Finally Arriving [Open to All]

[Japan]

((Note: This is just...Japan didn't feel like posting in the Welcome to Hell thread, so this is his intro to the Warehouse ^^'))

The order had come straight from the mouth of the Emperor. He was to leave that day, and all essentials for his travel had already been prepared for him. Any other necessary arrangements (the matter of his pets, for example) would be taken care of in his absence.

He disliked the flippant way the Emperor had dismissed him, the silent expectation that the representative of the State of Japan would be more than willing to lay down his life for the sake of the nation. Of course he was willing, but such blatant disregard for his importance to the human who acted as representative of the heavens did not quite sit well with him. No, not at all. But he pushed aside his feelings, bowing and paying his respects and promising to do all he could with all he had. In other words, if he was to die in combat, it would be more honorable than coming back alive...whether the people of Japan were suffering from the epidemic or not.

Japan had left the country shortly after departing from the Palace, arriving on foreign soil in less time than it should have taken. Normally, he would have marveled at the improvements made on the technologies of air travel; the aircraft's ability to avoid the turbulence and touch down smoothly in unknown conditions or the utter perfection of the navigation system in avoiding other vessels. Truly, even in troubled times much could be achieved! But he knew the real reasons for his swift flight; the deterioration of security and civilization becoming more apparent as he flew farther and farther away from his home and his people.

His thoughts wandered to them, a worried frown touching his lips before he carefully masked it. He did not need his people (though only two men were with him) to see his concern. 'Logic is panic's prey. I must remain calm. This will put everyone at ease.' He took a few deep breaths, the long inhales and forced exhales muffled by the noises of the aircraft as it descended.

He bid the men farewell, watching as they disappeared over the horizon and headed back to safety. Sighing, he double-checked his weapons and pulled the straps of his pack more securely around him. It had been some time since he had simply been abandoned in a forest, left to fend for himself and to defeat enemies without showing any remorse. Still, he scanned the area, brown eyes analyzing every shadow while he listened for even the slightest snapping of twigs. The dim light filtering through the trees gave him some comfort, but not enough for him to linger.

'I am becoming too old for this.' He mused, taking from his pocket a small bottle filled with dark-colored capsules. The parting gift from the Emperor--uttered with the ironic translation of "God Speed"--and an old friend. Wasting little time, he swallowed one, returning the rest to his pocket after sealing the lid. After a deep breath, he stared down the nearest tree, picking out a branch before scrambling to climb it. Once he reached the branch, he dropped to the ground and repeated the process, building adrenaline and forcing the pill's contents to spread faster through his system. Ten repetitions and he took off in the direction of the warehouse as soon as his feet hit the ground, the substance giving him a burst of speed.

He stuck to the shadows of the trees, avoiding any troublesome areas with a stroke of luck he would never count on again. The sprint to the warehouse took him 3 minutes, and though he would have enjoyed resting to bask in his small achievement, stopping would only worsen the aches and pains he would suffer at a later time. A quick survey of the area showed him a metal ladder, which he guessed would take him to the roof or somewhere above ground level.

He aimed for that, grabbing the rungs and climbing quickly but quietly. His primary objective was to be off ground level; he could worry about finding everyone once he recovered. 'I only hope that they can forgive my late arrival.' He mused as he pulled himself up onto the roof.

[[x] Spain]

As much as he hated the cold, Spain had to admit that the best way to relax was to stargaze at night. Sure, he had to bundle up a bit but it was worth it. After all, it's not every night that he got to be relaxing like this.

Granted, patrolling wasn't usually considered the same as "relaxing".

However, there wasn't much he could do. Someone had to watch over the rooftop to be able to see if there was any supicious activity.

Usually there wasn't any kind of huge event or trouble in general, but tonight was just a little different. On the very edge of his senses, he heard the distinct rustling of leaves and branches as he passed by the ladder where new nations could enter into the warehouse.

And yet there was no wind to move the forest's foliage.

An animal, perhaps. He guessed, keeping his panic level down. The last thing he needed was to freak out. There were several animals about at this time of night, so it wouldn't have been all that unique if there was a lonley mutated racoon, running around for God knows why. One thing did pique his curiosity, that being the breakneck speed at which said animal was moving around. It was far too fast to be any normal creature... but then again, nothing could be even remotely considered "normal" anymore.

