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Post by Kelathi on Aug 10, 2015 20:08:52 GMT
((Open to joiners! Please read the ooc first ))
He remembers the day he became a man.
It had been warm. The two suns, Maiki and Raii had been present that day, as was required for the ceremony. He had stood so calm, so proud, but inside, his heart had been fluttering nervously in anticipation. The touch on his chest, face, back and arms had been gentle and the paint had been cold as the elders each drew their own symbols onto his skin. The colours were blue, to signify the calm waters that quenched the land, then red, to signify the raging fire and the strength of the suns, who themselves had watched down on the tribe on that hallowed day. His long dark hair had been braided, and fell about his shoulders freely. Vivid feathers from the great Eyrey, a bird that spent every day of it’s long life in the sky apart from once a year to mate on these very hills, adorned his hair. Amongst them, feathers from other birds, reds and oranges and blues created a mane of arresting colour.
He had kneeled before the four elders, Arlei, Pelei, Melei, and Senei, all four named after the four seasons. He had received their blessings. Then he had stood once more, and waited for the most important part of the ceremony. His naming, and simultaneously, the Farafei. One of the greatest honours known by the tribe, translated by humans as ‘The Forcing’.
He closed his eyes bitterly. Typical humans, to reduce a ceremony so sacred by naming it something that implied harshness, and non-willingness by the subject. The truth was the very opposite. Every member of his species was anxious to receive the Farafei, which was named after the fruit that is consumed at this time. An unassuming looking fruit capable of great power. The power to reveal ones inner form, ones spiritual form… Such a form is always present inside, but the fruit was the trigger that allowed it to be expressed in this world.
The name that he had received had been Lentau. An honourable name, the former name of his late grandfather before he had been chosen and had inherited the name Arlei Lentaui, for he had become the summertime elder. Arlei signified life, strength and passion, but also reflected well his grandfather’s fiery personality. The very personality that had been passed down the line and hummed in his own veins. A quickness to anger, but also in possession of an underlying softness when in the company of loved ones, an aptitude for passion.
After the naming, the Farafei had followed.
It had no taste, and the fruit looked just like any borne by the Abol tree. The only way it could be told apart was to crush the fruit to allow the red juices to flow, then to dip a feather of the Eyrey into the liquid. If it was Farafei, the feather would be dyed blue, as part of a chemical reaction to the compounds that made up the plant.
It had been a agonizing transformation, as they all were, as dormant genes are switched on and a feeling akin to electricity flows through the body, igniting every pore with pain. The juice of the Farafei had revealed his true form, a pantera, and his parents could not have been more proud. An honourable form for an honourable name, they had expected great things from him. In fact, the entire tribe had. He had been expected to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, and be chosen by Maiki and Raii to be the next Arlei… and in truth he had also intended such a future himself. He was a born leader, a good hunter, and he was smart.
He sighed. At that moment the entire contraption happened to jolt, disturbed by a particular bump in their path. The shock caused him to grab onto a bar to steady himself, a snarl tearing from his lips. The structure settled once more, rattling along at it’s normal, annoying, but bearable pace. He too settled down again, slowly, loosening his grip on the bars gradually, and sunk back into the deep sea of memories.
There had been a female, too. Her name had been Lu-tey. He had shown his interest, and to his delight, she had reciprocated in kind. She had begun to braid her hair with crimson feathers to match his own, and he often caught her stealing glances from underneath her thick eyelashes. He loved that she was smart and kind. He loved her shy, little smile, and the way she moved. He loved that she was knowledgeable about the land, much more so than himself, so they made an ideal match. When they found themselves close together, she would talk of the different plants and their healing properties, and he would tell her about the days hunt, both of which would find the opposite fascinating. Sometimes she would accompany the hunting party, and Lentau could be found following Lu-tey into the meadowland to help forage.
But there was a problem.
