Practice For The Body and Mind II 
Ash 20th, 120th Year, A.o.S.
Rickter's eyebrows rose immediately when he let his guard down, intent to reach out and grab her before she fell, only to suffer at the hands of her staff being accidentally jabbed... down below. The bard fell down onto her bum and thigh, the polearm gently bouncing away from her in turn, while the wolf himself retreated back a couple of steps; with his free hand clutched over his groin. "Oof! Rickter! I'm so sorry!" She called out quickly when she noticed his sudden shift in stance, noting the pain he kept from showing as he simply winced in a fierce manner. His lips puckered before he began biting into the lower one, as he felt challenged by the gradual shockwave creeping on him within his very gut. The wolf staggered there for a moment taking a couple of deep breaths, exhaling slowly to mentally overcome the terrible pain that shot throughout his groin.
"Are you okay?!" There was innate concern in her tone and while he could appreciate it, the wolf hardly found in necessary for her to feel such a thing. Yes, it was an accident and he understood that, but what was more important was the error in her moves.
"I"m fine," He eventually assured her after a few moments, a little careful in how he stepped for a minute or so, "its nothing. Just gotta walk it off."
"I'm so very sorry!!" She exclaimed aloud rather nervously with a few chuckles, looking into his eyes apologetically when she moved in front of him. The wolf quickly averted his gaze then, bringing his hand up to rest atop her head with a sigh. She was worried undoubtedly and he didn't want that to happen, therefore, the wolf did the best thing he could think of to calm her down.
"That's always a guaranteed way of knocking an offender down." He mused lightly as the feeling of nausea finally waned, allowing his lower gut to stop aching as the rest of the pain gradually lessened in turn. Telion seemed astonished but lightly laughed, clearly still feeling bad over the accident as she looked at him endearingly.
"I'll remember that for the future." She remarked softly with a faint smile, garnering a light chuckle out of Rickter.
"Good. Now, remember, you're small so you're quicker. If you can't breach an enemy's guard with your own strength, then find a way to get around it in turn. Flank them. Or run away if they have too many numbers on their side." He instructed once more, thinking about the flow of the battle itself, and how sound the practice was in turn. Telion nodded to him then, moving to pick back up her staff afterward. Rickter looked at her inquisitively as he wondered if she was ready to resume, while the blonde herself stilled her breath and calmed her thoughts. "Hit me with an element if you must," he then started with the shield projected before him once more, "I want you to show me how strong you're magic really is."
"I'd rather not." Telion admitted sheepishly as she then tucked the staff behind her, a little reluctant to begin training with him once more. "Even if it's in a controlled manner, I'd rather not risk it for the time being." The wolf looked at her then not with curiosity, but with understanding given that they'd been at this for a while now. "Tell me something, why did you become a Reaver exactly?" The inquiry stirred a bit of surprise in Rickter, as he didn't expect the bard to ask such a personal question.
"At the time? I thought it was just a skill I could use." He admitted with a considerable look towards his right hand, which then gravitated to graze over the rune over his nape. "I was always getting into trouble back then, lotta fights with the other kids because I'm... well..." Different was how some would put it, but to them, Rickter was nothing more than an animal. A puppy they all wanted to either prod at or fight with, which it usually ended up being the latter, since he was always ready to scrap with another brat. That was back then though of course, it wasn't until he'd met his mysterious mentor, that he came to learn about the Old Ways.
"Did they treat you poorly?" Telion inquired with a sympathetic tone, clearly stricken by another bout of surprise from his answer. The wolf simply shrugged in response, uncaring of the thought even if memory served otherwise.
"They acted like kids, and so did I for a while. It was when my mentor approached me that I began training, as he first taught me the ways of the sword first, before moving on to Reaving and what it meant to be a Reaver." The bard looked at him curiously then, admittedly still empathic towards his story as she listened further. "I never got to learn his name, though, he did help me realize the kind of man I wanted to be."
"Which was?" Another big question he wasn't he wanted to answer, nonetheless, Rickter looked to the sky then as he went silent for the moment.
"To be ordinary." He admitted finally, hardly taking his eyes away from the clouds, let alone focusing on Telion as he shared this fact. "I thought about nothing but that at the time, and how everything I'd do would be for myself in the end. Sounds selfish I know, but really I just wanted to live my life as simple as possible."
