Roman laid in the hospital in Era. He was transported there after the incident in the forest. Only those present know what conspired. Thanks to his low notoriety the Rune Knights felt no need to really come for him. He was only really known in Oak. He was out like a light for about two days. The following is a story of his encounter with death. Before waking up.

“In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost.”
― Dante Alighieri, Inferno

A soundless darkness embraced him as he drifted through it. All sensation of time had been consumed in a instant. Only nothingness surrounded his body. This had to be his vision of hell. Maybe it was a glimpse into what awaited those who committed heinous crimes and died. No one really knew what came after their date of expiration. Only those who performed the waltz understood it and felt it. Roman sat on the edge of death, welcoming it with open arms. Ready to reap what what he sewn into the world.

Roman drifted off into darkness that could be named by many things. The afterlife, hereafter, abyss, life to come, whatever religion one followed. It couldn’t be explained how it felt just a feeling of drifting. He could say nothing as he watched himself float through the darkness. The only thing he could make out was the trail of blood being left behind. He was battered and bruised. His shirt was torn open by the hole left in his chest. Grass stains covered his slacks from when he landed. It seemed to be suspended mid air as he floated through the area. He had a groggy look across his face with a dark coloration under his eyes.

‘Am I dead?’

“You seem pretty dead to me!”

These words echoed throughout his mind and exited into the darkness around him. The darkness seemed to speak back to him. In any other case he would have just assumed it was the paranoia created by the drugs he took. This was different from all those other times. He couldn’t feel the euphoric undertow of the substances. He couldn’t feel anything really. Just a sense of emptiness as he floated downward.

‘Who said that?’

“Me silly, down here.”

Roman looked around slowly for the voice speaking but nothing was there. A puzzle look littered his face while he turned his head. It was only welcomed by more nothingness around him. He could feel that his body was being pulled downward faster suddenly. He turned his body around and looked downward. He could see something off in the distance. A small spotlight off in the distance. He squinted his eyes to see if he could tell what it was. Unfortunately he couldn’t tell, because it was so small. He could tell he had a destination now, there was something here in the abyss speaking to him. It wasn’t all in his head. This was very real.

A few moments passed and Roman realized he was starting to slow down. His falling speed reduced very quickly and he set himself upright. His feet touched the ground first making no sound. It was odd really, the ground was physical but it rippled when touched. Blood continued to drip from his chest, he didn’t stop it only looked forward.

“Hello?”

Suddenly a trail of lights clicked on from above. As if there was suddenly a ceiling above him. The lights created a spotlight on the black ground in front of him. He shielded his eyes for a moment while looking forward. He saw something protruding from the ground. It was a flower.

“Come on, I don’t bite, much.”

Roman looked around for a moment too make sure it was talking to him. He walked towards the flower in question, passing through each spotlight. After passing through them they turned off. He didn’t have much to say, just best to go along with all of this. He looked behind him to only see the glowing red trail of his blood behind him. He looked forward once more as he got closer.

He stood a few feet away from the flower. It was leaning down and suddenly it moved. It looked up at him and yelled.


Roman was a bit taken back by the fact the flower was alive. Then again in the world magic anything was possible. This was still a bit out of the ordinary really. Did he have much of a choice but to go with it? “Hi.” His response was short but that's all could leave his lips at that very moment. He was still trying to make sense of all of it. Standing there Roman tried too act calm and collected while dealing with this ‘thing.’


“It seems someone didn’t like you very much. Enough to leave that hole in your chest there Roman.”


Roman was caught off guard by the fact this thing knew his name. He pointed to the whole in his chest.

“It’s odd you know my name, without me saying anything. A bit rude, to not give a name first at least don't you think?”

The flower smiled and tapped it’s head with its petal. “Where are my manners, I have many names and forms. I don’t lay claim to any specific name. For the sake of this conversation call me, Arum.”

“Roman Astoria.” Roman replied.

“No need, I am very aware of who YOU are, I am curious too what you make of me.”

“A talking flower in the middle of darkness. I am still trying to figure that out myself.”

Arum laughed before speaking once more. “You see, this is the end. What you see here is your own fear manifested. To be surrounded by nothingness, everyone has a deep seated fear that they won’t admit too. This is your’s friend. I am just here to dish out the punishment for the sins you have committed.”

Roman laughed right back at the flower after he finished speaking. “Look the guy who did me in was strong, I can tell that much. You are a fucking talking flower, what makes you think you could kill me? As a matter of fact I can erase you right now at the flick snap of my fingers."

Arum looked amused by Roman’s threat, “Try it.” A certain tone was behind his voice, a seriousness carried itself with it. Roman said nothing and snapped his finger at Arum. He had full intent of erasing the thing where it stood. Nothing happened, he was actually confused for a moment. The flower had a smug look on it’s face in response to the action. “See I am in control here.”

Roman didn’t want to accept that fact. Instead he unsheathed the bat from his back while jumping high into the air. He came down with a double handed bat strike. Once again the flower looked bored by this. An unseen force of energy erupted from Arum, sending Roman back several feet. Blown back he landed on his feet, coughed up a bit of blood and rushed back in. A series of blows were enacted on the flower. Each one was deflected by an unknown force. He continued the onslaught until he was tired. During this whole thing Arum bobbed back and forth, with a huge grin on it’s face.

“You done yet?”

