40th of Fall, 516AV The Antinous Training Grounds , Stormhold Castle, Syliras Region 7:38PM ”How you holding up, Erick?” The squire glanced up at his patron from his hands and knees, trying his best to formulate a response between dogged gasps for air. ”Oh…You know…Dying slowly.” ”On your feet, then. You can die on your own time.” ”Aye, Sera.”With a grunt and a cascading series of ringing clicks from the layered set of armor he wore, Erick pushed himself back off the ground. The steel skin that pulled on him was bad enough, but it was a burden he had slowly begun to grow accustomed too. The fog that had rolled in weeks earlier, that had been smothering the city like a wet blanket, was something else entirely. Each breath that the squire took, even before they had begun training, felt heavier. He could feel the moisture locking up deep inside his lungs, rattling around inside of him like a caged animal with each breath. ”Show me your stance.” Erick nodded curtly, and with a deep, controlled breath, squatted down at the knees. A lowered center of gravity was important to not getting toppled over, particularly with several hundred pounds of gear strapped to your body. The training sword in his right hand came up parallel to his torso, and the kite shield strapped to his left arm hovered just in front of his body. Eliza lifted her own wooded-coated practice sword and rapped it against the surface of the squire's shield a few times. ”Widen up, and tuck the shield in more. You’ll block strikes more effectively if you’re really engaging your core muscles.” He did as he was told, and trembled slightly as he struggled to hold the stance against the weight of his fatigue. Eliza slowly walked around him in a circle, eyeing him slightly. At last she settled in front of him again, and took a mirror stance to his. Wordlessly they began, wooden edges of their training blades cracking and scraping against one another as they clashed. Generally the Antinious Training Grounds was constantly ringing with the crescendo of steel against steel as others trained and sparred throughout the day. Today was no exception, but the mists muted the noise into a muffled murmur just slightly noticeable in the background. It made their sparring sessions, which Eliza had drastically increased the number of since the attacks had begun, feel much more intimate. "Wake up, boy!” The squire let out a sharp gasp as he narrowly brought his practice sword around in an arc perpendicular to Eliza’s, an inch away from his throat. Taking a quick step and twisting his wrist, he shrugged her weapon off to his left flank and came right with his weapon, hoping to catch her with her sword down. Instead, his weapon caught her shield, glancing off the angled side, and leaving him wide open as she lifted a boot and slammed it straight into his chest, driving him to the ground. |