RP:Impromptu Training in the North

From HollowWiki

This RP is part of the arc A Knightly Faerie Tale


Path to the North

As you look around you notice the beauty of this mountain range. Further north the mountains look like a deep blue, like steep clouds hugging the land tight, and creating marvelous peaks. Trees cover the mountains here and further north, though not as thickly as the great Sage Forest, but there are more of the beautiful evergreens here. The gods truly must like this part of the world, you think to yourself, Xalious, the god of magic, must be very proud. The path itself begins a steep incline, and is the only thing unenjoyable about this place. To the north the path continues to some highlands, while to the south the path leads down to the south and further to a rather rough range. Of course east and west are two directions that are impossible to travel because of the sharp and steep mountains that line this path.




Ignatius was probably a very out of place sight to behold amidst all this lush green life that lay surrounding the path that lead ever upwards towards the frozen northern lands, this wandering walking corpse travelling upon that open road as if unaware that he was something of an outcast in form and function. And as he travelled, he gave birth to a lovely harmony - music plucked from the strings of his mandolin by fingers far more agile than a dead man had any right to be. The song was merry but soft, quick notes only barely masking a sort of sadness to the music. "Buon essere le terre intorno, che non mi vogliono. Io non sono che una reliquia da molto tempo fa." Ignatius chanted as he walked and played, words flowing in time with the music he was making.


Ranok was out of the usual in his own way. A seven foot tall giant, clad in a loose fitting cloak that sat about his shoulders. A mask that covered his face, and goggles that sat over his eyes. He really, truly, hated the cold. And bundled up appropriately. In his hand was the stave he carries around now and again, used to help him find purchase in the rocky slopes. It was the middle of winter, now, and balls out cold. Thankfully, Ranok had a slight trick up his sleeve. Pockets of warmth emanated from select points on his body, keeping the chill from biting *too* deeply. He'd carried Xyan into the cold for some good old fashioned tough love, though he'd let her ride on his twice warm shoulder if the pixie was still too small and couldn't walk the whole way, instead.


Xyan was stumbling along behind Ranok. She swore to herself for picking out horrible attire for being in such a cold environment especially for a pixie. She was at the height of around two feet unable to sustain anything much bigger and anything smaller being just inconvenient. She had complained almost the whole way, but was putting up with what she could. She was practically ready to fall over after walking the whole way and was breathing fast and heavily.


Ignatius gave pause, the humming of his mandolin's strings falling quiet rather suddenly as he halted his strides entirely to glance over his shoulder. A swordsman must always have his mind sharp and his awareness heightened - those teachings had suddenly come to mind as he had been travelling, a nagging feeling in the back of his head that gave him reason enough to check his behind. And what he saw brought an unintentionally frightening grin to skeletal features, small laughter escaping from within his throat. He did not turn around, however, but instead stood with his back to Ranok as if to suggest a certain amount of trust. "Estraneo, what brings you this far north?" He paused for a moment as a pipe was brought to be clenched between old teeth and a match was striken to light the herb that lay within it. "And who is you, who you say..., lady friend there?"

Ranok tilts his head down, slightly, seeing Ignatius as he does on the road. He'd recognized the music easily, "Hm. Vy em Hy not surprised it iz de liddle lady dat katches you socket soon as pleasantries are over?" A certain hint of amusement took the malice out of the words. He really disagreed with being trustworthy enough to present one's back to, but such was Ignatius, so it seemed. Hand changes grip on the stave lightly, fingers slightly numb from the cold, and the man leans on it. "Dis liddle lady, vo komplained de entire trip here might Hy add, iz Xyan. De most noble sqvire hyu ever deed see." He glances over his shoulder, "Dat iz vat heppens ven hyu don' pack right. Hy tell hyu, gurl. Get a kloak! A kloak iz a traveler's best friend. A blanket at night, a schield against kold, vind, und rain, und very goot kvuncealment for henny number uf veapons."


Xyan looks up to Ranok while shivering horribly. She then slowly stutters. "Y-yes…s..ir." she then mutters something about how smart of her it was to wear a dress anyways. Her muttering then increases in volume and odd talk about destroying all with her knightly power and such can be lightly picked up. She then cautiously looks up at the stranger who they had just met waiting for Ranok's okay before she is to take any further action regarding the matter.


