guardian of the storm | ✓

Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Revelations

~Chapter Twenty-Three~

Eien woke up with a start, sweat beading on his forehead. At the back of his skull was a dull throb that was slowly spreading. His vision was blurry beyond belief and all he could see was blobs of color. Someone had taken his glasses off. His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he gulped, using shaking arms to push himself into a seated position. A blob that consisted of mainly dark colors moved forward, a familiar weight returning to rest on the bridge of his nose and ears, and his vision came into sharp focus.

The dark blob leaned back from placing the glasses on Eien and he was shocked to see Winter standing there. He glanced around noting that the room was decorated plainly and the curtains were pulled back from the window to allow glimpses of a star-less night sky to seep into the room.

He didn't recognize the place and Winter seemed to realize that as she leaned back against the wall. "You're in one of the empty rooms within the boarding house. This is where people will rest after their injuries are mostly healed in the hospital. Or at least, that was my original plan." Her left foot was pressed against the wall a few inches off the ground, her arms crossed under her chest. She licked her lips, not in an attractive manner he observed, but in a way that seemed like she was making a decision to go for the kill. It was not unlike how a wolf would like its own muzzle threateningly. "I honestly have no idea why you're here. You have absolutely no training in combat and have never entered a ninja academy, or anything remotely like that, and I was informed that you were a baker when Ja'far found you. So please do share why someone like you would want to join my army?"

Each matter-of-fact word she said sent invisible kunai into his body. His shoulders were hunched forward and he lifted his hand up to push his glasses back into place as they started sliding down his slightly crooked nose. "...my mother." He finally spits out. Winter tilts her head to the side, studying him. "My mother was a Storm Shinobi. I don't know my father, suppose I never will, but I knew that he was a shinobi as well. I don't really know how to fight... but I can contribute in other ways."

"Enlighten me."

"Battle tactics, war plans, weapons designs." He wrings his hands nervously, "I can revise old ones to become more modern, to surprise enemies that may remember how we fought." He gulped- once, twice - before continuing. "And I have this... way of looking at things. Um, like from watching you fight the others I can tell you rely more on your Kenjutsu than Taijutsu even thought you are actually better at hand to hand combat. Y-Your weakness is still unclear but that's because I haven't seen you go all out. However if you lost your katana's in battle is would be a major chip in your mental focus. Let's see, uh, you expect people to attack from the right since that's where your b-bandages are. A blind spot is what most would think. You're left handed but surer on your right foot. You prefer to punch with your left hand first, it's the opposite for your feet..." He trails off glancing at her nervously when he notices her shadowed face.

He shrinks back into the bed he's in, fiddling with the edges of the sheets pooling around his waist. "N-Not that you aren't a great warrior and uh I'm sure guys will be less hesitant to attack, not that you look weak, but because you're really pretty. Uh not that you look like a pretty shinobi with no talent, you have lots of talent. And like it's not a bad thing to have a face like yours when battling.." Seeing her raised eyebrow Eien stumbles over his words, cursing himself silently. "Not that you have an ugly face in anyway, you're actually drop dead gorgeous."

His face burns bright red, "I-I'm not trying to hit on you I promise, not that I wouldn't cause you seem pretty great, but you're also kinda scary... wait... uh not scary, intimidating?" He takes deep, shuddery breaths, "I'll shut up now." He mutters miserably.