[center][h2]Zakroti Unalim[/h2][sub] 
Husband of Aymiria Unalim [@Amethyst], Aurora Liesma [@WeepingLiberty][/sub][/center]

"Qeynate shantoz fus-gua-e-jyl lali a an lok kala Welebak, esh a Kalderas. Gehdzi sepoz grunis an hame e an Ptaz e as thul geh shantaoz - arat! [Qeynate took 1020 warriors from the 5th to Welebak, north of Kalderas. They cut through the land and the Ptaz and by dawn he took - poison!]" Zakroti was cut off and cursed as Aurora came around the corner and ran straight into the armoured blackguard, collapsing back onto the floor. He had been explaining the contents of the letter to Miry and to the blackguard whose counsel he trusted deeply, yet was barely a sentence in when Aurora arrived. Handing the letter off to Narlemaewel and being quite shocked by Aurora's sudden appearance around the corner, Zakroti reached for his blade, suspecting she was fleeing from something. His mind instantly leapt to Aymiria and he subconsciously moved slightly to the left to shield her from whatever might be following - then when Aurora spoke, he relaxed a little and moved his hand away again and his brows raised even higher. He offered her a hand up as she finished speaking "Are you alright?"

Gaikus, whom Aurora had ran into, had recovered from stumbling back a step and peered down to the Gem with keen eyes, as if sizing her up. He glanced between the two and let out a slight grunt.  Narlemaewel put the letter away and took a few steps forwards, nodding to Gaikus and cocking a brow beneath his helmet as he examined Aurora. 

"You want me to teach you how to fight?" Zakroti said with a somewhat bemused smile, glancing over towards Aymiria for a few moments and examining her before looking back to Aurora. Miry's opinion would likely rule the day here, truth be told, he trusted her deeply and sought her opinion where possible. It was for that reason, and comfort, that he had just begun explaining what the letter entailed to her "What do you think, Miry, oeiz aigz?" 

"Why is that?" Gaikus asked curiously, tilting his head to the side. Zakroti nodded as if to affirm the question; it seemed a rare act indeed for a bride. Then again, after what she had told him earlier about her family, the Liesmas were not quite the ordinary Gems. He could believe it, having experienced first hand her sisters stubbornness. He paused, considering it carefully; she could become something more of a risk if she knew how to fight, he supposed, but then what could she really do against the majority of his soldiers? If she were to kill him personally, that would be simple enough whether she was trained or not, merely a matter of catching him off guard. And conversely, would it not perhaps be useful? If there was another incident such as that with Lugft or a siege of some description, her being somewhat capable of defending herself would certainly be a plus.

Of course, there was a lot to consider. After what had happened with Aery, he was cautious about the prospect. He'd have to make sure on her mental state first; if she was liable to panic, more awful things might happen. And the truth was that discipline made warriors what they were, you can't fight if you're running around in terror like a headless chicken. Still, if he were to explain that too her and make sure that she understood, it probably wouldn't cause too much damage - and they certainly seemed to be getting along better now that she had heard him out, even if this was odd behaviour for a Gem. Teaching her might help to cement such a change away from antagonism, which would be much more desirable than going back to it because he refused her. Zakroti glanced to Gaikus and then to Narlemaewel to seek their silent counsel, them both giving silent nods of affirmation. He'd wait for Miry's input before making a final decision on this matter.

"When you say fight proper, I assume you mean with weapons of some description? Well, I suppose the answer is the same either way. Though Gems have a significant shortfall of strength, it can be done. It is likely for the best that it is so; Drakka is far from an orderly realm, infighting is not uncommon. We shall encounter more than a few brutes and monsters in our time together I can assure you of that, and we may have cause to dispatch of a few of them as well. Naturally I shall endeavour to keep yourself and Aymiria out of harms way and away from such individuals- and I typically endeavour to avoid it myself where possible - yet it is possible that on occasion we shall not have that luxury. Indeed, sometimes they might bring their fight to us as was the case with Lufgt. If that should occur, it shall be beneficial for you to be able to defend yourself." Zakroti said with some degree of apprehension. He moved a little close to Aymiria when he spoke about that night, linking his arm with hers gently. The occasional conflict was unavoidable in Drakka, though he imagined he would be able to keep the two Gems out of harms way for most such battles. Then again, he had thought that with Kasari and look how that turned out in the end so perhaps it was not wise to be so sure of himself and with some conflicts foreseeable in the near future and with Drakka being on a knife edge given the kings advanced age and the schism that was developing between his children...

