[Kendoka Sasaran] Daggers and Lakans

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

50th Summer, 512 A.V. This fatherhood thing was making his travels difficult. Before, nothing had made him happier than traversing the Sea of Grass, checking on the Web, seeing Riverfall, Claridon, Kenash... But now his thoughts always ran back to Endrykas, where the people he loved took care of the bear cub that was the curse, or possibly blessing in disguise, of Oriana. It was the bear cub that had killed his wife as she was birthing it, and so the weight of responsibility fell doubly hard on his shoulders. And yet here he was, in Riverfall, stuck for a day or two. Kavala was understanding, and the people at the Sanctuary were his friends now. But today all he wanted to do was to get out his aggression, to focus it, if possible, as his teachers had always told him he ought. Rage lent strength, but dispersed focus. He was a man of the Watch, and wanted to be an Ankal. He would have to learn to reign in his temper. He had left his bow with Dohaina at the Sanctuary, wandered to the Sasaran with only his dagger and his scimitar, having been told he could likely find a sparring partner there. That it was likely his partner would have a foot of height and a hundred pounds of muscle on him was all for the better; he could batter himself against such a mountain of a man, release all his pent up emotion, and possibly even learn a thing or two he didn't already know where weapons were concerned. But now he was there, surrounded by predominantly the strange-skinned giants, and he didn't recognize anyone. He wasn't afraid, but Sama'el looked around dubiously, unsure where to go.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis was once more at the Sasaran, to hone his fighting skills. His life plans, which had mainly been set out by his other side, required it of him... Though one of these days, he really needed to wheedle out of him the whole plan. So far, he had only shown a few vague steps, and goals. Most Akalaks might be worried, about their other side plotting and planning without them. But the two of them had an odd working arrangement, in which they trusted each other to an extent. So far, his other side had not done anything not in his best interest, even if some of the choices were cold and a bit unfeeling. But unlike most, he was not exactly a dark side. Just a different side, which was a bit darker. Rykanis headed in, patting the lakan' he carried around, keeping them put away. There would be no need for real weapons. He headed over to the training weapons, set out for all to use, and picked out a wooden training lakan. As he was heading back out to the floor, he noticed a new face. A confused human, or some such thing. At least some kind of human. It was a bit hard to tell at first glance, what type one was. And there were many brands of humans. But he decided to take pity on him, and help him out, with the best common he could speak, which was not his most native tongue. "Hello there! You new here? If you are wanting to practice, the training weapons are on the rack over there. Best to not use real steel weapons, in training. Wooden ones will work fine. Anything in particular you need? Perhaps I could help out. And maybe once you are done, we could spar?"

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Assuming he was invisible the way most of them avoided talking to him, Sama'el watched. A dark purple one was walking in his general direction, and he wondered about the colors of these men, whether the purple one would be well matched with the Amethyst Clan were he to go Drykas, or if he would feel more comfortable with the blue-skinned Akalaks, more closely resembling his own totem gem, the Sapphire. But these musings were cut short when the purple one stepped up and started talking to him. They were all so tall, and all built much stronger than he was. But he was quick and flexible, and confident in his skills with the scimitar, at least. Thankfully he spoke Common about as well as Pavi having spent a decade in and around Sylira for the most part. "Thank you," he said respectfully. "I'll look." He had no desire to offend the Akalak, not on their home turf. He walked over to the practice weapons and pulled something as close to his scimitar as he could find, and a dagger as well. He had made his tactic to strike and flee, strike and flee, and the scimitar was best for that on horseback, but he knew he needed to be better with the dagger in case it ever came to closer terms in fighting. When he walked back, he held them up for the Akalak to see. "How do you earn those?" he asked, nodding to the lakan. "Lakan, right?"

