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 Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:56 pm
 She sat, alone with her thoughts in the rain, wanting to enjoy the damp weather but unable to tear her mind away from the dreams she'd been having lately. Strange dreams as they were, they seemed so real. Byrnar's message had come through as even more terrifying to her than meeting Kuit again.
It only meant one thing, she knew. Both Kuit and Byrnar would come to Namiah, just as Moonlight and she had, and then the fight would begin all over again. A sigh escaped her mouth. She had known from the start that Kuit would follow her here; it was Kuit's obsession to follow Nek and utterly destroy her life in whatever way possible. The only question was, how would this world affect her?
It certainly wouldn't lessen her bloodlust, but the human's said something about not being able to kill other Namrah. This didn't mean Kuit wouldn't capture them to torture them just for knowing Nek's name. Having a victim that wasn't able to die would probably only encourage her. Which meant even more so than before, Nek wouldn't be able to run away.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:09 pm
She hadn't been there for Byrnar's death, or her mentor's, or Raitn's, but on this small island there was no where for her to run to. She wouldn't be able to escape Kuit like she had before, and if someone knew her it was only a matter of time before they let it slip and Kuit would get them. Kara said she couldn't die, that she would enjoy a fight with Kuit. But Kara wouldn't always be there, she wouldn't be able to stop Kuit every time, and who knew how long it would be until she got bored of fighting with Kuit? Kuit was no ordinary human herself, in fact, she wasn't even human at all. She was a Death Koln.
Nek didn't know much about Death Koln's beyond the fact that they could tell how many lives a person has taken, there were many many kinds of Koln. Her mind slipped into revery mode, remembering the time before she or Raitn or her master even knew Kuit was a Koln. Before Nek herself even knew she was the descendant of a Water Nymph.
The cave floor was full of sand, the only soft surface in the Tolfitken that wasn't always poisonous or deadly in some way. It made for sparring practice to go more easily and more difficult. When one would get knocked down they wouldn't get seriously injured, yet with the shifting floor it was hard for one to remain standing in the first place.
Nek loved when their Mentor used sand for the sparring feild, it let her use her acrobatic style to stay standing longer than Kuit could. Her style was lighter and fast, but Kuit could always pin her down with her brute strength and the speed that seemed to defy her height. At least, for a human's height.
Her whip always helped her in the sand as well, letting her throw Kuit off balance more than usual, though it was no match for Kuit's broadsword. Nek had always thought that the reason Kuit had been so strong was because no matter what she always hefted that broadsword around. It was almost as tall as Nek, for goodness sakes, and Nek was older than Kuit. Well, older, but not taller. Kuit had always been taller than Nek. In fact, now that she thought about it, Kuit's physical appearance hadn't changed that much in all the years that Nek had known her.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:28 pm
The spar would always start out the same, Kuit swinging her sword and Nek jumping back to try and think of a counter measure. She had to be quick and smart about her moves; if she took too long to decide or if she did something too predictable she'd get to feel the bite of Kuit's blade, which is how she had come to be a fast learner in the art of strategies.
Nek would flip to the side, then spin around and come at Kuit from behind, using the momentum to lash her whip around Kuit's sword hand and then twist so that the hand was brought behind Kuit's head and sent her overbalancing backwards. But after that Kuit would have the advantage and spin her sword to connect the flat of the blade to Nek's ribs.
Her whip would then come back to her and she would dodge over Kuit's head to kick at the backs of her legs before retreating to get her breath back. Then Kuit would normally fall over and roll until she was upright and they would face off again.
Except this time Kuit rolled into a flip that paused her before sending her in Nek's direction. Nek could only step back, confused, as a sword appeared in her own hand and she had to bring it up quickly to block Kuit's broadsword.
Pain searing through her ribcage told Nek that Kuit had another weapon and she could only look down belatedly at the hunter's knife protruding from her abdomen. Her breath came in short gasps as her diaphram failed her and she could only let out a yell and twist to wrench the knife free and swing her sword at Kuit.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:40 pm
The jarring of her sword connecting with a tree trunk snapped Nek awake, her breathing not hampered by a failing diaphram but by the energy she had used in fighting half-asleep. She looked down to see a branch poking her in the ribs and took a step back from the tree, panting and shakily wiping at the sweat that had begun to dampen her forehead.
A roll of thunder made her look up, just in time to see the next flash of lightning strike the tree her sword was in, the blast striking her and sending her flying backwards. A dull crack echoed in her ears and she looked up from the tree she had been thrown against to see the tree that had been hit begin to sway.
It's base was on fire and it seemed like it was swaying too far in one direction to stay upright, the cracking noise multiplying until it seemed as if the tree was screaming as it fell.
