[The Wizards Thumb]Brains and Brawns

by **Omaru** on April 8th, 2013, 3:44 pm

Spring 39, 513AV

Omaru stood outside the tower he has come to know as the "Thumb". It was no surprise why it would be dubbed that, but names meant little to him. It was what was inside that intrigued him. Inside was a library full of information regarding Spiritism. Information Omaru would be very happy to have. Omarus mentor died before his training was over, so there was still a lot of things he didn't know. So when he learned that there was a whole floor to the library dedicated to his art, Omaru was filled to the brim with excitement.

But that excitement quickly died when he reached the doors to the Thumb. The gates were guarded by Monks. Omaru hadn't been in Nyka long, but it didn't take long to learn that the monks did as they pleased. And today, these particular monks didn't want Omaru reading their books.

Frustrated, Omaru turned away from the library and walked off. Damn Monks...whats their problem? He leaned against the wall of building adjacent to the Thumb and mentally insulted the monks. Soon, a group of monks came around the corner and began walking in his direction. One of them made eye contact with him and pointed, laughing to some of the other monks.

Damnit! Are they going to start harassing me again?! Quickly, Omaru moved into an alley nearby and ran. He ran as fast as he could. And as long as he could untill his legs burned.

He ran and ran...strait into a rather large, gruff looking Nykan local. Omaru hit him at full speed. It was like running strait into a wall. But walls don't shove back. This one did. Omaru hit the ground, vaguely aware the man shouting something along the lines of "Whats wrong with you?!"

Omaru stood slowly, trying to take in his surroundings. He was in another alley. When he looked up, he saw the man had two other friends with him. Soon Omaru found himself surrounded.

"Well?! I said whats wrong with you kid?" The Nykan shoved him again, this time his back with the wall of the alley. I am NOT having a good day.. he thought. But before he could reply he found the large Nykans fist coming toward his face.

Omaru dodged, but he didn't see the other punch coming in to his gut. It knocked the air from him and sent him sprawling against the wall again. The men were laughing at him. He didn't know what to do. Omaru was used to fighting Ghosts. Dead people, not living. So he put his hands up. At the very least, he would try to keep himself from getting hit again. But as far as Omaru knew, he was done for

by **Omaru** on April 8th, 2013, 4:28 pm

The man took two steps back and tilted his head towards Omaru. In a dramatic display with his his hands he proclaimed to his friends "Oh ho! Look at this boys! I think the kid is gonna try to fight me!" The other men laughed but stopped when the man took a fighting position.

"Hey Geral," one of them started, "You aren't really gon' fight this kid are ya?" The man seemed seriously concerned. But he was quickly reprimanded by the man, Geral.

"Shut up! Of course I'm gonna fight him!" he said, and the other man spoke.

"Come on Geral, he's just a kid. I thought we were just messin around a bit..." Then Geral grabbed him by the collar and shoved him back.

"What's the matter? Scarred he's gonna beat me up?"

Somethings wrong here... Omaru thought. Geral wobbled a bit before shoving the man away and putting his hand on his head.

"You're not actin' like yerself Geral. You feelin' okay?" The man stepped forward a bit, but when Geral snapped up to stand at full hight, the man stopped.

"I feel...fine. I'd be doin' better once I pound myself a little kid into the ground."

Omarus eyes squinted as he focused. Of course... he thought. He watched as the man wobbled again and groaned slightly.

Omaru made eye contact with the man. He wasn't sure how he knew for sure. But he was. He knew what was wrong with this man.

"He's possessed..."

by **Omaru** on April 8th, 2013, 5:06 pm

The other two men looked quizzically at him. And so, Omaru repeated himself.

"Your friend has been possessed by a Spirit." Laughter abrupted from the man. It was a dark and haunting laughter that could only come from someone possessed by someone else. Gerals friends both began to cower in fear, but Omaru simply stood there. His face showing nothing. This is bad...

"So you figured it out huh?! he laughed again and stared Omaru dead in the eyes. "Well I guess my little game of charades was fun while it lasted. But the fact still remains. You're going down kid." His tone was dead serious the whole time he spoke. Omaru had to think fast. I've got to get him out of there. But how?

