Roll on. (Ball)

[Ximal]

37th spring 513AV Xi's hands clenched beneath his cloak...He was angry, not with anyone other than himself and the monk who'd done that...He didn't even know who it was, which monk but he'd had a start. it was a monk of laat. and Xi knew he'd have to start there. The wind ripped across him and blew his hair across to the side the black hair of his shining a little blue in the light with a single carmine read strip of fabric running across it. Xi's knuckles were white beneath his gauntlets, and his longbow was strapped across his back, arrows at his hip and his staff was at his side. He strode onwards first heading west , mostly top check that it really was a monk of laat and not some tale they told travellers, he didn't doubt vysia, but he'd doubted that it was one of those monks. As he steam rolled across his could hear his boots thudding into the ground. His mask sat inside his cloak and he would slip it on at the time of his revenge. Before challenging that monk. He didn't care how many came after him he would beat them all into powder. He would teach them all what it meant to attack a friend of his. His "little sister" in a sense. She was the closest thing he had to family, and he would not stnad to see someone harm her and walk away scot-free. Xi marched with the force and vigour of a soldier or even a knight, the discipline of one too. Conviction... That was a word he rarely used any more, but he was of utter conviction in the sense that he would be sure that this monk would pay. He held a conviction close too him that his friends and his family...Even if it might only be through connection alone, would stay safe. And if that meant he'd have to nearly kill himself to do it...then by thunder and rain he would. By the fury of zultrav himself he would do it. Only after a while did he get the feeling though that he was being followed. He turned around to try ans spot what it was gazing in all directions except one. before he said. "Whoever is following me, how yourself. I know you are there I've been tailed by enough predators to know when I'm being followed. "

[Ball]

Ball wasn't entirely surprised that he wasn't visible from the cloaked being that towered above him. He was sitting on his small dog, so he wasn't exactly the most visible being upon the breathing mophead. The dog's rump was weighed down by a Syliran Knight's torn, dirty, and blood-stained heraldic flag wrapped around a stick and tied down around the dog's hind legs and up around the dog's torso. Ball was buried between the rope and the furry tuft that occurred from the emblem's location. Ball could feel Thorn against his backside, the metal object irritating his body.

When he saw that the cloaked being kept looking about around his backside and never down Ball decide it was time to make himself known. “Dow.He.Ur.” ['Down. Here.'] The squired pycon rose a small tentacle up and waggled it about to make himself noticed.

“Yu.Mus.Ta.Bee.Lu.Kee.Ing.Fo.Sum.Ding.”['You must be looking for something.'] Ball nodded and rose his small tentacled body from his hiding spot and stretched out his four tentacles. He appeared to be a small ball of clay with four tentacles, each one pointing out towards the four cardinal points of his body (north, south, east, and west).

“I. Hel.Pa.” ['I help.'] Ball nodded and the dog stopped just to the side of the man, Ball looking up at him. Cloaked Pycon appears not only angry, but he is like everyone else, he never looks down...

[Ximal]

