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Post by Tiz on Jul 23, 2015 17:42:09 GMT -6
In Caelin, before his journey to Ostia...
"Tizato, dear, you don't need to go. You don't have to go do this. It's silly, son. Just let it be."
Tiz gently set his glass back down on the table, a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his head, and he looked across the dinner table to his mother. It had been some time since Tiz had come home to Caelin-- a few years, by his estimation-- and there was a problem with that. He did, though, almost regret coming back once he told his family where he was headed.
Dak Vasser had finally decided to seek him out in what Tiz guessed was meant to be a final confrontation. He had come home to tell his parents what to do with his belongings should he perish.
"Mom..." Tiz began slowly, trying not to let himself cry. His father had already retreated upstairs with TIz's younger brother, Arno, and they both seemed to want to avoid him. They had explained that they thought his situation was asinine, that this was not worth pursuing. But Tiz knew better. If there was any way to atone for his sins, this was it. This would be where he could finally put himself at ease... Whether he was able to talk Dak down or not. "...It's bigger than what seems reasonable to you, to dad. This is... I... His wife's blood, his child's blood... It's all on my hands--"
"Tizato Ciel, you stop that talk right now. I won't have it in my home. I won't. You know better."
Tiz bit his lip and grunted, looking down and away from her piercing green gaze. "I can't keep pretending this will go away. I can't. I made mistakes in Ostia, mother, and you know they've weighed heavily on me. And Dak... he's already sought me out before, in Laus. I can't allow this to keep happening. What if he comes after you guys? He's become bloodthirsty, deranged, not.... not like he used to be."
"Tiz, you don't have to fight him or anything. Can't you talk to him? It has been years since the incident... Didn't he say he forgave you?"
The young man chuckled, playing with his glass of water instead of drinking it. His stomach hurt far too much for him to even think about finishing any food or drink. Regardless of the long journey ahead of him, he had little desire to much of anything except finish what he had started back in Ostia. "Yeah, I thought so too. Until one night in Laus when I was out, and he attacked both me and a friend of mine. Viciously. He meant to kill, and I almost lost my life, but he retreated before he could take it. I don't know... Of course, mother, I'm going to try and talk him down. Of course I am. But I had to come back to tell you, because I need you to know what to expect. What kind of son would I be if I had just left and not said a word? I could have, you know. It would've been easy, too."
His mother sighed, her gaze disappointed and her voice empty. "You mailed us your will, Tizato. What kind of son does that? You think that coming here and telling us WHY you did that is going to help? You think it's easy for a mother to hear her son say that he might die, and that he won't consider not walking into the situation that he could completely avoid? Tiz, this isn't a joke! This isn't your military pal, this is a dangerous, wild man who could KILL you!"
"I know, damn it! I know. Look, I just... I can't stay. I just needed you to know. I needed to tell you so I could be on my way and put this behind me. And if I come back, it'll be okay."
"It won't be okay. Even if you live. This is outrageous."
"Mom..." He let the silence fill the air a bit, then let out a large, labored sigh. "Mom, I have to go. Dak's heart is consumed, and if I can... if I can do ANYTHING to help him, well... I have to try. I have to try! If I don't, what kind of friend am I?"
His mother spoke no more words. She stood up, looked at her son one final time, and followed her husband and youngest son upstairs. Tiz wouldn't follow. He swallowed hard and bit his lip again, looking down at his glass. It was time to go. If they didn't understand, they didn't need to be persuaded anymore. This was his matter, his fight to have... It was his resolution. It would be the mercy he wanted or the justice he deserved. And he was okay with that.
Tiz stood in the empty kitchen that he was relatively unfamiliar with, despite it being his family's residence. He'd joined the League only two years after taking residence in Caelin, and once he joined, he lived in barracks. Tiz swallowed hard again, trying his best to push the negative thoughts out. He went out the kitchen and down the hallway to the side, to the room that had once been his for so short a time. With nervous haste, he took off his pauldron and looked at it. He wouldn't need it. It was an old relic, a sign of his commission and his duty and the promise he'd made. But this... this was different. This was something beyond military service. It went deeper. Dak would be offended. He set it down on his bed, and with one last fond touch, mentally let go of it. In its place, he donned a large, grey cloak that lacked sleeves, was fairly light, and reached down to his shins. It was unassuming and easy to travel in. There was a gold trim that ran down its sides... It was a cloak that had been tailored for him specifically for travel, and while he'd never used it, he figured now was as good a time as any. He wrapped it around himself and pushed his arms through it, shook it out, pulled the edges forward and the collar raised. He checked his sword as his belt and gave one last look around the room. Earnestly, he hoped he would see it again. But he had accepted that he might not.
Slowly, Tiz pulled a letter from his pocket.
"Tiz,
Meet me in Ostia, where it happened. Fifteen nights from tonight. I expect to see you there. I want to talk.
Dak"
He shut his eyes and successfully fought back the flow of tears. Without looking back, Tiz stepped through the front door and headed to Ostia. He never stopped to look back at his family's home.
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Post by Tiz on Jul 24, 2015 10:41:53 GMT -6
When he arrived in Ostia, what greeted him was fitting for what he expected. He sighed. The sky was a deep purple, dark clouds hanging low in the sky. The sun was hard to find, and even then, its light shone very dimly through the thick mass of clouds. Ominous could be used to describe it, and Tiz could chalk it up to coincidence, but he figured if there was some larger fate out there controlling things of this nature, it didn't bode well for him. Then again, he thought, it could just have to do with the grounds of Ostia being cursed with the blood of the thousands of people, and then monsters, slain on these grounds. It was a devilish, dark place, and one that Tiz hoped he would never have to return to.
