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 Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:13 am
Shuddering to himself, the colt inspected the ripped skin. It was an ugly wound, full of dirt that would make it go bad. “Excellent,” he muttered to himself, “now we shall see.” Closing his eyes, the Katilenuck focused on the pain of the wound, on how it had appeared to his eyes, on the blood that was running down towards his hoof. After a few moments, it seemed to him that an image of the hurt, not as it really was but rather as a dull red pulsing mass, appeared before him. When he opened his eyes, he did not see the crystal lands, he saw blackness and the red thing still before him.
He must have made an odd sight to any observer, standing so still with his eyes staring into space. Scowling at the representation of the injury, the colt began to murmur under his breath. he did not know what words he was saying, did not know if they even were words but they felt right, and the redness before him began to pulse in time with them. Giving a toss of his head the tear-marked Jala began to dance with the rhythm and out of a perfect still winter day, a wind whipped up centered on the boy. The dance and the blowing on the wind went on for perhaps a minute and might have gone on longer had the Jala not attempted to step on a piece of ground that wasn’t there.
The real world appeared before the colt’s eyes rather abruptly once more and he just had time to say: “oh sh-” before he tumbled into a rivulet. The water was not deep and the agile creature had soon paddled to the edge and scrabbled back onto dry land but the magic he had been weaving was interrupted. Looking down, the feather-winged creature frowned. Though the hurt he had given himself was mostly healed up, where the bark had bitten deepest a scab was still in evidence.
The Jala sighed and flopped down on the ground, exhausted by his efforts. “Bugger,” he declared with feeling.
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Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 6:14 pm
Seeing his sister tense up the young male Jala came to a halt beside her. Had he originally been paying attention he would have seen the young colt apear in front of him. However, he had not and so it took a few moments to register what he was seeing. Really, if his sister had not stopped, he would probably have kept on walking. Unfortunately he was not a very attentive Jala and had been commented upon it more than once. He understood that it was a particular fault of his but rather enjoyed being the way he was and resolved not to fix it.
The young colt sprawled out upon the ground was rather odd looking. Also, where had he come from? Udi looked around and at last decided that he must have fallen from the sky. Wait, was that possible? That couldn't be right, could it? Oh great! Now he had gone and confused himself. Rather than make a fool of himself he stayed silent and rather hoped his sister had something much more intelligent to say.
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:57 am
Udi looked... well like Udi; away with the faeries that one. Smiling fondly and shaking her head to herself, the gold-coated mare took a few hesitant steps toward the odd youth. Not knowing what else to do, she cleared her throat to get his attention. "Hey there, that was... Impressive." Not the brightest thing ever to say maybe, but it was better than just standing there gawking like a fish, as she had been a moment ago.
The brindled colt scrambled to his hooves at the sound of the voice and spun about with his ears pinned back. Not good, not good, not goo... Ah, a pair of Jala, that was alright then even if they weren't herd-blood; Jala had no reason to attack Jala, right?
"Greetings," he replied with a nod to the adult pair as his ears pricked up once more, they were siblings by the looks of them. "You startled me," he went on with a slight smile. "I was practicing you see." So he hadn't really intended to let anyone find out just yet, so what? He didn't know these two and they weren't Katilenuck; their opinions didn't count for too much. Still, it would've been nice if they could have caught him perfecting his magic rather than attempting to do so and tumbling into the water in the process. Oh well, nothing to be done about it.
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:17 pm
Udi slightly tilted his head to one side. Practicing? What on earth could he have been practicing? Flying? No, he was much too young for that. His wings were no where near as developed as they should be. So what on earth was he doing then? It was of course completely possible that he was trying to fly but that would just be utterly foolish and this one didn't look like that sort. Besides, Udi knew, he had tried it himself and failed miserably. Well, only one way to find out. "Practicing? What, may I ask, were you practicing? You weren't trying to fly at such a young age were you?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:03 pm
Seemed that either this one was stupid or had missed the show. Well, either way it would be nice to tell him and see the look on his face. "My magic," the Katilenuck said with a slight smile and a flick of his tail. "I'm not all that good yet..." And no soon had he said that than his work undid itself.
