Return to the Past (GM Tauro)

[Tauro]

Jhael laughed at Faust's comment knowing that it didn't really call for an answer. He watched as his daughter and Faust prepared themselves for the upcoming match and wondered whose skills were the greater. He suspected Faust would be more skilled just from his experiences, yet he wouldn't discount his daughter's ability. She had trained hard and well over the last few years. He knew she hadn't truly been tested - until now.

Adria nodded in enthusiasm at Faust's comment. "It would do me no greater honour, Faust." she said in response, her face beaming in a wide smile.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him as she stood away from the fire and readied herself. Removing her cloak, she folded it carefully and laid it lightly on the ground away from the flames and where they would be sparring. Faust noted that she wore her sword and dagger at her waist, both of which she drew from their scabbards and stuck into the ground in front of her. Next, she removed her belt placing it on the cloak along with the sheaths for her sword and dagger. Finally, she pulled a pair of black leather gloves from her saddlebag and pulled them onto her hands. When she was ready, she began to stretch her muscles bending her body forward and to the side. It was easy to admire her female form as she readied herself. There was no doubting she a physically fit women who took great pains to work her body into great shape. What she might lack in strength she would definately make up for in agility.

With her stretching finished, she pulled the swords from the ground and began to twirl them lightly with her wrists as if becoming accustomed to their weight and balance. Looking at her father, and then to Faust, she bowed to each man keeping her sword and dagger pointed downward in respect. She allowed her gaze to linger of Faust for a moment longer as she watched him prepare himself for the spar. She noted his muscles, his swords and the way he moved. He had a confidence about him that she admired, yet also was slightly fearful of. Thus far her fights had been with her father in training and the odd thug in the city. Her father, she knew, tended to go easy on her. The thugs lacked any real skill to test her. Faust was the first swordsman she would truly have the pleasure of sparring with and that make her a little afraid yet she would not show it.

"I am ready whenever you are." she said with a mischievious smile. It was a smile that seemed to say 'you don't know what you're getting yourself into'. One that called from her youth despite her apparent maturity. It seemed despite her own fears she meant to make it a truly difficult match.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

A thinly veiled smile crept over the dark elf's lips as he inaudibly noted the graceful manner in which Adria prepared herself. The woman's elegant and flowing movements was a testament to her naturally inherited dexterity of the elves, though her willowy gestures also heralded the fact that she'd undergone a decent if not extensive amount of training throughout her life. But of course this did not daunt the Vysstichi Moriquendi and nor did it astonish him. Aside the obviousness that she was a female, Adria was also the daughter of the renowned and respectable Jhael, a master of both arms and strategy. This, Faust committed to memory as it well delineated the fact that she'd been adequately prepared for this duel and that he might have to expect a little more from her that he was accustomed too. The Vysstichi Moriquendi had delved in far too many combative situations to underestimate his opponent, as he never made it habitual to do so. This would be a rather unique and entertaining melee, one of which the dark elf was truly looking forward too.

Adria's preliminary actions were far too inherent and well-practiced, which brought Faust to wonder how he should go about offensively. In truth, the dark elf had a great deal of apprehension due to his ignorance in his opponent's combat style and whatnot. She brandished a sword and dagger combination, nothing extraordinary by martial standards but unorthodox regardless. Many practitioners of the combat worlds would have stressed the importance of utilizing the offensive and defensive postures in correspondence to wielding the unequaled sized weapons. Having personally experienced warriors sporting unsimilar lengthed swords, it was a given that Adria's dagger would remain close for protection purposes whereas her complementing longsword would do the initiative strikes and such. Faust sighed once, attempting with some amount of difficulty to predict the woman's choice of defense. Would she remain loyal to the practices of old? Or would she somehow entertain him with a unparalleled style of her own?

"Verywell." the Vysstichi Moriquendi's lips curled into a polite smile towards Adria and then an acknowledging nod directed at Jhael. With these words said, he allowed himself several more instances as he mentally focused himself. The questions of Adria's experience still circulated throughout his mind, troubling him in the sense that he could not possibly know how well she would fair against him. Whereas the woman had continuously sparred with her father and other wouldbe warrior's, Faust had been personally involved in countless life or death endeavors. But how would this compare to the intimate tutelage that Adria had received from her father? The dark elf shrugged off these notions as he admirably gazed upon the woman. She had grown up so much since he'd last seen her, not only physically, but mentally and maturity as well. Faust smiled once more. The duel was about to begin.

