[Training, Open]Art of the blade

[Komax]

Fall 2nd, 511 AV

Komax stood in front of the training dummy, clutching his sword in both hands. It was a heavy weapon, and he knew that if he were to swing it in the wrong way or fail in his footwork it could send him tumbling to the ground. The blade came up, his shoulders tightened, his legs shifted slightly to be set just far enough apart that he was in a decent combat position. Then, muscles rippling, he brought the blade in a downward swing. Partway through the swing, he turned the blade and it dug into the training dummy's side.

In response, a wave of force traveled up the blade and into Komax's arms. It was an uncomfortable sensation but he knew that it meant he had struck well. Indeed, his sword was stuck in the midsection of the dummy. Had it been a living target, then assuming the conditions were right and it didn't manage to get out of the way, it would be dead from that strike.

However, hitting a dummy and hitting a moving, breathing, thinking opponent were two entirely different things. He tried to visualize the movements of a sword-wielding foe and stepped backwards slightly, yanking his blade out of its target.

Holding it upwards, he made as if to parry the nonexistent blow, then stepped forward, spun, and brought his blade into the dummy's neck.

[Xalet]

"You don't look like a Knight." came Xalet's voice, thick and steady as it always was. "Or a squire." he added, his full helm tucked beneath his left armpit. Akalak's were an imposing people considering their height and body build. Xalet was no exception standing at over seven feet in height, boosted up a bit by the set of full plate armor he wore. That armor was well used and definitely not decorative. Through time and use it had deteriorated slightly but it was still as protective as it ever was. It took a few days of constant adjustments to get that suit tailored to Xalet's unusual size considering a city filled with his human counter parts, but getting a suit of armor appropriately fitted was well worth it.

Across his back Xalet wore his large shield, the typical defensive bulwark of a squire. Some learned to defend with the more mobile buckler, while others hid any weakness behind an impenetrable tower shield. This akalak seemed content to wield something somewhere in the middle, a shield large enough to protect but light enough to allow some bodily maneuverability.

"Not many people come here, unless they're a Knight, or training to be one. I am Xalet, squire to Sergeant Irine Braklin." it was a typical introduction. Xalet never hid who he was, or his lack of any rank. There was a pride he had in being a squire, even if others saw it as not much more than a life of unpaid servitude. You had to give something up to get something in return, that motto of his Patron's soon became his own. A bit of freedom for some of the best equipment and training a common man would ever come across, though when it came to equipment you had to earn the good stuff. Xalet had earned his sword but almost always carried a mere training weapon with him. It's blade was dull, and it's point was blunt, but the shape was the same as his finely honed gladius that sat in it's lonesome back in his dorm.

[Komax]

Komax turned towards Xalet and nodded in greeting. Though he did not feel any particular respect for the traditions, he knew he had to abide by them, and as he wasn't even a squire he bowed slightly. "Greetings, Xalet," he said with a slight smile on his face, then drove his sword through the training dummy again. The Akalak was indeed correct in that Komax was neither Knight nor Squire. He continued speaking.

"You observe correctly," he said, "And though I am not training to become a Knight I do intend to be able to protect myself effectively. It's a dangerous world, outside of your cities." He spoke with an edge in his voice, not entirely wanting to be disturbed, though a spar with a real, living, breathing being would certainly be welcome.

"If there is some rule against me coming here, I apologize and I will leave. Otherwise, though..." He swung his sword at the dummy again, turning back to his training, then after a moment back to Xalet again. "If you wish to spar, that would be a welcome change from hitting a stationary object with a sword."

[Xalet]

"It is." Xalet responded, regarding the dangers outside of the city wall. For that reason Syliras was known as the city of peace, for with it's sturdy walls and well trained Knights there was simply no civilized place in all the lands more equipped for dealing with such dangers. Some felt an oppressive air because of the Knights strictness inside of those walls but Xalet felt it was necessary for the protection of all. It was the largest concentration of humankind, after all.

