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Shattered Peace
Forum-Index → Roleplay → Shattered Peace
Posted: Fri, 25/03/2022 12:13 (2 Years ago)
Posted: Fri, 25/03/2022 13:21 (2 Years ago)
it was eerily similar to the speeches she held in her factories whenever production went down. Sure, the content only touched tangentially but the voice, the pose, the demonstrations... it was all similar. Which is when she hatched a little plan:
Donning a different costume again (including changes in hair color, clothing and even a different skin color), she raises her hand and posed a question, making sure that her voice was also altered.
"You are telling us that our long time of Peace comes to an end and that we should prepare for war, while the humans are already gearing up. Would a secret infiltration help, where we learn where those humans have their strength from and harness that?"
Posted: Fri, 25/03/2022 17:51 (2 Years ago)
In my head colourless voices
Stepping in my mind, hopeless choices
I know I can't succeed if I feed like this
Leave like this
Scarred and feared pain like this
━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━
The water was calm as it always was, the idyllic rustle of trees and the soft caresses of the wind.
There was chaos in the town, the sounds of stalls being broken and voices raised whispered around the chitter of songbirds and babbling water. Whispers of wars found themselves seated on the tongues of many, bragging about the humans they would kill and the friends they have lost as war seems more like an inevitability as the days crawl through limbo. It wasn't much different from any other boring mundane day as the on-goings of the town acted as a horrid background to the freely shining sun. Idyllic normalcy surrounded by chaos and destruction. Nothing new as life continued on. Once again, the world spun and lives were lost. Of course, there was nothing wrong about it. Life would always forge on ahead heedless of whatever attempted to stop it, much like the solemn march of time. Things would move on, and things would stay the same. Such was how things worked, not only the celebration of life and death but the continuous presence of order and chaos. It would not be life without such dichotomies and polar opposites to balance the delicate push and pull. That was the sole rule which governed his existence after all
The water rippled as a dome of blood made the ground shake slightly, the waves gently buffeting the slender sun-kissed ankles that had dipped itself into its clear blue mirror long before chaos had made itself known. A head turned towards the faint rumbling, the disruption clearly drawing the Saakri-Lumen away from what he had been originally doing. Gently tucking gold spun hair behind his ear, Song BingLiu glanced at the village before shrugging and turning back to the lake. He had been there for a whole, simply soaking up the peace that came in spite of the conflict that defined their lives. Occasionally, a few ripples would dance across the surface as children giggled and threw random objects into the water to be swallowed up in moments of glee and mischief. A soft smile stretched across his lips as a peal of bright sunshine laughter resounded across the small utopia, children chasing each other around the lake as parents watched them. Even though life was continually lost, new smiles could still exist. Shielded away from the spiteful hatred that defined the two species. A futile endeavour in his opinion but just like the cycle of life, as sure as the sun would rise and set so too would the two species clash. Just like the previous day, nothing has changed other than the cycling of faces which changed from hour to hour, the sun slowly crawling across the clear sky just as it had yesterday and it would tomorrow
What a calm day, a gentle wave he mused. What a day to rock the lake, to create a wave great enough to swallow another, swallowing up life and snuffing it out in a whimper. All it would take was a strongly worded command and the ever-devouring lake would feed. But Song BingLiu let such suggestions ripple away as he kicked at the clear surface, letting the second voice ripple away. “Don’t do that.” He chided for good measure, a soft smile on his face despite the frankly disturbing nature of such thoughts. Again, the urge to open his mouth and sing of his desires welled up within him, the power bubbling on his tongue and slipping past his lips but once again he gently hit those thoughts upside the head. Song BingLiu almost knew of the unrepentant sneer that his other inhabitant was undoubtedly wearing, sending ripples across the clear waters of their shared space with only mischief on the other’s mind. The gloating taunts were second nature in their usage, yet another aspect of daily life that Song BingLiu entertained with an indulgent smile, nodding along with gently upturned lips to the other’s vicious rants and gently stroking the other’s hair as they lay in the empty world that was theirs and theirs alone. He let him speak his mind for that was something that they shared, pouring out every vicious desire and thought that had crossed their mind, watching the gentle ripples in the calm mindscape. When the other had finally exhausted himself, tucking their head into Song BingLiu’s stomach and winding lithe arms around his slender waist, Song BingLiu simply leaned forward to drop a soft kiss onto the other’s forehead. “There,” he murmured, evidently quite pleased with himself for mellowing out such a spitfire. “Isn’t talking it out much better than drowning some poor soul?” A deep pout still etched itself on a face that looked so different from his own yet was his, felt even though the part of his soul staunchly hid from the scrutiny.
“I still wanna drown someone.” Li XuanWu whined, gnawing at the thin material of his shirt, soaking the white cloth translucent.
“I know, my protector as always.” Song BingLiu laughed, letting his mirth dance through the empty space. In a place that was all to themselves, a song was passed between two souls with the same pattern, a compulsion shared and echoed between them. Perhaps it was in that singular space, tucked away in their mind where they wouldn’t have to watch their words, where singing wasn’t a curse but a celebration of who they were and what they had become. A place entirely to their own as the song weaved itself through their head, causing Song BingLiu to kick his feet slightly and send ripples scattering across the calm lake, a song of its own hummed under his breath. It was always his favourite place to simply feel himself in, the dichotomy of which ripples were real and which were fake lulling him into a gentle peace. It had the added benefit of soothing his counterpart, the comforting phantom weight of the other’s head and torso pressing down on his thighs serving to center his own sense of being within this ever changing and chaotic world they had no choice but to live in
But like life, peace rarely ever lasted and it seemed as if the turmoil within the town was only growing. Soon it would be time for Andrea’s Speech. He had been looking forward to hear it, they both had. Listening to how the minds of others worked was fascinating in of itself, the small decisions that one made that could alter the course of their entire life, and the lives of everyone else if such was what fate had ordained. While he didn’t quite believe in fate, it was a ridiculous notion to put one’s faith in anyhow as the idea that a fickle mistress dictated the lives of millions, each profound and unique, according to her whims was not only deplorable but also utterly hilarious. But if such a lady had deemed it fit to set them down on such a path, then Song BingLiu nor Li XuanWu would complain. After all those more powerful than them existed and they were the ones who gave. They could just as easily take away. Gods, after all, especially those in power were temperamental at best and the two other them rather liked what they had. No more no less
Gingerly removing his feet from the water, Song BingLiu relished at the feeling of soft grass gently weaving between his toes as he stood up, letting the slight breeze wash over his damp shins as he dried his feet off and slipped on a pair of boots. As a creature of nature, though his very existence was quite the mystery to him as he had never bothered to learn how his kind were first created, Song BingLiu would take any chance he got to savour the elements for just a moment more, to listen to the sun and whisper with the winds. He adored nature and in turn she adored him. He doubted that Nature’s fondness for him was born out anything other than the friendship one came after inevitable years of shared contact. Song BingLiu doubted that he could make Nature do anything even if he begged and that was fine with him. Instead, he simply lived along-side the creations that She made, admiring them and enjoying them as She had intended for Her creations. Co-existence without violence. Life and death so intertwined that it was one entity which governed the mundane cycle that ruled over all.
The walk to the city proper hadn’t taken much time, a simple stroll past the greenway and down the well trodden path, but to Song BingLiu it was an entire journey in of itself. Wadding through the dust and earth that comprised of the land they lived on, lush and green yet stifling all at the same time. Song BingLiu always preferred the water so perhaps he was biased on the front, wanting very little to do with life outside of the seas. But alas, he had duties that always pulled him from the blues that he loved and back into nature’s warm embrace.
