Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"That I do." Alex turned and started walking with every intention of completing an inspection of her grounds, but that didn't mean she couldn't also answer Gyuki's question more thoroughly. "My home world has been besieged by an alien race, and I was instrumental in reclaiming our lost lands. I was even named Knight-Errant to Titania's Summer Court, though I doubt that means anything in this world. But I am a warrior, battle-tested, and that is why I'm searching for an adequate training ground. I wish to put us both to the test.

"As I implied earlier, I'm from another world, so I'm not entirely certain how my strength matches to the warriors here. A mock battle should help me understand that, and it would let me gauge your own strengths, as well." Once a relatively clear area was found Alex would immediately move toward it, and for a few seconds she considered simply burning the grass away to leave a flat expanse fit for a duel. But she also remembered Gyuki's desire to train under the conditions present, so no pyrotechnics just yet. "Will you agree to a quick match? Nothing fancy, just enough see how we measure up to each other."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"So you were never defeated? But then, you are from a different world, so you may have been but still remain a lone warrior. For myself, I aim to become as powerful as possible so that I may challenge a truly strong warrior, and be beaten by him, so that I may ask him for his hand in marriage." she revealed. "But to become so strong that you cannot be beaten... That is as wonderful as it is a lonely fate. I almost fear getting stronger when I think of how fewer the male warriors there are... I would like to have children one day, with a strong father."

Upon being given a request to spar, Gyuki was quick to respond, leaping to an appropriate distance, and drawing her sword in an instant. "I am glad you asked. After sparring with my kin for so long, I've been aching to combat with one of a different fighting style. I warn you though, that even though we shall spar, I will not hold back. By my pride, I will show you my true strength!" Gyuki exclaimed. "Do not worry about my blade. With my magic, I can control it to deal non-lethal blows." she announced, before she drew a claw over her blade, and it almost appeared that instead of a blade, it became a simple metal toy that couldn't hurt anyone unless you poked it in their eye.

"Now... As I have been taught... I shall make the first attack," she announced, and took a deep breath, as if to make sure both Alex and herself were fully prepared for the battle so that their true power could clash. Then, Gyuki quickly charged at Alex, but before she even reached sword length of the dragon, she was already swinging her blade. This was just as Alex realized that a wave of magic following the arc of her sword slicing through the air was heading straight towards her. The strike was made with such speed and accuracy that Alex had little time to dodge it at all, giving her a good taste of just how skilled this warrior was as the wave collided against her, but merely stung her due to the little force Gyuki put behind it.

"You cannot escape from my attacks when I take this stance. And by controlling my five stances, I can overcome any weakness you have." she announced, before taking a firm stance, expecting Alex's counter attack. "And with stance, your blows will not phase me. Hit me with everything you can muster, and see if you can harm me." she announced.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

Alex didn't have much to say in reply to Gyuki's philosophy regarding strength and mating. It was a view she would gladly left to the lizardfolk. Besides, she already found a partner and birthed a child. She was content with that, even if her lover was barely seen. It simply made their reunion all the more thrilling...

But whatever passionate thoughts were starting to spring into her head were quickly banished once Gyuki leapt back and drew her sword. Alex had her arm resting on her own weapon's hilt in an instant, and while she freed it she bore witness to a rather ingenious use of magic that left the lizardkin's blade far less lethal than intended. "I'll need to learn that technique."

But that would have to come later. With longsword in one hand and rounded shield in the other Alex had to prepare herself as her sparring partner prepared for an attack. And much to her surprise the initial attack was cut short. Or that's how it seemed. Alex could feel the magic in the blade's wake, and her shield raised just as the arc struck her center, some of the power being deflected through her arm while more left her midsection crying as it was hit.

Even if it was a minor sting it was still a strike, and Alex silently applauded the demonstration as Gyuki eased herself into a more defensive stance. A challenge was issued for Alex to attack so Gyuki could further demonstrate her prowess, and far be it from the half-dragon to disappoint. Alex let out her own breath, and she charged forward just as the lizard had done earlier. As she approached it looked like she would simply lunge forward with her weapon in an attempt to skewer her opponent. But that was a foolish thought. The blade thrust forward at too wide an angle. Anyone could dodge it. But that was simply Alex lining her attack. While her sword plunged forward her shield rose back. Anyone watching would see all her momentum and all her strength suddenly gathering into her left arm, and the moment both feet found purchase she struck. The loaded gun that was her shield arm shot forward, the large steel circle lined perfectly so the edge would ram straight through her target's center and keep on pushing. Those unlucky enough to feel this were generally left sailing through the air until something caught their back.

