Setting
Beginning at the back of the castle, this expanse of training field stretches a mile and a half away from the castle, and half a mile wide. Instead of being a flat plane, it has hills, dips, ravines, fields and patches of forest, all utilized in training exercises, and the full-scale mock wars.
The terrain includes mud, water, and depending on how inventive the mages casting the weather and shadow armies are, torrential rain, thunder and lightning, high winds, and snow. Anything they can throw at Serenia's armies to better prepare them for fighting in any condition.
To add to the variation, the terrain itself is never the same as the last session. A more recent addition to the training methods of the Serenian forces, the dire wolves endowed with earth elemental abilities will periodically do through the field, changing the land, shifting the landmarks, changing the tree lines. Some landmarks remain after each change, but in a nutshell, the field is almost unrecognizable from the last session or mock war held.
Closer to the castle, the training ground is less terrain filled, and more of what one would expect to see when they hear 'Training Field'; a flat space a thousand feet by three thousand feet, used for more formal spars and teaching of new recruits.
The terrain includes mud, water, and depending on how inventive the mages casting the weather and shadow armies are, torrential rain, thunder and lightning, high winds, and snow. Anything they can throw at Serenia's armies to better prepare them for fighting in any condition.
To add to the variation, the terrain itself is never the same as the last session. A more recent addition to the training methods of the Serenian forces, the dire wolves endowed with earth elemental abilities will periodically do through the field, changing the land, shifting the landmarks, changing the tree lines. Some landmarks remain after each change, but in a nutshell, the field is almost unrecognizable from the last session or mock war held.
Closer to the castle, the training ground is less terrain filled, and more of what one would expect to see when they hear 'Training Field'; a flat space a thousand feet by three thousand feet, used for more formal spars and teaching of new recruits.
The Training Field
Vast, pockmarked with hills, holes, and scattered patches of forest, this training field stretches for over a mile away from the back of the castle, and sees rigorous training exercises and a mock war a few times per season.
Minimap
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You are here. |
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The Training Field is a part of 
The Queen's Residence | Skysong Castle.
1 Characters Here
Taran Caelis Titan [6] "We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."
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Meanwhile, in Serenia...
"And, fire!" A tall elvish captain shouted deeply as he made a motion with his sword. Suddenly, a hailstorm of around 250 arrows swarmed over the skies, darkening out the sun as they arched through the air towards a field of armored enemies arranged shoulder to shoulder in a single line. The arrows seemed to almost whistle and sing as they whizzed through the air. Soon, the open battlefield was staked with over a hundred different arrow shafts that had missed the enemy completely and imbedded themselves vertically into the ground. The rest of the arrows had hit their marks, some piercing the standing enemies without a sound while others would tick and ting with various clanking noises as they pierced through the enemy's metal helmets, chest plates and body armor.
"Stand ready!" The captain shouted, his voice being loud and clear enough to travel over several yards of open field. As he issued his commands, an entire company of around 250 elvish skirmishers reloaded their Serenian shortbows and prepared to take aim. The captain's name was Neirin Erraveyn and his company of 250 soldiers were the elite skirmishers of the First Unit of Serenian air cavalry. But this was no ordinary battlefield. The enemies who stood before them were not enemies at all, but armored scarecrows and training dummies who had been setup in the open fields. This was the Archery Range and Neirin's troops were only training.
"Aim!" The captain shouted deeply, raising his sword high into the air. Once again, the Serenian skirmishers raised their bows in front of them and drew back their bowstrings. Despite the overwhelming number of elvish troops, they seemed to all move in synchronization with one another as if they had been trained to act as one whole force. "And, fire!" Again, the captain made a motion with his sword. Again, the skies were darkened by the whizzing and singing of elvish arrows cascading through the air. This time, more than half of the arrows would hit their marks and those that missed would find themselves not too far from their intended targets.
Neirin looked over at his superior commanding officer, who nodded his head in approval before walking away. Neirin smiled and then looked back over at his troops, who were preparing to reload their shortbows again. "Attention!" Neirin allowed his deepened voice to drag out over the Archery Range, adding authority to his persona as their captain. Within seconds, his entire company was standing shoulder to shoulder with their backs straight, feet together and hands at their sides. Every single one of them were resting their right hands on top of their bows, which rested vertically at the right side of their bodies. They stared forward, eyes gazing at the open range and for a moment Neirin thought they all looked like a single stone wall. Although his expression never changed seriousness, in his mind he was deeply impressed.
