[Flashback]Unexpected Teachers(Hex)

[Hatot]

Hatot’s eyes opened after a period of time he himself couldn’t account for in the long run. He generally lost himself while he meditated, struggling with Radris’ advances of clawing to the surface. When he looked around camp after coming out of his trance, he saw Hex already sleeping, cradled under a practical camouflaged cloak. A slow exhale was released as his head dropped a little, not realizing how late the time had become. Hatot’s gaze traveled back to his tent as he slowly climbed to his feet. Grabbing a handful of sticks, he laid them across the fire, making sure it would stay burning through out the night. He then took a few long strides, which carried him across the short distance before he found himself crawling inside his tent to sleep. __________________ The next morning, Hex would wake to the smell of meat roasting over the fire, and the sound of grass rustling slightly to the west. Clears skies allowed the sun to shine down over the grasslands, illuminating the area twice as well as the previous day. As she peered to the open field, she would see Hatot there, his armor and shirt discarded in the grass nearby. He was already practicing as he repeatedly thrust his hands out towards the blades of tall grass before him. Each swift forward motion saw his fingertips cutting through the tips of the grass like a sharpened blade. His body ducked and weaved, twisted and leaned as each movement saw his fingers being thrust forward from a different angle. The thrusts from his hands moved in blurred motions, and his body movements moved almost as quick, his speed betraying his size to a certain extent. His feet planted firmly along the ground for the most part, only lifting an inch off the ground when movement of his feet were necessary, increasing his balance. Such revealed the strength of his legs and upper body when he would lean back on occasion in a practiced dodge. As Hatot’s body turned, Hex would catch sight of the long, thick scar that ran along the mid of his back, the most disguising one among the small number that lined his skin. It looked several years old, and as though it had been caused by a claw of some sort, considering it’s width, as opposed to a bladed weapon of some kind. Finally, both of Hatot’s arms drew back along his sides, as he took a quick inhale of breath. Then, in a repeated motion he used on the slaver the day before, his hands repeatedly thrust outward in front of him, each thrust aiming at a different location, as though he were visualizing a target in front of him, taking small steps forward. Finally, his movements ended with one final thrust from his right hand, and a slow almost hissing exhale of breath.

[Hex]

The night of dark melted into the sun as it rose through the horizon line and crested over distant mountains and rolling terrain. Daybreak marked the beginning of her training, and slowly Hex stretched and then emerged from the cloak, shivering at the chill from the night. The fire, which was still going served as some warmth initially as she crouched in front of it, rubbing her eyes and yawning awake. The campsite was silent at first, the only sound around her was the crackling of the fire before her and the moaning of the wind in the distance. Unsure if Hatot was still in his tent, Hex settled down to do her morning meditation and stretches - an important part of preparing her muscles and lungs for the intense training that lay ahead. The first exercise included a breathing technique that built up energy in the body by rapid inhalation and exhalation of the diaphragm. The breath passed swiftly in and out of her nose an her abdominals jumped in place as she lay on her back with her feet and shoulders lifted slightly off the ground. The tension throughout her whole body was necessary as it mimicked the tension felt through battle, and if she could learn to continue breathing fluidly even through times of stress, she could control her movements enough to stay alive. When she had opened her eyes finally after completing the circuit of her breathing exercises, the first smells of cooked meat wafted before her and she searched the rest of the camp for Hatot, who had slipped away at some point in the morning. After taking the cooked meat from the fire and setting it aside, she picked one piece and carefully chewed it, enjoying the juices that ran out from between folds of striated flesh. As the day's warmth crept over the campsite, vivid motion in the fields below their camp caught Hex's attention, and soon after she discovered it was Hatot himself, already practising the moves that made him formidable in combat. Hex slid down the grassy slope on her bare heels and then jogged to where he was. From a distance he might have appeared to look average human height but the more she approached him, the more he towered over her like an ancient tree with bark as thick and strong as metal. His turns and spins fascinated her, along with the jabs and dodges he drew along his path; as if an enemy really were there suffering Hatot's calculated wrath. Hex waited for him to notice her after his round of punches to the air, standing in the grass with the same wonder in her eyes as when he struck the two slavers down the day before.

