Post by sun on Oct 11, 2009 18:51:17 GMT -5
Name: Erlang
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Group: Earth Kingdom Soldiers
Nation: Earth Kingdom
Bender?: No
Physical Appearance: Erlang stands at an average height of 5’7 but often appears taller do his stoic bearing (especially when on an ostrich horse). His deep-set eyes are a moss green that can seem either soft or unnaturally intense depending on his mood. Erlang has slightly peaked eyebrows of medium width that are slightly closer to each other than normal separated by less than an inch. Erlang has a strait nose and a wide chin usually darkened by a five o’clock shadow. He has slightly crooked teeth with prominent canines. His hair line is only slightly higher than normal and his bistre colored hair naturally thins towards the front (which he incorrectly believes is a sign of premature baldness )
Though not particularly muscular or ripped, military and training has left him with a well toned body with only a few remnants of the chubbiness of his earlier years. His shoulders are somewhat narrow and he has long arms in proportion to his mildly short legs. His martial lifestyle has caused him to acquire a fair assortment of scars, mostly thin slashing scars. The most noticeable of which is a scar starting in the center of his left cheek and ending underneath the tongue.
Clothing/Armor: Erlangs under layer of clothing consists of loose olive pants tucked into brown leather boots with yellow trimming, they are secured with ties on both sides and a moss green cloth wrap at the waist. His long sleeved charcoal-grey shirt is devoid of design has been repaired several times leaving several extra seams in the fabric. To keep his hair out of his eyes he wears a long tailed dark green bandana with yellow-gold edges to show his rank. When out of armor Erlang will wear a loose jacket resembling a haori, the jacket is made of a heavy and durable cloth dyed grey green, the bottom edge and sleeves are trimmed with large white triangles. Underneath his shirt is a complicated braid of two locks of hair called a ‘true lovers knot’ suspended by a thin but strong cord around his neck.
For armor he wears a lamellar breast plate secured on the shoulders by two yellow cords on each side, it is built primarily of three main plates (painted a leaf green shade) covering the chest and abdomen. Around the waist he wears the sand colored girdle identical to the worn by most Earth kingdom soldiers except that it is mountain style mail (interlocking pieces of metal named because the resemble the character for ‘mountain’). This same mail makes up the flexible armor flaps attached to the inside of the girdle and extending to just above the knee, protecting the front and sides of the thigh. This mountain style mail is used to protect the areas of the body most likely to be struck. To protect his hands he wears thick leather gloves with thin metal reinforcements on the back of the hand and forearm. Worn only in battle is a happuri style face guard that protects the forehead, and side portions of the face.
Weapons: Three-pointed double-edged spear. The shaft is six and a half feet long and made from a very durable wood. The blade is two inches wide at its base, it narrows very slightly for nine inches before it flares out into two separate points (resembling a fishtail). A thinner diamond shaped point extends from the center of the two flared points. The spearheads tang extends 2 thirds of the way down the shaft and is balanced by a diamond shaped counterweight. Below the blade are two feathers tied to the hilt in the cavalries tradition of honoring a lost mount by tying a feather to his weapon.
Erlangs secondary weapon is a heavy ox tailed dao with a blue cord wrap for a grip. Mostly indiscernible from the dao favored by civilians. The only noteworthy feature is the blades edge, which has been gouged and chipped so often from use that is jokingly said to be more like a saw than a sword. Because his spear can only be used effectively outdoors Erlang with instead carry this sword when on cities or buildings.
Personality: “A cub in life, a tiger in war.” Erlang by nature is a shy and quiet person, preferring only to speak when spoken to or when giving orders. His new command position however has caused him to come out of his shell a bit as Tiger units rely on a strong bond. With strangers however his stoicism can sometimes be mistaken for rudeness. Erlang however is not immune to youthful angst and worries. He sometimes regrets his stoicism, especially in the present of women who can sometimes make him visibly awkward. Once a chubby child, Erlang puts effort into keeping himself in shape. He also a slight paranoia that he will lose his hair like his father (a point of humor for those close to him). In repose Erlang enjoys reading, often carrying a book with him while traveling. Though slow to anger, certain people can bring out the cynical side of him in a short time. At times he can be prone to brooding over his youth and current situations.
Erlang is most comfortable with his unofficial fiancée Mine, whom he is fiercely loyal to and deeply in love with. It’s often joked that the headstrong Mine wears the pants in the relationship. Erlang’s closest friends are his fellow cavalry members Baek and Gen
In battle Erlang can be called a whirlwind of violence. He seems to direct all his pent up frustrations, and anger become redirected into crushing his opponent with stoic aggression. When angry or feeling the lust for combat the look in his eyes changes to what Baek once described a ‘promise of death.’
