[IC] A Hero Tale {Complete}

[tex]

Ross shook his head and smiled to himself. So that's how it was? Of course he'd have trouble dealing with it, and with himself. Ross' head bounced lightly, and he looked back to Bruce, before leading him deeper into the courtyard. "Better to keep walkin' otherwise words start to get stale," He mumbled, just loudly enough for Bruce to hear, "How'd she die?" Ross assumed, keeping his head facing frontwards as they paced along the well-kept stone path. Ross was never one for beating around the bush, or any level of tact, really. But that didn't make him a giant idiot, or an unfeeling bundle of sticks and stones, either.

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce walked after Ross, the floodgates that he'd maintained around the subject gradually cracking. The truth leaked, then flowed, threatening to crash down in a wave that might ruin the stoic barrier between the world and his emotions he'd built.
"I wasn't there when they first appeared. I think I was working, or whittling... It wasn't even important. All I remeber for certain is that I was eager. A ceremony had been scheduled, and we were both-"
Bruce cleared his throat, digressing from that part of the story.
"I noticed the fires first. I ran past others who fled in the other direction, shouting warnings. When I got to the house, she was..."
Bruce heaved a shaky sigh, pinching his eyes shut.
"They were gathered around her, and her dress had been torn... She wasn't screaming. I could see the tears on her face, but if anything, she seethed at them. Her father, who'd passed away only months before, was an old soldier, but made it a principal rule that his life as a warrior and as a father would not overlap. There were no weapons in the house, only his old sheath for his blade. One of them passed a filthy hand over her face, and she bit into his fingers as hard as she could. I took hold of the first chair I saw and managed to break it over someone's head before they were on me. I was still on the ground when I heard her cries cut short- her neck was broken."
Bruce gripped the sheath at his waist, biting his lower lip to keep it from trembling.
"I didn't know magic at the time. I had only just discovered Ki, and only practiced it for minutes a day in secret, because her father had discouraged seeking out mastery of it for the fact that it inevitably led to trouble. I swear I did everything I knew to bring pain back to the nameless monsters, but they grew tired of me and put me down. They left to join others in attacking the rest of the village. I don't know why they didn't bother to end my life. I would have laid there rather than confront her face staring up at me again, but I heard my little brother's voice- hoarse, and broken, but I heard it from the next room."
A definite wavering broke through Bruce's dam and found its way into his voice.
"He was crawling toward the door with one arm and a broken ankle, asking for his sister. I stopped him just before he turned the corner that lay between him and her body. 'It hurts,' he said, once he realized who I was. His constitution had never been more than average, and blood trailed in creeping puddles from where his right arm had been severed. He begged me to bring him to his sister so she could make it better." Bruce inhaled through his nose. "I assured him, repeatedly, that if he could just fall asleep, everything would be better when he woke up. His sister would be there, I told him. I could have done something- I might have been able to save others by helping them run if I'd left him. But I couldn't save him. And though it was more likely a minute or two at most I sat there before he closed his eyes, it felt like days." Bruce finished, grateful for the movement of his body that might otherwise be on the ground for all the weight of long repressed feelings coursing through him.
"I swore then that I'd never make another promise I couldn't make good on." Bruce whispered.

[tex]

Ross walked ahead, quietly listening as Bruce went on about whatever event had taken place regarding his loved ones. Bizarre, that everyone had a stake in this war, except for Bruce. Yet, he'd gone through the same kind of suffering. Maybe it wasn't so bizarre? Where they came from, and who bestowed such profound suffering upon them, didn't matter. They'd all lost something. Ross began to chuckle.

"You 'aint too in touch with yerself, are ya?" Ross quipped, mocking Bruce's emotional response to his own story. "Like a wee'babe, gettin' all fucked up over just the thought of some girl and her kid brother. It's a tad pathetic, y'know?" Brash, and with no Tact, Ross shifted gears until his approach was littered with sheer offence. He turned around and face Bruce, stopping their stroll a bit short of the path's end. Had he lost it?

