Budding Blossom Do Not Wilt
Bright steps appeared under his feet while he descended from the Solar Gate and towards the snow-blanketed slope of a mountain. It wasn't snowing, not anymore, but the overcast from the recent addition of a fresh white blanket still loomed overhead. Gau set down, the snow cracking under his feet and after a brief look-see around him, he nodded in approval. The exposed slope was wide and open, but it was lined on three sides by jagged rocks and crevices — plenty of hiding places and cover to go around there. "This will do just fine."
He turned around to ascertain the reaction of the person he had brought here, Lillian Grey (@Kijin). "Well, girl? What do you think? No humans, no Hollows, no Shinigami."
It was so... cold.
Did people really come to places such as this to train? Lillian honestly couldn't say - even the most common thing to the Wandenreich was as fresh as the snow underfoot to her. Even their canteen had sent her reeling. He teeth chattered noisily as she stepped out of the gate, and her frozen toes complained in the back of her mind as she took her first real step into the human world since her recruitment into 1. Jagdarmee.
"No complaints, Herr Gau."
Of course she didn't have any. She was still very much adapting to the idea of serving a greater cause and the very notion that she might disappoint one such as him was terrifying to the point it bordered on unthinkable. It sat at the back of her mind, hand in hand with the whining from her toes. Gau had been kind to her thus far, but his choice of training ground spoke volumes.
"Don't be shy now. I thought the white of the snow would go nicely with your hair. Natural camouflage if you will," Gau replied and moved his hand around in a gesture revealing the landscape.
"Anyway, we're here to train and training is simple," he said and drew a circle, ten feet in diameter, with the heel of his foot before standing in the middle. "You will start all the way over there, it should take you a few Götterschritter* to reach me. Your objective is just that, get inside this circle," he continued.
He held up a finger. "I know what you're thinking. This is archery training. I will be shooting what approximates a Heilig Pfeil at you. Just one hit won't cause you too much trouble if you keep your Blut Vene up at all times. You can also shoot them with your own bow. However, tactics and positioning are just as important as sheer marksmanship as you will learn today."
With that, Gau shrugged and smiled aloofly. "Now go to the other end of the clearing so we can start the first lesson."