[Hatot]

Hatot stood there in his stance for a long moment, after his practiced movements had finished. His form didn’t move, and he stood there like a tall, blue statue in the rays of the fall sun. Finally, his head dropped as he let out a slow exhale before turning to Hex, seeing her waiting patiently in observation. “I trust your breakfast was ample enough?” Hatot then inquired as he walked over to his shirt and armor, and began sliding them on. As Hatot began fastening the straps to his leather armor, he slowly turned his head, looking to Tulok before giving a slow whistle that changed tone three separate times. After he did so, the horse gave a light grunting exhale before slowly turning towards the direction of Riverfall as it began to move in a trotting pace. Hatot then slowly began moving back towards camp, rolling up the sleeves along his shirt. “Stretch yourself out Hex, and discard any burdens save for your water skin and dagger if you feel you need it.” Hatot then informed. “I need to go to the city to pick up supplies and some necessities for your training. It’s about a five mile run to Riverfall, and we’ll be running the whole way to get there.” Hatot then began strapping his own water skin to his belt, looking over to Hex as she began to do any stretches she felt necessary. “While facing others unskilled, a confrontation will generally end rather quickly.” Hatot began to explain, whether she had asked or not, “However, there will of course be individuals out in the lands who are not simple, clumsy brutes. Their skill will often keep you at bay, not allowing many openings and only slight windows of opportunity to strike, many times with very little time to exploit them. To evade is one thing, but to do so repeatedly over a long period of time will require stamina. That is what our runs will be for.” Hatot then looked to Hex, his hands falling to his sides lazily as he waited for her to finish any preparations she needed to do. When it appeared as though she were done, Hatot simply said, “Are you ready?” just to make sure before turning towards Riverfall. Hatot then set the pace, as his arms bent at the elbows, his forearms remaining level in the air while his hands hung lazily at the wrists. He then began jogging, starting his pace at a third of the speed he could run fully at. With his long legs and large strides, this generally equaled about half speed for most humans. He wasn’t sure of Hex’s full running speed, but kept a close watch over her, and adjusted his own speed to either quicken or lessen the pace if need be. “Try to keep your breaths slow and long, inhaling through your nose, and out your mouth if you can manage.” Hatot offered, the pace and distance starting to cause his own breath to accelerate slightly, as he began practicing what he preached.

[Hex]

Without hesitation, Hex bent in the grass, first bearing her weight on on leg while the other stretched out and then shifting sides to get both groups of muscles on her legs. A forward bend followed with a deep exhale as her knees stood straight and her upper body pressed against the top of her thighs. Breathing exercises were as preventative of injury as stretching is for physical conditions, so she flowed through a sequence of bends and breaths to regain a specific energy, one of endurance and vigour. Both arms shot up into the air as she fell into a cross legged position on the grass, and with her thumbs extended and her fingers curled into a fist, she began thrusting her diaphragm in and out with powerful breaths that forced the tissue of her lungs to flap reactively. The technique pumped adrenaline into her veins to wake her up, and conditioned her heart and lungs to regulate large amounts of oxygen - for as long as she had breath, she could run. With a nod and a bounce in the right direction, Hex showed her readiness as the pace immediately pulled Hex's full attention, and she bounded through the grasses in Hatot's wake of ground-thundering footfalls. Her arms and shoulders were deliberately relaxed, and she listened to Hatot's suggestion of breathing, but the louder voice of her body overpowered such advice. She was a woman of rhythm and movement, and for her, breathing in cadence with her steps was the breathing technique that took her to levels of performance that often humbled her. For their initial pace, Hex filled her lungs with four breaths of air through her nose, and then exhaled just the same - all in sync with the pumping of her legs. Devoid of competitive feelings, Hex remained at the easy going pace they started on for almost a bell, and when it seemed like they were ready to speed things up, she did not hesitate in taking the lead when she changed her breathing to two inhales and two exhales; an effort to acclimatize to the demand of energy her body begged for. The increase in pace was still fairly comfortable for Hex, and she would have even been able to continue at a faster pace, but patience was a virtue, and she was convinced that more could be reaped from the present moment of running and connecting with her body, than any goals that lay within Riverfall's city walls. They met eyes several times, and in response to what she read into as his observation of her vitals, she smiled and kept her chin up in an attempt to communicate her positive state. How long it would take to arrive in Riverfall she had no interest in knowing, and she gazed off into the horizon, noting all of the life energy that surged through the grasses.

