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 Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:15 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:34 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:47 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:51 pm
Kouchi stopped and looked up to the heavens above him. Clouds shrouded the peaks from his view and the faint cry of birds could be heard.
"Good to be home?" the apeman said as he came up beside him.
Kouchi gave a slight smile. "I know you're probably glad to see it." He looked at the peaks for only a second more before starting forwards again. Orion padded along after him in anticipation of seeing his home once more.
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:02 pm
"So where are we heading?" Orion asked as he bounded up beside Kouchi.
"You village, where else? It'd be a shame to bring you here and not let you see your family," Kouchi responded. The ground beneath their feet had changed from the dirt path to the cold snow of the mountains. They walked on in silence, save for the crunching of the snow.
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:14 pm
After what seemed like hours of walking, a small column of smoke could be seen. Soon, many columns of smoke rose up into the sky and a village came into view.
Orion grinned from ear to ear as he took off in a dash for the village. Kouchi simply smiled and shook his head.
Once Kouchi entered the village, the apemen that lived there had already surrounded Orion and were patting him on the back and hugging him. A few of them looked towards Kouchi and nodded in greeating. Kouchi smiled and nodded back as his eyes scanned those present for the one that he was looking for.
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:18 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:19 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:27 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:29 pm
Kouchi's eyes soon fell upon the face that he had been looking for; Toral, the Elder.
The old apeman nodded to him and motioned for Kouchi to follow him into his hut. Kouchi complied.
The inside of the hut was dark, but simple. It was one large room with a fire place in the center. A small mat off to the side was covered in furs and a large black pot rested above the crackling fire. A bitter smell assaulted Kouchi's nose as it drifted up from the cauldron.
Shaking off the dizzy feeling the smell was giving him, he turned to the old apeman and bowed low, showing the utmost respect.
The Elder smiled as he patted Kouchi on the shoulder fondly. "There is no need for formality with me, my boy. It is good to see you return here," he said in a kind voice. "It is even better to see that you have brought my grandson back with you. We all missed him very dearly."
Kouchi smiled at Toral with fondness. "It is good to be back and see you again, Toral."
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:41 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:43 pm
The old apeman looked at Kouchi for a long moment before speaking with a sympathetic tone. "You seem troubled. What is wrong, my boy?"
Kouchi looked up at him and attempted a small smile. "Its nothing...the trip home has just worn me out, thats all."
Toral looked at him as one would a child that had just told a lie. "Do not tell me it is nothing, for you know that I know that you are not telling me the truth. Now, what is troubling you?"
Kouchi sighed. "Really, its nothing. Its just that the weight of my quest still bears heavily upon me." He turned towards the doorway. "You should spend some time with Orion. I'm sure he missed you as much as you missed him," he said before leaving the hut and the village altogether.
The old apeman simply watched him go from the doorway of his hut. He knew that Kouchi wasn't willing to share his thoughts just yet.
Let him be alone for awhile...I'm sure the cool winds of his home will calm him down..
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:57 pm
Kouchi walked through the snow listlessly. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he truly care. His mind was elsewhere and on other things...other people.
Suddenly, his foot came into contact with a stone, buried in the snow. He gave a slight yelp of surprise as he face planted into the snow. He lay there for a moment before getting up and brushing the cold droplets of melted water from his face. It was then that he noticed where his feet had instinctively took him.
In front of him was a village....a deserted village....his village. He slowly started to move forwards again, looking around him the entire time. There wasn't a sound to be heard, save for the wind whistling through the empty doorways of the houses.
Soon, he came to the end of the village; and the start of the grave yard. Many stone crosses dotted the snow, but he knew that many more lie just beneath the surface. Those that he had buried before leaving were in unmarked graves, left to be forgotten by all but himself.
He slowly fell to his knees as he gazed at the crosses. The wind whipped small drifts of white around him and ruffled his hair.
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:36 pm
Kouchi ran back into Elder Toral's hut. He was breathing heavily from his sprint, but had a look of shere determination on his face. "Tell me where I can find the Oracle," he said to the old apeman.
Toral simply sighed. "The Oracle resides in the Shadowlands." He looked down, for he knew that nothing he said would change Kouchi's decision.
Kouchi didn't waste a single moment on goodbyes. He pivoted on his heel and left the Elder's hut in a dash, making for the edge of the village. Orion saw him and ran over to him. "We aren't leaving so soon, are we Kouchi?" he asked, worry in his voice.
"We aren't going anywhere. You're staying here. I'm going to finish this alone." he said coldly. The young apeman shook his head as he reached out and grabbed Kouchi's arm. "No, you're not. I won't let you do this alone...!!!"
Kouchi had spun the minute Orion touched his arm and slammed his fist into the apeman's face. Orion reeled backwards into the snow, his hand on his bleeding nose. He looked up at Kouchi in disbelief. Kouchi looked at him with a sad look in his eyes before turning and running away.
((Kouchi will be posting in the Shadowlands next))
Orion sat there in disbelief, holding his bloody nose. "No...he has a death wish going there alone..he needs help..." His eyes went wide as realization dawned on him. He jumped up to his feet and wiped the blood from his nose on his sleeve. He glanced back at the village once more before running as fast as he could in the direction of the forest.
((Orion will be posting in the forest next))
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Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:41 am
"Well...you can see the love in the air worse then you can see the red tinge from the egg." Damian said, gripping onto the doorframe as he looked into the kitchen with a smile. He had given no warning that he had awoken, so he did not expect for them to be expecting him. Though he had known exactly where they were. "I beleive you two should be moving on soon...together as one....instead of leavign a life ofvisiting people through shadows and teleportation. I beleive....soon....you two will find your peace of land...and should use it together, with nature and yourselves in harmony, the gardens will grow beautifully." He said with a smile. "I also beleive I will be passed on my right as elder as well. The Phoenix Jewels?" He asked, his eyes falling on Kabuki.
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