The Maiden and the Temple Knight

The Maiden and the Temple Knight
Date of Scene:	18 December 2012
Location:	Traverse Town - District 2
Synopsis:	Aerith extends her stay in Traverse Town, having arranged with Faruja Senra to train in the ways of his weapon. While there, Kaydin and Luso join in, and as Aerith becomes inspired by one of the nezumi's signature techniques, so to are Kaydin and Luso inspired to train their own techniques as well. Of course, this can only end one way... a duel between the two of them. Part of Aerith's training trip.
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Kaydin, Aerith, Luso Clemens

---

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja, now post hangover, finds himself waiting beside the local Church for a certain individual. One that, frankly, he still had his doubts about. The Templar crosses his chest in the direction of the Church as he ponders the woman in question; so very much like a certain Princess he met. So much so that it sets every paranoid bone in his body off. Yet, here he is, offering to train her. All the Burmecian can pin it on is his respect for her companions. And besides, a Lady has to be able to protect himself. Maybe he'll learn something.

Aerith has posed:
Speaking of the lady...

She enters the halls of the church, the sacred ground somewhat calming despite how many people were outside. She could feel the fear, the anxiety, the frustration and anger... and the pain. Especially the pain. So many were lost, and yet those who were saved seemed all the more so than those who weren't.

They wanted to go home. It was her job to help them get there. So she'd come here late, because she'd stayed around at the camp for a few minutes to help out. Mend wounds, mend hearts, tell stories and put children to sleep. Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the church, walked through the doors, and waved at the Templar. "Sorry I'm tardy!"

Right off the bat, besides the new pair of boots she wore, he would notice her new six foot long staff, the wood a gleaming white in color. Had he any further senses, he would detect something interesting about the material the staff was carved from.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja turns, offering the woman a bow out of reflex...as well as an irritated glance. Military efficiency gave him little tolerance for people being late, even if he'd approve of the reasons.

"Quite alright. Lord bless." Sigh. Civilians. Any irritation the tailed one had is dashed as he notices that staff. Stepping forward, he raises a fuzzy brow, ears tilting.

"My, my, my Lady Gainsborough, where /ever/ did you acquire that polearm? Sized well, of adequate construction...though a set of metal pipings would ensure it from cracking. Something about that thing...'tis not ordinary."

Aerith has posed:
Aerith smiled. "A good eye, as always." His irritation slid off of her like water on a duck's back as she cleared her throat and set one end of the staff onto the ground. From the floor to its highest point, the staff reached seven inches above her five foot, three inch figure, making it perfect for putting the entire length into a strike, instead of her old one, which was roundabout her height and only good for defensive maneuvers. "This staff is carved from the wood of a special tree, a very ancient and powerful one." She glanced toward the tool. "If you think it needs metal piping..." She took a few steps away from the nezumi, brought the staff upward, then swung it down with considerable force. The tip of the staff slammed down... and the wood bent quite easily, without breaking. "I would beg to differ."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja smiles as the staff refuses to shatter. "Mmm. So it seems. Special indeed. I much prefer steel...far more lethal on the whole, but I think such a weapon would not suit you. No, 'tis perfect."

The Templar unslings his spear. Tri-tipped, silver, and etched with prayers and holy symbols, it's an elaborate affair that's as much weapon as a symbol of station; mean to leave an impression, especially for one so lacking in stature. So too is it longer, about six feet in length, to maximize what leverage he can give. Especially from above!

"Well then, you come to learn, have you not? What have you been taught? Demonstrate, M'Lady. Come! Strike me if you can!"

A tap on his chest is that of gauntlet on cloth and metal.

Aerith has posed:
Yet another test. But of course.

Her face took on a dispassionate cast as she settled into a fighting stance, her hands resting easy on the tool. She took a few cautionary steps forward, and then with a sudden flick of her weapon, struck at Faruja's head... only to deliberately miss.

The second strike came in from the right, snapping toward the other side of his head, aimed at the general location of his temple.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja feels that weapon flick towards him, the serenity of an almost empty Church and an apparently half-competent trainee to shape up. His expression, unlike Aerith's, is almost nostalgic. It reminded him all too much of his first days training as a Temple Knight.

That strike whistles past his face, the Burmecian feeling and hearing rather than seeing. He didn't need to; the loss of an eye only sharpened his already superior sense of hearing. The follow up to the feint nearly hits him. At the last moment, he thrusts his weapon, catching the length of wood and pressing forward. The tip of her weapon stops an inch away from his Temple as the ratling simply tries to strongarm his way past her guard at first. A simple tactic, an old one.

Yet, at the last moment, he twists his weapon, turning what could have been a stab into a disarm attempt.

"Excellent. I see you truly have some competency. But you work too cautiously. When you strike, you must do so decisively, and with unwavering purpose. Otherwise, your blow will be turned aside every time."

Aerith has posed:
She took the advice... immediately.

Her escape from the disarm was a downward pull of her weapon as he twisted, slipping the weapon out of the prongs. She was just on the outside edge of his range, which meant they were more than capable of hitting each other. But that wasn't the real concern she had. No, the concern was a more subtle one... make him think she was an amateur, that she hadn't really done too much training before now.

