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The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 10:43 PM

[This follows the canon storyline of my Meltdown plot! So some things might not be explained very well pffft.
I'm just playing with character backstories right now.]

Image

It was considered a fairly common attraction, the dumping of the results of a particularly large Inigeri raid, strewn across the warm cave floor. Dukhaan crept out from behind the legs of one of the various adults standing in a tight circle around the pile, his feathery cloak a bit too puffy for his shoulders, fluffing up against his cheeks and making him sneeze. He pushed it down a bit, trying to tame the newly sewn feathers, peering between bodies before he'd finally had enough. Setting his brow, Dukhaan barreled forward, eliciting a few irritated reactions from the older members of the audience, but at last he fought his way to the front of the crowd, his eyes shining as he stared at the piles of gold and silver and copper tumbling out of sacks.

The sound of chains clinking echoed from the world above, and the great dark grate at the mouth of the cave in the ceiling creaked and groaned as it opened a second time–odd. A hundred pairs of golden eyes turned towards the ceiling, curiosity and confusion flashing and glittering in each one. Dukhaan watched as snow tumbled down into the warm, firelit Inigeri camp, the sounds of the Black Market above leaking in as a pair of captives were shoved roughly down the passageway, hitting the ground with a thud.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 10:45 PM

Image Image

Interested, Dukhaan squeezed through the quickly converging crowd, straining his ears to hear through the murmurs of confusion among the older members of the clan. He could barely make out the sound of one of the raiders' voices trying to rise above the din, and he scowled, uttering a sharp 'Shhhhhhhh!' in attempts to quiet everyone, to no avail.

Suddenly there was the sharp, brittle sound of metal scraping hard against metal, and the crowd of Inigeri fell silent and turned their faces to the end of the cave, where an enormous throne of twisted metal and rock hung almost like a crow's nest to the back wall of the cave. The King rose, his eyes two glittering chips of golden ice, and he sheathed his sword, sitting back down on the throne. Silence achieved, the raider cleared his throat and jerked the two captives--children, Dukhaan could see, his eyes wide as he watched--to their feet, shoving them roughly towards the back of the cave. The crowd seemed to follow, converging like a mass of rats around the back, clearly hungry for bloodshed.

Finally reaching the end of the enormous tunnel-like cave, the raider threw the two children--a girl and a boy, Dukhaan could now make out--in front of the throne. Both had the good sense to keep their heads bowed. "Your highness," the raider began, a bit breathless from the brisk walk to the end of the cave, "These two captives tried to get away during the raid. They cost us considerable time, and likely a fair chunk of gold, too."



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 10:48 PM

The King narrowed his eyes, leaning forward from atop his perch, his chin dark with stubble as he tilted his head at the children. He was silent for some time, before his gaze slipped back to the raider's face, an eyebrow arching slightly. "You're meaning to tell me... that two children caused so much trouble for a group of nine experienced thieves?" he asked in a low, scathing voice, and the raider stiffened considerably, his eyes widening.

"W-well, your highness, they..." the raider began, trailing off, and the King seemed to grow bored, his face unimpressed already as he slowly raised his hand. From high above, on a rock ledge, dirt crumbled down as something moved. "Th-they must have been trained for such a thing, s-surely, it's the only explanation--” The King's fingers twitched, and a dark arrow shot down from the ledge, impaling the raider in the head. The Inigeri behind lurched forward, surprised but eager to make sense of the situation as excited murmuring echoed around the cave. There was another sharp screeching of metal on metal, and the crowd silenced themselves, as if a switch had been turned off.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 10:50 PM

"Inigeri Clan," the King rumbled, his eyes dark as he raised them from the raider's fallen corpse to the crowd. "As the proudest, and most able race of thieves and assassins in all of Niveria and surely beyond, we do not let little slip ups such as this get to our heads."

One of the children, the boy, slowly raised his head to look up at the King, his blue eyes sharp as a smile slowly spread over his lips. "That's funny, your highness," he said, his voice oddly calm despite the situation. The girl kept her head down, but Dukhaan could see the small smile curving at the ends of her mouth as well.

