Old Faces and a New Life (Aer'wyn)

by **Kynier** on August 13th, 2018, 7:54 pm

42nd of Summer 518 A.V. 14th Bell

In the span of a day things had changed and drastically. In the morning Kynier had woken up alone, surrounded by shadows, in a place suitable for his sparse existence. At some point it was like he had taken control of someone else’s life and found it to his liking. He did not sleep alone and in a place of greater value and comforts than he expected to ever achieve. But there were still traces of his old lifestyle that needed tending to. So Kynier had risen with Syna and set out across the city to the Seaside Markets.

There he spoke to several vendors to arrange the selling and delivery of his remaining furniture. The Midnight Gem was large and offered more space than he needed for his possessions. It still had several pieces of furniture that were not yet being utilized, so he had no need for his lower quality remnants of a life he was leaving behind. After several bells of haggling Kynier had managed to sell all his furniture for a decent price. Afterwards he went to No Man’s Land tavern to make use of the Job Board. While he did not have a job to offer he tacked on an advertisement to sell his old home. It was something he had been arguing over in the back of his mind all morning. Whether he should keep the building as a second location for magical practice, or even arrange to rent it out.

Ultimately Kynier decided it was best to sell it. It was in the middle of a residential area and had proven to not be under the notice of thieves. Practicing magic there would be just as dangerous, perhaps even more so, than practicing at the Midnight Gem. As for renting, that would require having someone that could consistently afford it take an interest. Kynier had estimated the value of the place and compared it to a longer term plan of renting it out. Over the years he would’ve earned more from a renter, but he didn’t want to have the distraction right now and settled on the immediate payout.

The advertisement called for someone that had interest to come to leave a message at the Midnight Gem to arrange a viewing. If they simply wanted to purchase the property without seeing it, they were to come with the payment in exchange for the key. Once it was hanging on the board Kynier stayed for something to eat. Hammer’s cooking was savory, and Kynier would miss the frequency of these visits. Once he ate and paid for his meal, he made his way back to the Midnight Gem. Back home.

Passing the fourteenth bell, Kynier stepped through the main entrance. The night lion, Ebon, was currently helping a customer. Kynier silently walked by and gave the young male a wave before entering the basement. Yesterday he had felt the presence of several shadows and wanted to get a chance to actually speak to them. The basement itself also served as a training room with multiple tools to help hone one’s martial abilities. Kynier descended the stairs into the cooler air. His plans were quickly changed by the sounds of someone being downstairs and using the room. The mage’s curiosity compelled him to find out who else had access to the training room.

At the bottom of the stairs he stopped to see an Akalak training. The male was tall and well-muscled like many of his race. But as Kynier watched he noted familiar features to the blue creature. There were very few Akalaks to be seen in Sunberth, so it was difficult to not recognize the creature. Kynier stood on the last step until he finally came to the Akalak’s attention. When the blue male made notice of him Kynier would speak with a pleasant enough tone lined with surprise. “Hello Vel, I didn’t expect to see you here of all places.”

Ledger Changes :

Boxcode credit goes to Nellie!

by **Aer'wyn Grisghul** on August 13th, 2018, 7:59 pm

The tranquility of a pleasantly warm morning seemed to put Aer’wyn in a good mood. There was just something so very serene in waking up with no worry that today may be the first day he’d spend as a corpse. A heart in his chest still beating. Nothing but friends surrounded him. A little corner of heaven on the bank of hell.

Morning brought a few hours of solitude, precious enough for the Akalak to do what Akalak do best. Beat something with a stick. With Ebon downstairs, faffing about the shop, Kelski out and Ran, likely still asleep… or, sleep again? Cats took too many naps for a simple man like him to count.

