What We Learn by the Sword [Tiz/Siegfried, C]

[Tiz]

Having finished lunch and set apart on different paths, the three contest swordsman had, by Tiz's estimation, had a pretty solid day. Of course, the man knew he could only speak for himself, but after the contest and always delicious lamb rack, he would no doubt chalk the day up to a success. After all, he'd met two fiercely interesting people that he hadn't come across before, and what was more, he'd been put in the ring for combat where he knew killing people wasn't an issue. Smiling, he closed the door behind him, watching the two men begin to part ways. The swordsman sighed, looking over to the town square to his right. They had all but cleared out entirely, leaving only a few fence pieces as the rest of the event materials were being loaded onto carts and caravans, likely to be taken off elsewhere. It made Tiz sad; he hadn't been able to have that much fun in a while.

"Hmm."

The man put a finger to his chin and puffed one cheek full of air, lost in thought. Did the day have to be over?

"Siegfried!" Tiz cried out, beginning to shuffle his way quickly through the crowd, careful not to lose sight of the boy before finally coming upon him again. He laughed sheepishly, cocking his head as he addressed the man. "You know," he began, a mischievous smirk on his face and a glint in his green eyes, "you're pretty good in the ring. What do you say we go somewhere and train a little more? My sword arm is itching for juuuuust a little more action, and right now it looks like you're the best place to find it. What do you say?"

[Siegfried Aschdenne]

Siegfried's mind was on his mercenary company. He'd been away the entire day thus far, and as such he was curious if the others had found a job to work yet. More work was always good, it brought in money for the company and more experience for Siegfried. Plus, if they did find a job, it meant that he could spend more time here in Lycia. He had grown a bit fond of the region and found it easy to adjust too. It was a great deal warmer than his northern home, but the people weren't all THAT different, he found.

As he made his way through the crowd he blinked as he heard someone call his name. Siegfried turned around and saw that it was none other than Tiz, shuffling through the crowd to make his way to him. Apparently Tiz wanted a rematch. Had it been anyone else Siegfried would have been a bit curious. After all Tiz himself had won their match, so one would think it would be Siegfried who would be itching for a rematch. That mischievous expression didn't help him any, either, but Siegfried merely chuckled and gave a nod.

"Of course, I'd be more than happy to try my blade against yours again," Siegfried replied with a smile. This would prove to be a great opportunity to redeem himself, in a sense. Siegfried still felt as though he went down far too quickly to the swordsman, so this was a welcome opportunity to at least go down after putting up a better fight, or possibly even winning!

"And where should we hold this duel?"

[Tiz]

Great. It was good news. His smile turned from mischievous to satisfied as he heard Siegfried's reply, eager to get things started again. He placed a hand on his hip and another behind his head, looking to the sky to think about possible locations to have another duel. Was it another duel? Tiz guessed it would be; that was as good a way as any to pass things onto one another in combat. Tiz was sure that, despite his military experience, there was plenty he could learn from Siegfried-- and of course, he had already guessed there was much he could teach him. Tiz wasn't much for taking on a 'pupil' in any sense, but he was always game to teach and learn tricks of the sword. He was never at his best, Tiz thought, when there was more to be learned. He was already eager to learn, and he always had been.

"Hm..." He said pensively, drawing out his voice while he thought about potential locations some more. "Actually, we could head outside the city-- there are a couple forest clearings that might be good. Plus, we've got plenty of daytime left, and as long as we're outside of city grounds, we can spar without the guards causing us any trouble. Come on, follow me." Tiz beckoned the man to follow him, wheeling about quickly to head off towards the city gates, expecting the young man to follow behind him as he did so.

Truly, Tiz was excited. He liked fighting in any situation, but it was always so much easier to enjoy fighting when he knew it didn't have to result in death. His primary instinct was to steer clear of killing, and opportunities like these, though they didn't come to him often, seemed perfect. As he headed towards the city gates, Tiz knew the rest of his day was also promising.

