Ballet of Blades (Liselle)

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Mid-Kalendryas in the Season of Winter, Era XIV PF

The winds howled and churned across the vacant field, one that was no longer trampled by the queues of military personnel normally inhabiting the area during the morning training exercises. Layered in dirt and gravel, the amalgamation of materials formed the solid foundation on which hundreds of Imperial soldiers had practiced, sweat, and bled throughout the ages. The legacy of warriors past was embedded in the field, and it would once again rise to the occasion of providing an adequate space for the newer generations to emerge.

Kneeling upon the ground, the dark elf ran a mythril-gloved hand across the grainy earth, picking at assembled spheres of dirt and rubbing them to pieces between his slender digits. Following the particles with a crimson gaze as they descended to the floor, he smirked lightly before rising to his feet and clapping the debris from his heavily callused hands.

It was time.

Steering his gaze skyward, the young D’Rinishad watched as the remaining suns of Telath dipped behind a patch of darkened clouds, the likes of which suppressed most of the golden light from the horizon. The evening was steadily descending upon the city of Alleria Prime, but that would not spell the end of the brightening quite yet. Though he had acclimated to the glare of the suns over the years, the dark elf’s visual senses would never be completely adjusted. On occasion he suffered from the bitter sting of nature’s airborne lamps, and thus sometimes even the mighty Vysstichi Lord preferred being outdoors when circumstances were more bearable.

Garbed in a simple black tunic and matching trousers, the dark elf’s slender frame was enveloped by a flowing white mantle that shielded him from the bitter winter wind. His hands were similarly protected from frostbite by a pair of gleaming mythril gloves –though they served more for the purpose of grip than keeping his hands warm. Aside these, all that the dark elf wore was a sheathed long sword strapped to the right side of his waist. Its adamantite, skull-bobbled pommel, which had become widely recognized and feared throughout the years, was distinguishable beneath his cloak. This was the infamous sword of Faust D’Rinishad.

Resting a hand upon the pommel of the instrument of death, Faust patiently waited amidst the field.

She would be arriving soon…

[Liselle Vampyler Sapientia]

She had steeled herself for the arrival of that brightening. It had been a long time since Liselle had trained in earnest and she knew that Faust would put her through her paces. In fact, she expected it of him. which was the main reason she wished to train with him and only him. She didn’t want a trainer that would treat her as a political official with a mild interest in the art. She wanted someone that would push her hard and make sure she was ready for what would come.

Dressed in her black leather training clothes, leather elven tracking boots and long black cloak, she strode into the arena with her weapon at her side. While in most cases she would have greeted Faust with an enthusiastic hug, this was a bit different. Training was serious and she knew that, so instead she simply nodded her head and smiled brightly at him.

It was Faust. He would understand…and appreciate.

“Good Morning. Where would you like to begin?”

[Faust D'Rinishad]

“Good morning?”

Faust’s lips fanned into a grin as he glanced upwards to the darkening horizon. The suns were steadily descending behind a blanket of clouds and it seemed as though the night was progressively approaching. Biting his lip to refrain from chuckling, the dark elf dipped into a low and cordial bow, casually swiping back his mane of silver as it toppled over his slender shoulders.

“Yesterday must have been long indeed, my dear.” Laughing lightheartedly for a few seconds, the dark elf sighed and met Liselle halfway across the field. Regarding her silently for a moment, he nodded approvingly before hooking his thumbs habitually along his belt. “But I would imagine no less. Surely the duties of motherhood, governess, and thane, all in one I must add, have consumed much of your time…” Smiling warmly, he advanced and rested a mythril-gloved hand upon her shoulder, “And yet you still have time to practice the art of the sword...”

Removing his hand from her shoulder, the dark elf’s palm descended to the handle of his fine long sword. Drawing the adamantite blade with a graceful flick of his wrist, the dark elf drove the tip of the weapon into the earthen floor and leaned upon it. “You are good, Liselle, very good in fact, but not surprisingly, you can become much better. With your natural abilities you may even exceed your father’s own one brightening. It will take a lot of hard work, of course, but I’ve no doubt that you’re up to the challenge?”

