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 Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:48 am
Reflection – 726 words
Kaalnia, perhaps contrary to popular opinion, liked to bathe alone. She liked to be able to relax and just let the water flow over her, without worrying about how sexy she looked while doing it. It was a cool day in Jahuar, which meant that it was still hot, but not hellishly so, and she was taking advantage of today to just take a break from it all for a little while.
She was still rattled from the tournament, and she was starting to worry that she wouldn't stop feeling this weak. She didn't know if there was anything she could do about it. She wondered if she ever would erase that terrifying face from her mind. She could still see it clearly, even now. The horrible snarling grimace of his face, the way the blue skin wrinkled and stretched with wrath around his intensely yellow and predatory eyes. She remembered the pain of the fight and the knowledge – the dreadful, terrible knowledge – that he wanted to kill her. She knew that he would have killed her. It made her feel ill, even now, even here where she was safe.
Kaalnia ducked under the flowing water, closing her eyes as if to let it wash away the visage of the man's face. It didn't work. Now summoned forth, the mental image remained clear and harrowing, like it was branded into her mind. She hated him for doing this to her.
She had not been herself since the tournament. Her, Kaalnia the fearless, Kaalnia the shameless, was now jumpy and nervous, startling at small sounds and sudden spitorog appearances. She, of course, laughed it off. She was still Kaalnia, after all, and she had an image to maintain – that she had to maintain for the sake of her sanity.
She was afraid, though, - still afraid - of that Ice tribe man. She didn't want anybody but Briella to know. Kaalnia still believed herself at least somewhat of a coward, but it was a relief to know that her sister, at least, thought her worthy of being a Blade. Not that others didn't. They just didn't know the terror she felt, or the nightmares, or the night sweats that had her waking up gasping at night, searching for yellow eyes in the darkness.
She wished Tzofi were here to cuddle up to. Kaalnia bet she would have understood too, or at least have had something to say. She'd at least have understood the fear: she'd died on her Blade quest, after all. That woman had been special, and Kaalnia still missed her. Other women were special too - in their own unique ways. But Tzofi had just been something else entirely.
She was gone now, and Kaalnia knew she couldn't just shove her burdens on Briella all the time. Her sister had enough to deal with. After all, her home had burnt down. Nobody was hurt, thank Aisha, but it was still a lot to handle, especially with the blind artisan losing all of her tools! That had to suck.
Kaa wanted to help her sister. She wanted to flirt with Dyakida and the other sisters that lived with Brie, and turn the horrible grim event into something resembling fun. The problem was, she had been losing her enthusiasm for life. Things she liked to do were suddenly less fun and interesting. Ever since the tournament, it had felt as though she was slowly, but surely, losing interest in everything. Enthusiasm was Kaalnia's lifeblood, and to have it bleed out like this was just as deadly to Kaalnia as if she had been stabbed. She'd been checked out after the fith, and she was fine, but the lack of energy was still there, and growing constantly. Maybe she was already dead. Maybe that man at the tournament had killed her and she just hadn't realized it yet.
She scrubbed herself with some sand and, satisfied with her bath, began to dry herself. She shook her head at her nonsense thoughts. She was Kaalnia, and she was very much alive. She slapped her face lightly, feeling the sting of flesh against flesh warm her face. See? Alive. She tied her wet hair back, looking at her reflection in the mirrored water. Yep. Still Kaalnia and still alive. She needed to stop being a silly idiot.
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Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:50 am
Motherly Love – 855 words
Kaalnia didn't expect to see her mother standing outside her home.
Salaki and Emes hadn't spoken to her in a long time. While she loved her mothers, they were very strict, and had been a little bit hard on her and her sister. Not unreasonably so, though, and Kaalnia had completely understood! Salaki and Emes just wanted their daughters to be the best they could be, exemplars of their tribe, all that. Kaalnia knew she was awesome, but she also knew that a little bit of trouble was the spice in the pie of life. She wasn't perfect – pretty damn good, but not perfect, and she had always embraced it because that was what made life fun.
Eventually they'd told her that if she was going to be an idiot and get into any more trouble, she might as well go off on her own. So she had. Brie had left them behind years earlier, and it had been getting lonely with just herself to hang around with anyway.
Salaki looked her younger daughter over, her face neutral. "Kaalnia." she said simply.
"Hi Ma!" said Kaalnia, giving her a friendly wave. She hadn't seen Sala in forever and she might as well start... restart... off on the right foot! "How are things?"
"Well enough." she said, not moving from her spot, "And you, daughter mine?"
