The Enemy of My Enemy [SOLO/ASK TO JOIN ONLY]

Thu Nov 10, 2016 7:14 pm

[PLAY POSTING MUSIC]

Darkness take you!

Enter Henrex Astillon:
The Broken Raven
暗闇の天使

Artist: Ley Rima | Song: Hymn of The Missing | Word Count: 1380

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Ok, it's official. I'm lost.

And it was true. Henrex was lost. He had taken thousands of turns, passed hundreds of posts that showed directions in kanji that Henrex never recognized, and overall, everything was looking the same with each and every turn that he made. Sighing and putting his head in his hands, he was just about ready to give up at this point. But, his mind still told him that it was around here somewhere. The place that Hattori Tatsuo had taken him all those years ago.

The hidden ninja village.

Only being there a few months in his childhood, Henrex had be so long interested in the Way of the Ninja. Not in learning it, however. As of then, he had only been interested in defeating it. However, he never told the clan that. But now, he knew that he needed to learn more. If he wanted to defeat Dragon Eye, he needed to learn what he had sworn to destroy hundreds of years ago.

As leaves and twigs crunched and snapped underneath him, the wind gently brushed over the exposed skin that was not covered by the pitch black mask that resided on his face, concealing him from the world. Pale, thin arms slowly rose to his face, behind the mask and into the long, raven mess that was his hair. Fingers gently danced to untie the straps that held his mask, before they soon were free, and a quiet hissing sound came from the sealed air that was trapped within the mask, and soon, the item was removed, granted the icy skin of Henrex Astillon air.

The wind gently brushed against the rest of his face, sending tiny shimmers of phantom pain across the left side of his body, sending reminders of the past into his mind as the scars on his body rippled. A quiet breath left the Hybrid's lips as he slowly opened his eye, the pitch black void for an orb staring into the seemingly endless lines of trees and leaves. As his feet started to move without him, he felt himself slipping away from the world. Everything was fading away. However, two blinks from him soon brought him back to reality.

He was on the road to the ninja village that he had been to over six hundred years ago. Shaking his head slightly, the male soon found himself trying to walk forward again, to which he did not try to fight his own body. His head turned from left to right, looking for the specific mountainside that was a lead to where the damn village was. The clan had done well with hiding it the first time. He didn't even remember most of the trip to where he was going, anyways. It was over six hundred years ago.

Just when all hope was lost, he saw it, and memory flowed back into him like water. As he stared at a particular area, he remembered where he was, and where he needed to go. He quickly broke into a sprint, his feet clamoring to push him upwards to a certain hillside, which, from hazy memory, was where Hattori had taken him. If memory served him right, then there should be a small campfire just where he would climb up.

And it was there.

Relief flooded into his system, and he went to approach the campfire, but then something was triggered. A trap. Something snared around his leg, wrapping around it tight, before a sharp yank was issued to his leg and he was hurled into the air, and then an object collided with his head, and the world went black. However, before he passed out from the sudden force and trauma to his head, Henrex could hear something. A male's laughter.

Blackness occupied his vision for what seemed like hours. After all, he was unconscious from hitting his head. As his mind regained it's strength, his eye slowly opened, the world spinning and blurring in front of him. Everything was upside down. He was upside down. His body immediately went into panic mode, thrashing around to try and either work himself free, or to cause enough shifts to the strain of whatever was holding him suspended to make it snap.

As he had heard before, he heard the laughter again. Rustles came from the bushes, and two black-clad boots stepped out from the green. As his head scanned the new person on the scene, he could tell that they were the one who set up this trap. With rope at their side, along with multiple different trapping tools on him, it was clearly him. A small chuckle came from the male, and his lips released an ancient language that Henrex had not heard in so very long.

"Mā, koko ni wa nani ga arimasu ka?"

Japanese. His mother tongue. His eye widened as he examined what the individual was wearing. A pitch black kimono, with white kanji symbols near the lapels, with a scarf around his neck, covering a small portion of his mouth. However, the grin was still very visible. Then his mind processed what had been said to him. It was "Well, well. What do we have here?". Gritting his teeth, he assumed that this person was some sort of bounty hunter or just a regular hunter, and thought that he had caught a big prize. Well, he would prove him wrong.

