[Flashback] Smoke on the Water (Miro)

[Kinneas]

Spring 3 509 AV

Even though it was spring, granted early spring, winters grasp was hesitant to leave the area. Snow was still visible on the trees, and even patches here and there on the ground. The land that wasn’t covered in snow either crunched under the travelers feet or was cold, hard dirt. Yes, even though it was spring it was slow to leave this mountainous terrain. Chilled breath could be seen lingering in the air. Winters cold seemed to slow everything down, making traveling much more difficult. Winter did seem to have power over everything else besides his traveling companion. While Kinneas shivered to himself, the younger boy seemed to be right at home in this chill weather.

In an attempt not to look too cold, for they still had quite a ways to walk today, the man tried to control and regulate his breathing. If he could control that, he could try to maintain control of his shivers. It wasn’t that Kinneas minded the fact that Miro seemed right at him. No, it was just he didn’t want to look cold. If he could ignore it, then he could overcome it just like the kid. Though, the kid had divine magic on his side, but Kinne had an important thing too: his mind. Mind over matter, with enough concentration one can block out even the cold.

Still walking he started to count to three on every intake of breath, and then he would exhale counting to three again. One, two, three, inhale. One, two, three, exhale. One, two, three, inhale… he would continue to do this, his footsteps crunching in the grass below his feet. Taking a moment he looked behind him to see Miro lagging behind him. It’s true, they have been walking all day and seen nothing but trees and snow, but the boy could at least walk a bit faster. He just smiled at the kid and turned back trying once more to take control of his shaking body. The breath continued to be counted, and with it he went more and more into his own little mental plane. Walking became almost automatic, but the shivering wouldn’t stop. Annoyed by his lack of progress he began rubbing his arms to produce heat. He would just warm himself up like that. He was quick to give up, but he reminded himself, right now was no time for meditation. He had to be alert for the both of them. Who knows what creatures lay inside this forest? Gods know they have run into much trouble as it is.

”Miro,” he started, ”What are you doing all the back there?” he asked with a smile, trying to hide the slight chatter of teeth as visible breath once again flowed out of him, ”You know, time will pass faster if you’d talk.” he said, just trying to make conversation, ”And complaining isn’t talking.” he laughed. It wasn’t like they didn’t have anything to talk about, its just he couldn’t figure out what to talk about at the time. Maybe an animal would pass them soon, and he could go on about that, or start tracking it for dinner later. They had been walking for a while, but he wasn’t ready to take a break quite yet. These woods were dense and there were no signs of them getting any thinner. Stopping, the guy waited until Miro was walking beside him before he continued walking again, throwing an arm around him, ”Its not that bad.” he said, half glad that he didn’t have to keep looking over his shoulder anymore, and partly glad that he now had some body heat to share.

He smiled down at the kid, ”If you want, Ill carry you.” he offered stopping, ”All you have to do is carry the pack for me.” he said gesturing to the backpack that he had on which was filled to the brim with stuff they collected on their travels. There was even some stuff hanging off it, and attached to the sides firmly with rope. It was no light haul, but it had just about everything they had in it. They had been walking all day. He was getting tired, and he could only imagine how the kids feet were feeling. Maybe that is part of the reason Miro was complaining so much. ”Come on.” ruffling the kids hair, ”You’ve done a lot of walking already.” even though he said that Kinneas wasn’t quite ready to stop, he wanted to forge on.

[Miro]

Today was as usual as any other. Walking, having a conversation, watching your best friend pretend he isn't freezing. All of those great things that made travel worthwhile. For some reason, Kinneas hated everything Miro wanted to talk about though. It was like he didn't even care! The kid scoffed at his friend's comment. Complaining wasn't talking, huh? For all the man said, nothing of it sounded like talking, by his definition at least. Ah, how words fueled his sarcasm, much like djed fueling spells.

As the much taller man placed a firm hand on his left shoulder, the kid, only half his size smirked. "Oh, I am sorry, Kinneas. You weren't talking, only complaining, so you know, I figured you didn't want to talk." Miro slammed his foot down, aiming to trip the man before running off ahead. Kinneas thought that he would be able to carry Miro? The kid who had run up ahead turned around and stopped. "As if a tired old man like you could handle carrying me. If you want, I'll take the burden for you. Tired old bones like yours need rest, don't they? Honestly, I am a bit worried. If you shake any more, well uh, you might, well."