Lentau sighed again, and opened his eyes. He was irritable now. They had been moving for a day and a half in the sweltering sun, the night offering little solace from the heat. The bars of the cage hardly offered any protection from the sun's rays. Whilst Maiki’s presence was always welcome, any clan member knew she did not like her children to spend too long in her glare. He was too hot, he was thirsty, and boredom had well and truly set in now, leaving no option for him other than to mull on past events. He had tried to escape, of course, but he quickly learnt that he was far outmatched by this wooden cage. The branches were thick, and had been joined through the use of weaved grasses, strong ones, that after pointless hours sent gnawing on the them had revealed that only a sharp knife could cut through.
They had taken his weapon when they had found him, not that he had been in possession of much. A small knife was all he had been allowed to carry. The floor of the vehicle had been constructed from boards of splintering wood, and the whole contraption trundled around on rickety wooden wheels. If it wasn’t a construction of humans, and currently acting as his cage, he might have admired the ingenuity.
All he could do was sit and wait for his opening, for the moment when they decided to let him out of his cage for some reason or other, or better yet, decide to step into his cage…
Violence was highly discouraged by the Roweyan people, even when hunting, they took great pains to make the death as quick and painless as possible for the quarry. But these were not Roweyans. These were humans, and therefore he could not be expected to have to treat them with the same sense of morality...
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Aug 18, 2015 19:46:01 GMT
“God damn, you’d think that she’d be easier to ‘andle with that injury… on top of a lack of water! She should be weak enough to be at least easy to handle…”
“I think we’ll need to kill ‘er to make her settle down! Which I’m sore tempted t’, after that damn kick… I’m going to be limpin’ for a week!”
“Feh, you shoulda seen the bite she gave me last week! Stupid bit-”
“You had better not be referring to the merchandise.”
The two guards who had been plotting immediately cowered at the third voice. It came from a man twice as broad and half again as tall as either of them, a burly figure who ensured that his master’s belongings were treated well until otherwise instructed. And this particular belonging was now to be sold. “Master Orlan has sold it,” the man began to explain with a frightening calm, “So it had better be in the same condition that it was sold in. He lost enough with its leg injury. Bring it.”
With the sounds of resignation, the two men turned back to the cage, containing the “it” that the other man had labeled with disgust. One look was all it took to tell that this was not a human, even though it had had what they deemed a humanoid form. However, the ferocity that the thing would attack with made it far too difficult to tame, as had been the intention. So now, she had been reduced to it, a freak to be collected amongst other freaks. It also presented a challenge to the two men, who now faced having to deal with the creature again.
Without being able to just try and kill her to get it over with. “How’d ye get her in there in the first place?” the shorter man asked, his partner shrugging. “I think she was wrapped up in’a blanket, but I dun remember how we got her out of the blanket.” Pondering this, the two men gave an almost choreographed ‘screw it’ shrug, and went to grab the biggest blanket they could get away with. “Feh, if she belongs to someone else now, let ‘em deal with it!” the taller noted with a snort, the shorter man nodding in agreement. Tool in hand, the two approached the cage, waiting for their courage to pick up before finally opening the door. They jumped in, and despite being armed, there was still quite the fight as the cage rattled and the creature growled before the blanket had been wrapped cocoon style around it. By that point, one man now suffered from a black eye and a sore hip from being thrown into the side of the cage, while his companion would be joining him in limping, one hand pushing down as if pressure could alleviate the pain. Fear of the bigger man pushed them on, however, limping out of the cage with their wriggling load.
The man they feared waited outside, visibly bemused to see the two so badly beaten by the abomination. In the middle of the day, the desert sun burned fiercely, forcing most into the shade. This was not the case with the carts that contained belongings, including those of the humans who had only arrived with the past few days. The master of this new caravan had recently traded for the rare creature, the only one of its kind to be found for thousands of miles. This the creature itself knew, she could sense the lack of her own people as much as the lack of life, sandy deserts being adorned with potted palms and flowers as a pretense. The bulky man cared not for the exoticism of the creature, only knowing it as an abomination against humanity, and so emotionlessly led the way to the awaiting cart. There was another inside this crate, but it wasn’t likely to be a problem. The two men carrying their still wriggling burden had a plan in mind that would prevent her from escaping as soon as they let loose. The cage door was opened, and as quickly and unceremoniously as possible, the bundle was thrown inside. Then the door was slammed shut and bolted again, amidst a flurry that struggled to break free of the fabric bonds. Claws ripped through at last, releasing the prisoner into her new environment.
