A Date For Training (Part 1)

[Riaris Dovukalis]

A harden warrior, the Akalak was, but in this his features betrayed his excitement at the unusual and intimate nature they were delving into so suddenly. He glanced up and around them, searching the far corners of the land for any peeping eyes or lurking shadows. He didn't mind an audience much, but he could imagine that Vanator wouldn't want to come out and see such a thing. Once he was sure that he didn't see his comrade, or any of his many children, Riaris completely relaxed and watched Kavala. He released a sigh of relief and his gaze locked with hers. She was good and fierce, the Akalak didn't need soft and gentle, he liked the roughness that suited them perfectly.

Riaris enjoyed the way her mouth hugged him, and even though he was a bit much, Kavala didn't let that stop her from pleasuring him. Riaris stood as still as a statue at first and allowed Kavala to do it all on her own. He watched her, as she did him, both seemed to read the others expression, and he was always taken by the fire in her eyes. Kavala knew what she wanted, how to get it, and that alone struck a tingle up his spine. Slowly he started to rock his hips back and forth, helping her along the way.The movements were fluid and swift, as if while together their bodies became one, dancing in an intense, sexual rhythm.

Her actions only spurred his on, and it was only then that he slowed briefly when he realized that she had started to choke. There was excitement in his pale eyes, as they stared down into hers, there was no fear, no hesitation with her, and the konti was demanding in her efforts, knowing that she truly held the power to give more or to turn away at her on whim.

Riaris gently stroked her flesh, his fingers lingering over the scales that appeared through her white skin. He hadn't expected her next move, how she reached out and took his hands and placed them onto her head. He licked his lips, both fist curling into her hair on either side of her head. The Akalak thrust continued, both hands holding her head in place, and even lifting and turning her to fix a more pleasurable angle.

Words, words could not express..they simply couldn't, but Riaris would make sure to return the favor in full to her later.

There was only them now, the Sanctuary as well as Riverfall faded away into a blissful white nothingness, leaving only Kavala and he to continue on. He smiled more, hips bucking as he pushed himself into her mouth and slipped back out. The act was exciting and the feeling was amazing to him. Kavala knew his body now, and understood how much she could take. That made it easier for him to let go completely and without a second thought when they were together. Riaris could feel himself giving way and only sped up his actions to make the release that much more pleasurable for them both.

And it happened, Riaris released a low breath as his hands gripped her head tightly and completely let go. Another breath, and something of a grunt, and Kavala pulled away from him. He closed his eyes for a moment, a satisfied smile rising upon his features as she tucked him back in. The moment that she stood up, Riaris wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into his arms once again. His lips found her neck and he kissed her there, and raced his tongue up and behind her ear.

"Well.. If you can still think about training now." He started to laugh, but instead he held it in and simply place her back onto her own feet. "I'll wait here."

[Kavala]

Kavala squealed slightly as Riaris picked her up and cuddled her like a doll. He handled her as if she weighed nothing at all. And in a way it made her feel protected, because he was so gentle when he did such things. The feel of his lips on her throat and the way he held her for a moment said more to her than any words could. And she could feel the relaxation in him, the mirth, as he set her back on her feet and slowly recovered from what Kavala had just done.

On her part she felt naughty... sassy and naughty and all those things that weren't expected of Konti, especially those who were ex-Nakivaks. So she smiled at him, winked, and took off at a run to change quickly into something more suitable for a training date, and her cloak. When she got back to him, she let her old strider out of his stall and decided to ride Windsong to town. The horse was as gentle as the day was long, but he was arthritic and stiff if ridden too long. But a small trip to town, short, where he could rest at the Riverfall Stables while she was training with Riaris would do him a world of good. Kavala didn't bother with tack, she just jumped up on the buckskin strider and waited for Riaris to join her so they could ride out towards town together.

"So how many students have you taught? I'm just curious if you are going to be the teacher or we are going to have an instructor once we get there. I don't know anyone at the Sasaran. I haven't even seen the inside of it ever." The Konti revealed, giving Riaris a bit of a crooked grin.

She rode Windsong out of the horse gate, and headed off towards the city, side by side with Riaris.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Riaris waited outside while Kavala went to change, though the idea of following her did cross his mind. But instead, the Akalak stretched his muscles and limbered himself up. He had done so before he left home and was ready to practice, but Kavala surprised him with her generous actions and took his mind and body off the training session completely...for the moment. But with the fun over, it was time to be a bit more serious. Riaris took up his sword again, a rather heavy weapon, and extended his arm out while holding it in one hand.

