Show Me Your Moves (Apos)

[Ximal]

22nd Spring 513AV midday.

Xi stood outside in the open air of the nykan spring day, letting the wind wash over him as he rid himself of his heavy cloak and cracked his neck from side to side. The bandages had come off and he could finally feel his stomach adjusting to it's normality. A slight ache but nothing he couldn't handle. Xi sucked down a deep breath before stretching lightly, extending his muscles to get a feel for his new normality. He'd gained a whole new tool to train with but he'd save that for tomorrow, after all it was something completely foreign to him. and he needed a full day to adjust after seeing if greg's had left any lasting damage upon his person. Xi smiled and rotated his hand before leaping up onto a low hanging tree branch to start pulling himself up and down. He needed to get his strength back up he'd lost a few days so right now he was on a mission to see just how much a few days of laxness had done him damage. Hauling himself up an down on that branch like a monkey his legs hauled up and crossed behind him. Xi took slow breaths to mitigate the amount of energy he spent on his breathing to focus it into his arms and help haul him within about three chimes he'd reached sixty pull ups. Pull up hold for one second, slowly drop. A single repeating motion was all he ran through with the occasional grunt eking out.

[Apos]

Outside of the city was the only place Apos knew he'd be truly free and out of the watchful eyes of the Nyka's Monks. His legs pumped as he ran, working the soreness out of his muscles as he continued his jog across the land he'd chosen to exercise. He knew that once he went into the city gates, he'd not have this same freedom nor could he be this exposed. Whereas in Nyka he would be forced to wear a cloak to cover his Myrian tattoos or only travel at night and in darkened areas to avoid unwanted eyes. So for the moment he was actually happy for once. His black boots pounded the ground below him as he spotted a stopping point ahead in the form of a tree. There seemed to be someone else utilizing it to work-out, just as Apos had the same idea in his mind to do so. Slowing his pace he came to a halt as he neared the tree. Apos rounded the tree seeing if he could get a good look at the man on it, and as soon as his goggled eyes caught the face of Ximal, he paused because he was both speechless and baffled. "Ximal!?" Apos said aloud.

[Ximal]

Xi worked his way through the pull ups bliss fully unaware of the world around him but before he could truly do anything more he'd been snapped out of his darkened silence by a single low voice. Saying just one thing...His name. Xi snapped open bis black blue eyes and caught side of someone he hadn't seen since spring. Of last year. "Apos?!" Xi straightened his legs and dropped from the tree down into his feet. A look of surprise and mild confusion glancing across his features. "When the heck did you get here, on second thought, where in the name of all that is divine did you go after the spires ? Everyone thought you had found the same fate as cade...With great regret on most cases. " Xi cracked the crick that was now developing in his neck and extended his right hand in a friendly gesture. He was genuinely both surprised and happy to see someone he knew in a foreign city. It was a strange turn of event's stranger still when Xi thought of the trek it took himself ana and zand as a trio.

[Apos]

So it wasn't a dream this time. A familiar face, finally replied to his accusations. Very few things actually went Apos' way these days, so having the confirmation of Ximal's questions and body language to hint towards their past history was bliss. Absolute bliss. Apos reached out, wrapped his right hand around Ximal's wrist and firmly shook it before letting go, smiling. He remembered looking up to the collosal warrior last time they'd been in each other's company, and this reunion was a stern reminder that Apos hadn't grown a single inch. "Actually I'm just arriving. I've had a long night's rest and my camp is only a few miles back." He said pointed his thumb past his shoulder into the opposite direction. "As for where I've been though...well I left the spires after last spring, like many others did. Then I got lost, for months." Apos said not the least bit humiliated. Looking back on it, he allowed himself a vulnerable moment in the midst of an old friend to part his lips and chuckle. "To this day, I don't know what hole I crawled down, but once I got out, I got on the path to Nyka for a reason even unbeknownst to myself. I prayed to Myri and started my journey." Apos had dropped his Mercenary title, after he left the spires and claimed himself a Wanderer which was more accurate. He wasn't being payed for anything, much less to kill someone and earn an reward. He instead explored caves, odd little towns and even the ones he should stay way from like the one he could clearly see over the hills of their location. "As regretful as Cade's circumstances are, I thank Myri that I've been spared thus far of Dira's embrace. But enough about me," His deep-raspy voice let out. "How are you? Has anyone else from the Crimson Edge ventured away from the Spires?"

