"ICE"
Chills and frozen soot. A deadly wind alongside frosted wisps of trees finalizing their breath. The heat of one's lips were no secret against the cooling depths of this quaint little village. Sooga... Worthy to be spit on. Tobe was in no position to keep his work here. But wherever the protagonist went, so would he. Well... Perhaps the antagonist. Ah yes, Garu. The silent hero of everyone's dreams. Tobe's too. The types where limbs shed blood and the only sounds were cries of mercy. Tobe chuckled in the wind as he tucked his jacket tighter.
His scarf slipped around overtime, leaving a long trail in the breeze behind him. His shoes were soaked at the tips. Each step increased the bitter feeling of ice that soon subsided with its numbing effect. Tobe paused to lift his head to the sky... If one even existed. The weather... This weather... It was impossible to make anything out in it. His eyes teared up painfully and at this point and he wasn't too certain on his direction now. He just wanted to go home. Well... Perhaps dealing with a bunch of bumbling, masked, foolish fighters he called ninjas wasn't the best thing to return to. Tobe groaned rather loud. He jerked his face at the frost to find some sense of feeling. To alert himself really. He was finding himself closer and closer to a level of hazard he didn't dare want to cross. Where the heck was he? It felt like he had been walking through frozen hell for miles. He slipped a hand out of his pocket, feeling the bamboo stalks as he walked. The snow was light but rested with a surprising amount of weight. It fluttered off the stalks the moment his fingertips brushed. His gloves were soaked as well. But perhaps it wasn't all bad... After all, his surroundings were growing increasingly similar.
Civilization in a forest. It wasn't uncommon. But it certainly wasn't preferable. Tobe's steps turned to drags. His stride to a limp. And the constant stream of snot and tears made it all the more uncomfortable. It was aggravating and at this point the only thing keeping him warm was his increasing rage. He closed his eyes as protection. It was for that reason he could blame his next action. Catching a grip below him with his foot, Tobe tumbled down. He fell on the side of his face after realizing he could not bring his hands out of his pockets in time. He groaned in agony at the impact. The once soft puffs of flakes soon converted to frozen shards once touching earth. Tobe propped himself up with one arm, feeling his face with his other palm. He opened his eyes to see the indent of snow that glimmered with crimson. Just a tad that is. But a small amount on the snow meant there was a larger problem on the flesh. Tobe tugged up his mask to wipe his face. The sting made him cringe while the falling formations continued on without mercy. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked to focus and looked up, only to be awestruck at the thought of his long awaited journey coming to an end. The triumph lasted momentarily as he now found himself granted with not a solution, but a whole new problem at hand. The home of his personal antagonist, Garu. Of course the familiarity of his surroundings seemed reasonable now! He was walking straight into a bear's trap! A trap always had bait. And the bait for Tobe was for him to simply follow a path he recognized. A path he dreaded really. But it still felt like heaven. A true example of bittersweet. And how sweet it was.
There was many scenarios to consider. At the top of the list was to ignore the situation altogether and continue an aimless journey. But unfortunately a choice like that could result in the worst possible way. Tobe refused to die in the cold! What type of honor would that show? For one to prove his skill, he must first show his vigilance in the eyes of natural forces! Second of course would be to cut his losses and take the shame of admittedly needing the help of his enemy. There would definitely be more dignity in dying through "natural causes" than to live with the fact that he begged for safety. But gosh, he hated the cold. Tobe got up with a quiver to his limbs. His body was ready to give out once more. He dragged his feet to the door and raised a hand, huddling his body in shivers as he struggled to make a fist. He just had to knock. Knock; and all his problems currently would be solved. Tobe's fist trembled. For reasons more than one. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. Ridiculous! Without an ounce more of reasoning he opened the door and pushed himself in. The wind nearly threw him in as he steadied himself from his stumble. He quickly shut the door behind him, breathing heavy. Oh, how it hurt to breath, to move, to think. The warmth of a home brought no relief at the given moment. He was beyond the point of needing to be "warmed up". This was something much more severe. His limbs still felt numb and his face now burned with a new sensation. He could barely hold the air in his lungs long enough to consider it breathing. He struggled to keep his coughs silent as he covered his face with his sleeve. Garu meanwhile... Was nowhere in sight. The house was dark but still had a glow. Meaning he had been here earlier. Earlier? Why not now? Tobe wondered what any fool could be doing right now besides huddling away in the shelter of their home. He of course, was one of those fools. But it didn't make sense for the same mistake to occur twice. Idiotic.
Tobe first removed his gloves. He touched his fingertips together to see if the possibility of feeling was still in tact. Slipping a finger on its edge, he slid off his scarf. It felt good to rid of these layers. They were only weighing him down at this point. He removed the hat he had placed over his ninja mask and tossed it to the floor. Basically everything was spread out along the floor. His jacket being the last thing. His usual uniform was left back while he now wore a sweatshirt and soft pants. And to top it all off, he was unarmed. Any potential fight would have to be with his fists. His cold, frostbitten fists. The mask seemed purposeless at this point too. Tobe slipped it back like a hood and pulled his hair out from behind. He gently felt along his ears, seeing as though those were likely frost bitten too. He sighed, finally feeling the warmth of his breath. Things were starting to pick up now. Tobe dragged all his belongings in a pile and kicked them to the side. He looked out at the scene before him. What was he to do now? Wait? No... Hide? Horrible plan. He was only focused on shelter for the time being. Now was the time to face the other issues that could arise. At any moment too that is. Tobe stepped carefully along. A few candles lit the area as guidance. It was truly a peaceful scene. But ironically, it held the most tension. He planned to make his way to the hall for a better look. Halfway along... And sudden terror struck him from behind.
A solid, straight kick to the back sent Tobe straight to the floor. His body wasn't fully functional yet and the sudden impact made his condition all the more vulnerable. He quickly looked as a blade stabbed beside his head. Quickly rolling to his back he attempted to shield himself. He should have known a ninja would be hiding in the shadows. Where else would Garu be? He had waited for such a perfect moment too. Tobe jolted his arm up, blocking Garu's punch. And another... And another. He forced himself to his feet, quickly getting in stance. Garu backed off a bit as well, fully prepared for any sudden moves. It took only a few moments for Tobe to throw his fist forward in a sharp motion. Garu shifted his body out of the way, attempting to kick out Tobe's feet from under him. Tobe saw it coming and leaped up, aiming a kick straight for the head. Garu backflipped out of range before the attack was even in full motion. As Tobe regained himself, Garu jabbed forward with a battle cry, heavily impacting Tobe's jaw with his fist. Tobe let out a violent cough as he stumbled back, crashing to the floor. He quickly covered his mouth with his sleeve. Coughing at the taste of crimson. Garu stood solidly, aiming the tip of his blade towards Tobe's face. Tobe glanced up, doing a double take. His voice was raspy and quivered.
"Evening…"
