A Bit of Training (Job- Fang, Victoria, and Mayumi)

Job Link

Mayumi stopped at the crest of the hill, staring down into the sleepy little village below. Beanstalk village. It was a farming community, mostly, not a place most would consider special. But apparently there was one exception to that- the Rune Knights. Mayumi had no clue why former warriors had decided that this was a good place to retire, but for some unknown reason they had. But at least the fact that they all liked to retire to the same place made them pretty easy to find.

So she and a couple of her guild mates had decided to head down here and get a rune knight to train them. After all, you should never stop learning your trade, right? And if you were in a guild and you fought often... Well, you'd better keep training your combat skills. Not, of course, that this training should be too particularly difficult. It had to be said that knights usually retired for a reason. Still, they could hope the knights still retained enough of their fighting skills to be useful.

She took a minute to get her bearings. She spotted the small village pub on the main street and headed toward it. She'd suggested the group meet there. She'd never been to beanstalk village before, so she didn't know any of the unique landmarks, but every village had a tavern, so it seemed like the easiest place for all of them to find. She quickly walked down the street and headed to the building, ignoring the curious looks from the locals, probably wondering what the hell she was doing here. She pushed the door open and stepped inside, scanning to see if her companions had gotten there yet.

Word Count: 286

It was the very first job that Fang took upon himself, and he only joined Black Rose a few days ago. The thrill of being on a job is present in his mind while also reading the details about finding a rune knight and being trained by one of them. To be honest Fang had always respected the rune knights, and at the same time Fang can see why they settled on Beanstalk Village as their retire home. Living in a place that is away from the major cities, nature flourishing around them as their crops grew from the fields. It brings a peaceful mindset to a tired soul, and maybe that is what these retired warriors are seeking.

Fang is a tall young man with ash brown straight hair that touches his shoulders. What exposed skin there is reveals a dull bronze color as his short sleeved white shirt covers his torso. On his legs is a pair of cargo shorts in grey color with a pair of simple black-white shoes. A pair of socks can be seen being worn around the ankle. So least to say he kind of sticks out compared to normal people around the village especially when Fang looks like he belongs in a city. Plus everybody who is a local or lived in this village long enough would not recognize him.

Shouldering his bag that Fang has been carrying, he made his way into Beanstalk Village rather early in the morning. Shops were just opening up when he entered the settlement, and figuring he had plenty of time to spend Fang socialized with the locals. Not prying into their personal lives, but more like coming clean that he is new in the village as he just traveled from Rose Garden and since he arrived in Beanstalk. Fang inquire more information about what the village does aside from farming. Granted Fang is no expert in business, but he knows in order to maintain a village of this size crops alone isn’t enough to maintain it financially. So Fang was curious what other exports the village was offering.

Doing this earned Fang some intelligence about other goods, and that sate his curiosity for the time being. Seeing the sun was rising higher above the tallest building, Fang decided it was about time to make his way to the local tavern. So thanking the people for their time, Fang made his way over to the tavern. Where he will take up a table meant for four people as Fang more or less reserves seats for his other guild members that are also on this job. If proof was ever needed Fang would just show the blue Black Rose tattoo on his right forearm exposed for all to see if they look at his arm. Fang’s arms does appear to possess small, faint scars like they came from multiple shallow cuts.

Luckily for Fang, he didn’t have to wait too long before the doors open for what feels like the tenth time now. His deep blue eyes that seems to compare to a blue sapphire looks up from his table to see a lady with a determined expression on her face. Like she is here with a purpose and not for fun or to drink the day away. The determination seems to be chiseled with discipline like she is wearing a mask of sorts, but really it is her clothes that makes her stand out the most. For not everybody unless it is on a special occasion dresses in a kimono. The way her eyes scan from one side of the building to the other suggests that she is looking for something, and when she turned her head Fang could see a familiar tattoo on the left side of her neck. As it was the same one that Fang possess on his arm only hers was black.

Fang raises his right arm as a greeting towards her before speaking up. “I saved a seat for you. Unless you want the bar that is.” Fang’s bag lays on the table and doesn’t really take up much space. After he made his two sentences Fang lowered his arm to cross both arms at his torso level. His Black Rose tattoo being shown by doing so, and despite Fang having the tattoo for only a few days while weighing nothing. Fang can still feel the pressure on the tattoo like somebody is holding that stamp on it. It was an odd feeling especially with it lingering, but perhaps this is just his sharp mind remembering the feel?

Word Count: 767

Wearing a blue t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts with white tennis shoes and carrying a blue backpack filled with essentials, Victoria traveled to Beanstalk Village. She was to meet up with a couple of guildmates for the job. Their names were Mayumi and Fang. That was all she knew about them.

Victoria walked through the village until she came across the tavern. This was where she wanted to be. Even if she could not locate her guildmates right away, she could easily learn some local gossip from the patrons. Alcohol loosened lips. Loose lips told a lot of things that they would not tell when sober.

That was a universal truth. Even in Capital Crocus, the home of numerous aristocrats and wannabe aristocrats, people were less guarded when drinking. Victoria remembered a phrase that applied to such a situation. It was called "In vino veritas."

It was some fancy ancient language phrase that meant "In wine, the truth." It meant that drunk people usually told the truth because they were too inebriated to make convincing lies. That was usually the case. Sometimes people got too drunk to make any sense when they talked. Other people just clammed up and never said anything.

That was why Victoria never drank alcohol before or during a job. Aside from needing to keep her coordination and focus, she needed to be able to keep quiet and avoid giving away secrets in the event she got caught. Alcohol would impair all of those abilities.

