Closed [Bronze Woods] Playing with Fire

[Taros]

Timestamp: 10th, Summer of 513 AV Heat. If one word could be used to describe all of Sylira right now, that would be it. Only 10 days into summer, and the heat was absolutely infernal. A normal human might not be bothered so much, but Taros is a different story. The stench of Syliras tends to compound with the heat decomposing all the waste, and for a Kelvic like him the smell is maddening. The crowds become absolutely suffocating, and sickness tends to spread like a wildfire in such heat. Taros couldn't afford to get sick, and he was going crazy with the sensory overload. He racked his brain for a solution, and after a few nights, he finally found one. Desperate to get out of the city, he sought out Drake Reinhold, an old friend of his bondmate, and an aspiring Mercenary. It was good to have friends who knew how to fight, something his master agreed with. Taros much preferred mercenaries over Knights, as he didn't agree with their policy. And he certainly had seen his share of "brutality" as some people called it, even though he knew deep down the knights tried their best to keep everyone in Syliras safe, so he was somewhat grateful for their service. Syliras was considered one of the last pillars of civilization for a reason. Crime was virtually non-existent, and everybody worked for the good of Syliras. Although he wasn't a fan of the ant-hill mentality, he did admire its success, both in theory and in practice. Finally exiting the gates, he contemplated what he would eat once he reached the meeting grounds him and Drake had agreed upon. Far from a cook, Taros had simply slapped together a sandwich of cold cuts and called it a day. It may not be overly-appetizing, but it would go a long way towards replenishing their energy during the training session. He wished he knew a cook, and made a mental note to hang around gathering places in the city more often in the hopes of befriending one. They say a man is most happy with a full belly, and the mantra applies to Kelvics as well, as far as Taros is concerned. He had set out later than usual, and realizing he would leave Drake waiting on him at their destination, he picked up the pace in the hope that he would eventually catch up and possibly even arrive at the same time. Unskilled at multitasking, Taros was pulled from his train of thought when he noticed a bulky figure in the distance. Noting the personal belongings, as well as the figure's clothing, he realized with euphoria that it was his friend Drake. He broke into a full sprint, yelling his name to try and get his attention. Finally catching up to him, Taros sunk to his knees while catching his breath, waiting a few seconds before speaking. "Well if it isn't the famous Drake Reinhold! I haven't seen you in quite some time, how's life treating you? Max sends his regards, he had to stay and buy supplies, but he should join up with us a few hours after we reach our destination!", he managed to gasp out between breaths.

[Drake Reinhold]

Drake Reinhold Drake stood at the table of his apartment packing his pack with the needed items for the meeting he would soon have with some good friends of his. First packing in a little bread, then some water as the heat seemed to only get worse. When he put the rest of the stuff he needed into his pack he closed it and headed for the door but then stopped realizing he had forgotten something. He quickly walked to his chest and pulled out a pen and his gauntlet that he had gotten from his uncle. Once he had gotten that, he headed out of his room, and to the streets of Syliras. When Drake left his apartment he looked in the direction of which he needed to go to the meeting place, thinking that Taros would be late as usual, and Max would already be there, he walked a little slower to give Taros a head start. All these people in the streets gave Drake a little discomfort as the heat was so bad that the crowding in the streets would just make it worse. He could just imagine what Taros would be thinking now about all this. And when he thinks about Taros he thinks about his owner and Drake's good friend, Max. When they had first met, Drake had tended to keep an eye on him, but as their relationship grew they left it aside. Drake keeps walking down the road when he hears yelling behind him. Knowing who it is he smirks and looks behind him just in time to see Taros on the ground panting. "Well if it isn't the famous Drake Reinhold! I haven't seen you in quite some time, how's life treating you? Max sends his regards, he had to stay and buy supplies, but he should join up with us a few hours after we reach our destination!" Taros says to Drake as he kneels on the ground. "And if it isn't the notorious Taros! Very rare seeing you without Max. We will talk about life when we get to the meeting sight, eh?" Drake says with a smile to his friend helping him up and continuing to their destination.