Kaalnia wished that Sala wouldn't be so formal, but Kaalnia figured that she would be informal enough for both of them. She continued forward, grinning, "Oh I'm great, Ma." she didn't realize it was a half lie until the words left her mouth, "Doing great!"
"I saw the tournament." said Salaki, her gaze transfixing Kaalnia.
Uh oh. Kaalnia put her arms, which had been outstretched to hug her mother, behind her back. "Oh yeah?" she said, trying not to let her suddenly racing heartbeat into her voice. "How'd I do?"
"Abysmally." said Salaki, crossing her arms, "You lost to a man” Salaki spat the word as if it had a bad taste ”Badly."
"Yeah. But he made it to the semi's so he was pretty strong to begin with, ya know?" said Kaalnia quickly, as if it was no big deal. Of course, it was. She could feel the fear from that time as clear as if it was happening now. She swallowed it back. "Not a big deal, he was stronger than me, that's all!"
"If you had won..." said Salaki, continuing, "Maybe an Alkidike would have taken home the prize and the glory, and not some... Earthling." she grimaced at the word, as if it was distasteful. Kaalnia was confused. Was her mother saying she was weak, or that she was strong?
"Brie'd have a better chance.” said Kaalnia cheerfully, ”Hey, uh, Ma. How's Emes?" Kaalnia asked. She didn't want to talk about the tournament anymore.
"Don't change the subject with me, girl." snapped Salaki. Kaalnia could assume that Emes was just fine. "You should have won. Or your sister. But no, you both lost, and I am very disappointed in you both. We raised you to be stronger than that."
Kaalnia was definitely confused. "Hey, come on Ma." she said, trying to keep her smile on her face. It was good to smile through confusion, or trouble, or anything. The smile became a part of you and then you could get through. "Brie and I did great! We just got unlucky, that's all. We'll do better next time, okay?" Kaalnia laughed, "Anyway, Ma, its been ages! Come inside, we've got a lot to catch up on, am I right?" Kaalnia motioned for her mother to step inside.
Salaki did not move. "I only came to tell you this. You had better win next time." she said, turning away, "That is all, daughter." and with that, she left.
Kaalnia watched her go, her smile and good feelings fading away with her mother's exit. She slumped with a sigh. "Well, see ya later Ma." she said quietly, trudging back home. She didn't bother with a kettle for tea - which she could barely make properly anyway – or even with a fruit snack, though she was hungry. She collapsed onto the bedroll Tzofi had made for her years ago and sank into the soft furs. "Damn it..." she muttered, staring up at the living wood of her ceiling as she unhooked Popper's bubble from her belt. She looked solemnly at the fish. "I hope she doesn't give Brie an earful too. I wonder whats gotten up her antenna?"
Kaalnia felt sour after the encounter, and did not like the feeling very much. She hoped it would pass soon, and Popper - cute and innocent and stupid - was helping. "I will do better next time, right Popper?" she asked the fish, "I'll kick a** with my spear, right? I won't just end up on my back, bleeding and being beaten to a pulp?" She started to cry, "Right?"
Popper glubbed. He was just a fish, after all. He could only swim around his bubble as Kaalnia's unseen tears sank into the soft furs.
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 7:37 pm
Unintended Aftermath - Blade Class Quest – 278 wordsKaalnia couldn't believe it. "I'm a blade? Me?" she whispered to herself, dabbing cautiously at the red paste that now adorned her forehead in the traditional lotus shape. Her hand shook as she drew it away, her fingers tipped now with red. It was real. She was a blade. She, Kaalnia, the younger sister of Briella and Aisha's gift to women, was finally a Blade! She, the coward, was a Blade. What did that matter? Obviously, the elders thought her worthy enough to be a blade, so who was she to judge? Obviously not. Clearly she had to go tell everybody she knew in the area, and then run down to Emeka and tell Briella. And Dyakida! Hey, maybe the artisan would give her the time of day now! Oo, right, she needed to fix up her old spear, get it nice and shiny and sharp. Perfect! She could do that when she went to visit Brie! She stood up, and was suddenly woozy. She felt like she was back on the rickety boat with Votzhem again.
Ooo, right, she should tell him too. Except... she felt really tired and... was that nausea growing in her stomach? She curled up on her floor, caught between feeling really great about her rank, and feeling sick. Her stomach ached and rebelled with angry growls, and she felt herself flushing with heat. Must be that Sauti food. she decided, wincing.
Maybe she should go out and tell everybody later, she decided, crawling back into bed, dragging a receptacle with her in case she did something that she'd need a receptacle for. No way was she letting anybody see her like this.