Settling on the floor where, Aer’wyn so often found grounding, he focused on his breath and cleared his mind. It came at quite some effort, for meditation wasn’t his forte, but certainly Vel being quiet did help him clear his mind. As he did so he tapped into the vast reserves of died in his body. Focusing deeply on his he began to shift the energy with his mind, Softly and slowly at first, to lengthen the absence of where his arm once was. Much like he had done so many times before, the Akalak pooled died from his shoulders and left peck, drawing it down and out, forming each digit which would soon enough become fingers. Beneath blue flesh, bones formed, joints locked into place and familiar tendons held them there. Veins filled the gaps in bulk muscle by his will.

Once the major features of the arm were finished, Aer’wyn focused on the little details. The knuckles, the fingernails, right down to the smallest lines in the finger prints. So often he did this that the circular patterns bore a brand on his mind. Some time passed, certainly, but eventually he could flex his fingers, tighten his muscle and see skin fold so very naturally. Indistinguishable the left hand was from his right, only mirrored. Satisfied that that part of the morning was done, the Akalak made his way downstairs to the basement. Sure he no longer felt the need to hide his many scars from the Kelvics, but the day was easier without handicaps to get in the way.

Before descending the final flight of stairs to the basement, Aer’wyn nipped around the corner to the shop front, and say a sweet hello to Ebon. So very fond of the night lion he was.

Once in the basement he wasted little time to get set up. Dressed in little more than a pair of pants and boots - living with Kelvics had it’s perks - With a great bastard sword in hand, Aer’wyn assumed a one handed defensive stance. A training dummy ahead of him. The usual smile slowly melted from his handsome face, replaced by the severity of utmost focus. Perhaps in combat only the two soul brothers were indistinguishable. A soldier first, everything else took a back seat.

Aer’wyn passed the sword between hands, throwing it from one to another. A strong grip on the handle each time. As it returned to the right hand, the blade spun between his fingers before he used the momentum to bring it up diagonally and subsequently down onto his straw enemy. A blow that would hill anyone who wouldn’t duck. He followed the direction of the blade, playing into it’s weight rather than working against it as he began a series of slicing attacks as a warm up.

Such were the Akalak. Violence was leisure to them. Discipline was freedom.

And it was this deep deep focus that caused Aer’wyn to not quite hear the steps of the second man who had found him in the basement, blocked out by the sound of the intensity of his own training. He spun around on his heel, almost instinctively pointing the blade of his sword in his direction before realising in the very last moment that such caution was unnecessary. He was safe in the Gem. He was free from the worries of ambush by all apart from the one who lived inside him.

Huge, doe like eyes met those shadow framed of the man who stood barely a couple steps ahead of him. A familiar face. “Hello Vel” he said.

Everything Aer’wyn saw, Vel could see too. Everything he knew, was no mystery to Vel either. At the sight of an unlikely acquaintance, Vel’s presence bored down on Aer’wyn like a thunderstorm. Barely could he hold it back.

“Hello.” Said Aer’wyn, as if such things as words were lost to him. What was the man’s name? It lingered at the tip of his tongue. “Kynier. Of all places, indeed. I believe an explanation might be in order.” There was something different about him. Something quite unbefitting the man Kynier would have met almost a third of a season ago. It was as if there was a sweetness about the Akalak, an innocence, a warmth void of the man of precisely the same features. One could certainly blame it on the warm day of summer and a mighty good mood. Or one could grow suspicions like mushrooms in their gut.

To say he’d gotten himself in a sticky situation was un understatement. Vel had gotten him into a sticky situation. One Are didn’t quite know how to get out of. But for now he made no comment on the name. Perhaps, awkwardly so, he may have to bite down on his pride and pretend to be the man he detested the most in this world. It wasn’t the first time he’d have done so. But it was him in control of the body and to so easily relinquish it wasn’t an option. Not here, where Vel could be a danger to those he held so very dear.

