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Lessons with the Master (Cheshire Smirk and Lunar republic)

Joined
Jan 19, 2009
"You?! Weapons Master?"

The frustrated guard spat on the floor and pointed a finger at Vallios, a look of absolute indignation on his face. The man stomped his plated foot against the floor of the training hall and then reached for his spear. Vallios sighed quietly and turned to face the interloper, waving a hand dismissively at the gathered 30 trainees. Vallios merely smirked and shook his head, clearing his jaw length raven hair from his face. When he spoke, he did so with an accent that echoed the frigid tones of the northern winds.

"If you think yourself more fit for the title...Pick any three weapons. I will use them to combat you. You may choose as many weapons as you wish." Vallios responded cooly.

Every weapon in the training room was an edgeless copy, perfect for maximum training with minimum lethality. The Ahn'kir chamber guard chuckled softly and began to rummage through the weapon racks, looking for the most unwieldy combination possible, along with the most outlandish weapons. From the gathered arms he picked a Kama, a heavy broad bladed falchion, and an eight foot long chain. He set them on the bench, and then retrieved a sturdy pike, a large tower shield, and a longsword.

"Have fun with that, Weapons Master."

The guard placed mocking emphasis on the title. Vallios just shook his head and swaggered over to the selected weapons. With practiced ease he wrapped the chain around his waist and upper legs, then he retrieved the kama and settled it in his off-hand. He picked up the falchion, swung it in circles a few times and then turned to face his opponent, assuming a ready and balanced stance. The guard had unwittingly picked two of Vallios' preferred weapons. Few knew it, but the imperial weaponsmiths had learned how to craft a falchion from Vallios' clan, and a masterfully crafted barbed chain hung in Vallios' quarters, hungry for blood and anxiously awaiting it's next chance to wreak havoc on the battlefield. This was going to end poorly for the challenger.

"Whoa!"

"By the gods, how can he hold such a heavy weapon like that?"

Most of the gathered trainees were new recruits, who'd never seen what being a Weapons Master meant. Even the challenger was a bit taken aback at the ease which Vallios adapted to the situation. Nevertheless he struck his longsword against his shield once, twice, and three times...The traditional sign that he was ready. Vallios danced forward, leading with his offhand. The challenger lunged and swung wide with his shield, hoping to knock Vallios from his feet. A twist of the wrist and then the square pommel of the kama slammed on the center of the oncoming shield, while kick was aimed for the guard's exposed knee.

The guard reacted in time to step away from the kick, surprised that Vallios had countered so readily. Once more he knocked blade against shield, taunting Vallios. Vallios took the bait willingly, coming in with an arcing slash from the falchion. Backed into a corner, the guard forced his shoulder forward and then thrust with his sword, going for Vallios' apparently exposed ribs. That kama was ready however, and it easily caught the blade and forced the guard's main hand high. Vallios stepped inwards and caught his opponent with a vicious elbow to the ribs, followed by a fierce kick to the chest. Vallios stepped forward as his opponent fell back, whipping both weapons up and then down in a rolling arcing slash that the staggered challenger barely managed to block. A loud clattering filled the hall as both falchion and kama hit the floor, it appeared as if Vallios had been disarmed... In reality that wasn't the case. It'd been a ruse, which became apparent as that chain was swiftly unwrapped. Vallios' stance changed abruptly, from the heavy centered focus of before to a more fluid and mobile step. The chain arced and cut through the air, quickly working itself into a dizzying curtain of certain death. Working both ends Vallios struck, hands spinning and twisting in the large circular links that served as handholds for the exotic weapon. Now Vallios had the severe advantage of the reach. The challenger realized that and took several rapid steps back, retrieving his pike. The guardsman continued to step back and around, waiting for Vallios' advance. And so Vallios began to strike, displaying astounding proficiency as he hurled the chain out to it's full eight foot length and then snapped it back in vicious slashes. Steel slammed against wood floor, and the metal links howled a shrill song, every strike seeming to hold the fury of a condensed storm. Somehow, through the onslaught Vallios did not tire. With every strike he worked closer, the chain shortening as both ends began to work. Eventually, the desperate guard found himself overwhelmed and he began to thrust with abandon, hoping to strike a decisive blow. No such luck found it's way to the unfortunate guard.. One end of the chain wrapped around the pike and with a wicked tug Vallios ripped the weapon free from his opponents grasp, and then released a flurry of blows from both ends of the chain. It was fortunate that the weapon was barbless, otherwise the challenger would have been literally torn to bits. When the beaten man crumpled to his knees Vallios stopped the assault and stepped back, his breathing measured and calm. He cleared his throat and turned to address the class, acting as if it had been nothing more than a demonstration.


