A Guard and His Shield
Summer 33 513 AV, 10th Bell
Location: Outskirts of Zeltiva
It was hot. Ricky felt the sweat hit him hard in the summer heat of the season, its a wonder how this humidity even lasted here in Mathew's Bay considering summers were usually cool or warm. Today though even with the effort of a vest to try and keep cool Ricky still sweated copious amounts, he actually felt slightly sorry for his father Burt as the top half of his shirt was soaked. Today though Ricky was to train using his shield, Burt had brought his actual long sword which wad made of pure iron metal. Thus Ricky was nervous about today's practice session. "Ya know some would question yer parentin' skills at this rate."
Burt laughed as he unsheathed his blade, a turn to Ricky with a wide smirk. "Maybe, but you define this as parentin' where as this is more so teachin'."
"Is there a difference?"
"Perhaps. My time in parentin' has passed though, and so it's your turn now to be the parent." He pointed at Ricky while he said this, another small laugh came from him as he twisted the blade around to loosen his wrist. "Today though I'll be testin' that shield arm ya got son, and in turn teach you how to use it to gain the advantage."
"Kay..." Ricky responded a bit nervously, the large round shield of the Wave Guard gripped tightly. He didn't really wish to risk denting or damaging the shield but at some point in the near future he would need to anyway, especially with the storm that was brewing overhead in the future. Yes he remembered Ignotus' words, the Denvali plan to strike at some point and he needed to prepare the Wave Guard as best as he could. First though he needed to better himself as he promised before, then he could focus on bettering the Guard as a whole. Burt charged at Ricky with his sword raised, a low cry out as he swung hard to give the blade better momentum. Ricky brought out the shield to block the blade and it did so successfully with a loud bang, and the sound of metal clashed against metal rang out into the air as Ricky felt his entire left arm vibrate painfully.
He staggered back nervously as Burt came in for another blow, and Ricky nearly went into shock before his instincts could react. Thankfully he stiffened his left arm as he held the shield up before him, and with another loud bang to ring out Ricky fell to one knee as he felt pain radiate all through his entire left arm. Burt brought the blade around to where the tip of it would go under Ricky's guard and knock the shield out of his way, and flattened the blade on Ricky's shoulder next to the neckline as Ricky could only grunt and gasp with tthe amount of strain he dealt with. He looked up to his father disheartened, like he were a broken toy left to be forgotten. "Confidence in your self son, confidence in your abilities is what will keep you alive."
"How? I'm not cut out f'r this kind o' stuff pa, I'm just a guard in over his head with this." Ricky snapped with heavy pants, his arm prickled with heat sensations as it still felt pain.
"You believe that? You who I raised believe to be just a guard in over his head?"
"Yes! More than that, I'm just a simple man pa! A father to be who wants nothin' more than to protect his family!"
"That's not true, you are more then just a man Ricky. You are my son, and I raised you to be who you are. Now stand." Burt withdrew his blade and returned to his original spot, Ricky hesitantly stood on his feet once again.
"Ya raised me to be a fisherman! I never dreamed 'bout becomin' a guard!"
"But you're more then that son, because I know deep down inside you there's not just a fisherman, and not just a guard either. Deep down you are a leader, one that is extraodinary because of the qualities he possesses." Burt charged once more at Ricky with the sword arched from the left, and Ricky brought the shielf over in front to intercept the blow.
"I'm not this extraodinary man ya think I am, I don't even," The blade collided into the shield to bounce off, and Burt spun around to bring the sword around from the right, "know how to be a leader." The shield came before the blade and blocked the blow, Ricky's arm had become completely numb now as the shield rattled from the swords impact. "Nor a parent." He grunted as he pushed against the weight of the blade, Burt only continued to push the sword as Ricky struggled with it.
"You say leader and parent like they're two different things son, when in reality they both are the same with just different principles." Burt increased the weight in his power as Ricky started to buckle once again, his right knee started to give way as he couldn't keep the struggle going. "I raised you to be who you wanted to become Ricky, that choice has been and always will be yer's alone son. Accept the man you're meant to be isn't just some ordinary simple fisherman, that's not the kind of son I wanted to raise." Ricky's thoughts went back to when he and another sparred, though that time was when he wanted to change everything. A time when he dealt with the internal struggles of loss and sought to find something more, yet when he did find something he changed once again. He wanted to just be, settle down and not even be who he promised to be. It was sort of an escape, when in reality he only found reason to delay the inevitable. No longer could he use the idea of that he would defend his family as an excuse, he had to make that idea a reality if he really wanted to back.it up.
Do you know why I chose you?"
"No, why did ya?"
The words of the memory that day came as echoes, remnants of that time that instinctually recollected for a purpose.