The crowd began murmuring again at the boy’s words, lurching forward in preparation for more spilled blood, but the King did not raise his hand. He simply stared down at the boy, meeting his gaze, his expression unreadable. "Excuse me, boy?" he said, his voice low.

"I said that was funny, your highness," the boy repeated himself, tossing his head slightly to move his mop of black hair out of his eyes, since his hands were bound behind him. "You said... 'get to our heads,' right after you shot that man in the head. It was funny," he said calmly, smile widening slightly as he gazed up at the King.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:01 PM

The King eyed him closely, his gaze scrutinizing, before he finally murmured, "What's your name, boy?"

"That's not all that important, if you're going to kill me, right, your highness?" the boy retorted, his smile turning to a grin.

Dukhaan watched the exchange with wide eyes, heavily expecting the boy to die at any moment. Much to his surprise, the King’s eyes lit up in amusement. "What do you suggest I'd do otherwise?" the King asked the boy.

"I'm sure you’re a little curious as to how I got away from your raiders, aren't you?" came the boy's almost cheeky reply, and the girl beside him, head still bowed, giggled slightly, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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zapdragon555
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Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:03 PM

All of the Inigeri seemed intrigued by this boy, and Dukhaan blinked as the King suddenly grinned, bellowing, "If any would like to volunteer to fight this... strapping young boy, please step forward! Don’t be shy!" he laughed, clearly ready for a show.

Dukhaan squeaked as he was suddenly shoved forward, into the middle of the circle of people, and all at once, everyone's eyes were on him. There was certainly no turning back now. Dukhaan puffed out his chest and stared up at the King, who was looking at him with an odd sort of frown. "Any... other volunteers?" the King called out, avoiding Dukhaan's eyes, and the Inigeri crowd roared with laughter.

Indignant, Dukhaan whipped his head around, glaring at every Inigeri he met eyes with. No more volunteers stepped forward, but the King was relentless. "Come now. This boy supposedly bested some of my finest thieves. Surely we can do better than one little child for a challenger, can’t we?" the King said, his voice echoing around the cave, and Dukhaan seemed to shrink slightly. The crowd fell silent as they all seemed to notice the King's dark expression, and finally, a man stepped forward. He was a thin, lanky fellow with dark skin and eyes, and he easily nudged Dukhaan out of the way, back into the crowd.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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zapdragon555
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Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:08 PM

Dukhaan made a noise of protest and tried to get back into the ring, but a firm hand grabbed his arm and jerked him back into a tight hug. "M-mom!" Dukhaan protested above the cheering, trying to struggle out of the woman's grip. "Let me go!"

"Shush," his mother hissed, her face boding no arguments. She held tight to his shoulders, watching the spectacle in front of her with panic in her eyes. Surely, watching a child die was far too much. The King was not so cold hearted...

Seeing no way out of his mother's vicegrip, Dukhaan strained his ears, listening to the chains clink as the boy stood up, his hands likely still bound. Though, if the King wanted a show, he would probably take them off. He listened carefully, then fidgeted in his mother's arms as he heard two pairs of chains sliding across the floor. Was the girl standing up now, too? "Moooom, I want to see!" Dukhaan protested, fighting against his mother's grip but never using his teeth or nails. He wouldn’t dare hurt her.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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zapdragon555
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Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:10 PM

"No, I don't want you to see this at such a young age," his mother said softly, bending down to his ear to whisper it. Dukhaan frowned. Some of the other twelve year olds had already been going out on raids with the older thieves, and had probably seen much more violence than this. "Come on. Let's go back to the hut," she said, steering him away from the crowd before Dukhaan could open his mouth. Before he knew it, Dukhaan was shoved behind the curtain-door and into the tiny thatched abode he shared with his mother. Immediately the way out was blocked by his mother's strangely intimidating form.

Dukhaan made move to try to get past her, but she easily caught him and turned him around. "Dukhaan, no. You're staying in here until the commotion dies down--" His mother was interrupted by a roar of excitement from outside, cheers and jeers alike filtering in. Even his mother had a spark of curiosity in her eyes, but she quelled it, fixing Dukhaan with a stern look. "You have to stay in here."



