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Post by Ciata on Nov 22, 2006 21:07:01 GMT -5
There is a faint, muffled sound of wood snapping, a far off thump, another, closer smash and then running footsteps on a wooden floor growing closer quickly from behind the wall that the desk was set against. Bei Yong drops down into a deep horse stance and put up his paws to guard and Bin and the inn keeper finally get that something is going on and turn to look at Master Yong and then the wall, the inn keeper muttering, "Huh?" Just as the foot steps come right up to the wall, and then the wall exploded towards them, between the inn keeper and Bei Yong, the thin boards that lined the walls splintering and the wooden beams snapping at the roof and coming to the ground in an incredible crash. In the middle of it, actually going through the wall like a projectile shot from a cannon, was the zebra, Prefect Maas, who slid across the small lobby of the inn to the opposite wall, cracking a few boards as he stopped. Maas was cut all over his body and his formerly expensive and flashy robe was torn and tattered, baring most of his upper body, from both from the splinters of the wall and also from claws, raking across his white and black striped short fur, which showed deep bruises in various places on his body, mainly around his face, one large bruise swelled his entire right eye shut and blood was dripping out of his long nose. The other three in the room stood in shocked silence, paws slowly lowering from guarding their faces from the explosion of wood. Maas lets out a low moan and Bin starts over to him, "Master Maas!" From behind Bin, through the hole in the wall, a shape came flying towards him, diving as if it were a wild beast pouncing on him. Bei was just able to react quick enough to intercept it with a flying strike of his own, diving with his paws shooting out to shove the creature away a mere foot from crushing Bin. Bei rolls into a defensive stance, guarding Bin and the injured master as the dark form smashes into the wall and quickly pulls himself up and out of it. It stood there and for the first time Bei could size him up. It was wearing just some worn and torn black shorts of some material and had long black and dark brown fur over its thickly built body with a short tail that didn't even reach his knees and a wedge shaped head and shorter arms and legs than a cat. It crouched and barred its thick claws and stared at Bei with wild, rabid looking eyes. He seemed hyper tensed all over with veins, muscles, and sinews flexing and pulsating. "Master Yong!" Prefect Maas, shaking, stood up with no little effort. "This is my fight, let me finish it!" Bei looks at Master Maas, battered and bruised and the creature standing there, hardly injured at all and stood up and stepped back, shrugging. "It's your life." "And my honor." With that, Maas starts at the nameless attacker with wide, sweeping steps, trying to keep his body low and guarded against his opponent's attack. The wolverine digs his claws into the broken wall and drags them along it, swinging out with his outstretched claws, wood and splinters at Master Maas with a swinging strike. His first hits the forearm of Maas with his wrist, then spins behind him in the air, slicing across the zebra's broad, hard back twice, cutting his thick hide. He lands to Maas' right and throws a thrusting kick towards his side, but Maas stops it with a double X block and counters with his hard hooves, striking the thigh and then striking at his stomach. After the first 3 or 4 hit and seemingly glance off as the beast isn't fazed by any of his strikes, the wolverine blocks the next couple, slashing downward, cutting the sides of Maas' arms as they attempt to strike again. He takes a step and slams his knee into Maas' side laying him out flat on his side, gasping for breath and clutching his wrists. He went to stomp on Maas' chest but Bei intervened again, driving a kick into the side of the wolverine. Bin runs over and grabs his fellow Prefect, Maas, under his arms and drags him away to the opposite corner as Bei Yong and the attacker stare off. The wolverine, like a wild, maddened beast leaped at him with his left paw lunging for Bei's throat with claws outstretched. Bei strikes the center of the outstretched paw with his lightning speed channeled through the tips of his fingers and slams a sideways palm into his face, sending the beast's head snapping back into the floor, smashing more boards, but also causing Bei to slide back at least a foot on the floor from the impact. There is a moment of silence and Bin and the poor inn keeper who has watched the virtual destruction of his lobby in a matter of second, uncurl from the fetal position and survey the scene, Bei standing triumphant in his characteristic deep stance with palm still outstretched and the beast on the ground, blood dripping out of his nose. Bin stands up and begins to walk towards Master Yong, "What a crazed beast, what kind of strength could he have had and from what?" Bei turns to answer Bin but Master Maas, still lying against the wall interrupts him, screaming "Yong, look out! He's still alive!" Bei whips his head around in time to see the wolverine flip to his feet and jump up, throwing a high spinning crescent kick, then coming down with a sweeping kick, taking out Bei's front leg with surprising speed and force, Bei going down on his back, just able to catch himself by throwing his paws back and by swinging his leg first up, then back and pushing off the floor, pivots on his other leg, flipping back up in one fluid motion, then throws a reverse kick to fend off the wolverine's advance and go to facing him again. With another seconds pause Bin finally has the mind to draw his sword and ask, "You. Who are you and why did you attacked us?" All Bin got in response was a psychotic stare and sneer filled with spite that gave him an odd sense of deja vu and a shiver down his spine. "Be on your guard Bin, he as if he's possessed, but my Demon Slaying Palms will end him." "No..." Master Maas stagger up to his feet. "He's on some type of drug...he's one of the underground's assassins sent to take me out after I caught a couple of them a week ago in town." With a good deal of the two Ciatan's attention focused on Maas and his information the wide twitching eyes see their opportunity. He moves forward again, digging his right foot into the broken floor boards and kicks them up and towards the group, scattering more splinters of flying wood and boards at them, lunging through the midst of them at Bei again. Instinctively they all shielded their eyes, also blocking their view of his move, before Bei could react to his reaction the high beast was upon him, trying to sink his claws into his arm still outstretched and making a lunge for his throat with his barred teeth, trying to end the battle with his formidable opponent there. Bei, feeling the pain shoot through his arm as even his iron coat was pierced some by the sharpened claws and crazed strength, is able to react enough to throw his other elbow of the arm shielding his face to meet the open jaw of the wolverine, knocking several of his long, canine teeth out of his already bleeding mouth. That pain went through even the euphoric sense of numbness that the beast had and stunned him with the quick blow to the face, but true to form, Bei did not stop there. He immediately pressed hi advantage, striking in quick succession under the throat, under the arms, solar plexus, with multiple palm strikes, sending his opponent staggering backwards into the far wall, but he was not done, not yet. Even as he suffocated from his throat being crushed and his lungs filled with blood, he counter attacked, pushing back with a mad swinging of blows, trying to scratch and claw at Bei, swinging his whole body around like a whip as the feeling and control of his limbs left him. Bei was able to block the swinging blows stepping backwards with the advance before ducking one swing and driving a palm strike into his chest, the air rushing around his paw and blowing the long, dark fur of his opponent away from the place of the blow. There was a split second before the reaction and a sickening crack of his backbone, the blow diverting through the ribs and ending the battle at once. The crazed haze that covered the wolverine's eyes lifted just for a second as they widened, at last showing pain and fear of the instant before death where you see past this life and into the unknown, then closed as he fell back, finally dead. Bei stood for almost half a minute, still breathing fast, watching the fallen figure before he turned around to Bin still standing there with his sword clutched in both paws in front of him and Master Maas leaning against the wall, clutching his left shoulder. The tabby cat inn keeper finally pokes his head out from behind his desk, practically the only part of the room not splintered, and looks around with fearful and dazed eyes. Seeing the look on Bin's face and his wide eyes, still focused on the now dead wolverine, Bei said "Welcome to violence."
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Post by Ciata on Nov 23, 2006 22:10:00 GMT -5
The rest of the long night was filled with many frantic, fumbled actions and after it was over the rest of the events swirled together in Bin's mind like a crazy dark haze. The fetching of the town's doctor, the rushing about and accusations by Master Maas' disciples, the search for any other intruders or assassins, Maas waning and nearing death but pulling through and looking more stable by the morning, the entire town was up at some point or another. It was mid-day before the two set off, leaving the town in the care of a seemingly capable caribou, the Master Maas' top student and member or his guard. With no more frantic rushing around to do, Bin's paws dragged through the dirt in the path back to Loran, another 5 hours away. Bei tried to keep him awake with some conversation on the road as he began to drop back and nod off, even while walking. "Well...what did you think about last night?" Bin's head snaps back up, his eyes blink and he looks at Bei. He repeats, "What did you think about last night?" "Oh...the fight you mean I guess?" Bei nods. "I don't know, I don't know if I could ever do that, kill someone that is." "More than likely though, in your job you'll be faced with that decision, lives will be in your paws, time and time again if your unlucky. You have to be able to react without hesitation. If I had hesitated you wouldn't be walking here beside me, and Master Maas might not be clinging on to any life at all right now. A wise Ciatan once said, "In battle, hesitation kills...you." Though it could also mean the death of others nearby you." Bin thinks about that for a moment as he shuffles along. "But...if I just react, would I just be like that wolverine last night, just like a wild creature, reacting to what goes on?" "You have to be able to make decisions, as well as react what goes on. In order to react, you have to already have made up your mind, at some level and time, as to what you value and would do." Bin sighs. "I just don't know if I could even kill anyone, I just don't think I have it in me." "Well would you rather watch someone die in front of you?" "But if I do react, and kill them to save someone else, I'll still be watching someone die in front of me, just I'll have done it." Bei nods, "I guess in a way you will be, though it's not the same, to have let something happen and to have done it yourself, in some ways I guess it's worse, in others though, the guilt of watching someone you care for die in front of you...it's unbearable." Bei looks away from Bin for a few seconds as they round a familiar tree int he trail, at least to Bin. "But should I feel guilt for something I didn't do myself? Or feel worse for the things I actually do? That wolverine last night, I don't know what his name was, what he was doing there, his story, about his family. He had to have had parents, other family, friends, a reason for doing what he did. I just don't know what I'd want if I were in his place, to live to realize what I had done was wrong, and turn away from that lifestyle, or for someone to kill me before I did the horrible things I would possibly live to regret." "Things are different for everyone Bin, some will turn from their ways later, and regret and try to make up for their actions, some will live in them until the day they die, and take more lives or hurt more people." But..." Bin tries to wrap his tired mind around his thoughts. "But what do I do? How do I make the decision? How do I know what's the right way and the wrong way, especially if it is different for each person?" "For those things..." Bei touches his forehead and points to the sky. "You must ask for guidance and wisdom, for no two instances are the life, such is life." "Such is life..." Bin lowers his head again.