Background: Erlang was born in the river town of Yangste, he is the oldest child of Madam Dhan and the only of her children fathered by Shen. He has two siblings, Nan whose is two years younger, and Hanya who is younger by ten years. Though the town was fairly prosperous Erlang’s family was among those on the lower rungs. While Erlang’s father was a former soldier forced to retire do to a disease of the mind, Nan and Hanya’s father was a criminal who spent half the time under lock and key and rarely visited his children when he was out. When Erlang’s father was forced to retire from the military he spent much time with his son and taught him both martial and domestic ways. When Erlang became older his father would allow him to help in the construction of the channels reinforcement banks along the Yellow River’s banks to prevent flooding in the rain season. As Erlang reached his early teens his fathers condition had continued to worsen to the point that he was no longer able to participate. Unfortunately, Erlang’s time with his dad became more and more restricted do to him being needed at home. It got to the point that when his fathers illness finally won out, it was 5 months before Erlang was informed.
Now a teenager Erlang began to resent his family. Hanya had been spoiled at the expanse of Erlang And Nan, he was a selfish brat in Erlang’s eyes. Nan however had taken to his fathers ways and had built his success on a foundation of theft and extortion, he was now a very high ranked official.
In his late teens the fire nation had begun showing interest in Yangtse. In an effort to distance himself from his family Erlang joined the towns militia and resumed his training in the martial arts. While protecting the town from the small groups of Fire Nation troops sent scout the area, Erlang showed himself to be a more than formidable warrior. He would always be at the front of the attack and the first to respond in defense of the town. His ferocity in battle once caused the militia leader Wu Yang to remark that Erlang was “a cub in life, a tiger in war.”
Wu Yang had become something of a father figure to Erlang during these short years and subtlety tried to keep him on the right track. One night while drinking Wu Yang reprimanded Erlang for the fact that he shunned higher learning and had until now only focused on martial arts. Erlang had responded, “I have no time for those things.” This angered Wu Yang who said, “I have fought in as many encounters than you and must keep our men ready, there is always time to learn… a man can never be strong if his mind is weak.” Erlang took this to heart and began to study between duties. Finding that he enjoyed reading and studying he soon became the equal of even the towns elders, he was particularly gifted in strategy.
This continued for over a year until Wu Yang got word that the fire nation had decided to quit toying around and take the town, they had sent a force far larger than before. But when they had mobilized and got in position to encounter them, no troops came. They scouted the areas bordering the town but there were no signs of any soldiers. Fearing a trick, the militia returned to Yangtse to find they’re town now flying the Fire Nations emblem. Nan’s influence over the town had grown, unknown to the townspeople and particularly the militia he had cooperated with the occupancy. Nan had spread the rumor of the attack with the intention of turning over the town. With his brother having convinced the towns people to surrender without a fight, militia men found themselves repelled from their own town. The leader of the occupancy in an attempt to pacify the people announced that if the soldiers would drop their weapons they would be accepted into the town and none of their families would be harmed. In the end, nearly all would return to there homes. Erlang however refused to return and left the town with only an ostrich horse (which would end up dying in one of Erlangs early cavarly battles) and a spear while Wu Yang decided to stay behind in hopes of taking the town back, unknown to Erlang this would lead to his imprisonment.
Deciding to travel to Ba Sing Ce with the hope of joining the main army, he traveling caused him to pass through a bamboo forest called the “Grove of Spears” after a legend about it’s origins. Halfway through Erlang encountered a group of soldiers led by the renowned general Zhao He. This was in fact the first and largest unit of the “Tiger Cavalry”. Long story short Erlang became a member of the first unit after a few weeks of training and combat tests that included mounted archery and dueling against fellow members. Impressing General Zhao with his ferocity in battle and his more recently honed strategic skills Erlang was taken on as Zhao’s second in command, In the case of Zhao He‘s death or incapacitation he would take over the first squad while one of the Tiger Generals would be chosen as the new main squad leader.
While serving as the divisions second in command Erlang befriended one of the divisions veteran members Baek, who was in fact a former second and the most experienced archer in the cavalry. Despite over a decade difference in their ages they became so close they were regarded as brothers. Baek would later introduce Erlang to his younger sister Mine whom he would eventually fall in love with, to Baek’s chagrin.