Ignatius had since turned around by this particular point in time, a hand idly waiting at the hilt of his weapon as that hand was so oft to do. He gave Ranok a slight nod of acknowledgement as the big man spoke but it was plain to see that his interest had fallen quickly upon the girl that stood at Ranok's side, hollow eye sockets narrowing as he listened to that muttering with a great deal of intensity. "L'arroganza del vostro." He growled softly when she had finished her little rant about knightly powers, head shaking as if to chastise the girl for some silliness that she had said. "A knight knows certain things, bambino. A knight knows panzienza..., patience." He took a few steps towards the pixie, the grip on the hilt of his sheathed backe swerd tightening just a bit. "A knight would know how to properly wield her spada before she went bragging about her poteri."


Ranok stifles a sigh, "Hy hef been doink vat Hy kan. She iz hyung, however. Ineksperienced." A hand reaches up to remove the mask and goggles, "Und very, very feisty. At least, Hy presume she iz hyung. How old are hyu, hennyvays?" By this point, Draeta, the avatar of which was the trio of lights, had chosen to make an appearance. Silently, however. It does do a cordial sort of bob in Ignatius' direction, something the swordsmen might not realize was Draeta's way of saying hello. The hand that had removed the mask scratches his bearded chin, "It iz easy, to lecture, from de height uf eksperience. Hy do not know long hyu hef been dead, however. Do hyu remember, vat it vas like, to be hyung und brash? Hall men karry de scars from doze days, Hy'd vager."


Xyan turns back to Ranok and questions "I've never told you have I?" She then shrugs and falls onto the ground while complaining about her aching everything. "I am sixteen Ranok, quite young actually for my people." She then goes back to shivering and generally being miserable while still keeping an eye on the man they had just met.


Ignatius laughed and wagged a finger at Ranok, circling in place for a moment as he enjoyed the humor that Ranok's words had caused him for whatever reason. "Questo è vero, Estraneo." Ignatius said as he finally came to be facing the two travellers once more. "This is very true, but I would put a bridle on that arrogance, reign her temper in with a few well placed contusioni. We all must, how you say..., take our licks before we can be maestri of our trade." He rubbed at his chin thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "Perhaps I should see what your scudiero can do."

Ranok adopts a strange expression. It seemed to be a thoughtful one, "Yah, Hy know. Oh how Hy know dat a temper kan get hyu hurt." A hand rubs his arm subconsciously. An old memory, perhaps. He glances up at Ignatius. "She doesn' know much. But. Hm. Perheps. A light schpar kould varm her up. She's a tad schmall at de moment, tough." He glances at Xyan. two feet tall wasn't formidable, no matter how you diced it.


Xyan keeps shivering and jumps up on her feet and stands behind Ranok and whispers to him loudly about being cold and if they were on their way soon. She then gets even more out as a freezing breeze goes past her causing her expression to go to one of terror and her eyes to appear larger.


Ignatius nodded slowly as he let his gaze fall up and back down the girl, expressionless as only a decayed face could be. "True, she is small but being small has its advantages, no? She is a smaller target and she weighs less, which makes her inherently piu volece upon those little feet." He then smiled a grin that might have been reassuring on anyone else's face. "These are strengths even if larger bruti fail to see them." His eyes then fixed themselves upon Xyan. "Tagli paura più profonda di spade, bambino."


Ranok holds up a hand to Ignatius. "A moment?" He fishes out an iron plate, about the size of the average hand, from a pocket and hands it to Xyan, "Hold dis. And neckst time, learn how to prepare! A small lesson for hyu." The bit of iron produced warmth like a fire, so Xyan would do well to hold it. He straightens up, "Skill kan only press so far. Even if hyu know *vere* to hit, it's ultimately de force dat karries de day. Her size iz a disadvantage right now, ven she hes no skill. Und, ven she's kold. Apparently."


Xyan lets out a sigh of relief enjoying the new warmth. "Thank you mas-sir!." She stammers out. After randomly cocking her head to the side she starts going on about how she "Could win a fight with her iron will" and is apparently "untouchable."


Ignatius allowed himself his own sigh, a sort of lamenting gasp as if saddened deeply by something that was said by one of the other two. "I am, myself, travelling to Frostmaw. Perhaps if you think she is lacking in skill then she needs someone who could teach her that skill and perhaps a bit of discipline whilst we are at it." He turned around to face away from them. "Should you wish me to take her with me, I might be inclined to do so."


