The Abomination and The Giant Purple Man (Dor'gen)

by **Tinnok** on November 13th, 2014, 3:58 pm

One display of kindness was generally a cruel joke, two a fluke, and Tinnok was unsure what to do with Dor'gen's constant examples. The smiles, the tone of his voice, the gentle hand on her head that showed he was pleased with what she saw as abysmal progress. She couldn't help but feel a treacherous bit of pride creep into her stomach at his clapping and impressed, yes impressed, facial expression. A smile crept onto her features that she desperately tried to keep at bay and simply couldn't, a redness creeping into her cheeks that only grew bright when Dor'gen copied her move, the jump enhancing his strike and causing the dummy to rattle dangerously. Her lips quivered with a mixture of anticipation and happy confusion, allowing ample room for the Akalak's attack before nodding as to his instruction. Again, but this time where I am supposed to hit it

She retreated again, each step slow and measured, keeping her gaze on the dummy. When in place for her running start she tried to even her breathing and calm her roiling mind, enjoying the positive attention more than she could have imagined. In order to get another tousled bit of hair though she wanted to succeed with the long strike across the chest, hitting each of three vital spots. She imagined her jump from last time. Dor'gen instructed hitting a bit later, when she was coming down from the height of her jump. This made sense to her, and she tried to pretend the giant man was not just in the corner of her vision, focusing on the dummy.

Right foot slid back, ball of the foot pressing off the ground and then she set into her dash once more, darting across the well worn ground to launch into the air in roughly the same spot as before. Her instincts told her to strike the dummy as fast as she possibly could, the strike it while she could before her jump took her past it and out of range. Mouth formed into a tight line of concentration Tinnok heaved the practice shoulder over her shoulder once more, legs splayed in mid air.

When she struck it was not on the mark, but closer than before. The sweeping horizontal stroke came across the dummy's shoulders and top of the chest before the girl tumbled to the ground, dipping more gracefully this time, legs bending as she landed, rolling over herself and finding good purchase when her feet found themselves flat on the ground, able to push and pivot herself to face the rear of the dummy in much quicker time than before. She glanced at her sword and only wished she as adaptive with it as she was her acrobatics.

Before Dor'gen could say anything, praise or instruction, Tinnok jogged back to her starting position, readied her blade by holding it out horizontally before her, and ran again. This time she jumped a solid couple feet before she had previously. Her jump distance would be farther but not place her as high on the dummy. As she hurled the sword, striking towards the chest she let out a cry, the tip dragging clumsily across the dummy, but hitting just above where Dor'gen had cut his first line in the material of the entity.

She hit the ground with a heavy thud, dropping to her knees for a second and breathing heavily, then tilted her head back to Dor'gen, not saying anything, but golden eyes wide with an expression of triumph.
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by **Dor'gen** on November 28th, 2014, 6:44 am

.
Impressive.

As the towering Akalak hearkened to the progress of his young clanmate, he found only a single thought in his mind. Over the course of his two centuries of life, Dor'gen had seen many young Myrians take to the training fields for their first lessons. Many were sharper than the very blades they wielded; but just as many were clumsy and in dire need of work. However, Tinnok's progression was of the likes the Akalak had never seen before. In but a handful of chimes, she had gotten the knack of somewhat correctly holding her blade, and very clearly understood where the Vital Zones were. In fact, both of her most recent attempts on the dummy had been within a hair's breath of matching up with his own strikes. 'Twas if she were a natural...'Twas if she were simply stepping into shoes that were tailored to fit her perfectly...

Upon coming down to the earth, the youngling did not immediately turn to face Dor'gen; and a tick rolled by as a new thought wedged itself into the Akalak's thoughts. This concept was one completely born without founding...but nonetheless it manifested itself in the moment that Tinnok's feet touched down upon the ground. Dor'gen found himself wondering the exact reason that the Tempered Steel...nay, Myri herself, had allowed the youngling to live. At first, he simply regarded it as the fact that she had Myrian blood racing hot in her veins; just as he. However, speculation gave him a new take on the matter. She, as whispers and glares had told, was an "abomination" in the eyes of many; the child of a Tempered Steel member and one of Taloba's sworn enemies.

So why was she allowed to live? Why was the child of an enemy permitted life?

The answer...caused the Akalak's brow to furrow ever so slightly. He was a soldier, to the very core, and from this came an understanding that any advantage over one's enemy is useful. He knew that learning new tactics or wielding better tools could overall prove beneficial to the cause at hand...and perhaps that was why the youngling was allowed to live. Perhaps she, the offspring of an enemy, could prove to be used as some sort of weapon. Perhaps she could be cultivated and raised in such a manner that the serpents of Zinrah would meet a swift end by the hands of own of their "own". "Is that why she was allowed to live? Does the Clan see her as a potential weapon..." he thought whilst calmly raking his fingertips through his hair.

"If that is the case, then it is only a matter of time before the Army gets ahold of her." came the gentle response of Goa, Dor'gen's "darker" sibling. For a tick, the Akalak did not have a problem with this particular reality: that the Army would eventually take her and train her to her peak. However, reality stepped in and slapped Dor'gen upside the head rather viciously. He recalled, with no great fondness, how difficult being trained within the Army was. He, being an Akalak, was different. He, being a half-breed, was looked down upon. He, like all "outsiders", was treated coldly and given the harsher end of the training spectrum. If this was his experience...then what would Tinnok's be? By no means would it be better...

