It's not how it looks (Finished)

[Vala]

Vala felt that the Endal was being rude. She had been nice enough to introduce herself, and here he was, pushing her forehead, which was already throbbing, and the knife, the knife on her neck was so cold. Vala was not liking this treatment one bit, but her energy was draining faster and faster now, she was trying her hardest to keep her eyes open. She even had to force herself to breathe, her breaths were coming out ragged and pained now. And Vala may have said he had ‘handsome’ blue eyes, but right now she just wanted to spit in them, maybe even press some more pebbles and dirt into the angry, almost fiery blue orbs. She wanted to scoff, Vala tried, but it came out as a weak exhale and another cough. His whispering and slurring made Vala lose a little more respect for the Endal. Her lucidity was fading in and out. Her previous charming and pleading ‘mask’ took too much energy to maintain. And the crazy had been replaced with exhaustion. The only ‘face’ Vala had left was a pale, weak, monotone creature that was actually relying on the Endal’s hand to remain standing. She was losing so much control that she was actually beginning to press into the blade. The sharp blade drew a thin slice across Vala’s throat. She was too tired to recoil from the pain, but thankfully the Endal was supporting her enough to keep her from cutting her too much, just enough to draw blood. Vala’s mind tried to think of a proper ‘apology’. It managed to spin out a long winded spiel about her troubles, how hard life was, how it was only a Dek, how she was too young to waste, and a piles of other crap, but what came out was just a hollow “I’m sorry.”

[Fois]

Red cut appeared on the girl’s neck. ”I’m sorry,” Fois heard a weak and silent Chiet’s voice saying. Such feeble expression of regret for insulting an Endal did not seem adequate. It was not enough at all. Fois noticed that the girl was barely standing. What was he trying to actually get from her? She wasn’t even there with him, it seemed. The girl was probably about to pass out. Was that how she would avoid punishment? Escape accountability for her actions? And, most importantly, leave him here with his disgrace? This damned little, fragile, insolent bitch!

Fois put the dagger that was now stained with blood a little away from the girl’s neck. With his other hand he pushed her down on the ground. He cursed loudly. Fois hid the dagger behind his back, shoving it behind his Bryda’s waistband, and cursed again. Why was she alive? He looked down on the Chiet. Fois hated her. He hated her with passion. But above all, he hated himself. Fois punched the wall and let out a silent groan. He could feel warmth gathering around his knuckles. He always handled challenges to his pride with appropriate swiftness, smoothness and ruthlessness! So what happened here? How did he get into this situation sinking lower and lower? Fois should’ve just killed her immediately when he caught her. No! He should’ve just shrugged the whole incident with the throwing of sand off, put the Dek out of his misery and move on. Wind Reach has a population of couple thousand. He would’ve met her eventually, and dealt appropriately, with his calm mind intact. Instead, he foolishly, like a little boy, let himself be dragged into this idiotic situation and left in even more stupid position.

Fois looked at the girl again. He couldn’t kill her. It wouldn’t make any good now. Her death wouldn’t wash away his shame at this point. Not when she was laughing at him. Fois wouldn’t kill her while she held her head up. That would leave him even weaker and lower than he was now for proving his superiority in that manner, when last words of his victim were spoken with what could be interpreted as confident contempt. Fois wanted to feel and see respect or fear from the offender, not just murder her out of self-pity. No, he wasn’t done with her yet. Fois grabbed the Chiet around her waist, raised her from the ground and hoisted her over his right shoulder. It was similar to some of his hunts in that way, except that usually Fois was happy with his quarry. He stood there for a while, trying to figure out which way to go. ”Well, I’ll have to walk around until I’ll find tunnels that look familiar,” he thought to himself. ”Good thing this pest is not that heavy.”

[Vala]