During an operation in conjunction with the third squad Erlang had warned of the possibility of ambush, the general ignored his advise and proceeded with his half of the plan. As Erlang had predicted the third squad was ambushed and it’s ranks reduced to less than a dozen. Erlang was praised for his insight and for it was given control of the third unit. This made him the youngest of the nine tiger generals at the age of twenty four. At Erlangs request Baek would join him in the third division, replacing the surviving lieutenant of the third division Gen. Despite the demotion the large man would display firm loyalty Erlang and become his most trusted subordinate behind Baek. The three would eventually swear an oath of brotherhood.
Unfortunately For Erlang the cavalry was beset with constant setbacks during his tenure. Almost simultaneously the fire nation was able buy the loyalty of one division captain while buying off men in two other divisions who killed their captains. The divisions that could not be corrupted were targeted by fire benders using information given by the traitors. In the resulting conflicts three of the divisions were killed to a man or scattered. The greatest blow to the cavalry came when Zhao He’s unit was captured by fire nation forces leaving the cavalry without a leader and only a fraction of their numbers leaving the groups future bleak.
While Erlang and his unit was able to evade the fire nations blitzkrieg against them they participated in a number of ill fated battles and suffered a number of critical defeats that would his thin his numbers until only the brothers remained. When news of the destruction, betrayal and capture of the cavalry units reached Erlang he was shocked, particularly at the arrest of his mentor Zhao He.
Though the Tiger Cavalry is in ruins Erlang now seeks to locate and release Zhao, as intelligence suggests he is still being held in the Earth Kingdom. Before he can do this however, he must return to Ba Sing Se to deliver on an unspoken promise to Mine.
Pets:
Name: Kweh
Species: Ostrich Horse
Gender: Unknown
Age: Undetermined
Appearance: Ostrich Horses are brown, bipedal, bird like creatures approximately ten feet tall. They have two toes facing forward and one facing backward. They have wide flat tails and short, stubby wings that are most likely incapable of flight. Their heads and necks are equine, but their mouths are avian. Ostrich Horses can also jump to extremely high levels and capable of running along vertical surfaces, even when carrying soldiers in full armor.
Kweh has rust colored feathers and like Erlang has a number of battle scars under its feathers, most notable is a fair sized gouge in it’s beak. Kweh’s saddle is augmented a number of straps and sheaths to secure the weapons used by the cavalry. When outfitted for combat Kweh bears armor similar to that worn by military ostrich horses. The armor is made of lighter materials and covers less surface area to reduce the load weight and preserve mobility and speed. All armor joints are lined with cloth to reduce noise.
Personality: Kweh is a surprisingly intelligent animal, seemingly capable of understanding basic human speech. Kweh has been trained to not be easily startled like others of it’s breed and even manages to display an almost lazy personality. Despite this Kweh is protective of it’s master and will attack any it feels threatens Erlang, even head butting an apparent bird spirit that once tried to finish Erlang off. Amusingly Kweh appears to listen to Mine more than Erlang to his chagrin and his friends amusement.
Sample RP: Erlang felt something impact his head causing him to open his eyes. When reality reasserted itself he felt Kweh pecking at the back of his head in an attempt to wake him up. ‘Uuugh’ was all he managed before exhaling and raising his head. Seeing it’s master not dead Kweh nuzzled Erlang with its beak. Patting it’s head he pushed himself up onto his knees. ‘How did I go down?’ he was asking himself when he grunted and pressed a hand below his left rib. He looked down where he was just laying and say a corresponding bloodstain.
‘Damn..’ He thought reaching up and tugging loose the knot securing his plates at the shoulder. When it came undone he pulled it away and eyed the several inch wide bloodstain on his shirt. Sometime ago a fire nation soldier had scored a lucky shot when his arrow had found its way between the plates of Erlang’s armor (he promptly killed him by nearly cutting him in half). It was in the later stages of healing before the fight, Erlang guessed that the final exertion had torn the wound open again.
With the fight resurfacing in his head he forced himself to his feet and eyed the era around him. With the light streaming through the trees he could see his spear in the brush. Approaching it he could see no small amount of dried blood on the blade and the ground around it. Mixed in freely with the blood were feathers.
‘They say any creature can become a spirit… when killed they reveal their identities.’ Baek’s words replayed in his head.
“Bastard, I should have brought you along..” he muttered while gripping his spear. He found some difficulty lifting it as his body was still shaking off the paralysis from being out, nearby his sword was also in the dirt. He secured both to Kweh’s saddle.
