Learning New Skills

[Phelix]

OOC: Over the next few days, I'll be posting my asha'man's progression from newbie to full rank. This thread will be Rhys learning new skills as a Soldier.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

New Skills - Learning to fight

 

“You will learn to use this weapon, Soldier.” The asha’man leading the lesson was stern. Rhys had refused to learn the blade when other soldiers offered to teach. He had refused it when Dedicated tried to teach him. Now, he had the attention of an asha’man.

 

“Sir, I don’t see any reason to learn how to swing a blade.” Rhys kept his face calm, neutral. He would be peaceful. He breathed deeply, letting the evening’s cool air fill his lungs.

 

“What about this reason?” The asha’man swung the practice blade hard, bringing it into Rhys’ side, slamming it against his ribs and knocking the wind out of Rhys.

 

He climbed back to his feet. “No, that reason is insufficient as well.”

 

“Raise your blade.” The asha’man growled, and Rhys ignored him, leaving the practice blade hanging loosely from his grip.

 

Rhys did not raise the blade, and this time, the asha’man’s blow hit him above his temple, ringing his head like a bell and making him crumple to the ground. Blinking, Rhys rubbed his temple, then climbed to his feet.

 

“Raise your blade.” Another blow.

 

“Raise your blade, Soldier.” Two blows to knock him to the ground.

 

After several more blows to the head, Rhys woke up as his body shivered and jerked from being Healed. “Go straight to your bunk, Soldier. You will not eat dinner until I agree that you are competent to defend yourself.”

Back in his bunk, Rhys began doubting himself. Hours later, he was shaken awake by a rough hand. Huan, from Tear, was standing above Rhys’ bunk with a finger pressed against his lips. Huan wove the power, air and fire mostly, and light bent around the two men. Huan lead them out of the barracks and into the woods. There, Huan presented a foreign offer… teach him to defend himself without using a blade, to fight with his hands, fists and feet.

 

Huan had learned on the streets of Tear, where peasants were not allowed to own blades. He’d apparently been a thug, a tough who worked for a local crime boss. He had worked hard to become as deadly as he could without need for a blade. Here in the Black Tower, he had learned the sword, but felt it was unnecessary most of the time.

 

“Asha’man Dendric said you must be able to defend yourself. He did not say you must use the blade. Learn this skill, and you will be able to meet that requirement, yes?”

 

It made sense to Rhys, and he felt that fighting using his body was more ethical… training his body kept him healthy and fit and might keep him alive. The sword can only be used to kill… so this was OK.

 

That night, Huan taught him the basics of dodging attacks. That the idea was mostly to watch what his opponent was doing, and to avoid where their weapon was going to be. He wasn’t the most athletic, but he soon came to realize that the dodging, the movements of the body in a brawl, were similar to how one moved while dancing. He’d always enjoyed dancing with the ladies.

 

For the next three weeks, Rhys did not eat any dinner, and every afternoon Dendric tried to force him to use the blade to defend himself… and it failed. Rhys took his bruises and broken bones, and he worked every evening to clean his uniform with the Power. He would not be filthy, even if he was forced to eat dirt every time he entered the training grounds.

 

Finally, on the third week, after 30 days of no dinner and eating dirt, he was ready to demonstrate the skills Huan taught him. He stood in front of the asha’man and when Dendric lifted his blade, the asha’man said: “Raise your blade.”

 

When Rhys didn’t, the asha’man swung his practice blade, aiming for Rhys’ head… and he hit nothing. The asha’man swung again, and again. Rhys dodged the second and third blows as well. He wasn’t as smooth as Huan was, but he was able to predict the Asha’man’s blows. Dendric had an obvious mix of emotion on his face… anger that he wasn’t making his point with painful blows; surprise that Rhys was able to dodge so well; and a grudging respect. The asha’man began to press the attack, moving faster and slashing harder.

 

With a grim focus, Rhys increased his speed too, working to keep up with the Asha’man’s blows. Some he dodged, others he deflected with the flat of his hand. When it became obvious that the Asha’man wasn’t going to increase the pace again, Rhys did something he’d never done before… he pressed his attack. His hand swept past the Asha’man’s blade, and he punched the other man hard in the short ribs. He was rewarded with a hard grunt. While the Asha’man was distracted, Rhys hooked his foot behind the other man’s knee, and pulled. While Dendric tried to address that attack, Rhys brought his fist down hard on the other man’s temple, knocking him to the ground where Dendric laid in a daze. It was obvious that Rhys had caught the other man by surprise. The Asha’man simply hadn’t expected Rhys to be competent with his bare hands like that. The next time, he would be prepared, and Rhys would never catch him by surprise again.

 

In fact, the Asha’man insisted on a second round, and this time he was prepared for Rhys to use his body as a weapon, and his practice blade found Rhys’ side after a few exchanges. It hadn’t been ridiculously easy though, and Dendric gave Rhys a nod of respect for finding his own path.

 

From that point on, Rhys did not have to learn to use a blade, but he did have to spar with men who were using blades. He took many blows and learned many new movements. Where the swordmen had forms and techniques, he learned to move his body to answer their movements. Some of their movements carried over to his… the walking styles especially. He was learning to respect his body, to trust it. His mother had never taught him that.

 

His reputation began to change. Some of the Soldiers and Dedicated thought him a fool for rejecting the blade. Others thought him too proud. Their thoughts did not bother him. He was learning to master himself, and that was the first step towards mastering the world around him.