Best viewed in firefox


W e l c o m e

Welcome to my page

I've been entered in the BC!

Spare a vote?

Intro
~*~

You are running along a dirt road, enjoying the foggy morning with a nice jog. In the distance, mountains jut up from the earth, shrouded by the thick fog of the dawn. You would love to continue, but your legs slow as you approach a strange creature in the middle of the road. His mismatched eyes wander from the mountains to the road and finally land on you.
He is one of the most peculiar things you've seen in your years. He stands on two legs like a human and is covered with thick red fur. His markings are those of a red panda. His long silver hair hangs in front of his eyes, tied together with a long brown cord. A knife hangs from either of his hips and there his a long sword draped across his back along with two packs. A dandan rests around his shoulders, sighing contently as he sleeps.

Hello, human. Have you seen anything strange around here?

You shake your head as an answer to his question. He sighs and looks back down the road, his brow knotting with worry and anger.


A dear friend of mine has been taken, and if I don't find him soon, he will die.

But he knows that in order for you to understand and be able to help him, you must know the entire tale. He unloads his pack onto the ground and takes a seat on the side of the gravel road. The dandan stirs only for a moment to jump down onto the leather pack and curl up to sleep again. The strange creature which you have figured to be a Lutari looks up to you and motions to the ground.

Please, take a seat. I need a rest anyway. You may call me Blade, and I will explain everything if you are willing to hear it.

Story
~*~

Chapter 1
 The Student

A flash of silver and the sound of metal slicing the air; that was all that Blade could figure before he was on the ground, his arm bleeding heavily. His bright green eyes looked up at the figure standing above him. A blue bori frowned down at him, his features telling the Lutari that he had other expectations than the ones that were currently being met. Again The bori sounded irritated and bored. Blade stood and grasped his blade. It had been knocked from his hands moments before. Pain seared down his arm as he wielded the blade. It seemed heavier now that he was injured.

It had been a hard battle that had been fought for about an hour now. Neither Blade nor the bori had failed to let their senses down until just now. Blade winced again as he took the ready position. It surprised him that the bori wasn't even out of breath. The bori turned and looked at his student. NO! He scorned, pulling his hands out of his sleeves. That's all wrong. He walked over to Blade and positioned his hands correctly on the blade's hilt. He kicked Blade's shins until his legs were spread apart the correct width: just a little wider than his shoulder. This kept his center of gravity low and made him harder to knock down.

Blade watched the bori carefully, making sure he wasn't pulling some kind of trick. He had a way of suddenly tripping or hitting Blade when the young Lutari was least expecting it. But there were no tricks this time. It was simply his mentor teaching him. When the bori was done, Blade sighed and slumped into his regular posture. He let his blade fall into its sheath and took a seat on the ground. Mordecai, I'm never going to be good at fighting. Why don't you just give up on me? I'm no weapon master, like you. He said wearily. He bandaged the cut on his arm with a strip of cloth that had been torn from his sleeve.

Mordecai turned to Blade, but his face gave none of his feelings away. I know. He said simply. He took a seat next to Blade and fiddled with the tassels that hung from his belt. I've trained you for years now, and it seems you don't have the ability to get better than you are now.

Blade looked down to his booted feet. His tail flicked behind him in frustration. Mordecai was probably right. He wasn't good at fighting at all. When he was younger he had dreams of becoming a hero like maraqua's Swordmaster Talek. But now that dream seemed impossible to realize.

Don't give up. Mordecai said after a long pause. That's what we weapon masters always say! Blade could tell it wasn't true. Mordecai never said things like that unless his students needed to hear it. Mordecai looked to Blade and chuckled inwardly. Don't give me that face. You know perfectly well that I'm right. It was true. Though he never said these things, Mordecai was often correct with many of his 'sayings'.

Blade nodded and stood. He walked to the other end of the arena and drew his long sword, taking in the heavenly ring of the blade against the sheath. Now, again. Mordecai repeated, standing with his back to Blade. Remember, focus on where I am, where you are, and where you want to be. Don't try to predict my next move, already have it planned out in your head.

Blade nodded and took the position, making sure he applied the posture that Mordecai had shown him. GO!

Blade flung himself through the air, targeting Mordecai's back. His sight zoomed in on the exact location where he wanted his blade to land. With smooth motions, he slid his arm forward and then back, getting ready to strike. His fingers laced around the hilt and grasped it tightly. Three more inches and he would have impaled Mordecai's heart. But the bori quickly spun around and pushed the blade away. He jumped just as his hand left the metal and flung his wrist into the air, giving his kick even more force. His foot landed solidly into Blade's ribs, threatening to break them.

