Chronicle:Winter Lancers

"Gak!"

In the central Melkian Voivodeship, two people were sparring with what appear to be spears, snowflakes dropping consistently and without end, one a middle aged man, and the other a young woman, both dressed in traditional horde garb. They are sparring in the field, footwork seeming to be the true battle at play, snow kicked up like an ancient cavalry charge across the Urhanic Plains.

The fighters exchange tight and precise stabs at each over, when all of a sudden, the woman overextends herself, now being solidly within range of the older man. The man side kicks the smaller female opponent in the chest as she panics from his feints. He sighs as he stabs his practice spear into the ground and moves to help this girl, who was currently splayed out on the floor like a pancake.

"Lena, I swear to KAURISS HIMSELF, how can you not deal with my feints even after an entire session!" The older man had said while kneeling beside her, checking for injuries, thankfully it was only bruises.

"Piss off Uncle Franz, I just...Need some time to learn. Besides, Kicks arent allowed in the sport!" Lena spat out, while wiping her eyes and getting up from the floor. After that, she proceeded to push him away and grab her practice spear.

Franz Snorts upon hearing that. "Common misconception! You can kick, its just not encouraged because its better to rely on the spear. Kicks have a time and a place."

She snaps her head towards him as he says that. "Wh- Do you want me to learn how to kickbox as a spearfighter? Muay Thai as well while I'm at it?"

"Just told you that its not common. But thats not a bad idea. You should expand your horizons. The main problem is that you get confident too easily. You telegraph too much while closing the distance because of that. Your skill is not in question. Just your attitude. When used right, a spear can overwhelm even an expert swordsman. I'll let you practice your spear kata when you've recovered."

After a solid hour of extra training, Franz takes a close look at his watch and decides its getting too late. "It'll get dark soon, especially in this month, lets go back home and meet up with your parents."

As Lena walked back with her uncle, she thought about why he had accepted to teach her. Every time her family, the Bukowskis tried to get in contact with him, he seemed to either have all the time in the world or just blip off the radar entirely. Everyone in the family knew Franz was some super special forces kinda guy, but they thought he had given up on a military lifestyle after his country up and threw him away after 1987. So she always wondered what he was actually up to. That house he bought for his family was a little too rich for her tastes. Especially for a stonemason.

Out of nowhere, Franz begins to speak to her. "Er...I dont know why you're so dead set on this. I know you were always interested in martial arts, but you dont seem like you really enjoy doing this anymore. Probably because your mom started pushing you to do more than you had bargained for."

Lena was a little shocked from the sudden conversation. "She's not all bad. Only mostly. Give it 80%. I know she just wants me to actually succeed at something for once, and this kinda stuff takes alot of dedication to learn. I wont say she's wrong, I'm not doing well at school."

Franz raises his fingers in quotation marks"'Actually succeed at something for once.' Yeah go to hell. Thats classic manipulation. We succeed all the time, we just like to play up the bad times. Besides, Sikorski says that to do something well you first must enjoy it on some level. I dont know what she expects sending you to me like I'm some miracle cure for her ego."

Franz says, ranting throughout the entire statement like an overzealous Arsytian Chairman speaking to his people about PURE IDEOLOGY.

"Bad experience with your parents?" She says while backing away from his Rhaetian fisticuffs.

"No. Just bad experiences with people"

After half an hour of silence and plodding through the deep snow, the two reach Franz's car, and he starts the engine...Any second now. Just give it a moment. Eventually the car actually starts running, and they begin to drive back to the Bukowski family home. Franz looked around the landscape as he drove. 'That wasnt there a year ago...' were his thoughts upon seeing several new buildings pop up along his familiar route.

Franz tended to be busy at work for long periods of time, so he wasnt around his home very much. In all, the sheer change at display was comforting but also disturbing to an old timer like him. On one hand, the country was prospering, on the other, his homeland seemed less like home and more like a foreign land.

Lena started snapping her fingers near Franz's ear, forcing him back to reality, albeit annoyed. "Old-timer, if you need your bed time right now, just let me take the wheel. I dont want to be red paste in the middle of nowhere."

"Why you- I'm not senile, I'm 40 years old, I'll have you know!" He harumphs.

Lena slumps back in her seat. "Well since you're conscious, ever since you came over and started training me in Manewry, I always wanted to ask, could you teach me those techniques you learned in the Military? I wanna know how to really fight. You seem to know how to fight almost instinctively."

"If you cant handle the training I'm giving you right now, I dont see how you can handle something I used to literally kill people with."

"I'm dead serious. I'm interested in what you were getting up to in the Amanti Hills. Like Sikorski says, I should do something I have interest in." Lena replies confidently.

"Flipping Sikorski against me now eh? Well it is Kaurissmas...I'll agree as long as you are patient with me. This kinda training needs to be done carefully." He exclaims as he pulls in the car into the house's garage.

After hearing that, she seems speechless, fidgety even. Learning real close quarters combat techniques? She got out of the car excitedly, but Franz shook his head upon seeing her excitement.

"You are volunteering for torture. You'll be learning two arts at the same time. Never said Id stop teaching you how to fight with a spear. Enjoy the extracurricular activities." Saying the last sentence with a shiteating grin, he locks the car. Leaving her with a face of dread, but also the best kaurissmas present in her eyes.

After this revelation, and this promise, the two go up to meet with the Bukowskis and the rest of their children, alongside his parents. Alot of hugs, kisses and some hostile glances towards Franz. But he didnt mind...Even if his sister yelling at him for hurting Lena was grating.

"Nowak, If It wasnt Kaurissmas, I'd skin you alive right now!"

The entire Nowak and Bukowski family sat down at the table adorned with twelve distinct dishes in memory of Iosus Kauriss' apostles. None of them were to include meats. The Barszcz with Uszka was followed by herring. Then Żurek alongside carp and Challah bread. What accompanies this food is the Kapusta Kiszona, and Pierogi stuffed with cheese and potato. Several poppy seed cakes are on display as well.

It is said that during Wigilia, if a quarrel breaks out during the meal, a rather troublesome year would await those at the table. Thankfully however, this did not happen.

"Wesolych Swiat."