[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfpESuES3m0]A Truly Long Winter[/url] [u]Location:[/u] Unknown [u]Time/Date:[/u] Unknown/Unknown [u]Team:[/u] The Yellow Dragon Walks Alone The snow crunched beneath his feet with every step towards the fallen hovercopter, the first of three. He had made quick work out of the first, and then taken both the second and third with one blow. Two birds with one stone, just like the idiom. He supposed he should've been proud of his display of power, that was what he came to... [i]that place[/i], to demonstrate, was it not? But he felt nothing but the numbness of the cold and a hollow in his heart. Even an honourless dog like himself wouldn't celebrate the death of his close friends... ....No. They weren't his friends. Not anymore. He'd gathered his memories of them and thrown them aside the moment he left, just as he had done with his honor. He had to forget their warmth, their smiles... They were only distractions. ...The air felt just a little bit colder then... His Surveillance Field informed him that he was nearing the crash site, and though he didn't know it, the assailant steeled his heart and mind just a bit more. But what he saw wasn't honoured dead, waiting to be buried, but rather... [b][i]"Y-You!"[/i][/b] His throat went dry, and his body was heavy like lead. He couldn't find the words, and he couldn't move a muscle. For before him... A commando stared. [b][i]"What a relief! We-We all thought you were d..."[/i][/b] the commando began to speak, before a realization began setting in, [b][i]"W-Wait... Did you... Did you do this?"[/b][/i] The enemy was silent as he slowly stepped forward. [b][i]"Fai... Did. You. Do. This?"[/i][/b] "I-I never wished for it to end like this..." [i][b]"Don't get any closer!"[/i][/b] "But if this is the price that must be paid..." [b][i]"FAI![/i][/b] The commando reached for a firearm, a fire burning in those weary eyes. And with a renewed vigor, the commando raised his weapon at his enemy. Taking one last glance at his friends, who were only beginning to stir now. He returned his attention to what used to be a member of such a group. The grip around the M93B tightened even more. "...Please forgive me, Varren Yinyues." The air shimmered with mana as the Failure of the Huanglong hardened his heart once more and assumed his stance. ---- Shen Huanglong Today Was A (Huang)Long Day ---- Shen's muscles tensed in anticipation, stance low and firm. This was it. This was the first true test on his path, one that would test both his skill and resolve to succeed. He'd saved his energy throughout the entire day and ate a nutritious lunch to maximize how large his reserves would be for this trial. He wouldn't - no, [i]couldn't[/i] allow himself to fail now. He had to measure up to the likes of those who'd fought before him. His peers were all so brilliant, so noble and powerful, like bolts of lightning from the heavens. If he wasn't like that... He didn't deserve to be here in the first place. "I am ready," he indicated with a nod, after a few deep, meditative inhales and exhales to calm his tumultous mind. He didn't remove his eyes from the wooden training dummies. Stationary. Staring. They'd start moving at any time. He had to be ready... [i]'There'[/i]. The moment the wooden targets began to move, the Chinese mage was there to meet them with his magically enhanced legs. Using the left over duration of the enhancement to roundhouse a target away, he used the remaining momentum to plant his foot on the ground and go for a roundhouse heel kick. With a swift exhale and a surge of mana, the Asian slammed his flaming heel into another dummy. He pivoted on his foot and thrust his fist out, shooting a stream of flame at a congregation of dummies coming from his back - now his front. He pivoted again to face some of the other targets. A flurry of blows coming straight out of a Wuxia movie followed, fire flying from the crowd surrounding the young Asian. [i]'Yes! I can do this1'[/i] Shen thought proudly as he push-kicked a dummy away, slammed his kicking foot on the ground, and pushed off it to throw an enhanced punch straight at its wooden face. However... "GYAH!" A burning dummy slammed into Shen's back leg, knocking the Asian off balance and causing him to stumble... Where he was hit by another dummy... And another... And another... And another... And another.. The Asian was completely surrounded by flaming mannequins, each wailing into him one after the other. There was no room for retaliation. He couldn't use his Wu Ji Long Quan with all these obstructions so close, so all encompassing. Shen turtled up on the ground. The smoke and heat from all the burning wood was getting to him. But he wouldn't cry out for help. He'd have to take it. Take it all and wait for a chance to get out of this mess...! Suddenly, they all stopped. Shen kept in his turtle position, until he finally realized that he was safe. Did he... Fail? The Asian slowly and tentatively got up. A path had been cleared for him, allowing him to exit the crowd of flaming dolls. Shen hobbled out of the crowd, using the remainder of his mana reserves to issue some healing magic on himself. If he failed, he didn't want to have to feel it in the morning. Suddenly, a loud crash. Shen looked behind him. ...Oh. So [i]now[/i] they fell apart. Today just wasn't his day, was it?