Good Company

Things had slowed down to little more than a crawl as of late in the dark halls of Gera'sey. Building work still contiued on the borders of both sides of eeast and west. And the dragon beast still flew high above in the skies. Its roars working far better than the presense of his soldiers on the streets for keeping the cities citizens in line. In the first few weeks of the cities opening things had been rather frantic and as much as he hated to admit it he had gotten used to that schedule and was begining to miss the work. Lately he'd just been sitting about in his throne room with little to do other than sign a few forms and discuss just what kind of architecture this or that building would have. None of it really interested him. He would have rather spent his time training. But Penny had promised that he would spend this time in Hell. If for nothing else than to distance himself from his employer.

Despite their rather..heated. Relationship in the past things had gotten a bit awkward between them. And while he still worked for Kyro Corp human side as Wiseman. He was on what he liked to call an " extended vacation". Shiori would likely understand that this meant he was taking more time to " play archdemon". As she so eliquently put it. Regardless, rapping his fingers across the arm rest. The Archdemon of Gera'sey couldn't help but get the feeling there was something that he was supposed to be doing at the moment.

Word Count:265
Total Word Count: 265

It had only occured to him moments before that, yes indeed there was something that he was supposed to be doing, but ultimately had completely forgotten to. Training time with the local troops. A few of these men he had actually recruited himself in the forests of Solvay. Including his slave driver, a rather large mean looking demon who wasn't too big on the brains. As well as a gun wielding Oni who had that intellegent but...cowardly look in his eye. The man had some grit. But not enough to take on Penny for control of the city. Nope. Not with his masque on. Arriving, admittedly late to the party. He walked through the doors of the hall and made his way inside. It was just a basic gym type facility with a few mats laid down in the middle for training. He himself was a master at grappling arts as well as multiple other martial arts. from the human realm. Training his soldiers to use them was easy enough.

But testing their knowledge of them whilst bolstering his own powers was something else entirely. " Alright ladies so you've been learning lately a few good moves that'll serve you well in up close and personal combat. But just how well can you apply them? Thats going to be the focus of todays training sessions. You are going to try and hit me, whilst I cast magic on you". There seemed to be a unified gulp among the crowd. Penny rubbed the back of his head, then realising that they thought there was going to be some serious element of danger. " Oh...shit no, don't worry just illusions and shadows...nothing dangerous". They seemed to lighten up a bit then...hm...maybe he should have let them think that it was going to be dangerous. Regardless there was no use for regrets now. The first of them stepped forward. Ready to face him. Penny was all to welcoming for it. He removed his own shoes and shirt. Standing there in black joggers. And grip gloves.

" Alright lets begin".

Word Count: 348
Total Word Count: 613

The cracked his knuckles and the dance begun. The first of his opponents stepping forward onto the mats, ready to face him with little or no fear in his eyes. Interesting, and good. Well. For as far as keeping good soldiers went. He dived forward, a screaming punch moving towards Penny who was quick to down, tuck in under shoulder and grab. Swining himself around he shifted the weight of his opponent and threw them over and onto the ground. All the while muttering the spell that was required for the next move. In seconds the area went black. Darkness covered the floor mat. This was going to be training for them both. For Penny it would be his awareness levels in the dark.

He'd spent a lot of time in night and darkness but still his eyes were just like anyone elses when it came to the night. And this wasn't quite the night. This was pitch black darkness envoked by the spell of his shadow magic. Here, he would have some unique advantages. But also some terrible disadvantages as well. He heard the shift of the mat off to the left, and underhis breath muttered again. Fading into the shadows and feeling along them until he knew where his opponent stood. Re-emerging from behind he took the soldier around the neck. Locking in a blood choke hold. There was some struggle but once the lock was in his opponent would only get weaker and weaker until....he fell limp. The shadows faded and all that was left was Penny and the unconcious body of the soldier.

Word Count:267
Total Word Count:880

Penny crossed his arms and looked to the rest of them, his eyes quickly flickering back to the other soldier. But returning to them with a flash. " Anyone want to tell me just what he did wrong?". There was silence, then a few mutters among the crowd. These mutterings turned into small debates among each of the soldiers. Penny shook his head. " To me, not amongst yourselves". He began to pace back and forth watching each of them in turn. " Well for one sir he tried to match you in unarmed combat". A unified laugh, which Penny took part in. True he was what some would call an expert in unarmed combat. But it wasn't quite the answer he was looking for. " True enough, but not the answer I was looking for...still, it is a good answer...when faced with a stronger more skilled opponent, facing them on their own ground is not an advisable tactic...unless of course your next planned destination happens to be a graveyard..". More silence. Before another spoke up. " He didn't keep an awareness of his surroundings". Pennywise pointed at the one who had answered.

" Correct. Although quiet. My fading back from the darkness should have made enough of a sound to warn him of my incoming attack, he didn't quite get that...but....". He looked back down at the unconcious soldier. " Something tells me he won't be forgetting that all too soon!".