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce's forward foot skid against the dirt to a halt. His body went rigid. Cords of muscle in his neck pulsed, and contrary to expectations, he smiled. It wasn't humorous, nor good natured. It was the sort only intended to bare his teeth.
"Tell me Ross," he said, his voice dangerously calm and cold. "What exactly do you aim to test here, with all this?"
Bruce's Ki flashed, the form of his three most familiar weapons flickering like dying lights.
"My dedication to the cause and this guild? My capacity to retain my senses on the battlefield? Or," Bruce drawled, digging his toe past the sole of his sandal into the dirt. "Perhaps you were told by Luke of my performance earlier and want to determine whether I'm capable of adopting any other style of fighting?"
Bruce knew in the back of his mind that his questions weren't likely to be at all accurate. But beneath the veneer of calm exuded by his half-lidded eyes, he was livid.
"If the latter, you'll be glad to know that the mantra I adopted throughout the severe learning curve I put myself through after that went like so:" Bruce said, a column of earth shooting up from the ground and spiraling back around in a loop such that when it leveled out, it was at face height.
"Everything is a weapon."
Bruce chuckled darkly. It was cut short by the fist-sized apex of the column smacking him across the face. His neck snapped to the right, and a little blood fell from his face. When he turned his neck back to face Ross, the pulsing muscles had cooled and he made no motion to wipe the blood from his face.

[tex]

"There you go again," Ross snapped, stepping away as Bruce felt the sting of his own element strike him across the cheek, "I'm not testin' none of that horse radish, I'm making an observation of yer temperament. Goin' on, making rash decisions, pushin' down a creepin' darkness that you've done little about, what kind of way of livin' is that?" Ross summoned his earth-render beneath the palm of his hand in a flash of light that coursed down into the ground, leaving the massive great sword half-embedded in the earth below them. "When's the last time ya had yourself a good cry, Bruce?"

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce's column crumbled. He stared straight toward Ross, but wasn't looking at him. He was vaguely aware that the earth responded to being stabbed with a giant blade, but it didn't impress upon him. His eyes stung. Clinging to that feeling, he thought back. He'd come close once that he could remember. Other nights were spent learning to appreciate greater quantities of liquor in the drinks he concocted.
Had he cried when he went behind the house to dig their graves? When the neighbors called him away to help with damage control? After the burials? Realizing that his home had died with them? Taking the empty sheath? That first night sleeping in the darkness? His first kill?
"I certainly shed a tear in my adolescence," Bruce said, his voice hollow, only replying to the question rather than the sentiment behind it. "I cannot remember."
A self-deprecating smile played on his face- living life had not been high on his list of priorities for years.

[tex]

Ross sighed and looked down at where his blade met the earth. "Ki is the blood of all life, and it's controlled by the flow of our emotions. A fickle person can't control the mood swings they go through, and that makes 'em a bad candidate for Ki control. But the complete opposite, although focused, can't even hope to scratch the surface of their own potential," He said sombrely, letting go of his blade's handle. "I was the last to escape Gaia's holy Terra when the reckoning of our people happened. I had to watch as my family and friends killed each other through a warped will, put into place by that mischievous, conniving little cunt Adarine. You think I just bottled that up and forgot it ever happened, or pretend like I'm just ok now? I still get upset over that kind of shit to this day, I'm upset about it right now! It's already broken me apart, and I didn't fuckin' resist it, because it's exactly how I should feel. Nothing can ever change the fact that my sister's dead, and nobody can bring Lark back from beyond this world. I've accepted that, and I've accepted that it wasn't my fault." Ross paused lowered the palm of his hand to sit level, just above his diaphragm, and over his heart.

"Everything can be used as a weapon, but life isn't just about swords, guns, and rocks, and you're not gonna benefit from cuttin' yourself up, right here. Bad stuff's inside of- Well, it's a part of ya. Burying it doesn't just seal off your potential, it fucks with your thoughts and turns you into a chaotic time bomb." Ross rose his hand up to his head and tapped on his temple.

"I get it, I think. You're just keepin' your body in order. But that kind of order breeds all sorts of chaos. Order through chaos is.." Ross stopped himself, and let the phrase speak for itself. The enemy they'd been fighting had found roots within their ranks already, without lifting a finger.

