Closed [The Training Grounds] A New Sparring Partner [Aventis]

[Asen]

Asen managed to stagger upright, still holding her jaw. The Eypharian was apologizing for breaking it. He was tying the sleeves of his cloak around her face. The half-Dhani batted him away, pulling the cloak off. Anger flared up within her as she swung to look at him.

"Petch off." It was the best she could do without passing out from the pain. It was hot, then cold, then both at the same time. She took a dizzy step and almost collapsed; walking only made it hurt more. It jarred the broken bone -- possibly bones, if it was more than one break -- and she could feel the edges sliding against each other.

The girl was forced to lean against a freezing post, sucking in a breath. She wanted to grit her teeth, mull through it like she'd done with other injuries, but gritting her teeth only brought more pain. She just closed her eyes instead.

Asen opened her eyes and took another shaky step, then knelt to pick up her coat from the cold ground. She slid both arms through it as she stood, releasing the hold on her jaw for barely three ticks. Still, the movement shuddered through her, bringing tears to her eyes.

The squire sat down abruptly, crying out. She wasn't able to walk anywhere. She wasn't able to talk or move without hurting herself further. She didn't want to trust this four-armed freak -- but then she wasn't much less of a freak herself, considering how most people found Dhani disgusting (from her experience).

The half-Dhani put one hand over her eyes, breathing heavily and struggling to not break down sobbing. Gods, it hurt so much. Blood coated parts of her lips and the inside of her mouth. Had he knocked something loose? She tried to probe her teeth with her tongue, but found them too sensitive and simply swallowed the red liquid.

A strange feeling swept through her, one she'd not felt in a long time; it was failure. She'd lost this fight, and that hurt more than the jaw. What would her da say? More importantly, what would her mother say? Would they tell her to suck it up? Probably. Still, it only made everything worse.

Asen peered up at the Eypharian through her tears, her bottom lip quivering. "Help," she whispered.

She needed it, badly.

[Aventis]

”Oh gods… I’ll help you. I promise.” the squire responded quickly.

The girl had denied the Eypharian’s attempts to assist her, and had stubbornly pushed away his advancements, which hadn’t paid off the way she most likely expected it would. As of present, the girl was experiencing a sort of pain that the squire could only imagine. Currently, she was on the ground, which seemed to be the only thing other than Aventis willing to embrace her. Quickly, Aventis sheathed his rapier, picked up his cloak, and rushed towards the poor girl lying on the ground. “Please… Please hold still this time. It would be so much easier if you let me do this…”

He, taking an immediate position behind her, figuring it would put him out of the way of any potential thrashing or fits that the girl may perform, gripped her shoulders roughly with his lower arms, doing his best to stabilize her head. With his higher arms, he held his cloak by its shoulders, doing his best to shake out any dirt or gravel it may have amassed while on the ground and fling it to his left.

“Just… Please… Hold still. I’m going to pick you up and I need you to wrap your arms around my neck immediately. Please. I can’t help if you don’t, okay?” He informed her, doing his best to be gentle, as he once again wrapped the cloak’s sleeves around her jaw, tying a tight yet simple knot near the apex of her skull, as to prevent the jaw from dislocating further. As soon as it was secure, the Eypharian held his lower arms behind his back and kneeled at her right side. Quickly, as if time itself were a burning wick. As quick as he was before, yet with a sloppy and somewhat hasty fashion, he slid his upper right hand under her waist, his upper left under her knees.

“Your arms. Quickly.”

Aventis

[Asen]

Asen grudgingly allowed the Eypharian jerk to tie his cloak around her head. She took her hand away from her jaw to allow better access, and the jolt of the tied knot made her see more stars. She swayed, dizzy once again, and bile rose in her throat.

The half-Dhani put one hand on the ground behind her, propping herself up. She screwed her face up and spat blood. A wail caught in her throat and came out as a pitiful whimper. The world was spinning and the only constants -- aside from the pain and freezing air, that is -- were the ground and the other squire's hands gripping her shoulders, although the latter came away as soon as the cloak was secured.

