A late night walk. (Open)

[Aidan Daemon]

Heat. He felt intense heat all around him as he sat up and looked around the burning ruin that had once been his home. Screams shattered the silence, as he tried, unsuccessfully, to climb to his feet. Falling to his knees and feeling his jeans tear open as loose rocks and bits of asphalt dug into his knees. His vision grew red as blood poured down his face from a freely bleeding wound above his right eye.

"Ma..Maria..." he said weakly as he fell forwards his hands digging gouges into the dirt. He was shaking uncontrollably with anger and sadness. He heard a sound blocking out all the screams around him until it filled his head. It took him a moment to realize that it was him. He was screaming. Using every ounce of strength he had in his badly battered body, he pushes himself to his feet and stumbles towards the burning wreckage that had been the school he attended. 

The first thing he noticed was the smell of burning flesh and it took all of his power not to turn and sprint away as fast as he could. To just run and never look back. But he had to see, Maria had been inside. She had looked directly at him.

"Maria. Please no..." he mutters to himself as he reaches the main entrance and spots the charred remains of hundreds of corpses, body parts, and pools of blood that were starting to boil from the heat of the fire. The corpses inside shift slightly as a hand raises out of the mound of mangled bodies. It reaches out towards him as if trying to grab him when a voice suddenly breaks through the popping of burning flesh.

"This is your fault! You didn't save me! You couldn't save ANYONE!" it calls out as a group of severed arms surge forward and grab him pulling him into the flames... 

"NO!" Aidan yells as he sits bolt upright in bed breathing heavily. He was covered in cold sweat and he reached up to touch his own face. Feeling his hand come away hot and wet. Tears.... he'd been weeping in his own sleep. He sighs softly before kicking off the blanket and swinging his legs out of the bed and onto the springy floor of the dojo. He runs his hands over his face and through his hair and exhales again deeply as he sits on the edge of the bed, trying to push the shock of the dream from his mind. He lowers his face into his hands and pushes his palms into his eyes so hard that he sees violet explosions in the darkness. Glancing to his right and blinking the spots away, he sees that the clock reads 3:00.

Damn..really? he thinks as he rests his head in his hands. He'd only been asleep 3 hours. He'd slept badly since the invasion and probably would for the rest of his life. The dreams aren't the issue are they? It's the blame you can't handle....does Maria really blame me for what happened? Or am I blaming myself again? he wonders as he looks up from his palms and stares around the small bedroom. 

His eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness. And he could make out the shapes of everything in the room with the sliver of moonlight that was piercing through the open window on the far wall. A weight bench, a small dresser, and various piles of clothes that littered the floor like stepping stones. His eyes followed the beam of moonlight until they landed on the small picture that sat on the nightstand beside his bed.

Maria. Aidan thinks as he picks up the picture and stares into her own never ending gaze. I'm so so sorry... he thinks as he sits the picture down and stands up heading to the bathroom, where he washes his face with cool water from the tap. Sighing as he glances at his own reflection in the mirror, gazing at himself in the mirror. Hating the man who stared back at him. He noticed the bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, and dismissed them. He stepped away from the mirror and back into the bedroom, where he pulled on a pair of jeans and buckled the thick belt that kept them up. He stretched his arms and popped his neck, before picking up a couple of the t shirts. Sniffing one to make sure it smelled alright, he pulled the black shirt over his head and headed toward the sliding door grabbing his brown blazer as he did so. Pushing the door open, he stepped out onto the overgrown porch and headed down the small path that led up to his dojo. He knew exactly where he was heading and he allowed his feet to guide him there, even though most of the city had changed since that day.

It's like everyone just pushed it to the back of their minds... Aidan thinks as he walks down the street pulling on his blazer and stuffing his hands into the pockets. He stopped when he reached a small park, complete with a wooden bench and a large memorial stone. Aidan slowly approached the memorial, using his hand to dust the grass and pollen off of the large stone. It was a memorial for all the lives lost at his school. His eyes quickly found the name he'd had on his mind and he ran his fingers over the name that was etched into stone. 