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Post by Ciata on Nov 25, 2006 2:10:22 GMT -5
The journey back to Loran faded in and out for Bin, his paws shuffled and stumbled the way back to his village. About all he saw of the supposed to be 5 hour journey, which took instead 7, putting them there as the sun was setting, was the dirt being kicked by his bare foot paws. Master Yong, ever vigilant, steered him along the path path, sometimes not so gently with his staff he had gotten and had become rather fond of. He also occasionally licked the small wounds on his forearm he received from the night before, adding his own mouth's natural enzymes to help clean and heal the wound in a inherited fashion that never leaves a race in some form or another. Just as the village was in sight however, a figure that had been following them for some time at a distance, growing slowly closer as Bei Yong observed, now hurried it's pace to catch them before they made it to the village. Bei, not knowing who it was, or if it could be someone from the village, tapped Bin on the back. Getting no response, he gave a less gentle rap on the back, in true monk fashion for waking someone from sleep. "HaaAA! Wha? Who?" Bin blinked and looked around, finally finding Bei right at his side still, looking at him. "What...oh, we're almost there, good." "Not just that." Bei tilts his head back behind them to the figure now just 50 feet behind them. "We've got a follower. A friend of yours?" "Huh?" In true sleepish and naive fashion, Bin comes to a complete stops and leans forward, blinking and shielding his eyes from a sun that was at his back, staring at the figure for a few seconds. "Nope. Don't know him." He started to turn around to keep walking, but Bei stopped him. "Well I think we should find out who it is before we get into town and people start swarming us again. They tend to make it difficult to do anything serious for a few hours once you get back with all their questions." "Oh...okay." Bin shrugs and waits for the figure to approach, just as happy to stand there. Bei on the other hand, was actively sizing up the newcomer as it drew nearer. An average sized, though slouching form, long ears protruding from a hooded head, a long nose, a walking stick that likely served no purpose other than to give something to walk along with for security, looking from side to side, not out of fear or anxiety, more nervous at a confrontation of some type, an unsure and heavy step. It didn't seem like it was of any threat, was likely male, equine, and young and nervous. It took Bei not the whole 18 seconds that it approached them with to figure that out, but the first second he approached them he was confirmed of all those things. Despite having probably 7 hours to think up of what to say, he still stammered as he recited in a low, slow, depressed sounding voice. "Mmmaster Yong? I'm...I'm Vincent, Vincent Vieno. I got to Fahuma two days ago...I was sent to learn under Mmmaster...Mmaas, but Mmaster Maas got hurt, might not make it, can't teach for a while...so I decided to try to train under you..." He stood there and lowered his head, a gray one of a donkey, with slightly fuzzy hair and his ears drooped, as if waiting for a death sentence. Bei crossed his arms and Bin just looked at him groggily. "Tell me Vincent Vieno, why do you wish to train in the martial arts?" His ears looked at Bei before his eyes did, listening and thinking of a response that came slowly. "Well...my father wants me...to be something...great, or big, so he tried to get me a position...but that didn't work out, then he tried to make me like a scholar....but...I don't get some stuff, then he tried to get me into a smithing, or art, or sculpting...but I mmess stuff up. So he sent me to learn under a mmaster, but...none of the ones in the big city would take me, so he sent me out here to learn from someone..." "So I'm a last resort hmm? Not even that, I'm a second choice for one?" Bei gave a stern face and Vincent's ears and head drooped down. He even started to turn away and go back the way he came, even as night was falling, but Bei stopped him. "Listen Vincent Viene, if there is one thing that you must learn from me, and if there is only one thing I will teach you," Vincent's ears perked. "that is to be determined, and not give up. Come, follow me." Vincent's face looked happy, or as happy as it seemed capable of looking, and Bin gave him a sleepy grin as they turned to finally get into Loran.
As they got into town, Bin finally perked up enough himself to notice that a light as coming out from the windows of his little house, which was the first one you came to walking along this trail, and easily visible as it was on a little hill. Bin heard a commotion coming from his house and upon hearing familiar voices, shouting failure things, he said to Bei. "Umm...why don't you guys go ahead to the Karpten's place for the night. I think I have visitors in mine already. "You'll be alright then?" Bei asked. "Sure, it's just some friends, or guards rather, at least for the moment." Bei gives him a nod and keeps on towards the inner village with Vincent in tow and Bin nears his house, walking up the hill as the last of the sun's light disappears. Just as he was about to turn to watch the day end's show, a shout arose from his house in a furious female voice. "You ate the last of my salsa?! YOU B@$!@%&S!" There was a crash, running about, and Miquel, the kangaroo rat, and newly chosen town guard, goes jumping out the window, screaming in a high pitched tone, but only makes it half way and is stopped suddenly in mid-air and his head jerks down and into the side of his house, banging against it with a thump, and is quickly pulled back in, screaming. Oddly enough, none of this surprises or distresses Bin greatly, even though it was his house being fought in. The noise of a fight continue as Bin gets up to the door. "I'm gonna chop yer freakin' head off you freakin, freak deer!" "You know I'm a pukuuUUU!" crash "Hey, leggo his horns!" "Antlers." "Let go his antlers!" "Fine." thunk "AAAAHHHH! My tail!" Bin shakes his head and prepares himself, almost kicking the door in before he remembered it opened to the outside. Pulling the door open, without as much effect, he finds a usual scene, at least to him. Fae Fae, the vicious pine martin girl, biting Miquel's tail and has Ramses the puku, like a golden antelope, striped horns stuck into the floor boards, with Ramses laying there, trying not to cry in that painful and awkward position. Bin stares at them for a few seconds as they actually stopped this time and are starring back at him. "Why are you all in my house, and why are you fighting. Wait..." He interrupts their excuses and explanations as to the fight. "I don't care about the fight, but why are you doing it in my house?" Ramses starts to answer, but he finds it hard to speak, stuck into the floor as he is. He motions for Miquel, who has had his tail freed, and he comes over behind his head and yanks him out. Ramses feels his antlers before answering, as it was likely his idea. "Well, we figured, because you said to "hold down the fort" when you left, that we should guard your house and watch over the town from here, like you do." Bin just blinked at his logic and just shrugged, not really caring at this point, not having slept in two and a half days. "Just...clean everything up, I'm really, really tired. Or better yet, just clean up my bed, or put it back together, and leave so I can sleep, you can clean the rest later. The trio actually work together to lift his bed, which is basically four little posts with a rope bottom stretched and filled with blankets to give it a bowel type shape, perfect for a single feline, and flip it over and put the posts back into their places in the floor where they fit in. They grab most of their scattered things, and with a salute from Ramses, met by a shove out the door by Fae Fae, they leave, except their mess, and Bin is finally able to sleep.
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Post by Ciata on Nov 26, 2006 22:18:53 GMT -5
The next morning was the end of the week, and thus, the holy day. Bin liked the idea of having a day off from everything to rest, but it also meant that some of the day would be spent sitting among all the other villagers, when he just felt like staying in bed. *I know it's coming, I know it's coming, I know it's...* BOOONGGGG! "Gaaaaaahh...curse that bell with all the curses ever uttered from the muzzles of life." Bin crawled out of bed, still on all fours. Lacking any will whatsoever to get up, he flopped down on his floor, his head next to an empty jar of salsa that still gave off a tomato-ish and vinegar peppery smell. BOOONGGGG! "Aaaaahhhaaaa..." Bin moaned and got back up and staggered to his feet, his body still badly wanting to catch up on his lost nights of sleep. He knew he was still in his "uniform" and was about to just walk out in that when he smelled the smell of blood, and he remembered the blood stains on his sleeves that he had gotten from dragging Master Maas a couple nights ago. Any other time and he would have been distressed at the blood on his favorite shirt, but in his dazed state, he just shrugged and pulled it off over his head, tossing it down on the floor. BOOONGGGG! "Oh shut up." Bin moves one of his chairs off his chest of clothing in a corner and ruffles through it, finding a gray shirt and slipped it on. *Should I wear the medallion, should I not?* Bin weighed the merit of having a show of rank on a holy day and decided not to, though mainly because he was in danger of being late and he passed it by on his way out the door. He jogged halfway to town before his calf cramped up, probably from all the walking he had done lately. He came limping into the center of town where virtually all of the village's 70 some odd creatures already there. Most turned to give him a half concerned, half curious look as he arrived, if they hadn't been watching him the whole time coming down there. Bin just gave a sheepish wave to them and sat down near the back of the crowd. Sitting there he surveyed the people, looking at them all with a slightly different perspective, having been gone for several days lately. He looked at them all, in their usual order they sit, most with cushions they carry down to sit on instead of the grass or dirt around the tree. They all chatted to those around them, while still facing their bodies forward. They tended to group together, families in a group, young adults in a group, smallest kids in the front, those who can't hear well sitting near the harpsichord in the front left. It was all very orderly and predictable. Bin looked for Bei Yong, but he wasn't there anywhere. *huh, that's weird. You'd think a former monk would have a bit more respect for the holy day or something.* Bin did spot Vincent who was sitting with the Karptens, a family of small mice, averaging about 3 feet, though they made up with it in numbers, having 8 children. Vincent looked fairly happy sitting there with all of the little micelings about him. Then the ceremony started. Sit, stand, sit, stand, sit, stand, sit...Bin knew what was coming, the same songs, the same order, the same people singing off tune and coming in late next to him. Usually he found it comforting, or familiar at least. Today it seemed very dry and alien, though not in a new way, just in a far off type way. Finally the singing and standing and sitting was over, and he could just sit. All of a sudden he re-realized the wisdom of making people stand and sit and stand in the early morning as his eyes began to get heavy again. He faded in and out of the half hour lesson or reading, or whatever he called it today. Though his seniority was unquestioned, the ancient goat's voice was creaky and monotone. It was something about words...words and actions, which didn't narrow it down much for him. He just caught bits and pieces of it, nodding in and out of consciousness. "Actions speak, words are empty...words words words, I'm sick of words, show me..." The elders voice drolled on and on, but then his ear caught something else, in a different voice as he nodded down again. "Will you follow, even through the valley?" Bin jerked his head back up, drawing a few looks. He looked around the the voice, a female voice, an adult with a mature, but kind voice. Looking around he didn't see anyone of that type around him. He stayed awake for a few more minutes, half curious, half disturbed by the voice, but he started to nod off again, but not before catching a phrase, "We don't even get to choose how we serve God." As soon as the gathering was over, Bin was soon beset with dozens of curious villagers with dozens of question, though not until after he was awakened by a tiny foot kicking him in the back and then running off giggling. Oh the joys of being a public figure of authority.
