Completed [Who knows where] Even peace can shatter

[Fallon]

50th Summer 513AV
22nd Bell

It was warm, just like it had been for most of the season. Of course it was nowhere near as warm as it was in the day time, but it was still warm enough for the squire to wander about without anything but her breeches, boots and blouse. Bare fingers traced along the stone walls, her mind caught almost in a daze as little inklings, shuddered at her finger tips. The lykata mark trembled here and there, the golden outline of it barely visible in the torch light with her own features flickering in an out of darkness. It was so quiet here, near devoid of any sound par the gentle breathing that escaped her.

Only in recent days that Fallon had taken to late night wandering, to take herself to the outside world under the cover of darkness and out of the heat of the day. She could not cope in the sun, it weakened her too much. And so the squire was left without the observant eye of her Patron and to turn into a night owl. It was by night in the summer that she strived, it was by night that she trained and worked. It was for the better, it allowed her to be harder on herself. That and it meant she avoided the judgement of others in the training grounds.

Their stares, their mumbles of words. She knew she was useless as a squire, she did not need to hear it from others too. Her hand pulled away from the wall as she continued down the maze of corridors, her eyes only glancing on occasion at the world around her. A light hum rested upon her lips, her steps quick and gentle as she walked along the cool stone. There was indeed no one else about, she could not even hear the clunking of knights as they travelled down the halls.

Or at least she thought until she was grabbed.

Even Fallon was prone to letting out cries of terror when things startled her, or things came out and surprised her. Except this time it was more designed on the side of fear and worry than anything else. Darkness grasped tightly of her and wrapped its way around. It dragged her deep into the pitch black of an alley, a rough hand covering her mouth. Another set grasped her tightly around the waist as they hauled her in deeper. Of course the squire struggled, her fists instictly clenched as she let loose a flail of punches and clamped down her teeth around the hand covering her mouth. The shout of a man rang out in the air, and threw her against the wall in a fit of rage. She could barely make out the outline of the man who grabbed her before more of their shadows merged together.

Her head rung from the throw against the wall, stunned almost by the sudden attack in the dark. Weak hands clawed at the floor as she tried to push herself up, but a swift kick followed shortly after a second. She released a gasp as she bent double, hands hugging at her sides before she slipped to the floor. Fallon swung a foot up as she forced herself to fight, calling through her sluggish mind to get up. Hands pressed her down, leaving her thrashing and squirming, whilst another set continued to make lighter work of everything. There was a lot of laughter going on, the shouts to stop struggling and simply just give in.

But she could not give in, could she? She was a squire, a future knight, she had to fight!

Cold steel pressed against the side of her throat, and she froze if only for a moment. She heard the breathing of the man in her ear. Laboured breath rested there, hands worked against her skin, crawling and creeping their ways up. She stirred slightly, and received the gentle reminder of what was close to her throat. Her shouts, her cries had all but fallen silent to the others that were around her. Something was torn it was more than obvious; the rip of fabric sounded it out clearly enough. Her eyes widened as she realised finally what was going on and the jaws of fate were quickly beginning to close on her.

Instinct ruled as she let out a cry of what could only be described as terror, a mad wild thrash as the dark faces of others that were above her. How many were there? Could she get out? Could she run? Did she have time to run? Questions blared through her mind, but they remained unanswered as the squire gave a final rattled cry out. Something smashed against the side of her head, the blow smacking her face around hard enough to make contact with the floor. Her shout was snuffed out, her mind stunned and shocked. The world fell into little more than a buzz of noise, the stone spiralling around her. All urges to run were knocked off course, her strength had been sapped from her in one swift movement. Her head lulled, the ceiling passing over head before it blinked out of her awareness.
x

[Kisetukai]

 

It was said that a man's identity, his true identity at that, was told by his fist. This was said by a man who used his fist of course, when most people would expect a twist, there was none. The morale of the saying was that life only had one mode, people just viewed it from multiple angles, with the main mode being reality. The morale of the morale was, if that was even possible, that life wasn't something you could lie about. Life was cruel, unfair, and it would always hit when you least expected it to. No matter which angle you looked from, life was a game of death, to the death. Sure, a few got lucky, making it to the hall of fame, taking the title of god. But for the most part, life was cruel to most, and took no sides. Death was always around the corner, pain was soaked in every path of light walked, misery was a sniper on the highest tower, his arrow being despair of course. Many people walked this very walk of life, one of them was a young squire, with too many thoughts and emotions to count.

He had many different views on things in life, he had many different views on what actual peace was, he even had views on what life was for exactly. He was young and corrupted, traumatized multiple times in life at young ages, and this had greatly affected him. He was sharing his body with other people, not being in full control of his actions, yet he carried the burdens like a mule. He was a confused boy to say the least, one who didn't exactly know exactly who he was or what he wanted, and for that he didn't understand his purpose. So he joined the knighthood, thus gaining a place to live, food, training, and more importantly- A purpose. He had a goal in life to become a knight, after that he was a bit still blurry, but for now it was a good start.

It was a good future for him, he was inspired and fought everyday to become stronger. Along the way, he met a myrian who showed him what true battling was, this also inspired him to become stronger. He was on the right track, life was looking good, but as of lately he was at a thick confrontation. Approximately ten days ago, his mother had returned to town, although only for a bit. In that time, they caught up and talked, and then she left once more. She said a lot of things, but only one topic stuck in his mind. She told him that he was one person, that apparently he just imagining his brothers, and that he needed to stop. It sounded like total crap at the time, but as he listened to her it began to make sense, it all made sense. But soon after her departure, brother Shin told him that she didn't understand him, that he was the only one who could. By this time he was shook up, utterly confused and rocked, this sudden change of thought was too much.

He couldn't stop thinking about it, he couldn't stop wondering if he really was imagining it, or did he really have... No, of course he had brothers. They had been their his whole life, but only he could talk to them, but that thought in itself made him nervous. Although Shin told him he should've just ignored it, he couldn't, he needed to think about it. To stay sane. He continued to think about what his mother had said, was she right, was he wrong? He wouldn't let it go, until the problem was solved, something had to be resolved. Most people would've decided to think about it at an appropriate time, but not this one, he went at it until he solved it. Because this would be solved. He was like no other, he had self proclaimed prophecy. He believed that a man's identity was told with his fist, but every time he looked at his, he saw four different people. He only knew himself as one being.

