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Magi: The World of Magic » The East » Kou Empire » Common Enemies and Newfound Friendships [Job;Xiang/Rain]

Common Enemies and Newfound Friendships [Job;Xiang/Rain]

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Jingyi Hou

Jingyi Hou
A-Tier
A-Tier

Most days within the rural town was spent with hard labor, from children helping their farmer parents in the fields to merchants trying to sell their wares in the street. Most citizens were too busy during the day, and at night the only sounds that could be heard were the nocturnal wildlife and the occasional late night card game. It was during times like these that the men would, with hushed whispers, discuss local gossip. Topics often ranged from boondock scandals, but a new rumor was beginning to dominate these conversations. Rumors about a band of "slavers" coming to towns such as theirs and enslaving entire families.

And, with time such talks spread to the daytime. Mothers would occasionally fret and fathers busied themselves with trying to ensure their family's safety. The local enforcement tried to quell such rumors, but even they couldn't stop the spread of the Slavers' Rumors. While the talks of it sat at the back of their minds, and while their guardians did their best to investigate the rumors, but it wasn't of utmost importance yet.

But, the "situation" began to worsen as citizens found that families or friends they kept contact with in neighboring rural cities stopped replying. Again, the rumors arose to the top of their minds, and questions of if it were really true began to be passed around. Most people just passed the lack of communication was either due to urbanization or that they were caught up in the civil war, another topic of much debate within the town.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before trouble came knocking on that particular town's doors. Families that lived on the very outskirts went missing during the dead of night, their disappearances met with immediate investigation launches. Despite the local enforcement's best efforts, much was unable to be found, and the amount of disappearing citizens started to rise.

Jingyi, hearing of the rumors herself while she was passing through the area, decided that maybe she could throw her own weight against the problem. And so, that's how she found herself checking in at some local Inn with the regular outrageous prices. While she was hesitant to do so, Jingyi told herself that she wouldn't to sleep outside unless it was necessary.

"And, it's not like it's too expensive," she told herself with a nod, a smile on her face as she waved goodbye to the receptionist before heading towards her room. She didn't have much on her except for Windcutter and Nature's Scorn. While in most situations she would've brought the Skeleton Key, Zhihao had specifically told her to bring Nature's Scorn and practice with the weapon instead.

Sitting down on the bed that was stuffed to one corner, Jingyi laid down her weapons and stretched her arms. She hadn't lit the small oil lamp that was on the crooked bedside table yet, and night had long since fallen. Fortunate for, she was able to get a window with her room, and if just turned her head, she could get a pretty good look at the street below. It wasn't much of a view, but to the optimistic girl, it was just fine. Plus, she wouldn't be staying the town for long. Soon, she would find those nasty slavers, beat them up, free the people and then continue on her merry way.

Magoi: 160/160
Stamina: 265/265
Post WC: 573/100
Total WC: /1500
Abilities Used:
Items Brought:

Post Details:



Last edited by Jingyi Hou on 09/08/17, 12:55 am; edited 2 times in total

Xiang Yijun

Xiang Yijun
D-Tier
D-Tier

The sun had set long ago, a signal to the lovely townspeople that the time to turn in for the night had arrived but not everyone would pay head to the call. A tavern here and there profited on keeping their doors open long into the late, or early depending on how you viewed them, hours that were approaching. The sounds of glasses clinking together as drinks were shared and stories were told, some of the quieter patrons preferred to spend their time gambling away at some form of card or dice game. To each their own after all. For the most part the town was a simple one, as were so many others within the Kou empire, but just like anywhere else in the world there was something plaguing these good people, a darkness, that if allowed to spread, would eventually consume them all.

Gossip was one of the many past-times that the general public loved to busy themselves with. Talk of work and love and of dreams of far off adventure, but what was on everyone's lips as of late was of the tragedies befalling one family after another. It seemed a band of what was presumed to be outsiders had managed to encroach on the town and was making their moves behind the scenes, kidnapping people, sometimes even whole families, and selling them into slavery. The local authorities did their best to investigate but were unable to turn up any leads, people were growing fearful and restless. It's hard to remain calm and still when the person next to you suddenly up and vanishes without a trace. Such events were inexcusable and would need to be dealt with swiftly and justly.

Gripping the handle of Anbā Teien tightly Xiang muttered a curse under his breath, the mere thought of women and children being stolen in the dead of night and being sold off to who knows where mad his blood boil. As if a father being torn from his family wasn't bad enough. His business here was simple enough, as a soldier it was his duty to travel around periodically to neighboring towns and villages to ensure the people were happy and safe. As it were he was currently on his own but that wasn't anything new for him, Xiang was used to sort of disappearing on his own and handling things before returning to his peers. Some applauded him for it while others scolded, the fact of the matter was he didn't care what others thought so long as he did what he thought was right. And there wasn't a single thing okay with what was happening right now. Unfortunately all he'd really heard about the ordeal was some hushed whispers of people he caught before they retreated into the safety of their homes for the night. The authorities had others matters to deal with as well so the best they could do for him was offer some warning and wish him the best of luck.

