Richard was sat cross legged atop a tree stump in the dead centre of Finnek Forest. Miles from the academy, miles from the city and quite well off the beaten path. Not only was he sat atop this stump; the young man was bound in black chains, but these were not any old chains. These were the chains of his own weapon, his extending kusarigama, both of it's blades dug into the stump before his feet. His skin looked clean, save for a bad case of stubble, it didn't look as though he had been beaten down and left for dead. In fact he... he almost looked at pea-
There was a crackling from the bushes to his right and he was suddenly awoken, he had in fact been sleeping... he had not achieved nirvana, not even in his dreams. He immediately went to stretch but found his arms bound, there was no look of surprise in his eyes but that of initial anger... before a begrudging attempting to dull it. He heaved deep breaths, extending his claws with the inward... and retracting them with the outward. Extending them with the inward... and retracting them with the outward. From those bushes a simple bird flew, it looked to be a crow but, had it been something bigger, Richard would have revealed his position to the enemy.
He watched the black-bird soar off into the blue sky, cloudless... by the sun's position it must have been nearing midday. If it took such then Richard would sit here until the dead of night, perhaps even beyond. He had a problem, a problem no amount of dust honing or weapon practice would alleviate. Richard had a temper. Richard had always had a temper. He liked to blame it on forrest fires, other people's incompetence, anything but himself. Long ago he had refused himself the positive emotions, it was high time to refuse himself the negative as well. After all they were so deadly in this line of work; any rookie could slip up and get mad at themselves. End up mauled by Ursa Minor, even Creeps and Beowulf. His claws had stoped shifting, he breathed in through his nose... and out through his mouth.
Five hours ago Richard had orchestrated this whole scenario. He had his pet, Sanzaru, bind him in his own chains and affix him to this tree-stump. The chimp had been ordered not to return to the next day, though Richard doubted the monkey could muster such a will... he was far too soft. He'd cave and ruin thi-
Richard resumed his deep breaths, attempting... attempting to find peace within the blue forrest. Bright blue sky above and dark blue grass bellow. Plump little birds floating in the air, mushrooms growing from the base of tree-stumps and the beginnings of the beginnings of what would eventually be nuts and berries. He was in a small clearing the area's shape was not dissimilar to that of ketchup squeezed on the side of a plate. Circular, but not too circular; certainly lopsided. Probably perfect for dipping some chips into or some onion-
Richard's stomach roared and he joined it, claws unsheathing from their position tied behind his back! His teeth ground together as he wriggled, daggers in his eyes and and brows furrowed to sharpen.
Heaving a deep breath he went on to shout; "This is impossible! Why would I EVER have thought to... Graaaah..."
The sound echoed through the forrest but his rage boiled over quite quickly, he heaved deep breaths; wrapped from waist to shoulders in chains. Trying to discover inner peace... and failing horribly.
There was a crackling from the bushes to his right and he was suddenly awoken, he had in fact been sleeping... he had not achieved nirvana, not even in his dreams. He immediately went to stretch but found his arms bound, there was no look of surprise in his eyes but that of initial anger... before a begrudging attempting to dull it. He heaved deep breaths, extending his claws with the inward... and retracting them with the outward. Extending them with the inward... and retracting them with the outward. From those bushes a simple bird flew, it looked to be a crow but, had it been something bigger, Richard would have revealed his position to the enemy.
He watched the black-bird soar off into the blue sky, cloudless... by the sun's position it must have been nearing midday. If it took such then Richard would sit here until the dead of night, perhaps even beyond. He had a problem, a problem no amount of dust honing or weapon practice would alleviate. Richard had a temper. Richard had always had a temper. He liked to blame it on forrest fires, other people's incompetence, anything but himself. Long ago he had refused himself the positive emotions, it was high time to refuse himself the negative as well. After all they were so deadly in this line of work; any rookie could slip up and get mad at themselves. End up mauled by Ursa Minor, even Creeps and Beowulf. His claws had stoped shifting, he breathed in through his nose... and out through his mouth.
Five hours ago Richard had orchestrated this whole scenario. He had his pet, Sanzaru, bind him in his own chains and affix him to this tree-stump. The chimp had been ordered not to return to the next day, though Richard doubted the monkey could muster such a will... he was far too soft. He'd cave and ruin thi-
Richard resumed his deep breaths, attempting... attempting to find peace within the blue forrest. Bright blue sky above and dark blue grass bellow. Plump little birds floating in the air, mushrooms growing from the base of tree-stumps and the beginnings of the beginnings of what would eventually be nuts and berries. He was in a small clearing the area's shape was not dissimilar to that of ketchup squeezed on the side of a plate. Circular, but not too circular; certainly lopsided. Probably perfect for dipping some chips into or some onion-
Richard's stomach roared and he joined it, claws unsheathing from their position tied behind his back! His teeth ground together as he wriggled, daggers in his eyes and and brows furrowed to sharpen.
Heaving a deep breath he went on to shout; "This is impossible! Why would I EVER have thought to... Graaaah..."
The sound echoed through the forrest but his rage boiled over quite quickly, he heaved deep breaths; wrapped from waist to shoulders in chains. Trying to discover inner peace... and failing horribly.