Filled with both fresh-cooked food and respect, A thought that had occurred to Raemos before was now voiced: “You are uncommonly kind...” the boy said appreciatively as he moved himself onto Darke's back. “I...” he hadn't pulled before, when he'd ridden the khehora: why should the beast think he would now? But Darke hadn't trusted him the entire time... “Of course.” he said, leaning against the muscular neck for support – the Aiskala had said nothing about pushing, after all.
He felt his goggles slip slightly, nudging them back onto his nose – their straps had do have been damaged in the fight. But, with his hands aching and barely past bleeding, and with his other aches, pains, and exhaustions, he didn't think he could fix it. Plus, that would mean taking off his goggles and revealing his disgusting abberrance to his friend and mentor.
Maeron was uncommonly kind, but the sin that Raemos was stained with – the dark skin and hair and magic within him – was not so forgivable.
He would just have to hold it on and prey that Seren would be merciful and not jostle it too much...
“How far is it to the docks from here, sir?” he asked.
Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 3:58 pm
DraconicFeline
Darke's feathers ruffled in irritation at the contact, and despite remaining relatively silent for the duration of Rae's endeavors to mount him, the Aiskala continued to cast annoyed and spiteful glares at his companion. Because for reasons Darke didn't understand, Mae found reason to pity this untrustworthy child-beast. Brobably because he was the only child who'd ever petted his ego so thoroughly. Two-leggers with their ego... And Mae had enough for the whole continent of Serenia, surely. With Rae settled, he grunted out a, "Don't move so much, either. You'll tousle and bend my feathers."
Mae only hummed in amusement, settling an apologetic palm on the Alihora's maw as he led them off down the winding, narrow path through the mountainside that would take him back to port. "Could be a couple hours," he admitted with a shrug in response to Rae's question. "I'm not overly familiar with the terrain here, and as far as I can tell, we went quite a bit off-course... But Ayr isn't too large, and we can't have gone too far. Best to just relax and enjoy the ride for now."
He flicked his hand down Darke's downy snout, making his companion snort and rear back in annoyance. The Orderite chuckled. "If you can, anyway."
How it could go: Darke takes offense, Rae ends up slammed against a wall by accident, Goggles slide off, Alkara come?
Hours... Hours in which he would have to keep his goggles from slipping.
Excellent Raemos thought, sarcastically. ”I will try...” he said, looking down at the Khehora. He wasn't moving much at all – the khehora clearly had it in for him. Still, he did try to relax, despite the aches and pains and the constant tickling slipping of his goggles.
Raemos was sure that hours had passed already, though it was probably only one, by the time they reached a path along the canyon wall leading up. Raemos looked at it tiredly – it seemed the likliest way out of the canyon, and they could at least see where they were from on top, right?
Thats when he heard it – the bird-like shrieks like howling wind. “Oh no...” Raemos groaned, gripping Darke's feathers despite his promise not to pull, “There are more...”
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:31 pm
DraconicFeline
The Aiskals's crystalline orbs narrowed as he felt the jarring tug of fingers ripping out the feathers along the back of his neck. He'd warned the boy. Mae had heard him. Darke released a low grumble, his wings fanning out and his tail lashing. Despite the oncoming danger, he crouched lower to the ground and gave himself a violent shake, roughly flinging himself from side-to-side to rid himself of the abomination atop his back.
"Darke!" Mae complained as he circled to his companion's other side to crouch down to the lad that had fallen from him. "Why would you do that? We don't have time for these petty squabbles. Do you want to make it home or not?" He tipped his head toward the sounds of the birds. Not quite on them yet, but they may be soon, if the stupid creatures happened to notice weary travelers along the paths.
While Maeron extended a hand to help the lad up, Darke muttered, "I warned him not to pull, Mae... Told him specifically not to and he did, anyway. He's clearly very disrespectful. Disrespectful boys walk home. They do not have the pleasure of riding a khehora." He turned up his nose indignantly, frustrated that Mae still crouched near the questionable lad.
"I'm so sorry, Rae," Mae hummed apologetically, while his bonded companion huffed and snorted and tossed his head. "Darke is immature like a child. He doesn't know better. You aren't hurt, are you?" He questioned, moving to help the smaller male to his feet. "Are you alri- ..." he trailed off awkwardly, retracting his hand sharply a second later as violet brows furrowed over his eyes. In just one instant, he found himself leaning away, fingers curling into fists at his side as he stared down at the broken goggles laying across the ground, then back a few inches up to Rae's face.
