Closed Overcoming Obstacles (Krisa)

[Zeran]

35th Day of Summer, 513 AV Night wasn't the best time to be training. Leth's light just wasn't sufficient enough for humans to see clearly enough. It took longer to focus on an enemy or object. You were unlikely to see everything even if you could. Any and all fine detail was lost and even the slightest movement, which could prove to be fatal in combat, was hidden by the shroud of darkness. In cases where even Leth's light was blocked, reducing visibility even further, you were truly fighting blind. And that is why it was the perfect time to train. Fighters relied too much on their eyes in a fight, neglecting other important information that was likely to keep you alive. The sound of a footstep as someone was sneaking up on you. The scent of smoke from a nearby fire. The taste of a poison in your food. The touch of a projected limb. Sight is the best tool a fighter could have, it is the fastest at processing information and the most accurate. The other senses relied on guess work and being familiar with the sensation. But they can find what sight might not be able to. Animals were the best at using all their senses, so he came to test his luck against them. At night, they were probably on equal grounds. Muttering a few incoherent words as an incantation, Zeran focused his auristics to the floor, extending about half an arm's length from his feet, reading the aura of the soil as it lifted upwards in swirling wisps of smoke. The detail was poor. Blank patches appeared here and there, suggesting plants, sticks or the occasional deer mouse. It was all he could do with his skill and a tightness in his head was already starting to form. Closing his eyes, Zeran took slow steps, barely letting his feet leave the ground as he did. You had to start somewhere, and he needed to get better before he returned to Ravok. He didn't know how long that was going to take, but he wouldn't deal in time frames. Every chime was a gift from Tanroa and he intended to make use of every one she gave him. A snap of a twig. A growl. Something was approaching. Taking his focus off from auristics, the tension in his head still lingered, but he pushed his djed towards his right arm, slowly detaching his astral form from his physical one. Zeran didn't like using more than on class of magic at any one time and avoided doing so the best he could. His shoulder relaxed as it lost its astral self, moving down to his elbow. The growling only grew louder as it approached. He was being stalked. The noises he heard helped get an idea of where the intruder was. Tempted to open his eyes, even slightly, Zeran let out a laugh, letting his stalker know where he was in turn. Elbow done and down to wrist. The growling was louder. His stalker was exceptionally sporty. As his fingers left his body, his arm fell limp underneath his cloak. Breathing could be heard that was not his own, and there was a stench in the air. He opened his eyes, revealing a black bear not a few metres away from him. "Go away." Feeling the suggestion leave his mouth, Zeran prepared a fighting stance. If the suggestion was enough to keep the black bear away, he was not worth training with. The bear just stared before giving a threatening roar, letting it known that this was his territory. "Very good Sir Bear. Now, catch me if you can." Thrusting his astral arm forwards, Zeran hit the bear on the nose with as much force as his arm could manage. Whilst the bear recovered from the blow and the confusion of what had happened, Zeran turned and ran through the Misty Peaks, doing his best not to trip over anything, laughing all the way so the bear didn't lose him. This was going to be a fun training session.

[Krisa]

Night had well and truly set in now. Krisa sat by the her window in her apartment, stroking her little songbirds feathers and humming something soothing to herself to try and remain calm. It had been a harsh day for Krisa, and a joyous one for seemingly everyone else in this city. It was the mid summer festival, and it had made the grief in her heart more prevalent. Young love. It was beautiful, so innocent and blissful, and it had been everywhere today. Lem would have loved it here, she had been romantic, more than Krisa had anyway. Kris furiously swatted at her already reddened eyes and got up abruptly feeling the panic attack start. The song she had been singing died, and Kieran squawked his disapproval. “I’m going out.” She told him “You’re staying, got that?” Kieran blinked, then tried to furiously doudge her grasping hands as they moved to wrap around him and place him helplessly into his cage. She simply couldn’t have him with her in such a dangerous place as she was planning to go. She had decided, she was heading up to the peaks around Lhavit. She was going hunting in the dark.

For this she needed all her wits about her. Over this summer her aim had improved greatly from what it had been near the beginning. There was nothing like a little recklessness to bring back Lem’s memory. She was always so brave, so fearless, and so Krisa would be the same. She would, or it would kill her, maybe both. So with Kieran snug in his cage, and her bow hung across her back, arrows slung hastily over her narrow shoulder, Krisa doused her candles and crept down the hallway and into the thriving nightlife of Lhavit. It always took Krisa a short while to get her bearings in the maze of brightly lit streets, but soon she was making her way to the gates with a quick stride and a look of foolish determination on her face. Passing the guards with a nod and a gesture to her bow and arrow, she began a steep incline through the peaks, heading for the forest down below.