Yet here he was, returning again, years later. Years after he hoped he would never have to look upon it again.
The young man's eyes whirled around the city as he walked slowly into it. It was dead silent-- normally, the monsters might have greeted him, but for some reason it seemed a ghost town on this particular day. Had the monsters all been dealt with? As he walked forward slowly, Tiz didn't think there was any way that could be so. Surely he had just gotten lucky.
As he made his way around the quiet, empty town, he noticed some things start to look familiar. Mostly rubble and debris, but some remaining structures, war-torn though they were, had met his gaze more than once. He was in a familiar place. He was beginning to recognize the scene where he had chosen a company of soldiers over the wife and child of his former friend, Dak Vasser. Tiz sighed and closed his eyes, stopping a moment, trying to become in tune with Dak and with his current situation. He considered more with every passing second that this could be it for him. The most haunting thing in the world may end up being the last thing his green eyes would ever see. Or perhaps the grinning face of victory from Dak... he wasn't sure.
He did, of course, trust his skill. But this was something more. This went beyond skill and prowess with a blade... A man with a vicious agenda was not an easy opponent. Tiz knew that. Dak's ferocity would be unleashed upon him in due time, and he only hoped his now-weakening heart would be able to withstand his power. Before long, Tiz reached the central square of the old, decrepit town-- the square in which he had chosen the path right instead of the path left-- the path that ultimately lead him to saving a group of soldiers instead of rescuing Dak's wife and child from a group of thralls. The young man sighed, lowered his hood, and looked around.
It didn't take him long to see Dak seated on the stone edge of an old fountain that, of course, was no longer running. Its once-beautiful stone architecture was now as old and broken as the spirit of the man who sat upon its edge. Dak stood, walking slowly towards Tiz. Tiz, in turn, sighed, and walked to meet the man about halfway. When the two were a good few meters apart, it was Dak who spoke first. His voice was calm, gentle.
"I'm glad you came, Tizato. It's good to see you."
Tiz's eyes widened. He sounded so authentic, and... kind.
"..Y-Yeah, Dak. Yeah, you too. I missed you." He looked down at the man's feet. They were large, imposing; Dak was of a much larger physical build, and could normally out-power Tiz one on one. But he didn't seem to want to fight.
Dak laughed softly. "I would be lying if I said I didn't miss you too. Of course, it is my wife and child I miss infinitely more. They would still be with me, were it not for you. But I need not burden you anymore. You know these things."
Tiz declined to speak, still looking at the man's shoes. The words violently tugged at his lips, attempting to open them, but Tiz's will kept his mouth shut, his tongue contained.
"All these years later, Tiz, I have finally decided to ask you. For the longest time, I was content to just resent you, to hate you for what you did to me. You destroyed my family. And I never asked why. But now, I need to know. I just need to know why you let them die. You could've saved soldiers, you could've saved my family. You were reckless, careless, and idiotic. Your choice was not mutually exclusive. Why didn't you just save both?"
His voice, Tiz noticed, was still calm. Perhaps he really did just want to talk. Tiz was happy to do that. "Dak, I... There isn't an excuse I can give you. I mean, there's a lot I could say in my defense, and a lot of it would be true. But I just... I understand the loss of life. I understand that you hate me. I understand why you hate me. But I--"
"WHY then, Tiz? WHY did you let them DIE, RIGHT before my eyes! I watched the thrills rip them apart! Do you have ANY idea what that feels like?"
Tiz closed his eyes. Ah, and there it was-- there was his anger. It was itching to burst forth. He could feel it in the thickness of the air, mixed in with the humidity, Dak's rage. It was heavy.
"I made an impulsive and instinctive choice. Like the dog of the military I was, I chose the greater number of souls to 'save'. I saw five men versus two others, and I chose the five. I thought I would need my entire battalion to deal with them."
"You could have sent even ONE man over to help my family. Even one. It was cowardly of you. You yourself could have done it."
Tiz looked up to meet the man's eyes. They were angry, bitter, and full of a special kind of hate that Tiz didn't think he could clean. This was it, then, it seemed. Perhaps this was really what Dak wanted... to fight it out, to exact his revenge. He hadn't been of that character when the two were close, but clearly things had changed. Clearly, Tiz had been the cause of that change. The Sacaean didn't say a word, but instead looked back down. What could he say? What more was there to say? Dak wasn't wrong... if he had thought, even for a moment, he might've saved everyone.
Was it his duty to be a savior, though? Tiz didn't know. As part of the military, he wasn't sure his job was as a divine protector, regardless of the fact that he desperately wanted to be. It pained him to think this way, but he couldn't help it. Years of brutal killing had taken their toll on him, and he could feel it more in each passing moment, each daunting second he spent bending his knees to Dak's accusations.
"So you have nothing to say. Just like I expected. Fine."
Tiz thought of Myscha's words on their first night having met, what she told him about Dak, about this venture, about how he could move past it. And despite her good intentions, despite how he trusted her words, here he was, still following his heart instead of the wise advice of others.
Suddenly, Tiz crashed to his knees, a pounding headache piercing his skull. His vision went blurry and his ears began to ring, his senses all immediately failing him. He reached his hands up to cover his ears to fight the pain, but it was useless. Through gritted teeth he yelled out, eager to rid himself of this curse. His hazy, blurred eyes moved up immediately to meet Dak's, who had his hand stretched up, palm open, towards him. Through his open cloak, Tiz could see the man's sword-- the very same he carried throughout his military years. It felt as though Dak had daunted him to his core, dizzying him entirely. Suddenly, Dak drew his sword and lowered his hand, and Tiz was given momentary relief, though his senses were terribly slow returning to him.