Kisetukai Yamehaka

Kise didn't really plan on being out so late, but he had no problem with it, after all he wasn't out for a stroll. He was outside musing, thinking about what his mother had actually said, trying to decipher all of her words. She had a way with words, and it rung in his head like a bell, a completely foreign confusing bell. What the hell did that woman actually mean? How could his brothers be imaginary? That's why he was here. He had been walking down the cobblestone streets for a while, his silent steps adding in the silence, the darkness resting over his shoulder. He had been walking for quite a bit now, but he was minding his own business, walking silently to himself. He almost seemed like darkness himself, as he swiftly cut through the layers of black, he wore old black. All hair was freshly cut, facial hair included, even in confusing times grooming was important.

He wore a black v neck, black cargo shorts, and of course black knuckle-less gloves. Finally finishing it off with his black thin low tops and some black ankle socks, it was apparent he wasn't wearing flashy clothing or dressing for looks, the heat and time of day chose his outfit for him. He walked briskly switching from hands in pockets, to arms folded, and back. He was thinking up a storm, his head slightly down, the randomly placed torches being ignored. "Ok so if my brothers... Are indeed fake. Then why can I talk to them?" He said happily, thinking he had it all figured out, smiling and snapping upon impact. "Oh wait... I guess only me talking to them proves that they are made up." He turned a corner, never looking up to actually see where he was, he was just walking. He knew Syliras like the back of his hand, so wherever he ended up, he would find his way back home.

He then looked up, hearing a noise but not actually stopping for it, it wasn't shocking at all. It sounded like a sharp yelp, which instantly made him take it as a cat, the only logical explanation. "Damn cats... Always humping each other." He chuckled as he looked down, finally stuffing his hands back into his pockets, maintaining cruising speed. The noise was quickly forgotten, and ignored. After all this was the city of peace, safety came first, and if anything the only thing people had to look out for was a sale at the bazaar. He had more important things to think about instead of cats anyway, like his identity, which was way more important. So he would keep walking, at his brisk carefree pace, not many cares in the world for him.

Why was his life so... Screwed up. Nobody would ever experience this type of confusion, or at least nobody he knew.

[Fallon]

The world blurred in and out, brief flickers in and out of reality. Rough hands pulled and prodded, laughter and voices rang out in her ears. Heavy breathing. Cloth being ripped. Forceful hands. Flesh against flesh. The strange scent of salt and sweat. She was having trouble determining if it was a dream or not, if it was just her imagination playing little more than tricks upon her. It poked and prodded at her, drawing her out to the real world.

This isn’t a dream Fallon! Get up!

Intrusive was the first thing that came to the mind of Fallon as sluggish limbs came into life. Her once dormant mind screamed. It was not dream, it was happening. No sooner had her mind begun its shouting, did once more did her thrashing start. She ignored the pains in her head, the dull aches that rested about her abdomen. She writhed in the grasp, her wrists caught up by a single hand. The girl pulled against it, trying to drag herself free whilst eyes just simply glared at her in the dark. A second set of hands grasped her tightly by the jaw, and another face glared at her in the darkness, followed shortly after by a wicked grin.

She could do nothing but struggle. And make one hell of a shout.

Drawing in the air, she arched her back, her knees bending in an attempt to try and leaver the man off of her. She released what could only be described as a piercing howl, a deep throated cry from her very depths that cut through the air. It was full of fear, but at the same time rage and anger ran through. It turned quickly from panic, into a snarling snap driven purely by instinct. Eyes burned as she threw herself forward, her once bent knee snapping out into a full on kick.

Pure humiliation was what came next. She let out a gasp, and snapped her jaw shut as she stopped herself from crying out. It hurt, it burned, her mind growing blank par the simple want of denial. Her arms strained as she tried to push herself away, to pull herself free. She struggled to defy them and their own desires, before that single chime, that single thought rose up once more. That same one that had rested upon her shoulders since a very early age, since before she could even remember. That simple piece of faith that rested within her.

Survive. You will survive. Hold fast to your faith and survive!
x

[Kisetukai]

 

The warm air on Kise's skin felt a bit odd, it was eerie and bit humid, he was sure his sweat had contributed to a fraction of it. He was already drained from the thinking that was going on, the damn air began to just sap out more energy, this was not what he wanted. He soon decided that he would do a bit more thinking, and then travel back home, after all he hadn't strayed to far, but he knew he had a bit of a walk. The question now was exactly where he was at with his thoughts, he had been walking and thinking this whole time but stayed stagnant in progress. He hadn't gotten anywhere, no thought checkpoints or mental milestones, this was a total bust. He knew he wouldn't have been out here if people would just communicate better with him, if only they would speak directly and not in codes. Or was it him the one switching up their words?

Lately, well ever since he began to think about this, it seemed K and Shin had disappeared. Where could they have gone? Were they sleep? His mind wondered many things, but the main noticeable feature, was how clear it was. He felt as if stress, years of stress, had been lifted from him. But that was impossible, that was utterly appalling to think about. Him being more sane without his brothers? More stress free, more calm, more focused on what mattered. Blasphemy. It was all crap! He was lied to, he knew that his brothers were real, and even if they weren't real, which they were, he didn't care. They were his brothers, he had his mine final, he would stop thinking like that. He wouldn't allow himself to think like that. He couldn't, or he would lose his brothers, he knew what they wanted. They wanted to take his brothers from him.

"No! That's unexceptable." Kise warned himself, never stopping his walk but turning another corner, his hands still in his pockets. He soon turned another, and another, until he came to a conclusion. "I need to go home. Now. K and Shin will be mad at me, I was foolish to think they were fake, I'm gonna have to make it up to them." He let out a chuckle, as his tongue tasted the warm air, it was a nice change of pace from the cold crisp air. He made a final turn, sliding through an alley in between two buildings, using his superior knowledge of the city to his advantage. "I better get K some more honey candy, after all he does love those. But what would Shin like, besides a human sacrifice..." He let out a hearty laugh at his dark humor, his stomach filled with butterflies from the air outside, it made him a bit more down than normal. His clothes seemed to be heavier, although they were decently light, everything gained a few pounds.

