Ah, the Good Ol' Days: Part 1 [Solo]

[Ash'eny]

Timestamp: 11th of Fall, AV 510

Ash'eny hadn't been his normal self in a long time, not that he could say it was either good or bad to feel this way. Who he was was not something he was proud of, it was not morally acceptable, but he was comfortable in those ways, he loved to do what he did. Today was no different except for the fact that he realized that which he should have recognized days ago. Avalona was gone, without word or warning, that red headed painter had disappeared as quickly as she rooted herself into his heart, his soul, his very being. Ash'eny settled this day with freeing himself from the walls of Syliras, not far from them, Ash'eny would just walk through the grass, the clean fresh air, the bright blue sky, a scene that would have been peaceful if he didn't feel so distracted and lost. Ash'eny found himself a nice comfortable place on the outside of the walls to rest his back against, comfortable enough for him to just look into the horizon and remember back to the days that weren't exactly good or peaceful, but they were before he knew the true chaos and evils of the world, and more importantly, before he was tainted by them...

[Ash'eny]

"Come on Ash'eny, you're so slow!" Tolby shouted down from the tree, such a damn tall tree it was too. Ash'eny peered up into that massive leaf-less organism as if it was some sort of massive sea monster ready to devour him whole. But Tolby was up there, drawing him to climb, to venture up after him in some game he concocted in his head. They were kids still, not as young or innocent as they were years before, but they could still have a little innocent fun. Even if it was Sunberth where they lived, they could be innocent for one day. Ash'eny ripped his gaze from the tree as he peered around the field, there wasn't anybody around to mock him if... no, when he hurt himself, none except Tolby, who wouldn't tell a soul. Ash'eny grinned as he picked up his pace from a standstill to a sudden sprint straight for the tree. His feet kicked up dirt, loose grass, and eventually against the dried bark of the tree as he attempted to use raw momentum to carry him up the first few meters towards the branch. With his body partially up the tree, he flailed his arms wildly as his fingers clawed and grasped at the branch. Ash'eny managed to grab hold of the branch, and although he wasn't climbing yet, it was the first, and most important step, to getting up that oversized weed. Ash'eny tried to pull himself up the tree, using no more than the flimsy muscles in his arms, and he nearly got his chin level with the branch, but it just wouldn't cut it. "What're you doing squirt? Get up here before I get so tired I fall asleep! We haven't got all day!" Tolby called out to his adopted little brother below, mocking Ash'eny in attempt to ignite some supernatural strength in him. "Hush your face fatty! I'll break your tooth if'n you taunt me ag'in!" Ash'eny tried to pull himself up the branch again, but when he dropped his body nearly pulled him out of his grip entirely. There was no way he was going to pull himself up with pure upper body strength. He needed something else, a boost, or assistance. Tolby continued to watch over Ash'eny like a hawk, as if he was moments from pouncing on him from above. "Dummy, use your legs! Swing yourself, push off the trunk, and petching get up here!" Tolby chuckled lightly as he began to climb higher, and with ease. If only Ash'eny could jump over the first branch, he would have a foothold. Regardless, the branch wasn't going to pull him up. Obeying Tolby's commands, Ash'eny began to swing his body. His legs kicked madly against the trunk of the tree until he somehow managed to swing his legs over and intertwine themselves on the opposing side of the branch of his body. With both the arms and legs, he found that he could much more easily weasel himself up. Finally, the first hurdle was jumped! "About time you wuss." Ash'eny looked up the tree, past the maze of branches to find Tolby near the top, grinning like an ape. It was time to catch that little punk and get some pay back.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny took just a moment to rest, allowing that burning sensation in his arms to subside before he once again dove head first (metaphorically) into climbing the tree. Now that Ash'eny had managed the first branch, the rest were either in arm's reach, or would be with the next step upwards. Glancing up the tree, Ash'eny could deduce one crucial, yet obvious, fact. He would catch Tolby. There was only so high you could climb up before you had only one more direction to go. Ash'eny was guarding that only option. A grin of deviousness lit up his face as he grabbed the branch above him and kicked off the one he was standing on, he found it very simple to carry himself up the branches, not much different than climbing a ladder really. As long as the branches were strong and thick, Ash'eny had no problems. But another