Closed Nowhere to Run (Banir)

[Alea Davenport]

17 Winter, 512

It had taken a bit of pulling and prodding, not to mention pestering and badgering, but Alea had finally convinced Banir to go on a walk in the woods with her. Of course, her motives were more devious than a simple pleasant walk between friends. Banir was a man of many secrets, and Alea a girl of infinite curiosity. Today, she would get answers out of him.

Of course, it wasn't as simple as just plain asking him (that was the first thing she'd tried). It seemed that when you asked Banir a question he didn't like, he flew into an uncontrollable raged and destroyed everything he could find. Which of course only made the game more exciting. How to get Banir to talk without risking death and dismemberment, that was the trick.

And so, until they were sufficiently far away from the city and potential witnesses and/or collateral damage, Alea lulled Banir into a false sense of security, by entertaining him with frivolous news about her own life. Last time they met, they had been interrupted before being able to catch up properly, so now was as good a time as any to make up for that.

"...and I spent all of last season building my house, which is why I didn't have time to come find you until that was done. You should come visit sometime! So what have you been up to since Avanthal?"

[Banir Ironwood]

This was not how he imagined his day going, Banir had been rather intent on not going for a walk. Mostly because he had a really bad track record with Alea and isolated places. Namely the fact that she usually pushed to hard sending his temper our of control. It wasn't her fault and he never did blame her for it. It was his memories that came with the answers. The thoughts and his mind conjuring the voice of his father to edge his rage further. Though this time she actually seemed to genuinely discover not his secrets but his well being. He couldn't help but smile underneath his scarf, his face felt a lot better since he had been to the healers. It still hurt like Ivak's wrath to smile, swallow, breathe, and talk. But it was not nearly as much pain as he normally experienced. Taking in Alea's life after he had departed he was rather impressed with how much she had done.

Taking a long breath he prepared his words in his head. Matching Alea's stride easily as he marched with her. "I have been getting, stronger. I'm planning on, becoming a guard for, the Spires. See if I can, put my violence to, good use around here." He paused as he took another deep long breath in as he stepped in something that he hoped was mud. Looking to Alea from the side his red eyes had become tainted with bits of happy yellow. Flecks of them appearing then merging to the edge. Like an endless display of coloured water viewed from the top of a fountain. Banir's eyes where the only way to display emotion to the outside world.

The only medium he had to communicate happiness, sadness, and other emotions. The yellow kept sparking a bit as he was pleased to discover Alea's life hadn't been too risky so far. He took a deep breath and went on again. "Other than that not, much has happened. Oh right, I would love to, visit your home. I imagine its, a nice place. I just live mostly, at the old Base Camp. I do odd jobs, there from time to, time to earn my, keep. Not much someone, like me can do."

Banir stepped on a thick branch and leaned on it, his weight neatly snapped under his hefty build. Looking over at Alea he smiled under his scarf again. Happy to have a real friend by his side, he of course still had Falix. But the small girl of clay could only do so much for him. Though she did make for good conversation. Banir kept surveying around them, his eyes watching the trees and bushes as they moved by. Potential weapons where scattered everywhere. His fighters mind never at rest, at least not when on the forest floor with a friend that could be harmed by the wild life or even worse himself.

[Alea Davenport]

Alea smiled to herself. It sounded like not much had changed. Though, now that they had caught up with each other's lives (which had taken maybe all of five chimes), she had abruptly run out of safe conversation topics. It was time to put her devious plan into action before she got dangerously bored. Surveying the surrounding trees, she tried to find one that was remotely climbable. But in Taldera, trees were just so huge... the nearest branch was fifty feet in the air.

But before long, she noticed something that might work. Really, it was shaped more like a bush than a tree, but still its lowest branches were above Alea's head. "Hey Banir! Give me a boost, I wanna try to climb this tree...er, bush...thing." She bullied him into coming over and helping her, until he let her climb up on his shoulders and pull herself up into the leaves. She climbed a few branches higher, getting used to the layout of the Talderean shrub in case she needed to move around it quickly.