The streets were dimly lit as he slowly walked, his eyes constantly darting about for anything out of the ordinary. As he began to pass by an alleyway he picked up on some sort of movement, turning he began to enter. "Oi, show yourself. What business do you have skulking about in the shadows like this? Can't be anything good I'd wager. I'd just like to talk if that's alright with you, it's not in my nature to do unnecessary things so please don't be the unreasonable one here." As Xiang spoke he continued to walk towards the source of movement, his arms were at his sides but a moment's notice he'd be ready to draw his blade.


Magoi: 60/60
Stamina: 140/140
Post WC: 618
Total WC: 618/1,500

Item Brought:

Rain

Rain
C-Tier
C-Tier


====================================

- [ Vescovo di Consulenza ] -

[ magoi: 30 ]
[ stamina: 170 ]

====================================

He had no home and he had no money. He was poor and without a means of money besides random odd jobs. But for this particular man, neither mattered and both facts had become like a second nature to him. He, being a traveler without a cause, wandered with the purpose in mind to tempt Death. His entire being centered around playing with Death and slipping from its grasps at the last moment. His sole goal in life was to cheat Death. Or at least, out of all the playmates he could find, only Death entertained him. Money, the least of his worries, fell from his pocket like a single drop of sunlight. In other words, he had none. He proclaimed he had better activities to focus his attention on besides the accumulation of money. If he could align a job with his dangerous game, great! If not, he refused to perform he job.

The rumors of entire families disappearing reached him via the usual: whispers and rumors and that sort. The tale of complete families vanishing into the night intrigued him. He decided to track down the perpetrators, hoping they might relief his boredom for a momentary while. He knew for almost certain he would find Death awaiting him, and he itched for the excitement it brought. He spent days figuring out where the mysterious kidnappers would strike next. He spent a great deal of his time bored in a library. He sought for patterns among the kidnappers' sequence attacks. He immediately realized they were targeting small, rural, and otherwise unknown towns to raid. The authorities were less likely to care if it was just the small towns being targeted and kidnapped from.

He hid among the shadows, his pale and dark green eyes blending with the night. He glanced upward and the faint moonlight struck his green eyes like a spotlight showering above him. The edges of his red hair shone vividly. Gentle flakes spun downward like a floating lily quietly moving in a tranquil pond. He stared like a greedy fire riding on the wind, preparing to strike and turn a city downward. The characteristic hair of fanalis, red and fiery, matched Rain's thoughts. As bloody and angry as a fire. Lethargy clashed against restlessness. Among the picturesque war, the moment was immortal and frozen in time. And in that moment, peace crowded the scene, despite everything. Disregarding Rain's flightiness and his intent and the situation inside the village more or less, it was peace.

And then it was broken. The frost melted and the ice broken through. Time moved forward like an obsidian blade cutting through sheets of metal. "Oi, show yourself. What business do you have skulking about in the shadows like this? Can't be anything good I'd wager. I'd just like to talk if that's alright with you, it's not in my nature to do unnecessary things so please don't be the unreasonable one here." Eyes shifted towards the intruder, a dark-haired man. A loose, casual smile instantly masked his prior feelings of boredom searching for something to terrorize. He popped out from his hidden corner. He waved his hand cheerfully and smiled brightly. "Hello! Don't worry~ My business is completely ethical! In fact, perhaps you would like to join me on the purging of this useless little town?" He merrily asked.


====================================

verbum comitem [ dlxxxviii // md ]
word count [ 588 // 1500 ]

====================================

Weapon(s):

Jingyi Hou

Jingyi Hou
A-Tier
A-Tier

J I N G Y I


MY SWORD IS A LIFE TAKER
STAMINA
265/265
MAGOI
160/160
WORDS
538(1111)
NOTES
Bleeh

J
ingyi raised her head as she heard someone talking seemingly right outside her window, one of her red eyebrows raising. From what she could tell, it was a man and someone who seemed to be calling someone out.

"Wait, is someone sneaking outside my window? I haven't heard of any slavers breaking into an inn, but I do look like a Fanalis and I wouldn't be surprised if they broadened their search...?" She thought to herself with a slight frown as Jingyi grabbed Nature's Scorn before getting to her feet and stepping towards the window.

But, she paused when another voice responded to the first speaker. He seemed somewhat more cheerful than the man who spoke before him, but from his choice of words, he may not be as pleasant as he sounded. At least he seemed like he wanted to help "purge" the slavers from the town.

Leaning the Magic Weapon against the wall, Jingyi scurried around her room, getting a match and lighting the small lamp in the small space before returning to her spot by the window. Prying them open, she ignored the chill that traveled down her spine as a draft blew in and stuck her head down.

Looking down, her red eyes narrowed in a squint as she tried to stare through the darkness. The light from her inn room was able to give her enough light to spot two figures in the thin street below.

"Hey, what's this about purging?" She inquired, her head naturally cocking to the side, not unlike a bird. The tops of her shoulders and head were illuminated due to the lamp behind her, though the same could not be said about her face which was still cast in shadow.

If she was right about what the second speaker meant, it would mean that he too was here to stop the slavers. That makes things handy for her, she supposed, seeing how she didn't really have a good idea of how strong they are or how big their numbers are.

Despite whatever answer the two would give her, Jingyi would disappear from the box of the window, only reappearing after she sheathed Grasscutter and Nature's Scorn, though her reappearance would have been hard to spot seeing how she put out the lamp before so.

