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Post by xiuzao on Jan 4, 2008 21:50:14 GMT -5
The day had so far been one long monotonous routine of the ordinary. There had been little traffic coming in and out of the city's harbor, and those ships that did come and go were nothing unusual. Just shipments of coal and a few boatloads of food. There weren't even new recruits to push around.
Xiuzao found herself in the middle of town walking out of a shop where she'd stopped to have a cup of tea. She had an hour or so left on her break and felt the need to stretch her legs after a long time of sitting on her jetski's seat. She was only a short walk from the Navy Yard and didn't feel like heading back just yet. The woman reached under the shawl that covered her shoulders and pinched at a small money pouch to confirm that she had a few silver pieces left. Perhaps there was something further in town that might catch her eye in a shop. It had been a while since she'd treated herself to anything besides an extra desert at the mess hall.
Xiuzao hefted the sheath on her back, adjusting her dadao so that it was a bit more comfortable, and then started off down the road. Her eyes were largely directed toward the buildings that lined the street on which she travelled, reading the occasional sign to see if there was any sort of store that caught her interest.
After a while of walking with nothing to show for it, the naval warrior was had circled around toward the docks when she heard a sudden unexpected outcry from someone else on the road.
"A DESERTER LIKE ME?"
Xiuzao's eyes swiveled immediately toward the man wearing a cloak who had shouted that incriminating statement. He was still going on some rant, apparently talking to some musician who was standing nearby. The woman slowed down and listened closely, hearing the boy pretty much hang himself with his words. Xiuzao glanced around her, looking for any other domestic soldiers that she could alert to the situation.
Protocol dictated that it was the jurisdiction of the city's security forces to deal with criminals on their streets, but there was no one else nearby. Even if she was a part of the Navy, Xiuzao figured she could probably get some kind of accomodation for bringing in a deserter. Reaching over her shoulder, Xiuzao pulled her dadao free of its sheath with the aid of its long handle.
She started towards the deserter, who had slumped against a tree. The soldier cast one last glance at the nearby musician, wondering how involved he was in this boy's treachary, before looking directly at the cloaked young man.
"Stay where you are," Xiuzao ordered him, pointing her sword at him from a few yards away. "You're under arrest."
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Post by azar on Jan 5, 2008 1:29:38 GMT -5
It surprised the sanxian player, to say the least. He now knew the cloaked fellow to have a mind of his own, a fire in his belly if you will, though his judgement seemed a bit skewed. Most of it seemed to be his own opinion, and part of it was just plain ridiculous. Honestly, he wanted little to do with Teiú at that moment. Azar could only shake his head as the young man walked away.
But things got a whole lot worse.
One of the nearby domestic guards, a woman whose eyes looked rather squinted, pointed her large sword at Teiú. Feeling his muscles tense up as she shouted, Azar turned his face to the guard right away in an attempt to look surprised. Acting the innocent bystander, he backed out of the way to allow ample room for the guard to apprehend Teiú. The deserter may have been mildly attractive in Azar's opinion, but he was ready to abandon whatever nonexistent loyalties he had.
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Post by Teiú on Jan 7, 2008 9:16:27 GMT -5
Teiú's childish rampant had brought unexpected consequences. A hard but still feminine voice came from behind. At the time Teiú raised from his place.
A woman, not much older than the deserter, was standing in front of the large tree holding the standard military dadao. Allowing a fast look at Azar he saw but a man pretending to not be aware of the situation.
A single soldier... By instinct Teiú landed hand upon the hilt of his MiaoDao. He could rather run to his ostrich-horse, hidden not much far from there, but his experience in the military base taught him not give the back to good soldiers.
After some time standing immobile, realizing what was happening, Teiú retrieved his senses. "I may not be arrested here... i may not..." Teiú suddenly spoke in a low tune, even surprising himself with his straight speech.
"It is not that you will understand but... Couldn't you pretend you hadn't saw me?" The deserter asked, making sure it wasn't to sound a beg. And, even so, Teiú's hand was still holding his MiaoDao...