"At ease!" He shouted, allowing his skirmishers to relax. He stared at his troops for a moment with a stern gaze in his eyes before allowing them to be dismissed. Within minutes, they were all leaving the Archery Range and heading back to the Barracks where they would be allowed to relax for a little while and cleanup before going to the dining hall for their next meal. The range was only part of the First Unit's training, however. After a hearty meal, they would be going out to the stables to clean and take care of the horses. Neirin took pride in training his troops and kept them on a strictly tight schedule. As a Serenian soldier, he didn't really have much of a personal life. His entire day was devoted to training, from sunrise to sunset, making sure that Skysong Castle was always ready for battle whenever they needed his company, however rarely it was. It was even more important to Neirin that they trained extra hard now, during peace-time, so that his troops would never grow weary or weak.
"Stand ready!" The captain shouted, his voice being loud and clear enough to travel over several yards of open field. As he issued his commands, an entire company of around 250 elvish skirmishers reloaded their Serenian shortbows and prepared to take aim. The captain's name was Neirin Erraveyn and his company of 250 soldiers were the elite skirmishers of the First Unit of Serenian air cavalry. But this was no ordinary battlefield. The enemies who stood before them were not enemies at all, but armored scarecrows and training dummies who had been setup in the open fields. This was the Archery Range and Neirin's troops were only training.
"Aim!" The captain shouted deeply, raising his sword high into the air. Once again, the Serenian skirmishers raised their bows in front of them and drew back their bowstrings. Despite the overwhelming number of elvish troops, they seemed to all move in synchronization with one another as if they had been trained to act as one whole force. "And, fire!" Again, the captain made a motion with his sword. Again, the skies were darkened by the whizzing and singing of elvish arrows cascading through the air. This time, more than half of the arrows would hit their marks and those that missed would find themselves not too far from their intended targets.
Neirin looked over at his superior commanding officer, who nodded his head in approval before walking away. Neirin smiled and then looked back over at his troops, who were preparing to reload their shortbows again. "Attention!" Neirin allowed his deepened voice to drag out over the Archery Range, adding authority to his persona as their captain. Within seconds, his entire company was standing shoulder to shoulder with their backs straight, feet together and hands at their sides. Every single one of them were resting their right hands on top of their bows, which rested vertically at the right side of their bodies. They stared forward, eyes gazing at the open range and for a moment Neirin thought they all looked like a single stone wall. Although his expression never changed seriousness, in his mind he was deeply impressed.
"At ease!" He shouted, allowing his skirmishers to relax. He stared at his troops for a moment with a stern gaze in his eyes before allowing them to be dismissed. Within minutes, they were all leaving the Archery Range and heading back to the Barracks where they would be allowed to relax for a little while and cleanup before going to the dining hall for their next meal. The range was only part of the First Unit's training, however. After a hearty meal, they would be going out to the stables to clean and take care of the horses. Neirin took pride in training his troops and kept them on a strictly tight schedule. As a Serenian soldier, he didn't really have much of a personal life. His entire day was devoted to training, from sunrise to sunset, making sure that Skysong Castle was always ready for battle whenever they needed his company, however rarely it was. It was even more important to Neirin that they trained extra hard now, during peace-time, so that his troops would never grow weary or weak.
Trained to master the mind as well as the body, Titan meditated in silence in a chamber he had long come to seek refuge in. It was an enormous round-shaped chamber, made of stone that built the very foundations the castle stood upon. The roof was lined in luminescent green gems that illuminated a path throughout the otherwise dark and damp corridor. Its most distinguishing feature however was the water that fed in from the next room, which cascaded over a pair of rocks and into a deep pond below. Small fish swam in this pond, and a mirage of color followed their every graceful movement. It was Titan’s escape, a place very few knew about outside the Queen. Seated next to him was Thunderhead, a dire wolf. With raven-black fur and a snow-white underbelly, he was a mere runt, standing at only a fraction of the size of his uncles, Maelstrom and Vortex. He was however enormously powerful in his own right, able to manipulative the powers of electricity much like Titan could. “Captain Erraveyn is training his archers in the training field. It could be interesting to see what they’re up to.” Petting the beast behind the ears, Titan stood, cracking his knuckles as he beckoned the beast to follow him.
From a balcony at the rear of the castle, he could oversee the entirety of the training field, and he watched closely as the Captain’s men fired at the armored dummies. They were skilled, very few of his men missing their target. Their aim was true, which was a good thing in case the castle ever came under siege. He would need to get a closer look, and speak with the Captain himself. Storming through the back of the castle, he slowly idled through the orchard, fingertips gracing the leaves of the trees as he passed. The harvest was over, but a sweet smell still lingered in the air. It was only then that he noticed a peach growing in the corner of his eye. Pulling his sword and cutting it from its stem, the fruit fell in his hand before he took a bit bite out of it. Juices flowing against his lips and over his chin, he took the scenic route to the training field, where he would meet the Captain.
