Spring 17th, 499AV
-Morning-
Castor an Accalia were both sleeping peacefully in their beds. Castor was sleeping on his side, pulling his sheets tightly against his. On the other hand, Accalia was lying flat on her back, arms spread open and whistled slightly in her sleep. The two were being his harmony and synchronisation, an odd feat in itself. They happily slept until… BANG!
Their Sire burst opens their door and commands them to awake. The duo groaned and tossed themselves over, wanting five more chimes. However, their Sire disapproved of this and ripped their sheets off their beds, exposing them to the cold morning air. The twins groaned as they got up and prepared themselves for the morning’s training.
The twins stood out the front of their Sires house, limbering up. Castor was flared up, but Accalia was still trying to rub sleep from her eyes. During Castor and Accalia’s warm ups, Their Sire was in the house tying together a dummy for the morning’s training session. As he was making the dummy, he smiled at days of his youth, when he was in the heat of battle where his fist was the only weapon he had left.
“Castor…?” Accalia said as she stretches her arms.
“Yeah…? What is it Accalia?” Castor responded on the ground, trying to touch his toes.
“Do you know what we are doing today? I hope it’s nothing too exhausting…” Accalia said as he swaps arms.
“Urh, ah… No clue… but it is morning training, it maybe something easy… urh…” Castor groaned as he holds a stretching position.
After a few chimes of warm ups and stretching, the twins’ Sire opens the door and exits the house, holding a dummy and a hammer. The dummy looked fairly odd; it was made with a wooded pole with one end sharped, a winter blanket with a thick layer of rope over it and a pumpkin for a head. The twins stared at the dummy and it was hammered deep into the ground.
“Okay, today’s training will be a test of your unarmed and building on top of it.” Their sire said with his old raspy voice.
Castor looked at his Sire in confusion. Up until now, he thought weapons were the most valuable asset of a ghost hunter. With his Sire saying that today’s training is based around unarmed combat, he could help but ask why. His Sire looked at Castor as he prods the dummy, testing it to make sure it wouldn’t fall.
“Ah Castor… Just because you’re hunting ghosts doesn’t mean there will always be ghosts.” His Sire explained.
“Pardon, Sire?” Castor questioned.
“You see, the world isn’t just filled with the non-living. There will be a situation where your hand is better than a chain. See… If you’re fighting a group of bandits who jumped you, you can’t pull out your chain… Instead you have your fists to fend them off…”
“…and when I fend them off, I can get my chain.” Castor continued.
The twins’ Sire gave a faint smile and dipped his head in agreement. Soon after, their Sire asked Castor to Step forward and Accalia to watch. Castor Walked towards his Sire, ready to accept his knowledge. Castor was told to step in front of the dummy and strike it with what he thought was unarmed fighting. He looked at his Sire in slight confusion once again, but proceeded with the training.
Castor raised his hands above himself, holding a tight fist. He then began striking the dummy with his fists, alternating left to right. However, his strikes seemed aimless, like he was just hitting anywhere he saw. His strikes also lacked technique and it was obvious that he was just wailing on the doll with everything he had. His Sire watched, slightly disappointed about Castor’s knowledge of combat.
“Okay, okay… That’s enough” His Sire instructed.
His Sire Expressed his thought about Castor’s ability is unarmed combat. He wasn’t very pleased with the results. However, he was understanding. His sire explained some techniques as well as a few demonstrations. Castor watched as his Sire striking the dummy while explaining what he was doing. His sire explained that hitting your target was rapid succession isn’t everything, and the hitting vital stops were more important. His sire also explained that he should keep his fists extremely tight when holding a fighting pose to allow him to grapple or use his hands.
Castor listened to his Sire’s Instructions as they were demonstrated, making mental notes along the way. He was told to reattempt his training, but this time with the knowledge his was given. Castor walked up to the dummy and readied his fighting pose. He raised his hands in front of himself, one hand in front of another with open fists.
Castor took a breath in, and a breath out. He then focused his mind and threw a light jab at the dummy in the head, aiming where the nose would be. When his fist made contact, he retracted and swung his other fist to hit the dummy’s stomach. Castor then continued striking the vital points of the dummy, aiming for its nose, solar plexus and other points. After hitting the dummy, Castor took a little hop back then lunged forward with his fist, delivering the final blow to the dummy’s head.
Castor was puffing slightly as he looked back at his Sire. His Sire expression was better than the last time. His Sire expressed that Castor did okay, but he should continue practicing his skills if he was to get any better.
“Just remember when fighting, your mind is also a weapon. Not just your fists.” his Sire said.
Castor smiled at his advice and felt the need to strive beyond his Sire’s expectations. With his day’s goal in mind, his Sire told him to take a break then called Accalia for her training.
-Afternoon-
Castor was sent on an errand to the general store to pick a few items for his Sire. Upon coming out of the store, he placed the items in his backpack and began walking home. Along the way home, he was met with a group of three ruffians. Castor attempted to walk by them, but they continued blocking his path. The ruffians commented of how girly Castor looked and how he would look good wearing a dress.
“Hey girl, what’s up with you weird eyes?” One ruffian said.
“Yeah, and that freakishly weird hair?” the other said.
“and that-“
“Enough, worms” Castor said in his usually monotone voice, cutting the Last ruffian’s sentence short.
“What did you say?!” one of them exclaimed, rushing himself towards Castor.
