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 Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:21 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:48 pm
To some, it is an honor. To others, a necessary evil. To you?
Well, that's for you to decide.
You were born into the depths of the ocean knowing one rule: Every ten years, one life was to be sacrificed to ensure the continued safety of your secluded village. Not just any would do: Only those with beauty beyond compare, with unspeakable bravery, with unimaginable talent and skill were considered to be worthy of being sacrificed. There were some, even, who spent their whole lives dedicated to grooming themselves into the perfect sacrifice, eager to be the next chosen. What greater honor could there be? But this is not their story. This is yours -- the next sacrifice. Friends, family, strangers: Most seem excited about your impending demise. Some would turn a blind eye, preferring to pretend these deaths weren't happening. They didn't want to know what happened at the altar to cause such horrific screams, or find out what... thing... lurked inside the black cave. Others, you knew, would celebrate the coming of ten more years of peace.
You don't know what lies within the dark cave, what happens at the sacrificial altar, or how it all began. The village does not carry out the killing themselves; when the time comes for the sacrifice, you go to the altar alone... and you never return.
While the finer details may elude you, your fate is certain. There is always blood in the water, after. Always screaming.
Why were you chosen? What made you the best of the best?
Were you proud -- or afraid?
Tell us your story.
For the greater good...
Username:
Preference List:
Entry:
[size=14][color=#0c8dd7][b]For the greater good...[/b][/color][/size]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Preference List:[/b]
[b]Entry:[/b]
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Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:48 pm
There will be a first and second place. The rest of the prizes will be raffled between the remaining participants!
You can only win one freebie Soquili and one freebie Familiar during the event.
You may co-own a Soquili prize, but the prize will count as both your and your co-owner's Soquili freebie for the event.
You may gift a specific person your prize, but the prize will count as both your and the other person's Soquili or Familiar freebie for the event.
Be sure to fill out the form in it's entirety, including the preference list. Please do not put "any" or "whatever is left" as your preferences. You may leave off prizes you're not interested in entirely, but you must include a list, even if it's for only one prize!
You can only win one prize from this game.
As this is a judged contest, staff cannot enter.
No proxies allowed. Sorry!
All entered work must be your own.
You may edit your post until the time of closing.
Late entries will not be accepted. No exceptions!
Please do not delete your posts. Deleting posts will result in disqualification and may incur further punishment.
All other usual Soquili rules apply.
Feel free to PM me if there are any questions!
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:29 am
For the greater good...
Username: Nisshou H
Preference List: Kelpi, rainbow koi, hi utsuri koi, otter
Entry: She supposed she should feel honored, somehow, to be chosen. Her brother was jealous. He’d spent his entire life trying to better himself to be more appealing. She had always prayed that they never picked him. She spent hours sabotaging his carefully constructed projects: towers made from coral of the shallows, stone, and sand. He could spend all week setting them up and she could take them apart so efficiently that it was like they had never existed. She had even come to enjoy taking things apart and would practice her deconstruction techniques on other things around the village, anything she could get a hold of. She spent years trying to stop him from being chosen and was so focused on him that she had never considered that they would pick her instead.
“Beautiful and clever,” they had called her. Deceitful. Destructive. Thorough. She hadn’t considered destruction and sabotage skills and hadn’t been afraid of them. She hadn’t thought that there could be value in it but they had found it, the ones that chose her. What had drawn their eye had been how clever she had been and not what she was doing on its own. Knocking something over was easy, taking it apart in a way that left no trace took planning and cunning. That’s what they had told her, quite cheerfully, on the day they broke the “good news.” Her brother had cursed her and fled in shame. Everyone else kept congratulating her like she should be happy that she was going to be torn to shreds alone in a dark cave.
She was not happy nor was she sad. She was planning. She was putting that cleverness that drew them in the first place to good use. She was going to find a way out of this or die trying, literally.
On the day of the sacrifice she let them clean her up nicely. They had familiar attendants brush her coat and comb her mane until it flowed and shimmered like waves on the night of a full moon. She let them put flowers in her hair and behaved like a willing sacrifice would, all smiles and bubbly laughter. They sent her off to the cave in the depths on her own with cheers, words of praise and thanks, and she suspected tears would have been shed were they not currently underwater. As soon as she was clear from their sight she took a detour to a small cave away from the altar. She retrieved a sharpened rock she had stashed there days ago, it wasn’t much but it was something.
Finally armed she swam with purpose to the altar. Her village would get their peace one way or another.
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 1:40 pm
For the greater good...
