Open Show Off! [Roy Kingsfield]

[Ereck Darkshade]

Winter, 15th, Year 513 Sunset Quarters, back streets, early evening It had been one of those weeks where work had been incredibly dull. The location was boring, the job was boring and the company was boring. His guard partner had taken up office across the street, where a pub had welcomed him with open arms and helped him through the last hours of the day for as long as his own purse could support it. Today had been the same. The other guard was across the street and Ereck was on his own, guarding the front of the building. Inside were the possessions of one merchant who had been so kind as to pay both men for the job offered. Like most nights, Ereck kept himself awake by keeping busy. Sometimes it was practice with his weapons, other times he worked his mind, trying to solve problems, most of which he had invented as well. Every now and then his mind wandered off to imagine all sorts of dark glory for the young man should he ever make it into the Night Eyes. That was the only problem he actively tried to solve that he hadn't arranged for himself. But so far nothing had come from it and Ereck found himself without answers once more. And it frustrated him. The Night Eyes were famous yet nobody knew anything about them, really. They were a closely guarded secret that the young man desperately wanted to get his hands on. The young man passed another glance across the street to the flickering firelight of the pub that came through the open door. The sound of laughter and talking managed to reach his ears. Ereck shook his head. There was nothing else to do besides keep himself busy. The black-as-night leather of his outfit creaked softly as Ereck turned around to face the building in front of him. In his outfit, Ereck was difficult to spot in the darkness, especially when he remained still. Sturdy and well built, the building still required additional guards. But then again, everything in Sunberth needed additional guards as nothing was safe from the locals. He focused on a point on the wall in front of him and blocked out the laughing coming from across the street. Let them do as they liked. In the end he would come out on top and prove them wrong. With a sudden burst forward, Ereck ran to the wall, heading straight for it. Just before reaching the wall, Ereck jumped and straightened his right leg, planting his foot on the wall. His left foot followed suit as he tried to walk a single step along the vertical wall. The purpose of the move was to draw in people chasing him, run up the wall, spin around while kicking off from the wall and kicking whoever was behind him in the face. So far he barely managed to run to the wall and run up it. Unpracticed in the movement, Ereck felt his feet slip off the wall as he tried to push himself off of it. While his landing was far from graceful, Ereck managed to avoid falling face first in the street. He swing and reached with his arms, stepping back as he gathered his balance and avoided falling. He quickly glanced through the street to see if anyone had seem him fail before quickly brushing the back of his hand over his nose. Practice made perfect and Ereck had a lot of time to get perfect. He walked backwards from the wall, creating a gap between it and him and prepared himself for another confrontation with it.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

Roy stalked through the pitch black streets. His feet crunched as they left imprints in the snow. His shadow flickered along the walls, the moon playing tricks on the young man’s eyes. He glanced around warily, looking down the alleyways. There were always thugs lurking in the places where they could remain unseen, yet see their unsuspecting prey. Roy balled up his fists in anger.


Let them try. They’ll soon regret it.


Roy was furious, his heart pounded wildly in his chest. He was flushed and frustrated. His parents had tried to ground him for absurd reasons.


We don’t like your aaaattitude… Roy mimicked the voice of his father, mockingly. You need to learn respect and start contributing to this family….blah blah blah.


Roy seethed, not caring where he was going as he raged in his head.


They didn’t get it. Why must they force their pathetic lives on me? I refused to become a candle maker. Why couldn’t they get that through their thick skulls? They barely made any money, their lives were dull. I couldn’t handle living my life like that for the rest of my life. Yet they seemed insistent on forcing it on me. They went on about it being in the family...yada yada yada.


Roy growled as he pulled his hood deeper over his eyes trying to hide from the wind. He stormed out of his house. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. It was becoming a regular thing. Little things would trigger his temper and he would flee from his home with his mother and father. He just had to escape. He found his anger was best appeased through violence. There was no shortage of people willing to fight, so he had that going for him, which was nice.