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:53 am
Alone at Last - Kaalnia and Niabi – 274 words
Kaalnia was grateful for the relative cool of night as it graced Jahuar with something other than blazing, infernal humidity. Kaalnia had taken off her garnments and was relaxing on her bed nude, soaking up the refreshing (comparative) coolness. It was nice to not be miserably hot.
She regretted the heat and her reaction to it. She wasn't herself in that kind of weather - it was exhausting and, well, blaaah. Which meant that today had been especialy annoying. She'd met this cute little Alkidike and - while she was bathing she realized with an even deeper regret than before - and hadn't been able to summon the energy to impress her with her awesomeness. That sucked. She'd missed out on that pretty lady before young... Niabi...? had even had a chnce to get pissed off and slap her.
But who could be awesome in that kind of weather? Kaalnia had no idea. That kind of heat was just not fair. She was grateful to the young lady for putting her hair up, and at least she hadn't made a complete moron of herself during their encounter so there was still a chance!
The girl had been very good with her hair! It had needed to be put up very badly. And dried. Dredlocks were great and sexy and all, but they soaked up water like nobody's business and when the air was as wet as the hair, they never dried.
They still weren't dry, but Kaalnia decided to deal with it later. Right at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to nap wrapped in the soft, cool, nighttime breezes.
So she did.
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 8:38 am
Don't Follow my Lead – 150 words
Kaalnia was positively gleeful. She loved it when she met someone with her kind of energy. It just bounced off of theirs until it exploded into awesomeness and fun. It was an added uber-mega-bonus that this someone was a sexy, spicy, wonderful young leaf lady.
Mmm, those deliciously green eyes, those rosy cheeks, those crystals... Pahana was sexy. Pahana was wonderful.
She had nice, soft hands, great taste in fruit, and her lips? Heh. She had nice lips. Mmm, yes.
Kaalnia considered herself lucky to have found her... not that she didn't have... several... girls she was currently playing around with! But Pahana was her only Earthling so far.
Kaalnia was a little uneasy, though. Pahana seemed... upset about the other girls. Like Tsofi had been. Kaalnia didn't think she could deal with that.
But, until she couldn't, she was definitely going to enjoy her spicy flower of an earthling.
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 9:03 am
Next time it will be Me – Meta ch. 5 Response, 274 words
Kaalnia wished it had been her out there, fighting and dying, not the people whose corpses she had to carry. She had faced her death at the tournament, and had nearly died while travelling with Votzshem, but thsi was different. So many wounded, dead, and dying were coming in, their lives tossed aside by the Obans.
She had heard of great beasts, crushing anybody and anything in their path. She had heard of - and seen the terrible wounds people inflicted on others.
And yet, here she was, carrying the dead, safe and sound in the camp. There weren't many Alkidike here - most were out there, fighting and bleeding and dying and returning on stretchers. She and Dyakida were very noticable. She was supposed to be protecting Dyakida - she had promised Briella - but she felt she was betraying her people and the trust that elders had put in her when they had made her a Blade by staying here in camp.
She grimaced and set down the body she had been carrying, trying to be as respectful as it was possible to be with a cold shell of a thing. Maybe next time she'd be out there, fighting. If there was a next time.
There would be a next time. She went back to the camp for her next 'passenger', trying to hold back the regret and bile and ignore the screams of the wounded and dying, and the rumble of the battle far away. She had to keep going. One foot in front of the other. She had to keep going so that next time, she could be out there.
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 8:22 pm
Its so easy – Meta ch. 5 Response, 383 words
Kaalnia rested in Neued, letting herself relax for the first time since the chaos had happened. She held her head in her hands and rubbed her temples as the retreat resolved around her. Kaalnia had been trained to be a warrior, as her tribe did, for a long time. She had been told stories of glory in battle, had fought some with her sisters, and had faced her own death in the tournament. She'd crossed Tendaji and back, her life at risk at various points on the journey. She'd found a way to live despite the terror she had seen in that man's eyes.
But this war, this first battle, had beaten her down with the impact of the sheer inevitability and numbers of death. So many lives lost... She'd been carrying a good many of them. Young, too - prentices. No younger, thank Aisha.
Some had looked like they were just sleeping, others had been taken down by terribly gruesome wounds. All had been dead, limp, and gone. They were beyond all possible help.
At first, taking bodies to the 'graveyard' had been chilling, eerie. But she had gotten used it it. Then it was just draining. Every limp, empty, fleshy face - the face of someone who could have been anything, but was now dead.
It didn't take much to die. She knew how easy it was to go from vibrant and alive to dead. She was lucky to have only been figuratively dead. Being literally alive had let her bounce back. That wasn't going to happen for all those faces, young, old and in between, who would smile no more.
