Solo The Other Sasaran

[Vypec]

2nd of Winter, 515 A.V. Tuvya Sasaran Vypec entered the low, squat building with a shadow of the nervousness with which he had entered it for the first time so many years ago. The Akalak's earliest memories of his formal training had been here, at the rough mercy of his father and others. The instructors there had been harsh and unforgiving, instilling early the importance of uncompromising responsibility for one's actions. If a mistake was made, the individual was forced to not only pay for it in kind, but acknowledge it and examine it at length. This was, in some ways, the subtle heart of the Akalak warrior; an intimate knowledge of their weaknesses and thus an adaptability that kept their race alive. Vypec had learned this at a young age and had applied it to his training ever since. Now he returned to the Tuvya Sasaran to continue a second level of training in hand to hand. The low building was wooden, which was rare for Riverfall. The inside was dark brown and lit from the sheets of the Windows, giving the whole huge room a natural tint. when Vypec entered he was immediately accosted with a tumult of Akalak of all ages doing battle. Youths fought in larger groups, training under the watchful eyes of the ever present instructors. Older Akalak sparred against each other in their own spaces, one on one. There was the occasional human, sometimes folded into the youngster's classes. Vypec was nervous both because this place held a instinctual reverence for him and most Akalak, these were among the first people of authority to judge him and watch him grow, and because he had not practiced hand to hand combat much since he first set his eyes on the Dimakarux style of sword combat. It was an inexcusable negligence, one he hoped to correct here today. The older Akalak walked around the Sasaran for a long while before doing much of anything. He was observing the techniques of those combatants who seemed most competent. Eventually a class of two of three young Akalak ended and they all ran off to go do what young Akalak do when they were young and carefree. The Instructor collected himself and was walking towards the door to the Sasaran. Vypec intercepted him and appealed for a private lesson. "Excuse me, sir." He said carefully to the older Akalak. "I beg you for a sparring match. My skill is not what it needs to be and I wish to rectify that." The Akalak, a man with a shaved pate and dark blue skin looked over Vypec with critical, dark eyes. He eyes the way Vypec stood and everything from his hands to his ears. "You have been spending all your time in the Kendoka Sasaran, eh?" Vypec nodded sheepishly. "Well, let's begin then." The Akalak said and slid smoothly into a combat stance. Vypec was caught by surprise, the Akalak hand't expected the instructor to just jump into combat with no preamble. But in the Tuvya Sasaran, like the Kendoka Sasaran, actions spoke louder than words. Vypec slid into an uncertain stance himself, trying to recall the correct placement of feet and hands. Immediately the instructor moved. He leant forward on the balls of his feet and sent a flurry of blows towards Vypec. The Akalak could barely block the first before the second blue fist cuffed him in the ear. Vypec was sent stumbling back and now the instructor hooked a foot around the back of his ankle as he retreated, causing Vypec to fall on his arse. The Akalak then leapt onto him, straddling him across the chest and sent a fist directly at his throat. Vypec braced for the impact, but none came. "Dead." "I'm sorry-" Vypec began. "You need to widen your stance and keep your feet under your shoulders. Remember to move, like if you were fighting with weapons." The instructor ignored his words as he climbed off him. He instructed Vypec in all of his mistakes without waiting to see if the other Akalak heard and understood them. It was implied within the Sasaran that the instructors words were always heeded. "Block with the forearm or deflect. Keep your elbows up and your hands level with your face." There was no assurances, no chastisement. There was just assessment, feedback, and action. Vypec settled more comfortably into his stance. He did not wait for the instructor to attack, fearing he would not get a chance to return a blow. Vypec twisted on the balls of his feet, throwing a front hand fist while flaring his heel as he had been taught. The instructor ducked the punch and came close with an uppercut. Vypec was able to tuck his elbow and redirect the strike. It brushed past his face and he could feel the force of the blow. Vypec was able to land a low blow to the ribs before he retreated and reset. The instructor looked as though the blow had not even phased him. His eyes never left Vypec's upper torso. It unnerved Vypec that the man didn't look at his face, but it was that way in the Kendoka Sasaran as well. Even as Vypec reset, rocking forward onto the balls of his feet the instructor attacked. He breathed "Left kick." Before bringing his leg around in a deadly blow. Vypec twisted Andy shuffled his feet as his forearms met then blow. Before he could even register the pain of the legs impact on his arms the instructor had him by the back of the neck. The Akalak bodily threw Vypec to the ground and he felt a foot hit him in the side. Vypec knew this was not a full force impact, but the blow sent a wave of pain coursing through him and all the air in his lungs exploded out of his nose and mouth. Vypec groaned as the instructor once again stopped his onslaught. The man lent him a blue hand to aid in getting to his unsteady feet. "You did well. Remember that I have at least three limbs ready to attack at any given time!" He grinned, resetting once again. 1034 words

[Vypec]