But Omaru couldn't think for long. Before he knew it, the man was charging him. Omaru barely dodged the first few blows before he managed to get behind him.

Damnit.. The other men started shouting about how he needed to stop. How if the monks became aware of what was happening they could all be in trouble. Think Omaru! Think!

Then it hit him. He would convince the spirit to possess him instead. Without any Soulmist on him, Omaru had to find something else to bribe him with. Himself.

He threw his hands up in front of him and called out.

"Stop! You just want a good fight right?" The possessed man stopped, clearly interested.

"What did you have in mind, boy?"

by **Omaru** on April 8th, 2013, 5:20 pm

"Me." he said. "Possess me instead."

The other men looked at him surprised as the possessed man laughed. This time out of pure amusement.

In between laughter, he managed to say, "And why? Why would I want you. A scrawny little brat. When I already have this body? With that, he removed his shirt, displaying an array of tone, hard muscles everywhere. He flexed arrogantly and laughed some more.

"Because I can offer you something that body can't. A challenge." He tilted his head in confusion. But Omaru still had him interested.

Omaru took a breath to calm his nerves. He was scared. Petrified even. If this plan didn't work, Omaru was sure he was going to die today. Here in this alley.

"What challenge do you have fighting others in that body? With me, you have the challenge of beating stronger opponents with a weaker body. But certainly with your skill, you could make large men like him," Omaru pointed at Geral, "look like utter fools. Beaten by a kid." He said the word 'kid' as mockingly as the Spirit had. And he laughed. Hard.

"Hahaha...HaHaHaHaHa!! You've got guts kid. I'll give you that. Tell you what. I'll take your body, no problem." And no sooner than he finished his sentence, Geral collapsed. With a groan, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground exhausted.

Omaru had to work fast. He had no idea where the spirit was, or how fast he was moving. He grabbed the necklace of stone from around his neck and threw it in the air over his head. He sent a silent prayer to let this work.

And then it happened. He felt the spirit enter his body through his chest. His body tensed and he collapsed to his knees as he began to struggle for control of his own body. The two men ran to their friend to help him, but stopped to watch as Omaru slowly stood.

His eyes were different. But yet, the same. They were the same color, but the look in them was violent, aggressive, and with a tint of childlike playfulness. But the real difference, was when he spoke.

"Well then, gentlemen. Shall we begin? Hahahaha!"

by **Omaru** on April 8th, 2013, 6:02 pm

For Omaru, everything seemed to stop. It was like...floating in his own body. He could see and hear and feel, everything. But there was no control. His own voice made him shiver inside of himself, and every movement felt...odd. But Omaru loved it. He enjoyed the relaxation one felt when he could just sit back in and let someone else take over. It was almost euphoric.

But it wasn't all physical. Omaru could hear and see and feel memories that were not his own. It was vague, and foggy. But he could hear names. One of which was Hawkeye. It didn't take long to determine that this was the name of the spirit which now controlled his body. Hawkeye...and Sarah.

But as he thought this last name a terrible sadness washed over him. The pain he felt was intense and overwelming to the point that his physical body actually began to cry a little. But Hawkeye quickly put an end to that.

Get out of my head... The words from the ghost echoed in Omarus mind. They were angry, but hurt at the same time. It was not a threat. But a simple command. And so he complied. Then it happened. The moment Omaru had been waiting for.

The necklace he had thrown into the air came crashing down around him (them?). The moment it hit the ground, Omaru immediately took his body back. He darted forward, simultaneously shoving Hawkeye from his body.

"Hey! What's going on!?" Hawkeye called out. But Omaru didn't turn to face him. He knew what had happened. The necklace was a device used by spiritists to keep ghosts from entering, or exiting, certain areas. Soulbeads. And now, Hawkeye was trapped.

