Sticks Will Break Your Bones {Basic Staff - Self Mod}

[Nydardomond]

11th of Aperitus, Spring Era XIII Post Fractum. Paradigm: New Nation

As ordered, Nyd returned to the Citadel the next brightening to begin training in order to fully meet his requirements for being a constable. He made his way through the gates of the Citadel receiving a mixture of glances from the other constables. He knew that many of them despised the idea of a half-orc joining their ranks but they were either too afraid or too disciplined to do anything about it.

Nyd ignored the glances of the others as entered the main courtyard. He found a few constables training with various weapons. There was roughly a dozen constables practicing with mainly bladed weapons including shortswords, daggers, and a longsword or two. Mixed in with the blue shirts were a couple more weathered looking men dressed in civilian clothing. From the way they spoke and moved, the men appeared to be seasoned warriors of sorts. They may have been retired constables or soldiers, Nyd wasn’t certain.

A voice from nearby, “Every one of them seems to want to learn the way of the blade. Sure it is easy to stick something sharp into the flesh of another in order to pacify them. But from the looks of things, you seek something more.”

Nyd turned to see who spoke. Standing a couple yards away was a middle-aged human dressed in a simple brown tunic and breeches. Long black hair with silver threads hung just above his shoulders and his face was etched with lines of increasing age. He was casually leaning on a gnarled wood quarterstaff as he watched the constables train.

Nyd looked at the man and then back to the training grounds. “The blade is too uncivilized; too final. I am not one of quickness thus I seek an extension of my strength; something that would focus my mind as well as my body.” He turned again to look at the man.

“My name is Yurthin,” the man said, “And I think I have exactly what you are seeking.” Yurthin took a few steps toward Nyd. He walked with a slight limp and leaned on his staff as he moved.

“Each day I come here at the request of the constabulary yet few wish to learn what I have to teach. Those that do, do not possess the mind for it nor the heart. As you said, a weapon should be an extension of one’s self; not just their body but their mind as well. I can teach you this if you wish.” Yurthin bowed his head to Nyd.

Nyd looked at his own staff and then bowed respectfully and said, “I would feel honored to learn what you can teach me, Master Yurthin.”

Nyd couldn’t help but wonder why this man did not shy away from him like so many others had but kept his thoughts to himself as he did not want to spoil such an opportunity with his own insecurities.

“Very well,” Yurthin said, “We shall begin immediately.”

[Nydardomond]

Yurthin motioned for Nyd to approach and Nyd complied. Yurthin stopped leaning on his gnarled wood staff and held it in both hands for Nyd to see.

"The first thing you must know about the staff is that how you hold it will determine how effective everything else you do is." Yurthin held the staff out in front of him. He held it with both hands positioned about eight inches apart toward the lower section of the staff; thumbs up.

"This is the basic grip that all else is built from. It is called the 'Honte' which is an elven term. The staff form I am showing you is based on an elven style used by those living in and around the mountainous regions of Alleria." Yurthin watched and waited for Nyd to hold his own staff in a similar manner.

Nyd lifted his metal-plated quarterstaff and placed his hands in the lower section of the shaft and spaced them just as Yurthin had.

"That's right. You see, the Honte grants you a full range of flexibility when using the staff for strikes and you are able to move your hands to other positions with ease when needed." Yurthin quickly flipped the wrist of his leading hand so that the thumbs of both hands faced each other.

"Now, this is known as the Gyakute grip. It is the primary grip for blocking. With it, you may slide your hands to whatever position on the staff that you require and quickly. Hand position is essential as is the ability to quickly shift grips." Yurthin again waited for Nyd to display understanding.

Nyd flipped his wrist so that the thumb of his lead hand faced his back hand. He practiced switching from the Honte to the Gyakute several times until his wrists were slightly strained yet he felt comfortable with his ability to switch grips quickly.

"In order for the staff to become a part of you, you must be able to handle it as if it were another limb. In order to achieve this, you need to find a comfortable rhythm in finding and switching your grip." Yurthin switched from the Honte to the Gyakute and back again several times with great speed while at the same time sliding his grip to different positions on the staff. He moved as if the staff were not a simple tool but a living, breathing extension of his body.

