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Luoma
Dec 17, 2018 10:41:50 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 17, 2018 10:41:50 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Cathedral of Bones ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxMathias was the one who took it the worst. The young Civati had spent his entire life by Majus’s side. From his birth, through meeting with his people, and into the new home of the Civati and even beyond, the dragon was known to have his little companion with him at almost all times. His personal goals had centered upon making the old dragon fly once more, but when all else failed and Majus simply drifted into death, the green child was inconsolable. xxxxxThe other Civati seemed not to understand the small holes Mathias dug around the large, dark corpse, nor did they seem to take notice as the trees sprouted. Master Weavers often planted large swaths of new trees, but Mathias did not intend for these to turn into homes. All different kinds surrounded the body, growing with the care and dedication that Mathias reserved for these trees. Every day, he would feel the ground around their bases. Those that were too dry were carefully watered, while those that were too wet had the branches of surrounding trees pulled back slightly to let the sun in. Mathias barely stopped for food as he worked, though there wasn’t much after the weeding and watering. At some point, he took to collecting the midnight scales that fell while he worked. xxxxxThe black trees up by the end of Majus’s skull he bent back. As they grew, the green Civati twisted them and molded their branches until their midnight trunks fused together and became one and the same tree. From there, the oaks took over. Native to that area, they grew fast and sure. So large was Majus’s frame, though that by the time the trees covered the skull, all that was left were the bones. Whiter than even these, the spreading branches of a new tree went almost unnoticed until Mathias had coaxed it into a crowning spiral around the bleached skull. Birch and beech and spruce were reserved for the main body, rising and weaving into a lattice-like frame that only grew more solid as time wore on. It was a testament to the giant beast that had Guided them for so long, and it would continue to Guard if Mathias had his way. xxxxx“Mathias-vat, retire this nonsense. You require rest,” a kind voice spoke. xxxxx“I will rest when it is complete, Billibojo-vat,” the green youth said, continuing to bend the newest limbs to his will. xxxxx“Mathias,” the blue Civati said kindly. It was enough. The young boy stopped, arms raised and trembling as he held back tears that came anyway. “Come away. The trees will still remain after you rest,” he said, gently pulling Mathias away from the mass of trees he had been tending. xxxxx“He’s gone,” Mathias said, tears falling as the two descended. xxxxx“I know. You have crafted a beautiful monument to our Guide. Now come.” The Harsh Light was approaching, and all fled to their homes to escape its glare. Grey robes contrasted with the brightest of hair colors as the people disappeared into the surrounding trees, some seeming to simply vanish into the trunks themselves. For the Civati, it was a comparatively new way of life, but these trees were a home during the Harsh Light they could hide in. xxxxxBillibojo led Mathias to one of the trees and pulled the quietly crying boy up into the branches. There sat a bright yellow female, anxiously looking toward the hidden entrance of their woven home. “Mathias-vat! You return! Do you hunger? I have kept a selection of this season’s fruits,” she said. Both sets of her long ears twitched within their nest of long yellow hair, and she leaned forward as she knelt in the tree’s canopy. When the youth did not answer, she looked toward their elder for guidance. xxxxx“He tires from working. For now, allow him rest. We will provide sustenance when the Gentle Light returns,” Billibojo said. The two of them watched as their green companion crawled to a warming wall and curled up for the first sleep either had seen him take in a long while. “Mathias-vat grieves the death of Majus-vat.” xxxxx“You think I did not perceive thusly? Billibojo-vat, all the Civati mourn his planting, but it was natural for our adopted Guard to grow old. He had no Dream to sustain him,” Leta challenged quietly. She quickly backed down after a glace toward Mathias. “He was not the only one to love Majus-vat,” she said slowly. Billibojo engulfed her in a quiet hug, and that particular tree-top roost was filled with quiet tears as the living monument to their dead leader grew under the sun’s light. xxxxxWhen the moon rose next, the treetop was already missing an important member. As the last rays of the sun pierced the sky, Mathias was already outside, climbing on his trees as they encased the increasingly skeletal remains of what had been a great dragon. The head alone had taken almost 30 years to get this far, and though the wild creatures had already cleaned the bones of all their meat, Mathias had managed to keep them from damaging the skeleton. xxxxxLeta looked at the small mountain of trees in the north end of their valley. Until 30 years ago, it had been the resting place for a living dragon. Majus-vat had been an amazing leader. He’d taken them out of the Mount to save them, then led and carried them to this secluded valley where they could live in peace, hidden away from the war that very well could still be boiling on the other side of their mountains. xxxxxAt the top of the canopy, Leta found Mathias bending and weaving more branches. He was oddly gentle in the shaping of his strange forest, but before she could say anything to him, he spoke up. xxxxx“It is visible from here,” he said simply. xxxxx“What?” Leta was confused. What was she supposed to be able to see from here? xxxxx“The Guardian,” Mathias said. He paused in his tree weaving to point. All of the mountains that made up the Rim rose from the ground to an impressive height, taller yet than the large corpse Mathias still worked to cover. Over the years, the Civati seemed to have accepted their new home and the loss of their seemingly permanent leader, but the look in Mathias’s eyes seemed as pained as the moment he returned to find the wind from Majus’s lungs had ceased blowing. xxxxx“Mathias-vat, what reason possesses you to create such a monolith as this?” Leta asked. There was a hint of desperation to her voice, as if she was pulling him up from the depths of the lake. Mathias, however, did not respond. He simply returned to bending the trees so they would grow within a magnificent lattice as large as a small mountain. xxxxxLeta attempted to draw Mathias away from this massive height for a time before giving up and retreating to the ground far, far below. Billibojo was there when she arrived, holding out a small fruit that almost glowed in the Gentle Light. They talked for a moment before the sound of a silver horn filled the night with its sound. xxxxxIt was time for Song, and Leta felt a genuine smile fill her. This was a beautiful time, and it almost seemed that the entire valley filled with a chorus of voices and nature. Some of the Civati imitated the sounds of the night, an impulse reminiscent of their Journey from the Mount, but the elders were usually gathered together and held a tempo the others followed instinctually. It was beautiful, but there was a strange melody mixed in she could never identify. xxxxxBillibojo was generally unlike the other elders, but Leta was still surprised when he motioned for her to follow. They spent the next few minutes walking around Mathas’s trees until they came to where the dragon’s large skull had been. She could still see the immense teeth between trunks of oak and blackest wood. If she looked up high enough, she could even see the horns that still poked out from above the dark treetops. It was at the front of this massive skull that Billibojo halted. xxxxxThe strange melody that Leta had noticed was louder now, and the voice slightly more familiar, but she still couldn’t pinpoint the source. It reverberated around her and thrummed through the trees. Without hesitation, the old Civati climbed up the jaw and between the fangs that held the jaw slightly ajar and Leta scrambled to follow. Within the skull was a cavernous space totally shrouded in darkness. The smell of death had abandoned this place long ago, but inside there was a strange scene. xxxxxWhat little could be seen were rows upon rows of beautiful flowers. They were tiny, glowing natives the Civati used to signal trees with homes in them. Paths lay among them, all spiraling to the back, where a small Dream glowed brightly in the dark. The melody Leta had been following echoed around within this cavernous space, building and building upon itself until the single singer became a choir. The choir wasn’t elated, though. Mathias sat with his Dream, singing a Song of mourning so strong it brought tears to Leta’s unprepared eyes. xxxxxIn the surprise of their discovery, Leta and Billibojo ceased singing. Now the elder started singing again. Quietly, he added a soft harmony to Mathias’s song. At first, the younger Civati stumbled, not expecting to be heard, much less joined, but the more experienced Billibojo saved the melody until they were comfortable with each other. Leta simply listened to their duet for a time, but she could not hold back her own soaring addition. xxxxxIt was a song without words, but it had so much more meaning than words could ever convey. Leta sang of the strength and wisdom the old dragon had shown her. Mathias sang of the permanence and care Majus had seemed to possess. Billibojo sang of comfort and smiles and patience, and within that cathedral of Majus’s skull, their song of mourning turned into something truly beautiful.
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Luoma
Dec 17, 2018 11:19:57 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 17, 2018 11:19:57 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Discovery ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxWhen it came to mysteries of the ancient world, there was no one more well versed than Rosa. It was all her father’s fault, really. He told such crazy tales about dragons and the way elves used to be that you’d think he had been alive during that time. It was just the family history, but Rosa could feel the same excitement in her as she studied ancient carvings and hidden secrets. xxxxxRosa loved her job. She got to look through old tomes and scrolls and pick through elf memories to put together bits of truth and simple legend. What she wasn’t expecting was a call down to the mines in the mountains of the East. As far as she knew, all there was down there was rocks, minerals, and impassable mountains. xxxxxWhen she arrived, Rosa was quickly ushered into the mines. She could feel herself growing more and more claustrophobic, but the need to remain professional kept her from freaking out. “Miss Rosa has arrived,” her escort said before turning and leaving. She sincerely hoped she wouldn’t need to go back out that way on her own, or else she’d be bound to get lost. xxxxxFocusing back on the space before her, Rosa made a small bow in greeting, observing the inhabitants. There was the foreman in charge of this mine, and by his side a rather powerful looking elf. The size of the collar helped her feel more at ease, but his eyes were too intense. xxxxx“Welcome, Miss Rosa. I’m sorry for calling you out here with so little information, but I have a small issue I’m hoping you can identify for me,” the foreman said. He lounged in his camp chair, casually tossing a small piece of metal as he spoke. “You see, my workers have started attempting to run away due to a misunderstanding,” he continued, “They seem to believe that there is some kind of spirit haunting our new expansion. Could you please check it out for me?” xxxxxRosa was slightly affronted at the foreman’s tone and the triviality of his request, but she bit her tongue and smiled stiffly. “I will do my best to calm your workers,” she said, “I’m afraid, however, that I am hopeless when it comes to directions. Could I get a guide, perhaps, to this new expansion?” xxxxxCasually, the foreman tossed his small piece of metal to Rosa, saying, “Take this one. It’s enchanted to follow the orders of whoever holds that remote.” Rosa looked in horror at the metal in her hand, then quickly put on a more professional mask. xxxxx“Thank you,” she said stiffly. The foreman only waved a hand lazily in the air, probably already contemplating some other trivial issue. Awkwardly, Rosa looked at the elf and said, “Come.” The elf slowly moved from his place next to the foreman and followed Rosa out into the corridor, where she quickly attempted to find a more secluded portion where their voices wouldn’t echo. xxxxx“Alright. Thanks. Gee, I hate this system. You guys have so much potential and culture, and we just,” Rosa started saying, but she cut herself off and took a deep breath. After she let it out, she said, “Starting over. I’m Rosa, and it’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?” If she wanted this elf to be helpful and friendly, she needed to start with proper names. Rosa held out her hand, but the elf didn’t look too keen on shaking it, so she dropped her hand. xxxxxEven if he didn’t shake her hand, the elf said, “Lor Risa.” He seemed surprised that she wanted to know her name, but she was honestly more surprised at the similarity in their names. xxxxx“Lor Risa?” she asked. A smile lit up her face as she said, “You must have your first tattoo, then. Congratulations!” Lor Risa looked so terribly confused about the mention of elf traditions, but Rosa continued. “I despise this thing,” she said, waving the metal remote in her hand “So I want to use it as little as possible. We’re both thinking beings, so I think we can be civil to each other.” xxxxx“Yes,” Lor Risa said cautiously. This human was definitely strange. xxxxx“Great. Now that we got that out of the way, I’m here for a purpose, and I need help getting there. Do you know where the ghostly happenings are coming from?” Rosa asked. Lor Risa nodded, and she beamed down at him. “Great! It’d be nice of you to lead the way, since I’m sure to get lost on my own,” Rosa said. xxxxxPoor, confused Lor Risa led the excited human down the mine and into the deepest shafts. She pelted him with questions the whole way, and though he tried not to think about it, at some point he began to enjoy himself. It wasn’t every day he was treated like an honest, thinking being. xxxxx“So, you’re an earth elementalist?” Rosa asked, “I can see why they’d assign you here, then. They say the Mount collapsed almost 6,000 years ago because of some strange tunnels in the rock.” xxxxx“5,859 years,” Lor Risa corrected. Rosa was suitably impressed with his accurate count, but he began to withdraw after that. It would do no good to get attached. This was temporary. xxxxx“Is this where it happened?” Rosa asked. Lor Risa nodded. “Do you know what happened?” xxxxx“I have heard reports of sounds in the rock, Miss,” Lor Risa said. Rosa frowned slightly at the overly formal tone, but she left it alone. “They usually seem to happen only at night,” he added after a moment. xxxxxThere were no workers in the area, but just then there came a strange scratching sound. Rosa’s eyes widened, and Lor Risa dropped into a defensive crouch, trying to pinpoint the noise. When he thought he’d found it, the sounds stopped entirely. As Lor Risa glanced to his temporary boss, he found her tapping the walls back, her ear pressed up against it as her frizzy hair piled up on the stone next to her wide eyes. xxxxx“It’s hollow,” Rosa whispered. Lor Risa felt his own surprise kick in, and he pulled her back away from the wall. “Hey! What are you doing?” she asked indignantly. xxxxx“If it is hollow, the ground beneath you could be as well. Please wait while I make sure it is stable,” Lor Risa said. Rosa watched as the stone in front of her slowly melted away. Just beyond it, she could see the empty space she expected, but the small light she held didn’t reveal much from where she currently stood. xxxxx“Is it safe to explore?” Rosa asked her companion. The elf stayed still a minute, then nodded his head solemnly. Rosa walked through the new opening, holding her light up to see if the ground was steady beneath her. xxxxxThe light revealed not a gaping cavern, but a small room. In one corner was a small shelf about waist high protruding from the stone around it, and on the opposite wall there was a small indentation that looked at once warm and comfortable. Rosa shook her head. How could stone look warm or comfortable? The academic moved to the indentation to investigate, and that’s when she realized what she was looking at. xxxxx“Carvings,” Rosa breathed to herself. It was true. The wall was covered in swirling patterns and designs depicting birds flying in clouds, all centered around a strangely perfect circle. “Lor Risa, I need you to take me back to the foreman. This is important,” Rosa said. xxxxx“What do you mean, I can’t keep digging there?” the foreman said. He was eating a rather sloppy meal this time, and Rosa had to work hard not to snap at him. xxxxx“Sir, I believe you may have stumbled across an extremely important archeological find. Disturbing it would surely make you lose face back at the capital,” Rosa reasoned. xxxxx“And why would my name be back at the capital, Miss Rosa? It can’t be that important,” he drawled, sloshing a bit of soup wastefully onto the table. xxxxx“Sir, I am sure it is. If you have a mind transmute elf available, I can verify the validity of my claim immediately. Surely a foreman as prepared as you would have one around here somewhere.” xxxxxRosa was rewarded with another metal tile, and after a bit of conversation across the continent, she returned the newer metal tablet. “The scholars’ guild will reimburse you the cost of this male elf when the rest of the party arrive and requests that you stay out of the newly declared site according to Law 384 of our Code of Conduct,” Rosa announced to the foreman. xxxxx“What? You can’t do that! My livelihood’s down there, and that elf is irreplaceable,” the foreman spluttered. xxxxx“If you have any complaints, please bring them up with the coming envoy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to work,” Rosa said. Curtly, she bowed and turned around. Lor Risa gave one look back at his elven companion and followed her. “Lor Risa, can you guide me back to the room?” she asked kindly, grabbing a larger lantern on her way by. xxxxxOn their way down, Rosa tried to estimate how far below ground they were. These carvings were suspiciously similar to the ones found and recorded at the Larem ruins, as well as the descriptions from the head scientist who founded the Dragon Tamer project. There had been a few fragments of cloud carvings at the Mount, as well. How did these end up so far below ground? xxxxx“Rosa, something’s wrong,” the elf said. She looked up from her musings to see Lor Risa’s face. He focused intently through the opening, and she cautiously pushed her new light through the opening. It was brighter and showed a more complete view of the room, along with the small knife now laying in the entrance. xxxxxSlowly, Rosa knelt and placed the enchanted light source down so she could better examine the knife. It had a strange shape to it, almost like a leaf that had been split in half. She carefully took her sleeve and tested the edge of the blade. One side was extremely sharp, but the other was very dull. Even the metal it was made of was unknown to her. It glinted red in the light, but the edges were so dark they almost disappeared into the shadows if she wasn’t looking for them. xxxxx“Rosa!” Lor Risa hissed as he moved in front of her. She didn’t understand what was