[Flashback] Tiny Terrors [Riki, Emizal, Open]

by **Eldon Sunkiss** on March 14th, 2011, 7:45 pm

Timestamp: Day 73 of Spring, AV 498

Eldon peered out over the waving golden stalks of grass as he stood in silence. It was so odd that despite being very little to hide behind, Riki always managed to find some way to evade his watch. Diligently he searched with his eyes, but somewhere, hidden out there, was Riki, unseen. Eldon paced around for several minutes in the area, weaving through grass and searching for his buddy. It was a game with very simple rules. If you are the seeker, you seek the shadow. If you are the shadow, you hide from the seeker. It wasn't a new game, probably been around since the gods were children (was that even possible?). After several minutes of wandering on the edge of Endrykas, Eldon had to pause and think. They had agreed not to go far into Endrykas, and for obvious reasons they weren't going to wander very far from Endrykas. Where in the hell could he have been hiding.

There was a tree in the distance though, not too far away, but further than they would typically venture out (though they often dared each other to wander farther just to see who was 'more brave'). It was so obvious though. Would Riki hide there? Eldon had to check...

by **Emizal Silverden** on March 15th, 2011, 1:04 am

Emizals ran out of the camp, her mother was allowing her to go out and have some fun. The morning was filled with teasing from her younger brother who was taking care of his strider. "Emi, you will never be as cool as I...Emi why do you look so funny?...Emi, Emi, Emi...." He would often tease her for thats what siblings do to each other.

She ran out to the tall grasses, hoping to find something new and fun to do. The golden grass danced back and forth with every gust of light wind. She brought with her, her long bow, for she decided that today was a good enough day to practice. She was all knees and elbows, tall and lanky, her hair was braided in to two pig tails, she had freckles on her face. She hoped that one day she would grow into a beautiful woman, just like her mothers. And hoped that she would make her family proud by becoming a great warrior.

Emizal ran as far as a tall tree. She looked up it thinking that it would be the perfect place to ambush small pray. She strapped her bow on her back and started to climb. It was hard at first, due to the fact that no limbs where low. She hugged the tree and started to shimmy up it. She climbed like this till a large branch spread out, seeing her chance she grabbing onto it. Using her strength she swung her legs around it, holding her self parallel to the ground. She hung like this for a minute to catch her breath before slowly pulling her self up on to it. After she was secure on the branch she leaned up against the tree trunk, grabbing the strapped bow off her back, laying it on her lap. She pulled an arrow out just encase and watched the ground for any movement.

As she looked out over the grass feilds she saw a boy about her age, ducking in and out of the tall grass. She watch him look around, somewhat puzzled. She tilted her head as she watch him look to the tree. She was well hidden due to the fact that the tree was in bloom, filled with small leaflets and buds. For it was spring the time of rebirth. She was intently watching him when he started up towards her and her hiding place. She didn't know what the boy was looking for. But he seemed to think it was around this tree. She smiled thinking maybe this was a game. Maybe there was someone like her hiding from him. But where would this person hide? She looked around herself, wondering this.

OOCI am assuming that Riki is hiding in the tree with her, if this is the case she didnt see him so he could very well be watching her and she not even know it.

by **Riki Stormheart** on March 15th, 2011, 2:56 am

When Eldon began to count down for the beginning of their little game Riki scampered off along the edge of Edrykas. "Where to hide?" He didn't want Eldon finding him! What sort of shadow would be be if the seeker found him? His eyes darted around from bushes to rocks. Then his eyes fell on a tree. It would take a bit to climb but he would be able to hide! Riki walked up to the trunk of the tree and touched it confused. "How am I going to get up there?" He tapped his foot on the ground and looked up at the leaves of the tree. "I'm gonna climb you tree! You can't keep down a Stormheart!" He grabbed the rough skin of the bark and tried to climb up the tree. He could not get a good hold on the bark though. "No! Let me up! Eldon is coming!" Riki pouted at the tree and gripped his nails into it's ridges. He finally got a steady hold and hoisted himself up into the branches. When he sat down he patted the branch lovingly. "Thank you for letting me up."

