That day passed largely in trudging silence, the night in amiable relaxation, and then once again, Syna was upon them. The jungle passed them by at a brisk pace, matching their own, but soon Razkar began to note familiar sights, changes in the topography.
A valley. A patch of flowers that stuck in one's memory. A half-fallen tree broader than four Myrians side by side...
"We're halfway back."
Wolf's gold eyes flickered to him briefly and then back to their progress. She didn't need to inquire as to what that meant. Eagle pursed his lips and his bird call split the relative silence of the jungle floor. A dozen Myrians ceased their steps in front and behind him, slowly and almost noiselessly filing back to him. Once twelve pairs of eyes were focused on him, he spoke briefly.
"Establish a perimeter, within extreme sight and comfortable sound. Myself and Tinnok have business here." There were no leers, thank the Goddess, just suspicion and concern. They had earned an explanation for that... and so he unlimbered the rune-covered skull. "This took much effort to make. Now it is time for me to find out if it was worth it. I was not willing to don this among my people. Here, in in deep jungle, I do, but not with my comrades around."
Oxil was already shaking his head, Zuran and a couple of other older warriors shifting uncomfortably. "Raz, you can't expect us to just-"
"Yes, I do." Razkar said in tones that brooked no argument. "Establish the perimeter, and keep watch, inward and outward. It won't take long. If anything goes wrong, Tinnok will aid me. If anything goes... really wrong... you know better than to let me run loose."
A chill blew through them, though it was sweltering under the canopy. Even Wolf felt it, that sudden coldness on her skin making it prickle like ice was pressed down on her. More chilling than his words, though, was their grudging, reluctant but determined look that appeared on the faces of his fang, women, men and friends of his.
They would follow his final order, she realized. If the skull took him, they would kill him without a qualm.
The half-breed was about to ponder where that would leave her when Razkar barked out one final order and the fang split up. Oxil and Zuran wavered, pressing their fists to their chests briefly in a salute before vanishing with the rest. A few chimes, some barely audible rustles... and Wolf and Eagle were alone.
The male exhaled sharply and got to his knees, skull before him.
"Let's get this over with, Wolf."
He waited until she was seated a fair bit away from him and then gripped the skull with both hands. A familiar thrill coursed through him, strong but... contained. As if something were beating against the bone and dead marrow, caged but still potent.
"Myri, Blessed above all," he said quietly, lifting the helm up and up slowly, "Watch over your son and grant him favor, if his valor pleases you, that he may draw strength from his vanquished enemy. And Caiyha, watch over your witch, my friend, if worst should happen."
No more words were to be spoken. Under Tinnok's anxious stare, he raised the skull over his head and pressed it down over his own, actually finding it quite roomy inside. His ears scraped a little but he thought some padding would help, his hearing not too badly effected and his eyes could see quite broadly out of the empty sockets that-
A gasp as if he'd been stabbed. A flash, a jerk of muscles and limbs that made Wolf flinch in shock. Eagle sounded as if he was choking, all the more worrying because she could not see his own mouth beyond the protruding jaw of the skull-
-but she did see his eyes snap open... and mismatched eyes, one small and dark, the other slitted and red, stare balefully out at the world.
Again.
So...Not sure exactly where to go with this, since usually I leave it up to the grading Mod to decide what my Malediction item will grant me. However, I can't just end this thread at this point, so we'll have to improvise. I have some rough ideas - strength and speed at the risk of falling into madness, like the Dhani's - but we'll see what you throw at me, hehe...
A valley. A patch of flowers that stuck in one's memory. A half-fallen tree broader than four Myrians side by side...
"We're halfway back."
Wolf's gold eyes flickered to him briefly and then back to their progress. She didn't need to inquire as to what that meant. Eagle pursed his lips and his bird call split the relative silence of the jungle floor. A dozen Myrians ceased their steps in front and behind him, slowly and almost noiselessly filing back to him. Once twelve pairs of eyes were focused on him, he spoke briefly.
"Establish a perimeter, within extreme sight and comfortable sound. Myself and Tinnok have business here." There were no leers, thank the Goddess, just suspicion and concern. They had earned an explanation for that... and so he unlimbered the rune-covered skull. "This took much effort to make. Now it is time for me to find out if it was worth it. I was not willing to don this among my people. Here, in in deep jungle, I do, but not with my comrades around."
Oxil was already shaking his head, Zuran and a couple of other older warriors shifting uncomfortably. "Raz, you can't expect us to just-"
"Yes, I do." Razkar said in tones that brooked no argument. "Establish the perimeter, and keep watch, inward and outward. It won't take long. If anything goes wrong, Tinnok will aid me. If anything goes... really wrong... you know better than to let me run loose."
A chill blew through them, though it was sweltering under the canopy. Even Wolf felt it, that sudden coldness on her skin making it prickle like ice was pressed down on her. More chilling than his words, though, was their grudging, reluctant but determined look that appeared on the faces of his fang, women, men and friends of his.
They would follow his final order, she realized. If the skull took him, they would kill him without a qualm.
The half-breed was about to ponder where that would leave her when Razkar barked out one final order and the fang split up. Oxil and Zuran wavered, pressing their fists to their chests briefly in a salute before vanishing with the rest. A few chimes, some barely audible rustles... and Wolf and Eagle were alone.
The male exhaled sharply and got to his knees, skull before him.
"Let's get this over with, Wolf."
He waited until she was seated a fair bit away from him and then gripped the skull with both hands. A familiar thrill coursed through him, strong but... contained. As if something were beating against the bone and dead marrow, caged but still potent.
"Myri, Blessed above all," he said quietly, lifting the helm up and up slowly, "Watch over your son and grant him favor, if his valor pleases you, that he may draw strength from his vanquished enemy. And Caiyha, watch over your witch, my friend, if worst should happen."
No more words were to be spoken. Under Tinnok's anxious stare, he raised the skull over his head and pressed it down over his own, actually finding it quite roomy inside. His ears scraped a little but he thought some padding would help, his hearing not too badly effected and his eyes could see quite broadly out of the empty sockets that-
A gasp as if he'd been stabbed. A flash, a jerk of muscles and limbs that made Wolf flinch in shock. Eagle sounded as if he was choking, all the more worrying because she could not see his own mouth beyond the protruding jaw of the skull-
-but she did see his eyes snap open... and mismatched eyes, one small and dark, the other slitted and red, stare balefully out at the world.
Again.
So...Not sure exactly where to go with this, since usually I leave it up to the grading Mod to decide what my Malediction item will grant me. However, I can't just end this thread at this point, so we'll have to improvise. I have some rough ideas - strength and speed at the risk of falling into madness, like the Dhani's - but we'll see what you throw at me, hehe...
