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| Enslaved; (P) Yaksha | |
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| Topic Started: Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:28 pm (127 Views) | |
| Shuett | Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:28 pm Post #1 |
 
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Shuett sat under a dark tent, tied to a pole. He had broken ribs, a concussion, a large gash on his right arm, and a swollen eye. His chains were heavy and held him around his waist, ankles, wrists, and neck. He was slumped in a corner, listening to the cries of a human, a slave trader. He looked out across the crowd, fat men wearing rich silks and cottons standing around, sweating heavily in the heat. Pigs, all of them. They were surrounded by guards, mercenary was a closer description of these armored, armed to the teeth men. He heard the cries of men, calling a price for one of the men in front of him. He would be a house servant, a good job, clean, simple. Shuett would have a rougher job, hard labor, that is, if he was bought. In his present condition he was not worth much. As the heat increased he thought back on how he had come to this place. He had woken up, early as usual, to take care of his hawk Asher. He had gone to the falconry, but heard the sound of hooves. He walked over to the nearest dune, not too high, and he stayed low. He peered over the edge to see several men with weapons, riding toward his village. They stopped short, and pulled out a small scroll. They smirked, one pulled out a bow. As soon as the arrow was knocked it burst into flames. The man drew back, aiming toward the wooden falconry. Shuett, without thinking threw the spear at the man's chest. It struck heavily, knocking the man off of his horse. Shuett leaped at the man still mounted, sounding a rough howl. He was duly met with a large tonfa, and fell unconscious. He was then tied by the feet, and hands, and tied to the saddle. The warriors of his village had heard Shuett's cry for help and were streaming out of the main house. They saw him being carted away and leaped onto the sandboat; a huge wooden apparatus with three small sails. One started to chant, and the winds picked up, sending the boat flying across the sand. The horseman was smart though, he had been well versed in some magics, and had cast an invisibility spell on him, his quarry, and his mount. Shuett had awoken under the tent, broken, bleeding, and sore. He had tried to break free, but he could not. The chains were well made, even by his standards. He had howled and thrashed, which earned him a slash by a sword. He had stopped at that point, and sat quietly. If he could get his legs free he could make it to his village, tell his people to pick up and move. But, he could not, as he was chained to a thick wooden post that was planted three feet into solid stone. He closed his eyes, as the last of the bids were called out. Now the big dogs came to investigate the higher priced slaves. |
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:04 pm Post #2 |
 
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A tall, hardened man could be seen walking through the streets of Istan, followed shortly behind by a short, portly figure who was breathing quite heavily and sputtering to keep up with him. "M-Master Yaksha, are you sure you want-" He held up a hand, causing the man's words to fall flat as he swallowed hard, his throat suddenly refusing to work. The figure turned, and in his pure black eyes there was no emotion whatsoever; it seemed as if his eyes were made of the very essence of darkness, hungrily absorbing all that grew too close, from light to will, and his voice flowed around the man like a babbling brook. "Quite sure. It'd be a tragedy if we didn't do something for the little pup." The figure turned calmly, leaving his assistant shuddering on the ground as he felt the power slowly leak back into his bones. He watched the man moving with a sort of supreme confidence that seemed to say the world would accommodate itself to his wishes, and he hardly even seemed to glance anywhere but straight ahead as he moved. There was an aura of pure competence around him, and everyone who saw him instinctively knew he was not a man to trifle with. The tent's flap opened, and a man slithered in, smiling warmly. His skin looked tanned by the harsh sun, turned a dark brown that almost looked black. He wore what looked like gold bands on his wrists, and on his head rested a crown with a snake's head, poised to strike at those looking at it. There was an aura of mystery about him, amplified to almost unbearable ends as he nonchalantly sat in a chair, watching the auctions with a grim smile that seemed to hold a secret only he knew. He never spoke a word, and the whispers began to fill the tent, just as Yaksha expected; after all this time, the people had grown so very predictable. Finally, the bidding on his true prize began; a bipedal canine with arms and legs shackled, his head pulled down by a metal collar around his neck. Surely this creature would be the prize of the show, but Yaksha had no fear of being able to afford the young one; fear was a concept long foreign to the lich, in all things. He felt only a wonderful anticipation, and he even licked his lips as he thought of it. His eyelids closed and he let his ears begin to do the work, hearing the soft rustle of clothes as people shifted in their seats, the droning voices of each person as they continued to offer more and more for this beast...the bidding