[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Garland meets a new mage-squire by the name of Michael and he helps him train his more martial skills

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This shining population center is considered the jewel of The Sylira Region. Home of the vast majority of Mizahar's population, Syliras is nestled in a quiet, sprawling valley on the shores of the Suvan Sea. [Lore]

[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Garland on January 19th, 2017, 4:37 am

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The next round of battle if Garland were to lose, he's have the courtesy to be able to choose his own weapon. The flail was not working for him, he'd rather have something that doesn't swing around when he swings, it was throwing him off.

"Yeah, I'm a squire of Sera Catherine. I've been a squire for... two years now, it's been hard, but there are benefits to it." Garland said, he withheld his current displeasure he had with the structure of the knights.

They trained them to be 'Jack-Of-All-Trades' basically, but after that, they somewhat neglect their training, content to be just unranked, unskilled foot fodder, Garland was not a 'Jack' he specialized in close quarters combat, and he was good at it, being able to beat plenty of the unranked knights, a few of the ranked knights, and possibly others.

But he was still a squire because he had little to no skill in ranged weaponry. Garland shook the thought out of his head and just continued with the spar.

Garland raised up his weapon in a defensive pose, he eyed Micheal, waiting for him to attack, in his mind he hadn't fully registered the fact that his opponent wasn't using a large Bastard sword like he was previously.

Now he was using a smaller cutlass, he was going for fast attacks, Garland did not anticipate that, but he was on the defensive. He would try to block, but he wouldn't expect a feint, especially a fast one.

Garland's footing was a bit off too. If he did manage to not get hit in the first attack, he would swing at Michael's generally direction, but he'd most likely put too much power in his attack and hit himself with his attack, like the bloody idiot he was.
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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Michael Kyber on January 20th, 2017, 10:20 pm

So Garland was a squire? That explained the muscle and the fighting ability. Maybe a day would come one day when the two of them would work together on a mission, perhaps even fight together. This was the first time that Michael had met a squire, and honestly it was a little strange to think about. All over Syliras there were other people like them training night and day in hopes of becoming knights, and before long they'd be the ones that formed the newest generation of the order and shaped its future.

Well, provided they all survived that long.

Michael put his heels together and straightened his back, lifting his cutlass up in a swordsman's salute before lowering into a fighting stance. If the salute had any special meaning to it other than a sign of respect it was lost on him; as a boy he'd seen swordsman street performers doing it, and had thought it looked cool.

He remained still for a moment still for a moment, scanning Garland's defensive stance for any signs of weakness, and then lunged forwards with a series of thrusts aimed to nip into Garland's space. The idea was to confuse Garland with a flurry of feints, make him jump at every thrust, and then withdraw with his much lighter blade and aim at any now open areas.

His chance came when Garland made a move and swung at him. His footing had been off a bit, making his swing slower, and so now not weighted down by a heavy sword Michael was able to jump back out of reach of the swing. As Garland's blade passed him he saw an opening; Garland was now being carried by the momentum of his swing, leaving his side open.

He bound forward into the space the sword had been swinging past moments before, swinging his cutlass in an uppercut towards Garlands torso which he aimed to hit with the flat side of his blade.

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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Garland on January 25th, 2017, 2:38 pm

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Garland blocked and dodged most of Micheal's attacks. He parried a blow here, blocked a thrust there, dodged to the left when he swung, all of that. Of course he was only tiring himself out, most were feints that kept Garland on his toes.

When Garland threw his attack, the flail missed it's mark entirely, it left Garland open for a counterattack, and Micheal capitalized on it. Garland felt the sword hit in his open spot in the chest, making him instinctively recoil back to mitigate the damage if they were in a real fight.

But the hit Michael gave was a clean one. Garland sighed and then smiled. "That was a good hit, my friend. I see you're better with a lighter blade than with large one. I prefer a large blade myself." Garland tossed the flail off to the side and went off to get a different weapon.

Garland saw an axe and the sword Michael returned to the weapons rack. He debated if winning was more important than actually training, it wasn't. He picked up the axe, he was only partially better at it than a flail, but it was a more familiar feel in his hands compared to the shaky flail.

Garland got back into the fight, taking a stance, less for blocking and more for dodging out of the way.

Garland would start with a defensive strategy, aiming to dodge and duck rather than to attack, even though he was better accustomed to the axe, it would still take a few cautionary swings for him to get use to the weight in a fight.

If Garland were to able to dodge away from the attacks, he would counterattack with a strong overhead swing, aimed at Michael's shoulder, hoping the attack would either disarm him or at least be a clean hit to end the battle.
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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Michael Kyber on January 27th, 2017, 7:50 pm

His attack connected, and Michael gave a small, satisfied smirk as the flat of his blade bounced off Garland's torso. Having a lighter weapon made fighting so much easier. Of course if this had been a real fight none of his swings would have done any more that shallow cuts, but luckily scoring in training only required you to land a hit, not do any harm.

