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TRAINING GROUNDS - AFTERNOON
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Fiora stands tall in her full armor, having strode out into the training grounds without a word, proceeding to find one of the suspended training dummies and spar with it, pummeling the bag savagely, dodging about as it swings back at her from the force of her strikes. She's got a lot of stress to burn off right now, and the poor dummy is taking all of it.
Brunilda walks in a bit after Fiora, dressed in far less of an armor because she's by now almost used to wearing not much at all in the heat. She's carrying her halberd though, intent on giving it some proper swinging again. And perhaps taking out some frustrations, but she's not showing it. Much.
Louma glides along on the ground behind Brun, toting a training club and wearing her personal travel armor in hopes of getting used to it before leaving. It covers her torso and left shoulder completely, but the bottom is modified into a long set of segmented sections, protecting about two thirds of her tail without hampering mobility by too much.
Fiora strikes at the training dummy, eventually bracing her self after a particularly savage strike, letting the dummy 'charge' her. She lifts her arms, pulling her arms up, letting, letting herself be pushed back a moment before she returns the favor, pushing the dummy forward and running with it until the chains suspending it strain. She lifts the dummy up over her head, throwing it behind her. As it swings back around, she swings a kick to intercept it, the dummy stopping dead in it's momentum and shuddering on its post before Fiora takes a few breathes, ending her exercise for the moment.
Brunilda pauses some distance away, looking at the armored giraffe exert violence upon the dummy. She's definitely somewhat impressed as she rests her halberd's handle on the ground.
Louma hears the sound of chains, slithering around Brun's left side and looking toward the noise. She pauses with an impressed expression, watching the athletic display. "Brunilda, do you know that soldier?"
Brunilda tilts her head as she continues looking at Fiora move: "We've met, yes. I think. Unless there's several new giraffes into this around."
Fiora strides to the edge of the arena and grabs the long-handled axe she left resting nearby. Grasping it with both hands, she turns back to the training dummy and performs a terrifying pirouette, swinging the axe across the dummies throat, decapitating it and dropping the 'body' down to the ground below. With practiced ease, she finishes the manuever and props the axe up on her shoulder and starts walking towards the pair of onlookers.
Brunilda gives Fiora a wave and a bit of a smirk: "Looks like you've done that before."
Louma holds her eyes on Fiora until shortly after she breaks from the target. "Giraffe, hm? Is she the one related to Eri-" She watches with interest, then mild, shock as the dummy is de-bodied. "Hm." She notices Brun's casual wave, nodding to Fiora. "Yes, very impressive."
Fiora stops walking as she grows near, giving Brunilda a short wave, before giving a casual shrug, as if it were no big deal either way, the hefty axe still propped up across her shoulder. She nods to Louma as well, and gestures her fingers forward, up into a thumbs up.
Louma chuckles lightly, glancing toward Brun for a moment. "Is it hard to speak in that helmet, perhaps?"
Brunilda nods at Louma, shrugging slightly: "Probably."
Fiora walks past the two, settling the axe down carefully before reaching up to click two releases upon the helmet. As she does so pieces of it slide aside, and the gorget around her neck collapses down into a coil around the base of her neck. She lifts the helmet up and giggles, "Nah! I can speak in it now. After the redesign. But there's all that mystique to preserve! I'm suuuuper intimidating when I don't speak, so I just run with it!"
Brunilda chuckles softly: "Reckon I can't argue with that. You looked kinda scary there."
Fiora pats the helmet, "Aww, don't let Fury scare you, Brunny!" She grins, "Unless she's coming after you, then you should be terrified."
Louma smiles as she turns to face Fiora with a nod. "I can see that being very useful, miss..?" She lets the practise club fall loose at her side, leaning it against her tail.
Fiora: "Fiora! Uh, birdy-snake lady! Wow. Don't know what to think of you, but it's impressive. You keep cool company, Brun."
Brunilda nods: "Louma here is my Captain, and a good friend besides."
Louma blushes a little as she chuckles. "Louma is fine, thank you. I take it you're the bane of pirates that Gareth was talking about, then?"
