Kallen
Rebel
Cujo's Accomplice
Do what gives you the best benefits. Steal what no one will give you.
Posts: 19
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Post by Kallen on Oct 2, 2009 23:20:42 GMT -6
[Kallen:]
I frowned. This guy was better than I'd thought he was. It made me wonder how many other rebels were actually loyal to that idiotic crown. I'd have to tell Cujo to watch out for them later. We'd weed out all the bad ones, because I wasn't going to have to watch my back all the time. And we'd have to be a little more picky about letting people in, too. Shame. We could use all the help we could get.
He tried for a jab at my ribs, and I almost laughed. Seriously? He could do better than that, I knew. He was just trying to get lucky. Maybe I'd already overestimated him. I took the knife from his hand in one easy movement. This was altogether too easy. Something wasn't quite right. I knew he could do better than this, I wouldn't have let him in had he not been decent. And from his initial screening, I knew he was far better than the rest... I tucked the knife in my belt and held my own at his throat. I hesitated. I didn't want to kill him. He was good. And, again, we needed all the help we could get in a place as full of nobility as this.
He grinned at me, but I could see the fear dancing in his eyes. He knew he didn't stand much chance. I decided I couldn't spare him. He'd probably kill me in my sleep, or at least attempt, if I let him live. And besides, Cujo probably wouldn't permit a rebel rebel in the rebellion. I aimed quickly and went to slash, but something (or someone) hit me from behind. I staggered slightly and felt pressure at my belt. I glanced back quickly to see the confiscated knife aimed at me. I ducked quickly and rolled, watching him hit the supposed someone who'd hit me in the first place. It would have made me laugh if it was any lighter a situation. As it was, I didn't feel like laughing when I might sustain a wound at any moment. I stood and swung at him, but he was already recovered, the body shoved off of his blade. Blood dripped down it, and I scowled. Apparently he didn't mind who was killed, as long as he took me with him. I aimed a slash at his arm, hoping to disarm him, but he was too good, and I'd known it before I'd tried. I rolled again as he tried to hit me, making a well-aimed jab at his leg. I hit flesh and the guy howled, but didn't lose attention as he tried to hit me. I rolled away and got to my feet. I wasn't going to stay on the ground anymore. It was stupid, and bad tactics. He lunged at me and I leaped back, only barely sparing my gut. But suddenly I was yanked to the ground, someone stepping on the cloak I hadn't had time to remove, and instantaneously I felt a searing pain where my right eye was. I regained my balance only by instinct and habit, but the blood dripping down my face rapidly and the scorching pain kept me from attacking at the moment. I heard my attacker laugh and I knew he was going to finish me off if I didn't do something quickly. I thanked whatever god there was that I had my knife still firmly in my grip and lunged, feeling the blade sink into flesh and blood pour down my arm. I yanked the blade away and watched the man fall to the ground, gurgling a mouthful of blood as he tried to breathe. I didn't feel pity for him. In fact, I was boiling with rage. Someone was going to pay for my eye. I could feel it dripping off of my nose, down my cheeks. I unclasped the cloak from around my neck and let it fall to the ground, leaving my upper body bare.
I walked into the crowd, striking men and women at random, not even caring who they were. I didn't even look to see who it was that was falling before my blade. They all needed to die. They all were the reason my right eye was entirely dark, why the blood was pouring down my face. They would all be held accountable for their actions. I heard a few shrieks of horror, but it didn't even register. My face was drenched in blood, and I was splattered with the life source of several people. I'd rolled in the muck, my pants had been torn. I was probably the image of death himself. But I didn't care. They would know death soon. Might as well meet him now. [/size][/blockquote]
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Cujo
Rebel
Leader of the Rebellion
Posts: 22
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Post by Cujo on Oct 5, 2009 18:12:53 GMT -6
//Okay, switching to first person. 'Cause I want to.//
[Cujo:]
I sighed; really, how stupid was that guy? Trying such a pitiful jab. I began to wonder why I'd let him into my group in the first place; he was obviously inferior. I watched in silence, not moving a muscle when the guy got a lucky strike and hit Kallen in the eye, knowing my accomplice would dispatch him soon enough.
What I hadn't counted on was Kallen's murderous rampage; he began killing all within his reach. I supposed I'd have to do something so he didn't massacre the entire Lower City. (As much as I enjoyed it, the action would cause suspicion to rise, and the Rebels would be in jeapordy of being discovered.)
