|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 10, 2009 20:30:42 GMT -5
ooc/ That's good, it's spelled like 'Connor', I was just about to spell it as Conner, so I was like "How many times have I let that slip? Anyways, this may be shortish!
bic/ Connor could feel the breeze against his skin, and though it was cold, it seemed to warm his body. His spirit felt comfortable, and slowly he opened his eyes. He was quite shocked, but he felt far better than he did before, but he knew it was only because the feeling of flying made him feel so serine and calm, his heart wsn't beating as fast as it was with the Sunahane. This miracle wasn't a perminant state.
"Inori... forgive me." He wasn't sure why he was apologising, maybe it was because she was carrying both Patrick and himself, or maybe it was because of the outburst after she left them when they first met. Whatever it was, the words brought tears to his eyes, realization flooding into him. Would he even see the border again? The wind brushed away Connor's tears, and he looked to Patrick. He smirked as best he could. "Sorry, but this old coot only has one more fight left in him. Maybe more, if you're really lucky."
+
Wolfgang was disapointed, but knew the answer even before he had asked. He could feel Buskin trying to keep as still as possible until he was on properly. He had seen Patrick, Sahara and Connor soar, and he was almost anxious to try himself, except for the fact he had a huge fear of heights. He would have to forget that for now.
Wolfgang made a sharp whistle, far different than Connor's. Buskin understood immediatley and beat his wings against the air, dusting sand in every which direction. Wolfgang quickly put on his goggles while trying to keep balanced at the same time. Once Buskin was up in the air, Wolfgang couldn't bring himself to look down. They had to hurry, and his childish fears couldn't get in their way.
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 10, 2009 21:35:41 GMT -5
Patrick nodded. "Connor, I know you wont be around to hear it... but you'll be a real hero to the village. Nobody will live another day without remembering your name." Patrick sighed. He hated to know that his friend was dying, but he thought maybe it would comfort him a little to say that to him. He knew it was true. Connor would probably get a few medals, but what was the point when he wouldn't even be there to recieve them?
-----
Sahara nodded. "Off we go then. We'll go slow at first, let you get a hang of it, but then we'll go much faster. Buskin can't keep up with Strawberry, and neither can you I'm sure, no offense, so we wont be going full speed, especially with Jester flying without a rider." Strawberry let out an almost purring noise as she lifted higher into the air, Jester finally gaining air himself, following behind.
"Hope you're well hydrated, because there is no resting until we get to the border." She turned her head to Wolfgang, still a bit of anger in her eyes. "And from there, you're on your own."
((sorry Its so short, I dont have much time to post ))
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 11, 2009 2:41:45 GMT -5
ooc/ Tis cool =P bic/
Wolfgang nodded, "I'll catch on, pay me no mind." He could feel her words were cold, and he understood. If it wasn't for him, no one would be in this situation, but even so, his fate would have always been the same. He had to reach wherever he could to be rid of his curse. To be free. Buskin put on speed, but still kept a slower pace than Sven had when they first started. He wanted to say something to Sahara, to make the situation better, but what could he say? Why did he want to say it? If it had been a routine procudure, he wouldn't have even wanted to know Sahara's name. Infact, if it wasn't for this journey, he probably would have remained hating her for her indifference towards him. Now he felt guilt. Guilt he had not only taken one, but two of her friends away, and all he could do to help the situation was to leave and never see Shifuto Hiru again. Knowing all this, Wolfgang fell silent, his demenor no longer hopeful, if it had ever been. He fell into his shell again, back to what he had been before he came to Shifuto Hiru. Before he knew how friendly people could be to one another.
Connor glanced at Patrick. "Medals?" He sounded almost disgusted for a moment, but not intentionally to Patrick. "... I'd trade in a trillion medals to see my son again." He wasn't sure how this was supposed to lighten the mood, but he kept his expression. "All I want now is to save those two, and you." He smiled again, he winced as a wave of nausea set in. "You made me a promise, remember? Don't think I'm letting you die in this desert." His eyes turned to the horizon, "The border is just past these dunes... if I haven't gone mad yet."
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 12, 2009 23:54:01 GMT -5
After an hour or so of flying, Sahara had grown tired of the silence, it only kept her mind wandering and worrying about Connor and Patrick. She glanced over at Wolfgang, suprised that he had caught on so easily, but then again, hadn't she? She fought back a hint of a smile. Here she had been mad at this guy, she barely knows him, and for what? What help did it bring them to be mad? She had to take control, whether she wanted to or not.
