(Chara) Fit of Wanderlust

[Amadi Dumisani]

The forest was nice this early in the morning. The foreboding fog of the predawn hours had given way to more amiable mists that were wont to turn to dew on anything it touched, turning the normally dull forest into a crystalline statue as the sunrise lit it up. The lazy sounds of birds chirping awake was only beginning, accompanying the Somali boy as he made his way over the dirt and mud through the trees.

Amadi Dumisani wasn't what anyone would call a people person, unless they were begrudgingly admitting that he was, indeed, a person like most people. He preferred to spend his time away from the campers, the counselors, the nymphs and satyrs. He knew it was childish of him, he knew he should be making an effort to integrate himself. He just also didn't care enough to actually make said effort. The children here were just that- children. Naive little children who played at being heroes and saviors. Most of them, he knew, had never killed before. Never saw a comrade fall. And still they acted as though the world should be grateful that their sorry asses existed.

The forest was better. There was no bragging, no annoying voices or shrill laughter. Just him and the trees and whatever monsters were prowling around. But that was fine. His gun had been taken from him when he was shipped off to this god forsaken place but he had found a sword in the armory that would do for now, and he had grown up being nearly as comfortable with his fists and a blade as he was with a trigger to pull.

Finally he took a seat on a mossy rock, leaning his back against the tree.

[Chara Nicolaides]

Oh, did Chara love to get up early. She always had to. Since ancient times, it was always easier to start the day early. Even if it was before the sun had moved over the horizon. It was the atmosphere one could find themselves in at that time of day that she found so attractive and enticing. A mere walk in the woods was always pleasant to do. Especially when it was most likely that the demigods inhabiting the camp would not yet be awake. And it was why Chara liked to be out at this time so much. It was almost nostalgic. On her own in such foliage. Almost like the earlier years in her life when she had to hunt to keep herself alive. Or later on, when she would have to accompany noblemen for a predawn walk in the woods. It was a wonder how they were never mugged on these walks, but even still... it didn't mean that Chara was completely free from trouble during that time. It was, of course, in these quiet hours alone that one man had tried to take advantage of her. Chara had soon taken his life and made it appear as though he had been mugged and killed, hiding his belongings and soon running back to his estate crying for help. Everyone believed her, too. It was wonderful.

Chara took each step through the forest, not looking where she was going. Her walk was aimless, but it was still pleasant. Especially when she walked whilst admiring her dagger. That dagger that had been with her since the time of the ancients, and had been the weapon to have saved her life gods know how many times. It was the very weapon that murdered the men who tried to rape or mug her. It was perfection in the form of a weapon. It was also made up of a celestial bronze, so that should a monster have ever tried to attack her, then she would always be able to sufficiently defend herself.

Suddenly, Chara stopped walking. She looked up from the blade she held and slowly slid it back into her pocket, holding a fine smirk upon her lips. She could see a young boy. Sitting upon a mossy rock with his back against a tree. A demigod awake at such a time. Slowly, Chara cautiously walked into his view, still smirking. "And here I thought I everyone would be asleep and the woods would be..." her tone gradually became quieter, into some sort of whisper. "so very quiet." She shrugged and sat herself down on the floor, not so far from the boy. "I may as well introduce myself to you." Pausing, she thought through what to say. She didn't need to lie about her name. He might already know who she is. Speaking now, her tone was flat. "And you know, I don't care if you can't be bothered with any of this. I'm Chara Nicolaides." Yet again, the girl paused. He didn't need to know that she was actually a huntress. Or that she had been claimed for over 2000 years, as the daughter of Apollo. And so, she fed him the lie that every camper seemed to believe. "Unclaimed."

notes: ugh. there. xD I hope that's okay. idk why she's so sociable this time in the morning. And this is before she's ever going to let everyone know about her being a huntress. Just so you know.

[Amadi Dumisani]

Watching the sky beyond the trees, Amadi observed the waking sky slowly shedding its purples for pinks and pinks for oranges. Soon, he knew, it would all turn to light blues. If he was back home, right about now the men on the last watch would be heading to the sleeping area while the rest of them began to rise for breakfast. Cashile would be asking if they made the porridge with dirt and urine and Isoba would probably ease the boy's suffering by giving Cashile's breakfast to one of the other soldiers. Kaleef would laugh and give Cashile half of his and Amadi would, in turn, share some of his own with Kaleef. They'd joke and talk and later that day they'd be outside hoping they managed to avoid lead poisoning.

Amadi shook his head sharply with a scowl. Stupid. That was a stupid thought. Right now it was nearing the end of the day back home and Jamal had died before he left. There was no use in fantasizing about what the situation could be. He could only focus on what the situation was now and try to come up with more than just "shitty". He wanted to go home, yes, but he wasn't a child. He wouldn't spend his days moping and crying and whining. Besides, Isoba didn't want him back.