She curled away from the bars of the cage from experience, her breath wild and angered as she turned towards the sole companion in the cage. This wasn’t new, but hadn’t been the best idea the last and only time she had been paired with another. The creature last time had been so badly battered they had to be separated. All she had sustained was the leg wound, which still pained her as in their attempt to tame her, she hadn’t gotten sufficient water to heal. She did have a humanoid form, with long legs and arms that suggested a powerful grace, a long, smooth torso connecting the two, but little else suggested human. Her skin was a pale green, decorated in dark markings under her eyes, on her shoulders, back and legs, with only old leather wrappings to cover her more feminine parts. Her features were striking, sharp and delicate, with vivid golden eyes glaring out at anything that seemed to displease her. Her hair seemed a strange mix of braids and leaves, spotted here and there with the wilted remains of violet tinged flowers. Aside from her color, the most striking features about her were the wings that were half folded behind her, and the length of the claws on both her hands and feet, the latter of which resembled talons of a bird. Along her right thigh was a deep gash, where dark amber-hued blood that had dried could still be seen. With the claws, however, she hardly seemed to need any direct weapon.
All of this study could be done within moments, the same amount of time that she needed for a similar study, although the curl of her lip suggested precisely what it was that was on her mind with such a study. However, as it was clear it pained her to move her one leg, she did not immediately strike out, nor did she speak, looking towards the door instead. She did not consider the other a threat, clearly, more wary of those who had captured her than her fellow captive. How to escape? This was a different kind of cage, one more suited to her own heritage, but she was weak. Could she actually draw on her power when she could wear herself out battling two imbecile guards?
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Post by Kelathi on Sept 8, 2015 22:18:13 GMT
Hearing raised voices, his canine-like ears had perked curiously. Their delightful human company had rolled to a stop a while ago, but as of yet had failed to provide water to their cargo. They were not usually so lax, the creatures may be their prisoners, but it was important to keep them alive, at least it had seemed so until now. Something must be up. The elevated voices only served to confirm this, and his superior sense of hearing allowed him to catch their words, despite his view being temporarily blocked by the other carriages, with their sorry looking inmates.
Soon after, he had seen the frenzy as it unraveled, and needless to say he was far from impressed when the two men headed his way with their wriggling, furious burden… He stood up slowly, his tail flicking dangerously as he readied himself for the creature that was to be tossed in his cage. Why were they pairing them up in the first place? It didn’t seem logical, considering the creature’s temperament… An injured, caged animal? This did not bode for a calm, controlled introduction. Perhaps they were to be sold to the same person, and they needed her cage. Or perhaps she had only just been captured... Which would be worse. There was nothing like a taste of freedom to bring out the fight in an animal.
One man fiddled with the catch, and Lentau realized it was not going to be possible to make his escape at this moment. This was due to the presence of the others, who had appeared to stand around, if not to help, to watch the fiasco as it unraveled. Everyone wanted to see how successful, or not, the proceedings were going to be. A few smirks betrayed how they thought it was going to go...
And so, the blanket with its thrashing load was chucked roughly into his space, and the door was closed and secured just as the creature managed to claw herself out. His eyes remained fixed on her as she righted herself, towering high above him with him in this crouched position. His tail flicked warily, much like a pantera deciding whether to pounce or not… A quick study revealed the strangest creature he had ever seen… and she looked much better suited to forests than this vast expanse of desert. She looked at him with an expression that could only be described as contempt, and the fierce pride associated with those of his clan bristled within him. For a moment there was silence. Although he loathed to speak with so many guards around (they did not even deserve his words!) if he could avoid a physical confrontation, this whole situation might be easier on both of them.