Seeing how the window wasn't impossibly high from ground level, Jingyi carefully climbed out of the window. Climbing onto the window sill, Jingyi was careful as she turned over. On the very edge of the sill, she closed the window before lowering herself off the window sill, her feet hanging as the only thing keeping her from dropping all the way down was her grip on the window sill.

The wall of the back of the inn was made from bricks, some of them jutting slightly out of place, making it lucky for the woman. Getting halfway down, Jingyi then dropped onto the floor, stumbling slightly but on her feet. Her hands brushed herself off as she glanced at the two strangers, a complacent smile on her face as she did so.

"If you're talkin' about the 'slavers', then you can count me in."
ISHY of THQ &ADOXOGRAPHY

Xiang Yijun

Xiang Yijun
D-Tier
D-Tier

For a moment silence just seemed to hang in the air after Xiang finished speaking, with no movement to be seen it was almost as if he was alone. Still, there was a certain intensity he could feel coming from around the corner, not really as a sign of danger but more of indication that whoever was lurking wouldn't go down quietly. There was almost a sing-songy tone that rang out from behind a corner, a figured appeared with a smile on his face and a small wave as a form of greeting. It was a bit dark but Xiang was still able to make out a few features, crimson hair and a particularly toothy grin. He'd heard about those who matched that description but had never personally encountered them and as such was uncertain. Regardless of whoever he was though the words this stranger spoke were not as pleasant as he tried to make them sound. Gripping onto the sheath of his sword Xiang prepared to interrogate when someone else beat him to it.

The sound of something opening and small streams of light emanating from above caught his attention, his eyes darting to the source were unable to see much because of the positioning. It appeared a girl had overheard the two of them and was curious about what was going on below. She vanished as quickly as she'd suddenly appeared but seemed to still be unsatisfied with the current state of things. The window closed shut but he was still able to see her beginning to climb down. For some reason he felt a little more relaxed about the situation, perhaps Xiang felt that the man who had been hiding would be less prone to violence if a girl was around. Still he turned his attention from the girl to the man in question, not being able to trust whatever intentions he had. It seemed the girl had formed an understanding in her head of what she'd heard but Xiang wasn't so sure he could agree with it. For whatever reason she happened to know about the slave traders and their dealings in this town, probably because talk of such matters spread quickly and she'd heard some of the local gossip. On the other hand perhaps she was here to do something about the trouble being caused, but that could wait.

Taking a step towards the man Xiang made sure to show that he had no intention of drawing his blade, for now at least. "I can tell from your speech that you're not a native of Kou and nobody from around here would call a place such as this useless. Doing such would undermine the very lives of the people who live here." His tone was a bit colder than he had wanted it to be but he was still on edge all things considered. "And purging... such words will give people the wrong idea." Motioning towards the girl from earlier Xiang kept his attention on the man. "She seems to think that you're here to take care of the slavers that have been wreaking havoc around the surrounding area." His eyes narrowed as a hand rested firmly against the hilt of his sword. "But I'm having trouble trusting someone skulking about in the shadows, so what business do you have here? Are you actually one of those slavers currently on the prowl for your next victim?" The man's answer would determine how the rest of the situation would play out, Xiang had no problem spilling blood when he had to.


Magoi: 60/60
Stamina: 140/140
Post WC: 599
Total WC: 1,217/1,500

Rain

Rain
C-Tier
C-Tier


====================================

- [ Vescovo di Consulenza ] -

[ magoi: 30 ]
[ stamina: 170 ]

====================================

"Hey, what's this about purging?"

Golden threads of a shredded aria hung from above. Like an anchor thrown into the earth, evergreen orbs were cast at the dangling threads. The scent of blood leaped out at him. Red attacked his eyes like a snake. It lashed out before snapping back and left him slightly confused. His desire for blood cast mud into his previously clear senses. His head tremored as if the action would expel the crowding dirt swimming nastily in his perception. Indeed, his vision cleared to reveal a red-haired human about his age. Despite wearing the signature fanalis appearance - red hair and red eyes - he doubted she belonged to his own race. She exuded a distinctly non-fanalis 'aura' for lack of better terms. The clashing differences between her appearance and her contribution to the atmosphere around them disconcerted him. Though admittedly, it allowed him little room to talk. He supposed his evergreen eyes tended to throw off a few.

"Well..." he began. But just as she arrived like the web of a silky spider, she faded away. He blinked. The conversation, like dandelions riding streaks and blasts of wind, slipped through the cracks of his fingers. He blinked, confused. Did she plan to catch the dandelion? Certainly, words would not form into empty and pointless dialogue to monotonize his time, right? The world grew just a smudge older and the metaphorical dandelion fluttered just a slight further when he spotted the red-head again. Or at least the outline of a female crawling from the room like a thief in the dead of night. The night, as pictorial and overly commented by the authors of today and yesterday, stole most of his vision. The moon, slim and holding back its light, seized the remaining of it. However, he clearly observed her stumble when she landed somewhat unbalanced. "Be careful there," he warned, though neither his face nor his intentions showed any actual concern.

