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Post by Katerina on Jul 18, 2021 12:52:32 GMT
"I would kill him if I could, but he has an army of Demon Knights in the way and surely they would just raise another up in his stead to rule." Kat replies.
Kat takes the staff and looks at it. "I am not familiar with using a staff. I usually use a small blade but I will do my best given the cirumatances."
She hefts the staff a couple of times. It takes her back to her time training with Master Delwys in the Castle grounds. There they used a wooden sword, more like wooden sticks with a cross piece nailed onto the bottom. Everyone in the Castle had to know the rudiments of fighting in case they were every invaded and overwhelmed by the Demon Knights. Being captured and enslaved was the ultimate humiliation.
Kat nodded so that the first man could approach her and she awkwardly tried to parry with the staff. The weight of the thing was different and the techniques totally strange and Kat knew that she would need to learn to adapt quickly.
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Post by Admin on Jul 19, 2021 7:29:51 GMT
The soldier has an immediate advantage when fighting Kat but as she uses the weapon and adjusts her grip the weight of the staff becomes balanced in her hand and she is equal to her opponent.
Xu speaks as they spar.
"An elegant weapon, is it not? Much better than the truncheons or clubs usually equipped by guards and police forces; a club needs no training or skill to wield, but the staff is a different thing altogether. What populace can respect guardians who bring nothing but brute force to their job? Give them the staff and train them in its use and they will become respected as disciplined exemplars of order."
He calls for two of the soldiers to spar with Kat. She does well against them until the buzz of someone using her trump distracts her allowing one of the soldiers to evade her guard and rap her on the shin. Xu tsk-tsks the lapse of concentration.
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Post by Katerina on Jul 19, 2021 8:26:25 GMT
Kat holds up her hand for a pause in the bout and then answers the call in he mind.
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Post by Admin on Jul 19, 2021 8:35:39 GMT
Kat sees Eivor in a park or garden somewhere in the city.
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Post by Katerina on Jul 19, 2021 8:58:58 GMT
Kat wipes some of the sweat from her forehead.
Lady Eivor, have you concluded your business with Lady Simone?
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Post by Eivor on Jul 19, 2021 18:13:27 GMT
"For now, yes. Where are you?" Eivor asks.
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Post by Katerina on Jul 19, 2021 20:22:45 GMT
I am in the Castle at the top of the hill where I first met you Lady Eivor. I am with a gentleman who introduced himself as Lord Xu Liang who is teaching me to fight with a staff and the guards here have graciously volonteered to spar with me. Would you like me to entreat you through this link formed by the magic card? She asks.
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Post by Eivor on Jul 19, 2021 21:07:24 GMT
"Yes please," Eivor says, and offers her hand to step through.
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Post by Katerina on Jul 20, 2021 8:22:42 GMT
Katerina takes Lady Eivor's hand and pulls her through into the courtyard.
"Lord Xu Liang, this is Lady Eivor. Lady Eivor, this is Lord Xu Liang." She introduces the pair.
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Post by Admin on Jul 20, 2021 8:50:12 GMT
Xu Lang bows to Eivor.
"Lady Eivor. I had heard much about you from your aunts. Welcome back to Amber."
He turns to Kat.
"I believe you are still training with the staff, Lady Kat," he gestures to the two soldiers to resume the sparring.
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Post by Katerina on Jul 20, 2021 11:04:45 GMT
Kat shrugs and goes back to working with the staff. She tries to work out the moves that Lord Xu Liang has taught them and devises ways to try and use their strength against them with her speed and agility to try and keep them off balance and unable to hit her. Fighting two at once is a harder task than one on one, but she successfully did it against the rabble in Deiga, though they were not at the skill level of these guards.
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Post by Eivor on Jul 20, 2021 18:32:10 GMT
"Thank you for your welcome Xu Liang, and for entertaining my companion," Eivor says, and watches Kat spar with a keen interest. After a few minutes she takes out one of her wooden tiles and begins carving.
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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2021 19:39:22 GMT
The two soldiers are wily foes for Kat but she is better. After a few minutes of sparring, they are unable to press her and relying on purely defensive tactics to be safe from her attacks. Shortly after that Xu claps his hands and the soldiers back off, bow, and join ranks with the others.
He steps to confront Kat.
"Is it time for us to test each other's skill?" he asks.
[OOC: If Kat wishes to spar then chose an opening stance as described in the rule book.]
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Post by Katerina on Jul 22, 2021 21:03:00 GMT
Kat nods her acceptance and then takes a stance that looks like she's being too casual and cocky, but she has instead planted her feet to be able to spring away quickly to Xu Liang's side and then score a hit when he's pressed an attack too far. She knows she is nimble enough, but not how good her opponent is, and as such its a calculated gamble.
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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2021 21:47:47 GMT
Xu begins the fight, strongly attacking Kat. His staff parries all her attempts to strike him and keeps her on her heels. He leans too far into an attack allowing Kat to leap and strike, and hits him in the hip. He twists down and through a turn, and his staff catches Kat at her ankles, tripping her up.
"Again," he says while straightening up and flexing his leg.
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