A Small Part (Solo)

[Xalet]

20th day of Spring, 512 AV

It had only been about five days since Xuphim removed himself from the bowels of the Syliran cellar. It was his first glimpse of the world and the light that shone down by the radiant Priskil's sun, unrestricted by Xalet's will. That light beamed down upon a world torn to pieces, much as it had centuries ago. What was it that mankind kept doing wrong to cause this type of injustice? Or, was it that it was man's burden to live with the uncertainty of the lands beneath their feet? Living in fear wasn't Xuphim's style, and as far as he was concerned the ridiculous cataclysms had to stop. The only answer that he could fathom was that things were not right. A God had been 'slain', while another was 'created' all those years ago, and yet another was imprisoned. History had told that story all too well, as ever since then the world rejected everything that lived on its surface.

That surface and those who walked upon it had a price to pay. Xuphim couldn't help but think to himself about all the times he had heard Xalet's Patron reiterate that horse wash, 'to gain something, you have to give something up'. What exactly were they gaining through all this? The only thing Xuphim was gaining was a growing ache in his arms and back as he hefted another block up upon the tower balcony.

Indeed most of the walls had stayed together, built strong and tough, but a great deal of the viewing platforms and tower balconies had cracked, crumbled, or shattered completely. This left a dangerous situation to any Knights or Squires whom needed to move up into the wall or the towers. So, as one would expect of a hearty, healthy, unnaturally strong Akalak, Xuphim was helping to rebuild those balconies. The Squire couldn't help but think how 'rebuilding' wasn't even appropriate. Indeed, he was just laying down the block so peasant could affix it with mortar.

"That's right, right like that. Steady now, keep um nice and straight." the willowy old man said to Xuphim. What little mass he had was lost during the times beneath the ground, where food and exercise was in short supply.

Xuphim didn't like taking orders as it was. Orders were even more infuriating when they came from some old goat, "Yeah, right, whatever it's straight. Look, this sucks, want to take a break?" he groaned, his legs bending as sweat trailed down his brow, obstructing some of his view. With a soft thud he released his grip upon the newest block he held, it's weight normally requiring the strength of at least two men to wield.

[Xalet]

"Break?" the old man tsked, shaking his head back and forth as he lay his spreading tool upon the surface of the block, smoothing the substance even and clean, "Young bucks like you shouldn't be tired quite yet. We've got another oh...seventy five blocks to go, give or take a dozen." he said in a manner most infuriating to the Akalak. The old man didn't even look at Xuphim when he spoke. Instead his eyes were locked on that block, trying to ensure it was placed in just the right fashion. He seemed quick to mention when something seemed out of alignment as he had Xuphim prepare a second block for affixing. The man could see the Akalak's veins standing out against his arms, wide tubes filled with blood struggling to supply that massive muscular frame with oxygen. Perhaps getting the boy something to rehydrate himself wouldn't be all that bad.

"But, I suppose we could use a quick drink of water. I need more water for the mix anywho. Say there young buck, mind headin' on down and grabbing a quick pail? Some for us, some for the mortar." the man removed his flat, wide straw grass hat as he spoke, fanning himself off a bit before stopping a grumbling Xuphim in mid-stride. "Ho now, use the ladder young buck, it'll be faster than the stairs. We'll need it anyway when we start switching out tools."

Xuphim looked down at the ladder, extending from the side of the balcony, some thirty feet down to the ground. It's level of sturdiness was questionable, especially considering the Akalak's substantial weight. That wasn't all, Xuphim wasn't exactly well to do with heights. Even Xalet had very minimal training in climbing.

"Wait, you're not scared are ya? You can take the sta--"

"I'm not scared motherfucker! That ladder is make for frail Human weights, not Akalaks. But I'll use it anyway, because I don't get scared, got it?" he growled at the man, whom simply placed both hands defensively in front of him in mock fear. Trying not to visibly suck in air Xuphim put his first foot upon the wooden peg and slowly leaned his weight upon it's width. There was a very audible creak. His hands swept blindly to the sides as he kept his eyes fixed on those footholds, until finally they gripped the side of the guides. One foot after another the Akalak descended, all the while secretly praying for that contraption not to give out under him.