Username: Azael_Rose
Preference List: Kelpie, Rainbow Koi, Reroll
Entry:
She was devastated to learn of her status - the next sacrifice. It was not something she had strived for, or even thought of. Her family had always turned a blind eye and never mentioned what was to unfold. So for the young mare, she was utterly clueless how she had been chosen. She was quiet, patient, kind and nurturing - often tending to the village's ill, elderly and youth. She was not one to notice beauty, though others in the village would note how stunning she was. All the young mare wanted was to care for her community, but perhaps that coupled with her gentle beauty was what unwittingly had made her the perfect sacrifice.
They expected her to comply, to walk willingly into the abyss and to never be seen again... But deep within her soul, the Kelpie was terrified. Her body shook at the very thought. Her death, because it was almost assuredly death, would only grant her village ten years of peace. But I could do so much more to help my village in a lifetime, she mentally screamed at herself, I can't do this...I can't!
Nightmares harassed the mare's sleep that very night, the night before the ten years tradition. Visions of villagers eager for the sacrifice chased her from one dream to the next. Their words echoed through her thoughts, 'There must be a sacrifice...There must...'
The Kelpie had tossed and struggled all night. Her mane lay in a tangled mass across her neck and gaunt circles were forming below her crystalline eyes. She slowly stood, taking a deep breath to shake off her night terrors. It didn't help much. She closed her eyes and resigned herself to her destiny. The trek to the outskirts of town was painfully slow as she hung her head and watched her hooves shuffle across the sandy floor.
A chorus of joyful voices greeted her as she finally arrived. She raised her head just enough to see most of the villagers, all with smiles. Probably because they're not the chosen one... The bitter thought took her by surprise, and she quickly gave them all a small awkward smile.
The elder gestured her closer, "It is with great honor that you are here today. The village is forever in your debt." He then turned to the crowd behind him, "Ten more years of peace!"
The crowd grew even louder with its praise and hollering. She stared out into their faces, for the last time, and could not find a single family member. She quivered slightly at the realization. Then her old thoughts began to resurface, as the crowds cheers grew, I can't...I can't do this... The eldest male motioned for her to move forward, between the rocky chasm that led to the altar, her final destination. She was to make this last trek alone. Her legs shook with each small step forward. It felt like days before she had finally passed through the rocks and out of the village's sight.
Once their voices had disappeared, she stopped. She nervously glanced around, afraid that whatever lurked within the black cave would come for her instead. Her legs rattled with fear and her ears began flicking nervously, trying to catch a hint of any sound. She felt paralyzed, unable to move forward or to turn back. I can't do this, I can't do this, the words began repeating like a mantra. She began to frantically search her surroundings, looking for anyway out. Ahead the path lead to her doom, to each side a steep rocky shelf, and behind her lay the village...where she would be most unwelcome if she were to ever return or forcibly dragged back to the altar. Feeling trapped more than ever, the Kelpie did something few in her village (apart from perhaps the foals) ever did - she looked up, straight up. The waters above were usually dark, but something strange glimmered above her head.
Her eyes locked onto that glimmer, that bit of light, as her last bit of salvation. There was a chance it was a passing fish or cephalopod, as that often occurred over the village. There was something different about this light, at least she hoped it was. The young mare plucked up what courage she could muster and tentatively began scaling the steep rock face. Her hooves scraped and slipped on the stone. But all she needed was a bit of a lift and then her tail could do the rest. She struggled and fell backwards a few times before she finally managed to lift herself up enough away from the claustrophobic path.
A small surge of triumph washed over her as her strong tail and fins pumped behind her. The small light above steadily grew larger as she got closer. Just a bit more... She gritted her teeth as she pushed herself even further up the depths. She was certain with each stroke that the light was not a fish. The light was barely larger than she was around. It quickly became obvious that the light wasn't really a light but a cave opening in the rocky depths. She stopped and peered at the opening. A light cave had to be better than a black one, or at least she hoped. She glanced back towards her village and the sacrificial path she had been on. It looked so bleak. There's nothing left for me here. With that last thought, she pushed herself through the rocky opening, scraping her sides as she scrambled through it to her new life.
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 3:01 pm
For the greater good...
Username: NovaCracker
Preference List: Hi Utsuri Kou, Rainbow Koi, Kelpi, River Otter
Entry:
There is no greator honor than to serve.
The words floated around the secluded village all her life. Families chose to bear children and wed not for love but for aesthetic -- seeking to breed the most beautiful, the most couragous offspring possible. And every year the choice of sacrifice drew near.
I wasn't born in the village. I'd humble beginnings with travelling merchants, roaming the ocean, but with myself and my brother born they moved to the village to give us a stable upbringing and life. Our mom was a kelpi. Dad was a mer -- and to many, we, for our mixed looks, were beautifully exotic. My brother was always the less bright sibling; I loved it. He looked as a hard stone in a sunbeam near shore, regal, strong. When mother and fatyher were killed by hunters, he was arranged to wed a village priestess. But the time to choose was close.