After another chime, she pokes her head out through the leaves and said, "Hey, Banir? Why do you wanna kill your father?"

OOCEnjoy! Also, let me know if I took too many liberties with the giving Alea a boost.

[Banir Ironwood]

Banir looked at what neither he nor Alea could really describe. All he knew was that it was some sort of vegetation or something. It had what he thought where leaves, bark, wood. Was wood and bark the same thing? He didn't know time was still passing outside of his thoughts. Banir had stood there for a little while before he heard Alea's nagging words. Snapping to attention he looked at her, bending down he wrapped an arm around her legs and stood up offering her a better chance to get atop the. The bush thing, vegetation, whatever it was. Watching her as she climbed her way to the top. Gods forbid Alea is ever allowed inside a city like Syliras, he doubted even the famed knights of the city would be able to keep her in check. Walking a little ways away from the bush he looked up at Alea. Raising his arm with a silent wave at his friend, he smiled beneath his scarf. It was hurting like Ivak's wrath to look up but he found he could manage it. As his neck got sore he heard and realized why exactly she had climbed up there. That sneaky little petcher, he could feel his rage boil and bubble at the thought of his father. That rotten girl! How dare she do this! He was living peacefully in the Spires! He hadn't lost his rage in a while, and he liked that! Why did she have to in here and try to push him over the edge.

He gripped his head with his left head, groaning he sighed as he tried to push back his rage again. Just breath, stay calm, no need to go into a rage. He was not going to become some beast of hatred again. Trying to restrain himself he felt his rage thumping hard and loud in his skull. Wanting to let loose, he needed to repress it. Just push it away, push it back away from his mind. He began to feel his memories come forth, of the days his father would beat him. Call him a failure, ridicule him for his slightest mistakes. The feel of the hammer as it struck his skin, the weight of the anvil as his father threw it at him. All the thirty seven years of abuse he's gone through at the hands of that man. No, Banir instead focused on his life so far, the friends he met in Avanthal, the healer that helped remove some of the pain from his face. The friend he has here, and the meeting with Alea. Steadily his better nature began to take hold, though his eyes where still rolling red with fresh rage. It wanted out, and deep down he wanted to let it out. Just rage and rage until nothing was left, but he knew that wouldn't solve anything. There was only one person who should receive his rage. And he was waiting in Sultros.

He paused as he felt eyes on him, and not just ones from above, he turned around for a moment releasing his head. There was nothing but bush and trees, nothing. He was sure something was just staring at him, shaking off the feeling he looked up at Alea. Rage still ready to be triggered, he thought of a response and it came quicker than normal. Taking a long and deep breath as his damaged throat let out his voice into the chilled air. Coming forth in a large fog from behind his white scarf. "For reasons that are, very personal to me." Short, sweet and simple. Just as it always was.

[Alea Davenport]

When Banir started groaning instead of answering, Alea drew back into the foliage, holding very still to avoid drawing his attention. She'd known there was a risk for him to fly into a rage, though she'd hoped the abruptness of the question would startle him into answering. But when she didn't hear the sounds of carnage and tree-death, she risked a tiny peek out of the leaves. Banir seemed to be struggling... which, all things considered, showed a better handle on his rage than he'd had when she last knew him.

Banir's response was hands down the most unsatisfying answer to a question she'd ever received (unless you count "because I say so" in response to any question beginning with "why"). It wasn't just the disappointing lack of new information, or the "end of discussion" implication that came with it. He'd said there were "personal reasons", which Alea somehow interpreted as Banir not trusting her enough to tell her.

She was silent for a few moments, trying to process the heavy feeling in her chest. It wasn't a familiar emotion. It felt like...like she'd done something wrong somehow, except it wasn't like times when she'd disobeyed her parents or other authority figures. In the end, Alea couldn't figure out what the feeling was, only that it was immensely uncomfortable.

