|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:25 pm
Senka grinned at the orange wolf in return. It was true. She had encountered many different views on her journey thus far. However, she still lived by the eternal fire and she doubted that anything would change that. At Kai’s words, Senka cocked her head. Her gods issued warnings, or so the tales went, but they were not so harsh as this ocean goddess seemed.
“My gods have their rules, but they are merciful,” she said. “Your goddess sounds fierce, indeed. Just what do you feed her, if everything dies and nothing grows?”
The question was one which she very much wanted answered, for she had the suspicion that the answer could hold a key to unlocking many of their secrets.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:38 pm
Kai and Kami exchanged uneasy glances and Kai, before he could be silenced again, said, "Wolves." He winced a bit as he said it. He was not proud. Wasn't this one of the things he was running away from? He carried on, wearily, "...More specifically, dull-colored wolves. Or those suffering from illness or insanity. Those not blessed by the goddess."
He lifted his eyes to meet Senka's. "I'm not proud of this. It's one of the reasons I left the pack. I believe that all wolves should be equal, regardless of their color or birthright."
Kamiya cast him a sidelong look, curious and skeptical. Was that it, really? All this time she had labored under the assumption that the prince had buckled under the weight of authority, that he had wanted to break free and visit the world -- that all of his romantic ideals were really just a cover for his rebellion -- but now she truly began to question that.
He was not quite the same spoiled prince he had been when she last had seen him. There was a tiredness to him, a world weariness, that suggested he had grown in some small but profound way.
She wondered what it said about her that she wanted to go home. That, with all she had seen, she was still more willing to return to a pack that sacrificed their own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Wolves. They sacrificed wolves. Gods, that was wrong on so many levels, though, somehow, she was not really that surprised to hear the answer. Still, she knew that she would never be visiting their territory, especially since hers was a coat that could be considered “dull.” Well, she certainly had a story, now. At least, a bit of the background to Kai’s story.
“I can certainly appreciate your reasons for leaving such a pack,” she said, “though I am not sure about equality, as such. Most wolves need the security of a pack hierarchy, though not one based on blood or fur color, of course. But I digress. What do you intend to do by returning to such a pack? Will you forget your ideals and return to their ways?”
Senka was not positive that Kai was strong-willed enough to effect real change in his pack, if that was his intention, yet at the same time, there was a certain fire in his eyes that she could recognize, a steadiness that said he just might be up to the challenge.
“Could your pack not simply move to a new territory,” she wondered, “one not ruled by the ocean?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:14 pm
"He's going because of me," Kamiya said, then, with more force than perhaps would be expected considering her hitherto cold demeanor. Somehow, it seemed imperative suddenly to defend him -- and if this wasn't an attack, she didn't know what was. "When he left, I and a number of the other slaves were sent to find him. All the others have been...lost." She ignored an inquiring look from Kai -- this was apparently news to him, too -- and went on. "They will be looking for me, and if they find me without him, I'll be punished."
Kai marveled at her for a moment, but then turned wide, frightened eyes to Senka. "No," he said, and fear flickered through them. "no, she watches. Wherever you are, she knows." He shivered. He still felt a bit foolish, but he wasn't going to risk the wrath of his goddess. "She doesn't only punish us. She also protects us. We are chosen...blessed. I just....don't think that wolves should be the ones to dictate who among us is more blessed than the others. That should be her choice and hers alone."
He laughed then, nervously. "You certainly know how to ask all the most interesting questions, Senka."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 11:20 pm
At Kamiya’s forceful answer, Senka looked speculatively at the she-wolf. My, how quickly she had leapt to his defense. Whatever else might lie between them, the orange wolf clearly felt protective of her prince. Still, slavery? Just what sort of pack was this, to sacrifice wolves and possess slaves? It explained the strange dynamics between the two wolves before her, but it rubbed Senka the wrong way. No. This was not a pack she would wish to visit. Even the Reign of Terror had been less disturbing, in its own way. At least that pack had made sense. This Kapu'Moana, on the other hand, seemed even more senselessly perverse.
Senka smiled faintly at Kai. “Of course. If I could not ask interesting questions, I would not be able to discover any interesting things.” She noted the fear in his eyes. Perhaps he would not be able to create change, after all. “But as noble as it is to return for the sake of a pack-mate, you did not really answer my question. What do you intend to do after you return?”
She was nothing if not tenacious, though she was also quite serious. It would be a measure of his character to see what he would do when faced with a pack that went so strongly against his ideals. He had already left once. What would he do, now? Would he simply leave again and abandon his subordinates to their fate, however justly or unjustly they had been given their positions? Or would he fight for them as a superior should? Senka’s whole bearing was intent as she waited for an answer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 12:06 pm
Kai lifted his eyes to meet Senka's. He didn't like fielding these questions one bit...but then, he couldn't well avoid them. Not without looking like a coward. Or an idiot. Just because he had abandoned his pack -- which, now that she was looking at him this way, and asking him this way, seemed very cowardly indeed -- didn't mean he could walk away from the answers. "...I intend to speak with my father and confront him like...a man."
