First Pick (Akilah)

by **Colt** on November 6th, 2011, 9:13 pm

Fall 32, 511 AV

It was the middle of the day. Khasr liked the middle of the day, as long as it wasn’t hot, which it wasn’t at the moment. He was circling around the outskirts of Endrykas, his ever-present javelins bouncing on his back as he searched for an elusive Daimond clanswoman. Well, he guessed he couldn’t call her elusive yet, as he’d just started to look for her. Nevertheless, he was a bit concerned about actually finding her, because he knew her name and not much else. He didn’t know where she was likely to be at this hour, so he had decided to start at her tent and see if he could track her down from there.

His family had changed. No wait, he had changed, and they had changed along with him. Though contact, verbal or otherwise, was still very awkward, he was coming to realize just how much of a bastard he’d been over the years. He’d been a failure as a member of the pavilion, and knew that soon he would have to change that. With unclehood imminent, his usual ways of doing things needed to alter. Even though his striderlessness was still a very big problem, he was now a bit more comfortable with it.

As Khasr grew closer and closer to his destination he started to slow. What little he knew about Akilah was a great deal more than he knew about her family. His step became uneasy. If he casually walked by and she was there, would she follow him? If she didn’t, what would he do? If she wasn’t there at all, how in Zulrav’s name would he find her?

Chickening, Khasr turned abruptly and started to leave the tent city. This was stupid. There didn’t seem—

Khasr hurked when he collided with someone.

by **Akilah Windsong** on November 7th, 2011, 4:48 am

Vespera nudged her face, soft whiskers tickling her cheeks as the pup rubbed against her. He rested one paw on her chest, the other beside her, and settled on her with a whoosh.

"Okay, okay," she murmured, pushing him off her. It wasn't the smartest thing she's done, trying to nestle between two tents for a quick nap, but going home wasn't really an option for this. Her father would call her lazy and give her some errands. Even worse, if her aunts found her...

She shivered at the thought, a little more awake now. Her family didn't quite understand how sleepy she got occasionally. She fought it before, fought it quite hard, straining her eyes to keep them wide open. It only took a blink, a second for her eyes to close, and then she would suddenly open them again ten, twenty minutes later.

It used to scare her, how overpowering this urge was. Used to it as she was now, it still unnerved her at times and she had to remember to find an Opal to check up on her. She could be sick, for all she knew.

Yawning, she stretched her arms above her as she got up off the ground. Dusting herself off, she walked out of the small cranny she hid herself in. Vespera dogged her feet, almost running into her as he danced around her excitedly. Fortunately, Adámas wasn't here to see this--her strider had had enough fun with the first quest for a nap she joined in and wasn't really eager for more.

"Calm down," she murmured, blinking quickly. Wandering down a path, not paying attention, she wondered if she could wait this one out. Generally after a while the urge fades away, and considering she had Vespera with her...

Maybe her father was right and she was just lazy in the midday sun, a full meal sitting in her stomach. Oh, but sometimes it happened in the morning or the late afternoon...

A funny noise hit her ears and she chuckled at the sound. Blearily, she looked up to see a familiar face. "Hi."

He hadn't seemed the type to make that kind of noise. That amusing noise. A little dazed still, one hand rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she contemplated the sound. Looking back down at his chest, she poked him with her other hand, wondering if he'd make that noise again.

by **Colt** on November 7th, 2011, 6:13 pm

“Hey!” shouted the person he collided with. “Watch where you’re going!”

Khasr fixed the man with a icy glare, who turned and walked away before the boy could reply.

A giggle.

He turned and, but some stroke of luck, saw who he was looking for.

“Akilah!” he said, excited. “I found you! I’ve got… wait, are you alright?”

She looked like she had just slept on solid ground and had just woken up. Akilah rubbed her eyes and stared blankly at his chest for a few moments, causing Khasr to look at it as well, trying to find out if something was odd about it. That did not seem to be the case, and he tilted his head at her. Her response was to jab her finger at his sternum.

“Uh…” he looked at where she had poked, but there wasn’t anything there. Khasr watched her for a few seconds, then poked her collarbone.

“Hey, Akilah,” he continued after a pause, “I want to show you something.”

He shifted from foot to foot like a restless child.

“I found it today. I think I’m the first. It’s kinda close, kinda not. Haven’t show it to anyone else yet. Wanna see?”

He was biting his lip nervously, but his eyes looked directly into Akilah’s as he spoke. He didn’t really know anyone else who he could share with, and plus, he couldn’t climb. At all.

by **Akilah Windsong** on November 8th, 2011, 3:36 am

She frowned at the offending appendage as it poked her neck. "I wasn't the one who made the funny noise." Disappointingly, he hadn't made it again. Perhaps she would have to catch him off guard or...

