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Kazu-chan generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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 Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 5:40 pm
[Fighter]
 [LEGION WIN]
He had heard about the little gambling den from rumors picked up on the street. Whispers from hurried men who didn't bother to keep their secrets to themselves, not realizing that a very attentive listener might be nearby them to overhear their conversation as they hustled by and about their business. Kiran had bought his way inside the gamblers' hall, which resulted in major damage to his funds but would be worth it if he got some useful information from the visit. His mind wasn't on the game before him to which he was losing quite badly. The man before him had a greedy smile, eyeing the small pile of coins that Kiran had like it was the greatest treasure in the world despite how pitiful the amount actually was.
The game was unimportant. Kiran's attention was on the man in the back corner who was drinking probably his sixth bottle of alcohol. The man was blathering about this, that, and everything under the sun, but despite his drunkenness, he didn't want to let slip anything about the Legionnaire's plans. According to sources, the man was supposed to be one of the higher ranking Legionnaires. He was getting on Kiran's last nerve with his idle ramblings about nothing at all important.
The Legionnaire let out a boisterous laugh as he slammed down his now empty bottle on the table hard enough to rattle it, knocking over stacks of chips. "Well, boys," said the Legionnaire, his voice carrying over the loud din of the gambling hall. "You've bled me dry. I haven't a coin left to my name."
The other players at his table made no complaints when the Legionnaire stood to leave. The caring stopped when the coin ran out. The Legionnaire was a big man with muscles that threaten to burst the sleeves of his shirt. His long hair was tied back in a low tail and was the color of pistachios. His cheeks were pink from the drink. He wobbled on his feet, tilting precariously from one side to the other as he weaved his way through the crowded hall toward the exit.
Kiran shoved the last of his pile, all of two coins, into the pot in the center of the table. He ignored the gleeful look on the men's faces as he stood up and casually made his way toward the exit, following after the Legionnaire. It was dark out, late into the night, when he stepped outside the gambling hall. The air was cool and crisp, and the streets quiet except for the drunken Legionnaire strolling along singing in a loud voice and horribly off key. Kiran slipped into the shadows, blending in with the darkness as he trailed after the Legionnaire. At this point, he was feeling doubtful that would overhear anything useful from the Legion, which put him into a bad mood having lost a good portion of his money to get into the gambling hall.
The Legionnaire ambled around a corner, and Kiran quickly moved to followed him. There would be no chance of gathering any information on the Legionnaire plans to report back to the Noble captains if the man got away from him. The moment he slipped around the corner, a fist slammed into his face. Kiran stumbled back but managed to keep his balance. His hands immediately went for his tonfas that were always tucked behind his back since he first chose them as a weapon. He glared at the drunken, haughty look on the Legionnaire's face. His left eye already felt puffy, barely allowing for a thin slit of vision after taking that punch.
"Stupid Noble brat," the Legionnaire growled, stalking toward Kiran and towering over him. "Did ya really think I couldn't see a rat spy from a mile away?" There was a laugh in his voice that didn't sit well with Kiran, who tightened his grip on his tonfas, holding them at the ready to attack or defend.
Kiran sneered at the Legionnaire. "I'm surprised you would know a rat from your own ugly mug," he snapped, wanting to wipe out that air of superiority surrounding the Legionnaire. It seemed to work for after a moment of working out the words in his mind, the Legionnaire's face twisted up with rage. When he swung a second time, Kiran was ready for it. He rushed forward, ducking low as the fist flew by overhead, just barely skimming the top of his skull. Ignoring that slight jolt, Kiran stamped a foot on the ground. He twisted around, drawing up one knee that he used to slam into the small of the Legionnaire's back. It was like trying to kick the trunk of a sturdy tree, jarring the bones of his leg. The Legionnaire must be solid muscle!
Distracted by the pain, Kiran failed to notice the Legionnaire countering the attack with a backhanded swing of his arm, fat with muscle. The arm caught him in the ribs, lifting him off his feet. He flew in the air for some feet until he crashed into some crates set up along the wall of one building on the street. The wood slates snapped against his back. He pushed his feet into the air, rolling feet over head until his feet were firmly on the ground again. The Legionnaire charged at him like a mad bull, and Kiran almost thought he saw smoke issuing from flared nostrils. Kiran kicked up on of the crates that hadn't broken when he crashed into them. With a roundhouse kick, he sent the crate flying at the Legionnaire's head.
The Legionnaire's reflexes were better than Kiran would have expected from such a large, drunken man. He raised one of his beastly arms and knocked the crate aside like swatting at a fly. Kiran danced out of the Legionnaire's path, but his opponent followed his movements. The Legionnaire swept a foot at his legs. Kiran jumped to avoid being knocked on his back. He brought an arm around, aiming a strong blow to the man's skull. But the Legionnaire caught him about the wrist with a resounding smack of wood connecting with flesh. His grip was hard, crushing the length of the tonfa against Kiran's forearm. He tried to strike another blow, his aim low and directed at the man's knee. That arm was seized just as quickly, and with an upward jerk, the Legionnaire had both arms captive while Kiran dangled an inch or two off the ground.
"Where's your cocky come back now, kid?" demanded the Legionnaire as a gross smile carved itself across his face.
Kiran glowered darkly, a swell of anger blooming in his chest. "I'm not some kid," he snarled. He raised his legs up, curling his body in the man's hold. Then, leaning back, he thrust his legs outward, smashing his feet into the man's face. The grip on his arms released. He hit the ground with enough force to wind him, but he didn't let that stop him long. He rolled back onto his feet into to avoid a hard stomping on his chest by the Legionnaire.
Dirt from the bottom of his shoes was smeared across the Legionnaire's face, and the man tried to wipe some of it out of his eyes with one hand. His rage increased, his eyes burning with hatred as he glared down his nose at Kiran. "Dirty, rotten Noble," he muttered and reached for Kiran with his bearish arms.
Kiran dodged quickly but realized the feint all too slowly. A punch landed in his ribs, hard enough to snap one or two, but he thankfully didn't hear any cracks from the breaking for bones. An upper cut slammed into his jaw, knocking his head backward where it banged into the side of one building. A kick to the knee had him on the ground, wincing and aching from head to toe after the quick onslaught of powerful blows.
"Pathetic," the Legionnaire spat, and something wet hit Kiran's face.
