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Post by starrea on Mar 6, 2020 22:20:16 GMT
If Ike’s lack of manners bothered Kiona, she didn’t let it show. She had spent her entire life fielding through people’s assumptions of her solely based on the fact that she was a princess, so the fact that Trys and Ike were underestimating her wasn’t a surprise. Just because she grew up with food on her table and access to education didn’t mean that she couldn’t fight, hunt, or track. Grovakha was a nation built on blood and it did not need leaders who wouldn’t fight alongside her people. But she wasn’t going to enlighten them on her extensive training. It would only serve to help her in the long run if they continued to think that she was completely helpless.
Her eyes snapped between Trys and Ike warily. She still wasn’t entirely convinced that there wasn’t some sort of truce between them and she didn’t want to be caught off guard. Right now, she couldn’t afford to make mistakes.
She did snort at Ike’s comment, “Hunter, warrior,” She waved her hand indifferently, “Whichever it is, it doesn't change the fact that this is shameful and disappointing. Imagine if your comrades knew that a princess and a mountain-dweller defeated you? You would never work again.” She couldn’t stop herself from taunting him. It wasn’t the smartest thing to do but it was too easy. Even if she could get a rise out of him, it was something she had control over.
She tried to think of a game but the idea was sounding more and more stupid the longer she thought of it. Most of the games she knew were outdoor games and with the storm raging, that wasn’t an option. “Why play when I know you’re not going to honor the rules if I win, anyway.” She snapped, glaring at Ike, pretending as if she had planned on allowing him lead her to her death should he have won.
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Post by Val on Mar 9, 2020 0:56:54 GMT
The more Kiona tried to get a rise out of him, the less Ike appeared to take her seriously. She was getting desperate to have the upper hand, so he responded by smirking at her and shoving more food into his mouth. Unfortunately for her, he didn't consider himself defeated. He was still very much intent on completing his mission. Failure wasn't an option; either he would succeed, or die trying.
Just as he didn't know anything about her life, she clearly didn't know anything about his. He took pride in a difficult mission and found no glory in an easy one. He glanced toward Trys, catching the way she was looking at him. He would enjoy sharing stories of the mountain woman.
"Coward," he replied simply, tossing some scraps to his dog who lapped them up eagerly from the floor, "I suggest you rest up, princess. This storm will only last so long."
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Post by Elvander on Mar 14, 2020 19:12:39 GMT
Trys sighed, rubbing her temples. There was a full moon coming, and she hoped that with it's arrival, the storm would pass. "Why do your people hate magic, hunter?" she inquired of Ike, trying to understand him. Trying to understand why he wanted so desperately to kill the princess.
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Post by starrea on Mar 15, 2020 1:01:11 GMT
The less Ike seemed to care, the more it riled Kiona. She could see what he was doing but she felt powerless to stop herself from playing into exactly what he wanted. But she wasn’t a coward and she wouldn’t let anyone, even someone as lowly as Ike, call her one.
“Fine,” She snapped, “Let’s play tag. If you catch me, you win. But if I can outrun you for 30 minutes, then I win.” She watched with stormy eyes to see if he took her challenge. She wasn’t worried about losing. She had already outrun him for six days in the wilderness - she could manage half an hour. And even if he didn’t stop hunting her, which was more than likely, he would be cursed with knowing that she had bested him.
Kiona gave a humorless chuckle when Trys asked her question but decided not to butt in. Grovakha was extremely traditional and those with other-worldly abilities were a threat to the Grovakha way of life. Most of the unnatural phenomenons that made their way far enough north to cross into Grovakha were usually beasts of some kind, anyway. Kiona, along with the rest of her sisters, had been raised to be prejudice against those who were unnatural. It was just a custom of their culture. But she was curious as to what Ike would answer. She had never seen an unnatural beast alive and she wondered that if he had in his line of work.
Outside, the flurry started to give way to a lighter snow and the thick cover of clouds broke and a ray of moonlight shone through the window. And that was the last thing Kiona would remember.
As soon as the moonlight washed over her pale skin, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the ground. The knife clattered against the floor and for a second, she didn’t move at all. All of the sudden her entire body started to shake as if she were having a seizure but as the seconds ticked by, the shaking grew more and more aggressive. Her head and limbs thrashed and banged against the floor, each time twisting farther into seemingly unnatural positions. The seizing continued and the thrashing grew so intense that audible pops and cracks could be heard when joints popped out of place and bones cracked from slamming on the ground. Her body curled into itself and somewhere along the way of her seizing, her body began to change.