Vala closed her eyes as she was angrily pushed to the ground. She was right, it was hard, and it was rocky. Everything was black behind her lids; at least everything stopped spinning. Even with one ear pressed to the dirt, she could still hear fairly well; Vala managed to hear something hit something else, it was muffled, probably flesh against rock; then she heard a groan; it was probably the stupid Endal punching the wall. She wondered if he was just going to leave her there now. If he did she would die. If she was left there, she would die a slow, a very slow death. It would either be from blood loss or from a random Dek. Some of the Deks recognized her now, if they had the chance, they definitely wouldn’t let such a great opportunity to get even pass them bye. Vala preferred death by blood loss… She was surprised when he didn’t just walk away. Vala could still feel his presence there, standing over her. His confusion, his hesitation, was making her uncomfortable. She was screaming in her head, asking why he didn’t just kill her: what was he waiting for. The world moved, well it felt like it did to Vala, but she was just being picked up by the Endal. “Where are you taking me.” Vala tried to ask, but it came out more as an airy grunt. He probably didn’t hear her, but even if he did, he obviously didn’t care since he just kept walking with her over his shoulder, as if she a catch from a successful hunt. The Endal was just carrying Vala like a sack of potatoes, and if a sack of potatoes could talk, they would definitely say it wasn’t comfortable at all. Vala lost her breath and sometimes even consciousness, at every jolt of the Endal’s shoulder into the soft spot below her ribs. The endal made a sudden turn which dug his shoulder into Vala’s intestines with a ridiculous amount of force; a bit of bile rose into her mouth, and Vala just let the burning acid drim onto the Endal’s back. He started to slow down, which was worrying; Vala wondered if they had reached the Tomb of the Fallen yet. She also wondered if she would lose consciousness as she fell down the hole, hopefully too out of it to feel the pain of her bones shattering and organs exploding from the force of impact when she hit the bottom. Vala tried to open her eyes, she could feel the brighter lights invading her mind through her thin, closed lids. She closed them promptly after her mind exploded with pain, her eyes stinging from photosensitivity. After what seemed like days of the agonizing and terrifying ‘journey’ Vala just let herself pass out into a painless oblivion. When Vala finally managed to recuperate enough energy to open her eyes she was surprised, less surprised and more horrified, to see a healer looming over her. She could tell it was a healer by the disgusting smell of chemicals and unnatural concoctions about her. Vala opened her mouth to scream, but an irrational fear, more powerful than even a god’s will, took hold of Vala’s entire being with an iron grip. The healer leaned it, her face mere centimeters away from Vala’s, she could feel her breath against her skin, the healer’s hands probing the gash on Vala’s forehead. As soon as the healer made contact, her warm fingers invading Vala’s cool flesh, the spell on Vala broke. She screamed at the top of her lungs, the ear splitting screech, resounding against the stone walls, doubled its affect. The healer instantly recoiled from the hysterical girl. As if possessed by a mad demon, Vala jumped off the examination table and ran around the small, cramped room, accosting glass beakers and bottles at the healer, mostly missing the poor disheveled lady in her wild state, but she did manage to land an expensive looking bottle right at her torso, greatly angering the already upset healer. Vala felt like a trapped animal again, and now she was looking for a way out. The only door she saw was right behind the healer. The room was too small for comfort; the healer was only a measly five paces away. Vala’s mind reeled at the thought of the healer trying to touch her again. By now most of the room was an utter mess, and only in a few chimes. Colorful powders, broken glass, and smoking liquids were littered all about. Even the examination table Vala had been lying on had been overturned in Vala’s frenzy. In the one undisturbed corner of the room sat the Endal, who had been watching the entire scene in silence. In her enraged state, it took a while for Vala a few more tense moments of silence, to notice him just sitting there. Vala decided a fate with an angry Endal was far better than any fate with a ‘probe-happy’ healer. She ran to him, throwing herself at his feet, genuinely crying from fear, anger, and pain. “Please, please, you can do anything to me. Just kill me if you must, just don’t leave with this monster.” She pointed accusingly at the flabbergasted healer as she sobbed pitifully. Vala clung desperately to the legs of his Byrda. She should wondered, why the hell, the Endal would take her to a healer, but Vala was far too frantic for any forms of logical thought at the moment.

[Fois]

Fois had been walking in the tunnels for a while now. The Chiet he was carrying occasionally released a silent sigh. He could feel some drops of warm blood dripping down his back. It may not have been a comfortable ride for her, but Fois wasn’t bothered by it at all. At first he wasn’t too sure whether or not he was lost (although, since he didn’t know where he was, exactly, and which way he should go to reach the destination, he was technically lost), but eventually Fois arrived in a burrow that he recognized, which allowed him to position himself in his mental map of Wind Reach. Now knowing which direction to move, he took a confident turn and heard the girl noisily exhale.

Fois wasn’t thinking about the recent events, he wasn’t thinking about what he set out to do now, and he wasn’t thinking what he was going to do later. He was just tranquilly navigating the tunnels of his hometown. Fois desperately wanted to clear his mind. He had to become calm and composed. Fois wasn’t acting like his usual self tonight, but rather a contemptible parody of an Endal, a perverted shadow of his identity. He wasn’t happy with it one bit. Fois wasn’t sure whether what he was doing now was a step towards badly needed right direction, or if he was still on the path of mistakes, but he decided not to trouble himself with these thoughts, at least for now. At this time he needed his wits to be unclouded by doubt and hesitation. And for that Fois wasn’t thinking about these matters at all.