“Captain Erraveyn! Your men looked good out there. I saw the whole thing from the balcony. Very impressed.” The man deserved his congratulations. After all, he’d trained them himself. Behind Titan, Thunderhead could be seen hot on his heels, stopping just behind him and taking a seat. Obedient as ever. “You make these old bones yearn to pick a fight.” Sparring wasn’t out of the question. Although he was unsure whether the good Captain was a challenge worthy of him, perhaps they could both learn something in the process. Titan had found that almost every enemy had a lesson worth teaching. He was actually more interested in defending himself from a projectile such as one of his arrows. There were a few ideas floating around up on how exactly that would be accomplished.
As he started walking back to the barracks, Neirin acquired the feeling that he was being spied out. Ignoring the feeling, however, he continued to walk back towards the barracks. It was then that he suddenly heard his name being called. "Captain Erraveyn!" It was Titan, one of the Aedillonian elves. Neirin was familiar with the Aedillonians and their reputation for arcane magic. He was even more familiar with Titan, a well-respected ally of the Serenian kingdom. "Prince Taran," Neirin responded instinctively, stopping to face Titan as he stepped casually out of the orchard. Neirin placed one hand at his side to grab the edge of his cloak before placing his other hand behind his back. With that, Neirin would bend at the waist, lowering his head and his eyes as he bowed respectfully to Titan before standing upright again. "You make these old bones yearn to pick a fight," Titan said, hinting that he wanted to spar with Neirin again like he used to do in time's past, before Titan was commissioned by King Lionel to watch over his daughters. It had been over a century since they last trained together, but Neirin could still remember when they were younger how Titan used the advantage of his aging wisdom and superior body-weight to pin him during their dragged out wrestling matches. Still, the invitation to train with Lord Titan again after all these years was too great of an offer for the young captain to pass up. "Well, old friend, you've come to the right place. I was just getting ready to head towards the meal hall, but now that you're here, I suppose I could hang around for a little bit longer." Neirin was formally inviting Taran to train with him. Neirin had improved greatly since the last time they trained together and he was eager to catch up with his old friend. After all, Neirin spent most of his time training the troops for battle nowadays and didn't get to see the outside world as much as Princess Briena's personal bodyguard. Neirin thought it might be a good opportunity to catch up on political matters and hear what kind of gossip was going on in Skysong City.
Titan could faintly recall a time when he just met Neirin, some two-hundred years ago during his service to King Lionel. Since then, he had the privilege of watching him grow into a strong and proud warrior, who would faithfully die for Serenia if it was so required of him. At least that was the impression he got of Neirin. It’d been near a century since they last sparred, and Titan was unsure why he ever distanced himself from the man. Perhaps time simply has a way of breaking even the most seasoned of friendships. “So what will it be Neiren? Swords? Fists? We could wrestle like we used to, see if you’ve improved since the last time I gave you a whooping.” Pulling the claymore from his back, he laid it on the ground before removing the gauntlets from around his fists – followed by his armor. It would only weigh him down, and was an unneeded distraction. He’d only need his hands and his wits to handle this. Perhaps that was his ego talking.
Taking a few cautious steps back, his body contorted forward, bowing respectfully before he bent his knees and hunched. Using his fingers to beckon Neirin closer, he smirked cockily. “Your move.” It wasn’t a question as to whether Neirin had improved, Titan knew he had. Hopefully he would offer a challenge to Titan this time around. Nonetheless, he enjoyed the man’s company. “You know you missed a bit of a scuffle yourself just a few minutes ago. A lycan attempting to sneak his way into the castle. Might be amused to hear of my response.” It was cruel what he did to Torcus, but Titan wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it. Torcus was a bother who needed to be tended to, and if anything, Titan didn’t teleport him far enough. He should have left him in Ravenwall, though the two and a half week ride back would only sour his mood.
"A lycan, in the castle?" Neirin knew he had sensed something rather strange from earlier, but he was too busy training with his troops to really focus on anything else at that moment. But now that his mind was free to focus on Titan, he could recall the strange presence he felt out on the archery range. "What did you do?" Neirin asked inquisitively as he started to remove his own weapons and armor. He kept a single hidden dagger strapped to his leather boot at all times. The dagger was like a security blanket to Neirin and although he never used it when sparring, he also never removed it from his boot. If a mysterious lycan had somehow managed to sneak into the castle, there was no telling who might try to sneak up on Neirin and Titan out in the training field. He wasn't going to let his guard down, especially after hearing that.