The change happened painstakingly slowly. Fur sprouted up over her body and claws forward their way through her finger tips. Blood dropped out of her mouth where her fangs had slipped down from her gum line. As the seizing gradually died down, the audible crack of interior bones could be heard and as the bones moved and rearranged themselves inside of her, they poked and pushed her skin.
Five or so minutes after Kiona had initially fallen, a massive werewolf lay in her place on the floor. It didn’t immediately move or wake up and the only sign it was alive was the steady rhythmic rise and fall of its chest.
But then it opened its eyes.
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Post by Val on Mar 17, 2020 0:20:20 GMT
"Magic is a threat to society," Ike stated, looking at Trys as though it were impossible to argue that fact. He purposely ignored Kiona's challenge, knowing full well he wasn't going to be untied any time soon. "It is our duty to protect the innocent from the monsters that plague this land. If you could see what I have seen, you would not question me." He had experience dealing with many unnatural creatures in his line of duty. He'd also witnessed the absolute chaos that they were capable of, which made it easy to justify his actions.
Before he could say anymore, Kiona suddenly dropped to the floor. He stared at her still form, not breathing as he anticipated the inevitable. His instincts were telling him exactly what was about to happen and the second that Kiona began to writhe, he yanked against his restraints. "Release me! Now!" he screamed at Trys. He watched in disgust as the princess morphed into a beast before their eyes, while Hound whined and backed into a corner. A lycan was something new to him and witnessing the transformation first hand made him realize that their absolute best option was to run. "Hurry!" he yelled again at his captor. The process was slow; they still had time.
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Post by Elvander on Mar 19, 2020 20:19:55 GMT
As the transformation began to take place, Trys' eyes widened in horror. She had trapped them both in a small cabin with a werewolf. She lunged towards Ike and cut his bonds, quickly bundling up and grabbing her spear in the time between Kiona falling and opened her eyes. "Fuck fuck fuck," she whispered and looked to Ike for guidance. "What do we do?" she panicked, her heart beating fast. Trys had never come across a werewolf, and she was looking at Kiona in a whole new light now. Perhaps she ought to be killed. Her grip tightened on her spear as Aloy lurched to her feet, snarling at the creature.
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Post by starrea on Mar 20, 2020 1:16:22 GMT
The beast moved slowly at first, pushing itself up and shaking off the daze of the transformation. But it was only slow for a second because the flash of movement caught the eye of the wicked predator and its lips curled up into a ferocious snarl. It didn’t immediately lunge forward, but rather slowly but deliberately stalked forward a couple of steps and evaluated the threats before it.
The werewolf’s eyes zeroed in on the large cat in the room. Despite the cat being one of the larger feline species, it was tiny compared to the hulking frame of the werewolf. Maybe it all went back to the day-old feud between dogs and cats, but for whatever reason, the cat would be the first victim. The werewolf lunged, it’s powerful jaws closing down on the back of the cat, teeth drilling deep into the meat of the cat, and with a powerful twist, threw it into the wall.
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Post by Val on Mar 20, 2020 22:56:10 GMT
When Ike was finally freed, he rushed to his feet and stared at the wolf as it finally stirred to life. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, instantly numbing the stiffness from being tied up for so long. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion until he was finally able to focus in on Trys. His first instinct to glare at her, but there was no time for that. He grabbed her arm roughly and bee-lined for the door, shoving it open just long enough to propel Trys out into the snow. Hound scrambled out the door behind them and took off into the tree line without a second glance. Ike turned to swing the door shut, catching a glimpse of Trys' feline being mangled by the beast, before he turned away with no intentions of looking back.
"Fucking run!" he growled at Trys, keeping his voice low so as not to distract the wolf from its current victim. He staggered toward the treeline, realizing just how hard it was going to be to outrun the monster while battling the thick layer of snow that the blizzard had left behind. They could only pray that the wolf would follow his dog's trail instead, and buy them enough time to hide.