After the sound of footsteps faded in the distance, Kiran finally sat up slowly, wincing from the ache of his bruised ribs. He wiped the spit off his cheek with his thumb. His eyes focused on nothing in particular as he glared into the darkness ahead of him. His head was throbbing from repeated blows, but he managed to force some thoughts through the haze. For all the man's size, the Legionnaire hadn't looked to have that much in the way of brains. Kiran felt certain that he had blended in well enough to escape the notice of the Legionnaire. Perhaps his bribe to enter the gambling den hadn't been enough to buy the doorman's silence. He hadn't seen the doorman approach the Legionnaire to perhaps warn him that someone unfamiliar had paid their way inside. But with the amount the man had drunk, it was possible that one of the servers bring him bottle after bottle had let the information slip to him. Kiran put his head in his hand and rubbed at his forehead. The aching of it overcame him, and anymore thoughts on the matter sank somewhere out of reach. After climbing to his feet, Kiran headed home to nurse his wounds and sleep away what little remained of the night.
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 8:17 pm
[Fighter]
Hello Again, Friend of a Friend
PRP with YuudaiThe docks. After some time apart, the two run into one another again and rekindle a friendship. [in progress]
To be filled in...
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:03 pm
[Fighter]
The note arrived in the early morning on a crisp, cool day several weeks after he first requested the help of Captain Yuan. A thrill of excitement and nervousness washed over Kiran as he skimmed over the note asking him to meet the captain later that afternoon and the location of the place where they would practice hand seal magic in private. Kiran was excited at the prospect of mastering his magic, but he was nervous about looking like a failure before Captain Yuan. When it came to combat, Kiran was confident in his skills. During training sessions, he noticed several of the other recruits tripping over their feet, and he had easily taken down the three recruits that he sparred against at the last session. But those three had also been quite slow on their feet, unable to keep up with Kiran's speed.
After a quick lunch, Kiran headed out to the meeting spot, arriving nearly half an hour early for their first practice. It was a secluded little camp site well away from anything else, giving them perfect privacy to work uninterrupted. He walked around the camp, giving the area a quick look over before Captain Yuan arrived. When he spotted the captain making his way toward the camp, Kiran frowned slightly at the sight of another man walking with Captain Yuan. The second man was tall and thin with skin so pale that it bordered on being as white as snow. In contrast, his hair was as black as the night sky. His long locks were drawn back into a high ponytail with a fancy hairpin sticking through the base of it. He looked far more refined in comparison to the rugged look of Captain Yuan.
"What'd I tell you?" Captain Yuan said, grinning widely as he nudged the other man with his elbow. His friend's face pinched like he had just sucked on a particularly sour lemon. His nose wrinkled up with something akin to disgust as he wiped his robes where the captain had bumped him. "I said he would be here early. Eager to learn." He winked at Kiran, like there was some inside joke between them, though Kiran couldn't think of what it possibly was.
"Yes, so you were right," muttered the other man with a sneer in his tone. He didn't seem pleased to be there.
"Right!" Captain Yuan clapped his hands together with a loud smack. "This here is Iseul," he explained to Kiran as he gestured to the dark haired man. "He is a master with water type hand seal and very good with the healing thing it does."
Iseul snorted. "Healing thing it does" was apparently a very poor way of explaining it, in his opinion. He nodded stiffly to Kiran in acknowledgement of their meeting, and Kiran bobbed his head in return.
"Since we're working with fire type," Captain Yuan continued like Iseul hadn't made any noise at all. Whether he was ignoring it or simply didn't hear it, Kiran wasn't certain. "I figured it would be best to have someone on hand that's skilled at healing. In case the fire gets a bit too wild, you know."
Kiran rubbed absently at his hands. The scars were still there, light thin lines of white against his softly tanned skin. He knew exactly how wild a fire could get if he wasn't careful. That, after all, was his whole reason for seeking out a teacher to help him control his magic.
"Right then, introductions made. Let's get started," Captain Yuan said with a ponderous look, like he was contemplating where exactly to begin the lesson.
Iseul left them to it as he walked over to a chair set up several feet away from them. He took a seat, drawing out a book from somewhere in the folds of his silk belt. Flipping it open to the marked page, he began to read, acting like the two fighters weren't there.
Kiran waited patiently, watching the captain who was taping his chin in thought. Then Captain Yuan snapped his fingers, the grin returning to his face.
"We'll start off simple," he explained. "You can't really learn anything until you've mastered producing a flame." Captain Yuan ignored the little snort that issued from Iseul. "And can control it, of course," he added, like he just remembered it.
"That shouldn't be too hard," Kiran said, though his insides were squirming with nervousness. From past attempts, he knew it wasn't as easy as it sounded to produce a flame and actual be able to control it. His one success in summoning a flame had resulted in a blast that burned his hands. If Xiu hadn't been nearby that day, Kiran's hands could have been far worse off in terms of scarring.
Captain Yuan demonstrated the hand seals necessary to call up a flame. The small fire burned brightly for a moment before extinguishing itself. Kiran swallowed nervously as he prepared to copy Captain Yuan's example. The hand seals were simple enough. After creating a whole language of hand signs to communicate with his sister, Kiran found hand seals very easy to memorize. What made him nervous was actually trying to create fire.
Kiran's hands moved smoothly through the seals, and focused his concentration on fire. But after he performed the last seal, only a wisp of smoke appeared before him. Disheartened and embarrassed, he couldn't even bring himself to lift his gaze to the captain. For a moment, the only sound was the rustle of a page turning as Iseul continued to read his book.
"Well, that wasn't bad," Captain Yuan said, finally breaking the silence. He didn't sound very impressed with Kiran's lack of skill with magic.
Again and again, Kiran tried the same hand seals, focusing until he was red in the face. With each failure, Captain Yuan gave him pointers on what he was doing wrong. To Kiran's relief, the captain never made a comment of disappointment or frustration, remaining positive and encouraging. By the end of the training session, tired and sweaty, Kiran had managed to produce a flame. It was a small, feeble looking fire that blew out the moment Kiran's concentration broke with an excited grin.
"Very good!" Captain Yuan clapped his hands with a proud smile on his face. "I think we'll call it day for now. I'll send you word of when our next training session is."
Kiran thanked Captain Yuan and Iseul, though the water master hadn't done anything more than turn pages in a book. As he left, a happy, confident feeling filled him. Even if the flame had been rather pathetic, he had finally called up a bit of fire without it exploding back on him.
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:01 pm
[Fighter]
An Encounter with a Falcon
PRP with BaoKiran's falcon, Aditi, flies away from him and comes to land on Bao's leg while she is reading at Cherry Tree Hill. [COMPLETED]
Kiran stroked a finger over the crest of Aditi's head as he walked back to his family's mew. His mind turned over the encounter with Bao. When he decided to take Aditi out for some free flying, he hadn't anticipated meeting anyone. It had been an interesting meeting, and he was still curious to learn what exactly that her running thing was. He would really like to see what it was. With a smirk, he decided he would have to try sneaking into the Noble estates at some point. It would definitely be a challenge, and it was a good thing that he liked challenges.