“Come on.. We‘ve got digging to do..”
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Group: Earth Kingdom Soldiers
Nation: Earth Kingdom
Bender?: No
Physical Appearance: Erlang stands at an average height of 5’7 but often appears taller do his stoic bearing (especially when on an ostrich horse). His deep-set eyes are a moss green that can seem either soft or unnaturally intense depending on his mood. Erlang has slightly peaked eyebrows of medium width that are slightly closer to each other than normal separated by less than an inch. Erlang has a strait nose and a wide chin usually darkened by a five o’clock shadow. He has slightly crooked teeth with prominent canines. His hair line is only slightly higher than normal and his bistre colored hair naturally thins towards the front (which he incorrectly believes is a sign of premature baldness )
Though not particularly muscular or ripped, military and training has left him with a well toned body with only a few remnants of the chubbiness of his earlier years. His shoulders are somewhat narrow and he has long arms in proportion to his mildly short legs. His martial lifestyle has caused him to acquire a fair assortment of scars, mostly thin slashing scars. The most noticeable of which is a scar starting in the center of his left cheek and ending underneath the tongue.
Clothing/Armor: Erlangs under layer of clothing consists of loose olive pants tucked into brown leather boots with yellow trimming, they are secured with ties on both sides and a moss green cloth wrap at the waist. His long sleeved charcoal-grey shirt is devoid of design has been repaired several times leaving several extra seams in the fabric. To keep his hair out of his eyes he wears a long tailed dark green bandana with yellow-gold edges to show his rank. When out of armor Erlang will wear a loose jacket resembling a haori, the jacket is made of a heavy and durable cloth dyed grey green, the bottom edge and sleeves are trimmed with large white triangles. Underneath his shirt is a complicated braid of two locks of hair called a ‘true lovers knot’ suspended by a thin but strong cord around his neck.
For armor he wears a lamellar breast plate secured on the shoulders by two yellow cords on each side, it is built primarily of three main plates (painted a leaf green shade) covering the chest and abdomen. Around the waist he wears the sand colored girdle identical to the worn by most Earth kingdom soldiers except that it is mountain style mail (interlocking pieces of metal named because the resemble the character for ‘mountain’). This same mail makes up the flexible armor flaps attached to the inside of the girdle and extending to just above the knee, protecting the front and sides of the thigh. This mountain style mail is used to protect the areas of the body most likely to be struck. To protect his hands he wears thick leather gloves with thin metal reinforcements on the back of the hand and forearm. Worn only in battle is a happuri style face guard that protects the forehead, and side portions of the face.
Weapons: Three-pointed double-edged spear. The shaft is six and a half feet long and made from a very durable wood. The blade is two inches wide at its base, it narrows very slightly for nine inches before it flares out into two separate points (resembling a fishtail). A thinner diamond shaped point extends from the center of the two flared points. The spearheads tang extends 2 thirds of the way down the shaft and is balanced by a diamond shaped counterweight. Below the blade are two feathers tied to the hilt in the cavalries tradition of honoring a lost mount by tying a feather to his weapon.
Erlangs secondary weapon is a heavy ox tailed dao with a blue cord wrap for a grip. Mostly indiscernible from the dao favored by civilians. The only noteworthy feature is the blades edge, which has been gouged and chipped so often from use that is jokingly said to be more like a saw than a sword. Because his spear can only be used effectively outdoors Erlang with instead carry this sword when on cities or buildings.
Personality: “A cub in life, a tiger in war.” Erlang by nature is a shy and quiet person, preferring only to speak when spoken to or when giving orders. His new command position however has caused him to come out of his shell a bit as Tiger units rely on a strong bond. With strangers however his stoicism can sometimes be mistaken for rudeness. Erlang however is not immune to youthful angst and worries. He sometimes regrets his stoicism, especially in the present of women who can sometimes make him visibly awkward. Once a chubby child, Erlang puts effort into keeping himself in shape. He also a slight paranoia that he will lose his hair like his father (a point of humor for those close to him). In repose Erlang enjoys reading, often carrying a book with him while traveling. Though slow to anger, certain people can bring out the cynical side of him in a short time. At times he can be prone to brooding over his youth and current situations.
Erlang is most comfortable with his unofficial fiancée Mine, whom he is fiercely loyal to and deeply in love with. It’s often joked that the headstrong Mine wears the pants in the relationship. Erlang’s closest friends are his fellow cavalry members Baek and Gen
In battle Erlang can be called a whirlwind of violence. He seems to direct all his pent up frustrations, and anger become redirected into crushing his opponent with stoic aggression. When angry or feeling the lust for combat the look in his eyes changes to what Baek once described a ‘promise of death.’