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Post by Elvander on Mar 21, 2020 0:43:10 GMT
Trys' heart twisted in her chest as she heard Aloy's yowls of pain and fury piercing the air. The cat would put up a fight, enough to let them put some distance between them and the monster Kiona had become. As her instincts for survival took over, they numbed all emotion that would make her turn back for her loyal companion. She would grieve that loss later. So she plunged after Ike, more adept at running through the snow than most might be. "There are horses in the barn!" She called to Ike, wondering if that would be faster than trying to run on foot. What other options were there? There were the mountain caves, and the river to their right. Would the beast lose their scent if they went through that? It was a risk, considering it was most likely frozen solid, and if it was weak in some places, it could give them hypothermia.
Aloy yowled as she struck the wall but kept coming. She would fight until her last breath to protect Trys. And so the great cat clashed with the werewolf, slashing and clawing and biting for all she was worth, locking her jaws around one of Kiona's feet.
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Post by starrea on Mar 21, 2020 18:12:54 GMT
The movement caused the werewolf to whip around after it had thrown the cat but before it could chase the fleeing hunters, the cat sunk its teeth into her leg. She let out a ferocious roar before clamping it’s jaws down on the cat’s throat. She held her jaws closed as the cat initially fought but as more blood spilled onto the floor, the stiller the cat became. When it finally hung still in her jaws, the werewolf opened her jaws and the mangled remains fell to the ground with a splat.
For a moment, the frenzy was over. The werewolf stood over her kill, looking down upon it, drench in the cat’s blood. Nothing moved except for the fast, excited breathing of the beast. A voice in the distance caught the attention of the beast and the trance had been lifted. She sprung forward, frantically rampaging through the house as she looked for a way out. When no easy exit presented it, she threw herself through the nearest window. If she felt any pain, both from running through a window and the wounds from the cat, she didn’t show it. She landed on all four feet, pausing to look around long enough to try to detect what direction they might be moving in.
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Post by Val on Mar 22, 2020 1:28:51 GMT
Ike halted at the reminder of the horses and immediately changed course, plowing through the snow toward the small barn. The yowls from Trys' cat were dying down, which meant they were running out of time. He threw the stall doors open and led the nervous horses out by their reigns. They might be hindered by the snow as well, but the creatures were accustomed to such weather and it would be faster than fleeing on foot.
He swung himself up onto the saddle of his horse and looked to Trys, becoming focused despite the circumstances, "The closest river," he prompted, expecting that she knew the land quite well. Being that they were both survivalists of some kind, they probably shared similar ideas on how to escape. He cursed the fact that he was weaponless, but was not embarrassed to flee for his life. If they could reach a frozen river, it was likely they could make it across, but the wolf would be far too heavy for the ice. Even if they fell in, he would take his chances in a frozen river over the jaws of the beast.
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Post by starrea on Mar 22, 2020 16:58:29 GMT
The werewolf’s head snapped in the direction of the barn doors opening, somewhere on the other side of the house. Even for the massive size of the werewolf, the snow was still deep and it slowed the beast down considerably. It was dark and the moonlight only offered so much visibility, but the werewolf didn’t need vision to track the hunters. Scent and sound were more than enough to lead the werewolf directly to its prey.
It rounded the last corner of the house, catching the flash of movement up ahead. It growled, lips pulled back in a snarl to show off the rows of teeth that would tear their flesh from their bones. And then it charged, closing the distance of 200 or so feet between them unsettlingly quickly for such deep snow.
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Post by Elvander on Mar 22, 2020 21:27:58 GMT
Trys vaulted onto her horse and didn't look back as the sound of the beast crashing through the snow closed in on them. "Follow me!" She ordered as she kicked her horse into motion. With the wolf on it's tail, the mount was running for it's life, and even though the snow was deep and slowing them down, fear drove the horses to the very edge of their speed. Trys veered hard right into the trees, following the familiar landmarks she had grown to love. The river wasn't far, only a few moment's ride. Whether they had a few moments was difficult to say. As they rode, Trys turned in her saddle, confident in the movement. She drew an arrow from her quiver and notched it against her bow. Her spear still hung at her side, but this would be more effective. She loosed as the beast pursued them, her aim true.
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Post by Val on Mar 22, 2020 23:01:08 GMT
Ike spurred his horse into action as the wolf came into view, but the creatures needed no encouragement- they were already in flight mode. They flew into the thick of the trees, kicking up snow in their wake as the beast gained on them. Ike itched to reach for his crossbow, but the weapon was absent and he was reminded once more that he was utterly defenseless. He glanced at Trys just in time to see her loose an arrow, catching the immensely satisfying moment that the weapon connected with its target. Perhaps it would give them the precious seconds they needed to cross to safety.
