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Kazuhide ~ "The End Of Sadness"
KAZUHIDE
"This is our world! The human's world!" I clench my fists in unadulterated ferocity. I stand tall and face thine enemy. "I will not back down, and I will not run away. So, in all actuality, this is the end of the line. I refuse to let you pass, so I will do anything to use every fiber in my being to take you all down!" I stretch out my index finger in the direction of Thrandos and Leinurus. The both of them express no emotion. Their form is tall and strong. They aren't swayed by my words. It's alright, I didn't expect to make any sort of impact on them. If I can get through Nuruoki, then Leinurus will have no choice but to face me. The only problem was, that if Nuruoki drenches the playing field in water, then I will be a conductor for Leinurus' electricity. If that was the case, I would have to take out Nuruoki, and prevent her from building up water on the ground. "Alright. I'm ready." I speak aloud. I move over to Jet slowly, with my eyes locked onto Nuruoki's pretty sapphire pupils. With the naginata in hand, I stand firm. "Nuruoki! What the hell are you waiting for?! Why did you allow him to reclaim his weapon?! Strike now, or you anger his Lordship!" Leinurus' words boomed like lightning striking a frail tree. "It is not right. It isn't proper to fight an unarmed opponent. It isn't honorable to strike a helpless man." "Helpless?! That little whelp has Fire. He can spit like us! Don't be a fool!" Nuruoki brushed off Leinurus' insult, and began to gather a ball of water at her center, in between her front claws. I wasn't about to stand around and allow her to launch a torrent of water at me.... "Dragon Style: Homing Blaze!"My chest and lungs expand, as a funnel of flame erupts from my mouth, and travels in a straight line towards Nuruoki. Her eyes widen with shock, that I attacked so suddenly. This forced her to prematurely send her attack at me, in an attempt to cancel out the fire. I knew this would happen, so just as my first blast was about to make impact, I launch my second wave: "Dragon Style: Breath of Fire!"This was my most powerful attack. It was a wall of fire, that reached high above all. This move was impossible to evade, and judging from the recovery time from Nuruoki's last attack, she would have no chance to retaliate. My first blast, turned into a cloud of mist, when it struck the water. So a temporary fog was looming about... My second attack appears out of the fog, and hits Nuruoki head-on. The dragon stumbles back, as the fire blast hisses when it impacted the Watery Armor. Her fangs and talons were clenched, she was already getting weakened. She gathered another water technique, but this one was over our heads. The Water around her body, was rushing forward, and gathering in the space between us. I was unable to successfully complete another Dragon's Breath. It was too soon, and my Elven Powers were starting to deplete from exhaustion. Since Dragon abilities require a much larger body, for the fire to rush through, the side effects resulted in dizziness, and internal burning of organs. I grip Jet and charge forward, I had to reach Nuruoki before the next move was carried out. Just before I reached Nuruoki, the water overhead washes down in a devastating wave. I am knocked clean off my feet, and am caught in a giant whirlpool. The Dragon is able to control what the water does. I am trapped in an underwater cylinder. I hold my breath while the water condenses on itself, and moves in around me. The pressure is getting harder, and I struggle to keep my hold of Jet. But the water is too great, the pressure is starting to crush my lungs. My naginata is released, and swirls into the whirlpool. "Finish him Nuruoki! End his life!" I can barley make out what Leinurus is saying as I strain my ears in a hopeless effort to listen. But inside the water, I can only hear muffled voices, and my vision is gone, since the water is moving about me so quickly. This is it. I think to myself. I can hardly breath. My lungs feel like they are about to explode. I have to do something. I only have one chance! "Dragon Style: Shearing Fire Blast!" Unknowingly to me, I was able to shout out my attack, even while I was enduring the pressure. A giant ball of fire barrages into the water and turns to mist. An opening in the whirlpool appears, and I throw myself at it. I fall out of my watery grave, and into the mud. I can't help but cough and gag as my breath returns to me...I am unable to move. The pressure was far too great. My limbs are numb, for the short time I was in there, no human would of survived. I was able to release a thin layer of Elven Magic around my body, and protect my core, while I was able to send off that last fire. I am soaked to the bone and weak as hell. Jet is still inside that vortex. I wouldn't be reclaiming it any time soon. My elbows buckle, and I fall face first into the mud. It is cool and soft, and feels comforting under me. "Dragon's Rage: The Final Tsunami!"Nuruoki summons all the water that she just sent at me, into one area. It gathers and stretches, covering the moon and clouds from my sight. This technique she was carrying out, was insurmountable. No matter what I could do, I could not stop it's vicious onslaught. All the water around Nuruoki, and then some more, crashes down on me, and locks me inside it's murky depths. The Tsunami pushes down into the chasm the Dimitria formed earlier, and I am sent down deep into the ground, trapped in the volley of waves. Everything was in darkness. The pain was excruciating. This is really good enough? I thought to myself. Is it really okay for me to let it end this way? In the end, was I really good enough? Did I do what was expected of me? Did I give Swiftant and Suzette enough time to get away? All my emotions were escaping from within myself. I could feel tears joining the void. This will be it. This will be the end of sadness, the end of my sadness. I think I did good. For the first time in my life I felt accomplished. I felt like I finally mattered. A smile comes over my face. This is it. I can't hold it any longer, I need to take a breath. I knew it would be impossible. It didn't really matter, even if my Magic Elf Shield was to hold, there is no way I could swim to the surface. For every second, the water rushes me down deeper and deeper. I couldn't see. In my last few moments of life, I open my mouth and inhale. The water rushes inside and suffocates me from within... Everything feels heavy... My eyes are weak... I can't hold them open. I can finally rest....It is alright, I have no regrets..... The Sadness is over......... |
KAZUHIDE ~ "Aftermath"
Aftermath:
The Dragon Elites gathered around the chasm that was created by Dimitria. "Nuruoki. It has already been ten minutes. What is the current status?" questioned Leinurus. "At the current velocity, and pressure of the water, he has to be dead. There is no way he could have survived. Not to mention the fact that no land dweller could hold his breath for ten minutes submerged. Not even with his Elven Powers could be complete such a task. He is surely dead." said Nuruoki. "Then decrease the water level and bring his corpse forth." spat Thrandos. "I don't see the point. I don't feel his aura." spoke the Fire Dragon. "Zanden!" Leinurus turns to the Fire Dragon, and shouting out his name. "Don't question Lord Thrandos' commands. Nuruoki! Raise the body." "As you wish." The water receded, and the body of Kazuhide floated to the surface. Thrandos laughed uproariously. "Serves him right! This is what comes to those who defy her Holiness Shakura, and our spreading Empire. His fate will be an example for those who deem us vile or corrupt. We are the future!" Thrandos raised his head high, full of himself, and basking in his simple satisfaction. "Zanden! Retrieve the body. Bring it to Her Holiness." Ordered Leinurus. "Yes sir." Zanden, the Fire Dragon, spread his flaming wings, flew over, and swept up Kazuhide's lifeless body in his talons. "I take my leave now Lords." Zanden flew up, and vanished into the clouds. Leinurus looked to the right. "There is his Naginata. The blade he was so fond of. It will be a good keep sake to show to his human companions before we kill them." Leinurus took up the naginata, and held it in his small claws. "This is unfortunate." sighs Nuruoki. "Having to be viewed as tyrants, and having to snuff out life to prove our point. There could be others, who see us as such. The Empire could be tossed into a state of panic. With Swiftant and Suzette also becoming deserters, there is none to say that this won't happen again. A thorough analysis should be made of all the Human Soldiers in our Military." Thrandos and Leinurus nodded their heads. "Excellent Conclusions Nuruoki! For your prowess in battle, and your intellect, I think a reward is in order. Don't you agree Lord?" beamed Leinurus. "Perhaps." Growled Thrandos. "I don't like this situation. Perhaps we should attack the human capital of Asgard soon. Raze the city, and make an example. If we did this, it would be unlikely that any more humans would dare leave our ranks, for fear of torture and death." "Brilliant deduction my Lordship! What would we ever do without you?" (Leinurus was clearly giving more credit, then what was due). "Who knows." chuckled Thrandos. "These measly dilemma's agitate me. My stomach grows empty, and my claws need sharping. Let's head back to the castle." The three remaining dragons took off simultaneously. Into the crimson sky. Sunrise approached... |
Suzette: Requiem
"KAZU!!!" Swiftant blasts his vocals at the lone shape falling from the black dragon.
Thinking: Naze (Why)... Hadn't he came to settle a death score with Swift? Did he not unsheathe his weapon against Swift? Were we too credulous in trusting... ourselves? "Suzette, hayaku (hurry)!!" Swiftant flies the black dragon towards me, stretching out his hand for mine. Without hesitation, leaving no room for Shakura anymore, my heart in amalgamation with his, I make a wild grab for it and clambered onto the dragon, behind Swiftant. I see his face looking down at the epic battle between the man and the dragon elites. It has taken on the color of a ghastly white. I can feel my own growing paler by the moment. Gathering potential energy to take flight, the dragons bend their hind legs, Thrandos howling boisterously. "No! It's me you want. Don't you want revenge? I made you look bad, and I just defied you and your precious Holiness!" the man challenges the roaring dragons, in an egoistic expression. In the whole event, all three of our faces light up in the darkness, atomistically disguising the difference of our situations. Thrandos turns to him, their eyes fostering impending bloodshed. By now, we are already too distant to comprehend their words. A green dragon steps forward, her venomous beauty accentuating the danger of the night. I tear my gaze away from the zealous stranger's form when our dark fleeing friend soars beyond the mountains, across the valleys that follow. "He was chivalrous, despite his appearance." Swift whispers, more calmly than I want. His words startles me, the surprise lifting my head in his direction. Thinking: Oh Swift... Everything struck me so fast, it's never been more vacuous to me... The rising sun bathes us in a purifying light of warmth, and I see my reflection in his eyes, before a background of shimmering greenery swaying merrily in a breeze. It is too enticing, I probably won't have regrets if I were lured to dying here. Thinking: Am I that beautiful, Swift..? If only time would stop... "We'll need to recon around as much as possible for information on Shakura. As we are, we don't even come close to her conniving might." Swiftant speaks, in a tone of all seriousness. "I know someone from Shinkirou who may be able to provide assistance to us." "Shinkirou? You mean the vanishing village of myth? It exists?" "It's not a myth. Just as its name suggests, it only appears to people in adequately weakened states, as a mirage, though I may know a means of invading its invisible barrier." "Are you sure about this?" Swiftant's eyes narrows. "It was my homeland." "... Sorry..." "Swiftant..." a deep voice suddenly breaks the silence. "Who's there?!" I erect my body, expecting Thrandos to pop out of nowhere. "Relax Su, it's this dragon." Swiftant puts his hand on my shoulder in assurance. "In Master Kazuhide's name, you shall inherit his legacy of possessing Fayuro, the dragon of blackness. I thereby vow an oath on the grave of the ancestors of this legacy, to pledge my allegiance and swear loyalty to Swiftant, until you command otherwise or are laid to sleep for all eternity..." growls our travel companion. "Aha... I see... He's still helping us." Swiftant remarks softly. "So this is a Universal Calling..." I exclaim in wonder. Thinking: I've heard of this. When a dragon is passed from one rider's possession to another, it is given the temporary ability to communicate in a tongue of universal understanding. "Su, before we embark any further, I want to ask a favour of you." Swiftant looks at me, his blue eyes encompassing my very being. "Hmph, can't survive without me, can you?" I mock him teasingly. "Please..." I nod my head slowly, half-afraid and half-excited at the same time. "Please, play a requiem for Kazuhide and everyone else who have died under the claws of the dragons. I want to say a prayer for them." "Requiem? Kazuhide? Oh... Then that must mean..." My hands subconsciously close onto a flute I have been keeping beside my weapons. Holding it to my lips, my breath instinctively weaves a melody through it. The sound is unrivaled - it seems to keep pace with the breeze, the tune rebounding off the hovering leaves. My eyes widen, I stop playing the flute. Swiftant has embraced me, his arms around my shoulder. From the beat of his heart, to his breathing, I realize so much about him. "Don't stop, continue, please." I close my eyes and resume the song. The alluring melody sweeps through the land, disperses the clouds, and raises the hopes in our spirits. "To the lost souls amassed by the dragons..." Swiftant says, the peacefulness in his voice sings along my playing, "... we dedicate this to. It's okay now, we can handle ourselves; we'll pick up from where you left off. May you leave in peace, and be our bastions to grant us your blessings." I lean onto Swiftant's chest, listening to his voice is enough to satisfy me. His words are vague, but somehow, they make all the sense in the world. At once, I hear wails from our surroundings. They are not mournful, on the contrary, they remind me of my mother when she played the flute to me, a long time ago. And maybe... My eyes well up with tears. Swiftant and I both stare at the skies; they are ablaze with the brightness of the Northern lights. ~ Simultaneously ~ Thinking: Sayonara Okasan. Swift's thinking: Arigatou Kazu-san. Sorry, can't write as well as I wanted to, kinda busy lately... Ciao then! ^^ SS we're still waiting! XD Edited: Here may be a useful site: Online English to Japanese to English Dictionary |
Nice going Nardy Boy! XD A homage to Kazuhide. Very heart felt after this passing tragedy.
I decided to post a list of all the existing dragons, and to specify which colors we are missing. 1. Shakura, The Silver Queen Dragon. 2. Thrandos, Gold Dragon. Highest Military Position. Just below the Queen. 3. Leinurus, Purple Dragon Of Lightning. Third in Command. 4. Dimitria, Brown Dragon of Nature. One of the Dragon Elites. 5. Nuruoki, Blue Dragon of Water. One of the Dragon Elites. 6. Zanden, Red Dragon of Fire. One of the Dragon Elites. 7. Xephon, Deceased Dragon of Ice. Was one of the Elites. 8. Akuma, Silver Dragon. Deceased. Previous Ruler to the Throne before Shakura. 9. Fayuro, Black Dragon of Darkness. Has allied itself with Swiftant. We are missing Dragons for the colors of: Green Yellow Tan Orange White Gray I don't think you guys want a Pink Dragon. ROFL! I made enough Dragons. I think the rest should be left to CoolNard and Shino-san. |
Hey guys.
