[Flashback] The Lost Boy (Imass)

[Naeya]

As Naeya spoke, she noticed that her new acquaintance was looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face. She had seen this expression before, but from her older brother, Kobalt, when he tried to understand why she wasn’t interested in learning how to fight. While Kobalt had grown up immersed in Akalak culture and was obsessed with its focus on strength, honour, and discipline, she had always felt like the cultural codes didn’t apply to her. Being a young girl meant that she wasn’t expected to do things like prepare for the Rite of Trial or protect the city, and she had developed an arsenal of reasons for her lack of interest in fighting: she had no need to learn how to fight within the safe confines of Riverfall; she didn’t like to hurt others (and who would possibly want to hurt her?); and she had other interests that she preferred to pursue. Naeya’s youth and naivety convinced her of her own reasonability, and people rarely argued with her logic. Only Kobalt, and now this boy, had made the effort to convince her to learn how to defend herself. The Konti’s serious expression softened as Imass told her that he thought she had what it took to be a warrior. He sounds so much like Kobalt, she thought, warming up to the boy even more. There was something about him. He looked so sincere and innocent. He genuinely believes what he’s saying to me. Naeya was certain that the human boys had no intention of seriously hurting her, as three against one small girl in an Akalak-filled marketplace was sure to end poorly for them, but she appreciated Imass’ sentiment all the same. “You really think I could be a fighter, don’t you?” she asked, tilting her head slightly upwards to meet his pale gold eyes. Her voice was kind as she spoke, and it was clear that she was pleased at Imass’ suggestion she had what it took to be a warrior – even if she had no intention of doing so. “You remind me of my brother, you know. You’d like him! Really. Everyone does. He always says the exact same thing to me, too. He’s so great!” She could tell she was gushing, but couldn’t help herself. “How old are you? He’s only two years away from completing his Rite of Passage! Oh, and he – “ Naeya stopped speaking mid-sentence, remembering that she had another brother she loved and needed to locate. The expression on her face turned into one of disappointment, as she had been interested in continuing this conversation and getting to know Imass better. “I wish I could stay and talk,” she pouted, “But I was in the middle of trying to find my little brother when those boys back there interrupted. And the day isn’t getting any brighter… or warmer.” At this, the Konti girl shivered and pulled her white cloak closer. “Unless… well, would you want to look for him with me? I mean, I’m sure you’re busy and have things to do and people to defend, but maybe you could tell me more about, uh… how you got to be such a good fighter?” Her green eyes looked hopefully at Imass, willing him to agree. If he came along, maybe her afternoon wouldn’t have been such a waste. Besides, she was still curious about why he had decided to help her out, as she had noticed he'd not yet answered her question.

[Imass]

Imass grinned wildly at Naeya as her face lit up at the mention of her becoming a warrior. He pivoted in his martial arts stance and punched with his other hand, "Sure you can! I believe it!" His face was beaming with happiness. He had just convinced a konti learn martial arts. This made him feel awesome. He felt like a ladies man.

Until the konti talked about her brother. Now Imass new why she was smiling and laughing. It was because he acted like this supposed brother. No fair. He was so close to winning the girl, but then she brought up her brother to trump him. Imass tried to say something, but she interrupted by saying that she needed to find her little brother who apparently had some how got lost in the area.

Imass let her finish then answered both questions at once, "I wouldn't be afraid to duel your brother in the Sasaran. He can come challenge me any day he wants. That is, if he has the courage to spar with a younger Akalak...No! No! I got it! I will show to your brother my honor by helping you find your brother as quickly as possible. Then, he will have an honorable reason to fight me!"

The fourteen year old Akalak tried his hardest to show off to the girl by doing another kick and punch.

"Which way did he go?" Imass asked and got ready to start running in the direction she pointed.