"You come from common means. You knew the sea from your fishing, but kept your feet solidly on land. You are of the sea and the sand and a Waveguard's domain is both. You are the most common of men among them and that is why you will be the greatest."
He remembered. He remembered he was chosen, chosen by Ignotus and Wrenmae to carry out this task. Yet now he was being encouraged by his love, his own father, and in this case his friends as well.
"You may be the shield but we are the arm that supports you."
"The greatest stories 're often told 'bout those with common backgrounds." He remind himself as he began to push back, his legs started to tremble with the rrest of his body as he did so. "They understand the people, and so they can lead them. If I fail, all Waveguards fail." He remembered the words clearly now, the determination he once knew from then began to return. "I've to believe that I'm the only one that can reform and protect Zeltiva, protect those I love...and if I think someone else can do it...
He pushed back harder and harder with grunts and groans, and Burt too began to struggle with trying to keep Ricky down. "I never will!" He finally found the confidence he needed once more, able to push back against the weight of the blade Ricky shoved hard. This caused Burt to stagger back away from Ricky, surprised and amazed at how he regained his footing and exerted his strength his father laughed in succession. Ricky gasped hard as the heated air only felt hotter now, defeat and determination both mixed in his expression.
"That's the extraodinary part of you I knew to exist son! You've grown so much even after my absence, thus ya became the better man than I could hope to become. Now find the confidence in your self, just as yer friends and family have, and you can be the leader everyone see's in you."
"Aye." He nodded with focus, shield raised up as he slightly crouched into his defensive stance. He became calm and focused now as Burt brought his sword in for a jab, and charged to Ricky with no relent in his steps. Ricky's eyes squinted a bit as he assessed the direction in which the control f the jab was concentrated, then moved to his left and brought the shield down to push the blade away. Burt went into another horizontal swing towards Ricky as the guard stiffened his legs and shield arm, and remained immovable as a stone wall as the blade collided into the shield hard. Though his forearm hurt the worst, his determination to hold the position shook it off as he shoved the blade back enough to cause Burt to back off.
"Good Ricky! Very good!" He cheered with gasps for air after the exertion of stamina he did, his whole shirt literally soaked from collar to the bottom fold. Ricky too felt the sweat cover his entire body, the feeling of cool air in this heat as he stood there with eyes fully focused on his father. "You're quick with a shield strong enough to handle blows, after we rest for a big you'll be taught how to use the shield for offense as well." Burt assured Ricky as the two found a spot to sit to catch their breath.
Summer 33 513 AV, 10th Bell
Location: Outskirts of Zeltiva
It was hot. Ricky felt the sweat hit him hard in the summer heat of the season, its a wonder how this humidity even lasted here in Mathew's Bay considering summers were usually cool or warm. Today though even with the effort of a vest to try and keep cool Ricky still sweated copious amounts, he actually felt slightly sorry for his father Burt as the top half of his shirt was soaked. Today though Ricky was to train using his shield, Burt had brought his actual long sword which wad made of pure iron metal. Thus Ricky was nervous about today's practice session. "Ya know some would question yer parentin' skills at this rate."
Burt laughed as he unsheathed his blade, a turn to Ricky with a wide smirk. "Maybe, but you define this as parentin' where as this is more so teachin'."
"Is there a difference?"
"Perhaps. My time in parentin' has passed though, and so it's your turn now to be the parent." He pointed at Ricky while he said this, another small laugh came from him as he twisted the blade around to loosen his wrist. "Today though I'll be testin' that shield arm ya got son, and in turn teach you how to use it to gain the advantage."
"Kay..." Ricky responded a bit nervously, the large round shield of the Wave Guard gripped tightly. He didn't really wish to risk denting or damaging the shield but at some point in the near future he would need to anyway, especially with the storm that was brewing overhead in the future. Yes he remembered Ignotus' words, the Denvali plan to strike at some point and he needed to prepare the Wave Guard as best as he could. First though he needed to better himself as he promised before, then he could focus on bettering the Guard as a whole. Burt charged at Ricky with his sword raised, a low cry out as he swung hard to give the blade better momentum. Ricky brought out the shield to block the blade and it did so successfully with a loud bang, and the sound of metal clashed against metal rang out into the air as Ricky felt his entire left arm vibrate painfully.
He staggered back nervously as Burt came in for another blow, and Ricky nearly went into shock before his instincts could react. Thankfully he stiffened his left arm as he held the shield up before him, and with another loud bang to ring out Ricky fell to one knee as he felt pain radiate all through his entire left arm. Burt brought the blade around to where the tip of it would go under Ricky's guard and knock the shield out of his way, and flattened the blade on Ricky's shoulder next to the neckline as Ricky could only grunt and gasp with tthe amount of strain he dealt with. He looked up to his father disheartened, like he were a broken toy left to be forgotten. "Confidence in your self son, confidence in your abilities is what will keep you alive."