Blade planted his feet on Mordecai's raised thigh and pushed off, retreating to his starting spot in the arena. His stomach hurt from the kick, but he quickly recovered from the pain. He ran around the outer edge of the arena, holding his blade behind him. The tip of the sword dragged along the dirt, sending billows of dust into the air.

Don't show off, when you show off you get cocky. This is no place for special effects. Leave that to the theater! Mordecai taught as he fought. He jumped and landed soundless on his bare feet. Blade smiled with confidence. He thought Mordecai was going to do that and he had been right. But he didn't dwell on the present thoughts for long. He went back to planning the future moves of his opponent. Mordecai had taught him that with the right balance of strength, intimidation, and force, you can make your opponent do almost anything you want them to.

It's all about positioning. Blade reminded himself. He turned quickly on his heel, facing Mordecai. Again he leaped into the air, straight towards the bori.

For a split second, Mordecai was caught off guard. His first rule had always been 'never approach an enemy head on'. But now Blade was forgetting that rule, and Mordecai was going to take full advantage of it.

Blade could see Mordecai thinking. He watched as his mentor leaped into the air and swung a right hook at his face. It was to be expected. At the same time, Blade moved his head away from the punch and sheathed his blade. He grabbed Mordecai's outstretched arm and swung him around, slamming him to the ground.

Good, you used your head that time! But you let your guard down. It was too late. Blade had made the mistake of thinking that he had won. Mordecai pulled his knees close to his chest and struck. His feet landed into Blade's face, sending the Lutari skidding across the arena. He quickly flapped his bat-like wings to make the landing softer. But his wings could not keep him from hitting the ground. He slid across the ground, rocks and dirt scraping against his arms.

Blade couldn't think straight. He wanted to just fly away, but his body was on top of his wings now and he couldn't loosen them. He crashed head first into the wall. One thing was for sure, he would have a large, sore bump on his head later. Mordecai slowly walked over to his student. Rule number two…you have never won until your opponent is killed or admits defeat. Mordecai offered his hand to Sora to help him up.

Blade figured it was probably another trick, so he refused to take it. Blood ran down the tiny scratches and scrapes on his arms and his forehead was bleeding too. His clothes were dusty and cut and his face was twisted with pain and fatigue. Mordecai couldn't help but spare a chuckle for his student.

We'll continue studies tomorrow. You should probably get home, get some warm food, and get some rest. Mordecai handed Blade the small knife that had fallen out of his pocket at the point of impact.

He turned and walked away. You'll need it. He said, disappearing into the settling smoke.

Chapter 2
 Missing

The sun beat down through the window hole in Blade's room. His entire body ached. Every muscle screamed and every nerve felt like it was on fire. He wanted to turn over and escape into the darkness of the corner created by his pillow and his wall, but he wasn't sure he could bare the pain of doing so. He shut his eyes tightly and pulled the covers over his head. A small yip made him look out of a peep hole in the blanket folds. A petite Dandan looked up at him, its large ears perked to pick up any sounds.

Go away, Ptah. I don't want to play. The petpet moved jumped up onto the bed and snuggled close to the Lutari's face, tickling Blade's nose with its fluffy tail. Blade smiled and stroked his Dandan's nose. At least he had someone in his life that didn't push him to be everything he couldn't.

He forced himself to pull off the warm covers and sit up in his bed. He watched as Ptah jumped off the bed and disappeared under it. He came back a few moments later, holding a tiny animal by the scruff of its neck in his mouth. He jumped back onto the covers and set the petpetpet onto Blade's pillow. The tiny cooty didn't seemed to mind at all that he was being carried around like a chew toy.

He shook out the places where his gray-blue fur had been ruffled by Ptah's lips. The tiny bell on his collar chimed as he shook. Ptah looked annoyed at the small creature. He turned his back to the cooty and wriggled under the blankets. Blade had gotten the cooty named Amon for Ptah for Christmas, but the dandan hadn't taken much of a liking to it. He seemed annoyed by its presence and often growled at it to go away. They never really fought, the cooty seems to know who was in charge and obeyed Ptah whenever he said to do something. And he always did what he was told with a large grin on his face.

Blade hoped that the two would become friends soon. If not he would just have to deal with it. He would send the cooty back to the petpetpet store, but he had grown quite attached to it.

Blade smiled as Amon followed Ptah under the blankets and slowly stood up. He needed a shower and some breakfast. He hoped the two would make him feel better. The hall seemed longer than usual as he made his way to the bath. His legs were still aching and the cuts stung as he put weight on his legs.

