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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2014 15:48:26 GMT -6
After the adrenaline had worn off, his body started to feel weak again. His fatigue, both mental and physical, made it easier for him to calm down. There wasn't much for him to do now. The tears had stopped but the grief remained. He didn't know what he should now. Everything that he had done previously was starting to settle in. In his raging denial, he attacked an innocent man, maybe even injured him. That hurt him inside, not as much as he had been feeling but pain nonetheless. With his head still bowed, Rhys started taking deep breaths, to calm himself further. The words further spoken by his former opponent began to sink in. How could he have been so stupid? Oh, that's right, amnesiac here. His befuddled memory had led him astray...
The old Empire? Ugh, thank Brynne.
He was glad that the surrounding badlands wasn't Hryst, or anyplace near it. Thinking back, he knew he had a weird feeling about the place but the possibility that it had been Hryst pushed that feeling away. Rhys shook his head in disbelief. He felt foolish. He had to thank Brynne again for helping him come to his senses before he killed the innocent man. That would have weighed heavily on his soul, which didn't need anymore weight since he carried the guilt of letting his crew perish. He didn't have the power to protect them but still felt responsible for them. What was he going to tell their families? Did they have families? Do I...? Shaking his head again, Rhys roughly cleared his throat and looked up at the man, redness ringing his eyes.
"N-no..I'd be the one to apologize. I...I don't know what to say.." With a grunt, Rhys struggled to his feet, leaning against his grounded spear. "I experienced some trauma not too long ago, so my memory isn't what it used to be. For some reason I believed this hellish landscape was my..was Hryst." He chuckled nervously. "You were there for the rest. Um, do you know where Hryst really is? My return has been long overdue.."
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Post by Allen Kierser on Apr 7, 2014 17:54:05 GMT -6
He grinned, genuine, when the man's voice came out stable, reasonable. He judged it safe to approach now and walked until he stood a yard in front of him, no wariness showing. He didn't know what to say, huh? Kierser could think of a couple things, including a genuine, on his hands-and-knees apology, and reconsidered. Demands tended to add a tenseness to relationships that he felt would be detrimental here. Kierser factored his chances of getting back home to be greater when he was accompanied by the man and reduced by a fair margin if he were to try it alone.
"Fortunately for you, my memory is crystal clear," he said, rubbing his temple, reminded of a growing headache. Gods, when was the last time he'd actually slept?"Help me home and I'll secure you safe passage to Hryst however you'd like."
He looked down at his chest, wondering how long it'd take before he had enough energy to patch up all the damage. He'd have to be careful not aggravate it; with him retaining the firm grip on the pain, his body would try to carry on as it normally did. So it was with a little stiffness that he offered out his hand to shake, not aware of the blood on his palm, the red crescents under his nails.
"Allen Kierser, by the way, of Aquavia. I understand you're from Hryst," and he'd bet that the man was a knight - where other than the Academy would he get the training to use a spear, "do you have a name I can call you?"
"Oh," he added sheepishly after a second, "Do you happen to have any bandages? Cloths, even? I'd like be able to cover this up." The heat and arid environment would dissuade certain bacteria and he doubted he'd be infected with a pathogen he couldn't eliminate, but he had a low tolerance in regards to seeing what lay under his skin exposed. In addition, it'd be less suspicious for him to heal it, if he managed, if it was done out of sight.
WORD COUNT # ~350 NOTES # allen's a talky bastard
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2014 18:39:17 GMT -6
RHYS
What have I done..?
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breaking point -- receded
Help him return home? As much as Rhys wanted to get back to Hryst, it wasn't totally unreasonable that the man too wanted to get home. It would be the least he could do to help the man, considering he almost killed him. If this was to be his atonement for almost committing the act of taking an innocent's life, then so be it. He would assist the man, Allen he said his name was, then finally get his own ticket home. Rhys idly glanced at the hand offered in greetings and he shakily grasped it with his free hand. Inevitably, it would come to note that Rhys' hand was surprisingly cool, or the air around it was calmer and slightly more cool than the arid heat of the surrounding wasteland. " Rhys... My name is Rhys. I'm sure there is more to it but I can't remember much of it right now. It'll come to me in time, I hope." At mention of bandages, or something of equivalence, Rhys was momentarily bewildered of what Allen would need it for. Then it hit him. He had wounded the man. Damn. How could he have forgotten? Maybe he subconsciously wanted to forget the skirmish ever happened so he wouldn't feel guilty, or awkward. Damn awkwardness, it's a plague upon mankind. " Yeah, I think I got something." Rhys untied a long cloth from around his waist and handed it to Allen. " I hope this will work.." NOTES: Enter the template! |
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Post by Allen Kierser on Apr 8, 2014 14:12:16 GMT -6
Rhys. A memoryless, possible knight from his second-to-last favorite country (this desert was the first now, a place he felt it had tried very hard to earn), with a grip degrees cooler than his own. Kierser accepted the cloth. He raised his shirt to tie it around the freshest cut, knotting it securely against his ribs, and covered it again. Maybe when he returned home he'd look up Rhys on the database, see if there was any record of him in Aquavia's systems. It was always possible, if he used to be influential. If not, well, then it'd be a waste of time.
