[Flashback]Only the Best…(Xalet)

[Valorae]

At the top of the hill, the trainer saw them both moving with great momentum and determination. He grinned. He took his horse back, trotting, but a few feet, and turned back when he started to charge. In his right hand, his had drawn his sword and fastened his other on the reigns. The flat at the hill’s top made the perfect location for this little plot. The leading squire, mounted upon a horse just as strong and fair as Xalet’s, had made it to the top, just now passing that curve when the shock his him. The Ser’s charging stallion, and the shrill war cry of the Ser himself, spooken the lead’s horse, sending it back. The young squire mounted flinched as well, and fell off to the side. He was not caught in the gear. The reaction of Squire Xalet was not told just yet. However, it was sure that the Ser is a man of his word. Sword drawn and charging in a blazing glory at that Akalak still riding over the slope, the officer takke his sword, charged slightly to the right from Xalet’s point of view, and prepared to draive the flat of the blade into his torso . The erupting screaming from the man’s lungs left a trailing mist of frosted air that was rapidly swept away like his being on the wind. Act quickly Xalet, or greater pain will meet you again!

OOCHad a hellish week… but we’re okay now. Short posts on either side should be expected, so don’t worry or force yourself to fill up on description, unless you want of course. We’re going to really put you to work now.

[Xalet]

Beneath that large Akalak the motion of the horse rocked his body. He had to keep the tension upon his heels, his thighs had to be used to absorb the shock of such fast forward movement. The speed of the wind stung propelled by his acceleration and Xalet's eyes squinted in regards to that chilly bite. As he climbed the hill his mount slowed slightly from the strain of moving Xalet's large bulk up a vertical incline. Damn, the squire opposite to him had a faster mount, or perhaps simply less weight for the creature to deal with. Maybe he was simply better at maneuvering his steed. Eventually Xalet made it to the top, just in time to see...that crazy Ser charging toward them both!?

Sword drain, weight forward, horse at a full sprint. He could hear the echoed cries of his trainer as he rushed toward the squires. The man opposite Xalet ended up taking a spill onto the ground. Fumbling for his shield, Xalet struggled to keep a hold of the reigns with one hand and get his protection prepared with the other. His eyes were wide, the whites showing cleanly against the silvery hue of his iris's, and inside his gauntlets despite the cold his palms were wet with sweat. He yanked with his hand and shrugged with his shoulder, getting his shield down into his left hand.

He needed to get it up high! He needed those straps high upon his arm, nearly past the elbow and up into his bicep. It was the only way to leave the reigns in his palm and allow him some control over his horse. He couldn't even begin to imagine getting his short sword prepared in this instance. There wasn't enough time! There wasn't even enough time to get a proper hold on his shield! He had to just grip it as best he could and duck down into it, getting nailed by that expertly wielded sword at this velocity would probably knock even an Akalak to kingdom come.

[Valorae]

