• Closed • [Storm's Edge] The Art of War

[Elisabeth Black]

67 Vhalar, 720.

Stretching out in the courtyard, again, Elisabeth was beginning to wonder if someone was trying to kill her. Laughing to herself as she went through the motions of loosening up, there wasn’t much that was going to kill the good mood she was in. Prae had tried with his gauntlet of fire earlier, and with the exception of a few charred pieces of clothing, she had come out of it relatively unscathed. Unscathed, in her book, equaled a huge win.

For this session, she was meeting up with Balthazar for some mixed training on sword and possibly unarmed – she never quite knew with him. In a curious phase of her training, she was beginning to transition from her gladius to the superior longsword, but she wasn’t there yet.

Shaking out her ponytail for a moment, she ran her fingers through her hair then gathered the thick, dark strands back up and retied the band, making sure it was secure. There was nothing worse than hair flying everywhere when you were trying to concentrate.

Elisabeth had to admit that keeping her mind on training that trial was an act of discipline. Her mind kept wanting to wander back to more interesting recent events, but there was work to be done. She couldn’t be selfish. There was a real need for her to get better faster and that wasn’t going to happen if she was indulging herself all the time. While not immediate, the plans to take the fight to the Flameborn in the rift were underway. The entirety of Storm’s Edge seemed to be laser-focused on training so the forces would be ready for whatever they found out there.

The courtyard itself, usually bustling with activity, was relatively clear at that moment. Perfect whatever he wanted to throw at her. A clear courtyard meant more room to maneuver and manipulate the space.

[Balthazar Black]

67 Vhalar 720

He'd resigned himself to the role of spectator earlier when Praetorum and Elisabeth were training for the most part. Balthazar had entertained himself working with his new magic while the two of them trained and he watched. However in one of their many passing conversations, Balthazar had agreed to train Elisabeth in a little bit of what he knew. Even Balthazar wasn't sure if that meant using a sword or unarmed. He discovered a surprising abundance of training weapons to use at Storm's Edge and grabbed two swords so that he and Elisabeth could practice with them if she chose to. He had discovered, a few times, that his katana damaged most weapons it came into contact with and he did not want to destroy anything he did not have to.

"So, what are you feeling? Do you want to practice with blades first or just hands?" Balthazar asked as he stabbed the wooden swords into the soft dirt beside him. The ground seemed to open slightly, or perhaps loosen, to hold the blades like a friend being handed a gift by another friend. He crossed his arms and let his fingers discretely trace over the grave gold metal on them. His youngest spark surged quietly inside of him, identifying and cataloguing the metal he knew he wore. Grave gold. The color. The weight. The absorptive properties of the metal. He knew so much about it and yet the spark told him more. He knew with more certainty now that there were no weak spots in the metal that would compromise the integrity of the piece. Yet none of that mattered to what he was doing now.

Balthazar was never much of a teacher. He did not think in terms of routines, combinations, and the sort. He only thought about learning through practice. If you did not know how to throw a punch or how to swing a weapon, you would learn when you were forced to use it. For a bow, you could probably practice by hunting... but a sword? Swinging it was the only way to learn. Swinging it, watching others swing it, and then trying to copy them. It was just like dancing.

[Elisabeth Black]

67 Vhalar, 720.

She turned just to catch his entrance into the courtyard. Taking a deep breath, she found her center once again and replied. “I don’t have any strong feelings about starting with either so how about unarmed?” It was an area she was weak in and needed to improve. Swinging a sword around took skill, but even an untrained person could get lucky every now and then. Unarmed was a whole different thing.

There was something else on her mind though. Praetorum, Varlum, and Balthazar were all defiers – mages skilled in the use of Defiance. She had been thinking a bit about it and wanted to know more. There had been…. distractions…. earlier but now that she had Balthazar one on one again, perhaps it was time to bring those thoughts up.

“I also wanted to ask you about Defiance. I’ve been considering it.”

Really, what more was to be said? The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She needed something to use in concert with her sword work. Varlum used it. Praetorum used it. Why not her? Looking at his face and body language closely, she tried to ascertain how he might feel about that idea. Their connection was new but strong. She valued his opinions and thoughts on a wide variety of topics and Elisabeth very much wanted to know how he felt about this one. She needed to know before she could even begin to address the issue.

War was coming – one way or another. Elisabeth was going to be in the middle of it whether anyone liked it or not and she needed all the tools she could get if she planned on being of any use to anyone. It was no one else’s responsibility to protect her other than her own and if that meant learning a magic discipline on top of her swordsmanship to give her an edge, it was worth it.

But the matter deserved being discussed. She could have talked to Varlum or Prae but it hadn’t felt right. Balthazar was the one she needed to talk to and convince if necessary. She had her reasons and points lined up in her mind, but it all depended on the information he gave her. What truly was involved? What were the risks? They were worthy questions and even beyond that, what did it mean to be a mage in Idalos?