The decision Fois made before entering that blissful state of meditation was to take the injured Chiet to the healer. He wasn’t experienced enough to determine how bad her wound was, but he needed her alive for the time being. At least until his ideal calm and collected self would arrive at, hopefully, clever and satisfying conclusion. Killing could be postponed, saving could not.

Fois refrained from using the services at the Dreaming Lady for this particular case. Things seemed bad as they already were, without the need of rumours of any sort, whatever they might be. He was lucky enough not to meet any residents on this journey, apart for the Dek, who dared not to even give an inquisitive look to him. At least some people, if barely people at that, showed some proper respect to the Endal tonight.

It was close and Fois slowed down his pace. He knew of a decent Avora healer who taught promising citizens of Wind Reach his secrets. He had healed Fois a couple of times after some less successful hunts. If Fois’s luck was changing tonight, the Avora will be at the cave he usually practices his trade. Hoping for the best, Fois knocked on the door powerfully, signalling to those on the other side, that he was not in the mood to wait. Doors opened almost immediately and a young woman appeared.

”Is he in?” Fois asked and nearly instantly understood that it was not the case, so he pushed through the woman and entered the room. The apprentice will do. Fois put the Chiet on the examination table and flexed his right shoulder. The girl was now lying unconscious. He turned to the healer and said: ”Fix her.” The woman seemed to want to ask something, but quickly decided against it. She nodded and went to the girl to examine her. At the same time Fois went to the corner of the room and sat down. He could’ve left now, but since he didn’t have or want anywhere to go to, he might’ve as well stayed there for a while. Fois leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. His mind was getting much clearer now.

Suddenly Fois was woken up from his repose by a scream of someone getting their legs chopped off. Or at least it sounded like that. He opened his eyes only to witness the chaos that was going on in the small room. The Chiet was running around the room, throwing whatever she could reach at the poor healer. ’How come she fails to act like a normal person in every situation?’ The girl calmed down for a moment and Fois saw her noticing him. Unexpectedly she threw herself at his feet and started crying. “Please, please, you can do anything to me,” the girl was sobbing. ”Just kill me if you must, just don’t leave with this monster.” Last time she did that, Fois received a handful of sand to his eyes and this whole circus started. The girl latched onto his Bryda. Fois sincerely wished the Chiet remained unconscious. He hadn’t come up with any conclusion to his dilemma, but one thing was for sure – he couldn’t stay here for longer. He stood up and looked at the dumbfound healer.

”She’s alright?”

”Well, the-“

”Will she live?” Fois interrupted her. Possible scarring and other insignificant risks didn’t matter to him. The healer nodded. Fois grabbed the Chiet and once again hoisted over his right shoulder. It was a bit more difficult now, as he was still tired from the previous journey, but manageable. The healer looked at Fois as if expecting something, but he opened the doors and left.

As Fois was walking, he ignored the Chiet completely. He tried not to lose his coolness, which, after today, he learned to value greatly. The journey this time was much shorter and Fois was thankful for that. As soon as he entered his aerie, Seleer was there to greet him: ”You brought a Chiet in here?” Fois put the girl down on the floor.

”I have my reasons.”
”Sure, but I thought you were above those things... Well, everybody has their methods to deal with loss.”
”Methods?”
”Indeed. Though she does look a bit too human for you. Was Rapon the only bird you could love?”
”Leave me alone, for now! Go pity yourself for being grounded during the storm,” Seleer’s scoffing started to get to Fois.
”Alright, alright, I’ll stop bothering you. Just try not to be too loud, I’m trying to get some sleep,” Seleer turned around tucked his head under his wing.
”It’s not-“ Fois decided to stop now. No need to give Seleer more reason to tease him, especially now, when the bird finds it as the best way to deal with his anger at the storm.

Fois sat down on his bed and looked at the Chiet. He composed himself again. She was still a little bit bleeding and the bruises from the slap were starting to show, but then again, she had just turned down the services of a healer with an uncalled for drama.

No magical solution had arrived to his mind yet, and Fois sure wasn’t about to ask Seleer for advice, but he had to finally do something. The purely emotional need for punishment was gone and only his duty and status as an Endal called for some sort of retribution. Killing, thus, was no longer an option Fois would consider, but the appropriate course of actions still failed to reveal itself to him.

”You insulted an Endal,” he spoke, his voice calm and confident.”And yet you’re being spared your life for your offense.”