Credit for template goes to Luminescence :idea:

by **Kynier** on August 14th, 2018, 11:49 pm

The Akalak spun around and immediately assumed a battle stance. When the realization settled in the large Riverfallian lowered his blade. Kynier immediately noted that something was different. What it was the mage wasn’t really sure. While Vel had soft facial features they seemed even more… innocent than before. Kynier took a step down as saw what it was that really threw him off. This Akalak had two hands. Vel had tried to conceal it but Kynier’s auristics had shown him that the Akalak from the ship was missing half an arm. Kynier was about to apologize for thinking this Akalak was Vel, but then he addressed the mage by name.

Kynier stopped and furrowed his brow with an inquisitive stare. This was extremely odd. This imposter of Vel had a gentleness to him that Vel had lacked. Even as he made a roundabout demand, it wasn’t abrasive. Kynier walked around to the practice weapon’s rack. He took off his dark green vest and hung it on the end of the rack. “I just moved into the Midnight Gem,” he said with his back to the Akalak. Kynier then stripped off his shirt and felt the cool subterranean air on his skin. It had been quite warm outside and sweat lined his shoulders.

Aer’wyn would be able to see the raised skin between the shoulder blades forming a gnosis mark. The triangle and half-moon of Akajia’s Nightstalkers. “This morning was spent getting rid of things I wouldn’t need by living here.” Kynier unfastened the dagger from his belt as well as its sheath and the sheath of his short sword. Kynier drew the cold iron blade and set the rest on the ground. He turned around and approached the Akalak, weapon at his side. For a silent moment, Kynier stood there. Quietly his will delved to the depths of his being to draw upon his djed. The byproduct of his soul responded to his summons and swelled up to his eyes. Kynier channeled the energies to open his Sight so that he could see Vel’s aura.

As the mists of everything in sight began to form Kynier continued to speak. “Now that all of that was done I intended on doing some practice. Would you mind a friendly spar?” There was no friendly expression on his face. Before the question finished Kynier could see the aura… no, auras of the akalak before him. The features were very similar to what he had seen earlier that summer on the abandoned ship. Two souls, one light and the other darker, were entwined to the body. This time the lighter one took precedence, as opposed to the last time when the dark had.

From his broad studies as a mage Kynier was familiar with the four different aspects of a soul. One soul, one aura, one personality. Two souls…

Whoever this was, it wasn’t Vel, but he could see Vel’s presence within. Had Kynier ever used his auristics on another Akalak he would’ve learned that the species has two souls in on body. For now, this Riverfallian before him was a unique enigma. Kynier closed his Sight, and the djed stopped flowing from his soulcore.

“I would purpose using practice blades, but we don’t have one suitable to replicate such a weapon as yours.” Kynier shifted his feet so that his profile was sideways to the Akalak. The tip of his cold iron blade up at a slant, pointing towards the giant’s eyes. “What do you say?” the mage said with challenging hazel eyes.

Boxcode credit goes to Nellie!

by **Aer'wyn Grisghul** on August 15th, 2018, 11:33 am

The news that this man, had essentially moved in with him, with them, with Kelski, wasn’t exactly great news. Though he has nothing against Kynier in the first place, the man was privy to a secret he hoped to keep forever hidden, even if Kynier wasn’t quite ware of it yet. He was a dangerous presence. With one wrong word to the wrong person he had the power to bring down the tower Aer’wyn had built for himself by the skin of his damned teeth. One wrong move and he could almost taste his life falling to turn once more. And he couldn’t risk that. Not again.

Are could kill him right there and then. He had the opportunity to run him though with steel the moment Kynier turned his back. He could have hidden the body, disposed of it somehow and pretended he knew nothing. It all would have been just that easy had he had Sunberth blood running though his veins. But alas, he did not.

Honour was everything. A man could be ripped of his flesh, shackled and burned with scolding iron. But had he honour? He would die a happy man. The difference between those born of Sunberth dirt and Riverfall rock was that rock was honourable, dirt was not.