Ranok snorts, "Heh! De poor tink iz dyink out here as it iz. It's chilly, in dese mountains, but Frostmav iz even vorse. Hy know beink dead makes tinks, uh, pretty easy to tolerate, but she'd probably lose finkers by dat point." Hands go to his pockets, "No insult on you skill. Hy've seen hyu fight, und hyu'd kertainly teach a svord betta den Hy kan. But she's chust not at de point vere vunderink de vorld iz de vay to go. Hyu're free to teach her, but hyu'd hef to kome a liddle kloser den Frostmav." He glances at Xyan, "Hyu varmink up yet?"


Xyan nods and then starts glowing red for some odd reason "uhh…" she quietly says as the small area around her is razed in flame. She then shakes her head "Well that was odd." She then realizes she hasn't been paying much attention to what the others had been saying. "Are we going to fight now?" She asks curiously.


Ignatius glanced over his shoulder to stare at Xyan with those eyeless sockets, that wicked grin of his painted ear to ear across his face. "You here that, bambino? Estraneo doesn't think you are robusto enough to last in Frostmaw." He turned his head to face forward again, back up that slopping path. "When I was young, I might have gone just because my teacher said I was too giovani but then... I was an ambitious little welp."

Ranok adopts a mildly annoyed expression, "Soldiers kan' go avay as dey please. If dey do, dey are puneeshed. Hyu schpeak from de height uf skill und eksperience. A pack uf vinter volves may not phese hyu, but ven hyu barely know vich end uf de poleaxe goes into de enemy?" The man takes slight steps, to remove the cold, his eyes fixing onto the flaming pixie, "Seems she's hall fired up, huh. Guess she's varm now. If noddink else, perheps hyu schould gauge her skill. Hy've been meanink to for avile. Vat betta vay den to get an assessment on her skills den to eksperience dem? Xyan. Ready you veapon. Hyu hef it, don' hyu?"


Xyan gives a blank vacant expression to Ranok and just stares at him for a really really long time to the point of it getting awkward. She doesn't say anything at all.


Ignatius waited for a moment while expecting to hear some response from the pixie and when none came, the undead knight simply shrugged and tugged the color of his duster up a bit to guard against cold that did not actually bother him. "Bambino, why do you wield your sword? When you can answer that question in the words of an adult then you will be on your way to being a knight." He laughed a little before he began striding towards the north again. "And estraneo, if you want your scuderio to gain this skill you speak of, then it is time to stop coddling her and mayhaps let her endanger herself every now and again. I personally honed my skills by serving in the vanguard... wrecklessness breeds wisdom if done right."


Ranok growls, striding over to Xyan. He snaps his fingers, "SCHtund up! Ready veapon! Present!" They were orders. Present being to stand in a fashion with weapon on display. While Xyan hops to, or not, Ranok says over his shoulder, "Tell me. Does a modder volf teach her pups to hunt by schovink dem out uf de den as soon as dey are veaned? No, she doesn'. She brinks dem animals nearly vole, to schow dem how to kill, und demonstrates how to hunt."


Xyan stands up as quickly as possible and looks off to both sides nervously and then decides to be honest. "No weapon sir!" and then tries to redeem herself… well attempts. "Mother wolf teaches how to hunt! Very important!"

Ignatius clicked his tongue against his teeth, a tsk tsk tsking noise to express his lack of amusement in the way that this situation had now unfolded itself. In his time, aspiring knights trained from the very day that they could pick up and swing a stick and now there was this girl who could not even remember to carry her weapon with her at all times. "How very deludente." Ignatius sighed as he unsheathed his sword from its scabbard and gave it a toss in Xyan's direction. "You may borrow mine." The undead knight said solemnly as he leaned down to pick up a rather sturdy stick from the ground. "I can make due with this bit of legno."


Ranok leans his head in to Xyan, "De gentlemen hes loaned hyu de use uf his veapon. Tenk him. Und ready it." It was an order. And Ranok was deadly serious. To loan a weapon meant a lot to him. He pulls free his own blade, the motion rather fast, layers of outerwear bypassed in mere seconds. He knew how to draw quick. "Dis iz de first time she's ever held a blade. Xyan. Hold de svord like dis. SCHtund like dis. Feel de veight uf de veapon. It's too much to demund much more den a goot schtance, but hebits HEF to be schtarted early." Ranok adopts a two handed grip on his own longsword. His was a heavier blade then Ignatius', but the swordsmen was also not two feet tall at the moment. Xyan would be having trouble lifting Ranok's blade, but as luck would have it, Ignatius favored a lighter one. She could probably *just* manage it. The smith stands in a readied position, feet slightly spread, center of gravity low. Master swordsmen he was no, but that didn't mean he knew absolutely nothing about a sword. "Follow along karefully, now, Xyan."


