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Post by Shinko on May 27, 2010 19:39:48 GMT -5
((Lets get this party started!))
The Faerie bori felt a certain sense of deja vu as he walked down the halls in the training facility of Meridell castle. He knocked three times on the door to the head instructor's office.
"Come in," came the muffled voice from within. Steeling himself, the bori opened the door and stepped through. The blue techo behind the desk looked up for a moment and smiled with relief. "Ah, Sir Garrett. You've arrived at last."
"Sorry if I kept you waiting, Training Master," Gary replied diffidently. "It was a long way from Illusen's Glade."
The Techo waved his apology aside. "It matters not. You are here now, and in good time too. The boy that you were told about should be on his way here now. I was going to tell him about you; I just didn't realize you were already here." He gestured to a seat in the back corner of the room. "Please, you deserve to sit on something that isn't moving for a while; I suspect you and your Uni are quite weary."
With a polite smile and thanks, Gary obeyed, waiting for his new pupil to put in an appearance.
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retired
Talkative Reader
I'm thankful I got the chance to meet all of you.
Posts: 364
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Post by retired on May 27, 2010 20:32:19 GMT -5
((Feel free to bring any snags in consistency or character to my attention. I haven't written up a collab in this manner for quite some time. Let's do it! > : D ))
In the hall, a young yellow eyrie marched towards the office with heavy steps that slammed against the floor as if to punish the stones for some unknown trespass. His angry stride exuded an aura of barely suppressed fury.
This was to be his free day. A day he had planned to spend training in solitude, as he had spent every free day his mentors scheduled for him.
Training sessions alongside the other students were tedious and almost always ended on a bad note. Most of them were afraid of him because of his reputation and unflinching scowl. The rest constantly picked fights with him, either because of some long-existing grudge they had against him or his family, or because they wanted bragging rights to having taken him down in a sparring match. There was nothing to look forward to in a training session with cowards and bullies. He seriously feared for the future of the Knights of Meridell.
Training alone was his sanctuary. He learned more by facing down the other squires, but the reason why he had an edge over them was because he used days such as this to further his speed and physical strength. He had no interest in speaking with the head instructer or any one else on this day. In fact, the thought that he was about to waste training time on talking caused a bit of rage to flare up and burn in his belly.
He at last reached the office. Without breaking his stride, he turned the knob and thrust open the door, which continued swinging until it hit the wall very loudly. The second he entered the room, his eyes rested solely on the head instructor. He stopped in the center of the chamber, and stood with his hands clenched into fists and his feet planted firmly. The young eyrie made no attempt at insincere pleasantries or unnecessary words.
With the clear intention of finishing whatever it was that the instructor wanted as quickly as possible, he spoke with subdued force and clear aggravation, "It's my day off."
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Post by Shinko on May 27, 2010 20:46:49 GMT -5
Gary raised an eyebrow as the sounds of angry footfalls echoed in the hallway, and felt his heart sink as the door flew open to slam against the wall. Standing in the threshold was a yellow eyrie who practically radiated suppressed fury. Oh dear, the bori thought. This certainly bodes ill…
The training master narrowed his eyes coldly. “Be that as it may, Squire, you will find that when you become a knight, you can be recalled from leave time on a moment’s notice. A Defender of Meridell’s time is not his own.” Tapping his tail on the desk with annoyance, he added, “And you would do well to learn some respect for your superiors.”
Without giving the boy a chance to reply, the training master stood up and walked around him, closing the door and standing in front of it to effectively trap the eyrie in the room. “I have called you because there is to be a change in your training program. For the next few weeks, you will have one teacher and one teacher alone. Mind you that this instructor is here as on special dispensation from the King himself at the request of your father. This is a privilege and I expect you to treat it as such.
Gary winced inwardly. I’m not just here because the boy’s father asked me to be. What kind of heartless monster do they take me for? But it would not do any good to contradict the master in front of the student. It would only serve to undermine what little respect for authority he had left.
Standing when the techo beckoned to him, Gary spoke as politely as he could. “It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Garrett Diamonte, but you may call me Sir Gary.”
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retired
Talkative Reader
I'm thankful I got the chance to meet all of you.
Posts: 364
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Post by retired on May 27, 2010 21:47:33 GMT -5
Vrilyo stared at Gary incredulously. He did not speak for nearly a minute, his brow unknit for the first time in a long time, and his scowl was replaced by a weary expression.