[Naeya]

Although Naeya was thrilled that Imass had agreed to search for Lurik with her, she was also a little disappointed with his reasons. He had told her that he would help find her brother, but she assumed his words meant that he was doing it in order to be "honourable" rather than to spend more time with her. The Konti sighed inwardly. He was acting just like the other young Akalak she knew, always so focused on being righteous. She was beginning to think that it had something to do with her. Did they not like her? Were they dismayed she was so... weak? In addition to being disappointed by Imass' reason reasoning, she also felt confused. Why would Kobalt want to fight Imass if he helps me find Lurik? Most of the time, Naeya loved and supported Akalak culture. She wasn't usually confused by its customs, since she grew up surrounded by them, but all the fuss about fighting? She still didn't understand why it was so important. Sometimes she just wanted to stand up and scream, "Use your petching words!" What was the point of enduring all of those writing and language classes if not to integrate what they taught into one's life? The irony that words wouldn't have helped her much in the situation Imass had rescued her from escaped her completely. And why in Avalis' name does he keep doing that? An amused, but puzzled, look crossed Naeya's face as she watched Imass throw a kick and a punch into the empty space beside him. A passerby, one who had nearly walked into the tail end of the young Akalak's kick, gave them both a dirty look. Imass didn't seem to have noticed, and moved his body into what looked like a running stance. Oh, were they going to race? That was the last straw for the Konti. Her small body was wracked with laughter as giggles erupted from her lips. She clapped a scaled hand over her mouth and felt vaguely embarrassed, but even her self-consciousness couldn't stop the laughter now. "I'm- I'm sorry!" she gasped out between giggles, moving her hands to clutch her sides. "It's... not... you!" After several attempts to try to control herself and then breaking out into laughter once more, Naeya's giggles finally calmed down. She felt a satisfying ache in her stomach muscles, and a wide smile remained on her face. The Konti girl looked at Imass, semi-concerned that he had been insulted, but was still too joyful to be worried yet. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm okay now!" She recalled his queston right before she'd burst into laughter and tried to think back to where her brother had run off, but was at a complete loss. "He could be anywhere in the Bazaar by now," Naeya said, assuming that Imass would follow her line of thought. She walked forward a few feet and then stopped in front of a tent selling knives. Some were ornate and beautifully crafted, while others were simple and seemed to have been made quite cheaply. Naeya looked back at her new friend and motioned at him to follow. "Still up for the challenge, I hope? Come on!"

[Imass]

Imass watched the konti girl's face change from somewhat normal to a burst of laughter. Imass raised a twitching eyebrow at Naeya as she chuckled uncontrollably. The Akalak kid was completely confused. What did she find so humorous? Perhaps it was something behind him. Spinning around, the young Akalak peered at the stall selling all sorts of fishing equipment. The shop keeper was half asleep at his stall. There was nothing funny about that.

The young boy spun back to Naeya and questioned her laughter, "What is so funny? Tell me!" Despite his pleadings though, the girl just said that she was sorry. Now both of Imass' eyebrows were raised. Why was she apologizing now, confirming that she was not laughing at Imass.

"If you say so..." the young warrior was without words. He did not know how to react in this situation. He supposed that it was some female mumbo jumbo he didn't understand. There was no point in trying to understand her either.

With a frown on his face, the boy waited for the Konti to stop laughing, "Are you done or what? I do not understand females!" Finally her chuckles became giggles and she finally died down. She would not explain her sudden outburst though. Instead she went right back to business and told Imass that her brother could by anywhere in the Bazaar by now.

The warrior-to-be followed Naeya towards a tent selling knives. The tent was on the opposite side of the lane to the fishing equipment guy. Looking at the various knives, Imass pictured himself holding a Lakan in battle. He suddenly completely lost interest in Naeya and picked up one of the knives the salesman was vending. He felt the grip in his hands and he swung it around.

"One second Naeya, we will search for your brother once I finish looking at these here knives. They might come in useful if we want to find your brother. Look at this one!" Imass held up one the copper long knives, "This one is perfect for you! If anyone tries to bully you again, you can use this to show them you are strong!"

Imass was smiling again and cheerful. It’s funny how fast an Akalak youngster's mood can change.