[Taros]

Taros smiled at the greeting, and nodded his agreement. Him and Max were inseparable, it was rare seeing them apart, and to be honest it made Taros feel somewhat out of place. It wasn't a specific feeling or pain, rather a sense of something being out of place as if he was dreaming. Forgetting about it for now, he accepted the help up and started walking beside Drake, taking in the scenery as he regained his breath. The flora of Sylira was in full bloom; the understated beauty of the forest was a miracle in itself. Many adventurers speak about glorious battle against monsters of immense power, or looting ancient artifacts from abandoned ruins, but Taros simply doesn't care for such things. He just enjoyed the gift of life itself. Basking in the sunlight, Taros realized that he would most likely return home with a sunburn. Shrugging his shoulders, he accepted the fact. What could he do about it? What was done was done. He'd either return home with a sunburn, or without one; his fate was up to the Gods to decide. He chose to enjoy his hike rather than complain about the heat, as he had learned the hard way that people are driven off by negativity, and generally tend to avoid negative people like the plague. His carefree disposition to such things had greatly improved the quality of his life, reducing the amount of stress he had as well as making life in general more enjoyable. Taros tried making small-talk with Drake along the way, mostly consisting of current events in and around Syliras. He hoped that his attempts at kindling the conversation would take, and that they could have an actual, meaningful chat. He hated small-talk, but partook in it solely for the purpose of starting a conversation. Soon they would be at their destination, and just in time too. As much as he hated to admit it, Taros wasn't a very athletic person. He relied on magic and his agile figure to survive, making hikes like this very straining. Plus resting and eating some food would give them a chance to talk more before they started training, letting them outline a plan before they started. "We're finally here!" Taros exclaimed, walking at a brisk pace to arrive as soon as possible. Unpacking his bag, he motioned for Drake to sit down across from him while they ate. Taros was excited to finally get a chance to train some physical combat skills, and it clearly showed. Stuffing his face with food, he remembered at the last minute the niceties of human culture when it came to eating. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize how hungry I was" Taros managed to say with a half-hearted smirk. As do many Kelvics, Taros struggled to understand the human way of life. Not knowing what to do, he simply watched Drake eat, hoping that the tall warrior would start a conversation.

[Drake Reinhold]

Drake Reinhold As Taros got to his bearings, he and Drake started walking to the spot that they have grown to know so well over time. So they started quietly walking at first, enjoying the sun and listening to the hustle of the city around them. All though Drake didn't quite prefer all the crowding, the noises of the city set him to ease and calmed him quite nicely. As they walked Taros started making small talk which Drake addressed every now and then. Liking to be in a mostly quiet state he only really liked talking when he really needed to, although the socialization was always good for Drake. Kept him sane and from going crazy with all the city's problems. "We're finally here!" Taros had just said as Drake finally came back to his senses and realized that his friend was right, they were here. Taros say down first, followed by Drake who sat down to where Taros had pointed. Drake cracked his neck and his fingers before grabbing his bag and start rummaging through it for the food. He threw his pen and his gauntlet on the ground finally reaching the bread. When Drake had taken it out and taken his first bite he looked up to see Taros already finished with his. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize how hungry I was" Drake smiled and only chuckled at this. "That's no problem at all, but I hope you're ready for some combat after this." Drake says with bread in his mouth. He grabs his water bottle and washes down the bread as it isn't the best bread you can get. Then he set them both aside and stood up. Drake then grabs his gauntlet and starts fiddling with it to make sure it will be the correct size and it is set to the correct way so he wont hurt himself. After he had done that he picks up the pen and gets ready for whatever they might be doing. Drake then quickly puts his gauntlet on his arm and gets ready for anything. Drake then starts walking to the center of the field cracking his fingers one last time. "Alright, how about we start with some body building, eh? Then we can move on to sparring, so I want you to come over here and start doing some push ups with me to warm up a little." As Drake says that he gets onto the ground and waits for Taros to get next to him. When he does Drake nods. "Alright, lets start with twenty, sound good?"They start and as they start going Drake counts them out while looking at Taros. He stops counting whenever Taros is doing something wrong, and like the person Drake is, he starts over if either one of them does make a mistake. When they finish Drake smiles. "Not bad, you are definitely getting better. Lets move on to some harder stuff, gonna plank for about 2 minuets," Drake gets next to Taros and then puts his arms to the ground and lifts himself up. "Go." Drake says to Taros simply. He watches him to makes sure he has the correct form, to start out Taros was doing it completly wrong so Drake told him to stop. No no no, you want to even out your body so you back isnt sagging down, lets start back over." Drake then says go again and pushes self up noticing Taros doing it right. Whenever Taros is showing signs of falling Drake encourages and threatens to start over if he falls, and Taros makes it which pleases Drake very much. "Alright very good, very good indeed." Drake compliments Taros with a smile and then stands up jumping up and down getting more warmed up.

