Flashback Under the Table - Hiding from an angry teacher!

Jayce Asher begins his 'hush-hush' training!

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Center of scholarly knowledge and shipwrighting, Zeltiva is a port city unlike any other in Mizahar. [Lore]

Under the Table - Hiding from an angry teacher!

Postby Jayce Asher on December 24th, 2013, 9:48 am

Jayce is only 18 (Middle of Summer) - Outside the University of Zeltiva


Today marked the middle of Summer, and heat seemed to roast the inhabitants of Zeltiva slowly. As the Sun's rays caressed his shoulders, Jayce began to sweat; It was a combination of the intense heat, and the nerves flaring inside of him, that caused this. It had been arranged for today, that Jayce would meet his new instructor. The instructor hadn't given a name, though he felt fairly sure that he'd learn it sooner or later. As he wandered down the streets of Zeltiva City, he listened intently to the distant cries of gulls on the shore. The birds had migrated south, away from the cold, and they gave everyone company when they most needed it. The sky was empty, to Jayce's disappointment, as he much liked to watch the clouds leisurely.

'Sir' Asher came to the long green strip that was Mirahil Pass, or Mirahil Ascent, as he called it, because he used to despise climbing it when he was young. On his right, down a small path of grass, was the university. It stood so grand above him, looming over Zeltiva in all its rightful pride. Secretly, Jayce had always wanted to study there, or at the very least visit, but his father was always so busy with work, and he'd never needed the education, with his monetary status and all.

Unfortunately, his secret dream would not be lived out today, as his training would not take place inside the university, but rather, in an obscure location behind some peculiar looking brush. Jayce produced the map from his pocket to double-check, and surely enough, the brush was as described. It was a long bush, about 15-feet in length, and stood almost two metres tall, more than enough to conceal them for their lessons. Brown mushrooms grew in odd places on the brush-line, and various weeds protruded from the hedge's outer canvas of foliage.

One thing was for certain, if there was any training to be done behind that brush, no-one would ever know about it! As he wandered round the corner of the hedge, he realised that there was a long line of low trees and bushes, parallel to the initial brush. Jayce saw no sign of his trainer, so he wandered down towards the end of the brush. Suddenly, from a few metres away, he heard a short rustle. It sounded as though something darted through some cover, or fell from a tree, but Jayce couldn't be certain - he didn't even know where it came from, only the relative distance away it was.

He turned sharply from side to side, keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword at all times. There was another rustle from behind him, or so he thought, yet when he turned around, there wasn't even a movement in the hedges to be seen! 'Wa-shing!' Jayce turned and raised his short sword, catching the blade of a dark, hooded figure above his head. He threw the blade from his direction in disgust, and the figure disappeared into thin air.

"Your reflexes are impressive," croaked an old man's voice from behind him, "Impressive, indeed!" As Jayce turned around, he was astonished to see the same cloaked man that attacked him just now. He thought about raising his sword, but he was prevented from doing so by an almost psychic gesture of the old man. "Ah-ah, you won't be needing that, yet!"

"Are you?" He stopped, he didn't want to speak about the lessons, in case this man was from the university. The old, mysterious man simply stood before Jayce in his crooked manner, releasing a cold, dark smile from his weathered face. The robed stranger had medium length gray hair, that seemed to defy all logic in the way it stuck outwards from his head. His eyes were a dark green, almost black, especially under his hood. Around them, many scars were set deep in his skin, and his lips were no better. They were in fact purple, and swollen and chapped in many places. He slouched where he stood, though he appeared tall and slim, despite his hunch and the shapelessness of his robe.

Finally the menacing figure spoke again, his voice was definitely strained, "Yes," he dragged out the word when he spoke, varying from pitches, as if his throat will only allow certain sounds. "I am going to be your trainer, until I decide that you know enough." Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a large, shining object appeared in the old man's hand. Jayce took the time to analyse it, carefully noting its properties. It was about a metre in length, and it looked to be made of a sturdy carbon steel, the kind he'd seen his dad's friend, the blacksmith, tampering with on many occasions.

It was a shield, no doubt - Jayce extended an arm towards it, and the hooded figure jerked backwards! "No! You don't deserve to touch this!" Honestly, the man sounded quite harsh, and Jayce felt disappointed at himself. "Before one learns to protect himself, one must learn to smite his enemies! Now, show me what you already know!" With that, he equipped the shield, fastening it tightly to his skinny, withered arm.

Jayce pulled back his sword, grasping it firmly in two hands, and positioning his feet so that he wouldn't lose balance in the fight. Without warning, the old man swung the shield into Jayce, and it impacted right in the middle of his chest! The young man whirled backwards, crashing down on the floor against the flat of his sword. He was slightly winded by the blow, and found it hard to rise from his feet for a while. "You're pathetic!" Bellowed his instructor.