Ah, he was speaking. Catching his last words, she nodded benignly. Sure, she could see something. Maybe he found her a better sleeping spot. How could something be close and far? Her thoughts felt scattered and she tried to gather them, as he stared at her, waiting eagerly for a reply.

He was so jumpy. Like a frog. And just like that, her thoughts flew away again and she had to grab them once more.

"Where is it?" There, that was one thought. "Far enough that I need Adámas?" And another. She was doing a pretty good job at it and her eyes had remained open throughout the whole conversation. Slowly, the fog in her mind was starting to lift. "What direction are we going?"

At her feet, Vespera leaned on her legs, his head reaching up to her hand. Absentmindedly, she cupped his head, letting him nuzzle her palm. Clearly, he knew that he would be getting the long walk he desired.

by **Colt** on January 27th, 2012, 6:21 pm

“No, no. Walking distance. West. Need to be quick, though; other people’ll find it.”

He shifted, dancing towards the western edge of Endrykas and looking over his shoulder to see if she was following.

“Come! You’ll like it!”

He waited for a few more seconds, then took off towards the fringes of the moving city. He wanted to get there fast, because he knew that if anyone else found it before they reached it then it would be lost.

His face was alight with childlike excitement, like all negative encounters with Akilah were completely forgotten.

His trot flattened to a sprint when the tents ended, though it was short-lived when he remembered that he was leading someone else. He slowed and scrambled onto a short boulder, crouching and looking to see if Akilah had kept up.

by **Akilah Windsong** on February 13th, 2012, 4:31 am

His words were not helping much, sporadic and jumpy as they were. Despite the few conversations they had, she had yet to get used to his manner of speaking. Or maybe he had yet to get used to speaking.

At least he gave the information in those sparse sentences. Piecing together the information, she slowly followed him. Perhaps she should bring her strider--Adámas could appreciate a good mystery.

Just as she thought that, Khasr disappeared into the crowd and she swore. The milling people and animals did nothing to help her as she bumped into a few arms and tails, searching for a familiar crop of hair. No, there was nothing, and angrily she stopped moving.

That certainly woke her up, and she stroked Vespera's head, his short fur soft to the touch. West, he had said. There was one main way to go, if they were to head west, and she knew all the shortcuts.

And he probably wouldn't know most of them--it took more than a season in this city to get used to the changing arrangements.

"Does he think he could lose me so easily?" she muttered, charting out a path in her mind. "Let's get him."

There was a bark at her feet, a small snuffling sound, and she took that as an agreement. Without another word, they plunged into the maze of tents and people, avoiding the large crowds when they could. She ignored her partner for the most part--he was capable of handling himself--and concentrated on chasing.

It seemed every time they met, one of them was doomed to anger. One of them, but this time it wouldn't be her. In the small gaps between the pavilions, she weaved and dodged, avoiding the long winding main pathway she was sure he'd choose.

He might still get there first, he had the advantage after all, but she was fast enough to become a close second. A turn and she returned to the path just in time to spot him break free of the city and sprint through the flat lands.

Like that would help him. Last time had taught her she was the better runner and bending her knees, she broke into a full run as she emerged from the city. Beside her Vespera wagged his tail eagerly, rushing in front of her to catch their prey.

Not to be outdone, she dug in her toes and leaned forward as she sprinted. It was hard to breath evenly when she ran, even though she knew it was good for her, and her breaths came out in gasps and pants when she didn't pay attention. Her legs burned, her body still not up and running, and she kept that grievance in the back of her mind. At least the ground was mostly even.

Up ahead, she could see him stop, and a few minutes later she stopped beside the boulder, panting lightly at the excursion. Catching her breath, she looked around.

"This it?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

by **Colt** on February 14th, 2012, 12:11 am

“This? No, this isn’t it.”

He slid off of the boulder and gestured for Akilah to follow. “This way.”

He set off at a healthy pace. He had explored this area before, and his steps were sure as he slipped through the grasses. He didn’t stop, didn’t look behind him, didn’t focus on anything but his path for a full minute and a half.

He stopped at the base of a large hill, sliced cleanly in half by a stream. An excited smile lit his features.

“Here. Up here.”

He hopped onto a small ledge that ran alongside the stream, flattening himself against the wall of dirt so he wouldn’t fall in. The farther he went, the fuller the stream became, and a dull roar became audible. The roar and stream grew and grew, until the bed just stopped and the water fell into the air.

It was a small crater, perhaps a hundred feet across but packed with life. The stream became a thundering fall that flew and pooled into a pond at the center. Trees, beginning to change red and orange, crowded around it, and the birdcalls rang from within the leaves.

