Dances of Wind and Steel: It's More Waltz than Tango

[Anila]

Sakurazuka Anila knelt upon a plush, royal blue cushion at the center of her dojo. It spread before and behind her to a full fifty feet in length, with a thirty foot breadth. The ceiling was high for such an establishment -- fully twenty-five feet in the air, but the top ten feet had been designated as space for an intricate lattice of ropes. There were sturdy pegs on the walls that led up to the areal portion of her arena.

Outside the door to the east, there was an intricate garden. At the fringes, an assortment of flowers from her native Akashima bloomed in all their glorious colors. At the northern side of the garden was a vast expanse of sand and rocks, placed perfectly to provide a sense of peace and tranquility -- an irony, since when she was not residing alone, this part of her "home" was also part of the arena the Pagoda sponsors had created at her specifications.

The southern end of the garden held the final part of the arena, and her favorite place to relax when she was not busy with competitors. A small pond -- a mere thirty feet in diameter and three feet deep -- was adorned with stepping stones in the pattern of a sinuous flying dragon. Koi swam throughout in a beautiful legacy of sheer existence. Truly, the outside of her dojo was the most beautiful part, even though most battles were likely to be on the plain dojo floor.

The challenger today was one that Anila honestly expected to remain strictly on the highly polished bamboo floors of the arena proper. His name was Alberdyne Cormyr, and she'd heard nothing of him save that he was a minor noble. His request had been an odd one -- he wanted training. Perhaps she could provide some instruction. He hadn't yet arrived, and so the raven-haired beauty watched the silken screen between herself and the area set aside for tea. She was already stretched and limber, but doubtless her opponent wasn't. If she was verily training him, rather than fighting him, he'd need to stretch out first.

Beyond the screen, just after the open door, was a low table set with a hot pot of tea and a small teacup turned over. In front of the pot was a piece of parchment with a message on it:


Please partake of a cup of tea,
To relax your mind and cleanse your body.
Take a moment and still your soul
That you enter this battle completely whole.

At the side of the room sat Anila's mute maidservant, directed to answer any questions the challenger had.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Dyne Corona sat in front of the Dajas Pagoda feeling momentary regret. In a hasty decision he signed up for combat training here considering that in The Citadel warriors were known to often die. That was too much of a Blood Sport for Dyne's tastes. The boy fashioned himself a new identity thanks to the House of Sora. No longer the son of a nameless, forgotten nobleman, the youth struggled to make his own name for himself now. The House of Sora gave him the clean slate he needed to start over. Having arrived from his new home of Underwood a few nights earlier, the boy registered to the Dajas Pagoda on a whim.

When he'd worked for The Syndicate--it was on behalf of his Father. His Father was no longer with him. Tragedy took him away from the youth. He thought about that for a moment and a cold wind blew. The youth wore brown colors native to the work-force of Underwood. He was dressed clearly like the Apprentice of a black-smith. Underwood had a few of those around. His hammer rested at his side, and his clothing had some wear and tear from the life of a black-smith. The boy's hands had extra layers of calluses by now and he'd already begun to bulk up.

Alberdyne entered the Dajas Pagoda reading the note he'd been giving a night earlier. He knew the name of his opponent now and the location of the combat arena. Arriving to the designated area now, he saw a servant girl waiting with some herbal tea. The thought crossed the youth's mind that the tea might be poisoned. And yet, there appeared a certain professional serenity in the girl's eyes. He trusted her immediately and took a sip of the tea. Indeed, the substance seemed to wash away his worries and he took an immediate liking to the herbal fluid. He thanked the girl kindly and made his way to her master's positions. Seeing the dark-haired beauty for the first time stunned Dyne clearly.

He suddenly remembered that he'd registered with his old identity. He chastised himself for doing such a reckless thing. Still though, the boy was still young and he required much maturing. Like the blossoming of a seedling when washed with a lot of sun-light and water. The boy took off his cloak and set it neatly on the floor nearby to his would-be instructor's person. He sat on the floor placing his hammer on top of the cloak as well. The item was not suitable for combat purposes anyway. He set his melee batons next to him on the ground as well and sat with his person in a lotus. He eyed the raven-haired girl for a long time.

[Anila]

Anila scrutinized Alberdyne closely as he went about preparing himself for what would inevitably be a very rigorous training session. He was a boy yet, maybe a year or so younger than herself, and his movements were still awkward, like Keiji's had been at sixteen. He still hadn't quite gotten used to being one with his body. But he entered quietly and prepared himself readily.

An eager mind and heart makes lessons swiftly learned, as father said. But an overly eager heart often leads to downfall. He will need discipline of the mind and body...how long will that take?

As the boy sat down, Anila caught a glint of silver around his neck, and she looked at the pendant on his neck -- the shield emblazoned with the solar eclipse. Another member of the House of Sora, but which?

As he watched her for any instruction she might give, Anila stood, sending the pillow she knelt upon back to its space along the wall with a sharp kick. Her uniform clung tightly to her body -- a long royal blue top that fell to her knees, and sturdy black pants that went up to her waist. A slit had been made in the top at each side seam, up to the hip, allowing for complete freedom of movement.

It also showed off each movement. Although barely older than Alberdyne herself, Anila moved with an unparalleled grace, each muscle working in perfect conjunction with its fellows. There was no bob in her step, for her walk was a glide, and when she turned, the movement was balanced perfectly.