Dahak cussed and looked down at his leg; the injury wasn't as bad as when he'd made it but it was bleeding again now and would need carefuly cleaning out. "Humph, case in point," he muttered, shuddering slightly at the sigh of the ugly injury. "Ow," he added as an after thought.
Aquila winced as the boy's flesh unknit itself; that didn't look nice at all. "Will you be alright?" she asked, taking a hesitant step forward.
The brightly-coloured boy winced but nodded, hobbling over to one of the many small streams and wading into it; the running water would make a good start at cleaning his leg up. "Yes," he added aloud, "I'll be fine.. So either of you ever hear of my people then? The Katilenuck?" If they had, they clearly didn't hate his sort enough to hurt him for being one, and if they hadn't it wouldn't hurt to spread the word a little. Whatever some people thought, new blood was never a bad thing.
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:26 pm
Magic hmm? Udi wished he had some, or even a little knowledge about the particular subject but as it was he had no clue. Such a young one as this practicing magic though? It seemed almost impossible, at least rather unheard of. Very rarely you saw any adults with magic, and no that bimbo Mohan did not count. What was up with his 'costume' anyway? And even rarer still to see such a young colt to be practicing it.
As for the katilenuck he had heard of them, just not much and definately not enough to form his own original opinion. No, he would not judge this colt based on his magic or his herd. As it was Udi had already made himself look like a fool for assuming the young colt was trying to fly. For now he would leave the talking to his sister.
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:44 pm
Aquila nodded cautiously; now she remembered why she knew his markings. "Yes... Why do you ask?" From what her father had told her, they were not a nice bunch. She couldn't imagine looking upon other breeds as though they were scum, surely all people were just people? It was what she liked to think at any rate.
Dahak took his weight off his damaged leg and gave a nonchalant shrug. "I was just wondering, thought I'd ask fellow Jala if they knew about a whole crowd of us living together. Can't wait to get off to the mountains myself, we'll leave fairly soon I expect." The mare at least seemed suspicious of the name Katilenuck, had she already had it drummed into her skull that the other breeds were just like Jala?
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 3:51 pm
Aquila's body language and a certain tone in her voice told Udi all he needed to know. He had been around his sister all too much to not know what she thought of this particular herd. To be perfectly honest Udi had never really paid a whole lot of attention to all of the stuff that his fother had told them. He rememebered a few snips of conversation here and there about the Katilenuck and enough to know that he was not at all fond of them. There was also something about how they thought Jala's were above everyone else. Udi definately thought the opposite so would probably not get on so well with the herd. Then again it was also the way his father had raised him and so in reality it could not be helped.
"So you're a part of this Katilenuck huh? Interesting. In anycase I don't think it matters what particular breed you are or what herd you live in. I'm just more interested in why you fell from the sky." Yep, now he had done it. Falling from the sky? Great he just made himself look like an idiot in front of some colt with magic. Which meant that eventually he would become a much more powerful stallion with Magic and a lot of popularity power. Also meaning that Udi would probably not be at the top.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:37 am
Dahak paused for a moment, staring at the purple stallion before giving a whinny of laughter. "I didn't fall from the sky," he said with a shake of his head. "I was on the ground the whole time; surely you can't tell me I'm well camouflaged?" Unless the gold-tailed thing was colourblind, which the foal supposed was possible. If he wasn't, Dahak couldn't imagine how those yellow-gold eyes had missed white, blue and red in the greenness of the crystal lands.
"Still," he said with a shake of his head, "I'm sure you're welcome to think whatever you will of other breeds. I'm actually rather fond of my Bae Virgil no matter what some people think about feeling affection for the other breeds." And he didn't mind admitting it, either. It would be interesting to see how many of his peers, if he could call them such, would copy him once he and his family reached the mountains. He had a funny feeling that being the advisor's son and possessing magic would make him really rather popular.