Omaru looked at the two men as they hoisted their friend. "Take him and leave. I will handle the rest alone." And with that, Omaru turned to get the first real look at Hawkeye.

by **Omaru** on April 8th, 2013, 6:48 pm

Hawkeye stood just about an inch or two taller than Omaru was. His face was slim, like the rest of him, but he was built. Though he was a ghost, the definition of the muscles he had in life was obvious. They weren't drastically huge, but they were lean and defined. He wore simple trousers and boots that covered much of his shins. He wore nothing on his chest but a long coat that flowed into a haze of Spiritmist about his ankles. A sign that he is still unable to fully materialize. The coat however was torn sleeveless to reveal a number of scars up and down his arms. He wore a thin strap of leather around his forehead and a pair of fingerless gloves on each hand. His hair was short and brown and his eyes a light green color.

The tenseness of his muscles and the way he stood showed Omaru he was quite angry with him.

"What is this." he said. In his voice Omaru could hear how angry he was but admired the ghost for his control. Omaru had him pegged as the kind of ghost to fly of the handle and start yelling. But he composed himself.

Omaru sat on the ground and folded his legs.

"Please, have a seat." Omaru said calmly. But Hawkeye wasn't about to show him the same kindness.

"Buzz off! Let me go!" Now, Hawkeye began to yell. "What did you do to me!?"

"Those stones are charged with Spiritmist. They are called Soulbeads and are used to keep hostile ghosts from going into, or out of, an area." Omaru spoke just as calmly as before. "Now please, have a seat so we can talk."

"I have nothing to talk about with you! Let me go!"

Omaru simply began the conversation. Weather or not Hawkeye wanted to talk, he could still listen.

"Why do you like to fight so much, Hawkeye?" he asked. But his question was met with the same yelling and demands for freedom. So he continued. "Does it have something to do with your death? Did you die in a fight? Does it have anything to do with Sarah?"

The last question made Hawkeye stop yelling. He took a step back and glared murderously at Omaru.

Calmly, he spoke,

"You have no right to speak her name." Omaru was going to say something, but Hawkeye kept talking. "You know nothing about her, boy. Sarah was..." he paused. His voice quivered, as if he were going to cry. After a quick breath he continued. "Sarah...was the sweetest little girl you could have ever met."

"Who was she? What happened to her?"

Now, Hawkeye sat. He sat and placed his face in his hands and began to sob. It was by far, the saddest thing Omaru had ever heard in his life. When he spoke, there was a distinct difference in his voice. He was no longer angry. Just sad.

"Sarah was my daughter." he said. "She was the sweetest little girl. Omaru, she was only 7 years old! We came to Nyka to try to start a new life. Thats what having a child does to you. It makes you want to change! This place had food and the protection of the monks! But they did nothing!" He began to yell and sob again. As he cried he murmured about not being strong enough. He wasn't strong enough to protect her.

Soon, Hawkeyes sobbing slowed to the point that he could continue. He told Omaru of how he had been a street thug in Sunberth. Of how he woke up one day with a child at his doorstep. He didn't want the child at first so he searched for the girls mother. But during the search, he grew attached. So he took his daughter and left the gang in Sunberth to search for a new life in Nyka. Everything was going great untill one day. Sarah had ran out onto a bridge. Something, a monster, came up from the Aperture and grabbed his daughter. He tried to fight it off but it didn't work. And the monks nearby simply stood there and watched.

As Hawkeye recalled the story of his daughter, Omaru was filled with emotion. He felt bad the the Ghost, but his hatred of the monks grew exponentially. How could they do that?! But his own thoughts were interrupted.

"So I hit one. I punched the monk square in the face. I wanted to kill him. Next thing I knew, all the monks around flipped up their hoods and came after me. I never stood a chance." He had stopped crying by now. He looked up and stared into Omarus eyes.

"That, Omaru, is why I have to fight. I need to be strong. Strong enough, that I can fight anything that comes my way!"

And Omaru looked back at the ghost and nodded. He stood and walked over him. He knelt down, picked up the necklace and wrapped it back around his neck. Hawkeye stood inches away from Omaru, free as a bird. Omaru put his hand on Hawkeyes shoulder and spoke.

