The Crimson Tipped Letters (closed)

[Zardoch]

OOC: This is to be a closed, training RP between me and Michael. None shall enter.

How many will this make? Travic thought to himself, as he watched the coral sun flutter through the swaying trees above. And why does the daylight bring me little warmth? Questions such as these seemed to wither through his mind with each passing breeze that encompassed the silence, its summer scent a dark perfume of former days. Yet the assassin couldn't stop himself from shaking, despite the mild heat that surrounded the land. It was as if night had already claimed its victory and instilled its icy blanket upon his worn body. He could even hear the creaking of old wounds and bones that never healed, echoing in his ears with whispers of old sins.

Travic eventually reminded himself of why he sat hidden in his tree and breathed deeply, almost forgetting for a moment what he was before the cycle began again. It is almost time.

Down the road the sound of rolling rubber was the only thing running upon its path as a young boy drove quickly without pace. Both his long auburn hair and courier bag flew behind him, painting a sense of urgency to his flight. I must keep pushing forward! He'd think to himself with every thrust of a peddle. They must read these letters! Suddenly, only a few hundred feet away, Mika could see a blue glow slowly blush brightly and fade in a series of turns; it appeared to be a signal of some sort. Riding closer, he eventually figured out the shape of a man lying in the road with one hand over his chest, releasing this elemental energy as an emergency beacon.

The young courier felt a tug at his heart as he was torn between the need to continue and the conscious feeling of helping this person. Furthermore, it appeared the man was an elemental much like himself. Confused, he slowed his pace down a little as there was still some distance between them.

"Hey!" Mika yelled. "Are you okay?!"

The man lying across the road and covered in blood let out a weak, frightened breath to the sound of Mika's voice. His heart drummed with a sense of dread as he slowly turned his head at the boy and opened his lips. "Sir, are you alive?" Mika asked as he neared.
"Ple..ase...tu...ba--"

Without as much as a warning, a large star-shaped blade ripped through the air from within the trees as Mika was about the pass the injured man. It struck into the front wheel's rims with a stopping force, and an electric bolt zapped through the entire bike into Mika's body. All of this threw the boy forward and over the injured man's body, allowing his blue eyes to see the knife stuck inside the man's chest and the light above it. Mika landed hard enough on his back to let out a yell of pain, part of coming from landing on both his bag and spear. What the heck just happened?

He could hear something detach itself from the bike and zip back into the trees, then a light stomp onto the ground before a man's feet pounded towards him. Mika opened his eyes just in time to see a whirling blade come down towards his face, rolling away quickly to dodge. As he stood, he turned and threw a shuriken from his sleeve at the ambusher, only to hear in deflect against metal. Grunting, the boy pulled his spear out and readied himself for the next attack, finally facing his foe.

The assailant in front of him appeared as a middle-aged warrior with gray bangs in front of his medium-long red hair and dressed in a assassin's garb: Loose gray clothes, leather armor, and an array of weapons strapped to his body. His tan skin and tired face only revealed an experienced fighter, with deep blue eyes that expressed death. At the moment the assassin was whirling one of his cross-blades from a metal string and held a kunai in the other hand. It portrayed his intentions since if he were here to kill Mika, the boy would have died right then and there. He wants me alie! Mika realized.

Suddenly, as a bright light flashed in the sky with the setting sun the assassin swung his weapon around and on a downward arc from above, aiming at Mika's shoulders. His survival was about to begin.

[Michael Swayne]

Why is it that I always get the evening deliveries. Mika cursed his helpful nature. If he had any actual plans, he could've gotten out of work, but he needed the money. Mika rushed out of Seatower and yelled his greetings to the gate watchmen. He couldn't stop and chat, he had to deliver the letters before nightfall. The guard's outpost between Seatower and Wolbrin lay in the middle of the woods, and Mika did not want to be out in the wilderness at night.

As he sped down the path, Mika noticed a flock of birds fly in the opposite way of Michael's route. A viper must be nearby. Mika decided to go ahead and cast Angel's Breath to hopefully repel the viper from attacking.

Guardians wake, hear my call. Protect me from untimely fall.

He didn't ready his spear, because he was sure that with Angel's Breath combined with his pedaling speed, he would outrun the viper.

The sun was setting quickly, and he hadn't gotten too far into the woods. I must keep pushing forward! They must read these letters! He hadn't brought a torch with him, since he had planned to be at his destination before it got dark. Michael forgot the trees were thicker the farther he went. Mika started to struggle seeing the path, and began hitting tree roots. 100 feet away, a blue light flashed. Mika knew this to be a beacon for help. He slowed down to see what had made the light. As he rode closer, it was a man on the path, clutching his chest.

“Hey!” Mika yelled. “Are you okay?!”

Mika had to deliver the letters, but he couldn't just let the man die. Mika removed the Angel's Breath, just in case he had to perform Healing Wind on the man. The man, covered in blood, turned to face Mika and was very pale. Mika asked the man, “Sir, are you alive”?”

“Ple..ase...tu...ba--”

Out of nowhere, Mika felt an immense pain through his whole body. The only other time he had felt this kind of pain was when he was a child. This was electricity! Mika was thrown off the bike and landed on his equipment, clearly in pain. What the heck just happened?

Mika was still breathing hard from the shock and fall that his sight was blurry. He could hear, though. The sound of footsteps came toward him. Mika's focus came back and just in time, for a blade was aimed for his head. He rolled away in time. He quickly stood up and threw one of his shuriken and...

Clunk!

The shuriken was deflected somehow. Mika's aim was perfect. This attacker had to have been wearing armor. Mika grunted in anger, and pulled his spear from behind him. He knew that the man meant business. Mika measured up his enemy. A middle-aged man stood before him, one that had known the taste of war. This man held a kunai like the ones in his weapons book, and swung some sort of blade on a string that he had never seen before.

This guy had the perfect chance to do me in! He wants me alive? But why?

Mika readjusted the grip on his spear. He knew he must attack. Mika's adrenaline was pumping. His heart was racing. He charged at the man with his spear. Mika made no attempt to make a swinging motion, he would get as close as he could with a quick stab and sneak a peek at that swinging blade. Mika was 6 feet from the man when the man nimbly dodged the attack. Mika yelled out to the man, “What is it that you want?”