Negui {Tsunderis/Ars Sanctum alt}

[Deleted]

Winds of Change - Negui

Name: Negui

Class: Assassin (Killing Edge + Shade start)

Age: 25

Born in: Sacae



Personality: Negui tends to be quieter more often than not, but she's not entirely silent, both on the job and off the job. She carries herself seriously and confidently, only regarding what others may think of her in regards to how well she “blends in”. As an assassin, she cannot afford to stand out too much when on the job, and will do what is necessary to draw little to no attention at all. As such Negui is completely fine to go long stretches of time without any company or companionship whatsoever. So long as she has her blade and her objective, she can manage.

That said she needs human connections more than she cares to admit, though those have been tricky for her. Negui likes to keep others at a bit of a distance, even those in her tribe who she has come to call comrades, equals, or superiors. She is capable of growing close to someone, evidenced by her bond with Arslan, and can even be described as “sweet” when she's relaxed or able to let her guard down. A wry sense of humor hides beneath her.

The act of killing phases her little. Essentially raised to fight and kill, it has become as natural to her as breathing. Knowing or believing that just about every death she causes serves a just purpose only furthers her resolve. That said she holds to no honours or vows like other Sacaens might, believing them to be fallacies. Nergui has no qualms with telling a lie, particularly if it serves a purpose, and will not stay her blade from someone who is unarmed. If they are her target, her mark, then she will strike all the same.

Perhaps not the greatest long-term strategist, Nergui's tactical mind has been sharpened and honed from nearly two decade's worth of training and experience in the field. As adept with her blade as she is, she'll use just about any tool or advantage that she deems the most efficient to carry out an objective. From a throwing dagger to poison.

Though Negui had always been content with her life in the Selem-Sono, things have begun to change. Recent events have left her feeling cooler than usual, yet simultaneously more driven. For the first time since Negui had donned her name, for the first time since she had joined the Selem-Sono, there was a personal stake in her mission. She needs answers, and will not rest until she has them.

History: The Selem-Sono tribe, like many of Sacae's tribes, is unique. Rather than stake territory along the plains they instead have an extensive home built withing a tunnel system, deep into the northern mountain range that borders Ilia. The caves are well hidden, with brigand tribes having settled above them without them noticing whatsoever. Said tribes never did have a happy ending.

The Selem-Sono are dedicated to the protection of Sacae, or what THEY believe to be the protection of Sacae. Though they co-operate with other tribe leaders and khans they tend to keep a very good distance between them. Preferring to strike at threats to Sacae, both small and large, from the shadows, they train every single member of their tribe to serve that purpose. By the sword, by the bow, by magic, no matter.

Also interesting is that the Selem-Sono will accept outsiders into their ranks. One need not be born in Sacae to be a Sacaen, in their mind. So long as they prove themselves willing to do what is necessary for the good of their beloved nation, then they will welcome anyone.

Negui was, for the most part, raised almost entirely in the Selem-Sono. From the tender age of 6 she was a member, and just like every other member, her age and older, she was taught to fight. The blade was her choice of weapon and throughout the years she learned it quite well. Through training with the man who indoctrinated her, a Nabatan born swordsman named Arslan, and the leader of the Selem-Sono, an incredibly skilled swordsman named Kabul Dotharl, she learned several styles of swordsmanship to adopt into her overall combat style.

Iaido was always her favourite, though.

Her first successful mission was not until she was thirteen, and it was not quite the assassination mission she expected. Arslan served as the leader of their “squad” for the mission, but it had only included the both of them. They were to escort the daughter of a tribe leader to the tribe her fiance belonged to. A political marriage between two tribes, it seemed, to forge an alliance. However the young khan of another tribe was jealous, and had wanted the hand of the other khan's daughter in spite of rejection from herself and her father.

There was reason to believe that the young khan would abduct the young lady, with several of his bloodriders. Now the young lady had her own set of riders and guards to protect her, and the Selem-Sono were not known for their escort missions, but for the sake of all three tribes, they had accepted the task all the same. Negui and Arslan intercepted the khan and his riders before they could approach the other khan's daughter. While Arslan danced single-handedly with the riders, Negui was the one to approach the khan.