"I...petch." She wasn't going to get an answer from him right now. Trouble was, she just didn't know how to build up his trust enough that he'd be able to talk about it. And worse, that strange and unfamiliar emotion had caused her to completely lose focus. She couldn't concentrate enough to come up with a strategy for getting him to talk. Anything she thought of to say bubbled up in her throat, but couldn't make it out.

She climbed a bit higher in the giant shrub, using the concentration of navigating the branches to distract herself enough to clear her head. She almost felt like she was trying to escape that feeling by physically moving away from it...and to an extent, it worked. Her chest still felt heavy, but her head cleared enough that she thought of something to say.

"Well then, what about your mother? What was she like?" Oh gods, she hoped that wouldn't trigger his rage too. That would be going too far, to the point of ridiculousness. The frustration of it all caused her to add, "Don't you have any happy childhood memories?"

[Banir Ironwood]

Look up, just look up at her. A simple thing to do for most if not all people, even some animals where capable of such a task. However to look up for Banir would mean a pain to which only being punched repeatedly in the kidney would match. He couldn't see if she was safe, okay, or if he needed to be ready to catch her. Although she was irritating, annoying, and triggered his anger more often than not. Alea was a friend, perhaps not always the best or most desired friend. But weather he liked it or not she was his friend. Taking a long and deep breath he figured he should at least try to look up. As he gently raised his head he could already feel his skin stretching and shifting his damaged throat. The pain was pretty bad but it didn't stop him, he tried to keep going. But when a fresh burst of pain hit him he just couldn't take that much pain. He brought his head back down, he'd have to keep it at eye level for a while. That hurt a little too much.

Groaning as he moved a hand beneath his scarf to gently massage his throat. By the gods he wished he could get his wounds fixed. At the very least his throat. He was actually wondering what it was like to talk normally for once, its been so long he can't remember what his undamaged voice was like. Listening he heard Alea speak, looking as far up as he could without hurting himself he quickly frowned beneath his scarf. He removed his hand from his scarf and sighed gently. The questions she had asked where rather difficult, his eyes shifted turning to a pure blue. Banir had absolutely no knowledge of his mother. Other than what his father had told him, which wasn't much beyond: Dark hair, your eyes, oh and you killed her with your birth. Though it wasn't rage that gripped him, it was agony. The pain of sorrow, grief, he didn't want to think about it. He didn't even want to really answer her question. However he knew she'd be expecting an answer. How on all heck would he be able to tell her? 'Never met my mom cause she's dead' 'Oh hey yeah I killed her when I was born!'

Banir figured he'd best just say something short and sweet like he always did. Slowly he started to work up the nerve, it was difficult, his blue eyes darted around as he felt something heavy in his throat and chest. Good gods this was a pain, why did this have to be so tough! Managing to force his words out his voice was a little strained. "Dead. And no." It was all he said, all he wanted to say, and all he needed to say. Honestly he did hate his life sometimes and this moment wasn't helping him. He brought his arms up and held the other bicep tightly. Shaking slightly as he tried to get his mind off of his childhood, the years of abuse and sorrow coming back again. He didn't want to remember anything from his past. He tried to keep the past at bay, he didn't want anything to do with it. The reason he had left was to be away from his father, away from that life. He went to Avanthal to learn about the Vantha, his mothers heritage. And he came to the Spires for miza's, training and work. To get a new life. He didn't have much but it was at least something, he didn't want to go back. Not physically or mentally, even in the slightest. The bitter feelings rose within him and he asked her a question of his own. "Why do you even, care?" He took a long shaken breath.

His thoughts where broken by movement behind him. That feeling of being watched was on him. That little instinct in the back of his head that told him danger was lurking. Though he had a feeling that this danger wouldn't be coming from above. Banir turned around, his back to the large shrubbery as something snapped a twig. There was probably an animal around here somewhere, most likely some kind of predator. He'd have to keep his guard up, and if something was on his level. He wouldn't mind letting rage lose now, afterward it'd at least clear his head of all these damn thoughts.

[Alea Davenport]

Dead...

