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Post by Cynis Tsao on Oct 16, 2015 19:13:35 GMT
The thing that made charging head-long into the heart of the opposition was simply that they were bound to see you coming - especially if you were spinning a large artifact polearm adorned with red tassels above your head. Which was good - that was part of the plan, really. The more people Tsao drew the attention of, the more glory she'd receive when she defeated them. It took the Wood Dragon almost no time to cross the slick chain, and once she reached the enemy ship, she planted a foot on the railing and vaulted high, giving an exultant battle-cry to warn the brigands that she was about to land on that they should be wary.
They were already wary. They even had weapons drawn, waiting.
If she were a little heavier, Tsao's descent might have crushed one upon landing, or at least driven him down. She could have jumped on his head or something. But that wasn't flashy enough. Tsao landed squarely on the shoulders of one of the mortal crewmen, balancing effortlessly as her weapon flashed - parrying a number of blows, pirates reaching up to strike at her legs and feet, or whatever they could reach. Her defense was formidable, and her style excelled at fighting off multiple opponents, but Tsao had never been known for her defensive abilities.
Wham. The flat of her Dailkalbar came down directly on the spine of the man she was using as a defensive platform, driving him stumbling forward. The Wood Aspect smoothly dismounted and swung her weapon in a large arc around herself to create a perimeter, forcing the four brigands she was (immediately) fighting to take a half-step back. Tsao paused a minute to size up the opposition, to be sized up, then tossed one of the cleaner pirates a playful wink before leaping at him like a dervish - opening his chest with her artifact blade, bending backwards at the waist to avoid a panicked, retaliatory strike with her polearm spinning above her head, then bouncing him off of the mast with a powerful slam using the long, thick handle of her weapon.
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Post by Cathak Ieyda on Oct 18, 2015 6:52:03 GMT
Shouts of battle filled the air now, joining the stench of blood. Ieyda ran across the surface of the water, its calm broken with every step. Trailing behind him were three shark-riding demons, each wielding weapons which looked like they were made to carve flesh from bone in the most painful manner possible. And yet he could only grin as he leapt into the air. His sword slashed forward, elongating into a spear which glowed with Essence. He parted the water as he dove beneath its surface so perfectly, it almost seemed as if he became the water. The demon pursuers looked at each other briefly before one of the snarled out a command and they dove down after him. Beneath the surface, away from the shouts of men and the crash of steel, the ocean was calm. The water was crystal clear to the Dragon-Blooded and yielded to his every movement in deference. He was a Prince of the Earth, a child of Daana'd; whether he accepted it or not, the sea was his domain. And for now, he intended on reclaiming that domain from these monsters. He suddenly flipped in mid-stroke, bringing his spear slashing about at an unnatural speed in the presence of the ocean. The shocking swiftness caught the closest shark by surprise and he cut it across the side of its face. Red blossomed forth in a cloud of effluence, but the spear didn't stop. Ieyda brought it around till the length of it slapped against the back of his neck and he skewered the sightless shark with a single strike that left it lifeless. The water around him began to churn and spin as his anima began to flare. The ghostly image of Daana'd herself began to swim around him as he turned back and forth between the two remaining demons. It was clear that they were now unsure of what to make of their supposed prey. They had not considered the possibility that he would have such freedom and mastery of the ocean. Yet if they would not strike first, Ieyda would. The maelstrom around him did not quite reach the surface or the two ships, for he was not that strong yet. However, it was sufficient to cut at their skin and that of their sharks. The water quickly became a murky red-brown as blood of shark and demon was spilled and mixed. He brought his spear to his side, flourished, and shot forward. At the surface, the water's relative calm was broken by sudden upheavals of water; the only sign of combat unseen below. Yet before the captain of their trade ship could worry, the disruptions grew closer and closer together before they began to churn and spin rapidly. A heartbeat later and a column of water fifteen yards high shot up between the two ships. It danced in the air like a waterspout, atop which Ieyda could be spotted, crouched. He did not stay there for long, taking a brief moment to get his bearings before jumping. His spear flashed and spun, tearing into the raider's central mast as a way to slow his descent. Halfway down he spun around the spear, kicked himself free of the mast, and torpedoed straight into a demon at the bow of the ship. It flew overboard in pieces as the Cathak spun around flourished his weapon with a laugh. "Who's next?" Cynis Tsao
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Post by Cynis Tsao on Oct 18, 2015 7:35:19 GMT
She was surrounded, and loving it. Tsao returned her attention to the perimeter of brigands she'd collected, flourishing her polearm how best to go about dismantling them? Perhaps she should- ARROW!
