A Swordsman's Best Friend [T]
Jun 10, 2015 11:39:26 GMT -7
Post by withDrawl on Jun 10, 2015 11:39:26 GMT -7
Deep within the mountains of Ishi no Kuni lies a complex of homes, built along a mountain spring over two centuries ago by skilled hands. It his here that an Akimichi clan, whose sworn loyalty was to the Daimyo of the country, made their home, so that they would have access to the iron and copper mines nearby for their crafting and personal use. What began as a few stone huts have expanded into homes for a dozen families, as well as workshops and smithy where various trades were perfected by the large denizens who called this place home. The largest such house, which were all built along the edges of the ravines that over the centuries had been eroded away by the spring, all connected by bridges that been erected by the few Akimichi who had learned to mold their chakra into stone, belonged to the clan head Honda Akimichi, whose was the current Armiger, along with his daughter Hori, who would succeed him.
Only one such building was built away from the spring, atop a plateau with stone steps leading up to it; it was here where the Akimichi who wished to train in taijutsu went. It was but a single room, spacious and large, allowing for the training over a half a dozen to occur without infringing on one another. Paper Lanterns lined the ceilings, disguising the LED lights used by those training at night, and an entire side of the room had a retracted wall that opened to give trainees a view of the world they would soon protect. From this vantage point, they could see the towering mountains, snow-covered at the top, as well as the one road that connected the complex to the outside world. It was on this road that merchants would arrive twice a year to buy their wares, as well as the road that young Akimichi have taken for two-hundred years to fulfill their vows to their Lord.
Note: I do not own any components; this complex design is for backstory more than any benefit towards training posts.
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[Two Years Ago]
Hori Akimichi sat on the edge of the world as the sun peeked over the mountain tops, preparing for the training to come. Her heavy shield, the shield she had been gifted on her tenth birthday, rested in her lap as she worked over it with a rag soaked in metal polisher. It was a tradition she had watched her father do every morning before he rose to do his duties around their complex and one she had taken up immediately after earning her own shield. She had barely used it in the four years since that fateful day when her father declared her his heir and today, but their was nary a day she didn't polish it. An Armiger's shield is more than his weapon, her father's voice rang out in her head, It is their identity. And it is our duty to be the shining light. So Hori polished, a circular motion of the rag, until she could see her reflection in the steel.
Her fourteen year old face stared back at her, her bright yellow eyes and vibrant red hair absorbing the hues of the sunrise for a dazzling display on this early morning. The face of a defender, an Armiger, the first of its kind in this clan. Never before had a girl taken up the shield of her people, of her country, and the doubt was apparent. That was why she was here, before all others, to make a point: despite the differences, she could still be just as worthy to the title she would bare. Her training officially began today, the beginning of her own perfection.
Hori heard the familiar footfalls of her father, Honda, behind her, so she rose, shield in hand, to face him. Her father was a tall man, over six and a half feet, but her own size wasn't something to balk over; she was nearly six feet herself, bulky but strong. Still, she felt like the child she was beneath the shadow of her father, who wore his traditional Steel armor on this monumental day. Flanking him were her cousins Juba and Akagi, brothers who were both looking to learn bojutsu, a fighting style their clan had brought with them from Hi no Kuni when they splintered off. They were older than she, and bigger, at the cusp of manhood; they had trained with her father far longer than she had, and carried their weapons experienced souls. Still, their staves were easy to ignore when compared to the giant tower shield her father wielded, a monstrosity over ten feet tall, that he carried easily in one hand. A hard man, her father was, but when he looked down at her, she could see the warmth beneath his burly beard, the love and pride of a father.
"Today marks the beginning of your training as the clan's Armiger," he boomed, his deep voice ringing across the dojo. "What is our motto, Hori?"
Hori's response was immediate, as the answer had been ingrained in her head at an early age. "An Armiger is a Swordsman's Best Friend."
"Precisely," he continued, his pride even more evident; if this bothered the cousins behind him, they didn't show it. "We are defenders, first and foremost, the shield to those who would rather attack. Moreso, we are leaders on the battlefield, controlling the flow of the fight when on guard. No one, ally or otherwise, will land an attack unless we allow them. And let me emphasize this," a long, powerful pause, "we don't yield often." Her father was a fan of such speeches, having spent much of his adult life among politicians who did little but talk. Still, it was powerful stuff, and as Honda turned away to cross the floor of the dojo, Hori couldn't help but feel in awe. "Juba, you will pair with Hori for her exercises; for the time being, she acts as your leader, so be sure to follow. Akagi, you're the Daimyo for the day, general on the battlefield; thus, I will only step in I sense danger.
Juba and Akagi both nodded, used to the situations their master created for them; the latter moved to shut the wall, hiding the sun and mountains away from sight for the moment, leaving them with only the brightness of the LED to work under. Juba stepped close to Hori, twirling the staff through motions, getting the feel for it, while Akagi mirrored him on the opposite end of the dojo. Hori reached into the pocket of her pants, pulling free the googles her uncle Ige had made for her. Feeling secure, she hefted her own shield up with her left hand, falling into guard meter. Honda surveyed the scene, before nodding. "Let the training commence."
The lights shut off.
