[Verlyna's Emerald Pond] Ricky's New Technique (Solo)

[Ricky Maze]

Day 27 of Autumn, 511 AV It was close, not perfect but close. Ricky had returned to the pond in order to try it once more, he was sure that he could get it. What went on yesterday when he trained was surely something different, sure it was a new experience and Ricky had the chance to meet a new stranger; but yesterday something came up. It was the swing he had done, the powerful attack that he pulled. Surely had he learned this attack earlier he'd be a far better swordsman by now. Odis wanted to stay at the inn, he seemed calm today if nothing else. Ricky didn't really want to leave him there, but the dog seemed to be calm about it. Now that he spent most of his morning practicing his pulls, he now understood what this new experience was. These swings, these attacks were all out of strength when an opponent had an impenetrable defense. Whether they defended with a sword or shield, this attack had the potential to cut through. Sending the defender down in a daze, thought it isn't all the time successful it's still mostly an attack that's hard to block. Ricky came to call it the Flourish. There were many tricks, many swings to Flourishing. Mainly the best one to use was downward swing after jumping. It wasn't anything big really, it was just when Ricky found himself swinging the sword down he found more force when jumping a bit. Ricky also found that his little spin maneuver provided great momentum built within as well, but it really depended on the situation. He looked at the bark of the tree he practiced against, seeing decent slices made into the bark. He decided to take a short breather for a while, as his body poured with sweat.

[Ricky Maze]

It was half an hour later when Ricky finally returned to his post, after resting and going over the process in his head many times, he came to understand how this technique worked better for him. Concentrating his attention on the same small tree in front of him, he pulled out the strength within him and focused on making it all in that same single strike. If he could figure out how to pull of a successful chain or even pull of different ones to switch around, then he could have numerous ways to break through a defense. Raising the sword to up to a position where he could allow it to glide down, he held it up while preparing for the next swing. The Flourish is a simple technique really, any swordsmen could use it if they find out which style fits them. Also as long as it can break through a defending target, someone defending with a weapon will have a much harder time defending a Flourish than someone with a shield, though Flourishing a shield can easily stagger the defender as well if done correctly. He let the sword fall and glide down, curving his wrist so that he could bring it around to an upper slash. In order for a Flourish to break through it has to be strong, forceful, and mainly unpredictable. Sure someone could try and defend if they wanted, but if they're thrown off guard with it.. His sword's direction was accurate, his power was at the highest it could be; Ricky put all his strength into one swing. Smack! The mid section of the sword plunged it's way into the side of the tree, cutting about halfway through it before the impact met resistance. A good swing, no doubt a fine Flourish too. Then the results can either stagger or drop them, if not seriously injure. He had to pull hard to wedge the sword out, a sign of improvement. He had already learned several ways that would work, several blows that a Flourish could definitely be lethal if not guarded. He took a moment to gather the rest of his thoughts. Mainly the Flourish is better off on the second or third swing should someone defend, but if I can manage to chain them one after another then I'll really make some progress. He looked at the tree, then began concentrating again. After a few more tries I'll find something else to practice on, and see about making those chains happen....

[Ricky Maze]

He nearly pulled it off, not the best work but he about did it. With more practice Ricky could no doubt get it, his first chain of Flourishes. As he struggled to keep himself standing he wiped the sweat off of his brow, taking off his vest to let his bare torso breathe. The cool air and soft breeze felt soothing on his skin, the sweat that covered his back and chest soaked his vest. He had been working on it for the past hour and a half, taking short breaks as he focused more on his new target. A wide thicket of weeds and tall grass, all together in a patch had proved to be a worthy spot to practice. He had only cut his way through the lesser thick area, and that still provided him a challenge; however it was now time to cut through it all. Pulling all his strength together and holding as tight as he could, Ricky gripped the sword with an iron grip. Raising the sword up he went in for the powerful swing, cutting through a small section of the thicket and wheeling the blade around for a more powerful blow. First Flourish. Without any trouble the blade sliced through, and Ricky went in for a horizontal swing. Second Flourish. Cutting another portion of the grass, he spun around to make a slanted downward swing. Third Flourish. Cutting through another portion Ricky made a spin around, bringing the sword into another horizontal swing. Fourth Flourish. Finally he brought the sword up high, jumping up to bring the sword down as hard as he could. Fifth Flourish. He did it. He accomplished a chain, after finally getting the hang of it he managed to pull out five successful Flourishes. Gasping for air Ricky collapsed to his knees, looking at the amount of progress he's made. A proud grin appeared on his face, as he found that more than half of the thicket had been clipped. "I did it." He went to a more comfortable position on his bottom, taking in deep breathes as he enjoyed the feeling of accomplishmet.

[Fallacy]

XP Award! Name:Ricky XP Award: Long Sword- 4 Lore: Understanding the Technique Learning the Flourish Success The Flourish Notes: Any questions or concerns about the rewards gained please send a PM