I was under consideration and so my care fell in his hooves.
The choosing came and I was lined up with the others to be considered; my scales bright and colorful, mane in the light glimmering. I want to say I was positioned to stand out, but no. Everyone else was positioned by themselves. I was ordered into position by the priests like a petulant child. At that time, we werte all studied before they finally decided on me.
The thing is, I'm not brave. I guess, in a way, I am.I befriended sharks, dared peer above the water -- but I don't want to die. I want to live, to find love and to find hope. My parents wanted good lives for us, and now -- the village is celebrating my death. My coming end means they live another ten years - I want to see time pass too. But someone must go to the creature. And there are many others who may be arranged to wed but love their mate. And they deserve life too.I only pray I might see to the cave's dweller, and when I approach, maybe see them to reason... Maybe they'll spare me. Spare my home. Maybe,if I'm even braver, we can find love and peace.
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 3:01 pm
For the greater good...
Username: elfstar89
Preference List: Kelpie, rainbow koi, river otter, hi utsuri koi
Entry:
Her voice often swept across the village, high and sweet, artfully bouncing off all surfaces of the village to create a choral effect. They heard her when she went away on any errand that she was given, they heard her when she returned. And she often volunteered to drive the predatory sealife away. Sharks and the like, mostly.
What they didn't know was how she did it. An unmarred hide was taken for matchless prowess in battle. After all, the beautiful siren who swam out to protect their village always returned safe and sound, and to a well-protected and grateful village. Who was there to say otherwise?
And it had netted her the nomination as the sacrifice. The fairest, strongest, bravest, most talented member of the village. It was hard to see why not. And, despite the sheer honor of it all, and the jealousy that all had pointed at her, she wasn't completely convinced that it was that great a thing. Actually, maybe it was for the best, the best possible outcome.
She tucked her legs close to her body as she propelled herself toward her usual patrol route, singing her wordless song. Her last trip to her usual route. Pulling herself up alongside a high limestone pinnacle standing sentinel between her favorite reef and the open ocean, she drifted to the top. Her spot. Schools of fish swam by, cheerfully showing off their scales and new members. Turtles paddled past, comfortable in the presence of the darting eels and flapping rays. Off in the distance, she could see a pack of sharks. Hammerheads. She smiled.
The local sharks were hammerheads, and hammerheads were more interested in things other than Soquili. These preferred the schools of fish that sailed the open waters beyond the reef. But everyone knew sharks were bad news. Sharks would even eat other sharks.
Smaller sharks drifted past, teeny ones, possibly just released from the "mermaid's purses." She smiled. She'd miss zipping through their ranks, singing the smaller fry and larvae to sleep. Everything had its place in the oceanic ecosystem. Even terrible monsters that demanded sacrifice. But that didn't give them the right to arrogantly terrorize the seas.
If the Beast of the Altar would not see reason, she'd make it all change. Get a more balanced oceanic ecosystem out of it all. And if she failed, as had so many other generations of "perfect" Soquili, then it was just the way that the oceanic ecosystem was going to continue to be, until someone better came along. Nothing lasted forever. Not even the Beast of the Altar.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 1:44 am
For the greater good...
Username: tefla
Preference List: Kelpi Mare, Rainbow Koi, Hi Utsuri Koi, River Otter
Entry:
"Let me tell you a tale. A tale of betrayal, of sadness and of bitterness. You see I know of a place in the fathoms below that was filled with beauty beyond compare. But that was only the one side that was seen most of the time. For every ten years this place turned barbaric and sent one innocent life to be snuffed out in an instant. It was said that to be chosen was to have great honour. You would be sacrificed to keep those left behind safe for ten more years. Ten years to live in peace and harmony until those years were passed and another sacrifice was chosen. It was a never ending cycle ... until very recently..."
Here the speaker came into view. A young mare with a rough hewn cloak thrown over her body. She was of kelpi heritage and wisps of white hair escaped the hood she had fashioned to keep her face in shadows. With exaggerated movements she swept her tail around the clearing before settling down. "Now where was I? Oh yes, a recent change..."
---
A loud gasp echoed around her family unit. Disbelief was evident but with a sense of resignation Abalone could see that her mother and father were already in the process of trying to put her out of their minds. It would hurt less she supposed if they drew away from her now. How had this happened? How had she been the one to be chosen as the next sacrifice? She was of beauty fair that could not be denied but surely others were more skilled than she. Why? why? why? Choking back a sob and excusing herself from the dwelling the young mare fled to what she deemed was her special place.