MARIA CHAMBERS

[Zheig Ipsen]

Zheig walked through the city that his feather had pointed him towards. The wolfen paladin was an oddity even amongst the denizens of Earth. His medieval styled armor made of space age metal alloys, complete with a blue cape with a hood and a white tabard with silver trim made him stand out quite a bit. The canine's steps echoed through the streets in the night. Hushed whispers came from those on the street who were living the night life, and lights flickered on in nearby houses as the steel boots clanged against the concrete of the sidewalk. But just when a small crowd started to follow him out of curiosity, his feet lifted off the ground and a strong gale blew down the street. Zheig's footsteps turned into bounding leaps, elegant and graceful like that of a gazelle. He strode along the wind as though he were sprinting across the ground with little to no resistance.

He could feel it...there was a presence that was very familiar to him, but it was a little different from what he remembered. Like an old friend that was just waiting to meet him. After passing two city blocks, the wind came to a halt as Zheig reached the same memorial stone where Aidan was standing in front of. The wolfen paladin slowly descended back to the ground from a few feet above the dirt. His metal boots landed ever so softly on the grass and his eyes, hidden by the blue hood of his cape, trained on the man looking at the memorial. "Sorrow and grief are not good looks for one with a spirit so strong. Your light is not extinguished, but I sense the cloud of darkness still looming, clutching your heart tightly. Why do you let it hold you down?" Zheig didn't know this man, at least not in the way he had hoped. His aura felt similar, but there was something starkly different about it. It reminded him of Kuja, and of Vayne, but it was neither of them.


"Will you sit here and defeat yourself? Is this really what you are reduced to? Is your spirit and your strength worth so little?" Zheig was intentionally trying to rile this man up, because he needed to test him. Sure, Zheig could sense a lot about him, but he needed to face him in battle to really understand what kind of person he was. The wind began to pick up, and dark clouds that had been gathering in the sky began to disperse. The light of the moon gave pale illumination to the park surrounding the memorial stone.

[Aidan Daemon]

Aidan's gaze on the stone never wavered even as he felt the presence in the city nearby. His eyes narrowed slightly as he felt the presence begin to grow closer to him. Whoever he is. He's moving fast... Aidan thinks as he hears the boots softly land in the grass behind him. His own ki was being suppressed and he wondered what had drawn this individual to him. Listening to the words that Zheig spoke, he closed his eyes tightly for a moment.

"What do you know of sorrow and grief?" Aidan asked as he turned and looked over his shoulder at the large anthropomorphic wolf. Something flicked in his own eyes for a second, but it was gone before Zheig would have noticed. Why am I not surprised?! he wonders as he turns around so he can size up the wolf. "Look man..wolf...whatever... I'm going to give you a pass on speaking to me that way. Do you know where you're standing? What happened here?" Aidan asks as his right hand curls into a fist. He knew it wouldn't do him any good to get angry right now, and yet the fact that this man called him out as if he knew him personally, was downright infuriating.

"Sorrow can strengthen the spirit more than anything else. You know nothing of what I have endured..."

[Zheig Ipsen]

Zheig's left arm raised slowly from his hip and his index finger pointed at the memorial stone, "You have hardened your heart to others because you fear the pain of loss. I know a memorial to the departed when I see it." Zheig knew the pain of loss. Lost of family, of home, and even of self. He shook his head and pulled his hood back, revealing his face to the young Earthling. "I have been on this planet for a few months, but I arrived shortly after the war had been dispersed. You were part of this city when it was attacked. Am I right?"

It wasn't time to fight yet. He had to get the man's heart burning and shining brightly. Then they could fight at their best. When tensions and emotions were high, this man's spirit would burn its brightest...and in that flame, perhaps the darkness would not survive. "Our name is Zheig. You do not know it, and you do not know them, but the fire in your eyes...and the way your presence feels...it reminds me of two brave, young warriors I once called friend. They have both passed on fighting for what they believed in, and they, too, had suffered grief that was immeasurable to most."

The wolfen paladin stepped back away from Aidan and he clenched both fists. He stabbed his sword into the ground and bent his knees, lowering his stance. Both of his arms came up in a boxing style guard in front of his face. His eyes narrowed and he smirked, "Show me the strength and spirit that they had. I know you possess it. You will not be pinned down by this darkness any longer. You will stand up and fight. You won't run away from the sorrow anymore!" Zheig's words were intended to push him over the edge, but after he spoke the canine didn't give Aidan time to make the first move. He stepped forward with blinding speed and, despite his boxing stance, he twisted his hips and brought a swift half circle kick up, aiming to smash his shin into the side of Aidan's head.