[Hatot]

Hatot’s gaze fell to Hex as she not only kept up with the pace he had set, but increased it. Something within sensed that she wanted to push harder, test her limits. As tempting as that may have been, Hatot knew this was not the time. If forced her to run as fast as she could, for as long as she could, he knew she wouldn’t have much left for the training when they returned. So he kept things moderate, for now. One day, however, he would push that limit on the run. Today however, he had something else for her planned. While Hex was a quick learner and had fierce determination, she still needed work on her evasive skills. At the same time, however, she needed to start learning to spot and exploit what those evasive skills would give. Everything had it’s pace, and after yesterday, Hatot felt he could increase Hex’s own. It would take close to two bells for them to reach the entrance to Riverfall, and by the time they did, even Hatot showed signs of elevated breathing as he stopped them about twenty yards from the city’s gates. Hatot stood there for a moment, looking over to Hex before his gaze fell to the small patch of woodlands nearby, giving a slow whistle. Moments later, Tulok came trotting out from behind the foliage, shaking his head slightly as he gave a slow gruff exhale. “Look over Tulok for a moment and catch your, I shouldn’t be long as I’m about as welcomed as a stray animal right now.” Hatot said casually as he pulled his hooded cloak free from a small pack strapped to Tulok’s back. Slipping it on, he let it fall comfortably along his frame before pulling the hood up to cover the majority of his face. He then took one step towards the city, pausing for a moment before looking over his shoulder to Hex. “If you should decide to explore, be sure you come back in about ten chimes. That is all the longer I will take.” Hatot then moved towards the city, pausing at the gates to speak for a moment with the guards who gave him simple small phrased answers in a polite tone, but one that also suggested a simple level of tolerance towards him. He then stepped through the gates, disappearing around the corner. Whether Hex chose to explore the city for a moment or not, Hatot soon arrived back at the time he had given. He carried two things with him upon his return. One was a large sack of food and rations. From the scents Hex likely could have picked out a variety of fruits to be the most obvious, with lingering scents of bread and dried meats. The other was something about the size of a body, rolled into a tarp and wobbled slightly with each step Hatot took as it rode along his shoulder. If Hex hadn’t been there to greet him, he would wait until her return, as he casually slipped the food into the pack along Tulok’s back, and stropped the tarp wrapped object along his back. “Now, we run back.” Hatot would say to Hex, looking to see if she was ready once again for the trip back to camp on foot. He gave Tulok a slight pat along the side of his neck as the horse stomped it‘s front hoof along the ground, showing it‘s own eagerness to run. It was apparent the horse would be joining them on this run, instead of running ahead. “The same pace that got us here, no more.” Hatot then pulled his cloak off of his frame once again, stepping over to Hex. “This time, however, you’ll run wearing this.” Hatot said as he dropped the cloak along Hex’s frame. The material was thick, and carried the years of sweat and blood of Hatot’s own training in it’s fabric. While the cloak itself was dry, it’s thickness and size still caused it to feel heavy, as though it was the fur cloak. It would give Hex ten more pounds of weight to run with. At the same time, though, the overbearing size of the cloak itself would still give Hex full range of motion, provided she kept it’s tail wrapped around her somehow so she wouldn’t trip. “Remember, don’t overexert yourself, there’s still a full day ahead of you.” Hatot finally said as he began the pace once again when she showed herself ready.

