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Stretching northward along the coastline of the Suvan Sea, the Cobalt Mountains are the home of the Bronze Wood, numerous ruins, and creatures both strange and fantastical.
To say Rion was in over his head would be a huge understatement. When you really think about it, he was outclassed in every way possible from strength to experience to even simple common sense. Being a farmer, he knew nothing about exploring the woods...or swinging a sword...or even avoiding dangerous situations. All he really knew about was plants, which he found there were plenty of even in the winter. And yet here he was, out in the Bronze Woods armed only with the clothes on his back and his newly acquired broadsword. If it weren't for dumb luck, he could have been shredded to pieces within moments of his arrival.
But Rion had yet to realize the danger that he was in when he first stepped foot in the forest. He was much to busy enjoying the natural beauty of the Cobalt Mountains to think that far ahead. It seemed that everything from the frozen trees to the snow covered bushes to even the snow that fell from the sky led Rion into fits of excitement. A wide grin sprung across his face when he was greeted by his first animal.
"Oh! A...horned thing!" was his immediate reaction. Though he'd been told at one point about deer in the past, Rion was so caught up in the moment that he'd completely forgotten the name of the creature standing before him. And he wouldn't have a chance to recall it either, for the deer bolted immediately with the shout. It startled Rion - who had never seen anything run so fast - as well. He only stared after it with bewilderment for a few moments, unsure exactly what had set the creature into such a panic.
But he eventually shrugged this thought away in favor of exploring the forest a bit more. Unfortunately, his advance was halted by the appearance of an unforeseen adversary. While Rion seemed overjoyed by the sight, the creature just stared blankly at him.
Last edited by Rion Whitestone on May 11th, 2014, 4:14 am, edited 3 times in total.
"Wherever the wind takes us!"
Common Speech Common Thoughts Common Whispering Vani Speech Vani Whispering Fratava Speech Fratava Whispering
Coyote. That was the name of his adversary - or at least that was what it was commonly known as in Mizahar. It was a common sight in the Bronze Woods, and one of the few animals that remained active even in the dead of winter. Though it was a small carnivore, it was no less of a threat than the many wolves one would find gathered around a hunt.
But of course, Rion was completely unaware of all these factors as he excitedly approached the wild canine. The beauty and charm of the coyote made him mistake it for one of the domesticated dogs he'd find running around Syliras. Likewise, he idiotically decided to outstretch his hand in an attempt to stroke the animal's snow covered brown coat. The coyote moved away at Rion's approach, though it kept its eyes glued on the farmer's large frame. They didn't reflect any malice, though, so Rion just stared at the coyote for a moment in confusion.
"Now what are you doing?" he asked curiously. "Some kind of greeting ritual?" Thinking this was the case, Rion began to mimic the coyote - moving from side to side while his eyes remained on the small creature before him. This strange dance between them didn't last long, however, as Rion picked up movement from the corner of his eye. His head swiveled immediately to face the newcomer, though this was more out of curiosity than fear.
"Is that a friend of yours?" Rion asked when a second coyote appeared. It was a canine somewhat smaller than the first with a coat of fur more grayish than brown. However, just like the first one, it only stared at Rion before beginning to pace back and forth in its "greeting dance". It was when a third coyote reared its head that an uneasy feeling began to creep down Rion's spine. His hand was on his broadsword by the time a fourth coyote appeared on the scene.
Last edited by Rion Whitestone on May 11th, 2014, 4:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Wherever the wind takes us!"
Common Speech Common Thoughts Common Whispering Vani Speech Vani Whispering Fratava Speech Fratava Whispering
Spotting the glint from his blade, the coyotes drew back their lips in snarls - obviously sensing the danger that Rion posed. With Aldreda out, Rion began to briefly assess the situation so as to know how dangerous the coyotes actually were. By now, they had him in full circle, though they only snarled up at him for a while. How long would it be before one of them actually decided to go in for a strike?
A cold shiver ran down Rion's spine as doubt began to slowly creep in. This was what he'd come to the Bronze Woods for - a chance to actually use his sword. So why was he so unsure? Unfortunately, Rion wouldn't have much time to reflect on it, as a coyote decided to finally take a snap at his left leg.