She hadn’t been walking for too long when she heard far off noises. They didn’t sound particularity animalistic, but Krisa lifted her bow and placed her right hand up to where her arrows were held, ready to grab one if need be. Her eyes were narrowed to slits, and she could feel Lem standing beside her, smiling down on her bravery. Yes, this was the rush of adrenaline she had so often tried to explain. The sound was growing closer, louder in her ears, and when it was close enough for her to conceive it, it came as a shock. Laughter? And loud at that. Who could possibly be laughing out here? Krisa couldn’t get the stunned look off her face. She couldn’t see who was coming, but she didn’t truly want to meet them head on. So, cautiously she waited and watched, standing off to the side behind a few trees as footsteps began to grow closer and closer, keeping her eyes peeled and her hands ready.

[Zeran]

Zeran wasn't the fittest person that anybody would ever face. Neither was he the slowest, but his complete lack of running skills was beginning to show. Fatigue was catching up to him quickly. Sprinting flat out whilst hurdling over roots, bushes and every other kind of vegetation and small animal was definitely not a good idea. The more tired he became, the slower he was going to run. And the bear was catching up pretty quickly. It was even harder when he had a limp arm flailing about at every movement. "It's not so much of a problem really." Zeran said to no one in particular. "Except for the times you're off balance, when it flops into a tree and when it whacks you in the face. The last one is truly my favourite!" The wind rushed past his ears, whistling through his surroundings as he ran. The breeze did little to cool him down as he turned red from the exertion, but it was better than nothing. Sticks snapped and leaves crunched beneath each of his steps, thudding against the ground as he continued to weave in and out of the trees. The periodic shocks through his legs as they touched soil was beginning to make his legs ache. Personal note: Learn how to run. Deflecting another blow with his mobile arm, Zeran continued to run. He needed to get out of the bear's line of sight. Otherwise, how could he attempt to train his senses if the bear insisted on fighting face-to-face? It was like he didn't care to help at all! It seemed like a good idea to laugh to begin with, but that was in case the bear lost him completely. Zeran still wanted him in the same area, just not able to see him. Perhaps I should stop for a moment. And add sneaking to things I should learn. A flash of red out of the corner of his eye made Zeran skid to a stop. Jogging a few steps backwards to the approaching bear, he stepped in close the the red-haired girl hiding behind the tree. "Better not stick around unless you feel confident going up against Sir Bear, Red." he hastily told her, breathing heavily. Taking his chance, Zeran turned and ran off behind Red, hoping the change of path would be enough to throw the bear of his trail. If not, Red would hopefully be enough to distract him long enough for Zeran to be able to get into a good position to start training. Or he might have had he not tripped on a root. "Bugger! Damn! Ouch!" Each word came out as he skid along the floor, rolling through the dirt and leaves, until he hit a tree and laid there groaning. It seemed Lhex had better ideas for him than to stick to his original plan. "All right then," he groaned as he got to his feet, not even a small distance away from Red, clutching at his sore ribs from the tumble. "Looks like I'm fighting with you. Try not to get yourself killed. and I'll try to do the same. Deal?" He started laughing again, alerting the bear to where he was. "And I'm Zeran. Who are you Red?"

[Krisa]

It wasn’t long before the laughing maniac came into view. She couldn’t see him all too well, but he surprised her enough to make her jump and step stumble backwards with an embarrassing squeak. Blushing she straightened up as he skidded to a stop from his loud sprint through the trees and faced her. Krisa composed herself quickly and looked at him with mistrust. She looked him up and down, and listened as he spoke but didn’t reply. Instead she found herself staring into the distance, squinting her eyes to spot this bear he spoke of, making sure the man was in her peripheral vision. She always had a different reaction to men than she did with other women, but what he said had been enough to worry her. A bear? She thought wildly, hand hovering over her arrows.


She turned to say something only to see him begin to run off into the night. What a petching coward! He was going to use her a distraction. Agape, she turned back to where she now could hear the bear he spoke of, only to have her attention pulled towards him once more as he tripped over a root and his escape was foiled. Krisa would have found this amusing under any other circumstances, but as it was, he had already made her not like him. It served him right to fall on his ass after such an act.

The Bear was in the far distance now. Oh what had she gotten herself into? This day turned from bad to worse. Now she was standing with some mad fool, probably as insane as she was, just in a more obnoxious and boisterous way. He didn’t seem to have a problem with throwing others under the bus to save his own skin either.

She bristled even further as he reluctantly stood to fight next to her. Krisa wished she could run now, but his laughter had started again. For the first time she spoke. Her voice came out in an angry hiss “Quit that incessant giggling!” She said harshly, moving towards him suddenly and covering his mouth with her right hand. It wasn’t her fault he’d caught her in one of her more extreme bad moods, but to use her as a distraction when a bear was barreling towards him at full speed, and then to continue to laugh like a lunatic as Krisa tried to prepare herself was DEFINATLY his fault.