"How? I'm not cut out f'r this kind o' stuff pa, I'm just a guard in over his head with this." Ricky snapped with heavy pants, his arm prickled with heat sensations as it still felt pain.
"You believe that? You who I raised believe to be just a guard in over his head?"
"Yes! More than that, I'm just a simple man pa! A father to be who wants nothin' more than to protect his family!"
"That's not true, you are more then just a man Ricky. You are my son, and I raised you to be who you are. Now stand." Burt withdrew his blade and returned to his original spot, Ricky hesitantly stood on his feet once again.
"Ya raised me to be a fisherman! I never dreamed 'bout becomin' a guard!"
"But you're more then that son, because I know deep down inside you there's not just a fisherman, and not just a guard either. Deep down you are a leader, one that is extraodinary because of the qualities he possesses." Burt charged once more at Ricky with the sword arched from the left, and Ricky brought the shielf over in front to intercept the blow.
"I'm not this extraodinary man ya think I am, I don't even," The blade collided into the shield to bounce off, and Burt spun around to bring the sword around from the right, "know how to be a leader." The shield came before the blade and blocked the blow, Ricky's arm had become completely numb now as the shield rattled from the swords impact. "Nor a parent." He grunted as he pushed against the weight of the blade, Burt only continued to push the sword as Ricky struggled with it.
"You say leader and parent like they're two different things son, when in reality they both are the same with just different principles." Burt increased the weight in his power as Ricky started to buckle once again, his right knee started to give way as he couldn't keep the struggle going. "I raised you to be who you wanted to become Ricky, that choice has been and always will be yer's alone son. Accept the man you're meant to be isn't just some ordinary simple fisherman, that's not the kind of son I wanted to raise." Ricky's thoughts went back to when he and another sparred, though that time was when he wanted to change everything. A time when he dealt with the internal struggles of loss and sought to find something more, yet when he did find something he changed once again. He wanted to just be, settle down and not even be who he promised to be. It was sort of an escape, when in reality he only found reason to delay the inevitable. No longer could he use the idea of that he would defend his family as an excuse, he had to make that idea a reality if he really wanted to back.it up.
Do you know why I chose you?"
"No, why did ya?"
The words of the memory that day came as echoes, remnants of that time that instinctually recollected for a purpose.
"You come from common means. You knew the sea from your fishing, but kept your feet solidly on land. You are of the sea and the sand and a Waveguard's domain is both. You are the most common of men among them and that is why you will be the greatest."
He remembered. He remembered he was chosen, chosen by Ignotus and Wrenmae to carry out this task. Yet now he was being encouraged by his love, his own father, and in this case his friends as well.
"You may be the shield but we are the arm that supports you."
"The greatest stories 're often told 'bout those with common backgrounds." He remind himself as he began to push back, his legs started to tremble with the rrest of his body as he did so. "They understand the people, and so they can lead them. If I fail, all Waveguards fail." He remembered the words clearly now, the determination he once knew from then began to return. "I've to believe that I'm the only one that can reform and protect Zeltiva, protect those I love...and if I think someone else can do it...
He pushed back harder and harder with grunts and groans, and Burt too began to struggle with trying to keep Ricky down. "I never will!" He finally found the confidence he needed once more, able to push back against the weight of the blade Ricky shoved hard. This caused Burt to stagger back away from Ricky, surprised and amazed at how he regained his footing and exerted his strength his father laughed in succession. Ricky gasped hard as the heated air only felt hotter now, defeat and determination both mixed in his expression.
"That's the extraodinary part of you I knew to exist son! You've grown so much even after my absence, thus ya became the better man than I could hope to become. Now find the confidence in your self, just as yer friends and family have, and you can be the leader everyone see's in you."
"Aye." He nodded with focus, shield raised up as he slightly crouched into his defensive stance. He became calm and focused now as Burt brought his sword in for a jab, and charged to Ricky with no relent in his steps. Ricky's eyes squinted a bit as he assessed the direction in which the control f the jab was concentrated, then moved to his left and brought the shield down to push the blade away. Burt went into another horizontal swing towards Ricky as the guard stiffened his legs and shield arm, and remained immovable as a stone wall as the blade collided into the shield hard. Though his forearm hurt the worst, his determination to hold the position shook it off as he shoved the blade back enough to cause Burt to back off.
"Good Ricky! Very good!" He cheered with gasps for air after the exertion of stamina he did, his whole shirt literally soaked from collar to the bottom fold. Ricky too felt the sweat cover his entire body, the feeling of cool air in this heat as he stood there with eyes fully focused on his father. "You're quick with a shield strong enough to handle blows, after we rest for a big you'll be taught how to use the shield for offense as well." Burt assured Ricky as the two found a spot to sit to catch their breath.