Roy looked up from the ground, noticing for the first time where he was. He hadn’t been paying any attention as to where he had been going and found himself in one of the backstreets of the Sunset Quarters. He could faintly hear the sounds that only came from taverns, a little ways down the road. The closer he got, the louder the sound got.


A few chimes went by when he arrived in front of the tavern. His lip curled in distain as he eyed the establishment. He much rather preferred dealing with his problems the more aggressive way, rather than drowning them in a mug.


Roy contemplated waiting outside the bar for one of the customers to come out. He was ready to throw some punches but the notion pasted him quickly. Fighting a drunk just wasn’t challenging enough. They rarely were able to stand up against him. Some could take an impressive amount of damage though. It was relatively entertaining dancing around them, nimbly avoiding their punches.


But Roy was distracted by a small scuffle he heard across the street.
He swiftly moved towards the sound. All Sunberthians knew you never moved towards the sound of commotion. It always involved some sort of trouble. But that was exactly what Roy was looking for. He was disappointed when he rounded the corner and didn’t find a brawl. Instead he saw a man clothed in black, trying to run up a wall.


Roy squinted as he tried to get a better look at the figure, but it was too dark to make him out. Roy leaned against the wall and crossed his arms and legs. Had it been lighter out, the figure would have seen the glint of Roy’s piercing blue eyes peering out from under his hood.


“You know, some say it's dangerous being out at night. Especially alone.”

[Ereck Darkshade]

He had only taken two steps towards the wall when someone spoke behind him, loud enough for Ereck to hear it. His sprint came to a sliding halt in the dirt before Ereck spun around to look at the source of the sound. Against the wall, across the narrow street, stood a hooded figure, all but hidden in the darkness of the street. It took a moment for Ereck to get over his surprise and the rapid beating of his heart. He had thought the street empty but had been surprised instead. He was lucky the man had decided to talk rather than stab him in the back. Looking at the figure, Ereck drew himself up, making himself seem bigger than he was. "I could say the same for you. Besides, I'm not alone." Ereck vaguely pointed towards the light coming out of the small pub, where the sound of laughter suddenly boomed out into the street. "My partners will be back in just a moment." Ereck bluffed and hoped it would be enough to deter the thief-to-be from trying to kill Ereck and break into the building. In case it wasn't, his hand palmed the grip of his weapon, the chain-scythe he carried with him the moment he stepped out of his front door every evening. From the man's voice and general behavior, Ereck figured he was about Ereck's own age, possibly a little younger. At least the man wasn't a desperate child. Ereck's death wouldn't come from some child accidentally stabbing him because he was hungry and needed to get past him. "Move about your business and let me stick to mine." Ereck waved along the narrow street, hoping the man would leave. Whether he did or not, Ereck looked away and tried to ignore him, although he kept the corner of his eyes on the man in case he decided to move. While he might lose the fight, he wouldn't be caught of guard twice.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

Roy smirked, though he knew the man wouldn’t see it. He was in no way worried about a drunk companion; he could easily dispatch a blundering fool.


“You realize that’s a bar right? Most people go there to drink. So if your partner does come out…it’s most likely not going to be sober.”


The young man really didn’t know why he stopped when he saw the lone figure almost lost amidst the shadows of the alleyway. He originally came out onto the streets looking to get into trouble, but that slowly drained away. Instead, it was replaced by curiosity. Roy had no idea what the man was doing, but he had caught him running towards the brick wall before sliding to a halt at the sound of his voice.


Roy slowly walked across the street, hands splayed out widely from his sides, trying to show he was not meaning any harm. He deliberately raised a hand and pulled back his hood, buzzed hair rustling against the fabric as it was drawn away. He stopped a little ways from the front of the alley, looking at the man. He squinted into the murky passage, trying to get a feel for the man’s response to his sudden appearance.


