Post by Quincy on Jun 28, 2014 1:26:30 GMT -5
Izou could see his companion—Sinon, he had said when introducing himself—begin to scale the immense cliff face and point to a small area farther up. The swordsman had to squint to make out the shady details of what could be a protruding pipe. Thanks to the approaching storm and already low visibility that came with the changing of day to night, the hole was far more hidden than it already naturally was. He could see why such a small entry way could be overlooked so easily; you wouldn’t happen upon it unless you knew where to look. Plus, it wasn’t like many people were willing to crawl through miles of sewage just for a slim chance to enter a city. By all means, a frontal assault, while more laden with casualties, would be more effective than a simple covert operation, yet under the present conditions of darkness and rain, the five member team would be virtually undetectable, especially with the fighting ceasing thanks to the rain. Neither side could do a thing with wet gunpowder. Many of the Marines stationed behind the walls would be exhausted and take to their barracks for a brief reprieve from battle, leaving no one out to impede Jazz and her companions with their work.
Speaking of the excitable young one, Izou could hear her issue a challenge to the rest of the company. A playful smirk found its way upon the ronin’s features. He turned back to the boat that had ferried Sinon and himself here, grabbing the spare rope the swordsman was thankful his companion had thought to pack. However, the swordsman had no intention of using said rope for climbing, partially due to his inability to tie knots. From prodigal swordsman to bodyguard of a noble lady, his former life left little room for learning how to tie ropes. Especially since Goro had been the one to do such things, while Izou was extremely far more interested in speaking to Yoshimi. However, he didn’t regret his decisions one bit, as he and Yoshimi’s growing affections for each other had gifted the boy many opportunities to climb, chief of which was into the girl’s high windows so they could gaze into the night sky above and at each other back down on Dance Island. He would later go on finding more times he needed to climb than tie knots as a wanderer. Any small canyons that he had somehow wandered into by mistake or by fate were solved and scaled by his durable, yet agile hands and lighter frame.
Securing the extra rope across his chest and around his shoulders, Izou began to climb the steep cliff face before him. Despite his skill in climbing, the cliff was proving to be quite challenging due to the scarcity of hand holds available to him. The rocks were either impossibly flat with the slightest of slants or simply jutting out of the cliff like random thorns on a rose stem. After about climbing five feet of so, the swordsman dropped back to the ground below. This way would get him nowhere fast. He had to think of a plan, which meant only one thing. Taking a seat on the ground, Izou pulled forth one of his most prized possessions, a gourd filled with sake, and took a long drink from the bottle. He had always admired Goro’s own gourd bottle, and after years of pestering the jolly man, he had made the young lad a bottle of his very own. Of course at the time, it wasn’t filled with sake, though if it ever was, Goro had stated he maintained the right to take back his gift should he ever find Izou “doing something he shouldn’t.” Deep down, he knew the old man had meant more than just sneaking a sip of rice wine in a gourd...
The swordsman continued his long swig as a plan was formulating quickly in his mind. It was certainly reckless, yet that had never deterred Izou before. Finishing his drink off, he stood and bolted forward with complete determination and confidence. Just as it would seem the swordsman would plant face first into the tough rock wall before him, he leapt up towards one of the large portions of rock that protruded outward. While his footing was lackluster thanks to the sudden jump, he simply bounded off with as much force as he could from the surface, rolling with the momentum from each leap and bound he made. It seemed his unconventional plan was beginning to work, until he was met with a sudden roar of wind and the initial drops of rain that eluded to a heavy storm approaching. While he was still flying forward, the wind had decided to work against the ‘Wind Walker’. It did not lessen his jump in the slightest but it succeeded in pushing him off course, just enough to have the swordsman grasping at the side of the cliff to keep from plummeting down.
