[Training] boomerang

Safrin had given him his tasks, and he would accomplish them. Back to a familiar place that at one time he didn't want to be, Noah ascended the stairs to the dragons nest. Within, dragonlings glided with their bondmates as the soldiers worked on training their bodies for the coming war. Noah nodded to a few familiar faces, and headed to a back corner of the training center. Spear in hand, the hunter began with a few warm up exercises. After his body and muscles were warmed to the idea, Noah looked around the training center for an opponent. Most seemed to already be occupied, but the demigod noticed one soldier training on her own. Closing the distance between them, Noah tipped his head in greeting. "Mind if we practice sparing?" Lisbeth Just when you think there's a settled score The battle has been reborn

Lisbeth had spent the last few hours on some of the more tedious tasks of her career as a soldier. She had volunteered for duty with the Stormbreak Dragoons with the hopes of one day joining her ranks. Being so young and inexperienced, she wasn't yet qualified to be anything more than a common footsoldier. But if she proved herself through valor and victory in the war, and showed that she was as tough, strong, and honorable as the Dragoons, then she might one day hope to join their ranks.

Unfortunately, that meant she had to start off at the bottom: tending to the dragon stalls. She'd spent more time than she cared to think about mucking the stalls; dragons were many things, but fresh and fragrant wasn't among them. When she'd first showed up for the duty, one of the other soldiers had offered her an ointment to rub under her nose. It had smelled horrendous, but the other soldier had assured her it would help, and he'd been right. The ointment had helped drown out the much fouler scents while she mucked the stalls.

After the manual labor, she had been about ready to collapse. She was out of breath, her face paler than usual, sweat running down her brow. But the work wasn't done yet. She'd spent the next hour learning how to properly fasten and adjust the dragon saddles. She had some experience with saddling a horse, so the process wasn't completely foreign to her. But a dragon's saddle was configured completely differently to fit the shape of the dragon's body, including ensuring that the saddle fit comfortable around the wings without interfering with their movement. And it was extra important to make sure the saddle was safe and secure, lest one of the Dragoons fall off mid-flight and meet an unsavory end.

Finally, when the manual labor was complete, she'd been handed a spear and told to begin training. Lisbeth had never held a spear before. It felt like it weighed almost as much as she did. Dragon spears in particular were bigger than a normal spear, with large bladed heads designed to pierce the hides of dragons and other monstrous creatures from all around Caido. She could barely hold the massive thing with both hands, even though the bigger, stronger Dragoons and trainees could wield them in a single meaty fist.

After fumbling with the spear, the other soldiers training in the nest had given up on her, finding other training partners who could actually hold a spear properly. This had left Lisbeth alone, holding the spear like a walking stick, leaning her full weight against it as she struggled to catch her breath.

She was still wheezing when the strange man approached her. She struggled to raise her head, surprised to see that someone actually wanted to spar with her.

She was worn out from the long day of work. But despite that, she nodded her head firmly. "Sure," she said. "I'm always ready for more."

She stood up straight and hauled the spear up, holding it horizontally in front of her. Her small hands barely hit around the thick shaft of the spear. Her arms shook a bit bearing the weight of it. But she squared off in a defensive posture, ready to spar, even as the sweat poured from her brow.

The sun filtered in through the windows and open entries for the dragons, and the head of the demigod's spear glinted in its light. Once Noah had the woman's attention -- the one, it seemed, everyone else ignored -- he smiled. This was not going to be a spar that Noah tested his own limits in, he could tell. Instead, he decided to take this as an opportunity for the young woman to use her skills and, perhaps, learn a few things from the Halovian. "Alright, then, excellent." He said as his smile tightened into a focused scowl. He took his spear and held it similarly to her, though her defensive stance was not what he mimicked. Instead, he moved forward quickly and slightly to the left. He lifted his spear up and tilted it sharply, intending to use the butt to knock the hilt of her spear and, if he were so lucky, loosen her grip on it enough that the woman would drop it. Just when you think there's a settled score The battle has been reborn

Lisbeth had quick reflexes, and had she been wielding a lighter weapon, she might have been able to move quickly enough to dodge or parry the blow. But the weight of the spear slowed her down, and it was easily knocked from her hands.