The dark elf rocketed forward off the balls of his feet, swiftly gliding forward through the well-positioned footwork that had pertained to him even as a young apprentice. With cat-like grace tributed to his dark brethren, Faust's swords skimmed the tips of the grass as he immediately closed the distance between he and Adria. The Vysstichi Moriquendi twirled his longknife downright and brought it in an underhand slash towards the woman's side, though lightly enough as not to penetrate any flesh or wound her. Simultaneously speaking, his longsword arced overhead in what would be a descending swipe in line with Adria's shoulder, though once again relenting on the force of the blow. To finish these consecutively placed maneuvers he'd draw back his longknife in an attempt to thrust it forward at any non-vital sections of the woman's body. As he executed these actions he allowed himself the option of dancing away from any abrupt counters that might have slipped through his defenses or follied his offensive coordination.

[Tauro]

Adria watched Faust carefully trying to not his differing movements in an effort to gauge how he might react to certain attacks and defences. She narrowed her eyes and smiled while waiting for him to make the first move. Her father watched with keen interest wondering which of the two was the more proficient fighter. Faust, he suspected, had the experience of several battles behind him, which may or may not be beneficial to him. He knew his daughters own skills, which were fairly advanced, though she had never really been in a true battle for her life. Much like she was doing now with Faust, she had dueled many times before usually coming out the victor. The only times she lost were when she sparred with him, but then Jhael was a master swordsman.

As Faust sprang forward, Adria bent her knees slightly to give her freedom of movement. Keeping her own blades lowered, she would wait until Faust made his attack before reacting with her own defence. As his arms moved with their intended attacks, so did Adria's with her own moves to defend herself. The dagger flashed in the firelight as it rose to meet Faust's sword, while her own sword met his longknife as the ringing of steel filled the clearing. She allowed the dagger to falter slightly as his blade came closer to her body desiring not to cause her arm to go numb from the blow. The knife was turned away easily, and with graceful precision, she spun away keeping her dagger above her head, as she moved away from Faust's second thrust with his longknife. As she spun, she brought her sword around in a wide arc completing it as she once again faced Faust aiming to slash him across his chest. She looked him with satisfaction as he danced back and away from her attack, but she didn't stop.

Dancing forward, she thrust forward with her sword aiming hit his ribs with the side of her sword. She too did not desire to cause him any great harm and held back enough to ensure she could stop herself. Her dagger remained poised and ready to defend or attack as needed depending on how Faust reacted.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Under the dripping shadows that the canopy of towering trees provided, two warriors clashed in a heated fray, one of which might easily have shaken the denizens of the forest into wake. Steel reverberated against steel as the resonating clash of metal was echoed throughout the woodlands. Faust D'Rinishad broke into his mundane gallop, picking up a great burst of speed with every stride as he slithered into his initiative maneuver of three successive strikes. His longknife was batted away with profound ease, ease of which could only have been obtained by a dedicated practioner of the martial world. Still though, this did not astonish the dark elf. The Vysstichi's longsword then arced overhead in what would have proved a devastating blow, yet even this was set off course by the well situated positioning of her dagger. Even now, the dark elf was not astonished. His conclusive attack ended with the propelling his longknife forward, though the blade was dissuaded from its' path by the circuiting route of Adria's sword. This astonished the dark elf.

Faust's teeth clenched admirably as the woman swiftly followed through with a counter of her own, though the dark elf nimbly danced away to clear the sly maneuver. Adria, he had to admit, boasted a decent amount of skill, so much even to thwart one of the Vysstichi Moriquendi's most acute of attack demonstrations. He had originally wanted to compose an offensive maneuver that might easily have tested the woman's adroitness with a blade, to calculate the amount of skill that she might truly boasted. That previous little endeavor was more than enough for Faust to comprehend the type of warrior he was dealing with. There would be no room for fancy or fanatical combinations, nor would there be for mundane attacks either. He would definitely need to brandish the more 'precarious' types of his arsenal in order to emerge victorious. Such was the gravity of the opponent he was facing.