Nyd watched with growing interest and soon tried to mimic what Yurthin was modeling. The two spent a couple of candlemarks on the these two grips alone. Nyd's hands and wrists were feeling the workout and his fingers and palms were slowly blistering.


When the first two grips were comfortable to Nyd, Yurthin called the practice session to a close. It was time for Nyd to go to his first class in Law which also was held at the Citadel. Bowing to Yurthin, they parted ways for the time being with the understanding that Nyd would return as soon as his class was over for the brightening.

[Nydardomond]

Nyd returned later that brightening after his law class had been released. He found Yurthin wandering about the courtyard, whistling to himself. Yurthin saw Nyd approach and ceased his whistling. "Welcome back. I trust your class was informative."

Nyd gave a quick nod, "It gives me something to think about. It all seems so simple at first but when I look at it more and put more thought into it, I am left wondering more about the nature of living beings and why they do what they do. Perhaps that is the point, I am not sure."

Yurthin snickered. "That is something you will have to take up with your instructor. I am just an old man with a staff. I don't give much thought to the reasons why people break the law. I just know that I try to follow it and help a little here and there when I can."

Nyd nodded in understanding. He used to want only to be left alone and didn't give much thought to things. As he grew older though, he became more curious about such things. Yurthin was right though, it was time now to practice his weapon skills so Nyd tosses his pack to the side and readied his staff.

"Now, we last left off with the two basic grips. The third and final basic grip is the Kae''''suki. This grip is the foundation for thrusts." Yurthin cupped his right hand over the end of the staff and held the shaft a couple feet down toward the center. He pushed with his right hand and guided with his left so that the staff thrust outward. As he did this, his right hand moved from cupping the end to gripping it. He continued the staff thrust, slowly at first to demonstrate the grip and then quicker to show how the grip changed during the thrust.

Nyd watched for several moments and then copied Yurthin's movements. He did this time and time again until he was moving in sync with Yurthin. Nyd's training in Shaasskah became apparent to Yurthin as the half-orc's foot movement came quite naturally and blended well with the use of the staff.

"Ahhh, I see you are skilled in other combat arts as well. The way you move your feet and twist your body. I would suspect the art of Shaasskah although I could be wrong. There are many styles that could account for such movement. Either way such skill will advance you quickly in the use of the staff as you will not need to focus much on the actual body movement; leaving you able to concentrate on making the staff an extension of those movements." Yurthin and Nyd continued the new grip for a short time longer before moving on to the other two grips. They practiced switching from grip to grip and back again with increasing speed. Yurthin watched to make sure Nyd continued to move smoothly. The half-orc found slight difficulty at times but such moments were fleeting and minor in scope.

It was well into midday when Yurthin called a halt to the practice session. "Excellent. I think you have the basic grips down quite nicely. Just remember that even something as simple as the way you hold the staff can mean everything when it comes to other movements such as attack and defense. There are more advanced grips and stances that go beyond what you already know but as we are just working on the basics, I will meet you here tomorrow at the same time in the early candlemarks of the brightening to practice the basic techniques of blocking." Yurthin bowed to Nyd and Nyd to Yurthin and they said their farewells for the rest of the brightening.

[Nydardomond]

12th of Aperitus, Spring Era XIII Post Fractum. Paradigm: New Nation

Nyd had begun the new brightening with his early morning stretch and meditation session. Immediately afterward he set out to return to the Arium Citadel for his training with Yurthin. He knew it would be a long day yet he looked forward to it. He arrived in the courtyard to find Yurthin waiting for him near one of the walls.

"Ah, welcome back. I am sure that the first brightening of being a constable was not easy for you. Don't expect it to change much." Yurthin spoke matter-of-factly, his face not easy to ready.

"Regardless though, if you are ready to continue, we may begin." Yurthin nodded to Nyd signifying he was ready whenever the half-orc was.

