Flashback [Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Loken trains Penny

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Considered one of the most mysterious cities in Mizahar, Alvadas is called The City of Illusions. It is the home of Ionu and the notorious Inverted. This city sits on one of the main crossroads through The Region of Kalea.

[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Loken on November 8th, 2017, 10:54 am

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Spring 30th, 506 A.V.




Very rarely did Loken not take anything seriously, extremely rare. When he decided that something required his full concentration, there was no laughing, no jokes made, no distractions. But after having fought for his life in the Colosseum of Alvadas, he devoted himself truly to the pursuit of martial perfection. He wanted to be the very best version of himself, mentally and physically, the next time he stepped onto those blooded sands.

That was why he now practiced alone three meters away from Verlyna's Emerald Pool. Loken had no real interest in the pool itself besides the fact that it had the calming ambiance of softly flowing water. The Cultist stood with his body half-twisted to the side with his tiger hook sword held horizontally above his head in his right hand, up in a high guard that he could quickly transform into a downward slash.

He wore a set of black leather armor that matched the long sleeve black shirt underneath it. The fighter was acting as if he were combating some invisible enemy. He lashed out with the palm of his free hand downward, as if he were blocking the forearm of someone attacking him with a dagger. Then almost instantly slashed downward with his sword as if to cut his enemy's neck with the length of the blade. The slash of his sword was made with a shocking amount of speed.

Afterwards, Loken then positioned himself back into that same high-guard stance. From an outside perspective, his slow combat movements were simply because the man wanted to be precise. However, while true, that was not the real reason.

No, he was moving slow because he was cultivating his djed within his body, willing that internal energy to surge through his nerves, allowing the magic to take control of his muscles, then causing the flux to become reality by boosting his physical ability to a new level.

Loken still had much to learn about the flux. His body was not in pain, but he could feel the physical pressure of it as he guided that energy up from his left leg, into his spine, past his heart, and into his right arm. He was slowly allowing his body to grow used to the channeling of its djed. The inner workings of magic cascading through his nerves cause him to literally 'taste magic' on his tongue. He could smell it... It was probably a thing that only other magic users could ever experience.

It meant that the slash he previously just made was not just fast, but impeccably fast due to being flux gifting his arm with energy from his inactive left leg.

And so Loken's plan for the day was only to do those two movements, the palm block followed every so often by a djed powered slash after a brief rest. With his sword hand up above his head again, Loken brought the blade down this time with a non-flux powered normal slash. "Build the pathway, craft a foundation." He spoke aloud to himself, repeating the words his very own mentor told him when he was taught to use the flux.

Hook sword :
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Last edited by Loken on November 8th, 2017, 12:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Penny Noor on November 8th, 2017, 11:27 am

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A child’s curiosity knows no bounds. That truth was older than Mizahar itself and truer than everything in it. And so Penny’s curiosity was indeed boundless. She had snuck out that morning from beneath her mama's wing, feeling the floor washing and breakfast preparing. Chores were a bore to her mind, a dulling of the sharpness of her brain. Though perhaps it was a silly thing of her to do for now loud rumbles in her tummy betrayed her whereabouts.

Alvadas is never what one wanted, but indeed sometimes what one needed.

It was an evitable twisting of streets and alleyways that lead her to the emerald pool like some unruly hand of fate. The illusions seemed to be so by the grace of Lhex himself. Still Penny was one to ride the tide of the city’s trickeries like a surfer rides the wave, following into the appearing and disappearing of roads and giving into the state of being lost in order to once again be found. That did not bother her one bit.

When one’s so very used to surprises, one can never be truly surprised. But sometimes even Alvadas had it's magical ways of surprising her for whom she had stumbled across at the pool was a wonderment to her 12 year old eyes.

It was a man, but though built like a bison he moved with feline finesse. In his hands was a sword the shape of which she’d never witnessed before. And the way he wielded it, never before had she seen. Sneakily, peakilly the girl crept by the nearest rock on her tiptoes, letting her unclothed hands and feet muffle the sounds of her steps she took in order to take a closer look. She counted on the foliage to camouflage her whereabouts, the stone to mask her tiny body and the considerable distance between them to not betray her presence. Although she was no master of sneaking. Her childish attempts looked more like those of a hungry dormouse than the predator cat hunting it. But then again she was not huntress, just curious.