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Most devout followers of the way, or at least those who wish to have a day off from their labors, avoid work on the holy day. There are others of course, who are not followers of the way, and those who go about work of a completely unholy kind. They do not have a fear of any god, but do fear power, and whatever possesses it. A particular rounded stone hill, just like any other of the stone hills protruding like a thumb from the otherwise green countryside in the area north of Loran, had on it another type of power than those in Loran gathered to acknowledge, and like in Loran, those who revered and feared that power, gathered to it. Two figures, both dressed in dark brown clothing that closely matched the steep rocky hill they had just finished climbing, reached a small cave near the top of the steep hill. There were ashes, scattered bones, and bits of weathered cloth around the entrance of the small cave. All life seemed as if it shriveled when he approached the entrance of the cave, as vine, grass, and tree around it was all brown and dead. The two figures, anxiously stood at the side of the hill for a bit, and eventually gathered up the courage to walk closer to the entrance, stopping where several patches of cloth lay and both placed and unwrapped grains, meat, fruits, silver, and trinkets. Looking at each other, the two canines of mixed heritage kneeled behind their offerings. They looked at each other and nodded back and forth, trying to decide who would talk. The one on the right finally lost and spoke in a cracking voice. "Gr...great slayer of mighty things, we, or our boss, bring you gifts, and ask that you would do us a favor?" A single black shoe and attached black pants leg appeared from the cave's shadow without a sound, sending the two into shudders. A voice, smooth, level, but with a undertone of deep hatred came out from the cave, which gave it an even more powerful, echoing sound. "I despise your filth. I know who sent you, and have no desire for your trash, or to wallow in the petty squabbles you inflict upon each other." They both put their faces down to the ground and held their hands, clasped, above them. The right one again spoke, trembling as he does. "But, but we just wish to tell you of once you may wish to challenge, he killed Shaheem, our enforcer who was sent after Master Maas of Fahuma and was about to kill him when the other intervened and killed Shaheem easily." "Shaheem was a weak fool who drew his strength from poisons and Maas is pathetic. Why should I waste my time with this stranger?" The voice replied, his tone matching his indifference. "Because, this one was coming back from Bareholm where he had just undergone the master's testing..." The shadowed figure snorted in disgust at the mention of the test. "...but he was given the status of True Master by them and no one knows who he is, or where he comes from." "Another of these so called "True Masters" what is his name and style?" The two start to get hopeful and his voice speeds up and steadies. "He's called Bei Yong, a Ciatan, and uses a palm style, like the 18 Demon Slayers or something." The shadow's voice deepens further, spiteful and seething with hatred. "The 18 Demon Slaying Palms...why is this being here, perhaps to inflict us...?" The voice contemplates this information brought to his attention for a while before he asks. "Tell me, where can I find this slayer?." Both heads pop up and say, "Loran." "We will seek out this demon slayer...and eliminate him."
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Post by Ciata on Nov 28, 2006 1:01:27 GMT -5
After breaking free from the mob, as it was in Bin's mind, he went searching for Master Yong to see where he had gotten off to. He searched the Karpten's house, where he was supposed to have stayed, but all he found was Vincent Viene eating there. He peeked in a half dozen other houses before giving up and heading back to his own. When he opened the door, lo and behold, Bei Yong was waiting there for him, sitting at his table that he apparently had straightened up. "We missed you at the gathering this morning, I'm not sure if you know yet, as you just got here, but every holy day they gather in the center of town around the tree to do their stuff." Bin busied himself with picking up. "I know." Bei didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. "Well, the whole village goes, and it's going to be hard to considered part of the group if you don't at least go to that." Bin stoops to try and scrape...something off of the floor. "Tell me, is all of those in your village of one mind, and have one path?" Bei asks, as if he had been waiting to bring it up. "Bin is a bit puzzled by the question. "No, I doubt it. We may not do much different, but we're still different and do different things." He stands up and lays a pile of dirty objects down on top of his clothes chest and sits down at the chair across of Bei. Bei sits there, his arms crossed, staring at him in a way that still made Bin uncomfortable. "Tell me, what do you honestly think and feel about it, the meeting there in the group, and what do you learn?" Bin is caught in a spot, trying not to dis his village's traditions and the former monk's apparent way, as well as be honest. He fidgets a bit in his chair, re-adjusting his tail. "Well...it gets repetitive. I swear I must have heard the same thing half a dozen times, and I'm not that old at all. It's very predictable, very familiar...most of the time." "Does it help you along your path you have been shown? Do you find it offers a true moment of strengthening and collective praise to the glories of the heavens?" Bei sits there, as if he is enjoying quizzing Bin, almost a smug look on his white and black spotted face. "mmmmm..." Bin looks torn. "Because if it doesn't, it's just holding you back. Think of it like a base camp, low on the mountain of the way we follow, if you stay in the same place, the same altitude, you will never progress to the wonders above, and achieve the blessed peaks, nor experience the dark valleys that strengthen you." "Uuuuhhh...yeah, I guess not." Bin almost franticly looks around for something to do or some subject to branch off in, but couldn't find one quickly enough. "Bin, there is a part of the scriptures that is considered by many to be the most clear explanation of what it means to walk along the way of holiness. As a monk we are required to memorize it, along with other scriptures, from out joining the monastery. It is some of the words of Sindri the Shaper, so called because he helped shape the way long ago with many of the highest held documents we have." "Uh huh..." Bin sits there, knowing he was likely in for a long lecture.
"So then, just as you received the way, continue to walk along in it, rooted and built up in it, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on mortal tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on the true way. For in in it all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in in your journey, that towards the power over every power and authority. In it you were chosen, putting off of the sinful nature, not with a a designation done by the hands of men but with the designation of the holy way and the divine one. Having been buried with him in and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the impurity of your sinful nature, God made you alive with the way. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the death, and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a holy day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in him. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as the hole one causes it to grow. Since you died with him to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Since, then, you have been raised with him, set your hearts on things above, where the divine is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with him in God. When he, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no feline or canine, holy race or unholy race, barbarian, civilized, slave or free, but the way is all, and is in all.
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of him rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of him dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Bei finished and sat back, waiting to see what Bin would say. Bin sat there, going over the highlights he remembered. "Soooo...I can drink, but not have sex?" "By the diviiine...is that all that you heard out of that?" Bei is not happy, to say the least, his teeth partly showing in a sneer. "No, no, there were other good things too, I suppose. There's just one thing I don't get, who's this he they keep talking about?" Bei's sneer turns into a grin, "Then there is part of the revelation that you have not gotten yet. That is comforting in a way that you are able to grow at least that much. Who is he you ask? You must meet him yourself." "Then he's a live? Nooo...wait, it said he was in the heavens. Hmmm...don't think I can go up there now can I?" "If you seek him, he will find you."Bei is happy to leave it at that, despite making Bin uncomfortable yet again.
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Post by Ciata on Dec 1, 2006 1:35:35 GMT -5
Bei had gotten up after the late meal and stepped outside to enjoy the end of a glorious day. The sun as setting over the far dome gills, casting a golden light all across the hill where Bin's house was sitting on. Bei closed his eyes, basking in the sunlight, letting his paws open and close stretched out at his sides. Just as he was enjoying the light though a shadow came across the setting sun just as it was turning from gold to red. A dark cloud rolled in from the bumpy hills beyond, it was an odd, cloud, one of the few in the sky to begin with, but it was also darker than the rest of the otherwise puffy white clouds scattered about the red and dark blue sky. It was is the cloud was casting a beam of darkness, blocking the light from coming from the setting sun to Loran. Bei snorted at the cloud taking away his sunbeams, glaring at it for a moment as if to make it disappear. His frown turns deeper as he begins to focus more on the cloud, feeling out for it. At that moment Bin comes out, noticing the lack of rays that he also usually enjoyed. "That stinks, stupid cloud ruining our festival." Bin walks up behind Bei, wringing his paws with a rag after cleaning the meal's dish. "Quiet!" Bei shoots back at him, taking Bin aback. He stands there for a second and goes to turn around and go back inside. He mutters "Don't have to be a spoiler after the meal I cooked an all..." "Bin." Bei calls out to him while still staring into the distance. Bin Stops and turns back around. "Get my staff." Bin starts to casually walk back to the house, still confused by the odd swing in mood by his new mentor. "NOW!" Bin jumps at the out burst and sprints inside, returning in a couple seconds with Master Yong's staff and his sword in hand. Bei snatches it from Bin's paw and goes sprinting down the hill into town. Bin stands there, completely confused, for a few seconds before he takes off after him. Bin finds Bei Yong standing in the middle of the town's center, the large dirt circle with the old tree in the center, looming in the growing darkness. Bin looks around for a minute, trying to see or hear what the seemingly paranoid or super sensitive Ciatan could see or hear. Giving up on sensing it himself, Bin gets closer to Bei Yong and asks him. "Master, what's going on?" Bei keep looking around, searching, waiting for something. "Something is here, something is coming. Can't you sense it!" "Whaa...?" Bin looks around, confused even more. "I don't "sense" anything." "Something is coming...some evil, or evil beings." "Yeeaaaah...evil beings. Should I raise the alarm or something?" Bei tuned him out again when his tone went sarcastic and stood there looking and listening, crouched with his staff in both paws. Bin shrugs and walks over to the bell that had given him such ahead ache just earlier that day and gave three sharp knocks on it with the end of the sheath of his sword. Bei spins around, almost hissing at him for doing that, and spins back around again. Bin shakes his head, assuming something had knocked him off his swing upstairs. Within a minute Ramses and Miquel had come running and Fae-Fae was next. Soon Galahad also came running up panting, him living furthest out. "Sorry...I had to string my bow." Fae Fae pipes up, her head chopper on her shoulder. "Why the heck are we here and what in all that is holy is he doing?" Pointing as Master Yong. Bin gives a sigh. "He says that something eeeevil is coming, I dunno, but he was right last time something was up, but he sure wasn't this freaked out." Miquel twirls his nun-chucks, wanting something to happen. "So...is it coming or not?" Bin shrugs again. "I don't knooo..." Bin stops and turns around, the fur on his tail poofing out more than usual and the fur on his back standing up as well. The others were also shifting around nervously.