As he finally began on his way back home, something definitely caught his attention, sharp cries. It wasn't like a cat, but if it was a cat, it was one big cat. A scared cat. Yeah, it definitely wasn't a cat. "Damn..." He said softly as he finally stopped, once for the whole night, he finally stopped moving. He listened closely as the sound was feint, it was barely heard, nobody could have heard it if it were daytime. But with it being night, so silent you could hear the ants talking, it was fairly heard. It was like a yelp, of pain obviously, well if not pain it was... Unidentifiable. Perhaps he was imagining things, perhaps it was a bit past his bedtime, he had no business being out so late anyway. Only K ever came out this late, and that was so he could go smoke and stuff, and have his late night sexcapades. So if it wasn't a cat... What was it? Was someone outside this late when they shouldn't have been? Who would possibly be out this late? And why would they be yelling?

Letting out a sigh, the obvious explanation came to Kise, the only logical explanation. "Damn drunkards... It's way to late in the night for them to be doing this." A right palm found it's way to his forehead, his glove smooth to the touch, he turned his body. "I may be wrong but... Ok, I'll go check it out just to be safe, then I'll go home. I think I can suffer enough to tell them to keep it down, but then after that... It's straight to the dorms. If they'll let me in... Damned be the gods, it's passed curfew." He knew he shouldn't have been out this late, but he was paying for it, he was paying for it greatly. He made a swift turn, his hands back in his pockets, his walk brisk and casual. It was nice and calm, for there was nothing to be worries abou-... Another scream. Except this one was more clear. It was distress and distress only. But did he actually hear that, or was his mind playing games on him? He let out a huge sigh, clearing his mind a bit, calming himself down. He was overreacting.

"Ok... Calm down Kise, your just experiencing some drawbacks from earlier. Your just... Imagining things. Yeah that's right, your imagining. Just keep calm and you'll be fine-..." Another scream. It was muffled by the night, but it was definitely there, it was definitely someone. "I'm imagining... I'm imagining... I'm-" The muffled cries wouldn't stop, not only that but he was getting closer, he was getting way to close. He had to confirm it, he had too make sure he wasn't crazy. Was he paranoid? No, he was sane, he wanted to believe he was sane. Finally, after squeezing through the final alley, he made contact with the noise. He walked on a cobblestone street, and as he walked, the noise wasn't fading. He took small steps, and the noises moved, it was now north east. 

He gulped as he came to a final conclusion, the noises were in an alley, a dark alley. Questions of paranoia instantly ranged through his head, vibrating inside of his mind to show how bad and important they were, he couldn't ignore them. What if it's a monster... What if it's bunch of spiders... What if it's... A ghost." He instantly thought of Fubuki playing a prank on him, jumping out of the dark and yelling a cliche boo. But once again his mindset was changed, as he grew closer to the noises, and the noises grew louder to him, it became apparent what was going on. Sexual activity. He wasn't a kid anymore, he knew the sounds of moaning and pleasures. He had witnessed it all many times, after all he shared a body with K for crying out loud, he was forced to see things.

He straightened his body, his walk becoming less stealthy, it was instantly obvious that he was dealing with some horny kids. There used to be a time when K was like that, outside late at night, found in the darkest alley like a sewer rat. That was before he became an egomaniac and started viewing sex anywhere outside of the bedroom outrageous... Of course even an old dog never unlearned old tricks, you could never get him out of his ways. Kise inched up, his hand on the wall as the alley was approaching, he could hear the sounds clearly now. Little shrieks let out, whoever it was didn't really care to keep it down, he was surprised their were no knights in the area to stop it. And as a future knight and present squire, it was his job to tell them to stop, for that was disturbing the peace. An infraction he couldn't allow, although it sounded like the strangers were in their own personal bliss, he was sure to stop it. Once he grew the courage.

He stopped. The alley was a step forward, and he could hear the moans and shrieks. It sounded as if it was rough, no wonder they were doing it outside, they were animals. He had to put a stop to this, these savages were disgracing the city like this, there was no way he could've allowed that. Of course, in all reality, he thought it was just really good sex for them. He leaned body forward, his feet still in place, he just wanted to peek at what was there. What he saw was... Interesting. A bunch of black figures, vibrating and/or rocking in place, they were crowded and clumped together. Not only that, they were big and stalky, but perhaps it was because he didn't have a full view. Kise cranes his neck, inching out to see a bit more, just one more inch...

Thud! 

He hit the floor, peering directly to the alleyway, his chin and everything hurt. He slowly rose to his feet, it seemed he went unnoticed at first, but that was all about to changed. Patting himself off, he cleared his throat, and decided to confront the offenders. "Pardon me but..." Nobody heard his little voice, apparently he wasn't using enough bass, his calm voice just wasn't cut out for bringing the peace. He was still a bit disgusted, they seemed to be like giant roaches, feeding on something. Was this poor girl really into that stuff, a bunch huge men, in an alley? Was she really... Wait a chime... He slowly began to piece together a new idea, about what was actually going on here, and with every added detail, it proved to sound the most logical. "One woman... This late at night... A group of big men, at this late at night. Shrieks and screams... Could it really be-?"

He became firm, his voice and mind made up, he spoke out with the young bass he had. "Halt! What goeth on here commoners?" He said aloud, that was his best K impersonation, hopefully it struck the same fear into these guys like K would've.

The men had been doing what they planned to do for a while, with the main one up front occupied with Fallon, the other three men were obligated to entertain themselves till their turn was next. However, the one in the front, closest to were the alleys entrance was, had heard something. He released the grip of his manhood, turning and seeing someone in the distance, it was blurry from his excitement. The men had enjoyed themselves for a while and forgot to keep watch, in that time they had let a boy come up and observe their wrongdoings. "Huh?" The man in the front said as he heard Kise, he peered down harder and noticed it was a mere boy. "Go away kid, this is grown up stuff." The man said, his buddies, even the one dealing with Fallon, turned their head. This slowed down all of them, as they looked to see who was disturbing their fun.

Kise felt a bit shaky, after all he was in the wrong place at definitely the wrong time. He had gotten what he wanted, exactly and more than what he wanted. The spotlight. Now that he was sure these figures were staring at him, he was confused on what to say next, after all he still didn't know exactly what was going. Were they thugs? Just a couple of people who needed a quick fix? This shouldn't have been ruled out, because he thought it was them still following the rules by going into alley, at least they got out general public view. But then again there was that last option... That one that asked was this... Rape. Kise decided to speak up, he had to stay firm no matter what was going on here. "I asked what was going on here. I'm a squire, one with the order, by law your supposed to-"

"I told you to get lost kid, this doesn't concern you. We are just playing around with our wench. Is that a crime?" The one closest to Kise said, it was easy to see they were becoming agitated, they felt like they were gonna have a problem.

