Stocking Up (Zek/Katon Open)

[fearon]

Voices that deafened the ears and buildings that blocked out the sun. That was the nature of a city and Fearon had to wonder if Omashu epitmized that nature. He weaved his way through the thick crowds, being carful not to bumps into anyone. In situations like this, invisibility was key. After all, the last thing he wanted was a bunch of people staring at him. He turned, darted, and weaved in between the throngs of people. He was lucky he was this flexible, training really helped that.

Believe it or not, there was a reason someone as anti-social as Fear ended up in the most social part of the most social city on the map. He needed supplies, and Omashu was closest. The bag of supplies he'd left back at his camp outside the city was nearly empty of food. He filled up on water at rivers, streams, et cetera. His long brown hair caught the wind and billowed back, his jacket flowed with his body. Eventually, he was forced to walk with the pace of the crowd, which was an incredibly slow rate. He blinked. With a sigh, he accepted defeat by the throng of persons. After a while, the adolescent rolled his eyes before looking around.

Thank... whatever... diety was out there! Fearon smirked as he spotted an alleyway, he darted for it. Sadly, it drew people's attention. A few people yelled and shouted as he broke through their party. He said sorry as he broke through their human wall of flesh, but they apparently didn't hear the quiet boy. Well, not a lot he could do now. As he walked into the alley, he was surprised at how dark it was. But, less people! He was okay with this! Smiling to himself he began to walk down the alley. The shadows darkening as he walked, and smells becoming vile as he passed piles of garbage, trash cans, blah blah blah. He looked up at the strip of blue that the buildings revealed to him. That was his sky for the moment. He took a breath before looking back and traveling onward.

When he thought about it, he realized just how crazy coming down here was. Anything or anyone could be here. He suddenly felt really vurnable. And a bit paranoid. He kept a hand close to the hilt of his Katana, and kept an eye out through the darkness. He could've approached this mortar forest better he guessed as he walked through the alley's shadows.

[Zek]

Zek had been on a long trip, he had been bored in his woods after meeting up with Alena, gaining a great curiosity of what has been going on. He departed from his home with his bow, arrows, ninjato and a pack on his back that held his mask and other equipment. He had gotten onto a ship to begin his travels of the world anew. A man tried to stop him and Zek quickly changed the mans mind, sending him overboard and going about his business. “ People need to remember the fear they had of me…But Aiden said I have to control myself!! Damnit Aiden!” His thoughts traveling to his brother and then wonders where he is.

As the ship traveled, Zek finally wondered where it was going and went to the point of the ship, seeing it come to the port of Chin Village. He stopped there and got some food for his travels, fighting his urges to kill those around him, seeing all tryps of people “ So many that would be so fun to hunt!” He moves outside of the village and heads into the woods, still trying to figure out where he should go, hearing that there is a lot going on in the Bulwurk. He grins at the tales of demons and monsters there, his sadisct smile showing as he leaves the village, his blood iching for a kill, a scream of pain and agony of another to comfort his needs.

He travels along the woodlines and sees a city off the path to the bulwurk but knows he needs to stop. It had been a few days and he was running low on food and needed to replace his arrows he had used a day ago to fill his needs, finding a man traveling on his own in these scary places. He made the man scream and cry for mercy as Zek took no pity, two arrows in the man’s knees and two more in his elbows, then the cuts left up the mans arm, the fingers missing. The man died slowly and pitifully, cried something about needing to support his family and needing to be home, his wife pregnant and that omashu wasn’t far. The man’s petty screams didn’t appeal to Zek’s concious. Zek remembered the man’s words now and figured he could find the women and deliver the news and possibly end it if he felt like it.

Zek entered the City through the front gate, loving the fact he was a shadow for the Burning Legion. He quickly took to the rooftops, bounding from here to there, looking for what he needed. As he grew closer to the marketplace he saw a man pushing through the people and heading into a darkened alley. His mind racing with new excitement “ I think its time to play a game! ” he landed on a roof over the alleyway, looking over the ledge to see him standing there. He bends the air to blow through the alleyway slowly, swirling it around him as Zek leaps down between the buildings, landing with a gust of wind pushing out from below him, his sinister grin speading across his face “ Hello there…you seem lost…you looking for something? ” Zek’s hand resting on the hilt of his ninjato as a chill runs down his back as the urge to strike pulses through him.

