Closed No Room For Melancholy (Tia'aria)

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Timestamp: 74th Of Winter

It was another icy cold day of winter for those that lived in Rivefall. There was a numbing chill in the air and snow caked the roofs as well as the ground all around the city. Still life went on as normal for the people that lived there. The Akalak were no strangers to harsh weather and continued on with their daily plans as if it were still summer. With no work to be done in the shipyard, and his patrol with the Kuvay'Nas finished for the week, Recoomas decided to spent his time at the Kendoka Sasaran.

The violet, jewel toned behemoth moved about the mat, wooden two-bladed sword in hand. It was still early in the day and oddly enough the mats weren't all taken up as they usually were. The dojo was still somewhat busy, having all but two mats in use from combatants, but it left the Akalak without anyone to spar with. So he paced back and forth across the empty mat, his eyes, pale hues of sapphire stalked the others in the dojo as he studied their forms and fighting styles.

"Which should I choose...which opponent would offer me the biggest challenge?"

Mizra Aqdas suddenly appeared and stepped onto the mat to greet Recoomas. He nodded towards his fellow Akalak and took a glance at the weapon that he carried. "Giving this one another try I see. Good, if you want to learn a weapon it's best to practice with it often and know the blade as well as you know your own limbs."

Recoomas uttered a low chuckle, Mizra was always stepping to part his wisdom to any who trained in his dojo, and while Riaris had gotten irritated with the man, Recoomas just wanted a fight. He turned to face the master swordsmen, and spun the two-bladed sword around in his hands so that the blade was leveled horizontally across his bulky thighs.

"I have learned a fondness for this weapon, soon I will purchase one of my own, crafted from the finest material in Riverfall. But for now, I'm here for a fight." His lips curved into a smirk and he turned the blade outward so that one of the long swords pointed in Mizra's direction and the other swept back and across his forearm. "Are you going to give me that challenge, or am I to pick from the winners of these matches?"

[Tia'aria]

Tia'aria entered the Kandoka Sasaran that day with an increasing feeling of regret. She had heard the fighters here were fierce and bruises and broken bones weren't unheard of. She didn't look forward to injuries. She really wasn't a combative driven Konti, but she knew there was a need for the ability to protect oneself should more danger come, and getting decent proficiency in her suvai would allow her to become a citizen. Citizenship was her end goal and she swore to herself she would withstand any amount of beating for the chance to truly belong to Riverfall.

She entered to the sounds of ongoing war, the sight of men and women alike moving back and forth, and to the general aura of gleeful violence. These people were here for a reason too, she remembered, although they still seemed unpleasant and alien to her with the ferocity on their faces.

She scanned the moving bodies, noting that the combatants seemed to also take turns fighting people they accidentally stepped into. She also noticed there were a handful of free mats, but that she couldn't use them by herself like she would like to.

The Konti set her mouth in quiet disgruntlement and approached an Akalak, really any nearby Akalak that looked like they were in charge, and asked what she was supposed to do now that she had come here. Did she use a wooden suvai? Did they have wooden suvai? Did she wait for someone to free up?

However, the nearest two were talking to one another and she politely stood to the side to await someone's attention.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Mizra Aqdas stared at Recoomas for a tick, he knew Riaris and Recoomas both and had gotten somewhat used to their styles and behaviors, though he couldn't really say he liked one much more than the other. If he had to pick it would likely be Riaris that he chose. The young Akalak was bold, mouthy and had much to learn of combat, but he had a good heart and was always trying to push himself forward. Recoomas was a bit different, and it was hard at times to discern his true feeling and thoughts.

The Akalak was just as bold as his brother, but there was a darkness to him, a sly underlining of malicious intent. He didn't speak his mind the way that Riaris did and chose to stay silent at times. He waited...He watched, as if working his mind on a plan that was yet to come to pass. But there was one thing that the elder Akalak knew about him, Recoomas liked to fight, he craved it even. He wanted it, his next fight, wondering when and with whom it would be. He searched for it, every fiber of his being was bent on it.

Where...

When....

"I will be glad to train with you." Mizra said firmly, before his attention was drawn towards the entrance. Recoomas arched a brow as he waited for an answer and followed Mizra's gaze towards the entrance when he didn't answer. Standing towards the entrance was quiet the sight. A young beautiful Konti stared at them, a petite young woman who's features were striking and youthful. Recoomas' eyes widen, his lips parting as he let out an audible, raspy sigh of pleasure.

Before Mizara could speak, Recoomas slapped his shoulder and moved in front of him. "Don't bother, I'll take this one.." He smiled wickedly as he crossed over to her, again turning the two-bladed sword downward so that one blade pointed towards the floor and the other towards the ceiling. He stared hard and long at the woman as he was sure that he had seen her before. He had to imagine that it was true, he wasn't likely to forget a woman that beautiful. But for the moment, he didn't know who she was or if she even belonged to someone, but one thing he did know, was that he wanted her.

While Riaris had a particular flare for Konti women, Recoomas wasn't as selective and wanted to devour any woman he found to be worth the trouble, even if it was a very young Konti. "You seem lost little rabbit..Have you simply lost your way, or do you have a purpose here?"

