Post by strider on Jul 13, 2007 8:58:33 GMT -6
“Seeeennnnpppaaiiiiii!!!”
The door slammed open, and an energetic young assassin bounced into the dimly lit room. She was in full battle attire, with a mask covering the lower half of her face, and carried a small bag slung over her shoulder. Her keen eyes darted quickly around the empty room.
“Ugh. He’s not here.”
She dashed out of the room and sprinted down the narrow hallway. She spotted a white skinned woman wearing a Wintersday hat emerge from a room down the hall with a yawn.
“Hsien! Hsien!”
She was met with eerie eyes and a strange smile from the necromancer.
“For an assassin,” Hsien began in a sleepy tone, “you’re not very quiet.”
“Never mind that,” answered Ibuki. “Have you seen Senpai?”
After a brief silence, the necromancer finally said, “He may have already left for the docks.”
“Aaahhhh!” exclaimed the assassin as she ran past Hsien and continued her sprint down the hallway.
She emerged outside, where the camp was beginning to bustle with morning activity as the sun kissed the land with its early morning rays. She immediately began to run down the path leading to the docks, kicking up a cloud of dirt in her wake.
On the path before her, Q and Rex were walking in her direction carrying large crates. They stopped for a moment as they saw the assassin speeding towards them. The two could not maneuver easily because of the heavy crates they carried.
“Whoa, whoa!” Rex shouted.
“Ibuki!” Q exclaimed. “Watch ou…”
The two warriors braced for impact, expecting an imminent collision. However, Ibuki disappeared in a plume of smoke and instantly reappeared past them, having shadow stepped in order to avoid colliding.
“Soooorrrryyyyy!” Ibuki yelled back to them as she continued her sprint down the path.
*****
Cat stood at the docks and looked out into the horizon, enjoying the fresh morning sea breeze. She had seen off two of her sisters, who had just embarked on an adventure to a new continent. As much as she wanted to go, she knew that she had to stay and handle matters here. She took comfort in the fact that Angel and Ice were in good company.
Suddenly, a young assassin appeared beside her in a cloud of smoke.
“Ibuki,” Cat said in shock, “you startled me.”
“I missed them, didn’t I?” the young strider asked.
“They actually left a while ago,” answered the ranger.
Ibuki sighed and slumped down in disappointment.
“I’m sorry, Ibuki,” Cat continued. “We didn’t know that you wanted to join the expedition. Otherwise, I would have ensured that they wait for you.”
“It’s ok,” Ibuki answered dishearteningly. “I should have let you all know earlier. I only just made up my mind last night.”
She let out a sigh.
“I really wanted to see Elona too. Senpai always says nice things about it.”
“Kaaru did seem to know a lot about it. Do you know how often he’s been there before?” Cat inquired.
“Back in the organization, we used to get missions from Elona every now and then. Some of them requested him by name. So, he’s actually been there quite a number of times. The clients were also very high profile. I’m sure he’s well connected.”
“We sent the right man to lead the team then,” Cat commented.
“Yeah,” Ibuki sighed. “It would have been nice to be there with him.”
Cat looked over the dejected assassin and thought to herself for a moment. She knew that Kaaru had taken on Ibuki as an apprentice, but she knew little else of the pair and their pasts.
“You really look up to him, don’t you, Ibuki?” she asked. Ibuki looked back at her with sincere eyes.
“Cat, if you had the chance to work with and learn from one of the best rangers in the world, would you take it?”
“I suppose I would, but it also depends on the situation. I would love the chance, though.”
“He’s the only reason I’m here,” Ibuki said and paused for a moment. “Cat, why did you join the guild?”
“I think my sisters and I were each searching for answers to our own questions when we joined.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I think I’ve found more,” Cat answered with a pleasurable smile.
“Senpai was one of the best S-class striders ever,” Ibuki continued. “I have never doubted my decision to follow him here.”
“S-class?”
“Oh, sorry,” the young strider said. “It’s a ranking system our old organization used based on skill and accomplishments. New recruits and untrained striders were considered F-class. As you gained in skill and completed missions, you could move up the ranks: E-class, D-class, C-class, B-class, and A-class. A-class is usually the highest rank one can attain, and they are very skilled. Most of the high council were A-class striders. Once in a while, a strider with exceptional skill is considered to be so good that he is beyond the definition of A-class. These striders are defined as S-class. Senpai was one of the youngest to ever achieve that rank.”
“I never knew that about him. It seems like you guys had a very structured class system.”
“Well, it was more used for tracking one’s capabilities. Missions were ranked according to perceived difficulty, and the rank system ensured no one was unprepared for their mission. A D-class strider wouldn’t have the skills and knowledge needed for an A-class mission, for example.”
“That’s true. What class are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“When the organization fell apart, I was still a C-class. Senpai says my skills are equivalent to a B-class now though.”