I'm still here but my work got crazy again and they need me more. Nard, PM me when you read this please? Btw... It took me 4 times to realzie you were speaking from me lol. |
Me fellow mod's online :D
So how about it? Will you be writing? Or maybe you wanna help me post the details of the direction of this story to SS? ^^ I think it's Aoshi's turn :rolleyes: |
Tatsu ~ "Reminiscence"
TATSU
Sunlight broke across the horizon, and the first lights of the day crept over the Dragon Mountains. Shades of purple and red reflected off the fluffy white clouds. Colors mixed, and beautiful shades were displayed in the sky. The moon was still visible, stars continued to shine brightly just before they faded into the day. Nozomi was holding me tightly. The Autumn wind was chilling. Gana's soft feathers gave me a sense of comfort and security. "Tatsu?" Nozomi soft voice filled my ears suddenly. "What happened back there? I thought you died in that evil place. Your body was cold and stiff. How did you come back?" I was silent, but only momentarily. I didn't want to remember being with Onijin in that prison. Just thinking about it sent a chill down my back. "I....I did die. It's true. I was dead, and I went to Hell." Nozomi was silent. I didn't blame her. What could you possibly say to something like that? "I was tortured by a demon. His name I dare not speak aloud. Somehow though, I managed to break his bonds. Luckily, my will did not fail me when I needed it most.... After I escaped, a wandering spirit, who calls himself Yogensha, set me free from that prison. He gave me back my life....I may have a new life, but I also have a new body.....That is how I got my right arm and eye." Nozomi gave me a tight squeeze around the waist. "Well you're back now. That's all that matters now. You've returned to me, and we left that evil place. We are free, free to soar together through the skies." I nodded. I may not have spoke, but I knew she could feel my response. "Tatsu? I...uh...I have always wondered about you. We really haven't had the time to talk about things we'd like to talk about. We always had to discuss the terrible things in this world. The dragons, death, people who have come to pass, like Shima and Akuma. Now I want to talk about you. Someone who is alive and well. Tell me more about you....Please?" Now was the time that I grew quiet. I didn't want to dodge her curiosity. Unlike me, she never really had a life. We awoken one day randomly. She doesn't have any parents like I did. She never had anyone. But still, after all that negativity, she still manages to walk around with laughter and smiles....How could she always be so happy on the outside when she must be suffering greatly on the inside? I will always envy her for that. Her ability to persevere through anything. That is what inspired me the most. It was what I believed, was her greatest attribute. "Me? You want to know about me? I'm not really sure what to say......" Nozomi nudged my side. "Oh come on Tat! Where were you born? You can start with that." She gave me that smile that made me melt every time I saw it. "Hahaha! Tat? What's up with the sudden nickname?" I couldn't help but smile. It was great being with her like this. "Well, I wasn't born in Etrirea. I was born on a tropical island south of this great continent. The island was suprisingly small. My family had lived on it for generations. The island was named after my clans surname. "Oh! A clan? What kind of clan?" Nozomi's eyebrow raised. "Oh nothing special really. All the men in my family were swordsman. When they reached adulthood, it was their duty to leave the island and make a name for themselves in the world somewhere...My grandfather was rich. He had built a grand mansion at the center of the island. He gave my parents enough money to make a life here in Etrirea. My father had heard about the great Elven clans that my mother came from. He wanted to see them first hand." "Really? So how did your mother come to that island? She was an Elf right? So she must of been born here in Etrirea." Nozomi arches her head to look me in the eyes. "It never crossed my mind to question mother's origins. We were all together, that is all that mattered to me. Only until I lost them, and Shima did I start to dwell, and live in the past. I used to live in the moment when I was a little boy. Life seemed so carefree then, playing on the island with mother." "So, what is your family surname? You said the island had the same name as your family right? So what is it?" Nozomi winks. "My last name?" More memories swirl around in my head. ............ **EDIT: Hahaha! I couldn't help but post, even though I knew it was Shino-san's turn.** |
**LOL! Kanji-kun! You really keep this thread alive! Nice going both of you... Poor Kazhu though T_T**
Chapter 7: Annihilation "Onihikyo Taisetsujin Ryu: Hakureihi!" Tenshoujin swiped his sword through the air rotating as he did so. A huge blast resounded through the forest and a severe burst of heat burnt the immediate surrounding area. An orange path of flame radiated around Tenshoujin. The orange flames quickly turned a blood red. The summoned ritual flames rapidly began expanding around Tenshoujin, zipping through the entire area forming bigger concentric circles burning everything in their path. Thick tree trunks lay cleaved, their clinical slices sealed and cauterized by the passing heat. The air took on a definite smell of burning wood and smoke billowed from the cut tree trunks. The ground charred black and the brightness of the flames brought daylight to the dark night. The first set of soldiers to face the searing fire was the batch that had snuck up behind him. The flame wave passed right through them, burning them to their bones. Their axe and spear handles transformed into ash as the metal tip’s glowed red with heat. There was no time for reaction and even if there had been time there was no reaction that would have helped. The ritual flame was the purest red fire summoned on the Earth. A measly war axe wouldn’t change the outcome. The soldiers could have worn the most precious armour with no effect. Only a magical attack could counter the ritual flame and not a flimsy spell either. Tenshoujin looked around. The forest had lost a few trees and the moonlight shown on the burnt ground. Skeletal remains of soldiers lay spread on the terrain. Tenshoujin counted seven of them. He paused. The numbers didn’t add up. Batisha had summoned seven soldiers. That meant the body count had to be eight. Something was amiss… A silent laugh resounded from a fallen clump of trees. “A flame elemental attack?... Omoshire (interesting). You truly are talented… but perhaps I wasn’t the only one underestimating things was I?” Out of the burnt clump of tree bark, stepped Batisha, his own sword held in his hand, a pale white glow shining from it. “Of all the opponents you could pick, I’m the wrong guy to mess with. I don’t know who you are stranger, but I’m not one to be trifled with either. Before I dispatch you to your maker I’d like to know your name…” Tenshoujin looked on in surprise. Hakureihi wasn’t a child’s attack. It was a flame spell of significant power and to thwart it took a flame defence of equal power or knowledge of opposing elemental spells. Either way, it proved Batisha had more to him than he was letting on… and there was the matter of that eerie glow from the sword. “You would do well to remember my name, for the short time that you have left to live. Remember it well Batisha, my name is…Tenshoujin!” “Heh…” Batisha sniggered and held up his sword. “Ice Attack: Frigid Spectre!” The eerie glow became more dispersed and rose into the air around Batisha. It engulfed him in a dense fog and spread to the area around him. The burnt ground turned to ice where it fell. The fog rose higher, took on the form of an evil skull and swooped down on Tenshoujin. Batisha looked on with malice intent on watching the kill. Tenshoujin smiled briefly. This human really thought he could defeat a dragoman… and Tenshoujin at that! Tenshoujin put a hand forward and cried “Kougeki ekitai no tokeru… Tenhikamon” <Melt all attacks to water… Heavens burning armour>. Flames rippled from his body covering every inch of him. His entire form radiated flame. The diving ice spectre didn’t stand a chance as it rushed into engulf Tenshoujin. It ran into the flame shield and melted instantly. The destruction couldn’t have been more final. Tenshoujin hadn’t moved a single step. For all the effect it had, Batisha could well have saved himself the effort of trying. “Is that the best you have to offer? What a pity… you weren’t even interesting”. Tenshoujin vanished, reappeared behind Batisha and relinquished his sword back into ether. He whispered “The farce ends here” and began walking toward the fallen Soren. A cleaved Batisha fell to the floor in two halves behind him… |
Tatsu ~ "The Past, is just a Memory"
**Tenshoujin is so strong T_T What will Tatsu do. :p**
TATSU "My family name?" My expression grew heavy. "I haven't thought about that for a very long time. Why is it so important to know?" Nozomi quickly jumped to her own defense. "No no! I was just curious. If it's such a touchy topic for you to discuss, then I won't get into it." "I apologize Nozomi. No one has ever asked me that before. I was unsure how to respond to such an innocent question." In all my life the only people who showed interest in my past were those who hunted me. The Dragons only cared about my Elven roots. I was always being chased, or was in pursuit of the Silver Dragon and all evidence of it. All my memories were a painful experience. The burden was a heavy one to bear. But it was mine alone to carry. I didn't get people involved into my dilemma. They have their own problems. I didn't want the pressures of mine interfering with their lives. Shima was the exception though. I felt I could tell her anything. The same is true with Nozomi. It makes sense though. Shima is Nozomi now. Just in a different light. "Why are you brooding Tatsu? Did I upset you that much?" Nozomi's eyes were sullen. "Haha! I am sorry again Nozomi!" I retorted "Then tell me! What is your last name?" she once again winked at me. "It's Greywood." I turned my head to the side and uttered the word so lightly, in an effort to not be heard. "Greywood? That's an odd name. But I like it though it suits you." Nozomi grabbed me around the middle and squeezed. I felt myself start to blush. Why was I feeling uncomfortable? Is it because of all those memories I have? I haven't spoken out loud my father's family name since Shima was still alive. It felt extremely awkward telling it to Nozomi now. "So Tatsu Greywood? It has a nice little ring to it." "Tatsu isn't my full first name. It is just and abbreviated version of the real one. Greywood was my father's last name. My mother received it upon their marriage. At that time, my older sister was already alive. So she had mother's last name." I was telling Nozomi all this now because I desired it. She didn't have to know the details, but to not tell someone who cared so much about it didn't feel right. If I didn't tell her this, then I wasn't being completely honest with her, which is exactly what she was doing with me. "Oh?" Nozomi started to bounce upon Gana's feathery back. "What is your complete name then?" I smiled. I knew she was going to ask. I really wanted to answer this time. "It's Tatsumura......Tatsumura W. Greywood." "My middle initial is my father's name... Wildfire. Seeing how my mother granted me an Elven name upon birth, I received both father's first and last name. Since my father had given my older sister an islanders name, my mother gave me a mainland one. I heard that she named me after her father, but I am not sure that is entirely accurate." "Wow! such a story!" Nozomi stared at me in awe. "All this talk has made me soooo hungry! I hope we get to town soon." The sun shining brightly amongst the clouds now. The stars and moon has completely faded into the blue sky. It was so warm. The sunlight's heat gave a pleasing sensation to me. "I am sure we will arrive soon. Now where exactly is your friend?" "Her town is south of Disan." "Disan? Well we still have some distance ahead of us then. Gana has just passed the Dragon Mountains. Soon we will be completely out of Dragon Territory. I think we should just try and sleep for now. I don't know about you, but I sure am tired!" I gave a hearty laugh, to show Nozomi that everything was going to be just fine. "Sounds good to me....Tatsumura!" She laughed to herself. **NOTE: I was trying to give the feeling that Tatsu's father's name was something a Native American Indian would be called. While Tatsu's mother's Elven names sounded Japanese. I hope I did a good job of this.** |
Swiftant: Vestige
Our ongoing journey under the shimmering heavens, born from fate's layout, has favoured Suzette and me with an archetype of the celestial atmosphere that seems to be acting as a desultory barrier from secularity. My arms encompass Suzette whilst my consequently crossed hands clasp Fayuro's reins. Setting my arms as an equilibrium for a stable complete surveillance, Suzette establishes a brisk but piquant position for any vestige of Shinkirou.
"Over there!" Suzette signals to the ground of a passing desert beneath us. Blood floods my fingertips, as I regain control of Fayuro, directing it toward Suzette's assertion. The dragon capriciously swoops down in an avalanche of speed, accelerating every second. Just when the ground lies no more than a whisker away from its hindlegs, it stops; the impact forceful enough to hurl an intermediate person of mediocre strength off by several miles. Fayuro flaps its huge, contractile black wings profusely, proudly suspended over the spot. Suzette and I effortlessly dismount it in midair, observing the landmarks in our vicinity with cautious vigilance. A boundless maze of enarmoring ancient monuments and artifacts luminously tower over us, anqituated but venerable. In the air, Fayuro encircles us repeatedly, its commanding bearing warning away any threatening presence. "This is it?" I whisper, aware of the relics' easy disposition to tumble onto us. "This is it." Suzette replies casually, unmoved by the hazard. Drawing her flute from her belt of weaponry at her waist, she begins digging into the sand with it, evoking deep patterned marks while doing so. The markings' steady accumulation ends in one conclusion - a symbol, the likes of which I have never perceived before.  "First, the rectangle depicts the desert itself. The two images inside it represent the sun and moon, which correlate to day and night respectively." mutters Suzette as she sketches, "The lines at the four corners of the symbol each indicate a day and a night spent in the desert. After four straight days of pure endurance are up, Shinkirou will appear to the living victims of the sandy wasteland, and only to that individual, at this very location. The zigzagging line penetrating the symbol tells of the victim's various encounters and experiences throughout his or her course of suffering, to his or her destination." she continues, "Thus, being able to fully comprehend Shinkirou's concepts permits involuntary entrance into the latter." She then starts to invoke a mystical incantation, much like a dithyramb. After which Suzette enacts a dance fit for the emperor himself, also enhancing it with her flute. I gaze amorously at her, recalling how she had bestowed upon me this very lasting impression, at first glance. Every part of Suzette seems to be playing a lucid role in concerting her performance. Her limbs, even her fingers, curve and stretch concisely at all her exemplary movements; her hair streams in perfect synchronization with her bodily executions, never obstructing her, striking a well-balanced internal flow (or in Chinese, "qi"); I'm in awe of her majesty. I only wish we had reconciled with the others, so they can appreciate this as well. Suzette suddenly stops abruptly; her eyes closed and a perturbing frown on her forehead. "Suzette..?" I ask, hands already diving inside my shuriken holder. She blinks and smiles at me in relief. "Swift, we're here..." I spin around in disbelief, for a whole village inherited by people had been literally summoned right under my nose, and I didn't even notice it! No longer do these architectures belong to an archaic period, no longer do what I see lay in ruins. A bustling village crammed with hustling villagers had materialized from out of nowhere! Just then, I feel a nostalgic vibe nearby. "Tatsu..?" |
Tatsu ~ "The Unveiling"
TATSU
