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 Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:59 am
Briella sat at the edge of her home, her eyes looking all around her. It was a nice tree that Maya had found for them, much better then the one they had been living in before. She still didn't understand why some of her sisters chose to stay behind, but it was something she didn't think she would ever really have an answer for. Sighing she ran her hand through her hair wondering what her older sisters were doing. It wasn’t easy being the youngest of the group sometimes, but other times it was nice. She had both Maya and Dyakida to look up too. Plus the Elder Kishku and Niebet. She wasn’t as close to the two of them, but she knew that they would help her if she ever needed it. Plus Kishku was getting older and Briella didn’t really agree with her thoughts on the Earthlings. Sure they weren’t her kind, but they weren’t as bad as the elder thought.
Standing up she looked around twisting her antennae around her finger. “Maya?” she asked looking around. She was bored and maybe the two of them could go exploring together. Since coming to the new tree the two of them hadn’t spent much time together like they use to. Walking around their home tree she looked until she finally spotted here sister. The smile spread across her face. “Hey Maya want to go explore some today? It’s a good day. I think.” She said as she got closer to her sister. She was excited to spend time with Maya. She put her hand on Maya's wrist, "We could even go swimming if you'd like?" she offered. She knew that Maya loved to swim, and to be honest it was something that she enjoyed as well.
Looking around she wondered where her other favorite sister, Dyakida, was. "We should find Dyakida and see if she wants to come with us as well."
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:21 pm
Dyakida rested in one of the home Tree's branches after a long day of practicing making spear heads. She was in a good mood: Maya had returned not too long ago, and it was good to have another level head in the tree. Niebet's... attitude... had been grating on Dyakida's nerves for a while now and she knew it would only get worse.
She enjoyed the feel of the wind, feeling it's currents with her antennae. Words reached her keen ears and she heard her name. The rest was lost in jahuar's symphony- it was a noisy place, which gave it a sonic landscape of a sorts, as vibrant as it's visual glory.
“Briella?” she called, rising a bit from the branch, feeling carefully for the small bump on this branch that would lead her to paths she had memorized, in case she was needed quickly and had to travel to the gorund. It had been her youngest sister's voice, “Did you need me?”
She liked to feel that she was needed.
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:02 pm
Strange rumblings in the tree had woken Maya up, though she had expected to to be earlier in the morning than it was. A small egg rested on the carved out dresser along with a few other materials. Rising from the leaf hammock, she carefully stroked egg shell lovingly before looking over to the curled up bundle of fur in the far corner by the door. Pacju had been healing nicely, his head popping up to great Maya a she moved towards the Radaku. Nudging her hand as the warm flesh stroked her head, neck and back. Tail flicking joyfully Pacju rose to her feet and the pair wandered through the tree.
Maya's room was just below Neibet, her older sisters room and above that lay the elders room. Below were both Briella and Dyakida's room along with the storage room for their equipment and food. The Alkidike wasn't to hungry this morning, didn't help that she had woken early, pulling her hair back in its usual clip behind her head Maya shook her head to let the dreads wave about. They were getting quite long these days. Sensing movement in the higher branches Maya checked the empty rooms as she passed. Dya would probably be out and about before her usual morning check. This was bad, perhaps she had left with Briella?
Wiggling her way out of the tree through the roots as was the only true entrance into the tree. Maya glanced about, Briella was no where in sight. The sound of Dya's voice reaching her ears forced the new blade to pause and look up. There was Dya, perhap's she too had been looking for Briella? Cupping one hand around her mouth she yelled up at her blind sister. "She's not here but we can go find her if you want!"
Pausing to see if Dyakida would follow Maya shrugged. Her sister was good at following her as long as she didn't go to fast, her brain worked better than her sisters. Pacing her steps with Pacju the companions ventured into the forest a bit but wasn't surprised to find Briella so close to home tree. Her answer to her name was a simple nod as she glanced back to see if Dya had joined them.
"I think swimming would be a great idea today." She smiled turning her head back to Briella. "Dya I think will be joining us."
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:43 pm
Briella smiled at her two favorite sisters. When Maya agreed to go swimming she smiled and clapped her hands together happily. At seeing Dyakida her smile grew even wider. Dya wouldn’t be able to see her smile, but she hoped that her sister would be able to feel it. “Yes, I was wondering if the three of us could go on an adventure together like the old days. We are going to go swimming!” she said as she moved to put her arm within Dya’s. She would be her sister’s eyes, and honestly she just liked being that close to her sisters. She also liked being helpful. Sometimes she felt like they would be fine without her.