He wielded a naginata, but did not fight on the back of his horse. He dismounted and twirled his weapon in a flourish, screaming at Negui to move before he left her slain. Their weapons danced on the plains that day, Negui forced to parry the man's naginata until she could find an opportunity to close the distance between them. To continue to play at his range was tantamount to death, yet despite her best efforts she could not force the opportunity she needed. It wasn't until the khan's own movements, possibly out of a simple error, or perhaps out of desperation to claim the bride he believed to be his, took him off balance. Negui recognized this opportunity and stepped forward, bringing her blade across his chest.

Sloppier than she cared for...but the mission was a success.

Negui went on to complete a variety of mission, slowly earning a reputation and greater rank within the Selem-Sono. One of her most recent assignments would go on to prove her growth: clearing out a bandit tribe that had been harrassing a smaller, weak tribes near the mountains of Bern. As she passed through the territory of one such tribe she saw the devastation that they had suffered. The brigands had attacked them the night before she had arrived, and their gers and tents bore the signs of unnatural damages. Axes and fists alike had torn through them.

In some emergency tents that had been set up to act as medical bays, she could see that some members of the tribe had been injured severely, yet clung to life all the same. Negui communicated little with the members of the tribe, in fact they hardly seemed to notice here. Those that were not actively tending to the wounded were gathered in the center of the area, bickering and arguing loudly.

So Negui moved on, gaze fixed on the mountains she would have to scale. She spent the day scouting out the area. If the bandits had attacked, but failed to completely wipe out such a small tribe, then they had likely underestimated them. They would be tired and wounded, even if they had been successful as a whole. Negui found the path she'd need to take up the mountains, and proceeded to wait until nightfall. Given what had happened the night before, they surely would not leave their mountains to raid again.

Negui was correct. She crept up the treacherous path under the cover of night. She had scouted the path during the day, but had not actually found the home of these brigands. Experience taught her to look for any signs as she quietly stalked the shadows of the rocky mountainface, until she could see the orange-yellow glow of a campfire, emanating from a cave along the mountain. Better still one of the brigands was posted just outside of the cave, set as guard. Negui paused to see if he had spotted her, if she had been compromised.

He hadn't.

She approached slowly, her dark apparel and trained steps aiding her to this end. She could see that the man's right arm was wrapped in crude bandages, and as she drew near she heard him grumbling. He was awake, albeit drowsy, so Negui could not just approach him and take him out. Well...she COULD, but it wouldn't be efficient. The struggle would create too much noise and likely draw out his allies earlier than she'd care for. Seeing a bit of a rocky overhang, just above the entrance to the cave, Negui carefully scaled up around it, attempting to drop down on her first target rather than a direct approach.

In time she had climbed atop her perch and drew her blade as silently as she could. The poor brigand didn't see it coming, he merely felt Negui's blade pierce the back of his neck, immediately followed by the pressure of her feet and the weight of her body come down on him. He was forced to the ground as Negui slipped a hand over his mouth, stifling his strangled cries of pain and fear. Once they fell silent and the man ceased to move, Negui gave her sword a quick swing, to fling off excess blood, and sheathed the weapon.

One down.

Negui sucked in a breath, leaned up against the rock just beside the cave's entrance, and gave out a low shout. The aim was to have it sound like a man's voice, to lure out one more brigand before she had to cull the rest. Her ploy was successful, one more member of the bandit clan exiting the cave to scope out what had happened. By the time his eyes had fallen upon the corpse of the guard she had felled earlier, Negui's blade found it's path across his throat. There was no need to silence this once, and Negui simply stepped past him as wrapped his hands across his neck, trying in vain to stem the flow of blood.

She entered the cave that the brigands had made their home in. It stank of blood and crap alike, but it was not very deep. Already Negui could make out the makeshift cots that had been set up. Much like the tribe they had attacked, a couple of bandits had made it back, albeit with heavy injuries. Only three seemed to be in fighting condition. How hard had the small tribe culled their numbers? Negui didn't really care to have the answer: it just made her work easier.

