• Graded • An Unlikely Alliance

[Doran]

“No mercy“, the Mortalborn spoke again. “At least not for those that are of mortal blood and whose trials are thus limited. The world is a cruel and unforgiving place, no matter what people may have told you, Patrick.” There was a belief that man was, at his core, genuinely good and had the potential for development and self-improvement, and that the world was a beautiful place that was full of hope, but he had found that optimistic view to be untrue. People were already born with the potential to be evil, if it came down to it, most would choose themselves over the person in need, and everybody could be turned into a cold-blooded killer, no matter how pure their heart appeared to be.

Due to Patrick’s likeness to his former student Sintih the Mortalborn had half-expected him to try something equally stupid, to use some sort of magic, over-exert himself, try to kill him and almost die in the process, but he turned out to have a hint more common sense than the Yludih after all which was a character trait that he appreciated.

There was one thing that he didn’t like though. “If you hesitate”, he spoke. He stepped forward and to the side and simultaneously made a circular horizontal cut that he finished in the so called Ox Guard, with his hands raised. “Even for just a moment, you will die. Your opponent won’t wait for you to decide what kind of attack you want to make. All those moves will have to become second nature to you if you want to win.”

As he said that, he extended his sword’s trip in a straight line towards Patrick and followed this with a step of his lead foot. It was a rather straight-forward attack, but a man like Patrick needed straight-forward attacks in order to learn and not be overwhelmed. “Always lead with the sword and follow with the body. This will make it easier for you to aim. Now parry my attack – and remember what I told you.”

[Patrick]

Patrick honestly didn't know what to make of Doran's advice when 'no mercy' seemed to mean what it insinuated. While he was never one to refrain from hurting others out of self defense, he would also never consider the possibility of willingly ending another's life. There had been enough death in his lifetime to account for that, so why bother adding more to that list already when life held much more value?

Because evidently others were going to take advantage of that. Nature at it's core was chaotic and when pushed to the edge, a man's true nature becomes the deciding factor when life and death were involved. Raimeus certainly didn't seem the type of man afraid of death, he certainly wasn't scared when Patrick made false threats before. That sort of attitude was more than dangerous to those around him, it was both a weapon as well as armor for Raimeus. Somehow if Patrick wanted to overcome that he needed to be ready, for Raimeus as well as anything else involved in the journey.

Hesitation was ultimately Patrick's downside however and the swordsman proved that, a proper instruction given to him as he started a series of attacks. They were straightforward and simple but even so they still were difficult to manage, as Patrick mainly stepped back rather than parry the first flew blows. He listened however to the advice that Doran had to give him, and considered not just the weight in his own sword; but the weight in Doran's also. He watched closely with eyes narrowed as he angled the blade so the flat side would catch the sword, and with both hands on the handle Patrick stepped forward with his lead foot. The moment his right foot touched the ground his weapon felt the weight of Doran's sword impact it hard, with a firm jolt to rattle both his hands as well as the blade he held onto tightly.

The whore groaned a little as he failed to keep a stiff guard up, but when the next swing came in Patrick repeated his stunt as before. This time however he adjusted the angle he pointed the blade, so that it aimed downward towards the ground when he caught Doran's own sword with it. When that moment came where he felt the hit occur, Patrick didn't try to resist it but rather redirect the weapon with a push of his arms. With the adjustment of his angle Patrick found the parry a little more easier to manage, as he pulled his sword away in front of him once more with it's point angled towards Doran. "Second nature. I'm starting to understand." He assured as he nearly hesitated once more, merely taking a step forward with his right foot once more.

Patrick brought the weapon up and around in a downward angle to strike at Doran, more or so to test the man's own defenses as he tried to reflect what he'd been instructed.

[Doran]

“Good“, the Mortalborn spoke as Patrick told him that he was starting to understand and inclined his head a fraction in order to let him know that he approved. He hoped that it really was the case and that he wasn’t simply saying such in order to please him. The mortal needed to understand, he needed to improve if he wanted to survive, if he wanted to return from his adventures alive and in one piece – and bring him the stories that he craved.

