The Salle, Monday Morning

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra had had a terribly confusing week she had spent largely sequestered in her room. Then she had been on a ship, sailing for fanciful destinations she had never heard of. Neither of these two conditions offered much space for her usual training, bar the few times she had dared to venture out of her room to lash out at practice dummies.

But it was a new week, with no seeming oddness at hand. And so at first light she clad herself in her armor and headed for the salle.

She would be there, practicing her moves with the proper containment. Today, no dummies would perish at her hands.

They would merely be maimed. Somewhat. She was aiming for the head and arms, by and large. Surely they could take it.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[kenselvren]

Jalian had rather enjoyed the prior two weeks, but running and swimming were all she'd been able to do on the boat (she'd been shrieked at when she tried some knife moves on the deck), and she was hoping to do a bit more today.

"Hello," she said to Cassandra, eyeing her armor curiously. Not that she hadn't seen it before, but flying eels weren't really conducive to getting a good look at it. "Do all warriors wear that sort of thing where you're from?"

[seeks_truth]

"Except for those who enjoy taking a sword to the chest unprotected," Cassandra said, as she struck out at the dummy's arm. "Unless you mean this particular design."

[kenselvren]

Jalian shook her head. "I meant the metal. Isn't it hard to move in?" She watched Cassandra; she didn't seem to be having problems, but Jalian had never seen how she moved without it, so she couldn't judge.

[seeks_truth]

"It is designed to move fluidly along the joints," Cassandra said.

As one could tell by the fluid lash of her sword from left to dead center. "We train to maintain the strength and endurance required to wear it."

[kenselvren]

Jalian nodded. "That makes sense. Some ken Selvren Huntresses are stockier; such fighting might suit them." She shrugged and grinned at her skinny self. "I think I'll stay with being fast; so much metal would collapse me."

[seeks_truth]

"You would appreciate the armor of the rogues more, I imagine," Cassandra said. "It is... lighter, and designed to accommodate speed while still providing some protection."

[kenselvren]

"Rogues?" Jalian asked. She had a vague idea what the word meant in English, but had a feeling Cassandra didn't mean that. "They're your quick warriors?"

[seeks_truth]

"In a sense," Cassandra said. She took a step back from her dummy to refocus herself. "Archers, or warriors who prefer smaller blades over swords. They rely on speed rather than strength, and cunning over constitution."

Not that she came from an RPG canon or anything.

[kenselvren]

"I think that would be me," Jalian agreed. "I prefer knives to spears; I've never used a sword." She assessed Cassandra and nodded. "Would you fight me? I'm curious about your style."

[seeks_truth]

"I would," Cassandra agreed, stepping away from the dummy further. If they were to spar, she had no need of the thing. "I shall take a practice sword."

She slid her own into its scabbard and walked over to where those were kept. "Where did you learn combat?"

[kenselvren]

Jalian shrugged and limbered up, leaving her knives in their sheaths as she looked for practice blades that were decently balanced. "All ken Selvren learn it, from the time they can walk. Strike, kartare, shotak. Armed and weaponless. In case of attack by other tribes or mutants. You?"

[seeks_truth]

"The Pentaghast clan has a reputation for their skill at hunting dragons," Cassandra said. She picked up the sword she thought she remembered had the least terrible balance. "So I was taught some techniques when I was very young. Then I petitioned to join the Seekers, to be trained in combat facing all manners of men and creatures."

[kenselvren]

"What are the Seekers?" Jalian asked, falling into an open stance.

[seeks_truth]

"An order of elite warriors, who serve the Chantry," Cassandra said, sliding into an opening stance of her own, her sword pointed diagonally away from her, to her side. "We pursue truth, strike violently where necessary, and uphold the laws that govern the Chantry's many branches."

[kenselvren]

Jalian nodded and feinted in and back out, testing Cassandra's speed. "The Chantry?" she asked.

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra's speed was perfectly fine, though it had nothing on her sheer durability. She stepped away and blocked easily, watching Jalian's motions rather than acting. Just yet.

"It is our religious organisation," she said. "I am told it is like what those on this planet call the Church, though I do not know if that means anything to you."

[kenselvren]

"I've heard of the churches here." Jalian shrugged. They weren't her religion.

She circled to one side, slow and fluid. "So you are like what they call the police here?"

[seeks_truth]

"In a sense, though we police the branches of the Chantry, not countries," Cassandra said. She watched Jalian carefully.

And then suddenly she was moving, bringing her sword around for a sideways slash to test Jalian's defenses.

[kenselvren]

Jalian spun away, her knives coming up to try tagging Cassandra from the side.