westwhere | Let's get down to business

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Let's get down to business

WHO: Hendrik & yourself
WHEN: June
WHERE: The farm
WHAT: Training
WARNINGS: None, will change if needed

Making a temporary place for himself in an unfamiliar world was a huge task. But the one task the knight would never tire of is that of ensuring the safety of the Luminary. The boy would have been a Prince of Dundrasil had a cruel fate not befallen him. Torn from his family as an infant he was raised in a small village after being rescued from the water. Greater still was destiny's hand as he survived and grew to manhood. After more than a few wrong turns, Hendrik realized his great error in doggedly pursuing the boy with the very misguided intent of killing him. The knight had sworn himself to the Luminary, they became friends and the boy did his duty of delivering their world from an evil known as Mordegon. With the darkness conquered that had taken his own family, friends (including his childhood friend Jasper) and home, Hendrik remained vigilant even if he had yet to realize he and his companion weren't from the same time frames.

This vigilance included training so one day he was out to try and refocus on this task of trying to make the abnormal seem a little more familiar. So swordplay was the order for the day as much else wasn't being done at the current time.

So with an extra weapon or two thanks to the Luminary's forging ability, Hendrik is out practicing with his axe and shield. Turning when he hears footsteps, the tall knight would nod at whoever approached.

"Are you here to test your blade?"

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Slick was still finding his feet here. All this guff about magic didn't sit right, but he'd seen it, and he didn't even have a fresh concussion to blame it on anymore. Magic. Sure.

For now, he was in his armor, sans helmet and utility belt. He'd been captured without either of those, and he was missing them almost as much as his rifle. The shiny white armor might've been a sign of the Republic's ownership of him and all his brothers, but at least it kept you warm when it was all sealed up.

Ah well. He still had the rest of it, and he wasn't weird about non-clones seeing his face, like some of his brothers got. Though he was going to need to figure out where to get some dye, eventually--the red in his eyebrows was going to fade if he didn't. But he had no idea where you found that kind of stuff outside the army.

This guy with the purple hair might know, though. Tall bugger, this one. Had a bit of the officer air about him.

"'s not my specialty." If they were talking hand-to-hand or knife work? Sure. He could do that, and he'd fight dirty. Much beyond that? They didn't get trained for it, but he knew how to improvise.

"But if that's what we've got, might be worth it. If you've got a spare."

The knight looked at the person who approached him wearing white armor. Of course being one who wore black armor himself, to see some on another person always had him wondering what it was made out of. He wondered too what it symbolized since his chest plate bore the two headed eagle of the kingdom of Heliodor.

Hendrik shook his head slightly when he heard it wasn't the other's specialty. Saying nothing he reached over and picked up one of the few swords that the Luminary had forged and held it out for the other with the blade back towards himself. If this man wanted to spar with him, the knight wanted it to be understood that this wasn't an offensive gesture. And he wouldn't be using his own shield because he wanted the fight to be fair.

"Learning more than one weapon can be invaluable in a place such as this. And it is always good to be prepared." Especially since he himself thought the place to be quite unpredictable.

His armor didn't have any insignia on it. Didn't need it apparently, the absolute uniformity of the armor was statement enough for the Republic. Probably kept them from thinking too hard about the men it, too.

"You'll get no argument from me." He took the sword, keeping an eye on the man's hands as he did so. Not because of any particular suspicion, just healthy caution. He took a couple steps back, testing the weight in his hands.

"Usually if something's gotten in close enough to use one of these, something's gone wrong." Like an ambush, or worse. "But everything's gone pretty wrong here already, hasn't it?"

Alright. He didn't have much training with stuff like this, but... he'd seen Jedi fight, hadn't he? Saw how they squared up.

That'd work. It felt perverse, but it'd work. He took a ready stance, adjusting his grip on the hilt.

Hendrik nodded, taking a few steps back just to give the other room to test the weight of the sword and give him a moment or two. This wasn't about besting, this was about learning and the knight even at the age of thirty six - could be patient. Shifting his six foot seven frame, he drew his axe, but held crossways in front of him, still allowing his fellow practitioner time to adjust. The other's words seemed to let him know that this wasn't familiar at all and so he had to allow him a few minutes of time.

