[Day 12 - LM] Leg Day

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

Batzurig was back at the dojo to train, focusing on body conditioning with squats and lifting of heavy logs and moving across the floor going back and forth working up a good sweat and burn. Pushing his body to the limit or at least as far he could manage.

One does not just skip leg day.

The large Moto approached his training with the same vigor and fierceness he approached anything else. He held nothing back, practice like you fight. Fight like your life depended on it. Victory at all costs, hone the body into a weapon worthy of his Moto ancestors.

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

Eika entered the dojo, sending her warcat to the corner to rest. Seiji put his paw over Kaori and licked her between the ears. The Lion samurai noted the familiar Unicorn, but didn't greet him with more than a nod yet. It was practice time.

Eika was laiden with a large selection of weapons, in addition to her daisho. Her beastmaster's claws on one hip, a sai on the other, no-dachi on her back.

First she withdrew her claws, slipping her hand through the guard. She dropped into an animalistic crouch and slashed at the air as she pounced with feline grace. The claws swiped in a manner very similar to the war cats' fighting style. It was a bit unpredictable, but effective.

After a short time of this, she replaced the claws and went for her katana. With practiced steps, she eyed an invisible opponent and in a single strike after evaluating the imagined target, she withdrew the sword and stuck in a single fluid movement. 1, 2, 3 times she repeated her ghost duel. She frowned at the last strike and shook her head.

Then she shifted stance to one of outright attack. Katana was switched for no-dachi. The large two handed blade moved effortlessly in her grasp in the standard fighting maneuvers of the empire. A few minutes of intense fighting against an army and she worked up quite a sweat.

No-dachi for sai, and Eika began a series of stabs and slashes any Mantis would take pride in. She hopped about lightly on the balls of her feet. Cutting and stabbing her invisible enemies, a savage grin crossed her face.

Finally, the sai also found itself tucked away. Eika began a series of acrobatic rolls and hops to her feet, training herself in increasingly difficult mat work. She came up dissatisfied with the results of her final twisting maneuver, covered in sweat and breathing a bit hard.

((Fluff for workout: claws:22, iaijutsu: 21,34,12, kenjutsu: 25, athletics:19,30,21))

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

He had not noticed the woman until he dropped the block and rolled his shoulder and by then she seemed to be in the midst of an intense workout so he got back to it and made some more trips with the log before ending with squats, because you never skip leg day.

Once complete he set it down and grabbed some water and offered a prayer to his ancestors that they grant him strength to slay the enemies that beset him and his kin.

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"Ah, Si Batzurig. Have you taken your rice and meat this day?" Eika greeted the Unicorn warmly, trying to alter the traditional greeting to one more appropriate.

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

"Less meat than I like but it will do, and you sayyeda?" He responded.

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"Just a bit of rice..." there was perhaps a grumble to her tone as she spoke. "I will have to take Kaori and Seiji hunting at some point. Perhaps, you and Si Baatar can join? Oh and Akemi-san, too, if she wants!"

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

"Akemi, I doubt she is much of a hunter but I shall ask," he said in reply.

"Baatar would join you, I'm sure."

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"Perhaps, we will catch some good game! A feast would be nice. I've already caught sika deer, pheasants, and a nice serow. Hopefully, the fighting didn't disrupt the wildlife too much."

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

"We shall see. You seem a very experienced hunter, sayyeda," Batzurig responded.

"Do you take your cats with you?"

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"Yes! We hunt as a pride, as one. We move in sync together. One flushes game from the brush, as we circle around and pounce!"

"It is common for beastmasters to hunt the game to feed their cats. Far more practical, as it doubles as training and exercise for the lions. We all enjoy it." She allowed herself a smile, feeling much more at ease with the Unicorn than the stuffy courtiers.

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

"Must be an impressive sight," he responded. "Did you train them, yourself?"

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"Since their eyes opened, yes. Kaori came from my mother's pride and Seji from my Sensei's. We sleep together on the plains, run together, hunt together..."

She paused, "as much of our training is learning the 'language' as it were of the Lions and how they act, as well as training them. You must gain the respect of the predator and assert you are the dominant member of the Pride. If they wanted to, I am sure they have the power to shred me. Ningen, we have no claws, no fangs, no natural weapons... They view me as one of their own and I put complete trust in them as they do for me."

"Is it not the same for you and your horse? Complete trust?"

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

"Similar," he agreed. "I assume you breed them?"

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"Yes, we do. When they come in to season that is. It isn't a set time during the year, but when the air warms and there is ample food, they breed for upwards of five days and produce litters of cubs. Usually two or three. After a while around the cats, you can tell when their time is approaching based on how they are acting."

"The cubs don't have a high survival rate as they are quite small at first and males sometimes kill other male's cubs. This lets that male produce an heir. Therefore, we have to be vigilant with our cubs."

She saw no harm in explaining this to the Unicorn. After all, she figured he was one who could appreciate such a subject without being bothered by the 'propriety' of such a topic or not.

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

“Makes sense, many wild creatures are quite cruel to their young,” he responded.

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"Not so much their own. Sometimes, a female will breed with multiple males, then the males involved tend to think all are his. Even if visually they resemble their rival. Can be a smart tactic for the mother." She clarified, "not that we beastmasters would use that tactic ourselves. I am strictly, referring to the cats."

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

Batzurig shrugged and said, "We all do what we must."

He then grabbed the wood block and started doing squats while listening and added, "Not my place to judge."

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"I will let you know I have never been with anyone, in any way." Her sudden declaration caused her to blush. "Not that I would.... errr..."

Moto Batzurig · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:05 am **Posts:** 275

“I think I can live without knowledge of your bedroom,” he said chuckling. “As I said, not my place to judge.”

“How long do the war cats live?”

Matsu Eika · **Joined:** Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:50 pm **Posts:** 143

"Nothing to know anyways. The clan can't wait to shove me at a nakodo." Eika snorted and tossed her head proudly.

"The oldest war cat in the clan is 30. She is a retired veteran who assists with cubs. Usually, lions don't have the luxury of making it that long. Wild lions... 15 or so. War cats? 20, if no serious injuries occur in skirmishes. If they are too injured to fight, but still healthy enough, they can breed and raise cubs. As well as train with new recruits at the School dojo. Kaori is 13, Seiji is 7."

[Day 12 - LM] Leg Day

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