[Flashback] Snow day. (solo)

by **Ximal** on April 1st, 2012, 8:42 pm

22nd winter 510 AV Midday.

Out in the open fields to the north of sunberth, Xi stood silently, the falling snows calm and quiet, the biting air chilling him to his core. This was A stupid idea, still it was his best one for training, in the cold your movements were slowed by the constriction of muscles, here he would test his strength. Trudging through the knee deep snow he headed into the sparce patch of forest and began training tugging his cloak close to heep himself warm from the blackness of his clothing hi hands darted forth, left right left, a sudden kick to the tree, sent snow falling out of it's branches. This was not the best possible training better training would be reached higher up, learning to fight in contained and cramped spaces. Reaching up to grab hold of a branch of the tree, thick he could barely get a good grip on it, putting his effort into climbing up lifting his own weight was a bit challenging seeing as he'd had little practice at it, scrambling to swing his weight onto the branch he used some of his litheness to hurl his legs up. Now shifting his weight into the tree he stood attempting to balance on the tree limb and maintain a strong stand point. His legs wobbling beneath him as he threw a few shaky jabs at nothing, and a strong straight which knocked him off balance. Throwing his arms out at the last second he caught himself before he crashed into the ground. Coughing out the word ow as his chest had mpaced the branch. He hauled himself back up again, and shifted his feet beneath him, Still shaky in his position he dared not kick but focused on throwing punches. Right , right, right, fast straight left. Balance getting stronger he attempted to pull off a kick, and slipped off loosing his balance the second he puled his foot up, Hurtling towards the floor he landed with a loud crash, even though a foot and a half of snow broke his fall he still hurt from the drop. Resting in the snow a second he let himself think. Thats when the words Kolin once said to him kicked in.

Your worthless you'll never be more than a slave, a useless slave. His anger rising he practically leapt from the ground to the brance and hurled himself back up. Sliding his feet to th position where he almost had balanced last time he knew that this time, he would succeed or he would prove tat bastard right. Throwing hard punches, his hands covered with the steel that once used to beat him, He felt his anger rising again. He would not prove that bastard right, never. Before he had relized it he was still balanced and he was throwing hard punched into the tree, the edged on the gauntlets had chipped away the bark of the tree and started on it's soft pulpy mass beneath, He hated kolin and was so angry that he could only kill him once. his anger over running him he punched the branch beneath him. and heard a loud crack, both the tree branch had snapped in half and his hand had almost broken in the prodess. His scream was loud but not long, as he cradled his hand and glared out and up to the sky he cursed kolin with everything in him.

Hopping down from the tree and landing hard on his legs in the soft snow he peeled the gauntlet off of his hand and placed his hand into the snow. The icy grip of the snow helped numb the pain of his almost fractured hand. He hated kolin and even more so than that, Olin his son. Trudging back into the ciy he grimaced as he held his hand occasionally lifting snow to fill it and stop the screaming pain from it.

by **Ximal** on April 2nd, 2012, 12:07 am

Stepping back into the mirths of the dark, dingy side of sun berth Xi was wary of the city having just arrived a few weeks ago he did not know his way around and he had stayed somewhat, healthy despite that fact, no he hadn't gotten into any bar fights, yet. No he hadent done anything crazy thus far. His week had consisted of just finding a place to stay, so far he'd done just that he was hold up in the field outside the city to the north out of sight in a bushel of trees. He bought what he needed with the little gold he had on him. Still living like this was better than living as a slave. Heading back into the city he meandered around his mind allowing his feet to take him wherever.

Stumbling around like a wanderer was not a good thing to do in sunberth at the best of times, but Xi wasn't exactly your average person. Strolling the streets to get a feel for the layout of the city he headed over towards the market district through the winding alleys, stumbling around and through random beggars any one of which could have been concealing a knife lying in wait for some unsuspecting target to prowl down this way, whom they would proceed to kill and relieve of all their possessions. Still as Xi approached the market district he heard a struggle coming from a side ally, his better nature could not let it be, so he investigated.

down the alley was a woman and a man struggling and Xi only heard the woman say the words 'don't rape me' and his anger kicked in full force. Storming over he grabbed the pre-occupied man by the back of his neck and tore him off of her to find he was already more than half way 'disrobed' He leered at the woman as if telling her to 'run now'. The man was a cocky petcher, muxch like olin was, which drove Xi into a fury. "Hey buddy d'ya mind i'mma lil busy here. Aw son of a whore now i gotta go find the broad again. Thanks ya idiot." Anger now all Xi could feel he drove his fist hard into the back of the mans head and as the sickening crack, was heard to Xi's ears, somethign warm and steaming hot ran down |Xi's exposed hand, Dropping the lifeless corpse of the would be rapist he cleaned his hand in snow and headed back out of the alley. Xi wasnt a man, who would normally do that, but today he felt exceedingly rotten as far as, his previous 'masters' and their personalities were concerned.