Nyd continued to ponder this man. Yurthin offered to teach him how to use a staff yet did not give him rough looks or whisper commments under his breath. Nyd hoped that perhaps he had found one of the rare few in the city who did not share in the profound racism that pulsed through the city. Not giving the idea much more current focus, he nodded back to Yurthin and turned to face him while awaiting the lesson to begin.

"Today we shall work on the basic stance that will aid you in your use of the staff. Of course there are many yet you will only need to know one of them to get you started." Yurthin stood with his own staff at his side; one end pointed to the ground, the other pointed up.

"Most carry and hold their staves in this manner. From here, the stance is relatively quite simple." Yurthin slowly shifted his feet so that his right foot was in front while his left was behind. At the same time he brought his staff forward and held it with his right hand spaced several inches above the left. The staff pointed slighlty forward.

"This is the basic attack and defense stance. The same stance works for both. The elven term for this stance is, "Honte no Kamae" and it allows the most freedom of movement. In this stance, you can strike your opponent in many ways or defend many attacks." Yurthin waited for Nyd to mirror the stance. When the half-orc did, Yurthin moved on.

"Now when you move, always keep one foot in front of the other. To do otherwise will set your balance in one place which is much weaker and limits mobility. Now, step forward once, then back. Then move to each side." Yurthin watched as Nyd followed instructions.

Nyd moved his feet as Yurthin instructed. He stepped forward once and then stepped backward. He stepped from side to side. He used much of his Shaasskah training to augment his movements and mixed those stances with this new one. Overall he felt quite comfortable with the movements and continued them repeatedly with the staff held in both hands.

"Ah, again I see you are meshing two styles together. Well done. Footwork is only one aspect of this however. How you hold your hands is also important. You must be able to move the staff into various positions in order to strike different points and defend a variety of attacks. Now, Defend!" With that, Yurthin took an immediate stance and struck with his own quatertstaff. He brought the tip of the staff in a downward arc toward Nyd's head.

Nyd was taken slightly off guard but managed to turn his right wrist so that his hands were facing the opposite directions on the staff. In doing so, he also increased the space between his hands and brought the staff upward so that it was now horizontal. Yurthin's staff clapped in the center of Nyd's and stayed there for a brief moment before the man stepped back and relaxed his stance.

"Very good. There are countless ways to defend against an attack and that was one of them. I will not bore you with the various terms for the blocks but I will say that the only way to really get the feel for how to defend is through live practice. That will be what we do for the next few sessions. We shall spar with you defending my attacks and getting familiar with how the staff feels in your hands in combat. Let us continue for a time longer." Yurthin took his stance once again as did Nyd. The two began sparring with Yurthin striking and Nyd defending. This continued for a short time before Nyd had to leave for his classes on law.

Nyd bowed to Yurthin and thanked him. Yurthin merely nodded and turned to go off a different direction. Nyd once again found himself marveling at the oddness of this man who had thus far shown him respect if little else. With a shrug, Nyd moved off to his class; not wanting to deal with the consequences of being late.

[Nydardomond]

Nyd returned from his law class for the second and final session of the brightening. He had trained in the most basic of stances, grips, strikes and blocks and according to Yurthin he would spend the next few practice sessions sparring. Having spent a long time in law class, he was ready for the exercise and breath of fresh air. When he arrived in the courtyard, Yurthin was waiting as usual.

"I expect you to have kept fresh in your mind what I have taught you thus far as that training will be used from this point forward. One can read and study and practice the basics for only so long before they must be able to use them in live combat. I will forgo any more work on the basics; that is up to you to practice on your own. From this point forward you will master those techniques in combat. Take your stance!" Yurthin took his own stance and brought his staff before him in readiness.

Nyd took his stance which was quite similar to that which he used in his Shaasskah training. With both hands on his staff; two feet apart with the tops of his fists facing each other, he circled Yurthin. Master and apprentice danced about, twirling staffs and sizing one another up. Nyd knew he stood little to no chance against Yurthin and hoped that the master kept in mind the student's inexperience.