[Balthazar Black]

67 Vhalar 720

When Elisabeth expressed her indifference to what form of training they began with and then decided on unarmed combat, Balthazar approached and left the training sword in the ground waiting. There was something about the idea of unarmed combat with Elisabeth that Balthazar found a little... um... well it reminded him of Yaralon. Especially after the night they'd had. She couldn't have known about the culture of that land though so he didn't say anything about it. This was training. Purely training. Nothing else. Certainly not foreplay. Well... with the two of them it might have been. However Balthazar's amusing thoughts were cut short when Elisabeth said that she was considering Defiance.

Considering it?

How did one consider four friend who you had to spend the rest of your life with? An initiation that was more likely to kill you than turn you into a mage? Balthazar knew what she was thinking. He had been no different, once upon a time. He had pursued magic to a fault with his master. He still pursued magic. His initiation intro transmutation was more likely to kill him than any of the others and yet he'd gone through with it. Victor had taken the chance because he trusted him and Balthazar could not say he did not trust Elisabeth... but did he think she could survive the initiation? His body had certainly tensed up slightly when Elisabeth said she was considering the magic, but he seemed to loosen up a little before he responded.

"Most people would have asked me about magic over drinks, not sparring." Balthazar said with a small smirk. "It's dangerous. More people die in initiation than you'd expect. Those who don't die in initiation have a habit of going too far and... well, have you heard of Flayer's End in Melrath? Defiance is a powerful magic but it is very dangerous. There are many of us around here but Storm's Edge is sort of a beacon for us. Most Defiers who hear about the Flameborn would be curious. I know I was. Tell me, why are you considering it? Plenty fight without the aid of magic and having the magic would change more for you than just your abilities."

[Elisabeth Black]

67 Vhalar, 720.

Elisabeth noted immediately that she had struck a nerve with him. His tensed body was dead give-away. Perhaps she had miscalculated asking but she had no secrets from Balthazar. She never would. So, whatever this was, they were going to go through and get to the other side. Giving him a soft grin, she replied. “We’ve done drinks. A few times. I felt this deserved a more serious arena considering...”

Taking a deep breath, she moved just a bit closer to him. Sure, she could have reached out to touch him, but it wasn’t the moment for that. At that moment, they weren’t what they had been the night before. That couldn’t be taken into consideration. He was someone she trusted with her life. She had no desire to manipulate or deceive as she conveyed her thinking. “Balthazar, War is coming. You know that. I know that. Doesn’t matter if it happens tomorrow or an arc from now. We’ve had these conversations. There are always going to be people that need help. You and I, we, are not always going to be in the same place and I think you know by now that I’ll put my life on the line every time to protect others. I don’t want you worrying about me. I must learn how to protect myself. That’s my responsibility to make sure it’s taken care of so no one else has to.” That was most of the pitch – the essence of it really.

The part she held back for a beat was equally as important to her though. Voice shifting softer, she reminded herself that there would be no secrets. Looking at him, she gave him the briefest smile. “I care about you. I care about what happens to you. I want to be there if you need me and I feel like I can best accomplish that if I have something that compliments my abilities with a sword. I’m not afraid of dying in the initiation. Maybe I should be, but I’m not because I made you a promise that while I might leave a lot, I’ll always come back. I intend on keeping that promise and I’m stubborn enough to see it through.”

It wasn’t much. A small token of commitment. But it’s what she could offer during a time when everything around them seemed so uncertain.

“Just promise me you will think about it? That's all I ask of you...”

[Balthazar Black]

67 Vhalar 720

There was some logic to what Elisabeth was using as her reasoning. War was coming. They knew now the time that they had to prepare but that didn't change that eventually, war would arrive. Ilaren would not hold the Flameborn at bay forever. However there were also some flaws in what she'd said. He didn't have to worry about her because he could check in on her at any time and with the brand on her lower back he could get to her faster than most people. He could protect her, so why risk the elements consuming her? She was confident too, which was a good sign but did not really make the decision any easier on the mage. You needed to be confident to survive the initiation. If you went into it thinking you were going to die, you often did. However confidence was not everything when it came to the initiation and her word would not be enough to convince the mage. She did not know the pain of being crushed beneath the earth. She did not know the panic that seized you when you felt your body beginning to collapse under the weight of rocks piling atop you... and that was only one method of being initiated.