[Naeya]

Naeya was beginning to feel guilty about her uncontrollable outburst of laughter. She had really only succeeded in making the young Akalak confused, and she couldn't tell if she had hurt his feelings or his pride. Imass didn't seem to have caught on to her reasons for laughing (and seemed content to blame it on her female gender, which thoroughly bewildered her), but she was unsure if he was truly oblivious or just excessively polite. What if he doesn't want to be my friend anymore? What if he regrets rescuing me? As Imass joined her at the tent of knives and began to scan the merchandise, Naeya silently promised herself to keep her teasing to a minimum. Despite his strange behaviour, the boy was endearing himself to her and she didn't want to lose him as a friend. He was clearly honourable, and she had decided that she kind of liked his energy - not to mention the fact that she owed him. "Hey! You break it, you buy it!" The tent's shopkeeper was eyeing Imass doubtfully as the boy swung one of the knives around. Naeya, spying a potential health hazard, stepped back warily so as to stay out of the Akalak's swinging range. "Whoa, whoa!" she laughed, jokingly putting her hands in front of her face. "Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Imass began to talk about the knives, and held up a long copper one for her. It took all of Naeya's self-restraint to not smile at his comment about the knives being useful to find her brother (he just ran off - he didn't get kidnapped or caught in a net!), and she instead focused on positive responses. "Oh gosh, do you think so? I'm not sure they'll be so scared once they realize that I have no idea how to wield it." She paused, and then gave Imass a grin. "Or maybe that'll scare them even more!" Giggling, she picked up one of the other copper long knives and began waving it pseudo-threateningly in the air. "Don't mess with this Konti! I've got a knife, and I don't know how to use it!" As if to prove her point, her hand accidentally loosened its grip on the knife and it went clattering onto the ground. "Oops..." Naeya's face went beet red as she bent down to pick up the knife and slowly put it back on the shopkeeper's table, much to his displeasure. "Sorry..." A glint at the end of the tent caught her attenton, and she edged over to it while purposefully avoiding the shopkeeper's glare. Ooooh, shiny. "Imass, Imass look at this!" Naeya pointed to a silver long knife on the table. Its handle was ornately designed, with a swirling pattern and a blue gem set into its base. "Look at the gemstone! I've just been studying it. It's a banded agate gem. See? It's got little lines of colour running through it - that's why it's called 'banded'. Isn't it pretty?" An idea was beginning to form in her mind. She may have figured out how to repay the Akalak for rescuing her and how to win back his friendship (if she had, in fact, lost it through her earlier fit of laughter). "Let me buy it for you, please? I owe you for rescuing me from those boys and then volunteering to help me find my brother."

[Imass]

"Hey! You break it, you buy it!"

Imass was a novice warrior, but he wasn't a fool. There was no way he was going to break the knife, because he had been training with the Akalak racial weapon of choice at the Kendoka Sasaran. The boy held the knife as he would a Lakan: He pointed the knife straight at Naeya and held his left hand up ready for attack. He bent his knees and shifted his body so that his right shoulder and foot were pointed at Naeya. Now that Imass was in a proper Akalak fighting stance, he demonstrated the use of a knife to the konti.

Imass swung the knife haphazardly near Naeya, but the Konti girl just stepped away with surprise in her face. That is when Imass realized how uncomfortable she was with sharp objects. It was not like the Akalak kid was going to hurt her or anything, but she backed up none the less. She was also laughing again. The Akalak boy didn't know why she was laughing, but he decided to laugh too. A grin from ear to ear spread across his face. That being said, the boy knew what to do now; he would explain to her about how to use a knife so she would be more comfortable.

"Stand like this, because the bad guys won't be able to hit you easy," Imass edged closer to the blonde haired girl and suddenly slashed the weapon in front of the face. His bruised stomach hurt badly when he made this movement, but he tried his hardest not to show any signs of weakness. Then the boy slowly stabbed with the weapon four times, showing Naeya where to hit the opponents. He explained the obvious, but he made it sound like he knew what he was doing, "Hit them in the stomach, the heart, the neck, or anywhere in the face."

The Konti girl then cracked another joke about NOT being able to wield a dagger, but it flew over Imass' head. She was grinning now at the Akalak, who was still in his combat stance confused with her words. He was still laughing awkwardly so he didn't make her feel bad, but he didn't know what to say.

Naeya picked up one of the knives and swung it around, "Don't mess with this Konti! I've got a knife, and I don't know how to use it!" she said.

The Akalak boy gave her a blank stare and he stopped laughing, "Maybe you should train hard at the Kendoka Sasaran then?" However, when she dropped the blade, Imass finally understood the joke and erupted in laughter. He even got out of his combative stance to wipe his eyes, but Naeya's attention had already moved elsewhere.