There was a small smile at the part about something having gotten in close enough along with the ensuing comment. "Indeed. This place seems to be full of nothing but things gone wrong."

Death he understood. But this place was so full of it that it almost hung heavy in the air at all times. And that meant that he couldn't ever really seem to let down his guard. But that was what he'd signed up for back on Erdrea when he swore his oath to the Luminary.

Knowing the other might not be too confident in his ability to wield a sword, Hendrik nodded. "It may be best if you advance first."

The balance on the sword felt good, falling about the same place as it would on a knife. There was just a lot more weight and a lot more blade to contend with.

"I've only just shown up, but I've been getting that impression."

The clones all got told they were the best-equipped army in the galaxy, but that was a lie. Their plate was cheap, mass-produced armor-grade plastoid, with a number of design flaws that took months of training to learn how to work around. And a military-grade blaster rifle would punch through it with horrifying efficiency.

But it made up for all that by being lighter and quicker than metal armor. That was his only advantage here, because everything else was going to be improvising.

"Alright, then. Try not to take my head off too fast, will you?"

He closed the distance in a rush, trying a high feint to see if he could sneak in a strike beneath that, or maybe control the bigger man's weapon long enough to step in even closer and start fighting dirty, take a hand off the grip and throw a punch or an elbow. No sense not trying it, when the whole point was to see how a sword would work with what he already knew.

Damn thing had more momentum than he was used to, though, so he was expecting to get his ass kicked.

Edited (I have been informed that the kiwi way to spell a certain swear is "ass", even though it's pronounced "arse". TIL!) 2021-06-11 01:06 (UTC)

The purple haired head nodded sagely. "I have found that it is an impression that will linger long here." Nothing had gone right since his arrival. And of course that didn't even explain how he'd managed to get captured in the first place. But as a knight of Heliodor, his mission had been to ensure the safety of other captors as they fought to get off of the ship.

The axe only went up when the other man advanced, and the knight braced for an impact. "I will not take your head off." That promise was made before he had to push down on the sword which was an impressive move on his opponent's part. Obviously he had been expecting his own kind of sword to sword or axe to sword clash but could go with another type of battle. And he'd barely gotten away from the punch that would've landed. But that earned a smile because the other was trying and that earned admiration points.

Hendrik though maintained a sense of fair play that he knew the other man would not receive from an enemy. So he didn't try to strike back or retaliate in any way. This wasn't about winning or proving he was an excellent fighter. This was about helping the man with him.

So he moved around a bit to put some distance there. "When you are ready, let us try that again."

"Been here a while, then?" He pulled back to reset. Not bad for a first try, but he was going to need to improve, and fast.

That didn't mean he couldn't ask about other things, too. "How are you keeping your hair that color? Locals have any good dye?" The red in his eyebrows was the only dyejob he'd had done in the weeks before ending up here. He'd done his hair a while ago, but he'd let it grow back in black when he started contacting the Separatists. Blending in had become more important then, but he couldn't entirely give it up.

He waited just long enough to give the man a chance to start to respond, then closed in for another attack. Throw off the guy's timing if he could, try a different opener. Keep testing what worked best.

"I have been here long enough." Hendrik replied, waiting for the other man to get himself ready. And by long enough he meant enough and just wanted to go home. But the Luminary seemed bound and determined to help those here so the knight had gone along with it, assisting wherever he could.

With the hair question, that threw the taller man off. Did people not have purple hair where his opponent was from? Back home people had all sorts of colours of hair including pink. Maybe in this man's world such a thing wasn't even heard of. And that was odd to the knight.

That pause allowed his opponent to close in and battle brain kicked back on and barely deflected the blow. Hendrik then lifted his axe and crouched a bit. "I can see that you are a quick learner. So this should be interesting."

The compliment gets a bit of a smile. "Ten years of military training ought to be good for something." His entire life, though by normal human standards he looks to be in his twenties. He'd only been deployed for a few months, fighting a war that had none of the nobility of purpose he'd gotten sold back on Kamino.