Neirin removed his cloak and set it off to the side, along with his quiver and bow. He then started walking closer to Titan, all while listening to his story about the lycan who had slipped passed the castle's security. That alone was enough to keep Neirin on his toes, as he stopped roughly seven feet away from Titan, standing directly in front of him. They were now just out of range from one another and Neirin was wondering who would be the first to enter the kicking zone. As he waited for Prince Taran to finish what he was saying, Neirin slowly eased into an elvish fighting stance. It was the same fighting stance that all Serenian soldiers learned when training in unarmed combat; a neutral 50/50 fighting stance which placed his body weight evenly over both legs. Neirin's feet were planted roughly shoulder-length apart, with his right foot more slightly forward than his left foot so that the toes on his right foot pointed directly at Titan while the toes on his left foot were slightly more diagonal, causing his left foot to angle outwards a little bit more.
He would bend his knees just slightly, enough to put a spring in his step so that he would be able to move quickly if he needed to. His body alignment matched the position of his feet, making it so that Neirin's right side was more exposed than his left side while keeping his mid-section guarded at all times. To further protect his body, Neirin's left arm was raised in a loose open rear-hand, guarding his head while his right arm hung loosely down in front of him. His right hand would protect his groin and lower mid-section while his right elbow would be used to protect his ribs. Neirin was still facing forward without ever exposing his back to Titan, as he waited for his old friend to get ready. They were both facing north and south with the sun setting off to the west, preventing either one of them from being blinded by the sun's rays, at least for the moment. Neirin lowered his chin to protect his throat while narrowing his eyes slightly, focusing more on Titan's center of being. He knew that if he had any hope at beating Titan, then Neirin would have to fix his eyes at a spot on Titan's body that allowed good peripheral view of Titan's entire structure from head to toe. By focusing on Titan's center, Neirin would still be able to see any subtle motions coming from the Aedillonian's elbows and knees, subtle motions which might alert Neirin of any sudden movement.
Neirin removed his cloak and set it off to the side, along with his quiver and bow. He then started walking closer to Titan, all while listening to his story about the lycan who had slipped passed the castle's security. That alone was enough to keep Neirin on his toes, as he stopped roughly seven feet away from Titan, standing directly in front of him. They were now just out of range from one another and Neirin was wondering who would be the first to enter the kicking zone. As he waited for Prince Taran to finish what he was saying, Neirin slowly eased into an elvish fighting stance. It was the same fighting stance that all Serenian soldiers learned when training in unarmed combat; a neutral 50/50 fighting stance which placed his body weight evenly over both legs. Neirin's feet were planted roughly shoulder-length apart, with his right foot more slightly forward than his left foot so that the toes on his right foot pointed directly at Titan while the toes on his left foot were slightly more diagonal, causing his left foot to angle outwards a little bit more.
He would bend his knees just slightly, enough to put a spring in his step so that he would be able to move quickly if he needed to. His body alignment matched the position of his feet, making it so that Neirin's right side was more exposed than his left side while keeping his mid-section guarded at all times. To further protect his body, Neirin's left arm was raised in a loose open rear-hand, guarding his head while his right arm hung loosely down in front of him. His right hand would protect his groin and lower mid-section while his right elbow would be used to protect his ribs. Neirin was still facing forward without ever exposing his back to Titan, as he waited for his old friend to get ready. They were both facing north and south with the sun setting off to the west, preventing either one of them from being blinded by the sun's rays, at least for the moment. Neirin lowered his chin to protect his throat while narrowing his eyes slightly, focusing more on Titan's center of being. He knew that if he had any hope at beating Titan, then Neirin would have to fix his eyes at a spot on Titan's body that allowed good peripheral view of Titan's entire structure from head to toe. By focusing on Titan's center, Neirin would still be able to see any subtle motions coming from the Aedillonian's elbows and knees, subtle motions which might alert Neirin of any sudden movement.
Neirin was already in a fighting stance, ready to begin their sparring match as he listened to Titan's story about how he had teleported a strange lycan away from the castle. "Well, I will be sure to have my troops ready if he comes back. They've been training very hard these past few years. I think the Queen will be pleased with how fast they've progressed since then." Neirin was not aware that Titan was slightly blind in one eye. Not that it really mattered, as it had never prevented Titan from getting the better of Neirin during previous sparring experiences between them. Of course, there was always the possibility that Titan had been blinded long after they had last met and Neirin was just not aware of it yet.
