Brucenorris007

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce felt his airway tighten under Ross' grip. He coughed once, loud and hard, once Ross dropped him back to the ground. He sucked in a gulp of air and briefly assessed Ross' state. A second was at least longer than it had taken for his own sword to recover from a hit from Bruce's blade. Not by long, though.
Still, the fact that Ross had requested any length of time as a time out in the middle of a test meant he'd achieved something. He opened his mouth to apologize for the wound, but thought better of it- he had a feeling it might offend Ross somehow. Instead, Bruce sheathed his blade, keeping one hand on the hilt, and closed his eyes, expanding his presence through the floor. Ross might have superior control over the material, certainly when Bruce wasn't using his sage powers, but Bruce's sense of the earth couldn't be cut off. He waited, keen on sensing when Ross chose to 'un-pause' the test rather than watch for it.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce considered for a moment how Ross would react to having a blade jammed into his side- but then he recalled the lesson Ross himself had given them that Ki was an extension of the soul. If Ross' soul, his blade, could take Bruce's strike with minimal damage, it stood to reason Ross would be fine.
'He's practically inviting me to attack,' Bruce thought. He slid his sword out from under his foot, planting it down on the ground for optimal leverage, and redirected the flow of the rhythm in his blade. The song didn't change, but it crescendoed into a piercing climax of focused flow toward the blade's tip, which he thrust toward Ross' gut.
At the same time, Bruce changed his mace entirely into the familiar form of his chains, the tune of his Ki coursing seamlessly from the heavy drums of the mace to a thrumming bass that resonated from each individual link in the chain, strongest where each link met another. The mace that Ross had held transformed and wrapped itself around his right hand and forearm, another extension of it shooting toward Ross' extending left hand to restrain the movements of his arms.
'It would be rude to refuse the hospitality.'

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce whistled at the small response his slash had achieved. His own blade, back out of its sheath, sparkled as though the ki were attempting to shift form before reverting to its familiar shape.
'Not yet, huh?'
Bruce couldn't help but be impressed- Ross' high confidence in the blade was clearly not misplaced. He momentarily thought to back off and regress to the style he'd self-taught, but he caught himself.
"Sorry if I disappoint," Bruce said. He lowered his sword down horizontally at waist level, poising one foot to brace the blade against the imminent clash with Ross's sword. With his other hand, he called upon his huge mace, it's form also pulsing with a beat, though different from the flow in his blade. In Bruce's mind, powerful rhythmic drums dictated the form of the mace, growing in volume and frequency as he heaved it around toward Ross' side.
"I am not Jenso."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce frowned a little, his eyes flicking upward to see the little blue critter nested in his hair. He shrugged, a fresh smile taking root on his face as Ross brought forth his weapon.
"Fair enough. I can handle that." Bruce said. His blade shone into existence at his side within his sheath- he'd discovered an ideal rhythm, and the blade resonated with a musical Ki flow that made it both weightier and stronger.
'Just to confuse matters, though.' Bruce thought, charging in toward Ross with one hand on the hilt of his sword. It wasn't his typical style, or at least, not what his companions would know him for, but if he wanted to improve, Bruce would have to shake off the rust from his forceful mode of combat.
"Iai."
Bruce drew out his blade and slashed crosswise from Ross' hip to his shoulder in one motion, aiming to test the blade Ross so proudly touted and see how much his Ki control had improved. At the same time, while his left arm flew between the two of them, his right hand skirted on the ground, familiarizing him with the ground beneath him.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce walked into the arena, absently humming a tune, occasionally off-key, as though he was struggling to remember a specific song. He didn't seem unfocused, though his presence had changed in subtle ways. A small smile, anxious and anticipating, appeared on his face once he noticed Ross. Bruce didn't bother with his typical means of introduction, remembering that Ross was not unlike himself- he wanted to avoid unnecessary distractions.
"What's next?" Bruce asked.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce tugged at the hair tie on his wrist- he wasn't fond of the idea that separation from the group was apparently becoming a greater possibility with every briefing.
"If Geode's information about her animal-like behavior can be trusted, then she won't actually seek us out unless Yzeira orders her to. On the off-chance we encounter her, we should only strike first if we can be reasonably confident that a single blow will do the job." Bruce said. He didn't like it, but those were the facts, meaning that as far as ideal scenarios against Shaidra were concerned, he and Jeff were out.