Aerith circled her staff and brought it down toward Faruja's right shoulder with a snap at the end.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja, in a sense, is going easy on her. If she were a Templar, he'd have not stopped his original thrust, and likely bled her a bit. He pays for that as that staff immediately swings his way, nearly catching him off guard; a rare thing for the Burmecian, never given to underestimating an opponent. Shifting his grip, he brings the butt of his weapon back to intercept the piece of wood.

Better than his shoulder, but it leaves him in quite a weaker stance. Seeking to equalize things, he nimbly charges; quick and agile despite the weighty armor. Ducking, the diminutive rat attempts to get under her, and use those prongs of his weapon to trip her up.

Aerith has posed:
Fast, as expected. Good, she wanted it this way.

Aerith pivoted on her right foot, bringing the weapon to bear just behind those prongs to make another intercept, then swung the end that nearly touched the ground right toward Faruja's very exposed head. The thing about a staff and a spear was they were all about leverage, which meant it wouldn't take much to deal a stunning blow.

Faruja Senra has posed:
The bad news? There's no way Faruja can avoid the end of that staff. Whack! Right on the bandaged side of his face. The good news? Like any proper zealot, so used to unsafe and hazardous maneuvers, he's well used to minimizing damage. Even as that staff swats him, he tilts his head enough for the blow to slide off. Instead of collapsing, he lands in a roll, ending half-crouched. Spit! She got a few teeth with that one.

Faruja /laughs/, with that slightly unhealthy sound of one who's been cracked hard. "How malicious, M'Lady! Underestimating you is indeed dangerous. However..."

Time to be serious, and press the advantages he has. Once more, the rat charges, sharp points of his weapon seeking to strike her weapon. Once, twice, three times...they're swift, accurate, and brutal; strong enough to jarr the bones of the arms and hopefully to set her to giving up ground. Even that, however, isn't his true goal. He waits for her counterstrike, keeping just at the end of his slightly greater reach.

Aerith has posed:
Right, time to see how well this worked...

In the space of a second, Aerith changed the grip on her left hand to an overhand position. By the time Faruja reached her, she was already ready for her move. Aerith started her flourish, and as one end dipped forward, the first jab was met and turned away... then the second with the other end, and the third.

And she didn't stop.

Aerith moved forward, repeating the motion twice more, this time aiming to hit Faruja with her staff in a continuous flurry!

Faruja Senra has posed:
With every strike parried and returned, Faruja smiles. Oh yes, the young woman has some skill! Parries are interspersed with dodges, turns, and generally /moving/ to keep from being struck. Eventually, however, he does what any good Dragoon does.

He goes to the air. Leaping as her final strike comes towards him, he's above her head, and falling; blunt end of his weapon aimed for the chest, feet for the shoulders. The Templar would vault onto her.

Aerith has posed:
And so another one that liked to take to the air... only he jumped much higher.

There was a problem with being in the air... you couldn't control where you landed. The other person however, could. Aerith just waited for him, and as he tried to land on top of her, she tuned, circled her staff above her head to block the incoming attack, and made her best attempt to deliver a high crescent kick right at him as he finished his fall.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja, having fought more than one good staff user in his day, sees the kick coming. Indeed, it's one of things he would have done in her place. Thus, he's quite aware there's not much he can do about it. Time to show the girl that he's not just a Knight, but a Templar.

Struck in the chest, and sent spinning, his own leg whips around. He doesn't soften the blow this time; she's competent enough to survive it. Those same leg muscles that propels so much steel, flesh, and bone into the sky seeks out her head, made worse by claws and the greaves there. Thankfully, his armor takes the blow of the kick.

"Hah hah, I see there is little I can teach you of the basics. Your other tutors have done that quite well. Half-formed, but, your style is taking shape."

Aerith has posed:
Of all the things she expects, she doesn't expect that.

Aerith barely has time to lower her stance as Faruja's kick whips just two inches over her head, and she rises in her fighting stance again, her hands in over-under position, right hand forward this time. "Well then, I trust that means we can get to the actual training part instead of the testing, right?" Because she wasn't sure she could keep up with him for very much longer.

Kaydin has posed:
Faruja was about to become very unhappy. Why is this? Well his shadow stops moving and begins to grow, forming into a portal used by the heartless. A hand goes through the potal and grips the ground as Kaydin pulls himself out, black cloak tattered at the ends, wearing still just a sleeveless tunic and leggings with no shoes and both black. He climbs out of the portal and breathes heavily as the portal shuts.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Quite M'Lady! Mmm. Certainly something of a change in plans, it seems I have underestimated you."

He ponders a moment, looking her in the eyes. While he doesn't quite trust her fully, he /did/ offer to train her. And he /does/ have enough authority to sanction her proper training. He'll just have to take care of the details later.

"What I shall teach you is a sacred technique. 'Tis made to smite enemies from afar with thy own will, and that of the Lord's own. If Lady Lockhart and Lady Pixi trusts you, then I shall consider you worthy of it. Do NOT abuse it, or turn it to evil. Do I make myself absolutely clear?"

Blink. What's with that chill...OHFARAMMYSHADOW!