[nightstalker]

’Finally, I get out of the Burning Legion, but at what cost? I left all my friends there, and traveling alone has been quite lonely, at least I have Nyla.’ Katon traveled along the path with his 5.6 foot long dragon. The dragon’s name was Nyla; she was a beautiful blue, with intense yellow eyes, a spiked tail, and spine spikes that ran the length of her body starting from her shoulders to her tail. Katon had become accustomed to the dragon and really liked her as she did him. Nyla was a great companion to Katon and has been for a long time. It was a bit of a hassle getting the people on the boat to let Nyla stay. Over the months that Katon had been with Nyla she seemed to be able to understand him more and more.

Katon looked at the map that he had drawn a route in order to make a fast trip to the Fire Nation Refuge. The line was accented by a red line up to a certain point, representing where he had been. Katon looked over to Nyla and said ”Next stop: Omashu!” Katon scrutinized Nyla as she looked up at Katon inquisitively, ”of course, I don’t think that they would want an oversized lizard crawling through, their streets. It might be better if you stay at the camp. ” Nyla made a gesture that seemed to say of course and if anyone comes I am to take off, I know… Katon smiled at her and rubbed her neck which she quite liked.

Later on that day Katon set up camp near Omash; if there was any way he could get someone to allow a dragon to stay in the city Katon would take it. The camp was under a large tree, far away from any game trails, and farther away from any traveling trail. Katon read the signs of the terrain around it and judged that there was no sign of hunters that had come in the area recently or for a while. ’But of course, the one time that a dragon is in the area is when hunters will come around.’ Katon instructed Nyla to stay in the camp and remain unseen. ”I will try to get a place that you can stay, but in any case just remember if you are discovered you are to take to the sky. I will be back at dusk to bring you food. You are only to hunt when I am with you.” Nyla looked like she rolled her eyes and if she could talk would have said, I know, we’ve been through this a thousand times just go. I’ll be fine. With that Katon set off to find the road.

The city was crowded with street vendors and the occasional cabbage man. Katon laughed when several kids at play happened to run into his carefully constructed stand. Katon hated being caught in the throng and so as soon as he could he got into an alley way. He climbed up the sides of a building and took to the roofs. He marveled at Omashu’s intricate carrying system and how complexly simple it was to those that worked it. Each person that worked just had one specific job and if they even knew the whole system that he/she worked they would be mind boggled. Katon noticed something, there was a man trying to be sneaky sliding obtrusively through the crowd. Katon laughed to himself ’if you are trying to be sneaky, you go with the crowd, going against the flow makes you stick out.’ Katon followed the rooftops and watched the man go down into a long alley. Katon followed silently down the alley while not peering over the edge of the buildings he was on, relying on the sound of the man’s footsteps and his loud breathing to follow him. Katon herd the man’s breathing quicken and his footsteps start sliding slowly. Then he heard another man’s voice say, ” Hello there…you seem lost…you looking for something?” Katon peered over the edge of a building that had a good overlook onto the alleyway. Katon saw another man that had slid in silently. The man looked a bit dangerous; he was trembling a little with his hand resting on his ninjato. Katon felt that this might get a little ugly. Katon pulled sword out of its sheath slowly making no noise until the end, when the excitement of battle rushed him, he cursed the noise and poured heat into the sword causing it to glow orange. Katon jumped over the edge his sword emitting a startling crack as it incinerated the air molecules. Katon landed in the alley way between both men. He was crouched with his head facing down and his back to the man he was originally following and he said in a deep calm voice saying, ”There is no need for a confrontation here, but if it comes down to it you will have to fight me.” Katon said as he stood up his sword glowing bright orange. He cursed that he left his satchel back at camp with his gauntlets, darts, and arm-cannon. Katon stood composed staring the man straight in the eye.

[fearon]

His eyes scanned the passage diligently. His palms sweat with the anticipation of battle. His pulse raced within his chest. He forced himself to take deep breaths. After a bit, his breathing normalized and he could once again hear the echoing of the voices in the street. He walked on, slowly. His eyes sweeped over every inch of the passageway. He walked on, almost hesitantly. It seemed that he wanted to go back, get out of here, out of danger.

