Brother Wynd

[Zynd the Lucky]

~The epic of Jogen "Icy Jaye" Wynd~

My past? You want to know about my past? Really? It's not a pretty tale... I have much better tales to spin for you if you like... No? Very well...

Life was hard as a child... My parents had left me a fortune making me the richest person in town, yes, and the bandits who had killed them had been dealt with and I hadn't a care in the world. And then something just... snapped.

You see, I didn't mean to... The butler of our house, a mere servant, told me that some guy wanted to kill me. He told me in his own way; he drew a knife and informed me of his desire to commit murder. I... I didn't want to die... and... he was going to kill me, right? He told me so. but then he... Well, it seemed almost like someone tripped him, but there was no one there, so I guess he must have tripped...

but there he was.

On the floor.

Bleeding.
Bleeding...
Bleeding...!

I had once cut myself on my finger. My mother bandaged it up for me, Just a small cut, hardly anything... But I was shaking like a leaf. I found out that day I was afraid of blood. Terrified. Why? I haven't the slightest. Childhood experience I suppose...

But in any case, my phobia hadn't gotten any better over the years. I stood there for precisely three minutes, (I counted,) and then ran screaming. I found myself in the town square later, shivering like I had cought cold. When I recovered, I went to the local soldier's post and told them what had happened. Nothing really happened, exept I found out the rest of the hired help had been in on it, but that's not important; the only reason I told you that part was to explain my fear of blood.

...What are you looking at me for?
More? Later. I'll save the rest for another night...  

[Zynd the Lucky]

More of my life... Fine. The second part of my story is as follows:

On my thirteenth birthday, I was strolling out by the lake, and saw my reflection. This might sound dull to you, but I had no mirrors in my mansion; they made me edgy when I wasn't looking at them, so this was the first I had seen myself for four years. Let me describe myself; at the time I had blue eyes, red hair, very pale skin, almost completely white, and I was quite handsome. This was a novelty to me, because I had always thought I was neither handsome nore ugly, but just in between; but I digress.

I looked at myself for a little less than a minute before I turned to walk back home; my mansion was on the other side of the lake, so I started walking so as to get there in time for the celebration I had set up with a few friends beforehand. As I passed by a weeping willow, I heard footsteps behind me.

Now, I had become somewhat edgy ever since my butler had tried to kill me, and carried several knives and a rapier with me wherever I went ever since then, and now my paranoia jacked up a few notches and my reflexes activated in the pattern I had set for them; right hand down to the leg holster, pick up a throwing knife, and right hand straight towards the target. I was halfway through the motions by the time I had spun around and registered who my target was about to be, and had to grab the knife with my left hand before it left my right completed it's motion. Because there she was.

Her hair was down to her waist and a beautiful nut-brown, her eyes the exact shade of blue as mine. She was half a foot shorter than me, wearing a beautiful dress of green, with a opal on the clasp. She was... Beautiful, intoxicating, and it kept getting better.

She looked at me with wide eyes for a moment, her gaze lingering on the knife in my hand before transferring to my face and noting my eye color. "Were you frightened?" she queried. I dropped the knife on the ground, where it landed point first, quivering in the earth. "I... I apologize," I said, bending down in an immaculate bow, picking up and sheathing my knife, "I should have looked before even drawing a weapon."

My first words with her... Ahh, to compare it to culinary achievements would be idiotic. My first words to her were an apology, hers of asking after my state of mind. Though this is somewhat ironic, seeing as what has happened since then... but once more, I digress.

I also grow tired... I dislike realating stories of myself... Let me make a few up. Please? No? Then no more for this night. I grow tired... Another day...  

[Zynd the Lucky]

Why only about me? Are you really that interested? don't like remembering these things... But I'll tell you them anyway...

If you remember my earlier story, when my wayward butler died, I said that it as though someone had tripped him... believe it or not, it was me who had done that. As though he had tripped... even I was perplexed about it for a while. But eventualy, my fortune drew another assailant, one who my latent powers could crush easily, though I didn't know it until afterwards.

His name was Darlisk. I remember fighting him like yesterday. I know little about him, but what I do know is shocking. Apparantly he was born with incredible reflexes and natural speed, making him the perfect swordsman. And he chose to put his abilities to use to kill and rob. He owned two swords, one made of a metal that bent like a whip but cut like a sword, and one that was harder than anything you could imagine. I mean that; he had used it to kill thousands of people and hit it against thousands of things and there wasn't even a scratch on it. In any case, the combination of powerful weapons and skills made him the perfect thief, and I also believe he hoped to rule a kingdom one day, but once more, I digress...

He came to my mansion and informed me of his name. His reputation had preceeded him, and I acknoliged that to him. He inquired as to the location of my wealth, and I told him to go to hell. Apparantly this annoyed him, because he tried to kill me then and there.

Gods, what a fight. His battle skills were incredible, but for some reason, mine were more than a match for his. Even counting his two blades, he was hard pressed to keep me from killing him. But his stamina far outlasted mine, and soon I tripped and recieved a cut across my eye; luckily it only grazed me-though I still have the scar, see?-but I made sure to keep that eye closed for the rest of battle so as to not be immobilized by my fear of blood. I knew if he cut me, it was all over. And then suddenly, it was.

He kicked me in the chest, sending me skidding across the ground, and laughed, then pulled back his arm so as to slice me in half with his whip-sword. I knew I was dead. Nothing to be done. Then a scream. For me. Her. My love. And then I was to live, and he was to die.

He slashed down and the earth that was previously below me was rent in two. Then I sheathed my blades and held my hand as though there was a sword in it. Why? I haven't the slightest. Instinct does funny things. But the funniest thing about instinct is, it's usualy right.

I was unstoppable. I charged forwards as though the winds were on my feet, and slashed at him. He fell back, suddenly suprised and dismayed. Pain etched itself across his face, and I knew I had the ultimate weapon; a unseeable blade of wind that did not cause bleeding. And then I began to not take the fight seriously. Which was wise, in hindsight, as I explored my powers so I could later practice them.

First I began to prod at him, seeing him wince as my blade pricked his hide. Him hitting me? Impossible. Ever tried to hit the air around you? It just goes around you. And I was never there for him to hit. Eventualy he began to realize my blade could not be seen and tried to hear and sense air distortions, which mostly worked. Even my airblade couldn't make a mark on his unbreakable-blade. But speed was mine; if I willed him dead, he died. Eventualy I became bored of this and ran at him with my full speed. He saw this obvious attack and tried to parry, but my speed outmatched him; he put his blade where it should be, but I wasn't there to be blocked. I was behind him, pulling my blade free of his carcass.

Afterwards, I spoke with her, about this power, about what had happened. We decided to never tell anyone in the village, because they would see it as a "gift from the devil," and thus I would have to be exterminated.

The only other thing that came of this incident was that she and I decided to marry; I will never forget the day, I will never forget her...

But... no, no more tonight. Later. I... I need to... To think about something...