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A Life Everlasting RP ~ Introductions

 
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Tikanni Corazon
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 5:29 pm    Post subject: A Life Everlasting RP ~ Introductions Reply with quote




Just to let all players know that in this thread you will be posting a small piece about your characters, introducing them to the rest of the players. More info to follow soon, and I'll also be posting up any information about regular NPCs in here also. Smile


Please do NOT post in this thread until the start of gameplay. If you have any questions, please refer to the Discussion Thread. Smile

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.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887


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Tikanni Corazon
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

'Careful now...careful...quiet...'

I inched my way ever closer to my target, constantly reminding myself to be aware of each footfall, every rock that could jar my step, every twig or branch that could mark my presence with the quietest snap. Currently the caribou stood contentedly nibbling at a patch of grass, completely oblivious to my stealthy approach.


For a moment I paused, a feeling of sorrow flooding my person at what I was about to do. The animal radiated an innocence that I would never personally know, and yet it was magnificent. I felt shame at knowing that I would soon take the life of such a beast, before reminding myself that it was the way of the world. Did the fox feel guilt as it's jaws closed about the throat of a rabbit? Did the tiger pause in stalking it's prey to consider the life it would be taking? No, of course not. There was a constant order and rhythm where life and death were concerned, and I, like any other creature, was a part of that. Magnificent as the caribou was, I needed to eat.


I carefully moved aside a fern blocking my path with the head of my arrow, already knocked into my bow, waiting to be released. I passed silently by in my crouched stance, coming to a final standstill behind the bulk of a fallen tree. Immense in girth, the trunk of the oak hid my form up to my ribs even when I was standing. I held my bow out before me, slowly drawing back the string. My hands and arms were steady, the arrow-head aimed straight for the beast's heart...just as father had always taught me to do.


After a moments pause, I sent the arrow hurtling towards it's target, it's course silent as it was granted a mere second of freedom, before plunging through the caribou's hide, passing through skin, flesh, muscle and bone is it pierced it's flank. A dreadful scream filled the air around me as the beast's pain was voiced and I restrained myself from stopping to cover my ears, instead leaping from my hiding place and running towards my prey. It fell to the ground heavily just as I reached it, it's legs flailing as instinct still told it that it must attempt to flee. Muttering a prayer of thanks to the caribou for giving it's life so that I could live, I pulled my long-knife from it's scabbard and drew it across the beast's throat. A river of scarlet burst forth and after a few moments the animal stilled, it's eyes becoming glassy and empty.

“I'm sorry,” I whispered, unable to stop myself.

~~~

It was a couple of hours later that I found myself beside a lake, washing the blood from my hands after the messy business of cutting up the caribou. Skin, meat, organs, bones...all would be used in some manner, and all had been carefully cut away and packaged ready for travel, save for a small piece for my own consumption.


I washed away the blood covering my arms and hands, watching the crystal clear water become tinted with crimson. I paused in my efforts, breathing deeply. The hunt itself had been hard work, taking half the day in all, and the following butchery had proved just as physically taxing. At the feeling of the cool water on my skin, I wanted nothing more than to drench my entire body in it. I lifted my head and took a quick look around, listening carefully, even though I was certain there would be nobody around.

'But you can never be too careful,' I told myself as I moved my hands to release the belt at my waist, satisfied that I was alone. 'You're not a little girl any more, after all.'

I tossed the belt aside, closely followed by my other garments, one by one, revealing more and more of the flawless, almost white flesh beneath. Skin paler than any of the other Clans - Boar, Serpent and Wolf. A shade almost lost to the world now, as were my people.


I lifted a hand to the back of my head, removing the combs that held my ebony locks in place. As it was released, my hair, thick and shining, fell like a gleaming, black river nearly to my knees. As inconvenient as it was during the hunt or a battle, father had always said that a warrior never cut his or her hair. It was displayed proudly as a sign of unlimited bravery and honour, and as a mark of my people.


I walked into the lake, the water slowly rising up my person, enveloping me in it's cool embrace. I sighed as I was submerged up to my breast-bone, and gently used my hands to massage away the day's dirt and grime from my skin and the tightness from my aching muscles. My hair floated in delicate spirals along the surface of the lake for a time, before the weight of the water drew it down into the depths. The long streak of deep, brilliant blue situated near the front fell across my chest, plastered against the wet skin, contrasting beautifully with the alabaster shade.


As my hand passed over the tattoo on my arm, I fixed my gaze on it affectionately. The indigo-shaded ink depicted a highly detailed leopard stalking it's way down my upper arm – my Clan insignia. And, I'd gathered from years of searching, it was the only one left in the world. I, Yuri Li, was the last of the Leopard Clan, though to the rest of the world even I didn't exist. To them, the Leopards had died out a long time ago, alive only in memory and in the ancient histories held by the priesthoods. A lone tear pricked at the corner of my eye at the memory of the losses suffered in my seventeen years, and I allowed it to fell gently into the water below.

'After all, there's no one around to see me cry,' I thought to myself, looking down into the water.

My reflection looked back at me. I studied the face before me, noting the changes that had taken place over the last few years. Once, back before my father died, and I was still a round-faced girl of thirteen, we'd been sat around a camp-fire after a day's hunt, and he'd taken my jaw gently in his hand, and turned my face in every direction, examining each aspect of it. Finally he'd stopped, stroked his knuckles down my cheek and said:

“One day, girl, you'll look just like your mother. I'd bet my very life upon it.”

