[Sanctuary] Work it Out! (Vanator)

[Elem Bree]

36th of Fall, AV 512

Elem woke early, as he often did. He had received a lot of good input on his letter and would make to sure to reply soon to Nira'lia, hopefully receiving her and her friends in time. His early awakening and excitement was based on the physical and weapon training Kavala had ordered for the staff, however. He was already stretching his muscles lightly, not knowing what the day would bring. Running? Weapon training? Weight lifting? There was really no telling, but the induction of an Armsmaster was brilliant and he couldn't wait to get started.

He began jogging in place, warming those same muscles up, lifting his legs high and increasing his heart rate. He was not trying to impress Vanator, but rather, wanted to handle whatever the healthy Drykas had to offer. Elem knew that all of this would work together, making further training even easier. Feeling that he was warmed up enough, he put on a loincloth and his old, ragged Zeltivan pants and tunic on, finishing up with a pair of sandals. He went ahead and jogged through the Within, even passing Aweston, who looked at him with a bit of incredulity.

Once outside, he found it to be a clear day, an excellent sign. Jogging across the grounds toward the cliffs, he saw Vanator surveying the ocean below. not trying to be sneaky, he ran right up to the man. "Hey Vanator! I'm here to get started. I want to thank you and Kavala for getting a physical and weapon program in place. I plan to use all of your resources." Elem stopped jogging in place, sweat glistening on his face, a smile there as he was fully prepared to commence.

[Vanator]

Vanator had made his way out to the cliff early, a bundle wrapped in a ragged horse blanket under his arm. Elem Bree had actually come to Vanator requesting some training, almost immediately after the Drykas' new position was announced. Van was glad to see the healer eager to begin. The Zith assault on Sanctuary had demonstrated everyone's strength, and their weaknesses. It was the Denusk man's job to shore up the weaknesses...including his own.

A stiff breeze swept in from the sea, whipping at Vanator's light brown hair and tugging at his pants. He was bare chested, unashamed of the collection of scars he bore, the majority, including the latest, inflicted by Zith. Visible too were the Lacun marks on his sternum. Setting the large bundle aside, the Drykas turned to look out over the water. It was still a marvel to him, the vast, seemingly endless expanse. He did not hear Elem approach over the roar of the wind until he was almost upon him.

The Zeltivan already had a sheen of sweat on his brow. Van nodded in response to the man's polite greeting, patting him on the shoulder with a grin. "Very well then, lets get started."

The Drykas stepped away from the cliff's edge and turned to face Elem. The healer was of sturdy stock, a bit taller than him and stout, with a healthy appearance. He should strengthen up well. "Serrif mentioned you have been running with him, right? That is a good start. Running builds up endurance, and is good for the legs, of course. Strength won't go far if you can't last more than a few chimes."

He took a few steps back. "There are two areas that we are going to focus on. First the core," Van patted his lower abdomen, "...strengthening these muscles, as well as those in the lower back. Just about everything else we do, especially in combat or heavy labor, draws strength from your core." He swung his arms as if swinging a weapon. "Second is the upper body, the arm,s chest and shoulders. I will show you some simple things that you can do yourself, regularly."

Vanator dropped to the ground, legs straight out behind him, arms bent, elbows out. He pushed himself up, then lowered himself down again. He demonstrated several more pushups. "When you do pushups, keep your back straight and your arse down. Now, get down here and try some. Lets do fifteen."

Van waited for Elem to drop and start the exercise, watching the man's form and technique.

[Elem Bree]

Elem was still brimming with enthusiasm when he came up on Vanator. His eyes had no choice but to scan the myriad of battle scars the man bore. he felt sorry for him a littyle, though he would never say so. it was probably a thing of pride for him to have survived so many fights. His performance during the Zith attack was more than enough convincing that he was more than capable. Watching him swing his arms, he absorbed the explanation given, looking down at himself. Elem was healthy, that was for sure, but he hoped he could one day be equally fit. That was the point of this, right?

He watched the man drop down and start pushing his body up from the ground. he noticed that his body was straight and he didn't touch the ground with it when he lowered. Following instruction, Elem dropped down and mimicked the form, though he found he couldn't really look at Van other than peripherally once he was alongside him. Just the grass below him was the focal point. Keeping his back straight, he lowered himself down, pushing his body back up, feeling it want to curve up. It took a few repetitions before he was doing it properly.

his mind focused, Elem began the exercise, not thinking to wait for Van to count or do anything. Counting in his head, he let his body do the work, feeling the burn in his arms and shoulders. Again, he immediately noticed the clarity of mind he received by focusing himself on physical activity. The sweat continued, but with the stiff breezes coming in off the ocean, it actually helped cool the healer considerably. Once the set was complete, he stood again, awaiting further instruction, his breath and heart rate heightened as well as his mood.

[Vanator]

Van pumped out the fifteen pushups with little effort. The wounds in his shoulders had healed well and it felt good to work the mended muscles. From the corner of his eye Van watched Elem. He kept a good form.

