A deviation from the norm. [CLOSED]

[Corvo]

Corvo caught most of the fruit with ease, the one piece he missed splattered into a gooey, pulpy mess on his forehead. He was silent for a few moments, contemplating the appropriate response for such a thing that didn’t seem to negative. “A warning would have been thoroughly appreciated.” Despite the fact that he was incredibly annoyed by this point only trace amounts of it could be heard in his voice, he preferred to put up a calm front, but putting up such a front required a certain degree of patience and civility. He was thoroughly lacking in the latter. He shoved fruit that he managed to catch into his pack in an uncharacteristically violent manner, after doing so he starred upward and into the rain for a few moments to let the pulp and goo wash off before accepting the spear from the woman.

“You do know I’d probably be worse with a spear, yes or am I to simply hold it like a good little boy?” It was obviously a rhetorical question only meant to annoy the woman. The sarcasm in his voice was still there but it only danced on the very edge of his voice. He was starting to get use to Siiri and the fact that most of his bribes were simply bouncing off and being ignored made such a tone virtually useless. He gripped the shaft of the spear and looked around for a few moments, deciding on the direction they should take from this point on.

“You sure you want me to take point? You seem like you’re use to being dominant, no?” The slightest smile danced across his face, lighting up his almost morbid features. It was painfully obvious that he smiled very rarely and on those rare occasions he did it was usually forced through some triviality of life. With a small sigh Corvo set out in the direction he came from as this was a small detour on the side. From what he knew this path would only take a few hours of daylight to make it back to Taloba. But that was when the weather was on his side. The trip time was probably doubled now. He set out with a quick pace, althought slower than usuall. He was still adjusting to the spears added weight. “Seeing as we’ll be stuck together for sometime, tell me a bit about yourself Siiri.” He shouted above the rain, hoping that she would hear him with his back turned to her.

[Siiri]

“Would you be in front if I didn't want you to take point?” Siiri absently replied with a question of her own. She was only partially listening to Corvo now, her senses stretched out to encompass her environment. Near as they were to the city, the jungle was still dangerous and only by staying alert did her people survived – and even ruled – the untamed wilds of Falyndar. Thus she was perplexed why the man continued his chatter. Was he nervous around her? It wasn't like she was his commanding officer, though certain protocol and decorum still had to be followed. Which explained why he was at point and not her.

What Corvo mistook for presumed dominance was in actuality the Goddess-Queen's decree. The women might be the favored gender among their people but that was not to say males could not make a mark for themselves in the society – their seeds were needed to propagate the race after all – but they still had to earn their place. Just like everyone else, females included. Siiri might feel superior over her present companion but it was not due to arrogance or even because of Myri's will. It was simply culture. When one knew more than the other, that one took steps to serve as guide to improve the other.

“You'll at least give me a second's warning to run when some beast plows through you, or if you trigger a trap Heda's people 'forgot' to mark on the maps again,” she joked. Surely the man would get the drift of her jest by using the spear she just loaned him to test uncertain ground and dubious features of the terrain. While it was rare for most predators to venture so near Myrian territory, which they were certainly in, it did not hurt that be prepared for such an eventuality. And there was always the danger of setting off one of the many snares and pits scattered by the Heda's scouts all over the land. Some of them were pranksters who liked to leave little surprises for the daily patrol to stumble upon. It helped to test the latter's wit and reflexes.

“Do you always like to have chats like this out here in the wilds?” Siiri asked as she pulled Corvo from taking a short cut that led to a shallow stream and directed him to the longer path that traveled around it. The stream would be flooded now because of the rains, and she still remembered the last time she passed through there where she encountered some sort of tentacled creature. She did not want to have to go through that experience again. “We could have this discussion back in the barracks, you know. But if you must know, here is the short version: I am the... second daughter of the matriarch of the Snapping Jaws clan, I hate any and all forms of serpents, and I also despise stormy weather when I have to stand under the rain and tell a man a little about myself.”

She paused for a moment to peer through a clump of trees, trying to recall what lay beyond them, unsure if it was the mud pits or the grassy clearing. The summer rains always skewed her sense of direction. Honestly, she did not want to have the both of them stuck and sinking in mud for the next few hours. Making up her mind, she drew them to another different route.

Siiri continued. “I already know a little about you, Corvo of the Iron Fists: you like fruit. But feel free to – duck under that vine, it looks like a loose whipvine – tell me more of yourself. I am particularly interested in hearing about your fighting style.”

She paused for a second time, trying to listen to the ambient noise to see if she had somehow missed signs that they were being stalked. There was nothing sound but the falling rain, the croaking of bullfrogs and the cacophony of buzzing, humming and clicking of the millions of insects that called the Falyndar jungle their home. The absence of these sounds would have meant their were being trailed, by a predator no less. Siiri moved to follow the leading Corvo once more.

