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 Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 6:36 pm
Goddesses, divinity . . . blessings. He only needed the lattermost to find pleasure, if he must. The battle, the slice of blades and the dig of claws--that was what truly made him feel worth something.
But an empty gift, now that was curious. Who knew even a goddess could falter?
But if it was a heart one of the Great Ones wanted, then a heart would be delivered. Koshabi took the scissors with a nod and a dip of his wings before turning to the entrance. It was tight fitting for one his stature, but eventually he ran across a door. Three doors, really, but two did not interest him.
That red spiral. That unnerving, scratched quality of jagged marks. Red, for whatever reason blessings or not, spoke to him.
 He stepped forward without consideration.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 6:53 pm
There was muted cheering as the door closed behind him. Koshabi stepped forward, and with each foot planted the noise seemed to grow clearer. They were chanting a name: Len, Len, Len. What noise was that? What were they praising him for? He saw painted faces dance in his vision and merely frowned, his wings tucked close as he walked. They were stirring something within him, and he did not like being controlled like that.
And then the shadowed bodies overrode the feeling of nostalgia.
He stumbled and cursed in the dark, claw-like hands twitching and ready to attack the moment he felt endangered. He brushed against something in his path and thought to kick it. Bad idea. It felt solid, unlike his toes.
Thump-thump.
Ah . . . and there it was, he supposed.
His scissors flashed, deftly cutting through the material, the strings curling away with each snip, snip, snip . . .
Shikoba. Something had whispered a new name in his ear, and more images came.
He was tall as the oldest trees, skin wizened like leather, eyes like flint, wings so large the boil was sure he could touch the skies horizons with a single flap. And he was staring down with the fury of a boiling storm.
"What is this?"
"A dirk," the boil replied.
"A dirk what."
"A dirk, sir."
"Wrong." The man took his figurine--certainly not fashioned like any weapon, but a doe rather--and without warning struck it against the foal's arm. He cried out as the wood splintered and tried to move his arm away, but the man held it fast with nails that dug. A blatant lie deserved blatant punishment. "You have been ignoring your bow lessons to carve again."
The boil scowled. "I do not understand them," he complained, trying to ignore the burst of pain that made his eyes want to sting. "My fingers keep catching on the string, the arrows will not stay still--"
"Excuses." The man jerked him closer by the arm, nails digging harder now as that stern face all but jabbed him with its hawklike nose. "You will take the rest of the day to practice; I will oversee you."
"But--"
Lightning flashed in his eyes and struck--the foal felt his shield break as blood was drawn. "If you wish to become a competent fighter, let alone chieftain as you so desire, then you will swallow your insolence and learn. Your dagger is of no use if the enemy can destroy you from afar."
But what was the point of trying to become chieftain when there was already a family in place for that? Why try when Shaheen would just ridicule him again . . . Why did the man care so much that he excel in something he clearly had no apitutude for? And most of all, why disapprove of a hobby? Not everything in War had to be so practical . . .
And his resentment grew, as did his fear and respect.
Koshabi blinked the memory away; the heart was now his.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:03 pm
He was turning to leave when he heard it.
"Give it back."
Koshabi turned swiftly towards the source and saw nothing, which only irked him further. "Coward," he grumbled, now on alert; the bag was tied at his hip, leaving his hands free.
And then he was hurtled bodily into the growing liquid he had almost forgotten about.
"Give me back my--"
Koshabi struck with his elbow and stopped the figure, realizing belatedly the noise coming from its raspy throat was that of--
Father was upset again. Shik crept along in the hut, peeking into the study where he and Mother squawked at each other, as they often did in jest and sometimes did in fury. Their expression told him the latter.
"-ing him a new mentor," Father was saying, towering over his wife. "There is no place for music in a warrior. The blood will sing for him."
"The pressure will not take," she argued, wings bristling. "He is but a foal, he has time yet to understand that there is beauty in more than just conflict and violence! That to nurture his joys is as important as protecting himself! Lakota, please--" She drew a hand forward, whether to strike or to implore he did not know. "You know how easy it is to lose oneself in the battle. Don't make him forget who he is so early--"
The snarl the figure gave him was mirrored back as they struggled.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:06 pm
Father. What a loathsome little word.