wrong until she heard the clatter of a stone being thrown. She peeked around the protective elf and saw another one come clattering in from the dark at the other side of the room. xxxxx“Lor Risa, stay close,” Rosa said, picking up her light source. Was it some kind of wild creature? What lived down here that might throw rocks like that? xxxxxCautiously, Rosa brought the light into the room. Thanks to this new source’s increased brightness, she could see another entrance at the far side of the room. She moved toward it, watching more pebbles tumble out of it. If it was a creature of the caves, sudden motion might startle it away, right? xxxxxWith this line of thought, Rosa shot through the opening with her light. Unfortunately for all parties involved, what was around the corner was not some creature. Rosa’s light shone straight in the face of one of the strangest creatures she had ever seen. It crouched further down what appeared to be a tunnel of sorts, one thin arm raised with another pebble. On its head was a strange mess of dark green hair, and from what she could see, there were four large, cupped ears sprouting from it, all twitching toward her at once. Two large, dark eyes stared and dialated at her light source, and though the rest of it was grey, she could see three-toed feet braced against the floor. xxxxxThe tiny stand-off was broken when Lor Risa did something to the earth around the creature. It jumped up to a surprising height and screamed something in a language Rosa had never heard before. xxxxx“Zemni-vat, temian ne heord hie unnon stician flah!” it cried. The sound echoed in the tunnel for a time as it attempted to free itself from the small stonecuffs Rosa could see around its ankle. xxxxxRosa, now quite unsure what to do with this noisy creature, carefully lowered her light to a less threatening posture and shuffled toward the trapped thing. It fought its restraints until it noticed her approach. All movement stopped as it stared at her with oddly intelligent eyes that echoed the green hair on top of its head. xxxxxSuddenly, it reached behind itself and whipped around a long piece of wood that seemed impossibly black. Rosa immediately stopped and lowered herself to the ground. “Lor Risa,” she asked over her shoulder, “do you know what this is?” Its eyes grew large and round as it stared at her from behind its stick. xxxxx“Begietan further oferniman Moya-vat’s aern!” it said boldly. Rosa felt a soft hand on her shoulder as she stared at their strange find. xxxxx“Civati,” Lor Risa breathed reverently. Rosa watched with confused shock as the elf carefully approached the captured thing and held out the knife, handle first. xxxxx“What are you doing? That’s important evidence,” Rosa said, instinctively moving toward them. xxxxx“It belongs to this Civati,” Lor Risa said slowly. Was that what this thing was called? She’d never found record of a creature like this living in the depths of the earth, but she watched as it took hold of the knife and carefully lifted it out of Lor Risa’s palm. “Min m’aene is fyrndaga, deana sorig,” Lor Risa said ponderously. xxxxxThe elf slowly reached down and tapped the earth, letting the Civati stumble to its feet. It paced backwards a moment, holding both wood and knife at the ready before saying, “Sargian eow sierwan pleoh pleos?” xxxxx“What is it saying?” Rosa whispered to Lor Risa. xxxxxThe elf shook his head. “He said something about harm and intent. I think he lives here,” Lor Risa said, stressing the words “he” and “lives” in an odd fashion. “Pron de ic faran ne for dy de spell n’aenig pro blinnan min genga labour eow,” Lor Risa said back at the Civati. xxxxxThe green head looked from the elf to the human to the light, then looked over its shoulder. There was a strange tapping sound Rosa finally identified as the green Civati stepped to one side of the tunnel and let another pass with the whispered words, “Rihtreccan sifeda beorgan.” xxxxx“Lor Risa, what is going on?” Rosa asked. xxxxx“Please be quiet,” the elf hissed back, “I’m trying to convince them we mean no harm.” xxxxxThe new Civati waited for them. Compared to the green one, this one was all as dark as the night itself. They were both dressed in plain grey tunics and carried the strange black wood that was apparently used as a staff, but this new one carried something that glinted in the light Rosa carried. “Lician odstillan se scima,” the new one said, raising a pale hand to point at the enchanted light by Rosa’s side. xxxxx“Miss Rosa, please turn off the light,” Lor Risa whispered. xxxxx“What? No! I want to see what’s happening,” Rosa objected. xxxxx“By the stars, human, turn off that light! This one has the air of a chieftain about her,” Lor Risa hissed. When Rosa took too long to move, a short whistling came through the air, and suddenly they were in darkness. xxxxx“What’s going on?” Rosa said, instinctively grabbing on to Lor Risa. xxxxx“Zanu-vat, daette unstaefwis. Lician ladung,” the new Cvati’s voice said calmly. xxxxx“Ic pro sarig,” a sullen voice said from behind them. xxxxx“Lor Risa,” Rosa started. xxxxx“She just called him rude,” the elf finished, “I think they want conflict as little as we do, but you’re going to have to work with me and be patient.” Lor Risa was more used to the dark than his human companion, but he still stumbled as a prod made him start moving. Rosa obediently followed his lead, gripping his dusty tunic the entire time. When Lor Risa began to panic at the distance they had walked, he saw a dim light ahead of them. xxxxxThe light was apparently moonlight, to Rosa’s surprise. She figured they’d been belowground for almost a mile at this point, so when the opening they approached held not only moonlight, but also plant life, she was astounded. “Lor Risa! Look! Where in the world are we?” Rosa exclaimed, moving toward the entrance. xxxxxLor Risa reached out to pull her back, but to his surprise the female Civati simply smiled and led the human outside into a small clearing. Lor Risa followed, feeling much more uncomfortable. Not only did he have two impatient Civati behind him herding him out of the tunnel, but he also felt an intense gaze from the green Civati. A glance revealed he had stayed at a distance, but he fingered the knife Lor Risa had given him. xxxxxThe elf shifted focus as a bright red Civati stormed out of the trees, spitting, “Ierfian eower se da de grimlic ar attraction pron de ic wist frohwon eower dingan das ionna user track!” xxxxxRosa quickly drifted back to her elf companion and looked at him expectantly as the leader said softly, “With pron de ic elcian das for dam de he twegen nu bealu Mathias-vat.” xxxxxAs they continued to argue, Lor Risa attempted to translate. “The red one seems concerned about safety, while the chieftain looks like she’s defending us,” he tried, “Now they’re talking about light, I think.” Lor Risa looked up through the trees and only saw stars. What light were they talking about? When he looked back down, the green Civati was much closer, and Lor Risa jumped slightly. xxxxx“Lor Risa, now what’s going on?” Rosa said, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention. The elf shook his head. xxxxx“I don’t know. It’s an ancient dialect taken to extremes. I can only understand every third or fourth word, and they’re talking too fast,” he admitted, still watching the strange green Civati. xxxxxOf all the things Lor Risa expected, he did not expect what the green Civati did next. “De an’feald indryhto bega sn’aedan,” he said, pointing at the elf with the knife in his hand. All the other conversations stopped as the Civati all turned to look at him. xxxxx“Dider?” the red one asked. xxxxx“Sunset betwisc as ofet,” the green one said. xxxxx“Rosa, stay close,” Lor Risa said in a low voice. He tried to get in a more defensive position as he said, “They’re talking about carving. They could be getting aggressive.” xxxxx“Ic pro durhwlitan se,” the leader said with a tilt of her head, “Forhwy mearcung daette ielfen widaeftan done as stanhege?” xxxxxThe green Civati approached, throwing down the knife and his staff. “Majus sagu of he,” he said, reaching up and grabbing the elf’s face. Lor Risa recoiled, but suddenly he was surrounded by Civati, all grabbing at his arms and repeating the same phrase while the green one stared at him. Rosa was somehow separated from him, and the elf panicked. xxxxxThe ground around Lor Risa erupted, and a small wall encased him as he tried to regain a sense of calm. “Lor Risa?” Rosa called over the wall, “Lor Risa, are you alright?” xxxxx“I am not hurt,” he called back after a moment. He was sure he didn’t want to leave Rosa out there, but he definitely did not want to let down the walls. xxxxx“Pron de ic tilde bega hwil rad canticsang!” a voice cried out. Rosa watched as the leader lifted the reflective thing she’d been carrying and used it. The sound that came out of the horn was pure, and before it had faded, every Civati she could see raised their head and started singing. xxxxxIt was haunting for Lor Risa. He listened as suddenly the entire place came alive with sound. So many voices singing different tunes that wound together, mixed with a sudden increase of birdsong and night’s noises. It was honestly terrifying how suddenly the air was full of sound. xxxxxCarefully, Lor Risa raised himself up to look over his walls, only to find Rosa staring at the Civati around him. She gestured for him to come down, but he didn’t dare. There were so many Civati around him, all with wildly different colors. A purple one looked up and sang through a smile, while an orange one just worked at his walls. xxxxxThey were carving! Rosa watched in glee as she watched the distinctive swirls of the carvings most in her profession considered old beyond belief. However, there was a strange coherence to the carving. Even though there were so many Civati all carving the same wall, they carved one picture as they sang. xxxxxRosa tried motioning toward the elf again, but he seemed uncharacteristically scared of the Civati around him. She quickly reconsidered her opinion. That small green one had just kind of walked up and grabbed his face. That would weird out anyone. The others were just as excited, though maybe not as physical. She admired, however, the craftsmanship of the carvings. xxxxxThe knives the Civati used seemed to be specifically for this purpose, and she quickly took mental notes. This could be the answer to so many unsolved academic mysteries! She wasn’t sure how long the singing continued, however, before the leading Civati raised the silver horn back to her lips and blew into it again. Just as suddenly as the singing had started, it stopped, replaced by a large quantity of Civati sitting themselves down and closing their eyes. xxxxx“Lor Risa?” Rosa asked. As soon as she spoke, though, the green Civati threw himself at her. She found herself suddenly pinned to the ground, a very pale hand covering her mouth. She was shocked, and frankly scared of the small green thing, but he looked up quickly as a petite yellow Civati put a hand on his shoulder. xxxxxRosa didn’t know what kind of relationship the two of them had, but the green one stood up grudgingly and turned away from Rosa. The yellow one smiled down kindly at the human and softly put one finger on Rosa’s lips. Did they want her to be quiet? Is that why they’d stopped singing? The yellow Civati wandered away and sat next to the overly anxious green one, and Rosa carefully stood up. Her boots made a slight scuffling sound she instantly regretted. All the Civati around the walls Lor Risa had built turned and glared at her. xxxxxLor Risa stayed within his walls, looking at her as if he wanted to come out, but wasn’t sure he had the courage needed to accomplish that. As carefully as she could, Rosa walked over to the walls. The soft crunching her feet made earned her more glares until one very lanky Civati suddenly scooped her up into his arms. xxxxxRosa stifled an involuntary cry, then looked at the one who held her. He was taller than the rest with light blue hair. For some reason, the tips of his messy locks were tinted the faintest shade of brown, and his mismatched eyes sparkled as they looked down at her. He moved as if on tip toe, deftly weaving between the seated Civati without making so much as a sound. Well, that explains how they snuck up on Rosa and Lor Risa earlier. xxxxxAt the walls, the strange Civati lifted Rosa higher with sudden strength, and Lor Risa’s hands were suddenly holding her shoulders and pulling her up. Once inside the safety of the walls, she stood up again and looked down at the Civati below them. It was an amazing view. These creatures were so alien, and though their builds were usually quite athletic, there were the occasional tubbier Civati among them. Their heights also ranged from the short green one that had started this whole mess to the tall one with mismatched eyes. That one still stood by the wall looking up at them and smiling. He gave a small wave, and Rosa shyly waved back before disappearing back behind the wall. xxxxxShe looked to Lor Risa for guidance, but he appeared more scared than she was by this particular turn of events. Had these Civati turned violent against them? The two stared at each other, trying to read the future as they waited in the eerie silence. They stayed like that for a long while until the horn sounded again. xxxxx“We must metgian waegn dryhtweras user liflad stadolfaest daege pro forhtlic attraction de ic must durhl’aedan das baeclinga wislic manian daege pro hanon gengan aeststandan weargbr’aede fordian taelmearc,” someone said. xxxxxRosa looked to Lor Risa, who immediately jumped up to peer over the wall he had made. “This one is saying something about us. Something people something fear something back and back again?” the elf attempted to translate. xxxxx“Wslic Majus-vat sagu de beorhtlic with de ic canne natedaeshwon tol’aetan of he onl’aenan we must full’gan ute forhwy mal swadeah siene,” Rosa heard. xxxxx“The red one doesn’t want us to leave, I think,” Lor Risa said. He gently pushed Rosa away from the edge and said to the Civati, “Pron de ic todeman leafnes from natedaeshwon dweald eower gen.” xxxxxLor Risa ducked back below his wall as cries of dismay sounded from around them. “What did you say?” Rosa hissed. xxxxx“I thought I told them we wouldn’t disturb them again. I don’t know,” Lor Risa hissed back. xxxxx“What do you mean you don’t know?” Rosa demanded, hands flailing ineffectually. xxxxx“I mean that this language is far older than anything you’ve ever dreamed of, and it’s not even in its original state. It’s been lifetimes since the last elf spoke with these people. They’re myths told to young ones. The Civati and their peaceful ways, coming to steal your nightmares. Nursery tales to help babies sleep! I’m trying my best here, but it’s almost a completely different language!” Rosa stared at her companion as he gripped his hair and took deep, shaky breaths. xxxxxHating what she did, Rosa took out the small metal tablet and said, “Lor Risa, I order you to calm down.” He stared at her in horror, but his hands relaxed and his breathing evened out. “I’m sorry,” Rosa said, putting the metal away, “but freaking out isn’t going to help us here.” xxxxx“Sorig adon toslitan,” a voice said from above them. Rosa let out a surprised yelp as she retreated to the other side of the safe place. It was that tall Civati from earlier, and somehow he’d made it up the wall. xxxxx“Billibojo-vat!” someone called from the other side. The Civati simply turned his head and gave a small wave to whoever was protesting and turned back to them. xxxxx“Eower meowle awridan frumsceaft giet hwaet oflystan bewendan niehsta quiet leoht’faet,” the tall one said. xxxxx“I think he’s saying we can leave,” Lor Risa whispered from next to Rosa, “He also said something about the light again and coming back.” xxxxxRosa carefully stood and dusted off her knees. “Can you tell him I would like to come back with another elf? A mind transmute might be able to read intentions where your knowledge fails,” she asked. xxxxx“Meowle with de ic araefnan breme furfor further da pron de ic bestaeppan?” Lor Risa asked. xxxxxThe tall Civati still hanging off the wall smiled and said, “Gese onhagian r’aeran!” Lor Risa was about to translate when the Civati continued, “Ne for dam de time sam.” With that, the strange creature dropped back on his side of the wall while a small and hushed commotion broke out. xxxxx“I think he said yes,” Lor Risa said, “but also no? We should probably just bring the one mind transmute.” xxxxx“That sounds reasonable,” Rosa agreed. She carefully stretched and peered over the wall to find just a few of the Civati still hanging around. The green one from earlier stared intently at her, but the yellow one next to him gave a small, friendly wave she cautiously returned. “They seem to be genuine about leading us back,” Rosa said, “So whenever you’re ready, I’ll follow your lead this time.” xxxxxCarefully, Lor Risa touched one section of the wall and made it flow back to the ground beneath them. Some of the Civati clapped softly as they emerged, but otherwise things were going well. xxxxx“We logian lad’rinc eow baecling,” the tall one said, stepping forward and pulling the green one with him. “Min ahatan Billibojo-vat deana tohwon Mathias-vat.” xxxxx“I think this is our escort,” Lor Risa said, “and they also introduced themselves. Billibojo-vat and Mathias-vat I think.” The elf pointed to the tall one, then the green one. Apparently they’d guess correctly, since Billibojo-vat grinned and nodded. xxxxxWhen the small group stepped back into the tunnel, Rosa expected to be blind again, but this time Billibojo-vat pulled out from inside his tunic a strange blue orb with smokey brown trails in it that seemed to pulse with soft light. He turned back to the human and elf following him, smiled, and started jabbering with his green companion. xxxxxAs they walked through the tunnels, Lor Risa concentrated extremely hard on the words, but Rosa tuned them out. She couldn’t understand them, so why not watch them? Mathias-vat seemed to be on the receiving end of a rather impassioned lecture, and after a minute of two, Lor Risa looked aside with a slight blush. xxxxxRosa looked at the elf, one eyebrow raised. “They are talking about a girl,” Lor Risa explained quietly, covering his face with his hands. Rosa found herself struggling not to laugh. It was such a simple topic, and even without understanding the details, she could still recognize Billibojo-vat’s playful pushing and Mathias-vat’s sullen looks for what they were. xxxxx“Ask him who this Majus-vat person is,” Rosa whispered to Lor Risa. It was more to distract him from what was going on than out of curiosity, but even if she enjoyed watching the two Civati interact, the subject matter obviously made Lor Risa uncomfortable. xxxxx“Beladung me. Deos Majus-vat?” Lor Risa asked. Their companions stopped their strange one-sided conversation and looked at each other, Billibojo-vat’s odd orb glowing between them. xxxxx“Zemni-vat ac Majus-vat. Dugud best nicor st’aelan middangeard latteow loc hedan,” the small green one said. xxxxx“What did he say?” Rosa whispered. xxxxxLor Risa stared in disbelief at the Civati before turning to Rosa. “They called them a dragon,” he said in disbelief, “Both this Majus-vat they speak of with reverence and that chieftain from earlier. As if they are the same being.” xxxxx“Willa eow al’aeran me eower reordian?” the tall Civati asked. Lor Risa’s head whipped back to him, but the Civati only smiled and tilted his head. The way his ears moved reminded Rosa of some puppy begging for treats. xxxxx“Ic pro canne ceosan,” the elf said slowly, “Yes, I will teach you.” This seemed to please the Civati, who linked arms with the green one and skipped ahead of them, chatting all the while. “Rosa, I think we’ve gotten more involved than intended.”