As Izou hung there, clinging to the rock face with all the strength his fingers could muster, a horrendous smell greeted his nose, ensuing a gag from the swordsman. He looked around for the source of such a dreadful stench, only to find a nearby gap in the rock. This gap, however, was just what the swordsman was hoping for; he had found the sewage pipe. His goal nearly in his grasp, he mustered all the strength his digits could offer until he had pulled himself up and into the safety of a nearby shelf in the cliff. With the risk of falling finally averted, Izou braced himself against the side of the ledge and lowered the length of his rope down to his companions. The storm was beginning to unleash its full fury, just as this band of determined Revolutionaries would upon the Floating Cloud Kingdom.
Note: Sorry if this feels a little rushed, but I am just trying to get us into the city and with Squash as soon as possible. Then, once we meet up with her, we can take our time.
Speaking of the excitable young one, Izou could hear her issue a challenge to the rest of the company. A playful smirk found its way upon the ronin’s features. He turned back to the boat that had ferried Sinon and himself here, grabbing the spare rope the swordsman was thankful his companion had thought to pack. However, the swordsman had no intention of using said rope for climbing, partially due to his inability to tie knots. From prodigal swordsman to bodyguard of a noble lady, his former life left little room for learning how to tie ropes. Especially since Goro had been the one to do such things, while Izou was extremely far more interested in speaking to Yoshimi. However, he didn’t regret his decisions one bit, as he and Yoshimi’s growing affections for each other had gifted the boy many opportunities to climb, chief of which was into the girl’s high windows so they could gaze into the night sky above and at each other back down on Dance Island. He would later go on finding more times he needed to climb than tie knots as a wanderer. Any small canyons that he had somehow wandered into by mistake or by fate were solved and scaled by his durable, yet agile hands and lighter frame.
Securing the extra rope across his chest and around his shoulders, Izou began to climb the steep cliff face before him. Despite his skill in climbing, the cliff was proving to be quite challenging due to the scarcity of hand holds available to him. The rocks were either impossibly flat with the slightest of slants or simply jutting out of the cliff like random thorns on a rose stem. After about climbing five feet of so, the swordsman dropped back to the ground below. This way would get him nowhere fast. He had to think of a plan, which meant only one thing. Taking a seat on the ground, Izou pulled forth one of his most prized possessions, a gourd filled with sake, and took a long drink from the bottle. He had always admired Goro’s own gourd bottle, and after years of pestering the jolly man, he had made the young lad a bottle of his very own. Of course at the time, it wasn’t filled with sake, though if it ever was, Goro had stated he maintained the right to take back his gift should he ever find Izou “doing something he shouldn’t.” Deep down, he knew the old man had meant more than just sneaking a sip of rice wine in a gourd...
The swordsman continued his long swig as a plan was formulating quickly in his mind. It was certainly reckless, yet that had never deterred Izou before. Finishing his drink off, he stood and bolted forward with complete determination and confidence. Just as it would seem the swordsman would plant face first into the tough rock wall before him, he leapt up towards one of the large portions of rock that protruded outward. While his footing was lackluster thanks to the sudden jump, he simply bounded off with as much force as he could from the surface, rolling with the momentum from each leap and bound he made. It seemed his unconventional plan was beginning to work, until he was met with a sudden roar of wind and the initial drops of rain that eluded to a heavy storm approaching. While he was still flying forward, the wind had decided to work against the ‘Wind Walker’. It did not lessen his jump in the slightest but it succeeded in pushing him off course, just enough to have the swordsman grasping at the side of the cliff to keep from plummeting down.
As Izou hung there, clinging to the rock face with all the strength his fingers could muster, a horrendous smell greeted his nose, ensuing a gag from the swordsman. He looked around for the source of such a dreadful stench, only to find a nearby gap in the rock. This gap, however, was just what the swordsman was hoping for; he had found the sewage pipe. His goal nearly in his grasp, he mustered all the strength his digits could offer until he had pulled himself up and into the safety of a nearby shelf in the cliff. With the risk of falling finally averted, Izou braced himself against the side of the ledge and lowered the length of his rope down to his companions. The storm was beginning to unleash its full fury, just as this band of determined Revolutionaries would upon the Floating Cloud Kingdom.
Note: Sorry if this feels a little rushed, but I am just trying to get us into the city and with Squash as soon as possible. Then, once we meet up with her, we can take our time.