This Won't Break Anything But My Fingers (Solo)

[Aello]

Fall 15, 511 AV Aello stood in the back of an alley. The light of the sun filtering in through the broken glass windows of a nearby building. Reflecting off the surface of the dark waters of Lake Ravok, that which sloshed against the side of the canal to her right. The golden glow illuminated her blade, each portion of her face, save for her nose, which seemed to sink into the center of her pale visage. The blade glimmered in the light, refracting it, and sending it in every which direction. Making it sparkle as though it were one of Zintila's stars. Aello held the hilt of the blade tightly in her right hand. Each of her fingers curled into her palm, save for the thumb, which was turned away from the silver blade. Her flesh sank into the blackness, lined it with a thin blanket of sweat. Her eyes rested on the tip of the blade, which dangled at a slight angle, about a foot in front of her chin. Dividing it in two. Allowing her vision to settle on each side of the street. The rest of the blade was tilted downwards, towards the ground behind her, sinking the closer it got to her body. It was held out from her, no more than a few inches. Well this can't be too difficult, Aello told herself, as she breathed deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Releasing everything she had once held in her lungs with a gentle sigh. She let her eyes settle on the lack of blood along the length of the blade. This can't be any more difficult than learning how to wield a single dagger... just a mixture of steps, accompanied with the swift movement of your hand, guiding the blade along its path. Aello nodded, and then pushed her blade upwards, cutting through the air. It produced a gentle hissing sound. She forced it back down. The blade moved in another silent hiss. This is a good start the young spiritist told herself, as she handed the blade over to her left hand, and pulled her cursed dagger from concealment. She held it in the same fashion she had held the new blade. But how do you handle two of these, I wonder.

[Aello]

Aello allowed the bloodied blade to twirl between her fingers. It circled her hand madly, whisking the air away. Humming. The girl reveled in the familiar feel of it for a few moments, before bringing the blade to a grinding halt. At which time, she began to twirl the newer blade. The one that carried no curse. The weight was unfamiliar to her. The way it pushed away the air. The gentle hiss it produced as it swept past, again and again in a never-ending circle. The way it tossed the light of the sun away and towards the dark waters of the lake. This is not so different from the other blade you carry, Aello's mind whispered. About the same length. Devoid of blood... but that can soon be changed. Devoid of the power to return to you of its own will. By the magic cast upon it. Its touch which has been tainted time and again by the hands of many, it seems... Aello's mind quieted itself for a moment as the girl forced the blade to stop spinning. To return to the stance she always took when holding tightly onto the hilt. The weight is a little different, in comparison to the other, but that is it. In all other forms, this blade seems to be like the other you have carried for so long... Aello's pale pink lips spread into a slender smile. "Perhaps it won't be all that difficult to become all the more deadly after all," she whispered, as her eyes sparkled menacingly at an imaginary opponent. As she bent her legs at the knee and sank into a sort of lazy-looking crouch. Her hands tightened their grips around their respective blades as she curled her arms at her elbows. She held them up, so that each blade was held out in front of her. A space just in front of her neck. No more than a foot away. Each of the silver ends turned out towards her sides. Time to start with the basics, Aello thought, as she moved the blades inwards, until her knuckles brushed up against each other. As soon as they touched, she pushed them apart, as quickly as she could. The twin blades sliced ferociously through the air, towards her shoulders. She could feel her body rising as she forced everything apart. Her shoulder blades moving towards the center of her back. Squeezing together tightly. Well that felt pretty damn awkward, Aello thought, as she pushed the blades back inwards, in a wide arc. Her arms felt as though they were stretching too far, and began to ache, as her knuckles finally collided, causing the girl's grip to loosen around the hilt of each blade. For a loud crack to ring through the air. "Owww..." Aello growled. Just be thankful you didn't cut off your own fingers or something, with movements as awkward and painful to watch as that, Aello's mind growled in response. You really should be more careful, lest you want to make a fool out of yourself. Aello sighed, even though she knew no one was watching her, she felt as though it were too late for that. Slowly, Aello eased her hands back apart, and returned them to a place on either side of her body. Blades raised, she prepared herself to try the move over again, just to see if any improvement could be made.