"Look, I'm sorry about what I said before...or how I said it. It wasn't cool." She looked forward, shifting her position in her seat. "You were headed to Shifuto Aisu right? You think that they can get rid of your so called 'curse'?" She snorted slightly, though it was more towards herself than Wolfgang. She nodded. "Shifuto Aisu would be the perfect place to go for something like that. They believe in that sort of thing, curses and blessings. I hear they even use magic in their hospital. I guess that is something no body else really has. Maybe you have a chance there." She nodded, becoming more and more sure of what she had to do.
"Well, if it will help get rid of that 'curse', then I'll come with you. We can ride the sabbia straight out to Shifuto Aisu. The village is easier to spot from the sky too." She looked over at him. "Please don't decline my offer. If you really are cursed, and if that is what caused my friends to go missing, then I want to help get rid of that curse. You'll get there faster on a sabbia... and you know..." She grinned. "You can't do it alone." She faced the east again, noticing that they were almost out of the sand traps. "But first, when we reach the border, I need to wait. If there is any chance of them surviving... well, I want to make sure I'm there."
---------
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 13, 2009 1:33:28 GMT -5
Wolfgang was both shocked and honoured by Sahara's offer, but his mouth remained shut, atleast until he was sure she was completley finished speaking. "...That's very kind of you, I won't decline." He tried to fight a smile as his eyes lazed about the dull surroundings. "Also, it is one thing if Shifuto Aisu can cure Spirit curses, but another for demon curses. Taikai Ueki is known to be spiritual, not as much as Shiftuo Aisu ofcourse. Unfortunatley, that sometimes leads to conditions like mine."
Wolfgang's stark white hair blew back as Buskin increased his speed ever so lightly. "...I ... don't know if my hope means anything, but I do hope that they're alright."
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 14, 2009 0:49:42 GMT -5
Sahara nodded. She meant to say that she wasn't doing it for him, but for Patrick and Connor, but something told her to just keep her big mouth shut. She figured she was starting to grow a conscience, and it scared her a little.
She turned her head to Wolfgang, feeling a little bit better. "It does mean something. It means alot." And as she turned her head to see Jester snapping at small birds, she realized that the bird did know more than she did. Some how, Jester was sensing that everything was going to be alright, and now, she did too.
-------
"Where are they?" Inori asked herself in an irrated, yet strong accent, scanning the skies ahead of them. They were still flying through the sandy canyons, but they were flying slightly over them, and the huge monsterous birds were still no where to be seen. Patrick couldn't help but wonder if the beautiful jintori was getting tired yet, flying for almost twenty minutes with two grown men in her arms. He felt like it should be the other way around, but all he knew was that he was extremly uncomfortable flying like that.
They spotted the two riders apon sabbia before they spotted the sunahanes. There was no way that they could have gotten ahead of the sunahanes, right? Then Patrick spotted something in the corner of his eye. Two massive, pink and grey scaley birds erupted from the other side of the canyons. Though Wolfgang and Sahara were still merely dots in the distance, the sunahanes were still well ahead of them.
"Hold on!" The jintori spoke. "Could you please pull the goggles over my eyes? My hands are kind of... full. You might want to pull yours on too." Patrick nodded, reaching up as far as he could to adjust her goggles, and then his own. He felt her grip on him tighten, and lost a few breaths of air. Then her silent wing flaps became noisy, and Patrick felt the speed increasing. She was fast! Almost as fast as a sabbia. He couldn't have felt more grateful to have met this jintori. They were about to save Sahara. "Hang on Connor. We're gonna kick some butt."
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 14, 2009 0:57:06 GMT -5
As they picked up their speed, Connor felt himself float away from his own body, as if he was watching the entire scene play infront of him. As if he wasn't there anymore, and he was simply spectating. He came back to reality and slowly, but surley, put on his father's goggles. "Promise?" His smirked became confident.
As the dark frames fell over his eyes, he felt as if the world was in an entirley new light. He always felt this way when he put on his goggles. The first time was the most vivid. His father was like him. A worker at the Rousseau ranch, but as a hired hand, not adopted. He did numerous expeditions, bringing people to the border and back. It soon became a simple task, and he would leave for days without returning. Without saying goodbye. One day, he didn't come back. They only found his goggles and his broken sword. He heard that perhaps he just left with his sabbia. Others said he had died in the sandtraps along with his other comrades. Connor only knew that his father was gone, that he haddn't cared enough to say bye. He wore his goggles. Not as memorobelia, but as a reminder that no matter how many times he flew, he would always say goodbye.