“I take it your training is going well then?”
“I suppose it is. It’s just that…,” Ibuki trailed off. Cat waited for her to gather her thoughts. “It’s just that sometimes… I wonder if Senpai even notices me…”
“That’s not true,” the ranger said in reassurance. “If he didn’t notice you, do you think he would have taken you under his wing?”
“I guess you’re right,” Ibuki said softly.
“Kaaru notices a lot more than he lets on,” Cat continued. “He’s very observant, but also very withdrawn. Don’t be discouraged if he doesn’t always show it, but I’ve seen the look in his eyes when he trains you. It’s one of pride.”
“Really?” Ibuki perked up considerably.
“Yeah,” Cat nodded. “He just keeps to himself a lot of times. It seems like there’s a lot on his mind.”
“That’s true,” Ibuki added, sounding more cheerful than earlier. “It was strange. Senpai was always one of the most amiable S-class striders. The others seemed so aloof and stuck up, but he was always friendly and approachable. He was very charming, but at the same time, he always seemed so… distant…”
“I think it just takes a while for him to open up.”
“I guess he’s always had an air of secrecy around him, like when his hair turned silver.”
“Turned?” Cat asked, puzzled.
“Yeah. It wasn’t always silver. It used to be a sheen jet black, as dark as his eyes.”
“What happened?”
“Well,” Ibuki continued, “no one really knows. It happened during one very high profile mission. He went with two other S-class striders. Only he returned, and his hair had turned pure silver. The details of the mission were deemed classified. So, only the high council knew what really happened. There were always rumors flying around though.”
“Rumors like?”
“Some said that something terrible happened during the mission. Senpai was the only one skilled enough to survive it, but whatever happened, there was strange magic involved that changed his hair color forever. Then, there were those who said that Senpai did something terrible and killed the two others with him.”
“That doesn’t sound like him at all. Kaaru doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who would kill his teammates.”
“I agree. Plus, they couldn’t explain what happened to his hair. I think they were just jealous of him.”
“Did anyone ever ask him?”
“He always manages to evade questions he doesn’t want to answer,” Ibuki shrugged.
“Haha,” Cat chuckled. “I know that all too well.”
“I guess there’s no use waiting around here anymore,” Ibuki sighed as she stood up.
“Yeah,” Cat said. “Come. There are plenty of things to be done back at the camp. I’m sure Kaaru would want you to keep up with your training. Give him something to be proud of when he returns.”
“Yeah,” Ibuki said with a smile. “I will.”
The door slammed open, and an energetic young assassin bounced into the dimly lit room. She was in full battle attire, with a mask covering the lower half of her face, and carried a small bag slung over her shoulder. Her keen eyes darted quickly around the empty room.
“Ugh. He’s not here.”
She dashed out of the room and sprinted down the narrow hallway. She spotted a white skinned woman wearing a Wintersday hat emerge from a room down the hall with a yawn.
“Hsien! Hsien!”
She was met with eerie eyes and a strange smile from the necromancer.
“For an assassin,” Hsien began in a sleepy tone, “you’re not very quiet.”
“Never mind that,” answered Ibuki. “Have you seen Senpai?”
After a brief silence, the necromancer finally said, “He may have already left for the docks.”
“Aaahhhh!” exclaimed the assassin as she ran past Hsien and continued her sprint down the hallway.
She emerged outside, where the camp was beginning to bustle with morning activity as the sun kissed the land with its early morning rays. She immediately began to run down the path leading to the docks, kicking up a cloud of dirt in her wake.
On the path before her, Q and Rex were walking in her direction carrying large crates. They stopped for a moment as they saw the assassin speeding towards them. The two could not maneuver easily because of the heavy crates they carried.
“Whoa, whoa!” Rex shouted.
“Ibuki!” Q exclaimed. “Watch ou…”
The two warriors braced for impact, expecting an imminent collision. However, Ibuki disappeared in a plume of smoke and instantly reappeared past them, having shadow stepped in order to avoid colliding.
“Soooorrrryyyyy!” Ibuki yelled back to them as she continued her sprint down the path.
*****
Cat stood at the docks and looked out into the horizon, enjoying the fresh morning sea breeze. She had seen off two of her sisters, who had just embarked on an adventure to a new continent. As much as she wanted to go, she knew that she had to stay and handle matters here. She took comfort in the fact that Angel and Ice were in good company.
Suddenly, a young assassin appeared beside her in a cloud of smoke.
“Ibuki,” Cat said in shock, “you startled me.”
“I missed them, didn’t I?” the young strider asked.
“They actually left a while ago,” answered the ranger.
Ibuki sighed and slumped down in disappointment.
“I’m sorry, Ibuki,” Cat continued. “We didn’t know that you wanted to join the expedition. Otherwise, I would have ensured that they wait for you.”
