En Garde!

Many of the wolves of the Hallows shared a common interest in the unorthodox manners of combat that the reigning Aegis had pioneered in the pack. It was unsurprising given there exposure to his fighting styles, but it did still come as a pleasant surprise to Artorias just how many wolves wanted to learn his methods of armed combat and take up the way of the blade, just as he had once done. Now Artorias got to teach young and elder alike the techniques he had developed and perfected, mentor them in their learning and guide them in their journeys, and ultimately see them succeed in becoming another accomplished blade in the Hallows' defenses. Most of his interested pupils had come in the form of the young pups born to the pack, but he would be remiss if he didn't include his equally impassioned adults among the ranks of his disciples. Artorias had not forgotten Mercury's proclivity to his sword since the day they had met all those seasons ago, nor did he miss the excellent work his Vanguard had put in around the Hallows. Mercury had made himself an integral part of the pack from the moment he joined them and he deserved recognition for his efforts.

After assembling his dojo into a sparring arena by clearing it of training dummies and targets, the azure wolf went down to the armory to collect a couple of sparring swords. Though still made of steel, the blades were not edged nor tipped, rendering them blunted simulations of their lethal counterparts. In other words, the perfect weapon for real world training. Sure, they might pack a sting or leave a bruise if you got walloped by one, but they wouldn't remove limbs or end lives. With the two swords acquired, Artorias returned to his dojo and placed one of the swords on the floor of the ring. Then he moved to the center of the ring with his own sword and tipped his head back, calling for Mercury. Once his Vanguard arrived, the Aegis would permit him the chance to show how far his training had progressed and grant him the opportunity to seize what he had wanted since joining the Hallows, the chance to show he was worthy of wielding one of the prized Carpathian steel swords.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"