The irony burned at Connor's heart, and he closed his eyes woefully. He wanted to cry at that moment, but he held strong. Bo knew he loved him, and maybe that's what his father thought aswell. He couldn't hate him for that, for hoping his son knew he loved him.
ooc/ Pointless ^^; Sorry, you really are driving the plot though, sorry I can't be more help to it at the moment! x)
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 16, 2009 23:28:28 GMT -5
Something felt wrong to the innocent jintori. As she flew towards the two scouting sunahanes she had known since she was a child, she realized that something was missing. Or someone. She knew she had seen three of the scouts fly out. There were always three scouts when a small group of humans were spotted out in the sand traps. She shuddered with the memories of the first feeding she had witnessed. The sunahanes treated it like a blessing from heaven, but she knew better. As her wings flapped violently in the wind, her mind began to wander to that day, the day she watched as the sunahanes ruined the lives of two humans and their families.
-flashback(dur)-
"Feeding? What do you mean feeding?" The young jintori escapee asked the ancient sunahane, a smell of rotten flesh eminating from his bleeding wounds. She knew he was old, and secretly in her heart, she was yearning for his death. But first, she wanted to know about this ritual they call feeding.
"It only happens when the god allows food to come into our territory. They are blessings. Without the blessings, we would die." The young jintori still felt confused. "But there is plenty of meat in the sand traps. Why choose to starve until a human walks in? And why humans? Aren't they... blessed too?" The sunahane elder scoffed. "Blessed? Not the ones that stumble onto our lands! They are like demons!" "Then why choose to eat them? Surely a snake would be more holy than a human? I mean, that is if they truly are like demons."
The elder was highly insulted by this. "SNAKE!? We can eat no meat but man! The god made us so. If we were to eat snake, we would shrivel up and die. It is a sin!" The idea of the old, disgusting sunahane shrivelling up and dying almost sounded like a joyous occasion, but she punished herself for thinking it so, after all, the sunahane took her in, even when no one else would, even if she still felt like a slave around them, atleast they fed her. Thankfully, they wouldnt make her eat human.
The old sunahane pushed the young jintori into view of the ritual. Atfirst, she couldn't see the other sunahanes, but she could feel her eyes all around. Then she spotted the two humans they had caught. One was dark skinned, the other much lighter. Both looked worn and filthy. How much pain they must have been in then...
"THE GOD HAS SPOKEN!" The elder shouted, stepping up behind the two tied up men, who seemed to cower at their unknown capter. "These two are like demons! Brought to us from the god so that we may feed! So that we may live!" What sounded like hundreds of cheers sounded in the air as the jintori watched in horror. "So let it be!"
-end flashback(tada!)-
The visions of those two men being slaughtered and then eaten by savages still stained her mind. She had witnessed many other of these rituals over the years, and she soon grew cold and hard hearted, comepletly used to the feeding. That was until she saw Patrick and Connor. That had sent her first vision and guilt rushing back to her. She tried to push it out of her mind, to remind herself that humans were like demons, selfish and evil. That was until she heard that they would give their lives to save the two others that the sunahanes were now after. She realized that she had to save them all, to account for all her guilt over the past years.
She shook the vision from her mind. Her eyes never seemed clearer, even with sands tapping against her worn goggles with every flap. She glanced around, then she found him. The third sunahane. He had flown into the same current she was using to fly faster. He must have noticed them flying through the canyons and circled back around them to attack them from behind. It was a good idea. Even if she managed to disable him, it would waste enough time to allow the others to reach the poor sabbia riders.
Fortunately, she had a much, much better idea.
-----
Sahara sensed it about the same time Jester did, something flying behind them. She turned around in the seat, gazing into the distance. The sun was getting higher in the sky, and it was harder to see, but she could clearly see the two hideous creatures flying in the distance, straight towards them. "That appears to be one of the things that took Patrick!" Before she could even stop the bird, Jester turned and rocketed towards the winged beasts. "Jester no! It's too dangerous!" But there was no stopping the sabbia who was ready to save his master.
Sahara thought about her options. Then she reaized that there was no chance that two humans on sabbia could stand a chance against those odd, feathered dragons. "Wolfgang, here is the plan." She turned back around in her seat, grabbing hold of Strawberries feathers. "We are going to test just how fast these sabbia really are. Hold on tightly, and give Buskin a good kick. Don't worry, it wont hurt him. If we can make it out of the sand traps before those things catch up to us, then we will be home safe." She took a deep breath. She could feel that Patrick and Connor must not be too far behind, if they were still alive, but she knew she couldnt think about that. If all four of them were to be captured or killed... it would be all over.
"HYAN!" She shouted, giving Strawberry a sharp kick, who in return, bolted forward.