As always, the town was crowded and people were loud, rousing Li XuanWu from the comfortable nap he had been taking, forcing the two of them to retreat further into their shared headspace. Crowds always held the potential of danger, an uncomfortable situation that neither liked to deal with but Song BingLiu still powered through for both their sakes. He often did that he reflected a bit morosely as he pushed his way past shoppers and giggling friends, feeling much like a salmon attempting to swim upstream. It sure felt like it, his flesh sloughing off his bones with every attempt to break through the crowd. It felt like an eternity and a half before they could reach the podium and by then Andrea had already been speaking. What an odd speech to make, they mused, listening to their leader demonstrate her powers. Of course, Song BingLiu had a similar wristband, they all did, but he rather liked theirs. It limited them, allowed them to be normal and interact with others without fear of compulsion. A deadly weapon on the battlefield for sure, but during times of peace it was a double-edged sword. The apprehension he felt was understandable, neither he mor his other self enjoyed that aspect of his power (despite one aspect of himself always chanting for an opportunity to sing a death toll) but it was like everything else in their arsenal. A tool to be used. If that was the direction that Andrea wished to walk down, then Song BingLiu would offer his tools up for use and observe the other. That was what he was, after all, never getting too involved with anything yet always carving out his heart for others. Li XuanWu always despised that and he would always bring them back when they had gone too far. That was always how they worked.
Seeing as Andrea lingered behind to answer questions, Li XuanWu gently pushed Song BingLiu back and slipped into a body that was not his own, taking on a face that was so different from his own yet belonged to him. Pushing through the crowd, Li XuanWu waited for Andrea to notice him before speaking. “Hello, I’m sorry I just had a few questions if you’d be so kind to listen to.” He said passively, face not quite showing what his real emotions were. “We… we benefit from having our powers sealed. What is your recommendation for us who will hurt others if the band is taken off? Even breathing is difficult at times, and we fear that if we start to master our power it will only suffocate us. What then?” Despite the nature of such a question, Li XuanWu's face stayed passive and unfeeling almost a statue like stoicism that would never match the emotional intensity of his words. It was almost a little chilling
Again the water rippled as it always was, unbothered
•°. * иσвℓє ρυяρℓє * .°•
•°. * тнє вєαт σf ℓανєи∂єя є¢нσєѕ σи, ι'м иσт α ωιт¢н σя αиутнιиg * .°•
•°. * яє∂ αи∂ gяєєи тяυℓу gσ ωєℓℓ тσgєтнєя * .°•
Posted: Fri, 25/03/2022 18:12 (2 Years ago)
She wasn't stupid, crowds were hard to get out of. Crowds may help you lose yourself from someone you were trying to flee from (An experience that she'd had many times) but she also knew that when you were away from the crowd, and hidden, it was that much easier to get away. Crowds suffocated Astrid, all of those people tightly pressed together, all of the hot and sweaty breathing, it was all too much for Astrid. She couldn’t stand crowds, and had never been able to stand crowds. Especially when she was a Saakri-Lumens, where bumping into the wrong person could mean trouble. The Saakri-Lumens may have been a people that didn’t practice violence, but it didn’t mean that they couldn’t get angry, and an angry Saakri-Lumens didn’t necessarily mean a level-headed one. Astrid supposed that that was a universal trait, a hot-headedness that many people had when it came to anger. With that knowledge in hand, Astrid was definitely going to avoid crowds. She, for one, liked to keep her head intact and her enemies non-existent. But then again, didn’t everyone have enemies?
Her mind went back to the exchange that she had witnessed between the…human, and the Saakri-Lumens. She had closed off the connection, especially frightened at what she had seen. Astrid couldn’t read minds. She couldn’t delve the depths of them, couldn’t unravel secrets, couldn’t see things in the light of another person’s psyche. Other Saakri-Lumens might have been able to do that, but unfortunately, she did not posses that power. However, when the connection was there long enough, she could, in fact, hear thoughts. This wasn’t something she’d known before, obviously because she hadn’t used her powers in years. With this new information, Astrid was a bit frightened of what she could do. What she could find out. But what was more frightening, the staving off of the dark beast inside her that hungered to cause chaos, or the fact that she could, in theory but at the same time in reality, hear the thoughts that ran through people’s minds? To hear the desires that made them less than perfect, the plans that they made? Astrid’s stomach turned at the thought of it. This was one of the worst days of wishing. Wishing that somehow she could get rid of her power. Astrid thought that maybe, if she starved off the beast, it would go away. That with lack of use, maybe it would fade, and she could simply live life as a mute Saakri-Lumens, powerless and only looking for enough food to last to the next day. But that didn’t work. She was cursed. Forever. And there was nothing she could do about it.
Astrid was curled up in a little ball. She was older in this memory, perhaps ten or eleven years old. Her entire body was shaking violently, and she was crying, nails digging into her skin as she rocked back and forth. She couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t. The things that echoed through her brain, the thoughts that the monster inside of her conjured up. It was torturing her. It was killing her. Astrid didn’t think that she would be able to last another minute with this curse. But the minutes kept ticking by, at a painfully slow pace. That’s when she heard the footsteps, and the same large man with the kind face that had appeared in her last memory was here again, though now he looked as if in the two years that had passed, he had aged 10. “Astrid? Astrid, what’s going on?!” He tried to get close to her, but she scrambled away. “Get away,” she signed, “He wants me to hurt you.” “Who? I-Oh.” Realization dawned over the man’s face as he figured out what was going on. “It’s the monster, right?” She nodded tearfully, still not willing to look him in the eyes or go any closer to him, though her back was pressed against the wall. The man sighed. “Astrid, you are a strong girl, you know that, right? I wouldnt have put my faith in you if it weren’t for that. Are you stronger than some monster?” She tearfully nodded her head. “Then get up. Close your eyes, and push him back.” Shakily, Astrid stood up, her fists clenched, closed her eyes, and for the first time on a journey that would last for ages, she pushed the voices to the back of her mind, and was calm again. She was fine. Without hesitation, she ran to the man and threw her arms around him. He was surprised, but he hugged her back. “It’s going to be okay,” he assured her, “It’ll be just fine.”
To say that Astrid was surprised was an understatement. Where were these memories coming from? It was frustrating that she couldn’t remember any of these. Were there really these huge gaps in her memory? Astrid wanted desperately to find out what these memories were, and why they kept coming up. She wanted answers, but where to get them, she didn’t know. A thought occurred to her about just where she might be able to find them, but that was a problem for another time. Right now, she had bigger things to worry about. Still, the identity of the man haunted her. Was he her father? If so, why didn’t she ever see her mother in any of the memories? What *had* happened to them, anyway? The earliest memory that Astrid knew of (before she had started getting these strange, unwanted flashbacks) was the memory of running from someone, stolen fruit in her hands. From then on, surviving had been her only priority, and she hadn’t had the time to think about her past. That had changed now, but she still didn’t have the time to think about this. All she could do was hope that she could move on without any more memories stopping her dead in her tracks. In this world, she could never afford that.
Astrid, with her aversion to crowds, had chosen a perch on one of the buildings, watching it all from a birds-eye view. She had a clear view of Andrea, and could easily hear the speech. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised. She had seen the brewing, and heard rumors and whispered secrets, one of the many benefits of being mute and looked over. Honestly, she knew that something like this was inevitable. You couldn’t stay out of the fight forever, no matter how much you wanted to. However, the thing that did make her nervous was the idea of “Compulsory Training.” What in the world did that mean? Would they hunt her down? How did Andrea expect to find every single citizen? Not everyone would want to fight. There would be some who tried to take advantage of the situation, who tried to run away. Andrea couldn’t possibly have the manpower to do this. But, then again, this was the Saakri-Lumens she was talking about. Who knows what they could do.
Astrid heard the person (whom she was unaware was the human she had seen before) speak, and it seemed to make the realization that this was real, and there were people who actually were eager for war concrete. She had been debating where she stood on this for awhile, but the decision was final: She was staying out of this. Astrid was already a criminal, she’d stolen and lied to keep surviving, and she wasn’t about to endanger that against the humans. The only person that she was concerned about was herself. No one had cared for her, so why bother caring for them? In all reality, she had spent all of her life looking out for herself, and no one had bothered to look out for her. There would be enough Saakri-Lumens willing. If they wanted war, they would have to do it without her. And if Astrid avoided this, then she could keep trying to drown out the beast in her. A wild thought occurred that maybe the humans could end her…problem, but she pushed that aside. Astrid wanted nothing to do with humans, war, Andrea, or any of that. If they wanted to find her, they were going to have to work for it.