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Luoma
Dec 17, 2018 11:37:47 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 17, 2018 11:37:47 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Matters of Survival ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxThe first patrol stumbled upon our group at the beginning of the night. They were a bunch of elves going through the forest like a whisper until they screamed their alarm. xxxxx“Mamurra in sight! Squad three will pursue. Requesting backup from squads seven and four!” xxxxxWe weren’t expecting them, and I cursed my lack of preparation. I hadn’t taken a bath since I’d accidentally taken control of the pack, and I honestly just wanted a warm meal that didn’t taste like sand and stale bread. I was distracted, and we were caught flat-footed and unprepared to flee. xxxxx“Unknown entities within mamurra pack. Proceed with caution!” xxxxx“Alice! Hold on to your Protector. Follow me,” I said. I don’t think the elves were expecting sentient speech to come from their prey; they seemed to stumble long enough for the pack to gather all of the children into the center of the running canines. The children, for their part, hunched over their mounts. Milly seemed to ride hers the most naturally, but thanks to her lessons, the others weren’t doing too badly. I was about to thank my lucky stars when an arrow flew out of the woods, and I decided to curse it instead. “Marca, lead,” I said before disappearing into the nearest tree. xxxxxThat night was a bunch of running and dodging, mainly through trees and the dark. I did my best to use hit-and-run when I could, and though I managed to kill two of our pursuers through ambush and a knife to the throat, I was only able to injure the rest before they gave up on the chase. xxxxxThe next patrol we encountered on our terms. I’d left the children behind, mainly to keep Alice safe, but she would have been lonely if I’d taken the other children along. The evidence of a forest fire were still fresh in the area. Typical human tactics that led to scarce food for the wildlife, a danger to my pack, especially since I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t turn on us if they got hungry. I was going in to raid their stores when I saw the first patrol. These were humans, and my pack managed to get rid of most of them before they could raise the alarm. xxxxxSometime after all the humans had stopped breathing, I noticed my Marca rolling on the dead corpse of a man. “Marca. Stop,” I told her. Obediently, she came up to me, but instead of simply standing by my side, she rubbed the man’s blood on me. “Marca!” I tried again, backing away only to find another weight pressed against my other side. Another mamurra, similarly covered in blood, rubbing against my hip and painting it red. I looked up, and more and more of the pack were covering themselves and waiting. There wasn’t much I could do but endure it until the crying reached my ears. xxxxxAll of the mamurra went on the defensive, hackles raised as they growled and looked toward one of the tents in the dead camp. Carefully, I walked up to it and pulled back the flap. Inside, I found a number of small figures huddled together and crying quietly. I knelt down and reached out toward the small forms when one cried “Hijra!” xxxxxQuickly, I drew back as the others began whispering the word to themselves. The accent was strange, but it wasn’t human. “Are you prisoners?” I asked. They seemed to just be children, so I had no idea what else they could be. One of the small forms looked up at me, bandaged head and scared eyes looking at my bloodied form. “Elves,” I said. xxxxx“Hijra, help us!” xxxxx“We don’t want to die.” xxxxx“Or be slaves.” xxxxx“Or die.” xxxxxAll four of them had bandages around their heads, and I reached out again. “Stay calm, stay silent, and stay still. I don’t want to hurt you,” I said. I brought out the same butcher knives I’d been using since fleeing Alice’s village and cut at the ropes holding each of the young elves in place. I was only half elf, but even I knew how precious these children would be to their village. “Where are you from? You need to head back before someone gets hurt trying to rescue you.” xxxxx“Hijra, take us with you!” This was said by what appeared to be the leader. He was smaller than the rest, but he also had more pride in his shoulders than the rest. xxxxx“The humans killed off our village! We have nowhere to go.” This helpful explanation came from another male. He was larger, but he also seemed to have more bruises than the rest. I freed him quickly and moved on. xxxxx“What if they kill us? They’re covered in blood, and if I can see it, I know you can!” I was careful approaching this female. One eye was smoky, as if there were a bruise in it. She watched me suspiciously until I moved on to the last small figure. xxxxxThe last poor creature was thinner than the rest and probably quite a bit older. She didn’t speak, but she watched everything with fear in her eyes. She scrambled behind the larger male as soon as I was done. xxxxx“I cannot promise you safety, but you can follow me until we find another elf settlement,” I said as I rose. My bad knee twinged, and I winced slightly as it took my weight. The Marca made her way to my side so I could cautiously lean against her side. I might be too large to ride, but we’d created this kind of system for ourselves during our long travels. xxxxxThe Marca’s entrance was not unnoticed. The elder girl let out an almost animal sound at the sight of the canine, and all the children took up defensive stances. In response, the white mamurra outside let out growls, and I felt the red hackles on the Marca stiffen. “Be calm,” I said loudly. Immediately, the growling ceased. “They are my pack, and they will not hurt you,” I told the elves. The mamurra shifted outside, and I made my way away from the stares with the Marca’s help. xxxxxOnce outside, the gathered pack members seemed to visibly calm. Some even began to eat from the bodies that lay in the dirt. That aspect of their diet I still did not approve of, but I didn’t forbid them in case their goodwill toward me and Alice suddenly ran out. “If you would like to join me, do it now. The pack gets skittish when things follow them at night,” I said. xxxxxI disappeared into another tent and began loading up the sacks I had brought. One for me, and one for each of the hounds to carry back. If we could get these supplies back to the group, we wouldn’t have to attack the passing camps for a time. My musings were cut short by the sudden appearance of the older elf girl throwing herself at the humans’ food stores. xxxxx“Wabau, no!” I watched in horror as the thin elf tore off chunks of food and threw her head back. The larger boy came rushing in as she started to choke, crying the whole time. “Wabau, no! Slow down, please. You’re choking yourself.” When the offending bite of bread came out to the floor, the girl sat there, panting as if finishing a race. “Please, hijra, let us have some food. Wabau needs time to eat, and the humans haven’t been very patient,” the young elf said, this time directing the question at me. xxxxx“Yes. Go ahead. Have some,” I said. It was disconcerting, even after the gentler male was there. I watched as the girl tore off a much smaller piece of bread and stuffed it into the back of her throat before throwing her head back again. “I’ll be back,” I said, quickly leaving before the girl took another “bite” of her food. xxxxxOutside, I went through the humans’ bodies, pulling off small knives and short swords. If we were going to continue living in this world, the children needed to learn how to defend themselves. On one belt, I found a ring of keys and stashed them with the knives. Alice would be happy when I returned. I also managed to locate a bow that wasn’t in terrible condition, as well as half a quiver of arrows. I put those on my back, and by the time I returned to the food tent, some of the mamurra were curiously sniffing at the elf children that had gathered there. xxxxx“If you are done with the food, I need to bring the rest back to the others,” I said, walking through the pack easily. xxxxx“Others?” the small male asked skeptically. I nodded and held out my bags. xxxxx“You didn’t think I could eat all of this myself, did you? There are four children with the rest of the pack. Alice should be getting hungry by now, so if you’ll excuse me,” I said. I ducked back into the tent and stuffed the bags with more food. I could hear mutterings from the three voices outside but paid them no mind as I finished my packing. xxxxxIt was as I gave the last bag to the Marca that the young boy approached me. “Hijra, please let us come with you. We know some majiks and can be of use to you, so please help us survive,” he said. I flinched at the mention of majik, almost expecting a blow from some phantom fist. xxxxx“Before we leave, you should know what you’re getting into,” I said, turning to face the sad little group, “I am a halfling, raised mainly by the human armies. If I can use majiks, it is completely accidental, and likely small in effect. The children I travel with are human. One is antagonistic toward things like majiks, and one is dangerously curious about it. We have been adopted by this pack of mamurra. We will travel back, and if the mamurra and other children are open to your joining, you will gain a companion of your own. If they do not accept you, you will be turned out to survive on your own. We have no permanent home and are likely the enemy of all we will encounter. If after hearing all this you still wish to join us, I am leaving now. If not, then luck to you.” xxxxxI turned back toward the forest, my bag on my shoulder as the mamurra moved to follow with their burdens. As we traveled, I could hear small complaints behind me, along with some grunts of effort. From the sounds of it, all four of them had followed. Well, this return would show whether or not they would be adopted into the pack. I still wasn’t sure we wouldn’t turn them out to the next elf settlement, but only time would tell. xxxxxSometime about halfway back to the children, I heard a sharp cry from the back of the group. Thinking something was wrong, I turned quickly and brandished a knife. The elves all stared at me and the agitated mamurra in horror until I put the weapon away. “Don’t scream like that unless we’re being attacked. It throws the rhythm off. Now, what’s the issue,” I said as I sheathed my knife. The older girl seemed to be crying and making strange grunting noises as she leaned against the big guy. xxxxx“Wabau needs rest. She’s out of energy,” the small boy said. I sighed and moved back to her. xxxxx“Are any of you willing to carry this one back to the den?” I asked the surrounding hounds. xxxxx“You expect one of us to carry her?” the other girl said indignantly, “Nwuke may look strong, but he couldn’t carry her ten steps before collapsing himself!” I ignored the girl and looked at each of the hounds. There were a couple yips and some shuffling, but as the girl behind me continued her mocking rant, four white individuals came forward and knelt in front of me. xxxxx“Here, drop the bags. You shouldn’t have to carry things on your back and your front,” I said, kneeling painfully and grabbing the four bags of supplies. “Now that you’ve stopped yelling at my impertinence, can we get going? There’s a long walk ahead of us, and we need to get back before sunrise,” I said, turning back to a quieted group of elves. xxxxx“You, large one, come here. You look like the heaviest of the group, so you’ll ride this one here,” I said, pointing at a large male and the biggest of the hounds. “She’ll ride this one. She’s got a steady gait and shouldn’t make you work too hard to hold on.” I motioned to another mamurra and the weak female. “You other two can ride the other two, though you might want to ask permission first,” I said over my shoulder. We really needed to get back to Alice soon. xxxxx“We have names, you know,” the smaller boy said. xxxxx“Don’t make them angry!” the large one hissed, already mounting his white companion. xxxxx“So you’ll just take this lying down? You really are weak.” xxxxx“Rusinyo, now is not the time. We shouldn’t fight among ourselves.” xxxxxI stopped, lowered my head a moment, and took a deep breath. “Alright, kiddos. I’ll tell you something: I don’t care who you are yet. When we get back to the group, I’ll either learn your names for convenience or you’ll be on your merry little way. Until then, we are strangers who happen to be travelling in the same direction, good? Now let’s get moving. I’ve wasted too much time already,” I said. I resettled the new set of bags in my grasp as the Marca approached. She dropped her bag and tried to grab another of mine. Gratefully, I gave her a second bag of supplies and somehow managed the others on our way back. xxxxxWhen we finally came into the cave the others were waiting in, I was leaning quite heavily on the Marca as I walked. “You’re back!” Alice said, almost throwing herself at me. “What’d you find?” xxxxx“Nice to see you, too. I found some cheese for us, and a few links of sausage if the mamurra haven’t eaten them. I also found,” I paused what I was saying and reached into one of my bags, “keys!” xxxxxAlice happily grabbed at the keys and disappeared deeper into the cave to add these to her ever-growing collection. The other children hovered just out of sight until I waved them over. “I need help carrying these in,” I said. Milly happily skipped over and grabbed one as Jack dragged a reluctant Tommy over. xxxxx“Oh! You brought people back, too,” Jack said, spying the elves behind me. xxxxx“Did it majik you, too? Get away from it!” Tommy yelled at the newcomers. I frowned at his choice of words, but I didn’t have to verbally correct him. xxxxx“Tommy! That’s mean. Take it back! I bet these are nice people, and you’re trying to scare them off,” Jack said, hands on small hips. xxxxx“He called the hijra an it. Does he not know how to show respect?” the small male said. xxxxx“I warned you one didn’t like majik. Now, shall we go deeper? We’ll discuss more inside,” I said. My knee was tired, and I just wanted to rest and eat something, and I think the pack noticed; they followed more closely as I herded the human boys in front of me. xxxxxOnce everything was inside and all the supplies had been stacked for future distribution, I sat everyone down in a circle and handed out a quick meal. The cave was dark, so I carefully lit a small fire. It wasn’t much for warmth, but it was large enough to see each other. xxxxx“What’s this about? Why’d he bring back so many kids?” Jack asked the others quietly. xxxxx“I told you, she’s much more lady-like than a he! Anyway, I’m sure she’ll tell us her reasons in a minute,” Milly whispered back. xxxxx“Or it could just be majiking all of us so we’ll die in the middle of nowhere,” Tommy said. xxxxx“No! My Fierce Protector wouldn’t do that! Would you?” Alice asked. She was sitting next to me, like always, and I pulled her closer. xxxxx“No. I wouldn’t do that to you, Alice. Now, would you all please relax? This should be quick and simple,” I said, looking at all the visibly tense elves. A moment of silence passed before I spoke again, “These four were elf prisoners I found tonight. They want to join our pack.” xxxxxThe mamurra stirred, milling around the outside of our small circle. “Calm,” I told them. They stilled and curled up again. Nobody was bit, and there weren’t any growls of protest, so I counted it as a small victory. “Now, what are your thoughts?” I asked the children. The Marca curled up next to me. She stared at the elves intently as the children spoke. xxxxx“I think it’s a great idea! They’re elves, right? Maybe they have majik! Think you could teach us some majiks? That would be so cool,” Milly said, leaning forward and staring at the elves across the fire. xxxxx“Ew! No! Why would I ever learn majik?” Tommy said. His reaction was rather anticipated at this point, so the humans moved on without comment. xxxxx“There is safety in numbers, but can we take them?” Jack said logically, “The pack already does a lot of hunting for us, and there’s only so much we can do. We’re kids, after all.” xxxxx“You’re my Fierce Protector! I like that one, though. She’s cool,” Alice said. She pointed to the girl with the smoky eye, and I smiled down at my charge. xxxxx“Marca, do you mind?” I asked, patting the hound as she sat next to me. In response, the mass of red fur rose and approached each of the elves. At each one, she stopped and looked at them with the black pits that were her eyes before suddenly licking them. She returned to my side and sat, tongue lolling out of her mouth. “Looks like you’ve been accepted. We are now pack,” I said. The howls that accompanied my declaration made the elves flinch, but Milly jumped up and ran over to them and threw her arms around one, making the thin girl look positively petrified. xxxxxThe howls stopped as I rose, and the Marca quickly paced a small space around us. “Alright, short guy. Come here,” I said, holding my hand out to the smaller boy that seemed to be in charge. xxxxx“Whatever you’re doing, you’ll do it to me first!” the cloudy-eyed girl burst out. She jumped up and strutted over to me, where she stared defiantly into my face. xxxxx“Alright. You would have gotten one anyway,” I said, turning to the pack now gathered at the front of the cave, “Give me your hand.” xxxxx“What? Why do you need my hand?” she said, crossing her arms. xxxxx“It’s doing that majik thing again. I’m going to sleep,” Tommy said. As he rose, the mamurra he was paired with dashed from the gathered crowd and joined him, curling protectively around the boy as a kind of makeshift bedding. xxxxx“Just give it. You’ll see in a minute,” I said, reaching for a hand and dragging it out. I turned to the hounds in front of me and said to them, “This one is a friend.” As they began