“What the hell are you?”
Perhaps not the best way to start a conversation when the aim was to avoid a confrontation…
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Sept 20, 2015 2:07:06 GMT
By the time her cage-mate spoke, she had turned her back on him, seeking a weakness in the cage with the same passion as one who had only just been caught. One of the folded wings on her back twitched at his voice, the sharp gaze flicking over out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze remained focused even as she turned, a predatory look that seemed ready to attack. Passion does not always equal strength, however, so she didn’t immediately attack. Settling down while protecting her leg, the dryad crouched as she repeated her study, lip curled again.
“A higher being than you, mutt.”
The growl was dripping with contempt, as much disdain for him as she had for her captors. Her attention quickly returned to the cage, scratching at the bars. Like the other had discerned, it would take a knife to get through, as her claws only scratched the surface, perfect for getting a hold but not much help in demolishing the material. With a hiss and a final scratch that left teasing traces of her effort, she half fell back, a hand going to her leg. Proud and stubborn, despite her weariness, as she continued to study the walls, rather pointedly attempting to ignore the other in the cage.
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Post by Kelathi on Sept 30, 2015 21:09:15 GMT
The men had begun to disperse by now, far from worried that their captive creatures would be able to gnaw their way out. He felt himself prickle at her words, unbridled fury written across his face, despite the fact that he had no idea what a mutt was... He was sure it was meant to be an insult. There was nothing quite like pinched pride! But her attention was directed elsewhere.
He watched her exploring quickly, trying the bindings briefly as he had. Through this, he simply watched her warily, tail still flicking. To show her back indicated she did not want, or expect, a fight. But judging by her wound, she was not opposed to doing what she must, either. Still, his words poured forth.
“Evidentially not that high, to be trapped as you have been.” He had growled in reply.
He didn’t particularly want a fight, but he did not trust this creature. Or like it, at the moment. So as she settled down, he did too, but slowly, tensely. His piercing yellow eyes had yet to leave her all this time. “I’ve never seen anything like you.” His words were almost accusatory. “Where did they get you?”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Sept 30, 2015 21:44:50 GMT
Her cage-mate was not helping her temper. She nearly lashed out at him at his growl, not needing to assume that it was an insult. She restrained herself from striking him, instead marking the bars. Finally, as she settled down, her eyes went back to the other, still fiercely disgusted.
“I was not captured! I was betrayed, by them,” she hissed, once more lashing out at the bars. “They offered to help those of my people who had escaped, but imprisoned them instead!” Flatly, she ignored his questions about where she was from. A touchy subject, if her attitude so far was any indication. While he was at least a little curious about her, she clearly had no interest in him. It wasn't quite as clear that she had every confidence that she wouldn't be near him long enough to make it necessary anyway.
“When I finally get out of this prison, I shall kill any that I come across. All of their kind...” she added with a frighteningly gleeful hiss as she bared her teeth, curling the claws of one hand as she imagined the revenge. And carnage.
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Post by Kelathi on Oct 26, 2015 19:44:25 GMT
At her strike at the bars, his eyes merely narrowed, seeing it as a challenge, a display of strength meant to rile him. Common sense was telling him to stop goading her, but pride is a dangerous thing, and it was telling him different… it was telling him to match her strength, show that he was not afraid, and prove that he was a force to be reckoned with!
…He forced himself to calm down, his nostrils flaring with the effort to control his breathing. One of them needed to be level-headed in this situation. He recalled the words of his grandmother, then. “Conflict does not solve problems of differences, it merely clouds the mind and leaves the perpetrators drained of strength and with more to say than before.” And so he calmed himself, until his tail became still, with only the tip occasionally offering a lazy flick. Her words did not do much to instill any pity in him, too concerned for his own skin to worry about hers, or that of her people.
