Training Session

This is joint-written.

Outside the walls of the Eastern Cross, the training session began. “The first thing you need to know is how to handle a weapon.” Glide said, drawing his blade and handing it to Ambree. “Take Magus, and I’ll go bare-handed.”

“But... what if I hurt you?” Ambree asked, staring at the weapon in her hands; the black blade pulsed with energy, appearing absolutely wicked in the dim light of the setting suns.

Glide smirked, pulling his arm from the sling and letting it fall, limp, at his side, the chain around his forearm unraveling to pool on the ground. “Trust me. You won’t. Keep your attacks simple, so you can chain them together with minimum effort.”

Tightening her grip on the sword’s hilt, Ambree swung it horizontally. She gave a surprised yelp when Glide disappeared from her sight, the sword suddenly bent back over her shoulder. “Not bad. Don’t think you did horribly, just because I managed this.” Glide said from behind her. “I’m fast.”

Ambree looked over her shoulder, spotting the Varixian behind her, his chain wrapped around the tip of the blade. “No kidding...”

Glide drew the chain across the length of the blade before pulling it back, creating purple sparks that lit the grass ablaze. “Don’t fear the fire. Embrace it. Try again.”

Ambree nodded, moving one hand from the hilt of the blade and positioning it on the pommel, giving it a hard shove as she thrust it toward Glide. The sparks returned as the Varixian swung his chain around the blade, stinging Ambree’s hands and causing her to drop the sword.

“That’s a lesson in itself.” Glide said, picking up the sword. “You have to ignore the pain, because dropping your weapon in a fight nets you a quick ticket to Fucksville. Watch how me and Niqi do it.”

Niqi grinned, hopping up. “Not bad for someone who’s never held a weapon before,” she said to Ambree, and then faced Glide. She drew her katana. “Bring it on.”

“If you insist...” Glide grinned, darting forward, his blade dragging against the ground. In an instant, he was in front of Niqi, swinging his blade upward.

Niqi sidestepped the attack, grabbing Glide’s wrist and bracing her palm against his chest.

Glide raised his leg up, pressing his foot against Niqi’s stomach and kicking her backwards, one of Niqi’s spikes speeding toward him. With a flick of his wrist, the Varixian split the spike in half with his sword.

Niqi lunged forward, swinging her blade at Glide’s neck.

Glide reacted in a split second, flicking his chain up and catching the end of it in his mouth, pulling it taut and using it to block the attack.

Niqi pulled the blade back, then thrust it forward, stabbing it into Glide’s stomach.

“... Now that’s just annoying as all hell.” Glide snarled, swinging his chain around Niqi’s ankles and sweeping her off her feet.

Niqi looked up, Glide’s blade aimed at her throat. “It wasn’t flawless.” Glide said. “But it was a victory.”

Niqi shoved Glide’s blade away, grumbling to herself. “One of these days, I’m gonna get you.”

Ambree blinked a few times. “That was…fast-paced,” she mumbled.

“That’s how I fight.” Glide smirked, sheathing his blade. “You gotta be fast; it f***s with your enemy’s mind when they can’t keep up with you.”

Niqi sat down on the sidelines again, looking up at Ambree.

Ambree walked back towards Glide, taking the blade from him. She took a few moments to ready herself. “Okay. Again.”

Glide nodded, yanking Niqi’s blade from his stomach and tossing it to her, then turning his attention back to Ambree. “Round two.”

Ambree took a deep breath, becoming very still… Then, as fast as she could, she lunged at Glide with the sword, aiming for his shoulder.

The result of the attack was predictable, given Ambree’s opponent. Glide’s chain once again intercepted the blade, wrapping around it and allowing Glide to pull it from Ambree’s hands.

“F**k,” Ambree growled. She sighed heavily. “I would be dead right about now, wouldn’t I?”

“Like I said, don’t get bummed. It’s me.” Glide laughed.

Ambree picked up the sword from where it had landed in the grass. She studied Glide for a few moments, her brow creased in concentration. “How the hell do I avoid that chain, anyway? No matter where I think to swing, I can see you yanking the blade from me again.”

Glide shrugged. “Want me to wrap it up and go bare-handed? ’Cause I will, if you think you can handle that.”

Ambree sighed, nodding reluctantly. “I guess it’s better not to start at the top, anyway.”

“Okay.” Glide said, wrapping the chain back around his forearm and sliding the end through the loop at his wrist, to keep it in place. “Just remember, I’m not your average opponent. The chain’s unique; the closest you’ll get to it is an opponent with a whip.”

Ambree nodded once, getting into a fighting position. She was still again, and then lunged, this time, at Glide’s legs.

Glide lifted his foot, pausing for a split second before stepping on the blade and pinning it to the ground. “Not exactly a good idea.”

Ambree yanked the blade out from under Glide’s foot. Frustrated, she swung blindly at him.

Glide ducked under the attack, stepping forward and slipping his arm under Ambree’s, other paw pressed against her shoulder. “That’d be checkmate.”

Ambree wrenched herself free. “This is going nowhere.”

“You’d do well against any opponent but me.” Glide smirked.

“Then can I fight her?” Ambree asked, nodding over at Niqi.

“Not my call.” Glide said, shrugging. “Up to her.”

Niqi got up from the ground. “Fine with me. You’re rather hard on her, anyway,” she directed at Glide, grinning.

“If I’m not, she’ll never make any progress.” Glide said, sliding his arm back into the sling and sitting down to watch.

Ambree raised the blade, waiting for Niqi to make the first move, intent on fighting smart.

Niqi twirled her blade in one paw, then leapt forward and swung downward, narrowly missing Ambree as she hopped backward.

Ambree lunged forward before Niqi could raise her blade, stepping on the blade and pinning it to the ground, just as Glide had done to her.

“Good!” Glide called from the sidelines.

Ambree smiled to herself, bracing her hands on Niqi’s shoulders and raising herself into a handstand, then swinging herself downward and kicking Niqi backwards.

Niqi growled quietly, firing a pair of black spikes from her palm.

Remembering how Glide had dealt with the spikes, Ambree held the blade downward, then flicked it up and sliced both of the spikes in half.

“She’s getting it...” Glide murmured to himself.

Ambree darted forward, stabbing her blade into the ground and sliding under a horizontal swing, raising her right arm up and hooking it under Niqi’s, her left hand pressed against Niqi’s shoulder. “Checkmate.”

Niqi sighed. “Maybe Glide was right about not going easy on you,” she said, prying Ambree’s arms off of herself. “You’ll be able to handle yourself in a fight, in any case. But for now, we need to find lodging for the night.”

“Might have to walk all the way back to the Snapdragon.” Glide said. “I gave my last twenty Drakes for the information about the demon princes.”

“Why can’t you just start s**t with an innkeeper around here? Nobody’s going to want to mess with you,” Niqi complained.

“Hey, I may look the part, but I’m not some common thug.” Glide replied. “I like to have the general public with me and not against me.”

“Fine,” Niqi huffed, “but if we run into a Marsh Drake, you’re dealing with it.” She stalked off in the general direction of the inn.

“What’s gotten into her?” Ambree asked.

“She doesn’t like to lose,” Glide answered, snickering.

Reviews

[KEi]

-not even started readin yet-

GAMN THESE FIREWALLS TO HELL!!!!!
&�*")(�J$(*EJK"O)!!

Okay, I'm good. on with the show.

-midread-
LMAO@ the idea of Ambree actually /hurting/ glide.
LMAO, indeed.

"It's /me/" Wow, modest, isn't he? *