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 Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:03 pm
You, In Review
Three days had passed overhead, and Yaholo's arms still hadn't left their post around the base of the monument. His eyes hovered in the vague consciousness that he had left, falling in and out of gazing and glazing over entirely as they wavered over the gilt of the swords strewn against the monument's front, and it was hard to tell if he was truly there or not. If it weren't for the odd cough or whimper, most that may have passed him by might have considered him dead.
His mind was very much alive and hard at work trying to put his body back together again, but lack of sleep and food kept the process at a standstill, which is what kept him in such a catatonic state. Occasionally, a sound would provoke a reaction, but only if it were something within close proximity to his ears, like a falling nut or an animal scurrying by. Otherwise, the Massif stayed still, akin to the statue he was wrapped around.
As he lay there upon the ground, his thoughts drifted over everything that Oulixes was to him. A beautiful man, despite everything he did to deny it, with glossy blue waves and intense, but charming golden eyes. The scars upon his mottled form held no value other than the addition of courage and valor in Yaholo's eyes, another thing that the Swordsman couldn't comprehend, no matter how many times or way he had phrased it.
"The make you look strong."
"You've proven that you can get through anything with those scars."
And a final phrase he had wanted to utter, but only if the time permitted.
"They're a part of you, love, and they turn me on. You're perfect..."
Footprints of an animal above his head caught his attention off guard, his eyes turning to follow it's movements before resting back upon the monument once more. Mist had started to move inwards from the outside, causing watery coating to form against the blades, adding a glittering sheen to their already glowing condition. Yaholo, too, was beginning to feel the relief of the mist against his skin and hair, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment or so before snapping back open again. Memories of him... Thoughts of a life that could have been... Comfort within the pain, pain within the comfort. His heartbeat quickened, his eyes steadily re-teared, and a cry burst forth from his mouth.
"Do you remember when I caught you by the stream that day?" He cried, his throat dry and hoarse from crying. "I wanted to tell you so much more than what I had said, about how much I loved you!"
His words were met with a numbing silence that wavered through the air like a sword would fall from an injured man's hands. Quick, blunt, sharp. He gripped his hand around the monument further, his fingers and knuckles turning white against the force he had mustered, before letting go with another cry.
"I knew that I loved you the moment I let you into these forests!" He sobbed, coughing into the dirt. "You had such a look to you, such a force, an attraction, one that you couldn't see! From the way you spoke to me so openly about your father, to the way you would shy away from the advances I would make, I couldn't help myself, you were the one for me!"
He broke into another round of sobbing, followed by gags and coughs that caused the animals in the area to flee, until a distant look overcame his clarity.
"The tournament was where I decided to try and make you proud." He muttered, leaning his head against the earth. "I fought with all I had, with the hope that I would eventually see you at the end of it all, with a victory in my hands. But, I was cut down short, a worthless jerk got what I had wanted to be mine..." He coughed, his throat growing more and more irritated as he went on. "However, I still got to see you, victory or not. You hadn't changed, you were still as gorgeous as before, but you eyes were concerned... My other antennae was gone and I had yet to go to a healer for help, which provoked a bit of unexpected berating from you..."
He paused, his eyes drifting up towards the trees, the light from the sun above peeking through. The mist was lifting upwards, creating a smoky like effect above the monument. Eerie, but somehow, in his sleep deprived mind, it was symbolic in nature. The Massif rose up from his place and stood against the monument, his hands rising to play with the lingering fog that had formed, a strange smile rising up against his red, puffy face.
"You're... Here..." He said, grinning. "I... I'm glad to..."
Then, he paused, realizing just what he was doing. This was a collection of mist, not a spirit of any sort... He was going insane. Tired eyes gazed at his hand and lingered away, before he returned to his space upon the ground, wrapping his arms around the monument as he had done before.
"You're not here..." He said, yawning. "But this is where you died... And I'll be damned if I let this place go... Unguarded."
Word count: 888
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:06 pm
Necessary Protection
It started with walls of dirt to surround the perimeter before it moved inwards to incorporate a stone guarding station supported by dirt, lumber, and rock from the surrounding forest area. A perfect defense system, made out of fear and love, and out of grief. Nothing would be getting in without Yaholo catching it, no matter what it may be. The first phase of building and securing took roughly a week, with several interruptions by concerned villagers. However, once they heard his story and saw how struck he was with grief, they left him alone to his work. Children were permitted to wander around him if they decided to visit, even his own kids stopped by to check in on their father, once they figured out where he was to begin with. But Yaholo was too busy to play, too busy to chat or discuss then war. Oulixes' final resting place was in dire need of a guardian, and he wasn't about to let that fact go unresolved.
