[Flashback] On The Outside looking In [Marishka]

[Raiha]

Raiha practiced with her suvai in her left hand. With her right, she threw punches - sharp, hard punches that were more jabs than wild swings, tight, precise, controlled. Stab, punch. Slice, punch. Slash, force them one way, and then punch. She was nothing if not practical - this was her first day using a suvai. But she had a decent idea of how to throw a punch. If it came down to it... she would have to abandon the blade and fight as she knew how - with her hands. That, at least, has an element of surprise to it...

Fighting is about surviving, Kanikra reminded her. You do what you have to do to survive. They will use every possible advantage they can get against us. We have to do the same. That is survival. Struggle. Victory and defeat. Raiha struck out with the suvai again and again, beads of sweat trickling down her dusky blue skin as she worked on keeping her breathing even. She was getting tired, and she knew it. Harness and channel that strength into constructive efforts, Kanikra coached, so we can use it against them. If we don't, they will. But a smart enemy will use our strength against us - that's why we cannot give them that chance, but if we do, we need to be able to defend ourselves when they take it. You saw how she moves. Quick, graceful. Lightning fast. But given the opportunity, if we could catch her, disarm her... that's where our advantage would be. If it came to that.

She almost stopped when Marishka began to speak, shocked and thrilled all at once as electric frissons of excitement danced through every nerve of her body. It was okay to be different. She had never been told, really, in explicit terms that she needed to be like the others. Her mother understood that she was different. But if she wanted others to play with her... then she had to try to fit in. If she wanted to be accepted and treated normally like she wanted... then she had to try to fit in. But Marishka... didn't really seem to care that she was an Akontak. She was content to accept her, even help her, as she was... and now... now she was affirming what Raiha had been longing to hear. That it was okay to be different, and that she wouldn't be entirely outcast because of it.

The possibilities of a world out there appealed to her. Questions bubbled to her lips but went unasked, at least, for now. Where would Marishka go? What would she hope to find? Glory? Challenges? Neither of them would be the first to leave the Island, and neither of them would be the last. It wasn't the first time Raiha had considered the possibility of leaving Mura... but like an oyster, she would cling to her bed until a hammer forced it free. What made it so different now, to be thinking about it again... was that the fear and the nervousness and the shame of leaving, of running away... was no longer just running away. It was finding herself. She was an Akontak... walking between two worlds. She was neither Konti nor Akalak, but some of each. She was supposed to walk between the two... not trying to be entirely one, like she was now. Maybe... maybe that's why she felt so off-balance. See? Kanikra remarked, it's just as I said. There is no point in trying to fit in here with them. We are different. we are unique.

Her movements came to a sudden stop, then, every part of her body tightening, clenching, losing that fluid relaxation that she had managed to attain that came when you were comfortable and at ease. "How..." she collected herself before trying again, arms dropping to her sides, standing straight and tall again. "When you say... 'peace with the one inside of you'... you mean with myself, right?" she had a sudden urge to hear this clarified. How did... how did she know? Did she know about Kanikra? Konti were perceptive, though, and she had heard herself being called 'moody'... Raiha had never told anyone besides Rondo about the voice she heard, always coaxing her to hit harder, to hit more...

Maybe others knew. That was unsettling. Of course she means with yourself, her black twin tried to pat her down. She means come to terms with who you are... who we are. That is what matters. Learning to be comfortable in your own skin, and to the Ukalas with anyone who might think otherwise. It's about us... and that's something they cannot touch. Even when all of the others turn away from you... you can step towards me, sister mine. Now, ask her to fight. Let's see what you've learned, shall we?

You are a glutton for punishment, aren't you? she asked Kanikra with a tiny little sigh. She stretched out, then, reaching towards the sky on tiptoes, before shrugging and rolling her shoulders, watching Marishka with the blade for a while, not wanting to interrupt her. "Will you spar with me?" the Akontak asked her teacher with a small smile, then, her golden eyes bright, keeping her suvai in her left hand.

To dole it out, Kanikra told her sweetly. Only to dole it out.