Such a thought was unthinkable to him. But perhaps… perhaps there was another way, the way of a diplomat, that could pull him off the ledge he was on. Perhaps Kynier could prove a reasonable man.

In silence, Aer’wyn watched as Kynier joined him in the freedom that riding one of one’s clothes brought. Not really quite interested in the scrawny man’s physique, his eyes drifted to the raised place where the gnosis mark was appearing instead. Immediately his memory clocked it as that of his racial patron goddess. Behind his temples Vel’s soul grinned at the sight. Suddenly he found himself glad he’d met Kynier. Suddenly he made even more of an effort to take the body over so that he could speak to him, but to no avail.

“I suppose this would make us flatmates.” Smiled Aer’wyn, doing his best to obscure the inner turmoil he felt with politeness. Only sign of it was the grip about the handle of his lower blade tightened till the blue skin turned a pale, icy sure from the pressure.

Anxiety rose up in him as Kynier’s eyes pierced him. He knew nothing of autistics. Truly he hadn’t picked up any of the books dotted about the Gem in favour of spending his time on other occupations. And he hadn’t quite taken Kynier for a mage either. And so the only thing the Akalak suspected Kynier of was suspicion and that made him defensive.

The smile disappeared from his features swell, to match KYnier’s impassiveness. A nod of the head at the request was quickly followed by an agreement. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. I’ll go easy on you, Kynier.” Aer’wyn’s uneasy voice echoed. Now he too was suspicious. And too did he have second thoughts about dispatching the man; none of which he’d entertain seriously of course. Or so he hoped it wouldn’t come to it.

Swinging his massive sword around in one hand against he took a few steps back where his chiselled muscle legs could take on a wide stance. He brought the hilt of the sword to eye level where his morphed arm joined the hilt. The tip of the blade pointed down towards Kynier’s own weapon. “So how is it that you’ve come to know Kelski? She had forgot to mention you, you see, and yet here you are. I’m not suspicious, but mores curious.” He lied.

Credit for template goes to Luminescence :idea:

by **Kynier** on August 16th, 2018, 9:09 pm

The akalak’s doe eyes were very telling. That there was some sort of struggle that he was toiling over inside himself. There was no way for Kynier to know that his life was currently being weighed in the balance. Since the goddess had touched him with her power, the mage would develop an itch. An itch to know more. To ask questions and hunt down clues when a secret was present before him. Such an itch was forming now around the new flatmate. That’s interesting. So Kelski had brought him into the Midnight Gem as well. That would explain the large weapon and set of armor he had seen on the table yesterday.

If he was to live with this creature then he intended to know more about him. To understand him. Was he like the rest of his race and paid homage to Akajia? Regardless of any divine driven impulses the mage felt, Kynier didn’t like the idea of living with a stranger. He wondered, if Kelski understood the akalak that she had brought into her nest. If she hadn’t then all the more reason for him to do so.

He scoffed a bit at the Aer’wyn’s promise to go easy on him. It was all bravado on the mage’s part. Kynier had no experience against significantly larger weapons. Sunberth was a city of daggers and that’s what he had faced the most. While there were some that bore actual swords and other weapons, Kynier had done his best to avoiding altercations with those people. Now he was squaring off against the largest blade he’d ever seen. Wielded by a giant at that. While they were going to be sparring, the edges were real. The dangers were real.

The akalak gave the weapon a flourishing swing as he stepped away and took his stance. Kynier felt tension grow in his chest and back at the sight of the bastard sword being handled so adeptly. Slow heavy movements were what he had expected, but they were not what he had seen. Kynier quickly assessed the scenario. The mage did not have the advantage of strength, size, reach, and probably weapon skill. He had been hoping for speed to be his advantage but had been discouraged a little. How was he going to “win” this?

