PM to join Fractured Friendship. (Alexander Faircroft)

[Irathia]

87th of Spring, 516 AV The warm wind blew into the Antinous Training Grounds, bringing word of the approaching summer. Irathia breathed in heavily as she carried her hammer, and in the other hand she held a shield. In front of her was Sera Ravonai, holding a sword and shield. Today, the plan was they were going to spar together with her hammer and shield, and then move on to spears and possibly horse riding after words. Sera Ravonai stopped and turned to Irathia, a small smile on her face. "I know we have been doing a lot of stuff as of late, but you still need to train... Understand? So as we discussed earlier we will spar together, or possibly spar with someone else, if you want, and then move on to spears. Next, depending on the time and how long we go on with the spears, we should train on horse back." Sera Ravonai clasped her hands together as she spoke, rubbing them together slightly as she listed off what they were to do today. Irathia nodded and sighed, she was slightly tired, she was having trouble sleeping as of late... Irathia was theorizing it was just because of all the petch she has been going through, and it slightly irritated her as she thought about it. Her going berserk, the massive amounts of training, the whole hunt for that really weird bird monster...

[Alexander Faircroft]

Alex was lightly armed today. Nowhere near as fully faceted as normal Just his armour, usually hidden blades, dagger, bastard sword and shield. Alex stepped through the streets of Syliras headed towards the training rounds. A dark cloud looming over his head. He’d been thinking about the things he’d done and said. The relations he’d made and a few enemies he’d made. And about one in particular that he’d managed to sever a friendship with. He stepped through the streets up towards the training grounds the shield strapped to his arm knocking against the walls lightly as he marched. Absent minded in thought.

The shield was now streaked with glances of blades and other weapons glancing off of it, marks of parries and battle. Not quite life or death usually but enough to make him pause and wonder. He stepped up onto the training grounds. Leaning with thoughts of darker moments. Finally he stepped into the open air. And spotted someone else he’d wronged in his much darkened state. With a small apprehension to his step he walked over his hand resting on the handle of his bastard sword. He tried to look the part of an upright and trust worth person as he once had. With a small salute so Sera Ophelia, he nodded and spoke.

“Hey… Ira… You been doing alright? I haven’t seen you in about fifty odd days. What have you been up to?” His words carefully chosen attempting to broach the subject of the issue he’d caused eventually but ease into it naturally not just burst out with an apology. He shifted his feet uncomfortably. Right… I know I messed up here just try and find a way to gradually get to the point. Get to a position where you can say you’re sorry and not seem like its completely hollow and just a formality. He flexed his free hands fingers slowly just enough to get a feeling of holding onto some rope of a hope of repairing the fracture in the line of friendship they once had. Though how things happened was entirely down to how Irathia acted towards the situation. Given what she’d told him last he kept his hand ready to move just in case his presence caused her to completely snap. Better to be safe than sorry… Especially in this particular moment.

[Irathia]

Irathia heard someone call her... She turned slightly to see Alexander Faircroft. She did not attempt at hiding her face of disgust that spread across her face... "I am doing fine, Alex, just got back from a hunt... Had to kill a couple of bandits. Almost smashed a knight's face in." Irathia said, not looking at Alex as she spoke, she was clearly being blunt and spoke with out emotion. She looked at her hammer, pretending that she was studying it, even though she knew it was in the same condition it always was in. She chewed her bottom lip as she went looked at Alex... Her face was a stone mask, just like how it was when they last saw each other. "Of course you wouldn't care for that. How are you." She said, as she glanced at Sera Ravonai, only to see a unsure shrug. Irathia slid her eyes towards Alexander again, waiting for a response. It was very clear she was still bitter about Alex, he was complaining about killing a very, very bad man... She felt like he was lucky to actually be able to control him self, while she didn't have control for most of the lives she has taken... Her friend and those bandits died because of her, and she didn't even get to do it by her own will. She frowned slightly as she thought of what she has done... It was not 'fun' looking back at everything, this season in particular.

[Alexander Faircroft]

The tone that was shot his way was one he was familiar with. Alex paused a moment letting the bitter tone and look of disgust wash over him. In the back of his mind a pair of cold icy blue eyes just lingered weighing him. Judging him. The glance towards her hammer put Alex again on the defensive. Her actions her very demeanour almost seemed to scream what he already knew. She was pissed at him. And quite likely hated him. He made a move a small one taking a half step closer. Almost wanting to just say the words on his mind but he still couldn’t.