Yurthin answered Nyd's thoughts by bringing his own staff down in a forward arc toward Nyd's skull. Nyd raised the staff and the two weapons clapped together. Nyd in turn swatted one end of his staff against Yurthin's side as a counter. Yurthin blocked it easily but nodded his approval as the battle continued.

Strike after strike clapped loudly as the two struck and blocked and danced about in a fluid, almost art-like motion. Nyd did however suffer many knuckle cracks and smacks to the body and side of the head from Yurthin's skilled strikes. The master held nothing back in terms of power in his strikes and Nyd felt it. Nyd also learned from the hits as he felt first hand which caused more pain and fused that knowledge to memory. He had little choice in the matter as his head had been clapped nearly a dozen times before the session began to wrap up.

When the fight finally ended, Yurthin had scored countless hits on Nyd while the half-orc was able to make at least two good hits against his teacher. Even those strikes were glancing blows as Yurthin expertly diffused them as to cause only minor damage.

"Well done. I think that will be all for now. I will see you back here tomorrow and we shall continue. You must learn to harden your body against blunt strikes. Know when to flex and when to go loose. This we will learn next. Get much rest, you will need it." Yurthin bowed to Nyd and he in return as they parted ways until the next session.

[Nydardomond]

The next brightening again found Nyd finishing his routine meditation session before heading off to the Citadel for another round of class and training. When he arrived, he found Yurthin in the same place that they usually met. After both bowed respectfully to each other, Yurthin informed Nyd of something different this time.

"After our last session, I realized that although you carried yourself well and used the weapon with growing skill, you seemed to lack a truly aligned focus. By this I mean you weren't quite connected with your weapon so to speak." Yurthin produced a strip of cloth roughly two feet long and six inches wide.

"We will try this time with you being blindfolded. You are an orc, even if only partially. This gives you senses that you may understand yet haven't fully embraced. I can tell by the way you carry yourself that you try not to embrace that aspect of your being yet know that it is only one part of you. It is a part that you can tap into and use for good. You need not fear it." He motioned for Nyd to approach. As the half-orc complied, Yurthin stepped behind him, reached up and placed the blindfold over Nyd's eyes and tied it secure.

"Now feel your environment, taste the air and smell the breeze. Open yourself up to that which surrounds you and focus on the weapon; how it feels in your grasp and how it feels in relation to the world around you." Yurthin continued to guide Nyd into something of a waking mediation. This was aided by the fact that Nyd regularly mediated already.

Nyd held the staff in both hands and breathed deeply and regularly. He allowed himself to let go as he had during his meditation sessions and embraced the words his teacher spoke. He found difficulty in being able to feel the weapon in relation to his surroundings however yet the meditative state came. With each breath, he tasted the air. He could smell Yurthin nearby and taste the scent of human on the breeze. It felt only right to take his stance and begin to circle as if he were preparing to spar. He spun the staff slowly around him and went through the movements that he had been taught and had practiced.

When Yurthin's staff came singing through the air straight for Nyd's skull, the half-orc, as if by instinct, brought his own weapon upward and to the side. The two weapons clapped together and Yurthin was sent spinning slightly off balance. Nyd stopped immediately and removed his blindfold. He saw Yurthin standing a few feet away with a look of shock mixed with satisfaction. Nyd too looked just as shocked, perhaps more so.

"Impressive, my boy. I must admit I had not expected that. I can sense there is something about you. It is almost as if you have done this all before but have somehow forgotten it all. Perhaps in a former life you were skilled in this art." Yurthin smiled again and bowed before taking his stance again. Little did the man realize that his words had more of an affect on Nyd than intended. The half-orc indeed felt as though all of this was familiar somehow and after the visions and his encounter with the Wolves of Jorel and White Crane, it seemed ever more pronounced that the ties between he and the heroes of ages past remained tight.

"Again!" Shouted Yurthin and Nyd put his blindfold back on and began to spar once more, without his eyes to guide him. Most of the time he was unable to strike or block against Yurthin yet more often than just by chance, he succeeded.