Tiny bio-luminescent creatures swam around and gave her grove a haunting atmosphere that she felt most at ease at. Who else would make sure this place survived? She had lovingly tended to this area if only to make it more appealing. Abalone thought of the area as one where couples could sneak away for a few hours. She had never really had anyone seek her out for special attention but that didn't bother her. She sat up with an exclamation of surprise. Maybe her excursions had not gone unnoticed. What a dirty trick: sending someone to spy on her? Was that what made her special: being able to make a place look beautiful? Shaking her mane and almost ready to accept her fate she began the long trek back to the village. It seemed as if her hours were being counted away now. Plastering on a fake smile Abalone received heartfelt praise from the villagers even as her own heart was breaking in the same moment. It was unfair. She would never experience love, never raise children of her own all because of a stupid bargain struck.
Moments later a "psst" sound caught her ears and the young mare turned to catch sight of one of the villagers beckoning her forward. Curious the mare followed and was drawn into a darkened kelp bed. Her ears pricked forward in interest as the villager spoke in a sibilant whisper.
"Look, I know it's too late to change anything but you deserve to know the truth Abalone."
Confused Abalone glanced around her with a hushed reply, "what do you mean?"
The villager sighed. He'd been afraid of this but Abalone needed to be told the truth. "What I mean is that you weren't supposed to be the next sacrifice; the council had chosen another but because of some sort of intervention the choice was revised to make you the next sacrifice. You got sold out dearie."
Abalone froze. Her expression of horror said it all. She had been betrayed ... but by whom? She had to know. "Who was it, do you know?"
The silence that stretched between Abalone and the villager was straining her patience. With a resigned sigh the villager relayed the information. "It was your great-aunt who singled you out in order to save her granddaughter."
Abalone's blood ran cold. Betrayed by her own flesh and blood. It was more than she could bear. Sniffling softly Abalone thanked the villager and returned to her family's dwelling. This was to be her last night spent with them and she put on a convincing display being duty-bound to fulfil the village's prophecy once more. Deep down though she was furious. Her cousin would have been the one marching off to certain death and now it was she instead. Life was certainly not fair.
The next morning Abalone was sent to prepare herself for the sacrificial walk to the cave in which the altar lay. Her mane floated softly around her face and her eyes were downcast as she listened to the proclamation that once more the village would be safe all in thanks to Abalone's bravery and courage. All the village had gathered and yet Abalone could not see her aunt or cousins among the crowd. "Cowards," was her only thought as a lone tear escaped and travelled down her cheek. If one truly knew what she was planning the village might have tried to send guards to escort her. The truth was she counted on those in charge to think of her as a meek mare who knew that her duty lay with losing her life. Abalone was glad that no one had paid particularly close attention to her eyes though. They were hard and a weight had settled in her heart of what she was about to do.
Having stepped onto the path that would take her to the cave Abalone almost swore she could hear the cries of those that had come before her. Well, her voice would not be joining in that never-ending chorus. Instead it would be her entire village. Revenge had gripped her heart in its icy grasp. With no sympathy in her body at all Abalone turned the corner that took her out of sight and with every thought clamouring in her brain to turn around Abalone purposely drove her tail against a sharp outcropping of rock. She screamed loud and long before cutting off the sound mid-scream. Giving her tail attention Abalone knew that her acting skills were sub-par at best and was just hoping that maybe some other hapless soul would wander into the cave. Flicking her tail from side to side she watched as the color of the water took on a reddish hue. At last she was satisfied. Although weakened Abalone swam away from the cave and away from her village. She would not be a pawn in anyone's game anymore. Knowing that nowhere in the ocean would be safe Abalone angled her trajectory to head up towards the surface. She would leave the ocean of which her home was to live among those that dwelled on the land. Surely they'd accept her. Hours passed and Abalone tired. Perseverance faltered as darkness settled over her. Abalone glanced to the black sky that was littered with stars and felt hope re-emerge. She could do this ... start a new life with no regrets.
---
"And so that is the tale of how a village beneath the surface of the ocean suddenly ceased to be. Who knows where Abalone disappeared to. I heard of this tale from a small koi who witnessed the events. Thank you for listening to my story tonight."
Once the crowd had dispersed the mare winced as her tail made contact with the ground. She threw back the cloak to reveal skin of blue chased by green and a mane of fair white hair. A lone tear trickled from her left eye before she let her cloak fall away. The injury to her tail had been healed so not even a scar remained and yet Abalone wondered at times if perhaps there was a giant scar on her heart. One that would never heal no matter how much time had passed.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:32 pm
For the greater good...
Username:Rinial Sisterdragon
Preference List: Kelpie female, rainbow koi, hi utsuri koi, river otter
Entry:
Ten years, one life. A blind kelpie wouldn't make that no matter how hard they tried. Keema sighed. Thinking back on the day she was born, thinking back to how he parents had felt her a curse. Useless. At least until she learned to sing.
