From the Ashes (Attn: Riahana)

[Sunny]

Dax took three rapid steps backward then began to circle, his feet moving like an animal stalking its prey. He had fought armed opponents with nothing but his wits long before coming to the Tower, but the environment had always been at his disposal. Sand in the eyes, a chair pulled before his opponent’s feet….a dark-haired woman sent flying into startled burly arms on the streets of Hama Valon. Such tactics were not possible here. What he was left with was what the Saldaean Gaidar had taught him through hours, days, and months of dedicated effort. As his feet scuffed over the practice court, the true realization of how much she had given him finally dawned on him.

He looked up, and happened to catch Malina’s eyes. She winked, mouthing something he could not understand. He grinned in return, then had to throw himself backward to avoid a sideways slash from Riahana that would have beheaded him had live steel met its target. Instead he rolled, gathering himself back to his feet and dodging away, then back in, ducking past her blade and buffeting her shoulder with his. She stumbled, and he broke free again, turning to face her once more. She had already regained her footing and had her sword up. He smiled, and the dance continued.

Shadows had begun to gather around the edges of his vision, he realized as he ducked away from another blow, his eyes watching her intently for an opening. He had noticed the tendrils of smoke were worse when he drank or when anger grasped his heart like a punishing fist, but they were always there. Their presence cut away the surge of gratitude and pride he had felt, leaving only grim determination and razor-sharp attention. Something hurt about that, but he could not afford the distraction of considering it, and pushed the feeling away. Later.

The Gaidar attacked again, and Dax pivoted beneath her blade, his fist curling up toward her chest.

[Roan]

If Dax had been less skilled, Riahana would have been able to pivot out of the way of his blow, and bring the hilt of her sword down at the back of his head. The Gaidin, however, was one of the best at the Citadel, and likely in the entire Warder Yards when it came to unarmed. His expertise showed in that the Mistress of Arms was able to pivot a bit, and avoid a direct hit. The glancing blow forced Ria into a bit of fancy footwork as she shuffled back, and out of his reach.

Despite being a glancing blow, it was enough to send a sharp note of pain through the Mistress of Arms. The Void held firm, and she acknowledged the pain for what it was. How long had it been since someone had gotten a touch on her? Mehrin had perhaps six months ago, or more, but he hadn’t bested the then Gaidar Captain. The contact he’d made with her caused her to sharpen her focus, and press her advantages in skill, size and speed.

Being unarmed, Dax would do his best to get within her guard, and preferably stay there, limiting what she could do with her blade. Ria would rely on her own footwork to maintain distance when she needed to, but Gaidin and Gaidar were quick as cats. Along with dexterity and speed, Riahana saw something else in Dax. . .something she saw a hint of when she first evaluated him before he’d attained the rank of Gaidin. Confidence. Not the false pride he was known for, but the quiet confidence that comes with dedicated hard work to improve a skill. Now was not the time to tell him, as their spar was not over, but the Mistress of Arms knew his penance had been paid in full.

As if resetting, Ria held her blade horizontally, going into the guard stance The Leaf Floating on the Breeze. Continuing her more offensive posture, the Mistress of Arms moved her blade from side to side, in an almost lazy manner. To an observer, it looked as if she were waiting for him to strike, but the next moment, she sprung forward, thrusting her blade forward at his chest, and then slashing from one side to the other as she anticipated him trying to step away from the initial thrust. As she finished Lightning of Three Prongs, she did not relent as she moved the blade from her lower left towards her upper right in a hard, fast diagonal slash, a smooth execution of Low Wind Rising.

[Sunny]

Gaidin watched Gaidar with critical eyes, feet light, hands held at face level in loose fists. He had lost his weapon, but he had not lost the spar, and the shadows in his mind told him he still had a chance to win. What does winning mean, anyway? He couldn't remember. The stranger in his mind stirred, and he felt that tug to return again, even as he jerked out of the way of a thrust that turned into Lightning of the Three Prongs. He was able to evade that blow, and the second, but on the third strike back the tip of the practice sword sliced across his right forearm.

Wood tore at skin, and Dax grunted as tingles spread like fire up and down his arm. His fingers went numb, and pain danced outside the Oneness. Bloody flaming goatkissing Trolloc-loving fool! he cursed at himself as he fell back, flexing his fingers to minimize the pain, and struggling to regain his equilibrium. Her next strike whistled past his nose, and he threw himself to the side, his body already preparing for the next attack. When it came, he stepped inside, his uninjured hand grappling for her arm. She danced aside and he pivoted away, brows drawn together.

