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Always Bring Brawn; Personal Saga | Roland & Elric
Topic Started: Aug 6 2014, 09:09 PM (515 Views)
Roland
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Roland’s boots crunched on ice and snow as he ascended the steep mountainside. The air itself carried a heavy chill, and with each breath, he loosed a plume of icy mist from between his lips. Clumps of snow hung heavy in the pine boughs. Hoarfrost rimmed every single plant and rock. The wind cast twinkling snow through the trees and howled like a forlorn beast. Icy fingers cut through Roland’s cloak, battering his skin, causing him to shudder visibly after each gust. Far below, thousands of feet down, into the green valley, lie the lodge that the Avatars of Zaun took up residence within. Roland left it behind, with Elric, to seek out a bit of solitude and training.

There had been quite the tension among the group of late. Roland didn’t understand why it there was such strife among the Aavatars, and so far had kept his mouth shut. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do, seeing a he was the Avatar of Wisdom, but being that his comrades were young men, he doubted they’d care or even hold what he said with any grain of salt.

That was the nature of younglings. The more time he spent around them, the more he started to feel like his father----old, tired, and impatient. They all had a fiery passion, and devilish desires lurked deep within then. Roland remembered being much the same when he was their age, all full of himself and wanting to take on the world. He had gone out of his way to do heroic deeds and to test his blade against any warrior that challenged him. Now, he just felt tired and sad, and only kept moving his feet forward because he had no other choice.

The problem among the Avatars of Zaun resided within trust. None of them trusted each other, not truly. Maybe because Zaun itself had been a divided world, for as long as it existed. It seemed each Avatar wanted to prove their superiority, make their home and patron god proud. Roland felt a sort of fondness for Lysses, as he had trained him as a boy. Yet, even so Lysses had a an issue with using his head to really see things through, there was no lack of passion within him, that was for sure.

Walid, perhaps the feistiest of them all, wanted to take down Lysses. Being that he bore the God of War, Roland doubted there was any other way around it. Walid, no doubt, would always choose to fight first. Apparently, he had some old vendetta against Lysses anyways, that Roland knew little about.

Elric served as Walid’s polar opposite. He carried a melancholy calmness within him, and often could been seen reflecting on things. He seemed like a kid that liked be thorough, to really think things through, and wasn’t used to anyone telling him what to do. It gave him a bit of a snarky, rebellious attitude, one which left him as the recent target of Lysses’s ardor.

Roland didn’t know much about Raphael, but he wondered when his true nature would shine through.

Roland had to wonder, could there be just one single leader of all the Avatars? Each Zaunite with the power of a god lurking within them. It seemed unlikely, even illogical. Roland knew they had to work in unison, playing at each other’s strengths, covering each other’s weaknesses. Only if they had that sort of cooperation could they succeed at stopping whatever woes they came across. There was no lack of diversity in their group.

The slope flattened out a bit towards the top of the mountain, into a broad clearing and Roland stopped there, tossing down his bag in the loose snow. He turned to Elric, drawing his sword in one smooth motion.

“This place should do.”

It was then he got to work, using his sword to fell the trees rimming the clearing. At their altitude, the trees weren’t very big, skinny around the trunks and withered towards the top. Beneath the frozen layer of snow, lay craggy ground, packed with rock and dirt, hardly the best soil for any plant, let alone one as big as a tree to flourish. He dragged each skinny tree back, creating large pile in the center.

He asked Elric to begin trimming off the branches, as he finished cutting down the rest. After he had enough, a giant mound of naked logs, he divided them into smaller logs, too long for firewood and not long enough for building. Because, neither of those things were his intention. Despite the cold, a sheen of sweat had appeared his face. The sun burned bright overhead by the time he was finished, indicating that it was near midday. He stood tall, flicking stray pine needles off his cloak. His hands smelled like sap and his sword edge was sticky with it. But, he could clean it later. For now, he simply stabbed it into the snow and left it there, glinting.

From his bag he produced an armful of bungie cords and leather straps. Gathering the logs together he constructed bundles, tying the cords down tight to hold them together and using the straps to hoist the giant pile onto his back. He figured that the great bundle made him look like a tiny ant carrying a big bread crumb, one way heavier than his body.

“Time for some cardio,” Roland said and chuckled, motioning to the bundle he built for Elric.

Roland took off, sprinting with the great bundle on his shoulders. The weight slowed him considerably, and the log’s shifting made each of his steps a risk. If he didn’t hold the bundle steady it would pull him off a cliff, to tumble down into certain doom. Couple that danger with icy foot conditions, and that made for great footwork training. Down the mountain and back up, that would be a good warm up for warriors of their caliber. Either that, or an early grave.

He glanced back, to see if Elric had followed. “Let’s race, how’s that sound kid? You beat me and you get to choose the next training exercise.”

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Chronoa
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When Roland first sprung the idea on Elric for them to go into the mountains, Elric was hesitant. He hated the cold and that seemed to be the coldest place around. He couldn't imagine what business they'd have going all the way up there. However, his inner desire to get to know Roland a little better made him shirk off the fact that it was going to be so cold. The area around the lodge was cold enough, and the lodge too thanks to the damage he and Lysses had caused with their little scrap. He had no idea still what had come over the man, but he was glad the dispute was settled.

As Elric stepped outside into the crisp air, he immediately found himself shiver. Maybe his tolerance for the cold was low, or maybe it was just really this cold up here in the summer. He wasn't the most familiar with the area or it's climate so he'd bet it was just the weather. Pulling his cloak around him tightly, Elric followed Roland on his journey up into the mountains. The cold air still irritating his face, but it was tolerable. For the purposes of training or whatever else they were going up here for at least. Elric was sure that once he got his blood flowing it wouldn't seem so cold. That time couldn't come soon enough.

