12 Summer 522
"Come on Moritz, just another mile!" Seraya yelled from her spot running on the beach a dozen or so feet in front of him. However that short distance behind her was hard earned, and the Kelvic was huffing and puffing as he ran bare footed on the sands. The Verusk woman was in much better shape than Moritz even with all of the training he had been doing, the sweat on his neck running down to the collar of the button up suit he wore as his only article of clothing.
"I'm... Coming... Just... Wait..."
Huffing along Moritz focused on his stride, how his legs moved and how hit feet touched and impacted the ground. He then mentally tried to compare it to Seraya's loping stride. He was improving, but he still had work to do to get to her level.
He kept on running, trying to fight off the stitch forming in his side, to properly calm his breathing and pull in the air he needed to keep going. And most of all to watch his stride. Maybe if he turned his foot this way... Or landed it this way... He made small even minute changes over time, trying to test and see what was better, or what differed from his own technique to hers.
Finally what seemed like ages later Seraya came to a stop in a bit of the beach off from the commons but before one reached the docks. The Verusk woman grinned back at Moritz as the Kelvic flopped onto the sand, rolling onto his back and panting. "Maybe in another hundred years or so you'll be able to keep up with me. At least at this rate."
Focusing on the charm on his wrist Moritz focused on the waterskin he had placed into the space of the messenger bag charm, and watched as it appeared there. He had taken to carrying a few tools in there in case he needed it, and when he was running one of those was a waterskin. Taking a few swigs he offered it to the woman as he tried to catch his breathe, but she shook her head. Was a shrug Moritz felt around with the waterskin for the charm on his bracelet, and placed it back inside. He kept lying there for a chime or two while he caught his breath, but it was not long after he felt he was getting close to normal but not quite recovered that Seraya yelled for him again. "Alright, that's enough lying about. How about that spar we planned. Come on, lets see what you have got."
With a slight groan Moritz got back up. Tensing his body he rolled over, ending up on his hands and knees. And then with a pop he got up, reaching his feet and standing upright with another motion.
Facing off against the Verusk woman, he knew his fighting technique was still behind either of the Verusk woman he sparred with regularly, but he still felt he was improving. Certain faster than a speed of needing one hundred years to catch up.
Holding up his arms with one by his head and the other at his side Moritz spread out his legs like so to give him a stable base. Then he bent, his arms, knees, flexed his neck, testing each area of his body for its ability to move one by one. Seraya seemed to be doing a few moves as well, but not as many as she eyed the Kelvic. And then all at once she moved, coming at Moritz. She led with a left leg, coming in to sweep his feet.
Moritz however hopped back, getting out of range barely. Seraya for her part pressed this, not simply letting him get away. Then she pressed at him again, this time with a flurry of blows. He dodged the first blow aimed at his right arm, moving out of its way. He tried to do likewise with the next blow, but a punch ended up catching him in the left shoulder and making him stumble backward.
By then though he had recovered a bit, and so he charged in at her with a punch aimed at her guts. Seraya responded by turning and stepping back, then as he moved by grabbing his side and wrist. With an odd turn she pulled him further along the direction he had been charging, which sent him tumbling head over heels in that direction.
Using his training in tumbling he tried to blunt the impact, not simply landing on his rear but rolling as he hit the ground and tumbling over a few times before finally coming to a stop. "Come on Moritz, is that all you've got?"
WC: 792