Anila's mind raced through the list of members of the House of Sora as she walked so softly away from her student. Which one was he? The answer was not long in coming to her. Of the members of the House, only one would be a boy of his age. Satisfied in her answer, she turned back, dark eyes regarding him with a detached calm.

"You have come here for training, Cormyr Alberdyne...or is it, rather, Corona Dyne-kun? Training takes years, and what you learn here today you will have to practice on your own. First, though, I will tell you...jewelry is not to be worn during training. It is a hazard to yourself and your opponent -- but yourself most of all. You will notice...my pendant has its place."

On the far wall there was a little glint of silver -- a pendant matching Alberdyne's, neatly hung up where it was unlikely to be disturbed.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Finding an ally in such a place seemed an unlikely thing to the boy. In his haste he'd registered with his former name and not his new identity with The House of Sora. He nodded to her calmly and stood up a bit clumsily still not in full control of his body--that might take sometime to achieve. He moved over to the wall where her pendant hung and he quickly hung his pendant as well. He remembered the man who gave him his pendant and his new identity as a member of the House of Sora. The boy sighed thinking about the black-smith shop that became his home in one fell swoop. The youth carefully returned his person back so that he faced Anila and removed his boots and socks. He wanted to take the training as seriously as he could.

He now stood in front of her approximately five paces away. He waited for her to say anything else, she was of course correct. The boy blushed furiously when he thought about the fact that she discovered his secret. He liked the way she addressed him with his last name first, and then his first. He remembered reading about that strange island near Corone. They had a unique culture there with such customs, could she be from there? The eager student looked upon his maestro for a long moment taking her form in. He decided that he liked her despite the fact that she might literally kick his ass, and physically too. He knew some Ai-ki-do but not enough to call himself skilled.

[Anila]

As he went to hang up his pendant and bare his feet, Anila continued talking. This was not the important part of the instruction, and she wanted him to be still when she was actually instructing him. She didn't know how long of an attention span he had, nor how much physical stamina. At least a match like this one shouldn't send them both to the healing staff of the Pagoda.

And for this, I am grateful. It is inconvenient to go.

"I am Sakurazuka Anila, known as Keikoku among other members of the House. For tradition's sake, however, you will address me as Sensei. In my language, this means 'teacher,' nothing more or less. Training the unskilled in the martial arts is an ancient tradition in Akashima, the country to which I am native. Now that you are prepared, we will begin."

The boy was a slight bit shorter than herself, which surprised Anila greatly. Even among her own people, she was quite short, and had had to make up for in presence what she lacked in size. Certainly he'd need to know some of the same things she did, if he hoped to be successful.

"Before every training session, we take a little time to still our minds and accept the fact that the training will push us to our utmost. We accept that nothing will be easy the first time if we are doing it correctly. We accept that we will be tired by the time we are through."

She knelt down on the hard bamboo floor, sitting with her knees together and her toes touching the floor, supporting her. Her hands rested lightly on her knees and her back was straight.

"You may sit with your knees slightly apart. It is not a comfortable way for most people to sit, nor is it meant to be comfortable. Focus on an area about three feet in front of you. When I say 'mukso,' clear your mind and start preparing yourself to work. When I say 'yamae,' you look up and stand, and be ready to give your all to whatever we do."

Get your guy situated and have her say "mukso."

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

((Okay))

Dyne did as he was told not for the sakes of doing it but because the sparring session began. His heart raced but he took several deep breaths moving into the position he was required. It wasn't that much different from the lotus position except he was forced to sit on his knees. At first it was slightly uncomfortable but the boy soon got the hang of it. His training in the smithy made him particularly tougher than he normally might be on his own.

Feeling the rough bamboo against his knees he listened to her instructions carefully. Sitting down in position and beginning to clear his mind (Since he knew how to meditate already at the hands of the Monks of the Order) breathing with his mighty chest. The boy was a handsome lad as well. He pictured her in his mind for a moment feeling his blood rushing.

It was a good feeling, once the image faded and he felt washed with the Chi around his person the boy bowed forward and yelled to her. "Mukso!" Afterwards he awaited for the instruction words that meant to stand. In the meantime he continued to hang onto the feeling of tranquility that the Feng Shui inspired area provided. He'd learned a great deal from Anila already.

He learned about a country he'd never visited. He'd learned some of their customs. He also learned that she'd never with-hold back instructions from him and he could proceed at his own pace. The bamboo hurt against his legs but he shut the pain out trying to focus his mind as much as he could. A number of thoughts attempted to emerge forward but the boy tried to keep his demons at bay.

[Anila]

Anila sat there easily, years of training and sitting in such a strange position having made it comfortable for her. She let the minutes stretch on -- long enough for her trainee to feel the ache in his legs.

When she spoke, it wasn't a shout. In fact, her voice was more akin to the quiet murmur of a lazy brook -- not loud enough to shatter the silence or meditative atmosphere, but enough to be heard and understood. A master needn't yell, for her student should always be listening for her voice.

"Yamae."

Standing, she regarded the young man that had come to her dojo for training.

"Now that your mind is focused, we will focus your body through a series of stretches. Do not allow your concentration to waver, and be prepared for this to be difficult. With time, it becomes familiar to your muscles, and even comfortable."

