Sorchea
10-22-2006, 08:20 PM
She had been asleep; a loud whump had woken her up. She heard voices downstairs, the elder male’s voices, and her mother’s voice, sounding indignant as usual. Questions were being asked, demands given, the men sounded urgent, her mother sounded worried. Karnia lay in her small bed listening to the sounds of adults. But there were other noises to, coming from outside. It sounded like running, and some like crying. She could pick out some of the other smaller voices of her friends. The ones that she sat around in a circle with and learned her shape lessons. And she could hear other mothers outside, they sounded upset. Karnia licked at her tusks, she had a habit of doing this lately when she was nervous, and this was making her nervous. After awhile she could smell something too, it was like the nightly fire, but different. She couldn’t tell why. But the voices downstairs had risen to shouts and her mother was coming upstairs.
The smell of smoke was overwhelming. She was being picked up, her mother’s hands wrapping a blanket around her. She was picked up, carried down the steps and outside. It was chaos. The entire village was outside. What was going on? She clutched tighter to her mothers shoulder, burying her little head in the crook of her arm. The chief’s guards ran by, towards the gate. Gone were the ceremonial daily leathers they wore to guard the doors, instead they had on dirty and thick looking hides, hides that had been stitched and readied for battle. Her mother was shouting also, demanding answers, demanding that she be acknowledged. But the men just kept running.
Karnia could hear sounds from that direction now, angry sounds, clashing of metal and the sounds of pain. She was becoming afraid. She tried to squirm around so she could see her mothers face, to try and judge the situation, but her mother firmly kept her attached in her swaddle. Karnia could not shift her position. She could hear the shouts of the guards, the screams of the women, the crying of the other younglings. The very air was filling with smoke and fire. Centaurs! They were everywhere. They had spears! The heavy bass thump of hooves, covering her village. Storming through the broken defenses, coming up the hill. She looked up, over the shoulder of her mother; she could see volleys of flaming arrows being shot into the thatch of the roofs. Onto their roof! Little red comets flew overhead. The roof of their hut was on fire! Her mother turned and ran from the approaching horse-men as her home burned. She became aware over all the other sounds that her mother was crying. It was then her fear became real. Her mother had never, in her small scope of remembering cried over anything. Her chest was heavy and tight. She held on and tried not to scream.
They were running, the normally gentle swaying of a ride on her mother’s hip had been replaced by a rough bounce as her mother ran full out towards the back of the village, away from the fighting. Karnia closed her eyes tight; she clamped her tiny hands over her ears. All the noise! She could hear the fires, they grew louder and louder, it sounded as if an inferno was consuming everything. The clang of metal on metal, they were hurting us! The guttural yelling of the horse men, spouting orders in their foul unfamiliar tongue, was terrifying to her. She clutched tight to her mothers shoulder. It sounded like the end of the world.
They reached the start of the cliffs at the rear of the village; her mother began pawing around at the rock wall. She pulled a few rocks aside, there was a small alcove lined with wine bottles, a perfect place to stay cool out of the sun. Her mother began ripping them out, throwing them to the ground, where they shattered. She cleared a small space in the cubby, and then she swung Karnia off her hip and began unwrapping her.
“Git in dere, go ahead, it’s alright” Her mother sobbed.
Karnia whimpered and began crawling towards the hole. Her mother scooped up the blanket and was using it to sweep away the glass when the centaur came out. He must have been hiding behind the boulders. Karnia could make no noise; she could only drop her mouth in horror as he raised his giant spear and brought it down towards her mothers back.
And then his head exploded.
Her mother screamed and spun around as she was showered with warm blood. Through the smoke charged a bright red Raptor atop which was her older sister, fully armored, shotgun in hand. She was dismounting even before the beast had stopped running.
“Get on, give me the baby, and get on now!” Karnya ordered.
“Wat is happinen Karnya!? Why are dey ere!?” Garla’jin asked, as she desperately tried to find the reins.
Karnya grabbed the back of her mothers dress and threw her over the back of the raptor. Molli pranced from side to side, head thrashing, eager to be off. Her mother struggled to right herself and glare at her daughter. Her sister then reached down and lifted her up.
“Wat in da world chile…Dey are everwhere…” Her mother was babbling. “ How we gonna get out?” She held her arms out.
