Well, that was a choice

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen had stepped into an alley to avoid a large cart running past, only to feel a presence behind him. Spinning on his heel, he noticed two men approaching. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed a third had cut off his exit from the confined space. The Demi-god had a feeling that the men wanted him to be afraid but the most he had to give them was bafflement. What in the world had made him seem like a target? He wasn't even carrying a bag.

"Give us 'ur stuff and you can leave with 'ur life!" One of the guys called out with a snicker, twirling a knife. There wasn't enough space to shift and effectively fight so the Demi-god just shook his head and held up his fists. His lack of a response seemed to anger the group further as another yelled. "I'm warning you!" Zen hadn't expected to get into a fight this soon after coming to Caido, but so be it.  The Demi-god grinned sharply, making a come-hither motion with one hand.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

We can easily forgive a child
who is afraid of the dark

Stepping off the skyship into Torchline was both a breath of fresh air and a bittersweet tightening of his chest. He instinctually turned to call for Sol through the bond, only to feel the void of distance between them. It sent his heart racing, anxiety welling inside as the darkness of his thoughts took the dragon's absence as an opportunity to rally their forces. But it was better here than Stormbreak. He'd spent days caring for a plant just to hide from the rest of the city. Finally, he'd decided he just needed to get out for a day, to let his body relax from under the oppression of their leadership and his own fears that threatened to run rampant. 

Determined to do as planned, Zavien worked his way through the port and into Haulani, letting his feet wander to distract his mind. He didn't notice most of the people he passed, his eyes unfocused while he worked to soothe his emotions alone. It seemed to be a losing fight, his jaw clenching as he tried to wrestle with being alone. 

Luckily - although perhaps not so lucky for someone - a shout pulled at the Dragoon's protective instincts, lifting him from the pool of suffocating thoughts enough to let him shake the heaviness from his limbs in light of the spiked adrenaline. He hesitated only a second before running to the sound that no one else was bothering to investigate - maybe that was just a Torchline thing. 

When he reached the alleyway, he saw a man surrounded by three others, his fists raised in defense. The space was too tight for his sword, so Zavien abandoned the idea, lunging at the first man from behind to wrap his forearm across his neck. Grappling was a common method of training amongst the Dragoons, and he had no difficulty latching on, using his other arm to twist the man's wrist behind him, a clatter sounding as the knife dropped to the ground.

The real tragedy is men
who are afraid of the light

Zavien

Bask in the Light of the Stars

There was the sound of movement and for a moment Zen was certain that more adversaries had arrived. Yet to his surprise, the newcomer went after a mugger. The other two were caught off guard by the sudden change to their plans and the Demi-god took advantage. Surging forward, he ducked the second would-be thief's wild swing. The man had thrown himself off balance in the process and it gave Zen the perfect opportunity to land an uppercut to the man's jaw, snapping his head back. The mugger's head snapped back, hitting the stone wall behind him with a resounding 'thud'. He went limp and slumped to the ground. The rise and fall of his chest indicator that he was still alive. It'd be a lie to say the Demi-god wasn't slightly disappointed by that fact. But it was probably for the best.

The final man's eyes were blown wide as he glanced between his downed comrades.  He sneered at Zen and Zavien, stepping backwards, "You, fucks! You'll pay for this!" Practically frothing at the mouth, the man attempted to flee. He chose to run in Zavien's direction and tried to shoulder-check the Dragoon out of the way.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

We can easily forgive a child
who is afraid of the dark

The man in his grasp let out a cry as his arm twisted painfully. If it were a spar, Zavien would be immediately apologizing, checking that no permanent damage had been done to the extremity - but this wasn't a spar. These ruffians had planned to hurt this man and steal whatever he may have of value. The reek of injustice filtered through the darkness and anxieties, flaring his dormant protective instincts enough to elicit anger. He pulled the grip a little tighter, his green eyes narrowed as he said, "Not so fun when it's a fair fight, huh?"

Zavien pushed the man away just as the third culprit plowed into his shoulder. Quick as a whip, the Dragoon grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, bringing his face close enough to let him see the dangerous sincerity in his eyes. "Get lost before I have a mind to do something I might regret." Because, in his current state of mind - with no dragon to ground his emotions - he was finding it extremely hard not to use the violence as a means of distraction, and he didn't like the way it threatened to compromise his honorable nature. 

Letting the man drop from his hold, he watched as the two would-be thieves stumbled into the street, sneers and glares thrown to preserve some modicum of pride. Zavien ignored them, kneeling beside the one slumped against the wall. He reached to check for a pulse with practiced precision. When he assessed the deep breaths and bounding heartbeat, he sat back on his heels, somewhat relieved that the man hadn't died in such a pointless manner, although grateful that he wouldn't be picking anymore fights anytime soon. 

His voice was stoic and resigned, a seasoned soldier still in the calm of battle. "He's just unconscious." Whether the man found that reassuring or not, he wouldn't know. But he glanced up regardless, taking note of any visible injuries as he asked, "Are you okay?"

The real tragedy is men
who are afraid of the light

Zavien

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen's eyes tracked the fleeing thieves, approval humming in his mind at his 'savior's' parting threat. The man went to check on the mugger slumped against the wall and the Demi-god simply nodded when it was further confirmed that the thief was alive. He studied the Dragoon for a moment when he inquired about Zen's health, eventually nodding. In front of Zavien stars swirled into existence. Galactic colors coming together to form words in the ar. (Are you?)

After another considering pause and giving Zavien time to answer, the stars shifted. Converging and reforming, as Zen glanced in the direction of where the thieves had fled. (Teach me that maneuver?) The Dragoon had disarmed of his knife with apparent ease. IT was a useful skill and if he was willing to help a random stranger, perhaps he'd be willing to teach one.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

We can easily forgive a child
who is afraid of the dark

Standing from his crouch to closer assess the man, Zavien's eyes widened at the scattering of stars in the air before him. Unfortunately, the shifting of sparkly particles made it more difficult for him to read the words, having to angle his head a few times to pin the letters down. When he finally did, he blinked in surprise. "Oh. Um. Yeah. I'm fine." Not completely true, but in the sense of the fight, he hadn't gained any physical injuries. 

Zavien noticed the starlight shift again, dread welling in his stomach as he had to piece through the words again. It took him a little longer this time, stumbling over the word 'maneuver' in his head. Once he gathered the gist, he looked to the younger man, not noting any ill intentions or other reasons to deny the request. "Teach you? I don't see why not." If anything, it might be a good distraction. 

Glancing around at the alley, he assessed the area as a suitable training space. It would work, even if not ideal. "Did you want to learn here? Or we can go somewhere?" The Dragoon looked back to the man, realizing that he hadn't introduced himself in the heat of the chaos. He reached out a hand, his familiar smile lacking in the emotional turmoil, but his expression not unkind. "I'm Zavien, by the way."

The real tragedy is men
who are afraid of the light

Zavien

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Reading Zavien's expression and the unexpected time for him to read each message, Zen adjusted his magic. His next messages were all larger, a little less bright. Each letter was as neat as he could possibly make it. The Dragoon accepted his request, and Zen scanned the alley briefly before the stars reformed. (Elsewhere. Thank you.) The alley seemed too small to effectively test the maneuver repeatedly. Reaching out, the Demi-god returned the handshake with a firm hand. (Zen.)

He gestured for the man to follow him, intending to lead Zavien to a more open area that he'd spotted earlier. It was a greenspace tucked between two buildings, isolated enough to focus, and large enough to be a temporary training ground.

-[FIN]

Or be burned by their light

Zen