~Beyond the Night~

Here we are, Aura. It's our role play. Now, you didn't give me ANYTHING to work with, so I hope this is good for you. ^ ^

The Modernization Era. Finally, a complete world map of Alidaire has been completed by explorer and expert cartographer Walter Henesche. All seven continents have been discovered: Dalmaschior, Elendia, Selva, Punito, Glaciar, Tsukigata, and Berbatu. Now that every continent has become inhabited, one of the longest eras in Alidairian history has begun: the Modernization Era. In this era, experiments in developing technology surged and many institutions devoted to the cause originated. The early years were consumed with using steel to develop a multitude of things that had previously been thought impossible. When steel had reached its limit, ideas on transportation began to arise along with investigation into mana-powered machines similar to that of the Restocasians, a race of ancient beings who have complete control over the mana that flows through Alidaire. After many years of experiments accompanied by numerous successes and devastating failures, mana-powered vehicles and rudimentary airships were created which replaced the primal coach. Buildings began growing taller and being constructed from a special steel alloy. Electricity was created via conducting lightning mana through copper rods which eventually became wires. The world was evolving, but just because humanity’s way of life was changing did not mean that threats did not still exist in the world.

Tsukigata. The land of the crescent moon and fifth country/continent to be discovered. What made the area unique was the lack of indigenous monsters--Tsukigata was completely free from the threat of savage creatures. Thus, many flocked to this new country in hopes of a carefree life. However, what appears by day does not represent what appears by night...

The Kemonokage. At night, the land of Tsukigata transmogrifies into a horrific scene of disaster. The moon turns a pale yellow and seems to bleed while a blue-green light surges through the country and tints everything turquoise with a slightly more accentuated green. In this time, beasts arise from the shadows of varying shapes and sizes. Thus, they became known as the Kemonokage. Regardless, they were fairly easy to deal with because they only came out at night, so people just stayed indoors. Yet, that plan failed almost instantaneously as the Kemonokage began to break into people’s houses and killing them in their sleep. After the threat increased, the leaders of Tsukigata formed a secret group of scientists in order to perform a specific task--research the Kemonokage and find a way to inhibit them. After years of executing various ideas, the scientists discovered that the land was linked to the Alchemic Dimension of Shadow and at night, the moon unlocked a seal separating the alchemic dimension from reality which allowed for the Kemonokage to temporarily inhabit the world of mortals. The best known way to restrict shadows would be to use light which is what the scientists planned on doing. With specially constructed cannons, they fired several probes into the sky using mana to extend the range so that they would reach as high as the moon. When the probes dug into the moon, the scientists engaged a mechanism in their laboratory that sent light impulses throughout the moon, strengthening the seal. The next night, no change occurred and no Kemonokage appeared. The Tsukigatans held a grand festival that lasted throughout the night. No longer would they have to fear the darkness.

Kokoro-no-soko. The capitol city of Tsukigata. At one time, it was the city that was tormented most by the Kemonokage. When the onslaughts ended, the citizens of this city alone were probably the happiest. However, something has gone horribly wrong in this city. Changes are occurring in the night, and the shadows begin to grow restless. It will be up to those with courage to ensure that this ordeal is eliminated so that the people of Tsukigata never have to experience the anguish they did in the days of old.

This is where our story begins....

Okay. So, I guess it’s time for Character Profiles.

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Grade: (1st, 2nd, or 3rd year)
Weapon:
Appearance:
Personality:
Background:

So, here is my character:

Name: Kawairashii Shizuka

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Grade: 3rd Year

Weapon: Folding Fans

Appearance: Eyes as black as the night sky of a new moon gaze at passersby with intensity unbeknownst to mere mortals. They are quizzical eyes hiding behind long, jet black bangs, analyzing the world and learning from the inferences. Darkness lies just below his eyes from several sleepless nights and stands out, for the rest of his skin is pale white. His straightened, black hair traverses downwards to his shoulders and the tips of his subtle ears peek out timidly from it. He’s rather short at a moderate 5’4” and very slim. He hardly smiles, but a curious frown graces his face constantly as if he wishes to understand everything. Usually, he just wears the school uniform: nice, white dress shirt; dark blue, long-sleeved jacket; and long, dark blue matching pants. Fanciful black shoes only accentuate and complete the look. However, when casually dressing, he tends to wear brighter clothes that juxtapose his appearance: white t-shirts with graphic designs upon them, long pants--slightly baggy--that are typically beige in color, and black and white sneakers. His nails are slightly longer than usual and his friends always say he should just paint them, but he doesn’t in fear of embarrassment. Also, he always has two folding fans on his person. One is almost completely black except for a small white pattern on it and the other is almost completely white except for a design of a plant with the leaves turning into small fish on it. Typically, they remain in his pockets and their purpose remains unknown by his peers; they simply think it’s a fashion statement or something.

