Kazimir followed Selis to the center of the training grounds.
A vast circular arena stretched before him, its edges lined with weapon racks, each filled with wooden replicas of swords, axes, spears, and more. Surrounding the space, silent knight statues stood at attention, the same ones positioned between the archery targets.
A chill ran down his spine.
The memory of changing in front of them unsettled him.
Now that he knew they could come to life, it was hard to shake the feeling of their unblinking stares.
Kazimir made sure not to turn his back on them for too long.
Selis, undisturbed, walked up to one of the racks, running her fingers over the handles of wooden swords. After a moment, she selected one, weighed it in her hand, then casually tossed it toward him.
"Try this one."
Kazimir caught it mid-air, adjusting his grip as he inspected the weapon.
It was a dark wooden sword, polished and smooth, with intricate carvings etched into its hilt.
Beautiful.
But… unfamiliar.
He had never been much of a swordsman.
Still, Selis was watching him expectantly. He couldn't just stand there doing nothing.
Tightening his grip, he raised the sword and attempted a downward slash,
But before he could even finish the motion, Selis moved.
In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between them and caught the tip of the sword in her bare hand.
"Wrong," she said simply.
Her grip was firm, unshaken, as if he had swung at a wall instead of a person.
She released the sword, stepped back, and crossed her arms.
"That blade is too large for you."
Kazimir clenched his jaw but knew she was right.
He had always been short. Handling weapons designed for taller, stronger men had never been easy for him.
Selis took the sword from him, placed it back on the rack, and scanned the selection. Then, she grabbed a slightly smaller version of the same blade and tossed it his way.
"Try this one."
Kazimir caught it and repeated the same slashing motion.
This time, Selis didn't immediately stop him.
But she also didn't look impressed.
Without a word, she extended her hand, gesturing for him to return the weapon.
Kazimir handed it over.
Selis placed it back on the rack, her gaze sweeping over the remaining options. Her sharp silver eyes narrowed slightly.
Then, without finding what she was looking for, she turned away.
"Come," she said, striding toward another rack.
Kazimir followed.
This one held rows of wooden throwing knives, each one lightweight, well-crafted, and designed for precision rather than brute force.
Selis gestured toward them.
"Perhaps these will suit you better," she said.
Kazimir reached for a knife, turning it over in his hand.
It felt… natural.
He wasn't sure why, but something about the weapon clicked.
His grip was comfortable, his fingers moving with practiced ease.
Without thinking, he grabbed a second knife, rolling them between his fingers with effortless dexterity.
Selis raised an eyebrow, clearly noting his ease with the weapons.
Kazimir, feeling her gaze, smirked slightly.
He grabbed a third knife.
Then, with a smooth flick of his wrist, he tossed them into the air, juggling them effortlessly before, one by one, he threw them toward a nearby target.
Each knife landed with perfect precision.
A soft thunk-thunk-thunk echoed through the training hall.
Selis was silent for a moment.
Then, she gave the faintest nod.
"Well done," she said, her tone even. "I didn't know you had skill with knives."
Kazimir hesitated.
"Well… I learned a bit in my youth," he admitted.
Back in the slums, small, sharp objects had been his only means of survival.
Selis studied him, but didn't pry further.
Instead, she turned back to the weapon racks.
"We will get you proper throwing knives later. But for close combat, you'll need something stronger than this."
She thought for a moment, then gestured for him to follow.
Kazimir trailed her as she stopped in front of another set of wooden weapons.
This rack held daggers.
Selis grabbed a pair and tossed them toward him.
Kazimir caught both with ease.
These felt even better in his hands than the throwing knives.
He gave them a few test spins, flipping them between his fingers before shifting into a natural stance.
They weren't just weapons.
They were an extension of himself.
Selis, watching him closely, gave a rare approving nod.
"They fit you well."
Kazimir simply nodded back.
He could already tell; these were his weapons.
Selis turned, motioning for him to follow.
"Come. Let's get you real daggers to test them properly."
Without another word, they left the training grounds, heading back toward the armory.