The slick snow crunching under Elric's boots always made him nervous. He felt like he wasn't walking on solid ground, and that any false step could cause an avalanche that would bury the lodge below them in snow. However, the ground help up as they made their way closer and closer to the peaks summit. Up here words fell as icicles, frozen in the air before they could make it to the intended recipients ears. Or at least that's how Elric felt his teeth chattering so vivaciously. The sound was unrelenting, even as he tucked his mouth and nose under his cloak, only baring his eyes to the elements.

They stood at the peak and Roland unsheathed his blade as he began to cut down the small saplings that lay all around them. Elric smiled, "Good, it's freezing up here. A fire would do nicely." However, Roland's intent for the saplings was not for firewood. He was bundling them together. Elric couldn't help but admire the scene before them. It looked quite serene with all the saplings cut down to stubs. It reminded Elric of one of the foreign films he's scene with a mountain top dojo that's courtyard looked something quite like this. The samurai would test their blades on the tough bamboo.

Roland had finished packing together large bundles, Elric handing him stripped pieces for the bundles. They were wrapped with bungee cords it seemed, wherever Roland produced them from was beyond Elric, he was too busy admiring the scene before them. He took the bundle in one hand, looking at Roland for instructions. "Time for some cardio." Roland said plainly as he took off with the bundle on his shoulders. Elric was stunned for a second, but then quickly followed, slinging the bundle over his shoulders. He took off in a sprint to follow Roland. He was only keeping pace for a moment until Roland shouted back, “Let’s race, how’s that sound kid? You beat me and you get to choose the next training exercise.”

Elric's eyes narrowed ahead as he nodded. He grit his teeth, fighting to cold, as he picked up the pace in a near dead sprint towards Roland. He was huffing and puffing as his pace continued to rise until he was almost on Roland's heels. Just as Elric was about to pass Roland, a mere step away, his back foot slid on some ice and he crashed into the snow, hitting his head on a rock. He couldn't believe that just happened. He laid in the snow for a moment, defeated. Then he remembered all the things Chishan had said to him about giving up. He quickly scrambled back to his feet and dashed forward, catching back up to Roland in no time. There was a fire under his ass now, and as much as he wanted to stop and nestle up close to it, he had to keep running.

"I'm not gonna lose to you, Roland!" Elric called, his demeanor changing to one of pure determination as the black markings surfaced on his skin and his purple aura flared. He was in a dead sprint now, kicking up snow behind him. He wasn't looking where he was going, he was just running now. He didn't care about anything else. His mind was set on winning.

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Roland found that when running, or doing any sort of strenuous exercise, that focusing on a single thought, or a single object in your environment made it easier to get through the trial. This time focused on sound. Each step the snow crumpled beneath his feet, and the bundle on his back rattled, and the leather straps creaked in his grip. The way down, it felt easy, it felt natural. From what he could tell, Elric kept pace, not far behind, slowly gaining ground. Roland had done training like this before, so there was a measure of comfort. He didn’t think it would take long for Elric to gain some confidence in his footwork under the weight.

He smiled. The best way to earn the kid’s respect was to show him that he wasn’t some geezer, that he could still move, fight, and train with the best of them. Roland felt little effect from his age. Being in his late 30’s in Zaun years, biologically, he no doubt had passed his prime. However, with the amount of training he had endured and the mana flowing through his veins, that made little difference. Roland knew deep down inside, that he was stronger than any of the warriors he had faced on Zaun, by varying degrees. In fact, not a single one would be able to so much as lay a finger on him now. His other Avatars were the obvious exception.

However, despite that, the power he contained within his body paled in comparison to others he had felt out there in the universe. During the final battle against the Steel Legion, while he lay within Central City, broken and busted from his efforts, he detected beings far more powerful than himself. So strong, that just the crushing feeling of their mana had made him want to cry out in fear. He learned shortly after that Chishan had been one of those superior beings. That alone raised the bar great deal, and made him want to keep going.

Despite all the years, all the training, and all the fighting, Roland infact hadn’t come very far at all. Not that he would let that notion discourage him. No, in many ways, it breathed a youthful vigor back into his mind, made him have something to strive for. As his father once said, “There is nothing worse than a lazy warrior.” Before his daughter had been abducted and Zaun fell, Roland had indeed grown lazy and complacent. Maybe that was why he failed in its defense. He cursed himself for that, pushing his legs along.

The brisk air burned his lungs, the only way that sub-zero temperatures could. Elric’s footsteps grew louder, and closer, crashing in behind him. Roland strained, but just as he went to push forward, he felt something give, the footing turning into mush. So, he drew back. Just in time, too, as he heard Elric take a tumble of his own.

They reached the bottom, and Roland went for the ascent back up. If down had been easy, up felt excruciating. Each one of his muscles burned. The summit started to look like some sort of impassable wall of death. He groaned as he pushed himself forward, each step careful, more careful now that the path was disheveled from them going down.

"I'm not gonna lose to you, Roland!"

“G-Gods dammit!”

Elric passed him, nearly knocking him off the side of the mountain. Roland pushed off with his left arm, hurling himself back onto the track. Had he not been ready, he would have landed somewhere in the valley below, and been in some real trouble. Looking at the lead the young warrior had put on him, Roland smilked. He didn’t know if he could cross the distance, not now, not on the descent. He had underestimated Elric, and for that he now ate spraying snow.

“You’re quick,” Roland said. “But, speed isn’t everything.”