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:07 pm
[Fighter]
Puppet Strings and Sticky Fingers
PRP with Ling GuiAround the outskirts of the market place, two Lunarians meet for the first time. [in progress]
To be filled in...
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:09 pm
[Fighter]
Meta Plot
Main Street - The Ancient NorthKiran meets up with new and old faces while examining the dead that line the street, hoping that he won't find anyone that he knows among the dead. [COMPLETED]
The words were like a sudden punch to the gut, making Kiran feel winded. He almost gasped for breath as he stared at the priestess. The Emperor was dead. The words kept repeating through his mind, rattling incessantly like the shrill ringing of bells. How could the Emperor be dead? It felt like he was watching the scene from afar, like a nightmare from which he couldn't wake. As a Noble, he opposed the Emperor and the Legion who supported him, but it had never been in his mind to kill the Emperor. Who could have even managed to kill the Emperor? Or was his death natural?
But it sounded like even now the Emperor's body was missing as none of the three generals gathered here had even known the Emperor was dead. So then, where was the Emperor's body? What exactly had happened to him? What did this mean for the future of Lunaria?
Lost in his thoughts, Kiran hadn't even noticed the fire growing in the hands of Shinta until that fire was thrust upon the shrine as though to set it ablaze. In a sudden rush of movement, he was thrown aside, freed as his position as Hua An's hostage. Kiran stumbled then his head jerked back toward the shrine as the fire curled in on itself and vanished, leaving the shrine untouched, but the distinct scent of something burnt and charred lingered in the air. As he watched the scene before him, a numbness crept through him at the continued shocking turns from that day. When he woke that morning, he never expected this outcome, never could have imagine this was how his day would end, even when his walking among the bodied of the dead lining the Main Street.
And what of those bodies, Kiran wondered briefly? Did the deaths of all those people, in fact, have a connection with the death of the Emperor? If it was all to get across the point the Emperor was dead, it seemed far too cruel to use the lives of so many innocent people.
But his attention turned away from those thoughts as Mizuki's laugh rang out through the area. Lunaria would be under the control of a neutral guard? The puzzled expression on Kiran's face clearly told anyone that glanced at him of his confusion at that announcement. Though he had heard stories of this area and of the priestess, Kiran had never heard of a neutral guard under Mizuki's control. Frown lines appeared, deep creases across his forehead, as Kiran gazed at Mizuki and the three generals at the bridge. He didn't like the news of this neutral guard. There was already enough hatred and fighting between the Nobles and the Legions without throwing another side into the mix, neutral or not. What he liked least about this was the unknown element. They had no knowledge of who belonged to this neutral guard or even how they planned to go about policing Lunaria.
That night, as he lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling, Kiran kept turning the thoughts over in his head, reviewing everything that had happened during the day. He tried very hard to shut it all out and get some sleep but found that task difficult. Sometime during the early hours of the morning as the sun was starting to peek out over the horizon and spill its light over Lunaria, he finally managed to close his eyes for a brief sleep.
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:49 pm
[Fighter]
Quiet after the Storm
PRP with Van - Battle with VanAfter the recent tragic events, two lone figures meet upon Cherry Tree Hill, and a quiet meeting between former classmates turns violent after the first punch is thrown. [COMPLETED - NOBLE WIN]
Kiran hissed as he mopped up the blood still oozing, though far slower now, from the gash on his knee. The thin slash across his chest on stopped bleeding long before he arrived home in his small apartment, though he had yet to wipe clean the small amount of blood crusted upon his chest. His main concern had been his knee, which he wanted to get cleaned up and bandaged right away. From the look of the injury, Kiran guessed that it would take some time to heal, which meant that if any battles came his way in the near future, he would be in trouble for he would lack his usual speed.
A sigh slipped past his lips as he cleaned away the last of the blood. Then he grabbed a roll of bandages and started wrapping it around his knee. When it came to Van, Kiran didn't seem to have much luck. Their first encounter had started with a fight. Granted, that was all his fault for having tried to steal the amethyst pendant right off her neck. He thought after their second encounter, and his apology, that things would turn around for them. They had briefly seen each other at Yue's wedding and acknowledged each other's presence when they met on the main street among the bodies lining it like garbage.
During those last two encounters, they hadn't really spoken to each other. But he hadn't expected her to fly off the handle over a misjudgment of his actions. He still wasn't sure exactly how she could have mistaken his dismissive wave for an attempted punch. He went over it several times in his mind but couldn't see why the simple action had provoked her in such a violent reaction. It was looking like perhaps they were doomed to only be enemies and never friends.
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:36 am
[Fighter]
Kiran gingerly took a sip of his drink, trying his best not to cringe. He was quite fond of the way the alcohol burned down his throat, but he didn't want to look like a child in front of Captain Yuan. After their training session that day, Captain Yuan had all but dragged him off to a drinking den located in part of the city that wasn't exactly considered "nice." The place seemed to be a lesser known one as there weren't very many people crowded into the small den. Even though he wasn't thrilled with the idea, Kiran didn't want to anger the man teaching him how to master seal form magic. Since their first meeting to train, Kiran had gotten better at producing a flame through seal forms. No longer did he call up curling wisps of smoke or flames that flickered out after a brief moment. But he quickly saw that Captain Yuan's decision to have Iseul at their lessons was a good one. Several times, the fire had exploded on him, and Iseul's skill was needed to heal his burns. Though he had gotten better at controlling his fire magic since that encounter with Xiu, Kiran still didn't feel confident about using it in battle when there was chance of doing equal or worse damage to himself than to his opponent.
"You should have seen this kid," Captain Yuan remarked, smacking Kiran hard on the back so that he spilled some of his drink onto the table. "The way he took down that Legionnaire was brilliant!"
"You would have taken him down if you had seen him," Kiran pointed out, oddly not boosting about his achievement. A few nights ago, Captain Yuan had sought him out to join him on a mission. He didn't go into much detail about the mission, only saying that he required a partner to go with him in case things went badly. Infiltrating the Legion camp went smoothly at first. Then some guards patrolling the camp spotted them. They fought their way out, escaping into the night, but they had failed to complete the mission. Despite the failure, Captain Yuan maintained a positive attitude about it.