The sun was disappearing over the far hills and the last rays of light going with it. The shadow of nightly darkness was slowly moving towards them and light was cut off from the hill blocking the sun. There was another shadow moving towards them as well though, a smaller one, a darker one. Bei had positioned himself facing the approaching darkness with the others behind him.
In all the houses in the town the creatures living inside of them began to get a cold, icy feeling, sort of like when you step out of the sun on a cold day and you were wet, the sunlight being the only thing keeping you from shivering from the damp cold. They instinctively went inside their innermost rooms together and shut their doors.
Back outside the Loran guard was trying to get ready as something came towards them slowly, moving with the shadow or a dying sun. Galahad stepped back, notching an arrow, stepping over to the side so that Master Yong wouldn't block any shot. Fae-Fae let her large, long handled sword drop to the ground, dragging the tip of the blade in the dirt as she went to stand beside Bin who was still standing there, lost in a stare into the shadow. Ramses clutched his walking stick weapon with both paws, trying to keep them from shaking and spread his legs out to keep his knees from knocking together. Miquel had dropped his nun-chucks mid spin along with his jaw. He stood for a moment, gaping and staring at the darker shadow before he began to shake.
Suddenly the last of the sun was swallowed up by the hill and everything went dark in an instant for them, having been staring into the last of the sun. Along with the light leaving, a sudden wind from whatever was pushing the dark cloud from earlier towards them swept through the town's center, picking up dust. The darker shadow that was moving within the darkness disappeared and the 5 Loran guards were nearly overwhelmed with a sudden terror of the unknown threat disappearing and being possibly anywhere. Miquel broke down and fell to his knees, clutching his sides, giving off a faint whimper of a cry. Had Ramses not been frozen in place he might have joined him. Bin still stood there, as if lost and absent in mind and Fae-Fae beside him had at least drew up her sword, grasping it firmly, looking all around her with nervous, twitching eyes. Galahad's fingers were aching, his arm quivering from holding the bow string taunt for so long, and he had no idea where to shoot. Bei Yong was the rock, un-fazed by this development he crouched as before, slowly turning, as if tracking it through a 6th sense.
He turned, and turned, and turned, until he was staring at, or through, the 5 Loran guards. Without a sound, flowing behind his turned back, the shadow re-appeared, seemingly flowing back into existence, slicing Galahad's bow string with scarcely a movement. Galahad closed his eyes, waiting for death as his arrow fell useless to the ground. The sound of it falling brought the shadow back into the other's attention. It was like a flowing mass of almost liquid darkness, smooth, flowing pitch black robes than moved as if there were a wind always blowing in front of the figure, if there was one, that lied beneath. Coming up behind the other 4 Miquel began to cry louder, falling over into the fetal position, holding his head. The figure merely moved past him and Ramses as if they did not exist, and indeed Ramses simply fainted and fell to the ground. Fae-Fae, still driven by some degree of anger to movement, lifted her sword slowly above her head, only to drop it as eyes appeared from within the mass. Red, glowing eyes, like orbs floating in the pitch darkness. Bin turned slowly around, still as if in a trance and came face to face with the shadow, staring into the darkness and glowing eyes mere inches from his face. He screamed, like he never had and never would for the rest of his life, the scream pierced through the otherwise dead silence of the whole town, chilling every soul within it.
Bei, who was waiting to react until the creature had passed them or had injured them so as not to incite it to action, jumped at the scream, rushing into action, he dashed like a white streak in the dirt across the small area to them, raising up a cloud of dust. He made a flying thrust with the end of his staff towards the face of the creature to drive it away from Bin. The thing merely shifted backwards and flowed across the dirt to the center of the area, the tree looking behind it like a massive monster reaching out with a thousand arms, looming over them. Bei landed and spun the staff behind him, holding out a paw in front of him, open to guard, facing it as it moved away.
"I know what you are, servant of the darkness. Did you come for me, or him?" Bei calls out in a challenging tone. It stays there and finally answers in a low, vibrating yet smooth, voice that reeked of malice and hatred. "I cooome for whateeever is held deaar and valuable." "You shall have neither, demons, for I am destined by the most holy to drive you away." "You are deeestineed to diiieee..." An arm forms from the dark folds and reaches to it's side and draws out a curved blade with it's right arm that reflected no light, despite there being stars and lamps still shining. "We shall see which triumphs this day, the light...or the darkness."
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Post by Ciata on Dec 1, 2006 23:54:05 GMT -5
Bin's mind was racing, racing so fast everything else around him slowed down and he became merely a distant observer. He could see Bei Yong dash at the shadowed figure again, his white fur and light gray clothing flapping as he streamed towards it. The white wax wood staff blurring in motion as it reached out for it's target, the lower half of the cloaked shadow. No sooner had the dark sword blocked on side of the staff did it flash to strike at the other side. The shadow began being still, but as Bei Yong circled him the two began to flow in a pattern of advance and withdraw, strike and defend. Everything, evey detail of the two stained Bin's mind, everything else blurred from his sight, soon there was nothing but the fight, the two interlocked in a struggle of good verses evil, light verses darkness as they seemed to now be fighting only in his mind. Auras began to develop around the two, surging and pushing against each other, flowing back and forth in an endless struggle to banish each other. Whether the fight had gone on for scant seconds in real time, or several minutes in Bin's mind, it did not matter. He began to focus back in on the two actually fighting. The black figure landed several strong blows on the center of Bei's staff, it quivering and bending from the force and Bei's paws slipping in the dirt as he braced it with both paws. On the third the staff cracked and split in half in the center, Bei having lean and flip backwards to avoid the blade, landing on his knees, holding each half in either paw. The shadow pointed its sword down at Bei kneeling there. "Suuurrender and you alone might die." Bei sneered in disgust, knocked the sword away from his face, rolled backwards and came up in a back stance, wielding the two halves. The shadow demon seemed to enjoy this resistance and came at him, alternatively hacking away at the two short rods, striking one and having to weave and dodge the other. Bin could see the splinters fall through the air around them. One, two, three, four, five...he could count the seconds it took for them to fall in his mind. Bei's light aura seemed to wane and fall back against the attack as his two weapons were being destroyed. He fell back, retreating his steps, trying to avoid hard contact with the razor sharp sword, though largely failing. His arms recoiled in shock from each hard blow, his feet slid and his claws left trails in the dirt from where he dried to get traction. It seemed hopeless, and the shadow surged against him, coming down with a terribly powerful strike. The two short sticks failed under the blow, and were chopped near his knuckles as he crossed them trying to block it. The light flickered, faded, and Bin thought that all hope was lost. Bei did not surrender however, he was the rock, he had a deeper will. He tossed he two small chunks of wood away and dropped back to his deep horse stance. Bei brought his paws together, as if summoning up his will and strength. His light grew and he yelled, "18 Demon Slaying Palms!" He thrust his paws back out and he sent swirls of dust with it. This type of resistance must have angered the shadowed, because it came at him again, again attempting to slice him in half. What happened next was a blur, even to Bin in his slowed state. Bei rushed inward to the strike, slowing the blade enough to get close by catching it for a moment with his left paw, blood splattering from the blow that still sank to his bone and tendon. His other paw struck at the thing's hands that were wrapped around the sword's hilt, knocking it back and stopping the blow from going through even his hardened paw fully. He brought the other around and both struck upward at the forearms and then almost at the same time, the chest, going through the layers of black cloak. The sword flew from the grasp of the creature and left in the night, untraceable as it did not shine at all. The cloaked figure staggered back from the blow, then righted itself and it too extended both it's palms, them and the whole visible arm wrapped in black cloth. The black figure formed his wrapped hands into claws, the smallest two fingers curling in more than the others. "Dragon style..." Bei uttered slowly. Their aura's and light and darkness matched again. They came towards each other again, Bei taking wide, low steps, and the cloaked one weaving his lower half and legs towards him in a zig-zag pattern, typical of dragon styles. They met and clashed again, and Bin's mind seemed to come back down to speed, or they had sped up even more. The two styles were fairly similar, both intercepting blows, making strikes along the other's arm and attempting to go at a vital point, only to be intercepted. Bei began to press the other back, advancing both with strikes and low kicks, gaining the upper paw, even when one of his was injured. Bei then landed a solid blow through the cloak and folds of dark fabric, and it met with an un-expected affect, at least to Bin. Part of it must have been the force and wind from the blow, blowing back the cloaks, but it was if a blast of fiery black smoke shot out through the air from the figure. What was even worse and chilling was the noise that accompanied it, a screeching, howling moan that ripped through your soul. Part of it's aura left, it weakened, but it was far from done. It came from bending over in pain to a lunge, grabbing Bei's injured paw, digging into the tear in his palm with the middle and pointer finger, and twisting his arm and turning his body. Bei's face grimaced in pain but his mind and instincts did not leave him. He turned his body with the twist at his arm and pivoted at his locked shoulder, bringing his back leg up, kicking the figure in the head. They both went down, Bei catching himself on all four and the other went down on it's side. They both got up and both struck out with their right arms, both landing blows on each other's chest that sent the other sliding backwards in the dirt. While Bei twisted his face in pain and put a paw to his chest, the evil one screeched again and it's darkness lessened. It clicked in Bin's mind, the 18 Demon Slaying Palms must be a literal name, developed to fight the physical form of demons, driving them out. It was both physical and a spiritual battle, even in the blows struck by the bodies. It made sense now why they had been drawn to combat each other, they were each a threat to the other. By the time that thought had coursed through Bin's mind the two had exchanged more blows, Bei taking a knee to the side in order to land another blow to it's chest, weakening and purging it even more. They coursed back and forth, Bei's spinning and flowing palm techniques and the being's dragon style that twisted in and out of blocking and avoiding blows and striking at vital points. The cloaked threw a reverse spinning kick, trying to take out Bei's legs with the flowing layers of black robes flowing and blurring his kick. Bei read it coming however, and jumped up, extending his arms and legs horizontally from the ground, avoiding the kick and also landing a double blow that drew a twin scream and flames that emitted no light. The figure within the black cloaked writhed in pain from the blow. From the size of the dark aura, now just barely surrounding the cloaked figure, Bin guessed there was just one demon left. The last demon seemed to struggle to control the body it had taken possession of as there was now an internal battle going on. The figure dropped to it's knees, holding it's head through the hood on it's cloak. Bei stepped forward slowly and extended his left paw, still dripping blood that had over-saturated his fur. The figure half reached, then went down on it's hands and knees. It slowly looked up and reached out again, every second and movement a struggle and battle. Inch by inch it's wrapped hand closed in towards Bei's, and finally, by it's own will, grasped it. With one last violent shriek and an outburst of darkness that faded away like dust thrown into the wind, it ended, and there was peace, and light.