Astrid was done here. She’d heard all that she needed to. There was nothing here for her. So, she quickly scampered off, navigating the rooftops as easily as she’d done for years. She knew that with the crowds distracting the guards and Andrea, there was no reason for anyone to know where she had gone. She figured she was probably going to find empty streets, what with everyone having flocked to the town square for the speech, but she still wasn’t taking her chances. When she dropped down to the ground, she looked around carefully, before sneaking off. Andrea was smart, and she knew to take advantage of this moment, because she wouldn’t ever have one like it again. Inside, she knew this was risky, and that this was yet another situation where she wouldn’t be able to get out of it easily. But, there was no way she was sticking around any longer to hear a discussion like this.
Posted: Sat, 26/03/2022 06:13 (2 Years ago)
𝕾𝖊𝖕𝖍𝖙𝖎𝖘 𝕬𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖕𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘
" 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔦𝔰𝔫'𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔢𝔱 𝔪𝔢; 𝔦𝔱'𝔰 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔪𝔢. "
After a few minutes of resting, Sephtis’s mind was mostly cleared, the headache accompanying the two voices was gone and he enjoyed the moments of silence before the voice rang through the speakers. He groaned as he focused into the lenses, trying to see the action going on as the leader carried on her speech.
The first two aspects of the training weren’t new to Sephtis, with combat skills being the prime reason why Saakri-Lumens could survive in his village. The idea of the compulsory training almost bore him since he grew up honing those skills himself, with nothing but the merciless fate of the world to teach him. With every point listed out by Andrea, a different memory popped out each time, one more gruesome than the other. He wondered how she was even going to get to those pathetic people, who’ve enjoyed a life of peace, to suddenly embrace violence and war without causing a huge conflict. He even wondered how was she going to train them? Was she going to try and drown them to hold their breath underwater? Maybe send them off to the highest mountain and make them run from some Saakri-Lumen eating monster, with just thin sheets of air for them to breath? Would she throw them into a coliseum and make them fight for their lives? If that was so, the boy was looking forward to this ‘training program’, particularly because he’s been through the extreme before.
“I might as well be sleeping,” he muttered as he started to lose interest in the speech, ready to get off the tower and try to find some food for dinner until he saw the glint of the cuffs. He looked back to see them carefully.
He forgot about those objects and looked down at his arms to see if they were still on. To his surprise, they weren’t there anymore, the only thing covering his arm was the bandages. A headache started to form again as he wondered how he even managed to take them off. It had probably happened when he blacked out. Nevertheless, he pressed on his memory, trying to bring up any images of what happened, his mind throwing blurry, hurling random visions at him.
Suddenly, he could see what happened clearly, even if it was only a fraction of what had happened before. Though if it was from a first-person view, he didn’t feel that way. It felt like he was watching it from a third-person perspective. He could see how he used a minimum amount of blood to corrode the strongest parts before the sheer physical strength broke the cuffs into pieces. That was all he could remember before his mind went blank again.
He shook his head as he decided to focus on Andrea breaking them. Even with the cuff limiting and almost disabling her powers, Sephtis already knew how it felt firsthand, she still managed to restore some of her power, more than he was able to, enough to reduce the cuffs into nothing but useless pieces. Again, he felt a tingle of respect towards the leader as she displayed the strength of her own power. That was a new ability Sephtis must master. He has to.
After he saw a lack of any more activity, except for the question session, he got up and began descending the steps of the tower. He didn’t have any more time to sit around and rest, he needed to find dinner before it gets too dark.
Since the border between the two worlds was covered with dense trees, Sephtis’s village depended on the forest for prey, to feed themselves or sell them for profit. However, there is still a possibility that humans roam the woods too, since the area wasn’t really under the claim or either side, more like a gap in between the two. This meant that there was a high possibility that he could bump into a human while he was trying to find prey, which was why few Saakri-Lumens ventured into the woods in the first place.
Of course, the lingering threat didn’t do much to discourage Sephtis as he climbed over the fence and landed into the unclaimed territory, blending into the darkness the trees offered as they blocked the light from the sun. Normally, he would just use his powers to catch the animals, but he was running low and didn’t dare risk interrupting his healing process yet. Instead, he’ll just use his claws that were as sharp as knives. The movement of tiny feet on the grass alerted him as he quietly follows it, his feet keeping away from the littered leaves to avoid making a single sound that could scare away the animal, his breaths were low and almost unnoticeable for extra measure. As soon as the white ball could be seen, munching on something behind a bush, he pounced, skewering it and killing it instantly. He placed his kill into his sack as he went further, planning a few more for some of his ‘friends’ in the village.
Posted: Sat, 26/03/2022 13:49 (2 Years ago)
She looks BingLiu up and down. “You are the Beguiler, the Saakri-Lumen who can control others using your voice, am I right? You have more than one name I suppose. Should I call you BingLiu?” She asks. Crossing her arm and resting her head on her other propped up hand, she stares intently at BingLiu, as if thinking. She snaps her fingers, summoning a guard to her side, taking a silk cloth off to reveal the same cuff she previously wore for the demonstration. “This has different levels of restraint.” She points to the small needle in the gauge, currently set to full restraint. “I was wearing both at full restraint. You could alter the cuff to your comfort level. I can design some simulations for you should you require it, so you won’t hurt others, but can do so if you wish. As for breathing…there are several calming exercises and remedies you could try, and special devices, though I wouldn’t push you, and insist you must do it. Your fear remains a unknown until you try. I’d highly recommend you at least give your powers a try in my designed simulations. Should you feel uncomfortable at any point, we will stop. However, if that happens, you should be working even harder on the skills I’ve mentioned. You should learn to defend yourself.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Ignis Thornsower had begun his own speech. “We gather here today to discuss a useless species. The Saakri-Lumens. Full of powers yet they refuse to lend us a helping hand. We, have so much advanced weapons and technology. I strongly believe we are the better species. The Saakri-Lumens have ‘shared’ this world with us. They should be grateful, they should be helping us! But they didn’t. I’ve heard they are preparing to train. So” He slams his fists onto the stand, proclaiming “We will be stepping up training, continually building weapons, training to be faster, stronger and better. We are the best, and we will win this war we fight with them” Several humans in the crowd yelled out their approval, obviously cheering at their leader’s words. Little did they know…whether Saakri-Lumen or human, soon their world would be turned upside down
Posted: Sat, 26/03/2022 13:55 (2 Years ago)
Posted: Sat, 26/03/2022 19:18 (2 Years ago)
Carefully climbing on top of the large, and honestly very beautiful, structure was an easy task for Fier given her excellent mobility and agility. No one paid much attention to her as they were too focused being mindless sheep, following their leader in his stupid plan. She couldn't honestly care less about the well-being of either kind, meaning she didn't have a care for the whole plan and therefore refused to listen to whatever orders Ignis would enforce. She positioned herself on the top of the fountain, cleared her throat, and put on a smug face to set the scene. "Oh lord Ignis, you really think us humans are a superior species? Look around you, ya old fool! That attitude makes me sick, thinking you're so great when a simple house cat could leave you blind with a vicious scratch, a bear could have you for dinner, and a Saakri-Lumen could make you a simple light-show with a snap of their fingers! I hate those monsters as much as the next guy, but you really think you're king of the world when you have a few buttons that do things. That's honestly pretty pathetic if you ask me." She had done various gestures and let out a few laughs while she spoke to emphasise her point, knowing that no one would care about some crazed woman standing on a fountain. "But seriously, you guys listen to this man? He's trying to go to war for the fun of it, dragging you guys with him. I mean, not that I'm against it, bloodshed would be great, but really?"
