Swords 101

[rememberher]

Who: Lux Crownguard, and you!
Where: The Hall of Glory
When: Back-dated to early-to-mid September
What: A new weapon means learning a new way to fight.
Rating: PG probably? idk

[ Knees bent, feet at shoulders width, posture relaxed yet at the ready.

Repeating that mantra in her head, she moved swiftly, the gems on her bracelet the only light shining through the early morning darkness. Her breaths coming in gentle puffs, made visible by the cool autumn air, she moved through each training dummy with ease, practically dancing as she moved, and leaving yet more light in her wake.

Knees bent, feet at shoulders width, posture relaxed yet at the ready.

And with each one she passed, they began to glow, telling where she had been, where she had struck, bathing them in faint, golden light. Marking them. But with what? Perhaps the gently glowing form of what looked to be the hilt of a sword might have something to do with it.

Then all at once, she would dart away, quick on her feet (quicker than she might appear, as if someone had been training her, teaching her how she should move), casting out her left hand and— ]

Fosopye!

[ Prismatic light blossoming from the palm of her hand, it shattered into shards of iridescent glass, flying at each marked training dummy and imbedding themselves before detonating her golden mark.

Knees bent, feet at shoulders width, posture relaxed yet at the ready.

They were going to need more dummies at this rate. ]


[[Brackets or prose, doesn't matter to me. I'll match styles regardless.]]

Comments

[shewhocompels]

She chuckled and nodded slightly, pleased that she had retaliated to the sarcasm rather than just getting indignant, as so many humans did.

"Good morning Luxanna."

Teyud shifted her gaze from Lux to the poor, battered training dummies. "I did not realize you were interested in the use of long blades."

[rememberher]

At that, the blond smiled somewhat sheepishly, her shoulders shrugging up gently. "I wasn't, at least not at first." She started, looking to the side as she thought of the proper words.

"My staff shattered during the battle in Gammon, and I needed a replacement weapon. But with my other weapon—" She held up her left hand, a glowing bracelet resting on her wrist, "A staff always felt awkward to use. A friend suggested I might try a sword instead."

[shewhocompels]

"A sword is certainly a more effective melee weapon than a staff, with the proper training. You clearly have had at least some."

But there's always room for improvement. "May I offer some constructive criticism, as someone who has practiced the use of the sword for all of her adult life?"

[rememberher]

Her expression brightened in surprise. "Of course, I would appreciate any kind of critique that you can offer."

[shewhocompels]

"You think too much while fighting."

What?

[rememberher]

And yet her bluntness seems to hit the nail on the head and, stiffening, Lux offers a winced smile. "Ah, is it really that obvious?"

[shewhocompels]

"Do not misunderstand. A mind and a plan are an essential part of any battle, but when it comes down to a single instant, your instincts and reflexes will save you far more reliably than any plan. Your body should have death and destruction trained into it as a motor reflex, so your brain can freely focus on the larger picture."

As she spoke, Teyud's voice took on the cadence of an instructor. She realized half way through her speech she had started to sound like some of her own tutors from her youth. Which was probably fine. She had found that her tutors' had had excellent advice when it came to keeping her alive.

[rememberher]

Death and destruction... One of these things, yes, she could understand and agree with, but the other gave her pause. Because the thought of killing, the idea of ending someone's life with her blade turned her stomach. That wasn't how she wanted to fight, not at all.

"I understand this, and agree with the fundamentals, but..." Lux hesitated, mulling over her words. "I believe that there are other ways to fight."

[shewhocompels]

"Other ways to fight?"

She tilted her head slightly in confusion. "In what sense?"