"There is." he then said shortly after Komax made mention of a rule forbidding others from training in the grounds. Akalak folk weren't much for long winded explanations, and Xalet was no different than his people in that respect. "Knights, squires, and those with permission. As a squire I can't give permission, but I also can't rescind it." For Xalet that meant that until a Knight or Weaponmaster tossed Komax from the grounds the squire wasn't apt to say much about it. Having someone to spar with was good enough reason to have another body there as far as he was concerned, assuming they had appropriate levels of honor.

"I'm always wishing to spar those I do not know. My Patron believes it increases intimate fighting knowledge." with his words he lifted his helm out from under his arm and readied it for use, sliding it down upon his head. Sliding the visor upward he slung his shield out from behind his back, sliding his left arm through the leather straps until they securely held the defensive mechanism in place. From his worn out leather scabbard Xalet drew his training sword, a short bladed weapon appearing somewhat dainty in the hands of such a large man. Komax didn't appear to have much armor, luckily Xalet's sword had no killing edge to it. Still, he felt it necessary to take it easy, just in case. "Are you ready, Mr...?" Xalet paused at the end, realizing he did not know the man's name.

[Komax]

Komax nodded and sheathed his sword, then began looking around for a suitable substitute. Finding none, he turned back towards Xalet and reached out to shake his hand. "Komax," he said, "And I"m sorry about the breach in protocol. I just arrived here very recently. You see, a few days ago I was shipwrecked near the coast. As far as I know I'm the only crew member still alive."

Komax shook his head and removed the sheathed sword from his belt, holding it up with its scabbard. Since the whole thing was coated in leather, he decided that it would probably make a good sparring weapon, for he didn't have a practice weapon of his own. "Whenever you're ready," he said, stepping backwards slightly.

[Xalet]

"I see." Xalet said, not knowing completely how to respond to something like that. Never having been on a boat himself, or upon any large body of water the squire could only fantasize what it would be like sailing on a ship of any size at the mercy of the ocean. Starting over again was also something he'd had no experience with. Having been in Syliras for as long as he could remember, those stuffy walls and it's people were all he'd ever known. There was the occasional horse ride to the fields with the other Knights, the place where the city grew enough food to keep that many people alive. Beyond that though, the only thing he remembered of Riverfall was what his mother told him.

"Well, welcome to Syliras, safest place in the land. One day, if that wreck isn't far away we can check for others. Until then..." Xalet brought his shield up before him. His short sword rested low behind his right leg while in his bladed stance. Still something of an initiate in the ways of combat, his superiors would consider him a trained amateur. He knew some of the most important aspects of using a shield and short sword though, like keeping that blade hidden until just the right time. The shield was a defensive tool, but it could also be used as a screen to hide weapon movements. Then, when the time was right, a quick jab could find it's mark.

"...you might think of joining the Knights, there's much to gain, like some armor." Xalet finished his thought. He wasn't used to fighting unarmored opponents. His typical sparring partners were other squires, with the occasional random hot head thrown in. That as it was he was used to dealing with shields and full plate armor, just like his own. Not one for hanging back too long, Xalet began to close the distance at a normal pace. Once the time was right, he utilized a slide step for movement and swung his shield out, trying to clear the way for his gladius, bringing that blunted tip forward with a light jab.

[Andresciel]

Andresciel's sharp eyes watched the squire spare the other as he stepped forward from the doorway with a smile. "Xalet." The Mage Knight would sigh, a scolding tone in his voice, though it was only a joke as he moved to sit down on a bench nearest the wall. His eyes closed before opening again as he glanced to the other.

"Hm. A Stranger to Syliras?" Andre asked aloud, mostly to himself though, as he had heard the end of Xalet's speaking. "Welcome to Syliras", if Andre had heard right, was what Xalet had said. Whether or not the male was new, this would be an interesting spar to say the least. The Man's sapphire eyes would simply watch, as he would wait.