With a quick flick of my wrist, a stream of deep, crimson red magic went skimming along the ground towards Kallen. It skirted everyone else, knowing it's target. The curse I laid on him was simple; it wouldn't allow him to kill anyone else for the time being. I'd remove it later, when he was more sensible. But for now, I had to get him out of the mess of people he'd walked himself into.
How I was going to go about doing that, I was unsure. I stood where I was, waiting to see how my curse affected him before I did anything else.
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Kallen
Rebel
Cujo's Accomplice
Do what gives you the best benefits. Steal what no one will give you.
Posts: 19
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Post by Kallen on Oct 5, 2009 20:52:05 GMT -6
[Kallen:]
I cut down someone in a dark cloak, almost enjoying the thud he made as he hit the ground. I tried to walk toward a woman holding her own in the riot when I suddenly stopped. I growled and tried forward again, but I couldn't seem to make it past an invisible area in front of me. I turned to go back the way I'd come, but I couldn't seem to escape that way, either. I growled my frustration, my heart pounding still from the exertion I'd just put out. I surveyed the carnage from my invisible prison, and suddenly reality came back down on me, hitting me hard. I was staggered by the trail of dead bodies that had risen behind me. It was more than I'd ever killed in one time. I didn't even like to kill people, particularly. It didn't usual give me any feeling of satisfaction, but what I'd just felt... it was different. I'd enjoyed killing people, enjoyed watching them suffer and fall to the ground in agony for the few seconds before life fled their bodies. I shuddered inwardly. And yet, I couldn't seem to stop myself from being angry. I couldn't justify being calm when I'd suffered like that. I didn't know what I should feel, but I didn't know what it was, anyway.
I glanced at my bloodstained knife, still hanging loosely in my hand. It needed to be cleaned off, I thought absently. I didn't want to put it back in the sheath bloody, and it wasn't good for it, besides. I wiped it on the side of my pants thoroughly, checking it over to make sure it was clean before sliding it carefully back into the sheath.
It was only now that I allowed myself to feel the pain in my eye, and I fell to a knee on the ground, holding my eye. I felt immense pain with every pulse of blood. I groaned and fell to the ground, laying in the blood of all those I'd slain. But I didn't care right now. I clenched my fists so tight the nails bit into my palms, but I didn't feel it. Blood dripped down my face as I rolled over, but I didn't know any longer if it was mine or someone else's. My body spasmed as it throbbed again. I couldn't think straight; I'd never allowed myself to get hurt like this in a fight, and I realized now that I never could again, somewhere in the back of my mind. Because if I did, I'd be a huge liability to Cujo and the rebellion. I worried for my position now. But that was in the clear back of my mind, where I didn't pay attention to the pain I felt, and that was a very small portion. [/size][/blockquote]
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Cujo
Rebel
Leader of the Rebellion
Posts: 22
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Post by Cujo on Oct 7, 2009 16:40:40 GMT -6
[Cujo:]
I sighed when Kallen fell to the ground; now I'd have to go get him. I didn't want to leave him there; he'd get trampled. With a quiet, frustrated sigh, I let my Gift hide me from view momentarily as I streaked across the open ground, quick as a cat.
I dodged between the rioters nimbly, reaching Kallen with a bit more difficulty than I would have liked. Dodging and making sure they missed me was rather hard in such a large crowd; I'd have to remember that for future reference. Never again would I cause something this chaotic. It was too uncontrollable. I shoved the body of a man aside to reach Kallen, then set my hand on his shoulder. "Come on," I growled into his ear, covering him with a thick blanket of my crimson magic. The effort of covering myself had begun to take it's effect on me before I'd even reached Kallen; I'd have to get him out of here fast.
I started dragging him toward the alley, giving up on dodging the stupid civillians. There were so many people they wouldn't know what hit them. When we were almost at the edge of the crowd, I pulled Kallen into my arms, not wanting to streak the ground with blood and leave a trail. Sure, blood would still drip from him, but it wouldn't be quite as easy to follow.
I half-ran, half-stumbled back to the alley. I all but dropped Kallen in the darkest corner, collapsing next to him as my Gift dissipated, leaving us both visible to anyone who passed by. My chest was heaving and I was fairly sure my complexion was much paler than it normally was; my eyes fought to close as I turned toward Kallen. We couldn't stay here, and I couldn't carry him back to the Diamond. I had to heal him enough to where he'd be able to move on his own. "Kallen." My voice was cracked and breathless, much to my distaste.