Eventually, the duo made it out of town and into the forest clearing Tiz had mentioned. He had sparred here before, though typically he was alone, using straw dummies, or practicing his form completely isolated. This was the first time he'd brought someone into this area for a real training session of sorts. He crossed quickly to the other end of the clearing, on the far side, so he could face Siegfried. He put both hands on his hips, and with a bright smile on his face, he spoke loudly and happily.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Just as I'm sure you've got some things to teach me, I've got some things to teach you. While we spar, I'll be shouting at you things to do to avoid my attacks. Then I'll let you decide how to follow through and beat me. Got it? Now, draw your blade, and let's see what you've got."

[Siegfried Aschdenne]

Tiz suggested that they head outside of the city, away from the masses this time. Siegfried didn't mind either way and followed Tiz with a nod. He was used to fighting in front of crowds, though usually only small ones, and had nothing against fighting or training alone either. Siegfried was used to fighting when he was being cheered on and fighting when he was being heckled as well: the mercenary company in particular flip-flopped between the two.

Siegfried was a little bit surprised that Tiz wanted to have another go, still. Again the slightly older man had won the first duel and very little time had passed, so Siegfried knew that Tiz shouldn't expect things to go all that differently. Yet at the same time Tiz wasn't the type to brag about victory and certainly didn't seem like the type to beat down those who were weaker than him. Hm, and even if he was Siegfried would face him still. A great way to improve was to fight and learn from those whose skill surpassed your own.

So Siegfried was a bit shocked, when they arrived at their destination, to hear Tiz say that Siegfried had some things to teach him as well. The blonde mercenary had never thought of it that way. Though Tiz was the more experienced swordsman there certainly were things Siegfried had seen, techniques Siegfried both used and was privvy to, that Tiz was not. So it was a duel of mutual benefit, then. That explained it.

When Tiz finished explaining his "rules" Siegfried nodded and smiled, drawing his blade and taking his stance, "Aye, ready when you are,"

[Tiz]

"Right." Tiz smiled, looking sharply and fiercely at his opponent. His smile grew wider and a little goofier as he showed some teeth, like a child about to receive a gift. As Siegfried took his stance and readied his blade, Tiz folded his arms. He studied the man. This stance left him almost perfectly defended-- he was alert, aware, and able to strike from any direction when needed. That was something at which Tiz was ineffective-- most of his styles didn't really rely on total coverage, which already, he decided, was something he could learn from the boy. That made him smile even wider.

Neglecting to draw his blade at first, Tiz kept his arms folded and angled his head to the side, watching Siegfried, electing to leave the moments silent and empty save for the sounds of the forest. He felt the pulses of the wind, the slight, hardly noticeable tinges in the earth; he listened to the leaves rustle among the trees; he pictured the scene in his mind with closed eyes, trying his best to recreate things without actually being able to see them. If he could get his senses highly in tune, he would fight better. And he didn't plan to take it easy on Siegfried: he only planned to vocally declare all of his attacks. Easier to read that way, but it didn't mean they would necessarily be easier to dodge, unless Siegfried had the skill to do so. Tiz expected that he might.

Sooner than he could even draw a breath, Tiz was off, sprinting like lightning towards his opponent. His grin was wide and pronounced. In one fluid motion, Tiz drew his light, slender blade and brought it forward, dragging it across his path horizontally, first striking at the man's armor to catch him off balance, and then right after his initial strike, he lunged forward with the blade, kicking his feet off the ground, sending himself slightly airborne.

"BLOCK THE FIRST STRIKE," He shouted, mid-attack, "JUMP TO EITHER SIDE OF ME, AND PRESS FORWARD!"

[Siegfried Aschdenne]

There was a great pause before Tiz decided to make his first move, but Siegfried didn't let his stance relax during that time. He had made that mistake in the past and had since learned from it. The last thing he needed was to make such an embarrassing mistake before the battle even began. Eventually he saw Tiz draw a long breath be he sprinted into action, quick as ever.