She wasn't sure if she had seen faces she had recognized among the dead. After a while, she'd just started doing her job. But she was sure there would be fewer familiar faces when they met next, some who - maybe - she had dated at one point. Or knew. Perhaps even her mothers. Perhaps even Briella.
She'd have to find her sister eventually, but right now she was tired - so tired - unable to summon the will to move. For now it was better not to know whether her beloved big sister was lost to her forever or not. For now, she just needed to recover...
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Posted: Thu May 01, 2014 3:34 pm
I Am Stronger Now – 1675 words
Kaalnia stared into the fire as it burned low under the black expanse of the Tale sky, her black eyes glittering in its light. It hadn't been very long since she had crossed the Tale and had become a blade, and the dry air against her skin was a now-familiar discomfort.
This time, though, she was not walking Tendajii's length for a great elder-given quest. Nor was she travelling for fun as some people did. She was doing what she had basically done all battle - she was carrying the dead home. When some of the people in Neued had volunteered to venture back into the battlefield to try to retrieve the dead that had been left behind in the retreat, Kaalnia had been the first to raise her hand. After carrying so many into that field, she had felt obligated to carry them out. Votzhem, fresh from the battlefield himself, had volunteered second. Kaalnia hadn't been surprised that her sort-of friend/brother/annoyance had volunteered, though considering his lax attitude towards the dead she felt she should have been.
Other Alkidike warriors had followed suit, not wanting to be outdone by a mere halfbreed brother, and soon there was a sizable group of Earthlings and Alkidikes ready to march out and fight tooth and nail for the honor of their dead.
The Obans were in the area, so they snuck into their graveyard - as yet untouched by the invaders - and started carrying bodies away. Most of the warrior women took their own, carrying them away to Jahuar and eventually Chibale, where they would be brought home to Mother Aisha and released into flame and ocean. Some Shifters followed them at a distance, carrying their own dead to be buried in their jungle home. They were fortunate to be so close to home.
The other earthlings were not so lucky - they and their dead had a long way to go. Kaalnia volunteered again, Votzhem with her, though she thought that maybe he would have preferred to travel with their sisters. She was glad he did - his strengths complemented hers, and she needed all the strength she could to carry the dead.
They were the only two Alkidike Blades among a troupe of earthlings and their presence was tolerated. They carried the dead any way they could - sled, cart, beast, and hand. There were many dead and living both, bound for their homelands.
Fewer, now, though. They had reached their first destination today, the first place where some of the dead could be brought to rest. The earthlings who cared for those dead left the group as well, traveling to their places in this part of the Tale with their burdens.
Their group was smaller now, but still had a long way to go. Kaalnia couldn't help but think about death and about what it meant to be dead. She'd thought about it before, in terms of herself. But this time, she thought about the dead as they related to others. A dead person was someone's sister, someone's brother, niece, uncle, nephew, cousin, aunt, maybe even their father or mother. The dead had died, and this obviously affected the dead person. Kaalnia knew all too well what dying - in her case nearly dying - could do to a person. She still occasionally had the nightmares of the fierce ice man with gleaming yellow eyes, though it was fainter and less clear now than it had been before.
She could feel scars - not on her body but her soul - from each near death. The bout at the tournament still weighed heavily on her, as did her near drowning in the boat with Votzhem. Kaalnia knew she would have countless other experiences, both small and large, that would mark her forever. But those experiences marked others who hadn't even been near them, whose only claim to them was... her.
Briella was affected by the fight with Ruelash, just as Kaalnia was. Brie had never fought the man, only Kaalnia had as well as a handful of other Alkidikes. The fight and the beating he had given Kaalnia had hurt Briella, though. She had been hurt through Kaalnia.
And thus, it had effected Ilyra, though the pale niece hadn't even known what Kaalnia had gone through, and Dyakida, who Kaalnia was pretty sure didn't care. And perhaps other sisters, sisters that Kaalnia hadn't met yet, had been effected by this rippling of influence.
Of course, thinking of death brought back memories of her own dead. Tzofi had been the closest thing to a steady girl that she had ever had. Her death had affected Kaalnia greatly, more than she had admitted at the time. If her own near death experience had effected so many others, what had Tzofi's actual death done?
Quite a few people, she realized. From Tzofi's own family and friends, yes, but also through herself. On some level, she realized, she was still grieving for Tzofi. She wasn't crying all the time, and it wasn't as if Kaalnia's heart was broken or shattered or anything like that. She just didn't think she could get that serious about anybody ever again. She knew that it hurt the many girls she messed around with, and she was sorry that she hurt them, but she just didn't think she could give them that kind of commitment and focus.