Their answer was blunt, they answered his question without answering it, they had done this before. Keen observation and interrogation skills were used, it seemed so far intimidation wouldn't be necessary. "Oh so she's your wench... Well next time please do that inside, it is a crime to be outside like that, we call it public indecency." Kise felt accomplished as he turned his body, beginning to walk off, he felt that they were telling the truth. He took a few steps, already passed the alley, and heard more noise behind him. Except this time it was laughter, laughter with more howling, that poor girl... If only she knew she could find better men. Get a job, a house, a family, and make something of herself. Instead of being used in this dark... Alley. Kise stopped, after letting out a sigh, he had to go back. He had to be sure this wasn't what he thought it was. He came around the corner, standing into the alleyway with a goal in mind, he wasn't leaving till he confirmed it. "Ok, I see that you guys say this is your wench... But could I please talk to the woman, she still is a woman right, hopefully you guys haven't lowered her to far." He had seen a lot of things living with K and Shin, so many women in dog collars and tight vest with chains, things like that... Were just wrong.

"You again..." The man groaned. "Kid, we already told you what ya wanted to know, no leave. No you can't talk to the woman, she's busy." The men thought that Kise was starting to piece it together, which he was. "Look, we will be out of here about fifteen chimes, tops."

Kise looked at the men, it seemed they were sticking with their secrecy, nice tactic. He took a step forward, feeling eyes penetrate his soul as he raised his hands from his pockets, pointing. This caused even the man doing the woman to stop, apparently they were expecting a speech. "Don't you look me, you guys are having sex in a dark alley and won't allow me to see the woman. Your in the wrong here." He was loud, in hopes that a passing knight would hear, incase he needed back up. He could see the men shifting, they weren't enjoying his company. "You are committing a serious crime, and criminal activity isn't taken lightly by the order, so you have two options. Let me talk to the girl. Or answer to the knights once I go tell them. Decide quickly." He stood tall and firm, those were probably his most adult words ever, proof of maturity for him.

The man who engaged conversation with Kise groaned, he was tired of the boy, tired of hearing him talk and talk. He, along with his buddies, stared at him in hopes of intimidation.  All men were still now, their words mumbled and low to each other, except when speaking to Kise. "Oh is that so..." The man said aloud, he turned to the one gripping Fallon, it wasn't hard to multitask. After a quick head nod, the man moved out of the darkness into more darkness, he began walking towards Kise. "Yeah boy, we're leaving, we're leaving..." The man had a plan, a surprise attack.

As soon as the man began walking Kise stepped back, he made way for him, he was happy they saw things his way. Of course he was a bit baffled by the rest of the group, it seemed they stayed behind and watched. He turned his attention to the shadows, he could hear the girl making noise. The worst part was, it sounded so familiar, he would've been able to identify the owner if she wasn't making random burst of noises. "Ok guys I meant all of you. Not only this guy. All of you need to vacate the-" A punch landed squarely on his left cheek, catching him off guard and whipping his neck. The pain immediately set in, as he the right wall and slapped the ground. Although he wasn't out or even rocked, he was combating the urge to cry, it wasn't easy. The stinging that instantly buzzed in his face, it raged nonstop, it continuously burned. He clenched the ground, nailed grinding the cobblestone in an attempt to grab something to get up. There was none. 

Although he was hurt, he was still able to move, he wasn't destroyed just yet. This was thanks to the recent training he had been through, with his first defeat came his first journey as a fighter, he trained harder. Now he had more stamina and durability to continue. So in a way, he was thankful that he had met Razkar. Now, he had to get up, he had to confront these men. They were no longer citizens, they were criminals, they had another offense. He rolled away, flying into the light, quickly jumping to his feet. 

His temple was burning, but so was his passion for justice, an only one could prevail.

[Fallon]

It burned, it all did. It burned brightly enough that the only thing Fallon could do was kept on pushing it back. To ignore it, to deny it. Demeaning would be the way to describe it, the hum of slanderous words being whispering in her ear. A second rise of struggling came forth, and her jaw was clenched tightly by a rough hand. Eyes burned down at her, and a snarl rose up “You’re a dirty little whore. No one wants you. We’re all doing you a favour.” Fallon could not speak. Her voice had left her, her strength having been sapped. Even if she wanted to escape there was no chance to. Opportunities had already passed by, and as they continued all she could do was let out a whimper. Nothing more. Yet even in a state of fear did her thoughts continue to turn. She held onto what little she could, that little flicker of light to pull her through.

Hold fast. Have faith. Have strength. Hold fast. Have faith. Have strength.

There were voices. Rather suddenly in fact. As if they were conversing with another. A momentary of peace from her torture. She let out a tremble, her arms giving a firm tug to break free. There was a brief shot of a glare, before the current one pushed against her, and held her still. They were not about to let her go any time soon. Instinct made her arch up, a thought of struggling coming to the surface. The voice was familiar, a life line almost that drew her back in to reality. Her muscles tensed for a moment, tendons straining as she tried to push herself back up only to be slammed back down.

Drawing in a deep breath, Fallon seized her opportunity.

A single spark ignited with Fallon. She could not allow herself to vulnerable anymore. She had to break out, she had to fight. Her mind gave a scream, her jaw clenching. It started in her stomach, a deep throated growl reverberating up through her. Their distraction was their downfall, and whoever it was she was grateful for their simple moment of stepping in. Her fists clenched, her arms straining. She swung her head forward to meet the man holding her down, with a firm solid clunk.
“You Vagik! That was my nose!” the man pulled away hands loosening out of reflex. Quickly as it came she swung a knee up and her hands towards his face. She squirmed free, uncaring about the current state she was in. Rolling onto her side, Fallon shuffled away. She gave a wince at the pain that existed, and clambering up to her feet. A hand grabbed at her, and the squire jerked away from it, “Get off you petcher!”

The call to fight was at hand, and as Fallon hitched up her breeches and tightened the belt once more did thought and feeling actually return. Anger, fear, rage, grief, she could hardly think clearly. Panic commanded her, a call to flee beckoning her on one hand, the want to fight on the other. Her eyes looked upon the one who had intervened the voice having now become familiar in her ears. Her eyes looked across past those that blocked her way, the shadow of Kisetukai bursting out into the daylight. She watched their advance, her fists shook. They were going to hurt him, they were going to hurt him because of her. She was a squire, she was the face of Syliras and she had fallen to this level?