Seems a little jumpy. Definitely doesn’t seem very friendly. Don’t blame him. Not many people give reason to be.


Roy saw the outline of the man slowly raise a hand and rest it on an object at his belt.


Probably a weapon. Great. A jumpy fellow with a weapon. You sure know how to pick ‘em. This should go over well.


The candle maker’s son had no weapon on him, he didn’t like them. The only reason people carried a blade of any kind was to kill. Plain and simple. He never intended to take a life, there were enough murderers in Sunberth. It didn’t need another one. It didn’t matter to him why someone killed another, dead was dead. It was wrong.


Roy’s eyes slowly gazed off into the distance as a memory took him back to his childhood.


He was a little boy, sitting on his father’s lap. His father, Jeffery, bounced him up and down, smiling fondly down at his son. He giggled as the two played together. But the little boy’s face suddenly got very serious. He looked up at his father with wide, innocent eyes.


“Daddy, why do people kill each other?”


Jeffery was momentarily taken aback by the question. He sat still for a moment, trying to find the right words, before responding. The candle maker looked down at his son. “Well Roy, there are two types of people in the world. There are those who kill because they have no value for life. Some do it for money, others because they enjoy it.”


“But there are some people who would never take someone else’s life. It’s not theirs to take.” Jeffery poked his son gently in the chest. “That’s the type of person you want to be. They are the ones who stand up for the weaker people who can’t defend themselves. Those who protect the defenseless from those who kill for sport. They bring justice to the cruel.”


Roy sat in his father’s lap, processing what he had heard. “Just like you, Daddy. You protect people. I want to be just like you.”


Jeffery laughed and hugged his son.


The memory slowly faded and Roy shook his head, clearing the thoughts of the past from his mind. His father had always stood by what he believed and Roy had a lifetime of those ethics ingrained into him. It was both a blessing and a curse. Especially in a place like Sunberth.


Roy remembered where he was and what he was doing and his curiosity returned in full.


“So what exactly are you doing with that wall, anyways?”

[Ereck Darkshade]

Ereck turned once more to watch the newcomer as he spoke. He looked at him for a moment with hard eyes before he softened his features. "He'll distract you long enough for me to stick a dagger between your ribs." Ereck declared flatly, as if he was talking about what weather it would be tomorrow morning. He still felt uneasy in the presence of the other. He had prepared for sneaky thieves and rowdy thugs but he hadn't been prepared in the least for a friendly chat with a hooded stranger. His hand remained on the hilt of his weapon, his fingers constantly touching the leather straps, ready to pull the weapon out when needed. And when the other person started crossing the street, Ereck tensed and gripped the weapon more firmly. It was already half drawn when the man pulled back his hood, his hands outwards, away from any potential hidden weapons. While Ereck felt less tense seeing the other man standing so open, he still did not trust him enough to let go of his own weapon, which was back where it belonged. For a moment it seemed like the man stared at him and Ereck stared right back at him, the darkness of the street and his clothes making it difficult to discern him. Then the young man shook his head and focused back on Ereck. For a moment it looked like the young man had spaced out in the middle of their stand off. When he suddenly asked a question, Ereck continued to stare at him for a moment. The young man was interested in Ereck's activities? Now that was suspicious. "Why d'you want to know?" Ereck gruffed in his deep voice. While he was still suspicious of the other person, Ereck stepped forward a little and took his hand of his weapon. Human conversation was quite a treat in the middle of the night and it seemed like this person was filling a tiny hole in Ereck's life with his questions. He passed a glance at the wall before focusing back on the man in front of him. "Just some practice, that's all." The same deep voice, this time with a small shrug of his shoulders. While it had been very important to Ereck a moment ago, he wasn't about to share that with some stranger. Instead he tried to shrug it off as some pastime for the young man.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

“I’ll distract you long enough for me to stick a dagger between your ribs.”