Tzofis death affected all those people who wanted more of Kaalnia than she could give. So it effected people associated with them - their friends, family, and lovers. That rippled out far and wide, and Kaalnia didn't pretend to understand its full effects. She knew she didn't.
Votzhem sat down heavily next to her, jostling her out of her thoughts. He said nothing, staring into the fire as she had been a moment before. Kaalnia decided to break the silence. b]"Hey Vosh. How are ya doing?" she asked, looking over at him.
"'m okay." he said. It was hard - it always was - to get any emotion (other than malice) out of his voice, but Kaalnia didn't believe him.
"What do you think of this, Vosh?" she asked. She knew her own voice sounded tired - she'd been carrying things all day across hot sands. She knew she would be energized in the morning, though. She always was. He grunted, and she nudged him with her elbow. "C'mon. Tell me what you think. Carrying the dead home. All that."
He shrugged. "Don't think nothing at all." he said, kicking some sand onto the fire sullenly.
Kaalnia gave him another shove, smiling amiably. "Radakushit. I mean, normally I'd believe you. About the not thinking part." her smile faded, "But seriously. What do you think? About the dead."
He glared at her, his face petulant. "I dun think nothin' 'bout the dead. The dead 're dead." He shook his head, his mane of blue dredlocks flying about his face. "That's all they are."
"Radakushit." Kaalnia said again, giving him a mischevious look. "If you think that way, why'd you volunteer with me, huh?" she raised an eyebrow, "You didn't have to, but you did."
"I know I didn't have to" he growled, shoving her away, "But I did."
Kaalnia let herself be shoved back, moving gracefully to the side. "Yeah, but why?"
He stood up abruptly, turning away. "None o' yer business." he snapped, making his way over to his pack. Kaalnias resisted the urge to giggle as he slammed down his sleeping blanket and lay down forcefully on it like an upset child.
She knew he was lying. He was affected by death too. She'd seen his face when he was fresh off the battlefield - he'd been caught somewhere between energized and downed. She knew he'd seen death before - Sauti was a harsh land - and she knew that he enjoyed the thrill of the fight. She didn't think, though, that he had expected to see so many of his new sisters perish.
What had shook her up wasn't seeing her sisters bodies, it was seeing the young people dead. The young, innocent prentices who would, now, never grow up. Whose parents would never see them become productive members of their tribe. Who would never be parents of their own. There had been far too many among the dead, and among the wounded in the camp. Kaalnia had teased herself after the battle, thinking that maybe she only mourned the young women because they would never know how awesome she was. But the thought had rung hollow, and Kaalnia had known that was a lie. The waste of life and potential was what had done it for her. Those deaths had been cruel and unnecessary and it hurt just to remember how many lightweight bodies she had carried and smooth faces she had seen, bloodless, on the ground
It hurt a lot, but in that pain, Kaalnia realized just how far she had come. She was not long out of her prentice years herself, but in her short life, she had known love, death, and despair all. Before, under the weight, literal and physical, of the world, she would have crumbled. In fact, she had crumbled. But the 'her' of today was not the 'her' of before. She was stronger now. She could carry the weight of, not only herself, but of others, and they needed her to do it. So, she would carry them as far as they needed to go.
"Kaa?"
She looked over at Vothem. He was still awake, she could see the shine in his eyes as he stared owlishly at her. "Mmm?"
"I'm Sorry." he said, before hurredly covering himself back up with the light blanket.
It was funny, she thought, how embarrassed he was for apologizing. She turned to the fire again and smiled. "'s all forgiven, little brother." she said, before she stood up and set up her own sleeping mat. She needed her rest. She had many people to carry to theirs.
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2014 5:25 pm
A Bizzare Reunion – 212 wordsKaalnia was happy to board at her sister's tree, though the others were not so happy. Not that she noticed!
How had her sister found herself in the middle of so many gorgeous women?! It wasn't fair, cept this was Brie she was talking about. Brie was awesome. She deserved the best.
It was a shame that the pretty artisan was blind. Inaccessibility only made Kaalnia want to try harder to woo her, like it was a challenge.
Thats how she thought of love and life - as a game. She was a good and fair player. She'd always try to help her latest ex get on their feet and find a new person - she made a point of it. It never occurred to her that her butterfly tendencies could hurt more than her matchmaking and jovial friendship could mend.
Either way... It was a nice tree to call home. She coudn't believe that Briella - her briella - had had a kid! What a shocker! But Brie was always a responsible person. And awesome.