Alright. That axe could hook and redirect a sword if it got in past the head, but with the right motion he might be able to slide the blade down the haft and catch the guy's fingers. He closes the distance again, trying to put the idea into motion.

Military training? Well if that was true then Hendrik underestimated the man and made his guard rise. This would be an interesting battle and maybe he should try a little harder to attack instead of thinking this to be something as simple as teaching. So the knight nodded in understanding.

He continued to stand still as was his usual bit in battle. He never overexerted himself because he would need energy to make sure he could tank things and be the one to carry the Luminary off of the field of battle if it came down to it.

Gripping his axe firmly in hand, he waited for the strike, but was more prepared this time for a better hit.

Sparring with Hendrik had become a daily occurrence once they'd settled into the farm. Even armed with dual blades, Eleven had discovered without fail that he was no match for his protector. His size and strength alone pitted him at a significant disadvantage, and while he was certainly faster and more nimble than the man, neither was he Erik. Erik, he was sure, would be able to get in close and spin quickly enough to have a chance at his back. Eleven had tried the maneuver he imagined his best friend would use several times over, but Hendrik's defense was impeccable.

Rather than successfully circle him, Eleven found both swords crossed just under the sharp edge of Hendrik's axe, gritting his teeth through the weight bore down on him through one strong arm until finally, his knees buckled. Eleven dropped with a hard breath, blades held loosely in hands that trembled from the strain of effort.

"Goddess," he breathed, shaking his head. Well enough they often chose to practice in the waning hours of the day as these spars always managed to push him to his limit. His spars with Archeval in the mornings served as light exercise in comparison. "I swear I will best you at some point."

Hendrik had many years of battle beneath his belt and at age thirty six he was considered very old by some though he obviously wasn't as old as His Majesty King Carnelian. Of course he stood over six foot seven inches so there was a very marked height difference between him and his charge.

But sparring with the Luminary as of late had made the knight mentally remark how there seemed to be something 'off' every time they sparred. He wasn't able to put his finger on it at the moment so he had to let it go and let it simmer in the back of his head. But still, there was something definitely lacking or missing.

Those blades were quick and Hendrik was happy that he was used to this sparring business or he would've truly been caught unaware. The boy was fast and he was excellent at the dual wielding. There were many times that he wanted to remark on such a thing but wasn't sure if the praise would somehow relax the other into thinking that his guardian was going to go easy on him because that wasn't the case at all.

Once the Luminary was on his knees, the knight knew he'd pushed as far as he was going to go this day. And finally, he relented with a nod and the removal of his axe though if the other thought to surprise attack him, that would be met once again with force.

"You must rest first before you make another attempt." And of course Hendrik would keep working at training too because he was ready to be the other's sword and shield at a moment's notice, so he had to stay sharp.

Eleven let loose a sigh and sat up, loosed his grip on his swords to run a hand through damp hair.

"Tomorrow," he breathed wearily, of no further mind than to simply rest, then wash up and seek out something to eat before he retired for the evening. Hendrik of course, didn't appear to know the meaning of rest despite his advice.

"I can't believe you still have energy," he remarked, envious. One might think given Hendrik's older age that he would tire sooner, but if he had to guess, Eleven would venture he was still in his prime. It spoke well of him, particularly given the role he occupied.

He hummed an amused note. "Maybe you should fight Mordegon."

The knight nodded. He tried to give himself down time, but he was having a hard time settling in so to speak. This place had him on guard more often than he could rest. But that gave him no cause to fail on his oath. He would be the other's sword, shield and unswerving companion no matter what.

Only death could make him break that vow. And he'd only allow himself a rest in death if he died fulfilling his oath to the Luminary.

So as the other seemed to take his leave, the words had his ears perk up and for a long moment of silence he looked at the other. "We have fought and we've bested him so he will trouble us no longer."

Eleven had just begun the task of picking himself up off the ground, but with a hand pressed against his knee, the strength to push up off of it wavered and failed. He'd heard what Hendrik had said, but the meaning of them made little sense. Less so, Hendrik's conviction.