[Marishka Timandre]

It was an interesting situation, this one. She had never thought that the day would bring such a liberating feeling back to her. How it cooled her down and gave her light. Now that her heart had been sent towards the sky, it only became all the more apparent that she will be going soon. Where to? Even she didn't know. The city of man would be a good bet, but she didn't know what to expect either. The only thing she knew was that she isn't going to let her apprehensions stop her. Marishka turned her head back to the Akontak, curiosity making it tilt over slightly to one side. She found it strange. It was as if her pupil had read her mind, searched her whims and desires out. Why else would Raiha challenge her to a clashing of blades and a melding of bodies? She lowered her head solemnly and communed with her inner self, with the long sword in her clenched hand. Like Raiha, she too had a lot of questions for both of them. What is it about them that drew people away? Would there be people beyond Mura who would be willing to shoulder the burden of their natures? Their desires? Their needs? They all rankled at her, tugging at her within the frame of her consciousness, trying to pull her away from where she now stood. Yet she remained there and stood her ground against the tides pulling at her. In the utterness of the darkness around her. The winds dissipated around them, lowering its breathing for the silence to settle. A skip of the beat, a bead of sweat. Her mind was made up, and her resolve was full. As Raiha had made her determination known, she was not about to let herself be outdone so easily. How else would the teacher have worth, if the student was already that much greater? Marishka's eyes shot open with a gleam of light as she raised her longsword above her head, ready for the battle that had been proposed. She had never been a gentle sparmate, and as she could clearly make out the fire dwelling within Raiha's heart, she supposed that it would be okay if this didn't change. With a blooming smile in her lips amidst the tidal wave of pure skill that surged through her body, she declared emphatically, "On your guard Raiha! To arms!"

[Raiha]

Raiha watched Marishka as she seemed to be thinking the Akontak's offer over. Will she take me up on it? she wondered, more to herself rather than anything else, but of course, Kanikra was always there. She heard her twin laugh rather unpleasantly. Her nerves, already twinging, started to sing with anticipation. She was feeling it with every fibre of her body, already shifting on her feet, rolling her shoulders. She looked oddly eager - like she was anticipating the opportunity to see just how much she had learned. Raiha had always done well learning by doing. She was a very tactile learner in that regard. She liked to move, to do things, to learn that way. She could manage with books, but books were only good for the theory. If you wanted to master something, you practiced it. You lived it. You did it.

Of course she will, Kanikra assured her. She won't back away from it, not for any reason she can give. If she says she is afraid of hurting us, it shows her as weak and inept... unable to control her own movements... so she'll take us up on it. She could say we're beneath her, heh... but we'll see what she says. And, more importantly, which weapon she chooses. I think the sword. It gives her more of a reach, and she needs that... she's shorter, even if she's faster... Kanikra was confident, and from that, Raiha was encouraged. Not overly so... no point in that, really, because Marishka was a master, as best as Raiha could tell. She was going to get herself well beat up for her efforts, but she was going to do her best to give as good as she got.

The Akontak stretched a little, shifting her weight on her feet to go back and forth from her heels to her toes, windmilling her arms, stretching them out. Her golden eyes glinted in an almost disconcerting way - Kanikra was looking forward to this, and so was Raiha. Kanikra was well aware of the fact she wouldn't really be able to do much against such an experienced opponent, but it would make a decent test of her... their... skills. See what all they could do against her. One didn't learn by fighting those weaker. They learned by fighting those who were stronger, and finding ways to win, taking things away from the battle and integrating them...

Anyone could read a book on how to fight. The trick was using it in practise.

The sword, Kanikra chuckled. The sword. She's taking the longer weapon that has far more power, but with a little luck... once she's swinging, she's going to have a harder time drawing back... she'll have to follow through. She's more experienced, so chances are, she'll see the feints... Low then high, or high, and then low. Just do your best. If you have to, drop the blade and go for your fists... it always has the element of surprise to it. Don't worry. You won't hurt her. She's more likely to gut you.

