⦠ āā Ā ā Ā ( Ā 001 . * ā Ā SEARIA Ā ā Ā !Ā Ā·
Ā Ā "Interrupted? Hardly,ā she could sense him coming, but there was no need to tellĀ him that. āI find these days thereās alwaysĀ someone a little restless on the grounds past curfew.ā Not that sheād blameĀ any number of the student body, given how rough and jagged some of themĀ felt. His gaze wanders to the broken sandbags that are piled to the corner, their contents spilling onto the floor and mixing with the padded dirt in the training grounds. āNo, youāre not in my way at all.ā She responds warmly, moving to wipe at her face again with the hem of her shirt, turning to readjust the positioning of her self-made target, and propping her arm over it while he answers her.
Ā Ā Ā A polite young man, maybe too polite for his own good sometimes. Apprehension hangs over him like a cloud, like a moving cage that follows him around. Thereās a restraint she feels crawl down his arms and ball his fists, but sheĀ understands such fears. The want to not hurt or injure others with ones power. āI donāt underestimate your strength at all, Dimitri, but if it would put you better at ease, find a seat.ā It wouldnāt do well to convince him should she push him, the young prince is not someone sheād think peer pressure is effective on in the way sheād wish to be. He mayĀ crack under it, but it builds nothing meaningful in the end.
Ā Ā "Mull on this, but I wouldnāt teach you toĀ hit me first, Iād teach you toĀ redirect blows. Being unarmed, people will think you defenseless, and it will terrify them to know you are not. Putting people off kilter is a skill everyone should have, even if they do not need to use it often.ā
Ā Ā Ā With that, she parts from the target, backing away from it a pace or two before settling on aĀ memory. Something she has done before, a place and time where she can remember she was hard pressed to fight with all her skill. Her body language relaxes, her hands open, slowly her feet move to position while her hands come in front of her as if she is prepared to grab at the weaponless sandbag. Blaze keeps her hands ready to grasp forĀ remembered weapons, deflect hands, it is how she wasĀ retrained under better tutelage than her former masters.
Ā Ā Dimitri may as well not be in the room anymore, and Blaze takes to the dummy with a shockingly quick kick to the upper target, her foot pounding into the side before it becomes a full spin with the use of momentum to kick lower, and alternate with her other foot to ascend higher up off the dummy and kick off. Flipping back, sheās back at the tough leather again with her hands which have now properly balled into fists as she comes in for a series of rapid blows, each seeming to threaten the stability of how the sandbag has been affixed in front of her before she skips back on her feet, re-assuming her open posture with her hands.
Ā Ā Ā Now things grow more complicated, she turns, she flows, she bends. As hard as she went in, now she remembers the feeling of spinning past The Falchion, and having to redirect theĀ heavy momentum of The Ragnell. Weaving herself between blades unseen, Blaze ducks and rolls from the blade that would have sliced her up the back, and kicks upwards where he would have been in mid-leap. She mustnāt forget the attack from up above, threatening to crush her! The movement of her leg coming up leads the rest of her, as she gets back on her feet and flips again, her hands catching her fall as she goes backwards and jutting both feet in a harsh kick where aĀ spine would have been.Ā
Ā Ā Enemies areĀ everywhere! She can remember her foes, reborn asĀ allies, well enough that she has memorized them. She can relive them when she needs to, accessing them in this way is no difficult task. This goes on for some more time, bright green eyesĀ shut all the while, and it ends when the third sandbag is sent careening into the wall behind it, a tear brought into it by the force at which Blazeās foot swiped it. Once the sound of it hitting the ground hits her ears, eyes open again, and Blaze stands with a short exhale, readjusting to push hair out of her face. "As solid as I usually pride myself on being, the fluidity of movement in a close quarters fight with melee attackers is omni-important. The flexibility and option to change and adapt to changes and openings."Ā
Ā Ā Ā SheĀ hardly sounds out of breath, barely looks like sheās broken much more of a sweat than she had before. "Would you let me show you stances, at the very least?ā While the routine wasnāt really meant for his eyes, not really to teach but simply to show him that she is without compare and that she isĀ able to manage whatĀ heĀ has not mastered yet. Searia still beams with a warm invitation, holding a hand out to invite him to his feet and join her.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā IT IS NOT AS THOUGH HE IS UNAWARE OF HOW LITTLE HE TRULY KNOWS OF THE WOMAN BEFORE HIMĀ ,Ā Ā Ā knows that were he to be asked he would undoubtedly fail to answer even the most basic of queries regarding her personĀ Ā Ā āāāāāĀ Ā Ā place of birthĀ ,Ā favorite pastimeĀ ,Ā family lineageĀ ,Ā country of originĀ ...Ā the list goes onĀ ,Ā and onĀ Ā Ā āāāāāĀ Ā Ā but somehow that is not enough to stop him from feeling such an acute pang ofĀ Ā ignoranceĀ Ā &Ā Ā surpriseĀ Ā as he watches her from his sideline seat .Ā Ā searia fights wellĀ ,Ā of courseĀ ,Ā and equally in a manner unlike any soldier or knight or mereĀ Ā studentĀ Ā heās ever found himself in the company ofĀ ;Ā as though body itself were her weaponĀ ,Ā her shieldĀ ,Ā herĀ Ā molten steelĀ Ā to be forged in but split - second moments into whatever mold best fits the situation at present time .Ā Ā for all that he does not know of her he can say that in his moment he truly feels as though he knowsĀ Ā nothing at allĀ Ā ,Ā and further more thinks that may very well being of her own design .
he doesnāt mindĀ ,Ā of courseĀ ,Ā but it is startling how strongly an already - known fact can still hit .
if nothing else he is aware sheāsĀ Ā impressiveĀ .Ā Ā enough soĀ ,Ā evenĀ ,Ā that he permits himself the thought of whether or not sparring in close - quarters would proveĀ Ā safeĀ Ā ,Ā stomach churning at the thought of a session gone horribly wrongĀ Ā /Ā Ā chest warming at the idea of being able to practice without theĀ Ā worryĀ Ā he carries near permanently within him from as young an age as he can recall being .Ā Ā not that he is so foolish as to believe her invincible nor himself incapable of mistakesĀ ,Ā butĀ ...Ā thereās aĀ Ā hopeĀ Ā ,Ā small and budding somewhere from microfractures lining his rib cage as he watches her display and that means somethingĀ ,Ā on some level .Ā Ā and when she comes to a stop the apprehension is notĀ Ā goneĀ Ā ,Ā per - seĀ ,Ā her extended hand still something to be wary of and he doesĀ Ā hesitateĀ Ā in moving from his positionĀ ;Ā but that he can consider it at all ?Ā Ā what an anomalyĀ ,Ā what a changeĀ ,Ā and he has no idea if it is his better or worse judgement in this moment as he slowly lifts a hand to take her ownĀ ,Ā to allow himself to be tugged to his feetĀ ,Ā but itās the call he is making nonetheless .Ā a declaration of trustĀ Ā /Ā Ā a declaration of understanding in regards to the skill she so clearly has .
āĀ Ā Ā i admit that it is difficult to fully shake the uncertainty that i haveĀ ,Ā but seeing your ability in such a manner has proven worth setting some of it aside .Ā Ā and as it stands it would be of a benefit to me to improve my combat beyond simply my capabilities with a lance .Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā a smileĀ ,Ā hand releasing her own to fall back at his side once he is standing firm upon the ground beneath their feet .Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā if youāre certain it would not be too much of a bother for you then i would like to accept your offer .Ā Ā it is clear there is much you could teach me .Ā Ā Ā ā