"If the wrong people see her first, and she doesn't attack, we'll try to avoid provoking her."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce heard Ross' instructions, and he registered his meaning. However, the external motivation by example through the blade was, ultimately, unnecessary. Bruce already had the drive to get stronger and improve his mastery over Ki. Seeing the potential results of coming to terms with his emotions only served to bolster his resolve.
Bruce didn't follow Ross right away. He thought on what first step he might take toward, as Ross said, evening himself out. A soft breeze brought his answer.
He tugged at his ponytail, until his hair fell back to his shoulder blades in a black mane. He held the hair tie, one made for him to wear on the day of the ceremony, in his hand.
'I hate wearing this.' Bruce thought, recalling saying those exact words to Lucille when she made it for him. He twined it between his fingers, then rolled it over his knuckles onto his wrist- it was a small gesture, but a symbolic change from constant penance to sacred memory. That done, he strolled slowly after Ross.
For once, his pace wasn't dictated by cold calculation, nor caution- he just wanted to enjoy being outdoors for a minute longer.
"I'll keep that in mind." Bruce said.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce began to open his mouth to respond, paused midway, then closed it again. He wanted to ask what Ross' discourse amounted to in practical terms. He wanted to know how to apply them to his training, to grow stronger.
But of course, that was just a symptom of the problem that had brought Ross to call for him. There weren't practical, concrete rules to follow for balancing rampant emotions when someone inevitably encountered them, and even if there were, they would need to be tailored to each individual. No one else would be able to answer that for him.
"I think I understand now." Bruce said, allowing his gaze to wander. Warmth from the sun beamed upon him, and for the first time in a while, he noticed. He took in, once again, the scale of the guild, and remembered all over that he belonged somewhere.
Chaos within order... Truthfully, Bruce had carried two physical reminders of what he'd lost with him at every moment. He'd never thought much about the reason- it had just felt natural. But self-reproach had also become natural to him, even when it wasn't warranted. Perhaps having a concrete reason to be alive after such a long time had triggered the deterioration of his own internal schism. Instead of locking it down to prevent further outbreak, he had to resolve it.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce's column crumbled. He stared straight toward Ross, but wasn't looking at him. He was vaguely aware that the earth responded to being stabbed with a giant blade, but it didn't impress upon him. His eyes stung. Clinging to that feeling, he thought back. He'd come close once that he could remember. Other nights were spent learning to appreciate greater quantities of liquor in the drinks he concocted.
Had he cried when he went behind the house to dig their graves? When the neighbors called him away to help with damage control? After the burials? Realizing that his home had died with them? Taking the empty sheath? That first night sleeping in the darkness? His first kill?
"I certainly shed a tear in my adolescence," Bruce said, his voice hollow, only replying to the question rather than the sentiment behind it. "I cannot remember."
A self-deprecating smile played on his face- living life had not been high on his list of priorities for years.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce's forward foot skid against the dirt to a halt. His body went rigid. Cords of muscle in his neck pulsed, and contrary to expectations, he smiled. It wasn't humorous, nor good natured. It was the sort only intended to bare his teeth.
"Tell me Ross," he said, his voice dangerously calm and cold. "What exactly do you aim to test here, with all this?"
Bruce's Ki flashed, the form of his three most familiar weapons flickering like dying lights.
"My dedication to the cause and this guild? My capacity to retain my senses on the battlefield? Or," Bruce drawled, digging his toe past the sole of his sandal into the dirt. "Perhaps you were told by Luke of my performance earlier and want to determine whether I'm capable of adopting any other style of fighting?"
Bruce knew in the back of his mind that his questions weren't likely to be at all accurate. But beneath the veneer of calm exuded by his half-lidded eyes, he was livid.
"If the latter, you'll be glad to know that the mantra I adopted throughout the severe learning curve I put myself through after that went like so:" Bruce said, a column of earth shooting up from the ground and spiraling back around in a loop such that when it leveled out, it was at face height.
"Everything is a weapon."
Bruce chuckled darkly. It was cut short by the fist-sized apex of the column smacking him across the face. His neck snapped to the right, and a little blood fell from his face. When he turned his neck back to face Ross, the pulsing muscles had cooled and he made no motion to wipe the blood from his face.