"Wow..." Telion seemed baffled by his response, lowering the staff she still held onto the ground, before approaching Rickter to stand closer to him. "So... what changed?" The wolf's eyes widened then as he actually looked down at her, confused initially until he realized the meaning behind her inquiry. Changed? Last he knew he didn't want to change, he'd just found himself in a situation that required him to adapt. Survive pretty much. While he didn't doubt the bastard that attacked him wouldn't have killed him, Rickter would've undoubtedly been far off worse had someone not intervened back then. Telion... did just that.
She and Hannah both were the unknown variables in his life now, the root cause that demanded him to adapt and grow, to realize who he really was deep down, and in turn... change. "I'm not sure." He admitted although truthfully he'd been aware the entire time. "I've only realized recently my faults, and in doing so, found myself wanting to improve on them... for whatever reason." To that answer Telion lightly laughed, tucking her hands behind her back, as she smiled to him in turn.
"Well," she started with a contemplative look down at the left collar bone beneath her blouse, "what if I could help with that? I do possess two runes after all, and if they help you reach your goal, then I wouldn't mind gifting you with one of them." Only one though? Rickter wondered about the idea, knowing well that both were runes he could easily use. With Elementalism he'd have that missing link to his problem, as hurling magical elements would definitely cover his lack of range. Yet, to also have the power of magical shields? He didn't know the limitations of such a power, much less its actual application, but to have that power alone would make him an outstanding warrior. Reaving dulled much of the pain he'd feel outright, but if he could nullify damage altogether, then he could become an unstoppable force over time.
"You'd seriously do that for me?" He checked seeing as how the idea did seem a bit sudden, warranting a look of consideration from Telion as she stared at him in turn.
"Yes," She then confirmed, "you've helped me out quite a few times now. Plus I've seen you in action, and I think having something like Negation would really help you out." Huh. So she considered Negation too, given Rickter's style it wasn't surprising, to say the least. He was always first to charge into a dangerous situation, therefore, it was likely she saw reason in giving him the means of minimizing the risks beforehand. The wolf admittedly looked rather shocked honestly, garnering a giggle out of the bard as she lightly blushed to him in turn. "What?"
"...Nothing." He then answered with his gaze averted, trying to avoid smiling at her in turn. "I'll consider that offer though." He assured her afterward, looking around the arena in general, before deciding they'd done enough for the day. "Let's call it a day here though, might as well grab some grub." To which the bard agreed, as they would eventually leave the Proving Grounds shortly after their discussion.
"Are you okay?!" There was innate concern in her tone and while he could appreciate it, the wolf hardly found in necessary for her to feel such a thing. Yes, it was an accident and he understood that, but what was more important was the error in her moves.
"I"m fine," He eventually assured her after a few moments, a little careful in how he stepped for a minute or so, "its nothing. Just gotta walk it off."
"I'm so very sorry!!" She exclaimed aloud rather nervously with a few chuckles, looking into his eyes apologetically when she moved in front of him. The wolf quickly averted his gaze then, bringing his hand up to rest atop her head with a sigh. She was worried undoubtedly and he didn't want that to happen, therefore, the wolf did the best thing he could think of to calm her down.
"That's always a guaranteed way of knocking an offender down." He mused lightly as the feeling of nausea finally waned, allowing his lower gut to stop aching as the rest of the pain gradually lessened in turn. Telion seemed astonished but lightly laughed, clearly still feeling bad over the accident as she looked at him endearingly.
"I'll remember that for the future." She remarked softly with a faint smile, garnering a light chuckle out of Rickter.
"Good. Now, remember, you're small so you're quicker. If you can't breach an enemy's guard with your own strength, then find a way to get around it in turn. Flank them. Or run away if they have too many numbers on their side." He instructed once more, thinking about the flow of the battle itself, and how sound the practice was in turn. Telion nodded to him then, moving to pick back up her staff afterward. Rickter looked at her inquisitively as he wondered if she was ready to resume, while the blonde herself stilled her breath and calmed her thoughts. "Hit me with an element if you must," he then started with the shield projected before him once more, "I want you to show me how strong you're magic really is."