their barking, one slithered forward on its belly, rolling over once it got within reach. I pulled the girl’s hand down to the mamurra’s head and placed it on the wide forehead there. A bright black mark stood out on its wide face before fading to a pale grey. “You take care of this one,” I said. The mamurra proceeded to roll over and happily lick at the elf girl despite her protests. xxxxx“Fairly painless. Now, your turn.” I repeated the process with each of the new members of our group. The quiet girl seemed the most accepting of her companion, though the others didn’t outright object. “And now, names,” I said, sitting back down. Everyone gathered with their mamurra, minus Tommy who was still curled up in the corner with his. xxxxx“I’m Milly! Hope you can teach me some majik! It’d be so cool!” She sat astride her mamurra, lounging on its wide shoulders as if there was nothing easier. xxxxx“I’m Jack. Don’t be scared by Milly. She’s a little weird.” xxxxx“Hey! No I’m not!” xxxxx“Yes, you are,” Jack said, turning his back to her and waving his arms through the air, “I’m casting majik! Can’t you see?” xxxxx“Jack, be nice! Milly doesn’t do that. Though Tommy might hit you if he sees you doing that,” Alice said. xxxxx“Of course he would. He’d hit you for looking at him weird,” Jack said, “Oh! That’s Tommy over there. He’s the one pretending to sleep, and Alice is the one who forgot to introduce herself.” xxxxx“Hey! I was getting there! I’m Alice.” xxxxxThe elves seemed slightly confused by the children in front of them, but the quiet one spoke up first. “Ah’m Wabau,” she said ponderously as she patted her new companion. There was something about how she made her sounds that made me think of a child learning to speak, but the others quickly followed suit. xxxxx“My name’s Rusinyo, and the ‘big guy’ over there is Nwuke,” the other girl said. She pointed to Nwuke, only to pull back her arm as her mamurra tried to lick her hand again. xxxxx“I am Obako. And what should we call you, hijra?” the smaller elf said, respectfully ignoring his mamurra’s enthusiastic tail. xxxxx“Well, Obako, you can call me Boss, but if you need a name, use Hibe. And now I think that’s enough for today. Time for bed,” I said. xxxxx“No! I want to play with Rusinyo!” Alice said, resisting my attempts to herd her towards the back of the cave. xxxxx“Rusinyo will be happy to play with you tomorrow. Now sleep. We’ll be moving quickly tomorrow,” I said. The elf in question gave me a glare with her good eye, but I ignored it as our pack helped to herd the rest of the group back and curled up around their charges for some well-deserved rest. I stomped out our small fire and mentally prepared myself for the dreams. Dreams of running, dreams of warmth, and dreams of full stomachs and a pack behind me filled my head with their pounding rhythm until the stress of the day finally left and I could sleep.
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Luoma
Dec 17, 2018 11:59:53 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Dec 17, 2018 11:59:53 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Growth Spurt ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxI rode my mamurra as we glided through the woods. The spoils of our raid bounced on my back, and the grin I held spread to the others like some kind of infectious plague. I leaned over my hound’s shoulder and whispered, “Quietly, now. Can’t let my Fierce Protector know we went hunting again.” My mount snuffled in response and slowed its pace. Tommy raced past on his mount, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance. xxxxx“That boy is going to get us caught some day,” Rusinyo muttered, “You’d think after nine years, he’d know how much the boss doesn’t like you leaving. It’s like they don’t want you to grow up.” I glanced over at the elf hunched over her own mount and gave a shrug. xxxxx“Hibe has been doing it for longer than I can remember. I think it’s a habit by now,” I said before turning my eyes back to the forest trail ahead of us. Trees flew by as the mamurra ran, their white pelts a simple blur to anyone who might happen to look. xxxxxCarefully, we entered our temporary camp. Rusinyo took the lead, and even though I felt bad going behind Hibe’s back like this, but the others had been busy, and we had been in need of some necessities. The half-blind elf waved a cautious hand toward me, and I dismounted and slung the pack off my shoulder. xxxxx“You did great tonight!” I said. I didn’t say it loudly, because that would have been obvious, but normal conversation was to be expected, right? xxxxx“Yes. Thank you for helping me bring it in. My mamurra was getting tired,” Rusinyo said, walking out from behind the trees and into the small clearing we were currently camping in. xxxxx“Did you find any keys?” I asked innocently, as if I didn’t already know the answer. xxxxx“Alice, you know elves don’t use keys. They use majik stones instead of houses,” Obako called from his place in the clearing. xxxxx“How did you know we raided more elves?” Tommy asked suspiciously, “Was it more of your majiks?” xxxxx“No. He probably just used our approximate location and guessed at the nearby inhabitants,” Rusinyo said, putting her sack with the other supplies. xxxxx“Where’s Milly, anyway?” I asked, more to get Tommy to back down than anything. xxxxx“She’s helping the boss deliver pups. That mamurra we’ve been keeping an eye on finally gave birth,” Jack called out from the other side of the clearing, “I’m going to see them myself once I’m done with this rack.” xxxxxI put down my rewards and moved over to his side of the clearing. “Want me to help you with that?” I asked as I approached. Jack gave a small smile and I sat next to him, strengthening and oiling the mass of branches and hide until they were supple and capable. After a few minutes of our activities, I whispered, “Have you had any luck with Wabau?” xxxxxJack instantly stiffened, then focused intently on his rack as his face turned red. “No,” he sulked, “That Nwuke is always there with her.” xxxxx“I see your romantic rival is as in the way as always,” I teased. xxxxx“He’s not my rival!” Jack hissed quietly, though his tone held no malice, “I’m pretty sure he sees her as a little sister, maybe. He’s always protecting her, kind of like the boss does with you, though a little less intense.” xxxxx“I know, but Nwuke is so dependable, you can’t help but like him,” I said with a smile. Jack made a firm sound of agreement and put down his rack. Apparently he was done now, so I sat where I was, finishing up my own rack as the elves in question rode in. They wore similar racks strapped to their shoulders and on them was a rather successful hunt. xxxxx“Alice! Sorry to do this to you, but do you think you could wash these for us? The pack is getting anxious for dinner,” Nwuke said cheerily. xxxxx“Sure thing! Welcome back, by the way. Did you make Wabau do most of the hunting again?” I said. It was fun to see Nwuke splutter when he was flustered like this. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell the boss about it as long as you talk about majik again tonight,” I said loftily. I peeked at his face from my preposterous pose and saw that it’d gone from worried to amused. Good. He got my joke. xxxxxNwuke and Wabau gave me their racks as they distracted the pack with the food they’d brought back. I remember when it used to be much smaller, but there was always at least one litter each year, and with someone intelligent leading the way, they’d thrived well. I moved to the nearby stream and washed off the blood from the kills carried in on the racks. When I got back, Hibe had emerged and was in the middle of speaking. xxxxx“I understand you have a report, Nwuke, but where is Alice? I was missing her earlier, and though her mamurra’s here now, I still can’t find her.” xxxxx“Boss?” I asked, carefully carrying the still wet racks with me. I was instantly engulfed in a hug. xxxxx“Where have you been? I couldn’t find you anywhere. Do you have any idea how worried I was? If it weren’t for the whelping, I would have gone out looking for you myself,” the half elf said. They pulled away, and I tried not to look guilty of leaving to not only explore without their protection, but also to go directly into enemy territory like I had been forbidden to. xxxxx“Boss, there’s something important Wabau and I found tonight,” Nwuke said. xxxxxHibe turned around and said, “Alright. What was it? Give me a full report.” xxxxx“We believe what we found was a pair of half elves. They themselves pose no threat to us, but the group of elves chasing them might be a danger to our safety. I feel like we could use them to our advantage, though,” Nwuke explained. xxxxxObako suddenly jumped into the conversation from his place grooming a mamurra, “If we could somehow get these half elves to join our pack, that would increase our power and abilities. I think we have enough bare mamurra to give them appropriate partners, and we’re surviving well with this number as it is.” xxxxxThe boss seemed to consider this option before saying, “The only problem with that line of thinking would be convincing the pursuing elves that their quarry was not worth pursuing anymore.” xxxxxJack carefully sidled up to the taller Wabau and offered, “If we send in some of the bare pack members to scare the groups, the pursuers might abandon the half elves in an attempt to appease a seemingly wild pack. From there, we can absorb the half elves into our pack, maybe shed a bit of blood on the way. The elves would give up pursuit, since there would be no use in chasing what’s already dead.” xxxxx“What if they’re trying to capture the half elves?” Hibe asked. xxxxx“From the looks of it, the pursuing elves had already wounded one half elf, and their weapons were not exactly fit for capture,” Nwuke suggested. xxxxx“Alice? What’s your opinion?” I always hated when the boss left such important decisions up to me, but honestly I saw no reason not to adopt the half elves. xxxxx“New friends would be welcome,” I said with a smile. xxxxxMy Fierce Protector nodded brusquely and motioned to the gathered mamurra. “Come. Marca, bring the fastest bare backs and scout ahead. Alice, Obako, you’re with me. The rest of you, gather up. If there’s a few elves there’s bound to be more. Jack, get some bandages ready for our return. Mount up. The pack moves when we return.” xxxxxInstantly, mamurra across the clearing were thrown into motion. The humanoids among them started loading the racks with provisions and uneaten rabbits as I jumped back onto my mamurra. Obako was doing the same when I looked to him, but soon enough we were running through the woods following the direction the bare backs had taken. They let loose a constant baying that broke the night, so it wasn’t hard to follow them, but without the Marca, Hibe couldn’t run as easily. I looked over at them, worried about the old knee wound. A mamurra had apparently come up and was trying to be a support like the Marca usually was, but it was only marginally working. xxxxxWhen we caught up, the mamurra had surrounded the group of elves and the two half elves with them. There were swords drawn, and though the half elves weren’t currently being threatened, they weren’t being protected, either. xxxxx“By the stars! Of all the times to get bad luck, this is the worst. Can’t you do something about these blasted dogs?” one elf complained. He seemed to be the leader, and though we riders hid in the darkness around them, I could hear him loud and clear. xxxxx“Don’t you think I’ve already tried that?” a female demanded, “This Marca is strong-willed. An untrained mind transmute like me can’t control it. Got any better plans?” xxxxx“Boss, I think they look hungry,” a skinny she elf complained, looking fearfully from one mamurra’s black pits to another. xxxxx“What about the halflings? We were just going to kill them anyway. Why don’t we throw them at the blasted demons and make a break for it?” xxxxxThe group of elves seemed to think that was the best solution, just like Jack had predicted. I was honestly surprised at how often he was right, but I guess I should be used to it by now. The half elves were unceremoniously shoved toward the nearest mamurra. The bare back growled happily and grabbed onto the poor child’s arm, another swooping in and snatching the other by his shirt. xxxxxThe bare backs dragged the screaming children further into the brush, and the other mamurra followed quickly as the elves made a run for it. Hibe stepped out of the shadows, and Obako and I quickly followed suit. xxxxxThe two half elves were too busy screaming and crying that they didn’t notice our approach until Hibe made a motion and the mamurra released them. xxxxx“Congratulations. You either make a run for it now, or you join our pack. If you run, I suggest going that way. Humans aren’t much nicer to half elves, but at least they don’t kill them.” The children were still crying, but their eyes focused on their fellow half-elf. xxxxx“Please don’t leave us alone,” one of them blubbered. xxxxx“Alright. Obako, please make it realistic.” xxxxxMe and my mamurra surged forward as our companion moved. The children screamed as well, though the sound was cut off as Obako sliced each of their arms and hit some kind of pressure point. When he was done, both of the kids were unconscious and had large, bloody gashes on their arms. xxxxx“What was that for?” I demanded, quickly coming next to the halflings and checking their vitals. xxxxx“We have to make sure there is no pursuit,” the boss said carefully, “Don’t worry. We’ll bandage them up once we get back to the others.” xxxxxI wasn’t sure I wanted to be the cause of some terrible injury to potential pack members, but Obako had that look in his eye that said he believed in his actions completely. Carefully, we draped the young half elves over two of the bare mamurra, letting their bloodied arm droop to the ground. xxxxx“Jack, we need those bandages,” Hibe announced as we arrived back at the clearing. My human companion scurried from the straps of his mamurra’s rack. He took one look at the half elves and carefully pulled them down for medical attention. “Wabau, we need some of the blood from the pack’s meal. Gather it.” A small sound of affirmation rose from somewhere among the milling canines, and my Fierce Protector moved off into the cave we were currently abandoning. xxxxx“Nice job, Obako,” Jack said as he bandaged the new members of our pack, “The cuts were clean, and though they bled a lot, these two should be fine in the future.” As I watched in silence, the elf grandly accepted the praise and walked his mamurra over to the rest of the pack, attaching racks to the broad shoulders that still needed them. xxxxx“How did you know it was Obako?” I asked, knealing on the other side of Jack’s patients, “It could have been me who cut them.” xxxxxJack gave a short bark of laughter and tied off his bandage. “Like you would voluntarily hurt someone on your own,” he said, shuffling over to the other halfling, “Boss doesn’t like it when you carry anything more than your knife. I don’t even know if you could do anything but skin with it at this point.” xxxxxI quickly stood up and stormed off, looking for Milly. I thought it was just my Fierce Protector who didn’t think I should fight. I shook my head violently and looked up to see Milly calming some of the more excitable mamurra. xxxxx“Milly! Can I get your help with our new members? They’re going to need help holding on for a while,” I called to her. My friend looked up, nodded, and started to weave her way toward me. I tapped two of the bare mamurra already strapped into their racks and made the motion to follow. xxxxxWhen we got back to the two halflings, Jack had already finished bandaging them and was discussing something with the boss. “They’re hurt!” Milly cried. xxxxx“Yeah. I think Hibe wanted to leave a blood trail here or something,” I said with a huff, motioning the two mamurra closer. xxxxx“Oh. Good to know they didn’t get hurt before we got there, then,” Milly said. I worked in silence, strapping the two bodies into the racks securely so they wouldn’t fall on the journey. xxxxx“Time to leave,” Tommy said. I flinched as he and his mamurra passed, but the canine did nothing but nudge me affectionately with its wide head. Milly and I quickly mounted our mamurra and set off, following Hibe’s lead as the pack moved on. I looked back in time to see startlingly large white bones scattered in the clearing among a patch of extremely red grass, but then the trees closed around us, and I focused back on the ride. xxxxxAfter a long time of nothing but dodging tree branches, I asked Milly, “Do you think I could have done it?” xxxxx“Done what?” Milly twisted slightly to look at me for a moment, then apparently saw my gaze. “Listen, you totally could have guarded these two on your own. I just wanted to keep you company,” she said, flashing me a smile. xxxxx“That’s not what I meant,” I said, moving a little closer to the still sleeping half elves. xxxxx“Then what did you mean?” Milly asked, looking ahead of her. xxxxx“Do you think I can fight?” I asked quietly. xxxxxAt first, I didn’t think she heard me, but she quietly responded, “Honestly? No. Boss keeps you pretty close. I don’t think they want you to fight, but that’s not it. It’s more like you have no drive to actually hurt someone.” I looked at my friend in horror as she stated an apparently convincing argument. “I’m going to go see how Obako’s doing. See you when we stop,” Milly said, and before I could respond, she and her mamurra were already far ahead. xxxxx“Do you want to bring our practice sessions to light, Alice?” a familiar voice said behind me. xxxxx“Rusinyo, no!” I said, startled, “I think I’ll save it for when they actually need me.” I turned my eyes from the newly adopted halflings and focused on flowing with my mamurra. Yes. I’d show them I could fight, but only when they needed me to.