Fiora laughs, "Captain like Captain of the guard, eh?" She eyes Louma, definitely appraising her strength. "Good... good. As for me, yeah, bane of pirates, thugs, bail jumpers and wanton menaces the world over. If you've already talked to Gareth, then you've only heard a quarter of my fame."
Brunilda chuckles, winking at Fiora: "I've learned in this short time already that you like to talk."
Louma nods, chuckling, though her smile fades a bit at the boasting. "Very interesting, indeed. As long as you haven't come to cause trouble for us, then welcome to Respite Falls."
Fiora points to her chest in mock shock, "Me? Trouble? Ma'am, I am a trouble solver! So you'll have no troubles from me." She glances back at the training dummy and frowns. "Besides, not here for anything official. Just here for personal business."
Brunilda glances at the training dummy, then picks up her halberd in her hands. "Think I'm going to have a round." She walks past the two with the intent of fixing up a training dummy together.
Louma shrugs, nodding to Brunilda. "Have fun, Brunilda, leave some for me, alright?" She turns to Fiora, though she keeps Brunilda in view. "I don't mean any insult to you personally, of course. Gareth told me you're here to visit with your cousin, he didn't mention that you were a giraffe. Are you related to the Smithens family, by chance?"
Fiora shifts aside for Brun, clapping a gauntleted hand on the elephant's shoulder for a moment in encouragement. "Kill it, Brun! You got this!" She turns back to Louma and shrugs, "No insult taken, Louma. I'm Erika's cousin, yeah, if that's what you're dancing around."
Brunilda nods at Fiora with a smile, before walking to a put-together training dummy, satisfied. She then hefts her halberd, giving it a few practice half-swings and steps, before starting to put power into the swings. After a few she aims a particularly hefty swing horizontally towards the dummy, all but cleaving it to pieces, the straw and wood not standing a chance to her sharpened (why is she even keeping it sharpened?) halberd and the semi-frustrated rage guiding the elephant's moves.
Louma nods, re-appraising Fiora for a moment before turning to watch Brun's performance. "Well, that's good to know. So you're aware of her condition, then?" She applauds once politely after Brun demolishes the dummy, nodding her approval.
Fiora watches Brun as well, giving the elephant a cheer. She doesn't lose her grin, but her tone is a bit more serious. "I've talked with her a few times. I'm aware of the expedition going out too to track down the stuff that caused it too."
Brunilda swings at the dummy another time, scattering what was left of it. She gives a few more swings of her halberd in the air just to use up the momentum, before stopping the swing and turning to look at the others with a small satisfied smile.
Louma grins at Brunilda, nodding again. "Excellent form, Brunilda. Well done!" She gives Fiora a sideways glance, nodding. "Yes, we're heading out in a day, although our goals extend a little beyond just finding the cause of Erika's problem, now."
Brunilda rests her halberd back in one hand as she walks to the others: "That felt good." She looks at Louma: "Any clues on what you might find?"
Louma shakes her head slightly. "We're heading out without much to go on, despite everyone's efforts. Nobody found anything on a blue flower, and an armored bear hasn't been reported since Erika returned. Still, we know where she was in general, so hopefully, things wont be too tough." She hefts the club into both hands, looking toward the stack of undemolished dummies.
Fiora sighs, crossing her arms. "I should be going with your group... but I can't. Erika needs me here. So I'm gonna have to trust you, Captain."
Brunilda nods with a sigh: "I should as well, but... well. I can not, without being a liability."
Louma nods, giving Fiora a small smile and patting Brun on the shoulder. "We may not all be as traveled as you are, Fiora, but we've got an excellent tracker and ample resources. If you two will pardon me for a moment, I need to try and break this armor back in." She slithers around Brunilda, picking an all-wooden dummy from the pile and hauling it over to a post, where she begins tying it upright.
Fiora nods, her voice lightening up a bit, "Alrighty... let's see what you're made of Captain." She nods to Brun, "Liability, eh? You sure made that training dummy a liability. Nice handiwork."
Brunilda chuckles, then turns around to show Fiora her backside, which while mostly healed still shows ample signs of a burn not that long ago. She lets out a bit a disappointed sigh: "Like it or not, previous injury says 'no'."