Roman said nothing due to being winded. ‘What the fuck is this thing.’ A tv dropped from the sky and squashed Arum. Roman figured it was over, sadly it wasn’t the case. Then it clicked on, static filled the screen before the play button flash. It was a tape of Roman’s life being played. Roman took a step back in horror, too shocked to say anything. Everything he had done to people, every evil thing he had done played before him. Then flesh erupted from the sides of the television forming a mouth.

“What am I you ask? Well that’s easy.”

“The Judge.”


It started to become massive, and Roman stared at it with no words. Then large, plant-like tendrils erupted from the ground around Roman. This made it so he had nowhere to run. The monstrous entity towered over Roman with two eyes staring him down. The televsion continued too play, fast forwarding through his life suddenly. Roman did the only thing he could do, and that was prepare for battle.


“The Jury.”


Roman clenched his weapon with both hands and tensed up. He took a deep breath, preparing for the worst.

“And the Executioner.”

The television switched channels and there was a face with a devilish grin. It laughed for a moment, a cackle that sent a chill down the very soul of Roman.


WC 1500/5000

No one ever tells you what it's truly like to be a hero.

The glorify it to no end, talking of medals and honors. There was always some sort of way to build up precisely what it was to be recognized as the person who saved the day. Whether it was a single entity or an entire group, the hero was suppose to have quite a bit offered to them. Fame, fortune, women, men- Whatever they wanted really. Some heroes chose to embrace that sort of rewarding system while others tried to seclude themselves away from it. Regardless, they'd be known as heroes. They'd have the option themselves to take what they wanted, or to leave it. They had the ability and the decision given to them.

That was just the stories though. In reality, being a hero meant a lot of busy work. Papers had to be written, documents signed, meeting attended. The aftermath of the entire event in Era was an oppressive one to say the least. The press was all over it, so much information going around that not even the Rune Knights knew if there was a leak in their organization or simply just that much information circling. Those who participated in rescuing the town were all interviewed by anyone who could get in contact with them. Knights wanted to know what they were up against, the press wanted to know what they could get away with spreading, and the government... Well, at least they were finally doing work.

For some, this sort of action would likely have been an expected result. They'd handle the situations put before them and grind through the tedious bullshit until they got it all said and done. It was a boring set of tasks, of course, but it needed to be done. Almost anybody would be aware of that, and almost anybody would be smart enough to just do it. Finn, however, wasn't anybody.

He was hardly use to society as it stood, him being some unknown kid with a sword who went around bunking up bad guys. He didn't assume that his justice was the overarching justice that the world needed or anything ridiculous like that. Truth be told, he had no assumptions about himself at all. He simply did whatever it was that he himself thought was right. He had a very powerful moral compass, and the compassion to actually follow it.

To protect those who couldn't protect themselves seemed straight forward. To beat or otherwise kill those who threatened that or him also seemed rather obvious. While he may have pressed the boundaries here and there, killing perceived enemies even when they may have been good guys themselves, he didn't try to justify it.

It was more like he saw no need to justify it than anything else. He never claimed to be a good guy or a bad guy, only Finn. He fought when he had to fight, and he won the way he needed to win. It was that simple.

Until you are deemed a hero, that is. Then it becomes much harder to do anything. He tried his best to get through it before he simply couldn't take it anymore and decided to leave. It had caused quite a commotion when he refused to answer any more questions. Some thought he was being arrogant, already indulging in the authority that came with fame. Others thought what he was doing took tremendous courage, turning away those who wished for information that they had no right knowing.

Which lead to another thing that Finn had finally learned about society. Most people didn't care much about the truth, though he supposed that attested to him as well. People were quick to decide upon their own answers, and once something was determined to be an answer it was hard to change it. No matter what Finn did or said, the public had already made up their mind about the type of person he was and the type of things that he had done. There was no point arguing, and the entire thing had become just one big headache.

Now that several days had passed, though, he finally found himself some relief. If you lead someone on a large enough chase, they get tired. After avoiding the people who wanted answers, and ignoring them when that wasn't an option, they realized that Finn was not the hero type. That wasn't to say he didn't play a role that would be recognized later. It did, however, prove to be that he would be an awful spokesperson for whatever agenda they wished to push. With that realization, he had finally been given his alone time.

So then how was it that a young man attributed with the title of a hero would spend his time? There were the obvious choices in everything that was so often attributed to the cliche hero type. Those things didn't particularly fit the boy Finn though, who had been more annoyed by the attention than he'd ever feel flattered. He had a better way to spend his time than any of that.

Which brought us to the present time.

"Eighty two... Eighty three... Eighty four..." His voice came under his breath, only verbal because he would have long lost count in his own head. He was not a math guy, but he had to keep count of this. Every swing of his sword was counted, put into a verbal number as it drew back to its starting position. There were plenty of flashier fighters who wished to gain hundreds of moves, a vast array of knowledge and weapons. Finn didn't see it that way. Better it was to have two or three moves practiced to perfection than a hundred known only to mediocre standards.

As he reached one hundred, a one of his two hands that gripped the hilt rose to wipe sweat from his brow. His training had been physical only thus far for the day. He had begun with a jog, though he wasn't aware of how far. He had easily gone from one end of the city to the other, then found himself spiraling down side roads and alley paths. He had continued until he literally could not push himself to continue further, which had led him to one of the outskirts of the city.