Personality: He is as enigmatic as it gets. His thoughts are very difficult to read, for his monotonous expression and aura tend to throw people off. Trying to provoke him into anger is like trying to pick a fight with a brick wall--it’s not going to happen. Many people tend to think he’s depressed, but they couldn’t be more wrong. In actuality, he remains happy most of the time, but he concentrates so much on learning and observing that it gives his countenance the appearance of sadness. An extreme desire to obtain knowledge consumes his soul and is often found reading lengthy books, but he only reads on nice days when he can go outside. He isn’t very outgoing, and some may think he is actually rather timid, but once again, people have formulated a misconception. He just does not like people generally, though he usually turns out to be unusually tolerant of enthralling people. He even goes as far as to give off a slight laugh at certain humor, so he is not completely devoid of enthusiasm.

Background: Shizuka has always lived Kokoro-no-soko. His parents met in the capitol city when scientists from all over the country gathered there for a convention of sorts discussing new technology to improve city conditions. It was love at first sight and mind, for they not only appreciated each other's appearances, but also each other's intelligence. Regardless, they decided to take up residence in Kokoro-no-soko and have a child. Shizuka is an only child, which he considers lucky, and has become slightly selfish as a result...but only slightly. He began walking and talking at a very early age, and his parents couldn't have been more proud of him. His vast intellect continued to be reflected in his amazing, nearly perfect grades when he entered school.

Shizuka has been living a life of normality in the Higashi-Rakuen District of Kokoro-no-soko for 16 years now. In his mind, he yearns for an exciting life--a life in which nothing is predictable. He goes to school everyday, does his homework, hangs out at the park, visits the Nishi-Hibana District to do some shopping with friends, and anything else a typical teenager does. But thanks to the scientists, the Kemonokage never attack anymore. However, he could never imagine that things would soon be changing for the worse.

Name: Nasai Watarimono

Age: 15

Gender Male

Grade: 2nd Year

Weapon: Wrist Blades

Appearance Predominantly jet black hair with certain strands being white/silver, it is medium/average length. His pupils are usually dilated, as his eyes are sensitive to light, giving him incredible nocturnal vision, and his skin is a ghostly pale. Because his eyes are always dilated, and are stone gray, typically, people are intimidated. He stands at an unusual height for his age, 6''4, further intimidating others. He dislikes the school uniform, but wears it with tolerance. When casually dressed, he typically wears a long black coat with white cuffs and trim to make himself seem a little taller, the unrevealed shirt beneath is simply a white, buttoned up shirt. He is not really masculine or slender, his body type meeting around the middle of the two extremes. He has a scar on the bottom right side of his jaw, which he does not explain to the few who ask, simply ignoring them. He always wears ring-shaped gauntlets on his wrists, which during battle, reveal blades more than twice the length of his hands. Both are studded with small gem-like spheres in their blades to channel energies, the gauntlets themselves create a thin mana barrier to protect his arms. Through the gem stones in the blades, he can add an electrical charge to the blades to temporarily do more damage to his enemies. When the electricity loses the charge, he can switch to mana damage, but must sacrifice the mana shielding around his arms to do so.

Personality:Usually silent. He has things to say to people, but they're hardly ever good ones. Therefore, he lives by the principle: 'If you have nothing good to say to others, it's sometimes best to say nothing at all.'. He doesn't care about others, and this disposition is further strengthened by how his peers act in nearby areas. He's a poor student, characterized by extremely lethargic activities, such as sleeping in class, but somehow his grades remain excellent. In reality, this personality is just to keep people away. Those who do not approach him are 'unworthy' to talk to him. Those who do speak to him meet someone who will listen to what they have to say, but will hardly say anything until some period of time has passed. If by some miracle someone has enough interest to talk to him for that period of time, then they will find he has a egotistical attitude, but not a condescending one. He simply praises himself too much for his own accomplishments. If something bad happens, he usually puts a dark humorous spin on it to amuse himself. His personality is complex, and he gave up trying to sort it out years ago. His aura is abysmal, contributing to the avoidance of others.