The journey forth from the Dragon's Airspace was long and cumbersome. Time was fleeting. The sun actuated into the highest point in the sky, staying there for what felt like for just a moment, lackadaisically descended and once again joined the horizon. Darkness approached and thousands of sparkling lights adorned the world encompassing us. "Tatsu, I think this is it. We are reaching the area where Aisha's town is located." I looked about, arduously. I wanted to quickly find this village and take shelter. My lack of energy and stamina was becoming a bit overbearing. "How can you be so sure Nozomi? I don't see a thing." Far below us was a patch of desert. This was a bit strange I thought to myself. This area did not have an environment fit for such nomadic conditions. Only grass and caribou should be here. "This desert..." Nozomi breathed. "This desert is where I was when I was with Aisha. When I traveled North, I reached the city of Disan. There I met you and Ichirin. The further I moved away, the more the desert seemed to well....disappear..." "Disappear?" I blinked. "Yes, I believe there is some sort of magical protection over this place." Nozomi fussed. "Interesting." I began to think to myself: If there is a kind of magical barrier here, then there has to be some sort of preset limit to the amount of space and area such a spell can cover....If we are now viewing a desert, which we should not be, then that means such a spell is active. If we can see the desert, then I believe it is safe to assume that this area is not blanketed by the spell. All we are viewing at this very moment, is an elaborate hallucination brought on by the barrier spell.... "This is incredible!" I blurted out without warning. This spell is very intricate in it's design. For it to be constantly active, must take a tremendous amount of power and effort. I have to find a facet that is duller then the rest, and exploit it.....We want in, so we have to calculate the radius of the circumference that the spell engulfs. Gana continued in a straight line, as the great eagle moved forward through the mist and whistling winds, we kept on viewing the desert below. I looked to the right, the desert ended about 150 or so yards away. To the left, the desert continued on as far as the eye could see. Ah ha! This is becoming a bit more clear. The area to the right is not within the area of the spell. The left, north and immediate south, is inside the barrier. So, if my estimate is correct, we have to continue northwest to reach deeper into the barrier. I came to this conclusion because we have traveled from the east, and south of us no desert was present. Suddenly, I felt an alluring presence, one I had known and felt before. With these powers from Yogensha, I can feel the presence of souls that I have familiarized myself with. Apparently, this ability was not voluntary, it was like a receiver, and I was the receptor. Whatever it felt, I as well picked up.. "Who is that?" I whispered softly.... "This strong presence, it feels different from before, more mature and stronger....This is....Swiftant?!" Nozomi shot me an awkward glance. I laughed to myself. This is it! We are in the correct area. A smile overwhelmed me. I quickly reached into my pocket and pulled out Inferno. Slipping the ring onto my left index finger, a red light surrounded me. "So Tatsu, your first call to me with your new life, what do you desire?" The voice of the spirit Inferno echoed inside of my mind. Inferno, I need a favor, I cannot muster up a valid summon in my weakened, tired condition. I would like for you to project a dimensional "cut" through the air that can safely transport me through a certain barrier. "What sort of barrier?" Inferno questioned. A dome barrier I would imagine. It is covering a city and the surrounding land. I can't seem to find a weak spot, as a spirit, who is one with the universe and all things around it, I am sure this will be easy for you. I just need you to cut me a temporary hole in this barrier so we can squeeze through. "Hmmm.....What you are asking of me with be bothersome to initiate, but it can be done. Hold out the ring into the air." I hold out my left hand, so Inferno can analyze the barrier. "This spell, it has been uncloaked to a selected person. Someone has shut off the invisibility of the barrier, and is gaining entrance. I can use this to our advantage. Here within the barrier it is weak, you are still within the outer ring where the area the spell covers is not as potent. Deeper in, of course the spell with have a much more impacting effect. The core of the barrier is north of us, traveling any further will greatly reduce your chances of entering. Seeing as how you have just entered the desert only a short time ago, you are in the appropriate position. Anything that has to stretch out any move away from a center point, is much less unstable. That is the draw back of a dome barrier. You are lucky that you are educated in the Field of Magic Tatsu. If not, you would be dead, wandering in this false desert." I smile a thanks. "The circumference is great and I cannot see an end, so I will cut a hole in it. This hole won't last long, a minute at most so hurry. Are you ready? "Yes, yes I am." Nozomi was giving me weird looks. She was not sure what I was doing. She has never seen Inferno, so she doesn't know what he can do. "Nozomi hold tight...Gana! Pick up the pace! We are going! Okay Inferno do it!" A humming red beam shot forth from my finger and struck the sky. Purple ripples emitted from nowhere. "Here Tatsu! Dive into the ripples!" Gana dove with such velocity that I was temporarily blinded, when we reached the other side, a wondrous city was before us. |
*Ok guys, time for me to bumb in again and spoil all your fun! ^^. Btw, my writing skills are a bit low atm, because i haven't written in ages, stories that is :d*
Ichirin- As i woke up under the desert sunshine that burned on my face, and even through my blindfold onto my eyes, i remembered a horrible nightmare i was having tonight. Though this nightmare was not fiction, i saw Tatsu sacrificing himself to ressurect me from the dead, i saw my furious rage that i unleashed upon the guards. At this moment, i have no idea what to do next, i should honor Tatsu's body. But for now, i think the desert lands stretching from Dizan river to Shanzûn river will calm my mind, and give me the peace that i desired for so long. Two days later, i had the same nightmare but now i knew what to do, i knew how to honor Tatsu ... how to get rid of these nightmares ... And maybe this was my destiny, maybe it was Tatsu's destiny to sacrifice himself so i could live. "Aaarrrrrrrgggghh!!!" I cried out, for only the desert sand to hear. "This is not me! I don't even believe in destiny!" But still, if i believe in destiny or not, at this point there was only one way to honor Tatsu. And that is by ridding the continent of all dragons, every single one shall die! every dragonwarrior, dragoness... every dragonchild! "All.... Shall.... Perish!" I started drifting off to the dangerous dragon hills in the east, where the dragons live. Though the terrain to get to dragon territory was not as traversable as the terrain to the west, heavy sandstorms roar across the desert plains... dangerous creatures lure beneath the sands. But i knew what i was going for, and i'd let nothing stop me... not a dragon, a creature, sandstorms nor my beloved. I left Myzuri behind to honor Tatsu, but it was the right thing to do, he threated me like his own child. And i felt him as he was my foster-parent, and for him and my parents i had to leave Myzuri. 5 days later: i felt a sandstorm coming up, the first one i've ever felt. At first the sand brushing on my face feels good, but that good soon begins to hurt. And not much later with every step i take my feet needed to carry a whole load of sand that covered it in the seconds i placed my foot there before. I knew that i couldn't go on like this, therefor i decided to rest here, until the storm was over. I ripped of my cloak and binded it around myself as a cocoon and dropped myself into the sand. *hope you liked my first story-post in a long time :). btw, for the dragons, i was thinking maybe to get a dragon which is the complete opposite of a character, but only that character can destroy the dragon. (yes, i've been watching avatar lately :p) * |
Tatsu ~ "Sand City Hidden Within"
**Excellent Ichi-kun, it's great to have you back!**
TATSU The pale moonlight adorned the majesty of the city hidden within the barrier. Tall buildings towered over others, shadows encroached the land, flashing lights and signs were all about. Though the city was disguised as a barren wasteland, inside it appeared as a desert and forest mixed together, large evergreen trees were growing peacefully in the sand. All the technology of this place looked very advanced. "I can't believe a place like this was hidden here." My surprise spoke for me. "Yes I know, it is something isn't it? If it wasn't for this place, and the kindness of Aisha, I think I wouldn't have survived in this world" I land Gana on the outer edge of town. Climbing off onto flat land was a relief. We had been traveling for so long my body ached. I helped Nozomi get down, she threw herself into my arms. "Well that's one way of getting off." I laughed a bit. Though Nozomi just gave a smile. "So where is this Aisha's house?" I said scratching my chin. "I'm not sure, I don't recognize this area. We might have to look around, it's been awhile for me." We began our walk and headed for the city. With every step my stomach ached with hunger pains. My eyes watered with tiredness, and I felt my energy dwindling. I checked my pouch, we didn't have a single gold piece. We were totally broke. So even if we wanted to we couldn't stop and get something to eat. Being in that prison, the guards made sure to take all our money from us. What a drag. I pulled up my hood from my cloak as we hit the streets. Vendors were on corners selling their product. Kids were running around with toys filled with laughter. This brought a smile to my face. I hadn't seen kids run around so freely in years. Hidden within this dome, these citizens have no fear of the dragons and lived in peace. I couldn't help but feel envious of them, but it was for the best that they stayed here like this, and that I was merely a passerby. I could hear Nozomi start to complain. "Oooh! I'm so hungry!! I want some food!" Hehe it was just like her to complain like this. Suddenly, she ran in front of me to a vendor standing at a corner. "Hey mister! These look so good!" Her mouth was watering as she stared at skewered kebabs. My eyes widened. What the hell is she doing? Running over to some random person like this? We should be keeping quite not drawing attention. I started to slowly walk over to her, and calmly grabbed her forearm. "Nozomi come on, we have no cash." I whispered. "oh! But I want one!" The vendor gave a smile, well little lady, you are in luck, I was just about to close my shop since night has fallen and I want to head home now, here these are extra from the day." The man handed her a plethora of juicy kebabs. "Wow! Really! Thanks so much sir!" She grabbed the meat and skipped into the streets. My stomach growled as I watched her eat all the meats, the oils glistened on her moist lips. She gave me a sideways glance. "I'm so sorry Tatsu, I totally forgot to give you one!" She stuck out her hand in front of face with a succulent piece of meat in her grasp. Leave it to Nozomi to use her charms without even knowing it to swoon over some street vendor. I graciously and happily devoured the meat she had offered me. This satisfied my appetite a bit. "Hey those are really good." We continued to walk around in search of Aisha's house. We saw people from all walks of life doing their daily things and going through their routines. I hadn't seen so many elderly and the young in one place like this before. Usually the young are in the big towns training to be warriors, and the elderly have retreated to a forest home to escape the war and live their last days in peace. This was a pleasant surprise for me. "I think this in it." Nozomi stopped randomly in front of an old house crammed between two fancy looking buildings. "Are you sure ? This place looks like a decorated shack..." We stayed quite for a moment. The roof looked like it was patched together from old shingles. The lighting on the porch was dim, the stairs had holes in them. One window was boarded up and another was cracked. "Yeah! This is totally Aisha's place!" Nozomi ran up the steps and started banging on the door. "Aisha! Heee~y! Aisha! It's me Nozomi! I've come back to visit you!" After a couple of seconds, I could hear a female voice speaking from within and the front door started to slowly creak open. |
Hokay!
Who would like to recreate a similar thread like this, involving a "serious" tale of epic... stuff... ? Cause i believe that this Story is at it's end, resulting from inactivity from it's members playing in the story (including myself, especially myself). For more info about the Story itself and how it came to this, i can referr you to the very first post, where i explained everything. If people would like to recreate such a story, i believe Kanji (haven't heard from him yet) & me would die to organize it. |
Hey Ichirin man! Nice to hear from you! I had SO many ideas for Tales of Storys, but I didn't write the next parts of my character, because it would of been sort of senseless if I was the only one writing it. Therefore, I decided not to post anymore.
If you, or anyone else wants to continue Tales, or something else, then I definitely be interested in checking it out. |
hey guys! miss me!!!??!!! I'm back and totally ready to write again. just let me know when you guys are starting again and I'll be ready to go. XD
...-removed-... Guys don't worry I'm here to stay. And I have aa great idea for a story. It's almost like this kinda (cuz after reading this I was totally re-inspired) Kanji, I'll PM you with the details. Maybe we can get JF back to the writing ways of days of old. XD And can someone let Nard know I'm back. lol. Quote:
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SEASON 2: Swiftant: Prologue
**Alright people, it's been a long time, but just as all great series do, we had to take a little transition from writing. And for the same reason, we can surely do a season 2.
*goes to re-read posts* I can tell ya, this ain't easy, catching up with the story, and looking up and down for story-posts containing specific information that you have to carefully single out and whatnot. Good luck, guys. XD I have a suggestion, from here on out, we're gonna just write what we wanna write. Plots are on a first come first serve basis. We shouldn't have to do any behind-the-scenes discussion about the story, because that would make it seem rehearsed. Great stories should be unplanned, spontaneous and unpredictable with a twist, as is reality, right? :D Without further ado, here's to the revival of the greatest rpg story of all time - Tale of Storys. Cheers. :vsign: ** I spin around in disbelief, for a whole village inherited by people had been literally summoned right under my nose, and I didn't even notice it! No longer do these architectures belong to an archaic period, no longer do what I see lie in ruins. A bustling village crammed with hustling villagers has materialized from out of nowhere! Just then, I feel a nostalgic vibe nearby. "Tatsu..?" "What is it, Swift?" Suzette probes me, noticing my suspended gaze at the air. "It's nothing, how about we take a breather for a change?" I nod toward the festivities to our northeast, down one of the dozen rustic lanes of Shinkirou. Thinking: We're bound to run into the others sooner or later, I just want to see Suzette's smile, for now. The village is actually more of a biological city. On one hand, the greenery reigns proud and untouchable, looking sublime; there are evergreen trees of an exotic diversity I've never before known, sowed in desert sands. On the other, the emphasis on electricity is impeccably conspicuous, spanning from flashing signages to steel-fortified towers, immersed in the glittering grandeur of technology. My eyes are a clear shade of azure. The fesitivities are made up of a great smorgasbord of ordinary minigames, which have been digitally enhanced and augmented. First on our list is whack-a-mole, in which there is a wall with a 10 by 10 set of screens projected on it, fully taking up the wall's capacity. The player has to punch the mole or moles that will appear on any of the screens - according to the game vendor, who is actually sporting a tuxedo. The prize is a pair of limited edition boxing gloves labeled "A pair of gloves best effective against dragon hides!" "Let's go for it," Suzette half-whispers and half-squeaks, unable to suppress her own excitment of reminsicing her childhood days. "Anything you want, Su," I smile and whisper back. Thinking: I've never seen her excited like this, over a game. Is that her true face? One punch, two punch, three, four and five and six at the same time. WHAM! I cock my head up in battle alert mode, my eyes tinting with red - just to see - Suzette with her fist plugged into the now holey wall, her expression of childish frustration. Thinking: I've never seen that before, either. I want to see more. The vendor is practically screaming at her and she winks sheepishly at me. I quickly compose myself and stride toward them. "Is there trouble, Su?" "Su?! You don't mean Suzette of the dragons, do you? Suzette, the blood traitor of her mother and this village," the vendor interrupted. "Shut up," Suzette mutters, impassive. "How dare you return here, I've heard stories about you, terrible stories, you shameless incarnation of betrayal, you-", the vendor abhors angrily, but I cut him off by uncloaking my weapons and exhibiting them to the scene. "Care to repeat yourself?" I say to him through grinded teeth. "Don't, Swift," Suzette croaks out, glaring at me with swimming eyes. Thinking: I want to love her for who she is, but was I prepared for this? Was she? Fuming, I grab her hand and lead her away from the festivities, away from the depraved vendor, away from the curious mob that are now gathering around the commotion, some of whom are exclaiming as angrily as him. At the town central, she struggles free from my grasp. "What, what happened back there, Su?" I cautiously approached the subject of concern. "You heard it yourself. I'm a traitor." "I- I don't under-" "I gave up my soul to the dragons! I gave this village life up! I gave my family up! I wanted to stop the dragons from the inside, but I failed and now after years, I'm still an outcast...", she wails and whimpers softly on the last few words. "Su... I recall the vendor talking about your mother. Is she- is she still here?" "I dunno, I can't even bring myself to face her." I embrace Suzette and squeeze her in my arms, with more love than I can muster up. The sun is dropping in the sky and evening has cast its vermillion glow, pouring its panoramic goldness unto us and drowning the sharp light and contrasting shadows of day, drowning Suzette's cries, drowning my dying insides - dying to abolish her pain. But there are some fights Man cannot win. And this was harder than resisting Shakura's oblivion of terrorism. "I love you, Suzette, you know I'll be with you all the way, I'll be on your side, always, even if the world deems you an outcast," I croon softly into her ears. "I love you, Swiftant... Without you, I'd be a crumpled mess by now... I hate myself so much, can your love compensate for that?" Suzette demands. "It'd be my pleasure to use my life trying." ...... "Aisha," Suzette's voice muffles in my chest. "What?" I ask. "My mother, Aisha." **Tried to make a plot there, people. Reciprocate and give me something interesting. :D I have to say, besides finding information, it was freaking TOUGH getting started up again. Advice: just start writing, the only way to bypass writer's block is to write through it.** |
Season 2: Tatsu: A Quiet Place
**Nice one Nard-kun. Your returning post was so elegantly constructed. It is as if you never stopped writing. Good work....
