Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was late morning and the sun was high. The direct sunlight was broken up by patches of light clouds. Despite Warren's hopes for a light shower, these clouds were white and not heavy with rain. It was going to be another dry day. "In more ways than one", he thought to himself.

The weather had been uneventful, the herd had been uneventful, and lately his life had been uneventful. Warren grew up helping his father Kendov herd aldebuk along the southern Tale and Sauti border. Warren didn't mind herding, he just found it incredibly boring. He was pretty sure his father had done it his entire life, it was all Kendov knew. He couldn't understand how a man could be so content and happy doing something so mundane.

Warren knew herding had its uses, and respected his father and his trade. But Warren also knew herding aldebuck was not his life's passion. Now that he was older and becoming his own man he needed to find his own path. A path unlike the trails and trading routes he grew up traveling.

He huffed out a sigh and rested his chin on the walking stick he had been carrying. Sauti usually had more favorable grazing patches for the small herd of aldebuck. Switching between two lands worked well for them and kept the habitats healthy; always moving them so they wouldn't over graze. They were back to spiky grass (Tale), but the aldebuk didn't seem to mind or notice.

Warren had the herd north, just outside the Vers settlement. His father Kendov was in the market trying to sell a few of the aldebuck. Depending on how quickly they sold them they may only stay in Vers for a day or two. If they didn't sell they would have to move on farther south to Yware. Most people sold kinfa in this area, but aldebuck were great for meat, pelts, and milk if you had a good doe. Kendov said it gave him an edge in the market, but they didn't always sell so easily.

Warren had little experience outside of what he learned from his father and herding aldebuck. But he did like to fight. Warren gripped the walking stick tightly and admired the pink rocky crystals on his hands and knuckles. He took pride in them, it gave him edge he thought. His hands hit harder and usually did more damage to his target than his hands.
When he was younger and when his parents were still together they tried to enrol him in school. There was class 3 times a week and Warren hardly went. When he did, he spent the time harassing his classmates. He had always been bigger and taller for his age, and used his size to bully others. Needless to say he didn't receive a full education. Warren didn't seem to mind, he preferred being on his own or with his father and the herd. The downside is he is getting to be too old for the "prentice" status. Warren was eighteen, most others his age had picked their rolls and were starting their careers.

While Warren had been daydreaming a predator was stalking the herd.
He was thinking about what kind of jobs he could take when he noticed the aldebuck acting strange. Several had stopped eating and their heads were up and ears alert. He began to look around, they must have heard something. He quieted his breathing and tried to listen. There was very little wind and that meant the predators could stalk closer without the herd picking up the sent. Warren cursed himself under his breath, he should have been more alert.
Some of the herd had gone back to grazing but others were stone still and twitching their ears. He let out a breath, the herd appeared to be calming down, maybe it was nothing. Still, he didn't want something to sneak up on him.

Not a moment after he let out his breath the herd exploded into motion. The panicked bleating of an aldebuck shattered the silence. The animals were quick on their feet and predators were unlikely to chase once they were on the move. The herd was moving in one direction and Warren quickly saw the source of their excitement.
A witu, that had previously been perfectly camouflaged in the brush, was now on top of one of Warren's aldebuck. Its teeth and claws were sunk into meat of the buck's back leg.
His heart jumped into his throat and his blood flowed with adrenaline. This was the excitement he had waited for all day, all week, all month. Warren launched himself towards the struggle. His long legs pushed forward and he gained speed remarkably fast, despite his feet sinking part way into the soft sand. Seconds felt like forever as he raced to aid the bleating aldebuk. It was still struggling and kicking at the witu. The beast clamped one of its claws into bucks side to get a better grip and shook its head fiercely.

As Warren approached the witu tried to scoot the buck back and pull it into the brush but it was still struggling with its prey. Warren still had his stick in his hand and raised it over his head. When he was close enough he swung and broke the stick over the witu's back. But Warren hadn't tried to slow down, and he threw his right fist forward. His fist, followed by the rest of Warren's body and weight crashed into the witu. A reckless assault, but the adrenaline was in full strength and Warren was beyond reasoning. The blow to the witu's side knocked the wind out of it and it released the buck from its deadly grip. The witu and Warren tumbled over each other into the grass. The witu yelped as the grass cut into its hide. Warren was scratched too and groaned as he stood up, using his knee for leverage. He looked down at the weakened witu, it was still gasping for breath from the hit. It tripped over its own feet as it stood to face Warren with a snarl. Warren could see it had its tail dipped between its legs and it was still shaking from the blow. The snarl was a bluff and he knew this animal wasn't going to be a threat any more.

