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Post by Kuma on Sept 17, 2018 3:49:12 GMT
Callis took the blade given to him by Akane, perceiving a tingling sensation on his fingers as he closed them around the grip. Something clicked inside his mind because of the mineral in the handle, akin to his old blades. -This feels promising.- He muttered as he placed the blade upright in front of him. The finish was impeccable, polished to a mirror sheen. He felt the balance of the weapon and the care put to its crafting. It took a moment for him to register Akane’s offer. He snapped out of his trance and nodded. -You may be more than enough Akane.- He smiled, praising her skill, as he calmly paced to a standard fencing distance to start the training bout. Callis took an orthodox stance, his body to the side, his right leg and arm forward. He tucked his left arm behind his back and his right arm was practically extended, with the blade pointed at Akane. It was a defensive stance. -I will start, thank you for your help and support.- Callis thanked her and bowed, placing the sword in front of his face with a courtly gesture as his back inclined forward.
With his characteristic vertiginous speed, Callis took a long step forward, moving his right arm in a whip-like motion, aiming the blade at Akane’s shoulder. The slash was aimed and timed, so it wouldn‘t reach her skin or clothing, stopping millimeters before touching her. There was no killing intent. The Beast Knight was moving on pure experience and technique, using his newfound lightness to enhance his speed. If Onyx was able to perceive arcane energy, he might notice two ghostly white feathers trailing behind Callis as he moved. It was a controlled explosion of movement as if two large detonations occurred beneath the sole of Callis’ feet. Focusing his impressive yet lean musculature into forwarding motion with the least resistance or blowback from it. The Platonic ideal of Olympic style fencing, a discipline Callis might break if he ever competed against mundane champions.
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Post by HungryHunter on Sept 17, 2018 5:49:45 GMT
Onyx groaned inside when Akane picked out one of the nicest swords in his armory. He recognized instantly that it was perfect the moment Callis touched it. Something changed visibly as he took it and something stirred in Onyx. This was a natural swordsman standing before him. A body tuned by hundreds of hours of training and combat into a slicing machine.
"Well, you do have an eye for weapons. Yes, that sword was forged in the depths of this very mountain. It was granted to a mighty warrior, a son of Thor and chosen by Odin himself to unite the land. He brought his army here to claim the mountain from my family and Odin changed his mind. Apparently he wanted that king in Valhalla more than he wanted Välstånd to exist. His army was burnt to ash and his sword pried from his ashy hands." He may not be proud of most of his ancestors, but he had all the tales of how they gained their treasure memorized.
"There is one problem though. I recognize it in your stance; you're used to two swords, aren't you? I can guarantee you, there is nothing else on that level in this horde." Onyx didn't notice anything special about Callis' swing besides its ridiculous strength and finesse. All he saw was that Callis should be holding two swords, not one.
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Post by othus on Sept 17, 2018 7:21:02 GMT
"please go easy on me" Akane replied as she took her stance as well. If Callis resembled fencing, Akane resembled kendo, of course, she was never allowed to compete in matches, as true Niten Ichi-Ryu was a secret technique. The true skill of Niten Ichi-Ryu was so frightening, a lot of Musashi agents were considered elite bodyguards simply from knowing the basics. A grandmaster like Akane was on a completely different dimension. From the first movement Musashi realized Callis was different now, somehow he seemed much nimbler compared to a couple of months ago, it wasn't just the sword, but his footwork as well, could someone really improve that much in such a short span?. She noticed the impeccable dexterity of the Beast Warrior as she parried the blade, that Adamantite weapon was exceedingly light, Akane estimated its weight to be around 300 grams, though it could be less for all she knew. Each attack packed a surreal amount of force, the thinness of the blade also made it hard to see, a glint of white appeared for a second, and then the strike came, only a really trained eye would be able to block it.
Funny enough, the fact that Callis' strikes were done without killing intent, made it a lot harder for Akane to predict, Niten Ichi-Ryu focused heavily on observing the opponent's body language, but there was another factor that evened things out. Callis took upon the task of restraining himself just enough to avoid hitting her, while Akane didn't have to do that at all, her Kaneshige blade would not harm Callis even if she were to connect a clean hit, Masamune blades were designed to read its master's intention, so Akane knew she could have her fun.
The lion and the hawk kept the exchange of blows for a minute or two, finally, Akane sheathed her blade and bowed, she stealthily smiled at the warrior so that the dwarf wouldn't notice. needless to say, she felt quite happy.
