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 Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 9:22 am
  ((Solo RP time. Let's . . do this.))
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 11:27 am
There was an unspoken tension in the air. Though the sunshine was bright, and a gentle, spring breeze danced through the woodlands, something had been building over the past few days. Something that had kept Kaiya anxious, uncertain, and worried. Tannin and she had moved in to this new forest, quietly picking their hooves through the lands and entrusting the spirits to guide them. They had never let her down before, of course, and she always found good reason for travelling where she did. . . .
But something seemed off.
So it was, Kaiya had left the stallion early in the morning for a spell. It wasn't uncommon for the angeni, who so often took time away from the one she mentored to commune with the spirits, or just enjoy the land. It allowed her time to consider her thoughts, the path she walked, and often lead her to new discoveries; sometimes a new friend, other times a new path, or a soul in need.
Today though, as she had walked further in to the woods, she had found herself growing anxious. Instinct told her to tread cautiously. Though Kaiya had always walked with trepidation in her line of work, she noted that there was a lack of bird song, a stillness to the woods that spoke of another's presence.
Worse, as she continued along, her nose caught the scent of blood. Thick, coppery, bitter, she recognized it well.
Kalona? Perhaps, perhaps . . . . Skinwalker? Her head wings flared a bit at the thought, and she suppressed a shudder. She hoped not. To face one of those this day was not something Kaiya wished to do. It was unfortunate more and more skinwalker were making their presence known in the Kawani, but it was just as well more and more angeni did so too. Still, her hooves carried her onward. . . While the blood continued to stain the air, she couldn't turn away.
Someone was in need. Perhaps whoever or whatever had fallen was hurt and still alive; doubtful, considering how much blood she was smelling, but she couldn't risk leaving someone to die due to a rogue assumption. Furthermore, if it was a meat-eating beast, it was possible they too might need aid, in spirit or body. Either way, Kaiya couldn't turn away. . . Not until she confirmed her presence was unneeded.
So it was, the mare finally came upon the source. There, collapsed next to a a series of birch trees, lay what looked to be a fallen alicorn. His wing was in pieces, and half of him had already been eaten. The original color of the stallion was unknown, only because of the amount of blood oozing form it; but worse, Kaiya found herself staring at the creature that had felled it.
It was no kalona, and worse, it was no skinwalker for that matter. Instead, she saw what appeared at first glance to be kin. Two wings spread from his back, ankle wings were folded neatly, and a great chain surrounded him; he was covered in stripes the color of blood, and two horns rose from his head. This was an angeni but . . . not like one she'd seen.
No.
That was a lie.
She knew damn well who this creature was, though she couldn't entirely believe. Even as the stallion reached down to pull another chunk of meat from his prey, further staining itself in blood, Kaiya couldn't help but gape. It wasn't just the sight of him cannablising on another that shocked her; it was the fact that after so many years of searching, she had finally found the impossible.
"I know you're their, angeni." The stallion spoke, not bothering to look up from where he studied his kill. His voice was like velvet, a strange sort of calm in his words. He didn't appear flustered that someone had caught him in the act of feasting, and part of Kaiya hoped and prayed that he was mere picking at someone elses kill. That he hadn't hunted himself. . . .
But Kaiya knew that to be a lie. She knew the truth. And it didn't necessarily surprise her.
"I see you're observant." Kaiya spoke, allowing herself to push herself out of the underbrush. She was not afraid of the creature before her, even if her heart ached for its fallen victim.
Shyam gave a snort, even as he turned to better investigate the stranger. "Hardly, m'dear. As you should well know, I heard the twinkling of bells upon the wind. . ." Crimson eyes came to fall upon a large female, with the strangest and most peculiar design. She had heterochromatic eyes, one silver, one gold, that glowed ever so faintly; she was a pure angeni, and one he too remembered.
The spirits had all but stripped him of his mind, but how could he forget her?
"Kaiya."
"Shyam." The angeni mare fell quiet. Her soul was absolutely reeling. She had waited for this day for years and had always hoped she might find her lost sibling. While he was not pure, he had been raised with her and for the longest of times, had acted like ever the gentleman, ever the good knight. But things had changed upon age and maturity; the stallion had fallen from the good graces, had become obsessed with some mare, and had left a tortured soul. He began to cast out the rigid lifestyle of the angeni that raised him, had denounced the spirits, and had become a manipulate and broken creature. . .
Despite his crimes, despite the shady past she knew he walked, despite the horrible crimes she was certain he had done in her absence, Kaiya still loved him. He was her brother all the same, and love wasn't a conditional thing, at least not in her mind. Especially when it came to family. Perhaps she was but a fool to want to forgive him, but . . . it wasn't her place to judge. It was in her nature to fight for the unloved, for the cruel, for those that hurt others, for those who had lost the light in their souls and spirits. She was the one who was supposed to guide those most in need, the ones the world condemned. Surely . . .surely she could do the same for her brother. He had been lost, but she could help him find the sweetness that she knew was within him. . . .