[Aello]

Aello took a deep breath, in through the nose, and out through the mouth. She released her breath with a gentle sigh. Lets try this again, she told herself, as she moved her hands inwards slowly, in a wide arc, bring her fists back together. Her shoulder blades seemed to inch inwards with the metal, serving to tighten her stomach, crush her lungs. Slowly, Aello moved her blades back out in the direction they had come, and then back in, over and over. Repeating the motion until her muscles got used to it, until she thought that there was so much as a chance that she would not slice off her fingers if she sped up her movements. The girl drew her arms out to her sides once more, and took a deep breath, before sweeping her arms inward in a slight arc. The blades twisted out towards an imaginary opponent, raking across their chest and inching ever closer to their neck, until a time when the metal of the cursed blade slid over the bony knuckles of her left hand, severing a small layer of skin. Flicking it uselessly onto the ground. The skin was cold, white uneven. A blob shaped mass, which shone brightly against the dark street. Aello pulled her hands away from each other, and glanced down towards the space where her skin had once been. It was the gentle dip that rested in the center of the knuckles situated between her middle and ring fingers. The girl bit her bottom lip as the flesh stung. As the exposed skin shone a pale pink in the light. It seemed to darken the longer she stared, taking on a reddish tint around the edges of the wound. See? What did we say before about hurting yourself? Aello's mind growled. What did we tell you about being more careful? Aello pulled her teeth off her bottom lip, allowing the color she had drained from it to return, for the teeth marks she had left upon it to pop up, and make it appear as though they had never been there. "You said simply to be more careful," Aello whispered. "But it's been so long since training has brought more than a scratch if anything, that it seemed as though there were no need to listen..." Aello's voice trailed off for a long time, as she allowed her hands to return to her sides. As she allowed the cool air to buffet her wound, and bite at the sting. Force the pain to subside, if only a little. "It was a stupid, elementary mistake, it won't happen again," Aello whispered, as the sweat that lined the underside of her fingers grew all the more prominent, causing the hilt of each of her blades to slide around in her grasp. She sheathed them temporarily, and wiped her hands on her dress. They felt so cold, almost clammy, but a bit drier after a few attempts. Aello sighed, as she reached for her weapons. Pulling them out of their sheaths, and allowing a satisfying ring to fill the air. The hum of the metal, the power that resided within each of them. Her fingers curled around the hilt, as she raised them, slowly, into a more defensive stance. Where each was held in front of her chest. The blade itself turned outwards towards her sides, running against the length of her bent arms. Time to try this again...

[Aello]

