With Our Backs To The Wall[Ezra]

Ezra had been exiled for some time now but he hadn't been a Manthir soldier for long. He'd mostly been trying to keep his head down. His heart still ached. He missed his family, his friends. He was angry at the Emperor. Though he wasn't sure if he was angrier at that man or himself. Luckily, or unluckily, there seemed to be a few other exiled Taknieri that had taken arms for Manthir. So it wasn't so surprising for his commanderswhen they saw his banishing tattoo. 

That morning he'd woken up groggier than normal. Covered in sweat after a particularly rough nightmare. He'd been having more of those lately that would upset him enough to raise his body temperature in his sleep. The snow had felt good as he'd taken some time to meditate that morning and cool down. As he'd moved with the other soliders to the mess tent to get something to eat. He'd been eating by himself the past few weeks since he'd joined and as he was going to step outside and eat another man stepped in front of him. Another exiled soldier. 

"You're Ezra, right?" The man was a bit taller than him, forcing Ezra to turn his head up slightly to meet his eyes. "I am." He said simply with his food in his hand. He really just wanted to go eat. "Heard you tried taking out the Emperor." Shit. He took a deep breath gave the man a rather bored expression. "What of it?" He'd already claimed in front of the Emperor and several other people that he wanted the man dead. That he'd been the one to try and kill him. "The fuck you have against the royal family?"

That question made Ezra's face scrunch in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Two soldiers talking in Taknieri was luckily common enough that none of the Manthrian soldiers paid attention but the questioning seemed to catch the ears other other exiled soldiers. "Everyone knows you were one of the men who assassinated the Princes." The mention of the murdered princes brought up a wave of muttered phrases for their passing.


He couldn't help but snarl. "I didn't hurt those boys." He growled. This man wasn't the first person to accuse him of killing the prince's. It had become a rather wide spread rumor since he was exiled for trying to murder the Emperor. "Don't try to lie now." As the man stepped forward into his bubble Ezra refused to back down. "The Emperor was a psychotic son of a bitch who deserved the shit coming to him but I had nothing to do with his sons." He didn't want a fight but he also wasn't going to back down from one. 

Ezra's blood was boiling. The mere idea that he could ever harm a child made him furious. As his collar was suddenly grabbed he was shoved back and slammed into a table. "You're a fucking murderer!" The man growled, saliva splattering on the smaller mans face. He dropped his food and swung hard landing a blow to the side of the other mans head that sent him stumbling back. He didn't bother responding and instead braced himself as the man tackled him. 

Ezra hooked one leg between the other soldiers and grabbed his arm to swing them both so he could move on top of him. Swinging down hard with rapid hits to his face as other people gathered around them.

Ezra didn't blame others for being suspicious of him. As much as just thinking about it made him mad. One of them had been just a child and neither of the princes had deserved that happened to them. Many people were looking for someone to take the blame. To know who it was that had killed the First and Third Prince so they had a place to put their anger and sadness. But while he would take the fall for a lot of things. This wasn't going to be one of them.

Though he also knew he wasn't helping his case, wailing on the man under him. The other soldier tried to grab his arms, even managed to land his own good blows. But Ezra didn't let up. Even as a few others tried to hit or grab him. It wasn't until he heard a commanding voice cut through the chaos. He knew a Captain's tone when he heard one. 

When Ezra stood up there was blood on his knuckles, running from his nose and his busted lip. His face was red with anger and his long hair had fallen from its loose bun. His chest heaved with his heavy panting and sweat had formed on his forehead and began dripping down his face. He stood at attention with his hands at his sides but his eyes to the ground. "Apologies." He rumbled gruffly as the other soldier finally forced himself to his feet. Clearly staggering as he wiped his own face. 

Ezra had been called a lot worse than a dog. Had been threatened and attacked and nearly killed. But truly enough had he been the one the actually kill the Princes he wouldn't be able to talk about it at all. But he hadn't been anywhere near the palace the night it happened. Not that he could exactly go into that either. Though, even if they could talk about their home lives, he wouldn't talk about exactly what he was doing the night the Princes were killed. 

Though as it was brought up once again that he'd killed a child Ezra had to grit his teeth as his hands balled into fists at his side. With more will than he thought he could muster he managed to bite his tongue. Instead of shooting back. It's not like the man would listen to him anyway. He'd clearly already decided his guilt. As the other man suddenly touched him to lift his chin he did flinch a bit. More to prepare for another attack. 