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Post by Ciata on Dec 2, 2006 4:41:06 GMT -5
Time...Bin had no idea how long the entire event took place, nor what his eyes saw or what others had seen, but it was over, and things had returned to normal again, at least for him. He spun around, looking for the rest of his friends. Fae-Fae was on her knees near him, staring at the ground with her back to where the fight had taken place. Bin leaned down to check on her, but she ignored him. She didn't cry, she refused to let herself cry, Bin could tell that she had done everything she could to keep any showing of terror inside of her, and indeed had done better than most. Bin looked up towards the others and Galahad was kneeling down beside Miquel, who was still sobbing, laying on the ground. Bin walked over to Ramses' side, as he was flopped back on the dirt, arms and legs spread wide, fainted. Bin looked at Galahad and tried to speak, but found himself searching for audible words. "Gah...Galahad. Would you...carry Miquel home?" The panda just nods and slowly picks up the small kangaroo rat in his arms and begins to slowly carry him back to his home and parents. "Fae, would you help me carry Ramses over to...to the doctor's?" Fae-Fae just ignores him mainly and walks over to he puku laying there sprawled out and takes her water pouch from her side and proceeds to dump it on his golden furred face. Ramses coughs and sputters under the water being poured on his face and is brought back to the world of the conscious. "Wake up you wuss." A typical Fae-Fae greeting, though with a less bruising tone than usual. Ramses sits up, rubbing the back of his neck and wiping water off of his short fur, looking around to see what had happened, acting rather ashamed that he had fainted for any reason when in the call of duty. "Uh...Bin, I'm sorry, Iii..." Ramses stammered, trying to apologize. Bin just shakes his head. "It's alright Ramses, none of us could have done anything...I guess you two can go back home or whatever." They both nod and begin to collect their weapons that had all fallen useless to the ground, Bin's sword included. Bin went over and picked up his sword, still in it's sheath and looked over to where Bei and the other one was. Bei Yong had quickly recited a set or prayers to try and ward off any possibility of returning demons and then removed his paw from the still cloaked head. "You don't have to hide in darkness anymore, embrace the light, even the lights of the night sky." It reached up slowly, still in a daze from what all had gone on, and pulled back the layers of dark cloaks and hoods to reveal an equine face, though unlike any that Bei had ever seen. His face was white and blue, but there wasn't fur on his body, not like normally. Starting at his muzzle and moving up to near his eyes, which were slitted and not as tall as a mammal's, his skin, or whatever you could call it, was a smooth pure white, like that of some dolphins. Starting under his eyes there were blue scales however, except around his eyes, which were also the smooth white. There were also 5 large scales that ran down his nose to the tip of his nose that were like pearls. Going up they went into long white hair that went down further than Bei could see into the cloak and between his equine ears. The inside of his ears were snowy white, but the backs were scaled with blue. Under his chin and down his throat it was also the smooth white. Bei didn't really mean to, but the question forced it's way out of his mouth. "What are you? I mean...who are you, what's your name?" He looked at Bei through his strong, blue slitted eyes, knowing the question was coming. "I'm a mistake." He repeated the answer he had been told and been forced to give all of his life. His voice had a strong, but kind sound typical of equine races, though hurting and depressed at the moment. "No." Bei shook his head. "Everything has a purpose and everything is planned by the all knowing above. What is your name?" Bei sounded genuine enough to seriously want an answer. "My name...is Gabriel." "Gabriel, the strong one of God. A powerful name given to you for a purpose." Bei tries to reassure him of some self worth. "It didn't help me resist...them." Gabriel coughs and clutches his chest in pain. "Your wounds, of course. It was not exactly a gentle exorcism, forgive me for what I had to do. We must get you help." Bei Yong's concern for the one he had just injured shows through his voice strongly as he stands and calls out. "Bin! Go and get that bird ready to see someone with hurt ribs and swelling!" "...your paw." Gabriel gently touches Bei's left paw at the wrist, turning it slowly to look at it, cut down to the bone by his blade and still bleeding badly. "I'll make sure it's taken care of too. Come on, we need to get you treated before it begins to swell internally." Bei leans down and helps him stand up, putting an arm under Gabriel's and making sure it was his right one and that Gabriel, who was a bit taller than him even when partially bent over, held on to his shoulder. They staggered across the opening in the center of town and not 30 feet down the path in the direction of Bin's house to the open door of Doctor Pasternak the owl. Getting him inside the Doctor initially shrunk away from Gabriel, still in his dark robes, but soon his doctorly instincts got the better of him. He wanted to take care of Bei's bleeding hand first, as it was the obvious, bleeding injury, but Bei refused, insisting that he take care of Gabriel's chest and ribs first. The doctor only conceded when Bin offered to help Bei bandage his own paw. "Alright you, aaaah...Gabriel, yes. Take off those robes if you would so that I can see the injuries inflicted upon you." The owl stands ready to examine and diagnose. Gabriel looks a bit more uncomfortable, but eventually turns around with his back to the Doctor and begins to remove the many black robes, each dropping into a pile around his feet. Eventually he removes the last one and that was all his clothing...period. He sat down on the examining chair, leaning back a bit allow his thick tail to sit properly in the chair and be able to come up between his legs to partially cover himself. "I say, I've never seen one of your species, and that is rare indeed. I take it then that you are a unique, a mixed breed?" Gabriel just nods. "Well, you must inform me later then, the outcome of such rare successful interspecies mixing is fascinating." "The ribs..." Bei reminds the good doctor of why he was there. "Ah yes, of course, treatment after diagnosing." He began to examine and feel and test "Does this hurt?" on Gabriel's smooth white stomach. It was hard to tell where it was and wasn't built as it all being so white made it hard to define, but it was very thin, especially for one at least partially equine. Overall his whole body was thin and long, only his tail was larger than a horses' it being blue scaled and almost as thick as his also blue arm. The tail also split at the end and had long white shiny hair flowing down and around. There was also a ridge of short white hair going down the tail and longer white hair around his ankles and wrists. His fingers were also white and both his fingers and toes were tipped by overly large and thick tips, throwbacks to hooves which were what his feet resembled. Bei was correct earlier, his hair did indeed go long, nearly down to his waist. Gabriel caught Bei Yong staring at him sitting there, not un-used to someone staring at him, it still threw off Bei Yong. "Oh...um, your a Clydesdale and Eastern Dragon mix are you not?" "That's right. My father was dragon and my mother the horse. As you might have figured it wasn't exactly a celebrated act...they separated not long after I as born." Gabriel looks off with that last part. "Ah, well, one is better than none. Both my parents were killed when I was still young." Gabriel was going to ask him if that was why he became a monk, but he stopped himself, as he did not know if others knew or why he was here. "There." Gabriel looks down at the white bandages and wrappings and some type of salve on his chest. "Now, you should take it easy and not do any lifting or extensive bending, twisting...really it would be best if you didn't move at all." Doctor Pasternak gave his prescription for life. "Now, about that paw...I'm afraid it might need stitches..." Gabriel looked at Bei again as if to say "I'm sorry." Again, but he wasn't keen on assuring any suspicions that it was he that did it. After Bei had gotten several stitches on his palm, and a splint, and bandages and medicine, he would have been free to go, but he insisted that he stay with Gabriel for at least the night there at the lobby of the Doctor's house to guard him from any possible demons returning, though he didn't tell Pasternak that last part. Bin went home to try to sleep for a few hours that were left of the night, Gabriel tossed and turned painfully under a sheet on the recliner/couch thing, and Bei sat and guarded for the rest of the night, contemplating what had all gone on.