[Ximal]

Xi shook apos' hand back firmly. He was surprised to see him thought but even more lightly marred by his sheer honesty about his situation, he'd only just arrieved and had a camp a little ways back. He admitted though that after his trip out of the spires he got lost for months. If it was jsut him he wasn't surprised Xi, ana and zand would have been travelling in circles for days if it wasn't for the fact that they'd been travelling in a group. Still Xi sighed it was nice to know that it wasn't confusing around there just for him. Still it was nice to hear from someone he'd known. And he'd been down a deep hole, yeah people had been there a lot Xi amongst them, still Xi now at least knew who myri was. But at least he was brought here. "Well you might not want to thank ehr all that much. Uphis lives here, the son of the old god of war, and at the moment, he's still kinda touchy about the whole myri killing his dad thing so...Keep your heritage on the down low. Xi smirked though as he lent against the tree listening to Apos ask if tehre was any others in the city from the CE. "Yeah i'm not the only one, Ana, and Zand came with me, or rather i came with them. There all here ad everyone is staying at the hostel, it's a nice enough place and the cost of a room is pretty cheap. And as far as i go...well." Xi snapped out an arm punching the air but it sounded closer to a blade cutting the air. "I'm much stronger than i was last spring. Having said that apos if you know a woman by the name of "Revy". If so she's here too. So thers a fairly large group of sunberthians in the humble city of nyka. It's a good thing to kinda keep your head down if your a foreigner." Xi smirked and rolled the shoulder of the arm he just punched with.

[Apos]

When Ximal told Apos that Myrians weren't welcome in Nyka, his brow furrowed a bit. He'd wandered why in the hell he was led to this place if his very race was frowned on. Apos doubted they simply frowned however, they more likely than not despised him. Races and relationships in the town of Mizahar were either 1 of two things. Liked or hated. Apos didn't have to think deeply on which of the two the Myrians fell under. Apos raised his brows a bit out of surprise, but not too much. He was elated to know the members Ximal listed were still alive, but then again Apos didn't expect to hear that they'd keeled over and died anywhere either. The CE housed many people of various talents, that much Apos could confirm. As Ximal finished his list, he snapped his arm out moving much faster than Apos anticipated. Hearing his arm go against the wind of their area reminded Apos more of a blade making the same motion rather than a large meaty limb. Apos made an expression as if to say that he was impressed before sliding an ulak from his belt and gripping it in his right hand. "I've had little to no time to train unfortunately." Apos said with an even tone. "But, my affinity for small blades hasn't wavered." The Myrian released the grip of the ulak and tipped it up with his pinky, allowing the blade to flip once before catching it again and spinning it a few times in the palm of his hand. His fist closed around the handle once more, stopping the blade before pursing it to his belt. There was a question to ask, but regardless of the answer he wouldn't need a blade. "You wouldn't be up for a quick spar before heading into the city, now would you?" Apos gave a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. He knew that, should Ximal accept the offer, limits of his gnosis mark would be tested this day.

[Ximal]

Xi could see apos' expression visibly changing at the mention of nyka disliking myrians, however it wasn't something he should be too worried about. As long as they didn't know they couldn't do anything. It'd worked fine for ana and her thievishness. Xi sighed though and watched his brow change again at the revelation that so many of them were still alive and well. Apos' face changed again to something of impression, but Xi just shrugged it off, he got stronger for his own power, rather than to use it on others however he did like to test himself. Though seeing apos play with his knife to display his own skill, Xi still held a look of being impressed himself, he'd assumed he'd have dulled a little but no he was still sharp as the blades he'd carried, even with the little to no time to train, that he claimed he'd had. Xi smirked and allowed apos to ask for the spar before suggesting it himself. "Well let's see if you've gotten rusty or are still as sharp as the knives you carry." Xi coulgt the small grin and smirked back himself. Xi would probably give apos a small handicap, Xi wanted to test out how strong he'd become so he'd be using kicks to attack only, arms for defence but only his legs to attack. Xi bounced up and down to shake off the stillness that had settled over him as he held his favourite "formless" stance, which more or less just looked like him standing normally. Xi cracked a smile and spoke in a jibbing tone. "Well let's see of your as good as the women i've fought. After all zand and revy are pretty tough." An obvious jest ut still it was to signal that the mood wasn't one of to the death, and small wounds wouldn't be much of an issue. "And apos just because i'm not using a weapon don't mean you shouldn't eventually i'm going to get caught against a foe with a weapon and i'd like to see how i fare then." Xi's arms adjusted the straps on this vambraces and his gauntlets he pulled on tighter. Making sure the steel was firmly in place. "When ever your ready take your shot."