And, I noted with a smile, he'd been right for the most part. Sure, my forehead was a little longer, my nose not quite so perfectly shaped as hers had been, my general features not taking on her exquisite beauty. But the high cheekbones that had formed sometime over the last four years were hers, as were the gentle arch of each eyebrow, the soft pink hue of my full lips with their perfectly formed cupid's bow, and the delicate, pretty almond shape of my eyes. But where hers had been a deep, dark brown, mine were like chips of ice, as my father's had been, and piercing as a dagger.


I don't know how long I stood there staring at my reflection, but when I looked up, I saw that the sky was beginning to darken. I suddenly shivered, realising the air had grown colder. I made my way back to the bank, stepping easily out of the water. I dried myself off with my jacket, deciding that I'd get a fresh one from my pack when I returned to my kill. Once dry, I quickly dressed and bundled my damp hair into a rough bun at the back of my head, then made my way back to my chosen camp-site for the night. As I walked along, I scanned the sky.

'Shasta has been gone a long time today,' I thought, feeling my brow furrowing slightly in concern. 'I hope he's okay...'


Upon reaching the site, I drew a clean jacket from my belongings, slipping it about my person and belting it firmly at the waist. I quickly lit a fire using flint from my pack, setting a large piece of caribou flesh on a spit above it to cook, then settled down against a large boulder at the clearing's heart, pondering my next move.


I'd heard about the proclaimation sent out from Emperor of the Fallen Tiger, Shonari Turi, when I'd been trading in a village in the Wolf Clan-lands a week or so previous. His offer of immortal life should anyone aid in the downfall of Emperor Hanna Xi of the Victorious Dragon. My interest had been instantly piqued, though not for the reasons that one would imagine. After all, what did I want with immortality? I was alone, my family and Clan gone and thought of as little more than a myth. What use was a life everlasting when my loved ones were dead, never to return? No, I had my own agenda, though luckily for Shonari Turi the end result was the same as his, should everything go to plan.


My father taught me well in the ways of battle and survival, and I had an ally on my side that was as rare and mysterious to the rest of the world as I was. Again I scanned the darkened sky for a shadow foretelling the return of my friend, but found there to be nothing. The stars were beginning to peek through between the sparse clouds, glittering like diamonds above me. I sighed, leaning back against my boulder, hoping and praying that Shasta would be back soon.

_________________
.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

He could be my brother. He is the same age, the same height. He even has that annoying lock of hair that just can’t stay tucked behind his ear. The only difference is his eyes, full of fear. My brother was afraid of nothing, not even his own death.

“Pl-please! Please I-“

I squeeze my hand tighter around his throat so he has to stop speaking. Begging for mercy? No, he is not like my brother at all.

He gurgles for air and his face turns a brighter shade of pink. He is not asphyxiated, not yet. I don’t normally revel in torturing a man, but this is a special exception.

“Do you know where you are?” I ask, loosening my grip slightly so he can talk once again.

“The Boar Clan lands?” he gasps, unsure, though he has certainly seen the tattoo on my back.

“Correct. And what is that over there?” I let go of his neck and grab him by the front of his shirt, lifting him slightly from where I have him pinned to the ground and nodding my head to the left.

It is grizzly scene, I suppose, but I am accustomed to seeing such mutilation, especially that which is done by my own hands. The four men he had been traveling with lie around the small field, staining the earth red. Two of them have small axes embedded in their skulls between their eyes. One has his belly sliced open, his entrails crisscrossing on the ground with warm blood still pouring from them – his detached head sits next to his feet. The last has a staff, a bloodied blade on one end and a sharp pyramid-shaped point on the other, going through his heart, spearing him to the ground.

His eyes linger on the massacre, but that is not what I want him to look at. I shake him so his gaze continues on to what is hanging on a spit in their fire, charred and half-eaten. This is what I am concerned with.

He stares at the animal like it will become something else if he looks at it long enough.

“A b-boar…” he finally stutters out.

“That’s right. And are you aware that it’s forbidden to kill a boar in my clan’s territory?”

He nods vigorously.

“You’re a smart guy,” I say, sliding a short dagger from the leather sheath I keep strapped to my upper left arm. “But not smart enough.”

“Wait, please, we didn’t know! We didn’t think we’d entered your clan’s land yet!” he says rapidly, tears and pleading entering his eyes, mixing with the fear.

“Sh!” I press the point of the dagger to his lips. What he says is probably true. In some areas, like this one, there are no noticeable boundaries between the clan-lands. Sometimes even the seasoned travelers have trouble identifying the borders, so these hapless adventurers most likely did cross over with no knowledge of it.

I lean over and bring my face within inches of his. The faint scent of urine from where he has wet himself fills my nose, but even more overpowering is the stench of meat on his breath. It makes me sick and angry.

“No excuses,” I whisper and, before he can speak, thrust the dagger through the roof of his mouth. His eyes roll back into his head and he twitches feebly for a few moments before his body goes limp and I drop him back to the ground.

Standing and stretching, I walk over to the dwindling fire and remove the boar from the oaken branch they were using as a skewer, laying him gently a few feet away upon fresh, springy grass uncoated by blood. I look around for something to wrap him in – I will carry him to the Seer so his spirit can be blessed before I bury him – but there is nothing here, save for the soiled clothes of the dead men. Disgusted by the prospect of carrying the animal in those rags, I shrug out of my own garment, a short blue dress, high-collared and sleeveless. This leaves me only in my leggings and the full-length sleeve on my right arm. I revel in the warmth of the sun on my bare, bronzed skin, but I feel overly exposed, so I take the sleeve off, tenderly stripping it from my scarred arm, and use it to cover my front instead, stretching it around my chest and knotting it securely at my back.