Raemos hadn't thought he had gripped the feathers so hard, but apparently his muscle control was not all the way there. He would have apologized, but he was soon tumbling to the ground. The handful of feathers scattered on the hard dusty stone of the canyon, and he managed to throw his arms out, rolling with the momentum before catching himself and coming to a stop.
“Its all right,” he managed, “I'm...” he touched his hand to his face, his eyes – or, rather, his eyeless sockets, newly revealed, widening. He noticed the lack of his goggles at about the same time Maeron did and quickly moved to cover his face with an arm, glancing down at the traitorous device. “Fine...” he said, swallowing hard. Maybe Maeron hadn't actually noticed. Maybe he could still pretend.
“I didn't mean to pull his feathers...” Raemos said, staggering slightly as his wounds ached. Without a wall to hang onto, he nearly fell again. He kept his face hopefully averted as he spoke. “It was an accident. I am... very sorry. I will walk...” it was very clear he was doing no such thing, “If he desires it.” but it was right to offer.
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:40 am
DraconicFeline
A choking knot formed in Mae's throat at the sight of his young charge huddled on the ground, leaning away from him and shielding his face. On the one hand, he was just a child. On the other, he was a liar and an Oblivionite, not to be redundant or anything. Mae rose and stepped back, arm going out to settle on his Aiskala companion's neck as he stared down at the... mess disapprovingly. His tongue pinched between his teeth and he looked away. It wasn't as if he could walk. He wasn't going anywhere or doing anything. But he'd lied. This whole time! Ever since Mae had met him.
The hiss that leaked from Darke's maw almost sounded like laughter, amused and diabolical. 'I told you, Mae. I told you!' he chittered gleefully, tail lashing and slapping at the sides of the canyon and wings quivering with delight. 'What are we gonna do, huh, huh? We can let the alkarai eat him...' Darke rose to his full height, icy arms glinting down malevolently at the boy.
"No," Mae uttered, responding to his companion's thoughts with words of his own. "I don't... want to be that kind of person..." he grumbled, shifting backward to Darke's side and hoisting himself up onto the Aiskala. He gave the alihora a nudge, shifting him down the path that would lead them against the alkarai. "Let's worry about them for now," he commanded, toeing Darke forward and leaving Rae behind against the rocks.
There was nothing Rae could do besides cringe away from Darke and pray that Seren would have mercy on him. Or, at least, make his end quick and painless – In the stories, that was desirable, or so he had heard. Raemos didn't want to die at all, of course, but if he did... He figured he deserved it. How could he not? His dark skin was proof enough that he was something terrible... He closed his eyes and turned away, expecting, at any moment, the sharp feeling of beaks... or the slice of Darke's claws, or the rending crunch of Darke's terrible teeth...
It didn't come. Rae peeked out from behind his shielding arm, watching as Maeron turned to fight the Alkara...
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 3:00 pm
DraconicFeline
Combat came... with difficulty. Attacks from the previous day left him sore and bruised right from the outset, and every time one of the bird-like creatures flapped its wings, Mae could feel the vibrations right to the core, rippling and jarring like turbulent waves.
While the Orderite lad himself felt off and weary throughout the course of the onslaught, Darke was fueled by something else. There was excitement in the Aiskala's movements; bright, fluid, and eager. Once these creatures were gone, all that was left would be to figure out to do with the traitor boy. And this, if nothing else, should be entertaining. Always he'd warned that something wasn't right with the boy Mae had opted to take under his wing. Always he'd tried to tell his companion not to trust him. Darke knew everything. Darke was, of course, his greatest friend and ally and should be trusted at least this much.
He lunged for an Alkara as it tried to escape, feeling Mae's fingers tighten in the feathers at his neck as he burst forward. Darke trapped a leg first in his teeth, and pulled down from there. Begging squawks escaped the creature as Darke bit at it: leg, then spine, wing, and neck. It crunched audibly in his jaws, and the Aiskala ripped it forward, tossing the mangled creature blindly in the direction of the Oblivionite. His tail lashed. 'What should we do, Mae?' His tone was too malevolently silky. The male's fists tightened against Darke's feathers. The bird's were handled. Now just the boy remained.
Maeron just shook his head. "Nothing," he muttered at last. "I guess... nothing."