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Post by xiuzao on Jan 7, 2008 16:00:14 GMT -5
The moment his hand moved toward his sword, Xiuzao dropped her stance a bit lower and brought her sword up into an ox guard. If the kid was foolish enough to try and fight his way out of this she'd have no problem taking him down. However, when he actually asked her if she could just walk away she had to work to keep from laughing.
"Not gonna happen," she replied, "Now drop your weapon, stand up, and put your hands against the tree." Xiuzao couldn't be entirely sure how good the young man was with the weapon he carried, but the fact that he even carried a sword suggested that he probably wasn't a bender. Otherwise she might have simply trailed the deserter while she found some back-up.
"You, musician," the soldier added after a moment. She wasn't even looking at the hefty man with the sanxian as she spoke. "Do your civic duty and find the nearest security personnel. Tell them I have a deserter cornered."
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Post by azar on Jan 7, 2008 16:59:38 GMT -5
Though his feigned ignorance seemed to convince the guard of his innocence, he still had to resist any nervous expressions with all his might. His lower lip trembled slightly in excitement, his brow glazed with perspiration. He knew Teiú's foolish rationalization would get him nowhere, but the guard did well to enforce her authority. Soon came a personal order from the woman, to which Azar listened intently.
"Got it," he replied to the domestic guard standing yards away, then bolted in the opposite direction as Teiú as fast as his stocky legs could take him. He was quite relieved that the guard didn't accuse him of anything, but he couldn't allow those thoughts to slow him down. Racing away from the confrontation, the musician sought out the nearest thing that resembled a guard, all while thinking to himself what a fool Teiú had turned out to be. Truly, he was glad not to have in the same situation.
Soon, he saw a well-built male domestic guard who looked to be in his early twenties. Mentally slapping himself across the face, he tried not to stare at the young man like a lovesick teenager as he shouted to him. "Excuse me! Officer?!"
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Post by Teiú on Jan 8, 2008 8:50:28 GMT -5
The woman was not going to leave the deserter walk away, that was clear. For a matter of seconds Teiú couldn't avoid having the thought that if he hadn't put a coin in the musician's bowl this situation could have not happened.
When the bard broke away from the scene Teiú's heart started pumping strongly again. Holding himself the firebender started to consider his options. He could run away and try to take the mount and flee, but doubtfully he would manage to do it faster than the guard. Being arrested was not an alternative. His sole option now was to stand against the soldier and try to knock her down before the arrival of reinforcements.
"Ok, for your foolishness you have to pay Teiú..." Thought the ex-soldier "...how are you going to get out of this?". For the few moments that the woman spent to give orders to the musician and to examine the deserter, Teiú started trying to formulate a plan to get the soldier down. The large sword being hold by the girl informed that she could be very good at it since it was not much common to see non-bender woman warriors.
And then a light stroke him for good "But wait... the average soldiers who carry any type of sword or spear are often non-benders... thats why i don't have the standard dadao of the recruits..." Teiú considered. "Then it is settled, i have a plan." he thought.
His heart beating hard inside the cage Teiú directed his voice to Xiuzao. "Then, if you are not going to let me leave, you will need to get me". At this point Teiú bended his knees, holding the MiaoDao with his right hand and placing the left hand in front of his face. Then, still in the stance and facing the soldier, Teiú started to move, slowly, to the woods behind him...
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Post by xiuzao on Jan 10, 2008 20:39:53 GMT -5
The deserter's reaction was not quite what Xiuzao had expected. Most people, when in such a disadvantaged position would either think to break into a run or try and counter attack. The soldier wasn't sure what the young man hoped to accomplish by slowly getting to his feet with a hand over his face. But regardless of what the man was planning, she already had her mind decided on what to do.
At the irst hint of movement, she swiveled her sword down so that it was hanging low on her right side. The deserter still had a hand on his sword, so she was preparing to stop a cut if he decided to swipe at her from the blade's scabbard. Xiuzao took a lunging tep forward, attempting to close the distance between them before he could get enough room to move around. She also extended her left hand in an attempt to grab him by the front of his cloak. If she could subdue him without killing him, that would probably be best.