[Apos]

Apos took a step back, fisted his second ulak in his left hand and rolled his shoulders, loosening them up for the exercise to come. When Ximal told Apos about the argument, he almost objected but he actually figured it best that Ximal only use his legs as odd as it sounds. Apos' combat revolved around throat slicing and stabs, so long drawn out combat wasn't his forte' even with the aid of his gnosis mark. He simply hasn't conditioned himself for such confrontations. Apos slid his right leg back and pushed off of it and he took two even strides to close the distance between Ximal and himself. Opening strikes were what decided the flow of most fights, but fighting an unarmed combatant as talented as Ximal was tricky at best. A well placed kick could break Apos' ribs, so his natural resistance would be tested as well. Stopping just short of a foot from Ximal, Apos swung his right blade horizontally toward Ximal's stomach, deciding that the reach to his chest area and neck would be a little time-consuming. Afterwards Apos took another step forward, bounced ever so slightly off of his left foot and swung his left elbow at Ximal's chin.

[Ximal]

Xi shifted his weight across his feet, weighing up his options. Apos was fast and he knew that and with those blades he was very dangerous. Xi'd learnt to watch and be patient though, the first strike is often the first one that loses the battle, but if done well it can be the first one to win the bout. Xi kept his formless stance and awaited the strike from Apos, His eye's glued on apos' hips and shoulders, however he had to watch both Apos' hands, and elbows too. Then he saw the first motion a movement from Apos' right shoulder, he was rearing for a swing. Xi saw Apos launch himself fast towards himself from the initial movement and began a countermand, he wanted to get out of the way and use his own momentum to deliver a counter kick, but because he couldn't be sure that the attack wouldn't have a follow up. Xi dodged via rolling his body to the side and back slightly, to give himself a good arc for his leg to snap up ion a powerful kick. However he'd rolled back and to the left to help negate the swing from apos. Then with little warning Apos leap up from the ground and brought himself up via a small leap and tried to take out Xi's jaw with a sharp elbow. Which barely grazed across the tip of his jaw, as Xi rolled more or less right into it. Xi took a deep breath and followed through with his roll before bringing his right armoured leg up to follow through with his roll. However because of Apos' elbow Xi had to correct his course of movement so the followed through rolling kick came across hard and sharply with his shin. Instead of his intended target of Apos' shoulder his leg had now dropped a bit lower and ended up aiming at Apos' upper arm. In line with his bicep Xi followed through with the kick , knowing full well how hard it was to dodge whilst air borne.

[Apos]

Apos tried to deduct force from the swing of his elbow the second he saw Ximal initiate his evasive technique. Despite his wants though, he'd simply put too much force behind it so unable to actually move his body to his desired position he watched. When his right blade missed and his second attack barely connected he still, even agains't the odds, tried to use the very small window he had between Ximal lifting his leg and snapping it to kick, but it also was futile. The kick connected with Apos' armor-less body and caused his pursed lips to separate though he was able to keep his teeth grinded and squeeze down on the handles of his weapons to help with the force. Whilst him already being airborne, though slightly, it didn't take much more force to keep him elevated for another two to three feet before actually touching the ground. Blinking hard he released his right thumb and index finger to grasp a shuriken from his belt and throw it toward Ximal as he skidded across the ground. The attack itself was more of a separation technique used by Apos when he needed space to recollect himself. Though a good number of people usually dodges it, the unwary tend to get punctured. Apos stood straight, and glanced down at his left arm. By Myri, he's a gotten a lot stronger than the tone of his voice suggested. The musculature physique of Ximal suggested the strength he expended was true, whereas Apos is significantly small in size. He made up for in speed what he lacked in strength though, he'd proven that much. He grazed Ximal, though in an almost insignificant manner, he still touched him. That was enough proof to Apos that he simply needed to move more efficiently, and he now knew the punishment of coming up short... He could already see much darker marks across the giant red spot on his arm and because of the swelling he couldn't tell if it was bruising or dirt. Apos moved his arm a little as he began to stride back to Ximal, but only a little. The pain its movement caused was extraordinary, and he could imagine heavy grunting and sweating if he lifted it to a 90 degree angle, but he wouldn't show any signs of handicaps to Ximal, not even during a spar. Though his upbringing has more to do with that aspect of his personality than his actual feelings he didn't expect Ximal to take offense, even if he knew the circumstances of his arm. As he approached Ximal, Apos flipped the ulak of his right hand so that the blade would face away from his body, swooped his hand behind his back to act as if he was grabbing another shuriken, and quickly flicked his hand at Ximal mirroring the motion of throwing a weapon. After his feign, he followed the motion of his former maneuver and continued to raise his and blade and attempt to stab Ximal in his abdomen.