[Xalet]

One after another, one foot at a time. Xuphim kept telling himself that he had no fear, that there was no discomfort from proceeding down that ladder. It was all a lie to cover up one embarrassing flaw, he wasn't too keen on heights. Standing at the top of a balcony was one thing, but climbing down it was something else all together. It wasn't enough to force him into the fetal position with tears in his eyes, but it was something that made his palms sweat, his pulse quicken, and his muscles tighten. He just wanted it to be over.

Finally there it was, sweet ground. When both feet were firmly planted he looked upward, only to see the head and neck of the old man staring down at him. Scowling slightly Xuphim shot up at him, "Told you. That wasn't nothing. Waste of my time was all that was." his words trailed off as he started walking toward a large water trough that a group of construction personnel and the squires that had been helping them were using. He looked around at the various pulleys, ramps, and platforms that were being used to aid in putting Syliras back together. Near by there was a bucket upon its side, slightly tarnished but still usable.

The day was moving by at a painful pace for Xuphim, but nothing could prepare him for what was about to happen. A cart sat partway up an incline near by, a wedge shoved beneath one of it's rear wheels. Upon the cart rested wide logs of lumber, prepared for shaping. Various men moved the logs slowly from the cart, jostling the carrier each time, allowing that wedge to slowly creep toward the inside of the wheel base. Despite the destruction, a few children belonging to the various refugees played with a canvas stitched ball, despite previous directions to move away from the construction site. That ball went sailing, and any other day such playfulness would have been harmless. Not on this day.

As Xuphim pulled a fresh bucket of water from the trough the ball impacted the wedge due to a wayward throw, causing the cart to begin rolling backward, knocking one man inside upon his rear-end, and throwing a second man that had been climbing up onto the cart to tumble down to the ground. A third man began running after it, while the sounds of shouting filled the air. The cart continued to gain momentum, increasing the distance between it and the man.

The Akalak caught wind of the shouting and glanced over his shoulder to see the scene unfolding. It took a moment to process exactly what he was seeing, but sure enough it was a run away cart full of freshly felled lumber. "Oh shit!" he breathed in as he took off at a diagonal run, dropping his bucket behind, the water spilling over the sides as it tumbled over and rolled in a soft arc. Through the path of the carriage people began running out of the way, attempting to take what they could with them, while others from the sides simply watched in awe. Xuphim took great gaping strides, his body working to its maximum while his head attempted to figure out exactly what in the world he was going to do if he even managed to catch up to it.

[Xalet]

Faster and faster the Akalak gained momentum, his body already perspiring and aching from the days work. Ahead he saw the group of children running in a straight line from the incoming runaway cart. It was the same group that had caused the whole mess! "Shit shit shit..." Xuphim's heels dug into the ground, his toes pushed with extra spring. He had trained in proper running technique as part of his quest for personal fitness, but this was unlike any refreshing jog about the castletown. All the while he began to wonder, why was he even doing this? Attempting something ridiculous seemed more like Xalet's speed. Why go through all the trouble?

The philosophical debate on right and wrong would have to wait, as Xuphim found his hand finally gripping one of the front beams of the lumber cart. Inexplicably he immediately attempted the first thing he could think of, which was to pull rearward, only to have himself knocked completely off of his feet and dragging behind. "You've got to be kidding me!" he thought as his boots kicked up debris and dirt, bouncing along the cobbled stones as he became part of the overall train of destruction heading through the center of the construction and toward the front gates. Small planks of wood and rubble did little to slow the cart, though it certainly made hanging on all the more difficult. Xuphim felt his body jumbled and jostled back and forth, as if the cart was some sort of untamed stallion attempting to knock him away.