Why did my Gift have to drain me like it did?! [/size]
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Kallen
Rebel
Cujo's Accomplice
Do what gives you the best benefits. Steal what no one will give you.
Posts: 19
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Post by Kallen on Oct 7, 2009 21:19:16 GMT -6
[Kallen:]
I was vaguely aware that someone was pulling me away, and I struggled feebly for a second, remembering somewhere that I shouldn't be caught, I didn't want to give away the rebellion... but with a fresh pulse, I cringed and gave up trying. If it was someone unfriendly... well, I'd just have to hold out until the killed me. It didn't really matter to me at this point.
My head hit a bump on the ground, and I briefly fell unconcious. I dreamed in strange colors and shapes, and then I saw terrible things that I couldn't understand or describe, but they scared me. I cringed away and reached for conciousness desperately. I couldn't escape, I couldn't get away from these things... Someone called my name, and I found a way out. There was a way out of this odd and scary place. I reached for it gladly, easing into conciousness. I groaned and opened my eye. The other one was swollen and odd colored, I could tell because I could see it without really trying. It was bad, I knew. And yet I didn't care just yet. I didn't care if it infected me and I died. I'd be a liability on that side if I couldn't see, and besides, it hurt so much...
I made myself forget that it hurt, forget that I probably wouldn't be near as good at my job as I had been, and figure out where I was before I decided whether I was going to sink into a pained stupor or not. I glanced around and noticed Cujo... he was sitting against the wall, looking more exhausted than I'd seen him in a while. I wondered why... and then I put two and two together and felt ashamed. Cujo had had to come to my rescue. So there would definitely be some negative feed-back to this, I assumed from the way Cujo looked.
I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. I'd just totally screwed up the entire mission, and I wasn't about to apologize. Neither of us expected that, I was sure. So I sat silently, awaiting Cujo to say something. I didn't think I was going anywhere with my eye the way it was, and felt a spasm of pain as I thought it. No, I'd crumple halfway there, if I made it that far. Another let down. I'd be surprised if I still remained in Cujo's rebellion, much less if I remained his second in command. I body trembled again, and I closed my eye tightly and tried to push it back again, but I just couldn't manage it. It was coming in strong waves again, waves that almost made me feel sick. But I controlled myself. I wasn't going to puke on Cujo as well as let him down.
I sunk into pain again, but remained focused, as much as I could. If Cujo needed something, I needed to at least try. [/blockquote][/size]
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Cujo
Rebel
Leader of the Rebellion
Posts: 22
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Post by Cujo on Oct 8, 2009 17:19:20 GMT -6
[Cujo:]
Kallen opened his eyes, and I was glad he hadn't screwed up so much that he was dead. I needed him on my side, and if I lost him, I'd lose my advantages. Promising myself a nice, strong tankard of mead later to drown out the night in, I shifted painfully onto my knees. My breath was still coming in quiet, ragged gasps as I forced Kallen's head to turn so I could assess his eye. (Which wasn't easy, considering the amount of effort I had to put into just moving my arms.)
My eyes narrowed fractionally as I really looked at the wound; if I didn't get it to stop bleeding soon, Kallen would bleed out and die. I wanted to yell at him, but I just didn't have the energy. Gritting my teeth together, I sent a wave of crimson onto his eye. I fixed what I could, healing what would be essentail. Healing magic definitely wasn't my strong point, but I could get Kallen aware of his surroundings enough to where we'd be able to stumble back to the Diamond.
I just hoped the stupid underlings wouldn't panic at the sight of us. I felt dread pricking at the corner of my mind, though, like my anger, would have to wait until I had more energy. I had at least stopped the bleeding on his eye; it still looked grotesque, but a healer would be able to fix that. If I hadn't been forced to drag his sorry butt out of the thick of the fight, I might have been able to do more, but as it was... Well, I was lucky I was still concious.
I leaned forward, my stomach suddenly rolling. I felt all the colour drain from my face as my fingernails scraped the ground beneath me, swaying slightly. My arms were shaking; I hadn't used this much magic in my entire life. . . Giving in to my body's desire, I sank down onto the cool stones, wishing for something warm. I didn't want to be cold, darn it... I wanted heat. Like the summer in Scanra; the swealtering heat that almost felt suffocating to those who weren't used to it...
My struggle for breath had grown quieter, and I realized with alarm, somewhere in the back of my mind, that I was falling asleep. I could not pass out in this alley! Someone from the Crown would find us... 'Damnit Kallen, wake up!' [/blockquote]
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Kallen
Rebel
Cujo's Accomplice
Do what gives you the best benefits. Steal what no one will give you.
Posts: 19
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Post by Kallen on Oct 8, 2009 21:29:29 GMT -6
[Kallen:]
I felt some of the pain in my eye dissipate and forced myself back to some form of a conscious state again. I lay still for a moment with eyes closed, then forced myself to get up and look around. Cujo wasn't looking so good... he was laying on the ground, his eyes closing slowly. I forced myself to my hands and knees without even thinking about it, and regretted it as my eye throbbed savagely. I stopped for a moment and just sat there, not moving, until the pain died down a little, and then I continued standing, slower now that I realized what would happen otherwise. I walked toward him and slowly knelt down next to him. I realized what he'd done; I wasn't stupid. He had helped me a little, and I'd get us both back to the Diamond. He knew what he was doing. I sat knelt next to him and took his arm, wrapping it around my shoulder.
"We're going back to the Diamond." I said simply, just so he knew what was going on. He'd probably kill me otherwise. I started to stand and my head reeled for a moment, and I almost fell over. I leaned heavily against the wall, to prevent us from falling to the ground. Everything was circling in front of my eyes... It faded soon enough, but it worried me. We couldn't be seen. I'd have to take extra care to make sure.
I glanced around, searching for my cloak. I cursed at myself when I realized I'd left it somewhere around the riot. I liked that cloak... and it would have helped to remain a little more unseen. But I didn't want to risk going back out there to get it. It was too dangerous, there were too many people who'd seen me. I pushed it out of my mind and started hauling Cujo down the back way of the alley. I hoped everyone was either proccupied by the fire or they were in their beds sleeping, because neither Cujo nor I could stand up to a fight. I hoped desperately those idiots knew what they were doing. It would even be nice if one of them showed up to help. Almost. Except I didn't want any of them seeing the two people they had to listen to half-dead. It would bode ill. Especially if they thought the founder of the rebellion couldn't hold his own, even if he hadn't even been in there. They were idiots, who knew what they'd put together in their heads.
I made it a ways and I couldn't get any farther. I knew the Diamond wasn't very far, and I knew I ought to get us there before day broke or someone found us, but I couldn't summon the strength to do it. I collapsed, sprawling to the ground. I groaned when I felt Cujo's weight on top of me. But I didn't make any attempt to move him off, to position myself more comfortably. I just needed... to sleep... just for a while... My eyes closed, even as my mind protested. I couldn't sleep yet... but just a while couldn't hurt. I'd wake up... before dawn... [/size][/blockquote]
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Cujo
Rebel
Leader of the Rebellion
Posts: 22
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Post by Cujo on Oct 10, 2009 12:02:47 GMT -6
[Cujo:]
I felt Kallen drag me to my feet and tried to help him; I could hardly move my arm, let alone my entire body. He started walking, and it was all I could do to keep my feet from dragging at the slow pace we were taking.
It felt like we'd been walking for miles when Kallen's body swayed and I felt mine fall with it. I tried to keep myself upright... I only managed to stand for maybe a second before I fell, too, landing on Kallen.
A quiet groan echoed in my throat as I tried to get my arms under my body to push myself up. I did not want to be stuck out here for some Lower City scum to find and end up getting knocked around or pickpocketed. I'd look like a fool then...
I felt a hand on my shoulder and, if I'd had the energy, I would have turned and killed whoever it was that dared to touch me. "Cujo? I saw Kallen fightin', then 'e 'us gone, jus' like that...'n ya look 'orrible..." [/i] Oh. It was the arsonist Kallen had been missing. Where the heck did he come from? At least he wasn't drunk. I felt him pull my body up, hooking my arm around his neck and saying something to...someone. He told them to grab Kallen... What were they doing with us?! If he was a traitor, I'd cut off his head and put it on a fountain in the middle of the city... "We're goin' back t' the Diamon', jus' hold on. There's a healer there, ain't there?"[/i] Again, oh. He started walking then, supporting my weight easily. A scrawny sixteen-year-old can't be that hard to drag through a couple alleyways. I wanted to tell him that he'd better not tell anyone about finding Kallen and me like we'd been, but I just didn't have the energy. He paused for a moment, and I heard a door open. No sound floated out to greet us, so I could only hope he was entering from one of the Diamond's many exits. (One that didn't lead into the main area.) He was moving again, and I lost track of what he was doing and how he got me inside. Then my body was being laid on something soft, and I just couldn't even be bothered to try to stay awake. "An' I wan'na apol'gize fer bein' late,"[/i] the arsonist said, his voice growing quieter as my mind retreated from my body and I all but passed out, dropping into a deep sleep.[/blockquote][/size]
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Kallen
Rebel
Cujo's Accomplice
Do what gives you the best benefits. Steal what no one will give you.