Xi looked around before finally looking down to see the source of the garbled and slightly mangled common. However it was legible enough to understand what was being said. Xi looked down to see a small dog with an odd tentacle protruding from it's back. After his venture into the aperture Xi was already on guard and that just gave him the heebie jeebies. Xi took a half step back as the voice spoke again saying it would help him. Xi watched the tentacle be joined by four more from a central point. Xi spoke back a slow voice escaping him as he watched the ball shaped...thing speak. To his best knowledge it was probably a pycon of a sort after all that was the only guess he could garner. "Your going to help me ? How...How can you help me find out the location of a man i do not even know?-" Xi's knuckles turned white beneath his gauntlets as a wave of fresh rage escaped him crashing down like a tsunami over the area around him flowing off like a liquid fire, Bolstering the intimidation factor around him. And making his dark eye's almost glow. Xi then locked his eyes on the thing before him. "-Thank you for your offer but ...Unless you know what kind of monk i'm looking for, as well was what kind of events transpired on the thirtieth...then i'm afraid you cannot help me..." Xi brought himself lower crouching onto one knee to get down to an equal level with the ball of oddity atop the dog. "Tell me...Are you a pycon ? If so what is your name? You cant really help me out too much however you may accompany me. After all I could so with something and someone to talk to so i don't feel like a moron." Xi glanced around him to scan the surroundings before rising off of his knee and starting his walk towards the west gate, A serious purpose in his walk...Nobody hurt his family lest they befall dire consequences. Xi's teeth ground together as he held the mask in his cloak. Xi slipped it out and pulled back his hood sliding the leather framed wooden mask over his face. He was no longer Ximal...But "The Unbroken" He was now going to attempt something eh didn't normally do, Ana had done it why couldn't he ? Xi brought a hand to his eyes, closing his eye lids he pressed his finger tips into them before pulling his djed there and focusing. "Red...Tides of blood and oceans of rage, the colour of fury and passion. Make. Them. Red! "Freshly Spilled Blood red." Xi spoke quietly in a low voice keeping his tone down as he changed the colour of his eyes and felt the djed slowly mouldings around, the transformation was clunky even with his focusing phrase and ideas, taking a deep breath he slowly pulled it into shape. Ana had done it with his eye colour and he could do it with this. Dammit He could do it ! His eye's opened to reveal a slightly glowing red there in the place of his normal blue. Both dark and deep. Flipping his hood up he then focused on a different transformation. Xi then slowly brought his hands up to his head and swept his hands over his hair before speaking again and focusing on his hair. "Sunlight Gold." Xi swept his hand back over his hair it slowly began a gradual change from black to blonde as his hands swept down over it;s length, the transformation was clunky and slow but moderately faster than the eye transformation. As this was a more practised transformation. Xi was now faltering in his steps lightly due to the djed usage and the constant pull. Maintaining two separate transformations may not have been the best idea even if it was only a colour change. Now he had really completed his change into "the unbroken, it may have taken a few moments ad longer than an instant change with minimal variation but still it was enough to hide who he really was as all they'd have would be his eye colour and his hair colour.

[Ball]

When the man asked if he was a Pycon Ball nodded, “Ball.” He responded when he was asked his name. It was a simple response, one that Ball did before when someone asked him his name some time a few seasons ago. Ball to this day, never responded to that question with more than a nod and his name.

Ball watched as Cloaked Pycon turned his back on the squire and ran his hands over his dark locks several times, with each pass the man's hair grew lighter and lighter in shade. And odd sight to behold, coupled with the words the man spoke, He talks to himself. Pokes himself in the face it would appear, and changes colors. Ball wasn't entirely sure if he should venture with this man for the time being, but he didn't really have anything better to do. Ball once more just nodded and settled back into place on his steed, “Yu.Lee.Duh.” ['You lead.']

Once they got moving, Ball remained behind and to the left of the man, so the man could see him at all times, and know that Ball wasn't going to attack him, it was the honorable thing to do. From this standpoint though, Ball could also see the man turn to attack him as well. So it worked in Ball's favor as well.

[Ximal]