That said, she led him to the center of the room and led him through a series of stretches designed to work every major muscle group in the body -- and every minor muscle group used in her fighting style.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

When he heard the command word, the youth immediately stood up. Having a no-nonsense attitude towards his personal education, Alberdyne did everything he was told to do--within limits. Though he was eager to learn, the boy was not an idiot. His legs ached for a time but he kept the pain at bay by thinking about their serene environment. Eventually his body might get used to the punishment of such a harsh training. The training of the Monks of the Order was similar training to this if not harsher.

Standing up quickly the boy was already learning to attune his body. His legs ached terribly but he moved anyway letting the rubbery feeling pass on its own.

He observed her for a long time and memorized the sequences she performed exactly as she performed them. Learning from the Monks of the Order meant that there could be no mistakes. He started training his body, stretching himself to the point where his body felt bruised from the punishment and aerobics. Still though, he did notice his muscles start to relax under the intense pressure. He moved in sequence with his Sensei trying to copy everything she did. The sequence of movements, kata burned itself in his mind.

It was a fluid sort of way to move. The boy decided that all though it caused him great pain, it wasn't unlike working his hammer at the anvil. The two felt very similar to him in their own ways. The aches and pains gradually relaxed and from time to time, a stiff popping side came from joints and bones that were over-used without stretching. The boy moaned every time that happened.

[Anila]

Once she had Corona Dyne stretched out to his full potential, Anila called for a stop. While Dyne stood, doubtlessly feeling protesting muscles, as some foreigners or older beginners complained of. Anila couldn't remember feeling sore after a mere stretch, since a training session was part of her morning regimen.

"Hissomi!" she called, and the screen door opened as the maidservant entered, making a bow to her mistress and guest. She held two heavy bamboo fans, and Anila turned back to Dyne, flicking open her steel fans -- Hagane and Uindo -- with thunderous CRACKS! from each of them.

"In a normal battle, Corona-kun, I use these fans. They were designed by the most skilled blacksmith in Northern Akashima to be weapons. In combat, they are very dangerous and could slice a man open if I got in a blow on him."

She turned to Hissomi, letting the mute maidservant take her heavy steel fans in exchange for the lighter bamboo ones.

"This is not a typical battle, it is an opportunity for me to see what you are already capable of. In consideration of such, I decided to use these replacements. While they are not lethal, if I hit you with them, it will sting."

As Hissomi left the arena with her mistress's steel fans, Anila strode so that she faced Alberdyne at a distance of five paces. Her tone had not wavered from cold and utterly professional even once, nor had her face betrayed the slightest hint of emotion, and now an aura of sheer stillness surrounded her slender frame.

"In order to best teach you the martial arts, I need to know what you already know, that I might either build upon it, or teach you to unlearn it. Good habits make good practice, good practice is frequent practice. Frequent, good practice results in preparedness for combat, no matter where you are and how much time you have to prepare."

She gave Dyne a moment to ingest the bit of wisdom her Sensei had beaten into her over a span of fifteen years before continuing.

"Yamae means 'ready.' It is your call to be focused and prepared. 'Senshu' means 'bow.' You will make a small bow to me, and I to you, at this word. It reminds you that your opponent is not an object and is worthy of the respect. You will keep your eyes on me, or I will have crossed the distance in a split second and I will strike you. 'Hajime' is the cue to begin. As the challenger, you will attack me. Do you understand?"

At Dyne's affirmation, Anila's hands gripped her fans slightly differently, ready to control what they did at a moment's notice.

"Senshu." She made the bow, and then straightened up.

"Yamae."

She waited a split second for Dyne to gather himself before calling out the final command.

"Hajime!"

Her body was loose, but she was ready for any move he could pull. She was like water, ready to dodge with grace or attack with power.

Some minor bunnying to get this thing moving. Please confirm whether or not it's okay.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

((Bunnies approved))

To Dyne, like was like a book. Every lesson was organized and categorized into neatly ordered chapters and Acts. Currently, Dyne studied the martial arts with his Sensei and such a book went into the games and tactics section of his mental library. When the proper command word struck, Dyne thought long and hard for a moment. She expected the youth to attack but to do so lightly might end up in serious injury.

Dyne carefully observed everything about her combat stance. He watched the way she moved, it was ALMOST flaw-less. His sharp eyes caught subtle changes her in movements. She moved like an angel, this was true, but even they had subtle imperfections in their movements. So subtle were hers that one might certainly have missed it. She talked to him about building upon a foundation or perhaps changing it.

But what she didn't realize was how in depth the combat training with the Monks of the Order were. They taught him to be as a living weapon when the time came. True, he'd neglected some of his combat training to become a black-smith but the Monks harshly drilled his training into his mind. There was no time for simple breathing exercises or stretching. There was only time for combat. Remembering a battle with a very fluid young Monk many ages ago, he pulled out that mental file very carefully.

All of this took a matter of moments. Remembering how long it took him to conquer that opponent was a critical reminder of the deadly skill speed and agility gave a warrior. He knew his opponent was confident, and he had to topple her confidence. Your confidence is your weakness. The boy thought to himself and moved skillfully into his Ai-ki-do stance. There was no flaw in the movement. Years of training made the movement instinctive.

