Rehabilitation

[Shakune]

Rehabilitation
9th Spring, 515AV

Pain was something that one did not simply get over, as Shakune had first thought. For almost twenty days, she had been nearly crippled thanks to the scar down her left leg. The wound itself had not been the major problem: it was the subsequent infection that had festered in her flesh that had knocked her out for the count.

But now she slowly recovering. Five days ago, she completed her first courier job since the turn of the new year. Though it had been painful and embarrassing - she'd had to hire a bodyguard for her own safety - Shakune had completed the job all the same. The relief of being out of her house and maintaining a normal life had encouraged the courier to begin rebuilding herself.

And that meant rehabilitation.

"This is gun'a hurt." She muttered to her feet, and more specifically to the small terrier dog that squirmed his way between her legs, "just don't laugh at me if I cry, right?" He stared up at her with adoring dark eyes and barked out his reply.

With a nod, Shakune began to walk. Her left leg was stiff, and she a chime or so she winced and gasped at the discomfort. But this was a sign of recovery, right? What is it that body builders and henchmen said? No pain, no gain. Well, if that was the case, after this Shakune was due a whole load of gains.

Her steps were uneven, like a drunkard, but overtime she became more confident and quick. And then Shakune pushed herself further, into a slow jog. In reality, she had walked quicker in the past compared to her jogging speed now, but speed was not the key. She needed to build up her muscles and confidence.

It was agony. Each heavy step pushed down on Shakune's leg, creating the illusion that her wound was reopening. She stopped to check it three times, and though she was soon slick was sweat, there was no blood.

Just man up, Shakune. Deal with it.

Clenching her jaw, she restarted, arms swinging to maintain her balance. Squidgle bounced up and down at her side, yapping excitedly. Though he had no clue what exactly was happening - why did his mistress keep stopping and whimpering? - the little dog was having the best time ever.

Step, step, step, step.

She was breathing heavier now, her hairline damp with sweat. Shakune paused to wipe her brow, nostrils wide and filling with cool air. The pain was still throbbing, but either Shakune was growing use to the agony or it was dulling slightly. The courier started again, increasing her speed just a fraction. Keep yourself taut, she told herself, tensing her abdominal muscles to ensure her spine was straight.

[Shakune]

After ten or so chimes of her painfully slow jogging - and pausing every so often - Shakune came to a stop. She needed to stretch her legs.

Squidgle also slowed down, and went on to defecate and urinate in celebration of this glorious day. The little dog had an uncanny spirit that seemed both eternal and immortal. If Shakune's darkest days, when she lay in a cold sweat in the grasp of the infection, Squidgle had kept her company and amused her each day.

She started by stretching her calves. Placing her hands on a nearby wall, Shakune stepped backwards on her right leg and lunged slowly forwards her left. At first, burning pain excruciated its way up her leg, but slowly the hotness died. When Shakune released herself from the stretch, her leg genuinely felt easier, better. She repeated the process for her other leg.

And then she started jogging again, slowly to begin with but once more increasing her speed. It was as good an opportunity as any to increase her stamina, after all. Running was essential for her line of work, and though Shakune could be quick, she couldn't keep up her speed for any length of time. If someone wanted a package delivered to the other side of the city within the day, she'd be buggered.

Her abdominals were still tight, her feet landed flat on the floor, if not particularly gracefully. And yet soon Shakune was flagging, chest heaving and heart thumping. After another three or so chimes, she had to come to a breathy stop. The courier felt dizzy, but elated. She had covered more ground in the past bell than she had for the rest of the season.

[Shakune]

But her leg throbbed. When Shakune inspected the wound, thankfully there was no blood or sign of injury. Perhaps the pain was muscular, and a sign of her muscles toning and improving rather than her wound.

Whilst she caught her breath, Shakune watched Squidgle ran around and considered her current position. She had attained the loan to kick-start her own courier company, but the cost had been massive. She'd been attacked, almost crippled. And worse: her confidence had been shattered. She now regarded Sunberth with a more whole, honest view: it was a lawless place where anybody and everybody could be hurt. Nobody was untouchable.

It had not been out of arrogance that Shakune had thought herself as safe in the city. In reality, she would always be a target for a slaver - given her race -and she had close to no skill in any weapon or fighting style. And yet since her arrival in the city over a year ago, Shakune had simply assumed nothing would happen to her. Sure, she'd been pickpocketed a few times, but she attached little importance on material goods, so she'd never real felt the loss of stolen goods. Likewise, she managed to avoid bar fights and was far more likely to buy the friendship of a rival over a few pints than punch someone. Save the physical fighting for some other brute; she just wanted to enjoy herself.

