Porcelain Child/VanaNumber06

<onine>*chiiinnnnggg!* step step*fwoosh!*
<onine> Malthuesa's sword swings high over you, a move that had you been nary a second slower, it would have taken your head clean from your shoulders. A risky move...
* Vana lets out a small shriek, and falls back on her butt.
<onine> You land uncomfortably, panting a little as sweat beads on your brow. The swordmaster holds the straight sword in the air as his grey cloak falls back down around him. A harsh yellow light bathes the roof.
<onine> Sunset is approaching fast, the Swordmaster has seen fit to increase your training to include two evening sessions per week, and has begun to instruct you on the second method of the four.
<onine> "Hold!" His voice rings out.
<onine> "List one positive and one negative of the situation you are now in."
* Vana takes a moment to regain her breath, then climbs unsteadily to her feet.
<onine> "I said hold."
* Vana stops, and sits back down. "S-Sorry, sir..." Whilst her swordsmanship may have improved, her confidence hasn't.
<onine> "Now. The negative."
<Vana> "I-I... it's difficult to maneuver from a prone position?"
<onine> "Good. Now the positive, and think vary carefully."
<Vana> "Um..." She thinks, for a little bit. "My... my opponent assumes he has the upper hand?"
<onine> He considers this for a moment. "An... interesting response....very interesting."
<onine> "And in this case, he*does* hold the upper hand. A simpler positive is this. You are still alive." He says the last part somberly. "You may now be at a disadvantaged position now, but it is less of one than being beheaded..."
* Vana scratches nervously at a seam on her training outfit; one that had to be resewn as a result of Maltheusa's lessons. "Y-Yes, sir..."
<onine> "Now you must bring yourself back to an equal footing with your opponent..."
<onine> Malthuesa proceeds to teach you numerous mundane ways to return to your feet. They are fast, and effective, even though your mastery is far from total at the beginning.
* Vana does the best she can, but yes, her attempts are rather sad to start.
<onine> The sun is just dipping below the horizon, and he orders you prone once more, but this time he does not instruct you to come to your feet.
* Vana does so, a little confused.
<onine> "These abilities will help you, and you must practice them as much as you practice your swordsmanship. While it may be effective to try and end a battle in a single strike, defense must *always* come first."
<onine> Indeed, defending and blocking has been a very prominent theme in his teachings.
* Vana nods a little. "Yes, sir..."
<onine> "However, purely the mundane is not all that you are capable of. We are set apart from humans with the gift of natures essence." He breathes deeply.
<Vana> "Sir?" She doesn't seem to see what he's getting at.
<onine> "You, of the aspect of fire, are a physical being of speed, passion and mobility. Describe fire, what it means to you."
<Vana> "I, um... burning? Racing flames... sir, I don't know..."
<onine> "Go on."
<Vana> "Heat? Um... consuming, climbing..." She folds her legs beneath her as she thinks.
<onine> "Good."
<onine> "Flames rise when they still live, as shall you. When you look at a bonfire or a burning torch, what does the flame never do? Fall. It always rises when it has even an ounce of strength."
* Vana nods slightly again.
<onine> "You have already been taught how to channel your own essence into your anima, and how to resonate with jade. Now I will teach you how to use your powers to rise as a butterfly flaps its wings."
* Vana looks cautiously interested, as the evening turns into night behind them.
<onine> "This is a talent natural to you, as a dragonblood of the fire aspect, you already burn with an internal flame. Feel the essence within you, let it course through your veins...."
* Vana takes that as a cue to start trying, so she closes her eyes and concentrates.
<onine> "Let it pool into your muscles, feel the warmth and strength it gives. Slowly. There will be time to practice speed in good time. Soon it will become second nature to you."
<Vana> "Yes, sir..." She attempts the above, her body feeling warmer by the second.
<onine> "When you are ready, move as if to regain your feat as I taught you."