Koshabi gave no thought to digging his only weapon, the scissors, into his enemy. again and again and again, the rage overtaking him as the desperation and will to live fueled his limbs and overpowered him--Father. And then, anticlimactically, he was gone.
The shadow coughed up the foul liquid and shook himself off, checking to make sure his prize was still there. What a delirious little journey this had been . . . The door was before him, though he could still imagine those hollow eyes drowning him.
Feel them still.
His steps remained measured as he moved forward, unburdened and uncaring because it was the only way to keep control of himself.
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:18 pm
The goddess of Ruin's words impacted him in a subtle way: as if hearing her say it was an eat or be eaten world made it more clear than simply knowing it himself. Of course, the goddesses always seemed to shed better light on things.
He wasn't sure he liked it.
Koshabi took the dagger with a simple nod, as the task was simple: survive.
If he couldn't do that, then he was not deserving of a blessing.
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:22 pm
He hissed when he came to at first. It was, strangely, very devoid of color in a more awful way than before. Not that color mattered to Koshabi very much before his Heart's beautiful and incomparable red, but . . . It felt off somehow. Strange. Alien.
He did not like being uncomfortable.
The mountainous shadow stalked out of the room, squinting at the exit far beyond. And the closer he reached it, the more he realized he was being followed.
Thud. Screech.
He turned his head.
Ah . . . and there was the predator.
Excellent.
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medigel rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:24 pm
What did not begin a chase well was a trip.
Koshabi cursed his own oddly sharp-nail feet as he stumbled over them. That was what he got for bothering to see who was pursuing him.
[ distance: 45 ft ]
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medigel rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:25 pm
Then he tripped again. The shadow swore as he caught himself, hating how the enemy chuckled humorlessly at his clumsiness.
[ distance: 40 ft ]
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medigel rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:26 pm
The door was right there . . . wasn't it? He hated the uncertainty beginning to creep in, the way his vision blurred--
"Strike it with your left hand."
Young Shik made a face; it was not his strongest hand, and his body felt strange twisting to accommodate for it.
"To be a truly great warrior," his father went on, a brow raised at his hesitation, "one must be able to use any part of his body as a weapon. There may come a time when you cannot summon your dagger, Shikoba. Now, strike."
Tensing, he lashed out and his nails barely skimmed the man. It was going to be a long day.
[ distance: 35 ft ]
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medigel rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:31 pm
And then not long after the odd vision came over him, it left. When he tripped.
Goddess damned-!!
[ distance: 30 ft ]
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medigel rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:32 pm
He really needed to look into some footwear, he supposed. Were there invisible bumps in this hallway??
[ distance: 25 ft ]
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medigel rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:33 pm
Whatever it was, they were conspiring to kill him. Or at least make him fall flat on his face.
He growled as his pursuer snickered, hating himself.
[ distance: 20 ft ]
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medigel rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:34 pm
"What are you doing?"
s**t. Shik scrabbled to hide his flute, but Father had always been a fast one; that was why he had become an Executioner. For a moment those dark eyes seemed to bore into him like weapons.
"I was . . ." He wold have lied, but Father could see the instrument. Wings curled protectively around himself. "Playing," he finished reluctantly.
Silence.
And then Father settled himself cross legged before his son and leaned forward, looking more tired than Shik had seen in a while.
"Well, go on then. Let me hear it."
The foal was a little too shocked by the acceptance to remember his tune for a few seconds.
"Go on, let me hear you scream," the figured hissed.
[ distance: 15 ft ]
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:38 pm
the by product of hitting quote instead of edit gee thanks
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medigel rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:39 pm
These memories were throwing him off track, and the more Koshabi became engrossed in them, the less attentive he became. He growled in frustration as he stumbled and hit the wall to stop himself from falling, panting heavily.
The screeches and thuds were too close for comfort.
[ distance: 10 ft ]
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