Defining Moments (Solo)

[Ronin]

Defining Moments 4rd of Spring AV 511 In life, there are hundreds of moments that define who we become. Moments that we live for and moments that haunt our dreams eternally. Some say a man is more than the sum of his actions. However, that rarely rings true when one is honest with their own heart. No tragedy leaves us without scars, and the taste of victory is not easily washed from our mouths. It is not always momentous occasions that stay with us. It can be a simple act of kindness from an unsuspected stranger, or a biting remark from the closest of friends. It is not hard to see why some would view life simply as an attempt to survive. Few wish to face the events of their past, but for some, there is no choice. Ronin awoke from his slumber in a cold sweat. His arms and legs were shaking beyond his control, and a small trickle of blood ran from his nose. His face was whiter than the sheet on his bed. He had relived it again. At first, the dreams had been nightly. For almost a year he had lived like this, barely sleeping, barely functioning. Then, by the kindness of a total stranger, he had been made to come to terms with what had happened. Since then, Ronin had only had this dream twice. Tonight made three times. He sat up and slid his feet onto the floor. The cold contact made them shake even worse, and he reached for the Bryda he had left on the floor nearby the night before. Ronin got dressed and threw on his Katinu, not because he was going outside, but for the warmth. With a quiet petter-patter, Ronin shuffled out the door and down the hall. He didn't know where he was going or even why, but he knew he had to go somewhere. He could not face sleep again tonight, he had lost the battle with his dreams one too many times. Ronin had not been paying attention to where he was going, and eventually he ended up in the Courtyard of the Sky. From here he could see that the moon was directly above him. He knew he should be in bed, because he had work to do the next day, but he ignored his better judgement and stayed. Looking across the room, he noticed the bench were he had spent that first day of clarity with Raiyari after the incident. He knew the place was not what had cured his of his nightmares before, but he was out of options. He shuffled to the bench and sat down. Maybe it was because it was night, or maybe the past year had not been good to the courtyard, but as Ronin sat there he could not help but feel different from the last time he had been on that bench. His surroundings were no longer calming, but rather they seemed sinister and ominous. The pale light reflecting off the moon was barely enough to see twenty paces in front of oneself. Ronin finally noticed the blood dripping from his nose as a drop cascaded off his lip and landed in the palm of his hand. He stared into the crimson dot that is in such sharp contrast with the pale skin around it. When the moonlight hit his eyes, Ronin could see their reflection in the tiny pool of blood. He stared into it in a almost hypnotic trance. Slowly, his eyes fluttered closed and he slumped forward, asleep. The momentum of falling forward carried him to the cold floor, which he hit with a crack and a dull thump. Even this did not wake him. He had already been transported back to the prison his mind kept waiting for him; His single most defining moment, his crystal clear memories of Maisa.

[Ronin]

Flashback to 17th of Spring AV 508 It was a crisp, cool, foggy morning. The perfect kind for a walk through the woods, something Ronin and Maisa loved to do together. So much so, in fact, that they had both had the same idea. They met each other in the halls between their rooms, both dressed and equipped for a day spent among the fresh air, tall trees, and beautiful birds. Though he never knew why, Maisa always made Ronin's heart skip a beat or two when he saw her. It was something he never thought twice about, and it was just one of many things he liked about her. This strange affect she had on him was like nothing else. He was a completely different person when he was with her, and not because he was being fake or trying to impress her. Instead of being the person he had come to expect from himself, he was the person he wanted to be. When she was near him he was nobler, kinder, stronger, gentler, and every other quality he struggled daily to improve in himself. She did all that without any hint she was even trying. It was something Ronin would later learn was love, something that he would later regret not cherishing enough. When they met in the hall, Ronin and Maisa instantly knew what the other was thinking, and from there is was a race to the gate. Each took the shortcuts they thought were fastest and the least crowded. They had done this same race enough time that neither of them got lost any more, and every time it was toss up on who would win. Today, it was Ronin. Panting and out of breath, Ronin reached the edge of the city. He wasn't there a minute before Maisa sprinted out of a twisting corridor and almost straight into Ronin. They were both too out of breath to laugh, but they each knew the other was trying to. After a few minutes, collapsed and with their backs against the wall, they had recovered their energy and left the city, looking for whatever adventure they might find. They walked for miles before stopping to rest. They had spent the morning talking and playing silly games they had made up on previous adventures. Maisa's favorite was not so much a game as it was a playful taunt of Ronin's poor climbing skills. When Ronin least expected it, she would grab something belonging to him and stick it in her pocket then dart up the nearest tree. It was then Ronin's task to catch her. Otherwise, he did not get back what she stole from him. She had always been an expert tree climber compared to Ronin and this game had often ended in Ronin falling face-first out of a tree. Strangely, he didn't mind. Ronin rarely minded anything Maisa did. Usually because, whenever she would offend him, she would melt is hard exterior with her signature smile and a playful kiss on the cheek. Ronin was never able to stay mad at her after that, though he often pretended to be. Despite their quirks, Ronin and Maisa were the best of friends. They had something many spend their whole life searching for. It was now about an hour past noon, and Ronin's stomach began to growl. He had planned on missing lunch in order to spend the entire day out in the woods, but now he was starting to regret it. Luckily, Maisa had planned better than him. "You hungry?" She asked with a sweet smile. Ronin knew she wouldn't ask if she wasn't going to offer food and turned to see her pulling a small cloth from her backpack. The four corners of the cloth were tied together, and as she undid the knot they unfolding cloth revealed a small bit of bread and something like cheese made from the milk of mountain goats. "Thank goodness, I'm starving." Ronin replied cheerfully. They both sat near the base of a tree and ate the small meal. The fog that had hindered their view that morning had lifted, and now they could see the wondrous view of the forest. It was in this heavenly setting that the two of them were lulled into careless sleep.