Roland stopped and bent his legs, forcing all the mana he could into his legs. He then sprang forward, jumping through the air, the weight of the bundle carrying him into tumbling flip. He landed right behind Elric, but the loose snow gave beneath his left heel and he down, ass first.

“Ugh, but balance is…”

A few minutes later, the two Avatars stumbled up to the top and dropped the bundles from their shoulders, collapsing into the snow, gasping for breath.

“Looks like you win,” he huffed and clapped Elric on the shoulder.

After their little exertion, Roland used the logs to craft a nice bonfire. He produced a pot and a small packet from his bag and began to heat up some snow he scooped into it. It didn’t take long, with the roaring fire, for it to melt and turn to a bubbling boil. From the packet, he pulled out dried herbs and smoothed them out, taking a deep whiff. A huge grin spread across his lips.

“Elric. I have a special treat for you, from home,” Roland said and began to crush the herbs with his hands. “Ussk Tea.”

Anyone who lived on Zaun knew of Ussk Tea. Not only was it a refreshing drink, it could wake you up and give you energy. The healing properties of the drink were renowned, but it took special practice to learn to prepare it. Roland learned long ago, the proper way to crush the herbs and the right way to mix them. If you made a mistake, it would taste horrible and make the drinker sick to the stomach.

“I’ve been saving these for an occasion. I think this serves as such. Plus, there’s not enough to share with the others. So, consider yourself lucky,” Roland said and chuckled. “My gift to you for winning the race.”

The water turned a dark gray and then blue as the herbs began to cook down and render. He stirred the pot with a spoon, carefully, and often. Before long the blue faded to a lavender and bubbles began to gather on the surface. Rustling around in his bag, he pulled out two tin cups and filled them up, handing one over to Elric, steam rolling off its surface.

Roland sat in the snow, sipped the tea, and closed his eyes. The aroma, a little bit sweet, a little bit savory, filled his nostrils and the tart taste tackled his tongue. It brought him back, to the late campfires with his fellow Knights of Gram, and to romantic dates with his deceased wife, sitting together, watching the clouds roll over the grey-white mountains. The Earth mountains that surrounded them paled in comparison, but they had their own sort of beauty that he could admire. Then again, most everything on Earth seemed smaller, almost as if it were a little brother to Zaun. Maybe that was why Roland didn’t mind staying on Earth too much.

“I miss it. Home that is. But, there’s nothing left to Gilead. My house is destroyed. My wife is dead and my daughter missing--somewhere out there. I won’t return. Not until I find her and I can free Zaun from the PTO’s grips. That’s why I train so hard and drink so much. That’s why I accepted Talos into my heart and mind. I admit, keeping the hope isn’t easy. So many times I wanted to just lie down, to give it all up.”

The icy air had cooled his tea for him and he was able to take a long gulp. “How about you kid. What do you fight for?”

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Chronoa
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The race back to the top was Elric's only real chance at victory, having fallen on the way down. When he turned and kicked it into gear, he was determined. When he got to the top, he was glad to turn and see Rolan had not yet made it, but was short behind him, snow all over the front of his clothes, likely because of Elric. He was a bit sorry, but he laughed a bit at how ridiculous it looked. He dropped his bundle of sticks on the ground and crossed his arms. "Sorry about that, I got a little carried away." Elric joked, his onyx-colored marking disappearing. He gave Roland a little smirk, a sort of 'I know I won, it's my turn to pick the challenge'. However, he'd settle for a fire right then. Roland seemed to agree as he built a nice sized bonfire out of the two bundles.

Roland's talk of home put Elric in a weird spot. He knew it was just polite conversation, and he wasn't aware of Elric's situation. Truth of the matter is, he forgot his own situation sometimes. It wasn't something his mind lingered on very often. It was just sort of in the back of his mind, knowing that his past could come to haunt him and he'd have no way of saying "I didn't--" anything. He looked into his tea, swirling it around in the cup a bit before taking a sip. Roland has his fair share of skeletons, Elric was sure of that. His wife dead and his daughter missing? The guy must be in pretty rough shape. Elric felt bad for any judgement he might have passed about his drinking.

"This isn't alcoholic, is it?" Elric asked, a little late as he had already taken a sip. If it was he wouldn't be drinking anymore, it wasn't something he wanted to start now. It clouded your judgement as far as he could tell, and that was something Elric didn't want. The tea was good and all, but it wasn't a road he wanted to go down. He'd rather not find out what kind of drunk he was. Something told him he'd be the angry, murdery kind. The question Roland finally ask really made Elric think for a minute, despite knowing the answer immediately.

"I don't have a family to look for, loved one's to rescue, or even a home planet I feel inclined to save." Elric sighed, sipping his tea again. "As a boy, I was made out so much to be a villain, that I believed it. Abused physically and verbally by all those who felt I was this evil entity just looking to take their precious self-absorbed lives from them. So at some point I was pushed too far, and I snapped. I hurt a lot of people. How many? I don't know. For my own sake, Shamshire doesn't give me all the details. Are you familiar with Tyrf? It's in Gram, though I was born in Carnwen. I was taken to Tyrf when I was a small child so that I wouldn't harm my parents. With good reason, it seems." Elric sulked, taking another long sip of tea. His shoulder's relaxed as though he'd just shrugged off a heavy burden.

"So the only things I remember are where I came from; planet, territory, and city. That and the events after Shamshire brought me here to find Lysses and Walid. Since then, I've fought for only the right thing." Elric shrugged, assuming he had to explain what he meant. "I know I've done bad things in my past, so maybe I'm trying to make up for it. At the same time, it's just something inside me is telling me that the right thing to do is the only thing to do. Disregard personal preference, passion, and my own needs. Do what needs to be done. Sorry, that probably doesn't make any sense at all."

