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Maya smiled as she turned in her bed. The warm, cozy, comfy sheets where draped over her body halfway she stretched her arms out. There was absolutely nothing that could ruin this moment for her as she was dreaming one of the best dreams she had in a long time. Two of her friends were there, their faces floating in and out but given an equal amount of love.
Nothing could go wrong, it was bright, peaceful and she loved it here.
"Mamma?"
A loud horn-like sound was heard startling the Amazonian woman out of her sleep. She screeched as she flew from the bed and hid the ground with a loud thud. Groaning she looked up with a scowl on her face. What ever had been the source of this new development wasn't something she was in the mood for.
"Surprise!" Teiluj Shouted while throwing handful after handful of glowing dust in the air. "Happy birthday Mamma." She shouted again.
Maya rubbed her face, trying to lodge the sleep dust from her eyes as her antenna twitched in response to any other movements around the room. Pacju. Opening her eyes her dark orbs moved around the room. Blinking a few times she noticed that there were lanterns all over the small space and the glowing dust rained down settling on the bed and floor around her while Teiluj stood there with a cheeky grin plastered on her young face.
"Alright what are you up to?" Maya asked getting up and brushing the dust off her body.
Teiluj took a step forward as her body made a small wiggling motion. "It's your birthday! I didn't forget, see I remembered." Teiluj giggled as she watched Maya take in the room.
"Well, I hadn't noticed. Or more like I had forgotten." Stretching out her arms she pulled her daughter into a warm hug. "Thank you Teiluj, you really are a gift from Aisha."
Teiluj smiled as she wiggled out of her mothers arms. Taking a step back she still held a smile on her face. "I managed to find something for you, something very special. I was hoping you would join me for a little while in the market? I want to see more of Ast."
Maya gave Teiluj a hard look as she inspected her face. Her mind struggled with what her daughter had asked. Ast? That's right, it had only been a little while since Home Tree had been burned down. Effectively burning the bridges of any relationships between her previously known sisters. The ones she had been closest to, but that was all to keep Teiluj, her daughter, safe. So many things had transpired in that place, very little had been good near the end. Rubbing the back of her neck Maya gave a nod and a smile. Yes, that's right, after burning down Hometree the Mother Alkidike had brought her youngling daughter with her to Ast. Here in the shifter settlement, there seemed to be more understanding for Teiluj, which was a gift in herself from Aisha.
Reaching out Maya pushed a lock of hair behind Teilujs ear. Giving her another warm embrace before taking a step back. "Ok we can go explore the market once you've had something to eat and I've had a chance to gather up a few things. Earthlings are very different than the Alkidike women you've known up till now."
Teiluj gave a nod as she hurried from the room leaving Maya to herself. Her dark orbs returned to inspecting the room with pride. Teiluj had gone to great effort to make this day special for her and she wouldn't ruin that now. She couldn't help but let herself soak in the warm feelings her daughter had woken her up with. Touching her chest briefly placing her finger tips against her heart beat. Sniffing Maya shifted her stance and moved to finish dressing herself.
Pulling the last of her cuffs over her wrist Maya checked her hair before leaving her room. Turning down the hall and walking down a set of stair Maya found Teiluj sitting at the kitchen table. Coming up behind her Maya bent forward to wrap her arms around her daughter. "I love you my sweet Teiluj."
Maya could feel her daughter shift in her arm in an attempt to turn around and hug her back. "I love you too, Mamma." The embrace lasted for a moment before Maya let go and moved about the kitchen in search of her bag. Finding it hung were it usually was Maya quickly strapped it around her hips.
"Shall we head out?" Maya asked, turning back to look at Teiluj with a grin. Watching as she nodded and hurried to catch up to her breaking into the open air. Maya was pleased when her young daughter reached out to take hold of her hand. Closing her fingers around the small hand in hers Maya's attention turned to her bright eyed daughter. Reaching down Maya stroked some hair away from her face and smiled when Teiluj made a pouting face and corrected her hair.
Giving a soft chuckle Maya straitened up, moving towards the center market where fresh smells and noises awaited them. Maya was not nearly as enamored by the sensations as Teiluj, but the smells of cooked fruit and salted nuts and dried meat were enough to make her drool. Her stomach rumbled and turned as they passed stall after stall of the aromatic market.
"Hey you stop!" A man beaming with anger yelled as he made his way through the market stalls and growing crowd of people. "Stop that theif!" He swung out his hand and pointed to the hooded figure that ran behind several stalls a distance from Maya and her daughter. A nearby shifter who had been startled by the commotion while haggling with a merchant dropped his current interest and gave chase after the figure.
Maya knelt down to her knees to look Teiluj over. "I know you're a smart girl. I need you to do something for me. See that stall over there. The one where there aren't many people lingering by it?" She waited until her daughter had looked in the direction she was pointing and gave a nod to signal she had seen it. "I need for you to go and hide under it for a little while. I will come back to look for you. Please wait there."
Teiluj gave a sharp nod and moved reluctantly towards the stall Maya had pointed at. Glancing back to catch Maya's eyes before turning her interest back towards the commotion before slipping away into the small hiding place. Giving her daughter a wave Maya turned to give chase as well. Following the shifter and hooded figure into a narrow row of stalls.
