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

A Sharp Reunion

Postby Ayatah on August 26th, 2014, 2:55 pm

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A Sharp Reunion

|| 51st Summer, 514AV || The Storm Shrine || Eleventh Bell. ||


"It has been a long time, Myrian."

That voice, made from a great mixture of many accents, made Ayatah instantly smile. Her back was to the man who had spoken to her, though she did not need to turn around to know who it was. "Indeed it has, Nuvro. Where have you been?"

She turned to face the short man, whose chin only just met her shoulder as he hugged her tightly. Ayatah had not been hugged for an ego-breaking long time, and she welcomed the physical closeness.

Nuvro Browning had aged in the year since he had last met with Ayatah. His salt-and-pepper hair was certainly more of the former now, and his stubble had also greyed. Heavy lines framed his eyes and mouth, indicating a life spent smiling and laughing. But he had not gained weight, at least not in terms of fat anyway. No: Nuvro was far too active, too busy, to allow himself to ever get podgy.

Though he did like his doughnuts.

"I've bought you a present," Aya said, revealing a parchment-wrapped parcel.

Nuvro snatched it excitedly, tearing at the paper to reveal his favourite sickly sweet treat. "My favourite!" He exclaimed delightedly, biting into the doughnut to reveal the sticky red jam inside. The man made short work of the doughnut; in all but a chime he was sucking the remaining sugar off his fingers and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "And to answer your question, I have been petching everywhere!"

He explained that he and his wife - who Nuvro always liked to as 'The Missus' - had travelled to Riverfall in Spring 513AV to visit their daughter. Whilst they were there, however, a letter informed them that his wife's brother had died, so they left Riverfall after only a matter of days to travel to Syliras to comfort his sister-in-law and their nephew. The newly made widow, a woman who had always been weak and sickly, had begged them to stay for the whole of Summer, and The Missus had agreed, out of devotion to the memory of her deceased brother. Nuvro, however, had been less tempted and took the opportunity to return to his birthplace, which was Sunberth. By the time The Missus had managed to escape from Syliras and join her husband in Sunberth, Nuvro had - rather stupidly, now he thought about - won a ship in a game of poker. As neither of them knew anything about sailing, man and wife had to wait until they could sell the boat, which had taken the best part of Fall. They finally left Sunberth in Spring of the new year, having waited for the cold weather to pass to make their journey more comfortable. They finally reached Riverfall for the second time in a year, but by this point their daughter had got pregnant and given birth, and so The Missus had demanded to stay with their new Granddaughter ("named Bessie, poor little bugger. Who names a kid that? But she's gorgeous, I tell you!").

The entire tale, spanning over a year, summed up Nuvro perfectly; he was a busy and incredibly well travelled little man, with many friends and relatives spread throughout the land. Ultimately, though, his curious nature and desire to explore was harnessed by The Missus; even Nuvro himself admitted that she kept his balls in her purse.

"What have you been up to, Myrian? Have you won a boat in poker?"

Ayatah shook her head, no. She didn't even know how to play poker. "I have been here." She said simply, with a shrug of her shoulders. Her social calendar looked pathetic in comparison to Nuvro's; she had no daughter to visit, no dead in-laws to mourn. All her family were in Taloba, and all other emotional ties she had had when she left the jungle had... disappeared.

In fact, Aya was quite isolated.

Nuvro seemed to pick up on this almost instantly. He eyed Ayatah with concerned curiosity. "You seem different." And not necessarily in a good way, his tone suggested.

"I don't know," she started, shrugging her shoulders yet again, "I came to Zeltiva. I am in Zeltiva. What now?"

That final question haunted Nuvro. He had never struggled to find something to do; if it weren’t friends in another city inviting him to stay, Nuvro would have a sick relative to visit, or a daughter knocked up by some street urchin. There was always something for him to do; the phrase what now? was not in his vocabulary.

"Now, we train." He clapped his hands together, smiling enthusiastically -- but his grey eyes still remained on Ayatah's face.

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Last edited by Ayatah on October 8th, 2014, 6:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ayatah
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A Sharp Reunion

Postby Ayatah on September 10th, 2014, 9:24 pm

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Her companion had bought a familiar looking, tatty old leather satchel with him. As a young lad, Nuvro used the bag to carry around the juggling balls and spinning plates that would earn him his keep. There was a sentimental attachment to the bag; it now carried countless memories inside the ripped hemline, not just wooden training blades. The stout human dipped inside the bag and retracted not two, but four wooden double-bladed daggers. A pair was thrown to Ayatah, who scrambled to catch at least one dagger and missed both.