Background: His family was fairly average, and nothing very interesting had happened in his life. His parents held him to the utmost standard they could muster. He was to have perfect grades at all times. He has maintained perfect grades only because he takes classes that do not challenge his abilities. To make sure he kept his knowledge of machinery fresh(his parents wanted him to be a mechanic), his parents told him to invent something to be of use once a month. He has around ninety-six inventions, most of which meet his parents standards. Among them are his wrist-blades, they were relatively simple in their appearnce, complex on the inside, were versatile, and they could be concealed(and usually were). These qualities combined made them much like their creator.

He had won a few awards for the inventions, some being used in local industries. At first, he boasted these facts to his parents, but they were never pleased. As a result, he sank into the recluse personality he has as of now.

When he was ten, his mother died of a terminal illness, and his father became an alcoholic, occasionally abusing Nasai during his drunken rages. One day, his father had an unusually bad day, and after drinking, he took a knife, and slashed Nasai's jaw along the right side, resulting in the tell-tale scar. Finally, after years of abuse, his father committed suicide. Nasai wished to be sad over their deaths, but he was more or less ecstatic when he discovered their departures left him a large sum of money. Had he known his parents had made no use of such an amount, he would've killed them himself. Using the money left to him by their deaths, he bought some real estate in Minami-Heiwa. He was fond of the park, the clubs(although he could not yet go to them), and the relative isolation of the area he lived in.

He still has a reasonable amount of money left, as he only buys what he needs, with the exception of an area in the backyard of his home where he keeps training dummies to maintain his combat efficiency. He frequents his front porch, sitting alone on a swing and drinking soda until dusk, going to bed at eight or nine, and waking up at either five or six.

Here is some information about the city in which this RP will take place.

About Kokoro-no-soko:

The capitol city of Kokoro-no-soko is divided into five districts:

Kita-Chomei: This is the northernmost district of the city. Here, the wealthier citizens tend to take residence in expensive homes. This is also where many of the parks are located. A river runs through the center of this district creating a beautiful scene at the extremes of the day.

Higashi-Rakuen: This is the easternmost district of the city. Most of the homes of Kokoro-no-soko are found here making it sort of like a residential area. There is nothing much to do here except take an occasional stroll down the streets.

Minami-Heiwa: This is the southernmost district of the city. Being in the south may seem ironic, but this downtown district was placed as such only by coincidence. Strangely, the grade school is located here even though the place is home to some shady activities. In a certain section, there are only clubs, bars, and other establishments meant for adults. However, the rest of the district is rather peaceful with a small playground, several small shops, and a small park to complete it. Several people also own some real estate in the district.

Nishi-Hibana: This is the westernmost district of the city. A myriad of large and small businesses are here and is very well-known for providing entertainment: movie theaters, various shopping malls, eateries, arcades, and even an amusement park. It tends to be the most popular place for teens to hang out after school or on the weekends.

Mannaka: This is the district at the very heart of Kokoro-no-soko. Many government buildings stand here and it is also where Yunuiku High School is located.

Just finish the background for your character and we can start. ^ ^

Yay, my background is longer than yours.

~1st Day~

A passive wind traversed the air with aimless endeavor. What need of complete direction and obedience did a free spirit need anyways? A chill settled in the flowing air causing late night travelers to don light coats to avoid the frigidness from claiming temporary residence in their bones. A ghostly crescent moon rested lazily in the brooding expanse of the night sky caring not for the denizens of the world below and tending to turn a blind eye to the goings on of mortals. Although growing later with each passing minute, the Nishi-Hibana remained rather busy for a weeknight, though the numerous stream of mana-powered vehicles was dwindling.

Shizuka's footsteps echoed softly through the silent air near a small strip mall with his favorite eatery, Munch House, known for their amazing subs. The strip mall was located right next to a fairly large grocery store that belonged to one of Shizuka's neighbors in the Higashi-Rakuen district. His mother always forced him to buy produce from the that particular grocery for she thought that their fruits and vegetables were of the highest quality. Shizuka could not tell the difference either way. The parking lot was eerily empty with most of the vehicles already on the road and heading back home. However, Shizuka's growling stomach allowed him to ignore the world around him; all that he could see was a giant meatball sub with extra provolone cheese floating through the air, leading him to the aromatic lobby of the Munch House.