had already reached half a million gold, when Yaksha made his move. "Five million gold. Up front." His eyes never even opened as he spoke, and there was a soft smile on his face as he mentally filled in the imagery; people turning in shock to see the man who had spoken, people beginning to grow angry at his audacity. Still, everyone here knew that such a sum would be hard to best by any of them. Yaksha rose calmly, hearing another voice from the back of the room, this one surprisingly foreign to him; another man who had yet to speak throughout the event. "Ten million gold." His eyelids fluttered as he heard the voice, and he turned slowly, his entire demeanor one of bemused surprise as he saw a wrinkled old man in the back row, smiling defiantly at him and spreading his arms, as if to say it was his move now. An expectant silence had filled the room, and Yaksha rose a palm slowly, his warm grin growing wider as his lips peeled back from his teeth, revealing a pair of curved fangs that seemed to glint in the dim light of the tent, as the very shadows of the room swarmed to his palm. "Twenty Five Million." |
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| Shuett | Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:23 pm Post #3 |
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Twenty-five million gold. Shuett raised his aching head to see the man who had offered that much money. Shuett was startled, he thought his wounds would depreciate him, but apparently they did not. He thought he was maybe worth, two thousand gold at most. The auctioneer called out the price several times in different languages. When no one else answered there was an ominous sound as a wooden hammer was slammed against hardwood. He was carted back behind a curtain, and forced to sit and wait for the man to come back behind the stage to claim him. Shuett watched as a fat man waddled out to fetch the winning bidder. Shuett was then tended to by a very angry looking healer. When he was stitched together he was treated with such roughness that he growled in pain. He dug his claws into the stone of the ground until it was done, leaving several small holes in the stone. His eye was no longer swollen, his rib cage and most of his torso was wrapped in bandages of clean white, and the gash on his arm had stopped bleeding and was stitched back together using cat gut. He took a deep breath as his shackles were released. He was about to get up and run when a tall man in a blue robe studded with silver said a few words, and Shuett could not move. He was bound by the hands with rope, and forced to sit again. His belongings were brought to him, and placed next to him in a line for his owner's inspection. If he was to be a guard, he could keep his spear, if not there was an incinerator for just such and occasion. He was then forced to sleep to regian energy. The blue robed man siad a few arcane words, and Shuett was foced into a state of sleep; deep, dark, and black. |
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:38 pm Post #4 |
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Yaksha could hear the people beginning to grow surprised by his offer; surely a simple beast couldn't be worth that much? But the lich was moving towards the stage airily, and as he hopped onto the stage with a lithe grace and beauty, he rose his hands above his head slowly. "My friends, fellow privileged of Istan City...I imagine you are all quite stunned by my ruthless coup. Twenty Five Million gold for ANYTHING is quite a price. But, you see..." His grin grew wider, and the shadows around the tent sprung to life, creating half a dozen lifelike suits of armor, that clanked noisily to the opening, and stared at them all coldly, as the lich's words crept across the tent, filling them all with dread. "It's not my gold they'll be getting. Thank you all, my friends...for your sacrifice." He slowly held out his hands, and twin blue-steel daggers appeared in them, lowering the temperature around him by several degrees as he crossed them in an X, barking harsh words through the air three times in quick succession; as he spoke, the air shimmered and three large demons had appeared on the stage, causing it to creak under their weight. He didn't say a word, simply sitting on a throne of pure air as he waved them towards the rich men. "Every penny they've got. It's blood money, already." He closed his eyes, listening to the cries of fear and begs for mercy, all cut short by decidedly organic sounds, as of a piece of meat struck by a fist. Finally, the sound of clinking coins could be heard, and Yaksha opened his eyes to see the demons carrying various satchels to the front stage, grunting as they dropped them before him. He grabbed them up, nodded happily at the demons, and waved a hand, quickly sending them back to the abyss they had been waiting in. He seemed to glide into the back, throwing all of the bags on the ground with a smile, and then gliding towards the pup, picking him up easily and winking to the stunned guards, and the mage. "There's your money. He's rightfully mine, now. And now...I'll be taking my leave." |
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| Shuett | Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:57 pm Post #5 |
