An Unorthodox Challenge

Silence was what reigned over the darkened hall. Abandoned for the company of beds and solitude, the mess hall was an inverse of it's normal self. All that remained to display it's purpose was a single glowing light, accompanied by the faint aroma of spices. If one would inspect it, they'd find a lone figure, working tirelessly in the kitchen. Bright, loud, and full of motion, it displayed a sharp contrast to the halls empty nature. A show of life, his movements a furious dance, the constant sizzles and pops a musical ensemble. His smile was wide and greedy, relishing in his reward. Frantic yet graceful, skill obvious behind the ambitious movement. He was letting it all out, as if battling against an imaginary opponent. Rayden chuckled, enjoyment springing from every sound. He was in his element now, finally able to release himself after so long. All the travel, effort, meager attempts to scrape by. Everything melted away, revealing a vigor unmatched by most. Passion boiling up, seemingly emanating from his body. At last, a meal fitting himself and his needs, replacing the dreary scraps he had subsided on for so long.

Wiping sweat from his bow, he let out a sigh of relief as his dance slowed. The essential work was done, now it was simple closing it all. His happiness was radiating. It was a simple deal, but it had proved delightful for himself at least. On his end, he cleaned the hall and the kitchen. In exchange, he was provided after hours use and the right to use leftovers however he wished. Leaning back, he watched the pan carefully. A collage of meat and vegetables, he was preparing himself an old recipe he had learned when he first started cooking. There was a lack of spices, an unfortunate reality of the Rune Knights typically bland meals, but with what little they had and what he had managed to secure on his own, he managed. He inhaled deeply, the sweet and spicy aroma bringing back memories. He shook the pan, stirring the contents and sending a wave of sizzles down the hall. Grabbing an adjacent pan, he quickly strained the contents and threw them into the dish, now mixing a large section of noodles into the meal.

Nearing completion, Rayden felt an odd sense of disappointment now, as per normal. While having good food was definitely a goal, he enjoyed the act of making it more so. The challenge of creating something great. Cooking was something no one tended to expect from him. He was a muscle brain, a brawler. He accepted that fact. Still, he enjoyed any challenge. regardless of form. And cooking was a delicate one. A thousand different results for one dish, hoping to find the perfect one out of it. He had learned when he was young, and one he had improved since. He had met countless chefs, and learnt from every loss, his repertoire more and more expansive with each one. Still, he remained hidden from the world, sealed away behind the empty room. The only sign of his presence was the crack in the door, allowing the powerful scents and noise freedom, and providing a view to any wandering eyes.

Several perks had been promised to being a Rune Knight. There were special training facilities, access to certain gear and equipment, companions and teams to go out onto missions with, and in general a sense of belonging and security. All of those things were naturally great, but none of them had concerned the tiny assassin as the last. There was free food in the mess hall every once in a while. Now, for regular people it would've been obvious when these times were. For the girl, that wasn't quite the case. The signs that read when there were free servings wasn't something that she could read. So instead, she had allowed her senses to guide her, and she had gotten quite a few meals that were far more interesting than what she had been used to in her training as an assassin. It had gotten her curious, and while she was still very adamant about watching her specific intake of calories, vitamins, fibre and protein, she was also allowing herself the pleasure of having different food than she was used to...

...Now, Xana was usually a creature of the night, and having joined the Rune Knights hadn't changed that fact for even a second. In the morning hours, she was mostly sleeping. In the afternoon, she was being tutored in how to read and write, although it was an extremely painful and slow process. In the evenings, she'd usually be training, somewhat under the guidance of a couple of instructors, somewhat under her own regiment. During the nights however, she was restlessly roaming the Rune Knight headquarters. Fortune had allowed for her to gain a slight bit of a job as the halls patroller, which a badge on her vest indicated, so at least her waking hours didn't disrupt her schedule or duties. The girl was currently wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, with a slight bit of neck to it. Above it was a black vest, with a single pocket at her chest holding the flower she usually had in her hair. From her waist to just above her knees dropped a delicate black skirt, matching the general colorscheme of her outfit. The boots she wore, were her regular heeled military boots, in the same black color spectrum as the shirt. While the girl was patrolling the halls, with the single duty of sending people who had no reason to be up back to bed, there was a sensation reaching out to her. Tilting her head backwards, and taking a couple of deep breaths, it was definitely the scent of food, coming from the mess hall.