Xyan manages to hold the sword with both hands and then tries to mirror Ranok's footing managing to do so perfectly somehow


Ignatius turned himself around to face the two and adopted a sort of staggered stance in his footing with his body facing sideways to them. "when wielding the backe swerd, a different sort of stance is preferred if you can manage it, bambino. Standing like this makes the target smaller." He then lifted that stick to hold it loosely in his right hand, the makeshift weapon held high with the "stabbing" end pointed straight out towards Xyan. "and la spada is held like this, ideally. If a light weapon would be your choice then this is the stance I would suggesting learning." He gave the sword a quick twirl that ended in it being returned to how it had previously been held. "But until you get a sword that is more your size, I would suggest mimicking Estraneo."


Ranok tilts the blade down a slight bit, "Hy'll probably hef her on de hend axe, actually. Hy hef an idea for her poleaxe. Hy might be able to rig zumddink useful out uf it. A veapon schort und long. Basic principals are de same. She'll need teachink in de vun edged veapons, de mounted kombat. Scimitars, Kalvary svords, dat sort uf tink." The tip goes back up, " Dat saeed, learnink from de bastard svord gives hyu a basic onderstundink uf *hall* svords. It's de jack uf blades. So to schpeak. For now, it iz vat hyu vill learn."


Xyan swings her blade at Ignatius using a stabbing motion which is actually quite the sight to look at due to her small height.


Ignatius drew in a deep and lengthy breath of air despite having no physical need to breath, an action that was meant more to clear his mind and relax his body than anything else. There was no rage and hatred, a mind at peace with the world around it and through that peace, Ignatius found he always fought better - as if attuning himself to himself and to all that moved around him. But he would focus all of that clarity upon Xyan, to see her every mistake and point it out to her that she might learn the repercussions of those mistakes. And when Xyan made her strike, his mind was a flurry of thoughts - what he would have done differently and the many ways he might defend against that thrust. "Your first mistake is opening with a thrust. "He roared as he took a swaggering step to the left of that stabbing motion. "It is easy to dodge when the opponent is on guard and not yet opened by a good counter." He he lifted the stick slowly into the air and above his head before suddenly bringing it down so that it might catch the girl across the side of her neck were nothing done to stop the strike. "And it is difficile to react, the thrust extends your arm fully and thus more time is required to transition into another movement."


Ranok sheathes his sword. "No need to be gentle, but do avoeed schtrikes on de head or neck. Dey *kan* kill vith an onlucky schtrike. Regardless uf schticky veapon." A concussion or a rather unlucky blow to the head could spell dire consequences, and it only took eight pounds of pressure on the neck to collapse the windpipe. Even in training, you had to wear headgear and be protective. The man leans on his stave, "Bruises teach, but to put her into bedrest because hyu've addled her helps no vun."


Xyan is caught off guard by the swing and can't react fast enough to block it so she takes the full impact of the blow and ends up falling to the floor with a cut on her neck. "Uh…ouch?" she moans and then jumps back quickly to her feet and then out of nowhere green energy starts to surround her and when it clears the sword is magically the ideal size for her and she goes for a thrust again this time much faster.

Ignatius frowned, a small drop of fury rising up within him that he stifled for the time being, the sight of her tampering with his sword leaving a bad taste in his mouth. But there was no time for that as she was still fighting with a lethal weapon against his decidedly less lethal weapon. He had to be on his guard even against the inexperienced - everyone got a lucky shot in every now and again, after all. He clicked his tongue against his teeth when he saw that she had gone for a thrust again, that same motion that he had previously adviced against. This time he would leap back and make his own thrust towards her chest, taking advantage of a size difference that would have surely given him a much larger span of reach. "Second lesson, if your opponent is bigger than you, never thrust. In a game a reach, the longer arm will always win, capire?" He was not trying to hurt her persay, but it was true that what did not kill you made you stronger - be it through a hardened body or an enlightened mind.