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce began to open his mouth to respond, paused midway, then closed it again. He wanted to ask what Ross' discourse amounted to in practical terms. He wanted to know how to apply them to his training, to grow stronger.
But of course, that was just a symptom of the problem that had brought Ross to call for him. There weren't practical, concrete rules to follow for balancing rampant emotions when someone inevitably encountered them, and even if there were, they would need to be tailored to each individual. No one else would be able to answer that for him.
"I think I understand now." Bruce said, allowing his gaze to wander. Warmth from the sun beamed upon him, and for the first time in a while, he noticed. He took in, once again, the scale of the guild, and remembered all over that he belonged somewhere.
Chaos within order... Truthfully, Bruce had carried two physical reminders of what he'd lost with him at every moment. He'd never thought much about the reason- it had just felt natural. But self-reproach had also become natural to him, even when it wasn't warranted. Perhaps having a concrete reason to be alive after such a long time had triggered the deterioration of his own internal schism. Instead of locking it down to prevent further outbreak, he had to resolve it.

[tex]

Ross nodded and muttered 'yeah' under his breath, walking back towards the guild hall. "That aside, y'aint in a bad place to build towards an even more formidable strength. Jenso will be a good influence on you, kid. I suggest you spend some more time around him when you're able, even during these trying times. Focus on the practical aspects of Ki control on your own. It'll get easier as you.. Well, even yourself out," Ross said quietly. The large man turned back towards where he left his sword and pointed towards it. "See that?" He asked, his hand extended casually. "That's my weapon, still stable despite the fact that I haven't touched it in at least 12 seconds. And it'll stay like that for a good hour, unless somebody tries to break it, or I dispel it."

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce heard Ross' instructions, and he registered his meaning. However, the external motivation by example through the blade was, ultimately, unnecessary. Bruce already had the drive to get stronger and improve his mastery over Ki. Seeing the potential results of coming to terms with his emotions only served to bolster his resolve.
Bruce didn't follow Ross right away. He thought on what first step he might take toward, as Ross said, evening himself out. A soft breeze brought his answer.
He tugged at his ponytail, until his hair fell back to his shoulder blades in a black mane. He held the hair tie, one made for him to wear on the day of the ceremony, in his hand.
'I hate wearing this.' Bruce thought, recalling saying those exact words to Lucille when she made it for him. He twined it between his fingers, then rolled it over his knuckles onto his wrist- it was a small gesture, but a symbolic change from constant penance to sacred memory. That done, he strolled slowly after Ross.
For once, his pace wasn't dictated by cold calculation, nor caution- he just wanted to enjoy being outdoors for a minute longer.
"I'll keep that in mind." Bruce said.

[tex]

The titanic man dispelled his blade and smirked at Bruce's gesture. It wasn't exactly shaking the earth, but it was a start. "Now then," He started, "Let me tell you a thing or two about the earth."

---

~ End Of Chapter 145 ~

[tex]

~ Chapter 146 ~

_{Order Of Chaos 101: Shaidra}

Geode waited patiently as everyone took their seats within his chamber. "About time," He moaned irritably, "Today we'll be talking about Shaidra, the little wraith, and effective escape artist of the order.." Nexus paused, and shook a thought for his head before continuing. "Before I review what I know, Jenso, I have to ask you... Is Alvios faring any better? He hasn't had a chance to share with me his information regarding Shaidra in more detail since his accident."

[Jensoman]

Jenso turned to Geode and frowned. "He's in stable condition now, but he's still feeling pretty weak. It'll take him a little while before he'll recover completely." He stated, with a small smirk on his face. "At least he's no longer in any critical condition." He admitted in a relieved tone.

[tex]

"Hm. I suppose I'll have to speak with him afterwards, and have Mikey bring up any sidling ideas at tomorrow meeting. It's fine," Geode said, turning back to look at everyone present. "Anyways, let us proceed. Shaidra..."