"Dira take me." he swore, "And here I thought I had gone through hai..."

This could not be allowed to stand. Tinnok was such a sweet child who did nothing wrong...Her only crime was that which was outside of her control: the circumstances of her birth. Was that truly grounds for her to be regarded as a weapon and treated as such? Was that truly grounds for her to go through the hai that the Akalak had endured during his younger years? "Something must be done. We can't just sit by and watch this, Goa." said the Akalak, finally taking a few steps closer to the youngling. "Agreed. Perhaps we can convince our superiors to allow us to train her? They might appreciate the irony of an abomination being instructed by an abomination." Coming to a halt, Dor'gen then lowered himself to a crouch so that he might look the youngling right in the eye.

"Aye. And here's hoping my service record allows me some semblence of leeway." he said whilst reaching out his offhand. Placing it atop the child's head, Dor'gen suspended his suspicions about the motives of his clan and focused entirely upon Tinnok. This very moment had been her triumph and it was high time that she revel in the fact that she had succeeded. A large grin formed upon the Akalak's lips and his hand gently tousled her locks. "Little one, you are quite the natural." he began, before rising to his feet. "You've absorbed my instruction like a dry cloth does water; and I am thoroughly impressed. Well done, Tinnok!" With that said, Dor'gen retreated a step and briefly placed his gaze upon the training dummy.

There he saw the wounds that he had inflicted upon the training tool, in addition to the tousled fabric where Tinnok's blows had connected. Of course, it was one thing to simply handle a wooden, practice tool...and it was another to wield a blade. He would need to procure her a proper tool at some point so that she could experience exactly what a Shortsword felt like. "I think we've done enough on empty stomachs, don't you?" he began, facing the youngling with a grin. "How's about we get something warm for our bellies and then give this another go afterwards? Does that sound good to you?" he inquired, taking a moment to retreave his bastard sword from the earth.

Reaching out, his fingers coiled about the hilt of the weapon and effortlessly released it from the dirt. He took a moment to shake the stray specks of earth off of his blade before returning it to his scabbard. He then extended his hand so that she might take it. "And keep that practice sword. It's yours now, and you'll definitely need it for the days to come. When you're ready, I'll see about getting you an actual Shortsword...but in the meantime, let's eat!"

Word Count1,054
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by **Tinnok** on January 5th, 2015, 1:30 am

It was all too much. She was a nimble thing, quick, and a quick learner too, but only because she had to be. Her skill with acrobatics was formed out of a similar necessity. Many Myrian children bigger and stronger than her used that to her advantage, the only thing she could do in most cases was to run, dodge, and otherwise avoid attacks. Even if she were to beat a full blooded child, the punishment afterward was always greater than the immediate reward.

These were important lessons she had learned, ones that would continue to shape her as she grew, slowly forming her into the dangerous, and always suspicious being she would become. Yet there was the part of her that desired the comfort and praise. Dor'gen's words, his genuine surprise and nary she say, impressed expression left Tinnok feeling like a plant brought up from the darkness into the blinding rays of Syna's warmth. Her arms were tired, despite the weapon being wooden it was still far heavier than her daggers, and a weariness crept into her limbs and legs. The jumping the leaping, the straining to match some iota of the Akalak's power with his own blade seemed to catch up to her now, and when he suggested food Tinnok's mouth turned upwards happily.

"Food sounds good." As the two of the outsiders walked back into the camp, Tinnok's joy, culminating in sliding the wooden short sword into her belt began to evaporate rapidly as she saw the gazes and dour expressions turn on her. She had skirted her chores. Even if the reason might have been good enough for a full blooded child going with a trainer or parent to work on weapon technique, no such luck would befall her.

At first she expected to be directly called out, and her small form shrank closer to Dor'gen out of an instinctual fear, but after ticks turned to chimes...she realized that no one, at least not yet, was going to call her out, not with the massive purple mountain of a man standing over her. He may have been an outsider, far from a pure bred, but he was also a warrior that had proved himself. Who was going to taunt Tinnok with those arms, that sword sheathed, but not forgotten at his side?

Her lips crept treacherously upward at the corners, stomach grumbling as they reached a long table set up with meat, ground meal, flat bread, and fresh fruit. As if she was getting away with something Tinnok boldly grabbed a wooden plate and filled it to the brim, just another thing that she surely would not have done under other circumstances.

Despite her boldness, the trait did not translate to sitting with the other children her age, nor the other older Myrians breaking their fast as well. Instead she looked imploringly up at Dor'gen. "Want to eat in the woods? I'll show you my favorite spot." Though the words were said with hesitation, once they were out int he open, a little glow reached the half breed's still round cheeks. It was not often that she could proudly share her favorite spots with others, and without quite waiting for Dor'gen's response, though careful to keep her food together, the young girl began to swiftly move to the edge of camp and into the jungle.

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by **Una Tanta** on March 23rd, 2015, 6:34 pm

Dor'gen :

Tinnok :

NOTE: Tinnok is so adorable as a child! I really liked reading your parts too Dor'gen, I liked that your method of teaching was reflected in your upbringing. You also did a great job of exhibiting novice teaching without having to tell me that something was awkward, or that you hadn't thought something through (like her height, or didn't think to do each step slowly and describe it) it really made it believable and you described the story instead of telling it to me.

Overall, a lovely thread.

Please don't be afraid to PM me with any questions ^-^

Flashback The Abomination and The Giant Purple Man (Dor'gen)