With the system of walls made and his post secured for safe watching, protection of a spiritual and psychic nature was introduced. He had his sisters fetch him as much dyed fabric and yarn as they could find, as well as any spare beads that were available. Once procured, he spent days making several beaded lanyards that he wrapped around the monument and around the sturdiest walls. They resembled the bracelet he wore around his wrist, and though he wasn't quite sure where he had gotten that one from, his mother had always referred to it as a charm of protection. Thus, Yaholo made tens upon tens of them, each varying in color and size. The largest was made into a sash like addition that wrapped around the swords, holding them together in a bundle, while the smallest ones were dotted along the outside of the monument and along the path into the space where it lay. It was easily five days work or more, causing him to lose more sleep, which often made his sisters worry when they brought him more material to use. He ignored their pleas for him to rest or to stop and eat something before making another lanyard, feeling as though if he left the space, there would be a breech in it's balance and security.
Once everything he had made was moved, aligned, realigned, and replaced to his liking, Yaholo made his way to the top of the guard post he had made. He adjusted himself upon the dirt and stone he had used, raised his hammer to his side, and stared out onto the path before him.
"Don't worry, Oulixes." He said. "Nothing will bother you ever again. I promise."
Word count: 455
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:12 pm
I Don't Need This!
Weeks went by like flashes of light for the Massif, each day passing by just the same as the one before. Patrol the area, readjust the tassels against the monument, light the incense around noon, and don't forget to pray. Keep awake, make sure the boys don't climb on the walls, take a short nap, maybe, then throw a ball for Yanenowi so she won't eat the tassels anymore. Little rituals and routines, often obsessive to the point of mental exhaustion, kept him going through his grief. His hands, though shaky, could still repair broken walls and tousle the hair upon his boy's heads, and if that could still be done, he was perfectly fine in his own mind.
But his family wasn't so certain of his sanity, as they displayed by barging into the area and begging for him to come down. He politely refused the first few times, citing the foods he had remembered to eat that morning and the thirty minute nap he had just woken up from as just cause for him to stay, and told them to go away. However, their visits became increasingly frequent and fervent with demands as the days wore on.
"You need to rest in a bed."
"I'll cook you a pot of stew and we can chat about this at home."
"Please, Yaho, you're scaring your mother and I."
"The war has made you weary, and while I understand your loss, you can't keep doing this to yourself."
Their words were of little effect, no matter who was speaking them, and the Massif remained upon his guard tower, staying true to his word. He was fine, tired and hungry, but fine. Why should he leave his Oulixes here, to be forgotten among the rubble and the leaves? He deserved so much more than an abandoned tomb, and it was Yaholo's job to watch over it, anyway. No one was going to take him away and leave Oulixes out in the open for those of ill intent to prey upon.
Then, one morning, as Yaholo was finishing another tassel, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Eeeey! Yaho!"
Yaholo turned his head towards the call and grinned at the sight of his good friend, Minal, racing up to greet him. He stood, gave the younger man a hug, and inspected him.
"What, no fruit?" He laughed. "You always bring some sort of fruit when you visit! Are you sick?"
"Sick? Oh, no!" Minal replied, shaking his head. "I... I just forgot I guess."
The glasses clad man adjusted his frames and sighed, before reaching out to Yaholo again. "Tay and I are worried about you... Do you want to come hunting with us? It would put us at ease, Yaho, it really would."
Yaholo tilted his head at Minal, his expression turning solemn. Oh... That's why he was here. The Massif sighed and turned to place the tassel he had made upon the monument, his eyes turning back to Minal cautiously.
"I... I suppose..." He muttered, pursing his lips. "...I could, just for a little while. He needs me, Minal. Oulixes needs me here."
"I know he does, I understand that." Minal said, reaching out for Yaholo's hand. "It'll only be for an hour or two, and you can bring back a kill for later. I promise."
Yaholo paused, giving his friend a glance or two, and took a deep breath. Could he leave his post for an hour or two to go hunting? Would that really be okay? He gazed to the monument, as if that would give him his answer, and nodded slowly.
"Alright, I will." He replied, grabbing his hammer from the base of his guard post. "But I need to be back before nightfall."
Minal nodded as Yaholo spoke, but the Massif knew he wasn't really listening. Still, the pair moved away from the monument and walked down the path towards Tale, where Minal said that they would meet Tayyib and the other hunters at the boarder. It would be a nice troupe, he said, a good thing, fun. But... Yaholo wasn't too sure about that.
"We'll see Karis and his brother, you know, from archery school?" Minal mused, chuckling. "Remember how you always liked Karis' hair? Maybe he'd like to go for a drink! I could set you two up!"