Nek stayed where she was for a while, staring at the downed tree and periodically looking at herself to make sure she was still alive. Her tunic and belt were a little singed, but it was nothing that she couldn't or hadn't fixed before. Gaze lingering once more on the tree, she barely noticed when the light rain turned into a heavy drizzle.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:05 pm
Slowly she stood, having finally got her bearings back, and took a tentative step towards the fallen tree. Her legs were shaky and she was still breathing a little on the hard side, but the rain had helped to cool her off and now it was merely water that soaked her clothes and hair. The fire at the base of the tree had been quenched as well, she noticed, which wasn't so surprising, it was more that the act of noticing the tree wasn't on fire that made her remember that her sword had been there as well.
Her hand running along the path of of seared bark to the tree's base, she braced herself to see her sword transformed into a twisted, smoldering peice of metal. She blinked in shock when she came upon it to find that not only was it virtually untouched by the lightning, but the lightning engravings along the blade were glowing.
She shook her head and reached for the hilt. Trust a blade enchanted with lightning to be lightning resistant, she scolded herself, even though she didn't know much about the sword other than the fact that she had found it in the Tolfitken. The black surface of the blade glittered dangerously in the damp air and she stopped her fingers inches from the hilt. It didn't seem like it wanted to be touched at the moment.
Well, she could sit here until it seemed safe again, or she could simply pick it up and get away from the downed tree before someone comes to investigate it.
Deciding on taking the sword and fleeing sooner rather than later, she grasped the hilt, her eyes glowing in their watery depths and her teeth clenching as soon as she had done so. Her water-based spirit was giving the small amount of lightning trapped in the blade easy access to the ground where the trunk of the tree was blocking it. The weak charge was enough to temporarily paralyze her and it took several moments before she even attempted to move again.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:45 pm
One by one she loosened her fingers from the sword hilt, waiting until her hand could drop to her side before breathing in and stretching, making sure everything was in working order. An inspection of her hand revealed only soot-marked skin. Bracing herself again, she gripped the hilt and wrenched the sword from the tree, slamming it into its scabbard and shaking loose the tight-wound feeling that had invaded her body to the core.
"Zomzger... That was bizzare..." she muttered, staring at the tree for a moment more before turning and stalking away from the scene, "Just... Very bizzare..."
Oddly enough, the tree scene didn't stick in her mind for very long. It wasn't five minutes before her thoughts turned back to Kuit and how things had been in the Tolfitken. Of course, she knew it would only be a matter of time before it turned from Kuit and back to Byrnar, but if thinking about Kuit delayed those thoughts then she would think about Kuit until the sky fell down.
Not that she had any choice, after all, she thought with a sigh, sooner or later he would come back to her thoughts. And so would his message. And so would the guilt and the disbeleif, and then she would go back to wondering just what Byrnar had done in life to get him stuck in dying for someone who didn't love him in return.
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 1:16 pm
What had he done to deserve that kind of death? she asked herself again, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. She regretted the action almost immediately as Kuit's face leered at her from the shadows of her mind.
Her fingers trailed over the length of her broadsword, blood red eyes glowing lilac purple in her delight. "He said that he wouldn't let anything happen to you even if he died," she sneered, "So, you know me; I just had to test his little claim."
Blood dripped from her sword, bright red and glossy. A lot more blood than the sword should have had on it.
Nek looked from the tip to the hilt with wide eyes, falling backwards and whispering a strangled, "No..." I hadn't been there when it happened, she screamed to herself, I shouldn't know how he...!
But there he was, one of his hands grasping the blade where it jutted from his chest, the other trembling as it reached out to Nek. Byrnar's eyes filled with confusion and pain, the damp of a tear and splattered blood soaking his cheek. "Why?" he asked as his hand brushed against the side of Nek's face, "Why?"
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 1:30 pm
"NOOO!" she yelled, swatting an arm at the hand as it faded and she opened her eyes. Kuit's laughter echoed in her mind as she looked around, glaring at every shadow she could find. Her legs would have failed to support her weight had she still been standing; some part of her mind was glad she was already on the ground to avoid feeling her strength fail her, while the rest of it said she was a coward either way so it didn't matter what she felt.
Glare falling to the ground, she refused to close her eyes again, "Why am I seeing these things?" She gritted her teeth, thinking that it might be because her sanity was slipping. But that wasn't it... Was it?
Her eyes lifted to look carefully at her surroundings, taking in every detail and letting the rain fall into them with abandon. No, if she was insane then her nightmares would be occurring whether her eyes were open or closed wouldn't they? She was only seeing things when her eyes were closed.
She stood, not bothering to try brushing the mud from her breeches or tunic. For now her sanity was intact, but if these nightmares kept assaulting her she didn't know how long it would remain so, if nightmares was what she could call them. A shake of her head to try returning her thoughts to the present made her step forward.
There wasn't anything else they could be. But this hadn't happened before, merely closing her eyes calling the images forth. She didn't know how she could stop them from happening. Other than never closing her eyes, but she had a feeling that following that course of action would only make them appear in reality sooner than later. Maybe she had been suppressing them for too long, maybe it was time for her to face them. The question was, how could she face demons who weren't really there?