[Taros]

Taros was relieved that Drake wasn't uptight about eating manners, and was even more happy about the chance to train his skills. He knew Drake was a strict teacher, but meant well. It would be an exhausting afternoon, and Taros hoped to even the score when they sparred on equal grounds afterwards. For now, he'd have to suck it up and accept he wasn't as athletic as the tall warrior, and listen to his advice. Like he had heard a wise man once say,"Take criticism personal, but not personally." He would take criticism and try to improve himself, rather than believe he was being ridiculed or made fun of. No matter how positive he tried to be though, he knew it was going to be rough regardless of his disposition. He would make the best of it and move on with the day. He tried to do the push ups to the best of his ability, but towards the end his arms shook and nearly gave out, had it not been for the encouragement of Drake. Taros felt the warmth in his arms expand to his entire body, slowly unwinding the muscles as they prepared to work harder than they had in quite some time. Clenching his jaw, he assumed the planking position, or at least he thought he had. Apparently his back was sagging, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance at his mistake. Re-assuming the position, he felt the difference immediately, as if a fire were being lit underneath his lifted chest. The pain was unbelievable, and he wondered why people went through such trauma just for fun. "Human culture is so alien", he remarked half to himself. Every time Taros made a mistake he was threatened with longer times, making him push the boundaries of what he thought was possible. The body could take much more punishment than the mind believed, and as true as it was, Taros couldn't care less. He just wished it would be over soon. He got up without falling over, but he knew that would change after more training. He got up, cracking his neck to alleviate the tension he felt there. While only a small improvement, Taros would take any benefit he could get to try and make the experience more comfortable. Loosely jumping up and down, he prepared himself for further instruction.

[Drake Reinhold]

Drake Reinhold As Drake jumps up and down he looks around for something to do next with Taros. He smiles when he sees a large boulder and walks towards it. He lifts it up struggling with it a little himself. "This should be perfect."Drake says with a smile and motions for Taros to come over to him. Drake didn't want to hurt Taros, but he also didn't want to go light on him. And he knew if he did Taros would have a a fit about it. So whenever Drake could he made Taros push his limits to the max to get where they needed to be. Drake knew that Taros wanted to do this stuff and knew that Taros would listen to Drake if he really wanted to get better, just like Drake would listen to Taros if he wanted to get better at something else. "Alright Taros, you see this boulder here? We are gonna lift it together and hold it up for a little, then you will do it alone, then I will do it again in case you don't really have the right positioning or I just don't think you're doing it right." When Taros agrees they both get on either side, lifting it up semi easily, just to get the feel of it. Taros was still a little tired from the last exercise, but that wouldn't stop Drake from getting this done. Drake nodded to Taros and they both dropped it. "Alright, moment of truth, go ahead and pick it up." Drake got behind Taros in case he fell over and he could catch him. Taros picked it up and immediately dropped it back down. "We aren't moving on until you do as I ask." So Taros did it again with his back hunched over it killing his shoulders, so Drake told him to stop and Taros let go of the boulder. Drake stepped up and picked it up with his back straight showing how to hold it correctly. He then dropped the boulder and motioned for Taros to try. When Taros tried for the second time he did as Drake said and made it through. Drake seemed very pleased. He gave Taros a light slap on the back. "Good job man. I'm proud of you." Drake says as they start getting ready for whatever he has planned for them next.

[Taros]