And to kingdom came he went. At top speed the Ser charged Xalet, whose own velocity rivaled even against the grade of the hill. The elder’s swing met its greatest power directed for Xalet’s chest. The squire ducked, and brought up his shield, but the Ser had him caught. The blade drove its way into the center of the shield, and continued to glide over the top. Still the elder knight’s war cry echoed over the field. The Ser brought his horse around the back of Xalet’s before he ripped his own arm off and continued down the slope. Xalet felt the energy transfer. The strike sent the power down into the shield radiating, into his arm, throwing it inward and catching it back a bit. To compensate for balance he’d need to follow it, but the horse was still going forward snarling in fright. His shoulder went back as did his torso, and he went left. His feet were in the harness properly, and slipped right on out when he was knocked up. When all was said and done, he was going backward off the horse to the left, sure to land flat on his back. He’d certainly have the wind knocked out of him. Good ole Ser what’s-his-name’s war cry soon turned into a violent storm of laughter as he doubled over on his horse. He brought that steed back to a trot and started back up the hill to Squire Xalet. The Akalak’s steed had slowed on its own, going to its sibling at the top of the hill. The other squire had also fallen off, but was now standing with the reigns of the horse he rode in his hands. The elder knight started his lesson with a demonstration, as usual. He began riding back and said to them in his chuckling voice, “Expect! The unexpected!” He couldn’t help but burst out in his low laugh as he came along side Xalet, now several feet deep in ice and snow, probably still gasping for air. “If you could’a o-“ he laughed, “If you could have seen the look of ya! You, you gotta’ be alive squire! Haha, good, good fun, oh boy, good ole, ha, fun. Now, you, hehe, you’re dead, and your horse. Where’s your horse at? Hmm… There she is, good girl goin’ to the right people. Are you a stable keeper now?! Playing with horses?! Or a knight?! Get on that horse!! You too squire!! Get up and get on that horse! This ain’t no time for play girlies…ain’t no time! I said get up!!!” He was screaming at the top of his lungs till the cold air made his voice rasp. Her started back up the hill yet again and called to them, “Get over here!” in time Xalet followed with his own thoughts in mind. His company squire moaned lowly under his helmet and started over, leaving the other horse for Xalet. She was trained and came if you called. It makes life easier for the squires in training that way. “What you just witnessed was the first mistake all y’all squires make. You hear the command to charge and go forward on up a hill, and that’s what happens!” He sniffled, pacing on his steed back and forth before the squires still adjusting themselves. “That’s what happens, you get knocked on your god damn asses! Look at ya! Startlin’ your horse! Fallin’ off the side! And you!!! Getting knocked over! You’re dead, son! You’re dead! Trampled by five other war clad steeds thirstin’ for blood, just thirstin’! And if that ain’t killed you yet, you’ve been stabbed and skewered and bashed right on up by the foot soldiers leadin’ behind them! And you again! See this poor Ak-al-ack squire-in-law of yours? Do you really see him? Then why did y’all leave him behind!? There’s a battle up here, I tell ya, and you expect any reward? The only reward’s gonna’ be victory, and it’s not for you, or you… It’s for Sylira…” He dropped from his horse, and took out his sword. For perhaps a length of forty feet across the flat of this hill; he dragged it flat in a straight line leaving a divide in the snow. He ran his blade through it again on the way back, cleaning away what snow was caught in the line still. He then barked his next order, “I want a wall, here,” as he gestured to the line he had drawn, “Three feet tall, a foot wide. You have a few minutes. Maybe you can make a better use of that shield, Squire Xalet… I want it pact and tight. It will be a symbol of your dedication to the knighthood! Should it crumble…then I certainly cannot take you seriously in this matter. Why are you still standing here? I demand a wall be built at once! You, take that end, and you the other!” While the squires began their work as expected, the Ser gathered twigs in a pile. It was twenty feet from the wall-to-be, in the center of its length. He then cleared the snow to feel the frozen earth. He could even be seen hunched over, palms to the earth, smelling it… What a strange man indeed. He brought back logs too, soon, and more twigs. The horses snarled again, their breath freezing into a mist in mid-air. You could see it, like smoke from a cannon. He made a fire, large and warm, and fed it well. He sat on the log looking over the blaze as they worked, and they worked well. He knew they would. Taking some sort of metal bowl from his own pack, he melted the snow to make some water and tended to the horses. He was sure to give the squires a darting gaze as they labored. It wouldn’t be long till they would meet each other in their task.

OOCNow we can get to work. Praise the holiday vacation! Initiate power posting!

[Xalet]

The world was spinning. The field of white moved in circles as the gray sky melded with it, both trading places in which was on top or bottom. Eventually Xalet made contact with the ground, the snow cradling him tightly, not even allowing his body to roll once due to its confines. "What happened...? I'm off my horse?" This was the amnesia that followed after almost getting your head taken off. The cold burned through Xalet's body, forcing him to sit up, the white powder falling from his armor as he did so. In the distance he could hear that Knight laughing. That bastard. Xalet wasn't one for vengeance, but he was going to return the favor one day.