Tiz's first strike was fast, too fast for Siegfried to parry with his sword, but it was a light tap against his armour. Truly a glancing blow and it was clearly intended to be as such. Tiz then kicked off the ground and quickly shouted out the instructions he wanted Siegfried to follow, or at least how he would strike next. Tiz said that Siegfried needed to block the next strike and he understood why. The basically unarmored myrmidon was too quick for Siegfried to dodge most of his strikes. The mercenary would have a much easier time holding his ground.

So Siegfried angled his blade diagonally so that he me block and strike that comes from above without leaving his lower torso open as well. After all Tiz could easily drop down and then decide to strike. The brunette also hinted at a second or third strike after the first so Siegfried needed to be ready to move as well.

[Tiz]

Tiz smiled softly to himself, his eyes dark and wild, as Siegfried more or less followed his instructions. Since he'd kept his position, he hadn't lost any ground-- that was good. He felt it was a good strategy for someone with a little more bulk, like Sieg had-- like Tiz lacked. He always had to be moving, always had to be on his feet, because it was really easy for him to lose ground. He was terrible at holding his ground, and the best way to beat him, he figured, was to be able to hold a position. Tiz's smile grew wider. Despite his military experience and years of combat, Siegfried could probably win a simple duel like this if he stood in place like a steel wall against the swats of a light blade. As long as Tiz took it easy on the boy, Tiz knew that he himself might be beaten.

"GOOD!" He shouted, rolling backwards, quickly on his feet again. He spaced himself away from Siegfried to give him a moment to recover and strategize, as Tiz planned what his next strike would be. There was a technique he'd been working on for a while that he hadn't gotten to test in combat yet... Yes, that would be fine. Siegfried might do well against this. The young man smirked, tilting his head to the side as he stood fully, placing a hand on his hip. "Nice job," he said, genuinely impressed.

"Next, I'm going to come at you with lots of speed, and lots of strikes. They won't hit hard, so if you get hit, you won't take any serious damage... But I want you to know what it's like to deal with lots of quick, precise strikes. On a battlefield, in war, you'll come across this a lot, and you should know how to deal with it."

Tiz got down low, separating his feet. He drew his sword next to his face, pointing it forward, tip pointed straight at the man's chest plate. His kept his body down low, feeling the pulse of the earth beneath him. With his new, much lighter sword, combined with the techniques he'd been working on... He could strike three times, quick like a fox, with the precision of an arrow. He would have to be careful to temper his attacks so they'd be less impactful.

In another second, he was off again, dashing forward just as before. He channeled the natural energies in his body into his right arm, gripped tightly around his sword. He let his left arm hang behind him so it didn't get in the way, and as if he were using a rapier instead of an actual blade, Tiz lurched forward and thrusted his arm out three times with intense speed, aiming for both arms, and then his third lunge aimed at his chestplate. He felt more adept with his weapon, feeling the weight of each lunge through his arm. If any of the attacks hit, they could potentially knock the man off balance; if they all hit, he could knock him down.

"STRIKE OVER MY SWORD! TRY TO KNOCK IT INTO THE EARTH!"

[Siegfried Aschdenne]

Siegfried's block was successful and he had forced Tiz back, earning compliments from the more experienced swordsman. He figured he'd have to stay on the defensive for the majority of this duel rather than risk opening up a weak point going in for a strike. No, he'd have to wait for an opportunity before he could make any offensive moves. Still the praise was nice: it helped reinforce his decision making.

Tiz warned Siegfried that he was going to attack with a flurry of strikes next. Siegfried gave the man a nod and readied himself. The man then came at him swiftly, much like the first time, before thrusting his weapon at him in three very quick strikes. Siegfried was able to block the first strike, but the second one struck his weaker arm and forced his foot back just a tad. The mercenary brought his blade back in front of him in time to stop the third and final thrust and swung it down as soon as he did so, following Tiz's instruction to attempt to know the blade into the earth.

