Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Dec 16, 2010 23:26:19 GMT -6
Wein had a been a bit unimpressed by the duel that had followed all of Yaen and Kenshin's talk. It had all the bravado of a great bar story, but instead of a great battle of love, revenge, and poorly written dialouge ensuing, one of the men just got a swift kick in the pants. Now, it wasn't that Yaen had performed badly, simply that the red haired man, Kenshin, was on a whole different level. Come to think of it, Kenshin was the name of the man who had founded that new "city" in Sacae. The one with all of the heroes from the Bandit War. In his travels, Kenshin was always described as a "red-haired demon". If this was the same guy, and Wein strongly believed he was, then it would explain a lot. Especially the red hair and, well, the fact that he was an absolute demon with the sword.
Nevertheless, as Valcrist had disappeared and Arturia and Yaen had headed back to the local inn, Wein had just sort of...wandered off. The archer was always prone to getting his head lost in the clouds. So lost, in fact, that he had happened to have walked away from his companions' path towards the inn by a difference of about 35 degrees, unfortunately placing him in close proximity to a group of drunken travelers from what he had gathered was Lycia. Where in Lycia, he did not know for the men were too drunk to say. Wein did not like drunk men. They tended to cause...problems. This time was no exception.
Now the thing with dealing with drunken men is you have to realize that these men aren't bad men. Sure, they may do things they wouldn't normally do sober, like picking a fight with a wandering archer, but they're not inherently bad. Not at all, they are just drunk. As such, the first thing to do with a drunken man is to talk him down. Now, like most drunk men, they won't listen, which is always unfortunate, but to be expected. Hey, at least you tried doing things the civil way. Now the bow is a very impractical weapon for a drunken brawl, and as such Wein made sure to keep his bow firmly strapped to his back. While he wasn't much of a close ranged fighter, he was strong enough and quick enough to handle himself in a fist fight. Well, Wein had never been in a fist fight with four drunken men at once. Bar fights were a common occurrence in Wein's occupation, the archer's occupation being "nothing of real significance", but the Ostian had never faced off against so many men at once, all of whom were bigger than him. His sobriety would pay off though, right?
Well for the most part, it did. The men tended to just flail their arms at him, to which Wein would counter with a quick hard punch to the gut, but being drunk, these men's pain tolerance was obnoxiously high. So high, in fact, that Wein ended up taking a quite a few blows to the face, but in the end, Wein remained standing and the drunken travelers unconscious on their rears.
Thus, the Ostian made his way to the inn, ready to regale his companions with his interesting tale of violence and alcohol, but he spotted his good friend Yaen the Sacaen keeled over clutching his heart. Never a good sign. Wein, with a black eye the size of Bulgar itself, ran over to the swordsman's side. "Yaen, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.
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Arturia
The "Before" years
[M:0]
My path is guided by light...
Posts: 44
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Post by Arturia on Dec 18, 2010 13:07:30 GMT -6
"Ya-Yaen! What's wrong with you?" Arturia knelt beside him, holding him so he wouldn't fall, she barely could hold him though. Arturia saw Yaen clutching his chest, she understood what happened now. "Don't tell me..." Something was wrong with his heart to make him get this painful expression. He wanted to go upstairs, Arturia agreed with him, he should lay on bed until he felt better. The problem was...How would she take him upstairs if she couldn't move now? He was..heavy.
"Yaen, are you alright?", Wein came at the right time.
"Wein, we have to take him upstairs and lie him in bed so I can help him with my healing spell. Help me, I can't do it alone. "Arturia pulled Wein's sleeve to get his attention. "Quick, he needs treatment."
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Dec 19, 2010 2:56:09 GMT -6
Wein, hearing Arturia as well as feeling the tug on his sleeve, nodded. "You're right. It's no good just leaving him here while we've got a healer around," replied the Ostian. Wein ducked down and, lifting Yaen up, slung the Sacaen swordsman over his shoulder. With a grunt and a heave, the archer stood up and began to drag Yaen upstairs. As he passed the innkeeper, he tossed the man two gold coins.
"That should do for now," he said, moving on and hauling the larger man up the stairs. "If it's more, I'll pay the rest when this guy is in stable condition." The innkeeper merely nodded, his neck craning to follow Wein as he watched the Ostian trudge up the stairs, before getting back to his work. Wein chuckled. "Just like old times, buddy. Only this time, you're the cripple."