"As expected, every second I spend next to you makes me more certain my confession back then on that island was the right one"
Akane listened politely to the story told by Onyx, it would seem she was right on the money, she then moved towards the armory as she grabbed something. She moved with care to make sure Callis wouldn't notice what she had grabbed, she walked towards the Dwarf as she spoke to him.
"Could I have a talk with you in private?"
Akane walked out of the room, making enough distance just so that Callis wouldn't listen to them.
"There is a piece in your collection I am interested in, you see, I am a collector as well, so, I would like to offer you a trade"
Musashi showed Onyx a dagger she had picked from his armory, it had a light blue color with a gold finish. It was a fine dagger, but nothing extremely rare like that Adamantite sword back there, Akane had picked it simply because it had both Callis' eye color and hers, she intended to give the Beast Warrior that as a gift so that he could always remember their trip together.
"I would like to trade the dagger for a weapon of my own collection"
She teleported a black katana with a golden handle
"This blade was made by Yoshindo Yoshihara, he is currently the greatest Japanese swordsmith of our time, he is the 10th generation and this particular piece took half a year to be fully completed, I'm sure you can tell how difficult it is to make a blade like this"
If Onyx knew what he was looking at, he would appreciate the finish akin to Damascus steel made entirely out of Tamahagane, Akane wasn't pulling any punches, she definitely wanted that dagger.
"I plan to give the dagger as a gift to someone very dear to me, if it wasn't for that person I wouldn't be standing right here so, I hope we can make a deal"
Akane planned to return afterward, they still had to find yet another blade, though Onyx had mentioned there was no other of that level, what would they do now?
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Post by Kuma on Sept 18, 2018 1:16:10 GMT
Callis blushed a bit when Akane mentioned the confession so openly, considering Onyx was right there. He stopped and bowed. -Thank for your help.- He returned the blade to its sheath, making a mental note about it. “If I fail to find two blades, I might have to stick to a single weapon. If that is the case I will use this one” The Beast Knight continued browsing as Akane took Onyx to the other room. He searched until reaching the furthest mannequin finally finding double blades, but they were quite curious. They had the length of a shortsword but their blades were curved and had a single edge. Their blades were thick and darker in color than others, not to the point of volcanic black the first pair had, but dark steel grey. But the most noteworthy aspect of the weapons was that they were connected to each other by a chain connecting both tiger-headed pommels. “Baghpeng” was the name of this weapon, crafted by Indian Blacksmiths for the use of legendary heroes of the Hidden World, during a nasty conflict with a Rakshasa Clan trying to take over their Kingdom.
The Beast Knight was quite intrigued about the weapon so he pulled it out of its resting place trying to find out how to properly use the weapon while Akane and Onyx talked. This weapon felt like a riddle to be solved, as he tried to see how to entangle the chain to allow both freedom of movement and added range to his attacks.
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Post by HungryHunter on Sept 18, 2018 2:35:37 GMT
Onyx tilted his head when Akane mentioned a confession. "I didn't know you two were a couple." What did he see in her? She was rude and didn't even have a small beard. Then again, Callis didn't have much of a beard either. It got him thinking about finding some companionship himself. Where was that room? Oh god, it's been so long I forgot where that room was. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Akane. "What? No. I don't do trades. You show you're worthy of treasure or you leave it the fuck alone." He grabbed the dagger away from her and placed it back where it belonged.
He eyed Callis, watching him fiddle with the chained swords. The adamantine blade looked lonely at his hip. Onyx had seen it in all his movements. Callis needed two swords. But he hadn't lied. This was the only sword of its kind here. "Look, I may have the greatest collection of magical weapons outside of the HWIC's basement, but there are others. There's nothing special about that weapon that can't be replicated, especially not when I live right above the descendant of the dwarf who made it."
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Post by othus on Sept 18, 2018 3:28:54 GMT
"That's...none of your business, now come"
Akane listened calmly to the dwarf, if they couldn't come to an agreement then that was that. He seemed a lot more bothered than she was, perhaps it was time for her to leave.
"It's fine, I'll see myself out, sorry for the inconvenience"
she teleported her weapons out and bowed as she left, she would wait for Callis outside, there was no further need for her to be there, especially when she was an unwanted guest. Hopefully, Callis would understand as well.
Musashi sat down outside as she meditated, a weight was freed from her shoulders as the cold wind washed away her thoughts, being a brat would lead her nowhere, perhaps it was time she behaved as the head of her clan.