“Well Maya you lead the way! You always know the best spots.” she said smiling as she looked over at Pacju. She always wanted a companion of her own but she hadn’t been lucky enough to find one of her own. Sighing she looked over at Dya. “How has your morning been Dya? Do anything exciting?” she asked tilting her head slightly. She had checked earlier and noticed that Maya was sleeping, however Dyakida wasn’t in her room when she looked. She had guessed that Dya was making weapons, which she admired. Although she was good with the dual blades but making weapons that Briella had tried and never been able to do. Not even something simple. Sure Dya would never be a warrior like most of them, but she did something that in Briella’s mind was even more important. After all what good were warriors without weapons?
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 4:41 pm
Dyakida smiled towards Briella. She was fortunate to have two wonderful sisters. She could hear the smile in bri's voice, a welcome note of genuine positivity.
“Exciting? Not especially.” She took the arm gratefully, “Just practicing.”.
“That sounds like its about to change, though. An adventure? Swimming?”
She hadn't gone swimming in a very long time, not since her accident. She had enjoyed it, she remembered. It was an opportunity to play and relax. And, in addition, it made the body clean and eased the mind. She hadn't realized how much she had missed it.
“I think this is a wonderful idea, Bri. I'm looking forward to it.”
Old memories of swimming and playing. Adventuring and learning. Well, her sisters had done more learning than her, and that was her fault... But there were many lessons she had learned along with them.
She hadn't realized how much she missed it.
“And on the way, Maya can tell us something about her recent adventure.” she said, slightly mischeivious.
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 10:14 pm
Maya wasn't surprised her sister's looked to her to lead them. Even Neibet looked to her, as if despite her age Maya was still the better leader. Then again she had been working hard to protect her sisters and find them the best place to live she could. Maybe it was due to the way she watched over them naturally this part of the bond to work. "We could always head downstream a bit. Shifters seem to be taking over my favorite place. Somehow. I don't feel like getting in a fight with any of them." Turning she paced off into the forest with Pacju prancing ahead of her then pausing to wait till they caught up to continue on ahead.
The mention of telling more of her stories and adventures in Zena sent a rapid shiver down her spine. Maya hated Sauti and Zena wasn't much better, with the cold air nipping constantly on her skin. She tapped the trinket around her neck thoughtfully, there was at least one good thing about Sauti. She had met Yansa face to face and had been elevated to the status of a blade. As the two girls drifted into chatter behind her Maya lead them through a spiraling path towards the water. Though it twisted and turned there was less chance for something to jut out of the forest floor like roots or stones that would trip up Dya in case Briella wasn't paying close attention to where they were walking.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:20 am
“Well practice is what makes perfect I guess.” Briella said nodding. She didn’t really think Dyakida needed much practice, but she agreed that the more practice anyone got the better they would be. “Yes, a swimming adventure!” she said excitedly with a laugh. As they walked she was careful where to step, Maya was doing a good job at leading them down a path that would be easy for Dyakida to walk on, but every once in a while Briella would have to move Dyakida a step or two to the side to help her out. Although she was sorry that Dyakida had lost her sight she was happy because it made her useful when going to places where they hadn’t been before.
When Dyakida mentioned that Maya could tell them about her recent adventure Briella’s face got brighter. She had never been on any adventures herself; she hadn’t even really been that close to an Earthling before. However Maya had done it all and seen it all! It was something she admired about her sister. When Maya didn’t start telling a story right away Briella felt it was her job to push her a little. “Yeah Maya! Tell us about something that happened.” she pleaded. She thought about Maya saying there were often Shifters in her favorite spot and secretly Briella wondered if maybe she could sneak close to them just to get a better view. However she wasn’t sure if that would be a good idea… She would have to think about it more later.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:10 pm
Dyakida wouldn't mind a trip up or two. It let her learn how to put her feet in the right place. On her own.
“Nobody can be perfect, Bri. But we can all try.”
She didn't want to be a burden to her sisters, but...
She had to admit. This was nice, going to the river together.
Of course, she had never used this path before. It twisted and turned, frustrating her sense of direction. She would need their help to return home from this path.
She did frown at the mention of shifters... but the words 'is it safe' caught in her throat. Maya was a blade now. A warrior. Safety was not something that a... weakling... such as herself should complain about.
“You did not tell us very much at all when you returned.” said Dyakida, a small smile on her face, slightly sly.
“Now, and as we swim, would be the perfect time to tell us of your adventures.”
She heard water running over stones.