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 10:00 pm
Kaiya watched as her brother took noticeable interest in her. Though he was covered in blood, his crimson gaze stared at her, amusement written all over his features. He was confident, unafraid, which didn't surprise her; he had always been a confident individual.
"It's been awhile, sister." He spoke, his words more like a sneer.
Kaiya swallowed, remembering herself, her mission, and reminding herself what she had told herself she would do. She had promised herself she would find Shyam and save him from himself. Surely, the darkness that had overwhelmed him could be worked away, and a shining, loving heart that she had known him to have could be found once more. Unlike many she met though, with Shyam, her business was . . . personal.
She wouldn't fail. Couldn't fail. Not him, not her.
"I wondered if we might ever cross paths again." She smiled gently, canting her head ever so slightly. "It seems the spirits have granted us such a favor."
The ebony stallion gave a low chuckle, his short, disheveled tail giving a dismissive flick. "Oh, sister, you haven't changed much, have you?" He questioned, taking a step closer to where she stood. He was unconcerned if others found his kill, if blood attracted more predators -- let them come. He had gorged himself, and now had a new toy to play with. "Always trusting yourselves to the spirits, always certain they've your best interest in mind." He clucked his tongue at her, as if to give her a reprimand.
"You're foolish to believe such a thing." Giving another low chuckle, Shyam's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Your beloved spirits are fools as well, if they did indeed send you my way. I fear, sister, you are not to enjoy the outcome." This wasn't a threat, it was more of a promise.
Kaiya steadied her will. This was her brother, yes, but how long had she found resistance in her line of work? She didn't expect Shyam to just roll over and renounce all of his transgressions; she didn't expect him to just accept her words, beg forgiveness from the spirits, and turn over a new leaf! Of course not. But she would not let his words affect her either. "I was unaware you could see the future, Shyam." She spoke with a touch of humor, though it did not light her gaze. "I dare say I'd rather let the fates themselves dictate the outcome. Surely you could find a moment to humor me, to hear what I have to say."
The red eyed beast gave a low chuckle, the chains upon his coat rattling as if in harmony. "By all means, I have no intention of running you off, Kaiya dear. We have much catching up to do, so by all means, relax. Let down your wings, enjoy some of my kill if you so desire. It's terribly delicious, and such fresh meat." He heaved the smallest of sighs, even as he pawed ever so lightly at the broken and fallen alicorn. "Alicorn meat is succulent. Not quite as divine as angeni, no pun intended," he added. "But that surely is the sweetest of meats."
Kaiya was repulsed by the offer, but kept her expression in check. He wasn't the first to offer her flesh, and likely wouldn't be the last. But to hear him speak so candidly of his cannibalism . . . disturbed her. Even kalona and skinwalker didn't necessarily eat soquili that they killed.
But that . . . shouldn't matter. She was no the Angeni of Judgement, after all, she was Redemption. It was her duty to save him, so perhaps she could save the future of others like the fallen alicorn. There was still goodness in him. There had to be. No one, outside of skinwalkers, were lost causes. He wore no pelt, so he was not as evil a monster as he might appear.
"You've taken to cannibalism, I see. I suppose I needn't ask if this is a new hobby, should I? You look well practiced as a killer."
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:50 pm
The stallion gave a small chuckle, even as stepped away from the dead beast. He had new prey now, and one that would satisfy him much more than filling his stomach. While he hadn't often given his family or sister mind, the stallion now saw new pleasure. This was a new game he could play, a new battle of the wills. If she was unchanging as she had been as a filly, he would, as he always had before, win.
"I've always had a taste for blood. It's been something I longed for even as a foal." He purred, edging forward to get a better look at his sister.
Kaiya herself gave a small snort and a shake of her head. "I don't recall you ever desiring blood. Shyam, what happened to you?" Kaiya couldn't help herself, the sister in her desperately wished to know. There were some secrets she understood would always remain secrets -- but she felt she at least had to try.
She could save him. She had to save him. It was her duty, and more importantly, it was her brother. He was family, even as he walked a wretched path. Even though he killed, even though he maimed, that didn't make him any less of a brother. She did not condone his crimes, but she could save him from himself; the shadows that haunted him weren't permanent, after all.
The stallion gave a chuckle, reaching out to run a wing tip gently down the side of her cheek. His chains rattled, echoing his twisted sense of humor. "What do you mean, what happened to me? I grew up. I opened my eyes. I found my path and removed all inhibition. Honestly, Kaiya, I think you could stand to do the same." His crimson gaze darkened as he looked her over, noting her scars and the test of time upon her body. "Time has taken its toll I see. You look old."