Imass placed the copper dagger back on the floor and looked at the weapon that Naeya showed him. Apparently Naeya was a gemstone crafter person or something. The Akalak boy really liked this though. For once the Konti girl found something that they were both interested in. She was interested in making jewels on an ornate weapon and Imass was interested in the weapon itself. The two children stood captivated by the weapon.

"That is so awesome Naeya! Banded agate gem? Does that improve the strength or speed of the weapon? It certainly makes the dagger look way cool. Super cool!" Imass was smiling again, his face bright again. She offered to buy the weapon, but before the boy could respond there was a loud noise coming from three rows down.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

Imass looked at Naeya with wide eyes and grabbed her hand, "Come that is probably your brother! Come on!" Tugging on the Konti's arm he dragged her away from the tent and began to run with her towards the screaming merchant. Imass did not let go of her hand though, he wanted to make sure that she did not fall or get lost. Running to the end of the aisle, Imass made a left and ran down the column until he was at the row the commotion was happening. He stopped at the end, but he still didn't let go of her hand, "Do you see your brother anywhere?"

[Naeya]

The Konti’s olive green eyes lit up with excitement as Imass showed an interest in the agate gem she was pointing out. It was rare for her to find someone who thought her hobby (and hopeful future occupation) was as fascinating as she believed it to be, although she was admittedly surprised that the young Akalak boy fit the bill. She had pegged him for a serious warrior-to-be type, mainly because he kept jumping into a fighting stance every other chime. Discovering that he was also interested in gemstones had made her feel like their friendship had a chance, after all. “Does that improve the strength or speed of the weapon?” Well, at least until he asked questions like that! Naeya covered her eyes with her left index finger and thumb, and shook her head in playful embarrassment. Why does it have to do anything other than look beautiful? The boy made up for his silly question, however, by later proclaiming how “cool” the knife looked. It wasn’t her ideal choice of words, but if they were going to be friends then she could work on his aesthetic descriptors. Maybe even get him to use the word “exquisite,” like the author of the book she was reading. As Naeya was musing about the words she would teach Imass and waiting for him to respond to her gift offer, she heard a loud voice shouting loudly over the din of the bazaar. “You little brat!” Before she could react, her young Akalak companion was already in the midst of grabbing her hand. "Come, that is probably your brother! Come on!" Her brother? Lurik! She wasn’t sure whether to hope it was her brother so that she could finally go home, or pray it wasn’t her brother so she wouldn’t have to deal with another conflict. Imass didn’t allow much time for either, however, as he began dragging her away from the tent of knives and running towards the shout. Naeya wasn’t sure if the boy knew his own strength, but she was sure that her arm was nearly pulled off in the process. Petch! Naeya stumbled after Imass, and almost tripped over her own feet while trying to keep up with him. Luckily, her companion had a tight grip on her hand, which saved her from any knee-skinning tumbles. Faces, bright colours, and tents whipped by as the pair dodged shoppers in the Bazaar. The quick left he made at the end of the aisle nearly sent her spinning, but she managed to keep her wits about her until Imass stopped near the shopkeeper who had been doing all of the yelling. "Do you see your brother anywhere?" he asked, and she took a moment to take in the situation. Imass’ hand was still gripping hers tightly, but she quickly forgot about it after spotting her little brother in the middle of an altercation. The dried fruits and vegetables vendor, a middle-aged human male with a budding beer belly, was shaking his fist at the young Akalak boy standing guiltily across from him. The boy, who Naeya immediately recognized as her brother, was clutching a handful of cherries in his fist. Several more cherries were littered on the ground around him. “Were you planning on paying for those?” the vendor asked Lurik, and crossed his arms over his chest. Naeya, knowing her brother wasn’t carrying any mizas on him, moved to go to his aid. As she stepped towards him, however, she realized her hand was still caught in Imass’ grip. She tugged lightly on her one hand, and with the other she pointed out her younger brother (a cobalt-skinned boy who was already of equal height to herself). “That’s Lurik, my brother,” she explained to Imass. “Could you… uh, could you maybe let go? Of my hand, I mean?” She smiled gently at her new friend, though her eyes were filled with concern.