As he walked, the air changed. He blinked and looked around. Where the air was forced through the buildings earlier, it no longer swept. He didn't know what it signified, but he kept his guard up just in case. His diligence paid off as a burst of air buffeted his face. His hair was blown back in whisps and his loose clothing clung to him as if holding on for dear life. Papers, cups, and other articles of waste were blown away in the wind. Fearon held his arm in front of his eyes to protect them from the gust and debris. As the gust faded, the swordsmen lowered his arm to see a figure standing there. The darkness concealed his features. However, even without seeing his malicious smirk, Fear could tell that this was trouble. He got into stance, placing each foot an even distance from his body. He bent his knees and kept his eye upon the stranger. With his right hand, he gripped the sheathed katana.

“Hello there…you seem lost…you looking for something?”

His voice didn't sound as friendly as his words would have Fearon to believe. He grit his teeth as the man stood there. For some reason, Fearon already got the feeling that this man liked this for whatever reason.

"Nope, I know exactly where I'm going. If you'd please move?" he asked polietly and calmly. He stood there for a second, as he awaited the man's answer to what he said when-

From the sky a man fell. Fearon took a step back as this new person appeared, landing in a crouch. His eyes narrowed. Okay, he was beginning to get annoyed. He looked over his shoulder as he considered running, then looked back to see the crouching man beginning to stand to his full height. Fearon hadn't noticed before, but his sword was glowing orange. He knew one of his attackers was an airbender, that wasn't hard to figure out. Could this guy have been a firebender? Possible, or he had some type of freaky voo-doo-ish magic going on.

”There is no need for a confrontation here, but if it comes down to it you will have to fight me.”

Fearon blinked. He was going to fight this guy for him? Well... that was certainly better than Fearon fighting him. But what if this other guy turned on him. He looked between the two, and stepped back. What if this was planned between both of them? Get him into a sense of false security, then destroy him? He took another step back. Okay... running would be the smart thing to do. Wouldn't it? He took another step back, keeping in stance not totally sure what to do. If this possible firebender was going to help, then Fear didn't wanna leave. Then, it could be a trap. Indecision haunted him and in the end he decided to just wait the fight out. If it seemed like the firebender would turn on him, Fear'd get out.

[Zek]

As the man refused Zek’s offer for assistance it made him laugh to himself softly “ He is scared out of his wits! I haven’t even made any sudden movements yet! ” His sadistic grin twisting more across his lips. “ This should be-” His thoughts were cut off quickly as another man fell from the rooftops, landing with an orange blade sizzling in the air “…interesting indeed!” He smiled at the new comer, his fake smile that held the screaming memories of so many before these two. His eyes now fixated on the man with the drawn orange blade.

“ Why hello there my little fire bender! Why do you suggest violence in this little alleyway? I simply thought the man was lost. Are you lost as well? I could gladly help you find the right direction.” His voice flowing smooth and soft as if he had done this hundreds of times before, His hand slowly gripping the hilt of his ninjato a little tighter, the trick blade ready to slid out of its sheath as he pushes the hilt low, the sheath longer then the actually blade. His gaze quickly locking with the man’s behind the fire bender, the twisted sensation slowly growing but started getting the feeling there were others watching the conversation. He took a moment to look past both of them to see the entry to the alleyway, a few people starting to look in the alleyway, no doubt by the new glowing blade that they saw “I would say this man ruined my fun…for now.” Zek quickly took a deep breath and regained his composer, Standing straight, still holding the hilt “I’d say our little meeting is over. If you need to find your way, use the slides around the city, they will get you wherever you need to go…but beware of thieves and the things that lurk in the shadows. They are never friendly” His face twisted into a wicked smile as he said the last word. He took two strides toward the two, slowly compressing the air between his hands, thrusting them toward the ground in front of the fire bender, pushing himself up and into a window, kicking dust and junk up around the two as he made his escape.