The sound of approach brought him back to his surroundings. Breathing even, not allowing his heart rate to rise too much, Amadi's hand drifted towards the hilt of the sword. Whatever it was might not be hostile, but they did say that monsters roamed these woods and he wasn't about to be killed by some stupid magical deer.

He didn't relax immediately when it turned out to be a girl, not a deer. He didn't have much esteem for most campers here, but just because most seem green and untested didn't mean there weren't some true warriors mixed in among the children playing hero. If she attacked, he would be ready.

And here I thought I everyone would be asleep and the woods would be..." her tone gradually became quieter, into some sort of whisper. "so very quiet."

His hand dropped casually away from the hilt, but his scowl deepened in response. He couldn't quite put his finger on exactly how but he felt like he was being mocked. The woods were quiet, after all. He wasn't talking. The only one breaking the silence was her. He watched her with wary eyes as she sat down and introduced herself.

"Do you want medal or just congratulatings? I am Amadi Dumisani." He replied. "Son of Ares. I already having medal for it. No needing to offer."




notes: YAY! MEETING <3 and it's great! Sorry if Amadi seems more emo than usual I'm trying to get his muse back to fresh from war ^^;; and no worries <3

[Chara Nicolaides]

Chara just rolled her eyes at his response. From what she could tell, this boy couldn't speak very good English. And even still, he seemed to her... like he was a little proud. Although, not in the most obvious way... yet. More so, that slight arrogance that seemed to show. Smirking again, Chara said, "I don't care for such things." Her brows knitted together, "you have a medal for it?" Sighing, her tone then became quite dry. "Impressive."

And then she paused. "Son of Ares, eh?" This was perfect. It meant, to her, that the boy shouldn't be weak. His father was one of the gods the Spartans adored and worshiped greatly for his strength and superiority... especially in the field of war - his offspring would hence also have to hold some strength. And Chara could take advantage of this, she hadn't sparred or anything for such a long time.

She sprung to her feet and pulled her knife from her pocket, appearing as though she was examining it carefully as she spoke. "Now, tell me, Amadi." Her gaze fixed upon the boy, trying to make eye contact. She made sure her expression was empty, showing nothing she didn't mean for it to show. Meaning that there was nothing soft in her eyes, or her expression. The girl had nothing to hold dear, anyway. So what was the point in even thinking about potential weaknesses or the chance of losing? Now... to get to the point. "Are you a boy who plays hero, or a real warrior?" Looking back at the dagger, she felt that smirk rise upon her lips once again. "Because, you know. I think I would love to find out." Suddenly, Chara's gaze snapped back to the boy and her eyebrows raised. "Are you willing to spar, Amadi Dumisani? Because if you are... I give you this one warning. Do not underestimate me or my strength. I hope that you aren't one of those sexist little children that immediately assumes a woman's strength is nothing compared to that of a mans. Although, if you are..." Pausing, she started to grin. "I think I can prove you wrong."

notes: you okay with a spar? xD 'cause Chara's in the mood for it. >_> And that's fine about Amadi's mood... Chara's in a weird mood, too. It's worrying, 'cause for me... everything she's saying is in some weird teasing/seductive tone. And I don't know why. D: It's like she's trying to be evil or something. Idek. And bleh, this is quite short. I'm sorry. D':

[Amadi Dumisani]

Amadi shrugged, uncertain what to do with this girl. She seemed unimpressed with his sarcasm, fine by him. He wasn't exactly concerned with her entertainment. He shrugged and replied in an equally dry tone. "I am very impressive person." Maybe overt bragging from a stranger would drive her away like it drove him away from others. He studied her closer, wondering for a brief moment who her godly parent was before dismissing the thought. It didn't matter. Whoever it was had about as much impact on his life as his so-called father did.

No, son of Aries, can't you see my hooves? He almost said, but bit that one back. It wasn't his best and he didn't like the sneers he got when an insult fell flat. It was best most of the time to keep his mouth shut. At least for now. The more people he met, though, the more he found it harder to contain his absolute joy at being at this godforsaken camp.

And then things got interesting. He met her gaze as she spoke, eyes locking and refusing to move away. Well... this was turning out to be a more interesting encounter than he had expected. Maybe it would even turn into an interesting battle. Whatever else could be said about the girl, she at least held herself like a warrior. Not the false confidence of someone who's won one or two fights, but someone who had been fighting for a long time. He grinned and stood up, dropping his sword to the ground. It didn't seem fair for him to have a sword when she didn't.

"My mother was best fighter I know. I caring nothing for gender, either way you will be, as is saying, going down." He relaxed into a defensive position, "So show me, Chara child of no one, what this camp of children can doing."