Fiora cringes, "Oof. Oh yeah, that's a good one. Ah well, there's always next expedition, or whatever. I've definitely had downtime between hunts to recoup. So what'd you do to get those scars? Something awesome I hope."
Brunilda shifts back around to look at Fiora. She shakes her head: "The town's old generator exploded. I was there."
Fiora raises an eyebrow, "Whoa-ho-ho! And you're still standing? Nice!"
Brunilda gives a small chuckle: "Wasn't standing at first."
Louma finishes setting up the dummy, picking her club up and hefting it onto her shoulder as she appraises the target, nodding as she moves back a few meters. She pauses for a moment, her tail bunching behind her before she springs forward, raising the club and bringing it down on the dummy's shoulder. She turns, hauling the club in a sideways arc to strike the dummy's side with a solid crack, her tail dragging her torso back immediately after the strike lands and sending her forward. The club crosses the abdomen of the dummy as her body passes it, using the momentum of the rebound to spin and land a hard blow over the same shoulder she'd started with. Splinters fall from a long crack as Louma spreads her wings, casting herself a few meters into the air to drive the club down once more on the same shoulder, splitting the right third from the rest of it as she lands.
Fiora turns to watch the exhibition, whistling low. "She's good. At least this expedition isn't going to be lacking for skill."
Brunilda looks at Louma as well, smiling: "Yep, that's for sure."
Louma huffs, setting the club under her arm as she approaches the other two again, adjusting the lower section of her armor that's twisted slightly. "Designed for a snake body, not good for snake movements. I'll have to get the quartermaster to adjust this when we get back, no time now."
Fiora grins at Louma, "I figure you definitely broke his arm, so if that was your aim, good for you. A little extra swing to the side and you coulda knocked the head clear off!" She pauses, "You know, they got these spears in Orela that are awkward as heck to hold, but I've seen some snakes do some crazy shit with them, you ever look into those?"
Brunilda looks at Fiora talking excitedly, pondering on this: "Admittedly, I've only seen glimpses of those."
Louma nods, perhaps with a bit of extra vigor. "Yes, I was born there and trained in the military. I've wanted to get my hands on that familiar weapon for some time, but ah, cut ties with everyone I knew back home."
Fiora motions back towards her axe, "I forged Grieve there myself. Took a couple attempts to get the weight distribution right, but she feels perfect in my hands now. Heh. I'm feeling better about your expedition already, Captain, seems you've got some real grit to ya. If your tracker is as good at their job as you are, then you probably don't need me."
Brunilda nods: "You are a great fighter, Captain. If anyone can do it, it's you."
Louma smiles at the compliments, bowing in response before looking to the axe. "Really? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that smithing runs further in the family than just the Oldhammer. I'd asked there, but I felt poorly about rejecting two attempts and kept the last one they'd made. You've seen them before, though, Brunilda?"
Brunilda tilts her head at Louma: "Seen what before?"
Louma: "Orelan spears."
Brunilda nods: "Yes, back in Ondonga. Not in practice though, just being carried."
Louma nods, deflating ever so slightly. "I suppose I could ask a merchant or two to try finding one for me. That would be expensive, though."
Fiora chuckles, "All the fancy spearwork, somehow snakes never expect a headbutt. Good tip if you're wrapping someone up. Watch out for their head."
Louma grins, looking to Fiora. "Trust me, I learned that lesson very early on. Sparring with so many different styles, it was unavoidable, in more ways than one."
Brunilda laughs a bit: "I've yet to see a snake brave enough to try and wrap an elephant."
Fiora laughs, "I met one brave enough to wrap a giraffe! Last mistake he ever made though." She shakes her head, "I know a few people who know a few people, Louma. I can ask about buying one of those spears, maybe. Doubt I could forge one myself without a sample in hand though, and who knows when I'm leaving Respite... promised Erika I'd stay at least until you all and the town doc get her restored."
Brunilda sticks her halberd into the ground, forcefully enough for it to stick upright: "I just wish I could do more to help."