Faruja leaps back, leveling his spear as a portal opens to reveal the form of Kaydin. "YOU!? Heathen!" At least it's not 'witch' or 'heretic' right now. The rat's torn on that. "What evil do you bring here!?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith of course, calls him none of these things. In fact, she could sense him five seconds before he arrived, and once he showed up, she frowned at Faruja for his... choice of words. Sure, the man had made a grave tactical error with one of her previous trainers, Pixi, but she didn't hold it against him. They were both at fault with that. Scolding him would do no good, nor would telling him he was acting the hypocrite for treating him one way in Manhattan and then another here. What she did was turn toward Kaydin and smile, as sweet as ever. "Hello there, Kaydin."

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin nods to Aerith, looking out of breath. "Gravity in that place is screwy as heck." He says as he then looks to Faruja. "Hello to you too." Kaydin says as he looks to Aerith. "I was going to return to baron, to answer for whatever crimes they may feel I did however I met someone on the way there and he convinced me that I should do another path. Start a clean slate, and keep trying to do what is right." He says as he watches the flower girl and for the most part ignoring the templar.

Faruja Senra has posed:
This, of course, just irritates the Templar further. He opens his muzzle, before the man's words hits his ears. The ratling pauses, then lowers his weapon. "...And good sense this person has! If you... truly are attempting to turn from this path." Said with surprisingly mild disbelief. The man's actions in Manhattan had instilled some respect in him.

"You wold no doubt be sent to the gallows. And by a pack of Heretics, no less. Foolishness."

Aerith has posed:
Aerith grinned. "And who exactly is this, may I ask, that performed this feat?" She blinked for a moment, wondering how someone else could do what she'd been attempting for a while... and as if in answer, her staff seemed to respond, glowing just slightly. She glanced toward it, eyes wide, then back to Kaydin as she suddenly understood. "His name was Mickey, wasn't it."

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin nods. "It was him. He also explained to me a little about his keyblade, about how it is the ultimate weapon against the heartless." He says as he would then look to Faruja. "And the best part was he didnt tell me I had to forsake my training as a dark knight, so just shows that dark knights are better then templars, eh?" He says, saying that more to snub Faruja again, he seems to enjoy making the ratling's fur bristle.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja's hand clenches, that fur of his quite literally standing on end. The rat takes a step forward. "You...bah! We shall see, Dark Knight! Hmph, hardly shall I be shown up by some pathetic user of darkness." Grr! Grr! His tail lashes behind him. Oh, this one reacts so wonderfully to being prodded.

But so too is he listening. "Who is this Mickey? A weapon against the Heartless? Tell me, ifit pleases you." Faruja is all professional now. No time for petty grudges if there's a chance for being rid of Heartless.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith can feel the tension between these two. Instead of stopping it, she speaks, her voice soothing and even. "Mickey... is a mouse." She smiled. "He fights like a soldier and talks like a prince, and has a keyblade that can do the most amazing things. He has a heart of light and a soul of steel, and I could feel all this at once." She glanced toward Kaydin. "He's someone to admire, and someone for anyone against him to be afraid of."

Kaydin has posed:
"He explained the keyblade, a giant key wielded like a sword, is a weapon the heartless fear if the beasts understand fear. It can destroy them." Kaydin says as he would nod to Aerith and he looked to Faruja. "So what am I intruding on. Is Aerith kicking your butt?" He asks as he looks to Aerith, smiling faintly.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"The Lady is quite competent, I shall have you know!" Answer; yes. Yes she was. Faruja snorts, shaking his head. At least it seems he's not going to outright smite the man.

He does flinch at Aerith's words. 'Mouse'. "...A nezumi?" he questions, some small bit of hope in his voice. To see one of his own people with such a weapon would uplift his heart. Of course, the name doesn't sound like any he's heard of his own kind.

"And to answer your question, I was training the Lady."

Aerith has posed:
Aerith shook her head. "No. Just a mouse." Her eyes turned soft for a moment. There was something with everyone, wasn't there? Faruja had lost something important. If the tone in his voice wasn't enough indication, the feeling that flowed from him definitely was. "Yes, he was training me. It appears everyone wants to put me through some kind of test though to see what I know first." Aerith smiled. "I think Tifa taught me a bit too well, because I keep on finding ways to survive them."

Kaydin has posed:
"I have basic spear training, every guard in baron is forced to master the spear and every dark knight must undergo guard and soldier training to even be considered to join the dark knights, unless of course they were recruited because of unusual talent or ability. Course the guard and soldier training could have been just what they put me through to try and get me to quit." Kaydin says as he looks to Faruja. "The lady is very competent. She just doesnt like to fight, which is a good thing to be honest." He says before looking to Aerith.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Well, we /do/ need to know what you are capable of. Besides, 'tis good for the ego. I find a good thrashing on both sides keeps us humble." Faruja smiles.

The rat has lost much, and it has certainly colored him; and many in the Church haven't helped with his more violent tendencies.

Ahh, military hazing. He remembers that well. Strange common ground for two so opposed. "Ahh, yes. 'Tis always good to participate in cross training. Though I must say my own commander was a touch...rough. Most others at least warn you when they throw you off of rooftops." Crazy, crazy dragoons.

Luso Clemens has posed:
Wandering down the brick paved street was one Luso Clemens, arms folded behind his head in a gesture of apparent laziness as usual. With weapons clacking rather audibly behind him, it was hard to NOT notice the boy going about. Whatever it was he was here for, who knew? But he eventually noticed the three others conversing some ways ahead.