Kavala had been able to hold it in her grip, but using it was a bit different. The blades were long, each the size of a normal long sword which were connected by a bar. The wooden replicas were almost just as heavy, though not nearly as sharp. Slowly he moved the weapon around in front of him, before replacing it over his shoulder again. Kavala returned with her horse, and the Akalak took the sign to go and retrieve the one that he rode in on. He took a moment, a breath then jumped up on the horse, hoping that it didn't kick or toss him off. It had been well behaved so far, but there was no telling with animals.

"Students?" Riaris started with a smirk. "I wouldn't say teaching was a strong suit, but I have helped a few in the past. One thing about the Sasaran is that you can go in and practice on your own, without an instructor." That was how he and his darker brother preferred it. They liked to train on their own and take the mats for themselves, and workout until they were done. "The insides are nothing special. It is designed for test of strength and training."

The ride to the city was faster than he expected, mostly because he was enjoying talking with Kavala, or rather, listening while she did most of the talking. It was also due to the fact that he had visited the Sanctuary a few times now and the journey there and back didn't seem as long. Once they arrived back to the city, a stop was made at the stables to rest the horses and Riaris led Kavala to their date spot.

He led her inside where the familiar sights and sounds all greeted him at once. It wasn't busy at the moment, no more than it usually was in the early hours of the day. With an arm lightly wrapped around her waist, the Akalak led the Konti inside and waited so that she could look around before they would continue on. A thought crossed his mind, and even though he had asked if she wanted to try his weapon, he was curious if she might find something she liked even better. "There are weapons racks here, both of the wooden and very real kind. Take a look and see what do you think."

[Kavala]

There was a shyness about Kavala that Riaris probably hadn't witnessed before when he took her from her element, The Sanctuary, and brought her to the Sasaran. She felt somehow smaller as she paced in beside him and took time to look around. It wasn't crowded, but it was a place that felt inherently male to The Konti. Huge, the walls were secure and it offered a shelter summer or winter to those that wanted to train.

There was also an energy to the place.

She turned when he urged her to check the weapons rack and gave him a slight smile. The Konti nodded and paced over to it, obedient to his wishes here in this place where he seemed to belong. She ran her hands over the wooden daggers first, placed high and boldly along the top edge of the rack. Smiling wistfully, she glanced over her shoulder at him and knew he'd come to upgrade her weapons skills to something with a longer reach.

She plucked a plain wooden sword off the rack, gave it a careful experimental swing, and knew that somewhere in her past Crescent had used one. She replaced it, moving on, examining the spears and odder weapons ... the scythes and sickles. Kavala picked a scythe up, grinned wickedly, and knew inherently her past life inner assassin had never even held one. It was a peasants weapon and deep inside Crescent wrinkled her snooty nose and Kavala almost laughed.

The Healer replaced the scythe and moved on, passing up the axes and other things that held no interest for her. She reached the weapon Riaris wanted her to learn and plucked a wooden one off the rack. It was significantly smaller than Riaris', perhaps designed for a youth. She hefted it, then replaced it in the rack before plucking one up out of it that more closely matched the size and weight of the one her lover fought with.

She wasn't nearly his size, nor was she his strength. The weapon felt big in her hands. "Is this right?" She asked him, knowing there were other sizes, lengths, and designs of the same weapon he owned.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Riaris wasn't known as a teacher in the Sasaran. He was still a student, and it had only been once that he took on the teaching roll for the sake of helping another. But this was different, he arrived with a beautiful Konti, both entering and without a fuss or even an introduction, they went about their business as if they owned the place. It was Riaris' doing, Kavala was a new comer and only did what was asked of her. The Akalak wanted it this way, wanted to show her his world and the way that he trained himself.

He gave another glance towards the others in the training hall, and a quick glance towards the mat that he wanted for him and Kavala to use, just to make sure that no one had grabbed it. He circled around and moved in behind her, where two meaty hands lightly gripped her tiny hips. He didn't speak, only seeking to let her know he was there, and slowly moved away.

Standing to the side, Riaris watched his companion as she tested the different weapons to see which she liked best. The sight of her swinging a weapon was a beauty in itself, and he looked forward to their training session to come. The Akalak watched her closely, every move of her arm, legs, every twist of her hips. It was almost a dance as he saw it, a dance of blades he thought. The Konti appeared to be having fun and this was what he had been hoping for. Riaris knew that she had training, but the Akalak way of fighting was different that what she had learned, and he wasn't sure if it would be to her liking.

"Yes, that is...more or less what I have. The practice are just basic, the shapes and lengths aren't exact copies of the actual weapon types. This....should do you well."