Modesty taken care of, I take the dress and cut open one side of it so there is more fabric to wrap the boar’s body in. Had the animal been whole there would not have been enough to cover its form, but what remains fits neatly in the cloth.

Having encased the boar in the blue silk, I have one more task to complete before I head back to the village. After recovering all of my other weapons, I yank the bladed staff from the already decapitated man and go around to the rest of them, removing their heads as well. After tying them together by their hair and a length of stray rope, I hang them from a tree at the edge of the field. Using my dagger I carve a crude symbol of the boar clan into the bark and sign my name, Sumei Dan-Li, beneath that. It is kind of me, really, to notify travelers of the land they have just entered. Plus it gives me bragging rights should any members of my clan come through the area.

As I step back to marvel at my handiwork, I peer at the head of the man who looks like my brother, his eyes glazed and empty now. My brother would have been proud of me, had he been here. But, I chuckle to myself, he would have hogged all the glory and killed the men himself before my axes were even in my hands. I would have yelled at him and he would have simply ruffled my bangs and pulled on my braid, told me to be quicker.

I recall the proclamation made by the emperor and can imagine the excitement in my brother’s eyes. He would have been thrilled by the offer of everlasting life. It was always his goal, as it is with all members of our clan, to be the strongest, the quickest and the hardest to kill, and this provided the perfect opportunity.

“Just think about it, Sumei. An infinite amount of time to become better and better, and then one day I’ll be emperor!”

He would have said something like this, a wide grin on his face. It would have been his dream.

But now it is mine.

There is a loud snap from behind me that causes me to jump. Berating myself for being so careless as to get lost in my thoughts on open ground, I reach for my axes and spin, ready for an attack. At first I see nothing, but then I notice a fox by one of the bodies. Its teeth had ripped through the sinews of the dead man’s arm and broken the bone, allowing it to detach the arm from the rest of the body. My sudden movement causes the animal to lift its head. Wary, it grabs its prize and runs off into the forest.

Sighing and sliding my axes back into the holsters at my hips, I walk back over to the boar and pick it up, carefully cradling it in my arms. It seems I am fated to think of my brother today. Almost three years now and I still hold him in my memory, like I used to hold his hand when we were children, running through the woods after rabbits. It is what gives me strength. And it is my greatest weakness.

I am about to leave the field when I notice a scroll sticking out from a bag that one of the men had been carrying. I kick it out completely with my foot, rolling it along the ground until I see the imperial insignia of Shonari Turi, emperor of the Realm of the Fallen Tiger, stamped on it. I laugh.

So these fools had thought they would aid the emperor in defeating the Dragon army? I did them a favor by killing them now. They didn’t stand a chance at gaining eternal life.

And neither did anyone else.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


"Are you prepared for your trial, boy?" bellowed the head of the Kellirons family solemnly, as he stood in the middle of the dining hall, glaring at me with absolute disdain which I did not take personally. Yolene's father was a large, formidable man, much like my father, and somehow being surrounded by the tall members of his family only made him look positively taller.

"I am sixteen, am I not?"

My father coughed subtly beside me, which sounded very much like 'MAXY!'

"I mean, yes sir. As ready as I can be," I tried to hold back a chuckle.

"Very well. Maximillian of the Rydar family, I hereby announce that I have decided upon your trial for my daughter's hand in marriage."

My chest thumped in excitement. This is it! My chance to show everyone that they were wrong!

"You are to slaughter a chimaera, and bring me back its head."

Any inward smile I may have had were wiped out at that instant, as I felt my face drain of colour. My mother gasped behind me. The silence in the hall was sudden, but also brief as all sorts of frantic chatter sprouted around me. 'A chimaera?' 'What did he say?' 'What was he thinking?'

My father stepped forward and smiled. "Surely you jest, Tristan," he politely suggested. "The strongest men could barely survive the beast."

"Then it is fortunate the son of the mighty Desmund and Lynet Rydar is no ordinary boy, or have I been mistaken?" A few chuckles could be heard across the room.

I grit my teeth and darkened my expression at that. I suddenly understood what was going on. Yolene's father had basically just announced to the room: 'I am not allowing the tiny weakling anywhere near my daughter.'

"Tristan, be reasonable," a hard edge could be heard in my father's voice now. I could see his fists forming angrily. My mother was strangely quiet.

The world around me started to move in slow motion as an ugly rage boiled within me. I was never my father's son. Nor was I my mother's. I had not inherited his heroic strength or towering form, and I definitely had not inherited her legendary talents in weapons proficiency. If anything, the opposite had happened on all account. Everyone thought that just because I was slightly smaller and slightly weaker than everyone else, I could never be a real Boar.

"Why, is your mighty son withdrawing from the trial?" Tristan sneered at my father, as if he had already forgotten I was standing right there in front of him.

Desmund Rydar no longer bothered keeping his fury in check. "You dare make a mockery of---"

"I accept your terms of the trial."

More gasps and chatter followed my unexpected announcement. My father tried to pretend I didn't say anything, and even Yolene tried to talk her father out of it. But it was too late. I had already accepted the trial, and I was determined to complete it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After some searching around, I found a few large paw prints, not unlike what I expected a chimaera would leave behind. I smiled nervously. It was much more frightening now that this was actually happening. Time to build it some presents.