Era was one of the lucky towns that was nice even where it was considered bad. There was a very small poor population, and even in those areas that you'd expect difficult times there was a nearly nonexistent crime rate.

Aside from the recent happenings of course.

Many had expected crime to sky rocket in the days following, as it would have in most cities. That being said, even those who had it rough didn't have it too bad. They were more appreciative than angry, and more thoughtful than vengeful. All those who called Era home had contributed to rebuilding, and due to that the town was packed despite its near empty streets. He had rested only a few moments before a civilian had brought him a canteen of water.

"Oi, whe'd lahk tuh thonk yuh fer all yuh dune fir ahs." The accent was thick, obviously not a native. After thirstily drinking half the container, Finn wiped the sweat and nodded. "Yeah... Not a problem," he said between breaths, smiling. The man shook his head, his long beard swaying with the motion. "Yuh doon't ned tuh wurry. Ah dun thonk anehbody aroond thes ports wull coll tuh noosman on yuh. Joost thunkfol fer whut yuh doon es ahll." And with that, the bearded man pat Finn on the should and left.

Finally, for the first time since the whole attack started, Finn felt a bit like a hero. Smiling, he continued to press through his routine now that he was on the edge of town, the streets nearly barren. As if the foreign man had somehow contacted all those around him, no one seemed to want to bother him in the slightest. He continued to push forward with his workout now. Push ups were done for his upper body. Sit ups were prepared for his core, with lunges a combination of his core and his legs.

As he pressed through, finally finished with the pure strength and endurance training, Finn stood tall and finished the canteen. What a tragedy, to be thirsty and yet all out of water. Deciding to walk and cool off, Finn made his way through the outskirts further until he came to a large opening. The opening was well kept, a large yard of grass with a few trees planted to accent the appearance. A small and obviously artificial pond had been put up, filled with large multicolored fish that swam lazily through the body of water that held no current. He had walked over to it, leaning down and swaying his fingers through the water.

Glancing up at the building whilst kneeling, he saw the massive red plus sign that was near the top. The building was a hospital, of that there was no question. From what he understood, those who were injured were split up. Some of the ones who fought on the side of the city were treated in field tents that were set up to deal with the emergency, their wounds having been lighter. Those who were evil were, by and large, no where to be found after the whole event happened.

While that was likely the reason that Finn was questioned so much, he couldn't help but wonder if it would have mattered otherwise. He wasn't one to forget a face once he saw it, even if he had only seen it in a poster or a book. That being said, he had not recognized any of the people whom he had fought in those woods. At least, not from any wanted posters or warnings. The ones who attacked the town had been mostly unknown. Some of them had even passed as bystanders at first, Finn only realizing the problem once they were attacked.

If he couldn't have gauged who was and wasn't and enemy, how could the rune knights who were completely uninvolved in the situation? While there would have been a sick sense of irony in some of the attackers being treated by the very town that they tried to destroy, there was also logic to support that as both plausible and probable. Finn wasn't necessarily a smart man in most aspects, but this was different than the usual form of intelligence.

He knew combat, and he knew instincts. He understood survival better than most people ever would, and that was exactly why his mind was racing. Training was more than just physical things. To better ones own skill with their sword, they must be able to think on the move. To process and act on information at the same time, and that was why his feet were moving before he even knew for sure what the plan was.

If I was hurt in a town where no one knew my face, obviously then... His mind was churning. It was so obvious, and yet he didn't see a single rune knight on his way in the building, or none on guard. Only visitors and patients. Yet to him it was so obvious, now that he had seen the building. Those who attacked the town had suffered serious damage, and he could only assume that was all over Era. Aside from the ones who directly fought them, no one knew their faces aside from claims. With so many citizens and defenders of the town also hurt, any of those attackers could have just slipped into the ranks. There was nothing to say they couldn't after all, right?

And so, after almost thirty minutes of asking around and checking rooms, he had confirmed his suspicions. Opening the door to one of the rooms, he saw him. He was laying in one of the advanced care unit rooms, bandaged fully with both machines and magic working to heal him as fast as possible. On the clipboard at the end of the bed no name was listed. 'Unknown Injured Civilian' was what had been written instead. No one knew what had truly happened, who he truly was.

Even Finn's arrival had not raised the suspicion of those in the hospital. Most of the staff were far too busy to have recognized him, the patients too tired or miserable to care. Those who may have noticed him said nothing to indicate it, and even if they had, what was suspicious about his arrival? A supposed hero of Era, coming to the hospital to see those whom he protected first hand. It would be an article in the morning paper at best.

Staring at the man, Finn went through the entire battle in his head again. In weapon mastery, there were four important factors. Physical ability, mental fortitude, quick wit, and the ability to relive old battles and old opponents. He had not gotten to see much of this man, only enough to know that he possessed powerful magic. He was dangerous. He attempted to destroy the entire town. Would a hero not strike down this villain now and explain himself?

Moving his hand to the sword on his back, Finn drew it in his hand. Walking over to the bed, he'd place it tip first on the ground and lean it against the wall. Pulling up a chair, Finn would take a seat next to the injured man. He had fought bravely, regardless of whose side he was on. Finn would often fight to protect those who could not protect themselves, but this was not that. This man was not attacking anyone, nor was he currently a threat. He was just a man whom Finn had seen in battle, who had fought against amazing odds and had found a way to smile in the face of death.