Soon the session came to a close and the two, master and apprentice, parted ways once more as Nyd went to engage his mind with the tenets of law.

[Nydardomond]

When the law class had let out, Nyd returned to the courtyard of the Arium Citadel to continue his weapon training. He was still experiencing a bit of awe in regard to his last session when he was able to block Yurthin's strike while blindfolded. When he again confronted his newfound teacher, Nyd wasted no time in taking his staff in hand and bowing as he prepared for the next round of learning.

"You have learned how to strike, block, move and bind yourself to the weapon. Now you will know what it is to be harmed by the very weapon you wield. In order to strike true in combat, you must know what hurts and what can be ignored. This will be one of the toughest tests yet. Are you ready?" Yurthin watched Nyd's physical response while waiting for the verbal one.

Nyd nodded slowly; understanding what was to come next, he leaned his staff against the nearby wall and stepped toward Yurthin.

The human raised his staff into the ready position. "With this you will not only learn how to harm your opponent but you will also learn how to prepare your own body for a successful strike against you. You will not always know what attack will come next but you must always be ready for anything." Yurthin cracked his staff downward and clapped Nyd in the shoulder.

Nyd grimaced and flinched as he almost fell to one knee. The blow was great and immediately a bruise began to form on the green flesh of the half-orc. Yurthin struck immediately after and brought his staff down upon Nyd's other shoulder. This attack nearly caused Nyd's legs to buckle as well with the downward force.

Blow after blow rained down upon the half-orc's upper body as Yurthin was determined to strike every possible point on Nyd's body. He repeated each strike randomly which caused Nyd to tighten his muscles in a way that he could absorb blows from any direction. Clap after clap, crack after crack echoed across the courtyard as Yurthin bludgeoned Nyd over and over again. After nearly two candlemarks of such an attack, Nyd finally started to harden his body against such strikes. Of course at the end, he was exhausted and his body was more of a single giant bruise than anything else.

When the session was over, Yurthin stepped back and said, "This will become a part of the rest of your training. You know now what hurts and thus you will know how to cause such pain in your opponents. Return the next brightening and we shall see if you have really learned anything thus far." Yurthin bowed and Nyd returned the gesture as the two parted ways until the next session.

[Nydardomond]

Nyd again returned the following brightening to continue his training with Yurthin. As promised, Nyd endured another round of being pummeled by his teacher. Taking his combat stance, staff aside, Nyd stood and held his pose while Yurthin cracked his quarterstaff against the half-orc's body. Not a single limb was left untouched. This went on for almost half a candlemark yet half way through that, Nyd started to feel numb. He wasn't sure if that were a good thing or not yet it helped him to continue the conditioning.

When the 'warm-up' was finished, Yurthin instructed Nyd to retrieve his staff and take his stance once more. Nyd complied and gripped the weapon while positioning himself for combat. He gripped the staff in the Honte with both hands positioned roughly 8 inches apart with his thumbs on top. He then switched to the Gyakute and the Kae'Suki and then back to the Honte.

During the display of grips, Nyd held the Honte no Kamae stance with one foot in front of the other. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and did so many times over as he switched grips. Along with shifting his weight, he began to dance from side to side, bobbing and weaving as he would when using the Shaasskah form of unarmed combat.

The entire time spent demonstrating his stance, grip and movement, Nyd kept his eyes closed as he tried to reach out with his other senses and feel the staff as a part of himself and the world around him. There of course were a few minor slips yet for the most part he kept his balance and form.

He did this for quite some time before Yurthin silently stepped forth with weapon in hand. With a quick strike, he tried to clap Nyd across the face. As Nyd continued his movements, he thought he felt something not quite right. At the last moment he recognized the feeling and immediately brought his staff vertical in front of him. With strength and quickness he then spun the staff to the side and knocked Yurthin's strike off target causing it to glance harmless off Nyd's thick shoulder.