Miro began to trail off, unable to think of anything to say. It would have been great too, if only he could finish it. This would not be forgotten however. Kinneas would get his, just needed to wait for the right time. No doubt, what he said had gotten him, even if he didn't finish him off. "Yeah, as if he could handle anymore. I might have made him cry! Old man can't even handle the cold." Walking backwards now, Miro eyed his target with the darkest intentions. Revenge, how he deserved it.

"Frozen feet? No, I did that last season. Oh, I can put a creature in his pack! If only there was anything around. Something clever, inspired, like a spell. When an opportunity pops up, I will get him. Yes, oh yes, yes." Miro looked Kinneas in the eyes, giving his most adorable look. He stood tall and proper, almost looking like a civilized person. He looked to the ground for a moment and let out a sigh. "I am sorry Kinneas. I got bored, and you know how it is. When things drag on it starts to wear on us. Come here, walk with me now. We can walk and talk. Whatever you want. Can't we please just find something cool and stop there?"

The kid turned around once more, hiding his face from his friend. A devilish grin revealed his fangs, maliciously gnarled. Kinneas had taught Miro to fish once, and the lesson had stuck. First he would dangle the bait, and when the fish was hooked, all he needed was to reel it in. The bait was a sweet temptation, something rare. It was uncommon for Miro to behave, but not unheard of. It was him behaving only so he could misbehave later, but Kinneas should know by now, it was going to happen anyways. Only a fool would pass up the calm given by the eye of a storm.

[Kinneas]

As much at Kinneas didn’t like it the kid did have a point. To Miro perhaps his words did sound like complaining, but they were complaining about the complaining. Was complaining like that still complaining or just pointing out the obvious? He didn’t know and he really didn’t want to think on it, because the child was retorting to what was just said. The words hit him like flying stones, but unlike the sharp pieces of rock they didn’t have the power to pierce very deep. With a voice dipped in sarcasm, a skill that he must have learned from someone else, words were easily deflected. The almost playful nature amused him, before a small foot caught him and tripped him up. Unexpected he fell to the ground and Miro ran ahead of him. The impact into the snow covered patch made him even colder and begged him to get up.

Then came the challenge. The words that he couldn’t handle carrying the boy and the pack at the same time, the thought only made him grin. The boy should know that Kinne isn’t as old as he so obviously thinks he is. Hand placed under him, the weight of the pack impeding his progress just a little bit, he got up to his feet and slowly rose to full height. The snow which stuck to this cloak and clothes, well a quick brush of the hand dispelled it, getting it off and back to the ground once more. Snow free the man started walking again, he needed to catch up to Miro. The kid walked backwards, and frankly the fighter was surprised the boy didn’t trip and fall himself. Much as he deserved it the guy wasn’t going to stoop to a child’s level and get pay back.

The next moment the tone changed dramatically. The once rambunctious and rowdy child looked up at Kinne and gave him the look. The face that stared up at him was just too adorable, and he was reminded that Miro wasn’t all that bad. ”I understand.” he said, glad that whatever Miro needed to get out of him was out, seemingly. Though he knew even if the kid had got his fill of shenanigans he would soon be hungry for more, but for now he was content to enjoy the boy while he was in this mood. Maybe he felt bad for tripping him? Probably not, he shot that idea down before it even got into the air, but whatever it was… it was good.

”You act like finding something interesting is an easy thing.” he laughed walking beside the kid, ”You sure you don’t want carried?” he asked again, ”A little piece of nothing like you couldn’t be too hard to handle.” he poked fun at how little Miro was, ”Besides, Im a young man too, and despite a child’s skewed views,” he said with a grin, ”I think I can get ya.” he lunged for the child who seemed to have settled down, aiming to grab him and pick him up in his arms, hugging him tightly to his chest. ”Besides even if I am an old man,” he said despite if he was successful in his attempt or not, ”I can still keep up with a kid like you.” he said matching Miros previous and rather playful energy. If the kid was bored, he could make things interesting.

[Miro]

Working over Kinneas was always too easy. Years of practice and conditioning had made the man obedient, like a trained animal. He was well behaved too, never bit, hardly even whined, plus best of all, he came when called. Would Miro say he was man's best friend? Yes, yes he would, and was. For all the kid would have hoped to find in a friend, Kinneas was, then some. Brave, kind, cunning, the list went on. He was always there when needed and knew when to disappear.

