[Kendoka Sasaran]Marks of learning[Khal'iah]

by **Rykanis Dakshata** on April 29th, 2013, 3:03 am

50 Spring 495

Even before he entered the building, Rykanis could hear the sounds of fighting. Not to the death, but fighting still. The crack of wood on wood striking harshly, the occasional cry of pain as someone managed to score a blow. It was a welcome sound to him, in its familiarity. It was one constant about the Sasaran's, not matter who was in it.

As he entered, he saw the sight of many Akalak's sparring. He saw one that looked quite young, perhaps only ten years old, taking on an adult. He had great energy in his strikes, and was lashing out with a wooden shortsword, but his opponent was keeping out of range, and occasionally tapping him with his own wooden blade.

"Patience, you need patience and control. Wailing at me will get you nothing."

He smiled, seeing the boy being reprimanded. The bruises he earned would remind him to do better next time, especially when facing a more skilled opponent. Each one of them would mark that he had learned something, and become a better fighter. If you left the Sasaran without a few, it meant you had not trained hard enough.

He headed over to the weapon racks, the practice wooden weapons, and took a moment to decide upon them... After a bit, he picked out a pair of curved wooden lakan, one for each hand, and headed out to the floor... Looking for an opponent.

by **Khal'iah** on May 2nd, 2013, 5:43 am

It was habitual for the young, violet-skinned Akalak to briefly turn his attention toward whomever walked into the training floor; just as he always whipped his head about within the classrooms whenever someone opened the door. The only difference in these habitual scenarios was that turning his head in class didn't result in a rather nasty pain erupting upon his left arm. Having seen the entrance of Rykanis, Khal'iah allowed his opponent, an azure-skinned Akalak whom was only a year younger than he, to strike his exposed arm with his wooden shortsword. "Ow! Ren!" he growled, turning his attention back to his opponent. Being that he was older, his intention was to show his friend a thing or two he had learned recently...but it would appear that the young warrior had much to learn himself.

In retaliation, Khal'iah brandished his wooden longsword swiftly, colliding it with Ren's sword hand. This sent his shortsword flying out of his grip and across the floor. "Ouch!" exclaimed Ren, shrinking back from his opponent to rub his pained hand. Despite the dull ache that now played upon his appendage, he carried a satisfied smile upon his countenance: he had thoroughly enjoyed their time sparring and was quite satisfied with what he had picked up from his fellow Akalak. "Alright Khal, I'm going to call it...you have a good afternoon brother." Khal'iah smiled and rested the wooden blade upon his shoulder, offering a warm smile and a bow of respect. "Sure thing Ren, have a good afternoon. Stay sharp." Ren returned the gesture before walking off to retrieve his fallen weapon.

At which point, Khal'iah returned his attention to the older Akalak who had entered the floor last. There was a high possibility that he had witnessed his blunder and this fact greatly embarrassed the young warrior. Nonetheless, he rendered a bow of respect and muttered a greeting as he drew near. "Good afternoon sir, how goes it?"

by **Rykanis Dakshata** on May 3rd, 2013, 1:40 am

Though Rykanis was well versed in lakan combat, using two at once always made things a bit trickier. He had not mastered the skill anywhere near as well as using a single lakan.

But he was slowly working to get better with it. Right now, he still favored his right hand, his dominant one which usually held his single lakan, and only used his left hand on occasion, and when his right was still. But he could see the use in learning to use two, and would not quit till he could use both hands as fluidly as he did one.

As he stepped onto the floor where the sparring occurred, Rykanis spun one wooden lakan in his right hand, sending it from a upward pointing offensive grip, down to a downward pointing defensive grip. He shook his head, and with the same move rotated the wooden blade back to a offensive grip. Instead, he spun his left hand lakan down into a downward grip.

Now that he thought on it, his left would likely be used more to defend, as he still by instinct used his right hand to fight. He had to make a conscious effort to use his left with the lakan. But only through training, would he gain the muscle memory to use the left. Which meant practice, practice, and more practice.

