Talya watched idly as Iblette adjusted the hold she kept upon her blade. It seemed to be the millionth time. Maybe she got sweaty palms or something; from her nerves. It was obvious she hadn't taken to combat before; or if she had, she hadn't had a good experience, and the poor happenings had made a lasting impression upon her mind- making it all the more difficult for her to train and be trained now. Or perhaps, it was simpler, and the Konti was simply struggling to hold the sword in any which way as she had yet to develop arm strength. Swords she had heard, were far heavier than daggers. But whatever the case, Talya kept the thoughts to herself, and did her best not to roll her eyes, lest her companion should see that she was growing just a tad impatient. "Come on," Talya urged, as she rocked her weight from one foot to the next, over and over again, and simply waited until Iblette swung her blade at her. It was an awkward diagonal sweep across her middle, which Talya blocked by stepping forward, and lowering her blade at first, before moving it so that it cut across her chest and met with her opponent's weapon. A soft thwack rang through the area, as Talya did her best to push the Konti's weapon away, before taking a step back.
"Now try again," Talya insisted. "This time, try not to squint your eyes- it'll narrow your vision, making it harder to see your enemy's counter," she paused. "If the sun threatens to blind you, make the stage turn until it shines into the eyes of your opponent- so as to lend you the advantage." The Ethaefal smiled as she pulled her blade back into its starting position. "And always remember if this were a real battle, if this were a fight to the death- no one would wait for you. There would be no time for flinching. No time to hesitate. No time to pause between maneuvers and strikes- as that time, that emptiness, is an opening for your enemy to exploit. An opening in which they have a chance to kill you." Talya smirked. "It'd be best if you didn't give them that opening, nor any other sign of weakness within you. When you engage someone... make sure that you are ready to kill them, if it comes to that."
With that, Talya's eyes flashed dangerously, as the edges of her lips grew cool. The lips themselves quivering slightly, as she felt something wet begin to slither around her mouth from the lowest point of the bridge of her nose. She thought it to be saliva, and instinctively, licked it away, only to find that when she drew it in, and tasted it upon her tongue that the fluid tasted uncharacteristically metallic. It was then that she began to realize she was bleeding, and a sense of understanding overcame her countenance. Her stance lightening as she consciously began to fight the urges she had to keep casting, which would ultimately, she knew, lead her to further overgiving. But it was so difficult. For magic she found, was like a food. Something you knew you needed to survive, and couldn't do without, but all that remained to the world was poison. Toxins held within the guise of something pleasant- a temptress contained within the sweet, rounded contours of a crimson apple.
The Ethaefal smiled sheepishly at the thought. "Cut myself yesterday while I was eating an apple," she explained, in a remotely confident sounding, level tone. "We can ignore it- it should stop soon as the wound is shallow." She breathed deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth to steady herself as her heart began to beat faster and faster. "Come," Talya insisted, "attack."
I am ready.
OOCThe "no one," in Talya's little tirade is meant to be emphasized, it's not a bit of her magic, in case that wasn't clear. |