Shrugging to herself, she wasn't entirely sure why someone was cooking food when everyone else was meant to be asleep, but perhaps it was just a kind gesture to the people who were patrolling the halls. So without any kind of hesitation, she opened the door to the kitchens so silently and fluidly that whoever was inside likely wouldn't notice. From there, she casually picked up a bowl, scooped some of the food up directly in front of him, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, before returning to the mess hall and taking a seat, happily beginning to devour her hard-earned meal. Seeming quite pleased with the taste, it was the first time in a long time that she had gotten a midnight snack.

Audacious was probably the best word to describe it. As well as one of the advanced words he knew. Focused on his work, even with his increased senses he didn't manage to notice the door open, nor did he catch the footsteps of the invader. His first realization of her came from when she stood before him, watching the food. It was a minor shock, a little shudder as he realized how low his guard was, but that was the extent of his reaction. He had never expected to be entirely alone. In the back of his mind he had always accounted for the occasional night bird or chefs preparing for tomorrow. So as he relaxed and regained his composure from the surprise, he was in no place to react to what happened next. Taking a bowl, his bowl he had prepared for himself in fact, and took some of the food. Then without even a word, left to eat in the blackened hall. Stunned, Rayden contemplated what just happened. There were some arguments that could explain what she had done; perhaps she thought he was a worker here providing a free snack, maybe she was starving and would apologize after eating. None of those seemed to have any effect on him though. Turning off the burner to protect his creation, he moved into the hall, stopping before the culprit.

He took a moment to inspect her, as well as gather his thoughts. She was frail, small, and definitely younger than himself. She didn't seem like a hardened criminal, nor did she seem hostile. She acted like it was the most casual situation she'd been in. The more he examined her and his attitude, the more confused he became about how to handle it. He'd never been one to pick on people younger than himself, nor be one to yell at women. Still, what she had done was completely deserving of it. Placing a hand on the table, he cleared his throat to get her attention. Attempting to meet her eyes, the ruby haired youth stared her down, clearly displeased with the situation. "Now, I don't know what you thought, or what you expected, but that meal is not free." He straightened up, crossing his arms. "I worked hard to make that for myself, not for everyone. So taking some, without even asking, is not acceptable. So, how do you expect to repay me for that?" The more he spoke, the more his anger seemed to fade. He had made much more than he could eat to be fair. Still, not even asking him about having some bothered him. He had to get some answers now.

The food was being eaten carefully. It was a single bite, with a single article of food on it, never mixing them inappropriately. With how small she was, she also wasn't one to be churning down food at an incredible rate. In fact, it was going rather slow. Content with the food, the instant that the chef stood in the door before her, the scarlet eyes looked into his. It was clear that she didn't understand why he was leaving the kitchen, nor why he was approaching her. When his hand hit the table, making a deep clunking sound, he had her full attention. Directly talking to her, she just sat there, looking at him with curious eyes. A vast majority of what he said was making absolutely no sense to her, nor was she certain of how to reply. Scratching her cheek idly, she was clearly trying to figure something out, before it seemed something dawned upon her. Getting up from her seat, and stepping past him into the kitchen, it had at first seemed as if she had completely ignored him. However, moments later she returned with a blok of paper and a pen. There were always some things in the kitchen that could write and be written upon.

Sighing softly, she scribbled onto the paper, before ripping off the first piece and handing it to him. From what he might've expected to recieve, it was probably something completely different. Hi. I Xana. I No talk. The letters were atrocious to read, and the writing style was that of a five year old. The spacing was atrocious, and the words themselves weren't even making complete sentences. Sitting down at the table again, she casually continued to eat. When the other had mentioned that the meal wasn't free she wasn't quite sure what it meant. Whenever she had been asked to pay for anything, it was usually either through bodily favors or through blood. Only recently had she learned that there was value to these jewels, and that she had been able to buy an icecream after her very first job. Everything else that the girl knew of, was only in relation to how to manipulate people, and how to kill them.