Once she exhibited a talent that was noteworthy, there was a chance of her being chosen for sacrifice. Every ten years. The last had been a stallion of bravery unfathomable, Keema barely old enough to remember the screaming. Terror? Was it terror? and was it really the stallion who'd screamed so horrified?
She was lost in thought as she hummed to calm herself. This was the choosing ceremony, everyone who was here, before the tribe was up for the chopping block, bring honor to their families, bring peace to their home for ten years. She had the voice of a blessed angeni siren, at least that's what her family had divulged.
Stage fright was not something she had to deal with as she listened to the murmur around her. She could hear them all, but seeing them, no such horror there. The whispers of her blindness, the angry curses of a less than perfect creature being on the stage with such divine wealth. Those who were raised to be slaughtered.
I'm blind, not deaf. She thought silently. Her turn to show her talent came, Keema sighed internally.
Carefully she shifted her way to the center of the stage, counting her steps, unseeing and pale eyes glanced over the stage, it was an unnerving sight for many, and then, she began to sing. the song of sirens, the waves that crash, the world grew silent, enamored with the voice that rang out, strong and filled with sorrow, devoted to the cause, but fearing the unknown, emotions soared with the notes this blind kelpie sang, her desires to be more than a sacrifice filling the world around her.
The last note lingered, gently wafting away across the crowd. She tensed the silence settling in was thick, as though a glass cover had been set over her. Then the crowds gasped as one, unable to contain their astonishment. This blind mare, this would be burden had a voice so glowing, so glorious that not a single one of her tribe could speak, tears falling down their long faces as overwhelming emotion welled up inside their bodies.
Finally, the elder spoke, "Our selection this year will be difficult. We shall let the bones choose." the pouch at his side was opened by his familiar, a few whispered words before the small creature dumped out the bag. Keema had caught the words, "The blind one, it is her only use." her ears laid low on her head. They'd already chosen, but to make it seem to be only fate, the bones would be played, cheated. She would die. The others would live. and in ten years time, they would find another.
She breathed deep as they made a mockery of her, the tribe, and all their traditions. She was only useful as a sacrifice, her voice, her strength, she....she was not even her own mare.
"The bones speak." The elder continued as he often would, "Fair Keema, who's voice rings in all our hearts, she shall be our offering. Our savior!" He spoke with such fervor, such devotion to his lies, Keema was then properly attired, her life would end, and theirs would be saved. Some of the other 'hopefuls' sneered at her, one mare cried, and a stallion looked relieved. Their lives got to continue on, but hers would soon end. Until that day she would be treated as a queen, but it was only a week away.
Sick, that is how Keema felt. Sick, disgusted and hateful. But she would not run, she would not die without a fight, she would not give them the satisfaction of her screams. She would save her tribe, but she would not be the mare who died with a cry.
Keema walked to her new domicile, the house of sacrifice, the plush and garish decor could have been found in some unreal palace, it was supposed to make the sacrifice feel as though they were living out their best life, in the days that came before their inevitable and unenviable end.
----------------------
The days passed slowly, nearly dragging on for Keema as she was preened, and cleansed, physically primped, spiritually 'purified'. All the rituals that lead up to her final day gave little time for her to dwell on her selection, on the whispers that echoed around her in the night. Some thought she was a fine sacrifice, and others thought she would do nothing but bring about their destruction. She was not pretty enough, and being blind, well, that was a defect no matter how her voice lulled others into a sense of awe.
Keema was dressed early in the morning, anointed with precious colors and paints of the tribe, denoting her importance, despite the sneers she could feel around her. It was, an unpleasant last day as her parents visited, excited at her being so honored. Her family would gain status, and payment for her life. They would be fine, and with her dead, they could have another child, one without her sad inability to see.
She was not warm to her parents, as they only saw her as a convenient scapegoat for all the other would be sacrifices, who were much more useful than she.
The day passed slowly, she moved towards her inevitable end, the altar and cave, alone. unguided, Good thing it's a straight path Her thoughts were bitter as she continued towards her fate. She would stand strong, she sang, sang to her death, sang of the betrayal, sang of hope dashed against the rocks of fate.
Keema at last stepped to the altar, and waited. Fate would not hear her scream, it would hear her singing.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:44 pm
For the greater good...
Username: dawns_aura
Preference List: Kelpi, rainbow koi, Hi Utsuri koi
Entry:
For the greater good...
How I loathe these words. The words of cowards. Sheep. Those too weak and pathetic to stand up and take action... How I hate myself for being one of them. For following the same twisted path of those before me for generations. The sacrifices. The pure, the innocent, the perfect. Those who died for no real purpose. Allowing for a mere ten years of peace, before the cycle continued once more.
