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Post by Silver on Sept 21, 2012 3:45:34 GMT -5
Shayla looked down at the small form she had completely forgotten she was holding. His words sounded so... lost, so defeated. The thought to be angry hadn’t even crossed her mind. She was a bit sad that Mika hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her the truth... but she understood her reasoning. Halfkin were rare- really rare. The most occurrences were between the dryads and the nomadic humans in the Stridel desert. She couldn’t even remember hearing about dryad and dragon halfkin. They were just so different.
“... I know.” Shayla nodded in response to Xan, her voice soft. She really did. His words struck a chord with her, because she often found herself longing for the exact same thing. There was a reason she spent her childhood exploring the vast aisles of the Mithras library and experimenting by herself in her room. No one ever seemed to take her seriously, and she didn’t understand why.
She knew that she had to do something to comfort Mika. She needed to let the girl know that she wasn’t angry about what had happened.
“Mika...” She began softly, taking a few steps towards the sunken figure. She wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it. All she knew was that Mika needed her right now. She needed someone to tell her that there wasn’t anything wrong with her. She needed someone to tell her that no matter how defeated she felt, she could make it through. She needed someone to tell her that she wasn’t alone in her pain.
Shayla wouldn’t pretend to know the suffering of being rejected by one’s own kind, but she knew the suffering of being rejected by her own family. She knew that sometimes, even when trying to hold onto something desperately, it would inevitably fall apart. She wished she could say something to her to make her realize that she wasn’t alone and she wasn’t being judged. She wished she could think of something to say and bring her out of her misery...
“I know.”
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Post by Kitten King on Sept 21, 2012 4:18:25 GMT -5
Mika peeked up from her arm again when she heard Shayla call her name. She lifted her head a little higher as she came closer, shame and fear reflected in her golden eyes. She knew people hated secrets. She knew they hated lies. She knew they hated difference. She'd never learned anything else.
Maybe that was why it shocked her so much to hear Shayla's response.
It was only two simple words - they could have meant a lot of different things, but Mika understood. She felt what Shayla was trying to say, and in an instant she had to bury her face in her arms again to keep a sob back. No, no, no, she just wasn't good with emotions... she wiped at her eyes with her uninjured arm, trying to dry them quickly. No one needed to look at that for too long.
"...thank you." Her voice was still quiet and choked and not like her at all, but there wasn't much she could do about that. She tried to clear it, but it ended up stuck in her throat. "Uhm, I-I..." She stumbled over words almost as much as she did her feet, and had to try again as she shakily stood. "Shayla... this... is my half-brother." She nodded to him, though she still didn't seem keen to directly look at him. He dipped his head in a slight bow, eyes flicking between the girl and Mika.
"Flashirdyn Rythos," he responded quietly. "Most call me Flash." His eyes settled back on his sister, still sharp as ever. "Now...won't you let me help?" Mika hesitated for a moment, her eyes meeting his, before she shook her head and covered her injury with her hand again.
"N-no... I can do it myself."
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Post by Silver on Sept 21, 2012 18:50:19 GMT -5
Shayla nodded as Mika thanked her, still not understanding exactly what she was being thanked for. She just hoped that Mika understood the sentiment of her words. Somehow, she knew that she had.
“Pleased to meet you.” She replied to his introduction, quickly bowing her head as she remembered the formal dragon greeting.
It didn’t fix the situation at hand though. Mika’s arm looked pretty injured. The scales that were now visible were bloody and many had been ripped out completely. She had packed a basic medical aid kit with her, but she knew nothing about how to help a dragon. Mika seemed rather reluctant to accept help though, and she couldn’t understand why. Weren’t they siblings...?
Halcy seemed to be following Shayla’s train of thought, because he immediately leaned in and hissed quietly in her ear. “Halfkin and pureblood. Must be family tension.”
Shayla nodded, still a bit unsure. There was definitely some unresolved tension between these two, something that went beyond only being half-siblings.
“I can help her.” She stepped forward while trying to keep her voice from faltering as she addressed Flash. She could tell that his presence was making Mika uncomfortable. Besides, dragons didn’t have the healing ability of the dryads or the nymphs. There was little he could offer besides possible experience in dealing with similar situations.