Though the Ser's words were muffled in the beginning, as the Akalak managed to make his way to his feet they became all the more clearer. Stumbling for just a moment, he shook his head to clear his thoughts and refocus his vision. In the distance he saw his horse, it's hoof scratching idly at the snow beneath. With a shrill whistle Xalet called it over and remounted, his arm still shaking from the impact upon his shield. How was it possible to have that much power? Was it all simply technique, or was this Human unusually strong? The mottled horse carried Xalet up toward his instructor, just in time for him to dismount and hear about this newest development.

"A wall?" the Squire thought to himself, knowing better than to question its significance out loud. He had dug a trench before, but never built a wall. "At least I can feel my arm again, though the rest of my body is starting to go numb from this cold." he reasoned, flexing his fingers beneath his mail glove. That Knight was crazy, but he had an excellent idea. The large heater shield Xalet used would be good enough as a makeshift shovel, and excellent at smashing snow downward, scraping it off, and otherwise shaping it to the appropriate dimensions.

"Whatever, he wants a wall, he'll get a wall." and with some reaffirmation, Xalet began gripping the shield by the tapered bottom while driving it's upper edge into the snow beneath him. Working like a plow, he first started by moving snow into a long pile, building up as much speed as his legs would allow, thighs burning from the exertion of moving the slightly damp powder. Its weight multiplied as more was caught in the curve of his shield, shoved into place. At time's the large plank of wood and steel would get stuck, forcing Xalet to drill his knee up against it while pushing with everything he had in his shoulders, releasing it from whatever rock or debris was hidden by the snow and moving it onward.

Xalet built and built, long puffs of steamy air rising up from his lungs as he worked. The pile looked crude and malformed, until Xalet retrieved his makeshift shovel and began applying pressure to the sides of the mound. One palm pushed heavily at the rear of his forward motion, while the hand at the front exerted less force. The result shortened the overall height and width, but provided a much more sturdy structure. As they would eventually meet in the middle, those two squires, Xalet took a moment to speak as he began finalizing the width and height in the middle most portion of his side of the wall, "Never...really got a chance to introduce myself. I'm Xalet, squire to Sergeant Irine Braklin." he mentioned in-between breaths. Soon enough their creation would be completed

[Valorae]

The other squire was grunting himself, hard at work. He was a bit shouter than Xalet, a stout figure with a big chest and broad shoulders. His own legs could be seen working at a formidable pace in the slow, getting down low to scoop up snow. He was built for this kind of work. No wonder he was trying to become a knight like Xalet, knighthood was worth more than this trivial labor any day… When approached with the question, the adjacent squire responded in a voice struck by the cold, terribly so at that. He sounded a bit like a man who had smoked for a while. Surely he didn’t smoke though, not with that physique and speed, under all of that armor too. “Squire Moore of the-” “Quit your chatting!! Get to work! Double time!” He didn’t speak after that. He seemed devout to his cause and that was all there was to it. Ser what’s-his-face was on his way over now, and the horses were left tethered to a large, stray tree near the fire. They were taking turns sipping water from the pan. He had his sword in his right hand, and some cup-o-something in his left, taking a drink of some steaming warm drink. He seemed refreshed and cool from when he last spoke. “Squire…Xalet. Status report?” Of course he knew how they were progressing. Xalet and friend had been laboring at the wall for almost ten minutes now as the fire was prepared and tended to on the side. The horses were grazing now too, digging down into the snow and gnawing on the low shrubbery clinging to life. “…what a monstrocity. I hope these are not the walls you would build for your people. Come, now, tell me of your progress!” He was loud, and obnoxious, and…enthusiastic to learn. Squire Moore was on his way down towards Xalet’s starting point, still shoveling away like a seasoned field hand. Ser old-guy hovered over Xalet awaiting his answer…

[Xalet]

Xalet seethed silently at the quick chastizing of the Sergeant. That guy had good ears, it was tough to sneak anything past him. To get stronger, faster, and more skillful was the goal, but the way the knowledge was passed down to squires was the 'game'. Xalet was fairly good at playing it, with his patience and calm demeanor. So long as Xuphim stayed safe and sound, buried deep under layers of serenity and discipline there wasn't anything to worry about. The problem was, the more stress that piled on top of the squire, the closer the dark one came to showing himself. That wasn't the face you wanted to put on in front of a Knight, ah the pains of being an Akalak.