* Vana nods, stretching her legs out before her once more. She rolls back a couple of times, preparing, then attempts to flip up to her feet. Unfortunately, she isn't prepared for the fiery burst of energy her Essence provides, and ends up falling face-first into the hard stone of the training arena.
<onine> "Hmmm..." The corner of Malthuesa's bearded mouth goes up, the closest thing you've ever seen him do to actual laughing.
<onine> "Again."
* Vana wipes a tiny bead of blood from her scratched cheek, then sits back again. She tries once more, with slightly better results... she falls on her ass this time, as she was trying not to put too much power into it.
<onine> "Too much, too little. You must find a balance, as such a balance is in all living things..." Malthuesa fetches up the two swords and stows them on the rack. You may stay here and practice as much as you wish, no more will I teach today. There is a time for fighting and a time for resting, and the time for my resting is now."
<Vana> "Y-Yes, sir..." She rubs her sore backside.
<onine> He pauses on his way to the door. "You have done well protege, very well. You outstrip your exalted brethren at every turn. Very well done indeed."
* Vana just goes a little red at the praise. "Thank you, sir."
<onine> "No need, you have done it all yourself, I merely guided..." He thuds down the stairs, the heavy white-jade shoulder plates clinking as he departs, their echo travels up the stairwell for some time.
* Vana stays on the roof for a while, lost in thought, before returning to the barracks. Silently, as she doesn't want to wake Viers and the others, thus prompting questions about her lateness.
<onine> Most of the barracks seems fairly empty, as it usually is at this time of week, saturday, when the young trainees are allowed some time to unwind. There are a few relaxing and reading books, but the three's bunks are empty, and you don't hear Barton laughing at one of his own jokes at all.
* Vana wonders vaguely where they are as she sits on her bed, before tending to her battered self.
<onine> Your bed is not empty. There is a shape under the covers...
* Vana starts as she sits on it, barely managing to miss hitting her head on the bunk above her. She peers at the shape nervously.
<onine> As you sit on it, there is a sudden and very frightening explosion of pillows and covers, which sends you sprawling from the bed both from explosive momentum, and instinctive retreat.
* Vana squeals, and falls backwards onto the ground beside the bed.
<onine> After a short while the rain of pillows and sheets ends, you have one pillow balanced unceremoniously on your head. All the Dragonbloods in the room are looking in your directions with expressions varying from surprise, to fear, to 'battle mode' (which quickly wears off)
* Vana sits quivering.
<onine> In the sheet 'crater' of your now coverless bed is a spent spring mechanism made partly of wood.
* Vana stops shaking after a few moments, carefully removing the pillow from her head and looking at the device.
<onine> Its crude, definitely 'scratch jury-rigged' for the purpose. Upon it written in red paint are the words "See you at the Claw" Underneath which are three dashes that look like claw marks. | | |
<onine> After a while the curious exalts in the room lose interest in you, which is easy enough.
* Vana 's cheeks burn red with shame, as she removes the pieces of the device from her bed and places them in the rubbish.
<onine> You are reasonably (in fact, VERY) sure that this is Barton's doing, more than likely with help from the other two, the clawmark is their 'symbol' in a lot of things. The 'Claw' is the common name for a 'recreation hall' that the younger exalts in training are alowed to use.
<onine> The older exalts are allowed to leave the Manse grounds in the evenings and visit pubs and other delightful places that you are too young to frequent.
* Vana suspects that she won't get much rest unless she goes along, so after tidying up the mess, she does.
<onine> You arrive there, at least where you know it to be, since you've never been before. Its a large multistory building attached to the side of the manse proper, with large ornate roofs and such. There are a fair few younger exalts (and older ones who don’t feel like going out) milling about, coming and going.
* Vana tries to look innocuous and small as she nervously makes her way inside.
<onine> Inside, is as most 'well built' dragonblooded buildings, impressive to look at. For the most part there are chairs and tables across the floor under the mild coloured lantern-lights.
<onine> The military bent of Lookshy means there isn't much of a dance floor or anything the likes of which you would see in the realm - the music is mostly for background noise. On the upper balconied floors are private rooms for massages and private gatherings of those recruits and trainees that have scratched together enough military script to pay.