[Tia'aria]

As she waited there, she had a good chance to observe the Akalaks while they talked. One looked familiar and she felt a stir of mistrust in her core, but it was easily discarded when his identity didn't immediately jump to the forefront of her mind. He was but another stranger Akalak. Could have been a friend of Corsin even.

He ended up being the one to approach Tia'aria, walking like a predator and casting his pale gaze over her body nearly hungrily. She stared him in the eye, inwardly cringing at the thought of having to fight this giant of a man. The way he looked at her made her edgy and worried, simply because his gaze was too intense, but she didn't want to lose face and back down or go home. She came for a reason. She had to repeat that in her head. There was a purpose to her presence here.

"I've come to train and better myself in combat so I may become Kuvan." The young Konti said. She pulled her suvai forth from her waist, the pronged dagger glinting along the spiral blade as though to demonstrate what she was saying was true. "I want to train in my suvai. Is there someone who could teach me?" What was implied was that she had no faith that the Akalak could safely use a suvai. It was well known in Riverfall that the daggers were coated with a paralytic that only Konti had some immunity from. It would be great to remove that expression from his face but she wasn't fond of the idea of hurting him with a suvai. It dint occur to her she could use a wooden weapon. Armed fighting meant armed fighting, danger included.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Recoomas looked her over again and smiled. Konti women were so small, so fragile, and yet they were very sturdy and didn't break easily under certain pressures. Recoomas marveled at this fact, wondering was it the same with this woman. She was younger than Kavala, a woman that was everything a man could want in a Konti. But she had his attention just as well, and he hadn't taken his eyes off her since she walked in the door. There was an innocence in her eyes, a purity that he wanted to explore in more than one way.

However for the moment, he would adhere to Riaris' more subtle way of doing things. Something told him that this Konti wasn't the type to unleash her emotions in a fit of passion with a man that she had just met...Or was she? He couldn't be sure, the Akalak weren't known for understanding women of any race, much less the mysterious Konti. Still he was interested, even if all that he could obtain from their meeting was a fight.

"A Kuvan, I see.." he said with an approving nod. If the woman wanted to become a Kuvan, it was safe to say that she would be staying in the city for some time. For him, that was a good thing. It meant that he would have more time to seek her out, for more training or other activities. From the look of her, she didn't seem strong at all, and if it wasn't for the Konti's special weapon, she would likely be over run with ease.

"The suvai, the chosen weapon of the Konti. I will teach you, but, lets start out with a practice weapon, a wooden suvai. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, that weapon can be dangerous to one's health." he finished with a chuckle, before moving to the dagger section on the weapon's rack to find one of her kind.

Once he found what he was looking for, he returned to the petite woman and held the wooden suvai out for her to take. "Do you have a name little rabbit?" he asked bringing attention to her lack of manners as she had entered unannounced.

[Tia'aria]

"It's Tia'aria. What are your names, Akalak?" She was unfamiliar to flirting, if that was what this was. She didn't get many suitors, not yet anyway, but she should have begun to expect people like this Akalak would take interest in a young Konti. She didn't know if she should return his suggestive words and expression or just stare at it blankly, which is what she was managing to do currently. At least she wasn't getting red in the face. That would have been very embarrassing.

She accepted the wooden suvai, and sheathed her bone one, unwilling to give it up, even to somebody she expected was not going to use it or keep it. It was simply common sense to not yield unless demanded, in which she would likely comply. She didn't like to appear meek, but that is what she would be if demanded to relinquish her suvai.

Next, she was clueless. She held the suvai at the ready in hand and stepped into a mat adjacent to his position and waited, completely at a loss at what to do next. Did she start? If he started, she sure hoped he wouldn't hit her too hard with that gigantic sword on top of a sword thing he held.

"Aren't you going to use a suvai, or at least a lakan? I feel overwhelmed already just looking at that thing." And at you. She tried to keep herself from sounding unsure now that she felt like she was combat ready. He could start the beating at any moment and she would be unable to do much. This was starting to feel very weighted in his favour, and she couldn't do anything about it. It was this or go home.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

"Recoomas and Riaris." he answered to her question, standing tall and proudly as he spoke. She didn't say much at all, which was the opposite from most women that he had met. Perhaps she was intimidated by him, or by the dojo itself, whatever the reason, she said simply what she needed to get what she wanted and Recoomas liked it. "I'm pleased.." he added, which could have meant that he was pleased to meet her, or was simply pleased by her appearance and or her manner of speaking.

He watched her as she took the wooden weapon in her hand then stood ready to attack. The sight of a lovely woman wielding a blade did something to his heart as well as other bodily muscles. If he was an artist, he might paint a picture of such a thing, but he wasn't, Recoomas was a fighter, and so he would fight.