Posts: 19
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Post by Kallen on Oct 10, 2009 21:53:50 GMT -6
[Kallen:] I woke up more comfortable than when I’d went to sleep, and I was worried. Who’d found us? And was it a friend…? But I couldn’t be sure anyone was a friend right now, not after what had happened. The people I’d trusted to do what I’d wanted, to cover my back, had totally failed to do so. I remembered that painfully with every throb of my eye, apparently still not healed. I cursed the people who’d failed to get me a healer. My eye might be beyond help by now. I growled curses at whatever gods they were, for being so cruel as to take my eye from me. And then I opened the one that worked and glanced around quickly. It looked… familiar. It took me a little while to figure out that I was back in the diamond, in one of the back rooms. Every once in a while I’d stay here, but I was so much more comfortable out in the streets where I’d grown up. I didn’t see anyone around, so I sat up, even though my body ached and my eye hurt like nothing I’d ever felt before. I put my legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, but every muscle in my body protested as I got dizzy, and I sat back down, putting my head in my hands until the room stopped spinning. But I had to get up. I had to make sure I hadn’t overly messed up.
I stood again and closed my eyes, leaning heavily on the bed. When I thought everything had stopped spinning enough to move, I stumbled over to the wall, and closed my eyes as I leaned against that. It was going to be hard, getting out of here they way I was going now. I put a hand over my throbbing eye, which I found had been covered with a bandage, and opened the door, keeping a hand on the wall. I tripped and fell as I walked out, and I cursed my balance. I assumed it was because I couldn’t see. I stayed on the floor for a moment, assessing my pain. I didn’t think there was anymore than there had been before I’d fallen, but I couldn’t be sure; the pulsing in my eye and the aches other places were throwing me off. I tried to get up and fell again, and I growled. I felt so weak right now, and it was driving me insane. I needed to find the healer that was supposed to be attending me so she could fix it.
I heard footsteps coming down the hall and cursed my bad luck. I didn’t want anyone else to see me the way I was. I didn’t want to be seen as someone who couldn’t take a wound, that could be beat by something as simple as that. The footsteps grew gradually closer, and I forced myself to sit up against the wall, despite the spinning in my head. I wasn’t going to be so weak that I couldn’t even sit up.
The footsteps grew faster the louder they became. ”Kallen, what’re ya doin outta bed?” I knew immediately who it was and growled, glaring at him. It was my arsonist. The one who’d been missing. The one I’d had to replace. The one that had been the cause of my misfortune. He staggered a moment at my glare, and stopped. Neal crept up behind him and passed him, coming to purr by my leg. Neal hissed at my former arsonist as he picked up on my mood, his hair standing on end.
”Don’t you presume to tell me what I can and cannot do. You’re the reason for this.” I gestured to my eye, and he grimaced slightly.