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Dec 23, 2010 0:10:45 GMT -6
In spite of the pain brought by each beat of his heart, Yaen was unable to resist. "I...was a cripple..." he grunted out, sucking in air between his teeth. He felt utterly helpless as the Ostian carried him like a sack. As they finally reached the room, he all but pushed himself off of the Ostian and collapsed against the bed. He groaned something unintelligible and loosened the sash of his robe. Dropping the cloth from around his shoulder, he revealed his bare upper body, and the source of his pain: there was a large scar directly over his heart. The Sacaen gave Arturia a pathetic look. "Please..." he wheezed. "Do something....anything!"
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Arturia
The "Before" years
[M:0]
My path is guided by light...
Posts: 44
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Post by Arturia on Dec 30, 2010 13:13:25 GMT -6
Arturia watched them ascending the stairs, she then saw the waitress running towards her. She grabbed the waitress' sleeve. "We need water, quick!" She said. The waitress was watching when Yaen collapsed so she understood why the cleric looked frantic, without even asking she turned and ran to the kitchen.
Arturia followed Wein to Yaen's room. She gasped at the sight of his scar, but the fact that it was her first time seeing a man body also made her blush. But she had no time for this stupid thought, Yaen might be still bearing a great pain now.
"Don't move." She stood beside the bed. Exhaling slowly to calm her mind, she put her staff above his scar trying not to touch it directly. Her lips moving as the staff starting to glow. "Saint Elimine. I pray for your blessing. Lend me your power." Her staff glowed even brighter and Yaen was covered with faint light.
"Yaen, tell me, what do you feel? Are you feeling better?" She looked at the swordman
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Jan 7, 2011 1:44:26 GMT -6
Yaen took a deep breath as the healing light washed over him. The pain in his chest resided to a dull throbbing, and he exhaled in relief. "Yes, much..." he replied as he pulled his robe back onto his shoulders. "...Thank you." Looking at Wein, he gave a half-hearted grin. "Just a reminder of the old days. It acts up now and then, though it usually doesn't happen twice in the same month. Must be all the excitement."
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Jan 7, 2011 4:10:18 GMT -6
Wein looked at his friend incredulously, as he shook his head slowly. He was relieved, but Wein, having a bit of medical knowledge himself, was a bit confused on the status of Yaen's body.
"Just a reminder of the old days?" he asked, his voice a bit higher pitch than normal. "That scar's on your heart. Judging by the size and angle of it, you've taken a wound that would have killed anybody else." The Ostian reared his head back and eyed Yaen suspiciously. "And should have killed you." Wein put his ear on the swordsman's chest, listening to his heartbeat. It sounded pretty regular. "What exactly happened to you?"
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Arturia
The "Before" years
[M:0]
My path is guided by light...
Posts: 44
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Post by Arturia on Jan 8, 2011 9:45:10 GMT -6
Arturia felt relieved, she was very scared earlier. His scar was terrible, she had never seen something like that. When she was still learning how to use staff in Etruria, she had to heal many wounded men. But no one had a scar like Yaen's, they usually just had minor cuts or burns. Honestly, the cleric wasn't sure whether her healing worked perfectly this time.
"Yaen." Arturia called the myrmidon while gripping her staff. "How should I say this?" She looked worried, her eyes showed her concern. This man had helped her getting into Sacae, she was indebted. "That scar...Had you ever been stabbed right in your heart?" She asked frankly, she felt something wrong when she healed him.
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Jan 8, 2011 17:17:13 GMT -6
Yaen knew this was coming. The one thing he'd always tried to avoid. Questions. The swordmaster let out a heavy sigh. "I've avoided this moment for five years..." he muttered. You remember when we first met, Wein? How everyone got upset over what I said about the great 'heroes' of this land?" Standing up, he let the robe drop, leaving his upper torso bare. He then touched the scar over his heart. "The penalty for defending a dragon child. I was only seventeen, and my legs were crippled. Kenshin and Alan beat me in the streets of this city. Then Alan impaled me on his lance. I don't know how I survived. I woke up in a healing house..." The Sacaen then turned to show them the long, wide scar running down his back. "The penalty for striking Hargus. Most of them left me for dead." The Sacaen gathered his robe, and pulled it back onto his shoulders. He then sat down on the bed and lowered his head. "There you go, Wein. Thats the truth of your so-called heroes." he all but muttered.
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Arturia
The "Before" years
[M:0]
My path is guided by light...
Posts: 44
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Post by Arturia on Jan 9, 2011 12:33:27 GMT -6
"Kenshin...Alan..." She knew those names. Arturia had heard their tales many times, they were portrayed as heroes. She was just a kid back then, the image of a hero was a good person bringing justice and punishing the evil. But she just heard something different about them, a total opposite from her imagination. She had met Kenshin and watched Yaen fighting him, the Crimson Demon didn't look like bad person.