Kiran felt bitter about not accomplishing what they set out to do that night. It was his first time being called upon personally by a captain ranked Noble to go on a mission, a secret mission at that. He had wanted to prove himself and pull it off successfully. Instead, he slipped up and let the Legion guards catch wind of their presence. If Captain Yuan had gone on the mission alone, he might have succeeded, but because of Kiran, the mission had failed.
"There's no need to be so modest," Captain Yuan said, giving a hard pat to Kiran's shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with boosting about your victories."
"There's also nothing wrong with a bit of modesty," Iseul said coolly then sipped from his cup. With his eyes closed, he missed the slight falter in Captain Yuan's joyous expression. Kiran, however, didn't miss it. He often wondered how the two came to know each other since Iseul seemed not to approve of anything that Captain Yuan did. Every time that Captain Yuan spoke, Iseul got a pinched look on his face, irritated by the other man's mere presence.
Captain Yuan laughed, a little too loudly as the few people in the drinking den turned their heads to their small table. If he noticed this, he didn't show it on his face. "Pay no mind to him," he told Kiran with another smack on the back. Kiran wouldn't be surprised if he woke up tomorrow with a giant bruise in that spot. "He's just jealous because he's about as useless in a fight as a bowing Kappa."
For the first time since they met, Iseul's face turned as red as a tomato, and he shot a furious glare at the captain. "At least I have far more intelligence and dignity than one, unlike some people." He stood up and tossed a few coins on the table to pay for his drink and food. Then with one last sneer at Captain Yuan, Iseul headed for the exit of the drinking den.
"You two don't get along very well," Kiran commented, watching as Iseul disappeared beyond the door. He sipped at his drink again and was reminded of the burning sensation that came with the alcohol. How anyone could get used the taste, he didn't think he would ever know. He hoped that he wouldn't be put in too many situation that forced him to drink alcohol. Or at least, none as foul tasting as what had been put before him in this establishment. It had a sickly aftertaste, like when a bit of vomit tried to make its way up his throat but couldn't quite make it all of the way.
Captain Yuan wore a roguish smile as he shook his head. "He's just a bit tightly wound." The smile was gone in the next instance as he leaned closer to Kiran. He clearly didn't want the people around them to overhear them. "I've got a mission I want you to go on," he whispered. His eyes darted about the room like he suspected someone might be listening in on their hushed conversation. "All the information is here." He brought out a rolled up scroll of parchment. "If you accept, that is. It's nothing to difficult. Just staking out a place known to be a Legion meeting place. All you would need to do is listen for any useful information and report back to me."
Kiran's eyes lit up at the prospect of going on a secret mission, eager to prove himself useful rather than a burden to the captain. "I accept," he answered quickly and accepted the scroll handed to him.
"Good, good," Captain Yuan said, almost sounding like it was more to himself than to Kiran. "That's all good then." He clapped a hand on Kiran's shoulder and grinned. "Then I shall see you the day after tomorrow at the usual place. You can report your findings to me then." After their bill was settled, they left the drinking den, going their separate ways after stepping out into the cool night. Kiran tucked the scroll into a pocket as he made his way home.
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:29 am
[Fighter]
Kiran leaned over the edge of the rooftop, straining his ear fin to listen in on the conversation taking place inside the room directly below him. Since earlier that day and well into the night, he had camped out on the rooftop, having scaled up the building's wall while no one was around so that he wouldn't be seen. Laying in wait left him with an agitated, restless feeling that he tried to ignore as best he could. Though he wanted to get up and move about, his mission required that his presence go completely unnoticed. According to the information that Captain Yuan sent him home with the previous night, this was a common meeting place for many Legions to discuss their plans. Captain Yuan had suggested that the meeting would take place this night. But Kiran decided to stake out the place several hours earlier, in case the Legionnaires held the meeting earlier. Noise coming from below had jolted Kiran out of his bored stupor, and now he listened attentively for any word spoken by those in the room.
"That damn Yuan scummer!" complained one of the Legionnaires occupying the room. "He nearly sliced my arm clear off!"
Kiran smirked, pride filling him upon hearing of his Captain's exploits against the Legion side. He didn't recognize the voice of that Legionnaire, but his voice was deep and gruff.
"If you hadn't been rampaging like a wild beast, you may have noticed his attack soon," a second Legionnaire scolded with a stuffy air in his tone. Kiran could almost imagine the Legionnaire with his nose in the air as he sniffed indignantly at the injured Legionnaire. The voice of the second man sounded familiar, somehow, but Kiran couldn't place it, though he racked his mind for where he might have heard it previously.
"Yes, well, lucky I have you - Ow!" The Legionnaire gave a painful wail like a wounded animal.
Kiran quirked an eyebrow at that noise. What could the second man have done to make that man make that kind of noise? From the sounds of the conversation, the second Legionnaire seemed to be a healer. Perhaps he had applied some kind of ointment that stung or tied the bandages a bit too tightly. But why would a healer do that? The temptation to scale down the wall and take a peek inside the window was held off by reminding himself that he had to keep out of sight.
A round of laughter roared up from the room. "What a baby! Crying at a little thing like-" The sound of a thunk silenced the heckler in mid sentence. "Hey! That could have taken off an ear fin!" His voice shook with his rage.
"You ain't got room to talk, kid," snapped the injured Legionnaire. "You went scurrying for cover the moment the ambush started." Silence followed then the sound of someone moving. Kiran strained his ear fin as he heard the rustle of clothes then someone slamming another up against the wall. "You got out of sight pretty quick like back there. Maybe you knew something was up."
"Just what are you accusing me of?" demanded the heckler, sounding like he couldn't put the pieces together on this own.
"I'm saying it's pretty fishy that those cursed Nobles knew our route even after we changed plans more than once before setting out, and you're the only one here not bruised and bleeding," shouted the man.
"I'm no rat!" They struggled, flesh slapping against flesh as a punch was thrown. The clatter of wood suggested that a chair or two had been knocked over as the two men wrestled.
"If you two don't stop your useless arguing, I'll give you a reason to lay up in bed for the next month," came the calm, steady voice of a different Legionnaire, who had been silent until that moment. His voice was like a quiet thunder, rumbling in his chest with a dangerous air that quickly made the other two Legionnaires quit their fighting. This speaker was clearly the leader of the gathering and the power to make the men under him sorry if they cross him. This was the man who Kiran wanted to learn more information about to bring back to Captain Yuan.
The chairs were picked up, and the men took their seats again. "You can't deny it's a bit suspicious," grumbled the Legionnaire with the injured arm.
"We all know Xue isn't much of a fighter," their leader said dismissively. "He excels with ranged attacks, not combat."
"If not for my arrows, you would have been killed more times than I can count," the heckler retorted waspishly.