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Shuett awoke in the arms of a man with a serpent crown on his head. He had his belongings in his arms, and felt quite groggy. The man had black, black eyes that seemed to suck in the light. He was quite confused, and realized this was the man who bought him. Shuett shook his head and wriggled tried to wriggle free of the man's grasp. He eventually gave in and fell back to sleep. He woke again, several minutes later, "Uhm, can I be put down now?" he asked in a deep rumbling voice. He hoped his new "master" was not as dilligent or powerful as he seemed. |
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:38 pm Post #6 |
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Yaksha stared down at the boy, and after several long moments that seemed like an eternity, he gave a dulcet chuckle, and set him down on his two feet. His blue steel dagger sliced effortlessly through his rope bindings, and he shoved them through his belt as he spoke. "I have bought you, ergo, you are mine. Now, my child..." He gave a grim smile, and then placed a hand on his head as he spoke. "I set you free. Be on your way, young pup, and remember that no man can be your master unless you let them." The soft discordant jangle of his gold accessories seemed contrary to his somber tone, and he finally managed to crouch down close, his grin showing his twin curved eyeteeth. He began to speak once more, and the words were like honeyed velvet, cascading over Shuett and making it seem almost foolish to deny this man. "But I imagine you grow tired of being alone, now don't you? You'd like a place where you can belong, where others will understand your plight. You'd like someone to help you through the hard times, and to make sure this never happens again, now wouldn't you?" His gaze seemed to pierce Shuett to his very core, stripping away all of his power and making it nearly impossible to do anything but stare into them and listen. "I could protect you, my child. I could give you a home, give you all you would need to survive happily. And I ask only for your loyalty." He reached out a hand, and stroked it across his head slowly. "I shall give you all you could ever desire, if you simply remember who it was that freed you, not only from unwilling slavery, but from the complexities of this world." He frowned slightly, before pulling his hand away. "But you see, one thing I truly respect is a strong will. I would never take away your freedom to choose. But sometimes, freedom of choice includes freedom FROM choice. Freedom from having to decide what is most important, what's best for you. Sometimes, it's so much easier to just pass all of that responsibility on to someone else..." |
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| Shuett | Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:03 pm Post #7 |
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Shuett thought for a moment, he could leave his old life behind, he could live in serenity and happiness. But, he could not and would not leave his family behind. He looked up into the man's face "I am sorry sir, but, I must respectfully decline you offer. I have a family, and a people to go back to." he cursed in his native tongue, "You have no idea how much I want to go with you. People do not understand my people. They tend to fear what they do not understand. I wish to live in a world with none of this discrimination, but, it cannot happen. Therefore I live in isolation with the rest of my family, away from this accursed city. If you would be so kind, I would like to repay you, take you to my village for a meal. Please." he looked deeply into the man's eyes. This man had been his savior, his protector, and he wanted to thank him in any way that he would allow himself to. He heard a noise to his left, clanking of metal on metal. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the glint of armor. He grabbed the man by the shoulder and bulled him into a dark alley way. It was only a few moments later that a small battalion of guards poured through the street. They marched slowly, weapons drawn. Shuett swore again, a deep rumbling sound. He tightened his grip on his spear as he saw several guards peer down into the darkness of the alleyway, directly at Shuett. |
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:07 pm Post #8 |
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Yaksha laughed calmly, and whispered to Shuett calmly. "Little child, no one ever sees me unless I wish them to. And naturally, that goes for you as well. Those guards could feel your very breath on their necks and they'd still see nothing. Still, to sate your fears..." The lich began to murmur soft arcane words, causing the shadows around them to roil and write, quickly forming a wall in front of them. Yaksha's voice struck it and seemed to bounce back, as he spoke with the air of a magician revealing a spectacular trick. "It can't fool touch, but this wall can mimic a true one in every relevant manner; it'll even echo as it should. Unless these guards are superhuman, they'll not see a thing." As the clanking slowly began to fade, Yaksha spoke with a manic glee, seeming almost imperative that he make the child understand. "You say you want a world without discrimination, yet you are not willing to fight for it? THAT is why it cannot happen. It happens because those who are oppressed do nothing to stop those who oppress them. Evil cannot bloom without those who see evil, and do nothing. There are those who fear death in the course of their struggles; few of them realize that when one dies for a noble cause, they TRANSCEND mortality. They become an idol to all who hear their name, and by their death alone they can lead millions more to fight injustice. The only reason that you cannot free yourself from discrimination, my boy...is because you don't want it badly enough to do what needs to be done to be free." |