Eyeing her seriously, Faust patiently awaited her answer. Despite his deep affections for Liselle as a friend, they both knew the heavy price that it would demand of both of them. The promise of time, sweat, and blood…it would not be an easy road that Liselle was soon to endeavor.

[Liselle Vampyler Sapientia]

Smiling softly at her friend…her very best friend….and in many ways so much more then that. Their relationship was very complicated and tended to confuse even Liselle, but she knew at the heart of it that they would always be there for each other…and that was good enough for her.

Giggling a bit at the confusion of time, she looked up and gave a soft yawn, nodding her head a bit.

“Hmmm…must have been. I won’t say that having so many hats isn’t exhausting, but my course in life was set a long time ago. I’m committed to seeing it through…wherever it takes me. That includes being sleep-deprived and continuing my training in long sword. I trust you to push me when I need it and hug me when I need that. There is no one in the Empire that can train me more effectively then you…and no one that I trust more.”

Reaching out her hand, she touched his cheek softly.

“Chev…I trust you and I promise, I won’t let you or myself down.”

[Faust D'Rinishad]

“I know…” the ranger warmly replied, reaching up to stroke Liselle’s hand. If there was anyone in all of the Empire notorious for perseverance, it was the Governess of Prime. She had endured through countless trials of fire in her life, each of which had forged her into the resilient and committed person that she was now. Indeed, there was no one stronger of heart and when her skills finally matched her immeasurable resolve, what a truly dangerous person she would become!

As always, Liselle’s words were warming to the heart. She was one of the few remaining friends in the dark elf’s life; Serion had fallen in the Cold South; Adinirach had disappeared from the face of Telath; Trevlyn had endeavored to the darkest parts of the Empire; Eschaton remained on his sabbatical to pursue the necromantic arts; and Dimnersti was probably dead by now. In fact, Fidelis Meridius was probably the only companion the Vysstichi Lord had outside of Liselle.

How life seemed to change…

Smiling and stepping back, the dark elf’s mythril-gloved fingers enclosed around the handle of the fine long sword strapped to his side. Sliding the weapon from its scabbard, the adamantite blade screeched against its sheath as it escaped free. “It has been some time since our last…spar…” A trace of a grin began to play along the sides of the dark elf’s lips as he spoke. Many other things aside that light-hearted fight had also occurred on that summer brightening…

Letting the point of the dangerous weapon graze against the tips of the grass, the Vysstichi Lord gestured for Liselle to draw her sword. “Let us see if time has sharpened or weathered your skill…” Winking jestingly to his dear friend, the dark elf waited for her to ready herself.

[Liselle Vampyler Sapientia]

Liselle managed to blush…yes blush…at Faust’s comment regarding their last encounter. It had been an amazing experience…one that she’d never forget. The entire time they had known one another, Faust and herself had run away, hidden from and purely ignored the deeper feelings they had for one another…except for that brightening. –That- brightening had been the brightening of their first kiss. It had been magical and….perfect….in her eyes….although much too short. A perplexing enigma their relationship was, but it suited Liselle just fine. An easy life was not one worth living to her…and hers would never be considered such.

In fact…Faust was the only person ever –to- make her blush…which was a feat in itself.

Drawing her sword, she gave him one of her brilliant smiles and slipped into ready position.

"I suppose it has…but like last time, I assure you that my skills have not dulled….-any- of them, for that matter."

Winking mischievously at the hidden meaning, she advanced quickly, stepping gracefully towards him, her sword in the forward strike position….but at the last minute, she flicked it down and assumed the backward hand position and struck forward, two-handed. It was a straightforward attack, although perhaps not one he was expecting.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Liselle’s predictable response elicited a grin from the dark elf, and he laughed heartily as she flashed him a radiating smile. That smile could have melted the heart of a dragon, and it was certainly more than enough to remind the Vysstichi Lord of why he had treasured Liselle’s friendship for all of these eras. Theirs was a unique relationship composed of a mountain range of experiences, but nothing would ever change the fact that they would always be there for one another –in fact, they had always been there for one another.