He saw the plastic fan weapons and knew they might hurt. But he'd been hurt worse in his sparring sessions with the Monks. Remembering their lessons was critical now. Stepping forward now, he took two light steps forward, baby steps, and then suddenly bounded towards his opponent with almost feather-light speed.

Having already stretched his worn body out his movements would be extremely optimal at this point in time. He turned half-way through the movement shifting his body-weight on a forward axial plane. Now his left leg was forward and he moved with his hind-leg. Releasing his forward momentum and applying force and pressure to a series of strikes. He let loosed with the eagle-clawed strike of Ai-ki-do. His left hand moved forward towards her adam's apple but this was only a ploy. Shifting his left hand now, he stopped his attack about half way forward. Moving his body weight now, he let loosed with a sharp attack from his right arm. His forward momentum skillfully adjusted from his original stance. He moved his right hand in an attempt to strike dead at her collar-bone region. Of course, this was a sparring session so he struck with about 1/2 his normal combat strength controlling his power well. His instructors would be proud. If his attack connected he had the rest of his movement planned. He was prepared for any potential impact from the fans.

[Anila]

Feint...attack. All in a straight line.

Anila took a step backwards as his clawed hand reached for her throat, and as he fully committed to his forward lunge at her shoulder, the daughter of Sakurazuka Yukio pivoted and flew softly back a couple of feet to avoid him entirely, a steady leaf in her opponent's breeze.

Her follow-up blow came in the form of her right hand cracking open its fan in a lateral movement, bamboo segments moving over each other with a few subtle clacks as she swept toward his right ear. The one thing about Anila's fighting style that her Sensei had hated in practice but loved in theory was that she preferred attacks to her opponent's face and head.

Letting his momentum carry him past her, Anila took up a defensive stance and just watched him, waiting for him to try again. If he could realize his mistake, perhaps he would be more fortunate.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Dyne moved into the strike in a less-than-graceful manner. But still, the opportunity that presented itself was too golden to pass up. She practically telegraphed her next position to him which is why he fainted in the first place and allowed himself to get hit. The boy felt the sting brush against his head on the lateral side but could visualize her moving against his side now. He turned his head slightly feeling the bruise and worked his forward axial plane. Showing some good control of his physique, the boy twisted slightly on his hip adjusting for the previous movement.

Yes, he lost some general speed over-all but that'd been part of the plan. Like a game of chess, the boy maneuvered so that he could think two movements ahead of his opponent. All though the impact of the blow hurt, Dyne'd been hit harder a million times over. The boy shifted his body weight quite carefully to land the true nature of his blow. Using his original feinting arm, the boy moved to land a swift elbow-strike against her trapezius muscle.

Then, underneath her arms, he maneuvered with his opposite arm. It was a well-placed dual strike combination maneuver. He struck with the knuckles in his right hand intent on trading blow for blow. His previous movement placed her well within striking range. So he took full advantage of the opening that she gave him. When she moved passed his face, the youth smiled at her to taunt her.

[Anila]

He'd been a little more agile than she'd expected, and so his elbow bumped her arm solidly before she could move. She was, however, a very adept dancer, and as his fist lashed out at her side she turned lightly away so that the blow did little more than glance off of her side.

Like a falling sakura blossom caught in the wind, she continued her turn, clamping the fan in her right hand shut as she brought first one, and then the other down to bear on her opponent, hopefully on the back of his neck and at his kidney. Her blows were powerful, merciless, and would have been much more painful with her steel fans.

The spot where Alberdyne had hit sent angry jolts of pain down her arm, but Anila ignored it. Now was the time for her to go on the offensive, and she would give Corona Dyne neither respite nor rest.

Her facial expression did not waver from the calm and collected mask, and as she moved forward, her feet were in constant, solid and light contact with the floor. She struck from the front, blows graceful as her fans slid open to jab, and then they slammed closed as she spun to his left, aiming once more for a kidney and holding one up to guard against counterattacks.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Feeling her movements out, the youth, felt rather than saw. Once again remembering his training from the Monks of the Order, the youth decided on taking on a defensive posture knowing full well how she maneuvered now. The youth moved almost as quickly as she moved but with slightly less discipline. He trained more in combat and strategical elements of the battle remembering many wars he'd seen in his life training on the grounds of the Cormyr Household.

Applying those strategies now, the youth vowed to himself she wouldn't land another blow. Once he felt the impact from his hand hit her side, he smiled softly to himself. One for one. He thought calmly. Then, he broke out in a movement of his own, back-flipping away from the center position of the attack.

He evaded the in-coming attack with precision and care. Knowing that she aimed for his lower section by sensing the movement because of their up-close position to one another. They were almost as lovers under the cover. Grabbing the bamboo with his hands as he executed a perfect back-flip the boy moved away from the center of the attack. Landing on his feet the lad turned quickly placing himself in combat stance once more. He smiled at his opponent knowing she'd hit nothing but air.

[Anila]

Just because Anila led with her fans and preferred using them didn't mean she was totally dependent on them, and it didn't mean she had the upper body strength for Dyne to foil off of, meaning that most of his backflip was his own, and she spun as he tumbled in the air, lashing out with a kick toward his midsection and letting her body complete the spin.

He was now the arrogant one, smirking as though he thought he were facing a beginner. Anila wasn't about to allow this weakness to go unchecked, and she pressed her attack, coming in like a snowstorm, with a flurry of sweeping strikes with her fans while stepping down with all the force her body could muster on his leading foot.