It was a rather vicious attack at times that could leave her opponents dazed, and Alex was going to demonstrate this for her mamono partner. And she would keep an eye on Gyuki the entire time. The lizardkin said she would take whatever blow Alex could deliver, and the dragon wanted to see well she would. If she managed to overcome it then that was another point of respect, and Alex was ready to use her sword for defense should Gyuki choose to offer her own counterattack.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

Gyuki carefully surveyed Alex's movements, and made no foolish movements, simply letting Alex come at her, her eyes watching Alex's eyes intently, rather than either her sword or her shield. The moment Alex calculated her strike, the slit that was Gyuki's pupils went thin, and her blade seemed to instantly be where Alex's shield went slamming forth, most of the impact hitting the blade, but even still, it was packed with enough power to sent Gyuki through the air.

Soaring, Gyuki did a clean flip, before landing safely on her feet, one hand on her sword arm with a wince as she landing, clearly the force from her shield strike having done some harm, even though her weapon absorbed most of the impact.

"Truly, such great power... If I had not blocked that, I surely would have been crippled." Gyuki analyzed. "... But I sprained my arm in my attempt to block it... I would use my other arm, but I will admit defeat for now." Gyuki said humbly.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

As her attack struck and sent her opponent flying Alex was truly impressed. Not many could calculate an attack just before it happened, and even fewer had the agility to intercept it in that brief moment before it struck. And it saved the woman the worst of it, her flip showing that she had the prowess to recover and continue as she landed.

Alex immediately gave chase, but upon seeing her partner favoring her arm the small dash slowed to an eventual stop. The praise that followed was welcomed, but that was simply lost in a wave of regret that followed. She really didn't mean to overwhelm Gyuki like that. A few injuries would have been fine. Cuts, bruises, maybe even more on her part. Alex was a resilient thing, and a few broken ribs wouldn't have bothered her in the slightest. But a sprain was something else. Damaged muscle took time to heal, and even when all seemed well the muscle itself could still be weakened enough to sprain itself once more. Even if the woman wasn't crippled Alex felt she'd done nearly the next best thing. "Gyuki..."

The dragon stopped herself. An apology wouldn't help. Gyuki needed care, not pity. "Let's head inside and see what we can do about dressing your arm." The best thing right now was getting that arm to relax, and a hot wrap would do that wonderfully. And for a few minutes that was how Alex occupied herself. She did what she could to relieve Gyuki's pain and ease her recovery.

"I must say I am impressed." Somewhere in all the TLC Alex spoke up. "Not many would recognize a shield as a weapon. They're usually too concerned with the slashy bits in my other hand. And your reaction speed is top notch. I'd be hard pressed to mount a defense as quickly as you did." And then a thought came to mind. "How long will it take you to recover?" Supernatural beings tended to heal far faster than a normal human, and Alex was sure that mamono counted as such.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

Gyuki flushed a bit, and shied away from Alex's offer. "It's only a sprain... My regenerative ability is enough to shrug off such a thing within the day! Do not... Do not make light of me!" Gyuki announced with pride, albeit she seemed embarrassed somewhat when Alex sought to coddle her, before letting out a huff. "And thank you... My mother and father as well as my siblings did well enough to teach me that anything can be a weapon. Not limited to objects attached to your body, but words, the environment... Limitless things can hinder or harm your opponent, and damage their fighting ability... This is why I study the art as I do, to manipulate my advantages to match my opponent's weakness." she explained.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

At the insinuation that Alex was 'making light' of Gyuki the half-dragon immediately stopped and looked her charge in the eye. "I do not. I am your Rancher as well as your Trainer. I am responsible for your welfare as well as making you stronger, so any injury that interferes with training shall be addressed immediately." Her tone was even and calm, her statement said as a matter-of-fact without a trace of condescension in her voice. "But if you truly do not wish to be bandaged then I shall accept that. I will not force you or anyone else under my care to go against their desire."

No matter how little or how much care Gyuki accepted Alex would still listen to the lizardkin explain herself and her fighting style. "I see... So now that you've seen my attack and had time to analyze it do you think you'll be better prepared to face me again?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"Still, to assume that I would let a simple sprain get in the way of progress is making light of my species. We are known not only for our fighting, but our regeneration as well. Tails that are lost easily regenerate, and we may even cut them off ourselves if need be should an opponent seek to try and use it against us. We are warriors to the very core, in our very genes." Gyuki said proudly.