He, like Finn, was a warrior. That was what they were. Not heroes. Not villains. They were two humans, two warriors, with their own reason to fight. That was what Finn knew, and that was what he understood. Right now he had not come to finish a job, nor to claim any sort of heroism. He had merely come to follow his thoughts, and to see if they were right.

There was more to fighting than fighting. There was more to training than physical ability. And there was more to people than what could ever meet the eye.

(Words: 2480/5000)

The monster loomed over him with nowhere to run. All of the monsters eyes stared him down. Arum’s television face stretched downward and got extremely close to Roman. “What? No smart ass comments? You usually have something to say. Wait, are you scared? The mighty Roman Astoria is scared of the manifestation of his transgressions, all talk I see. Will you cry? Will you beg for mercy I wonder. Well!?”

Roman looked disgusted and a last ditch effort of defiance, he spit in the face of Arum. Saliva hit the screen and rolled down. The screen flashed red and stretched back to it’s original position.

“There is my smart ass remark you fuck.”

“I am going to make you my personal whipping boy.”

Roman stood there with a determined look on his face staring down this self proclaimed Executioner. He knew deep down inside what this entity was. It was just still hard to take this all in. His heart raced and that feeling came back. The defiance in him rising up to stand against something clearly stronger than him.

'Is this really the end? Will I go out like this?' He thought. His hands began to tremble standing against this menace. What could be considered a right hand came quickly from the left side. Roman attempted to block the incoming attack with flexed left arm. It was futile because he was blasted away in an instant. The impact of the attack was immense, with extreme pain to follow. He let out a gasp in pain from being rocked to his core. Roman flew several meters to the right but the monster was already waiting. For something so big it boasted a terrifying amount of speed.

A massive straight punch came barreling at Roman with no hesitation. With no wind or air in question there was zero resistance working against it. Roman attempted to fight back with all of his might. With one arm he took a step forward. He stepped inward and swung with all of his might to counter the fist. He knew it was futile due to it’s immense size but he still tried. That’s all really mattered was not giving up even when it looked grim. The fist overpowered him and he was sent backward several meters. His back was torn to shreds from sliding on the ground. It seemed as if the beast teleported, but it was using its terrifying speed. Roman brought up both hands to block. He knew something was coming, and his feeling was right. A massive right fist came down on him like an asteroid.

Roman closed his eyes but the sound of a shock wave erupted and nothing followed. He embraced the possible outcome of him being beaten into a fine powder. The end did not come, instead he saw another figure. A pure white figure no bigger than a boy was holding the monster’s fist with one hand.

“You.”


“His time has not come yet.” The figure replied. Arum had a displeased look and rolled his eyes. “Really? But I was only getting started.” Arum pulled his fist back and his form began to twist once more. While this happened the white figure turned to Roman. It offered to help him up with a outstretched hand. Roman grabbed the outstretched hand and pulled himself up. After standing up he rubbed his arm from the initial hit, but he was hurting all over.

“One second.” The white figure snapped it’s fingers causing the area to become illuminated. It was now a giant empty white area. Roman dusted himself off and looked around. Now he saw Arum had a normal human form. Taller than Roman by a foot but at least he wasn’t a monster. His back was turned, he slowly turned around while the white figure stood in front of Roman. He was void of any real features, like the white figure that appeared.


Roman looked pretty confused. “Alright I am pretty fucking lost. This guy made it pretty clear I was dead. Also, who or what are you? He is a asshole but why save me?” Roman's comment was intended to be a subtle jab at Arum.

“Please let me just have a bit of fun with him. Just a little.”


“You know the rules. Like him, I go by many names, God, Allah, Buddha, The Light, The World but for you I am The Truth. You aren’t dead, just merely in a comatose state. You almost bit the bullet, but fate saw fit to spare you. This is all just a near death experience.”

Truth pointed directly behind Roman to pull his attention away from the two. A massive door floated in the distance with all sorts of hieroglyphics embedded in it. Roman turned to see the object in question but did not approach it immediately. “Go through there and your soul will return back to your body.”

Roman had several questions but didn’t know where to even start. "You have several questions, but you only have enough time for one before being stuck here with him." The Truth pointed back to the eager Arum.

Roman thought of something clear and precise quickly. He wasn't too keen on the mind reading but it cut down on time.
“I am going to be upfront, why let me go? I am not the nicest person. I am evil by the world’s standards.”

“Yes but there is also a balance that must be obeyed. With good in the world, there must be evil that exists to oppose it. The universe works in harmony and it will not be disturbed. When it is your time, he will be your best friend. That is unless you choose to clean up your act. We both know that won’t happen.”

Roman did not find any reason to disagree with the deity. He knew of the balance in the world and with his nature he wasn’t changing anytime soon. He saw his death as a weakness and not a punishment really. A failure that he wouldn’t be able to forget. “I better get going, don’t want my body to become a vegetable.”

The Truth said nothing and only waved. Arum on the other hand saw fit to give Roman a parting gift. He stepped from behind Truth and rushed at Roman. Being caught off guard he didn’t think too block. Arum sucker punched Roman with all of his might. Arum popped him straight in the mouth, altering the structure of his face all together. “That’s for spitting in my face you fuck.”