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 17, 2009 0:50:15 GMT -5
Wolfgang looked behind him, momentarily shocked by the massive and grotesque beast behind them. He sat, gaping for another second before Buskin screached at him. It was enough to distract him, and Wolfgang quickly kicked Buskin's sides. "Go!" Buskin's head lowered as his wings flapped viciously, the speed was almost too much, and Wolfgang felt himself slipping off the beast. He clung as best as he could, the gloves made gripping easier. When Buskin's wings spread far so that he could soar, Wolfgang adjusted to the speed and clung for dear life. The desert seemed to fly past, the only visible object was Sahara and Strawberry in front of them.
Excitement and fear rushed through him, and again he felt his head pound in pain. Too much exertion, the voice was not pleased. Too bright. Too fast! Wolfgang ignored the voice, though the pain was almost unbearable. Another few minutes and he knew it would eventually settle, atleast until he was on solid ground again.
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 21, 2009 0:33:27 GMT -5
Patrick noticed Jester flying towards the hideous beasts. He was both happy to see him alive, and very upset that he wasn't trying to fly away like Sahara and Wolfgang. He flinched when he saw the sabbia flying towards the sunahanes, but let out a long sigh when he flew in between the two without hardly being noticed. It reminded him of what the sunahane leader had said; how they could only eat human meat. It seemed that they weren't interested in the sabbia at all, luckily for Patrick and Connor.
"Patrick, I'm going to drop you and your friend." She warned him, loosening her grip a bit. Patrick tensed up. Drop them?! What did she mean drop them?! Panic began to rise in his blood, but he still felt like he could trust this jintori... then he realized what part of her plan was. Strawberry was approaching them quickly, and right before he was right under them, she let go.
Falling was a lot different than flying. When falling, there is nothing holding you up. There is no happy feeling of flight. When falling, you get closer and closer to the ground. Closer and closer to splatting. Falling is not a fun feeling.
Patrick grabbed hold of Connor, bracing for a hard, uncomfortable landing. Jester swooped up underneath them, catching Patrick and Connor on his back. It was a suprisingly soft landing. Patrick adjusted in his seat, positioning Connor infront of him so that he could hold him in place. He looked up. The sunahane behind them was descending to their position. 'Great.' He thought. 'This thing is going to come at my, and I have no weapons.'
Then he noticed something shimmering in Jester's talons. His sword that must have dropped when the sunahanes had captured sat there glittering just feet away from him. "Good boy Jester!" He laughed, happier than ever to see the bird. He grabbed hold of a lock of feathers, then leaned down just far enough to take the handle of the sword in his hand. He sat back up as the sunahane came nearer. He noticed out of the corner of his eye Inori rushing towards the other two sunahanes, and even further out, Wolfgang and Sahara speeding off. Man he wished he could be out there with them, racing towards the border...
but now he had to worry about other stuff, like not getting killed.
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 21, 2009 11:18:53 GMT -5
As the two men both landed on Jester, Connor let out a releifed sigh. He loosley grabbed onto Jester's feathers and craned his head backwards to see Inori and the two Sunahanes. He looked at the two closley approaching, one's mouth dropped open wide. He took out his small dagger, hidden in his boot. It was barley anything, and he knew he would barley be able to swing it at all. But he had to do something. "... Now or never I suppose." His hands shook and his body felt like it was rejecting everything in it. What a terrible feeling, he thought, but he knew it would be over soon.
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 25, 2009 1:50:49 GMT -5
Inori picked up speed so quickly, hardly any wind resistance, as she was flying in the same pattern of the two sunahanes. She felt fear whelling up inside her, something she had not felt in a long time. But she knew she was going to have to fight these sunahanes, and she had seen what the creatures could do countless times. She just had to trust in her jintori instincts. Besides, she knew their weaknessess, and that was a major bonus.
In moments, she was flapping her wings between the two sunahanes, who still seemed content with going after Sahara and Wolfgang. "Rsickne! Jmetal!" She hissed at them, in a voice almost identical to that of an elder sunahane. "Leave the humans! I thank you both for finding me in the wilderness and for saving my life, but please! The humans are no demons! The elder is WRONG!"
One of the sunahanes, the one with darker, more menacing feathers and almost shedding skin turned its head and glared back at her. It spoke with an oddly dry female voice. "Wlenikta!" The sunahane spat. "Your business is not with these humans!" The jintori clinched her fists. "My name is Inori! Granted to me by the Jintori leader. It is a blessing and a curse, but it is my name." The sunahane glared. "I found you in the wilderness, and I adopted you to be my daughter and I gave you the name Wlenikta. Refusing it is refusing my blood and in doing so, I will have no choice but to kill you. You will become an intruder in the sand traps, and will be eliminated."