But, she grinned when Alex suggested that she'll do much better. "What a statement to make... I'd be a fool to make light of our next fight just because I've seen what you can do. We fought for mere seconds, and you saw just as much of my fighting ability as I did your's. Who can tell how the next battle will go? There is only one way to truly discover that!" she boasted.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"Then we'll pick up where we left off once you're fully healed." There was a bit of a smile to Alex's reply, and Gyuki would see that the dragon rather enjoyed her boasting despite what may have happened earlier. "Just let me know whenever you're ready. Now show me how you molded your sword. Is that a magic you hold yourself, or will I need to get my blade enchanted like yours?"

Once that demonstration was done Alex would turn her head to figure out how much time was left in the day. If she had enough time she would see about heading into town to get her sword enchanted whether it was necessary or not. Hopefully it would accept it. It had already been enhanced once, a small amount of angelic essence granting it the power to ignore any measure of defense an opponent held, but a bit of that essence still remained. It made working with the blade somewhat...difficult. You'd be surprised how many blacksmiths would refuse to work on a weapon that started talking to you...

Whether that was done or not Alex would still feel like letting the day pass without further incident. Besides, her lot needed at least some tidying before she felt comfortable enough to sleep there. So she'd spend her time cleaning out her room, and if Gyuki was having trouble doing the same for her space Alex would offer the same for the woman. But she would do so only as a last resort. Gyuki's pride was nearly as strong as her own, and Alex knew she'd only ask for help if she couldn't manage to work with the use of only one arm.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"It's a magic I learned over the years of my childhood," Gyuki explained, before holding her sword high into the air, following a sudden explosion as the 'safety' sides of the blade blew off to reveal the sword back in it's prime, sharp state. Lowering it back down, her eyes looked over the runes inscribed onto the blade. "The runes don't mean anything, contrary to what various conclusions the humans came up with on our culture. And they have no magical significance. If I were to show you how, I'm afraid we'd need to subtract much of our time training and fighting in order for me to teach you the techniques I've learned." she explained.

"For years... I was taught how to manage my equipment, and my body, to maintain top quality for a battle at any time. Though a sword may be enchanted once to help ensure it's edge remains sharp, only through the knowledge I was taught have I learned to constantly maintain this blade... It's a very precious skill." she revealed.

Though, since it interested her none the less, Alex left to see if her blade could be enchanted, and surprisingly, there were a lot of offers and those with talent who could, though all of them said the same thing along the lines of what Gyuki said, they'd need to see the sword again later to keep the enchantment's power in place, which wasn't quite like the magic in her previous world. Instead, the magic of this world seemed like a constantly flowing river, never staying in one place.

And when she returned, she found Gyuki completely finished with cleaning the place up... In under an hour. "Ah, I just got finished. My wound has healed and these grounds are suitable for living now." Gyuki announced.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

With a goal in mind Alex sat out for the city on a quest to make her blade even stronger. And she was disappointed. It wasn't that there were no people who could, there were no shortage of capable blacksmiths or enchanters, but they all said the same thing. The enchantment would need to be restored. No amount of magic could be permanently set, not in this world.

With that out of the question Alex decided on the next best thing, and she returned home with a second sword strapped to her back. And that is where she found Gyuki already running about and already having cleaned most of their homestead within a matter of minutes. And her injury was already healed. She did say she would heal within the day. I just didn't think it would be so soon...

For a moment Alex appeared trapped in her thoughts, but that was quickly dealt with. "All right, then, shall we continue?" Her hand immediately flipped up to her new weapon, and should Gyuki agree she would pull it free to reveal nothing more than a simple tourney blade. It looked much like her true sword, but with rounded edges and a flattened tip there was little she could do that would prove lethal short of bludgeoning someone to death. Of course she was also fine with taking it easy for the rest of the day, but there was little doubt that her student wouldn't want to show off once again.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"I worked really hard to get this place clean as fast as possible. Can I at least have some rest?" Gyuki complained, not showing any real signs of frustration as she swiped her blade, and cut a bit of overgrown grass. She was sweating profusely, and looked quite exhausted, as if she really went all out to make the place clean before Alex's return.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"By all means. I'd say you've earned it." And Alex meant it. Everywhere she looked she saw Gyuki's handiwork. It didn't look like there was much left to do save for the patches of overgrown grass that still needed to be cleared. In fact Alex was beginning to wonder if Gyuki were pushing herself a little too hard. "In fact you look exhausted. Go inside and cool off for a bit." Was she trying to prove she was as tough as she boasted? Or was she trying to overshadow that spot of weakness she showed when she was injured? Either way she was going to need to take care with how hard she worked the warrior lizard.