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Luoma
Dec 20, 2018 23:29:12 GMT -5
Post by Ranger on Dec 20, 2018 23:29:12 GMT -5
I finally caught up!
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Luoma
Dec 25, 2018 20:31:06 GMT -5
Post by Aliria on Dec 25, 2018 20:31:06 GMT -5
I also finally caught up, and this is so good holy heck
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Luoma
Jan 5, 2019 16:28:47 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Jan 5, 2019 16:28:47 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Terror Watch ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxAt the moment, I hated my job. Well, hated and loved. It was the middle of winter, and growing up close to the Dragon Desert hadn’t exactly prepared me for snow so heavy it might crush you if you’re not careful. Heck, I hadn’t known there were so many kinds of snow to begin with. Light stuff, heavy stuff, sticky stuff, warm stuff, wet stuff, frozen stuff. The list just went on and on. At least, that’s what I’d been told. To me, it all just seemed a little excessive and all too cold. Whoever decided living here was dumb, and I’d be chasing after them if I hadn’t currently been following a small trail of elves and their weeping cargo. xxxxxThe elves were all shorter than me, typical of the difference between human and elf. They also held the glint of enchanated metal around their necks. I knew the collars prevented them from using their majiks without permission, but that thought just left a sour taste in my mouth. I was glad they wouldn’t attack me, but the thought that these creatures were once a mighty force begged to be explored before their culture was entirely stamped out. xxxxxThe elf at the head of our trail stopped and raised a hand. They were covered in the same thick winter coats all the elves wore, the hood drawn up to protect the large pointed ears from the biting wind. We all gathered around the leader and waited for whatever they had to say. Well, I waited; the rest of our group already knew what was happening. xxxxx“Madame Rosa, this is as far as is safe. We ask you turn back now,” the lead elf said. xxxxx“But we haven’t even done what I came to observe. I can’t very well go back without anything to show for it,” I complained through chattering teeth. The leader just looked at me with something like pity and turned toward the dark line that marked the edge of the largest forest on modern maps. From my research, the elves called it the Forest of Mistakes, or possibly just Demon Trees depending on the amount of fear involved in the telling. This particular group seemed to have enough fear for their entire population, which was the reason I was following them. If this forest was really that terrifying, then why enter it at all? And why the children? xxxxxIn our group, children made up a full half of the travelers. They were bundled up less than even me, and they shivered uncontrollably. One even had a grey tone to their skin that worried me. According to human laws, an elf could not be considered for manual labor until their culture considered them adults, but the children couldn’t wander the countryside on their own. Thus, we made small villages where we could gather and watch their young with a few experienced elders to guide them culturally. So far, the system had worked. Elves would get pregnant and be sent to one of these villages for the birth, and about ten years later, the child was recognized as an adult in elf society. The only snag in the plan was a distinct lack of half-breeds. We know for a fact that they can happen based on research of human women in poor areas and overly wealthy estates, but the fact that there had yet to be a single halfling entered into the slave pool concerned a number of important people who gave orders and sent out none other than me. xxxxxI researched ancient things, including elf society, so I guess the powers that be decided I would be the best candidate to investigate missing children. So far, I’d seen drowning, slit throats, smothering, and even snapping of necks when nursmaids thought I wasn’t around. Apparently, elves were not fond of halflings in the slightest. This village had a strange idea of a merciful death, though. Reports indicated that the elders took a number of children out into the forest regularly, though sometimes they didn’t come back with any. xxxxxThe trees were mercifully dense once we made it a significant distance into them, though it was depressingly dark. I had brought a glow stone with me, but the first time I had pulled it out, the entire group glared and refused to move until I put it away. I silently cursed my superiors again as the icy cold seeped into my boots. xxxxxOur silent group made it a good distance into the trees, following a well-traveled trail I could barely see in the dark. We stopped at a clearing, the trees around us deafening the roar of the wind to a dull moan that stirred only the tops of the trees. The elder and adults gathered the children in a close bunch and sat them down in the snow. xxxxxI was about to object to their treatment when one of the adults said, “L’Krem, the prayer. Quickly.” xxxxxThe elder nodded their head and lifted their arms. As a concept, I found the elf reverence for those born with both genders or none at all confusing. The Hijra, as they were called, often found their ways into places of power within small elf communities, like this elder. “Ma’sha, be appeased! We offer these to save the rest,” the elder cried out into the forest. The storm blowing through the area made twilight darker, and their words echoed off the trees in a haunting manner. xxxxxA second passed where nothing happened. Then, a large red shape prowled out from deeper in the wood. “Marca, take this sacrifice and tell the Ma’sha we have sent it! Be appeased for another turning of the stars,” the elder said, bowing to the creature. They then quickly gathered the trembling adults and brushed by the children on their way back to the trail. Without any other ideas, I quickly followed them back into the forest. xxxxx“What are you doing?” I hissed, grabbing at a sleeve. xxxxx“Preventing raids,” the elf said simply, “Now come. We must not offend.” xxxxx“No!” I whisper-yelled. xxxxx“Then do not blame your death on us, Madame,” the elder said, pulling the adult away. They both gave me stony glares and retreated into the trees. I stood on the path, dumbfounded for a moment. This was why the human guards hadn’t reported such obvious abandonment. This close to the Dire Forest, of course they had to deal with raids regularly. xxxxxQuickly I turned back toward the clearing and crept my way toward the sounds of snuffling and tears. I saw the marca, a large, red direwolf with the typical black pits, but with it were a number of other dires. What I found interesting, though, was the camparison between them and a typical dire. All of these specimen were larger and more muscular, and all of them had strange, dark half-circles in their wide foreheads arcing over equally dark dots. It was a strangely specific marking to have, and I made a mental note to bring back to the scholars at home. xxxxxAs I watched, the direwolves circled the now crying group of children, occasionally sniffing or nudging their cold noses against colder skin. One dire bared its fangs at the oldest of the children, but the marca growled low, and the hungry one retreated. I waited in the brush, watching my breath steam in front of me as I shivered. Finally, a form walked out of the forest. xxxxxAnother direwolf paced out, and I was surprised to see it carrying someone on its back. Another figure walked beside them, and it was painfully obvious what gender each of the individuals were. Despite the cold, both wore nothing but leather pants and a fur cloak, though the female thankfully had a band of what were possibly fox tails wrapped around her chest. The male stepped forward and crouched by the children. He reached forward, his arm covered in rings of primitive tattoos that ran from shoulder to elbow. xxxxx“Don’t eat her!” one of the older children cried, pulling a small girl from his reaching arm. xxxxxThe male’s face wrinkled in disgust, making the half-moon tattoo across his nose deform and writhe. He glanced over his shoulder at the female still sitting on her direwolf. “We do not make a practice of eating our packmates,” she said softly, “but if you would prefer to be abandoned, then may the snow embrace you kindly.” As she said this, the female made a strange praying gesture. I saw the same half-moon on her face, but the hood of her cloak fell and showed me more. Her hair was red as flames, and her ears were small and pointed, like every child who now sat staring at her. She pointed to her jaw, where a single delicate line of tattoos showed in the dimness and said, “I have survived 25 winters, 17 with this pack. Sa Morthel has survived 15 winters with this pack. We have accepted many into our packs. Will you join us?” xxxxxThe male carefully picked up the frozen children and placed them gently atop the direwolves who had stayed quiet at the edges of the strange conversation. Each halfling child grabbed onto the thick fur and trembled as the large canines began carefully walking back into the trees. “Guide them to the dens,” the female said. Sa Morthel fluidly vaulted onto a direwolf and rode after the retreating children while she stayed behind. She seemed to be waiting for something, and although I couldn’t feel my feet, I stayed in my crouched hiding spot and waited, hoping she would leave soon so I could get back to warmth. xxxxxThe female perked up as another figure silently emerged from the trees. At first, I thought it was the Sa Morthel male, but this one was much, much older. His grizzled face held a beard as white as the snow around him, though it didn’t disguise the tattoos on his own face. Another of the half-moons across his nose, but from his jaw to his cheekbones, three arcs of tattoos emerged from his beard and disappeared below his ears. There were also three bands across his forehead. When he moved his red fur cloak to the side, I saw his arms covered from shoulder to wrist in bands of tattoos, some even intruding onto the backs of his hands. xxxxx“Sar Kola,” the female said. The man smiled, though I could only tell by the movement in his beard. xxxxx“Sa Zetha, how many?” the old man said. It occurred to me that the Sa and Sar portions of their names were perhaps akin to the Lor and La of the elves. Another note to take back to the scholars. xxxxx“Five, the immoral cretins,” Zetha said. Her grimace should not have scared me, but it did. Despite the seemingly normal teeth, it was just so foreign a person that this baring of teeth seemed more predatory than anything else I had seen. xxxxx“Our hunting grounds cannot support five new packmates. I shall have to call to the others and share the burden,” Kola said, stroking his beard in thought. The marca, red as it was, wasn’t difficult to spot as it crept toward the old man, tongue lolling and tail creating a breeze that caused the lighter flakes behind it to drift in small eddies. “Yes, Marca, I know,” the old man said. I was horrified to watch as he reached out and pet the broad head without any resulting injury. “Sa Zetha, you are an excellent patrol, but your surroundings need to be scanned as well,” he said. His old eyes then turned and stared directly at my hiding place. xxxxxMy heart couldn’t handle the stress. It beat at more than twice the normal pace as a direwolf approached my bush. “I didn’t think it a security risk,” Zetha said, though she also turned toward my hiding spot. xxxxx“You seem to be right this time, but one can’t be too careful,” the old man said. As I watched, he walked across the clearing, morphing and growing with a series of disturbing cracking sounds until I sat cowering before some kind of angry demon covered from head to toe in bands of black patterns. “Speak of this to anyone, and we will know! Now be gone,” the terrifying thing roared at me. In my panic, I actually ran. I ran down the path and through the forest and was halfway to the elf village before my brain could comprehend what I’d seen.
