Tasos's opponent hit the cobblestone painfully with a groan and stilled there, slow to stand - giving him a moment to collect himself. Though the haze of adrenaline, the young archer could feel sharp itching pain from the many scratches marring his shoulders and back - even his cheek. He glanced once more at his opponent who had managed to crawl back to her knee - and knew that the
Kentarchos would end the battle, as well as just how
angry Eudokia would be with that decision.
Tasos's rate of progress had been remarkable from the start - he'd began outpacing Zhang and even Theodora in Qi Cultivation near the first month and thus, although still training with each other, the
Kentarchos had procured him another training partner - and Eudokia Aithos had become a near-permanent thorn in his side ever since. Dark of skin, matching the burned-face southerners of the former empire, Eudokia was a whirlwind of emotion, passion and fierceness that would not back down or relent at the face of anything. Her Bronze was well-developed, and she had focused her cultivation on strengthening and reinforcing her nails into metallic talons that would rend flesh and carve bone - weapons she was
not afraid to use in a spar. The girl also towered over Tasos - taller by nearly a whole head - meaning every strike he made came with the knowledge that he was offering himself as a sharpening board for all intents and purposes. It had taken everything Tasos had and then more
just to keep up - and keep whole.
It wouldn't be nearly so bad if Eudokia was like Thea - but Tasos's friend was simply a bit of a battle-maniac who reveled in martial combat. By contrast, Eudokia's intensity was fueled by resentment - the woman saw being partnered with an archer, a method she considered anathema to clan philosophy, as a personal affront and had transferred that animosity towards Tasos himself.
Tasos had already swore to himself that he'd avoid her to the best of his ability once training was finished. Just a year to go!
"The winner of this bout is
Akrites Basilakes" The
Kentarchos stated. "
Schola Aithos,
Akrites Basilakes - please remain here for a moment while we tend to your injuries. The rest of you are dismissed to continue with your Cultivation"
Good thing, because Tasos's eye was starting to swell shut. He waved at Zhang and Thea, promising to catch them later for a meal, then crossed the room and offered Eudokia help pulling herself back to her feet. After a second of trying and failing, the girl relented - but not before shooting Tasos a glare.
"Oh, come
on, sourpuss - I only started going in when you brought the claws out" Tasos pointed out as he pulled the girl up and let her use his shoulder as support. "I'm not going to let you carve me to pieces when you do that"
"Didn't think a little blood would set you off
that much - what are you, a porcelain doll?" Eudokia spat back, making Tasos snort and turn to the approaching healer
.
"If I ever stop minding when someone claws me open, feel free to kill me because I've
clearly gone off the deep end there" He stated, hoping to at
least get a laugh out - but the healers were as stone-faced as usual. You'd get them eventually, though.
Then the burning, stinging sensation of the healing techniques hit, and you sucked in air. The
Kentarchos had mentioned they used a healing technique based in the Dao of Fire to teach recruits the value of
not getting hit - but what was he supposed to do? Not fight?
Tasos inhaled and did his best to stay even-faced as the
Kentarchos began speaking.
"The two of you are ahead of your peers in terms of Cultivation" He said, nodding at Eudokia and then to you. "As you know, the Clan is currently securing the new lands that were obtained by the Grand Elder's recent engagement - and we need bodies in the field. Therefore, you're being assigned to the front lines a year early"
Tasos nodded as was expected of such an acknowledgement - but glanced at Eudokia who looked no less happy with the arrangement. There was a good chance, after all, that the two would be posted together.
"You'll be replacing two losses in a highly-mobile unit assigned to the Burnished Crags" The
Kentarchos continued, paying no mind to you. "There is a caravan leaving from the southern gate heading to the temporary fort that will serve as your new base of operations in a week. Do
not miss it. You have until tomorrow to collect your belongings and your end-of-training stipend"
"Sir!" Tasos and Eudokia answered in unison. The
Kentarchos nodded.
"Dismissed, then - whenever your healing finishes" He stated, then turned and left - Tasos not far behind. He hadn't expected this turn - and he'd lie if he said he was looking forward to it, but he'd do his due.
Still, he was certain that someone up above
really hated him or
really enjoyed his suffering - it was the only explanation for saddling him with Eudokia for the foreseeable future.