Upon seeing them, Luso smiled and waved over at them. "Heeeeey! Aerith, Faruja, Kaydin! What's going on?" He asked as he closed the distance casually, coming to aapproach their little gathering. Well, didn't he just have all the energy in the world?

Aerith has posed:
Aerith blinked for a moment as the newcomer approached them. She recognized him as soon as she saw him, and waved. "Luso, right? I'm fine, thanks! Just getting some last-minute preparations done before I go back to Goug." And yes, she had to go back. She'd promised Tifa something.

Luso Clemens has posed:
Luso nodded upon being addressed by Aerith, grinning cheerfully. "Yep! Luso's the name! Not Lisa, Laso, or Larsa! It's Luso!" He laughed lightly at that, rubbing the underside of his nose with an index finger. A youthful gesture, his other hand came to rest atop the curious grimoire strapped to his side.

"So, heading back to Goug then, huh? I'm sure Tifa's gonna be pretty happy to see you! You two seemed like good friends when I dropped by that one time!" The boy crossed his arms then.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja /feels/ Luso before he hears the boy. Or, more accurately, that divine blade he carries. It calls out to him, his own lesser weapon glowing briefly in response.

"Ser Clemens! Lord bless, Ser. You seem in good cheer, as always." So much energy. Faruja can't help but shiver at it. For one yet so young, he feels ancient by comparison.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin nods as he looks to Luso. "Still havent beaten by heartless slain record." He says as he would put the point of his sword into the ground and leans into it as he then looks to Faruja. "Faruja is old and senile compared to the youth of everyone else. And still the shortest." He says, prodding at the nezumi once more.

Luso Clemens has posed:
"What? Hey!" Luso frowned at Kaydin's little quip, uncrossing his arms to point. "I totally took down that Soul Devourer! Ask Faruja! He was there!" He then glanced at the holy knight in question, raising a hand in greeting. "Hey, by the way! Nice to see ya again!" Luso offered in a late greeting.

And then he returned to frowning. "But yeah! Tell him, Faruja! It was an epic battle, right?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith sighed as she glared at Kaydin. He really was trying to do this on purpose, and knew that Faruja would respond in kind. It was like trying to corral a couple of kids. Still, it wasn't like she could do anything about it much less say anything. She wasn't here to play referee.

Aerith cleared her throat and turned her attention to Faruja. "We should focus. You said you wanted to teach me something?"

Faruja Senra has posed:
"'Twas quite the show of skill for one so young." Wince. He still remembers the incident, and that damn sword.

Then Aerith clears her throat. "Quite! Quite. Come, Lady Aerith. We should not wish to harm anything here. Control for those first learning it can be...lacking." More than one squire has died due to a misaimed Holy Sword technique. Or Staff, in this case.

The rat will open the door for the woman. Will the others follow?

"I am NOT senile!"

Kaydin has posed:
"Note he didnt deny the other two." Kaydin says with a smirk to the nezumi before looking to Luso. "I believe you, just on the way here I killed three shadows in the corridors of darkness. And the soul eater should only count as one heartless." He says as he follows along with them.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith walked out of the building along with Faruja, content on ignoring Kaydin and Luso's competition for the time being. She leaned over to Faruja and whispered into one of his ears. "What was it again about this that I needed to know?"

Luso Clemens has posed:
"Hah! See?" Luso huffed in pride, puffing his chest out as Faruja corroborated his claim. "We're awesome! I'm awesome! And I'm gonna keep being awesome!" Well...at least he was confident. That's always a good enough start.

And then Kaydin mentions the heartless he killed. "...Oh come on! You can't count shadows! They're so weak!"

Luso, being the ever curious one though, did not even bother to ask and just followed along after. "Training, huh? Hey! Maybe you and I can get some moves in, Kaydin!" And then suddenly, more competition.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Leading Aerith, and by extension, the pair of knight and adventurer, to a little patch of grass behind the Church. A few words, and in a white vortex of Warp, there is a trio of target dummies. The rat's been practicing his white magery.

Leean. He whispers back. "Quite a few things. First of all, this technique is /sacred/. Do not misuse it. It is an /honor/ given you to learn it. Rare is it that any outside of the Church are given the opportunity. Second, it is lethal. Only use it on your average mugger if you desire them to meet the Lord. Finally...'tis unique with each individual. Hardly your normal method of striking. You must have Faith, Aerith. I believe you have that in spades. Normally, it would require hours of prayers and a week's worth of fasting to prepare. However...with the...ahem, keen senses you display, I think you shall comprehend."

The incantations of the Church's techniques are well known. Despite that, few in Ivalice can use such powerful skills. That's the brilliance in it; The incantations, motions, are merely foci for the user. Faruja raises his spear, thrusting it at one of the target dummies. "Life is short! Bury! Stasis Spear!" Ice plummets, encasing the thing in holy shards of crystal, cracking and falling away; taking the target with it. That's the physical aspect of it; simple, quick, and utterly destructive.