Aello turned her hands, until the blades ran down in a straight line. Aello could just imagine them dripping with blood. The red liquid falling from the tip onto the city streets. She drew in another breath, and held it in her lungs for a few seconds, until they stung as much as her injured knuckles. Then, she let the cool air out with an exaggerated sigh. As she let her breath out, she plunged her blades downwards, bringing them towards the space around her hips. The space that was filled with air and not pale flesh. The girl imagined herself plunging her blades into another's flesh. Bringing them into their sides. Wounding them as they tried to stab her in the back... literally. She smiled weakly, as she drew her arms back as far as they would go, taking note of how they swung. How rapidly, how out of control. That will have to be fixed, Aello thought to herself, as she brought her arms back up to their starting position, and repeated the process. She forced each blade down, slicing through the air silently, pushing her blade into an imaginary foe, before letting her hands linger, and then rise to their beginning position. She repeated the motion several times, before growing tired with it, and returning her hands to their start. This time, however, she allowed the blade to follow along the length of her arm, as opposed to downwards from it. Directly towards the ground. Now to correct the thing which split the skin, Aello thought, as she moved her blades slowly out to her sides. She took another deep breath, before forcing her hands inwards, moving each arm in a wide arc, which sent the blade spiraling out towards an imaginary opponent. And then, her fists collided. Knuckles beat against knuckles, the impact ached. Sent tiny tremors through the length of the girl's fingers, which caused them to unfurl. Caused the hilt to slide around in her grip, and for ultimately, each dagger to fall from her grasp. To cascade over the length of her hands and swirl through the air, until they clattered against the road directly in front of her feet. Aello sighed, and bent to pick each blade up. To return them to her grasp. Once they were in their rightful places, Aello straightened herself up. She tightened her hold on each blade, and returned each to their starting position, to either side of her form. There has to be a better way to do this. A way to accomplish such a simple attack without accidently skinning yourself in the process, the young spiritist thought. Perhaps if you attack with one of the blades first, and then follow up with the other, you can mitigate your chances of self-injury. Aello shrugged, it was worth a try. The girl positioned her feet so that the right was in front of the left. It was about a foot behind, the left, which was turned on its side. The right was pointed straight ahead, together, they formed a ninety-degree angle. "Well here goes," Aello whispered, as she pushed her right hand inwards in a wide arc, as she had done so many times before. The blade cut easily through the air, produced a low whooshing sound as it followed a familiar wide arc, towards the center of Aello's body. When she had finished the move with her right hand, Aello lowered it a little, to make room for her other hand, and took a step forward with her left foot, allowing it to lead as she rapidly brought her other hand inwards, in a wide arc. She watched the blade curl towards an imaginary foe, and then come to a sharp halt in front of her chest. Well that's better, Aello thought, as she moved her hands back out, but still not great... Again. Aello moved her left hand towards her, allowing it to form a crescent towards her chest, and then sink a little, before she stepped forward with her right foot, at which point, she repeated the motion with her right hand. The cursed blade. Good, now keep going. Aello nodded as she pulled her hands away, to the starting position, moved the right hand first. Stepped, moved the left hand. To the start. Over and over, she repeated this process, until her arms began to ache. Until it felt as though the motion, however sloppy, however slow in comparison to the time in which she wielded a single dagger, seemed to be burned into her muscles. Into her bones, her very soul. At this time she let her arms drop to her sides. She then, sheathed her weapons, and turned back down the street to her things. She fished the waterskin out of her bag, and took several swigs. Caught her breath and put the skin back away. Aello straightened herself back out, and pulled her twin daggers back out of concealment. She dangled them uselessly by her sides. The blades directed towards the area from whence she had come. It was time for her to continue her training.

[Aello]

Aello took several steps away from her belongings, and towards the center of the Ravokian city street. She kept her daggers against each of her sides, as she closed her eyes a moment. Holding them lightly shut as she took another deep, cleansing breath, and then opened them. She imagined a figure standing before her. The dark outline of a man. No more than a few inches taller than she. No more than a few inches wider. The man was relatively flat, if she was to step out towards the figure's sides, and look at him from there, she'd see no more than a slender strip of darkness, if even that. She imagined his eyes as flashing red orbs, but no other features. Save for his hands, which like her, held a dagger. Like her, the man stood, waiting. His grip tightening against his shadow blades. He is so basic in his form... but he should do, for the beginning stages of this training, anyway, Aello thought, as she eyed the figure she had imagined up and down. Picturing him as more than a shadow. A muscular man whose short stature kept him from gaining much ground in the real world. Causing him to turn to anger, to numerous fights in order to tame the emotions he tried to hold inside. "Ready?" Aello asked the shadow of a man, who merely nodded, and raised his blades to a guarding position. "Good," she replied simply, as she did the same, and then sprung forward, bringing her right arm out to the side, and then inwards, in a wide arc, re-using the move she had practiced ad nauseam. She imagined the man taking a half a step back and raising his blade to meet her own. It did... but instead of a familiar clang of steel against steel, Aello heard nothing. And her blade swept through the shadow dagger as though it were not there. Her arm swung towards her left shoulder, and then came to a grinding halt. "Well that is going to be a problem," Aello whispered, as she took a few steps back, and resumed her starting position. We need to picture him as a more tangible entity. A formidable force. His blade should be able to clash against our own. To stop our own. His flesh should give way should we meet it. Mine should give way should he strike it... although no blood may truly be spilt, this battle should be made as realistic as possible, to remind us of the true nature of war. Aello nodded absently, and allowed the man to spring forward. He raised his right hand, and swept his blade in a diagonal line, downwards, towards the girl's hip. Aello simply stepped back, out of reach of his shadow blade. Afterwards, the man stepped forward again, and attempted the same advance with the opposite hand. This time, Aello stepped back onto her left foot, putting all of her weight onto it, as she raised her right hand to meet her opponent's blade. This time, when her blade made contact with the shadow's, her blade failed to pass through his. There was no satisfying ring. No clatter, but the blade could go no further. We're making progress, Aello thought, as each of their eyes narrowed, and she took a step back. It was time for her to find a way to destroy her opponent. Utilize his weaknesses to her advantage. The only problem was, that this being was an object of her creation, and she was pretty sure she had yet to add those in...