“Ira… It’s good to hear you’ve been doing well. Though perhaps not too much with the knight issue.” Alex then made a decision he’d step closer. He took a firm step pressing his heel into the stone work he cot close enough for him to almost be able to touch her shoulder. And then with his free right arm he did. His hand lightly against her shoulder. He paused a moment longer and then spoke again. “I’m sorry about what happened. It was, short sighted of me… And a very dumb thing to do. I don’t expect you to forgive me for my actions. I just wanted you to know I’m sorry for them.

He motioned to pull her around to look at him to see the honesty of his words in his eyes and the way he acted. I was a fool and wasn’t in the right head space and – A million and one excuses flicked across his head each one poorer sounding than the last so instead of offering one he just let his apology hang in the air. A light reminder that he was human. And he could make mistakes, despite how he acted. And what some may have thought about him. He was anything but infallible.

[Irathia]

Irathia let the apology echo in her ears, letting it process in her mind... She just clenched her jaw as anger swelled and churned in her... How... Irathia just took a deep breath as she attempted to control her anger. His hand on her shoulder, her eye twitched, her grip tightened against her hammer. Sera Ravonai took a single step forward before Irathia's tunnel vision tightened around Irathia's eyes... "Alex step back!" Sera Ravonai shouted, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back as Irathia swung her hammer through empty air. Irathia stared at Alex and Ravonai as she went on one knee, trying to keep calm, she was breathing in and out, heavy breaths... She needed to keep control, keep calm... She can not and will not black out again... Not anymore when there are only two people she felt close to near by. She chucked her hammer near by Alex and slammed both fists onto the ground as her anger flared in her. She took more breaths as she tried to think of positive thought, like spending time with Sera Ravonai, going on the horse ride with Archailist, the hunt was also entertaining for her as well. Then memories with Alex started to come up, the bath house, when they first meet... When they had the fight.

[Alexander Faircroft]

His instincts were right. As much as he wanted them to be wrong. Sera Ravonai rushed past Irathia and bull tackled him out of the way as her hammer sailed through the air nearly clipping the edge of his face. He felt the rush of air as it slipped by with such force that Irathia lost her footing and fell to one knee. He could see the struggle in Ira to hold back the anger. Alex slipped on the stone and fell to one knee. Again keeping eye level with ira. From what Alex could see she was struggleing for control. Fighting for control.

Alex stepped forwards and stood fully. As her hammer came flying towards his face. his shielded left hand raised and batted it from the air. His right hand drawing the blade at his side. The length of steel hissing against the scabbard.
“Sera Ophelia. I’d recommend stepping back. I brought this on I’ll end it.” He gave her a look of resolution and then stepped forwards towards Irathia. “Ira. I know you’re angry at me. So just let it out. Nothing bad will happen.” Alex spoke with an air of certainty. He was trying to take charge of a situation and prove that he could control what was happening. But deep down he knew this was all on him. This outburst was directly related to something he’d done. He needed to right it. To attempt to save her.

He stepped in towards her again hoping that this would make it seem closer to a spar than an outright burst of nothing more than rage and pain. Controlled violence was allowed in the grounds. Uncontrolled anger was not. Alex tapped his sword against the ground and then his shin. Driving a signal that it was time for her to stand. “Irathia. You’re angry at me. Vent it. Else you’ll only get worse. Holding back is not healthy. Vent the anger.” He held a look on her willing her to rise and pick up her hammer. He was going to ware her out. Exhaust her. Not hurt her. He’d done enough fo that already.

[Irathia]

Irathia slowly stood, her eyes bulging slightly out of her skull as she stood. Irathia looked at him and shook her in response to him telling her to let loose... Not in a place like this... So much can go wrong if she let the gates open up to her anger. She was afraid... She wouldn't be able to control herself, she may of not liked Alex anymore but she wouldn't want to hurt him... She looked at Sera Ravonai and she nodded and tossed her hammer to her feet... Irathia bent down and picked up her hammer... While she rose, she let her anger flow, and she blacked out. There, the woman wielding a hammer, hand gripping it as tight as possible, wasn't Irathia... She was her rage, and she was quite pissed off. She bared teeth as she screamed at Alex, her pointed teeth fully exposed. She charged forward, thrusting her shield forward and then swiping for Alex's legs with her hammer. Irathia's face was contorted into one of anger, teeth showing, a slightly snarl leaving her lips as she did her attacks against Alex. Her swinging was swinging fast but with little control, leaving many openings to her for a counter attack.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Safer to let it out against someone who could handle the tendencies for rage than let the anger build up to the point where it effects someone who hadn’t done a thing wrong. He exhaled slowly gearing up for a fight as she slowly rose. He’d seen her turn the head of a Yukman into the jelly of the month and right now that meant he had to be damned careful. Lest he end up in much the same position. As she rose he got a clear look at her eyes for a brief moment before she gave into her anger. Fear and worry, afraid to let herself fall. She still feared the darkness instead of learning to tame it.

