Ashla
08-22-15, 09:20 AM
Something indie-pendant I'm working on. Each spoiler signifies a new chapter. Contains some characters I made here and elsewhere, but edited to fit the universe of my story here. Chapter three ain't done yet.
Frantic breaths escaped the mouth of a young woman, ducking behind a bare rock. Her lungs felt like fire, yet her skin could be colder than ice. She dare not look back. The voices shouting behind her, from the thick forest, sent shock waves of panic through her head.
Her pale hands shook against the bare rock, every nerve moving when they hit a single fragment of bland mineral. The forest felt like it was mist, ready to fade away like a waking dream any moment. Yet, as much as she wished it would, it wouldn't. A small satchel, filled with several parsnips, mobiyels, and other fruits and vegetables were her ill gotten gains. She knew it was wrong, she had been taught so, but since she left her mentor's care, the rules slowly escaped her mind. She had to eat...
She had never done something like this, but a week with nothing but water was unbearable. As the men searched in the distance, she felt her heart rate slowly drop. She closed her eyes, sighing for a moment before she heard movement in the dew glazed bushes. Her eyes flashed open, drawing a common kitchen knife out and pointing it at...
Aeva.
The thief lowered her knife, "Oh, so it's you..."
Aeva smirked as she took her satchel, "Nice work for a rookie. C'mon, I know the best way out of these things."
All she could do was trust Aeva.
~~~
Dodging and running, but still remaining silent, was hard for someone without the experience of a pickpocket like Aeva was hard, but they eventually made it back to camp safely.
Around the fire was four other people. Aeva pulled down her black hood, smiling as she lifted the satchels full of food to show everyone. Her short, red hair bounced, "Told you."
The four huddled by the tiny fire stared with dead eyes for a moment, then two of the men's eyes widened pathetically. They raced over, knocking down the satchels, various foods pouring out. As they hunkered down, stuffing their faces in starvation, the second one back, who had snatched the fruits and veggies, walked over to the more sane two. One of them was a dark skinned man, completely shaved from head to toe with grey shorts and a hoodie on. The blond young woman, wearing a dark green shirt and pants, covered by a leather apron that covered front and back from upper chest to knees. Despite her exhaustion, her green, feathered fedora was proudly on her head. The man looked up at the newcomer, "You okay?"
The girl nodded, ignoring the background screams of Aeva, scolding the others for their behaviors. The blond blinked, "My sister 'din't treat you bad?"
The girl nodded.
The blond's green eyes brightened, "Nice."
"Hanuh," the man spoke, "We must be ready to continue tomorrow, we've been here for two weeks."
Hanuh nodded at him, turning her attention from the blond, "Indeed, Marcus, we'll be soon hea-"
"-Eshwyn!"
The group turned to see Aeva marching toward them; she looked the blond right in her green eyes. "Eshwyn, please help?"
Eshwyn smiled at her sister, Aeva, "Of course."
The girls got up, leaving Hanuh and Marcus alone. Hanuh pointed to the food she and Aeva collected, "You hungry?"
Marcus nodded, and the two went to join the others in the feast. As the team of six dug into their stolen goods, despite her own hunger, Hanuh felt too sick to eat. She had been taught that thievery had nothing good in it; stealing was a crime and only something someone low down and dirty would commit. Hanuh reflected off how the farmers needed these crops, which they grew, for harvest. These would have been either sold for money or used as their own food. Hanuh looked at a parsnip as she turned green, didn’t we need this food too, though?
It continuously felt like the world was turning like a park ride. Like black and white scales of film, she felt herself breaking up. It looked like she was underwater, and felt like it too…
The last thing she remembered was the cool, dirt ground against her face.
“Hanuh?” the girl opened her eyes to see a gold ceiling. Her brown orbs widened as she threw herself off… a bed?
A white sheet fell off, the teen was in shock to see that she was wearing a dress nightgown instead of her torn, dirty outfit. She got out of the bed, her bare feet briefly recoiling up again at the touch of the cold, marble floor. She placed her feet down again, standing up. “I’ve dealt with colder… I can make ‘cooler’ after all, right?”
