most common abilities used in
close combat. The energy blades.” Motioning to one of the
intermediates, he steps up next to Sean as she explains, “A high
percentage of the Alkalian population have battle morphs that arm
themselves with sharp blades, whether made of energy or not. For
example, here…” As she gestures, the intermediate morphs into a
figure with green, chain-mail armor, and a broadsword made of green
energy sprouts from his right arm. “Is the typical Swordsman type,
armed with a single sword made of concentrated energy. The blade is
truly solid while the energy is focused, but it also has weight to
it. However, most battle morphs are automatically strong enough to
wield their weapons with ease. As long as the Swordsman keeps focus
on the energy, the sword remains solid and visible. If his focus is
broken, though, whether by a stunning blow or by having his hand
severed, the sword dissipates and is no longer in use. Any
questions so far?”
For a moment, none of the freshmen
respond, but then a girl raises her hand and asks, “Can the
Swordsman drop the energy blade, or even throw it at an
opponent?”
“ A good question, Sarah,
and no, for most morphs, they can’t. However, they can transfer the
focus of the energy to their other hand, which is useful for a
quick change in techniques, or they can hold it between both hands,
which increases the size and weight of the blade, a method reserved
for dealing stronger blows. So, while there are those morphs with
weapons made of energy…”
At her cue, the Swordsman demorphs and
steps back while another student steps forward and morphs into a
blue-armored warrior with a spear, its long pole held between both
his hands and tipped with a curved blade. Serpanz says, “There are
those morphs with weapons made of actual, solid substance, like the
Spearman. The advantage to the weapons being of real material is,
like Sarah asked earlier, they can be juggled between the wielder’s
hands for certain techniques, or even be thrown at opponents. In
this case, the Spearman could twirl, thrust, or block with his
lance in quick order. We shall now demonstrate how that works.”
Turning to Sean, she commands, “Morph, and engage in combat with
Simon here.”
Eyeing his appointed competition, Sean
shrugs and says, “Oh, goody, I get to be impaled!” before morphing.
After she steps back to the intermediates, Serpanz gives the okay
with a nod, and Simon begins the spar by thrusting his spear’s
blade at Sean, who barely dodges it by bending his torso back like
he was playing limbo. For the next several seconds, he quickly
side-steps and ducks the sweeps and stabs of the spear, angering
Simon and amusing the freshmen more and more until he asks,
“Professor Serpanz, may I point out something?”
“ If you must.”
“ Very well. I do believe
there is a distinct disadvantage to these real weapons, which,
simply put, is that the warrior’s opponent could…” Right after he
dodges another thrust, he suddenly reaches down, grabs the wooden
pole, and yanks it out of Simon’s grasp, whipping the spear point
back at him. “Do this!” Astonished by the fact his weapon is no
longer in his hands, but Sean’s, Simon looks with horror at him as
Sean says, “Now it’s my turn to play poker !” and starts jabbing the lance
at him.
While Simon frantically avoids Sean’s
frenzied attacks and is chased around the floor of the arena, many
of the freshmen are laughing at the spectacle, the intermediates
look disgusted, and Serpanz tries to keep the students’ attention
as she explains, “Yes, that is one disadvantage, and then there is
the possibility the weapon may be broken in two, as most of these
weapons are based on a wooden pole, which also leaves the warrior
disarmed. However, if the weapon is broken, most Alkalians can
simply focus some energy to make a fresh weapon to replace it. And
yet, what we are seeing isn’t such a case.”
By this point, Simon had
close combat. The energy blades.” Motioning to one of the
intermediates, he steps up next to Sean as she explains, “A high
percentage of the Alkalian population have battle morphs that arm
themselves with sharp blades, whether made of energy or not. For
example, here…” As she gestures, the intermediate morphs into a
figure with green, chain-mail armor, and a broadsword made of green
energy sprouts from his right arm. “Is the typical Swordsman type,
armed with a single sword made of concentrated energy. The blade is
truly solid while the energy is focused, but it also has weight to
it. However, most battle morphs are automatically strong enough to
wield their weapons with ease. As long as the Swordsman keeps focus
on the energy, the sword remains solid and visible. If his focus is
broken, though, whether by a stunning blow or by having his hand
severed, the sword dissipates and is no longer in use. Any
questions so far?”
For a moment, none of the freshmen
respond, but then a girl raises her hand and asks, “Can the
Swordsman drop the energy blade, or even throw it at an
opponent?”
“ A good question, Sarah,
and no, for most morphs, they can’t. However, they can transfer the
focus of the energy to their other hand, which is useful for a
quick change in techniques, or they can hold it between both hands,
which increases the size and weight of the blade, a method reserved
for dealing stronger blows. So, while there are those morphs with
weapons made of energy…”
At her cue, the Swordsman demorphs and
steps back while another student steps forward and morphs into a
blue-armored warrior with a spear, its long pole held between both
his hands and tipped with a curved blade. Serpanz says, “There are
those morphs with weapons made of actual, solid substance, like the
Spearman. The advantage to the weapons being of real material is,
like Sarah asked earlier, they can be juggled between the wielder’s
hands for certain techniques, or even be thrown at opponents. In
this case, the Spearman could twirl, thrust, or block with his
lance in quick order. We shall now demonstrate how that works.”
Turning to Sean, she commands, “Morph, and engage in combat with
Simon here.”
Eyeing his appointed competition, Sean
shrugs and says, “Oh, goody, I get to be impaled!” before morphing.
After she steps back to the intermediates, Serpanz gives the okay
with a nod, and Simon begins the spar by thrusting his spear’s
blade at Sean, who barely dodges it by bending his torso back like
he was playing limbo. For the next several seconds, he quickly
side-steps and ducks the sweeps and stabs of the spear, angering
Simon and amusing the freshmen more and more until he asks,
“Professor Serpanz, may I point out something?”
“ If you must.”
“ Very well. I do believe
there is a distinct disadvantage to these real weapons, which,
simply put, is that the warrior’s opponent could…” Right after he
dodges another thrust, he suddenly reaches down, grabs the wooden
pole, and yanks it out of Simon’s grasp, whipping the spear point
back at him. “Do this!” Astonished by the fact his weapon is no
longer in his hands, but Sean’s, Simon looks with horror at him as
Sean says, “Now it’s my turn to play poker !” and starts jabbing the lance
at him.
While Simon frantically avoids Sean’s
frenzied attacks and is chased around the floor of the arena, many
of the freshmen are laughing at the spectacle, the intermediates
look disgusted, and Serpanz tries to keep the students’ attention
as she explains, “Yes, that is one disadvantage, and then there is
the possibility the weapon may be broken in two, as most of these
weapons are based on a wooden pole, which also leaves the warrior
disarmed. However, if the weapon is broken, most Alkalians can
simply focus some energy to make a fresh weapon to replace it. And
yet, what we are seeing isn’t such a case.”
By this point, Simon had
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