Flashback Harsher by Far [Kaie]

[Tinnok]

oocAch, this one's short, apologies!

Tinnok smirked. She may have been inning, but that thought was tempered with the fact that Kaie was...well a child.

"Alright, alright, wait." She still held the spear and tugged it gently, offering her dagger. "Why don't we swap? I'll be next to useless with this heavy stick, and you'll get a lighter weapon, I'll even give you a few pointers to go with it."

She paused, letting Kaie decided. "You can find the advantage and disadvantage with any weapon. A little taller and stronger and you might be able to keep me at bay with the range of this spear, but that dagger might serve you well."

She shrugged. "Or perhaps not, your choice."

[Kaie]

Kaie's entire train of thought halted as soon as Tinnok spoke. A bit of surprise crossed her features as she considered this new idea. Swap her spear for the dagger? Long range to short range? Considering Kaie was just as inexperienced with the spear as she was a dagger, she didn't have much more to lose. If she had an advantage at all with her current weapon, she certainly couldn't see it plainly. Not now anyways. The swap seemed like an amusing idea anyways. If the half breed could wield one so well, so could Kaie. Right? "Alright, Tinnok. Give it here," She said eagerly as she eyed the red tipped weapon. It was an odd thought to her. Using the very weapon that had drawn her own blood several times. It was interesting to her though. The whole idea of it. Maybe it would somehow earn her a stroke of luck, or it just might be the death of her. Guess she'll just have to find out. Her hands eased from the spear though she hadn't released it entirely. After all, how foolish would she be to release her own weapon if she hadn't yet gotten one in exchange? Kaie was proud at least she had some intelligence in that respect. "I'm unfamiliar with that thing. Teach me?" She asked a bit hesitantly, reluctant to reveal her own weaknesses. For some reason she wasn't uncomfortable around the half breed, much to her surprise. In fact she found her presence more comforting than some of her own childhood friends. More...Trustworthy...A word she thought she'd never use to describe someone she had barely known. Nonetheless if she was going to even have a shot with the dagger, she needed a bit of Tinnok's guidance. That was for sure. OOCNo worries! Sorry for the delay. This is the first time I've been home in quite some time.

[Tinnok]

Tinnok was surprised once again by Kaie's candor and willingness. She hefted the spear experimentally in one hand. She was not used to carrying such heavy weapons. The largest thing she had ever wielded was her Scimitar, and though this was not much heavier, the distribution of weight was entirely different.

But the girl had asked a question, and Tinnok was obliged to answer.

She looked Kaie up and down once, and took a step back, holding the spear at an angle against her body with both hands.

"A dagger is a deceptive blade, and that is how you should use it. It can be thrown to good effect, but my mother always likes to say that only a fool would throw away their weapon, so let's focus on holding it first."

She jokingly twirled the spear, resulting in her hitting her own foot with the butt of it and cursing.

"Ahem. Alright. Well you know which end to hold I presume?" Tinnok chuckled at the glare the young girl gave her. "A dagger is meant to be used for short quick thrusts. You dash in you dash out. It is fine to parry, but that is not what it is designed for. It is designed to be a swift end, to a neck, an artery, or a weak tendon. It's also good for stabbing. Just keep your attacks light and easy, quick."

Tinnok gestured with her hand for Kaie to come at her, holding the spear in what she hoped was a defensive position across her body.

[Kaie]

Again Tinnok's weapon knowledge was amazing to the young Myrian girl, who watched her like she would a legitimate instructor. If any Myrian instructor was scaled that is. It was funny how her own person desires could completely override what she was seeing. Like knowledge, something intangible, was a gift from Myri alone. A necessary study session in order to bring glory to the Goddess Queen later on. So she stood there calmly. Dagger in hand. Eyes watching the half breed carefully. Quickly she began to realize she might've been foolish in light of the competition to trade. Her small, bronzed hand seemed to fall prey to gravity. Like it was being tugged toward the ground with the new weight. She felt uneven just holding it. Had she not wanted to win so badly, doubt might've clouded her vision.

Deception? Kaie turned the dagger in her hand, cut through the air in short swipes that seemed almost casual. If you can count casual as rigid, jerky, uncertain movements. With new information filtering through her brain, Kaie scanned over Tinnok's frame. Where could she strike? She had to find a spot to make it count. Naturally she wasn't here to slit her throat. This was just friendly competition, right? So as the Dhani-Myrian sank into a defensive position and welcome the girl to attack, Kaie did just that. Her choice was stupid, childish, and unlikely. Nonetheless, she did it anyways. Desperate for a slice to make it even once more. The little Myrian dove hoping to fall below the spear position. All the while her dagger was pointed forward. A straight, obvious dive for the lower calf just above the ankle. She felt weight though. Sinking quickly. She had practically broadcasted her move to the world when she eyed her target before even jumping. It wasn't until Tinnok handed her such an unfamiliar weapon that Kaie realized how juvenile she really was.



OOC:Thanks for waiting! My summer has been insane.

[Tinnok]

oocNo worries!

