Solo First slashes

[Vayl]

x

9th Spring, 514 AV

Vayl stared at the rising sun as he cast a long shadow across the rooftops behind him. The wind blew his hair and his coat, hung on his shoulders, in unison, giving the odd illusion of the coat being part of his body. They gently swayed in the breeze while the rest of his body didn't move any more than a statue would.

The sun was neatly cut in half by the blade of his practice Katana as he held it steadily in front of him, unmoving. Then, a glint in Vayl's lavender eyes was the only hint there was before the blade sliced horizontally sideways with tremendous speed. Despite himself Vayl nearly lost balance from the change in momentum.

Now the blade was in a straight line with his extended outwards arm. Vayl glanced down to his left. Where an old book sat in his imagination, propped up against a chimney. His lilac eyes jumped around slowly while he scanned the page's diagrams and instructions. He had found the book in the cribellum, Kalinor's library, but was forbidden to take it away with him when he left, so he had memorised it in its entirety, only now understand what the diagrams meant not he owned a katana. Vayl smiled to himself, reflecting on the good fortune of being able to find a blacksmith selling katanas in this city, before slowly turning to face forwards, to complete the move.

Bringing the sheath towards his midriff, Vayl reversed the Katana in his hand, so the blunt edge of the blade was resting against his arm, before kneeling on both knees and slowly moving the blade and down to his left. Sure enough, the blade's tip met the sheath, cutting edge down as per the book. Vayl savoured the quiet sound of wood rustling against wood, until a final click signalled him completing the sheathing process.

Vayl pressed his head to the ground in reverence as the characters always did, then stood up slowly.

First move learnt.

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why

[Vayl]

x

Vayl smiled as he crouched. He stood up slowly and repeated what he had learnt. The slight whisper of his arms moving preceded the sharp whoosh of air as the blade passed directly through the centre of the sun. Vayl smiled and sheathed his sword in the proper manner. Picking up a small fruit he had brought up with him, Vayl placed it on the top of a chimney, roughly chest hight to himself.

Here he could practice the uchia, the forwards stab. Two handed, left hand on the handle, right hand behind the pommel to provide extra force. The hardest part of this move was, apparently, aiming it correctly.

Vayl balanced on his back foot, before leaning forwards and stabbing forward violently. The blade flew into the brick of the chimney, causing Vayl to lose his footing and drop the weapon. Well.. the book was correct on the aiming part. Vayl regained his poise and leant forwards, fully extending his arms as if he had just finished the stab. Lining up the tip of the training katana with the fruit, he then reversed his motion and went through the movements ultra slowly, making sure the tip rested in the exact centre of the fruit.

Vayl closed his eyes and took a breath, taking a moment to feel the wind on his cheek, hear the footsteps below him, the gentle rustle of breeze. He snapped his eyes open, focussing on the fruit, and lunged forwards. With a soft thump, the fruit was hit dead centre and fell off the back of the chimney, to the ground below. Vayl peeked over the edge of the roof to see a very confused street-goer looking up to see where this mysterious fruit had appeared from. Vayl smiled and bowed reverently.

Good fight, street-goer

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why

[Vayl]

x

Vayl sat on the now slightly damaged chimney as the sun set in front of him. The orange light cast a long shadow on the rooftops behind him, and Vayl had to squint slightly as the glare from the light-giver almost burnt him in the face. He wondered why so many people lived in such a bright and inhospitable place, when the safety and warmth of caves made life so much easier.

Still, the sun brought life to the world in some shape or form, god knows how, but Vayl guessed it did somehow. After all, all creatures spent their time asleep during the night, and not sleeping seemed to slowly erode away one's sanity. Perhaps the sun provided some element of vitality.

Vayl frowned as he stood up, balancing on the chimney pot. He had lived most of his life without seeing the sun and felt better for it too. He'd have to ponder on this mystery another day.

Atop the roofs, Vayl bowed towards the sun, thanking it for the life it had given the world, and in prayer that it would rise the next day.

That's what the book told him to do, so that's what he would do. Whether he believed it or not was immaterial, but it definitely filled Vayl with a sense of... almost regality, humbleness.

Pulling up slowly from his bow, Vayl unsheathed his katana with blinding speed. Well as fast as he could anyway, and it blinded him. But so did the sun..

Sighing a little in self-rejection, Vayl swung the blade smoothly around his body, passing it around his back before balancing the sword in the palm of his hand, pommel resting in his palm.

Eventually it swayed over to one side and Vayl caught it, holding it like an oversized dagger before sheathing it.

He liked training, it made him feel like he could actually make a difference to the world, help out his race.

One day he guessed....

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why

[Abstract]

Grade Awarded!

Vayl

Skills

~ Observation - 1
~ Weapon: Katana - 2
~ Acrobatics - 1
~ Philosophy - 1

Lores

~ Katana: Basic Moves
~ The Sun Gives Life

Other

N/A

Notes

Not much to give... a simple, short, training solo.