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Post by Kuma on Sept 18, 2018 4:17:00 GMT
Callis gave the chained weapon a test run. At first, he used them just as blades, this time around with a reverse grip more like his usual style. His newfound lightness allowed him to change directions with ease, he could break into different directions even faster than he did before, allowing his movements to gain another layer of unpredictability. Gradually he allowed the chain to loosen up and directed the attacks using his arms rather than his hands, turning his already vertiginous dance into a whirling dervish of blades. Soon he added variations, using his own body to swing the chain around, stopping attacks midway by stepping on it or accelerating them by spinning his whole body, almost as if the weapon was made for him. Yet, once he stopped moving, his face clearly showed disappointment.
-Too much offense, not enough defense.- He muttered to himself, stroking his chin beard deep in thought. Onyx words snapped him back to reality. -We could inquire about making two blades akin to the one you showed me.- The Beast Knight didn’t even wait for Onyx to make a comment while adding. -With a generous commission going your way for guiding me towards the right blacksmith.- He returned the chained blades to their place in the Dwarf’s collection and retrieved the Adamantine Sword, extending it towards Onyx as a sign of good faith, since carrying it himself outside might raise red flags for the Dwarf. -You should carry this, is a part of your precious collection.- Callis bowed. -Could you be so kind to guide us towards the proper craftsman to replicate swords similar to the one you are holding right now?-
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Post by HungryHunter on Sept 18, 2018 5:36:54 GMT
"You're damn right I'll carry it." Onyx grabbed a belt off of a mannequin and tightened it around his waist to hook the sword through. "Kindly oil the swords you touched while I get your girlfriend." He walked back out into the hallways. This had gone better than he had thought. He wasn't even parting with anything in his horde, and he was helping out somebody who genuinely seemed to deserve it. He stepped outside and blinked through the painful day's light at Akane. "Get out of the cold and grab some hot coco. We're going down." He lead her back through his winding halls, handing her a thermos as they passed through the kitchen.
He ducked into the treasure room for just a moment to wave Callis over and kept walking. The hallway sloped down, more and more until it was difficult to walk without falling, steeper than the stairs up to his home. They reached a door at the bottom of this slope, just like the one leading in from the top of the mountain. Onyx pulled it open and lead them out into even more cramped hallways. Things scuttled in darkness, vibrant slimes dripping down walls like technicolor snot. He closed and sealed the door behind him before leading them along. Other vault doors were seen periodically, some hanging half-open like slack jaws, exposing only darkness.
"So many of us have moved to the surface these days. Half those homes are empty." Onyx gazed at a few he knew to be unoccupied in passing. Dwarves occasionally passed further on, going to and fro. Very few seemed curious about the humans (or human-adjacent beings in Callis' case) in their midst. Instead, they closely watched Onyx, eying his pockets, and the arm-ring he wore. He seemed to ignore them, but his hands slid into his pockets. After endless winding, they came across a door indistinguishable from any of the others they had passed. He rapped on it, waited, and rapped harder. After another moment's wait, he was pulling a hammer from his pocket when the door creaked open.
"Ya don' haf ta' be so loud, hon. I slow, not def." The woman behind the door was so fat and pale she resembled a blind underground grub, not helped by her blind eye sockets, long grown over. Her white hair and beard had gone wispy, the ghost of hair, waving fiercely with the slightest breeze that passed through the dim tunnels. "Watcha' go' fer me?" She reached out her hands, clad in thick black gloves. Onyx gave a warning glare to Akane like he was worried he would comment on the woman's appearance before laying the sword in them.
"Oh, Gerd, I could be here just because I needed the company." He waved everybody to some ragged leather chairs in the corner, across from a wide array of blacksmithing equipment. "Ya never leave yer hold if ya don' need somethin'." She dismissively waved her hand. "This feels fine tho'. No meeintenence needed ya couldn' do yerself." Gerd tilted it about. "I didn't want you to repair it. Callis here wanted two exact copies of it." He gestured to Callis to shake hands with Gerd. "Ah, thas it? I ken do that easy enough. Even make them a touch better balanced fer him. Ther' off byun few millymeters." Gerd seemed to feel this instantly in the moment she grasped Callis' hand.