She looked down at her wrist as if looking at a watch before speaking again. "Oh look at me, rambling on about nothing... Anyways, both species are doomed to hell, that's all I'm saying. Saakri-Lumens are the most disgusting and vile creatures imaginable, and humans are just plain annoying and stupid. Both should burn in hell, if that even exists." She then grinned slowly, pulling out some of the items from her coat and waving a goodbye. "Anyways, I'm gonna run, catch me if you can, you stuck up jerks!" And with that, she had finished a stupid speech of her own, and the next thing she intended to do was run. She hopped down from the fountain into the clearest part of the crowd, then ran towards the woods, weaving around people and buildings, never looking back to see if guards or shopkeepers had been chasing her.
Fier had completely underestimated how far the forest was from the town, it was much further than she remembered. She could've sworn the center of town was only 3/4 of a mile from the edge of the forest, but times have changed and there wasn't much she could do about that. Either that, or her memory was completely off, but right now it didn't matter. Her breathing had progressively gotten louder as she ran further and further, the protection of the woods being in her mind the whole way there. Her face was covered in sweat but none of it could wipe off the wild eyes and excitement filled grin that covered it. The breeze in the air as she ran felt great on her skin, the smell of the trees becoming more and more prominent as she came closer. The sound of wildlife was already filling her ears, drowing out the sounds of the town behind her. She didn't slow down until she was significantly past the edge of the forest, far enough away so that she was safe from the sight of those who might've chased her. The amount of green that flooded Fier's eyes was almost blinding, but she didn't really care. She finally stopped moving when she came to a small clearing, not realizing that she was over the border. She didn't see or hear anything dangerous nearby, so for her it was safe to assume she could rest for a bit. She sat down against a tree and took a good look at everything she had grabbed, making sure everything was ok.
-Sun Tsu, The Art of Gaming
oh hey what's this
Posted: Sat, 26/03/2022 23:53 (2 Years ago)
𝕾𝖊𝖕𝖍𝖙𝖎𝖘 𝕬𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖕𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘
" 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔦𝔰𝔫'𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔢𝔱 𝔪𝔢; 𝔦𝔱'𝔰 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔪𝔢. "
Too busy hunting, Sehptis forgot where he was, having too much fun jumping and running around the bushes and trees like a playful dog. The forest was teeming with rabbits and countless other prey, his sack looked like it could burst in any minute. He decided he'd gotten more than enough and decided to head back home.
Until he heard another set of footsteps and breathing nearby. He looked in the direction the sound was coming from, the person was closer to the human borders and their scent was easily distinguishable to Sephtis.
There was a human nearby.
"Now is the right time to turn back, boy," a voice said, but he didn't care, pursuing the rustles in the grass as his head started aching and screaming at him again. He didn't even know why he was approaching this person, since his last encounter with a human didn't go well. He promised he'd only take a peek and leave.
Well hidden behind the dense thicket, he observed the human leaning against the bark of a tree, skimming through some items in her bag. Sephtis was almost tempted to see what objects would be in there. Would there be some kind of weird craft he's never seen before? The area grew dimmer, either because of the slowly setting sun or the thick canopy above him as he entered the clearing, blocking the light from penetrating the forest floor.
"Septhis, you've had your peek. Best go home now," his head warned. Seeing nothing interesting with the human, he complied, turning back to retreat to the Saakri-Lumen borders. He had to squint to see through the slowly darkening forest, the canopy amplifying the darkness as the sunlight started to decrease.
*SNAP*
Sephtis completely missed the twig that was under his shoes and his weight was enough to snap the fragile wood in half, alerting the human of his presence. The voices hissed at him to retreat faster, but the darkness, and panic, made it difficult for him to see through unless he were to use his blood powers. He looked down at his bandaged arms.
"Don't you dare" they growled. However, their efforts were in vain. He ripped off the cloth to reveal his scarred skin, still in the process of slow healing. He used his claw to rip it back open and started sprinting.
"Lux," he commanded, causing the blood to light up and act as a torch illuminating the dark. He knew that this would make his location more obvious, but he would have a higher chance of hiding away once he was closer to the Saakri-Lumen borders. Again, he just hoped that this human didn't have any interest in him, but the slightly crazed look on her face told him otherwise. He only focused on getting back home for now, as he got closer to his home territory.
Posted: Sun, 27/03/2022 04:38 (2 Years ago)
Fier turned her rested and emotionless face into one with a chilling grin, right in an instant. Her eyes snapped open to hopefully catch the sight of the intruder, only to see a faint red glow and the sound of hurried footsteps running away. They knew they messed up. They knew that Fier knew of their presence. She quickly stood up and pulled out two, plain daggers out of her coat and began running. Running with knives usually isn't a good idea, but Fier thrived off of the worst ideas, so of course she didn't care. She was still a little worn out from the previous run, but her curiosity and excitement fueled her to run faster and faster, hoping to catch up to what she assumed was a Saakri-Lumen. Well, that was really the only thing she thought it could be. Normally a human wouldn't be afraid to go up to her, even if she was a stranger in the woods. That strange red glow as well... It had to be one of their tricks, their magic or something, right? Well, Fier's mind wasn't exactly focused on that at the moment. What she was focused on, however, was the very subtle glow that she had been chasing. She wasnt exactly quick enough to immediately follow Sephtis as soon as he fled, so he was significantly ahead of her in the chase.
"Oh come on, you don't even wanna talk? Come on! Slow down a bit, will ya?" She called out, not slowing down once. She kept repeating various other things as she chased him, really doing it for the fun of it. She knew that her words meant nothing, but it was just fun saying them. The thought that she could finally meet a Saakri-Lumen once again was enough to keep her going, knowing that she could possibly kill one was even better. She still held onto that grudge, even if it was for all the wrong reasons, and even if she knew the truth, all because she just wanted to have a goal. She wanted a purpose, much like everyone else. Being an outcast, a useless member of society, really weighed down on her, even if she hated the society she lived in anyways. She was lonely at times, knowing that being friends with someone was really just a distant dream. Even though she felt as though she had a purpose, it didn't change the fact that she was a lunatic, which some days she almost regretted. She always got over it though, throwing aside her emotions and needs and just did whatever she could to be happy. What a sad life, but that's where she was.
-Sun Tsu, The Art of Gaming
oh hey what's this
Posted: Sun, 27/03/2022 07:30 (2 Years ago)
𝕾𝖊𝖕𝖍𝖙𝖎𝖘 𝕬𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖕𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘
" 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔦𝔰𝔫'𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔢𝔱 𝔪𝔢; 𝔦𝔱'𝔰 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔪𝔢. "
Sephtis didn't respond. Compared to the human before, this one had weapons, even if it didn't look lethal to him, and a motive to possibly kill him. The bloodthirst in her eyes was clear to the Saakri-Lumen. He mentally groaned as the roots kept slowing him down, the bushes getting thicker and the crowding nettles made him lose more blood from his ankles than necessary. Even if his inhumane speed put quite a distance between the two, it wouldn't be long until she catches him with all the obstacles in the way. He looked up at the trees, looking for a suitable branch to climb on. Surely enough, a sturdy-looking one caught his eye. His blood slowly stopped emitting light and started hardening into long threads. Hurling the rope, it looped around and pulled on him and made him land on the branches. Knowing he was faster in mid-air he leaped effortlessly from tree to tree, putting a greater gap between the two while approaching the Saakri-Lumen grounds.
When he saw the lights coming into view, he propelled himself over the fence and stopped to take a quick breath. He was sure that the human won't just stop from the fences so he continued running just to be safe, wrapping his arm along the way. The village had a tall wall up, with poisoned-tip spikes deadly to both humans and Saakri-Lumens. It was impossible to get across it from above without getting cut by the sharp metal, and poisoned in the process, so the only way in is from under.
Luckily, since Sephtis always needed to get in and out of the walls, he had a secret entrance he made for himself. Though, the last thing he wanted was for the human to find it and sneak into the village from there. He can't let what happened in the past repeat again.
"We could always just finish her off if she finds out," the deep voice in his head sighed in annoyance. Septhis looked back at his chaser, dispersing a shower of blood straight at her.