Tsao twisted to the side and parried an incoming arrow with the haft of her weapon, then lept forward. A second arrow grazed her thigh, though not enough to slow her down - yet. She had to move. Her first strike swat aside the blade of a pirate in one motion, and buried her own in his chest. She spun to evade a second blow from her side, spinning her daikalbar from its fleshy prison, resulting in a crimson, crescent splash of blood before she parried a flurry of strikes from a shark-mouthed near-human. The green crest of her aspect shone brightly on her brow as she pressed the offense - overwhelming the beastman with powerful blow after strike after attack, until his defense slipped and her artifact weapon took his head as punishment.
Tsao grasped his sword as he fell, turned, and threw the weapon through the head of the man who'd shot at her - in retribution. She'd taken a couple grazing strikes, but the Cynis warrior was still smiling as though the gathered men were throwing her a party and not trying to kill her. A heartbeat later, Ieyda arrived by creating a water spout and destroying the mast, landing roughly adjacent to her - it appeared he had more style than she'd given him credit for.
"Anyone who'd like to surrender now, may speak up and have their request considered and summarily denied!" Tsao challenged boldly, stepping towards the remaining crew with her weapon spinning.
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Post by Cathak Ieyda on Oct 19, 2015 18:22:12 GMT
To say that the raiders were routed would have been a misnomer, because that would have implied that some lived to tell the tale. Between Tsao's exceptional spearwork, Ieyda's ability to chase down any would be divers and swimmers, and the support of their mortal companions, the demons were destroyed to the last. As they resumed course for Chiaroscuro all that remained behind them was the slowly sinking ship and the stain of red being subsumed by the currents of Daana'd. For his part, Ieyda was still on a high from the fight. He had to stay off the ship for a time to allow his anima to subside, lest he destroy the ship while walking its decks. It was also one of the first times he had been exposed to the sea like this. House Cathak was a House that focused more on land force and tactics rather than naval warfare. There had never been even an inkling to include sailing in his education. After his Exaltation, he was so focused on proving his legitimacy to the House that he eschewed any activity that might be perceived as un-Cathak. This confusion of his identity, a soldier who fights on the ground vs the freedom of the ocean, combined with the adrenaline rush coursing through his veins meant that Ieyda was exceptionally wired as he climbed back onto the deck. Of course the mortals came up with praise and thanks, clapping him on the shoulder. Yet while he basked in their admiration, he was troubled. He needed some way to release this frustration and exuberance. Perhaps Cynis Tsao would have some way to help. He had watched her closely in the fight and was reminded that her poor showing in the House of Bells was due only to lackluster large-scale planning. As a warrior, she was exceptionally talented. And so Ieyda descended into the lower decks to look for the other Dragon-Blooded.
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Post by Cynis Tsao on Oct 19, 2015 18:35:48 GMT
He needn't go far to find her. As Ieyda had his own ways of calming down after a fight, so did she. And despite what many would think, it involved keeping her clothes on and her mind sober, too. Just as beer and liquor were an exciting and dangerous mix, going from a fight into substances was a recipe for disaster. Sex was another matter.
Tsao was currently below deck, in the large, open cargo hold. She sat cross-legged on a crate just inside the door, her halberd across her knees, a prayer book on her thighs. It was more a prop than an instruction, though - praying to the spirits was a decent way to always just scrape by, in her opinion, and so she always tried to sneak in a little prayer before and after battle, when convenience allowed. That said, she was a little out of the way and in the dark. Ieyda likely walked right by her.
