Chapter 41: Training and Cultural Awareness

Tok and Motu were mostly physically trained and based their skills around dynamic teamwork. As such they were very skilled at working together and matching one another to control an opponent, ‘like flanking wolves’, they said.

One of the books we had flipped through for Friday was about fighting, and it had started a conversation about my combat skills. I let them know I’d been in one fight, but had never had training. They offered to do so and go over some basics for an hour, if I bought them desserts after dinner, of course they also expressed a secondary motive in knowing if I could handle myself if Jazmine did agree to escort me.

As I was unaffiliated, and without an authorized trainer, Crag charged me 3 dollars, but said I’d get half of it back so long as there was no damage to the room. The training room we found ourselves in was underground, 10 meters square, and the floor and walls were brown, with a hint of give to them. Racks on the wall by the door had sticks of various sizes.

“Great.” Tok approved

“Stretching first, let me show you a few.” Motu said.

The next hour was interesting, and unlike anything I’d really done yet, aside maybe from when Buckle had shown me how to sew. The scruffies explained what we were doing, and why. Most of our efforts were about dodging, falling (and getting back up), parrying, blocking and just being aware of things when involved in an altercation.

As the hour was drawing to a close I asked the obvious question. “What about hitting, er, attacking.”

Tok nodded and Motu looked a little embarrassed. “We weren’t really cheating you or anything… When we get hired to train somebody it usually is at least 2 weeks… And the first week is just like this.”

“Oh?”

“Well, with some physical conditioning and a lot of running added in… Ugh, some of those brats would be wheezing on the ground with what we just did here… We like to build a base before figuring out the kind of attacking that might be a first good… Technique? Maybe style… for the student… At least if they don’t already have one.” The way the two of them handed off who was speaking between them sometimes was interesting, if occasionally hard to follow.

“Okay, well, it was interesting, except maybe the falling and getting up part.”

“We’ve fought monsters that could knock people back or off their feet several times… Being able to right yourself fast… or get up from sleeping in camp… is critical.” The somber looks on their faces indicated a story I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask about.

“Anyhow, aside from training it up if you're in a rough up with a person, but it isn’t life or death, smack em in the nose or other weak bits, or the joints… Fleeing is probably better… Life or death, eyes, throat… knees or feet to help you run…”

At about this point Kip popped the door open. “Time’s up, give me a minute while I check the room and then Crag can check you out.”

We nodded at the floppy eared boy before returning to our discussion. “Monsters? So many kinds, hard to say… Also depends on what you have.”

“Axe to the face?” I quipped.

Tok laughed and nodded. “That could do it, hard to find the face on some of them though.”

“Lesser taz, they have faces.” I explained.

Kip had stopped and looked up at me, eyes wide but almost accusing. “That was you?!”

“Pardon?” I looked down at the wide eyed boy.

“The slimy taz with the cut face we got in yesterday. You killed it?” Kip’s wide eyed look had narrowed a bit, still sounded accusing though.

“Well, it was Buckle and I. Life or death sort of thing.” Kip’s eyes narrowed further. “Buckle was helping pin it down, not sure I could have got that hit if it was moving.”

“Hmf, well, the room looks fine. Follow me.” The boy who’d been disgruntled seemed to have reached some sort of acceptance and started to lead us out.

Before leaving I nodded at the scruffies. “Thank you, senseis.” They chuckled as we followed Kip.

“Sure sensei… anytime senpai… just don’t forget about our just desserts. Anything else you wanted to hire us for today?”

“Nah, I just need to pick up some things I ordered yesterday. You can call me Monday, by the way.”

“Sure, but that would be less fun… Less funny.” they declined.

I looked back at them so they could see it when I rolled my eyes. They laughed.

Delivered back to Crag, he returned a dollar and 5 brass, the scruffies leaving while I was waiting for him to dig out the coins. After adding it back into my pack, I broached a subject I’d thought of while considering my departure.

