[Outside The Gaping Maw] A Blade,A Bow,A Bother (Alex)

[Zifor]

Timestamp
Location




It had been only Two day’s Yet the soreness had mostly dissipated from the last encounter with His instructor, Alex, the man who could have force fed him his Tailfeathers given the reason to, Shyke I hope he Doesn't find a reason to kill me.

He had chosen the same location they had their previous training session to wait for Alex the small forest clearing reminded him of the wood's outside syliras up here in the mountains. a sparse forest was about the best he could hope for plus there was a good batch of targets around.

Archery was the name of the show today, or at least he had assumed so he was instructed to bring his knives. Zi had held onto the branches of one of the tree's and he was watching for Alex's approach this time listening for even the smallest inclination one was approaching him. he felt the nerve's of the previous encounter encroaching in his mind but he pushed it back and held his calm face, exhaling his breath he heard something approaching from somewhere, his head turned to meet an approaching figure a small distance away.

Common, Hypnotism

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"


Alex stepped through the wilderness outside of the gaping maw. Only a couple of chimes away but it was enough to let him know he needed to find a better place within the city to train people as the space outside of the gaping maw shaved off too much time to get anywhere. Alex carried with him his throwing daggers, his bow and quiver of arrows, at his sides were his two bastard swords and his recent acquisition. His Katana.

Stepping into the clearing with his hood up cracking his neck lightly he made a point to pull his bow off of himself and ready it by his side and them remove his jacket. Tossing it above a nearby stone he hear a creak of the wood above him. Without taking the hood of his armour down he spoke clearly calmly and with a voice of command.
“Zi, get out of the damned tree.” With a small sigh he started to test his bows draw eight lifting it above his head and lowering it down into a full draw which he held for a good few ticks before his arms even started to shake from the strain.

He’d grown a little rust having focused on the blades for the last full year. As Zi jumped out of the trees Alex took a moment to clear his throat. Before looking over to him with a cold glare beneath the hood.
“Zi, I wanted you out here for a reason.” With a sharp step forwards he let the glare soften as he flipped his hood back speaking much lighter now. He let his face form a small smile again that hollow but well-practised one.
“I wanted to play a game with you. Test your accuracy without actually having to try and hit you. Alongside that the reward is you can ask a question each time you hit the tree. Can be any question you like. Sound fair? Also since you can’t use a bow I’ll use my throwing knives same as you. And it’s that tree.” He spoke turning to point out towards one of the thinner trees directly across the clearing perhaps twenty to thirty feet away from where they were standing.

[Zifor]

Zi, was not known for his stealth. In fact, he did a rather poor job as a person concealing himself but when he took his animal body out it was a different story he jumped down to join Alex and grinned towards him.

Met with a cold smile Zifor wondered if Alex had practiced the taciturn nature of that smile or if something was bothering him only currently. the glare although not as frightening as the surprise Alex had used on him last time still let a chill creep into zi's mind but he pushed it back as Alex calmed down.

"Aye that tree, Got it, what do you want from me if you hit it?"

Most Challenges when they are met with a reward it pertain's to both parties. at least Zifor has experienced that a lot of the time, the range of the shot was worrying but perhaps a longer range would work just as well as a shorter one.

"Seems fair to me, I guess but for all, i know you could throw a dagger from here and land it back in syliras" Zifor chuckled softly and readied his knives, handing one over to alex. "I'm assuming we take turns"

Zifor approached took his stance and threw the knife striking the tree but only with barely enough force to stick into it.Alright Distance is definitely important

Common Hypnotism
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[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"


Alex assumed his challenge was taken up the moment that Zifor drew one of his throwing knives. Surprisingly it was able to cover the distance with relative ease, though the power behind it wasn’t all there when it stuck into the tree but was threatening to fall out should any force hit it.
“Zi, I’m not quite that good, Garland has always held me in higher esteem than I’ve any right to be held in.” Alex spoke with a tone of resignation like he’d told him a hundred times over to simply stop idolising him. “Nice shot though at least this one stuck. I’d of assumed you’ve have a fairly good amount of accuracy.” He smirked once more and drew the blade from his harness and with a singular motion he swung his arm out letting the dagger fly and embed itself into the tree with little to no sway but closer to the edge than he would have liked.

“Yeah turns would be for the best. As for my question though, you explained to me what Hypnotism was a while back. Could you tell me how to protect myself against it?” Alex let the question hang loosely in the air like he’d been effected by it before. And not by Zi either.

Without warning though he tossed a second dagger towards the tree this time much closer to the centre having gotten a feel for the wind speed that was pushing against the blade. He’d hold off on asking the second question until Zifor had answered the first one. If he was going to tango with Fragmenta then he was going to need a way to avoid getting his head played with without his consent. He wanted to just keep throwing daggers towards the tree in an attempt to pry the information out of Zi faster but he’d started this. Taking two shots back to back was already pushing the rules.

[Zifor]

Zi was taken aback. "Stop it? "I Suppose the best way to stop it would be to know that your being manipulated but a stronger wizard, the one that taught me. He made a man go mad just by command although he has practiced for a long time" Zi scratched his chin and thought for a second." Perhaps, this person had some kind of beguiling illusion around them?"

Zi shrugged and threw his knife adjusting for the drop it had last time he threw the knife harder as well so it actually landed on the wood solid enough to which a slight breeze couldn't knock the damn Blade out. "That's two questions, But first let me answer your's more accurately" Zi cleared his throat "The magic is a lot more than just commanding someone to do something it is more...tuning an instrument as I said but, replace the instrument with a person's mind if the instrument is knowing it is being tuned it can help push out active thoughts and implantations, smarter people such as yourself would notice they are being toyed with if anyone poked at anything major, especially if it is against your nature to do so" Zi paused and gathered his thoughts as he collected his thrown knives from the tree he walked back over to Alex "I Would advise you be very careful around this person who hypnotized you, who are they, Do you know them well, or at all?"

"Speaking of That, in regards To magic what kind's do you know, Personally" Zi Had hoped if Alex was a mage that perhaps he could explain to Zi Some of his other talent's regarding magic, other than that strange portal he created which, to be honest was petching frightening.


Common Hypnotism
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[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"


The question seemed to have taken Zi unawares. Though his explanation of how to stop it made sense knowledge of something that was going on if it was against their nature. Though the comment about a man going mad from a stronger wizard made Alex pause in the middle of his motions. Taking a deep breath he tempered his will back down to an even keel. He didn’t want to appear agitated but it might have seeped through just a twinge on the every edge of his face.

“So it’s a Magic that can be disarmed if the one being manipulated knows that this is the case. Unless they’re a well-practiced practitioner. For lack of a better term.” He stepped over with Zifor picking up his own two daggers. “So in all honesty if it was to try to come me to do something that flat went against what I believed in fully it wouldn’t have any effect provided I recognized it. And that the user isn’t sublimely powerful.” He hissed out a breath between clenched teeth as he sighed.

“Sadly I don’t know them all that well and only after your explanation two days prior did I finally piece together what exactly they had done to me.” He paused a moment taking the opportunity to hurl another dagger with more force than usual and a little less accuracy towards the tree causing the blade to spin and it to just catch on the edge of the tree.
Temper. Temper…
All this had done was show him just how truly powerless he was in front of those who knew more than he did. And could manipulate the very fabrics of reality.
“As for who did it. A woman in a black mask chain clasped around her face with a rather elegant demeanour about her. However I’d call her attitude haughty. But it’s all a façade.” He made the point to stop there. He’d seen something behind her eyes that she didn’t want to let out. Didn’t want known and as much as he could he’d keep it hidden At least until he figured out what it was and how to help her, in some format or another.

Taking the time to let Zi formulate a response whilst he was talking after Zi’s next throw he launched his own blade again digging into what would have been the centre ring of the tree had it had a marker.

“Three questions.” He paused a moment glancing over to his bow. As good as he was with a blade this was where his true skill lie. With ranged tactics. And as much as he trained with blades that wasn’t ever really going to change. “As for the Magics I Know you've seen the one that really I have any Bearing over. And I know of a second one, but that's a littl harder to explain."

[Zifor]

"Essentially you have the best answer at least I could give you at this point, the downside to not being an insane bastard with a fetish for breaking people's mind's I'm much too nice to use it without good reason, Upside is less magic headache's as an aftereffect." Zi chuckled softly and nodded at Alex. "I Suppose that makes me a better, smarter person but I wish I could find out more about my magic then just meddling with it, and other people"

ZI gave Alex a grim smile. "I Know little of any other magic aside from my own hypnotism, perhaps we could discuss it more provided we were not in the city we are but coming out here just to chat would be a complete waste of time, Plus" Zi threw his knife but he failed to guess the wind traveling across the distance. "I Really need to sharpen my skill's as just proven"

"I Must say, you are a very different person when you are not buried in the midst of combat, Alex how do you stay so calm and observe your surrounding;s so well, you say you never forget anything but it also seem's as if you miss nothing either"

Zi would wait for Alex's response then line up for another shot and throw.

Common Hypnotism
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[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"


The words about being an insane bastard was something. The problem with it was that he hadn’t known Zifor for long enough to get a truly deep read on him but what he’d gleaned like most of the kelvics that he knew was simple. He was straight forwards potentially to a fault.
“Sadly the best time to learn about a magic you have is when you are using it.” Alex smirked and threw another dagger the blade digging into the tree, if only just. So used to accounting for the wind shift on his bow that doing it with a lighter steel object with less power behind it was starting to mess with him.

“So you get headaches from your magic as well?” He glanced over his shoulder and towards his bow. He felt a deep longing to use the damned thing.
Screw it.
Once Zifor had thrown his next dagger Alex headed over to pick his throwing knives out of the tree and then headed past Zifor. Picking up his bow he slipped an Arrow against the nock and then drew the string back aiming it towards the tree.
Exhale slowly release the arrow.
He stepped further and further back from the tree until it was fully across the clearing, and then released the arrow letting it fly past Zifor’s face a foot away from him. Sinking into the tree a good few inches at the core of the trees stability.