Raiha's faint smile became a broad grin. "To arms," she echoed. She took a few long steps towards Marishka, closing the distance between them, and lunged, aiming to slash with her suvai, going straight for Marishka's torso. Her right hand, curled in a fist, aimed for the solar plexus, Kanikra practically singing her encouragements, pushing her on.

[Marishka Timandre]

Marishka's eyes narrowed as her student approached her, keenly taking the various observations she had made and sifting through them quietly. The longsword remained drawn over her head, with her feet digging deeper into the soft grass, bracing herself for a boon. Since Raiha is far less experienced than her, she would allow the novice a preemptive strike. The facts of the duel was clearer than the sun in her head. Raiha no doubt possessed a lot of power, and a hefty advantage in reach with those long, gangly arms of hers. She seemed to be quite focused in her stance, with the Akontak drawing closer and closer with each passing tick. Marishka began to count in her head, anticipating what would unfurl in her imagination. Since her sword is poised high in the air, she would no doubt target her midsection. It was precisely why she had taken this particular stance: to lure her into such an attack. What could the next move be? The first strike she could predict clearly, but the second move would have to take a bit more effort, and a bit more time. Unfortunately for Marishka, Lhex was definitely against her in that regard, for as soon as the distance had closed between them, Raiha rushed forward with a flourish, trying to deliver exactly what she had foreseen with her shimmering blade. A flash of excitement bloomed within the Konti's violet irises as she knocked the suvai downwards with a great swing, throwing a great portion of her weight into the block. Then the predicted, unpredictable attack came. Raiha had clearly learned how to use her strong body in coordination with her blade, and this culminated into a savage gut-wrenching punch that sent Marishka's body reeling backwards. Her vision blurred a little at the power; it was far more than she had expected. However experience would not allow her to go down so simply, and she was not about to be undone so quickly. Regaining her bearing just a couple of seconds later, she twirled her swinging left leg around, letting out a furious kick aimed for her shoulder, with the heel of her boot aiming expressly for the exposed left Deltoid muscle to make her drop her suvai. In tandem, she used her long blade in an another arching downwards slash meant as a feint, following it by thrusting her left foot firmly into the ground. Then she would let out another spinning kick, this time coming from the right to catch her off guard. It is aimed for her left midsection. Of course she was not about to hurt Raiha via steel and sharp, only with her own physical force. Whether it is ample or not didn't matter, so long as her blows connected. She would allow the speed to do the work for her.

[Raiha]

Don't think, Kanikra crooned, just do it. Go with it! Your body knows what needs to be done. Your instincts will tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out. Go!

So she did. Raiha just stopped thinking, and went with it.

The suvai was forced down and back - if it hadn't been for the grip Marishka had taught her, Raiha would have lost it. She had to move quickly to adjust her fingers, wrapping them around the hilt once more in a futile attempt to regain her grip. But when the punch landed... she felt alive. Adrenalin surged through her, and her nerves were on fire. Her eyes were wide, bright and eager to continue. She knew she would take her own beating. She understood that. She had no problems with it. In fact, in some ways she was looking for it, because Marishka would beat her. She knew this. But all that pain could be channeled, harnessed... used. The body reacted to it. She attempted to recoil.

She didn't back up, like she likely should have, when the boot came her way. The heel connected with the deltoid muscle, and that was when Raiha lost her blade, dropping the suvai to the ground, only to kick it out of reach as she scrambled to avoid the sword. Just as well. You can fight better without it anyway. Don't fret about it. Now you need to stay away from the sword or get rid of it. Her shoulder ached and burned - the Akontak just knew there would be a bruise there within minutes. She swung her right fist down to try to intersect Marishka's leg, try to block it. She wasn't fast enough - she took the leather-booted foot to the midsection, spluttering air as the wind was knocked out of her, and seized at the limb, trying to grab it and pull it upwards, and force her off her remaining foot, to take the fight to the ground. One long leg swept out, reaching to try to upset Marishka's balance further still.

She had to get rid of that sword. Raiha didn't know if the Konti would actually cut her open with it (not that her brain was actually thinking in the heat of the moment), but she had no intention of finding out.