Her last statement, however, caused him to shake his head. Blind fury would not be their salvation here. He needed to harness his Arlei blood, rein it in and instead look towards the wisdom of Melei. Calmly, she thought through issues to look for a solution. So, he did the same.
He took in their surroundings. Most of the men had left now, the lack of bloodshed within the cage disinteresting them enough to make them return to their usual duties. Only one man sat outside the cage, one guard, but others would soon join him should anything occur that caused alarm. The obvious option would be to wait for nightfall, where there were fewer men active, as the others lay their heads for rest. But to do what? It was clear that the bars were too strong.
Strength…
Strength!
Of course! All he needed was a garabug. The insect was a night dweller, by day it hid in the cool sand, safe from the sun. For should it be caught in daylight, it would die, drying immediately to form a hard, almost impenetrable shell. Almost. The Roweyan people have found that there is a trick to splitting open the shell, and therefore gaining access to the precious substance inside. For although the shell hardens, the blood continues to run in the bug’s now stone-veins, blood that not only nourishes the drinker, but also allows a temporarily boost in strength…
In Roweyan culture, decades ago only the fiercest warriors would be given these bugs before they engaged in battle, for they were rare and difficult to find. Nowadays, although the great strength of these creatures was often recalled in folksong, they were no longer sought out, his people having lived in peace for years.
But humans, in their un-ending folly, have come across these hardened shells and adapted them as jewellery. Jewellery, of all things! - They were prized amongst humans for the silvery-sheen of their design. But their ignorance may be his salvation, this time.
He sat up a little, and began scouring the people he could see from here. How would he actually obtain a garabug from one of the men if he did see one? Well, that was something he would have to figure out later. Even if he did not manage to find one, it would keep his mind occupied for now.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Oct 29, 2015 23:10:34 GMT
“What are you up to?”
It had been a while since the strange creature had made any noise, or make any attempts to escape or demonstrate her power. She had stilled, almost as her cellmate had, closing her eyes. Clearly, she still didn’t see the other as a threat. But it betrayed a growing weakness; she hadn’t had water for some time. The withered flowers in her leafy hair was only the first sign. If she went much longer without water, she would dry out and become as lifeless as firewood.
Despite not fearing her companion, she was no less suspicious of him. “It,” as she referred to the being. It was being very quiet. It was forcing itself to remain still. This sparked her predatory instincts.
This was why, despite being barely noticeable, she twitched when it moved; it was looking for something. The resulting question was accusing in tone, more than willing to mistrust anything he was planning. Yet her voice was soft, enough to show she didn’t want anyone else hearing her question. The thing may be planning something, but it might be of benefit to her in turn.
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Post by Kelathi on Nov 20, 2015 2:28:19 GMT
He did not reply straight away, but he did glance at her fleetingly. If she was observant, she might have seen in that split second the flash of distrust, whilst the cogs in his mind spun as he mused on what he should answer with. Why should he involve her in his plan? The damned creature could rot here, for all he cared!
But he knew that wasn’t what he really thought. It was just his pricked pride that claimed them as enemies. Internally, his Arlei blood battled with his grandmother’s teachings. It bubbled silently within for a moment, until finally, he did reply. But his answer was joined with a noticeable slump of his shoulders, and a scowl on his face as he turned away from the bars, and appeared to stop searching. He could not see from here what he was looking for. Perhaps his plan would be of no use.
“I was searching for something, but it doesn’t matter.” He grumbled. He did not like the feeling of defeat settling within. For three days he had fought tooth and nail, literally. Now it seemed he was truly running out of options, and it was not in his nature to go dissatisfied.
He crossed his arms, leaning back against the cage bars. It was not that he was accepting defeat, but there was little he could do when not all the men were visible.
There was one last trick he could pull, that might attract a garabug if one were nearby, but they tended to shy away from disturbances, and the gathering of men with all their rickety cages would definitely be perceived as such. For this, he would have to wait for nightfall.