Green eyes peered down from the leaves of the tree as Eldon looked around. His friend was not going to catch him hiding this time. He wrapped his fingers around the sturdy branches of the tree and giggled at his confused buddy. He would never find him up there! Then a squawking sound sounded behind him. He turned to see a bird perched on the branch behind him squawking as if she was warning to get out of the tree. "Shhhh! I'm trying to hide!" The bird would not have it though. It swooped down and began to peck at the boy's head. "Stop! I am a shadow! I need to hide from the seeker!" Riki cried as he held his head to try and shield it from the barrage of beak and talons. Eldon would find him for sure now.

by **Eldon Sunkiss** on March 16th, 2011, 2:11 am

Eldon didn't even get to the tree by the time he heard a very familiar voice. Riki, of course he would hide there. He was surprised his friend even could climb the sucker, since he had yet to hit any sort of notable growth spurt. Eldon grinned as he circled around it, and looking up sure enough revealed the 'Shadow' he had been looking for. "Hey you feet-lick dung-farmer! Did you forget how to play the game? Shadows don't scream like babies when trying to hide. What are you doing up there?" Eldon chuckled, unable to tell quite what was going on, but he assumed Riki just had a bug crawling down his shirt or something equally as ridiculous. "You know, if you want to play pavilion, I can be the daddy and you can be the baby. Seems to suit you today doesn't it?"

Eldon continued his little mockfest from the ground, his laughter fairly loud, obnoxious perhaps, yet he was unaware that he and Riki were being watched. Besides Riki and Kashik, Eldon didn't play with other kids often. He had attached himself to these two simply because they had the ability to stand him. Kashik proved that she was able to insult along with him, perhaps even better, and she seemed fairly tomboyish, which was a plus for a rowdy rough housing boy like himself. Eldon, after a while realizing that Riki was still bothered, maybe even panicked, by something, he stopped laughing and just stared up at him, wondering if he should go up after him. What if he was stuck? He didn't want him to fall, that would be bad. "Hey Shadow, I'm coming up, don't fall on me."

Being slightly taller than his friend, Eldon managed to grab hold of the branch a little easier, and from there pulled himself upwards with relative ease, though it was still difficult as he scraped his knee on the branch. Slowly but surely he began to approach Riki from below, unaware of the dangerous predator so diligently tearing Riki apart. The bird! Oh yeah, terrible indeed.

by **Emizal Silverden** on March 16th, 2011, 3:56 am

Emizal attention was taken from the boy in the field to a terrible girl like scream. She turned her head in the direction and saw a boy in the tree with her. Dear lord how she missed that?! The boy was swatting at something flying frantically around him. She stood up on the branch and clung to the tree, being careful she stepped on to a branch that was beside the one she was perched on, gaining her balance she squatted and watched. She saw that the thing flying around his head was a large bird, the boy must of stirred it up as he climbed the tree. The boy yelled and screamed and screamed as the bird swooped up and down at him, pecking him on the head. She herd laughter under her, as she glanced down she saw the other boy calling out insults to the one in the tree. At first she thought he was just going to sit there and watch the whole thing, but soon he grabbed onto the branch and pulled him self up. Both boys ducked from the attacking bird, trying to not fall out of the tree.

The whole thing was somewhat comical, watching two boys trying to avoid being pecked on and swatting at the air. She could just imagine her brother getting into trouble like this with his friends. She smiled as she brought her bow in front of her. She straddled the branch, hooking her legs around it like she would a horse. Then using all her strength leaned around the tree to get a good path. Breathing in she notched an arrow, using her index finger and thumb to steady the arrow. She smiled as she waited for the perfect moment. The only problem was the boys, they kept jumping into the path the arrow would take, taking a large breath in she yelled at them.

"DUCK!!"

her voice rang out as she pulled the string back, holding the notched arrow with it. She extended her front arm, as she pulled with the other, finally resting it, her fingers inches from her eye. She kept both eyes open and breathed steady, much like her father showed her. Breathing in, and letting half out, her path opened as both boys moved. She released her fingers that held the string. The arrow flying true, clipping one of the birds wings. She was looking for a kill shot, but a clipped wing like that would only wound the animal. The bird flew to the ground there it hopped around trying to take flight, only not being able to.

"Crap." she spoke as she lowered her bow, she slid off the branch and hit the ground with a slight thud. "That isn't good." Yes she needed a lot more practice.

by **Ishamael** on March 16th, 2011, 4:19 am

Ishamael was a young Drykas boy who had finished his duties, and quickly run off to find some adventure before his father could corral him into more work. Ishamael was coming up on nine years old, and he thought he knew it all.

