1st of Winter, 516 A.V.
Kuvay'Nas Lodge
Vypec forced his arms into the Dimakarux guard. He was not used to two blades and found his mind wandering to the second, less familiar one during down time between exchanges. As he engaged with Kazma or Delric or Mirrix, the second blade fell back and wide as he leant on the skill of his main hand. Delric in particular was amazingly hard to fight. With a fierce style and two deadly Lakan, the Cerulean was imaginative and unrelenting in his offense. Vypec was covered in a sheen of sweat as he staggered away from the bigger, harder hitting Mirrix and his claymore. Kazma primarily used Mirrix to build Vypec's defensive skills.
With enormous strength the huge Akalak and his claymore could not be blocked with a single blade. Vypec was quickly learning the basic blocks of the Dimakarux style, prompted by the merciless strikes of the claymore. Vypec felt the force of each strike through his entire body. But Mirrix was stepping back and Delric was readying his twin Lakan. The skull-like ink spread in a sinister grin across his face.
"Don't just absorb the blows, misdirect them." Kazma was barking as Vypec turned to face the cerulean. That kind of block wont work on these Lakan." He said.
The Lakan bit at the air between them playfully. They moved with separate and seemingly random motions. Vypec found himself dangerously ignorant of one if he tried to follow the other too closely. As they slashed out in a probing strike, Vypec slid both gladii forward and opposite directions, deflecting the Lakan wide. The simple counter that left his own sides open. Delric slid his left blade around, grazing the edge of Vypec's left gladius as he spun his body. The Cerulean rounded the left, weaker, side of Vypec's blades and thrust a short jab with his right Lakan at Vypec's exposed side. Vypec panicked. He tried to pull his left gladius back to block while stepping back and to the right.
The Cerulean twisted his Lakan around and the curved blades flipped the gladius out of Vypec's hand. He felt the hilt leaving his fingers and for a heartbeat made to retrieve it. But that would have left him open for the kill. Even before it left his hand completely Vypec was back pedaling and bringing his remaining gladius around to stand between Delric and him.
It had all happened in a handful of ticks.
At least throw it at him if you are going to throw it away. Vypal said in his mind. The other brother was cynical about the practice. Sparring with far superior opponents made him moody.
Noted. I'll try that next time. Vypec said back, too tired to even feign agitation.
Delric sheathed one Lakan with a fluid motion and picked up Vypec's fallen gladius. He threw it gently to him. Vypec caught it, barely. His left was just not familiar with swordsmanship. He needed more practice.
"You have to plan the series before-hand. With two blades it's twice the motion, twice the strategy. Make a flow and follow it through." Delric said as he returned his deadly Lakan to his hand. "All of this..." He began to move his blades in that chaotic motion. "Is just mind games. The attacks come in a flow, not disjointed." As he finished he lunged at Vypec. His blades followed each other around Vypec's guards, through his own strikes, or across the path of counters. They were like two dancers supporting each other.
Vypec began to see the pattern of strike strike, block strike, perry strike. It was always two actions, and there was always a bit of offense and a bit of defense in it. Vypec backed up, retreating ground fast as he deflected or blocked Delric's strikes. He missed the mark for most, simply leaping backwards, but at least he did not drop his new gladius. Vypec made a few feeble lunges to try to push back, but again his second blade was underutilized and he was pressed back harder.
The sounds of blades clashing filled the yard behind the Lodge in which they practiced. Vuhran and Banador were both absent, on a mission for Kazma. Vypec glanced at Kazma as Delric finally pushed him out of bounds and they were forced to reset.
"Okay, so what did that show you?" Kazma asked as he waved Delric back. The Cerulean flipped his Lakan in his hands and slid them into the hip sheathes in a fluid motion. Kazma had his arms crossed and his longsword naked in one hand, resting on his shoulder. The light of the sun shone a bright white hot on the blade's perfect edge.
Vypec let the gladii fall to his sides as he met his squad-leader's gaze. "Flow, follow each action with another."
"Exactly. The strength of the Dimakarux, and of the Lakan, is the versatility and mobility, speed and trickery!" Kazma said, punctuating each point with a jab in the air of his finger. "You can't just be flopping around hoping twice the blade means twice the strike. You have to plan it as you go, not depend on reactions." Kazma eased the longsword off his shoulder and beckoned Delric forward.
"With a fighter like me, reactions and opportunity it your game." Mirrix said from where he stood across the yard. "But with Delric, and most opponents, you have to be proactive. Create the momentum you need to pull off the feints and the reversals."
"Watch." Kazma said. And without another word he and Delric were sparring. Delric let his blades follow each other through his attacks. One would engage or deflect an attack and the second would push the offense. He would weave around the longsword with an series of lightning fast twists and thrusts. Kazma was, however, equal to it in every way. His blade moved in such a simple way it seemed impossible that it blocked or deflected all of Delric's advances.
"See the heartbeat of it?" Kazma said as he pulled away from the Cerulean. "Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap. This is the basic flow of Dimakarux. In more advanced stages you can alter this. But in the beginning I want you to plan through that flow. The structure makes it easier to wield the two blades." Kazma said as he motioned Delric forward again. "I will watch."
PurchaseGladius: -45GM
Scabbard: -4GM