"I'll pass it along. Thanks, Zav." The tightness in Tal's chest eased a little at the reminder of how many friends they had willing to lend a hand in their time of need. Sunjata and Zav and Soh and Sah, and that wasn't even counting Alys's own set of friends... He reached up to rub the back of his neck, expression losing some of its anxious tension as he rummaged around in his Bag of Holding for his shield. The wooden construction hadn't seen a lot of use yet, but he wasn't ready to wrap his hand back around a dagger yet, not even an unmagical one.
"Y'should be more worried about what'll happen if it does touch me," the courier replied with a strained but lopsided grin as he straightened and finished strapping the shield to his forearm. "I'm a pretty sore loser, y'know?" But he trusted in Zavien's training and resilience to be able to take the consequences of a zap, and he squared up with his shield held defensively in front of him, braced for his friend's first move.
The soldier came in from the side and Tal shifted, awkward with the unfamiliar weight pulling at his arm. He jerked his arm to put the shield between him and the sword and overbalanced as the momentum of it pulled it wide. "Fuck!" The growl came out in frustration at himself but he was still moving, spinning to reach out with the dagger in his other hand to knock the sword away--
Oh, right. He wasn't holding his Dagger. The weapon had become so much an extension of himself that he didn't realize his mistake until his empty hand slapped against the flat of the starlit sword. He managed to knock the blade wide of his body, but he yelped as the hot metal seared his bare skin, and he backpedaled to put some space between them. Shaking his scorched fingers with a hissed scowl at his own stupidity he reset himself and nodded to his friend. "Well, I'm a fuckin' idiot, but that wasn't too bad. Gimme another shot an' let's see if I can get it right this time."
"Y'should be more worried about what'll happen if it does touch me," the courier replied with a strained but lopsided grin as he straightened and finished strapping the shield to his forearm. "I'm a pretty sore loser, y'know?" But he trusted in Zavien's training and resilience to be able to take the consequences of a zap, and he squared up with his shield held defensively in front of him, braced for his friend's first move.
The soldier came in from the side and Tal shifted, awkward with the unfamiliar weight pulling at his arm. He jerked his arm to put the shield between him and the sword and overbalanced as the momentum of it pulled it wide. "Fuck!" The growl came out in frustration at himself but he was still moving, spinning to reach out with the dagger in his other hand to knock the sword away--
Oh, right. He wasn't holding his Dagger. The weapon had become so much an extension of himself that he didn't realize his mistake until his empty hand slapped against the flat of the starlit sword. He managed to knock the blade wide of his body, but he yelped as the hot metal seared his bare skin, and he backpedaled to put some space between them. Shaking his scorched fingers with a hissed scowl at his own stupidity he reset himself and nodded to his friend. "Well, I'm a fuckin' idiot, but that wasn't too bad. Gimme another shot an' let's see if I can get it right this time."
