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Onset
Dec 15, 2012 17:32:54 GMT -8
Post by Porping on Dec 15, 2012 17:32:54 GMT -8
Still stupefied, Lloyd stumbled about the forest trail, hands clasped tightly in fright. He'd been here before- found it himself, even- but now he couldn't even begin to imagine the way. He was sure the way had been off the path he currently walked at some point, but to stumble upon the same place twice would prove to be impossible. The added load of all of his worldly possessions in a rucksack on his back, as well as the emotional load of having left his mother's home against her will, did not make the journey any easier on him. He was not sad to be leaving her, this was not his concern. His major worry was actually that she would discover his absence quickly enough to find him before he'd made it far enough away.
Lloyd had been suffering all his life under the rule of his dictator of a mother, but he had not been able to muster up the courage to escape until a day eariler, when he had broken a very expensive vase she was quite fond of and did not want to stick around to discover the consequences. Having leapt from his window and wandered toward the slums, he soon found that he could not survive a night there, and decided to escape the city. By this time, nightfall, he was petrified of both the way he had been going and the way he had already been. So he wandered the forest, alone, too terrified to stop anywhere to sleep. But he had lost the path before long, and his terror grew so great that he bolted in a random direction, only to run headfirst into a building.
Two men jumped him, dragging Lloyd inside, who screamed all the while. The commotion caused a large crowd to form around the office of Admiral Alkathen, where Lloyd had been carried. There, the admiral roared with laughter at the sight of the trembling boy. "You tell me you have a new recruit for me, and THIS is what you bring me?!" The admiral boomed. "Might it not be more productive to take him to the North and dump him in the snow?" Lloyd's eyes widened, his tears flowed harder, and he leapt forward. "Please, sir, I'll do... anything!" The admiral eyed him more seriously. "You're from Endsburgh, of course. I suppose it wouldn't be fair to judge you on your physical appearance, in that case. Still, you're in sorry shape..." He leaned forward, grabbing Lloyd by the shirt, who whimpered.
"If I let you live, you will do everything in your power to support the Doormen. Is that understood?" Lloyd would've said yes to anything at that moment- he nodded fervently. The admiral chuckled. "Very well, we'll see what we can do with you." Upon hearing the true nature of their world, Lloyd was not terribly surprised. He did, however, find it hard to speak to someone so... different. The admiral was obviously Sisiphean, and Lloyd found his eyes, his hair, his skin, all too strange to be human. Obviously a lesser being. But he felt that Alkathen held a higher position than he in this environment. So he remained silent, even when Alkathen ordered he be released to return to his home and collect his belongings. When he did not thank the Admiral, despite prompting from the guards, Alkathen pardoned him, certain he was merely in shock.
When Lloyd had returned home, he gathered his things quickly and fled the city even faster than before. There was a split second in which he considered not returning, but he remembered his mother, the vase, and the fact that he had been gone the previous night, and he booked it toward the forest. Now wandering and shivering, he came upon a small clearing, where he discovered...
"Why, hello there! Need a ride?" A short man in a long coat called down from a large carriage to Lloyd, who shrieked and spun rapidly toward him. Noticing his strange attire, his large glasses, his strange swim cap and his slightly darker skin... Lloyd said nothing. "Come on over, friend! I'm here to help! You look a little lost!" He hopped down to meet him, and Lloyd stepped back a bit, shaking. "No need to worry! I'm supposed to lead you to the base! My name is Skoyps. And you are?" The man called Skoyps beamed at Lloyd, who nervously glanced around. "L-... Lloyd," was all he managed to choke out. "Ah, well, hello! Nice to meet you!" Skoyps was clearly a very cheerful beast, Lloyd observed. "I'm here waiting for you recruits, so I can escort you! Apparently there are quite a few of you who're supposed to come today." Lloyd only nodded. "You don't talk much, do you?" Skoyps said with a laugh. "Ah well, it's just nice to have someone to wait with me."
It was awkward.
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Onset
Dec 15, 2012 19:37:06 GMT -8
Post by Maunder on Dec 15, 2012 19:37:06 GMT -8
She had been following him for some time now, perching in the treetops like a bird. Some foreign part of her mind whispered to her that this strange man ... No, boy ... Was seeking out the very same thing she was. And though he was very entertaining to watch, stumbling through the forest and tripping over roots, she felt that she must watch over him in case he attracted the attention of any wild animals. Surely this clumsy creature could not protect himself.
As he barreled along, pack clanking and rattling as he twisted this way and that, she could hear him muttering to himself. Only one word was perfectly understandable through the gibberish: "Mother."
Mother.
Eha stroked her pendant thoughtfully.