"Face me, Tizato, and atone for your sins. You will perish here and be buried beside my family."
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Post by Tiz on Jul 25, 2015 18:19:40 GMT -6
His sense had not yet, in full, returned to him. Tiz struggled to take even a knee, gritting his teeth fiercely, and before he knew it, Dak was upon him with blinding speed, much like his own. They had, after all, fought together-- and despite the fact that Dak most often used an axe, he carried with him a sword, and would in time prove himself most efficient with the weapon. He came forward with a clumsy, angry slash, and weak though he felt, Tiz was on his feet in time to leap to the side and dodge. He declined to draw his sword yet... The man was sure that Dak could be talked down. Things were not truly so bad in his mind, were they? That he needed to take Tiz's life?
"DAK!" Tiz snouted at him, his vision still blurry. But Dak ignored his plea and was on him again, leaping forward with an extended blade, lunging to strike him in the heart. The attack was fast, but careless and ill-timed. Tiz simply stepped to the side and grabbed Dak's arm, flipping him over to crash into the ground by his own momentum. Dak yelled out, as if he could kill Tiz with but a harsh growl, and was on his feet again as though nothing had happened. Tiz still didn't draw his sword.
"DIE, Tizato!" The words finally flew viciously from Dak's lips, and the man brandished his old sword and came forward again, this time with more precise action, with more careful form. He dashed forward, sword behind him, then brought it up diagonally in front of Tiz, aiming for his midsection. In one fluid motion, Tiz drew his new weapon out and came through with it in a diagonal wave, meeting Dak's blade. A harsh screech rung through the air as the biting sound of metal against metal filled the skies, penetrating some of the thickness of the air. It rang loudly, and in the sword lock, Dak pushed forward. Tiz leaned into the lock and pushed back, so as not to lose ground or coverage against his opponent.
Growling viciously, Dak pushed with all his might, and Tiz was easily knocked out of the way. He fell to the ground, and before he could open his eyes again Dak was upon him, thrusting his sword downwards on top of the Sacaean who could barely do much but roll out of the way. The blade pierced into the rock hard earth with a crunch, deep enough to cause some delay. Dak let go of it a moment to chase Tiz, an angry swing from his arm and fist at the ready.
Tiz caught the man's fist and whirled him over on himself again, using the same trick as before. Dak flipped over and landed on his butt, then was back up into the air after Tiz. Dak spent little time on the ground: he leaped forward through the air and came at Tiz with a high kick aimed for his face. Tiz tried to block with his sword, aiming to slice gently at the man's ankle, but the kick came too fast. Tiz was disarmed, his sword flying out across the ground, and the kick connected with his face, sending him flying backwards into the ground, rolling multiple times over himself before he stopped, the cloud of dust around him clogging his lungs. He struggled to breath and get on his feet.
When the dust settled, Tiz saw that Dak had collected his weapon and was walking calmly towards Tiz. Tiz's weapon was a few feet away, but if he went for it, he expected Dak would charge. He sat up and leaned back, pushing himself back away from the man, almost like a coward. Dak smiled wickedly, slashing aimlessly at the ground below him, tearing the earth with ferocious might.
In a matter of seconds, the tip of the blade was pointed at Tiz's neck.
"Tizato Ciel, former captain of the 1st Lycian League Swordfaire Division, I commission you now to well-deserved, timely death at the hands of the man whose life you utterly destroyed. May your body and soul rot in the eternal hellfires of damnation, and may only then you understand the weight of what you have done to me."
Tiz grunted, his fierce green eyes not backing down against the disadvantage of his situation. Dak's voice was poisonous, deadly, and full of authentic hatred. This wouldn't be easy.
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Post by Tiz on Jul 26, 2015 14:45:36 GMT -6
The air was still and cold, and Dak's hand was unwavering as the sword was pointed directly at Tiz's throat. Dak's eyes, green like his own, were fixed, hate-filled, raging, as he looked down at his captured prey. This would be an easy kill, Tiz thought-- although fortunately, he still had some tricks up his sleeve. He always did, after all. The man sighed, though, choosing to attempt another diplomatic resolution before Dak brought the blade down on him to kill him.
"Dak, sheathe your sword. We can talk about this. I know... I know there's nothing I can do. I know I can't bring your family back. I know my sins can't be atoned for. But please... We were friends, Dak. We were comrades, and--and we were friends. We were close! What happened? I know you can't... I know it's hard to forgive me, but look beyond that. I tried to do my duty, and I..."
Even Tiz couldn't convince himself he wasn't completely guilty. As the words left his lips, they felt increasingly fleeting. This wasn't a man that could be reasoned with, and Tiz wasn't a practiced enough wordsmith to be able to diffuse the situation with his own tongue. Beyond that, Dak's eyes had not changed shape or emotion-- he was trained to kill, and kill he would. It was evident that, if Tiz didn't do something quickly, he wouldn't leave with his life.
Dak scoffed, looking up and down Tiz's body as it lay across the ground. "You're weak and you're a coward. You avoided me for years because you couldn't face that. I may not have succeeded that night in the courtyard, but you must believe that my convictions have since changed and you will, no doubt, fall prey to me here. Tizato, this is personal. This is not business. This is righteous vengeance. This is my redemption. This will help me put to rest my family, finally. Finally. Finally they will rest in peace, as their murderer, my comrade, my enemy, lies beside them."
