Initiation into the Wood Wailers... [Closed]

[Nira Muzyka]

((Please forgive any rough edges or me taking a bit too much leeway, I'm extremely out of practice at writing, as it's been about 3 years or so since I last tried, any constructive criticism is very much so welcome, as the title suggests, this is a tale of Nira's initiation test into the Wood Wailers, and as I felt the quest welcoming you into the Wood Wailers was a little lacking in much really seeming to bring the feel of a test to bring you in, I devised this little story.))

 

Sunlight reflects off the sweat slicked over a small black skinned Miqo'te holding a heavy looking iron lance, closer inspection revealing the light cloth half gloves that nearly match her skin, her body quivers with barely contained energy as she breathes heavily.

 

"If'n ye mean to bes' me, ye bes' be givin' i' yer all instea' o' 'oldin' back due to me size," the words from the black skinned young Miqo'te coming out in a thickly accented high pitched voice. "Af'er all, yer supposed to be tes'in' me to see if'n I'm good enough for the Wood Wailers."

 

A sound somewhere between a laugh and a sigh came from. Masked and armoured hyur female, "I hardly think that any of them have been holding, Nira, merely that we haven't sent any against you that come close to challenging you." And, she thought to herself, she's certainly more than inherited her mother's gift with the lance, along with her looks and temper, we're definitely going to have to keep an eye on her.

 

"So sen' someone who is a challenge, Swethyna," a small grin flitted across Nira's face as she said that, "unless ye donna 'ave such a person. I wouldna blame ye if'n ye donna, af'er all, by your own words ye said me mother was the bes' ye 'ad ever seen, an' she taugh' me to as good as 'er."

 

Swethyna smiled as she looked at Nira, noting again the scars that covered that deceptively thin frame, also truly noting for the first time how easily she moved the in iron sabatons she wore, almost as if she didn't feel the weight of them at all.

"We might not have any single individual who could take you, but perhaps you'd like to try yourself against our three best? We'll discuss the rest of the details of your becoming one of us if you win."

 

Nira nods and a feral grin spreads across her face, the white of her teeth almost blindingly bright against the blackness of her skin, her eyes lighting up in anticipation. "No' if I win, when I win."

 

Swethyna shook her head at the absolute confidence in Nira's voice and words, then motioned to the three she wished to challenge Nira and her thoughts went over the previous challengers, perhaps she is right to be that confident, thought Swethyna, after all she hasn't come close to getting touched yet. She shifted her attention to the unfolding plateau in the ring in front of her.

 

Nira on one side of the ring, dressed in a light half top, gloves, leather leggings and sabatons, lance casually held in one hand with the butt against the ground, the other hand brushing the red tipped blue braids off her forehead, briefly revealing the tear drop shaped mark on her forehead, only visible because it was darker than her skin. On the other side of the ring, the three she had picked arrayed themselves, a male Hyur, a female Elezen and a Roegadyn, the Roegadyn taking the centre position with the Hyur on his left and the Elezen on his right.

 

Swethyna simply said, "begin."

No sooner had the sound of the last letter passed her lips, than had Nira charged across the ring, her opponents barely prepared for the shocking speed of her charge, but they were prepared enough to not be taken totally off guard, her first low sweeping attack aimed at the Elezens legs deflected at the last moment, the sheer force the the blow nearly tearing the harpoon from the Elezens grip, her momentum sent her past them before she managed to stop herself, at which point she now found herself surrounded by her opponents.

 

Grin still stretched across her face, she said, "righ' then, le's dance," as she nimbly dodged an attack from the Roegadyn and feinted at the Elezen before reversing the momentum of her thrust to slam the pointed butt of her lance into the Hyur's stomach, his armour and quick reflexes barely keeping the lance from puncturing him.

 

To those watching, the fight quickly evolved into something very much like a dance, with Nira constantly dodging or parrying attacks and retaliating as openings presented themselves, her opponents becoming increasingly desperate to throw her off balance.

 

This continued on for close to ten minutes, before Nira finally spotted the opening she needed, the Elezen had stumbled over something and was trying to recover her balance, Nira slammed her shoulder into the Elezen and with a cry the Elezen over balanced and fell over, removed from the fight, the sudden gap in her opponents defence providing her all she needed to win the fight, she darted around behind the Roegadyn and hammered the back of his knee with the side her lance, his grunt of pain and subsequent fall almost enough to distract her from her remaining opponent, who's strike hammered into the side of her thigh with a resounding clang of bone against metal, she whirled around and the ferocity of her own assault pressing him back until his back touched the railings of the ring before she swept his legs out from under him with the side of her lance.

 

The sudden silence was broken only by the sounds of heavy breathing, "now tha' was a good figh'," the high pitched almost childlike voice startlingly out of place in the aftermath of the fight.

 

Swethyna motioned for the doctors waiting to move down and help with any injuries that might have been sustained by the combatants before making her way to Nira, "well, you passed the other tests and with this you have earned a place amongst our numbers, there remain few other details to work out, but that can wait a bit, for now go rest." With that Swethyna walked away to attend to the ones who had been her opponents, Nira's gaze following her before moving to the canopy above them all, if'n ye are watchin' over me ma, I 'ope tha' my choice brin's ye joy, she thought before turning and making her way to the barracks of the Wood Wailers...