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Post by Ciata on Dec 9, 2006 14:46:31 GMT -5
After Bin had managed to get to sleep that night, which was no easy task after all he had witnessed, he awoke late the next morning, almost noon time to the sound of a bang and shouting voices. Still dressed from the night before, he wandered out, still in a daze, see what was going on. The smell of freshly uncovered dirt and wood met him when he stepped out. He had to blink a few times to realize what was going on, but across the path from his house it seemed as if the whole village was gathered, bringing with them piles of different woods, tools, and dirt. Bei Yong was standing in front of Bin's house with his arms crossed, watching the activity. Bin staggers up to him, scratching behind his ear. "What are they doing?" "They're building me a house and they won't let me do anything." Bei sounds a little agitated at that, despite the obvious generosity being bestowed upon him. "Aaaaand this is a problem?" "No...it's just un-expected, and sudden. Few of them would even talk to me yesterday and now they are building me a house, and not just a house, but a training area as well. I can't help but feel something is going to come with this, like some type ritual or deal." "No, it's just the way they welcome new people to the village, which doesn't happen very often. Once they accept you they build you a place to live." Bin rubs his eyes, trying to force the sleepiness from them that has compounded from all the odd and shortened nights he'd gone through lately. "But why do they accept me now? I've been here what, four days, and it started with me threatening your life and now..." He waves his paw at the construction. "Now this." "I take it where your from generosity isn't something that's common..." A red squirrel, brownish red really, with white around his eyes and chest, comes running over to the two Ciatan standing there, flicking his bushy tail and bows and begins talking at a breakneck pace. "Master I mean Truuue Master Yong or Bei Yong Truuue Master Bei Yong, how big do you want the training floor, and in which direction do you wish it to be pointing. We weren't sure if you wanted the morning or evening light to be coming in to your window home or training area, or both." Bei looks at him with a raised brow. "Just put it to the north of it, we always need sunlight, and make it...I don't know, thirty feet by thirty feet, but you don't have to put a full wall on it, just a roof and pillars and a couple feet of wall on the bottom and a foot or so at the top to keep out most of the dust and rain." The squirrel vigorously nods or shakes his head at any do or don't or specification that Bei gave and bows again and runs off. "That one is a strange one, is he alright upstairs?" Bei looks questioningly at Bin. "Oh yeah, Rob's fine, most squirrels are like that, very jittery, very talkative." "Huh." Bei shakes his head.
Suddenly the wind changes from blowing into their faces, facing the construction, to blowing behind them for a moment and Bin smells some strong, odd smell on the air, like a strong herb smell and turns around. "HAA! Oh, geez, where'd you come from?" Gabriel, with a white sheet wrapped around him and tied at the waist that billowed with the changing wind, stands behind and between the two, silently watching the activity as well. Bei doesn't even look back but answers the question himself. "He got here right after the squirrel turned to leave and just before you answered my question about him." Bin, a bit un-nerved with all the silent sneaking about looks back and forth between the two. "You master dudes freak me out sometimes, you know? Sheesh..." Bin walks off to be among more normal individuals and see what he could help do in the building and planning. After he leaves Gabriel takes a silent step forward so that he is just visible out of the corner of Bei's eye. "They seem like good people here." His voice is calmer and smoother than the night before, like a breath of wind. "Yes, very accepting, which seems odd for such a small, tightly nit community as this one. They seem to have escaped or grown out of many of the anxieties and biases that plague other parts of the world." Bei speaks almost matter of factly, having been observing them for a bit longer. "Perhaps, but there are always faults in every structure. They accepted you because you are powerful and saved them from me." "I helped you save yourself." "Perhaps, but I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't." Bei's tone changes to one almost of admiration. "You seemed to still retain a good deal of control, despite such forces working within you. Your will and soul must be very strong." Gabriel silently takes the complement. "Tell me then, how did it come to pass that you were in that state to begin with?" Gabriel stares beyond the group working and into the clouds slowly floating across the sky. "I just wanted respect. Simple respect for who I was. But no matter how hard I worked, and how hard I tried, all I got was fear." "Because you were different?" "Yes, different, strange, abnormal. Perhaps when my desire changed from respect to fear is when the door was opened. Power is feared, good deeds are respected, which is why you were able to gain their respect last night. I missed that until it was too late." Bei asks again for the answer to his original question. "How exactly did it take place then? When was it too late?" "I was alone, my mother had died recently and I had gone out into the wilderness and hills searching for something. I climbed to the top of a peak one night and screamed into the darkness for the power to make all fear and respect me...and something answered." Bei nods. "The shards of a broken heart can be a dangerous thing for others to tread on."
They watch the work, the wind blowing the grass and dust, the clouds, and Gabriel finally asks Bei of his past. "So...what is a Shuey Baw monk doing here in a remote southern village?" Bei Yong has to think deeply on what he would respond to that, but finally he answers. "I was sent on a mission, one that the ones that went before me completed, so I had no purpose and could not return, lest I bring back the consequences of our actions." The winds shift again and this time come blowing in from their left, bringing with it the red and brown leaves from the trees beyond Bin's house flying across their view. Both their eyes catch a bird who was gliding along with the wind away from them, but as the wind changed it too changed direction and went to soar above the village. "Hmm...purpose changes like the wind. I did not lose my purpose, only gained a new one." "You talking about the other Ciatan, the one who was there last night as well? You seemed very protective with him." Bei nods and he watches Bin carry wood from a pile over to where Pa' the Beaver was putting a frame together. "He has the ability to have a very meaningful future that could change the lives of many, but he will need much guidance and much protection." "I see..."
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Post by Ciata on Dec 10, 2006 1:29:27 GMT -5
"Speaking of one needing guidance..." Gabriel speaks of one that any observing eye would be drawn to at the work site, Vincent. The poor donkey couldn't help but feel he was in the way, obviously never having done any work of this type before. You couldn't help but cringe as he dropped some wood for the roof or bumped into someone, or tripped over something. "Is he just clumsy or daft?" Gabriel walks over and leans against the side of Bin's house, running his hands through his long white hair, trying to manage in the wind. "I can't say I'm sure what his problem is yet, he got here the night before you did. It seems that he fails in anything he tries at, though I think it's mainly lacking self confidence because of unmet high expectations." Gabriel cringes as Vincent drops a board on his foot, hops on one the other one into Ramses who was carrying two buckets full of dirt on a stick across his back to help level the ground with, knocking him and the buckets over into one dirty pile. "There's something wrong with that kid." "You say kid, how old are you? It's hard to judge your age." Bei watches them begin to untangle and clean up the mess. Gabriel grins a little at this question, a bit flattered in some ways, while examining his hand. "I'm 32 as best I can guess, a lot of time is fuzzy." "Having fought you I would have guessed you were older, though the circumstances were rather tainted. Your still very skilled for one your age, however your style is unorthodox, though that may just be me, where did you learn it from?" Gabriel leans his head back and to the side, looking away from the work, into the sky opposite of all the people. "When I was younger I watched from the rooftop opposite of a school that taught a dragon style. I couldn't get in because I was an illegitimate half-breed peasant who had nothing, and they were better. But still, I learned what I could watching from a distance of their style and later developed my own dragon style." Bei looks more impressed and casts a gaze over to him. "To achieve what you have with no formal training speaks volumes of your natural skill and determination." Gabriel just closes his eyes and shrugs off the compliment. "I didn't have much of a choice." "I think that Vincent over there could learn a great deal from you. He was born with everything and yet has achieved nothing on his own, yet you were born with nothing and have achieved much." "Achieved much? Ha, I was a demon possessed killer who lived in a cave and owned nothing." Gabriel grinds one of his hard toes into the ground. "You can't judge success by material things, because those can disappear on an instant." "Spoken like a true monk..." Gabriel sticks his hands inside his makeshift robe and walks back down the hillside path he took to get up there, going back towards the village leaving Bei to observe and oversee alone. Bei Yong sighs and looks up at the sun sitting nearly at the tilted late fall spot for noon. "Now if they would just let me do something..." Bei could only watch helplessly as they moved the pillars for the corners of the house which were in fact logs and were stamping bucket after bucket of dirt into a hard, level floor and started working on the frame they would fill with dirt and stamp solid to make a thick earth wall with. Bei gave up and sat down on the seat next to Bin's house to watch the work go on as they neared breaking for mid-day meal and nap in just their first day of construction.
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Post by Ciata on Dec 11, 2006 19:05:57 GMT -5
Construction kept most of Loran busy for the next few days. Most of the people spent their time carrying wooden bucket after wooden bucket of dirt from their dirt pit some 40 yards away to the site where it was either dumper on the ground to be stamped into a floor, or poured into the wooden frame of the walls to be stamped into a hard, earthen filling. This of course wore many people out and progress slowed a bit after the very old and very young left to help in other ways such as preparing food and carrying water. However by the end of the third day of construction the wooden thatched roof was being put on and the training area had been started. In all it looked to be a relatively handsome house by their standards, very large for a single creature, though they assumed that since he was a master he would also eventually have students. The smooth, light wood on the siding contrasted with the dark brown of the dirt floor and the browning grass around it. The roof was also being made of a different wood, one that could be split into thing shingles and not split or warp when it got wet, so it too was a different shade of brown and was still fairly rough in comparison. The roof itself was supported by the four pillars the house was built upon, not the walls. The pillars themselves were tree trunks that had been chiseled free of bark and had been drying in a pile for several seasons. Overall, the house like most others, was very brown, not that Master Yong minded really. He had plenty of time to look at it though since they refused to let him do the work.