Tiz closed his eyes and sighed again, realizing that indeed, his perceptions had been right, and he couldn't talk the man down. All that was left was to fight.
If this was it, Tiz thought, so be it. His eyes flashed open, and as they did they grew as wild and fierce as Dak's. Dak came back, drawing his sword back recklessly, instead of stabbing forward, and came down in a vicious, angry slash toward's Tiz's throat. The draw backwards had given him enough time to roll out of the way, and Dak's blade once again became lodged in the earth. In the time he had at his disposal, Tiz rolled over to his weapon, picked it up, and was on his feet as fast as a lightning flash. He brought his blade forward and down, charging at Dak, who was ready for him.
Dak simply brought his blade up in a diagonal arc to meet Tiz's again in a gridlock. The two men brought their faces together in the middle, each pushing, and Tiz remembered not the make the same mistake again-- he wouldn't be overpowered in the same way a second time. He jumped back, and Dak gave chase, slashing wildly. Tiz parried all of his blows, but gained no ground. Time after time, the swords drew together, meeting each other in quick, angry clashes, causing the harsh sound of metal to repeatedly whistle through the air.
Losing ground, Tiz decided this wouldn't work for long. Slash after slash, Tiz would jump back and parry, pushing Dak's sword out of the way, only to have it brought back to him in the opposite direction. When Tiz deflected left, Dak came back right; when he deflected right, the man came back left. With sheer and relentless force, Dak swung over and over in wild attempts to slash one of Tiz's limbs off.
Burying his feet in the ground. Tiz met one of Dak's slashes and dragged his own sword against the length of Dak's, bringing the tips of both blades down into the earth, cracking the surface of the old, cursed ground. Dak let go of his blade with one hand and punched Tiz, and he felt the fist connect perfectly with his face, sending him back a few paces, stumbling as he did. Dak came forward again with a lunge, much like Tiz might have, and aimed to pierce him.
Tiz held up his blade horizontally, grabbing gently the edge of the blade to hold it up across his midsection. The tip of Dak's blade met it and the sharp sound almost made his ears bleed. Had Dak's sword been of lower quality, the block might've cracked the tip of his weapon, but as he drew back Tiz saw that Dak's sword was still in tact.
But now he could play offense.
When Dak drew back, Tiz dashed forward, slashing diagonally up, then with his followthrough, he pierced forward, lunging hard and fast. His feet weren't on the ground, and it made his combo fluid and quick. He'd forgotten that his new, lighter blade could be used this way.
Dak easily block the first diagonal hit, but as the lunge came he was unprepared to act against it. Instinctively, Tiz's opponent reached his arm up to cover his midsection, and Tiz's blade pierced easily into the flesh of the man's forearm. With a gentle grunt, Dak stepped back and checked himself. He was bleeding quickly, but not wildly. It wasn't a terrible injury.
The now angrier former comrade dashed forward, yelling loudly at Tiz as he did.
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Post by Tiz on Jul 27, 2015 19:53:52 GMT -6
The two danced around feverishly, like two dancers upon a stage, meeting only briefly at each turn for an angry, vicious exchange of metal. Instead of locking swords, the two men slashed at each other, the blade of the other repelling upon its counterpart with every attack. It was almost as if the two men struck at walls, their blades bouncing back after making contact with one another. Tiz would jump, strike-- then Dak would jump back, repel the strike with his own. This continued for what felt like hours, but was truly only minutes; and, indeed, it tired both men out quickly, beginning to push both of them beyond the limits of what each man felt capable for himself.
Dak broke the pattern and leaped forward, pouncing like a lion, his blade pulled back behind him, ready to thrust it forward in a powerful lunge. Tiz stayed on the ground, burying his feet in the earth and braced for impact in the same way he had before-- pulling his sword in front of him horizontally, showing the flat of the blade in an attempt to simply stop the piercing might of Dak's weapon. Once it struck, the same evil sound of metal colliding with metal rang out, sharp as ever, and the momentum of Dak's movement pushed Tiz back, burying his feet further in the earth. The wake of his movements left Tiz with what felt like a short gust, blowing him back a bit as he began to lose footing.
Was he really losing this fight? He felt like he was. His body was telling him he was losing. But what about Dak? There was no way that this man was beginning to tire himself out... When he was fueled by this seemingly endless supply of hate, he could keep going, and going, and going. But Tiz couldn't let it happen. Could he? Or did he deserve to die?
He wasn't sure, but at present, it didn't matter. He recovered from stumble quickly enough to parry and repel another of Dak's brutish diagonal slashes, sending his sword out a ways to give Tiz room for a clean forward thrust. He did, and he aimed for the heart, but Dak parried the blow and swept his foot down under Tiz, knocking the man on his ass. Dak brought his blade down quickly in a follow-through that was aimed directly at Tiz's legs, which still lie on the ground. The man tried to roll, and avoided losing his foot, but only by a fraction of an inch-- the blade made contact with his ankle, ripping the leather away from his boot and tearing into his skin. The wound felt warm and stung terribly, but it wasn't incapacitating.
"RAAAAGGHHH!!!" Dak leaped at him again as Tiz was struggling to get back on his feet, one of which was now bloody. Tiz barely made it up in time to block, and as Dak's blade came down vertically, Tiz was prepared to block it-- and then the unexpected happened.
