The sun shone down dim rays of light from the skies above as Kite waited in the middle of the courtyard for Master Kinstrum. Master Tempest had been summoned to help younglings learn the ways of the scimitar, so Kite had been moved to Master Kinstrum's schedule with a fellow warrior. Apparently, he was a senior member of the OTA and was recognized in as high regard as Kite himself. Kite found it strange that he had never met such an interesting contender in the area before. Even stranger, his blood seemed to pump adrenaline throughout his system at the thought of someone proving an equal challenge. A rivalry, even.

Kite shook such thoughts from his head as he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching from behind. He turned his head and gave a friendly smile to the Centaur who was trotting towards him. Master Kinstrum was one of the most respected Weapons Masters at OTA. He had given the facility the idea of using Educators as a way to better prepare warriors for the mental reserve they would need in battle and was an expert fighter with polearms of any sort. Kite was honored to be under the guidance of him, even if it were only for a short while.

"Good morrow, Kite. I've heard much about you. I'll be expecting much from you today."

"Master Kinstrum, you do me too much justice with your kind words. I am but a simple warrior thirsting for perfection, nothing more."

"Then thirst not, for perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Do not pledge yourself to such ideals. Strive for a possible standard, for perfection is too far from any of our grasps." Master Kinstrum informed Kite. His words were cold and to the point, but his voice held a softness to which Kite did not feel a degree of the iciness that those words should have dealt him. He nodded and bowed in respect, showing he understood.

"Good. Now, where is my pupil Geis? He's never been late before..."

OOC: Dunno if you approve, but I've added to Kinstrum's character. If you want me to change anything about Geis' training regime let me know. XD

IC:

It had been an odd, almost bizarre few weeks at this tower. Geis had known of this place for well over half a year now and had been coming and going, never staying for longer than a week at a time and when he did stay it was always with the same, grueling schedule. Wake up at dawn. Eat. Hit funny wooden poles. Rest. Practice some more. Eat. Shadow practice. Sleep.

He had seen precious little improvement in his ability to fight though his ability to judge fights had improved immensely. It wasn't that he could no longer understand the flow of battle- he just could not react to it properly. He could and did predict the slash of a sword, the thrust of a spear and the simple elegance of a well-aimed kick- but so many different strategies flowed through his brain that he ended up, more often than not, running away from several would-be adventures.

All that had ended about two weeks ago. Apparently fame his rigorous and somewhat inefficient approach to training had reached the ears of a particularly able instructor and he had- after taking one look at the poor form and awkward missteps of the novice that Geis was- taken Geis under his tutelage. That Geis fought with his bare fists and had a completely different anatomy from the immense centaur didn't bother the master warrior in the least: simple words and even simpler corrections provided for surprising results.

Geis would never be as strong as his brethren- that fact was undeniable- his growth had been stunted too severely. However; he could be faster and it was this speed that Master Kinstrum had exploited, making Geis understand how to sharpen and hone an instinctive reaction to battle. He wasn't quite a blur on the battlefield yet but he felt he had made good progress. The centaur hadn't said that in so many words but always warmly greeted him each morning. It was enough for the lupine that he was doing well.

Better yet, Master Kinstrum had a good many stories to tell and cheerfully made mention of them as he trained the lupine. They were stories that Geis lapped up and recalled eagerly. Lupines and centaur contact was rarely peaceful and this exchange of cultures was something to be recorded. It would be useful for future generations to know of the inherent kindness of all species... and the superiority of none.

He had been surprised when, one day, during the middle of a tale (and training!), Kinstrum had gotten a faraway look in his eye and had said that the lupine was ready. Ready for what exactly he did not find out until this morning when Kinstrum had told him to, instead of training rest. He would find out more when the sun reached its-

Grah! He was late! Rushing over to the training grounds, the lupine hurried passed other trainees who seemed terribly amused to see the lupine struggling with his rough, homespun cloak that he had drenched over himself as a blanket and rush faster and faster towards-

"I apologize for being late Master Kinstrum!" He said as he bounded into the clearing: too late he noticed that there was another person present and winced- that entrance had been... well, it probably hadn't conveyed what fur-heads called a 'good first impression' and what lupines called a 'strong Alpha scent.'