"I'll help you."

by **Omaru** on April 10th, 2013, 5:55 am

Suddenly, Hawkeye was filled with rage again. He smacked Omarus hand away and backed away. His ethereal muscles tensed and his eyes narrowed.

"Help me you say? I didn't ask for your help! I don't want your help and I don't need your help!" he yelled at Omaru. And he was shocked. This was the first ghost to be so defiant in getting help. Omaru couldn't help but wonder why it was so horrible for him to accept his help in passing on.

"I can get strong on my own! I'll just keep taking bodies untill I find one that can kill those damned monks!" Hawkeye laughed. But it hollow and humorless.

Omaru took a deep breath and looked down. "You would just keep forcing innocent people to fight your battle? To die in the name of your own vendetta?"

"That's right kid. That's exactly what I will do. And I don't need anyones help to do-" Hawkeye tried to finish his statement, but he was cut off. Omaru didn't know what overcame him. Rage? Sadness? Pity? Some combination of it all? He didn't know. All he knew was that Hawkeye deserved a good punch to stomach. Best part of it was, he didn't see it coming.

A bit of Hawkeyes Spiritmist was torn and he called out in pain. Hawkeye collapsed to the ground, holding the area that had been struck. While he knelt there, Omaru grabbed onto the ghosts hair and yanked his head up to make Hawkeye look into the street from the darkness of the alley.

"What is that Hawkeye?!" He yelled. And as Hawkeye began to say the word 'people', Omaru cut him off. "People! Thats right! You see that man there?" he pointed to an elderly man with a cane. "Thats Sarah." he said.

This time, it was Hawkeye who grew angry. But Omaru continued. "And that girl there. Thats Sarah too. And him. And that little boy. I'll be damned, even that dog in the street is Sarah." Hawkeye didn't understand. He didn't grasp what Omaru was trying to say.

"Those people. The people of this city. They all have families that love and care for them. Families that would mourn their loss, just as you mourn the loss of your daughter. Those people love them just as you loved Sarah, Hawkeye. What right do you have to strip them of their free will. To force them to fight a battle that's not their own. To die in the name of your own selfishness!"

Now, Hawkeye understood. He had been blind to his own actions. And Hawkeye once again began to weep in that dark alley. This time of regret and remorse for those he had already killed in the name of trying to avenge Sarah. When he began to cry, Omaru stepped around and knelt before him at eye level.

"You want to be strong Hawkeye. I need protection and to grow strong in my own way. We can help each other. But I will tell you now. Nothing we do will bring your daughter back."

And Hawkeye nodded. He understood that Omaru spoke the truth. And more importantly, he saw that it was not revenge he wanted, but to be able to protect. To have the strength to keep what happened to his daughter from happening to someone else. Yes. Omaru could be that someone. Through him, Hawkeye knew he could become strong.

So together, the two of them stood. The Spiritist, and the Ghost from Sunberth. Eye to eye, they clasped forearms, and Hawkeye nodded once again.

"Okay Omaru. If you say you can make me strong, I'll come with you." Omaru smiled. It worked. No more innocent people would have to get hurt. No more pointless deaths. And, he even made a new friend in the process. Yes, today turned out to be a good day for everyone.

"Good," he said. "Now come on. Lets get back to the Hostel and get you some Spiritmist to heal you up."

by **Omaru** on April 10th, 2013, 6:02 am

And so, as the sun began to set over Nyka, the strange pair headed back to the Central square. Side by side they walked, and the two of them felt something neither of them had felt in a long time. They felt a part of something. Something good. Omaru was set to help a vengeful ghost, and saved countless lives in the process. And Hawkeye was finally on the right path to passing on from this world.

That night, the two of them stayed up, swapping stories, and truly getting to know each other. But that was only the first night. A prologue to the long journey they now faced together, as partners.

-End-

by **Abstract** on June 16th, 2013, 4:12 pm

Loot, Lore, and Skills!

Omaru :

This was actually quite a good read! It was a little strange and abrupt at parts, especially the beginning, but I really liked Omaru's way with words! Please PM me if you have any questions, concerns, or comments!

Solo [The Wizards Thumb]Brains and Brawns