"Weapons are not but an extension of the will; The will to kill, and the will to survive. You must adapt to every weapon you hold, allow it to become your arms, it's blade, it's weight your fingers. Allow it's limits to become your own, and then overcome them."
 
RE: Lessons with the Master

From the far side of the room, among the students and new recruits stood a slender girl, no more than 19, leaning on the wall. Her expression was unreadable; a mix between admiration and annoyance at the brute show between the men. Every time she made the decision to come in this room she regretted it later because she got short tempered with everyone and all their violent behaviors. Honestly; were men only good at killing each other? Why couldn't they do anything productive?

She dismissed the thoughts with a shake of her head that stirred her long black hair. The only reason she was even here today was to speak with Vallios, but it didn't seem like he would be done soon. The girl sighed impatiently as the boys standing in front of her started whispering about the battle and how 'epic' it was. Neither of the seemed to have noticed her yet; not that she minded, but she did want Vallios to know she was there so he might stop and speak with her. The only way to catch a man's attention though...

The black haired girl made her decision and calmly pushed through the boys in the room to stand just feet behind the Master. She cleared her throat loudly. "Vallios. Do I need to pick up a weapon for you to notice when I am present?"

(I didn't know if you already had a name for her or not; I didn't see one in the request thread so I just left it for now.)
 
RE: Lessons with the Master

((Name her as you wish. As long as it's not Suzie.))
Topaz eyes narrowed at the words that rudely interrupted him. Of course she needed to pick up a weapon for Vallios to notice her in the training hall. Slowly Vallios turned to address the Daughter-heir with a gaze as cold as the steel he held in his hands. Once and twice Vallios looked the slight girl over, contempt evident in his features. This ignorant, stubborn and headstrong...Whelp was to be his charge?! Worse yet, he was to be her husband. A fate that Vallios had known he was resigned to from the day he swore fealty to House Ahn'khir. Weapons Master Vis'karr had made it clear from Vallios' first day of training after the War of the Bear that he would take Vis'karr's spot as Weapons Master when the time came. No matter how Vallios yearned to return to the Spine of the World, to the frozen tundra and the fires of his birth-people he knew that the honor burden he owed Vis'karr, owed House Ahn'kir was one he would bear to the grave. Fate's weave worked twisted webs that no mortal could unravel, it was best to accept and play your part.

"Yes. You in fact do. This is the Training Hall, not a tavern during the lazy hours of the evening. When you're here you're in my territory and you are on my schedule. Do not interrupt me in front of my students again. Now what is so incredibly important you are distracting these younglings from instruction that will some day save their lives on the battlefield?" The words were a cutting rebuke with barely veiled animosity.

Vallios was well aware of the Daughter-Heir's distaste for combat, for strife. The girl was soft like every other Southern-Blood; pampered, privileged and out of touch with the truth of the world. Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid dearly. For a moment Vallios thought back to the War of the Bear, remembered being not but sixteen leading the charge aside his War-chief and a thousand of his tribe, all mounted astride bears white as the tundra. The memory of breaking through the city's gate in a howling flood of fury was still so sweet fifteen years after the fact. Vallios remembered the vicious siege his people had held Everend in for a bloody month, remembered how the Ruling Houses had sent scouts crawling on their bellies through the lines to call on any foreign aid for help. Best of all he remembered the Broken Fang treaties that kept these...Contemptible wretches from putting any foothold in his beloved tundra. It was no secret Vallios held open enmity for the people of Everend. However it was also known that the warrior was fiercely loyal to the man who had bested him in combat, to the house that had met his tribe's finest on the battlefield and fought to a man, refusing to give so much as an inch. Southern-bloods may be soft, but House Ahn'kir was certainly the least frail. At least...It had been under Matron Ahn'kir's leadership and Weapons Master Vis'karr's guidance. Did this...Girl understand what her mother had taught? Did she understand how to lead a house so drastically different from the other, softer ruling houses?