But I am perhaps getting a little ahead of myself. Please forgive me. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
For the sake of this story, the village it takes place in will be called Margaliti – pearl - and indeed that is what it was. A beautiful, shining example of the type of place anyone could ever hope to live. A place that prized, beauty and art, and skill above all else. And it's citizen's strove to live up the the high standards that were held.
Unfortunately, there were many who fell short. Many who were forced to leave for any minor imperfection. Some left with sadness, but understood the reasons why. Others left with anger and bitterness- it wasn't fair. They had every right to live there as well, did they not?
And it was that same bitterness that twisted them, eventually leading the few to a rumoured sea-witch to make a bargain. If they couldn't be a part of Margaliti, then they would destroy it. If not physically, they would tear it apart spiritually, emotionally... It would lose it's bright shine, and lose it's heart with the death of each young sacrifice. The Sea-witch, amused by the plight of those who came to her agreed, and they paid a terrible price. Once beautiful beings were twisted. Becoming the monsters they were on the inside. That was her price. And it was a price they willing paid.
Generation after generation, every ten years, the sacrifice would be sent to the altar of the monsters, buying ten years of peace. Slowly the village itself, the center of beauty and art and culture began to twist, much like those who tormented it. A beautiful apple with a rotten core. No longer a pearl, but something else entirely.
Eventually, the meaning behind the curse and the altar was lost. It was simply their new way of life. A tradition. Something that simply was.
And soon, it was decided that on every tenth year, the strongest, most beautiful, or most skilled would be given the honor of giving up their life so others might have the brief time of peace to be happy. It was supposedly an honor to be chosen. It meant that one was perfect. That they embodied the best of Margaliti. An honor that was in truth a death sentence. And the village celebrated it, death, even as everyone was relieved that they were just short enough of the standards.
Hypocrits.
Then came my year. There were many in the running to be labeled the sacrifice. Many that fought to bring their names to the forefront. Beauty, strength, cunning, talent, intelligence. Everyone fought to display the best o themselves, to set themselves apart from the rest. Subtle shunnings, little sabotages. Whispers and knives in the back, as honeyed words were spread about.
If only I had known then what I do now. Would I have done things differently, I wonder. I would like to think so, but in truth, the contest truly brings forth one's character. And mine showed itself to be ruthless, heartless. Willing to do whatever it took to come out on top. Hindsight is twenty-twenty and hardly pretty. Especially when dealing with ones flaws.
It wasn't my appearance, all blues and greens like the clearest waters of the ocean, shimmering like the scales of the fish that made the reefs surrounding our little village home, and it wasn't my strength, because physically I was subpar, that ensured I was the sacrifice. It wasn't my eyes that shimmered like the purest moonlight that filtered down from the surface. It wasn't my voice, because I couldn't sing if my lie depended upon it.
No, it was my cunning, and my coldness. My willingness to do whatever I had to to accomplish whatever I set out to do. The fact that I was an orphan and had no family to mourn me also had something to do with it. But whatever the case. It was my choice, my fate, my honor to die.
The day came.
I allowed myself to be escorted as far as was permitted. With my head held high and proud, I made my way to the altar. I would meet my fate with dignity.
I would not cower in fear and I would not let the monster see me as anything other than I am. But it wasn't what I expected. Not at all. And it wasn't death that met me there that day.
It was... well, I'll not say what it was. The cycle still exists, and until others learn the truth and break free from Maragliti's lies I shall keep my silence.
Other than to bring facts from the past that have been long forgotten back to light. For the Greater Good.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 9:08 pm
For the greater good...
Username: belloblossom
Preference List: Kelpie, River Otter, Rainbow Koi, Hi Utsuri Koi,
Entry: It had always been considered an honor in her family, to be chosen. There was no better chance to prove yourself than by giving your future up for others to have many futures after you. Soquili had been chosen in her family once every few generations and it was always treated with great renown.
The most recent person in her family who had been chosen in her family was her grandfather. He had been known for his bravery and courageous spirit. His fins were scarred from previous battles. He had been a protector of the village and, according to her parents, that's why he was chosen: to protect the village for the next ten years. Her mother often said, that if anyone would have had a fighting chance for survival, it would have been Grandfather Ronan. Yet, he, like all before him, did not re-emerge.
Now, it was Mahi's turn. She was a young mare, just a few months passed the marker of adulthood. She wasn't old enough to remember the last 'chosen one', but she had heard rumors. Heard that it was an older mare with a sing-song voice and a cheery disposition. Full of life, until, that is, she wasn't. As soon as she descended into the depths and was swallowed by darkness, she was no longer the cheery mare everyone had known her to be. In fact, she wasn't anything, anymore.
