Intensive Training II: Dip, Dive, Duck, and Dodge
Glade 22nd, 122nd Year of AoS
As the northern frost finally started to melt and the trees blossomed with new foliage, it became increasingly obvious that the Glade season had settled in. The patter of feet rushed through slush and mud as the tips of his boots would still snag a trap, leading to a release of some kind of projectile within the wood that served as an obstacle. Improvement was something Rickter always strode for, and having ran enough of these courses for the past two weeks, he felt already stronger in a variety of ways. He was quicker on foot now, with longer pauses between held breathes, and an ever increasing stamina from the amount of running he had to fucking accomplish.
All while building the reflexes. Initially when this all started it was just simple traps he had to avoid, things like rocks and maybe even snowballs were hurled at him. But now that the springtime had settled in the north, the traps were getting even more elaborate than before. Pitfalls started to contain spikes at the bottom, swinging logs possessed sharpened tools, even the throwing traps had things like knives to throw at him. Initially the addition of the changes had first alarmed Rickter at the time, however, learning to trust his senses over the past week had enabled him to conquer all reservations he had.
Metal whirred through the air with a whoosh as the wolf looked above him by several degrees. At the sight of the daggers spiraling his way, he dipped to the left in his next step, then tucked further right to avoid the second knive threatening to pierce him. Most of these traps seemed aimed at the shoulder or other areas not so vital, just enough to give that hint of danger when one such as Rickter saw them closing in. Still, he dodged as he ran forward, the katana strapped to his belt not as much of a burden as it used to be. Another one of Ishin's additional conditions the further along their training went, for Rickter at least, to physically carry such a weapon on his person at all times when running one of these gauntlets.
Though the wolf hardly understood why that was necessary in the beginning, it made sense with each passing day, with every slip up or failure to avoid a trap that threatened him at the time. Make no mistake he was tired as shit, from the rigorous routine his mentors gave him day after day. But between carrying said weapon, he learned to compensate for the additional weight on his form, which enabled him to steadily grow faster and faster with his running capability.
Another activated trap.
The wolf growled as he pulled his upper frame back, and tucked into a fall that enabled him to slide across the damp ground. Farm scythes spun out from around a pair of trees he passed, the rig swinging just above his face as he slid beneath the trap. Quick to turnover and carry what residual momentum he had left, the muddied pup rushed onward before the next trap became tripped by his movement. Another bladed log swung straight for him, causing Rickter to tuck into a roll away from it as more mud caked his clothes and hair. He didn't care, he wasn't going to get hit today. Not a single trap was going to inflict an injury upon him, he'd been bound and determined to make it so that Ishin would be impressed by his effort.
Thus rolling back onto his feet in a knelt position, he pushed hard off his feet to continue running toward his destination. Rickter had to remember to keep breathing when he started off, his pace alternating between a jog and a full-on sprint when he'd near the next set of traps. He had enough energy to make it through this jaunt in particular, but, there was the underlying fact that his mentor wanted him to be ever more familiar with his temporary weapon. Pact weaponry was easier to get around with after all since it was magic, and Ishin's methodology of training involved less magic and more physical refinement. Thus the purpose of carrying an actual weapon served two purposes, allowing Rickter to gauge the energy and reflexes necessary to survive when carrying such weapons, as well as providing insight as to how other weapons worked among Reavers.
So far as he could tell a katana, a Kensei's best weapon, was a one-sided blade meant solely for cutting and cleaving. And while he would've happily thought about the antics of this all day, it would have to wait until his mentors saw fit for the combat training they'd remarked on at the start of this. Finally, the clearing came into view and with it, the light at the end of this metaphorical tunnel. Once Rickter reached the outskirts of the settlement where the trees were less in volume, Ishin waited for him as he normally would, with arms folded within his sleeves in total patience. "Hm? What's this? Done already?"
Standing slouched over with his hands on his knees, Rickter nodded to his mentor in between long drawn pants. Regulating his breathing was another key essential part of this training, he had learned, as his lungs cried bitterly for air even though he drafted long-drawn inhales. "You've hardly used your weapon it would seem... No matter. Your tendency to avoid the traps altogether is sign enough of your improvement." The Kensei commended as he approached the wolf, Rickter's legs still shaking where he stood as he tried to straighten up a bit. "You're the first to make it back from your jaunt through the wood Rickter. Congratulations. The others are still in the midst of their run even now."
