Remnant of the Kyorl (I)

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[157] Nymaya: Remnant of the Kyorl (I)
Tue May 23 15:06:40 2017
To: All Verminasia Ashtiel Telthian ( Imm RP )
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The dusk was radiant as the sun gasped its last, beginning to withdraw its rays rapidly in a myriad of colors, but she was not watching it from the lit practice circle.  Her awareness was focused, set entirely on her opponent as she adjusted her paired grip on a quarterstaff and met long sword and dagger without reservation. 

The man - human by blood - was dressed entirely in unmarked armor and she had singled him out.  A line of similarly garbed guards, varying only by race, gender and weapon's choice, stood nearby watching.  Each of them were royal protectors who had grown in the noble provinces, most of them were human and she had been assured that though they had shown themselves very capable fighters - there was room for improvement. 

The crack of her staff meeting the man's knee and face in quick succession as he aimed a slash low caused winces around the room but true to the discipline he'd boasted, it didn't pause him for long.  In the space of time it took him to thrust at her in repetition again though, she struck him three more times in succession and watched as his numbed forearm caused the dagger to drop. 

She was silently pleased at her own progress.  Several times she felt herself nearly fumble her grip, missing the balance of her pinky, but the daily practice was even then paying off and she made the man pay for his bluster when he stood up by catching him with another rapid succession of strikes to his head, arm and once on the inner thigh that slapped loudly and dropped him to a knee. 

She held herself still and composed before the guards that were now very silent, her opponent still shaking off the blows as she set the end of her weapon to the ground. 

"I have been in the business of keeping royalty alive for nearly four-hundred years.  My track record is perfect." She began, her voice hard but clear in the low lit confines of the open-aired circle.  "It has
been nearly my sole occupation and it will be yours now."

She gazed over them slowly then and thought back on the words of her mentor: Very pretty, but the steel has not been tempered properly.  It has gone through the fire, but has come out again not knowing its true self.

Her opponent stood and she gestured him back to the line with a nod.  Da'shal had been indicating her in his comment and he hadn't been wrong then.  Did she know her true self now? 

"Each of you will test yourself against me until I am satisfied in your skill." She proclaimed.  "And I will teach you what it meant to be a Kyorl and a Songkeeper in Shalonesti."

A half elf stepped forward then wielding a single long sword and the look in his eyes suggested that he knew something of what she spoke.  Anticipating a challenge now, she let her staff drop and reached back to draw her sword, missing the bladesong all over again.