Hold fast. Have faith. Have strength. Have courage. Fight!

Swallowing she looked down upon the man, a shadow falling over her face as she watched him rise. She was indeed tiny next to him, with fear burning brightly in her eyes. But she could not show cowardice, she could not let herself show it. She had to stand up and stare her nightmares in the face. Her lip curled as she forced down her terror, and fortified herself with what had been going through her head all this time. Faith. Strength. Courage. She knew she had it there, she just had to reach down and grab it.

Her fists clenched, the strain falling onto her knuckles.

Fallon Skylar was done running.
x

[Kisetukai]

 

Time was of the essence. It was of the darkest of bells, and it showed no sign of daylight anytime soon. Here Kise stood, opposing a man who had just struck him down like he was in the wrong, he couldn't accept this. The man quickly began to walk up to him, slowly closing the gap between them, and forcing the young squire to think on his toes. He remembered what his master had said, that a calm body always prevailed. The man reached for him lazily, his movement was so untrained and lacking, Kise saw it coming. Without much thinking he side stepped to the right, the man's dirty attire rubbing over his head. "Wait!" He tried to exclaim as another attempt by the man was shot out, except this time it was a punch, seems he was short fused. Kise slid to his left, his crouch was low, his left shoulder down a bit. Upon sliding he through a right jab, tagging the man's flabby torso. It seemed between the strength of his punch, and that man's clothing, the jab only made him angry.

In a final attempt, the man through a straight at Kise, with enough speed that his instincts kicked in. He was already at a half crouch, the blow would've hit his face, and put him to sleep. His head instantly bobbed back, watching the fist the whole time, years of bruises from being who he was. Kise's fist followed his like loyal down, moving up to come together and meet at his face. At the height of his weave, even if only for a split second, he saw everything clearly. Fighting was never like this, it was never this sense of focus, this made it all way too easy. Kise finally weaved, using his right leg to step forward into it, gaining momentum as he twisted counter clockwise barely. His left hand instantly made contact with the man's forearm mid swing, fringing against it and refusing to let him bring it back inside. 

Finally, Kise released his vicious attack, wanting to hurt the man but not too badly. A right uppercut coming off of a drop step, his body used his turning momentum to propel the uppercut northwest, slicing past the man's chin. Before that was even finished he was already working on the next punch, and as soon as the right uppercut his, a left came cutting through the warm winds. Of course the left was weaker, but after the first hit, it seemed the man fell unconscious. The second uppercut seemed to raise his jaw up, popping his head up once more, but Kise wasn't done. A final right upper cut came rising up, once again going northeast, and slicing the man's soul. Before the man was even hit, Kise was jumping back, giving him rooms of escape. He watched as the man fell chin first into the cobblestone, it seemed there was no hope for those that fought with no skill. 

His body plopped with a loud thud, out of sympathy and care, Kise walked up to him. Kneeling besides him, he picking up the man's left hand gently, dropping it to test his condition. The man's hand fell flush, dead and lifeless as it bounced once on the harsh ground. "Lord Sylir... Forgive me." Kise said as he shook his head and looked up at the sky. "It was in the name of peace and everything you stand for I hope." He turned his head to see the other brutes not worried about him, they actually had a bit of room now, and now he could see the girl a bit more. He couldn't make out much, but he was getting the overall shape. He rose up to his feet, fist tightly clenched as he walked up, it seemed the men were preoccupied. They were in pain? The girl was fighting back, this definitely was what he thought it was, how could he had been so foolish. He heard her voice, and he knew exactly who it was instantly, for he had a short list of friends. "Skylar..." He said low to himself as he realized. "Skylar?! Is that you Fallon Skylar?!" He said aloud, he involuntarily began to jog, until turning into a full sprint. "Stay away from her! Come fight somebody your own si-" He was cut off as the one to the left ran out to meet him, another easy target, and now he was even more enraged.

Kise instantly assumed the position, lowering himself as the man finally made it to him, he was ready to box. But it seems the man had witnessed what he did earlier, and he wasn't having it.

"Grimey little petcha' aren't ya." The man said in a gruffly voice, low and full of age, it was sinister. "I see what you did to my friend there, that looked nasty. But I also see that you saw what we did to your friend over there. Yeah, I know you know her."

Kise put two and two together as he talked, Fallon and the noises, and now he really hoped that wasn't her. He was playing right into the man's hands, getting more angry, he was infuriated just because of the thoughts. It was past criminal, it was unacceptable, and worthy of death. "I'm gonna kill you!" Kise said as he ran up, he was at a full sprint.

"Uh ah ah." The man said, forcing Kise to halt about five feet from him, sliding something out of his dark clothes. A switchblade, nifty and small, made for the quickest of stabbings. He held it in his right hand, obviously once again lacking skill, his strategy was probably just slash slash slash. He made sure to keep it in the light though, at the blade was only about four inches long, the gleaming sure made it intimidating. "So boy you feelin' stupid? Or are you gonna be a good kid and just go home?"

What kind of question was that, he wouldn't have been a squire if he just left, he wouldn't have been a friend. He looked at the man with a look of disgust, slowly morphing that look into a look of quiet rage. It might have been foolish, but he was gonna go for it, he was gonna attempt to take on this bastard and get his friend. One... Two... Thr- And just right before he was about to jump at the man, he lost control of the fight, he had lost full control. A full nelson technique, obviously brawlers of some sort, scooped his arm above his head. He struggled instantly as soon as he realized but it was no use, the lock was in tight, and he was a sitting... Standing duck. What now?

"Gotcha!" The man with the knife showed some teeth, way less than bright white, as they gleamed yellow in the light. He took a step forward, meeting up with Kise and the man holding him, he seemed to have planned this. "You see right now little boy? This is a prime example of what I was explainin' earlier. This is adult stuff, and you had no business getting involved." He snapped his hand, forcing his blade to fly back into it's place as e put it away. Taking a final step up to Kise, he looked him dead in the eyes, he was happy to watch the boy squirm. "Hold em tight John." The man said roughly, his friends grip growing tighter on Kise, they were ready to give a quick lesson. "Next time kid... Don't interfere-" The man sent a heavy right punch to Kise's gut, and interesting place to start off, as he was just getting started. His voice intensified on his last word, using the punch as an interval, was ready to go again.