Adria's sword coursed through the air with ease, a testament to the control that she maintained over her weapon. Faust's lips smudged into a tight smirk as his blades properly transitioned into the 'X'-like formation that he slammed downwards to lock her pretruding sword from entering his circle of 'comfort'. The typical warrior had been taught the crucial defense mechanism of dual wielding though often failed to capitalize on it. Faust D'Rinishad, however, was not the typical warrior. The Vysstichi Moriquendi glided with profound grace as he completed the block, noting that the woman steadied her dagger by her body in hopes of defending herself against her counter. Not a smart move. The dark elf's longknife rolled upwards as it broke formation from the 'X'-block, shifting dangerously towards the woman's shoulder as his foot simultaneously slipped back and then shot forward in a low kick towards the girl's leg. Normally the dark elf would have directed his surreptitiously placed strike towards the ankles as it tended to do more damage, but such wasn't the objective in this particular duel.

[Tauro]

Faust moved quickly away from her sword, not that Adria expected to hit him so early in the combat, yet she was pleased to see he had skill enough to recognize an attack. Some duels she had participated in had been over far too quickly. Her opponents unable to match the ferocity and talent that she possessed. Other times she toyed with her opponents - slapping them several times and making them think they might win before suddenly turning the tables and finishing them off. She would not be attempting such manouvers with Faust. This duel would actually require her to use some skill and intelligence.

Faust's attack wasn't entirely unexpected. She knew he would attempt some kind of counter, but instead of reacting as he might have expected, specifically bringing her dagger to meet his blade, she danced backwards moving with cat-like precision. This quick and sudden move likely saved her from being hit by Faust's kick - a move that caused her to raise her eyebrows when she saw him complete his attack. Smiling, exposing her perfectly white teeth, she moved to his right making several mock thrusts with her sword. These attacks were more to see how Faust might react and allow her to get a better feel for his speed and agility. Perhaps she would learn something that she might use later in this duel. For now, she would just keep up her guard and make several more counter attacks.

As she danced around him, she strode forward once more, thrusting hard with her sword aimed at his left shoulder. Her dagger followed in a one-two attack as she attempted to slash him across his chest. Again, she didn't falter, as she continued with the barrage of attacks as her sword came downward aiming to strike Faust below his knees before moving into another spin with her dagger swinging around to hit him in his right arm. All these moves happened quickly and were not easily recognizable, yet Faust was still a proficient warrior. Adria herself was eager to see how her opponent would react as her respect and admiration for the dark elf continued to grow. Perhaps she had finally found someone who was her equal in both skill and intelligence. Perhaps she had also found something more.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

She was definitely something. That much had been quite transparent from their initiative encounter, though the more he was granted the liberty of ruminating over her, the more he became infactuated. Faust wore a brilliant grin as his Adria's sword wiggled free from his descending parry, and his lips spread even further as his sidelong kick coursed cleanly through the air and without impact. Adria had obviously demonstrated the depth of her experience through every one of her twisting body movements, swordplay, and above all, craftiness. Many had fallen prey to the Vysstichi's sly use of his lower ligaments in harmony with his dancing swords. The fact that Adria had parried and successfully dodged each of these was a remarkable feat indeed, one of which even brought a taint of disdain upon the dark elf's features. It wasn't so much that he was disappointed in the woman's prowess, but the comprehension that he still had much to learn. Either that, or Adria was simply that good.

Apparently it was time to take off the gloves, of course, if he was presented the chance. It didn't seem likely that Adria would let him on the offensive anytime soon.

The elfwoman proceeded with a flurry of playful swipes and thrusts, none of which the Vysstichi took too seriously as doing so would throw off his momentum and inevitably his balance. Henceforth, he continued to circle with her as the woman's sword danced harmlessly through the air. In a sense it would rather have been unusual for any bystander to observe the duel, as each fighter was a polar opposite in a sense. One man. One woman. One utilizing the techniques of feints whereas the other only executed movement when necessary. A shadow of a smile crept over the dark elf's lips at this revelation, subsequently leading him to wonder of these vibrant emotions that were becoming of his feelings as of late. Adria was hardly the young bratty girl that he once knew. She was far more clever, witty, and strong. The sort of woman the dark elf had often depicted of his future soul mate.