I look like a petchin' idiot, with this damned cloak screwin' up my hair. I hope he feels guilty as petch for breaking my jaw and messing up my pretty face. Bucket of shyke. Her head bobbled on the flimsy stem of her neck as she turned to look up at the Eypharian. She attempted to speak her mind, but her words were meaningless babble.

Through the haze of pain she heard him, and felt his arms slide under her as if to lift her from the cold ground. Asen put one long limb around the mountain man's neck, her opposite hand fumbling drunkenly for her wrist. Her fingers locked around the sought-out body part, and the mixed blood pulled herself weakly towards the new heat source.

The girl looked around for a tick or two. She turned her gaze up to the strange man carrying her. Wait, who is this guy?

Her muscles trembled. Asen shook her head groggily and blinked several times, trying to clear the black spots in her vision. "Nope," she whispered. Her arms gave out and her head fell back. She couldn't handle the pain, and her mind collapsed into unconsciousness.

[Aventis]

She stopped moving, then. Not dead, no. That much was obvious. She couldn’t possibly be dead. The girl’s body went limp, her head and arms limp. He had to act fast, he feared that if he did not then there would be severe consequences that he may never right. He lifted, dragging the girl’s somewhat feather-like body from the ground, not struggling much with the initial lift. Aventis, trying to keep a cool head, did his best secure her to him by wrapping his other pair of arms around her as well, his left to hold her feet and his right to hold up her head.

Alright… Okay… Fix this. he told himself, bending his legs and hugging the girl’s limp body close to his body. He quickly mapped out a street plan in his head, and picked the fastest route to the baths.

He encouraged his legs to move faster than he could possibly prompt them to, sprinting through the exit, out the door, into the streets and keeping the girl’s body tight to his chest the whole way, not quite keen to losing her. The streets had become a blur of grey and tannish blobs Aventis knew as people. He was vaguely aware of his own yelling, shouting a siren-like warning to the civilians to get the petch out of the way, which seemed efficient in application. Aventis could tell he was now nearing the baths, maybe half a chime to go. He hoped to every god he knew that he would be able to reconcile his mistakes.

Please.

Aventis

[Asen]

When she awoke, she wasn't exactly sure what had happened -- but it was bright, and the light hurt, so she closed her eyes again. The blinding pain in her jaw was present, but fading quickly. She did have a headache, though. That was going too. Asen focused on recalling the events that resulted in her waking up inside a building surrounded by warmth instead of sparring outside in the blistering cold.

Sparring. She remembered the training grounds, the weird bits of architecture that littered the area. She remembered her nose nearly getting chopped off, and being asked to spar. Her coat had been thrown aside, yes, and she had gotten clubbed in the head by her sparring partner.

But who was he? The half-Dhani was still groggy, and her limbs felt like lead. She waded through her muddy thoughts, frustrated. Who had she sparred with? Her eyes screwed even more shut. She struggled to bring his face forwards in her mind.

Oh yeah! The Eypharian guy. Petchin' prick. Broke m' jaw. I'll have to pay him back for that at some point. He was a gigantic arsehole. Now, who brought me here? 'Cause it couldn't have been him, unless he somehow has a conscience. Seemed pretty cold-blooded and ruthless to me, damned prick.

Asen took a deep breath and opened her eyes to a squint, allowing them to focus. As she returned to reality from her thoughts, the sounds around her registered. It was soothing, almost, to hear the conversations of people relaxing around her. There was someone hovering over her, their hands on her face.

The mixed blood closed her eyes once more, breathing in again. Her nose wrinkled. What the petch is that smell? It was like someone had just finished exercising and decided to take a bath in pines. She sat up, turning to look at the source.

"Oh. It's you." Her words oozed disgust.

"Prick. You broke my jaw." In fact, her jaw was still somewhat sore, but it was overwhelmed by her desire to beat the Eypharian to a pulp.