He turned the water on hot and shed his tight black shirt and tan pants. He adjusted the water until it was as hot as he could stand. The steam and the herbs he had placed in the water seemed to sooth his body. He wasn't usually one to want to soak in the tub, but today he thought nothing sounded better. But he knew he didn't have the time for such pleasures. Mordecai would be waiting for him at the weapon shop and he had to hurry and get ready.

His dark hair had become matted from not washing the night before. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He needed some fresh clothes. He would have put on his old ones, but he had already worn them for two days now and they were dirty and probably stinky as well.

He sauntered into his room, still foggy from just waking up. He slipped into a dark green sleeveless shirt which zipped up the front and had two zippered pockets at each of his hips. He picked a pair of dark gray pants which were rolled up to his knees. He pulled his heavy boots over his feet and looked himself over in the mirror. His long hair hung in front of his face, covering one of his eyes. He tied it back with a brown cord. It looked better now.

Now he had to leave, or else he would have to do extra work because he was late. Blade glanced over at Ptah and Amon and smiled. They were both curled up asleep on his pillow. With one eye open to make sure the dandan wouldn't get angry. Amon scooted closer to Ptah. The dandan didn't stir.

Blade rushed through the town down the allies that led along the backs of the shops. The training center was just beyond the hill where the shops stopped. They grew thinner, as did the shopping crowds until just a couple of lone shops sat quietly, their tenders napping at the front desk, waiting for the slow crowds to stir into their directions.

Sora stopped at the front doors. They were large and made from the wood of cherry trees. Even after the hundred years they had stood there, they still smelled of the sweet fruit that their branches used to produce. Two large brass handles stood at waist height and the same metal decorated the door with elaborate swirls.

With a grunt, Blade pushed open the doors and walked into the arena. Children practiced kung-fu and karate in a perfect square to the left, while two older students fought an intense battle to the right. Straight ahead stood the main room and the entire arena was surrounded by the walls of housing rooms and weapon storage. That was where Blade would spend most of his time today: among the weapons. No, he wasn't going to train with them. He was going to clean them.

That's right, he reminded himself with a frown. I'm just the stupid clean up boy. It was the boy's love for fighting that had first interested Mordecai. He went to Blade's parents and asked if he could train under Mordecai. But fighting was an expensive activity to learn, and Blade's parents couldn't afford to have Mordecai as their son's master. But Mordecai must have seen something in Blade, for he pulled some strings with the head masters. They agreed that if Blade would work for them, he could train under them. So every day he did chores. Weather it was taking out the trash, or polishing the century-old swords used by fallen heroes, it was his job to get it done.

The day seemed to drag by as Blade watched the other students as he cleaned. They could all afford this and more and not have to lift a finger to get what they wanted. He envied them. But night came soon enough and he was thankful as he placed the last spear into the large vase.

He looked back out to the arena though the blinds that had been drawn shut earlier in the evening. Now was his time. He was glad that everyone else had gone. When he was younger he tried to practice like the others: in rows with other people doing the exact same thing as you. But he was never able to keep the square together. He would always kick in the wrong direction or do his own move. He fought much better alone. Mordecai always told him that it was both strength and weakness.

Being alone meant he had the difficulty of taking on a foe alone, with no one to protect him if something went wrong. But it also meant not getting too close to anyone and suffering if he lost a companion.

Blade stood and grabbed two wickedly curved knives from a shelf. He made his way out to the arena where Mordecai was usually waiting for him. Sora could tell something was out of place when he was the first one to the arena. He waited for a long moment, suspecting Mordecai was somewhere in the shadows, waiting to pounce on him as soon as his guard was down. But after five minutes had passed, and Mordcai still hadn't shown himself, Blade began to grow uneasy.

Time seemed to drag as Blade waited patiently for his master to show. His muscles never relaxed as he waited for some sneak attack to pounce him from the darkness. His eyes scanned the arena, searching every hiding place and shadow for any signs of the bori. A white sheet of paper lay in the middle of the arena, its corners flapping in the weak wind.

He checked to his left then to his right before approaching the small note. His fingers laced around it fragile body and his eyes scanned the fine black handwriting. They grew wide as he read what it said.

Bring the money to the Shenku shipyard by tomorrow night or master Mordecai dies.

Chapter 3
 Hostage

Blades's heart beat so fast he thought it would fall out of his chest. The blood in his arms flowed faster, making his veins grow and he could feel his entire body tensing up. He wasn't sure why, but tears started to form in his eyes. He never thought he was this attached to Mordecai, but apparently he had a great love for his mentor. His fingers coiled tightly around the paper, forcing it to crumple into itself, and destroying it completely.