As he continued his entranced march to his destination, he failed to notice that all surfaces were beginning to be shrouded in a tint of greenish blue. The crescent moon that had just been nonchalant only moments before now glowed with a sinister yellow that gazed condescendingly upon the inhabitants of the earth that remained bound to it by their tithes with worldly matters. The shadows grew restless and the air became more frigid causing a shiver to rattle Shizuka’s spine.

What’s going on? he thought, his attention now beginning to be diverted to what was going on around him. Fear grasped him mercilessly as he noticed that his surroundings looked very similar to something he had read in a history text book. It was back when his class was learning about the Kemonokage, a lesson only taught to third years which was to be a privilege to them. The shadows seem almost alive. But this can’t be what I think it is. The scientists managed to seal the moon’s power. This can’t be happening....this can’t be happening.... Nearby, something was rising from the shadows cast by a vending machine that was beginning to malfunction. Shizuka just remained where he was, mulling the same thought over and over again in his head.

It could not be happening.

On the shadowed training grounds of his home, Nasai realized he had lost track of time, and it had become quite late. The wind overtook nearby trees and made them motion eerily, and swept around him as he recovered from an afternoon of combat practice. As he caught his breath from the over-zealous workout, he gradually became aware of the time of day, looking up, he soon became aware of the moon's odd discoloration. Nasai cursed under his breath as the ground began to glow. The color belonged to a family of colors, being between green and blue.

He had studied up on myriad of things, but he had apparently not found an appropriate time to cover this brand of incidence. A sense of foreboding washed over him, and his gauntlet's blade's erupted from their ring-shaped homes. How aggravating. This should've happened earlier, then I could've had something more interesting to do that battle dummies...I'll be sure to smack my father's face on every single one of you as I tear you apart. This almost egotistical thought echoed through his mind as the shadows began to take form.

Nasai scanned the area around him with a low-level of anxiety. He soon came to the realization that he had never actually fought before, only practiced. There were a few school brawls, but those weren't fights, just childish horse play compared to what he expected from these...things. His gray eyes narrowed, and he barred his teeth as he perceived the task ahead of him. He was surrounded, and he had little or no choice but to kill all of them, failing that, he'd have to make a break in the group to escape. Although the situation was somewhat bleak, Nasai's creative mind did not fail in making light of the ordeal, noting that the moon gave the soon-to-be battle ground an adventurous feel, which is more or less what he desired. Shortly before his foes finished materializing, he shifted into a combat stance, hoping he could do what he had to do.

From the shifting darkness, a form began to appear. It had a long, slender body composed of concentrated shadows. It's legs were rather small, and when it took a step, it nearly fell over. What stood out the most were its long arms and enormous hands. Shizuka noticed that it had trouble moving normally with such outrageous appendages. Bright yellow bands circled its wrists and two yellow eyes appeared on its face and nothing else--no mouth, no nose, no ears on the side of its head. Yet somehow the beast managed to growl at the helpless high school student. There it stood, in the light of the malfunctioning vending machine. It had to be at least a foot taller than Shizuka. He hadn't realized it before, for the beast had been stooped over. Shizuka's eyes widened in fear. What the hell are you doing? Run, you stupid bastard! Run! It can't outrun you with those gimpy legs. Listening to his instinct, Shizuka turned around and urged his legs to start working. With quick strides, Shizuka made his escape.

The sounds of sneakers hitting the pavement echoed terrifyingly through the surreal surroundings. Where are all the people?! I need someone who can help me! Shizuka didn't dare turn around to see if the beast was following him. He ran out of breath, soon however, and decided to take a rest on a bench. Having no idea where he was, Shizuka took a look around. Apparently, he was in the same district sitting on the bench of a bus stop. His breathing was ragged and was utterly disappointed that he hadn't made it too far. "Geez, I need to start doing some cardio or something," he said aloud, looking around some more. "What if this happened again and I just couldn't make the cut?"

At that moment, there was a loud crash from across the street as the beast that he had ran into earlier landed on a car from the sky. It stood in the wreckage glaring menacingly at him. "You have got to be kidding me....I can't run anymore. It looks like this is the end for me..."



Several small shadows were swarming around Nasai, creeping up from every available shade. They had long limbs and stuck low to the ground, crawling around slowly in hopes of devouring their prey. They, too, had yellow eyes, but also a large mouth full of sharp fangs. They made hissing sounds as they drew ever nearer to their target, completely unafraid of what he might do to them.

"Quite intimidating.", Nasai turned quickly as one of the beasts lunged at him, and he uppercut it, and used his blade to throw it into a few of its allies. Nasai ducked as one swung at him, and sliced it in half across the waist. The shadowy beings were gaining ground at a decent rate, and he was left with the undesirable option of fleeing. All that was left to do was pick out a weak spot in the mass of enemies.

He jumped over a dispersed group of the dark figures, and cut into a few of them as he made his way over them. There were still a good deal more opponents to fight off before being close enough to his fence to jump it. More began to attack Nasai, and he kicked a few away,and sliced off their heads as they came in a constant stream. They just keep on coming, dammit.

A half of an hour later, the battle was still raging, but due to the unwavering amount of action, Nasai was feeling the effects of fatigue take its toll. What great timing, I train late, and what happens? I'm too tired to battle an army of stupid shadow things... With time, however, the amount of Kemonokage near the fence had fallen substantially, for one reason or another. Taking this vital opportunity, Nasai jumped off of one of the Kemonokage, but failed to clear the steel fence entirely.

His left shoe had caught on it, and had made him hang for a few seconds, before falling onto the ground. "Ow. That sucked.", he said, before getting up, and staggering over to a nearby bench. The fence should hold them for a few minutes...I need to rest, that was just too much. He retracted the blades in his gauntlets, and began to regulate his breathing, using the night sky to help calm himself.

Meanwhile, the metal fence was unsuccessfully holding his newfound foes in the confines of his backyard.

Thou who is cradled in the grasp of darkness deep in the abyss of despair; dost thou seek power from the light?

Shizuka looked into the sky as he heard a voice within his head. "This isn't a particularly good time to be going crazy," he mumbled quietly to himself, turning his attention back to the creature which stared back at him with equal malice, however, it made no moves to attack. Nothing but the shining stars had appeared to him in the endless expanse of the night sky and he figured that he had been imagining things. His legs began to shake uneasily and he prepared to run.

You may run endlessly upon the path to oblivion or you may turn and face your fears. Take up arms and defeat that which threatens others. You shall find power in that which you carry upon you at all times.

A sphere of light descended from the sky and entered Shizuka's tensed body through his back. It felt as if a cold wind rushed through his veins, freezing his blood. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the frigid tranquility that calmed his nerves. When he opened his eyes, they were nearly glowing. He stared down the enemy who was now becoming slightly nervous. It lashed out suddenly, an overgrown arm stretching out in an attempt to send him flying. With a quick motion, he took out one of his folding fans, leapt into the air, and sliced the Kemonokage's arm clean off.

The beast snarled and retracted what was left of its arm. But it was far from over.



The mass of crawling shadows pounded against the metal fence, hoping that it would hold them back no longer.

Thou who possesseth power, but unfocused as to prevent the total defeat of enemies; dost thou seek solace on the path of everlasting light?

A voice rang out clearly in Nasai's mind. What could it possibly be??

Nasai shook his head, "Wow, fatigue's hitting me harder than I thought. I'm hearing things now....staying up late wasn't a wise idea."It's brought me nothing but trouble. I should learn to sleep even earlier than I do now. He rose up from the wooden bench and took cover behind it, staggering a bit while he did so. Whether or not I'm hearing things, I'll answer to humor myself.

"Why not? If I don't get any help, I'm screwed...", he was satisfied with his response to whatever it was he was hearing, and it gave his morale a slight boost. I wonder if I could manage to outrun these things...probably not. If they're here, they're probably everywhere else, too. Really don't wanna switch to mana blades. He got up and propped himself on the backing of the bench. "I'll kill as many as I can...". He took a good look around, unsure if this would be the last time he'd have enough time to enjoy the living world.