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| Shuett | Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:37 pm Post #9 |
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Shuett tightened his grip on his spear even further. He heard clanking of metal again, growing louder. He pushed past the man and walked through the wall. The guards saw the hooded wolf man and quickened their pace. He hefted the weapon and held it in his right hand, horizontal to the ground. He waited for a few moments. When the captain of the guards was withing a ten meter range he took several steps forward and threw the spear. It hurdled toward the man, and stuck itself firmly in his neck, sending an arterial red spray upward. As soon as the spear had been thrown, Shuett began to run forward on all fours. He leaped into the air, and landed firmly on the chests of two guards. He felt ribs give way, and he moved to another one of the guards. The guard slashed Shuett with his sword, leaving a bright line of pain on Shuett's back. He spun around, arm extended. The swing sent the man hurdling toward a small group of other guards. Shuett snarled as they fell over. He retrieved his spear from the neck of the captain. He watched in silence as the rest of the guards ran away. He stood for a long moment, breathing hard. He muttered a few prayers for the three men he had killed. He turned and walked back toward the faux wall. He walked through it. |
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:26 pm Post #10 |
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As Shuett returned to the safety of the shadow wall, Yaksha gave a grim chuckle, not even the slightest sign of surprise on his face from his outburst; in fact, there was a knowing look, as if he had expected Shuett to do what he had. "It felt good, didn't it? They are the persecutors, the ones who try to hold you down and tell you that your rightful place is beneath their thumbs. Their laws and ideals do nothing to protect us, so why should we acknowledge them?" He held out a hand, and a white flame surrounded it as he spoke, holding it out to him. "I no longer care of your loyalty to me. Now, now I would ask your loyalty to something much greater than any one man..." The white flames traveled across his form, engulfing him within seconds and causing his voice to echo as he spoke. "There exists in this world a secret organization of those much like yourself. We have been shunned by the light, so we embrace the darkness. Their ignorance has led them to declare us evil or weak, and so we shall use that same ignorance as a weapon against them. We are the friends to the friendless, and the home to those who have known little but pain. Your family will be as welcomed as you are, if they simply swear never to speak of this organization outside." He paused, before speaking almost as an afterthought. "And we're in more places than you might think...Shuett. We could use your help." |
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| Shuett | Sun Nov 1, 2009 3:48 pm Post #11 |
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Shuett needed to think about this much more. He needed to know what it ment to join this organization. He would need to consult his family, and perhaps his chief. "If you would care to give me a little more information...perhaps over dinner?" He shrugged slightly and placed a hand against the substantial wall next to him. He removed his large scarf and hood, and tied it like a makeshift bandage around his back, tied tight. He made a gesture toward the shadow wall, "After you sir." |
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Tue Nov 3, 2009 3:18 pm Post #12 |
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Yaksha chuckled cooly, and seemed to stare off into space as the shadowy wall fell apart, the darkness surging back to the walls of the alleyway. There were several moments as the black pharaoh seemed almost to fall into a trance, murmuring softly to himself. The words sounded surprisingly off-guard, almost afraid as the wordless whispers spilled forth from his mouth. He snapped out of it surprisingly quickly, and those few seconds of weakness seemed more like a dream than anything. His gold bangles made soft clanking noises as he seemed to glide out of the alleyway, speaking in his dulcet tones that seemed to charm. "Dinner sounds just fine. I don't imagine you're adverse to a bowl of stew?" |
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| Shuett | Tue Nov 3, 2009 4:48 pm Post #13 |
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"Not at all, although...I am not in the city much. I think it would be best if you chose where." he smiled a little, and began walking out of the small alley. He looked up at the clear sky, the sun was high and bright. He heard a familiar sound to his right; padded feet on sand. He turned his head to find several scarfed Hundaii hunters walking down the street, looking for him. He waved them over, one seemed to notice the similarly built figure and barked. The others looked in Shuett's direction, and ran toward him. Shuett was embraced, and scolded in his home language. He laughed and hugged, and told him he was fine, and that the kind man next to him saved him. He turned to the man who was floating next to him, "My brothers and I would greatly appreciate it if you would come with us for dinner, to our village. There, we can talk." |
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7:05 PM Feb 11