[Imass]

As soon as Imass turned the corner, he saw a man yelling at a suspicious looking kid. The vendor was about to snatch the boy Akalak up for shoplifting. Imass could not waste any time waiting, lest he fail saving the boy. Naeya was already two steps ahead of him, as she explained that was her brother Lurik. Imass took a moment to process the information, but already the Konti was tugging hard. She was in a rush.

The young warrior-to-be jumped snapped back into his warrior frame of mind and let go of Naeya's hand. The Akalak already knew what he had to do; Imass would make sure that Lurik didn't steal anything. The consequences would be terrible and justice would be swift. The boy would do everything he could to stop Lurik.

"Lurik!" Imass yelled again, "Lurik!" The boy's goal was to get the attention of the would-be-thief. Imass sprinted as fast as he possibly could. He ran on the balls of his feet and moved his arms as fast as he could. Imass made good use of his long stride. Each step he would try to cover as much ground as possible. He was certainly not the greatest, but he was fast as hell.

As, Imass bolted to the location, he passed through many curious shops that all blended into a blur. There was a purple tent with hundreds of finely ground up spices and herbs for some tasty Akalak cuisine. Next to that was a green and yellow tent selling olive oils from deep south of the planet. On the other side of the road was a bread and pasta shop. It was one of the largest ones on the street. Artisans prepared the traditional Riverian breaded foodstuff and placed them out to sell. Next to the bread shop was a man grilling fish over charcoal. It smelled delicious! Imass was almost tempted to stop. Aside from that was even more food tents; yellow cheese tents, blue wine tents, gray utensil and tool tents.

In the forty yard sprint, Imass took note of his surroundings and right when he reached Yurik, he realized that he was in the market lane, the row with all the food and food stuffs. Therefor it was important that he stop Naeya's brother before he ate whatever the vendor was selling.

Imass ran up on the location:

If Lurik did not move, Imass would grab the boy and force him to relinquish any stolen goods. At the same time the blue skinned boy would yell, "Sorry, sir, Lurik cannot afford your most delicious cuisine. We will leave you in peace."

However if Lurik began to run, Imass would just pick up the pace and chase him. The boy also lost track of what Naeya was doing.

His mind was racing.

OOC- thanks for waiting Naeya!

[Naeya]