”It wasn’t my fault-“ [/i][/color] ”Explain it to me later.” I growled, cutting him off. ”Where’s Cujo? And the healer?” ”Cujo’s just past that door, there.”[/i][/color] he gestured to the door right next to my own. ”And the healer left after she attended to ya, said something like wantin’ tah make sure her fam’ly was fine.”[/i][/color] He said, saying no more than he had to. He was afraid of Kallen. He knew what might happen to him. I nodded and forced myself to stand. I knocked on Cujo’s door and waited. The arsonist stepped closer to me and I drew the knife that was still at my side and pointed it at his throat without looking. ”Don’t push it.” I said. I’d kill him if he wasn’t careful, before I heard what his supposed ‘excuse’ was. If anyone got on my nerves, I didn’t doubt that I’d just flat out kill them.[/color][/size][/blockquote]
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Cujo
Rebel
Leader of the Rebellion
Posts: 22
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Post by Cujo on Oct 10, 2009 22:16:49 GMT -6
The arsonist stepped back when Kallen rasied a knife, fear in his eyes. "I jus' wan'ed ta tell ya that the healer said Cujo'd be sleepin' fer a while, Kallen. He's prol'ly out; he was asleep a'fore I even laid 'im down," [/i] he said, speaking quickly. [Cujo:] In my dream, I was running. I knew it had to be a dream, because I was home. I was a little kid again, running on the warm sand in Scanra. A breeze was blowing, I could see it moving the few sparse patches of weeds that grew, but I couldn't feel it. I heard something in the distance, a sort of rapping sound. I ignored it; I didn't want this dream to end. Unlike the nightmares that had plagued me of late, this was almost pleasant. I had never realized how much I missed Scanra until now. The second I was done killing all who had hurt me here in this godsforsaken country, I was going straight back to Scanra. As for who would rule the country while I wasn't here...I'd just have to trust Kallen could manage for a few weeks. I was slightly aware of my body rolling over, adjusting on the unfamiliar bed, but I was too wrapped up in my dream to notice much of anything. . .[/blockquote][/size]
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Kallen
Rebel
Cujo's Accomplice
Do what gives you the best benefits. Steal what no one will give you.
Posts: 19
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Post by Kallen on Oct 11, 2009 19:58:30 GMT -6
[Kallen:]
I thought about what he'd said for less than half a second before I silently opened the door. I slipped inside and closed it with a quiet click. The arsonist had been right; Cujo was out. I checked the corners automatically, looking for spies, assassins, or other likely dangerous people, before I allowed myself to relax. Growing up in the streets had taught my alot about safety, and I couldn't feel safe until I knew there wasn't someone waiting for me to make the wrong move.
I moved closer to Cujo, checking him over silently. He seemed to be fine, other than the fact that he was totally and completely out. I could touch him and I was sure he wouldn't make a move, not that I was going to; it was almost certain that he had a knife somewhere on him that he could reach in seconds and have to your neck in half the time, and I didn't want to test any of that out. I walked quietly to a corner, making as much or less noise than Neal.
I settled quietly into the darkest corner, sinking to the floor. I grimaced as soon as I hit it, and then covered it up almost immediately, and automatic reaction. As I realized what I'd done, I let myself go. I didn't care to keep up the facade anymore. I was in a quiet room with no one else to see what was going on. The mask I kept on all the time took so much energy, and it wasn't very good right now, anyway. It felt so good to just let myself go, to not worry about what the rest of the world would think when they saw me as weak as I really was. I felt better, amazingly, after I let myself go than I did when I had it all together.
I curled up into a ball, more comfortable than I'd been in a while. The floor was so much more comfortable than the bed had been. After a life of sleeping on the ground, sleeping on a bed felt so unstable, so odd. It was like floating, and I despised the feeling.
I closed my eyes and allowed myself to go to sleep, clearing my mind of all the things that had happened in the day.
I dreamed. It was a nightmare of fire, flames taller than me. Shadows were thrown irregularly against the barren landscape around me, and I backed up. I didn't like the fire. A shadow formed in the fire, the shape of a man, and I cringed. He walked out, and somehow, I knew him in the dream, though I'd never see him before in my life until that moment. He had spiky black hair, and he was short, no taller than a chlid, and yet I was afraid of him. The hatred, the burning passion in his eyes was of one way older than he looked. I tried to move, to run away, but my feet seemed to be glued to the spot. I cringed as he raised his hand, knocking me to the ground with a swift slap. I tried to scramble away, to move at all, but I was totally and completely frozen. He kicked me, hitting my bad eye, and I stopped moving as I felt blood dripping from it to the ground, the red making me freeze in totality. He grinned at me and pulled a knife from his belt. It struck me then that I should have my own knife out, and I somehow was able to reach the sheath of my knife. But when I felt around, I couldn't find it. I glanced in horror back at the man who was coming at me, and he grinned, waving my sword in front of my face. He kicked me down again, and then he dropped my knife on top of me before I could move out of the way, piercing my chest. I howled in pain. He laughed, and his laugh chilled me to the marrow. He picked me up by my shirt collar and carried me, yelling, closer to the fire. Every move I made hurt worse than the last, but I couldn't stop. I didn't want to go into the fire, I didn't want to get burned, I didn't like it... I could feel the heat behind me, and I struggled harder against his iron hold. I couldn't get away, I couldn't get out... he dropped me. I felt searing heat-
I woke up with a gasp, sweat pouring down my body. I had no idea what that dream had been about, but it had been the first one I'd had in a while that really scared me. I was, for the first time in a long time, afraid. I'd been nervous about the future, anxious, but not afraid. And that fact scared me more than anything else. [/size]
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Cujo
Rebel
Leader of the Rebellion
Posts: 22
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Post by Cujo on Oct 12, 2009 22:06:20 GMT -6
[Cujo:]
To any Tortallan, the landscape of my dream would have been ugly and barren. To me, it was the most stunning place I'd ever seen; I closed my eyes and let the wind blow my ragged, dirty hair away from my face and tug at the thin clothes on my body, a feeling of pure bliss flooding through me.
