The Harrow Knight

[Thinker]

Dean's brow furrowed in annoyance when he didn't answer her question. Apparently, the man was not able to get himself out of sleep mode and it was frustrating her. Clearly not everyone's mind snapped out of sleep like hers. "I wouldn't have stated it if I didn't want it to happen, Gabriel." She growled impatiently.

She turned and walked down the hall. "After breakfast, I want the wizards to begin their training. Don't be late, you are still on probation." Her bare feet hit the stairs soon there after and prayed she didn't just make a huge mistake. She returned to her own cabin and dropped on the mattress not bothering with anything else. Her eyes shut and a few breaths later she was fast asleep.

Morning came, like always. The knights were huddled about the tables eating breakfast talking and roaring with laughter. Dean among them, her eyes swept over the crowd of familiar faces. She rose and waited for everyone to fall silent. "I want all the mages to stay here after the meal is finished. I have to speak with you all." With that she waved a hand for the rest of them to finish the meal as she sat down.

"Speak about what?" Maxwell asked this was the first time she heard of this.

"You have rotations to work out as well as a plan of attack for the Rune Circle once we find them. Let me worry about the knight training."

Maxwell didn't like the answer, she swallowed her questions and continued to eat.

[Jiskastya]

At Dean's departure Gabe shook his head a little, not entirely convinced of anything, but he decided it would simply be better to return to bed. In the morning, hopefully his brain would have decided that it was ready to be awake.

He had no way to set an alarm, but after waking every morning with the dawn for three months the brain programmed itself to awaken at that time automatically. As the sun crested the horizon Gabe's eyes flickered open, and he forced himself not to roll over and go back to sleep. He was, after all, on probation.

He stood, wandering into the bathroom a little blearily and splashing his face with cold water. Given that he had no clue when exactly breakfast was, he might already be late, but somehow he doubted that anyone would want to eat breakfast before the sun rose. That would likely give him a sufficient amount of time to wake up. If it didn't, well, throwing punches would soon do it for him.

In a few minutes he had settled into the dining hall in a back corner, slowly working his way through two and a half servings of food. Ah, spices. Thou art truly a miracle, he mused to himself. How often had he dreamed of such food in his travels? Enough times that now, he savored every mouthful, while still eating as much as he could.

He paused briefly when Dean stood and spoke, but returned to his meal as soon as she had finished. Best to get in a last mouthful, and perhaps a couple more moments of thought, before he was expected to begin lessons.

[Thinker]

It didn't take long for the meal to be over and the place to be cleared save for the five wizards that stayed behind. Dean waited for Gabriel to finish his thing and join them. With Maxwell tucked safely in the command office planning the attack, she smiled at the men. "For those who do not know, this is Gabriel."

Kayla, Rachael and the three others all waved at him. "He is going to teach you martial arts to aid you. He is very skilled and I wish you to put your whole soul into your learning." She sat down to watch the proceedings. Mostly for her own amusement, hopefully the men would take to it like a duck to water. Since Gabriel didn't say what he needed for this class he was pretty much on his own until it was made known to the legion.

[Jiskastya]

Everyone was looking at him now, and he could only pray that the gentlemen would be as accepting of the idea as she seemed to think they would be. Well, there is no use in dallying, he scolded himself silently. May as well begin.

"Martial arts," he said softly "Is the art of weaponless self defense and attack. It utilizes the strength of your own body and the momentum of your opponent to both protect yourself and retaliate should the situation demand that such action be taken. It is a practice of self-discipline, strong will, and patience." He left it at that for now, certain that there would be questions, but unsure whether heshould wait and see if anyone asked them.

If there were no questions he would have the five wizards join him on the balcony and begin the lessons, as best he could remember, how his Sensei had taught him.

[Thinker]

The men were very excited to hear about this strange new art they were to learn, they whispered to each other and giggled before turning their attention to Gabriel's little speech. "Attack?" Rachael squeaked, his face paling at the thought of it. "This is to fight?"

"Gentlemen don't fight," one of the three stated plainly. "We have powers we can command. I am not going around like a woman. No way."

"Give it a chance," Dean stated. "It might help you in the future."