obvious fact that was somehow overlooked: tree branches tend to be weaker, more fragile, and smaller as you move upwards. This tree in particular was missing many branches, probably broken by Tolby on his climb upwards. Ash'eny paused once he noticed the weakening of the branches as he climbed. "Tolby, I think this is a bad idea." Ash'eny looked up at his companion, who was still several meters above him. Tolby only laughed. He was reckless to a fault very often. Ash'eny was typically the logic in the situation, but Tolby wasn't listening, not this time. He was having too much fun. "Since when were you's a coward? Get your ass up here! Chicken!" Ash'eny always did have a temper. The youthful Ash'eny was provoked into a mild rage as he continued his ascension into the tree. One hand over the other, one foot over the other. It was pretty much a straight shot upwards. Then there was a snap. The branch Ash'eny had been gripping to pull himself up with let loose, crunching under his weight, it gave way and fell. Ash'eny himself only managed to hang on because of him falling into another branch at his side. If it wasn't there to hold him up, he would have hit the ground after taking a brief detour to every branch on his way. He felt a knot swell in his throat as his anger was absorbed by nauseating fear. "Tolby..." Ash'eny looked up, Tolby was only looking down at him now, partially concerned, yet wanted to keep climbing. He was young and having fun. Ash'eny made the foolish decision to keep climbing higher.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny no longer raced to the top of the tree in the name of vengeance. In fact, vengeance was the last thing on earth right now that he wanted, except maybe to actually be at the top. He wanted to reach Tolby for the sole purpose of pleasing his friend and saving his pride. Tolby was the only one he cared about what they thought of him. He was like his older brother. Ash'eny reached up again, the branch was broken off, but there was still a small portion that projected out from where the branch had snapped. The grip was small, difficult, but it wouldn't break, not before his fingers did at least. Once he had some confident in that small grip, he carefully pulled himself up, and as soon as possible, reached up and took hold of the next branch up. His progress was so slow now, it was working more towards exhausting him than anything. Perseverance, that's what it took. He wouldn't accept the destruction of his pride in front of his only friend, just up and down, that's all it took. Ash'eny peered upwards again, a habit now that he felt so disturbed when he looked down, and he say Tolby reaching down towards Ash'eny with one arm, the other locked firmly on the branch above Tolby. He was helping him up! That's the true friend Ash'eny knew. "Here you go champ. Let me give you a boost. You've got to see the view up here." Tolby grinned joyfully. Ash'eny reached up and grabbed his hand, and the two worked together to pull Ash'eny upwards. Then they fell. Twice the weight was simply too much strain on the branch that Tolby was relying on. The two of them lost their grips on each other, the branches, and took a swift turn towards the ground. Ash'eny didn't recall too much from the fall. There was a lot of screaming, cursing, bashing of limbs on the branches. At one point his clothing even managed to get caught, slowing him down only briefly before the branch snapped, or his clothing tore, and he was tumbling again. Once he hit the ground, he had already lost consciousness. He wouldn't know what happened to Tolby for what seemed like eternity. Ash'eny opened his eyes slowly, he must have drifted off to sleep. The man, no longer the child of his memory, sat up slowly and gazed around him. "That's right." The dream might have been scary, but it was a good one. Tolby was still alive in his dreams, even if he did suffer pain and agony, they were the best memories he ever made. Ash'eny rubbed the blurring out of his eyes and gazed into the field, in the distance he saw a tree, much like the one that defeated him in Sunberth. Maybe now that he was older he could try it again. Maybe he should.

[Ataraxia]

Ash'eny XP Running +1, Climbing +4, Observation +2 Lore Love Lost | Locating decent footholds and handholds | Discovering nature's weight limit Comments Hey, that wasn't boring at all! A fun post, a childhood memory... and I actually really liked the ending. It was a short thread, but it was quite good in my opinion. Well done my friend. I gave four points in climbing, as Asheny has no XP in this skill as of yet (that I see), and I tend to think a good descriptive thread like this merits some good XP if the skill is 0. Observation was for actually locating the correct handholds and noting that the limbs were getting thinner as he moved up, and of course the running was from his initial charge (though it only received one point due to being so briefly mentioned). Any questions, you know the drill. Peace out!