Formless Like Water Ⅰ
Koto was trailing behind Sojin as the two ventured into the forest near Alfsos. The walk to the forest was a quiet one, mostly because the viper was mentally psyching himself up. He was doing his best to stifle his insecurities, his self-doubt, and thought about something else in place of that. He thought about training with Sojin for the first time, to test out his skills against a seasoned opponent.
Once they reached the clearing in the forest, he tightened his grip on the hilt of Kusanagi, nerves really, but soon relaxed taking a whiff of the fresh air. There was just something about this scent that seemed to calm Koto. With his nerves at ease, he was able to really look around and see the forest for what it was. He had never seen so many shades of green of the trees before. He hadn't really seen forests of other nations at all and his eyes widened as he walked a little faster to get a better view.
So this was the land of a foreign power huh? This was a sanctuary away from civilization and the struggles of life. It was in its own way beautiful, one that was so foreign to the Kalzasian. He had never seen such a thing before, at least not like this anyway. The beauty of the Kalzasian countryside was unparalleled, but this was truly amazing to look at.
Immediately he took off the linen shirt he was wearing and laid in the grass. It was cool to the touch and felt so soft and weird. It tickled but felt so good, in contrast to the heat of the sun. Looking up he could see the light of the sun peering through the canopy of the forest, sunlight falling through the branches of the trees to kiss his skin.
Coming to a full stop, Sojin turned and drew his blade, motioning for Koto to come at him. There were no instructions, no words, simply the invitation to attack him. Koto knew Sojin was one another of skill but that would be no excuse not to give the fight everything he had.
Standing to his feet Koto nodded in acknowledgment and unsheathed Kusanagi, getting into a fighting stance, Sojin ever so calm, blade poised and at the ready for whatever Koto had planned. The two remained silent, eyes locked on each other in a staredown. As if a signal to begin, a gust of wind blew through the clearing, both men took action.
Not wasting any time at all, the Sojin ran forward, a precise arcing slash coming down on Koto's left side. The viper saw it an ran right for it, sliding just beneath the slash, catching the tip of the man's blade as it slid across the side of his temple. Coming out of the slide, he took a finger and wiped the blood from his cheek and licked it, smirking as he stood.
Springing into action Koto came in with several slashes of his own, a flurry of strikes to try and catch Sojin off guard in some way. The hired guardian, however, was able to easily keep up with the viper's attacks, his eyes gauging Koto. The fight between the two was both exhilarated and nerve-wracking for Kotoru. Where he was excited to be fighting someone of higher skill and fairing well, he was nervous as he knew from that previous encounter that arrogance could be his undoing.
As he continued to fight he almost got ahead of himself, or in this case, got closer to losing his head, as Sojin's blade came around in a precise arcing motion. Rolling out of the way he glared at Sojin as the man twirled his weapon in his hands and readied himself for another attack. Blood began to trickle down Koto's face as he had managed to slice the left side of his head.
This wasn't going to be like the training session he had with his father or brother, no this one was for higher stakes. The fact that Sojin was fighting him as if he intended to kill Kotoru really got his blood pumping. The aspect of danger aroused him a bit if he was truly being honest with himself.
It was evident Sojin was only being so aggressive because he wanted Koto to fight with everything he had, holding no reservations just because of who he was. In the viper's predator mind that meant one thing, he had to fight Sojin with the clear intent to kill. He had no other choice, lest he intends to be felled by the greater swordsman.
Taking the initiative, Sojin came charging in his blade slicing across the air aimed to cleave Koto from his right shoulder down to his left hip. The viper managed to dodge out of the way, keeping his distance from the warrior. Koto was shocked as Sojin began chuckling, sheathing his sword as he beckoned Koto to come and join him as he perched himself atop a large boulder within the clearing.
"You are improving, but your fighting style is unrefined and wild. That little sparring match just now was to see which style from my arsenal best suits you, and I think I have just the one for you little viper."
Koto was intrigued by Sojin's words, happy for the little praise he had gained, but curious about the sword style his guardian believed would help improve his skill. Sitting on the boulder alongside his guardian, Sojin looked up to the sky as the breeze danced around them, and through the canopy of the forest trees.
"In my time as a warrior, I've come to find that the elements influence the motions of those around it, especially for those of us who wield elementalism as you and I do. In that time, I've come to see four unique sword styles influenced by the elements." he explained, holding out a hand as the wind seemed to reach out and meet Sojin's fingers.
"The four styles are the Graceful Pheonix, Flowing Dragon, Crushing Tortise, and Raging Tiger. Each one of these sword styles correlates with an elemental affinity. For you, however, I believe only two out of the four of these styles fit you little viper." he continued to explain, noting the eagerness and intrigue in Koto's eyes.