This began an exchange between the two. Yurthin would unleash a series of quick and well aimed strikes at Nyd while the half-orc parried and dodged many of them. Nyd in turn spun his staff toward Yurthin, connecting with the man's leg and arm with bone-jarring force. The fight went on for many moments before both men ceased their attacks and took a few steps back. Yurthin, though much more experienced than Nyd, stumbled with a limp and held his badly bruised arm. Nyd, having taken numerous blows, also staggered back, his overall mass the only thing that cushioned him from the onslaught of strikes.

"Excellent work. You are nearly ready for the final test of your skill. Come back in a couple of candlemarks and we shall have your final session before the test." Yurthin bowed to Nyd.

"Thank you Master Yurthin. If I were to be ready it is only due to your teachings. I thank you for everything. Even the bruises."Nyd returned Yurthin's bow and gathered his things before heading off to the next law class.

[Nydardomond]

Nyd returned to the courtyard to find Yurthin waiting for him as usual. The two wasted little time with greetings and such as Yurthin began the final normal session of training.

"You have done quite well to this point, Nyd. You have learned how to grip your weapon, defend, strike, and take a beating. You have learned to reach out with your other senses and feel the weapon and that which surrounds it. Through it all you have faced one who uses the same weapon as you. Today that will change." Yurthin tossed his staff to the side and pulled a longsword from a scabbard on his back.

"I do not favor such weapons as this yet in order to teach you how to fight against one, I will use it. The blade is quick and deadly when used by one who knows its capabilities. Defending against it with a staff can be seem difficult yet the same techniques you used against another staff can be used now." Yurthin took his stance and began to circle. Nyd did the same. The two combatants; their respective weapons at the ready, danced around each other, moving their weapons in unison with their steps.

Yurthin was the first to strike. His blade came from the side in a slash toward Nyd's shoulder. Nyd spun his staff to knock the blade to the side yet Yurthin pulled it back at the last moment and slashed downward at Nyd's thigh. The blade bit deep into the half-orc's flesh and brought forth a cry of pain. Nyd fell backward while leaning on his staff.

"Wielding a blade also offers one the increased advantage of feigning an attack thus causing the opponent to open themselves to another. Remember you have two ends to that weapon. Be aware of that always." Yurthin motion for Nyd to return to his stance and the half-orc did so although with a heavy limp. Nyd continued his circling yet was much more aware of Yurthin's ability to severely harm him. For Yurthin's part, the teacher did not hold back and was sure to make Nyd feel any mistakes that were made.

Yurthin unleashed slash and stab against Nyd and the half-orc failed to defend the first several strikes. Eventually, after some time and much blood, Nyd began to defend himself. Yurthin launched a stab against Nyd's gut and the half-orc spun his staff down at the blade, knocking it to the side. He follow-up the parry with a strike of his own aimed directly at Yurthin's head. The teacher tried to recover yet Nyd's blow was too fast and slammed into the man's skull sending him reeling. Nyd pressed his attack as his anger and orcish rage was boiling over. Yurthin, his guard weakend by the blow to the head, was set on the defensive as Nyd gripped his staff as he had been taught and brought it to bear upon his instructor.

Yurthin's skill was of course much greater and before things got too much more out of hand, the master broke Nyd's defense and held his blade at the half-orc's neck, piercing ever so slightly the tough green hide. It was enough to bring Nyd back around and cause him to pause. Lowering his staff, Nyd fell back a few steps, his own wounds and profuse bleeding taking their toll.

Breathing heavily, suffering a few broken ribs and countless bruises, Yurthin lowered his blade and smiled. "I would hate to see what you do when you are really angry. Anyway, I think you have an idea now of how dangerous a blade can really be. Even if crude and easy, it can be deadly. We need to get you to the infirmary and tend to those wounds."

Nyd began to regain more of his senses. Indeed he now understood the dangers of the blade. Not long ago he had experienced their deadly accuracy in the battle against the Wolves of Jorel yet he now held a greater respect after having his confidence in his own newfound training tested. He wasn't sure if he had failed the latest lesson or not but the experience he knew would remain with him for some time to come.

