The Red Queen of the arena — part IV
Hesiak, the art of sword
Every culture has is its definition of magic but it always involves the idea of manipulating unseen forces to create extraordinary effects. In orcs’ culture, magic is viewed as something sacred and highly ritualized: the Demiurge, the one true original creator god, gave mortals magic through the sacred books. That’s it.
All the other ways to create wondrous effects are seen as techniques pushed to a supernatural level but distinct from magic itself. For example, there are monks of the Manidire Order that can become bidimensional and move along the walls like shadows. The monks are not stupid, they see that their feats are like magic but they don’t see themselves doing real magic. After all, some animals do wondrous things: a type of ant teleports inside its enemy; a species of butterfly projects the illusion of birds to scare predators; some moles swim in the dirt they liquified… are they doing magic?
The scholars of the Holy Infernal Empire would answer that question with a resounding yes.
The manipulation of the strands of energy to create magic effects can happen even if someone is unaware of the mana field. Theoretically one could cast a spell by accident: if someone wants something to happened and, out of pure chance, do the right movement and speak the right word, they could make that will become reality. This doesn’t happen because dozens of things contribute to the “shaping” of a spell and everything will quickly crumble if a mistake is made. Animals (thanks to the accelerating evolution caused by the Collapse) have mutated to instinctively do the “right things” to cast a spell. Hesiak works the same way: the mental focus, sounds, and motions that are needed for a specific strike are a for all intent and purpose a spell, even if who is doing them in sees it another way.
Hesiak is a kind of spatial magic, using specific mana frequency to pierce, fold, and distort distances themselves.
Some famous techniques are:
- blinking footwork: the fencer “skip a step” moving longer distances than its legs movement should allow;
- skipping thrust: the sword hits a pace farther than it should, effectively improving the reach;
- defensive flourish: an elegant twirling of the blade creates an ephemeral but impenetrable barrier of folded space;
- oblique stroke: the impact of a hit has a different direction from what it appears;
- selective slash: a fencer can ignore the armor, hitting as it wasn’t there (o just cutting the clothes and sparing the body);
- remote severing: a small portal is open and then close, cutting away everything was across the gap.
- heart piercer: the fencer make a thrust that perforates the body of the opponents from the inside out.
- paradox wall: tracing a line in the ground can make a swordsman unreachable, making the distance between him and the opponent unsurmountable.
A duel among Hesizainak consists of elaborated whirling and dance-like steps until one of the two fighters drops to the ground cut in half (or otherwise horribly maimed). All of this without contact and without coming close to each other.
During the first Axiam world, the Hesiak warriors were the terror of the battlefield. As soon a one appeared, heads rolled off and swords thrust out the chest of the enemies. Imperial soldiers ran off at the sight of any orc with a sword, even children. At first, Hesizainak looked unbeatable but, eventually, some brave fighters found out the weak spots.
First: Hesiak has an optimal range, between 2 and 4 paces: as soon you see an orc fighter you have to decide either to keep the distance or run towards him. Everything but stay in their desired range. Not that a close-quarter fight is easy, but at least they can’t use most of their tricks.
Second: the blade movement necessary for their special techniques are demanding in terms of time and concentration. Every time a Hesiak fighter starts his flourishing that is to be considered an opening, even if that blade windmill looks scary.
Third: some materials inhibit or otherwise interfere with the spatial magic, first and foremost elemental ceramic. An armor, a sword, or just a bracer of battle ceramic could make an orc botch his techniques, giving the opponent ample time to counterattack. A ceramic plate armor renders the wearer immune to the heart piercer and other lethal strikes.
Fourth: just playing dirty will work. Kicking dirt in the face, spitting, insults, unprompted yells…. everything that can break concentration can stop the technique for a moment and give you the upper hand. Facing a Hesizainak that can literally cut you in half with a slash is not the time for chivalry.
Hesiak is famous all over the continent but very few “outsiders” learn it. First and foremost, it’s demanding both in terms of time needed and physical attitude. Learning Hesiak is analogous to learning magic, with years spent just to grasp the basics. But magic doesn’t need the same stamina and reflexes. Hesiak is not an “old people’s game”: orcs start learning Hesiak young, sometimes as young as 5, so to gain mastery at the same time they are in peak physical form, around 25 years old.
The other issue is that there are not many teachers: if an Orc from a fencing family goes away from the Kingdoms is probably because he wants to put his past behind.
Thirdly the Hesiak style is not suitable for common scenarios, so to speak.
It’s a “high risk, high reward” approach, suited for officers and “champions” that want to inspire awe in the allies and fear in the enemy. In hesiak duel one puts on the table all his years of training, all his honor, all his guts. A Hesizainak goes “all in” every time: they dare spectacular one-hit-kills that, if failed, can cause their death.
Most people who want to fight look for something more reliable.
Katu Gorria will eventually change the approach to Hesiak for the outsiders, writing manuals and modifying the style to suit a broad group of learners. As one of the very few women that learned Hesiak, she got a unique education and a unique perspective. Training in Hesiak is linked with the teaching about Hutsa, the void over which the creation floats. To understand the Void and its mystical depth is to understand that space is not “nothing”, but it is “something”, a thing that can be manipulated.
Katu learned about Hutsa, but through her mother, in a more “feminine” way, disconnected from the fencing lesson. That detachment will eventually be the key for her to understand the mechanics beyond the mystique.
Part 4 of 7
Part1 — Part 2 — Part3 — Part4 — Part5 — Part6 — Part7