Alea's brain produced a brief vision of Banir's corpsified mother raising him, but she shook her head and realize that he meant she must have died when he was young. And... he had no happy childhood memories? None? Nothing he could look back on and be glad it happened? Gods, how did a person live like that? No wonder he hated talking about his past. She'd had no idea...she thought he was keeping quiet out of stubbornness, or...or a misguided notion that she shouldn't be trusted with information about him.

He must have been so lonely... She was overwhelmed with the need to do...something, to compensate for the tragedy of his childhood, to give him something worth remembering. She scuttled back down the branch at a perhaps reckless pace, heedless of the minor scratches the bark gave her. She dropped to the ground with a thud, ignoring the feeling of her stomach being left behind as she fell.

Before the impulse could go away, she jumped up and threw her arms around Banir in the biggest hug her small frame could manage. And she clung to him, refusing to let go until she was sure he felt better.

[Banir Ironwood]

Banir thought for a moment longer until he heard something behind him, he turned back to the vegetation Alea had been climbing. As he watched her scale back downwards he tilted his head curious as to what on earth she was climbing downward for? His previous thoughts of pain and sorrow thankfully forgotten, or at least for the moment pushed aside with more recent worries. Watching as Alea made her way and finally landing. And with her feet on the ground she was rapidly approaching. Was she going to attack? What was happening? He blinked several times his eyes shifting to a yellowy orange. He took a step back and tightened his muscles expecting the impact of a fist or a kick. Instead she took her arms and put them around him. What was she doing? This was insane? Was she going to try and throw him or lift him? There was no way her small body could lift him he would be way to heavy for her. Maybe she'd try crushing him in a bear hug? No no that made no sense either!

Banir took a pause and remembered that she had done something similar back in Avanthal when he had left. Why was she doing this? Surely this wasn't entirely normal right? There was no way?! He felt something welling up inside of himself, his eyes changing to a lighter red. Within his thick and heavy chest he felt his heart beat faster and harder. His hidden face quickly gained a lighter red colour of embarrassment graced his cheeks. Looking down at the small girl that embraced him. After a several few moments he felt like this awkward situation needed to end. Placing his hands on her shoulders he gently tried to remove her from his person. No luck, he tried with a little more might keeping his palms on her shoulders. Still no luck, would he really have to forcibly pry his friend from him? Why was she holding him like this? What would it accomplish?

Perhaps he could just speak, the faster this was over the faster he didn't have to think about it. This was awkward, yet a small spark of familiarity to it . Taking a deep breath he felt his previous thoughts coming back. "Alea, can you please let go? I don't thi-" Banir paused as he heard a rustling behind him. His mind flared at it and reacted quickly. The thought of their lives being in danger got him to react quickly. Prying her with his strength then turning around and brandishing his armoured arm. Out from a bush walked a wolf, a lone and normal sized wolf. Banir almost welcomed this, a break from his emotions and thoughts. A fight, a challenge before him. His suspicions of being watched had been right. And the wolf looked like it was hungry, that would explain why it was picking a fight. Well it chose the wrong prey, with a friend at his back, the emotions he had pent up. The wolf was going to have a bad day. "Stay back Alea." Banir could feel his emotions stir up inside him calling him to violence. His rage, sorrow, agony, all of it. He was a man of action not words, or emotions. However in this rare instance, these blended finely into a growing need for release in combat and battle. He just needed to beat something, hurt something. Rid himself of emotion and only move in action for a while.

[Alea Davenport]

Can you please let go...

Those words had an abrupt and (perhaps unnecessarily) drastic effect on Alea. She released him as requested, but a thundercloud was brewing in her heart. Suspicions and fears she had always tried to suppress were rising to the surface, and as usual she dealt with them by coating them with anger. He doesn't want me around, huh? I'm just a nuisance, is that it? She backed away from him, her arms cross, her entire body tense. She almost didn't even see the wolf.

But only almost. When she saw the teeth poking out beneath the raised upper lip in a clearly hostile expression, it suddenly became quite clear to her that she was not in the city, there were no Jamoura around to prevent anyone coming to serious harm, and that this wolf could very well intend not only serious violence, but also death.