*reads old posts* that was some awesome stuff. I still remember some of my ideas but not too many I'll do my best** Nozomi hurtled herself up the central staircase leading to a small open walkway. She shouted out to her friend who still remained to be seen. On the side of the porch it was collapsed and rotten. A dim light illuminated a small patch of old wood placed adjacent to a thick mahogany door.. In an almost comical way, the door creaked open and slowly, someone from inside peeked out. A brief pause, then the floor was opened all the way revealing a low centered silhouette. From my position I could see into the shack. A flame flickered at the other end of the room, the light behind completely shrouded the figure's face. "Aisha! It's been sooo long!" Nozomi flung her arms into the air and she ran over the molded floor. The figure stepped onto the porch, as she did, the dim light shown her sullen visage. Her gaze drifted from Nozomi and locked on to me. I was still standing on the street, I hadn't approached the stairway yet. The woman's expression changed. "Why Nozomi, it is so wonderful to see you!" Aisha shuffled out and moved over to her. "And you brought a bodyguard. I was hoping you weren't going to get into a lot of trouble out there." She placed her hand on Nozomi's shoulder, then slowly moved down to her arm and grabbed her hand. "I never get any visitors here. What made you come back to Shinkirou- oh excuse me, I am being so horribly rude, you can see I am unaccustomed to visitors I lost all my manners. Do come inside." She motioned with her hand for me to enter the building. Inside the central room was dark and musty. Most of the windows were sealed shut. Little to no light from the outside entered in here. "Come, come, sit, sit." Aisha removed some cloth from two small moth eaten stools. "Here you are, sit please..." Aisha takes the shawl from her shoulder and places it on the chair. "Now what can I get for you two folk? Would like something hot to drink? Oh! I finished a nice thick soup a little while ago, would either one of you fancy a bowl?" "SOUP?! Yaay!" Nozomi grinned big with excitement. "I'd SO love to have some! I am SO hungry!" Aisha laughed. "Of course dear, and what about you? um-." I had been lost in thought for a moment. When I realized I was being address I spoke out "Please forgive me." I stated. "The name's Tatsu." I put out my hand to Aisha. "What a polite young man! You don't see many these days... Okay, it'll be my pleasure two bowls coming up. Nozomi honey, would you please help me by the stove for a moment?" " Of course." Nozomi jumped up and followed the elderly woman into a nearby room. I sat there alone staring at the candle fire dancing calmly on a small table. Handwritten books and scripts were littered about. The walls were stocked full with old texts. Pillows and thick cloths were on the floor and chairs. For a moment I stood up and removed my cloak, placing it down upon my seat. Soon the two of them came back. "Here ya go Tat!" With two hands Nozomi raised a large wooden bowl before me. I glanced into it. Thick chunks of meat and vegetables swam harmoniously with sliced potatoes. "Thank you." I eagerly put out my hands and took the bowl. At that moment it was like gold. Nothing had more value. My stomach had grown empty, and my appetite demanded to be sated. A crooked metal spoon was given to me. Quickly I began to feast. We all sat there around the fire in a circle. "So let me ask again" Aisha began first "What brings you back here Nozomi? I am surprised you were able to get into the city. The army never lets that barrier down for any reason." Nozomi wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "We got into a bit of trouble actually." Nozomi's eyes shifted down. She looked embarrassed. "We didn't know where else to go." She lowered her voice for the next part "The Dragon Army is after us, they tried to kill us, we were in a prison but we got away. We came here because this is the only place in all of Etrirea that the Dragon's can't get to." I put my hand out in front of Nozomi to cut her off. I shook my head. She told Aisha more than I had liked. Aisha looked mortified. "Oh no, you poor things, I can't believe you are being chased by the army! I told you to stay away from the Dragons!" Aisha composed herself. "I am sorry. The two of you must be exhausted from your journey here. Feel free to use my storage room as sleeping quarters for the night." "Thank you." With the bowl dry, and stomach full I stood up and stretched. "I also have a small bathing area, help yourself. There should be some drying cloths by the door." Aisha continued to sip at her broth, as Nozomi poured herself a second helping. I nod a thanks. In the storage room I removed Sora, my tunic, boots and belt and placed them leaning on a box. Stepping down, the cool wood under my feet was pleasing. Around the hallway was the bath. The bath was small. But it would suffice. I stumbled over to a bucket near the fireplace. I got a hot water going and filled the bath up. Slowly I removed articles of clothing and stepped inside. The heat was extremely comforting. I sat down and extended my limbs, lounging. I looked back and forth about the area and took notice to a pile of bathing supplies placed just an arm's length away. I grabbed a small face cloth and scrubbed all the dirt and grime from my cheeks. Out of my peripheral vision I could see movement. I glanced over and saw myself. A mirror had been placed on a chair next to the bath. I looked straight into my own eyes. They were red and swollen. My lips curled downward. My eyes looked devoid of life. I was disgusted with how terrible I looked. I turned my shoulder and faced the other way positioning myself to the wall. I put my head back on the edge of the bath. In no time at all, I had dozed off. |
Suzette's Return! <3
**AHH!! It was amazing to re-read everything from the past!! Now time to get this thing up and going again!! <3**
"Aisha,"My voice was muffled in Swift's chest. "What?" Swift ask. "My mother, Aisha." I had not spoken her name in years. It took so much to speak of her now, especially after what had just happened. She would be so ashamed of me now. I can still see her face the day she found out I had become a traitor. She was hurt, crushed, destroyed and disowned me. Everyone who had found what had happened felt that way. I had really thought that after years of being gone people would forget what had happened, but I guess scars like that never heal. I was still crying into Swift's chest when I got the craziest idea. "Swift," I whispered as I lifted my head off his chest and looked into his eyes. "Could we, possibly, just go to where my house used to be, and see if it is still there?" He raised his hands and wiped my tears away and look my face into both his hands. "Of course we can. If that is truly you want. Then we shall go." His voice was sincere. I hugged him and looked at him and kissed him. It did not feel weird to kiss him and hold him close anymore. It felt right. I wonder if he felt the same, especially after what had just happened. I had never told anyone I was a traitor. I started to lead the way in silence to where my house had been. The woods leading to it had gotten much much denser and the roots from the trees were much higher than I remember then from growing up. I tripped over one and Swift caught me. "Thanks. I guess I'm still a childish klutz at times." I tried to laugh but the painful memories from those days were still playing like a movie in my mind ever since the festival. As we approached the house, I was taken back. It looked just the same as it did when I had left. Nothing was out of place. It was like someone froze time the day I left and I was now returning to unfreeze it for good. But I was scared to get any further. I did not know if my mother was home. I did not know if my mother was still living here. I did not know if my mother was still alive even. "Well, this is it. Home sweet home." I grabbed Swift's hand. I was shaking. he pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. His head rested on my shoulder and I leaned my head against his. This was a moment I did not want to let go of, at all. |
New Season 2 character!
I figured with our power-ups and all, we needed new antagonists. Here's the list Kanji had made before, with a few modifications from 7 onwards:
1. Shakura, The Silver Queen Dragon. 2. Thrandos, Gold Dragon. Highest Military Position. Just below the Queen. 3. Leinurus, Purple Dragon Of Lightning. Third in Command. 4. Dimitria, Brown Dragon of Nature. One of the Dragon Elites. 5. Nuruoki, Blue Dragon of Water. One of the Dragon Elites. 6. Zanden, Red Dragon of Fire. One of the Dragon Elites. 7. Qayroph, Orange Dragon of Seasons. One of the Dragon Nobles. (delirious, carefree, rowdy) 8. Xephrish, White Dragon of Dry Ice. One of the Dragon Nobles. (calm, selective hatred, determined) 9. W.S. Gavrik, A.K.A., World Smasher Gavrick, Gray Dragon of Gravity. One of the Dragon Nobles. (conniving, short-tempered, condescending) Now, guys, the Dragon Nobles are supposedly of the same calibre as Shakura and Akuma. Do not take them lightly. XD And based on that... Name: Xephrish Age: Unknown Height: An ordinary dragon would be about 30 feet, elites/generals estimatedly 50, and dragon-king class approximatedly... 70 feet? Someone correct me if I got it wrong, but I couldn't find any measurements for dragons. So, I'm classifying their size and power under the Dragon kings/queens. Weight: She's pretty dense as she is tall, so use your imaginations. :mtongue: EDIT: Appearance: Pure, shimmering white. Scales whiter than snow, so dazzling they could pierce your eyes, at a mere glance, given there's reflection. Weapon: Elements of Dry Ice and Light. Further Details: Xephrish, White Dragon of Dry Ice. One of the Dragon Nobles. Older sister of the deceased Xephon. Calm, selective hatred, determined, elegant. No human has ever witnessed or dared witness her complete visual hue, for two reasons: fear of being blinded, and the fear of being frozen alive within her element's range. So, other than being colored white, her appearance remains mysteriously anonymous. Willing to team up with anyone, who hasn't a partner or wishes to create a secondary character. If you guys want to edit anything, character or quantity wise, go ahead and tell me. I'll be back soon to input more details and story. :) |
SEASON 2: Xephrish: Evokation of Three Royal Powers 1
I am flying. Soaring - to the greatest and most divine of heights; to the coldest and most insurmountable of summits; to the hottest and most scorching of peaks; to the thinnest and most whimsical of clouds.
I am flying. Diving - to the lowest and most treacherous of grounds; to the deepest and most murky of seas; to the darkest and most suffocating of nights; to the brightest and most relieving of days. In my aerial endeavors, all that's left in my trail is a vast, white, frozen sheet of landscape, glaring icily at its shuddering neighbors. People, plants, animals, structures, vocalnoes, mountains, clouds, air, water - they all petrify and crumple and perish - no matter how cold or hot or durable or protected, nothing can precede my instinct. Now, Her Graciousness Shakura is in need of my power and has evoked... us. I fly to her side, for only they are worth realizing my light, for only they can cradle me with warmth. A dragon that freezes as intuitively and helplessly, as a mortal breathes, I am... Xephrish. |
Season 2 : Tatsu ~ An Unexpected Ally
**Awesome dragons Nard-kun. I am glad that I left the last three up to you. Looks like Shakura has her own personal execution squad. The elites must be jealous.
Definitely will be source material for some interesting battles in the future.** TATSU: I awaken suddenly to a frigid bath. I didn't even remember falling asleep. In earnest, I gather myself and move out of the tub, grabbing on to one of the drying cloths that were stacked neatly on top of a low cabinet. I wrap it around my waste, and grab a second one and start to wipe the water from my chest and shoulders, trying to warm up in as little time as possible. Once dressed back into my pants and white shirt I notice a small window just across from the tub. The two bottom boards had been removed from the pane. I bend my knees and look out. Night had fallen. I couldn't see anything out there. It was so dark, when I looked at the window, my own reflection looked right back at me instead. I had wondered why Aisha's house was so old and uncared for. All the windows were covered over and nailed closed. Was she hiding herself in here? Was she ashamed of this place? Random thoughts moved in and out. In the other room Nozomi was asleep on a portion of the couch. Three bowls were littering the floor around her. Aisha was asleep in the chair, her shawl was draped across her front. The light from the fireplace waxed and waned, a orange glow bounced off the frames on the walls. The whole house was completely silent. This moment comforted me. This security. This peaceful place. I didn't want to sleep. Yes I was completely and utterly exhausted, but some sort of feeling was keeping me awake. For the entire time I had been in this city, I had continued to sense Swiftant's presence. It would come and go at times, but it has progressively grown more intense. It's almost as if I could reach out and touch him. I was trying to convince myself that I was just over worked, and I just needed to put my mind at ease for a few hours. But then suddenly-there is was-clear as a bell-I could feel Swiftant's being. I closed my eyes and focused; placing the fingertips from both my hands on the sides of my temples. I whispered into my head "Swiftant?" It felt to me like I could hear someone's thoughts. In a blink I had seen a woman. It looked like she was standing in front of me. I was remembering what Yogensha had told me. How I had inherited a portion of his soul, and therefore I could sense people that I had met, just as he could in life. I always wondered how it was that he found me, and how he could see me from the other world. Was he able to see through me eyes? Was I seeing through Swift's eyes just a moment ago? No. Only a dream. It has to be that. I need to lay down. Dazed and confused, I didn't notice that someone had come to the front door of the house. Quickly and quietly, I grab Sora and slink behind a post. I couldn't make it out too well, there was at least two, the old wood of the porch gave them away. Aisha didn't mention that she was getting any visitors. Regardless of this, a feeling told me that on one comes here... The two outside weren't salesman. Not at this hour... The knob turned, and the door was slowly opened. I raised my blade. Stepping out, placing one foot directly in front of the other, I crept to the side of a bookcase, ready to strike. I could hear a woman whispering: "Shh, don't make too much noise. I don't want to wake her up." There in the dark, I recognized the masculine form. The light from outside was hitting him in the back, illuminating a fraction of his face, but I did know this for Swift. I hadn't seen him in a long time, but there was no mistake. It was him. "Swiftant?" I speak aloud from my hiding post. The two twirl around. "Who?!" Swiftant blurts out. "It's me, Tatsu." I step forward from the shadows. "It's been a long time." I approach him. "Somehow I knew you would be coming here." "Tatsu? What are you doing here??" His voice raises with surprise, his arms outstretched. The commotion had awakened Nozomi and Aisha. "Waaahhh??" Nozomi grunts as she rubs her eyes. "Who is it?" Aisha sits up. Half mumbling to herself. The woman with Swiftant cringes, and takes a step back. Aisha's eyes widen "Suzette?! Ohh! Suzette! You came home!" Aisha gets up from her chair and runs over the the front door. The woman, apparently named Suzette, stutters over herself "Y-yes mother, it's me." Aisha bursts into tears and throws herself onto Suzette. "It's been years!" Suzette lifts up her hands and places them loosely over Aisha's shoulders. "I'm sorry mother. You know why I haven't come here. It was for you. I was protecting you." Swiftant, Nozomi and myself are silent. Aisha forces back a tear. "I know, I know! But you didn't even write a letter. Nothing!" "I was under constant surveillance from the Dragon military. There was not that I could do. If I had given them the smallest inkling of your position they would of began the hunt." Aisha is silent. I break the silence. "Aisha...I am sorry, but I have to ask. Are you in hiding from the Dragon nation?" Aisha closes her eyes, and sighs heavily. " I suppose I can't evade the truth forever. I didn't want to have to remember. Yes. It is true. For years the clans have searched for me. I have escaped them, and have remained here for half a century. I committed the ultimate crime..." Nozomi blinks in confusion. "Aisha, what is going on? What are you talking about?" Nozomi rubs her head. "You never told me about this before." Aisha turns from Suzette for a moment and faces the three of us. "I know Nozomi...Perhaps if I just showed you rather than explain myself.. Then you will understand. Hang on." Aisha steps away from us all and places her hands together, clasping them tight. Then, in a bright white light, Aisha's form changes. She transformed into a dragon. About half the size of a regular dragon. Her structure was frail, even still, her wings drooped, and her greenish-yellow scales were flaked and cracked... This knocks me clean off my feet, I stumble back under this sudden change. What is this? "Please don't hate me. I am a dragon. Yes, a dragon. A dwarf dragon. My clan perfected human transformation. It was us who were the ones who would go on operations of espionage and infiltrate human cities. Gain knowledge of it's fortification and then report back so the army could overthrow them In the end, I stole something of extreme value from the empire and then escaped with a human...This human, became my husband. He knew I was a dragon on the inside, but he didn't care. He forged a family...Had Suzette. When I told her about her heritage and showed her myself she became incredibly intrigued by the Dragon's world and left this sanctuary." Aisha changes back to a human. "I haven't changed in years. In all honesty, I was hoping I would never have to again, for a moment there I was unsure if I could." No one knows what to say... So this is why Aisha stays in hiding in here. The city must know of her, and have shunned her to the far edges of Shinkirou. |
Tatsu ~ What Lies Ahead
As our group sat in Aisha's small living room gathered about immersed in conversation, the light of the morning sun poked though the gaps in the window boards.