[nightstalker]

Katon turned his head slightly and broke eye contact with the man who stood in front of him. He saw the person behind him shifting uneasily as if debating on whether or not to run away. Katon spoke confidently without letting the unease in his mind show within his voice. His brow beaded with sweat, but whether it was due to the cramped space or being nervous Katon could not decide. Katon gazed upon the man’s posture; it radiated a pure animosity and insanity that was very distinguishable. This man had known blood and had known death. Many people have had their lives ended at the tip of this blade and were on the bad side of this man’s temper. Whether this man had a good side was the question. The air was uneasy, thick with the smell of fear and Katon’s burning desire to end this; if he got past the other man’s defenses then he would be able to get a hit on him.

Katon nonetheless stood his ground in the odds of this person who would certainly kill without remorse. Katon noticed the man looking over him. He stood more confidently as the other man made his assessment of him. The man seemed to be shrinking in, then in a moment of confidence-most likely faked- he seemed to regain composure and said, “I’d say our little meeting is over. If you need to find your way, use the slides around the city, they will get you wherever you need to go…but beware of thieves and the things that lurk in the shadows. They are never friendly”
Katon knew that the man must have been good at stealth for him to slip unnoticed. Katon would not really take his warning to heart, but the other man he was not sure. The man ran past him and started climbing up the wall while letting debris fall on top of Katon and the other man. Katon waited until the man -apparently an air bender- left and then drained the heat out his sword and re-sheathed it. Katon turned to the man whom he was defending and said, ”That was a bit close, although I believe we could have taken him if we wanted to.” Katon looked over the man, his head was topped with long dark hair, dark brown eyes, he was clothed mostly in black. Obviously a youth, he was about the same height as Katon and he knew he had the ability to fight. ”You really need to learn to be more careful. By the way, your stealth was more so pathetic. If you are trying to go unseen you have to be visible. In plain sight is the least visible spot, just blend in with the crowd. If you try to go through being inconspicuous you make yourself conspicuous; got it?” Katon said looking in to the other man’s eyes. He held out his hand and said, ”My name is Katon, what is yours?” Katon gestured for him to follow and they went to go get some food.

[fearon]

((So sorry, so very late. x.x))

“ Why hello there my little fire bender! Why do you suggest violence in this little alleyway? I simply thought the man was lost. Are you lost as well? I could gladly help you find the right direction.”

Fearon didn't exactly want anything that this psycho offered. He glared ahead at the two. A fire-bender, and a air-bender. He didn't know what was more annoying to him right now. Dammit, why couldn't he just grab his supplies and leave this throng of people that humanity called a city!? He gave a silent sigh as he ground his feet into the ground. His teeth grit together involuntarily. Sweat formed upon his palms. Despite his stress, his stance was concrete. Solid and confident. He certainly knew how to use the weapon he held.

“I’d say our little meeting is over. If you need to find your way, use the slides around the city, they will get you wherever you need to go…but beware of thieves and the things that lurk in the shadows. They are never friendly”

He watched as the man took two steps forward, obviously compressing the air. He loosened his muscles, preparing to dodge. And, suddenly- instead of throwing air at them- he thrust his hands down to the ground which sent him flying into the air. The debris flew and Fearon closed his eyes, throwing up an arm to protect his vision. Blind swordsmen were cool to hear about, but realistically they'd be dead in a few strokes. As the air settled, he lowered his arm and frowned. Well... at least he didn't have to fight. That was one less load of bull shit on his day. Cool! He noticed a definite change in the lighting of the alleyway as he sheathed his blade, it's hissing sound echoing slightly off the walls.

”That was a bit close, although I believe we could have taken him if we wanted to.”

Fear raised a brow. He thought they could? Fear could put up a fight on his own. He may have not known jack about bending, but he knew his sword- and how to use it- as well as he knew his own hands. He only nodded in agreement instead of giving voice to his thoughts. And finally, he had to address something. He looked down at the man's legs, then lowered his gaze to his ankles. Nothing seemed wrong. He looked up at the buildings rooftops. How didn't this guy get his legs broke? It didn't take to long a drop to do that. He only glared, wondering how anyone could jump from such a height and come out unscathed. Then again, Fear supposed it didn't really matter... for now.

”You really need to learn to be more careful. By the way, your stealth was more so pathetic. If you are trying to go unseen you have to be visible. In plain sight is the least visible spot, just blend in with the crowd. If you try to go through being inconspicuous you make yourself conspicuous; got it?”

