Melana Sky, The Story of My New Life

[Dalila]

*Melana sits under a tree in forest, alone in the silence, and begins to write*
Dear Journal,
     Since I have gotten to Hempstead I have seen so many things.  The town is enormous.  I have never seen a town like it before.  So many people come to and from here for business, looking for adventure, or just passing through.  Some of the people here are pleasant.....others not so much.  A man named Shiff decided he would train me to perfect me skills with my rapier.  I have been trying my techniques on Kobolds and a few undead and have leaned I am far from perfection. I also met a strange elf named Elb'ren. He does not talk much and when he does it seems the two of us are always at odds but, I think we do have some respect for one another since we were both born to fight and want to be the best at using our weapons of choice.  He even pushes me out of the way of arrows I do not see. Today he asked me to follow him and for some odd reason I did.  When we were about to board the ship to head to Leringard a woman walked up to us.  She had the oddest title, the black widow.  Personaly I would not want to be referred to as a type of bug but that's her choice.  Anyway, she insisted that she come with us so we let her.  Elb'ren led us to some woods to get aloe.  I never knew trees could move....but they can now.  He ran into the middle of them slinging his sword at them so I did the same.  We both fell....but miss black widow survived.  After I recovered it was time for me to go and reflect on what I had learned.  I must learn to use my weapon more effectively.  I hope to become a master some day.  I need to find Shiff so he we can start training right away.  The more I learn about the art of fighting with my rapier the closer I feel to my father and brothers.  Their memory lives in the rapier.  
*As the rain starts to fall from the sky she closes her journal and runs for the closest town*

[Dalila]

It has been a while since I have been able to write in this journal. so much has happened. I have a huge scar on my arm now....stupid guard. You would think that they would be smart enough to know that if your arms are white then you must not be a dark elf. Why would I have to remove my hood. The guard said she had gotten word that there was a dark elf with us but I guess that was not all she was looking for. She was looking to stir up trouble as well. I was not quick enough to get away from them like many of my friends but lucky for me I did not have to stay in that awful jail cell for too long. They did not even try to heal my arm where the guard attacked me for no reason. my scar is a reminder of how much authority has become corrupt. all they want is to cause trouble and run when they are really needed. I hate them all. The world would be better off without insolent guards. After I was released from jail I could not seem to walk around without being judged so I left. I just recently got back to mistone and ran into an old friend. we were able to catch up and see how rusty my sward had gotten while I was away from practice for so long. I was not as bad as I thought I would be. I am still looking from someone to train me with my weapon of choice but I seem to be doing fairly well on my own. I am glad I came back and was able to meet up with my old friend. He has been most helpful and I can't wait to train with him when he is not so busy.

[Dalila]

So many new faces around these days. I went to dregar with a few of them and hunted giants. I don't really remember their names because I was mainly focusing on my skill with my blade. When I am training, that seems to be all I can think about. The giants are much tougher than the goblin I am used to. I did my best against the giants but if I was alone I would have been killed quickly. This knowledge bothered me. I must get stronger if I am to succeed at my goals. Maybe there is someone that would be willing to train me instead of me trying to figure out things on my own. Maybe give me a few pointers on styles of fighting with my weapon of choice. I hope to become a master with the rapier one day. I have a long way to go before I could ever be called a master at anything but it is a good goal to work towards. Soon, nothing will be able to stand in my way and killing a giant will be as easy as smashing an ant.

[Dalila]

I feel I am getting slightly better with my weapon now that I am back and am able to practice with it more. While I was looking for a good place to practice I passed by a town by the name of Karst. It looked really bad. It had been destroyed it looked like and I noticed a few other adventurers standing around talking to some of the villagers. I was being curious to see what was going on so I decided to head over and see what was going on. I guess the adventurers were passing by and decided to see if the villagers needed any help. The villagers were so rude and asked everyone to leave. I don't understand why any of them stayed and helped anyway. If someone doesn't want my help then I am not going to waste my time trying to help them. So I was about to leave and get back to my training when the gyspys that were staying close to the village got interesting. Also, a friend showed himself to me so I decided to stick around for a little longer. The gyspys talked about being able to tell someone's fortune. I knew it would most likely be a lie...I mean who can really do that. They just tell people they can see the future to make money. But I decided to listen just to make sure I was not going to miss anything interesting. it turned out to be a waste of time but oh well. My friend and I left not too long after the gypsy finished putting on her show. I needed to get back to my training anyway. I can not afford to waste time on stupid villagers who don't want my help and petty fortune tellers.