Her new friend relinquished his grip on Naeya's hand, and she took a moment to massage it and her shoulder. She rolled her shoulder up and around, back and forth, until the tension was mostly released. Her eyes flitted momentarily to the ground. "Next time, would you mind warning me before you-" Imass cut her off before she could finish her request. He shouted her brother's name, and Naeya's turned her gaze back to her new friend just in time to see his back as he sprinted away. The Konti girl groaned and rolled her eyes helplessly at the sky. Where on Mizahar did he get his energy from? Why does he always have to run everywhere? It was very kind of the Akalak to be worried about her brother for her, but Imass seemed under the impression that something was terribly wrong. Why else would he be moving so urgently? Naeya was concerned too, of course, but more because she didn't want Lurik to be yelled at unnecessarily. If anyone was going to be yelling, it would be her. She had been about to explain to Imass that they had come to the bazaar for the dried cherries that Lurik held, but he had left too quickly for her to get a word in. She tugged her cloak around her as a cold autumn breeze blew past, and began to walk quickly towards the vendor. As she neared, she saw that the older Akalak had almost reached her brother. Lurik had also spotted Imass coming towards him, and turned to run. The vendor shouted after him, and Naeya slapped a scaled hand on her forehead in exasperation. This was not turning out the way she had expected. Well, at least I won't lose him in the crowd again, she thought, watching Imass take off after her brother. Having reached the vendor's tent, she erased the look of frustration from her face and put on her most apologetic, wide-eyed expression. "I'm so sorry about my brother, sir," she apologized to the vendor, who stared down at her angrily. "He was just waiting for me to pay for those cherries and, well, he's a little skittish. As I'm sure you can see." She gestured helplessly in Lurik's direction. At the mention of payment, the vendor's face grew less irate, though he still spoke gruffly. "Well, I hope you're also planning on paying for the ones he dropped!" He pointed at the dried cherries on the ground, and then looked back at her pointedly. "Of course, of course," Naeya replied soothingly, and reached into her pocket to pull out her coin purse. "Will this do?" One curt nod and several silver mizas later, the Konti girl had settled her brother’s account with the vendor and began to stroll quickly towards Imass and her brother. The nine-year-old boy hadn’t gotten far before the older Akalak caught up to him, and he was in the middle of making demands and threats when Naeya came into hearing range. ”…How do you know my name?" Lurik was demanding in Tukant. His face held an expression of mild fright mixed with frustration, and Naeya correctly guessed that he was trying to look tougher than he felt inside. "My sister's looking for me," he warned Imass, unaware that the Konti girl was so close by. "She'll... she'll get you in trouble! I swear she will!" “Lurik! Is that any way to treat my new friend?” Naeya scolded, raising an eyebrow. She strode up beside Lurik and put a hand on his chin, turning his face towards hers. “Especially after running off on me like that. What were you thinking?” Her brother looked from Imass to Naeya with growing understanding, and then dropped his eyes to his feet. “Sorry Nae,” he mumbled, and kicked the ground absent-mindedly with his toe. Naeya’s face softened, and she flicked his nose affectionately. Meeting Imass had lifted her mood, despite the unfortunate circumstances they had met under, and she was feeling much more forgiving than she had been earlier in the afternoon. “Just don’t do it again, okay?” She then addressed her new friend. “Thanks for all of your help today,” she said meaningfully in Tukant, not wanting to explicitly discuss the brief brawl in front of her brother. “And thanks for catching up with this little sneak.” She elbowed Lurik lightly in the side and grabbed his hand before turning to leave. After a moment’s thought, she looked back at Imass and gave him a friendly grin. “Don’t forget, I owe you one! Look me up so I can repay you. Ask for my father, Jorik Vitral, and you’ll find me!” Her blonde hair flipped over her shoulders as she plunged into the crowd with her brother. The afternoon had been filled with unexpected excitement, but she was finally ready to get back to her book, her bed, and her home. End.

[Mist]

Thread Grading! Naeya XP/Skills: +2 Brawling, +2 Intimidation, +3 Observation, +4 Persuasion, +3 Rhetoric, +1 Running, +3 Socializing, +1 Weapon(Knife) Lore: Standing up for yourself, Don't leave a man behind, My pain is less than theirs, Running from authority, Imass: A Akalak with no tact, Being kind to a overreacting Akalak, Calming down an irate shopkeeper Item/ Consequences: - 5 sm for cherries Additional Notes: A interesting enough thread. I certainly liked how she tried to solve things with words, all the while trying to deal with the immaturity of Imass, and his one track mind on combat. You might want to read Imass' bit, as he will be fighting for both of your behalf. * *** * Imass XP/Skills: +1 Brawling, +2 Chivalry, +3 Dodging, +2 Running, +3 Socializing, +2 Unarmed Combat, +1 Weapon(Knife) Lore: Pointless to fight someone unskilled, Don't give up till your out of limbs!, Naeya the konti, Showing off for a konti, Being clueless, Naeya's father: Jorik Vitral Item/ Consequences: Match at the Gideon Combat Arena Additional Notes: Imass, bear in mind your current skill level. You are still a novice, with barely more than 10 pts in unarmed, and only a few points in dodging. And yet you are fighting off 3 people at once, and winning. That seems a bit much for a novice, even if you are a Akalak. So try to tone it down to a bit more realism in the future, or I will dock points. I would expect in such a fight, for you to get hit some to, possibly injured. Injury is a high possibility in such a fight, even if you had been competent, against such numbers especially. Also you are going to have to fight at the Arena, due to your crimes. what, you thought no one would remember you running around terrorizing the place? Sorry to break it to you, but you tend to be a memorable person. Laws: Remember, there are laws in Riverfall, a few of which you broke here. Law 1- All Rivarians are expected to maintain courtesy and civility within the city boundaries. Law 3- Dueling is allowed only outside the city gates or within appropriate Sasaran. You fighting in the streets, constitutes breaking that law. You also nearly broke law 4 on stealing, though did intercede upon someone trying to break law 6. -If you have any questions about the grade, don’t hesitate to PM me.