The second sunahane turned its head. It spoke with a much clearer, manly voice, and though it spoke with such a thick accent, it sounded so very human. "Wlenikta. It best to obey. It best to go home, to leave humans. They are betrayers. Beside, we need their meat. Without it, we die." Inori shook her head. "You're wrong Jmetal! I've seen some of the rogue sunahane, feeding off carabou and rabbits." The much younger, male sunahane hissed. "But they don't taste well. It is human meat we require. Human is what which we feed."
The female sunahane let out a sharp scream, almost like that of a banshee. "ENOUGH JINTORI BEAST! If you deny us, you deny god!" Inori glared. "I do not deny God! But I will stop you from harming my friends!" The younger sunahane laughed. "Friends? You call that food friends? Then you are nothing but human yourself. What did your kind call it...an angel. Jintori turned traitors. Humans first think them as helpful, but what do they do when you get attached? They turn against you!" Inori clenched her fists tighter, whelling up with anger, but the sunahane kept talking. "All races both hate and fear the jintori traitors known as angels. Where ever you go, you will be denied and hunted. As for us, you are no better than human flesh." At this, Inori noticed him drooling at the mouth. "I'm sure Jockshovlun will not be angered if we eat you here!"
The two sunahanes turned at the exact same time and swung their massive clawed tails at Inori, who folded her wings up just in time and began to plummet towards the earth. Just as she dropped below the two sunahanes, she unfurled her wings, wincing as she felt the ripping tug on her wide wings. Quickly regaining her thoughts, she rolled two the side, then looked over at the two sunahanes who had once rescued her from the desert, what she once called family.
Her plan had worked. In the rush of trying to capture Inori and being uncontrollable due to hunger, they had swung without much thought. She watched as the two became entangled in one another, and out of control with hunger, each of the sunahanes ripped at the other, ripping off wrinkles of skin and devouring each other. Even as they lost their ability to fly, and began dropping out of the sky, the two beasts were ripping each other apart. It was a disguisting thing to watch, but Inori did realize one thing about the sunahanes. They were no more intelligent than dogs. They were beasts. Monsters. And nothing more.
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 25, 2009 23:29:20 GMT -5
Connor felt his body become overwelmed in a new feeling of nausia. As he watched the two Sunahanes ripping at each other, he couldn't help but gag. He turned quickly to Jester's feathers, concentrating on them. He had to keep his mind alert, not digusted. He admired Inori's courage and intelligence, but sadly wasn't able to voice it. She watched her adopted parents tear each other apart, was this the price of acceptance? Of freedom?
Hair tousling in the wind, Connor slowly looked up from the feathers and saw Sahara and Wolfgang, a far distance but ever-approaching. "Patrick, they're going to make it. We're going to make it." He smiled, shaking but too happy to care about his deteriating health.
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 26, 2009 1:45:02 GMT -5
Patrick smiled. He saw the approaching sunahane, flying at them with claws open wide and ready to attack, but everything seemed to slow down. He too could not believe their luck. That they made it through the sandtraps, that Sahara was going to live, that she had grown so much, that they would fulfill their promise to Wolfgang and that they would have much news when they got back to the village. And as Patrick watched the female jintori fight for them, giving up what little home and family she could have had left to save them, realizing that there is very little difference between jintori and humans, he felt so full of courage and hope. He gripped his sword. It sadened him that Connor was dying. He couldn't even bare to look at his friend anymore. But he knew that things were going to be alright. He knew that there had to be a God, somewhere. Maybe that meant that there was a heaven too, and he would see Connor again someday.
He rose his sword. "Lets take out this last sunahane, and then we are home free!" Patrick told Connor. The sunahane came ever closer, claws risen high and ready to strike. Patrick took a deep breathe, grabbed tightly to the reigns, and swung his sword...
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 29, 2009 17:08:33 GMT -5
Connor braced himself for the last Sunahane. He knew that if this was the last one, then they would be home free. Inori would go with them to find another home, Wolfgang would travel to Shifuto Aisu to cure himself, and Patrick and Sahara would return home with knowledge of how the Jintori and Sunahanes hate each other, and the the Jintori themselves weren't even Sunahanes. Every one would be home free. Except him.
Connor's body was shutting down, he could feel his body go numb. All the exertion.. he had felt for a moment he was getting better, but that was how the poison worked. Everything hit him at once, and he grasped his chest as it began to beat rapidly in his chest. The Sunahane was even closer now, it dove for Connor's head, but he ducked and it swerved to the side, just missing Patrick's head by inches.