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Luoma
Jan 9, 2019 13:35:10 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Jan 9, 2019 13:35:10 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃🜋 Requests 🜋 ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉Just taking notes for later, but are there any characters you'd like me to follow? They can be anyone -- legit anyone -- mentioned even in passing during any of the previous stories ((Or future ones, depending on what's coming)). I want to write a short story a week this year, but so far I only have maybe 4 ideas for things I can write about, so I'm looking to my readers ((Because I have two right now. Hi Ranger and Aliria! >^.^<)) Any future readers who somehow discover this mess can also leave their requests. Use this color code for your suggestions so I know I can find them: 3abe3f ⚞☊⚟
To those of you reading, thank you oh so much for reading! I appreciate your comments and can't wait to keep writing >^.^< Y'all are the best. I'm glad you're enjoying Luoma with me, and I hope you'll continue with me as I keep posting on a hopefully regular basis for at least the next year. <3
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Luoma
Jan 10, 2019 2:27:13 GMT -5
Post by Ranger on Jan 10, 2019 2:27:13 GMT -5
I don't know if it counts, or if you even have more ideas for her lol (using this colour just in case anyway XD), but for what it's worth Japa is great and I'd love to see more of her cx
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Luoma
Jan 12, 2019 9:51:03 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Jan 12, 2019 9:51:03 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Missions ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxI stared at my most recent assignment, confused. A recruitment mission? Why would the higher ups send their best flier to get soldiers when the academies already provided the fighting force our glorious queen needed? And why send an entire squad to do it? I blew smoke in frustration as I filed my orders under my pillows. I kept a small chest there of the missons I completed, mainly for the saints, but also secretly for my mother. I carefully closed and locked the chest before emerging from my bunk. xxxxxGoing from dark to light, my eyes took a moment to adjust. The stacks of bunks rose from the floor to the ceiling at Kaneda Base. The large building housed most of the active members of the force in their temporary bunks. I glided from my ledge somewhere in the middle and touched down on the floor, still thinking about my assignment. xxxxx“They do not look like bubble reeds,” I heard a familiar voice say around the corner. xxxxx“Well, if they’re not bubble reeds, then they’re obviously stacked eggs,” replied a similar voice. xxxxx“You might not like to, but I’d personally like to sleep in an egg better than a bubble reed.” xxxxx“Nothing, that’s not fair!” xxxxx“Immune. Nothing,” I greeted as I rounded the corner. xxxxx“Flyby!” the twins said in unison. Honestly, it was kind of creepy when they did that, but I didn’t have much time for thought before Immune was insisting, “Do you think the bunks look more like eggs or bubble reeds?” xxxxx“Sorry, but I’m going to have to say bubble reeds,” I said. Immediately, Nothing got one of those triumphant looks that said they’d started this debate knowing the answer. I lifted a wing and wrapped it around Immune. “Don’t worry,” I said, “I’ll be taking Nothing back to the Nest for recruitments, so you can get ahead while we’re gone.” xxxxx“What?” Nothing almost screeched. Immune immediately perked up. xxxxx“I’m totally going to finish more assignments than you,” Immune said, ducking back inside to find their bunk and any possible assignments within. xxxxx“Nothing, go get Cerberus and Blue Breath. Assignments should be in your bunks, so we’ll meet by the dining hall to review and chart courses,” I said. They nodded and scampered off into the bunkhouse, and I turned back to the sky only to find a rather familiar green shape sitting a short distance away. xxxxxScar approached as soon as Nothing disappeared behind the entrance, limping heavily with his missing limb. I really did not want to deal with him at the moment and prepared to take off when he called out, “Wait! Flyby, can we talk?” xxxxx“Scar, if this has anything to do with Young Flame or the twins, I’m afraid I’m busy,” I clipped. xxxxx“No. Not unless you want to. No, I wanted to ask a favor,” Scar said. I lowered my wings but looked at the green dragon skeptically. “Look,” he said, “I know we didn’t exactly get off to a great start, but I heard you were going back to the Nest.” xxxxx“I am. What about it?” I asked, curiosity winning over my better judgement. xxxxx“Well, I have family in one of the Nest’s territories. Are you going to visit the one under Head Jura?” I slowly nodded. It had never occurred to me that this wounded soldier had family to go back to. I had only ever had my own mother and Majus, but I had heard other dragon families could get much larger. “That’s. That’s honestly wonderful! Think you could deliver a letter for me?” xxxxxI looked at Scar, confused, then said, “How would I know who to give it to?” xxxxxScar seemed to brighten at the prospect of getting his letter delivered faster than the normal postal routes. “My whole family’s pretty much the same green,” he said, “Though my little brother has a bright blue patch of scales on the tip of his tail. If you find a green dragon in Head Jura’s territory that responds to the name Galri, then you can just give the letter to them.” xxxxxHis request seemed simple enough. There was a large hole in it, though. “Why not just use the post? I won’t go out of my way to look for these dragons, and it would take longer if I brought it there, back, and then you sent it.” xxxxxScar deflated slightly and scratched at his snout with a claw. “I’m not sure they’re getting through? My little brother is just as excited about Young Flame as I am, and I’ve written to him about what it’s like here where the great legend trained. It’s not like him to not write back.” I immediately felt bad for my suspicions regarding the contents of the letters and smiled. xxxxx“I’ll do my best, then. Get me your letter before we leave in the morning, and I’ll see what I can do,” I said. I pumped my wings twice, lashed my tail for balance, and soon enough I was landing by the dining hall and waiting for the others. xxxxxNothing came first, and even though I was waiting for them, I still jumped when they showed up. “The others have been told. They’re coming here now,” they said, their purple form dropping from the roof to the ground beside me. xxxxxSoon enough, Cerberus’s large form came waddling up with a couple of his trained kurrapa galloping behind him. They were a quadruped native to the sands between the Nest and the Flame, with their wide, clawed hooves and moisture glands letting them survive in the intense heat of the Flame. The antlers the females grew personally reminded me of black ribbons, though they lost that comparison on the thornier male version. xxxxx“Cerberus, reporting,” the bland yellow dragon announced. He was large, but not like Majus was large. As he sat, the bulge of his weak yellow gut fell in rolls on the rocky ground beneath him. Cerberus was part of the forces because of his ability to train any wild animal someone else caught. These kurrapa were probably part of a larger herd unleashed on enemy settlements regularly, not to mention the unhappy mamurra stored somewhere in the barns. I tried to go over the lists of creatures I’d seen Cerberus tame as we all waited in silence for Blue Breath. xxxxxA moment or two later, the newbie coasted in, attempting to execute an impressive landing maneuver with the grace of a goose. “Fear not!” the light pink dragon announced, “I am here to win this war so you won’t have to lift a claw.” Nothing anxiously shifted a little closer to my side and I sighed. So this was that newbie. There was always one in every bunch who decided they wanted Nothing to have their eggs, or maybe give them eggs, despite Nothing’s distinct lack of genetalia. “My friends call me the New Flame, and since we’ll be working together, I think you should call me that instead of my current code name,” he said in the most annoyingly majestic voice I could imagine. His “nickname” also rubbed me the wrong way, but as the commanding officer here, I couldn’t take out my frustrations on those I was giving orders to. xxxxx“Better watch how you address your senior officers, mister,” Cerberus warned carefully. xxxxx“I don’t see any senior officers here. You’re from the same group as me, Crawler, and these lovely females can’t possibly be going on such a dangerous mission with us,” the blue blood claimed, lifting his snout in an absurdly heroic pose. xxxxx“Blue Breath, forehead down. Now!” I barked. xxxxxThe lean dragon did not immediately respond, but suddenly Nothing’s form careened into his neck and shoulders, and he was forced to bow, anyways. I hadn’t noticed them leave my side, but then again, that was their ability. They could just move around without any kind of presence whatsoever. It made the purple dragon dangerous and extremely effective. xxxxx“Newbie, you will learn respect for your superiors, no matter the gender, or you will go hungry. Are we clear?” I asked coldly. Blue Breath did not mmediately respond, so I tried again. “Are. We. Clear?” Blue Breath whimpered out a reply and I nodded at Nothing. They got off the pink dragon’s back and let him stand up. When Cerberus started to chuckle, I gave him an equally cold stare. xxxxxAfter I figured Blue Breath was about to break the silence, I said, “Our mission is to return to the Nest and recruit future soldiers into our glorious queen’s army. We’re on the lookout for special skills that will enhance our advantages, so even the poorer sections need to be scouted. We’ll be operating as a group, starting in Head Coral’s territory, flying through Head Narthin’s territory, into Head Jura’s, and finally ending with Head Klimshaw’s territory. We will represent our queen’s army, and by extension our queen herself, to the populace, so be respectful, and show them the honor of joining the armed services. Any questions?” xxxxx“What about the other territories?” Cerberus asked, probably worried about the exercise ahead of him. xxxxx“We are not assigned the other territories. I assume other teams will be heading there. Anyone else?” I said. When no other questions came up, I said, “Good. Blue Breath, two extra laps during evening exercises. Cerberus, one extra lap. Dismissed.” xxxxx“Why does Cerberus only get one while I get two?” Blue Breath exclaimed, fimally coming up from the bow he’d been forced into. xxxxx“Would you like to have three?” I asked quietly. He bristled silently for a moment before subtly shaking his head. “Good. Dismissed.” As the pink dragon stalked off, Cerberus stayed behind, shuffling his feet pensively. “What is it, Cerberus?” I asked, unable to completely keep the sigh out of my voice. xxxxx“Flyby, I don’t—I can understand why Blue Breath got his extra laps, but why mine? I’m not usually expected to participate in exercises, anyway. It’s not me they want in top form,” the yellow dragon said, staring at the ground between my claws as his pets trotted around to his tail. I closed my eyes and prayed to the saints for patience. xxxxx“Cerberus, it is uncouth to insult another member of the services, no matter how much they act like a miss, mister, or even crawler. They may one day be your superiors. If you do not normally take part in the exercises, then you have one extra lap. I’d suggest you participate soon, though, or future missions will be difficult for you,” I said. My tone was stern, but with Blue Breath gone, I could let the ice out of it. I waited for Cerberus to show understanding and walk off before I let my tail uncoil behind me. xxxxx“That could have gone better,” Nothing said at my side. I would have jumped, but currently felt too drained to summon the energy. xxxxx“I thought you’d left to say goodbye to your twin,” I said quietly. xxxxx“Nah. Don’t need to. I’d rather stay put and make sure our impressive newbie doesn’t get any ideas.” xxxxx“I appreciate that. Want to help me grab our rations for the trip?” xxxxx“Sure! I can make sure he gets the heaviest bags!” xxxxx“That’s mean,” I laughed as we turned to walk toward the kitchen, “Though I suppose he wouldn’t complain if we told him it was the most important pack.” xxxxxThis time, Nothing laughed with me. Together, we packed and stored the travel bags we would be using, then said our good-nights at the entrance to our bunkhouse. Nothing had a bunk lower than I did, so I launched off the floor while they walked, and soon enough, I was crawling into the slightly ovoid interior of my bunk for some well-deserved rest. xxxxxThe next morning, I woke to a note and letter resting on my ledge. I’d forgotten about Scar’s letter, but he helpfully reminded me of what I was looking for in the note. Head Jura, green scales, and responds to Galri. I flew to our stashed bags and put the letter and note inside mine, stepping into the carrying belt as the others slowly arrived. Nothing was followed by a chattering Blue Breath, though whatever he’d been saying died as soon as he saw me. Cerberus was not too far behind, though he looked a little rushed and still had some breakfast on his chin. xxxxx“Morning, group. Are we ready to leave?” I asked. xxxxx“Without breakfast?” Blue Breath asked, horrified. xxxxx“I’m guessing this is your first mission away,” Nothing said with a snicker. xxxxx“If you want breakfast, you better gulp it like Cerberus here or grab something to eat in the air. You’ve got the most important packs, though, so I’d rather you not eject your stomach mid-air. I’m going to get a travel meal, so hurry, suit up, and get ready to go,” I said. xxxxxTo their credit, the males were ready by the time I got out with my lighter travel meal, and with some help from Nothing, Cerberus didn’t manage to puke before we landed for the evening. The trained avian he’d brought along sat serenely atop his horns as he hurled his lunch into the rocky sand. We set up camp and carefully ate the rations Nothing and I had packed. xxxxx“So,” Blue Breath started, breaking what I had thought to be a comfortable silence, “We’re going into Head Coral’s territory first, right? I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I heard they don’t build any homes there.” xxxxx“I thought that was Head Klimshaw,” Nothing said after a pause. xxxxx“Head Klimshaw’s the one who makes all the males join the war effort,” Cerberus said, staring at his rations with a queasy look. xxxxx“Then who was the one that can’t provide for their citizens?” Nothing asked. xxxxx“I think that one was Head Jura,” Blue Breath said haughtily, “and Head Nathrin has the biggest issues with crime out of all the territories.” xxxxx“Well, of course he does. Nobody can be Head Zanu. That territory’s just another military base stationed at the capital,” Cerberus said. xxxxxNothing glaced at my uncomfortable position and asked, “What have you heard, Flyby?” xxxxxI took a deep breath as the others looked at me. “I have heard rumors of the various territories,” I started, “But it is not appropriate to speculate. Do any of you have experience with the territories we’re headed to?” xxxxx“I’m actually from Head Narthin’s territory,” Cerberus said quietly, setting aside his rations for later. “It’s not that it’s covered in crime, it’s more like the law enforcement is nonexistent. Head Narthin ran out of money to pay them, and they all trashed the station and left. I think there’s a gang there now, trying to keep the peace as best they can, but they’re no law enforcement group.” xxxxx“I see,” I said, “Cerberus, will you be able to lead the group in social matters within Head Narthin’s territory, then? You’ve obviously got more experience than we do, and it would reflect poorly on our shining queen and her army if we offended anyone while trying to recruit them.” xxxxxCerberus nodded, his feathered friend flaring its wings and bobbing with the motion. I swear I could see Blue Breath about to say something, but he refrained from doing so. That was a first. “Don’t worry,” I said, “We’ll each be showing the populace our talents. Blue Breath, that means you’ll be using your blue flames rather frequently once we get there, just don’t set anything on fire. Nothing can tell the gathered about their special effect, and Cerberus can show off his animal handling. How have the humans been coming along, by the way?” xxxxxThe yellow dragon sat up straighter, and a frustrated excitement filled his eye. “They’re much more intelligent than what I normally get. I’ve managed to catch them all so far, but there’s only so many ways to make a cage. They also don’t respond to my typical training methods,” Cerberus said, furrowing his brow as he spoke. xxxxx“Have you tried threatening other members for compliance?” Nothing said suddenly. xxxxx“No,” Cerberus said slowly, seeming as confused as the rest of us. xxxxx“My twin does research on the elves, and apparently they succeeded in getting through to humans by threatening comrades for disobedience. They don’t seem to care about their lives if it’s them alone. Unlike most creatures I’ve read about, they don’t seem to value their own life when captured and alone. However, they do seem to act more like the migrating clothiers,” Nothing explained. xxxxx“That bird species that sacrifices one member if the predator is definitely going to kill them?” Cerberus asked. xxxxx“Yes! That’s the one! Though, you have to make sure the humans are from the same group, or else the chances of it working go down significantly.” With such common ground, the two dragons began an animated discussion about various fauna and ideas on how to tame or find rare creatures. xxxxxBlue Breath looked at the two of them for a time and leaned toward me to say, “She lost me. What’s an Albatross Beetle?” xxxxx“Big bug. Feathered wings. Definitely extinct,” I said, “And I will only tell you this once: Nothing is a dragon without genitals. They are neither male, nor female, and they cannot have or give eggs. Do you understand?” Blue Breath’s head spun toward me so fast I was certain his horns would fall off. I ignored his wide eyes and listened to the others until I finished my rations. xxxxxWithout announcing my retreat, I found a sandier spot where I could still feel the day’s heat. By the time I had spun and laid down for sleep, I could already hear Nothing shifting from the current discussion to a watch schedule for the night. I didn’t