These pleasant notions soon dissipated from the Vysstichi's mind as Adria's sword propelled at the dark elf's shoulder while her dagger concurrently took a swipe at his chest. The dark elf coolly batted away at the woman's sword with his longknife and reversed the flow of the weapon towards her shoulder. This would hopefully disallow the elf from following up with any other attacks from her longsword, less of course she was willing to get impaled but that was highly unlikely. As he flowed through this maneuver he shifted his weight back and to the side of his parrying arm in order to direct his sword in correspondence with Adria's opposing hip. The length of his longsword would hopefully negate the woman's attempt to slash him with the dagger and inevitably force her to parry or relent on her attack. This train of thought, in general, was based on the concrete reasoning that his longsword was definitely lengthier than her short dagger and more logically positioned to strike as a thrust was much quicker at a more enclosed distance.

Either way. If things boiled too far over Faust was more than willing to disengage for the skirmish and reaffirm his options.

[Tauro]

Adria's mind was mainly focused on her duel with Faust, yet she couldn't help but admire the dark elf for his skill. She was already been forced to work harder than she could remember. Only her father had tested her like this before, and at times, she could swear he was holding back. Something that frustrated and infuriated her. Faust, however, seemed to be on a more equal skill level. He wielded his weapons with confidence never allowing himself to fall for the simple tricks that might have tripped up someone less skilled and more ill tempered. She chanced a small look towards her father to see how he was reacting to their duel thus far. He was thoroughly engrossed in their combat watching their moves carefully. She knew that later she would be able sit down with him and he would give her a good account of what she did right and what she had done wrong. Over the years, similar conversations had occurred between the two of them. However, for once, she felt that his advice would be far more noteworthy than in times before.

She chided herself then for allowing her thoughts to wander slightly, forcing herself to return to the protecting herself from Faust's counter. Faust parried Adria's sword with some ease and immediately countered. Adria wasn't entirely prepared for his attack and she was forced to stumble awkwardly backwards or else get struck with his knife. His sword was easier to parry as she reversed her slash in mid flight and brought it down hard to meet his blade the force of which moved it slightly to the right and away from her hip.

However, all these movements put Adria slightly off balance, and she gritted her teeth a she thought to jump backwards to give herself time to right her position. Instead, she kept up the offensive. Bringing the hilt of her sword down hard she aimed for Faust's extended left arm holding the knife. She then continued this attack with a thrust as his stomach. She hoped to temporarily stun him and throw him off balnace, which would then leave him in an equally precarious position. Her dagger remained by her hip as she waited to see what he would attempt next.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

The corners of the dark elf's lips tugged into a bemused smirk as his reversed blade-hand batted away the woman's dagger and countered with a sharp twisting of a slash at her side. A shadow of doubt crept over the dark elf's mind as he did so, immediately noting the awkwardness that Adria countered his maneuver with, something that hinted at the lack of equilibrium in her stance. For a moment he feared that he'd actually have penetrated her iron defenses, but these anxieties were shortly quelled by the echoing clatter of steel riding on steel. The dark elf's secondary strike was similarly countered, though once more through the unbalanced attempts of the determined Adria. Faust couldn't deny the fact that the woman had been properly trained and furnishing her skills through the past eras, as many would have fallen prey to the intricate combination that the dark elf delivered. However, her movements were quite anticipated and moreover expected as she was the daughter of a renowned swordmaster. The Vysstichi had no doubt that Adria had witnessed closely mimicked ploys from her father as well. Perhaps it was about time to employ some new array of skills?

Faust caught Adria's gaze as it shifted over towards the intrigued persona of her father. Jhael seemed more than delved in the fight at hand and even moreso, entertained. The half-elf was undoubtedly calculating each of the dueler's maneuvers and attempted to compute the outcome of the match. Faust had little doubt that Jhael already comprehended who would emerge victorious through the ordeal, as many seasoned veterans often had a knack of predicting the victors of battles. The dark elf wondered too if Jhael would cease the match anytime soon or allow it to commence. However, at the rate Adria was continuing, Faust truly marveled at how far the duel would indeed extend too. There was little to no room for victory as far as first blood went, as neither of the opponents desired to spill any of each other's innards as it would definitely prove ill for the day. Henceforth, this simply meant that it was a matter of disarming the other opponent.