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 29, 2009 17:41:07 GMT -5
Patrick's sword missed. He had felt Connor's pain almost as if it were his own, and it had distracted him. 'shit' he murmered to himself. It was harder to navigate on a sabbia in midair by himself, now he had to do it with Connor too, trying to hold him on Jester with one hand and fighting a monserous bird beast with the other. Jester's reigns were wrapped in the same hand that was holding Connor, so it was difficult to stear the bird. "Jester, you've got to move yourself, I can't exactly do it right now. I trust you." Jester jolted forward in response, wings spread wide. He was going straight torward the sunahane.
"Alright!" Patrick agreed. "Now or never I guess. Jester, get me as close to the beast as you can..without killing us all." The sabbia let out a screech and flew in. Patrick held his sword high, his eyes focused on the sunahane. The sunehane saw them coming and turned in midair. Patrick had never seen such flexibility in midair, not even with the jintori. The sunahane swiped his claws through the air, striking Jester on the wing.
Fear struck Patrick's heart, and he could feel it coming from Jester as well. Neither of them expected that move. Jester lost his strength in one wing, and began spinning out of control. Finally, his wing folded inward, and he began to fall from the sky. Patrick could feel himself and Connor leaving their seats, falling along with the bird. "Come on Jester!" He screamed. "COME ON!"
But now there was something else to worry about. The sunahane was diving towards them, ready to finish them off, hunger evident in its eyes. Patrick clung desperately to Jester and Connor, but as the sunahane approached, he rose his sword and jabbed it up just as the sunahane descended apon them. The blade broke through its scaley skin and into its chest. Patrick saw the ghastly look on its face as it realized its mistake. The blade went straight through the sunahane, and Patrick released the handle just as blood splattered from the wound, staining his coat.
But now they were all falling. And even if they could miraculously survive the fall, the would be crushed by the sunahane falling on top of them. He could still feel Jester desperately trying to unfurl his injured wing, but it seemed that there was no hope. They were falling again, this time with nothing to stop them. Patrick gripped Connor in his free hand, tightly grabbing hold of the reigns with the other, bracing for a most painful, deadly impact.
He closed his eyes tightly, tensing every muscle in his body. Then he heard flapping above him. 'great.' he thought to himself. 'the sunahane is still alive, and he is going to kill everyone else. stupid stupid!' He mocked himself, then felt two strong claws grip his shoulders. He winced at the sharp pain as he was pulled upward, and he let go of Connor. The sunahane might have gotten him, but he wasn't letting it get Connor too. He struggled in the grip of the claws, but with no sword, there wasn't much he could do.
"Patrick! Calm down you idiot! Before you get yourself killed!" Patrick opened his eyes and looked up. He was being grasped tightly in the claws of a sabbia, one he definetly recognized. "Strawberry...Sahara, how did you?" He stopped and began to panic. "CONNOR!" He looked down, and was relieved when he saw that Jester had regained flight. He smiled. "Way to go Jester. Way to go." He realized that with himself riding, two riders was just too much for the sabbia.
Sahara reached down and grabbed Patrick's arm, hoisting him up into the seat with herself. "You guys are damn lucky Strawberry is that fast." Patrick smiled and laughed. "I couldn't agree with you more." Sahara nodded. "I asked Wolfgang to head out of the sand traps. I came back to get you guys. Lets get out of here. Jester should have enough strength to fly the distance. It isnt too much further." Patrick nodded. "Right... lets go."
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 29, 2009 20:56:39 GMT -5
"Sorry... to be such.. a burden.. comrade." Connor murmured to Jester as he regained use of his wing. The fall would have been murderous, he was releived Sahara had come to Patrick's rescue in the nick of time. He let his body fall forward so that it was supported by Jester, his face was buried in his feathers, but the scratches hardly felt like anything to him. He moved just enough and watched as the Sunahane plumetted to the ground, then hit with a bonecrunching intensity. Connor knew that the fight was over.
ooc/ Haha, I'm pretty sure my next post will be it for him. It'll be good when he does die (I mean I'll write it well)
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 30, 2009 21:21:03 GMT -5
Jester let out a smooth almost purring sound in response to Connor, as if to say, "I only wish I could do more for you." The sabbia flapped its wings crookedly, injured by the attack, but managed to keep himself fairly balanced in the sky. He knew his rider was in no condition to hold on and adjusted himself accordingly, he even took it slow, knowing that they were nearly out of danger's way.
Patrick sat behind Sahara on Strawberry, holding her shoulder with one hand to keep his balance while the sabbia flew. He never thought that he would be riding behind somebody else, especially Sahara, but he didn't mind. She had saved his life. She had become a leader. She didn't even need Patrick anymore, but now he knew, he would be needing her. Now there was just one more thing scrambling his mind.