"Fumus," was his command as the droplets turned into a blinding smoke, covering the person's view. By the time the smoke cleared, Sephtis was safe inside the walls. The boy slumped against the tree in exhaustion, from the running and blood use. His vision was blurred, telling him he was at his limit for power. The incoming footsteps almost shocked the boy awake, since adrenaline was still flowing from the chase.
"Chill, you seem beaten up. Got into trouble again?" a Saakri-Lumen said. Sephtis smiled, though his face was tired and bloody in certain places. He looked concerningly at his bandages. "Maybe we should get you to the healer," he said. Sephtis scoffed before shaking his head.
"This is nothing, I'm fine," he replied, showing his friend the sack full of meat. "I was just busy hunting, no big deal," he lied, not wanting to worry the Saakri-Lumen. The joy on his face was priceless to Sephtis and he found himself smiling along. His friend started calling the others over, preparing the fire at their usual spot. Sephtis lagged behind for a moment, a heavy worry enveloped his mind. With that human lurking around, he wouldn't want to relax just yet. He looked at the blood on his hands that haven't dried yet. They should be enough, he thought.
The puddle started to coagulate and form a sphere, the ball leaped off his hand and hovered in the air. It was small and easily destructible, but Sephtis couldn't waste anymore blood.
"Custos," he ordered. The small being drifted away from him, staying close to the wall as Sephtis went to reunite with his friends. He would be alerted if the sphere senses the human or gets destroyed. If it ever comes to that, the boy will fight and not hold back. He just needed some time to recuperate to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Posted: Mon, 28/03/2022 04:25 (2 Years ago)
After a while, she could see the other town, the one that belonged to these monsters, right outside the forest, which pretty much killed her interest. Just as she was about to slow down, a spray of blood was shot at her, then began to form into a smoke that obscured her vision. "Oh come on, I just wanted to play! Come out come out wherever you are...!" She taunted, slowly walking forward to try and regain her vision to surch for Sephtis once again. After realizing that it was pointless, she let out a sigh and turned to walk back home. She had no interest in going any further, walking right into the town where the Saakri-Lumens live was pretty stupid, especially when you had no desire to do so. She had her fun chasing the man, and that was enough for her. She could always come back to the forest another time and perhaps even check out this place once again, but right now the idea bored her. After taking one more look back at the menacing wall that stood before her, she took a long walk through the forest and back home. She wasn't sure on how she would get back to her house safely, but she could figure that out once she got there.
-Sun Tsu, The Art of Gaming
oh hey what's this
Posted: Mon, 28/03/2022 07:30 (2 Years ago)
I wake up
My happy dreams fade away
I can't breathe
My head is spinning
I keep doing this replay
I can’t feel it over time
━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━
Song BingLiu winced at being called a beguiler, not quite liking the implication that he had used his wit to make others do things for him. In the first place, he never deceived anyone simply asking politely for them to maybe walk off a cliff and they would simply oblige. No deceiving in there at all. Still Song BingLiu wasn't the one who was wearing their face, even if he was slightly backseat driving, though he was a little surprised to see Andrea correctly guess who was fronting. But if he did think about it, Li XuanWu did tend to front more while in public, leading as a protector and the vanguard to buffer away any threats that could be posed to the two of them. It shouldn't be a surprise to them that Andrea would be more familiar with Li XuanWu than she was with Song BingLiu though it was under a completely different name that they legally went under. They supposed that it just came with the territory of being a leader, knowing her citizen's inside and out as creepy and invasive as that sounded.
"Call us whichever name you'd like. We are one and the same after all." Li XuanWu murmured, both of them glancing at the band revealed to them. He had very figuratively meant it when he said that they couldn't breath, but if Andrea had taken it literally, then it was just more information for him. He wasn't all that scared of what they could do to others, but it was more what others thought of them that made him worry. He could fight, that was easy. What was hard was controlling how hard he punched because he tended to level a city before he learned how to hold a flower. In these times, breathing easy was almost a luxury, carefree and ignorant of the ongoings around them to the point where even constant strife was now a background event. Everyone had trouble taking a breath when somewhere out there, someone was taking their last. Frankly, he was almost expecting Andrea to have taken one look at them and immediately sent them onto solo battles, uncaring of any possible repercussions due to the overwhelming advantage they could give her. Li XuanWu wouldn't have minded if that was the case though he knew that Song BingLiu would object. But if Li XuanWu agreed and was fronting, then there was nothing the weaker half of their soul could do, lingering in the back of the headspace until the other found it suitable to step away from the front and finally rest. Song BingLiu wasn't the fighter after all
But in a case like this, where a decision would undoubtedly have to be made as to what to do going forward, they would have to retreat for now. They picked their confrontations selectively and talking was definitely a war in of itself. "Thank you." Li XuanWu murmured, looking away. "We'll think about it." With those parting words, Li XuanWu escaped into the crowds, unwilling to linger any longer than they needed to. Pushing past the rest, he made towards the forest where he could have some privacy to simply retreat into their shared world, away from the rest. He did have to take a detour though, when upon entering the wooded area the telltale acrid iron scent flooded his nose and he immediately turned away. Nope, he was not dealing with finding a potential body thank you very much.
•°. * иσвℓє ρυяρℓє * .°•
•°. * тнє вєαт σf ℓανєи∂єя є¢нσєѕ σи, ι'м иσт α ωιт¢н σя αиутнιиg * .°•
•°. * яє∂ αи∂ gяєєи тяυℓу gσ ωєℓℓ тσgєтнєя * .°•
Posted: Mon, 28/03/2022 08:05 (2 Years ago)
𝕾𝖊𝖕𝖍𝖙𝖎𝖘 𝕬𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖕𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘
" 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔦𝔰𝔫'𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔢𝔱 𝔪𝔢; 𝔦𝔱'𝔰 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔪𝔢. "
The minute his friends' eye's caught his red glow, he was dragged into the camp and tossed onto a mattress, wincing in pain as the springs protruding from the battered object jabbed him.
He looked at the three boys. "What was that for?" he growled as they laughed. The aroma of cooking meat found its way into the tent, reminding Sephtis of his hunger, but he knew that the food would be ready soon so he got up to take his usual spot near the fire.
A hand stopped his advance and he was forcefully pushed down again. It couldn't be anyone else, he thought, as he met the eyes of the eldest Saakri-Lumen in his group, the one he'd consider as his older brother, the one who supported the gang of orphaned boys. His face was both worried, yet blended with a disappointed expression. He gave Sephtis the 'you know what you did wrong' look. The other boys had made their way out to ready for the feast so it was just the two of them, the other knew that Sephtis didn't like to tell the others when he was in trouble, grief, or pain.
"Your eyes are dim again. You use a lot of blood, didn't you?" he questioned. Sephtis looked away. "Let me guess, you were out hunting and you ran into a human," he pressed on. Sephtis knew he would find out, he always did.
"At least I came back in one piece," he grumbled, hoping that he'd let him go already. The older Saakri-Lumen didn't buy it. He unwrapped the hastily tied bandages and examined the cuts.
"These are really deep. You know how dangerous this can get," he lightly scolded as he placed his hand over the wound, the skin coming together and the cut healed instantly. He did the same with the other hand before discarding the bloody wraps into the trash.
"I know that. I'm not a baby, I can handle myself," Sephtis groaned, as he stood up and dusted his pants. The lingering worry still weighed on him. The other Saakri-Lumen sighed.
"Says the one who throws childish tantrums easily," he retorted, earning a slap to the arm from Sephtis. "Don't come crying when you're on death's door I guess," he said as he left the tent. After sitting for a moment, Sephtis stood up and followed.
His guard orb had come back and alerted that the human had retreated from the fence, making Sephtis let out a sigh of relief. At least he can sleep in peace tonight if the bandits didn't come to wreak havoc of course. Sleepiness started to kick in, an aftereffect of the healing powers and Sephtis let out a yawn before digging into the spit-roasted hare, the happy laughter of the Saakri-Lumens rang out in contrast to the chaotic shouting and fighting happening nearby.