But it's what isn't seen, what Aerith's keen senses would no doubt feel in exquisite detail, that makes all the difference. As Faruja readied himself, a sense of iron-clad, absolute, unshakeable conviction flows through him. Faith, pure and simple, is what matters. Rather than magic, or ritualized casting, this is an act of willpower; shaping primal forces into pure destruction, willing something into existance then non-existance. It may come across, for the rat, as natural as breathing. Believe, then act, with no transitions; forcing the world to act on one's own unshakeable Faith.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith watched closely, wondering what exactly he was getting at, then her eyes widened as the skill was used. It was amazing, and yet Faruja remained calm in all of it. It wasn't something just anyone could use, she knew that. And at the same time... she didn't want to use it. Indeed, she was definitely working on her own thing. Still...

It did give her an idea. A very, very clever one.

"That was brilliant. Thank you for showing me..." She readied her staff. "...Because you've given me an idea."

Aerith's face became dispassionate again as she took in a breath. Faruja's spear work, as well as this, gave her the basis of what she was about to do. She took a few steps back to give herself some space, and then set herself in an attack stance. She twisted her staff in tight circles, advancing as she did so. Once, twice... and then using the rear hand, she drove the weapon forward into a training dummy with a one-handed thrust. A flash of pale green energy pulsed along the weapon, accelerating with every twist.

What happened next was... interesting. A staff shouldn't be able to do what she did with it. But it did. It punched right into the dummy, almost through it. There was even a sharp crack as her staff temporarily broke the sound barrier, a split second before it rammed home.

Luso Clemens has posed:
Luso watched Faruja's display of power in the meantime and whistled in appreciation. "Whoaaaaa! Hey, I remember seeing you use that when we were fighting that Mark actually." Nodding as he recalled, the boy stepped forward, pulling out the Kwigon Blade and the Ogun Blade, looking ready to show off a technique.

But before that, he watches Aerith show off her idea.

...And what an idea it was.

"Hoooooly crap!" Luso uttered in awe, his grip on his swords slackening a bit. "Did you just do that Aerith!?" He asked, glancing at the young woman and then back to the dummy. "That was...AWESOME!"

Kaydin has posed:
"Where his techniques require fasting and prayer and brushing your teeth and living a good life, my techniques require you to use the pain and suffering you feel or others feel to give you strength. And black is always better then white anyway." Kaydin says before luso issues the challenge and he raises his sword. "Alrighty then, your on. Who goes first?"

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja doesn't seem entirely surprised when the little flower girl doesn't take up his own technique. It certainly doesn't match her gentle personality! But from the looks of things, it's given her inspiration, and so Faruja looks quite content.

A red eye dialates, then a grin comes to his muzzle as that dummy is shattered. The rat claps, nodding his head. "Excellent, Lady Gainsborough! Excellent! I knew you had it in you. My, my...forcing one's will so directly. Mmm." From the looks of things, she in turn has given him an idea or two.

And that light. It wasn't Light. It wasn't Darkness. Faruja looks thoughtful briefly. "I have no more to teach you, M'Lady. From here, 'tis up to you to refine what you have been given by others. Remember; never fall into rigidity. Predictability will lead to death." Turning to Luso and Kaydin, he nods.

"Ahh, but you give me too much credi...hmm?" Faruja pauses, his phone beeping. Turning away, he pulls it out.

"Sister Agatha, did I not tell you to only call this number when there is a matter of dire imp...WHAT!? Impossible!?" The rat's outburst is as enraged as anyone here would have heard him; that of someone having a piece of themselves assaulted. Anguish follows it.

"...How many? What of Lord Tengille? Ser Folles? The High Confessor? I see. I shall return immediately. Keep the Faith Sister, we shall bring these Heretics to justice." Faruja snarls into the phone. Someone's going to die.

"Pardon, Sers and Lady. There has been an incident. Lord bless." Warp! The rat is gone in a white flourish of light.

Luso Clemens has posed:
A glance is given towards Kaydin and Luso grins, tightening the grip on his weapons again. "Alright, then let's have this decide the outcome!" Stabbing one of his swords into the ground, he pulled out a single gil coin.

"I call heads!"

And then he flipped it into the air, watching it revolve over and over and over, until finally, it landed back into his palm. "....Crud." He grumbled, seeing that it had landed on tails. "Well, it looks like you're up first then!" With that said, he tucked the coin away with the rest of his stash and took hold of his wayward sword again.

"Let's go!"

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin nods as he then pulls his cloak off and throws it aside before lunging in and sending a series of quick stabs and strikes to try and hit the kid, the black blade becoming a blur of many as he tests the boy's defenses.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith frowned as Faruja's emotions shifted tones. She shook her head as he hung up, watching him leave. Something bad just happened, and she wanted to help... but she had to be here. With a bow to Faruja, she turned toward the two men as they sparred, leaning against a nearby wall in case she had to intervene. Indeed, he was right. What she'd used wasn't light or darkness. It was something else, spirit energy. But there was no mistake that she could use the light... she just didn't know how to use it in this manner yet.

Maybe King Mickey had an answer for her on that. She'd have to meet him again, though. For now, she was content to watch the two men duel.

Luso Clemens has posed:
The slashes were fast.

Faster than he was anticipating. But the damage...was not actually that bad. "Whoa! That's some speed!" He exclaimed, brushing himself off. "Weak, but wow!" But that wasn't going to stop him.

