awashlogs | May Quests (and etc) [closed]

The directive, he recalls, is to fight off the manticore. The youthful desire to test his strength beckons for Berkut to destroy the beast entirely (what good is a victory that fails to be total?), but whether this can be accomplished by two men remains a mystery.

No matter.

The advantage of maintaining his distance makes itself known when the scorpion tail comes rushing into his periphery. He steers Buceph around as if to leave. Using the turn to gain momentum, Berkut meets the tail head-on; with a well-aimed thrust, he knocks it off course and continues to charge until he's joined Tonbokiri's side.

Despite his feelings toward this man, he knows how to battle beside another horseman. If they're to win, it would be best not to get in each other's way.

Despite how it looked, Tonbokiri didn't think for one moment that the young man would desert him. When Berkut comes to his side, Tonbokiri acknowledges him with a small nod as he professionally gauges the reach of their two spears so they won't hit each other.
Even with that scorpion-like tail, the creature doesn't stand a chance against two spearmen mounted on warhorses.

"If you can understand human speech, curb your madness and return to the forest, lest we near kill you as we drive you back!"

Whether it can understand or not, the manticore answers with a blood-thirsty roar, making clear its only intention as it reaches out with fierce claws and swipes at Mikuniguro. The steed evades nimbly, but he is already breathing heavily. All the exercises they have done to maintain his condition does not equal the exertion of being in real battle.

Tonbokiri in turn swipes his spear at the beast's face, intending to quickly blind it.

Ridiculous. What can he gain by attempting to reason with a monster? As if the words of a human could override its thirst for blood!

But this is not the time to dwell on such things. The manticore strikes out, and Tonbokiri responds in kind; the spear strikes true, blinding the beast in one eye. Recoiling in fury, the manticore retaliates by swinging its mighty tail at both horsemen.

To meet this attack head-on would effectively mean dismounting by force. With little room to evade, Berkut opts to duck as low as he can go as he maneuvers Buceph to the beast's blind side.

Undeterred, the manticore gives its tail a wild shake, dislodging the spikes on the end and shooting them into the ground to disrupt the horses' movement. Buceph reels from the sudden threat on the terrain, and Berkut just manages to hang on with a short gasp. The beast's grudge lies with another, however, and it quickly turns back to swipe at Tonbokiri once more.

Though it takes a moment, Buceph makes a recovery from the fright. Berkut makes his way around the spikes and lunges for the manticore's flank with a shout.

Unfortunately, Tonbokiri has less leeway to evade the tail's swipe than the slighter Berkut. He slips from Mikuniguro's saddle and rolls to the side of the manticore he did not blind. Good for the creature's focus to be on him, and only on him.

The sheer number of spikes that the manticore shakes from its tail takes Tonbokiri by surprise, though, and one spike slides down the armour on his legs only to graze his foot. He exhales sharply. Unfortunate, that. But it will not slow him.

He takes on the manticore's retaliatory swipes, blocking, deflecting, and stabbing again. He touches the beast's great lion-like paw, and blood springs from the cut.
At the same time, Tonbokiri hears Berkut's voice raised in a shout and the body of the beast shudders. It seems the young man has scored a sound hit as well.

Tonbokiri braces himself for the manticore to retaliate even more desperately, although he hopes that this is now enough to drive the thing off.

With surprising speed, the manticore spins on its feet instead. Its tail curves with the motion, catching Berkut's side in a high sweep.

Caught in the stirrup, Berkut's ankle twists in his descent as he nearly crashes into Tonbokiri. But his weapon remains in his vice-like grip, and he rolls onto his feet straightaway, ignoring the prickly sting of his wounded ankle. Having completed its turn, the manticore leaps at its clumped prey with its fangs bared.

Berkut meets the beast head-on, poised to thrust the point of his lance into and up the manticore's maw. Barring Tonbokiri's intervention, he means to land a potentially fatal blow.

Tonbokiri grunts as he defends through the sudden and powerful spin, and his eyebrows raise when Berkut nearly runs him over as he comes off his horse. But the youth is resilient, already rolling to his feet and--

Tonbokiri can read the situation in an instant. Berkut's posture, the manticore's movement; it is clear what it about to happen. And if Berkut succeeds, they will fail. So Tonbokiri moves.

One foot pushes off the ground, and he very nearly flies, dashing directly into Berkut's side to stop his attack and push him out of the way of the manticore's leap. But when Tonbokiri's other foot touches the ground for that last push, it betrays him and he falters, tripping to the ground. There was some poison on that spine that grazed him a moment ago. So although he is able to shove Berkut out of the way, the beast falls upon Tonbokiri's foot, sinking sharp teeth into his ankle.