She watched the girl process the information, assess the new weapon, even fumble with it in her grasp. It was much different from a spear, that was for sure.

To her credit the move was not well done, but it was well attempted. There was no way to learn with a new blade other than to simply try, so Tinnok had to give Kaie credit for that.

Instead of dodging the attack, as she might have been able to do, the half breed attempted to use the spear she had swapped with the girl. She was no master at arms herself, and fumbled with the weight, unevenly placed from wood to metal tip, spinning the shaft too far to ably block the hit, and sort of simply pushing Kaie's arm away with the dagger, instead of landing an actual blow, or actually parrying the blade.

Either way, the score remained the same. Tinnok laughed at her own lack of prowess, smile reaching the corners of her face. "Shoddy attempts on both our ends I would say."

She took a step back and spunt he spear again, slightly more gracefully so it rested butt in the dirt, glancing at the dagger poised awkwardly in Kaie's palm.

"Hold the blade like a friend, not a thorny vine, aye? You have begun to learn how this spear must be a third arm, how can you hope to wield another weapon if you treat it like your least favorite uncle?"

Tinnok decided to make a move this time with the borrowed spear. She hefted it with two hands, drawing it horizontally across her body, still unsure if she even wanted to try to manipulate the spear head. Instead she used the dull side and begn with just as simple a move as Kaie's had been previously, jamming the end directly at Kaie's stomach, wondering if she'd use the dagger at all, or simply dodge her blow.

[Kaie]

Another failure with the dagger. How ambitiously foolish had she been to even consider she might've been some prodigy from the start? If she hadn't yet shoved previous notions about her pure blooded superiority by nature aside before, she sure had now. Her attack warded off, Kaie noticed the half breed create space. Enough space to create a pause in their competition to lend her much needed wisdom. Looking down she realized that she did indeed appear to hold the dagger almost with displeasure. Caution even. The uncertainty was clear and that she knew was dangerous.

The little Myrian's brow pulled together with a healthy mix of concentration and frustration. Deciding that Tinnok had been correct on all her previous points thus far, Kaie took her advice. She readjusted her grip to see like she at least looked like she knew what she was doing. With a battle of fists, Kaie could see various options in front of her. All of them almost in a split second, too. With the dagger on the other hand, Kaie struggled to even find one decent target. It almost seemed useless to her. Nonetheless, Kaie found no doubt within her spirit. Do the great Myrian warriors not have arms and legs just as she? Naturally, the soldiers were much larger than she was, but still their bodily structures were the same. More practiced? Of course. Yet the simplicity of their synonymous biology alone was enough to drive her fourth in another attempt. The spear came directly at her stomach with the dull end. An attack meant as a test rather than for damage. Instincts took precedence over skill enhancement. Brain sending panic signals to the body, she simply stepped back to get away from the jab. With the deceptive nature of the spear, Kaie almost bend over backward to keep from the woody end of the weapon. With most of her weight behind her, the Myrian's feet were forced to back pedal three paces to keep from dropping onto her back. Momentarily, she straightened up again. Now a curiously surprised grin replaced the hard expression of focus.

"I never knew what to expect from you. Every time I'm sure you're coming in for the kill, you don't. Clever. You keep me on my toes, Tinnok," She admitted with sincerity which wasn't yet lost in her childish arrogance. Of course any pompousness she might've displayed was in good fun rather than true narcissism. A mental defense mechanism even to ward off the looming and severe disadvantages she had here.

"I'll do my best to keep you on yours," She added with a widened grin, all the while making a sly one hundred and eighty degree turn with the dagger extended. The angle was terrible and her stance was off considerably, the former a result of hastiness and speed. It was a shoddy aim at the exposed bicep. An area she very well knew could easily be blocked with a simple lift of the shaft. It was desperate really. Well, she'd take what she could.

[Tinnok]

The half breed chuckled at the girl's words. It wasn't often she could simply enjoy a good training bout, even if this one may have been a bit lopsided, it seemed all one needed to do was put a spear in her hands to even it out.

So Kaie came in once again with an amateur move. Tinnok could have laughed. if she had been holding her dagger, instead of the other way around, it would have been an easy parry, easier dodge, and just a cinch to perhaps end their little game then and there.

But she wasn't holding her dagger, she was holding a pointy stick...and she still didn't have a clue to do with it.

Getting cocky the female twirled the spear like a heavy baton, thinking to sort of knock Kaie's arm away again, but this time with a bit more grace.

The end result, however, was not at all what the abomination had pictured in her mind. Her hands spun around the middle of the spear, ensuring that it turned in her grasp, but on the very first circle of the wooden shaft, Tinnok managed to strike herself directly in the face with the butt of the weapon, earning a curse from her, and a shallow cut upon her cheek where Kaie reached out and swiped the dagger.

Tinnok didn't know whether to cry or laugh. "Maybe I could use a few pointers too, I mean...what the bloody petch do you do with this thing anyway?"

Their little game was tied, just one more point to victory, but victory wasn't precisely on the half breeds mind at the moment.