[Hex]

Hex waited patiently for Hatot's return, taking the time to enjoy the grass and the breeze. When the cloak was dumped over her shoulders, she sagged slightly from the change of weight, she was used to be light and agile and now he had planned to train her mind to move quickly with extra weight; and when she would get to move without it, her speed would be improved. It all made sense and so she did everything he asked her to, with full confidence in his instruction. The cloak was at first difficult to hold up but eventually Hex rolled it into itself and held it rolled up ontop of her shoulders with her arms. Sweat beaded down her face and chest but she kept up with the running nonetheless, just at a slightly slower pace. As he had said, she had to be aware of her energy levels so as not to tire herself out before the actual training. So a feeling of patience set in and she relaxed her mind of any anxieties, stepping forward one foot after the other, strong in her posture and aware of the environment around her.

[Hatot]

The time it took to return to camp was just about the same span as it took to get to Riverfall, if not a little less with the major part begin down hill. “You can remove the cloak now and rest for a moment.” Hatot then said to Hex before moving towards the edge of camp as Tulok slowly strode up to him. Hatot’s rose up, sliding up the front of Tulok’s head, his other slowly sliding along the his neck as he spoke softly in his native tongue. A moment passed before he moved around to the side of Tulok, first pulling the food off of Tulok’s back and tossing it in front of the tent. He then pulled off the large object that had been bundled, laying it along the ground. He then moved over to Hex, stopping just behind her as his large hand rested along her shoulder first. “Do not move for a moment please,” Hatot then requested. “I’m going to apply pressure to some of the nerves along your body, nothing that will hurt, but if I miss them or more pressure is applied because of movement, it can.” Hex could then feel slow, light pressure being applied first to an area just above her shoulder blade, as opposed to the quick strong thrust that she observed his usual strikes would bring. As well, it didn’t feel like the tip of Hatot’s finger, as she didn’t feel his fingernail, but rather the middle knuckle of his index finger as he half closed that finger. “The points I’m applying will help prevent your muscles from tightening up too much, especially after the run.” Hatot informed as he moved to another part of her back. “However, as you further your studies, you will find that greater force and precision applied to these points will cause both numbing and temporary paralysis of the muscle tissue of the area.” Hatot then circled around, standing in front of her, both of his hands reaching up as his hands rested along her shoulders, his thumbs pressing in lightly along under the muscle tissue just above her collar bone. “Keep in mind, this is not healing such as massage.” Hatot said as he slowly held her arm out, the large hands working lightly over several pressure points found there. “It is merely a measure to help your movements, to prevent them from becoming to stiff or rigid.” Hatot then dropped to a knee, as he began applying pressure to points along her legs then. She found that each time he did so, a slight tingle would rise in the area before the burning sensation, that came with any physical exertion that the body was put through, faded. “The stress places on your body from the run will still be there. Do not push yourself too hard for this training.” Hatot then said as he slowly rose from his kneel, his hands dropping to his side. “Otherwise you will feel twice as sore tomorrow morning.” Hatot then walked the few paces over the bundled object he had picked up from the city. His fingers patiently worked over the small twine tied around it before they were tossed to lay along the ground idly. The thick tarp was slowly unrolled until a large post and two long slender wooden poles with holes drilled through one end were revealed first. As Hatot unrolled the tarp further, eventually a humanoid shaped and sized doll was revealed. It was faceless, it’s skin looking to be made from some form of cloth, most likely hemp. Where the hands and feet were supposed to be there were only round stumps. As it settled in it’s role, the cloth shifted back and forth a little as a slight sound of sand or beads of some sort shifting underneath could be heard. Hatot slowly picked it up, it’s limbs and head slightly rigid. Hatot looked to Hex then as he held it in front of her. “Since striking me, especially if you do it correctly, will surely bring out my darker half, Radris,” Hatot began to explain, “this will be your sparring partner.” Hatot reached to one of the arms of the practice doll, pulling it until it was level with it’s shoulder. When he released it, it stayed in place. “It has a skeleton made of copper, and it’s joints are connected by swivels so that it will be able to move or be positions somewhat similar to a normal body.” Hatot continued as he pulled the arm back down until it rested along the side of the doll once again. He then reached behind his back, pulling out a small booklet, handing it to Hex. “This book has illustrations and text showing the various pressure points along the body of a human. It does not extend to the more unique races such as Zith, but will extend any knowledge you already have. Take a moment to eat, drink and study a little as I set the doll up.” Hatot then laid the doll back along the tarp before reaching to the post. He picked it up, letting it rest along his shoulder as he took a moment to look to the sky, taking note of any possible weather that would hinder their training. He then slowly made his way over to a level, more open area of the camp, and laid the post down. Kneeling down, he drew back his hands and repeatedly began plunging them into the ground as dirt, grass and rock was dug up in the process. Such either indicated that even the simplest tasks were used in his training, or that he simply forgot to pick up a post digger while he was at the city.

