Flycoren: BSOF

[Manna Beast]

Her eyes were peering from across the way, narrowed to a thin glare before she threw up her hands in pure exhaustion. "Okay this is like throwing a piece of meat into the lion's cage."

Grey held up his hands in clear defense, "I was just doing as you asked."

A tight sigh in response, "I was hoping that you would at least ease back some of that great power, which reminds me to gauge how much you can still actually use under those seals." listening to the guardian as she came closer merely giving a pointed flick of her index finger to his shackles, a indigent look came back to her. "You don't seem to have lost much of your edge or your speed. That was still on par from what I recall."

Arms crossed over the brawn of his chest allowing a brief side look to the woman below the slope of his nose. "Take that up with Sparlas, I said the old man's magic wasn't as spry as he thinks it is." Then began the silent stare off between the two powerhouses in the open space, tension coiling tight between until he clicked his teeth giving a firm side step and a mock bow to the guardian in clear derision. Even after so long in each other's company they were still bound to butt heads.

Deep conflicted eyes peered down to Crow as she offered a hand up to him. "We need to go about this a little differently. Grey will make a fine sparring partner and coach later on, but right now I see the biggest flaw in my thoughts is putting you up against him. We need to start you literally from square one." Rhye took an elbow back that actually hit Grey in the gut which for once had him doubling over cursing her, "And with a teacher who isn't going to use you as a personal punching bag."

 

[Elginive]

Taking Rhye's hand he unsteadily rose. His ears flicked as she spoke.

"And square one would be?..." He huffed as he felt the warm hand of Dalia press against his back.

"Are you okay?" She spoke softly.

"I'll be fine... Thought I would fare better, but apparently I have to relearn how to fight also. Very frustrating, I feel like a useless child." He sighed lightly.

"If it makes you feel any better... I know you were a good fighter. You protected me many times before." Crow raised an eyebrow to her.

"Really?" He asked, somewhat skeptical.

"Uhhuh, there were many times." A sincere smile came over her face. "We just have to get you to practice and you will be that good again in no time."

"I'll take your word for it." Crow huffed, still unsure of it all. He peered over at Rhye. "We don't have the time to train me to the level that you need me at, especially if we have to leave tomorrow. So what can we do with the time that we have? At least to get the ball rolling so I can resume my training while we travel?" Crow's eyes shimmered with determination. One way or another he would learn to hold his own.

 

[Manna Beast]

"We don't have the time to train me to the level that you need me at, especially if we have to leave tomorrow. So what can we do with the time that we have? At least to get the ball rolling so I can resume my training while we travel?"

"No, you are right about that. We don't have the time to bring your level back up to a par where you aren't like a staggering drunken tot given a sword." Rhye mused openly, "But we don't have time for you either not to learn something." Flicking a finger upwards tilting her chin inwards, she gave a slow rise to her shoulders. "Guess we do this the way of novices."

"He already fight's like a girl."

"Grey." it was a tone that a mother would take with a spoiled child or a bartender took with a inebriated sot. Twisting her frame around planting her palms to his back giving the demoil an insistent push, "Why don't you go torment some of the guards or find Dorian. It'd be more productive than having you hear breathing over my neck and making your unappreciated comments anyways."

"Wait a minute here-" his feet firmed in the soil stopping her from pushing him forward, "You are giving me permission to harass Dorian. It must be pretty important if you are willing to risk his life." his tone filled with iron, hot and cold all at once letting a savage delight spark behind the wild blue eyes. "I ought to try this more often!"

"Behave within reason, my reason. Not yours. I don't want any more messes to clean up."

"Spoil sport."

A swat of the back of her hand to his side and the darkian gave them a leisurely sort of salute in a dramatic bid of farewell seemingly more willing - not that was surprising - to create his own sort of mischief with someone that was on par with his level while making an evident dent to a fellow demoil's ego. She knew she could regret that, but they were leaving tomorrow. She'd deal with anything possibly explosive as they ran out the door into the open plains. It sounded reasonable in theory. In theory!

Eyes traveled back to take in slow consideration of Crow, hands clapping together as she gave a gentler grin that was borderline hoping and futile all at once. It was not inspiring at all. "Lyra is so much better at the training aspect." she murmured to herself, "But if we want you to be able to toss your weight around, then we have to start at the bottom." Looking around before she went darting into the brush of the open space rooting around for a good length of a stick, Rhye came in a jaunt back and held it out to Crow. "Hold it like you would a sword."

 

[Elginive]

Crow received the stick from Rhye. Holding the make-shift weapon firmly in his hands, he let his thumb rub over the rough surface of the bark. Feeling the notches where there were several knots, he found a comfortable position to hold the 'sword'. Swinging it several times, he positioned himself more appropriately. Turning to face Rhye he tilted his head slightly.

Rhye shook her head with a sigh. Repositioning him, she was a lot more tender and patient than Grey had been. They spent the entire afternoon going over the basics in sword training and maneuvers. The time they spent seemed to fly by, and they wasted no time. Dalia had brought them back dinner while they had resumed right from the start. At first Crow found it hard to follow Rhye's instruction, who was obviously not used to teaching others. But they picked up a rhythm that really started to help Crow understand.


The sun was on the horizon before they stopped. Laying in the cool grass, Crow fought falling asleep. Dalia who sat munching on some fruit beside him allowed for the sounds of the evening to take over for the conversation as they sat there in silence.