“Ah, are we close?” She was still figuring out a sense of distance.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:00 pm
"I would disagree, we all know Aisha is perfect. Why else would she choose to bring us into the world?" Maya saw both their mother and their Deity as the perfect creature in existence. There was no way they were going to be able to meet or surpass her perfection. Taking a bit more of a snaking path through the tree's Maya silently motioned to Briella to watch out for the lower hanging branches. In the past year Maya had collided head first into the branches without seeing and it had knocked her back off her feet as quickly as she had connected with it. The place stung not long after. She didn't wish for the branches to be missed by the other two.
Finally reaching a small clearing with the lake on the other side a smile pressed the corners of Maya's lips wider. Turning back to her sisters as they spoke more about the journey the Alkidike took in a deep breath before letting it out. "Yes we are here now. The current isn't too strong here. You would be able to swim without us holding onto you." Maya knew independence was something important to Dyakida so she did her best to find ways to help give her that without endangering her.
"The trip was really long, the ending was cold. There was a dragon we had to fight." She said as a side comment walking confidently toward the water.
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 8:21 am
Briella listened to the two of them talk, being very careful of ever step she took. It would be one thing to embarrass herself in front of her sisters and fall, but it would be even worse if she caused Dyakida to fall as well. While the two of them talked about perfection she just nodded. Maya was right, Aisha was perfect. But she wasn’t really a person like Briella, Maya and Dyakida were. She was just pure perfection. “Aisha is the one exception to the no one is perfect rule, but everyone knows that.” she said smiling. If someone didn’t agree that their mother was perfect she knew many of their kind that would argue she was.
When Maya motioned to her to watch for the lower branches she nodded. Navigating was hard, and even harder when you were leading someone else, but so far she had done a pretty good job at it.
When they came across the lake Briella smiled. It was so beautiful! She was happy that both her sisters agreed to come with her on this mini adventure. It wasn’t often that all three of them were free at the same time. When Maya said the current wasn’t too strong she nodded and lead Dyakida to put her feet in the water. It was so refreshing. When she head Maya talk about a dragon her eyes got wide. She had never heard about that part! “You fought a dragon!” she said in awe.
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 1:40 pm
Dyakida was of the opinion that Aisha was imperfect. That was why she gave birth to them, so they could do what she could not.
If Aisha was perfect, then that would be a sad existance. Perfection was something you worked towards and never achieved. The working towards it was life, living itself. It would be sad to have nothing to work towards.
If Aisha were perfect, the Alkidikes would be perfect. They wouldnt have to work towards anything. They would be unable to truly live.
It would be Cruel.
Yet, the Alkidikes were imperfect, and Aisha was not a melancholy being, but a tree of life that brought joy to her children. Thus, Aisha was perfectly imperfect, and Dyakida would have it no other way.
She did not say as much. This was an opinion too intricate and bizzare for her sisters to appreciate, something she had thought long and hard on in the dark days before she found purpose.
A weak current... for a moment, her face creased. She was blind, not physically unable! Did they think she couldn't handle a current?! She who had once ventured out into the lagoon of the Chibale Isles just to show it was possible?!
She forced it back down, putting up her mask of serenity. She had gotten so much practice calming herself externally even as she roiled with frustration inside. So much as of late. Her small smile returned.
“Cold?” she asked, feeling her feet being guided to the cool water. She could tell it was there. Could feel the soft mud before the river itself, could hear the water running, could feel the vibrations it made even as it sang its song of currents. It was the coolest thing she knew of. It was difficult to comprehend cooler.
“Colder than a deep lake at night?” She asked, racking her brains to find the absolute coolest thing she knew of. It was one of those few memories that was not painful. Night fishing in a lake in the night. The silvery fish darting just out of reach... She pushed that memory aside and dipped her feet deeper in the water, wiggling them about, enjoying how it felt. Water and mud had a... unique feel on her feet. They were soft, and yet there. So unlike the dirt and mast of the Jahuar floor.
Her eyebrows shot up.
“A dragon? Do tell!” Amazing!
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:40 pm
Pausing to detach the satchel on her waist and leave it on the shore, Maya felt the ground below her feet. It felt muddy and yet it wasn't squishy or slimy like mud often was around water, but in fact had a mild sandy texture to it. Pleasant enough she enjoyed walking on it time after time each morning. It was very rare she and her sisters enjoyed a morning swim together, it was usually her Radaku alone that accompanied Maya to swim. "Yeah cold, even the deep lake a night would feel like a toasty fire compared to the cold of Zena. People there were fur thicker than Pacju's."
Stripping her quiver and bow from her body Maya searched for the perfect rock to sit on and placed her feet into the water no deeper than her ankles. She needed to free her hair from their clip behind her head before she even dared enter the water. Otherwise her hair became a tangled mess and it was painful to unravel.