Warren took in a deep breath and let out a bellowing shout. As he shouted at the animal he lunged forward to try and scare it off. His bluff worked and the witu turned tail and disappeared into the brush. Warren huffed as he stared into the grass. He wanted to be sure the animal wouldn't return or worse, bring friends. He waited, and when he was sure the beast was gone he looked back towards his aldebuck.
The adrenaline was fading and he began to feel the sting from the cuts on his arms and torso. The herd had made their way into an open flat area. They were still running and circling each other but they seemed to know the danger had passed and were slowing down. The injured buck was limping to catch up. Warren's heart sank a little, he could tell from how severely it was limping that it had now use in that leg. He dusted of the dirt and sand from his arms as he walked after the herd. The buck wasn't getting far and it didn't take him long to catch up with it. The animal stopped moving when he walked up to it and it didn't struggle when Warren went to pick it up. Warren held the buck to his chest with one arm and stroked its neck.

Warren enjoyed the excitement the attack brought. He smiled at the memory of throwing himself into the witu. He felt good about his hits. The condition of the injured buck was worse than he had hoped. He wished he would have noticed the witu there earlier. If he had seen it before it attacked he could have scared it off before it maimed one of the herd. Now because of Warren's daydreaming, he would have to tell his father what happened and they would have to put the animal down. Warren didn't mind slaughtering some of his herd, he just hated to do it needlessly. The animal's death could have been avoided and that weighed heavy on his head.

Warren had been with his father and the herd for weeks traveling north. The dust storms had kicked up and were making fast travel difficult. They had hugged the treeline and traveled through the winding forest paths for most of the trip. It had been why it was taking so long. There was a market in north Sauti where Kendov would sell most the herd. Warren figured they would have to sell even more to make this trip worth it.

He hadn't bathed in what felt like forever. Water was always rationed and they had to use some survival techniques just to replenish and get by. So any water that would have been used for bathing went into keeping themselves and the herd hydrated.

He looked forward to their destination in Sauti. He fondly remembers the cool fresh water springs and lakes. He had been to a few in the summer and they were the most refreshing. The waters were still probably freezing but he would risk it if it meant he could wash away a weeks worth of sand, dust and grime.

The daydreaming helped him pass the time. Surely he should be close by now. He could see the mountains and the sandy earth had shifted to hard and rocky soil. Warren lifted his head lazily to see the front of the herd where his father was. Kendov had stopped and was looking back at Warren. He motioned for Warren to hurry up. Warren quickened his pace and did his best to keep up. Before he knew it they were running and he was having a hard time keeping the herd together through the rocks and trees. Kendov was far ahead now and Warren couldn't see him.

He ran up a slanted protruding rock so he could get a better view.
He saw his father who was not as far up as he had thought. He also saw a group of people. Some were huddled together and they all had weapons and some looked injured. They were walking in a line headed towards the settlement up ahead. He looked farther back and could see they were hauling something. They were wrapped and some were bloody. He could only imagine they were bodies.

"What had happened?!?" Warren exclaimed.
Kendov must have seen them because he was already running to talk to them. Warren hopped off his rock and pushed the aldabuck forward, and even carried some of the slower ones just to keep up.
The herd was gathered in a circle and had stopped where Kendov had meet the travelers.
They were all battle worn and appeared to be mostly from the wind tribe. They were soldiers returning home.

Kendov had been talking to one of the men when he turned back and walked to Warren when he caught up.
"Father, what's going on?" He asked a bit out of breath.

"Apparently there was a battle. Invaders to the south threaten to take over all the tribes. All capable warriors were summoned but it sounds like we missed the call while we were traveling." Kendov sounded surprised. An entire battle had happened and they didn't know a thing about it.
"We are going to help them get to the village. I'm going to sell the herd at the market as planned but I'm only keeping a few, the rest will go to help these soldiers."

Warren nodded in agreement. "I want to help too. But I need to fight!"
He couldn't believe that they had missed the entire battle and the call to war! Aldabuck herding was so far from what he wanted to do. This next battle would be his chance to get some training and prove himself as a fighter.
"Father when we are done here.. I want to go with them into the next battle. They can use my strength and I won't see our land torn apart by some thugs."

Kendov held his sons arms and opened his mouth to object. They just stared into each others eyes for a moment. Kendov's eyes began to water, he could see the fierce determination in his sons eyes. There was nothing he could have said that would have changed Warren's mind.

Warren knew this was his calling. He had already spent too long wading through the motions at home and going along with his father, it was his turn to do something for himself. To do something useful. After all what had he been working out so much for? He had been honing his muscles for an opportunity like this and he wouldn't let it slip by again.