Roman flew through the air towards the door. The door opened up revealing a large eye. Hands reached out and grabbed Roman as he writhed in pain. The last thing he saw was the two walking away into the distance. Roman noticed something, they resembled light and dark. Maybe it was just a coincidence but they were counter parts. They represented the balance of the world, yin and yang.

The hands dragged him through the portal. The hands were binding his soul back to his body. During the transportation the punch delivered had magical properties that began to change his physical appearance. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise due to the incident that happened in Era. He yelled in pain as his face changed rapidly and quickly. It spread all over his body changing all sorts of features.


A boy sat at Roman’s bed side. His vision was extremely blurry and took a moment to refocus. He was looking through bandages, but didn’t make any sudden movements. Just waited for the grogginess to wear off. A throbbing pain filled his head while his eyes shifted across the room. He was still trying to get a grasp on the grogginess. The boy sitting at his bedside started to become clearer. Roman sat up suddenly and looked over at the boy sitting next to him.

“You were there weren’t you.”

A nurse came into the room for her daily check up. Saw the patient was awake finally. She ran out of the room to get the doctor. Roman shifted his body so he could sit up in the bed. The bandages were a bit restricting but he could feel the sensation returning to his body. He took a moment and pulled the patches on his body that were attached to the heart monitor.

“You may have not did this too me but you helped you little shit.”

Roman pulled the cover from his bed while trying to get out of bed. Thankfully he wasn’t in the coma for too long. His motor skills did not go too complete shit. Roman got out of the bed and felt the tug of some tubes that were attached to his left hand. He ripped them out causing a bit of blood to squirt out but that was irrelevant. The tall bandaged man towered over the boy. He had a crazed look in his eyes. Electrical energy began to build up in response to his anger. A flexed muscle activated a spell, Roman lunged forward with a full arm hammer strike aimed at the boy’s head.

1547 WC

3047/5000

Stuff:

950/1050

Finn had sat there for a while. Time seemed to go by slowly, but in reality it was speeding by. The white sheets, the white bed, the white tiles and floor, the white lights reflecting off the white paper of the clear plastic clipboard. It was all a bit overwhelming, made to not make the patients think any specific things. Better to have the patient in a completely natural state than any sort of alteration the environment might have caused, along with the added bonus of being a much easier thing to clean. He wondered how anyone thought that a pure white space would be more soothing than something with some color. Anything, all dark or all light, would be overwhelming in its own way.

As the time ticked by, a nurse or two would stop in and check on the patient. They each had relatively unfaltering gazes when seeing Finn, though he could detect different emotions from both of them. On the first, a disapproving frown that lasted no more than a moment. The boy looked like he could be related to the man in some way, so she didn't bother to ask. To let a patient get rest undisturbed was still better, though. The second offered a slightly surprised look, apparently not expecting any of the patients of this floor to have any visitors at all.

The truth of the matter was that Finn wasn't necessarily visiting him at all. The idea to check here came sporadically, without any real planning ahead of time. The execution of it just as spontaneous. Now that he was waiting here, letting the minutes turn into an hour, he wondered why he hadn't left yet. It wasn't guilt or a feeling of responsibility, but rather something else entirely.

It was curiosity. This man quite literally stood on the other side of the line as him. The very things that made Finn who he was, in one way or another, differed drastically in this guy. How different were they really though? Finn had spent his whole life fighting guys that he thought were bad guys, but he never actually got to know them. Hell, even Jake had been a bad guy at one point. The older brother to Finn had actually once led his own gang, committing big name heists throughout neighboring towns and small gigs home in Fiore. Finn hadn't known that when he was younger, of course, but it was certainly surprising.

Sighing, Finn finally reached over and grabbed his blade once more. Bringing it to him, he let the tip of the blade continue to rest on the tile while he held it by its hilt, resting his chin on its end. It was about time for him to leave, he couldn't let the hour turn plural.

Before he could actually muster up the energy to do so, something began to happen. The eyes began to flutter, the face itself seeming to expand and contract beneath the bandages. The man was... Well, he didn't know what to make of it. Still, the want to know more kept Finn there, and kept him watching. Before long the man sprung up in his bed, sitting up and looking around wildly. It wasn't a surprise, really. He was in an entirely new place than what he remembered, and there was a high chance that the last thing he remembered was the woods. Now here he was, in a featureless room. It had to be disorienting.

“You were there weren’t you.”

The voice rang out as Finn sat up, no longer resting his face. A quick nod was all that came as a response. It wasn't that Finn couldn't find the words to speak, but rather there was no reason to why he answered the way he did. It was a simple nod, no backing to it. As the man began pulling the monitors off him, he spoke once more. “You may have not did this too me but you helped you little shit.”

That... That was not a good sign. As the man rushed to get out of bed, throwing aside the covers and quickly standing up, Finn began to stand as well. The blade was still resting on the ground, but he doubted he'd need it. The man just needed to c-

And he was pulling the tubes from his arms. Yup. This was going to turn into something else. Finn quickly noticed lightning begin to dance around the mans fist as he lunged forward towards Finn, swinging his arm sideways in a hammer fist. Raising his blade so that it was turned sideways, still facing downwards, the metal absorbed the blow and caused Finn to skid backwards. This was not what he wanted, not in a hospital.

So he turned and ran, literally sprinting from the room in which the angered man had just awoken. He could only hope that the man would follow him, more concerned with hurting the guy he recognized than the innocents in the hospital. Otherwise, well, Finn would realize that if he'd start hearing explosions.