Her eyes watched every move he made with wonderment glistening in the pools of amber that were her eyes. Every swing on the sword etching itself into her mind. She marveled at his stance, the shapes he carved into the air. And if she could feel any polarisation from the flux in the atmosphere of the environment, she paid it no attention as she knew nothing of flux. After all if if was possible for the streets of alvadas to simultaneously be frozen over and on fire at the same time then by the same leap of logic it was also possible for a man to move like a superhero.

But as she found it fascinating, Penny did also find it quite humorous. It was funny to her to watch a grown man fight the air and talk to himself as it entranced. Who wouldn't have found it at least a little silly? She couldn't help but giggle to herself silently. And if that didn’t betray her whereabouts then perhaps her crude attempt at sneaking would. And if that didn’t either than by now the warrior would have no doubt become away of the little girl’s presence from the loud, obnoxious grumbling of her stomach.
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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Loken on November 8th, 2017, 12:51 pm

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Whenever Loken found himself within the city, it felt as if he was mired in poison. It wasn't a wholly unnatural thing; after all, the air of the city itself even seemed to carry that same trickster manner about it. Warm and acrid one moment, the sweet and loving the next. Always teasing the senses just as it did a persons depth perception. To a logical man who often counted his foot falls to measure distance between buildings, it took him a long while to adapt to see the city as a living thing. But traveling the city was another story entirely.

The girls giggling was not as silent as she thought as Loken's eyes snapped to the rock formations around the pool. His arm lowered to hold the sword in a non-hostile way at his side. "I can see you." He said curiously while watching the top of the girls head peaking out from behind the rocks. "Are you laughing at me?" That was when he began to hear her stomach gurgle. "Laughing at someone is not the right way to ask someone to buy you food." A smirk tugged at the edge of his lips as he softly patted the flat side of his sword against his leg.

"As a note, you should really crawl on your belly the next time you want to remain unseen... and also eat something."


Loken then took a stance reminiscent of the one he had before, only half-facing his
opponent; only now facing her direction, but with the hook sword held diagonally at the ground. Since all sides of his sword were sharp, he pulled his hand up as if he were retracting a fishing pool, but imagined he was hitting an imaginary swordsman along the side of the stomach with the back of his sword.

"Or are you another Illusion? A rock girl? Given my luck, that would be what you are."



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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Penny Noor on November 8th, 2017, 1:23 pm

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“I can see you” the warrior said as chill of dread ran down her spine. So much for the clearly ‘superior’ disguise.

“No you can’t!” she shouted back at him stubbornly. “No you can’t.”

She wasn’t if she was more insulted that he offered to buy her food, for mama always said never to accept anything from strangers, or peeved that he had not done so yet. Furthermore she has confused as to why he had non on him. Sure one should always bring pack lunches to such secluded areas. Since she was very little she was told of stories of people who, entangled in the city’s many trickeries, would expire from hunger and such a fate seemed positively ghastly to her young mind.

“are you another Illusion? A rock girl? Given my luck, that would be what you are."

This was her chance to come out at the over end of this debacle without an ear beating or scorn and, the resourceful child that she was, she gladly took it. “Of course I’m an illusion. What else would I be?”

She came out from behind the rock, stretching her back and dusting off her knees. She was tall for a 12 year old but lazy in her posture, hunching enough to take a good few inches off the top. She was skinny too. Looking a little more like a young boy in a hand sewn grey dress, than a girl, her long dark hair that was braided clear off her face was almost the only true feminine quality about her. A few twigs and leaves stuck out of it here and there. There was soil and rock moss on her palms and the tip of her nose was red with embarrassment but she was determined to continue with her lies even though she was not as successful actress as she’d like to think.

“Everything in this city is an illusion. I’m most certainly an illusion. Absolutely positive about that, mister.” Penny said, growing bolder in her words, speaking without a shred of shyness as she took a few steps towards him. Yet still she kept her distance as his sword looked a little too sharp for her comfort. “And what are you, eh?”
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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Loken on November 9th, 2017, 11:53 am

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The girls posture was the fist thing Loken noticed. It annoyed him that the child had not yet learned to stand tall with personal pride. She also had much to learn about personal hygiene. As the girl moved to stand in front of him, he held both his arms up outstretched to each of his sides. In the one hand, he held his sword. While in the other, he held his empty palm up towards the sky. His arms then started to emulate the movements of a shifting scale. If the girl knew how a scale worked, she would notice that he was pretending that his empty hand weighted far heavier than the sword. Moving his empty hand down to the level of his hip as he kept the sword up by his shoulders.