What was it like, having a mother? She knew that the mothers of her tribe were often busy with cleaning and tanning hides, foraging for edible berries and plants, and otherwise contributing to the tribe. But they still found the time to chatter with their daughters whilst they worked, and comfort them in their times of need. Especially worrying had been the time of the Red Moon. Eha hadn't a mother to explain the cycle of the Red Moon to her. The only comforting shoulder on which to cry was that of the Shaman, her mentor and protectress, but never "Mother."
That had been the only time she ever remembered crying, for any reason.
However, she could almost cry, watching this boy. He was so helpless. So helpless, she even had to stifle a laugh, once. And laughing did not come easily to her.
Eha knew children were also very much like their mothers. She couldn't help but wonder what the mother of this specimen looked like, acted like. She must be a very gangly, awkward creature, mused the girl in the tree. What a sight they must be, in the same home! Both bustling about, running into each other limply, and spinning about, only to trip over something else ...
What was her own mother like? Was she as tall, as dark of skin, as fair of hair? Was she, too, as keen and perceptive as the hawk, or as reserved and calculating? Would she approve of her daughter's leggings, the leather entrapments of man? Or would she scorn them as the other women did? There was no way of telling.
The past is best left in the past. The waters of the river wash all away in time. Silt will run through the fingers of the ever-grasping.
Still, the bow, quiver, and pack on her back had never felt heavier.
She hadn't quite understood what that strange man, the, what was he called? Admiral, the man called Alkathen, had said. He wanted Ehawee to come back, with all her belongings. But nothing belonged to Eha, only to the earth. All things came from and returned to the earth in the end. So she had only gone back to the tribe to restock her arrows and pray to the spirits of her parents before leaving the only land she had ever known.
Sitting in that tree, she wondered if she should have even come back to the forest. She had wandered into it the first time tracking a herd of deer, and only went deeper into the forest for fear of losing the prey she had tracked for so long. They almost led her straight to the strange collection of plain structures, all made of grey, grey stone. So very odd. Then she had been captured by men walking softer and lighter than air, sneaking up behind her unnoticed. They had taken her to the Alkathen man.
He was the queerest of them all. Dark and well built, of her own kind, yet entirely otherly. He was not the same as the hunters and the warriors who sat around the fires and shared the harvest with her and her people.
And this forest ... It surely was haunted by spirits, as the Shamans said. She could not even track her own way back into the compound she had discovered before. It was almost infuriating, and fury was another thing that did not come easily to Eha. That was why she had been forced to track this bumbling fool.
Perhaps the otherly people in the otherly structures were the spirits haunting the woods.
Just then, she heard something. The slight patter of hooves, and a creaking of wood, coming to a halt somewhere to the right of her. She crawled over on the tree limbs, and spied a peculiar contraption hooked up to a horsecrab, with a man coming out of it. If it was man. He was clad in garb even less appealing than the young man's.
Some words were exchanged, though she knew not what they were. The young one stepped into the strange box.
Now was the time.
Eha lept down onto the path, startling the two. Twisting her hand over her chest, she bowed her head, and then pointed to herself.
"Isi. Ehawee Isi."
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Onset
Dec 15, 2012 20:04:44 GMT -8
Post by TheElohim on Dec 15, 2012 20:04:44 GMT -8
Abdikarim-tuma walked in the blistering heat, carrying all he owned, a knife, his bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a spear he was using as a walking stick. He wished death would come upon him for the tribe had banished him and he was to never return. When the Chiefs son had challenged him to an androchiromachy he had no choice but to fight him to the death. When he had won the Chief was so distraught he banished him and taken his name. Though he wanted to die he couldn't, he valued his life far to much and knew he was strong enough to live. Abdikarim-tuma, what he was once known as, walked on pondering what he should do. Once hearing a story from a shaman about a pass through the mountains he decided that is where he would go.
After three suns and two moons he finally arrived at the mountains where he searched for another day before finding a pass through them. The narrow pass only a couple feet across hugged the side of the mountain with a steep, fatal drop on the other side. After what seemed like a week full of near death experiences he made it to the other side. He wasn't used the thousands of trees in this new land but adapted quite quickly. Since his journey into these forests he had felt the eyes of someone following and watching him though he decided not to make it obvious. After a succesful hunt on his first day he decided to sleep.
He heard two people sneak up beside him but before he gave them the chance to do anything else he swept his leg under both of them, knocking them to the ground. Without hesitation he ran through the trees as fast as he could trying to lose them. After exhausting himself he stopped to rest holding his spear ready to impale anything that moved. In the blink of an eye one of the people appeared in front of him, pushing a tazer to his neck.