Apparently all this time Swiftant was back with the Dragon Empire. There he had met up with Suzette, and there he had decided to betray the queen. In a way, I was still uncertain of his motives. After all, he was a man who worked for the Dragons. One usually doesn't decide to switch to the losing side. Did they think he was conspiring? Did he have regret for betraying his own kind for all these years? But I wasn't about to confront him on the subject. I know I like my secrecy and rather keep things kept to myself. I only divulge what I must to make sure that I can function adequately with my partners... In any event, I was glad that we had been reunited. I didn't want to generate any negative tension. Our group has been scattered for far too long. I wanted to enjoy this moment. I looked at the two of them; Suzette and Swiftant. The way they sat in each others company. Were they a couple? She was definitely a pretty girl. Every now and then when our eyes met during Swiftant conversing she would smile. Aisha came out of the kitchen with a kettle and a platter of cups. "Here. I have prepared some coffee. I have some sweet rolls as well." I picked up a cup, and pressed my lips to the rim. The heat warmed my nostrils. I took a sip. "It's good." I spoke softly. Nozomi ended up eating all the rolls. There was not even a crumb left for anyone else. We all just laughed. " Look at this, my home full of people. Why just yesterday this place was empty, and today I have four young people to keep me company." Aisha's eyes twinkled. "I am glad that someone people from the outside has come. It is evidence enough that there is still hope for those outside of this hidden place. Here in Shinkirou, citizens are ignorant to the struggles of the humans who face the dragons everyday. They are safe here, brainwashed into believing that the world is but a desert wasteland, and there is only life far,far away, hidden from the dragons. Most people here have never met a dragon, so when they discovered who I was really they were unnerved. People hate what they don't understand, and I haven't been understood at all. I so am the one who covered these windows and keep myself in here. Only going out at night if I have to." Suzette looks deeply troubled by her mother's words... "mother if I had known how it has been for you all this time I would have come sooner, I wish I could have. But fear also kept me away." "It's alright." Aisha smiles. "I need to end this way of life." I get up and go over to one of the windows. "You shouldn't be afraid of who you are." I speak aloud. "They have no right to treat you this way. You shouldn't live like this." I stretch out my arms, tense my biceps, and tear a piece of board from the window. A stream of light floods the room. The red light of the rising sun breathes a breath of life into this dingy space. I squint my eyes and stare into the sky. I turn to face everyone. They are all staring at me. "You are one of them Aisha. You have been here alone all this time, now you must let yourself be free. You aren't dead. This isn't a tomb." Aisha begins to cry."Thank you." She probably never heard anyone say something like that before. I kind of felt embarrassed, not because of what I did, but because I made her cry. She doesn't know how to contain her emotion, she isn't used to contact with others. "Excuse me." I grab my cloak and head out the door. I stand there alone on the sidewalk. My hood raised. I stare down at my hands, then up to the clouds, they are deep hues of violet... I move my feet, then a pause. Footsteps. It's Swiftant. |
Xephrish: Evokation of Three Royal Powers 2
**Before you guys read any further, I want to let y'all know I've really set their levels as high as I think it should be. Brace your minds XD And at the same time, listen to this song, it's Treachery from Bleach, and it's really fitting.**
Shakura is beckoning me, I cannot waste further time. I take the sea route, approaching the Dragon's Lair from Etrirea's corner; I have no intention of freezing her Silverness' territorial possessions, either. As I draw nearer to the familiar Dragon Mountains and the all too nostalgic Dragon's Lair, I know the other two, like me, are not even bothering to mask their battle prowess. I can feel the abrupt, unnatural and imposing pull-down by W.S. Gavrik's gravity and the rapidly alternating and suffocating climates that leave virtually no living organism biologically unaffected by Qayroph. My own bright flare covers the mountains in a screen of white light and my scales harvest glaciers on land and icebergs on water. Even if we could suppress our auras, we wouldn't, because our natures were so threatening and belligerent that we would end up killing each other. Ignoring one another, we spiral around the topmost tower of Dragon's Lair in impassive and hypocritical synchronization. Finally, swooping through the tallest, largest, semi-oval carved openings and perching ourselves on our respective crystal pedestals. In the midst of the entrance ceremony, I overhear Shakura's voice. "You'd best be kowtowing now, Thrandos, along with the other elites..." "OH, HO, HO, HO," another voice booms, "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE GOLDEN GENERAL WAS BEING OBSTINATE, AGAIN!" World Smasher Gavrik, the Gray Dragon Noble of Gravity, slumps down on his altar. Gray polishes his hide, fangs protude intimidatingly from his joints, large flapping scales stand erected from his head stretching down to his tail, giving him the majestic disposition of a king. His eyes illuminate through my light and frown at Thrandos with a murdering menace. They always seem to be brimming stealthily with infinite wisdom and power. "FWAH HA HA HA!!!! Welllll, why not... We just WASTE him, theeeeennnnnn!!!! It'd be the peeeeeerrrrrfectt EXCUSE to go... WIIIIILD!!!!!!!!" Qayroph, the Orange Dragon Noble of Seasons, screeches and gasps in crazed excitment. He has two devilish curved horns ramming out of his right temple; the ones on his left temple were, somehow, plucked out, in an unprecedented, legendary war with W.S. Gavrik. Half of Etrirea's landscape was then supernaturally rearranged and thought to always have been that disproportionate and inaccessible. How that started and ended is still unbeknownst. Qayroph's temperament is one of the most unstable out of all the Dragon Nobles, but his powers allow him to vent his madness by forcefully tearing the seasons apart and inducing his own. Screaming and sinking his teeth into anything that moves, Qayroph's capabilities are a far cry from the elites, despite his rocky mentality. His tail is also an immunity scepter that adjusts his body's temperature, with regards to his temperament. This protects his body from the effects his own power, as well as, boosts his offensive elemental abilities. "Let him be," I, the White Dragon Noble of Dry Ice, hiss, "He won't be standing for long, anyway." Sure enough, Thrandos already has both his hind legs bent at an awkward angle on the ground; the rest of his limbs struggle and quiver to keep his form straight in our presence, the red flag on his head is indignant but limp. The rest of the Dragon Elites have the whole of themselves parallel against the ground, as if it is cemented to them and they are part of the palace's decorations. Some must have been like Thrandos, albeit they didn't have the immense strength needed to maintain a posture. I cannot blame them, of course, against the amalgamation of my negative 200 degree celcius, W.S. Gavrik's gravity 70 times of the earth's and Qayroph's emission of unadaptable, extreme climates, even the Dragon Elites can so much as live, in our presence. But there is no difference, my light is so overpowering that only dragons of the noble class can behave obliviously to it. Dragon generals and below cannot see more than white light, although they will not be blinded by it. We must be enigmatic shadows to these fools. Her Graciousness Shakura, as usual, sits gracefully on her throne, which is fully immersed in rare gems and crystals. Authority and the scent of imminent death exude from her so outwardly, even I feel a shiver of fear. Her whole private chamber glistens and reflects the sheer power of all present there, on all present there. It is enough to blow Etrirea to bits, a small region compared to where we have come from. "Enough!" Shakura commands in a growl, and the whole room stops and waits. "I, Shakura, the reigning Silver Dragon, now evoke The Three Royal Dragon Nobles from their shackles of confinement!" |
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Swiftant: Reunion
"Excuse me," Tatsu suddenly cuts in, before standing up to retrieve his cloak from the coat rack and leave the house. Silence ensues from Tatsu's abrupt departure, until Suzette nudges me.
"Pssst! Go check on him, Nozomi and I are more than enough to handle things here!" she whispers and slides toward Aisha's side, who is snivelling and snuffling her tears in sniffs. Nozomi shoots me a haughty look that clearly reeks of her exasperation with "guys", then bounds off to Aisha's other side. Resigning the situation to the girls, I, too, make a beeline for the mahogany entrance. Upon pushing the door open, a wave of sunlight greets me and renews my vision. Greenery; thick, antiquated backwoods. Deciduous willows and sprouting mosses line the outskirts of the forest; bushy thickets and dangling vines form cobwebs of entanglements and overlapping layers of brambles. The wilderness here seems almost dusty to the eyes. It is no wonder Aisha could live in undisturbed seclusion, with this impregnable boscage. And there is Tatsu, his hands in his pockets, and his legs straight and locked to the ground of the porch. The wind picks up, having every forest feature respond to it, but Tatsu remains still, even though his clothes and hood get ruffled roughly by the now running wind. It is as though Tatsu is an unbelonging part of a portrait. He is gazing up at the sky, but I cannot quite make out his expression, with his face behind his headdress. Unknowingly rewarding my patience, he randomly takes an unguarded step; I decide to put his progress to the test. I glide toward Tatsu, downward from the bellowing wind, which imbues immense effect in my cloaking skill. Unless he can detect an ant skittering across the spectator stand, in the middle of a gladiator match, Tatsu will never know what hit him. Then, as I near him, readying myself with the intent to strike... "Swiftant," Tatsu announces, on my behalf, "old pal," he finishes and glances around at me, grinning, from ear to ear. I cannot resist a little curl on my own lips. "Tatsu," I retaliate in acknowledgement. Upclose, I realize the Tatsu I had known is no more. His shoulder-length hair has grown to his burly chest and is combed neatly to its sides. His face is more bulky and squarish, matured. The eyepatch he once had over his right eye is replaced by a rather hardened but predominant scar. His chin is ruggard with short stubs of shaved facial hair. His garb is battered and tattered, with patches of make-shift fabric sewn messily all over. Tatsu's torn sleeves reveal two full-fledged human arms, ripped with potent tissues of brawn and force; his muscles have fully developed, dressed in absolute sturdiness and robustness. My curiosity concerning the whereabouts of his one artificial limb is reasonably piqued. But what catches my attention most is his weapons: Despite being tucked away in his robes, I do not remember his accessories having such fiery personalities, before, I can almost feel the flames resonating from his clothes. Sora has a different kind of grayness to it, against my recollection. Perhaps, it is rust from the incessant battles Tatsu has undergone, but like the rest of Tatsu's arsenal, I sense an enveloping will from it. Is it..? No... That can't be. Were his powers always that fearsome? "Well, Tatsu, business is important, but how would you feel about a little match with your old sparring partner? For old time's sake?" I challenge him, flatly, still feeling sore about my failed ambush, and simultaneously, thrilled at an impending rematch that now boasts very different fighters. My eyes blush red. "Hah, although you've become more of a chatterbox than you used to be, you never were a person of words, Swiftant," Tatsu retorts. **Wouldn't it be, like, really something if the outcome of this story were to become the origins of Bahamut?? XD~! So the last sentence here would be, "And Bahamut was born."** |
Tatsu vs. Swiftant?!
**Tat would slay Bahamut. Down with the King of Dragons! XD**
"Well, Tatsu, business is important, but how would you feel about a little match with your old sparring partner? For old time's sake?" Swiftant challenges me, his eyes shine red. "Hah, although you've become more of a chatterbox than you used to be, you never were a person of words, Swiftant," I retort. I position myself, lowering my center of gravity straight down. Moving to the side, angling my pelvis, I bury my left foot into the soil, as I move my right to correspond with my left, Sora clinks in its holster. I decide to test his motives. If he wasn't my ally he would draw his arms upon me, and strike me. The man I see now was much more confident and self contained then he used to be. His aura has changed, but his appearance had not. The sakkat still decorated his head, and his cloak, sleek and smooth, shown with a deep shade as dark as night, sat lazily upon his shoulders... Before the ambiance was fierce, and violent. It burned with the hottest flames and the strongest desires. That flame still burned just as strongly as ever, but it was tamed. Though it's power hadn't waned, instead it had reached a whole new plane of existence. I gathered from it, a surge of familiarity. This subtle, yet inexorable sensation of being one with the universe reminds me of myself now, and the kind of person I have become after meeting Yogensha. I had felt all this just now, whilst peering at him like this. He stood there, his posture perfectly upright and confident. His stealthy deeply violet garb taut against his torso. His aura had now manifest itself before me. It was ablaze. The red flames flickered and mixed with the shades of purple that he had fancied to wear. I could feel his strength. I was almost certain that he had met Yogensha. How I had wondered.. Upon meeting the old sage, my abilities and awareness have increased threefold. I was curious to know if his was the same. Memories of our first encounter in the forest of Thâk Sûl flash before my eyes. I raise my hands outstretched before me, and I wait, anxious to put Swift's speed to the test. I gesture my readiness, and he begins to proceed. As Swiftant moves towards me in real time, an image of his former self flashes side by side with his present one. Two beings of the same stature advance. In my mind we are battling each other, Sora clashes with his katars; Zeus and Raijin. Flashes of silver light up the heavens. The earth quakes under our ferocity. The young arrogant flame shoots about like a rocket. Then I snap to reality. Swiftant dashes at me, his quick movement casts a purple flash across the earth, leaving an afterimage from his outfit. His eyes are red, and a grin makes up his appearance, his smile is contagious, I can't help but the same encroach on mine as well. Just before his body is about to make contact with my own, I close my eyes and vanish with a green blur into the descending greenery behind me. His fist was merely a fraction away from my chest. I open my eyes, and had in that instant analyzed where his spirit was just a moment ago, as if I could see that purple trail that he had left behind, I was able to propel myself to that location... To my surprise, I stepped down at Swift's starting point. His back was to me, and I was yards away. I was using our match to test out a technique that I had been gathering in my dreams. Yogensha is a dream spirit, he lives between realities. I was also becoming this way. I just needed a battle to test my theories. It was excellent that I was able to take advantage of this challenge. It would have been unwise had I tried something like this on one of the Dragon soldiers... This new power defied time and space. I was able to slip in between the in between. My leg muscle contracted, and a small pain shot up into me. Thankfully my ideas were correct, and I was ecstatic over the recent discovery. I couldn't help but smile. It consumed me. Swiftant stops short, his boots dig into the ground as he attempts to cut his speed, he spins around, his eyes flashing about, locating me standing where he started off. I can see the awe in his eyes, but his expression doesn't change in the least. This time I do him the honor and dash at him. As my feet barely graze the surface of the earth under my quickened pace, I reach down, and grab the hilt of Sora under my cloak, unsheathing the blade, a shine sparkles reflecting from my blade to his. Zeus is already in his hand, and he speeds off to my side, I turn hard, and our blades clink. Back flipping into the air, Swift lands on a thick tree branch without even glancing backwards. Its as if his feet are magnetized to the bark below. I push off from the earth with my right leg, and launch myself at him. Before I can even get to him, he gathered up Raijin from its place on his waist and he comes down at me. We clash head on in the air. I look him straight in the eyes. His visage is calm but electric. I see no hate or ill will in him. I wanted to make sure that my predictions were correct. My tests had bore fruit. I didn't want to leave it up to my instincts, I had wanted solid evidence. Fulfilled, I push off, and land back on the ground. I twirl Sora in my fingertips and sheath the blade. Swiftant lands into a kneeling stance some feet away. He gets up and turns towards me. His katars are still firmly in his grasp. He looked at me and noticed Sora was missing from the field. I was satisfied with the match. It was more a test of speed, than anything. I was also able to analyze his intentions. My adrenaline was pumping, my blood was flowing. This burst of movement had excited me immensely. I was curious to see if Swift wanted a round 2... His cloak blew northward, his sakkat motionless. "Well Swift." I shout out into the wind. "How was that?" A smile curls up into my right cheek. |
** Sorry for taking so long to respond... been very ill lately... haven't really had any strength to do much... well... here I try..**
"Pssst! Go check on him, Nozomi and I are more than enough to handle things here!" I whispered to Swift as I slide toward Aisha's side, who is sniveling and snuffling her tears in sniffs. Swift walks out the door and Nozomi and I turn to my mother. "Mom, things are going to be okay now. I promise. We're all here and we're not planning on leaving until you make us leave." I took Aisha's hand. The hand that I had left many years ago had aged. It was no longer young, warm and soft to the touch. But it was now older, colder, and tougher in my hands. I tried not to think of all the things these hands had done in the years I was gone but I couldn't help it. I started to cry a bit but fought them back for my mother's sake. Nozomi held Aisha's other hand. I don't know this girl holding my mother’s hand, but she seemed to care more about my mom than I did. And it seemed like my mother felt the same way… I let these thoughts dance around in my head as we sat there. Aisha was calming down and as she sat there I heard the sound of swords clashing. I looked over at Nozomi and smiled. “Boys will be boys I guess?” She chuckled. She was very pretty. I got up and stood by the window. Swift’s cloak was blowing in the wind. He looked so handsome standing there. I couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t realize Nozomi had gotten up and was standing next to me. “You really love him, don’t you?” Her voice caught me off guard. It caused me to smile more. “Yeah. I think I really do.” I turned at looked at her. She was looking at Tatsu with the same look in her eyes. I dare not ask her because I didn’t want to get close to anyone besides Swift. I knew this life wasn’t always meant for happy endings. So I turned my attention back to Swift and Tatsu. |