As if having become more adept with his weapon, Dak channeled the energy of his slash into speed and power, effectively controlling his blade enough to strike twice, once down, then once back up, in the time it had previously taken him to strike once. Tiz's blade blocked the first one at the cost of being brought towards the ground with the momentum of Dak's sword, but as Dak came back up, Tiz was defenseless. The strike found its mark, ripping through the first few layers of Tiz's skin, leaving a long, diagonal cut that reached from his right hip to his left shoulder, and it didn't stop there. Tiz leaned his head back quickly, fast as he could, but the blade made contact with a patch of skin below his eye, and Tiz felt the blood leave his system-- some left on Dak's weapon, some on his clothes, a lot on the ground, and a fair amount on his cheek.
Tiz leaped backwards, seemingly unaffected by the attack, but Dak stopped and smiled as he assessed his attack. Tiz had been wounded pretty badly-- his long cut across his entire torso was bleeding drops onto the rough earth, his clothes were becoming stained, and his left cheek was becoming more bloodstained by the second. Dak flourished his blade to rid it of the man's blood, smiling wickedly as he did so.
"My old friend, you are not quite my equal, I see. I suppose you never were. Or maybe fate has simply blessed my cause as divine. Whatever the case, you are bested. Surrender now, and I will behead you with grace and swiftness, befitting of your crime. Resist, and I will make your death slow, painful, and you will cry and shout for mercy-- which you shall not receive. Choose."
The man's words felt almost infused with hatred-- the same hatred Tiz could see in the man's green eyes. Huffing loudly and trying to keep himself composed, Tiz offered a light, sarcastic smile. "You know, Dak," Tiz began, walking slowly towards the man, who was a handful of meters away from him, "I've always wanted to fight you. I've always wondered what it would be like. Back in the courtyard, that night in Laus... that wasn't enough. But this is. And I'm just getting started."
Dak scoffed at him, readying his sword once more. Tiz brought his up, holding it pointed forward at the man, using both his hands. He pulled the blade up so that it lie horizontally, in line with his face, as though he were looking down it like an arrow notched in a bow.
"I see. You've made your choice. And I've made mine. Come, and let me finish you."
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Post by Tiz on Jul 28, 2015 8:59:13 GMT -6
Tiz craned his neck to either side, cracking it to pop it of the air that had collected in his neck bones. He loosened his body up mentally, telling himself that he had to become more fluid, he had to be faster, otherwise he couldn't leave this place with his life. For whatever reason-- perhaps it was the growing resolution in the hearts of both of the men-- Tiz felt reenergized, despite his wounds that needed treatment. He felt himself ready to take this man on now, no holds barred, having decided for himself that talking was beyond the realm of possibility. If Dak wasn't willing to talk, despite Tiz's attempts, then he would have to make do with lettings the blades speak for them. Tiz could do that. He was no foreigner to that kind of communication.
So be it, he said, a smile growing across his face. Dak's face remained stoic as Tiz approached.
With a sudden burst of speed, Tiz leaped up into the air and turned himself to the side, then shifted the weight across his body to bring himself into a slow twirl, readying his sword as he did. As he descended upon Dak, he brought his body to face front, the blade in his hand pulled back and pointed forward. Once he made contact, he put himself on the offensive-- he lunged forward with two quick, pointed strikes. Dak's large blade blocked the first, but the second one evaded his defenses. Tiz pierced into the man's stomach a few inches, and Dak reeled back with a yell. Tiz landed softly on the ground with catlike grace, then immediately dashed forward again, the same stance in his form: he took another two piercing shots at Dak, lunging at his waist and his chest. Again, Dak blocked the first and missed the second, and the second strike penetrated his chest, though not as deep.
Again and again, Tiz leaped back, lunged forward, and attacked Dak with two pointed lunges aimed to injure. And with every turn, every slide and dip across the battlefield, Dak blocked the first and was hit by the second, totally unaware how to stop Tiz's advances. Tiz could finally play offense, he realized. Dak's body became riddled with small, shallow cuts, and the occasional deeper puncture wound. His chest was bloody, but he did not let up-- he continued to block, but Tiz didn't give him the opportunity to play offense. Dak had played offense long enough.
Tiz pierced the man's stomach one more time with the same attack pattern, and then Dak finally wised up and recognized the pattern. If he could get to the side, or a little further back, Tiz might be put in a bad spot. And therefore he did so, allowing himself to block the first of Tiz's strikes, but then with all his strength threw his body to the side, and as Tiz came forward with the second lunge, he realized his right and left sides were completely open to attack.
Dak swung hard and fast, catching Tiz across the side of his body, a gaping wound opening up along the side of his hip and up into his back. The wound was a little deeper than the last, and as Tiz flew to the side, landing on his ass, he could feel the sting and the blood dipping down on him. This wasn't good.
Making a hard, fast, and reckless advance, Dak charged Tiz, his sword held back like a club, ready to strike the man finally and decapitate him, or sever a limb. It was easy enough to roll away from, and Tiz did, and Dak once more had his blade lodged into the earth. This wasn't like him, the Sacaean thought-- he knew how to fight, and this wasn't it. It was as though his anger was developing into combat childishness. His rage was fueling his attacks with plenty of power, but no finesse. Tiz knew that would be his downfall, as long as he could make his final strike before he tired himself out... which was becoming increasingly likely as he bled from now multiple spots across his body. His arms, fortunately, and his legs, even more fortunately, remained relatively unharmed. This was good. Maybe he could finish it in a move and move on with this cat and mouse game.
Dak dislodged his blade from the earth again, and Tiz was on his feet, behind him a few meters. Tiz flipped backwards a few times, handspringing back until he was fifty meters away from the man. A good distance. He would try speaking one more time, and then he would attempt to end it with everything left in his body.