It wasn't a pretty sight. Everything looked menacingly back at him. The trees now stood silent and still, emotionless witnesses to his uncertain demise. He didn't even bother to look at his executioners, avidly ramming the gate to make it falter. The only thing that appeared to be his ally was the moon itself, the probable cause of all of this madness. Its altered form held some beauty in its glow. After he was done browsing his surrounding, he took a deep breath.

"Alright, let's have some fun...".

When Shizuka landed back on the ground with his folding fans at his sides, he gazed in amazement at the thrashing arm that had been sliced off as it disappeared into a cloud of darkness. The Kemonokage growled and its eyes became feral. It leapt into the air and extended its other arm with the palm open as if to squish Shizuka. With quick reflexes, he leapt back and hurled another one of his fans. It spun through air gathering revolutions as it went, but the enemy had learned its lesson last time. The smile, or something close to a smile, spread across the creature's face as a hole appeared in its arm allowing the fan to pass right through it without harm. Shizuka caught his fan and was awestruck; he hadn't expected that. He blinked his eyes and when he opened them, the beast was gone.

"Damn...where did that thing go?" Shizuka asked out loud. He looked around the eerie area. There was nothing that could give the beast away; it was a manifestation of shadows and the night was not a good time to fight something like that. Not even moonlight would give it away, gently whispering the secret to its location in Shizuka's ear.

However, he was about to get his answer. The Kemonokage appeared suddenly behind him and slammed an overgrown fist into Shizuka's back sending him flying through the air. "Aaaahhhh!!" Shizuka shouted as the pain coursed through his spine which had taken the full force of the hit. If I'm paralyzed by this, I'm finished. And landing on the ground with such force isn't going to be of much help. But I think I should be able to get out of this. He smiled and tried to imagine himself as a feather. His breaths were long and deep, and the air that exhaled was peaceful. With calculated turns and precise movements, Shizuka gained his balance in the air and as he nearly came upon his landing, he managed to make as if he was standing so he would land on his feet. The Kemonokage's eyes radiated joy thinking that the bastard was going to break his legs and that it would get an easy meal, but they reflected disgust as it noticed that Shizuka's descent was slowing down. With grace, the high school student landed softly with his feet to the ground.

Shizuka smirked. "Is that all you have, abomination? You'll have to do much better than that. If you plan on taking me down, you'll have to give it all you've got. Otherwise, you'll be returning to the shadows from whence you came at the mercy of my fans." He took a battle stance, feet spread apart and fans open, ready for tossing or close-range fighting. This thing probably focuses on melee tactics, so I better be prepared just in case.



A ball of light descended from the sky and entered Nasai through the very top of his head. The ball of light unleashed its power inside of him in the form of a freezing chill that was pulsated through his body by the ball of light. On the other side of the fence, the shadows were becoming more organized and focused on a single point in the fence. They rammed and beat on the spot mercilessly; it could go at any time.

The fence fell, the metallic sounds of its collapse easily heard by all in the locale. Nasai, now reinvigorated by the mysterious force, cautiously approached the mass of opposition. His blades, which had hidden themselves during the brief moment of peace, began to unravel from his gauntlets. A meter on the gauntlets revealed the utter lack of energy in the batteries, and that it was regenerating the energy at a poor rate. It seemed that there was only one last thing he could use--mana. He wasn't really sure how much it would drain him to use it, as it had irregular absorption rates. It certainly was not the perfect weapon.

As the Kemonokage began to move to meet him in what would probably be the deciding battle. A weak breeze passed through the soon-to-be battlefield. The wrist blades began to glow similarly to the moon, and Nasai flinched as he was sapped of energy. He was very surprised to find he recovered almost instantaneously. Finally, Nasai felt he had closed in enough, and took a relaxed combat pose. "Alright, let's do this.", he rushed at them, keeping in mind that getting surrounded would be unacceptable with these beasts as his foes.

He focused a mana charge into the blades, and they fired from the gauntlets, they cut small rows into the black swarm. At a certain distance, a stream of mana energy drew them back, and during that time, he'd be vulnerable to assault. The Kemonokage quickly realized this flaw, and began to attack as a whole. A few more seconds, and the blades would be back, but they'd do no good if he was dead. He held the attackers back by kicking a few down, and the blades had soon returned to their posts. The blades became charged with mana again, and he began cutting through the offense's ranks. Every once in a while, he would look over his shoulder to be sure he had a clear escape if he became tired again.