Posted: Tue, 29/03/2022 11:25 (2 Years ago)
Andrea’s turquoise eyes sparkled in the dim light, the faulty lightbulb flickering softly, wavering feebly. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, as she fiddled with a metal orb. With a few deft spins, in whirs to life, unlocking itself, displaying a small screen that requested a password. She took out a sterile needle and pierced skin, swiping the blood across the sensor. Once..twice..it flickered; in rhythm with Andrea’s heartbeat, before giving off a soft click sound that echoed in the dark. Soon….soon. She must be patient. No hurry, no worry. It would all go according to plan. She heard knocking, and tensed up. Thankfully, it was her loyal childhood friend, Julia. Julia calls out to her through the door. “The solamensire is ready, whenever you need it. Please be careful.” Andrea smiles, before replying. “Yes J, And can I count on you when I fall?” Andrea asks in return, receiving a reassuring ‘yes’ in Morse code.
Ignis is once again speaking to his people, preparing them for war. “I’m sick of the Saakri-Lumens. Sick of them trying to manipulate us, trying to steal our stuff. You are prepared, I’ve made sure of that. So in a few days time, we shall be waging WAR on them! Everyone is required to participate, unless you’re under 12. That is all, now be gone!” He spits out his last few words, a snarl finishing it off as he brandished his fist in the air, letting out his anger. Andrea was at fault, Andrea was in the wrong. And now all the Saakri-Lumens would suffer, because of her. They would watch her reveal the truth, they would watch as she begged Ignis to spare ber life, and soon the Saakri-Lumens would consider Ignis their saviour. He was sure of that. Victory tasted sweet, he could feel it already.
Posted: Tue, 29/03/2022 11:41 (2 Years ago)
"That anger-obsessed know-it-all." Sara muttered under her breath. "He thinks he is in the right, though all that buffoon really knows is fighting stuff! He barely knows how to speak to someone without waving his fists, can't even seduce a woman and now he's on for a race war.... Haaaaa!" Sara let her anger out, suddenly wielding her signature grenade launcher and shooting at a marble state in her office repeatedly, seemingly without the need to reload, until there is nothing more left than a charred heap of rubble.
The door handle shook, as a young girl is peeking through the narrow door slit. "A-Are you okay, Miss Radcliffe...?" A stuttering high voice asked, which returned Sara to a more... perceptive state, as she reloads and holsters her weapon, leaning back in her chair. "I'm fine... thank you for the concern." She said, dismissing her worker and turning to the window, giving her a view over the tenements of hers and all the way to the city center. "Can't believe both Ignis and Andrea's forces requested weaponry from me. Well... if both powers share their source..." A smile formed on her face, wide and cunning.
"... There is profit to be made."
Posted: Tue, 29/03/2022 13:13 (2 Years ago)
𝕾𝖊𝖕𝖍𝖙𝖎𝖘 𝕬𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖕𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘
" 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔦𝔰𝔫'𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔢𝔱 𝔪𝔢; 𝔦𝔱'𝔰 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔪𝔢. "
Sephtis hasn't been wandering anywhere near the human border for the past few days. He stayed within the confines of his village wall. It wasn't that he didn't want to go, he was still eager to search the grass for more scraps to play with, but he realized the human's securities tightened. While out finding hares one day, he caught a whole group of them patrolling the forest, even the parts that were unclaimed territory as if it were theirs. They had menacing guns out, lingering with the scent of poison in their bullets. When Sephtis circled the entire area, there were more of them, occupying every spot in the forest surrounding their huge walls. He found this frighteningly weird since they never ventured out the walls, knowing that they can't be infiltrated due to their high tech, so why would they be sending out patrol troops now?
Sephtis decided to not take the risk, even if his curiosity whispered at him to try and steal information from them. He got extra kills that day to last longer in their storage before he returned to his village. He's been staying there ever since, every day his guarding orbs kept bringing back news of more humans walking around in the forest. With every passing day, their numbers seem to increase. At this point, Sephtis felt like a caged bird, itching to go out and venture already.
The news of the training had spread to his village after the announcement, with the residents laughing at the very idea of it. Most of them said something along the lines of "who needs special training when you're life already trained you", which Sephtis found true to himself. Since he wasn't summoned for it yet, he was busy fighting off the older Saakri-Lumen gangs in his area, just hoping to show off their strength. He hated that they always came at the worse times, literally coming once when Sephtis was taking a dip at the stream. They never won, though, Sephtis made sure they get a taste of their own failure.
Today, however, he couldn't stand being stuck in the village anymore. Maybe a harmless, short walk in the woods wouldn't hurt. As he stepped out, several Saakri-Lumens tried to pick on him, which he ignored as he snuck his way out the walls, welcomed by the fresh scent of nature. Any pungent smell from the previous chase was gone, probably after the countless number of rainstorms happening over the past few days. His orbs didn't say any humans were near him yet, so he relaxed as he strolled along the moist ground littered with leaves.
Posted: Tue, 29/03/2022 15:40 (2 Years ago)
-Sun Tsu, The Art of Gaming
oh hey what's this
Posted: Wed, 30/03/2022 02:50 (2 Years ago)
Now came the time to decide if she was going to climb the fence and go into the woods. The thought startled her, like it had been drifting through her brain and she hadn’t even noticed that it was there. Climb the fence? Astrid knew nothing of the woods, they were an unfamiliar place and new territory. This was different from the city. Astrid knew the city like the back of her hand. Astrid felt comfortable there, as every path was well worn in her psyche from years and years of living there. Of course, Astrid may have been only eighteen years old, with little to no knowledge of her past, but she still had done a lot of running around in that time. If she made the choice to go to the woods, she would be abandoning everything she knew for a while, and would become helpless. Anything could be in the woods. Astrid hadn’t heard much about them, but suddenly she felt smaller than usual, and her imagination called up horrible images of what could be in there. She should turn back. She should give this up before she got hurt. There was nothing to gain in the woods….right? Now Astrid was starting to doubt her rash decision. Just like the whispers that formed and got louder each time her power was anxious for her to use it, the whispers were there again, except this time, it was coming from the woods, like horrifying yet tempting sirens. Astrid could feel the pull coming from beyond the trees. Just like before in the alleyway with the Saakri-Lumens and the human, she had the insistent feeling that there was something, or someone that she was supposed to see. But what was it? What was so important that she had to see or hear? Astrid heard a lot of things, saw a lot of things as she traveled and hid, but never had she had such a strong urge to go somewhere. But on the other hand, she shouldn’t. It was dangerous. Unknown.
Astrid would be risking everything if she went into the woods. And there was a chance she wouldn’t come back out to tell the tale, though absolutely no one would miss her. Astrid finally decided to explore the woods. It would satiate the hunger to find out what was going on there, and give her answers. Sure, it would be dangerous, but she was willing to risk that if it meant finally shedding that trapping feeling inside of her. But just as she was about to go through with it, a small noise scared her off and she went running back into the city like a frightened rabbit, admonishing herself all the way, but she knew it was only her self-preservation. Astrid was always looking out for herself, and that was how it would always be, as no one would want her and therefore, there would be no one else to look out for. The voices were angry, whispering harshly and becoming more and more aggravated. This was different than when she had the horribly strong temptation to use her powers. The voices wanted something in there, and they were furious they hadn’t got it. But Astrid ignored it all as she scrambled through the city to find a hiding place as people started to flood back in. She would simply go back to her old routine, as it had always been. Astrid knew it was a cowardly move, but the city was safe. The city had no risks, at least, not ones she wouldn’t be expecting. And if something wanted to get her in the city? Well, they’d have to fight for it. Because Astrid knew that city well, so she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Two weeks later, Astrid had gotten herself into a pickle. Though she knew that one of the stalls had a less-than-focused owner who would always be looking away long enough for her to steal something, this time, someone had seen her, and bellowed, “Stop, thief!” Astrid panicked, stuffing the food into her bag and taking off. She was chased by the mystery shouter for a while, doding among carts and turning sharp corners as she looked for a quick way to get to the rooftops. But this man was fast, and he seemed to be getting closer and closer every minute. Astrid panicked, and though her lungs were burning and she was short of breath, she picked up speed before seeing a low hanging roof over a stack of boxes. That was all that she needed. She jumped from the boxes to the roof with expert speed, quickly landing on top and scrambling out of reach, before stopping a minute to rest. The man stopped, equally exhausted and shaking his fist. “You can’t stay up there forever, little rat!” he yelled at her, red-faced. But Astrid wasn’t going to hang around long enough to hear. She quickly took off, looking for a place to come down where she could lose the man, and worst-came-to-worst, the guards. But Astrid wasn’t stupid. She knew she’d have to lose the guards too. If that man would take the time to chase after her for some food, obviously he was going to go further. She could only hope that whatever guard came after her wouldn’t have the foresight to come up onto the rooftops after her. But Astrid almost scoffed aloud to herself at that thought. She was the only Saakri-Lumens that she knew who had the ability to travel across the rooftops like this. It was the only reason she hadn’t been caught long ago, though she supposed she would have found another way. Self-Preserving at all costs. That was how Astrid had been before, and that's how she would always be. Because anything else was weak.