The black-haired man - fairly good-looking, Rain noted - then proceeded to interrogate him, much to Rain's amusement. The red-haired fanalis sighed dramatically, flinging his arm out. "You caught me. So what do you plan to do now?" he said. Originally, he had planned to chase after the slavers, but hey, he would take what he could. He grinned arrogantly and watched both strangers with a challenging stare.


====================================

verbum comitem [ cmxdviii // md ]
word count [ 948 // 1500 ]

====================================

Jingyi Hou

Jingyi Hou
A-Tier
A-Tier

J I N G Y I


MY SWORD IS A LIFE TAKER
NOTES
Bleeh
MAGOI
160/160
STAMINA
265/265
WC
1425

T
aking the words of the other redheaded person at face value, Jingyi smiled softly as his "caution". Her hands absentmindedly patted her legs to brush off the dirt that had rubbed onto her pants.

She hadn't considered the man to be one of the slavers, but at the black-haired man's inquiries, suspicion of him began in her own mind. Looking between the two, Jingyi pursed her lips together before taking a step back. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, as if checking to see some sort of figure sneaking behind her. Her attention was then returned to the two men, her red head tilting to the side.

"If you're a slaver, then you must surely have some sort of backup, no...?" Jingyi asked slowly at first, her brows furrowed together in its usual display of confusion, "And wouldn't you be able to lead me, well," the woman paused to cast a quick glance in the black-haired man's direction, "us, to the slavers? Because if that's the case, then you'll take us to the rest of your buddies!" Her words, despite the rather morose situation with the prospect of men enslaving men within the town, didn't lack her usual jubilant tone. Instead, she continued to garrulously talk with her rather characteristic lighthearted way. Nor was there a lack of her traditional affable smile, though from the way she crossed her arms over her chest, she did seem to be at least somewhat cautious.

Nevertheless, after finishing her own questions, Jingyi fixed an expected look at the Fanalis-looking man as she impatiently waited for his answer. He seemed to act in a theatrical manner if his dramatic arm wave was any indication. Meanwhile, the other man seems to be rather cold, though Jingyi couldn't tell if it was due to the circumstances or not.
ISHY of THQ &ADOXOGRAPHY

Xiang Yijun

Xiang Yijun
D-Tier
D-Tier

Xiang couldn't help but raise an eyebrow to the attitude of the man he was questioning, rather nonchalant for someone being accused of a terrible crime. Perhaps he was used to that sort of thing, regardless it was obvious he seemed to be enjoying himself far more than any person should right now. Although Fanalis were different from most people so it stood to reason that the workings of his mind were beyond Xiang's grasp, at least for the time being anyway. It was hard to determine whether the man was being serious or just treating this matter as a joke, either way both explanations were inexcusable given the circumstance. Those who treat human life as a source of amusement had no business anywhere especially not in Kou. Going over in his head how to best approach the situation the girl from earlier beat him to it once again. Xiang had a bit of a sour look on his face because of this but shrugged it off, for the most part it seemed like she was trying to help so he should at least let her speak her mind. Although from the way she spoke it also seemed like she wasn't taking things very seriously, which sort of irked him, but he decided to let it pass without any comment.

Glancing about the area it seemed as if it was just the three of them but given the cramped space and darkness plenty more could be hiding just about anywhere. If this man was who he was apparently claiming to be then he could very well have compatriots lying in wait to make their move. It seemed the girl intended on having the man lead the two of them to the slavers base of operations but that was as good as walking straight into a trap. An alternative would be to deal with him right away and lessen the amount of trouble they'd have to go through. But if they merely roamed the streets striking down whoever they came across it could be days or maybe even weeks before the two of them took care of all the slavers. That also wouldn't assist them in finding those who'd been kidnapped. Glancing over the man in question Xiang still wasn't absolutely sure whether he was actually one of the slavers or not. His demeanor was far too lax for someone who should be backed into a corner of sorts but maybe that just meant he was confident in getting out of this virtually unscathed.

Xiang became more aware of the weight of his katana at his side and prepared to draw it but calmed himself, there was nothing to gain by fighting right now. Straightening himself up fully Xiang did his best to relax, sighing loudly he stared down the man. "Tell me something. Who are you really? And what business do you have here? I don't take kindly to liars so I advise you to be as honest as you can."

Magoi: 60/60
Stamina: 140/140
Post WC: 502
Total WC: 1,719/1,500

Rain

Rain
C-Tier
C-Tier


====================================

- [ Vescovo di Consulenza ] -

[ magoi: 30 ]
[ stamina: 170 ]

====================================

He watched their reactions with an amused grin. The black-haired man's reactions especially interested him. The girl was fun enough with her rather optimistic and hopeful sort of personality. By fun, he meant she presented a sort of challenge. Namely, one that dared him to find out just how long her cheerfulness could hold out. Although he did wonder if the main reason she acted so bright and cheery was due to ignorance and naivety. If such was the case... Well, he supposed people like her didn't mind learning something new, right? Ah, but she was just a sort of side-quest. The main show was the dark-haired man. Don't get him wrong, he enjoyed human studying human behavior. But come on, give him some credit. He wasn't some obsessive and sadistic psycho with an absurd fascination with humans. Nah, that was side job. His primary focus and number priority was - you guessed it - fighting! And anyone he could cause a great volcano erupting from he slapped the label 'fun' on. And 'main target'. Poor Xiang.