[Dalila]

I met up with Ni'haer so we could travel to the bugbear Isles the other day. He needed to get a dire bear skin. When we got there, there were two men preparing to fight the bugbears as well. I only remember one of their names because it fit him so well...Dog. He was not a bad fighter, but definitely could use some work on his manners. Anyway, we all decided to travel together which made it easier for me focus on my skill with my blade instead of just survival. It was kind of relaxing actually. Ni'haer helped a lot with his wards. Towards the end he stopped giving us as many because Dog complained about it being too easy and boring...which I agreed with. It made it more interesting when we actually had to put effort into killing the bugbear. More satisfying I guess. After we were finished with the trip we made camp. I left them shortly after. After I left, I ran into Fehriel who I had not seen in quite some time. He seemed like the kind of person that would know of someone who would be able to train me so I asked him. He said that he could actually help me with my training himself. This was such good news. Finally I am going to be able to move faster in my training. We went to the arena because he wanted to know how much I had learned on my own. He told me I had a good stance but that was about it. I knew I had a lot to learn but I didn't think I was -that- bad. Then we started talking about why I wanted to become a master with my blade. He went on and on about how revenge wasn't a good reason and the noble would always win and the people out for power would eventually get killed. He told me he wanted me to come up with my own reason. Well that wasn't really hard. I told him it was a lot of reasons combined, revenge, power, strength, and for the challenge. He didn't seem too pleased with my answer but when did I ever care what someone thought about my reasoning. He also said I needed to leave my attitude out of the training. Not really sure how that is going to happen but he said that he had some training that would help with that as well. Personally, I like my attitude. He told me this after he had finished beating me down and then tried to help me up. Of course I pushed him away. I'm not some weak women who needs someone to constantly help her. I can do things for myself. All he is is a teacher so that I can get better with my blade and that's all. If he has a problem with me I can always find another teacher. Hopefully it won't come down to that but we will see. I will try his -training- and see how it goes. If I feel I am improving fast enough then I will keep him as my teacher.

[Dalila]

Lately I have been finding myself training in the woods on Dregar. I have found that the forest giants are very good to practice with. I went with a group of about 4 or 5 others not long ago. The man that is training me was among them and was able to give me a few pointers. There was also another one of his students there as well. I could tell she was a little ahead of me in trains from her style of fighting. Of course I watched her and tried to pick up on some of the technique. At first it was difficult to catch on to but after a while it stared to get a little easier. I also noticed a halfling that I had known a while back....at first I did not say anything because I was not completely sure it was the same one but ne recognized me as well. He had been there when the guard unjustly attacked me. One day I will have my revenge. Anyway, it's always nice to see familiar faces. Also there was a Toranite named Argos. Fehriel was awful to him which I didn't understand at first. I paid little attention to it after than, until my arm started to bother me. he asked me if I wanted him to make the pain go away and I said no. I guess that shocked him. I told him that is was a reminder of what happened to me and that one day the person would pay who did it to me. He started talking about how revenge is never satisfying...well I disagree. My revenge will be sweet. What do stupid toranites know about revenge anyway. He acted like he knew me when he really knew nothing. This is what bothered me the most. How could he even remotely think I would take any advice from him. I left the group shortly after this. Who needs people like that anyway. The only reason I traveled with them in the first place was to practice with my blade more easily. From now on I will pick the people I travel with more carefully.

[Dalila]

I met up with Ni'haer and another friend of his the other day to go into the spider cave. I think his friend name was dutchess. She is a very interesting creature. She had a way of using her blade that I had not seen before. She was so quick and stealthy....like a snake. She also used two blades. It was amazing how quickly the enemies fell to her. The deeper we went into the cave the more I watched her and tried to pick up on her style of blade work. She seemed so focused...like she was thinking of nothing else but killing the spider. It was as if the blade was just an extension of her arm. I tried to clear my mind while I was fighting...trying to focus on nothing else. This was very hard. BUt if this is what it takes then I will have to learn. For the short time I was able to focus I could notice a slightly increase of strength. The power was exhilarating. I did not want to stop trianing and the more I wanted to kill. Maybe this was why she seemed a little wild to me. I think I have made a breakthrough.