He shook the tears from his eyes and looked back to the temple. He knew what money they were talking about, whoever 'they' were. The safe where all of the money was sent contained at least 500,000 neopoints, probably more. It was stored there to pay the masters and other workers and to buy new weaponry and training equipment.

What should he do? He had no idea, and couldn't manage to make his legs move. His eyes darted nervously from one side of the arena to the other. Was someone still here? Were they watching to make sure someone had gotten the note? Was he just moments away from his death? Surely whoever had taken Mordecai had been a trained kidnapper and great fighter, for the bori wouldn't have gone quietly.

Blade forced himself to calm down. There was no use in panicking; it would just get him killed. He went into the main house and grabbed a large sword from a display on the wall. He would need several other weapons if he was to rescue Mordecai. He made his way to the nearest weapon room where the knives and spears were kept. These were his favorite kinds of arms. He had never been good at bows or maces, but when it came to swords he was one of the best fighters.

He looked over the painting of the three head masters that sat on the wall across from him. The safe lay just behind the painting. If he was able, Blade would have packed up the money in a heartbeat. But the safe was heavily booby-trapped and even if he got passed them alive, he didn't know how to unlock it. He shook the thought out of his head. Mordecai would probably prefer that he not bring the money anyway. The bori would have done the honorable thing and taken death instead of steal from innocent neopets.

He grabbed a knife and placed it in his belt next to the one he had grabbed earlier. He grabbed several other blades, but made sure that his pack wouldn't be too heavy. He still had to return home and pack food and some extra clothing. He raced back down the back allies of the town. Even the parts of the town that had been flooded earlier were now empty. He was glad that he lived close to the training temple. Ptah darted into the room as Blade entered. He was expecting the usual pat on the head and a strawberry treat. But as soon as Blade walked through the door, he could tell something was wrong. Amon rushed into the room, almost falling over Ptah.

Blade quickly grabbed a loaf of bread from the cabinet and a water skin that hung next to the door. He filled the skin with water and slung it across his back. He tied the bread and some dried meat cakes together in a large cloth and swung it over his shoulder. Ptah watched anxiously as Blade clumsily ran up the stairs. He came back moments later with yet another sack hanging from his body. It smelled of leather and moth-worn cloth. It must have been clothes, two pairs by the size of the sack. Blade raced back over to the door. He grabbed a jacket from the rack and tied it around his waist.

Then it was quiet. Blade stared angrily at the door, his hand clenching the handle. His breathing was silent and not a single muscle even dared twitch in this moment.

Ptah slowly approached his owner and nudged Blade's leg with his wet nose. he didn't even flinch as the Dandan pressed his fuzzy face against his calf. He knelt down and scratched his fingers across Ptah's forehead. Come on boy. We have to go save Mordecai. Ptah leaped with excitement and Amon yipped, even though he didn't understand what all was going on. He didn't understand human. Ptah climbed up to Blade's shoulders and Amon found a comfy place to sit between Ptah's ears.

Blade opened the door and disappeared into the cold darkness of the night.

-To be continued-
Stats
~*~





Name: Switchblade
Nickname: Blade
Guardian: Hoaxion
Gender: Male
Age: 20 in human years
Species: Lutari
Personality: Clever, Determined, Kind
Mate: None
Skin: Red
Belly: light cream
Eyes: Mismatched (one yellow one blue)
Markings: Light cream and dark gray
Wings: Chibi bat
Hair: Silver
Height: 6'3
Weight: 154 lbs
Wingspan: 2 feet




Personality: He is a kind Lutari, with a stubborn streak, which makes him a loyal friend. But befriending him can be hard. He was raised with little money, and because of past experiences, he looks down on those with wealth.

Appearance: Slender humanoid Lutari with the body of a red panda. He has two chibi bat wings and two short curved horns. Silver hair hangs in front of his bright green eyes and is usually tied at the bangs with a brown cord. He's often seen wearing roguish clothing and heavy boots. He can morph into his quad form when necessary and a special ring that he wears on his left thumb allows him to keep his clothing after returning to his anthro form.

Noooo, I lost all of my coding. So now I have to recode everythig. Pretty things will be here soon. XPPP
Adoptables
~*~

Adoptable rules
1~No stealing of any kind
2~Don't claim them as your own
3~Do NOT enter them in any contests on or off of neo
4~These are adoptables, Not makeables.
5~Don't take ones that aren't yours
6~Enjoy!^^

























Customs








Link out
~*~




More coming soon.....



NEOPETS, characters, logos, names and all related indicia
are trademarks of Neopets, Inc., © 1999-2012.
® denotes Reg. US Pat. & TM Office. All rights reserved.
PRIVACY POLICY | Safety Tips | Contact Us | About Us | Press Kit
Use of this site signifies your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions