Completed Fight and Flight

[Shadyn]

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5th of Autumn, 515 AV


Shadyn lounged at the edge of the empty market sipping a mug of warm wild berry cordial. He leisurely nodded a greeting to another young Endal who was approaching him. Swallowing another gulp, he gestured to the sealed wooded vessel beside him.
"I brought some for you, too, Mircor. Figured it would help us warm up a bit before the sparring match."

Mircor was slightly smaller than Shadyn, but equally fit. Some of his long bright red hair spilled out of his hood. "Thanks. Talon swords?"

"Yep. My tomahawk wasn't designed for sparring. It's handsome, and it's lethal. That's it. Besides, swords are a hell of a lot easier to fix."

After they shared a few moments of silence, their breath frosting in front of their face, Shadyn stood and stretched, with Mircor following his lead. They faced each other for a moment before preparing to draw their swords. Neither one would bother to draw both, since they did not have nearly the skill to do that.

"Shadyn, why do you wear your swords upside down on your back? Everyone else wear's them with hilts up near the shoulders...how can it be useful to draw from your hip?"

"Less motion, and I can start out with an underhanded uppercut, which is hard to block. Xarrt suggested it."

"Lucky bastard, having the best Eagle in all of Wind Reach. Some of us have to use our own heads, you know...now come on and see if your fight is where your mouth is."

With that, they met. Shadyn's hand settled on his left hilt and drew forth the blade in a single sweeping upwards motion before Mircor had even gotten his blade past his head. He lept backwards. "Woah...okay...I got it...wear them hilt down...geez Shadyn..."

Sword at the ready this time, Mircor lunged back towards Shadyn, and they parried for a few moments. Mircor was able to gain an advantage when he managed to pin Shadyn's blade to the ground. "Gotcha, bud."

To his astonishment, Shadyn suddenly dropped his sword and drew his other one, bringing the blade up in a single flash and smacking Mircor soundly on the side of his head with the broad side of the blade. "I believe it's the other way around, Mir. Always keep in mind your opponent's full capabilities. In this case, it was the fact that I had another weapon I could draw."

Holding the side of his head, Mircor grimaced. "Sure...great advice. Now how do I get rid of the ringing in my ear?"

"Rematch?"

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[Shadyn]

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Time passed quickly for the young Endals. After two hours of combat, Shadyn had won seven fights, and Mircor five. Both were exhausted, however, and stripped down to their brydas, bare chests heaving. Shadyn slapped his companion on the back. "Good fight. I think you have better sword skills overall. The only reason I can beat you is because you are too predictable. You need to do the unexpected if you want win in the long run, though."

"Yeah, I know. I need to plan things out, though. I don't get how you do all this on the fly. Sure, you're sloppy, but you win, and in the end that is all that counts." He took a deep breath. "Anyhow, Shadyn, is it just me or does something stink?"

"Something does stink, but it is just you. Well, I am probably contributing too, but I think that you are the main culprit here."

Mircor lifted his arm and sniffed...then gagged. "Uukk! Phew, that is terrible. How the hell are you not smelling to the skies like everyone else around here? You learn some kind of anti-odor magic from one of those traders you're always hanging around?"

Shadyn waggled a finger at him. "It's called flying down to one of the mountain streams a short way outside the gates. You come out half frozen, but at least you can breath when you are in your own home."

Mircor threw his hands in the air. "Well, isn't that grand. If we try to bathe here, we are boiled to death. If we try to bathe elsewhere, we are frozen to death. You'd think someone would find a decent middle ground."

"Well then, why don't you do it? Go ahead go take a look around. Maybe some body of water isn't as hot as ours, but still warm enough to be comfortable. It's not like you have a household to feed yet."

A sly grin crept across Mircor's face. "I'm afraid your wrong there. I just got engaged."

Shadyn's eyes widened. "No way! Okay, let me guess...Lilta, right? I mean, with your looks and status, you had your pick of the girls."

"You hit the nail on the head. She's going to be transferred to our flight tomorrow."