[Aventis]

The second she was in the hands of someone capable enough to handle her, the Eypharian’s worries lessened. Not completely, gods not completely, but it was certainly easier on his shoulders. He realized now how hard it was to make mistakes. How it could not be made up for easily. Whatever punishment he got, Aventis deserved it. He knew he deserved it. He wanted to get it. The shame that hung his head heavy on his shoulders was nearly palpable, a weight on a string attached to his forehead.

As soon as the pale girl was dropped in safe hands, Aventis turned around and sat in the corner of the room, not daring to move. He had to know if she was alright. He had to know if she would be okay.

He had to know if he could possibly, possibly make it up to her. He had to know if he already has, if he were so lucky, which, in his head, was unlikely. In his head he could never truly make amends with her, having always injured her, having always hurt her.

Aventis rested his face in his hands, unsure of what to do with himself.

“Oh. It’s you.”

She’s awake.

Aventis’ head bolted up, jubilant to see her awake, and more or less healed up.

“Yeah… It’s me.”

Aventis

[Asen]

For a moment Asen stared at the Eypharian before her, pouting slightly. She hunched her shoulders and crossed her arms, then narrowed her eyes. "Ya broke m' jaw. I should break yours. An eye for an eye, right? That's the phrase, innit?"

She paused, and just as she was about to throw a few insults around a wave of nausea swept over her. The half-Dhani bent over on the pallet she'd been deposited on and retched. Bits of dried blood and water came up along with her most recent meal, splattering on the ground.

Asen sat up, ready to stand, but the world spun around her. She put her head between her knees, moaning pitifully. "Oohh Lady Siku. Oohh gods. You petchin' did this, ya know. Petchin' Eypharians. It's unfair, y'know? An extra set o' arms."

She clutched her knees as another wave of nausea rose, bringing with it more vomit. With one hand she wiped her mouth, the other going to her forehead. "I never got yer name, either. At least, if I did, I don't remember it. I can't just call you 'mountain man' the entire time, can I? Or 'smelly prick' either," she said. The Eypharian probably couldn't understand her, though.

For a girl who just threw up twice, the mixed blood was unusually talkative. Finally she lifted her head, blonde curls limp. She had bags under her eyes as well, and her narrow face looked even thinner.

Asen took a deep breath and finally sat up, arching her back slightly. She was ready for a third wave of nausea, but it didn't come. She slowly let out the held breath in a sigh. Her long fingers ran through her hair, trying to give the curls a bit of volume and vitality.

She realized the Eypharian probably didn't hear her talking before. "So what's yer name?" she inquired more politely, seeing as how meaningless chatter would get her nowhere.

[Aventis]

The girl seemed indifferent to the pain, which was a good sign. It was either the healing had failed - if that was possible - and the poor girl was learning to cope, or the healing had worked and she had regained whatever motor skills had been lost. Either way… She was better. This, however, ushered in no satisfaction, and none would be gained until he knew for absolute certain that the girl was alright, not even. Satisfaction would be gained when forgiveness was.

She seemed… She seemed well. “Ya broke m' jaw. I should break yours. An eye for an eye, right? That's the phrase, innit?” She said, completely serious.

Aventis took a moment to respond, weighing his options. Naturally, Aventis didn’t much want to have his jaw broken, but there was no denying that he absolutely deserved it. So… There wasn’t much choice.

“.. I’ve, uh… Never heard that, but… That sounds fair. If you would like.”

Then she promptly fell on the ground, and puked.

“Oohh Lady Siku. Oohh gods. You petchin' did this, ya know. Petchin' Eypharians. It's unfair, y'know? An extra set o' arms.”

Ignoring the, ah… Activity… The young lady was engaged in, the squire did his best to respond in a calm manner. “I, uh… I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter…”

It took a tick or two for the girl to stop throwing up and regain her motor skills, which was understandable. The grumbled for a moment - without spending the energy to pick herself up off the ground - aimlessly. The poor thing. Aventis felt nothing but pity for her.

“So what’s yer name?” She asked, taking the Eypharian by surprise.

“Uh… It’s… It’s Aventis.” He responded, failing to summon the strength to smile.

He only could hope forgiveness was an option.