He felt like such a coward, suddenly. It wasn't really until this particular moment that he realized the full force of what he had done...and what he hadn't done. "I crept away in the night when I left. I left a lot of unfinished business with the king that needs to be discussed."
Still, he had no intention of staying with the pack. He had a new life for himself. And, besides, what place was it of his to try and bring down the goddess? Surely she would smite him.
And that was the heart of it, wasn't it? So much as he wanted a new, idealistic life for himself...he didn't have the strength to push for that life amongst his pack. And maybe he never would.
Kamiya watched the little war of uncertainty play out on her prince's face, and a meager smile crept up her maw. Oh, Kailani. It was tragic, in a way. She'd never liked him...maybe she was the only female in the pack who could say that...but now she couldn't help but pity him a little.
What business of this gray wolf was it to pry into this? To pass judgment over their pack?
She knew its dirty secrets as well as any. But the time she had spent out in the world, she was homesick. That was the killer. She was home sick for the pack where she was a slave and wolves were thrown into the ocean. Although to be fair, wolves hadn't been sacrificed in years. It's not like it was a common event! And she may have been a slave, but she was well-tended to, it's not like she was being abused. She was actually rather content with the old life, now that she'd gotten the wanderlust out of her system.
But how did you explain that to a stranger?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:51 pm
Well, it did not look like Senka would be singing valiant tales of Kai’s courage and leadership any time soon; but then, most wolves were not born to be heroes or leaders. Kai may have been born as a prince, but he was clearly no alpha. Rather disappointing, but she could not blame him for his nature. At least he finally seemed willing to face his personal demons. That was more than a lot of wolves could say.
Senka looked at Kamiya, who was being rather quiet. As a slave, did she have any choice in these matters? Even if she wanted to, could she do anything? Was she truly content to live such a life?
“What about you, Kamiya? What will you do? You seem capable enough of living on your own. You could probably even join another pack, if you wished. One where you would not be a slave. Why do you return to your pack?”
It was a legitimate question. Who would voluntarily return to a life of slavery? A new pack could offer protection in the event that any of her old pack-mates were sent after her. Senka doubted that an ocean goddess could really reach too far inland, or would even bother going so far to punish one runaway. If she wanted to be smart about it, Kamiya could send Kai back alone and have him say that she had died on the journey. It seemed unlikely that the pack would pursue the matter too heavily.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 9:56 pm
Kai looked hopefully at Kami. This was a bit like therapy, of a sort. This very nosy wolf was asking all the questions that neither of them had wanted to ask each other. It was uncomfortable, but also oddly freeing.
"...I want to go home," she said. She knew that the grey wolf would judge her for this, but she didn't care. She didn't give a damn what anybody thought of her, least of all some red-eyed storyteller with boundaries issues. "I've seen quite enough of the world inland, and I like Kapu'Moana better."
And it was the truth. Gods help her -- it really was. She had had awful luck with the wolves she met, but she was also every bit as small-minded as the standard member of the pack. She hated nearly everyone she'd met. She hadn't been this angry when she left the pack, she was certain of it, but she was now.
"There are sacrifices, and...inferiors whose role is limited," she said, suddenly shying away from the term slave. "But there haven't been sacrifices in years. Not since we were kids. And we're treated well, and life is luxurious." Especially for those higher in the ranks, whose every need was provided for. "And, anyway, it's none of your business what we do with our life. Tell me -- what are YOU doing out here, skulking through unsavory territory and getting secrets from strangers? A storyteller you say you are, but you seem more like a spy to me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:25 pm
Senka considered Kamiya’s words. The orange wolf did not make her lot sound so bad, but it was not a life that Senka would wish for herself, and it seemed odd to her that such a passionate wolf as Kamiya would be content to keep such a role. Still, given the way that she had shied away from the term “slave,” it was clear that she was not completely comfortable with her life. The orange wolf’s rationale was difficult for Senka to wrap her mind around. Perhaps she simply did not like change.
When Kamiya turned to a belligerent interrogation of her motives, Senka could not help grinning. It was only fair that she reveal a little about herself in return for dragging some of their dirty secrets into the light. She had no qualms about sharing information, anyway, and it did not seem likely that she would learn much more about her two temporary companions.
“A spy?” she asked, genuinely amused at Kamiya’s suspicion. “What could I possibly hope to gain by spying on you? No, I am simply a storyteller. I am completing the journey required of all storytellers of my pack. When I return home, I will gain the full rank and title of master storyteller.” Her eyes grew distant for a moment as she lost herself in bitter-sweet memories, but then she refocused on Kamiya.
“As for learning more about you,” she continued, “I find that gathering stories makes my journey much more enjoyable. You would be amazed at how many fascinating tales there are scattered throughout the world.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 12:51 am
Kai was instantly charmed. A sleepy-eyed look washed over his honey-toned eyes and his ears drooped a bit -- clearly caught in a daydream. A pack whose rite of passage was to travel the world, collecting stories? Why hadn't Kapu'Moana ever thought of that? It was genius! He could have avoided so much pain and doubt!