“Molli will get you out, I’m staying here.” She passed the Toddler up to her mother. “I’ll clear a path, just hold on as tight as you can.” Karnya reached into her side pocket and pulled out a bag of ammo. The light from the fires was getting brighter and the clash of spears was getting louder. They would have to move very soon. She put one cartridge in and was digging for another when she let out a shriek and doubled over, clutching her head.
“Karnya!! Wats wrong!?” Her mother screamed.
Karnya dropped to her knees, she screamed, and then as soon as she could draw breath she screamed again.
Garla tried urgently to get down from the raptor, but Molli bucked and dodged and would not let her down. A few arrows came zinging through the air very near them. Garla’jin was afraid the raptor would not let her save her eldest daughter.
After a few seconds, the screaming stopped, Karnya stayed on her knees panting. She looked up at her mother. Karnia’s breath caught in her throat. Her sisters beautiful Cinnamon eyes were now bleeding green fire. Karnya stood up.
Mother stared at daughter in horror. "My darlin..wat ave ya done?!" She sobbed.
"I did what had to be done. I did it only for The Tribe." Karnya said. Her voice dropping lower with every word.
"But beb-"
“The time is now. You must go.” Karnya interupted. She reached out and grabbed her shotgun, stood, and began heading back towards the village. Molli and her passengers trailing directly behind her.
The devastation was total. Karnia tried to bury her face. She could see the bloodied spear tips of the horse-men as one by one they noticed the group emerging from the shadows. She could still hear her mother weeping.
“May the Old Gods forgive me.” Karnya said. She turned and gave Molli a mighty smack to the rump. “You run with them, you run unless you are dead! NOW GO!!” Tendrils of the green fire were running down her face like tears.
The huge raptor exploded from the shadows. Primal roars of warning bursting from its throat across the village. It charged full speed around the group of Centaurs as Karnya Shadowscar ran towards them.
She had looked back…there was green fire engulfing everything…fire and blood and smoke…and her eyes…her sisters eyes….green…and red….and fire…and pain…and running….fire…smoke…green…blue..
BLUE….
Blue like the waters off the coast. Cerulean blue. Staring at her with concern.
Karnia blinked, Kurt was shaking her.
“You okay? Having a bad dream?” He asked.
She sat up and looked around. They were in their room, at the inn at Ratchet. Was she having a bad dream? She couldn’t remember. Something about when she was a yearling….but getting more fuzzy by the minute.
“No, I think I’m okay, I don’t know what it was.”
“You scream when noone touches you…maybe you’re crazy, we could have you committed.”
She glanced at him; he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
“I still have a charge left on this wand; I’ll turn you into a pirate hooker again.” He threatened.
She growled and dived across the bed at him. Downstairs the goblins rolled their eyes at the noise from the young couple’s room and got the tables ready for breakfast.
The smell of smoke was overwhelming. She was being picked up, her mother’s hands wrapping a blanket around her. She was picked up, carried down the steps and outside. It was chaos. The entire village was outside. What was going on? She clutched tighter to her mothers shoulder, burying her little head in the crook of her arm. The chief’s guards ran by, towards the gate. Gone were the ceremonial daily leathers they wore to guard the doors, instead they had on dirty and thick looking hides, hides that had been stitched and readied for battle. Her mother was shouting also, demanding answers, demanding that she be acknowledged. But the men just kept running.
Karnia could hear sounds from that direction now, angry sounds, clashing of metal and the sounds of pain. She was becoming afraid. She tried to squirm around so she could see her mothers face, to try and judge the situation, but her mother firmly kept her attached in her swaddle. Karnia could not shift her position. She could hear the shouts of the guards, the screams of the women, the crying of the other younglings. The very air was filling with smoke and fire. Centaurs! They were everywhere. They had spears! The heavy bass thump of hooves, covering her village. Storming through the broken defenses, coming up the hill. She looked up, over the shoulder of her mother; she could see volleys of flaming arrows being shot into the thatch of the roofs. Onto their roof! Little red comets flew overhead. The roof of their hut was on fire! Her mother turned and ran from the approaching horse-men as her home burned. She became aware over all the other sounds that her mother was crying. It was then her fear became real. Her mother had never, in her small scope of remembering cried over anything. Her chest was heavy and tight. She held on and tried not to scream.
They were running, the normally gentle swaying of a ride on her mother’s hip had been replaced by a rough bounce as her mother ran full out towards the back of the village, away from the fighting. Karnia closed her eyes tight; she clamped her tiny hands over her ears. All the noise! She could hear the fires, they grew louder and louder, it sounded as if an inferno was consuming everything. The clang of metal on metal, they were hurting us! The guttural yelling of the horse men, spouting orders in their foul unfamiliar tongue, was terrifying to her. She clutched tight to her mothers shoulder. It sounded like the end of the world.