"Suzume wa tora ga haikai suru bashode wa arimasen."

What had Henrex just said? Well, he had currently just said something that Hattori had taught him to gain an ally with the ninja. That was their secret code. The sparrow lands not where the tiger roams. Upon the receiving of this phrase, the male's eyebrow rose, and small laughter came from him, before the small giggling soon erupted into full laughter. Putting a hand to his face, the stranger soon calmed himself down, before a small glint in his eyes were seen, and he soon closed them, and his voice changed to speak English.

"My, my. It seems I've caught myself a stranger who speaks fluent Japanese."

A slight evil grin was given to Henrex as the male rose from his previous crouching position, then picking up a nearby staff. Walking over to a nearby log where the campfire was, Henrex noticed that the fire was now burning, and a bird lay on a stick, roasting over the fire. His eye flicked back towards the male who was tending the fire, and soon began to work his arms around towards his sword.

However, he found his restraints simply getting tighter and tighter as he moved. The male by the fire chuckled and pointed his arm in his direction, before wagging it back and forth, saying "no".

"Ah, ah, ah. The more you move, the tighter they get. I made that rope myself."

The sliding of metal was soon heard by Henrex as the metal rod that was hanging over the fire soon was removed, and the perfectly cooked bird was placed across the other male's lap. A quiet prayer to the gods came from him, before he dug in. Henrex simply closed his eye and tried to meditate on this. It was pretty hard to, considering that he was tied up and hanging upside down. It was also hard to focus with the crunching of the bird's flesh being bitten into, and the sizzling crackling of the fire. This went along for around ten to twenty minutes. Soon, the unknown male by the fire let out a hefty sigh, and a small smile crept onto his face, before he stood and walked over to his catch, before pushing against Henrex himself, causing him to rock back and forth.

"Kukuku....Well, since I don't know whether to let you go, keep you here, or kill you.....I suppose I'll go and fetch Father. He'll know what to do with you."

The man turned to walk away, and Henrex went to protest, but it was no use. He was gone. As night began to fall, he wondered if the person had really gone to fetch whoever it was. Because of now, it wasn't seeming like it. The world began to turn dim, and Henrex's body was soon overcome by sleep, and his eyes began to close, his world soon fading to black. It seemed that he would just have to wait until morning.

I walk a path...with no end....

Coding In Template By: [THEFROST]

Wed Nov 16, 2016 10:44 am

[PLAY POSTING MUSIC]

Darkness take you!

Enter Henrex Astillon:
The Broken Raven
暗闇の天使

Artist: Elsword OST | Song: "I've Got To Save El!" | Word Count: 1,040

_______________________________________________________________________________

"Ah, so this is him?" A calm, but age-filled voice said cheerfully, and Henrex awoke to something prodding him. Keeping his eyes closed and feigning sleep, he used his other senses to observe what was around him. The rope from before still kept him suspended in the air, and the struggle from before only had lead him to tighten his bonds, preventing any form of escape. A small groan escaped him as his body shifted inside his bonds, attempting to make himself comfortable. Another prod, more gently this time. He could feel what had hit him. Something thin, but rough. A walking stick, perhaps? Only one way to find out.

"It seems he is not waking up, Shiro." The elderly voice stated, before a small bit of laughter came from the voice of the male from yesterday, who was apparently Shiro. "I know something to wake him up." He said, before Henrex heard footsteps heading away from him, and then he heard the rustle of bushes. A loud snapping sound was heard, and Henrex fell to the ground, landing roughly on his back, causing a small yelp of pain to leave him, and his eye snapped open. That little brat! He just dropped him! He took a quick gaze around where he was at, and he quickly found the source of the elderly voice from before.

An old man was standing above him, chuckling quietly as he leaned on the walking stick that had been prodding his body mere moments, ago, before a slight twinkle of interest came into the man's grey eyes. "So, you are the young man who Shiro captured in his trap yesterday?" The elderly man asked, and a simple nod came from Henrex, his eye searching around for Shiro, who seemed to have not returned from his little journey to cut him down from the tree. However, another quick look showed that Shiro was right beside the old man, grinning slightly from his dirty trick.