"Listen up, you, you hideous fiend; I did not come here to be beaten and treated distastefully! You resign, before I call my father!" Disgust befell him, he'd never had a trainer so merciless, especially not in the first couple of minutes. "Shouldn't we at least be doing some theoretical studies? I can't believe you threw me straight into--" There was a loud -CRASH- when he was clobbered over the head with the end of his tutor's shield.
Last edited by Jayce Asher on December 30th, 2013, 2:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
My character sheet is below this text. C:
http://www.mizahar.com/forums/topic44238.html
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Jayce Asher
The King of the Smug Fools.
 
Posts: 48
Words: 53353
Joined roleplay: December 21st, 2013, 9:23 pm
Location: Zeltiva Outskirts.
Race: Human
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Under the Table - Hiding from an angry teacher!

Postby Jayce Asher on December 24th, 2013, 11:10 am

Jayce finally had enough with his teacher, his clambered to his feet as quickly as he could, and shambled forward, allowing adrenaline to surge through his body. Swiftly, he twisted his body, projecting the sword forwards at his trainer. 'Clang', the sword smashed against the shield, and Jayce brought it round from the other side for another strike. 'Ting', once again the sword crashed against the shield. Jayce was furious, and not ready to give in, he realised that he could stop the trainer from attacking him if he kept the pressure up, so he whirled to and fro with the sword, in a mass of 'clang's and 'ting's.

Eventually, without much attrition on the trainer, Jayce struggled to breath. He could barely hold his sword, now, and he lifted a leg slowly at an attempt to kick the instructor backwards. There was a loud 'thud', followed by a scream, it wasn't the old man, however. What had happened, was the hooded figure waited until Jayce's leg was extended, before bringing the point of the shield down on it with his full force.

Soon, Jayce's leg was bloodied, and he grasped at it through the banded mail greaves.

"No, you shouldn't have attacked so unskillfully!" Jayce was betrayed by all he knew, attrition techniques had worked for him before, in duels with friends, and his previous tutor taught him nothing of dealing with shields.

"Listen to me, you decrepit fiend! I can't get around your damned shield, and you fail to tire no matter how ruthless I become! If this is some magic, then undo it, it's not fair!" He sighed, and laid down on his back, allowing the blood to trickle down his leg.

The old man knelt down beside him, bringing a hand to the young fighter's shin, "Listen, life isn't fair, it's the most unfair thing about being alive, if that makes sense." He stopped, while he removed the armour from Jayce's wound, "Unfortunately for you, this is fair, I have a shield, you have a sword, we should be evenly matched."

It took the young man a little while to process the information, before realising that it didn't really help the situation. 'Sir' Asher watched as the crooked person tended his wound slightly. "I don't understand, mister, I've never fought a person with a shield before."

"You're keen with a sword, I've seen your reflexes, they're fast, and you curl your blade well, with great strength behind each strike. In fact, I'd say there's little I can teach you about actually using the sword, but there's more to a fight than just a decade of swords training." The old man grasped Jayce's hand and lifted him, with a strength that seemed unrealistic for the person's figure.

"Expertise in this field comes from a wide range of skills, all contributing to benefit the intentions of the person harnessing those skills," he continued, "If you want to learn how to cook a pie from scratch, it's all very well knowing what ingredients to use and even what to do with them, what really makes the pie taste delicious, is giving it its own unique flavour, that stands it out from the other pies!"

"How can this flavour be achieved, you ask? There are many ways to change the flavour of a pie, without altering the ingredients very much at all. You know that if you cook a chicken too long, the flesh chars, and is of no use. You understand that a cows' milk can be processed to make fine cheeses. It's about the method, Jayce, and your method needs updating!" With this, he knelt and attached the fighter's greaves once more. "For starters, you must learn the 4 rights of passage!"

He got to his feet, and they both stood, with light smiles on their faces, a metre or so apart. "You can go through, over, beneath or around any object, Jayce, those are the 4 rights of passage," he started, gesturing each direction with his hand, "Each right of passage must be available to a person to give him complete control over a situation. At the moment, you have a decent understanding of this, as I've seen in the way you maneuver. What you do lack, however, is awareness of your body."

Jayce looked confused now, he had always thought of himself as having decent self awareness, in fights, that is. "Yes, yes, I'm talking of course about acrobatics!" 'Uh-oh', Jayce thought. There has never been a time where he had enjoyed gymnastics. His father had a maid try to teach him, in order to make for better posture and less clumsy mistakes. Every time she'd give him a lesson, he'd tantrum or refuse to participate, so after a while the lessons stopped. It's not like Jayce was particularly inflexible, he just really disliked pressuring his body to move.

"Yes, young man, acrobatics will be the difference between your fighting, and the fighting of the men you will fight! I want to start with your position, young man!" He gestured to Jayce's legs and moved them accordingly. "Swing to the left, quickly," and Jayce conformed, allowing his blade to flutter through the air, "Good, now the right," and Jayce again did as the trainer asked, this time, the blade soared just as easily as it did to the left, "You see how your arm now, is well out of the way of your blade, and you can be less aware of it when you fight. It's easier for your to move and deflect blows, this is balance, and it will aid in kinematics, too."

There was a lack of understanding apparent on Jayce's face, the old man started, "You, have heard of the five acrobatic disciplines, haven't you?" When Jayce shook his head, the old man gave a loud and pronounced, long sigh.
My character sheet is below this text. C:
http://www.mizahar.com/forums/topic44238.html
User avatar
Jayce Asher
The King of the Smug Fools.
 