Elric looked into his tea, seeing his reflection and the light of the flames dancing on his face. He didn't look at himself very often, and for good reason. He didn't know who he was, or at least half of himself. He had this small picture painted by Shamshire, and then the things he's done since coming to Earth, and that's all he had to define himself. It was difficult to really know who you are, when you don't know what you've done. How could he repent when he had no knowledge of his sins? Maybe he was thinking about it too much.

"That's just how I feel though, you know?" Elric said, laughing slightly, wanting to lighten the mood a bit. He realized how heavy it was, for him at least. To Roland, Elric's life might not seem so bad. But would either of them trade for the other's? Doubtful. The icy gusts gave him a chill, making him move closer to the fire, just standing now instead of sitting. "Thanks for the tea, I feel a lot better now. Like I could run that race ten more times! Well, maybe not ten. One if I'm lucky."

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“Are you familiar with Tyrf? It's in Gram, though I was born in Carnwen. I was taken to Tyrf when I was a small child so that I wouldn't harm my parents. With good reason, it seems,” Elric said.

Roland nodded and took a deep gulp from his tea. “I’m quite familiar, actually. Tyrf, the great port of Gram, one of the few cities by the sea rather than in the mountains. Close to the border of Antilles, if I remember correctly. The PTO glassed the entire city, there’s nothing left of it. But, something tells me you’re not attached to that much.”

Roland felt a measure of sorrow for the boy. In this moment, he looked like a kid--lost, sad, and confused about his own past. After hearing about the supposed evil he committed Roland’s sadness turned to pity. However, he kept it to himself. Pity didn’t do anyone any good. Plus, often times, warriors like Elric would think it an insult to pity them for the terror and the darkness. He had little doubt Elric would feel that way.

"That's just how I feel though, you know?" Elric said. "Thanks for the tea, I feel a lot better now. Like I could run that race ten more times! Well, maybe not ten. One if I'm lucky."

Roland scratched the patchy facial hair on the side of his face. “Kid, I can’t say I know. I won’t even pretend to say I understand what you’ve been through. That would be a lie, and honestly an insult to the memories of your past. At least, I’d feel that way if I were you.”

He drained his cup and set it atop his bag, rising up and resting both hands on his hips. The crackling fire beat back the cold, but only a little. Heavy gusts roared, sending embers and coals flitting through the air. The sky itself grew sullen with the conversation, dark clouds spreading ominously, blotting out the sun, and casting a dim shadow across the mountain. No doubt, a storm of some sorts was coming. At this altitude, no doubt it would be a blizzard. However, in the valley below they probably would get rain instead.

“But, I want you to stop being sad over those things. There's a better way,” Roland said and raised a hand. “Before you think I’m just giving you some generic pep talk, hold on. As you said, you hurt a lot of people. Also, a lot of people hurt you, emotionally, and physically. Those people, never forgive them, never blame yourself for what they did. Every time someone challenges you, dig deep and use that pain as your weapon. Never let anyone step on you. It’s fuel, and if applied at the right times, it could make you a deadly warrior.

“As for the people you hurt. Don’t forgive yourself for that either. Keep those people at the front of your mind, always in your thoughts. Their memories should be what makes you move your legs every morning and be the final thought before you fall asleep, every night. Why, you might ask? Well, because to honor the memories of those hurt, you must help others in their stead. Every person in need is a chance to use those people’s loss and turn the negative aspects of their death into a force for good.”


Flakes began to tumble from the clouds, spiraling down all around them. Roland folded his arms and looked into the fire once more. The logs within the center of the pile had turned white from heat, and the ones on the outsides black as coal. Flames licked at the air, smoke spiraling away towards the east.

“So, now that our energy is back, have you thought of our next training exercise? It’s your turn.”

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The news of Tyrf's demise should have stunned Elric. Hell, it should have at least phased him in the slightest sense. The thing was, he didn't care. They didn't want him there, he didn't want to be there. Why should he care about the death of people who would rather he be dead anyway? He shrugged, sipping down the rest of the Ussk Tea. His thirst was quenched, but there was more on his mind.

“Kid, I can’t say I know. I won’t even pretend to say I understand what you've been through. That would be a lie, and honestly an insult to the memories of your past. At least, I’d feel that way if I were you.” Roland replied to Elric's earlier question. It was good that Roland could relate. Even if it wasn't exactly a level of understanding, he at least made an effort to sympathized with Elric, which was good. Really Elric had put most of that behind him anyway. Chishan had taught him to use his passion for fighting, which is what he reserved all that regret and hatred for. He wouldn't squander his thoughts with fireside chats with Roland, good company as the man may be.

"I appreciate the advice, I've heard a good bit of the same thing from Chishan. I feel like I have things in check, I only thought of those things for the first time in a long time because I wanted to explain what happened, who I am, and why I am this way. It's not easy for anybody to be an Avatar. You get treated differently, though you taking on the title so much later in life it was probably less of a burden." Elric laughed. It might just be that Roland couldn't relate to that feeling, but with his wise mind, he could say he'd feel the same in the situation. At least recognizing that it would have impacted his life greatly.

"Forgiving myself isn't my goal. Balancing my wrong with right, that's what I intend to do. I don't seek forgiveness for acts that I'm not sorry for. I wouldn't trade my life right now for anything. I'm stronger than I've ever been, and I've got a lot of new friends. If anything in my past had changed, who knows where I'd be. Hell, I might have fallen with Tyrf if I didn't get pushed too far. So I just look up." Elric laughed, tilting his tin cup to get the last remaining drops from his cup. He looked over to Roland who'd seemed to have polished his off ages ago and stored his cup in his pack already. Elric handed over his cup as well.

