Thirday is traditionally kind of a hump day. The weekend is long dead, and you've got two days until Fifthday, which is only a half-holiday, and then another two to get to the end of Sev'nday.
So ordinarily, it'd be a day you weren't thrilled about, a day you'd kind of try to dodge.
But that was all pre-dungeon. A lot has changed since then. Just walking out under the sun is a pretty nice experience. Getting up in the morning and heading over to training, that's pretty nice. You aren't attacked by hellish legions of undead on the way. There's a dearth of nasty trappage.
"So, what's the deal?" Sendant asks. "You think they'll give me a command?"
"Got me." Gryff seems a little preoccupied. "You're a good priest, they've got to give you that. Any priest who uses a greatsword..." Gryff's voice indicates, to one wise enough to understand it, that while a greatsword isn't a war-axe, it's a damn site more appropriate, in his mind, than some pansy-assed longsword or whip-dagger.
The Twingate training ground is really just a large courtyard filled with sand, straw-packed training dummies, and shelves of padded weapons. This morning, like most, it's filled with trainees and guards on training rotation, whacking away at each other with padded weapons or running through drills. There's a small archery range, and even a fenced-off area where fledgling combat wizards are casting spells at illusionary attackers as the phantasmal foes rush at them.
"Hey," Sendant says, pointing. "Is that Leny?"
"It's her day off." Gryff grunts. "Yep, that's her, though." After a moment, he adds, "What the hell is she doing?"
It is indeed Leny. And she's wearing a chain shirt. It's a finely crafted chain shirt. It's silver with golden links that form a pattern of the Sky Queen's emblem. Doubtless, this is some sort of official armor, and it's very nice looking and very shiny and very light, definitely the kind of thing that would let one take full advantage of agility and quick movements -- neither of which have really ever been associated with Leny.
And by the gods, she's using a rapier.
She's using the Wood Ogre, a nasty contraption where you whack or stab at a target, and upon receiving a blow, the big wooden affair sends a padded beam down to whack you. It's ideally used for training rogues and scouts, people who need to learn how to dodge out of the way of blows rather than trying to block them.
Stab. Creak. Whump.
Leny gets back up, picks up her rapier, and, holding it like a cleaver, lunges in to stab at the target. She practically rips through the damn thing, but she's a shade off on the accuracy, and as the beam comes down she's off balance. Cream. Whump. The rapier hits the sand again, as does Leny.
"Um, Leny?" Gryff asks. "What the hell are you doing?"
She looks over at you. "Oh. Hi." She seems a little embarrassed to see Sendant, for some reason. "I'm training."
"Yeah, but why?" Gryff asks. "This isn't how you fight. This piece of shit's worthless for you and me... and for the priest, here. It's for dancers and those, like Tierney or Arlemis."
Leny lets out a long breath as she picks up her rapier again. "I'm learning," she says, "to fight with the grace befitting a paladin of the Sky Queen."
Stab. Creak. Whump. "Dammit!" This time, a few people stop and look as Leny hits the ground. It's embarrassing. I mean, Leny's gone toe-to-toe with ogres and golems and evil priests and all kinds of nasties, and she's making an ass out of herself on a damn training machine. "Look, this is what I have to do, alright?" She's not looking at you. "It's something I've been lax in, and it's something I've got to get better at."
"What about that hammer?" Gryff asks, and then wishes he hadn't, as both Leny and Sendant suddenly seem really uncomfortable. "Well, fine," he harrumphs, "use a damn rapier, if you want. Seems like a waste of training."
"I'll be here for awhile, yes," Leny says. "You need to find me, I'll be around here." And she picks up her rapier, glares at the machine, wipes her sweat-slicked hair out of her face, and lunges in again.
Stab. Creak. Whump.
You leave Leny behind, trying not to look.
Gryff's commander, Tahlia, is watching over a group of trainees. Well, training them. Well, sending them crashing to the turf with swings of a much-padded greatsword. She laughs, helps one of them to his feet, then looks up at your approach. "Gryff! Good to see you again! Enjoy your day off?" She waves the trainees away, and they head off to do some drills.
"You must be Sendant. The Bright Blade protect you." Tahlia is wearing her holy symbol proudly, and she greets Sendant like a brother. "So, I heard you were interested in the Twingate guard. Good, good. We could use more like you in this place. Combat priests. Too many healers, too many who'd rather be running around seeking divine wisdom instead of getting their ducks in a row here on the mortal realm. Gryff tells me you're a fair hand in a fight?"
By now you're realizing that conversation with Gate Commander Tahlia is a rather one-sided affair.
"I can put you up as Captain alongside Gryffid, if you're up for it. Karilon vouched for your ability, and frankly, anyone who can help beard the damn Pillarites works for me. And," she lowers her voice... somewhat. "Maybe you can help me with a few ideas I've got for this town. Lot of folks here have trouble changing with the times. You could be good for that. Be good for the town, anyway. Say, are you busy? Maybe you and me and Gryff could give the lads a show..."
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