She opened the door and found an orderly establishment that reminded her of the Silver Moon Inn. She ignored the gazes of curious locals and headed straight for the Black Rose tattoo. One was on the neck of a blonde-haired young woman wearing a beautiful kimono. The other was somewhere on a brown-haired male wearing a white t-shirt and gray cargo shorts with black and white shoes. They must be Mayumi and Fang.

Victoria casually walked up to them and introduced herself.

"Hey there. I'm Victoria Sheridan. You must be Mayumi and Fang." Victoria introduced herself, rolling up her sleeve to show the guild tattoo on her left shoulder.

[Word Count: 358]

It didn't take Mayumi long to spot one of her guildmates sitting in the small tavern. She saw the guild mark moments before he waved to catch her attention. That was just what made her certain, though. He clearly stood out from the rest of the townsfolk in the building. Cargo shorts weren't exactly common out here. Then again, neither were kimonos, so she couldn't really make much comment on that. Still, her family had been very traditional about that, and it was just her habit that she always wore them. Last she saw her sister did too. It probably seemed a bit odd to others, but it was normal to her.

She crossed to the table, sitting across the table from her companion for the job and flashing him a winning smile.

"Hello. You must be Fang. My name's Mayumi."

Her guess was definitely a fair one. After all, last time she checked Victoria was a girl's name, and, well, he didn't really look very feminine. Process of elimination left only one option.

Her unusual violet eyes fixed on him for a long moment, assessing him. She seemed satisfied with what she saw, as she then leaned back casually, brushing away one strand of her long blonde hair.

"So, how are you doing? I don't suppose you've met Victoria yet?"

Well, speak of the devil. Not that shew as actually calling her guildmate a devil, of course- it was just an expression. But the instant she mentioned the other girl's name she heard the door open behind her and glanced back. The girl in the khakis stood out just as much as the two already seated at the table. Her introduction just confirmed the fact, and she smirked slightly.

"Indeed. I'm Mayumi Katsuya. It's a pleasure to meet both of you."

She really was on her best behavior for this job. Then again, she always was. That's just how she'd been taught to be. After all, you never embarrassed your family. If only her other siblings had actually gotten that message.

"Of course, now that the introductions are out of the way, I suppose the next order of business is to interrogate a few of the locals, huh? Figure out where the strongest former rune knights are living and all that."

As she spoke she instinctively rested her hand on the pommel of the sword at her waist. The prospect of a good training match definitely excited her. Nothing got the blood running better, other than perhaps a real fight. She just hoped these retired knights would be as good as she hoped.

Post Word Count: 434

“Indeed i am. A pleasure to meet you Mayumi.” Fang responded with an added smile on his lips. Now that there was one person down, another should arrive… Fang’s train of thoughts were answered as the doors opened again no sooner than Mayumi sat down to reveal Victoria. Like Mayumi, Victoria held the sense that she was on a mission as she scanned through the small crowd before settling on Fang and Mayumi. “I think i just did Mayumi.” Answering Mayumi’s question on if he met Victoria yet as Victoria casually approached them. Revealing the Black Rose’s tattoo on her left shoulder, it seems like everyone is here.

“Interrogate is a bit of a strong word for this. We want them to train us, not put a sword between our eyes.” Fang more or less corrected Mayumi, and normally Fang would overlook it until he thought of how other people might take it. “There is a retired knight working as the local butcher. He cures and sells the meat the hunters bring in. From what i’ve seen he’s quite precise.” Thinking back on it, Fang tries to relate to a tired man who wants to get some peace in the mind and surrounded by… Of course. “We’ll need a name, and i think our best bet of finding this knight is to look at the surrounding farms. To save time, we can as the barkeep over there about the farms. Might get some lead to this person due to loose lips.”

Of course Fang is merely suggesting on their course of action, but from his tone and the confidence Fang gives off it feels more like telling them what to do. It was something Fang doesn’t mean to actively do since it just comes out naturally, and there doesn’t appear to be any form of excitement in his presence. Just focused attention on the task at hand, but Fang would be lying if he wasn’t looking forward to what the rune knights were trained to combat wizards.

WC: 338

"Yeah, I'd start with the barkeeper. They know what's going on in town." Victoria seconded Fang's motion. Talking to the "little people" beneath notice was usually a good idea. They heard things that could be retold... with a little convincing. It was amazing what people would let slip around barkeepers or the homeless.

"Interrogate isn't exactly the right word, Mayumi. We're not here on some cloak-and-dagger mission to abduct people and torture them until they talk. We just wanna know where we can find the knights. Ya know, a friendly conversation." Victoria gently said to Mayumi. The blonde had the right idea but the wrong word. "Interrogate" usually meant that someone disappeared into a torture chamber. That was not today's goal.

"Anyway, let's talk to the barkeeper." Victoria stated. She then politely called for the barkeeper. A thin, balding man in a white long-sleeved shirt with rolled-up sleeves, black pants and a black vest soon walked up.

"What'll ya have?" He asked Victoria. She took a quick glance at the offerings. Normally she did not drink on the job, but she might have to make an exception for this job. There was some good stuff on tap. She decided against it... she was here for training, not booze.

"I'd like to ask about some knights I heard live around here." Victoria confidently stated. The man's green eyes met her own. He did not look happy.

"What do you want them for?" He asked sourly.

"I heard about them. Well, me and my friends here did. We'd like some training from them." Victoria answered truthfully. He was still looking her over, but he did not have quite the same edge that he did a few seconds ago. That was good.

"Training, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah. We heard that they were really good fighters. The stuff of legends, even. We'd like to learn some fighting skills from them." Victoria continued.

"And why's that?" The barkeeper continued to grill her. She was hoping that Mayumi or Fang would take over from here. She was starting to run out of convincing words.

[Word Count: 349]

It took a lot of self-control for Mayumi to avoid sighing with exasperation or rolling her eyes. Why oh why did everyone always take things the wrong way. She'd thought the hint of joking sarcasm in her statement ought to have been obvious, but obviously they hadn't caught it. She took a long moment to contain her irritation before responding.

