Toughen Up [Solo/Training]

The looming Heliohapt sun didn’t seem to faze the natives with it’s oppressive heat, but a certain half-fanalis woman could have sworn that today was hotter than it had been for the past week. She had already shed her cloak in the early hours of the day but it hadn’t been much help to cool the woman down. ”Why did people choose to settle here…?” She muttered the words lowly as a pair of native children sprinted by laughing. Perhaps ducking into the nearest pub or shop for a bit would be a good idea, however her attention was drawn to the nearby sound of grunts and general commotion. Curious, she found the source of the noise after peering over a fence and discovering something of a makeshift training ground dotted with brawny men of all ages, many shirtless as they sparred with eachother under the burning sun. The gears in her mind began turning as she called to mind her most recent escapade in slaying that great black snake—she had barely made it out alive, thanks to that mysterious yet friendly blue haired magician.”No. Absolutely not; don’t you even think about it. It’s far too hot for that.” Her lips purse in inner conflict as she weighs the pros and cons of the situation. ”If I’m going to be traveling on my own, I need to become stronger. At least strong enough to complete jobs by myself. I owe it to…”

“Ah! Young lady!” One of the men calls out, approaching her from behind the fence. “Can I help you? You’ve been staring for several minutes now. Any of these young lads catch your eye?” He regards her with a good-natured chuckle. He was an older man with short, cropped grey hair and sideburns along with an impressively fit figure for someone his age. ”I’m sorry if I’ve caused any interruption. Would any of your ‘lads’ be willing to spar with me?” The serious tone of the woman’s voice causes the man to raise a brow. “Spar? Well now, I’m not sure if…. …Ah! A fanalis, aren’t you?” A grin lights up his face at the realization and he places a large hand on the woman’s head, ruffling her red hair. ”Half,” She corrects, enduring the assault on her hair. “Certainly, certainly! Come around back and we’ll get started.”


The man had introduced himself as Tyro, leader and coordinator of the training area in the city. He explained that he was a retired military Colonel who started a community training ground where young fighters could learn skills from more experienced warriors. Travelers were more than welcome to participate as they often carried different techniques with them. “We’ve had fanalis come and go here, but not very often. I’m afraid that no one here knows much in the way of fanalis techniques, but if you’re looking to strengthen your body and solidify your skills as a warrior, look no further!” Slapping the halfling on the back, he pushes her forward and moves to a spot adjacent from her.


“Come at me with your best!” Nodding at the older male, Ayero takes in a breath before charging at him with an outstretched fist, aiming for his chest. With a quick movement he blocks her attack using his large hand to catch her fist and pushes the young half-fanalis back. Digging her heels into the sand she skids to a stop several meters away before charging her opponent again. This time switching techniques slightly, she crouches lower to the ground and sweeps her leg at the man’s ankles, only to find her leg blocked by the man’s arm. Thinking she had him fooled, she angled her body forward and aimed a closed-fist attack at his side. But the old man was more clever than he appeared and swiftly parried the incoming attack with the elbow of his other arm, pushing the girl back.

”Woah there! You’re about as fast as I expected, but your technique needs some work.” Tyro assumes a simple pose with his legs shoulder width apart, arms raised in defense. He instructs Ayero how to shift from one pose to another while maintaining her center of gravity, peppering in a few basic offensive and defensive moves. Most of what he was showing her she was already familiar with to some degree, but Tyro’s keen eye was able to point out and correct any mistakes she was making.  After several hours the people on the training grounds dispersed, Tyro heading home to his family and Ayero returning to the inn. Collapsing onto her bed, the halfling was drenched in sweat and too exhausted to move.

Tyro’s instruction proved to be valuable in just the few hours she had spent training with him which is why, despite sore muscles she returned the next day to his training ground. Much to her surprise, Tyro insisted that they skip the sparring lesson for today, instead insisting that she run laps around the sandy training area. ”Running on loose sand is difficult, but there’s no faster way to build your core muscles!” The old man had insisted that she run barefoot to get the whole experience which took a bit of persuasion on his behalf. Nevertheless, the woman had spent the better part of the day running laps in the hot sun with a scowl on her face and wondering if this was really worth it.

The next day she was paired with a young man with chin-length dark hair for sparring. He wasn’t nearly as experienced as Tyro and Ayero was able to match him punch-for-punch reasonably well. The day after that she was back running laps and continued to switch from running on the sand to sparring each day. After a week had elapsed, she had the chance to once more face Tyro in a sparring match. Ayerowasn’t sure if she’d be able to best him but that wasn’t her aim. Her body had grown used to the rough training and her fanalis strength had been put to use with techniques that emphasized her natural ability and cut down on using excess energy.

”I believe you have the honor of the first move.” Cracking her knuckles, the fanalis-human assumed the stance she had been taught on her first day and sprinted forward with her fist outstretched once more. This time, Tyro blocks the assault with crossed arms and is pushed backwards several inches. The battle continues with Tyro mainly defending, though eventually it evens out as he forces Ayero to dodge some of his own attacks. Their fight is nothing fancy but Ayero’s ability had become more refined through her training and she was a bit eager to show the old man what she had learned. ”That’s enough for now. You’ve worn this old man out!” With a thunderous laugh he claps a hand on her shoulder, patting it affectionately. ”You seemed a bit sour in the beginning but you stuck it out. Good work.”

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