Slowly, and meticulously, I collected a few thick branches and sharpened them with my hunting knife. When I was done, I dug a few bucket-sized holes, and pushed the sharpened branches deep into the soil inside it. I arranged the spikes to form a funnel with a large opening in the middle. That should trap its leg, I admired the creation briefly, before building a few more like it and scattered some leaves to conceal them.

Crack!

I spun towards the snapped twigs and drew my hunting knife.

"You're not planning to kill a chimaera with that small little knife, are you?" asked a dark-haired girl with a grin on her face. In her hand was a long sword which I had witnessed her yield with deadly proficiency.

"Yolene? What are you doing here?" I asked instead, even though I already knew the answer. "The trials are meant to be completed alone."

"Since when do you care about tradition," she brushed aside my concerns and walked towards me from the edge of the clearing. "Besides, a chimaera? No way I'm missing that battle!"

I frowned at her. "You know it's not about the traditions. I have to show everyone what I'm made of, and I---wait, stop!"

Standing still, Yolene looked at me curiously, followed my gaze and noticed the unusual characteristics of the ground in front of her. She knelt and picked away the leaves. "A leg trap?" she chuckled. "Is this how you plan to show everyone how strong and mighty you are?" she remarked cheekily.

"Shut up," I replied, feeling a little embarrassment colour my cheeks. "You weren't supposed to see that."

"You don't have to hide anything from me, Maxy. You know I care not for the usual brutish ways of our people. And besides, you need me to track the chimaera. You realise you're in the wrong part of the---"

SQUEAL!!

Both of us jumped at the loud scream of an animal. We looked at each other for a moment before darting towards the source. It sounded like a…

"Oh pig's droppings," I cursed when I saw the animal with its left leg trapped in one of my creations. Of all things it could be, it had to be the worst possible animal.

The girl gasped at the sight. "A baby boar!" Before I could stop her, she moved towards the piglet.

"Yolene, no!"

With a loud growl, a giant boar jumped out of the bush and charged at my friend. Gifted with quick reflexes, she leaped out of the way in an instant, resulting in a narrow miss as the boar zoomed past her. Yolene rolled over her shoulder and stood up with a sword in her hand. The boar regarded her for only a second, before charging at her again.

"Stay away from her!" I swung my arm with all my might and released a rock in the size of a fist. It struck the beast in its head, and then the passage of time itself slowed down as the creature skidded to a halt and turned its giant head towards me, its majestic snout trembling, its bared teeth wet with saliva, its hard tusks sharp as a razor, and its red eyes burning with hatred. It thinks we're trying to harm the piglet, I realised.

As if time had started moving again, the boar suddenly charged towards me. I heard Yolene screaming my name as I turned and dashed towards the nearest tree. I jumped onto the trunk and scrambled my way up, as the beast rammed into the tree just inches below me with a loud thud. The impact shook the tree so hard that I was knocked off the trunk, and for a split second, I was flailing around mid-air, certain that I was going to die, before my right hand caught onto a branch. The boar swung its razor tusks up from under me, missing my leg by just a hair as I pulled myself up onto the branch.

The boar growled at me before turning towards Yolene again. "What are you doing, climb a tree, now!" I yelled at her.

But she didn't move from her spot, even after the beast started charging at her again. She shifted her stance slightly, and I could see her sword shaking.

"Yolene, climb that tree!"

"I can't!" she spat back. "I don't know how to climb a tree!"

I watched in horror as the boar closed in on my friend. Quick and nimble as she was, she managed to jump behind a tree just before the boar could skewer her. The beast, in an attempt to follow her, drove one of its tusk into the thick tree she was hiding behind. The momentum of the charge was so great that the tusk emerged on the other side of the tree, just above Yolene's dark dair.

Stunned for only a moment at its predicament, the beast began struggling to pull its tusk out of the tree.

Noting the rare opportunity, I yelled out. "You have to stab its eyes to kill it!"

Yolene jumped out from behind the tree and pointed her sword firmly at the beast's right eye. But she froze, unable to perform the final deed to kill the beast.

"Do it!" I urged. I knew why she couldn't do it. It was tradition. The animal was sacred amongst the Boar clan. Killing it was forbidden.

As if unwilling to wait for Yolene to make up her mind, the beast finally pulled itself free from the trunk and swung its heavy head sideways, knocking my friend from the ground. She flew backwards from the impact and slammed into another tree, and I watched in horror as she landed with her left knee bent awkwardly. She screamed in agony.

Without realising I was doing it, I had jumped down from my tree and was sprinting towards the pair as if my own life had depended on it. I didn't even remember how the hunting knife had ended up in my right hand as I leapt onto the giant beast's back, plunging the blade deep inside its shoulder.

With a loud roar, the beast tried to swing me off its back, as I clutched tightly onto the knife with my right hand, and its fur with my left fist. Sensing another opportunity, I pulled the blade out and drove it back into its neck. The roaring animal then moved backwards with incredible speed. When I realised what it was trying to do, I pulled the knife with both hands and jumped off its back, just a fraction of a second before the beast crashed into a tree. The thought of how close I was to being crushed flat by the cunning animal stunned me for an instant.

Although only an instant, it was enough for the angry beast gain an advantage over me. As I looked up, I could see the boar's razor tusks only moments away from skewering my chest. I tried to roll away to avoid it, but I was too late --- one tusk drove itself into the ground, sliding across my chest, and the other brushed past my lower back into the ground, trapping me in between. For once, I was suddenly glad I was small, or I would have been dead.