Aventis

[Asen]

Asen wiped her mouth again. Aventis. It didn't sound much like an Eypharian name, but she hardly remembered what the race was called, let alone knowing what their naming patterns were.

"Aventis." The halfblood rolled the word around in her mouth, repeating it a few times under her breath. She liked the way her back teeth clicked together on the 's' sound. It was like her full name, with the sibilant sounds it contained.

She hauled herself over to the four-armed man, sticking out a hand. She couldn't hold much of a grudge, anyways. It was clear that when he punched her, he was in the haze of combat. "Name's Sessaschenaasen. If that's too much of a mouthful for ya, you can call me Asen."

Even if he refused to take her hand, the half-Dhani attempted to pull Aventis to his feet. "So, d'you always break people's jaws first time ya meet 'em, or d'you tend to talk to 'em first? 'Cause I'm feelin' the first bit. You hurt a lot, mountain man. I hope ya know that. Pull yer punches next time. Coulda killed me," she said with a chuckle.

Asen reached up to pat the Eypharian's shoulder consolingly. "Ah, well. It's definitely a conversation starter. Where'd ya learn to hit like that? Here? 'Cause as far as I see, there aren't many o' yer kind around."

The girl stepped back and crossed her arms to look at the man. He was certainly tall. Fairly muscular, and young. In fact, he was almost kind of cute. Child-cute, though. He had a young face. His nose was crooked, too, and a scar ran down his jaw. That lent him a bit of roughness that aged him slightly. It was somewhat difficult to tell how old he was, especially when Asen didn't know the lifespan and aging patterns of Eypharians.

The half-Dhani made an amused sound. One corner of her mouth tilted upwards, and a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.

[Aventis]

“Aventis…” The girl repeated, rolling the sounds around in her mouth, as if it were the name of an old and familiar friend.

“Um, yeah. That’s… That’s my name.” The man replied, just in case the young lady had not picked up the name completely and that was her reasoning for repeating the sounds that had lingered in her mouth.

It didn’t take long for the girl to continue speaking afterwards. It seems as though she really missed using her jaw in the short interval of time she couldn’t because she took every opportunity to exercise it now.

“Name's Sessaschenaasen.” She said.

Aventis was dumbfounded at the fact she could simply remember half of the syllables required to vocalize that monster of a title. He made no effort to hide his expression of alarm at mention of the name.

“If that's too much of a mouthful for ya, you can call me Asen.”

“Yeah that’s probably the better option.”

Asen, huh? Must’ve been a tough name to have as a kid.

Aventis, in the half a tick it took for Asen to take a breath and begin speaking again, pondered the name. He had never quite met anyone with such a mouthful. It seemed traditional. But, then again, he had never really met a lot of people. He really wasn’t in a position to judge another’s name, anyway…

“So, d'you always break people's jaws first time ya meet 'em, or d'you tend to talk to 'em first? 'Cause I'm feelin' the first bit. You hurt a lot, mountain man. I hope ya know that. Pull yer punches next time. Coulda killed me.” She continued.

“I, um… No… I don’t…” Aventis responded quietly, his expression softening a bit. The guilt had lingered heavily, dragging the man’s mood down quicker than a two ton barbel. What he had done… Was disgusting. The poor girl. But he couldn’t seem to bring himself to apologize again. He had done all he could do. It was a matter of Asen deciding to forgive her.

“Ah, well. It's definitely a conversation starter. Where'd ya learn to hit like that? Here? 'Cause as far as I see, there aren't many o' yer kind around.” She continued, most likely unaware of Aventis’ condition.

“I… It seemed natural…” Aventis replied quietly. “Asen, I um… I think we should go. You probably need to rest.”

It was a desperate attempt, yes, but there was merit to it. The girl probably did need to rest. It didn’t matter much what Aventis felt. But he couldn’t linger. He couldn’t carry the weight of his mistake much longer.

The man stood and retrieved his cloak from the ground, quickly wrapping it around himself and hiding his lower arms with swiftness and accuracy that could only be gained from doing it a thousand times before.

And it seemed like he’d do it a thousand times more.

Aventis