She visibly moved away from him and drew an arrow. She stood side on, feet splayed, and pulled the string back against her chin, the arrow held in place as the pressure built up. Krisa didn’t look afraid, but of course she was. It had been such a hectic season, but shed opened a side of herself that had been locked away in her Dek years. She actually felt better when she was in danger, it was dangerous. What is she became addicted to this feeling of pride, and power she got when she faced a challenge. Fear was still present, of course, but she could hide it.

The man uttered his name, and in turn, mostly just so she wouldn’t keep being referred to as ‘Red’, told him her own. “Krisa.” She said shortly “Get ready, Zeren” She muttered, steading herself. If she could jam an arrow into it’s ribs, maybe aim for it’s head. She still needed to learn these things, she was an archer, but no hunter. “What did you do to piss that bear off?” She said, exasperated, hands shaking a little, as her voice did the same.

[Zeran]

Red had a personality that was as fierce as her hair colour. Quite forward too. Her hand over his mouth was a little over the top. She could've just asked nicely. Zeran was tempted to lick her hand, but thought against it. Cannibalism was frowned upon in most parts of Mizahar anyway. She removed her hand shortly before he would've pulled it away with his astral arm, keeping quiet as she moved away with an arrow drawn. "As you wish, Lady Red." The rustling of leaves and the snaps of twigs and branches preceded the low growl, indicating that the bear was approaching. No doubt it was using it's heightened smell to try and find him. Would the additional scent confuse him? Or signify another intruder he would be required to attack. From where they were stood, it didn't matter. Red had picked a spot that was downwind from the bear. Or was that an accident? Zeran had no way of knowing if she was a competent hunter or a novice with a bow. He shrugged. He's soon find out. Careful with his footing, as not to make any noise, Zeran snuck backwards and behind a few trees. If he could get into a different position, he'd have a better advantage with facing the bear. First, he needed to find where the bear was first. He only knew it was near, not where. He caught her name as he circled the area and her in turn. Krisa the hunter. Archer? Red-head? Did she need a title? If she survived this, then maybe Zeran would be kind enough the give her one worthy of her skills. It was down to Krisa now whether that would mean praise or humiliation. And as she wished, he was getting ready. One astral arm and one attached arm. Maybe I should've detached my weaker arm instead of my stronger one... Oh well, it's not training if it's too easy! "You hiss at me to keep quite, and now you're asking question? Make your mind up Lady Krisa. Indecision can lead to death." Zeran watched her through the trees, unsure if she even knew he had moved. The only thing he knew was the shaking of her voice matched the shaking of her hands. "To answer as the Lady wishes, I didn't do anything, I just asked him to try and catch me." He doubted the bear was able to work out that he had been punched by a projected arm. It probably didn't help his mood, but it was a good enough distraction to get enough distance. The noises grew louder. The bear was closing in on them. Probably finished scouting the area, or had managed to pick up on something. Zeran looked back. Her hands were still shaking. "It's reassuring to know you're able to hit a target with such unsteady hands, Lady Krisa." He waded in and out of the trees as he approached her. "You mustn't ever miss with steady hands then. Or, is there the possibility that I have the misfortune of having encountered a child, barely able to look after herself without someone to tell her things will be all right?" Stepping out behind the closest tree to her side, Zeran pushed the bow aside and downwards and stood close to her face in front of her. "Here you go then, Lady Krisa." he almost whispered to her. "Calm down and believe in yourself." It was only a mild conditioning, but would hopefully reduce her nerves and boost her confidence if Krisa didn't brush them off to one side. The bear was running now. Zeran could hear it. It had found them. "Now, fight with me." he started laughing again, turning to punch the bear in the nose with his astral arm again. The shock caused the bear to trip, skidding along the floor as Zeran had done before.

[Krisa]

oocI'm so sorry for the hiatus. I've been away for ages. I ended up injuring my ankle quite badly, and I lost motivation for a little while but I'm back now .

Krisa recoiled almost immediately, the shock of him being so close, and speaking in such a low whisper next to her ear rendered his words mute as she skipped backwards, away from him. It was a stupid thing to have such a violent reaction to, really. After all, hadn’t she been just as forward with him, covering his mouth like that. That was a stupid thing to do, and it hadn’t been her. It had been an odd thing, an uncharacteristic thing for Krisa to do. But his laughing had rubbed her the wrong way.

She knew her hands were shaking, she knew she looked like a fool, especially jumping at something so simple. It was the man, Zeran who scared her, even more than the bear. She didn’t trust men at the best of times but this one made her feel small without even trying. She hated veing looked down on, and yet she, more often than not, looked down on herself! And that was what made her angry, it made her feel unsafe. She was letting herself be weaker than him, letting herself look the fool. And now he was in her face, belittling her. She was not a child.