He rubbed his wrists where they were stiff from carrying all the weight of the branches. He found that the irritating stiffness had subsided, making his choice much easier. Motioning down the mountain Elric spoke, "Let's go someplace a little warmer and have ourselves a little match. I've been meaning to give your power a test, after all, I need to know what kind of weight you'll be throwing around. I'm not much for the cold, and it's not good on muscles either. There's a nice clearing a quarter mile outside of Gingervale, we should go there, less you have somewhere else in mind." Elric smirked, getting down to business.

Roland was an Avatar, but that was just a title. Elric wanted to know what he brought to the table in a battle.

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"Let's go someplace a little warmer and have ourselves a little match. I've been meaning to give your power a test, after all, I need to know what kind of weight you'll be throwing around. I'm not much for the cold, and it's not good on muscles either. There's a nice clearing a quarter mile outside of Gingervale, we should go there, less you have somewhere else in mind,” Elric said.

Roland felt a measure of relief that Elric had a good head on his shoulders. Elric’s encounter with the Saiyan warrior Chishan had changed his mind on things before Roland had spoken his words. However, Roland didn't feel like his own advice was wasted. Often times, a man needed validation of his beliefs, especially if imparted upon by another. That meant that Elric’s philosophies of doing good, of correcting the evil he committed, would grow even stronger. In many ways, conviction was like a newly planted seed. Not enough water, and would wither and die. Enough water, and it could grow and bloom into something wonderful.

Deep down inside, Roland felt a similar dismay as Elric. In some ways, he had done much of the same, just within different circumstances. While, he had never hurt innocents on purpose (not that the younger Elric had any control over his actions,) he had taken many lives. No doubt, of the all lives taken by Roland, some had not deserved it.

That thought alone kept Roland awake some nights. He often fell onto the thought that his wife’s death and daughter’s abduction had been a form of punishment by fate. Perhaps, the deaths of his friends, the many wars he fought in, and the countless thousands he slew, had invited a dark karma upon him.

Maybe becoming Avatar of Wisdom was a form of penance, a service to right his own wrongs. He liked that thought.

“A fight?” Roland said, eyes upon the stormy sky. He clenched his fist, looking down at his hand. Calloused skin covered his fingers, from long years of hard work and holding a sword. They were the hands of a killer. Roland realized that if didn’t serve as knight or warrior, he would no other purpose He would be useless, a husk of a man. What could he build? How could heserve society in a constructive way? Roland only knew the battlefield and shedding blood.

His daughter Ruby had asked him to hang up his sword, many times. No daddy, don't go. Stay with me, you don't have to fight.

If he had only done that years ago, maybe he would have had more time with her. More time with his wife as well. At least Shala had understood that Gram needed him, but whenever he left, she always gave him that sad smile. She had urged him to find another way, but never pressured him. She always seemed more concerned about what it would do to him, to his mind and soul.

Roland, being the coward he was, had failed put down his sword. By keeping his sword, he lost time with his family, time he never could get back. It nearly brought tears to his eyes, if not for the smooth voice of Talos entering his mind.

You know well enough that is not true, Roland. Your wife and daughter were proud of you for your service. They only wanted your presence, and for that you cannot blame them. You’re my Avatar now, and for that you have a new purpose. While you may be needed as a warrior at times, I chose you for your ability to embody wisdom, for what you’ve been through. Fight if you need to, do it to protect others, but keep in mind, you are not a Knight of Gram anymore.

“The Avatars and their patrons--Argus, Shamshire, Brontos, and Gygesse, they need our wisdom. Without it, they will run rampant and remain divided. Together we can keep them focused, keep them doing the right thing, and keep them working together.”


Talos always knew what to say at the right time. Perhaps it was part of being the God of Wisdom. Shaking off his sadness, Roland smirked and clapped Elric on the shoulder. “Let’s go then. Get out of this damn weather.”

He slung his bag over his shoulder, pulled his sword from the snowy ground where he left it, slamming it into his scabbard. He fastened his cloak around his shoulders again and used his mana to levitate into the sky. A shimmering gold aura flickered to life around him, wavering and snapping like flames. He blasted off, rocketing off in the distance, a long trail of light followed in his wake. The falling snow and black clouds parted and melted away as he passed. With Elric in tow, it didn’t take long for them to descend back into the much warmer valley. They flew over the lodge. Roland grimaced at the debris left behind from Elric and Lysses’s struggle. He hoped that they were at least planning on repairing it. The lodge had become Walid and his home away from home. He didn't want to have to sleep in the woods again.

The clearing that Elric spoke about, outside of Ginergervale, wasn’t easy to miss. The pine forest broke away into a scatter of trees and shrubs. They faded into a long field of rolling green fells. A gushing river meandered through the center of them, emptying into a lake that looked like a mirror of black glass. Roland floated down, landing in the tall grass. He tossed his stuff down and cracked his knuckles.

He slid one leg back and bent his knees. He pulled his left arm behind him, balled into a fist. His right he kept loose, fingers slightly curled. He lifted it up in front of his face. To the naked eye, it appeared as a lazy fighting stance, not offering any true offence or defense. In truth it allowed a good deal of freedom of movement. Something that couldn’t be underestimated in a fight.

Once Elric appeared ready, Roland motioned for him to come. ”All right kid, I’ll show you what I’m all about.”