In a sudden burst of speed and strength, no thought of defence she rushed him. She screamed at him charging him down using her shield as a battering ram before he lifted his own arm up bracing it against his torso and sliding his right leg back. He took the full force of the impact nearly sliding back and falling over from the sheer impact. He shunted her back from his shield catching the loud snarl towards him. More animal than human she was right now. Anger, rage, nothing else not even a thought of self-preservation. Her attack was wide and sloppy. Where was the controlled fighter he’d faced some time ago?

He swung the tip of his sword down and batted the head of her hammer away. In a retaliatory strike he brought his mailed fist in towards her shoulder and was trying to force her back and to let everything out. His shield angled between them aimed to take a blow or deflect one. “C’mon Ira. I’ve seen you do better than that. Stop holding back!” His usual soft voice a much louder and more commanding tone. Heavy, stronger, filled with meaning. He’d caused this to happen this time and he’d be damned if he was going to leave another person to fester in the darkness. Let alone a friend. “If this is the best you have then I see why you thought yourself a monster. You’re a wild animal without any restraint!” He roared out much harder now, trying to force her rage to a boiling point, to force everything she had at him. He could take it, and even if he couldn’t it was retribution for the pain he’d caused.

[Irathia]

"SHUT UP!" She screeched as she charged forward, she began to swing her hammer wildly at Alex, occasionally she would push her shield forward as a battering ram. She shoved the top of her hammer forward at one point during the swing barrage. Most of the swings were quite sloppy and left her open to multiple attacks, the thrusts with her shield though closed some gaps. Irathia quickly grew tired of using her shield as gripped it by the rim. Taking a page from a earlier battle she hurled the shield at Alex. But this time she did not fall flat on her back. Instead she stood their, tall and very pissed as she took an opportunity to thrust her hammer forward in an attempt to hit him in the gut. Mean while Sera Ravonai stood their, a look of concern on her face as she waved off some knights. She had her sword drawn, just in case if things got bad and she needed to step in to save Alex. She knew that an angry Irathia is not a good time for the target she had, due to the tales she spoke of smashing and even sometimes eating her opponents while in this state.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Looked like he’d kicked the hornet’s nest. He’d successfully riled up Irathia her rage now at boiling point she screamed at him. Raging furiously she rushed him again taking them moment to try and strike out against him with her shield again. Slamming it onto his own shield arm again. This time instead of benign fully securely planted on the soft sands he slid. Being pushed back by someone smaller than him wasn’t as much of a feat on sand but still it was something. He Pushed his own shoulder into the shield now aiming to throw her back. However as he did she began to unload an offensive at him. Swinging out both arms with reckless abandon. Less the trained or in training knight, now just a monster lost to her own blind rage.

He blocked and blocked and blocked. One, two, three strikes, and then the fourth one collided. The edge of her shield slamming into his side. He grit his teeth knowing he’d feel that in the morning. He exhaled another controlled breath. Again she struck out four strikes this time blocked and then a hammer blow to his midsection, the plate creaking beneath it. And he could feel the rattle of the impact in his ribcage. He held his ground throwing her back from him again. She slid her shield off and tossed it at him again. A tried tactic he’d seen and it wasn’t working this time. He backhanded the edge of the shied from the air with the flat of his own.

“I’m still standing.” He spoke through a slightly haggard breath, more pain than exertion. He’d been controlling his movements as best as possible. He spoke up again, calling her out riling her rage further trying to get her to flare, let the wholes stockpile of anger out in one go. He wanted her to unleash everything. He ground his feet into the sand as she thrust her hammer towards him. He twisted her hammer to the side leaning into the strike and knocking her arm away, and with the same hand he brought it around to try to donkey punch her in the back of the head. To try and jolt her out of the rage or perhaps even make it worse. To make it to a point where he may actually be able to pry her from the fury. “Ira, wake up. Control your rage, don’t let it control you.” He spoke with a hard edge again Knowing how close she was he brought his free hand up to use the shield to block his head from a potential punch.