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| Monster [FIN]; [Private: Serelle] | |
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| Topic Started: Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:00 am (454 Views) | |
| Nkiruka | Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:00 am Post #1 |
 
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Sun-dried bones crunched under Nkiruka's boots. She stopped to look around, finally struck by the gravity of her recent decisions. The northwestern Istan Desert stretched in all directions. Rock formations and scruffy trees broke the horizon. Smaller bushes pried apart cracks in the greyish-brown, tightly packed soil. Down the road, the outline of the nearest village was visible. She looked down at the bit of human remains she'd stepped on; fragments of bone were scattered everywhere by scavenging animals. The ground shook; Nkiruka looked up. A horse charged down the road. Her fingers drifted to the sheathes at her hips. The animal veered a bit, slowing down, as if taking control away from the rider hunched over its back. He held a curved sword in his dangling arm. Moments before it would have crashed into the unmoving woman, the horse took a hard turn left and galloped past, throwing the man into the dirt and cobblestone with little resistance. She loomed over him. "You're one of those highwaymen, aren't you." The white and tan cloth covering his head, face and upper body was blotted in red, and his stomach was torn open. Through the scarves, the man looked Nkiruka over, too weak to do anything else. He smiled. "A soldier? Out here?" He laughed, clutching his stomach wound; just laughing through what had to be immense pain. "You're no soldier. Your eyes-- and that accent. Is the army letting in scumbags now?" Nkiruka considered ending his life. Instead, she folded her arms in front of her, calmly watching him suffer for a few seconds. "You're wasting my time," she spoke matter-of-factly. "Excuse me." Stepping over the dying highwayman, she continued forward. A vulture drifted lazily above them. She reached the top of a hill a few minutes later. Nkiruka came to another sudden stop, processing what had happened less than a mile down from where she had met up with the fleeing man. The area in and around the road was covered in carnage -- a massacre, not a proper battlefield. Horses were panicking. Bearded vultures settled among the butchered corpses. Drawing closer, she realized that the highwayman was a survivor, not a loner; the victims littering the desert looked to be part of an entire mounted gang. At the center of it all was a familiar girl. "You-" Nkiruka couldn't quite pull the name from her memory. It was back in Taras; that albino girl fought like a demon. "What have you done?" |
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| Serelle | Sun Jun 26, 2011 5:14 pm Post #2 |
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She had crossed over the debon badlands. Everyone had told her it wasn't a treck for a lone girl, you'd need an army. It was untrue, the albino had found. It required an umbrella. She adjusted her little papercraft umbrella, making sure the wooden ribs held the image of the kingfisher correctly on the top. Serelle raised the umbrella directly above her head to block the sun, and continued down what had seemed like an endless road. It was the right road, however, she kept passing by long caravans struggling under endless heat. Guards fingering their water skins, knowing better than to slip a drink before it was absolutely necessary. After a while she was passed by the endless caravan, and they kept offering to take her along with them. Serelle did not want to be a burden, and she found it dangerous to spend too much time around other people. The caravan sped up and was soon a dot on the road, kicking up little wafts of dust. Serelle continued her walk at the same pace, unchanging. A little later, the sun having crept a few degrees westward, she heard galloping. Probably a fast caravan - they had those, right? - late on its delivery. A few minutes later she was surrounded by horses, unkempt men and flashing istani steel. This was no good. The girl stopped immediately, nervously spinning her umbrella. She kicked off her shoes quickly, her feet on the sun scorched Istani soil. "Your money, milady." One said. Serelle looked up at the man beside her, eyes traveling from flawless white gloves up royal purple sleeves, embroidered with golden insignias of rank. His light skin was partially hidden beneath a player's mask, a beautiful piece made of ivory. On his head sat a dashing hat, his ensemble reminding her strongly of a dashing rogue. It was slightly romantic, and unfortunate he was trying to rob her. Rogues snatched ladies up atop their horses, then took them on a nice ride elsewhere. A sweet romance, but perhaps he didn't like albinos? The istani wind tugged at her dress, flicking the skirts around the ankles. She remained oddly still, and the man pressed his hand beneath her nose with a harrumph. Blood and rock chunks sprayed across her face as a jaw rose from the sand and clamped down on his horse's gut and his feet. He