I was only a child in my dream, but that didn't matter to me. I could see my land again, and that had been my greatest desire since leaving after my mother died. No, not died. After she was murdered. I frowned in my dream, and in the back of my mind I wondered if I was frowning in my sleep, too. My mother had always told me I was rather expressive in my sleep; I probably was. Not that it mattered, really... Who would be dumb enough to entrude on me while I was sleeping? Only someone who was suicidal.
Something about the scene in my dream was all too familiar, but I couldn't quite figure out what. As if some invisible force was pushing me, my dream self began running. I knew every patch of grass, every bush, every landmark I passed; I was running home. As I had when I was little, I threw my arms out to the side, reveling in the feeling of the rushing wind. A smile broke out on my face for a split second before I stopped dead in my tracks, my arms dropping and my smile vanishing as my eyes widened. There were two horses outside the house my mother and I lived in.
Instead of running, like my mother had always told me to do if strange people came to the house, I snuck around the back and in through the sole window, which was in the bedroom. I landed silently and slunk through the house, my heart slamming in my chest by the time I reached the doorframe. I could hear people talking... My mother sounded anxious, the men angry.
My mother never sounded anxious. Ever. When I heard one of them say she was the wench that killed Godric, I almost threw myself into the room. Godric had been my father, and the king of Tortall had ordered he seduce my mother; it wasn't her fault. He would have killed her if she hadn't killed him first. That was how life went; survival of the fittest. Sure, Scanra could be nicer to Tortall, but my views since I was little had changed. Scanra was no longer my enemy; Tortall was.
As if in slow motion, I saw the man grab my mother and stab her with a dagger that glinted silver in the glow of the candle. I felt angry tears well up and spill over my eyes as I saw my dream self lunge out of the room, grabbing my father's knife from the wall where my mother had hung it.
I could almost feel the blood coursing down my arms as I saw myself stab the knight, over and over, in the back. He hadn't expected another person to be in the house. He was dead before his friend, the other knight, had realized what happened. But the other knight, thinking fast, knocked me over the head and left. He probably felt bad for me because I had just been a child. What an idiot.
Still, the horror of waking up and finding my mother dead next to me sent tears flooding down my cheeks in waves, and I couldn't help but cry out; I tossed restlessly in the bed I had been placed in, desperate to wake up but unable to. My body was too exhausted... There was no way for me to escape my nightmare. [/size]
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Kallen
Rebel
Cujo's Accomplice
Do what gives you the best benefits. Steal what no one will give you.
Posts: 19
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Post by Kallen on Oct 13, 2009 20:49:16 GMT -6
[Kallen:]
I was panting for breath. What was wrong with me? Why was I so terrified of a dream? It wasn't like it was real... but the feelings of ill I'd been having before the riot had proved correct... maybe that was what it was, that it'd been right once. And now my mind was trying to make me believe something bad was going to happen again. I doubted that. Not much could be worse than the throbbing I was feeling now. It ruined my judgment and my skill. That could be another reason for the fear; just the simple fact that I was vulnrable right now, that I wasn't at my best. It was probably just that...
Cujo shifted in his sleep, and I glanced up at him, then closed my eyes against the pain. I needed that stupid healer... but I needed to make sure Cujo would be fine, first. My pain wasn't as important as the rebellion as a whole, which would suffer and fail without Cujo's rule. So I waited.
Cujo shifted again, and I glanced back up... were those tear tracks?! Cujo was crying?! Something was definiely wrong with this picture. But I didn't bother to disturb him; I figured it was something that he'd do on his own. He was probably dreaming something... I didn't bother to guess, either, what that would be. I knew little of Cujo's past.