"Well I think it was a dragon! No one really knows what to call it. I've heard rumor it was a creature from ancient times. Remember that purple scale I showed you? It came from that beast." Finally having her hair free Maya dipped her hand into the water and cupping a small amount ran it along the hair thin scar on her leg.
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Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:45 am
After letting go of Dyakida she took off her bag and laid it by the side of the lake, listening to her sisters talking attentively. She listened as if they would never speak to her again. When Dyakida asked if it was colder then a deep lake at night Briella waited for Maya’s answer and when she said that it was much colder then that she gasped. She couldn’t even imagine something that cold. And the thought of people wearing fur was also odd to her. In Jahaur even the Earthlings didn’t wear much clothing. It was just too hot and humid for that. She couldn’t imagine having fur covering her. She would die of heat surely.
“Did you have to wear fur while you were there?” Briella asked as she went back to the waters edge. All these adventures made Briella want to have ones of her own, however the talk of dragons wasn’t something that Briella was ready for. Watching Maya undo her hair she moved more into the water then her sister, letting the water touch her thighs. Smiling she closed her eyes. It was all so peaceful, being in the water and with her sisters. She felt safe and at peace. When Maya said everyone didn’t know what to call the monster she opened her eyes and nodded. She remembered the purple scale and although she had never seen a dragon before she agreed that it looked like a dragon scale. “Were you and the others afraid?” she couldn’t really imagine Maya scared, but if she was face to face with a dragon she had to be at least a little scared!
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:23 pm
“Do you mean the rough, somewhat bubbly rock-like object you passed around when you returned?”
Dyakida asked, turning to her sister's voice before kneeling down and dipping her hand in the water, moving a bit. Now that she payed attention... she could feel the complicated flow of the water. It was a wonderful, relaxing feeling. Cool too.
“It felt too large for a scale. Hard too, like solid crystal or stone...” her brow furrowed.
“But you say it was a scale. The... dragon must have been difficult to injure!”
She stood and stepped deeper into the water.
The water was cool, but if what Maya had said was true (and Dyakida had no reason to doubt her sisters word, only her memory on occasion) then Zena was colder still. And its waters would be even colder than it's land. It was difficult to comprehend. Colder than cold? When water was heated it became steam- wet, scalding, humid... What happened when it became cold? That colder than cold kind of cold?
She carefully lowered herself onto her belly, lying in the water, her torso curved up and supported by folded arms, letting the water flow over her back. She tilted her head in Maya's direction.
“How did you defeat it?” she asked, trying to bring the conversation back to the exciting battle, though she smiled at Briella's question. She, too, wanted to ask about Zena, but Maya needed a bit more coaxing to talk about it.
She hoped that Maya would describe the battle vividly. It must have been quite a thing to see. And hear. And experience... if that object Maya had passed around was any indication.
“Where did you find the dragon? I doubt it was just wandering around like a Nondwa? Or was it?”
If something with scales like that rocky protrusion that Maya had shown them over dinner was simply... wandering about, she would feel sorry for the Earthlings in its path. Or anybody.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:45 pm
Maya nudged the rock with her hands, pushing her body into the water pleased when it rose half way up her stomach. "Yes I would suppose you would have to wear fur there like the earthlings do in order to survive. I bet it would be good protection against the horrible bite the air has." Lifting her butt and scooting forward Maya pulled her knees up to her chest and dug her toes into the sandy mud. Her antenna flicking when Maya had been assumed to have 'passed' the object around she hadn't really done so, not really. She had shown it to Dy in a way as texture, not to brag. Briella on the other hand, she was bragging a little. She wanted to show the youngest Alkidike there were terrifying things out there and she had been strong enough to slay it.
"W-well I hadn't really passed it around to say Dy but, I did show you and Briella. I haven't really shown Elder or Neibet yet. It might hurt Neibets pride that she didn't go and I was the one to help kill the beast." She paused giggling to quickly pull her feet out of the sand and one out of the water. Small fish had been tickling her feet, and they were ticklish!
Turning her head to Briella Maya sucked in her breath to push her chest out. "Nope I wasn't scared one bit." A lie, she had been fairly scared. Both of the beast and for her friend Shukri's safety. Maya was a warrior though and showing weakness to the younger sisters was something frowned upon they were supposed to be fearless and strong! "We found it in the mountain just before we reached Zena." Pausing to turn her head to Dyakida she continued. "Though, it probably wouldn't have needed to die. I think we woke it up from a sleep. It was blind you know. So it tried to defend itself but we had no way out so we killed it." Her voice continued to lower as she spoke. She still felt guilty over killing the ancient beast even now.
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