"In terms of similarity to my own use of the void, Shaidra fits the bill perfectly. That is to say, she may be capable of everything I am, and more. Based on what I've seen, she might even be a sheer creation of void energy, something which, despite my best efforts, I am not. As such, she has no Ki, or arcane energy. This is an oddity, to say the least. Void energy usually burns out in a universe if it is not hosted by Ki or arcane energy. It acts like a parasite in individuals like me, turning Ki and arcane energy into totally new forms of energy that do not adhere to the normal rules of how magic works. This is how all of the order members function, to my knowledge, assuming my hypothesis is correct. Knowing this, Shaidra's existence should be impossible. I've never met a creature of pure void energy existing within a universe, rather, that has only occurred in void pockets, much like what Jenso experienced when he died in Feralda, facing off against a strange creature, which was likely a creation of pure void as well. If this is true, then I may actually know a great deal of what she is capable of, already..." Geode paused and looked at his hand. "Hmm.."

"Void energy consumes all. Know this first and foremost. It will try to eat away at Ki and arcane energy until it burns itself out. Usually, large sources of energy can resist it for a long time, meaning that a strike from her will not result in the immediate death that the child from Alvios' home town was victim to. But, when infected, you will be completely incapable of manifesting Ki or Arcane abilities until it is purged from your body. Attempting to do so in great amount while infected, may purge the infection, but it will also damage your Arcane network and soul severely. This is to be acknowledged. If you ignore this, you will likely die. Following this, Void energy completely annihilates arcane energy at a 100 to 1 ratio. Arcane abilities will likely have no effect on Shaidra at all. Arki might, but Ki is your best option. Void and Ki trade evenly, and sometimes, Ki can have the advantage. The biggest advantage I've seen, is a 10 to 1 ration, with Ki coming out as the winner. This may be something that Alvios can take advantage of, and possible, Jenso as well. Jeff and Bruce will have the hardest time dealing with Shaidra. Jeff in particular, might not be able to hurt her at all with his weaker form of Ki. Despite her small size and animal like behaviour, she may be even more durable than even Rajaka." Geode paused on that statement. More durable than Rajaka? That little monster? "Of course, this strength also comes with a great weakness. From all reports I've received, she appears to be barely sentient, almost like a pet. That, as Yzeira has shown a great amount of value in her. They may be because she is the only Order member to have received nearly mortal damage, but we can't know for sure. Prisma's death did not warrant any reaction in him whatsoever. So... I'm at a loss, there."

"The abilities Shaidra has shown, are very few in number. She is fast, she is unpredictable, and she can teleport in and out of our reality in an instant. Combine that with her durability, and capability to eat through most ranged attacks and matter with ease, and she becomes a ridiculous target to actually harm. However, despite her astronomical defences, her actual stamina and durability behind these factors seems minimal. A single Sword attack from Alvios, albeit likely empowered by his Ki without his knowing, was enough to incapacitate her indefinitely. If a single strike lands, Shaidra may be finished. But, since she is an animal, as far as we know, she will likely not hesitate to run if put in danger. If she does this, we will not be able to chase her. Additionally, she can pull targets into her dimension if they are not on alert, making it crucial that we stay alert at all times. Even now." Geode pointed up, down, and all around. "She has the capability to teleport into this very room, and steal us away one by one. She likely hasn't done so, because she has not been ordered to do so. Something else about Shaidra, is that she appears to be relatively harmless if unprovoked. At least, she shows no intent to harm." Geode sighed. "Now, the other things she may be capable are as follows. Vacuum-like abilities, gravity manipulation, time control, and even immortality if her soul is not completely destroyed." Geode grunted. "Despite appearing as one of the weaker members, Shaidra might pose an even greater threat than even Yzeira if she is not taken care of quickly."

"I have not been able to concoct any strategies. Seeing how she is extremely mobile, a 1v1 situation might be our best option. But, seeing how Alvios would be the only candidate for such a task, I believe discussing it in detail would be pointless, right now. So, I turn to you. Has anyone a thought on this conundrum?"