Yaholo froze, his eyes narrowing. Was Minal suggesting that he date an old friend? Didn't he know why he was protecting the monument in the first place? He growled, staring the smaller man down.
"You will do no such thing, Minal." He seethed. "I'm not coming with you to look for a new partner, my partner is DEAD. I won't have anyone tell me that I need to search for a new one."
Minal shook, startled by Yaholo's sudden shift in mood, and shifted a few feet backwards. He glanced about as he scrambled to find a reasonable sentence to respond, and gave the larger man a nervous smile.
"But... Yaho, you know..." He said, stuttering. "There are tons of people out there, just because one died doesn't mean you should swear yourself away to a life of pain and misery like this... Karis would be a great match for-"
Suddenly, he was on the ground, cradling his face. Yaholo's fist had come flat out of nowhere, slamming into his nose as if it were paper mache, breaking it as they collided. Minal's glasses went flying off to the side of the path as his body was flung downwards, causing the young man to become blinded as a result. He raised his head, coughed, and reached out for what he thought was the Massif's leg.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He cried. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings! All I wanted to do was help!"
But Yaholo had already dashed off, heading straight for the desert. The other hunters weren't too far away, they would find Minal, and he would explain what had happened. However, Yaholo wouldn't be going hunting with them, nor would he be heading back to the monument anytime soon.
And he hoped both Minal, and Oulixes, would forgive him.
Word count: 1028
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:17 pm
Lost And Found
Miles away from Jauhar, the Massif knelt sobbing, his hands clutching onto the sand before him. He hadn't been out in Tale in years, not without shelter or a place to hide. The sun was horrific, like a pair of sheers against his bare skin, mutilating what sensitive skin he had left. There were no trees nearby to seek relief under, and it seemed that he had dashed straight out into the middle of nowhere. As he knelt there, his mind delirious from lack of sleep and proper nourishment, an infuriating realization came to him. He had never been to any of the neighboring villages in Tale, not even in passing, he had stayed on the paths when he had gone to Mez. He grimaced, growled, and raised a hand to punch himself in the head.
His own strength sent him rolling to the side about three feet or so, and his vision grew blurry. He lay against the dirt for a while, staring straight into the sky, and heaved a sigh. This was great, just great, getting himself lost out here in the desert. What was he going to do for water and food? How was he going to find shelter? Would he have to make himself shelter? Where would he find the materials? And even if he could gather the needed materials, what would he assemble it with? Nails didn't grow on trees! He rolled onto his side, continuing to sob, and eventually tired himself out.
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When he awoke a week or so later, he found himself at the end of a cave. It was nice and cool inside, and the entrance wasn't too far from where he had woken, which meant that it would be easy to escape from if needed. However, as he made his way towards the entrance, several bags of food and cloth caught his attention. Rather than dig into what was there, he decided to inspect the bags, and found a note addressed to him.
"Yaholo,
I have left you enough food to survive for three months, as well as some old clothes of mine from when I was a Sacred Heart. You should eat as soon as you wake because, as I'm writing this, you have been asleep for four days straight. There is a large pond towards the boarder, about five minutes from here, which you can retrieve water in. However, please boil and cool the water before drinking it, to kill any diseases that it may have. I've heard of a few young people who have drank the water from Sauti and have contracted a terrible disease known as Crystal Rot, which can kill you very quickly if you don't seek help. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Please don't worry about me while I'm gone, I'm off to visit an old friend in Zena. I should be back in two weeks from the time I've written this letter, but if I don't return then, I've gone to visit another Zenan companion, in which case I will return in a month. I trust that you will keep an eye on yourself, your Sailscale, and this cave while I'm gone. It's been my home ever since I left Jauhar, when you were just a toddler. It may be a cave to you, but it's far more than that to me.
Also, those clothes are ceremonial, and I believe you deserve them. I know you have struggled with the racists, they're the reason why you were lost to begin with, and I abhor them just as much as you do. You have gone against the code and gained the acceptance and love of Aisha, which is proven by the lives of your precious boys being granted a few winters ago. She thinks of you highly, Yaholo, and you should feel the same. Please, wear these clothes with as much pride as my mother and I did. Carry on our tradition, you have more than earned it.
And let no one tell you otherwise.
Love,
Arunika"
The note slipped from Yaholo's hands as if it were sand, and he found himself knee deep in sobs again. His grandmother was still alive and had, by the love of Aisha, found him passed out in the sand! He grinned through his tears and grabbed himself a bag of food, offering half of the rations to Yanenowi when she nudged his arm. He went through a good week's worth of food in one sitting and laid against the cave wall, still far from calm. His emotions were fluctuating rapidly, between gratitude and confusion, and joy and sadness. Her note had been a tremendous affirmation for all that he had done to become an Alkidike, to prove himself as their equal, despite his choice of weapon. He was one of them. Aisha loved him. There was no denying it now.