A shiver ran through Aquila's body as the colt spoke. My Bae... This Virgil was... was a slave. She'd known that it was the done thing by the teared herd but actually hearing one of them speak of it made her half boil with rage. The only thing that kept her from charging over and giving the little git the beating he probably had coming, affection for his 'property' or no, was the knowledge that he had parents somewhere who could make life difficult for her family if their boy came to harm.
Lost for words, she gave a snort and a stamp and glanced over at Udi for support, although quite what kind of support she wanted she wasn't sure.
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 7:35 pm
Udi shook his head. Well if the colt had not fallen from the sky it had at least appeared that way to him. Ok, well in reality it was more as if the foal had just appeared out of no where. However, this was not a very shocking idea to Udi, he, afterall, had not been paying the least bit of attention until Aquila had stopped. In anycase it wasn't important how the colt had gotten there but as to why he was there.
So he had magic? Fine that did make his status higher than some, but he was still part of the Katilenuck and Aquila's reaction to the colt's words. Udi slowly moved his body so that he was touching his sister. They had both heard the stories of the slaves of the Katilenuck and he knew that the mention of them seemed to bother his sister. Udi knew he wasn't the brightest or focussed of stallions but at least he could offer what comfort he could. "Your Bae? Since when is someone allowed to own someone?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 4:32 am
Dahak frowned for a moment before giving a shrug. "Don't know when it started, my people have done it for many many generations, though." Didn't they see? Didn't they understand the right that was given to them by their blood? Apparently not, these two would never make Katilenuck and it was beginning to look increasingly likely that they wouldn't even be friendly to the residents of the fiery mountains. He wished Virgil would turn up, though the Bae was neither big nor brave it would be good to have an ally at his side.
"Not like he's unhappy or anything," the blue-eyed colt added as an afterthought. "I approached him in Shrilal a while ago and he recognized my right to claim him if I so chose; most responsible of him if you ask me..." He didn't like the look in the eyes of the mare; though she currently pressed herself closely against her brother her yellow eyes were hard and full of anger. If he wasn't very, very careful he might well be in trouble.
Aquila pinned her ears back as the brindled creature rambled on. "Right?" she snapped, stamping a hoof and feeling glad of her brother's presence beside her; without him she wasn't sure she'd've been able to check herself from attacking the colt. "Nobody has a 'right' to own another, each life belongs to the one who lives it! Saying otherwise is... is..." The purple-gold female shook her head and stamped again, unable to come up with a word strong enough to express her feelings. Her father would know the right word, she was sure, and not for the first time Diego's daughter wished she'd inherited his wit.
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Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:03 pm
Udi sensed his sister's frustration and anger. He had to admit that the idea of owning someone else was not right. Other than that he had no problem with the herd. However as this young colt talked about owning this bae and his right to claim him Udi felt an anger begin to rise. This young one needed to be tought that it was not right to keep slaves. Just because the baes were different gave them no right to claim them. It was plain stupid and the fact that one would so willingly give himself over was just as suprising.
"Just because your people have done it for many generations does not mean that it is right. Your people apparently have no fealings as to those whos lives you snatch. Can't you see that you have taken their freedom? You have taken their rights away and why? Just so you can be lazy and have someone else do things for you." He hoped the anger he felt showed through in his voice.
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:49 am
He considered telling the stupid pair that it didn’t make it wrong, either. He considered telling them that he and his had no obligation to feel for the lesser breeds. He considered telling them that he had no intention of being lazy and nor did most of his fellows, that slaves filled a role which allowed the Katilenuck to focus their energies on other matters.
Dahak was not a stupid colt, however, so he said none of these things. Instead he shrugged his wings in discomfiture. It was not an act, he was uncomfortable around these angry adults, but the reason behind it would now be altered to suit his purposes. “I know only what I’ve been taught,” he said, turning his blue eyes groundward. “Virgil is happy with me, I... well I assumed that all other breeds would be happier in their rightful place. I couldn’t change how my herd is if I tried but... well for my part I can promise that any Nequus who comes under my care will be cared for. I won’t see them go without or treated badly, I’ll see they have free time to do what they like in between their duties... I don’t understand why this is making you two so angry. Surely... surely it’s just a thing that is?”