Xi flexed his fingers beneath his cloak the small strange "pycon", walking behind him atop his dog. Xi himself though could feel his hands curling into fists beneath his cloak. Xi kept his mask in place and listened to the pycon continue in his semi mangled common, it was still listen and understandable. So Xi didn't mind but Xi trudged toward the west gate. His hands tight and his eye's scanning around useing the shroud of darkness to look around for the location of a random stray monk. All the monks had to know each otehr even if they hated each other. Xi was beginning to fill a slight pull on his djed flow, He held his breath for a moment and the anger began to creep out of him. Mostly at the fact he hand to keep himself disguised. And the fact he couldn't just pummel the bastard who'd hurt his family. Before long the air around him was full of a mix between killing intent and sheer anger. After a while of walking Xi caught sight of a lone monk disappearing down an alley way. Xi spoke quietly, mostly to the pycon following him. Partly to convince himself that what he was doing was right. "Pycon, you stay here at the end of this alley...Get your dog to bark if anyone comes." Xi turned off down the alley behind the monk using all his rather unimpressive powers of stealth to creep up on the monk. As he reached the monk though he grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled back hard, spinning him as Xi brought his powerful fist up and around, the blood red glare in his eyes and the golden streams of hair , almost reminiscent of Ana. Right now she was the closest thing he had to a real family so the monks were in trouble. As Xi's hand connected with the monks face he saw not only a tooth go flying and a spray of blood spurt out onto the wall adjacent, but heard a dull crack. Not a snap. Good, this bastard had to be able to talk. Xi hauled his still reeling body up and slammed him into the ball by lifting him via the hem of his short, the blood sprayed out in a fine mist over Xi's mask. The monk then managed out a startled remark of alarm, before Looking into Xi's eyes. Xi took a deep breath and paused a few moments to the monk it would seem light a moment to intimidate him, which it half was. The other half was Xi mentally trying to mask his voice and try to pretend over the tone and depth. Eventually Xi spoke. His voice a growling rage, but strong, hard. Yet some how a bit deeper than normal. "Who was it that beat the girl that got branded on the thirtieth ? Who!" Xi wasn't even going to give him time to think up a remark no Xi just hoisted him up off of the ground and slammed him back into the wall again. There was no finesse, not style, no restraint right now. Xi was not fighting like normal, no this was an act of sheer aggression and anger. Xi held the man in line with his eyes. A small line of blood now running down the side of the monks mouth. Eventually The monk got out three words. "Velgat...Of laat" Xi clenched his hands tighter before removing one and saying slowly in the same tone and depth of voice. "Thank you....You can go to sleep now." The monk looked puzzled before Xi belted him in the stomach once and then as his head leapt up off the wall and Xi let him down , Xi bought his left hand up and over down onto the back of the man's skull knocking him out cold. Xi then stepped back out of the alley looking down at the pycon and the dog...returning his voice to normal. "Thank you...I think we had better get out of here before out friend wakes up." Xi stepped away from the scene of the interrogation. his hands still thirsted for the bastards blood but at least he now had a name. Xi smirked beneath his mask, his eyes and hair still red and gold respectively though right now he was trying to find another hidden spot to change. Walking off he released the hair transformation before reverting his eye's slowly lest he go blind. Xi let the hair colour drop returning it to his natural black with a blue shimmer, and then closed his eye's before letting them slowly turn themselves back into his normal deep black blue, all beneath the cover of his cloak. Then the djed cost hit him like a hammer. He almost felt his legs buckle...This is why he hated using a new magic but it was a necessity. At least for the moment, with a flick of his hand though the mask came off and became hidden under his cloak.

[Ball]

Ball looked up at at Ximal, the wooden mask on his face didn't deter the squire's thoughts about him, yet when Cloaked Pycon asked Ball to be lookout the squire was about to tell the man what he thought about that idea. However, he didn't get much of a chance to say anything as Xi quickly walked off and found his way to a monk that Ball hadn't seen earlier.

Watching the results of Ximal's anger get unleashed, Ball realized he made the right choice not to tell the man he wasn't just a regular ol' Pycon. After a few minutes of what Ball could only describe as man-handling and torture, Cloaked Pycon returned and thanked the clay being. With no answer to the thanking Ball just followed him, listening to him talk of having a name and then eventually to a place where he could change his attributes to their original state.

He like a Pycon, shift looks but always has to return to his standard state.

“Yu. Ly.Ka.Pi.Con.Cloo Ka.Da.Pi.Con.” ['You are like pycon, Cloaked Pycon.'] Ball commented, tilting his diminutive figure up towards Ximal as he spoke.

Why are all the other Pycons so much bigger than I?

[Ximal]