That was one of the earliest lessons that Astrid had learned. She must always be looking out for herself, and no one else. When Astrid was very young, she’d figured that out the hard way. Her mind went flooding back to the memory, one of the few memories that she hadn’t lost, though how she had lost her memories she could never remember, most ironically. But this one always stood fresh in her mind.
Astrid was thirteen, and running from someone. But this time, it wasn’t a guard. It wasn’t a storekeeper. It was someone who was out for her blood. She couldn’t see their face. but she knew that if she didn’t keep going then something was going to go horribly wrong. There was someone else with her, a boy about her age. “Keep going!” he urged, “We’re almost out of his reach.” Astrid was nearly at the end of her rope, but she kept going because she knew that if she didn’t stop, both of them would be in danger. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the boy trip and fall to the ground, and she pulled him up to his feet. “Thanks,” he said breathlessly, but when he turned around, a hard glint took over his eyes and he said shortly, “Sorry, but I have to save my own skin,” and pushed her to the ground. Astrid could feel her stomach turning, and time seemed to slow down as she fell to the ground and she watched the boy run away. He was important to her, she knew that. She knew he’d helped her when no one else had, so they’d look out for each other. She would be the distraction, she would make sure he had a safe place to sleep, food to eat. Astrid thought that she could depend on him. But when it all came crashing down, he wasn’t there. He wasn’t going to support her. He wasn’t going to save her, even after all that they had been through. Astrid really couldn’t trust anyone, could she? Eventually, they’d betray her and leave her to rot. That lesson was cemented in her mind as she hit the ground and the man slowed down, grabbing onto her arm with an icy and painful grip. “Couldn’t run forever, little rat,” he hissed, and she shuddered as he used the tip of his knife to force her chin up. “I finally have you,” he grinned, leaning closer, his breath rancid and making Astrid cringe. He forced her into an alley where no one could see them, twisting her wrist painfully so she cried out. Taking her palm, he raked the knife against it. She sobbed, wanting to pull away but not being able to. He raised the knife and was about to do more when someone appeared in the entrance of the alleyway. Thinking it was the boy, her hopes were raised. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she really could depend on other people. But they were dashed to the ground when she realized who it was as the mysterious person’s frame came into view and she glimpsed their face. It was him. “What do you think you’re doing?” he growled, going to pull the man away. “Leave. I can’t believe you would even think of hurting a child. Do you realize how horrible you are?” The man with the knife sneered, and ran away. He went to her quickly. “Are you alright?” She got up, irratated, and brushed him off. “Astrid, you’re bleeding!” Clumsily, she signed, “I’m fine!” And tried to get away. She was done. No more depending on others. Astrid was destined to be all alone.
But around then was when the voices started.
Astrid was caught off guard by this. She wasn’t expecting such a vivid memory. She could feel her grip slipping. No. No. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to falter. Astrid couldn’t afford that. If she wasn’t fully in the moment, that could mean slipups, and slipups meant trouble. But Astrid slipped up. She failed. And now she was going to pay the consequence. Astrid hadn’t realized until now how far the fall would be if she ever did fall to the ground. But now she was going to find out. Astrid could feel her stomach dropping as she fell. Some small part of her registered that the fall wouldn’t kill her. There were stalls underneath that would cushion the fall enough so that she wouldn’t hit the ground too hard. Astrid was lucky. But if she was luckier, she wouldn’t be in this situation. Time seemed to slow down as she slammed against the stalltop and slid to the ground, her body aching from the fall. The quiet, chaotic whispering grew louder although her body screamed in pain. She gave in enough so that it reached for the nearest people, sending the message into their heads in hope that it would reach someone, anyone that could save her. Astrid knew no one would come, but she was desperate enough that she just had to try it.
Please, won’t somebody help me?
Then the pain took over and it all went black.
Posted: Wed, 30/03/2022 12:08 (2 Years ago)
𝕾𝖊𝖕𝖍𝖙𝖎𝖘 𝕬𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖕𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘
" 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔦𝔰𝔫'𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔢𝔱 𝔪𝔢; 𝔦𝔱'𝔰 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭 𝔪𝔢. "
Sephtis’s little expedition didn’t amount to much. As his orbs had told him, there were human guards everywhere in the woods, huddled in groups of four as they surveyed the area. Sephtis had to squint and look carefully since their camouflaged clothing blended with the plants, the dark surrounding not making it any easier for him to spot them. There were only small areas that weren’t guarded by the other species, yet he knew they’d likely cover them soon too. He managed to sneak up on a group that were taking a break near the clearing he had saw the human from few days ago, refreshing themselves with the cool water near the spring. He hid behind the rocks, his dark clothing allowing him to hide in the shadows. He made sure not to mess up this time. He won’t let it happen again. One human may be easy for him to outrun, but with a larger group wielding such weapons, he probably wouldn’t see another day. His sense of hearing heightened as he tuned in to the hushed whispers of the men. While the wind and rushing stream blocked out most of the conversation, he did manage to catch certain words that rang to him, in an alarming way.
Leader…Ignis…War…Saakri-Lumens
If he couldn’t piece the words together in a single sentence, he’d be the dumbest being on the planet. It made sense now, why those annoying humans were assembling themselves beyond the human walls. He also managed to catch a few more words.
Scour…Weak points…Report
Even when Sephtis tried to uncover more, he couldn’t hear through the noise of nature any longer, but with the information he has, he knew more than enough and slithered away into the safety of the dark.
The long walk to the village really gave him the opportunity to think about what would happen. Now that he was certain that the beings they share the Earth with were planning to go into war with them, Sephtis mind was full of predictions and dark thoughts. Did the leader know about this? Was it why she had announced the compulsory training? If so, why would she hide the fact that they were facing a major war crisis, sugar-coating the reality that a full-blown war was about to happen by saying it was only for the sake of defense? His head spiraled at the thought of his friends, completely unaware of the situation, suddenly placed into the battlefield. Deep inside, there was something he feared more than losing his own life.
It would be to lose those he holds dear to him. He never showed them, nor did he ever plan to tell them. With the number of Saakri-Lumens he loved dying in cold blood, they would’ve expected him to be over with it, picturing him as an emotionless creature with no feelings to the death of those close to him. That wasn’t true. No matter how much he tried to detach himself from those emotions, they’re still there, even if it was just something like a numb throb in his chest. No matter how hard he tried to block them off, they would still find their way to scar him, crumbling his sanity bit by bit, which was why he couldn’t bear to lose anymore. It was why he always puts them first before himself, the only ones that were there to stop him from going insane.