However his choice of attack had led to a drawback he hadn't considered; he was now pretty damn tired. Fighting was a lot more draining that he'd thought it'd be, especially when he was focusing on being as nimble as possible. He was ready to quit, whereas Garland still seemed like he could keep going for a lot longer. That was to be expected really; his squire training would've given him a level of stamina for fighting that a civilian couldn't hope to match.

His feeling of dread only increased as Garland went to the weapon rack and exchanged his flail for a large axe. It was clear as day that Garland was more comfortable using this kind of weapon, his body language as he settled into a defensive stance showed nothing but confidence, and Michael could swear there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, as if he was about to enjoy himself.

Once again Michael went in for a flury of quick stabs, aiming to score the final point in the same way as last time. But this time he was too tired to keep up the pace; his movements became more clumsy and sluggish with every feint, and Garland was set on dodging this time instead of blocking.

Then Garland switched to a counterattack, and Michael's body didn't have the energy in it to nip out of the way as he had earlier. He attempted to jump back, bu once he realised he would be too late brought his cutlass up quickly to block the swing. Being on bad footing and only possessing a light weapon put Michael on too much of a disadvantage, and when Garland's swing connected it sent the cutlass flying out of Michael's hands and clattering to the floor a good few feet away. Michael himself crashed down to the floor again, but despite his body's protests he forced himself to roll with the direction of his fall and push himself back up onto his feet quickly.

It was clear at this point that Michael had had enough. He was breathing pretty heavily, and was lightly dusted all over from the dirt on the ground. Even so with it being so close to the end quitting now would just be shameful, so he grabbed his cutlass up from off the ground and settled into what seemed to him like a good defensive stance.

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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Garland on January 30th, 2017, 12:25 pm

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Garland was about done with the fight, he had expected Micheal to have given up after that attack, even if it didn't connect cleanly, it was still a strong hit.

Garland gave an approving nod when Micheal got into a good defensive stance, good considering his current state, he looked like he was about to keel over. Garland took a deep breath, he liked Micheal, he had that tenacity he had himself when he joined the knights.

"You'll make a fine knight Micheal." Just remember that not everyone in the knighthood is your friend. Garland thought to himself and readied himself to attack.

He rushed forward, swinging wide above Micheal's head, hoping to distract him and make him look up.

Garland then closed the gap tighter, and grabbed the hilt of Micheal sword, then he turned to the side and attacked the back Micheal's knee, making him fall to the ground, then he would plant a solid, but weak attack on his side, to finish it off.

That is, if Micheal was distracted with Garland's feint. Otherwise, he could possibly counterattack, if he had enough energy left.
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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Michael Kyber on February 1st, 2017, 3:16 pm

A brief flash of surprise crossed Michael's face at Garland's compliment. It wasn't that it was by any means unwelcome, it was just something he hadn't expected to be praised in the middle of combat, even if it was training.

"I.. um... thank you." He replied, a little embarrassed by the praise and not quite sure what to say. "I think you'll make a great knight too."

When Garland charged, swinging his axe high above his head, Michael unwittingly fell into his trap and looked up, his eyes automatically following the axe he thought would be used for the attack. It was only when garland grabbed the hilt of his sword that Michael realized his mistake, but by then it was too late to do anything about it.

For the third time today Michael fell to the ground hard, this time face first. As his face planted itself in the dirt Michael had a sudden epiphany about combat; footwork was very important. It seemed like common sense, but keeping on your feet was actually so much more vital than he'd thought; three times today he hadn't been paying attention to his feet, and each of those three times he'd suffered for it. Tripping up practically spelled defeat for you.

A weak bash to his side informed him that Garland had capitalized on his advantage to score his final point, making him the winner of their little bout. Michael rolled himself over so his face was to the sky and took some much needed breaths, but decided against standing up again until his legs didn't feel quite so shaky.

"Alright, three points to you. Guess that makes you the winner." He shot Garland a small, lopsided smile. "I have to say I preferred my chances when you had a flail."

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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Garland on February 4th, 2017, 3:19 pm

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Garland placed the axe back to the rack where he found it and went over to Michael. Garland still had a few rounds left in him, but Michael looked like he was about to collapse.

To be fair, fights don't usually last as long as training sessions, all it takes in a real fight is a quick thrust in the opening of the enemy's defenses and it'll be over, usually not lasting even five chimes usually, unless it was a large scale battle, but Garland was no history buff, but as far as he knew, the only recent large scale battle was the attack during Fall 513, but before that... nothing.