"Unless you're confidant about a path out of here, I suggest we'd start walking that way," he said, gesturing. For all that he'd been semi-conscious for the trip inward, he remembered the angle of the sun when they had first began to drive on the sand. Reconciling that with his knowledge of the star's position in Aquavia and the maps he vaguely recalled from his youth, he probably could navigate his way. If that was his only issue, he'd never have approached Rhys initially (he was underestimating his impulsiveness, he'd have behaved the same in almost every other circumstance). No, he needed a traveling companion to ensure that he wouldn't keel over at at some point due to his own carelessness. In addition, traders occasionally passed around the borders here, which inevitably drew in bandits. Kierser could run the odds as well as any graduate and they didn't please him."
WORD COUNT # ? NOTES #
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2014 14:51:25 GMT -6
RHYS
What have I done..?.
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breaking point -- receded
" I'd say my sense of direction is terribly off, otherwise I wouldn't have wandered here. No, I'll follow you." He nodded for no apparent reason and moved to follow Allen. If his memory served him correctly, which it probably won't, Aquavia was pretty far off. That would be one terribly long journey. Unless they could find some kind of transportation along the way, then things would be monumentally easier. The only purpose Rhys could probably serve was a bodyguard of sorts. With his riddled memory, being a guide was out of the question. Since he returned knowledge of combat and weaponry, that would be the easiest path for him. Speaking of, Rhys glanced over his spear, which he was using as a walking stick. It was relatively beat up and kind of bloody from the altercation between the two. He vaguely remembered owning a much nicer weapon but that was a far off memory, maybe a dream. He couldn't tell the difference, not now. With a sigh, Rhys pulled the cloth around his neck back up around his mouth, so only his eyes were visible. The blazing sun could do untoward things to the unprotected skin. " So, how long do you reckon it'll take before we're out of these blasted lands? I think the first course of action is find a water source. I'm pretty low, and warm besides." NOTES: Yay post!
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Post by Allen Kierser on Apr 8, 2014 16:52:10 GMT -6
"I understand," he murmured, throwing the hood of the appropriated cloak over his hair. The heat he could barely stand, but he'd make a cursory effort at protecting his body. At least he was accustomed to warmer weather; Aquavia seldom neared brisk. Rhys was a citizen of Hryst - had he been out of the Northern country long enough to acclimate, Kierser wondered? He began to walk, bracing himself for a uncomfortable journey. When he spoke longer, Rhys sounded younger than he'd first thought. Definitely his junior; by how much, it didn't matter. Age, he had discovered, was generally a poor measure of worth, so it was certainly something he didn't care about knowing.
"I don't want to estimate." He rubbed his eyes, trying to get grit out from under the lids. "I can say it took around an hour and...a half hour more perhaps, to get from border to here, but that was in a vehicle."
Granted, it hadn't been able to move particularly fast in the sand; faster, however, than the slow clip they were making. Kierser nodded to Rhy's suggestion. How strange was it that he was missing water, for gods' sake. Even in Baem, it was impossible to escape it - in Shinsoo, he'd harbored the thought the sky was a deep, shifting aquamarine for the duration of his childhood.
"Yes, sure." Calling the borders a complete wasteland was a misnomer, Kierser knew. There were some plants, possibly a few animals, indicative of water. All they had to do was be wary of trekking further into the abandoned land or any morally dubious groups lingering around a water source.
WORD COUNT # ? NOTES #
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2014 20:08:42 GMT -6
RHYS
What have I done..?.
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breaking point -- receded
Though fatigued, Rhys persevered and trudged on. If he passed out and perished in this place, then he would never get back home to his loved ones. At least he had the spear, it made great leverage to keep him standing. Unfortunately Allen had no such thing, being forced to walk alone. Not to mention the poor man was injured. Rhys had half a mind to hand his spear over to him as he would probably need its assistance more. It was half a mind, as the other half said if they ran into trouble, Rhys had a much higher chance of defending Allen and vanquishing the threat if his spear was hand. He merely shook his head. " An hour and half via a vehicle?" The word sounded odd from him. What was a vehicle? Probably something from Aquavia. Rhys walked at a steady pace through he wasn't entirely paying attention to where he was going. He was figuring out, or trying to, how long it would take them to get out of the old Empire's boundaries. Allen had gotten here in a vehicle, taking roughly an hour and half but he didn't know what that was. So it was difficult to determine anything. If he had to take a wild guess, maybe two to three hours? The journey would be significantly easier if they had water... " Hey, look, I think I see something up there. It could be a camp!" It could also be a group of something nasty. That didn't register in his mind though. It looks like Allen would have to be the brains for this team. NOTES: Ya up for infiltrating a bandit camp? If you prefer, they could be friendlies, like a merchant or explorers.