Magic and fighting went hand and hand when it came to Koto, so the fact that his fighting style and tactics could be influence by his elementalism and the relationship between him and the elements was a plus in his eyes. "Well don't keep me in suspense Sojin, which two styles fit me?!" Koto asked, the viper doing all he could to contain his excitement.
Sojin chuckled as he stepped off the boulder, and walked a foot or two away from Koto. "For you, the only two styles I can see you learning and mastering are the Graceful Phoenix and the Flowing Dragon, the former being influence by wind, and the later by water." he noted, unsheathing his sword once more.
"For now, I will show you the way of the Flowing Dragon. These sword styles are not just a means of combat but a lifestyle, a way of life you could say. The way of the Flowing Dragon is one of tranquility and stillness, but also strength and fluidity." he began, demonstrating movements with his blade.
"The key to using this sword style is to be as formless as water itself, fluid in the sword movements, but powerful with each swing of the sword as if hitting your opponent with the weight of the oceans behind every attack" with each word he spoke he demonstrated the flowing motion of what combat with this style would be like.
In the eyes of Koto, it was like dancing on water, the way the blade gliding so effortlessly and in circular arcs, it was like the style simulated the movements of water itself. Koto was beyond ready to learn, dropping off the boulder and watched intently at the motions his guardian was making.
"I'll show you the first two techniques of this style but the rest will be on you to learn." he offered, revealing a blue book, with an interesting design to it. "The first technique is called Carving the Water's Surface. The key to this technique is to generate enough momentum in order to make clean cuts in flowing circular movements."
By demonstrating, he began to spin and turn as if dancing across the water, spinning and turning with each turn, and with an elegant spin, he cleaved a small tree in half. The thud of the tree was impressive to Kotoru, watching as Sojin flourished his sword and prepared to show Koto the next one.
"The next is more of an ariel technique, perfect for when you are leaping from a high vantage point or performing a leaping strike. This one is known as Slicing Current" he said as he got some distance from Koto, before turning and sprinting then performing the technique. Jumping he performed an ariel flip over the boulder, slicing at it. After performing the technique he took the book he had showed him earlier, tossing it to him.
"Now its time for you to try."
"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Sojin Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"
Searing 8th, Year 120, A.o.S
Koto was trailing behind Sojin as the two ventured into the forest near Alfsos. The walk to the forest was a quiet one, mostly because the viper was mentally psyching himself up. He was doing his best to stifle his insecurities, his self-doubt, and thought about something else in place of that. He thought about training with Sojin for the first time, to test out his skills against a seasoned opponent.
Once they reached the clearing in the forest, he tightened his grip on the hilt of Kusanagi, nerves really, but soon relaxed taking a whiff of the fresh air. There was just something about this scent that seemed to calm Koto. With his nerves at ease, he was able to really look around and see the forest for what it was. He had never seen so many shades of green of the trees before. He hadn't really seen forests of other nations at all and his eyes widened as he walked a little faster to get a better view.
So this was the land of a foreign power huh? This was a sanctuary away from civilization and the struggles of life. It was in its own way beautiful, one that was so foreign to the Kalzasian. He had never seen such a thing before, at least not like this anyway. The beauty of the Kalzasian countryside was unparalleled, but this was truly amazing to look at.
Immediately he took off the linen shirt he was wearing and laid in the grass. It was cool to the touch and felt so soft and weird. It tickled but felt so good, in contrast to the heat of the sun. Looking up he could see the light of the sun peering through the canopy of the forest, sunlight falling through the branches of the trees to kiss his skin.
Coming to a full stop, Sojin turned and drew his blade, motioning for Koto to come at him. There were no instructions, no words, simply the invitation to attack him. Koto knew Sojin was one another of skill but that would be no excuse not to give the fight everything he had.
Standing to his feet Koto nodded in acknowledgment and unsheathed Kusanagi, getting into a fighting stance, Sojin ever so calm, blade poised and at the ready for whatever Koto had planned. The two remained silent, eyes locked on each other in a staredown. As if a signal to begin, a gust of wind blew through the clearing, both men took action.
Not wasting any time at all, the Sojin ran forward, a precise arcing slash coming down on Koto's left side. The viper saw it an ran right for it, sliding just beneath the slash, catching the tip of the man's blade as it slid across the side of his temple. Coming out of the slide, he took a finger and wiped the blood from his cheek and licked it, smirking as he stood.