She looked around, she was in a bright, white room. The bed had been made of wood, woven professionally into a fanciful rest place. She noted a bowl of water sitting on a brass nightstand with a brown cloth next to it. The girl walked up to the bowl to see her own reflection. Dirty blond hair, fair skin, brown eyes… all check. Hanuh pulled her hand up to her cheek when she realized there was a fresh cut there. Her eyes widened, she stepped back, “Wh-where?”
“You cut yourself running from the farmers.”
Hanuh swerved around, her dress flowing like ocean waves. She felt tears swell up just at the sight she saw… it was her.
Black hair, darker than the night sky. Her eyes were hidden, but her pale mouth was curved into a smile. Her clothes were black, no armor was seen minus her leather gauntlet, reinforced with metal plating and retractable claws at the fists. Hanuh gulped, looking over the vague image of her.
The woman pulled her arms behind her back, every movement smooth like chocolate pudding. “You know better than to steal like that, Hanuh.”
Hanuh could only stair at her. While her voice had been stern, she could see she was not angry. Hanuh could do nothing for a moment… but extend her hand. “This is you?”
The woman reached up to her hood to remove it. Hanuh felt liquid falling from her eyes, scorching her cut.
“That’ll leave a scar, won’t it?” the woman placed her hand on her hood, ready to throw her hood back.
“Is this a dream?” Hanuh asked in barely a whisper, “Is this real?”
The woman stopped moving, completely still, and Hanuh’s familiar fears rose up again.
“Maybe,” the older girl smiled, “haven’t you dreamt before?”
Hanuh bent her toes, feeling the ground to make sure she stayed here. She wanted to stay here with her. “I try not to dream… but I do.”
Hanuh was disappointed when she took her hand off the hood, pulling it back down to her waist. “Dream if you can; you don’t know when you’ll find me.”
“But I will find you!” Hanuh abruptly cried, “I have to! That’s why I-“
“-Left Daisuke behind.”
Hanuh fell silent.
“Hanuh, your… misadventure… will cause you to do far worse than snatch some food away.” At last, her voice fell darker, “Are you sure you want to find me?”
Hanuh closed her eyes, considering. She had glanced at having to take these precautions before she snuck away, but she swore she never would… and now she had. Hanuh opened her eyes again, pretty sure she would see her again. However, her body vibrated when she saw the sky instead… redwood trees sticking out and up from all directions.
The ground felt wet, showing it rained last night… again. Shivering, Hanuh pulled herself up. Her hand flew at her forehead though when she felt a constant throbbing. Nausea returned to her.
“Hanuh!”
The caramel haired girl turned to see Kalveen, a strawberry blond haired, skinny boy sporting jeans, a leather jacket, climbing boots reinforced with stahal plating, walking up to her. He smiled, “You went out like a lightbulb last night, what happened? Aeva says you might be dehydrated, do you feel okay? She said to look out for paling of the skin, nausea, thirst, and headaches. Do you have any of those? Do you feel like you’re going to throw up? You sure look pale. Thirsty? Do you feel any-”
“-I certainly have a headache!” Hanuh lashed back at him. As clumsy and talkative as he was, Kalveen was an excellent forager and mechanic. He joined Hanuh’s team as their old style hunter and gatherer. Everyone in the ragtag group had different attributes and talents. Next to talking people to sleep, Kalveen was great at gathering materials and crafting masterpieces from a makeshift metal detector to wood weapons. Hanuh sighed, he was most likely the one watching her because it was the team’s only way to have peace and quiet. Nevertheless, if Hanuh was thrown the most annoying member of the team, she would throw it right back at them.
“Kalveen, go tell Aeva and the others I’m up? I need to take five…”
Kalveen nodded and ran the get the others. For a twenty-one year old, he was sure immature…not that Hanuh was immature herself. Even if she was tis sixteen, Hanuh was in charge of caring for five people she hadn’t even known until she started this exhibition… it had been town months and things were not going so well.
Not that the team didn’t treat her well, they actually took a liking to her. They all had joined for different reasons. Kalveen had joined for the adventure. Marcus, the everyday bounty hunter, had come for money, which Hanuh actually had – had, as she paid everything up front. Eshwyn and Aeva, the sisters that didn’t look like sisters but sure behaved like such, had joined because Aeva wanted to “show Eshwyn how it was done.” Aeva obviously was experienced too.