Vypec tried not to pay much attention to the surrounding Akalak. It was quickly apparent to the whole room that he had been neglecting his unarmed combat training in favor of some other training. In the Kendoka Sasaran Vypec might have had the upper hand, and perhaps the roles would have been reversed, but here he was almost powerless. The instructor seemed kind and disciplined enough not to put him down hard. He was now watching Vypec's every move with a critical eye, his instinct to improve his pupils kicking in. The Akalak instructor continued to give Vypec critique on his movements and his abilities. Vypec could feel the knowledge of his past training coming back to him. During one of their bouts he was even able to land a punch that had not been directly allowed by the instructor. This earned him a fleeting smile and a nod. "You remember. This is very good." He said after a pause following that specific bout. Vypec and the instructor were both sipping from Vypec's waterskin, talking in earnest over his weaknesses and areas of improvement. "Thank you, sir." Vypec responded with the honorific he had always used when speaking to an instructor or mentor. I'd did not matter that he could reasonably assume that this instructor was close to his own age. The man had achieved a different level of hand to hand combat and now taught a large portion of the future generations of Akalak. Not to mention Vypec was no master himself in the arts of hand to hand combat. "Do not over extend your arm when you punch. Keep your distance close enough to achieve impact with the elbow bent slightly." The instructor said as he demonstrated with his own arm, indicating the wiry muscles around his limb and how his elbow was not locked out. Vypec had been keeping further back in their most recent bouts defensively. The closer he got the easier it was for the instructor to pummel him. "I instinctually move further back to keep out of your reach." Vypec said, frowning at his own realization of the problem. He had favored a highly defensive style over their entire sparring because the instructor hit so much harder than he did. Force was not as big a factor in fighting with the deadly edge of a blade as with the meaty knuckles of a fist. "You need to draw your power from your core." The instructor said, nodding thoughtfully. Apparently he had noticed Vypec's lack of force as well. He stood and indicated that Vypec should do the same. The instructor mimicked a punch with his rear hand. "See how I twist my torso more, and pull the energy even from my legs?" He asked, looking to Vypec for confirmation. "Yes, sir." "Okay you try to punch me." He held up an open palm. Vypec assumed the stance, long past the point of worrying if he would hurt the instructor with his strikes. The man was made of iron and wood it appeared. Vypec punched the open palm. The instructor made some physical adjustments to Vypec's stance, pushing and prodding him into a better position. Then he thumped him on the shoulder. "Push the fist forward here, and use the energy of your legs." Vypec felt a discernible difference in the impact. It was easier on his arm and it pushed the instructor back a bit. He tried a few more, thumping his fists against the instructor's palms until the man nodded and said simply "Good." Vypec was feeling good about the progress until the Instructor said that they would work on their ground game. Vypec had never worked on takedowns seriously and now he had a feeling he was going to become intimately aware of the receiving end of them. As they squared off Vypec kept glancing down at the Instructor's legs. He knew they that was where the sweep would be coming from and that the man was quick enough to make it happen before he could react. So Vypec had to catch it beforehand. The blue skinned Akalak threw a few punches, gauging his distance and keeping Vypec on the defensive. Vypec in turn threw a few of his own, forcing himself to move into range and throwing his torso into it as instructed. He was Immediately put on the defensive after his bout of punches. The instructor slid past his guard and got a few hard hits into his ribs and stomach. Vypec knew this was because the man wanted to slow him down and he was now taking Vypec's punches a little more seriously. Vypec stepped back to give himself a reprieve from the hard hitting knuckles. He wanted to catch his breath and then attempt another attack, but the Instructor had different ideas. The blue Akalak was a blur as he spun on his heel. His body lowered as Vypec stepped back just as he wanted. The thick blue leg swung out and impacted the side of Vypec's knee before he could brace himself. He fell back hard, the air exploding out of his chest. but that was not the end of it. Vypec was desperate to breath as he gasped and found he could not. The Instructor had leapt onto his chest as he fell, pinning him to the ground with his knees. Vypec was only just able to raise his arms and take the brunt of the instructor's damage there. Fists rammed against Vypec's forearms, bruising what they hit. Elbows slid past his guard to batter his ears, jaw, and neck. Eventually Vypec tried to throw a punch in retaliation, having endured more than he could handle from the Instructor's onslaught. The fist was pushed away and the opening allowed for a hard impact on Vypec's jaw. The instructor's fist was gone before Vypec felt the pain. As Vypec groaned and rubbed at the spot on his jaw, his opponent got lightly to his feet. "This was good. You're strikes were more powerful." The Instructor was smiling, as if Vypec would be pleased with the outcome. He seemed wholly unaware, or else willfully ignorant, of the thorough battering he had just imparted on Vypec. As Vypec focused on trying not to whimper the Instructor listed a few other faults he had seen. Vypec struggled to his feet and felt queasy as he experimented with opening and closing his mouth. 1072 words