really care about the order, but approved of the decisions they made. Let Cerberus sleep off the sickness and let me sleep soundly until third watch. Let Blue Breath take first. It was simple, and it worked for the night we stayed in the open on our way to Head Coral’s territory. xxxxxIn each of the territories, we worked in public squares and at the mandatory education buildings, as well as one scouting session in the outskirts of the territory. The younger dragonets were all impressed by Blue Breath’s flames and Cerberus’s creature, though the older ones were more impressed by Nothing’s ability and my stories of dedicated training. We raised a number of recruits, and though we were mainly kept to public and maintaned areas, I found a sense of worry that only grew with each territory we went through. xxxxxIn Head Coral’s territory, we mainly convinced new recruits with out stories of the bunkhouses and mess halls. They huddled under the school’s leaking roof as if the rain itself were acid outside. Head Narthin’s citizens were hard-eyed and suspicious. A few stories in public air about travelling to the Wing Flats to defeat the lesser, two-legged races pulled them out of their homes and into sign-up lines. Head Jura was difficult, though. Everywhere we looked, I could see the ribs of at least one dragon poking through their scales. Those dragons we won over with tales of the mess hall and its contents. xxxxxOne little green dragon in particular came up and asked if she could bring her grandparents to the mess hall. “I’m sorry,” I had to say, “Only those who can contribute to our queen’s fighting force can go into the camps.” It pained my heart to watch the light in the dragonet’s eyes dim slightly. It was then that I recognized her particular shade of green. “Hey, do you know Galri?” I asked. xxxxx“How do you know Uncle Galri?” the little thing asked. xxxxx“He works with me,” I said slowly, trying to guess at what the little female said. Was she talking about Scar? “He asked me to give something to a very special dragon who had your exact scales.” xxxxx“Really?” the girl asked. The light was back, and I had to resist a smile. xxxxx“Yeah,” I said, “and if you’ll wait over with your grandparents, I’ll bring it right over.” She pranced over to an elderly couple of green dragons who looked at me with a mixture of suspicion and gratitude. I excused myself momentarily from my group and grabbed Scar’s letter from my bag. I resisted the urge to give them rations of my own. Not drawing attention to them would be better than putting them in line to be mugged, by the looks of the natives in the area. xxxxxThe young girl took the letter with some of the widest eyes I’ve ever seen, and I immediately backed away from the small family. I waved a wing at her and her grandparents, though the elders quickly shepherded the dragonet away from our presentation on the benefits of joining the queen’s military force. xxxxxI drifted through Head Klimshaw’s territory, ignoring the high-brow comments on my apparent luck in the army. In the schools, I noticed a single girl, though I almost mistook her for one more male getting ready to sign up for the service. I didn’t call attention to her, though. Her eyes were full of terror as soon as mine filled with recognition, and I simply did my best to be a model soldier. On the last day, there was one rather ambitious male attempting to gain my attention. xxxxxThe gaudy dragon was some atrocious mix of bright yellow, dark purple, and florescent green that hurt my eyes. He approached, and I left him to one of the others so I could focus on the potential recruits in front of me. When Cerberus tried to approach him, the eyesore brushed right by and walked up to me. I attempted to finish my current conversation calmly until the other dragon noticed who was waiting and bolted. I barely had time to take a breath before he sauntered up to me. xxxxx“What is such a prime specimen doing out here alone?” he asked, bringing his head a little too close to mine. xxxxx“Pardon me, but I am not alone, and I’m currently recruiting new soldiers for the queen’s army,” I said through clenched teeth. Why did his breath have to smell like flowery chickens? xxxxx“Don’t you mean making new soldiers?” he asked, leaning in with a knowing curl to his lip. xxxxx“Excuse me, but I’m going to have to ask you to back up,” I said, my voice turning icy in an instant. I saw Nothing glance nervously in my direction, and I could feel my tail curling in tightly behind me. xxxxx“Why would I when such a deep blue just makes one want to fall right in?” the male said, physically leaning in and making me pull back in disgust. xxxxxI was about to reply when a bolt of blue flames shot the space between me and the other dragon. “Because if you touch one scale on my commanding officer, Trygmor, I will personally burn away any trace of that pigment you’re using,” Blue Breath said. xxxxxTrygmor, for his part, quickly backed up and gave Blue Breath an appraising look. “So this one’s yours, then? I apologize for encroaching on your turf, oh wise elder,” the bright male said with a bow. xxxxx“Flyby is not mine, and don’t you dare claim her like you’d claim one of your lovesick crawlers,” Blue Breath hissed. xxxxx“Blue Breath, that is enough. Behave like the soldier you are and march back to barracks,” I said. xxxxx“Oh! This one’s got some fire! You’re right. She’s nothing like my crawlers,” Trygmor purred, crawling around in front of me. xxxxxAs one of the Queen’s army, I did my best to restrain myself. I would not claw his face off. I would not snap his horns. I would not chew his wings out. I would not mar his scales. No. I felt my teeth show as I thought of what I’d do. “Trygmor, do me a favor, would you?” He gave me an inquisitive look, as if finding my ability to stand before him amusing. “When you can’t catch me, don’t go chasing other females ever again.” xxxxxWith that, I took off. I shot into the air like my tail had been burned. Up, up, up above the clouds, then a hard left. The bright dragon came up much slower, Nothing’s jeers following him through the clouds. He spotted me and tried to catch up. He worked so hard, I slowed down just for him. xxxxxI led him like a chained mamurra through Head Klimshaw’s streets. I ducked easily through homes that he just managed to crash through. Over bridges and through crowds of other flying dragons, I wove through them all easily, while his flight seemed to be powered by angry cries and curses. I touched down once, just to let him catch up, but he never managed to get within three wingspans of me. When Trygmor finally dropped from the sky behind me, I slowed down to hover above him. “Are you done already?” I called to him. xxxxx“Just,” he panted, “Just… Give me… a moment.” xxxxx“I don’t think so,” I called, raising my voice, “Any female can join her majesty’s armed services, and there seems to be a number here who would just love it if they heard that.” xxxxxWhen I made it back to my rooms, my wings still itched for a flight, but there was something I needed to attend to, and he was helfully waiting for me. “Blue Breath,” I started. xxxxx“Flyby, I only meant to defend you. What was wrong with my actions?” xxxxx“Forehead down,” I said. Quickly, the pink male complied, just in time for me to see the slightly disappointed look on Nothing’s face. “Now listen,” I continued, kneeling down next to him, “I appreciate your attempts to help, but a solder shouldn’t use such derogatory terms, especially in reference to other dragons.” xxxxx“But, they’re just females—” xxxxx“I’m just a female. Would you call me a crawler?” I let the question sit uncomfortably on his shoulders for a moment before rescuing him. “Listen, you had good intentions, but the way you went about it disrespected the image of the queen we try to represent. The better way is to prove why he was wrong,” I said, tapping his shoulder with my wing. xxxxxBlue Breath slowly pulled his forehead off the ground and looked at me. “How did you do it, then?” he asked quietly. xxxxxMy grin grew toothy as I said, “I challenged him to a flying contest.” The atmosphere in the room immediately lightened, and Nothing outright started guffawing at their memory. xxxxx“She was all ‘promise not to chase after girls like this when you can’t catch me’ and then disappeared! The poor cra—thing was so confused, it took him two tries to get off the ground,” Nothing announced. I caught the slip and gave them a look they immediately understood, but I wasn’t concerned. xxxxx“Speaking of our wonderful sunbeam, he’ll probably try to find me again tonight,” I said, walkng into the room as the others stared at me. “Set up a watch, and when he tries to sneak in, tell him I’m out for a breath of fresh air. Also, Nothing? You should know the way from here. Meet me at the halfway point to camp. I’ll be waiting for you,” I announced. No sooned had I finished than I was out the nearest window, flying swiftly toward the Kaneda base. The long flight gave me plenty of time to think about what happened during this particular mission.
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Luoma
Jan 16, 2019 4:25:48 GMT -5
Post by Ranger on Jan 16, 2019 4:25:48 GMT -5
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Luoma
Jan 19, 2019 9:42:40 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Jan 19, 2019 9:42:40 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Silence ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxI hate lying to my twin. It made me feel unclean, somehow. I mean, we already shared so much together, and even if it is nice to have something original to call my own, I still feel like Immune should have known about it. Of course, if they knew, they’d turn me in. I guess that’s why I never told them. xxxxxIt’s been years, now. I’ve been doing my missions and staying ahead of Immune like always, but I’ve also been helping Scar and Flyby. Ever since that recruitment mission into the Nest, I’ve been helping them help the other dragons. I’ve never seen so many young dragons without food. Scar seems to think it some kind of injustice that needs to be righted, but Flyby just blames the war. I’m inclined to agree with her. If it weren’t for this war, the Heads wouldn’t be wasting so many resources on soldiers and training, and the Queen wouldn’t be distracted making the army herself. They could focus on the schools and housing of their citizens. That means we have to finish this war, first. xxxxxI’ve done research on a lot of things, including the start of the war. Immune thought the two-legs started it, but that opinion isn’t always shared with some of the elders I help on my breaks. The elves started by moving into the Western edge of our territory where the Wing Flats meet the Flame. There wasn’t enough prey there to make it worth the defense, anyway, so as far as I can tell, we moved on without much conflict beyond the required intimidation to remind the two-legged creatures that dragons should not be messed with. We still needed food, though. The records get vague or are outright missing from the time between that and the first human attack on dragons, but I think it may have had something to do with chasing the albatross beetle into dwarf territory. Of course, that’s all conjecture, and Immune didn’t think knowing why we fight was as important as getting rid of the barbarians. There’s always another new move to learn, another great battle to fight. xxxxxI don’t exactly disagree with them. Immune was out there on the front lines more often, anyway. Learning the best way to defend yourself is the best way to return home safe in that situation. I’m not sent to the front lines, though. What’s the use of a dragon with no presence if they’re sent out in broad daylight? So, while Immune was sent out on raids of elf settlements, I was sent everywhere else in the dead of night. I’ve razed human research facilities and hunted elvish scout parties. Recently, I’ve been chasing down and punishing deserters. I hope the way Scar looks at me is unrelated to my assignments, but nobody looks at me with such excitement without thinking of my assignments. Sometimes even Flyby forgets I’m more than just my lack of presence. xxxxxI’ve been helping Scar with his little care project, but there’s something more to it. Flyby doesn’t know. She definitely just helps the others and does her best to keep the dragonets positive, despite the lack of logistical abilities that their Heads seem to have. I’ve seen her hoard and then share portions of her rations, and we helped to build a new structure last time we were given a leave of absence. It’s inspiring, but she doesn’t see the way Scar looks at her. I worry. Relationships were always Immune’s thing, but Scar doesn’t look at Flyby like he looks at everyone else. It isn’t the way she looks when talking about Young Flame, but it’s definitely something. xxxxxHe does it when we work together, and even when I asked him about it, he just spouted some nonsense about the glories of Young Flame. I think he’s trying to get closer to her so he can get some insider information about Young Flame, but even I haven’t been able to get another peep out of her. It’s kind of sad, really, how far our relationship deteriorated after that one mistake. She’s still my friend, and I’m glad, but she doesn’t trust me as much as she used to, and I guess I haven’t exactly been telling her everything, either. xxxxxThese days, I spend more time with Scar. He’s got friends everywhere! In each of the territories I’ve visited with him, he’s been greeted as “Galri” by almost every vendor or street urchin around. Usually, he’ll respond with little more than a nod, though there’s always one or two dragons in particular that he’ll stop and chat with. He calls them family, but I’ve never met someone with so much family. Well, nobody but the Queen. xxxxxIt was in one of these conversations that I kind of overheard something I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to. I think they just forgot I was there. It tends to happen, so I’m used to it. They were talking about something they called “the Underbelly” and commenting on increasing followers. Scar mentioned Flyby specifically, and then a number of other names. xxxxxI later asked him what the conversation was about. Scar just asked about my opinion on the territories. I know they’re terrible. I’m out there every chance I get trying to make things better. He’s worked with me and Flyby before, so I was really confused. Scar did say, though, that I could help them more. He said the Queen was dragging out the war. If we had Young Flame, then why weren’t we using him to finish the fighting? Why send him away? I have to admit, his arguments make a lot of sense. After that, he told me I could help change things. I could bring the war to an end sooner. The dragons we helped would get the funding they needed, and my twin wouldn’t have to risk their life on a regular basis anymore. That’s when the murders began. xxxxxJust like in the war, Scar sent me out in the night to make things better on the home front. The jobs started out small. Head Narthin’s territory is full of crime, so we started there. I sneaked in and tried to convince a number of gang leaders to stop being so terrible. The first few didn’t agree, but after I’d killed them and left without a trace, the others started giving up fairly quickly. They started greeting me as “Ghost” or “Messenger” when I revealed myself, and things actually got better. The territory’s still got some issues, but now most of the gangs are helping keep things under control instead of causing the issues themselves. xxxxxAfter that, Scar started sending me to the Head estates. The things are huge palaces, usually reserved for the Heads, their families, important guests, and their favorite citizens. Most of those favorites were my targets. Usually, they’re part of the Queen’s family, since there’s so many of them. I go in, scare the Dark into them, and then convince them to either join or die. Usually, they join, and Scar gets some more friends in his Underbelly gatherings. Unfortunately, all the extra assignments from Scar started to show. xxxxxImmune didn’t get worried easily, so I knew something was wrong when they asked if I was alright. I should have told them then, about Scar and his ideas, about Flyby and our relief missions. Immune would have understood things better than I ever could, they would have known how others felt just by the way they talked about it. They would have known I believed I was doing the right thing. xxxxxInstead, I left my twin in the Dark, all alone. I went to the Underbelly meetings with Scar and helped Flyby with the relief efforts, and Immune followed. At first, I thought it was really cool. My twin found out on their own about my side missions and wanted some of the action. I am such a crawler! xxxxxImmune found out the purpose to the Underbelly, and they didn’t like it. I can’t blame them. I had to be convinced before I believed even a little, but they didn’t even want to try. Scar must have heard us arguing about it. My next official mission for Kaneda took a couple weeks, and when I got back, Immune was gone. xxxxxI have my suspicions on who did it. There were always a couple of rather competitive newbies who saw both of us as a threat. They seemed surprised, but none of them shed a single tear for my twin. No, it wasn’t them. It wasn’t Flyby, either. She’s been working with Scar, but not with the Underbelly. Scar never talks about the group while she’s around, and she’s never in the meetings, and she wouldn’t have any other motive to kill another dragon, much less one of her friends. xxxxxThe only choice left is Scar. He didn’t seem all that surprised when the news came out, though they might have told some on the base before I got back, guards and patrols like Scar and Blue Breath. However, Scar did seem a little too pleased with the Underbelly’s safety at the next meeting. He also started referring to a dragon named “Heart” and their connection with Young Flame. I hope my conclusion is wrong, but I can’t tell Flyby in case it is. I’ve seen them getting closer over the last year, becoming friends to a degree. She laughs with him and works with him, and I don’t want to break that trust in case I am totally wrong about everything. xxxxxI’ve never been good with relationships. That was always Immune’s thing. The best I can do is watch over Flyby and make sure nothing happens to her. I’ll have to burn this entry because of all the treason in it, but maybe that way, the saints can read my struggle. Maybe they can pass it on to my twin. xxxxxImmune, you were never meant to go Dark on your own.