When he awoke he was bound and sitting in the back of a carriage across from what looked to him like a very pale man. Days passed before they made it to a large building where he was taken inside and placed in front of the first normal looking person he had seen in a long time. A man named Admiral Alkathen that explained everything and even renamed him for the taser story he heard and found quite comical. Taz accepted his new name and life with honor now that it had a new meaning. After bathing and being given a new set of clothes to wear Taz felt an itch to hunt because it had been several days so he was given permission as long as he didn't stray to far.
He didn't listen.
He gets lost for hours, wondering how he, being such a good hunter and tracker, could lose a building. Upon arriving in a small clearing he saw two very odd looking people, one was younger than the other and didn't look like he was enjoying himself at all. This was when he noticed the third person, a beautiful women that looked to be from a western tribe of the Sisiphee and couldn't be much older than he was.
He walked over and joined them staring at her dumbly the whole time.
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Onset
Dec 15, 2012 20:44:47 GMT -8
Post by Porping on Dec 15, 2012 20:44:47 GMT -8
Skoyps turned to greet the newly arrived woman, then got a good look at her. He began to blush fairly violently, and his glasses fogged up. "Er... Hello th-there... I'm, uh... I'm Skoyps. I'm here to lead you to the World Gate." He was grinning very big, embarrassed. Seeing another approach, he eyed him, as well. "You've already been to the HQ, haven't you?" He didn't quite like how he was looking at Eha, and so he decided not to be quite as kind to him.
Lloyd was extremely startled by the arrival of the two Sisipheans. He was not fond of these creatures, particularly in abundance. He was not comfortable being so outnumbered. Beyond that, as he walked, he had felt a strange presence, almost like something had been observing him. He shuddered as he gazed now upon the animal that now emanated this odd feeling, knowing it was she that so vigilantly watched him. He felt sick, almost like the prey to her obvious predatory perch.
"I don't know how many are left, but you are all welcome to step into the carriage." Skoyps smiled his giant grin once more.
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Onset
Dec 15, 2012 23:57:33 GMT -8
Post by Maunder on Dec 15, 2012 23:57:33 GMT -8
All three men were staring at her. The man with the shiny blue scalp and beet red face; her clumsy prey, with the cold glint of malice and a glimmer of fear evident in his wide eyes; her countryman, abashed and mute.
She was not unaccustomed to being stared at, for one reason or another. She sensed that this, however, was the first time she was being looked upon as a true woman, which confused her.
She was wearing men's clothes, after all.
The blue-skulled man, to her surprise, spoke her language, and suggested they board the ... thing ... pulled by the horsecrab, which he called a carriage. She slowly approached the animal, pat it on the head, and nodded. Before boarding the contraption, she sidled up to the young, foreign man. Looking down, and then into his face, she clapped him on the shoulder and said, "With those cumbersome things on your feet, you must tread lighter than the falling leaves." She knew he would not be able to understand, but hoped the blue-skulled man would translate for her.
Her countryman, on the other hand, could have been deaf and mute, for all she knew. The staring was unnerving.
She stepped on with a solemn resolution.
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Onset
Dec 16, 2012 0:28:18 GMT -8
Post by TheElohim on Dec 16, 2012 0:28:18 GMT -8
Taz stepped up into the carriage and sat across from the woman while trying not to stare , "I'm Taz." he said loud enough for everyone to here, though he was still looking at her.
After realizing he was staring at this beautiful woman he quickly looked away and asked the man that called himself Skoyps how long it would be until they made it back to HQ.
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Onset
Dec 16, 2012 0:42:17 GMT -8
Post by Porping on Dec 16, 2012 0:42:17 GMT -8
As the woman stepped into the carriage, Lloyd jolted when her hand met his shoulder, attempting to escape her touch. She garbled something in her monkey language and he stared at her with a disgusted grimace.
"She said you'll have to get some better shoes," Skoyps translated, but Lloyd directed the same look at him, and his friendly gaze faltered. He turned to Taz, who had just introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, good sir. Glad to have you aboard." Glancing about, Skoyps could find no one else seeking to join them.
"Perhaps we should take off now, eh? We've a lot of preparations to take care of! The assignments have been flying in, lately." He snapped his reigns and the crab legs pittered into motion, pulling the carriage swiftly behind. Hoping to impress Eha, he smiled coyly at her, and cracked the reigns again, causing the carriage to go even faster. They arrived within the minute. Skoyps stepped out onto the ground and offered his hand to Eha to help her down, adjusting his glasses with the other. Lloyd grimaced at their animal love and leapt down onto the ground. He lost his footing, however, and rolled into the dirt, face down, his rucksack rolling away from him.