Stumbling in surprise, Rion ended up tripping over his cloak and falling into the icy cold snow. While he managed to catch himself on his side, before he fell, he ended up angering the coyotes by swinging his sword about wildly, inflicting a few minor bruises in the process.
Seeing RIon, down, a coyote immediately decided to go for his neck, and in a panic, the farmer used his bare hand to block the attack. As a result, he ended up receiving a painful bite, though it wasn't powerful enough to go in too deep.
"Ahh! Let go!" he shouted, turning his sword on the enemy. Though he was hesitant at first, he drove the sword through the coyote's body when he felt even more pressure being applied. The coyote finally let go then, with a shriek of pain preceding its death. However, it would soon be replaced by a coyote on both his legs, ripping through the fabric and sinking into his flesh. This time he swung his sword like a machete, hacking away fur and skin to get the coyotes away.
With two coyotes lying dead like the first, Rion was allowed to stand up again, as the remaining coyote backed away in fear. That was when they both heard the definitive howls of the cavalry.
Last edited by Rion Whitestone on May 11th, 2014, 4:01 am, edited 4 times in total.
"Wherever the wind takes us!"
Common Speech Common Thoughts Common Whispering Vani Speech Vani Whispering Fratava Speech Fratava Whispering
Strangely, panic didn't creep into Rion's heart at the face of these unfortunate odds. He knew if he made the wrong move it would be all over for him. And then fangs would be all over his body, closing around his neck and tearing out his throat. He was already feeling exhaustion from defeating three coyotes, a fact that might have been attributed to his steady blood loss. Though the coyotes were nice enough not to go in too deep, there was enough blood that it could have been considered bothersome.
But even with his clarity of all these factors, Rion wasn't exactly terrified for his life. Sure he could feel the rapid motion of his heart and his quickened breathing, but they weren't actually signs of fear. "It's strange..." the farmer reflected briefly. "I'm shaking...but I'm not scared. I actually feel..." He was afraid to say the last word, for fear of sounding like a psychopath. Besides, the self reflection could wait until after he survived.
With his left hand now useless, Rion used his right to raise his sword as best as he could in his current condition. His legs, while having received only minimal injury, still burned with the effort to remain standing. Running was out of the question now...not unless he wanted to try his luck against an injured coyote and his two powerful looking friends.
When the call had rang out before, the lone coyote had been greeted by an extra duo that rushed onto the scene to defend their friend. Or maybe they were just interested in putting an end to this meal that had taken out several of their own. It was impossible for Rion to tell based off of snarls alone.
"Nothing to do now but stand and fight," Rion thought as the three coyotes got into a triangular position. Then they struck as one unit. The coyote to Rion's left was the first one he saw, trying to take a snap at his injured hand. Acting instinctively, Rion swung his sword in a horizontal attack aimed to bat the dog away rather than actually kill it. But the coyote was much too quick on its feet to be caught by something so sluggish. Leaping out of the way of the attack, it left the rest of the work to the coyote on Rion's right.
While he had been distracted with the left coyote, the right one had come from behind, aiming to bite Rion's hand and hopefully get that death tool away from him. This coyote was the one that Rion had injured before, and after seeing the weapon in action, it knew that the first step to defeating the farmer was to disarm him. After that, he'd be just as defenseless as any human civilian. Or at least, that was its plan anyway.
Last edited by Rion Whitestone on May 11th, 2014, 4:02 am, edited 2 times in total.
"Wherever the wind takes us!"
Common Speech Common Thoughts Common Whispering Vani Speech Vani Whispering Fratava Speech Fratava Whispering
Thankfully, Rion managed to spot the beast in time to move his hand out the way, but before he could swing his sword for an attack, the coyote's jaws had already closed around his forearm. In his surprise, he ended up dropping the sword anyway, leaving him open to the coyote at the front of the triangle.
All this time, while his allies had been fulfilling their part of the plan, the front coyote had just been pacing back and forth, waiting for its turn to attack. When it finally came, it burst forward so fast Rion almost thought it disappeared. But a sharp bite to his left leg brought him screaming back to reality.