Without hesitating, she ducked into a roll, grabbing the spear again as she rolled back to her feet a few paces away. She wobbled as she got back to her feet, too worn out to be steady, no matter how light she was on her feet.

She did the best she could to raise the spear again, but it weighed her arms down too much. Yet she was committed to the fight now, and there was no way she was backing down. She might one day find herself in a real fight under circumstances just like these. If she couldn't manage now, then she would die when it was for real.

Instead of facing off against her opponent straight on, she gripped both hands around the very end of the spear, letting the bladed tip drop to the ground at her side. She spun in place and hauled the spear in an arc as hard as she could, letting her leverage down the length of the spear do the work for her. The business end of the spear whipped up from the motion, swinging hard yet clumsy towards the much larger opponent.

Despite the swiftness that the woman moved with, she was no match for Noah’s strength. Even before the blessing of Vi ran through him, Noah had been a hardy man carved from the ice and stone of the Fangs themselves. The woman twisted and her spear hurled towards him. Rather than dodge or even advance on her, Noah stood his ground. He widened his grip on his own spear and lowered his center of gravity. He intended her for spear to hit against the hilt of his own, and his prediction was that her spear would once more go tumbling on the ground. Just when you think there's a settled score The battle has been reborn

Lisbeth's spear recoiled backwards as if she'd swung it into a brick wall. The recoil jarred her wrists and she lost her grip. Her momentum combined with the recoil led to her spinning haphazardly until she tumbled to the ground.

She started to push herself up, arms shaking. She took a few deep breaths. It took some time before she could struggle to her feet. But get to her feet she did. She stepped over to the spear and picked it back up.

"I know I can't beat you," she said, still out of breath. "Call it a win if I land one hit, eh? And don't you dare give in on purpose."

She hauled the spear up, the weight really getting to her now. There were lighter spears. She could go over and take one off the weapons rack, and it would be much easier. But that would be admitting defeat.

Unable to handle the unwieldy spear in a normal stance, she hefted it onto her shoulder, bracing it with one hand, while the other reached forward to balance the spear's weight. Putting her full body weight into it like this made it an easier burden to bear.

She advanced slowly. A wild swing would never get through. She started circling around the man, spear pointed at him, looking for an opening. She took a few quick jabs, thrusting forward with a full-body motion so her shoulder could continue bearing the spear's weight. She tested him with the jabs to see if she could find an opening, and once she found one, she lunged with her full weight, all of 80 pounds of it, to see if she could pierce his defenses in a quick thrust.

Noah was impressed with the tenacity of the small warrior. It seemed that others were interested, too, to see what was happening. By the time the Sentinel blocked her last advance, several dragoons had gathered and were watching with crossed arms and raised brows. "If you can land a hit, it will certainly be a win." Noah agreed and nodded, jaw feathering with concentration -- and the taming of a smirk. He set up his defense again as Lisbeth moved to strike. He followed her circling by turning his body, but he did not leave the small section of ground he solidified himself on. She came in, then, like a viper. Noah moved back and aside to dodge her strikes, merely dodging and weaving. Only upon her last strike did Noah lifted his own spear's end to smack hers up and hard, intending to send it tumbling to the floor. Just when you think there's a settled score The battle has been reborn

Lisbeth managed to keep a grip on the spear this time, but with the consequence that she fell flat on her ass.

Grumbling, she leapt back to her feet. What she lacked in strength she made up for in speed. She decided to use that to her advantage.

She rushed forward, quick as a fox, and planted the tip of her spear into the ground, catching it between two bricks. She pivoted on the spear, using it to vault forward. Mid-vault she kicked her feet out, aiming right for Noah's chest with all of her (admittedly small) body weight. Small as she was, hitting him high on his center of gravity--and hopefully catching him off-guard with the maneuver--might still be enough force to knock him back, and if she managed to knock him to the ground, she would plant the tip of the spear right against his throat.

