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| Winds of change Posted by: Ishbacko at 09-28-2017 14:13 PM, Last Modified 09-30-2017 21:44 PM |
(Obligatory nightmare scene) The smell of burning wood filled the hybrid's nostrils as the patter of his feet resounded off of the trees around him, his heart racing as he finally reached the crest of the hill, a sight of horror greeting him "This...this can't be happening, who would do this?!" Were his only words as he bound down towards his burning village, the sound of his running slowly being drowned out by horrid screams and the crackling of the blaze as he tore his way through the streets. He stopped momentarily and listened to a strange murmur, then dropped underneath an abandoned merchants cart as three dark figures on horses slowly came into view "Burn it down, if these freaks don't want to leave, then they can die like the animals they are!" A cold shudder trailed up the hybrid's spine as he recognized the voice, the figures darting away into the night as they set the remaining houses on fire. He carefully crawled out from under the cart and stood up, looking around before he continued through the streets at a slower pace, helping his fellow kinsmen as best he could. Some were beyond help, trapped within the blazing inferno they once called home, screaming in horrid agony as the flames burned off their fur and seared away their skin, and then there it was, his own home already burned to the ground. The light crunch of ash beneath his feet paved the way for ill thoughts as he slowly walked through what was left of his home, dread rising inside him as he slowly stepped into what was once their bedroom, everything going numb in an instant as he fell to his knees. There, lying on the bed blackened from the fire, was his once beloved wife...
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Chapter 1- A strange encounter
"Arunha!" Ishy exclaimed as he awoke from the nightmare, shaking and breathing hard as he found himself balled up, tears lightly streaming down his cheeks. He shook his head and wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his blue tunic, leaning back against the tree he had rest under, taking slow and deep breaths to calm himself. "What a terrible nightmare, I'll never drink Drunhov again." He eyed the bottle lying next to his pack "I'll be selling you the first chance I get." Ishy huffed lightly, then stood up to gather his things and stuffed the bottle down in his pack, getting his cloak on and putting the hood up as he set off eastward towards his next destination. It only took roughly three hours for him to reach the next stop in his journey, a quaint village by the name of Hibikura, the streets alive with merchants and customers alike. A dainty tune coming from the nearby inn caught his attention as he walked towards it, and upon entering it the sweet smell of honey and food, along with the thick scent of ale flooded his nostrils as he eased his way into a dark corner and residing himself there. A few moments later he was greeted by a light voice "Is there anything I can get you sir?" Ishy looked up at the auburn haired human waitress, surprised at her formality, given that he was a Vindri who aren't looked on in the greatest light by the humans "What's on the menu tonight?" He gave her a light smile as he thought to himself *This is a nice change, a waitress that ISN'T brash and rude* "Well we've got a pig roasting in the back, fresh bread with a side of honey to go with it, and we've cherry ale, although I'm not sure how long we can keep stock with these louts drinking it all up." Ishy tapped a finger on the table as he thought "I would like a couple slices of your bread, a chunk of pig, and if you don't mind, I'd like to talk with the tavern owner about a trade." She looked curiously at him at that last bit, then nods and curtly strode off to get the owner and his order. After a couple minutes, a large burly figure stood next to the table "Gina ment'nd somthin 'bout a trade Vindri?" came the sharp grumbling words from a slightly grey haired man, to which Ishy looked up toward "Oh indeed, I happen to have a mostly full bottle of Drenhov ale that I simply no longer want, and I figured you could use it to quiet down those gentlemen over there before they cause trouble." The man looked down at him "Y've a keen eye, they caused trouble 'ere last week, broke t'ree tables, AND some of m'best mugs, and ya said Drenhov hm? Let me see." Ishy reached over to his pack and took out the bottle that he had only taken a drink of the night prior and set it on the table, the owner staring dumbfounded "Ya weren't kid'n" He paused a moment, brow furrowing in thought "Alright, y've gots a deal." The man grinned with delighted malice as he walked off with the bottle, setting it on the bar and starting to fill the glasses of the aforementioned men up. Shortly after consuming their drinks these men burst from the tavern, screaming wildly as they proclaimed that a lich was coming for them, only to the confusion of the crowd