With his sword down, his left hand incapacitated, and his right arm becoming a coyote's chew toy, Rion could only think to kick the coyotes in order to get them away. It was at least better than just standing there and getting mauled.
Raising his foot with as much strength as he could muster, he punted the coyote off his leg and sent it spiraling into the snow. Unfortunately, its teeth ended up scraping and gashing his legs in the process. But Rion didn't actually feel this as much as he'd felt the initial bite. In fact, he didn't even really notice it at all.
With its friend tossed aside, the injured coyote loosened its grip then out of surprise. But it wouldn't let go completely until Rion brought up his leg again in weaker but still effective kick. It didn't send the coyote flying like the other kick, but it did manage to unhinge its teeth.
With both coyote's off him and stumbling about in confusion, Rion wasted no time in diving for his sword. Bringing it up by the point, he impaled the unharmed coyote when in tried to get at him while he was on the ground. For its efforts, it got a blade in its stomach and a quickened death.
Rolling the beast off Aldreda, a sudden urge overcame Rion. The strange emotions he'd been feeling before were overpowering all other emotions, rising outside his body and emanating like an unnatural aura. Raising Aldreda into the air, he let it all out in an enormous cry of intimidation, letting his voice spread through the forest for all the creatures to hear. When he'd finished, he addressed the coyotes in a tone reminiscent of anger - although there was no malice in his words.
"C'mon then! I'll take you down just like the rest! Get over here so I can finish this!"
Last edited by Rion Whitestone on May 11th, 2014, 4:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
"Wherever the wind takes us!"
Common Speech Common Thoughts Common Whispering Vani Speech Vani Whispering Fratava Speech Fratava Whispering
Instead of a final confrontation like Rion had hoped, the coyotes responded by slowly backing away. Maybe it was the realization that they were the last two coyotes or maybe they finally saw this was an impossible battle. But whatever the reason they decided it was better to lay their ears flat and run away in defeat.
Watching the coyotes make their retreat, Rion finally was able to pinpoint that strange feeling that had overcome him. It was an emotion the knights of Syliras felt often. He heard the actual name from his squire friend, Pense. It was called, adrenaline. Specifically, it was an adrenaline rush. When he'd felt the need to shout a fierce battle cry, that was the adrenaline coursing through his veins after making multiple kills.
The adrenaline was what kept him from feeling his injuries. But now that the danger had passed, all the pain suddenly came flooding back, with his legs immediately giving out on him. Falling into the snow below, Rion began to let out short breaths of exhaustion. Just about every limb he had ached for one reason or another. And thanks to the coyotes, both his left leg and left hand were incapacitated. But at least he managed to survive this fight.
A smile began to form at that realization, which would grow into a wide grin. "I...did it." Remembering his broadsword, he added "me...and you." Though the sword probably didn't understand him, if it was alive it would have probably still appreciated the sentiment.
After a few moments of resting in the snow, Rion decided it was time to move, lest he run into even more trouble. Using Aldreda as leverage, he managed to get up, with a bit of effort, but walking was still very much a hassle. He had to drag his left leg through the snow while he used Aldreda as a cane to get around.
"Looks like it'll be a long way to Syliras," Rion thought. Before he actually left, he thought it appropriate to cover his wounds to prevent even more bloodshed. Leaning against a tree, he struggled to pull off a piece of cloth from his already tattered pants. He used this to cover his left hand. After he'd done this, he took off his cloak to use as a cast for his left leg. As for the other minor wounds, he left those alone for the moment. They'd probably survive until he got back.
And with that, he made the long journey back home.
"Wherever the wind takes us!"
Common Speech Common Thoughts Common Whispering Vani Speech Vani Whispering Fratava Speech Fratava Whispering
Woah! What an intense thread, Rion! Enjoy your grades!
Just a note, Rion is a novice in using the broadsword so... you should play on his difficulties more, killing two coyotes with wild flailing seemed rather stretched in my opinion.
Do keep this in mind for future threads.
My radiance is not bright enough?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, beam me a PM and we can work it out.
by Rion Whitestone on March 16th, 2014, 8:02 pm 