Once Gyuki was finally inside Alex would realize she had little to do for the time being, so she started walking the grounds to see what all had been done. Most of the work was probably settled around the house and the 'barn', so there were probably still areas that needed to be cleared further from the homestead. Then again she could be entirely wrong about that. She'd been underestimating the warrior lizard's prowess, so if there looked like there wasn't much left to do then Alex wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

The ranch grounds were vast, and just at a glance, there was enough cleared for little of it they were using, mainly the house and the barn next to it. The rest was still unsightly, although there was nothing there to see, so what Gyuki cleared out was reasonable enough. "Very well," Gyuki replied to Alex, going inside the larger building next to the house, and opening the door before vanishing inside.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

The grounds were as she expected, and without much else to see Alex turned her attention to her home. She didn't expect much, this was essentially free property, and considering how overgrown the land was the house probably didn't fare much better. But it was best to know what you had to work with, and once she got a good look at it she could decide if and how she wanted to make it her own.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

The house's shape was about as good as the lawn was itself. Made of old wood, and with several holes here and there about it. Everything in the house was old, in fact, and seemed to date back to around when Ranching first started hundreds of years ago. Everything was dusty, as well as the bed and it's sheets in the bedroom. The very structure itself seemed as if a firm kick would topple it all down. Even a bandit would hesitate to make this her home.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"Be it ever so humble..." And GOD was it humble. Old wood, numerous holes, dust everywhere, creaks with every step and turn, and furniture that looked like it had been buried and unearthed several times over the course of a week. Alex even swore she could angle herself to see the barn from every part of the house. Maybe she should just knock the entire thing over and start from scratch. If only I knew how to build a house...

But with out any true carpentry skills Alex would simply have to do the best with what she had. Since there wasn't much to actually work with she started by something to beat all the dust out of the house. Of course that would leave a giant cloud rising into the air so it could eventually settle and strangle all the grass that had just been cut, but once all of it was out of the way she could see what other problems were hiding beneath. After that it was time to find some way to temporarily patch the holes that led outside. While it did give her an excellent view of the grounds from anywhere she sat it also gave anyone outside the option of spying whenever she was...doing things...

So cloth for now, see what she could use for actual repairs later. But the thought of repairs also brought up an interesting thought. If the house was this bad then the barn shouldn't be any better. So maybe a more thorough inspection was in order. With that in mind Alex started walking to the mamono apartments to see just how bad they were, and as she arrived at the main door she gave it a light knock. Hopefully that would alert Gyuki while she was resting, but if the lizardgirl was taking a nap then Alex was going to let her rest just a little longer and finish her inspection quietly.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"What are you doing, making that noise?" Gyuki responded to Alex's knocking. "Is the door sealed? That's impossible." she said, before the door opened with Gyuki on the other side. "I was settling in. I don't like above ground places, but I actually don't mind the breeze." Gyuki revealed, before leaving the doors open, and walking back inside. The barn was in just as bad shape as Alex's own house. Large, it had a dozen rooms the size of Alex's own living room for mamono to stay comfortably and have their own space, though more prestigious mamono would likely desire a lot more space, such as Jade, the full blood dragon she saw before.

"Is there something you needed?" Gyuki inquired.

 

[Termite]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

To answer Gyuki's first question Alex only said one word. "Etiquette." Even if she wasn't the most proper or refined of ladies Alex at least had the decency to knock on a closed door before entering. You could catch people doing all sorts of odd things behind them, and she wasn't quite ready to leave Gyuki feeling shamed and embarrassed.

Thankfully the woman wasn't involved in anything like that, so Alex stepped inside and looked around. "Just inspecting the living areas, both yours and mine." And it seemed Alex and her mamono would share in the same hardships. The barn was just as well built as the house. Good lord, she needed to fix just about every damned thing on this ranch. Or maybe they could simply move out of the E Ranking and hopefully get placed into a more worthy plot of land. Or maybe they were simply stuck with this lot no matter how high they rose. If that were true then additions would need to be built if Alex somehow managed to somehow convince some of the more class of mamono to join.

But for now she had holes to fix. "You didn't happen to spot any building materials while you were cleaning out there, did you?" There probably wasn't anything that could be used, and if there were it was probably as old as the buildings. But even so a nearly crumbling wall was better than a nearly crumbling wall full of holes. And if she didn't have anything for a proper patch then she'd just have to improvise.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Alexandra's Ranch (Termite)

"Nothing worthy enough to ensure it doesn't simply fall apart once more within the day." Gyuki replied, before raising a hand to Alex. "But if you are so concerned with the living quarters, why not simply have me graduate you to the next rank? The benefits include a higher budget home." she stated.