Doran was still holding back – a little. At that point few normal warriors posed a problem – and he could parry most attacks, including those that were made with thrown weapons – but he wanted Patrick to learn and understand and not simply grow frustrated and give up because he was faced with a teacher that was so much stronger and better than he was.

He didn’t coddle him as somebody else would undoubtedly do when dealing with a student that seemed to be an absolutel beginner, but neither did he use his full strength. Instead he allowed Patrick to redirect his attack and try to counter it. As he noticed how the mortal brought his weapon up and around in a downward angle he nodded curtly to let him know that he approved. A moment later he moved off to the side and forward though and struck diagonally downward, thus intercepting the oncoming attack.

After a while the Mortalborn finally lowered his blade so that its tip was pointing towards the ground, although he still didn’t sheathe it. He would never leave himself defenseless, not even in a practice fight against somebody that had turned out to be somewhat trustworthy and that wanted to learn from him, and neither did he change his stance.

“You are a quick learner”, he remarked. “If you wish, we can meet again tomorrow – if you promise to do what I asked you to and visit me again once you have returned from your hunt. My name is Doran, and I reside in the Tower of Ministers”, he spoke, thus finally revealing who he was and where he lived. He briefly wondered if the mortal would recognize the name and decided that it ultimately didn’t matter.

[Doran Cooney]

Doran Tethys

[style2=max-width:560px; background: rocks; padding-top: 10px;padding-right:0px;padding-left:0px;padding-
bottom:10px; color: #c7b08d; margin:auto;nfont-size: 105%; text-align: left]Knowledges
Blades (Longsword): Meant to be wielded with both hands
Blades (Longsword): How to hold your sword correctly
Blades (Longsword): Survival is the primary objective of a fight
Blades (Longsword): The best way to keep your opponent from hitting you is to hit them first
Blades (Longsword): Parrying isn't always the best defence
Blades (Longsword): If you can, step out of the way of your opponent's attack
Blades (Longsword): Every defence must be made with an attack in mind
Blades (Longsword): If you hesitate, you'll die
Blades (Longsword): Lead with the sword and follow with the body
Linguistics: The word "pal" implies a certain familiarity
Strength: Sometimes it's better not to use your full strength
Strength: If you want to succeed, you need to be stronger than everybody else

Patrick: I taught him to fight
Patrick: Treasure hunter

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Renown: N/A

Points 15[/style2]

Patrick Burnell

[style2=max-width:560px; background: rocks; padding-top: 10px;padding-right:0px;padding-left:0px;padding-
bottom:10px; color: #c7b08d; margin:auto;nfont-size: 105%; text-align: left]Knowledges
Blades (Broadsword): How To Hold Your Sword Correctly
Blades (Broadsword): No Mercy, No Second Chance
Blades (Broadsword): Maintain the Initiative
Blades (Broadsword): Dodging Is Better Than Parrying
Blades (Broadsword): Follow Your Defense With An Attack
Blades (Broadsword): Parrying Strikes
Blades (Broadsword): Fending Off Opponent's Blows
Strength: Creating Force With Power
Strength: Wielding A Broadsword

Doran: A Master Swordsman
Doran: Taught You The Ways of Sword Combat
Doran: Expects You to Survive
Doran: Waits To Hear From You About Orimar

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Renown: N/A

Points 15[/style2] ---

Weird little training thread haha. Doran is so funny how he just picks out things he thinks will be useful and goes to collect it like a pretty rock or something. Though not necessarily finished, there was a fair amount of stuff to be gained, so it wasn't the most off-feeling ending. One thing I did want to make a note of for writing would be if you're going to use monikers, you may want to double check and make sure it makes sense in the context and if it provides anything to the story you're telling. In one instance, Doran referred to Patrick as a cursed of Syroa - not in his thoughts but in the third person omniscient - which isn't bad, it just seemed out of place. Again, Patrick was referred to in his own post as "the whore" which made little sense to me in a sword training combat situation ahah. I do get not wanting to just keep repeating "he, he, he" all the time, but there are certain redundancies to English that actually help it flow better and maintain a certain continuity of thought. Just wanted to point that out! More of a personal peeve on my end haha.

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[center][img]/gallery/image.php?album_id=39&image_id=7932[/img]Doran Cooney[/center]