That rapid strike technique...it reminded Siegfried of the rapid movement ability Tiz displayed in their first duel. Siegfried had heard of skills and abilities like these, but to think that Tiz had learned two of them was impressive. At least part of it had to do with the man's sword itself. It looked to be a Brave weapon: which were known to be imbued with a weak magic that granted their wielders the ability to strike faster and more frequently than they would otherwise be able to. A great weapon for any fighter.

[Tiz]

As the second strike landed, Tiz smiled a bit, happy that he'd made a successful attempt to strike without really holding himself back-- it meant he was still sharp, still quick enough to hit opponents that were a little tougher than he was. His smile grew wider, though, as Siegfried followed the man's instructions, slamming his blade down on top of Tiz's own, ramming the tip down into the soft earth with a crunch. As Sieg's blade lay overtop of Tiz's, he loosened his stance and let go of his weapon with one of his hands. His bright, wild eyes flashed up to the blonde man. "Not bad at all," he said, impressed.

With satisfaction, Tiz appraised the situation. He wasn't a bad strategist, this boy. He knew what he could do, and more appropriately, he knew what he couldn't. What the man lacked in speed he made up for in defense and counters-- that was a good strategy, and one Tiz perhaps needed to learn better. Fast though he was, his ability to counter was weak-- he was, through and through, an offensive machine, and knew very poorly how to play defense. Alright then, he considered, perhaps it was his time to learn something.

Nodding, Tiz pulled his slender blade out of the earth and swung it through the air once quickly, shaking it of the dirt that had covered it. "Alright, your turn." He smiled at the man again, and in an instant, leaped back a few meters, his feet sliding back in the ground. Tiz placed himself about as far back as he was when he began and brought his blade down, facing forward. His stance was casual and alert, but not necessarily intimidating. Tip pointed at the ground, Tiz shouted at Siegfried. "Whatever you've got, let's see it! Come on!"

[Siegfried Aschdenne]

Siegfried's parry had been successful and he indeed drove Tiz's sword into the ground, tip first. Again he smiled with satisfaction and accomplishment, and he felt a bit redeemed for his original failure to withstand Tiz's technique in their earlier duel. Still he had to remind himself that this was merely practice. Siegfried may have been improving but Tiz was still holding back, of that there was no doubt. Tiz complimented him once again and Siegfried smiled in reply, uttering a "Thank you,"

However it seemed the terms of their spar had just changed. Tiz now took a passive stance and urged Siegfried to come at him. This was good: offense was something Siegfried needed to improve upon. He had decent power and reactions on defense but he needed to find his stride in offense. Creating and maintaining aggressive pressure was the easiest and most consistent way to win a fight, yet Siegfried consistently found himself outsped by fellow swordsman or out-muscled by other warriors. He had a healthy balance of power and speed, of that he was certain, but needed to find a way to push that as an advantage offensively.

Siegfried took one slow step towards Tiz, bending the knee of his good leg just a bit before he pushed off of it and broke into a sprint. Siegfried lifted his sword up to his shoulder and, with a grunt, swung the blade diagonally at Tiz. This was a signature opener for Siegfried. An efficient strike that didn't leave him open to much of a counter-attack, yet Tiz had bested it before and even Ulai after that. He needed to really pay attention to how a speedy fighter such as Tiz would react to this slash.

[Tiz]

Tiz 'hmm'ed with glee, letting his hand rest on what should be a pommel but was just an end piece on his blade as he precariously dangled it next to him, tip against the ground. His toothy smile was evident enough-- Tiz was always smiling, but in situations where he could push himself and also have fun, his smile was next to impossible to hide, even if he had wanted it to. He wasn't sure where this would go, but he was happy with the pace so far-- he was learning a lot, and hoped he was also teaching a little. Times like these never really found themselves on Tiz's schedule, and for that he was sad, especially considering how much he was enjoying himself now.