A grin split across Roy’s features. A bubbling sensation slowly built up in his stomach, the pressure expanding until it reached his chest. It tickled incisively until he couldn’t bear it any longer. It finally burst forth from him and he busted up laughing. Roy doubled over, hands on his knees, a tear slowly trickled down his cheek.


After a few moments, Roy was able to gain control of himself. He began taking deep breathes, trying to put a calm visage over his features. But when he looked up at the figure, all he could imagine was the confused look that must have been on his face. He lost the ability to use his facial muscles and burst out laughing. A few ticks later, for the second time, he managed to collect himself. He coughed politely.


“Hey, I’m sorry. It’s nothing personal mate.” Roy tried to reassure him. A smile still stretched across his face, the only thing he couldn’t seem to hold back. The last thing he wanted the man to think was that he was mocking him. The anger had built up in his chest and it needed to be released. It had taken an odd form and escaped, one he had certainly never experienced. Roy was just as startled as the man in front of him must have been. But it felt good to let the tension out and he finally felt like he could relax.


“I wasn’t trying to insult you,” Roy pulled his hood back revealing his short cropped hair and stubble that ran along his jawline. “I am sure that you are more than capable of causing physical harm. It was just…” Roy didn’t even know where to begin explaining.


“I’ve had a long day and the tension kind of found a weird outlet.” Roy took a few steps closer, hoping that the man wouldn’t cut him down on the spot. He spread his hands open wide, “But hey, the good news is I was looking for a fight but now that the tension is gone, I’m feelin’ pretty good.”


He wasn’t sure how the man was processing everything Roy was saying. “Hey man, I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I was just curious that’s all. I tend to roam around a lot at night for…personal reasons. I don’t see many folk out here unless they are intent on killing, stealing or frequenting the bar.”


Roy looked intently at the man. “You don’t seem like the type to do any of those things.”


“But hey, if you don’t want to answer me, it’s no big deal. I’ll just take my leave.” Roy lowered his hands and turned as if to leave, waiting to see how the man would respond.

[Ereck Darkshade]

Ereck stared at the stranger as he started grinning at him. Not a moment later he suddenly exploded in laughter. Ereck looked at him with suspicion. Some people had strange ways of trying to kill people. Perhaps this one drew people in with laughter and then slit their throats. You had all sorts of killers in Sunberth. Ereck kept his eyes on the man and his hand on the hilt of his weapon yet again, holding the weapon softly, ready to strike or defend should the need arise. After a moment the young man seemed to calm down and managed to stand up again. A big grin remained on his face, however. Ereck stared quietly as the man tried to explain things to him. Not that Ereck cared much why the man was laughing. "Sure. I'm not insulted." Ereck kept his eyes on the man as he wasn't sure what to do or how to react. As the man explained that had been looking for a fight but somehow had lost the will to do so and that he was curious about Ereck's behavior, Ereck regarded the man in a different light. While he couldn't say for sure, it seemed like his gut told him that things weren't going to turn out violent with this one. He gave a short shrug and let his hands drop from his sides, releasing his weapon. As the man turned to leave, Ereck hesitated for a moment but then spoke. "I was trying to use the wall to confuse people chasing me." It sounded rather lame when he heard it out loud but the words had already left his lips. While he couldn't really explain it, he could show it and it would all be clear. "Here. Watch." Ereck made a little distance between himself and the wall and ran towards it. Just before he hit the wall he jumped up and landed his right foot on the vertical planks of the wall. His left foot followed suit and he pushed off with it, pushing him sideways as he tried to spin around 180 degrees. As he did he pulled his right leg in a round house kick in the air. While it was more successful than his first attempt, he still landed on the ground after only spinning halfway around before touching the ground with his left foot and losing his balance as he landed awkwardly on his feet. Already in the middle of his show, Ereck turned to the other person to see if he could find anything that showed contempt or laughter at Ereck's movements. He turned back to the wall and walked over it. "It's supposed to kick me off the wall and then kick whoever is behind me in the face or shoulder." As Ereck touched the wall he pushed himself off lightly with his hands and turned around, kicking slowly with his right foot towards the invisible person that was following him. "I can't quite seem to get the hang of it, though." Ereck sighed as he looked back at the other man. His eyes searched the man's face to see what he thought of Ereck now that he had seen all this.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

Roy watched as the man demonstrated the move he was trying to hone to perfection. He stared in fascination as the man tried to perform something that clearly looked well beyond his skill level. Roy was intrigued with the idea the individual was working on improving, he himself having an interest in acrobatics.