Faust grinned.

Adria's desire to complete her offense was remarkable. Instead of retreating and reaffirming herself she chose instead to not relent on her attacks. Such was a credible and almost admirable feat, but definitely foolish to some degree. The woman's sword descended heavily towards the dark elf's arm, only to transition into a forward jab that most certainly could have proved fatal to the Vysstichi's stance should it connect. Her dagger arm still remained closely compact to her body all the while. As she executed the swift combination of attacks Faust instinctively dropped to a knee and brought his longknife at a horizontally stagnant position to parry the descending strike and disallow it from changing its' course of travel. As he did so his elvish longsword swept coolly towards her unguarded knees, readily preparing to halt in case it breached the woman's defenses. The purpose of the lower position served to attack low and simultaneously deflect any attacks from her initiative strike. And seeing how Adria was already unbalanced due to her previous efforts, Faust was fairly certain that the duel would soon be over. The elfwoman had very few options now as her dagger arm was situated by her waist and she'd be granted very, very little time to react. And even if she did so, the dark elf prepared to make a stabbing use of his longknife as it was already leveled with her mid-section.

[Tauro]

Jhael smiled slightly to himself as he watched the pair. He could already see who would likely emerge victorious from this duel, and he was not surprised by what he saw. Certainly his daughter had trained well over the years, but she still lacked certain skills, and more importantly, experience that would enable her to equal Faust's speed and strength. However, Jhael also noted Faust's sharp mind at work with each parry and attack. There was a shrewdness and intelligence to each movement that told Jhael much about Faust's present ability. His daughter would reach these skills too one day, but her sheer determination would win this fight.

Faust's knife came up to meet Adria's blade even as she moved to stun his arm. He had suddenly dropped to his knees, surprising her slightly, and the clang on his knife against her sword caused a slight vibration to arc through her right arm. Gritting her teeth, she pulled her arm down and leaped backward even as Faust swept at her knees with his sword. His attack would have missed her by the merest of inches even if he wasn't prepared to stop causing Adria to breath a slight sigh of relief. She had moved quick enough, but was beginning to feel slightly overmatched. Faust continued to test her skills, but she suddenly felt she lacked the necessary ability to defeat him. However, she would not give in for she was learning much this day already. Raising her sword, she made ready to stab low at Faust's legs when her father suddenly halted the fight.

"That should be enough." he called out in a gruff voice causing Adria to freeze in her attack. The struggle from the contest had left breathing heavy, and she stared at her father with an annoyed look for a moment before lowering her blade.

"As you wish, father." she said finally. Bowing to Faust, her sword held before as a sign of respect, she then moved to stand by the fire. Grabbing her waterskin, she took a healthy mouthful before tossing it to Faust with a grin. "You have great skill, Faust. You surely would have won our duel had my father not stopped us."

Jhael's face revealed nothing, yet he was pleased to know that his daughter had recognized that she was overmatched. "There was no need to continue, daughter." he said. "I had seen what I needed to see. Do you require anything to eat before we get started?" His last question was to Faust directly.

It was then that Faust noticed Jhael was seated with a sword across his lap. The blade shone brightly in the firelight, and the hilt was polished black making it difficult to know what it was made from. Small etchings were engraved into the blade in some unrecognizable language. The manner in which Jhael held it before him told Faust that his teacher truly loved this weapon. The caring touch was evident like a mother with her newborn babe. This was Jhael's sword. Faust's training was about to begin.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

To an educated and noteworthy practitioner, the thin line betwixt an aspiring swordsman and an accomplished swordsman was a matter of one aspect, experience. There were many amidst the world of wielding cold steel who boasted hours upon hours of persevering training, acclimating themselves to the rounding hilt of a sword and acquiring the knowledge necessary to use it in combat. These were those of sheltered families, conserved atmospheres, and simple lifestyles. These were also individuals whom had never tasted the rendering sensation of pain, or the warm auras of their own lifeblood. And thus, when these peoples entered a fray of combat or melee, they were so often skewered beyond recognition prior to even drawing their swords. Adria, the daughter of the renowned and near legendary Jhael, had once been viewed in this very similar light.