His wounds continuing to bleed, Nyd followed Yurthin to the infirmary to get his wounds stitched and bandaged. His final test would come the next brightening and he hoped that what he had learned thus far would come easily for him in whatever Yurthin had planned.

[Nydardomond]

Nyd was given little time to rest after the training session had ended before he had to go back on duty on the darkening shift as part of the brute squad. He was still quite sore from sparring staff versus blade. His wounds were bound and his orcish resilience would be more than enough to take care of the rest yet he still felt the effects.

The darkening was going along better than usual. His main assignment was the outskirts of the docks where most of the crime in the city seemed to take place; or at least most of the more violent ones. He had already had to break up a couple of bar fights that had spread out into the streets and had broken the arm of one of one of those involved. The poor sap had the nerve to strike the half-orc and ended up getting his arm nearly shattered from the wrist up to the shoulder when Nyd brought his fist down on the man's elbow. Yet that had been the majority of happenings during his shift for the first several candlemarks.

It was near brightening when Nyd found himself patrolling an alleyway known for various crimes of the more unacceptable types. He was alone with the rest of his patrol taking turns checking out other areas when he heard commotion from up ahead. Making his way toward the noise, he soon saw four figures armed with various weapons pushing around another. When Nyd arrived the confrontation had turned to drawn and swinging weapons. The individual figure; one whom Nyd could not immediately identify, was able to fend for themselves and head off down a side street. The other four turned as Nyd approached.

One of them spoke yet all had cloaks with hoods pulled over their faces so their faces were unidentifiable. "Lookie here boys, we are blessed with the presence of the green piggie." There were some collective snorting sounds.

"So little piggie, you think yourself of some respect do you; wearing that blue shirt and all. Psh, your pathetic. Come on boys, let's show this hog who really runs things around here." The one speaking motioned to the other three and they began advancing.

"I suggest you drop your weapons and come peacefully. I do not wish to hurt you; you can make this easy on yourselves if you so wish." Nyd tried as always to work things out with as little bloodshed as possible yet he found it hardly ever worked. The men merely laughed and continued their advance with the apparent leader bringing up the rear.

The alley was lined with warehouses for the various businesses that operated in the dock area. Most were a single story tall with some being two. The walls were stone and the nearest side street was past the approaching thugs. Two of the men were armed with shortswords, another with a dagger and the leader carried two small hand-axes. Nyd realized that this would be more of a test of his weapon training than his unarmed combat skills as he was outnumbered and outmatched in weapons. He gripped his staff the way he had been taught with both hands positioned roughly eight inches apart. He took his stance with one foot in front of the other and balanced his weight between the two.

The first two men with shortswords charged when they were but a few feet away. Nyd shifted his grip to defense and slapped down upon one blade, knocking it completely off target. He followed with an upward crack immediately after from the other end of the staff but only managed to move the blade a bit closer to him and the steel sliced across his left forearm. Clenching his teeth and biting back a curse, he moved his grip as to strike with a sweeping attack to the knee of the one who hit him. The blow connected with a loud crunch; the man's knee gave out and he fell to the ground, screaming in pain as his leg was broken and bent at a very odd angle.

The other man with the sword took advantage of his fellow's misfortune and raised his blade, bringing it down at Nyd's shoulder. The blade cut true and sliced the bandages that covered an existing wound from the earlier training session. The blood and the pain began to draw forth Nyd's inner rage and it was becoming much more difficult to control as the combat continued.

By this time the man with the dagger had taken the place of the his comrade with the broken leg. He rushed in after Nyd had taken the second hit from the sword and stabbed wildly. Nyd took several swipes at his gut which broke the skin but did not cut very deep. This allowed the half-orc to hop backward enough to switch his grip and drive the end of his staff into the dagger man's gut with a force that nearly impaled the attacker. It didn't however but was enough to send the man flying backward with a possible broken sternum. The man collapsed several feet away in a crumpled heap.

