Long shot survival?

by **Ximal** on May 4th, 2013, 3:55 pm

27th Spring 513AV

A single question was running over Xi's mind as he stepped out into the opening of the clearing. A small area literally just outside of nyka's walls. Xi brought with him this time his bow, the monstrously long and powerful bow. Xi slid it off of his shoulder before running his hands over it feeling the wide points. Would my bow act like a staff? Both are wood however the bow, has a curve within it...Would that be a help or a hindrance? Xi lifted the bow up pulling an arrow from the quiver at the back of his legs. knocking the arrow he lined up the shot with the dead tree he'd broken the other day when training with his stone fists. He'd gotten used to firing the bow over his time with it, feeling the muscles in his back draw the bow string taught, he slid his foot out sideways and angled his bow slightly to the side, his eye's locked onto the tree. Listening around him he heard the breeze rustling the tree leaves. Slowing his breath he paused. He wasn't skilled enough yet to snap through the calculations and fire instantly. Xi tilted the ow into the wind ever so lightly, the wind caught the arrow dragging it back across and into the tree's centre line. Xi let out a slow breath now feeling more confidant with his shooting skills. He'd finally managed to get the arrow to hit the tree at ten yards. Xi smirked and closed the distance to the tree. He'd fired a single shot but he'd come out with a plan. Closing the distance he took up a small run slid his left hand up the length of the bow and brought his right hand to jsut below the hand grip. As he closed the gap Xi brought the bow across and brought the base into the side of the tree.

Removing his right hand from the bow Xi brought the bow's core back across the tree from the left hand side bringing the whole of the bow's length across as a slamming force and with his right hand at the same time yanked the arrow free of the tree trunk. And then slid his left hand back up the bow as he span back around placing and drawing the arrow at the same time. He wasn't shooting for accuracy at the moment he was shooting for speed. He pulled the bow string back and launched the shot, it stuck into the edge of a tree to the left of the clearing. Less than three yards away. Xi then leapt back from the tree in front of him and was now mentally fighting off attackers with his bow. A swipe of his bow to the side, and then a follow up punch with his right hand. Twisting the bow Xi grabbed hold of the bottom of the bow and smacked the bow back across like a large sword swing. Cleaving the air in front of him. Then came a low growl. The shyke was that? Xi snapped his head around to see a small group of wolves across from him. All teeth bared and snarling at him. Xi held himself steady and glared down at them now. his mental enemies evaporating in favour of the real ones before him. Xi pulled an arrow from the quiver at his lower back and slid the arrow onto the bow String. Xi took scope of the group of five wolves...His breathing steady...He needed to dispatch them, if so he could possibly walk out alive. If not with some prizes.

Xi drew the bow string back and one wolf leapt up into the air fangs bared and his jaws open aiming for Xi's throat. Xi tilted his bow up along with his back and released the arrow, letting the shaft of the arrow fly, the wolf was so close that there was no chance for Xi to miss. The arrow pierced the skull of the wolf, punching through the beast's upper jaws and out of the top of it's head.

by **Ximal** on May 6th, 2013, 8:32 pm

One dead...Four remain. Times like these...I have to wonder...Do the gods like toying with me so ? Right...This will be- Oh shyke! Xi leapt to the side but a moment too slow as the second of the wolves leapt into the air, fangs bared and Xi himself lacking preparation to do away with the beast. As Xi rolled to the side a claw of the wolf scrape across the top of Xi's for head splitting the skin and letting the blood flow down and into his eye. Now forced to keep one closed, he was fighting with only half of his depth perception. Still it could have been worse from how the wolf had leapt if he had lingered any longer he would have found wolfish fangs locked around his throat. Now though Xi was in trouble. in the centre of four wolves. One dead with an arrow through it at his feet. Xi cursed himself for not bringing his axes with him. No he was...in trouble. Right eye marred by blood and his depth perception split in two. Xi rolled the bow in his hand... His eye's darting for something to help him.