They reached the start of the cliffs at the rear of the village; her mother began pawing around at the rock wall. She pulled a few rocks aside, there was a small alcove lined with wine bottles, a perfect place to stay cool out of the sun. Her mother began ripping them out, throwing them to the ground, where they shattered. She cleared a small space in the cubby, and then she swung Karnia off her hip and began unwrapping her.
“Git in dere, go ahead, it’s alright” Her mother sobbed.
Karnia whimpered and began crawling towards the hole. Her mother scooped up the blanket and was using it to sweep away the glass when the centaur came out. He must have been hiding behind the boulders. Karnia could make no noise; she could only drop her mouth in horror as he raised his giant spear and brought it down towards her mothers back.
And then his head exploded.
Her mother screamed and spun around as she was showered with warm blood. Through the smoke charged a bright red Raptor atop which was her older sister, fully armored, shotgun in hand. She was dismounting even before the beast had stopped running.
“Get on, give me the baby, and get on now!” Karnya ordered.
“Wat is happinen Karnya!? Why are dey ere!?” Garla’jin asked, as she desperately tried to find the reins.
Karnya grabbed the back of her mothers dress and threw her over the back of the raptor. Molli pranced from side to side, head thrashing, eager to be off. Her mother struggled to right herself and glare at her daughter. Her sister then reached down and lifted her up.
“Wat in da world chile…Dey are everwhere…” Her mother was babbling. “ How we gonna get out?” She held her arms out.
“Molli will get you out, I’m staying here.” She passed the Toddler up to her mother. “I’ll clear a path, just hold on as tight as you can.” Karnya reached into her side pocket and pulled out a bag of ammo. The light from the fires was getting brighter and the clash of spears was getting louder. They would have to move very soon. She put one cartridge in and was digging for another when she let out a shriek and doubled over, clutching her head.
“Karnya!! Wats wrong!?” Her mother screamed.
Karnya dropped to her knees, she screamed, and then as soon as she could draw breath she screamed again.
Garla tried urgently to get down from the raptor, but Molli bucked and dodged and would not let her down. A few arrows came zinging through the air very near them. Garla’jin was afraid the raptor would not let her save her eldest daughter.
After a few seconds, the screaming stopped, Karnya stayed on her knees panting. She looked up at her mother. Karnia’s breath caught in her throat. Her sisters beautiful Cinnamon eyes were now bleeding green fire. Karnya stood up.
Mother stared at daughter in horror. "My darlin..wat ave ya done?!" She sobbed.
"I did what had to be done. I did it only for The Tribe." Karnya said. Her voice dropping lower with every word.
"But beb-"
“The time is now. You must go.” Karnya interupted. She reached out and grabbed her shotgun, stood, and began heading back towards the village. Molli and her passengers trailing directly behind her.
The devastation was total. Karnia tried to bury her face. She could see the bloodied spear tips of the horse-men as one by one they noticed the group emerging from the shadows. She could still hear her mother weeping.
“May the Old Gods forgive me.” Karnya said. She turned and gave Molli a mighty smack to the rump. “You run with them, you run unless you are dead! NOW GO!!” Tendrils of the green fire were running down her face like tears.
The huge raptor exploded from the shadows. Primal roars of warning bursting from its throat across the village. It charged full speed around the group of Centaurs as Karnya Shadowscar ran towards them.
She had looked back…there was green fire engulfing everything…fire and blood and smoke…and her eyes…her sisters eyes….green…and red….and fire…and pain…and running….fire…smoke…green…blue..
BLUE….
Blue like the waters off the coast. Cerulean blue. Staring at her with concern.
Karnia blinked, Kurt was shaking her.
“You okay? Having a bad dream?” He asked.
She sat up and looked around. They were in their room, at the inn at Ratchet. Was she having a bad dream? She couldn’t remember. Something about when she was a yearling….but getting more fuzzy by the minute.
“No, I think I’m okay, I don’t know what it was.”
“You scream when noone touches you…maybe you’re crazy, we could have you committed.”
She glanced at him; he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
“I still have a charge left on this wand; I’ll turn you into a pirate hooker again.” He threatened.
She growled and dived across the bed at him. Downstairs the goblins rolled their eyes at the noise from the young couple’s room and got the tables ready for breakfast.