Her request wasn't unrealistic, but it caused him to chuckle. "Yes, I can imagine a weapon of this size could be intimidating when paried with a suvai. Very well then." he smiled and tossed the wooden weapon to Mizara, before stepping to the rack a second time to pick a wooden lakan. The purple hulk of muscle glanced over his shoulder at her, a smirk growing across his lips as his pale eyes found her slender figure again. "Will this do?" he asked, but didn't expect an answer.

Recoomas returned to the floor then and took his place on the same mat where she stood. He bent his knees a little and lifted his arms to somewhat mimic the stance that the konti was holding. "Now...remember..don't blink." He moved forward then, pulling his arm in towards his chest then slashing outward with the wooden lakan. He jumped back quickly, balancing his weight on the balls of his feet before moving in for another horizontal slash towards her chest.

[Tia'aria]

The Konti narrowed her teal eyes when he introduced himself and smiled. "And who are you now?"

Suddenly he was moving. For a big guy, Riaris and Recoomas sure moved fast, coming in at her chest and slashing at it. She instinctively flailed her suvai at him in an attempt to dissuade another attack and stepped back in a moment of panic before steeling her nerves and holding her ground.

She didn't blink, too afraid to actually look away from the wooden lakan, and so took advantage of his nearness at his second slash to cut back at him, too slow to actually hit him.

She furrowed her brow and stepped forward to get into this fight properly. She half wanted to run off after getting a taste of his speed and strength. She was beginning to feel a stinging grow from where his lakan had hit her the last time. She quailed at pain. That had to change, one thing out of many.

The small woman swung back at him before stepping back, imitating his movements, but she didn't get down low like he did. She was shorter than him already. She tried to watch him closely to see what he was doing, more because she wanted to learn how to do it than that she was afraid to get hit, even though she was pretty reluctant to be hit. This was a teaching exercise kind of thing for her even if not for him and she would do her best to learn!

She made another move to get him with her suvai. She didn't strike to cause any real harm to him, seeing as he wasn't a true foe. That might have been the wrong assumption in this setting, though, but if she managed to hit the Akalak, he would be able to show her the error of his ways at any time when he came back at her.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

"I am one of the Kuvay'Nas here in Riverfall. The protectors of this city...at your service." He added with a smirk. It wasn't often, or ever that Recoomas talked while sparing. But then again, he had never spared with such a lovely woman either. He decided that he would go easy on her and take it slow. She was there to learn after all and he would more than enjoy teaching her. He would enjoy teaching her many things...

"We have a wonderful city here, I think you'll like it. Did you just come from Mura?"

He asked as he jumped back from her swing and stepped back in to continue their duel. He liked the fact that she stood her ground and that she wasn't so timid as to not attempt an attack of her own. He was enjoying himself and it showed clearly in his dark features. "There are many here who could help with your training, but none of them will..look after you as I will." He moved to her left then, and swung his lakan to collide with her suvai when she took another swing at him.

"It is the hope and will of the Kuvay'Nas, as well as my own to see that the people in this city are not only protected, but can protect themselves." He took around swing at her, a light jab with his arm, more so to get her to react than actually trying to hit her. It was best that she learned to attack and defend rather than holding only the defensive tactic. "The fighting style, the way of the Akalak is to use our bodies as well as our weapons in a fight. So you have to..get into the fight." He chuckled inwardly and reached out to likely tap her hip with his lakan before moving back into fighting position.

"Do not be afraid to attack, to strike, fear can be your ally as it is mine." With those words, he fell silent and dove at her, swinging his lakan from his chest outward in a horizontal slash. As the weapon moved across her body he brought the opposite leg forward to sweep at her feet to finish the his action.

[Tia'aria]

"I was born and raised here in Riverfall, actually." Tia'aria smiled at the Akalak. "I do in fact love this city. It's the only city I know, however, but I don't regret that. It's a beautiful, wonderful place."

They clashed a few more times, her using her suvai as a slashing weapon before moving on to the more natural feeling stabbing attempt, although she wasn't trying to hit him with the anywhere with it. A stabbing weapon, even a wooden one, wasn't a friendly weapon on the skin and to her it seemed that suvai were more suited for stabbing.

He swung for her and she tried to hook his lakan in her suvai to wrest it away from him, horribly slowly, however. He moved with practice and precision and she moved reflexively and stumbling, like she wasn't really sure what to do. It was nice, his offer to look after her. Having an Akalak around to teach her sounded like a benefit she couldn't pass up. She thought about saying this when his lakan touched her hip, symbolising he had won at this point. She laughed and moved back to the position she had started in, gleeful in the exercise and tutelage she was gleaning from this.

"I appreciate that you would look after me and help with my training, Recoomas." |Tia'aria said before she dove into the fight. She backtracked immediately when he swung out across her chest, circling away from him before she fell or bumped into somebody behind her. She swung at him, getting nearer to make it more threatening and to show she was serious about getting on the offensive rather than just lingering in the defensive. She wanted to show she was a good student with some possibility of putting up a good fight if pushed. She couldn't remain a quiet Konti in the background. She swung for his arm in the belief that if she couldn't pull his weapon away with a catch in her suvai, she could at least try to disarm him with a blow to the hand holding it and then maybe kick it away.