He watched with interest as the dark figure ran towards the wall, as Roy had seen prior. He sprung off of his left foot and planted his right on the wall, pushing off and spinning through the air. He landed awkwardly on his feet before looking back. Roy was captivated by what he saw. He strode over to the wall and slowly ran his hand over the structure, feeling the course wood. He pushed it hard, seeing if it was dense or if it had any give. Seeing it was resilient, he turned towards the ground.


Roy dragged his foot along the dirt path between the two buildings, getting a sense for how compact the floor was. Only a small amount of dirt came loose. Satisfied that he would not slip, he backed up to the opposite wall and turned. He observed the wall he was going to try out the move on, trying to gauge the distance and height he would need to execute and land the maneuver. Jumping across a gap from building to building was one thing, but this seemed like a whole other level of crazy.


He could see how this move would come in handy in a fight. He just wasn’t sure he had the skill level to pull it off. It was also one thing to be able to perform the move without hurting one self, but it was quite another feat to execute it and aiming while upside down to kick the enemy in the face or chest. Personally, it seemed like an advanced move, but he was willing to give it a shot.


Who knows, it might even come in handy. Roy shot a quick glance at the gruff sounding man beside him and then turned his gaze back towards the wall. He slowed his breathing and focused on what each body part would do as he performed the move. He visualized in his mind what he wanted to do. He just hoped his body responded to what his mind said.


Roy shot forward, body closing the small gap between himself and the wall. His muscles contracted and then released as his foot came up and planted itself against the flat structure. Roy tensed his body and shoved himself upwards. Like a coiled spring being released, Roy sprung up into the air. He arched his back, the world of shadows flipping upside down as his center of gravity shifted and his legs flipped over his head.


But just as he began his rotation, he knew something was wrong. He could feel it the moment his foot left the ground. He didn’t have the speed to complete the full spin and he felt the ground rush up to meet his skull. Roy whipped his hands out in the knick of time, catching himself on the ground and bent his elbows, absorbing the majority of the blow. He shoved off the ground, gaining more momentum and continued the rotation.


Roy landed on his feet with a thump and stumbled forward a few steps before catching his balance. His face was flush from the exertion and from the adrenaline coursing through his system. “Whoa! That was close. Almost didn’t make that one,” he chuckled nervously. “I wanted to try something a little bit different, see if it would be easier...That was definitely hard.”


Roy looked at the man with new found respect. “I might need a little more practice with that one before I could ever seriously use that.”


Roy inspected his hands, noting the minor cuts and scratches on his hands from catching himself on the rough ground. His hands stung but he ignored it and instead spoke to the agile man. “So how often do you do moves like that? You into acrobatic stuff?”

[Ereck Darkshade]