Background: Erlang was born in the river town of Yangste, he is the oldest child of Madam Dhan and the only of her children fathered by Shen. He has two siblings, Nan whose is two years younger, and Hanya who is younger by ten years. Though the town was fairly prosperous Erlang’s family was among those on the lower rungs. While Erlang’s father was a former soldier forced to retire do to a disease of the mind, Nan and Hanya’s father was a criminal who spent half the time under lock and key and rarely visited his children when he was out. When Erlang’s father was forced to retire from the military he spent much time with his son and taught him both martial and domestic ways. When Erlang became older his father would allow him to help in the construction of the channels reinforcement banks along the Yellow River’s banks to prevent flooding in the rain season. As Erlang reached his early teens his fathers condition had continued to worsen to the point that he was no longer able to participate. Unfortunately, Erlang’s time with his dad became more and more restricted do to him being needed at home. It got to the point that when his fathers illness finally won out, it was 5 months before Erlang was informed.
Now a teenager Erlang began to resent his family. Hanya had been spoiled at the expanse of Erlang And Nan, he was a selfish brat in Erlang’s eyes. Nan however had taken to his fathers ways and had built his success on a foundation of theft and extortion, he was now a very high ranked official.
In his late teens the fire nation had begun showing interest in Yangtse. In an effort to distance himself from his family Erlang joined the towns militia and resumed his training in the martial arts. While protecting the town from the small groups of Fire Nation troops sent scout the area, Erlang showed himself to be a more than formidable warrior. He would always be at the front of the attack and the first to respond in defense of the town. His ferocity in battle once caused the militia leader Wu Yang to remark that Erlang was “a cub in life, a tiger in war.”
Wu Yang had become something of a father figure to Erlang during these short years and subtlety tried to keep him on the right track. One night while drinking Wu Yang reprimanded Erlang for the fact that he shunned higher learning and had until now only focused on martial arts. Erlang had responded, “I have no time for those things.” This angered Wu Yang who said, “I have fought in as many encounters than you and must keep our men ready, there is always time to learn… a man can never be strong if his mind is weak.” Erlang took this to heart and began to study between duties. Finding that he enjoyed reading and studying he soon became the equal of even the towns elders, he was particularly gifted in strategy.
This continued for over a year until Wu Yang got word that the fire nation had decided to quit toying around and take the town, they had sent a force far larger than before. But when they had mobilized and got in position to encounter them, no troops came. They scouted the areas bordering the town but there were no signs of any soldiers. Fearing a trick, the militia returned to Yangtse to find they’re town now flying the Fire Nations emblem. Nan’s influence over the town had grown, unknown to the townspeople and particularly the militia he had cooperated with the occupancy. Nan had spread the rumor of the attack with the intention of turning over the town. With his brother having convinced the towns people to surrender without a fight, militia men found themselves repelled from their own town. The leader of the occupancy in an attempt to pacify the people announced that if the soldiers would drop their weapons they would be accepted into the town and none of their families would be harmed. In the end, nearly all would return to there homes. Erlang however refused to return and left the town with only an ostrich horse (which would end up dying in one of Erlangs early cavarly battles) and a spear while Wu Yang decided to stay behind in hopes of taking the town back, unknown to Erlang this would lead to his imprisonment.
Deciding to travel to Ba Sing Ce with the hope of joining the main army, he traveling caused him to pass through a bamboo forest called the “Grove of Spears” after a legend about it’s origins. Halfway through Erlang encountered a group of soldiers led by the renowned general Zhao He. This was in fact the first and largest unit of the “Tiger Cavalry”. Long story short Erlang became a member of the first unit after a few weeks of training and combat tests that included mounted archery and dueling against fellow members. Impressing General Zhao with his ferocity in battle and his more recently honed strategic skills Erlang was taken on as Zhao’s second in command, In the case of Zhao He‘s death or incapacitation he would take over the first squad while one of the Tiger Generals would be chosen as the new main squad leader.
While serving as the divisions second in command Erlang befriended one of the divisions veteran members Baek, who was in fact a former second and the most experienced archer in the cavalry. Despite over a decade difference in their ages they became so close they were regarded as brothers. Baek would later introduce Erlang to his younger sister Mine whom he would eventually fall in love with, to Baek’s chagrin.