A smile pulled at the side of his lip while he slowly circled around the akalak, weapon still raised at the eyes. “She hadn’t mentioned you either,” he remarked. Kynier squinted for an instant as he tried to read the male’s reaction. Clearly he had lied and was actually suspicious. The why behind it made Kynier’s itch even worse. “I met her when she was still a slave. We had agreed for a time that we couldn’t meet, for risk of the other’s well-being. Though once she gained her freedom, it seemed as though the gods kept getting her path to cross mine.”

As he spoke he was looking for the opening. The great blade was angled down, making it appear less lethal than it actually was. Is that a tactic for the sake of drawing him in? Kynier knew that as soon as he made hostile action the tip of that blade would move. But it wasn’t in a position for a clean thrust. Would it make a large arc to come at him from the side? One thing Kynier was certain of was that the range of safety was set at the extremes. Only when he was out of reach or inside the akalak’s actual arm reach, would he be safe. Everything in between was too dangerous. And it was a long distance to traverse. Kynier stopped circling and bent his knees, preparing to spring into action.

“So then… how is it that you came to know Kelski? And well enough to be welcomed to her home?” Kynier didn’t give the akalak a chance to answer. He launched himself off the balls of his feet and straight at the akalak. Whether Aer’wyn responded with a thrust or a sweeping motion of his sword, Kynier was prepared to bend low and roll across the ground under its reach with the intention of striking at the blue giant’s legs. It was only a sparring match, so Kynier was going to take extra care to only hit with the flat side of his short sword. At the end of his roll and attack he would twist around and roll backwards to take himself back out of reach, even if it involved a few hasty steps to do so.

Boxcode credit goes to Nellie!

by **Aer'wyn Grisghul** on August 18th, 2018, 12:42 am

Aer’wyn took little notice of Kynier’s scoffing. Better to be scoffed at than to be found out for a lier.

He took notice of Kynier’s hesitation. Perhaps the human made the same mistake many of his past opponents have, that the bastard sword was anything other than a third arm. For when a normal human held such a weapon relaxed, it would touch the ground. But the Akalak had a good foot on Kynier and muscles enough for two Kyniers and then some.

“I see.” He said, circling the human as he had circled him. “Well may the gods be blessed in their great plan for the two of you.”

With those short words Aer’wyn thrust the blade forward, though not quite as fast as he would have if the fight was a real one so that Kynier wouldn’t accidentally impale his throat on the end of it as he advanced. But to his surprise, before the move was though, the sneaky human had dropped to the floor and rolled beside him. Surprised by his sparring partner’s apparent competence - for having fought many humans in the last three years of his life in Sunberth, he did come to regard them with a tiny bit of prejudice in regard to swordsmanship - he felt the painful slam of the flat side of his steel against his calves. Granted, thick Akalak muscle dampened the blow significantly, but still, he felt it. A little like he felt the comment about Kelski not mentioning him.

Immediately he created more distance between them and immediately went on the offensive. Barely had Kynier the chance to rise to his feet a series of attacks would come his way. A slice from the upper left, following the momentum of the blade, and spinning towards the right of his mid section. If either of them was parried, there would be only one attack.

As he swung his sword, the Akalak spoke. The combat was still on the lighter side, after all. He could divide his attention between proving his own warrior’s worth and having a decent conversation.

“I was there that night we found Ebon.” He carried on simply, wishing for no accolades for a deed he deemed his duty. Since then he had grown a fondness for the night lion. The boy owed him nothing but a quick return to health. “I suppose aiding one in combat against street wretches is enough to prove one’’s worth to her life. Wouldn’t you agree?”

by **Kynier** on August 18th, 2018, 6:25 pm

With a flick of his wrist the flat side of the short sword slapped the back of the akalak’s calf. Not nearly hard enough to be extremely painful, but just enough to inform his opponent that he could’ve just lost his ability to stand. Twisting around Kynier entered his backwards roll so that he could keep an eye on the akalak’s movements. As his feet touched the ground after the maneuver he noted the diagonal cut coming his way. Without bothering to get to his feet he shifted his weight to the side to roll sideways. The side of his hand touched the ground first as his shoulder lowered for second contact. Then he rolled from shoulder to shoulder in a tight ball and set his feet down again having gone under the cut.

