The Monkey and the Lion!

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Anaya a écrit:
Training is after the events on the boat...

The day had been hot and the humidity incredible, the sun had set for a few hours now and the temperature was getting cooler by the minute. For the last hour, the rain had been pouring outside, every one had long since reached the shelter of their respective domains...

People in the household were preparing to retire themselves to their rooms, yet Anaya was still in full armor as she walked towards Hajime's appartments. She wore a mask of tranquility and duty as she stepped to meet the shugenja.

«Kitsu San, I wish to show you something. Please, take your armor and katana and meet me in the yard.»

Hajime a a écrit:

Hai, Toku-Sensei!!

Stoicaly, Hajime dons the armor and adjusts his daisho to his belt. When his is satisfied of his preperations, he heads to the courtyard to meet his teacher.

Something seems to be changing about Hajime. The way he walks... the way he stands. Something feral is awakening within him, something wild, dangerous and full of predatory instinct. It is no longer a mere city-bound courtier that stands before you. The training is sinking in fast and shaking off the thin crust of venere to reveal Hajime's true nature. His ancestral lineage is comming to the fore, and the feline beast is clawing it's way out of it's prison. A Son of the Kitsu race is being born...

Anaya a écrit:

By the time Hajime had prepared and gotten out of the house, Anaya was already soaken wet by the heavy rain. Puddles of mud were everywhere around then; Anaya was herself standing in a puddle that went slightly above her ankles. She was motionless, her right hand resting firmly on her weapon of choice. Her voice was stronger than usual, talking louder to be heard over the sound of the rain and wind.

«Kitsu-San, have you ever had combat in such conditions? When the rain and night blinds your senses and when the slippery mud wants you to the ground? Combats in these conditions are different from the ones during day or dry seasons. Very different. You need to find your balance more quickly, make sure that you dont fall to the ground, you must controle your every movement and try to sense the attacks your foe launch against you... »

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The mud sucks at his feet, slowing his movements considerably. Nevertheless, Hajime finally makes it in front of Anaya. He can barely distinguish her form and hear her words, so intense is storm raging about them. Shouting against the wind, the Lion answers.

Sensei, mostly I have sparred within dojos. But also, once, I have fought on a true battlefield against a detachment of Unicorn raider in a night skirmish. That is the extent of my experiance in such battlefield conditions.

The wind howls and the rains pours upon the two warriors as the Lion tries to perceive and defelect any sudden attack.

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~~(technically, this happens before the ship incident)~~
modification, this happens after the ship incident...

Anaya stands still for a moment, the picks up something on the ground... Two wooden blades. She throws one at Hajime.

«Since you have experience in combat in harrassing situations, you don't mind if we fight here and now? You loose your weapon... You fail. You fall to the ground... You fail... Understood?»

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Understood, Anaya-Sensei.

Gripping the wooden boken just like Akinaru taught him, the Lion takes a defensive stance and prepares for the onslaught.

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Anaya waits an instant while Hajime takes his stance. She cant stop a little smile to appear on her lips, as she remembers very well her first training in such conditions. It hadnt taken too much time for her to meet the ground... But she hadnt given up... They had spent the entire night training in these conditions... She had catched a severe cold that almost kept her in bed for two weeks after that...

The instant Hajime was ready, she said nothing and sprang towards him, the wooden weapon slashing towards his chest as she moved to his left side. As always her blow was strong and precise. She would leave the lion no chance, as she had received none from her sensei years ago...

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Hajime takes a step backwards and extends his boken foreward to parry the incoming blow.

Just as Anaya had planed, this puts him in a vulnerable position, as he falls for the feint.

With a clever twist of the wrist, Anaya reverses her blade's momentun to strike the weak point of Hajim's grip, sending the Lion's boken to plant itself point first into the mud.

The Kitsu is astonished for a while, but then recovers his wit and retrieves his blade, ready for another round.

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Anaya smiles as Hajime retrieves his bocan. She was glad he didn’t give up… He would eventually give up, she thought… But not yet. She would show him no mercy.