In a blur of motion, a humanoid figure sped along the plains and to the warehouse, already having lept over the fence and hitting the ground with the same momentum it started out with.

"Mierda!" Shit! He whispered, swinging his axe in a defensive position. If that was a new kind of zombie, they were FAR more screwed than they ever had been before. There was no other choice but to eliminate it as soon as possible. "Good luck getting past me, bastardo." His voice was dangerous and low and his eyes could've lit something on fire with the fury and loyalty burning in them. That son of a bitch zombie wouldn't get past him.

The clanging of hands grappling the rungs of the ladder almost scared him.

Almost.

Fear wouldn't dare take root in his heart, after all.

The minute he saw a shadowy figure land onto the roof, he leaped into action. He was a bit wary of killing it, though. Giving it a second thought, if it was a zombie with actual dexterity and thinking capabilities, it wouldn't be too bad to capture it for Finland to study. "Alto ahí. Stop right there," He ordered, swinging his axe so the blade was pointed at the side of the new enemy's head. "If you value your life, scum."

The inky darkness didn't help him identify the figure when it stopped dead in its tracks. By the looks of it, it was a bit smaller than himself, with whisps of shadows acting as hair that were somehow neatly cut. It's clothes were neat and it didn't look dead at all.

In fact, it seemed like it was still breathing.

"Tell me what you are." With certain finality, he pressed the blade just a bit into the figure's flesh, not enough to draw blood (if it indeed had any), but enough that if it could feel pain, it would. "Before I kill you again."

[czech]

Silence was the only friend the night offered to Czech. She basked in it with much gratitude, finding that times like these were the only time that she was able to do the one she loved most.

Sewing.

She was perched above a large tree concealed by the shadows, a small blanket in hand as her dainty fingers stitched away. It was meant to be for her friend Spain whom she knew loved to stargaze on rare, calm nights such as this. However, being a warm blooded spainard as he was, he hated the cold harsh winds. So she had decided right then and there that she would make him a nice warm blanket to keep with him when he stargazed. And that was final.

She continued to stitch, the needle flowing in her hand gracefully a calm look in her large blue green eyes. Her head perked up at the sound of a movement in the forest ground below. She observed her finger, seeing that she had pricked it when she jumped in surprise, seeing a small drop of blood forming. She did make a single sound, this was an instinct of hers that she did without even knowing. It was a way of saying 'Wake up...we've got work to do'.

After stuffing the blanket in her bag and storing her needles very carefully, She took hold of her rifle propped by her side, the safety still on. With one swift movement the saftey was turned off and the gun was cocked, ready to shoot whatever was out there...be it dangerous that is.

Her sharp eyes scanned below in silence looking for who or what made that sound. Another sound of steps were heard making her turn her firearm directly towards the source. Her eyes saw him at once and a small warm glow came over her. "Spain you're here!" She thought happily that he was here, but something else caught the eye of the young Scout; She saw standing before her friend was a figure shrouded by darkness. She tried to get a good look at him, but from this light and angle it proved to be impossible.

Czech's aim now was pointed towards the head of this mysterious vistor having a clear shot now. If she so wanted she could've blown his brains out where he stood, but her instincts told her to wait. And her instincts had never steered her wrong before.

She held the position, a slow sadistic smile forming on her lips. The cute little girl had suddenly changed into that of a cold, calculated assassin. "Come on..." She whispered. "Give me an excuse...my trigger finger is itching to kill."

[Japan]

((Czech! Welcome! I only didn't include mention of you in the post because he can't see you x.x))

Japan stepped more fully onto the roof, only pausing once he was a few feet from the edge. His limbs trembled, already showing signs of the pill in his system winding down. The thing only lasted a few minutes, and had always left him far wearier than he liked. The passage of time had not been particularly kind to him either, manifesting itself in the present as barely-concealed panting and a moment of blindness to his surroundings.

Luckily, he was not deaf.

His pause was well-timed (and life-saving, apparently), and he remained still save for the small, involuntary shivers that ran through him as his tired limbs attempted to keep him upright. His sluggish mind raced to process the words, the slight flip of the tongue and the accent tantalizingly familiar to his ears. 'Dare...?' He questioned inwardly, his hair settling once more after being pushed by the weapon cutting the air in his direction.

