Morning Activities

    Xander was up before the sun. The Salamander had not been sleeping well, which was stemming from not only a recent mission failure, but alarming realization that his greatest fear was coming true.

The dark scaled draconic-man had been going on early on that enemies were more intelligent. His fear was they would start to use military tactics and what happens? This undead problem was indeed using military tactics.

The failure was also another reminder. A reminder of when he lost everyone. The burning villages reminded him of the flashing lights. The distance screams, the yelling in the room. It was all a large echo, spiraling chamber in his mind.

For every time he tried to shove it out. It only get louder.

    "Raagh!" Was the frustrated battle cry as a sword slams hard into a makeshift training dummy, taking its head completely off. His body tense, sweat on his brow, and no shirt to be found. Just him, his sword, headless training dummies, and pants with his boots.

He then swings the sword around into another ready position. His eyes focused with a hidden depth of rage, before letting out another primal roar and slamming the blade right into the dummy. It was enough to cause a few birds to scatter from the fields.

Rylen carries his usual sense of calm. It isn't as if he doesn't feel things, and quite strongly, but usually it bubbles beneath the surface. As the head of the training dummy rolls off, he makes the wise choice not to add his own concerns to the mix of whatever is already causing the Salamander to steam in his own fury.

The Pooka had been training as of late, either working through his martial arts or toiling away helping Uta with her laboratory. Yet, Xander might have caught him, a few times, holding large rocks in the air, big enough to cause his limbs to tremble and sweat to show from the exertion of it. It doesn't /look/ like any familiar technique, but Rylen always did push the boundaries of the system, looking for ways of melding his own training with the powers given to him.

As the head thumps off, Rylen drops the rocks with a sigh, rolling his shoulders and trying to ease some of the strain from his muscles as he looks over at Xander. "And that is the reason I'm not sparring with you today." He muses with his usual light humor. "I'm not sure my head would look particularly good separated from the rest of me." He nudges the wood head with one foot, lightly kicking it back over.

    The Salamander looks over and grunts. "Yeah, well, at least you can man lift boulders." There was a tease between the breaths, but a hint of a dangerous rumble. "Besides, probably a good thing," His own foot comes to rest on the rolling head. "I like where your /head/ is." This is followed by a boyish grin, though it doesn't last to long.

Instead he uses his boot to soccer kick the head up and into his hands. Looking it over. His jaw tenses a little, as he continues to look at it. "... How has Uta been?" He asks, before moving to place the head; Or trying to anyways; back on the dummy.

Rylen's arms fold across his chest, a smirk playing on the edge of his lips. "Says the Salamander who who is so in touch with fire that he sometimes blows smoke out of his nostrils when he's mad." He reaches over and rubs at his shoulder, taking a few steps closer to Xander as he raises his eyebrows. "I suppose I'll take that as a compliment."

A laugh follows, Rylen shaking his head with amusement, "She's been busy. As distracted as she usually is, she certainly does have a single-mind when it comes to Slimes. Lady Yuri has certainly been encouraging it. So we may have the blib-bloob of Slimes around here soon enough."

He raises his brows, "So, the question I have is simple. What do we do so that you actually will sleep and stop keeping my ass up all night, pacing around like an angry lizard?" There is a lightness to it, showing that he isn't all that annoyed, more concerned for the Salamander's mental state.

    Xander rolls his eyes and places his hands on hips. "Great. So now we get the sweet sounds of squishing to relax as at night in the distance." There was an amused tone on his voice, but when Rylen gets to the more serious topic at hand, Xander falls quiet.

He goes to turn to face the dummy he stabbed and pulls the sword out. His claws then run along the face of the sword, as he looks at his dull reflection in the blade. "I am not sure." He admits gently. "Everything is spiraling in my head and while I am keeping it... Under control, it sometimes tries to bubble to the surface."

    The Salamander then goes to slide the sword back into the scabbard. "I guess it all started when we failed that duty. When we realized those undead up north somehow know actual tactics... Or are at least being lead by someone or... someones who do. I mean, I shouldn't /be/ surprised... But..."

Xander shakes his head softly. "It's unnerving and sending all the warning bells in my head."

"I've got some plans for sound proofing." Rylen replies, chuckling to himself. "And there is a reason I set the monster barn a good distance away from the house." Which should mean that they won't be lulled to sleep by the sound of slimes in the night.

With the more serious topic at hand, Rylen steps closer, reaching a hand out to lightly brush his fingertips against Xander's shoulder. "I know the feeling." Then, with a smirk, he adds, "Behead as many dummies as you need to."

His hand doesn't linger too long. It is an unspoken rule that those signs of affection are largely kept to private moments. "Admittedly, I haven't taken much of a look into the goings on up North. Though, if they stray into Peko Army territory, I might have to. I need to maintain the connections I have to Otto and his people." Rylen's pale brows draw in slightly. "Do you want to head back there? Check out what's going on in more depth?"

His eyes sweep in the direction of Aincrad, which is visible easily from anywhere on the island. "It would give us a bit of a change of pace from the Tower, and you did want to travel...?"

    "I think Amalthea is moving the Scale's focus into maybe helping the New World Alliance with the problem. I'm not fully sure on that, but she did write up a report on the matter and gathering intel from Merek." Xander explains to Rylen. "This means the only Alliance that has not, to my knowledge, taken part in an interest into the on goings up North would be, maybe, yours?"

The Salamander crosses his arms over his chest closing his eyes. "Though I am tempted to go up there and camp out that way. At least see about getting some people together to help defend the villages if nothing else, or, well, at least try."

Xander looks once more to Rylen. "I could assist with the information gathering, but stealth is not my strong suit. So, I probably get myself in more trouble if I tried to intel gather."

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Sleeping Knights don't check it out. That guild is adventure seekers who love a challenge." Rylen doesn't seem bothered by the fact that his particular Alliance isn't investing too heavily into the problem. Unlike Scale Emblem and New World, Olympus did tend to be more individualized, with each guild having their own focuses. "Crescent Moon is mostly focused here on the Isle of Beginnings, since that's where most of the newbies are."

He reaches up, lightly stroking at his chin, the gesture showing that he's considering the situation. "I certainly don't mind looking into it. The fact is, we're pretty dependant on the Landers in some ways. We can't exactly let an event run rampant and wipe out large numbers. The Landers don't respawn."

Once more, that boyish smile shows on his lips, "I wouldn't rate myself as skilled with intel gathering, either. What I've managed in the tower is mostly due to just having conversations with people and being my usual charming self." He chuckles. "Your skills are more aimed at military analysis. Probably better to let other people do the scouting, you gather and analyze the data." He suggests, raising his brows.

    "Possibly." Xander says calmly. "Either way, the best way to know the enemy is to combatant the enemy. just to see if they change up their tactics or if they continue to use the same pattern."

The Salamander shrugs, "After all, if you can understand the pattern, you can then use that pattern against them." He goes to place his hand on Rylen's shoulder, before he gives the other a smile. "So yeah, I think I will head down there and... Come if you like."

Xander then leans and goes to whisper in Rylen's ear gently, "After all, there are many ways to put a beast to sleep." Before stepping away with a knowing smile and then goes to make his way back to the ranch. "I'll catch you inside if we are doing this thing on the trip!"

"Well, then it's worth looking into over a longer term, then." Rylen agrees.

The whisper has him giving a low chuckle. "Aye..." He raise shis brows again, "Though I find it is only a temporary solution, most of the time."

Rather than dwell on that, Rylen nods, "I'll get a team ready to man the ranch while we're gone, and I'll meet you upstairs." He moves to head towards the barn, likely to get together some manpower and walk them through what is needed.