So he settled back, and closed his eyes.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Dec 4, 2015 4:21:55 GMT
An irritated rustle of her drying wings revealed that indeed she had seen the flash in the other’s eyes, another indicating her reaction to his reply. The second flutter was accompanied by a huff, as if knowing that any idea of his would have to be futile. She turned away as he stilled, growing quiet herself.
As time marched on and the heat continued to rise from the desert sands and predominantly abandoned streets, the temperature rose as the humidity dropped. The strange creature had taken to what seemed like a form of meditation, having completely stilled as if she were indeed a plant. By the time the sun was beginning to touch the edge of the western sky, the heat had intensified to its greatest degree.
The golden eyes slid open at long last, brightening as if waking from slumber. She began to move, but the dried sap against her leg was more telling of her condition. The heat by now had begun to turn the flowers of her hair brown, her movements beginning to stiffen. When she went to move, however, she half fell with an inward hiss, drawing the injured leg in. While she would never even dream that the other could possibly be right about anything, the wisdom he had learned had been correct: she hadn’t been conserving much of her energy, and she was beginning to pay the price for it.
(time skip to help move things along :D)
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 17, 2016 22:52:51 GMT
Meanwhile, the other inhabitant of the cage had also entered a state of torpor, dozing under the sun. Behind his eyelids moments of his life played out, vivid and alive. At first they were gentle thoughts… Walking in a field of bright red berries, her laughter echoing in his ear and the warm summer air on his skin… but they began to speed up steadily, memories became painted in an overwhelming riot of colour, of sharp edges, lines in the skin and the heavy scent of blood...
His eyes opened suddenly, and his entire body tensed as he was shocked awake. The image faded, slowly, and as it did he forced his muscles to relax once more. Just as he was settling down again, he became rigid, his chest barely rising as he paused. Then with a sudden burst of energy, he leapt across the cage, crashing into the bars on the other side, his arms outstretched as he tried to grasp at something far down on the ground, only gaining sand for his efforts, running through his fingers like water.
"Hey!" The guard who had been daydreaming in the sun rose abruptly, disturbed by the explosion of movement. Sweat glistened on his ill-tempered brow, and he regarded the creatures angrily, clutching the hilt of his sword tightly. But Lentau seemed temporarily oblivious to his audience, even the creature he had been caged with. He was now grasping the bars, but they were not the object of his attention. His yellow eyes flitted across the sand, his pupils dilated as he searched, his tail whipping behind him. Praise Melei above! If he had thought the gods had abandoned him, there was no doubt now that he was wrong. He had been sent a sign!
The guard did not like being ignored. He took it upon himself to not only to guard the prisoners... But also, he felt the need to make sure the beasts knew their place. Behind an unsuspecting Lentau, he reached his hand into the cage, grasping the creature’s tail in his meaty hand. In one movement he wrenched back, pulling and dragging the creature with him. A string of curses left Lentau's mouth from both the action, and the slam of his back into the bars as a result. Pain reverberated up his spine but he reacted quickly, planting his hands on the floor, his knees down and tensing his tail, in one heave pulling back towards himself with just his tail. The guard, momentarily surprised by the strength of the limb was edged forward... Which was just enough for Lentau to strike out between the bars with his elongated foot, and issue a powerful kick to the man's chest. The man flew backward, losing his grip, and cried out as he hit the ground, winded and gasping in pain. A smile tweaked on Lentau's lips, his eyes narrowing. His blood sang in his veins, igniting his pores with excitement. He leapt up, turning, and grabbed the bars, issuing a frightful and taunting snarl towards the guard, his eyes flashing wildly.
((I can write more if this is difficult to reply to ))
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 18, 2016 3:02:11 GMT
The strange flora creature’s attitude altered tremendously after the attack.
Initially, she had twisted out of the way, ready to strike out when, slowed by her injury, she saw the other was after the sand. Not after her, so not an immediate threat. However, what happened next changed things. The human – filthy creature – had dragged the other by its tail, but had used the posture to kick out at the guard. Its following snarl showed a willingness to fight, and particularly humans.