He moved towards where the clothes lay, his fingers dwindling along the fabric as if it were precious metal, before moving to slip them on. It took some figuring out, but soon enough, the layering began to become clear to him. It draped over him nicely, like a long piece of cloth, to which he laughed.
"Oh, Grandmother..." He sighed. "This looks like a dress!"
He did a quick spin, and then a few more, before shrugging his shoulders. It was sort of like a long loin cloth that started at the shoulder, wasn't it? Again, he laughed, or was it just a blanket and he was confused? He shook his head and lifted up a jug to fetch some water. Well, if he had earned these special drapings, he would wear them with honor. He wandered forward to leave the cave, only to pause as a shiny object caught his attention. Was that... A circlet...?
He spent another hour or so fiddling with the jeweled headpiece and outfit before taking it off and folding it again. It was just too weird and too feminine for him, his loincloth was good enough. Once again, he moved to grab the jug for water, and moved out to the cave entrance. But, just outside the cave was a pile of clothes, much like the ones inside, with yet another note.
"Yaholo,
I forgot to write that those clothes by the bags of food were for Tahigwa. That note is about four days old, I think, I forget. I'm old, honey, my mind just doesn't work too well these days. Anyway, these are for you, they're the masculine version of what the clothes inside would be. I apologize if you tried on your sister's by accident.
Love,
Grandma"
The Massif paused, shook his head, and moved his clothes inside. No wonder they felt so strange!
Word count: 1126
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 1:37 am
I'm Coming Home
I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world, I'm coming home.
Let the rain, wash away, all the pain of yesterday.
I know my kingdom awaits and they’ve forgiven my mistakes.
I’m coming home, I’m coming home. Tell the world I’m coming...
It wasn't like he wanted to run away from everything he loved. It was the exact opposite. He wanted to run into the arms of something he had loved and spin them around, even if they wanted to be put down. But, nevermore, as they say, nevermore, and he could no longer stay here. Hiding, eating himself into tears. Fear, doubt, slowly destroying his very being.
He could no longer stay here.
And the blood will dry
Underneath my nails
And the wind will rise up
To fill my sails
He knew how much he had done to himself, all it took was a little time. His body was weaker, his mind was numb, but he was still whole. This had deterred him, smashed him away, and broken his soul, but he was still whole. As long as he could stand upon his two feet and walk a mile, he was still whole.
And he could no longer stay here.
So you can doubt
And you can hate
But I know
No matter what it takes
It took coaxing and force in order for him to put the pieces back together. His family needed him, he had Sisters to prove himself to, and he had reduced himself down to nothing more than a mess of crumbs and dirt. What would Oulixes think if he saw him now, sitting in a cave, wasting away?
I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world, I'm coming home.
Let the rain, wash away, all the pain of yesterday.
I know my kingdom awaits and they’ve forgiven my mistakes.
I’m coming home, I’m coming home. Tell the world I’m coming...
If plugging along was the only thing he could do for him, now that he was gone, he would do it now, without complaint. He had cried and mourned until he could no longer think nor see, and it was time that he went back home. He would never find another Oulixes, and he would never look for the same love in another face, but it was time to get up and go.
He could no longer stay here.
Still far away
From where I belong
But it's always darkest
Before the dawn
Grief was a horrible thing, really, it tore at you like a disease. If only there had been some sort of sign from above that could have alerted him to how harrowing it would be... But, this sort of wishful thinking could never be. Loss was a part of life, and sadly, it had to be a part of his. You never know which way the dice will spin or what your number will be. All you can do is take the number you've rolled with courage, and hope that what moves you make don't get you killed.
And no matter how careful you are, you are never safe from the hands of death.
So you can doubt
And you can hate
But I know
No matter what it takes
He set off for Andile in the early morning, when the air was cool, and took one last look at where he had been. Cold, dank, filled with dirt and darkness... He had crawled into a hole in a rock, like a coward.
"I'm leaving my baggage where it belongs," He said. "In the darkness, far behind me, and I do not want it to follow me back to where I belong."
I know my kingdom awaits and they’ve forgiven my mistakes.
I’m coming home, I’m coming home. Tell the world I’m coming...
Word count:
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 11:56 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:42 pm
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 2:42 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 9:35 pm
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 5:51 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:09 pm
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:13 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 6:27 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 6:38 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 6:41 pm
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