Terra She
New Member
thunk!
The Kendo stick landed solidly against the top of Terra She’s head, and the young man shook the stars out of his eyes.
“You’re slow today.” An older man , dressed in Dragon Imago patterns, minus the shirt, said. His accent carried a faint Australian hint to it. His face was still handsome, despite, or perhaps because of, the age lines across his rugged features, and his bared chest showed that he took great care of his body. Various, intricate tattoos covered the exposed torso and arms, stopping just at the wrists.
He swatted at the side of Terra’s head with the stick once more.
thunk!
“Get your head into it.” He spoke calmly, but it was a command.
“Subotai…” Terra growled, rubbing where the stick had struck. The older man sighed, and rested the wooden sword at his side, slipping it into his yellow sash.
“Speak your mind, Terra.” Subotai said, resting his hands at his hips. Terra looked out over the Dojang’s training area, before casting his golden eyes back upon his friend.
“You’ve seen it. Do you think that’s the right thing to do?” Terra finally asked, his own kendo stick resting idly in his left hand, dragging at the floor.
“I have no idea what you are speaking of.” Subotai answered. “Ready your blade. Work it out of your mind.”
“You know exactly what I’m speaking of. Especially with your position.” Terra countered, narrowing his eyes. Subotai held rank as an Echo. Not all agents have time to speak to the Voice of the Dragon, and neither does the Voice have time for all agents, at all times. The Head does not always issue commands, and this is where the Echoes came in.
“Terra…” Subotai sighed. “If this is another of your questions about what’s right, or wrong...looking for guidance bullshit...I’d rather we just skip ahead and go with real blades today.” The Echo replied, running a hand through his greying, but still mostly dark, hair.
“What’s your opinion on him?” Terra asked then, not raising his blade.
“He’s loyal, sometimes a bit reckless in his methods, but he gets the job done and does a good job of it. He thinks he needs to do this, he does it. My loyalty is to Seoul, to this area. To this Dojang. Until we pack up and move someplace else, my loyalty is to the Dragon, as it stands.” Subotai didn’t bother trying to hint towards furthering the sparring session. He stepped aside, resting his stance.
“I meant Kiyota.” Terra says, after considering the wording the Echo had given him.
“He’s out for himself. He will use anyone and anything to get what he wants. While that might make him a force and propel him to his current position when stationed in a blown-out district with a bunch of fanatic gangsters, a snake’s bite will never outmatch a dragon’s fire.” Subotai pauses, crossing his arms over his chest.
Terra, who had been working out in simply jeans and his boots, took a towel to wrap about his shoulders, and placed his stick back on the wall with the other training weapons..
“That said…” Subotai continued, “There are some who welcome his brand of chaos. His blend of madness and reason. He connects well with both many of the Teeth, as well as the agents of other factions. Some believe that his presence is a positive thing. Time will tell. Despite what the Eye would have you believe, they are not the only ones who watch. Daimon Kiyota is being observed, rest assured. The real question that will help here is; What do YOU think of him?”
“I think he’s a villain.” Terra answers without pause. “I think that he’s a serpent in a nice suit, and he will use his wit and words to deceive those who buy in. He has spoken to me. He even tweeted me personally, to congratulate me on my engagement. I wonder, though...the horrible thing that happened...was it what needed to happen in order to stop Orochi’s plans in the city? Of all people...I’ve no love for the Orochi, but the price was too high. The innocents lost…”
“And yet...because of that, it kickstarted events that triggered Gaia to usher more bees into the world, so that we have the power to take on what rests within the Tower, as well as in other places around the world.” Subotai offered as advice.
“There is no black or white to this, is there?” Terra asks, furrowing his brow.
“There rarely is when it comes to the truly important decisions, Terra. You should know this by now.” He lifted the kendo stick with a lightning flick of his wrist, and smacked Terra in the side of the head once more.
thunk!
“Ow!” The young Dragon growled, and glared at the older man. “What was that for?”
“Sometimes...I feel that it speeds up the mixing process in that blender of a brain you have.” Subotai said with a grin. “Did you trust Bong Cha? The things that are happening now...have always happened, Terra. The Dragon sent agents to murder innocent students at the House of Light during the ordeal that lead to you joining full-time. Kiyota was not involved in that. The Dragon is a necessary force, not a ‘good’ one. We are whatever we need to be, and in these days...we have done what has been needed. Perhaps this uprising is what’s needed to restore the balance? Perhaps it’ll fade in a few months. Perhaps Kiyota will be the villain that some paint him as, and perhaps he had the best of intentions coiled within his deceit. None of you will know the answer until it happens, I can assure you of that.”
“I’ve been asked to head to Mount Parnassus after I handled my personal affairs in Lhasa involving Vali. I plan to speak with a friend soon for advice on this.” Terra responds, as the hand that had rubbed at stick’s mark now pushed through his shaggy black head of hair. “I believe in this society...that through it, I can do the most good. When we set things right...we will not rule. We will disappear. That’s how it should be. I don’t trust Kiyota, but given that we don’t have the answers, I feel that there’s another way. Another path to take.”
“You do what you feel that you need to, Terra. You have proven yourself to the Dragon. To your friends. To me. Now prove yourself to yourself.” Echo Subotai eyed the young man, and Terra met his gaze, and nodded. The kendo stick came up once more, and Terra’s strong hand caught the stick an inch from his face
thwap!
He broke it over his knee.
crunch!
The bamboo and binding splintered and he dropped it to the floor as it rattled.
“Be safe, Subotai.” Terra said, offering a wave as he turned towards the door, hands at the ends of the towel wrapped about his neck. The old Dragon just grinned, and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
“Don’t drown, kid.” He muttered aloud.
