Training Salt
Salt on the Wounds of Physical Therapy
Freelance Mercenary

Age: 38 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
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#1
Salt muttered to herself as she flexed her arm, massaging her forearm and tracing the new ropy scar under her leathers as she approached the Dragoon training fields with several training swords in tow.

Always the Moltens, those mangy felines…” she grumbled. Her complaints were primarily spurred on by the training pack’s weight—which felt nearly twice as heavy as it had before her previous assignment.

Back to square one…” she exhaled through her nose.

At the entrance to the grounds, with its many soldiers coming and going, she walked up to a sentry and stopped about 5 feet away, not quite in the mood for niceties.

Hey you,” she started, gesturing past him. “Word in town is that we can actually start scuffing some boots here, is that right?”
Ronin Taliesin
the Supernova


Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
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#2
we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
The sentry is nodding a greeting to a couple of soldiers he knows when Salt approaches, and he gives her a gruff nod and grunts, gesturing into the grounds. "Drills are over for the morning, so yer free to go in," he confirms, and he won't stop her from entering should she decide to. "Don't hit anyone I wouldn't."

Within the training area, Ronin has indeed completed this morning's drills, and he's letting off some steam with one of the training dummies that lurk around the borders of the arena. It's true that he absolutely has to pull his punches these days - with almost everyone except Remi - but it doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement.

And so rather than aiming to knock the head off the dummy as he might have done once, his blows stop mere inches away from it, so he can check his form and efficiency. It's been a long time since he didn't use magic to fight, so this is actually kind of fun.
THE DARK STAR
and continue fighting
Freelance Mercenary

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#3
Salt nods to the sentry and gives a curt “thanks.” With that, she trudges deeper into the field, past groups of soldiers chatting after their drills. A few more ambitious fighters are already engaged in some extra sparring, and Salt passes these ones by without much of a glance. She may be in recovery, but she had enough dignity to not go begging already-established groups for a chance to swing at them.

Perhaps by sheer fate or a subconscious draw to powerful people, Salt drew closer to the training dummies and stopped only about 10 feet away from Ronin to set down her belongings. She glanced at the training dummy Ronin was in the process of pulverizing, and perhaps inspired by his ferocity, set herself up facing one such straw man two slots down from Ronin. This dummy had some wooden armor affixed to it, perfect for swordplay.

Salt started to draw a long wooden sword, but then seemed to rethink her decision and instead drew out a silvery steel longsword. When she took her stance and squared off against the dummy, Ronin could most likely tell that she seemed to have training in sword fighting based on her footwork and the strikes she made—but she didn’t seem particularly powerful or quick.
Ronin Taliesin
the Supernova


Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 14 - Strg: 58 - Dext: 70 - Endr: 58 - Luck: 79 - Int: 3
SUGAR - Mythical - Dragon (Ice Breath)
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#4
we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
It’s by coincidence rather than choice that Ronin steps back just as Salt moves forward, the Huntsman wiping at his brow and examining the training dummy as if to check if he’s accidentally cracked or injured it in any way. He made most of these himself in seasons past, and so sue him, he’s quite attached to the things these days.

He watches the woman a couple of dummies down while he stretches out his shoulders, offering her a smile of greeting and cracking his knuckles. ”Don't think I’ve spotted you here before,” he remarks. ”Fancy joining the Dragoons? You’d be a pretty good addition.” He flashes her a lopsided smile, nodding at her sword.

”And even if not, I’m happy to practice with you, if you feel like hitting a moving target.”
THE DARK STAR
and continue fighting
Freelance Mercenary

Age: 38 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
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#5
Salt lunges forward, catching the dummy under its armguard, her feet turned out and sliding. She steps to the side and cut along the dummy’s neck, scratching the tough linen and causing a few tufts of hay to push out of the vulnerable spot. No doubt, there are tailors on duty who would make rough patches and fix up the dummy’s by the next day.

Salt already has beads of sweat forming on her brow when Ronin starts speaking over at her. As much as she wants to keep up a tough facade and speak through her swings, she does value a quick break, and turns to him with her longsword leaning over her shoulder.

Mornin’ soldier,” she nods. “Usually the grounds are too cool for us common folks, but I heard a rumor that they’re actually letting some normies train here for a while, so it’s my first time—not that it’s my first time,” she adds, rotating her sword deftly.

And while I appreciate the offer, I like being able to pick and choose my battles.” She shrugs her left shoulder and rotates her arm to loosen it. Ronin, in his experience, would probably be able to identify the tell-tale signs of a lingering injury.