Xalet had just finished smashing his shield down atop his side of the wall about half a dozen times when he heard the voice of the Sergeant. His metal boots slipped slightly upon the frozen ground as he brought his shield from a position over his head into the ground just beside him, the tapered bottom digging into the dirt enough for him to lean upon it momentarily. "One wall, built to specifications. The snow is packed. There is some infiltration of debris. The sides can be scraped if you prefer an edge or a round, Ser." Xalet responded. In perfect honesty, it was difficult to tell whether or not the Akalak was joking or not.

"Unless you're asking about me. Then the status is cold, but my wind is regained. I do well with steady, laborious tasks, Ser." he added. What Xalet meant was that, rather than be built for power or extreme cardiovascular activity, the Akalak did best with meticulous exertions of strength and mass. Many of his days with his Patron had been spent digging ditches, climbing walls, plowing non-existent fields, and pulling wagons filled with various chunks of heavy rubble.

[Valorae]

“Not for long, squire… Both of you! On your feet! No, not those, the horses!” The stout man lead the way as he mounted his own horse. The other squire, not quite finished, had left his job, taking his shield, and went to mount the horse he was brought on as well. The sergeant’s voice was all too calm. He was quick to cut them off as they still boarded their steeds. “Bother of you, draw swords.” He pranced over to the wall. With his sword he pointed, “You, go over there, and you go to the other side.” He backed away from the wall and began to bark his orders, “This will be a clean duel…to start… You will both commit to your left side of the wall. For this exercise you will use only your swords. Are we clear on that?” Of course both squires would respond affirmatively, but their thoughts…curious. “Never during this exercise will your blade be pointed like so.” He demonstrated the blade outright and forward as if to thrust or impale. “You must slash at your opponent. It is expected you wield your blade properly. Broken blades result in deaths in battle from mistreatment of your weapon, and I will see to it that you, either of you, be punished by severe standards. Be a jokester if you want. I’ve seen it happen before.” What truth this held was…debatable at best. He came across as serious though. “This is not monkey business. You will treat your opponent with dignity and respect at all times. You will keep on all armor at all times. Strikes toward the neck, thigh, underarm, or vulnerable areas of the like can be subjected to charges of attempted assassination.” Similarly…debatable. He said many things. All the same, the likelihood of either being so malicious was unthinkable… it was unthinkable, right?”The first man knock his opponent off his horse such that he hits the ground gains a point. You will make the fullest effort to aim for the torso of your opponent. Blocking is permitted though not always recommended – you cannot defend yourself to victory in this instance. Mistreatment of the horses will most definitely result in a punishment not even I can predict. I guarantee you it would make a rogue Drykas cringe. My judgment over this match is law, and penalties of conduct will be enacted accordingly and immediately. If there are no further questions…let us begin.” Xalet’s opponent in this match stood at the far end of the wall, opposite side than he, prepared for this challenge. He had no questions, only a yearning to achieve victory in this match. From the far way he glared at Xalet through the slits of his helm. The sergeant checked them both for final questions. If there were none his call to begin was inevitable. The squires were equally matched in skill…how they use it would determine this judge’s ruling. OOCIf Xalet has questions we can move to that post. Alternatively, if you’re ready to begin feel free to call the result of the first joust. Keep in mind you’re equally skilled opponents, as if numerically identical, and there is no true physical advantage when it comes to this joust (save for Xalet’s weight perhaps, but at that speed…well, you know.). I entrust you to make the first round entertaining. If they only cross swords the first few times, please, write it, but come to a stop immediately after either squire scores a point. Thank you…now let’s get some action into this thread!