“Me? I am a scale... I only wish to find balance. If you are an illusion and I am a scale, then truth is the real Illusion. Some may accept a truth while others deny it. Which means, you should always challenge it … and so If you are an Illusion then sit down on the ground. If you are not an illusion, then stand up straight. Any outcome will then expose a pattern to your logic.”

The girl was taller than he was at her age, but he assumed that she was around the same age he was when he joined the Ano Cult. It was because she reminded him of himself, a poor dirty child, that he spoke to her like his mentors spoke to him when he started his training. The always spoken with a mix of logical fallacies combined with hidden philosophical quandaries.

"So, what are you?"

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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Penny Noor on November 9th, 2017, 12:27 pm

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She listened to him as he spoke, growing visibly more and more confused. “You look awfully human for a scale.” she shrugged, remaining standing, guessing he had not bought into her lies after all. Or perhaps he was just above them, that scale. Turns out scales were a tricky folk.

“I’m Penny. Not like a coin, or anything. That’s just my name.”

She took a few more steps toward him, figuring that is the man was going to attack her, he’d have done so by now. And seeing as he has not done so, she could only deduce that such was not in his plans. But she still didn’t know who he was.

“I’m a girl, as you can see.” speaking she’s hold out her hand before him and tug on every single finger to show him that they did not come off. “See? I’m pretty damn real. Fancy that, eh? Your turn. What, or rather, whom are you? Are you a warrior?” she stopped herself with a giggle. “Well of course you are. Why else would you be holding those.. Er… what actually are they?”
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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Loken on November 9th, 2017, 12:59 pm

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Loken arched a brow when Penny started to tug at her own fingers, and an amused smile touched his lips as he regarded the curious young girl. "It is a pleasure to meet you Penny," he mused, the same amusement making itself slightly evident within his tone. He tried to remain serious, devoted to the full idea of training for a death battle. But it was hard to keep that sentiment alive when faced with an innocent youth. He placed a finger to his lips, a quiet 'shhhh' following the simple gesture. "I am a Pon, for that is my title. And in the game of life, pons nearly always move first." He spoke to her about his rank within the Ano Cult, how the word also commonly referred to a piece in a game of strategy. He then motioned a free hand towards his chest. "And this Pons name is Loken."

Loken canted his head to one side as he glanced Penny over almost appraisingly for one very brief moment, his gaze flitting from her face to her arm, to her face again before quickly taking in if she had any injuries. "I am a warrior who is training to one day become a champion at the Colosseum. And this," He spoke as he held his weapon out towards her. "Is my tiger hook sword. If you believe yourself to be brave enough to be a warrior, then you can wield it? But be careful."

With a small flick of his wrist, the blade twirled so that he held the bottom of the hilt out towards her. The tiger hook swords was a true weapon designed to injure someone, sharp as a razor on nearly every inch of it except for where the wrapping remained around the hilt. It weighed around four pounds, that meant it was heavy enough to deal some damage on a good slash. He made sure to not point the spear like tip at the bottom of the blade at her, only making it so she could grip it correctly if she wanted to try it. In his own way, Loken was gauging whether or not the girl had what it took to join the Ano Cult someday.

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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Penny Noor on November 9th, 2017, 1:18 pm

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None should dare to question the courage of this kid. Her heart was that of a lion! She wielded so much courage in her own slim body that it was enough for the entirety of Mizahar and then some!

Well that maybe wasn’t entirely true although Penny was almost entirely certain of it. She was very much the child to never take no for an answer. As a toddler she’d learn to climb over the railing of her cot and sneak away into the kitchen for sweats when her mama wasn’t looking. And now as an almost, ALMOST, teen she had as little fear and sense as she had in those formidable years.