So. His father was behind this? Probably using his influence to try to help, somehow. He'd told his father many times before that meddling only gave the other boys more cause to try and stir up trouble... Clearly he had no choice in this matter. At least this meant he'd have a few weeks away from the others. Vrilyo breathed deeply and locked his gaze onto Sir Garrett's eyes. Finally, he spoke.
"Spare me the pleasantries, you ridiculous bean-stalk." he said in reference to the bori's abnormal height, "Stuff like that annoys me to no end."
He then turned to the head instructor and said without hesitation (but also without any malice), "You're an old windbag who talks too much. But I respect you enough not to fight you over this idiocy. I'll tolerate this so-called privilege out of respect for the king and my father if for no other reason."
He then turned back to Gary and pointed at him dramatically. "But you'd better not be some sort of namby-pamby!" he declared, "I intend to defend this great land with all of my strength. So if you're any sort of weakling or moron, you're going to regret trying to get on my Dad's good side by pretending to care about helping me! Meridell needs as many strong soldiers as it can get, and unless you're going to help me become the strongest I can be, my level of respect for you will remain at it's current level. Which is none at all!" He marched up to Gary and prodded his forehead, which looked quite silly because he had to stand on his tip-toes just to reach it. "My loyalty has to be earned. Got it?" He wore a very serious expression.
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Post by Shinko on May 28, 2010 6:12:46 GMT -5
((Vrilyo srzface! I’m sorry, but the mental image of him lecturing Gary while standing on his tiptoes is hysterical.))
“Point noted,” Gary said dryly. He gave Vrilyo his most polite smile, “I daresay that I ought to be able to handle myself, since I was put in command over the border outpost in Illusen’s Glade before I agreed to help with your training. “
As the Bori was saying this (never once changing his polite expression by a hair) he snaked a single green hand around to grab the wrist of the hand poking his forehead. Without missing a beat, Gary twisted around with the wrist in his hand. He didn’t quite drag Vrilyo off of his feet and toss him across the room, but it was quite clear that if he was inclined to do so that he could have. “First lesson; always assume that your opponent is stronger than you, and fight him or her accordingly. When you get to close to an unknown quantity, you give them an opening.”
He released the Eyrie’s wrist. “I won’t promise that you won’t leave my sessions of battle training bruised. Better bruises now than a fatal wound at some later date because I held back for your sake. However, I’m not cruel nor am I a bully. You will never bleed nor will you break anything unless you happen to do something foolish on your own.”
The training master looked like he wanted to protest, but when Gary shot him a stern look, he sighed and held his peace.
Clearly the Bori had more to say, but he paused to give Vrilyo a chance to react.
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retired
Talkative Reader
I'm thankful I got the chance to meet all of you.
Posts: 364
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Post by retired on May 31, 2010 20:06:33 GMT -5
Vrilyo had been quite surprised by the bori's move. He was also surprised with himself for being so impressed by it.
The yellow eyrie calmly replied, "You're a tricky one, faerie man." He did not try to pull away, but instead met the Bori's gaze with a look of determination. "Next time, I'll be sure not to let my guard down around you." He smiled the kind of smile that welcomed a challenge and continued, "Bruises, you say? Bring on the bruises! And blood, and broken bones, even!" His expression darkened for a moment as he murmered, "Pain like that is nothing to me, any more." His grin returning, he finished, "I'll become so strong, that neither pain nor trickery will stand between me and defeating the enemies of this land. So, if you think you can make me stronger, then you better not hold back. Otherwise, you might be the one who winds up getting bruised."
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Post by Shinko on May 31, 2010 20:19:01 GMT -5
Gary noted the shadow that momentarily crossed Vrilyo's face. There was a story there; most likely it had to do with the mistreatment he had suffered at the hands of his fellow students. It looked like the problem went deeper than even Orin had been aware.
"Strength isn't everything," the Bori said, "There is some virtue in trickery; but, that is for tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day off, squire. At dawn, we begin."
The training master stepped aside to allow Gary to depart. The Bori wanted to catch up with his old squire, Jeran. He doubted he'd have time for it in the days to come.
The Techo glanced at Vrilyo. "Listen to me and listen well, boy. Gary has got to be the most patient and tolerant person I've ever met. However, everyone has a breaking point, and for some people the damage of that break never fully heals. You can get as temperamental with him as you desire... but whatever you do, don't ever come up behind him and grab his hair or head. I don't care what the circumstances are. Just. Don't. Do. It." He flicked his tail, indicating that the Eyrie could go.