Sometimes however, the man could be so brazen. To treat Miro like he was a baby, it was unspeakable. Never in his life had anything not entertained him, well of course not before these words. And never in his life was he so weak that an old man might carry his weight. Obviously the man had eaten something he shouldn't or had gone into overgiving when let out of sight.

Somehow now he thought he was youthful, able to keep up with the quickest kid in Kalea. Somehow he..."HEY! Kinneas, let me go!" The boy kicked and wriggled, aiming to free himself. By some sort of trickery and madness the feeble old bones had snatched him up. "Should have never taken my eyes off of him." The antsy child realized he could not break free. It seemed that the man had learned a thing or two, his grip was impressive.

Wild jaws snapped as Miro attempted to sink teeth into flesh, yet none could be reached. Tightly wound arms held him in place, making his only tools his feet. Even though Miro had been growing taller, he still did not match his captor's height, causing his feet to miss the ground with every attempt to make contact. There were only three options left, and though all were a fair punishment, only one was right.

First, he could swing his head back and break Kinneas' nose, but his shirt would be stained with blood yet again. He could always kick him, knowing his manly weakness, but that would most likely cause the man to swing his head forward, creating the first scenario again. Talking his way out of things would mean losing and backing down, there was only one way.

Breaking the limits always required restraint. Luckily a perfect scenario had presented itself. If both of Miro's arms snapped, it would be Kinneas' fault. The Flux was the only way, and there was nothing his strength couldn't break. It would only need to last long enough to find freedom, and how impressive he would look with his strength. He wouldn't dare allow an innocent weak child to hurt himself.

"There is no way you are stronger than me, OLD MAN. Just watch me, I am stronger, faster and smarter! Lucky for you, I am on your side." How kind of the kid to give fair warning. There was nothing left to say, only something to prove. For too long Kinneas had won every spar and competition. Every day Miro grew closer and closer to proving himself, but now it was finally that time.

A cocky smile grew on the young wizards face. He hoped that the old geezer was on guard, able to know what would come next. In the years before, Kinneas had seen Miro cast his magic. The gestures and incantations from reimancy were seen quite often, but had not been needed for a while now. The Flux however still required a great deal of concentration. He used both a gesture and an incantation to cast, though he rarely used the Flux.

The discipline had always been challenging, giving him a chance to test his body's limit in controlled scenarios mostly. It was a tool used in little amounts, finding the risks of it through childhood. With luck he would never break his body’s limit again. Endurance grew with age, causing him to feel stronger and tougher every day.

Miro drew in a deep breath, clearing his mind and allowing his body to relax. He pulled his forearms up and began to flex. He arched his back, shifting pressure to his arms, getting ready to push out against the grip. He clapped his fists together, rebounding with a thud. The gesture always meant that he was to use the Flux.

The wizard ran the process through his mind over and over again. He had done it before so many times, now wouldn't be so different. He focused on his body, the pathways that flowed through his core and into his limbs. The streams of energy twitched and quivered with every movement. With absolute confidence in himself, it was finally time to cast.

Now he focused on his legs, sensing the flow of energy within. The pathways traveled down along his legs, splitting and trailing off throughout. Miro focused his djed in his legs, concentrating to pull on the streams of energy and redirect the circulation. His mind centered around the thought of pulling from his leg's pathways, all the way down to the ends of his feet.

Miro felt the strain on his djed as the redirected flow retracted from his legs, letting them go limp. Slowly the energy began to drain from his legs and accumulate in his back and arms. A few moment after his legs began to feel numb, while his back and arms were filled with a thrilling sensation. He felt a deep strength in the fiber of his muscle, and his tactile sensation grew more vivid. It was as if his mind and body were becoming perfectly synchronized.

The kid arched his back more and forced his shoulders and arms forward as hard as he could. He would give it his all to feel freedom once more. His spiny jabbing back was likely not pleasant to feel, but war never was. More than anything he was desperate to break free. If he did limp legs would cause him to fall on his face, but none of that mattered. Only that he was strong enough to break free on his own.

The use of djed was tiring however, forcing him to impose a limit on himself. He could not persist any longer than chime, no matter what. The moment he broke free or deemed it hopeless he would relax his manipulated pathways to flow normally. His body and soul could not handle the strain for very long. Either way, all the stress from casting would exhaust him. Kinneas was right, being carried was a good idea.

