• Solo • First steps of a new trial

[Sintih]

4th of Ymiden, 720th Arc
Student Accommodation Building

In the room, a figure stood in front of a large window, staring out of it, almost unmoving. Soft light fell into the room through a window, which looked more like an odd shaped hole in the wall than a window, over an unkempt bed in a rather clean looking room. The person who had slept in the bed seemed to have simply stood up and let the covers drop where they will. A desk was placed opposite to the window with several books placed in one corner. A quill and ink stood next to a stack of empty parchment, ready to be used. The desk looked pristine, almost untouched. Outside of the light of the window, opposite the bed, a furnace was busy pumping heat into the room, flickering with yellow light as it burned through the logs that it had been fed earlier. The sounds of wood crackling as it burned and a soft, melodious humming filled the room, suddenly interrupted by a soft knock on the door The figure didn't react to it. The murmuring of soft voices could be heard coming from the other side of the door.

Sintih stared at the slowly crawling clouds as they passed his vision within the oddly shaped window, vaguely remarking the noise of someone knocking at his door. He remembered someone mentioning sharing breakfast in the main room when he first settled into the room but he'd felt it a waste of time. So he discarded the awareness and the knocking wasn't repeated. Even though he'd just woken up, he felt tired already and didn't really see any point in doing much else for today. He had plenty of trials ahead to do the important things then. Besides, it wasn't like any of this was all that important to him.

The sky opened up a little, a break in between the clouds, and sunlight broke through the window into the room. He'd gone to the Academy Registry to sign up for two letters just a few trials ago, another pointless bit of Eidisi bureaucracy that wasted time. He wasn't even really sure why he was here. What was the point of all this? He figured that while he spent his time here in Viden, he could do something useful with it. He'd overheard some people over at the infirmary talking about it on several occasions while he'd been there and now he was here. But why, though? A cloud floated in front of the sun again and the room darkened back to normal lighting. The wooden floor creaked a little, cutting through the soft humming, as Sintih shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

What was the point?

[Sintih]

He didn't really want to think about the point of things but his mind went with them anyway. It did that now, just run off without him at the reins. As the clouds continued their slow crawl across the sky, Sintih's mind raced. Most of what he remembered was vague now, barely a blur. But all those failures, they were all crisp and clear in his mind. His fists tightened as the first item on the list popped up and then floodgates were open. Undisturbed by the events below them, the clouds continued on their journey.

The greatest magic user to have ever lived? Failure. Too weak! A famous alchemist? Failure. Failure. Loser! Setting up his own business? Failure. Useless. Glory, Fame, Respect? Failure, Failure, Failure. Worthless! Forming lasting connections with the people in power? Failure. Worthless! Loser! Rynmere's magic-tactician who sweeps across any enemy? Failure. Weak. Useless! A thousand-man commander? Failure. Having a squad of true specialists at his command? Failure. Just becoming a captain or a steward? Failure. Even succeeding as a squire? Failure. Useless! Worthless! Live, love, laugh? All Failures. Happiness? Failure. A waste of time, anyway. Find a cure for himself? Failure. Amass a fortune? Failure. Become an Ancient? Failure. Find Faith? Failure. Apologize? Failure. Why even bother? Complete a book on war? Failure. Failure! Failure! Failure! Failure! Kill him? Failure. Be healthy? Failure. Stop! Champion Aelig? Failure. Useless! Grow up like any normal kid? Failure. Weak! Loser! Have a regular asterism pulse? Failure. Freak! Be recognized for a body of research? Failure. Find a connection to his Immortal creator? Failure. Protect his friends? Failure. Be accepted by his mentor? Failure. Useless! worthless! Achieve something!? Anything what so ever!? Failure. Useless. Failure! Failure. Failure!

Her?

A name popped up in his mind. He didn't want her there but that had never stopped her before.

Failure?

The word hit him like a charging Ithecal. Incapable of setting it aside, unable to ignore it, it tore through him. He was back here and now, focused. In a burst of motion, Sintih punched, a straight left, his white knuckled fist connecting with the window, shattering it into a thousand pieces. The soft humming stopped immediately and with it the source of light that lit the room. Shards of the window went nowhere as the phasing portal vanished and revealed the brick and mortar wall just behind it. The motes of purple light that had been floating by his eyes started fading as soon as the window was gone until the only light in the room was the orange-yellow coming from the crackling fire. A single, sharp spike of pain shot up through his arm to his brain before settling into a dull throbbing pain in the fingers, knuckles and wrist of his left hand. He instantly regretted his course of action as he saw blood trickling down from his knuckles. Yet another failure to add to the list.