[align=center]WC: 1,050 / 3,975 / 6,191[/align]
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Elric drew his cloak tighter again as he turned to fly off towards the clearing he mentioned. The way he did so made him look like a gaseous spirit leaving this world, which he supposed was rather symbolic. After his fight with Lysses, or Argus rather, Elric knew he wasn't long for this world. He'd be leaving soon, this fight was just a way of telling Roland goodbye. Then Elric's heart tugged at him, he needed to tell Roland his intentions before they fought, so that he didn't think it was his fault for his leaving. That could be discussed when they got there. Elric's hands tightened around his Katana hilt, looking for anything to hold on to.

He never used the sword to fight a man, only to kill beasts. Even then, it was mostly for food. He felt he'd need it more than ever if he left this world. There were dangers in the universe, more than just the Kassacks on Juno, or the PTO insects. His sword was going to become his most important tool, he could tell that much. It was like an overlooking feeling it had, especially considering Shamshire's silence since the bout with Argus. He couldn't tell if it was because he was resting, or because he was angry with Elric. Either way, he couldn't blame him.

As they landed in the clearing, Elric tossed his sword and hilt to the side. He wanted to make it clear that weapons were not going to be the deciding factor in this battle, as they hadn't been before in their spars. Elric clapped his scouter onto his ear, clicking it on immediately. "As I expected, you'll have the upper hand, even without your sword. I'll be unable to make use of Shamshire's power due to our recent confrontation with Argus. Though, I'll try and make it a close fight." Elric smirked, taking off his weights as he wished he had time to when Argus attacked.

"Before we begin, I want you to know that I'll be leaving Earth soon. Indefinitely, until I have reason to return or I am needed. What happened with Argus was frankly unacceptable. I'm not going to put myself in danger while he shows such a reckless lack of control over his Patron's power." Elric said bluntly. He didn't expect Roland to just let him leave, but his decision was final. Regardless of whatever wisdom he had for him, it wasn't negotiable. He was leaving and that was how it was going to go.

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In the distance, the clouds of the storm they left behind looked like one great black smear across the sky. They caught up rather quick, and Roland felt the first pattering of rain in his orange hair and onto his shoulders. No doubt rainy conditions would make their battle a little less desirable, but Roland had learned long ago to fight in all conditions.

"As I expected, you'll have the upper hand, even without your sword. I'll be unable to make use of Shamshire's power due to our recent confrontation with Argus. Though, I'll try and make it a close fight,” Elric said, removing the heavier pieces of equipment on his body. Each one hit the ground with a dull thud, as if Elric had removed boulders from his body, rather than garments.

To be honest, Roland couldn’t summon Talos’s power, at least not yet. He felt the stirrings of it there, but part of him hated to rely on it. To him, it felt like cheating. Maybe, that was the honorable part of him. Maybe, someday, if he didn’t rely on Talos, he would die. Regardless, he simply nodded in response to Elric, reaching down to his swordbelt. He took hold of the strap, pulling it out of the buckle and then wrapped the belt around the scabbard, tossing it into the grass beside him. Roland was a swordsman by trade, but he wasn’t a one-trick pony. He could fight with his hands as well.

"Before we begin, I want you to know that I'll be leaving Earth soon. Indefinitely, until I have reason to return or I am needed. What happened with Argus was frankly unacceptable. I'm not going to put myself in danger while he shows such a reckless lack of control over his Patron's power," Elric said.

Roland didn’t blame him for wanting to put some distance between the other Avatars and himself. But, he felt like that was the wrong solution. There were other ways, but he didn’t think any of them would see it, not yet at least. Sure, Lysses could be a hothead, but in many ways Roland felt like Elric had invited wrath upon himself. Even if he didn’t directly vocalize it, his disdain had been quite obvious when Lysses started throwing out orders. No doubt, Elric and Lysses both had alpha male syndrome and they would continue to butt-heads if they stayed near each other. The more that Roland mulled it over, the worse that fate sounded. In a fight, any hesitation or mistrust could lead to deadly circumstances. As much as they needed Elric, they didn’t need any of his discontent.

Roland had led men and he had also followed men. Not all of them were the most competent leaders. But, they were leaders. Being that he was a soldier, he learned to respect a chain of command. There were ways to help steer a leader, if you felt their ideas or orders were mistakes. But, that required subtly and trust, which none of the Avatars had for each other. Lysses had taken charge, and that Roland could respect, even if he did think him too green to do it effectively.. He knew the kid wouldn’t always make the best decisions, but Roland would help him with words of wisdom. Elric no doubt lacked that sort of patience.

“Very well kid. Let’s get this going then. I don’t want to keep you,” Roland said and widened his stance.

He clenched both fists and let his mana surge forth from inside of him, breaking free of the container within. Most of the time it had resided there, untapped, a part of himself he didn’t really care to let it loose. But, Elric had proven to be far too skilled a fighter to hold back against. He knew he had to take this serious.

The air around him began to quiver, like ripples of water on the pond. Loose pebbles jiggled and rattled on the ground, before starting to rise, defying the very laws of gravity that he kept them in place. The grass all around them rippled outward, rustling with his power. Roland’s cloak rose up behind him, billowing and fluttering like a flag left hanging in a hurricane.

“Hrah!”

Light--bright gold light shone from within Roland, pulsating as the air around him reacted so chaotically. Bolts of electricity curled and snapped from his legs to the top of his head, his orange hair standing in one fierce column.

In a single pulse his power spiked and he threw his arms out. The pebbles and other debris went flying in all directions around him. Roland raised his chin, looking at Elric, lips pressed into a tight line. His cloak slumped back down, in unison with his hair, all disheveled and giving him a look of crazy wild-man.