There, the confused little colt act, masterfully done if he did say so himself, aught to throw them a bit. Aught to keep them from hurting him at the very least; he didn’t want to have to try his shaky magic out on serious injuries just yet, especially not if they were his own.
Aquila heaved a sigh and shook her head; poor daft brainwashed kid. “Look... You don’t have a right to own them, and their natural place isn’t under your command. You’ve been taught, to be frank, a load of bollocks. I’m glad that you’ll treat Virgil well but...” But the boy was right; there was no changing the Katilenuck. The gold mare gave another sigh and shook her head.
“This is a mess,” she muttered, “you seem like you could be a decent person if you hadn’t been taught all this stuff...” It was such a shame, her heart ached for the little boy she’d been restraining herself from maiming a moment ago. Because of what he’d been born, his mind was as enslaved as the bodies of those his people claimed ownership of. Such a shame; why did things like this have to happen in the world? She was just glad that she and her siblings had been born to a sane couple, she couldn’t imagine how she might have turned out if she’d been taught what the brindled boy before her had been taught.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:14 pm
Udi let out a small sigh at his sister's and the colt's words. Perhaps he had been too hard upon the small foal? He had also slightly over reacted. He did not feel at all bad for the things he had said though. If the colt wasn't learning these things from his parents then perhaps his mentioning it would serve to remind the foal that just because he was a Jala and part of his herd did not mean that others had no feelings. The thought still burned angrily inside of him but for now he would lock it away. It was not this colt's fault that he had been raised with these beliefs. It was merely just circumstance. Had Udi been born in the colt's place he would have probably held those same beliefs. However, he was quite glad to have his own parent's and siblings who supported each other and those around them.
The purple and gold Jala stepped closer to the young colt in a comforting manner. He did not want to scare the youngster but wanted to maybe add a few more thoughts into his head. "I'm sorry for frightening you," he began, "I guess we just have our own beliefs and neither of us can help that. I still don't say what you think is right but perhaps we can come to an understanding? At least, from what you say, you give this Virgil of yours well enough. That's more than can be said for most in your herd."
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:05 pm
Dahak nodded from one adult to the other, wondering if he could take the dim colt act dumb enough to ask the gold girl what bollocks were. He doubted it though, he’d already used at least one cuss and words of more than one syllable, and so amusing though it would have been, the false question remained unasked.
"It's alright," he said after a moment, smiling up at the purple stallion who had just apologized to him. "I'm a bit of a coward if I'm honest; scare easily. Another reason it's nice to have Virgil to call on whenever I choose... And I'm sorry if you think the way my herd is isn't how the world's meant to work. Like I say, for my part I'll do my best to see that those Nequus who work for us are treated well."
The hell he would... Well, he might actually; beloved Jala knew he didn't want to see sickly inefficient slaves all over the place, that would be no good for the herd at all. Still, his reasons for seeing that the lives owned by his people were lied in relative comfort would remain as unsaid as the bollocks question. He really had to tread carefully here, had to make sure ego didn't take over and make his mouth say stupid things; that could be fatal. No wisecracks, no saying what he was actually thinking; just acting the bright but misinformed boy he wanted them to think him.
Aquila sighed and shook her head. "Right," she muttered, "good for you, kid." She wanted to go. She wanted to be away from this colt, from everything he represented. Suffering, pain and injustice that she was powerless to change. Even if this Virgil was as happy as the blue-eyed colt claimed, what of others? She hated to think of them, of the people she could not help, did not know but who she felt pain for nonetheless. Sometimes she wished she were more like her second brother and cared little for the misfortunes of others but she had picked up her mother's soft heart rather than the callous flintiness she sometimes saw her father display.
"Umm... Well maybe we should leave you to... to practice then," the Jala mare suggested, grasping at straws. "My brother and I need to be off anyway. We were going to... to..." Dear Gods let Udi think of something they might be off to do; her mind was a total blank.
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