Post by The Smith on Mar 7, 2010 13:44:11 GMT -5
Kyle Payne, thirteen years old, darted through the gardens of Payne Manse in Lannisport, the family Maester’s staff clutched in his left fist. He was a massive child, approximately 5’6’’ and 150 pounds, with thick brown hair that he often had pulled back in order to keep it out of his face and reveal his dark brown eyes, which sparkled with a devious intensity. He ran through the trees, flitting past the bushes, hearing the shouts as the lame Maester and the family guards chased after him in an attempt to get the staff back. It was of no real value, but Kyle was a mischievous child, and when combined with his unusual size, he proved to be quite the troublemaker, stealing things that did not belong to him, and playing harmful pranks on the various members of the household.
Kyle turned a bend, only to find one of the family guards, clad in thick plate armor with the sound of chainmail easily heard underneath, sprung out in front of the heir to the Payne family. Kyle grinned, planting the six-foot-long staff into the ground and springing himself through the air to plant a double-footed kick in the surprised guard’s face, sending him tumbling to the ground. Kyle landed and brought the Maester’s staff back to his side, and kept running, only to be stopped as a number of guards caught up with him, utilizing the brief delay of Kyle beating their comrade in order to close the gap of distance.
Kyle, however, was ready, twirling the staff above his head and bringing it to bear as his spear instructor had taught him. The guards would fight him unarmed, only because they were under orders not to harm him, but Kyle did not have to adhere to the rules. His eyes quickly scanned the guards’ ranks, and he counted ten polished helmets among the trees and bushes. He sprinted forward, jabbing the more tapered end of the hardwood staff into the central guard’s stomach, causing him to drop to his knees in pain. Kyle then kicked him in the face to knock him down and out for the remainder of the fight.
The rest of the guards charged forward, but they may as well have been moving in slow motion, Kyle moved with such speed. He drove a thrusting kick at one of the guards, catching him in the hip, knocking him off balance, and brought the staff about to crack the guard in the side of his helmet. While Kyle was distracted, a guard came up behind the large youth and locked his arms to his sides in a mighty bear hug. Kyle struggled briefly, kicking an oncoming guard in the crotch to bring him down, then threw all of his weight back, sending both him and the guard behind him tumbling back. The guard let go, and Kyle rolled off the prone figure’s chest, elbowing him in the chin to make sure he stayed down.
Three more guards came at him, and Kyle brought his staff to bear once more, thrusting at the leading guard’s throat. The guard quickly pressed his chin to his chest, protecting his neck from the makeshift spear, only to catch the weapon square in the nose, causing the bone to shatter. He fell to the ground screaming, and Kyle spun the staff around his body, knocking away one guard’s grabbing hands, and striking the other across the side of his helm, sending him tumbling to one side.
Kyle thrust the staff forward with one hand, expecting it to be deflected to one side. True to prediction, the guard batted the staff to one side, and watched as the heir to the Payne family dashed forward and smashed the guard’s mouth in with a vicious punch.
As he toppled away, Kyle sprinted away, the Maester’s staff clutched in his left hand, with the guards still standing pursuing him immediately, and their still-conscious comrades rising to their feet to continue the chase with them.
* * *
Not far away, his father, Regnus Payne, stood on a balcony watching the whole scene. “That blasted child is going to be the death of me. He is always playing pranks, acting the fool, and I feel that he is going to remove all semblance of honor that this family has left.” He gave a frown to further display his disdain. He was a man in his late forties, with brown hair that was as thick as his son’s, shot with streaks of gray. The hair hung down around his shoulders, sometimes swaying in front of his face to define the few wrinkles that he had, making him appear older and wiser than he already was. Regnus did not know why his son was so wild all the time, but felt that if he did not force some discipline into the young man, that he would bring shame to his family’s name.
A voice resounded from the shadows behind Regnus, “Perhaps I could teach him some manners? Some way to keep him in line and ensure prosperity for the future of House Payne?” The voice was thick with a Northern accent, and resounded with basal tones, revealing that the man hidden in the shadows was quite large.
Regnus smiled. The visitor from the North would prove to be a boon to his family after all. “Aye,” he responded, “But catch the little rascal first.”
