Display Name:Myaku
Age:16
Gender:Male


As the first light of the dawning morning began to illuminate the surrounding area a man would stir slightly, at first only opening his eyes to stare at the sky for a few moments still breathing easily as if still asleep. After a few moments of laying there staring out into the endless violet morning sky he would sit up pushing himself into the sitting position with a hand in the loose soil around him. It seemed it would be a fine day, there where a few whispy clounds in the air, but nothing to indicate bad wheater and the tempature was mild. After staying in the sitting position he would suddenly push off the ground standing up to look out over the surounding area. It was a pleasant area filled with loose soil,tall pine trees and thick bushes all around. Behind him lay a slight slope upward where it fell off drastically becomning a cliff that over looked the dark blue ocean. There as a faint smell of salt all around him from the sea air and he loved it.

Smiling which was more a brieff flash of his teeth he went about making his breakfeast. At first starting a fire from the coal from the fire the night before which he had piled ash on to keep from going out. He would throw on a small amount of wood he had collected the night before and as it began to crackle with the flames starting to catch he would move over to a small hole he had dug and covered with a large rock. He moved the rough stone aside and withdrew a small bag from the hole. Bringing it back to the now steadily burning fire he would draw a few things from the bag, a crusty loaf of bread, a large wedge of yellow-white cheese and a small bag which had two more bags inside, one filled with dried meat and the other filled with tea leaves. He set all of this on the ground atop a small ragged patch of grass while he reached into the bag once more to pull out a canteen and a kettle.

He pured some of the water into the small silver kettle and set it upon the little fire and heard the kettle begin to heat the instant it touched the filckering flames that licked it's sides. He smirked slightly in though of actually having hot tea for breakfest and suddenly yelled in anger as he realized he had forgotten to put tea leaves in the pot which he hurridly did before the pot got too hot to open for fear of burning steam. With the tea now brewing he turned to his found and went about tearing the bread in half, sticking the other half back into the bag which he had emptied. After that he turned to the yellow-white cheese tearing off a good sized hunk of it. After he threw the rest of the cheese back with the bread he looked at what he had for his meal and sighed slightly. It was a better meal than he had eaten for some time, but it also meant that he was running low on supplies again. It seemed he would have to find a town some time soon.

He went back to his task and quickly pulled the small silver kettle of the flames and setting it down on the cool ground muttering slightly due to his now burned fingers. He sighed slightly before he looked into the bag for a moment and finally withdrew a small white cup which had a small chip on the handle and a crack runing down it's side. He sighed once more before pouring some of the tea into the cup, it a green color and smelling slightly of lemons. He smiled once more, once against a flash of the teeth before he began to eath rythmically: Bread, cheese, tea, dried meat, tea and repeat. While it was not the best meal he had ever eaten, it was much better than he had eaten lately. He ate everything he had laid out with a quiet dignity.

After he finished his meal and finished the pot of tea he washed the cup and kettle out lightly and packed everything away once more. After everything was packed he slid the pack on his shoulders and began to walk, heading towards the closest town he knew of which was ironically the home he had abandoned a long time ago. It would be best if he came and went fast. He did not want to be remembered he did not want people asking what he was doing now. He didn't want to have to say how he was now a mercenary. While he did not look it and most would not believe it that is what he was and he was not exaclty happy with it, but it was what he was good at. The next job would get him wupplies he needed he supposed.....

Name; Takeo

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Tom lifted his heavy eyelids. The room was dark, but his clock showed 6:18 AM. He longed to remain wrapped up in his blanket, safe in the perfect comfort he'd shapen throughout his little sleep. He took a few minutes to realize that his eyes had closed again and jumped slightly in an attempt to wake him up. To his dismay the room was still dark, and the sound of his three computers filtered through.

He slowly folded back his covers and took a sigh. Monday mornings were always the worst. Especially after staying up until way after 2, playing video games with people from around the globe. Sad really, he noted, they were his friends. People he'd never met before, but only heard their varied accents.

Right now, he hated everything. He hated the dark, the clock which sat smugly, telling him to get up, he hated the way the traffic outside was only now silent despite roaring through his small rest. He hated the way he'd have to go into the cold kitchen to eat toast, but somehow, he remained rational, and assured himself that once he woke up, everything would seem alot better.

Tom was always groggy in the mornings.

He pulled himself out of bed, and lazily gave a stretch. He cursed about the lightglare from one of his computers and grabbed his Starbucks uniform, which lay in a heap on the foot of his bed.