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retired
Talkative Reader
I'm thankful I got the chance to meet all of you.
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Post by retired on May 31, 2010 20:41:22 GMT -5
(Was that mean to set up Vrilyo doing that later, or do you want me to make him specifically avoid it?)
Vrilyo wasn't entirely sure what the head instructor meant, and he didn't really care. He was just glad to be dismissed, and resumed his usual scowling before walking out the door and towards the nearest exit.
At last, he was free to train. And train he would, harder than ever, until nightfall.
He paused in the hallway for a moment, clenching his fists at the thought of being bossed around by a stranger.
"BAH!" he yelled angrily, flapping his wings in frustration. A nearby ixi page, whom he hadn't noticed, jumped at his sudden outburst and stared at him with watery eyes. Vrilyo ignored him and again started towards the exit.
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Post by Shinko on May 31, 2010 20:49:11 GMT -5
(Vrilyo's your character, so it's up to you. It was intended as a setup for him doing it, though. Obligatory opening scene done. I'll start the next scene)
Gary was in the center of the old familiar practice field. It brought back quite a few memories; his training sessions under Valrigard, and Jeran's sessions under him... and here he was again. The dirt was well packed by the feet of generations of knights in training, and the dew was just settling on the training equipment.
The Bori set about his usual stretching exercises, loosening his muscles for the exercise ahead. However, despite the fact that most of his concentration was on his warm ups, he kept one ear pricked for the approach of his new pupil.
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retired
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I'm thankful I got the chance to meet all of you.
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Post by retired on May 31, 2010 22:38:19 GMT -5
(It just doesn't seem like something he'd do, since he doesn't like stealthy attacks. We could use him asking about what the techo said as a set-up for exposition, maybe? On we go.)
Vrilyo, meanwhile, was just leaving his home. His family's large cottage sat humbly in a dale, outside the village (but not too far away should his father have to attend to urgent business in the capitol). It was a bit large; three stories, including the attic. They could have afforded a small castle, but his parents believed in living relatively simply.
The practice field Vrilyo had been instructed to report to happened to be nearby. However, he still planned to fly there so as not to be late. Walking a short distance from the front door, he stretched out his wings and prepared to lift off.
"Vrilyo!" a voice called behind him. He turned to see a short, blue elephant running behind him and calling out repeatedly, "Wait for me! Wait for me!" Vrilyo relaxed his wings and sighed. "What is it, Erilleo? I have to go." he said with unbridled annoyance. The elephante boy, Erilleo, was not phased by the eyrie's cross manner. "I know you do!" he replied, smiling happily at the older boy. With great joy, he said, "I'm coming with you, today!"
The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. After a long pause, Vrilyo stated very firmly, "No. You're not."
"Whaaaaaat?!" Erilleo exclaimed, shocked to be denied so blatantly. "But-" he began, only to be interrupted by Vrilyo.
"No 'buts'. You stay home."
"But-" the small elephant tried again, only to be interrupted once more. "You're not coming with me. Got it?" the eyrie said with firmness.
Erilleo looked very disappointed and asked with a wavering voice, "B-but... Why not?... I want to watch you train..."
"You're a Page, now. You have your own training to do." Vrilyo immediately replied.
"Not today!" the younger boy chipped up, finding hope, "My Instructor gave me today off!"
"You're still not coming with me." Vrilyo said in a monotone voice.
Erilleo let out a short sob and whined, "But I wanna see your new Instructor! They brought him all the way from his post in Illusen's Glade to train you!"
"The only reason he's here is because Dad made him." Vrilyo said waspishly.
"That can't be the only reason!" Erilleo argued sheepishly, "I bet they sent for him because your teacher's think you're a really good student who deserves extra-special training!"
"Caca-doodie!" Vrilyo cried out in disagreement, "I still think that Diamonte guy is just some brown-nose trying to get in Dad's good graces so he can get a better post that the-middle-of-nowhere borderlands! You should have seen him yesterday! Acting all friendly, then pulling a sneaky move while my guard was down..." The eyrie clenched his fists and waved his arms around angrily, looking quite ludicrous. "That bori jerk! This stupid training better be worth my time!"
Erilleo tried to calm him, "Don't get so riled up, Big Brother! I really think Dad knew what he was doing asking this guy to help you! From what I've heard about him, he sounds like a really strong fighter. Like you!" Vrilyo's younger brother looked up at him with pride and endearment, "This guy's going to help you become the best knight there ever was, just like I always knew you'd become!" He sniffled and wiped his trunk, "That's why... I wanted to come and watch you train... Your dreams are finally becoming a reality, and... I'm just so proud of you!" He fell to his knees and begged with watery eyes and an overly dramatic, wavering voice, "Please, please, PLEASE let me come with you!"
"No." Vrilyo answered, flapping his wings and launching skyward in a flurry of dust.
Erilleo watched his older brother fly into the distance. Accepting that there was no chance he'd come back for him, he rose to his feet and trudged sadly back towards the house. "Dangit." he muttered, closing the door behind him.
Vrilyo, realizing he was going to be late if he didn't hurry, flapped his wings furiously to pick up speed. He never meant any unkindness to Erilleo, but until he knew more about Sir Garette, he didn't want his brother involved. Besides, if this training was going to be as rough as Gary made it sound, Erilleo might get himself hurt. Despite his gruff attitude towards him, Vrilyo's little brother had always been very dear to him.
Spotting Gary stretching on the practice field, Vrilyo pumped his wings even harder.
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Post by Shinko on Jun 1, 2010 4:21:33 GMT -5
(XD It would. Gary would certainly find that amusing. And I wasn't talking about him doing it during the training, I just meant like if he was trying to get Gary's attention. But again, your character. If you'd rather do it that way, that's cool with me.)
Gary glanced upwards, spotting Vrilyo winging his way towards the field. The Eyrie was running late, but the Bori had rather expected it. A change in someone's routine usually meant that they dragged their feet through morning readiness and put off getting ready until they realized that they were running late.
Of course, that may no be the case here, the Bori reflected, continuing his warm up exercises. I'm not going to make a huge case out of it unless he makes this a habit. Everyone has off days.
So he simply called up pointedly, "At tardy knight costs lives, squire!"
(Bah, shortness, but I have to get ready for work. DX BTW, wasn't Orin supposed to stay in Illusen's Glade and take over the outpost for Gary temporarily?)
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retired
Talkative Reader
I'm thankful I got the chance to meet all of you.
Posts: 364
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Post by retired on Jun 1, 2010 19:47:24 GMT -5
(Crud. I forgot. Thanks for reminding me. I'll go back and redo some older parts to edit all of that out.)
They hadn't even started training and already Vrilyo's short temper got the best of him.
"Don't hassle me, you prat!" He ranted, speeding towards the ground, "Something came up right before I-"
The eyrie realized too late that he should have slowed down more before trying to land. His feet skidded on the field before gravity got the better of him and he tumbled forward in a barrel roll. With a loud crash, he finally stopped after plowing into a pile of shields.
A grumbling noise came from beneath the wood and metal as the squire rose from the miraculously undamaged shields. As if nothing had happened, he marched up to Gary and crossed his arms. With a stern expression, he growled, "Late or not, I'm here. So let's get this over with."
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Post by Shinko on Jun 1, 2010 20:17:26 GMT -5
Gary had never been good at keeping his feelings in check, and he was hard pressed to keep from laughing aloud as the irate Eyrie tumbled into the shields. As it was, his mouth twitched at the corners despite his valiant attempts to control his expression. Taking the deep breath, the Bori got himself back under control.
"Before we begin," he said, "I'd like to set a few ground rules. I'm not going to dance around this, Vrilyo. Your father asked me to help you, and because of that you've decided to dislike me on principle; fair enough. I'm not here to make friends with you and I'm not asking you to like me. However, if you have a complaint to make of me, I ask that you make it to my face."
The Bori's expression darkened as he went on. "Talking about someone behind his or her back is the act of a coward. It takes courage to tell someone what you think of them; all it takes to tell others what you think of them is spite. I'm not ashamed to acknowledge my own faults, nor am I unwilling to compromise certain points. However, I can't know if what I'm doing or not doing is upsetting you unless you tell me outright."
"Finally," he said, meeting the Eyrie's eyes squarely, "I would like to say that I've had just about enough of dealing with insults made behind my back to last me a lifetime. I'm certain you've heard the rumors that the other knights spread about me. I won't bother trying to refute them now; it is my opinion that actions speak louder than words. However, I will say that rumor mongers are like mayflies; they buzz around and annoy the snot out of you. You can almost never pin down the source of the incessant buzzing, but you can certainly feel the sting! Given who and what you are, I suspect you know exactly what I'm talking about. Given that, I trust you to heed my words."