So she leaned forward as he passed by and smacked his behind - with the flat of her daikalbar, if he was still wearing his armor. "Hey, you! You were great out there." Tsao complemented without any obvious sort of motive or teasing. She was pretty generally an open book. "I like your favoring of left-hand-forward." The Wood Aspect added cheerfully. "Great for heavy, downward strikes - the prefect grip for a man with ambitions like yours."
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Post by Cathak Ieyda on Oct 21, 2015 2:50:07 GMT
Ieyda turned around in surprise and raised an eyebrow at the grinning Wood Aspect. "Power is nice, sure, but it doesn't mean much if you can't hit the target. Fortunately the demons weren't the most disciplined and made our job. I'm sure they were expecting a lazy catch; all mortals, no Dragon-Blood." Though he did not know much about demons, Ieyda knew well enough to know that there were three tiers. These were almost certainly members of the weakest circle. He knelt down beside Tsao and raised an eyebrow. "And what would you know about my ambitions?" It was a rather forward question, lacking any anger or other signs of displeasure, coming from the Cathak. He normally would deflect such questions, or dismiss them out of hand. While he always pushed to prove his worth to his House, Ieyda had never really embraced the idea of personal glory as an end unto itself. Glory was used as a measure of his worth, not a means to launch himself beyond his station. He was curious then what it was that Cynis Tsao saw.
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Post by Cynis Tsao on Oct 21, 2015 3:49:44 GMT
Tsao rested her chin on a fist and raised her eyebrows. "I know you're a child of Daana'd in House Cathak." She began simply. "And in the house of bells, there weren't many people who tried harder than you to prove their worth." You could see a lot looking up from the bottom, after all. Tsao's focus hadn't really been on her studies so much. "So I think you have a lot of ambition. But so does Tepet Nischa - the difference is, her ambition is a dagger. She picks and chooses where to apply herself according to strengths. She doesn't rush headlong."
Tsao grinned and leaned forward a bit. "Your ambition is a maul. Force applied in all directions, for any reason. You fight harder than anyone around you, you last longer than anyone you're with, and you hardly ever drop the pretense and just be." She guessed, before sitting upright and stretching her legs out. "I think I've seen you out of armor maybe... once? You always look ready for battle. Today was the first time I've seen you having fun. I think I caught you showing off, too! I'm glad for it. If you can't love what you're doing, what's the point?"
Tsao turned her focus to the ceiling, leaning back on her palms. "You have ambition. But it's all turned outward. You're the opposite of me, basically. You don't know what you want to do, maybe because you've defined yourself by your opposition for so long. I do my best to make wherever I am exactly where I want to be. Neither is better than the other, they're just different."
"But I'm a warrior first, and anything else second. I went to school with you for awhile, is all." Tsao turned back to Ieyda without stopping her relaxed recline for a moment, grinning. "I'm fine with being totally wrong. Being so candid is terribly bold of me, anyway - but I hope you were looking for candid, because the only other answers I have are illicit!" The Wood Aspect laughed.
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Post by Cathak Ieyda on Oct 27, 2015 15:16:39 GMT
Ieyda listened quietly while the Wood Dragon talked excitedly. He briefly turned to one side and glanced at the armored shoulder. Did he really wear his armor that often? It didn't hurt to wear it, didn't tire him any and it didn't restrict his movement in any serious way. What was wrong with wearing it then? And why shouldn't he work hard all the time? These were dark and dangerous times. The Realm's enemies were legion and could have been anywhere.
There was a part of him that wanted to simply brush off Tsao's comments as a Cynis who didn't know what she was talking about. After all, she wasn't a hard-working Cathak. But there was something in those words that made him think. Perhaps it was the traveling they were doing, with nothing else to really do. Maybe it was the reflective mood he was put into following the fight and his first real exposure to the water. For one reason or another, Ieyda actually listened and contemplated what was being said.
"Perhaps you're wrong, Cynis Tsao." He turned around and started walking towards his cabin. A hand came up and unstrapped part of the armor before he paused long enough to look back at her with a small smile. "Perhaps you're not."