screamed, the animal collapsed as the maw disappeared beneath the stone and sand. She snapped her umbrella closed and threw it over their heads as blades flashed down. It sailed over their heads as her arm was severed, both objects twirling through the air. A blade slid between her eyes, her vision separating. Serelle left behind the decoy body on the surface and adjusted her form slightly, adding a set of small eyes. She had practiced this before, first in soft loam and dirt, before pressing onto breaking herself into stone. Hooves pounded about above her, horses panicked and shrieked as men shouted words she couldn't discern. She pressed her body upwards with six limbs, stone cracking above. The hooves scattered as she lunged out, jaws snapping forwards. She stomped those that fell beneath sharpened limbs, others were caught by a massive, razor-edged and ax tipped tail. They fled, never thinking of attacking the beast as it projected a storm of bladed bone fragments. The group disbanded rapidly, leaving the rogue caught beneath his dead horse and a good number of them alive. She enlarged her eyes, reshaping the sockets in which they sat to fit the massive red orbs. The man laughed bitterly. "I should have known." He muttered. The massive beast rasped repeatedly, as though giggling, and then stepped over him. He whined pitifully as the bulk of the creature fell upon him. Serelle retracted her body and then reformed herself into a slim girl. She walked to where her decoy body had once lay. She knelt beside an empty pile of clothes, winced at the pain of her lacerated toe, and dressed herself properly. She walked a few feet more and found her unharmed umbrella. Serelle snapped the umbrella open as someone spoke to her. Serelle pivoted around, leaving one of her sandals behind as she did. "Inky! Inky I missed you soooo much!" Serelle squeaked, hugging the other girl tightly. She released the mercenary, and then noted the uniform. "Modified Istani patrol uniform! I love the patrol! Why did you join? Other than the scarftastic uniform, of course." She asked enthusiastically. |
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| Nkiruka | Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:03 pm Post #3 |
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The small woman wrapped her arms tightly around Nkiruka's waist without permission or invitation. The soldier didn't move, still smoldering from the girl's use of the diminutive nickname Inky. "You missed me?" her tone was dry and incredulous. Nkiruka's memories of their only experience together were overwhelmingly negative, and one couldn't reasonably miss a person whom they only met once, fought alongside briefly, and should have never seen again. The former mercenary watched Hosker break away from the one-sided hug and look her over -- the same way that dying highwayman did, though with a much more positive bent to it. There was no doubt that the woman Serelle saw now was a vast improvement from the one she met on the streets of Taras. Back then, Nkiruka was out of jobs, desperate for money, exhausted and slowly starving; she had never had decent financial luck as a solo mercenary after being forcibly removed from the Red Moons company. Now, as her greatest enemies were seemingly growing in power, she needed an income that was far more reliable. The answer, as it soon became apparent to her, was in the army of Istan. Nkiruka stood with the colors of the desert army -- white, red and gold -- draping over her body in a practical yet elaborate-looking way. The tattered tan scarf that she used to wear had been replaced by a white number that properly covered the mark on her collarbone and could be pulled up over her mouth and nose or even her entire head; its two ends dangled over her back behind her. A thin red sash tied loosely around her hips indicated her rank. Hosker asked her why she did it. "I unwittingly took care of a bandit problem that a patrol group was assigned to. When they arrived, the officer was impressed. He offered me a two-year assignment in Istan's rougher areas. It pays far more than any of my old jobs." Nkiruka paused as a pair of vultures loudly squabbled over scraps nearby. "Serelle, this is a slaughter. I was hoping you would stop fighting after that time in Taras; you completely lose control. Why are you here? Where's your family?" |
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| Serelle | Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:36 pm Post #4 |
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Serelle adjusted all of the little bits of Nkiruka's uniform so it was perfect. It was a fine looking thing, and the female version was almost identical to the male. It looked fantastic on both genders. She smiled warmly, even though Nkiruka seemed a bit awkward near her. Was it because she hadn't written? She loved Nkiruka dearly but she didn't know her address! She also suspected the mercenary didn't have an address. "Oh! From vigilante to sanctioned agent of the military! Nice." Serelle said. She imagined herself in the outfit Nkiruka was wearing and immediately a big smile appeared on her face. Nkiruka scolded her a little bit and Serelle recoiled. She quickly put her sandal back on, hoping to avoid any unfortunate accidents. "It might be a slaughter, but they were bandits! I've got to protect myself, right? I even let them flee!" Serelle defended herself. She pointed down the road, a white arm escaping into all-consuming sunlight. "I'm going to Istani City to see dad and maybe-new-mom. I dunno, she could still be the last mom I saw him with. Oh, and what about that offer you made me to teach me to control my anger? I'd like lessons." Serelle asked. She twirled her paper umbrella around in a circle, sending the kingfisher in an endless loop after a small, brightly colored fish. |