Taking a small staff in hand and tossing it to the Eyrie, he grinned and said, "So unless you have a complaint to make of me already, shall we get started?"
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retired
Talkative Reader
I'm thankful I got the chance to meet all of you.
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Post by retired on Jun 2, 2010 0:10:48 GMT -5
Without breaking his piercing gaze from his new mentor, Vrilyo caught the staff effortlessly. He scoffed at Gary's words, "A complaint? Yeah. I got a few complaints, all right." He tapped the staff on the ground impatiently and scowled, "First complaint. Don't talk about 'who and what I am' when you don't know anything more about me than any of my other instructors. In fact, I think you know even less than every one else." He examined the staff with distaste. He was hoping for some sword practice.
"Second complaint." he continued, "You act like I'm some sort of gossiping little boy who skips around town telling lies about people I don't like. If you really knew anything about who I am, you'd know that I really hate people like that. Not too long ago, I decided that I should have absolutely nothing to say about anyone that I couldn't say right to their face. So if something you do 'upsets' me, trust me, I will make it very, very clear." The eyrie took the staff in both hands, and held it as if it were a sword; his weapon of choice.
"Third complaint." he went on, swinging the staff as if it were a blade, "You assume I know as much about you as you think you know about me. My father's comrades have mentioned your name once or twice, but as soon as I heard you were a magic user I lost interest in learning anything about your military career. Magic annoys me. Though..." he lowered the staff a bit and gazed off in no direction in particular, "It sounds like you know what it's like for people to talk about you behind your back. I dunno what kind of ilk you've had to put up with, but I've had more than enough of that myself, ever since I started my training. I have to admit, I agree with you that people who spread lies are cowards..."
Suddenly, he turned back to Gary and began ranting and waving the staff in the air furiously, "Fourth complaint! Don't you lecture me about courage or honesty! I've dedicated my life to those principles! Fifth complaint! Your hair distracts me! What are you, some kind of Illusen fan-boy?!" He pointed to the green highlights in Gary's hair.
"That's all I can think of for now..." he muttered, calming down, "So until you do something else to tick me off..." Vrilyo gripped the staff and assumed an offensive stance with what appeared to be slightly above average skill for a squire. "Whatever it is you've got to teach me, get started."
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Post by Shinko on Jun 2, 2010 7:15:23 GMT -5
The Bori raised an eyebrow; it was clear that the Eyrie really didn't want any of his questions answered. He was just venting. It's probably the sort of thing that he normally gets lectured for saying. Gary mused. For all I know he could be testing me to see if I'll actually accept the complaints as I said I would, or if I'll actually get angry.
"Thank you for you forthrightness," Gary said coolly. "I will try to avoid making any preconceptions until I get to know you better. As for my hair," he actually winced, looking sheepish. "You aren't the first to make that particular remark, and I'll give you the same answer I give everyone else. This is just the color my hair grows; when I was still a squire, I was gravely injured fighting a werelupe. Illusen saved my life, and in so doing accidentally gave my body the appearance it has today. And while it may seem unnaturally bright and tasteless in the city, in the woodlands I patrol regularly it provides excellent camouflage."
The Bori twirled his staff a few times, then settled into attention. "Now that we have the pleasantries aside, we shall begin. Mind you that we will only be doing true weaponswork in the morning. Our afternoons will be taken up with other subjects. For now, I shall make my decisions where to start based on what I observe in this morning's session."
Gary settled into is own stance, using the form actually appropriate to the weapon at hand. He wasn't going to waste his time telling Vrilyo to change his grip. The staff was the first weapon all pages were required to learn, so he was certain that Vrilyo knew how he was supposed to be holding one. This sword stance was an act of rebellion; the Eyrie didn't like the simpler weapon, and he was making that clear by refusing to use it properly.
I could waste my time and his telling him to correct his grip, Gary thought. But I can tell from his expression that he'd probably just argue with me. The most effective way is to SHOW him that if he doesn't hold the staff the right way, he's going to put himself at the disadvantage.
Staffs, after all, were not swords. The shorter weapon was designed to be held at one end and weighted accordingly. Staffs were long, and holding them at one end with hands close together was a recipe for total lack of control. It threw off the center of gravity, and it was very hard to strike properly.
Gary took a single kerchief from inside his belt, and held it out. "When this hits the ground, we will begin," he said, and dropped it.
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