"We all make promises, Elisabeth. Promises mean nothing when magic and Immortals intervene." Balthazar said in a solemn tone as he considered what Elisabeth wanted. There were other issues that poked him. Balthazar knew that he had complicated thoughts on the initiation into defiance and he knew he respected the dangers, but he did not know about Praetorum and Varlum. If he refused to initiate her and she went to one of them, he would have no control over it. If they tried to initiate her and she died at their hands... well he didn't want a reason to dislike the two of them but that would have given him a big one. Elisabeth was smart not to force an answer from him now, because when she asked the mage to consider it he nodded. "I will think about it, now ready yourself."

Balthazar shifted into his usual stance- Elisabeth would have been familiar with it by now due to the many brawls she'd seen him participate in at the Copper Prince. His palms were turned out facing her and his legs were spread just a little apart with his knees bent. "Like with Defiance, I think the best way to learn unarmed combat is a trial by fire. I'll attack, you try to defend yourself. Try to block and then strike me. Blocking alone gets you nothing but sore arms." And with that, Balthazar moved on the offensive. He was not moving nearly as quickly as he could have been and he was not striking as hard either. He moved in with two jabs, both aimed at opposite shoulders. A simple move but if she could not block them, an effective one.

[Elisabeth Black]

67 Vhalar, 720.

"Perhaps, Balthazar. But that doesn't mean I don't have every intention of doing everything in my power to make sure I keep my promises. That, you can count on." The force of her words was something different. She didn't say them in anger or frustration. Elisabeth was in perfect control. But there was an underlying directness that hadn't surfaced before in her conversations with the mage. She had made him a promise, yes....but she had made others too. If magic and Immortals wanted to dabble in those, there's nothing she could do to stop them but that was beside the point. She would use every ounce of will, strength, and intelligence she had to fight.

There was a lot left unspoken…mostly because it didn’t directly relate to her request about Defiance and because she wasn’t sure about the timing. Balthazar’s mind equaled her’s in being overactive, always working, so she knew he was thinking about it and would continue to until he had made up his mind. That was fine. She had put the intention out in the Universe, and it was time to train. Giving him a soft nod and smile, she slipped into a ready position she was imitating from others she had seen over the arcs. “Thank you…for listening.” Some wouldn’t have. Some would have dismissed her immediately. She knew he wouldn’t have done that but regardless, Elisabeth wanted him to know she appreciated it.

The raven-haired young woman was picky when it came to instructors. In a very real way, she was putting her life in their hands, and trusting people wasn’t her strong suit. She had gotten better about it since arriving in Rharne but still, trusting people to train you in the ways to save your life? Tricky business. Prae and Varlum had proven rock-solid, both giving her advice and support when she needed it. Lore had started her on the path but more recently allowed others to step in, so she didn’t see as much of him anymore. That left Balthazar and the rather messy tangle of their relationship and how she felt about it…but the one thing she couldn’t deny is that she trusted him with everything.

Elisabeth had watched a lot of fighting – Balthazar’s and the Knights/Wardens in general. She knew some of the basics but when he came at her with the jabs, she didn’t have time to think about any of that. Taking her right arm, she quickly attempted to push his jabs to the side with a sweeping motion of her forearm. This allowed for two things – possible avoidance of his fists and a reason for the motion of her body to begin moving. If she used the sweep of her arm correctly, it would propel her to the left a bit and out of his striking range for a follow-up. Since she was on the move, her options were limited regarding a counter, but she knew with more experienced opponents, it was often more successful not to telegraph one's moves.

As she moved to the left, her right hand came up and attempted an open-handed strike with the heel of her hand to his chest.

Unarmed combat and blade work had many things principals in common – the intention of body, movement, and evasion. She didn’t need to start back at the beginning to learn unarmed but if she adapted some of the things she knew from doing her blade work, she might not make a complete idiot out of herself. Block and strike was a concept in blade word too, complicated a bit by footwork, but she hoped she would be able to adapt easily enough.

[Balthazar Black]

67 Vhalar 720

Intentions meant nothing to Balthazar who had made and broken more promises than he was ever going to admit. One promise lingered in his head. One lie that he had told that cost him something he would never get back. His master, his friend, and the only man who'd ever been anything like a father to him. Balthazar had never intended to let him get hurt, but his decision had a cascading effect that lead Xanax to being flayed. Not just killed, flayed. He found no comfort or peace in the afterlife and Balthazar knew it. He didn't want to make another decision that got someone close to him killed yet it seemed like every decision he made carried that risk these trials. Elisabeth thanked him for listening and Balthazar nodded, more than happy to put the topic aside and focus on training.

He could, and would, talk to both Fuego and Nimue about the idea of initiating Elisabeth into Defiance. Fuego, being a diri and not actually a mage, would probably have interesting input. Nimue, being a ghost not capable of using magic, would likely have equally interesting thoughts for him. He was hoping that discussing it with people who were not interested in the magic would give him some needed perspective. He knew that if he talked to Isabella about it, she would be furious. Then again she was three magics into her life as well and one of those magics was designed specifically to repel others so perhaps she did not have a leg to stand on.