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| Nkiruka | Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:36 pm Post #5 |
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"Could you maybe not touch me all the time?" Nkiruka looked down at Serelle's blood-covered hands with a dour expression. The albino explained that her butchery was an act of self-defense; that, at least, was better than if she had actively hunted the criminals. Still, the soldier's grey-gold eyes darted across some of the closest corpses. "Don't misunderstand me. I don't care if you massacred that scum. The point wasn't that you killed them, it's that the way you kill things is dangerous. You lose yourself. Your emotions just explode outward without any sort of direction, and it destroys everything. What if a caravan was caught in this mess, or you had allies nearby? They could be in pieces along with the highwaymen. It's immature and shows a lack of proper training." Nkiruka looked down the road, considering Hosker's comment. "I never agreed to teach you anything," she corrected her, "but I'm also heading south. Come with me, so I can make sure this doesn't happen again." She continued down the road without waiting for a response from the girl, assuming she would do as she was told. After a while, the soldier spoke again. "I met up with one of your highwaymen fleeing north about a mile from where you took them down." Nkiruka realized that it was rather unlike her to talk so much, especially to a person who was so irritating. Maybe it was the solitude getting to her. She was almost always alone as she walked or flew from village to village, and the only interactions she had with the locals were business-related and somewhat unfriendly. "His stomach was cut open, but he still laughed in my face and told me that I wasn't a soldier." She stayed silent for several seconds, searching for a point to the whole story. Finding none, she gave a little huff, shifted the position of her pack, and changed the subject. "A lot of people I meet talk about how a warrior needs to disconnect themselves from battle. Basically, they sever all their personal ties to the conflict, suppress all their emotions, and just focus." Having spent this whole time staring forward, Nkiruka finally looked over to Serelle. "I don't like it. Emotions are a tool. You shouldn't throw away something you can use to your advantage. So maybe you have an anger problem or you're too enthusiastic about tearing things apart, or whatever. If you just learn how to direct those emotions into your fighting somehow, I'd stop worrying about you accidentally beheading innocents." She looked forward again. "But I can't teach you that. I could direct you to a man named Khopesh, but I don't know where he is or if he's even still alive." Edited by Nkiruka, Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:37 pm.
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| Serelle | Fri Jul 1, 2011 2:55 am Post #6 |
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Serelle withdrew from Nkiruka, leaving behind bloody palm prints. She stepped a little heavily on her bad foot and winced. Nkiruka admonished her and she recoiled a little bit more, looking somewhat discontent with the situation. She loved Inky like a sister and Inky was being so mean! She supposed she was being mean for a reason, showing Serelle the error of her ways, and her little albino heart warmed immensely. Wait, was her heart white? Serelle pondered this for a moment, until Nkiruka mentioned that she never agreed to teach her anything. "Inky!" She squeaked. "You so kinda-sorta did! I mean, not directly, but the idea was there." Serelle struggled for a moment with her argument, before realizing Nkiruka had said no such thing. Nkiruka began moving, and Serelle followed behind her, kicking dust into the air with her sandals. Nkiruka began speaking again. This was already nearing in on how much they had talked when they first met! Serelle smiled to herself and spun her umbrella. Off in the distance was Istan city, sprawled out across a delta. Dozens of tributaries snaked their way through the low city, fed by the mighty Istan river. It was a gorgeous sight, especially when most expected a bone dry city surrounded by dunes. The rise they were on was somewhat famous for the view. "Oh? That's a shame, Nkiruka. Maybe you should pin a few medals to your chest? It'd certainly draw attention!" Serelle suggested. The sun had dipped a little farther, but they'd no doubt make the city before nightfall. Serelle had become accustomed to judging distance ever since she walked across Imythess. "I agree, emotion is important. And I'd love to learn to direct my emotions at the right people!" Serelle agreed. It'd be nice, she'd only get rid of people who needed it! She could be a hero, but she'd settle for antihero. "Wait! Wait. I'm not going to train under someone else!" Serelle said. She jogged around Nkiruka, reopening the wound on her toe as she did. She planted her umbrella, kingfisher up, at the mercenary. Crimson eyes peeked just over the top. "It wouldn't...be safe. I trust you to train me well, and I like you, so it'll be safe, Nkiruka." Serelle argued. Her voice lacked the normal enthusiasm, a more thoughtful tone overtaking it. |
