Honing One's Skills (Solo)

[Eren]

Eren approached the dummy carefully, his footsteps solid and his weight moving fluidly as he drew nearer, nearer, nearer, until, with a sharp and resounding meaty thud, his axe buried itself in the dummy's neck, severing the 'head' and sending it to the turf. Without breaking stride, the Dragon Knight then pivoted, spinning his arm and using the rotational force to bring the axe upwards, slicing through a thick wooden plank propped on two supports, and then following through with a lunging strike, which sent another plank clattering to the ground in two pieces.

Relaxing and standing at ease, Eren smiled slightly, watching Mika dive and twist and turn. It was a good, clear day, perfect for training. He'd been traveling across Bern, and so decided to stop in the hilly mountainous area where he'd met his mount. He had constructed some crude dummies and targets out of wood, and was situated on a grassy knoll near a deep ravine. It was a quiet day, and the solitude was nice and refreshing.

Eren reset the sequence, drilling it again, and then again. He needed the practice, especially as he prepared to take action in Bern. He had to be in top form.

[Eren]

"Right, Mika, let's go!"

As his mount dove down, streaking like a bullet toward him, Eren began to run, as if running away from her. As she began to overtake him, he jumped, extending his arms and gripping her neck, as she then began accelerating upward. Swinging his legs and grunting with exertion, he flipped the rest of his body onto her back and whipped out his lance. "Quick strike, then, girl!"

Mika abruptly plummeted, and raced toward another crude dummy Eren had set up. As they approached, Eren drew back his lance, and, as his wyvern turned directly in front of the target, he used the extra force to send his thrust smashing through it as the pair flew to 'safety.'

"Good job, Mika. Now, an archer!"

With a shriek that would terrify anyone else, Mika folded her wings in, becoming a much smaller target. As they began to drop, Eren readied his axe, and, as the ground grew closer and closer, he tensed himself, so that at the last second...

Mika's wings unfurled, abruptly slowing their descent, as Eren sent his axe slamming into the dummy. "Yes! That's what I'm talking about. Okay, let's rest for a bit."

Settling onto the ground, Eren withdrew some meat from a saddlebag, giving a raw slab to Mika, and then began munching on a more cooked chunk.

[Eren]

Eren ate contentedly. It was good to be able to relax and train. Often times... Well, he was never able to relax and train like when he used to be in the military. It was a good feeling, to relax. As he ate, he reclined against Mika's broad flank, resting. He closed his eyes, and the world slipped away into the hum and soft rustle of sleep.

When he awoke, Eren found the sun much lower in the sky. It was late afternoon now, and the weather was still fair and warm. Rising quietly, so as to not disturb his sleeping wyvern, Eren began to stretch and warm himself up again. As he did so, he swung his axe, feeling the balance and the heft. It was a good axe, he mused. A strong axe.

"I am Eren Barrata," he whispered, raising the axe in the late afternoon sun. "I am a storm, a hurricane. I fight for myself, my people, my country... I fight for Bern. For Bern as it was, Bern as it will be. I fight for honor, for freedom, for hope for a people living in the shadow of the Overlord. I fight for the light of a new day, of a dawn anew. I fight!"

From behind Eren, Mika gave a sharp roar, and Eren lifted his axe triumphantly. "We shall never falter, and never surrender. We will fight!"

[Eren]

"Right, Mika. Let's go!"

Eren climbed upon his mount, and she shot into the air, wheeling and cavorting. The Bern countryside under him blurred as they soared, drifting and sailing on the warm breezes. They were headed for a small town nearby, to stock up and replenish their reserves before heading back to Orland's fort.

"We will never give in... We will triumph. For all those who wait in darkness for the dawn of a new day, for all those oppressed. I shall free Bern from Ilian and Bandit alike, and I shall not be stopped. No, my crusade is one of righteousness and justice. I shall fight for honor, for liberty, for peace.

A new day is dawning... We shall simply speed it along."

---Thread End---