Maybe one day she'd have a kid of her own? Ha! What a thought! Kaalnia smirked and settled back to watch the nondwa float by. That was far far in the future, if ever, she decided.
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2014 5:30 pm
I know something is Wrong – 110 wordsKaalnia was glad that her sister believed in her, because she still did not. She still felt like a coward. She still felt like a failure.
But at least her sister thought she wasn't. That was something... a major something. A big, huge, hulking something, that she was grateful for.
She knew the day would come when she would meet the blue man again. He was a nightmare, and nightmares tended to recurr. Fate would set him at her throat again.
She hoped Briella would be there, then, to take care of him... to take care of her.
Because she still... still... wasn't sure if she could do it herself.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2014 11:17 am
The Magic of Death – 1089 words
Kaalnia watched solemnly from her perch as another group of sisters drifted to the horizon in a glowing halo of flame. She scribbled down notes on her piece of leaf paper as the next set of funeral boats and their lifeless occupants were prepared for their passing into the next world.
Dead were still coming in from the original battle and the skirmishes at Neued and, of course, the jungle itself. It was taking a long time to properly honor the dead, and sometimes more than one sister – sometimes as many as four - had to be sent off to their eternal rest sharing a boat. Considering how much her kin liked to share, Kaalnia didn't think that could be a very comfortable situation.
Kaalnia, of course, was too young and not 'sacred' enough to say the words, but she was happy to provide womanpower for the task, building the boats, getting the sacred kindling petals, cleaning the weapons, and helping to load the boats: things that a good strong blade could like her could easily do. Despite the grim and demoralizing nature of the task, Kaalnia sort of liked it - It was good to see the dead sent off properly, instead of laying, forlorn and patient, in a field of fellow dead. In addition, the customs of her own people intrigued her, and she watched the proceedings with interest.
In the time since the battle, Kaalnia's fascination with the dead – instead of declining as she had thought it would – only grew into an obsession. She knew, now, the funerary scrolls of Bergchi pretty well, though she was far from finished with them, and she had watched the other earthling races take care of their dead. It was a morbid pasttime, she knew, but something about the ceremonies – and the love behind them - resonated with her. She wondered why, other than the Bergchi scroll she'd bought in Zena, nobody had written anything about how people took care of their dead..
This, in her opinion, a serious lack. The rituals were intricate and beautiful, but they were passed down from generation to generation on a personal level. Kaalnia liked that – it was beautiful. Oral tradition was great, even when it wasn't an innuendo.
She was just worried about how insecure it was.
It was damn easy to die, too easy. She'd seen it, she'd felt it. You could die from anything at any moment. Add that to the fact that death was, usually, not very predictable about who it would take next, and you had a recipe for disaster and loss. Suppose, for example, the shaman who knows all the rituals and rites and such dies suddenly in a freak accident without passing it on? Those they leave behind have to piece things together from their own memories and, in the end, they make up their own rituals because what their shaman used was irretrievably lost. That could happen between a parent and a child, or between sisters, but Kaalnia could see it – all too easily – happening to the mystics of her tribe.
She watched as Eshe prepared the bodies that would be sent off with this fleet, noting her movements and trying – as best she could – to catch the sacred words she was saying. What if Eshe should die before Brie's girl Kadriye had a chance to properly learn the rituals? Would Aisha teach her? Or would she have to work with what scraps she had and make up stuff as she went?
That would be a problem, because what if the rituals were more than just to comfort the living? What if the dead needed them in the next world?
That was why Kaalnia thought someone should record it. Someone thoughtful and kind and respectful but also damn awesome enough to pull it off.
In other words, herself. That was why she was scribbling down everything she could about the funerals, so she could put it together and write it down. Just in case. She hid her leaf notepad and bug-wing pen as a sister walked by: she didn't actually have permission to do this, and was probably going to get in trouble later, but for now, she was sure she was doing good.
She perked up as Eshe said the first words of the send off and paid attention.
Funerals were sad – she remembered Tzofi's like it was yesterday. But they were also beautiful.
The boats containing the sisters were pushed to the shore, the water lapping at them as the former warriors and blades reclined, still and pale, in their beds of flammable oily flowers. It was the perfect time for such an event – the sacred torch in Eshe's hands matched the glowing hue of the sky as the sun kissed the horizon, gilding the water and making it shine like crystal. The most beautiful thing about it all, though, was the way all the alkidikes involved in the funeral, the family and the workers and the mystic alike, were reverent and peaceful, but also afraid and sad. The open, naked pain and longing on their faces was the most beautiful thing Kaalnia had ever seen.
