Preventing the Shattered Spirit[Closed]

[Kavala]

. Kavala nodded. She was grateful for the use of the stallion, especially one so fine, which she hadn't expected to run across one in Riverfall where Zavian weren't that common. Kavala was Drykas enough that bloodlines were very important when it came to horses. And though she didn't know Tuvak's history, it rode across his flesh in hard physical evidence and perfect horseflesh. If she could find any fault with him, it was that his rump spots were not as uniform as some Zavians - and that was a prominent feature for the breed. Even her own Strider had flaws, too short for a man, was not considered a good prospect for breeding though Windsong could run ... he was a fast thing and carried Kavala's slight weight as if she were no more than a dustmote on his back. The Konti smiled, perhaps for the first time a true smile, and nodded. "I will hold you to it." She said, bowing slightly in respect for the Akalak's generosity. It made her look at him closer, for he demanded nothing in return which was completely unusual. Even among the Drykas, breedings were bartered over and sometimes even wives were won or lost in the privilege of a few hours use of one's stallion. Swords had less value. Whole tents at times as well. The konti kept smiling, knowing the Akalak did not understand the meaning of the gesture. "Oh...like theory and teaching the body to move. I see." She said, the smile still lighting her eyes. "I would like to see that then, I think, if you would not mind the company. I have a sister who very much loves to fight and train. Perhaps I can learn something to show her... something to make her smile." She said softly. Akela smiled a great deal, but it generally was over Kavala's pleasure and not her own. The Konti wished she had a way to make Akela smile for her own delight at times. "Perhaps you would like to meet her sometimes. She's formidable with a Katana and could always use a sparring partner." The white-haired girl said, sliding the bucket she carried under the thick berry bushes and noting its location. The berries could keep and she could come back after the session and resume her work. Glancing around, she picked up several large flat river rocks to cover the buckets opening anyhow, just to deter small scavenging animals. Then Kavala turned, waiting, wondering what the other woman would say to the invitation as well. .

[Hatot]

"Very good then," Hatot said looking to the two of them before turning towards the city gates, not far off in the distance. "Fortunately, it's in the first tier, so the walk won't be to great." With that, Hatot began leading the way towards Riverfall city. His horse began stepping behind, not needing to be lead by the reigns as the pair of them began moving towards the city gates. "Hopefully the students will already be there, practicing their meditative arts," Hatot said as he began pulling his hood up over his head. "They'll be better at that than I am when they reach my age." As they neared the city gates, several Akalak's nearby gave a casual stare towards Hatot, not keeping it for very long. The two had gotten the feeling that they were watching him more than them. The stares themselves weren't stares of so much negativity, but of caution, almost as if they were making sure of something. Whatever it was, Hatot himself didn't comment on it. He simply remained silent as he began turning right after entering the city gates, as he began navigating the busy streets to lead the way to Tuvya Sasaran.

[Kavala]

. Kavala wondered if she looked weak? She walked all over Riverfall in the pursuit of her art and in training her horses. In fact, most of her work entailed walking until a horse was progressed enough to ride. Being Konti though, she didn't let any of those emotions cross her face. She simply turned and looked at the Akalak and raised an eyebrow. He set off at a brisk walk and she wandered with him starting to wonder if this in fact was a good idea. He hadn't mentioned anything in response to her suggestion that he meet her sister, so she decided that he wasn't interested in doing so. Small talk, especially among the Akalak, didn't seem to be a requirement or even welcome, even though she'd been serious in her suggestion. Maybe he was the sort that dismissed a female warrior site unseen. She had no idea what skill Hatot had with a blade or even in his hand to hand training, but she suspected Akela could best him anyhow. And Kavala had a very realistic approach when it came to her sister. Akela was often overlooked or dismissed being konti and delicate like all of their race was. The healer reached up, unconsciously uncomfortable, and pulled her hat closer down so her ears were protected from the cold. So she followed him without another word, wary, but open to a new experience. The healer did not try to make any more conversation with the stranger, nor did she ask any questions. Instead, she took the opportunity to look around and take in the sights and sounds of Riverfall. For once, she was glad all eyes weren't on her. In fact, it was rather nice to feel invisible trailing slightly behind Hatot. But she had to wonder why their eyes were routinely on him. Had he done something or had some sort of reputation? The Konti remained cautious even though her inner feeling was that there was nothing to be war of. .