Perceiving the flush of Liselle’s cheeks, Faust merely chuckled and waved his sword foolishly in front of him to dispel the welcomed awkwardness of the moment as they reminisced upon their first kiss together. It had definitely been all that the dark elf had expected, and it had also been a fine parting gift to him before he had endeavored to the Isle of the Crown. Ironically, though, Liselle had also embarked on that same adventure to the climate-transient island.

Indeed…the fates were not without their sense of humor.

Quicker than was to be expected of a human, Liselle lashed out with her sword in a two-handed strike. It was the first time that the dark elf had ever witnessed Liselle attack in such a manner, but he was pleased that she had adopted different tactics since their last encounter. Some offenses and defenses were more recyclable in that they were universally effective, but there were others oftentimes added for the element of surprise.

Liselle, it seemed, had intended her preliminary slash for the latter.

Faust’s lips fanned into a thin smile as he rotated to the right and watched as Liselle’s sword sliced through the air where he had recently been. “Be careful not to overextend yourself, my dear.” the dark elf calmly warned and to emphasize his point he slapped the top of Liselle’s sword with his own and locked it downwards. The collision of the two metals shrieked loudly as the edges ground against one another. “What will you do now?” he asked with a light grin.

[Liselle Vampyler Sapientia]

Grinning at Faust all the while, she knew his skills exceeded hers. There was no question of that. What Liselle lacked in skill, however, she made up for in innovation and creativity. –Those- were skills that had been pounded into her over and over by her father and previous instructor.

Where there was a will, there was a way…and Liselle had a strong will.

As he locked her sword down, she saw a very brief and small window of opportunity to escape from the situation she was in. Faust was looking for familiar moves…things he had seen before from the young woman….and there was no way she was giving him that.

Instead, she reached into the realm of creativity and showed him something new. Winking at him, she simply gave him a brilliant grin and replied.

“Something you won’t see coming.”

Dropping the hilt of her sword, causing it to fall straight to the ground, she immediately lowered herself in one fluid motion and executed a straightforward forward sweep. In her mind, it –should- have caused him to jump to avoid getting knocked to the ground…giving her time to complete the motion and scoop up the hilt of her sword once again, returning her to a ready position. If allowed to get that far, she would immediately push him offensively once again.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Liselle’s grin, that precious grin of hers, awarded her an innocent smile from the Vysstichi Lord as their blades rubbed dangerously together. A simple shift in weight or a turn of the wrist from either party could have sent both swords reeling in different directions, but both dark elf and human were adept enough to exercise control over their respective weapons.

But what would Liselle do?

The thought elicited an even wider smile from the Vysstichi Lord as Liselle’s preliminary test commenced, one that would challenge her ability to think outside of her regular routine. Most combatants tended to believe that their fighting capacities existed within the circumference of their sword swings, but these unseasoned warriors were sorely mistaken. Swordsmanship, like other skills, required practitioners to think outside of the box on a habitual level. Those who failed to do so oftentimes found themselves at the receiving ends of an enemy’s clever ploy or trap.

Luckily for Faust, though, that was one lesson that he did not have to teach Liselle.

The dark elf felt the subtle fluctuation in pressure from Liselle’s blade as she released the sword from her grasp and he instinctively laughed as he realized what was about to happen. Liselle had, unpredictably, reacted exactly as Faust had when his teacher had first tested him in this manner. Subsequently, while he was not astonished by her decision, he was nevertheless greatly impressed by her craftiness. It had taken the dark elf multiple tries before he had gotten it right where Liselle had succeeded in a single attempt.

She would be a fine swordswoman indeed.

The insightful swordsman saw Liselle’s sweep before it was even unveiled. The marginal shift of her body and her decreasing elevation forewarned the Vysstichi Lord what she had intended, and thus he naturally reacted with a simple back-step to avoid the range of her kick. Landing gracefully upon the balls of his feet, Faust danced backwards and watched amusedly as Liselle rearmed herself.

“Impressive, Lady Vampyler. Have we covered this lesson before?” Winking to indicate his sincere approval, Faust’s adamantite blade snapped upwards in preparation of Liselle’s forthcoming attack.