[Dalila]

well I finally met up with Fehriel again. We went to the arena in Vhel to do my training. I always hate going though that smelly old town. Anyway, I was finally ready to start some training when he decides he wants to have a heart to heart talk...really?! All I want is to learn to use my blade better. If I wanted to talk about it, he better believe I would rather be talking to other people about it and not him. He asked me the same question as last time...why do I want to become a master with my blade...and I told him the same thing as last time. I guess he thought that a few days would make me chance my mind. But he was wrong. I said that I wanted to become powerful, so that I could live up to the goals I had set for myself. He then started asking me what these goals were....like they are any of his business. He said he had to know if he was going to teach me anything....personally I think he was just being nosey. So I told him that I wanted certain individuals to fear me and not the other way around. He seemed upset with my answers but I didn't really care. if he wasn't going to teach me there are plenty of others who would. And I made sure he knew that. He said he was afraid that I would become powerful and end up harming myself and others....I only intend on hurting those who have hurt me. I finally convinced him to teach me what he knows but he said if he saw me hurting others with my skills he would stop. There is only so much I can learn from a teacher like him anyway...so I guess I will take what I can get for now. After he stopped talking we got to the more interesting part....well more interesting that him going all noble on me. Anyway...he started off by making me do pushups...which are easy. then he threw his junk on me. just bags of coal and other stuff. This made it a little harder but I finally finished the 150 pushups. After that he taught me how to "thrust" my blade. I knew how to do that already but his style was a little different. He put more weight on his back leg than I am used to. He also twists his blade as he stabs...this I like. It seems like it will be very handy. He told me I have to practice this a thousand times a day...good thing all I ever do is train anyway. After that my training was over. he said he wanted to meet again next week...but next time at his home. What a strange request. He said he saw that I did not like coming to vehl and thought my attitude would be better somewhere else. I guess we will see.

[Dalila]

I've been doing the amount of repitions Fehriel has been asking me to with my blade. My whole body hurts though....if he thinks that a little pain is going to change anything then he has another thing coming. The movement is becoming a little easier. I have been thinking a little more about what he said about maybe stopping my training. Maybe I will just tell him what he wants to hear. It would make things much easier for me. What will a few little lies hurt. I mean if anything it will only help him. That way he doesn't feel guilty training me. I really think he is making things into a bigger deal then they have to be. It was a mistake to tell him any of the truth at the beginning of the training. I see now that there are only few people that I can trust to know the truth about me. Fehriel will get what he wants. I will behave while I am around him and I will do my training and leave. Even if it kills me. But he will learn nothing else about me. I don't need his approval or sympathies.

[Dalila]

well I met with Fehriel again for another lesson. I tried to be nice even thought it was painful. The things I have to do to get the training I want. I showed him how much I had learned over the past few weeks I have been training by myself. The thrusting motion has become just a natural movement now. I also added my own little twist to the trust...literally twisting my blade when it enters my opponent. I feel it is a more affective attack and Fehriel was surprised to see it. He then moved on to teach me another attack I can use called the slicing. There is a lot more power behind this attach than the thrust because I can use my whole body and also the momentum behind my blade. I used the same stance as I did for the thrust but instead of leaping forward I swing my blade till it is over top my opponent and slice downward cutting him all the way through. This attack, while giving me more power also leaves me more open which I don't like but I am sure it will come in handy in some situations. After we finished this part of my training he let me practice against him a little...which was clearly unfair but I think he wanted to show off another move he had that I had not learned yet. His stance was slightly different and I did not recognize it from others I had seen fight. I guess I will learn it eventually. Right now I am going to work on perfecting this new movement he showed me. Then, just before he left he thanked me for putting my attitude away. Little does he know I am just pretending. But I guess it doesn't matter as long as I am getting what I want. Another 1000 times a day I have to practice. I am getting better at this and my body is not hurting as much.