She felt a strong pulse in her head, as her petty but stubborn anger warred with a deeper and darker fear. And then she saw Banir's face, twisted into even more unadulterated hate than the wolf's. She glimpsed his bright red, sanity-less eyes for just a moment before he and the wolf were on each other, and she realized that Banir's intentions matched the wolf's.

She could feel something massive coming toward her, some important and devastating revelation. She didn't want to see it. She couldn't let it find her. So she ran. She ran from Banir's fight with the wolf, back toward the relative safety of the Spires. She focused on her breathing to prevent herself from thinking about ideas that would change her far more than she was ready for. With an effort, she steadied her pace down from the all-out terror-fueled running, to a steady (but still fast) pace, matching her breathing with her strides, three breaths in, three breaths out...

The adrenaline still fueled her, but even when that ran out, her even strides allowed her to keep going for a long way. After several chimes, she found her endurance flagging, and she slowed down to a jog, and then dropped reluctantly into a walk. She had succeeded in part; whatever she had been worried about seemed to have gone away. She was feeling much more calm and rational, and started to think of practical things, like wondering how long Banir would be tearing up the forest, and where he would think she had gone. She was just coming to an entrance to the Spires, so she decided to sit on the forest floor and wait for him.

[Banir Ironwood]

As the crunching of the wolf's steps drew closer, teeth brandished and hungered eyes glaring. Banir was slowly moving forward to meet it, not afraid of the beast before him. His own red eyes of rage focused on the challenge before him. His large muscles flexing beneath his coat and armour as he prepared for the fight. An aura surrounded him one he didn't recognize nor did he pay attention to it. It did seem to give the wolf a bit more caution as it chose to circle around him. His focus on the beast as they circled around, both looking for a moment to strike. It was at this moment he found his focus lost as he remembered Alea had been at his back. Sparing but a second his rage broke and concern touched him as he turned to look, he couldn't find her. Had she run off? Perhaps hidden somewhere? As long as she was safe though that was wha-

Thunderous steps and a growl, the wolf was charging at him full bore. Quickly Banir's rage turned ablaze once more as he gave a blood curdling scream of wrath. The wolf jumped lunging at him jaw opened wide, sharp teeth ready to tear into flesh. Though his rage grabbed him his instincts remained sharp as he raised his right arm. The strong cold iron acting as a shield, one he used to bash against the wolf's attack and send it off from himself. Launching himself with his lead foot he tucked and rolled from the wolf, gaining distance from the beast as he quickly turned round on his feet. The wolf had already began its next assault, bearing down on Banir again. Staying down this time he kept his stance low, one foot stretched behind him with another bent and ready to spring forward. His right arm ready as a shield once more, the wolf got closer and closer. He had moments, and he needed to use them wisely. His anger demanding a stead on attack he brought cooler thoughts to his mind. Scanning his surroundings he noted the trees, the path, and a large rock. His mind formed a rough plan and put it in motion. Quickly turning his head back to face the wolf his blood was pumping hot at the sight, the Surge hit him. Soon Banir was staring down its maw, into the dark flesh lined with rows of teeth. A moment more and it lunged. Its teeth a breath from his hooded and scarfed face, it was then he acted. Timing it just right he brought his right elbow up into the bottom jaw of the wolf. Clamping its mouth shut and lifting its front end off the ground. Using his springing leg he launched himself up to his feet while his prone leg launched him into a sprint. His right elbow barely secured the wolf as his left hand cupped on its stomach, the wolf was worming and squirming. He was barely able to keep it in position when he suddenly stopped his running form. What hold he had was piratically gone when he threw the wolf.