"Come now, Let us see what you can do, Squire Xalet." The Mage Knight smiled, waiting as he watched the young squire, a chuckle leaving his lips as he sat back in his leather armor, not wearing the heavy full plate as often he was told to. It was too heavy when he came to train in his unarmed combat, but luckily, today, this spar had caught his attention.

Mayhaps he would be called upon to demonstrate his skill with his gauntlets.

[Komax]

Out of Character: Do we need a moderator for sparring?

In Character: Komax watched Xalet's approach, wondering when the young squire would strike. He held his sword tightly, stepping backwards slightly, but was not expecting the sudden burst of movement. He stumbled a bit when the blade came towards him and he was grazed by the blunted weapon on the side. It wasn't sharp, so no wound formed, but still, the hit stung, both physically and emotionally.

He stepped back again, circling around Xalet with his blade held defensively before coming forward and swinging his sheathed weapon towards Xalet's side, trying not to swing the blade too hard. He wasn't used to sparring with his greatsword, only killing, and even though it was sheathed there was a certain amount of caution he made sure to observe, something which he usually didn't worry about.

[Xalet]

OOCNot for sparring. A mod would just be needed if we were trying to maim or kill one another and we both didn't agree on the outcome. For general practice you don't need one .

Xalet paused for a moment when Andresciel addressed him, lowering his shield slightly as if to be told their session was abruptly over. It seemed the Mage Knight wanted to see what Xalet was capable of, a welcome gesture. The squire was just getting warmed up, after all. There were a few things Xalet could learn from a person by the first few sword strikes. None of it came so much from decades of battle experience, but from getting handily beaten by Knights that had superior speed, power, and tactics compared to his own. He just knew what it felt like to spar someone out of his league, since he had done it so much.

Breathe in, shoulders up, weight even, knees flexible. Those were the basics he often repeated to himself when he sparred, and that mantra was the proverbial double edged sword. It kept him focused on keeping his form as close to correct as he could, but that meant some of his attention had to be spared away from the actual session of combat.

When that sword rushed in his shield was where it needed to be, but a fully proper block would have had him collapsing his arm more quickly and angling the shield toward the end of the attack arc. Instead as the heavy blade impacted his wooden planks he had to hastily move his feet to try to keep the blade from sliding beneath the lower rim and taking him in the lower abdomen. The success was only partial, feeling the very tip of the long sword reach his hip. With a weapon with that kind of reach, Xalet had to keep close and work from the inside, that was where his short sword worked best.

Xalet also had some skill with unarmed combat and as a akalak he took to using them both in combat. The short sword was light and fast, and that meant he had to get in and take his shots quickly. His armor was cumbersome though and without fully realizing his own strength through proper exercise it slowed his movements regardless of his will. He pressed his shield forward trying to close the distance, only to attempt to lash at Komax's lower legs with a low round kick, while shortly afterward following up with a horizontal bash from his shield from left to right.

[Komax]

Komax grunted in disappointment as his strike failed to fully work, though he was glad that it at least touched his opponent. He had guessed that Xalet might try to bash at him with his shield, but had not been expecting the sweep towards his legs. It seemed a rather effective move, and Komax realized just how effective when it nearly sent him to the ground.

He'd always been steady on his feet, enough so that nearly being knocked over was something he would be quite embarrassed about. Stumbling back, he struggled to stay up and keep at least some semblance of his wounded pride, though he managed to move away from the Akalak and out of the way of the shield bash that followed the previous attack.

Komax had underestimated Xalet's quickness, because every armored warrior he'd ever seen had been slowed down significantly -- enough that it cost them their life in many cases. He knew that somehow, this one was different. Though he was slowed by the armor, it wasn't to the same degree as Komax was used to and that unnerved him.

He had to be more careful, and measure his strikes better in order to assure that he managed to land a few good hits without being struck by that gladius again, which, though dull, still looked dangerous enough to activate his warrior instincts. He didn't slow with his next attack, one that had all of his ferocity behind it though it wouldn't cause any major injury.

With his sword in both hands, he stepped forward, fully steadied again, and stabbed quickly towards Xalet's chest.