"Don't you two worry. Gerd's the best there is. Even among dwarven craftsmen she's famous. How much will it be?" Onyx asked, hands behind his head. "500 mill." Gerd's casual response came. "500- you're fucking with me." "Nah. Adamantine's na cheap. Tools to work wi' it ain' cheap either. I ain' got any cause nobody but the gov buys that kinda pricey stuff, and the gov don' come down here. And then ther's mah cut, and I ain' cheap." Gerd ran a finger along the edge of the sword, nodding at his sharpness. "Course, ther's another way. Yer grandwateva' weren' the only one burnin' people a thousan' years back."
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Post by othus on Sept 18, 2018 6:26:54 GMT
"Oh, okay..." Akane replied, still somewhat confused, why would he even go back to get her? Akane was certain the Dwarf did not wanted her there. If Callis didn't come out, she could still wait there for hours.
She warmed herself with the drink as she looked at Onyx wondering where was the Dwarf gonna guide them, she left the drink in the kitchen as he got Callis out of the treasure room, the footing became steeper, but Akane was fine. She kept looking around finding everything curious and different as they went down even further, once they finally reached the door an old female dwarf opened up, Musashi was more concerned with her surroundings, but the scorning look of Onyx made her uncomfortable, wasn't he the one judging her from head to toe just a few minutes ago? it would seem the dwarf did not measure himself with the same stick he used on others. Akane avoided the look of the dwarf altogether, feeling somewhat depressed about the whole situation, she took the charm Callis had given her out of her pocket, looking at it indecisively, she just wanted to go home at this point.
Lost in her thoughts, she did not hear a word of what the old lady said, she stared into the dark, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. Wherever Callis decided to go, she would do so as well. That was her promise.
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Post by Kuma on Sept 20, 2018 2:50:25 GMT
-G-g-girlfriend?- Callis stuttered upon hearing that word, but Onyx left before he could say anything else. The Beast Knight stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, realizing that was pretty much what it looked like. Maybe this wasn’t a bad thing, maybe he deserved happiness for a change. With a dumb smile on his face and blush on his cheeks he oiled the swords and returned them to their original position around the mannequin. Soon Onyx entered with Akane behind him. The Beast Knight wanted to talk to her, but he realized the deep state of thought she was in and decided not to bother her. In a related note, he realized, maybe for the first time, how beautiful she was. Insecurity crept back in as he looked at his calloused and clawed hands and then glanced in Akane’s direction. Creating a metaphor from the riches that surrounded them, he considered she was like a diamond cut, while he was a slab of worn out iron in comparison. Maybe he deserved to be happy, but should he drag down Akane? She was the Heiress of a Noble and storied clan. He was a stranger from another world with nothing to his name but his hands and his work.
The Beast Knight went back and forth thinking about the pros and cons this relationship might bring. He had done this during the time between now and the confession, but looking at Akane up close again was making his determination waver. Was he good enough for her? Did he deserve to be loved? Years upon years of self-loathing imposed on him was more than enough to give way to these doubts and questions. But those questions had to be tossed aside for the moment as they met Onyx’s contact. The Beast Knight bowed with utmost politeness. -Pleased to make your acquittance.- He said as she invited them in. Following the Collector’s instruction, he sat down and let him explain the situation. The Dwarven Smith got closer to him and grabbed his hand. She inspected them and commented about the difficulties of making blades like the one he saw in Onyx’s collection. Only his ferrous discipline stopped him from doing a dry spit-take upon hearing the price. That was far beyond any money he could muster and he wouldn’t put that tab on the JHWAB. But thankfully, Gerd spoke of another way.
-Please, tell me what would be this other way of getting the materials?- Callis asked, hoping for an easier solution.
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Post by HungryHunter on Sept 20, 2018 3:19:37 GMT
"Na materyals. Ma great-great-great-great somethin' granpappy made three swords fer three brothers." The ancient dwarf lifted three fingers. "Three? That's not mentioned in any of my journals." Onyx patted his pockets like he would have them on hand, but they were far away, sealed up in the library portion of his hoard. "Yer ancesters was arrogant, hun. If they didn' get treasure, they wasn' gonna admit it. There was a dragon there, boy." Gerd finished, resheathing the sword.
"No..." Onyx groaned. His eyes were wide and far away, looking not at Gerd but something that loomed invisible beyond her. "That dragon's gone, but a young'un holds the swords in her hoard now. Gapjärn, the Maw of Iron." Gerd's sightless sockets seemed fixed on the same specter as Onyx. "Well, I'm sorry I can't help you, Mister Nomene. I'm afraid you'll just have to settle for that one sword. Come on, I'll lead you back up. Thanks Gerd." Onyx stood, pressing a few coins into Gerd's hands and stepping out the door.
