[Training] heirs to empty thrones

We've been shown how not to live by gracious kings of old

With Vi's given tasks weighing heavy on Noah's shoulders, the hunter could feel the pit within his stomach roil. The black tar bubbled and boiled, each popping bubble burning his insides. Every step was heavy and caused the great blackness to surge and burst, threatening to drown him from the inside out. There was no ignoring it.

So, he left early. He traveled all day. He set his eyes to this place, to commit every turn and each blade of grass to memory even as the telltale signs of winter crept in. He stopped every so often and ignited his celestial dome, trying to imbue the lands with the healing power of Vi. This land is my ally he told himself over and over and over again, until his hands were quaking and he found himself standing alone at the edge of the Outer Isles, staring at an empty bone bridge as the sun began to set.

He couldn't stay here, yet he couldn't travel any more. The compass burned in his pocket, but he did not thumb it. Instead, he went through different fighting positions he had practiced for years under the careful instruction of the Resurrected Sword.

NOAH

I keep on messing with your head
You keep on messing up my bed

"Very nice," a voice called approvingly from somewhere nearby, and Raelyn melted from the trees, her dogs arrayed around her. With a short whistle and a gesture, the three dogs dropped into a down-stay, panting from a run through the woods, to watch with a lazy sort of interest as their mistress approached the strange man. Raelyn, certain that they would stay where she'd told them to, walked on, a half-smile on her face. "You'd think you practiced this sort of thing often."

Raelyn studied the man as she stopped a short distance away. He was taller and older than her, handsome in a rugged kind of way, and he looked like he was wound up, if the fervor with which he trained was any indication. Well, a good fight was almost as good as a good fuck for loosening up a tense man, in Raelyn's experience, so she crossed her arms over her chest and grinned wolfishly. "Need a partner?"

I feel like we're two stoners, two loners
Who keep on forgetting everything they've said

Raelyn

We've been shown how not to live by gracious kings of old

The simple act of moving his body in a more calculated way than traveling aimlessly through the isles gave Noah's heart a quiet that he had not felt in the last few weeks. His muscles stretched to form the maneuvers, and an onlooker would simply think the man was dancing with himself, with no music other than the beating of his own heart.

His keen ears heard her before he saw her, but as she stepped from the woods and her dogs (companions?) lay at her command, Noah stopped his practicing. He sucked on his teeth before answering with, "I am not opposed to one." The man tried to pull and command his lips to smile as he would have before becoming Forsaken, but it would be clear even to someone he didn't know well -- or at all -- that it was a forced thing.

He jutted his chin towards the hounds, "Will they retaliate if I strike first?" He asked, though the way his body moved into a defensive position it would be easily ascertained that he was providing her the first move.

NOAH

I keep on messing with your head
You keep on messing up my bed

The stranger tried for a smile, but even Raelyn could see that it was a forced thing. She was about to shrug and leave the man to his workout, but then he fell into a defensive stance and jutted his chin towards her dogs. "They won't move until I tell them to," Rae assured him, flashing another predatory grin. One of the first commands her animals learned was 'stay' - and that they'd damned well better stay put until she said otherwise. Of course, if she was truly being attacked, they'd probably jump in and help, but as long as she was holding her own? They may not have been companions, but they had a sense about things like this even so.

Rae felt herself shift into a defensive position of her own as she circled the stranger, looking for an opening. He was clearly well-trained, and after a moment's consideration, Raelyn decided to just go for it. She feinted to the left before darting in and to the right, aiming a jab at the man's right side. Hopefully, he would fall for her feint and his side would be unprotected.

I feel like we're two stoners, two loners
Who keep on forgetting everything they've said

Raelyn

We've been shown how not to live by gracious kings of old

Having made it clear that he would be on the defensive, Noah was prepared when the stranger finally struck. He watched as she feigned with quick footwork towards the left, but then a subtle shift of weight informed him of her true desire. She struck out for his right side, but Noah took the time only to back up and to the left, turning his body out to keep her from striking true.

In retaliation, the demigod struck out with a left. He turned slightly and kicked with his shin for her hip. Should he hit, he had every intention to use power to essentially throw the woman off balance and even to the ground.

NOAH

I keep on messing with your head
You keep on messing up my bed

Raelyn struck hard and fast, but not hard or fast enough. The stranger dodged back and to the left, turning out of her way more easily than she might have wished. She hardly had time to ruminate on that, though, as he aimed a kick at her hip. As it turned out, Raelyn was still not fast enough, and she took the brunt of the hit with a grunt, staggering to the side before catching herself, stepping back to buy herself time to regroup.

She circled again, impressed and wary. She wasn't about to try a kick of her own; like as not, he'd grab her leg and drag her to the ground. Instead, she pivoted, angling a right hook towards the stranger's chin.

I feel like we're two stoners, two loners
Who keep on forgetting everything they've said

Raelyn

We've been shown how not to live by gracious kings of old

He felt his shin connect with her hip, and just as he wanted to, she was sent off balance and had to regain herself. It didn’t take her long, and she came in like a tiger with a strike prepared again. The smile that came to his lips as she turned again on him was a smile that showed how he respected her tenacity and grit.