Frantic breaths escaped the mouth of a young woman, ducking behind a bare rock. Her lungs felt like fire, yet her skin could be colder than ice. She dare not look back. The voices shouting behind her, from the thick forest, sent shock waves of panic through her head.
Her pale hands shook against the bare rock, every nerve moving when they hit a single fragment of bland mineral. The forest felt like it was mist, ready to fade away like a waking dream any moment. Yet, as much as she wished it would, it wouldn't. A small satchel, filled with several parsnips, mobiyels, and other fruits and vegetables were her ill gotten gains. She knew it was wrong, she had been taught so, but since she left her mentor's care, the rules slowly escaped her mind. She had to eat...
She had never done something like this, but a week with nothing but water was unbearable. As the men searched in the distance, she felt her heart rate slowly drop. She closed her eyes, sighing for a moment before she heard movement in the dew glazed bushes. Her eyes flashed open, drawing a common kitchen knife out and pointing it at...
Aeva.
The thief lowered her knife, "Oh, so it's you..."
Aeva smirked as she took her satchel, "Nice work for a rookie. C'mon, I know the best way out of these things."
All she could do was trust Aeva.
~~~
Dodging and running, but still remaining silent, was hard for someone without the experience of a pickpocket like Aeva was hard, but they eventually made it back to camp safely.
Around the fire was four other people. Aeva pulled down her black hood, smiling as she lifted the satchels full of food to show everyone. Her short, red hair bounced, "Told you."
The four huddled by the tiny fire stared with dead eyes for a moment, then two of the men's eyes widened pathetically. They raced over, knocking down the satchels, various foods pouring out. As they hunkered down, stuffing their faces in starvation, the second one back, who had snatched the fruits and veggies, walked over to the more sane two. One of them was a dark skinned man, completely shaved from head to toe with grey shorts and a hoodie on. The blond young woman, wearing a dark green shirt and pants, covered by a leather apron that covered front and back from upper chest to knees. Despite her exhaustion, her green, feathered fedora was proudly on her head. The man looked up at the newcomer, "You okay?"
The girl nodded, ignoring the background screams of Aeva, scolding the others for their behaviors. The blond blinked, "My sister 'din't treat you bad?"
The girl nodded.
The blond's green eyes brightened, "Nice."
"Hanuh," the man spoke, "We must be ready to continue tomorrow, we've been here for two weeks."
Hanuh nodded at him, turning her attention from the blond, "Indeed, Marcus, we'll be soon hea-"
"-Eshwyn!"
The group turned to see Aeva marching toward them; she looked the blond right in her green eyes. "Eshwyn, please help?"
Eshwyn smiled at her sister, Aeva, "Of course."
The girls got up, leaving Hanuh and Marcus alone. Hanuh pointed to the food she and Aeva collected, "You hungry?"
Marcus nodded, and the two went to join the others in the feast. As the team of six dug into their stolen goods, despite her own hunger, Hanuh felt too sick to eat. She had been taught that thievery had nothing good in it; stealing was a crime and only something someone low down and dirty would commit. Hanuh reflected off how the farmers needed these crops, which they grew, for harvest. These would have been either sold for money or used as their own food. Hanuh looked at a parsnip as she turned green, didn’t we need this food too, though?
It continuously felt like the world was turning like a park ride. Like black and white scales of film, she felt herself breaking up. It looked like she was underwater, and felt like it too…
The last thing she remembered was the cool, dirt ground against her face.
“Hanuh?” the girl opened her eyes to see a gold ceiling. Her brown orbs widened as she threw herself off… a bed?
A white sheet fell off, the teen was in shock to see that she was wearing a dress nightgown instead of her torn, dirty outfit. She got out of the bed, her bare feet briefly recoiling up again at the touch of the cold, marble floor. She placed her feet down again, standing up. “I’ve dealt with colder… I can make ‘cooler’ after all, right?”