He took a step forwards towards Aurora before continuing in an approving tone "If more of the Gems had you and your families spirit, this arrangement might not exist. I confess that I am grateful that is not the case, else I would not have met Aymiria. You'd need a weapon, of course; most Drakken arms aren't really fit for your stature, the arms of our Kalderan auxiliaries would be too short. A problem I myself have faced, as you likely understand. Perhaps one of mine; we'll find something sufficient."

Zakroti took a few steps past Aurora towards the hall with his arm still linked through Aymiria's, motioning with his free hand for Aurora and his guardsmen to continue following him as he took off down the corridor towards the hall, talking to her as they walked through the stone halls.

"I'll tell you something - it might sound pretentious, it might just seem common sense to you, but you'd be surprised how easily it is forgotten. Fighting takes patience, discipline and intelligence. Self-Control, emotional balance, your state of mind, all of it is more important than any physical element. You have to think quickly and clearly; You're not just fighting a physical battle, you're fighting a mental one too - and that mental one is vital. Drakken or Gem, strong or weak, big or small, we're all flimsy sacks of meat that bleed quickly when you stick a sword in. Now matter how strong you are, it can all be over in a matter of seconds, any mistake can be fatal. It sounds easy - but it's not. All too often in a fight, the inexperienced aren't thinking straight. They're angry or scared or just acting on instinct, or they're all three. Once the fighting starts, once you realise your life is at risk, once something hits you and injures you, once you watch someone else die - all of that can unbalance you and panic you. Sometimes so much so you turn and run or just freeze up and do nothing at all."

Zakroti opened up the door to the hall and as he stepped through into the hall, he motioned to the soldiers gathered around the tables, eating from the food the servants had brought out. He stood just inside the door and to the right, pointing to the them through the gaps in the pillars that ran down the length of the room

"These drakken are Lali of the West. They don't break ranks and charge like brute barbarians, they hold formation and protect each other even when the odds seem so overwhelming that death is a certainty, they have discipline and unwavering loyalty. That's what makes warriors. Actual warriors, I mean, not some eastern brute who thinks that charging into battle half-armoured or tormenting some whimpering gem girl he earned makes him tough. It takes a long time to instil such into them, but it's vital. If a handful of them were to panic and rout, the formation would be compromised. It makes a weakness for the enemy to exploit, an opening - and if they press that opening, the battle is lost. The same principle applies to fighting as a single person; if you lose that discipline and panic even for a moment, if you are either too timid or too aggressive, you leave yourself open for but a second and then..." Zakroti snapped his fingers and shook his head slowly "If you want to learn how to fight then you need to know that first, above all. When you fight, you need a clear head. It doesn't matter how much I teach you, if you aren't in control of your own head then it'll all slip out like water in a sieve once the fighting starts. Your brother, charging alone at a reaper? Brave, yes, but there was no one to have his back and the circumstances were heavily stacked against him, as you say it's something of a miracle that he wasn't punished or killed as a result of it. In fury, he opened himself up - and that can be costly, especially against a stronger opponent. I don't know the details, I don't know if he could have done anything differently or in a way that might have worked better, of course - but in that moment, with all those thoughts flowing through his head, the anger and the desire to rescue his sister I wonder whether he knew either? Perhaps if he had, he would have thought of something - sadly, I suspect the disloyalty of your fellow Gems likely rendered his attempt futile no matter what method he might have tried. Perhaps one day they'll wake up and fight back, certainly I'll welcome that day."

"But if you can do that, if you can stay strong and keep a level head even when your life is at risk or something you care about is dying before your eyes - then I'd be able to teach you. Just like we taught my wards, my nieces and nephews." Zakroti finished and turned to face her. He took a few steps backwards so he was standing in front of the fresco and he looked her up and down quickly, examining her steadily and trying to read her body language. "If Miry thinks it a wise choice as well then I shall do it; I trust he counsel on any matter. If so, when and where do you want to start?"

[hider= Summary]

Zakroti gets surprised by Aurora running into Gaikus while he is explaining the contents of the letter to Aymiria and the blackguard, then is slightly amused by her asking him to teach her how to 'fight proper'. He rambles for a bit and then asks her when she wants to start - should Miry agree. As ever, he's getting Miry's opinion on the matter.
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