Notes: FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT! ='D the beginning of a beautiful friendship <3 sorry it's so short

[Chara Nicolaides]

Chara just stared at him for a bit. Examining the boy carefully. She didn't worry about a simple spar with him. The fact that he was a son of Ares only encouraged her urge to fight. It was her inner Spartan acting up again - she just knew it. She'd fought worse. She'd killed strong men three times her size and physical strength, and it was thanks for her Spartan training and general skills in the field of battle and sparring, and even murder.

Chara's gaze flickered the weapon he'd dropped to the floor, and then back up at him.

"How good to know." She commented, particularly on the fact that his mother was the best fighter he knew. Perhaps that meant his skills in fighting were not so bad. We'll see, though, Chara thought. And then she grinned. "Child of no one." That makes me sound so weak. She paused. If only he knew. "I hope you're as good as her, then. Because she does sound impressive." Now that was genuine. More so than her earlier comment of his impressiveness...

Nodding at his blade on the floor, she asked, "are you really going to try fight me without a weapon?" Holding up her dagger to make it more obvious to him, she sighed, "I can hold my own. Please, don't hold back because of this rubbish about it being a "fair" fight." She bit her lip and smirked, "unless you think you can take it? In that case..." Chara put her dagger back into her pocket and slowly stepped closer to the boy. Chara settled into a defensive position, keeping her gaze fixed on Amadi in case of any sudden movements. "I may as well make it fairer for you." Grinning slightly, Chara knew she was being a little arrogant here. But what should that matter?

It took Chara a few moments to think where to start. When she was finally close to the boy, she paused before feinting a jab at his face - stopping it when it reached within an inches distance from his nose - and then suddenly throwing a heavy punch at his stomach, hoping it had been quick enough for him to believe the distraction. At once, Chara took a few steps back as though she was gaining her distance from the boy should any counter attacks be thrown towards her.

Now, all she had to see was what he was going to return. Let's see how this boy can fight.

notes: oh dear. That's a pile of suck. I'm so sorry. D: I just... idek. and it's quite short again. D; ugh.

[Amadi Dumisani]

Amadi watched the other camper carefully, unwilling to make the first move. Though his temper was quick and fierce and his fists would oft fly the same, when it was a sparring match or clearly a battle Amadi never liked to be the one to make the first move. He was too small, too slight. One day he may grow to be as big if not bigger than his towering older brother, but until then he would try not to fight like Isoba. His family had taught him to fight smart, not to rush in with fists flailing uselessly. That would leave him too vulnerable. Once the adrenaline started pumping it mattered less, he tended to fight like a man twice his size, but at least at the beginning he could serve himself better by observing his opponent before giving into the battlelust.

She spoke, finally, but he only sneered at her. No, he was nowhere near as good as his mother. Not even Isoba was. One day he would find his mother and maybe then he'd bring her here, show these mewling children just what a true warrior was like. But he wouldn't admit to any weakness or inferiority in front of this stranger, he wasn't even sure why he brought his mother up. She wasn't any of this Chara's business.

"My sword be skewering you before you even closing enough to feel heat of my skin. All you are having is dagger. Is preference to be fair fight rather than slaughter" He watched her drop the dagger. Good, at least he wouldn't have to worry about her getting any lucky shots in with that and adding to the collection of lines that decorated his body.

The girl threw a punch at his face and he barely had time to realize it was a feint before the second fist flew at his stomach. He turned to the side, feeling her fist glaze across his ribs as he sent a side kick at the tender spot just below the armpit that missed as she stepped back. He used the momentum to step forward and send another kick at her, this time a spinning kick towards her head. Well, it looked like this would be an interesting fight after all.


notes: dont even sweat mine's short too. Sparring posts tend to be short <3 <3

[Chara Nicolaides]

Chara couldn't help a laugh. "I told you not to underestimate me, Amadi. I can sufficiently defend and attack any weapon with nothing but a dagger." She took the chance to glance at her dagger with a slight smirk. "It's a good dagger." Then she shrugged. "Even still, it wouldn't necessarily be me being slaughtered if we fought sword on dagger." And she said no more about that. Even if she did think it. As previously thought, her dagger had taken her through the greatest times. It had been able to defend sufficiently against a sword. Against any weapon, for that matter. Just as she had told him. Chara's size and agility often helped with that. It was difficult to catch and injure a nimble woman.