He met the mans eyes and swallowed hard, swallowing down some blood along with it. "No, sir." He responded simply. His entire body was burning hot. His uniform splattered with blood and soaked in sweat. Ezra had gotten used to keeping his body warmer than most from working outdoors most of his life. Both on the farm and as a soldier. But he struggled keeping control of his temperature with heavy emotions. Especially anger. 

He wanted to scream that he didn't hurt those boys. That he would never hurt any child. That he'd gone through classes with the First Prince. That they'd sparred together, talked together, laughed together. They weren't terribly close but Ezra still cared about him. No one would believe him though. "Can I step outside, sir?" He needed to cool down. 

"Ezra, sir." He responded simply when asked his name. Other than when he'd joined the military Ezra had been avoiding using the last name he'd been forced to use. Having his family name stripped from him had been more than painful. He didn't want to use some fake name. He wanted to use his real one. But he'd never be able to again. 

As soon as the man stepped out of his way Ezra stormed out of the tent and into the falling snow. He removed the top half of his uniform, even his tunic. His body so warm there were light lines of steam coming from his skin where the snow touched him. He took a deep breath of the freezing air then spat out a thick glob of blood and saliva onto the ground. He took a few more deep breaths and flexed his fingers.

His knuckles were sore now but he didn't mind. Nor did he regret smashing in that morons face. He didn't feel great about it either though. Beating the shit out of someone wouldn't fix what had been done. Wouldn't bring back what he'd lost. He rolled his shoulders and used his tunic to wipe the blood from his face and knuckles before he pulled it back on. He'd have to go tell his commander what happened he supposed. 

Though the voice made him blink as he turned to see the Captain, who he assumed was a Captain, again. The question on if he'd been a soldier long made him sigh. "Yes." He stated instead. Not that he could exactly tell him he'd been a soldier since he was seventeen. "Not long here though."

Of course they'd both been taught to fight. That was the easiest way to put it he supposed. Ezra had done physical labor his whole life. From working on the farm to being a soldier. His body was lean and toned and trained to handle colder temperatures with keeping himself naturally warmer. Though sometimes that inner flame roared too ferociously, shined too bright. Like a wild fire, violent and unpredictable. So sometimes he needed  those colder temperatures. 

Hearing that it didn't get easier made Ezra snort only to spit out more blood. "I didn't expect it would, sir." Especially not for him. If that one other soldier was blaming him for the death of the Princes there would likely be others. Not to mention the other Manthrian soldiers who had already harassed him just for being a foreigner. And he'd likely have to deal with that soldier again at some point. Did he have to join the military? No. He could have started a farm or....something. But this was his calling. 

He followed after the other man. He hadn't bothered to ask his name. Not out of disrespect, but because he didn't want to get close to anyone. Not even his other countrymen. Ezra was sure he wasn't the only Exile that had taken to trying to isolate himself afterwards. It had been a few years since he's lost his family, his clan, his home but his heart still ached. He still longed for a home he could never return to.

Ezra saw no point in currently trying to bring up how he had nothing to do with the death of the Princes. Especially when the man hadn't asked him about it. Talking about it out of nowhere would only make him seem more suspicious. No matter how many times he claimed he wasn't even at the palace that night the people who did accuse him didn't seem to believe him. Even had he actually done it he wouldn't be able to talk about it. 

Seeing the familiar man he'd had the misfortune of meeting before made him curl his lip up in a snarl. Though hearing that he'd been the one to start the brawl made him roll his eyes. As if the man hadn't grabbed him first. As far as Ezra was concerned he was just protecting himself. Even if that protection had gone a little too far. "I didn't start it." He stated with a growl. "I ended it." And he'd end it again if he had to. 

Ezra rolled his eyes as the man purposefully twisted his words. Childish. Though it was him threatening his other Taknieri countrymen that really made him seethe with rage. Miraculously he managed to bite his tongue. As much as he wanted to scream. As much as he wanted to make this snot nosed brat of a man eat dirt. He had to keep himself in check. It was one thing to punish him. He could accept that. He saw no point in threatening all of them.

"Limp dicked Manthrian Mutt." He growled in Taknieri before he spat on the ground where the man had been standing a moment ago. Ezra normally respected officers above his rank a lot. They were meant to be leaders, trustworthy. This man swung around his power like he had something to compensate for. When the Captain apologized to him he shrugged. "It's not your fault his mother didn't hug him enough as a child, sir." He said in a hope to lighten things up a little bit.

Clearly this wasn't the first time the man and the Commander had had the displeasure of interacting. "I apologize about putting you in this position."