Not knowing what else to do, she stopped walking, gritting her teeth and bracing for the worst. Once she had steeled herself as much as her shattered nerves would let her she let out a deep breath. And then she closed her eyes.
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 4:44 pm
At first only darkness met her, and she wondered for a breif moment if the images wouldn't come when she was expecting them. That hope was dashed quickly as she soon felt as if she were being watched, turning around to unwittingly confront five little faces, five angry and hatefilled pairs of eyes.
"It's your fault he's dead," the first face spoke up, stepping forward to reveal a young girl dressed in breeches with her hair tied tomboyishly back in a ponytail, "You shouldn't have told him about Kuit, he would be alive now if you had realized how deeply he cared for you!"
"We all cared for you," a second voice interjected, large doe-eyes brimming with tears that sent a wave of hot anger crashing against Nek, "Byrnar was like our father, and you became like our mommy."
The downturned play of a small mouth met her next, a note of complaint making the words come out as a whine, "I knew we shouldn't have trusted you, everytime we trust a stranger something goes wrong. But no, he had to fall in love with you. I knew it was a mistake, I even asked him why he couldn't have picked someone who had a house, or money, or who actually cared about families."
"But no," a quiet voice sounded out, the lack of restraint in the normally calm voice and eyes making Nek shiver, "He had to choose you; a wandering, fearful, fleeing little coward like you."
The sound of crying filled her ears and Nek looked down to see the tearstained face of little Shinib staring up at her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, " I knew what was going to happen... I knew she would repeat her actions after I left... That's why I warned him... I'm sorry..." Her arms subconsiously tightened around the infant and she forced her eyes to lift and meet the harsh gazes of the children Byrnar had left behind in his death.
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 5:07 pm
"You left us!" the first cried.
"You made him choose between us and you!" the second whimpered.
"And guess who he chose?" the third sneered.
"He died for you," the fourth submitted coldly, "He lived for us, but died for you."
The baby in her arms simply reached up to pull on her hair, yanking it feircly and crying until she felt it would echo in her ears forever. Fear filled her face and she found she could no longer look at the faces of Rani, Anly, Coy, and Tan, none the less stop little Shinib from yanking her head lower and lower.
She could only cry herself, "I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" a new voice asked, causing her look up in startlement and find that the children were gone. And that Byrnar now stood in their place, "I don't blame you for what happened with Kuit; I was happy to die for you."
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 5:25 pm
Nek jumped to her feet at the sight of Byrnar, letting out a screech of fury and dashing forward to deliver him a punch to the face, "Who the heck is ever happy to die?!" The arm she used to hit him trembled and it was all she could do to stay on her feet. "Why did you leave them?! They needed you! I don't! I never did!" her voice was straining and she was breathing hard, trying to get her emotions under control.
"You don't?" Byrnar asked, picking himself off of the ground where Nek's punch had left him, touching his cheek gingerly and looking down at her with hurt but still gentle eyes, "You don't love me? Even now?" Tears formed in his eyes and blood began to soak the front of his tunic, making him look down at it before continuing, "I even died for you."
He pointed to the blood, a red trickle dripping out of his mouth as he spoke. "I died for you and you still don't love me?!" he moaned, falling to the ground, clutching at his chest as Nek stood frozen in horror, "You still don't love me?" A twitch settled over his body once and the light faded from his gentle eyes, his question still hanging in the air over Nek, weighing on her shoulders until she, too fell down upon the ground.
"I don't, I can't," she said hollowly, "You shouldn't have chosen me... You should have chosen anyone but me..." Rolling over so that she could look up at the darkness surrounding her she continued to repeat, her voice gradually fading to a whisper, "The Death Koln follows me... Everywhere I go... Kuit follows me..."
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 5:57 pm
"She follows me..." the words came out as a mumble, her throat and mouth dry from repeating it so often in her sleep. Her eyes blinked open slowly, the sun beginning to filter down through the clouds made her realize on some level that the rain had stopped. She sat up, immediately leaning forward and hugging her knees to her chest to avoid the dizzy spell that threatened to empty her stomache of the small lunch she had eaten just before all of her nightmares had taken hold of her.
Once it passed she looked around, barely taking in the soft glow of the greenery around her and the sparkle that the left over rain had sprinkled onto the grass. A beam of multiple colors lit up part of the sky in a way she had never seen before. But still she barely noticed it, her eyes blank and seemingly dead, shadowed by the scenes still warping themselves into her head.
Not knowing what else to do, she stood up and began making her way back to the lightning struck tree, then back to the willow tree that sat by the river. Letting her feet fall into the river, she leaned back against the tree. Her eyes slipped closed and for once in a long time her sleep was dreamless, formless, and it seemed for a long time endless. She knew it wouldn't be long until she awoke again. So for the moment, she enjoyed the emptiness of feeling nothing. No fear, no pain, no nightmares, nothing. That was all she was and all she knew. For the moment... For a small, simple moment...
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