He'd seemed eager to learn from her before, but all he was doing was making himself look like an arrogant fool. Sakurazuka Anila did not want an arrogant fool in her dojo, and she wished she'd kept her steel fans. But she hadn't, she was stuck with flimsy bamboo.

She hoped he came at her again with his clawed hand. She had something she could teach him -- something he wouldn't forget, and something that would be very satisfying to her.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Once again, she telegraphed her move. Though the youth wasn't an expert warrior by any means, he'd trained with the Monks of the Order for many years of his life. In many ways he'd learned a lot, whatever techniques he could store in his mental library. The youth was a quick steady able to learn and adapt to situations in a speedy, effective manner. Though the mistakes made in the earlier point of the fight cost him greatly.

The bruise at the side of his head opened up just then for whatever reason, maybe the stress of combat. He felt blood pouring down his face and a dull pain at the side of his skull. The youth also noticed one other thing, vision in that eye, on the right side of his skull, became somewhat blurry. This hampered his vision to the point where he had to close that eye because of the pain. This frustrated the boy to no end. Especially when he saw that his would-be instructor came in with yet another attack.

The youth stood there, in combat ready position waiting for the snow-flurry, like maneuver to come in full range. He tried to strafe over to the opposite direction, but alas, was too late to fully evade the maneuver. Several striking blows came in from her flurried attack stinging him even through his Silfan clothing. These were strikes of anger and frustration, Dyne could sense it in her blows. This made the youth proud. I GOT TO HER. He knew he made her angry with his calm, almost arrogant disposition.

When a warrior got angry they made mistakes. Despite the pain he felt of the various hits she nailed off him, she made a mistake of her own. She once again got in close, and this was where Dyne excelled. Instead of striking with his fists once more he decided to up the ante. He pivoted his waist towards her skillfully and raised up his left knee with applied force from the forward momentum provided by the attack. He aimed his knee right into her mid-section. Though Dyne already felt tired, he still had enough wind in him for a few more attacks and hoped he would land SOMETHING on her. Despite the fabrics of his clothing, he felt pain on various parts of his body.

[Anila]

Tanden.

It is one of the earliest principles that a student in Akashiman martial arts is taught, right after the proper way to stand and make a fist. The theory behind it is that all of a warrior's body should be connected and firm. Tanden links the powerful leg muscles to the arms, makes every move complete and unto itself, but part of whatever move comes next. It is the force that unites the entire body and adds force to each blow while keeping the fighter grounded firmly.

The physical aspect of it is a tightly flexed abdomen, keeping everything focused and together. Anila's earliest experience with it had been when, at the age of six, she had started her lessons with her Sensei, alongside her older brother, Keiji. Sensei had ordered her -- repeatedly -- to attack him, and every time she did he kicked her in the stomach. Eventually, she learned to be ready for it, and finally his attacks would bounce off, painful, but not agonizing. Wearing a tight obi with her kimono whenever she was not in her comfortable and utilitarian traveling suit had only reinforced the muscle memory.

As such, she let Dyne's knee slam into her abdomen with its brutal force, now using her skill as a dancer to ground her and keep her stationary instead of flying backward. Her canvas shoes gripped the polished bamboo floors, and as Dyne's knee drove hard against the tight muscles of her lower abdomen, she thrust both her fans forward hard and with serpentine speed -- one to the throat, and one to the base of the sternum.

He had not angered Sakurazuka Anila. An angry Sakurazuka Anila would have called for a halt and thrown him out of her dojo. He had irritated her, and that was a hundred thousand times worse.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

((Michelle I'd like to do a couple more posts of rp if you don't mind, over all I did like the fight. We can post our conclusions after that))

At the very least, Dynes' hit connected in full force. He felt her powerful center and this caused him to smile with respect. He'd come into the battle a face-less warrior but would leave with something much more important; his dignity intact. He found that he could get to even the most stalwart of warriors, and in this case, a self-appointed Sensei. So when the impacts of her bamboo fans came in, somehow they didn't hurt as much as they normally would.

His powerful chest took the hit to his sternum well, but it was his throat that took the worst of it. A bruise developed there, and Dyne stepped backwards, away from the impact point. The wind knocked out of his person, the youth knew he reached his limit and bowed before the Sensei. Several painful bruises lurked all over his person, but the years of training with the Monks of Ai'bron kept him alive.

The boy knelt on the bamboo floor gasping for air. Though a slight streak of arrogance lurked in him, the youth was still humble enough to know when a superior warrior lurked before him. He had developed a deep respect of the dancer's skills as he gasped for air. Thinking back to the fight, over-all, he had to congratulate himself for the previous thoughts. A normal man wouldn't have lasted against the dancer/killer at all. But he'd managed to land several well-timed strikes against her proving his skill as a warrior which is what the youth set out to do.

Gasping for air still, the boy checked the painful bruise at the side of his head and sighed. He'd gotten opened up. He'd definitely have to check that out with some Healers later. He felt sore at his neck area, and checked it to make sure he was still intact and not dead. He was fine. A bruise did lurk there and he had some difficultly breathing, but over-all, he was fine. The boy checked himself to see where the rest of the bruises were and he counted approximately ten all together. All in all, not a bad sparring session at all. He looked up to Anila hoping that she'd stop the sparring session at this point since he was no longer able to fight.

