[Kendoka Sasaran]There's a Way (Solo)

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

[Kendoka Sasaran]There's a Way (Solo)

Postby I'sona on September 10th, 2012, 6:36 am

2nd of Autumn, 512AV


It wasn't know how to fight that was wrong. It was the actual fighting part. That was the part that scared her but she didn't have to fight, she would never have to harm someone unless she chose too and right now she had already made her mind not to. She was only listening to the rules of the city like she was supposed and being trained in it.

Just trained.

Sucking air deeply, I'sona reassured herself of this again and again but her palms still broke out into a sweat as she picked up her weapon. She would do this though, she was determined. She was not breaking anything to herself, she would harm no one. Not a one thing.

Gripping the weapon like one would grip a walking stick the Charoda raised it high and swung it down in a wild arc.

Thump.

Maybe she would hurt something. Herself.

Dropping the weapon hastily she grabbed at her leg and hissed out slowly. It may not be a good weapon for battle, like many Akalak informed her but it still hurt her all the same. Thankfully it hadn't been hard enough to break the skin but there was an angry looking red line down her leg. This was going to be a little harder than she thought.

Then she remembered it. The place where people practiced. She'd been there once and didn't have any real desire to go back but it looked like she had too. Swallowing her fear I'sona picked up her weapon and began her walk from the beach to the Kendoka Sasaran.
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[Kendoka Sasaran]There's a Way (Solo)

Postby I'sona on September 25th, 2012, 2:54 am

When she arrived she tried to avoid the large man in charge, in fact she skirted around him while he talked with one of the students. Remembering how she had hung up her weapon and replaced it with a semi-harmless stick. But he caught her as the Charoda looked around anxiously, second guessing her own determination and looking for a partner. “Back again?”

She swallowed her fear. She took two steps forward but still whispered, “Yes.”

The Akalak man only stared at her and she tried again, raising her voice, “Yes!”

“Good, you can spar with Marron.”

Pushed towards her was a young Akalak boy who smiled and shuffled, obviously trying not to stare. A deep purple hand gripped hers and shook it firmly.

“I’ll come round,” the instructor patted both of them on the shoulder and walked away swiftly, “get to it.”

I’sona nodded at his back and turned to her partner. The wood felt heavy in her hands, her mind wondered what she was supposed to do and all the while she stood uncomfortably, watching the young man watch her. Finally he seemed to understand and moved beside her, he didn’t say anything, just watched her before he smiled again.

“I didn’t know how to stand either. You need to have your feet apart,” he took his own stance, “and hold it so it’s comfortable, with one hand or two.”

Again, he showed her how to grip it. I’sona stared at his fingers, the instruction was simple and for a moment she forgot it was fighting. He was only showing her how to hold a stick. One hand below the other, left hand on top, he told her the trick was to let it rest in her hands then grip it, tight enough to hold but not squeezing. Holding it in front of her and towards her left, the wooden weapon slanted neatly and I’sona copied the young man and bent her knees a bit.

Her seeming success had her grinning widely until she heard the thump of someone making contact with a weapon, her entire body flinching. “I—“

“It’s okay. We can just do blocking.” He waved at her to ready herself again, “I’ll come at you and you block, okay?”

Her lips felt dry but for once she didn’t feel dried out, rather she felt clammy and nervous but she managed to whisper out a yes. Ready her feet and checking her hands, eyes not even watching what the young was about to do.
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[Kendoka Sasaran]There's a Way (Solo)

Postby I'sona on September 25th, 2012, 5:07 am

The Charoda had been unprepared for the young Akalak’s swing and as such she felt the stinging in her hand before ever having realized what happened. The wooden weapon fell with a dull thud and she gasped in shock. It hurt worst the when she had hit her leg earlier. Gasping she opened and closed her mouth, looking every bit a fish out of water until it dulled to a steady throb that matched her pulse.

“I’m sorry! I thought you were ready.“

This is why she didn’t like fighting. People got hurt. But she wasn’t hurt that badly and there was only a faint red mark and looking at the young man’s face she knew it was sincere. Giving him a tiny smile she allowed him to straighten her out and peek at her hand. “It is fine. Practicing is practicing, yes?”

Truthfully I’sona was terrified, what if the weapon had been real? But it wasn’t she kept reminding herself. It wasn’t. This was only following their rules like when she played tag and played with the fishes and caught the fishes. There were rules and she was listening. Her and the other student were not attacking each other, they were learning.

Just learning.

“Did you want to sit?”

“No, I is fine now. We is trying again.”

It wasn’t very confident but she readied herself once more, held her arms out stiffly and squeezed her eyes shut.

Thud.

Her eyes snapped open and instead of pain she was pleasantly surprised to find their weapons met unevenly in middle, her elbows shaking in the effort to stop herself from being pushed back. Her joy was short lived because the next blow came from her side and her previous stance did nothing to block it. Instead I’sona yelped and darted to the side, tripping over her own feet in her haste to escape the blow and landing solidly on her rear.
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[Kendoka Sasaran]There's a Way (Solo)

Postby I'sona on October 3rd, 2012, 4:00 pm

“You won’t learn if you run.”

The voice didn’t come from the boy but from the instructor and I’sona couldn’t tell if the twinkle in his eye was amusement or annoyance. Standing hastily she mumbled out apologies, her eyes looking everywhere but at the two Akalak in front of her. She stood awkwardly, her eyes stinging. She didn’t want to do this. Practice or not. Every time she heard the thud of a weapon or the smack of flesh she felt something inside her crumble.