Kaiya refused to rise to his bait. She gave a small shake of her head, focusing solely upon the task at hand. "And you're trying to rile me. It won't work, you know. I've always been much more patient than you."
Shyam smiled, his red eyes bright. "And I, dear sister, have learned much from you. Years have passed, remember. I am not the stallion you once thought me to be. Much has changed. Are you here as a sister, or are you here as Redemption?" He quirked a brow, even as a blood-stained smirk crossed his feature.
The angeni gave a small sigh. Denial. She expected him to deny her, to turn her away. No one liked a stranger to rain on their parade, and that's exactly what she was good at. Ruining and spoiling another's fun. But it was her duty. "Both. Even if I were not of this path, I would still question you; I would still pray for you; I would still hope for you. Though I . . am perhaps more informal with you than I might be a stranger, my words are sincere."
The stallion chuckled once again, his bobbed and disheveled tail swishing in humor. "Of course you would, of course." He all but purred in to her ear, leaning forward to give it a little n**.
Kaiya jerked her head away, retreating just a step. No. It wouldn't do to let him draw close. She couldn't forget herself just because he and she shared memories of a time long since passed. His n** reminded her of her position, as both sister and redeemer. "What you are doing is wrong, Shyam. You don't have to walk the path you do, like all species, you have a choice."
The stallion smirked, his crimson gaze narrowing as he focused on his sibling. "I am not daft. I know exactly what path I choose and embrace it willingly. In fact I revel in it. . . "
". . . but you can turn away from it. I am not here to judge you of the crimes you may have comitted in the past, or the terror you may cause in the future; I am here to show you that there are options. There is goodness to be found in your spirit, of this I know. More vile creatures than you have turned their sights to a better life."
The black and red stallion gave a snort and pawed at the ground. "And what would you know of it? A better life. . . The life I live is mine and mine alone, Kaiya. Don't dismiss my choices as if they are beneath goodness and light. You say you are not here to judge, and yet you have already dismissed the pleasure I find in this world through bloodshed, through pain. Who decided that being good and kind are better than hurt and pain? They are one in the same. Neither is stronger, more powerful, or better than the other." His crimson gaze narrowed and he gave a small shake of his chains.
Kaiya said nothing, her own gaze hardening as she looked upon her sibling. She knew he was right, on some level, that she could not dismiss his choices as if they were beneath her own. She had worded her thoughts poorly, and was now suffering the consequences. She knew better than that. . . . . she would have to watch her words carefully. Cautiously from here on out, lest push him even further away.
"I choose the life I live, just as you choose to redeem the damned. I chose to kill this stallion, and I will kill again. And you can rest assured, I am happy in my life. Pride has found you, sister . . . who do you think you are, to try to save me from myself? Nobody asked you to. You speak of a life of goodness and purity, but such a path will not make me happy. Not everyone is meant to be saved."
Kaiya frowned, her head wings flaring every so slightly. Shyam's stance was becoming more and more agitated, aggressive, and she did not wish to push the subject. No. No, in her eagerness and excitement of finding her long lost sibling, she was perhaps not thinking clearly. This wasn't her sibling who had fallen from the path they walked. .. how many years had passed? He was someone new, someone different, and if she ever hoped to find her brother within his heart it was going to take time, persistence, and patience.
No. . . he was alive, that was good. But winning him over, saving his soul, redeeming him from the evils of his heart was going to be a much more tricky state of affairs.
Dipping her head a bit, she took a step back. ". . . The life you live and the life I lead are very different." Kiaya finally stated. "Somewhere, deep down, you know that there is evil in what you do. It is my dute, not just as an angeni, but as your sister, to stop you. . . . I can accomplish this through one of two means -- to destroy you or to save you. And I choose the latter." Only skinwalkers were damaged far beyond her skill.
"You speak too much. Save your breath. I lived a good life once -- you force your beliefs on those who think differently. Do you ever think of how you oppress others who are of different beliefs? Do you ever think of how you harass them? All you are is a hypocrite, Kaiya. Perhaps you'd do best to remember that." And with that, the stallion turned his back upon her, and continued ripping at the corpse before him. He hadn't finished his meal, and had quite enough of his sister.
For now.
She would be fun to break . . .
Kaiya refrained from speaking. The words he spoke were not new to her, though they never seemed to cease to shake her soul. It would take time and persistence in reforming her sibling. Deep down, she knew he might never see the light, but as long as she had breath she would fight for him. She would love him with all her heart, and do whatever she could to show him he could change; to prove there was goodness still in him. Like those she had met over her years Kaiya understood that all she needed was to plant one seed of hope. . of consideration . . of doubt or remorse. However the spirits wished to use her as a trumpet to speak to his soul. . . .
But . . . it would take time. More than one meeting. More than one chance conversation. Thankfully, time was something the angeni had in excess. Until her last breath was stolen from her lips, she had all the time in the world.
[.fin.]
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