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Post by othus on Sept 20, 2018 3:39:26 GMT
The words -I can't help you- made Akane snap out of her trance, by the time she looked they were already leaving! how much time did it pass since they arrived? Akane bowed before the old lady and proceeded to ask Onyx quite worried
"What happened? why the sudden change of thought?"
She looked at Callis and Onyx back and forth, wondering what part she skipped that flipped the entire situation, she should have put more attention, this trip wasn't about her, it was about Callis! she moved closer to the beast warrior as she held his hand, worried he would be disappointed
"Do not worry, I'm sure there must be something we can do"
Akane looked back at Onyx, she had to get an answer of some sort
"If there is anything that can be done, I shall do it, please."
Musashi seemed determined, even though the blade wasn't for her, she knew Callis' style would only be complete with two swords, Akane wished to help him at least on this, he was a man bound to do great things, and she would do her best to assist him in that effort. Musashi had a bad feeling about all this.
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Post by Kuma on Sept 20, 2018 4:02:34 GMT
Callis followed Onyx top-side, while he thought about what Gerd told him. Dragon. Many of his BHA comrades taunted and mocked him about Dragons, saying that if he was a night he should kill one or two to prove his courage. The Beast Knight mind raced towards the only goal he could think off. -Do you know where this Dragon lives?- Callis asked Onyx once they got back to his house. -I feel like visiting it, to negotiate for the blades.- The Beast Knight would avoid a fight if it was possible. He smiled upon hearing Akane’s offer of help. -Thank you for your kindness Akane.- He said, looking at her with a warm gaze. - If you wish to accompany me I will not reject your company or help.- He said, showing his respect and admiration for her skill, not even hesitating of thinking she could get hurt. He would make sure she would never get hurt. Maybe that was part of being in love, wanting to protect somebody else even if it cost your life. Callis would do that to almost anybody, but for the first time, he felt he would do it not because of his knightly oath, but because he, as a person, wanted to.
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Post by HungryHunter on Sept 20, 2018 4:15:49 GMT
"I know where every dragon in the country and the next three countries over are. Just in case they burn down a village or decide that they want to bring back the princess-kidnapping tradition. But that's the thing. I know dragons. Dragons don't negotiate. If you promised all the gold in Fort Knox in exchange for a plastic spoon in a dragon's hoard, they'd say no and crush you like a bug." Onyx waved his hand sharply, making a passing dwarf duck. "Or burn you." He finished, rubbing his arm and chest. "You two are welcome to talk to as many dragons as you wish, but I'm not coming."
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Post by othus on Sept 20, 2018 7:00:57 GMT
"Of course I'll go! I would never leave you alone... I mean, against a dragon...yeah, of course!"- Akane replied, trying to stay on topic, hiding what she really wanted to say proved to be quite difficult for her at times.
After composing herself a little she then addressed Onyx, his statement was kind of obvious, she did not expect him to go with them to such a dangerous place, in fact, in her eyes, it was for the better, they weren't going to fight that dragon but steal from it.
"Thank you, we perfectly understand, you have done plenty for us already, just pointing us toward the location will be enough"
Musashi was happy, going to a dragon's lair was right in the ballpark of her profession. She had never seen a western dragon, but judging by that man's reaction it would seem those weren't run of the mill monsters, Eastern dragons were wise, benevolent creatures, but their power was out of this world, their western counterparts surely were just as powerful, and if they were as greedy and malevolent as Onyx said, it would be in their best interest to sneak in and leave. fast.
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Post by Kuma on Sept 20, 2018 23:39:52 GMT
-Of course, I would not ask you to come with us, Mes Onyx.- Callis talked with a serious tone. -You have done more than enough for us and I am forever grateful for your help.- The Beast Knight shuffled through his coat and pulled out a card with his information, one of the first things they taught him while training to become an agent. He bowed extending the card towards Onyx.
Callis Nomene JHWAB Military Branch Agent K-019 Contact Info: MBK019@JHWAB.com
-You may contact me if you require my help.- He said with confidence. -So please, tell me where could we find this creature, so I can obtain the blades.- Callis asked, his eyes shining with determination. He hoped he could resolve this through peaceful means, but a tiny part of him wanted to fight the Dragon, even if he didn’t like to fight. Maybe if he slew one of these beasts he could stop some of his BHA comrades from mocking his Knightly Oaths.