The human male snorted, "oh, I have missed your dexterity."

Had he been anyone else, Ayatah would have sent a scornful look and a few curses his way, but she had too much respect for the man. Nuvro had lived a hard life, one that would have dragged down weaker men. But his spirit was strong and humorous, and as a child he had never needed to be taught the same thing twice. The Missus firmly believed that if her husband had been born to a highborn family, he could have been a scholar second to only the Gods themselves. Reality, however, had introduced Nuvro into the world as the son of a barwench and the man who had raped her.

Ayatah observed her teacher, who was stretching out his stocky legs and arms to prepare for their spar. His aged little faced squinted slightly, the aches and pains of the middle-aged gnawing at his muscles and joints. He flashed her a knowing look and nodded, silently instructing the Myrian to do the same.

And so she did, firstly bending down at the waist to touch her toes, and grunting at the pleasurable stretch in her calves. The thighs were next; Ayatah stood on one leg and pulled the other up behind herself, nearly toppling over twice, much to Nuvro's delight. Finally she stretched out her arms, though by this point the half-Eypharian was too keen to get training to do this properly.

Nuvro started circling her, a dagger in each hand and his knees bent. He was a quick little man, even now, and it still impressed Ayatah how he could dodge and duck as well as a man half his age. "How much practising have you done in my length absence?"

She didn't bother lying. "Hardly any. It's difficult to train on my own, and nobody particularly wants to train with a savage."

Nuvro cracked out a grin, "Aw, my Myrian has noone to play with." The two shared a chuckle before his smile died and seriousness resumed. "I would have returned quicker, had I known."

He came at her unexpectedly; both arms swinging downwards, the right leading the left by a tick or so. Ayatah dodged the former, but the latter struck her on the shoulder. Usually, Nuvro would stop at this point and start again, but this time the trainer did not even pause. He retracted his own arms, meeting them in the middle of his torso so the knuckles touched. Holding the daggers in a reverse grip, he punched both hands forwards.

Ayatah shuffled backwards, her own hands up in the air, flailing uselessly. She almost tumbled, but managed to catch her balance to remain upright. Whilst Nuvro's hands were so low - almost level with her belly button - his own chest was exposed. She stepped sideways, turning into a tight spin, and bought her right hand down, prodding the man in the pectoral muscle.

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Last edited by Ayatah on October 8th, 2014, 7:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ayatah
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A Sharp Reunion

Postby Ayatah on September 10th, 2014, 9:55 pm

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His elbow collided with her jaw, and knocked the Myrian backwards a few paces. She grunted and winced, unfamiliar to the pain. When Ayatah opened her eyes, she saw Nuvro preparing to strike again in a slow, great arc.

The Myrian rushed forwards, stooping to avoid those swinging arms, and caught her companion at the right side of his waistline. Had her blade been made of metal, Ayatah would have been greeted by Nuvro's intestines.

She was more than happy with her performance, especially after the elongated break from any real training. Nuvro, however, was less impressed. "You are skilful in the dagger, Myrian. But we both know that. You're here to practise dual-wielding." He had a point; both of Aya's successful strikes had been with the single use of one dagger, and only in her dominant hand. A snap of his fingers indicated that Nuvro had come up with a solution, "I want, when you strike at me, for you to use both hands. Make them mirror each other, yes?" He demonstrated with a couple of examples. His left hand imitated his right, timing perfect. “So even if only one hand will actually touch me, do the same action with the other regardless. It will help you incorporate both hands into combat."

The logic was simple, as were all of Nuvro’s resolutions. Though he was not an academic man, he had a lot of common sense and streetwise thinking - as a child growing up in Sunberth, he'd had to quickly develop these two traits to survive and flourish.

"Right." Ayatah nodded, determined.

This time, Nuvro allowed Ayatah to make the first move. She prowled around the man, reawakening that Myrian hunger to fight and draw blood. She had been out of the jungle for far too long, and though she enjoyed the scholarly lifestyle of Zeltiva, she certainly missed the constant sense of impending battle of Falynder.