It was like each word went in one ear, out the other. The girl didn't seem to understand a word he was saying. It bothered him slightly, and all he could wonder was 'What exactly is going on here?' When she stood and ran to the kitchen, he was prepared for much worse; her getting more food. He almost ran and followed her. Yet she returned quickly, so he remained were he was, a small jerk towards the kitchen was all the motion he made. As she wrote, he wondered where this was leading. Some long winded explanation, a desperate plea? Instead, he was greeted with a result far below his expectation. Simple, basic and as if a child had wrote it. He looked stunned for a moment, a stupid look on his face as if to ask 'Is she mocking me?' But, when considered with the attitude and behavior she had before, it all seemed to make at least some sense. "So, you're.... mute? Can you understand what I'm saying?"

He gave a small window for response before continuing. "That doesn't change that you're stealing from me though." He was in an awkward spot now. While he did want recompense, he didn't want money. She had stolen some of his prize, what he had worked so hard to make. That's when an idea clicked with him. She hadn't eaten much, but he also felt confident she had eaten enough of his delicacy to want more. Grabbing the bowl, he held it high, an almost sinister smile on his face. "Very well, I have a deal. If you want some of my prize, you have to earn it. Simple enough; get the food from me, and you can have some with me. Does that sound fair to you?" He felt a little rude. The girl was smaller, and clearly weaker than his physically. Still, he wasn't going to completely underestimate her. He may actually get a good challenge out of this.

Sitting there calmly eating her fill, when he questioned where she was mute, she nodded. When he questioned wheter she could understand what he was saying, she nodded. It was very basic communication, yet it was the best she had to work with. The other was explaining that what she had done was stealing. Stealing was, as far as she understood it, taking something that belonged to someone without the intention of giving it back. That really hadn't been the girls intention though. As far as everyone she had spoken to had explained her, food that was cooked in the kitchens at the mess hall was free. Perhaps it was after-hours, or because it was something that he himself had brought into the kitchens and cooked? Whatever the case, she lowered her head a little. It wasn't that the girl was neccesarily feeling sorry, nor that she was feeling anything in particular. It was more that she knew she wasn't supposed to steal anything unless specifically ordered to. Even father had held those standards to her, so in a sense she had failed at her purpose. Idly poking the bowl, she was leaving her magic imprint onto it, before she decided that the best course of action, would probably be to leave. If she had stolen from him, it was likely that he would be angry with her, and she didn't want any trouble...

...However, he quickly snatched the bowl away from her, and when she expected him to start yelling and cussing her out, he instead issued a challenge. A challenge where she could earn the meal, if she was capable of taking the bowl from him. The scarlet eyes were coming to life. So there was a way that she could repay him, fortunately. Now, the bowl. It would be rather easy for her to get, if she played her cards right. Or at least, so she assumed. Sighing softly, she hung her head dejectly, waving to him as she started leaving the mess hall, stepping into the darkness where he couldn't see her. It would appear to him as if she was simply leaving...

...But then in an instant, the girl vanished, disappearing, stepping through the shadows, before reapparing just above the bowl in a timeframe that could only be considered instant. Knowing nothing of being gently or curteous, she was attempting to wrap her arms around his outstretched arm that held the bowl, while simultaneously trying to kick him to the face. The surprise tactic wasn't overly powerful in strenght, but it was insanely fast. It was designed with one intent in mind. Getting the bowl from him and getting food.

He had prepared himself for something strong. Most people tended to use the big guns at the start in these situations. Even if she was a frail, mute girl, she was a Rune Knight. Not ever person made in, so being a member alone meant she was something else. There was a catch. So when she got up, he tensed slightly, and when she walked away he.... got stunned. She was giving up? That was unexpected, to say the least. He hadn't expected furious resistance or anger from the girl, but he had expected something. Anything really. It was a shame. He had hoped to get something interesting for once. A battle or wits or skill. Instead she rolled over and left. Then she was suddenly upon him. Distracted, and unexpected, as the girl faded into shadow he blinked, before an immediate pressure on his arm. Were it not for a split second reaction, he'd have suffered much more from the attack. Head turning to check what had happened, arm raising on instinct with no strict goal, the kick made contact with it's goal, the hand of the raised arm buffering it however. A square hit to the upper cheek.