I heard something outside, and walked quietly over to the door, silently, putting my ear against the door to better hear. It was a scratching, almost like...
I opened the door and let Neal in, who mewed his annoyance with me for not letting him in earlier. He strode past me indignantly and jumped onto the bed before I could do anything about it. He walked around, his claws making pinprick holes all over the sheets and fabric, and Cujo... I strode over to him just as he started kneaing Cujo with his claws, picking him up by the scruff and glaring at him. He knew what he'd done wrong, as sure as he knew how to purr. He hissed at me, but I didn't flinch; he was just mad that I'd taken away his fun. He didn't know what Cujo would do to the cat if he found out. I went back to my corner and sat down, putting Neal between my curled up legs and my torso. He scratched me across the chest, but I barely felt it. I rubbed his head and scratched between his ears and the base of his tail. He soon forgot his hatred of me and started his loud purring, rubbing against me. It calmed me considerably, having his warm body next to mine. Something familiar.
I settled back down and closed my eyes, letting Neal knead my chest. I felt so much better, now that Neal was here. I was surprised. I allowed myself to sink back into sleep, realizing how tired I really was, and rightfully so. I didn't dream this time, and I was glad. Just the relaxing blank darkness that so often took away troubles.
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Cujo
Rebel
Leader of the Rebellion
Posts: 22
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Post by Cujo on Oct 14, 2009 15:51:23 GMT -6
- Half a day later -
[Cujo:]
I groaned and rolled over, tumbling out of the small bed I was in. I hit the floor rather hard, shocked by the dirty wooden boards that greeted me when I opened my eyes. Where the eff was I?! My heart was slamming in my chest and my cheeks were wet; what the heck happened? The scratchy blanket that had been covering me was wound around my body in an impossible way, making it hard for me to move.
I struggled briefly with it, tempted to just tear the fabric and throw it aside. I eventually managed to get free, kicking the blanket away from me sharply as I did so and feeling like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum in the process. I ran a slightly shaking hand through my hair roughly, tugging at it harder than I really needed to. I pinced the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut as my reason for panic made itself known. My mother shouldn't have been the one that died; I should have protected her. But, being a stupid child, I had wandered away from home to play.
I'd never leave someone I actually cared about alone again. My problem? I didn't really have anyone I cared about. Kallen was nice to have around every once in a while, simply for the fact that he obeyed orders without question. "Mother, forgive me..." I muttered in Scanran, my voice hoarse. I knew she would be disappointed in me if she could see me now, how I was; she didn't want me to fight, didn't know the deep hatred I had borne for Scanra when I was a child. She had wanted me to be kind to everyone.
Me being who I was, I just couldn't. The hot-headed nobility of this godsforsaken country had killed my family, and I could never forgive them. I'd rather impale myself with a lance than utter an apology to those who rule this country. I'd die before I was caught by their dirty hands. I turned and leaned on the edge of the bed, his eyes still closed. His shoulder was sore, though he had no idea why... He hadn't fought at all. [/size]
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Kallen
Rebel
Cujo's Accomplice
Do what gives you the best benefits. Steal what no one will give you.
Posts: 19
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Post by Kallen on Oct 15, 2009 13:51:30 GMT -6
[Kallen:]
I started awake to a loud thud, and was on my feet before I even knew what was going on. I would not be taken by surprise. I was almost ashamed of myself for sleeping, but couldn't quite justify not resting when I was this weak and hurt. I'd be more likely to live if I took a nap and was startled awake than faced with something I knew was coming and exhuasted.
I glanced at the bed and was momentarily surprised to see Cujo gone, but immediately found him next to it, on the floor. Though I was slightly puzzled, I didn't ask questions. Cujo would prefer it if I didn't pry into his personal life, and I prefered it when he wasn't mad. He muttered something in what I imagined was Scanran, but I didn't speak the language and didn't care to ask for an interpretation. Again, I didn't like to pry into his personal life.
I moved forward slightly, allowing my foot to scuff the floor to let him know I was there. I didn't want to surprise him and have to fight for the few seconds that it took him to realize who it was. I walked forward, sinking to the floor silently a little was away from him. I glanced at him and asked, "Are you alright?", though it was almost too quiet for me to hear, and I doubted he would have. I didn't say it again. He could ask if he really wanted to know. All I wanted to know was whether my position was safe and whether the rebellion was, as well.
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