[Wc: 3342]

Roman’s anger found itself directed at Finn for a moment. The sudden movements caused the bandages to unravel themselves as he lunged at the boy. Electrical energy filled the room from Roman’s initial attack. To his dismay the boy was able to block the attack but it was not left unchecked. In most cases the electrical discharge would have danced across the blade making the block useless. This attack was different it only applied kinetic energy in a forward moving direction. Any other number of other Lightning based attacks would have ignored the block all together and conducted along the metal. This was a unique elemental property people tend to forget. This was something to consider for the future for possible spell usage. Finn slid back a few feet with a bit of a worried look on his face. Roman did not care to look into why. Roman swung once more with all of his might but without usage of a spell. The swing was a horizontal hook that was meant for Finn. It came from his right arm and slammed into the wall close to the left.  The boy fled the room in a comical manner. No doubt with his affinity towards good he did not want the civilians to get involved.

People gathered outside of the room from the commotion trying to see what was all the action going on.  Roman slowly walked out of the room. He wanted to run but his legs were a bit wobbly from being laid up for a week roughly. He needed to take it slow, for a moment before all of the feeling returned. He used most of his energy in the initial lunge and attack. He suffered a little from muscle weakness but he managed to quickly regain some of his strength back through sheer willpower. Anger served as fuel and created a need to move. He didn’t care how his body felt, he forced it to move. A doctor came running into the room. A older man wearing a face of concern. Finn was already out of the room by that point with Roman in slow pursuit. The man tried to serve as a road block to Roman pleading for his health.

“Sir! You need to take it easy! You have been out for almost a week!”

The man’s elevated voice pierced the ringing anger that flooded Roman’s mind. ‘A week?’He thought for a moment before looking at a mirror to the left. The tall blonde man walked over to the mirror slowly. He saw his face was wrapped in bandages still. “Sir please, lay back down.” The doctor pleaded once more. Roman said nothing while drawing closer to the mirror. He grabbed a hanging bandage and slowly unraveled it. Memories of what he encountered in the beyond flashed through his head. Arum’s voice came to him once more.

“A parting gift.”

He remembered the pain he felt on the way back. That was no illusion that was very real. He looked in the mirror and dropped the bandages. He looked nothing like he did once before. A change of the jaw line, eye shape, and even the hair changed. A smirk turned into a grin, and then into a full toothy smile. Then he began to laugh at the whole thing. What people thought was a myth or religious superstition was very real. “At least he was nice enough to leave me pretty.” He spoke to himself referencing Arum. Of course the doctor wouldn’t know who he was referring too. The only thing the doctor was focused on was his patient moving around rapidly. The doctor stood dangerously close to Roman, it was a invasion of his personal space.

“Ple..” The doctor's words were muffled by a large right hand grasping the shorter, older, male’s face. Roman placed his left finger over his own mouth making a shushing noise. “I am fine. I appreciate all you have done doctor. As a show of good faith and my gratitude I won’t destroy this place.” Everyone in earshot who heard this had a look on their face. Roman elevated his voice too make sure everyone heard. “If you scream or notify the Rune Knights I might have a change of heart.” For once everyone listened and no one let out a peep. It was quite shocking really. Usually there was always one who screamed. He let go of the doctor and walked passed him. “Oh can someone be a dear and tell me where my belongings are?” He looked around for a moment and saw the doctor point to neatly folded clothes with his weapon nestled on top near the door.

“Appreciate it,” He grabbed his objects and left the room. “One last thing, did any of you see a blonde haired boy run past here. Kind of short, wearing an odd hat with a pretty looking sword.”

A brunette female nurse spoke up and pointed down the hallway.

“He ran out of the hospital.”

“Thank you, now would you all kindly leave my room so I can get dressed. I can’t really walk around in public in this. Not too mention it's a bit drafty.” People said nothing and evacuated the area. It was detrimental to walk around in flip flops and a smok. He knew he couldn't be taken seriously with his ass hanging out. “You too doc, I think I got it from here. Close the door behind you will ya?”

Everyone left the area and the doctor followed orders. Roman was left to himself for a moment. It was his tattered clothes he was left for dead in. They were a bit of a snug fit so he needed to update his wardrobe to much his new face. “Now where was I? Oh yes, chasing the little shit.” His weapon was clenched in his right hand resting over his shoulder. With a left hand he calmly opened the door. He made sure not to cause any more damage than there was. No need to attract the Rune Knights in his weakened state. He left his medical room and began to walk towards the stairs. It wasn’t long before he was in the lobby area. “These people will suffer if you run!” He yelled out in an attempt to draw the boy’s attention wherever he was. It was clearly a bait, but he tried to play on the boy’s good nature.

1133 WC

4180/5000

950/1050
Weapon Equipped.

Finn had made it out of the hospital in a hurry, though that was as far as he went. It hadn't been the threats from the man that had caused him to halt, nor had it been the confused looks of every person whom which he passed. What stopped him had been the need to ensure that his plan had worked. He had not run because he was afraid of combat, that was not who he was. He ran because he knew that to stay there, even if the other guy wanted to avoid hurting others, would cause the other patients and employees to suffer. It was one of the downsides of magic, honestly. Aiming it to just a small area was nearly impossible.