Now she had been touched, and wounded badly. Though the courier was now closer than ever to opening her business, she had changed. She regarded all strangers as potential threats, instead of potential drinking buddies. This had massively impacted her social life: not only had she not drunk alcohol since winter, but she had also failed to have any romance in her life, either -- apart from Logan, of course. She'd hired the bodyguard to protect her, but their day of work had taken an unexpected turn when he'd kissed her in an alleyway. Though they'd had sex, she knew no more would develop from their meeting. She'd of course seen Vince, the married man for whom Shakune was a mistress, but the their affair was so long-lasting that she barely counted that as a romantic episode. How long had he been saying he was going to leave his wife? Thankfully he hadn't; Shakune had the feeling that if ever did, her home would be the first place he'd expect to be invited to live in. Which would certainly not be the case.

"We're not the marrying kind, aren't we?" Shakune cooed to Squidgle, who now lay at her feet, "though you've been humping that green cushion quite a lot, recently. You two betrothed?" Again he yapped his reply.

With a sigh, Shakune pushed herself off again. She kept to a slow jog, trying to keep her feet touching down lightly to protect her wound. But the courier was far from elegant: twice she almost slipped or tripped over, and both times she had to stop and gasp in pain. Her pace was tediously slow, and she wanted to push herself harder and faster, to see what she could do. But Shakune knew the risk of doing that: the cut in her leg might reopen, and she'd have to go through that palaver all over again.

No, she would keep herself controlled and slow.

[Shakune]

Shakune was approximately half way home when she came to a spluttering stop. Frustrated, she cursed under her breath. I've seen kids run around all day, but I can't barely run for ten chimes! How was this fair, how was it possible? Her line of business demanded that she be fit enough to sprint all over the place. This wasn't good enough.

She tried to regulate her breathing, in and out throughout the mouth. But this just made her feel even dizzier. Blurrily, she gripped onto the wall and sighed deeply, slowly. That helped, so she tried again, in through her nose and out through her mouth. She felt more grounded now, like she was actually connected to the ground and not floating away above Sunberth.

The light-headedness surpassed, she tried jogging again. This time, Shakune ensured she continued to breathe in her nose and out of her mouth as she ran. This helped substantially. Her chest ached less, and Shakune found herself not struggling for air quite as much. Who knew this breathing thing was so hard She wondered as she jogged.

Squidgle bounded at her side, stopping every so often to sniff or pee up something. But he knew the way home, and when the terrier disappeared from Shakune's field of vision, she knew he would be waiting at home for her.

She was pushing herself now, for that final few feet to her front door. Shakune's lungs filled with air, slowly pushed it out, and yet still her eyes began to stream and her throat began to hurt. The need to vomit struck her, but she swallowed the bile down and spluttered the thought away. She was suffering, sweaty and in pain. But if she didn't started pushing her limits now, she never would.

If I can make it home without collapsing, I'll know I've made it.

Step, step, step. Her chest burned, her legs ached. Her arms felt detached from her body, like a rag doll. And yet slowly, agonizingly, Shakune made it home. She clattered against her front door with such relief she almost sobbed. All of her muscles ached, and all Shakune wanted to do was to lie down and sleep. And yet somehow, she was smiling. The relief of finally being able to move, even if it was only a slow job, warmed the half-breed. She was going to recover, keep herself fit, and ensure that Sunberth would never knew what it is.

Upon entering her home, Shakune considered whether she should stretch. She decided against it; what was the worse that could happen?

The following morning, she found the answer to that question: horrifying, eye-watering cramp.

[Elias Caldera]

Behold, Your Just Reward!

Shakune

Experience and Lore :

Skills

• Running +3
• Endurance +3
• Animal Husbandry +1

Lores

• "No Pain, No Gain"
• Sunberth: No One is Safe
• Running: The Benefits of Proper Breathing

Miscellaneous :

Injuries

• Due to the strain Skakune put on her self while running, the wound on her leg will remain painfully agitated and sore for the next 2 days.

Loot and Expenses

• None

Comments :

A fine and well written thread, but from what I've seen of your other threads, that kind of praise is nothing new for you. That said, I would advise a bit of caution for the future when it comes to keeping an eye on the length of your posts, especially when it comes to training threads. The grading guide says 300-400 words is the bare minimum, and that second one in particular is what I'm referring to.

Don't Forget

Now that your thread is graded, be sure to edit your grade request. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send me a private message and we'll work it out.