I’ll definitely take you up on your offer to swing at a moving target though,” she inclines her head and offers a slight smile. “A fair word of warning though, even though I’m behind right now, I’m finally starting to get good.”

With the invitation accepted, she leads Ronin a bit away from the dummy’s to give them some room to move. A soldier or two glances at them, but none are so intrigued yet to fully shift their attention. As Salt and Ronin move into place, Salt asks “are you ok with guarded steel? I’m anxious to jump right in, but I brought some wood swords in case you’d prefer those.”
Ronin Taliesin
the Supernova


Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 14 - Strg: 58 - Dext: 70 - Endr: 58 - Luck: 79 - Int: 3
SUGAR - Mythical - Dragon (Ice Breath)
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#6
we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
He can't help but grin at her barbs, shrugging his shoulders. "Needs must and all that. For what it's worth, I think it's long overdue, and I wish we'd opened them up earlier. I'm Ronin, by the way." Soldier feels like a word from another life, back when things were simple in a lot of ways but equally as complicated in others. Regardless, Ronin doesn't know if he fits that word any more. Everything is complicated where he's concerned.

He does notice the tell-tale signs of a lingering wound, having nursed enough of them himself, and if this had been a real fight it would have certainly been something to take advantage of; for here and now, though, he'll do his best not to further prolong the healing process. "I absolutely believe it. Don't knock me around the head too hard, a'right?"

Grinning, Ronin follows after her and nods, grabbing a sword for himself from one of the supply racks. "Guarded steel works just fine with me," he says, giving the weapon a couple of experimental swings. "Show me what you've got."
THE DARK STAR
and continue fighting
Freelance Mercenary

Age: 38 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
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#7
Helen gives and enthusiastic but unsmiling nod, and draws her steel sword. She places a guard on the tip and over the edges, like a thin sheath, and squares off against Ronin. Their blades touch, and she taps his sword to indicate the beginning of the dual.

Salt takes a quick step back, then moves forward towards Robin’s right side. She extends her blade with one hand as though to try and nick his right leg—seemingly a rookie mistake, since a longsword’s power comes from being able to leverage both hands on the blade, but at the last second, she withdraws quickly and steps towards Robin’s left, letting her blade drop low under his guard. She then attempts to bring the blade vertical in an uppercut, now aiming for his left shoulder. A feint indeed.
Ronin Taliesin
the Supernova


Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 14 - Strg: 58 - Dext: 70 - Endr: 58 - Luck: 79 - Int: 3
SUGAR - Mythical - Dragon (Ice Breath)
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#8
we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
It goes quickly, and Ronin is impressed by his opponent's agility. That paired with his (so sue him) proclivity to pull his punches these days, and the fact that he's always been more of a brawler than a duelist, all mean that her feint has him pivoting away from the imagined blow only for the uppercut to catch him right where she intends it to. Huffing out a laugh and trying to dance back a foot or two, still holding his sword, the Huntsman rolls his shoulders.

"Well I feel stupid," he says, flashing her a grin and inhaling deeply, as if to steel himself to this type of combat, even if he doesn't engage in it all that often. Once he's ready, he goes in again, using both hands on the sword to try and engage in a few clashes of steel, feeling out her strength and movements. Only once he's tested the water, so to speak, does he extend his blade to try and go for her right side, dropping low as he goes.
THE DARK STAR
and continue fighting
Freelance Mercenary

Age: 38 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
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#9
Salt gives a satisfied smile after her blade connects with his shoulder, and she pulls it back towards her, imitating a cut. After they disconnect, Salt says ”I usually go for the neck with that one, but even guarded steel can bruise something awful. Some men underestimate me, so I try and go for a finishing blow early on while they still think they have the upper hand.”

The two warriors clash together, trading blows. Ronin’s power two-handed is remarkable, and while Salt responds with good form and skilled sword movement, he can clearly tell from the way her blade gives a bit to each of his blows that she lacks upper body strength. When he tries to surpass her guard, Salt tries to sweep her blade down and around, and while she does manage to catch his blade with her tip, she doesn’t have nearly enough leverage to actually stop it. It collided with her.