His brows drew together, puzzled. "What? No, we haven't. And we can't, as I am now. I have to get stronger in this world."

Which, ultimately, he knew was the point of all this sparring despite it sometimes feeling rather futile. While it did little for his magic or spiritual ability, honing further his strength and forms was nonetheless important.

The knight saw the failing and offered a hand down to the Luminary, as the boy had once done for him after he had sworn his oath. It was a very unexpected yet welcome gesture and the tiniest sliver of him had hope that the two could become friends.

But then it was Hendrik's turn to be puzzled. "Eleven. We have defeated the Lord of Shadows. And we had dropped Lord Robert off at Dundrasil along with the others." He couldn't talk about Veronica's fate.

Not yet.

"Can you not recall those events?"

Eleven paled. He stared at Hendrik's outstretched hand with a will to take it, but the lack of strength in his limbs promised he wouldn't regain his feet for long. Instead he stared up at the man, looking lost.

"No," he said, quietly devastated. Had something happened to his memory? Eleven pressed a hand to his chest, palm pressing deep until the spot physically ached. Only, his power was still gone, so how?

"I- I lost the power of the Luminary. How could we have won..?"

Edited 2021-06-06 03:05 (UTC)

The knight lowered his hand slowly, wondering at the Luminary. "I have overheard something regarding coming here at different points of time during my brief stay on the ship." That was really something he was loath to talk about because he still couldn't explain exactly how he'd come to be a slave on a ship.

"Could that be the case? You have come here at a time prior to my own?"

Time.

Eleven took several long moments to stare blankly and process that. Could it be..? The tockles managed to do just that after all, as guardians over the flow of time.

"It might be," he allowed, the words faint. After all, why not? The rest of everything made just as little sense. But could that mean Unhalad had some influence over time? Though if he did, why take his weakened state if he'd desired his strength?

"I'd left you on Pang Lai to enter the Void.."

The purple hair shook gently as he watched Eleven try to piece together the puzzle they found themselves in. Nothing made sense otherwise to his mind, though he hadn't quite ascertained the reality of those words he'd heard on the ship.

Not until now.

"And I came in after we defeated Mordegon." That vexed him. "So you remember nothing of Cetacea? Or of defeating the Lord of Darkness?"

Hendrik was almost worried at this point.

Eleven slowly shook his head, trying to think through this seeming impossibility. Hendrik, from a time in Erdrea's future, wherein Mordegon had already been defeated? He had questions- a great many of them- but would knowing the answers change that when he returned? Should he even know this much?

"Yggdrasil has only ever shown me the past," he said, brows furrowing. "I haven't seen a single tockle here since I arrived. I don't understand.."

"Nor do I. But if you left when we were on Pang Lai, then you had not yet recovered your companions at the heart of Yggdrasil." And again he couldn't bring himself to explain what happened to Veronica. "We had gone beyond that. You had summoned a great winged whale and we flew on it's back to defeat the Lord of Shadows. Where I left off, we were headed back to see His Majesty King Carnelian to reunite him with his daughter Princess Jade."

Hendrik then tried the tiniest smile. "And if our timelines somehow merge here, you will regain your Luminary powers."

Eleven stared. A great winged white whale that could fly. ..It was difficult to imagine.

His fingers curled against his chest.

"So they will return.." It felt like he already knew too much, and so he may as well ask. "How is it.. that I regained them in your time?"

Time. Goddess, they were speaking about different times. He no longer felt certain of anything.

Hendrik felt uncomfortable talking about the deceased rulers of a once great kingdom. And it was even more uncomfortable because that whole night had started the 'Darkspawn' name with King Carnelian becoming possessed by Mordegon.

But the Luminary deserved the truth. "Your parents spirits in Dundrasil called for aid. We answered the call, finding that your father King Irwin's soul was trapped by a beast. When he came to his senses and was freed, that is when your powers came back to you."