However through this ordeal everything around him seemed to slow to a crawl, his blood boiled as in his minds eye every second seemed to last minutes. An intoxicating effect took hold of him. Adrenaline, the Surge, ran rampant in his body. Adding strength and speed in his time of need, when he threw the wolf he would have missed the rock by a foot or so. But with the added strength the hunger ravaged wolf would strike the rock and hard. With a resounding crack it gave a loud yelp of pain. Probably a few broken ribs on its part, still the wolf wasn't giving up. It rose to its feet again, rage and hunger filling it again as it charged. Unexpected Banir hadn't time to prepare, a moment of fear gripped him. He was going to get bit! Pain, fear, the wolf, his emotions and the world happened to fast. His blood still boiled with the Surge but somehow everything was moving too fast. The effect of slowed time had left him all too soon as the next attack came. He needed something anything to save himself from this. Was he this weak? To be afraid of a lone wolf? Would he really fall to despair all because he hadn't a moment to think? Then he heard the familiar voice of his father.

Weaklings like you, will die

NO! Rage quickly whipped into him as he felt an onrush of emotions, his iris's turned so red it would have hurt. Thought left him, even instinct, the only thing remaining was action. With his emotions in full burn as the wolf was upon him leaping at him. Banir reeled back his right fist and simply punched towards the beast. His fist moved between the wolf's teeth, into its mouth, and eventually down its throat. The armour managed to keep his arm safe while his bladed gauntlet tore at the wolf's inner flesh. The wolf gave a gurgled noise of pain and despair as blood began to flood down its mouth with his fist. Quickly turning he whipped the wolf again, it flew and struck against the ground. Another yelp as the wolf coughed up blood, it made its way ready to run and retreat. Banir however wasn't done yet, running he jumped and pointed his left elbow at the beast's back. Landing with a sold crack, he moved again causing his scarf to dislodge revealing his face. The wolf trying to defend itself with its teeth, Banir's left hand gripped its neck and crushed its throat. Repeatedly his right arm reeled back. Punching again and again until the blood began to drench his armour and fist. Some spraying against his face, the look of pure rage and sadism gripping him. Teeth clenched and face twisted with his scars. Becoming a monster of pure wrath as he unleashed his emotions into the brutalized corpse before him.

Eventually his anger left him, and he was left breathing hard against the weight of air. His emotion flooded mind still in the after effects of his rage. The mangled face of what could barely be identified as a canine was under grip of his left hand. His right armoured arm covered in blood as he retracted himself from the body. Standing on his feet he felt strange, dizzy, and oddly relieved at the same time. Like a weight was lifted, though remnants of his rage remained in his eyes, his other emotions had dimmed. Looking around as he recollected himself he looked to the corpse again. Quickly his mind began to spark up his memories again, of fighting the wolf, it charging at him then. Nothing? By Izurdian's craft he had lost himself to his rage again, right when he thought he had been getting better. Sighing he closed his eyes and focused, he needed to offer prayer. "Izurdian, I thank you for the strength, I was blessed with to defeat, my adversary. To Dira, I apologize again for the, look of the body you bring, your release of death to. Embrace them gently and, carry them where you may. May my strength carry, me onward." With his prayer given he doubted the gods could hear him. But it was still worth the sentiment.

Looking around he didn't see Alea, where could she have gone? He turned around, it was safe to come out. Why hadn't she joined him? Unless she had run off? Turning he looked at the wolf again, he'd have to collect it later if he could and bring it to the Spires to be skinned, sell the meat and pelt. Bones too if he could, he shouldn't let the wolf's death go to waste. Departing he focused on finding Alea, he began off in a light jog when he felt his muscles cry in soreness. Pausing he spared a thought as to how long had he been punching the wolf in anger? Regardless he trudged on, keeping a safe jog as he paused and looked around. Using his damaged throat he tried to call out her name louder, but risked more pain than even he could manage. "ALEA!" Concern touched him as his graveled voice traveled up and through the forest. He kept jogging short distances along the path and called out her name each time. "ALEA!" As his concern rose so did his volume despite the pain that flared with it. He felt responsible for her, and he'd be damned if she'd be hurt or dead because of his aggression. Panic began to set in, where was she? Soon he began to approach what sounded like water along the path, a larger river with a tree bridge. He approached calling her name again hoping for a response. "ALEA!!"