"Obviously I didn't mean interrogate literally. I do know what the word means. It was a joke of sorts."

I mean, did they really think that little of her intelligence that they thought she didn't know that? Clearly they didn't get her humor. Still, she wasn't going to get upset about it, especially not since she was going to be working with these people, so she let it go.

She listened as Victoria started chatting up the barkeeper, trying to get information on knights in the area. He didn't seem very forthcoming. Downright cranky, in fact. Still, she was usually pretty good at getting men to do what she wanted, so she may as well give it a shot. She sauntered up to the bar next to Victoria, leaning on it casually as she flashed the man a winning smile.

"Well you see, we're all mages, and we heard that the knights that have retired here are very talented. And we heard that you are very helpful, so we were hoping that you might be able to tell us where they live."

She brushed some hair aside, keeping her usual eyes focused on him in an interested way. Not surprisingly, the man definitely took notice of her attention. Then again, she was used to that. Men could be very easily of manipulate.

"Ah... Well, you know, I might just be able to help you out. There definitely are a few skilled knights around here..."

Mayumi nodded encouragingly, knowing that they were on the right track here. As long as she could keep him going they ought to be set.

"Oh, that would be wonderful! I don't suppose you could tell us who they are?"

"Well... There's old Burt. He's a bit up there in age now, but he's still very good with that spear of his. Sheila is a master of hand-to-hand combat. Used to be called the Tigress, you know. Maris has developed some arthritis, but she'd still quite handy with her whip. And Ponk is a master of swordsmanship."

Mayumi smiled at the man again. Being a requip mage she used all all different weapons, so really any of them would be useful to her, so she figured she would leave things up to her partners.

"Thank you! So, which one do you think you'd like to train under?"

The first sentence was directed toward the barkeeper, but the latter was clearly meants for her guildmates.

Word Count: 468

It wasn’t so much as Fang didn’t get the gesture for he understood it well enough. However his main concern was the people around them. Humans love to gossip and spread rumors faster than a forest fire. The least thing they want is these knights catching word of those rumors and end up being cautious. In other words sending the wrong impression to the people they’re seeking and becoming harder to find.

Normally Fang wouldn’t mind stepping in as he can be persuasive when he wants to be. However Mayumi beat him to the punch and seem to enchant the bartender with staring into her eyes and showering him with flattering words. So Fang remained quiet as he took the opportunity to look around the establishment with his eyes. His hearing focused on what the bartender was saying while taking note of the curious gazes they were getting from local folk. Fang honestly didn’t like getting this much attention, but for the moment there wasn’t anything wrong with it.

His guild mates were quick on squeezing out information from the bartender. Even was kind enough to give a number of names of these knights. Burt, Sheila the Tigress, and Maris were the names. Fang honestly wouldn’t mind training under all of them not because of his requip magic, but rather he is always fascinated by fighting styles. “I would like train under all three personally, but given the time we have i’ll pick Sheila. I’ve been meaning to invest more in martial arts anyway.” Fang answered as his eyes shifted over to the side. He could’ve sworn something moved, but now that he’s looking there’s only a vacant table. Brushing it off as part of his imagination he turned his attention to the other two.

WC: 295

The member 'FangXinglong' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Monster Dice' :

Victoria listened to Mayumi's mildly indignant rebuttal of the former's earlier statement. Victoria felt mildly bad about it. However, it was imperative to let people know that Black Rose was not a gang of thugs. They would converse with people first and try to get what they wanted without violence. If met with hostility, only then would they employ coercion.

In this case, coercion would not be necessary. Mayumi walked through the door Victoria opened and got the information they needed. The blonde was a smooth talker who knew how to wrap men around her finger. Now that they knew where the knights were, it was time for Victoria to choose one. Fang elected to train under Shiela, the Fist Tigress.

"I'm gonna train under Maris. You never know when a good whip might come in handy." Victoria said, an awkward pause filling the air when she realized what she had said. It sounded really wrong. Her face turned beet red with embarrassment. She probably sounded like some kind of deviant. Oh well... There was no turning back now.

"On the bright side, I can probably use it to swing off of tree limbs, chandeliers, that kinda thing. I'm light enough to be able to pull it off. And if I really have to masquerade as... you know... the whip can make the disguise look believable." Victoria tried to dispel some of the awkward. It was probably too late to do so. Maybe she should just shut up now.

"Anyway, moving on... who are you gonna chose to train under, Mayumi?" Victoria asked her blonde companion.

[Word Count: 266]

The member 'Victoria Sheridan' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Monster Dice' :

Mayumi considered her options for a long moment. She didn't have any spears, at least not yet, so she went ahead and crossed that option off her list. And while training unarmed combat might be useful, she was a requip mage as well as having other, non-requip weapons, so she doubted she'd ever really need it. She had a whip as one of her requip weapons, but she was already pretty good with it, and she didn't want to muscle in on her guildmate's training time. Which left just one option- the swordsman. She was pretty good with swords. After all, she'd trained with them with her sister. But she could always use some practice. She also had one of her swords on her, which seemed like a sign of sorts.

"Well, I guess I'll go train with Ponk then. Swords are always fun."

She turned her charming smile back on the bartender. "I don't suppose you'd be able to tell us where to find these knights, would you?"

He practically stumbled over himself telling them where the three trainers lived. The three knights were scattered around the village's surrounding areas, none of them really close together, but they shouldn't be too hard to find them. Armed with this new information, she turned her attention back to her guildmates.

"Well, it sounds like it's time to split up. Perhaps we can meet back up here after we're done training?"

