Training new and old.

Start light? The aged Kindred looked at the little Tremere that sat beside him, pity obvious in those sunken in, beady eyes. If only he understood. He gave a shake of his head, standing awkwardly to his feet. He had to put most of his weight on the walking stick, favoring one side over the other, as he looked out at the mostly empty sparring arena. Rumor sat nearby, wrapped in the protective arms of her love, and Lizzie near them, but all had been informed not to interfere.

Felix sat hidden in the shadows, keeping those with wandering, curious eyes at bay. He had his orders as well.

"Here in the Gangrel Clan, we have taken to testing physical prowess," the old man murmured, finally managing to get upright after a few moments of struggling. "With the impending war, we want to be prepared at all times. Once you have been tested, I do believe I found an appropriate welcoming gift. But I have to make sure you are deserving of it."

There was a kind smile across his features, even though his words were cold, uncertain. He reached out one hand to place it delicately upon his shoulders. "Of course, I have no doubts."

Mizuki peered at him, then hobbled towards the center of the clearing. He seemed to struggle with movement, but if Angel paid close enough attention, he'd notice that he passed noiselessly over the grass that should have crunched beneath his feet. He stood there, turning his wrinkled face up towards the moonlight, a smile growing across his face. Triangular fangs fit together perfectly, stretching his appearance, but he appeared content.

"Then make your move, Angel Mau of the Gangrel Clan," he said, finally turning back to look at him.

The old Primogen appeared armed, with only his ratten walking stick cradled in one gnarled hand. There were no knives decorating his too-slender frame, but he had two guns tucked within the belt of his pants, hidden by the loose shirt he wore over thin skin. They remained hidden, even to those with perception significantly higher than Angel's, and untouched, but loaded.

Angel was correct in a single assumption: every Clan had specialties up their sleeve. As his fist connected with the old man's face, he would see it jerk to one side, but he did not stumble. He remained unmoved, not bothering to retaliate just yet, even as a foot connected with his injured leg. A move that should have sent him spiraling to the ground, however, would only manage to radiate pain up his opponent's. Potence reinforced his bones to nearly steel in strength, and the attack would come close to breaking Angel's own bones.

He turned his face back to the one-eyed man, a smile still breaking out across his face. "Very nice," he said over the soft snickering of the Clan members hidden in the trees. Only Rumor seemed displeased, her face hidden in David's chest. She didn't want to see what she knew was about to happen. "However, it is now my turn."

Before the Tremere could respond, Mizuki moved, his speed three times that of a normal human. He was going slow, still, in hopes of offering Angel something akin to a fair chance. He swung his staff, reinforced by a center of steel, at his knees, a weak point no matter the enemy. The force behind the blow was equal to nearly one hundred pounds of pressure, easily able to shatter both kneecaps.

Assuming he did not manage to block the attack, which seemed impossible, Mizuki would throw the staff up and bring it down against Angel's shoulder blades with significantly less force, only about twenty pounds of pressure, to drop him to the ground in a pile of utter agony.

"The first rule of your Clan, Angel Mau, is to never underestimate your opponent. Would you like to try again?"

Mizuki lifted a hand to grab at the dead weight of the useless leg, digging his long thumb into the shattered kneecap in an effort to cause more pain. He hadn't expected the newest member of their Clan to be able to work through the agony he had caused him, but it was obvious that his contemplation was already beginning to suffer. Tilting his head to one side, he used his other hand, still wrapped carefully around the ratten staff, to strike in the time it took him to try and land another blow.

He would bring the end of the staff, cut into a perfect circle and sanded down smooth, against his weak stomach. The force would be enough to force him down to the ground again, but it was obvious that the old man had no interest in upping his power and strength when the fight was already tipped in his favor. He wanted to test the boy, after all, not completely destroy him.

Mizuki made no motion either time to block the attacks, remaining still. He wanted to see how powerful a hit from the man could be when assisted by the Tremere magic his Clan was so fond of. Did he stand any chance at all in a fight?

As his fist connected with the Primogen's jaw, his head was tossed back, but the increased weight of reinforced bones kept him firmly planted in place. The old man grew tired of the battle... He had little chance of damaging his new Primogen at all, and if he kept this up, he was going to get himself killed. Sometimes, the old man did not know his own strength.

He raised one hand and the birds in the trees cawed noisily, angrily, as they felt his intention. They began to fly in circles above the sparring arena, making quite a ruckus. Hoping to distract the boy, he raised his walking stick, using his bad leg to gingerly kick the makeshift cane from his opponent's grip, he turned. His body moved strangely nimble for a crippled man as he made his way to Angel's side.

So long as everything went as planned, he would raised his ratten staff once more to bring it down against the back of Angel's neck, going for an immediate blackout.

The old man returned the smile offered, giving a shake of his head. He glanced up towards the birds, who had calmed down as soon as Angel admitted defeat. They returned to their nests and their hunts, leaving the Gangrel Clan to their personal proclivities, uninterrupted. Then, he turned his gaze to Rumor, tilting his head to one side.

"The fight is over now, little one. You can come out of hiding."

She peeked up at them from her place of safety, obvious concern etched across her features. She hated to see violence of any kind, even if she understood it was a necessary evil. Blinking her big blue eyes, she placed a delicate kiss upon David's cheek, then bounced up and cross the grass.

"Are you okay, Angel?" she asked, plopping down beside him and looking over his injuries. He was fairly useless as he lied there, but she had no interest in hurting him any further. She ran her fingers delicately across his arm, frowning. It looked almost scary on her face, like the frown didn't belong there. It looked wrong. She gave a shake of her head. "It's okay. I'll make you feel better, okay?"

She reached a hand up, placing a finger against his nose, exclaiming "Boop!" Almost instantaneously, the Golconda-to-be had managed to heal every wound he had taken on during the fight. While any rip in h is clothes might still be there, all bones healed painlessly, and bruises faded.

Rumor giggled, closing her eyes and holding up one hand. She placed a finger across her lips and softly shushed him before standing, still significantly shorter than the newest adopted member of her Clan. Without another word - something strange for the soon to be Golconda - she skipped back to her lover and happily plopped herself in his lap, giving a delicate stroke of his feathered hair. Her fox tail was wagging in excitement. She loved using her powers like that.

"Has Rumor informed you of the path she has chosen?" Mizuki asked with a chuckle, the sound dry, almost like a cough. He hobbled back over to the boy, though he knew he would no longer be tricked by the way the Primogen chose to portray himself. Crippled or not, it was obvious he was a true force to be reckoned with.