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Post by Kitten King on Sept 22, 2012 1:18:30 GMT -5
"I really can do it myself..." Mika objected, but her voice was still weak from the emotion and she didn't have the willpower to fight much. "They just need pulled and washed. It'll heal up fine..." At her side, Flash raised a hand to put on her shoulder, before thinking better of it. Instead he simply raised his eyes to look at the sun as he spoke.
"Do you guys have enough supplies, then?" he asked, squinting at the position. It was high-noon, and dragons were taking a break from their hunting right now. Even with how much they liked fire, most dragons didn't like being active in the hottest, brightest part of the day. Now was the time for basking on the rocks and idle chat, just like he and Rezzy had been doing... stupid greenback. Should have known he was too hotheaded for his own good.
"We're fine," Mika said, but her Min quickly dove back into the conversation.
"Aaactually..." His whiskers twitched nervously as Mika shot him a tired look. "We're running low on water.. and we know the eastern parts of the mountains much better than the western." Mika bit back a sigh, but he wasn't about to apologize - they needed water, badly. They had to restock their supply, as well as clean Mika's wound out thoroughly. It was essential.
"You're not far," Flash said, nodding to a place where the rocks closed in further and trail careened down again. "One of the springs is nearby. I can show you." Mika faltered beside him, trying to think of any excuse. They didn't have time, she actually did know where one was, or that it was too far off the path... but they all rang untrue as they were.
"...good idea."
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Post by Silver on Sept 22, 2012 23:58:08 GMT -5
Shayla had to admit that she was relieved when Flash offered to guide them to the nearest water source. They had been running low since morning, and the problem of finding more was something that had been weighing heavily on her mind.
“..Do you need help?” Shayla asked quietly, taking a few more hesitant steps towards Mika and reaching her hand out awkwardly. She wasn’t sure if there was anything she could do, but it felt right to offer.
Halcy hopped off of Shayla’s shoulders and sniffed the ground at Flash’s feet, looking up at him with suspicion. He definitely seemed more mellow than the other dragon, but somehow more dangerous as well. Even if he was Mika’s brother, they still needed to be careful around him.
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Post by Kitten King on Sept 23, 2012 0:45:22 GMT -5
"I'll be alright," she said again, stubborn as she ever was. She crouched down by her bag, pulling out her own tiny first aid kid and unrolling a cloth wrap. She wound it gently around her forearm, tying it at the elbow and wrist. "Once I can get it clean and see what I really need to pull I can do it myself. I had to figure it out as a kid - not exactly something my mother knew how to treat." For all she knew, her way of treating scale injuries just made them worse, but there was no worrying over it. She'd been enough of an idiot and needed enough help today. She could do this much on her own. She moved to shoulder her pack again, wincing as the sore muscles on her smashed shoulder protested.
"I can get that," Flash offered again, and she just... that was it. She had to figure this shit out.
"Why do you suddenly care?" she said, her voice snapping a bit as she turned to stare at him. "Three months ago you couldn't care less if I'd fallen down a hole and died, and now you not only defend me but are willing to carry my stuff for me. What could you possibly want now that's different?" A few heartbeats passed, Flash's eyes moving from Shayla and back. Mika knew it was probably atrociously awkward for the poor girl, and she had not paid for this at all, but enough was enough here. She had to know.
"...I just realized that family should be important," he said, eyes settling on hers. "And whether I like what our dad did or not.. you're family. I should accept that, and... I shouldn't be so willing to throw that away." He held out his hand for her pack, expression even. She stared back at him for a moment... and relented, handing it over.
"I just need a moment to rest," she said stubbornly as he stared leading the way. "Then I'll be fine."
"Mmhmm." He didn't sound convinced. Thheerrreee was the tiny hint of the asshole she knew...
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Post by Silver on Sept 23, 2012 2:07:40 GMT -5
Shayla didn’t know much about Mika’s family situation, but what she did know was that there was some major tension beneath the surface here. She was already uncomfortable around Flash, him being a dragon and all, and honestly this was making the whole thing even worse.