Word Count: 239

It would seem that the three of them is splitting up, and since each one of them wants to be trained by a different knight it would save time to split up. Though Victoria being embarrassed of how she phrased the whip part is amusing to Fang. Victoria tried to remedy that by rephrasing that and backing up with some good points. However it seemed to make it worse and Fang actually chuckled this time. “Whips are good, though i wouldn’t recommend those sword whips. It might seem… cool as some people once said, but believe me it is an easy way to get yourself shredded. Unless you’re already used to whips that is.” Granted some people might already know that, but Fang has met one too many people who actually ended up getting themselves stabbed in the shin and feet from it. He would hate to see Victoria in that state.

“Meeting here is fine by me. I would say be careful, but i don’t think these knights are gonna be easy on us.” Especially since these knights were trained how to apprehend rogue wizards effectively and swiftly at that. Of course Fang doubts that the knights, retired or not, would be willing to teach those methods to wizards no matter if they’re legal or dark wizards. Fang will stand up to his feet and sling the strap of his bag onto his shoulder. “I’ll see you guys later.” And with that being said Fang leaves the bar in search for Sheila.

His search began as Fang looked into the downtown area. Talking to people and asking for directions. None were too keen on the idea that he was looking for Sheila, but after expressing his intentions and whatnot they pointed him in the right direction. Though Fang doesn’t really take their words at face value since he has the feeling that he’s being tested. Sure enough, Fang walked through downtown to the South where a farm is located. The same farm that Sheila, the Fist Tigress, is located at.

WC: 341

Victoria waited for the snickering to die down before speaking to Mayumi. It seemed that some patrons were listening in on their conversation. She endured the embarrassment in silence. The end result would be well worth the trouble. Mayumi wanted them to meet back here once the training was complete... she could agree to that.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. We'll meet back here. I'll catch you guys later!" Victoria said to Mayumi and Fang. Just as she left the tavern, some wise guy shouted a farewell.

"You're gonna get whipped, kid!" A male shouted. Laughter broke out. Victoria blushed as the door shut.

She inquired as to where she could find Maris. At first she was met with hostility even from the local homeless people, but a frank explanation of her motives convinced them to part with the information. Maris could be found walking around the outskirts of the town. As it turned out, even though she had officially retired from the Rune Knights, the town guard employed her as a reserve deputy. Even in retirement Maris could not let innocent people be hurt.

Victoria was walking towards the town's northern gate when she was confronted by three burly and shirtless men wearing blue pants and brown leather boots. They stepped in her way and pulled knives in unison. Victoria sighed.

"Give us your Jewels or we'll take 'em!" The leader ordered. He was a bald man with a red bandanna wrapped around his head. Victoria refused and shook her head. The three men took a step forward. She pulled her collapsible baton and swung sharply downward, making it extend to its full length.

"Oh, we've got a fighter!" The leader declared. His underlings laughed and began walking towards her. Victoria stood her ground. One of them reached for her and was met with a sharp strike to the hand. He recoiled as his partner lunged at her.

Victoria advanced into the lunge and grabbed his shoulders, giving him a swift knee strike to the genitals just as his hands touched her shoulders. He screamed and fell to the ground, holding himself and rocking from side to side. The other man moved to attack and was met with another sharp blow to the arm. He stepped forward and punched, narrowly missing her face as she leaned to the side. He kicked her in the right knee, making her pause in pain.

She recovered, escaped a grab for her weapon hand with a sidestep, and countered with a baton strike to the right knee. The man knelt for a moment, giving her an opening. She spun behind the man and hit him squarely in the back of the other knee, dropping him to all fours. A swift hit to the back of the head knocked him out. The leader put away his knife and laughed.

"Not bad, kid. We underestimated you. Isn't that right, Maris?" The leader asked. An old woman with old but serviceable armor and a whip at her side stepped out of a side alley.

"Yeah. She's got what it takes, Dan. She's got that fire." Maris answered. The man holding himself slowly got up with a drawn-out groan. Victoria was wary. Was this a trick?

"It's no trick, kid. You passed my test. I'm Maris, the former Rune Knight you're looking for." The old woman answered.

"Since word spreads fast around here, I heard that you were looking for me long before you left the tavern. So I set up a test to see if you had what it took to train under me. I hired these three wrestlers to see what you were made of." Maris explained further. The unconscious man was coming to. Now Victoria felt a bit guilty.

"Don't worry about it, kid. We're wrestlers. We're used to taking hard hits. That was a good fight!" Dan consoled her. Maris produced three bags of Jewels and handed them to each man.

"There's the fee we agreed on. 5,000 Jewels each. Well done, gentlemen." Maris complimented them while handing them the money they were promised.

"Thanks Maris!" Dan thanked her. He and his two friends walked away, leaving Victoria and Maris to converse.

"Well done, kid. You didn't even flinch when you were outnumbered. You almost looked annoyed." Maris commented.

"I grew up on the streets. I'm used to street fighting and street rules." Victoria replied. Maris smiled. She motioned for Victoria to follow her.

"All right then, kid. I'll show you how to use a whip. Let's go." Maris said. Victoria obediently followed. She was getting closer to her goal.

[Word Count: 767]

Mayumi headed out of the tavern, following the directions the bartender had given her. He'd said that the former knight's house was down the road to the east, on one of the outlying farms. Based on his description, she figured it ought to be easy enough to find, and she followed the main road out of town, like he had told her to. Of course it was just her luck that her trainer seemed to be the one who lived the farthest away.

It was a bit of a walk, but she eventually reached the house that she supposed belonged to Ponk. It was a nice little stone farmhouse, well kept and maintained. The owner clearly put a good amount of efforts in it. The surrounding fields were all well-manicured as well, and she thought that whoever lived here took a good deal of pride in their work. That was always a good sign.