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis followed along, as the human inspected the weapons rack he had pointed out to him.He watched carefully to see what drew his attention, as he browsed. After a bit, he finally settled on a long curved sword type thing, and what was obviously a dagger. Well, wooden versions of them. After choosing them, he held them up for Rykanis to inspect, apparently seeking his approval. But then it went to questions of his lakan'. One on each hip. How to earn them? A smile came to Rykanis face, a friendly one, engineered to put people at ease. "I am sorry to tell you, but these weapons are only made by and for Akalaks. I made this one for my Right of Passage, and this one was gifted to me by my father. That is why I have two. Lakans can only be forged, or gifted. You cannot earn one. And it would be a dire day, when a Akalak would be honor bound to owe you his lakan. Best to set your sights on another weapon." Rykanis smiled, and took another look at the mans weapon choices. One a big sword, and another a offhand small weapon, not to different in size from his lakan. He held up the wooden practice one he had, and twirled it once in his hand. Something he was not fool enough to do with a real one, lest he lop off one of his fingers. "I am Rykanis by the way. And you are? And which weapon will you be using first? The dagger, or the... Whatever that sword thing is called?"

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el nodded. He was fairly sure he knew that, but couldn't remember if it was something he had been told or made up in his head. Of course, he had fought alongside the painted men, but never earned a life-debt such that he held a man's lakan in trust. He was not sure he would be comfortable with that arrangement anyway. "I was just asking. I am Sama'el of the Sapphire Clan. And the Watch." He had brought communication from the council of Ankals to the Akalak council of elders, but knew nothing of what the message contained. He merely waited for their response to be committed to parchment and he would be back on his way. Few could ride as fast or as hard as him. "Well met, Rykanis." He put his hand out to grip the Akalak's wrist; it was a Drykas handshake, and he didn't know any better if the painted men had a different custom. "Oh, well, this is the closest to a scimitar I could find. Which do you want to start with?"

[Rykanis Dakshata]

