2nd Day of Spring 517 A.V
Sometimes it seemed that everyone in Endrykas could hear her wake up. Loud, painful grunts were a sign of both her severe training and a newly-discovered love for swimming. Each step she took sent a wave of burning pain down her thighs, bending over to grab her clothes felt as if she'd never be able to stand straight again and actually rolling the soft top over her head went something along the lines of
"Petching... tight... piece... of Glassbeak crap!!", with a heavy exhale signaling the end of her rant.
Certainly an amusing sight, especially if you'd ask Marcel, who just laid there, in their bed, with a sheepish grin on his face.
"Do not... I swear on The Web itself, I will have your head if you keep doing that!", her words causing a chuckle and a kiss-like noise blown her way. Even as a foreigner, Marcel trained with the clan, having established himself as a successful warrior and hunter within weeks of arriving. Being 6 years older and having seen more of the world meant that his body was more accustomed to all the young Drykas was complaining about.
"What a husband you will be... your woman crying in pain is a laughing matter to you" Dani added with a smile obviously showing she was by no means serious. After a lighthearted giggle from both of them she leaned in, kissing the man goodbye. No matter how much time they spent together, leaving his side was difficult.
Moving past the exit of the tent, she reached down and wrapped her hand around the handle of a large battleaxe, lifting it up onto her shoulder with a low grunt. Recently changing to a much more sizeable one seemed to be the cause of many of her problems, however, the sight of her like that, which she caught on a reflective surface of a shield near by, made the young Drykas believe it was well worth it. The image reminded her of her father, standing at the camp entrance and waving one last time, before they'd leave.
Speaking of the man, Dani caught a glimpse of his imposing figure near her coach.
"What is he doing there? Did he just go to check on how I was doing?" her mind rambled, as she slowly moved in the same direction. Even carrying the bloody thing on her shoulder was a chore. Once the clanking of weapons became deafeningly loud, she knew she'd reached her destination.
"Dani! Just in time!", a man's voice could be heard accompanied by a brown ball flying straight towards her. She was always a bit of a klutz when very young, but the training seemed to be paying off. With a swift move of her left hand, she grabbed the ball. A great deal of effort was put into lowering the axe down, allowing for both of her hands to fiddle with it. A set of two, long, bandage-like cloths unraveled made the young Drykas grin and begin wrapping them around her wrist, each tied tightly with a knot, an attempt to prevent any joint damage.
Once done, Dani's hand moved back down, grabbing hold of the axe again. Walking over to one of the tree trunks, she lifted the battleaxe up, supporting it's weight with her left wrist. After taking a deep breath, her fingers re-adjusted their position, allowing the left hand to grip onto the handle as well, tilting her head from one side to the other, as if to prepare. Just as she was about to strike, she could hear a familiar voice utter
"And what about those beautiful joints of yours? Do you really want me to have to carry you around?"
Marcel's words made her smile, while simultaneously clearly annoying her. He was right though, stretching was necessary and she had completely forgotten about it.
Dropping the axe to her side this time around, she began stretching her neck. Moving her head in a circular motion followed by her hand gently pressing it to one shoulder, then the other, up and then down. Shoulders were next, starting with a gentle rolling notion of those, she followed with extending one arm to the side, over her chest, holding it there tightly for a few ticks. The same process happened on the other side. Finally, her arms began moving clockwise, causing the woman to grunt and contort her face in pain. "Petching muscles", she mumbled as her fingers made their way to the curve of her hips. Gently moving left, then right, clockwise and the opposite way, she finished that set with a slow bend of her upper body in each direction a couple of times. Slowly bending down and leaning over enough for her palms to press flat on the ground. That familiar burning sensation in the back of her thighs made it nearly impossible to straighten herself back up.
"If only that was it", she thought to herself as one of her legs moved their way up, bending at the knee. Arms slowly wrapped around it, forcing her muscles to stretch even further. It would all have been pure horror, had Marcel not placed a kiss on her cheek as he walked by. It distracted the young Drykas, causing her to lose balance on the only foot that was on the ground, almost sending her straight on her face. "I guess it's the perfect time for the other leg", her voice somewhat annoyed, as she repeated the same exercise one more time. The moment she dreaded the most was there. Her feet began parting, further and further away from one another, until she was about five inches off the ground. A quiet whimper escaped her lips, followed by a stream of cuss words at the fact that she is yet to master her flexibility.
"Petching splits... I will manage to do this one day, I swear", her promise as solid as iron. It always has been the one thing she was most proud of. After doing the same exercise, with the same results, but her feet one in front of the other - she took hold of her axe again, this time actually ready to begin.
Her knowledge of the fighting style was extensive, however, her technique far from it. To make matters worse, the axe she held now was twice as heavy as the one she had been using before.
"Are you sure you want your weapon that big? I'd understand someone Marcel's size, but...", a question directed at her, to which she just nodded. The man was, unfortunately, correct. Her weapon choice was pure idiocy, a rebellious attempt to prove that she can do all Marcel can do, but better. The problem laid within her pride, making the decision - regardless of how stupid it was, final.
"I'll be fine", she added, trying to convince the man as well as possibly herself.