Swiftant: A Little Match
Quote:
Appearance... LOL Jokes aside, nerve-wrecking and graphic choreography, Kanji! I could just imagine the jumps and lash-outs here and there. I have virtually nothing to add, so I'm gonna resort to the paraphrase/put-the-fight-in-my-shoes technique. :p Tatsu crouches down on his haunches and plants his feet into the soil, then shuffles sideways. He has concentrated all his potential force into his feet, sealing any opening he may have had. Eyeing me with an intensity so paralysing, as if subliminally snuffing out worldly priorities, Tatsu physically answers my challenge - "you asked for one, and you're getting no less." I nonchalantly tilt my head to one side - the side to which Tatsu has sidestepped to avert a head-on attack. I have not moved an inch the rest of my body, I will myself not to succumb to the prospective of rushing in blindly and being entranced by the fresh devastation of our powers. His strength is incomparable to when I last fought him, to when we burnt down Thâk Sûl's naturally overgrown vegetation. If I place a numerical ratio on it, I say his overall prowess has multiplied by, at least, 3- no, 4 times more, almost immeasurable by my memory of our previous encounter. The only reason I am able to stay unfazed and rational is because my own abilities have not paled in reflection to his. But I can't very well go all out; this is my first mock duel, and I have Suzette and the others to mind. I will need something more vivacious, than before, to give a revamped Tatsu a run for his money and not harm anyone, as well. I won't be able to avoid using one out of my seven aspects. "Fiery, come forth," I command, in my heart. A spontaneous tsunami of unidentified rage courses over me and spreads though my veins. I feel ablaze, physically and mentally, for no causal reason. My body coercing my thoughts, I channel the surging, eruptive anger toward Tatsu. It looks like this will be my temporary basis for the strength I need. Tatsu stretches out his hands before himself and, with his fingers moving back and forth in unison - first indicating at me then to himself, signals at me to wage the first move. Very well, I'm bringing it on, Tatsu! "Lightfoot." Without further sizing one another up, I suddenly dart at him, my adornments flowing proudly behind; my skull-shaped earring sways nostalgically. Unexpectedly, my advancement seems to have unnerved Tatsu and he lets loose his openings, caught completely unaware. Is a showy facade all he has? Sorry, old buddy, but you accepted my challenge and if I don't keep to it, I'm not Swiftant. I dissimilate Fiery from myself to avoid afflicting a fatal blow, and instead, have it on standby, in a shadow image, lest Tatsu pulls a fast one on me. If he is, the unaccountable embodiment of my innermost aspects ought to snap him to his senses. I smile, at an unforeseen but imminent victory. In that contrasting instant, Tatsu's dazed eyes focus and regard mine. I grin more, at an unforeseen and unpredictable myriad of life-staking exchanges and versatility. His expression tells me the feeling is mutual. I assimilate with Fiery, again, pull my fist back and launch a merciless swing at his heart... ... And miss. I am in appalled disbelief. What happened is a complete illogical upset. Just a hair's breath away from his chest, a distance from which I could already touch him, and he just disappeared. Gone, zip, nil, zero existence. It is like he disfigured time and space, and slipped through to another dimension, altogether. He certainly didn't possess this high level of a mechanism, elven or not. My fist swings downwards and hits nothing but air, the wasted force tipping my balance. My sensory perception, ameliorated by Fiery's nature, warns me of the danger yet to transpire. Again, matter before mind, my feet veer forward, displacing me by hundreds of metres. Then, realizing a suspicious formation of a rapid, sharp fissure in the air pressure surrounding Tatsu's disppearance, I infuse mental control into my body and increase my velocity even further. What cannot be more than a second later, I feel Tatsu's presence materializing at the exact spot I've just ejected myself from. I whirl back, without bothering to brake, the sides and rears of my boots scrapping sparks and smoke in the soil. As I drift along the ground using my dagger-boot, in an attempt to make an acute turnabout, my eyes eagerly devour the landscape in anticipation; and I see it - the astonishment on Tatsu's face as plain as day, presumably about my lightspeed getaway. Without Fiery's enhancements, I might have already been knocked out at the start. But with or without any supplements, I don't have time to sink back and relax. Tatsu is strong, very strong, and he's been communicating that point very intensely to me, throughout our entire duet of duel. Crimson on the brink of my eyes and Fiery dispatched within myself, I register a twitch on Tatsu's face for an instant, so fleeting I can't tell if I imagined it or not. Is it, perhaps, the cost of his new powers? Either way, I don't feel any less confident than I did when I ambushed him, but I am definitely returning the blows this time, maybe, in a sort of repayment for the debt I'd ignorantly incurred in Thâk Sûl'. The wind is throwing a fickle tantrum. Tatsu closes his eyes. Without opening them, he charges at me. Despite his hefty physique, few of his steps cover yards. Lightfoot?! Tatsu elaborately unsheathes Sora, his eyes opening in uncanny synchronization. My reflexes, aided by Fiery, aren't sufficient for an unscathed dodge, however, I still have enough to timely alter the course of collision and whip out Zeus, to deflect his whole attack. I make off for Tatsu's side, and at the moment we become in range of each other, his eyes and blade open fully. We clash. The force practically expels us from one another. Déjà vu, from our first brawl. Somersaulting backwards, Fiery guides my feet to a tree branch. A higher-than-ground-level vantage point - a strategic advantage in battle. As I stay perched on the tree, calculating my next plan of action, Tatsu leaps at me unrelentingly. No choice, then; I produce Raijin, as well, from my holster and slam-dunk myself into his trajectory. Prior to the impact this time, we refuse to budge, instead, we read each other, pervading into the other's irides. Tatsu obviously has used little or none of all his elven magic, but he isn't mocking me, either. He wants to test me and test himself. In honesty, I get the feeling that Tatsu has done everything he can to achieve that. Most of all, his strikes bear no menacing motives. I'm just thrilled to be part of it and inject my element of lightning into my katars to convey that. We smile knowingly, we laugh, and then we release ourselves. In midair, I recede a tactful distance from Tatsu and execute a quick touchdown onto the ground, dropping one knee down on it to get a breather. Fiery's warnings have subsided, but I don't want to take it for granted. I draw myself to maximum height and face Tatsu, my katars still lusting for action, cackling with electricity. Or maybe, it's me. Sora is firmly secured in its sheath. His hood is lopsided, although he has a look of contentment across his face; it is a healthy red with fast-running blood circulation, from the fight and mental capacity involved in it. I imagine the same shows on my own face. "Well Swift." Tatsu shouts out into the wind. "How was that?" A smile curls up into his right cheek. "Not bad for child's play," I holler back, "considering you couldn't put a hole in my sakkat, and I couldn't lay a hand on that big hood of yours." "Business, then?" he asks, as if expecting a declaration of Round 2. "Business, now," I reassure him. And we head back into Aisha's house. |
Swiftant: Priorities 1
Tatsu and I enter the house to find Suzette and Nozomi sitting on the window sill. By the manner we are being greeted, our little test-drive must have been under their surveillance. They wave gleefully.
"Um... where's Aisha?" Tatsu finally asks, his eyes straining at the floor, apparently having difficulty concealing his guilt. "I'll get her-" Nozomi starts but is hurriedly cut off by Suzette, who has placed her hand in front of Nozomi. "She's fallen asleep on the couch," Suzette casually answers and shifts her attention to me, smiling zealously for some reason... "That's alright, she doesn't have to be involved in this anymore than she is," I chip in at Suzette's cue, "Grab chairs, all of you, I have some important issues to address." Minutes later, everyone is seated by the window, each sipping a mug of piping hot tea. "Well, the first order of business is..." I rig my thoughts and voice with assertiveness, and solemnly scan their faces, "the whereabouts of Ichirin and Myzura." **I have a lot of ideas but this is one that will naturally be addressed first, and I'm sure Kanji will want to address it himself, in and out of RP. We have to get it in line that Ichirin and Mu might not be returning but still leave that possibility opened.** |
Tatsu: Meeting of the Minds
**Don't forget Nard-kun, about Kazuhide. He had gone to you to ask you for your help. The Elven master, of the hidden Elven clan underground wishes for Swift's aid. Kazuhide gave Swift a communication device to contact the Elf master before he died. It would be crucial to join forces with them.**
"Business now." Swiftant straightens his back and hand gestures to Aisha's house. I turn on my heel, smiling to myself. We move single file back inside. Nozomi and Suzette stand suspiciously around the window pane. The matter in which they stand about, I can tell that they have made quick friends. Nozomi's innocent carefree attitude tends to attract other people's attention. They look back at us slyly, seems they had been speculators in our little childish game... "Well, the first order of business is..." Swiftant starts up. "The whereabouts of Ichirin and Myzura." Ichirin and Myzura... They had left off to the desert city Bachuu in hopes to rally some troops for our cause against the Dragon's campaign. I had sent them off with the Kaulus; the grand king cheetah that I had summoned from a scroll. Come to think of it, The seal of Kaulus never re-appeared on the scroll, so he is still active out there somewhere...Either Ichirin hasn't dismissed him yet. Or- no, I don't want to think that maybe they could have been slain. But in times like these, we have to assess any possible scenario. The Elites could have gotten wind of their whereabouts. Ichirin was in that prison with us, they could have tailed him, and when they least expected, finished them off. After much thinking, I blurt out "I think we should go looking for them...At the same time, we have other matters that we need to take care of as well. We can't be everywhere at once. So much has transpired, and our forces have finally rallied, I'd hate for us to have to separate again so soon." Nozomi looks over at me and smiles. "I'll go to Bachuu,Tatsu." she speaks softly, and her eyes glisten. I sigh painfully. "I don't think that idea would be wise, I need you here with me." Nozomi stands up and looks annoyed. "Why? You don't think I can't take care of myself? I can handle it Tatsu. Please, let me do this. I haven't done much, I don't want to be a nuisance. I want to prove my worth." "I know your worth." "Well?" "I don't like this at all Nozomi.... I don't want you to go alone. I'll send two of my summons with you." This isn't good. I think to myself. I don't want the same events to replay themselves. If Nozomi goes out there, there is a strong possibility that the Shadow may take over, and I may lose her and Shima again. I can't think to bear it, I don't know if I can suffer that again." "Alright." I place my cup down and peel myself off of the chair, and stand in the middle of everyone. As I talk, I wave my hands about, and look at each one of them. "First we have to gather supplies for you from the city. We'll ask Aisha to borrow some coin. We'll return it to her, with interest when the opportunity presents itself. But before that, we need to think of what our next moves against the dragons will be. If Nozomi is successful, and she finds Ichirin and Myzura, then they quickly need to procure soldiers or information of the whereabouts of a potential army against the dragons. Over the last few weeks, they have been moving further and further south from their empire. They could make it to Asgard soon, if they haven't laid siege to the capitol already. Since this village is hidden under a cloak, we could use this place as a base of operations. I think it would be wise to establish some sort of safe-house here, and build a network of communications. If things sour, we will need a safe haven to fall back to, and re-evaluate our strategies... This may sound a bit far-fetched, but I think it would be wise to sneak into the dragon territory and find out what they are up to. The last thing they would expect is for us to go right back. If we can find out what the brain is doing, then we can stop the hand from complying. At the same time, I think we need to send someone to the Asgard to find out what has happened there since we left. So as of now, there a numerous tasks to attend to... Feel free to speak out if you think I am mistaken, but for a job of this caliber, I feel it necessary for Swiftant and I to sneak back into the dragon nation. The borders and the sky will be heavily guarded, I am more than sure they will have lookouts trying to seek out Gana. We may need to travel underground, for this, Swift will be able to point us in the directions we need to travel, since he is knowledgeable of the empire's geography. Suzette, I would also like to send you off with a summon towards Asgard, and then quickly report back here with any information or muscle that you have been able to gain." I glance back and forth at everyone and await their thoughts to this sudden revelation. |
Swiftant: Priorities 2
**@SS I'll leave the Shinkirou-Swiftant crisis to you, don't worry, once you finish reading, you'll get what I'm talking about. ;)
@Kanji, I'll be talking about the Elven device in my next post. Sorry about the delay! I'll let you guys finalize the said scheme so far and input whatever additional ideas you have.** After some silent contemplation, with everyone immersed in thoughts, Tatsu eventually rises from his chair and strides into the middle of everyone's line of vision, apparently to present a meticulously devised scheme. "I second Tatsu," I speak my concurrence. "Nozomi would be better off rallying our forces in Bachuu. Dragons most likely number weakly in that region of Etrirea and she can detect one a mile away. If the Shadow resurfaces, Ichirin and Myzura should be able to leash him in, without fear of enemy movement. Nozomi can also act as intelligence for the couple." I catch her eyes. "You'd do well to understand our present situation and relay it in its entirety to them, Nozomi," I emphasize the urgency in my tone, not harshly. She nods profusely, eyes wide with pleading concentration. "As far as reconaissance go, I reckon a small amount of us would be more appropriate. Tatsu's right; it's not a war we want, it's stopping and killing Shakura. As much as I'd prefer both Suzette and I to be together, Tatsu and I are best suited for this mission. I'm going to need his elven abilities for instant transportation and ensnaring purposes, and he's going to need my cloaking skill and understanding of the Lair's architecture. Besides, we've measured each other in that fight you saw; we are the only ones now, who possess powers on par with the Dragon Army." "Well... Okay, your reasons aren't unfounded, Swift. But please, promise me... Promise me that you and Tatsu will flee immediately, if you sense overbearing danger." Suzette grabs hold of my hand, her eyes pinning mine, searching for insurance. I feel helplessly besotted by her assertive charm. "Yeah, don't overdo it, you two," Nozomi echoes Suzette's concerns. "Keep a low-profile... And you guys had better do a good job!" "That's a tad pressurizing, what if we have to be outstanding to do a good job?" Tatsu asks, teasingly. "Then you'd... I wish you, uh, instanding success!" Nozomi defiantly replies, not catching on. Tatsu sighs and covers his forehead with his palm, winking at me from beneath it. "Oh, stop toying with her, Tatsu, just please, be safe, alright?" Suzette grips my hand tighter. "You were wha-?" Nozomi exclaims, in unrestrained confusion. "My word," Tatsu promises, acting quite oblivious to Nozomi sulking at him. "And mine," I add. "Of course, the same goes from me to you, as well, Su. Asgard is the first area the dragons would try to fully occupy. Unlike me, you won't have Tatsu and Fayuro as companions. So, I'm going to have one of my inner aspects escort you, along with Tatsu's summon. It's like a third eye to me; that way, I'll know if something happens." "Swift, I wish I was stronger, I really wish I was, but as of now, whatever other powers I have are as dormant as ever. If I could activate them, you wouldn't be burdened so much," Suzette says. "It's okay, Yogensha didn't empower me with just vitamins. I told you what happened on Fayuro, didn't I?" I coax her. "Yogensha?" It's Tatsu's voice. "You met him, too?" As Tatsu and I take turns expounding on the phenomenon between Yogensha and us, what both of us make of it and how we tested the dimensional powers against each other, all of us sit up. Eyes follow our gestures, as we explain the impossible, first with mouth, then with hands. Every now and then, whistles and cries of "Ooohh" and "Aaaahh", mainly from Nozomi, puncture the tales. The boards creak, the winds rustle the windows, and the lights flicker and dim, faintly acknowledging the power we have been impregnated with. We finish, our extravagant, surreal beginning awkward now, in the face of incomplete knowledge on the dream spirit. The silence screams for an ordinary noise. From somewhere in the infinitely vast world, thunders roar ubiquitously. "Aside from the sudden aid of an anonymous millenium-old dimensional spirit, there is one other thing," my voice squeezes out softly, but the last syllable of every word trails loudly within the wood-mounted, enclosed complex. "I can't trust Shinkirou as our headquarters." "As expected of an ex-general of the Dragon Army," a voice sounds behind me. Aisha has awakened. "Since when?" I ask, almost demandingly. I couldn't sense Aisha listening in on us; her presence was so translucent, as if she had been sleeping, all this while. Now, it is as lucid as Suzette's hand. "DragonSin, did you really think this old dragon would not have received hearsay of your fame? Your dogged reputation, as a notorious assassin of the dragons, was once the controversy of world events, dear boy!" "I wouldn't be surprised," I retort, up on my feet. "But I was asking how much you overheard." "Mom..! Swift..!" Suzette intercedes. I clutch her hand, this time, reclining in submission of Suzette's feelings. "I'm sorry, Aisha, I didn't mean-" But Aisha beckons me to stop. "Pray, do continue, Swiftant, what about the locals?" "The commoners know of your real identity. Will they allow us to do as we will, in their village? That's not the only issue, someone in the authorities must know the true situation out there, that's why they built Shinkirou as an invisible fortress. Why do they let you roam freely here? Are they friend or foe? I can't fathom their motives. They could as easily sell us out on a whim as they have permitted your residence here. I can't put my trust in this place." |
Xephrish: Tasting the Silver Lineage
"B-but My Glorious Silverness!" Thrandos bumbles, with the last of his strength, his claws digging into the ground in a conscientious feat to hold his head above ground. "The re-... reason they... have b-been... confined... is s-so they... won't t-tear... Etrirea... asunder..!" He finishes with a drained pant and collapses into a flinching but conscious heap.