The Kendo stick landed solidly against the top of Terra She’s head, and the young man shook the stars out of his eyes.
“You’re slow today.” An older man , dressed in Dragon Imago patterns, minus the shirt, said. His accent carried a faint Australian hint to it. His face was still handsome, despite, or perhaps because of, the age lines across his rugged features, and his bared chest showed that he took great care of his body. Various, intricate tattoos covered the exposed torso and arms, stopping just at the wrists.
He swatted at the side of Terra’s head with the stick once more.
thunk!
“Get your head into it.” He spoke calmly, but it was a command.
“Subotai…” Terra growled, rubbing where the stick had struck. The older man sighed, and rested the wooden sword at his side, slipping it into his yellow sash.
“Speak your mind, Terra.” Subotai said, resting his hands at his hips. Terra looked out over the Dojang’s training area, before casting his golden eyes back upon his friend.
“You’ve seen it. Do you think that’s the right thing to do?” Terra finally asked, his own kendo stick resting idly in his left hand, dragging at the floor.
“I have no idea what you are speaking of.” Subotai answered. “Ready your blade. Work it out of your mind.”
“You know exactly what I’m speaking of. Especially with your position.” Terra countered, narrowing his eyes. Subotai held rank as an Echo. Not all agents have time to speak to the Voice of the Dragon, and neither does the Voice have time for all agents, at all times. The Head does not always issue commands, and this is where the Echoes came in.
“Terra…” Subotai sighed. “If this is another of your questions about what’s right, or wrong...looking for guidance bullshit...I’d rather we just skip ahead and go with real blades today.” The Echo replied, running a hand through his greying, but still mostly dark, hair.
“What’s your opinion on him?” Terra asked then, not raising his blade.
“He’s loyal, sometimes a bit reckless in his methods, but he gets the job done and does a good job of it. He thinks he needs to do this, he does it. My loyalty is to Seoul, to this area. To this Dojang. Until we pack up and move someplace else, my loyalty is to the Dragon, as it stands.” Subotai didn’t bother trying to hint towards furthering the sparring session. He stepped aside, resting his stance.
“I meant Kiyota.” Terra says, after considering the wording the Echo had given him.
“He’s out for himself. He will use anyone and anything to get what he wants. While that might make him a force and propel him to his current position when stationed in a blown-out district with a bunch of fanatic gangsters, a snake’s bite will never outmatch a dragon’s fire.” Subotai pauses, crossing his arms over his chest.
Terra, who had been working out in simply jeans and his boots, took a towel to wrap about his shoulders, and placed his stick back on the wall with the other training weapons..
“That said…” Subotai continued, “There are some who welcome his brand of chaos. His blend of madness and reason. He connects well with both many of the Teeth, as well as the agents of other factions. Some believe that his presence is a positive thing. Time will tell. Despite what the Eye would have you believe, they are not the only ones who watch. Daimon Kiyota is being observed, rest assured. The real question that will help here is; What do YOU think of him?”
“I think he’s a villain.” Terra answers without pause. “I think that he’s a serpent in a nice suit, and he will use his wit and words to deceive those who buy in. He has spoken to me. He even tweeted me personally, to congratulate me on my engagement. I wonder, though...the horrible thing that happened...was it what needed to happen in order to stop Orochi’s plans in the city? Of all people...I’ve no love for the Orochi, but the price was too high. The innocents lost…”
“And yet...because of that, it kickstarted events that triggered Gaia to usher more bees into the world, so that we have the power to take on what rests within the Tower, as well as in other places around the world.” Subotai offered as advice.
“There is no black or white to this, is there?” Terra asks, furrowing his brow.
“There rarely is when it comes to the truly important decisions, Terra. You should know this by now.” He lifted the kendo stick with a lightning flick of his wrist, and smacked Terra in the side of the head once more.
thunk!
“Ow!” The young Dragon growled, and glared at the older man. “What was that for?”
“Sometimes...I feel that it speeds up the mixing process in that blender of a brain you have.” Subotai said with a grin. “Did you trust Bong Cha? The things that are happening now...have always happened, Terra. The Dragon sent agents to murder innocent students at the House of Light during the ordeal that lead to you joining full-time. Kiyota was not involved in that. The Dragon is a necessary force, not a ‘good’ one. We are whatever we need to be, and in these days...we have done what has been needed. Perhaps this uprising is what’s needed to restore the balance? Perhaps it’ll fade in a few months. Perhaps Kiyota will be the villain that some paint him as, and perhaps he had the best of intentions coiled within his deceit. None of you will know the answer until it happens, I can assure you of that.”
“I’ve been asked to head to Mount Parnassus after I handled my personal affairs in Lhasa involving Vali. I plan to speak with a friend soon for advice on this.” Terra responds, as the hand that had rubbed at stick’s mark now pushed through his shaggy black head of hair. “I believe in this society...that through it, I can do the most good. When we set things right...we will not rule. We will disappear. That’s how it should be. I don’t trust Kiyota, but given that we don’t have the answers, I feel that there’s another way. Another path to take.”
“You do what you feel that you need to, Terra. You have proven yourself to the Dragon. To your friends. To me. Now prove yourself to yourself.” Echo Subotai eyed the young man, and Terra met his gaze, and nodded. The kendo stick came up once more, and Terra’s strong hand caught the stick an inch from his face
thwap!
He broke it over his knee.
crunch!
The bamboo and binding splintered and he dropped it to the floor as it rattled.
“Be safe, Subotai.” Terra said, offering a wave as he turned towards the door, hands at the ends of the towel wrapped about his neck. The old Dragon just grinned, and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
“Don’t drown, kid.” He muttered aloud.