[Xalet]

Xalet had been waiting for something like this. Xalet's biggest weakness, competition. He enjoyed the thrill of putting his own abilities up against those of another. It was a measure of skill, physical endurance, preparedness, and mental acuity. Contests were the very fabric of his Akalak being, a chance to prove himself in someway. Indeed, perhaps his entire squirehood was one enormous competition, an attempt to prove himself worthy of the next step, Knighthood. Thinking no more of it he climbed atop his horse, leaving his shield strapped across his back. Working momentarily he steered the large warhorse beneath him toward the very beginning of the left side of the wall, keeping his left hand upon the reigns while his right drew his short sword. The broad blade of his short sword was not to be underestimated, as while it was easily a foot shorter than a longsword, it's weight was nearly the same due to the width of the blade attached.

Bringing the back of his gauntlet up to his forehead, Xalet allowed his visor to drop into place, shielding his face from a wayward strike. The Akalak knew well of his own skill in combat, but nothing of the squire in front of him. Xalet, if anything, was well rounded. His skill was a horse was decent, his skill with a sword decent, as was his physical fitness and abilities with a shield. He had no prominent strengths to speak of, besides the length of his arms that aided in reducing some of the range advantage of not wielding a longer blade.

As the Sergeant gave the word, Xalet snapped his reigns and tucked his body inward. The Akalak was a large target, it would be easy to score a solid blow against his broad chest. The best he could hope for was simply landing an overpowering blow and dismounting his comrade. Snow exploded as the hooves of the large beasts powered their squires forward, Xalet recognizing that this was the very first time he had tried to attack a moving target at full speed. His teeth clenched, his fist held tightly onto his sword, he watched as the entire world shook in front of him from the turbulence of riding his horse. Then, the time was right, his elbow pulled backward and his shoulder cocked. With all of his power he threw his first attack!

A clean miss on his part, even the squire he was up against had only caught Xalet's body in the tail end of his swing arc. It seemed attacking at high speeds was quite difficult. The difficulty was in understanding the exact moment to begin your swing, while at the same time trying to compensate for the forward movement of not only your horse, but the horse coming at you. "One more time..." Xalet thought to himself, pulling back on the reigns and squeezing with his left heel, turning his horse in place and lining back up against the wall.

"I can get it, I can get the timing..." he reassured himself, charging forward with a loud 'hyah!' as he leaned into his saddle. Bringing his sword up he cocked his arm rearward again, trying once again to gauge the distance and speed. Finally it was time, time for some payback. The muscles in his obliques contracted, while his lower back braced itself for impact. His core tightened, all those muscles he had been strengthening this time working to form a solid base to wield a sword from horseback. Then, when the time was right the incredible clash came.

Whether by luck, skill, or a combination of both, Xalet's sword tip met it's mark at a suitable time, the last three inches of the weapon's wide blade striking it's mark just above the abdomen of the opposite squire, while the blade coming at him scratched a large dent into the Akalak's wide pauldron. It nearly felt like Xalet's arm was going to be pulled from his socket, but he followed through with everything he had, nearly pulling himself from his own horse as he did so. The sheer shock of a sword blade striking at a combined speed involving both horses was enough to jar the other squire from his saddle, tumbling through the air, and landing upon the snow.

OOCI just flipped a coin, Xalet won. It worked out well since the other squire beat him up the hill the first time, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of chances to go down.

[Valorae]