Speaking of Xiang, being the main character of the somewhat unhinged fanalis's attention, green eyes stared plainly at him. Rain's dark green eyes studied the serious, raven-haired man. Specifically, his expressions and body language most interested Rain. He was rather readable actually. It was strange. His serious attitude might trick people into believing he remained emotionless. However, with such characters, sometimes the search for expression all but disappeared from the face and emerged from the words. The tempo of words spoke volumes past the upfront purpose for speech. The blach-haired man's words jumped to an almost hurried beat. He could tell he was digging under the native Kou dweller's skin. Like a butchering knife! Get it? Kou? Cow?

"Tell me something. Who are you really? And what business do you have here? I don't take kindly to liars so I advise you to be as honest as you can."

See? Annoyance. Exactly what he was aiming for.~

"Aww, someone's upset. What, did I take your mother? Or was it your father? Or perhaps a sibling you hold dear? Either way, I really don't care for your threats if you aren't going to follow through with them," he said tauntingly. "As for your question, Miss Fanalis Look-Alike, why should I? Where's the fun in that?"

====================================

verbum comitem [ mcccxxxvii // md ]
word count [ 1337 // 1500]

====================================

Jingyi Hou

Jingyi Hou
A-Tier
A-Tier

J I N G Y I


MY SWORD IS A LIFE TAKER
NOTES
Bleeh
MAGOI
160/160
STAMINA
265/265
WC
1778/1500

J
ingyi was dragged out of her thoughts of whether the man was an actual Fanalis or not when the black-haired man sighed somewhat loudly and begun to talk, gaining her attention. He seemed to be the more serious out of the present group, which, now that she thought about it, could be the better approach to the suspect's theatrics. Acting like her usual goofball self wouldn't help much, especially if time's a factor and if he actually was a man with compatriots hiding away.

The thoughts that the man was an actual kidnapper urged Jingyi to rest her palm flatly on Grasscutter's hilt. The suspect's answers to his questioning were far from helping his situation. A father, a mother, a sibling. She thought of her own mother's smiling face and the jubilant but suspicious looks to her brothers.

The smile that she had previously worn became slightly crestfallen at the thoughts of her family being taken so suddenly, though Jingyi made an effort to continue smiling. Giving her head a slight shake, the redhead fixed her attention back on the man as he referred to her as "Fanalis Look-Alike", her brows furrowing together. It was better than "Miss Fanalis", at least.

"Well, it would give you a couple hours of "freedom" before you're turned into the authorities, rather than right away at the end of this talk," Jingyi promptly said with a huff, one of her brows twitching down. "Plus, if you do work for those slavers and there's a guy you have an irk against, wouldn't it be somewhat amusing to watch him get decked by a girl?" With that, Jingyi moved her hands onto his hips, fixing the Mister Fanalis Lookalike with the sternest look she could muster. After a couple moments, Jingyi quickly glanced at the man beside her.

"Do you think we should just try to hand him in?" It seemed like the easier option at the moment to Jingyi. The man seemed to be a distraction, either helping his coworkers by either lending them time to prepare and get away or to ambush them during their conversations.
ISHY of THQ &ADOXOGRAPHY

Rain

Rain
C-Tier
C-Tier


====================================

- [ Vescovo di Consulenza ] -

[ magoi: 30 ]
[ stamina: 170 ]

====================================

"That's a big if you're relying on, miss. How do you know I have such a grudge? And anyhow, even if I did, it would just serve to make me look weak, so, unfortunately, I'll have to turn down your offer," Rain said. He folded his arms and stared unapologetically at her, contradicting the remorse his words specified. Not that "remorse" and "guilt" had any room to wriggle into Rain's vessel of emotions. When was the last time feelings as bothersome as "remorse" and "guilt" plagued him, anyhow? Given his emotional state since birth, or at least as long and far back as his memory provided, the answer was probably never. If once upon a time, he once knew of "remorse" and "guilt", he wished to never know. To know of a time when nothing caged his emotions - no. It opened the possibility of regaining his humanity. But of course, it would be a meaningless possibility. It would feed a parasitical beast called "Hope". And then, abruptly it would shatter, millions of pieces stuck in his skin and relentlessly clinging to him.
And it wouldn't even be painful.

"Do you think we should just try to hand him in?"

"Preferably not, especially since it would be a breeze to escape. Your noble efforts of turning in the lowest of disgust would all crumble when I escape," Rain butted in. Seeing as they were discussing him as he stood in their glorious presence, he felt the need to interrupt their proceedings. They seemed more inclined to rid themselves of him by dumping him on others. It would probably warrant a quick scuffle, which might be fun for a while, however... He reasoned slipping away from the local authorities would prove to be a boring affair. On the basis of avoiding capture and a possibly time-consuming scuffle with whatever "soldiers" the small town might possess, he interjected with his opinions on the whole ordeal. But judging how the black-haired man reacted earlier, little could be reasoned to turn the native-born cow from his negative opinion concerning Rain. The green-eyed fanalis determined it ill-advised to hang around the agitated duo any longer.