[Hatot]

Hatot continued to walk along the streets of Riverfall's first tier, remaining silent for the most part. People still gazed as Hatot passed by, and while not every Akalak they passed by gave a cautious look, there were enough to make Hatot lower his head slightly over it. Eventually, Hatot came to a stop in front of a large building, it's surface made of the same wood of the forest outside, but stained to darker colors. Marble steps led up to the entrance as the doors themselves had small frames holding a thin layer of what almost seemed like paper, rather than glass. The surface of the material had an ornate design to it. Abstract with colors of black in it's border and shades of red and blue mingling together at it's center, the design almost resembled a dream catcher in ways. Hatot's hand slid up to the door as he looked back to Kavala. "You mentioned your sister might be interested in training or sparring?" Hatot said as he reached up with his free hand, pulling down his hood. "If she really wishes to, this is the only place I can have friendly spars with another." Hatot looked down for a moment before shaking his head slightly an correcting himself. "No, rather this the only place I should be allowed to have a friendly spar. Some in this town feel I shouldn't fight or spar at all, which is why I remained silent about it until arriving here." Jaeden pressed slightly along the door before drawing his hand towards him. The doors themselves slid open to the side, rather than opening inward. The sounds the Akalaks within going through sparring echoed out through the building itself as a warm air began to edge it's way out, carrying with it the smell of incense and sweat. Hatot, stepped inside and to the immediate right as he bent down slightly, beginning to remove his boots before setting them along a long floor mat next to the door that already had several other pairs laying over it's surface. He slowly looked up as one of the assistants to the Grand Master simply pointed to the eastern wing of the building as Hatot gave a slow nod in return.

[Kavala]

. Kavala raised her eyebrow. "Why only here? We have a big riding arena at Sanctuary that would make a great practice spot. It's soft sand with good footing. Akela normally practices there if you ever want to meet her." Kavala refrained form saying that she normally mounted up and tried to ride her sister down with a spear in her hand, but that was probably best left for a time when they knew each other better. If ever. She abruptly asked the question his comment left on her mind. "Why would they feel that way, Hatot? Are you dangerous or something?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow. Kavala followed Hatot through the sliding doorway and removed her own shoes, coat, hat, and outter wear. Beneath the bundle that could have very well revealed a very chubby Konti was instead a waif-like creature thin and dressed in a pair of sensible trousers (complete with a patch on the knee) a tunic belted at the waist, with long hair caught up in a single braid. She looked even more waif-like barefooted, even though her eyes went wide as she glanced around taking in all the sights of the facility. There were people everywhere practicing, mainly men, though a few human females were scattered into the group. The thing Kavala noticed the most about the place was the light streaming in through the odd window configurations, lighting up the floor and illuminating the practicing Akalak beneath them. "What sort of place is this? One designed only for combat?" Kavala asked as she followed Hatot through the place, weaving in and out of the various groups .

[Hatot]

Hotot remained silent for a moment as Kavala inquired over the reasons for his restrictions to sparring. He began leading her towards the eastern wing of the building, passing by several rooms where Akalaks practiced empty handed combat techniques. The specifics of their forms ranged from simple strikes and kicks, to the use of momentum being displayed by the human women as one in particular used an Akalak's own weight and force to throw him seven feet threw the air. Hatot's head lowered slightly as he peered over his shoulder when Kavala asked if he was dangerous. "You......... could say that," Hatot said with a slight hesitation in his voice. "More accurately, I tend to have an issue with control when I spar. The Grand Master and most of the students here know the signs when such happens, which is why this is the only place I should be allowed to spar." Hatot then stopped in front of the sliding door to the east wing when Kavala asked her second question. "We don't like to think of it as combat," Hatot then said, "or rather I don't at least. Weapons are for combat, here they simply practice the form of defense without the use of weapons. Should an individual find themselves without a weapon when facing another who wishes them harm, that individual should not be defenseless. That is what I believe." Hatot then slid the door open. The room within was slightly larger than the others they passed by. The walls were made of the same wood that the rest of the building was, the floors padded as a weaved hemp material, stitched into the floor in four even squares across the room, covered a soft layer of feathers and other scraps of cloth. Various wooden boards and practice dummies were fixed to various areas of the room for students to practice their form when they had or wished no real living individual to spar against. In the center of the room, three young Akalak boys knelt. In front of them sat three bowls filled with sand, the bowls themselves held by steel framed stands. The three young Akalaks continued their meditation as Hatot waited for Kavala to enter before sliding the door closed behind them. Hatot observed the three boys for a moment, his face still showing an expression of calm save for a slight display of pride in his eyes.