Taros saw Drake eye the boulder and groaned in protest. He knew exactly what was coming, and there was nothing he could really do about it. His muscles were starting to ache, and he would kill for a break at this point. Drake was only trying to help, and deep down Taros knew this, but still resented him for pushing to so hard. He moved over to where Drake was, and helped him left the boulder. The second it got off the ground, his shoulders were set on fire. Glad that drake didn't push it for too long, he let it down gently, careful not to hurt himself. Now came the moment of truth, lifting it alone. As he moved to raise it, he felt a sharp pain in his bicep and instantly bent over, dropping the boulder and regaining his breath. Taros knew Drake was going to give him hell for it, but he simply couldn't push any harder. He quickly massaged the cramp, and waited until it was gone until he tried lifting the boulder again. Hunching his back to alleviate the pain of lifting the boulder, he suddenly heard Drake telling him to put it back down. "What was it now?" the annoyed kelvic thought to himself. Apparently he wasn't lifting it correctly, so he strained his eyes watching every detail of Drake's form. He knew he wouldn't get it down completely, but hopefully the bigger details would be absorbed into his head. Making sure to keep his back straight, he inhaled for a count of 6 and exhaled, lifting the boulder in time with his exhale to help increase his pain tolerance. Finally dropping the boulder, he sat down for a minute. The sun was at its highest point, and he would prefer to wait until Max arrived. They could always continue training later, but Taros couldn't risk fainting from exhaustion or lack of water. Seeing that Drake understood, they sat under the shade of a tree, enjoying life and talking about what they'd do next. "We'll see what we do when Max gets here, he's due to arrive at any moment now!" Taros exclaimed happily. It was obvious the bond he shared with his master, and he'd be more willing to push his limits if it would make Max happy.

[Maximilian Walsh]

"Finally!", Max sighed in relief. It's been a long day of him gathering supplies all over town. Ranging from food, to weaponry he's got it all, and now it's time for him to bring his stuff to his apartment and join up with his friends Taros and Drake. It is another hot and sticky day in Syliras, like almost every other day this season and the countless equipment and rations he is carrying does not help. As he's treading through the streets he begins pondering about what he'll be doing today. "Am I going to begin training my stealth skills further? Perhaps I'll spar with Drake and get to use my daggers for once." . He liked using his daggers the most out of all the weapons he has. Agility is a strong asset in his book, something he needs to train a lot more. He walked around the corner, and alas, finally he saw home. Walking up to his apartment, he got his key ready and unlocked the door. Without further notice he just casually threw the stuff in the corner, and then began retrieving his weaponry and clothing. He wondered whether he should take his night leather outfit, which lets him slip into the dark and make him almost invisible. He decided not to, as he was really looking forward to sparring, where the piece of clothing would be unnecessary. He grabbed his newly bought assassin dagger, and put it in it's holster. Getting back on his feet, he decided to leave the mess for later, as right now, he wants to train. He picked up his backpack, making sure he had some food and something to drink with him, approached the outside, locking the door behind him and made his way to the gates. Syliras was crowded during the day, and with that comes a lot laughter, and chatter. Max liked the day, as he liked the night, but only for one reason. During day, the knights are occupied enough. As Max was walking, almost running to the gate, he figured he would see if he brought everything with him, just to make sure. He forgot to check at home. "Dagger, check. Bracer, check. Throwing daggers, damn it." The throwing daggers, a set of items he newly purchased was something he wanted to try out, but in excitement forgot all about. continuing to make his way, he finally made it to the gate, and out of it. Now running, keeping a steady pace Max was making himself ready for combat. He was making small leaps to warm himself up for sparring. Drake is a bulky guy, so he's going to have to rely on speed, not strength. He would never dare getting in a fist fight with Drake, as his chances are close to zero. Seeing the he piece of open terrain in the forest, now in sight, Max decided to slow down and walk the last bit. Before entering, he decided to make a small stop at a shady tree. It wasn't a very big tree, so he decided to climb up on it and sit on the branch. He jumped up and clutched the first branch in sight, which even for his height was pretty far up. He pulled himself up, and took place on it. Through the leaves he could already eye Taros and Drake. "I hope you come prepared", Max giggled to himself as he unloaded his backpack and took a bite out of his bread. Bite for bite, he finished half of it and stored it back in his backpack, he decided to take a quick drink and then he hopped off the tree, and making his way to the open area they were located at. Whilst making his way there, Max remembered Taros pulling a prank on him the other night. Taros, who was practicing voiding at the current time, who currently facing away from him was standing in the best place possible for revenge. Smirking, Max made his way to Taros, silently. As this was open terrain it wasn't exactly easy, and it seemed like Drake had already caught a glimpse of Max, but before saying anything he realized what he had planned, grinning himself he watched Max approach Taros. He got close up to his ear, and then yelled "Boo!". Breaking Taros concentration, he did not seem very pleased, so Max changed the topic instantly to break the ice. "Who's up for some sparring? I got myself a new dagger, and would love to give it a try. I promise not to hurt you too bad", said Max sarcastically.