Posts: 48
Words: 53353
Joined roleplay: December 21st, 2013, 9:23 pm
Location: Zeltiva Outskirts.
Race: Human
Character sheet
Scrapbook

Under the Table - Hiding from an angry teacher!

Postby Jayce Asher on December 24th, 2013, 3:33 pm

The training went on long into the afternoon, and pretty soon, the sun was nearing the horizon. Jayce learned a great deal today, and as he had hoped (and requested), a great deal of it was theoretical work. The Five Acrobatic Disciplines were simple ideas to grasp, and he learned that if he spent his time working on the four other disciplines, he'd soon naturally achieve 'grace'. What overwhelmed Jayce were the possibilities that a shield offered someone in a fight.

"Do you think I could learn the shield?" He inquired, politely this time, because he had seen how far respect got him with this man, "I mean, the way you use it, it's remarkable!"

The old man gazed down at him, then at his shield, and then back at Jayce, "I suppose so, one day, there's nothing keeping you back," he began, "Although you must treat the shield with respect, for it can serve a man as well as a sword, or better, if used properly." Jayce looked up at him, the heat of the sun didn't bother him much now, but there was warmth in his smile that made him realise the harsh words he spoke earlier.

"I'm sorry, for those things I said," apologies aren't Jayce's strongest point. "You're a wise man, and I don't doubt you'll be more help than any other trainer I could find".

"Let it pass," the hideous man informed him, "For now, let's practice!" And the pair of them continued deep into the night, long after the university day finished. When they ended their training, Jayce returned home to treat himself with a feast of luxurious meats and fresh vegetables, his father looked concerned, but said nothing - Jayce went to bed and had a dreamless, but revitalising sleep.

Almost every day after that he went back to the spot behind the brush to train, incorporating new styles and maneuvers into his swordsmanship. Before long, he found himself curling around the shield, like water round a tombolo, the new trainer was deviant in his methods, and influenced an amount of cunning upon Jayce's movements. Before long, he was using the shield in his fights, too, and found that it was well suited for disarming opponents, with the addition of 'teeth', welded into it. Altogether, he found himself more agile and balanced, and his body and mind felt more synchronised, operating in a more harmonic unison.

As he grew more attached to his trainer, he found it easier to talk to him, and much easier to train with him. There moves became correlated after a while, each attack being matched evenly by a counter strike, and the trainer found it increasingly difficult to defeat Jayce as quickly as he used to. It took, in the end, eight years for the instructor to dismiss Jayce from the training, but Jayce didn't regret a single day. Today, Jayce uses the training well, and hasn't forgotten one bit of the practices, he can present himself well in fights, and keeps a good posture. His strikes are more fluent and much quicker, and his balance is undoubtedly better than it was when he started. Although the trainer never did (in all the eight years), speak his name, Jayce will remember him as the man that made him the fighter he is today.
My character sheet is below this text. C:
http://www.mizahar.com/forums/topic44238.html
User avatar
Jayce Asher
The King of the Smug Fools.
 
Posts: 48
Words: 53353
Joined roleplay: December 21st, 2013, 9:23 pm
Location: Zeltiva Outskirts.
Race: Human
Character sheet
Scrapbook

Under the Table - Hiding from an angry teacher!

Postby Ariann on March 12th, 2014, 8:15 pm

Grades!

Congratulations! The following records the grades you have recieved! Good job, Jayce! ^_^

Congrats, Jayce Asher!
Jace Asher :
Jace Asher

Weapon: Broadsword+2 SP
Shield+1 SP
Acrobatics+2 SP
Observation+1 SP
Detection+1 SP
Socialization+3 SP
Rhetoric+2 SP


Lores:
People - A Troublesome Tutor
Combat - The Pain, Without Gain
Places - A Secret Ground, For Secret Training
Combat - Shields Can Hurt Just Like A Blade
Social - Apologies, Not A Strong Point

Notes: This was a wonderful thread, Jayce! Very good read. Honestly, though, I am kind of sad that the man never did say his name. He seemed like a nice, if not rough, teacher. Having a name would be a good piece of closure for me. ^_^

If there is any issues with the points I have given, or if you think you deserve More/Different Lores, then feel free to PM me! I will rectify the issue ASAP, if I am indeed incorrect. ^_^ Have a nice day!
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Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to play Ariann until my life stabilizes. Sorry in advance to whoever ends up loosing out on threads because of this :\


I am now an official Grader of Mizahar! Happy squeals for all! ^_^ I will be focusing primarily on Zeltiva, but if another region needs cleaning up, let me know! I have a TON of free-time and I always enjoy reading other's threads!

[Unrelated] "(╯ಠωಠ)╯︵ ┻━┻ I quit!"

(Signature courtesy of the awesome Shausha!)
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Ariann
Fish Out Of Water.
 
Posts: 186
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Joined roleplay: March 2nd, 2013, 10:13 am
Location: Zeltiva
Race: Charoda
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