Niabi finds herself in a tight spot while on her own. [Finished]
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:33 pm
Suspicion
Niabi was in the forest again, nestled into a tree where she could get a clear view of Aisha. She was so close, but refused to get much closer than this. When she did move closer, she almost always ended up being spotted by someone and they would ask her if she was alright, if she needed a hand, and what a Sister was doing just sitting up in a tree. She didn’t really want to deal with it right now.
But it was an odd day. Niabi had only been in the trees for a few minutes before there was movement around her. Were the bug mages back to finish the job? A hot flash of fear spiked through her, burning her chest and searing her arms and legs. She didn’t think she could face them again so soon. She didn’t know if she could face them at all. But they were so close to Aisha she would have to try. And the thought of that sent a chill down her spine.
But it wasn’t the bug mages. Before long she could see Sisters moving through the forest, toward Aisha. They were dirty, and there were a lot of them. Were they back from the war then? Was it over? Had they won? All of the questions flashed through Niabi’s mind before she moved quickly down the tree and over to the Sisters all moving toward Aisha. They seemed tired. ”Sister. Is it over? Did we win?” She vocalized her thoughts toward a weary looking bow weilder.
”It’s over. We are home. The threat is gone, Sister.” Niabi smiled softly at the news. They were victorious. As the elders knew they would be. The Alkidike couldn’t be taken down so easily. ”And what of the Obans? Are they imprisoned now?” The Alkidke woman whipped her head to face Niabi. ”The earthlings demanded that they be released to go home. Weaklings.” The Alkidike spit. Niabi was surprised. After all the fallen in battle, the Obans were to go free? It didn’t make sense, it was not justice. It was humiliation. ”And what of the elders? Surely they don’t agree with this?”
The Alkidike shook her head to Niabi. ”They do not, but the earthlings overruled us. It’s a shame. They are gaining too much power if you ask me.” The Alkidike continued to move toward Aisha, but Niabi fell back. The earthlings growing powerful? But the earthlings had been their ally, hadn’t they? But the Obans were earthlings as well. And they turned vicious and tore down Sisters and their own kind alike to get power. The other earthlings could do the same at any moment, and Niabi almost gasped in horror. There was no doubt in Niabi’s mind that the Obans would not forget that it was the Alkidike that had wanted to imprison them for their crimes. If the earthlings chose to take over Chibale and Jauhar and decimate the Alkidike, they could with the help of the Obans. Their vicious war beasts were already a match for them. The Alkidike were warriors at heart, but there were limitations that their courage couldn’t overcome. And Niabi didn’t have enough courage to begin with.
She moved quietly back into her tree and faded away from view from the other Alkidike. How could she trust any earthling after this? What if freeing the Obans really was part of their plan for domination? Niabi shuddered at the thought. She didn’t know when she became such a distrusting person, but she just couldn’t bring herself to think of the earthlings with any sort of compassion. She was just waiting for their next move. Like the bug mages, they couldn’t be trusted. They held destruction in their beings, and Niabi knew that right now the only people she could trust were her own. Her Sisters.
[word count: 642]
kaname423 Crew
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kaname423 Crew
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Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:28 am
Winter Is Coming World Event
Winter Is Coming Prompt 1
Solo or RP Format Can be used toward Solo or RP req
The settlements of Tendaji all knew how to take care of themselves during the winter. Zena and Sauti received their usual snow fall, for Zena it was nearly year round and didn't faze them much at all; Tale and Jauhar seemed to retain most of their heat, dropping to milder temperatures; Matori and Oba seemed to flux between mild during the day and a sharp chill in the evenings. But usually it was all under control.
Word had passed through the elders and oracles and mystics that this winter was going to be a hard winter. The air would be sharp with cold and snow would fall in all areas of the world, something that had never happened before in Jauhar.
It came as a shock when the temperatures began to drop rapidly through the night. Most had thought that it was just a joke. There couldn't possibly be enough cold air to send snow to Jauhar. It was absurd. But it happened, and most of Tendaji wasn't prepared.
In the morning everything was frosted over, those in Zena and most of Sauti were barely able to open their doors the snow had risen so high overnight, and those in warmer climates could see the sheet of frost on the ground and the plants around them.
If the winter was going to be a long one, they would have to salvage what they could and come up with a plan...
Chibale had been feeling the abrupt chill of winter, as if it had almost settled in overnight. Niabi didn’t like the feel of it, with her new home on the islands she could see the other sisters worrying and fretting from the weather. There was frost on the ground, and the waters were chilled to near freezing. The ferries had stopped running to the mainland, there was no way that they could ensure safe passage with the aggressive seas, and that meant that the supplies they usually shuttled in from Jauhar had stopped without much warning or preparation.
