Timestamp: Summer 47, 515 AV
The sky seemed sandy; comprised of small grains of color, which, when put together, formed the whole. A mass of flickering light; as the sun flared while it sank. Streaking the celestial blanket in scorching tones. Its illumination stretching northward, casting golden hues vertically through horizontal lines. Strips of deep blue, pink, orange, a hint of red. It wouldn't be long now, Talya knew, before the sun set entirely, bathing the world in darkness as the moon took to it. Casting it in its milky white blanket; as the last of the gulls and other sea birds circled overhead. Cawing lazily before heading off to their nests and their rocky crags. The crickets chirping merrily in the distance, as they leapt through the grass; rubbed their legs together as though they were plotting something evil. The first of night's creatures creeping out- an owl, a bat. The bugs of damper lands- flies and mosquitoes. Tal could hear them buzzing if only she bothered to listen. But it was not this that she paid the most attention to. Instead, it was the way her blade run hollowly as she drew it from its sheath, and held it firmly in her right hand, in a reverse grip while she took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth.
As she did so, Talya slipped into a starting position she had not employed for quite some time. She considered it a pose of concealment- a stance she utilized when she wished to perch on the fence between deceit and truths. Betrayal and loyalty. She hadn't had use of it before; as no one had ever gotten to be close enough to her where she might feel as though she would have use for it. No one had threatened her, and no one had gotten to know her the way that Reik had. Not since then anyway; but that did not mean that she shouldn't practice it also, she felt, as one should always be prepared for any situation they might find themselves in if they could. And so she would, she thought, as she slid her left foot forward, letting the right trail behind for once. The toes of her left foot pointed out ahead of her, while the right where directed behind her and off to the right side a bit, as she held the foot on a slight diagonal, so that both of her feet, when put together, formed perhaps, a one hundred twenty degree angle. Her chest was directed ahead of her, although on a slight angle, so that she seemed forward, and yet protected in slight. Anyone who read into it however, might know that she was hiding something; up to no good. But in most cases, she supposed, they wouldn't have long enough to figure as much out. Her left hand was held out in front of her. Extended slightly, with the palm facing up, as though she were offering someone her hand. The right was held behind her, against her far hip, as the metal couldn't be seen if someone were looking at her from the front, or even in some cases, her sides.
Talya took a deep cleansing breath as the sun shone upon her skin. Caressing it; warming it as it cascaded down the length of her body, kissing every unadorned inch. She bent her legs a little, leaning into the knee of her left ever so slightly as she transferred even more weight onto it. But not enough, she hoped, where it would be noticeable to an onlooker; because that would be alarming she felt, or at the very least, weird, as most people didn't stand with their legs bent unless they were preparing to spring or something of that sort; she felt. All the same, she breathed deep as she finished preparing herself, and took a look around to make sure no one was in her way; but no one was around. She had picked a quiet, open space upon the lawns to practice and she should not be disturbed, especially now that everyone was headed home to a late dinner, if not to put their children to sleep.
Satisfied, Talya swept her left hand in, bringing her wrist against her waist. As she did so, she lifted her left foot off of the ground, keeping her leg bent at the knee. Slowly, she raised the leg toward her chest, before stepping outward. In the next movement, she slid her right foot forward; following the curvature of a circle so that her hips rotated with her step, as did the direction of her chest. In the same few moments, she pulled her blade away from her hip, and moved her hand outward. When it had been stretched a few inches, and she no longer ran the risk of accidentally cutting herself as she carried out her strike, Talya began to move her hand inward. Sweeping the blade toward the right, around and across her body, until it spun out ahead of her with the completion of a crescent. Sweeping savagely across the air in front of her. She would then step forward a little further with the right, before placing it on the same line, about two feet directly ahead of the left. She would then thrust her arm farther out, although it was twisted downward, and stab the air again.
The sky seemed sandy; comprised of small grains of color, which, when put together, formed the whole. A mass of flickering light; as the sun flared while it sank. Streaking the celestial blanket in scorching tones. Its illumination stretching northward, casting golden hues vertically through horizontal lines. Strips of deep blue, pink, orange, a hint of red. It wouldn't be long now, Talya knew, before the sun set entirely, bathing the world in darkness as the moon took to it. Casting it in its milky white blanket; as the last of the gulls and other sea birds circled overhead. Cawing lazily before heading off to their nests and their rocky crags. The crickets chirping merrily in the distance, as they leapt through the grass; rubbed their legs together as though they were plotting something evil. The first of night's creatures creeping out- an owl, a bat. The bugs of damper lands- flies and mosquitoes. Tal could hear them buzzing if only she bothered to listen. But it was not this that she paid the most attention to. Instead, it was the way her blade run hollowly as she drew it from its sheath, and held it firmly in her right hand, in a reverse grip while she took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth.
As she did so, Talya slipped into a starting position she had not employed for quite some time. She considered it a pose of concealment- a stance she utilized when she wished to perch on the fence between deceit and truths. Betrayal and loyalty. She hadn't had use of it before; as no one had ever gotten to be close enough to her where she might feel as though she would have use for it. No one had threatened her, and no one had gotten to know her the way that Reik had. Not since then anyway; but that did not mean that she shouldn't practice it also, she felt, as one should always be prepared for any situation they might find themselves in if they could. And so she would, she thought, as she slid her left foot forward, letting the right trail behind for once. The toes of her left foot pointed out ahead of her, while the right where directed behind her and off to the right side a bit, as she held the foot on a slight diagonal, so that both of her feet, when put together, formed perhaps, a one hundred twenty degree angle. Her chest was directed ahead of her, although on a slight angle, so that she seemed forward, and yet protected in slight. Anyone who read into it however, might know that she was hiding something; up to no good. But in most cases, she supposed, they wouldn't have long enough to figure as much out. Her left hand was held out in front of her. Extended slightly, with the palm facing up, as though she were offering someone her hand. The right was held behind her, against her far hip, as the metal couldn't be seen if someone were looking at her from the front, or even in some cases, her sides.
Talya took a deep cleansing breath as the sun shone upon her skin. Caressing it; warming it as it cascaded down the length of her body, kissing every unadorned inch. She bent her legs a little, leaning into the knee of her left ever so slightly as she transferred even more weight onto it. But not enough, she hoped, where it would be noticeable to an onlooker; because that would be alarming she felt, or at the very least, weird, as most people didn't stand with their legs bent unless they were preparing to spring or something of that sort; she felt. All the same, she breathed deep as she finished preparing herself, and took a look around to make sure no one was in her way; but no one was around. She had picked a quiet, open space upon the lawns to practice and she should not be disturbed, especially now that everyone was headed home to a late dinner, if not to put their children to sleep.
Satisfied, Talya swept her left hand in, bringing her wrist against her waist. As she did so, she lifted her left foot off of the ground, keeping her leg bent at the knee. Slowly, she raised the leg toward her chest, before stepping outward. In the next movement, she slid her right foot forward; following the curvature of a circle so that her hips rotated with her step, as did the direction of her chest. In the same few moments, she pulled her blade away from her hip, and moved her hand outward. When it had been stretched a few inches, and she no longer ran the risk of accidentally cutting herself as she carried out her strike, Talya began to move her hand inward. Sweeping the blade toward the right, around and across her body, until it spun out ahead of her with the completion of a crescent. Sweeping savagely across the air in front of her. She would then step forward a little further with the right, before placing it on the same line, about two feet directly ahead of the left. She would then thrust her arm farther out, although it was twisted downward, and stab the air again.
