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 Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:05 pm
Returning to Chibale hadn't been an easy decision for Zakia. After living so long in Zena she worried about how well she would reconnect with her sisters or if they would even want her back. While she'd still been training it had been with an earthling and the survival skills she'd learned were meant for harsh, frozen mountains capes and not the humid jungle of her homeland.
Still she'd returned and as nerve wracking as it had been Zakia was happy for it. Predictably there were some who gave her grief, but on the whole the return had been a positive one. It was taking time, but every day she felt more at ease here.
With her bow slung over her back, Zakia crouched down next to a stream and scooped up some drinking water with cupped hands. The spring was a smaller one, though no less popular, with a sizable waterfall she'd played under often as a child. I always thought it was bigger than that. She mused with a smile.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:06 pm
[Scar via Discord / 1]
With his new training (and chore) schedule with Eurig at the tavern, Ares spent a lot less time tromping around Chibale playing pretend with sticks. ... But, here and there, schedules would align just so and he'd be left to his own devices - away from Eliri and his parents, with no Eurig to work or train with. At times like that, he liked to be on his own - so imagine his dismay when he realized the spring he'd decided to hang out at was already occupied.
At least it wasn't by a group his age; the fact he didn't get along well with them was a huge part of why he was playing alone in the first place.
He would have slunk off in defeat, but he paused in his step when he noticed the sister's strange clothes. It reminded him a bit of the foreign furs his mom got as a gift from Sister Nimueh when he was little. "You're gonna roast if you wear those things here." He called out to the woman, propping his hands on his hips.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:08 pm
Zakia's antennae flickered before the Aishan turned to see her visitor. She wasn't entirely surprised to see someone so young by the water, but what she was perturbed by was the lack of others. Usually where one kid went a hoard was sure to follow so she figured it was only a matter of time before she was run out.
"They're only temporary," She smiled and motioned to the tufts of fur on her clothing. "Just until mine are ready so don't worry. " The longer she looked at the youngling the longer a little prickle of something started up in her mind. Something...wasn't quite right here.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:09 pm
[Scar via Discord / 2]
Hmm. Ares trotted a bit closer, his curiosity open on his face as he took in her strange garb. Growing up here meant being used to seeing skin; the long sleeves and layers were decidedly non-Aishan.
Was she from a sister tree? "I'm not worried." He corrected bossily, his cheeks flushing a bit. Ares didn't want anyone thinking he was a fretful hen and not a warrior!
"I've never seen you before, that's all. Did you really have no idea it was gonna be so hot here? Whose gonna make your new clothes? A local? I hope so! That way you know they're soot-bul."
He'd heard his mom say that word before - and he wanted to prove to this sister how grown up he was so she took him seriously.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:11 pm
Spicy little thing. Not that she wasn't used to younglings like this; actually, if anything, it made her miss Teagan. The girl was as good as a younger sister to her and the bit of attitude just made her home sick. But this is your home. Right...Right? Right.
"I'm from Chibale, it's just been a while." The longer the kid talked the more Zakia wondered and while it wasn't entirely polite to ask she could bait them. "My name's Zakia; daughter of Mnyiri. Who are you?"
If her suspicions were true and she was talking to a little boy then that would be something new, considering just how Aishan he looked and if not...well, she was just paranoid.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:12 pm
[Scar via Discord / 3]
Ares looked doubtful at her claim of being from here, squinting his eyes at her. Well yeah, she looked like any other sister, but ... even her mother's name was foreign to him. Not that he could hope to know the name of all the adults or kids here, but still!
At least she'd introduced herself first. Ares puffed out his chest. "I'm Ares!" He deflated just a bit, stumbling over how to continue, because while calling Nimueh or his own dad 'Sister' made sense, his parents had corrected any other gendered words he got wrong.
"I'm the son of Elsheba and Ujiri. And my Alkidike gramma is Ariya. I have other grammas, but Mom doesn't think I should talk to 'em 'cause they don't like boys."
He lifted his chin and stared at her as if trying to dare her to admit SHE didn't like boys either.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:14 pm
Knew it. All that time spent around earthlings had given her a little insight to the subtle differences between little boys and little girls. She wasn't right all of the time, but there had been just enough to make her question.