"Anyway," he stepped forward, and he said, "If I were a slaver, I'd have brought my spear upon your heads already. As it is, I'm quite weaponless, as you can see for yourself." He spread his hands out to prove his point.

Actually, he accidentally broke his spear in a moment of uncontrollable strength. He, in his eternal laziness, had yet to repair it.

"I hope that'll do for an explanation. I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to get some sleep before the night's over," said Rain. Caring little for an answer, and his muscles prepared to spring at a moment's notice, the mischief-loving fanalis sauntered out from the alley, past the duo of vigilantes.

His encounter with the Fanalis Look-Alike and the Black Cow unpleasantly altered the course of his plans. The urgency to find the slavers rapidly increased. The slavers moved fairly quickly, and he had wasted enough time toying with the Fanalis Look-Alike and the Black Cow. Furthermore, he now apparently had competitors. The size of the town threw a knife in any attempts toward successfully hiding. There were fewer places to hide, cutting the search time in halves. Unfortunately, the advantage existed only comparing hunter and target. But confining the competition specifically to him vs the other two, no advantage existed, only the promise of a short hunt. Not in any ordinance of complaining vehemently of the cut time, but the constant alert of the clock incessantly reminded Rain of the possible path which could assist a Great Escape. He momentarily entertained the idea the peculiar duo distracted him on behalf of the slavers in an attempt to sway Rain's single-minded determination for a fight. He quickly threw the idea onto the streets. The Black Cow's stance resembled a soldier's - not a thug who sought easy money. The Fanalis Look-Alike moved with a relaxed sway, but he found himself comparing her to a veteran soldier nonetheless. Neither struck him as the type who would willingly give up their morals to participate in the slaving business.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

"How lucky of I, to stumble upon a fellow foreigner," he said, grinning energetically. A quirk pushed the edges of his smile lopsided, and his balance swayed as if attached to his legs, weights dragged along behind him. He leaned forward dopily, and unexpectedly, he tripped and fell upon his "fellow foreigner" who looked positively embarrassed. After creating a long and unnecessary show of regaining his balance, the redhead slowly detached himself from the man. He glanced up in the process to be met by a troubled frown. Rain put on his brightest smile, and he asked the Auburn to smile. "Cause' you'd look so much nicer with a smile!" Rain explained with an unfaltering gaze. The brunette's eyes widened and he stared at him, shocked at Rain's straightforwardness. Rain's suggestion soon afterward proved to have the opposite effect, for after he recovered from the initial shock, the brunette's glare hardened, and his frown deepened.

"This brat must be drunk," the man muttered, wrinkling his nose.

Rain loudly protested, "I am not!"

He eyed Rain suspiciously for a moment, before resigning to the truth: the so-called brat's systems sparkled clean of alcohol. He smelled of dirt and other nasty odors, but no alcohol. "...You aren't drunk," he admitted.

"But I'm bored. So won't you play with me?"

Rain leaned forward, his back bent slightly, his eyes ever trained upon the stranger. His lips curled into a smile, the edges moving a short distance out. His eyes flickered, eyelashes moving up and down rapidly. He made it a point to widen his eyes every flicker. To top off the innocent act, he held his hands behind his back. The man's eyes slipped away from Rain's gaze. He shifted uncomfortably. This, Rain assumed was from the innuendo which the brown-eyed man thought Rain made. He could not deny his boredom, nor his desire to play. Certainly, his words hid an underlying message, his desire to fight.

"I promise it'll be fun. And you don't have to worry about me getting tired or anything. I'm a Fanalis, you know! We don't tire that easily!" Rain chirped.

He did not miss the way the man shifted forward slightly at his mention of 'Fanalis'. Nor the unmistakable change in the man's approach toward Rain. Before, his brows turned downward upon lively pupils darting side to side like a fish flopping out of the water. After the final 's' sound left Rain's mouth, the man immediately straightened, shoulders rolling back and eyes steadily staring at the fanalis.

"So, you're a fanalis, hm?" he murmured. A grin spread upon his face. "I guess this is my- your, luck day."

The man pointed toward the east. "This way." He turned and started toward the east.

...And so the hunters have become the hunted.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

"Home is just outside here."

The small fire's light covered the faces around the campfire with an unfair glow. The warm light cast an otherworldly image upon the people whose actions tightly bound them to the earth. Just the same, the fire itself belonged to the trees and energy inside the earth's atmosphere, yet it's very essence lifted it up to the heavens. He could make out several faces - seven, he believed - around the campfire. More skin shone barely skirting the edges of the campfire, reflecting its weak light. Captured slaves. Considering he did not see a camp when he entered the town earlier, they must have not immediately set up camp.

"Home?" he questioned.

"Tents. Come along," was his short reply followed by a short command.

Rain nodded. He followed obediently for a few moments. Yet only an idiot expected such uncharacteristic obedience to last long. He quickly broke his streak in a matter of seconds.

"You know," he began, "I really thought you'd be hidden somewhere, not out in the open like this. And I went through all that trouble… Oh well."