As soon as the lion is ready once more, the monkey springs towards him, landing one powerful blow to his chest. The blow is strong and throws Hajime to the ground, falling on his back on the mud, stunning him for a moment while rain drops to his face.

Anaya doesn’t stay too close to the prone lion, not wanting to be tripped… She stands, in a defensive stance behind the area where he was standing moments before.

Before Hajime has time to stand back up again, Anaya says:
«Make your attack, Kitsu-san; Try to keep your balance, take into account the slipperiness of the ground. Make sure to land your attack and keep your feet to the ground; you don’t want to be prone after landing your blow.»

Nombre de messages : 27 Date d'inscription : 31/03/2006

When the two Samurai make their exit, they don't notice that someone else is stealthily following them. Akinaru quietly exits the house as Anaya shouts instructions to the Lion, going unnoticed in the storm. Crouching on the veranda, he watches in silence how his student fares against one of his other masters. Anaya's lesson is tough but fair. Foes show no mercy and neither should a Sensei, as it encourages weakness.

The Scorpion shakes his head as the Lion falls for the obvious feint. He is learning, but the uncommon terrain seems to be unnerving him, making him lose concentration.

The Lion doesn't fare better in the second skirmish, ending up on his back in the mud. He forgets that there is no rain, no mud, no sword, no man. Life is but a dream, neh? Akinaru chuckles as he remembers his own training, now a lifetime away...

He turns his attention back to the sparring pair, watching intently, hesitating about giving a few pointers to the Kitsu. He decides to wait, not wanting to interrupt Anaya's lesson. There'll always be time when they're done.

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La pluie et le vent s'abattent sur les deux guerriers avec une intensité qui se redouble de furie. Avec difficulté, Hajime prend une position d'assaut, la lame bien au-dessus de sa tête, et la point vers son adversaire.

Du coin de l’œil, grâce à sa perception du monde des esprits, le Kitsu constate la présence de deux autres observateurs qui étudient la séquence d'entraînement avec intérêt. Sur la véranda, bien à l'abris du déluge, deux figures spectrales discutent doucement tout près d'Akinaru. Ces deux esprits (intangibles et invisibles à tous) sont entouré d'une douce lueur bleutée qui est à la fois agréable au regard et réconfortante pour l'Âme.

Kitsu Takahiro: ... A votre avis, Hida-san ...?

Hida Raiden : ... Pour celui qui possède du discernement, un avantage peut être obtenu avec ce terrain...

Puis un moment de silence.

Kitsu Takahiro: ... Mais il est question de rythme aussi...

Soudainement inspiré, le Lion décèle ce qui lui semble être une faiblesse dans la défense du Singe. Lentement, Hajime abaisse sa lame à la hauteur de sa poitrine, tandis qu'Anaya réajuste sa position défensive en agrippant sa lame par deux mains. Avec délibération, le Kitsu se déplace de façon circulaire autour du guerrier Toku. Anaya compense et se repositionne au fur et a mesure que le Lion manœuvre.

Puis Hajime trouve ce qu'il cherchait!!! Le vent est à son dos, et une solide pierre est sous ses pieds!

Soudainement le Lion hurle d'un puissant Kiai juste au moment ou une forte rafale de vent et de pluie s'abatte sur son dos. Utilisant la pierre comme point d'appui et la rafale de vent pour se propulser comme un éclair vers son adversaire, le Kitsu porte un coup d'une précision inouïe pour un débutant.

Aveuglée par le fouet de pluie et surprise par l'intensité de cette féroce attaque, Anaya à peine à paré ce coup décisif. Néanmoins, agissant par pur instinct, elle réussit de justesse à éviter de se faire projeter au sol.

Anaya et Akinaru se rendent compte qu'Hajime aurait pu attaquer encore plus férocement, comme un Matsu, et que s'il l'avait fait, peut-être que le Singe serait sur le sol présentement. Un simple apprenti, mais Hajime peut déjà faire la vie dur à ses Sensei. Décidément, ces Lions vendent chèrement leur peau.

Satisfait, un sourire féral apparaît lentement sur le visage d'Hajime.

La bête s'éveille.