"With adult's business. Your a squire right? Well you should be home, resting, getting stronger to protect your city!" Another groan as another punch flew into the boy, the man had no relent in his swings, and his main goal was to destroy this boy for his mistakes. "Instead, your out here playing a role that's not yours. You want to be some hero kid? Huh?" Another vicious blow to the body, except this time it was aimed at the ribs, and it was sharp. "Do ya!" Followed by another blow to the ribs in the same spot.

Kise's eyes were foggy with emotion, the moment right before you cried, and tears of hate and rage. He was angry that he couldn't help his friend, he couldn't even help himself, he had failed. This was the lowest of the low, and it seemed that everything was falling apart, this was even worse than his first defeat. With every word the man spoke to him, he was snapped back to reality, until he was punched back into a groggy state. Breathing was ok, but scary. It was slow, like he was dying, and he began to feel numb from so much pain. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the men stopped. Letting him go, as he struggled on the floor. He hit the cobblestone also with a thud, just like the man before, except his trip wasn't so lovely. As soon as he hit the ground, he was stomped out, boots at the back of his head. Constantly his head ricocheted off the asphalt and back, bouncing like a ball the experience was painful no doubt, and now there were more bruises.

"Ok John, that's enough, lift em up." The man commanded his friend, he watched as Kise was put into another hold, this time with no opposition. He watched as Kise's head rolled back and forth, it seemed the boy was suffering a concussion, and that was never good. He roughly grabbed Kise by the face, thumb and fingertips at his cheeks, dirty palm on his mouth. He wanted to make sure the kid could hear him, as he came face to face, as if they were about to kiss. "That was fun wasn't it? But to make sure I was a good host, I'm gonna make this night unforgivable... You ready?" He leaned back and pulled out his blade once more, already unsheathed he held it out, letting it bask in the moonlight. "Tada! We are gonna do tattoos!" He said with a laugh, as he took a step forward, he held the dull blade on Kise's right cheek. "Now try not to move too much now. I don't wanna mess up."

When Kise was brought up, he was out of it. His head rolled around on his shoulders, and only stayed on because of his neck, he felt like every limb was barely connected. His vision was blurred but hearing still definite, he could feel his ribs still bruised and his chin bleeding heavily from multiple scratches. When the man grabbed his face and talked, he could smell the alcohol in his voice, these guys were freaks. He looked at him wildly, refusing to make eye contact, like he had a choice. And then the man pulled out his blade, pressing it against his face, the cold metal lightly touching his cheek. He brought a finger down and began to rub Kise's left cheek, a big mistake. He quickly turned his head and bit down on the finger, unluckily he found knuckle, with made his attempt useless. The man jumped back in pain, and then came forward with a hammering punch, slamming on Kise's face. He now had a bruised and swollen left cheek, he was a disaster, and his swelling appeared purple. The men kept laughing, and as the man drew closer with his blade, he was sure it was over. All he could do was mutter and mumble. "Fallon.. Run... Go get the... Knights."

Where were the knights when you needed them?

[Fallon]

Fallon stared, fists clenching, eyes burning at the back of them. Her jaw tightened, her shoulders growing stiff. They dealt with Kisetukai with ease, mainly due to him letting his anger take control. Hairs rose, her skin prickled. She may have been shaken, beaten and running on adrenal. But she could not run, she could not allow herself to break. Not yet. She swallowed, legs being forced into action as she worked through her own fears.

Later she could cry, later she could stop and let herself cry. But not now.

She would not run. She could not let herself run, not anymore. Not when she had dragged Kisetukai into this, it was not pride that made her want to fight. It was not the want of valour, blood lust or her own revenge. Right now it was simply trying to right the wrongs, to free him from more harm and the current ill that was going on. These men, they would receive what they deserved in due time, but until then she would have to trust in all she had left to trust in and use it.

Her feet quickened, her foot fall growing more solid by the tick. She acted upon it, adrenal pumping as she pushed it down the best she could. The men may have crowded around him, but that would not be for long. Not if she was to have her way. Her fist drew back, her other hand wide open to grab and try and pull him. One of them turned only briefly to see the approach of the squire, his voice raising in alarm to the others.
“Petch! It’s the girl!” Pressing off from the ball of her toes, Fallon threw herself at one of them. She did not care who it was, as long as it gave him enough time to escape that was all that mattered. Her knee raised, her open had grasping at one of the men.
“Get off him!” came the cry of Fallon, her arm wrapping around one of his, and a clenched fist smacking against flesh. Her teeth clamped down upon him, an angry shout filling the air as she gripped on. A swing of an arm sent her back into the wall, and the one with a knife upon her abandoned his current target. His attention was pulled away, the blade slicing round out of reflex at her.

It was quick and sudden. Before she could react the steel had swiped round and pierced the skin. She turned pale as she felt it there. It shuddered in the flesh as she pulled away and slumped against the wall. Should she scream in pain? Should she shout out or just roll around in pain? Her knees buckled beneath her as the feeling of impact came to her, her eyes rolled towards the floor, the dull beating ringing out in her ears. The unforgiving grip of pain grasped her once more, and the squire shuddered.

“Shyke! Look what you’ve done!” One of the men growled at the other. Her grip loosened, her once clenched fist becoming relaxed and limp. She caught a glimpse of a scuffle between the men, worry in their voices, “You arsehole!”
“I didn’t want to stab her!” exclaimed one of the others. The world stilled, a momentary sense of distance between her and it as the men argued. She had felt pain before, she had received her fair of scrapes and bruises in the training grounds, worse still when she was upon the open road given the right situation.

But this true pain, real pain, the sort that would dull all of the senses because of it, that would make or break a fight between people, would never get any easier.

“Petch, we need to get out of here.” Blood? Her face creased with pain, her fingers wrapping around her left shoulder tightly. Gods it hurt. But she could not tell in the dark of the corridor. Sight would not guide her, and only fingers would be able to tell at present. They traced around her shoulder, shakily going round it. Steel met them, and she flinched back at the burst of pain that flared up. Her eyes clenched shut, and she bit her lip. There was movement, the sound of heavy steps catching the air marking the escape of the men before more damage was done. Her fingers touched it again, feeling the tip that had pierced in, the pain more intense this time.

A good sign, in a sense. Her knuckles twitched as she tried to move her arm, a cry seeping out. There was no use hiding the pain, not now at least. Her fingers reached up to the hilt of it, her eyes watering as she tried to focus on gripping it. She needed to get it out.