“Your wish is my command, Lord Regnus.” There was a heavy thumping as the mysterious man left the room.
* * *
Down in the gardens, the chase continued. Kyle still sprinted about, his unarmored form quickly outdistancing and outlasting the heavily armored guards. He leaped over a brook that ran through the gardens, and made a sharp turn, running back towards the manse. He was almost at the stables that sat off to the side of his family’s home, when what appeared to be a bear appeared in front of him, the sun behind him creating a massive silhouette.
The bear-man stood not five feet from Kyle, and still the confident youth charged. He swung the Maester’s staff in a strike designed to take out the obstruction’s knees. Much to Kyle’s surprise, the large man jumped right over his strike, letting the six-foot-long staff hit nothing but air as he slammed back into the ground, causing the very earth to quake beneath Kyle’s feet. Kyle steeled his gaze and grip on the weapon, thrusting the staff towards the giant’s throat. The massive man moved his head to the side, letting the sun strike his features, revealing that he had stringy black hair that hung about his face in a bowl cut, his eyes as black as midnight, and his skin slightly tanned from exposure to the North’s long summers.
Kyle’s opponent grabbed the staff, and lifted, threatening to take Kyle’s feet off the ground if he did not let go. Not wanting to be a sitting duck for this clearly stronger opponent, he let go, dropping to the ground and darting to the side, the larger man bringing the released staff to bear as if it was a spear.
Kyle dashed in, hoping to remove the distance advantage that the staff brought his opponent… only to have the massive man’s knee drive into his chest like a warhammer. Kyle fell to the ground, gasping for air, only to have the staff strike him in the side of his head, knocking him unconscious.
Regnus ran to his fallen son, having watched the encounter from afar, “You bastard! Did you have to cause such harm to my son? Couldn’t you have disarmed him and apprehended him instead?”
“No, Lord Regnus,” the tall figure replied, “If I had not done what I had, it would have been a sign of weakness, and your son would have rebelled against me in every endeavor that I made in order to teach him from here on out. What I did was necessary.”
“Hm.” Regnus snorted, “Well, I pray to the Seven that you know what you are doing, Eddard Poole. Otherwise, my efforts in bringing you down here would have been for naught.”
“I pray that I do as well.” The tall man –Eddard- replied, his sight unwavering from the unconscious heir.
Unarmed to expert
Spear to Expert+
Kyle turned a bend, only to find one of the family guards, clad in thick plate armor with the sound of chainmail easily heard underneath, sprung out in front of the heir to the Payne family. Kyle grinned, planting the six-foot-long staff into the ground and springing himself through the air to plant a double-footed kick in the surprised guard’s face, sending him tumbling to the ground. Kyle landed and brought the Maester’s staff back to his side, and kept running, only to be stopped as a number of guards caught up with him, utilizing the brief delay of Kyle beating their comrade in order to close the gap of distance.
Kyle, however, was ready, twirling the staff above his head and bringing it to bear as his spear instructor had taught him. The guards would fight him unarmed, only because they were under orders not to harm him, but Kyle did not have to adhere to the rules. His eyes quickly scanned the guards’ ranks, and he counted ten polished helmets among the trees and bushes. He sprinted forward, jabbing the more tapered end of the hardwood staff into the central guard’s stomach, causing him to drop to his knees in pain. Kyle then kicked him in the face to knock him down and out for the remainder of the fight.
The rest of the guards charged forward, but they may as well have been moving in slow motion, Kyle moved with such speed. He drove a thrusting kick at one of the guards, catching him in the hip, knocking him off balance, and brought the staff about to crack the guard in the side of his helmet. While Kyle was distracted, a guard came up behind the large youth and locked his arms to his sides in a mighty bear hug. Kyle struggled briefly, kicking an oncoming guard in the crotch to bring him down, then threw all of his weight back, sending both him and the guard behind him tumbling back. The guard let go, and Kyle rolled off the prone figure’s chest, elbowing him in the chin to make sure he stayed down.