Bin, even though he had been working had the last few days, actually felt more rested now than before since he was actually able to get a fairly normal nights rest the last few days. At the evening meal which the whole village shared in the center of town around the old tree during special occasions such as this, Bin decided to bring up a fairly pressing issue he needed to deal with. Bin leaves his spot and goes to sit next to Galahad who looks up from his meal, knowing Bin had something to go over. "Hey Galahad, I've got to like...I dunno, sweep the area of Loran, sorta take a survey of everyone that is within our area to have it on official records of how many people are in my...area I guess. But I was thinking about doing that tomorrow morning since everything seems to be going fine with the house for Master Yong." Galahad bobs his head as Bin speaks. "And I take it you want me to go with you then." Bin shrugs. "Well, yeah. I can't exactly go by myself and also can't take Master Yong with me from his own party..." "Yeah, I get the picture, and the others wouldn't be much help, being young as they are." Bin nods in consensus. "Yeah, you've been around here a lot longer than I have and know the paths and such a lot better than me." "Oh I'm not complaining." He leans in and whispers. "In fact, now would be a great time to be out of the house, because my wife, isn't happy right now. She's in the whole "look what you did to me" stage with the cub." "Uh huh..." Bin looks a bit anxious about taking him when she was already mad, but that was his problem. "I figure we'll leave early, early tomorrow morning and it shouldn't take us but a day or two to finish at the most." "Alright, it's a plan then."
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Post by Ciata on Dec 14, 2006 22:15:54 GMT -5
The next morning Bin was met at his door by Galahad, who was packed and very ready to go with his leather bundle on his back, carrying what little they would probably need over the next couple days. Bin had to go back inside to get his things and throw the last of his supplies in his pack, including all the legal documents he might possibly be forced to show and explain, which he dreaded having to do. "Your early," Bin notes the tired and slightly aggravated look on Galahad's face. If his eyes didn't already have rings around them, they probably would. "...I take it Merry gave you trouble last night?" Bin grabs his sword and fumbles with it, trying to get it on his belt when it wouldn't knock against his leg. "If by trouble, you mean that I slept by the fireplace on the mat, then yeah, I had trouble last night." Galahad, unusually perturbed with his wife, leans against Bin's door post with his thick arms crossed. "Well, that just seems to happen a lot, eventually they supposedly get better after the first one if that's any consolation." Bin shrugs and knots his belt in place, shouldering his pack. "Oh I doubt it, I'll be lucky if there's ever one after this, or heck, I'll be lucky if I ever get back into my own bed again." He steps out of the doorway and out in front of Bin's house, pack, bow, arrows, and walking staff all ready and in place, probably like they had been for some time now. Bin steps out, shutting his door, as there was no lock on the outside and he knew there would be others around later in the day, not that there was any threat of anything worse than what happened lat time, it becoming a bit of a party house in his absence. They start off, walking back down the trail Bin had just gotten back from a few days earlier, returning from his previous journey, though they would take many a different turn this time, making a wide and round about circle of Loran.
They walk in silence for a little while, as often happens early in the morning, which was re-enforced by Galahad's bad mood, or response to his wife's. Bin was just happy enough to be getting out and about again, after several trying days or tests, torments, and hard work. Bin walked along cheerfully enough at the early time of the day as the sun just began to light the world and their path, he kept his paws holding on to the straps of his pack, looking about. Galahad fairly stomped along, the two, partly because of their similar colors, both mostly black and white, making a stark contrast never the less. One thin and average height, happy and light hearted, the other tall, hulking, and sulking, stomping along as he brooded over the night before. Bin finally broke the silence, his eyes going back and froth between the panda and the path in front of them that begun to twist and turn with many a root and rock along this fairly un-used part of the hilly countryside. "So, is it normal what they're doing with Master Yong, the whole building and not letting him work thing? My house was given to me and I've only been here...like a little more than three years now, though it seems like a lot longer than." Galahad gives off a a huffy sigh. "Pretty much. Anyone who comes into a small place like Loran gets some major hospitality, though not usually this much. It's mainly because he got rid of those spirit things, is a master, and also his paw is hurt, which is mainly why no one's letting him do anything." Bin nods, his head down, as it most often is while walking, looking at every pebble and root and object. "Yeah, it was cut pretty deep, though he doesn't let on about it at all." More silence as they sun rose, bringing morning, life, and noise to their walk, the sun washing over the hills and sparse trees that seemed cast out by the forest in the middle of fields and on hills. "So how many people actually live around here? I've never really walked all the paths or run across that many that live nearby." Galahad's mood had lightened a little at this point, brightening with the morning. "I've been here all my life pretty much, and there's only four of five families that live in the area. They are pretty spread apart and such. Most of them there's a reason they don't live in town, a couple just prefer to live alone." "Huh..." Bin just takes it in and continues to look for any interesting rock along the path he might walk across.
It wasn't but an hour after the sun had come up before they reached their first house, a secluded shack beside the path, though it seemed no one took the small walk to it at all, almost as if no one lived there anymore. As the two got close though through the withering winter grass, they noticed a small garden beside the old wood and mud shack, which was in need of some repair, especially on its roof. "Who lives here?" Bin asked as they were nearly at the front door, which was little more than a board on a hinge really. "This is old man Unum, he's lived here longer than I've been alive and anyone else knows of." "He lives alone?" They stop at the front door. "Yeah, always has." Bin stands there for a few seconds, summoning up all his courage to knock on the old door. He does...and does again...and again. Finally, right before he went to knock the fourth time, the door slowly opens without a word. An ancient, wrinkly green and brown turtle stood there, his head almost shriveled into his shell, leaning with a wobbling arm on a twisted cane, the other hand on the door's rope handle. He just stood there, looking at them. Bin, thanks to a nudge from Galahad, lowered one eye brow from its arched place and lean forward from his retreated position. "Umm...mister Unum?" The turtle looks around blindly with squinting eyes. "Whaat? What'd you say? Who is it?" Bin, guessing that he was blind and nearly def, almost shouted, which was hard for him to do. "MISTER UNUM! I'M PREFECT OPALANCE BIN-JA! I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF OUR NEW GOVERNMENT AND EMPEROR TO INFORM YOU OF SOME CHANGES!" "Haaa...who? Emperor? Wha are ya talkin about?" "There has been a change in the government since the last Diacanos, Opalance Calaminion died." "Whaaa?" Bin sighs and tried to yell again. "THE GOVERNMENT CHANGED AFTER THE LAST DIACANOS, OPALANCE CALAMINION DIED. THERE IS AN EMPEROR NOW! EMPEROR ROWAN STORMWAKE!" "Hmmm? Who's all these Opances you talkin' about? Galahad leans over to Bin and whispers. "He probably didn't even know about Diacanos Calaminion. He was fairly young after all." "Oh...MISTER UNUM, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW OF THE CHANGE AND THAT IF YOU NEED ANYTHING, YOU CAN JUST ASK ME IF YOU EVER SEE ME OR COME TO LORAN WHERE I LIVE!" "What? I don't...I don't need anything, I'm fine here...all alone, like it that way." "ALRIGHT MISTER UNUM, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW!" "Uh huh...goodbye." And with that, the turtle hermit slowly shut his door, and barred it. Bin clears his throat. "Well...that was weird, you'd think that he'd want to talk or visit some or something, never seeing anyone." "I'm not sure if he could see you anymore anyway." Galahad turns around to leave. "Yeah, but still..." Bin turns to follow. "I mean, he probably hasn't talked to anyone for years, besides people in his head maybe, why would someone want to live like that, with never seeing anyone?" Galahad just shrugs, and then re-adjusts his backpack. "Some creatures are just solitary and like it that way somehow." "Huh...I mean, I like solitude, but no one and nothing to do...I'd go crazy." "Yep...some do." The two walk back to the path and continue on their way, leaving the hermit to his ways.
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Post by Ciata on Jan 1, 2007 23:39:04 GMT -5
Bin and Galahad had kept on through the cool early winter day, traveling through the sloping countryside surrounding their village. It was a peaceful walk, quiet beyond even their usual measure and the sparse old trees losing their leaves bled color into the dying grass around them which was a greenish tan. The air was wonderfully clean of strong and foreign scents, just the crisp smells of winter and cold blowing across their noses as the wind pushed a few light clouds through the sky. They had made a couple more stops at families that occasionally visited Loran that went off easily and quickly, stopping for just a little conversation and a meal at the second for a quick lunch. They still had the taste of spicy noodle dish when another aroma crossed their noses. Bin sniffs again at the wind, turning up his black nose to try to catch the scent and identify it, which he was continually unable to do. Baffled, he turns to Galahad who walked beside him, who was in considerably higher cheer than he was earlier that day, or at least he was a moment ago, but now his face was back into a serious frown. "Galahad, what's that smell? I can't put a name on it." "Well I should hope not, that's moongrass." Galahad continued on with his frowning, expecting that to be enough, which it wasn't. "What's moongrass?" Bin cocks his head to a side, at a loss and looking naive as possible. "Wha...? You mean you don't know what moongrass is?" Bin just shakes his head and Galahad sighs. "Moongrass is a type of plant that you can put into a pipe and smoke. Turns useful and smart creatures into lazy bums who sit staring and howling at the moon while raving about how it moves or talks to them or whatever." "Uh huh...so where is it coming from?" "My guess is the shack on the other side of that hill up there." Galahad points to a fairly large, brown hill that acted as a block between the supposed shack and the main path. "Sooo...should we go over and check it out?" Bin stops in the dirt path and turns to look in the direction of the hill, sniffing again at the small wavering across his nostrils. "Well, we're supposed to be telling everyone, bums included." Bin shrugs again and starts off of the path towards the hill which was now about fifty yards away. Galahad follows him and asks, "What kind of laws did the new government put in place about drugs?" "Drugs...drugs...let's see...um...there wasn't much in there exactly, it was put up to the local rulers. Some might turn it into a public industry, some might outlaw it and ban it, and punishments are anything but execution pretty much. So...it's whatever I feel like." Galahad nods. "It's not so much the drugs as it is what goes along with it, the wasting of your resources, debt, not working, indecency, and up to forced prostitution and slave trade to personal armies and drug wars over territory." "Yeeaah...we'll see then." They continue on over to the hill, the grass crunching slightly under their paws and as they make their way around the trees that almost covered it, they slowly top it and look over the other side. Sure enough, there was a shack, and it was being occupied by more than one individual. There were a basic four walled mud brick house and a wood shack and garden off to the right. The whole thing was in a general state of dis-repair, probably from just recently being re-occupied. The wooden shingles on the roof were mis-matched and sloppily done, if at all, and the walls were beginning to crumble and was supported by a stack of wood to keep it from falling down on the front left side. "Yep, typical drug house." Galahad takes off his bow and strings it, readying it for possible use. Bin looks at him, wondering what he was doing that for. "Just in case." The panda told him as he slung it back onto his broad back. Bin shrugs and starts down the hill.