“I’ll make you a deal. If you can land but a single blow on me, you win.” Titan issued a simple challenge to Neirin, perhaps letting his ego get the best of him. But there was always a great deal of confidence in Titan, as one might expect from someone with his legendary fame and reputation on the battlefield. Titan had every right to boast. Perhaps it was because Titan didn't just talk the talk, he also was quite capable of demonstrating his abilities. Why else would he be the Queen's personal bodyguard? Neirin nodded, accepting Titan's challenge. Although he was much younger than the prince, Neirin was anything but unprepared. His calm, collective nature and humble personality is what distinguished Neirin from others. Those who knew him best knew that he was much better at combat than he pretended to be. But was he good enough to land a blow on Titan? They were both about to find out soon enough.
Just then, Titan stepped forward with his right foot. Neirin's foresight probably would've forewarned him of Titan's advancement, but it was unnecessary for Neirin to use any of his mental abilities. He didn't need foresight, because his eyes were already focused on the Aedillonian's whole body. As soon as Titan even lifted his knee to take a step forward, Neirin was already aware of his intentions. Unless someone was stiff-legged, they would always move their knees first before moving their feet when walking. Neirin was keen to such subtle motions, allowing him to anticipate Titan's body movement before he even took his first step. Perhaps the prince was already underestimating his old friend. One hundred years is a long time for someone to catch up. Neirin had been training non-stop for over 285 years, sometimes for twelve hours a day. He was no longer the teenage soldier who had served under Titan when they were younger. Neirin had grown to become a fine Serenian captain and he intended on proving it to everybody when the time had come.
Neirin responded with a shift of his own footwork, keeping his stance as he maintained the position of his own right foot, making sure that his toes were always pointed directly towards Titan, even when Titan changed positions or moved. It was a simple dance step, a response to Titan's movement of his right foot. Noticing the telegraphic torque of Titan's body as he opened with a rear-hand cross, Neirin responded by lifting his right hand loosely in front of him in an upward and outward sweeping motion, blocking Titan's punch with a swift backwards chop to Titan's left wrist with his right forearm. It was a purely defensive technique. However, many Serenian defensive maneuvers doubled as counter attacks, often targeting vital joints and nerves in the body so as to instill pain or deaden the limbs. Neirin wasn't using much force of his own, though, just enough to hopefully sting Titan's arm without committing to any unnecessary resistance.
Then, as if part of the same combo, Titan followed through with a quick right uppercut to Neirin's chin. The captain was trained to deal with combination attacks, however, showing no sign of being perplexed as he quickly responded with yet another chop from his right arm, this time using the blade of his hand to stop Titan's uppercut by doing the exact same motion in reverse. Neirin simply dropped his right arm loosely in front of him in a downward and inward sweeping motion, again targeting the inside of Titan's wrist. Neirin was using the same hand twice to block Titan's combo with one fluid motion, while simultaneously using his defensive motion to deliver not just one, but two nerve strikes, to the inside of both of Titan's wrists. Neirin would refrain from using much force again, just as he did the first time. He preferred to maintain his structure and stay within frame, keeping his guard on his center rather than committing to any powerful movements.
Despite the split second it took for all of that to happen, Neirin kept the rest of his body relatively motionless. Although there was a nice opening after Titan's uppercut for Neirin to deliver a quick left jab, for reasons unknown, Neirin restrained himself. His left hand never moved, but remained close to his head as he kept the same neutral fighting stance. His right side was still slightly more exposed to Titan than the rest of his body. His right hand was still hanging loosely down in front of him to protect his groin and mid-section, as if Neirin's reaction to Titan's uppercut had been the direct cause of this position. But in all actuality, Neirin was just more comfortable in this position. He felt more relaxed, more balanced, more protected than he would have felt had his right hand not been there to begin with.
"A squire? I've never known you to have a squire. She must be quite talented," Neirin said as he continued to listen to the Aedillonian prince. Neirin would take one small step back, placing distance between Titan and himself. His right foot still pointed directly at Titan's center, while his left foot was angled slightly outward again just like before. Neirin kept his eyes focused on Titan's mid-section, where he would have a clear view of Titan's elbows and knees. The captain was very skillful, but he knew better than to underestimate Titan's wits. He wasn't about to take any chances with him. "Patch, eh? That name sounds familiar to me for some reason." Neirin wouldn't dwell on the name that rang a bell. Instead, he kept his chin down and focussed on Titan's every move, thinking only about the moment while allowing all of his thoughts to come and go through freely without holding on to any distractions in his mind.