Shadyn raised his eyebrows. "Ahhh. I shall apply my infamous wheedling to her. Fair game, and all that. You had better get married quickly if you want her all to yourself. Before that, though...you need to clean up, and clean her up too, while you're at it. I would hate to know what your wedding night would smell like otherwise."

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[Shadyn]

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"You stink, Shadyn"

"Yes, Arrmal, I know...I'm going to go take a bath later...I just have to get up the nerve to plunge into that creek. Anyhow, I came to see you about some stones that I found the other day."

Arrmal looked up from the emerald he was inspecting and removed his magnifying glasses. Though elderly by Inarta standards, Arrmal had managed to retain some of the vigor of his younger days, and cut a rather handsome figure even at his age. His dark red hair was greying, but still thick and cascading down his shoulders in long waves. A matching beard was neatly trimmed to a half inch that covered his entire lower face and cheeks. His voice was clear and strong as his rich brown eyes. "I thought I taught you all the stones that were to be found in Mizahar. Well, hand it over and let's see if I can help you remember."

Shadyn reached into the leather game bag and produced three of the pebbles. He set them on the table, their surface still shimmering with its astral glow. Arrmal's eyes grew wide. "Wha....where did you get these?! I have never heard of anything like them short of magecraft!"

"Well...I'd prefer to keep the location secret for now, but it is enough to say that they came from a magical spot in The Unforgiving. I dubbed them Lunatite. They glow much brighter the further into night it gets...almost like a silver flame, at the middle of the night."

Arrmal gingerly picked the largest up and began examining it under his magnifying glass. "This is marvelous! I have to work with some of these. I presume that you have more in the bag?"

Shadyn shifted uncomfortably. "Yes...plenty. But what I was hope was that in exchange for...say...ten, twenty pebbles, you could give me a couple hundred pinions, or equivalent value in jewelry."

Arrmal nearly dropped the Lunatite. "A COUPLE HUNDRED?! What exactly do you need that for? You're an Endal, for goodness sake! You have you're needs met for you?"

"I am planning to...well, nevermind WHAT I'm planning, Arrmal...that fact is that I need to buy a bow and some arrows. I mean, how can I call myself an Endal without those?"

Arrmal relaxed from his former outburst slightly. "Well, true...I suppose you're right...and I suppose that working with something like this...this Lunatite would be a valuable opportunity, one that would likely pay for itself..."

"Pleeeeeeeeaaaasssssseeeeee?" Shadyn's countenance was handsome, rugged, noble, and manly...but at that moment, he had somehow managed to transform his expression into one that could only be described as boyish and cute. It was a well calculated measure, designed to win over his indecisive surrogate father...and, like always, it worked.

"Alright, Shadyn. I don't have that much money on hand, but I do have a small emerald ring that would sell for just over two hundred pinions. Here..." he reached into one of the silk lined glass cases that surrounded his work station, "you can keep the change. You have more than earned this, anyhow, over the years. Just make sure you get the best price in town. I know a certain bowmaker and fletcher by the name of Triyi who is getting married."

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[Shadyn]

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The narrow pathways of the interior corridors of Wind Reach were filled with familiar sights and smells. Some may have found it comforting, and indeed, Shadyn was among them...to an extend. Lately, however, he had found the eternal familiarity of everything in his home city to be more oppressive and dull than actually comforting.

Triyi's home was unmistakeable...the small front courtyard was practically carpeted with wood shavings and feather trimmings. The smell of well worked north Kalean conifers perfumed the air with its heady aroma. It was late, which was likely why the craftsman was not at work. Still...most people were still active, so Shadyn hoped that he would not be bothering the man. He hated having to pull caste rank, but if it was necessary or expedient, he would do it nonetheless. He rapped on the door, and a gruff voice answered from within.

"Who is it at this time of day?"

"Shadyn (Xarrt), Arrmal's former ward." He added his Eagle-surname as a subtle way of indicating his rank without appearing rude.

"Oh..." the latch on the door lifted, revealing a stocky, somewhat unkempt man in his mid thirties. "Come in, come in. What brings you here?"