She grunts and steps back, a bead of sweat already forming on her forehead. ”Fighter for sure. You really pack a punch. How many fights have you been in?” She asks, her blade already up and ready again. She circles him like a jungle cat, even while waiting for his response, and she waits for him to make the first move this time.
Ronin Taliesin
the Supernova


Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 14 - Strg: 58 - Dext: 70 - Endr: 58 - Luck: 79 - Int: 3
SUGAR - Mythical - Dragon (Ice Breath)
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#10
we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
"More fool them," Ronin says of the men who have underestimated her in the past. "But I bet they learn their lesson pretty quickly. Rest assured, I won't be making their mistakes." Flashing her a smile as they trade steel and he manages to catch her, Ronin pulls back and straightens up once more shaking out his hands before readjusting his grip on the sword.

She is good, and the teacher in him admires the foundations of her skill, speaking of a talent that will only continue to be honed in the future. Strength, after all, can be built up, and some are even better off sacrificing it for agility. "Too many," he says of his past experiences, sounding a touch sad and wrinkling his nose. "But I run just as many training drills these days. Keeps you on your toes, right?"

Speaking of which, as he's invited to make the first move this time, Ronin makes an effort to lunge forward, only to drop low once more and sweep his blade towards her legs.
THE DARK STAR
and continue fighting
Freelance Mercenary

Age: 38 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
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#11
This time, Salt sees the low swing coming. Similar in direction to his low swing in their last spar, Helen anticipates it, and risks a daring move. She raises her leg just in time to catch Ronin’s blade on the underside of her boot, and stomps down quickly, causing the blade to jab into the ground under her foot. Risking a quick grin that her quick reflexes paid off this time, the mercenary used this opportunity to jab at Ronin square in the chest. She was curious to see if there was any way he would be able to get out of this seeming checkmate, but this thought was only brief and fleeting, due to the speed of their dance.

By this point, a few nearby soldiers had started to realize that Ronin, arguably one of the city’s more important combatants, was dueling with a stranger. As Salt and Ronin sparred, a few groups of soldiers spoke to each other in low voices, wondering on the outcome of their current match.
Ronin Taliesin
the Supernova


Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 14 - Strg: 58 - Dext: 70 - Endr: 58 - Luck: 79 - Int: 3
SUGAR - Mythical - Dragon (Ice Breath)
Played by: Honey Offline
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Posts: 6,097 | Total: 16,313
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#12
we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
"Oop!" Again, Ronin's preference towards hand-to-hand combat is his downfall, and he flashes Salt a wicked smile as she succeeds in pinning his blade to the ground. However, as she moves to strike at his chest his palms come up reflexively, dropping his own weapon to clap together around the flat of her blade, twisting and trying to guide it away and over his shoulder.

Huffing out a laugh - because it's fun and he can't deny it - at the next opportunity Ronin releases her guarded steel and jumps back. He's got no weapon now, but that's alright. He's been in worse pickles in his time. "Nicely done," he observes with a smile, prowling around her in a slow circle, expecting her to make the next move.
THE DARK STAR
and continue fighting
Freelance Mercenary

Age: 38 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Torchline
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#13
Salt is both surprised and impressed by Ronin's quick handiwork, and after they disengage, they begin their slow, deadly circle once more.

"Nicely done yourself. Most swordsmen forget they have hands and knees."

The mercenary waits for Ronin to pick back up his sword, but after he doesn't make a move for it, she raises an eyebrow. This should be interesting, she thinks, and then quickly moves in for a strike, leave a small patch of dust to erupt from behind her planted foot. Tried and true, she moves in for a feint on Ronin's right side, but then pulls back and tries to jab squarely at his chest again. It seems that now neither of the combatants are holding back anymore.
Ronin Taliesin
the Supernova


Age: 34 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 14 - Strg: 58 - Dext: 70 - Endr: 58 - Luck: 79 - Int: 3
SUGAR - Mythical - Dragon (Ice Breath)
Played by: Honey Offline
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Posts: 6,097 | Total: 16,313
MP: 3061
#14
we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
"Luckily I'm not much of a swordsman," Ronin admits with a lopsided smile as they continue to stalk around one another. "More likely to forget I'm holding a blade than anything else." As is proven when he doesn't bother to pick his weapon back up. It does mean, however, that he's much more likely to react on instinct, which is exactly what happens as Salt moves in for her feint.

This time Ronin moves up to parry her blade away with his arm, but as it connects, the flesh has rippled and shifted into something much more resembling dragonscale. His fingers, too, are akin now to wicked claws or talons, though there's little more than mild surprise on his face as he disengages, letting out a soft laugh. "Sorry - that caught me a bit off guard," he says. "Do you want to keep going?"
THE DARK STAR
and continue fighting


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