"Not surprising since you can't count very high," the wounded Legionnaire muttered darkly. A chair screeched over the floor as the heckler Xue, most likely, stood up very quickly to protest the point.
"Enough," roared their leader. "We aren't here to bicker like squabbling babies. Sit down already, Xue." Silence reigned in the room until Xue followed orders, though grumbling, and sat again in his chair. "Why isn't our food here yet?" the leader complained as he stood and walked to the door to their private room. Someone else - Kiran couldn't identify who of the other three Legionnaires - moved to the window and drew it shut, cutting off anymore of the conversation.
Kiran cursed as he got up from his hiding spot. If he didn't get that window open again, he wouldn't be able to hear anymore of the conversation and might miss out on vital information. Leaning far over the edge of the roof, he looked up and down the street on that side of the building. He saw no Lunarians loitering around anywhere on the street. With great care to be quiet, Kiran climbed over the edge of the roof and scaled down the side of the wall until he reached the window. Even right next to it, the voices inside the room were muffled with the window drawn shut. The wall didn't have the greatest handholds, and he strained to keep his grip as he stretched to carefully crack open the shuttered window without being noticed by the Legionnaires inside the room.
He barely had the shutter open when he felt his grip slipping. He scraped at the wall to keep his hold, but he failed to regain a good grip on the side of the building. The landing resulted in a loud crash as he smashed into some crates lined against the wall. The contents of the crates made a loud clatter as they spilled out onto the street. Kiran had little time to nurse his aching back or banged head. He scrambled to his feet and scurried out of sight, into the shadows around the corner of the building. A split second after his foot disappeared around the corner, he heard the shutters bang against the side of the building after they were thrown open. He held his breath, listening hard for any sign that the Legionnaires might be on their way outside to see what caused the noise.
"Must have been a startled cat," one of them said coldly before he drew the shutters shut again.
Kiran released his breath, hardly believing his luck. He rubbed at his back and winced as he found a comfortable place to lurk and watch for any of the Legionnaires that might leave the building. The rest of the evening was rather dull, and he found it hard to keep awake, his eyelids drooping from time to time. But he managed to stay awake until the first rays of sunlight reached his current hiding spot. Not one of the Legionnaires had left the building. No one had stepped out of any of the doors all night. He had moved from hiding spot to hiding spot, observing all exits from the building. Abandoning his post, he returned to his apartment to nap for a while before meeting up with Captain Yuan.
When he reported on all that had occurred on his stakeout task, Kiran could see the disappointment in Captain Yuan's eyes at the lack of usable information. But despite that disappointment, Captain Yuan didn't seem all that surprised that Kiran had returned with nothing. Captain Yuan clapped Kiran on shoulder. "Let's see how much you've improved your fire seals," Captain Yuan said, steering them back to their training session as Iseul approached to join them.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:04 pm
[Fighter]
Rumble in the Street
Battle with VanOn the run from some not so happy Lunarians, Kiran has an unfortunate run in with Van. [COMPLETED - LEGION WIN]
Kiran winced as he dabbed at his chest. The long lines weren't very deep, but they still stung as he cleaned up the dried blood upon his chest, for the second since meeting Van on top of Cherry Tree Hill. The first time, he had barely avoided receiving a deep slice across his chest from Van's knife. This time, she had used her nails as a weapon to gouge out line of flesh from his torso. There was mild bruising around the center of his chest where her palm strike had contacted his body before she dragged her nails down over his flesh.
Somehow, he had hobbled back to his apartment on a knee that aced from a renewed bloom of pain since first taking a deep gash in their second battle. From the narrow street back to his apartment, Kiran didn't spot the lackeys working under the rich man, off whom Kiran stole a diamond ring. It would have been a perfect opportunity to snatch the ring back as he was already winded and weakened from his fight with Van. Yet they didn't ambush him after the battle was done, surprising Kiran.
After he finished bandaging up the last of his injuries, Kiran threw down the wet, bloodied rag which landed on the floor with a splat. He leaned over, running his hands over his face as a rush of disgust filled him. Whatever possessed him to give up in the middle of a fight, he couldn't say. He couldn't even lie to himself to say that it was a ploy to draw Van closer so that he could land a hard punch to her stomach. With his knee weakened, his movements were far more limited than usual. But whatever the injury, he shouldn't have let it force him to give up in such an unseemly manner. He should have fought to the bitter end instead of showing that sickening display of weakness.
Next time he met Van, Kiran vowed not to be so weak.
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Kazu-chan generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 5:04 pm
[Fighter]
[ LEGION WIN ]
Kiran bent his knee, testing it out after the fight with Van. The damage wasn't so bad that it made him walk with a limp, but his knee still felt stiff at times, and he knew it would be some time before he would returned to his normal speed. He already went on a run that morning, but he felt slow, sluggish, and he had to call the run short when his knee started to feel sore. He hated injuries. He hated not being at full strength. If it came to a fight, he would be at a disability because of his weakened knee. He hopped the small distance between the roof of one building to the next as he kept an ear fin open for any gossip taking place on the street below him. But the day was a dull one, and people spoke of nothing of consequence. Kiran sighed out his disappointment. Other things called to him, like meeting up with that Lunarian who said he could get him into a Legionnaire gambling den. For a certain price.
Thoughts turned over in his mind, and his mind only partially paid attention to his surroundings as he made his way toward the back edge of the roof to climb down to the street. Caught off guard, the kunai thrown in his direction very nearly embedded itself into his foot, but Kiran managed to catch notice of it at the last second and pick his foot up before the weapon could strike. He spun to find that his attacker made no attempts to conceal himself. Kiran placed the man immediately, recognizing him as one of the lackeys of the fat, rich man from whom Kiran stole the diamond ring. The very ring which was in his pocket at that moment. Kiran still hadn't considered what to do with ill gotten ring. It seemed tainted after the fight with Van, and he no longer desired the prize, much like the amethyst pendant that he had tried to steal from her during their first meeting and resulting fight.
Kiran reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring then held it up for the silent lackey to see. This was the lackey that had pursued him on the rooftop and missed punching him with brass knuckles clenched in his fist. Kiran's attempt to dodge ended with him falling to the street below and injuring his knee in the following fight with Van. "Come to retrieve it like a good doggy?" he asked, wrapping himself in an air of cocky confidence. He tossed the ring in the air and caught. The lackey's gaze followed the path of the ring. Yes, he had come for the ring without a doubt.