[Vala]

First, the healer was woken up from a deep sleep, after taking a bell to get there, only to be disturbed by a rude Endal who barged in without permission, with a wounded Chiet that only Priskil knows what had been done to her. Second, she had barely begun to examine the girl when the petching ‘victim’ woke up, proving to actually be demon in disguise; ruining the apprentice’s new clothes with an expensive salve and then 3rd the petching Vigak ran off without ANY compensation; the poor healer’s apprentice would have to pay for all the damage herself. The crushed girl ran to her room, waiting for her master to come home, trying not to break into heart-wrenching sobs as she cursed her fate.

Within one of the many tunnels of Wind Reach, a young girl smiled at the thought of the healer’s suffering. She even giggled as she closed her eyes to fill her mind with the image of the healer’s flabbergasted expression as the Endal carrying her just walked out. Vala focused on this feeling of triumph, trying her hardest not to think about why this stranger, who had tried to kill her earlier, an Endal even, cared enough about her to bring her to a healer an then stay to make sure she was ok: this act made him seem far too ‘real’ for Vala.

Adrenaline lasts for only so long; soon Vala was starting to feel drowsy again, her grip on consciousness faltering as she was jostled roughly upon the man’s shoulder. Vaa gritted her teeth defiantly, forcing herself to breath. She kept her eyes shut; she didn’t need to see where they were going, as long as it wasn’t another pesky healer, and her eyes still burned from photo-sensitivity: Vala wanted to be at least conscious to better prepare herself for the next hurdle of her adventure with this stranger, whose name she had yet to learn. Eventually Vala matched her short, desperate breaths to his loping gait; Vala could tell he was getting tired from his slowing pace.

As she recuperated as she was carried, Vala knew that even if she had been at full strength, which she was nowhere near, and he at his weakened state, she still wouldn’t post the slightest challenge to the fit Endal with her pathetically frail frame. Like in most every situation, Vala would have to talk her way out of this mess she made.

Vala could hear a couple Dek scurrying by as they made their way through the tunnels; none of them questioned what the Endal was doing with her. Her disgust for them flared anew at their placidity: she wondered why they never fought back, even passive-aggressively like her, at the bigots like her that tortured them. She hated them for being weak, for being like her. The line between them was so unbearably narrow, that it made Vala gnash her teeth just thinking about it. And now, worst of all, she was JUST like them. Letting another, it didn’t matter that he was of a higher class, control her life. Her mind reeled, ‘why am I not fighting him, doing all that I can to gain the upper hand, to have his disgusting hands release me’, she began losing its grip on her earlier control, thankfully she was still too weak to act out on her thoughts, but couldn’t help but feel dirty and worthless: she felt like a coward.

Though the trip to Fois’ aerie was shorter than the one to the Healer, it felt like decades longer, because Vala had forced herself to grip onto consciousness with all her will. When they entered, she felt the Endal tense under her; she felt nervous so she opened her eyes, only to see his beautiful dark brown eagle Saleer. Their entrance had obviously disturbed the eagle from its slumber. Vala weakly cried out in pain, her cry coming out as a pathetic mewl, as Fois’ grip grew painfully tight; he was obviously growing agitated at something since they entered. Vala had managed to bear his touch from its pure brutality. She knew that even if he tortured her, it at least wouldn’t be that kind… Vala’s small heart began to pump erratically as she was reminded of his touch, and all the others from before.

In every Inarta, lies the innate potential for telepathy, though it is usually only the revered Eagle Riders like Fois who ever master the skill. With Vala’s innate skill, somewhat limited by her current state, Vala was only able to sense the telepathic conversation between man and eagle. Having never been this close to an Eagle of Saleer’s size, Vala was caught in awe. Her eyes still so sensitive, made it appear to her as if there was a glow emanating from his feathers. Vala’s heart was suddenly wrenched by such a strong feeling of jealousy she nearly gagged on it. She hated the Endal for his one-of-a-kind connection to the Eagle. She hated him for having something she thought she never could have. She thought she wanted his freedom; she thought she wanted to fly away: in reality, all Vala needed was a healthy relationship.

He dumped her on the cold floor. Vala lay there: limp and prostrate. Her entire body hurt, black and blue bruises marred what was once her clear, pale skin. He talked to her in a calm, almost paternal tone. “And yet you’re being spared your life…” WHAT LIFE, Vala wanted to spit at him. He sat on his bed obviously waiting for an answer. She needed to get off her back if she wanted to do this properly and with at least a scrap of dignity. She kept her eyes shut, and will all her strength she drew herself up; slowly and with great effort she managed to roll over and kneel on all fours like a dog: she felt so dirty in that pose, but she had used most of her strength just to get there. She grunted in pain as she pushed as hard as she could with the palms of her hands. Thankfully she managed to push just the right amount until her legs folded underneath her and she was at a proper kneeling position. The hard ground hurt her knees, but it was nothing compared to the rest of her body.