Louma grins at Brunilda, considering her for a moment. "The snake long enough to effectively wrap you is probably an elder. But you're doing plenty to help, Brunilda. I wouldn't have asked you to return to normal duties if we weren't leaving." She turns back to Fiora, "I would honestly take you up on that offer, but you don't have to."
Brunilda sighs: "Yeah, I know."
Fiora shrugs, "I'll see what I can do when I have a chance, but no promises. If you come back with a cure for Erika, it's the least I can do." She glances at Brunilda and puts her hand on the elephant's shoulder again. "Folks here still need support too. I'd be marching out there too, if I could. But... it's not right of me to just leave Erika like that, not after..." She shakes her head after a moment, "Not after I just got here."
Brunilda gives a small smile to Fiora: "Yeah. As said, I am not... proper healthy yet. And... to be fair, I don't know much about what's out there. Nesseth and Louma have got that far better than me."
Louma nods, smiling warmly at Brun. "There's plenty of time for you to explore after you're fully recovered. Believe me, this isn't going to be the last time someone goes missing, as dark as that is."
Fiora chuckles, "I made a career out of finding people who go missing. Though, most of them don't want to be found."
Brunilda laughs a bit: "Fair enough, Fiora." She turns to Louma: "I'll keep things together here."
Louma chuckles, nodding. "I'm confident in that, Brunilda." She turns back toward the targets, thinking for a moment. "I think I'll take another round, see if the armor's at fault of if it's just my lazy tail." She slithers towards the wreckage of her efforts, beginning to untie her split target.
Fiora gives a feigned salute to Louma, "I'd offer to go a round with you, but I wouldn't want to put you out of commission before you even leave town."
Brunilda gives Fiora a bit of a smirk: "...on the other hand, I am not leaving town as I just made clear."
Louma nods, grinning with a coy look over her shoulder. "Your partner offered the same thing. I must look like an easy win to bounty hunters."
Fiora laughs, "Nah, you'd kick Gareth's ass. He's all bluster with those guns of his. He's pretty good with his sword though, I suppose. I mean, might be a good fight, but without me there to bail him out... nah, you could take him." She raises an eyebrow at Brunilda, "Eh? You want to go a round? Sure, I always got yelled at for picking fights with people smaller then me, so you'd be a good change of pace, Brun!"
Brunilda shrugs: "Looks like I'm not the only one with some extra energy this afternoon. With or without weapons?"
Louma feels a pang of worry for her friend, but doesn't speak up yet as she hauls the broken dummy down and over to the discard pile. "Just don't put her out of duty on me, Fiora." She turns with a protective glint in her eye as she speaks, but continues to clean up their mess. She pauses after picking some shards up, glancing around.
Fiora shakes her head, "Oh, I'll be without. I don't bring out Grieve unless I'm prepared to finish the job." She nods to Louma, "Oh, don't worry." She turns back to wink at Brun, "I'll go easy on you."
Brunilda gives a bit of a chuckle: "Fair, I'll do the same then."
Louma sighs a breath of relief, picking up the last few pieces and having another glance around, shrugging as she deposits what pieces she found. "I think I'll moderate, in any case. If there's no objections, that is."
Fiora shrugs, "Suit yourself, Captain!" She lifts her helmet back up and slides it over her head, then lifts segmented gorget over her neck and locks the helmet back into place.
Brunilda gives Louma a thumbs-up: "Happy to have you, Cap'n." She then cracks her neck slightly, then steps towards a free bit of sand. She's underdressed, but since when has that stopped an elephant?
Fiora stretches, then pounds her fists together and follows Brun towards the sand pit, looking forward to an opponent who can hopefully hit back harder then the training dummy.
Louma peeks towards the dummy area again, noticing the chains from Fiora's target hanging empty as she moves to the side of the arena, settling on her coils as best she can in the armor. Yet another grand disadvantage. She looks between the two, raising her arm. "Ready?"
Brunilda nods at Louma, smiling. She then nods at Fiora, clearly excited to do something she hasn't in a while as she adopts a battle stance.
Fiora nods, face unseeable within her helmet. She gets into an unfamiliar stance in preparation, her body language clearly showing she's just as excited in turn.
Louma pauses, glancing between them before chopping her hand down through the air, shouting "Begin!"