The lackey reached behind his back, fetching another kunai. He threw it, aiming straight for Kiran's heart. Kiran spun and roundhouse kicked the kunai away from him. The kunai whizzed through the air and lodged in the street below them. The lackey narrowed his seaweed green eyes at Kiran. Grabbing two more kunais, the lackey lunged at him. Kiran ducked as the lackey swiped one kunai at him. The lackey aimed a second punched lower, but Kiran deflected it. Twisting around, he slammed his elbow upward and caught the lackey in the jaw. The blow knocked the lackey back a step, but he swung out in retaliation, the tip of his kunai biting into Kiran's side. Kiran jumped out of range, skidding sideways along the rooftop. His vest was torn, and blood dripped from the cut.
"Your boss must be really obsessive to want this ring back so badly," Kiran said, pocketing the ring again so that he wouldn't lose it during the fight. The Lunarian who he stole the ring from looked like he was rich enough to afford twenty diamond rings just like the one that Kiran took.
"He prefers to have what was taken from him returned," the lackey said, his voice a quiet hush that held an edge of danger to it. His gaze was steely and tracked every movement Kiran made in a cold, calculating manner. Kiran thought he would probably make a decent assassin, which made him wonder what he was doing working for some lousy rich Lunarian.
"Your master sure has you trained like a good little doggy," Kiran taunted then quickly bent low as a kunai soared at his head. The lackey appeared before him, making ready to strike at him again. Kiran slid a foot between the lackey's legs and hooked his foot around one leg. As the arm descended, he caught the wrist and thrust it upward, keeping his attacker from plunging the kunai into his body. The lackey positioned himself into a stance to keep his balance. They struggled against each other, both trying to throw the other off balance. The lackey brought his free arm around, but Kiran raised his arm to block the attack. The kunai buried its sharp point into his forearm. Kiran gritted his teeth, growling his pain. He wished he had his tonfas to block against bladed attacks. But with one damaged, he didn't think it would be wise to bring his tonfas along with him until he got a replacement pair. He caught a smirk on the lackey's face a second before the man rammed his head downward into Kiran's head. Releasing his hold, Kiran lost his balance and grunted as he hit the rooftop. The headbutt gave him one piece of information. The innocent looking band wrapped around the man's head wasn't solely cloth. Hidden in the cloth was a metal strap, and the blow left Kiran's head throbbing and feeling like his skull might have cracked. Dark spots danced before his eyes.
His vision cleared enough for him to see the oncoming punch from the lackey. Kiran dodged the punch in the nick of time, leaping to his feet but remaining crouched low to the rooftop. The lackey's fist connected with the rooftop. While the lackey was distracted shaking out his hand, Kiran swept a leg around and caught the man from behind, knocking him off his feet. The man crashed onto the rooftop, but he swung out an arm as he went down, taking Kiran down with him. They landed in a tangle of arms and legs with the lackey half on top of Kiran. They wrestled, each trying to pin the other down. Kiran scratched at the man's face, managing to rip off the concealed metal strap hidden in his cloth head band while leaving lines down the man's face. At some point during their struggles, the lackey lost the kunai that he had been wielding but couldn't manage to reach for another kunai while trying to regaining dominance in the fight.
A wild punch struck squarely in Kiran's face. He felt a snap as blood gushed from his broken nose. He kicked back violently, managing to throw the lackey off him long enough to allow him to climb to his feet and put more distance between them. With the back of his hand, he swiped at the blood dripping from his chin. It did little to help as more blood seemed to spill forth over his lips. Breathing through his nose hurt, but through his mouth he kept getting the taste of blood with each intake. He took a look at his opponent. Other than the scratches, the lackey sported a blackening eye and held a hand around his body, probably holding it over another bruising spot. He looked winded after their tussle, and Kiran couldn't blame him as he was breathing heavy too. When their eyes met, the lackey's glare hardened, and he launched into another attack, despite his exhaustion.
Kiran danced, dodging and ducking the punches that came at him. Comparing them, he would have to say they were on about the same level when it came to speed. He avoided a punch, ducking low then thrust his fist into the man's stomach. The lackey stumbled a step backward, coughing as the air was forced from his lungs. Kiran moved in close, readying a second punch. He pulled back his arm, which ached and bled from a kunai having pierced it. Then he punched at the man. But the lackey was ready for it. He caught Kiran's wrist and yanked him forward as he sidestepped out of the way. Then he kicked the back of Kiran's knees, sending him into a kneeling position. Before Kiran could retaliate, the lackey had an arm around his throat, squeezing it tight.
"This little doggy," growled the lackey into Kiran's fin ear, and Kiran could almost feel the sneer on his face, "always gets what was taken from his master." He squeezed tighter until Kiran thought he would black out from lack of oxygen. Digging his nails into and scratching at the man's arm didn't help to free him, and possibly made the situation worse for him. The lackey dug around in Kiran's pockets until he retrieved the stolen diamond ring to return to the rich Lunarian. When he found it, a satisfied grin appeared on his face. He released Kiran, and while Kiran was gasping in mouthfuls of air and blood, the lackey gave him a final swift kick to the chest that nearly sent Kiran over the edge of the rooftop. Only quick reflexes saved Kiran from a painful fall to the street below. After he got to his feet, Kiran glanced around but found the lackey had made a silent departure as Kiran struggled to keep from falling and pulled himself back onto the rooftop. He collapsed onto his back, panting as he stared up at the sky, taking a moment to recover. His body was sore and aching and bleeding. He wouldn't try stealing from that Lunarian ever again. Not when he had such a loyal dog to chase down stolen items.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:32 pm
[Fighter]
"Ow!" Kiran let out a loud bellow after his sister applied a little too much pressure to his broken nose. His eyes clamped shut, tears trying to spill forth as the pain throbbed outward from his nose. He cracked open one eye in time to catch Xiuying rolling her eyes at him. "I saw that," he grumbled, gingerly touching his sensitive nose.
Because you're being a baby, Xiuying signed to him as a grin tugged at her mouth. Despite being upset when she first arrived and saw his injuries, she couldn't help being a little amused by his comments. You get injured all the time, and still you whine whenever I help you.
"I haven't had my nose broken before," Kiran argued as he stood. His ribs still ached from the bruising, but the moment he returned home after the fight, he had dressed the bruising and cut on his left side as well as his right forearm where the kunai had stabbed him. He did what he could about the broken nose, but in the end, he still needed his sister's help in bandaging it. It would take some time before it healed. "You've gotten a lot better at this taking care of injured people thing. You'd make a great healer," he said in all seriousness. Throughout their years of growing up with each other, she had plenty of practice with patching up his injuries. Rethinking that, he wasn't sure he liked the idea of his sister becoming a healer if it meant she would be around lots of men, tending to their every injury. But he kept that thinking to himself. Since moving out on his own, Kiran didn't visit too often with his family, and he didn't want to upset his sister. "How are Mom and Dad?" he asked, changing the topic. Last time he visited, his mother was still angry with him for leaving.
