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 Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:20 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:25 pm
The Kalona Invasion had passed some time ago; and yet, Jin-Soo still thought of it often. Lands and life alike had been ruined, but it was not the things he’d encountered that troubled him so much as his own actions. When he had come to the Kawani lands, he could barely lift a hoof against his assailant. Yet during the time with the kalona, he had become almost bloodthirsty.
Goatee had stayed behind with Quidal, and though Jin had regretted it before, he was grateful for it now. He wasn’t ready to know what Goatee would think of him, especially with the children on their way.
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:26 pm
“...Jin. Jin?” Garland poked his mentor in the face. The stallion would get like this sometimes, and after that it’d be up to him to drag Jin out of his musings. It was something about the Kalona Invasion he knew, but he’d been visiting a far-off herd during the time and had only heard trickles of it upon his return. Not many were fond of speaking of the event it seemed, but what was clear was that the Kawani lands were no longer in immediate danger.
Having never gone through its like before, Garland couldn’t truly comprehend what effects the Kalona Invasion would have caused, but at least he understood what it was like to have a mind wander. Often times he would “wake” to find himself in a different time and a different place, and realize that his body had moved on its own when his mind was not there. It wasn’t the same as what Jin was doing of course, but it was something he could relate to at least.
“Welcome back!” he said, grinning wide when Jin’s attention returned to the present. “Shall we continue?”
His episodes had become more frequent as he’d grown. As a foal he would only “black out” once every few months, but now, they came every few weeks, if not days. And they were growing longer, too. He’d done his best to hide his fears, but all the same, he was more insistent than he should have been when it came to learning self-defense from the stallion before him.
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:26 pm
“Right. Sorry.” Jin smiled back in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. Garland had been patient with him thus far, which boded well for them both. One who hurried was more likely to make mistakes after all.
“Now, the purpose of self-defense isn’t to defeat your opponent – it’s to hinder them long enough to be able to get to safety. Are you sure this is what you want to learn? Many don’t find much glory in running away.” He’d learned long ago to make the distinction clear. Many had come to him to learn how to fight – to be a knight and a hero and a champion besides. But that wasn’t something he supported, much less taught. He’d been a pacifist when he first left the herd of his birth, and he hoped he still was.
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:26 pm
“Because there isn’t any. Running away is cowardice; no more, no less.”
Both stallions turned at the sound of her voice. In the kalona herd, her strength had been well-known, and her presence alone had been enough to elicit some respect from lesser individuals. In here, however, she was only met with shock and caution. She frowned, reminded again of how different these lands were from the herd she’d grown up in. At least this time she’d check for a herd boundary before approaching. (That wasn’t to say she would’ve gone off had one existed, however. A border was only as good as the means to defend it.)
“Have you lemons up your teeth? There’s no need to be so sour, I’m only here to listen. Unless I’m not allowed?” She’d meant to be polite, but she couldn’t help the tinge of contempt that slipped amongst her words. Lessers she could stand, but these two... why would anyone favor tactics whose purpose was to flee?
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:26 pm
Jin’s breath grew short when he caught sight of the mare. With magenta spots scattered across a dark hide, she was easy to spot and easier to recognize. She’d been a part of the Kalona herd, though whether she’d been for or against the destruction of the Kawani, he could not tell. But the fact that she hadn’t attacked them yet had to mean something.
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:26 pm
"Well, it wouldn't be too much trouble, right? I wouldn't mind a study buddy!" Garland broke in after a moment, hoping his smile would be enough to ease at least some of the tension. The mare was evidently a pure-blooded kalona, but he thought it best not to mention it out loud.
"My name's Garland, and this is Jin!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:27 pm
"...A pleasure," Ax peered closely at the male that spoke to her, as if suspecting a trap. Even if it wasn't, she had come here to be an observer, not a student. But... the draft had been a part of the war. She'd recognized him from the lines, whether he knew that or not. It might be interesting hearing what he had to say, and seeing what he had to show. She still had her doubts, but the soquili of this land had put up a good fight, and it wouldn't hurt to participate – at least for a little while.
"You may call me Ax."
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