With a smirk, he pulled another from the rack, another copy of the one that she had and moved onto the mat that was free. "We can begin however you like. I can show you a few things, or..you can come at me and see how you fair." He was enjoying himself, just being there with her, in a place that he had used for training for years. A place where he could offer her something, and they could share in more of what made their city so great.

[Kavala]

Kavala had been taught not to lunge forward blindly with a weapon and try your best to attack someone. It wasn't in her nature to be an aggressor anyhow. She hefted the blade, listened to Riaris' words, and looked around taking in her surroundings. She noted the potential obstacles, things she could use in place of a weapon if she got disarmed, and all the escape routes. All that was ingrained into her. Know where you are going to flee. Know other weapons. Know who you are facing. Kavala trusted Riaris, but she'd never actually sparred with him.

It felt strange.

They'd done plenty of other interesting stuff together, but she tried to keep her secret fighting life out of the entanglement of her relationships. Riaris would not, perhaps, understand her need to know how to fight cleanly, dirty, and with as little effort as possible to make a kill. To her fighting wasn't an art. It was a means to an end. Kill and be able to defend yourself from those that would kill you. It was a major difference between herself and the Akalak that lived in Riverfall. They loved weapons and unarmed combat. They considered the body and how it moved art. Kavala considered her body and how it moved a tool. It was a means to an end. And if the tool wasn't perfect, one trained it or dieted it or modified it so that it became the necessary tool.

Her thinking was cold on this, whereas the Akalaks were full of passion.

Holding the sword awkwardly, Kavala didn't know whether to lunge at Riaris with it and see what he did or whether to wait for further instruction. Would he consider her weak for letting him instruct her? Or would he think her bold for moving forward? She glanced down at her hands, not even sure they were placed right. She shifted her grip experimentally, twisting the blade one way or another to see how the grip handled. She glanced at Riaris to see how he held his, and tried to mimic the grip. Would he hit her and knock her weapon aside if she came at him abruptly? Some men got a thrill out of that. Maybe he was just offering her a choice not knowing her style of learning or fighting.

Kavala couldn't help but think it was a test.

And it was almost a flashback to Crescents life, which had been filled with such tests. And every time she failed one the consequences were rather serious. Kavala started to sweat, wondering if it was too late to call off the sparring session before she over thought the whole thing and ruined it for both of them.

Move. If in doubt, move don't freeze. That part of her training came back and reinforced her need to not to wait for his instructions. So Kavala firmed her grip and lunged, bringing the left side of the double bladed sword towards Riaris' head, while in truth really focusing on the right side of her sword, putting her force there and trying to catch him below the knee across the legs while his focus was on the one threatening his face.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Riaris stood across from Kavala and watched her with the weapon. Something about her using his weapon of choice made him smile inside. Perhaps they would train together a lot, or maybe just a little from time to time if she liked it. The Akalak wrapped his fingers around the handle of the double blade and held it out horizontally so that Kavala could see how to hold it correctly.

"Two hands would be better and spread further a part to strengthen your grip."

There were a few different ways to hold the weapon, depending on a person's style and if they used one or two hands. He stood in the same pose for a time, allowing Kavala to take in as much as she could and to get used to handling it. He didn't mind the wait, he remembered his own clumsiness when he first learned the weapon and understood that it wasn't the easiest to learn.

For a moment he wouldn't sure if she would strike or not. He would have been fine with taking it slower and helping her to feel the weapon out first. Asking her to attack was half a challenge and half a tease. But in the end he wanted her to be comfortable with what she was doing. Riaris waited more and as she readied to attack, he lifted his weapon to respond if she went for it.

And she did.

It was a fake, and he did fall for it. The Akalak had only expected a one shot swing, but the crafty Konti surprised him. He turned his head away slightly and lifted his blade to block the incoming blow and was completely open to her real attack. He smiled and nodded, glad that she decided to go for it. "Well played, I should know by now to only expect the best from you. So, again?" he smirked taking a half hearted swing towards her left shoulder, then quickly spinning the weapon out to lightly tap her left hip.

One for one.

[Kavala]

This felt good, familiar, facing off someone and learning from them. She trusted Riaris and he was good about moving slow so she could see how he planted his feet, twisted his hips, and most importantly the versatility of the grip. She switched her hands around so she was a mirror image of his own stance and was carefully thinking about the range of motion of the double bladed sword when he went for his own move, feigning upwards and the tapping her on the hip. She was surprised he pulled his blows because when her father had taught her, he had left marks for her to remember to dodge by.

Her father. No, not the one Vanator and her shared. But Eclipse. He was a Ruv'na assassin and as nasty as they came. Yes, she remembered her training at his hands. Though she blinked, shook her head, and tried to rid herself of the memory.