"But..." That word came out from her lips. "It's kinda hard to believe your story." Arturia muttered in low voice, hoping Yaen didn't hear that. But that scar on his back got her attention. "Y-You were impaled?" The cleric looked surprised. She covered her eyes with her hand because she didn't want to see it.
"Is it for real?" She thought.
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Jan 9, 2011 17:28:15 GMT -6
Wein let out a surprised chuckle. This was quite the story he was hearing. So that man, Kenshin, that Yaen had been fighting earlier had been the one who had stabbed him, more like killed him by the looks of it, which in and of itself was disturbing. There was some powerful magic at play here, whether dark or light the archer could not know, but whatever it was he was thankful that it had saved his friend's life. In all of his books, there was no amount of medicinal knowledge that he knew that could have produced the same life saving result.
The name Alan was also a name familiar to Wein's ears. A terrible and powerful wyvern lord from Bern, as the Ostian knew of him, who had wielded the sacred spear Malte and had a large hand in the Bandit Wars. Stories of him had spread abroad, and Wein, in his travels, had met many a young man upon a wyvern who would strive to emulate his skill and strength. Alan never struck Wein as a particularly charming fellow, but one could not doubt his influence on the Bandit Wars.
The archer shook his head. "I'm sorry Yaen," said Wein, sitting down next to the swordsman. "I can't imagine what it's like to, well, die?" He chuckled awkwardly, but quickly silenced himself, shaking his head. "But make no mistake, those men are not heroes. At least not my heroes anyway. Just having the strength to be hero doesn't mean you are one." The Ostian patted his friend on the back. "Standing up to Kenshin and Alan for the dragon child, even in the face of death, made you a bigger hero than they'll ever be." Wein sighed slowly. "Even if you don't get your own bardic tale."
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Jan 10, 2011 17:43:59 GMT -6
"I don't remember what it was like. It was sudden. Painless." Yaen laid back on the matress and rested his arms behind his head. "I don't want to be in a song." he admitted. "I'd prefer it if history never remembers my name. Being a hero is one of the worst things you can be. Everyone expects you to solve all their problems. Kids run off to be soldiers, hoping to be like you, and end up dead in a ditch." The Sacaen shut his eyes. "I just want to laze around in the sun all day, eat apples, and pick up a hobby or two. Maybe learn how to play the mandolin..." Yaen sighed. "It's nice to dream."
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Jan 10, 2011 22:21:21 GMT -6
Wein could only laugh. Yaen's dreams were awfully tame, considering how he was cavorting around Elibe slaying bandits and challenging famous red-haired demon swordsmen to duels.
"That sounds like a great time," replied the archer, still holding back a few chuckles, then stopped to take a few breaths before continuing. "But unfortunately, we don't get to chose if we become heroes or not. From my experience, those who desire fame the most still fail many times, and plenty of times the title "hero" catches many unexpected." Wein sighed and fell backwards on the bed. "But I'll have to say, for someone who just wants to sit around and live the peaceful life, you're doing an awfully poor job of it."
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Arturia
The "Before" years
[M:0]
My path is guided by light...
Posts: 44
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Post by Arturia on Jan 12, 2011 12:07:31 GMT -6
Arturia closed her eyes, she was trying to accept it. This topic was interesting, it changed how she would see a hero. They carried responsibilities on their shoulders, sometimes not because they wanted to. They were strong people, they had strong heart, strong belief, and strong determination, but in the end they were just a human. They were a perfect image for people to follow and trust, but people would never understand them.
The cleric opened her eyes, staring and smiling to the two men who lying on bed. "I guess, a hero is still a human after all, they are not perfect beings but having themselves perfected by people. They have good and bad side but people only see their good side." Arturia looked outside the window, staring at the blue sky. "They get unwanted attention and responsibility. Most of them try not to betray the trust given to them, maybe they just have to try being honest to themselves." She placed her hand on the glass, she saw a blurry image of her in it.
"But people always needs a hero..." Arturia walked towards the bed, she then sat beside them. "You have my gratitude, the meeting with you has made me learn something important."
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Jan 12, 2011 19:24:37 GMT -6
Yaen half-opened one eye to look at Wein and cracked a smile. "Well, it's like you said, things don't always go the way we plan." he replied. "I still have to eat, you know. And if you don't work, you don't eat. Kenshin...Kenshin being here was chance. I didn't expect to beat him or anything. I just needed the closure."
Yaen looked up at Arturia, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Don't start hanging my face in the stars. That scuffle with Kenshin and Alan was just a fool playing at being brave. And that mess with Hargus - I wasn't a hero. I was just a kid that got lucky."
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