Xi leapt to back dropping his bow in the process, to block a wolf's fangs with the steel coating on his arm. Xi brought his other fist to bare his right hand slamming into the skull of the wolf ripping it's fangs from him. Xi now lay on his back a poor position to fight wolves. And the wolf he's punched shook it's head and whimpered now keeping a longer distance from Xi. Pushing his body weight back he rolled over his own weight and flipped up onto his knees in a crouched position. Xi drew a slow breath and looked around him. Something caught his eye. Something catching the sun. Shining lightly on the ground. Another wolf lashed out at him and Xi rolled to the side. Narrowly escaping the wolfs jaws. Xi let his hand loom around and found the item. A dagger...Small and plain but enough to help him. Then Xi remembered the item's across his back. Arrows! Xi dew one from the quiver at his back and tossed it into his left hand point down the dagger now in his right hand blade down also. robbed of depth perception, he needed a little advantage. Especially against creatures like this. Xi saw another wolf leap at him. Xi brought his right hand up to punch the beast down. Turning his head to the right Xi tried to sweet his still open eye over all that he could to see everything. And suddenly Xi had a great deal more respect for zand. His right hand slammed into the wolf's mouth it's fangs now surrounding Xi's hand. From the left the arrow's head sank into the back of the wolf's neck severing it's spine. Xi pulled the blade from it's throat and his hand from it's mouth.

Two down, three to go. Xi charged at one this time he would not wait for them to come at him, but as he charged at one he heard another run at him from behind. Xi turned in time to take the wolf's fangs biting into his shoulder. Xi yelled out in pain but then sank the blade of the dagger into the top of it's head. Great...down one arm and one eye. Not permanently sure but i don't want to move that shoulder for fear of further damage. Damn it. Xi took a slow breath, now him wagering himself on a dagger and his own skill at fighting. Xi took a step back as the three wolves he'd fought were replenished with another two. Great...wolves can think and attack in formation... Xi stepped back and took scope of the beasts before him. Two ran at him jaws snapping and fangs bared. Xi twisted himself sideways narrowing the target. Stepping to the left Xi swung the elbow of his arm into the wolf's neck hearing a loud snap and a pop. Xi brought his arm down and over stabbing the length of the blade down into the rear of the second wolf's neck. Or so he'd thought but he missed and instead slammed the blade down into the wolf's shoulder. A loud whine echoed through the air, the remaining wolves fled and Xi sank to his knees.

by **Ximal** on May 6th, 2013, 8:32 pm

"Well that was a display." Xi span his head around and leered up to the source of the foreign voice. His eye's latched a hold of a figure looming upon a branch. Wrapped in cloaks and a scarf around it's face. Cloak hanging around it and feet dangling off of the edge. Xi's still open eye hardened in gaze. Xi then glanced at the dagger in his hand.
"I take it that this is yours." Xi tilted his head at the blade in his hand.
"Was mine. Keep it...Looks like you could use something more than just arrows and a bow." Xi shot a look up to the shrouded figure and spun the dagger around in his hand. Slick with the blood of wolves. Xi took the arrow from his other hand and wiped the blood from it onto the fur of one of the dead wolves, before slotting it back into his quiver. Wrenching the second arrow from the tree and the third from the wolf Xi heard the voice again. "What no thanks for my help?" Xi smirked lightly and wiped off the blade of the dagger, before slotting it into his belt.
"I should be thanking the knife...You did little. Now if you'll excuse me...I've an infirmary to visit...Feel free to claim the bodies of these wolves and sell the to the monks." Xi turned to look back up at the branch where the shrouded figure had been. and instead found himself now being pinned against a tree by the figure, a blade at his throat.

"Your a big cocky ass-hole aint ya?" Xi now could see the eyes of the shrouded person, cold...but not without a certain ease.
"Is the extent of your fighting skill limited to threatening injured people? " Xi spun the situation in a flash wrenching the blade from his throat up and away and pressing the shrouded figure to the tree via Xi pressing the elbow of that arm across the figures throat.
"It appears...Your not that injured...But you are foolish. A person never carries only one knife..." Xi felt the sharp point of a another dagger pressing lightly into his side. "Now shall we speak like civilized people ? Or we could hold each other at knife point." The figure shifted lightly and Xi could see the beginnings of a smirk pulling at the corners of the figures eyes.
"Sorry but you drew your blade first, and i'm not armed..."
"Yes, you carry no blade but...You press your arm any harder...and my neck's going to snap like a twig." Xi let his arm slide away and his grip drop from the figure. Stepping back Xi took that arm to wipe the blood from his eye. The bleeding had stemmed and Xi pulled it open to now scan the figure.
"What's your name ?" Xi gritted his teeth and shook his head lightly. The figure paused and agian that smirk could be seen at least in the grant of it's eyes.
"I think we should get you to the infirmary first." Xi really couldn't argue at that moment but instead gathered his bow and cloak, before following the figure back into the shadow and walls of the city.