[Liselle Vampyler Sapientia]

Liselle beamed at the approval in Faust’s eyes. Truly, he was the one that she wanted to impress when it came to the long sword. Her months and eras of work in the art showed as she sparred with him, but in the back of her mind, she always worked to make him proud of her. Many took up weapons only to allow the skills to fall into disuse after a time…and she was determined not to allow that to happen.

She needed the skill…maybe now more then ever.

Swinging her weapon in her hand and regripping, she smiled charmingly at him, retorting the smart quip her had tossed her direction.

"You are a good teacher…but I’m an even better student. I actually came up with that on my own in response to the situation you put me in. I couldn’t force my way out of that predicament so there was little choice. Obviously, all that thinking took about 1 second….more reaction then anything. It’s hard to explain. It is like my body automatically knew what to do in response to the sword position."

Shrugging her shoulders softly, she gazed at him and mulled over her next move. Faust knew her moves better then anyone in the Empire so her options were limited. He knew she could drop to the ground…He knew she liked to spin….

And really, no matter what she did, he’d anticipate it.

Giving up on that train of thought, she proceeded to use her sword aggressively. One thing she knew from training is that females in general tended to be more on the defensive in swordplay…especially against male opponents. She liked to catch people off-guard, so instead of letting Faust come to her, she took the fight to him, executing rapid fire strokes from the left, then right, then left……back and forth, keeping the blade in front of her and giving him little option or opening.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

The swordsman conceded a nod to Liselle, indicating that he highly approved of her methodology. Liselle was neither arrogant nor cocky, and that enabled her to think lucidly and sensibly. Unlike many fighters that the dark elf had trained throughout his lifetime, the Governess of Prime recognized that the fanciest moves were not always the most effective. Sometimes it was the simple slash or thrust that could change the tide of a battle –that is, so long as they were deftly placed.

“Ah instincts, yes, that is something that can be gained only through experience.” Faust admitted with a serious smile. Though he had assumed the role of a teacher, he would have been the first to acknowledge the truthfulness of Liselle’s words –regardless if she had intended to convey her meaning or not. There were some things that he would never be able to ‘teach’ her; reaction times, for example, could only be acquired through practice. No matter how skilled someone might have been with the sword, a lack of use would have dulled their abilities considerably.

It seemed, then, that Liselle had indeed been practicing.

“Your body moved automatically?” the dark elf rhetorically questioned with a wide grin. Most would have gawked at such a comment, but this was not so for the dangerous Prince of Har’oloth. He knew –as would any competent fighter- the source of Liselle’s befuddlement. It was not that her body moved of its own accord for the mere sake of it, but rather that she had trained it do so.

“You reacted mechanically…” he explained, casually circling around Liselle but nevertheless maintaining his defense. “You see, just as the deadly hawk can be trained to carry a message from one city to another, so too can you train your body to respond to many types of situations. The more dangerous scenarios you place yourself under, the greater your comfort with those types of situations.”

Little did Liselle know that the dark elf fully intended on providing such circumstances for her to face.

Unsurprised by Liselle’s uncharacteristic lunge, Faust’s long sword went to work, slapping and parrying at multiple angles and redirecting accordingly to bat away any follow-up attacks. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, too, for that smile of his never faded.

But would Liselle’s?

Blood Winter, the second long sword attached to his hip, leaped into his free hand in the blink of an eye. Grinning in warning to Liselle, Faust slowly advanced upon her and deliberately allowing her to ponder how she would engage him now.

[Liselle Vampyler Sapientia]

Liselle was enjoying herself as well. Even though it was training…and sometimes not pleasant, it was time well spent with someone she cared deeply about. The pair didn’t get much time together in the course of their hectic lives…so as far as Liselle was concerned meant that any time with Faust was valuable…

..even if he –was- drilling her on longsword skills.

The addition of a weapon made things all the more challenging for Liselle, but not impossible. She continued to smile as she considered her alternatives. Two weapons were indeed harder to keep track of and Faust was quick. The only option left to her was to limit the amount of area he had to strike at and try to get him disarmed of one weapon to even the odds a bit more.