Regardless, it was time to focus on training. Elisabeth's training. Elisabeth's attempt to- in some words, parry his punches aside with her right forearm, were only successful to a degree. Her sweep only hit Balthazar's first hand and while it knocked it aside, his second jab struck the outside of her shoulder because she'd begun to turn with her parry. Then her counterattack came. Balthazar was glad to see she had attempted a counter rather than simply trying to block but he found her form lacking. If not her form, perhaps it was just her speed. He felt all movement within such a close range and so it was hard to surprise him. It was even harder not to telegraph your attacks when he could feel every shift in your body. So Elisabeth's open hand strike came in towards Balthazar's chest and he was quick. He hand snapped out, catching Elisabeth's wrist, gripping it, and pulling it up into the air where he held her wrist and poked her stomach playfully with his other hand. It could have been a punch. That was what mattered. If it had been Praetorum or Varlum, it would have been one.

"Well done. Not perfect, but a good start." Balthazar said before releasing Elisabeth's wrist and taking a step back. "Again, this time you attack. If you aren't using a sword or shield, your hands have to do the work of both. Keep your head protected as you move in," Balthazar raised his fists like a boxer to show her what he meant, "and keep your punches quick until you think you have an opening for a hard hit."

[Elisabeth Black]

It may not have been a good attempt but it was one of the first times she had ever tried using unarmed combat so she considered it a partial win that she accomplished even a limited sweep of his attack. The hit to her shoulder was met with a bit of a frown but Elisabeth didn’t let that distract her. She needed to increase her speed a bit – that was evident. She was new at fighting without a weapon so it would have been incredible had her form not been lacking. Her strike was immediately caught and deflected with him indicating that she would have been hit by a touch to her stomach.

She got the point.

Taking a step back as he released her wrist, she listened and absorbed what he said. Elisabeth didn’t reply, only nodded her understanding. She needed to defend herself and attack – all at the same time. One or two moves wasn’t going to cut it. He wanted more. Taking a deep breath, she refocused on her target – Balthazar – and began her run.

Keeping her hands up in front of her head, as he had demonstrated, she curled her fingertips in for another open hand strike with her right hand, this time going for his throat, keeping her fist clenched until impact in order to maximize the speed of the punch. It was quickly followed up by a short series of punches to his torso…and she didn’t stop there. Swiftly moving off-center and into his body, she decided to use her elbow for extra leverage, twisting her body just a bit, giving her elbow room to strike him in the abdomen. Normally it wasn’t advantageous to step into an attacker like that but sometimes when one was severely outclassed, they had to take chances and she knew her elbow could be a powerful weapon.

Letting Balthazar train her in unarmed combat was a risk, but a necessary one. She needed as many tools in her arsenal as she could get.

[Balthazar Black]

67 Vhalar 720

Ah, the throat punch. A time honored classic unarmed attack that Balthazar had employed and enjoyed on many occasions. Balthazar had killed a man by punching him in the throat and Vri had marked him Lord Warrior for it. Well... the situation was more complicated than that but Balthazar thought only of his fondness for striking the neck of his opponents. Elisabeth's hand came in quickly but not quickly enough when compared to him. There was something in the way she was moving that just gave away her intentions to the mage but even if he hadn't known, she was still moving slow enough for Balthazar to have some fun. Her fist came in towards his throat and the mage's hand shot up quickly, guiding Elisabeth's hand just far enough to the side to miss him entirely.

When her assault on his midsection came, Elisabeth would find similar results. She moved quickly, but he moved just a little bit faster to block or parry each strike. However he didn't stop there. With each strike he knocked aside with one hand, his other hand tapped Elisabeth on the shoulder, indicating he could have punched her or landed a more painful blow towards her neck. A silent lesson to remember her defense while striking. A powerful offense could overwhelm, but not when outclassed by such a gap. Elisabeth moved in and struck with her elbow which found itself quickly caught between two of Balthazar's hands. He rocked back slightly, absorbing the impact of the blow to catch it, but he did not lose his footing.

"Good instinct to use your elbow and to strike at the throat. However instincts are only half of it." Balthazar smirked, recalling the advice he'd given Woe. "In a real fight you should strike first, strike hard, show no mercy. Alright, again. This time if you don't hit me, I will hit you." Part of the mage could not deny that he was enjoying this. In Yaralon there were specific thoughts about unarmed combat and Balthazar hadn't really understood them most of the time but... he understood it now. Balthazar released Elisabeth's elbow and took a few steps back so she could launch another attack. However no matter what move she made, when she took her first step, Balthazar would tap his foot to the ground and cause a small rippled to pass through the earth in an attempt to trip her.