[Kavala]

. Awkward. It was an awkward moment through and through. What did someone say when another had just revealed that they did not have the self control to even spar without the potential of becoming something dangerous. Kavala knew what the danger was. Because of her experiences with Sorian, she understood the dual nature of the Akalaks. Well, perhaps understanding it was not exactly an apt description because no one could ever truly understand another's life without living it, but she was at least aware of it. Kavala didn't know whether to speak or to remain silent. It was a difficult choice, and one she had to make in a split second as he glanced back at her. Kavala met his eyes briefly, dropped her gaze not wanting to provoke anything within him, and then spoke quietly. "I know someone else that has an issue with control. I know he has two personalities living inside himself. One darker than the other. I know you all do." Kavala said in almost a whisper, regretting that she'd spoken almost as soon as the words were out. Sometimes knowledge was power and someone not knowing if you knew something or not could be an advantage, even if a small one. She also wasn't sure if it was forbidden knowledge or if it was just a closely kept secret among the Akalak. Kavala didn't know how they reacted to others outside of Riverfall holding that knowledge. So she followed quietly behind him, slipping into the room in Hatot's wake pausing to let her eyes scan the room and take in its other occupants before she moved once more. Hatot was speaking as she paused, and the konti turned to look at him, only catching the last half of what he said. ' .... should not be defenseless. That is what I believe.' The fool got themselves into a situation where they could be taken advantage of and were defenseless. That was what Kavala believed. And looking around, she called herself a fool. There were four of them... and their motives were unknown. She had thought of the facility as an open place not comprised of smaller rooms designed for other things. The walls, even though they slid, made her feel a bit trapped. Walls inside of walls were particularly bad coupled with a whole bunch of strange men, no women in sight. Awkward. Kavala stood awkwardly, though she did nod a response to Hatot's words. She had no idea if she should join the boys or stand by the wall out of the way or simply linger by the door. .

[Hatot]

Hatot looked to Kavala for a long moment as she spoke of the other Akalak from her past, revealing her knowledge of his races dual natures. His gaze fell to the floor for a moment, as he remained silent, contemplating his own duality and his struggle with it. He then gave a slow nod, looking back to Kavala. "In ways, I'm relieved that you're aware," Hatot had said, a genuine tone to his voice. "It's not something the people of my race openly admit and prefer to be kept secret, mainly to avoid others from manipulating such to their own ends. I don't sense such from you though, otherwise you wouldn't have revealed your knowledge of it in the first place. More importantly, I won't have to dance around the subject using words." Hatot then looked to the Akalak children as all three of them opened their eyes almost simultaneously and looked to Hatot. Hatot gave a slow nod in greeting to the children as he walked towards then, centering himself to their field of vision. "I am pleased to see that your meditation is progressing well," Hatot then said to his students. "Such practice will aid you in your lives to achieve what all Akalak's truly wish. Balance." The three children then slowly stood up, approaching the bowls before them which reached to the height of their waists. Hatot remained silent for a moment before giving a slow nod to the three of them. "Begin," he then simply said before the children opened their hands in front of them and began plunging them into the sand that rested within the bowl. Hatot slowly stepped back towards Kavala as the Akalak children repeated this action, the muscle along their entire arms contracting and relaxing with the movements, a quick hiss of breath released from their mouths as the thrust their hands downward. Hatot stood next to Kavala as the Akalak children continued, leaning sideways towards Kavala and speaking softly so as not to distract the children he said, "This exercise they perform is a foundation to the style I teach them. It involves pressure points along the body, by plunging their hands into the sand, they strengthen their fingers, forearms and shoulders. This will allow them to, at later times, apply enough pressure to certain points in the body without damaging their hands while doing so, even if their opponent is wearing armor as durable as leather." Hatot slowly cupped his hands behind his back, as he continued his observation of the students. "After they have finished with this, they will move on to the practice dolls and work on their precision. There are certain points along the body that, when struck correctly, hinder mobility and one's ability to wield weapons. Other pressure points can cause disorientation and loss of consciousness entirely," Hatot explained further. "This form teaches those pressure points as well as evasive movement so that one can avoid the blow of a weapon, and then strike to make avoiding the next easier. Most injuries suffered from such strikes can be recovered from without a healers aid in a day or two depending on one's constitution, making it a more defensive form than for attacking." Hatot then looked to Kavala, noticing a slight tension had formed along Kavala's body. His hand then slowly rested along her shoulder for a moment. "You needn't worry," Hatot then said in as much of an assuring tone as he could. "In this room, they are merely students, and I a teacher. They come here to learn, and I to teach them. Nothing more, nothing less."