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Post by azar on Jan 13, 2008 18:53:58 GMT -5
"Over here! This way!"
Azar shouted to the guard, leading him in the mad dash toward that foolish deserter. Barrelling down the city streets, it was rather unfortunate that the musician had to lead the way. With short and stumpy legs, he wasn't at all build for speed, and would likely be tired out before the hurried rush toward their destination had ended. Fortunately, the domestic guard noted this and had already surpassed Azar, presuming where the musician would lead him.
But the pair appeared in plain sight soon enough. Seeing the female guard draw her sword and Teiú in some absurd stance, it was likely a fight would sprout from the circumstances. The guard he led had ran up near his female peer and drew his sword, but Azar took to lumbering nearby a cluster of crates and barrels. With a reddened face and heavy breath, there was no question that the musician needed to catch his breath. Thus, he propped himself against a barrel and put his hand on his forehead. Despite the unlikelyhood of anyone giving ear, he muttered quietly; "I'm just gonna rest for a second..."
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Post by Teiú on Jan 15, 2008 9:07:26 GMT -5
Xiuzao advanced. As Teiú planned the soldier was well guarded against a sword attack... but not against a firebend attack.
Teiú's strategy came to action. As the female soldier stepped forward Teiú stopped moving. Then, catching a deep breath Teiú widened his legs in his stance and, as he exhaled, he moved. Teiú took his right hand from the MiaoDao's hilt without, however, taking the sword and, in a straight punch, the deserter produced a compact fireball, aiming to Xiuzao's chest.
Judging that, carried by her own momentum, Xiuzao was not going to avoid the fast attack, Teiú pondered that the fireball could explode in Xiuzao's chest throwing her backward or knocking she down. It would buy the deserter some precious minutes.
But even so Teiú had a plan B. Teiú's left hand, that was some inches in front of his face -the palm turned to Xiuzao-, came to the sword's hilt at the moment the right hand advanced. If, by any chance, Xiuzao avoided the move or just kept going in her attack Teiú could protect himself with his own sword.
At the time, a new soldier arrived the place, guided by Azar... Things were starting getting messy...
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Post by xiuzao on Jan 15, 2008 12:11:21 GMT -5
Xiuzao had previously concluded from the deserter's appearance that he was most likely not a bender...
She was wrong.
The sudden flash of light was her only warning of the surprise attack, but the only real reaction she could manage was pulling back her left arm to cover her face. The burst of fire hit her square in the chest, which was luckily covered by her heavy shawl. Still, the flames licked at her exposed skin and cynged the bottom of her chin. The force of the impact stopped her charge dead in its track and toppled her backward slightly.
Still reeling from the surprise, she lost her balance and fell onto her rump though she still managed to keep herself upright. Xiuzao dropped her sword beside her for a moment and furiously patted at her chest to smother a few embers that remained.
Meanwhile, the other soldier that Azar had gone to fetch had slowed down slightly in his charge. The realization that the young man they were after was a bender made him concerned for his safety. Instead, he stayed a safe distance back and shouted at the cloaked traveler, "Stay where you are!"
Without waiting for a response, he then reached into the front of his shirt and pulled out a whistle that hung on a thin rope. He took in a deep breath and blew a loud, ringing note. Any other officers in the area would hopefully be there shortly to help.
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Post by Teiú on Jan 21, 2008 10:40:23 GMT -5
Teiú was surprised that the soldier he just attacked with a fireball held on her own. But, as she tried to straight herself up, Teiú realized, she was a bit shaken indeed. Now he had but a few seconds to get rid of the second soldier and flee.
As he turned to the new come warrior this shouted the same thing Teiú heard from Xiuzao some moments before. But when the soldier gave up of a chase to reach his whistle Teiú saw the perfect opportunity.
As his foe used his instrument Teiú started to run as a bolt. His ostrich horse was not far and, as soon as Teiú reached it, he threw the food sacks over the animal and cut the rope, with a single blow of his sword, that was holding the mount. When the deserter got over the ostrich-horse he made it run straight, to the opposite direction he arrived at the town.