Crow nearly falling asleep as he lay still. Opening his heavy eyes slightly he looked up as the stars started to peer out of the dark blue sky. This was the first real day of his new life, and he knew it. Training was going to be hard, learning all of the history was going to be hard. Figuring out what exactly manna had to do with his inner being. There was so much to do, it felt a little overwhelming. But all of this kept his mind off of not knowing the other things. Like who he really was, and where he was from. He wondered if he had a mother, or a father. Were they worried about him?

Pushing himself to his feet, his body wavered out of exhaustion.

"What is it?" Dalia questioned as she continued to sit upon the ground.

"We should head back to the temple now, we have an early morning by the sounds of it." Crow's heavy eyes fell upon Dalia, who smiled her big smile.

"Okay, sounds good. I wonder if Rhye found Grey, she left after him quite awhile ago." Crow nodded lightly.

"I'm sure she did, she seems to have a sixth sense about him." Dalia giggled. Standing up, Dalia leaned into them as they headed for the temple. Crow blushed as he looked at her.

"You are tired." She spoke softly. "You can lean on me." Crow swallowed hard, with a nod, he put his arm around her shakily.


The night passed swiftly. It was Rhye who awoke Crow at the crack of dawn. His body ached intensely, and sitting up in his bed was a chore. Groaning he stretched, taking a gourd of water beside his bed, he took a large swig. Wiping his lips, he fumbled for his glasses. Placing them upon his face, he lazily looked around his room. He was supposed to pack, but the reality was he had no belongings to pack. He dressed and found his way out front of the Temple where Rhye had instructed him to meet her. Grey and herself were already good to go and waiting.

"Where's Dalia?" Crow asked as he approached the two companions.

 

[Manna Beast]

Donning down her traveling garments tapping the toes of her boots to the marbled floor after giving the rise and call to the hevanarchon, Grey had been actually been a lot harder to wake. And he was showing it this morning.

He might have been standing upright but it was evident that the seals were working their toll on the demoil that had been turned full. If he could, he might have fallen asleep on his feet but Crow's arrival seen that his gaze remained opened, sluggish but open.

"She was around here just a moment ago," Rhye leaned forward to look around Grey's frame, then back before coming to land on Crow. "I think she said something about getting some fruit packed up for herself from one of the kitchens. Bird's has to eat too. I forget that blue feather's are herbivores."

A yawn stifled behind a hand and Grey rubbed the tears from his eyes. "It's too early for this."

"Says the man who is usually nocturnal."

 

[Elginive]

Crow stifled a chuckle. "So... are we traveling on foot? It took quite some time to get here from where you found me, are we traveling much further than that? It seems to me like we don't have much to go off of here." Crow rubbed his chest, he could still feel the dirt and sweat from yesterday, and it bothered him slightly. It didn't help only having one set of clothing, that he normally washed at the same time he bathed.

"We could investigate where I woke up... I might be able to remember how to get there..." Crow suggested reluctantly.

 

[Manna Beast]

"So... are we traveling on foot? It took quite some time to get here from where you found me, are we traveling much further than that? It seems to me like we don't have much to go off of here. We could investigate where I woke up... I might be able to remember how to get there..."

Lacing a purposeful hand to the underside of her chin stroking it thoughtfully allowing the verbal thoughts of the hevanarchon to pierce and bury into her own mind, she was hesitant to go back towards that of the Demise Forest. Granted it was where they had encountered the doppledeath but that was now a job enlisted to the Elite Knights of Scarlet.

There purpose was to find the source of this plague and while she hated to admit it, Crow had a closer link to it than they did. While her and Grey may have encountered in Vena they were also blessed with the merciful grace of having learnt one of the connections was Grey's own kin. They were certainly not apt to implore their stealth in that area, no... they made it a huge scene that only brought the temple's sight to right the wrongs. This wasn't as easy.

"Isn't that place overrun by the plagued?" Grey quipped sourly, his tone hoarse with the lack of speech on his part this day, attempting to rouse his mind into a working order apparently alongside a few other pieces of himself. "It'd be suicide to go waltzing back into that zone. Not to mention the fact the plague grossly outnumber us ten to one, we need to consider the fact of the ever so gracious creature of the umbra that lavishly gave me the taint as well."

"We aren't aiming to capture the doppledeath anymore but...." Rhye looked over Crow carefully as if she was truly seeing him for the first time. "We are looking for a source or at least one of the starting points where the plague started. Like a trail as it were to lead us to the one who enabled such a thing."

Grey grumbled loudly at the whole thing, his hands stuffing into the bronze crown with a vulgar curse unfit for children or women to hear. At least he could have the decency to say it in Iatis so no would understand. "I do hate it when you get such dangerous thoughts in your head Rhye, now only to have another one encouraging said ideas only creates a new realm of loathing for myself." he eyed Crow darkly as he crossed his arms over the strength of his chest. "And if we find a trail as you say, then what? I am pretty sure the bread crumbs lead to a disaster far worse than a mere doppledeath and that wasn't an event to take lightly in the first place. My chest still aches at times."

Eyeing the clearly cranky demoil carefully to slide a step away from him lest he start breathing flame, Rhye lifted her brows comically up into her hair line. "And this is why we should not keep a demoil up too late; needs an earlier bedtime, just spewing acid and bile with a bite."

Blue eyes narrowed harshly to glower upon her crown with said bite.