For a longwhile the dark elf had observed the woman in this mannerism, something of which he found utterly despising and even vexing. The grudges of ages past had never quite dissipated from the Vysstichi's heart, but instead had only been re-surfaced after his return to the Master's keep. Faust had feigned the typical politeness expected of him, though through the warm mask that he often brandished was a bitter and loathing heart. The dark elf had desired nothing more than to propel his gleaming blade up to the hilt in the woman's flesh, to mock and ridicule her as she fell inanimated to the ground. Yet, these sour and spiteful aspirations had gradually submerged over time. Faust had seen how Adria had changed, how she'd grown, and the rancour that had once been concealed was now instead replaced by admiration, forever banished to a distant world. Adria was beginning to grow on him.

The Vysstichi Moriquendi executed his ascending parry with utmost ease, allowing the twin metals to clasp in an echoing clash as his elvish longsword swept horizontally towards the woman's legs. Unfortunately, the speed of his secondary strike had been slightened due to the obvious peril that it could have enacted, and thus, it was quite expected as Adria masterfully danced out of harm's way, regardless if she'd been 'granted' that opportunity or not. Faust didn't mind either, as he was becoming rather accustomed to the sinuous and fluidi body movements that Adria had accepted into her arsenal of attacks and defenses. And even more so, her determination and perseverance throughout the whole battle. Many opponents would have fallen to the rythmic beating of Faust's swords, let alone force him to unleash some of his more advanced offenses.

Adria redirected her attack back towards the dark elf's legs, and he instinctively brought his longknife-hand to parry the low-aimed stab. However, a muffled yet unmistakably demanding voice brought both of the two duelists to an abrupt halt. Faust's gaze curved over at Jhael whom now brandished a devilishly keen and sharp looking sword in his lap, something of which seemed so intrinsic to him as his own daughter. The dark elf nodded slightly as he sheathed his swords, rising to his feet and immediately feeling the toll of the battle upon his shoulders. Albeit he'd been accustomed to the strenuousness of combat long before he'd arrived, he'd have lied if he claimed that his body was not beginning to feel weary and somewhat exhausted.

Faust smiled gingerly at Adria as she tossed the waterskin over towards him, of which he soon drowned his mouth in a quick swig of the fluidy contents, "Thank you." his lips curled even moreso as he returned the bow to the polite woman, nodding appreciatively as he reminisced over the past few moments, "And the duel could have gone either way." with that said, Faust humbly lowered his head and moved towards the awating Jhael. His orbs met those of the Master for a brief moment before dropping obeisantly, "I am ready whenever you are, Master." With one last glance towards the ebony sword that rested in the half-elf's lap, Faust's head dipped once more as he readily prepared to commence.

[Tauro]

Adria smiled appreciatively in return, but didn't say anything further about their duel. Jhael stood slowly, stretching his muscles some, before striding over towards Faust. He stood before the dark elf for a moment in thought as he regarded his student's posture and manner in which he held himself. He had confidence, but there was much to teach. Much for him to still learn. Looking over at Adria, he motioned towards his pack that was lying by the fire.

"Adria, please would you pull forth the piece of cloth I have within my bag? We have need of it." he said in a fatherly tone.

She nodded, smiling in knowledge, and went to look for the cloth as instructed. Her eyes glinted in the fire, and her face seemed to brighten with the upward curve of her lips. The bratty child again marking herself unknowingly as an attractive and desirable woman. However, with her prowess with the sword, it was easy to see that other men may be somewhat intimidated by her. Had Faust known, there were very few men that had come calling for her - and the last had been some time ago. During the entire duel with Faust, she had been letting other thoughts get the better of her. The way he moved, the manner in which he spoke, the smell of the sweat on his skin.

'Admiration of his skills, she told herself, 'and nothing more. Shaking her head lightly, she chanced a glance at Faust who was busy listening to her father. 'But then he is a fine looking man, she thought as her hand suddenly found the length of cloth. Still, she continued to deny her attraction for the dark elf, though it was apparent she was enamoured by him.