“I’d agree to that.” He spoke quietly “Though in all honesty you don’t really need to come out here to discuss it we just need to do it quietly. Again though within the city there’s plenty of places to train I just assumed that out here would be the best place to take a crack at training someone whilst mentioning those in need of protection without many prying ears.” His eyes then focused on the distance and something moving in the shadow, before he could draw his dagger for it, the figure popped out proving to be a squirrel.

“When I’ve a goal to strive for and the means to do it I drive myself. It’s why I seem different when I fight and when I don’t. The reason I stay calm as well is because I know that not everyone is inherently evil or malicious most are driven to it through circumstance. As for missing nothing, I’m an archer, before I’m a close quarter’s fighter. I’ve used this-” He spoke glancing down at the dark yew longbow in his hands. “For as long as I can remember.” With a smirk he removed his harness and the armour he worse leaving his quiver which was attached to his belt. Then on top of that his shirt. Swinging his arms lightly he rolled his shoulder and glanced down at the mark over his left shoulder.

“Arrow injury, something that happened a while back. Though I’d let you see why I became an archer. I wanted to take out the people who did this to others.” He sighed slowly stepping past Zi and over to the arrow in the tree placing his boot against it and leaning back he pulled. With a good firm tug he wrenched it from the wood and bark. “Here Zi take a shot at drawing this.” He spoke tossing Zifor his bow to try and draw the string back.

[Zifor]

"It is true, Yes so if it does to you as well that must mean all magic take's a toll on the user's mind, I'm sure my instructor told me just as such but back then I didn't understand what he meant, Should've paid some damn attention then."

Zi watched as Alex retrieved his bow and stood stock still, Alex wouldn't kill him surely perhaps there was something behind him and Alex wished to shoot at.

"Shyke man scare me half to death why don't you, I thought you might be aiming for me for a second" Zi brushed his hair out of his eyes nervously and nodded at what Alex said. "I Understand the need for being discreet I used to be the one that ferreted out secretly's to people unable to hear them, but I grew tired of it and gave up that life, at least working for him anyway's most of the time I deal with animal's more than people"

Alex Showed of his injury ghastly site that it was it was a good reason to learn how to use a weapon a good calling. "As good a reason as any to use a weapon, you've seen what it does yourself."

Zifor grabbed the bow and felt it's weight in his hand, it felt rather awkward to handle and he tugged on the string experimentally, it was very strange and seemed to hold a lot of tension in the string, Flexing his arm muscles he pulled as he could on the string but only managed a few inches of pull on the string.

"Perhp's i better stick to my knives or a smaller crossbow perhaps one that could be used with one hand rather than a massive bow like your's, something tell's me it is a weapon i wouldn't be patient enough to practice with"
Common Hypnotism
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[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"


“If that’s the case for all magic’s then I should in theory be a lot more careful with mine…” He sighed slightly and smirked at Zifor’s sudden leap in nerves. With Zifor’s comment about him aiming at him Alex just tilted his head towards the tree and the crack that remained where the arrow punctured it, dead in the centre. “If I’d of wanted to hit you I would have. I don’t miss at this range.” He spoke with a calm dereliction with his tone instead stepping back to pull his shirt back over his head. "I can understand wanting to be quiet when it comes to dealing with a situation like that.”

Alex stepped back and let Zifor try to draw his bow commenting at the same time. “Once you’ve seen what it can do. You have a lot more respect for it. Magic, blades, arrows, stealth, whatever. Once you know how versatile a tool in your arsenal is the more you understand why it’s feared, and why you should respect it.” Once Zi had tried to draw the string Alex plucked the bow from his hands again nocking the same arrow and drew the string back to it’s full tension, not the half tension like his first shot had been. He held it for a few moments taking the time to let the air around him stabilize and shift. His breathing slowed as he exhaled, inhaled and then on the second exhale released like he was using the time to build up his understanding of the wind and calm his mind for the shot. It may have been a simple shot but with this much power behind the arrow he couldn’t afford to miss.

The arrow screamed across the distance and hit the tree. On impact the arrow shattered spraying pieces of shrapnel through the open treeline behind it. Flexing his locking fingers he glanced over at Zifor. “Long bows take patience and time to learn how to use. The first real challenge as you’ve seen is learning how to draw it. Watching you pull it by a couple of inches was good, but with the draw power the bow has at full you’ve seen what it can do.” He spoke glancing off at the tree and mentally marking another shattered arrow down.

“So now you’ve seen what I can do, it’s a little easier to understand why I change with what I’m handling. Each weapon requires a different mind-set to be used effectively. Bows patience, Daggers speed, Swords timing.” He stepped around Zifor slipping his armour and harness back over his shoulders. “Practice makes perfect doesn’t it?”