To become "taronyu" hunter, you must choose your own Ikran and he must choose you.

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Quinn Vos"]

"Not when it comes to my training method, Quinn," Qae told her reassuringly. "Your own conscience will end up as punishment for your psyche, at this rate. Why add to the torment?" It wasn't a situation he liked, really; the Master-at-Arms wasn't a fan of self-punishment for failure, even if it was unavoidable nine times out of ten. He did to himself more often than not, after all. A guilty conscience was a ticking time bomb waiting to blow. However, to be there, to be reassuring and helpful, was something he could and would do for his student. There was little more he could do.

He considered her response, her need to repay the debt, and all he did was smile.

"Give me your friendship, your loyalty and your attention, Quinn. I take this bond seriously, but I also take your needs as a person seriously, too. I couldn't possibly ask anything more of you. It wouldn't be right of me."

 

[Quinn Vos]

@[member="Qae Shena"]

[SIZE=10pt]There was a sharp nod. She wasn’t about to give this up but knew the battle wouldn’t be won in this conversation. She would find a way to make it up to the Nautolan, perhaps not tomorrow or the next day, but one day. And perhaps it would be when he needed her most, on the battlefield. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She would fight until her last breath for him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]But he didn’t need to know that, yet. “I am with you,” she said simply. Closed-fist came to pound solidly across her chest. “Let us continue training,” pushing off the wall, she swayed violently on her feet, apparently still fighting the effects of a concussion and blood-loss. [/SIZE]

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Quinn Vos"]

The moment that Quinn pushed off the wall too hard and staggered, she would find a blue hand wrapped around her bicep, holding her still, keeping her upright and balanced. A shoulder to lean on when she needed it. "Easy there," he said soothingly. "You're still unstable for now. Take your time with things until you recover. Honestly, I should keep you in bed, but..." He wasn't going to do that to her, indicated by a shake of his head. "Let's find you somewhere quiet."

So he led her back to their meditation room, where she could sit, be at peace, and even have Derp bring her some muja fruit to eat, to make her feel better. That, and a bottle of water. She'd be looked after well by her Master and his little droid. She could sit down, relax, and then perhaps they could work through some actual practise.

"Say," Qae asked, suddenly. "Do you have much hand to hand combat experience?"

 

[Quinn Vos]

@[member="Qae Shena"]

[SIZE=10pt]Luckily, the sheer look of panic and indignation about being ordered to bed only lasted on her face for a moment. Stubborn set to her jaw relaxed, just slightly. It was a good thing the Nautolan had the wisdom on how to handle a young-stubborn, Kiffar warrior.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Sitting down in the meditation room, she gladly wolfed down some fruit with a healthy dose of water. Being knocked out made her tired but also restless at the same time. The meditation room was a happy and acceptable medium.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Concussed head was already feeling better.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Tattooed-face cocked to the side, looking at her instructor. “Yes. I fought almost every day with members from my tribe.” She said it as if fighting in the morning was as natural as drinking a glass of orange juice.[/SIZE]

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Quinn Vos"]

Qae's nod of affirmation was likely enough to help Quinn through this period. Well, if she knew how to fight, she'd understand the body mechanics, and hopefully the idea, of what he was going to teach her. If she could copy the moves, eventually, or even just sit and watch, then he'd be happy. If she wanted to try, well, she could. The movement wasn't particularly strenuous.

"Derp tells me you can move the water, so I won't need to teach you to connect with it. It's more about how you use it now. After you connect, you need to have the spiritual balance of strength and fluidity together, just as water does, to use it. I'll demonstrate."

Qae assumed the Echani horse stance - feet two shoulder widths wide and parallel, turned out slightly. Knees bent deeply, back straight. His hands came up in front of him, rising as if he were cupping water in his hands, then separating slightly. Slowly, Qae moved side to side, feet still - one leg straight, one knee bent, at the end of each movement. His hands followed along with him, as if he was pushing water aside.

"Push and pull. Like the tide. A gentle movement, meant to put you into the spirit of the flow of water. As water comes forth, so too much it be willing to go back as well." Water rose out of the pool and, as Qae moved, it followed perfectly, gracefully arcing through the air along with the Nautolan's slow, gentle movements.

 

[Quinn Vos]

[SIZE=10pt]@[member="Qae Shena"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Swallowing the fruit, she stood. Standing across from her instructor, the Kiffar warrior began to mirror his movements. Disciplined-face set as the force flowed through her. Sloppily at first, the water began to rise and match Qae’s movements.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Her very soul poured into the movements as the ebb and flow of the force fueled her strength and her instincts.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“How can you use this as a weapon, in a fight? Can you freeze it?”[/SIZE]

 

[Qae Shena]

"Water is a viable weapon for any number of methods," Qae explained, the water pushing and pulling with his movements, soul as one with the water carefully.

"Yes, it can become ice. It can swirl and cut, like a high-pressure stream of water can be used to slice cleanly through durasteel as well as a plasma cutter, if not better. You could even drown an opponent, overwhelm their defences with water until they could no longer fight back. Your options are great and varied, Quinn. Water is adaptable, like I said. So must we be."

His water vanished away, before he began shaping the water she was holding, pushing and pulling - then passing to her.

"Learn to become synchronous with the water. Shape it as I do, then pass it. Keep it in control the entire time, but be prepared to be flexible and bend to it while I control it."

 

[Quinn Vos]

@[member="Qae Shena"]

She gave a curt nod to her mentor, not chancing a break in concentration for speech. Arms pushed through the air, beads of sweat trickling along mocha-skin as she manipulated the water with Qae, constantly adjusting, being....incredibly...flexible.