A cold glare came from Henrex as he stared the boy down, who's face quickly drained of color when he saw the anger in his eye. However, the voice of the elderly man distracted him. "Now, now, boys. No need for that. How about I tell you my name? I am Soke. This is Shiro, one of the hunters in our little village." The man now identified as Soke said, before he gently tapped his walking stick three times on the ground. Henrex's eye stared at Soke, who stared back with interest, waiting for a response. Slowly, Henrex spoke. "I'm Henrex Astillon. Soke...why does that name sound familiar?"

The moment that his name was said, both men's eyes went wide and Soke slowly began to laugh. "Ah...I knew that the gods would guide you back to us when you needed us, Henrex." He said, before bowing his head partially and nodding to Shiro, who, with quick movement, sliced him free of his bonds and helped him to his feet. Henrex wasn't sure why they were doing this, as he didn't remember ever meeting them. But then, it hit him. Shiro and Soke. Memories from his past with Hattori flowed back to him, and soon, his own eye was widened with the signs of knowledge of who they were. "Soke-san....Shiro-san! It is you! It's been so long..." Henrex began, but then was silenced by a quick wave of the hand by Soke.

"The reunion can wait for now, young one. For now, we must get you to the village. I'm sure you are hungry and tired from your journey...to find us." Soke said, a playful shine glowing in his eyes as he looked at Henrex, who was practically dumbfounded. But then, he realized that they must of been aware of him, and his actions since he had entered the forest. Soke may not have recognized him then, but he knew what he was doing. A small smile spread onto Henrex's face, and he nodded slowly. "I assume you know the way, and can follow us?" Soke asked, to which another nod came from the Hybrid, and then, they set off.

Soke and Shiro had set off with a burst of speed, but with Henrex's natural speed, and Shunpo, he had little trouble catching up and getting ahead of them. By the time that the trio reached the hidden ninja village, the sun was beginning to set. The orange orb of fire cast a casual, gentle glow on the small farming village. Henrex's eye went from a gaze of remembrance to one of sadness. This is where the best memories with Hattori had been, before he fell down the left hand path. But, he soon shook his head and began to approach the secret village. Many familiar faces were seen by the Hybrid, and his eye soon found itself staring at one certain person. A black-haired female, with he hand balled into a fist, ready to fight.

Unfortunately, Henrex knew this woman, and she didn't exactly like him. A small sigh left him and he stopped in front of her, the girl's cold gaze seeming to pierce into him like a blade. "Nice to see you again, Miyuki." Henrex said, before her eyes narrowed and she restrained herself from punching him in the face. "Nice to see you too, kid." She commented, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him still. However, the gaze soon warmed, and the nearly burst out into laughter from the act that she had put on. "Oh, relax, Henrex. I don't hate you. You've grown....a lot." Miyuki said, before smiling slightly. Henrex sighed and gently rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward from the entire situation.

"And you still haven't grown. Still the little ice queen I remember." The male said, before his eye narrowing into sly slits, and the balled fist and fury of Miyuki returned. "Oh, shut up! You know, you can be such a pain!" She yelled, before storming off and grumbling about something that Henrex didn't hear right. As he walked away, and towards the head building, he slowly opened the ancient shoji door, before kneeling down on the floor, facing the three elderly men in the room. It was time for the past to return.

I walk a path...with no end....

Coding In Template By: [THEFROST]

Thu Nov 17, 2016 10:48 am

[PLAY POSTING MUSIC]

Engulf The World In Black

Enter Henrex Astillon:
The Broken Raven
暗闇の天使

Artist: Elsword OST | Song: "I Am The Last Nasod..." | Word Count: 1,070

_______________________________________________________________________________

"I'm sure you're very aware on why Soke brought you here, and not back to his home to settle in, aren't you?" A male's voice said. The voice was young, but yet still had years of authority behind it, giving Henrex small shivers down his spine from being spoken to like this by someone so young. A single nod came from Henrex, and his body shifted slightly to readjust himself into a more comfortable position to kneel. "I am aware, Momoichi. Soke doesn't let anything get past him. He saw through me and I needed to say nothing." He explained quickly, earning a soft smile from the elderly man that was Soke.