Niabi left the warm comfort of her home on the beach with its fire still lit in the hearth and ran to a nearby sister where a group had gathered. ”What’s going on, Sister?” She asked. The Alkidike Niabi had addressed looked tired and worn down, older than Niabi herself and knowing more of the ways of the world. She shook her head with displeasure. ”The ferries are down, there is no passage to the mainland. We’re already running low on firewood and meats.”
Niabi’s brows furrowed in worry. ”But how are we running low? Aren’t there enough nizda and maglardilla that we can hunt until the winter passes?” Niabi didn’t know how to address the problem with the wood; they couldn’t cut down the precious trees that connected to Aisha, it would be as if they were cutting off their own mother’s fingers. But food Niabi couldn’t understand as being a problem.
The sister looked to Niabi and sighed with irritation. ”There aren’t enough animals on the Isles combined to provide enough food for all the sisters to eat through the winter.” It was as if the Alkidike sister thought Niabi knew nothing… and maybe she didn’t, but she was sure that they could think of something. Niabi curtly nodded her head and bid the sister goodbye as politely as she could before fading back into the forest.
If her sisters were in need of food, it was only right that those capable began hunting, wasn’t it? But if what that sister had said was right, then there wasn’t enough to make it through the worst of it. They would go hungry. Niabi thought to the children that were being born by Aisha everyday. They would know hunger from birth and it was something that made Niabi’s stomach flutter in pain and anguish.
But what could they do? Niabi pulled her bow from her back and began to track what she could. Maybe if she could just bring back enough for one family… it would help. She could do that. Before the day was out she had taken down four nizdas and three maglardilla. It was a hefty supply to be sure. She could probably use one of each for herself to last for a week, and the other five animals could go to those who needed it. Niabi hauled her load back into the village and spoke to an elder about her extras. After she was thanked for her generosity and her help toward those who needed it, she pulled her smaller load to her own home and salted and prepped what she could to last as long as she could make it. The fire was still lit, keeping her home nice and warm, but it was fading fast. She thought of the shortage of wood and grimaced.
She wiped her hands on a towel, trying to get the majority of the salt off of them when there was a knock outside of her door. The elder she had spoken to earlier was outside, and with her a young mother and her infant. ”Sister, the elders have decided that those who live alone or in smaller houses should share space to conserve wood. Do you approve?” Niabi was taken aback at the question. Share space, of course she would approve. Whatever she could do to help. ”Of course elder. Of course.” Niabi nodded her head vigorously and waved for the two to come inside. The child couldn’t have been more than a few months old, and with a quick wave of unease she realized that it was also a hybrid.
Niabi took a quick breath to calm herself and replaced the smile on her face. Though Niabi didn’t understand the idea of being with an earthling anymore, she couldn’t go against her elders. She would have to withhold judgement and push aside her fears for the sake of the mother and the baby. After all, a baby wasn’t born evil or a threat to others. These things were learned. She offered the mother food and returned to prepping for dinner, now seating three instead of one.
The forest floor was dim, as was the usual. Niabi gathered her pack and slung it over her shoulder. After such a long time they were ready to return to the islands. She sighed at the thought of being home for the first time in months. She really did enjoy being home. Traveling out to Tale had been a fun idea, but in all actuality it had her missing the familiar territory of Chibale and of her Sisters surrounding her. She still felt uneasy around earthlings, not exactly sure how to trust them or to not be intimidated even though she was a full head taller. Her ideas of what they were capable of in numbers were only worsening with all that had happened in the past months.
They were in Jauhar now, on their way back from getting Neska her kinfa. Vollerei and her daughter were back at the camp they had set up, gathering their things for the final stretch home while Niabi was out getting their last round of supplies they would need. They had passed near an Alkidike village earlier, and she would see what she could grab there before heading back to where they were packing up their things. She felt the earth under her feet harden from continual use as she reached the outskirts of the village. There was a bustle in the air as those who lived there went about their normal business, Niabi feeling more at home and getting more comfortable by the second. She spotted the market first, her antennae perking at the familiar scents and sights of Alkidike goods and foods. How it was nice to be home. Or at least closer to home; it was familiar enough for Niabi.
She picked up some of the fruit from a stall and dropped them into her bag. It was in season now, they would be nice for Volle and Neska on their boat ride back. She was smiling to herself when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around, not sure she would even know anyone in this village and had to turn her head down to the petite Alkidike in front of her. her smile faltered as she saw the expression the younger girl wore. ”Oh… is there something you need, Sister?” She asked hesitantly. She couldn’t have begun to guess what it was she would want from Niabi, but Niabi was sure she was about to find out.
The younger girl in front of her, at the most only a handful of years behind Niabi, tilted her head and grimaced. ”I know you. You - worthless idea of a Sister- should leave.” She spat at her.