Xalet’s successful charge had left a trail of destruction. The ground had been beaten with iron hooves through the ice and snow to the bare, frozen dirt. Snow had been flung multiple feet backward in a sloppy manner from the rush, a bit tarnishing the otherwise smooth wall. His steed was riled after the joust, and now warmed up for the next round. As was his squire counterpart’s, but he could not be seen. He had been knocked back on his own ass this time, a foot deep in the snow. He pulled himself up moaning with some aching pain, and readjusted his helmet. “Back on your feet! Again!!! Move it, this is not time to be resting!” Xalet was already in position, and now the other squire was slacking. He jogged back to retrieve his steed and remounted. He set up for the next round. The moment was silent. “Go!!!” His words pierced the air, an arrow through thin glass, shattering the silence. The battle cries of both riders sounded, whether they were lung exhausting screams or spouts of encouragement for the rider himself more than the horse. They were ready to meet each other, and the sergeant himself even cringed. He himself seemed to feel their very blows against each other from memory, jumping back when they finally clashed. He tried to hide his slacking jaw as he observed the aftermath. Xalet must have made his company angry. The squire had ducked down and took the hit in the shoulder. He, however, had struck under young Xalet and knocked him up and off the horse, much like the sergeant had done prior. His Akalak form certainly wasn’t going to slide or get knocked back, so he was hit up and out of his saddle. The assessment followed as expected. “One and one! You’re tied. Again!!!” Was this man crazy? Well…of course he was crazy, but did he truly realize what he was putting their bodies through? He’s suppose to hone their skills, not have them chopped up in a joust… Hopefully the squires took something from their experiences so far. If he was teaching anything at all, it was far from clear. The order he had barked before remained, and Xalet would need be quick to his horse or accept defeat where he lay. This was the tie breaker. They probably could not help but wonder what surprise Ser mumble had in store for them this time…

[Xalet]

The twisting of the battlefield flashed before Xalet's vision, it was almost as if he was getting used to it. He felt as if though he could control his fall this time. He had some past experience falling, right? Nope, the heavy Akalak still landed like a sack of potatoes, buried into the snow as he scrapped along his rear shoulder before finally coming to a stop. The impact jarred his entire body, and even if he wanted to get up immediately his body simply didn't wish to cooperate. Slowly he managed to roll onto his chest, just enough to get both of his arms beneath him and shove himself up onto his knees. After a slight wobble he hefted his body, cumbersome armor and all up onto his feet. Taking a short step backward he managed to regain his sense of balance and whistled for his horse.

As the creature trotted over toward the squire, Xalet moved back to his original starting position, picking his weapon up off the ground which had fallen some time prior to him actually striking the ground below. His body felt numb, he couldn't tell if it was from the cold of from the blow he had received right at the middle of his body. No matter, it wasn't over yet. Xalet was fulled enraptured by the contest now, and he wasn't about to come in second.

Sucking in his wind the squire climbed up atop his horse and righted his helm, which had been knocked crooked atop his head. Shaking some snow free from the visor, having become lodged after the forceful meeting with the ground below, Xalet gripped his sword and held it out to his right. One final ride. He had to keep enough strength within him for one final ride. This was the time to take it, three to one. In front of him he saw his competing squire ready himself, similarly restless to attempt to put forth the final finishing blow to Xalet's large body.

As sick as it all was, Xalet had to admit that his heritage, even if he had not grown up surrounded by Akalak told him that this contest...was fun. "Hyah!" he screamed down to his horse, tucking his hips backward as he leaned into the saddle. The reigns were wrapped tightly around his fist, and he was determined that he wasn't going anywhere. The thunderous sounds of the hoof beats were all his ears could process, everything else was just a dull hum. The sound of his heart pounded in concert with the thuds of those heavy horse shoes. Rearward his arm arced, his sword cocked and ready. The strongest strike began just as the opposing horse rounded the first bell position. That was when it was time to lay every bit of weight into the blow.

As the two squires charged at one another they threw their arms forward, both looking to blast the other out of his saddle. When his sword began just barely touching the chestplate of his opponent he already knew to himself, "He was too late..." The Akalak was completely right, the fraction of a second that he had attacked was the precise time, while the opposing squire had reacted just an eye's blink behind. That left his arm stunted before it could release all of that stored energy, while Xalet's force-fed the breastplate at the end of his sword a healthy helping of kinetic force. The result was one squire leaving his saddle, while the other kept his bearings. Xalet knew it the moment their two swords clashed against each other, he would be the one retaining his seat on this run.

OOCI just flipped a coin, Xalet won. It worked out well since the other squire beat him up the hill the first time, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of chances to go down.