The beast then pulled its tusks out of the ground, with me still trapped in between. The animal was just as confounded as I was at our predicament, as it tried to shake me off its snout. Recognising the opportunity, I aimed my knife at its left eye, ready to kill the beast.

But then I froze.

Swinging its head wildly upwards, I was thrown from its tusks and fell hard onto the ground in front of the beast. The boar was about to finally skewer me with its tusks, when Yolene suddenly swung her sword from behind and slashed its legs with a scream.

Still disoriented from the fall, I watched in horror as the beast turned its head with a furious roar and drove its tusk into the dark-haired girl. No.

The animal turned towards me as Yolene fell to her side, bleeding from her chest. Red hot tears started to burn my eyes. "No!" I screamed and rolled away as the boar's tusks punctured the ground next to me. Without hesitation this time, while still on my back, I gripped the knife with both hands and swung as hard as I could, slicing its large throat open. Its blood poured down on me all at once, before the beast itself collapsed heavily on top of me. Using every strength I could muster, I slid myself from beneath the majestic creature, and looked at it warily. Its large eyes regarded me with respect as it let out its final breath.

Limping, I went to Yolene to help, but then I saw that her eyes were already fixed. "No," I stood there, staring, for a moment. Then I threw up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Someone explain to me what happened out there."

"I'll tell you what happened --- that snivelling boy provoked the beast and got my daughter murdered!"

"You have no evidence of that! For all you know it was your daughter who provoked the beast. She wasn't even supposed to be there!"

"Enough! A sacred beast had been slain in our own forest by our own people. This matter has to be resolved!"

"It was clearly the girl who performed the killing blow. The boy couldn't possibly slay the beast."

"Then she has brought great shame upon herself, and her family---"

"It was me," I coughed as I opened my eyes and forced myself to sit up on the bed. "She didn't bring any shame to anyone. It was all me."

My father put his hand on my shoulder. "Don't speak nonsense, son."

"Listen to your father, boy. Are we to believe you slew the great beast with your own two hands?"

"I used a bow and arrow. I got lucky."

"And why would you attack the sacred creature?"

I shrugged and turned away. "I got hungry."

Gasps were heard all around, and then the room erupted into several loud arguments. Strong words such as 'cowardice' and 'blasphemy' were thrown around where I was concerned. I didn't care anymore. Not for the respect. Nor for my place in the clan. Why should I? It was tradition that had Yolene murdered. The very same one that had destroyed me.

Officially, I wasn't exiled from the clan. My parents held a strong sway on the decision. But I left anyway. It was no longer my home. My father cried and refused to understand my decision. My mother smiled and told me to be happy. I probably should be feeling sad as I was walking away from the only home I knew. Instead, I felt free for the first time in my life. Free from traditions. Free from expectations. Free from everything.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I could see the lantern off in the distance. Without seeing them directly, I knew who it was. Not only because I was expecting them but because it was my business to know. I knew a lot. I knew that he had stayed in an inn last night in a room that faced the north. He polished off a couple bottles of ale by himself and glanced out the window in paranoia before going to bed. Then he probably bought an apple from a stand in the morning. First customer, as always, before continuing on his trek to get here. A couple leaves moved nearby.

“Be still, Pretty One,” I said. “It will be your time soon. Just be patient.”

After a few minutes, the man and the lantern were just a few steps away from me. Glancing up at him, I couldn't help but smile. He was a shorter man with a large round belly. A thick line of sweat was forming on his brow. To anyone else, they might simply conclude that he was weary from his journey or the heat of the summer night was getting to him. I knew better.

It was my business to know better.

He was afraid. He put forth a commendable effort to hide it but I could see it clearly. He might as well been trembling and crying. The man glanced around for a moment, like he was waiting for an ambush.

“Don't fret, big boy,” I said. “None of my brethren are going to swoop down out of the trees.” I stood up and patted him on the shoulder. “Now, did you bring me what I asked for?”

He nodded and reached into a pocket. He pulled out a small envelope containing some sort of object within and handed it to me, I immediately tucked it into a pocket located on my vest.. “This was not easy to get,” he said, following me as I started to walk away. “I had to call in a few favors to get this for you. You are going to pay me, right?”

I stopped and spun around. “Yes, my dear boy. Of course. I am a man of my word, aren't I?”

He didn't speak, instead his eyes drifted up to the three braids that hung on the side of my skull. Without him saying I word, I knew what he was thinking. The green in my hair contradicted my statement about keeping my word. With a sigh, I reach up and hand a hand along the opposite side of my hair, the side that I made sure to keep clear of hair so that everyone's eyes would be drawn to my color.

“Ah,” I said. “Now I get it. You're worried about that.” I moved my hand and gestured to the artwork that decorated my face. “And that. Don't worry, you will be rewarded.”

I spun back around and continued walking. His footsteps behind me told me that he believed the lie. There was no reward. Not for him. He may have completed the deal I had struck with him. The task was completed ahead of schedule even but he was still going to die. It had to be done. I couldn't just let him openly insult me and let him walk away. No. He would not be allowed to come into my woods, look me dead in the eye, and insult my intelligence.

“Um, when are you going to reward me?” he asked.

“Soon,” I assured him. “Very soon. I have it hidden up here.”