“Say Crag, is there a messenger system between towns? Or ways to talk to someone at a distance?”

“A few actually, Monday March. Depends on what you are doing, and what you need. Do you want to hear about the most common ways? Or just tell me what you want to do, and I can let you know the best ways.”

“The most common ways, please Crag. Don’t want to overlook a way to do something later.”

“Well then, start from the bottom up. Messengers, verbal or physical messages with personal delivery, extra to leave the walls, possible danger pay. Some traveling merchants make extra money doing the same between towns if what you are sending must be physical. Messages can be sent from Guildhall to Guildhall, cost varies and how it is delivered to the final recipient can impact that cost. Talking can also take place from Guildhall to Guildhall, but then arranging timing and such might be a challenge.” Crag seemed to have come to the end of his quick rundown.

“Okay, so if I wanted to send a message for 2 or 3 people in God’s Bath from Big Bay?”

“There are a few ways to do it depending on exactly what you want to do. Say you wanted to let 3 people know that you got to Big Bay safely, you just go to the Guildhall there, write 2 or so sentences, they would be transmitted here and a messenger would deliver the verbal message to each person. Something like that would normally be a dollar and maybe 2 extra brass per person beyond the first. If you wanted to write a private letter that they could pick up at the Guildhall, it would be a dollar plus 5 brass per page, minimum 2 dollars even if it is just half a page, extra if you want it delivered directly to them.” Crag explained.

“Seems a bit expensive, but simple enough.”

Crag laughed and nodded. “Aye, the System provides some services, expensively, and is always looking to offload them to a private group.”

My confused look led the dark smiling man to provide a little more clarification. “Yeah, strange. System doesn’t seem to want to run businesses, and offloads to people or organizations that can take over and prove themselves. Mostly happened in Big Bay so far, but if people show up and can establish a secure replacement priced at even 99% of what the system is charging, the system just stops doing it after the new group does it for a year.” Crag sighed. “Of course, even after a sanitation solution business failed after the System stopped doing it, the System refused to do it again. So… people don’t frivolously try to do them anymore. Other people just make it hard until they prove themselves. Strange, but most folks want stability rather than savings.” The receptionist simply shrugged.

“That aside, my best plan for semi private letters is write 2 pages to person A, with a page each to person B and C, and let person A deliver the other 2 pages?” I asked.

One of Crag’s eyes widened just a hint. “Yeah, so long as you trust the first person to not blab about the other pages, I guess.”

“Yeah, I’m not that worried saying ‘Hi’ to a friend in a way that is appropriate to my relationship with them will cause an issue.” I snarked.

Crag smirked back at me. “Yeah, not a big worry unless you’re juggling relationships.”

I looked at Crag.

Crag looked back at me.

I looked at Crag and rolled my eyes.

Crag grinned.

I lightly tapped his shoulder with my loosely slapping grey fingers.

Crag’s eyes widened and I glanced at his hands, noting a distinct lack of rings.

Bowing my head, I apologized. “I’m very sorry Crag. I’m… no. What would be an appropriate apology? I’m only recently aware of ring language and appropriate behavior related to that.”

Crag remained unspeaking.

“Em, I’m unreservedly sorry if I have given offense or made you uncomfortable. Is there something I may do for you by way of apology?” I inclined my head down and raised my eyes to the bottom of his own.

10 heartbeats later Crag allowed some air to escape his lungs and nodded at me. “You did not intend offense, I will cleanse later. If you’ve soap, I would appreciate 10 grams, or a brass to compensate.”

Swinging my pack around I reached in for one of the rectangles of soap, pulling it out to place it on the counter. Crag took an instrument and shaved a small portion off of the block and set it aside, while nodding at me. “You intended no offense, Monday March, I have accepted your compensation.” His teeth shone again with a glimmer that reminded me of the sunlight filtering through the trees when I woke up in the forest. “Anything else I can help you with?”

I just shook my head. It was a strong reminder that maturity did not replace cultural awareness.