Xi found a safe spot away from the main streets and ducked down it for a moment to mull over his thought and then raised his eyebrow at the small pycon on the dog. Was that pycon calling him a "cloaked pycon"? Xi shook his head and looked back at the small ball of clay upon the back of the dog. Xi leant against the wall mulling things over in his head. What exactly was he after, a monk of laat by the name of velgat. Xi mulled over the thoughts in his head, planning out the things that he could possibly do to even the score between him and the monk. Xi let his anger flow off of him before he realized what he was doing it was almost as if he'd let it flow out into an inferno. Xi shook his head killing the flames he'd sort that out later. Right now though he turned his attention to the ball of clay. "I take it your a pycon then and not just a random taling ball of clay. Still it's interesting, no matter how many of you little pycons i meet, your all vastly different. More so than us humans. I'm sorry you saw what happened back there it was a personal matter. I'd like to leave that in the past." Xi rolled his fingers together and looked down at the dog riding pycon..."So...Pycon what's your name ? I'm Ximal...Just call me Xi." There was a clear and over arching sense that anger was abounding around him but there was also a large feeling of regret that hung in the air...Why was he so much more aggressive in this city than he had been in the spires ? Xi shook his head and pulled out one of the two flattened stones he's received on the seventeenth smoothing his thumb over the back of it, it almost acted like a relaxant to him. It was a way of helping him clear his mind, he could do it in combat by just breathing but outside he really had to try to quiet the ever tumbling chaos that was his mind. Xi lifted his gaze and shot a look down at the pycon one now more inquisitive than anything else.

[Ball]

When Ximal asked if Ball was a pycon, all the rotund being did was nod, words weren't needed to get the answer the taller of the two races was seeking. When he spoke of wanting to leave what happened in the past Ball had did nothing.

“Ball.” Was the answer that the squire had given Ximal concerning his name, Xi..Xi..Xim...Ximal... Cloaked Pycon... Oops, Ball had already replaced Xim's name with the one he called him. Watching the man remove a flat rock from his pocket and then proceed to stroke it Ball watched, “Yu.Uza.Raw.Ka.Tu.Ca.El.Ma.Dow.Na?” ['You use rock to calm down?'] Ball was amazed that some people find such odd objects to calm themselves down with.

“I Squaw.Er.”['I squire.'] Ball nodded, he didn't know why he wanted to make that point clear to this man, but he just blurted it out nonetheless. The dog whimpered a bit, feeling the anger rolling away from Ximal in heavy waves that if they were colored, would probably be red or black.

[Ximal]

Xi smirked as the ball of clay proclaimed himself to be called "ball". The orb of clay's question was a little disarming. Xi looked at the flat chicken egg sized rock in his hand...When did he pull that out ? Xi shook his head and slid it back into his pocket. They were far too valuable for what they could do. Xi responded to the question with a small queried look on his face. "Not really, i don't even remember quite how it got into my hand. And ball...An apt name for an orb of a pycon. Still it's nice to meet you ball...And your a "squire"? What exactly is a squire?" Xi slowly felt the anger wave rescind from him the deep black blue emotion rescinding and being replaced with something much more malleable as the dog seemed to calm down somewhat having noticed Xi also becoming calmer. Xi watched the pycon and dog combination a slow stream of questions flowing into his head. "So tell me ball...What is a pycon like you doing here in nyka ? The city of the monks? " Xi rolled the question around in his head unsure of how the little ball might answer... Heck he was unsure of what the little pycon might do in general, creatures like that were best left for others to try and understand not a simple fighter like him. Xi Then realized that would be exactly what zan would say to him...And felt almost sanctimoniously grumpy. Why is she always so right about me ? Xi now glared at the floor, but to all it would probably look like Xi was leering at him.

[Ball]

When Ximal noticed the rock and was a bit perplexed by it being in his hand Ball was already on the next thing he noticed, Cloaked Pycon had calmed down and already asked Ball what he meant by 'a squire'. Putting Ball on the spot wasn't abnormal, a lot of the time he did it to himself, but in this case, he thought everyone knew what a squire was.

“I.Ter.An. Un.Dur.Lee.Ja.Lo.Ra.Da. He. Ny.Ta.” ['I train under Liege Lord, he knight.'] Ball nodded, his small furry mount seemed to have sighed at those words, Ball also held a small frown on his face, “Lee.Ja.Lo.Ra.Da.Muh.Is.Ing.”['Leige Lord missing.']

“I.Go.Ho.Ma.To.Fyn.Da.He.Em.I.Go.To.Raw.Ka.Bee.Es.Ta.”['I go home to find him. I go to Rock Beast.'] Ball didn't know the true name of Syliras, for he knew it as The Rock Beast. Ball's only reason for being in Nyka was he was heading home... However he got there. “I.Ca.Ma.Fro.Ma.Is.Len.Da.”['I came from island.']