[Aidan Daemon]

Aidan watched as the wolf raised his hand and spoke of loss. The Odonian wasn't wrong, Aidan had hardened his heart. Experiencing loss does that to a person. It's been over a year and I still wake up sweating, with a scream barely suppressed...I still blame myself for everything, if only I had been stronger and faster... Aidan thinks as flashes of his past race through his mind. Maria smiling at him, fire and screams, and then a cold and grey memorial stone emblazoned with her name.

"No..." Aidan speaks softly as he looks up at the anthro-wolf, who introduces himself as Zheig. Two other warriors, who passed on.. who is this guy?! Aidan thinks as he feels his anger start to boil over as Zheig mocked him again, before stepping forward and swinging a kick for the side of Aidan's head.

OK, you want to roll...let's go Fido... Aidan thinks as he raises his left arm to block the kick and swings his own first for the exposed groin muscle in Zheig's thigh. Before shoving his own left arm back attempting to push Zheig away from him.

"At least let me take off my blazer man.."

OOC:
Round 1
FIGHT!

[Zheig Ipsen]

Zheig knew Aidan, maybe better than he knew himself. His fighting style was even reminiscent of the two warriors of the past that Zheig knew so well. It was certain now. Zheig had found what the wind called him here to find. Now he just had to help break him out of this slump! Zheig pushed off of Aidan's guard with his leg, turning his hips away in the process and dulling the force of that punch enough so that it wouldn't even leave a bruise. His whole body spun around and came to a stop as his leg was planted back down firmly, back facing Aidan now.

"Remove your blazer and prepare yourself if you must. I will wait." Zheig couldn't help but to smirk a little bit at how picky the young man was. He must have been worried that his prized blazer would get scuffed in the ensuing brawl, which wasn't a bad assumption to make given the situation. Zheig's arms came to rest at his side for just a moment. It was impossible to tell underneath all that armor, but the wolfen was completely relaxed and ready to fight. He bent his knees slightly, once again, and sprung on the balls of his feet to turn around, fists brought up to chest level, reverting to his modified kickboxing stance from right when he'd thrown that kick before. But this time he opened his fists and lowered one to waist level. Despite being in all that armor, his body moved like the flowing breeze, and he bounced on his feet back and forth as if he was dancing on the wind. In fact, the clang of metal didn't echo through the park. His feet weren't touching the ground anymore, but rather only an inch or two above it.


"If you hold back, I'll put you away in one move. Don't think I'm going to go easy on you because I'm being courteous." Zheig smirked and prepared to showcase an open palmed style of martial arts that he had picked up from his home planet. Once Aidan had readied himself, the wolfen did a half step-in, then a quick sidestep in a fast one-two motion. As he planted his foot from the side-step, he sprung forward and rotated his body so that his heel would swing around like a clothesline aimed right at Aidan's chest. But even if his leg came to a stop via a grab or block, his upper body would continue twisting to deliver an even more fierce palm thrust toward Aidan's head.

[Aidan Daemon]

Aidan nodded lightly at the wolf as he slid the blazer from his shoulders and folded it, before setting it aside on the memorial. He rolled his shoulders and popped his neck before assuming a classic fighting stance. Fists raised before him, with his weight trained on his right leg, his left leg held before him as a weapon. The two warriors stood there before each other in the silence and moonlight, posed and ready to fight. I'll give you a beating to remember Zheig... Aidan thinks as Zheig bounces around silently. He could feel something inside of him, a thrill that he hadn't felt in a long while. But, there was something else too. Deja-vu?

That's some interesting armor...not making any noise in it must be pretty tough.. Aidan thinks as he assesses the situation. Maybe... Aidan thinks as Zheig starts to move, stepping to the side, before following through with a side step, propelling his body through the air gracefully, aiming a kick at Aidan's chest. Let's put it to the test... Aidan thinks as he reaches forward for Zheig's leg before sliding down underneath the wolfen, hoping to twist his leg and send him sprawling into the dirt. If this attack was successful Aidan would quickly roll to his feet and turn around again before assuming his fighting stance. This time however, he would charge in, and attempt to land a flurry of blows on Zheig's hopefully exposed snout.