Mahi didn't quite know why she had been chosen. She was young and she was pretty, she cared about how she looked and whether she attracted the eyes of others. Maybe it was the fact that she went out of her way to appear beautiful that got her in this position, family lines aside. She dreaded to think that she may have brought this upon herself.
Still, when the news came that she had been chosen, her family celebrated. They prepared a glorious meal (her last, Mahi thought, trying not to appear gloomy) and saw to it that she had every comfort before the ceremony the following day.
In the morning, her mother adorned Mahi's mane with a flower clasp, decorating her mane for the ceremony. Mahi put on a brave face through it all. From facing her family to the grand ceremony in front of the village. Whenever she had eyes on her, she had her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pressed into a firm line.
It was only when she began her descent into the unending darkness, her back turned to her peers, that she let out a choked sob. She'd gotten all dressed up only to succumb to the terribleness of this place. She didn't really know anything about great gods or whatever monster may live in this darkness. She wanted to continue living, she wanted to see her family again. She wanted to attract the eyes of a handsome stallion. She did not want to sacrifice the life she was making for herself, the life she'd barely started, for some stupid tradition.
Yet onward she went, for this was her duty to her village, however vile it was. She wanted her family safe, even if she hated them in this moment. Perhaps, this was the real reason she had been chosen. Perhaps whomever chose her saw that she was more selfless than she gave herself credit for. Oh, how she regretted it now.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:40 am
For the greater good...
Username: muffled_undertone
Preference List: Kelpie, Rainbow Koi, Hi Utsuri Koi, River Otter
Entry:
Kaera awoke to her mother gently shaking her awake. Tears flooded her mother's eyes as she softly spoke, "Kaera, the elders have decided that you are the chosen one. What an honor." Speechless, Kaera stared into her mother's eyes that were now swollen and red. "Mommy, I'm sorry." Her mother hushed her and told her to go back to sleep. "I will let your siblings know in the morning," she said as she walked toward the door. Stopping by the doorway, she turned her head slightly and said, "your father would have been so proud," as she slowly turned away and closed the door. Kaera could hear her mother sobbing as quietly as possible, trying to keep her neighbors from overhearing her cries. "They'll question mommy for being so sad. Most people around here think it's a great honor," Kaera murmured as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.
The next morning, Kaera's sister screamed her awake. Her sister exclaimed, "Congratulations, sister!! You are the chosen one! You are th--" Kaera couldn't listen anymore. Her sister was always envious of everything she had. Her looks, her athleticism, her bravery, her intelligence, her talents... and her sister never made it a point to hide it. Shameless, really. It was only natural that she would be enthused about her current predicament. And she wasn't genuinely happy for her to be chosen to receive the greatest honor in the village. Kaera wanted to pull the covers over her head and tune her sister out, but she wanted to check on her mother-- she must be a wreck. Kaera couldn't imagine how her mother would feel-- losing her husband and her eldest child in this way. Most of those around her would consider her mother to be fortunate, but losing kin so close to her, her husband and her eldest child, would be very painful, and no one would understand. They would simply say the "the honor precedes the loss," and move on.
"Mommy?! Mommy!!" Kaera screamed as she searched for her mother. Kaera ran to her mother who was sitting on her bed with her eyes closed and tears rolling down her cheeks. "Kaera, it'll be okay. It is an honor. Go talk to your father. I'm sure he could hear you..." her mother's voice began to tremble as she took a deep breath and continued to cry. Obliging her request and wanting to go talk to him, too, Kaera planned to go out to her father's marked grave (though his body obviously does not rest there).
"Kaera." It was her brother. "Good for you. Another accomplishment to add to your list." Kaera was unsure what to make of his reaction. Was he truly happy for her, or was he happy to be rid of her soon, like her sister? He was always so difficult to read. She was never sure what to make of the relationship she had with him. Politely thanking him, Kaera began her way out the door.
Kaera was half-heartedly expecting the village to be abuzz with the news. Gossip does travel fast, and she has been getting weird looks from some villagers lately. Kaera was honestly very confused about the whole situation. What will become of me after death? Is there another way to appease that "thing"? What will happen to mommy? As she made her way through the heart of the village, the villagers looked on in an uncomfortable way. Kaera heard some whisper, "but she's so young..." and "her father must be proud for he too was also chosen."