He grinned, much wider than he should have in the situation. He liked this. THIS was the reaction he wanted. Arm struggling and shaking, trying to support a woman in a very awkward position. His hand grasped the foot, attempting to get a sense of control in the situation. Still, there wasn't much time to think or react. With both the area and location in mind, the disadvantage was all his. It was no place for him to use his magic without damaging it. He also had no plans to harm the girl seriously, and his magic wasn't helpful without doing such. So all he could do for the moment was stand, barely maintaining grip on the bowl. "Good. That's the attitude I like. I hope you have more where that came from." With both a poor grip on the girl, as well as a purely defensive role, Rayden knew he would struggle to try and stop her. Still, he'd go down kicking, ready completely now for her next attempt.

Grappled onto his arm, from there, getting the bowl would be rather easy. With two fingers, she precisely pressed them against his arm, before activating another spell. To him, it would likely feel like a small electrical discharge passing through his arm. It wouldn't be painful, instead, it would feel leave a dull feeling of nothing. If successful, it would rob his arm of all strenght, all movement, and all use, for a short duration. Essentially the spell would be turning his arm from a limb into a noodle for some time. Since his arm wouldn't be able to keep her up either, she'd roll forwards, grab the bowl, and get to her feet in a quick movement. It was now clear, that the girl was incredibly agile. Even so, she seemed to breathe rather fast for such a small exchange. It seemed like her stamina and strenght suffered, in favor of clear bursts of power...

...Somewhat ignoring him, she stepped back around the table with the bowl in hand, situating herself at her seat again, before nodding her head at him as acknowledgement that she had, in fact, earned this meal now. Then, without much else in the way, she started carefully devouring the food once again. Overall, she was rather pleased with himself. In the back of her mind, though, she had noted that his physical strenght was far beyond what she could hope to tangle with. If he was strong enough to lift the girls bodyweight in the way that he had, he was strong enough to keep her under control if he ever managed to grip onto her. It was a somewhat unpleasent thought, but so far, he had been calm enough not to try and harm her. So that seemed to be a definite plus.

At a disadvantage from the start, Rayden didn't expect to hold out long. He had let his ego best him, and as a result put himself into a bad position. The girls grip was weak, and if he breath indicated anything, she was struggling already. If he was actually aiming to fight her, he had an idea of how to handle it. Yet without the intent, he struggled to respond. He hoped he could simple endure her until she exhausted herself. Her strength was fading fast, so while difficult that option seemed plausible. Yet his grip was weak, and in this position she held the power. As well, it was evident she still had access to her magic, while he couldn't use his. Then came the shock. A jolt straight down his arm, and he instantly knew is time was up. Another quick strike, almost surgical in precision, and his arm fell like a noodle. And with a skip and a roll she was gone. It was his defeat, and a quick one at that. A mixture of both frustration and enjoyment painted his face, creating an odd grin of sorts. Shaking his head, he returned to the kitchen for a moment. Entering the room with a bowl in his only useful hand, he sat down and ate next to her. "Enjoy it, you bested me for it. It's what I deserve for giving you such an easy chance."

Finally able to enjoy his meal, albeit at a slower pace than normal due to have the power, he wondered more about the girl. With her writing being an atrocity on it's own, he doubted he could get any complex answers out of him. Yes and no would have to suffice. "So, is it any good? Have I managed to meet your tastes?" She interested him. She was agile and quick, as well as brash. She was willing to actually come at him for the challenge, where was most knights would have scoffed or ignored it. He liked a forward person. "If so, there's always more if you're willing to keep working for it. I won't go down that easy next time though." He smiled, attempting to offer a handshake before realizing his arm was useless. Laughing at his own mistake, stopped eating for a moment to offer it again. "The name's Rayden. And quick question; this isn't permanent, is it?" There seemed a hint of serious concern mixed hidden in a joking tone.

Leaning back in the chair when she was done eating, the girl let out a content sigh. It seemed that, wherever she was from, she had needed to eat quickly or someone else would've taken the food from her. It seemed that the former opponent was fine with having lost, which made everything easier. It meant that currently the girl hadn't done anything wrong, and the problem between them along with the accusation of having stolen were done and sorted. Already having finished when he asked wheter it was good, she replied in the simplest manner that she possibly could. Holding the bowl forward, as if asking for more, before rubbing her own tummy and nodding contently. The food had been fine, for most people. Yet, for someone who was used to simply cooking whatever she could catch over a fire, be it rats, birds, cats or even dogs, the meal was superb.