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Post by Ciata on Jan 2, 2007 23:50:00 GMT -5
Bin made it about halfway down the hill when a creature exited the door of the shack. Dressed in only a pair of brown knee length pants, his long, thin body was covered in brown and black fur, including a black mask over his eyes. You might think he was a starved, skinny raccoon if not for his thin tail, which indicated that he was either a weasel or ferret, or a mix. In any case, when he looked up and saw the snow leopard and large panda coming down the hill he turned around and ran right back inside the loosely hinged door, nearly running into the door post before slamming it shut again.
"Oh that's just dandy..." Galahad reaches back to take his bow off of his shoulder but Bin stops him. "Hold on Galahad, let's not give them a reason to do anything or assume anything." Galahad shrugs and lowers his paw back down. "It's your pelt..." The two had nearly come to a halt infront of the house when the door came flying back open, leading to a start from Galahad, however there were no visible weapons, just another ferret, a male, as well as more clothing on the first, a green shirt, its rough fabric matching that of the pants and of his companion's. The two stood in front of the house, the first, and darker as the second lacked any black on his visible coat, ringed his paws while putting on a nervous smile, revealing yellowing pointy teeth. The first had a bit less nervous smile, but it seemed no less genuine to Bin as he came up and stopped about four feet away. They stood there looking at each other for an awkward moment before Bin forced himself to talk. "Um, hello. I'm Opalance Bin-Ja, the new prefect of Loran and the surrounding area. I'm just here to inform you of the change in government as well as answer any questions about new laws you may have." The two ferrets flash a nervous glance between them before the lighter one answered. "So, you tha' new boss around 'ere 'en?" Bin shrugs. "More or less, though it doesn't really..." Galahad grunts, trying to keep Bin from belittling his position again like he had with the last two houses. "...um, change much. Loran is really too small to have or need any type of government...for now." "Uh huh..." The lighter ferret crosses his arms and the darker one does shortly thereafter. "Well, what ya' gonna say about laws n such?" "Well, just kinda answer whatever questions you might..." Galahad grunts again. "Um, have. I believe Galahad here has a question or comment to make, or something." Galahad gives a not too thankful look, but steps forward and asks. "What are you eating tonight?" The two look at his puzzled and both tilt their head slightly, as does Bin. "Well...I dunno, whatever." "Can't cook?" "Naw, not really." "Then your rabbit does all the cooking?" The two ferrets look at each other again. "Rabbit?" "Yes, the rabbit. I can smell rabbit, if you were going to eat it you would be doing it tonight or I would smell the blood from skinning it. There's a live rabbit here, and it's cooking supper for you since it's about to get dark." The lighter ferret plays it cool while the other wrenches his paws and his eyes flash about. "Yeah, there's one 'ere, so what?" "So the prefect needs to introduce himself to her too." The ferret thinks for a second and then shrugs. "Fine, we'll go get 'er." The two go back inside and shut the door behind them. "What are you doing Galahad? I only have to talk to the head of each household or whatever." "I'm thinking that they have a slave in there, a girl rabbit, the most usual type. Normally I wouldn't bother, but this is a drug house, they probably are growing their own moonweed in their garden outback and traded for her. So just be ready, alright?" "Okay." With that the two ferrets come back outside, still bearing no weapons, so Galahad let his paw slide casually from its resting place at the bottom of his bow. After them followed a female rabbit, a gray and black spotted floppy eared one. She wore just a simple sleeveless, one piece robe type garment, a rather ugly tan, and held her face down as she walked and had a few visible scars on her nose and ears and the fur around her right ankle was worn away, leaving a ring of bare skin. Galahad just looked at Bin and nodded. "Hello miss, I'm the new Prefect Opalance Bin-Ja, you are?" Her eyes just flashed up to look at Bin, and then went back down. The darker ferret spoke up in her place. "She can't talk ya see. We took her in, found her roaming the road near 'ere, probably cast out by 'er family." Galahad took back over in the interrogation. "Then why do you tie her up?" "Whaa?" The ferrets try to look as taken back as possible. "Her ankle, you keep her tied up with a rope, make her do all your cooking and housework, mate her, she's a slave isn't she?" "Now come on, wot makes you think any of that?" The two shift nervously, the darker one still standing behind the apparent leader, eyes darting about, probably high off of moonweed and the lighter one sliding an arm behind his back. "Because you tie her up, her vocal cords were slashed to keep her from talking, you mate her forcefully from the scars on her nose and ears, and you deal in moonweed." "So? Your new laws don't like that?" The two start to back away to the door of their shack. "No, our laws don't at all, and I won't let it continue." Bin made the error of stepping forward on that end note and the paw of the lighter ferret flew from behind his back, slinging his arm sideways. Galahad reacted before Bin knew what had happened. Galahad unslung his bow and notched an arrow, loosing it on the lighter ferret that turned his back to him, retreating through the door, all in a single breath. With that single breath though, Bin took in one that sent a sharp pain through his chest when he moved it, he looked down to see a leather wrapped hilt protruding from his chest, about in the middle and almost all the way to the right side at the edge of his ribs. Bin blinked, the reality of what it was taking a moment to set in. In that moment though a door slammed shut and Galahad traced the fleeing body along its course and let loose another arrow that shattered the weak, dry wall at that close range with the longbow's incredible draw strength, leaving a hole through it. As Bin at down his paw hovering near the hilt of the blade in his chest/side, Galahad kicked open the door with his thick leg and loosed another arrow. The pain set in and things seemed to get blurry and darker and the last thing Bin saw before closing his eyes was a pair of long drooping ears and a blurry gray face hovering over him.
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Post by Ciata on Jan 3, 2007 22:20:02 GMT -5
Bin opened his eyes. *Loran? How did I get back here? What is everyone doing? There must be something still going on. It must have been a dream, I must have imagined it...or is this the dream...somethings wrong, somethings off...there's no noise, everyone seems sooo...blurry. Hmm? I can't move, my legs...I can't tell where they are, I can't tell if I'm even here. What's going on? There's something keeping me here, I can't reach anyone, they can't hear me.* Bin goes to stretch out his paw, but doesn't see it either, but he comes in contact with something. *Somethings in the way, somethings blocking it, it's like glass, everything is blurry and warped on the other side...grrrr, I can't move it, I can't get around it. I can't get to anyone like this, I'm trapped, trapped here in myself, trapped here all alone, I've got to get out!* Bin's mind frantically searches and feels, trying to find something, an exit, a way out, and he stumbles upon something, or something came upon him. *Can't...find...wait. What's this? A seems like a key, it doesn't look...like anything, but it's got to be a key, got to be my way out. I've got to use it, I've got to reach someone. I can't live here like this, trapped in myself, I've got to touch someone, something...* Bin extends the key towards the barrier, then notices something and stops. *What...are those? There are other things, blurry things, shapes, feelings, emotions. They've evil. They're hate. They're death...but...I've got to reach someone, but what if those things reach me?! No. I've got to go out, I've got to feel someone again, I've got...to...see. Yes, I've got to take the bad with the good.* Bin extends the key again, hesitating just before touching the limit, then pushing it on. The key sent a ripple through the barrier, and it echoed all around him across invisible and impossible lines and angles, then it shattered in a mind deafening crash. Bin screamed, but nothing could be heard over it. A million shards or glass fell all away from him in every direction, and he could see them all float away at one glance. Staring into the shards he could see things, each one a future, each one had life, death, emotions, feelings, a story to last a lifetime a million times over, a million possibilities or pasts or futures or other's presents. It went from a total silence to an unrelenting flood of feelings. *Sooo...many. To much...can't, can't...* Bin tried to draw himself back in, curl up and hide from the onslaught, but the barrier was gone, he was open to everything and everyone. He wanted to cry, but there were no tears, there was so much pain, so much pain. There was happiness and joy and hate, but there was soooo much pain. *Pain, pain, pain, pain, mmaaaahh...* He could feel the combined pain and anguish and fears of all the people around him, it all crushed down on him with a weight that would easily crush a normal person...but there was something else there, something keeping the core of his being safe and separated from the emotions flooding over and through him, one final barrier, locked forever to keep his sanity and soul intact. He knew he didn't put it there, it wasn't there before, or perhaps he just didn't realize it. Finally, like a body adjusting to the shock of being thrown into an icy, rushing river, he began to move, uncurl, and see again. It still hurt, the emotions still stung and permeated his soul, but it began to get more focused, more under control. *The lights, the feelings...they hurt, but...I can see...see them more clearly than ever before. They're...more real. They have colors, feelings, it's like their emotions have color somehow, and I can see them. I can see right into them...rejection, pain, fear, worry, anguish, despair...but there's hope. Yes, there's hope too. Mmmm...the hope burns the brightest. Hope for change, hope for a better future, hope for the children.* The sights, sounds, emotions, feelings, and other things began to make more sense. They were calmer now, more under control, and something caught his eye. *Hmmm...I can see...see right into the center of their souls. Some are locked away too, some are safe, but some...some are not. Those...things. They're waiting to pounce on them, destroy them, catch them...the evil, just like with Gabriel. I've got to save them! They're so close to losing it all, being gone forever! If I can just...reach...through the pain, get to their core, their heart and soul, I could help them, help them see more clearly too. I've got...to open...the eyes..." There was a sudden flash, everything shrunk, closed, but he could still feel the pain, he could feel it before he opened his eyes again. An excited voice cried out. "LOOK! He's waking up! His eyes are opening!"
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