as they ran scared from nothing, the tavern owner roaring with laughter and exclaiming "An let tat be a less'n to ya!" The man then looked over at Ishy "Oi, ya order is on the house" then the music started back up and the tavern was a whole more peaceful after their departure. After his meal and all the other patrons had gone home or to their rooms, the bartender motioned for Ishy to come over and produced a few jugs out onto the counter "This 'nough fer our trade?" Ishy smiled softly and nod "It's more than enough, make sure you keep that handy in case they come back" he placed them gently into his pack "Do you have room available?" the owner nods and procures a key from under the counter "Up the stairs, tird door on yer left" he thanked the man and walked up the steps and into his room, closing the door behind him. He set his pack aside and removing his cloak before sitting down onto the bed, carefully removing his tunic and under shirt as he looked into the mirror opposite him. There in the mirror stared back a dark furred wolf/snow leopard, not uncommon but certainly not as plentiful as one or the other, his bright white hair easily visible in the candle lit room, his blue eyes shining brightly. He then set about removing his trousers so as not to sweat during the night, setting his clothes on the stand near the bed. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, the sounds of insects filling the night outside as he slowly drifted off to sleep. Rays of sunlight shone in through the window as Ishy woke up, sitting up and giving a yawn while stretching. "Mm-mmmnn...now that was a good rest, I feel great." Ishy proclaimed as he got up out of bed, getting reclothed and picking his pack up, exiting the room and heading downstairs, leaving the key on the bar as he left the inn. He could feel many eyes on him as he passed the throng of humans in the central gathering area of the town, some whispering your standard slurs, others, having never seen one of his kind before, being rather curious if he'd go feral in the crowd, or if their ears are as fluffy as everyone says. A light tug on one of his tails caused him to stop, a few people gasping as he turned his head to see one of the children casually playing with his tail, then looking up and saying "Big doggy" Ishy chuckled softly and knelt down "Well 'big doggy' has some very important things to do, if you let go of my tail, I'll give you a gold piece to take home to your parents, how's that sound?" The child let go of his tail as asked, and Ishy reached into his pocket and drew out a gold coin, holding it out for the child "Here, now run on home" The coin was quickly taken by the child as they ran home, eager to show their parents. He stood back up and looked around to find just about everyone staring at him "Are you really that surprised? We aren't the mindless beasts many would have you believe." He heard some murmurs behind him and turned around only to find a small group of the local guards making their way up the street. "You there, mongrel, you're coming with us." Ishy scrunched his muzzle, visibly agitated "And on what grounds have you charged me for?" The man grins with an unsettling amount of confidence "Why, the solicitation of children, you sick monster" He grit his teeth, looking around with his eyes to try and find an escape, but the hundreds of people packed together wouldn't make it easy, if at all possible. Just then the mass of people shifted, quickly creating a barrier between the guards and Ishy, many accusations of "Biggoted bastards" and "Heartless fiends" being directed at the guards, when Ishy felt himself jerk as someone had grabbed his arm and started pulling, causing him to growl in protest and turn towards whoever it was. He once again saw the waitress from the inn, having donned a different garb from before, light leather protector, faded red jerkin and a tan colored skirt, much different from her bar maid outfit. "Would you quit resisting? We've given you time, now come on!" She pulled at him again, but this time he followed, being lead away from the 'mob' against the guards, shortly arriving at the town gates. "Here we are, now you'd better get going before they get here" He smiled softly and nod "Thank you, and make sure you thank everyone else" She smirked and held up the gold piece he had given the child before this happened "Well, you DID pay us after all. I heard the whole story from my daughter, she told me the mean guards were trying to hurt the 'big doggy' and that she wanted me to do something" Ishy then felt another tug on one of his tails and looked to see the girl from earlier "Thank you, both of you, I had almost forgotten that most your kind don't look too kindly on mine, at least you aren't all bad" "I could say the same, the stories that I've heard of you Vindri in my time at the tavern now seems like they were just looking to cause more trouble for you" He then frowned a bit "I'm afraid most of those stories are quite true, but that's because of our feral kin, they can't control their beastly desires for food, hence you hear about a pack of my kind razing a village, but my clans leader has done his best to make friendly relations with you guys, you know, the tall grey one?" She shakes her head "Not the time to be chatting, umm..." He nods and smiles "Ishy, and thank you, all of you" She looks over her shoulder "..Ishy, now get out of here before they catch you." She picked up her daughter so she'd let go of his tail and he took off running down the road "Bye big doggy" He chuckled softly as he ran *Big doggy huh? Well i guess it does suit me, I'll be sure to come back some day and repay you all.