"'Tear the earth asunder,' eh?" Shakura quotes musingly. "Well, Thrandos, whose fault is it that the mindless humans have been fleeing our clutches? Did you think I wouldn't know how one elven spy held you in your tracks? I'd planned to break Swiftant, by having him fight his own friends for me; we'd have had them kill each other. It was dreadfully unfortunate my best soldiers didn't even stand a chance in stalling him long enough." "My s... ness..." At this point, Thrandos has barely any strength to vibrate his vocal chords. The Elites remain helplessly contorted and grounded. "As the Golden General, no, as a dragon, you've blemished us utterly. Did you really think you were strong? I could shred you, now, for allowing the death of my brother, but you're not even worthy of the underworld," I taunt his pride. "HO, HO, HUMANS OR DRAGONS, THEY ONLY SERVE AS FOOTHOLDS TO TRIUMPH! THRANDOS, I ASK YOU, FOR HER GLORIOUSNESS SHAKURA, DO YOU POSSESS THE RUTHLESSNESS TO SNAP AND GNAW ON THE BONES OF YOUR FELLOW GENERALS?", roars Gavrik. Thrandos closes his eyes and opens them, hesitantly, at the shuddering Elites, pawing the ground meekly. He utters a growl: "Ye-" "Your incompetency has berated and betrayed you, Thrandos!" Shakura has seen through his antics and denied him. "Swiftant was a human, he would have been subjugated by his inferior genes sooner or later, but what of you? Or are you just a useless dawdler?" Shock blooms upon Thrandos' face, his eyeballs red and cracked. The pressure and accumulating fatigue have robbed him of free speech. "HE'S A LOST... CAAAUUUSE, DEEEAR SHAKURA!!" snickers Qayroph, licking his lips, like a wild dog set on snagging his target. "JUST GIVE... THE WOOORRRD!!" "Silence, Qayroph, I don't take orders. I can still confine you, as easily as I have released you from your shackles," Shakura snaps clinically. "GRRRR... AAAALLLLRIGHT, FOR NOW... YOUR RRRRULE!!" I love how commanding she is, I adore Her Silverness' twisted sense of discipline and destruction. It isn't the disparity in power that has us outweighed by her, but the absolute authority she has: That chauvinistic dictatorship and diabolic intelligence, which is even in a league above Gavrik's. Those are, unquestionably, the characteristics of the Silver Lineage. "At this juncture, your demotion, Thrandos, hinges on your capacity. You can suffer and languish for all you want, but you should know the true price of falling short of my expectations is a worse fate that awaits your failure," Shakura reminds him threateningly. "HOW TAN... TALIZING!!" Qayroph is already losing control of quelling his disgustingly sadistic appetite. "Therefore, every one, hear me!" Shakura has come to a conclusion. "The threat of extinction looms near! Our dwarf spies have reported the progressive fall of our empire, across Etrirea. Who knows how much more people will evolve? I, hereby, grant the Golden General and the Elites a final chance to redeem themselves. You have three days to eliminate Swiftant and his comrades. Hence, you will assume a divide-and-conquer tactic. One will go to Asgard, to lead the troops and crush the surviving rebels. Another to Bachuu and the third to Mes Thâk to scrounge for vagrant supporters. Lastly, a dragon dwarf, stationed in the Vanishing Village, has confirmed the presence of enemies: It seems they have considerable skill and agenda; that abominable group, and Swiftant, may very well be them. Thrandos and the last general, take a hundred soldiers, find and defeat the leading band of humans. Additionally, Akuma, the ex-Silver Dragon, dwells in one of their shadows, a young girl - Nozomi. He wouldn't endanger himself by emerging in their midst. He's probably using them, to get to me. Engage her and draw him out. Once he's out of his human vessel, the Elites won't be a match for him, so the Royal Dragon Nobles will, therein, have permission to take Akuma down. Finally, if we fail to inhibit our slaves, I will destroy Etrirea altogether, than risk our erasure! Until then, this congregation shall act only as a witness to my words." A smile leaks from my face and my pupils contract in excitment, and I feel the same vibes radiating from the other two Royal Nobles. In the twitch of a whisker, all three of us take on human guises - quaintly resembling our dragon anatomy. The distinguishing dragon emblem is etched into each of our chests. We know that if we are to be witnesses, we have to compress our murderous aura and not impede other dragons. Still, the generals don't look as though they'll end their shrivelling plight, anytime soon. "Hey, Thrandos," I call out, in the sensual voice of a human female. "We'll be riding you. Don't make us use reins." "Ho, ho, ho!" laughs Gavrik in his ever-booming-but-now-gruff human male's voice. "The lot of you, be less unsightly in six hours, we shall claim the first light of dawn!" |
Tales Of Storys - A Christmas Special
**TALES OF STORYS - TATSU'S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL**
Tatsu climbs up the steps of his headquarters, his black boots crunching the pristine snow. He carries a brown sack over his shoulder, a red cloth is carelessly laden over his back. As he approaches the front door, it is suddenly flung open. A squealing Nozomi, rushes out from the house and throws all her body weight on top of an unsuspecting Tatsu. Her head is decorated with a red hat, and a green stitched shirt, which is apparently far too big hangs down to her knees "AHHH! TATSUUU! YOU CAMEE MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Nozomi shouts out. Grunting, with one eye half closed "Ahaha, Merry Christmas to you as well, come on now Nozomi, let me get inside first." As they exchange words, their breath is visible in the chilled air. Snow falls slowly from the sky, covering up Tatsu's tracks. "LOOK, LOOK!" Nozomi yells pointing "Swift and Suzu put up Christmas lights!" Flailing about, Nozomi bounces about as she repeatedly motions with her right index finger to the colored lights strung about the porch and banister. Tatsu's eyes close in a smile "Hehe, yeah, I noticed, I saw them some ways off, they are easily seen out here in all this white." Inside Swift and Suzu are gathered around, sitting in long armchairs amongst a blazing fireplace. A huge tree sits behind them,shining with ornaments. Mugs of hot cocoa in their grasp. Looking around, he eyes snacks, and all sorts of garnish spread out over a pinewood table. "Looks great!" Tatsu lets out. Swiftant gets up from his chair with a Santa beard on his face. Suzu runs over in bells, and they say in unison; "Merry Christmas Tatsumura!" "Merry Christmas everyone!" Tatsu lets down his brown sack, the mass of it hits the ground, and a bunch of boxes, varying in size and shape fall out onto the rug. Some strung with ribbon, others tied with bows. "AHH!" Nozomi clasps her hands together "Presents!! Which one is mine?!" "That one." Tatsu points "WHAA?! But it's so SMALL!" "AHAHAHAHHA!" Tatsu, Nozomi, Swiftant and Suzette all laugh together. (The screen view pans backwards and everyone is sitting around laughing, throwing paper, and opening gifts, the screen shoots to the outside where Thrandos and Leinurus of the Dragon Elites are sitting beside a giant snow-covered tree) "Look at them." says Leinurus, looking inside of the house where Tatsu and everyone else is. "I know, it's so beautiful." Thrandos says under a sniffle looking up at the gray clouds. "I'm not talking about snow you fool!" Leinurus crinkles his brow. "OHH!" "I'm talking about Tatsu and them, they all look so peaceful, I would feel like a complete monster to attack them in this most vulnerable spot, but it would make 100 percent sense, if we attacked them like this, when they aren't expecting it." Thrandos' face lights up red "They look so cute, let's kill them next year." The two dragons spread out their wings, and fly off over the mountains. |
Tatsu : Preparation
I sit there, shoulders tensed in my chair as Swiftant, Suzette and Aisha have a debate... I lower my chin and breath a sigh. Grabbing the arms of the chair, I lift myself up and look towards Nozomi, who is standing there, elbows raised and lip curled gazing off at the others as they bicker about.
I scratch my temple and think to myself "We don't have time for this..." I shuffle over to Swift and place my hand on his left shoulder. "Whatever you decide, I am relying on you to settle it. Where we set up shop is of great importance. Make sure you see to it..." The three of them are silent for a moment. "I'm taking Nozomi out into the village to gather some supplies. I want her well equipped for her journey northwest." Nozomi heads out in front of me, and I meet her on the porch... She stands there out on the landing, the wind lifting strands of her hair. "So Nozomi, and preference on where to buy?" She shakes her head. "I never went into any of the shops around here. I stayed indoors for the most part. I was more or less nervous about venturing out." I smile. "It's quite all right, we'll make it up as we go." We proceed to take the old dirt trail east through a small grove, and we exit out onto a main road. The morning commuters tapping across the pavement. I survey the immediate area. Some sort of plaza. I think to myself. I'll need some parchment supplies to make summons. We'll also need a decent amount of food, as well as some new traveling/combat clothes. This tunic has seen better days. Most of my garments are frayed and the seams are coming undone. We find an Emporium not far from our current location. They have a pretty good deal on enchanted scrolls. Now I'll have the medium I need to generate a summon. Back on the streets, Nozomi watched me as I roll up the parchment into my pack. "So..." She speaks out to catch my attention. I look up at her. "I have always meant to ask how those papers work. But whenever you use one of them, it is always in a serious moment." I let out a chuckle. "Enchanted parchments are used for a multitude of purposes...Obviously I use them to generate a summoning contract. My father came from a line of summoners. A very old, and lost Art. Most people in this day no longer know how to summon. Most summons are linked to a summoner by a contract. Not all summons require a contract. Some might just demand compensation for their time...Others have rules have need to be met, some have goals. Each summon demands something different. All my contracts were passed onto me from my family....The parchment possesses just enough magical attributes to materialize a said summon. I need only scrawl out the seal of the summon on this parchment. I am not as in tuned to my magical energies as I used to be, so this is an aid for me. I also have a master scroll, it's a list of every summon in contract to me. If I ever forget a seal, I can use it for reference before I make a contract. Though I have committed the majority of them to memory." Nozomi stares blankly at me, and when I start to laugh out loud, she hops about shouting out that she understood every word. "Hahaha, fret not Nozomi, not many understand the superb Art of summoning, you'll understand the concept all in good time. As we wander about, the day progresses quickly. We gather some food items, and we dine out as well. If I remember it, the last time I ate in a tavern was back in Disan, where I met Nozomi's acquaintance. After we stuffed ourselves on bread and meat, we found a tailor to have some new clothing made. The new costume that I had prepared for myself was a deep mahogany sleeveless vest, it was designed as a pull over the head. The front had no ties or buttons. But at the collar it had a cross-stitched V-neck, The inside of the vest was also padded with a thicker reinforced layer for stability. Underneath the vest I wore a half sleeve navy blue light material shirt. Around my wrists I wore arm guards that had secret built in storage compartments, where I could keep some parchment stashed. Just in case I was separated from my pouch, I would have a back up. I could not part from my beloved cloak, so I just had it dyed the same color over, and had some repairs made to it. I swapped out my white pants for a black pair. More form fitting, and I had a pack placed on my right leg with some projectile weaponry. Projectiles aren't really my style, but it is best to be well rounded. Nozomi stuck with her same outfit, she just got it in a deeper color. Decked out in our new clothing, and our packs and stomachs full, we head back to Aisha's house at high noon. |
Tatsu : Nozomi's Goodbye
Tatsu : Nozomi's Goodbye
Traveling back west, through the grove towards Aisha's house, I feel a tug on my cloak. I stop moving, and glance over my left shoulder. Nozomi is holding onto the edge of my cloak with her head angled straight down to the ground. "Nozomi, what's wrong?" I speak out perplexed. "T-Tatsu...I..." Her eyes are welling up with tears. "I don't want to go back to Aisha's house, it's too hard to say goodbye, and I was never really good at it...I'm bad with emotions as it is." I turn and gracefully rub my hand down the side of her cheek, wiping a tear as I go. "This isn't goodbye... It's a see you later. You only say goodbye if you never see someone again.... Saying that, makes it sound like something is over." She continues to cry, and her shoulders quiver as she sniffles. "Please Tatsu... It's better if it's just you. I've done enough as it is.." I grab her by her arm and pull her close, into a gentle embrace. She grabs me around the middle, and squeezes like she's done so many times before. "Okay." I speak into her ear, as she lay her chin on my shoulder. "I'll see you off on my own." Instead of heading west through the grove, we follow the old trail northward, to the edge of Shinkirou. Ahead of us, the desert that was brought on by the barrier spell is visible. "Well this is it Nozomi... Do you know how to get out, or do I have to cut a hole through it again?" "No." she spoke quietly. "You can pass through the barrier from the inside, but you can't re-enter once you've left. The moment I pass beyond this point beyond this barrier, you won't be able to see me, and I won't be able to see you." I didn't say anything. "It'll be alright Tatsu. I might be alone, but we'll be together, for we walk on the same ground." She smiles with everything she's got. Shima and Nozomi are both leaving me again. I wish I could be with them forever, but at least I finally found it. I suppose it's okay if I let her go, she's strong, she'll make it through. "As I promised I'll be sending two of my summons with you..." I crouch down to the gravel and lay two pieces of parchment on the ground. Quickly, I write out the summon for Gana. The parchment glows hot, and Gana appears, spreading her wings, out of the light. "Nozomi, I want you to take Gana with you; my most trusted ally. She will deliver you to the Bachuu desert, quickly, and safely... Just in case, there are any dragons in the current airspace, though I strongly doubt it, I'll will be sending with you, another of my allies." Nozomi raises her brow in curiosity. On the second piece I write out the summon for Enu. Once again, the parchment glows hot, and a small monkey appears out a light, when the light vanishes, a small creature drops down, in a pile of leaves. "This is Enu." I explain to Nozomi, with my hand aiming downwards at the little guy. "Enu is a prince, and as long as he makes bodily contact with you, you will be invisible to all.... If you sit upon Gana, and ride with Enu, all of you will be invisible to the dragons. Gana will have free roam of the skies, with none to impede your journey." Nozomi looks both surprised, and impressed. "If this Enu, has such an ability, why not take him with you, if you are going to the Dragon Lair why not make him make you invisible?" Nozomi expresses her worry. I smile and shake my head. "Do you remember how I told you when you meet a summon, and ask them for their aid, they have certain requirements?" Nozomi nods. "Well Enu and I never saw quite eye to eye, and he won't make me invisible. But, he promised to do this for anyone else... He's sort of a wild card in my deck of summons. I figured if I ever had allies, or a group, this would be the best way I could protect them." I grin "Best be off now. Here let me help you." I guide Nozomi over to the side of Gana, and give her a boost onto her back. "Enu, please, lend them a hand would you?" He chatters something or other in his monkey tongue, and then jumps onto my shoulder. I then look up, and look Nozomi in the eye. "Good luck." She stays silent. "Gana! Bring her to Bachuu, as quickly and safely as possible! Please watch over her!" Enu runs down my right arm, he launches himself from my hand, onto Nozomi's shoulder. The moment he makes contact with her, the three of them vanish. Gone... I speak to myself. A wind gushes northward, and I know that is the wings of Gana taking off through the barrier. I stand there paused for a moment, hands in pockets. I raise my hood, turn about, and head back into the grove. |
Swiftant: Curtains Opened
"The commoners know of your real identity. Will they allow us to do as we will, in their village? That's not the only issue, someone in the authorities must know the true situation out there, that's why they built Shinkirou as an invisible fortress. Why do they let you roam freely here? Are they friend or foe? I can't fathom their motives. They could as easily sell us out on a whim as they have permitted your residence here. I can't put my trust in this place."