Shadyn stepped inside and allowed Triyi to close the door behind them. He settled down in one of the chairs beside the terracotta stove. He smiled as he noticed that a half-carved cradle sat in one corner, along with a set of wood chisels. "I have a trade to make. I would like your very best composite longbow, with backlatch for riding, of course, as well as a back quiver, a large three compartment Eagle saddle quiver, sixty flight arrows, twenty barbed arrows, and twenty armor piercing arrows."

Seating himself thoughtfully across from Shadyn, Triyi leaned back on the chair's back legs and crossed his ankles. "Hmm...seeing that Arrmal sent you here, I will give you a fair price, but even then that will run you...oh...I'd say two hundred and ten pinions for the lot. You said, though, you had a trade in mind...do you have the item with you?"

"Of course." Shadyn handed him the ring. "Arrmal said that this ring was worth somewhere in that price range. Besides, judging from what he told me and your little project in the corner there, I suspect you might be needing it."

Triyi smiled so broadly that Shadyn thought his face would split. "This is perrrffffeccttt! Yes, this will do for what you said. Personally, I think Arrmal is being generous, but then again, when has that man not been kind hearted, eh?" He rose from his chair. "Give me a moment...I will put this in a safe place, and fetch your wares. There is a jug of tea beside the stove, if you want any."
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Xarrt was waiting for him at the edge of the Aeries like he had requested. Shadyn carefully strapped on his travel saddle to Xarrt, already loaded with all of the supplies he could possibly need. The new quiver that hung on the right side was actually a set of three smaller quivers bonded together. The first and largest one held all of his flight arrows, the second held ten armor piercing arrows, and the third held ten barbed arrows. On each of these the nock was made in a slightly different shape so that he could tell which one he had drawn even in the dark. He wore his full set of clothes, with the Talon swords under the katinu, and his bow and quiver -- containing ten of both the armor piercing and barbed arrows -- on the outside. The bag of Lunatite was also strapped into one of the rear saddle bags...for what reason, he did not know.

He mounted the great Eagle, and remained solemn as the soared away from Mt. Skyinarta. They would ride through the night, and sleep during much of the day. It would be safer that way, Shadyn had decided, and the star were more useful guides than the Sun. He had checked some maps, and set their course for a place in The Unforgiving near Alvadas, since that was the furthest place in Kalea from Wind Reach. Where they would go from there...he did not know.

The moonlight had a calming effect on him, and he began to wonder if Leth was working for him. Gods were never much of a concern of his, but they had never concerned themselves with him, either. Perhaps...perhaps turning a new leaf in his life meant more than just an adventure. The life philosophy he had long believed in was beckoning him to listen to his own advice, to leave behind the tension and controlled chaos and desire to abandon all that had caused him grief. "Leth, I do not know if you will hear me...but if you are taking the time to take care of me...thank you. Take me where I need to go..."

He whispered an answer to himself -- "Into the unknown..."

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[Brandon Blackwing]

SHADYN

XP:

• Socialization +3
• Weapon: Talon sword +1
• Rhetoric +2
• Negotiation +2
• Acting +1
• Observation +3
• Riding: Wind Eagle +1
• Tactics +1

Lore:

• Strapping your swords upside-down on your back for a faster draw
• Tactics: Dropping your weapon and drawing another to surprise your foe
• Acting: Cute boyish expression

Notes:
I saw you were hoping for “serious talon sword xp”, but with a four post thread, where there was only one post with actual usage of the weapon, that's asking for the impossible. Sorry. Same for navigation; I couldn't really find any navigating in your posts. There was reminiscence of checking maps and the like, yes, but since that happened “off-screen” so to speak, I cannot and will not award xp for that. The same goes for the post-spar bit in your second post.

That is not to say it was a bad thread though I really enjoyed the dialogue, which I thought was absolutely great. So yeah, keep it up

Please remove or edit your post in the request thread.
Also please track your newly awarded xp and lores in your CS so both staff and graders alike can keep on grading your threads
If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding your grade, please do not hesitate to send me a PM.

credit goes to Adelaide Sitai