With his power crackling through him, he relaxed the tension, his hair and cloak flopping down in unison.

Roland flickered from sight and appeared beside Elric, his hand behind him. He thrust it forward, as if he were going for a palm strike, but instead a shotgun blast of mana pellets erupted from his palm headed straight for Elric at point blank range.

[align=center]WC: 878 / 4,853 / 7,491[/align]
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As much as Elric was back to one-hundred percent for the moment because of the tea, that didn't shake the fact he was still weak from battle. Shamshire hadn't spoken for days, and he felt like his bones were just waiting to snap. In any rate, a fight with Roland is what he wanted, and a fight with Roland is what he'll get. He tried to remember Chishan's words, reminding him that a fight with a friend can get ferocious, but the intent is to get stronger through simulating a real battle. Not to just throw a few punches and call it a day before someone gets hurt. Hurt is what men are made of, it's what solidifies them. He didn't have to have a reason to fight Roland other than they could both benefit a good deal from a good fight. Though he felt himself at the disadvantage, he wouldn't allow himself to be a plaything, like Argus had made him look.

That was probably the most infuriating part of the recent scrap. Feeling so helpless. Having no other way to win than to just let himself die so that Shamshire could live. In truth, what Argus said about Shamshire resurrecting him, it was probably possible. Argus didn't want Elric to know that though. It was probably him trying to get Elric to let Shamshire continue the fight. He was too smart for that though, he knew what he was doing when he took Shamshire's place. He was saving them all from disaster.

"Impressive." Elric cooed at Rolands power once he'd powered up. He himself took a moment to gather his energy too. His cloak fluttered violently, and dark purple flames flourished around his body as he lifted off the ground for a moment. His hair raised into spikes, pointing every which way. As he touched back down on the ground, his hair settled and the dark purple aura faded. That was all he could think of to prepare for this fight more, so he waited for Roland's move.

To Elric's surprise, Roland disappeared from sight, reappearing to his side. The strike was a familiar one to Elric, the point blank shotgun blast of Ki to the back. Roland had used it against him in a spar not too long ago. Still, they attack seemed a bit more powerful now. Maybe because he was weak from battle, or because Roland had gotten stronger. Elric stumbled forward from the blast, catching himself before he fell on his face. Rolling his neck, Elric turned to face Roland. He gave a little smirk the charged a sphere of Ki into each of his palms. Dashing towards Roland, he fired the one in his left hand, disappearing from sight before he could fire the second. As he reappeared behind Roland, he thrust the sphere towards his spine, hopefully causing a good bit of damage to the elder man.

Elric might have been worn out, but he was still a strong fighter. Roland knew that, so he was not holding back. Elric just couldn't afford to.

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Roland’s shotgun blast of mana pellets made a connection and he saw Elric jerk forward. It nearly knocked him onto his stomach, but he caught himself with his hand. Smirk across his lips, Elric turned, two orbs of mana burning bright in both of his palms. He fired the first blast.

It served as a perfect distraction. Roland swung his arm down diagonally, swiping it out of the air before it could hit him. It tumbled through the air, exploding somewhere behind him. In that moment, he detected Erlic’s presence--a sudden spike of mana directly behind him. Roland was in the middle of turning when the second blast took him in the lower back. This did send Roland flying and he caught himself with his arm, slamming it down into the dirt and vaulting into a wide flip.

”Misdirection--not bad,” Roland said as he landed on both feet again. His lower back throbbed with pain and he fought against the grimace that nearly emerged on his face. He turned it into a pained smile instead.

“I have a few techniques up my sleeve that I’ve never shown anyone,” Roland continued. ”Allow me to show you a bit of what I’ve learned, these long years.”

Roland let out a low groan and then slapped both of his hands together. The gold aura burst to life around him once again, flickering and snapping like well fled flames. He reached deep within his core of mana, allowing the power within their to flow freely throughout his body. There he let it concentrate into thick nodes of energy beneath his skin. Spreading his arms out he released the built up power. However, it came loose in a mist of shimmering light, flying in every direction within the blink of an eye, fading a moment later.

The technique itself had no obvious effect on his surroundings, but if Elric were paying attention his sixth sense, the one that detected energies and any devices on his person would now be malfunctioning. Despite standing right in front of him, Roland’s presence would now be engulfing him, from every direction. Three hundred and sixty five degrees of his power, like a blanket over the land and in the air.

Roland vanished from sight, the presence remaining all around Elric, suffocating his sense. Roland appeared above him, hanging upside down in the air. Both of his eyes flickered with light for a brief moment before he unleashed an invisible wave of mana. The wave itself distorted the air between them, like ripples of water on a pond, aimed to slam into Elric with great concussive force. The speed of the attack was astounding, to say the least. Coupled with Roland’s sudden presence, he hoped that it would serve as an effect attack.

[align=center]WC: 691 / 5,544 / 8,694[/align]
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Elric situated himself back on on the ground, waiting for Roland to make his move. It would have been very easy for him to sense where the man had disappeared to, but suddenly, the man's energy was all around him. Like he'd become the air. Elric didn't know anything about a technique like this, but decided it'd be best for him to try and listen for the man. He closed his eyes, listening for any sort of sound. The air was still and the Earth seemed immortally quiet. The silence was broken when a blast rippled through the air. Elric turned to face it, bringing his arms up in an 'x' but as he opened his eyes, there was nothing there. He began to lower his guard as the invisible blast slammed into him, sending sliding across the dirt on his back.