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| Nkiruka | Fri Jul 1, 2011 5:35 pm Post #7 |
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"Are you sure? Khopesh was my trainer. He's an ex-mercenary, just like me." Nkiruka stopped and folded her arms, allowing Serelle to jog up around her. The soldier realized that there was an uncomfortable dissonance between the girl's childlike, whimsical gestures and her earnest desire to learn how to kill properly. This was very dangerous, Nki knew. Using that logic, the soldier convinced herself that it was actually her moral obligation to train this girl. Without Nkiruka's guidance, Serelle would remain a wild card, putting countless innocents at risk. "You'll have to come with me on my patrol route. Long hours in the heat, and I'm not paying for any of your meals or lodgings." Continuing forward, Nkiruka watched the sprawling Istan City get slowly closer. "I have a few errands to run. Meet me outside the east gate tomorrow at sunrise." Considering the conversation done, Nkiruka unfurled her massive wings and ran forward, flapping them to let the hot air catch and pull her body into the sky. By the time the sun began to peek over the horizon, Nkiruka was already seated on the ground near one of the horse hitching posts just outside the city limits, reading a map of Istan in the low light with no difficulty at all. When Serelle arrived, the soldier motioned to two horses with reigns tied nearby. The cloth draped on their backs bore the colors of the Army of Istan. "We can have these for our trip down the Phoenix Road, which will take about a week. Then we need to drop them off at Sondag. The rest of the route will be on foot or, when we get to the Dunes, a short time on camels. You are responsible for feeding and watering your own horse. Is that clear?" They loaded up their bags, Nkiruka deciding to take the slightly more aggressive, light brown horse and leaving the white and brown mare for Serelle to ride. Once everything was in place, the soldier began the long trek down the Phoenix Road. A common misconception northerners had about Istan was that a wasteland was all that existed between towns. Not so; the Phoenix Road alone frequently bustled with activity, both on the wide paved road itself and in the area surrounding it. Outside the city limits, they passed a few large bazaars and trading posts as well as a variety of travelers' inns. Huge caravans entered the city, bringing goods from the towns of the east -- like hides from Majim or valuable minerals from the greater Sondag area. Further from the city, herders grazed their livestock on the bountiful Istan River floodplain between the farms that dotted the region. Nkiruka exhaled slowly, realizing how nice it was to be back in Istan. "Do you have any expectations from me, as your teacher?" she said to Serelle out of the blue. "Or any general questions about the fighting style I use?" |
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| Serelle | Mon Jul 4, 2011 4:13 am Post #8 |
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Nkiruka flew away! Serelle walked into the front doors of her home, shoving open the heavy door with a slim shoulder. She quickly folded and tied her umbrella. Her gaze slid from the opposite wall to the entry. Her father and newest mother sat in chairs, shifting as they did. Was it the blood? She was out of dresses. "Hello!" Serelle said. The ice lay unbroken as her parents continued to stare. Metal footsteps approached her from behind, and she quickly looked back to see the gate guards grab her. Suspended between two burly men, Serelle wiggled her feet fruitlessly at the floor. "Serelle, you'll be staying home. There's no need for any more of these long trips, you've seen enough and you've clearly gotten injured!" Hosker ordered. Serelle nodded. Her umbrella was taken aware and she was dropped, where new-mother promptly gave her a big hug. Serelle stood still as she received it. What was her name? "Whasurname?" Serelle mumbled around the flesh she was stuck to. The woman giggled. "Mary, dear." She said. The arms loosened and Serelle stood. Mary took her around the shoulder and down the halls. "The library? What a dreadful place. Never read a book in my life, my own intuition is good enough for me." Mary spat. Serelle looked up at her with big red eyes. "Probably why Hosker picked you!" Serelle stated. Mary beamed and pressed her new daughter into the