Using his upper body strength the Akalak struggled to pull himself upright and bend his legs at the knee, planting the soles of his boots into the ground. Large trails of leather appeared behind him as the ground started ripping away at his boots, however the cart did begin to slow. As Xuphim acted like a rear brake the momentum slowed and slowed, the potent masses of muscles in his legs forcing as much weight as he could exhibit down to the ground at an angle that would keep him upright. His teeth grit tightly as the adrenaline activated within his body, revitalizing his strength for the short period of all the insanity.

With the cart slowing a second man joined Xuphim in his attempts, and then a third. Their combined effort slowed the vehicle much more quickly than a single Akalak alone. The sudden jogging of extra rearward weight disturbed the method in which the logs were stacked however, causing them to bust free of the rear cart paneling. Things just weren't getting much better.

[Xalet]

One of the logs crashed against the side of a platform holding up a man that had been reestablishing some roofing upon a structure, causing him to brace himself against the wall to keep from falling. Others bounced wildly against one another, or against divots and imperfections in the roadway, skipping out toward the side. Moving out to the side of the cart, Xuphim got to experiencing something he never had before, log jumping. It could more aptly be called attempting to maneuver around rolling logs while not having his legs and feet broken.

Having gained enough distance to the front of a grouping of the accelerating wooden cylinders, the Akalak moved low to the ground, nearly dropping down to one knee as his hands cushioned the impact. Palms recoiling, Xuphim's elbows buckled as the weight slammed against his chest and forced him back, only to do his best at maintaining some semblance of balance to not become crushed. His teeth clenched, his veins stood out tightly against his neck as his knees began to drag against the stone, the weight of what he stood against pushing the three hundred pound Humanoid despite his best efforts to stay planted.

It wasn't long before the efforts to slow the onslaught began to pay off, however, and the pressure against his chest lessened until it faded completely. A small grouping of logs had crashed about this way and that, but a majority of any damage and danger had been avoided. Releasing his palms from the lead log, Xuphim shakily rose up to his feet, the knees of his trousers shredded, the skin beneath scraped and bleeding. He looked around him at a few bystanders, their eyes widened in disbelief. The strength of an Akalak was well known, but one whom had trained their muscles with dedication was almost unnatural.

Walking with a slight limp, the Squire could feel he had pulled a muscle in his hamstring. Nothing that couldn't be worked out with the right ointment and touch, Priskil knew his Patron would be ecstatic in trying out some new herbal concoction upon him. A man finally worked up the courage to approach Xuphim as he walked, "That was incredible!" he mentioned, feeling it necessary to at the very least recognize the young man.

Xuphim didn't seem the least interested. Instead he moved straight back to the pale he had dropped to the ground previously and refilled it with water. His left leg refusing to take his full weight, the climb back up the ladder to the old man whom had been spreading the mortar was more difficult than the first time. Carrying the pale was not making the chore any easier. With slow and steady pulls, Xuphim had managed a one-handed climb utilizing the ladder and put the pale down at the grey-haired constructionist's feet.

"Took you long enough. Thanks for the water." that man chortled, hiding his admiration. Perhaps somewhere behind all that gruffness Xuphim had a heart.

"Whatever. I hope you choke on it." Perhaps not. Just like the other folks not involved with trying to replace the logs back to their original position, the Akalak simply went right back to work. He went over toward the next block, lowered his body, and adjusted his stance to favor his weakened leg as he lifted it up. All that strength was just a small part of Xuphim, but it was the easiest thing to allow others to see.

[Emblem]

Congratulations! You Get Glorious Experience! Xalet Skills Body Building- 3 XP Running- 2 XP Climbing- 1 XP Lores Rebuilding is Such a Bore A Demonstration of Strength Being an Asshole Comments : Wow, Xuphim called an old man a motherfucker, damn he is an asshole. But it was an entertaining thread that I enjoyed. Good job finding an entertaining route for some bodybuilding xp. Always better than "he did a pushup, and then another!" Pm me with any questions or concerns.