After a few healthy trickles of water splashed on the floor, she finally felt like she was getting the hang of it. And the juma fruit must've been working because her head no longer throbbed. She felt strong and back to her old self, albeit a little tired.

"Spar me," she said suddenly. Muscles beneath her skin shifted as her arms pushed the water forward, the water spinning into a tight, rotating sphere for Qae's face.

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Quinn Vos"]

Spar her, already? Really? Qae considered his options (well, option) - and smiled. She was making progress with water, and he'd have to hold back just a little. After all, he was good at this. He knew how to handle water, and she was a warrior. If she wanted to spar, then Qae would more than happily oblige his little warrior friend. She was talented in her own way. She'd learn best by actual application.

Without any more urging, Qae settled into a fighting stance, knees bent deep, dark black eyes focused wholly on Quinn. The water coming to his face was met with a single hand as Qae reached through the Force, unifying his spirit with the water to guide it, back towards the stream.

"The trick to this is to find balance with the aggressive nature of the water... before it hits you," he explained. "Not easy, the more focused and talented your opponent is."

He grinned. "Again!"

 

[Quinn Vos]

@[member="Qae Shena"]

[SIZE=10pt]A rare-grin swept over her determined facial features. Taking a step closer, she pushed the water through the force, letting it stretch out like a towering wave to soak and engulf her instructor. She doubted it would work but it was actually…fun trying.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She had zero problem with being aggressive.[/SIZE]

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Quinn Vos"]

Things were progressing and she was clearly learning how best to become one with the water. However, there was no finesse; this was raw strength, brutality, the un-sharpened spear thrust towards his face. It was little difficulty for Qae to raise a palm and push the water aside, metaphysically; the brush of his hand through air caused the onrushing water to deflect harmlessly past. Still learning.

"Come, Quinn, focus your mind. How do you hunt? Fight like a hunter, not a brawler!"

 

[Quinn Vos]

@[member="Qae Shena"]

[SIZE=10pt]Huffing, she relaxed, or tried to. Feeling the water flow through the force, she gathered up the stream, rebounding off his deflection and split it into five different parts. The water stretched like long spears, each shooting at Qae’s exposed skin in different segments, looking for weak spots.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She grunted with the effort, maintaining concentration.[/SIZE]

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Quinn Vos"]

An apprentice creating five water-spears, compared to his ability... well, her degree of control would be lesser. So being the case, Qae summoned his own water, to craft a shield and absorb the blow, the sphere whirling around on the spot as the five spears struck it and took Quinn's water, giving him more of a wepaon. From there, Qae stepped forward with a palm strike, one step into the air to guide the sttack - and sent the expanded sphere out as a single, powerful jet, aiming to knock Quinn right off her feet.

 

[Quinn Vos]

@[member="Qae Shena"]

[SIZE=10pt]Heart hammered in her chest as her muscles tightened, preparing for the counter-attack.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Qae was strong, powerful.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She wasn’t skilled enough to summon her own shield strong enough to absorb and block his incoming blast. Instead, the young-warrior sought to become like a steady-rock in a stream, forcing the water to go around. Pushing her palms together, she snapped them forward, causing the water stream to split down the middle.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Sprinting through the open space, she took advantage of the opportunity for physical combat, considering her proximity to Qae. She aimed a quick uppercut at his jaw followed by an elbow strike into his chest.[/SIZE]

 

[Qae Shena]

She turned the attack into a chase after him, something that almost caught Qae off guard. Almost. She was a warrior, like him. They were one and the same, after all, united in their methods; he knew she'd come for him the way they both knew best, somehow. Qae had to expect this.

Unlike her, however, he'd honed his combat skills down to a perfect art. As she threw an uppercut, Qae's left hand pushed into her elbow, unloading a deliberate palm strike to knock her punch off-course. As she loaded her elbow strike, Qae drove his now-raised elbow down, slamming downwards into the elbow to attack it. Every time Qae deflected, she'd notice he was literally attacking the offending limb. It was a method of defence that focused on striking the oncomng attacks in order to dissuade the opponent from coming on. Yet, this was all effortless, one-handed. His bad hand, too.

On his face could only be read the tranquility he felt in amidst the melee.

@[member="Quinn Vos"]

 

[Quinn Vos]

@[member="Qae Shena"]

[SIZE=10pt]She was used to taking hits and it showed. Each counter-strike she absorbed from Qae, unless her speed enabled her to dodge them entirely. Keeping her arms up to block any attacks to her face, she dipped low like a boxer and lashed out with her well-toned leg for a leg-sweep. Following the kick, she pushed her weight forward to throw her body into his chest with her shoulder to knock him off balance or into the ground.[/SIZE]

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Quinn Vos"]

The standard counter for a leg sweep was to lift the front leg up to let the attacking leg pass harmlessly underneath, which was also a very good counter for Quinn's next move - the knee forced distance between the two combatants, preventing her from landing into him and hitting him. In fact, it'd be more dangerous for her to finish her attack, but he didn't mind that.

How did he follow up? Easy - the foot already raised went to stomp down on the outside of her front knee with the outer edge of his foot in a vicious stomp side kick, before placing the foot down next to her to allow him to extend his right arm and slam it towards her chest to drive her down to the ground in a simple clothesline once her balance was compromised.

 

[Quinn Vos]

@[member="Qae Shena"]

[SIZE=10pt]Nostrils flared and she grunted, taking the hit to the knee. Instead of falling away from it, she leaned into it to match her forward momentum and latched out to wrap her arms around his swift follow-up kick to her side. Letting her lunge to the side continue, she let herself drop and roll with Qae’s leg held in a tight bear-hug as she sought to pitch him to the ground with her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Since she was lunging and throwing herself to the ground on her side, the palm strike whizzed harmlessly past her shoulder.[/SIZE]