library. Serelle closed the door behind her and stared at the ebony. Would Hosker finally get his second child? She hoped so, then he could stop doting on her so much. The girl sat on flawless mahogany railing, legs dangling out over the basement floor. With a push, she slid down. Serelle trotted a few feet from the railing and promptly collapsed into her bed. The next morning she prepared her bags properly, piling clothes in and tying them tight. Umbrellas were strapped to the outside, and she was certain that all of it would fit into saddlebags. She glanced about and worked some mild magics, before leaving her library. Serelle walked down old carpets on her new boots, sinking slightly into the elaborate patterns. "Serelle, you'll be having breakfast, won't you?" Her father called out. She stopped and leaned her bag against the wall and entered the dining hall. A few servants and her family were dining on the spacious table, a smaller table nearby was loaded with istani breakfast food. Serelle grabbed a bowl of white rice and sprinkled it over with chicken and a dash of soy sauce, before sitting down next to Mary. "I see you've dressed up like an adventurer again. Precious." Hosker said. Serelle nodded and ate quickly. She downed the wine placed next to her. Mary stared on, Serelle glared. "You should eat more ladylike. I'm not surprised no one has seen you as a suitor, dear!" Mary chuckled. She looked over to Hosker. "Really, how do you let her act like this?" Mary said. Hosker shrugged. "She acted perfectly fine before her escape." He retorted. Serelle stood up and left the table. Mr. Hosker waved weakly at his retreating daughter's petite form. He then watched her walk by with a bag underneath one arm. He glowered. "The guards will stop her, I'm certain." Both guards restrained the seemingly young girl as she walked by, guffawing as she struggled against their grips. She stopped momentarily, allowing them time to pick her up. Her feet dangled scant inches from the ground, and they brought her back up the steps and into the manse. They planted her and shut the doors. Serelle reopened the doors and walked out again. The guards glared at her. With a leap she sprang over them, before daintily landing on the other side of the gate. She adjusted her wide brimmed leather hat and sprinted off. A few minute later she was escaping the gates, and out after Nkiruka on the city limits. Clad in a pair of brown shorts, a slim white blouse, high boots and her favorite hat, she bowed at Nkiruka. "Good morning, Inky! We should get going soon, my dad has no doubt set his guardsmen after me." Serelle explained. She promptly began packing her horse. She listened to the woman's explanation, and nodded. She liked horses! Serelle had always wanted to care for her own. Too bad she didn't bring a proper brush. She mounted the animal and followed after Nkiruka, stroking her mare the whole time. "Well, I want to learn and I don't have a real question about your fighting style, I've seen it before. Very aggressive, like one of the evil people in a story." Serelle said. She realized this was probably a little awkward to say. "But stories are silly," a lie, " and I don't really have questions! I only thought as far ahead as getting to you this morning, Inky." Serelle explained. Edited by Serelle, Sat Oct 15, 2011 5:37 pm.
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| Nkiruka | Sat Jul 9, 2011 4:18 pm Post #9 |
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Nkiruka tossed Serelle a hostile sideways glance, but didn't mention the indirect insult. "Fair enough." The midday sun beat down. An otherwise silent Nkiruka motioned for Serelle to follow her off of the road. She stopped by the shore of the Istan River and dismounted, letting her horse cool off. Crouching down at the water's edge, the soldier took a handful of water and splashed it on her face, sighing in relief. Straightening, she removed her canteen from her belt and took a long drink before offering it to Serelle. "It's enchanted. The water is infinite, if you don't spill any of it." They were pretty much standard issue for Istani patrolmen. Nkiruka returned to the horses and took a seat on a patch of grass. Nearby, a fisherman pushed his tiny boat out into the water, scaring away a flock of multicolored geese. "We'll wait out the heat a bit." After a short silence, the ex-mercenary turned her attention back to Serelle. "That umbrella will have to go," she mentioned. "I want both of your hands free for training. Your albinism shouldn't get in the way." Nkiruka paused, thinking of a solution. "Don't worry. I have an idea. Ask me about it tomorrow." As if moving on to another subject, the soldier slipped off her white scarf and long-sleeved overshirt, folding them neatly on the ground next to her. Both pieces of clothing were designed to be worn in the heat relatively comfortably, but removing them for this break would let her cool off even faster. Nkiruka glanced almost apologetically at Serelle, subtly trying to hide a grisly scar on her neck and collarbone that was now visible. She stumbled to steer the conversation away from it. "T-the first thing I want to teach you is how to react both quickly and precisely to an attack. This fighting style is all about making split-second decisions, and I want to get you comfortable with doing that on a regular basis." |