Kamiya wasn't quite so impressed. She rolled her eyes at him, then shifted her piercing gaze onto Senka. She still wasn't entirely convinced the other wasn't a spy...but, then, maybe something Chou had said had gotten her paranoid. "With as much traveling as you've done," she said, "You would think you'd learn not to judge a culture without taking the time to understand it."
Ah now, that was a bit hypocritical, was it not? And she knew it, in some deep part of her, but she'd never admit it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 12:24 pm
Senka eyed Kai, wondering what had gotten into him, but then Kamiya spoke and the shadowy wolf blinked innocently. “Whoever said I was judging you? I am simply seeking to better understand your ways. How can I do that if I do not ask questions?”
Inwardly, Senka was feeling a bit sheepish. Perhaps all of her teasing had made her come off as a tad judgmental. Generally, she loved learning about other cultures. They were new and interesting. This time was no different; however, she stood by her opinion of them. From everything she had heard, she would not wish to visit their territory. Senka shot the orange wolf a sideways glance.
“Besides,” she added, “you have not been very forthcoming in helping me understand your pack.” Her tail twitched like a pleased cat. “It is all so very secretive and mysterious.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:01 pm
"We appreciate our privacy is all," Kamiya said with a bit of a huff.
Truth be told, no one had questioned any of her actions until now. Mostly because nobody seemed interested in asking her about it. Well, Chayton had been...but he wasn't particularly talkative. "And, regardless. We should be moving on. And I'm sure you have other stories to dig up." It was hard to hide the reproach in her voice.
Kai's head was still somewhere in the clouds, a dopey sort of smile on his blue maw. "...We have storytellers," he said. "They tell stories of the great and terrible goddess, and how we are chosen -- protected by her -- from everyone who would do us harm. Which, they say, is nearly everyone. We don't allow visitors to our lands and we only leave rarely. There's a terrible fear of being infected, you see."
He said all of this with a distant look in his eyes, but as he finished he frowned, as though surprised by what he had said -- as though that were not what he'd meant to say at all. He knew that Senka's next question would probably be 'infected by what' and he could have answered that unerringly a few months ago. But that was before he'd seen the world and experienced quite a lot of things his upbringing would have frowned upon.
"I don't know if it's true, about the great evil in the world that we are protected from. But I do know that I've been very lucky in my life."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:26 pm
Senka tilted her head at Kamiya’s attempt to brush her off. “If you value your privacy so highly, then can you really complain when someone misunderstands your pack?” she wondered aloud. Perhaps she was being a little mean. It was obvious that the orange wolf was had not been the least bit comfortable with any part of this conversation, but Senka really could not help herself. She loved digging up stories and was a slave to her curiosity. It did not hurt that the orange wolf was so very fun to tease.
Kai’s dreamy words caught her attention, however, and she was distracted from her fun. “What do you mean, ‘infected’? What great evil?” Once more, Senka wondered just what sort of pack these wolves had come from, to be so sequestered and suspicious. As for the rest, well, Senka knew a thing or two about luck, but she was not sure if it was a gift from the gods or simply a part of her. Then again, if the gods had created her, would her luck not be a gift from them regardless?
Senka shook herself to be rid of those thoughts. Now was not the time for her own philosophical musing, however much Kai brought such things to light for her consideration. Now was the time to focus on getting as much of their story as possible before Kamiya really did drag Kai away and she lost her chance for any more questions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:42 pm
Kamiya snarled. She was talking in circles now, ever-shrinking circles that were closing in around her and preparing to strangle her. This was ridiculous! She was rapidly losing patience for the grey wolf, and her first tendency when she grew impatient was to attack whatever the offender was.
"The great evil," Kai said, vaguely but insistently. Surely she knew about it? "When the world was created, a terrible plague was unleashed on the world. It drove wolves mad, sent them into murderous urges, tore apart families. A great prophet went to ask the sea goddess for help, and she gifted him and a few loyal wolves in his pack with the ability to breathe underwater."
He spoke in a way that suggested that everybody knew this story.
"They hid there beneath the ocean. Then the sea spread over her bank and flooded all the world, killing everyone. The world was born anew, from the wolves she had saved."
"Except that a group of wolves survived the flood by hiding on top of the highest mountain," Kamiya broke in, as though she couldn't help herself. "They were angry, and forced the chosen wolves into seclusion. The sea goddess refused to help the wolves again. I don't remember why. They made her angry somehow. But the wolves from the sea had to hide. It's just a story," she added, casting a surly look at Senka. "And not something strangers really care about."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:04 am
“I have never heard this story before,” she admitted. “It is quite interesting. You say your pack is descended from these wolves who were blessed and then abandoned by the sea goddess?”
Senka’s pack might be quite ancient, but they had little lore from before the founding of the first pack. Was this an even older legend or was it just that – a story? Could Senka be descended from these mountain wolves or was that particular tale simply the Kapu’Moana’s foundation myth, not unlike the story of Cinaed and his pack of lone warriors, though perhaps a bit more fanciful and a bit less factual. Even if such a flood had occurred, surely it could not really have overcome the entire world. Perhaps just part of Telk, the part near the Kapu’Moana’s territory.
Ah, but it was useless to wonder such things now. It was in the past, and there would never be a way to know for certain.
"Is that why your pack is so secluded?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