When asked if she was willing to help at the prospect of more food, the girl shrugged. It wasn't a yes, and it wasn't a no. The idea of getting more food was certainly pleasing, but she had hoped there would be more to it than that. In addition, on the last mission her partner had gotten her shot. Teaming up with people both had upsides and downsides, but at least this one seemed more intelligent than the brute from the north. Lastly, when he asked wheter it was permanent or not, she shook her head. The effect would wear off in a couple of minutes, although she understood why he would be concerned. Being robbed of a limb, even temporarily, certainly wasn't something many would appreciate.

With a relaxed sigh, Rayden seemed to calm down a bit. There was a small fear that he had lost his arm in the back of his mind. This girl didn't seem to be the kind to mess around with anything. It would have been quite the loss to give up an arm for a bowl of fried noodles. Standing, he took her bowl and returned to the kitchen. Feeding her may have been more of a commitment than he intended. Returning with the filled bowl, he placed it down and went back to consuming his own. It was quite the odd sight; two people eating silently in an unlit hall. Yet he was fine with it. It was better than how he had been surviving up till now. He was starting to regain some feeling in his arm, able to at least place it on the table now. He wondered where she learned that trick, he kinda wanted to do it himself. He couldn't think of a way she could teach him with her limited communication skills though, at least any that didn't involve trial and error on himself.

Watching her eat, he wondered how someone like her ended up in the Rune Knights. His knowledge of them was limited, and as such all he had to go off of was his own basic conceptions. He had heard of some people inside the corps who were focused on stealth and precision instead of general strength, so perhaps she was one? Regardless, she had caught his intrigue, and he figured if he could keep her around it could lead to some interesting stuff. "Tell yah what. I basically come here every night around this time to cook. You come back here again, and we'll do the same game for some more food." He paused, gauging for a reaction, before continuing. "However, since I'm at a disadvantage in it, and I have to cook, I'm gonna ask for a little more. I'm supposed to do a job tomorrow for the Knights, but since I don't think I'll be able to handle it alone. So if you come give me a hand with it, I'll get you some lunch as well. Sound fair to you?" The idea of simply repeating the game whenever she wanted food was interesting, but after seeing her work he wanted to see what she was like in action. He figured if he could get her to go on a job with him, he'd be able to see how she operated.

As Rayden came back with more food, Xana was mostly just picking at it, taking a few additional bites, but he had filled it up more than she could manage. So eventually, the girl simply put down the fork she had been eating with, somewhat pushing the bowl forwards as if surrendering.  The amount of leftovers wasn't astonishing, but she definitely wasn't able to eat the entirety of the bowl. When he made his suggestion, and sorta required her to do more, the girl narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously. Assisting him on a job for food didn't neccesarily sound bad, but every job that she had gone on so far, even patrolling the halls at night, had ggiven her an amount of jewels that she could buy icecream for. So if she was going to help, she wanted some of that aswell. So, with everything accounted for, the other was gaining a slight bit of interest from the girl. So far, he had been able to provide both food, entertainment and a job to do. Perhaps there were more things that she could gain from their meetings, only time would tell. For now, though, it was important that he understood exactly where she was coming from. If he didn't, then she simply wouldn't be able to cooperate with him. That, and he'd need to learn how to communicate with her, although that would probably be a much bigger hurdle.

Placing her hand in her pocket, she pulled out two jewels. Placing them both on the table, she pushed one towards him, while pulling the other towards herself, before once again placing both in her pocket. It wasm eant to be showing that, if there was a reward, she wanted to share it equally if they both spend their time equally on completing said job. It shouldn't be such an unfair proposition, and if he was okay with it, then he had gotten himself a deal! Looking intensely at him with the scarlet eyes, it should be rather obvious that she was expecting some kind of answer, before she would move on from there. Also, it'd probably be required that he said when and where they would meet. Otherwise, Xana was extremely likely to forget, if she found something else interesting.