Xyan takes the blow to the chest only being able to avoid part of it she again collapses to the ground and starts shaking. Anger then starts to develop in Xyan. She then gets up slowly and reveals her eyes are glowing as she starts to go into a frenzy of slashes that are giving off increasing heat until flames start flowing from the blade.


Ignatius narrowed his eyeholes a bit as he takes notice of that glow in her eyes, watching her closely to see what she might do next. And when he next action is that flurry of slashes, he can only once again click his tongue against his teeth. Even with the mana flowing through he hack and slashes, there was no form or function to each attack - no thought, just raw emotion that served little tactical purpose. For a time he would just retreat away from her onslaught of enraged slashes, steadily moving himself further and further away from the proximity of her blade. "Stolto, there is no forma here. you attack blindly in your rabbia and in doing so..." He suddenly dropped to one knee as he gave a wide arcing slash towards her knees in an attempt to sweep the girl right off of her feet. "you are leaving gigante holes in your defense."


Ranok leans heavily on his stave, "Do not let rage dominate hyu, gurl. He iz right. An angry opponent hes reserves uf schtrength ontapped in de kalm vun, but de mistakes are more kostly. A kalm man iz a rational man, und a rational man kan plan, defend, evade. De angry man only svinks his svord." No amount of rage would let you overcome a larger, more skilled opponent. Xyan would likely just be tuckering herself out.


Xyan jumps above the slash allowing it to be avoided she then decides that she should wait to be attacked and parry instead of blindly attacking and constantly getting hit. She then stands in a guard stance.


Ignatius smiled that skeletal grin, so macabre and unsightly even if it was meant to express his satisfaction in something. Seeing her drop into a more defensive stance against him was a sight that Ignatius could appreciate. "basic swordplay teaches us that there are eight points on a person's body, offensively and defensively." He explained as he dropped into his standard stance, stick hovering at the ready. "Each point on the body can be attacked but each point can be defended. Listen closely, bambino." He then pointed with his free hand towards her head. "Point one, head." And then he began to list off the rest of the eight points, pointing to each spot on her body as he said each one. "Shoulder, shoulder, side, side, stomach, knee, and knee." He nodded as he finished . "This is the foundation, the form and the function - everything else is trickery and showboating, which has its uses."


Ranok seems to disagree with Ignatius on one point, at least, "But...not schowboatink. Don' schow boat. Not in a serious fight, at least. Hy GUESS hyu kould schowboat to taunt, but...very risky. Chust schtab de mufo. Prufessional opinion."


Xyan takes what she just heard from Ranok to heart and quickly goes to do just as he says. That being stabbing at Ignatius as he is explaining to her for he'd never see it coming.


Ranok sniggers a little. Dirty fighting was the best fighting.


Ignatius let his tongue click against his teeth yet again, the tsking sound becoming the standard indicator for when Ignatius found something disappointing in some way. This time, he would allow the attack to land, piercing him through his naval. This wound did not seem to phase him in any major way though and Ignatius chose to just stand there as metal sank itself deep into his decayed flesh. "Time for another lesson, bambino. Know your enemy." He leaned forward against that blade and sent his free hand sailing towards her cheek to let bare knuckles drive against her flesh. "Know what they are and what strengths that gives them because even if you don't know what they are weak against, you'll at least know what will not hurt them."


Ranok makes a 'win some lose some' sort of gesture. Dirty trick, sure, but Ignatius' lesson was incredibly accurate. No use using fire on a dragon, after all. All things to learn. Xyan would pick it up. And that would be about the time the scream pierced the air. He glances at Ignatius, "Trainink iz over, Hy tink. Hm. Shell ve?" He gets off his lean on his stave and makes an 'after you' sort of gesture.

Ranok waves on either one, if they would follow, though Xyan was probably gonna be sore tomorrow, at the least. This little training bout was over, it seems. To Ignatius, "Kontact me if hyu're in de area. Hy don' hef to be present, but Hy vant to know vere my schtudent iz. Hyu onderstund."


Xyan hands the blade back to Ignatius at the size she originally had it in. "It may have retained some of the heat." she comments and then goes back to Ranok's side.


Ranok would reach over and scoop Xyan up to put her on his shoulder, "No time to vaste, gurl. Suffer de indignity for a few minutes." He could move much faster at his seven feet then her two.