Ereck, still a little disoriented from the spin he had just attempted, looked at the man as he walked over to the wall and seemed to feel it up before doing the same with the ground. Not knowing any better, it seemed to Ereck that the man was trying to find whatever trick he had used to perform his move. Ereck wasn't sure if he should feel insulted or flattered that the man thought him some sort of magician or something. It was only when the man suddenly ran for the wall himself that Ereck understood his motions. He hadn't been checking for wires or secret slots that helped Ereck, he had been testing the surfaces before attempting it himself. And what skill the man possessed. Instead of doing the horizontal spin that Ereck had attempted, putting force behind his kick, the man flipped upside down in the air and almost, which was still impressive, made a backwards flip from the wall. While he didn't manage the full flip he expertly placed his hands down and managed to keep himself from eating dirt. Ereck stared with open eyes at the man. "What was that?" That was about all Ereck could manage as he looked at the wall and the man as he rubbed his hands together, taking off the dirt. The darkness hid the scratched skin of the man's palms from Ereck's eyes. "You're supposed to spin around, not over the top." Ereck brought one finger up and made a horizontal circular motion in the air between them. "That was pretty good, though." Ereck moved over to the wall once more and placed his hand on it, trying to see what the other guy had been looking for earlier. He felt nothing particularly interesting in the wood but it didn't show in his features. "I practice when I have the time. Being a night guard can get boring and I need something to keep me sharp. And usually there's no spectators to see me fall." Ereck explained as he took a few steps back from the wall again. "How about you?" Ereck focused on the man for a moment, listening to his answer before he focused back on the wall. "What I was trying, actually, was more of a spin kick. Like so." Ereck walked over to the wall and put his right foot against it, his left remaining on the dirt. "You run up to it and then you kick off in the air and spin around." Ereck pushed with his right foot and spun himself around on his left one, once more kicking the air in a roundhouse kick, although slower for the explanation. "But in the air, of course." The night leather dressed young man took a few steps backwards and braced himself, suddenly bursting forward to the wall. He took three wide steps forward and then jumped, placing his left foot on the wooden surface. His right foot followed right after as he spun it over his left leg while kicking off of the wall. His spin took him too far and as he landed on his left foot, his right continued to pull in momentum. The draw of the force pulled Ereck to his left and he lost his balance. His hand pushed out towards the ground and he managed to break his fall with it but the momentum pulled further and Ereck rolled on the ground. For a moment he remained there before he rolled on his stomach and pushed himself up to his knees and stood up from there. He passed a quick glance towards the other acrobat to see if he had found Ereck's failure a cause for smiling. "Something like that, without falling, obviously."Trying to look casual about it, Ereck started dusting off his night leather. The palm of his hand stung as he brushed it against his clothes and he pointed it towards the light coming from the tavern across the street to check the damage. There was no blood on his hand but there were a few scratches and some small stones embedded in his skin. He brushed them away before turning back to his fellow acrobat.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

“Yeah, I was hoping the change in direction would make the move easier to perform, but that didn’t happen exactly as I had planned.” Roy chuckled good naturedly. He listened as the man explained what he did. “Ahh, so you’re a night guard. No wonder you are bored. It’s literally the worse job out there. I see why you were so jumpy now.”


Roy watched him perform the move again and saw him overbalance. “I think I see your problem. Let me try it out to double check and then I think I have an idea.”


Roy backed up and eyed the wall again. He sprinted towards it. At the last second he leaped into the air, planting his foot, pushing up and out. Roy twisted his upper body, muscles tensed before releasing the pent up energy in the opposite direction. As he pushed off the wall, he twisted his lower half to follow through, leg whipping through the air towards the imaginary foe. His foot passed through where he would have imagined the enemy to be, but continued through the air. His other foot shot out to catch himself on the ground but his other leg jerked him around in a semi-circle. He flailed his arms, trying not to eat it.


After he caught his balance he sighed. "Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He bounced on his toes, shaking out his limbs. “You wouldn’t think that would be so difficult but I think I know what the problem is. You need an actual opponent to counter the blow to stop your foot from causing you to overbalance. That’s why you keep falling.”


Roy positioned himself a body lengths away from the wall and tilted his head to look at the night guard. “Alright, you ready?” Roy situated his body, feet shoulder width apart, both hands, palms facing outwards, up to the side of his face, protecting it. “When you’re ready, just perform your attack and aim for my face, I’ll catch your foot and you can see how it feels to do it for real so you know how to correct yourself when you train alone.”


Roy looked at him expectantly, waiting for the attack.