To that end, she quickly moved to a side stance and made a wide sweeping strike to clear his weapons from the immediate area. Then, moving into a low, wide stance, she aimed for his lower body, namely the legs, attempting to disarm him and lower herself below his normal strike range.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

It was not often that the dark elf was impressed, but admittedly he found himself amazed every time that he locked swords against the likes of Liselle Vampyler. Like her father, she possessed an innate affinity to the blade, something that was only god-given. No matter how much one practiced or trained, those gifted with natural talent would always wield an edge over their opponents.

To some extent at least…

The presence of the Vysstichi Lord’s dual long swords would complicate matters for Liselle. Throughout her life she had undoubtedly acclimated to dueling against opponents with single weapons, and thus the prospect of engaging against another imminent threat simultaneously would be challenging indeed. Luckily, though, she had trained arduously through the years and therefore was more prepared than most.

Sensing his friend’s hesitation, the dark elf grinned, “What is the difference between now and before? Are you going to handle this situation any differently? Must you?” Faust rhetorically asked, mainly to stimulate Liselle’s train of thought. Adaptation was everything in combat, and it was imperative that she learn how to adjust to various situations.

Stepping back to avoid Liselle’s frontal swing, the tips of the dark elf’s swords dropped unusually low such that they nearly grazed the earthen floor. He followed the subtle shift of her hips which forecasted her impending low attack –one that he fully intended on confronting. With supernatural speed born from the magical gloves worn on his hands, Faust’s adamantite blade maneuvered to parry against Liselle’s sword. The two blades locked momentarily, and it would be difficult for the woman to follow through with her attack against the resisting strength of her opponent.

And unfortunately for her, he had one free sword left to deal with.

Blood Winter, the Vysstichi Lord’s second weapon, drove overhead the two engaged swords and towards Liselle’s heart…

[Liselle Vampyler Sapientia]

True, Liselle was more prepared then most. She had the ability to think outside the box and not limit herself to conventional methods of fighting. Thus, she was well prepared for Faust’s instruction. He didn’t have to mold her in a different direction or force her to widen her focus.

She was right where she needed to be in terms of training.

His two weapons had caused her a moment’s thought but she carried through with the moment. Easily enough, he had locked her sword in place, keeping her from using it against the advancing twin.

Instinct took over at that point.

She was dead center in front of him and to avoid the oncoming sword, she needed to remedy that. Simple enough, she shifted and turned out, away from him and to the side, letting her grip loosen on the hilt just enough to allow her to regrip once she was in the right position. It was a tricky little move but she was skilled and graceful enough to pull it off. When she was done, she was just to the side of him, swords still locked. The arm that had the free sword was actually between her and him at that moment. She was close too him..almost too close. The good thing about that was that his arm was almost locked…there was no place to go with it.

Taking her knee, she drove it gently into his side to indicate a hit…if he would allow it…and then turned a bit more to attempt to unlock her sword, being on guard the entire time for another attack.

Smiling, she answered his previous question.

"Yes, you need to consider the fact that there are two weapons instead of one. Positioning is more critical and one’s focus needs to be on evening the odds a bit."

[Faust D'Rinishad]

A few twists and turns and Liselle was disengaged from her precarious situation, one that could have proven exponentially devastating had her counterpart chosen to adopt more aggressive battle tactics. He had not, however, for the sake of her learning experience, and thus the dark elf found himself on the receiving end of one of Liselle’s knees. Accepting the blow with tacit approval, Faust danced back a few steps until he and Liselle returned to neutral positions.

“Fine insight, my dear.” the Lord of House D’Rinishad sincerely commented. “What other factors can even such a playing field? Another weapon in your off-hand, perhaps, or an alteration of the battlefield? In fact, how might one use their surroundings to their advantage –if at all?”

To emphasize his point, the dark elf glanced perfunctorily to the relatively leveled training field on which he and Liselle stood. There was nothing significant about the terrain save the dusty floor. The field itself was absent of any hills, higher ground, or obstacles as well.

Whether or not Liselle provided a response, the dark elf quickly moved into action. Launching himself at the Governess of Aelyria Prime like a lion on the prowl, the Vysstichi Lord brought Blood Winter overhead in a downwards chop at Liselle’s shoulder.

Meanwhile, Soulseeker, his adamantite long sword, subtly stabbed low at his beloved friend’s booted foot.