She looked around, she was in a bright, white room. The bed had been made of wood, woven professionally into a fanciful rest place. She noted a bowl of water sitting on a brass nightstand with a brown cloth next to it. The girl walked up to the bowl to see her own reflection. Dirty blond hair, fair skin, brown eyes… all check. Hanuh pulled her hand up to her cheek when she realized there was a fresh cut there. Her eyes widened, she stepped back, “Wh-where?”
“You cut yourself running from the farmers.”
Hanuh swerved around, her dress flowing like ocean waves. She felt tears swell up just at the sight she saw… it was her.
Black hair, darker than the night sky. Her eyes were hidden, but her pale mouth was curved into a smile. Her clothes were black, no armor was seen minus her leather gauntlet, reinforced with metal plating and retractable claws at the fists. Hanuh gulped, looking over the vague image of her.
The woman pulled her arms behind her back, every movement smooth like chocolate pudding. “You know better than to steal like that, Hanuh.”
Hanuh could only stair at her. While her voice had been stern, she could see she was not angry. Hanuh could do nothing for a moment… but extend her hand. “This is you?”
The woman reached up to her hood to remove it. Hanuh felt liquid falling from her eyes, scorching her cut.
“That’ll leave a scar, won’t it?” the woman placed her hand on her hood, ready to throw her hood back.
“Is this a dream?” Hanuh asked in barely a whisper, “Is this real?”
The woman stopped moving, completely still, and Hanuh’s familiar fears rose up again.
“Maybe,” the older girl smiled, “haven’t you dreamt before?”
Hanuh bent her toes, feeling the ground to make sure she stayed here. She wanted to stay here with her. “I try not to dream… but I do.”
Hanuh was disappointed when she took her hand off the hood, pulling it back down to her waist. “Dream if you can; you don’t know when you’ll find me.”
“But I will find you!” Hanuh abruptly cried, “I have to! That’s why I-“
“-Left Daisuke behind.”
Hanuh fell silent.
“Hanuh, your… misadventure… will cause you to do far worse than snatch some food away.” At last, her voice fell darker, “Are you sure you want to find me?”
Hanuh closed her eyes, considering. She had glanced at having to take these precautions before she snuck away, but she swore she never would… and now she had. Hanuh opened her eyes again, pretty sure she would see her again. However, her body vibrated when she saw the sky instead… redwood trees sticking out and up from all directions.
The ground felt wet, showing it rained last night… again. Shivering, Hanuh pulled herself up. Her hand flew at her forehead though when she felt a constant throbbing. Nausea returned to her.
“Hanuh!”
The caramel haired girl turned to see Kalveen, a strawberry blond haired, skinny boy sporting jeans, a leather jacket, climbing boots reinforced with stahal plating, walking up to her. He smiled, “You went out like a lightbulb last night, what happened? Aeva says you might be dehydrated, do you feel okay? She said to look out for paling of the skin, nausea, thirst, and headaches. Do you have any of those? Do you feel like you’re going to throw up? You sure look pale. Thirsty? Do you feel any-”
“-I certainly have a headache!” Hanuh lashed back at him. As clumsy and talkative as he was, Kalveen was an excellent forager and mechanic. He joined Hanuh’s team as their old style hunter and gatherer. Everyone in the ragtag group had different attributes and talents. Next to talking people to sleep, Kalveen was great at gathering materials and crafting masterpieces from a makeshift metal detector to wood weapons. Hanuh sighed, he was most likely the one watching her because it was the team’s only way to have peace and quiet. Nevertheless, if Hanuh was thrown the most annoying member of the team, she would throw it right back at them.
“Kalveen, go tell Aeva and the others I’m up? I need to take five…”
Kalveen nodded and ran the get the others. For a twenty-one year old, he was sure immature…not that Hanuh was immature herself. Even if she was tis sixteen, Hanuh was in charge of caring for five people she hadn’t even known until she started this exhibition… it had been town months and things were not going so well.
Not that the team didn’t treat her well, they actually took a liking to her. They all had joined for different reasons. Kalveen had joined for the adventure. Marcus, the everyday bounty hunter, had come for money, which Hanuh actually had – had, as she paid everything up front. Eshwyn and Aeva, the sisters that didn’t look like sisters but sure behaved like such, had joined because Aeva wanted to “show Eshwyn how it was done.” Aeva obviously was experienced too.