Flexing his arm, he finally had to address the ache. Though Finn was not a science buff nor genius, he knew well enough that lightning normally traveled along metal well. His sword had all but deflected it though, none of the shock reaching his body. It was as if the strength of the sword had somehow subdued the magic, but that didn't make very much sense... Well, neither does someone having the ability to literally throw lightning I guess.

Before long, a voice exploded from the lobby in which Finn had come from. It was loud, menacing, and carried with it a threat that was undoubtedly aimed at Finn. The glare made it so that he couldn't see those inside, but he could only assume the looks on their faces. After what they had just experienced, how could they not feel terror with all of this? He'd have to end this whole thing fast... Even if that only meant a temporary retreat.

Finn was, by all means, a warrior. It was not that he was afraid others would be hurt during their scuffle that made him wish to pull back. While that was indeed a real risk, it wasn't exactly his prime concern. The actual cause to this mindset was something far more greedy than one would expect from their supposed heroes. When Roman had awoken, his entire demeanor was different than the man who Finn had originally seen in the forest. He was slow, sloppy and sluggish. This man was by no means at his maximum potential, and how could he be expected to be? If Finn were to fight him now, it would be no more than kicking a man while he was down.

Flexing his arm that had held the blade during his block, a grimace formed on Finn's face. Still, that much power from a dude who has been in a coma... What sort of monster have I found? His inner dialogue was one of excitement. He hadn't found someone to put that level of adrenaline in his blood since the tournament where he fought with Maarschalk. Whoever this guy was, he had what was needed to give Finn a run for his money. He was a true warrior.

As the doors opened and the man came out of them, Finn stood a mere eight meters away from the door. His blade was in his right hand, but it was held loosely at his side. "Can I say one thing?" Finn would ask, though he'd move neither his arms nor his weapon. Assuming that Roman agreed, or even if he merely paused in silence, Finn would continue. "I've got no problem fighting you, but can it not be now?" As he asked this, it struck Finn that the man may be taking it as if the entire reason was that he was worried about others around him.

Finn's muscles all still burned from his rigorous exercising that had lead into this, but that wasn't the problem. In fact, he only felt the burn at all because he consciously acknowledged it should be there. With the chemicals flowing through his body, giving him strength and an ignorance to pain, Finn could fight at his max threshold now. Roman, on the other hand...

"Don't get me wrong, I'm sure we could contain the damage we cause. But you've been in this hospital for a while, there's no way you're at full power. Lets meet back up when we're both at our peaks. I'm Finn from Blue Pegasus. You can come find me any time you want a challenge." The words continued only a moment after his last ones, assuming he'd gotten them off at all. he hoped, truly, that Roman would accept these terms. There was nothing to be gained from this fight here.

Still, once again Finn flexed his arm that had taken the force of his sword being shoved back into him. This man was strong, and while he had been enhanced by magic, that did not at all take away from what he was capable of. He still felt it throbbing in his arm, and it was that need to react suddenly that had added to today. Finn had decided that day would be devoted for training, and so far it all had been. There may have been outsiders who would disagree, but that was simply because their views of the real world were far too narrow.

For people like Finn, Maarschalk, and Roman, things were never as simple as they appeared. Muscle training and repetition could only take an individual so far, but that was no different than book knowledge. It put the material there, but it still had to be molded. It was in using it every day that training truly happened. In allowing ones mind to work quickly, and ones body to react as soon as their mind did. To allow ones thoughts to expand, and to delve into their imagination. To react to sudden and violent outbursts from patients who just woke up from a coma. It was all training, and that made today a success. Even if he had to fight this weakened man, today would have been a good day.

WC: 4369

Roman watched the individuals run out of the lobby in various directions due to the threat he yelled. Of course had no real intentions of harming these people due to keeping him alive and away from the Rune Knights. He gave the doctor his word and it applied to everyone. It was just more work to deal with folks in the way. Granted he had a belief that those in the way deserve to die or be disciplined. He kept the bravado up that he was a bit weakened due to being laid up for so long. Not too mention he felt some things other than his appearance needed to change. Walking through the lobby, people who couldn’t run just waited for some kind of ending. The fear created a scent that was sweet to Roman. This was normal for the weak. It was always fun to see one’s true colors in what they thought could be their final moments. Roman didn’t have any business with them, it was the boy he was concerned with. The doors slid open revealing Finn’s pursuer. At the point of stepping outside of the door he saw the lad with weapon in hand.

Roman clenched his bat that rested over his right shoulder. Roman had a vivid memory and everything came flooding back. That night, people present, and the bloodlust the boy leaked like a broken faucet.  The only difference was the dog wasn’t around. Before Roman said anything the boy spoke. Asking a question that warranted the following response. “Sure shoot kid.” Roman took note of the area around him, people were fleeing the area. The boy stood eight meters away from Roman in the street.

The boy’s request came as a shock. Roman had more interested look on his face. “Fair enough.” By inputting this he was engaged in the conversation and his mind was focused on what the kid had to say. Roman gave him that much due to the fact the boy sat next to him waiting for something. He could have very well took him out in his sleep. But he didn’t so it wouldn’t hurt to hear out what the kid had to say.

The boy wasn’t stupid, he was quite aware of Roman’s weakness. It made sense didn’t it? He had been out of commission for a bit. In the magical world, being out commision for a week can be extremely detrimental. He didn’t care about the damage caused because of who he was. Then a name came, and it was burned into his memory. “Roman Astoria of Phantom Lord, tis a pleasure. I appreciate your concern and consideration. I really thank you for not taking me out while I slept. Don’t expect me to apologize for lunging out at you. I won’t pretend I have completely forgiven the folks from that night.” Not too mention Roman had to make sense of everything that went down. He got a lot of battle experience even if it was just him getting tossed around about by Arum. Two instances where he needed to train even more than before. Extremely hard battles were ahead and Roman needed to make sure he was ready for them. He was battle hungry sure, but he wasn’t stupid. He knows when he is at a disadvantage. It is best to just walk away and recover completely.

He let out a deep sigh and looked down at his body once more. He could feel his body still sore from the ‘gift’ given to him from supernatural forces. “Alright I will level with you. I won’t lie that I have a burning passion to crush you here and now. But I am not foolish enough to know I am clearly at a disadvantage. Now that I have your name and know what guild. You know my name and my guild now. I will take my leave and you do whatever you want to fucking do. I need to get new clothes anyways. Maybe some food also, been in a coma for like a week kind of hungry. So if you excuse me.” He turned to leave assuming the boy wouldn’t attack. Roman kind of figured out Finn. His actions and the way he spoke gave insight into who he was on the surface. See Finn only attacked when provoked, which was natural for his type. No reason to lash out at others just because of a bad day. See Roman was the opposite of that. He didn’t care for those around him who didn’t share the same ideals or were weak. Why would he care for the weak? Then again there was a balance in the world. It all came full circle, light and dark was what these two represented. Roman chuckled to himself at the realization and began to left the area. He turned left to head into the market district while keeping Finn in his peripheral view. He figured it be fitting to leave the boy with a parting gift.

“Don’t worry I will take some time off. I want our fight to be enjoyable. We both know our paths will cross again.” With that said, Roman exited the scene.

[Exit]

WC 5047/5000

Roman had made his exit. The peace had worked out, which Finn had honestly not been completely confident about. Roman was a man that he had absolutely no information on, and yet every instinct in his body was practically screaming the same thing. He wanted to fight him. He wanted to go out there, sword drawn, putting life and limb on the line to see which of them would come out on top. It wasn't what he saw in the woods, as he admittedly hadn't the time to truly see the man fight there. It wasn't the punch that was thrown, as that was simply an impulsive decision.

It was the way the man carried himself. There were only two such people that Finn could imagine that could carry themselves that way, both of whom he could compare to the predators in the woods. There were the foolish ones, who hunted upon small feed and insects and thought themselves kings. They had territory, they had a piece of land in which they and their kin rested. That territory was more than a resting place though, it was the only place they knew. They returned, never venturing to far and never exploring more. They knew that at any time, everything they had could be lost.

Then there were the true kings. The ones whom considered the entire woods their domain. They wandered from end to end, neither searching for the old nor yearning for familiarity. They simply took what was theirs, for who was there to stop them? You could tell the two apart if you spend enough time hunting them yourself. The former, they were quick to back down from a battle the second that it was shown the odds were not in their favor. In their mind, they were out to exist. If they would suffer more damage than what they were willing to take, even if it resulted in a win, they would not risk it.

The true kings, however, cared not for the damage inflicted upon themselves. They welcomed the challenge and shrugged off the risk. They knew that they would be able to come out on top, and if not, they would take the other with them. They did not yearn to exist, they simply lived. There was a mutual respect among the kings. Not necessarily friendship or kinship, but a respect as to what the other was. There was no fear, nor was there hatred. And Roman exuded that like it was his magic.

Putting his sword away, a smile crossed the young boys lips. He had found something interesting at the very least, and he'd keep that man in his mind as he continued his training. His muscles that had previously been strained and tired now felt reinvigorated. He began to run, faster than he had before, away from the hospital. The wind caught his hair and the cool breeze that had already been about dried whatever sweat as it formed, chilling Finn to the bone.

This run lasted for a countless amount of time. He didn't track the blocks nor the seconds, but instead simply ran. There were monsters in this world. Roman, Maarschalk, the countless nameless people who had entered the tournament and the countless people whom he had no idea even existed. Whoever pulled the strings behind Era...

He had to get stronger. This was an inspiration for improvement he had not felt for a long time. This fire that was lit in his belly, raging in his chest as if to tell him to push harder. His run only stopped when he felt too tired to continue. Finishing the water that he had with him, gifted by a thankful town person, he rested just long enough to feel like he could walk again. Hobbling over to a nearby area, Finn put his bare knuckles on the ground.

And then, he began the push ups. Like his running, he didn't both to count them. He simply kept going, pushing as fast as he could until he felt his muscles starting to tear and his shoulders starting to burn. This cycle continued with sit ups and planks until he felt like every inch of his body was truly ready to give up.

Thank goodness he hadn't found Roman like this. It would have meant his death most likely if that predator had smelt even a whiff of weakness. Breathing heavily, and sweating so much that it looked as though a bucket of water had been dumped on him, he reached a single arm to the sky and grabbed at the air as if he thought he could reach the sun.

He had trained the entire day. Normally, such a thing would clear his mind. Instead he found it more full than ever before. There was so much in the world that he had existed in the past six years... How had he only just begun to discover it?

EXIT

WC: 5204