Eleven's gaze dropped, brows furrowing as he fought to digest that information. His parents' spirits? It was difficult to imagine, given he had no memory of them. To think that somehow freeing his father's soul would hail the return of his Luminary spirit.

"How curious," he said finally, lowly. "So their souls are free to return to Yggdrasil."

His eyes snapped up. "Yggdrasil. After Mordegon was defeated, were we able to restore Her?"

Hendrik nodded. "Your father was able to rejoin your mother." It was heart breaking to hear Queen Eleanor speak of how much she loved her son, recalling that he'd also met the woman named Amber who'd raised him in the village of Cobblestone. This gave the Luminary a normal childhood that he might not have had even had his parents lived.

After all, great things would've been expected of a crown Prince of Dundrasil. Plus coupled with being born the Luminary, the expectations might've been far too much for the young man to bear.

But he nodded again. "The Tree was indeed well once more."

"Thank the Goddess," Eleven breathed through a hoarse rasp, as what felt like every muscle in his body went lax. It was rather a good thing he'd never managed to make it to his feet. Suffused with a relief so profound, he wished for little more than to lay on the ground until the feeling passed and his strength returned. He settled for sitting there, breathing and letting the numbness flood through his limbs.

"I was so worried," he confessed, hands shaking through the vestiges of his professed anxiety. "Xie Lian said.. nothing could be done, if a God fell in mortal form. I thought I'd doomed Erdrea. That even if we won, Yggdrasil wouldn't- would never.."

He shook his head, swallowing hard. "That death would rule, like it does this world. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to live with that. Goddess.."

Hendrik crouched down to talk to the Luminary. Since the boy obviously couldn't stand, the least he could do was match the height to something a little more even. He nodded quietly at Elven being worried and stressed because he had felt the same way. "I understand your concern. But rest easy knowing that in my time you fulfilled your duty and we were safe and sound in the Last Bastion with His Majesty King Carnelian."

Unfortunately he couldn't say the same for Veronica. But putting the other's mind at rest for home was the best thing that he could do so he gently placed a gloved hand on the Luminary's shoulder for a brief moment. "I assure you the World Tree is completely intact." It really bothered him to see the boy so shaken but he did understand.

"Death and darkness are no more in Erdrea." Here however was of course a different story entirely.

Eleven's head bowed, shoulders slumping with untold relief. He inhaled heavy, hard breaths for several long moments and clasped his hands to his chest, folded beneath his chin in silent prayer.

A prayer that the future Hendrik had seen remained unaltered by his time in this world, a prayer for that version of himself that had surely suffered, but managed to regain his spirit and earn his mantle, and a prayer to Yggdrasil, reaching for Her benevolence, an unending relief and gratitude for Her continued existence and blessing upon the world he so cherished.

His eyes opened wet with unshed tears, but with a slow, steadying sigh, he held together.

"..Thank you."

Hendrik watched in fascination as Eleven bowed his head and folded his hands. He was more than sure a prayer was being said and in his eyes those were private matters. Especially with the boy being so connected to the World Tree, it was hard to imagine that somehow he couldn't commune with it all of the way back home. But he remained characteristically silent and patient as this happened and waited until the boy looked up.

And the thank you struck a private blow because he couldn't tell the other about Veronica's fate. And so he really in honour couldn't accept the heartfelt sigh and those unshed tears alarmed him all the more when he thought about the little mage with the huge heart.

"You have much to do before you get to that point here."

Eleven's eyes lowered, swallowing past the lump in his throat. He was too weak as he was now, lacking the power he'd barely understood before it was stolen from him. It seemed as though Hendrik could sense it too.

"I know," he said heavily, and breathed another careful sigh. "I need to use the time I have in this world to regain that power."

"And during that time, I will be your sword, your shield and your unswerving companion." As Hendrik always had been really and of course this was no different. Except it was different since they were obviously no longer on Erdrea. But when they returned, the knight was more than sure that his charge would be back up to full speed and power because if the World Tree was here, why would She not bestow Her power back onto the one deemed worthy enough to wield it?

He wasn't quite sure how to comfort the boy but all he could do was reassure and that was the one thing he could and would do.

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