“It’s ok,” Ibuki answered dishearteningly. “I should have let you all know earlier. I only just made up my mind last night.”
She let out a sigh.
“I really wanted to see Elona too. Senpai always says nice things about it.”
“Kaaru did seem to know a lot about it. Do you know how often he’s been there before?” Cat inquired.
“Back in the organization, we used to get missions from Elona every now and then. Some of them requested him by name. So, he’s actually been there quite a number of times. The clients were also very high profile. I’m sure he’s well connected.”
“We sent the right man to lead the team then,” Cat commented.
“Yeah,” Ibuki sighed. “It would have been nice to be there with him.”
Cat looked over the dejected assassin and thought to herself for a moment. She knew that Kaaru had taken on Ibuki as an apprentice, but she knew little else of the pair and their pasts.
“You really look up to him, don’t you, Ibuki?” she asked. Ibuki looked back at her with sincere eyes.
“Cat, if you had the chance to work with and learn from one of the best rangers in the world, would you take it?”
“I suppose I would, but it also depends on the situation. I would love the chance, though.”
“He’s the only reason I’m here,” Ibuki said and paused for a moment. “Cat, why did you join the guild?”
“I think my sisters and I were each searching for answers to our own questions when we joined.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I think I’ve found more,” Cat answered with a pleasurable smile.
“Senpai was one of the best S-class striders ever,” Ibuki continued. “I have never doubted my decision to follow him here.”
“S-class?”
“Oh, sorry,” the young strider said. “It’s a ranking system our old organization used based on skill and accomplishments. New recruits and untrained striders were considered F-class. As you gained in skill and completed missions, you could move up the ranks: E-class, D-class, C-class, B-class, and A-class. A-class is usually the highest rank one can attain, and they are very skilled. Most of the high council were A-class striders. Once in a while, a strider with exceptional skill is considered to be so good that he is beyond the definition of A-class. These striders are defined as S-class. Senpai was one of the youngest to ever achieve that rank.”
“I never knew that about him. It seems like you guys had a very structured class system.”
“Well, it was more used for tracking one’s capabilities. Missions were ranked according to perceived difficulty, and the rank system ensured no one was unprepared for their mission. A D-class strider wouldn’t have the skills and knowledge needed for an A-class mission, for example.”
“That’s true. What class are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“When the organization fell apart, I was still a C-class. Senpai says my skills are equivalent to a B-class now though.”
“I take it your training is going well then?”
“I suppose it is. It’s just that…,” Ibuki trailed off. Cat waited for her to gather her thoughts. “It’s just that sometimes… I wonder if Senpai even notices me…”
“That’s not true,” the ranger said in reassurance. “If he didn’t notice you, do you think he would have taken you under his wing?”
“I guess you’re right,” Ibuki said softly.
“Kaaru notices a lot more than he lets on,” Cat continued. “He’s very observant, but also very withdrawn. Don’t be discouraged if he doesn’t always show it, but I’ve seen the look in his eyes when he trains you. It’s one of pride.”
“Really?” Ibuki perked up considerably.
“Yeah,” Cat nodded. “He just keeps to himself a lot of times. It seems like there’s a lot on his mind.”
“That’s true,” Ibuki added, sounding more cheerful than earlier. “It was strange. Senpai was always one of the most amiable S-class striders. The others seemed so aloof and stuck up, but he was always friendly and approachable. He was very charming, but at the same time, he always seemed so… distant…”
“I think it just takes a while for him to open up.”
“I guess he’s always had an air of secrecy around him, like when his hair turned silver.”
“Turned?” Cat asked, puzzled.
“Yeah. It wasn’t always silver. It used to be a sheen jet black, as dark as his eyes.”
“What happened?”
“Well,” Ibuki continued, “no one really knows. It happened during one very high profile mission. He went with two other S-class striders. Only he returned, and his hair had turned pure silver. The details of the mission were deemed classified. So, only the high council knew what really happened. There were always rumors flying around though.”
“Rumors like?”
“Some said that something terrible happened during the mission. Senpai was the only one skilled enough to survive it, but whatever happened, there was strange magic involved that changed his hair color forever. Then, there were those who said that Senpai did something terrible and killed the two others with him.”
“That doesn’t sound like him at all. Kaaru doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who would kill his teammates.”
“I agree. Plus, they couldn’t explain what happened to his hair. I think they were just jealous of him.”
“Did anyone ever ask him?”
“He always manages to evade questions he doesn’t want to answer,” Ibuki shrugged.
“Haha,” Cat chuckled. “I know that all too well.”
“I guess there’s no use waiting around here anymore,” Ibuki sighed as she stood up.
“Yeah,” Cat said. “Come. There are plenty of things to be done back at the camp. I’m sure Kaaru would want you to keep up with your training. Give him something to be proud of when he returns.”
“Yeah,” Ibuki said with a smile. “I will.”