"My turn, here I go!" Grinning in excitement, Luso dove forward, swinging downwards in a dualbladed overhead strike which resulted in a pillar of ice forming and then shattering. He then followed it up by stepping into the attack, swinging his swords upward in a flaming arc. The combo was ended off when the boy leapt into the air, flipping once before descending downwards with both blades crackling with lightning! "Have a taste of this!"

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin leaps back and into the air thanks to the boy's combo and he raises his sword."My turn." He says as the blade shimmered with black energy and he swings the weapon, a blast of darkness in the shape of the slash flying for the boy before he sends another slash down, and with it a blast of darkness flying from two directions now before he actually unravels the chain on his arm, swinging the sword hard before letting it fly for the kid.

Luso Clemens has posed:
"Tch!" The strikes mostly hit their mark, Luso weaving about to avoid anything too critical. "Man, you're fast! Might even be faster than me! Sheesh!" Not discouraged, Luso decided to dial it back, sheathing the Kwigon Blade and instead going for Kotetsu. "Let's give this a try then!"

Shaking off the damage, the boy ran forward again, preparing another more careful set of strikes, not to deal heavy damage, but to debilitate. It was going to be imperative that he land something now.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin gets hit by the attacks before bringing his sword down and begins to bring it into a heavy upward cleave. "Going to have to step up your game." He says as the area around the dark knight darkens. It was the hit actually strengthened him despite hitting him.

Luso Clemens has posed:
"You don't have to tell me that!" Luso shot back, the counter attack clipping him as he leapt back. "It's not over till it's over! I wouldn't get too cocky now!" Grinning, he sheathed both swords again, instead going for Flametongue and the Kwigon Blade, the latter bursting into flame upon being drawn.

"I'm just starting to get warmed up here, after all!" As the boy spoke, an orange aura began to envelop him. He was psyching himself up. Preparing for the next round of attacks. "Now come on! Let's keep it going!"

Kaydin has posed:
"As you wish." Kaydin says as he moves in to send two quick strikes for the boy, the blows were meant to evade the defense and while the damage was light, it was more a intimidation factor, before he leaps back and swings the chain and hurls the sword once more at the boy.

Luso Clemens has posed:
"Not quite!" Luso quips, weaving through the quick slashes before smoothly jumping to the side to avoid the thrown sword. "Watch your side!" He called, leaping forward and bringing both swords down as a pillar of ice burst upwards. A shame that the dark swordsman had dodged.

"Tch-" He hadn't landed a good decisive blow yet. It was time to change that. "Alright, then let's give this a shot again!" Crossing both blades over, Luso pressed the attack, lashing out with Flametongue's burning blade before spinning around in place with both swords, expelling a circular wave of ice. A variation of his favorite ice technique.

"And then--!" He ended it off following it up with a dualbladed flaming arc.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin just took a step back to avoid the ice technique and when the boy comes at him, he tries to evade weapons however he was hit and burned by the weapons, part of his tunic slashed opened to reveal he had scars all along his torso and that his muscles seemed to grow the more he was hit, the darkness evident now as it seems he uses the darkness and the attacks to augment his strength. He lands down on the ground and brings his sword down to try and cleave into the boy before sending a quicker slash at him then before. "Impressive." He says as the piece of tunic which was torn is ripped away so half his torso seen. the signs of a hard life evident.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith watched the duel with growing interest. They seemed evenly matched, and the fact that Luso had two weapons did not deter Kaydin at all. In fact, he had an advantage every time he got hit, and that was something to see. Though it wasn't her style, she was excited just from watching, and pushed off from the wall, heading toward one of the remaining training dummies. She got into a fighting stance and started performing her drills... only this time on a target she could actually wail into. Strikes and pokes, thrusts and swings, all focused on breaking, crushing, stunning.

Luso Clemens has posed:
"Not bad..." Luso commented, weaving through the flurry of attacks from the dark swordsman. "...But not enough!" Leaping aside, the boy grinned as he sheathed his swords. "It's time to kick things up a notch, don't you say?" With that, he reached behind himself, grasping the handle of Excalibur; the purest holy sword.

Upon being drawn, radiant light immediately began to radiate from the blade. Like a shining beacon of hope. "I'm gonna put everything I've got into this blow, Kaydin! Show me what you've got!"

As Luso spoke, his entire body began to glow with an azure aura, flowing off of him in waves before beginning to affect the holy weapon itself. The aura began to shape itself into a phantom weapon. A huge sword of azure with chains and a circular edge; The Blade of The Rift.

"Here I come! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" And he ran forward hefting the phantom sword back before leaping in to the air, flipping once for momentum before bringing the holy weapon down to bear on Kaydin. "Take this!"

Kaydin has posed:
Light from the holy blade causes him to raise a hand to cover his eyes before he raises his sword. The likelihood of him surviving is probably low but as his sword collides with Luso's the sound of a large clang is heard as light fills the area, the ground cracking and cratering under kaydin's barefeet. As the light fades, Kaydin is still standing there, and has his sword raised. the area about him was affected but he wasnt. It was then he radiated darkness, his eyes even turning slightly darker. He then vanishes completely out of existance only to appear behind Luso, and tries to drive the sword down into his back, before the sword sends out a large blast followed by a second.

Luso Clemens has posed:
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Luso cried, bearing down into Kaydin, their swords clashed together as light filled the area. He was sure, he got him! He couldn't see, but he was sure!

...And then the light faded away, revealing that Kaydin had somehow managed to divert the damage away from himself and to the area around him instead. ".....Crud!" Was all he could say, cursing the fates for this outcome. Yet, at the same time, a grin formed on the boys face. This was interesting!

But wait, where did Kaydin go?

Whoosh! Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. Without even thinking twice, Luso leapt to the side, just barely avoiding Kaydin's vicious strike. "Whoa!" Landing and skidding some ways away, he took a deep breath and then sheathed Excalibur.

"...Man, this is something else!" The hunter spoke out excitedly, grinning wider and nodding. "...But I don't have anything else left to throw at you now. I'm pretty spent! Ahahaha!" Laughing sheepishly, Luso stepped forward towards Kaydin, holding his hand out, apparently intenting some sort of handshake.

"You're pretty awesome, you know that, Kaydin? You're a great rival! What do you say we call this a draw?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith turned as she heard the ring of metal, and stood breathless as she saw the clash of weapons. Just as amazing was Luso's evasion of Kaydin's grave assault. True enough, they were evenly matched... and she found herself wanting to be just as strong, just as effective. Everyone around her seemed to inspire her even more, and with a sigh she put one end of the staff against the ground, propping the other against her right shoulder.

The sound of applause would cut into Kaydin's words. "You two really are great rivals. If I had to call it, I wouldn't be able to."

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin was going to speak but Aerith spoke and he nod. He takes a deep breath and the darkness fades, flowing off of him like a light smoke and his muscles shrink down, revaling that he was far scrawny then he should be to hit as hard as he does and he pants heavily as he swings the sword, unraveling the chain on his arm to begin wrapping the black blade with the chain now as a makeshift sheath. "and I can do that speed while wearing heavy plate armor." He says to Luso as he looks to his torn tunic and goes to retrieve his cloak.

Luso Clemens has posed:
"Heh, right, Aerith? And I'm not gonna stop here! I'm just gonna keep getting stronger, and you both better keep up with me!" Luso responded to the girl, smiling and crossing his arms. There wasn't any need for them to off each other in a simple challenge match anyway. He glanced back at Kaydin then, listening to his comment about speed.

"Pffft! Please! Try carrying a sack of items and five plus weapons on you while keeping up my speed!" He shot back, frowning deeply for a moment...and then his face grew into a silly smile again. "Well whatever! We'll have another time to see just who's actually number one!"

It was then that he noticed the dark swordsman's rather unkempt state of dress. Or rather, he noted a while ago, but chose not to comment till now. "By the way? Are you okay...? I've got some spare gil I can toss your way if you need some new clothes and stuff. I don't mind sharing!"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith wasn't surprised. He'd trained in the stuff his whole life. But even she could produce strikes that belied her size and build. Aerith took hold of her staff again and wrapped it over her right shoulder before assuming a stance. "Well I suppose I should keep going then... I have a lot of work to do if I want to do what Tifa and I promised. You two can watch if you want... I'd like a bit of critique." She waited for them to respond before beginning.

Kaydin has posed:
"Personally I find your role as a healer to be quite suitable. True you are not as strong as Tifa, but then again Tifa cant heal others. Everyone has their purpose to play and sometimes being relief isnt the most glorious but sometimes it can be just as vital as the front line fighters." Kaydin says as he then looks his attire over. "I got money.

Luso Clemens has posed:
"Then fix yourself up, man!" Luso spoke good naturedly, clapping Kaydin on the back. "Anyway, if you need something to do, why not join Clan Gully? We could use a guy like you!" A shrug was given then and the boy turned away to look at Aerith.

"Sorry Aerith, I'm actually about to get a move on myself. But I'll nominate Kaydin to stick around! He knows how to use long weapons!" Grinning cheekily as he totally just threw the other young man under the bus, Luso strode off to the front door, waving to the both of them. "I'm off then! See you two when I see ya!"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith shook her head and prepared herself. "It's like I told someone else. I understand that kind of strength, but it's not enough for me. Strength to me is standing equal to those that fight alongside you, not being in the back and being left at camp all the time." She took in a breath, cleared the cobwebs from her mind... and began to execute one of her forms. With her hands in an overhand grip, she began with a single staff whirl on the left side, then two upward swings followed by a downward smash. She swung again before delivering her first downward chop, her staff smashing against the grass and soil with a definite woosh.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin watches her spin her staff and then nods. He watches the girl swing her staff and tilts his head. "You ever thought about using spear? Or do you want to keep with staffs?" He asks curiously as he looks over her form and strikes.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith shook her head. "The only difference between a staff and a spear is that one has a sharp pointy end." Block downward against a low strike, turn around and press outward once, twice, then strike the top of the head, snapping out a front kick at the same time. Figure-eight once, turn, and cross-body strike to the rear, then front again. Figure eight again, brace, and side kick. Hard.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin nods as he would watch her. "If you want someone to practice against I can let you beat on me. Not like I am going anywhere." Kaydin says as he watches to see if Aerith would want him as a training dummy or not.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith continued her form with a high block followed by a low one, right into a poke to the head. She took two steps, turned with an upward leap, and brought her staff down in another hard smash against the ground. Someone certainly would feel that later. "If you're going to train with me, I want you swinging at me!" She smashed to the ribs twice, left then right, before blocking behind her and thrusting toward the front, aiming toward someone's feet or legs, or maybe the knee. Aerith lifted her right leg as if evading a counter, her staff high in her right hand and pointed toward the opponent, and countered with a forward thrust, both hands on the staff. Aerith poked backward into the stomach, swept once, twice, three times at the ankles, and as if someone had successsfully evaded those, brought her staff around and down atop the head, delivering another front kick at the same time. Couldn't block them both, down for the count.