Kite was just about to ask Master Kinstrum more about his partner for the seminar when he heard a gruff voice coming from behind him.

"I apologize for being late Master Kinstrum!"

"Tardiness under Master Kinstrum's tutelage? Just who is this man...?" Kite muttered under his breath, though the sudden shift in Master Kinstrum's hooves led Kite to believe he had been heard. He grimaced at the thought mentally before glancing at the figure that had appeared at his side. A Lupine. Strange indeed. Centaurs and Lupines didn't have the most...'friendly' background history with one another. To have one tutor the other in the art of combat and possibly killing was...ironic, to say the least.

"If it were any other day, Geis, I would accept your apology. But this is far different from normal training routines. You two have been here frequently. Enough to show OTA that you have given up your normal lives to dedicate your time to bettering yourselves. Do not insult us by proving us wrong with tardiness and disrespect to other's learning." Master Kinstrum said as he looked upon the two warriors with his steel gray eyes and motioned to their weapons and he trotted out of the courtyard.

"Today, we will be working on mastering the basics in collaboration with some intermediate fighting styles. All to help you graduate. Draw your weapons." Master Kinstrum said as he pulled out his lance. He looked over at Geis. "You will start us off. Refer to your most basic style and move through the motions. Me and Kite will follow your steps."

Geis accepted the master's hard words- every single one of them had been deserved. He bowed to Kite as he had been taught, wondering if there had been anything amiss- Master Kinstrum seemed more reserved than usual. And he had asked him (of all people!) to lead the class. Managing to get his breathing under control, the lupine unsheathed his simple dagger, gripped it tightly in his good hand and began the motions. It was a fluid dance, this dance of death, the centaur had taught more than simply 'thrust,' 'strike,' and 'parry.' His entire body was involved- Master Kinstrum was indeed devoted and gifted at teaching- despite having six appendages he could teach those with four.

He balanced himself on the balls of his feet and slowly started working himself into a sweat. It was a lot harder for him, as a lupine, to sweat like a fur-head would- only extreme exertion would bring about such an event but he had been managing it for the past two weeks: he would do so now as well. It was good for him.

Pivot, a light strike- a testing move- designed to probe enemy defenses, and then another pivot as the enemy's sword thrust forward- he made a leap of faith as he put his foot forward, his dagger speeding towards his enemy's exposed body but moved again- if he hadn't done enough damage so be it- even a dying enemy would have reacted in time to take off his head or at least grievously injure him. He spun backwards, ending his kata with a feint and then a kick from a different direction. He counted his breaths- he wasn't done yet- and finally, with as much grace as he could muster, started a series of dodging maneuvers. He could almost hear the spears and arrowtips as they whistled past- he would need every ounce of agility he could muster in order to dodge.

Kite watched as the Lupine seemed to accept his punishment with little hesitation, dropping into a battle pose. Kite looked from him to Master Kinstrum before drawing Sviengh'taun from his back and dropping into his own unique battle pose. Keeping his eyes glued on Geis, Kite started to follow the movements. He pivoted on his right foot, then performed a light feint to create an opening before sidestepping out of the enemy's imaginary strike. It was a decent style, enough to teach the student how to blend all the motions into an art form, but not enough to truly prove wary in battle. Unless...

"Master Kinstrum, during these exercises, are we allowed to perhaps...'adapt' the style to our own to make us more comfortable?"

"Of course. You two are no longer pupils but coming upon my level of expertise. If you wish to turn a basic style to your own, then so be it. I recommend it, actually." Master Kinstrum responded as he trotted forth and plunged his lance into the invisible foe, before twirling on his hooves and backstepping into another enemy. Kite watched for a moment, then nodded.

His sword twirled against his palm before he moved at a lightning pace, stepping the pace up several notches as his strikes became swift blurs of white and blue as he slashed relentlessly at his enemies, parrying whenever possible and using his footwork to enclose his enemies. It was a fruitful practice and sweat poured down his forehead before long. Even Master Kinstrum seemed to become enthralled in the exercise, all three warriors imagining their own battle taking place all around them.