This was why, despite having had her reservations about it – him – the dryad slid up beside her cage mate, adding her own edge to any repercussions attempted by the guard.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my… well, worth at least keeping around for a while.
(I'll let you take it from here with the guard's reaction ^_^)
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 18, 2016 15:03:09 GMT
For his fellow inmate to join in was the best thing she could have done at that moment, for she might buy him some time. He let her get on with it, turning and searching with flitting yellow eyes the sand surrounding the cage. Meanwhile, two more guards had appeared. "What is going on here?" The first asked, as the second heaved his injured companion up, whom replied between gasps. "The... mongrel... kicked me... the little..." A few curses followed. One guard began to laugh at his comrade's state, but the first looked less than pleased as he turned towards the cage. "I see you two are in need of a lesson in manners."
There! Lentau dove again, sweeping his hand out of the cage, sending only sand flying again. Curse Lochlao! he thought, returning to all fours, his present company forgotten once again. The guard approached the cage slowly, the way he held himself suggested he was of higher rank than the other two. "Something's sending it scatty." He commented grimly. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, then seemed to think better of it, and grasped the long stick that had been leaning against the first guard's chair, and pointing it at Lentau. "Hey you! Settle down now, or you'll have me to answer to!" Again, he was ignored, the object of Lentau's attention far too important. The commander did not like this. With a growl, he stalked straight towards the cage. "I said..."
Lentau swept at the floor again, and this time... he was victorious.
He stood up slowly. His tail had stilled.
"Turn around!" the guard barked. This time, the creature did as he was told... a small object could be seen in his hand, it looked like a rock. The creature was staring at the officer in an unnerving way. He stroked the thing, twisted it, but then instead of throwing it towards the commander, he lifted it to his lips. "What in the name of the maker are you do..." The guard thrashed out with the stick, meaning to jab the inmate in the ribs, but Lentau's hand shot out, grabbing the stick and stilling it. The commander growled, and tried to haul back... and found he could not. The creature's grip remained unmoving as he continued to drink from the strange object, then when he was done, he let his hand fall to his side, crushing the rock-like thing and letting it slip between his fingers just like the sand had moments before.
Oh... they are in trouble now.
He felt it bubble in his veins, running through the entirety of his body with small electric shocks. But it was not like the Farafei, this was an altogether almost pleasant feeling. Warmth enveloped him. Then all at once, his heard began to beat wildly, and his pupils narrowed so much they were hardly visible, leaving two disks of unnerving yellow staring at the commander. "What th..." the sentence was not finished, for suddenly, the creature pulled forward, yanking the stick from the man's grip, and shoving it forwards with such force that when it hit the man's armoured chest, the man shot backwards a few feet, a large dent in the metal. The next few moments were a blur. He dropped the stick and grabbed at the bars of the cage, tearing the reinforced vines apart easily, leaping out and landing on all fours, tail whipping. Chaos ensure as he took down another man, attacking only those whom moved to attack him, grabbing wrists that held swords and snapping them, discarding of the swords by simply whipping them out of the way with his tail. More guards appeared, drawn by the screams of their fellow men, and meanwhile a chorus of howls and shouts had rippled up from the other cages, as they fought with renewed energy, bashing against the bars of their prison.
The strength would not last long, he knew this. He needed to make better use of his time. Therefore, he tore away from the fight, baring his claws, and began to destroy the cages, pulling them apart and letting the inmates free. The guards chased after him frantically, but he was too quick, twisting away from their swords, leaping great heights in his evasion.