"Dak, we don't have to do this. Don't dishonor your family this way. Would they want you to seek revenge? I knew your wife, and your child, and I don't--"
He was quickly cut off. "Don't you dare pretend to know what they would want. Or what I would want. I'm going to destroy you for your sins, and then if the gods choose to damn me as well, so be it. But I won't rot in hell without you there beside me. I won't do it. You deserve death."
"Maybe I do deserve death. Maybe I do. I've done a lot of bad things, Dak. But does one life make up for another? Can you equalize your losses by killing one man for every one that you lose? Can your conscious handle that kind of weight? That kind of murder? Listen to yourself, Dak!"
"I don't need your pseudowisdom, Tizato. I only need your head above my fireplace. I don't need your childish scolding or your petulant whining. I don't need anything except your life. There's no talking to be had here. Tell me what you want with your weapon, and if your voice is the stronger, we'll know then."
Tiz sighed heavily and lowered his body towards the ground. He parted his feet and leaned forward, aiming at Dak with his weapon. He closed his eyes a moment, allowing himself to feel the energy around him, to feel the pulses in the earth, the life force within himself and within Dak. He steadied his body, becoming still, feeling the well of energy pour into his legs as the earth around him gently vibrated. As he opened his newly-focused eyes, he prepared himself to end things with one attack. And Dak did the same.
It was an ability they had both developed during wartime. Dak held the same position, taking the same stance. Perhaps it was his aim, too, to augment his celerity. That was fine. It would come down to the fastest between the two, and Tiz knew that title was his. He'd seen Dak fight. And in these moments, Tiz thought that maybe he shouldn't be so hasty to kill the man-- perhaps if he could truly just incapacitate him, this would be easier. Perhaps then he could talk. Taking a life, much more this man's life, was no easy task, and when their blades met, Tiz wasn't sure he would be able to actually land a killing strike. This had been one of his closer friends, after all, and an old time military friend at that. He knew everything evil about war in the same way that Tiz himself did.
And then, without more thought, Tiz's feet left the ground, surging forward like another lightning strike. His body was a blur as he charged through the air, his feet not even on the ground. Dak did the same. Both men augmented their celerity in tune together, and both men flew towards each other, blades pointed forward. Within two seconds, they would meet, and Tiz would finish this, one way or another.
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Post by Tiz on Jul 29, 2015 14:29:52 GMT -6
Unlike many other moments in his life, this moment was over almost before Tiz recognized it was happening.
Both men's blades pointed forward, Tiz dashed at an incredibly high speed past Dak, moving about the same speed, and both men landed on opposite sides of one another, crashing down into the earth, both landing on the feet. Swirls of air and dust surrounded them, blinding their vision. Instinctively, Tiz turned around quickly to face his opponent, who did not turn around. His pose was not broken-- he maintained the same shape his body had through the air, stoic and unmoving, and within a few seconds, the man's sword dropped and he fell to his knees. A spout of blood seemed to appear out of no where atop the man's right shoulder, and Dak gripped it furiously, trying to contain the massive blood loss. Before long, he fell over onto his side, a soft groan of agony filling the still air.
Gasping for breath, his anger was still evident. Tiz walked forward towards the man nervously, unsure of how close he would be able to get before he was in danger. Tiz wasn't certain if he had avoided all the danger, or if he had successfully incapacitated Dak. Listening with a reluctant attention to Dak's labored breathing and grunts, Tiz finally made it to the man he had once called his comrade and bent down over him, lightly placing a hand on his back to let him know he was there. Tiz said nothing, but Dak's wild green eyes found him. Tiz's own green orbs were sad and defeated, and Dak lashed out at him.
"If you're... going to make me suffer... you're even worse than I... than I originally knew, Tizato." Dak spit a hunk of blood at Tiz, and he barely flinched as it hit his cheek, mixed with saliva. "Send me to hell and end my embarrassment. I don't even want to look at... you anymore," It sounded hard for Dak to get words out. He was no doubt losing consciousness, and as Tiz assessed the wound on his shoulder, he knew the man would not recover from it. But he was also suffering more greatly than Tiz had intended. If he had been able to kill Dak, he'd hoped it would've been quick and painless.
Tiz stood, wiping a tear from his eye. He wasn't sure whether or not he could finish the job, and as he started to take a few steps back, Dak rolled over on his back and yelled at him. "You COWARD!! How DARE you come out here and not even have the--" he coughed more blood out onto his face and spit some onto the ground beside him. "NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO FINISH ME! TIZATO!"
The Sacaean fell down, his eyes wide with fear and regret. He wasn't sure what he had done, and he scrambled away quickly across the ground, away from Dak, who despite his best efforts, could not get up from the ground. Tears began streaming from Tiz's eyes, and he closed them to avoid the truth of the situation. He shook his head violently, trying not to accept what he had done. And he couldn't finish the job. He was too weak.
"DO IT, TIZATO! DO IT!"
Tiz yelled out in anger and frustration, his tears becoming completely fluid, his face a total mess of shock and despair. He opened them to look at Dak again, who was trying to crawl his way towards the Sacaean. Tiz scrambled back a few more feet, then tripped over himself and rolled onto his stomach. It was as though he was trying his best to flee for his life, even though he had won the day with it. He couldn't face Dak. He'd been wrong. He couldn't do it.
"DAK, I CAN'T!" Tiz cried out fervently, his body falling into total sobs. He couldn't control his breathing, and his crying became childlike and labored, his tears staining the hard, cursed ground.
"DO IT! YOU FILTHY, ROTTEN COWARD! I HOPE YOU--"
"DAK, STOP IT!!" Tiz covered his ears and cried harder, now facing away from Dak completely. His body shook and he curled himself up on the ground, vivid memories from his military days filling his head. He saw Dak's smile, his wicked warlike attitude, and his family. All of these things Tiz had taken from him.