"Am I combat-ready now?" He inquired in between breaths as he looked sharply to the Kensei, Ishin's eyes narrowing on him before his lips curved into a small smirk.
"You're well on your way, yes, but only once you've familiarized yourself with your weapon." Ishin instructed tactfully which led the wolf to glare at the katana on his waist. "That blade is meant to be an extension of you as well. You can't always count on your magic to keep you safe, not in times of war young pup. You must learn to trust the weapons you can carry, and use them to shield you when the magic ones you possess cannot."
It was a lesson worth noting as Rickter looked back over his shoulder. Dodging traps wasn't enough at all then... He needed to be familiar with not just the katana, but any physical weapon he may come across. As a Reaver he could already tell the importance behind this, hell, his actual weaponry would benefit from learning it. "Remember, Rickter, no matter how ready you are for war, you cannot expect to rely on magic alone." The Kensei advised sternly with a sharp gaze. "Your enemies will have advantages that will even disallow its use." Not that the wolf needed reminding of that, since from what he'd heard, places like the Imperium had some kind of gas that diminished magic.
Still, Rickter nodded to show that he understood completely. And then moments after the rustle of snow as twigs crunched beneath pressure, signaling the arrival of Patrick as he lumbered out of the wood. "Okay," the Atinoran whined, "I made it."
"Yes, indeed, though you were slower than Rickter here." The old man pointed out as he approached Patrick next, before looking back to Rickter a little more heartily. "Now comes the part of your training where you both get to swing your sword." The wolf didn't need to look down to realize he meant the physical weapon at his waistline. Though not as weighted as the bastard sword he was a fan of, the familiarity would be shared with it in time as well. Thus the wolf listened to his mentor and drew the blade, taking a moment to admire the weapon for all it's glory. A katana was a one-sided edge when it came to weaponry, making it a weapon best suited for cleaving and less for piercing.
Rickter found it interesting to see if and how he could learn to rely on such weaponry. He had heard warriors such as Kensei could swing a blade through anything, that their weapons could cut through wood and stone as if it were mere butter. Plus he hadn't forgotten the moves Ishin used on him when they first encountered one another, before the old man took him under his wing as a pupil that is.
Glade 22nd, 122nd Year of AoS
As the northern frost finally started to melt and the trees blossomed with new foliage, it became increasingly obvious that the Glade season had settled in. The patter of feet rushed through slush and mud as the tips of his boots would still snag a trap, leading to a release of some kind of projectile within the wood that served as an obstacle. Improvement was something Rickter always strode for, and having ran enough of these courses for the past two weeks, he felt already stronger in a variety of ways. He was quicker on foot now, with longer pauses between held breathes, and an ever increasing stamina from the amount of running he had to fucking accomplish.
All while building the reflexes. Initially when this all started it was just simple traps he had to avoid, things like rocks and maybe even snowballs were hurled at him. But now that the springtime had settled in the north, the traps were getting even more elaborate than before. Pitfalls started to contain spikes at the bottom, swinging logs possessed sharpened tools, even the throwing traps had things like knives to throw at him. Initially the addition of the changes had first alarmed Rickter at the time, however, learning to trust his senses over the past week had enabled him to conquer all reservations he had.
Metal whirred through the air with a whoosh as the wolf looked above him by several degrees. At the sight of the daggers spiraling his way, he dipped to the left in his next step, then tucked further right to avoid the second knive threatening to pierce him. Most of these traps seemed aimed at the shoulder or other areas not so vital, just enough to give that hint of danger when one such as Rickter saw them closing in. Still, he dodged as he ran forward, the katana strapped to his belt not as much of a burden as it used to be. Another one of Ishin's additional conditions the further along their training went, for Rickter at least, to physically carry such a weapon on his person at all times when running one of these gauntlets.
Though the wolf hardly understood why that was necessary in the beginning, it made sense with each passing day, with every slip up or failure to avoid a trap that threatened him at the time. Make no mistake he was tired as shit, from the rigorous routine his mentors gave him day after day. But between carrying said weapon, he learned to compensate for the additional weight on his form, which enabled him to steadily grow faster and faster with his running capability.
Another activated trap.