"I'm not that good with the axe, I'm just better at things that don't have a chance to hit me if I mess up my attack. There were plenty of times during the fight that you left yourself open but if I had attacked, I felt like I would just miss and hit myself on the head like a bloody idiot."

Garland sat next to Michael, a smile on his face and sweat on his brow, it was a good workout, a fun spar, but if he wanted to get better, he needed to work harder. "Mages have it easier I think, less physical work, more magiciky stuff, though try not to Overgive or something, heard it was very unpleasant."

Garland watched for a bit, seeing if any others were planning on using the pits today, it was always good to watch a few people fight, you get to learn from observation, and that is where most of Garland's fighting came from, of course he had formal training, but his instinct from watching and learning gave him a sort of sixth sense for fighting.

He's trying not to rely on it too much, but he'd dip back into his instinctual fighting if things get bad. "So, have you gone to the recruitment office yet? What did they say?"
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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Michael Kyber on February 6th, 2017, 9:28 pm

With the adrenaline now fading, Michael began to become aware of a number of muscles within his body that seemed to be overtaken by a stiff, dull ache. He supposed that they'd be the muscles he'd never really had to use before, the ones he'd been pulling on in order to dodge about at a moments notice. Gods he really needed to build up the stamina for this sort of thing.

He pushed himself off his back so he was sitting cross-legged as Garland came to sit down next to him. When Garland expressed his opinion on magic Michael considered about it for a few seconds, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"I suppose magic is less physical in most cases, but I'd say that mages have it a lot harder overall. I mean at least with when you fight with a weapon can be sure that weapon's not going to blow up in your hand. Magic is far more mentally and emotionally stressful, and a bandage and a good nights sleep wont do much to heal that up. Having said that I'm not exactly experienced in any kind of fighting, so I'm not really in a position to make a good judgement."

He followed Garlands gaze across the arena, looking for any other groups that were fighting to watch as well. "Yes I spoke to he people at the office a few days ago. After a review they said they'd be happy to advertise me to the mage knight's to see if there's anyone willing to take me on as their squire, but they warned me that it may take a while since they'll need someone who can match the types of magic I already know. I'm not in a particularly big rush to get started though, so I have no problem waiting."

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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Garland on February 9th, 2017, 7:38 am

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Garland watched a few fighters go at it a little ways away. "A tip for you, Michael, you're good with a blade, but not great, everyone has to start somewhere, including me, a few others here would easily wipe the floor with you, sparring with them would just give you bruises with little else to learn from. I suggest watching and learning after working with your speed and strength."

Garland stood up gave a few taps on his shoulders to keep the muscles from stiffening. "Strange that you're taking so long in regards to the recruitment. I was accepted quite quickly, they just sent me to my patron and let me train with her for the rest of the day."

"Then I got drunk that night, passed out, woke up, the gates exploded and I was placed right in the middle of the fight when a bunch of mercenaries attacked the gate, from multiples angles I might add, the market was in shambles, the gate was completely destroyed, fires raged, the docks were overrun, all sorts of nasty."

"I guess I was lucky to have been accepted so early, because I know me, I would have gone to the gate regardless of my status, but my armor saved my arse during the fight there."

Garland thought for a moment, giving the area a bit of silence. "Word of advice from someone who's lost control before, battle is an ugly thing, but it is addicting, especially if you're good at it, just remember to pace yourself, and keep calm."

Garland held out an arm for Micheal to grab on to if he wanted to stand up, if not Garland didn't mind. "I'm needed elsewhere, my patron would most likely have my hide if I'm late for a patrol again."

With that, Garland started walking off, he picked up his real sword strapped it on himself.
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[The Fighter's Pit] A Mage In A Hard Place(Michael Kyber)

Postby Michael Kyber on February 14th, 2017, 1:16 pm

Michael listened intently as Garland spoke about the events that happened a few days after he began his squire training. He didn't know Syliras had once been attacked by mercenaries, indeed the thought of anything short of a god destroying those heavy gates he'd marveled at only a few days ago seemed ridiculous. With all its fortifications and knights the city seemed practically invincible, so to hear that it could be broken into by the likes of a group of mercenaries was a sobering experience. It was all the more reason why the Sylian Knight's needed to become stronger; it was only through strength that they could bring order to the world.

And considering that it would be wise of him to take Garland's advice and watch some of the other fighters around the pit. He needed to find a way to fight that suited him if he wanted to make it as a knight, and though he'd been okay with the cutlass it just didn't feel quite right somehow.

Then Garland stood up, and though he offered him a hand Michael decided to stay seated. There were a few other people fighting with various kinds of weapons about, and if he stayed long enough then perhaps he'd see someone wielding a weapon in a way that'd suit him.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Garland."
He said as the squire turned to leave. "I hope we'll get to meet again one day."

Michael speaking in: Common | Fratava | Nader-Canoch
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Michael Kyber
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