<onine> Young officer trainees usually. The 'enlisted' are on the main floor, milling about. The murmur of speech is a little too loud for you.
* Vana just gets more uneasy by the second at all the people. She starts hunting for the three, hoping they're not in one of the upper rooms.
<onine> As you squeeze as unobtrusively through the mingling comrades as you can, your eyes scan back and forth looking for Viers and the others. Your scans and nervousness cause you to miss the person you run into untill it is too late. A tray of drinks go all over his tunic (and to a lesser extent you).
<Vana>* Vana attempts to stutter out an apology, as she tries to pick up the fallen drinks. Rather a futile gesture, really. "O-Oh, gods... I-I'm so sorry..."
<Xiao> "What in the-" A hand grabs you on the shoulder, a young exalt you recognize, but don’t know the name of glares seething down at you. "Clumsy dolt!"
<Xiao> Another three at a nearby table stand up, menacingly. The one that can definitely be called the ringleader steps up. You know the name of this one. Noxx.
* Vana is pinned with fear. "I-I'm sorry... I-I'll buy new ones..." She gets even more terrified at the newcomers.
<Xiao> He has a healthy dose of Gren's superiority issue, and has the manner of a bully.
<Xiao> "Well well well, if it isn't the little human!" Noxx sneers (he's a water aspect, and a somewhat highborn one at that)
<Xiao> His cronies snicker
<onine> "The little mortal is playing where she doesn't belong, and she spilt our drinks... I don’t think another round is enough compensation for the insult do you?"
<onine> His cronies agree with him...
* Vana barely suppresses a whimper of fear, but can't help biting her lip, hard enough to draw blood.
<onine> There is a mutual snickering amongst them.
<onine> "You know what we should do?" one says from the back, "We should (an incredibly lewd, scandalous and sickeningly bizarre sexual fetish involving sea creatures).... Oh wait, but that's more a Water aspect thing, right Noxx?"
<onine> The four thugs pause a moment, considering the option, and for a water aspect, Noxx does a mighty fine job of going red in the face with rage."
<onine> "WHAAAATT?!"
* Vana is too scared to laugh, currently.
<onine> He turns to the voice angrily, "Why I ought to-"
<onine> "Hi!" the voice interrupts and a chair disintegrates over Noxx's head.
<onine> As if on cue, a pair of dark hands wrap themselves around one of the lackies and throws him to the side, and another takes a fist to the side of the jaw.
<onine> Viers stands there and inspects the backrest of the chair in his hand, which is now the only part left of it. "Such inferior materials..."
* Vana stares up at him with immense relief. "V-Viers...?"
<onine> Barton and Gren quickly move in from their respective 'pursuits' and join 'your side' of the engagement.
<onine> "Vana, you made it, great!" Barton grins
* Vana just about cries from happiness at seeing them. She attempts to stand, but the fear took all her energy from her, so she sinks to her knees again.
<onine> Gren reaches down a hand to help you up.
<onine> Noxx in the meantime begins to slowly rise, haggard with splinters of wood in his hair. "What the hell are you three doing? This isn't your business.." He spits out some blood.
* Vana takes it after a moment of shivering, looking fearfully at Noxx.
<onine> "Hey, we're good samaritans. We're not taking to kindly to you pushing Vana around."
<onine> "Gah, this wretch? She's nothing more than a mortal, her blood is next to water."
<Vana> "I-I said I'd buy new drinks..." Vana offers this timidly.
<onine> "No you're not," Viers says darkly. "If anything he should be buying *you* a drink for his rudeness. The only one with watery blood is him."
* Vana bows her head in acquiescence.
<onine> "Now apologies nicely like a good water-lizard and we'll forget this whole thing happened." Gren says after steadying you.
<onine> "Why you... I'll give you an apology..." Noxx snarls. By now his cronies and a few more have gathered flanking him, five in all.