“I’ll make you a deal. If you can land but a single blow on me, you win.” Titan issued a simple challenge to Neirin, perhaps letting his ego get the best of him. But there was always a great deal of confidence in Titan, as one might expect from someone with his legendary fame and reputation on the battlefield. Titan had every right to boast. Perhaps it was because Titan didn't just talk the talk, he also was quite capable of demonstrating his abilities. Why else would he be the Queen's personal bodyguard? Neirin nodded, accepting Titan's challenge. Although he was much younger than the prince, Neirin was anything but unprepared. His calm, collective nature and humble personality is what distinguished Neirin from others. Those who knew him best knew that he was much better at combat than he pretended to be. But was he good enough to land a blow on Titan? They were both about to find out soon enough.
Just then, Titan stepped forward with his right foot. Neirin's foresight probably would've forewarned him of Titan's advancement, but it was unnecessary for Neirin to use any of his mental abilities. He didn't need foresight, because his eyes were already focused on the Aedillonian's whole body. As soon as Titan even lifted his knee to take a step forward, Neirin was already aware of his intentions. Unless someone was stiff-legged, they would always move their knees first before moving their feet when walking. Neirin was keen to such subtle motions, allowing him to anticipate Titan's body movement before he even took his first step. Perhaps the prince was already underestimating his old friend. One hundred years is a long time for someone to catch up. Neirin had been training non-stop for over 285 years, sometimes for twelve hours a day. He was no longer the teenage soldier who had served under Titan when they were younger. Neirin had grown to become a fine Serenian captain and he intended on proving it to everybody when the time had come.
Neirin responded with a shift of his own footwork, keeping his stance as he maintained the position of his own right foot, making sure that his toes were always pointed directly towards Titan, even when Titan changed positions or moved. It was a simple dance step, a response to Titan's movement of his right foot. Noticing the telegraphic torque of Titan's body as he opened with a rear-hand cross, Neirin responded by lifting his right hand loosely in front of him in an upward and outward sweeping motion, blocking Titan's punch with a swift backwards chop to Titan's left wrist with his right forearm. It was a purely defensive technique. However, many Serenian defensive maneuvers doubled as counter attacks, often targeting vital joints and nerves in the body so as to instill pain or deaden the limbs. Neirin wasn't using much force of his own, though, just enough to hopefully sting Titan's arm without committing to any unnecessary resistance.
Then, as if part of the same combo, Titan followed through with a quick right uppercut to Neirin's chin. The captain was trained to deal with combination attacks, however, showing no sign of being perplexed as he quickly responded with yet another chop from his right arm, this time using the blade of his hand to stop Titan's uppercut by doing the exact same motion in reverse. Neirin simply dropped his right arm loosely in front of him in a downward and inward sweeping motion, again targeting the inside of Titan's wrist. Neirin was using the same hand twice to block Titan's combo with one fluid motion, while simultaneously using his defensive motion to deliver not just one, but two nerve strikes, to the inside of both of Titan's wrists. Neirin would refrain from using much force again, just as he did the first time. He preferred to maintain his structure and stay within frame, keeping his guard on his center rather than committing to any powerful movements.
Despite the split second it took for all of that to happen, Neirin kept the rest of his body relatively motionless. Although there was a nice opening after Titan's uppercut for Neirin to deliver a quick left jab, for reasons unknown, Neirin restrained himself. His left hand never moved, but remained close to his head as he kept the same neutral fighting stance. His right side was still slightly more exposed to Titan than the rest of his body. His right hand was still hanging loosely down in front of him to protect his groin and mid-section, as if Neirin's reaction to Titan's uppercut had been the direct cause of this position. But in all actuality, Neirin was just more comfortable in this position. He felt more relaxed, more balanced, more protected than he would have felt had his right hand not been there to begin with.
"A squire? I've never known you to have a squire. She must be quite talented," Neirin said as he continued to listen to the Aedillonian prince. Neirin would take one small step back, placing distance between Titan and himself. His right foot still pointed directly at Titan's center, while his left foot was angled slightly outward again just like before. Neirin kept his eyes focused on Titan's mid-section, where he would have a clear view of Titan's elbows and knees. The captain was very skillful, but he knew better than to underestimate Titan's wits. He wasn't about to take any chances with him. "Patch, eh? That name sounds familiar to me for some reason." Neirin wouldn't dwell on the name that rang a bell. Instead, he kept his chin down and focussed on Titan's every move, thinking only about the moment while allowing all of his thoughts to come and go through freely without holding on to any distractions in his mind.