From the faint glow of the lantern that sat in front of me, I could see the leaves moving as I strolled. My smile widened. My eyes scanned the trees and the bushes. We were almost there. It was almost time. Time for me to get my own personal justice. After a couple more minutes I saw what I needed. Stopping in my tracks, I cast a smile over my shoulder and stepped behind a tree. Hidden there was a bow and an arrow.

I grabbed the bow and slung it over my shoulder before taking the arrow between my teeth and climbing slowly. Beneath me some more grass and leaves rustled. Without making a sound, I made my way high up in the tree and sat perched on a branch. Turning my eyes to the ground, I removed the arrow from my teeth. Below me, I could see my fat errand boy starting to squirm. It was a delicious sight to savor.

“I do apologize, dearie,” I called down to him before leaping to a branch on a nearby tree. “But I have misled you. There is no prize. Just a painful demise.”

He started to spin in a circle. The fear that he had felt earlier was now overtaking him. The sheer panic kept him rooted to the ground, searching for the threat. As his eyes glanced up in my direction, I leapt to a higher branch.

“Why...why are you going to kill me? I did as you asked. I fetched you your stupid vial.”

“Yes, But you did so while wearing that wretched belt. The first time I met you I saw it. I asked if it was what I thought it was. You denied it. I found out differently and you still came into MY woods wearing it.” I barked at him, moving from tree to tree between each sentence.

“My belt?”

“What is it made of?” I hissed at him.

Even from high in the tree, I could see the realization hit him. Quickly he turned to run away but I had other plans.

“Sarpe, now,” I bellowed. Suddenly from the leaves next to the fat man, a snake struck up from the leaves and caught him in the back of the thigh. My errand boy dropped down and remained motionless. His lantern landed just a step in front of him. Dropping down, I approached him and knelt to feel his pulse. It was slow and I could barely feel it but it was there.

“You see, coming into the land of the Serpent, wearing a snakeskin belt is a bad idea. Now I wouldn't so much have minded the lie, if I hadn't have found out that you caught that poor creature yourself. Now, you know what its like, unable to strike at those who threaten you.”

A small gurgle came from my paralyzed target which prompted my to chuckle at his current state. “My brethren might not condone my actions here. After all, I didn't see you kill it and I have no knowledge whether or not it was done on Serpent lands. I don't rightly care what they think though. After all, I'm not your usual Serpent.”

I took the bow off and dropped it before lowering myself down next to his ear. “Being odd does have its advantages,” I whispered. “It allows me to savor moments like this even more then the rest of them.”

Then without sitting up, I raised the arrow above his head and plunged it down into his skull. Sitting up, I felt my trusty companion slither up my body and curl around my arm. With my smile never faltering, I emptied his pockets of his ledger and various papers as well as a coin purse half-full of coin before extinguishing his fallen lantern and standing.

While whistling a happy tune, I strolled and patted Sarpe's head for a job well done.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:04 pm    Post subject: Mai Intro Reply with quote

I can not help but laugh at the sight of my dear friend Symar trying, and failing miserably, to catch us dinner. The young Wolf clan boy shoots my a fierce glare between soaking strands of his shoulder length pitch black hair before returning his attention to the task at hand. Already soaked from head to toe, the ripples caused by the water dripping from his tan body makes his hunt even more difficult. The intertwined wolves etched into his back as the sign of his clan glisten in the fading light. Stowing my mirth I take a seat on the banks of the small river we had decided to rest beside for the evening. It had been twelve years since I had left my clan and met up with this young rouge. Though only a few years younger then myself I could tell from the get go that he had seen little hardship in his life, but that what he had hidden inside was perhaps worse. I had wandered into the edges of the Wolf clan's lands without really thinking about it. I had been distracted by my own thoughts for days and not paid much attention to where my feet had been taking me.

When he had found me, he had every intention of killing me for trespassing but for some reason he has yet to tell me he had instead decided he wanted an adventure. Packing up that day, he left his lands with me and we've traveled together since. When I had finally asked why a few years back why he had abandoned his people to travel with a stranger, he had simply smiled and shrugged.

The fog of memory lifts as he marches out of the water, a lunker clutched in either hand. I give him a sarcastic applause as he cracks their skulls against a rock sticking out of the riverbank. He again glares at me, his dark brown nearly black eyes flashing before chucking one of the fish at me. Catching it easily I laugh once again. “Oh shut it,” he snaps, “I'd love to see you do better!” I of course could not do better without the use of both eyes so I do not argue.

“So,” I chuckle as he sets about gutting the fish, “Can I give a hand tonight or am I still banned from cooking?” He gives my a wry smile of his own.

“After last time I let you cook you expect me to put my life on the line like that again? Forget it!” We both have a good laugh. Last and only time I had tried my hand at making a meal, we'd both had the runs for a week. Not pleasant. As the laughter dies down I slide the fish he'd thrown at me across the grass to where he sits. One leg still in the water he lets the guts simply float down stream as he cuts them from the fish.

Reaching in my belt pouch I pull out a small roll of paper I had “liberated” from a passing troupe of men most likely heading for the Market. The cool breeze flowing across the open area surrounding this small section of the river makes the edges of the paper flutter slightly. The thick forest surrounding the area block most of the light remaining from the setting sun, but I can still read the words on the paper. “An offer of life eternal just for helping keep a man alive. . . .” I murmur letting my eyes wander over the announcement again.

“Yup.” my friend chimes from fire side. I fold the paper up and slip it back into my pouch. “I guess some people are just not content with what life they've been given.”