"If you die while we're stuck here I will find you, and I will drag your corpse back here so it can be reanimated for the
sole reason of kicking you dead" Theodora threatened, punching Tasos on the shoulder all the while - which made Zhang shake his head in amusement"
"He's not going to die, Thea - he's too stubborn for that" He said, slapping Tasos on the back. "Unless his traveling companion does the deed - then all bets are off"
The three glanced across the main courtyard of the Mustering Grounds - to where Eudokia was utterly
seething as she waited.
"What's her problem, geez" Thea said. Tasos shrugged.
"Beats me - didn't see anyone come to see her off" The archer said. He punched Theodora back and nodded at Zhang. "I should get going, though - don't take too long getting out of here, eh?"
"We'll be there sooner than you know" Zhang answered - and Tasos's friends left to resume their cultivation. Tasos took one last glance at the buildings that had served as home for the past years - and sighed, finally approaching Eudokia.
"Alright - time for us to move" He said. "Any preferred paths? This isn't my part of the territories
per se"
"You are the
Akrites, archer" Eudokia snapped. "Figure it out"
'Well' Tasos thought to himself.
'This is going to go fantastic,
won't it?'
"Where the
hell are you taking us, archer?" Eudokia cried out not an hour after you'd started your trek through the sands. "There is a
perfectly serviceable road a
schoenus east from here!"
"I distinctly remember you telling me to
figure it out, Eudokia" Tasos snapped back. His hand went to his neck - where the cicada amulet he wore was buzzing. "We have a week and can make it there in two days - I have a hunch. And I have a name - feel free to use it"
"Alright,
Anastasios, where the
hell is your
hunch taking us?" The woman pressed further - making Tasos about-face and
glare.
"Alright" He said, lifting both hands. "Alright! Be that way - you know, if you want to go off on your own then you can damn well
do so"
Eudokia did not respond - and the pair continued through the sands in silence with only the ever-increasing buzzing from the amulet breaking the stillness and dullness of the endless desert sands. They hit a solid-enough patch of flat sands as the sun came down - and began readying themselves to pass the night.
"Well, your amulet led us to the middle of nowhere, archer" Eudokia huffed in frustration. "What now?"
Tasos grabbed the amulet again and showed it to his companion before unslinging his bow.
"Still buzzing, and it stopped increasing" He stated. "Whatever it wants? It's here. Now shut up - I'm hunting us dinner"
He curled two fingers on the bowstring, an arrow seemingly between them the moment they touched the string, and began his draw. Most Turtle World archers had a peculiar way of aiming - raising the bow and lowering their draw to above the eye - but Tasos's family continued their ancestors' tradition of starting low and raising the draw
below the eye. He inhaled, eyes locking on a bird flying above - and felt the Skycarver Basilisk adjust to his desires, increasing in length and curvature to match.
It was up to him now. Tasos held his breath for a beat and fired.
The arrow sailed through the air, more wailing than whistling as it flew towards its target. The bird tried to swerve out of the way - but reacted too late, the arrow piercing through the eye and into the skull. The bird plunged into a spiraling dive and crashed down into a nearby dune, rolling down closer - and only then did Tasos realize the sheer
size of it.
"Eh, might be a
little big" He said sheepishly, turning to his companion. "Mind helping me bring that back?"
Eudokia shrugged and began heading towards the fallen bird, suddenly looking curious.
"Why even bother hunting?" She asked, waving a small brown pack. "We have rations"
"Rations should only be used when necessary. I can hunt - I hunt" Tasos answered as he fished out a knife from his pack. "Know how to field-dress a catch?"
Eudokia looked down in shame and shook her head.
"Didn't pay much attention to the instructors that time" she admitted. Tasos nodded.
"Well, not a problem. Get a fire going, will you? I'll show you what I can"
Once the fire was set, Tasos and Eudokia stabbed the portioned pieces of bird-meat into stakes and set them right into the fire to cook properly. The camp again fell into awkward silence as they ate - one that Eudokia soon got tired of. She looked at the fire, then at Tasos, and opened her mouth ready to say something - but right at that moment, Tasos's cicada amulet stopped buzzing and began
glowing. The two cultivators jumped up and fell back-to-back, Eudokia's nails suddenly sharp as daggers while Tasos readied an arrow as the earth itself rumbled around them - then the sands below them opened up and lifted, dropping them into the blackness underneath.
This felt best before getting to the whole 'slayed x amount of enemies with bow' part of this turn's story. Still fleshing out the supporting cast - Eudi has a lot of things going on that Tasos doesn't know about. 'sides, sand cave adventures are always supposed to be bonding experiences!
Not completely happy with how this came out.