Fearon raised an eyebrow. Wow... just wow. He was totally speechless. Miracle boy was giving him a lecture. Fearon sighed mentally and felt the muscles in his legs tense. Damn, he wanted out of this city. And this guy wasn't helping. He remained silent and looked away. The fact of the matter was, most people were to stupid to notice the ground under their feet. As long as no one interrupted their small little world, they were fine. This guy, apparently, didn't know that. And besides, Fearon wasn't trying to be inconspicuous in the first place! He just wanted out of this god-damned city!

”My name is Katon, what is yours?”

Fear looked at the man from the corner of his eye. He was silent for a moment before finally replying.

"Fear. Thanks." he stated simply, and side-stepped the man, walking around him. Usually, Fear was pretty good with making friends- if they could get through his cold outer layer- but something about Katon just rubbed him the wrong way, even so he was giving the guy a chance... well about as much a chance as he did anyone else. In the end, Fear was just shy and didn't really have any social skills to speak of. Hell, he was kept within his home for most of his young life. The only people he'd ever had much of any contact with were his parents and Falin...

He took a shuddering breath as he walked on into the alleyway.

[Zek]

As Zek made his escape he had to laugh, they didn't understand that he is now just biding his time. His trap had been set, he knew their faces and the hunt was on. They were now apart of a game that they had no idea was being played. "They will soon discover what fear can truly do!" His mind travels back to the days of the Fire Nation, the screams of those pathetic Fire Nation soldier's, how they were so quick to cripple under the mental game Zek played with them when there were too many and he wanted to toy with some of them, wounding some from the shadow so the others had to care for them and thats when the fun would begin "Wounded prey always made more fun"

He lay in a home of someone else, His blade drawn just in case either of them might have a way to follow him, which it didn't look like, but past history had made him always check. After a few minutes he got up and looked for a way to get to a vantage point. He made his way around the home and found a window then heard a noise and glanced over to see a women walking out. She froze as she saw him, his grin spreading across his lips. in a few moments a small thud could be heard from outside, but nothing to suspicious.

Zek quickly came out of the building window and looked to the rooftop, now facing the street he had seen the man on. He used his bending to assist him to the rooftop and then shot across the way of the mass of people, using his bending again to propel himself across the gap and cushioning his landing on the other side, he looked back across the way, having a bad view of the alley but he could make the two out. He drew his bow and an arrow and notched it as he could see one of them moving deeper into the alleyway, making him frown a little "What do you think you are doing? Come back this way!" He thought as he decided to change position again, bounding to the building to the side of him and quickly rushing down a few buildings and shooting back across the flood of people, landing on the other side a little harder then he thought, not minding it much though and quickly running across the rooftop, laying low and grinning as he kept his eye's on the alleyway that they would be entering this street from.

[nightstalker]

Katon walked with Fearon juxtapose, Katon could tell that Fearon did have a slight problem with him; but he hoped to fix that. Katon was thinking of where they could go just to get something to eat when he stopped mid-stride and searched himself, ”Oh wow… I can’t believe that I forgot my wallet… Probably dropped it around that alley.” Katon motioned for Fearon to follow and walked back to the spot where he dropped down. Katon looked around the alley, and then looked up at the evidently one story building he had dropped from. Looking up he saw that at the top of the one story building that the wallet had gotten caught on a broken shingle as he jumped into the alley way from the one story building. Katon made to traverse from the ground to the top of the building by climbing up the imperfections of the building, anything like bricks that stuck aided in his climb. Katon then retrieved the wallet and had a feeling in the back of his mind that he was being watched, Katon disregarded it as nothing and decided to jump down.
Finally Katon had his wallet, he looked inside and found to his content that all the money was accounted for. Katon stowed it away in his pocket because its strap had been ripped off. Turning around Katon said, ”I guess I didn’t have any reason to worry; it is not like people would see the wallet, or even want to do the work to take it.” Katon hastened to get out of the alley way, not wanting to have an encounter with their airbender, Katon made his way down the streets choosing to stick to areas less populous. ”Where do you feel like going today, the market is open right now; but all the crowds, I’ll let you decide.” Katon stood waiting for Fearon to reply when from behind them there was a shriek among the throng of people they had just passed. Katon felt his hand immediately go to the hilt of his sword and he struggled to maintain some sense of control as he looked to the origination of the scream.