Teiú just hoped for no delays on this escape...
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Post by xiuzao on Jan 26, 2008 0:01:02 GMT -5
Xiuzao scrambled to get to her feet and brought her sword in front of her once more. Her face was red, mostly from the anger of being shown up by the firebending Deserter. As the young man made a run for it, she immediately started after him. As she ran, the other soldier caught her by the arm and hastily asked, "Are you all right?"
"Fine!" she spat back and yanked her arm out of his grip. "Get backup, I'll follow him." The other soldier nodded quickly and tossed her his whistle.
"Sound off to let us know where he's going," he explained.
"Right," Xiuzao replied and started off at a run after the cloaked firebender. She was in good shape, but the deserter seemed to have her beat in a footrace. Regardless, she kept on his trail, occasionally blowing a shrill blast on the whistle to alert any other soldiers of where he was heading.
Before long, she followed him all the way to the outskirts of the town and saw him hop onto a waiting ostrick-horse. Xiuzao blew hard on the whistle multiple times to try and stress the urgency in her signal and then shouted at the deserter as he cut the rope. "Get back here you coward!" she screamed, hoisting her sword over her head as she watched him start to ride off. The naval warrior was enfuriated by the sight of the traitor getting away. Not even for his self-alledged crimes, but for the simple fact that she felt he'd gotten the better of her in their encounter.
For several seconds Xiuzao followed him and then came to a stop. She was breathing deeply, but after several more seconds she heard the sound of thundering feet. Stepping back and turning around, Xiuzao saw a pair of komodo rhino charging down the street. She blew her whistle one more time and then pointed down the road toward the fleeing ostrich-horse. The rhinos gave chase, but from this point on there wasn't much left for her to do.
Xiuzao caught her breath and then started back into the town. She still needed to get back to the docks before her superiors noticed she was running late.
[Xiuzao has left the RP]
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Post by azar on Jan 31, 2008 16:09:31 GMT -5
Azar chuckled at the cruel consequences. He was certain that was the last of Teiú he would see, that the fool would be carted off to some prison as soon as possible. That, or he would face execution. The musician couldn't care less. It was his own fault for deserting the most powerful military in the world, proverbially spitting in the Fire Lord's face. More officers followed that solitary woman, raising an awful ruckus, but he knew it was all for the greater good.
Contemplating such justice with a smirk on his face, Azar walked away from the fray. A short and leisurely walk brought him to a more crowded area, much like the one where he first met the deserter. There, he sat, placed his wooden bowl before himself, then took out his sanxian. Plucking the strings, he started to play a slow melody. But, as thoughts of Teiú entered his mind, he couldn't help but whisper to himself.
"Idiot..."
~This thread has left Azar~
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Post by Teiú on Feb 2, 2008 15:14:55 GMT -5
The last words of Xiuzao reached Teiú before the deserter could escape from the scene. Looks like things were going to be fine now. "Coward?" Teiú thought "Guess not coward enough to avoid a fight against the Fire Nation..." A thought about Azar filled Teiú's mind at the time. The fact that the musician showed such anger and dislike for Teiú, when this told he was a deserter, was something very strong to Teiú bear at once. But Teiú realized that the musician was right, in his own way of seeing the world. Teiú could remember how he was raised, the Fire Nation used schools, temples, public places, museums and others alike to manipulate people. Azar should probably love his country, as so his Fire Lord. But these thoughts served only to make Teiú feel more confident in his stance, against his country. Then, from far, Teiú recognized the loud sound of charging khomodo-rhinos. As the deserter reached the road a bifurcation stood in the way. A smile came across Teiú's face when he saw a stake holding two boards. It could be read "Sun Sei" on the board at the left and "Lun Yang" on the board to the right. The floor of the place was pure barren and the marks of the ostrich-horse could be detected. Teiú took the road to Sun Sei, the deserter was going to wait for a rain to cover his track or a grass field that he could cross without leaving a trail. Even knowing that he was being chased the deserter's confidence was not shaken. His animal was rested and the deserter got plenty of food. (Teiú leaves to: The Kite Festival) |
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