"That was a good shot, maybe you'll have to teach me that one day." Elric said with a smile, picking himself out of the dirt. "One day, being the operative phrase. I'm not leaving forever, I want you to know. It's just that I feel like Lysses and I aren't going to be seeing eye-to-eye for awhile, and I rather not stick around for Argus to make another attempt at my, or Shamshire's, life." Elric said, clapping the dirt off of his clothes. He didn't really feel bad about leaving, but he felt like he was letting the other Zaun down. "I'll be back when I'm sure I can defend myself against him, without endangering Shamshire. I hope you understand, the death of Shamshire could have been catastrophic for all of us, all of the Zaun. Those still living, even back on Zaun." Elric sighed, rubbing his neck.

"It's late, I didn't think our hike into the mountains would take that long. I should be going" Elric shrugged, picking up his sword and replacing it around his waist. He followed quickly with replacing his training weights. He knew that Roland was probably filled with questions, he just hoped the man trusted his judgement. This wasn't in anyway a spite to the members, it was for his own safety. It was for Shamshire's safety. Who knows, next time Shamshire might really block Elric out from taking his place, then Shamshire would be dead, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself even if he survived.

"Its for the best." Elric repeated to himself as he floated away, his cloak fluttering freely behind him, not drawn around his front. The sun was low in the evening sky and there was a storm coming. The last thing he wanted is to be stuck in the rain. He pressed on, like he knew he had to. He wasn't leaving anything behind, because he'd be coming back. He just hoped things changed by the time he did. There was no telling how things might play out if something like that happened again, and Elric had no intention of finding out. His indefinite leave might give Lysses some time to control Argus, and if not, it'd give Elric time enough to prepare to fight him.

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The rain fell sideways, streaking through the sky and splattering onto the concrete. All around Roland the world burned. The entire city engulfed in one giant conflagration. He heard the deafening blasts of explosions all over, seeing the great plumes of smoke and debris rising up towards the heavens.

Gilead burned.

Roland’s uniform hung from his body in tatters. Blood dripped from his fingertips, leaking down the length of his arm. Dozens of wounds covered his body, some gruesome, others minor. He could barely move, but he ran anyway. The Civilian Defense Force had broken first, within a few minutes, the alien warriors tearing through them like they were made of paper mache. The Knights of Gram held out for another hour, but even their strength wasn’t enough. Roland, being the strongest of the elite group, had held out another two hours, fighting guerrilla battles all across the city.

But, regardless, one man alone couldn’t stop an army. The Old City had been overrun first and now he made his way into the Upper City. One prestigious buildings and advanced technology now lay in ashes and rubble. Dyne Tower, which had stood strong, a signal of the unity and strength of Gram, had been obliterated. PTO warriors swarmed through the skies, flying in tight formations, unleashing a hellish bombardment of mana blasts.

Roland ducked behind a burned out auto-car, hunkering low as a lone scout flew down the length of the avenue, passing right over him. He felt his grip tighten around the handle of his sword. No doubt, he could easily take this one out. But, if he did that most likely would have alerted the rest of them to his location. Somewhere close by, he heard the chattering thunder of an energy cannon going off. The sky flashed bright blue and the sky exploded with light, forcing Roland to shield his eyes. When the light cleared, he saw the PTO soldier spiraling towards the ground, a trail of smoke coming off his body.

He kept moving, daring between the buildings and heaps of rubble. Each stride, his boots crunched on the debris. Every inch of his body hurt and each of his muscles burned from the stress of battle. Blood leaked from his lips, and tasted like liquid iron on his tongue. The only thing he could control at this point was his breathing.

He had to get to them, before it was too late. Lord Gandrick, the enemy general had been seen entering the Upper City with the vanguard of his troops. No doubt, they were headed to his estate. No doubt, they wanted to draw him out. If Ser Roland of Gilead surrendered, the entire nation of Gram would as well.

Roland’s house sat upon a hill, a large manor with stone walls and wrought iron lamps. The front gate had been blasted inward, and hung off its hinges. He heard a scream from inside and picked up his pace.

He didn’t even bother with the front door. No, he moved as a blur, breaking through the outer wall and into the solar. Large bricks and cobbles tumbled across the smooth wood floor. Shadows lurked in the corners of the room, the only light coming from the fires of the city. The electricity had gone out hours ago, when the siege started.

Lord Grandrick stood in the center of the room. Roland skidded to a stop, raising his sword, cold with fear, yet burning with rage. A sheen of sweat and blood covered his face, matted down his orange hair. Both of his gray eyes set upon the PTO commander, jaw set and clenching.

Lord Grandrick was a bulb of an alien. His skin carried the tone of bright fuschia, making his fat body look more absurd than it already was. It wasn’t smooth like humanoid aliens, instead it seemed to be covered in scales and armored bumps. His fat jowls pulled back into a toothy smile and raised one sausage finger to the side of his scouter.

“Call of the search and surround the estate. Ser Roland is here,” Lord Grandick said in a high-pitched voice.

His other hand clenched Roland's wife’s throat. She was wide eyed, her long white hair a disheveled mess. He could see bruises on her face and arms. Terror filled expression and he could see that her chest heaved. The blouse she wore had been torn, and he could see a ribbon of blood flowing down her leg. Behind Gandrick and his wife, in the shadows, Roland could see his daughter huddled on the floor, whimpering.

“Put her down,” Roland said, his voice filled with vemon.


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"It's late, I didn't think our hike into the mountains would take that long. I should be going," Elric said. Truth be told, their little spar had just begun. But, after the flashback, Roland no longer had any urge to fight. His arms fell limp to his side and he lowered his head.

“Elric,” he said. “Take care of yourself okay?”

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