I look hard at him, again in awe of the ease in which he makes such judgments. It's true I had exposed him to a lot of the harsh realities of this world, but he still seemed to believe everything will go his way, and if it doesn't, then it wasn't suppose to. My body tenses for a moment as I catch sight of movement out of the corner of my eye. My head snaps to the side but a moment later I relax as Ifry trots up to my side and nuzzles my cheek. “Ifry you stupid beast, where have you been?” I scold the fox good naturedly. It's sleek silvery fur gleams in the firelight as he hangs his head in mock shame before flopping down in the grass with his muzzle resting atop my thigh.

Symar snorts, rolling his eyes at the fox's laziness. Ifry spends most of the day hunting and playing just out of sight of us as we travel, but for the past year he has come to the fire side each night for a free handout and a good petting. The feel of his soft fur beneath my fingers is quite soothing and he seems to know when I'm about to meditate. The repetitive action of petting him helps me concentrate.

I doubt I'll be able to meditate tonight though. Something about the letter had piqued my interest. 'Eternal Life huh? Don't know why anyone would want that. . . . .But then again, if I lived forever, perhaps I could live long enough for this scar to fade. Long enough for the pain to vanish. . . . ' Unconsciously I reach up and brush my fingers over the markings of the bandanna covering my left eye. My fingers slip down to where the serpent coiled around my neck disappears beneath it. Unseen by anyone but the one who had places the mark upon me, the head of the serpent lay beneath the fabric. The tips of my pale hair lay across the symbols covering the red fabric, the tips of the hair dark green like river moss.

I remain lost in though as Symar comes to sit beside me, handing me a fish on a stick, his specialty. We sit in silence. He had learned long ago that I often need time inside my own mind. At these time he too would seem to go within' his own, silent and thoughtful. As I begin to eat, my thoughts turn to the future, and I realize eternal life. . . . . Doesn't sound too bad. . . . . .
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Rayu" she said, calling out to him with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Rayu", she said again, for the 7th time this evening.

Rayu, though, did not respond. His black eyes looked down, unblinking, fixed on his reflection in the gentle stream of water. His hair, jet black with reddish brown streaks on the sides, were softly lifted by the cool breeze, as he sat, contemplating on how he'd deal with this. He had prepared himself for this moment, but all that seemed useless now.

"Look at me, Rayu" she said.

Rayu struggled not to. He knew Lia liked him. It was obvious. The little games that females play to get your attention. She had done everything, trying desperately to get him to notice her, but he wouldn't. He had tried to drop hints to her. He had tried to tell her who he really was. Perhaps, if she had known, she wouldn't have fallen for him. Perhaps he should have told her when he first spotted her advances. But how could he?

"Rayu!" Lia said, her tone rising.

"Quiet" Rayu said, his raspy voice dripping with chauvinism. "You'll wake him up", he said, and for the first time, shifted his glance from the ocean and directed it to Marrock, his pet, an overgrown, bulky tiger that lay asleep on the bed of grass.

"Let's go somewhere else" he said, after a minute, and proceeded to lead her into his hut, carefully side-stepping the odd rock.

Once they settled comfortably into Rayu's hut, Lia spoke.

"Rayu, we need to talk"

"No, Lia. I need to talk. You need to listen"

Rayu liked her. Not in the romantic way, but he did like her. She was special, for he generally disliked the female gender, but not too special. These conflicting emotions, though, could not be attributed to Lia.

"I know why you're here" he said, absent-mindedly prodding a stray dog with a stick, annoyed that it had made his shabby abode his bed for the night.

"I cannot marry you"

Lia sat still. If the words had any effect on what she was feeling, she was hiding it perfectly.

"Why?" She whispered, unsuccessfully attempting to keep her voice nonchalant. She had wanted to say so much, but could only muster the one word.

"There are reasons" Rayu said, shifting uncomfortably as he struggled for words. How could he tell her? He inhaled deeply before carrying on.

"There are reasons" he repeated, at a loss for words. "Reasons I can't tell you, but trust me when I say that it is not fair on my part if I let you marry me", his gaze avoiding Lia's questioning eyes.

"Lia, you've been a good friend to me", he paused, adding emphasis on the word 'friend'. "But that's about it"

He could see that Lia was not satisfied.

"I've taken a vow of celibacy" he lied. That's the only thing I could say!

Before Lia could respond, He walked across the door and held it for her, motioning for her to leave.

Once she was out of sight, Rayu let out a low whistle. "Marrock" he called out, and his tiger came and sat at his feet, purring happily as its master petted it on the head.

___________________________________


Rayu woke up the next morning, feeling quite pleased with himself. Things did not go exactly as planned last evening , but he was pleased none-the-less. After taking a swim in the river, he stood on the banks, combing his hair with his fingers, the light blue water serving as his mirror. "I surrender to Raava", he read directly from the tattoo on his upper torso, and subconsciously started to recite it the customary 108 times.

Then he looked up, into the sky and offered his prayers to the blazing sun god. "The source of all energy" his late father had told him, while he learnt the Surya-Namaskar. As a mark of his respect to the sun god, he had tattooed on his abdomen a blazing sun.

On his back, he had a tattoo of a mighty boar, his clan-sign, partially hidden by his long braid that had grown till his waist.

After performing his rituals, Rayu called out his pet, and together, they took their usual walk through the village, except this walk would be anything but usual.