He suppressed the instinct to draw his blade and to defend himself when he felt the sting of a blade pressed into his flesh, instead wincing slightly. He reasoned that any action against his attacker might then fully mark him as an enemy rather than allowing him the courtesy to state his purpose. He also reasoned that there were probably more guards, though why no one had stopped him up to this point made him wonder just how few people actually stood on guard duty at once.

He would ignore the guard's rudeness for now; the man was only doing his job, and treating a potential enemy with contempt. However, it was rare for him not to hear the man smiling or humming cheerfully, sunny as the country he came from. A quick glance into the dark revealed shapes that could have been plants, confirmed with a gentle inhale that brought to him the smell of soil. The thought of gardening made him smile ever-so-slightly, though the expression was probably lost in the dark.

"Spain-san, please forgive my rather...abrupt and late arrival." He stated into the dark, almost all traces of his fatigue buried beneath his usual mask. "I am Japan, and I have been sent to help."

[czech]

'Steady now hands, don't fail me.'

Her smile remained as she held her beloved rifle. It had been a very special gift from Prussia when she was just a budding country, just when she was coming into her own.

She gave a great pause now as the smell of mint wafted towards her nose. Her eyes ever so slightly moved to the forest floor below seeing that the culprit to that sweet, spicy scent was from mint balm. Her stomach gave a sudden rumble, making her face twist in pain. It had been nearly 4 days since she had eaten.

Usually little Czech would go without food for about 2 days straight. When sewing she dared not eat or drink anything except water, lest she stained her precious projects. This had been the longest she had gone without food since the depression during WWII; Now that was real pain.

Her tiny body couldn't taki it, yet she neevr took her aim off the target. She bit her lip to keep quiet.

'Oh no, I feel another fainting spell coming...'

She veered slightly as she started to black out...her aim off once more but while starting to fall from the tree accidently pulled the trigger.

Oops...

[[x] Spain]

Spain...san? The honorific and the tell-tale accent marked this figure as a friend, rather than a potential foe. "Japón?" Spain questioned, lowering his weapon. "Is that really you?" As if another person took his place, his tanned face brightened into a smile, and he immediately ignored the Japanese man's huge personal bubble, wrapping him in a welcoming and friendly hug. "Lo siento! I'm so sorry!" Mistaking the newest arrival as a new zombie, well that was certainly embarrassing. At least he wasn't the type to go around trumpeting that mistake. "I should've guessed it was you, I mean you are a - how do you pronounce it? - ninja, si?"

He began amiably welcoming Japan to the warehouse and almost started showing him around the roof, when the telltale sound of a shot rang throughout the midnight air.

"Japón! ¡Cuidado!" Look out! In the span of a breath, both nations were on the ground, Spain on top of Japan, ducking so that the bullet wouldn't hit them.

To their extreme luck, whoever was shooting was apparently not aiming whatsoever, for the bullet only hit the opposite side of the forest and missed the pair completely. "WHO THE HELL SHOT THAT?!" would've been said, if that was what he really cared about at the moment.

"Japan! Are you alright?!" Before he crushed the (much) older nation, he popped onto his hands so he was still above him.

[czech]

Czech hit the forest floor with a large 'thud'. Her head was spinning as she looked up at the sky...was it always this green at night? She blinked a few times then forced herself up which only made her head spin worse. Her thoughts were immediately drawn towards Spain and the strange figure and the bullet that missed its mark.

"Oh no...have a hit Spain!?"

She tried standing, only to find her back on the ground her stomach screaming at her. She saw her sewing bag had hit the ground with her, much to her relief. It was good because she had some biscuits in there. She kept them in case of emergencies like these for the biscuits were backed with the most organic, natural energerizer than any could imagine...specially created by herself.

She managed to crawl to her bag and reach a very shaky hand into it, gently search so that she did not knock over her needles or tangle her threads. She finally found one which made her smile. She rested her back against the tree giving a heavy sigh and a distainful look at the biscuits. Though they were good for her they tastes something aweful. Just having one near her made her think of vomiting.

'Come on Czech...you need it...so just eat the damn stupid biscuit!'

After a moment of fight with herself she finally got up the courage to bring the foul food to her lips. She was stopped suddenly as she heard a rustle in the forest.

'Oh heaven oh mighty please be a hallucination...'

She looked up very slowly and her eyes spotted in the clearing a Zombie was approaching. She almost screamed in surprise. This was not good. She didn't have enough strength to climb back up to the saftey of the tree...and her precious rifle was no where to be found.