His eyes narrow, but he shows no other reaction to the pain. Instead, his voice raises in a defiant shout as he shortens his grip on his spear and slashes out the manticore's other eye.

At that moment, the quest is the furthest thing from his mind. Tonbokiri's tackle catches him by surprise (the time to be livid will come later), causing Berkut to stumble. His injured ankle gives and sends him crashing to the ground with a stifled cry while the manticore reels from the blow to its eye.

The beast releases Tonbokiri none too kindly as it twists and turns. Its mad rampage allows Berkut the window of time to mount Buceph before he leaps between the manticore and Tonbokiri; his shield blocks a shower of poorly aimed spikes, and his lance slashes at the lion's face. In the same motion, he turns the lance around to strike using the blunt end.

Blinded and dazed, the manticore gives another short-lived roar, then finally spins around to take off in the direction whence it had come. The trees and bushes cave to its massive frame. Silence soon descends upon the once battlefield, carrying with it the question of the manticore's possible return.

He manages to roll away slightly once the manticore roughly releases him, clutching his spear close to his chest. He can hear Mikuniguro stomping the ground behind him, and wants to reign in his steed, but his gaze is fixed on the battle.

Berkut and Buceph valiantly defend him against the manticore's frenzy, and the young man deals the final blows that finally turn the beast away.

He lays there, unmoving but keenly listening and watching to the manticore's retreat. It feels like a long time, but at last he breathes out slowly.

"It is finished." He gets an arm under himself so he can lift into a sitting position. His ankle is badly torn up, and given his previous experience he worries about the poison. But even this much damage is nothing to complain about. Mikuniguro comes to his side, lowering his head as to give Tonbokiri something of a hand up. But first Tonbokiri turns towards Berkut.

"Well done. Are you unharmed?" It looked like he'd weakened his ankle when he'd dropped from the saddle, but hopefully other than that...

Why did he stop him?

The question nearly tumbles out of his mouth. Instead, Berkut says tersely, "As you can plainly see."

The entire leg of the affected ankle aches, and a merciless throb ails his side where he was struck by the tail. He'll be nursing these injuries for some time; but to admit this would be the same as an admission of weakness, especially when Tonbokiri appears much worse off. Better to hold his tongue and keep mum.

He glances down at Buceph. His horse looks just fine. Good.

A strong man like Tonbokiri doesn't require help. Berkut makes no offer of assistance. Rather, he looks off in the direction the manticore had taken, leaving behind a trail of destruction in its wake, and he sounds a touch wistful.

"We could have eliminated it then."

The terseness of Berkut's reply makes him think that he's worse off than he'll admit, but still fine enough. So he simply nods in acknowledgement. Then using Mikuniguro's bridle, Tonbokiri uses his help to stand.

At the young man's wistful statement, he smiles patiently.

"Yes, we could have. But it is good that we did not. Not only would we have failed the quest, but it would have been a pointless slaughter. Such creatures, while dangerous, are probably as much at the mercy of the forest as we are. We need not make their role worse than it already is, and we need not exceed the role given to us."

"Such complaisance . . . "

To exceed is to surpass expectations—to succeed where others might not, thereby establishing one's superiority over the rest. What role does a creature that thirsts for the blood of humans play? Allowing such a dangerous predator to escape was a foolish decision, one that's only offset by the demand of an arbitrary quest.

He huffs.

"You fought valiantly. I'll give you that."

Call it 'complaisance' if you will, Berkut-dono.
Tonbokiri is curious what the young man really thinks, but... he does not want to seem like he's forcing it from him.

The compliment is more than enough.

"Thank you. And you as well. You have fine technique, and your partnership with Buceph shines true."

[ooc: Quest reported here!]

How different, he thinks, from the first time they met. Spurred on by both the memory and the compliment, Berkut turns his head away with a haughty look.

"Of course. I don't need you to tell me that."

Guiding Buceph back onto their originally intended path, he speaks over his shoulder.

"See to your wounds. You never know when that beast will make its return."

Hahaha, of course. But he'll compliment the young man anyway! Even if he brushes it away so easily, it's still good for him to hear.

Likewise, Tonbokiri doesn't need to be told such a thing, but he nods in acceptance of the advice to Berkut's back.

"This much is nothing, but thank you. Take care yourself, as well."

It is important to be in their very best condition to face whatever may come at them in this place. Later, he will quietly make sure that Berkut had his own ankle tended to.

May Quests (and etc) [closed]

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