![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Preparing for the Warsportsgames: Leofric
Leo looked at his oldest Students, kneeling patiently across from him, and took a moment further to collect his thoughts.
"As you know," he finally began, "the 'games' between us and the other schools are coming up. It's safe to assume this will be your first experience in real combat."
The students just barely avoided glancing at each other at that.
Leo smiled faintly. "Go ahead, you don't have to be formal today."
"I thought this was supposed to be some kind of sports competition?" Edie asked.
"A competition, yes," Leo answered slowly. "But the other schools have a different idea of what 'sports' means. You're safest assuming it's going to be a real battle."
"But in real battles they're trying to kill you," Blair protested, ignoring her neighboring cy'ra's elbow and muttered "hush".
"As I said." Leo looked solemnly at them all. "The other schools aren't going to play nice or fight fair. This is not the time to worry about good sportsmanship."
"But..." She frowned. "But surely killing another student would at least mean their team would lose. They wouldn't--"
Leo cut her off with a curt gesture. "There are lots of ways you can fight with murderous intent without the risk of actually killing anyone. Knowing your opponent is skilled or tough enough to survive, for example. Or being ordered by your Keeper not to kill anyone. They might not kill you, but they can hurt you - and your teammates - very badly. So again. Assume this is going to be a real battle."
This time, they all nodded, looking various degrees of apprehensive.
It was a good start, Leo decided.
"As you know," he finally began, "the 'games' between us and the other schools are coming up. It's safe to assume this will be your first experience in real combat."
The students just barely avoided glancing at each other at that.
Leo smiled faintly. "Go ahead, you don't have to be formal today."
"I thought this was supposed to be some kind of sports competition?" Edie asked.
"A competition, yes," Leo answered slowly. "But the other schools have a different idea of what 'sports' means. You're safest assuming it's going to be a real battle."
"But in real battles they're trying to kill you," Blair protested, ignoring her neighboring cy'ra's elbow and muttered "hush".
"As I said." Leo looked solemnly at them all. "The other schools aren't going to play nice or fight fair. This is not the time to worry about good sportsmanship."
"But..." She frowned. "But surely killing another student would at least mean their team would lose. They wouldn't--"
Leo cut her off with a curt gesture. "There are lots of ways you can fight with murderous intent without the risk of actually killing anyone. Knowing your opponent is skilled or tough enough to survive, for example. Or being ordered by your Keeper not to kill anyone. They might not kill you, but they can hurt you - and your teammates - very badly. So again. Assume this is going to be a real battle."
This time, they all nodded, looking various degrees of apprehensive.
It was a good start, Leo decided.
no subject