[Hex]

The book had a leather cover with a tether to hold it closed, and the pages were a sturdy yet flexible material that allowed the book to be rolled up. A stylistic symbol of a hand was embossed into the leather and simple pattern of criss crossed lines ran along the edge as a border. Flipping the book open to the first page, Hex read through the table of contents which included sections organized by body part. When she scanned the outline of each section, there appeared to be not only a list of all manoeuvres with pictures, but all of them were presented in an order from least to greatest harm; paralysis or disoriented to asphyxiation and death. The lessons and diagrams were explained in impressively simple words, allowing for majority of understanding to come from the pictures of trigger points and descriptions of pressure and position of the hands. The Face and neck had separate sections, but being so closely interrelated to each other, there was a plethora of referenced moves that incorporated pressure points from both sections. Obvious and effective points on the face included the soft tissue of the eyes, the underside of the eyebrows close to the nose, a spot on the jaw just below the teeth, the nose, temples, and sinuses. The neck and collarbone had several sensitive spots, one of them close to the shoulder on the front of the chest that with the right force could dislocate the shoulder right out of its socket. A pinching move on the sloped side of the neck could be triggered to numb the arm, and a punch to the vocal cords on the front of the throat could render the opposition speechless, unable to shout for help. A spot on the inside of the elbow could shoot pain up the arm, and folding the wrists forward with pressure on a point in the hand could paralyse the chest. When struck in the solar plexus, the area just between the diaphragm and navel, a person could get incredibly nauseas and dizzy, and striking the kidneys from the front sides could potentially cause internal bleeding if the skill were behind the blow. Many pressure points in the lower abdomen and groin area could numb the legs, and make the human lose control of their bowels, while pressure points around the knee cap and knee pit could numb the feet for long periods of time. An entire section was dedicated to the feet, as strikes on the top and bottom of the foot and ankle could deliver devastating effects to one's ability to walk. The concluding section featured instructions, tips and illustrations of how to position the hand while striking to hit accurate points on the body. The trick to this kind of unarmed combat was that the power of each strike was not only a threat to the receiving opponent, but if done incorrectly or countered, could work against the deliverer of the strikes. Locking and unlocking the joints in the hand, depending on the flow of movement between fighters, was vital to avoiding breakages of the hand bones. A bell and a half passed while Hex lay in the grass on her stomach, reading through the book eagerly. A sigh from behind her drew her attention, and she wondered if Hatot was ready with the target doll. She rose up and skittered across the rocks towards Hatot, waiting for him to notice her.

[Hatot]