[Sintih]

Nursing his fist, blowing air on the knuckles of his left hand, Sin stepped back from the wall and dropped down onto the bed. He slowly unclenched his fist, a little at first, stopping as soon as he felt a sting of pain from his knuckles. He sucked in a sharp breath of air before pushing himself further. It was his own fault. Once his left hand was fully outstretched, he held it out for a moment, watching it tremble ever so slightly. The pain was there, throbbing from his wrist and knuckles as he slowly rolled his outstretched hand around, but it quickly faded back as he lost interest in it. He absentmindedly rubbed his wrist for a while, staring at the dark floor, his eyes unfocusing on the firelight playing across the wooden floor, watching the shadows dance.

Some time passed before Sin decided to simply drop backwards onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling of his third floor student accommodation. It was annoying to have to share part of it with a bunch of people he didn't know but it was basically part of the deal while you were a student at the Academy. In the end they were no different from the students he would share a classroom with or who he'd share the library with. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was aware that they existed and that they were around him but unless they'd try to draw his attention physically, they would simply exist adjacent to him. Sin drew in a deep breath and focused on the ceiling for a moment before small, light purple motes of light started to float along the edges of his eyes. In the fire lit darkness of the room they were quite visible but then the ceiling tore open with a window to the open sky above and they became nearly invisible in the daylight.

Clouds floated past the hole in the ceiling, occasionally breaking apart to let shafts of sunlight break through to the ground below. The Yludih continued to slowly rub his left wrist as he let himself sink back into his own thoughts. From time to time he was pushed back out or managed to pull himself back out, focused enough to mark the passing of time as the angle of the sunlight shifted across the sky and eventually darkened. Sometime after the sky had turned a red-orange that dyed the entire room in a bright fiery hue, Sin became vaguely aware of someone knocking on his door once again, this time followed by words from the other side of the door. He let himself fade back into a better past. Did someone open the door? Sin blinked and listened. Everything was dark, aside from some light twinkling far above in the sky. He'd probably imagined it. The motes of light around his eyes faded out as the hole in the ceiling stitched itself back together into the solid wood it was. Reality never bent itself to his will permanently.

He opened the door leading into the main room of the flat, a shared kitchen and dining room, with another open door leading into a shared living room. To Eidisi standard, the living room had been decorated like a barracks of learning. Both rooms were empty of life and hidden in darkness. A small smoldering fire in the dining room provided enough light for Sintih to make his way through it without bumping into anything. A quick rummage through the kitchen provided him with some bread, which had probably been fresh in the morning, and a hand sized wedge of cheese. Again, in true Eidisi fashion, not a drop of alcohol in sight. With his sustenance in hand, Sin made his way back through the his room, closing his door behind him. Not half a break later, he'd curled himself up under his blanket, together with a bunch of bread crumbs. In the half lucid state before sleep caught up to him, the thought of putting another log in the furnace popped in his head but Sin set that idea aside. That was a problem for Future Sintih. Besides, just like Past Sintih, that guy was an asshole anyway.

[Doran]

Sintih:

Knowledge:

Rupturing: Phasing to see the outside
Meditation: Cloud gazing to pass the time
Unarmed Combat (Brawling): The straight left punch
Medicine: Nursing a sprained wrist

Location: Viden Student Accommodation
Location: Viden Student Accommodation: Student flat layout

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: Scraped knuckles on the left hand, sprained left wrist.
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 10

- - -

Comments:
This was an enjoyable solo.

I found the description of Sintih’s room in your first post interesting. The state of it also revealed a bit about Sintih’s mental state.

I chuckled at the mention of Eidisi bureaucracy. It’s probably pretty annoying though!

His frustration, his anger and his despair were very well-written. The way you approached Sintih’s thinking about all the different things he failed at made it all the more intense.

I hope that he’ll eventually stop thinking of himself as a failure though, and that his academic studies will be successful.

Enjoy your rewards!

P.S.: I would have added “Endurance” to the list of skills used as you described Sintih’s being in pain, for example and perhaps “Discipline”, even though it sounds more like he failed at being disciplined.

P.P.S.: You only requested 4 skill knowledges. You can request 6 for a solo. So, if you want another 2 skill knowledges, let me know please, and I’ll edit this review. Please also let me know which style of Unarmed Combat the Unarmed Combat knowledge you requested is for.