by **Ximal** on May 8th, 2013, 12:27 am

Xi walked slightly heavily through the streets of nyka towards the infirmary, it's looming form signalling the little bit of proof that he was at least about to be relieved of the pain in his shoulder. Upon arrival Xi found out just how much deeper than his initial thought the bite had been. Xi peeled off the now "holey" shirt and let the healer get to work winceing lighty as they cleaned the wound and in return stared back at the shadowy figure that had accompanied him into the city. And given him a tool which had saved his life. More or less.
"Ximal." The figure glanced at him with a some what odd expression as Xi spoke his name, perhaps the figure thought Xi swearing at him in a foreign language. Xi shook his head lightly. "My name, just call me Xi. I would ask your name as well, so that i can thank you properly for the assistance." Again that peering look appeared int eh figures eyes and slowly the face wrap unbundled it;self and refealed a rather...pretty face.
"Telena. An acolyte of uphis. And i bet your glad that you didn't fight me after all, now that you know of my standing." A rather superior air now echoing of of her along with a slightly smarmy grin. Xi drew a deep breath and swallowed his pride.
"I'm thankful for the assistance. And yes, i'd rather of not fought you injured like this. as that would make you look like less of a warrior." Xi now offered a returning smirk one of equally smarmy level he'd swallowed his pride long enough to say thanks, but that was it. Bar that Xi retained his usually cocky bravado that he'd picked up.

"You fancy yourself a warrior when you can barely dispatch wolves by yourself? And i've heard of you, your the moron who almost leapt into the aperture...If that's how you fair against plain wolves perhaps it is a good thing that you did not fall into the aperture...Else you would have been torn to shreds by the beasts that lie within." Xi Smirked and winced lightly as a healer pressed onto his task of restoring Xi's shoulder to full motion. "After all the aperture is where we monks go to become fully fledged monks, we have to survive down there for three days with nothing but the clothes upon our backs and a water canteen. So that makes every monk an extraordinarily good fighter. And a very high calibur warrior." Xi felt his shoulder fixed and rolled it around slowly. feeling the muscles fixed and the pain reduced. Turning his head lightly he glanced up at the female monk.
"A person is only as good as their skill shows. Rank of power has no meaning. it's just a way to flaunt your superiority over others. Do not mistake that for power, it is prestige nothing more. A true warrior is always striving to best their-self in every regard, skill, speed, strength, tactics. Xi pulled his lips up into a grin before sliding his blood soaked shirt back over himself. The wet warmth somewhat welcoming and learning a strange look from tel.

"Your a monk of uphis. Clearly one of the warriors of the city, yet you wear no armour, at least visibly, perhaps like your face it's shrouded by your robes and much like your knives...Tucked away safely upon your person?" Xi smirked at tel flicked her eye's to the side in quick thought, from his time as a guard he could see that she was making up a story. "Don't bother trying to make up a lie. I can tell, and no it's no divine gift. I just happen to be able to see when someone is going to lie. Lots of practice, with liars much better than you possibly." Xi slipped his cloak around his shoulders and his bow over and across his chest.
"Well Ximal-" She spoke with a small smirk grinning across her face. "-perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye." Xi shook his head remembering what he was, and the façade he tried to shatter but still in everyone's eyes remained.
"No i'm jut the lumbering ox, the big guy with nothing but brawn...And that's all i shall remain." Xi flicked up his hood and headed out of the infirmary leaving behind a very confused looking telena. Xi was already formulating ways to get stronger though, and for that he'd need a hand, but ana wanted nothing to do with him as of late and zand was busy with revy and her schemes. Looks like he had to find himself someone else to train with and find a way to test his idea.

by **Abstract** on June 22nd, 2013, 11:38 pm

Loot, Lore, and Skills!

Ximal :

I wasn't exactly sure what to call you hitting the tree with the bow.. so I just called it 'staff'. I also wasn't sure what to give on the last two posts... though it was an interesting encounter. It still left me slightly confused...Please PM me if you have any questions, concerns, or comments!

Solo Long shot survival?