Twenty minutes and a shower later; Tom was ready for work. He'd let his hair dry on the way, it would curl up and look terrible, but he didn't care. A mouthful of burnt toast was all he ate, and he binned the rest after hearing his father get up and wander silently into the bathroom. It was the morning routine.

The teenager left without so much as a good-bye.

The street was worse that the feeling of waking up; A cold, harsh wind whipped down the road, dragging icy rain with it. It came from the oposite direction as to where Tom was heading, just as Sod's Law predicted. He got a face full of water and trudged rather unhappily towards the coffee shop where he worked.

"You're late!" Tom's greasy boss yelled, from behind the counter just as the soggy teenager barged through the door.

"How can I be late!? It's a quarter to seven." He replied hastily, his late night still clinging to his mood.

"You needed to be here ten minutes ago!"

Tom grumbled and pulled on his apron. He knew Mr Raymano wouldn't take any excuses, he longed to dig at his employees. It just so happened that Tom was the only employee in, everyone else was later than him.

He grumpily went about the shop, renewing the serviettes and switching on the various coffee heaters. The machines buzzed and bubbled to life. Raymano scowled from his corner and uselessly movesd boxes from one side of Stores to the otherside of the Stores. He did this all the time - he looked busy, but left everyone else to do the real work.

And they called him a manager. A Manager!

"Why don't you manage your fat ass outta the store..." Tom grunted under his breath.

It was nearly time to open up shop, though they wouldn't have the usual trickle of customers until gone eight.

Jin Ha - Good job! It is interesting, and well written. ACCEPTED

Myaku - Good job. Your post is well written, except I would recommend you make sure there are no spelling mistakes (wupplies). ACCEPTED

Takeo - Your post was okay, though I would have preffered a bit more depth. Regardless, it's being denied because, as I said in the opening post, we want to see how your character reacts when there are characters around that you cannot control. Do one round of the Battle Training and try again or do the Romance Training. DENIED

Display Name: Tsuzo
Age: 17
Gender: Male

The smell of rain was leaving the air. Ven stood in the large meadow. The small grass was flowing with the wind to the sound of a few birds chirping. Ven was wearing some loose white pants held on with a string. The string was tied tightly in front. He wore a loose azure buttoned shirt. He wasn't wearing shoes. I wonder what the sky will feel like today. The thought made his hands tingle. He closed his eyes, thinking of all the times he had felt clouds and the air flowing through his hair.

His body began to grow lighter, he lost the feeling of the ground against his feet. He opened his eyes. The ground seemed to grow farther and farther away. Ven stopped, placing his body in a slightly crouched position. Kicking out his legs his body took of to the east. He looked down seeing the grassland fly passed his eyes. Every worry left his thoughts, I feel so free. He flew faster, his body kept feeling lighter and lighter. The faster he got, the more the landscape changed below him. At first it was the grassland, humble and beautiful. Next was the desert, warm and lonely with no people. Next came a jungle, vast and animals ran wild everywhere. Last was the ocean, beautiful as the grassland, yet as lonely as the desert.

Ven slowed and came to a halt. His body dropped into the water. He swam back up to the surface, letting out a huge gasp for air. Am I lonely just as this ocean or that desert. I wish I had someone, someone that would understand why I'm myself. And this amazing ability I have. He closed his eyes once more, but only thoughts of loneliness clouded his head. His body grew heavier, he sank into the water. He was so lonely it almost crippled him.

Ven awoke in his bed drenched with sweat. It was all a dream, but it seemed so real. He had to find the one person that would understand him. This was where is his journey began.

Tsuzo - Katara and I both agree that you could use a little more character depth in your post, but it's not bad. Just work on putting more character depth in there, okay? ACCEPTED

Display Name: Botan
Age: 17
Gender: Male

It was a typical winter day in Washington, D.C. An overcast sky had teased the city all day while weather reports warned busybody commuters to be prepared for a nasty storm around rush hour. The weather wasn’t helping: this part of town was already swamped with people trying to beat the rain at 4:00, a full hour or so before the usual frenzy began. Joel McGinley pushed through the crowd, clutching the right strap of his dirty black backpack with one hand while using the other to help him maneuver through the sea of pedestrians. The man’s name suggested that he was of Irish decent, but his appearance spoke for his Native American side; the dark, tan skin, and long black hair that fell straight halfway down his neck. It was lucky that he was a bit taller and stockier than a majority of the people he was coming into contact with, because it made getting through the crowd that much easier. The blue jeans he wore below the plain brown jacket somewhat constricted his movement, but he paid them no attention. Joel’s brown eyes were open wide with excitement, taking everything in, and the expression on his face betrayed a hint of impatience at being delayed. I touched one on the first try…I’m surprised I thought it would be hard. This is D.C. after all, isn’t it? he thought, trying his best not to be too rude whilst pushing his way through the throng. Joel often felt like a salmon, swimming upstream and against the strong current when his work at the Zoo delayed his walk home and he was forced to cope with rush hour. And now, more than ever, the impatient man wished that he could just take off, avoid this claustrophobic situation – No, I’ve got to wait until I get back to the apartment. That’s always been the rule I’ve set for myself.