[Kinneas]

There was a couple things that Kinneas was sure of. First is that Miro was thinking quite smugly of himself, the kid having a wilder and untamed nature than most would expect. Though that effect will quickly wear off once you got to know him a little, he just liked to have fun. The second thing is, due to all the fuss that Miro was making, the yell when he first snatched him up, that this development was unexpected and, to Miro, unwarranted. The cries and wriggling made it all the better. A silly looking grin made of fun was glued to the elders face as he struggled to keep ahold of the thrashing youth.

Laughter erupted from the man as Miros biting teeth couldn’t quite reach its mark. He was quite aware that this is how he might react, it’s happened before, and feeling the kids bite wasn’t pleasant. He would rather avoid if it could be helped. ”What’s the matter Miro-boy?” he asked through his chocked laughs. ”Those wild fangs of yours can’t reach their mark?” he asked, teasing, stepping backwards to regain his balance as the kid continued to struggle in his grasp. The boy had fight in him, like wrestling a greased up pig, but having done this before, he held fast, learning a few tricks from the other times he has failed to grapple the over-confident child.

The reaction was priceless, but Miro had something to say for himself, ”Stronger, faster, and smarter?” he questioned the kids claims playfully, ”It doesn’t look like you are stronger or faster.” he grinned, the evidence was all in the scene playing out before their eyes. Kinne was holding the boy, bear hugging him with an iron-clasped grip. He was even taller than Miro making this perfect; he could walk a bit while carrying the struggling youth. ”You are just a little boy.” he said, taking another step forward, his voice never losing the playful, teasing tone, ”and little boys can never outmatch their elders.” he informed him, taking a peek at Miros face to see a confident grin upon his face.

”I think a little boy, like you,” he rubbed Miros youth into his face, ”should listen to his elders.” he said, ”As I only have your best interest in mind.” he said lecturing the kid while he had a captive audience.

He staggered forward a little more, though Kinneas was no fool. He had known that Miro had issued a verbal warning, and that was the only one that he was going to get, but it was fun to play with the kid. Even though Miro was an awful sport sometimes, like this. Though, Kinneas smiled as wide as Miro as he had thought up of a plan as well. When Miro began to arch his back, the kids spine dug into Kinne making him rather uncomfortable, but that was the point. Miro had tricks, but he had tricks of his own.

So he waited confidently keeping his grip on the child, even as he prepared his magic. Kinneas has seen the boy preform feats of magic before, and this was going to be no different. He waited, and loosened his grip a little so when Miro exploded forward with renewed energy and vigor the kid would most definitely break his grip. Then, in but a moment, it happened. Miro was too predictable… Though every time he thought that Kinneas was sorely proven wrong. He would be sure to find the nearest tree to knock on wood. Luckily they were in a forest.

Miros magic enhanced strength forced the mans arms apart, breaking his grip, and allowing Miro to have freedom. Though freedom is never free; it came with a high price. The boy fell from the grip holding him up, supporting him, falling flat on his face and landing not too softly on the ground either. The boys full weight came in contact with the ground and Kinneas only grinned, laughing a little at the scene. He walked over to the boy and bent down, crouching next to him, looking down at the body before him. A hand reached down and ruffled Miros hair playfully, ”Ok, Miro,” he said flashing his teeth in a grin, ”I will give you stronger.” he said laughing.

After he was done laughing though the grin disappeared, ”Are you ok?” he asked, ”Ill carry you still if you want.” he offered, but he was still skeptical that the boy would let him be carried by an ‘old’ man such as himself. Though really, it wasn’t a problem. He liked carrying the boy because it would give him one less thing to gripe about at the end of the day.

He was about to say something else, but he heard movement behind him. Quickly the man was on his feet, spinning around to face the source of the noise, stepping defensively in front of the fallen Miro. ”Who’s there?” he called out, his eyes scanning the forest in front of him. The trees made it easy to miss important things, but as he called out a couple of travelers, much like themselves, stepped out from the trees, ”Don’t come any closer.” Kinneas warned in a stern voice. One could never tell how these kinds of encounters would turn out, it was better to be safe than sorry, especially with Miro involved, partially and temporarily paralyzed from the magic that he used. Kinne couldn’t afford to take any chances.