The gnosis mark on the back of her neck pulsated and glowed briefly as she dashed forwards, right and left arms swinging horizontally in opposite directions. Her right-hand dagger brushed Nuvro's stomach, whilst the left sliced through nothing but air.

The human swept his own hand upwards, knocking Ayatah's stabbing right hand off target. His own right hand came up, inserting the dagger into the soft skin beneath Aya's armpit. The unexpected stab of wood made her yelp like a kicked dog.

But he did not give up. Nuvro was relentless, and taught his students with the same harshness and brutality that life in Sunberth had educated him. Zeltiva was a safe city, and it was incredibly unlikely that any of his students would fall victim to a serious crime, but it paid to be safer rather than sorry. The male dashed his left hand upwards, the reverse of his palm knocking Ayatah in the head.

She backed away, frustrated with her own lack of prowess and with her friend's endless energy. With a low growl, she ignored the throbbing pain in her armpit and jumped to the left, narrowly missing Nuvro's latest stab. She dipped downwards into a crouch, and jabbed her right dagger, in a reverse grip, into the back of the male's knee.

Instantly his leg stumbled and almost gave way. Her left hand came towards him, higher than the right so she ended up poking his genitals rather than his leg.

"Steady on there, Myrian! You hurt them you'll have The Missus after you."

Ayatah stood up, sweaty and smiling. Both of them were breathing heavily, their chests raising and falling in an exhaustion that was comfortably familiar. "Didn't think a man you're age would be up such husbandly responsibilities."

For once, he looked actually offended. Nuvro's ever increasing age was a sore-point, much like his wife's ever increasing waistline.

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Last edited by Ayatah on October 8th, 2014, 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ayatah
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A Sharp Reunion

Postby Ayatah on October 8th, 2014, 10:34 am

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Then his face twisted into a smirk, wrinkles framing his eyes and mouth. "Oh... Now you're getting it, Myrian."

Ayatah also grinned, but her smile died instantly when Nuvro danced to her left, arms bent inwards towards his trunk. He was quick, though Ayatah likened to think herself as even faster. She dived backwards as he came towards her, and black eyes met brown with a challenging, friendly glare. Maybe this would be the time Ayatah finally had the upper hand...

Nuvro dipped and weaved towards her, his hands still poised like a Dhani snake about to strike. His right came towards her, then the left, then the right again. He punched forwards furiously, wooden daggers held at a right angles to his hand so they protruded outwards. He stepped forwards, still jabbing, whilst Ayatah stepped backwards, half-sashaying to avoid his punches. One landed on her right waist, knocking her off balance so his left dagger also scratched her.

She needed to break his stride, and so Ayatah knocked his right arm with her left, creating a small opening that revealed his heaving chest. Her right hand dagger, held in a saber forwards grip, struck at his chest, just below the left nipple. As Ayatah retracted her hand, she twisted her wrist and jabbed again, this time using the other blade of the double dagger in a reverse grip.

It was a good hit, both times, and the Myrian felt a glimmer of pride and optimism.

Nuvro, however, was too busy crouching on the ground and sweeping his right leg towards Ayatah to appreciate her skill. He knocked her down, and Aya landed on her back. She swore loudly.

"Yet again, Myrian. I win."

"That round, maybe." Grumbled Ayatah, picking herself up off the ground and dusting herself off.

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Last edited by Ayatah on October 8th, 2014, 7:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ayatah
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A Sharp Reunion

Postby Ayatah on October 8th, 2014, 10:59 am

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Nuvro laughed heartily, and Aya found herself grinning despite her embarrassing fall. It was hard to maintain a degree of seriousness with the short man, who took it as his personal mission to find humour in every scenario thrown at him.

"I think that's enough sparring for now. Instead, let's work on that dual-wielding of yours." He dropped both daggers of his own back in that old satchel bag, but Nuvro signalled to Ayatah that she should keep hers. "I want you stab at my hands, one at a time, yes? I'm going to ask you to change your grip every so often, to get your left hand as dextrous as your right. Let's begin!" He clapped his hands together, and then held them up at his chest level, palms facing Ayatah.

She knew this tactic; Nuvro had several similar games and challenges that he used with his students. Once, he had had Ayatah juggling with leather balls in order to teach her how to use her left hand like she did her dominant right. His methods were strange, even embarrassing, but they were effective notheless.