"I'd rather not." Telion admitted sheepishly as she then tucked the staff behind her, a little reluctant to begin training with him once more. "Even if it's in a controlled manner, I'd rather not risk it for the time being." The wolf looked at her then not with curiosity, but with understanding given that they'd been at this for a while now. "Tell me something, why did you become a Reaver exactly?" The inquiry stirred a bit of surprise in Rickter, as he didn't expect the bard to ask such a personal question.
"At the time? I thought it was just a skill I could use." He admitted with a considerable look towards his right hand, which then gravitated to graze over the rune over his nape. "I was always getting into trouble back then, lotta fights with the other kids because I'm... well..." Different was how some would put it, but to them, Rickter was nothing more than an animal. A puppy they all wanted to either prod at or fight with, which it usually ended up being the latter, since he was always ready to scrap with another brat. That was back then though of course, it wasn't until he'd met his mysterious mentor, that he came to learn about the Old Ways.
"Did they treat you poorly?" Telion inquired with a sympathetic tone, clearly stricken by another bout of surprise from his answer. The wolf simply shrugged in response, uncaring of the thought even if memory served otherwise.
"They acted like kids, and so did I for a while. It was when my mentor approached me that I began training, as he first taught me the ways of the sword first, before moving on to Reaving and what it meant to be a Reaver." The bard looked at him curiously then, admittedly still empathic towards his story as she listened further. "I never got to learn his name, though, he did help me realize the kind of man I wanted to be."
"Which was?" Another big question he wasn't he wanted to answer, nonetheless, Rickter looked to the sky then as he went silent for the moment.
"To be ordinary." He admitted finally, hardly taking his eyes away from the clouds, let alone focusing on Telion as he shared this fact. "I thought about nothing but that at the time, and how everything I'd do would be for myself in the end. Sounds selfish I know, but really I just wanted to live my life as simple as possible."
"Wow..." Telion seemed baffled by his response, lowering the staff she still held onto the ground, before approaching Rickter to stand closer to him. "So... what changed?" The wolf's eyes widened then as he actually looked down at her, confused initially until he realized the meaning behind her inquiry. Changed? Last he knew he didn't want to change, he'd just found himself in a situation that required him to adapt. Survive pretty much. While he didn't doubt the bastard that attacked him wouldn't have killed him, Rickter would've undoubtedly been far off worse had someone not intervened back then. Telion... did just that.
She and Hannah both were the unknown variables in his life now, the root cause that demanded him to adapt and grow, to realize who he really was deep down, and in turn... change. "I'm not sure." He admitted although truthfully he'd been aware the entire time. "I've only realized recently my faults, and in doing so, found myself wanting to improve on them... for whatever reason." To that answer Telion lightly laughed, tucking her hands behind her back, as she smiled to him in turn.
"Well," she started with a contemplative look down at the left collar bone beneath her blouse, "what if I could help with that? I do possess two runes after all, and if they help you reach your goal, then I wouldn't mind gifting you with one of them." Only one though? Rickter wondered about the idea, knowing well that both were runes he could easily use. With Elementalism he'd have that missing link to his problem, as hurling magical elements would definitely cover his lack of range. Yet, to also have the power of magical shields? He didn't know the limitations of such a power, much less its actual application, but to have that power alone would make him an outstanding warrior. Reaving dulled much of the pain he'd feel outright, but if he could nullify damage altogether, then he could become an unstoppable force over time.
"You'd seriously do that for me?" He checked seeing as how the idea did seem a bit sudden, warranting a look of consideration from Telion as she stared at him in turn.
"Yes," She then confirmed, "you've helped me out quite a few times now. Plus I've seen you in action, and I think having something like Negation would really help you out." Huh. So she considered Negation too, given Rickter's style it wasn't surprising, to say the least. He was always first to charge into a dangerous situation, therefore, it was likely she saw reason in giving him the means of minimizing the risks beforehand. The wolf admittedly looked rather shocked honestly, garnering a giggle out of the bard as she lightly blushed to him in turn. "What?"
"...Nothing." He then answered with his gaze averted, trying to avoid smiling at her in turn. "I'll consider that offer though." He assured her afterward, looking around the arena in general, before deciding they'd done enough for the day. "Let's call it a day here though, might as well grab some grub." To which the bard agreed, as they would eventually leave the Proving Grounds shortly after their discussion.
"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."
