A New Leaf Is Picked up by a Strong Wind

[Zinai]

Darth Ferus.​

Just the name made him quiver in excitement. He had heard all about Darth Ferus during his stay in the Sith Assassins faction. A sword master. Exactly who Heol wanted to learn from.

Heol's goal was to develop and master Jar'kai and Niman, however he didn't know the basics of Jar'kai yet and Niman was only used a few times during combat. He needed more training in those.

However, Heol's new main focus was Soresu and Ataru. Heol wanted to learn and develop a strong sense of Soresu for his future guard shoto and curved hilt build, as for Ataru, the acrobatic moves in the open. Strong, surprising, and perfect due to Heol's extreme flexibility, light weight, and speed.

He wanted to approach his new mentor, Darth Ferus, about his order of masteries he wished to train in. It would be from: Niman, Soresu, Ataru, then Jar'Kai.

Yet, those were simply the main focuses. His true hope was to learn every sword style in existence, allowing him to use the best options from his artillary of sword styles whenever in a duel.

Standing and straying, Heol waited for his new mentor to arrive. The training ground was a tad bit dirty, but Heol didn't mind. He just hoped his mentor didn't.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Good, good. You're already here. I do enjoy a student who is punctual. Makes life very, very easy." The Sith Lord walked into the room, both hands behind his back. Red eyes glanced over [member="Heol Wraith"] for a moment or two. "Shall we get to work?"

 

[Zinai]

The Sith Lord had red eyes too.​

How strange. It wasn't often Heol had met another with blood red eyes. Focusing back on the subject, he approached his new mentor:

I would like to learn the first four forms sir in the order of Niman, Soresu, Ataru, and Jar'Kai. After those, I wish to learn every thing you know of sword skills.

Kneeling his respect, he faced down to the ground, hoping his master had heard of his wishes.

I train every day sir. I only train to defeat anyone in my way.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Slowly the man blinked at [member="Heol Wraith"] as he spoke. Slowly he raised a hand, and once Wraith was finished the hand would be fully up. A single finger, his pointer, was held. "Right. I'm only teaching you one thing today, and one thing alone. All that stuff? Not gonna be at once. Nor a week from now. Pick one of those forms, and that will be the form you will be training in for quite some time. Get a goof enough grasp, and we move to the next one. But this wont be a single lesson single day thing. You will have to train in the field as well as the sparing room. Understand?"

His hand fell back down as his red eyes just watches the boy, unblinking. He wasn't a book for this child to use after all.

 

[Zinai]

The master spoke correctly.​

It was a difficult decision. All forms were vital, and provided multiple advantages. However, he was missing a certain battle stance he required.

Soresu.

He nodded at the master. It was the correct choice. He did not have any specific forms to aid his defense against others. Soresu was a strong defensive form he could use.

Raising a wooden guard shoto, he took a glance towards the master, and asked,

Perhaps you can teach me how to use the guard shoto too? To a greater extent?

He wanted to use the guard shoto as his specialty, and hoped [member=Darth Ferus] knew how to help him.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"A guard shoto? I haven't seen ones of those since.. Well. It's been a very long time." Slowly the Sith began to scratch his chin, thinking on it. He probably had one in the Lightsaber collection in this room, but how rusty would he be with such a weapon? He couldn't remember using one before, so he figured it would be pretty rusty.

"We're going to focus on the foundation of the form before we try to adapt it to specific weapons, alright?" With that the lord would wave a hand. "Draw your Lightsaber. We'll begin immediately."

 

[Zinai]

The standard lightsaber.​

Immediately, Heol allowed his little bit of the Force to pull the small-handled lightsaber. A normal, Sith lightsaber, with a typical red synthetic crystal. There wasn't much he could do, he was awaiting his shipments of his new weapons for quite a while now. He hoped nothing wrong happened...

It will be done.

Gripping his lightsaber lightly, he gently pressed the activation switch on the saber, and a red plasma bolt elongated from the metal host.

Soresu was a form he could certainly enjoy using. The defensive maneuvers, if he could accomplish them in the future, were very strong and useful in many ways.

If, he could accomplish them, in the future.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Good good. Very good." Ferus spoke slowly, scratching at his own chin. In truth, Soresu out of the seven forms was his weakest. He was an aggressive person after all, but he did know the form pretty well. In theory at least.

"Close your eyes and center yourself. Soresu is about becoming a wall. A place where you will not be moved unless you want to to get a better position. For this beginning, we will see how attuned you are to the Force."

[member="Heol Wraith"]

 

[Zinai]

Heol cringed.​

​

He, himself knew, how weak he was within the Force. Yet, he could only grimace as he tried.

Closing his eyes, he began to think black. Nothingness. His mind was another canvas, only to be painted on. By he, himself, and by the guidance, of the dark lord.

A wall.

His grip changed slightly. He felt as if, his blank mind was allowing his thought of a wall, to shape his grip into something new. A new grip. Something he did not feel in the past. Something different. It was uncomfortable at first, however the Force allowed him to blend, grip, gain comfort on it quickly.

Opening his eyes, he noticed his stance had shifted slightly. His left hand, in a grip, with an extended arm. His right hand, in a strange shape, poised slightly in front of himself.

How strange.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Good, very good. The point of Soresu is to completely attune yourself to the Force. You've let it guide you this far rather well, so cotninue to do so. When you fight, trust in it. Listen to the pings of incoming attacks and react. Like so." Without another word of warning, the Sith Lord brought out his own saber, lashing for [member="Heol Wraith"] 's shoulder with a quick slice. Soresu was to expect the unexpected, and so Ferus knew already the boy would be just fine. If he wasn't though, then he wasn't truly worthy of being taught.

 

[Zinai]

[member="Darth Ferus"]

Reacting quickly, Heol instantly blocked the saber that planned to strike him down intentionally. Such a fierce teacher, surely, one of the deadliest he would ever remain with. A new lesson he learnt, Soresu's defensive formation was great for reading and predicting moves with ease. Along with his own reaction timing he had trained since youth, Soresu was perfect, even if he was surprised, ever.

Grinning darkly at the new form he had just begun to learn, the up-side was that Soresu was perfect for Heol. He was all about being surprising, reading moves with ease, and reaction timing. He had guessed right, once more, in his life.