In the meantime the man with the sword took a chance and kicked a good amount of dirt in Nyd's direction. Caught off guard, Nyd was unable to close his eyes in time and found himself blinded by the grit. The man then took off running with his leader's curses following. Nyd staggered a bit and tried to wipe his eyes which only served to blind him further. The leader saw this and decided he would finish the half-orc off and rid the streets of the menace once and for all; thus allowing crime to gain even more of a foothold in the area.

Nyd struggled for a brief moment longer before giving up. His eyes teared up and everything went blurry. Trying to keep his calm and discipline, he closed his eyes tightly and tried to blot out the irritation. Yurthin had introduced him to such an occasion where sight would not be a factor in the battle. With a deep breath, Nyd focused on his weapon. He tried to block out all other distractions. He ignored the fact that at least one man remained and would most surely take advantage of the situation. He allowed himself to feel the wood and metal of the staff. He smelled the air and could taste the blood on it. He tried to concentrate on the feeling of someone else's presence and their proximity to him.

He could sense someone getting closer. They were moving slowly as if to get just the right strike while also taunting him. He heard the voice, "Now my little piggie, I will put you in your proper place. Wretched hog. You aren't worthy of life much less law enforcement. What made you think you stood a chance out here in our home?" The man continued to taunt him as he looked for just the right spot to strike.

Nyd stopped moving and stood still. It was only he and his weapon and the air around him. The man with the axes found his mark and took what he felt was an easy opportunity to kill what he saw as an abomination to life. He swung one axe at Nyd's exposed neck and brought the other across the half-orc's belly. Nyd briefly hoped that he had grasped enough of his training and in an instant, he knew he had. With his staff, held outward and horizontal, he felt a change in the air as if something was coming toward him. As if he had done it a thousand times, he brought one end of the staff up and it connected with the axe blade, knocking it away. At the same time, the other end of the staff swung around and threw the other axe blade off target as well. Still blinded, he brought the staff vertically with great speed and slammed it down in front of him. He felt the wood and metal come in contact with flesh and bone. The flesh and bone gave way with a thud followed by a crack and a crunch. A second later he heard the man fall to the ground, lifeless.

Nyd stood for a moment longer with his eyes closed. Soon after he wiped at his eyes more and between that and tears, the grit was expelled and his vision slowly returned. When it did, he saw the leader laying at his feet, axes tossed aside. Three men, one dead, lay around him. He was bleeding, a couple of the wounds rather serious, but he was alive. It was then that he saw someone walking toward him from down the alley. It was the man whom initially was assaulted by the thugs. As he approached, he pulled back his hood. It was Yurthin.

"Congratulations, my friend. You have indeed learned a lot. I am sorry for this but it was the best way to test you. I had been looking to break up this group for sometime. Finally I was able to get them in one place and felt that you were ready to assist. I am sorry that I could not tell you but the best way to learn is not in a training circle or in a classroom but on the streets with real people and real crime. Indeed it will be a pleasure having you as one of us. Great job!" Yurthin walked up to Nyd and put his hand on the half-orc's unwounded shoulder.

"Thank you, friend. I thought halfway through it that I may not make it. Without you and what you taught me, I never would have. I should be angry at the ruse but to be honest, I am glad it happened this way. Thank you again and I too look forward to serving alongside you. Perhaps though for now, we should clean up this mess and track down the one that got away?"Nyd's wounds, though bad, were momentarily forgotten as he thought of trying to track down and apprehend the last remaining member of the small gang.

"No, I think right now you need to go back to the infirmary and get those wounds looked at. You may be half-orc but your also half-human and you need to remember that. Don't go putting yourself in danger just because your bigger than everyone else and now have a bit of skill with a stick. You still have a lot to learn my friend." Yurthin smiled and directed Nyd toward the direction of the Citadel.

"Let us go get you fixed up and then go for a drink. I thin you've earned it." Yurthin walked with Nyd back to the Citadel and the two talked of the future and what it held for both of them. It had not only been Nyd's test of skill with his newfound weapon but also his first real threat while serving as a constable. Who knew what the future held for him from that point forward.

[Grim]

Basic Staff, approved.

-Grim