Dad is getting on fine, but you know that. Xiuying smiled. She was right, of course. Though he didn't visit his parents' house often, Kiran still saw his father from time to time at the mew when they fed the falcons and took them out for training. His father seemed to be handling the move well, like he had expected it to happen sooner rather than later. Mom, well. Xiuying's brow knitted with uncertainty. I'm sure she'll get over it eventually.
His lips twitched in a halfhearted smile. He knew his sister was merely trying to make him feel better. His mother and he were far too alike in their stubbornness, which was probably why they bumped heads a lot. It didn't seem like that his mother would forgive him for moving out anytime soon. He still didn't understand that. She knew eventually he would leave their house to live on his own. All Lunarians did that. "Some day, maybe," he mumbled as he stood. He winced, placing a hand around his waist. His ribs still hurt when he moved.
Xiuying tapped on his shoulder so that Kiran would turn to her. I thought your apartment would be bigger, she signed with a soft smile on her face. But this is tiny! It was an obvious change in subjects, but it still made Kiran laugh.
"It's not that small," he argued, still with a smile on his face. "Besides, with just me, I don't a lot of space." But he could see the underlying problem written on his sister's face. The slight wrinkle in her brow, the way her lower lip jutted out in the smallest of pouts, the worry in her eyes. She was concerned about him. They didn't get to see each other as much as they used to when he was still living in their parents' house. And most of the times they did see each other now, it usually involved Xiuying taking care of his injuries. It was no small wonder why she worried over him.
Xiuying shook her head at him. Such a small space, yet you still can't manage to keep it clean. Amusement played in her eyes as she poked at some of the mess on the table, mostly dirty dishes and some scraps of paper on which he had doodled ideas for his boat before scrapping them. He still had pinned down a designed he liked. Xiuying gathered up some of the dirty dishes and carried them to the sink for a washing.
Kiran rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck. "I've been meaning to tidy the place up a bit." A guilty look crossed his face while his sister's back was turned to him. "I've just been, well, busy." With work at the shipyard and fighting in the war. But he let those details go unsaid. His injuries were enough to tell her what occupied a majority of his time.
Xiuying turned back to him to sign one word. Liar. That was it. Then she spun back around to scrub at the leftover bits of food caked onto his dishes. But Kiran's attention caught on something that glittered in the sunlight slanting into his small apartment through the cracks in his drapes. As she turned around, a sapphire pendant on a silver chain danced in the air before resting again on her chest. Kiran walked over to his sister and picked up the pendant, turning the sapphire over in his hand.
"This is a pretty necklace. Did Mom and Dad get it for you?" His parents, especially their mother, loved to dote on Xiuying and give her various types of jewelry as presents. Even Kiran was guilty of giving her a pair of earrings. But as far as he knew, she didn't wear them often. He wasn't offended since Xiuying had never been much into jewelry, so he was curious about seeing her wearing the pendant. It looked like a rather expensive piece too. The flush on her face spoke volumes. Kiran grew ever more curious when Xiuying gave a small shake of her head. Something was going on here. "No? If not Mom and Dad, then from whom?" Uncle would never buy jewelry for anyone, but Kiran couldn't think of anyone that might have given her the pendant.
No one, Xiuying signed quickly then tucked the pendant under her collar so that it was out of sight. But Kiran wasn't buying it. She pointedly kept her gaze from meeting his stern stare and focused on the dishes. The blush refused to go away.
"Who gave it to you?" Kiran folded his arms as he leaned against the counter, watching his sister with keen eyes.
Just a friend.
"Who?" Kiran pressed the topic. He didn't like this. His sister wasn't in the habit of keeping secrets from him. Not since they started getting along and made up their own sign language to communicate with one another. He frowned when Xiuying didn't answer him. His eyes narrowed. "A boy?" The blush covered her face, darkening several shades of red. Kiran's mouth gaped open. A boy was not what he expected simply because his sister never mentioned anything about there being a boy that she liked. "When? How?" His mind spun at this new information. "Who is this boy? Why didn't you tell me about it? Do Mom and Dad know?"
Xiuying chewed on her lip, keeping her gaze down. Of course Mom and Dad know. Her hands trembled very slightly as she signed. They've already met him.
"What?" Kiran shouted, unable to contain his outburst. How could his sister tell their parents about something this important and not even give one hint to him? She always told him everything first! "Who is this boy? How did this happen? Tell me everything! He's a Noble, right?"
Xiuying stared, stunned by the rush of questions. But at the last question, she looked alarmed. She grabbed a towel to try her hands. Then she made her way toward the door of the apartment.
Kiran frowned. What was that last question? He wracked his brain for the rambles that he just sprouted out. His eyes grew wider when it hit him. "He's a Legionnaire?" Kiran demanded, rage seeping into his voice.
I like him, and it's none of your business. Her hands moved in quick, furious motions. Her eyes held the darkest look of anger that he had ever seen as she glared at him. She slammed the door behind her, leaving her brother gawking in shock.
Kiran rushed to the door and threw it open. "But he's a Legionnaire!" he shouted, like it was the worst affront that she could have come up with. "I forbid you to see him!"
Xiuying, already down the hallway, halted and turned to face him. Your opinion doesn't matter. Mom and Dad approve of him. She lifted her head high then disappeared down the stairs.
Kiran's mouth worked open and shut. What just happened? One moment he was getting along with his sister, and the next they were angry and arguing with each other. This sort of thing hadn't happened before, and Kiran was lost on how to deal with it. His sister was dating a Legionnaire? What was he supposed to do about that?
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Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 6:19 pm
[Fighter]
Unexpected Help
PRP with VanMonths removed from their last encounter, two Lunarians run into each other on Main Street to mend old wounds and friendships. [COMPLETED]
Kiran watched Van run back to the city in a rush. Smiling, he shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he strolled down the street. The morning had gone better than he expected, thanks in part to his meeting with Van. He got forty percent off on the pair of tonfas that he had been eyeing, and he finally had the opportunity to show the yurt to Van. With all of that done, he was left with a few hours to spare before it was time for him to head to work.
He turned over the events of that morning as he wandered the streets. His eyes remained searching, scanning the Lunarians on the street, even though his mind was elsewhere. The last time that he had met Van was a few months ago, and it hadn't ended on good terms. The fight had been a bitter loss for him, and one of humiliation for him with a disgusting display of weakness. No apologies had been made, but that didn't bother Kiran. They had exchanged favors, and that seemed good enough for him.