Khasr eased onto the slope and into a crouch. In seconds he was sliding down the slop, turning up dirt and rocks and trailed by a cloud of dust. He stood and ran the last five feet, stopping just within the treeline.

by **Akilah Windsong** on February 15th, 2012, 7:05 am

She didn't know this area, not well at least. Vespera paid no mind to her as he rushed through the grasses, nothing more than a ripple in the semi-tall grasses. For herself, Akilah would have to pick her way a little more carefully as she followed. As a child she had tripped and fallen enough times to know the dangers of long grasses, the holes and animals they concealed.

Still, Khasr was running through it quick enough, so there couldn't be much to fear here. Looking up every now and then, she kept her eyes on the trail he made, her feet falling into place on the tracks he made.

A small sound filtered its way into her ears, the sound of trinkling water, and the ground was greener as they moved. Concentrating on the ground, she bumped into him when he stopped.

Rubbing her forehead, she looked at the smallish stream. Not a particularly large one, it was ordinary enough, rushes stringing the edges and--he was off once more, up the cliff on a precipice so narrow she almost doubted his ability to scale it.

Craning her neck to the left, she could see the stream growing larger with each confluence.

A sniffing sound alerted her to Vespera's presence and the narrow pathway told her he would never make it. Not without endangering her.

"You'll have to stay here." He looked up, his snout nuzzling her waist as he cocked his head. "I'll be back soon enough and I'll call you if there's another route." Sighing, she put her hands on both sides of his face, rubbing it gently. "Stay," she commanded, her voice stern, and with that she let go and turned to follow.

The ledge was half rock, half mud, almost growing out of the hill next to the stream. Years of erosion must have carved out this path and its span was barely wider than that that of her feet. She could feel roots behind her back as she slid down the ledge, small hardy ferns and grasses clinging despite the sheer angles.

Her father would kill her if he found out.

The way was slower with her, her feet trying to grip the slippery surface. Water sprayed her legs slightly as the river swelled with incoming tributary streams and creeks. Fatter and fatter it grew, her heart thudding when she almost lost her balance. Teetering, she regained her stance after a few worrying moments.

The dull roar in her ears become a thunder and she stopped when she saw the open air.

A waterfall. She stayed there, watching the powerful flow as it cascaded down. How fast it must be going, if she were to dip her fingers--no, if she were to do that, it wouldn't just be her father who killed her. Looking around the pool at the bottom, she noted the dark greens and bright reds.

A particularly lush area. There was the sound of scrabbling rocks and looking down the side, she could see the dust settling from where Khasr went down.

It was a particularly long and steep ride down. A cursory glance told her there was no other route down. None but that landslide waiting to happen.

Akilah snorted. And he had thought her suicidal and stupid. It was nice to know that he was just as bad.

There was nothing to it but just moving and she lowered her center of gravity as she slid her way down. It was nothing as graceful as his descent was. He had practice on his side and she had was the nervous swallow of her throat. The slope was slightly steep, and the distance far. It wasn't long before she picked up speed and she almost tumbled her way down the last few feet, skidding to the base of a tree as she pinwheeled backward to stop herself.

And stop she did, her reflexes catching her before she could hit the ground. Pushing one hand on the ground, she bounced up and stood up straight.

It was even greener here, the sounds of birds trilling coming from all directions.

"Wow...." she stared up at the treeline, resting her hand on the trunk of the tree. The bark was rough beneath her hand and she could see slivers of the sky through the leaves.

She didn't know what else to say and just turned her head this way and that as she took in the hidden cranny.

by **Colt** on February 15th, 2012, 4:06 pm

She seemed alright after the slide. Khasr beckoned with one hand for Akilah to follow, then headed deeper into the trees.

The little forest was more than uncharacteristic for Cyphrus. The trees were oak, though there were a few ashes and aspens here and there. The ground was carpeted with leaves and moss, and the sound of the waterfall could be heard from anywhere.

He emerged from the brush to the shore of the pond. It was probably ten or so paces across, and the water was glassy and looked very cold. Four ducks floated near the center, and waterwalker insects darted across the surface while iridescent dragonflies hovered in the reeds nearby.

Khasr slowed to a walk along the edge of the water, looking at all of the trees and shaking his head slightly at each one. He was looking for something.

There. He darted to one of the larger ones and gazed into the branches. Big, fat, red apples peeked out from the green.

Khasr circled the base, then looked at Akilah sheepishly. Though he had wanted to share them with someone before the general populace discovered them, he also needed help. Because he couldn’t climb. At all.

“This. This is it.”

by **Jackalope** on October 21st, 2012, 4:24 am

Khasr :

Akilah :

Another good thread cut short. Akilah, lemme know if you come back and I'll be happy to grade for you. Lemme know if you have any questions!