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| Serelle | Mon Jul 11, 2011 2:49 am Post #10 |
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Serelle was glared at! Serelle followed Nkiruka to the beach of the Istan River, and dismounted her cute little mare. She removed her boots and stuck her feet in the water downstream of where Nkiruka was drinking, and drank out of her own canteen. "Oh, I've got one too! Dad got it for me so I didn't have to leave the library as often." Serelle said, pointing at the magic goatskin. She ignored the depressing nature of her gift and watched geese fly by with umbrella raised. Nkiruka promised a cure for her albinism issues, which gave her a small amount of glee, provided it wasn't plastering herself with mud. Nkiruka dressed a little more comfortably, and Serelle listened intently. Nkiruka seemed distracted by something, but Serelle couldn't imagine what had her goose. "Uh, sure. Do you want to spar or throw geese at me? There's plenty of geese." Serelle suggested, watching the birds land in another part of the water. The girl wasn't distracted by Nkiruka's scar, instead she chose to stare off into space. In preparation, she put her boots back on and stood on the edge of the bank. |
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| Nkiruka | Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am Post #11 |
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Nkiruka raised an eyebrow at the unusual mention of a library. It actually gave her an idea. She slipped off her boots and wandered out to the water, standing where it just barely covered her feet. Might as well get some relief from the heat while she was training the girl. Nkiruka motioned for Serelle to approach with a subtle nod. She shot forward, shortswords unsheathed, without even a moment of pause. Nkiruka nearly crashed into the albino, unleashing a flurry of slashes at her. She ducked and sidestepped away, gracefully pivoting into the river with barely a splash. Her expression was of a sort of dull observation -- the morning's riding and the current heat was tiring her -- and she barely held up her weapons in defense. "Here's what I know about you, Serelle: you're from a noble Istani family. Your father is single but has bad taste in women. They're overprotective of you. Did they keep you somewhere? In a library?" She gave Hosker a few seconds to respond before once again charging, stabbing toward her waist in a bid to make her twist and move away. Nkiruka rounded around her, slashing further at her arms and legs. "It's because you're an albino, right? People want to protect albinos." |
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| Serelle | Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:41 am Post #12 |
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Serelle approached Nkiruka, murmuring and wiggling about her fingers. Both of her arms sprouted sheathes of bone and claws, hopefully enough to protect her from Nkiruka's blades. Nkiruka charged into her as she finished the spell, Serelle snapped her arms up to her face. Slices got through - Nkiruka was much better at this than her. She winced and bled, but she was tough enough to take more hits. No major damage had been done. Inky even seemed to be not even trying, but Serelle wasn't bothered about it. The albino weakly struck back, slashing across the woman's arms, before immediately defending herself once more. "I'm from a noble family, my dad is married and has eight divorces, they are overprotective of me, and they kept me in a library for much of my life since I'm the only heir." Serelle corrected and confirmed. The woman immediately charged her again, and Serelle took more slashes. "No, no, because I'm the heir. That's what umbrellas are for. Plus, the albino thing is a bonus, I'm quite exotic." Serelle answered through gritted teeth. She stepped forward and slashed at Inky half-heartedly once more. "I really don't want to hurt you, Nkiruka." Serelle said. |
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| Nkiruka | Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:59 pm Post #13 |
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Crossing her blades in front of her, Nkiruka caught Serelle's slash. Her retaliation was instant: she lashed out toward the girl's shoulder with one sword while trying to push aside her claws with the other. If the soldier succeeded, she would move in closer and point both of her weapons' tips straight at Serelle's throat. After a few seconds, the corners of Nkiruka's lips pressed downward slightly, and she took a couple long steps back into the water. She took her time before explaining herself: "It's too hot." She gave a sort of sigh, lowering one of her blades into the water. Serelle's blood dissipated from the weapon. Nkiruka sheathed it, looking back at her student. "I don't think I'm getting across what I want to here. Let's rest a while longer -- we can pick up where we left off tonight." Nkiruka submerged and sheathed