And that was going to hurt a lot.
x

[Kisetukai]

It was over, it was all over. This man was going to cut his face, with a crappy blunt blade that gleamed in the little light that was present, it was inevitable. Pain was inevitable. But no matter how much he estimated the pain to be, his mind and attention was majorly grasped by something else, Fallon. Is Fallon ok? Did she escape? Did she get the knights? His mind echoed questions, although his body itself was blurry, so this made the questions even more evident. Finally, the time came, he could see the blade more clearer than ever. As it came to his face, it touched his skin oh so clearly, silver poking into dark brown. He felt his heartbeat throb, he could hear it in his head, as he noticed his vision was fogging by the passing ticks. His breathing slowed, heavy and slow, he was afraid. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to experience pain or bloodshed, he had nowhere else to turn.

 "Lord Sylir... Please give me peace... However possible... You know best." His mumbles seemed to be unnoticed by the men, as his head dropped all form of struggle, he was losing consciousness. Slowly he began to slip, limbs going numb, as he gave up. Life, was it really just this easy to take it? Was it this easy to kill someone. What happened to him? What happened once he died? Did he get another turn? Did he get to say that he didn't want to die? This all happened because of his foolishness, coming into battle like an angry child, he should've gotten the knights. Because he was a child, he had no place here, not with these men. He admitted defeat, and would sadly accept death, he needed it now more than ever.

Looks like I finally get to meet Dira... He went to a semi conscious mode, happy with a small faint smile on his face, he was incredibly happy that he at least saved Fallon from this pain. He was happy that she was able to escape, she was a good squire, a good girl... A good person. Over time he lost all feeling in his body, his closed shut, he was lost in darkness. Only able to hear a bit of outside, and overtime he began to come back, hearing little words here and there.

[i]Mutter.... More mutter... Words came to him jumbled up, bouncing around in his mind, waiting to be deciphered. Off. Stab. Girl. Didn't. The words were not in the order they were said, but he couldn't tell, all he knew was that words were coming to him. Flying at him randomly, what did they mean? He didn't know, all he could do was listen and try to pay attention. Before long all he could hear was thumps on the ground, he new that sound, footsteps. Those bastards were escaping him, and he couldn't move. Finally his eyes flushed, flying open and grasping for color and light, he needed to see something. His head was turned to the side, seeing the legs moving simultaneously, it was over with.

His head turned, and he saw Fallon, staring her down as he layer on his stomach. He could barely make out details, but he knew it was her, he could tell. He stared at her, his head shaking and trembling violently, his bottom lip sagging. He wanted to yell, but he couldn't, he didn't have the energy. "You...! You ... Were supp-... Ose to leave...!" His voice was quiet and snarly, he was angry to see her, she wasn't supposed to be here. He tried to save her, he wanted to get her out of here, he wanted to be a good friend. But because of her, he was a bad friend. He could've saved her if he wasn't so dumb, if he tried harder, and paid attention. But he failed. He was a failure, he wasn't a squire, or a future knight. A true knight would've saved her and had those guys in the tank instantly, but all he could do was watch, and get in the way.

His head fell flat on the floor, his cheek getting more dirty, his chin still leaking blood, except now it was a mere trickle. "Hey... You... I'm talking to... Ugh!" He was silenced as a bit of blood began to trickle out of his mouth, sliding onto the floor, saliva made only a fraction of the solution. He swallowed, and raised his head, as if gathering a bit of energy. He strained his body, stretching out fully, his gloves gripping onto the ground. He pulled himself up a bit towards her, he was so confused, as it seemed she was ignoring him. Obviously preoccupied with something else, he watched as her hand tended to her body, what was wrong? He thought the damage had been done, but he was way off, he had no idea.

Seeing her hand gleam a bit in the dark alley, they stayed wasted and down, both of them obviously in pain. Although Kise thought he had the most pain, that soon changed, he began piecing it together. "Oh gods... They ... Got you!" He spat out, his words were faint but angry. "You weren't supposed to be here! You weren't supposed to be here! Not now! I told you to run! I told you to leave and get the knights! Why... Why didn't you..." His voice began to fade, the pain was unbearable. He already had a fear of blood, this just sent him over the top in pain. He rolled over, eyes shutting tight and teeth exposing pain, he was now on his back.

"I'm sorry ... If I would've came earlier... If I would've help... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry... I'm so..." He just kept babbling, until he finally passed out, he was done. Too much had happened for him, he couldn't bare with the pain anymore, he succumbed and gave in. His eyes staying closed, his limbs ceased and dropped, lifeless for the situation. Constant mutters from an unconscious zone, he knew not what he was saying. "So sorry... He only... Sorry.."

Kisetukai... He was done...

[Fallon]

She did not truly hear what he was saying anymore. It had become little more than a mumble behind the distinctive ringing that had grown. A sickening taste had formed in her mouth, her head growing faint as she encouraged her grip to tighten around the hilt of the knife. Her jaw tightened, her breathing quickening and her pulse following suit.

On three. One. Two. Three!

It was an ear splitting howl that filled the air, a scream of pain and emotion that had been so tightly wrapped up and pushed down. Grief, rage, anger, pure disgust filled the air. She hated herself; she hated the suffering that had been caused by her own recklessness, the thought that she could have avoided all this by being more careful, by being stronger and more able. The thought that she was nothing more than a weak squire. Her throat closed up for a moment, that screech turning into a croak, before her head sunk. Steel clattered to the floor, ragged breathing filling the air.

Pain plunged forth, the momentary state of distance from the world having now been ripped from her. Blood pulsed, her ears watering as the burning pain once more filled her shoulder. There was a gasp, and tears as her fingers felt the dribble of blood race down. She wanted to panic, to scream and shout, to share alarm and hope that someone would come to her. She was scared and hurt, the momentary sense of sanity on her mind having been left shattered. None of it felt real.

And it was perhaps more than ever that she needed someone. Not that she could communicate that though.

Once more she tried to force on the strong face, the dull beat of the heart in her ears. The fabric made it appear a lot worse than it actually was, the white absorbing the blood in an instant, leaving her skin underneath sticky and tight. She needed to stop it flowing, that was her first thought. Reaching weakly to her sleeve, pulling at the fabric and gripping firmly. She sucked in the air and ripped it, the tearing sound filling the silence. She gave a whimper, and clenching her eyes shut she pulled the removed sleeve away and around her shoulder. It was hard working with one hand, or more than simply hard. It was difficult. She pulled it round, trying her best to tighten it and hold it in place. An extra set of hands would not go amiss, but at present she worked with what she could.