The wind was knocked out of him.

[Anila]

Anila felt the pain of where the boy had landed hits on her -- under her arm and then a deep ache in her abdomen, and she stepped back as the boy hit the floor. The cut he had received due to her fan strike puzzled her, as it had opened well after the strike had been made and the bamboo fans were far too blunt.

His injuries are not my problem, she thought with a scowl. The fact that he's huddled on the floor when combat is not over is.

"Yamae!" she snapped harshly, Dyne's signal to be up and ready, and she didn't care that he thought he was injured.

"Senshu." She made the small bow, watching him, before standing and relaxing her posture.

"Iessime." That was the call for Dyne to stop, relax, and catch his breath. At a word from Anila, Hissomi made her way in with a tea tray, setting the pot down, pouring tea for her mistress and their guest, and gathering cushions for them to sit on. She also pressed a clean white towel to the cut on Alberdyne's head before looking to her mistress, who waved her away and knelt on the cushion.

Sakurazuka Anila took a few moments to just drink her tea before she would chastise the boy. There were lessons he needed to learn that he wouldn't learn by being torn into straightaway, and silence was a virtue.

"I have two things to tell you, Cormyr Alberdyne," she said at length. "One will save you pain, the other will save you dignity, integrity, and honor."

She set down her cup and looked at her so-called student.

"First, I do not know what you think this clawed hand effects, but I guarantee you that someday you will try that move on a sophisticated opponent, and he will break your thumb -- if you are lucky. If you are not, he will wrench your thumb and tear it from your hand. To avoid this, you need to make a proper fist."

Anila held out her left hand, palm flat, and slowly began to curl her fingers into a tight knot.

"The smallest finger must be very tightly folded, and the tighter you can make the fist the better. The thumb does not go tucked into your hand or over your knuckles. It covers and contains the rest of your fingers and makes what was five weak individual points one strong and unified whole. The second thing I have to teach you is much harder."

Anila stood, making her way to the peg that held their House of Sora pendants, and she took Alberdyne's, tossing it over to him.

"When you enter real combat, the moment you allow yourself to stop respecting your opponent as a skilled warrior and allow yourself to taunt, you have disrespected them and their work, and thus you have disrespected yourself and your mentors. You think you have won, and you become arrogant. Arrogance breaks your concentration and allows you to be defeated, and it is your own energy that defeats you. In our match, for example, you ignored the fact that my fans gave me superior reach, and instead attacked. This time you paid for it in bruises. Next time you might not be so lucky."

She looked sternly at Alberdyne, making sure he understood.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Dyne caught his necklace as it was thrown to his person. He nodded with a smile to her person. His head ached for reasons she could not foresee. He placed the towel upon his head wiping the blood off his person. He'd gotten worried about the hit to his head the most, everything else mattered very little to him. The hit to the head was the most important one. He could easily be killed, like anybody else, by a well timed head strike. This time, only a painful bruise lurked there. Even at the end of the fight, she continued to instruct him which was good. He took her lessons to heart.

Placing away the lessons in mental storage, the boy remembered where he'd used his strengths and where she'd used his weaknesses. He would never make the same mistakes twice. He'd also learned something else, the way she moved. The way she moved was studied and analyzed carefully. These patterns of movements stored in a book that he called "Dancers". The boy recalled reading about them in his past studies once before. This work he organized into a sub-categorized body of works. He tried to recall every single book he read on dancers.

He placed his necklace back on, feeling its comfort on his person. Feeling the pendant against his bruised chest felt like a comfort. The youth gathered his belongings. Despite what she said about honor and integrity, he did keep his no matter what. He fought a superior opponent and managed to not only get to her, but land hits off as well. He was the underdog throughout the entire fight. He took a deep sip of the hot tea after serving himself. He didn't let the servant girl serve HIM any tea. As a noble-man he was past all that, his Father raised him better than most nobleman's sons.

Taking a deep pull of the tea, he felt re-invigorated once again. She'd been a rough customer, but he'd held his own. That's probably all that the boy cared about, and he walked with his chin a little bit higher that day. Once he'd gathered all of his stuff, he bowed to her once more. Then left the Dajas Pagoda to await the judgement of the battle. He walked with his shoulders straight, and his hand holding the towel to his head. Once he was in the main Dajas facility, the lad went to the medical area to heal his bruises and get physical attention.

End.

Spoils Request--

001--Basic Acrobatics lvl 0. Learned from his fight with Anila. Not a dancer trait but more like an Acrobatic trait, the youth is capable of moving his body with much more control. The simple back-flip performed during the fight and the level of control of his arms during the fight was the basic ingredient for the Acrobatic teaching. Remembering books he's read on Acrobatics and Dancing, the boy opted to pursue Acrobatics over Dancing. So began his study in this particularly overlooked art. ((Available at level 2))

[Anila]

With Dyne gone, Hissomi looked at Anila as the beautiful Akashiman shed her top to get a look at the slowly forming bruise over her abdomen. Right now it was just in the first stages, a faint red that was slowly turning purple. Having received many such bruises from her Sensei, she knew that the tender skin would go completely livid purple that night, and over a few days to a week fade through various stages of green and yellow until it finally vanished.