Along mid-way through his walk, Rayu noticed a crowd of villagers, silently huddled over a single spot. Something was wrong. Rayu felt it. The air, in itself, felt dark and heavy, but it was something Rayu had got accustomed to for a couple of months.

Rayu, along with Marrock pushed into the crowd, getting to the front to have a look at what was going on. In the midst lay man, his limbs twisted in all imaginable ways, and his head meticulously placed beneath his feet.

Ah! Rayu thought, when recognition struck him. One of my victims. Is this the one I killed last morning, or the one that died later in the day?

"When did he die?" he asked to no-one in specific. The uncertainty was bugging him.

"Probably two days ago" came the reply, from a half clothed man, who was crouched near the body, examining it for any evidence.

Day-before. Rayu thought. He had killed only once the day-before, and had hid the body among the overgrown bushes a few meters away.

Took them long enough Rayu thought, half-shrugging.

The crouched man finally stood up, cleared his throat, and in a commanding voice spoke to the gathered public.

"Men and women of the village" he began, evoking a smile from Rayu, "I'm going to have to ask all of you to clear the area."

Everyone who had gathered at the spot dispersed, some reluctantly, but Rayu stood his ground, one hand gently caressing his pet, and the other, tightly gripping his sword.

"Are you deaf?" The man asked him. He had no official authority, but his power was affirmed by the general voice of the public.

"No" Rayu said.

"What did I just say?" the man asked, quite irritably to his partner, who responded to him with a little bit of hesitation.

"Men and women, sir" he said, responding to the rhetoric, pausing before he spoke again. "He happens to be neither."

There was an awkward moment of silence, before the man walked up to Rayu and spoke to him in a hushed tone.

"Look. This is not a time for silly games. I need you to leave right now so that I can concentrate on finding the killer"

"You're looking at him" Rayu said, and before the man could respond, Rayu slashed at him with his sword, catching him in the neck cleanly, killing him before he had the chance to scream. He then flung his sword at the fleeing partner, piercing the back of his skull, rendering him lifeless.

As he lay immobilized, Rayu walked to him slowly, pulled the sword out, and watched Marrock eat his breakfast for the day.
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Annalise ran her tongue over her lips slowly to wet them, anticipation thrumming through her taut form like the primed bow, strung with an arrow and ready to fly, as the target moved ever closer to her tree. Every time he moved forward, so did her grey eyes. One long braid fell down the center of her back, all of her jet black hair captured in it with the exception of one purple-dyed lock that curved around to frame the left side of her face. The effect of the unique dye next to her golden skin was striking as much as the unusual color of her eyes.

Fortunately for Annalise, her clan cared for their own, even after their parents had died from a strain of illness when she was three, little more than a toddler. She'd been adopted by the Grand-High Seer's family in her village and was immediately absorbed into the fold as an extension of the Grand-High Seer herself. While Anna had demonstrated her competent capabilities in Seeing and passed her trial of adulthood with little difficulty, her interests had always been in learning swordsmanship since she was tall enough to hold a blade. When her trail came along, her connection with a spirit from her family granted her an additional asset; a gift with archery.

With her new skill and old, Annalise had taken to expanding her abilities by hunting meat in the neutral borders of the Wolf-clan lands for her village and always she returned the prized kill to the Grand-High Seer out of loyalty.

A smirk found it's way across her lips as she remembered the repayment of that unwavering loyalty. When she was twenty years old, the Grand-High Seer had sent her own son, Saveli, and Annalise to fulfill a favor at the request of an allied village to the far east of their own. Their assignment had been to find and kill a large bear that had been ravaging the orchards the allied village grew their Sweet Moon Apples in and killing those who had come in the morning after the full moon to harvest the blossoms and fruit. No doubt the creature had been confused by the smell and lack of a beehive.

Saveli had gone ahead to scout the area just outside of orchard while Annalise inspected the destruction and bodies left among the trees. Gods be with these poor souls as they return to the heavens, she'd thought as she crept through the shadows. The entire orchard would have to be left alone for an entire year while the blood and filth caused by the bear worked itself out of the soil. The blossoms and the fruit both would be considered contaminated by the violence in the area until the year marker had passed.

Just as Annalise had stepped out of the boundaries of the orchard, Saveli stepped out of a tree's shadow, his blade slicing through the air and cutting toward her, opening a deep gash from her right shoulder down to her left hip. Anna fell to the ground, shock in her eyes as the entrance to the orchard was stained with the red mist of her blood. Saveli leaned down over her body and whispered in her ear, grinning widely. "The favorite of the village now falls before the blade of Saveli."

She never knew how long she laid there, gasping in pain as cold seeped over her extremities and blackness started to creep into the edges of her vision. The next thing she remembered was waking up in a hut of the allied village's healer and she was in a considerable amount of pain. From that moment on, Annalise swore she would never return to her home village and that she would pay Saveli back for his kindness.

And now, six years later, here was her chance. She'd tracked him all across the Wolf clan lands and just outside of the Greenvale Market, Annalise finally caught up to him. Just a little closer, you bastard... she thought as his steps crept ever nearer to her tree. She waited until Saveli was just below her and she leapt down behind him, grabbing his chin and the back of his skull with her hands and giving him a hard one-hundred and eighty degree twist.

When Annalise dropped Saveli's body to the ground, his head was facing the backside of his body, facing her. Smirking, she spotted a scroll sticking out of Saveli's bag with the Emperor's seal on it. Intrigued, Annalise pulled out the scroll and broke the seal. She scanned the information inside quickly and her smile grew wider. Immortality would serve me well.

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