[Corvo]

“Only when so close to home.” He said as he haphazardly ducked under the branch.”My fighting style?” It was an interesting question to ask him, though he wasn’t particularly surprised by it. The name did radiant a certain arrogance when said in certain circumstances. It advocated a strong and intimate knowledge of unarmed combat and that was something one only achieved after many years of formal and informal training. He paused for a moment, taking the time to listen to the jungle and compose a decent answer. While the majestic calls of the birds had disappeared many other noises took their place, unfortunately one such sound was that of the insects who came out during the wetter weather to feast upon the blood of whoever was misfortunate enough to be caught out in such weather. This was in all likelihood the only thing he truly disliked about the jungle. He saw the insects as nothing more than pest that deserved to be wiped out, much like fruit thieves.

“I wouldn’t call my fighting style complicated. I prefer simpler and more direct methods. Not as direct as simply punching something in the face, but I do find that enjoyable.” He stopped himself for a moment; he realized he was doing something he did far to often, rambling. There was also the fact the sounds of the millions of insects that loved the wet weather were suddenly halved. It was...unusual. “Notice it?” His tone was far darker. His voice was barely audible.

“In the most simple terms my fighting style reflects my personality. Slow and contemplative and laid back at first glance. Painful and blunt once felt.” A long silence fell afterwards. His steps throughout the jungle were light and silent, careful not to break any stray twigs or branches, he wasn’t as comfortable with the spear as he was with his two hands. His hands were reliable and couldn’t simply be broken or lost while on the field of battle. The buzzing and almost chirp like sound of insects returned to the jungle. Whatever the threat was it had lost them.

Even though the threat was gone the urge to start a conversation had waned considerably. His mind was focused on the jungle around him. As he walked he used the borrowed spear to test the occasional brush obscured path. He only prodded just enough to feel something but never hard enough to provoke an attack. Random things jumping out form the bush wasn’t usually very healthy for those that it jumping at. He continued onward, glancing behind his shoulder only on occasion to check if Siiri was still there.

[Siiri]

“Perhaps we should spar sometimes. I prefer attacking with my legs myself, in unarmed situations.” And truly, Siiri’s long legs had more than once disabled her opponents with repeated kicks as well as inflicted broken bones in her clan’s signature grappling holds. “The fighting art of the Snapping Jaws differs quite a bit from the conventional unarmed discipline,” she explained. “Perhaps we could teach each other a trick or two.”

Siiri paused the same time Corvo did, gripping her sword a little tighter as she concentrated on the surrounding sounds. The constant pounding of the rain on the ground and on the canopy above made it difficult to hear anything else but the sounds made by the insects seemed lessened somewhat. Were they being stalked? the warrioress thought.

But no, the racket of the insects returned to is normal level after a moment. Must have been some large creature passing through. Shrugging, not caring until the beast actually showed itself before she decided if it was a threat or not, Siiri relaxed her pose. Her eyes still darted about however, checking to see if the ripples through the surrounding vegetation were only caused by the rain and not by something else. She waved for Corvo to resume their trek. They were nearing Taloba now. A couple of hundred steps more and they would hit upon the trail that led to the city gates.

[Corvo]

Home drew closer and closer with each step taken, as he grew nearer the slightest tinge of disappointment welled up within him. The trip into the jungle was a somewhat of a let down, excluding his haul of fruit and meeting Siiri not much happened. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; he was just hoping to test the spear on something. Preferably something large and menacing with lots of teeth and claws, but he would have settled for even a bunny or of something of equal or preferably larger size. He walked in silence for a few more moments until the urge for conversation had bubbled back up.

“Would you like your spear back milady?" A tinge of sarcasm had caressed the last word of the question. He enjoyed a bit of, or at least what he hoped it was at this point, friendly ribbing. He was actually hoping he would let her keep it. He had grown rather fond of is weight in his hand as he walked along the forest, it would also save him from having to buy one himself. He was a very cheap man, who only bought thins when necessary and searched for food in the forest whenever possible. It wasn’t as if he was strapped for money. He just felt the money could be spent on better things and most of those things revolved around fruit. He was a peculiar man indeed.

[Siiri]

“'Milady?!' Do I look like one of those pampered human pigs waiting for the slaughter to you?” Siiri smirked. “Choose your next words carefully, for let me remind you, I'm the one wielding the larger blade around here and I'm very good at cutting things off with it. Things important to a man, even.” She grinned at Corvo, all toothy and predator-like but there was no malice behind her words. Such was Myrian humor after all, where violence could be taken at a lighter note. Those who could easily deal death and destruction would at least find something to joke about their trade after all.

The woman took the weapon without hesitation, sheathing her greatsword behind her as the long spear took its place in her hands. She seemed to regard it as a toy, twirling the shaft around like an oversized baton, occasionally hitting and leaving shallow gouges on the soft, muddy ground. Siiri had never been one to take the spear seriously as a weapon, thinking it too limited because its offensive capabilities was concentrated on only one end for such a long weapon. To her eyes, if a spear user could not bring the spearhead to bear against her opponent immediately, the weapon was mere decoration in their hands. To prove her belief, she had often use Slayer to smash the wooden shafts of those who came against her with a spear, and she had only stopped when the quartermaster complained about her wasting training weapons.