her other sword. She joined back up with Serelle on the shore, taking a seat next to her. "It's not your fault. I'm just a little tired." The soldier glanced over at Hosker, who had received a few wounds from the quick spar. "You're handling those slashes pretty well. In time, you'll learn to just ignore the pain of minor cuts like that." She reached back behind them and picked up Serelle's umbrella, handing it to her with a tired smile. "With any luck, you'll get some hits on me as well, eventually." They rested for a few more minutes, watching the geese and boats drift by. Nkiruka got up, putting her overshirt, scarf and boots back on. "Let's go." Nkiruka instructed Serelle to wait in the room that she had bought for them at a local traveler's inn. The sun was beginning to set, making it difficult to travel further. After about a half-hour, the soldier returned, carrying an opaque brown bottle in her hands. "Istani tanning lotion," she said, handing it to her student. "Even you will never get burned with this stuff." She sat down on the bed next to Serelle, leaning forward so her elbows rested on her knees. One hand propped up her head in a thoughtful expression. "So you're the sole heir to the Hosker estate. To keep you safe, they locked you in a library. No wonder you're so messed up." She straightened. There was more life in her eyes now than during the heat wave of midday; Nkiruka fixated on Serelle with prying curiosity, her head tilted slightly. "Weren't you upset? Confined to one room for a huge chunk of your life, all alone except for your skirt-chasing father and endlessly changing mothers. That's child neglect. You couldn't have been fine with that." |
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| Serelle | Sun Aug 14, 2011 4:34 am Post #14 |
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In a flash of blades Nkiruka's weapons were at Serelle's ivory throat. The girl gulped and stepped back. She raised a pair of claws, albeit their bulk was being rapidly consumed by the slim hands beneath. Bone slid beneath skin, flesh slid away into nothingness. The bulges in her arms slowly faded, leaving no trace of what Serelle's ladylike arms had just been. She followed Nkiruka, chanting as quietly as possible while making rapid hand gestures. Gradually her wounds pressed together and healed. "I don't want to hurt you, Inky." Serelle murmured. She nodded at her trainers suggestions and sat quietly as the woman praised her. She slowly looked up at her, with a slight smile on her lips. "I can handle slashes pretty well, but can we do something less lethal? I really don't want to hurt you." Serelle repeated. They rose and left, Serelle's wounds still only partially healed. Serelle sat alone in an inn room, reading a massive tome to pass the time. Nkiruka eventually returned, and the girl quickly closed the book and slipped it into her bags. She beamed at Nkiruka as she took the rather large bottle of tanning oil. She'd tried such stuff before, but it was easier to avoid the sun for one as delicate as her. Then Nkiruka began to question her, which brought Serelle's slim shoulders up slightly. "I wasn't fine with it, but no use crying over spilt milk. He'll learn that he has to compromise with me, or else I'll just keep walking through his security." Serelle stated. She had a feeling more questions would come, and she calmed herself for them. Serelle really didn't want to get angry with Nkiruka around. Every part of her being wanted to keep a hold on the closest thing she had to a friend. |
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| Nkiruka | Sat Aug 20, 2011 2:48 pm Post #15 |
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Nkiruka rose to her feet. "That'll be all for now. Get some sleep." Allowing Serelle to take the only bed in the room, Nkiruka slid her belt off and placed it against the opposite wall. Sitting next to it, she pulled out some of her supplies and laid them all out in front of her. Daily maintenance of her weapons was a bit of a chore, but extremely necessary. A soldier keeping her weapons sharp and well-maintained was just as important as any other professional keeping their tools at their optimum capacity. Once she was done, Nkiruka unrolled her bed roll on the floor and flopped stomach-first onto it, falling asleep quickly with her wings splayed out across the entire small room. Before it was even light out, Nkiruka reached down and plucked Serelle out of the bed by the collar of her shirt. "Wake up!" she shouted, her slitted yellow eyes piercing through the darkness. The Phoenix Road at night was perhaps just as, or even more, populated than in the daytime. Night was a perfect time of day to travel, as it was much cooler. There was even a breeze during their ride, putting Nkiruka in what appeared to be an actually good mood. She looked up at the stars from her horse, a slightly contented smile on her face. "Job today," she finally said, somewhat explaining why they had woken up in what was essentially the middle of the night. "Keep an eye out for a shady guy on the run, eh? We need to intercept a fugitive coming our way." |
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