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Onset
Dec 16, 2012 1:29:45 GMT -8
Post by Maunder on Dec 16, 2012 1:29:45 GMT -8
The ride had hurt the seat of her pants. Blue-skull had handled the horsecrab with reckless abandon, and she could feel it protest under the strain of the company's collective weight. The path did not seem very smooth, either.
She normally would not have accepted help climbing down from anything, but Eha accepted the blue-skull's hand gingerly, feeling sufficiently jostled by her experience in the carriage. However, she felt perfectly capable after watching her young friend fall flat on his face and roll in the dirt. It was cute, in a helpless sort of way; like a baby boarcupine who, not having found use of its legs yet, rolled onto his back and could not get up. A baby boarcupine ready to be speared, de-quilled, skinned, and later turned into a ceremonial robe and a meal. Yes, cute, in a helpless sort of way.
She could feel the animosity radiating off of his body, but could not help but feel a little sorry for him. Turning to Taz, who turned out not to be mute or deaf after all, she asked, "Could you help him up? He doesn't like our kind, but he hates me especially."
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Onset
Dec 16, 2012 2:15:05 GMT -8
Post by TheElohim on Dec 16, 2012 2:15:05 GMT -8
After arriving so quickly he had been more upset about how he could have gotten lost for so long, he was once the best known hunter in a village known for having the best hunters. He saw Skoyps give her hand off the carriage and found himself jealous but decided then that he wouldn't let his emotions interfere with anything if he was going to be working with this woman.
She asked Taz to help the puny one off the ground so, trying not to make him to uncomfortable, he slowly grabbed his arm and helped him gain his footing. Taz could tell he wasn't very found of him but that just made him more determined to become friends with him. "So why are these two here anyway?" Taz said to Skoyps. "Are they joining too?"
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Onset
Dec 16, 2012 2:30:38 GMT -8
Post by Porping on Dec 16, 2012 2:30:38 GMT -8
Lloyd groaned and put an arm up to lift himself when one of the beasts grabbed him by it and lifted him to his feet. He shoved him off with a shriek and stumbled forward, regaining his footing. "Get AWAY from me, beast!" Taz, however, did not seem to pay him any attention.
"They are, yes. All three of you are new recruits, it seems, and all under the tutilege of Admiral Alkathen! That should fill up your training squad," Skoyps explained to Taz, and stepped forward to open the wide doors of the World Gate. Above them towered a tall, castle-like structure so breathtaking in appearance that Skoyps couldn't help but admire it still, having seen it every day for years. "You can bring your things to your dorm room- room assignments are posted on the bulletin in the lobby- and then head to the training room. If I'm not mistaken, Alkathen should already be there." He smiled and gestured to them to head inside, stopping to give a nod and wink to Eha.
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Post by Maunder on Dec 16, 2012 19:10:20 GMT -8
As the gates were opened, Ehawee forgot about her predisposed disdain for the "ugly" stone buildings. Unlike the first time, all she could focus on was the large tower shooting straight into the heavens with a purpose. Perhaps it seemed more regal now that her welcome was more ... Well, welcoming. She didn't know what a dorm was, or what Blue-skull meant by them, but if she was having one of her own she hoped it was in that wonderful, mysterious building. How it defied the will of the earth in such a way was impossible and awe-inspiring.
Blue-skull finished his short speech and motioned them towards the entryway of the grand structure. He did a peculiar thing with his eye, almost like a deliberate twitch. She just blinked at him.
Before they stepped inside, Eha turned to her new comrades. "We work together now." Looking at Lloyd especially hard, she finished, "As equals."
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Onset
Dec 17, 2012 19:43:33 GMT -8
Post by TheElohim on Dec 17, 2012 19:43:33 GMT -8
As soon as he heard the word "training" Taz got excited because he wanted the the chance to show off his skills in front of everyone. Taz, ready to officially start his new life, quickly went to his dorm room and dropped his hunting gear off before racing to the training room to meet up with the others.
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Onset
Dec 17, 2012 19:58:49 GMT -8
Post by Porping on Dec 17, 2012 19:58:49 GMT -8
Lloyd gazed at the beastwoman speaking to him in her uncivilized tongue and held her at a distance with a sort of disgusted pity. He knew she was from a different land, and pitied her for her lack of privelidge. But he would not ever want to touch her. He glanced at the beastman to his side, now excited for a reason he could not understand, nor did he care about. He watched the two of them speed off, no doubt excited by the idea of civilization, a new concept to them.
Stepping forward, Lloyd stopped a moment and turned back to Skoyps, wide-eyed. "Don't worry, kid- it won't be so hard," Skoyps told him to calm his nerves. Lloyd merely turned away and continued his tiptoe into the castle. He was aware of how awfully equipped he was for this job. But he didn't see any way to move forward without making the best of it. He scurried off to find his new living quarters.
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