His relationship with Van remained a shaky one. They fought. They made up. They fought again. It kept going in that kind of cycle. He wondered if they would ever be able to achieve some kind of friendship. Or were they doomed to be forever enemies? Supporting opposite sides of the war wasn't exactly helping their relationship. But Kiran knew it wasn't impossible to have a friendship with a Legionnaire. He was friends with Yue, and he didn't entirely hate Jianyu, though he doubted they would ever call each other friends. Perhaps there was some hope for him and Van.
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 11:16 pm
[Fighter]
Sitting on the Docks
PRP with SiMa LiJust another day at the docks lead two acquaintances to meet again. [COMPLETED]
Kiran weaved through the crowd as he made his way back toward his job. Did he really just agree to a date with Li? Or a second date. A real date? His cheeks felt a little warm as that question played in his mind. He never went on a real date with a girl before, never even really thought about dating. The war and schooling then working took up a lot of his time. He wasn't exactly a charmer either.
And what kind of flower did guys even get girls? Maybe he should ask his sister for advice on that. Rubbing the back of his neck, he wondered if he was just reading too much into it. Maybe Li didn't mean a date date when she mentioned a second date.
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Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2012 9:56 pm
[Fighter]
Kiran perched on a branch high up in a tree, his eyes scanning the forest for his opponent. He had been close to catching up to his opponent until a bomb of smoke blinded him. To avoid choking on the smoke and for the advantage of looking down on his prey, Kiran quickly scaled a tree, climbing up beyond the thick cloud of smoke. But now he had lost sight of his opponent. He tried to move stealthily through the trees, searching out his opponent, but it was easier said than done. He was very good at climbing a tree swiftly, but moving from tree to tree without causing so much noise that anyone nearby would notice him wasn't something he had practiced regularly. He added that to the list of skills to be improved upon.
Fire exploded below him all of a sudden. Kiran barely had the time to leap from the branch before the fireball hit the spot where he perched. The branch cracked with the impact of the fireball, and splinters rained down to the ground. His fingers scraped at a branch just out of his reach. He fell, and the ground rushed toward him. Then he landed on his stomach with a grunt. But he didn't have the time to roll over and lick his wounds. Already someone approached. Kiran rolled away as a foot descended. Missing its target, the foot slammed into the ground, instead of his back. Kiran flipped onto his feet. His hands moved quickly and deftly through a series of seals. Then he thrust a fist at his opponent. With one swift movement, the man deflected the punch. The burst of flames shot to the side of his head, singeing not one hair.
"Too slow," said the man, wearing a smug smirk that fueled Kiran's anger. "You have to be quick. Keep your opponent guessing. If they can read your moves, they can easily counter any attack." He swept at Kiran's feet, but Kiran darted back to put distance between them.
Standing ready to fight, Kiran glowered at the man before him. The heat of anger and frustration coursed through his veins. He needed to get stronger, faster, if he hoped to win any battles in this war. His recent losses left bitterness in him. He didn't expect to win every time, but the feeling of weakness ate at him. His confidence, for the first time, was beginning to crumble, though he tried hard to keep others from noticing that shaken confidence.
Kiran moved forward, watching keenly for any sign of movement from the man. The gap closed without the man making an attempt to attack. Grinding his teeth, Kiran lifted a foot then swung it in a roundhouse kick. The man saw through the kick and had an arm up to shield his body from the blow. As Kiran recovered, the man punched with his free arm. The fist connected powerfully with Kiran's chest, and still only on one foot, he was knocked off balanced. He tried to recover quickly but landed on his back on the ground. A shape loomed over him, and Kiran reacted impulsively. His hands worked through the seals before he was even conscious of their movements. Then flames burst forth. The intense heat washed over him.
Somewhere in his mind, he became aware of a scream. Only then did the burning sensation register. For the second time, his emotions had gotten the better of him and caused injury to his hands. Someone shouted. What, Kiran couldn't make out, the burning of his hands taking over all thought. Then water hit him. The screams stopped, and the burning ebbed away. He sighed as the cooling sensation made him forget the pain. Leaning his head back against the ground, he stared up at the scattered sky peeking through breaks in the canopy of leaves and branches overhead. Another idiotic moment from him, and more burn scars were added to his hands. At least they had a healer on hand for times like this.
"I keep telling you that you have to keep control of your emotions when you're using seals," Captain Yuan shouted.
Kiran didn't blame him for the frustration in his voice. He wasn't all that happy with his progress either. While he could perform the seals decently in practice now, he still struggled to pull them off in a real combat situation without causing injury to himself. He had to get better, had to improve his skills to become a far better fighter.
"If you're done yelling at him, I believe you had a Captains' meeting to attend," Iseul interrupted in that usual cold tone that he had.
Captain Yuan sighed. "That's right. I almost forgot about that. Supposed to be an important meeting too." He walked over to stand at Kiran's head and leaned down so that his face was above Kiran's head. "I want you to work on those seals. You'll never get anywhere at this rate if you don't practice more." He nodded to Iseul before he headed back through the forest to the city.
Kiran hung his head upon hearing that comment. He knew it to be true. If he couldn't learn to properly use the hand seals in battle, he would never get stronger. He gritted his teeth out of frustration, biting one corner of his mouth hard enough to draw a bit of blood. As an academy student, he hadn't won every battle that he was in, but somehow it felt worse losing so much now that he was a recruit for the Nobles. How could not doubt himself when every fight seemed to open his eyes to how weak he really was?
"You really look up to him," Iseul commented in a quiet voice that was much softer than anything Kiran would have expected. It jerked him out of his thoughts, and Kiran stared blankly at the man. Usually, Iseul always seemed cold and distant and spoke in sharp tones. Kiran couldn't fit this softer voice with the Iseul that he knew.
"He is teaching me a lot," Kiran responded as he flexed his fingers. Iseul was a master at healing burn injuries. Kiran could barely see the faint white lines left as a reminder of his mistake.
"Perhaps too much," Isuel muttered under his breath. With his gaze cast downward, he stared at Kiran's hands.
Kiran thought on those words, his brow creasing as he tried to figure out what Iseul meant by that comment. He shook his head, unable to come up with an answer. "What's that supposed to mean?" There always seemed to be tension from Iseul when it came to Captain Yuan. Kiran wasn't blind to that.
Iseul sighed as he stood. "Nothing." He brushed off his robes. "Until your next training session." He bowed shortly then turned to leave.
Kiran frowned after him, still finding the quick exchange puzzling.
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