Already a fair bit alert from her earlier shout, the three brigands in condition to fight had raised their weapons. Axes and swords. The space was small, but that just meant Negui had to dodge low. Duck between the un-coordinated strikes of her targets, and force out an opening. One bandit's axe hit the rocky wall with a hard "clang", and Negui swiftly dug her blade into his throat. She wrapped an arm around the man's body and turned with it, using the brigands body as a shield to take a swing from the other brigand's axe. Once the axe blade dug deep into the already dying man, Negui released her hold on his body and kicked him forward, barreling right into the second axe-wielder.

Capitalizing on this opening, Negui proceeded to duel with the sword user. They exchanged blows, and the swordsman was indeed a skilled warrior, but his blade work lacked finesse and proper training. He had coasted off his natural instincts in order to survive as long as he did, but it still made things more difficult for Negui. He was larger and stronger than she was, so she could not afford to wind up locked blade to blade with him. Worse still was that the axe user was getting up, forcing the corpse of their ally off of his body.

Negui allowed herself to be pressured backwards, towards the entrance to the cave, to guide the fight away from the rising axeman. Her sword clashed with her opponent's, the blades singing as they met time and time again, until at last she was close enough to the entrance. Her frustrated opponent went for a heavy swing, and Negui found her opening. Rather than meet her foe's blade she pressed her body up against the side of the wall, allowing the momentum of the brigand's failed strike to carry him past her. She quickly pushed off the cave wall and delivered a hard kick to the brigand's back, adding more momentum to his body until he plunged over the edge of the cliff, his scream echoing throughout the mountain until he hit the ground with a disturbing crack.

One left.

Negui turned around and was immediately forced to dodge the swing of the remaining axe swing, carefully stepping around the cave wall. She had to keep herself pressed against the rock face lest she risk suffering the same fight as the swordsman from earlier. The axeman's weapon trembled in his grip as he approached her. Rage and fear alike pumped through his body. His will and emotions were compromised, whereas Negui's mind was still calm. She'd already won the mental battle between her next opponent, all she needed to do was press that advantage for the victory.

She feinted hard towards the legs of the brigand, her blade arcing towards his knees. Rather than parry as Negui desired, the brigand instead backpedalled. Negui took a second stepforward and brought her blade before her left shoulder, tip aimed straight for the brigand's chest, before she lunged forward. She was swift, and the brigand's nerves were shot. He raised his axe to block, but axe's were not made for such a purpose. Negui's blade traveled along the underside of his weapon before it found its mark in his heart.

He struggled a bit, grasping the assassin's hand with a firm grip as she stared into his eyes. She could see the life begin to die, and if he allowed her to remove her blade the process would be faster still. Yet the bandit refused. Even as he slowly sank to his knees he matched her apathetic gaze with a stubborn glare of his own. For about a minute this staredown continued, until at last the bandit's grip slacked. Negui withdrew her blade from his heart, gave it a swing to clean it of excess blood...

And made her way towards the injured bandits back on the cots, ready to finish the mission.

Negui went on to attain the highest rank a member of the Selem-Sono could be bestowed, aside from Suuder Khan of course. “Tsus” or “The Blooded”. The Blooded were expected to take on high profile missions, and as such were bestowed masks to keep their faces hidden. An old honour and tradition more than entirely practical, but Negui accepted her mask all the same.

Mere days after she became a Tsus, however, did her life change abruptly. She returned to the caves from another mission and found several members of the Selem-Sono wounded, a few had even been killed. Suuder Khan Kabul approached her and asked if she had seem Arslan. When she shook her head her told her, to her horror, that Arslan had stolen documents that the Selem-Sono had been collecting, and took out several members of the tribe before he bolted off.

Faced with the fear of losing her father figure, her main mentor, and her savior, Negui rushed out of the caves in a rare display of recklessness. This could not be the truth...could it?

[Donovan]

Accepted.