"I refuse to do this," he continued standing on his feet. "This is barbaric! It is like running around with no shoes on. I didn't have my family put me through school so I could slap monsters in the face. I am a mage, I use that power only." He turned on a heel and marched toward the steps.

Dean shifted in her seat and leaned on the table, she rose and followed the group of men to the deck where this process would being.

[Jiskastya]

One down, Gabe mused, four to go. Well, as he had thought before, there was no point in trying to teach an unwilling pupil.

The balcony was warm, and also had more space than the corner of the dining space, so it would be as good as any place to start with.

"Real simple to begin," he said. "How to make a fist. Curl your fingers in, trying to touch the tips of your fingers to the point where your fingers come from your palm." He demonstrated. "And then bend your knuckles. Put your thumb over the outside of your fingers and, tada, fist."

He then used this newly acquired fist to strike the palm of his other hand, making a slight squishy sounding thunk.

[Thinker]

Dean found a wall to lean on and folded her arms in front of her chest. She milled over the definition of this art in her head. To use the body as a weapon, that was indeed a good idea. Of course, welding a weapon against a foe was more suitable in most cases. She had to question her sanity a little at this.

Rachael shook his head at the simple instruction. "That will break my fingers," he whimpered holding his hands together protectively against his chest. He jumped backwards and shook his head when Gabriel hit his fist to palm. Wizards were super cautious of their hands, they needed it for their spells to work right. Without the somatic components the spell would fail and the energy would be lost.

Kayla knew far to well the fist, he had hit his three sisters enough to know how much pain there was involved. Being the only boy in a family of women, he had to have a little spine. His eyes burned with fire ready to take this on how he did everything. Full bore and not looking back.

[Jiskastya]

Gabe smiled at Rachael, "Quite the contrary," he replied, "Knowing how to make a good fist very well might save your hands one day, should you ever need to use them in physical combat. If you do not make a good fist, it becomes that much easier to break your fingers or knuckles."

And, he added silently, if you aren't even going to make a fist, how will we ever get to sparring? He got the impression that this was going to be a very long task. It had been long enough when he had been learning, and he hadn't been afraid of the sport itself. But these men seemed used to little more than chopping a carrot, knitting, and cleaning.

Only Kayla seemed ready to fully embark upon the journey. Gabe was a little sorry that he would not devote more of his attention to the cook, but he was unwilling to leave the others behind. Maybe, when this "lesson" was over, however long it would last, Gabe would be able to set up private lessons for him, ones that would move faster than the general class.

[Thinker]

Rachael waved his hands in the air as if attempting to dismiss the very thought of hitting someone anywhere in the body from his mind. He made a low whining in the back of his throat moving closer to one of the others who was not having any part of this fist making process. "Gentlemen don't do this," he whispered. "That is what we have women for." The other agreed.

"This is contrary to everything, Dean," the man stated finally. "How dare you even think about making us learn this."

"You are free to go, I just thought you would like to know how to defend yourselves in battle." Dean stated. "I am giving you a chance not many men will have."

"So I can trot around like a woman? I have had enough of this," he grabbed Rachael's hand and lifted the hem of his robe walking like a regal gentlemen out, his nose in the air.

Two left, the other was clearly torn between for a long time before he rushed after his tribesman. Kayla bit his lower lip and concern rolled over his features. "Does that mean I can't learn?"

"That is entirely up to Gabriel," Dean said.

[Jiskastya]

Two, thought Gabe, three, four down, one to go. He could no blame them, not truly, for there were many people who were unwilling to accept the reality of physical combat. He was slightly disappointed that they weren't even willing to try, but he could say nothing to draw them back. They were set in their ways.

To Kayla's question, Gabe replied simply, "I told her that I would teach those who wanted to learn. I do not rescind that offer now, nor will I ever do so. If you want to learn, I will teach you, for as long as you want."

He had learned how literally the people in this culture took questions that Gabe only thought of as common courtesy. If he asked Kayla "Do you want to learn?" he would likely only say "Did I not just say so?"

Or perhaps that was only the women.

"Are you ready to begin?"

Yes, that would work.