The woman was quick, Noah would admit that. For someone of her stature and age, she was nearly as dexterous as the Sentinel. He did not send her spear tumbling to the ground, but instead all of her went aside like a ragdoll. Noah twirled the spear and adjusted his posture to take on the defense, glacier eyes watching every move the young woman made. She scrambled and, like a viper, struck again. He did not expect her to vault herself toward him. As her foot came flying for him, Noah took one step back and swung the butt end of his spear again, intending to smack it against her ribcage area and send her flying again. In the act, her foot landed on his upper arm. He did not balk at all, but he knew that a tender spot would form under the skin from her momentum. Just when you think there's a settled score The battle has been reborn

Lisbeth let out a grunt of pain when the butt of the spear connected with her ribs. Her small weight was easily knocked to the site, and she was flung towards the wall. She managed to twist around a bit and brace her hand and feet against the wall to keep from slamming right into it, before sliding to the ground and ending up on her knees.

Her breath wheezed deeply as she struggled to stand again. She tried pushing herself up with her spear, then fell back to her knees. One of the watching soldiers came over to offer her a hand, but she batted him away.

Slowly, leaning against the wall, she managed to rise to her feet. She leaned heavily on her spear, coughing and wheezing. Her face was even paler than usual.

But still, she turned back towards her training partner. She raised her spear as best she could, though the weight of it was starting to be too much, and she only managed to raise the tip just barely off the ground.

She nodded to her opponent, sweat pouring down her brow, breath struggling to pass between her lips, and stepped forward go continue the fight.

The woman flung just as Noah intended, and the demigod stood in place. He watched as she struggled and pushed away help. Chewing slightly at the inside of his cheek, Noah finally stepped towards her a few steps and lifted a hand palmside out. ”You did well. Though, War is upon us, and your skills may be called for more than just dueling with me. Best replenish while you can.” Noah said, lowering his spear to his side. He stepped closer, then, and around them a celestial dome formed. The lights dazzled and showered Lisbeth in healing light. ”Im Noah, by the way.” he extended his hand out for her then, ready to shake. Just when you think there's a settled score The battle has been reborn

Lisbeth shook his hand, letting out a long breath as her lungs started to clear. "Lisbeth," she said.

Grateful that the training was at an end--not that she would ever admit such--she leaned the spear back against the weapon rack. Her arms felt like lead and she was ready to sleep for a few days, but she kept her back straight and her head high, especially in front of the dragoons.

"You're really strong," she said. "Gimme some time. I'll get there. I'm better with a bow."

She leaned against the wall. Then slowly slid down to the floor, bracing her arms against her knees.

"I hope you'll be fighting. Someone as strong as you, we'll need you. We need everyone we can get against the cursed Ascended."

The demigod took her name and committed it to memory. "You'll get stronger. I wasn't much of a threat when I was your age, either." Noah offered her a reassuring smile. "My strength has come from lots of hard work, and lots of getting tossed around." Even now, Noah wasn't as strong as the others he stood shoulder to shoulder with. Of the demigods he still stood at the bottom--well, at least below Ronin and Remi. And Deimos, who didn't even hold divine blood in his veins. "I hope you'll be here to defend Stormbreak. She'll need it while the Commander of the Storm is with us in the Draig." He meant it, too. If she was tenacious as she was in a spar, he could only see the ferocity and feral ambition she would fight with to protect this place. "Are you a dragoon?" Just when you think there's a settled score The battle has been reborn

"No sir," she replied, doing her best to stand at attention despite her exhaustion. "I'm infantry. An archer. I'd like to join the dragoons one day, though, Gods be willing."

"I expect to be assigned to defend the walls, if the fighting makes it this far. They...they aren't planning on sending my unit to the front lines." She tried to keep the disappointment from showing on her face. She hadn't spent so much time training just to sit behind the lines, waiting for a battle that might never come. Sure, if the city was attacked, they would need all the defenders they could get. But considering the magical barriers, there didn't seem to be much chance of the Ascended getting close enough to be a threat. She didn't want to spend the entire war hiding behind those barriers.

"I'd be happy to volunteer for any duty you might need a soldier for. If...if you might have need of me, that is."