[Marishka Timandre]

Marishka felt the pull on her outstretched leg sweep her to the ground, with Raiha's own crushing the strength from her standing one. Her body landed with a heavy thud on the ground, knocking the air out of her lungs just as effectively as she had knocked Raiha's away just seconds earlier. Closing her eyes for a bit as she groaned in pain and nausea from the bump, she realized that the thick metal hilt of the sword had left her hands, and she groped around in vain for it. The Akontak's clutch was so strong that it had knocked the sword out of her hands, leaving it lying helplessly a few feet away. Her violet eyes lit back with fire when she looked back at her opponent, who was still holding on to her leg. It left her to wonder whether she was really going to break her bones should she struggle, but the prospect of it was more than enough to make her struggle even harder. Bare handed, she would definitely be no match for her; it would be an outright slaughter. She had to wriggle free somehow, but her vice grip was incredibly strong and persistent. With her sword mercilessly out of reach, the Konti turned to the weapon she was more proficient in. Drawing her suvai from behind her, she used her free leg to kick at her hands, making sure they were firm but not enough to break her hands. This she did three times before she attempted to pull herself free once more.

[Raiha]

OOCMarishka left, but she gave me permission to finish this off in a less-than-fatal manner. She suggested knocking Marishka out, so here goes...

The thump that resounded when Raiha had Marishka on her back on the ground was heartwarming and encouraging. She had to keep her disarmed, and then, well, a fight was a fight – anything went, truly told. Don’t let her get that sword! Kanikra warned. Don’t let her get it. Raiha bent her knees, digging her feet into the forest floor for traction as she dragged the Konti backwards, pulling her far enough so that that sword was well out of her range. It wouldn’t do to let her get a hold of it, not at all. Raiha knew, and Kanikra knew, that any chance of winning this battle would come from Marishka not being able to get at her blades. Was it even about practicing anymore? Did it matter? One part of Raiha insisted that it did. Another part, however, told her in a voice she couldn’t ignore that she had to press on. Fists were part of fighting with a suvai when you couldn’t use two, and fists… well, Raiha knew how to use those. It didn’t require anywhere near as much finesse. They were alike in that their movements were a deadly dance, but as fire dancing was different from rain dancing, so was unarmed combat and fighting with the suvai.

She grunted as the foot connected with her hands, and Raiha’s grip was lost even as she struggled to regain it, grabbing again at her legs, blue arms snaking out as the heel hit her again, causing her to suck in her breath through her teeth, fighting down the instincts to let go, to curl her hands into fists and try to make the pain go away. Aching fingers caught the leg she wanted once more, and this time, she not only grabbed, she yanked it again and twisted sharply, looking to get her on her stomach. The movement, and the strength behind it, threatened to break her leg if she didn’t roll with it, and when she did, Raiha jerked her forward again, dragging her on her stomach, trying to minimize Marishka’s ability to bring the heel down and kick at the previous angle. It didn’t work. The agile Konti lashed out, and the boot hit her in the stomach. The teenager lost her grip for good, then, allowing Marishka to get up and get away as she wrapped an arm around her stomach, breathing heavily, bent at the middle, her midsection throbbing.

And despite the pain, or perhaps because of it, she felt good. She felt alive. There was nothing like a little bit of physical suffering to stir the blood. Her nerves were on fire; adrenaline was surging through her system like a tidal wave. Part of her was annoyed that Marishka was taking it easy on her; and yet another part of her was grateful. The Konti knew what she was doing, and she was sacrificing those instincts and abilities that would have enabled her to claim a quick, decisive victory quite easily in order to stretch this out. She was letting Raiha get a bit of combat practice, and at the same time giving her the opportunity to deliver a beat of a beating of her own… and now that she was coming into it, it might have been a surprise to the more experienced Konti. Maybe not. But either way, the Akontak appreciated it. At least, Raiha did.

Kanikra loved it.