Jhael had turned his attention back to Faust immediately after giving Adria his instruction, and was now speaking with him. Or rather, imparting some knowledge. "You are agile, Faust, and have a quickness about you. That will save you in times when facing a strong, powerful foe. However, you still lack oneness with your sword. Watching you, I came to wonder what would happen if you lost your sight. How would you cope? Perhaps your opponent throws dirt in your eyes? What would you do? Would that put you at a disadvantage, or would you see that as something where you found gain? One who believes they have blinded their opponent often times is careless about their defence." Jhael's voice had turned from fatherly to lecturing. The very voice he had used with Faust before, and with all of his other students in the past. There was no doubting that the dark elf was meant to listen - and listen carefully. "While our eyes are our greatest asset, our other senses can be made to focus to allow ourselves to see without seeing. That is part of what you will learn over the next cycle."

Adria came over at this point to stand beside her father who motioned towards Faust. She couldn't help but smile at the knowledge that Faust would be remaining for more than one day. Again, her thoughts came unbidden about the dark elf, causing her to become slightly nervous. It wasn't obvious, but with a trained eye one could see she was slightly uncomfortable.

"Tie the cloth around Faust's face so that his eyes are covered." Jhael ordered, not noticing his daughter's nervousness.

Adria moved towards the dark elf, her mischievious smile suddenly returning as she approached. Her nervousness dissipated somewhat as she neared. "If I may." she asked politely, yet her eyes spoke of something more - something Faust didn't recognize. At least not yet.

Assuming Faust didn't protest, Adria stepped behind him and securely tied the cloth to his head. Suddenly, Faust's vision was obscured by darkness. Only the faint glow of the fire flickering nearby seemed to dance through the cloth. As she moved away, Faust felt her hand run down the length of his right arm and he swore he heard her take a deep breath in as she moved away. Her touch was soft and gentle, and sent a shiver through his spine. Though he couldn't see her, Adria's face revealed much of what she was thinking at that moment.

Jhael noticed Adria's expression and watched her walk back to the fire with some curiousity. He hadn't seen her act this way before and wondered at her actions. Though he was a smart man, he was still her father, and part of him could not see that straight away that she had a growing admiration for his student. Reminding himself to speak to her later, he turned his attention back to Faust.

"Now, I want you to remove all thoughts from your head." he ordered the dark elf before him. "Listen only to the sounds, and search for the smells that surround you. Become familiar with your domain. Tell me what you hear and smell."

ooc: be creative with your response on this one..

[Faust D'Rinishad]

The crimson tiers of his lips clenched tightly together as he regarded both Adria and Jhael once more, admiring that remarkable link between fauther and daughter, something of which the dark elf had never been granted the liberty of. Back at home, specifically Har'oloth, Faust's mind had been ingrained with the notion that females of the dark elven race were above all else, condemming anything below them to a meaningless life of servitude and cruelty. Thus, the Prince had never been entitled to an understanding of his parents, whom by all accounts had been as neglecting and next of the darkborn parents. In a sense Faust was envious, jealous even of the mutual relationship that his Master and fellow swordswoman shared. If the deities had ever favored the elven Prince in any way, he would have been born into Jhael's family. But such was not karma, not the way, and nor would it ever be. There had been reasons pertaining to why Faust had experienced all that he had, this he knew, however, he would easily have traded everything about himself for a simple life like Adria's.

As these thoughts mingled within the dark elf's mind, he watched as Jhael piped a few orders to Adria and sent her dancing away towards a few of his bags encircling the small glade. Before he knew it, a cloth was being draped around his crimson orbs, obscurring his vision save a few of the shades of light emanating through the blindfold. Normally the Vysstichi would have questioned such methods of training, as he ignorantly couldn't see how it acclimated to his swordsmanship. However, his attention was focused rather on the warm and caressing hand of Adria, nearly causing him to shudder at every one of her sensual touches. Faust had never really been with a woman. Of course he'd had his encounters with the female race here and there, but none of which had been noteworthy enough to faze him so. Perhaps it the coolness in Adria's countenance, a confidence resembling that of his own, or even the fact that she could present a formidable challenge at swordplay? Either way, she was something.