* Ishy had ran for a good five minutes before slowing down to a normal walk *There's no way they'd try and follow me this far out and leave the villagers defenseless, their liege would have their heads if-* His thought was cut short as an arrow whizzed right past his left ear, just barely missing it by a hairs breadth. 'Stop right where you are fleabag, on whose authority do you have to come traipsing around our territory' *Damn, that guy nearly gave me a free piercing, and this SHOULD be human governed lands, but he's speaking in our beastial tongue, so it isn't a human* 'I'm here on no authority, I'm simply traveling through what I thought were human controlled territories, but by your tone, I'd wager that you've taken it without their Liege's knowledge, that could spark a war you kn-' He was cut off again by another fwip of a bowstring and whiz of an arrow, a sharp pain wracking up his left side as the arrow pierced into him, not very deep, but deep enough to cause problems if it wasn't patched immediately upon removing the shaft 'You'll speak no longer you mangy mutt' *Fucking hell, you couldn't have just fired another warning shot? W-why do i feel weak suddenly...it was poisoned...mother of all living things, don't let it be lethal* He tried to catch himself as he lost the strength to stand, just barely managing to cushion his fall slightly as he lie there on the ground. His vision fading, he could hear the rustling of leaves as a dark figure strode into his peripheral vision. 'The chief will decide your fate' He caught a glimpse of the figure, a tall and lithe creature, bearing a familiar resemblance to that of a snow leopard *N...no...I can't be...* His vision blurred and darkened as he faded into unconsciousness *Home* The feline assailant stepped forward, tying Ishy's wrists together and placing a closed burlap hood over his head, dragging him off back to his tribe. Visions flitted here and there then winked out of existence, brief moments of a past best left forgotten, only being snapped back into reality by the pain in his side. Ishy slowly opened his eyes, finding only a muddy haze of light filtering through the fabric around his head and a hard object pressed against his back, hands bound around behind it. *W-where...a prisoner post? Ghh, my side hurts like hell, I hope they at least had the decency to patch me up* Ishy lift his head up, hearing murmuring around him, the voices falling silent as he looked around. *Might as well play the part of the scared prisoner, even though I already know* 'W-where am I, why am I bound and blinded, who are you people?' A loud hissing came from rather close to his right 'Silence you mangy mutt, you were caught trespassing on Hibaruke territory, who you know you Vindri are at the brink of war with. Tell me, who sent you here to spy on us, answer truthfully and your death will be swift' He sat there for a moment, making them wait. 'But Kiluna, why would I possibly spy on my own tribesmen?' A loud crack and sudden pain across his chest gave him a rather blunt answer. 'HOW DARE YOU SPEAK SUCH LIES, YOU'RE A FILTHY VINDRI MUTT, YOU AREN'T OUR BROTHER!' He then felt a tight grasp around his neck, not tight enough to choke him, but enough to signify that they were through toying with him. 'If you think me a liar, then why don't you remove my hood and stare into the face of the brother you all betrayed, whose mother you murdered and left her son to die!' A sudden air of tension cut everything to silence, the air growing cold as he felt the hand around his neck shake. 'No, you're lying again you dirty fleabag, we made sure that the boy was dead' He looked up, vision still obscured by the hood. 'Then you'll have no issue removing this hood and proving me to be the liar you accuse me of being.' He could feel the tremble wrack her body as his words struck home, a sudden brush of the neck signaling the untying of the hood, a trembling hand removing the hood and tossing it aside, the chieftain taking a few steps back, allowing him to finally see his surroundings, a few dozen or so of the tribes people staring in fear, the chieftain included. 'But you're dead...He made sure to bury the arrow into your heart" He looked into her eyes as best he could with his hair covering one eye, a cold icy stare that made her step back again. 