As a reflex she shoved the whole biscuit in her mouth. she could tell that the Zombie did not see her...but the sure as hell didn't mean it didn't sense her! She grimaced the taste of all the herbs and mixed berries in her mouth but chewed like her life depended on it. And right at this moment of this little crisis, her life really did depend on it.

[Singapore]

Singapore was standing on the corner of the roof. She couldn't see Japan or Spain, because for some reason, she was hanging upside down on the edge. She heard someone fall in the direction of the forest and was looking intently at that direction. She made out a figure of a nation and noticed a zombie not far off.

'She's in trouble.' Singapore thought to herself. 'Maybe I should help.'

She considered taking her rifle to shoot the zombie. But she wasn't much of a sniper. She was a groundskeeper. So, the only option was her knife. She was deadly with a knife, and throwing at this distance wouldn't break a sweat. But she had to get upright first. She swung hersel up and placed her feet firmly on the ground. She swiftly took her knife from her pocket and thre it straight at the zombie. It went straight through its head before it crumpled to the ground.

Score!

"Are you alright?!" she shouted to the nation. "If you are, get out of there and ever so kindly retrieve my knife for me!"

Then she turned and recognized two other nations. Spain, her senior groundskeeper, or that's what she called him, and Japan, another asian nation.

"Um...hi"

[[x] Spain]

Already in reaction mode, Spain kept his cool, doling out orders left and right to swiftly and efficiently deal with the problem. "Singapore! Go check on that nation! Something must have happened to them; if they were alright, they would've already reacted to the zombie!" He jumped up, pulling Japan up with him. "Head inside and make sure that they have the clinic ready in case there are any injuries. I doubt there will be, but you can never be too sure."

In this world, there was never just one zombie. He would have to take extreme caution.

"Singapore," Following his junior, he let his voice drop a few levels of volume. "while you go check on the nation, I'm going to make sure we won't have any other unwelcome visitors."

With a quick "Meet you back at the clinic." he split off and went his own way, keeping an eye out for any unusual activity.

[czech]

Czech swallowed down the last 3 energy biscuits, then stored the rest, starting to feel her strength return. She looked up and reconized the nation at once as Singapore. She saw the knife in the Zombie and grinned.

"Good aim Madame Singapore..."

She reached down wearily and pulled the knife from the undead now dead zombie. She stared in silence, reflecting on it slightly. She had seen these things before but not as close as now. It was sad to look at what this creature once was. A man it seemed like his flesh rotted and smeeled a death, he looked young as well. Perhaps in his early to mid 20s. She shook her head at the sight...then did as all Czechs did when someone had left this world. She reach down very slowly and carefully and closed its bloodshot eyes. Then made a short and sweet silent prayer for the zombie.

After she was done she proceeded to look for her rifle, knowing she had to be quick. Soon the other Zombie would be coming. And it would be just her luck if it was one of the new Zombie that had been popping out of no where. At last she found her beloved rifle, grabbing hold of it fast and holding it close in a tight hug like an old friend.

Just as the sound of the cracking branch reached her ear she was already on one knee, gun cocked and aimed just right as she fired yet another shot. She watched as the Zombie's companion fell to the ground, part of its head blown off from her shooting. She grinned to herself, the sadistic side of the nation coming over her once more.

"Thank you for teaching me to 'shoot to kill' Russia..."

[Japan]

((I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LENGTH IT'S BECAUSE I HAD TO PLAY CATCH UP D: ))

"Hai, Spain-san, it i--" Japan's response faltered as Spain threw his arms around him, a rare, startled blush blooming on his cheeks that he prayed the darkness hid from the affectionate nation. He stood perfectly still save for the nervous little tremblings that ran through him, hoping that Spain would let him go before he had to resort to pushing him off. He really didn't want to push a man still holding an axe, lest he lost his balance. "A-Ah, it is fine, Spain-san, but ah..."

He ignored the 'ninja' comment, too flustered to come up with a response that wouldn't make the Spaniard simply hug him tighter or ruffle his hair and tell him he was being too modest. Spain had yet to do that--it was usually America, and those were harsh slaps on the back and a shouted 'Great job' that kept ringing in his ears long after the blond stopped talking--but the Mediterranean nations were infamous with their rather...affectionate gestures.