"Seeing without seeing?" the statement seemed very foreign to the dark elf as Adria shifted behind him to draw the blindfold over his eyes, leaving the Vysstichi in a complete demesne of darkness. Albeit he could not literally see Jhael through the use of his fiery oculars, he could in fact attune to the Master's voice, which brought him circling around instinctively to face the renowned swordsman. Faust listened intently as the strategist explained about utilizing the rest of the five senses to their peak levels, this in the stead of using one's eyes for the complete duration of a battle. Frankly speaking, the dark elf couldn't even place a moment in his life where he'd been disarmed for caught in a position where he'd been helpless, and the Vysstichi had indeed been in scores of battles! Regardless though, Jhael brought up a very valid point. Faust had never truly combated any 'notable' persona so to speak, and thus the chances of a wound to an eye or an abrupt impediment of his vision was very possible. And so, he could see why Jhael would bring such a factor into Faust's armada, to prepare him for a situation should it ever rise.

The dark elf chewed on the bottom of his lip as he intently registered every one of Jhael's words into mind, readily prepared to draw upon this advise in the neartime future. As the Master concluded his brief but concise lecture, Faust's attention was once more diverted to Adria as she finished knotting the blindfold about his eyes. As the woman began to turn and drift away, her tender palm caressed his forearm, sending a satisfying and tingling sensation down the branches of his nerves. At this moment Faust continuously pondered over what was the source of Adria's thoughts at the moment. Was it possible that she was becoming as attracted to him as he so surely was of her? The dark elf blinked and shook the pleasantry from his mind, somewhat doubting it. Adria was an independent woman, someone who surely must have been able to draw men to her like flocks to the sheperd. She was so incredible, strong, and utterly irresistable. Maybe she already had someone in her life by now? Faust sure hoped not.

At Jhael's beckoning the dark elf began to dismiss these frustrating thoughts from his mind, focusing entirely on the task at hand as he attempted to thwart the serenity of meditation. It was difficult in the sense that the Vysstichi had never entirely been deprived of sight, henceforth it was definitely very intimidating at the moment. Still though, when the dark elf was reassured that his conscious was cleared and prepared, he began to reflect over his surroundings. The frigid breeze tickled his skin as he allowed it to wash over him, basking the dark elf in a cool glow. The scent of oak or whatever enveloping trees tickled the hairs in his nose. In the distance he thought his elven blessed hearing had affixed to the chattering songs of encircling birds. The dark elf's palm ascended, naturally reaching out in front of him as he tried to grab a handful of the ushering wind. Of course this was completely pointless but something about mulling over his surroundings brought him into a new level or stage of the world, a feeling that he'd never quite experienced or felt. It was strangely pleasant though.

[Tauro]

Allowing his student to focus on the various sounds of the clearing, Jhael remained still and silent watching Faust carefully. He studied the manner in which he focused. What he was looking for was ways to help Faust improve his concentration, but truly, the only way was to experiment and give him experience at fighting without sight. Slowly, he started to walked around the dark elf watching to see how he reacted to the new sounds of his movements. All the while he talked providing further advice to his student.

"Now Faust, you must be aware of everything about your opponent. Sight is the greatest sense at your disposal, but there are others way to distinguish a friend from a foe. First, the sounds they make. What clothes do they wear? What armour? Do they walk barefoot, or have heavy boots for long treks? Is their hair long? Is it tied back? When they move quickly, does it make a sound? What sounds are all associated with their clothes and armour? Do they lift their feet consistently clear from the ground, or do they sometimes drag a foot scraping it against the earth? And how do they smell? Do they wear a masking perfume? Do they smell of sweat, dirt or manure? Do they grunt, snort or spit as they attack and move?"

He paused slightly, reversing the direction of his walk. "And what of the vibrations they make on the ground? Are they large enough so that you can feel their walk? What surface are you fighting on? A wood floor that might creak or vibrate easily? Or granite that shows little sign of movement? And what of the weather? What of your location? What information can you gather from your surroundings? In a room or cavern, do you hear the echo of their movements? The list goes on, and you will do well to run through your mind repeatedly the various bit of knowledge you might learn in certain situation. Even with your sight, havi