[Jensoman]

Jenso frowned. "I haven't seen her do much, besides teleporting in and out of places, and using her powers to warp one of Dacer's arrows away, probably to her dimension...with her vacuum-powers, I guess, and launch it back at him. I don't have the slightest clue how her personality is, and how she tends to act during combat...since she never actually fought me before. Sorry...but I don't have much to add here. If she's that tenacious and mobile though, I guess trying to trick her and catching her off-guard somehow to land one powerful hit would be our best bet. Limiting her range of movement somehow might also be helpful, though probably not as much considering she can just teleport out of harm's way." Jenso spoke, overthinking the matter some more. Alvios did have some clever tricks up his sleeve with his various light techniques and had great offensive Ki capabilities, so he agreed that he would be the best chance at defeating Shaidra.

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce tugged at the hair tie on his wrist- he wasn't fond of the idea that separation from the group was apparently becoming a greater possibility with every briefing.
"If Geode's information about her animal-like behavior can be trusted, then she won't actually seek us out unless Yzeira orders her to. On the off-chance we encounter her, we should only strike first if we can be reasonably confident that a single blow will do the job." Bruce said. He didn't like it, but those were the facts, meaning that as far as ideal scenarios against Shaidra were concerned, he and Jeff were out.
"If the wrong people see her first, and she doesn't attack, we'll try to avoid provoking her."

[Necrophage]

"Slow, powerful attacks are out of the question. That would make me the least ideal for fighting her. A fight with Shaidra seems like one of the few matchups that could end favorably when we pit speed and precision against her. That means the most appropriate fighters to challenge her would be Alvios since he's done it before, Bruce if he's good with a weapon and Jenso for his regrettable yet effective recklessness." Oz shot a grin at Jenso. "Don't take it as an insult, it works sometimes."

"With strengths in mind we may need to think about matchups for every member of the Order. As well as decide who we can or cannot attempt solo fights against. If Shaidra does indeed act like some kind of void predator it's likely she'll retreat if faced with more than one foe. We'll likely need to give her a one on one fight and hit her hard and fast so she cannot take advantage of her abilities. Even if she does not die from such a blow it will weaken the Order if she is wounded for the duration of the battle.

[tex]

"It is more likely than not that we will have very few chances to even fight in encounters that allows for multiple trumps Versus a single Order member if they feel threatened at all," Geode cut in, "Planning for a series of one on one encounters would be for the best. That being said, I will be leaving you here to continue this discussion. I must speak with Alvios, now." With that, Geode left the room, cutting the group discussion short. "You don't have to stay in here. In fact, I would prefer you didn't," He tacked on.

---

~ End Of Chapter 146 ~

[tex]

~ Chapter 147 ~

_{The Fourth Day Dawns}

The morning meeting was filled with grief. Information regarding training and strategy was sparse, and Mikey seemed overwhelmed, despite how well certain lessons had been going. According to Luke, he'd been able to instil a better understanding on strategy in each trump, but they hadn't been able to work as a team yet. That was today's lesson, actually. Luke was looking forward to it.

As for energy control? There was no real time to gauge it properly. Mikey trusted that the mentors provided were doing a fine job. He'd met with each trump on several occasions for a few minutes, but wasn't able to get much more information than he'd initially explained across to them. Despite his intelligence, he wasn't a very good teacher. Ross and Luke had to substitute, there.

Now was not the time to worry about any of that, though. Luke waited in the training arena, atop the floating disk, for Jeff, Jenso and Oz, to arrived for their first session of team training. Bruce was busy elsewhere with Ross, and would have to rejoin them later in the day. It seemed the gaian giant was rather insistent on letting him have some more time out in the courtyard.

[Jensoman]

Jenso walked up towards the arena. In his spare time, he'd been practising the composition of the Arki that he used around his fists, like the technique that Mikey had demonstrated on Ross a while ago while keeping many of Luke's fighting styles within his mind. The more he could learn and get stronger, the better. He looked up at the platform as a burst of flames erupted from his feet. He landed in front of Luke. "Here I am, dad!" He sung happily. He was glad to see his father again, despite the tense atmosphere that floated around at times.