'He missed' Ishy looked down, his abdomen coated in dried blood, wincing as he took in a deeper breath, but relieved that they had indeed at least bandaged his wound 'I've been waiting all these years to finally get the chance to ask you...' He looked up again, his icy glare shifting into a saddened stare 'Why?...What did I ever do to deserve this, what twisted act of hate fueled your desire to see myself and my mother dead? I was born here, raised here the few short years I was, acted like any other child of our tribe...So why were we shunned and hated, outcasts to our own kin?' He saw the chieftain grit her jaw 'Because your whore of a mother fell in love with a damn Vindri, and you are the spawn of her betrayal!' He ducked as she swung to strike him again, a loud crack resounding behind his head as she hit the pole 'Don't you dare speak of her like that, there is no law among us that prevents us from having relations with other tribes' He growled defiantly and bared his teeth at her, at which she laughed 'Oh that's cute, you think she loved you? Why do you think you two walked out late that night?' He blinked at the sudden tone she had 'I..' Her laugh was louder this time, causing him to glare again 'She never loved you, she was ashamed of you, she was taking you out so far too abandon you' 'No, that's not true, she'd never do that, she always told me she loved me!' 'A false lie she kept telling herself to cover up the inevitable truth, you were a mistake, she never meant to lie with that filthy mutt, she was taken advantage of because she was in heat, why do you think she never looked at you in public? You were the constant reminder of her mistake, the embodiment of her shame' He trembled violently, rage and grief quickly overriding every other emotion, tears rolled down his cheeks as he leapt to his feet, just mere inches from the chieftain, tethered by the bonds on his wrists, bloodlust and hatred pouring from his gaze, the chieftain taking a few steps back so he couldn't snap at her 'Awww, did I trigger something that made the mongrel angry? You're nothing but a pathetic excuse for either a Vindri or a Hibaruke, not fit to be anything more than a failure' A loud crack finished off her remark, Ishy suddenly lunging forward, claws outstretched as he landed upon the chieftain, knocking her down and starting to tear at her body in a fit of rage, blood spraying in all directions as he dug and tore at flesh and muscle, the chieftain screaming in agony and trying to push him off but to no avail as he kept tearing into her, biting her neck and jerking harshly upward tearing her throat open, a sickening gurgling sound coming from her as she choked on her own blood shortly before lying still as he continued to mangle her body. A few moments later he stopped and stood, almost completely soaked in the deceased chieftain's blood as he looked out towards the rest of the Hibaruke tribe who were just standing there, having watched the entire event unfold 'Anyone else...Want to join her?' They all looked away, either to the side or at the ground, afraid to meet his gaze 'I want the man responsible for all of this, the one who murdered my mother and tried to murder me' There was a moment of stillness before one particular Hibaruke was pushed out of the throng, falling from the push to his hands and knees in front of Ishy, his head snapping up to meet Ishy's gaze, fear evident in his eyes 'You're the one then?' He shrank back down and huddled forward in a bowing position 'P-please, I was only doing as I was tasked' A dull thunk sounded out as Ishy kicked him hard enough to send him rolling a few feet away 'Be lucky I'm feeling content with having killed the bitch claiming to be our leader, otherwise I'd have your head on a pike' He looked back up to the rest of them, breathing hard to try and calm himself 'Could one of you, please, run me a bath...and drag what's left of her out to the forest, she doesn't deserve a burial, she deserves to feed the beasts she acted like' One of them quickly raced off to do as he'd asked with him following slowly after, a few others gathering up the remainder of Kiluna and dragging her out of the village. He arrived at the bathing house for the tribe, the small Hibaruke trembling as he neared 'Y-your bath is re-ready sir' He looked down at the little felid 'Thank you, you may go now' The little felid immediately burst into a sprint, afraid of being chased as Ishy stepped inside, removing the rest of his attire that they had kept on him and taking a bucket near the bath, filling it with water and dumping it over himself to rinse the blood off before stepping into the bath, wincing as the water caused his wound to throb and send a stinging sensation through his body *Ahh fuck that hurts, just relax Ishy, relax, let the water clean it out* He slowly sat down on the seat carved out of the side, leaning back and doing his best to follow his advice, the pain slowly fading and his body starting to loosen up. *Muuuuch better, it's been a few days at least since I've had a proper opportunity to bathe, I'm just going to take my time*...... |
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