Despite that respect, this was still a spar. Having height and weight advantage on her, Noah reached to grab her fist and twist her arm. His intention was to twist her body around—and should he, he would simply give her the boot and push her forward with his foot on her behind.

NOAH

I keep on messing with your head
You keep on messing up my bed

Raelyn almost wished that they would switch to closer combat; she had plenty of tricks up her sleeve to get her out of a tight situation, but none of them were of use at arm's length. Indeed, with the stranger having the height and weight advantage, she was distinctly handicapped in a straight boxing match. This was evidenced by how easy it was for the stranger to grab her by the arm and twist - fortunately, she managed to keep herself from twisting all the way around, so the kick in the ass he'd been aiming for was more of a kick on the hip. Still, she stumbled to the side again, narrowing her eyes in frustration. She wasn't usually this much of a pushover, but then, she rarely fought someone of the stranger's size.

Again, she regained her balance and stepped back to regroup. This time she stepped into his space, aiming for an uppercut to the chin. Her hope was that he would try to grab or restrain her somehow, and that she could then teach him what a bad idea that was.

I feel like we're two stoners, two loners
Who keep on forgetting everything they've said

Raelyn

We've been shown how not to live by gracious kings of old

Not entirely prepared for her speed, yet still impressed for her tenacity, Noah wasn’t able to fully twist his body to the side to the side to avoid her hit. Her knuckles scraped against his fur and leather covered shoulder. Thankfully the fabric absorbed most of the brunt of the assault. Immediately his arms went up to block another hit to his face, and he stepped forward. He aimed to put his leg between hers as he lowered himself just slightly and shoulder checked her. His intention was to swallow her balance with the way his leg went to block hers from moving and for her to fall entirely down. He wasn’t sure how she would respond, but he imagined it would be with some fiery grit.

She must be a native of this land, he decided. This kind of fire and grit and tenacity came only from having to scrap for everything and Noah knew it well. It wasn’t unlike the nature of Halovians, and there was similarity enough of a wasteland history between the domed grounds and the frozen hellscrape he was raised in.

NOAH

I keep on messing with your head
You keep on messing up my bed

Fire and grit was an excellent way to describe Raelyn, who had indeed grown up fighting tooth and nail for everything she had. She wasn't one to give up easily, that was for sure, and so despite the fact that the stranger was far superior to her in terms of skill, she pressed doggedly on. One of her hits landed, but the flare of triumph was brief. Her second blow was easily blocked, and then the man was stepping into her space, meeting her blow for blow. This time, he stepped with a foot between her legs and pushed -

And down she went, tripping over his leg as she twisted in an attempt to dodge. "Fuck!" she snarled, more from frustration with her own lack of skill than irritation with the stranger. He was better than her - that was just a fact. It just meant that she had work to do. So instead of pouting on the ground, Raelyn snapped her legs together, aiming to twist them in and amongst the stranger's legs, then twisted her body in an effort to trip him up and bring him to the ground with her.

I feel like we're two stoners, two loners
Who keep on forgetting everything they've said

Raelyn

We've been shown how not to live by gracious kings of old

Her hissed curse made satisfaction flicker in the hunter’s animal hindbrain, the flare of it poking at the sleeping polar bear beneath his chest. Her falling made the tiny hairs on the back of his neck rise in a minuscule but powerful display of predatory nature and inclination. Just as he tightened his muscles to finish the spar and back off the fiery and tenacious woman, her leg tightened around his.

Losing his balance Noah lurched forward and down. Unwilling to crush her with his mere mass, Noah shot his arms out to brace himself. He landed with his palms square on the ground on either side of her head, the pain from sudden impact winding up his arms all the way to his shoulders. He gritted his teeth and suddenly half-lunged, half-rolled off and away from the woman.

He would not let himself be caught or seen in such a vulnerable position with a woman who wasn’t his wife. As he rolled, though, he found himself closer to her dogs than he would have liked so shuffled back up to his feet, brushing dirt and debris from his clothes. He flicked glacier eyes back up to her and offered her a smile of thanks. ”Nice spar.”

NOAH

I keep on messing with your head
You keep on messing up my bed

Raelyn may have ended up on the ground, but so, too, did her opponent, bringing a grin to the woman's face as the man rolled hastily away from her. She'd made him uncomfortable. Good. It was the least she could do since she'd lost their spar.

Fortunately for the stranger, Rae's dogs were as good as her word; even though he ended up closer to them than he might have liked, they scarcely moved, though their dark eyes followed his movements almost hungrily, and one licked his chops as the man moved away.

Her estimation of the stranger rose as he simply smiled and complimented their spar. He could have gloated, or looked down on her poor performance, but instead he seemed almost pleased. "Thanks," Raelyn said, rolling easily to her feet and running a hand through her hair. "You too. Let's do it again sometime, yeah? You can find me in the Inner Quarter most days. Name's Raelyn." And with that, she shot a too-sweet smile over her shoulder and moved away, snapping her fingers to call her dogs to heel.

-FIN-

I feel like we're two stoners, two loners
Who keep on forgetting everything they've said

Raelyn