"Yup, now make me say it again." He joked, calling out to Siegfried as the man took up stance and prepared himself to attack Tiz. This was good. It was exactly what he wanted. "Oh?"

In a maneuver that largely reflected one of his own favorites, Sieg took a slow step off the ground to tease the Sacaen before breaking into a dead sprint. This was useful and practically TIz's first go-to, so he knew very well what he might do. It would be easy enough to sidestep and jab in with a lunge from the side-- after all, Tiz was sure he had the speed to do it. But... He wondered what could be learned from avoiding the counter, to study the attack to see if there was a follow-through that was lacking enough to be exploited. After all, if their fight became hit-block-hit-block, he wouldn't learn many new things. But if he knew what the attack looked like at its end, without interruption... Maybe he'd know an even better way to come about working through it. The thought made his smile grow wider.

So, as Sieg dashed forward, Tiz sheathed his weapon with a cute flourish, sending his blade around in a circle before letting it clasp quickly into the end of the sheath on his waist. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and like before, he concentrated the natural energies in his body to feel the pulse of Sieg's steps on the soft earth. He felt the pulse of each boot hit the earth and send small tectonic charges towards him... He felt the pulses get stronger and stronger until the man was directly upon him, all the while concentrating the energy into his legs. In a moment, hands still in his pockets, Tiz pushed back on the balls of his feet, sending himself flying backwards at a speed that almost rendered him a blur, augmenting his celerity such that he could move faster than the average person by a great deal.

A handful of meters, maybe 10 back, Tiz landed, his feet sliding backwards still in the dirt, moving with the momentum of his stride. In a harsh second, though, Tiz clasped his chest, feeling himself go weak in the knees. He almost faltered and lost his step completely, but instead was able to catch himself only taking one knee. His heart was beating viciously and his head was spinning... What was this? Coughing a little, Tiz looked towards Siegfied with a confused look on his face. He'd never experienced this before. Was this the cost of... Wait a second, was this what happened when he pushed his body too far too fast? Was this the cost of overextending his energy?

Coughing again, Tiz got to his feet, feeling his body become much weaker than it had been. So that was it. If he used up more energy than his body could replenish in good speed, he would pass out. Lesson learned. Still a bit weary, Tiz drew his blade and tried to hide the awkwardness in his voice.

"S-Sorry... I'm alright. Come on, uh... Try that again." Weakly, Tiz held his blade loosely in front of him.

[Siegfried Aschdenne]

Siegfried was officially dumbfounded. The fact that his attack had been evaded was not overly surprising. Tiz was a skilled swordsman and clearly an experienced fighter, not to mention he was light on his feet and used a combat style that revolved around speed. No, Siegfried had practically expected the brunette to dodge his swing.

It's the fact that Tiz did so with just a fast, large jump, that shocked the blonde mercenary.

Siegfried watched with awe as Tiz slid backwards after his jump. The feat had almost seemed inhuman and, if Siegfried didn't know better, he would have sworn Tiz had the help of some magus to perform that action. But Siegfried had seen Tiz's ability to move rapidly, both offensively and defensively. It was clearly an ability that he had to have honed and practiced tirelessly. Not a super-human feat in the sense that it was impossible, but rather an incredible act only possible through determination and hard work, which were very human qualities.

However the brown haired swordsman did not use this technique without a cost. He had paled a little bit and grasped his chest before he coughed a bit. It looked as though Tiz had just been struck with a warhammer right in the chest. He seemed dazed and winded...

Yet he got up all the same. He was clearly unsteady in his feet and his sword arm shook just a bit as he told Siegfried to charge him once again, but the mercenary shook his head.