After a deep sigh, she stepped to the side of the tree trunk, allowing herself more free room. Perfecting the swing from above her head, as well as from each of her shoulders was today's agenda. Starting with her feet parted, one ever so slightly behind the other, her knees bent just a tad to lower her center of gravity. Arms moving upwards, she allowed the axe to flow up and above her head. The swing down was far from full force, with gravity doing most of the work. There was a problem, however, as the young Drykas noticed how she nearly completely lost grip of the handle. A sigh of relief escaped her, since she didn't accidentally end up killing anyone. It was time to try again, this time with a man whom seemed to be training everyone in the area, instructing her to lightly bend her elbows and spread her fingers. Next attempt still far from flawless, but progress certainly made - as the threat of imminent death to those passing by was no longer an issue. Third attempt proved to be better yet, as additional tweaks to her posture were made. Finally, after nearly an hour"Perfect!" could be heard from her coach, as a full force blow of her battleaxe split the piece of wood in two perfect halves. Smiling proudly, she nodded and then re-positioned her feet.
"Are you not tired? Maybe you should take a break", those words seemed to fly over her head, as she began repeating what she had just learned, this time swinging the axe above her left shoulder. Although a better first attempt, additional instructions were given. Lowering her body further, the distance between her hands gripping onto the handle, how far the axe should go above her shoulder, as well as how to breath properly. Inhaling as one swings back and exhaling as the force of the blow carried your body forward. All pretty simple techniques, yet easy to forget in the heat of the moment. That was the part that concerned Dani, her words somewhat breathless while still practicing "So... when we fight... how am I supposed to remember this? I won't really have the time to position myself in a perfect way". Her questions were met with a chuckle, as the man gently moved her fingers further down the handle, allowing the grip to be even firmer. "Well, that's exactly why you will keep practicing every day, until this becomes second nature to you", he added, clapping after the final blow.
It was time for a break. She was exhausted, thirsty and the beads of sweat running down her forehead, arms, legs, back and stomach were getting somewhat annoying. Training during summer time, out in the open, was a nightmare. A loud thud could be heard as the axe fell onto the ground, Dani kicking her feet and stretching her arms for a few ticks before she walked over to a pond. A cold splash of water caused the red-haired Drykas to gasp for air. It was something she always liked doing, the contrast of extreme heat within her body and cold water was a good way to relax. Taking a few gulps down, she leaned against a nearby fence, watching those around her train. She could feel her muscles twitch with nearly every breath she took. Her focus on this, however, broke quickly as her eyes crossed with those of a massively tall, blue man. Blinking a few times to make sure she wasn't just seeing things, she made her way to the closest Drykas and whispered, trying not to be heard by her object of interest "Hey... Davon.. Who is that? What is he?", her eyes pointing straight at the creature towering above many of her clan-members. "That, my dear, is an Akalak. I'm sure you've heard of them during one of your many nights spent listening to the travelling merchants". You could practically see the cogwheels in Dani's mind spin, trying to remember. A somewhat childish smile curled her lips up, as she spoke in a curious tone "Ooooh, yes, the blue race. They were all men, right? I remember hearing the merchants mention something about them being amazing fighters. No wonder, look at the size of him". Somewhat of a ramble, the young Drykas could be forgiven as she had never encountered an Akalak before and this particular one was quite an example. At around 7 foot tall, short hair, blue hue to his skin and piercing golden eyes, he seemed to bare all the typical Akalak characteristics.
"Why don't you go and meet him?", the man next to her asked, receiving a frown as an answer. As soon as she managed to stop herself from staring, which was openly noticed as the Akalak ended up actually waving her way, she added "And say what? He seems to only be passing by and I have no particular interest in him, it's just that... I've never seen one before".
Quite a distraction, that was, leaving Dani with more questions than answers. The time waited for no man and she was well aware of it, so despite her curiosity, she put the wooden cup down and walked over to her axe. Bending over and grabbing the handle, she could feel that there would be consequences of such an intensive work-out the following day. Repeating the previously learned swings a few times, she proceeded with the only one left. Her arms swinging the axe above her right shoulder and with a heavy exhale, letting the axe make its way down. As expected, it was not perfect. Her stance re-adjusted, the grip on her axe as well as a light wiggle of her hips in an attempt to make her pants sit better around her skin. Swing after swing, after swing, she could see herself getting more and more successful, until finally, with a primal scream, well, more of a battle-cry, she landed the perfect hit. Pleased with herself, she rested the axe on her left shoulder, only then noticing that the interesting blue fellow had seen her performance. Shooting a toothy grin her way confused the Drykas woman, forcing her to smile back in somewhat of a dumbstruck manner. Fortunately for her, the little encounter did not last long as she felt a warm hand on her hip, pulling her closer.
"Are you ready love, your brothers are waiting?", her lover's voice snapping her back to reality completely. He was a very affectionate man, however, the look on his face showed that the little hug she received was not only that of love and care, but also a form of claim. Was.. was he jealous? The thought of something like that made Dani chuckle, if only he could see how much she adored the very ground he walked upon.
"Yes, I am. I've made so much progress today.. Though, I hope the ride will not take too long, I really don't have the strength... I know I've promised Ariel we'd go, but still...", her eyes now locking with Marcel's in that distinctive, loving way. The display of affection between the two seemed to have been enough for the Akalak to go back to his business and for Dani to, once more, push that curiosity about the world to the back of her mind.