Unsure of what to do and wanting to give them their space, she slowed her pace down considerably until she was trailing rather far behind. Halcy followed at her heels while keeping his eyes on the sky for any sign of more dragons. There was the occasionally dart of movement, but for the most part they were alone.
“...Do you think he is going to stick with us?” She asked softly, fumbling with her glasses and wiping them on her tunic to get the dirt and dust off. Halcy didn’t respond, but he did narrow his eyes and stare at the back of the dragon several yards in front of them.
“I’m not sure.”
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Post by Kitten King on Sept 23, 2012 2:56:37 GMT -5
Mika was surprised by how quick the journey was - as well as how well hidden it was. The trail wound down into the crags, where a small opening to a cavern signaled the end of their walk was near. After only a minute or two in relative dark and dimness, it opened up to reveal a the large body of the cavern inside. Water spilled down from from a spring where it bubbled up, and while there were several lit braziers around the cavern, there were also several large crags that opened in the ceiling to reveal the sky. She had to admit - she was pretty impressed.
"I didn't know this kind of place existed," she murmured, sitting down next to where the spring began to flow down into the cracks below.
"Not a lot do. There's not a lot of water, because of the heat and weather, so places like this are mostly in caverns and underground." He glanced up at the sky, where a beam of bright sun struck the opposite cavern walls. "There's the trails like we took, and the biggest cracks, and those are the only ways you get into these. They're hard to find if you don't know where to look. We like it that way." He set Mika pack down next to her, still looking up.
"Thanks for showing the way." She slowly began unwrapping her arm, which was now covered in dried blood and half-yanked scales. Ugh. This would take some work...
"If anyone bothers you, tell them you're a Rythos," Flash said abruptly, turning back around. "I have to go check on something. I'll be back before you leave." Before Mika could even object at all, he was gone again. Ohhhh... she sighed, going back to trying to treat her arm. First thing was first... she let the cold water flow over the damaged part, wincing a little more violently than she expected. Aha, that was cold and stung, brilliant...
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Post by Silver on Sept 23, 2012 3:16:13 GMT -5
The beauty of the cavern they had entered was absolutely breathtaking. Shayla could hardly believe that something like this existed beneath the rugged and lifeless landscape just above them. The way that the light reflected off of the water and onto the wall gave the place an almost otherworldly feel.
“...This is... amazing.” Her voice was nearly inaudible and laced with wonder, but she just had to say something. She had spent her whole life surrounded by the cold companionship of steel and powder, but that couldn’t even come close to this.
Even Halcy was a bit surprised by the subterranean wonder. He hadn’t expected to see water this clear in these mountains.
Flash's departure brought her attention back to Mika, and she approached the girl with concern. "H-how are you doing?" Her arm did look a bit better now that the dirt and debris had been washed away, but the wound would take a while to heal.
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Post by Kitten King on Sept 23, 2012 15:04:24 GMT -5
Mika looked up at Shayla for a moment, quiet, before turning to fumble through her bag for her first aid kit again. She found the little box she was looking for and opened it before responding.
"I really am fine," she said again, though she sounded a bit more convincing this time. "This is nothing compared to other things I've had happen." The corner of her lip twitched a bit at that, the beginnings of a bitter smile. Hm. No matter how peaceable a race was, there was an undeniable truth in the world - all children had the potential to be cruel. "In terms of the actual damage done it's really just a scratch... the scales will take a bit to grow back, but they will in time." It would hurt and it would bleed a little more, but once it scabbed over and really started healing, it wouldn't even bother her. The annoying part would be when the scales did start to grow back. That itched like nothing else.
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Post by Silver on Sept 23, 2012 22:06:08 GMT -5
Shayla was about to ask her exactly what those other things were, but decided better of it. She had already gone over countless scenarios of all the gruesome ordeals that could be waiting for them, and she didn’t want anything to confirm her fears. Yes, best to remain blissfully unaware.
Halcy padded softly towards the heart of the spring, sending a sidelong glance at Xan as he passed. He didn’t really need to drink, but he supposed that he may as well try to keep the normal cat act up. He didn’t really know how observant Mika was, but she might get suspicious if he didn’t drink from the only water they had seen all day.