"Samae'l, nice to meet you. Of the Sapphire clan? I do not know much of the Drykas clans, but I believe that is one of them. What is yours known for? I believe each clan has a specialty doesn't it? And as I said I am Rykanis. Rykanis Dakshata." The fact that he restated his name, including his last name, might seem a bit odd to someone not familiar with Akalaks or Riverfall. But to someone who knew much of either, they would know that for an Akalak to have a last name, meant they had passed certain tests to prove there worth, and was thus a mark of honor to bear it. So Rykanis was sure to make it known that he had done so. Rykanis did his best to respond to the gesture the Drykas had made. He had not done it before, but he managed it close enough. It was a curious custom though, of the Drykas. "I suppose we can start with the small ones, your dagger and my lakan. Then switch over to something bigger. A scimitar though you say? I have not heard of that kind of sword before. Perhaps you can show me a thing or two in using swords. I have a type I have been meaning to try out." That being said, Rykanis would give him time to answer if he wanted to, before dropping into his ready stance. Lowering himself a bit by bending the knees, his hand out front holding his lakan, and his free left hand at his side. He would motion for him to go first, and give him a smile, of excitement and enjoyment. "Your move first Sam."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"You are in luck, Rykanis Dakshata. The Diamond Clan is known for the best warriors; the Sapphire Clan holds to the Mysteries." Of course, he wasn't going to set the man on fire while they sparred, but he grinned in mock mysteriousness. He wasn't sure if humor translated, but it was worth an attempt, anyway. But he set the curved practice blade aside and tossed the wooden dagger from hand to hand, getting a feel for the weight and heft of it. Somewhere inside, it was weighted with metal, and this was to the good so he wouldn't get used to something lighter than his actual blade. Sama'el was on the tall side, but the Akalaks were mountains, and so his fighting crouch brought him lower indeed. He made a smaller target, but he would have to be wary of longer limbs and a propensity for overhand strikes, but he would also have an easier time attacking lower on Rykanis' body -- thighs, knees, calves, even ankles if he timed things correctly. He began to move, eyes on Rykanis to learn his tells, if possible, trying to draw him out a bit to get a sense of his style and habits. His first act of aggression was a trio of short feints, followed by an attempt to hook his ankle in the crook of his own foot.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis was giving the other man an honor really, by offering to let him go first. Some Akalak's might have done it, to show off, or to look down upon the human. But Rykanis did not deal that way. He genuinely meant it as a kind offer, which he would give even to an Akalak partner in a fight. Do to an odd bit in the translations, Rykanis did not exactly hear it right. He read mysteries sort of, but read it more of as the word secrets. And secrets, well secrets were what Rykanis thrived on, and lived for. It was the reason so much of his life was veiled and hidden, submerged in the shadows and away from prying eyes. So when Rykanis heard of an entire clan of secrets... Well it interested him... He responded, a grin on his face still, and a smile in his voice. "Well then, I suppose I will just have to try and pry some of these so called secrets out of you. Perhaps I will learn more, by crossing blades with you..." But then they were delving into combat, fighting before Sam had a chance to reply to Rykanis misunderstanding induced statement. He moved for the feints, reading them as real, and sidestepped to avoid one, and moved to block another with the flat of his curved blade, while the last would have struck had it been an actual strike, as he did not react in time. Then he tried to hook Rykanis foot with his own. Rykanis took a step at him, and tried to stomp the top of the mans foot that was trying to corral him, and followed it up with a knee thrown at his gut, and then a slash with his lakan wielding right arm, trying to smash the man in the side of his head with the "blade" of his weapon. This side of Rykanis certainly had an aggressive attacking style, mixing his armed skills equally with unarmed, as was so common a style amongst Akalaks.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el wondered if he had, perhaps, misspoken. After ten years outside the horseclans, he was about as fluent in the Common tongue as he was in Pavi, but some things didn't translate exactly all the same. Mysteries. Secrets. Well, he would certainly hide the secrets of the Drykas Web with his life, for the Web was what sustained and protected his people, allowing the swift blades of the Drykas to patrol and control the majority of Cyphrus. Thankfully the Akalaks didn't seem to care much for territory far from their seaside fastness. They would be fearsome opponents. Sama'el was happy to befriend honorable warriors to guard that flank of the Drykas run. But now he was fighting, and the world was reduced to the immediate surroundings, Rykanis, and himself. Perhaps he should have pushed harder, followed through with his feints, but then it was better safe than sorry. Though he was young and often headstrong, he was not rash where fighting was concerned. His attempt to trip the tall man up did not work, earning him only a glancing knee to the ribs, but he turned out of it, bringing his blade up to clack against the lakan just in time, adding to its momentum out of the way and then attempting to put a sharp shoulder to the Akalak's chest. He was not skilled without some sort of blade in his hands, but even with a blade, the rest of the body had to be part of the weaponry. And his skill had long ago become acrobatic in nature. When he didn't manage to push the tall man far enough back, he became a whirlwind of curved blade, rolling backward over his shoulder and back into a defensive crouch rather neatly.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

It seemed the Drykas was more of a defensive fighter. At least by the way he evade the attack, a neat back roll away and popping up into a fighting stance out of a ball... He would have to try that some time. Though he was not sure if he was good enough at such things to pull it off. Rykanis smiled at him, the same genuine grin he seemed to carry most of the time, at least when this side of him was in control. He was not sure if his other side really got the purpose behind smiling, or the emotion it was purposed to convey. "Not bad, if nothing else you certainly know how to move, and are light on your feet. Perhaps you could teach me a bit of your maneuvering there, I would like to become better at it." Rykanis took a step forward, making a feint at his chest with a horizontal slash with his lakan, and then taking a step back. "As you would imagine, Akalaks present a rather large target." Moving forward again, he pushed off with his rear foot, slashing his blade in down at the Drykas' collar and shoulder region, putting the force of his forward motion and push of his foot into the slash, putting a great deal of weight behind it. This one was not a feint, though he had committed to it much more than his other blows.