This will show them, what a wonderful prank, sneaking away to make them worry while I catch dinner!! Ishamael thought as he unravelled his sling and patted the small bag of rocks he had picked for his current mischievious plan. Today was all his, the beautiful sun surely meant good luck today.

He continued to roam the grasslands for a time, his dark wavy hair flowing as he ran, only a simblance of its future length, and his body was not as long or strong as it would become. No, Ishamael was short for nine, and a little puddgy as if storing up for some long anticipated growth spurt. However, this did not phase the young boy as he "hunted" for his next great feat in his own mind.

After a time Ishamael came to the woods and heard a loud ruccus. Wondering what could be going on he did his best to stalk closer without notice. The commotion seemed to stem around a tall tree, and there appeared to be others around it. A tall girl, about his age, and two boys who also seemed about his age but he couldn't tell from his angle. They were screaming and running around swatting at black shapes in the air. Suddenly Ishamael figure out what the shapes were....BIRDS! He almost fell over from laughter, but he recovered quickly. He of the a Diamond clan had a duty, to protect others when needed, and now must certainly be a time of need.

Placing a stone in his sling he began to whirl it around his head, faster and faster waiting for his moment. Suddenly one of the birds wheeled upwards and THWACK! he loosed the stone and felled the bird.

Quick you boys run towards the grass so I can get a better shot! Ishamael yelled loading another stone as he did.

by **Riki Stormheart** on March 24th, 2011, 8:46 pm

Riki was past the point of playing. He didn't want to get attacked by a mama bird! "Eldon! Save me! She is going to eat my brains!" Riki was sobbing as he clutched his wavy brown hair. His friend had to save him! Suddenly a voice shot through the air. In a moment Riki's eyes caught a glimpse of Emizal, his cousin, with her bow at the ready. "Emi! Wait! Let me get down from the tree first!" It was too late though. The arrow shot through the air missing his head by inches. Instead it shot through the bird's wing, making the bird fall with a pained squawk.

Below, Eldon was climbing up to meet the cousins in the tree. "Eldon, you are too late. Emizal shot it down." Riki looked over the edge of the branches to see the bird sitting on the ground struggling to get back to it's babies. "Oh no, the babies are going to die without their mom!" Riki sat on the branch in indecision. How could he get the birds to be safe without their mother? What did they even eat? Riki clambered down the trunk of the tree and got down next to the bird. "I'm not going to hurt you bird. I just want to help your wing." He reached out to touch the bird's wing and it began to peck his hand. "Eldon! Emi! Help me! The mama bird wants to kill me!" He started to cry as he ran from the bird that was now hopping after him and flapping her wings. He ran through the grass and jumped each time the bird's beak pecked at his ankles. "Birdie! I just wanted to help you! I'm a son of a healer! I can help!"

by **Eldon Sunkiss** on April 3rd, 2011, 3:44 pm

Eldon reached up from his branch towards Riki, despite being nowhere close enough to reach him, his jaws clenched as his teeth grind together. "Stop squirming so much! Don't scream, they can smell fear! Scare it away. Wave your hands around! Swat her out of the sky! Don't be such a baby Riki!" Of course Eldon didn't know two licks about birds or even being a warrior at this point in his life, still, he was convinced that being strong meant you could intimidate anything, especially a momma bird guarding her nest.

"Duck!"

Eldon glanced around as he heard another voice. "That's not a duck! It's a momma bird!" Eldon glanced up as an arrow flew by, nearly missing Riki's head, but barely skimming the bird, enough to ground it in fact. Eldon looked down at the bird, wandering in frantic short circles on the ground as his friend, who was trying desperately to get away from the bird moments ago, was descending to care for it. Eldon would just rather walk away and pretend this didn't happen. Being saved by a girl (Eldon had no idea Riki and Emi were related). "I was not too late! Just didn't bring anything to kill stuff. How was I supposed to know you were gonna get attacked?" Eldon himself descended the tree slowly, hitting the ground right after Riki.

"She can't hurt you now. Stop screaming. She's just angry. Leave her alone. She can... get back up herself. I bet her eggs didn't even hatch yet." Eldon stood there for a long moment, just watching the wounded bird as she frantically attacked Riki, the one she probably did want to disembowel and devour. In her eyes, Riki was the one invading the vicinity of her nest, she probably thinks he's the one that wounded her. Eldon sighed, he felt for the bird, but he knew that Riki was probably devastated by what happened. "What now Riki?"