“...Your brother seems nice.” Shayla offered, trying to make conversation. She hoped that they were nearing their destination. As beautiful as this place was, these mountains were dangerous.
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Post by Kitten King on Sept 23, 2012 23:51:31 GMT -5
"Yeah..." Mika paused at that. "He did. Which is unusual." It might have sounded cruel on the surface, but... well, really it was, and he deserved it. She didn't know what had happened to change his attitude. "He was a total ass the last two times I ran into him. And a partial ass the first."
"He didn't really know how to react the first time," Xan said, eying Halcy right back. "It was kind of like a giant rock had been dropped on his head."
"Mmm, and he still made a bad impression on me. Funny how that works," she said dryly. "Ah, hold on a second here..." Her next few words were more colorful as she gave a loose scale a particularly forceful tug. At her side Xan gave a yowl and leapt upwards, shaking his paw and looking rather startled. "SON OF A BITCH!" She swore, shaking out her arm. "Aauuuggh, sorry! I forgot how much those ones can hurt when you tug the stupid things."
"You're telling me!" Xan mewed, still shaking his own paw out and pressing his ears back against his skull. His paw had been hurting a little the whole time, but now was one of the points where he could feel every inch of her pain shooting down his limb.
"Ugh... at least I'm almost done," she sighed, rinsing it under the water again. She just had one or two more stubborn ones to give a good tug with the pliers, and she'd be done.
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Post by Silver on Sept 24, 2012 0:00:26 GMT -5
Shayla couldn’t help but wince and step backwards as Mika cursed. The scene was rather bloody, and a dark burgundy began to taint the pure water of the spring. Shayla didn’t want to but she just had to look away. She had always had a weak stomach when it came to blood.
“...Do you want to stop for the rest of the day, or continue on?” Shayla asked. She really wasn’t excited about the idea of losing time and waiting until tomorrow to cover more ground, but she knew that pushing the girl wouldn’t accomplish anything. She had no idea how serious scale injuries were, and she didn’t want Mika to do anything she wasn’t ready for.
Halcy flattened his ears at Shayla’s suggestion and immediately trotted over to her. He yowled lowly at her and sat stubbornly on his haunches, trying to convey that it was a bad idea to delay.
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Post by Kitten King on Sept 24, 2012 0:10:36 GMT -5
The other scales weren't as big a pain as that one - most were already torn out or saveable, so she left them alone. She opted to leave her archery glove off for the day though, just to give it time to heal. It wasn't her shooting arm to begin with.
"No, we should get going," Mika replied, tucking her first aid back into the pouch of her bag. "It's not a serious injury, and it'll heal whether I'm sitting still or not." She shouldered her bag with a huff, wincing a little, but luckily the pain in her shoulder was already fading. It would bruise, but that was all. She'd gotten lucky.
"...you know Flash isn't back yet, am the only one who noticed that?" Xan meowed in that oh-so-conscience-like way.
"He's a big boy, he'll deal with it," Mika said, turning to exit the way they came. "Okay, everyone filled up on water and set to go?" Xan meowed accordingly, though he was still rolling his eyes at her. Little jerk.
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Post by Silver on Sept 24, 2012 0:15:22 GMT -5
Xan was, of course, not the only one who noticed it. Shayla was a bit surprised that Mika wanted to leave so suddenly without even a goodbye. She knew that there was bad blood between the two of them, but she didn’t know what could have been bad enough to do that. Then again, it really wasn’t any of her business. If Mika wanted to leave, that was up to her. It was better for them to be going as quickly as possible anyway.
“...Do you know your way from here?” Shayla asked when they had finally left the cavern and emerged into the heat and sun. She got the feeling that finding the belly of fire was going to be a bit of guesswork and a bit of luck from here on out.
Halcy traipsed after Shayla, sending one backwards glance into the cavern. Something about it felt so familiar... What was it? No matter. He didn’t have time to stop and ruminate. They needed to get going before another dragon showed up and delayed them even more.
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