She walked up to the door, confidently knocking on it. Not more than a few seconds later the door was suddenly thrown open, catching her off-guard. Standing in the doorway was an elderly man, tanned from working outside, with wild gray hair falling to his shoulders and blue eyes that looked surprisingly young. He also wore two swords belted around his waist, which Mayumi took to be a good sign.

"An' who might you be now? Don't recon I know you. Don't really recon I want to either."

Well he was pleasant. Mayumi held back a sigh. Oh well, it was a little late to back out now. Besides, she could handle a bit of harassment.

"No, you don't know me. My name is Mayumi. I came here looking for a retired knight that might be willing to train me. The bartender told me you might be just the person."

She gave him another one of her winning smiles. He just snorted derisively.

"Oh, he told you that, did he? Well, let's be honest girl, I don't think you've got what it takes to handle my training."

Mayumi raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh, I think I can manage. I'm stronger than I look, as a good number of enemies have figured out."

The knight shrugged. "Well then, I guess we may as well see what you've got, huh? Just don't come crying to me when you get hurt, because it will be your own damn fault. Wait here for a minute while I get ready, and then let's see if you can back up that talk."

He disappeared back into the house before Mayumi could respond, but she just shrugged it off. Oh well, at least he had agreed to train her. Sort of.

Word Count: 449

Sheila was found tending to her field as it would seem like she is harvesting some ripe crop. She may seem to be in her 70’s, but Fang would’ve assumed she was maybe in her 40’s considering that she is still graying from the blonde hair she possess. Her skin was tan that gave off a copper shine with the sun’s light as Sheila worked the field. Fang approached Sheila while making sure not to step on the mounds. “Excuse me, but are you perhaps Sheila? A former Rune Knight?” Fang may have strong assumptions that this is the right person, but it is generally best to hear it from her since the most he got is a name and location.

Fang blink once, and suddenly there was a narrow end of a carrot being pointed at him. Sheila had spun around and probably would’ve lodged the carrot into his eye socket without making much of a sound. “That is just a status boy. I can still knock some heads together.” Her eyes were light grey as Sheila eyed at Fang for a moment before speaking again. “What is your name kid?” The young man had remained quiet up until now. Mainly because he was simply amazed that if Sheila really wanted to she could’ve knocked him down before he could bat an eye.

“My name is Fang Xinglong madam.” Sheila frowned at the formality polite word to address somebody. “Don’t say madam to me, or ma’am. Fang huh…” Trailing off into silence as her eyes looked to the side, but there was a certain glaze over Sheila’s eyes that suggest she was deep in thought. “I feel like i should know that name, but I can’t wrap my finger around it.” Sheila lets out a sigh as she lowers the carrot and drops it into her basket of other carrots. “Well i assume you’re not really here to chat. What is it that you want kid?”

Sheila went back to her work, but she was paying attention as Fang followed her. “I am a recent addition to the wizard’s guild called Black Rose. Magic is something i am still grasping, and living out in the wilderness has taught me that i need more than one thing to survive. So i was wondering since you were a Rune Knight for years if you could train me a bit of your ways Sheila.” Sheila was quiet as Fang spoke, and at the same time she was picking up carrots to check if they were ripe or not. “So you’re a wizard yet you don’t want to know how to use a sword, axe, or any of the stabby bits? Most people take up the sword because it is easier to wield and axes when they think brute strength is the answer to everything.”

In Fang’s mind she wasn’t wrong since he can remember quite a few people including guards that usually have a sword and shield on hand. It did seem pretty common, but Fang can see the flaw in that. “There are going to be situations where i won’t have a sword in hand, or if for some reason my belongings get taken away to where i just have my clothes on me. I still need to learn some way to defend myself against attackers especially when i am unarmed.” For some reason Sheila began to laugh as she stopped moving. Turning on her heels, Fang noticed that there was a certain fire in her eyes. “Fang, we are never truly unarmed especially when we hone our bodies and skills. Hone them to the point where people fear you more than they would if a sword was held at their throat. This might sound odd, but may i see your hands for a moment?”

Fang did think it was a bit odd to ask, but he extended both hands with his palms open and facing upward. Sheila puts the basket of crops down and takes one of his hands with her own. Tracing the lines on his palm and seeming to lightly poke at the calluses. Then Sheila picks up Fang’s other hand and repeats the process. For some reason, Sheila saw something that made her smile. “I have only met a select few who are blessed by the Warrior Saint. You just may be the third person i’ve met in my life. Are you sure you don’t wish to train with Ponk? I’m pretty sure you two would get along well.” Fang has no idea who Ponk was, but the young man shook his head to silently decline it.

“Maybe some other time, but for today i wish for you to teach me. I can help with the harvest if you want.” Sheila waved the offer off as she pondered on the thought some more. Finally, Sheila came to the conclusion. “Alright. Let me just take this basket up to my house and we can get started.” Picking the basket up again, both Sheila and Fang walked through the field to the single two-story house with a barn next to it. During the walk Sheila was telling one of the stories that she did in her career. Fang listened to the story and would occasionally ask to clarify some things. Though Sheila didn’t get to finish her story by the time she walked into her house and immediately Sheila was greeted by children. Sheila gave them hugs and told them that if they could get the crops washed before she gets back she’ll take them downtown for a bit.