Before all the inmates were free... he could feel the strength waning. Most of the creatures had scattered, and there was a low buzz in the air as wings as delicate beings flitted wildly, a pounding on the ground as great beasts tore free. Some stayed to fight, drawn on by adrenalin, fear... and anger at their captives. As Lentau spun, his strong tail barrelling into yet another guard and incapacitating him, he caught a glimpse of his former inmate. She was doing well, quite a few guards lay on the ground at her feet, either groaning quietly or making no sound at all. But he could see she was waning. Whatever that strange lethargy had been that had turned the tips of her leaves grey seemed to be affecting her fight. He tore across the expanse towards her, running over cage after cage, until he leapt high... and brought down the guard behind her, whom had been about to issue his finishing blow. "We have to go." Lentau had growled, the pupils of his eyes visible again. "Now." he pressed.
((Hope the controllage is ok! Let me know if you want me to change ))
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 18, 2016 16:38:33 GMT
Their actions almost seemed in sync; as her companion dove for the sand again, rather than merely watching, she placed herself between the guards and he, knowing that something was happening and she wished to be in the thick of it. One stick returned shorter after being jabbed in to make her move, growling as she continued to protect her cage mate. Even so, she kept him in the corner of her eye, should he decide to try anything on her as well. This was how she saw him drinking from what appeared to be a rock, the sudden explosion of strength, and the destruction of the cage side.
Now, it was her turn.
It was as if she too had taken something, as her strength surged one last time as she launched out, the guards used to seeing her trapped within a cage. Now, her long limbs and form lifted her head several inches higher than even their tallest, claws coming to bear against wood, metal and skin. Alone, this took out several guards, including one who had initially gone after her cage mate. Then, she encountered a human with a spear. It became hers with one well-placed kick, and took down any that came near. The spear was used as much like a staff as a spear, with twists and hits, slashes and stabs, all well placed, all strong. One man fell with a particularly vicious strike, since the leather bag hanging off of his belt had been hit. Once he was down, she was on him, but rather than clawing his still face into oblivion she went for the bag. The water that dripped from it as it was raised was nothing to what splashed over her face as she drank greedily, far too focused on the water to even realize that another guard was coming up behind her.
It was his cry of agony that made her turn, seeing her little cell mate turning to her after having… saved her. The irritation of this realization flashed only momentarily in her eyes, hearing him growl that they had to leave. “Water! I must have water!” she hissed back, shaking the mostly empty water cask at him. Rather than being an order, however, there was enough of a desperate look to her eyes to show that she meant this quite literally. She moved to attack other bodies, swiping three similar bags of water before moving to join the other, but now her strength showed to be waning. Her pace was slower, the injury in her leg reopened and so causing her limp. The fight had been impressive, but it had drained the last of her strength. Her resilience remained impressive, as she kept fighting to move forward, and keep up with her strange new companion.
(nah works perfectly :D besides, gives a reason for Sy'reen to get her mits on some water :) )
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Post by Kelathi on Nov 2, 2016 15:38:16 GMT
He did not openly question her about her outburst, although he could not deny that he was frustrated that they could not leave straight away. His newfound strength was all but gone, and he was anxious to move on lest they be captured again. He considered leaving her, after all, what was she to him? But his sense of honour would not allow him to abandon the one he had seen had protected him as he had searched for the garabug. She had had no reason too, could not have been aware of what he had planned to do. For all her temper... She was not... Bad, as such. She was just a caged animal, as he had been.
So he stayed, grabbing some of the water bags she seemed so intent on saving, before they finally made a break for it. The moon was high in the sky by the time they begun to slow, and now they could only hear the soft crunch of sand beneath their feet as they made their way through the desert. As the evening drove on, the air became unreasonably cold, for the desert is a place of extremes. But he knew that during the day they would need to find shelter, for the heat would take them faster than any creature the desert harboured. He did not voice these worries, however, content for the moment to travel in silence, musing on his predicament. There were other problems. For one, he could not tell in which direction they were walking. His people had not learned to tell direction from the stars, only from the position of the sun in the sky. He could not go North, that would take him back to his homeland... Which would mean certain death should he step foot back on Roweyan land. Exile had been his punishment, and if he should choose to return... Only death would reward him for the effort.
They needed a cave. They needed a fire. Then, in the daytime, they would need a plan.
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