[Zheig Ipsen]

The two fighters were very close in strength, speed, agility...and even skill. Despite all appearances, Aidan had a wealth of fighting skill under his belt, but he hadn't tapped into it yet. Zheig's kick had been completely outdone. Aidan's hands caught the blow, but he ducked so far beneath it that there was no way for the wolfen to follow up with his palm thrust as intended. Zheig grunted a little as his leg was jerked to the side and down, causing his body to flip and roll onto the ground. He sprawled out for a moment, but only a moment. While Aidan was recovering from his tuck and roll, Zheig was scrambling to get back to his feet.

As Aidan rushed at the canine, who was still on his knees, Zheig planted both hands on the ground and kicked off with both of his legs. When Aidan's rush of punches came for Zheig, he had narrowly flipped forward over top of those blows and over top of Aidan. There were fractions of a second lost between each of their movements, and Zheig honestly wasn't sure who would get the first solid blow. He turned around quickly as he landed, but it might be too slow or too late. The wolfen had landed in a crouch, and so when he spun around and tried to deliver an elbow to where Aidan had been standing, it was possible that Aidan might have gotten away. But if the human tried to turn around and swing a blow at Zheig, it could result in a collision, or Aidan could miss completely if he aimed at Zheig's normal standing height.

[Aidan Daemon]

Aidan had been counting on the blows landing, but when Zhyne flipped over him. Aidan did the only reasonable thing he could think of to do at this time. He swung his own right elbow back aiming for what was hopefully the back of Zheig's skull. However, his elbow would collide solidly with Zheig's own and he would leap forward, turning in the air and landing in a crouch staring at the canine warrior before him.

"It's pretty impressive that you can move so well in that armor. And without making a sound too. Tell me, how do you do it?" Aidan asks as he darts forward, trying to catch his opponent off guard. He would swing a right for Zheig's face, before dropping down and attempting to sweep his legs out from under him. If successful he would drive his own fist down into the center of Zhyne's chest, aiming to hit his solar plexus. He doubted it would do much through the armor, and it was a rather simple combo, but it could be devastating if pulled off correctly. Why did he antagonize me? Who is he? He deliberately sought me out, does he know something that I don't? These thoughts rushed through Aidan's mind as he charged his opponent and attempted to land his combo.

[Zheig Ipsen]

Their elbow's clashed at Zheig's head's level with him in a crouch. The wolfen stepped forward and spun around, moving away from Aidan as he righted himself and turned to face the young man. The force of their elbows colliding had caused Zheig to step and spin just to prevent himself from falling on his face. Aidan's question upon both fighters reaching a steady pose was curious to him. "You call it armor, but to me it feels more like a second skin! I've worn it for as long as I can remember. It's practically weightless to me now."

Zheig was not ready for that swift attack, and he had just enough time to turn his cheek and take the punch rather than getting hit on the end of the nose. He was sent reeling backward for a couple of steps by the force of that punch, which had Aidan's full weight behind it. Before he had time to recover his bearings, that leg sweep dropped him. But as Aidan finished his spin for the sweep, there was no clang of metal on the ground. Zheig had caught himself in the air when his body was parallel to the ground. He swung a punch of his own, aiming to hit Aidan in the head. He hoped that his quick recovery would throw the young human off and get him the advantage for just a moment. But that physical punch wasn't all that came at the human. A second punch was thrown with Zheig's other arm with the intent to cast a forceful gust of wind that would act as a ranged punch, albeit slightly delayed from when the punch itself was actually thrown.

[Aidan Daemon]

Aidan felt like victory was within his grasp when he saw Zheig tumbling to the ground. However, it took a moment to realize what had went wrong when Zheig's fist smashed into his face and sent him sliding backward on his ass. He didn't hit the ground. What the hell?! Aidan thinks as he looks up at Zheig before something else slams into the side of his head. He suddenly understood what was going down and he raised his fists to block another attack before rolling over backwards and landing in a crouch several feet in front of Zheig.

"I understand now. Wind huh?" he says as he spits a wad of blood and spit to his left before raising his fists and assuming a defensive stance. It might be safer to wait on him to come for me.. Aidan thinks as he tilts his head to the left and cracks his neck.