During an operation in conjunction with the third squad Erlang had warned of the possibility of ambush, the general ignored his advise and proceeded with his half of the plan. As Erlang had predicted the third squad was ambushed and it’s ranks reduced to less than a dozen. Erlang was praised for his insight and for it was given control of the third unit. This made him the youngest of the nine tiger generals at the age of twenty four. At Erlangs request Baek would join him in the third division, replacing the surviving lieutenant of the third division Gen. Despite the demotion the large man would display firm loyalty Erlang and become his most trusted subordinate behind Baek. The three would eventually swear an oath of brotherhood.
Unfortunately For Erlang the cavalry was beset with constant setbacks during his tenure. Almost simultaneously the fire nation was able buy the loyalty of one division captain while buying off men in two other divisions who killed their captains. The divisions that could not be corrupted were targeted by fire benders using information given by the traitors. In the resulting conflicts three of the divisions were killed to a man or scattered. The greatest blow to the cavalry came when Zhao He’s unit was captured by fire nation forces leaving the cavalry without a leader and only a fraction of their numbers leaving the groups future bleak.
While Erlang and his unit was able to evade the fire nations blitzkrieg against them they participated in a number of ill fated battles and suffered a number of critical defeats that would his thin his numbers until only the brothers remained. When news of the destruction, betrayal and capture of the cavalry units reached Erlang he was shocked, particularly at the arrest of his mentor Zhao He.
Though the Tiger Cavalry is in ruins Erlang now seeks to locate and release Zhao, as intelligence suggests he is still being held in the Earth Kingdom. Before he can do this however, he must return to Ba Sing Se to deliver on an unspoken promise to Mine.
Pets:
Name: Kweh
Species: Ostrich Horse
Gender: Unknown
Age: Undetermined
Appearance: Ostrich Horses are brown, bipedal, bird like creatures approximately ten feet tall. They have two toes facing forward and one facing backward. They have wide flat tails and short, stubby wings that are most likely incapable of flight. Their heads and necks are equine, but their mouths are avian. Ostrich Horses can also jump to extremely high levels and capable of running along vertical surfaces, even when carrying soldiers in full armor.
Kweh has rust colored feathers and like Erlang has a number of battle scars under its feathers, most notable is a fair sized gouge in it’s beak. Kweh’s saddle is augmented a number of straps and sheaths to secure the weapons used by the cavalry. When outfitted for combat Kweh bears armor similar to that worn by military ostrich horses. The armor is made of lighter materials and covers less surface area to reduce the load weight and preserve mobility and speed. All armor joints are lined with cloth to reduce noise.
Personality: Kweh is a surprisingly intelligent animal, seemingly capable of understanding basic human speech. Kweh has been trained to not be easily startled like others of it’s breed and even manages to display an almost lazy personality. Despite this Kweh is protective of it’s master and will attack any it feels threatens Erlang, even head butting an apparent bird spirit that once tried to finish Erlang off. Amusingly Kweh appears to listen to Mine more than Erlang to his chagrin and his friends amusement.
Sample RP: Erlang felt something impact his head causing him to open his eyes. When reality reasserted itself he felt Kweh pecking at the back of his head in an attempt to wake him up. ‘Uuugh’ was all he managed before exhaling and raising his head. Seeing it’s master not dead Kweh nuzzled Erlang with its beak. Patting it’s head he pushed himself up onto his knees. ‘How did I go down?’ he was asking himself when he grunted and pressed a hand below his left rib. He looked down where he was just laying and say a corresponding bloodstain.
‘Damn..’ He thought reaching up and tugging loose the knot securing his plates at the shoulder. When it came undone he pulled it away and eyed the several inch wide bloodstain on his shirt. Sometime ago a fire nation soldier had scored a lucky shot when his arrow had found its way between the plates of Erlang’s armor (he promptly killed him by nearly cutting him in half). It was in the later stages of healing before the fight, Erlang guessed that the final exertion had torn the wound open again.
With the fight resurfacing in his head he forced himself to his feet and eyed the era around him. With the light streaming through the trees he could see his spear in the brush. Approaching it he could see no small amount of dried blood on the blade and the ground around it. Mixed in freely with the blood were feathers.
‘They say any creature can become a spirit… when killed they reveal their identities.’ Baek’s words replayed in his head.
“Bastard, I should have brought you along..” he muttered while gripping his spear. He found some difficulty lifting it as his body was still shaking off the paralysis from being out, nearby his sword was also in the dirt. He secured both to Kweh’s saddle.
“Come on.. We‘ve got digging to do..”