Fang outside when one of the kids, short with short blonde hair and stormy grey eyes, that was standing at the doorway watching Fang. He honestly didn’t know why the kid was staring at him, but Fang offered a smile as he waved. The kid didn’t wave back as he retreated into the house. Sheila eventually came out in a different set of clothes. Before she wore simple clothing with a brown overall. Now she wears a gi with a black belt. “I know my age is up there, but don’t think i can’t take a hit. The question that i do have is…”

They were practically standing at the front yard as they were maybe five meters apart. When Sheila trailed off it was like she blurred and instantly she was directly in front of Fang. Instinct took over as he tried to defensively raise his arms, but it was in vain as Sheila hurls a powerful cupped fist on Fang’s stomach. A shockwave erupts from the impact as the grass flattened near them for a moment. Fang couldn’t withstand the force as he had the wind knocked out of him before Fang skid on the ground. Fang skid for a total of five meters before he placed a tender hand over his stomach. “If you could withstand my attack, then there is hope for you. My training is simple. Spar with me until either the sun sets or you at least become proficient with black tiger style.”

Fang was able to draw in a couple of breaths before Sheila moved so fast that Fang blinked and she was already on him. This time Fang anticipated the attack and pivoting from his left foot Fang spun around Sheila’s left side. However he was immediately greeted with a roundhouse kick from Sheila as she spun clockwise to catch Fang. Even when Fang managed to block the attack and it stung like hell. Another booming shockwave erupts from the contact as Fang is forcefully knocked back ten meters. Before he could recover Sheila practically flew at him before slamming all of her momentum into a single palm strike at Fang’s chest.

Writing that it hurts is putting it mildly as Fang felt his heart skip a beat and that hurt on top the force attempting to crush his ribcage. This time Fang is sent flying for about twenty meters before he flipped his body and landed to a skidding halt. Sheila lets him recover for a couple of seconds as Fang drops to one knee and makes sure to get his breathing under control. “Get up kid. I want you to attack me, not go in the defensive. If you don’t show aggression towards your opponent they’re just going to overpower you very quickly just as i did.” Well she certainly didn’t earn the nickname Fist Tigress for nothing, and if Fang didn’t know any better he would have guessed she possessed some form of titan strength.

Taking a shaky breath, Fang stood up to his feet. Moving as fast as he was able to, Fang sprinted in a zigzag pattern even though Sheila easily sees through it. After all, she dashed towards him as she would’ve accurately intercepted his approach. If Fang hadn’t already anticipated it that is. Fang waited for the last second as Sheila threw a strong fist at his direction to suddenly twist his body to narrowly avoid the attack while at the same time hurling a left uppercut aimed for under her chin. Quickly realizing her error, Sheila tries to jump away with her head tilted, but Fang still managed to nick her. It may appear to not be really effective, but considering the large gap in experience and prowess that was quite a surprise.

Sheila spun on her heel as she crouched low to deliver a high sweeping kick at Fang’s head. However Fang took a step back before the heel missed his nose by a centimeter. Unflinching, the moment Sheila spun around Fang was hurling a right hook at her head. Through the sheer speed Sheila possess over Fang, she effectively blocked it with one of her arms while simultaneously throwing a cupped fist at Fang’s abdomen. Only her fist was blocked as well since Fang defensively prepared the other hand to guard his upper body. So her fist smacks onto his palm, and even though Fang stopped it another audible shockwave erupts from the impact as the sharp pain shoots up along his left arm. Yet Fang held firm.

The Fist Tigress presented a smirk before quickly taking a step forward while bringing her elbow swinging at Fang’s cheek. Fang leaned away from the attack as he used his left elbow to push Sheila’s attack upward just enough to where it misses him by a hair’s width. Keeping up with his momentum, Fang moved as quick as he could to drop to a crouch while sweeping with his left leg. Sheila jumped over it with an added flip to drop a heavy heel on Fang’s right shoulder. There was a nasty pop as his right arm went limp and Fang bared his teeth trying to contain the pain. Fang tries to push Sheila away, but she had already flipped backwards and gracefully landed on her feet.

Fang was still holding onto his right shoulder as Sheila frowned at the sight of it. “Already dislocated your shoulder eh? That’s an easy fix.” Before Fang could even think about protesting Sheila seemed to teleported at his side and with a quick jerk Sheila sets the shoulder back in its socket with another sickening pop. It hurt just as much as she dislocated it, and in Fang’s mind if Sheila was this strong then he would hate to see what the others had to deal with. “The best way to grasp how you act in combat is to give you a little bout myself. You have some good points here, but i can see why you came to me. Now I’ll teach you the black tiger style, and don’t worry i’m not going to hit you this time.”

Hours went by as Sheila went through the basics of the black tiger with Fang. Step by step Fang learned the basics of the style. It wasn’t just a fighting style as the size didn’t truly matter. Sheila used a bit of magic to infuse her hands in order to dish out more damage than normal. Hence was the explanation as to why her attacks always produced a shockwave and why she kept knocking Fang off his feet literally. It wasn’t until evening when they finally called it for the day.

“Practice what you’ve learned here, and i’m sure you’ll put anyone wizards or not in their place without really using magic. When you’ve practiced enough come see me again. I’ll teach you the more advanced aspects of this style.” Sheila dusted herself off before placing a hand on Fang’s shoulder. Her hand produced a green glow, and gradually Fang’s shoulder didn’t ache anymore. “Thank you Sheila. I just apologize that i couldn’t keep up with you.” That earned him a light smack on the head from Sheila. “Don’t apologize. Despite the difference between us you kept going. Plus you almost had me for a moment. If i was half a second slower you would’ve given me a bruise for sure.”

And with them bidding farewells for the time being. Fang walked from the farm through the downtown area. Only to arrive at the bar like his guild mates agreed on. It was busy than before and definitely noisy too. So Fang found a vacant seat at a table with his bag in hand. Waiting for the others to arrive and they can set about getting home.

WC: 2229

Victoria had spent hours training with a whip. She had learned how to attack, how to defend, and how to swing from tree limbs and metal poles. She had several scars and torn clothing from where Maris' whip had struck her during the training. Now came the real test. She had to defeat live opponents using only her whip and her fists... no magic was allowed.