Rain twisted his body, and his leg slammed into the other's stomach. The scream was a nice touch but it hurt his ears. However, it also did the work of attracting the fallen man's comrades toward him. (Although he had to ask: why bows?) He allowed four slavers to surround him in a semi circle. They threatened him with bows from a fair distance, but he trusted his speed to make up for the disadvantageous distance between him and his opponents. From behind one of the slavers, he noted the other three slavers chose to stay behind and keep an eye on their loot.

"There's really no point in resisting. Not only are you outnumbered, but you are also weaponless. Come peacefully now," one of the slavers reasoned.

"Sorry, but I'm bored," Rain said as if it explained everything.

Proving his fanalis heritage, he compensated the distance between him and the slaver who spoke first within seconds. He brought the heel of his foot up and connected it to the slaver's nose. He brought his foot down to the side and twirled behind the limp body, pulling it toward him in one fluid motion. Arrows aimed at his previous location buzzed by harmlessly, although one almost skimmed the body which Rain held. He pushed the body away from him as he evaded another arrow. He picked up the previous owner's arrows, quietly wondering if they would work well as miniature spears - like darts! As it were, they proved difficult to deal an accurate blow as darts. He quickly discarded the bag of arrows, settling on his fists and feet.

As a gesture of desperation, Rain slowed his run as he approached his next target. He moved his leg in a fast semi circle fashion from the left to the right side. His foot passed through the hand holding the bow and knocked it out of the slaver's grip. He quickly switched feet as the right landed forward. The momentum caused his left foot to fly diagonal, hitting the slaver in the rib cage. He turned his head to note a distinct, thorny vine whizzing toward him. He sidestepped the vine and brought his leg down upon it in the same fashion he knocked out the bow from the slaver's hand earlier.

He forgot the thorns.
He yelped.

====================================

verbum comitem [ mmmlxxviii // md ]
word count [ 3078 // 1500 ]

note; oh god i'm done with this break ridden adventure of 2000 words. if only i hadn't had so many breaks writing this stupid piece x_x. also, there's five enemies left.

====================================

Jingyi Hou

Jingyi Hou
A-Tier
A-Tier

J I N G Y I


MY SWORD IS A LIFE TAKER
STAMINA
340/340
MAGOI
255/260
NOTES
-
WC
1500+

T
he appearance of weakness would fit a man such as you. I doubt that you have an inkling of strength behind you," Jingyi shot back, her eyes flashing with an anger that contradicted the pleasant smile she wore. She was growing tired of the charade, parading back and forth between the three of them in a useless squawking of words. Her body mirrored his as Jingyi crossed her arms over her chest, her chin rising upwards in a stance of annoyance.

Something struck Jingyi as off about the man. She couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly was bugging her, perhaps it was his mannerisms or speech? Maybe something about his stare or the way he held himself. Either way, she didn't like him. The quicker this conversation could end, the better in her opinion.

Gaze falling upon his empty hands, Jingyi simply shrugged her shoulders. "Just because you don't have a weapon doesn't mean you're harmless. Any buffoon can learn how to throw a punch." The option of him simply being a decoy has been stricken out considering how long their talk has been dragged out. Any worthwhile foe would have struck already.

Jingyi would watch quietly as the young man left, claiming that he had wanted sleep. No matter. There was the fact that there were slavers in town, and they rarely stuck around. The more time wasted with him would mean a greater chance that she would lose the chance to attack while the iron was hot. So, with a nod of her head, the soldier would disappear down the opposite end of the alley.



Silver Crow's Tavern, a hole-in-the-wall pub whose patrons were the type who had visited for years. It was dimly lit and filthy, neglected for years by the lethargic keep. The most he did was sit in the corner, smoking a cigar as he kept watch of those who came in and out. On good nights he would sometimes wipe down a grimy cup; good nights were a rarity for the melancholic man.

There were a few men in the tavern, all nursing their own mug of alcohol. The door creaked open on unoiled hinges as a hooded figure entered, gravitating to the bar and then a quiet corner. This did little to disgruntle any of the patrons, who quietly went on with their drinks or whispered conversations.

One pair in particular, one stout and short while the other tall and lanky- sat close together. Their heads leaned towards one another as they sneered and talked among themselves.

"Ey, ey, ey, did you see the red-head Bobby picked up?" The wider one questioned with a cackle. He then promptly burst into coughing, which he tried to remedy by washing his throat down with a hearty sip of rum. His companion simply shrugged his shoulders and replied with a quiet mumble.

"T'e Fanalis Bob Ewell pey'ed up? Yeah, ah saw... Pretty sure tha' he's takin' 'em back ta camp." This one spoke with a heavier accent that always caused the previously choking one, Enos, a minute to dissect his words.

"Yeah, that one! We should probably find something as valuable so boss doesn't get on our ass," Enos commented once he was done thumping his chest with a fist. His crusted lips spread open to reveal stained teeth, eyes falling half-closed with amusement. The taller of the two, Bucephelus, had paused at Enos' words. His eyes grew blank as his mind slowly whirred to comprehend the sentence. Once he was done, Buce would nod his head hastily.

"Ya... We bes' get goin', brotha." He would say as he climbed to his feet, scraping his chair back. Enos winced at the noise, his head shaking while he stood up shakily. Together the pair would exit the pub, their shadow close on their heel.