Aerith executed her finishing steps and exhaled, setting the heel of the staff on the ground. "That way I'll know whether I'm doing enough or not."

Kaydin has posed:
"Fair enough." Kaydin says as he watches her and is just somewhat impressed by what she did. "Thats rather impressive." He says as he smiles. "And you said you arent strong? I bet if your up against someone that would have beaten them down good." He says as he walks to her.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith smiled and shrugged. "There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" She cleared her throat. "Right, let's do this then... I'll block your swings and counter appropriately, one for one. Don't use that chain of yours, I don't know how to deal with that just yet." She took a few steps away from Kaydin and settled into a middle guard. "Ready?"

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin nods as he unwraps the chain to reveal the sword and wraps it back along his arm and grips the weapon tight, and comes in to swing at her, simple quick strikes meant for speed more then damage as he tests her defenses.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith tapped Kaydin's blade away with one snap from the tip of her staff, then the second one, then the third one before she shifted her weight forward and attempted a thrust at his chest. Simple counter to the attack, it was how this would work. His turn to defend, and it was an easy one, too.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin parries the attack, pushing her staff away before sending an overhead strike down at the flower girl, and she may notice that throughout his fighting, he never uses two hands on his sword, always just one.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith didn't have time to notice, she blocked his overhead strike with an upward block, immediately countering with a cross-body strike to the right side of his rib cage. "So what's your take on my form so far? Any pointers?"

Kaydin has posed:
"Well, your doing much better then when I last saw you fight. What did Pixi teach you?" He asks as he pulls his sword back to try and parry the right blow but it hits and he tries slashing at her again more aggressively, though his face was calm. "And you met Mickey once?" He asks curiously.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith twisted to her right, unwinding her arms and delivering a left block to Kaydin's response. "Pixi taught me speed for the most part." And oh how she ever taught that... Aerith drew back just slightly and thrust forward, toward Kaydin's middle, right in the solar plexus. "Mickey taught me agility!" And he also gave her staff a little something... she had no idea what, though.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin gets hit in the solar plexus and gives out a cough and backs up a bit and moves in, sending in a few stabs and slashes. "I learned those by myself. I learned speed to avoid getting pummeled on, and I learned agility to be able to avoid the training courses back home.

Aerith has posed:
"A real shame, that..." Instead of blocking those stabs, she deflected one... and then immediately snapped out toward Kaydin's hand, hoping to disarm him by causing him pain on what held the weapon. "Having someone help you is faster, I think." The attack didn't stop there as she pulled the staff back, stepped in with her left foot, and with a twist of her waist, sent the heel of the staff toward Kaydin's right temple whether the disarm worked or not.

Kaydin has posed:
The disarm did work but there was a reason why he had his weapon chained to his arm and as the heel of the staff came for him, he grabbed and then moved his sword to block it, the staff a quarter of an inch from making contact, though ay closer and the sword would cut him instead.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith stopped there. "I think that's enough for the moment." She put her staff behind her and stepped away. "Thanks for this, I really think it helped." She turned toward the training dummy she'd almost punched through... and smiled. "You might want to step back a bit."

Aerith entered her fighting stance again and started to flourish the tool in a figure-eight. After a few moments she picked up speed, the wood beginning to glow a pale green with the spirit energy she channeled into it.

Then she started to travel forward.

The staff became a blur of motion, spinning for one, two, three turns... before she turned, leapt upward, and struck with a downward chop, the force aimed on the front quarter of the staff.

The result was devastating.

The training dummy smashed to pieces as her staff went straight through, ending on the ground with an explosion of dirt and grass.

Kaydin has posed:
"Glad to help." Kaydin says as he moves out of the way and watches the going ons with a curious gaze. "I am curious how you went about learning that." He says as he watches the damage from the weapon. "Do you feel tired from doing it? Anything different?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith huffed out a breath of air as she stood, observing the damage. "Actually... that did take a lot out of me. I put a lot of energy into that move, and I'm not sure how much I have left." She took in a deep breath and sighed. "But if that's the result... I might have picked just the right bit of it." She turned toward Kaydin. "Now all I have to do is show Tifa the results." She walked back toward the front of the church. "So what are you going to do now?"

Kaydin has posed:
"Do what is right. I have spent too much time doing as I am told and now I am going to prove that the darkness can do as much good as it can evil." He says as he looks to Aerith and watches her. "I am sorry for causing you problems in the past.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith nodded and made her way toward the front of the chuch. "You know... there are a lot of people here that need some assistance. Maybe you could spend some time helping them instead of going around swinging that sword." She shrugged and turned away. "Just a suggestion." She waved back at him as she walked off. "I'll be in Seventh Heaven in Goug if you ever need me!"

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin shrugs. "Only thing I am really good at is swinging this sword so yeah." Kaydin says as he would nod. "Anyway see you." He says as he goes to find some new clothes.