[Ronin]

Flashback to 17th of Spring AV 508 A deafening shriek woke Ronin and Maisa. They both bolted upright and scrambled to their feet as fast as they could. They reached for their bows and quivers that lay on the ground a few feet away. Instinctively, they stood back to back, bows draw and eyes frantically searching the woods around them for the source of of sound. They both knew the only thing that could make a noise that shrill was a Yukman. Hopefully, it had only been one and it had gotten scared by their presence and fled. This was not their lucky day. Maisa was the first to spot one. She let loose an arrow that found it's way clean through the creature, halting it in it's tracks. Ronin spotted the next one. He missed with his first shot, but quickly, he had another arrow ready and flying through the air toward his target. This one was a direct hit. So far, they had found with incredible luck, not incredible skill. This was evident as their next several arrows landed askew across that forest floor and in the sides of trees. Neither of them saw it coming when a Yukman came sprinting from their side and tackled them to the ground. Maisa was quick to draw her knife and gut the creature while it was still on top of her. Ronin was more concerned with getting to his feet. He reacher for his knife as well but realized it wasn't there. It now lay ten paces away from him and the rest of the Yukmen were closing quickly. Ronin made a mad dash for the weapon, diving to grab it just before the creatures were upon them. Holding the blade in front of him, Ronin readied himself for the Yukman in front of him. It slashed at him, but Ronin caught it's claws with the blade of his knife. He then turned the blade slightly and slashed upward, riding the monster of half it's fingers. In a fury, Ronin unleashed a half dozen stab wounds to the chest of the Yukman and watched it fell lifelessly to the ground. Suddenly, a chilling realization gripped Ronin. He had not see Maisa get up. He turned to face where she had been and, to his dismay, she was still lying there. She was covered in blood, which Ronin had first assumed belonged to the Yukman. But it was too much blood, she had been wounded was well. Ronin grabbed the dead Yukman from on top of her and hurled it away. The adrenalin from the event gave he near super-human strength. When the creature had tackled them, it had dug it's claws deep into Maisa's chest. Ronin tried to lift her in an attempt to get her to safety, but no soon did he get his hands on her than another Yukman was grabbing him. It lifted Ronin away from her and tossed him to the ground. Ronin was slow to get up, and he was surprised the Yukmen had allowed him to. However, when he rose to his feet, he saw a sight more terrifying than being attacked himself. The group of Yukmen, which numbered near a dozen, were fighting over Maisa. She screamed in horror as they tore at her. Some tried to devour here there, while others seemed to want to take her somewhere else first. Ronin was outnumbered and out armed, as his knife had fallen by Maisa when the Yukman had tossed him. With no other choice, he ran. It was an action he would come to hate himself for, for years to come. He ran like there was no tomorrow, like his life depended on it. While in reality, it was Maisa's life that depended on him staying and fighting. It may have been an impossible battle, but maybe he could have saved her, maybe he could have scared them away. These things rushed through Ronin's mind as he ran. His body was shaking with fear and his legs simply could no longer carry him. He collapsed on the forest floor, battered and exhausted from the ordeal. He would be safe here. The Yukmen were far more interested in their meal, and none of them had followed him. So there, in a pool of sweat and tears, he lay trembling. Whether or not he was conscious was questionable. He had just witnessed the brutal death of his only friends. The threads of sanity were quickly snapping and giving way to something else in his mind. It was something that tried desperately to cover what he had seen, to bury it deep within his subconscious. It was something that fail to do anything other than keep him immobile in the dirt. The images were burnt into his memory and no insane trick of the mind could make him unsee them.

