All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 10:45 am 
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2010 5:29 pm
Posts: 126
Location: The Gauntlet
Blog: View Blog (0)

Offline
Blood And Broken Bones; The Gauntlet


The sound of clashing metal on metal and the loud crack of wood on wood echoed and resounded across The Gauntlet. Disturbing the almost serene backdrop of the Akamu mountains, the dawn of the sun rising over the ridges and peaks, casting a morning glow and deep shadows across the training fields. The group of young men and women had been up an hour before the bell for dawn had even sounded, forced to waken and be ready before even the mess hall had parted it's doors or readied the porridge and stews. Their swords clashing, shields blocking and parrying as they trained in single file, each with a partner. No other squad was on the many training fields The Gauntlet contained, no archers let loose arrows and no troops charged headlong through the obstacle courses trying to beat their previous records.

Keita had practically kicked the barracks doors open the previous hour bellowing for attention and his squad, whom he was training, responded quickly, but not quickly enough in his eyes. They had been ordered to do seven laps of the field before they'd even gotten fully dressed and each had been partnered and told to practice and drill, parrying and sword-play was key. Keita himself, Boianyotl of The Gauntlet and it's training grounds oversaw each strike and each block, barking orders and prowling down each line watching his charges movements and their flow. He'd seen a lot of combat himself and knew exactly what he was training.

"Raindu sword higher, watch your opponents blade and it's arc. Carry the blade through, do not stop it. Use their momentum!" he growled as he passed a tan furred young wolf, who furrowed his brows and attempted to do exactly what was asked of him, even with Keita breathing down his neck. The swords clashed and metal grated and the older Wolf merely gruffed, before marching back down the line, slamming the side of his shield to the back of another Wolf. "Your stance is terrible, we did posture yesterday. React and flow, don't stand and brace." he ordered. Taking a few steps back, the old warrior watched intensely, his large arms folded and his shield resting at his thigh, his thick form towering over those whom he was tasked with training.

Rumbling to himself, he ran his long, doggish tongue across his maw. "Cease and desist, at attention!" Keita barked and picked up his shield as he watched the younger wolves scramble into a single line, their muzzles held high and their backs straight at attention, eyes facing forward. The sound of the dawn bell resounded and it caused a groan from more than one or two of the trainee soldiers. The other trainees would only just be waking now and would have half an hour before their drill instructors ordered them into the fields for daily training, enough time to eat. Something Keita's squad had yet to do.

Noting the disgruntled lot, Keita raised his shield and moved down the ranks, his posture slightly forward as he strafed. "In battle there is often no time for food and the fight will come to you before even the sun breaks. You eat when you can and you fight so you can eat!" he told the group, fixing his dark eyes on each and every one, before slamming a clawed hand to his shield. "This is your bulwark, your defense and the defense of those around you. Form a shield wall and protect your man-at-arms on each side. You are responsible for their survival!" Keita ordered, before standing straight and dropping the shield, catching it at the rim and walking down the line.

The recruits shifted and bustled together tighter, their shields held firm and the sound of metal clanging metal signalling their positioning. Keita did two laps of the line, inspecting and shaking his muzzle with a low growl. Stopping in front of a recruit whom he remembered the name of being Ralkin -whom he was sure he'd trained with this boys father at one time- he tapped the shield with his claws. "This is how you hold your shield, hm?" he asked the younger man, his ears flicking and rotating and a grin splitting his lips, exposing yellowish teeth. Keita then punched the metal of the shield hard and sent the rim hard into Ralkin's nose, sending the boy yelping back and clutching his bleeding muzzle. Keita stepped through the gap in the ranks and placed both hands to the shields of those on either-side, yanking them from their hands and leaving them exposed. "You are dead and so are your brothers-in-arms. Fool."

Leaning down and grabbing the young man, he hoisted him up by his mane in one movement and threw him forward into a stumbling half-jump. "All of you, get out of my sight and to the mess hall. I want you back here when the sun reaches the third peak. I will, once again, show you the real way to handle a shield ontop of eight more laps of the field." he ordered, before dismissing them with a slam of his fist to his chest, the others groaned and returned the salute, before trudging off defeated. Keita watched them go with his hands on his hips and snorted a small cloud of mist from his nostrils. They'd learn, one way or another.

_________________
Image

"I do what I am meant to do, divide and conquer with the intensity of an earthquake"


Image


Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on RedditShare on VKShare on TumblrShare on Google+Share on MySpace
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
cron
Powered by phpBB ® Forum Software © phpBB Group; All Material is the Express Property of Creative Freedom RPG and Its Members | DVGFX2 by: Matt

Protected by Copyscape Duplicate Content Penalty Protection