Shifting Sands (Solo/Training)

Chrom walked through the shifting sands as he had done so many times before. Since the start of his training, he had gotten used to the many tides and waves that Sunagakure had to offer. The warm breeze was relaxing to him, not uncomfortable as it would be to most people who visited the arid desert land. He had been born here, grown up here, and thrived here. Even with all the turns his life had taken, the sand, the desert, the land itself, never truly changed. The blue haired boy smiled, a practice blade in his hand. He had his work cut out for him today. He needed to get some serious training done in time for the exams if he wanted to continue on his path to becoming a full Knight of the Round. He had been training his hardest for 3 years. 3 years of pain and toil to finally match up to the one he was chasing. He wasn't there, not yet, but someday. He could remember, all the back to the ceremony where this destiny had been laid before him. Back to when he still had his father to rely on. Heaving a regretful sigh, he prepared his daily exercises.

The chapel was seated to the brim, people of all ages and faces all seated and waiting for the main event. Finally, the naming of the next Blue Dragon of the Round Table. The spot was an important place on the Pendragons culture, as the Blue Dragon would not only be trained to fight alongside the other Knights, but would be master of lore and stories for the clan. It was one of the highest and most well respected positions a person could have, and the two young boys had worked hard to get to this point. Their father looked proudly at the both of them as they each strode in. Wearing ceremonial armor meant for this occasion. One looked around at the crowd, bashful, but eager to see the ceremony proceed. The other kept his steely gaze forward. His face was confident and expecting, as if this was all the setup to some grand inner plan. The two boys reached the center dais, where the Silver Dragon waited. A stern but proud looking man, he looked over each of them. He began reading off each of the failures and wins of the test they had taken the previous day. The bashful boy seemed to flinch at several but didn't seem outright bothered. The other, more confident boys face seemed to harden. As if each failure was a personal insult against him.

Chrom had Set up several targets, dummies in several spots on the dunes and in several positions. They marked places that he had to hit to improve his style and coordination. It wasn't terribly difficult but it would help him improve his weaponry skills to be worth the time of the Knights. The practice blade in hand was made of wood, but not weak like others. He had customized one to his liking since Suna's school had much more different designs that felt off in his hands. This design had a double edged blade and a wide cross guard, capable of catching swords that slid down the blade. Only about 4 feet long, it wasn't as long as he would have liked, it would do for this exercise. The first few were at the top of the dune, setup like archers. Long range enemies were a nemesis of old pendragons, before the age of magic. Even with longer ranged techniques, it was always good to be prepared against such enemies. Racing up the side of the dune at breakneck speed, he moved as if he was swiftly ducking and dodging past arrows. Slashing one dummy up the middle with a solid uppercut strike, he twisted around in the air with another strike that would decapitate the next dummy. The last two were swiftly defeated in two vertical then horizontal strikes. He breathed out as he lay his eyes on the next targets. The day was certainty getting warmer.

As the Silver Dragon finished his speech, and the next Blue Dragon was known to all, the boys were both visibly stunned. The bashful boy, holding the writ of commendation, looked at the piece of paper like he had just been handed a bomb. Not quite sure what to do with himself, his eyes held a myriad of emotions. While the other boy looked as if he'd been impaled. The hatred in his eyes, if it could have been seen, would have been warning enough against what was soon to happen. But no one suspected, no one thought possible that one could hate his own family so much. Both boys were told to rest for the festivities tomorrow. Tomorrow would be a big day for the both of them, and it was vital they got their relaxation. There would be no festivities the next day though, nor would there be any relaxation for some time to come.

Chrom slid down the dune, eyeing his next two opponents. The two dummies were holding makeshift spears, another long range weapons. A proper wielded long sword could easily match a spear, while improperly...well the swordsman wouldn't have long to consider their mistakes. A spinning strike would disarm the first spear dummy with relative ease, the spear flipping up fast, but not too fast for Chrom to catch it. An enemy weapon could just as easy become an ally to a pendragon. That was a lesson taught to him many times in his youth, and it was just as true then as it would ever be. He used the makeshift spear as if it was blocking the attack he suspected would come from the second dummy as he gave a short strike to the head of the disarmed dummy. It would knock out a live enemy, as Chrom would not honorably kill a disarmed enemy. The second spear wielder was another matter.He rolled under the spear, delivering a decisive strike to the abdomen of the last dummy, ending the mock battle. Chroms breath had picked up, but he had done relatively well he felt, though he still had much to go to match his brothers fighting ability. Warriors trained best in live combat as well, so perhaps it was time to find a sparring partner. Shelving those thoughts for now, Chrom began collecting the pieces from the dummy's as well as the make shift weapons. No sense leaving it all out here to waste, he had more training to do.


EXIT


CLAIM:
5 stats

Approved.