When The Dusty Traveler ran out of Orchard Mushrooms, it was always Elle that they sent out to find more. She was a deft climber, and was happy to take on the task. So, as she crossed into the orchard, eyes lifting to watch for the telltale yellow ruffled white caps against the dark barks of the apple trees, she wore a smile on her rosebud lips, and her sky blue eyes held a cheerful twinkle. Oh, there. Hefting the basket further up her arm and hooking it over her shoulder, she gathered her skirt and tucked the hems into the belt around her hips, freeing her legs for a climb.
It was as simple as jumping straight up, catching onto the lowest branches, and swinging her body until she had enough momentum to twist her body around to perch on the branch. Balancing was the fun part, though she’d always enjoyed the swooping sensations in her belly during the swinging. Balancing as she picked the mushrooms, and humming a ditty, she progressed slowly through the orchard, hopping down after each tree was harvested of the fungi that would be going first into the stew that was to be served tonight, and the remainder to be dried for storage.
She was nearing the training field, her basket half way full of the fungi when she heard the training of men, arrows whistling, calls of… was that the Captain? Yes, it was. And.. Oh no. Not Titan. The tall Aedillonian was the Queen’s guard, and apparently, the Queen vexed him often. And where did he come when vexed? To The Dusty Traveler. And somehow, she always ended up being the one to listen to his drunken stupors. You’d think a man his age wouldn’t get drunk so easily. Of course, she wasn’t one to talk; she could get drunk off a sip of ale, and that sip never stayed in her body for long.
She forced herself to ignore the ensuing spar in order to scale the apple tree to her right. The branches were thick with the fungi, here. It wasn’t the kind of fungus that harmed trees. They merely grew on them like a moss. They had a wonderful flavor, savory and earthy, with a hint of the flavor of the fruit trees they grew on. She’d just levered off the last one, topping off her now heaping basket, when her weight shifted a bit too much to the right, and then she was airborne. She threw out her arm, just enough thought going through her head to vanish the basket to save the mushrooms, and felt the bark of the tree scrape her forearm. And the ground was rushing up to greet her. This is going to hurt…
It was as simple as jumping straight up, catching onto the lowest branches, and swinging her body until she had enough momentum to twist her body around to perch on the branch. Balancing was the fun part, though she’d always enjoyed the swooping sensations in her belly during the swinging. Balancing as she picked the mushrooms, and humming a ditty, she progressed slowly through the orchard, hopping down after each tree was harvested of the fungi that would be going first into the stew that was to be served tonight, and the remainder to be dried for storage.
She was nearing the training field, her basket half way full of the fungi when she heard the training of men, arrows whistling, calls of… was that the Captain? Yes, it was. And.. Oh no. Not Titan. The tall Aedillonian was the Queen’s guard, and apparently, the Queen vexed him often. And where did he come when vexed? To The Dusty Traveler. And somehow, she always ended up being the one to listen to his drunken stupors. You’d think a man his age wouldn’t get drunk so easily. Of course, she wasn’t one to talk; she could get drunk off a sip of ale, and that sip never stayed in her body for long.
She forced herself to ignore the ensuing spar in order to scale the apple tree to her right. The branches were thick with the fungi, here. It wasn’t the kind of fungus that harmed trees. They merely grew on them like a moss. They had a wonderful flavor, savory and earthy, with a hint of the flavor of the fruit trees they grew on. She’d just levered off the last one, topping off her now heaping basket, when her weight shifted a bit too much to the right, and then she was airborne. She threw out her arm, just enough thought going through her head to vanish the basket to save the mushrooms, and felt the bark of the tree scrape her forearm. And the ground was rushing up to greet her. This is going to hurt…
Neirin could sense that something was amiss, but his body was not as fast to react as his mind was and soon Neirin found himself in mid-action against a fleeting memory. Titan was fast, incredibly fast, even faster than Neirin himself. Only his choice of fighting stance would enable Neirin to respond to Titan's immense speed. Neirin knew that the closest distance between two points was a straight line. Titan was moving fast towards Neirin with his right hand, but Titan had to cover the longer distance between two points. Neirin's left hand was already up near his face. Neirin only had to move his left hand a mere inches to deflect Titan's hand away from his face. Despite the fact that Titan would exert all of his energy to move so fast, Neirin was still able to block Titan's punch. The captain had successfully deflected Titan's attack, pushing his left hand inward against the back of Titan's right wrist just as Titan's hand stopped shy of Neirin's face.