"I see. Then you are aware of what we are about to say, and about to do?" Momoichi questioned, staring Henrex in his eye with sheer challenge. Another nod came from Henrex, and his eye stared blankly into the ninja's eyes. It had been a long time since the two had spoken, and when they had left, it was not on entirely good terms. "I wish to be re-taught what I learned six hundred years ago. Teach me the Way of the Ninja once again." Henrex declared, his single eye seeming to bore into the other three male's, daring them to argue. The third one, who had been the most silent of them all soon broke out a grin, before laughing hard.

"Of course we will, Henrex! Why do you think Soke was so eager to bring you back? We've been waiting for this day for years!" The unknown male said, before the other two men at the table nodded, both of them grinning, but no laughter came from them. "It is true. We knew that you would eventually return. You showed far too much interest in our ways for us to not take notice of. Do you still have the same drive to come back and learn what has been lost?" Soke asked, his grin fading into a gaze of seriousness. The moment Henrex heard him, he knew that he had to think about this.

He believed that he was ready for this, and he knew that he had the drive. But was it the same as before? The drive to learn more and become even stronger? It had been there so very long ago. Was it still there? Somewhere in the recesses of his mind and soul? Yes. It was. It always had been there. It was simply waiting. So, with his mind sure of his answer, Henrex nodded, before speaking. "Yes. I know that it is still there. Soke-san, Momoichi-san, and Iza-san. All of you know of my determination to learn back then. Let me show you how much it has grown." He finalized, and all three of the village's elders stood, before nodding. All three spoke in unison as the judgement was given to him. "Then what are we waiting for?"

And so, the training began. It all started back with the basics. What were the basics of ninja training? The Five Rings. The Five Rings were practically the basic guidelines for anything that one would do. The Five Rings governed the five elements of the universe. Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, and Sky. Henrex had learned them before, but they were all brief lessons, and he had never been able to truly grasp the concepts of the ninja before he had to return home. But now, he was back. So, standing in front of Soke, he awaited his instruction. The old man slowly began to move in circles around him as he spoke. "You already know what the Five Rings are, but I must ask...do you know what they mean, and how to use them?" Soke questioned, causing a quick response from the eager boy that stood in front of him.

"No, Soke." He shot out, before a chuckle came from the old man, and he stopped moving, before reaching his arms out. "The Five Rings, as you know, represent the five elements of the universe. Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, and Sky. Allow me to explain a little more in depth. Earth is the art of concealment, becoming one with the world. Can you give me an example of it?" Soke stated, then questioned. Henrex wasn't sure how to give an example of something that he had just been introduced to, but he still tried. "Disguises?" He asked, and a large belly laugh came from Soke, before he calmed down, shaking his head lightly.

"No, Henrex. While that is a good guess, The Ring of Earth is focused on stability and confidence. What around you is something that could be part of the Ring of Earth?" Soke explained, and Henre began to think more clearly this time. If it wasn't disguises, then it had to be something that was around them. Concealment. The word circled around his head as he thought of things that could work, before he saw a glint out of the corner of his eye. Turning to face it, he saw the sun. Then, as he used his hand to block the sun out from his eyes, he saw the narrow pathway of the village. Turning around multiple times, he scanned multiple subtly hidden things.

That was the answer. Henrex turned back to Soke, then spoke, sure that he was correct. "This entire village is an example." He said, and Soke nodded in approval. "Correct. You learn quickly, don't you? The village is a perfect example of this. Not many students get that. It takes heavy observational skills for someone to realize that." Soke said, before leaning on his walking stick towards Henrex. "The first step in your journey has been taken, Henrex. Tread lightly, for one mistake may bring it to an end." The ninja grandmaster warned, before walking towards a nearby stream on the outskirts of the village. Henrex followed swiftly, determined to learn everything possible in the Way of the Ninja.

"Come back to me tomorrow, Henrex. Then is when we will begin more training on the Five Rings." Soke said, and Henrex nodded, then walked back to Soke's home, which was near the center of the village. Walking inside and retrieving his things from the satchel on his side, and the rest from his Container that he had purchased from the Cybermind, he unpacked his things in a separate room, before looking at his mismatched hands. It was all only just beginning.

-END THREAD-

I walk a path...with no end....

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The Enemy of My Enemy [SOLO/ASK TO JOIN ONLY]

The Enemy of My Enemy [SOLO/ASK TO JOIN ONLY]

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