"There's no point now I'm afraid. I think you overdid it with that move there," Siegfried said with a small smile. He sheathed his blade and approached the brunette, "I've already learned a bit from this spar, there's no need for you to push yourself any further,"

Siegfried understood that drive to keep going, even when you knew it was a bad idea. However Ulfric himself had taught Siegfried the importance of limitations. Breaking one's limits was always the goal. It was the best accomplishment one could ever strive for. However, before you broke your limits, you needed to recognize and respect them. They are there for a reason, to serve as barriers until you are ready. Siegfried feared that Tiz had over-stepped his barriers, and if he exerted himself anymore he'd suffer serious consequences as a result.

Besides, the mercenary really wanted to know how Tiz had learned those speed techniques. How he had gained such remarkable agility.

"Instead of continuing the spar, how about you tell me where you learned to move like that anyway. It's...amazing, frankly,"

[Tiz]

Huffing quietly but longly, Tiz couldn't help but smile again, closing his eyes out of embarrassment. Had Siegfried really noticed? Was he in such poor shape that it was that easy to tell that he was completely exhausted? Surely his health wasn't in jeopardy, but... Tiz realized this hadn't ever happened to him before. While quite unsure what to think, he knew that it was probably wise to take a break, and even though he wanted to keep going, he was thankful the Siegfried lowered his guard as he approached. He could use a breather. Sighing, Tiz took a hard seat on the ground and ran a dirty hand through his sweaty hair.

"Hah, fine." Tiz admitted, finally throwing himself back onto the ground. He let his back rest softly against the cool earth and tried to create a breeze out of sheer desire, but it wasn't working. He realized now the toll that pushing his limits had on his body... He hadn't even been pushed like this in his fight with Dak, and that had been much more serious than this little experimental spar. How strange. "I guess you're right. Looks like that's it for me, hah..." His voice trailed off and he shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air around him. It was hot and kind of still, but it was still air, and he needed a lot of it right now. "Go ahead, take a seat. That was a good little spar... 'Least, I thought so." He half-chuckled, looking over to Siegfried, the light and happiness in his green eyes finally starting to return.

As the young man asked about his moves, Tiz almost blushed out of embarrassment-- he knew he was skilled, but he honestly didn't put himself even a caliber ahead of most currently trained military personnel. After all, it had been some years since he'd had any formal training... Though, Tiz guessed that might actually be an advantage. He thought aloud for a moment. "Well, let's see... When did I..." He tried to trace his thoughts, mostly consumed with his fatigue, but then finally decided where to begin.

"When I served in the League, or at least when I joined up, they were at a deficit for unmounted soldiers. Axeman, lance-wielders, swordsmen-- you name it. They just didn't have very many. They had heavy armor and cavalry to ride 'til the sun came up, by my type they were short of, so... I don't know, I guess I trained my body to work as closely to a horse as it could?" His answer was a question even to himself. Why exactly had he chosen to prioritize his speed over anything else? In honesty, Tiz wasn't completely sure. "I honed my leg muscles at the expense of brute strength. That way, I figured I could be fast enough to tire out my opponents before they could overpower me. If fighting is a game, and you've got two guys who are equally matched in strength, it's the luck of the draw-- but if one is faster than the other, he's got a clear advantage. See?" He then laughed a big, hearty laugh. "I guess that doesn't matter if you're winded and lying on the ground in a mess, though." He smiled, his own self deprecating joke being lighthearted enough to not be taken seriously.

[Siegfried Aschdenne]

Siegfried was glad that Tiz saw the sense in his suggestion. There'd always be time for another spar, after all. So the blonde took a seat across from Tiz and weighed upon his words, a smile gracing his features once again when he saw that his fellow swordsman had finally caught his breath. "I agree, it was a good spar. I learned a fair bit from it, on top of what I learned from our duel earlier,"

As Tiz began Siegfried was surprised to hear that the swordsman had, in fact, been in the military before. It was surprisingly rare for Siegfried to meet soldiers or ex-soldiers, the closest he ever came were town guards more often than not. It made Siegfried think of himself in a military position. Due to how Ilia functioned, Siegfried was TECHNICALLY a soldier for his homeland, but not by any official means. Ilia's army consisted of mercenaries who, when needed to come together, would return from their various jobs and guilds to protect the realm. 'Twas the Ilian way, he supposed.

