|
Post by Kezaa (retired) on Jan 9, 2005 3:48:32 GMT
Ashlle's frustrated cries were cut short as Kezaa's open palm swiped across her cheek. Though his gesture was stern, his expression was not. It held pity, but there was also a trace of hope.
"There. Are you listening now?" Kez asked as he squated down on the floor in front of her, and he lifted his index finger to Ashlle's cheek, letting a tear run onto his finger.
"Of course you're doing terrible. Why do you think hardly anyone weilds a sword anymore?" he said almost too casually.
"Swordplay is worlds appart from that of waving a wand about. It is an art that cannot, by any means, be mastered in a single session like this. You don't even know any of the fundamentals of the sword. This session was merely intended as a means to size up your abilities for such an art. If you do not feel you're up for it though, then..." he trailed off with an unfortunate shrug, turning his back to her.
|
|
Ashlle G. Rainier
New Member
Gryffindor Student
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS . . .
Posts: 2,685
|
Post by Ashlle G. Rainier on Jan 10, 2005 17:57:16 GMT
Ashlle was used to getting hit, so Kezaa slapping her didn’t faze her. However it did wake her up, and she listened carefully to Kezaa’s words, her lips trembling. She was about to say she’d try again when he turned his back to her.
Hit himSaid a nasty voice inside of her. Show him you’re not a quitter, run him though! NO! said a different sounding voice Never ever attack from behind! It’s not Right!
Ashlle didn’t want to be Wrong so she said: “You shouldn’t turn your back on someone with a sword. I’m willing to go on with our training because this is one of the things I have to know. Please say you won’t really turn your back on me Kezaa.”<br> She wiped her tears on her sleeve and too up a fighting stance to try again.
|
|
|
Post by Kezaa (retired) on Jan 14, 2005 16:36:28 GMT
"Nope." he said, tilting his head around his shoulder and resting his sword on his other shoulder.
"I've got a better idea...." with a single spin of his sword, he let the blade fall into the sheath at his side. Kez then walked up to her, examining both her two sided blade closely and his pupil. She was hardly dainty, by any means, but it appeared like her body was still weary from their last session, not to mention her emotions had brought a weary look to her face.
"Tell me Ashlle, how comfortable are you with that weapon? That is the blade the BFC assigned you, correct?"
|
|
Ashlle G. Rainier
New Member
Gryffindor Student
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS . . .
Posts: 2,685
|
Post by Ashlle G. Rainier on Jan 14, 2005 16:42:38 GMT
"It was my mother's." she said confused "They shined it up and gave it to me because they thought it would best suit me. But I'm shorter than her, at least I think so because this thing is to tall for me." she too sheathed her sword.
"Can you keep a secret?"
|
|
|
Post by Kezaa (retired) on Jan 14, 2005 16:49:22 GMT
"Of course." he said, crossing his arms. He decided to let her speak her piece before him.
|
|
Ashlle G. Rainier
New Member
Gryffindor Student
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS . . .
Posts: 2,685
|
Post by Ashlle G. Rainier on Jan 14, 2005 17:07:30 GMT
"I . . . " She seemed unable to get it out at first. She looked around to see that no one was in the completely abandoned Dueling Hall. "I watch Muggle Anime." she finally whispered. "It's always been a dream of mine to have the Batosi's (Man Slayer's) reversed blade sword! Now that I have a chance to carry a sword, all I can think of is one day learning to used that sort of a sword!" She hung her head as if what she had said was shameful. "Do you think I'm a 'Muggle Lover' for watching Anime?" she asked pitifully.
|
|
|
Post by Kezaa (retired) on Jan 14, 2005 17:31:12 GMT
Kez listened scrutinously and nodded quietly as she spoke.
"First of all, it is spelled Batousai, with an a between the s and the i. Secondly, no, you're not pathetic by any means. Samurai X is one of my all time favorites. That, however, is a discussion better reserved for a later time."
Kez then poised himself against the wall, and he blew a tuft of blonde hair from his face.
"Now even Kenshin started off with a traditional sword. His style was designed for killing, and it took many years for him to finetune it so that he could integrate his non lethal swordplay into that style. That being said, you need to learn the basics before using such a blade. Do you know what I mean?"
|
|
Ashlle G. Rainier
New Member
Gryffindor Student
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS . . .
Posts: 2,685
|
Post by Ashlle G. Rainier on Jan 14, 2005 18:32:25 GMT
"Yes sir" said Ashlle, glad to not be alone in her love of anime. "I think I understand. Your saying I’d need to learn a regular katana blade before leaning the blade that I covet."
She bowed in the traditional style of the Japanese humbly. "I will try harder and not get angry anymore. I'll work until I collapse like the do in Japan. And I'll stop thinking of the reversed blade sword.
She looked up and showed Kezaa a feeble smile to show she meant it.
|
|
|
Post by Kezaa (retired) on Jan 15, 2005 4:40:27 GMT
Kez grinned fondly and, raising a hand to his chest, also gave a deep bow in respect to Ashlle. He then walked next to her and motioned for her to draw her sword. Kez removed his sword from its sheath as well.
Kezaa then demonstrated a lucid, but simple series of sword strokes, combined with footwork comparable to shuffling or dancing. Within sevan strokes, he was done. They mainly contained either horizontal or vertical swings, and he demonstrated this exorsise several times before stopping.
"Now, you try it." he said, gingerly turning his blade around so that the handle faced Ashlle.
|
|
Ashlle G. Rainier
New Member
Gryffindor Student
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS . . .
Posts: 2,685
|
Post by Ashlle G. Rainier on Jan 15, 2005 15:17:14 GMT
"I get to try your sword?" she asked awed by this. Carefully she took it, and feeling it's weight was lighter than her own sword, gave it a swing to get the feel of it. Then she carefully put her feet into the same positions as Kezaa had when he started and commenced to try and copy his moves.
All when well at first, but halfway in she lost the rhythm and had to stop and start again. This happened twice but the third time she was able to finish the combination. She did it one more time to be sure she had it right.
She llooked at Kezaa and smiled. "Wax on, wax off!" she told him, happily jokeing.
|
|
|
Post by Kezaa (retired) on Jan 15, 2005 18:26:37 GMT
"That was nice, but keep doing it. I want it to be just as easy as breathing for you." he said as he took a seat on the floor.
He had picked up Ashlle's little heirloom, and he examined the sword from several angles. It was indeed nicely polished and sharpened to a fine edge. He balanced the tip of the blade onto his index finger and let it twirl a bit as he watched Ashlle continue the exorcises, all the while pointing out the small and major errors in her footing or technique.
|
|
Ashlle G. Rainier
New Member
Gryffindor Student
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS . . .
Posts: 2,685
|
Post by Ashlle G. Rainier on Jan 18, 2005 16:32:17 GMT
So Ashlle practiced. Time seemed to fly as she did the 'Wax on, wax off dance' -as she was beginning to think of it- over and over, trying heard to listen when Kezaa corrected her and striving for improvement. It helped to imagine she was really fighting, either with a Basilisk or a person. When she got tired she pushed herself and when she got a second wind she tried to go faster while remaining accurate. Finally she couldn't lift her arm any more. "Kezaa" she panted "Kezaa (pant pant) Break?"
|
|
|
Post by Kezaa (retired) on Jan 18, 2005 23:10:29 GMT
As Ashlle had turned to Kez, he was in fact beginning to nod off, his interest in Ashlle's mother's keepsake had dulled. He had expressed a genuine interest in her drive to train though, and he was glad she put so much effort into it.
"Yes, why don't you take a break? After swinging that sword so much, it starts to get really heavy." he said with a yawn.
|
|
Ashlle G. Rainier
New Member
Gryffindor Student
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS . . .
Posts: 2,685
|
Post by Ashlle G. Rainier on Jan 19, 2005 15:16:54 GMT
Ashlle plopped down on the ground, (carefully holding Kezaa's sword in her lap) and tried to catch her breath. It wasn't that what Kezaa had shown her was hard but she had done it so very many times. Soon though, she was ready for snack. She took out her wand and Used a Summoning Charm to summon a brown paper bag to her. Inside was a pair of delectable sandwiches, two bowls of potato salad, two rum cakes and two Butterbeers. "Do you want ham pate, or Salami?" she asked Kezaa. "Both have cream cheese as a spread but I'm not sure what kind."
|
|
|
Post by Kezaa (retired) on Jan 21, 2005 0:35:35 GMT
"Surprise me." he said after a moment. He then tossed the sword's sheath to Ashlle while both her hands were full.
"Think fast." he said with a slight chuckle.
|
|