"Ready kid?" Mari asked while standing near a lever. Victoria gave a thumbs-up. Maris pushed the lever down, a gate opened, and five wrestlers entered the circular horse pen that doubled as an arena. One of them rushed her immediately.

Victoria brought the whip around her head in a circle and defeated the first man with a knockout blow to the head. The other four proceeded more cautiously. Victoria kept both her feet and the whip moving. The key to the weapon was to keep it moving... its power came from the tip making contact with the target.

No momentum meant no power. No power meant a useless length of rawhide. Maris drilled her on that until she learned to keep it moving around her head using a smooth whirling motion. A second man stepped towards her, but a sharp crack near his chest kept him at bay. She followed up with a charge of her own and struck with her fist, then lashed out with her whip and caught his arm when he tried to punch her.

She pulled him in while he was off balance and punched him in the face until he fell down. His friends came to the rescue, so she made a quick retreat. Victoria was now facing three men.

One of them made a feint. Another actually lunged at her, so she brought the whip down on his shoulder, then brought it around and wrapped it around his ankle and pulled hard. He fell to the ground and Victoria disengaged it just as she was punched in the face by the third man.

She rolled on the ground and hopped up. Next came a strike at a charging man. She nailed him squarely in the forehead with the whip, bringing him down. Two more to go.

She whirled it above her head and tried to hit a leg when the man dodged, then grabbed the whip and yanked with all his might. She was pulled down and the second tried to grab her leg. Victoria kicked him in the right knee twice, then rolled away and hopped up while he clutched the knee. Maris was watching with keen interest. Victoria could not fail now.

She charged the man holding her whip and punched him before receiving a punch to her face. She hit his face again, knocking him off balance long enough to reclaim her whip. She brought the whip down at the feet of the second wrestler, making him dance to dodge each swing. The first wrestler charged her.

Victoria spun around him like a bullfighter and deftly grabbed his ankle, making him hit his head on the ground. The other came in for a grapple, but a forceful knee to the genitals convinced him to stay down this time. Four down.

Her last opponent recovered enough to come in swinging. She ducked and sidestepped a flurry of fists, then spun around him and threw the whip around his neck, seizing the tip in her other hand and using it as a garotte. Victoria pulled hard and kicked the back of his knees, knocking him to the ground. The man struggled and tried to grab her but raised his hand in submission after about fifteen seconds of relentless pressure.

"ENOUGH!" Maris shouted. Victoria quickly released him and the man staggered away while clutching his neck. Maris checked on the men, then approached her with a smile.

"Well done, kid. That was a bit rougher than I would have liked, but you completed my test. You have the basics down." Maris complimented her. Again Victoria felt bad about being so rough on her training partners, but they did not have any hard feelings towards her. They were fighters and they were paid to take hard knocks as well as to dish them out. Maris paid them each 5,000 Jewels and they gratefully went on their way.

"You remind me of myself when I was your age. I was smaller than most men and I had to use any advantage I could get. The whip turned out to be a great equalizer." Maris commented. She brought her own whip out and ignited it. It was something to behold. Victoria started to hand back the whip she had trained with. Maris pushed it back towards her.

"No, you keep it. You've earned it. Besides, I'm retired. I might be able to patrol the streets of this town, but I can't barge into bandit caves and take on rogue wizards like I did when I was your age. It's time someone younger take up the fight." Maris replied with a hint of melancholy.

"I heard that the people here doubted whether you could survive my training, but you did it. You went through it all and didn't complain, not even once. Not many people can say that." Maris gave Victoria a compliment. Victoria felt proud of herself. She had succeeded.

"Now I'd better get going. My grandchildren are hungry. Remember what I taught you and maybe we'll meet again. I'll see you around." Maris said before disappearing into her farmhouse. Victoria took one last look at the arena, then walked away. She was going back to the tavern to meet up with Fang and Mayumi. She hoped that they too had succeeded in their training.

[Word Count: 954]

Mayumi quickly learned that Ponk had not been a Rune Knight trainer for nothing. Despite his age, he was still good with his swords. Very good. The last time Mayumi had sparred with someone anywhere near this good she had been training her little sister, and that time Mayumi had had the advantage. That was not the case here. By the end of the day, she felt like she'd been trampled by a herd of cattle.

The very first thing Ponk had had her do was spar with him. It had seemed like a simple enough task. After all, Mayumi had been in a lot of training matches before, and there wasn't much to it. But she'd seriously underestimated how much of an advantage her opponent's dual-wielding technique gave him. Her sister had picked that fighting style up, but Mayumi never had. She tended more toward using the sort of bulkier weapons that did a lot more damage- but also required two hands. Suffice to say, she quickly learned that you can't really attack when you're constantly having to block your opponent. It was even harder when you had to block two of their weapons. She held her own for several minutes, but he gradually wore her down, and eventually managed to disarm her, leaving her battered and bruised in the process.

Not that he would show her any mercy on account of those bruises, of course. As soon as that was over he immediately started her on a set of drills, using an old training dummy he'd set up in the yard. He'd given her one of his old swords, a bit worn from use but definitely well maintained, to use alongside her own sword as he taught her how to use both at once. At least Mayumi had an advantage since she'd learned how to use her weapons in either hand, but it was still difficult to keep up with both. And he didn't afford her any breaks either. The best she got was about half a minute to gulp down some water he'd provided her from the well before he was instantly shouting at her to get back to her exercises. Boy did he love shouting. But he certainly knew how to teach, she had to admit that, and by the time they were through she felt that she had learned a lot.

She leaned against the training dummy, gulping down some more water before she started on the long walk back to the village. The old knight was regarding her thoughtfully.

"Well, you held up better than I thought you would. You have a long way to go, but you may make a warrior yet."