by **Ximal** on April 2nd, 2012, 4:24 am

Trudging through the snow, Xi kept walking his hand still stank of blood but he at least had cleaned it off in the snow. He thought today would be peaceful but sooner or later someone would find the body of that man, and then sunberth would be up in arms to find the man whio did it. but he didn't care, he'd saved someone, he had spared someone another traumatic event in their life, Slowly walking down the main street int he market square he breathed out slowly hthe air filling with the heat and steam of his breath, the cold was biting and tearing at his exposed face, and hands. The sound of snow crunching all around him as people ran about. Then a set of fast paced crunches like someone running, which got faster and faster untill they stopped Xi looked down and it was the girl from earlier.

"T-t-thanks for s-saving me, earlier. Other pe-people would have just walked on." Xi smiled as he looked down at her. His dark blue eyes reflecting the snow and her face. Like a deep dark mirror. "I did what i thought was right, don't thank me for that, it's enough that i know i've done the right thing. I needn't be told ive done it. Now go and get somethign to eat you look starved."Handing her two gold miza's he smiled and continued walking. He wasn't an innately angry man nor an innately cold one, it's just his emotions around certain people grew so strong it's all he could and or would show.

Xi headed towards the only place he really could go and not be disgusted with the city, the main markets. Hunting around he just looked, nothign caught his eyes, nothing caught his attention as he loooked down at the ring on his finger, the monstrous beast on it, one of the few items he took form kolin but he'd never actually seen kolin wear this ring, what was it for what did it mean, what secrets could it hold. It was a simple ring but one kolin kept close at all times. What could it mean, was it part of a set of rings ? Or was it a stand alone. Was itfrom his family ? Or another conquest kolin had made... Just thinking about the ring gave his mind time to spin. He sat in the light and warmth of a large brazier trying to figure out what exactly the ring meant. Snow days, i hate em. Heading to his secret training spot in the market district, Xi slowed his pace letting the cold air circle him. on the way there he found him self trapped in a junction of alleys. A man at each entrance and exit and one held the girl from earlier with a knife at her throat.

by **Ximal** on April 2nd, 2012, 8:23 pm

Calm, hold your anger back let them make the first strike, combat it and throw your punches accordingly. Xi was completely outnumbered and out manoeuvred A brute which ever way he turned, One held the girl he rescued earlier, each of the others brandished knives but they all had poor footing in the snow, Xi stood on the only bit of ground that he had worn down with his training, As far as he was concerned, he had the perfect footing. The they rushed him three fo them at once the left one ran slightly too fast and slipped loosing balance and sliding through the snow just like Xi knew he would , the second came from the right and did the same thing, just only slightly closer, the third attacker came at Xi from behind, a slightly curved knife in his hands he meant to quite literally stab Xi in the back. Spinning full motion in his heel he blocks the blow with his left guarded arm and then hurtled his open palm up cracking the heel of his hand into the thugs nose shooting the nose bone up into his brain, killing him instantly. Deep breath Xi you can do this, one down three to go. But three has a hostage. Breathing out a long slow blow he motioned his arms into his feral run style, leaning all his weight onto his right foot which laid behind him, spring boarding of of that foot he launched himself at the enemy who was gurs about to rise off the floor clasped his fingers around his head and brought his knee, and the steel frame of the grieve into his face, not once, not twice but five times, crushing his face to a pulp, he turned and set his sights on the third man directly opposite. Driving his foot into the now if not crippled and disfigured , dead man's face he leapt back and slammed his knee into the back of the lat thugs head grinding it and his whole body weight down onto the floor hard, Turning his knee from side to side, he made sure the last one was the one holding the girl and that none of those three could interfere.

Slowly walking back to the cross section he headed down the alley way, eyes fixed with a burning anger upon the thug holding the girl who, he had saved earlier. "C-come any closer and i-i'll kill her" The thug pressed the knife to he throat and a tickle of blood ran down , the edge of the blade. Xi then spoke up. "Girl close your eyes, you may not want to watch this." Doing as he asked she shut her eyes tight and Xi flux stepped over there and pulld the mans arm off of her breaking the bones in it with the force of the tug, and the strength of his grip. The thug screamed as Xi then smashed his face in with a steel coated fist. Scum like that dose not deserve to be called human. Lifting the girl up, he asked her directions to her home, which he promptly escorted her too.

by **Ink** on April 22nd, 2012, 9:13 pm

And in the Aftermath . . .

The Rewards are Revealed.

Ximal :

Written in the ink :