But the Akalak moved with the power of his great blade rather than try and muscle it under control. With a few steps he had spun around and was bringing the sword’s edge in a huge wide arch that would normally cut Kynier in half at the hips. The mage launched himself up from his crouched position. His body arched over the blade as it came his way. Hands met the ground first as he ended the daring dive with another forward roll. Kynier stood and quickly pivoted around. Blood rushed through his swelling veins with exhilaration.

“It would seem that way,” he commented. Kynier stepped back into the reach of the blue warrior, this time taking a direct offensive rather than a cunning use of acrobatics. The short blade went high to cut down at an angle towards the Akalak’s neck. It was not made at the speed he would’ve used for a real intent to kill and expected it to be deflected or blocked. Once it was, Kynier would take another step closer and pull the blade down and to the side of his hip for a cross the gut slash. With each follow through attack he would step closer and slash at the Akalak, making sure to never thrust. Kynier wanted to test the effectiveness of pressing in tight and see what happened with the advantage of a bastard sword’s length was taken away.

During his volley of attacks he continued the conversation. “Then like the rest of us…” diagonal cut, “you must have…” side slash, “nowhere else,” upward slash, “to go.”

Boxcode credit goes to Nellie!

by **Aer'wyn Grisghul** on August 18th, 2018, 7:31 pm

Kynier dodged every single one of his attacks and for once it made the Akalak rather happy about it. It would be mighty unfortunate to cut a new acquaintance in half before any kind of friendship or rivalry could be forged. Me smiled, pleased that he had found his match even if such feats of acrobatics were far out of his competence. It was hard to move like a feline when build like a rhinoceros.

As Kynier once more went on the offensive, Aer’wyn parried his weapon. The second blow was just about successful, getting in side the blind circle of the Akalak’s range, leaving a nick in his side from where a singular drop of blood seeped. Like prick of a needle, it was.

“I’m not here, because I’ve nowhere else to go.” He said, parrying another volley of attacks one by one, dodging others. A game of push and pull, accidentally letting Kynier get too close before fending him off into his range of advantage again. “I’m here because,” another successful parry that pushed him further back, now against one of the walls of the basement. “I respect Kelski.” He breathed. “She’s a friend.”

But as Kynier launched in for another attack, a strong left arm grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him a little closer before he propelled himself off the wall and slammed his shoulder in the direction of the man, hoping to knock him off balance. Kynier was fast but Aer’wyn was strong.

“It’s a paradise you got yourself here. Beats the rest of this god forsaken city by a long shot.” He said, sweat dripping from his brow. If the blow was successful and he had managed to incapacitate Kynier the tip of his blade would be optioning at the man’s throat. If not, he’d make some distance between himself and the wall, readying his sword in another battle stance.

by **Kynier** on August 18th, 2018, 8:37 pm

The tactic was proving to be effective. The akalak was attempting to regain his advantage but Kynier wouldn’t allow it. By accident he managed to draw a single bit of blood. His opponent didn’t seem to be bothered by it, though Kynier didn’t allow him to afford the chance to do more than express any displeasure, which the akalak didn’t. But Kynier listened to the words that came between the metallic scraps of steel against cold iron. “Hmph!” he managed before his shoulder was gripped. The akalak surged forward, turning the disadvantage into his favor as he rammed his shoulder into Kynier’s chest.

The sheer weight behind it knocked the wind from the mage’s lungs and took his balance away completely. Kynier fell backwards but lifted a leg and kicked up towards a shoulder to roll across the ground rather than crash down upon it. As he got to his feet the bastard sword came around at level with the mage’s throat. Kynier twisted, stepped back with a leg, raised his short sword so the blade was angled down towards the ground, and rested his other forearm against the blade to brace. Had his weapon not been made of cold iron, the weight of the bastard sword’s swing would drive through the shorter weapon. Instead, the unnaturally cold material held fast and blocked the larger weapon with Kynier’s full body weight as a support brace.