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Post by Cynis Tsao on Oct 28, 2015 7:11:55 GMT
Tsao met the smile and the gesture with a playful smile, topping it off with a sly wink. "It would not be the first time I was wrong, Ieyda. I hope it isn't the last, either." She quipped cheerfully. This was fun. Look at the class psycopath, getting friendly with her. Just went to show that nobody was an island all to themselves. "Goodnight, Ieyda."
The ride to Chiaroscuro was a long one, and by the time they arrived, even Tsao was looking forward to a bit of time away from the ocean. Salt water everywhere, the smell never went away, and there was hardly any food worth having that could survive a month-long trip at sea. Ieyda might be connecting with a long-neglected part of his essence, and Tsao could appreciate that, but the ocean was an experience that just didn't yield much savoring after a couple of weeks. She was a child of Sextes Jylis, she longed to be among the thrum of life and excitement, activity and adventure. So when Chiaroscuro, the ancient city of shattered glass and gateway to the South, loomed over the horizon? Tsao was among the first and most excited to race to the prow of the ship to get a good, long look. And when the trade ship pulled into the bustling harbor of Chiaroscuro, Tsao was practically the first one off of it - bag over her shoulder, all smiles and bouncing. She was eager to explore, to say the least. Chiaroscuro, despite it's official status as 'broken' and the myriad of political issues plaguing the place, was almost as lovely now as it'd been in the last age. What glass buildings remained were few, but provided a beautiful contrast to the brick and adobe. The streets were packed with people from all over Creation - trading, visiting, passing through on other business. Representatives of the Realm, other Dynastic Scions, and more exotic folk. As the sun rose higher, the fields of broken, mystic glass around the city cast dancing, multi-colored lights over the city, only adding to the vibrant coloring of the stalls, stands, flags and buildings. Tsao was in love. If she'd been alone, she might have disappeared into the city's depths, never to be seen again. Instead, she waited impatiently for Ieyda to catch up, then led him into the city proper with a broad grin. "Worth the trip, hm?" She stated proudly, eyeing a pair of martial artists that passed close by, only to disappear into a crowd. Good part about wearing as little as she did? It could get as hot as it wanted, and Tsao would hardly notice. "What do you think, Iedya - gather information, or get some mounts and ride for the latest reported revolution?" She asked cheerfully, hooking her arm around the water dragon's amicably.
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Post by Feng Chun'an Soreiba on Oct 29, 2015 9:19:55 GMT
Chu'nan did something he often did when in a new city. He walked along the docks. To a merchant and a sailor, the docks were always a place of welcome, if an odd one. Laborers, scuttle, and the occasional bit of dangerous roughnecks. He'd been away from his boat for a bit, his men eager to dock in a city--and Chiaroscuro was a great city. The merchant chuckled and swayed slightly with the breeze. Was he...dancing? Playing? No, he was twisting. Walking with the curved of the dock's weathered crest, watching as two well-dressed folks got off a fairly common boat. They were nobles of some variety, or at least wealthy. Hell, that spear the woman had was obviously a jade relic....hmm, that could prove interesting. He approached the two of them with a smile, bowing slightly as he heard the question posited by the woman. Information and Revolutions? Oh, these two were looking for trouble to find. How fun.
"Welcome to Chiaroscuro," he said with a bow and a nod. "I couldn't help but notice your accouterments. Are you in need of hiring some aid upon your endeavours? Or perhaps simply some company to aid your inquiry? I'm certain I could be of some assistance..." he said, the words almost dripping with a grin. He was a greedy man, but not so greedy as to become short-sighted. There was always a good move in the works, and like any man of the sea, he'd gladly look upon the tides before casting a net. Best to look helpful, then see how these two moved. After all, it was always important to size up the new players on any board, after all.
He chuckled coyly. "Where are my manners, I've failed to introduce myself," he said with a nod, still smiling as if he were innocent of everything ever--even though it just made him look guilty as sin. "I am Feng Chu'nan. It is a pleasure to meet you." He looked toward them, raising a pointed brow curiously. "And whom might you be?"
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