The door of the apartment burst open, and Joel strode in, swinging his backpack off of his shoulder as he did. He looked around; the apartment was a hazard zone, as usual. The dusty wooden floor was covered by the usual assortment of old mail, newspapers and candy wrappers, and Joel’s favorite red armchair was looking just as sorry as ever in the corner by the window, with a hole in the side repaired with a duct-tape X. The kitchen counter had a box of cereal on it, with a bowl half-full of discolored milk not far away. That would be Chris, Joel’s roommate, having not cleaned up after himself. But he never did, so why should today be any different. Yes, any other day Joel would have gone over to the counter, emptied the bowl and put it into the sink, and then plopped down in the armchair to watch the TV that sat in the opposite corner of the small room. But this afternoon was different; it was an experiment day.

After closing the door, Joel laid the backpack down on the floor, and opened its spacious front pocket to pull out a large, purple textbook. He held it in his hands for a moment, reading the title for what must have been the umpteenth time: Activating Evolution. The man briefly flipped through the book, which he had read several times, before turning it over to gaze at the scientist that had written the amazing theories about genetic evolution. The expression on the late Dr. Chandra Suresh’s face was dubious, as if he was still questioning everything, even in death. Joel had read all there was to know about the book and subject, and had religiously checked the Activating Evolution website run by the Chandra’s son, Dr. Mohinder Suresh, for updates and further insight from anyone connected to the issue. He laid the book down on a table to his immediate right. He had found the book by complete accident…it had given him answers, but more importantly, an understanding, and an excitement, to see what the future would hold for him and whoever else was out there. Whoever else might share what made him feel so alive, and so ready to wake up in the morning. Everyday there was a new experience to be had, a new opportunity that presented itself into Joel’s open arms.

Out from behind the counter appeared Kindle, the orange cat that sometimes found its way into Joel and Chris’ apartment through one of the busted air vents. Kindle didn’t really belong to anyone in the complex, or if he did his owner had never bothered to keep him within his own apartment. Joel’s face lit up, and he walked over to the counter, bent down and began to stroke the cat’s fur. A grateful purr told Joel that the orange cat was happy to see him. “You were the first one, Kindle. It’s all thanks to you that I discovered what I’m capable of. I’ve had to hide it for so long. But that changed today…I touched a pigeon today, Kindle.” Joel paused, and thought about how strange his last sentence had been. He laughed quietly, still petting the cat. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but this can open a whole world of opportunity for me. I’ve never had this much freedom before…” He stood, and crossed over to the window, his expression now one of nervous anticipation. He came in close contact with all manner of animals everyday at the Washington National Zoo; it was part of the reason he loved working as a zoologist so much. It hadn’t been too long ago that he had discovered his talent, but his mind was one of a scientist, and now that he understood the theories, he knew that the possibilities were endless.

Joel drew the shades closed, but stopped them short of the window sill, so that they would not block the small opening to the outside world created by propping the window open with brick. He backed away from it, preparing himself mentally. Without turning away from the window, he spoke to the cat: “Once I’ve transformed, you’d better not eat me, Kindle, alright?” Chris would not be home for hours, which meant that Joel had plenty of time to explore. “Here it goes…” He said, and shut his eyes tightly, thinking only of the pigeon he had met earlier that day…

Joel’s entire body shook. He felt as if the world was shrinking, and his arms were being stretched and widened. His big, middle and pinky toes were elongating, but his pointer and ring-toes (if they could be called that) were disappearing. Furthermore, his back was becoming curved, and his chest was pushing outward. Then it all stopped. Joel opened his orange eyes: the world was more vivid than he remembered. He made a cooing sound; it seemed as if he couldn’t speak in this form either. After awkwardly stepping out of his now-enormous clothes, Joel waddled over towards the window as best he could, and jumped lightly onto the windowsill, flapping his wings a bit to maintain balance. He had really done it; he had transformed into a pigeon, an animal so normal that he would not attract attention. He would have smiled, but now instead of a mouth he had a short beak. Before, he could only conduct these transformation experiments inside of his own apartment, which was a bit difficult at times. He couldn’t risk turning into something more dangerous or exotic outdoors. But now…now he had to freedom he had always craved, to be able to use his ability, to be himself, without worrying about who saw him. It’s finally time… Joel thought. The pigeon took a few tentative hops, and then jumped out of the window. His wings spread to catch the wind, and he soared through the air, feeling the unbridled joy of flight for the first real time. Today was the day to explore the city as it was meant to be; from the air, and above the crowds.