Chara was somewhat glad for her quick movement earlier. Having moved back after her punch, just as Amadi had attempted to kick her in a tender spot. Perhaps one that would have caused her great pain. But that couldn't happen. Chara was fast. She'd had over 2000 years training. So she was strong, too. Amadi tried for another kick, this one aimed towards her head. As he did that, she ducked her head, just about missing the kick and acted quickly as his leg was still in the air. She moved her foot suddenly, trying to sweep at his foot that was still in contact with the ground. Such a movement should trip him over, make him fall. At which point she could continue on the path to winning this spar. But it would depend on how quickly Amadi would react. Chara just hoped he wasn't that quick. Nevertheless, less than a few seconds after her footsweep attempt, Chara aimed to heavily punch Amadi's stomach again and stepped back and to the side just as she did so. Moving out of the way in case he would try what he had earlier. Grinning widely, she commented, "having fun?" Of course she was. She hadn't had a fight as good as this in a long time. Amadi was a good opponent. Normally they would be begging for the fight to stop, or just for mercy, after the first punch. But no. Amadi could hold it up. And honestly? Chara liked that. No matter how obnoxious or arrogant this child might appear to her. It didn't bother her in the slightest.

notes: Chara's arrogant too. ._. And okay. ;D <33 That's relieving. xDD

[/size]

[Amadi Dumisani]

Ama laughed, "Cocky bitch, are you not?" he asked. But his smile was genuine. If this girl was half as good as she claimed she was, maybe he'd finally be facing an opponent worthy of his time. Hell, maybe she'd even make him break a sweat. He hoped so, hell, he hoped she was able to hurt him. Isoba had stuck him at this camp because he thought Amadi was too weak to fight. That meant Amadi needed to get stronger if he was ever going to go back home. But he couldn't get stronger if he was already the best fighter here. He needed a sparring partner to challenge him, maybe even beat him.Then when he went back home, Isoba would see he was a true soldier, not a weak little boy.

He felt a grin tugging at his lips. Not the arrogant, aggressive sneer that usually twisted his mouth, but a genuine grin. This was going to be a good fight. She was quicker than he expected, not one of his blows had landed yet.

He felt his foot fly out from underneath him and twisted his body quickly, sending the displaced leg into the air at her stomach as the punch meant for his stomach landed on his ribs instead, his other leg barely catching the ground in time to crouch low and keep him on his feet. Ow he thought in surprise. She had actually managed to hurt him.

"Yes. Good punch." His grin was still there despite the throbbing pain. "You?" he asked right as he sent a heavy punch for her face. It was clear that she was well-trained. Amadi's best bet was to try and end the fight quicker then she did.







notes: I'm too afraid to word count it and see my shame >.>

[Chara Nicolaides]

"Of course," Chara laughed. Perhaps for her, that was one of the first times that she had genuinely laughed from joy of some kind. She liked this boy. And that was safe to say. Of course, she wouldn't admit it openly. She never did. And she never could. Although, perhaps it would be different this time. Perhaps this boy was a worthy opponent. If he was as strong as some of her older opponents, like those in Ancient Greece, then she would be happy. She knew it would be strangely nostalgic, even if the boy was only half the age and size of her "friends" and family back in Sparta.

Chara's smile soon vanished when she was lightly hit by a kick Amadi sent at her stomach. She'd managed to move enough so that it wasn't too bad a throw, but it still managed to hit her. Even if only lightly. She grinned then when her punch hit his stomach. This boy seemed agile, however. And that's exactly what made fighting him so damn fun.

So he enjoyed it. How fantastic. As Amadi returned the question, he sent a punch for her face. Flattening her palm, Chara quickly hooked her hand around and tried to push his wrist with a similar amount of force as him, attempting to guide the punch away from her face. Whilst she did so, she stepped to the side and lifted her leg, trying to sweep again - this time from behind his knees. After attempting to sweep him to the ground again, her other fist aimed for a heavy punch at his stomach. It was quick enough so that if her sweep had worked, this blow should encourage him to fall. At that point, Chara quickly stepped back so that she was at a safe distance between Amadi and herself, in case he should try any counter-attacks. "This is so much fun," she grinned. "I haven't had a good fight in ages." Nodding slowly, but keeping an eye on him, she added, "you're a good opponent, Amadi. One of the best, I think."

notes: yep. I feel the same. >_>I let him be able to hit her, 'cause I was feeling nice. :'D <333 Even if it's only light contact. xD

[Amadi Dumisani]

Amadi wasn't quite sure how it had happened. One moment he was standing firm, the next moment he was down on his ass in the dirt, wind knocked out of him and gasping for breath. He stared up at the older girl...how had she done that? Don't get cocky. You're not as good as you think, Amadi his brother's voice danced in his head.

He glared up at her, waiting for her to gloat and scoff. But then instead she complimented him. It took off some of the edge of defeat, anyways. He stood up and dusted the dirt off of himself. "Surprising. Thinking most people here, just children playing at battle. You. You are different."