Finally making it to her father's grave, Kaera got down on her knees and closed her eyes. Praying for the soul of her father, she couldn't help but cry. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she finally, truly understood the gravity of the situation. She will end up like him. A memory. Her body wouldn't even be buried. She will no longer live after she is offered to that thing in exchange for another ten years of peace. She sometimes still felt like a child, though she was not one anymore. A hair into adulthood, Kaera still felt like a foal. She opened her eyes and they drifted to the beautiful flowers growing close to her father's grave. "How lovely..." Kaera spoke, as she reached for the flowers with her tail fin. Adorning her hair with the flowers, Kaera bowed her head. "Father, I will find a way. There has got to be another way."
Kaera began to hear the indistinct voices of the villagers in the distance. The elders must be ready to make the formal announcement, she thought. An honor it is to be chosen, but my life will not end on that altar. There are still a few days before I'm offered to that thing. "I will find a way!" Kaera exclaimed as she shook her head and sped off into the opposite direction from the village. She wanted nothing to do with the announcement of her impending demise. Kaera began to feel her eyes well up with tears as the voices of the villagers got softer and softer until all she could hear was her own heartbeat.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 9:53 am
For the greater good...
Username: xKOVAKtheWOLFx
Preference List: kelpie, rainbow, red, otter
Entry: She didn't want to be chosen. She wanted to live a normal life. What was normal? How would she start her own family and thrive? She was chosen. She was going to die. Or whatever happened to the chosen.
She hated it. The screams were calling her away. As if telling her to run. Run, run away! Chosen. Probably because she was different. She was special. It was her turn to die.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 2:05 pm
For the greater good...
Username: Wasteland Wyvern
Preference List: Kelpie, Rainbow Koi, Hi Utsuri Koi, River Otter
Entry:
Eager... This word would best describe the gleaming eyed Kelpie as she stood before the path that would take her to the cavern. She'd been chosen just this week before and now she stared down the path, her fur well groomed, her mane lightly shimmering as it flitted about being played with by the waves. A strange smile split her face as she began the walk.
The path ahead was littered with small cracked bones and pictographs etched into the walls, at east up until a certain point. The point of no return. Gleefully she stepped over the invisible barrier and continued on her walk. Finally she was before the cave, looking into the blackness that almost seemed to shift with the gentle currents of the deep water.
She didn't close her eyes, she didn't look away, instead she looked deep into the blackness as whatever was within rushed forward and took her life. A scream was not heard this night, no instead it was an unhinged gurgling laughter that abruptly cut off as the life of the gleaming eyed mare was snuffed out.
The villagers usually celebrating at the taking of a life that gave them ten more years instead looked at each other with unease before they drifted off home...
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 3:48 pm
For the greater good...
Username: Revolutionary Roniel
Preference List: kelpi mare, rainbow koi, Hi Utsuri Koi, reroll
Entry:
Everyone knew that Shimmerscale was going to be the next sacrifice, everyone. From the moment she emerged from her shell, it was clear that she was special. Her scales shone with a rainbow gleam, thus earning her name. She brought grace to everything she did, whether it was music, art, or dance. When she was just a filly, she convinced two warring tribes of dolphins to put aside their differences.
It was so obvious, everyone had agreed. Shimmerscale was the next sacrifice. Her wisdom, beauty, and joy would ensure the safety of all others.
Shimmerscale knew this too, of course. Perhaps it was because of this that she never took a mate, despite attracting the eye of most of the stallions and some of the mares. As the time drew close to choose the next sacrifice she gained an air of distant piety, though she was no less kind than before.
That was when it happened, the terrible "accident" that left Shimmerscale bleeding her life's blood into the ocean. She'd died almost instantly, almost. Opalescent had been there, had been by her side as Shimmerscale's panicked eyes looked their last before closing forever.
Opalescent had been there to see the ones that swam away so swiftly, never admitting their fault in the "terrible accident" and expecting her to do the same.
She'd remained silent, protecting them.
And then she was chosen as the next sacrifice.
Why? She'd wanted to scream to the heavens when she heard her name called out. Why why why?
She was beautiful, yes, but nothing that compared to the departed Shimmerscale. She grew the most delicious kelp in the village, but Swiftfin was the one who made her kelp into delicious confectionaries. Compared to Shimmerscale, she was nothing. She'd never even thought of herself as a potential sacrifice, given that Shimmerscale was right there all along.
But now Shimmerscale was gone.
Through her panic and her daze, she wondered. Had she been chosen honestly, or did they send her to her demise to protect their secret? The ones responsible for the "accident" that was hardly accidental were children of the village elders. Perhaps they chose her to keep their deadly secret. Perhaps they chose her so no one would ever know why Shimmerscale was not being sent to death as had always been the plan.
Opalescent didn't know, and despite her coming death, she still didn't dare tell anyone. No one would believe her, anyways. They would only think she had turned coward to try to save her life. After all, it was true, in a sense.
Shimmerscale's death had meant nothing. She only hoped her own would mean more.
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