[Kaie]

Kaie grinned at the small cut she managed to create on Tinnok by fate's will alone. Myri only knows her move was desperate and rather incompetent. Nonetheless, the stakes were raised yet again. Tinnok had a point of course, which quickly led Kaie to realize how one sided the weapons introduction had been. The half breed had given Kaie all sorts of tips along the way while the little Myrian had given her nothing. Naturally, the young girl wasn't a prodigy of any sort with the spear. Hardly skilled at all. Even so, Kaie had heard the words of wisdom her kin had bestowed her with. Such words weren't much aid to her yet with her age, but perhaps Tinnok would have better luck. For a moment she stepped back out of her battle stance to eye the older girl in thought. She arched a brow as she recalled memories. Amber eyes trained on her opponent and the way she dealt with her weapon.

"Staffs and spears are deceptive objects. You can change their length and how your enemy perceives them in just seconds. Eyes are not good at judging objects when they comes straight at them," She started easily, each strand of advice coming almost verbatim as she had heard them told before. "You should always have at least two points of contact at all times. Three is better. When you thrust it forward, rotate your hands with it like you would when you punch. It creates more power," She continued while holding the dagger, pretending almost like it was a part of an imaginary shaft of her own spear. One hand on the handle and the other wrapped tightly around air with a comfortable space between. As she spoke of the thrust, Kaie made the motion with her hands. A slow demonstration to show how her lead hand would naturally turn back hand up as the shaft rotated between the hands. Finishing her short bout of an amateur lesson, Kaie straightened back up. Dagger back in hand as Tinnok had advised and ready to go. With a knowing smile, the little girl lifted her free hand before her chest. With a curious look of anticipation, she gestured for Tinnok to try her hand.

[Tinnok]

Tinnok listened to the instructions, eyeing the weapon in her hands. True to Kaie's word, she realized that her dagger wasn't the only kind of weapon to be used in backstabbing...though perhaps not literally. Gripping the shaft in two hands she adjusted the length experimentally, stabbing it off to the side at full length, then pulling it in to more a short sword's range, realizing there was considerable more control in such an action, but then sacrificed the range of the weapon. Attempting to obey the three points rule she set the cumbersome weapon against her hip and watched as Kaie summoned her forward, twisting the dagger in her grip.

Tinnok couldn't help but smile. What might have been an entirely unfair battle had turned into a more introspective training session, but her levity mostly drew from the fact that the girl's unbiased attitude spoke as a breath of fresh air. There was no worries about her dull scales glinting the specks of Syna's rays that crept through the foliage, knew her eyes might be unsettling, but had been ignored in place of learning...becoming a better warrior, things all Myrians could aspire to.

She wondered if the girl would lose this open mindedness if she grew older, and one day she too would spit at Tinnok's feet and glower at ever showing her the smallest bit of kindness...those thoughts, however, were for another time and the tall half breed tried loosening her wrists and dashed forward toward Kaie.

her maneuver was simple, but the half breed wasn't about to try something complex and smack herself in the face again. She rotated 90 degrees as she approached Kaie, spinning on one foot and swinging the spear like a club. She had had it gripped close to the head of the spear, and as she rotated she let the weapon slide from beneath her fingers with the momentum, flying towards the girl's side. Her aim was off, and her form sloppy, but the weight of the spear felt good as it slammed toward the young girl, Tinnok more pleased with herself than she had any right to be.

[Kaie]

The little girl watched the Dhani-Myrian toy with the spear, no doubt testing out new advantages that came with new knowledge. Much to Kaie's surprise she didn't seem half bad. At least whatever she had been told proved to be correct. Whether Kaie would be nearly as good as the half breed was still very much unknown. Now the pure blood has moved in with her weapon in hand and Tinnok was smiling with new confidence. Now the little girl might really be in some trouble.

At least if she proved to be a real shitty warrior she could at least see about training. As if that wasn't Kaie's worst nightmare to begin with. Watching a bunch of wannabe fighters prance about some arena, twisting and twirling about, arrogant as hell about their futures? Definitely not something she could see in her future. She would get out of those training yards as quickly as she could. She would be the idolized soldier all the girls her age aspired to be. Hard as nails and a true cutthroat. These ideas alone were enough to bring a new round of fire to her end of the battle, and banish premature feelings of defeat.

The rotation was clever and the dance of battle was quickly being perfected on Tinnok's end. Kaie on the other hand didn't quite know how to react. Surely she hadn't anticipated this sort of attack at this stage. The strike came from the side and more toward her peripheral vision. With little time to duck, instincts kicked in to protect her head. Her free hand soared up the side of her head where the spear appeared to be headed. The knife hand moved across her body to form a flat plane on the side of her skull. As expected, the spear hit with a prompt thwack. It hadn't stung too much.

With her head protected with the impulsive block, Kaie needed to react and do at least something. With one quick step in, the little Myrian sent a front kick confidently toward the half breed's middle. With anticipation of the initial strike, Kaie had flashed her eyes shut tightly. Just opening them now as she retaliated, there was no telling where her accuracy might lay.