Rolling onto his back and sitting up, Vanator looke up at Bree. "I suggest you do three sets of ten push ups daily until they become easy, then increase the number. Now..." he laid his hand on his stomach, "...a very basic exercise to strengthen that core." He waved Elem back to the ground until he was sitting in the grass as well.

Laying back, Vanator put his hands behind his head. "You may see some people do this..." The drykas sat up, pulling his head forward and touching is elbows to his raised knees, then laying back down. Then he had Elem do it.

"But there is a lot of wasted energy there, and you strain your neck. Instead," Van slipped his hand down until they were behind his neck, "Just lift your shoulders and back up until you feel your abdomen muscles tighten, like you are crunching them." He demonstrated. "And look up, don't bend your head forward. You do it." Van watched the healer give it a try. "Feel the difference in your gut?"

"Now, twenty five of these." Van counted them out.

[Elem Bree]

Having finished, Elem listened astutely to Vanator's words. It was clear that the daily repetitions that he advised to Elem had become a common thing for Kavala's brother, his body a testament to that. Three sets of ten daily, then adding more. Elem suspected that his punches might really make a difference with that kind of muscle behind them. Sitting to watch the next exercise, he remained silent, his mind recording the movements of the Drykas.

Lying on his back, Elem did as he was shown, pulling his head up toward his knees until joints touched. He came back and rested on his elbows, feeling the strain it caused in his neck, nodding in assent. Once the new way was explained, he quit looking at Vanator, choosing a cloud above him to focus on as he lifted his back and shoulders off of the ground. The resulting crunching burn in his abdomen made it clear. "Yeah, much easier on the neck. Okay!"

Focusing on the clouds, Elem used his breath in a similar manner to his punches, though he was not trying to explode when breathing out. Just in through the nose, out through the mouth. He counted off the crunches in his head, the burn rising in his gut. He overlooked the pain, knowing it was a necessary part of it, just like landing on the ground or getting punched when he didn't block was necessary. The craziest thing of all was that he could easily remove the pain with the touch of Rak'keli,though he knew that would be cheating. One thing Elem did retain from his father. No point in doing a thing at all if you aren't going to do it right.

[Vanator]

Elem dug into the exercises with enthusiasm, yet took the time to perform them correctly. Vanator had a feeling he would not have to get after the healer to follow a regular regime, especially once the man saw physical results. He may actually inspire the others.

The Armsmaster crooked his neck to the side, the vertebrae emitting a popping sound. "Alright, once you get your muscles warmed up, its important to stretch, especially if you have a few winters on you." He laughed, taking a jab at himself. The Drykas demonstrated a number of stretches for the shoulders and back, drawing the arms together in front, and then in back. He continued with toe touches and one legged quad stretches, pulling his ankle to his butt as he balanced on the other leg. As the stretches continued, Van began to inquire more personally of Elem. Van was ready to learn more about his co-workers, to begin to make them his friends, and even family.

"It's obvious you are not from Cyphrus, or Eyktol. What brought you out here to Riverfall?"

[Elem Bree]

Elem stood alongside Vanator, rolling his neck and observing the stretches he did. He had watched Serrif stretch before running and many of these were similar, though Elem was paying specific attention to the muscle groups being used. The more that he worked on his body, the more he was starting to see results. The more he saw results, the more he wanted to retain those results and perfect a daily routine to keep himself in peak condition. It was much more than getting stronger, though that was a pleasant part of it. For his boxing, for his health, to be a living shrine to Rak'keli, to become an accepted Kuvan of Riverfall. All of these things relied on a core of work ethic, just as his body relied on this core within his own body.

As he stretched, he was happy that Vanator spoke with him about other things as well. He was surprisingly personable for such a battle hardened warrior. Elem appreciated people who could look beyond the hardships and terrors and enjoy life. He believed Vanator would become a friend as well as an ally. "I am from Zeltiva, actually." Elem had his feet spaced far apart, crawling down with his palms flat, stretching the insides of his thighs. "I was touched by Rak'keli last Winter and this Summer I decided to follow my intuition. We got hit pretty hard by the Spring Storm and I figured there had to be other places that could use healers besides our Infirmary. So, I just packed up and left. My folks still live there. My dad is a cobbler and my mother an herbalist and gardener." He didn't bounce, he just let those muscles stretch and then he walked himself back upright.

"Tell me, how is it that you and Kavala are related? I admit I am only partially versed on the ways of the Drykas. I met a warrior from the Diamond Clan last winter who told me quite a bit, but I am always interested in learning more." He smiled and continued to stretch. His body felt great!

[Vanator]

Zeltiva. Vanator had heard of the city, but it was lumped into a larger category of obscure places that were not in Cyphrus. It was north, he knew, and what others would call civilized, as far as brick and mortar places went. 'Civilized' was relative, as far as the Drykas was concerned.

Van kept an eye on Elem, making sure he was doing the stretches properly, the horseman himself feeling the stretch of his hamstrings as he bent over at the waist, reaching for one ankle, then the other. Elem was marked by Rak'keli, that he knew from his work during the Zith attack. but he saw a lot of divine power employed during that assault. It seemed like the gods had slapped a mark on about everyone at Sanctuary, apart from himself and the other Denusks. His own sister possessed the touch of three deities, something Vanator did not take lightly.