She didn’t need it. She felt small all the time, her own mind told her she was weak, voices with no face and no body. Always the same sinister voices. She could hear them now, laughing and parroting Zeran’s words, every now and then they added in an insult of their own. She didn’t even look at him, instead she said nothing, brushing him to one side in absolute silence and set about making herself seem stronger.

She didn’t speak. She took a deep breath, and ignored everything but the target. Focus, breathe, shoot straight, Krisa. She set her feet, and drew the arrow tighter. She thought about the words he had uttered. She knew they were true. She wanted to use her own power, she wanted to prove, not to him, but to herself that she was able to do this. And she was. She had a lot of practice. The one she loved was by herside, she could feel her notching her own arrow. Her voice in her mind was so much more welcome.


She could see the bear barreling towards her. Then it stumbled and fell heavily on it’s side. Something invisible had smacked it in the side of the head, and forced it to go skidding down the small incline. A magic user. That was very interesting. Despite herself she smiled. Ready now, to end it, she took one more breath, and with utterly steady hands, her arrow flew through the air, and embedded it’s self into the creatures ribs. It roared with pain and, quickly, she notched one last arrow. “Sorry...” She muttered to the bear, as she moved a bit closer, and the last arrow, flew true, into the bears neck, this time.

[Zeran]

OOCIt's good to have you back now! Hope you're feeling better after that then, and let's hope you don't hurt yourself again.

The roar of the bear echoed throughout the trees of the Misty Peaks, rousing any bird or mammal from their slumber. Zeran held his left hand to his ear, and the other against his shoulder as he fell over backwards onto his ass. One more arrow and the bear fell silent. The peaks were far from so. The beating of wings as birds took to the skies. The rustling of branches as squirrels and monkeys jumped across them. The pounding of hooves against the floors, stomping on twigs and leaves alike. All sounds slowly drawing further away, growing quieter with each passing tick, until there was silence completely. The bear lay still. No noise coming from him, not even breath. A creature as strong and protective as it, reduced to a sorry lump meat as all other things in death. It was depressing to think that, regardless of how great your were in life, the only thing that would separate you from the lowest of the low would be what you wore when Dira finally took you. And maybe the circumstances that lead to your death, but that was only different because of life. In the end, all things were for the earth to reclaim, regardless of how your body was dealt with after. Sent off in a blaze of glory or dumped in a pit. Zeran clapped his left hand slowly against the limp arm in his lap, watching Krisa with wide eyes and an uncomforting smile. Aside from their breathing, it was the only sound that could be heard in the immediate vicinity. Two arrows was all she used. One in the ribs, one in the neck. But how much of that was skill, and how much was luck. Surely an archer was expected to be able to keep their composure under any circumstances. Footsoldiers relied on them to thin the number of their enemies, not their allies. An archer with shaky hands when things got heated was of no use to anyone. "Well done, Lady Krisa." He looked back over to the bear and shrugged. "Eventually." The projected arm returned to him, sitting into the fingers of Zeran's hand, followed by the palm, and eventually the wrist, each locking into place as if the physical body was tying down the astral one now there was no djed around to aid it in its escape. He had use of his fingers once again, but the arm was still useless until the rest of the astral body sat in place. His hand worked, but he had no means to lift that hand with the arm. Zeran used his left hand to rock himself onto his feet again. This outcome had not been his original idea. Zeran meandered over to the carcass, kicking his feet at the ground as he did. He had wanted to practice with the bear. To fight it one-on-one. Either he would've been mauled, he would've ran away, or he would've beaten the bear badly enough that it would've surrendered. Zeran had not planned for the bear to lie dead at his feet now. He had had no reason for killing it. "Do you have a reason, perhaps?" His expression had not changed since he had first faced Krisa, and she would find he had the same still. Zeran made a small indication towards the bear, has hand doing little to leave his side. "For killing it? Meat? Hunting job? Otherwise, there might be cubs with one less parent now."

[Elysium]

Zeran

XP:
Projection +2
Hypnotism +3
Rhetoric +3
Running +2
Socialization +1

Lore:
Lady Krisa, the Archer
Hypnotism: Buffing an Ally
How to (Unsuccessfully) Run From a Bear
Projection: Leverage

★

Krisa

XP:
Weapon: Shortbow +3
Rhetoric +1
Observation +2
Socialization +2

Lore:
Zeran, the 'Maniac'
How to Shoot a Bear
Indifference to the Ecosystem

Notes: Zeran never fails to make me laugh. He has such terrible luck with women, it seems! They just don't understand him. Poor guy. At least he has Elena. If either of you have any issues with the grade, shoot me a message.

and so, the journey continues...