Chapter 31

“Hm,” Tess said. “You keep gravitating to gestures.”

“I know.” Natalie had to stop herself from snapping at the other girl. Tess was actually patient and overall pleasant, not pushy or condescending, but Natalie’s continued incompetence made it hard to keep her temper in check. “I’m trying not to.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Natalie was taken aback by the question. “Because ... it’s bad?”

“Why is it bad?”

Great. She was being prodded to figure something out. Tess’s tone made that clear enough. “Because being able to cast with your head is better for versatility.”

“Sure,” Tess said easily. “That’s the general advice. But what did I say about general advice?”

“That it doesn’t apply to everyone. But this does, doesn’t it?” Natalie had no intentions of half-assing the learning process and falling back on crutches, even if she was struggling.

“But you’re a hands-on girl,” Tess pointed out. “I can recognize a fighter when I see one.”

Funny enough, that had gone both ways.

“And?”

“So maybe your class expects you to use gestures,” Tess said. “You’re really gravitating to them.”

Natalia had noticed that too. Her limbs were itching to be in motion. But everyone else was simply holding their hand out, at the most. Clearly, that was the right way to go about things.

“But in a fight, I’ll need my hands for fighting,” Natalie said, trying to keep the exasperation from her voice. “So even if I did better, it’s pointless.”

Tess nodded to the side of the courtyard. “Go grab one.”

Natalie blinked, then looked in the direction she’d indicated. A rack sat there, hosting a collection of varied wooden weapons. “Seriously?”

Tess quirked her eyebrow. She was patient, but she also wasn’t afraid to make it known she was the expert here. And who was Natalie kidding? Tess did know better.

Natalie sighed, then jogged over to the rack.

She surveyed the options available to her. Tenet had covered all bases when it came to the stockpile. Her eyes naturally fell to the blunted training sword. Swords were the most common fighting utensil among melee adventurers, for good reason. In trained hands, their versatility was hard to beat. But Natalie could wield most of the weapons in the rack, besides the most eccentric. Maces, spears, swords, polearms—she’d gotten her hands on each, and trained to at least a non-embarrassing standard.

Like many fighters, she’d avoided locking herself into a specific weapon in case the class she accepted couldn’t utilize it. She still hadn’t decided, specifically, which she’d stick with. Maybe she’d continue to keep her options open, so that whatever weapon she found first in the dungeon, she could use. Letting fate decide had a certain appeal. It also didn’t.

Something one-handed might be the best choice. As a tank, odds were high she’d want a shield. Not all tanks wielded one, but the majority did. So ... a mace? Something simple, for now? Probably not what she’d stick with forever, but Natalie let her first choice guide her. Her hand closed around the handle of a simple training mace: long smooth shaft with a heavy orb at the top. She weighed it in her hand, then shrugged. It was much lighter than it ought to be, but these were clearly weren’t meant for real combat. To be used like Natalie was about to: as a simple prop in spellcasting coordination.

She returned to Tess. Tess made no comment over her choice of weapon.

“Go ahead,” she said, gesturing for Natalie to continue.

“Go ahead what?”

“You’re a fighter,” Tess said. “And you’re fidgeting trying to cast. Focus, gather your mana, then let your body guide you.”

“But—”

Tess’s raised eyebrows cut over further complaints. Natalie muttered, but did as told.