They circled each other, suvai drawn, each one of them testing the other’s reflexes with lunges. Raiha kept her knees bent, her center lowered. She was tall enough, and uninitiated enough, that it made recovery difficult when and if she overextended herself. She was still young, still growing, still trying to get comfortable within her own skin with her long legs and arms. Self-confidence was something she possessed in a very low supply. She pushed off with her foot again in another lunge, springing forward, bringing her suvai forward in a harsh stabbing motion, her grip tight, only to find her blade neatly blocked, countered by Marishka’s own. They clashed, and Raiha retreated, noting the way the force of her blow had been enough to back her teacher up, just a little bit. Push her! Kanikra urged. Keep backing her up… keep going… keep going… aim for those roots. Use the terrain to your advantage. In a fight, you need every advantage you can get.

Raiha was backing Marishka up towards the low-lying roots, faking a lunge to guide her just so, forced to draw back when her teacher struck, lightning-fast, to force her back again, and lost her the suvai, too. Marishka deftly and skillfully removed the blade from her student’s grasp, leaving her without a blade. But half a step was all the Akontak had been looking for. Baby steps… baby steps… it was easy to just pull a little bit more strength than Raiha had anticipated. She lunged again, then, one fist going right for Marishka’s face, trying to distract her from its shadow, a coiled fist going right for midsection at the same time the whalebone went for Raiha’s chest. Forced to change course to deal with the first punch, the second connected – harder, no doubt, than had been anticipated, despite Marishka’s moving back to avoid it. Her feet hit the roots, and down she went. Her head struck the ground as Raiha straightened up again, her left arm bleeding from the suvai’s scratching. “Marishka?” she reached for her when she got no response.

Well done! Kanikra crowed. A little bit of tactics, a little bit of raw strength… The truth comes out: despite the pretty little bone weapons, nothing beats blunt trauma!

Shyke, Raiha groaned, lifting Marishka and checking her over. There was a pretty large bump on the back of her head, and she doubted that her Gnosis would do anything for it… though she tried anyway, summoning what little power of Rak’keli that she had been granted, and applying it to the prone Konti, focusing on the goose egg on the back of her head. Just as she thought, there was no luck. No change whatsoever besides the tiniest bit of shrinkage. Raiha exhaled and picked up each of their weapons, putting her own away, and sheathing Marishka’s for her before bending and lifting up the Konti, and letting out a whistle to call Mangle. They’d ride awhile until Marishka woke up, and then they would go back to Mura. She couldn’t just leave her here, and she couldn’t bring her back to her family’s home and let her lose face that way. Raiha wouldn’t want either option for herself, and she could practically hear her mother’s words echo in her head. Treat others as you yourself wanted to be treated.

Don’t feel bad, Kanikra sighed as Raiha carefully placed Marishka on the Zavian’s back and climbed into the saddle herself, gathering the reins with one hand and sticking her feet in the stirrups. Mangle just stood there, seemingly stuck between bored and patient. He was a good beginner’s horse, after all. When she was ready, she nudged the horse with her heels to get him started in his lazy, leisurely walk, one hand on Marishka’s back to hold her in place, clicking her tongue at him. It was a fair trade. You taught her, and she taught you. You did a good job. That triumphant feeling comes from victory. You’ll get to enjoy it in time… It just takes practice. And eventually, it’ll start to feel good. It’ll feel right.

There’s a difference between defending yourself and deliberately hurting others, Raiha looked beyond Mangle’s ears as she felt the Zavian gelding move underneath her. As she understood it, if you focused on where you wanted to go, the horses knew it, and would go there. It hadn’t failed her yet.

And the best defense, Kanikra began…

… is the spirited offense, Raiha finished.

Now you’re learning. Now you’re learning.

[Gossamer]

. Character: Raiha Experience: 1 XP Riding, 5 XP Suvai, 2XP Interrogation, 4 XP Observation Lore: Stretching before a Workout, Breath Control During Battle, Blocking Sword Attacks with a Suvai Character: Marishka Experience: 3 XP Suvai, 4 XP Teaching, 3 XP Mixed Martial Arts, 1 XP Longsword Lore: Teaching Akontaks, Having Patience. Additional Note: Nice thread. I enjoyed it tremendously. I’m sad Mari left because I would have liked to see it go on further. The scenes you did have included great detail. I’d eagerly read more combat threads from you both. .