Bringing herself back to the present, she concentrated not on surprising Riaris nor on getting the upper hand, but instead she traded blows with him, forcing him forward and then moving backwards as they gently knocked swords as they each got a feel for their weapon and the style of the other who matched them. Kavala had never fought with Riaris before, not in a training situation where she faced off with him. She had fought side by side, but that was an entirely different matter.

She watched the way he moved, calculated his breaths with the way he handled his weapon. His body owned the space it was in and she admired that about him. Attempting to own hers as well was more difficult, since the two handed sword was out of her range of expertise. It felt balanced in her hand and she learned quickly that bringing it up on one end created an equal and opposite effect on the other end. That could be used towards an advantage if one twisted and bent and had to face two attackers.... two attackers.

"Riaris.. this weapon is designed to face multiple opponents isn't it?" She said suddenly and excitedly, almost dropping her sword in surprise. It was too easy to reach forward then strike backwards with the weapon still under the inertia of the previous move. If one kept it in motion, it stayed in motion, and could be potentially devastating on the battlefield.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

"Yes, I would think this weapon was designed with that in mind, as well as for opponents with more than one weapon. It is similar in usage as a staff or pole. The extended limbs on each side work to keep your attackers out of arms length. However, unlike the pole or staff, this weapon holds double blades and those can be just as dangerous for the user as it is for those coming in contact with it at the other end."

Kavala would likely never know how much he was enjoying this with her. He had imagined that they would do many things that she liked, but not as much of his. It wasn't that he didn't think Kavala would be up for it, but many of the things he enjoyed, including training, or fighting and those weren't for everyone. Riaris held the weapon with both hands as far apart across the handle as possible and showed it to her. "I can only teach you what I have learned, but I hope that it is a good introduction for you."

He moved slower this time, to show her the movements of the weapon in relation to what he had spoke of before. There was surely a better way to explain it, but Riaris was still learning the weapon himself. He moved by the count, One forward and angled to her right, then a second where the weapon was drawn back and the opposite end was pushed towards her then back. "I think it best to keep the weapon at your center, lifting it too high seems to make it harder to control and too low, you'll end up tripping or worse if the weapon was real."

"However.." he paused and changed the angle of the weapon from horizontal into a slanted position. "You can still wield your blades higher and lower even while keeping the balance at your center." He nodded and took a step forward lightly swinging the weapon in the same arched slant allowing the wooden blade to lightly tap her shoulder, then turning the opposite end to lightly tap her hip again. "Now you try.." Riaris stood back giving her room to move and held is weapon at his center just as he had told her to do.

[Kavala]

Kavala watched the man across from her, sharp azure gaze narrowing, scanning his hands, the way his feet planted, and the angle of his knees in relation to his torso. Her eyes moved across his shoulders and drew her own up and back slightly, frowning at her bad posture when the Akalak before her had such strength. She stepped forward, then back, adjusting her stance, forming a zone with her body that was more supportive to the weapon than the one she was taking just watching Riaris.

Her grip shifted and she tilted the weapon so one blade was higher and one blade was lower, but she did not lock it in place. Instead she let it float, fluid, so that it moved like her breath did, in and out of her torso. When Riaris moved forward with ease, tapping her hip, demonstrating, and she nodded. "Stop tapping me. If you only tap me, I won't remember it as well and the lesson will be harder to learn. Where that wooden blade hits, I want welts, Riaris. I mean it. Make it hurt so I will remember to move out of the way. You can kiss them better after we get done training if you feel guilty." She said quietly, grinning up at him a moment, letting that soak in as she moved forward, testing, how far apart her hands should be. She found the further apart she gripped the blade, keeping her hands at less than shoulder width but more than say a cuffed position the better control she had.

Footwork would come later, so she didn't even try anything fancy with her feet. Instead she moved forward once more, pressing him, swinging the blade opposite of how he swung his, thrusting it forward fully intending to catch him under one arm and lift up with it, where a soldier's armor was vulnerable in his pit. To do it, she twisted her body sideways, making her profile smaller, and drew the blade sideways suddenly, swinging it up and outward, snapping it painfully up into his armpit. Her left foot led forward, her right hand controlling the blade's swing. Had it been anything but a wooden blade, or he hadn't been armored in the area well, it would have bitten deep into his arm, making his flesh useless. But it was only a practice blade and her hit wasn't backed with strength, but instead fluidity. She was going for testing the weapons limits and its control... how to bring it back to a defensive position after such a strike left her momentarily vulnerable.

In an instant Kavala had it snapped back into a defensive position across her body, ready to defend against any retaliation blows.