Niabi was taken aback. What would this Sister even know about her? Why would she say such things? She jerked her chin in, shocked at the rudeness she was being shown. ”I’m sorry… do you have me confused with someone else? That... “ She wanted to tell the girl in front of her that she was very rude. She should have been taught some manners by now, but she couldn’t seem to bring the words to her lips, instead she was cut off from her trailing by the girl in front of her.
”You! How dare you pretend you didn’t do anything?” She started to yell. Niabi looked around at the others. They didn’t seem to be paying them any attention yet, but Niabi couldn’t help but want to put her hand over the girl’s mouth and stop her from making this ridiculous scene. ”You killed my Sister! Kerr’ba is dead because of you! She was sent to teach your pathetic hide how to use a bow and you couldn’t even protect yourself long enough to not get her killed! You need to go!” Others had started to turn their heads at this point, the name Kerr’ba ringing a bell to most there.
Niabi felt her stomach drop and her hands go numb. So this was what she had earned from that night all that time ago… She felt her shoulders drop and she couldn’t help but feel herself wanting to run away. This girl was Kerr’ba’s sister. She had gotten another Sister killed and Niabi knew that she deserved this now. She looked the girl in the eyes and didn’t know how to start. She had been worthless. And it had been her fault. If she had only trained as a Sister as she was supposed to, Kerr’ba wouldn’t have had to take her out for a crash course. If she had known what she was doing, she could have helped Kerr’ba. She could have stopped all of this. She blamed herself more than anyone else could. Anyone but the girl in front of her maybe. She lifted her hands before dropping them again. How could she stand up for herself when she was such a disappointment even to Naibi?
”I… I’m sorry.” She whispered. The girl shook her head. ”It’s not good enough! How can you just expect a sorry to fix this? They couldn’t even find a body! We have nothing for her now.” The girl seemed tough, but her voice broke at the end, her face welling up with tears. It would seem that the aftermath of her Sister’s death was more than she could bare to remember.
Niabi felt her own face getting hot and tingling with the sadness of tears before she grabbed the girl in front of her without thinking and hugged her close. She did it without thinking, but she cried with the little sister of Kerr’ba, the mentor to Niabi for such a short while before Niabi’s weakness had led to her death. The girl didn’t seem to struggle but after a brief amount of time she pulled away. ”Why? Why couldn’t you save her? Why did she have to go out there with you?” She cried out, her face still wet with tears.
Niabi knew it was the immaturity of her age that had her crying in front of the older Sisters around them. And that it was Niabi’s weakness as an Alkidike that had herself crying. ”I… I couldn’t do it. They were too many… and too strong… They had her trapped.” She grasped for words, but couldn’t seem to say the right words. She couldn’t justify herself. ”I was weak… I’m sorry.” She admitted.
The girl wiped her face on her arms and sniffed. ”You should have been better for her.” The girl whispered. ”I know…” Niabi answered. She was well aware of how weak she had been. How stupid she had been for thinking she didn’t need training, that she didn’t want training. But there were more evils in the world than Niabi knew about and now she regretted everything.
A voice called out from the edge of the market. ”Erii’na! That’s enough. Please come home.” The tone of her voice was stern, and sad. It must have been the girl’s mother. Niabi’s face deepened in its grieving. A mother left without a daughter because of her. Erii’na shook her head at Niabi sadly before turning and doing as she was told, leaving Niabi in the middle of the market with other Sisters staring. She knew that they had probably known Kerr’ba, and how it was that she had died, and it cut Niabi to the bone to know that she could not be pardoned from what she had done. She turned from the stall and quickly fled the village, ready to leave it behind and to be away from everyone again.
It was what she did. Things got too tough and she took off for the forests, losing herself in the trees and hiding from anyone who could hold her accountable. She was already far away from the village when she realized that she didn’t like herself.
She couldn’t just keep hiding. She couldn’t just keep getting by without standing up for herself and for others. She could never make up for the loss of Kerr’ba, and what happened on that night would stay with Niabi for the rest of her days, but she would learn from it. She would be stronger. She would be better. She would be a stronger Alkidike. And with time she might be able to show her face to Erii’na again, and show her that for her sister, because of her sister, she had grown stronger. She would swear to protect those that were her own, so that when the evil that lurked in the darkest of shadows came back, she would be prepared. She would be an acceptable Sister in the eyes of Erii’na and her mother.
When she had come close to Vollerei and Neska’s camp, she slowed. She would need to clean her face and wipe away the remnants of her conflict in the village. It would take time to grow stronger, but she couldn’t worry Vollerei with her hurt and pain. She would be strong for her, too.
[word count: 1,525]
[Niabi is being faced with the realities of what her lack of training and dedication had caused in her first quest, and is creating a resolve to be a better Alkidike, someone who can take care of herself and others, and to eventually prove to Erii'na that she will be capable.]
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