Iron Quill - The Hunters

[Ryu]

The sun was low in the sky as I approached my destination, a small building on the outskirts of the Little Kingdom. Everything glowed with an impossibly orange tint …this is Malifaux, I had to remind myself, momentarily taken aback color scheme before me. Dust slithered softly across the road, blown from winds to the northwest. The scene before me was something straight out of a western dime magazine – except there were no tumbleweeds.

Beside the rushing winds all I could hear was the faint sound of my worn moccasins gently making contact with the dirt paved road. I walked gingerly, reverently even as I finally closed in upon my destination. The building was nestled between “That there red ‘un” and “The half blasted ruins” on the southeastern edge of the Little Kingdom, just as I had been instructed by a friendly, if not completely insane, local.

Approaching the threshold I stopped, stood there, and took in the moment – I’d been searching for so, so long. I must have been an odd sight I’d imagine, a lone man wearing a light travelling coat staring at a seemingly abandoned building. Despite its age the building was sturdy, constructed of lumber imported from earthside – a start contrast to the poorly constructed shanties and lean-tos in the slums a few blocks to the east. The sign had come off of its left hinges and groaned pleadingly against the wind, as it flapped and smacked against the hardwood behind it I could barely make out the time-worn etching: Malifaux Dojo. I had finally arrived. Gripping my traveling back tightly against my back I pushed the door open and prepared myself for the wonders that awaited me inside.

Upon entering the building I was immediately disappointed. I found myself in a small, drab room not wholly unlike the waiting room of a cheap motel. A small bookish man sat before me, with receding and unkempt grey hair.

“How may I help you?” He asked, with a British accent.

“I come to seek instruction at the Malifaux Dojo,” I replied, honestly.

“Is that so?” I looked back at the man to see that he was examining me quite critically, “Well then, give me your martial lineage.”

“Excuse me?” I replied, dumbfounded

“Your martial lineage, who have you studied under? Who did they study under? Do you even know martial arts or are you just another thrill seeker?”

I took direct offense to his comments, didn’t he know I had studied the arts my whole life? I mused a second on both his demeanor and question. Slowly I set my bag down and took of my traveling coat, revealing my worn gi – it was a grayish white, stained by the dirt, blood, sweat, and tears that come only through hours upon hours of dedicated training. My obi, once a pure white, was stained a dark brownish black; I had earned my striped in the oldest fashion.

The man’s brow rose, “No mere thrill seeker then, eh?” He asked no one in particular. “Very well, show your Katas.”

Katas? I thought to myself Katas? What am I a child? How hard can this be? “Which ones?” I asked, feeling foolish.

“All of them.”

Unrelenting I followed his direction explicitly, starting with the most basic kata of simply punching the air in slow motion, through the intermediate positioning and breathing kata, and into full combat forms, ending with a kata I’d discovered in Malifaux where a small spark of visible energy emanated from the palms of my hands.

“Impressive,” the man admired, “Though your form on the Cloud Fist and Dragon’s Breath Katas could use some work. I see heavy influence from the Ryukyu region of the Kingdoms, is that correct?”

I nodded my affirmation, only slightly surprised.

The man stood silently for a few minutes and then he spoke in a soft voice. “My name is Makoto,” he bowed in the manner of the Three Kingdoms and I returned the bow, slightly lower than he had given it.

“Rei is my name,” I replied mechanically.

“Your form is a bit rough, but I believe you have just earned yourself a glimpse into the dojo my friend.” Makoto paused and looked me in the eye, “A glimpse.” He then ushered me to the only other door in the room, a traditional Kingdoms sliding door covered in a thin semi-transparent paper.

Exquisite hardwood floors covered the whole of the spacious room. The walls were lined with traditional paintings – nothing of the western style seen outside could be found inside of the sparring room of the dojo. A lone figure stood in the middle of the room adorned with a metallic mask and some form of bright orange fighting garb which I couldn’t identify at first sight.

The door slid shut behind me with a soft clack.

Well, so much for hospitality.

The figure stood rigid in the middle of the room. Watching me. Never one for suspense, I approached the mysterious figure. It was obvious to me that this was to be my sparring partner, probably to gauge my strength.

Once I stood directly across from my opponent he made a slight bow, indicating that our training was about to being. I quickly returned the gesture and assumed a fighting pose.

Not knowing the capabilities of my opponent I decided to take a defensive stance, one hand extended for quick jabs or blocks and my powerful hand back toward my body for powerful counter attacks or secondary blocks, should the need arise.

My opponent and I stared at each other. He had deep blue eyes with flecks of brown and soft edges. Interesting. He kept waiting, insistent that I make the first move.

I closed, envisioning my opponent and I on a line in the middle of the room. As I advanced, he retreated, step for step. Growing impatient I switched tactics and rushed him, throwing a leaping front-punch at the end of my dash. He deftly raised both arms in an X, absorbing the brunt of my blow took a step back and caught me square in the solar plexus with a jab that took my breath away.

I should have known better.

A full counterattack commenced, a flurry of high and low bunches interspersed with a few knees. I retreated, blocked, and counterattacked in time, waiting for an opening in the onslaught. We’d already been fighting a good minute, far longer than most matches with the local drunks would last – they went down with a single strike or their hearts failed them at the half minute mark, having the conditioning of a well-greased pig.

Finally an opening presented itself, my opponent overextended slightly while trying to sweep my legs out from under me. I took a quick stab-step backwards and caught my foe squarely in the head with a low kick, knocking his mask off.

“Impressive,” he said, his long hair flowing in the wind. He turned to face me and I was hit with a revelation I hadn’t considered – my opponent was a woman! And a beautiful one at that! She smiled a low hearty smile, a small amount of blood pooled on the outside of her left cheek where I had caught her with my kick.

I was dumbfounded, a woman? I asked, over and over, Not only a woman, but so skilled? Even more skilled than I?

In my moment of weakness she produced a long chain with two malicious looking spikes at each end. She started swinging it in a tight arc above her head and sent it flying in my direction as I digested both her gender and the fact she was now armed. I dove out of the way a fraction of a second before it demolished the spot I had been just seconds before.

I braced myself for the next attack. She launched the chained blade at me from an angle this time, I caught the brunt of the force with my right arm. A loud crack accompanied the impact and I knew it was broken. Without mourning the health of my arm I wrapped the chain around it and pulled as hard as I could.

Moving to the ground game my opponent quickly tried to place me into a triangle choke, but I was able to thwart her efforts by the slimmest of margins. She smirked again, kissing me on the forehead in a condescending manner. With two good arms to my one she quickly subdued me in a hybrid arm choke.

“Can you keep a secret?” She asked, as I slowly nodded, “This is not the Malifaux Dojo.”

Confused, I looked her in the eyes once more. Those beautiful blue-brown eyes, eyes I will never forget. She gave me one last grin and vanished in a flash of smoke.

Edited April 13, 2013 by Ryu