She is going to kill you, his mind whispered. She's going to kill you, and you will never have answers... The shadows swirled in time with the dull throb from his right hand, slowly overtaking his vision. If you don't kill her, you are going to die. He could still see the Gaidar, but as if from a great distance. He was evading blows mechanically, moving, circling, sliding in to strike, sliding back out. None of it felt real; even as his body faced the Mistress of Arms, his mind grapplied with the voice that sounded like Jemis, the voice that dictated every bad decision he had ever made.

His fist aimed at her throat, his feet carrying him rapidly forward. She helped me, he thought savagely. She showed me respect. The Gaidar brought her sword up and his palm slapped against the flat of her blade. His fingers curled around it and he tried to yank it free, his body pivoting to bring his fist toward her face once more.

She did....something. The weapon twisted out of his grip, and then lights exploded in his vision. His knees went weak and Jemis laughed as he and the shadows fled. You failed.

[Roan]

Riahana took no joy in landing a blow on Dax. This wasn't a battle to determine who was the better fighter, but an exercise to measure the growth of the man she faced. In the years since gaining the Fancloak, Ria faced any number of opponents, be they those who sought to kill her, or those she trained. Every now and then, one of those opponents would change in the course of the fight, usually after getting hit by a blow. Sometimes, the change was slight, sometimes, more obvious.

The Gaidar watched Dax after her practice sword connected with his arm. His focus changed, though it didn't exactly waiver. Dax. .a berserker? He formed a fist and closed distance, aiming to finish the fight, though the look in his eyes suggested more. As his fist thrust forward, she pivoted to avoid the blow and brought up her sword. She expected him to deflect it, but not grasp the blade. He yanked hard to. . .what? Disarm her? His fist came around and she only had a split second to think.

Rotating her wrist, Ria stepped to Dax’s side, rotating her body so Gaidin and Gaidar faced the same direction. The blade came free, and knowing the man she now fought was not Dax, she took the advantage in front of her to end the battle before Dax did something he might regret. In one swift move, she brought the pommel of her sword up and landed a sharp blow to Dax’s face.

The Gaidin slumped to the ground, and Ria let go a curse under her breath as she tossed the practice blade aside. Moving to kneel in front of him, she frowned at the blood that streamed from his nose. Cupping his head in her hands, Ria spoke softly, but with authority, “Come back to me, Dax...look at me...focus on my eyes.”

The Mistress of Arms waited until his eyes fell on hers. She offered a small smile, “You certainly like to push the limits, don't you, Gaidin?” She wouldn't mention his shift during the fight any more than that, not unless it came up again. She smirked, “Have a Yellow see to you before getting cleaned up. We are going home.”

[Sunny]

Darkness, throbbing pain, and a strong sense that something had gone terribly wrong filled Dax's existence. What had happened? He had been up with the sun. He had practiced....Riahana. The Mistress of Arms had come to see him. They sparred... the sound of wood hitting the ground filled his mind. Disarmed? Oh yes. He had....they had.... his thoughts ran in circles in his mind. Ria had gotten a touch, and then....nothing. He reached, but the shadows pushed him down again.

“Come back to me, Dax...look at me...focus on my eyes.” The voice intruded on his solitude, sounding distorted and hollow to his ears. It provided a line to sanity, to something other than the dark plain he inhabited. He reached for it, slowly pulling himself out of the murk, reacquainting himself with each part of his body until at last he was able to blink, light burning his eyes momentarily, then banishing the darkness entirely.

“You certainly like to push the limits, don't you, Gaidin?” The Saldaean smiled, and her tone was almost friendly. Dax blinked up at her in confusion. I lost control, he thought, panic oozing through his mind. She didn't seem concerned, which confused him more. “Have a Yellow see to you before getting cleaned up. We are going home.”

The Tairen stared up at her in blank astonishment, his mind still struggling to catch up. Going…home? His face hurt, and when he reached to touch it, his fingers came away red. Broken nose number three, he thought with odd detachment. His thoughts still labored over what the Gaidar had said. He closed his eyes and envisioned a white dot floating on a black field, an exercise Malina had drilled into him. As the Oneness wrapped around him once more, so, too, did clarity. The world shivered, distorted, and snapped into focus.

When he opened his eyes again, they were clear and calm, and met hers confidently. He wiped the blood from his face, touching the bridge of his nose carefully. Not broken after all. He pushed himself to his feet smoothly, and bowed to the Mistress of Arms. "Thank you." He said simply.

Going home! He reached along the bond automatically, remembering too late that Katrie did not reside on the other end. His senses rebounded, and he closed his eyes. Who are you? He would find out soon enough.