But after a while, Tiz realized he could no longer hear Dak's noises. Had the man finally died? Tiz opened his eyes, but he didn't look to the man's body. He listened to the sound of the still air, as though the violent feelings had disappeared totally. Was it over? Eventually, Tiz slowly turned his head over to where Dak's body had been and he saw, before his eyes, his father, his own long, slender blade impaled into Dak's back. Tiz's father didn't look at his son, but instead kept his gaze trained on the man's body. In a few seconds, he pulled the slender blade from Dak and resheathed it, then looked over to his son, a blank expression written solemnly across his face. Tiz didn't move, but began crying again, covering his face and his sweaty hair.
His father approached slowly, knelt down beside his son, and put a hand around his shoulder firmly. As if like a magnet meeting another, like a child, Tiz enveloped himself in his father's embrace, burying his face in the larger man's shoulder. Tiz's father held his other hand behind his son's head and let the young swordsman cry all the tears that had built up over the years, saying nothing. Tiz gripped at his father's cloak collar, desperately trying to find redemption in his situation.
"It's okay, son. It's alright. It's over now. It is finally over."
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Post by Tiz on Jul 30, 2015 12:50:48 GMT -6
It took a few moments, but Tiz came to, allowing himself to breathe, the tears on his face finally stopping long enough for him to do so. He pulled back and looked at his father, nodding his head a few times, shutting his eyes quickly, certainly embarrassed by the situation he had found himself in. He let go of his father's cloak, and then as he tried to stand, immediately realized the severity of his wounds. Attempting to get up on his feet, Tiz took a knee and immediately felt the sting of the large, gaping wound across his side and in his chest. He reached for it, gripping the skin around it with gritted teeth. His father, recognizing his struggle, helped him to his feet and pulled his son's arm around his neck, placing one long, strong arm around Tiz's back, careful to avoid his wounds.
The older man dragged Tiz along, wordlessly at first, past Dak's body. Tiz looked over at it through glazed, empty eyes, seeing the precise mark his father had made on the body, finally silencing Dak once and for all. In the end, it seemed Tiz was unable to finish the job he told himself he would set out to do. In the end, he was weak, beaten by the intensity of his emotions, his mind and heart nothing but swirling pools of uncertainty, vulnerability, and horror. While his father had landed the final blow to make Dak's death faster, Tiz had caused the man more suffering than he had ever intended. First, it was his family... Then it was the years of silent torture as the two departed from one another, and now here, on this late afternoon, it was the agonizing, brutish pain of being killed slowly and surely. In truth, if Tiz had faltered in the battle, he would have surely lost his life... And when he considered it, he had come fairly close to losing it. If the bleeding didn't stop soon, he might pass out, and they were miles yet from a hospital.
Before long, the pair reached the edge of the town, and the angry-looking sky finally gave way to rain. It came down softly and slowly for a while, refreshing and kind, and then the rain became harsh and uncontrolled, carried by the wind. The loudness was perpetuated by more rolls of thunder off in the distance, threatening to storm over their position in some time. Tiz's father looked over at his son, who looked back, the glazed-over expression still etched almost permanently into his face. His father sighed, trying to look compassionate, but looked disappointed above all. Eventually the two stopped outside a forest clearing, and Tiz's father leaned his beaten, battered son against a tree. Tiz tried hard to keep his eyes open, but he could feel his consciousness fading. He'd lost a considerable amount of blood, and his body was wracked with pain, and he was tired and hungry... Though Tiz wasn't sure sure he would be able to eat, even if he tried.
Suddenly, his father knelt down beside Tiz and placed a hand over his heart. The older man closed his eyes and focused, and Tiz could softly feel an exchange of energy take place as his father sacrificed his energy and his physical body to take on some of Tiz's pain. The Sacaean had only seen this technique once, and it had never been used on him. Before his eyes, some of his wounds grew more shallow, not healing completely, but they became less noticeable. The bleeding slowed tremendously, and Tiz felt himself becoming slowly revitalized. His father grunted, and Tiz saw through the man's cloak some blood stains beginning to appear... He had known this was the cost, surely, but had done it anyway. A few more tears rolled down Tiz's cheek, who was still unable to speak to his father, as the trauma of the day's events still pressed his heart down and back.
His father did, though, seem to handle the pain split well enough. The bleeding didn't hold out long, and it looked to be that the injuries had been about evenly split. Tiz's father pulled some salve from the bag over his shoulder and began applying it to Tiz's face. With little effort, his father removed Tiz's sleeveless coat and pulled the man's shirt up, applying some salve to his torso wounds as well. Tiz could hardly keep his eyes open, and his mind began to drift off, elsewhere, into the abyss of what lied on his heart.
Before long, Tiz fell into a long, deep, peaceful sleep-- something he hadn't expected to have. He had no dreams, and saw only black as his eyelids closed and his eyes rolled back into his head.
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When he awoke, the sun had fallen back down across the horizon, casting an orange-red glow across the sky. Evening had come, and the air was thinner and lighter, more easy to breathe. The ground was wet, but the storms had cleared out. His eyes not fully open yet, Tiz said as much as his body would allow him. "...Dad?"