Sighing, Anila released her tanden. The dull ache of the bruise deepened and widened as muscles that had been tightly clenched were released, and Hissomi pressed a poultice over it, as she had since Anila had been a child. It never helped, but Anila tolerated it. Tradition said it was good for bruises, and it made Hissomi feel like she was fulfilling her duties to attend to Anila's every little discomfort. Truth be told, Seether Koran had hurt her much more than had Corona Dyne.

"I think," she said at length, more to herself than to the attentive maidservant at her side, "that if he learns to wipe that smug grin off his face in combat, he might stand a chance. I doubt that he will. It looked like he only took my advice to heart about getting his thumb ripped off. He was not fortunate enough to have a Sensei who beat in the important lessons when he was a child, and now I fear he will have to endure some humiliating defeats before he can reach the place between confidence and arrogance."

That said, she let Hissomi lift the poultice and donned her top once more, walking through the now-empty dojo and into the cool evening air that whispered through the flowers that lined the pond and rock garden. It was her favorite time of day, and she stepped out into the open air, walking to the pond and over the rough, intricately laid stones. When she reached the center of the thirty foot pond, she knelt on a stone and closed her eyes, using the stillness of her surroundings to still her mind and body after the fight.

[AdventWings]

Judgment Time~

Anila's scores are in Red while Alberdyne Cormyr's scores are in Blue

Story

Continuity - 3/4

Anila had very little information as to how she got into being a Pagoda Warrior and why she was there in the first place. Alberdyne had more information in this, although about a quarter of said background information could be regarded as irrelevant due to its use and placement in the story.

Setting - 3/3

Both of you basically neglected much of the physical attributes of the arena, asides from the initial visual notes by Anila in the very first post and by Alberdyne while he was seated on his knees. After that... Nothing. Asides from visual description, try incorporating more interaction with the surrounding that the characters will notice - the shift of the wind as a missed strike passes by or how the air smelled musky from perspiration and blood. There was not much of the latter in this bout, so that could be neglected unless it was in very close proximity to the person's nose.

Pacing - 6/4

Anila's posts flowed rather well from one sentence to another and each paragraph are tied into each other that made it all seem to be talking along the same line of thought. Alberdyne's sentences, though, were rather broken and sometimes standing out too much. Some sentences (such as the second paragraph in Post #2) was entirely unneeded as it had nothing to do with the incident at hand, breaking the flow of reading abruptly even before the reader had a chance to hook into the story. When you make a sentence, always have a purpose in mind that fit with the Big Picture. If a sentence did nothing to help move the story forward, chances are it was a waste of effort on the writer's end.

Writing Style

Mechanics - 5/4

Anila had the concept of Basic English Mechanics down pat, though there were not much exploitation of their unique structure to add to the story's feel. I did see a few fragmented sentences/phrases here and there (such as in the second sentence of Post #9) that could be entirely unintentional. Be careful of those tiny mistakes while applying some higher forms that may suit the flow more than the usual completed sentences. At this point, there was nothing much that stood out as eye-catching enough.

For Alberdyne, quite about the same thing as Anila except your writing tends to group actions and scenes too much they end up swallowed into one another. Try spacing your sentences out and keep the sentences flowing smoothly from one to another. You also have a tendency to misuse words, such as attempting to mark the location of your first attack at Anila's "Adam's Apple." As a person who studied anatomy for his art projects, I know that the only gender with the Adam's apple is, unsurprisingly, male humans. A far more accurate word (and also a simpler one) was to say he lunged for her throat. Neck would do as well, although that would be a bit too wide in meaning. Remember that you don't need to worry about using big words or showing off your impressive vocabulary until you understand that sometimes, small and simple words make more sense in the long run.

Technique - 6/5

Anila, you tried out a good number of techniques that illicited visual feel to the story development as well as how the character felt. It made the narration all the more real to the reader, though sporatic as the thread dragged on. For Alberdyne, there was only a handful I remembered reading over and that was it. None of them stuck with me, though, mainly because some were misplaced while other were just unsuitable under the circumstances.

Clarity - 6/3

Fight scenes are a pain, that I know from first-hand experience. It is hard to write, hard to describe and even harder to keep track. But do you know what's the hardest thing about fight scenes? It's about how to write it out and not end up as a training manual for the USMC CQC Training. (Search that on Wikipedia if you're curious ;))

For Anila, you did it fairly well in making your actions clear and your stance easy to follow. As for other scenes, the wording of your sentences all ahelp the readers to understand what was happening and how it all connected. A few stray posts that did not seem clear at first made sense later on, but reworking them could yield better effects.

For Alberdyne, simply put, it was a bit hard to follow with so much flash-back and odd-looking punctuations. You do not need to use "double dashes" as I call -- used in writing: All you need is one to show that it is a separator - one is enough.

Also, you have a tendency to abuse hyphens which leads to trouble reading. Hindleg is one word, no hyphens. Or just keep them in two words, hind leg. Aikido is one word and one word only. And I have no idea what "feather-light" speed is. I know what the condition of being "feather light" is - ot os extremely light. But the speed associated with this word means "slow drifting" so it was a very confusing term.

Also, you made two dire mistakes in writing - you have not done your homework. One very glaring evidence that you have not been doing research on your writing content is saying you were trained in Basic Level Aikido but used a drastically different fighting system for this battle.