Castor dropped his bag, making sure that the contents don’t come to harm and prepared to dodge. The ruffian swung his fist and Castor was able to dodge the strike with ease, ducking underneath his arm. The ruffian was shocked, but he persisted on attacking. Castor was able to dodge one targets attack with ease. However, trouble started with another ruffian joined.
Castor now had to keep an eye on both of the ruffians’ attacks. Castor did his best dodging and weaving through attacks, but two targets proved too much of a challenge. Every now and then, a few solid hits connected with castors body. Soon after Castor remembered that his training was meant for a situation like this.
As Castor tried to dodge the flurry of attacks from the two ruffians, Castor waited for them to expose one vital point. Castor continued receiving punishment from the two, but then Castor saw an opening when one of the ruffians lunged too far with his attack. Castor ceased the opening before it disappeared.
Castor took a step into the ruffian’s zone and clenched his fist, swinging it from the ground up. When the ruffian noticed that Castor took a step in his zone, he was slightly taken back at his advance and his change of stance. He seemed to be playing offensive rather than defensive. The ruffian’s body was soon met with a shockwave of pain, and felt like his chest had just collapse.
Castor was able to hit it, the solar plexus, the weaknesses part of the human body. The ruffian fell over, gasping for air. The third ruffian, who was watching the whole thing, decided to jump in for his fallen comrade. However, this third ruffian looked as if he had been in fights before. The other ruffian backed off to see the magic happen as the third one cracked various parts of his body, prepping himself to fight.
Castor stood his ground, ready to dish out pain. However, when Castor stuck his fist, the Ruffian blocked it. Castor felt slightly confused, his Sire taught him about the offensive part of combat and evasion part, but never about breaking through a guard.
Castor shook his thoughts and persistently attacked the Ruffian with everything he had, but the ruffian just kept blocking. When Castor stepped back to conserve his stamina, the ruffian lunged himself towards Castor, smacking his fist across Castor’s face. Castor wasn’t able to dodge because it was both sudden and he was slightly tired.
The ruffian dished out his offensive mauvers and attack, each hit struck Castor’s body, and every time he threw a punch, the ruffian blocked. Castor wasn’t sure how to hand the situation. He was being beaten with no offensive tactic. No matter how much Castor punched, the ruffian blocked. When caster received a powerful blow from the ruffian, he fell to the ground and the ruffian loomed towards him.
Castor’s body ached and he had trouble breathing. The ruffian towered over him, looking at how pitiful Castor looked to him and laughed as delivers a swift kick into Castor’s side. Castor groaned as the kick connected with his body.
“To think, I could take you down with an injured leg” the Ruffian boasted, kicking Castor once again.
“You’re a weak little girl aren’t you” he said, kicking him once again.
Castor could feel shockwaves of pain surging throughout his body. As he ruffian prepared give Castor one final kick, Castor had an epiphany. The ruffian was stupid, Castor was one who took information and uses it to his advantage. Remembering what the ruffian said, Castor grabs the ruffian’s leg in hope that was the leg that he was talking about.
“What do you think you’re doing, girl?” the Ruffian said, holding back his kick.
Upon grabbing his leg, Castor could feel slight swelling. It seems that was the leg that was injured. With a vicious glare for Castor’s face, he squeezed the injury with all his strength. Castor was fairly strong despite his looks. Spiritus isn’t the lightest weapon around so he needed strength in order to wield it effectively.
The ruffian felt a surging pain from his leg. From the look of his reaction, the injury was very painful and somewhat fresh. Why did this ruffian decided to fight was beyond Castor, but that didn’t stop him from showing no mercy. When the ruffian grunted in pain, Castor could feel the adrenaline rushing into his body. Castor stood up, ripping the ruffian’s leg into mind air.
When Castor was standing, the ruffian was landing. The ruffian looked as if he was in pain. However, Castor wasn’t one to show sympathy to a person like that. The ruffian got up and assumed his position once again, but this time his stance was a bit off due to the pain he was feeling. Castor understood what his new tactic was.
Castor advanced and stork the ruffian with a single punch, but as expected he block. However, the ruffian had both arms up, leaving his lower body vulnerable. Castor immediately took the opportunity and kicked the injured leg with all his strength. The ruffian screamed and began to collapse to the floor, trying to supress his pain. However, Castor wouldn’t allow his opponent to fall…
The adrenaline was rushing to Castor’s head. Castor gasped the ruffian by the shirt near his neck, preventing him from falling. Castor looked into his opponent’s eyes with a soulless stare. Castor began thrusting his fist into the ruffian’s solar plexus. he punched him up to five times before stopping.
When Castor dropped the ruffian, he titled his head up looking for the others. However, they fled during Castor’s savage beating. Castor’s adrenaline slowly disappears and Castor picked up his bag, hobbling slightly. When he revived it, he headed home. However, when he passed the ruffian he decided to give him some advice for the future.
“If you call me a girl one more time… I’ll snap your neck…” Castor said in a haunting tone as he walks off.
When Castor got home, his Sire was concerned about what has happen to him. Castor explained the scenario he was in and his Sire heaved a sigh of relief. His Sire asked Accalia to help him patch up Castor’s wounds and injuries. As his Sire was doing that, he expressed his thoughts of his battles.
“See, Castor? Your strength isn’t your only weapon. Your mind is as well. You were able to win that fight up attacking the weak point of your enemy.” His Sire said.
Castor nodded, but when he did a sharp pain ran down his spine. From that day after the ruffian’s he met steered clear from Castor… or so he thought. |
|
by Castor on April 29th, 2013, 2:14 pm 