I had been six hard months working under Lon. His forge master had proven to be as hard on Warren as the iron he worked. And over those months Lon had molded, hammered, and pressed Warren into a remarkable journeyman Guard. Lon's final errand for him was to fetch some unique materials. This required three days of travel to various locations. He had to gather raw ore, barter and trade with merchants and a caravan, and finally slay a creature with a thick hide. It required all of Warren's strength, charisma, and skill. A final test of what he had learned. In the end it had all proved to be worth it. Warren was rewarded with a new pair of gauntlets that Lon had forged and crafted himself with the materials gathered. It represented the journey he had begun and was the first fruits of his labors.

Warren was filled with gratitude and pride. He wanted nothing more than to prove himself worthy. His status as a Guard was proof that he could accomplish something difficult and could be relied on by others. More importantly it was proof that he could be something his grandfather and mother told him he wasn't capable or worthy of. He could finally show them he was normal and could be a productive member of a community.

His training had helped him grab hold of his rage and funnel it into a productive force. It was easier for him to focus under pressure, and use his anger to fuel his strength to overwhelm an opponent. Warren felt equipped enough to confront his grandfather, Nitoh, and more importantly his mother Ah'Brii.

Nitoh had confronted Warren at the start of his training, and Warren had erupted on him. His hatred of Nitoh was just cause considering the abuses he endured as a child. Warren also held him responsible for causing his mothers fragile mind to shatter into madness. She legitimately believed Warren was a beast spawned from her interracial marriage, specifically the Dread Sermal. His eye condition was apparent proof to her and Nitoh of the curse. This and the events that followed were the reason Warren's family was shattered. He wanted nothing more than to be accepted and loved by his mother. At times he hated her, wanted to forget her, but deep down he was still that vulnerable child tugging at his mothers dress, begging her to just look at him.