Boxes were pushed aside and crates knocked over, spilling their contents as the trio rampaged through the streets. The hooded figure stopped as they neared a dead end. "There is no where left for you to go! Put your hands up and get on the ground." The hooded figure turned but their face was still hidden under the hood of their robe shadowed from view. "Don't make me repeat myself." The shifter said as his hand moved towards what Maya could only understand as a sword.
Her breathing was a little heavy, unaccustomed to having given chase in so many years. But the feeling of her blood pumping back through her veins was a welcome feeling, she had missed the way her body woke with excitement in battle. Having remained dormant for so long as she had been raising Teiluj, the child wasn't one to run off on her or do silly disobedient things often in a way of acting out. Teiluj had actually been rather behaved for a youngling.
The thief raised their gloved hands above their head. "That's what I -" Before the shifter could even finish talking the cloaked figure kicked a trash bin, sending it flying towards the shifter. He let out a yelp of pain before falling to his knees. When he glanced up to where the thief had been there was nothing there. The figure had vanished without a trace for him to follow.
Maya however had been quicker in her reactions. Her feet plodded past the shifter as she took off after the strange hooded figure. She had no idea what they had stolen but knew it needed to be returned. The person had to be guilty right? Otherwise why would they be running and so desperate to escape those who were busy trying to catch them? Maya followed after the trail as best she could. Her own senses dulled from the lack of use over the years. The alkidike woman made a mental note to herself that she would need to return to training and soon in order to keep herself strong for Teiluj's sake.
The pair of runners eventually broke free of the small market and Maya found herself following the hooded figure out into the trees. There was something frightening and quite foreboding as she followed the unknown northeast of the town. Whatever it had stolen, it was so desperate to keep it from being returned that it was heading towards a frightening part of the forest. Hissing her annoyance Maya tried to pick up speed. Ignoring the sound of clicking and strange humming that came from the person she was pursuing.
There was a sickening feeling of regret as Maya reached back in search of her bow and quiver. Neither of which seemed to be there, she had forgotten to equip her weapons before leaving the house. Probably in an attempt to show the shifters in Ast that she had no intention of causing them harm and only wanted peace for her daughter and herself. Growling Maya's mind flashed to her Radaku companion, Pacju. Again that was a fruitless endeavor as Pacju refused to leave her home lately. The Radaku had looked rather sickly and swollen for the past few weeks and Maya had little knowledge of what could be causing her companion such ailment.
Picking up speed, Maya tried to push herself hard, faster, in order to reach the person. "I'm not giving up!" Maya shouted as the clicking noises intensified. She was gaining on the person even if just a little with each stride. Reaching out as the distance between them became smaller and smaller Maya finally gripped the edge of the cloak. Holding tightly she yanked it back and screamed as she came to a complete stop while the creature looked back but kept running.
Maya had never seen anything like it before her mind focused on the large sharp areas of the mouth Maya took to resemble pincers, the tall sectioned antenna. Many dotted eyes on its head and thick hairs that covered the visible parts of the body. Shaking herself from the stun she had received at having seen the form under the cloak Maya realized she had lost track of whatever she was chasing. A stick in her side painfully pulled Maya back to reality. Whatever that had been was not something she was stubborn enough to follow. That had been more than enough for her, having pledged to stay out of trouble for the time being until Teiluj was old enough to take care of herself.
The thought of her daughter had Maya worried. Teiluj didn't like to stay in one place for too long. Even in crowded areas, being a hybrid she was at risk especially being so young. Stealing herself against the stabbing pain Maya began a slow journey back towards Ast. She was secretly hoping her daughter had stayed in one location, hidden under the stall until she could return to claim her. While Ast may be more tolerant towards hybrids she didn't trust that everyone in the settlement was as tolerant towards Teiluj.
Raising her arms above her head in an effort to lessen the sting in her side, Maya made her way slowly back through the forest. Re-entering Ast with a pained look on her face. "There that was who gave it chase." Maya looked up to see the Shifter from before pointing in her direction. Raising her hands again around her head in a submissive gesture. Curious about what was going on.
"Pardon?" Maya asked looking at the shifters face. "Did you recover the object from that person."
Maya paused and lowered her hands. "No, and I don't think that was a person. It... didn't look like anything I've ever seen before." Her expression was haunted at the reminder. "Please, excuse me for now. I tried but I failed, I don't even know where I lost that... thing. But I have someone else I need to find right now."
Attempting to slip past the shifters Maya moved slowly towards the stall she had left Teiluj at. "You can come out now, Teiluj. I'm back." Several deep breaths passed with no answer. Worried Maya repeated her daughters name again. Again there was no response. Panicked Maya moved about the stall searching it over but finding no trace of Teiluj.
NO
Fear laced every breath, every thought, every action. Teiluj wasn't where she had left her! Even after instructing the young girl to stay where she was. Snarling with agitation as her mind wildly thought up several worst case scenarios the Alkidike woman rushed home forgetting the stitch in her side. Pushing in the door maya stopped.
(Word Count: 2253)
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