His eyes opened a bit more, and eventually they became aware enough to assess the situation. There was no one around him. He knew he hadn't imagined his father-- Tiz knew he'd been with him, that the man had killed Dak for him and walked him out of town, had healed him, had sat with him... But where had he gone? Tiz looked around and saw absolutely no sign of him whatsoever. He tried to stand, but found that his body was still rather weak. He felt his face-- there was a bandage wrapped around his head, above his eyebrows and down past his ear, covering the cut at the top of his cheekbone. He also felt the same pressing warmth of cloth against his torso, and before long discovered that his entire torso had been wrapped in the same type of bandage. He knew he needed to rest, but the longer he spent looking around for his father, he became increasingly nervous.
"Dad? Dad!"
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Post by Tiz on Jul 31, 2015 10:00:08 GMT -6
Tiz could find no one, could see nothing around him except for the quiet serenity of the now-calm scene of nature he found himself in. When he had fully awoken, the young man tried to stand, and with every ounce of effort he had in his body, he was able to. He gripped his stomach and immediately felt dizzy-- the battle had taken a much larger toll on him than he had originally realized, and now he was feeling the effects of having been pushed to what he guessed were his limits. Tiz shuddered to think what might've happened to him if his father hadn't come, if Dak had crawled his way over to Tiz, who had faltered under the weight of his inability to take Dak's life.
He sighed, looking around one final time. He looked above him, and still saw no one. His father had vanished without a trace, which was strange, since home was about a day or two away at the fastest. And Tiz wouldn't be able to move at his fastest; at the best, he'd have to stop in a neighboring town to take rest and slowly make his way back to Caelin, or Laus, depending on how he felt about going back to see his mother-- and hopefully his father-- after this. He knew they would be disappointed, though he figured their happiness that he was alive might outweigh that. Still, though, Tiz found himself at odds with this conflict, because if his father had really wanted to know what was going on, he would've stuck around... Wouldn't he?
Deciding to start walking slowly away from Ostia, Tiz elected that he'd stop in a nearby town to rest some more, perhaps see a real doctor, and then head home to Caelin. Surely by then his father would be back at home, and he could explain the full situation to his mother and father and put them both at ease. Perhaps it would also do him some good to just take time off, to relax at home until he was needed elsewhere. He hadn't spent time at home long enough...
After what felt like days but had really only been a few hours, Tiz found himself at the gates of a small, neighboring town whose name was lost on him. It had taken effort, but by getting there, Tiz had come into more of himself, come to adjust to the injuries, finding that he was able to move around with some relative ease now. He did realize, though, that he needed rest, and he needed a lot of it before he would feel back on top again.
Walking through the streets, Tiz realized that this town was small and underpopulated. He guessed it was due to its proximity to Ostia, and very likely only passersby stopped here on their road out of Lycia. Quickly he found an inn, stepped inside, paid for a room, and was upstairs inside of it as fast as he battered body would allow him to go. He crashed down on the bed and sighed heavily, realizing that falling so hard probably wasn't good for his wounds. He hoped they would heal fast, and before the man had time to disrobe, he fell quickly asleep, sleeping as soundly through the night as he had a few hours earlier.
----
Back in Caelin, after a day's journey
Once Tiz had finally made it back to Caelin, his wounds had had time to at least start to scab over. He needed to change his bandages once he got home, and after that, sleep some more. Right now, more than anything, he wanted to forget the past day, eat a lot, and then sleep even more. Eventually he found his street in Caelin, made his way to the door, and stopped just short of it. Could he really just return home like this, after being gone for a few days on so serious a mission? When he'd left, no one in his family was happy with him... Would it have been better to just turn back and go to Laus, maybe write to them to tell all of them that he was alright?
No, he couldn't do that. First, he had to find his mother to apologize, then his father to ask what had happened. He knocked twice and opened the door, hoping that all three family members were safe inside. When he stepped through the threshold, he immediately saw his mother sitting at the table with Arno next to her. With fervent immediacy, she jumped up and crossed the room with loud steps, throwing her arms around her son. She started to sob softly, running her fingers through her sons hair. Arno followed, his brilliant, young eyes trained on his older brother. His face was more stoic, but still caring. When Tiz let go of his mother, he knelt down to his brother of seven years and rested a hand on his small shoulder, smiling widely at him. Arno, of course, hadn't really understood where Tiz had gone or why he had left-- but he was happy nonetheless. Tiz's younger brother jumped into his arms, and Tiz found it difficult with his sapped strength to hold the boy there.
"I'm happy you're back, Tiz!" Arno shouted with glee, clearly not understanding the implications. That was fine. Tiz rested his eyes shut and thought about the poor, innocent child, hoping that he could live the quiet life that Tiz himself was never able to.
"Me too, buddy." His reply was soft and heartfelt. Tiz stood up and turned back to his mother, who still looked unsure how to feel. She wasn't speaking, so Tiz decided to open the gates. "Where's dad?"
His mother looked down angrily and shook her head quickly. "We aren't sure. We thought he would be back home with you when you came. He said he was leaving to find you, and... We haven't heard from him since. Have you seen him?"
Tiz's eyes went bright and wide with horror. "Yes, he... came and found me," Tiz beat around the bush, "when I was in Ostia, and he... stayed with me for a while, but I fell asleep after he helped me out of the city, and then... then he was gone."
"Gone?"
"Gone."
"Men don't just disappear, Tizato!" His mother's voice was worried and loud.
"I... sorry, I thought he would come back here first? I don't really know where else he would go. You say you haven't seen him at all? Anywhere in Caelin?"
"No. We don't know where he is. I have an idea; I need to write to the Marquess of Caelin about recent long-term departures." His mother crossed back to the other side of the room to fetch parchment and quill.
"What do you mean?" Tiz followed her, taking a seat at the table beside his mother.
"I think he might've gone to Sacae."
[end thread]
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