In the end, all of them sparred with me, and each time it ended the same way; with me as the victor. Captain Armor nearly instigated a fight when he found out, but Twilight stepped in before anything could happen. I spent the rest of that night teaching my students how to perform basic attacks from an upright stance. Needless to say this led to many, many falls.
"Ah!" I watched one of them flail their forelegs as they fell backwards, hitting another in the process, causing him to fall as well. I sighed.
Once they had finally gotten that correct (to an extent), I taught them how to take a proper fighting stance. I told them to find a position suitable to their preferred fighting style, be it an offensive, defensive, or balanced preference, over the course of the training. i told them I would adapt their stance accordingly if I noticed any flaws.
We finally moved on to basic punches, which led to another plethora of crashes and thumps.
"Don't swing so widely. If you have a wide sideways arc, your opponent has more time to block or counter." The one I was speaking to nodded, and went back to practicing with his partner. I turned to Piercing Spear, who was progressing far faster than the others. He was throwing punches much cleaner than the rest, more precise in his strikes. At that moment I saw something in him. The burning, undying determination of a true Assassin.
I walked over to him, and dismissed his partner. He looked to me, confused. I took my stance, and he took a step back.
"Do not be afraid. Never be afraid. If you are, I will refuse to train you." He nodded furiously. "Good. Now, strike, with all your strength." He took his stance, and threw a remarkably quick punch toward my face, which I barely had time to dodge. That almost hit me... maybe he could...
"Again." I ordered. he struck again, this time towards my stomach. I blocked the strike, but he followed it with another directed at my face again, which connected with my shoulder as I attempted to dodge. That only proves it. This one is special, I can feel it. He, however, seemed distraught. All of the others were watching with wide eyes as I stared Piercing Spear down.
"I-I'm sorry, sir... I don't know wha-"
"Enough," I cut him off. "I'm impressed, Piercing Spear. Not many would attempt that so soon." He stared at me, confused. I put a hoof on his shoulder, and leaned in close to whisper, so only he could hear. "Meet me in the gardens tomorrow, at six in the afternoon. There is something very special I want to do for you there. Another pony will be joining us there, a pegasus. Remember, six in the afternoon. Got it? He nodded.
"Good." I said, stepping back and lowering myself back onto all four legs. "That should be enough for tonight. Go about your lives, and all of you return tomorrow, at the same time. Understand?" A chorus of "Yes, sir!" bounced back. "Alright then. You are all dismissed."
I'm interested in Piercing Spear... He has the qualities of a true Assassin. I will find out if he is worthy tomorrow.
The Next Day, Canterlot Lower-Class Block, 6:51PM
The day was rather uneventful. I spent most of my time talking to Captain Armor or the princesses, getting new information on Equestria. As it turns out, there is no specific racial privilege between ponies. However, because Canterlot was founded by unicorns, as it grew into a wealthy area, by the time the city had become integrated, the unicorns already living there had become wealthy, and saw themselves above the poorer ponies.
I walked through the streets as I had done before, making my way to Ironhoof's shop. I walked in, and was immediately welcomed by the large earth pony.
"Altaïr! So good to see you!" He stuck out a hoof, which I shook. I allowed a small smile to grace my lips. "I take it you're here for the blades?" I nodded. "Very good! I actually started on them already, and I have six of them complete. Would you like to try?"
"Yes, please." He smiled brighter, and led me over to the counter. He went back behind it, and pulled two hidden blades out from under it. They looked almost identical to the original, but instead of the Assassin's symbol, it was replaced by an Equestrian carving I did not recognize.
I took the blade and slipped it onto my hoof. Once it was secure, I flicked my hoof and the blade sprang out, sharp as any sword, if not sharper.
"Impressive," I said as I flicked my hoof again, retracting the blade. "Although I am quite surprised with your progress, only having been working on this for one day." He laughed heartily.
"Do you think I'm the only one who works on these? I have assistance in my work, you know! Don't worry, they know not to speak of this project to anypony." I nodded in understanding. "By the way, here's your blade back. I don't need to study it anymore, I have all the mechanics written out." He said as he pulled the familiar, leather-strapped blade from below the counter. I replaced the new blade with the original.
"Thank you very much, Ironhoof. Though I do have one request." He looked up. "I need you to make a few spares, maybe five or ten for now. If one of the blades is damaged in battle, I will need a replacement for it as soon as possible so that the blade's owner can rejoin the battle without having to wait for their blade to be repaired." He smiled.
"Of course, I'd be happy to! These were pretty fun to make!" I allowed myself to smile a bit more.
"Thank you. As much as I would like to, I can't stay. I have another place to be." He nodded in understanding. "Also, do you mind if I take these?"
"No, not at all, go right ahead!" Ironhoof pushed the blades forward a bit, and I took them from the counter.
"Thank you, Ironhoof. Well, I must be off." I turned to walk out the door.
"I look forward to seeing you again!" He called after me.
"Likewise." I called back, before walking out the door.
Now... I have two ponies to test.