[Drake Reinhold]

Drake Reinhold When Drake saw how tired Taros was, he decided that it would be best to take a little bit of a break for the sake of the young Kelvic. Drake never could really grasp the idea of how they age, he was taught about it of course but couldn't for the life of him find out much about them which is odd considering they spend a well enough amount of time together. For now training and talking in between would have to do for getting to know each other. Training, in Drakes opinion, was the best way to really get to know someone, because behind how the person may fight or act, shows where they might get it from. It was a little easy to read Taros, more difficult to read others like Max. Drake sat down next to Taros and reached for his water. When he grabbed it he took a nice drink from in and cleared his throat. Enjoying the sun that is out he sighed and laid back against the tree. Drake played around with his gauntlet as they sat under the tree. "We'll see what we do when Max gets here, he's due to arrive at any moment now!" Taros had said to Drake and he simply nodded. He was right, because not 2 minutes after Taros had said that Drake heard something and looked in the direction of the noise, seeing Max. He then realized what Max was up to and grinned looking back at his gauntlet messing with it some more. Then about 30 seconds after that, Max did what he had planned. "Boo!" Drake chuckled a little when he saw Taros jump from being scared. "Who's up for some sparring? I got myself a new dagger, and would love to give it a try. I promise not to hurt you too bad" Max had quickly said to get Taros from getting angry. Drake then stood up and stretched outward smiling. "Well, I guess if you promise not to hurt me too bad." Drake replies to Max also sarcastically. Then then tightens up his gauntlet and looks at Max. "How have yah been?" Drake asks cheerfully waiting for a reply from Max. They weren't always the best of friends, luckily they could sort everything out and they turned out to compliment each others fight style quite nicely. "Who do you want up first?"

[Maximilian Walsh]

"I've been good", max replied. "I want to train with my dagger if that's alright with you.". Drake nodded in approval, and got into his combat stance. "Hold up, I've still got to warm up", Max told Drake. He stepped away from the others, quite a bit, so Drake couldn't observe how Max was preparing himself for sparring. He walked out of the open field to a more secluded part of the forest, almost out of sight of the others, and cleared his mind. He unsheathed his dagger, grasping it in his left hand, which is Max's primary hand. He closed his eyes, and visualized an opponent in front of him. The opponent was his worst enemy. Not any monster you could think of, it was himself. There is no bigger opponent than yourself, who can predict all your moves and strikes. An opponent only Max could see, and swing at. He stretched his arms, and jumped up and down a few times preparing for his first attack. Opening his eyes, he visualized himself as if he was really standing there. His prominent jaw, his icy blue eyes, colorless lips and black, black hair. Preparing for his first strike, he loosened up, and begun. Clash! there was no real sound, but only the imaginary clinging of blades hitting each other. The dagger being a small weapon can easily be deflected, especially if you're opponent knows where you're striking. Max went for another jab at his imaginary self only for it to be deflected again, preparing for the counter attack Max steps to the side and blocks the visual copy's blow. Slowly circling it, he goes for the stomach, attempting a quick strike which of course was blocked again, then following up with a slash to the face which his shadow self dodged. Somewhat annoyed, but at the same time understanding how he can't win any battle against himself but he continues to fight back. He imagines his shadow self hacking away at him, as Max jumps from side to side, deflecting the attacks, stumbling back and tripping over a root on the ground. Out of breath, he decides to take the time to rest for a moment, laying down on the ground as his shadow disappears. Considering he wants to fight something alive, who won't counter every attack he makes, he decides now it is time for some sparring. As he gets back on his feet, and starts making his way back to the other two, he yells out "Drake!, I'm ready when you are!". Before beginning though, Max makes his way to a tree close to Taros, as he observes him doing his work. He was glad to see that Taros was doing something that had his concentration for more than a few minutes, as he is often all over the place. He slung his backpack off of his back, slid down against the three and sat there for a moment. Still regaining his breath, he closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to visualize his last fight with his shadow self that occurred only momentarily. He needs to strike fast and precise, and make sure to dodge like so as well. Max was fast, but he often got too cocky, and that was his kryptonite. If he ended up under estimating his opponent, it could go very wrong for him. Opening his eyes, and realizing he totally forgot about sparring, he retrieved his water bottle from the backpack, took a sip and stored it back in. Getting back on his feet, he walked over to Drake, and asked "So what now?"