It didn't seem like much of a compliment, but it was the best one she'd gotten all day, so she decided to take it.

"Thank you."

As she spoke, she sheathed the sword he'd given her to practice with, holding it out to him so he could take it back. To her surprise, he shook his head.

"Keep it. You earned it, and this way you can keep practicing your techniques on your own, instead of having to come bother me again. Besides, I have so many old swords laying around it isn't even funny. I haven't used that one in many years. My wife will be glad to have it out of the house. Anyway, isn't it time for you to be heading out? I thought you said you had to meet your friends?"

A ghost of a smile lit up Mayumi's face. She was quite used to his gruff demeanor by now, so it didn't bother her that he seemed to be trying to get rid of her. He was right, after all. She didn't want to keep her guildmates waiting, so she nodded.

"Thank you. Perhaps I'll see you around again someday."

The knight snorted derisively. "I sure hope not!"

Mayumi laughed as the elderly man shuffled back to his house. There was no point in wasting anymore time, so she headed back toward the town. It took a while, but she finally arrived. It was starting to get late, and it seemed that the tavern's regulars had shown up for the evening's trade. She walked in, hoping there would actually be a spot left for her to sit. Thankfully she spotted Fang sitting at a table, saving a space for them. First to arrive again. She shrugged, making her way over and dropping into one of the seats.

"Hey stranger! How did the adventure go?"

Word Count: 758

First to arrive again it would seem, but perhaps it is a good thing once Fang sat himself down and took a look around the establishment. The smell of booze is light in the air as laughter booms around Fang. A dull ache occurs along his torso. Those blows he sustained really did feel like Sheila was trying to crush his rib cage. Sitting down even on this wooden chair was a luxury in Fang’s opinion. Shoulders relaxed for once as his ash brown curly hair frames sway with the slight change of wind.

Minutes flew by as Fang nursed on a cup of water. Men and women pouring into their favorite place after their days of hard work. Only a few folk made their exit before it got crowded. Luckily it didn’t take much longer before the front entrance opened as Mayumi stepped into the bar. Fang doesn’t really know Mayumi personally other than the first impression, but she did seem a bit tired. Her eyes scanned over to his direction before making her way over to his table. Perhaps the exhaustion is written on his face too, but Fang wasn’t certain about it.

“Eh, got knocked around a bit. A little bit of sleep and I’ll be good as new. How about yourself?” Fang asked her and no sooner did he speak those words Victoria stepped into the establishment as well. Victoria appeared to be rough as if she was rolling around in dirt and seems to have gotten the pale blue hint of a bruise on her face. “She’s going to need an ice pack on that bruise.” Fang muttered not for the sake of a small bruise. He’s referring to the aching pain it’ll have on Victoria once she relaxes as the adrenaline lowers and the muscles loosen.

When Victoria got to their table Fang genuinely had the look of concern on his expression. “Are you alright Victoria?” Fang’s arms were folded across his chest as his eyes focused on Victoria. Searching for answers that may or may not be visible to the eye. Of course he understands that training can be rough as he endured somewhat brutal training himself. His body is still paying for that too, and frankly Fang’s going to be worrying a certain someone when he gets back to Rose Garden.

WC: 389

In between being struck with Maris' whip and getting punched in the face, Victoria had seen better days. Fang had gotten to the tavern first and was nice enough to save Mayumi and herself some seats. What a nice guy. Speaking of Fang, he looked like he had went a few rounds with the same wrestlers that gave her a hard time in Maris' arena. He too had seen better days.

"Yeah, I'm all right. Nothing that time won't heal. And thanks for asking, Fang." Victoria said to him. Some patrons started leaning in and looking at her. They were about as subtle as a brick to the face. She knew what they wanted. They wanted to see and hear her admit that she had failed the training.

"And I have something to help ease the pain... this!" Victoria added, producing the whip that Maris had given her as a reward. The jaws of the patrons dropped. Some of them mumbled and grudgingly produced bags of Jewels that they reluctantly handed to a middle-aged man with a scarred face and a smile that showed several missing teeth. The man laughed to himself as he walked away and left the tavern. Someone had just won a bet.

Now it was Victoria's turn to smile. She had gotten back at the doubters in the best way possible. The proof was in her hands. The stunned patrons turned around and walked away mumbling something about Maris going soft. That was not true... the old Rune Knight was anything but soft.

They were just mad that Victoria had the nerve to persevere and not quit like they had expected. Oh well. That was what they got for betting against her. Victoria had met the challenge. Now she was waiting on Mayumi to return with her tale.

[Word Count: 302]

Mayumi leaned back as Fang spoke, smiling slightly at his words.

"Well, I suppose that's just how training goes. If you don't get hit then you aren't doing it right."

She shrugged slightly. Not that her own scrapes and bruises were very obvious, of course. She supposed that was one of the benefits of wearing a lengthy long-sleeved kimono. And if there was one thing Mayumi was good at protecting it was her face, not just because she could be a bit vain at times, but also because she'd learned from plenty of experience that it really hurt.

She switched her gaze over to Victoria as she arrived, spotting the bruise Fang had, but she figured the other girl wouldn't appreciate her commenting on it, or trying to baby her. The last time anyone had tried that with Mayumi she'd given them their own contusion to worry about, so she decided to focus on the other girl's successful efforts instead.

Congratulations! It certainly isn't an easy weapon to learn. If you ever need a training partner, let me know. I have one of my own, and practice is always good."

She figured she ought to share the results of her own training session, so she flashed them the handle of the sword the old knight had given her.

"Well, apparently Ponk is a bit, well, cranky, but it seems I didn't disappoint him too much. I daresay we all seem to have had some measure of success." Then, smiling slightly, she added, "Perhaps we'll have to go on a job together one of these days to test out our new skills."

Word Count: 271