Three more guards came at him, and Kyle brought his staff to bear once more, thrusting at the leading guard’s throat. The guard quickly pressed his chin to his chest, protecting his neck from the makeshift spear, only to catch the weapon square in the nose, causing the bone to shatter. He fell to the ground screaming, and Kyle spun the staff around his body, knocking away one guard’s grabbing hands, and striking the other across the side of his helm, sending him tumbling to one side.
Kyle thrust the staff forward with one hand, expecting it to be deflected to one side. True to prediction, the guard batted the staff to one side, and watched as the heir to the Payne family dashed forward and smashed the guard’s mouth in with a vicious punch.
As he toppled away, Kyle sprinted away, the Maester’s staff clutched in his left hand, with the guards still standing pursuing him immediately, and their still-conscious comrades rising to their feet to continue the chase with them.
* * *
Not far away, his father, Regnus Payne, stood on a balcony watching the whole scene. “That blasted child is going to be the death of me. He is always playing pranks, acting the fool, and I feel that he is going to remove all semblance of honor that this family has left.” He gave a frown to further display his disdain. He was a man in his late forties, with brown hair that was as thick as his son’s, shot with streaks of gray. The hair hung down around his shoulders, sometimes swaying in front of his face to define the few wrinkles that he had, making him appear older and wiser than he already was. Regnus did not know why his son was so wild all the time, but felt that if he did not force some discipline into the young man, that he would bring shame to his family’s name.
A voice resounded from the shadows behind Regnus, “Perhaps I could teach him some manners? Some way to keep him in line and ensure prosperity for the future of House Payne?” The voice was thick with a Northern accent, and resounded with basal tones, revealing that the man hidden in the shadows was quite large.
Regnus smiled. The visitor from the North would prove to be a boon to his family after all. “Aye,” he responded, “But catch the little rascal first.”
“Your wish is my command, Lord Regnus.” There was a heavy thumping as the mysterious man left the room.
* * *
Down in the gardens, the chase continued. Kyle still sprinted about, his unarmored form quickly outdistancing and outlasting the heavily armored guards. He leaped over a brook that ran through the gardens, and made a sharp turn, running back towards the manse. He was almost at the stables that sat off to the side of his family’s home, when what appeared to be a bear appeared in front of him, the sun behind him creating a massive silhouette.
The bear-man stood not five feet from Kyle, and still the confident youth charged. He swung the Maester’s staff in a strike designed to take out the obstruction’s knees. Much to Kyle’s surprise, the large man jumped right over his strike, letting the six-foot-long staff hit nothing but air as he slammed back into the ground, causing the very earth to quake beneath Kyle’s feet. Kyle steeled his gaze and grip on the weapon, thrusting the staff towards the giant’s throat. The massive man moved his head to the side, letting the sun strike his features, revealing that he had stringy black hair that hung about his face in a bowl cut, his eyes as black as midnight, and his skin slightly tanned from exposure to the North’s long summers.
Kyle’s opponent grabbed the staff, and lifted, threatening to take Kyle’s feet off the ground if he did not let go. Not wanting to be a sitting duck for this clearly stronger opponent, he let go, dropping to the ground and darting to the side, the larger man bringing the released staff to bear as if it was a spear.
Kyle dashed in, hoping to remove the distance advantage that the staff brought his opponent… only to have the massive man’s knee drive into his chest like a warhammer. Kyle fell to the ground, gasping for air, only to have the staff strike him in the side of his head, knocking him unconscious.
Regnus ran to his fallen son, having watched the encounter from afar, “You bastard! Did you have to cause such harm to my son? Couldn’t you have disarmed him and apprehended him instead?”
“No, Lord Regnus,” the tall figure replied, “If I had not done what I had, it would have been a sign of weakness, and your son would have rebelled against me in every endeavor that I made in order to teach him from here on out. What I did was necessary.”
“Hm.” Regnus snorted, “Well, I pray to the Seven that you know what you are doing, Eddard Poole. Otherwise, my efforts in bringing you down here would have been for naught.”
“I pray that I do as well.” The tall man –Eddard- replied, his sight unwavering from the unconscious heir.
Unarmed to expert
Spear to Expert+
Hope you all are well and happy.