, Rentt,” she said.
“Why? If you’d just told the other fish-folk...”
“They would’ve only thought I was an imposter. People barely even know what I look like back home. You aren’t one of us, though, so I thought that wouldn’t matter.”