She listened as Eshe said the words of passing over each boat in turn, whispering brief things to each dead sister - her own personal send off – which Kaalnia rather liked, and watched as the mystic touched her torch to the petals and flames began to lick at the bodies as their living kin shoved off the boats, one by one and flaming, into the current that would take them away to the end of the world.
There were words said before. There were words said during. There were words said as the ships floated away. There were words said as, one by one, the small vessels vanished – into the sea or the afterlife (that was up to the viewer). And, finally, words said in condolence to the mothers and sisters and friends of those deceased.
Words and gestures that had a meaning, Kaalnia was sure. She smiled as they finished for the night, watching Eshe leave before she herself packed up her notebook and headed home. She'd taken some good notes today, and she would be able to write something good soon. Maybe she'd show it to Eshe – the mystic was a nice lady, and she felt she could trust her with her idea. Also, she had nice legs.
Kaalnia had her priorities.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 5:52 pm
Closing the Circle – Versatile Prompt - 635 words
When news of the battle reached her in Chibale, Kaalnia could not help but feel drawn back to Neued, like a Nondwa to a candle. Neued was her beginning and end: The fateful tournament and the first battle had both happened there, linked to each other by threads of fate, and to her by threads of blood.
They completed each other, one to the other, and – in essence -they completed her, too. Who would have thought that Kaalnia, the energetic and active young womanizer, would be forged by something so horrible and deadly and un-sexy as battle and war?
She certainly hadn't ever thought of battle as being a defining moment for her. The right girl, maybe, or a fun duel, but never anything as real and dark as death and destruction. Sometimes, she regretted it, but she usually kind of liked who she had become as a result. She was Kaalnia, still the bubbly energetic young blade inside, but tougher, more resilient, and more realistic. And, she felt sometimes, more alive.
She was traveling alone, as she had once before, long ago, before any of this. Her friend Votzhem was elsewhere, preparing for battle in his own way, and Briella and the rest of them were much the same. She was sure that, when the crap hit the fan, they would all be there, from Dyakida to Briella to that little brat that followed Dyakida around.
She wanted to be there first, before the lines were breached and the grey zone of Neued became red instead. And, definitely, before the peace was broken and shattered yet again. She wanted to see Neued when it was quiet and waiting, not just when the waiting was over. Most of all, she wanted to prepare for the hell that was to come – she knew how, now. She'd studied up on whatever burial customs she could read or get someone to talk to her about. Kaalnia wasn't going to kid herself: a lot of people were going to die, so it was good to know how to treat them.
But, in the end, she felt it would be worth it. Kaalnia had no desire to see her world conquered and enslaved, or to see her family die. She wanted to push them back to their strange land and maybe give them a taste of the fear that she'd lived with after that tournament, full of nightmares and fear.
She was pretty sure that they could do it too: Tendaji may be scattered and loosely comprised of many different races, but they were united on that front. Next time, they would be better organized. Next time, they would be smarter. Kaalnia was certain – quite certain – that the Tendaji alliance, temporary or not, would win this battle.
Kaalnia wasn't sure, for once, if she would actually physically fight in the battle, however: She had done more good, arguably, off the battlefield than on it. There was a lot to be done in the camp, and plenty of places where a big strong alkidike could make herself useful without involving the killing or maiming of enemies. These jobs weren't as glorious or spectacular as she might have liked a few years ago, but now, matured (sort of) as she was, she was willing to do them.
She brought her spear with her, though, and readied her soul, just in case she had to fight and kill. And, if it came to that, she would use them both against her enemies and protect her homeland. She would just have to see how it went when she got to Neued, where the mancala stones lay in that regard. Kaalnia would go where she was needed, and that was all.
Or, she supposed, where the beautiful women were.
That too.
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:16 am
Try - Meta Ch 6 Response – 145 words
Kaalnia was anxious on the eve of battle, despite all appearances of confidence. The first two battles at Neued had lost, and she had been expecting a win. It had seemed, both times, that the cards were in their favor, that they would win the fight and drive the Obans out.
But, after two losses, Kaalnia was no longer sure. Prisoners had been freed, chaos had been seeded among the Obans, but the Obans were still out there, and they had shown that they could crush Tendaji with very little effort.
Twice.
So for all her energy, for all her confidence, for all her admonishing of the naysayers, Kaalnia honestly wondered if they could win against the Obans after all. Still, though, she wasn't going to lie down and let these invaders walk over her: she was going to fight. It wasn't really a choice.