((Vallios is kind of a dick. xP))
 
RE: Lessons with the Master

The woman snorted as if repulsed by what he had said. With an air of authority, she made her way to where the training weapons were kept and gracefully picked up a long sword. As she made her way around the room to stand in front of him she contemplated everything she knew about him. Which regrettably was not a lot. She had barely even heard his name before her mother told her she was probably going to be marrying him (well at the time it had been undecided. But she had a feeling they had decided by now she was to be wed to him, and not told her on purpose.). She had always known she was going to be wed politically and that she would have no say in it, but if she had ever wished she did she hadn't more than she did now. This man was arrogant, rude and not to mention very prideful of his new title. She knew was not the best of fighters, but she had been required to be trained with several weapons since she was young, and so she had more skill in her belt than most. Vallios had yet to see her battle to her knowledge and she had hoped to wait to fight him until after he had officially become her instructor if for no reason other than smacking the pride off his face when he realized a girl was holding her own against him better than almost all his students.

She drug herself from her thoughts and pointed the sword at him with her chin held high. I suppose I made a good choice in pulling my hair back, she wryly thought to herself. Even so, it still hung down to her knees; long, black and silky. This was where she had gotten her name; her parent's bet she would have hair just like mother's, and so Daiyu had she been named. "So be it." She finally answered. "If I must be fighting to speak to you then let us fight."

A grin split her face as if she was taunting him. She knew many men were picky and reluctant to fight a girl, but she was unsure if he was. In either case she could still use it as a way to poke a reaction out of him. She may as well have some fun if she was going to be married to the fool. "Unless...you're afraid to fight a girl?" She almost muttered it but managed to keep her voice level and proper, as she should.
 
RE: Lessons with the Master

"I have stared death down hundreds of times. I used to saddlebreak bears for my tribe...dealing with a spoiled brat such as you is child's play."

That was all the banter Vallios was willing to give before he struck. That long, heavy chain was brought sideways in a vicious slash aimed to catch Daiyu across the hands and force her to drop the blade. Disarming the girl should prove easy and a decent lesson in humility. Everything Vallios had respected in Matron ahn'kir, this girl seemed to lack.

((Soooo sorry it's short, hurried atm))
 
RE: Lessons with the Master

(That's okay, it is sufficient ^^)

Daiyu saw the movement and guessed where it would strike. She jumped to her right and slashed at the chain just before it reached where she was previously. It wrapped around the end and a slight surge of panic shot through her before she smiled and tugged. The force through the chain would unbalance him long enough for her to catch him off guard.

"Then this should be easy hm?" She laughed softly. With a careful calculation, she lunged at his leg with her sword extended.
 
"Easier than a tavern wench at Last Call."

It seemed as if Daiyu had forgotten all about the other end of the chain. One easy sidestep and a shift of the hands within the guiding links of the weapon and the other half of the strange ten foot long weapon was brought into a vicious diagonal slash, one that would surely welt the girl from knee to shoulder if it connected. The other end of that chain was spinning through the air behind Vallios, preparing to strike or counter as was needed. Vallios was somewhat disappointed that Daiyu had avoided being disarmed, he was hoping to humiliate the girl and make her look quite the fool. Obviously it seemed she would need a proper lesson instead! No punches would be pulled here, there would be no force-mitigation behind these strikes. The way the girl held herself, her arrogant, self-entitled personality were things that made the blood boil in Vallios' veins.

As impressive as Vallios' manual dexterity was it was the precision, control and speed of his footwork that was truly daunting. There wasn't a second that Vallios was not moving, shifting and stepping, fluid and primed for mobility. Predicting where he would step next was impossible, there was no guarantee which direction his momentum would flow to next. Many people said that you had to fight with a woman to truly learn who she was and so Vallios relished this opportunity to become better acquainted with his future 'wife'. This was also an opportunity for Vallios to demonstrate just how much Daiyu needed him and needed his help lest she meet the same fate as her freshly buried mother. Did the girl even remember the assassination attempt? Did she remember the fact that Vallios had kept four assassins at bay by himself and prevented a fifth from chasing Daiyu down and ensuring she would not take her mother's place, ever?
 
(In a hurry, sorry it is short)

Daiyu cursed under her breath when the chain held on tighter than she expected. And Vallios moved faster than she expected too. She was glad he was a challenge (unlike some men she had had to duel before) but she was starting to think ahe had bit off more than she could chew. Rather than beat him, she decided to change tactics and at least prove she could hold her own against him.

She wrenched the sword back with a twist of her wrist that had the chain unwinding from the end. Once it had clattered to the floor she stepped forward to stand over it and then lunged at Vallios again; if for nothing more than to get near him with her weapon.
 
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