Suddenly, the trees thinned and the river came into view- still as glass with a layer of ice over the water. His horse halted at the river's edge, rearing up at the danger it had been led to. Ike dismounted swiftly and gave the horse a shove back in the direction of the beast in pursuit; let it feast on the horse instead. Without waiting up for Trys, he stepped out onto the ice and maneuvered several steps, keeping his weight balanced as he tried to put space between himself and the shore. The ice creaked beneath his boots and he finally felt compelled to look backwards in search of his captor turned escape partner.
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Post by starrea on Mar 22, 2020 23:28:04 GMT
The beast roared as the arrow lodged itself deep in its shoulder. It only slowed the beast down a second when it reached to side, grabbing the arrow amidst its teeth and yanking it out. Blood flowed from the open wound but like the ones it had received from the cat, the beast moved unhindered by pain.
The beast paused as the horses turn and ran, separating from the people. The horses made quick work of putting distance between themselves and the werewolf and the beast settled on chasing the people. They were closer and slower moving prey.
The werewolf was quickly closing distance between them, charging through the snow. The space between her and the man on the ice was growing shorter... 30 feet... 20 feet... 10 feet. Two more strides and the wolf would have been upon Ike. The beast leapt into the air, teeth pulled back into a permanent snarl, eyes locked onto its prey. Instead of landing and lunging at Ike, though, the werewolf plummeted straight through the ice. The ice was barely thick enough to hold a grown human, let alone a massive werewolf, and combined with jumping onto the ice, it never stood a chance of supporting her. The werewolf sunk like a stone, disappearing into the black water below.
The first thing Kiona was aware of was the cold. It shocked her straight to her core and even as the seconds ticked by, her body couldn’t adjust to it.
The second thing Kiona became aware of was... nothing. There was nothing. She was sure her eyes were open but it was pitch black. What was more unnerving was that she couldn’t hear anything. Even in the quietest places there was always some sound, but right now she couldn’t hear anything at all. The most unnerving thing was that she couldn’t feel anything. She felt almost weightless and she realized there wasn’t a floor beneath her. The only explanation she could think of was that she was dead. It didn’t make sense, because the last thing she remembered was standing in the kitchen of Trys’s house, but that didn’t matter if she was truly dead. She thought that realization would bring fear, but she was oddly surprised to find that it only brought a sense of peace over her.
That moment ended when her lungs suddenly started to burn, which was weird because dead people don’t need lungs. The cold was making her mind sluggish and she suddenly realized she was underwater. Panic set in a moment later when she realized that she didn’t actually know which way up was. She frantically started to swim in a direction and by some stroke of luck, she surfaced a second later. The second she surfaced, she frantically gulped down air and tried to assess her surroundings. Where ever she was, it was nighttime. There were some areas that were illuminated by moonlight but snow-covered trees blocked out most of the light and she couldn’t make out much past a couple of feet in any direction.
Kiona felt something hard next to her and her hands clawed at it, trying to pull herself up. It was ice, she realized. Once someone had fallen through ice, it was almost impossible for them to pull themselves back out without help. Between the lack of anything to grab and the cold, she had 10 minutes tops.
“Help! Someone, help me! Please!” Her fingers were stiff and refused to bend but that didn’t stop her from trying to pull herself out. She couldn’t feel her feet anymore but she forced her legs to keep kicking. The ice beneath her arms was stained red and it took her a moment to even realize that it was blood, and furthermore, her own blood. She didn’t know where it was coming from and she didn’t have time to find out.
“Please!” This time, her voice was much quieter. Moving was starting to get very difficult. Her hands were two useless stumps on the end of her arms and she wasn’t sure if she was still kicking to keep herself afloat anymore. She held onto the ice enough to keep herself from sinking but aside from that, she stilled her struggles. The cold wasn’t that bad anymore and she wasn’t afraid. Kiona wondered if she would see her parents and sisters again, and she closed her eyes and pictured them in her head. For the first time since their executions, she didn’t see them with any blood. Instead, they were smiling and waving her over. She wanted to go to them. “Ai gonplei ste odon,” She whispered. Her fight was over.
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