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 4:08 pm
It's good to be Alive - Meta Ch 6 Response – 204 words
”Hey, honey.” said Kaalnia to an attractive looking earthling, winking as she wrapped her arms around the woman's frame, “Did you see me out there?”
“Er...” the earthling gave her an uncertain look, “No, can't say that I did... do I know you?”
“Not yet, but soon you'll want to, gorgeous.” said Kaalnia, winking.
The war was over, Tendaji was victorious, and Kaalnia intended to celebrate.
“Er... I'm not sure about this...” said the woman, pushing gently away from the Alkidike.
“Aww, come on.” said Kaalnia, though she didn't force the matter.
“Mm, no.” said the woman, backing away, “Not interested.”
“Well, if you change your mind...” said Kaalnia, winking. It was fine, though: she could find other women to entertain with her awesome physique and her stunning good looks. Ideally, as many as possible.
“Oo!” said Kaalnia, distracted for the time being by the food and drink that had been provided for the celebration. She had to try some of those things. Everything. And she could, because she was free. The Obans had lost, and there would be no more slaves.
She was glad the war was over... and man, it was good to be alive.
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Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 6:33 am
The Retreat from Neued – 775 words
Kaalnia walked in silence, her companion ignored for the time being in place of quiet, frightened introspection. Not that he wasn't the one that frightened her: he was. She'd known him as that quiet, stammering shifter friend of Dyakida's and her Sister's, unassuming and kind of cute in a male way.
But when he had killed that Raptrix rider he hadn't been that way at all. He'd been some kind of being of flame and lightning, something to be feared. Kaalnia wondered if that was why Mother Aisha only birthed a few mystics, to keep them from becoming as elemental, primal, and wild as the elements themselves. Kaalnia certainly didn't want that. Not for herself, or for anybody.
She followed him; so afraid was she of upsetting the shifter that she didn't even utter a grunt when her injured foot twisted on a root: She did not want his searing heat and light turned towards her.
She looked at the jungle around her instead, thinking about how dark and spooky it was down here in the thick understory. Anything could be hiding in it, be it a wadana, a radaku or something worse. Kaalnia had learned over the years, though, that nothing hid a more fearsome creature better than the heart of an earthling. From Ruelash to the Obans to the man walking ahead of her, they were capable of and had done some terrifying things.
Kaalnia gripped her spear tightly. She had seen those terrors up close, and they seemed to become more horrifying as she grew older. And yet, she could already feel herself becoming okay. She saw worse things now, and she bounced back faster – that was progress. Or was it progress? Was she becoming jaded and heartless, like some of the older hardcore sisters? No, she decided, she would be optimistic and call it progress. She was understanding the ways of the world – both the bad parts, and the ability of the good parts to overturn the bad, time and time again.
And, as she watched Biroki warily, she could see her travel partner calming down, becoming less hostile. That was progress too.
They parted ways at Ast: He was stopping by there to bring news of the loss, while she continued out into the Western jungle to the new Tale encampment.
Kaalnia's feet stung with the hard grasses of the borderlands, intermediate between the sharp, glassy grasses of the Tale and the soft fungal mats of Jahuar. Kaalnia had always liked the edge of Jahuar: it had a soft exoticness to it that she liked. She'd met many interesting people on the edge of the Tale, and she knew that beyond lay a world of adventure and excitement, exotic lands ripe for travelling, adventures waiting to be found, and – most of all – gorgeous women to sweep off their feet. She and Votzhem had walked all the way across Tendaji, very nearly from coast to coast, and she knew that there was much in store for her out there past the trees, if she dared.
But she did not dare. Not with the war on, not even without the war. She liked the Tale border because it was that – a border, a place between here and there allowing for interaction with there without ever leaving here. She didn't hate traveling, but Jahuar was her home, and she intended to enjoy it after she protected it.
The camp was not far – she could see it, a city of tents amidst the trees, smoke rising from a cooking fire – and she started towards it, determined. She would protect her homeland: Jahuar would not fall. They were ready for the Obans now, and Neued would be as far as they got. They would stop their army, Kaalnia knew it in her heart. She had known, too, that they would win at Neued, but honestly: a win was a win if it was won in the end, even if it was first lost. The logic, though strange to her, gave her hope.
And that hope, in turn, gave her the strength to put on her usual huge and cheery smile on her face, a glimmer in her eyes as she looked at the ladies, and a strut in her step as she walked into the boundaries of the camp.
But most of all, it gave her a fire in her soul, one that nobody could ever put out... not anymore. The Obans had had their time: now it was Tendaji's – and the Alkidike's - turn to show them just how scary awesome they could be.
Go Tendaji.
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