Botan - Good job! This seems very well written to us. It was done well. Good job. ACCEPTED

Name: Mishiko
Age: 20
Gender: Female

Aysel was down near the lake in the chily weather. There was a sun out today, but it kept hiding behind clouds, causing the grounds to be thrown into unexpected shadows before becoming bright again. This actually annoyed her quite a bit. The main reason she was at the lake was to meet somebody, a somebody named Cairine LeFay. Aysel wanted answers, and the only person who give them to her was the DE.

While she was waiting for Cai to arrive, Aysel practiced her elemental powers over water. She could do a lot of stuff with it. Unfortunately, the constant darkening and lightening of the sky was blowing her concentration. Finally, she gave up on her practice and dropped the water she had been trying to coax into a tidal wave. The water splased lightly against the shores before becoming calm once more. Aysel sighed softly and looked down at the water, seeing her reflection. For a moment, she smiled at the perfect, smooth, pale surface of her skin. She quickly frowned though because she knew it wasn't the truth. Slowly, she pulled out her wand and tapped it once to eaach cheek, muttering "Revelio" as she did so. There in the water was her true reflection, but it made her no happier to see it. In fact her frown deepened into a harsh scowl as did that of her reflectioon.

In the water was a horribly scared face with one long scar on each cheek, looking like she had been scratched with someone's long, sharp fingernails, which she had been. Usually, she kept the scars hidden by invisibility cream the effects of which only wore off when she said the revealing charm. It wasn't that she was ashamed of the scars or ashamed of how she had gotten them, not many people could survive being tortured by a gang of Death Eaters. She just didn't like the way they looked or the way people treated her when they saw the scars, like she was the hero of some huge battle. She had fought in many battles, but she was never the hero of them, not exactly.

Aysel sighed softly and ran a finger gently down the scar on her left cheek. She couldn't even remember the actual torturing the DE's had done. All she really remembered was talking to Cai in the graveyard, then waking up at what she assumed was the Riddle house, then waking up again in a ditch feeling extreme pain and more than one wet spot, which was blood. She had gone to St. Mungos of course and the healers had fixed her up in a week. All that was left were the scratches on her face. The healers had deduced that they were caused by fingernails, but for some odd reason, they couldn't make them heal fully, so Aysel had been left with the scars.

Aysel ran her finger down the other scar, feelinng its slightly rough, jagged line. This was why she had asked Cai to meet her. She wanted to know what had happened that night. How had she got these scars? Who gave tnem to her? What else had happened that night? What had those DE's done to her? She felt she more than deserved to know the answers, and she wouldn't rest until she had them.

Mishiko - Good job. It is well written, and we didn't see any obvious spelling or grammar mistakes. Good job. ACCEPTED

Display-Name: KesukeHaku Miyagi
Age:26
Gender:Male.

---

My name is Tobias, a Red-Tailed Hawk who used to be human – Long story, not gonna go into it now.

I was temporarily human again as I approached my fellow Animorphs in the food-court of the mall for another meeting, already circling round to stand next to where Rachel was sitting.

Ah, Rachel... Our resident cross between Vogue magazine and G.I.Jane. I like Rachel. As in like. I'm also pretty sure the feeling is mutual... I always get the feeling that if I ever abandoned my Red-Tailed Hawk form for my human one permanently, I'd get to be her boyfriend properly... But how could I abandon the fight? - Besides, I've started to like living as a bird that can morph...

It's like an unspoken ultimatum from her - If I stay a hawk, she won't ever be my girlfriend... But if I go human permanently, the joy of flight will be forever lost to me... Let alone my new-found Andalite heritage... It's almost enough to make me cry, my heart being rent two ways like this - But hawks don't cry. They can't.

Oh why couldn't she be happy with a 2-hours-at-a-time boyfriend?!... I sighed inwardly; Perhaps she knew the turmoil tearing at me, perhaps she didn't have a clue - That's the problem about her never actually voicing this ultimatum aloud: It's the unspoken that torments me, so she gets to pretend to be blameless...