So he walked closer, his right lakan pointing up, and his left pointing downward, each in a different grip, as a younger Akalak approached him, and respectfully bowed and greeted him.

Rykanis smiled, a expression he often wore on his face, as it tended to put people at ease.

"It goes okay. And you? I am Rykanis, and you are? Would you like to spar? I see you use a longer blade. Perhaps my two smaller ones, will be a match for your one bigger one."

Rykanis at the moment did not feel like continuing on with unneeded pleasantries, not in a place like this, which was made for combat and resonated with it.

If the other younger Akalak accepted his spar, he would pause for a moment, the smile still on his lips. And then all at once he would move forward, making a sudden swipe with his right lakan aimed right at the Akalaks head, his arm snaking forward like a serpent and then breaking into a swing from the side, his lakan like the fangs ready to bite into his foe.

by **Khal'iah** on May 5th, 2013, 3:30 am

There was a sense of ease that washed over the young Akalak as he witnessed the smile of his senior warrior. To the best of the violet-skinned warrior's interpretation, there was no malice residing in the depths of that smile that was directed at he, and as such the youngling felt a tad relaxed before him. As inquiries were made of him, his form ascended to straighten out and stand tall once more before answered. "I am doing well today," began the young man, the fingertips of his swordhand gripping the hilt of his wooden weapon rather tightly. "feel free to refer to me as Khal'iah. Khal'iah Vojak...I would love nothing more than to spare with you today, and I'm certain that it will prove to be an interesting contest of strengths."

The young warrior did not even get another moment to compose himself following his words, as Rykanis simply stood there, grinning and listening, before the battle ensued suddenly. 'Ack!' exclaimed the warrior in his head, surprise rippling over his body like a mighty flood. Khal'iah barely had enough time to avoid the blow that was aimed to his head, which he did so by swiftly lowering to a crouch in order to let the wooden blade sail right over his head. As the second strike was launched, Khal'iah swept his right leg out, attempting to catch his opponent's ankles in their movement and set the senior Akalak onto his back.

by **Rykanis Dakshata** on May 5th, 2013, 3:48 pm

Khal'iah Vojak. That was the name of his new sparring partner. Rykanis tucked the information away for later, or in reality, his other side did. His main side that would be doing the fighting, did not care as much about such things. He left it to his other half to recall such info, and to remind him of it when he needed it.

Rykanis and his other half had been together for a long time. The second half had manifested itself while he was still very young, almost at a unheard of young age for it to appear. He had not even been a decade old, when he had appeared.

So they had been able to work out unspoken agreements between the two, and were better able to work in synch for it. They almost never fought, even though they were completely different.

And luckily for him, his other side preferred to not directly deal with things, and allowed Rykanis the majority of the direct control of the body they shared. Of course, he was constantly reminding Rykanis of things, giving him pointers, subtly noting information that escaped Rykanis, and such things. But since it all benefited the two of them, there was no need to fight, or to try to suppress his other side, which was unhealthy for an Akalak.

But then the battle had commenced.

As expected, the young Akalak avoided the first strike, simply by ducking. It had not been a serious blow, more used as a test to see were the youth stood in regards to his skill. He did not disappoint.

In response, Khal'iah swept out a leg, attempting to trip up Rykanis. Rykanis in turn did the simplest thing, and swept out his own left leg low to the ground, to catch him ankle to ankle before he could close in, and stop him from getting nearer.

Rykanis still had a smile on his face, as he made twin blows, first a slash at his foes left side with his own right lakan, and then a downward stab a few moments later with his left lakan, aimed to stab into his thigh on his right side. It would have worked better if they had been done in unison, but such a strike was beyond his current skill in using dual lakan.

by **Magpie** on July 3rd, 2013, 4:39 pm

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Rykanis :

Khal'iah :

Notes :

If you have any questions or concerns about what was awarded, please don't hesitate to PM me.
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Flashback [Kendoka Sasaran]Marks of learning[Khal'iah]