Eagerly she skipped over to the man, grasping the handle of the blade, pulling it from Loken’s hands without even a shred of hesitation. She was hoping so much he’d let her hold it. For a moment her eyes regarded it widely, a pale finger running down the edge, testing it’s sharpness and when it cut her just a little bit so that a single droplet of blood peaked out it’s red eye from beneath her skin she smiled with glee.

“This is the coolest sword I’ve ever seen. How many people have you killed with it, Loken? Oh you must tell me all about it. What’s the colosseum like? Is it really as scary as mama says? And why do you call yourself a pon anyway. You seem like a man to me.”

She raised the tiger hook above her head and sliced it down in mid air, being of course very very careful not to slice it anywhere near the man for her inacurate and untrained move not to hurt him. And doing so gave her so much fun she could barely bear it.
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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Loken on November 9th, 2017, 2:37 pm

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Loken let her hold onto the blade to grow accustomed to it. However, he started to run through a series of motions that were meant to be used during hand to hand combat. He leaned back to support most if not all of his weight with his rear left leg, bending at the knee as his front foot touched the ground with only with the tip of his boot with the heel an inch off the ground. The Ano Cultist kept his back straight as he held both of his hands up to the level of his shoulders, with both open palms facing down towards the ground.

It was a fighting stance that he called, 'The Logikos'; named so after the book of logic that Gnora first gifted to the world. He named the stance that as a child because he liked the way the word sounded. With both of his arms, he preformed a double low block by crossing his arms into an 'X', then jabbed them downwards as if blocking a kick aimed at his groin. he then shifted that same guard upwards into a double high block, as of blocking a kick that was about to fall onto his head by catching it between the cross of his arms.

He did not let the girls arrival stop him from training. "Yes, I agree. The sword is, cold." He spoke the word in a very matter of fact way. He was not a man who used colloquialisms like, 'cool'. So upon hearing the girl say it, he assumed she meant that it was a mercilessly cold weapon. "However, a weapon is only an extension of your own body. If you yourself cannot fight without a blade, then you are useless in situations without one." Loken lowered his hands back into the palm down stance. "To lean a weapon before the fist, or the foot, leads to am imbalanced foundation."

Since his front foot only rested on the tip of his toe, it was easy for him to lift it off of the ground. His leg lashed out in an front foot outside crescent kick, sending the heel of his foot up and around along an oval path. Smashing his boot heel into the side of an imaginary foes face, then touched the tip of his toe back down onto the ground.

"I have only killed those who have been willing to sacrifice their lives. Either in contest, or by seeking conflict with me. And the Colosseum is simply just another building. Never let fear cloud your judgment. When in combat, you will be able to act with clarity while others are shaken with fear. So, no. It is not scary. And I call myself a Pon because, like I said before, that is my title... like the title of Knight in Syliras. I earned my station from my time training with The Ano ... do you know of the goddess, Gnora?"


Loken had no real reason to be shocked by the fact the girl had cut herself. It was a sharp blade after all, if you willingly ran your finger across its edge then you deserved to bleed.

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[Flashback] Weight & Measure (Penny)

Postby Penny Noor on November 9th, 2017, 3:32 pm

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Penny watched how he stood and moved and tried to mirror it herself only slower, more awkwardly and far less perfectly. Her shoulders still hunched unlike his and both of her hands gripping the blade which was clearly not designed for such a grip on it. Her fingers overlapped. If she was fighting something other than thin air she’d have been sliced up and served on a platter by now however that didn’t deter her from moving like his very very imperfect shadow.

She took the words he said about the weapon to heart and so she closed her eyes for a moment, imagining that it was just another arm being held by her previous arms. And so she stopped thinking of where the hilt was going and focused instead on the path of the tip. And though it didn’t make much impact on the incompetence with which she wielded the weapon, a change of perspective can often go far in improving the learning process.

Just like him she would jump on her tiptoes, swooshing her foot through the air and almost losing her balance at landing.

“I know of Gnora. Of course I do. Who doesn’t? The divine goddess of Logic and order and them things… right? Why do you ask?” Penny spoke without taking her eyes off the weapon, enjoying slicing the air with it like a knife. She imagined she was a valiant warrior too and pictures the heads of her enemies splitting in two and falling before her so clearly she could almost feel the impact of the blade against them, cutting like a knife cuts butter.
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