[Aello]

Both the shadow and the girl strode forward at the same time. Each swept their right arm back, and then turned inwards towards their opponent at the last moment, bringing their blades towards their opponent's opposite shoulder for a strike. The blades met, shadowy dust swirling around the silver of Aello's bloodied blade before the shadow raised his left hand and tried to sweep his blade across the center of Aello's chest. Aello easily took a half step back, and raised her left hand, twisting the blade to block her opponent's latest advance. Within a matter of a fraction of a second, the shadow had dislodged both of his blades from Aello's own, and moved to strike her once more. This time he came at her by twisting around her side. Temporarily lost in a flash of black light, before reappearing next to her, his dagger inching surprisingly close. The girl's eyes widened as she just managed to stumble out of reach. She was holding her daggers out towards her sides when he spun towards her again, raising his arms and bringing his daggers around. Hesitantly, the girl stood her ground, and tensed each of her muscles. She could feel them rippling beneath her flesh as she raised her daggers, and crossed them at the center, bracing them, as they met with the force the shadow's blade had built up. Aello grit her teeth as she was forced to strain each of her muscles, especially those in the back of her leg in order to remain in place. She could feel the shadow's daggers pressing up against her own. See his eyes flashing menacingly. The girl's arms were shaking, sweat trickling in the spaces between her fingers, as the shadow drew his hand back and tried for her right side. Instantly, Aello pulled her blades back, and then raised the one she held in her left hand to block. A second later, she was raising her other hand to strike at the underside of her opponent's arm, but that too, was easily deflected. The shadow took another step closer to the girl. Swinging his twin blades rapidly, giving the girl just enough time to deflect before he was upon her once more with yet another advance. Finally, Aello raised her blade to meet her opponent's one last time. Sweat was trickling down her brow, and she knew, that if she didn't try something soon, she would lose a fight to something her mind had created, and she couldn't stand for that. But it was too late, for the girl had her blades held up against shadow. The shadow, easily slipped way, pulling his form away, and then plunged the daggers forward. Into the center of her chest. Aello's eyes grew wide as the figure disappeared in a puff of black smoke. As her fingers unfurled and the daggers fell from her grasp; clattered against the street. As her knees bent, and she crumbled to the floor. Head hung. She felt so very cold...

[Verilian]

Aello +3 Dagger +5 Dual Wielding +1 Meditation +1 Evasion You Question My Logic? : Any questions, send PM. Lores: Elementary Mistakes, Fighting Imaginary Shadows, Dual Wielding Basic Techniques, Over-Active Imagination Notes: So this whole time I was just picturing the battle with the imaginary shadow man from the point of view of a random person walking by. Aello is so crazy, lol.