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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zapdragon555
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Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:13 PM

"Why wouldn't the King let me fight him?" Dukhaan asked, his face indignant, his feathered cloak fluffed around his shoulders, as if bristling with irritation. "I could’ve done it... He wasn't much older than me, and he was all tied up, too..."

His mother's eyes narrowed slightly, and she let out a small breath, kneeling down to Dukhaan’s level. "Because the King is actually a very careful man. He must have thought that there was a small possibility that the prisoner boy was a skilled fighter, and he didn’t want someone as young as you to get hurt."

"He’s not careful, he's stupid," Dukhaan spat, crossing his arms over his chest and avoiding the hurt in his mother's eyes.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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zapdragon555
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Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:16 PM

"No, Dukhaan, he isn't. He's a good King..." she trailed off, knitting her brows together a bit, remembering the man who'd been shot in the head, then sighed, shaking her head. "I didn’t want you to hurt that boy, either. It wouldn't be good for you, to--to kill someone, at your age. You'd always remember it, and it wouldn't be a good memory at all."

Dukhaan glanced sideways at her with a scowl on his face, then snorted and stalked to the edge of the hut, sitting down cross-legged on the stone floor, his cloak far too big for him. His mother gazed at him for a moment, then sighed through her nose and barely pulled back the curtain of the hut to peer outside. Dukhaan's eyes widened as he heard his mother's breath hitch in surprise, and he whipped his head around, listening to the excited roar of the crowd. "What is it? What’s happening?" he asked excitedly, his scowl gone and replaced with pure childish curiosity. "Did the boy's head get cut off?"



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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zapdragon555
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Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:18 PM

"No," his mother breathed, a hand over her mouth as she stared outside, something hollow in her eyes. "His eyes--" She cut herself off, then closed the curtain and went to Dukhaan, kneeling down next to him and running a hand over his hair. "Don't you worry about it. I'm sure you could ask Fradzita about it after it's all over..."

"Why does she get to see it?" Dukhaan protested, ducking away from his mother's touch, his voice rising with indignance.

"She's older than you, and she's not my daughter," his mother said, her voice growing short as her hand fell heavy on Dukhaan's shoulder to hold him in place, as if she feared he'd bolt at any moment.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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zapdragon555
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Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:23 PM

Dukhaan stiffened in surprise as the sound of a grown man yelling in pain reached his ears, and he turned his eyes up to his mom, suddenly frightened. "M-mom...?" He gasped in surprise as his mother tugged him closer into her arms and hugged him tightly, her hands fitting over his ears. Dukhaan stared at the ground, confused and a little bit scared, and he sniffed, a mixture of anger and fear and the simple warmth of his mother making tears well in his eyes.

His mother held him tighter as she felt his thin shoulders shake, and she turned his head to press into her shoulder as he started to cry. "I-it's not f-fair," he mumbled into her shoulder as he cried. "You don't... let me do anything, e-ever... I hate you..." he blubbered, and his mother's brows knitted together, a certain kind of anger flickering in her eyes as she gripped Dukhaan's hair, barely shaking him and yanking his head back to look at her.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


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zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
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Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: The Crooked Kind [Self; M?]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/14/2015 11:25 PM

"I do this to protect you, Dukhaan," his mother hissed, her face stern, and Dukhaan was startled into silence, his arms drawn close to his chest and his cheeks streaked with tears. His head was starting to hurt where his mother gripped his hair, and the little twinge of pain made the tears stop, made him meet his mother's eyes with a defiant expression.

"Let me go," Dukhaan said, his voice only breaking a little bit. His mother stared at him, the anger blazing up in her eyes, but there was fear there, too. "You won't let me be strong, s-so... so I'm just gonna get beaten up all the time, and maybe even killed! S-so you're not protecting me at all!" he exclaimed, trying to wrench away from his mother's grasp, but the moment her hand left his hair her arms were around him, pulling him back and hugging him with a fierceness.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


Pen | New Pen | Breed | Wish | Sales | Art | Imp. | Add-ons

User avatar
zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
Will Draw For Food
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Keystones: 485
Donate
Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."


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