If you had done some rudimentary research on that (a quick Wikipedia search is sufficient for overview on the subject) will reveal that Aikido is a stand-off self-defense art. There is no "attack" sequence, only "counter-attacks using the opponent's own force against them." There is no "Eagle Claw Strike" associated with Aikido. No punches, no offensive power in and of itself. Simply put, Aikido cannot attack. What you demonstrated corresponded more with Wushu, a more stylized and flashy form of Kung Fu. Entirely different concepts, entirely different implementation. Unless you were making the martial arts up on your own, choosing a different name could have saved everyone (including you) a mountain of misunderstanding.

Another example about how your writing clarity is affected by improper reading is the one time you said Anila's training fans were made of plastic. In Post #10, you said they were plastic even though Anila specifically stated in her narration they were of light bamboo. And as you know, there is no method in which to produce plastic on Althanas.

These are a few things you need to work on for the above categories.

Character

Dialogue - 6/5

Anila came off a tad hollow at first, speaking as she was trained to do. The slight edge in all her words, though, made her a more believable character than just a generic Japanese-lookalike. Her subsequent chastise against Alberdyne portrayed her as a true teacher, albiet being quite lenient to her student's mishaps and misbehaviours. Still could use some more natural flow to her words, to which Anila will have to work more in finding her voice.

For Alberdyne, he appears strangely silent througout the entire ordeal. For such a man to have come from a rather high social class, as well as being proclaimed a "charmer" in his profile, there were no charming words or any notion of it whatsoever in this training battle. The lack of dialogue (or even monologue) made his character suffer from being the silent student. His previous training with the Monks, as mentioned too numerous in the early posts, could well attribute to this therefore it was partially justified. Some exchange of words with his Sensei could have been better, though. His portrayal of other people's dialogues (during bunnying) is also miscommunicated, but that ashort-sighted error would have to be attributed to both sides.

Action - 6/3

Anila played her role as the teacher, trying to coerce her student into attacking her and teaching him the importance of "space," "concentration," and "opportunity" as any teacher in martial arts would. Though much of her tactics were fairly plain and easily predictable, she did not attempt to evade impossible dodges nor did she make much unnatural moves. There was still much to be done, especially the portrayal of fluid motion in her steps and weaves, which Anila would be left to practice writing more on her own.

For Alberdyne, because you possess more than a few potent offensive skills, your combat proficiency should be of entry-level combat prowess. Still, the level of skill demonstrated here was perhaps well more than that of Anila who was already aquainted with her weapons. Also, for someone sore all over from not used to proper stretching exercises, he moved equally fast to the nimble, greatly lighter dancer.

You also down-played the importance of pain - a concept that a person who had gone through extensive training should be well-attuned to. Even though one could feel no pain at all, the physical effects of pain is still ever present.

One thing you should rememer is that you are not proficient in offensive combat arts, according to your latest profile, even if you are using fencing techniques. What he should be capable of at this stage should be Basic Level proficiency, as in nothing fancy nor overly complicated. The backflip, multiple strikes and even the odd-sounding strike technique should not have been so openly abused. Also, remember that even though you have been trained with the monks in martial arts, down-playing pain and its aftermath is very unrealistic for a physical combatant.

Persona - 7/6

Anila showed a lot of the calm, collect but easily agitated Akashiman teacher well, with some room for improvements such as breaking the lessons up into parts so the student could understand each concept better. I was also half-expecting her to slap the bamboo fans across Alberdyne's "Eagle-Claw Strike" when he was coming for her throat, which would be what a more critical teacher would do when a student over-stretched an attack.

Alberdyne portrayed the arrogant student here quite well, even feigning understanding of what she was trying to tell him. This made him more than just a faceless student who came, fought and learned something meaningful with little to no consequences. Or at least, that was what I saw in the later half of the thread.

Miscellaneous

Wild Card - 6/4

There was much to be wanting for this thread, as both sides tried to outdo one another to achieve a balance of power. Anila tried her portrayal as a teacher, a feat that would be quite a scene given her disposition and background. Came out a bit short, but nonetheless an attempt worthy of a good pat on the back.

For Alberdyne, I can say with sadness that your portrayal of martial arts was sorely misrepresented and misinformed. In your profile, you said that Alberdyne had achieved "foundation proficiency for the most basic skill sets of Aikido." As a practitioner of Aikido myself, however casual it may be, I can say with confidence that what Alberdyne did was not Aikido in any sense or concept. Unless you have created an entirely new Althanas-only Martial Arts with the same name, the portrayal and implementation was ill-mannered in form and content. In all truthfulness, the attack sequences and tactics follow closer to the lines of Kung Fu in form and power, though the power level involved is much to be speculated.

Final Score - 55/42

Anila wins the Dajas Pagoda Battle and retains her Warrior Status.

Anila receives 500 EXP, the 100 GP Fee from Alberdyne Cormyr, plus 50 GP winning bonus.

Alberdyne Cormyr receives 100 EXP. The Spoil is not granted, as you have said this was to be locked until Level 2. Have it approved as part of your Level 1 or Level 2 Update by the RoG moderators when the time comes.

If both of you have any questions regarding my judgment, you are free to send me a PM to this account. I hope both of you improve on your writing. :)

[Letho]

EXP/GP added!