Right now though she needed to fight with herself to stay calm. And by staying calm she would be able to help herself once more. She gave a wince as a chime or so passed by, and her shoulder begun to stiffen. She kept the pressure there, but did not move a muscle. Instead she let her eyes roll to Kisetukai and his crumpled form on the floor.

Gods, the pair of them looked a mess.
x

[Kisetukai]

Constant breathing, Kise was hurt, but he wasn't dead. Perhaps a huge over reaction on his part, but nothing too bad was actually done, it was just the speed at which such trivial things occurred. As soon as Kise got a grip, he was truly conscious, keeping his eyes closed from fear. He could hear Fallon's howling in the back ground, although he was still a bit rocked, his head swiveling as his body turned back on. Fingers trembling a bit, muscles warming up and handing over control, he was coming to. Finally, his eyelids raised slowly, his eyes themselves struggling to capture light. Looking straight up, all he could see was darkness, one of the major downsides of building a city in a castle.

His palms on the cold floor began to warm up, providing life and inspiration to the rest of his body, his toes wiggled. Then he heard metal jingle on the ground, reminding him of Fallon, he had been so wrapped up in his own body, he forgot who exactly mattered most. Rolling over to his side, his palm slapping the ground to prevent him from rolling onto his stomach, his energy was slowly coming back. He looked down onto the ground from a view that landscaped the reality as vertical, shaking his head as he leaned up, now on his bottom.

Fallon was looking dead at him, or at least in his direction, her face showed it all. He leaned forward, falling on all fours, as he slowly toddled to the girl against the wall. Looking at the metal gleaming on the floor, his mouth opened up slowly, eliciting words that grew with a bit of disbelief. "No... No, no, no.... Aw... No." He was refusing to believe his sight, had his eyes deceived him, he was starting to believe so. With a small head shake, his eyes closed, he got up to Fallon's level. Opening he immediately saw it, his eyes clinging to stained cloth, he could hear her pain in her silent breath. "Oh gods... My whining won't solve a thing now..." His hands slowly rose up, hovering in front of his chest, as he stared at the poorly dressed wound.

"Fal... Don't fight me on this ok? I'm gonna... I'm gonna try to help you." Shaking hands rose up slowly, until they were right before the wound, quickly launching an inch forward. He grasped the cloth with only his three primary fingertips on both hands, knuckle-less gloves coming in handy, he had to be as gentle as possible. He focused and tried to not listen to any sounds formed by Fallon, he had to do this, someway he had to help. Hopefully, his hands did help. His left hand grasped her arm, prodding and pulling it in gently yet firmly, closer to his so he could get a better look and more room to work. Sliding off the stained cloth, it absorbed her blood quite nicely, but it was awful to see.

Kise was horribly afraid of blood, but while tending to Fallon, that thought was out of the window. He only focused on his work, and his work only, for the world seemed oblivious as he held onto Fallon. He shivered a bit as he held her arm, tossing the bloody cloth to the side, then glancing back into her eyes. "Fallon, your a strong girl... I know this... Remember my nose?" He said with a forced chuckle, trying to cheer up the girl a bit, although this may have not been the time it was worth a shot. He hoped she didn't mind the touching, but he was trying to be mature and professional. "Stay like this, ok? Don't move, keep that arm out." He leaned back, sliding off his shirt in one swift motion, his dark skin and shirt disappearing in the night. "I think this will do way better... After all..." His eyes darted to her chest and then back to her wound, a nervous pubescent gulp flying through him, Fallon needed all the clothing she could get in his point of view.

He placed both arms inside of his shirt, then pushing away, he ripped it. Grabbing it at the collar now, he ripped it once more, unevenly. Tossing one half of the shirt over his shoulder, he would save it just in case, he took the other half in his hands and leaned back to Fallon. Grabbing her arm once more, he looked at her calmly, a look of determination and survival in his eyes. "We are squires... We a young soldiers... We are knights. This is nothing, stay with me, your doing so well." His words of encouragement probably made him feel way better than her, but he was trying, after all he was probably more inexperienced than her when it came to injuries. He let go of her arm, ready to do what he had to do. His attention went to the ripped half of his shirt in his dark hands, folding it up, it appeared to be padded now. After all this was what made sense to him, folding it reinforced it, it was only logical.

He brought up the folded cotton cloth, finely makeshift bandages, he stopped right before he made it to the wound. "Oh! This could be way better!" He lowered it back down, holding it up with his hands, he knew exactly what to do. If only he knew exactly how to do it... Right. He leaned and put the cloth in his hands on his right knee, laying it directly in the middle, his hands shot up. He grasped the one on his shoulder, as if on a time limit, he was trying to do it quickly. He folded the one on his shoulder, thus also reinforcing it. He then raised the cloth on his knee, sliding the one from his shoulder vertically under it, now they were crossed perpendicularly. Finally he gently picked up the cloth, a makeshift "x" in his hands, and brought it to Fallon's wound. Placing it on her as gently as possible, although he knew not of his own strength and it probably hurt, he held it down with his left hand. Next, he grabbed the ends of the cloth, bringing them around the girl's wound, and holding both ends in his grasp between his teeth.

"Mmm malmost... Mon... Mallon!" He grunted as his left hand switched to the cloth wrapped around the original cloth, he then proceeded to tightly tie that one, although the tying itself was novice but brutally tight. Then he released the ends from his mouth, grabbing them and the newly tied spot, he then rotated the bandaging. Finally he prepared another tying, finally ending his savage treatment, as he took a step back. "Ok.. I know it's a bit painful but..." That was an understatement, he had just poked, prodded, burned, and even immobilized this women. But he was proud of himself and her, humans and knights, they were survivors. Placing his hands on his knees, and leaning over a bit, he took in a few deep breaths. Finally rising back up to her face. "Fallon... If it's not too much trouble... Could you explain?" He looked around, finally remembering where they were. "On the way of course, we should probably get going right? Can you move?" He held out a firm right hand, ready to aid his friend and comrad. The funny part was, he hadn't even noticed he had gotten all of his energy back, he was so focused on Fallon, his mind was definitely somewhere else.

Her...