Solo The basic thrust...

[Ander Jibs]

First day of Spring, 514

Ander Jibs wanted to be like a snake. He very much admired the qualities of the limbless beast: its poisonous fangs, limber body, and extreme speed.

Perhaps, he thought, I could be like a snake.

Of course, Ander did have bigger ambitions than simply being 'like a snake'. He wanted to be a king. He wanted to rule an empire. I bet I'd make a great king, he thought.

But you and I would both agree, that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Being snakelike was just one of the many qualities that a prudent king would need in order to rule with an iron fist.

As Ander sat on his bed, his mind wandering in far-away places, his trusty short sword, one of 'snakelike' qualities (nimble, fast, and deadly), sat there beside him. It's been a few years since he killed his first. It wasn't a human, but a boar. A young one at that, that took the foolish choice of charging towards a brash young man craving for some roasted swine. He still remembered vividly what he felt after the moment that boar fell into permanent slumber. It felt... good.

Perhaps, he thought, I could feel that way again.
He had to train. He had to learn how to wield his weapon...

-

Ander had always believed that a short sword was merely a long dagger. It was heavier, less concealable, and in the hands of an untrained person, useless.

I, Ander Jibs, shall master the use of this weapon. And many enemies shall see their own deaths should they cross my path, Ander said to himself. He had the quirk of self-talking which he fortunately only did when nobody was around.

While in his Mithryn cottage, he grasped his short sword with his left hand (as he was left handed) and stood up. One could see a change in his demeanor as the hilt touched the skin of his palms. He felt a surge of power.

He stepped in the middle of his house and assumed a stance: bent knees, right-side of body forward, left side of body cocked backward, with his short sword coiled with his left arm.

With a sudden blink of a moment, he thrusted the sword into the air.

It... was... clumsy.

“What on Mizahar... that did not feel like a dagger!”

The blade went sideways instead of forward when he executed the thrust. He was embarrassed even though no one was there to see it.

“Dammit. I have to try again...”

He tried again... it was better than the last time, and then again, and again, and again, each one getting better than the former, until he was no longer clumsy.

'No longer clumsy' didn't exactly mean 'finally admirable.' He had a long way to go...

[Ander Jibs]

He thrusts his sword from a coiled position, his left arm tucked tightly in his left side.

That was how he did it.

Perhaps if I open up my armpit, like this... he said, analyzing his thrust, it'd be more powerful...

He really was a newbie...

He thrusted the short sword in that fashion and felt more natural.

Yes, that's more like it, he said. I need to make my thrust faster and more powerful though.

He coiled his short sword again, and thrusted it, this time feeling a lot smoother and more natural. And he was finally getting the hang of it, being able to throw forward the sword in a straight motion, instead of going the other way. He could already picture how it would feel should he use such a move towards an unprotected belly, or a soft breast.

Ander understood deeply the value of repetitive drills. So he thrusted the sword again.

And he did it again... This time, he was starting to finally get a feel for the timing and the distance.

A thrust is deadly, he contemplated. But like all attacks, it must count. Only those that attacks that land are the ones that matter.

Perhaps he was wrong. It was a definite possibility that failed attacks, though would never have hit home, would at least intimidate the enemy.

He really had a lot to learn...

[Ander Jibs]

Perhaps a short sword can also be used for cutting, Ander thought.

He was at the stage of swordsmanship competency where he knew very little about anything sword-related. Perhaps he could be considered inquisitive should he owned a gladius instead of a typical short sword. The two swords resembled each other in length, but the gladius could be a viable cutting weapon as well as a stabbing weapon (which was its primary purpose). But he instead owned a short sword. A short sword, not a gladius.

He looked at his sword. He noticed its sharp edge.

Perhaps if I was desperate enough, I could even use this thing as beard shaver...

Without hesitance or grace whatsoever, he swung the sword sideways as if cutting something imaginary. The sword felt like it was two pounds. And indeed, it did weigh two pounds.

I think I should test this...

The best way to test this weapon if it was a good slashing tool was to test it unto human flesh. Such a test would prove absolutely, how such a weapon would go against what it was meant to harm. It was obvious, even to the ignorant Ander, that this puny-looking weapon (in relation to other swords) was never meant to cut through armor. But perhaps with thin clothing and exposed flesh, it would prove lethal.

However, he could not do such a test without suffering the wrath of Syliran law. He wasn't ready for that fight yet.

Perhaps I should test this weapon unto a tree. If it can cut a tree, it can surely cut human flesh!

There were many trees outside of his cottage. And being able to test it was merely a few hundred feet away...

-

Ander picked the perfect tree. It was just an ordinary tree, but it was 'perfect' enough because it was suitable to his purpose. Standing near it, he visualized what result he wanted from this experiment. He wanted to cut at least three inches deep unto the trunk in order for him to consider the sword as a 'good cutting tool.' Should his expectation not be met, he would forever consider this iron weapon solely a thrusting tool...

Without hesitation, Ander approached the tree with a focused mind. He raised his sword and felt its weight. It felt heavy enough to him...

Ander swung his short sword with his left hand sideways with all his might and drove it through the trunk of the tree. It gave a good one-inch deep gash, though nothing more.

The fact that he managed to cut that deep had a lot to do with his raw, physical strength. He lifted weights. And because of that, there was a lot of power behind the swing, which helped the sword be driven deeply.

Even then, he was not satisfied...

This is not a cutting weapon, he told himself. It shall be a thrusting weapon, perhaps accompanied by a durable shield...

Ander went to his cottage, at his last meal (one-third pound of meat, which totaled him eating a pound of meat that day), and slept throughout the night...

[Nightmare]

Ander Jibs :

Skills	Amount
Weapon: Short sword	+3
Observation	+2
Tactics	+2

Lore

Vow: To master the short sword

Short sword: Basic stance

Short sword: Basic thrust

Short sword: Basic slash

Difference between gladius and a short sword

Difference between a dagger and a short sword

Loot

You ate a pound of meat! You have a total of 2 pounds left.

Additional Comments:Congratulations on your first solo! Enjoy your skill points and lores!

Please PM me if you have any questions or concerns.

Credit Lenz