Ayatah jabbed her right hand forwards, the tip of her dagger touching the male's open palm ever so slightly. The point of this game was not to hurt Nuvro, simply to hit the target. Next, her left dagger came up, but her aim was slightly off so the blade poked his fingertips rather than the centre of his palm. A frustrated grumble emitted from her throat. She jabbed her right hand again, rushing the movement so she could try her left again.

Nuvro tutted loudly and snatched at the wooden blade of the dagger, catching it like a cat catching a rodent. "You are not dividing your attention equally." His words were firm, and Aya's eyebrows shot up slightly in surprise. "Just because you are more skilled with your right hand does not mean it requires less attention. Try again."

She did so, this time taking as much time to stab with her right hand as she did with her left. The movements were slow, laboured. But in doing them so carefully, Ayatah began to notice how her left arm - when extended fully - wavered ever so slightly and knocked her dagger tip off target by an inch or so. Nuvro, observant as ever, recognised her realisation. "See? There is reason behind my madness." He explained, "you are less strong in your left arm, so when you jab forward, it shakes because the muscles are not use to being extended and used so much. This is why practise is so important." His hands clapped together, indicating the completion of one lesson. Then he opened them again, positioning them at different levels, the left near his ear and right near his shoulder. "Try again."

Their game continued for ten or so chimes, with Ayatah stabbing slowly forwards, feeling how her muscles began to ache in her left arm whilst her right felt no twinge of pain. She was getting better; her aim was no longer quite so inaccurate, though it was still rare for her left blade to touch the very centre of the male's open hand. Every so often, Nuvro would bark out an order ("Quicker!" "Slower!" "Reverse grip!"), and Aya would change her position or speed as necessary.

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Last edited by Ayatah on October 8th, 2014, 7:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ayatah
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A Sharp Reunion

Postby Ayatah on October 8th, 2014, 1:20 pm

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Another ten chimes. Her left arm was screaming with burning pain now, and even Aya's right arm was beginning to feel stiff and hot. She grit her teeth, blinking furiously as she jabbed left and right to Nuvro's demands. The human male watched her face carefully, reading each wince and grimace with a satisfactory smile on his lips.

Eventually, after Ayatah's hairline began to glisten with sweat, he lowered his hands. "Enough of that." His calm words juxtaposed her harsh breathing. "Tiring, isn't it, all that standing around?"

The words were meant to tease, but Aya was too busy delighting in finally lowering her arms, grinning as blood rushed down to her fingertips. She did not respond to his playful question, but instead sighed happily.

Eventually, after much more sighing and gleeful swinging of her arms, Ayatah returned the wooden dagger to Nuvro, who quirked an eyebrow at her. "Happy?"

She was happier than she could describe. Ayatah realised that without a blade in her hand - even a wooden one - she failed to feel like a Myrian. Sure, she was ostracized, stared at and gossiped about, just like a jungle-dwelling barbarian. But two years living in the city of Zeltiva had displaced her cultural awareness. She was out of touch, suddenly unaware of what it was to be Myrian. But now, as her muscles ached and her ribs felt bruised, those feelings all came flooding back. She was a warrior, strong and skilled. Many lives had ended at the wrong side of her dagger and, though it had been a long time she had even hunted for her dinner, that instinct to enjoy the killing had not entirely disappeared. "Oh, delighted." She murmured.

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Ayatah
The Scholarly Savage
 
Posts: 737
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Joined roleplay: December 27th, 2012, 11:30 am
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A Sharp Reunion

Postby Perplexity on October 18th, 2014, 7:26 pm

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Ayatah :
Skills:
  • Socialization | +1 EXP
    Acrobatics | +3 EXP
    Weapon: Dagger | +4 EXP
    Dual Wielding | +3 EXP
    Endurance | +2 EXP
Injuries:
  • Some mild bruising. Nothing a few days rest and a nice warm bath won't cure!
Lores:
  • Nuvro Browning: His Tales, His Travels
    Dual Wielding Principle: Using Both Hands In Combat
    Dual Wielding Principle: Alternate Offense and Defense With Blades
    Dual Wielding Principle: Divide Attention Equally


Comments :
Contact me at your earliest convenience if you have questions or concerns.
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