The atmosphere in the wake of my words becomes tensed and eyes avoid contact. Tatsu walks quietly over to me and places his hand on my shoulder, as if to entrust something important. "Whatever you decide, I am relying on you to settle it. Where we set up shop is of great importance. Make sure you see to it..." he says, loud enough for only my hearing. "I'm taking Nozomi out into the village to gather some supplies. I want her well equipped for her journey northwest." "Hey, Nozomi." Tatsu shakes her shoulder. "Grwaakk ngnorrrzz... Huh?" Nozomi wakes up with a curdling snore, she must have fallen asleep somewhere between our conversation. "Uh... Where is the ninja kettle?" "C'mon, let's get out of here for a bit," Tatsu prompts her. "Yay! Shopping with Tatsu! I'll find the brigand nettle!" And, with an excited Nozomi still half-asleep, they head out of the house. "Your insecurities are farsighted and critical, Swiftant. But they are all only correlated within a humongous farce," Aisha finally lets on. Suzette doesn't let out a noise, she must already know all this. "The townsfolk are no more than a nation segregated and dried out of the outside world. The government has inculcated a psychological barricade into the people, and so, due to their superstitious nature, the villagers have never wandered farther than the village's invisible shield - Aegis. At first impression, the illustrious balance between technology and nature makes this the ideal city, but you should have seen for yourself a hint of the morbid paranoia buried in this city, that is, when the first person to escape from Shinkirou, Suzette, was seen." I throw a soft glance at Suzette, she hasn't moved from her position. I want to grab her hand and run out from the house and probably dismember every one who has ever insulted her. I know best how that feels: To hate people because they hate you, to side with the enemy because that's about the only usefulness you have. Just wanting someone with you. The only difference between her and me is that she wasn't willing to work as a double agent, that her heart was still with her mother and the humans. But more than ever before, all the more reason to hear Aisha out. "This is why Shinkirou never shows up in the pages and maps of history," Aisha continues. "The only information we have beyond this shell is classified under the highest order of secrecy by the government officials. This may be a city, but the people still live with a naive and simple village mindset." "That still doesn't explain why you're allowed in the village, then, much less to stay in it. In fact, they should have come after you eons ago," I argue. "The townspeople are completely oblivious to the outside world, thus, my existence as a dragon is only a matter of physical difference. But more importantly, this is where I come in and perhaps, my purpose for knowing all these. I work with the government; people can't dislike someone who aids their leaders. Things get interesting here," Aisha says. "The village head struck a deal with Shakura." "What?!" I yell, my eyebrows rise and my face disgorge utter surprise. My usually-silver tongue is cemented to my jaw. "Yes... I thought you'd react like this... Ha ha..." Aisha sniggers. "This isn't a laughing matter! At this rate..." "It's alright, Swift, calm down." Suzette holds my forearm and gently guides me back to my seat. "Explain," I say to them. "Rather than have the people pass through each day in fearful turmoil and destruction, the village head, now the governor, negotiated with Shakura with these conditions: The dragons will not harm or desecrate the villagers in any manner, however, 100 pounds of Runestalz and 2,000,000 pounds of food must be harvested and presented to a dragon envoy fortnightly. Of course, it would make no difference to Shakura, since she could enslave the entire village anytime, but the village head was adamant about revealing the source of Runestalz otherwise," Aisha finishes and waits for me to swallow her words. "What are Runestalz?" I ask. "They are the rarest minerals in all of Etrirea. They come in random shapes and sizes, but are distinguished by their volatile surfaces, which can be easily refined into minerals like gold, silver and stone, or gems like diamond, emerald and amethyst," Suzette articulates. "Shakura has taken quite a huge fancy to shiny and lustrous objects." "Right, I've been to her chamber personally, it was nothing short of a jewel paradise," I recount. "Unfortunately, despite the governor's good intentions, the higher-ups and aristocrats have turned to corruption for survival. The masses of this village are but poor plebeians and peddlers. The gap between their status is as absurd as the one between their living quarters; we have both steel-based skyscrapers and straw-supported slums, as any eye can see. The aristocrats bow their heads shamelessly in front of the dragons and look as though they are behind the governor, when in fact, they are bent on an uprising and assassination of the governor before he finds out what really is going on. Those gluttonous officials have no idea that I'm an outcast dragon, so I have been hired by the governor and those who still ally themselves with him, as a spy." Aisha smiles. EDIT: This would be a great time for new characters, if anyone wants to join in. Btw, Kanji, nice exit by Nozomi. Almost got me to tears. =) |
Suzette's return!! XD
** Sorry Guys!! It's been so crazy here!! I'm finally gonna post something!! wooooo!!!**:D
"Those gluttonous officials have no idea that I'm an outcast dragon, so I have been hired by the governor and those who still ally themselves with him, as a spy," Aisha smiles. I look at my mother. There is a look in her eye that is showing a fire I haven't seen in years. Her face in glowing and I know that she won't be changed by anything Swift nor I say to her. But he doesn't know that. "Aisha, we need you here. To keep things safe. I know that if anything was to happen to you while we all were away, things would fall apart and get very confusing and turn to total dismay." His words were meant to be kind and compassionate but my mother took them as harsh stabs to her. "You don't think I know that! You don't think I considered all the dangers of agreeing to be a spy when they asked me? Even though this was before any of you had come into my life, I had always had the well being of Suzette and Nozomi in my mind. I knew if anything was to happen to me and either of them was to find out they would take matters into their own hands." She shot a grin over at me. This was just like my mother. Always planning things out way in advanced so if the time came to defend a reason or decision she could without hesitation. Swift still wasn't happy with what Aisha was doing and frankly, I wasn't either. But who was I to to not like something she was doing when she told me from a very young age to stay away from dragons. I stood up and walked over to Aisha and hugged her. "I know you're going to be safe and I know you're going to great things being a spy. It runs in the family." I wink at her causing us to both laugh and enjoy this moment that must to soonly end. I turn to Swift. "Mother, before I leave, may I ask you something?" "Of course dear. I am your mother after all. You're suppose to come to me for help and advice." We both chuckle again. Swift is looking at us both like we are crazy. "When we all come back, I would like to know, well Swift and I would like to know, if you would approve of us.."I started to stumble on my words. This was harder than I pictured it was going to be and Aisha saw that. "When everyone is all back together then we will talk about. You know how I'm so picky with my little girl." She leaned forward and kissed the top of my head. Although we had only been together again not long, it was like we had never been years apart. We kissed her goodbye and told her that if and when Tatsu and Nozomi came back to tell them we send them our blessings as Swift and I left the house. I looked back to Aisha one last time as she was standing on the porch of my home. I waved to her and called her "Kick butt mom!" And turned around and never looked back. And with that... Swift and I left to head toward the edge of town. |
Swiftant: Stacked Predicament
"When we all come back, I would like to know, well Swift and I would like to know, if you would approve of us.." Suzette's last words break off into an inept stammer, albeit her determination to discipline her tone.
I wasn't expecting Suzette to announce our relationship so soon. It will come to be one of those moments my whole face, but eyes, reddened. I don't mind if Aisha approves or not, but if her mother's blessings are that important to Suzette, then any positive impression must have gone to the dumps by now. "When everyone is all back together then we will talk about. You know how I'm so picky with my little girl." Aisha bends forward and kisses her daughter on the head. Suzette is, after all, Aisha's beloved child, whom she definitely spent many hardships birthing and raising; will I ever have a part in that one day? A warm, ordinary family like that and a wrenched, wayward heart like mine - is it possible? No, I have to take the initiative. I have to prove myself - as a man, as Suzette's lover. I remove my mouthpiece that has been deadening my voice ever since my body was possessed by rancour. "Aisha, rest assured. As many times as it takes, I will protect Suzette," I promise, my voice clear and sharp. "I swear on my very being that every tear she cries will be my undoing for each lifeti-" Suzette has cupped my mouth with her hand. "Then, let me be your new face mask," she insists. "I'll soothe the despair of your wail, and if I ever feel sad, you'll always be close by. Besides, I can cry out of happiness, right?" "Looks like you already didn't have a need for this a long time ago," Aisha says, indicating the removed strap-on gear. "What about that skull on your ear?" "I'll keep it. When I've atoned for my sins only shall I take it off. For now, it's a reminder of how I lived for the wrong reasons, and how I need to learn to love again." I look at Suzette. "You have quite the eye for your man, Suzette," Aisha satisfactorily remarks, measuring me with her eyes. After an emotional farewell, we kiss her goodbye, with which I am quite reluctant but Aisha hugs me first and I relish in her ardent smooches. We leave her a message to Tatsu and Nozomi that we will meet them outside. I want a little more time with Suzette before we part ways. As we walk down the porch, she swirls round again and waves affectionately. "Kick butt mom!" And with that... Suzette and I head toward the edge of town. As we cross the woods, a sort of quaint silence ensues. Our hands are latched together and the wildlife is humming. "Swift... Did you... Do you really mean what you told my mom?" Suzette asks equivocally. "'cos I did. I meant every word and I'd whisper them to you again." "What if we're in front of a tough crowd?" "I'd yell them at the top of my lungs, until the applause drowns me out." Suzette leans her head on my shoulder and for a magical instant, the bonafide enchantment of a prince escorting his princess in a fairytale burns into us. Our bodies become incandescent. My fingers caress the fine sinews on her neck. But the privacy is short-lived. "Swift!! Su!!" Tatsu bursts out from a crevice in a gigantic tree, clothed in new garments. Before I have time to comment, he taps us by the shoulders and hurries us into the hole. "Wh-?" Suzette starts but Tatsu hushes her with a hard glare. "Just hold still and listen," he talks in a low voice. "Good news is Nozomi notified me about approaching dragons. Apparently, their numbers are big and they most likely brought their top-ranking officers, as well, but they're a few hours away." "And the bad news?" I probe. "The village is out for our heads," comes the non-sugarcoated reply and Tatsu yanks out, from his pocket, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' posters, with our photographs printed on them. "The goverment!" Suzette silent exclaims. "Those dogs of the dragons, they must have given us away!" "I've sent Nozomi on her way, but the rest of us need to get away from Aisha's ASAP, lest they suspect her involvement with us," Tatsu explains. |
Tatsu : No Rest
TATSU
Nozomi was gone... The emptiness that had filled my heart so long ago was once again poking at my being. I shuffled my feet through the dirt, head lowered, crunching the finely grounded bits of rock under my boot. Slowly I drag myself back towards Aisha's house... The mid day sun glistened into the clearing ahead, dancing upon the surface off a small stream. The grove was quiet, and in the absence of the sounds of nature, I could easily make out raised voices not far to the west. Carefully and skillfully, I creep through the low grass, and find an overgrown fallen tree. I move along a side, and angle myself down to the ground. I peeked over, raising nothing more than my eyes, which was shrouded under the darkness of my hood, and the shade of nearby flora. A group of four men argued and waved about fliers in their hands. It wasn't hard to make out what they were saying, even though they were in such close proximity to each other, the thought of whispering seemed to never cross their minds. " No, no! The Dragons said to post these in the town! No one comes out here! Who is gonna see if they plaster these posters to a couple o trees?!" Another man raises his voice over the first. "Who cares! As long as we put them up, it doesn't matter where, everyone in Shinkirou needs to know about this criminal, this Tatsu!" What?! ... I think to myself The third one speaks next, clearly the most level-headed and collected of the bunch. "Leinurus' messenger was very specific. This article on Swiftant, ex-Assassin of the Dragons, and Suzette, ex-Spy of the Dragons hold top priority. Treachery is the biggest crime to the Dragons. Traitors and Deserters are the lowest forms of beings. It is imperative that these two are taken in. Their capture is of the utmost importance!" Well, he's definitely concise, I'll give him that...Still I need to dispose of these men, apparently they haven't posted any of these wanted posters in the town yet. If someone saw them other then these four, it would be a problem. The four of them are in sight, now having encountered these men, I can feel their spirit, their aura... With this sensory ability that has evolved within me thanks to Yogensha, I can keep track of them. It is important for me to discover their immediate moves before I make any hastily decisions. The second man, accompanied by the fourth, proceed to ignore the other two, and begin to attach a poster of myself to a nearby tree. Tchh... The dragons ID me when I was in that prison. I was so prideful, I didn't stop me from blurting out my name to my captors. Now the Dragons know all of our names and faces. This is troublesome. The fact that their are people in Shinkirou who know about the Dragons, and the fact that they have contact with them, makes me question the security, and motives of this city... If these men are here, they were either tailed by the Dragons, or the Dragons have known about this place all along. With that, I came to realize in that instant, that this place would not be a suitable sanctuary for our group. The other two men ignored what their companions were doing, and headed off in the direction of the city... Now's my chance. They are alone. I close my eyes and concentrate on the spot the men were in before they walked off. Through a whirl, and a jolt, I was kneeling in that clearing, where the men were. I open my eyes and glanced about quickly...I snicker. Looks like I am getting a hang of this space-time teleportation technique. I draw Sora, from it's sheath. The men were unsuspecting, their blades tucked away, and they wore little protection. Without them even noticing, I cut both of them down in an instant. They bore a pack, and inside it was stuffed with coin and posters. Face first in the dirt, I turned one to his side. Looking for any kind of order slip, or documentation from the their Dragon commander. Heh. Just like them. They never give any written notice, all their orders are word of mouth, to prevent leaking of information. I turn, and focus my attention on the other two, who posted fliers of Nozomi. Big mistake... I swing Sora down, holding the hilt with two hands to my left thigh, the tip of the sword inches from the ground. I turn the blade hard, and run it through the man's back. He falls in a heap, and the thunk caught the attention of the other. "Wait! Your the guy from the pos-" before he had time to finish, Sora was already playing around inside his chest. Humans who ally the Dragons are less than trash. I had no pity, or mercy for those who betray their race... They were right about one thing. Treachery IS the worst sin. I took everything they had on us, ripped down the posters from the trees, and stuffed them in the pack. I began to hurry back to Aisha's, when I heard more footsteps coming up. I slipped into a hollowed out trunk, and waited... Swift and Suzette! It's them. I came out of my hiding spot. Swift!! Su!!" I bursts out. "Wh-?" Suzette starts. "Just hold still and listen,The village is out for our heads." I yanked out, from my pocket, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' posters, with our photographs printed on them. "The goverment!" Suzette silent exclaims. "Those dogs of the dragons, they must have given us away!" "I've sent Nozomi on her way, but the rest of us need to get away from Aisha's ASAP, lest they suspect her involvement with us," I explain to them in earnest. "Suzette, we need to send you off to Asgard right away. Come on. Hurry you two!" We move quickly back to where I parted ways with Nozomi. They eye the two men by the trees who I had killed. "They were Dragon Spies. They were about to expose us. I had no choice." Back at the exit. I kneel down and take out a parchment. I look at Suzette. "Like horses?" I give her a grin. "What?" She asks blundered. "I'm sending you to Asgard on Flearin. A horse spirit who can run as sound. Not my kind of travel, but you should get to Asgard in a couple of hours, not bad seeing how the capital is about half a continents length away..." She is dumbfounded and is at a loss for words. In a flash of light, the silver stallion Flearin appears in a rush of blowing golden feathers. Suzette is astounded, I can tell she has never witnessed a summon before. "Flearin, lead the way, bring this one to Asgard, aid her as if her commands were my own!" "Swift, if you have anything to say, now is your chance...." |
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