Day One: Early Morning

[Yamu]

Serenity

Yamu felt awash in a sea of calmness. Last year, he had already been flying off the handle, cursing the game and his own involvement by now. Not this time though. He breathed in deeply the smooth, clean air, an air untouched by civilization. He set his survival sack down and began to rummage through, he had learned last year that serenity could be taken away quicker in Dante then it could in real life. The veiny titan refused to be caught unprepared.

He pulled out the scouter provided to him complete with a black lens. ?Just the way I like it.? He mused as he placed the ki sensing device over his left eye. He fiddled with the controls?it had been awhile since he had last used a scouter so he went ahead and took the time to acquaint himself once again with the simple interface.

Next the ebony eyed Earthling pulled out the map. The juggernaut?s eyes had quickly adjusted to the low light from the moon and the map was readily visible to him. His map troubles the year before had caused many spouts of internal wrath and destruction. He had cursed himself up and down for not being more careful, for being idiotic enough to eliminate himself from the game. This time serenity was on his side. He carefully unfolded the glossy sheet of paper and put the compass on it. Yamu was no cartographer but he could find North and line the map up with it. This year he refused to take himself out. Preferably, he wouldn?t be taken out at all, but death at the hands of a worthy adversary beat suicide any day or night.

Finally he slipped his hand over his unknown weapon and unsheathed it from the bag. He smiled as his eyes ran over the intimidating melee weapon. He had not really expected to get this?hell he did not even remember reading it off the list, but it felt good in his hands, it felt?powerful.

He hefted the thick cylinder and took a swing, slashing through the air with the long blunt edge of the weapon. ?Who hoo hoo!? He expected to nearly toss the twig, but instead it held a nice heft as if specially designed for fighters of his caliber. He twirled the wooden weapon like a sword, spinning it one handed to his side in a large circle, ?I think I?m gonna like this?? He took a few more practices swings, smashing his new club through the air with a purpose.

Yamu stopped and held his assigned weapon in front of him admiringly. ?You need a name.? He felt good. The weapon felt good. Serenity told him he had a bond with this weapon. A name was the best way he knew to solidify that bond. ?I think I?m going to name you?Kari, yeah?Kari. That sure beats the hell out of calling you ?Baseball Bat?!?




Watching the live feed from the Midnight Rising the small human girl whom Yamu had just named his weapon after squealed with joy. She ran from each member of the crew to the next, talking through gigantic rolling giggles, ?Did you see that? Did you see that? He named his weapon after me! After ME!? The crew and the Arlian Regulators onboard smiled and indulged the girl, who quickly ran back to the screen. Kari Nor refused to miss a moment?she was waiting for her special signal?


Yamu sat down and set the bat across his knees. He charged a small ball of ki onto his right index finger and with the care and grace of an engraver set to work. With a mother?s patience he used the heat from his ki ball to etch in flowing cursive the name ?Kari? across the head of his symmetrical club. He blew of the excess wood shaving and smiled, this game was already starting off far better then last year.

He neatly folded his items back into the bag. Serenity was on his side this year, serenity and a sense of purpose. He slipped the straps of his sack over his shoulders and hefted the bat once again into his hands.

Yamu smiled into the motionless woods as he began to walk, and even the Arlian Guardian himself could not tell you if it was jovial or malicious.

?Now?to go find some friendly faces??