[Ronin]

Flashback to 17th of Spring AV 508 Ronin didn't know how long he had been laying on the ground amongst the trees. He knew it had been at least one night, but beyond that he was clueless. He dragged himself to his feet feeling weak and sore, and trudged back to where the attack had occurred. Ronin had been running without thinking when he fled, but now, somehow he knew exactly where he was going. The mind does strange things in incredible circumstances and this was no exception. Ronin's mind was racing faster than he knew possible. The images burned in his brain played before his eyes again and again, while the disheartening sound of Maisa's scream rung in his ears. He tried to scrub the memories from his mind but to no avail. Unable to forget, Ronin tried to focus on something else. They only other things he could hear were his foot steps and the pounding of heart. He focused solely on those sounds and it seemed to dull the torment. Eventually, Ronin reached the spot. The ground was covered in blood and bits of Maisa's clothing. The site cause Ronin to vomit.. Repeatedly. He leaned against a tree as his stomach purged itself again and again until there was nothing left. When he finally collected himself, he walked to the largest shred of her clothing and knelt beside it. He picked it up and lifted it next to his face. Ronin rubbed the cloth between his fingers gently. For some reason, this comforted him. It was all he had left of her and he was trying desperately to bring back some happy memory to his mind. But the shred of cloth smelled strongly of her blood, and the smell only sent Ronin further into his delusions of reliving the event. He could picture the Yukmen around him now and could hear Maisa speaking softly behind him. When he turned to look at her, her soft voice turned into screams and he once again could see her being torn apart. He covered his ears and curled up on the ground. There on the ground he saw something. It was Maisa's bow and quiver. They were buried in the mud a couple feet from where he was laying. He reached out and pulled them to him. As his fingers clasped the cold wood and leather the visions around him ceased. They were replaced by a new scene. Ronin knew he had gone crazy now, as his surrounding now appeared to be the Wind Reach Archery Range. This is where Maisa and him had first met. On that first day, Ronin had noticed Maisa's unique bow and graceful stance. The pleasant memories of them together flooded his mind, a temporary relief from the nightmare around him. The ease in his pain was short lived. Though the hallucinations ceased, the nightmares would haunt him for years. Ronin picked himself up off the ground and started the long walk back to Wind Reach. He didn't get back until after dark, and it took some skillful convincing to get the guard to let him in. Being covered in blood and coming in after dark doesn't really make a good impression. Ronin couldn't tell the man what happened, the wounds were still too fresh. Luckily, the man had been a good judge of character and saw that Ronin was harmless. Ronin went first to his room to shed his equipment then to the baths. He had to clean away the blood, sweat, and dirt. Ronin was fortunate that it was night so no one would see him. When Maisa was found to be missing, Ronin would be in trouble if too many people saw him returning from the woods covered in blood. But being accused of Maisa's murder was the furthest thing from his mind. Tonight had been a night that would forever chance Ronin's life. More so that anything else he had experience in his young life.

[Ronin]

Back in AV 511 Ronin awoke on the floor of the Courtyard of the Sky in a shallow pool of his own blood. The fall had split his forehead and given him a concussion. The delusions had been made stronger by his head injury. This was his most vivid reliving of the events of Maisa's death since the first hallucination the day after she died. Ronin pulled his face out of the blood and pushed himself back up onto the bench. By now, it was dawn, and the earliest risers were starting to stir. Luckily, no one had seen him yet. His wound seemed to have stopped bleeding and he could go to a healer later in the day. For now, his attention was on getting back to his room unnoticed. He hurried back to his room. His bare feet making a soft noise against the cold stone floor. The cool air in the corridors was rather refreshing and reminded Ronin that he was awake. It was hard for him to keep a hold on the fact that this was real and his hallucination wasn't. When Ronin got back to his room, he got some clean cloths and cleaned himself up. If the nightmares were coming back he was going to have to do something to stop them, and fast. Last time it had nearly driven him to insanity, and this time he already felt himself slipping away. Last time Raiyari had saved him, maybe she would come through again, or maybe he would have to find someone else. He had made a few new friends in the recent weeks, maybe one of them would end up being his salvation. The End

[Dreamcatcher]

Character: Ronin Experience: +1 Climbing, +2 Archery, +2 Weapon(Knife), +1 Running Lore: Recurring Nightmares, Love Lost, Smell of Gore Additional Note: If you feel that I missed something please PM me with the details on what I missed and I will review it.