[Kavala]

. The Konti bowed her head slightly, acknowledging that she understood that his people kept their secrets close. She said only one thing in return, a guarded phrase pitched low which included a word that spoke volumes to Hatot in regards to what exactly she was. "I am a Nakivak. The truth of your people is not a knowledge I would abuse." The first sentence was spoken in common, but the word Nakivak was Tukant, the language of the Akalak. He knew then exactly what she was then. Kavala was oath bound and owed a life debt to the Akalak people. It meant she was loyal, and the loyalty ran deep because she owed the Akalak her life. If she was a Nakivak, as she claimed, then she was an ex-slave that had been freed and given the run of Riverfall. It was rare to see one as a Konti. The Nakivak were women that eventually paid their life debt by producing a child - a new son - for the Akalak race as a whole. Normally damaged women unsuitable for properly raising a child, the Nakivak were nonetheless honored and carefully guarded for they meant the continuation of his race which was slowly going extinct. Most of the Nakivak were damaged mentally if not physically by their captivity and repeated abuse. The Konti seemed abnormally quiet and cautious, easily explained by her Nakivak tatus, but she didn't seem unstable or unbalanced. The words should have explained a great deal to Hatot about the woman's situation. It certainly added a bit of credibility to the why of her demeanor. She didn't show fear though the Akalak could tell she felt awkward and uncertain. The pause in which she just simply lingered by the door gave that fact away. She stayed where she was, simply watching, as Hatot roamed over to inspect the trio. She seemed almost surprised when Hatot returned and explained the curious actions of the boys. She raised a pale eyebrow, watched closely, then nodded. "It makes sense. I know your digits can be powerful weapons if applied to the correct places on the body." The eyes... she knew fingers pressed against eyes were some of the most deadliest weapons that a fighter could have - especially trained hardened fingers. That he added an explanation about pressure points to his little speech made her curious. "Can you show me where the pressure points are?" She asked, intrigued. There were places on the body, along nerves, she new could numb pain... but as for the rest? It sounded important; like something good to know. Kavala was thinking about this when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It snapped her attention back to the Akalak and caused her to do something odd. Rather than flinch, cry out, or make any move to reveal her startlement. Instead, she froze completely, not moving at all, as if attempting to make herself invisible. It looked more force of habit than anything else. Staring straight ahead, she didn't even look at him until he spoke and the words cleared whatever haze that had suddenly overcome her senses. Blue eyes looked up and met his, and she nodded. "I understand." And suddenly she knew it was true. "I... yes. I do understand." She said, and watched them move to the dummies to practice their pressure points. .

[Hatot]

Hatot gave a nod, and then the hint of a smile crossed his lips as he reflected upon her question regarding the pressure points and his willingness to teacher. "Gladly," he said with a pleased tone in his voice, lending weight to his pleasure of teaching. Hatot gazed for a moment, observing the Akalak children and their own practice with the training dolls. Satisfied with what they were doing, Hatot then motioned Kavala over to one of the free training dolls. Walking over with her, he stood next to the doll itself. The training dolls seemed to be nothing more than a humanoid shaped manikin. It's skin a hemp fabric covering with the insides stuffed with straw, feathers and other soft materials similar to the floor. However, when Hatot grasped one of it's arms and lifted it, it remained in place, revealing that had a flexible wire skeleton to it. "The initial pressure points learned in the form relate mainly to the joints of the body, as well as the muscles that perform certain motor control of movements," Hatot began to explain, a patient and practiced tone in his voice as he began to point out various places. "For instance, the joint of the shoulder and areas of the bicep. Striking these make it more difficult for a assailant to lift and swing their weapon. Striking the forearm and wrist joint can, in turn, cause an assailant to drop his weapon entirely." Hatot lowered himself to one knee. "The spot just below the sternum when struck correctly can hinder an opponents breathing as well as the base of the throat," Hatot continued before moving down to the legs, "and the knees as well as the thighs can hinder an opponents movements." Hatot then slowly stood back up, cupping his hands behind his back as he looked to Kavala. "There are several points along the body that can be utilized to hinder or otherwise incapacitate an opponent. Some are, of course, more advantageous than the other, but in this form of open handed defense, one learns to take any opening after avoiding an attack, even if it is a minor one," Hatot explained. Hatot then slowly lowered the training dolls arm. "In later stages of the forms teachings, other pressure points are learned that allow one to temporarily slow the flow of blood in an opponent, knocking them out, or target certain nerve clusters that cause intense, but temporary, pain or paralysis in the afflicted area," Hatot then said, looking back to Kavala, "It is rumored that true masters of this form have learned of pressure points that allow them to slow even the flow of energy in a magic weaver's body, hindering them from casting further magics if they be foe, or, if they be friend, preventing them from, as was said to me, unknowingly overindulging in dangerous energies." Hatot then tilted his head to the side slightly, giving Kavala and inquisitive look. "Would you be interested in training in this form?"