Enos and Buce were walking down the quiet alleyway, sticking close to the wall. They knew of a particular street that was used as a short-cut between two roads, and it was their goal to nab at least a single Human from there.

The night had grown dark already, the small sliver of moon hidden by a group of black clouds. It was hard to see in that woeful space between buildings, leading the pair to step into less than pleasant fluids and messes. However, the scum was more than used to filth and it bothered them little to trek through the alleyway.

Along the way, they would notice certain noises and steps. When one turned to check over their shoulders, their dull eyes saw nothing and they would continue on. Though, by the time they had crossed into another allyway, Enos finally had enough.

"Bucephelus, I swear to whatever stinkin' deity is sitting up in the sky that I'll shove my sword up your ass if you're trying to shit me with spooky sounds," The fat man snapped, shooting a glare at the man in question as his palm lingered by the hilt of his dagger. Buce jumped at the accusation, his eyes widening in response as his mouth fell open.

"I ain't did nutin' wrong, Enu!" He proclaimed in protest, shivering as he got a grimace from the other due to his mispronunciation of Enos' name.

While the two bickered, the sound of feet against dirt could be heard. Their faithful shadow had revealed itself to be a cloaked figure who rushed at the men. Enos could only scream, the crotch of his pants growing damp in fear as his a fist connected with his nose, the attack's full force breaking it with ease. The short man continued to screech, his body teetering backward as his hands grabbed at the broken cartilage, his fingers trying to stop up the crimson blood that flowed freely down.

Buce whirled, his hand fumbling to the short sword he wore. However, he was headbutted by the unknown assailant, the force of the powerful blow sending him towards the wall. During the process of the attack, the shadow's hood fell, revealing a smile that did not reach her angry eyes.



Jingyi grabbed the short man by the throat, her hand a vice as she squeezed painfully. He cried out in protest, his pudgy fingers scratching in a futile attempt to get her to release him. His eyes bulged like a fish, mouth open as he gurgled saliva.

"Hey there! I was hoping that you two citizens," at that, Jingyi lifted the man off his feet, causing his piggy legs to swing wildly, "could help me out! I need to know where your camp is, pronto. If you do that, I'll consider just turning you in to the local authorities~" The redhead chirped with a smile, her red eyes narrowed as she stared down Enos.

The man gasped, his fists now beating against her hand as Buce slept on the ground, knocked unconscious by the blow. Another squeeze of Jingyi's fingers got Enos to cry out, wailing that he'll help if she'll only just drop her. Jingyi, being a reasonable woman, let go. The floundering pig dropped like a bag of stones, hitting the floor with a crunch. She watched as he then proceeded to roll onto his stomach, arms wrapped around him as his body trembled.

Thirty seconds passed before Jingyi kneeled down, smiling her affable smile in Enos' face. "Location. Now." Promptly, he would begin to squeal on the details, revealing all to the red-headed soldier. It would seem that she had gotten all she needed from the pair.



In a flurry, Jingyi had dropped off the men by the police station, shouting only that they were slavers and to expect more by the night's end. The girl, not being one to break a promise, had rushed immediately to the patch of the forest right outside the eastern doors of the village. It was all too easy to pick out the fluttering light of the campfire, shadows thrown onto the ground by a large group of people.

From the get-go, Jingyi realized that there was a fight proceeding. She spotted the annoying Fanalis from earlier as he fought off a group of what seemed slavers. It would seem that he wasn't a part of their ranks after all (or he had snapped and decided that he was going to beat up the scum).

Coming to a complete stop, the soldier crouched down before moving forwards, careful to not attrack the attention of the enmies within the ring of enemies. Her hand reached behind her, grabbing Natures' Scorn and pulling it out. The spear spun, falling into her grip with practiced ease. An easy-going grin spread across Jingyi's face as she prepared herself, the tip of her weapon coming alight as Natures' Scorn Magic function activated.

The green-eyed Fanalis yelped in pain as Jingyi lunged out, a blur as she rushed to the nearest enemy. With one fluid motion, Jingyi feinted to his right whilst jabbing her spear into ground in front of her target, tripping him and causing a patch of flesh-tearing growths to errupt. The man fell, screaming as his body was punctured by the thorns.

Moving with swift and nimble feet, Jingyi stepped out the path of Jabbing Vines. Jingyi's fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of her spear, red locks falling into her face as her gaze fell upon the attacker. In what seemed like a blink of the eye, Jingyi rushed forwards and shoulder-tackled the man with all her force. She could hear the cracking of bones once she made impact, but didn't stick around long enough to hear the man cry as he hit the floor.

Now, there was only a single "man" left. His eyes were wide as he drew the string of his bow taunt, an arrow notched in place. Jingyi side-stepped the incoming attack with a satisfied smile. And then, with a lunge and a downward swipe of Natures' Scorn, the slaver was downed. He hit the ground with a pained grunt, his body curling as his hands grasped the new wound given to him.

"Ah, alllll done!" Jingyi exclaimed with a heavy exhale, her spear stabbing into the earth by her foot. Her body leaned against the weapon, her gaze rising to glance at Rain. Red locks fell to the side as Jingyi's head cocked, an eyebrow rising. "You alright there?" The girl would inquire with a teasing smile.
ISHY of THQ &ADOXOGRAPHY

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