[Solo] Another Step

[Kassan]

Timestamp: 2nd of Winter, 511 AV It was a calm evening in Nyka - if there could be a 'calm' in the Celestial City. In the Sharp Blade Headquarters, the training arena was empty. And Kassan walked the circle quietly. He pulled his shirt up and over his head, letting the cool air waft onto his skin. A thin sheen of sweat covered him, since he had been practising for a while now. But he was far from over. Lifting his glaive above his head, and he pushed one foot forward, and swept downwards in a long arc. The movement pulled him forward, such was the momentum, and he cried out as he imagined an opponent before him. The shout resounded through the arena, ricocheting off the high vaulted ceiling. He often trained alone. He had been criticised for it in the past. There was nothing like a physical opponent, or so they said. But Kassan would sooner imagine a foe, and practise the moves over and over. It was better than nothing, and he found himself skilled in combat situations. His dagger skills left something to be desired... but something about it worked nevertheless. He pulled the glaive back, shifting his weight to his heels. Then he assembled the Crane in Flight position, raising both arms, the glaive held like a bar in front of him. He shouted out again, intimidating his imaginary foe, then rushed forward like a bull. He pushed the glaive, then let go with one hand, twisting to cut diagonally. As he did so, a thin beam of moonlight sparkled on the glaive's blade, cast from the windows high up near the ceiling. It was a beautiful world, he thought. With a little faith, the darkest times could be bleached in light. Sometimes, at least. Breathing heavily, he moved into the Growling Bear, sweeping forwards with the glaive again. His biceps bulged with the exertion. A droplet of sweat fell from his brow. After he had finished, he stood still and placed his glaive on the floor. He sat with crossed legs and began to meditate silently. He thought of his road, and inside his head, he took another step on it. At the end was Uphis, so far away, yet his light shining so brilliantly. He held a blade in each hand, beckoning for Kassan to come closer. He walked. But he could move no further beyond the step, since he was not ready. Every day he would train a little more. Every day he would meditate a little more. And through those steps, he would move closer to his Lord. His ambition... well, he didn't want to ponder on it too much. But to be the Right Hand of a Demi-God... well that was something he couldn't quite comprehend yet. He turned to his small pile of possessions, his water canteen, and besides them, his iron throwing daggers. He picked them up, and moved them about in his hands to see how they felt. It was time to turn his focus to them.

[Kassan]

Kassan moved one of the daggers back and forth in his hand, eyes focused on the small target he had made for himself. Just a circle of water, darkening a far corner of the wall. He could barely make it out in the dim light, but that was a good thing. Concentration and focus would only lead to better aim. "Fly true," he whispered. Then lifting his hand back, flicking his wrist, he let the dagger glide from his hand. It moved quickly, picking up a little air resistance, before plunging into the old stone wall. It missed the target, but he did not allow defeat to cross his visage. He fingered the second dagger, then lifted it to his mouth. He kissed the iron surface superstitiously, as if it would imbue the blade with some exotic luck. Then he pulled his hand back again, moving it back and forward to hone in on his target. His eyes watched the dark circle carefully. He threw again. Miss. And again. Miss. But each time, the dagger's point moved closer to the circle. Every round he improved, albeit only a little. Practise was the only thing one could do to improve. The only thing. He practised a little longer, before taking the two daggers, one in each hand. He felt more confident this time. The last dagger had hit the ring. He took a moment, breathing slow, shallow breaths. He let a short mantra run through his head, one he had created a long time ago as a slave. Fight the darkness, defend the light. He repeated it over and over in his head, closing his eyes at one point, and then, fully calm, he opened his eyes and let the daggers fly. They swept through the air, arching lower, and then finally they hit their target. He looked at the two daggers, barely a hairs breadth apart, and sitting in the centre of the circle. A faint smile formed on his lips. He was not entirely modest, but he did not want to make such a big deal of his achievements. He was merely pleased. Pleased that he would now be able to better serve his Lord. Pleased he had at least learnt a small measure of control of the daggers he had been given upon initiation. Walking to the wall, he pulled them from the stone and slotted them into their sheathes. Then he attached his water canteen to his belt, and picked up his glaive with aching arms. Bathed in moonlight, Kassan walked from the arena and down the cool, stone corridors towards his room. In a few hours, the sun would rise, and a new day in Nyka would begin...

[Kassan]

Kassan reached his small but fair room, and settled down onto his bed, hands resting behind his head. He stared out of the window at the clear night, great shoals of stars visible in the sky. Somewhere out there, a slave was being transported across Mizahar. That fact was a sad but inevitable one. And for now, he was powerless to stop it. When he had come to this strange, foreign shore, and come to live with the kindly fisherman who he had once called father, Uphis had appealed to him more than words can say. The Master of Blades was dissatisifed with his own talent, or so the texts said. But that was good, for it only made him strive to be greater, to be stronger. Revenge was his aim, a divine vengeance that only blood would quench. Kassan smiled slowly, closing his eyes as he sank into meditation. He pushed all other thoughts and worries aside. He had his own aims - didn't everyone - but they were secondary to his Nykan duties. He had so much to learn. He was weak at the moment, too weak to serve Uphis effectively, but he would embrace his goals, his driving ambitions. Every step was a victory. In the dead of night, his whispers took on an almost mystical quality. "Uphis is my faith, my father, my shield, and my armour..." He repeated it until he drifted out of meditation, and into sleep. He meant every word. Every heartfelt word.

[Liar]

EXPERIENCE AWARD Kassan Skill Points Throwing Daggers 3 Glaive 2 Meditation 2 Bodybuilding 1 Lore Growling Bear, a Glaive Thrust Humility in Ambition The Weight of a Dagger Fight the Darkness, Defend the Light Notes Not a huge deal, but you mentioned your daggers are iron when your inventory lists them as steel. Anyway, I gave an extra point in Daggers for trying blindly at it and learning from his mistakes, bodybuilding for the stress on his muscles from extensive training. The rest should be self-explanatory. Feel free to PM me if I missed anything, or if you have any questions.