Standing again and twisting his torso, arms outstretched, the Drykas nodded at Elem. He commended the Zeltivan on his altruistic quest, leaving his home and family to help others he had never even met. Twisting to to other side, the horseman replied to Elem's question.

Vanator's tone softened, the love for family, particularly his sister, apparent in his voice. "It is rather unusual, finding Konti and Dyrkas siblings! Kavala is actually my half-sister, by the same father, the Ankal of the Denusk Pavilion. He had three wives, my mother is...was his first wife, Kavala's was his third, a Konti. I don't know if Kavala mentioned her, but we have a sister named Akela, she too is konti, and one wicked swordswoman." They were all dead, for all he knew, but Van actually found that it felt good to talk about them. "The Denusk family can seem...complicated, I guess you could assume just by the Denusks that have seemed to congregate here at Sanctuary."

It was strange, the Drykas thought. The Denusk family, aside from he and Kavala, were gone. Yet, here, those elements of Van's illegitimate bloodlines, Cadra and Larik, and even Bolden's half-brother who had taken their name, had gathered. There was, it seemed, a Denusk family after all.

Vanator finished the stretches by hanging his head down, stretching his neck, then rotating it several times in each direction. "So, you have seen what battle looks like. I want you to consider for a moment, what weapon you see yourself wielding. I have heard you have worked a bit with the sling. But for close combat, what do you feel suits you?"

Vanator could make suggestions, but in the end, a weapon had to be something that feels right to the person. He had chosen the battle ax for several reasons. Unlike some of the others in the clans, Vanator not only had to learn what all Drykas were taught, but he also spent a lot of time with his father, watching how he lead the family. So weapons that took more time to learn, swords and spears, were rejected in favor of an ax. Van was broad-shouldered for a Drykas, the perfect build for an axe-wielder. The battle ax was his choice. Not as cumbersome as the two-handed war ax, which would be awkward from a horse, nor as small as a hand ax, which would not give him the reach he needed. Elem too needed to find the right fit.

[Elem Bree]

Elem tried to keep himself busy as Vanator explained his heritage. It seemed to be very important and varied, but he didn't want to just stand there open mouthed. Twisting on his center, Elem frowned slightly at the idea that Vanator had lost his mother. he didn't know what he would do if he lost his own, which would eventually happen. He still couldn't fathom the loss. Turning back to Vanator in a twist, he stopped and said, "I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. Truly."

He didn't linger, however, as the two of them had a good rhythm going and he wanted to keep it up. "Well, there are quite a few of you here. I am an only child, but I would love to have some famly closer than a season's travel away." he said this in a jovial tone, not wanting to sound jaded. He just thought maybe Vanator should be happy with his sister and nephew and..cousins? He hadn't quite nailed down Cadra, Larik and Aweston's roles in the family. They were all busy people, something he respected and looked up to them for.

When asked about a weapon of choice, Elem paused, keeping his breathing even. he really did want to give it thought, though he already knew what his answer was."Well, I have had an opportunity to look at the Armory and I would say I like those short spears best. A few reasons. They are versatile in that they can be used for reach or melee as well as thrown. They are fairly inexpensive looking, so should I drop one down a crevasse I wouldn't be as lost as if I had a great ax like you do. Also, I imagine they could be reproduced fairly easily. Oh! And I hear that the citizenship test is a spear, so it surely wouldn't hurt to understand the weapon I would face." He thought about it a moment longer, nodding to himself.

"Yes, a short spear." Elem then began rotating his arms in circles.

[Vanator]

Vanator nodded at Elem as the Zeltivan spoke about family, and the distance he was from his. The Drykas did not miss the healer's well intended point. Van had lost just about everyone in his family. Yet, he still had Kavala, and the twins, and even Aweston. That was more family than Elem had around. The older man flashed an understanding smile before Elem moved on to answer the weapon question.

"Short spear. Good choice. You are right, its versatile, being less cumbersome than the longer spears, yet still able to give you reach and the throw. I personally have little experience with spears. Kashik, my FirstWife, was quite a spearswoman though, and I was at the wrong end of those skills a time or two." Vanator laughed, remembering fondly the good-spirited sparring he had Kashik had shared.

Van moved over to the bundle he had brought with him, kneeling down and unrolling the horse blanket. There were several items inside, mostly made of wood. The Drykas pulled out a wooden pole about five feet long. Next he picked up a shorter piece, about three feet long. Standing, he returned to Elem, tossing the longer pole at him.

"I can at least show you the basics of attack and defense. Routine practice and even some visits to the Akalaks can get you used to the weapon." Vanator widened his stance, planting his feet, one slightly in front of the other. "Now...the first thing to remember is balance is power. Plant your feet, about shoulder length apart, one slightly behind the other. Keep your knees slightly bent. This is a good starting stance for attack or defense."