My eyes glazed over for a brief second as these thoughts flitted through my head, but I suddenly snapped back to normality. I showed Tidwell’s’ photo of our target to Marco and Rachel, then stuffed it into an inside pocket of my leather thigh-length jacket. I'd managed to rescue my favourite jacket from my uncle's place when he was out boozing about a week ago and hidden it here at the Mall because that's where I spent most of my human-time nowadays.

Black leather and blond hair are not the most inconspicuous combination, but it was one of the few remaining relics given me by my real mother, Loren, before she disappeared - Also, it was extremely comfortable... Thinking about my jacket took my mind almost completely off the 'Rachel' situation.

Then there was the recon mission we were about to embark on - Did Jake want us to risk blowing our cover by rushing after the target right now? We might lose her trail if we didn't... It'd depend how urgent he thought following her was.

I was still stood behind Rachel's chair as the decisions were made. The intoxicating fragrance of her hair wafted past my nostrils, causing me to inhale deeply even though I didn't realize I was doing it. The deeper breath also carried the spicy scent of Marco’s Nachos and the refreshingly sweet smell of his Mountain Dew, almost making my currently-human stomach rumble with hungry longing as it snapped me back to reality.

I'd caught a Shrew earlier that morning for breakfast, but since then I'd raced Ax and Jake through the woods as an Andalite and flown here too... Lunch was on the cards, really, but it'd be difficult to hunt for a meal while keeping tabs on our new target... Making my decision, I hastily grabbed a few Nachos from Marco's dwindling supply and stuffed them into my mouth hungrily...

I swear steam blasted outta my ears! - Man, these things were Hot with a capital 'H'!

I swallowed, wafted my mouth urgently with my hand, then I spotted the can of Mountain Dew. I eagerly snatched it up and swigged at it deeply, draining all but a quarter of the can, which I left in the bottom for Marco as I returned it to the table, saying "Whew! - That's-a one-a spicy meatball!" in my best Italian accent, mimicking Jim Carey in 'The Mask'.

I faked the urgency to rush to the restrooms, and quickly made my exit – Talking takes time, during which our target may get out of range. If they decided it was worth the risk of blowing our cover not to lose her trail, the time wasted deciding that might make that happen anyway. If they decided it wasn’t worth the risk, I could always let her go and still at least know what direction she went so we could track her later.

To Joe-public, it'd look as if I were about to spew and therefore in urgent need for a restroom, but as I ran I called back to the others in thought-speak: <Don't worry; the food wasn't that bad, I just figured it'd be a good excuse for a hasty exit. - Might be best not to let Ax try the Nachos though... I'm headed for the roof, so I'll see whoever's joining me for recon in the sky. Laters!!>

And with that, I reached a little alcove containing doors to the male and female restrooms opposite some elevator doors and adjacent to the door to the nearest stairwell. Looking over my shoulder to see I wasn't being observed, I dove through the stairwell door rather than the restroom one.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I soon reached the roof. I tapped in the door-code so I could get out, then stripped to my morphing-outfit and stashed my clothes in the usual place, being careful with my leather jacket so-as not to damage it. That done, I finally started to demorph.

Feathers exploded out of my skin and my fingers extended and curved into the wing-structure of my Red-Tailed Hawk body as my arms shrunk to match. My nose and mouth bulged outward and hardened into a razor-sharp hooked beak - As my mouth reshaped and lost most of its' taste-buds, I was finally free of the spiciness that'd attacked them.

My body shrunk down and my toes suddenly merged and split down the middle to form my forward-talons while my heels stretched to form the rearward ones. I stumbled as they changed, but didn't fall because a flap from my newly formed wings countered the motion.

Now for what I'd been waiting for - The eyes. It was like an extremely near-sighted person putting on their glasses and finally being able to see properly again. <Ahh, that's better...> I said in thought-speak, though mainly to myself.

I stretched my new wings and ruffled my tail-feathers - The morph was complete. I hopped up onto one of the railings surrounding the roof and dove off it, spreading my wings and catching the thermal that rushed up the side of the building - I'd never get tired of that feeling... Never.

The thermal catapulted me skyward, filling me with joy as I started scanning for our target. I heard one of the Mall's roof-access doors opening again and turned my attention back to see who it was...