Word Count: 242
Total Word Count: 1122
Darken: Novice > Trained

Training continued as it was supposed to, one group which he had chosen sorting out magical spells the others practicing their unarmed combat skills against those. It would be an effective way of training offence and defence using both. For himself, it was time to train another one of his skills. Overall with hand to hand combat he had a wide variety of tricks up his sleeve. However his research into human unarmed combat led him to know that, not all humans fought the same. Thus it would be foolish of him to enter into combat with a human, or otherwise who was a master of a style of combat he was uneducated in. Thus lately he’d began to train himself in more wide expanding regions of hand to hand combat. Today’s lesson was boxing. A western martial art practiced mainly as sport. However it was an effective means of self defence. Focusing mostly on punches, and of course. Building the endurance to take as much you’d put out. The one thing that he had noticed with this sport more than the martial arts he’d learned was that boxing seemed to focus mostly on the training aspect of the body rather than individual moves.

Boxing was mostly comprised of jabs and crosses, working in combinations of those when an opponents guard slipped. Training yourself to be an effective boxer meant training your body above all things. So he had sorted out a training schedule for himself whilst focusing on this style of fighting. Placing his socks and shoes back on, Penny headed outside and looked to the skies of Gera’Sey. Thirty minutes of jogging around the city would be a good start. Then he could move into what boxers called circuit training. The jog began and, immediately he knew something like this was going to grate on him eventually. Humans tended to have music players when doing jogging like this. He would have to get himself one the next time he was in the human world. If only to help pass the time. By his side he kept a watch that would keep a note of just how long he had been running for. Once it hit the 20 minute mark, he began to make his way back towards the training area. By the time he was back, he’d worked up quite a sweat, which was actually part of the point. In order to really start the training the body had to be effectively heated up first.

Most martial arts and other physical activities did emphasise the importance of a warm up in these kinds of things. However boxing seemed to really place importance on it. Not only for the stretching your muscles and ensuring that you wouldn’t get hurt during training. But because after the warm up in boxing your body was in the perfect condition to build up and gain more out of the training that you were putting it through. After walking back into the centre he noticed his soldiers were doing quite well. Picking up a bottle of water he watched them for a few seconds, catching his breath before picking up the skipping ropes. Time to begin the second stage of his training.

Word Count: 538
Total Word Count: 1660
Training Word Count: 660/1250

Skipping, even in his day it was something that made a person think back to the school yard and how little girls would play games with it. Yet, it was also something that when applied to this sport was extremely exhausting. Skipping had to be kept up for about as long as his job, and this was consecutive. Something that he was beginning to find very difficult. Focusing the mind on both the ropes and on jumping at the right time, it was something one had to train their body into doing without thinking. And he wasn’t quite there yet. There were a few points were he tripped it and the rope stopped, forcing him to begin again. By the mid way point, fifteen minutes of consecutive skipping. He had worked up quite a sweat and was beginning to see just why boxers were renowned for their stamina. Keeping this kind of training up every single day required a lot more dedication to training and suffering than any other martial art he had yet learned.

Even without the techniques and multiple different moves, this form of combat provided its own unique take on fighting. Whilst he could probably dish out more damage using martial arts or indeed grapples and throws. The training he was undertaking whilst doing this boxing sport was going to give him more stamina and endurance to last it out in longer fights. Combining that with his Masque of Madness. Well. He was going to be a one man juggernaught if he kept this up.

Word Count: 258
Total Word Count: 1918
Training Word Count: 918/1250

After finishing his long and tiring rounds on the skipping ropes it was time to begin the circuit training. This oddly was were it actually got hard. The training was supposed to consist of five minute intervals of different, intense. Exercises that would strengthen and stretch the muscles of the body. This would take in total about an hour to complete. And then at the very end of it. He’d spend time practicing his punches on the bags. Right when his arms would likely feel as if they were made of little more than jelly. Shadow boxing was the first of the exercises and would be repeated in between them for the duration of the circuit, following that the first of the intense exercises was running between the legs. One that required a first movement like push ups but, essentially jumping your legs up and down towards the chest. Time went on and he moved back into shadow boxing for awhile, before his stop watch went off indicating that he was to switch to another part of the circuit. The typical old fashioned press up. No explanation needed as to what Penny was doing there. A difficult exercise for most.

The circuit continued, moving between press ups, tricep pressups. Squats, crunches, ab crunches. And various others, that as he predicated by the last call of his stop watch. Left him bathed in sweat. And absolutely exhausted. In all truth he was ready to head back home, hit the showers and call it a day. But his schedule wouldn’t allow such a luxury. He had to continue his training yet. Moving onto the puching bags, something he was more used to. Continuous punching for an extended period of time. As well as build up stamina and posture. It would get his hands used to punching into the weight of a living being. Not that he wasn’t already. But keeping up the training was never a bad thing. Once again. His stop watch went off. And with one final punch, he ended it. Grabbed his towel. And squirted some water into his mouth. He swirled the water about. Getting it all around his mouth before finally swallowing. Taking a seat to watch his soldiers.

Word Count: 372
Total Word Count: 2290
Training Word Count: 1290/1250
Boxing: Trained > Honed