Springing into action Koto came in with several slashes of his own, a flurry of strikes to try and catch Sojin off guard in some way. The hired guardian, however, was able to easily keep up with the viper's attacks, his eyes gauging Koto. The fight between the two was both exhilarated and nerve-wracking for Kotoru. Where he was excited to be fighting someone of higher skill and fairing well, he was nervous as he knew from that previous encounter that arrogance could be his undoing.
As he continued to fight he almost got ahead of himself, or in this case, got closer to losing his head, as Sojin's blade came around in a precise arcing motion. Rolling out of the way he glared at Sojin as the man twirled his weapon in his hands and readied himself for another attack. Blood began to trickle down Koto's face as he had managed to slice the left side of his head.
This wasn't going to be like the training session he had with his father or brother, no this one was for higher stakes. The fact that Sojin was fighting him as if he intended to kill Kotoru really got his blood pumping. The aspect of danger aroused him a bit if he was truly being honest with himself.
It was evident Sojin was only being so aggressive because he wanted Koto to fight with everything he had, holding no reservations just because of who he was. In the viper's predator mind that meant one thing, he had to fight Sojin with the clear intent to kill. He had no other choice, lest he intends to be felled by the greater swordsman.
Taking the initiative, Sojin came charging in his blade slicing across the air aimed to cleave Koto from his right shoulder down to his left hip. The viper managed to dodge out of the way, keeping his distance from the warrior. Koto was shocked as Sojin began chuckling, sheathing his sword as he beckoned Koto to come and join him as he perched himself atop a large boulder within the clearing.
"You are improving, but your fighting style is unrefined and wild. That little sparring match just now was to see which style from my arsenal best suits you, and I think I have just the one for you little viper."
Koto was intrigued by Sojin's words, happy for the little praise he had gained, but curious about the sword style his guardian believed would help improve his skill. Sitting on the boulder alongside his guardian, Sojin looked up to the sky as the breeze danced around them, and through the canopy of the forest trees.
"In my time as a warrior, I've come to find that the elements influence the motions of those around it, especially for those of us who wield elementalism as you and I do. In that time, I've come to see four unique sword styles influenced by the elements." he explained, holding out a hand as the wind seemed to reach out and meet Sojin's fingers.
"The four styles are the Graceful Pheonix, Flowing Dragon, Crushing Tortise, and Raging Tiger. Each one of these sword styles correlates with an elemental affinity. For you, however, I believe only two out of the four of these styles fit you little viper." he continued to explain, noting the eagerness and intrigue in Koto's eyes.
Magic and fighting went hand and hand when it came to Koto, so the fact that his fighting style and tactics could be influence by his elementalism and the relationship between him and the elements was a plus in his eyes. "Well don't keep me in suspense Sojin, which two styles fit me?!" Koto asked, the viper doing all he could to contain his excitement.
Sojin chuckled as he stepped off the boulder, and walked a foot or two away from Koto. "For you, the only two styles I can see you learning and mastering are the Graceful Phoenix and the Flowing Dragon, the former being influence by wind, and the later by water." he noted, unsheathing his sword once more.
"For now, I will show you the way of the Flowing Dragon. These sword styles are not just a means of combat but a lifestyle, a way of life you could say. The way of the Flowing Dragon is one of tranquility and stillness, but also strength and fluidity." he began, demonstrating movements with his blade.
"The key to using this sword style is to be as formless as water itself, fluid in the sword movements, but powerful with each swing of the sword as if hitting your opponent with the weight of the oceans behind every attack" with each word he spoke he demonstrated the flowing motion of what combat with this style would be like.
In the eyes of Koto, it was like dancing on water, the way the blade gliding so effortlessly and in circular arcs, it was like the style simulated the movements of water itself. Koto was beyond ready to learn, dropping off the boulder and watched intently at the motions his guardian was making.
"I'll show you the first two techniques of this style but the rest will be on you to learn." he offered, revealing a blue book, with an interesting design to it. "The first technique is called Carving the Water's Surface. The key to this technique is to generate enough momentum in order to make clean cuts in flowing circular movements."
By demonstrating, he began to spin and turn as if dancing across the water, spinning and turning with each turn, and with an elegant spin, he cleaved a small tree in half. The thud of the tree was impressive to Kotoru, watching as Sojin flourished his sword and prepared to show Koto the next one.
"The next is more of an ariel technique, perfect for when you are leaping from a high vantage point or performing a leaping strike. This one is known as Slicing Current" he said as he got some distance from Koto, before turning and sprinting then performing the technique. Jumping he performed an ariel flip over the boulder, slicing at it. After performing the technique he took the book he had showed him earlier, tossing it to him.
"Now its time for you to try."
"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Sojin Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"