Hatot had just finished stomping the ground along the post, now half buried three feet into the ground. A couple of steps were taken over to training doll before he abruptly slung it over his shoulder. As he began walking back over to the post, a slow hand was raised to Hex as if to ask for another moment. “I’m not to great with putting things together. Made the hole too deep the first time around.” Hatot confessed as he stood in front of the post, strapping the training doll to it. He then stepped back, positioning the doll into a generic basic form as one of the arms was moved forward slightly, the other left to rest by its side. On leg was also moved forward, bent slightly at the knee with the other resting strait. Envisioning it, Hex could almost see a human standing in front of her, holding some sort of weapon, it’s posture in a neutral from, good for attacking and defense. Hatot finally took a couple of steps back, looking over the training doll for a moment, feeling a bit of nostalgia washing over him. A slow sigh was released at that before finally looking down to Hex. “Ignore nerve clusters for now, and attack the basic points of sensitivities.” Hatot instructed as he began stepping around the area. “The eyes, the nose, the joints. These are going to be your most available openings when facing someone in combat, as well the easiest to get to after avoiding an attack. Most often, you’ll want to focus on points that affect their weapon hand. The wrist, the elbow, the shoulder. As well, you want to target some areas along their legs. The knee, the inside tissue of the thigh.” Hatot then stopped next to the doll, looking over to Hex. “Hinder an opponents ability to wield their weapon as well their movement with their feet, and all other openings will become easier to exploit. Anyone who goes for a killing blow strait away in direct, especially at beginning levels, will often find themselves accumulating injuries they didn’t expect, or want.” Hatot explained as he took a step back, offering a little more room for Hex to use. “Don’t worry about going fast or hitting strong at this point. For now, simply work on accuracy. Finding the spots and hitting them dead on, the gradually increase from there.” “When you are ready,” Hatot then said, motioning to the training doll, “begin.”

[Hex]

In a series of slow and predictable turns and crouches, Hex approached the target doll, hitting it with a few strikes. She swallowed the ego that had been speeding her through the first part of her training. Hatot had specifically told her to first build up the ability to hit accurately, and then when she had mastered that, she would practice incorporating swifter movements to her strikes. In doing this, an opponent would be forced to move in specific positions that were advantageous to an unarmed attacker. Faking to the left, right, ducking and then propelling to the side and up - every move was a dance to get an opponent into just the right position to expose sensitive regions on the body. First, Hex dipped down at the knees, twisting her body to face the side of the doll's arm, keeping the weapon arms' elbow locked at the wrist with one hand and assaulting the ribs and hips with her dominant left hand, slowly and repetitively jabbing at the makeshift tissue that lay vulnerable before her. If she was successful in deliver such a strike on a real human body, the arm could be dislocated from the shoulder socket, causing a huge amount of pain and rendering the limb useless. Without the shoulder joint connected properly, and the ligaments torn, it was impossible to use the arm again until proper readjustment. Hex quickly realized how useful of a skill that particular move would be for her if she ever came across any bandits. Imagining the reaction of a strong warrior shifting to face her, Hex bounced backwards on her toes, pulling the arm with her as if following the movements of the attacker depending on which way they were turning. Jostling the opponent back and forth in a dance would be a slight distraction, enough inertia to drive them into a motion that would put them off balance and cause them to stumble forward, exposing the back to three specific spots. One on the back froze a series of muscles in the lower back, and if delivered correctly, could prevent them from standing up immediately without feeling excruciating pain. Two other spots along the spine could paralyse the legs for hours if applied with full force, but that was a particularly difficult spot to hit and Hex took several moments during her training to thumb through the small book Hatot had purchased for her. Alas, all of it was just theories and practice, but not real experience. Hex continued to redo certain moves and dances around the target doll to get the steps right without hesitating or stumbling; she had to memorize her movements to the point of them being unconscious. She couldn't concentrate on the moves themselves as she needed her full attention for improvisation - every fight was different and nothing could be assumed when fighting a skilled warrior. Petty thugs and unskilled slavers were a different story, and their movements could be easily tracked, with her auristics, her Chaktawe motion detection, and her knowledge of common novice strikes after having worked with Hatot. Once in a while, she would fail in the execution of a move and go crashing to the ground and by the fourth bell of solid training had nearly crested, Hex was a mess of dirt, bruises, and exhaustion. For a moment after falling, she pressed her cheek to the earth, feeling the cool soil under the shade of a patch of grass. And she rose again, finally taking a drink from her waterskin and wiping her mouth with the top of her forearm which left streaks of dust over her face and cheeks. It wasn't long before Hex turned back to the doll and continuing to work through her sets. The dodging had come in handy as they were wonderful openers to more complex moves. The training carried on for another two hours, and the sun had began threatening to strip away light from the grasslands, pulling the warmth of summer down towards the horizon.