“Liar!” he declared as he strained against the power of the akalak’s swing. Kynier twisted his torso and stepped towards the akalak. The short sword scrapped against the edge of the long weapon as Kynier lowered himself so the weapon was propped above his head. Running down the length of the blade towards the Akalak caused sparks to break off from in between the weapons. When Kynier’s blade reached the hilt of the bastard sword he suddenly straightened his legs to propel the opponent’s blade up and out of the way. Kynier made a quick rotation of his weapon arm to arch the flat of the blade around and slap at the akalak’s exposed side. From there Kynier took several hops backward to get out of reach and allow the blue warrior a chance to recover, and move away from the wall. Kynier kept his guard up in case there was no pause or respite.

“I don’t doubt you respect Kelski, or consider her a friend. But those don’t warrant living with someone you would’ve only just met.” Kynier was breathing heavily. Moving around someone’s superior strength was taxing on the body. The mage didn’t know the akalak had been hired to guard the Midnight Gem. So his suspicions went elsewhere for the other male’s motives. Never did Kynier have anything to covet, protect, or seek to hoard for his own. But the sea eagle had given herself to him, and he would not suffer any other suitors. “So then, what is the real reason you came here if you had other places to go?”

Boxcode credit goes to Nellie!

by **Aer'wyn Grisghul** on August 19th, 2018, 5:06 am

Tremors reverberated though the cold steel of Aer’wyn’s sword as the human blocked his blow, with his whole body it seemed. Retracting his sword immediately Aer’wyn spun another flourish until the hilt sat back in his hand comfortably. He took a few steps back, quite a few steps back. Enough steps to take a moment and breathe for a surge of fear flashes before his eyes. An image of his sword kitting just too high or just too low where bone instead of steel would halt the momentum of his swing.

He was about to yell at Kynier for the madness of his block. Express his concern over the man’s health somehow but it seemed Kynier was just fine and he had beat him to the yelling.

It seemed Aer’wyn wasn’t allowed a break in the spar. The bold human had challenged him both verbally and physically, scraping steel against steel. Sparks flared like tiny stars and disagreed over Kynier’s head. Disgruntled Aer’wyn took one more step back, but still Kynier followed.

Sometimes the only way to win is to relinquish a superior position.

Aer’wyn allowed the man to move his sword out of the way, expose an opening and take advantage. For Aerwyn only used one hand in the wielding of his weapon, and hand he had two. The moment the sword came in contact with his side, Kynier would feel fingers squeeze his wrist. He’d pull Kynier like he was a rag doll and circle around the man in one fluid motion of the body, taking the hand with, twisting it around his back where the cold steel of his own sword would line his spine. A further move would push him right up against the wall, so that he could damn well kiss it, where a blue knee would wedge itself right up against his lower back.

“What is wrong with you humans, so jaded. Is friendship not enough for your kind to accept employ when a job is open and in need of doing? Or have you too much pride in those tiny little heads of yours?” He snapped, visibly annoyed. He too panted heavily, having been barely able to keep up with Kynier’s speed. In fact, unable indeed. Sweat glistened against the midnight skin of his back, dampened his neck where a few stray hairs curled from perspiration. “Get a hold of yourself. You don’t have to like me but, damn it, whether I’m here or not is no choice of yours.”

He’d let go of Kynier finally, satisfied that perhaps this time the mage would give him a moment to catch his breath. “Why must you be so suspicious, to deem me a lier when I’ve been guilty of no such thing, stranger. Other than perhaps the name I’ve given you upon our first meeting. I admit… that was a lie.”

Closed Old Faces and a New Life (Aer'wyn)