And, speaking of awkward...the sound of a gunshot rang out far too close for comfort, and then suddenly he found himself on his back with Spain pressing him to the concrete. His frantic mind tried to process this new and more intimate contact while simultaneously keeping him from throwing the Spaniard off of him. Thankfully, Spain quickly lessened the contact, but only enough to not be crushing him. The lack of space between them would have normally brought on a stern lecture about 'responsibility' if Japan didn't have a sneaking suspicion that Spain and Romano were somehow romantically involved (even if Romano refused to admit it).

"H-Hai, I am unharmed." By the way Spain moved, he seemed uninjured as well. As his heart-rate returned to normal, a dull 'thud' caught his attention. He sharply turned his head in the direction of the noise, though he could not see over the small ledge of the roof. A shout nearby might have made him flinch a little if he had anywhere to really go, but instead he simply turned his head to stare at the newly revealed nation.

He opened his mouth to respond, but fell silent as Spain began to give orders. The confidence and calmness in his tone surprised him, but also calmed him. He nodded to Spain, not wanting to interrupt him but to show he had understood. However, a problem presented itself in the Spaniard's orders--he had no idea where (except for 'inside') the warehouse the clinic was, or who to talk to about it. He debated telling Spain this, but decided against it. Simply running down the stairs talking about a zombie and a potentially hurt nation would certainly grab enough attention to yield results.

But the thought of abandoning Spain or the other nations (he could not determine who they were, which irked him a bit) was unforgivable. He certainly could locate the clinic, prepare necessities, and then return to them without wasting too much time. Besides, his sudden arrival would surely alert enough other nations that he could then assist the others. Spain's orders had been to prepare the clinic, and that he would meet him there...he had not necessarily said that he couldn't return with help, or that he couldn't check on the others himself after the preparations.

He nodded again to Spain, though he also promised that he would return as soon as he had fufilled his duty to check on the others. With one potentially injured nation, that only left two to fight, with the handicap of guarding the fallen nation.

'That is not enough to guard that nation on all sides, or to have one retrieve the fallen while the other covers them. The commotion seemed small, so it is probably not worth alerting too many people unless things get difficult. I will do as Spain ordered, but I will return. If there are more enemies, I will return to get backup if they don't come with me to begin with. If the enemies are gone, then I will assist Spain and...Singapore in retrieving the other nation. If my help is not needed, then I will be there as a precaution.'

With that, he turned and, spotting the door ran for it and opened it, intent on his goal.

[Singapore]

Singapore literally jumped down from the roof when given the order to retrieve the nation. Not a good reaction, but at least she wasn't hurt. She ran towards the direction of the nation and retrieved her knife.

"Thank you." Singapore said. "Miss Czech."

She had seen Czech before in the warehouse a couple times. So it was only normal to recognize this fellow nation.

"You should be more careful when you're in the forest. Let's head back for now. I want to check on Japan and see how's he doing." Singapore told her.

She looked behind Czech to see the two zombies; one had a wound in his head, Singapore's fault, and the other had a bullet. Singapore figured that it was Czech's doing. She could react pretty well. Singapore made a final check before turning around to head back to the warehouse.

'What a day.' Singapore thought to herself. 'Definitely not a typical-Singaporean-version-of-normal day. But definitely a normal day here.'

[[x] Spain]

The sounds of gunshots followed Spain’s steps. Sing’s gun doesn’t sound like that. Whoever had been out there must be alright then. He mused, keeping up his pace. Though shooting isn’t exactly the brightest idea.

Far-off moans carried themselves on the nighttime breeze. Great. The gunfire attracted even more. Just what they needed right now. So it’s me, Sing, and whoever else is out here against any number of zombies. Not quite the odds I was hoping for, but I guess I have no other choice but to deal with it.

After he took out another rogue undead, a morbid realization occurred. If he died out here, there would be no backup. “SHIT.” He hoarsely whispered. He really should’ve told Japan to gather backup as well. But then again, he thought there would have been three or four zombies at most, but since there now was shooting involved, more would be inevitably attracted.

Oh what was he worrying about? A few zombies are easily taken care of, and he had a radio! There was no problem. He’d only call back if something truly bad happened, like if Sing or the other nation were injured.

[czech]

Though Czech could be prideful, she never let a well deserved thank you go unsaid.