Miyagi - Though I dislike the fact that you make a new paragraph so often, your post was quite well written. Love the topic, too, as did Katara, who also likes the character of Tobias. Good job. ACCEPTED

Display Name: Ruki
Age: 15
Gender: Female

The chime of chains hitting the cold stone floor rose the human from pained sleep. Hair the color of sea-wetted sand shifted slightly as the freezing air from the sole window trickled inward. Pale skin was exposed to what moonlight could flutter down, cleaved from the iron bars. Hollow orb opened to devour the surroundings about the creature. Faded pink lips smiled as dull eyes captured the sight. A pleasure that a famished gaze satisfied itself with when the moon’s light was cast longer than the suns. The tears of the stars rested at tattered feet and shimmered with a graceful pure color.

The ring of metal hitting stone echoed in frozen cage. A human made of glass rose to the window, abdomen grazed against the calloused wall. Mouth's breath froze as it stroked the gentle wind. Happiness and warmth stole away the coldness of the iron and ice. A thin cheek rested upon a crooked arm and he rested his weary thoughts. The night was crying stars; winter brushed past red cheek and slept upon the ground. Endless meadow of snow reached out through untouchable metal and sealing stone. The heavy clanging collar of rusted metal reminds the ears of its presence.

Stone collides with metal, grating as the creature settled to fate. Heavy eyes close to the night and puts the child to his sleep again.

Ruki - Your post is a little on the short side. I advise that regardless of what you get you go through Training anyway. Oh, and remember, if you get sent back to the RPG School because of short posting, then you cannot do either of the Excemptions, and will be forced to do training. ACCEPTED

Display Name: Shaulee
Age: 13
Gender: Male

*Rinafera knelt down before his leader. The otter wad down for the count and most likely dead. He grieved, but held himself from crying. Raiden had gone on a rampage of revenge, while the hare stayed subtle and calm. It seemed almost impossible. The white-furred Guardian had not been this emotional since Major Brandywick went down in battle on the shore of Salamandastron. But this... This was not war. It was not a battle. It was a cowardly repute from a large vermin army to four trainees. The hare sneered, looking at dead beasts all around. But he knew he needed to stand and fight; a vermin pack might be heading his way to finish him off while he was not paying attention. The hare stood, pushing off the cold snow with his numb paw.

Rinafera stood high and proud, for he was a seasoned veteran with much to live for. The battle would not end yet. He could feel the emotions rise in him as he felt the hilt of the sword clutched in his right paw. The hare looked at a fox in a blank stare, waiting for the fox to attack. Rinafera was getting to old for this; he had already retired from the Long Patrol and the Horde. It seemed as if his senses left once more. Private Woxwitty was not fighting the fox, as it seemed only normal reflexes and a sense of 'been there done that' remained in the hare. Private Rinafera Clysul Foxbane Woxwitty had taken a toll for all of his battles. His emotions were simply blank, and the only compassion he felt was for Daisyblade. He only wished Cragg was here; Cragg was always brave and supporting.

Rinafera felt as if war was not quite his thing anymore. Then the fox took the first move. The hare lifted the scimitar and deflected it, setting the fox off balance. Usually the white-furred ranger would take the offensive, but he hesitated. One moment of hesitation could cost a beast a fight, but Rinafera waited patiently. The fox whipped his blade around with a combination to be applauded for, but Rinafera had seen too many days of battle to fall for any trickery. To the hare, all he needed to do was parry. Finally, the lesser experienced fox made the first mistake. He slipped his blade to Rinafera's torso, so the hare sidestepped and swung the scimitar on a downward motion for the fox's back. It hit the fox in the spinal cord and went deep into his back. Blood was everywhere, and the fox fell down dead.

Rinafera felt a brief satisfaction as he approached the rest of the pack. He would confront on their side, but soon realized how dumb of a decision that was. Major Sapphire was a top a hill, setting of a load of snow to cover the vermin. The hare was cold enough, but could not back away because a weasel confronted him with an axe. The Guardian rolled his eyes and parried a blow, but this weasel had something about him. It was a confidence of a seasoned, experienced, well-trained, veteran. The hare breathed deep and took on the fellow master of the art of close-combat. The battle heated up. Then Sapphire released the snow.

It fell like a waterfall over a river, and Rinafera knew there was only one option. He flipped the scimitar up and countered the last blow from the weasel, and then straight on tackled him. The hare tackled the weasel and pushed them both out of the way of the snow. But it was too late; the snow covered the battlefield. It fell upon Rinafera and he was deep in it. His senses blanked out and snow covered his nostrils. The hare was buried. But one problem also did not help the situation, he was holding a living weasel. Rinafera struggled to free himself of the weasel while holding his breath.

Finally, he let go of the weasel. But his breath could not hold it any longer. Rinafera was suffocating. He kicked paws and dropped the scimitar. Feeling the weasel one more time, he realized the weasel was dead. Maybe vermin could not hold their breath long, but anyway, he assumed he was soon to enter the Dark Forest. Then he remembered her. Daisyblade was at the Fort, waiting for her husband's return. Kicking harder, he finally sprang free of the snow. His head peaked above the surface, and fresh air filled his lungs. Rinafera could feel the blood flowing easy again, but the hare was still cold.

Getting up, he looked at the battlefield. The vermin were covered and dead, with a few exceptions of those who were fleeing. Rinafera breathed easy again, and wiped the nervous sweat from his brow when he discovered Darter was not in the snow. He had just evaded the avalanche. But the hare could not see Raiden or Mary, but put up a paw to wave at Sapphire. It was just a sign to show that they were OK. Without further seeking Raiden or Mary, the hare ran to his Commander. Darter still lay on the snow with closed eyes, but it was improvement now that the vermin were gone. Hopefully Darter would live to decide who the future Boundary Guardians were. Rinafera would always remember this training.

The hare searched for the vermin, looking in all directions. He spotted a few fleeing, and a few looking for their companions amongst the dead. But Rinafera considered it no victory. Their Commander had fallen in battle, and Raiden and Mary had yet to be seen. He stood with a newly found confidence; that was the first battle Rinafera had ever fought with that much intensity. The hare rubbed his tunic and wiped the snow from his chest. Once more, Rinafera could sheathe his scimitar in the scabbard. But something was not right. Something was missing.

The hare felt his back, and felt pure fabric. The stiletto and its case were gone. It must have been buried under the snow. He sprang back to the area where he and the weasel had been plunged under the avalanche. Digging deep, Rinafera found no sword. Cursing under his breath, he kicked the snow. The hare needed to find a new secondary weapon. Ah, a claymore would be nice. Looking with squinted eyes at the battlefield, Rinafera rummaged through the snow. He had seen a rat with a claymore earlier... Aha! Rinafera grabbed the hilt of a buried claymore, yanking it from the paw of a vermin. The hare had always admired Raiden's claymore, and now he had one of his own. Now to find a saber like Cragg's...*

I am very, very, impressed. I love the fact that you're proving another of my and Karena's points too — you do NOT have to be as old as us (late teens or older) to be a great role player. And you tell me that this sample is old? Just a note, try not to use asterisks when describing things — none of this: *action action action action* etc. K?

I have no problems clearing you. Enjoy the RP ~ ACCEPTED.

Display Name: Honoo
Age: 14
Gender: Male

No!

The world was shattered, utterly and completely shattered. It was impossible that she was dead. She was untouchable, unreachable, unblemished. She was a ghost with soft hands and a kind smile. She was not the bloody corpse, pierced by the murderer's sword. She couldn't be!

Kneeling down as if before a blasphemed altar, Kiro touched the red soaked cloth that was once worn by the kindest woman in the world. Now it was worn by a corpse. Not by her, not by her, not by her, not by her... Tears sprang to his eyes, tears of unquencheable hatred, hatred that drove him once more to his feet. Useless fists clenched, jaw set into a grimace at the grinning visage of the murderer.

"I'll kill you." The statement fell from Kiro's lips and walked over to the enemy, striking it with the fury of a toothpick. An empty threat. It sounded hollow, useless on his lips, leaving a bitter taste. He was weaponless, powerless, defeated. The triumphant figure stood with superhuman strength, a bloody copper weapon, and those ever-cursed pointed ears, that horrible, horrible sadistic smile that characterized its mystical race.

Kiro shook with rage, impotent fury. He bent down on the ground, and reached into his boot, a vain hope springing forth like a flower that blooms bright in the light of the forest fire. In sudden surprise, he felt it, not quite sure how. The bolt that attached the thick sole to the rest of the shoe.

Iron.

"Iron binds the fey," he said in a low voice, and put all of his soul into the sudden kick at the hideous creature in front of him.

The last hope. He closed his eyes and prayed to the gods that might be watching. The answer came immediately after.

Hi Honoo. There were a few issues with your profile. Please check your PM Inbox.
Once you PM me back stating that the issues have been corrected, I will edit this post with my grade. Please DO NOT respond to this post.

Display Name: Ukaleq Ulloriaq

Age: 21

Gender: Female

A slender hand pressed against her rounded cheek, her raspberry lips pressed tightly as the young woman bit into her cheek. Like a buffalo-deer cornered during the annual roundups, Ukaleq’s eyes were wide with fear, their ocean-like surface shimmering with the threat of tears. She walked quickly through the hall of ice and snow that was the artery of her family’s home and the usual warm, loving atmosphere had become a tense chill that permeated the thickest of clothes. They had all seen the falling ash and the distant clouds that reminded her of a Nor’easters’ approach but, the Chief Arnook had announced that this was not a storm for which they were prepared for.

The Fire Nation was coming.

For the first time in 85 years, the idyllic peace of the North Water Tribe’s frigid utopia was to be upset by the encroaching war that they had foolishly thought themselves safe from. Yet, the Avatar was with them , Ukaleq would think as she ran a bare fingertip under her eye, wiping away the tear, reflecting on events only hours ago. Why am I so afraid? He will protect us, right? The order for warriors to assemble had been given, and already her father and brother had left for the front lines. Quanah, her brother, was a fine warrior in the tribe. Though they had never been as close as she would have like, the eldest sister had paused at his door for a moment before he had left. Watching with bated breath, she bit her lip as her brother applied the bubbler-based makeup of the warrior to his face with careful practice. He bore the blood mark of the Chief on his forehead. She could feel her heart breaking, a throbbing pain within her chest that seemed to come from the soul and she could only bear to watch for a moment before she had to leave with grief. Later, with her Mother and Sister at her sides, Ukaleq had bid them good bye from the front entrance of their lavish home. Her father and brother were both heading to the front lines of the city’s defense. Her Father, an old warrior, would be advising the Chief and his warriors during this time. Her brother was among them. She could not bring herself to meet any of their eyes, keeping her head down during the entire time. There was a chance that neither of them would survive.

“Naira!” Calling out, Ukaleq stopped short of the oval-opening carved in to the wall of snow and ice, a thick pelt of fur hanging in front of it from antlers. Beyond that door, the Fire Nation grew ever closer. Already women and children were evacuating their homes, going deeper into the city and underground into the ice caverns. The noblewoman turned around, her egg-shell white skirts skidding along the textured ice blocks of the floor, her boots barely visible. She leaned forward as she turned, her gloved hands grasping the sides of her skirts and sweeping them back as she kneeled. With her chin nuzzled into the speckled fur of her parka’s hood, She lifted her arms and extended them outward towards the little girl down the hall. “Come now, Naira. We can’t be afraid.” Her voice choked, for she was lying to her dear little sister. She rolled her shoulders, bringing her right hand close to her body while her left fingers pulled off the thin glove. Now bare, Ukaleq’s right hand beckoned to Naira as the young woman’s face relaxed into a more pleasant visage. Her eyebrows lifted as feign happiness overcame her weeping eyes, and she spread her lips into a small smile. “They won’t hurt us.” The eldest nodded confidently, though it was merely a show for the young girl as she beckoned her once more with her bare hand. Ukaleq herself didn’t even know for sure if they would come back, but it seemed convincing enough for Naira who would come walking over to her. The two sister clasped hands, tightly holding on each other as they turned to face their home’s exit. Swallowing hard, her fingers tightened around the smaller hand, and her free arm extended, glove still clutched in this hand, to lift aside the heavy pelt that kept the wind and the cold out of their home. Overhead, as both girls looked up, the sky grew grey.

Inhaling deeply, the smell of smoke was faint on the cold wind, coming ashore with the smells of sea salt and the ocean. Around them, voices could be heard shouting as mothers made sure all their children were with them. Some children were wailing, some were shouting for their fathers and brothers. Tearful goodbyes as families separated, the mothers carrying what possessions they could. Ukaleq blinked back tears, remembering how shocked she was that her own Mother would be out among the warriors. It did not occur to her that the healers would be needed as close to the front lines as they dared to get. Of course, warriors would be hurt and Mother needs to be there for her students and for the warriors. She thought bitterly, cursing for a moment, the gift of water bending that her Mother had. The woman turned halfway to her sister, pausing for a moment to lift the child’s hood over her dark hair. There! Not the smell of coal smoke, but a rich, invigorating and savory smell of seal-meat being roasted over the fire radiated from Naira’s hair still. Comforted, Ukaleq would offer her sister a smile, pulling her large hood over her own hair as she turned back forward. She was careful to not disturb the fuax floral accents that rested around her ears, their wide petals more like the translucent fins of fish than the petals she had seen. The noblewoman puffed her chest out, summoning all her courage as she joined the throngs of other women, children and the elderly as they marched towards the Temple Palace and the caverns under the city.