However, there was hardly any resisting force as Neirin re-directed Titan's right hand away from his face. It was like blocking a cotton sheet. Neirin's left hand continued on its path and he was still in the middle of blocking Titan's hand when Titan suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind him. Neirin was faster than most, but he still wasn't capable of responding to Titan's teleportation in time. He suddenly felt Titan's hand on his shoulder, which caused Neirin to stop and pause for a moment while still maintaining his same neutral fighting stance. “Excuse me Neirin. I think I may have to call this fight.” The voice came from behind him. It was Titan, he had teleported behind Neirin in the midst of their sparring match.
Once again, Prince Taran had defeated him on the training field. Or did he? Neirin started to turn around, but Titan suddenly zoomed in front of him back towards the orchard. Just in time too, it would seem, as Neirin watched Titan rescue Elle from hitting the ground. She had fallen out of one of the apple trees while trying to pick mushrooms. “It would seem I’m going to have to call this brief fight to a close. Maybe another time, Neirin. I believe the lady is in need of my assistance.” Titan shouted back to him over the training field. Neirin lowered his fighting stance and picked up his cloak, raising his hand to shout back from a distance. "You cheated!" Neirin said, mocking his old friend with a smile. With that, Titan and Elle would disappear from sight. Neirin gathered his belongings and headed towards the meal hall to check on his troops.
As he made his way into the meal hall, his soldiers were all seated in rows at several large rectangular wooden tables. Neirin prevented his troops from eating in luxury inside the castle, as he didn't want them to get soft or weak. Instead, they had setup a large portable cloth tent and ate outside with the flies and mosquitoes like normal soldiers. As Neirin entered the meal hall, all of his troops suddenly stood up at attention. "At ease," Neirin said calmly, allowing all of the Serenian skirmishers to sit back down. Neirin would stand in line with the rest of his soldiers and wait his turn. He grabbed a tray and a cup and slowly made his way to the front of the chow line. "Lieutenant," Neirin said with a nod as one of the soldiers behind the meal cart dumped a large spoon full of slop on his plate. "Captain," the lieutenant nodded back. Neirin then filled his cup with water and made his way to one of the rectangular tables that were setup inside the large tent. The sun was setting quickly and soon it would be dark. The sky was already turning to twilight with an array of colorful purple, pink and orange hues. After their evening supper, Neirin would be taking his troops out to the stables to do some night riding and take care of the horses.
However, there was hardly any resisting force as Neirin re-directed Titan's right hand away from his face. It was like blocking a cotton sheet. Neirin's left hand continued on its path and he was still in the middle of blocking Titan's hand when Titan suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind him. Neirin was faster than most, but he still wasn't capable of responding to Titan's teleportation in time. He suddenly felt Titan's hand on his shoulder, which caused Neirin to stop and pause for a moment while still maintaining his same neutral fighting stance. “Excuse me Neirin. I think I may have to call this fight.” The voice came from behind him. It was Titan, he had teleported behind Neirin in the midst of their sparring match.
Once again, Prince Taran had defeated him on the training field. Or did he? Neirin started to turn around, but Titan suddenly zoomed in front of him back towards the orchard. Just in time too, it would seem, as Neirin watched Titan rescue Elle from hitting the ground. She had fallen out of one of the apple trees while trying to pick mushrooms. “It would seem I’m going to have to call this brief fight to a close. Maybe another time, Neirin. I believe the lady is in need of my assistance.” Titan shouted back to him over the training field. Neirin lowered his fighting stance and picked up his cloak, raising his hand to shout back from a distance. "You cheated!" Neirin said, mocking his old friend with a smile. With that, Titan and Elle would disappear from sight. Neirin gathered his belongings and headed towards the meal hall to check on his troops.
As he made his way into the meal hall, his soldiers were all seated in rows at several large rectangular wooden tables. Neirin prevented his troops from eating in luxury inside the castle, as he didn't want them to get soft or weak. Instead, they had setup a large portable cloth tent and ate outside with the flies and mosquitoes like normal soldiers. As Neirin entered the meal hall, all of his troops suddenly stood up at attention. "At ease," Neirin said calmly, allowing all of the Serenian skirmishers to sit back down. Neirin would stand in line with the rest of his soldiers and wait his turn. He grabbed a tray and a cup and slowly made his way to the front of the chow line. "Lieutenant," Neirin said with a nod as one of the soldiers behind the meal cart dumped a large spoon full of slop on his plate. "Captain," the lieutenant nodded back. Neirin then filled his cup with water and made his way to one of the rectangular tables that were setup inside the large tent. The sun was setting quickly and soon it would be dark. The sky was already turning to twilight with an array of colorful purple, pink and orange hues. After their evening supper, Neirin would be taking his troops out to the stables to do some night riding and take care of the horses.
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