"Thank you Madame Singapore, if it were'nt for your expert aim I would have probably been in some deep shit..."

Her sharp ears picked up the moans belonging to the undead. Her head perked up as she came to a complete stop. She was now fully awake and energerized.

'Verdammt. Dammit. I attracted more...I had better get my reserves.'

She turned to Sing, placing a hand up in a 'one moment please' jesture.

Not a sound could be heard as she took off at lightening quick speed. She leaped up, grabbing hold of a branch and pulling herself up onto one of the stronger limbs. She hung her sewing bag then her gun sling on the branch above, then climbing up a little farther she found her special reserves she kept for cclose range fighting. Her rapier, another gift from one of her bigger European cousins. It was a beautifully crafted blade, the hilt was of pure shining silver and the blade so sharp it could slice off an arm with ease.

With one swift move she pulled it out from the trunk of the tree, within two minutes this was all done and taken care of as she made her way to return to Sing with her new weapon. She gave a small giggle to herself.

"Oh this is going to be fun! I just know it..." It reminded her very much when she and Cousin Russia would play a game of hide and seek in the icy terrain of his home country. The object of the game was not only to find the other...to also make the first wound on your oponents body. It was a good game for when she was young...it taught her how to be fast.

[Japan]

((Random note: The locations of Japan's scars are just sorta headcanon-y locations for his WW2 atom bomb scars. To me, the map looks like an old man/a person sleeping on their side. and since Japan's old capital/seat of government was actually Kyoto...well, just check the placement. The scar on his calf would probably be closer to his ankle. Both would be 'crippling' scars if they had just happened...x.x It's an aside to a thing I heard once that Japanese like to sleep on their sides...and the fact that he's sleeping on his right side is because he's old...and sleeping on your left side squishes your heart up against that side of your body and makes it harder for you to breathe))

Japan ran through the door, taking the stairs two at a time until he reached the next floor. Again, he cursed inwardly for not having asked Spain where he was supposed to actually be going, but he could do nothing about it now. He pushed through the door to what he hoped was the ground floor, mercifully finding his assumption to be correct. He glanced around, trying to quickly spot any of the other nations. 'Surely, they are here somewhere...unless they are all out on patrols or missions...in which case...we are indeed in trouble.' He took another quick look around, straining to hear any voices or signs of movement.

He did not stop to question why no one was there, or why he could not find anyone. Instead, he searched until he found what appeared to be the clinic. Grabbing a paper and pen, he hastily scrawled two notes, affixing one to one of the crates and the other to the television with the smallest strips of some of the packing tape removed carefully from a crate. They were simple, explaining the situation and asking for help and signed with his name in Kanji at the bottom. Satisfied that they were in plain sight for any potential backup, he headed for the stairs once more.

He walked this time, his aching limbs rebelliously refusing to move any faster. Each step felt as if his feet were weighed down by stones, but he continued until he had reached the top of the stairs once more. He paused before opening the doorway to the roof, taking a deep breath. His hand drifted unconsciously to the pills at his belt, stopping and hovering as if asking their host permission. 'No...if I take another I will be more of a liability than a help. I have certainly faced worse pain than this.' An old scar on the inside of his right thigh burned, and he resisted the urge to rub it, the one on the front of his left ankle throbbing almost shortly thereafter. He ignored them both, pushing through the doorway with renewed determination and a slight limp.

He took from his pocket another pill, this one looking almost black in the light. He bit into it, resisting the urge to spit it out, and proceeded to swallow it. Quickly masking his disgust at the taste, he walked calmly to the edge of the roof, the bitterness of the herbs awaking his limbs once more. Rounin remedies truly were blessings to possess. He placed his hand on his belt, fingering the few bou-shuriken he had with him. They were basic, almost no more than nails. However, they would serve their purpose, if he needed them.

A peek over the edge showed him no sign of enemies, though the near silence was more threatening than if gunfire had split air upon his arrival. He decided then to remain above the others, though he wanted to alert them to his presence. Fingering one of the shuriken, he examined it in the half light. The metal was bare, save for a small engraving of a white bar streaked with red. Hoping that any of the nations on the ground would comprehend his message, he stood and threw the shuriken, the metal flying gracefully from his fingers and embedding itself in a visible tree with a dull 'thud'. He had aimed high, not out of the line of the nations' vision, but high enough to keep the little of his scent that clung to the metal above ground level.