“You know, you should really consider getting yourself a weapon,” Siiri suggested as she spun the spear in one hand, only to catch it with the other and stab it forward. The whooshing sound it made whenever she did brought a crooked half smile upon her lips. “Range is important in the jungle after all, as the one that deals the first strike more often than not turns out to be the victor. How about we pass by the trading square before we report to the barracks, get you something decent?”

[Corvo]

“Point taken.” He said as she mentioned she was the one with the sword that could sever woefully important appendages with little effort. Appendages that he enjoyed having. His pace had slowed to a more relaxed one as enjoyed the final steps back to Taloba. “A weapon, eh…” His voiced trailed off into nothing. He thought about it for a few minutes. He had always relied upon his fist, much like the rest of his clan. His clan was of moderate status and most members were either competent unarmed fighters or experts and felt no need for a weapon and the few who did were looked down upon. Not openly of course, family was family, but the slightest of gestures told the truth, such as refusing to spar with a clan mate one to many times. It weighed heavily on his mind for a few moments. Survival was the ultimate factor and a weapon would improve his chances of surviving while out in the jungle. His mind was set now. He would purchase a weapon, but it would have to be something that complimented his current abilities, he would not abandon his ways entirely.“You make an interesting case…Siiri…I would prefer to buy a weapon that compliments my current abilities though. Would you like to lead the way?” The words were hesitant and came out in an awkward spew that only further hinted at his inherent and bred dislike of weapons.

[Siiri]

“Of course I do,” Siiri nodded, glad that Corvo was finally seeing the sense in taking up a weapon. She recalled the words of one of her many instructors in the martial arts and imparted the same message to the man. “There is a reason why we are encouraged to take up more than one weapon or fighting skill. Concentrating on a single art is well and good, but it makes one predictable. You can only do so much with your fists after all. Where we live, my friend, predictable often means dead.

“If I fought against something that strikes quickly, I have my greatsword or spear to keep it at bay. If it was something that flew, I have my throwing daggers to try and bring it down. If it got close to me, I have my daggers. If I ended up unarmed, I can still fight the enemy with fists and feet, tooth and nail if I have to. Knowing more than one discipline allows you to be flexible, covers up vulnerabilities. This is the key to survival, to success in this jungle. Don’t put so much pride in your fighting art, for learning humility outside the training yard might prove fatal.”

It was a mouthful, but the woman felt they were words that needed to be said. That Corvo managed to perform his duties as a soldier without a weapon was testament to the man’s skill in his fighting art, but his luck could not hold out for long. There were too many dangerous creatures out in the wilds that could easily overcome hand to hand combat. Siiri felt it her duty to assist a fellow soldier in acquiring more offensive skills.

“Come, let us see what is available for sale in the market.”

It was her turn to take the lead, weaving through the streets of Taloba and taking shortcuts through empty alleys and byways to reach the trading square as fast as possible. Most of the merchants had tarps up on top of their stalls to cover their wares. Siiri nodded to those whose stalls she frequented, even once clasping arms with Neshka the tattooist. At last, they reached the weapons stall, a squarish enclosure covered by treated animal hides to keep the numerous fighting implements from the rain. Most of the weapons hanging at the front were made from bones of all sorts, though the weapons merchant probably had others made from better materials stashed away.

“Take your pick,” she gestured as she took shelter under the awning to inspect several throwing daggers.

[Corvo]

He browsed the wares of the shop in a very tentative manner. He saw many a weapon that peaked its interest but nothing that truly grabbed him as the perfect compliment to his current skill. He wanted something with range, but wasn’t so long it’d hamper his movement. There were also many other factors, the largest one being that he would want something that would keep his reputation with his family intact for the most part. “So much to consider…” Corvo mumbled under his breath. For a moment a sword breaker made of bone had caught his attention, he examined it for a few moments and then moved on. That would be his choice if he couldn’t find anything else. After another few moments of browsing a sword gauntlet had finally caught his attention. The gauntlet itself was made of pearly white bone. The blade seemed to be made of bone as well, but it looked far more dense and sturdier. It was comparable to the blade that would be on a long sword, although somewhat more slender to reduce the awkwardness of its use in combat. “Yes, this would do nicely.” He said to no one in particular at the moment. Corvo picked up the gauntlet and tossed the merchant his asking price of 15 bikkas, he wasn’t in the mood to haggle. “Goodbye Siiri, I’m heading back to the barracks.” He then wandered out of the market and towards the barracks.

[Cayenne]

Interesting thread! I enjoyed the verbal sparring there. I look forward to seeing these two attempting to pound the snot out of each other later! I hereby award the following: Corvo Wilderness Survival: 3 XP Interrogation: 2 XP Observation: 1 XP Lore: Myrian Multiple Weapons Philosophy Lore: Awesomeness of Fruit Siiri wilderness survival: 3 XP Weaponry - Greatsword: 1 XP Interrogation: 3 XP Teaching: 1 XP Lore: Dealing With Arrogant Males Lore: Waterproofing Leather