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Luoma
Jan 19, 2019 19:54:31 GMT -5
Post by Ranger on Jan 19, 2019 19:54:31 GMT -5
Oh no D':
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Luoma
Mar 28, 2019 21:10:24 GMT -5
Post by Bucket on Mar 28, 2019 21:10:24 GMT -5
┏━━╍╍┅┅┉┉ ┃✠ Hard Break ✠ ┗━━╍╍┅┅┉┉xxxxxWar was not a pretty sight. Tactics changed on a whim, and everything was touched by the blood. Humans covered themselves in stolen scales to protect their flammable selves from dragon breath. Elves summoned creatures that shouldn’t exist and used their majiks to confuse targets until it was too late to defend against them. The only group not to change was the dragons. They trained specialists as they always had and sent their soldiers out to pillage and destroy relentlessly until the countryside was nothing but a charred husk of old buildings and useless fields. Yes, the Heads were called out more often to deal with battles, but they were simply the leaders. xxxxxWithin the dragons was a growing population of destitute and dissatisfied citizens looking for someone to blame. Flyby and Scar spent as much of their time as they could afford assisting those who lived in newly constructed shantytowns. It was very crowded. Each dragon had their own ideas on who was responsible for the mess, but most followed a simple thread: we aren’t losing, or else Young Flame would return as promised, and if we aren’t losing, then the Heads are simply dragging the war out for their own purposes. They never saw the field medics, the war zones. Most dragons saw soldiers winning a war, but Flyby and her companions saw the fields, the hollow remains of old units left to rot amidst a disturbingly small number of the enemy. The gruesome sight was common during their patrols these days. xxxxx“Japa, stop playing with your food and eat it. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you spiriting away your meals.” On one side of the low stone table lounged a sandy dragon about twice the size of the dragon opposite. Most knew her simply as Head Zanu, but she was actually more impressive than just that. More frightening, as well, but the general population didn’t need to know that much. Much like the war, they only needed to know enough to live with her. xxxxx“Sorry, Mother.” Flyby turned back to her sizzling meat, feeling her stomach turn at the thought of all the dragons with little more than grass to sustain them. Recently, that particular population had spread even to Zanu’s territory. Another bite passed her frowning jaws, and she waited for it to taste as good as her memory said it should. xxxxxThe silence was almost unbearable until Zanu said, “If you aren’t going to eat it, give it here. You can finish it later.” She snatched the meat away and rose from the low table to set the food on one of the wide shelves. “You’re going out with that Nothing again tonight, correct?” It was not surprising that Zanu had already learned this particular routine, considering who she was. “I expect you to return by moonrise. You’re on leave, so rest. That’s also an important part of training,” the Head said, her voice softening ever so slightly. xxxxx“Yes, Mother,” Flyby mumbled, rising and leaving to meet up with her friends. The lie bit at her blue wings as she flew, but there was a reason for it. If Zanu knew about the relief efforts, she wouldn’t take it well. At least the morning sky was as glorious as ever. The last stars faded out as the sun took over for the day, and the blue dragon lazily circled down to a patch of dragons trying too hard to act casual. xxxxx“Nothing, you know that face paint is very conspicuous, right?” Flyby announced, landing behind them. xxxxx“It is now that you’ve announced that I’m not Hrothgar the Deadpan,” the dragon countered, flaring purple wings and refusing to look at their companion. xxxxx“At least you’re not obviously watching everyone with suspicion or hostility,” Flyby said with a smirk, nudging her own dark blue wings with dark green and pale pink wings, “Not everyone is an enemy, you know.” xxxxx“Remember last month?” Scar growled, still glaring at those who passed them. xxxxx“I’m not letting another incident like that happen,” Blue Breath announced. He was getting better at controlling his haughty tone, but some of it slipped through on occasion. xxxxx“That’s sweet of you, but I can take care of myself,” Flyby said, letting her mouth soften into a grin the party shared, “What about Cerberus?” xxxxx“Got caught in overtime,” Nothing groaned. xxxxxBlue Breath shook his head slowly, “Again? What are the Heads trying to get him to do?” xxxxx“No idea, but they’re hurting their own charges to do it. Flyby?” Scar looked to Flyby, who sighed slightly. xxxxx“Alright, everyone. Let’s get moving and help whoever we can today,” she said, launching into the air with Nothing quick on her tail. Together, the four made their way through Head Zanu’s territory. Scar handed out pamphlets for gatherings while Blue Flame kept as close as a bodyguard. The thought was nice, but Flyby felt it completely unnecessary. Occasionally, the group lost sight of Nothing, but the purple dragon was never missing for very long. xxxxxThe stars were starting to come out again as Flyby helped to put the finishing touches on some temporary housing. “Nothing, I need to get going! I’ll see you later,” she called out, only to turn and come face to face with Scar. xxxxx“Weren’t you going to join us tonight?” Scar asked quietly, claws digging at the dirt, “You haven’t been coming, lately. Are you still with us? Supporting these other dragons?” xxxxxFlyby groaned, glanced at the sky, and pulled Scar aside. “Listen,” she growled quietly at him, “I know I’ve told you about how strict my mother can be. She’s home for a bit, and I know she wouldn’t appreciate what we’re doing.” xxxxx“Wouldn’t appreciate it?” Scar hissed, “What kind of mother wouldn’t be proud of her daughter helping so many individuals in her spare time?” xxxxx“Keep your voice down!” Flyby hissed back, waving off Blue Breath with a toothy grin she hoped was convincing. xxxxx“Your mother isn’t some kind of official, is she?” Scar asked suspiciously. xxxxx“That’s not something you need to know.” The retort was out before Flyby could stop it. xxxxx“Nothing knows.” xxxxx“Because Nothing grew up around here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to leave before she gets suspicious. Say hello to the others for me, will you?” With that, Flyby gave her wings a solid push and launched into the sky for a breathy race home. None of the lights burned as she approached, and nothing moved as she glided in through one of the many large windows. Consciously, Flyby scarfed down half of the now cold breakfast and wrapped the rest of it for later before retreating to her room. xxxxxThe rest of leave was devoted to pure relaxation, and it was a long while before the military let the blue dragon relax again. That particular morning, the smell of searing chicken woke her, and Flyby stretched her way down to the central room. There, the low table squatted over a small fire that heated its surface. Placing several slabs of neatly cut chicken on the sizzling surface, Zanu occasionally breathed under the table to keep the temperature high. “Japa! Good morning. I made your favorite,” the Head announced. xxxxxIt was strange, the way Zanu seemed to flip between the cold Head and the warm Mother. She’d never switched before Majus disappeared, but Flyby still couldn’t tell exactly what was going on with her. “Good morning. You really shouldn’t have,” the younger dragon said, carefully sitting across from her mother. xxxxx“Already did,” Zanu claimed, pushing a few slices toward the now shuffling Flyby, “Now, eat up. You heading out again today?” xxxxxFlyby glanced at the meat and bit into a slice. Sweet hazelnut glaze coated her tongue as she responded, “Yes.” xxxxx“More training? You know the drill. Be home by moonrise,” Zanu said, flipping a couple of the pieces and letting them sizzle into the silence. xxxxxFor a moment, Flyby panicked. “Actually, I was hoping to go out with a few friends after training today. You know, relax in town,” she tried, hoping this good mood would let Zanu be lenient. xxxxxThe Head frowned before stating simply, “I’ll come with you, then.” xxxxx“What? Mother, no! You can’t,” Flyby exploded, trailing off as her mother’s piercing gaze pinned her in place. xxxxx“It’ll just be for the training,” Zanu said nonchalantly, “I don’t like wandering my territory at night, so I’ll leave that to you.” xxxxxFlyby fidgeted a moment before saying, “No, you don’t understand. Most of my friends don’t know who you are.” She resettled her wings, looked at the meat, glanced out the early morning windows, anything but look at her mother. xxxxx“And you think that knowing whose daughter you are will change how they act around you,” Zanu stated simply. It was gentler than Flyby thought it would be, and she turned to the Head in her surprise. “Alright. Just for tonight. But I want you back before sunrise, and you won’t go out again tomorrow,” her mother ordered, giving Flyby an overly dramatic shake of her claw. The younger dragon grinned widely and agreed to her terms easily, ready to tell Scar and the others the news. xxxxxThat evening, as the group helped hand out food in Head Narthin’s territory, Flyby finally caught a glimpse of Scar’s pamphlets. “Do you realize you’re saying it wrong?” she asked him as he passed through with a tray of dirtied dishes. xxxxx“Saying what wrong?” he grumbled slowly. xxxxx“Your pamphlet title. It says Umber Deli, for the pantry you’re setting up, but you keep calling it Under Belly. I think you might be confusing some of your prospective patrons,” she explained, tucking an extra piece of bread under the wing of the dragonet she served with a conspiratorial wink. xxxxxBlue Breath shot his pink head around and growled, “Don’t mention that despicable rebel phrase, Flyby. It could be misunderstood.” The blue dragon returned his gaze curiously until Scar bumped her with his wing. xxxxx“I’ll explain at the meeting later,” he muttered before walking off with his dishes. The rest of the relief mission was spent in quiet work. Blue Breath didn’t talk to anyone until he’d packed and was ready to take off. xxxxx“I’ll go check on Cerberus before I turn in. Stay safe, Flyby,” he said, pressing his forehead to the ground for a moment before taking off. Flyby waved a wing at his departing form until it disappeared over a dark rooftop. xxxxxThe silence ate everything for a solid minute before puking the sound back. “Flyby,” Scar said quietly, “what do you think of our queen?” His voice was softer than the most luxurious pillows, but the color of his scales seemed almost sickly in the evening light. xxxxx“That’s a silly question to ask an officer in our shining queen’s army,” Flyby replied easily, motioning her head down the street where the meeting would be taking place. xxxxx“That wasn’t what I meant,” the green dragon clarified, “Look around you. The queen is supposedly all powerful, so why is there so much pain?” His eyes looked at the scales around her horns, making her head feel like an army of ants were crawling along it. xxxxx“You’re flying dangerous currents, Scar,” Flyby growled ominously, refusing to look at him. xxxxx“If the queen isn’t in the wrong, then maybe it’s the Heads that need to change,” he continued slowly. xxxxxFlyby whipped her head at him and hissed, “What you’re suggesting is treason.” xxxxx“No,” Scar countered easily, “What I’m suggesting is change. I just want someone in power to listen to all of this down here and do something about it.” His limping gait was surprisingly smooth, but the dragons walked slowly down the street. xxxxx“We’re doing something about it,” Flyby said quietly, head drooping as her eyes turned back to the road ahead. xxxxx“We’re the only ones doing anything about it! Don’t you see? Charity operations and food pantries are all well and good, but someone in power has to do something about it, or nothing is going to change,” Scar announced, drawing the gazes a few wandering dragons. xxxxx“I can see that, but how are you going to get the attention of these powerful dragons? They don’t listen to just anyone, you know,” Flyby said quickly, trying to calm him down. xxxxx“They might listen to a high general in the army, or maybe they’ll listen to a large enough group whispering the same sentiments. Maybe they’ll pay attention to our needs if we make them very visible,” Scar said with excitement, “I’m working on getting higher up in the army, but the Underbelly is a group of like-minded dragons who are trying other methods. They’re staying peaceful, and they’re not attacking the queen verbally, but a lot of dragons seem to have issues believing that they only have peaceful intentions. Blue Breath and those like him think they’re a rebel group just trying to stir up trouble, which is why he was so upset earlier.” xxxxx“Scar, are you sure all the members of this group are peaceful? You know how Head Narthin’s territory is, and how desperate the dragons are under Head Jura. Who’s to say they won’t take things too far?” Flyby pointed out, carefully keeping the fear from her voice and the tremble from her tail. xxxxxScar stared at her a moment before turning quickly into their destination and saying over his shoulder, “I thought you were more open than this. Maybe I was wrong about you.” xxxxxFlyby spent the meeting in awkward silence, trying to convince herself that the words hadn’t hurt. She greeted now familiar dragons of all sorts of colors and shades and patterns, stopping with those she hadn’t talked with earlier that day. The meeting talked about updates in the community, about how Thorin’s little dragonet was getting healthier thanks to the medicines and exercises they discussed last time. The group was moderately sized for the area, so the meeting plodded along until almost sunrise, at which point Flyby started to worry about her curfew and slipped out the back door. xxxxx“Japa where have you been? Do you know what time it is?” a loud and familiar voice roared once she landed on the slowly brightening window ledge. xxxxx“Mother!” Flyby cried, folding her wings and bowing to the ground quickly. “I’m so sorry! I would have flown, and I would have made it, but the skies were dangerous and forced me to walk most of the way.” She felt terrible for the lie, but Zanu would never accept the truth. xxxxx“I don’t care. You had your orders. You should have left earlier,” Head Zanu growled, emerging from the back of the house. Her talons clicked on the stone floor as she approached, and pain exploded through Flyby’s neck as she was cuffed like a naughty child. “Go to your room,” Zanu ordered, “You’re not to leave until the military calls you back.” Zanu then quickly stormed out and left Flyby with the resulting damage in her wake. xxxxxIn a daze, Flyby paced into her room. She’d done it. She’d disobeyed enough, and her mother had just grounded her. Wings scraped the floor as she drifted to her nest and waited for the inevitable call. The next days were pure torture, and it was only worsened when Flyby heard Head Zanu chase off a familiar purple dragon trying to sneak up to the windows. She ate her meals in sullen silence until her time away from the war was over. xxxxxNext time Flyby returned, Zanu was out, and she slipped off to meet up with the others. Flyby didn’t regret the decision until she came home to yet another cold home and furious figure. “I’m worried about you!” Zanu roared at some point during the argument. If it was supposed to make Flyby feel better or understand her mother’s rage, it failed. The two continued to dance around each other until entire years were spent without seeing each other. It tore at Flyby’s scales as she performed the relief efforts for the less fortunate, though she ignored it as best she could. xxxxx“Are you sure you’re alright?” Nothing asked one night after another meeting. The blue and purple dragons walked together, wings bumping into each other companionably in the tight streets. xxxxx“Yes, I’m sure. Mother’s just been a bit more aggressive in her attempts to play the loving parent recently,” Flyby responded, shaking her wings from the tiring evening. Convincing the males around here to help was exhausting on a good day. xxxxx“If you insist. You’re looking as tired as Cerberus lately,” Nothing observed, leaning down to pick up a small portion of a broken blade off the street. xxxxx“I doubt it,” the blue dragon chuckled with a tilt of her horns, “Don’t blame him for not showing up this time, though. How long ago was his last leave? A decade?” xxxxx“Try twelve years,” Scar corrected from ahead of them. His shadowy form swayed in time to his limp in the darkness, barely an outline for the eyes to trace. xxxxxThe purple companion leaned in, almost catching their horns in Flyby’s. “Relationships were Immune’s thing. If even I can see the tension, maybe you two should talk it out,” Nothing whispered after a moment. The mention of the deceased twin hurt Flyby a bit, but Nothing doesn’t seem too disturbed by it, so she let it sit quietly without a voice. xxxxx“He wouldn’t understand,” Flyby whispered back, careful to keep the horns from tangling, “And anyway, I wouldn’t want to leave Blue Breath out while he’s healing. He’d be furious if he were the last one to know.” xxxxx“I bet he’d finally turn a shade of red instead of pink,” Nothing chuckled, “Or maybe even purple.” The two of them walked on in the dark, and though Flyby found the atmosphere much lighter, Nothing quickly sobered. “Maybe it’s a good thing, though.” Flyby looked at the purple dragon with confusion until they elaborated, “There have been eyes since about halfway through today’s mission. Lost track of them during the meeting for a bit when Scar came in late, but they’re back.” xxxxx“Do you think they’re a new member?” the blue dragon asked hopefully, “The Saints know we could use some help around here. Head Klimshaw just hasn’t left anyone strong enough to help anyone.” Her tail flicked to encompass the surroundings they walked through, dust and darkness included. xxxxx“I doubt it,” Nothing muttered quietly, “The gaze is too intense for anything like joining.” Flyby had never seen Nothing quite this penchant, tongue snaking in and out of their teeth as they thought. xxxxx“Flyby, get home as quickly as you can. I don’t like the sounds of this observer,” Scar said over his shoulder, his shadow self barely moving with the action. xxxxx“I can take care of myself just fine,” Flyby started playfully. She quickly added, “I will, though. You, too.” One last nudge to Nothing, and Flyby took off, making a mad dash for home. xxxxxThe dwelling was predictably dark. There wasn’t any food on the table, and there wasn’t a sound from the back of the house. Zanu must have already turned in, and Flyby took a circuit around the front room. She grabbed a few mouthfuls of that morning’s awkward meal and padded softly to the back of the house. Flyby dared not wake the Head and face that storm, but she needed sleep and fell into her pillows with relish. xxxxxFlyby woke to the feeling of cold steel on her wings. She groggily stirred, wondering what her mother was up to, only to be forcefully held in place by a few sets of sharpened claws. “Japa, you are charged with conspiracy against our glorious queen and the harboring of traitorous ambitions toward her reign.” Head Zanu’s words didn’t register until the cold steel clamped around Flyby’s jaws, the claws dragging her from the room.
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Luoma
Mar 29, 2019 5:49:32 GMT -5
Post by Ranger on Mar 29, 2019 5:49:32 GMT -5
Oh noooooooo D:
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