"Sounds like their loss, then." She offered him a soft smile. "My best friends are boys so I don't have a problem with them. Even if they are annoying." Her heart went out to the kid. It was hard enough being in Chibale with her own mixed heritage some days, but having the misfortune - or blessing? - of being male...
Maybe that was why he was out here by himself?
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:15 pm
[Scar via Discord / 4]
Oh. Ares felt the wind fall out of his sails, body relaxing as any defensiveness left it. He gave a snort of laughter, though, at her calling her friends annoying.
With renewed confidence, Ares padded to the water and waded into it up to his knees feeling at the pebbled ground with his toes.
"My sister's annoying - that's not a Boy thing." Ares pointed out knowledgeably.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:16 pm
Zakia snorted. "That's true; mine's annoying too." Of course hers was much, much younger than herself so she had every right to be annoying. When Calixa was older, though, Zakia would push her in the water.
"So how come you're not at training? Someone your age should be driving their teachers mad." A little amphibious creature blinked it's large eyes up at her from the water, but when ripples from Ares' legs made their way closer it burrowed under the silt.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:17 pm
[Scar via Discord / 5]
It felt like it should be weirder to talk to an adult like this who wasn't a relative. But somehow this lady (Zakia, daughter of Mnyiri) didn't talk down to him or boss him around, so he decided it was probably fine.
He stooped down, carefully trying to feel along the bottom of the spring without getting his clothes wet, but some of his long dreads spilled over his shoulder anyway.
"Everyone's training with bows lately." Ares complained, wrinkling his nose. "I'm gonna have a spear! I'm allowed, my teachers said so!"
Well, ideally teachers would pressure students to be well rounded and learn many weapons and tools, but maybe they gave him more leeway. Or maybe they didn't care enough to enforce it with him, who knew?
Finally Ares stood again with a large smooth rock in his hand. If he was really careful maybe he could try and make a spearhead out of it back at home?
"You get it right? Bows are lame.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:19 pm
Zakia leveled as droll a stare as one could without iris’ at the boy before motioning vaguely at the longbow on her back. “You’re lame.” She said without one ounce of foresight, and immediately caught herself. This wasn’t her best friends’ little sibling; it was a random boy and she couldn’t be sure he would take it in the same joking way.
“When you’re able to take down a mammu without ever leaving your hiding spot then you can tell me bows are lame. “
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:20 pm
[Scar via Discord / 6]
Huh. Ares tucked the rock under his arm and used both hands to wring out the ends of his wet dreads, looking at the bow she gestured to without an ounce of shame or embarrassment at his derisive words.
Instead of being upset at what she said though, Ares screwed up his face and stuck out his tongue. The nasty little expression lasted only a moment before his face straightened out, and instead looked confused.
"What's a mammu? Anyway, spears are cool. So are swords but Mom said I should cut my dreads shorter if I wanna do swords. And spears are like - giant arrows."
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:21 pm
Oh yeah? Zakia stuck her tongue right back at him. She didn’t care if he was a kid – act like a brat, get treated like one.
“Mammu are massive creatures whose hide is as thick as your arm is long and are tall as trees. Their tusks can run you through and they’ve got a big trunk, like a long nose, than can pick you straight up.” She scooped her arm in the water like a mammu’s trunk and lifted a stone.
“Spears are good for hunting mammu, it’s best if you keep your distance.”
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:23 pm
[Scar via Discord / 7]
If Ares was bothered by it he gave no indication. Rather, he stopped what he was doing and watched her with growing interest, even gasping as he tried to imagine a monster like that.
"And you can shoot one dead with your bow? You've gotta be fibbing! Or those things aren't real!"
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:24 pm
She could have told the truth; about how the initial shot had only been to draw it’s attention away from the other hunters and how it had been a group effort. Zakia’s arrows had been a powerful aid, but something like that would have been difficult for one person to defeat.
She could have been honest. She wasn’t gonna.
“You can take down anything with the right shot.” Zakia tapped her temple. It wasn’t exactly a fib, her arrow had been the final thing to knock it down, but it wasn’t the only attack. “You just have to be smart about it.”
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