"Where is Inori?" Patrick asked Sahara, who returned a confused look back to him. "Who?" Patrick frowned. "Inori. The jintori that was with us." Sahara frowned. "Jintori... what is a jintori?" Patrick rolled his eyes. Explaining things was a pain in the butt. "Its a sunahane..only they arent really sunahanes, they are jintori, sunahanes are those creatures we just killed off. Anyway, I'll explain later. Inori. The winged girl? Have you seen her?" Sahara shook her head. "I didn't see anyone.. I was a little busy trying to fly away. Wait...you were with a sunahane? What did it do to you?!" Patrick shook his head. "A jintori, and don't worry, she is on our side..." Sahara nodded, though honestly, she was quite confused. "And how did you take out all three of those creatures..." "Sunahanes." "Whatever. How did you kill all of them? They didn't look easy to beat." Patrick shook his head. "That was why I wanted to know where Inori went... she took out two of them herself.. She saved us. You really havn't seen her?" Sahara shook a disapointed face.
Patrick glanced around. Where could she have gone? There were canyons around, but certainly she wouldnt have gone back to the sunahanes? Had she grown weak and fallen to her death?" Patrick fearfully scanned the sand below, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. So where was Inori?
****************
"YOU DARE TO DECIEVE US?!"
The monsterous elder sunahane dug its massive claws deeper into the jintori's flesh. "Elder! humans are not demons! They are not selfish! I had to save them. You can go ahead and kill me, but you'll never catch them."
The sunahane elder grinned, its face twisting into something horrible. "No. I don't think I will kill you. Your blood may be part human, but your flesh is all jintori, and I am sure, you will not taste good. Instead, I have a better idea. I will let you go. But you will never be welcomed in these lands again, lest you die. " He released his grip slightly.
The jintori frowned. "What do you want from me?" The sunahane glared her in the eyes. "You know what I want. We talked about it before. Deliver me what I want, and you will be spared. As will those humans." The jintori spat. "And if I dont?!" The sunahane smirked. "I will kill you and the humans you have befriended. Remember that they are not too far away, and I am the strongest and fastest of the sunahanes."
Inori frowned, fear coming over her. She knew he was right. He could easily kill them all. But she had to do something she always dreaded if she wanted to save them all...
"Fine. I'll do it." The elder laughed, its voice hoarse and hideous. "I want your promise in blood!" He sunk his claws deeper into her flesh, and she yelled out in pain as she felt the liquid enter her bloodstream. "Now, if you do not do as I say, you will die. But return to me with what I require within the year, and you will be given the cure."
Inori breathed heavily with fear. "Go! And do not forget our little promise!" He lifted his talons, and the jintori scrambled to get her footing, then unfurled her wings and lifted into the air, desperate to get as far away from the sunahanes as possible.
********
"PATRICK!" Patrick turned his head at the sound of a very familiar accent calling his name. A smile crossed his lips. So she was safe after all. "Inori! Say, what happened back there?" Sahara turned, her eyes widening at the site of the sunahane...er... jintori. She thought it had been just a tale, but it was true, there was a jintori on their side.
"I'll tell you sooner or later Patrick. Right now, we have to get out of here quickly."
************
They landed safetly outside of the sand traps. They were still a way away from the border, but atleast now they didnt have to worry about the sunahanes. There could still be more jintori, but Patrick felt safe about that. He was sure they wouldnt be getting too close to the sand traps for a while.
As soon as they had landed, Patrick leapt off of Strawberry and attended to his friend and sabbia. "Jester....thank you." He gave the sabbia a quick pat on the head, then turned to Connor, helping him off of the sabbia and into the sand.
Now that things were calming, he thought that the fear would go away. It didn't. Now he knew that it wouldn't be much longer now...
"Connor, hang on. Just a little bit longer."
Inori sat in the sand, covering the bloody wound with her wing. She watched the scene, not quite sure what to make of it. She wanted to say something... but now wasnt her time. Besides, she was sure if she spoke, it would just tense things. And she needed to recover her strength. She would talk later, when things had calmed.
Sahara stepped off of Strawberry and turned to Wolfgang. "Glad to hear you made it alright. Boy, it was some kind of hell back there. And we'll have plenty of information to go back to the village to. " She turned to see Patrick and Connor. "Lets leave them be for now.. They are good friends. It wouldnt be right for us to hog his last moments on earth."
She turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Wolfgang. That you had to witness all this. And for everything I've done. I havn't exactly helped things..." It was odd. In the time of just a few days, Sahara had matured beyond her years. She not only sounded older, but she looked older too. More mature. More beautiful. Like a caterpillar transforming herself into a butterfly. Her eyes shone with purpose, no longer anger and hatred, and though she was just feet from one of the creatures that murdered her family... she took it with maturity. She had grown alot in those few days. She had become a warrior, a best friend, and a leader.
|
|
|
Post by P h o b i a;|| on Nov 30, 2009 23:06:33 GMT -5
Wolfgang understood that Sahara's words were sincere, he gave her an earnest nod before glancing over to Patrick and Connor. He felt guilt, but Connor's personality was not one to hold grudges. He understood that. He turned to Inori, and then back to Sahara. "Will this Jintori be joining us? Who is she?" He didn't raise his weapon, but he kept on guard. She looked like she meant no harm, and by the way the others had treated her, she was definatley an ally.
Connor could feel his back once more on the warm sand, he never felt more releived in his life. He winced as he tried to sit up, and defeated, fell back down. "I still got fight. C'mon." He tried to laugh at himself, but blood forced itself up his throat, he stuggled hard to force it down. He was dying. Maybe he was already dead. He couldn't accept it yet, he couldn't accept the fact he would never see his son again, the village he loved.
"I could never ask for a better comrade, Patrick. You're a great leader too. Tell Sahara she will be one day too, when she's ready to hear it." "...Bo." He could feel hot tears fall down his face, but his lip did not quiver. "P-Patrick." He slowly lifted his hand and took off his goggles. He then grabbed Patricks hand, dropping them into it. The faded rims and the cracked lens shone brilliantly in the sun. "Please." Tears welled up again, "Please... take these. Give them to him when he's ready... use them for now." His vision began to blur, and his body felt colder. Was this what death felt like?
As he inhaled, his lungs creaked. He could feel his heart throbbing in his ears. Then suddenly, a vision.
Over Patrick's shoulder. A woman? Her hair was blonde, eyes dark brown and cast upon him. She looked sad, terribly so. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine, he wanted to make the pain on her face go away, but his lips wouldn't move. He searched her face. So familiar... And then suddenly, there was something. A smile.
Connor had no last words. No remark, like he always did. A sarcastic bit here, a stubborn comment there. Now only silence. His glazed eyes remained half opened, starring towards the dunes, ever shifting in the wind.
|
|
|
Post by ∴♪WolfurChickϗ on Nov 30, 2009 23:42:31 GMT -5
Patrick took the goggles in his hand and wrapped his fingers around them. It was a silent agreement. He felt as though no words need spoken. After all the years of jokes and laughter and snide remarks, they truly had nothing to say. Patrick felt mixed emotions. Sorrow for losing a close friend, hopeful for finding Bo, and respectful that a good man lost his life in the line of duty. This was what he had come for. This was why they needed a three man team. And it would still be three air combat fighters on the team, with Inori joining them.
Patrick stared into his friend's eyes as he passed. He felt his own eyes burning, but only a single tear managed to slip through, like his last good bye. He reached forward and gently closed the eyelids of his dead partner.
He would never be able to fight along side him again. Never be able to help him train another crazy, wild sabbia to become a good friend. But in the middle of the desert, with nothing but shifting sands around them, constantly changing direction without anyone noticing or caring, he knew one thing. Connor would be noticed. He would be remembered, and he will forever be loved. He was a fighter, a partner, but most importantly, a friend. And a damn good one too.
Patrick wiped the last tear from his eyes, sniffled his last sniffle and rose up from the sand. "May God know that this is a good man. I pray that he loves him as much as we loved him on earth." He rose his eyes to the sky. It was odd. Praying. He hadn't done so in what seemed like forever. For the longest time, he didn't believe in God. Hadn't everybody in Shifuto Hiru given up on any kind of a deity? But for the first time in a long time, Patrick felt like there had to be something. If there wasn't something, there would be nothing... and how could a hero like Connor die for nothing? There had to be something. And that was Patrick's new belief.
Patrick wished he had something to leave his deceased friend, but he honestly had nothing, not even his sword to give to what he knew was a hero. He took a deep breath. He glanced around the desert. Every few feet or so, he would spot a desert lizard. The sands would blow with the winds, and the sun would sink ever slowly beyond the dunes. It just came to show him that the world never stops. No matter how much mahem humans may think is going on, the world just keeps spinning. Sometimes you want to yell at the world for making the death of a hero seem so small... but the world was right. In the words of Mamori Sakuran, an old friend to Patrick, people are just another grain in the sand. It can be lost, and nobody even notices. The whole desert doesn't stop for the one grain.
It made death seem so small. But it gave Patrick hope. There had to be something else. Even the earth itself knew it. And if that was the case...
"I'll see you soon buddy."
|
|