She needed to show him compliance: the idea made Vala sick, but she needed to live another day if she ever wanted to get even. ‘Pride will only get you killed’ she reminded herself. Once she was on her knees she bent her back from her hips, folding her arms under her bowed head. She clenched her jaw one last time, before releasing it to say with cool deference. “Please sir, I thank you for sparing my lowly life. I did not mean to throw sand in your eyes, I am an idiot, and I take full responsibility, I was startled and afraid. Please, I hope you can forgive me, sir.” Vala tried to speak clearly but her words were muffled as she projected to the ground, and her speech were occasionally interrupted by weak coughs or sobs of pain.

OOC :

I’m so sorry this took me forever! I was so busy. <3

[Fois]

Fois watched the Chiet as she was struggling to get up from the ground. The girl looked as a new born foal trying to stand up on its legs for the very first time. Whatever flare and energy she had before, back at the healer’s, had now completely evaporated. Along with the spite gone too was the confidence and attitude the Chiet demonstrated in the tunnels earlier, where Fois was unfortunate enough to meet her. Now the girl looked defeated. Finally, Fois felt he was in control of situation not only physically, but also mentally. Perhaps his moves weren’t all bad if they eventually lead to a somewhat satisfying conclusion.

The girl was mumbling something that was hard to make out. It sounded like an apology, and a pretty sincere one at that. The Chiet clearly was sorry that she got herself in such situation. Whether she was truly sorry for what she had done, Fois couldn’t be sure. Or maybe didn’t want to be. After all, the Chiet that insulted him was kneeling before him with her head down, in total submission, thanking him for his mercifulness. That was all that really mattered. Fois got his pride back, didn’t he? Deep down inside, behind the layers of apathy caused by exhaustion and traces of anger at himself, he felt happy and satisfied. Or at least something that closely resembled those feelings. Now the events of this whole night could descend into the past, never to be remembered again.

”I accept your apology. Now leave.” Fois wanted the last sentence to sound more commanding, but fatigue was creeping all over his body and even his voice could not escape it, so it sounded the same as before: calm and confident. And tired.

[Vala]

It was over.

Soon, light would crest over the horizon and light up Wind Reach. A new day would begin, and it would be like nothing happened.

Vala still weak and exhausted, fighting for consciousness, wondered why. Why all of this had happened. She felt degraded and worthless: begging for mercy. She hated the Deks for being weak; she hated the Endal for catching her in her weakness; and she hated herself.

It was obvious neither had gained much satisfaction from the endeavor. Vala got live another day, but at the price of her own self worth. Fois was exhausted, for getting involved in a situation that only by random misfortune, happened upon.

Vala’s injuries were not too bad: a cut on her neck that would probably turn into a scar, a scrape on her head that had drawn blood but was already clotting fairly well, and many, many bruises from Fois’ brutal carrying of her. She would probably be fine in at most, four days, but until then Vala gritted her teeth in pain. She wasn’t accustomed to such brutality, nor did she ever want to be.

Vala could tell she had placated the Endal with her disgusting pleas. She looked up from her cowering when he pardoned her, commanding her to leave. She would leave, but not before burning into her mind, the image of his face: of his condescending features, and most especially that blue bead. She did not know his name, but she would find out eventually. Even if she had to sacrifice days, seasons, even years, she would get even with the Endal.

The Endal collapsed onto his bed, but Vala knew he was still awake. He was waiting for her to leave before going to sleep and letting his guard down. Even if Vala wanted to kill him in his sleep, she didn’t have the strength to. So she planned to wait, she would bide her time, until she could really hurt him. Death was too easy: death was just an escape from pain.

Vala stumbled out of the aerie, trying making her way home after the long night.

~FIN~

[Phoenix]

Experience: Vala +2 Acting Lores: An Outburst A Day Keeps the Therapist Away, Manipulating Your Elders, Swallowing Your Pride Fois: +2 Intimidation Lores: Doing the Right Thing, Helping a (Small) Enemy, Gaining Resentful Respect Comments: I love reading things having to do with sociopaths. Vala you play her really well! I felt bad for Fois, but he did stand up for himself! I couldn't really find much to give XP for, since it was more character development than anything else, but I tried to give you both a little something. I gave Vala acting for her little stunt with the sand and the fact that she choked out an apology that was good enough for Fois I gave Fois Intimidation because he was able to capture Vala, and even though he used his superior size, she did feel threatened enough to refrain from attacking him a second time and apologizing in attempt to save her skin If there is anything else you think you should have received, send me a PM and I will review the thread!