Movement beside her caught her eye and she flinched. But rather than any blow a solid blue hand rested on her shoulder and gently but firmly pulled her back to their mat. The Charoda didn’t fight the pull only allowed Mizra to stand her facing Marron again. “You’ve never fought before have you?”

It wasn’t really a question but she nodded anyway, eyes still averted.

“And you don’t want to fight.”

“N-no.”

“What is your name?”

“I’sona,” she paused, her words a tumbled mixture of sounds, “but I is needing to learn. Your rules says so.”

“Then learn.”

It was not said unkindly but it was said in manner that assured her she would either try or leave and not try. Again. Licking her lips she nodded and finally gazed up at the two but the instructor had already moved on and was helping another student. Her partner looked at her before looking from her weapon to his.

“Maybe we should start you with a different position. Try holding it in one hand.”

Nodding slowly I’sona did as she was told. Trying to shove her wavering desire to learn behind her. Learning was what her people did. This was no different. She didn’t have to use it. Didn’t have to. Taking a deep breath she adopted this knew stance, it was different. She felt as if she was holding a stick and the thought made a tiny smile bloom on her face. “That looks better! Now put your legs apart,” she jumped at the sound of the instructor beside her once more but did as instructed. Her arms were held out stiffly in front of her, the wooden weapon heavy on her wrist and her legs spread as far as she could make them. She felt like a starfish.
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[Kendoka Sasaran]There's a Way (Solo)

Postby I'sona on October 13th, 2012, 7:24 am

“You’re a little stiff.” He seemed to reach out to correct her then changed his mind, standing in front of her and speaking carefully, “I’m going to swing now.”

This time she made sure to pay attention. Watching his arm carefully, her own muscles tensing in response and she closed her eyes as the blow drew closer. Rather than the smart tap of earlier this was the simple pressure on her side and she opened her eyes to stare at the blade poking her ribs curiously. It didn’t hurt but the image of a real sword flickered, her body flinching at her own imagination. “See? You need to relax. Put your blade where mine is going to be but keep your feet apart, just not that far.”

The Charoda nodded, instructions she could follow and it did feel so much better to have to hold her arms out like that. Instead she let one arm dangle loosely while the other held her wooden Khopesh horizontally in front of her but her legs still held their ridiculous stance until she felt tingles creeping up them and shift them closer.

“It is feeling goodly now.”

The words stopped swiftly after that. She couldn’t understand how she could say she was happy about learning and feeling okay with her stance. This meant she could hurt people now. She had learnt though which meant she might be done. But Marron pressed further and I’sona found herself nodding dumbly as he told her his attack pattern.

To attack.

This was not just learning anymore. Her fingers squeezed around the weapon tightly to remind herself it was only wood and she had already said she would do it. A quick glance around showing her the instructor was watching them every few beats. She liked Riverfall. Like that strange blue men and the pretty Konti and the goodly humans. She wanted to stay with them and perhaps she was going against her people with this, going against herself but she was not with her people. She had to respect these people.

And it was practice.

“I’sona?”

“Yes! Yes, I is listening: right, left, left, right?”

“Good. Are you ready this time?”

She didn’t think she could say yes so she only smiled lightly and moved her arm to the right.
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[Kendoka Sasaran]There's a Way (Solo)

Postby I'sona on October 17th, 2012, 5:04 am

She stopped the first easily, his slow swings something no one could miss but she focused on the hard. Her eyes and mind trying to remember the pattern, to just do it and not think for a tick. It didn’t work and when the weapon swung left she missed the first, feeling the brief sting in her left before it swung again swiftly. But her wooden defense was already in position and this one bounced off, only jarring her arms with the force, her hands slick with sweat and nervous determination making her jolt the right and catch the finally blow. Except there blades slide together, smashing Marron’s fingers.

“I is not meaning to!” her weapon dropped and she was holding his hand in ticks, inspecting it frantically as if she knew what to look for or how to fix it. The young Akalak waved her off with a gentle but tight smile, hissing slightly.

“It’s fine. Fair play actually. Really, it’s fine.” He waggled his fingers after a moment to prove it, “See? Would you like to try again?”

She really didn’t.

Not at all.

She actually wanted to run out of the room and not come back. If that had been a real weapon there would be no way to take back what she had done. None at all. But her gaze seemed to seek out the instructor, watching him calmly and sternly correct the other students. She couldn’t back out. I’sona had to do this. She could do this.

“Yes, again is…fine. Again is fine.”

He gave her shoulder an awkward pat with good intentions that cheered her more than she realized, she set herself up again. She was scared but it was okay. Marron was okay. She was okay. The weapons were wood. Just wood so it didn’t matter right now what could of happen because that wouldn’t happen.

Spreading her legs until they were comfortable she raised her arms, her left holding her Khopesh towards the right while her other was tucked at her side. She was tense and there was no smile but she followed through with her motion when Marron came at her with a faster right swing than last time, higher too. She didn’t block properly and the wooden weapon hit her side but this time she forced down her panic and let herself continue.

Nothing would happen to her here.
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[Kendoka Sasaran]There's a Way (Solo)

Postby Gossamer on October 21st, 2012, 10:25 am

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Character: I’sona
Experience: +5 Khopesh,
Lore: The awkwardness of sparring, Learning to fight in the dry world.

Additional Note: Nice sparring thread. I love reading your threads with how shy and awkward Isona is in regards to battle.

As a side note, a glass khopesh when actually used for battle against metal swords is going to break immediately. You may want to consider replacing this weapon with something metal for above the water. :)
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