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Post by HungryHunter on Sept 21, 2018 0:32:56 GMT
"You still insist on doing this? Are you insane?" Onyx could only look incredulous. "Look, okay. Maybe I didn't explain this well enough. If you try to take treasure from a dragon, you will die." Onyx began unbuttoning his suit. "You will both be torn limb from limb, burnt to charcoal, or eaten whole. I've seen all three! All three, fighting one dragon! My brothers and sisters, at the hands of my own father! There were 12 of us! 12! And now there's only me!" He pulled open his shirt, showing skin that looked like pizza.
White flesh stretched and mottled, interspersed with patches of red, burn scars so fresh looking they might have been made yesterday. His entire chest was deformed this way, with entire patches looking like they had never healed. "Mister Nomene, I admire you. And Miss Musashi, I admit I've been too harsh with you. But you both need to learn when to leave well enough alone. This is the cost of dealing with dragons." He buttoned up his shirt and turned away, continuing up the mountain's winding tunnel.
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Post by othus on Sept 21, 2018 2:43:28 GMT
"Please do not say that, I am your guest, so I should have acted accordingly...I must apologize beforehand, but i have to confirm this: are you saying your father was a dragon?" Akane looked at the Onyx somewhat confused, how were dwarves and dragons related anyway?
*Must have been a very small dragon* she thought to herself. In any case, Onyx looked strong, so she knew there was more to this trip than a miniature dragon awaiting them at the end. appearances often were deceiving in the Hidden World and she had learned that the hard way.
Akane looked at Callis once more as she walked by his side, she was happy to go out on a mission with him again, she did not care in the least about the dragon's power, whenever she was by Callis' side, she felt invincible. In fact, Akane was already wondering if she could make some boots or gloves out of dragon skin, perhaps she could also cook dragon meat for the beast warrior, after all, making bento for the person you are in love with is considered quite a romantic gesture.
"Callis, will you be fine with one blade? maybe I can give you one of the standard blades our agents use while we get your second one."
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Post by Kuma on Sept 21, 2018 4:21:29 GMT
-Yes, but I want to take the blade just a precaution.- He informed Akane. The Beast Knight then turned towards Onyx and winced for a moment, not out of disgust, but out of compassion. -Mes Onyx, I understand the risks, but I cannot ignore my lack of weapons.- Callis showed him his hands, calloused from years, upon years of wielding blades. -I always wanted to do something else with my life, but back in my homeland swordsmanship was the only choice I had.- The scars and callous on his skin seemed thick, almost thick enough to be doused with gasoline and set aflame without any damage to Callis. -I do not know anything else, I do not know anything else to be helpful.- The sadness in the Beast Knight eyes was palpable. - I feel like using my blades for others is my only valuable contribution, so I will do anything to allow me to continue in that path.- The Beast Knight took a knee, bowing as deeply as he could. -Please, allow me to continue my path, so I can keep helping others in the only way I know how.- He pleaded, looking directly at Onyx eyes. A small flame of burning determination, a shining point deep within his pale blue iris, shone like a raging flame as he did.
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Post by HungryHunter on Sept 21, 2018 22:58:29 GMT
"You being my guest goes both ways. My hospitality was more like hostility." Onyx waved away Akane's justification for his behavior. "And no, I am saying my father became a dragon. It is... a long story." Onyx rubbed the heavy arm-ring that hung on his wrist like an anchor. He frowned deeper and deeper as Callis spoke. What was wrong with this man? He frustrated Onyx to no end, but Onyx couldn't put his finger on why. Was it his insistence on throwing himself into danger? That grating humility over everything. But no, that wasn't even it. This man keeps a promise that I cannot. He had been so committed in the moment of victory to slaying evil, but he barely even left his cavern.
"Alright." He held up his hands, handing the adamantine sword back to Callis. "But it's quite the trip."
The path to the dragon's lair took them out of the mountain through yet another winding path. They emerged near the bottom of the mountain and took an obscene amount of steps down to the foothills, where they went up and down for another few hours, skirting the very edge of the mountains until they were several down from where Onyx lived. Bitter winds whipped their way down from the peak as if the mountain was rejecting them. Onyx shuddered, craning his thick neck to look up. "She's somewhere on this mountain. I don't know exactly where her lair is, but it can't be far from here." Onyx knelt, looking for tell-tale signs of dragon activity. Dung, footprints, burned stuff. Dragons weren't hard to track.
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