Deep in thoughts, he didn’t realize he’d reach the wall until he knocked himself on the cold stone, stopping him from having all those depressing ideas. He shook his head as he found his little door at the very end, hidden by thick vines and moss. He still had the whole day to himself and he might as well keep himself busy to forget whatever he heard beyond the wall, so he made his way to the town center to get his mind off things.
It was bustling with Saakri-Lumens, as always, and Sephtis started regretting his decision. With every glance at families that were enjoying a happy life under the sunshine, every time he sees the Saakri-Lumens around him smiling, oblivious to the doom that awaits them, did nothing but fuel his negativity. After going through some stalls and trading stuff here and there, with gold coins that had to be questioned where he got them from, he reckoned he had no other business there and started his way home.
Until he heard the shout, a phrase so familiar he thought that it was launched at him. He turned back to see a girl being chased, with what he assumed were stolen goods in her hands. Since he was technically also called a ‘thief’, he found himself mentally cheering on the Saakri-Lumen to run faster, to escape the pursuers. Examining her body, it was an advantage in terms of speed and agility and he knew that she could escape with her ability to jump across the roofs just like he did so it didn’t bother him much.
Until she slipped and fell. Sephtis knew that it was the end for her. It didn’t cross his mind to try to help her. He was just as indifferent as the crowd that started to form, not wanting to get themselves in trouble for something that didn’t have much value to it. With that, he let out a sigh of disappointment at the person and was about to go back.
Until a voice rang in his mind, loud and clear. It didn’t belong to the two that normally bicker, giving him headaches every day, this one was foreign and shocked him. By the reaction of the other Saakri-Lumens, he was sure they heard it too. It couldn’t be anything else than the girl’s power, a last resort for help. It is was a feeble attempt. Why would anyone risk everything to help a criminal? It made absolutely no sense that she even bothered to think of that.
Sephtis, however, felt conflicted. When the words echoed through his head, it brought traces of memories with it, digging up some of his own that he had buried long ago, ones that he never want to recall ever again. He stood there blankly, watching as the guards surrounded her, as the memories start to rush into his head. Even though he tried to push them away, they resonated with the girl’s memories so strongly that there was nothing he could do to erase them anymore. He was forced to recall those visions once more.
The family was quite large compared to the others. Two loving parents took care of the five children, two of them were twins. No matter how much they plead to live deeper inside the walls, to give their children a better life than living in the outskirts of the territory lining the border, where they can’t have a peaceful night sleep and scared for their lives, their words were ignored and they were forced to stay in the unforgiving village.
The family was actually a special group of Saakri-Lumens, all of them having almost similar powers. No matter how they altered throughout the lineage, it was still linked back to one repeating characteristic. Their blood.
Many rumors surrounded this family, with the most famous of all being that their ancestors were vampire since the first Saakri-Lumen in their family possessed blood that gave others immortality, of course, at the cost of his own life. The list only continued from there, from blood that can relive a dead person to one as simple as healing. It wasn’t uncommon to find relatives with the same ability, since they only seem to stay within their own bloodline.
Sephtis was an odd one, being able to manipulate his blood into almost anything he desired. The others looked up at him, since he’s abilities surpassed most of the others. However, just like the very first Saakri-Lumen in their line, possessing such a great power came with a price.
Like the other young ones, they showed off their abilities to the others. Competing over who had the strongest one. He got carried away and cut himself a lot to demonstrate his blood’s power. He ended up bleeding a lot and nearly lost his life that day. Unlike the other family members, whose wounds healed almost instantly, his took months to heal properly, sometimes they never heal at all. His problem wasn’t a result of any other underling illness, his body was just built like that. The news had a huge impact on the boy. What was the use of such potential power when you can’t use it? The small mind, infuriated by those words, denied to accept it. Every day he’d cut deeper and deeper, pouring more blood onto the ground in his anger, scolding himself to heal faster. He thought it would just take time for his body to start healing normally, but it never changed. In the end, he was weaker than the others, his powers restricted to stop him from killing himself. The situation was worsened by the attitude of the Saakri-Lumens in the village. In their eyes, he was just someone to step on to feel better about themselves. Sephtis always had to drag his brothers into the fight and they get hurt badly while trying to protect him from the nightmares of reality. It didn’t make the boy feel any better, he called himself a burden to the others, a failure in their family of powerful Saakri-Lumens.
But that thought never rang true until that night.
Sephtis and his siblings were only out to see the full moon that night, the sky was decorated with stars. The eldest was showing Sephtis the constellations, using his hardening blood to try and imitate the lines into shapes. Their friends were there too, busy playing with fire on a twig and fighting on who can burn the twig down faster.
Nobody expected anything bad to happen that night.
Nobody expected that night to be the last that the family would stay together.
It started with a loud scream as Sephtis and his brothers and sisters looked back in shock. His older brother went in to check on their parents, who were inside the shed at that time. After he walked in, the children outside were greeted with an eerie silence. He never walked back out of the door. They never saw him again.
The next scream was to his left as the boy jumped back to see his sister, her eyes rolled back as she laid limp on the ground, bathed in her own blood, her chest stopped rising and falling. Sephtis begged for her to live, her blood had healing properties, she should’ve been able to survive. The knife dug into her skin showed him why. The blades were tipped with a black substance that smelled really pungent. His brother knew it messed up their fast-healing properties and he gathered his other 2 younger siblings, including Sephtis and they ran towards the town center, where he thought they’ll be saved, his friends followed suit behind him.
As they neared the entrance to the center, they were met with blazing torches and angry Saakri-Lumens from their village, holding up their knives that were dripping the black goo. The one who was their supposed leader roared at the terrified and confused children, saying that their family were a bunch of devils, a family of bloodthirsty demons that didn’t think of anything else but killing. Sephtis’s brother tried to fight their words, but it was no use. Knives were thrown and he desperately shielded the other two, begging them to run and live, before he released his last breath.
Sephtis didn’t know what to do, his younger sister was crying as she gripped onto his sleeves. They had nowhere to run. Where will they go within this small place? If they were to run to the human border, they’d still go through the same fate. Death was still waiting for them. There was no place to call home.
But he was determined, just like his older siblings, he wanted to protect the only family he had left. So he fought without his powers, knowing that if he died from blood loss, she would die too. He called the other 4 Saakri-Lumens, who were his brother’s friends to help him, as the sharp metal scratched a his skin, the black liquid burning him, worsening his wounds. He thought they would help him, his brother entrusted his life to them.
They didn’t help them. Instead, they fled, leaving the two powerless children to fight off on their own. Sephtis couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t save her. By the time he had forced himself to use his blood manipulation, it was too late. That was when the boy went rampant, the pain of betrayal and loss made him lose his mind as he murdered every Saakri-Lumen around him in his rage, using too much blood while he was on his killing spree.
After those events, the sun soon rises, Sephtis laid on the ground among the bodies of those he killed, every single part of his body was coated in red. The guards were starting to come and handle the situation. Sephtis felt his vision go black and any further memories didn’t show, remaining uncovered in the deepest part of his head.
In the end, he was a useless brother, unable to save anyone but himself.
He knew why the girl’s memory tugged at him. He knew that feeling, of trusting people to help you, to save you, but being met with stinging betrayal.
And that thought was what made Sephtis run towards her, even when his head said otherwise.
He kicked the guards away and grabbed the Saakri-Lumen by the neck of her shirt, carrying her to the safety of the rooftops. He was going to be wanted for this, but he didn’t mind. He missed the adrenaline that came whenever he was running away from his chasers. He knew nowhere safer to bring her but his village, the maze of dilapidated sheds was easy to get lost in if they didn’t know the way, but it didn’t look like he’d need it as the guards were already losing him from his incredible speed in the air. He reached the village without any further causalities.
He did, however, had to leave her stolen stuff behind in the rush of things so it didn’t feel as rewarding. He laid the unconscious Saakri-Lumen onto the beaten-up mattress in the camp. The boys were out doing their business so Sephtis was left alone with the stranger. She reminded him too much of her, sharing almost the same build and facial looks. He decided to leave her alone for now until she woke up, so he went to prepare the fire to cook more hares.