The wolf growled as he pulled his upper frame back, and tucked into a fall that enabled him to slide across the damp ground. Farm scythes spun out from around a pair of trees he passed, the rig swinging just above his face as he slid beneath the trap. Quick to turnover and carry what residual momentum he had left, the muddied pup rushed onward before the next trap became tripped by his movement. Another bladed log swung straight for him, causing Rickter to tuck into a roll away from it as more mud caked his clothes and hair. He didn't care, he wasn't going to get hit today. Not a single trap was going to inflict an injury upon him, he'd been bound and determined to make it so that Ishin would be impressed by his effort.
Thus rolling back onto his feet in a knelt position, he pushed hard off his feet to continue running toward his destination. Rickter had to remember to keep breathing when he started off, his pace alternating between a jog and a full-on sprint when he'd near the next set of traps. He had enough energy to make it through this jaunt in particular, but, there was the underlying fact that his mentor wanted him to be ever more familiar with his temporary weapon. Pact weaponry was easier to get around with after all since it was magic, and Ishin's methodology of training involved less magic and more physical refinement. Thus the purpose of carrying an actual weapon served two purposes, allowing Rickter to gauge the energy and reflexes necessary to survive when carrying such weapons, as well as providing insight as to how other weapons worked among Reavers.
So far as he could tell a katana, a Kensei's best weapon, was a one-sided blade meant solely for cutting and cleaving. And while he would've happily thought about the antics of this all day, it would have to wait until his mentors saw fit for the combat training they'd remarked on at the start of this. Finally, the clearing came into view and with it, the light at the end of this metaphorical tunnel. Once Rickter reached the outskirts of the settlement where the trees were less in volume, Ishin waited for him as he normally would, with arms folded within his sleeves in total patience. "Hm? What's this? Done already?"
Standing slouched over with his hands on his knees, Rickter nodded to his mentor in between long drawn pants. Regulating his breathing was another key essential part of this training, he had learned, as his lungs cried bitterly for air even though he drafted long-drawn inhales. "You've hardly used your weapon it would seem... No matter. Your tendency to avoid the traps altogether is sign enough of your improvement." The Kensei commended as he approached the wolf, Rickter's legs still shaking where he stood as he tried to straighten up a bit. "You're the first to make it back from your jaunt through the wood Rickter. Congratulations. The others are still in the midst of their run even now."
"Am I combat-ready now?" He inquired in between breaths as he looked sharply to the Kensei, Ishin's eyes narrowing on him before his lips curved into a small smirk.
"You're well on your way, yes, but only once you've familiarized yourself with your weapon." Ishin instructed tactfully which led the wolf to glare at the katana on his waist. "That blade is meant to be an extension of you as well. You can't always count on your magic to keep you safe, not in times of war young pup. You must learn to trust the weapons you can carry, and use them to shield you when the magic ones you possess cannot."
It was a lesson worth noting as Rickter looked back over his shoulder. Dodging traps wasn't enough at all then... He needed to be familiar with not just the katana, but any physical weapon he may come across. As a Reaver he could already tell the importance behind this, hell, his actual weaponry would benefit from learning it. "Remember, Rickter, no matter how ready you are for war, you cannot expect to rely on magic alone." The Kensei advised sternly with a sharp gaze. "Your enemies will have advantages that will even disallow its use." Not that the wolf needed reminding of that, since from what he'd heard, places like the Imperium had some kind of gas that diminished magic.
Still, Rickter nodded to show that he understood completely. And then moments after the rustle of snow as twigs crunched beneath pressure, signaling the arrival of Patrick as he lumbered out of the wood. "Okay," the Atinoran whined, "I made it."
"Yes, indeed, though you were slower than Rickter here." The old man pointed out as he approached Patrick next, before looking back to Rickter a little more heartily. "Now comes the part of your training where you both get to swing your sword." The wolf didn't need to look down to realize he meant the physical weapon at his waistline. Though not as weighted as the bastard sword he was a fan of, the familiarity would be shared with it in time as well. Thus the wolf listened to his mentor and drew the blade, taking a moment to admire the weapon for all it's glory. A katana was a one-sided edge when it came to weaponry, making it a weapon best suited for cleaving and less for piercing.
Rickter found it interesting to see if and how he could learn to rely on such weaponry. He had heard warriors such as Kensei could swing a blade through anything, that their weapons could cut through wood and stone as if it were mere butter. Plus he hadn't forgotten the moves Ishin used on him when they first encountered one another, before the old man took him under his wing as a pupil that is.
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"