Warren was mature now, he had accepted his mothers illness and had forgiven her. He wanted to show her he was ready to be her son again, that he had control over his anger and he could be the son she had wanted.

~~~

Warren picked up his gauntlets and pulled them over his labor hardened hands. He grabbed a rugged rucksack and lifted it onto his shoulders. It was packed full and had the sleeping mat rolled up and sticking out the top. He had packed it the night before and had said his goodbyes to Lon. He was going back to see his father in Tale. It was the time of year his father lead the aldabuck herd north to market and Warren could meet him half way. He was eager to tell his father about his training, and accomplishments. But he was also filled with much anticipation, he had business to see to yet before he left. Warren placed his hand on the door with his back to the forge. He gave himself a moment to feel the heat of the forge on his back, perhaps for the last time.

He started up the path with his head down in fierce determination. His feet landed heavy and he was all but stomping. It wasn't until he was half way up a steep hill that his legs ached so much Warren had to stop. He hadn't given his legs a rest and the muscles were hard as rock. He recognized the stress he was feeling and took the moment to practice his breathing exercises that had become routine. He gripped the straps of his rucksack and spoke to himself.

"Long breath in.." he paused, "and exhale through mouth." he repeated the action just as he instructed himself four more times. "This is a big moment for you Warren, don't let the stress cloud your mind." He took another long breath and exhaled before he started up the path to his grandfathers house once again.

Warren had planned his arrival to land when Nitoh was on his morning walk to the shrines. This was the best time for him to approach his mother away from Nitoh. If things went as he hoped, Warren would be able to talk to her calmly and perhaps convince her to see him. He looked down at his gauntlets for encouragement. They were the reason he was taking this trip, the reason to show her she was wrong and that everything could be okay.

He hadn't realized how long he had been looking into his hands until he found himself at the front steps of the porch. He dropped his hands to his sides and slowly examined the exterior of the house. Childhood memories flooded him melancholy and nostalgia. Warren swallowed them and felt their weight hit the bottom of his stomach. Before he lost his nerves he put his foot on the stairs and made his way to the door. He rapped it three times and waited for a response.

A small seemingly startled voice replied. "Oh, um, Nitoh isn't back from his walk yet." there was a long pause before they started up again, "You will have to come back later."

"Actually," Warren started shyly "I am not here to see Nitoh. Is this Ah'Brii?"

Another long pause. Warren cut the silence, "May I come in?" he hoped if he hadn't revealed his identity right away she might not refuse him outright.

"You're here to see me?" her voice was surprised.

"I just want to talk, perhaps over a cup of tea?" He remembered the smell of the tea she used to drink and could smell it through the window.

Without a response the door clicked unlock and opened slightly, "Yes, oh yes tea. I have some herbal steeping right now, is that okay?" Ah'brii said so softly, one would have guessed she was speaking to herself. Warren realized she wasn't going to finish opening the door and he let himself in. The shell of the woman who was his mother was hovering over to the stove. Her hair was unkempt and she was wearing what appeared to be blankets. Warren took a seat at the small kitchen table. He watched her silently and studied her movements closely.

Her face was gaunt and her posture looked so frail that a breeze could carry her away. Ah'brii carefully pored the hot water into the cups and brought them to the table. She didn't even look up to see her guest until she had sat down and blown on her tea a few times. "My those are some strong looking gloves.." she started as she examined the man before her that wore them. When her eyes met his they widened with fear. She took in a shuttered breath and brought her hand to her mouth. Ah'brii's face crumpled as if she was about to cry.

"Wait! Please let me explain why I am here." Warren pleaded and extended his open hand across the table.

Her eyes watered and she took a few sniffled breaths, "You are here to finally take me. The beast of sin that I brought into this world, you have come for my soul! I dreaded this day, I always knew-" she started to ramble as her voice broke down from the tears.

"No mother, I have come to show you that I have become a man." he interrupted and tried to speak over her whimpering. "These gloves are my gauntlets. I have started my career as a Guard. I only wanted to show you that I h-"

"No!" she shouted and pushed herself out of her chair. "You have the spirit of death inside you! I brought you into this world and now you are here to take me from it!" Ah'brii shouted as she stumbled her way into the hallway. Warren reached out to grab her arm but she pulled away and ran down the hall. He got up to chase her but she shut herself behind the door of her bedroom.

"Mother!" Warren pleaded. "I am sorry, I did not mean to frighten you. But you must see that I am not the beast grandfather tells you I am!"
Some crashing could be heard from the behind the door. "Father raised me on his own and showed me how to be a good man!" he continued.
*crash!* The sound of glass breaking startled him. Warren feared Ah'brii might have harmed herself or was trying to harm herself. He grabbed the door handle and shook it violently. "Mother let me in! Don't hurt yourself!"

"No! Nooo!!!" Ah'brii screamed, true fear in her voice. The crashing continued, it sounded as if she was throwing furniture around the room. It was hard to imagine the tiny woman lifting anything heavier than a tea kettle. Absolute panic filled Warren. Her screams and the violent crashing continued. He feared for her life and threw his weight against the door once, twice, three times. The spikes on his shoulders stuck into the wood and the door cracked. Warren yanked himself free and took a few steps back before he launched himself into the door with all his strength, just has her screaming stopped.

Warren fell to the floor onto the splintered door. The broken wood had scratched his arm and chest and he was bleeding badly, but he hadn't noticed the pain. Warren lifted himself up and stepped over the fallen wardrobe. The window was shattered and glass littered the floor. Blood splatters decorated the wall and bed. Warren did could not see his mother, instead what he found himself looking at was a beast hunched between the bed and the wall.

Warren let out a low grievous roar and lunged at the beast across the bed before he could even begin to identify it. He tired to grapple it but the creature reared its rock-encrusted head and knocked Warrens arms back. He reached for it again and grabbed one of its feelers or antennae. He yanked and pulled the beast partially onto the bed away from what ever it was preoccupied with on the floor. It was then Warren saw it for what it was. The tell tale features, rocky head, long teeth, and claws. It was a sermal, and it was covered in his mothers blood.

Shock, fear, and grief froze Warren on the spot. The sermal shook itself from his grasp and clambered for the window. Warren climbed over the bed and jumped to grab the creature again before it escaped. He wasn't going to let this go, not after all he had been through. This beast was not going to take so much from him after he had worked so hard. He managed to grab its foot and hold tight just as it leaped out the window. Warren braced himself on the wall with his leg and tried to yank it back inside. The Sermal fought fiercely and kicked back with its claws extended. Warren had to let go of one hand to guard his face from the deadly kicks. But with the beasts constant kicking and squirming one hand was not strong enough the keep it under grasp. As warren felt his grip slide and the foot slip through his hand an sudden jerk tugged him forward. Part of the claw was caught in the plates of his gauntlet. The sermal howled in pain, and he could see the toe was twisted and barely hanging on. Warren crumpled his face into a snarl and tugged back with all his might.

Warren fell back on the glass covered floor and he heard the claws of the sermal scrape down the side of the house. He looked down at his gauntlet and saw the claw still wedged in the plate. He ripped it out and threw it at the wall in frustration. Without a heartbeat's pause he jumped over see what remained of Ah'brii. He lifted her from the floor and cradled her in his arms. Her bone thin body was wet with blood and her head hung limp. Warren cradled her face in his hand and rested her head on his chest. He could do nothing but weep. His body shook with fear and grief and anger. He had never felt so helpless in his life. None of his training could have prepared him for this, he was completely useless. He failed to save his mother, failed to avenge her, failed to be her son.