Siegfried, thankfully, did not wind up so lost in his own musings that he missed out on Tiz's tale. It seemed his assumption was correct and Tiz's ability had come from raw determination and intense training. He couldn't help but admire that. "I see, that's quite impressive in my honest opinion. Not every man would have the drive to push themselves in such a way,"

Of course Tiz also seemed to realize the pros and cons to this ability. Apparently if he overused it the effects on his body were rather harsh, and it did seem to come at the cost of pure strength. Tiz was fast, definitely fast, and if he had genuine military experience then it was no wonder he had so much experience over Siegfried. However, if it came to pure physical strength, Siegfried was fairly confident he could best Tiz even now, and Siegfried believed he could grow stronger still.

"As for your thoughts on battle, I do understand that belief. It sounds vaguely Sacaen, to prioritize speed over might..." Siegfried stroked his chin in though, and turned his green eyes to the sky briefly before he focused on Tiz once more, "I prefer more of a balance, I suppose. I can move and strike faster than bulkier opponents at the cost of being a bit weaker and not quite so armored. However my strikes land harder than, say, a man like yourself, and my style works well with more armour than yours would, but you definitely outspeed me,"

"I honestly believe it puts me at a disadvantage for the time being. Focusing on balance means I don't have a specific area I excel in, whereas many of my opponents do. However, when I gain more experience in combat and continue to improve my swordplay, I think it will be incredibly effective,"

Siegfried had an odd smile on his face as he finished. He hadn't really put his beliefs on his combat style into words before, so it was odd for him to do just that all of the sudden. However he had done a good job articulating his thoughts. He imagined a warrior who may not have any particular extreme skill in one area, but also lacked serious weaknesses, and thought on how versatile that warrior would be and how terrifying it would be to face him. Siegfried supposed that was the ideal he strove to meet, in terms of combat ability.

[Tiz]

"Heh," Tiz almost blushed, but laughed and ran a hand through his messy hair, finally breathing steadily again. "Yeah, guess it was. I learned a fair bit too." His tone was light but almost self depreciating, recognizing that most of what he'd learned had come from his failure to endure beyond what his body's normal limits had dictated for him. He'd pushed the envelope before, but never quite like this... And especially not for a reason as ultimately trivial as a spar. It was an interesting thing, to be so readily aware of the mortality of his human body. It was a dark thought that didn't often plague him, if ever, but now he was faced with the realization that he simply could not do whatever he wanted to do, whenever he wanted to do it. He could get himself killed that way... And in that sense, his recklessness shone through above all.

"I dunno. Maybe it is impressive, but..." Tiz fiddled in the dirt, his fingers drawing shapes absentmindedly as he worked the soft earth through his hardened fingers. "Then again, it doesn't make me a better fighter than many others, even those who style themselves differently. I guess it's just a different way of working, relying on, uh... I guess different strategies. Ambition counts for a lot in a fight, but not everything. Recklessness will get you killed." He laughed, his toothy smile flashing as he looked at his dirt art. It could get him killed, of that there was no doubt.

"Right," Tiz nodded in agreement, listening to Siegfried speak. Balance... It wasn't something he'd considered before, that was sure. He'd never really thought much of balance, or even of the idea that two united "Sacaen. I was born there, guess it's only natural that I took some part of it back with me to Lycia." He smiled widely at Siegfried, like a child, happy to have something to talk about. "You know, I'm not sure you're at a disadvantage. They always say jack of all trades and master of none, but I'd say being a jack of all trades is being a master at combining various skills and abilities to work for the benefit of the fight. You allow yourself to take in things that I don't, blending different styles together to make yourself a versatile threat in most combat situations. You put me against an armored general, and I'm toast." He laughed again, leaning back into the earth. The cool ground made his back feel nice.

"What about you, anyway? What's your story?"