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Post by Allen Kierser on Apr 9, 2014 5:46:50 GMT -6
"It's a..." he pinched the bridge of his nose and then dropped his hand back down. "fast-moving cart. Not used much even in Aquavia." The streets made it impractical and they tended to contaminate the air under the dome. Kierser preferred walking over riding, though to be honest he'd pay a small fortune for one right now. The wounds on his torso were middling. It was that he wasn't an adventurer or knight or even a soldier; he was fully adapted to live in the confines of the well equipped city, with its disparate people and curious factions. All to say: continually moving was exhausting him. It made him amenable, susceptible to the idea of going toward the first group they saw.
"A camp? Do you see any details?" Kierser's long distance vision was poor; he'd be trusting Rhys to provide an accurate account until they got closer to the possible settlement. "When we're within their sight, keep that spear as innocent looking as possible. They're probably..." He shook his head slightly, trying to rid himself of the superficial naivety. "I don't think we are going to find friends and I'd enjoy at least having surprise on our side."
The dagger he could easily grab, if Rhys was otherwise occupied. His plan was to have Rhys protect him - he was hurt, after all and not competent in body or mind. Kierser considered that they might be indeed by amicable, traders or explorers; best to be prepared for the worst circumstance. So what if they were, anyway? He'd had enough dealings with normal people to be aware that they had the same potential for danger.
WORD COUNT # ? NOTES # bandits sound fun
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 16:51:21 GMT -6
RHYS
What have I done..?
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a distant memory -- prelude
A fast-moving cart, right, that made sense. Sort of. He wouldn't think on it as it was something affiliated with Aquavia. In response to Allen's question, Rhys lifted a hand to block the sun from his eyes and squinted them to make out anything in the distance. He couldn't discern much, as the air wavered with heat but he thought he saw moving figures. That was probably people. Insofar as them being hostiles or friendlies, well, they'd have to get closer. Lowering his hand, he spun his spear and stuck the spearhead down into the sand that covered most of the stony area. As long as he could hide the spearhead in something, nobody would assume it's anything more than a staff. " I can't get a good look from here, we'd have to get closer. Follow my lead." A few minutes ago, he was an amnesiac victim and now he was mister leader-pants. A memory sparked in his mind as they were presented with a challenge. Taking the lead and sneaking closer felt like something he had done before. Rhys' steps quickened so he could get ahead of Allen and he crouched his body lower so he wasn't standing as tall as he was previously. Instead of using his spear as a walking stick, he spun and rest it against his shoulder, making it easier to carry. As he neared, hoping Allen was close behind, Rhys ducked behind the ruins of an archway and peered around it at the nearby camp. He was wrong, it wasn't just a camp but a fortification surrounding a camp. That would make things increasingly more difficult but for some reason, he felt like he could do it! It only made sense, he had combat experience and the skill to back it up, so he was probably some kind of soldier from Hryst. It didn't look good anyways. Rhys could probably get in unheard and unseen but what about Allen? As far as he knew, he was just a civilian. " Tch, okay, things might not turn out as we wanted. I doubt that is anything but a fortified camp of something nasty." Studying the wooden palisades, Rhys spoke over his shoulder. " We could try and go over the walls, walk up to the front gate or just walk away. What do you think?" Rhys could get them both over the wall with his gift but what would happen if they landed in the middle of something nasty? Ah hell... NOTES: Oh snap, is his memory returning? o:
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Post by Allen Kierser on Apr 9, 2014 19:33:58 GMT -6
Apparently some instinct, if not his own memory, was returning to Rhys. Could it be that it was caused psychological trauma, then, not exactly physical? He'd never had much chance to analyze memory damage - a consequence of his determined avoidance of all medical fields. If Rhys would relax enough for Kierser to brush against his arm, he'd check at some point. He wouldn't heal it, but he was curious if it represented materially. Either way, that was getting ahead of himself. Kierser adjusted the cloak around himself, better covering up his light clothes, and followed Rhys closer, crouching.
He pressed against the rough stone of the archway, training his breath. The camp was near enough for him to see it clearly and what he saw did not please him. Goddamn wooden barriers. Intelligent of the bandits to construct it and merely another lamentable circumstance in the parade of misery that had become his day. And now he was being relied upon for strategy.
"Don't suggest walking away," he said, distracted. Kierser tuned out Rhys' presence and rested his head against the arch. He closed his eyes against the harsh whiteness of the sun and tentatively reached out. It felt strained, like extending an unused muscle too far. He didn't press it beyond that, wary of inducing pain, only feeling out the distinct blurbs of cellular activity.
"Should be easy as subtraction," he muttered, opening his eyes. There were at least ten present, he estimated, could be more, standing close to each other; two by the gate along the barrier, the remainder milling around. "I'm suggesting this; I approach them, as a stranded, very naive, traveler. I distract them, deal with ones closet to me whenever they drop their guards, and you follow over the wall. Stab them in the back, or whatever." Speaking of that, he hoped that Rhys wasn't squeamish about murder. He'd contended with that before and he didn't have the patience for something so annoying right now. "Or, we both scale these walls, undetected, from both sides. You're more adept with a weapon, you'd lead that. Eliminate, distract, do as you like, and I'd provide assistance when necessary. Do either of those hearten you?"
WORD COUNT # ? NOTES # woooo :] i'll be able to post in the morning/tomorrow, but i'm heading to boston and i'm not sure about the internet i'll get. i'll let you know
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