(SOLO) Venomous Treachery

[Felakal]

Timestamp: 11th of Spring, 511 AV Felakal walked the busy streets of Riverfall. Children ran by playfully. Adults chatted with laughter. Felakal had been feeling more open to being around people since his rite of manhood. He wasn't quite sure why, but he was in high spirits. After all of his training, with his father, Sulavik, and alone in the caves. After all of it, he finally did it. As usual Naturii, his family eagle, circled high above. Accompanied by Foreen. His new hawk. Kanaar padded beside Felakal, not equipped with bags but just a saddle. He would normally ride Kanaar through the streets, but today he felt like walking. His green eyes glistened in the bright afternoon sunlight. He was near the city gates, on his way to the library. He wanted to brush up on some philosophical books. It had been far too long since his last good read. Kanaars hoof beats were loud, louder than the playful laughs and shouts of the children. Just before him and his horse turned a corner, he heard a shout call out to him. "Excuse me sir?!" Felakal turned to see two strange humans walking up to him. A male and female, oddly clothed. They wore very bright colors and were covered in shiny jewelry. They both seemed to jingle as they walked towards the Akalak. It was the male who had spoken to him. "Sorry to bother you." He said with an odd smile. "But could you perhaps direct us towards the nearest inn or tavern? My wife and I have had a long travel." His wife nodded with a grin as her husband spoke. Her blonde hair shimmered and seemed to radiate it's own rays of light. Felakal sighed. Without saying a word, he pointed down the street. Looking at their blank expressions while trying to stretch their necks for a better look. He sighed again. "It's not that far down. Just stick to this road." They were speaking common. "Oh thank you so much!" The woman spoke for the first time. "How can we thank you?" She seemed so cheerful. What an odd place they must have come from. They were so forward. "Don't worry about it." Felakal said simply. He didn't want anything, and if he did, these humans were travelers and were sure to have nothing to offer. He just wanted to continue onto the library and read. "Nonsense!" Said the husband. "There must be something..." He smiled again. "I know! How about a free show?" Without waiting for a responce from Felakal, he pulled a large basket from his back. Felakal hadn't noticed it. He really didn't want a show. Besides that would get other people looking in their direction. Knowing that there was nothing he could say, by how pushy these two were, that would stop them. Before he knew it, the wife was performing a strange dance, hitting an instrument of sorts onto her palm. The husband removed the lid of the basket and began playing a flute. Felakal froze in fear. Out popped a very large snake. Scaly, black, and from the looks of it, very venomous. He wanted to jump back but couldn't. He gulped as the snake exited from the basket and began slithering around, and eventually, straight for Felakal.

[Felakal]

Felakal could not believe his luck, he was face to face with a snake not a week ago and here he was, frozen with fear again. The deadly serpent slithered towards him. "Stop." He told the snake charmer with a more stern voice than he had ever used. "I. Do. Not. Like. Snakes." The wife laughed, still making jingling music. "Don't worry Akalak, the snake won't hurt you. It's bound by the music." The husband continued to smile as he played his soft sounding flute, nodding in agreement. Still frozen to the ground in fear, some people began to watch in awe. The black snake circled Felakal's feet, once in a while slithering right over them. But then the unthinkable happened. It moved towards Kanaar. Who was not stuck to the ground. He stomped in fear as the evil looking serpent neared his hooves. What happened next all happened in a flash. Snapped out of it's music-induced daze, the snake lunged for the front leg that nearly crushed it. It's deathly sharp fangs sunk into Kanaar's flesh. Dripping with venom. Kanaar instantly kicked out, launching the serpent into a crowd of adult Akalaks. One of which, quickly drew a Lakan and severed it's head in midair. Felakal's horse bolted forward right past Felakal after kicking the snake. Kanaar ran straight for the city gates. Felakal right behind him. He ran right into the snake charmer who had caused this and grabbing the small human's shirt, lifted him off of the ground and threw him into a wall. Felakal then continued running right out of the city limits, passed the gaurds, and into the sea of grass. He didn't even pause when he approached the grass. He couldn't Kanaar needed him. He didn't know what he would do. Morgrah was trying to surface but Felakal easily pushed him back. Kanaar needed a clear head, which Morgrah could not provide.

[Felakal]

Kanaar's trail was easy to follow. Him being a large horse, trampled so much grass. He was able to slightly see the brown backside of his horse. Kanaar was slowing down. Either from being tired or from the venom. Felakal still had no idea what he would do when he reached Kanaar. There was nothing he could do. He just knew he had to be there for Kanaar. He parted a lump of grass to find Kanaar on the ground, kneeling. The venom was taking effect. Felakal ran over to his side. "Kanaar!" He wrapped his arm around the magnificent horse. "Come on! You can pull through this." He whispered into his ear. He knew that he was wrong, he was trying to comfort Kanaar. And himself. As he held onto Kanaar tight, he began to cry. The first time since he was sixteen. Felakal put his face into Kanaar's mane. Then he felt it. There was no warning. Just a mere pinch. But he knew instantly what it was. The snake let go before Felakal could whip around. Another black snake. Just like the pair of snake charmers'. Of all the chances, he just happened to stumble upon it's nest. But then, he should have expected this much in the sea of grass. For some reason he wasn't afraid. He didn't feel much. Felakal didn't know it, but he was in shock. The serpent slithered into the grass as he heard rustling. The female human had chased him. "Oh my god! There's not much time! Good thing I've got one dose." She pulled out a small vial and a strange looking barb. It looked like a thin but sharp bone. "This will fight off the -" Her light blue gaze turned to Felakal's leg which he was holding. "When did you get bit?" Felakal sighed. "Just now. Stupid serpent snuck up on me. Looked just like yours." He wanted to be angry, but being in shock changed how he acted. She ran over to him. "Here, this will kill the venom!" She held the vial and barb in her hands. But felakal pushed her away. She only had one dose. That dose would go to Kanaar.

[Felakal]

"No. Give it to my horse." Felakal watched as two spots of blood began to spread from the puncture wounds on his leg. Kanaar had stopped moving, but he didn't notice. He was beginning to get a little dizzy. His breathing were slow and shallow. The woman snake charmer knelt down next to Felakal. "Look, you need to take this. Or you'll die!" The female human seemed very upset. They didn't know each other but she looked genuinely scared for him. Maybe because it was her husband's and her fault. Felakal shook his head furiously. "No! I won't let Kanaar die." Felakal was beginning to feel chills. The snake must have been a very venomous serpent if it was already taking such an effect on him. Plus he was an Akalak. They were more resistant to poisons because of their size. "Akalak," The wife called him, not knowing his name. "Your horse is already gone." She said to him. Kanaar wasn't dead yet but it was too late for him. He had already slipped into a coma. "What?!" Felakal shouted, turning back around. Kanaar was motionless. He barely looked like he was breathing. He was loosing one of his only friends. "Kanaar!" He continued to shout as he placed both hands on Kanaar's flank. Just then, Felakal felt another sharp pain. Only this time, it was one pinch. He felt a strange sensation. He turned to see the woman blowing something, which Felakal assumed to be the anti-venom, through the sharp barb. She had gotten him to look away so she could save him. There was still time for the Akalak. The anti-venom was one of the fastest acting anti-venom there was. "NO!" He screamed as she got the last of the anti-venom into this bloodstream. He shoved her away just as she pulled the deadly sharp barb out of his leg. He quickly looked back to his horse. Kanaar had stopped breathing all together. "Damn it! No!" Felakal wrapped his arms around Kanaar's neck. "You can't leave! We're going on adventures together!" Felakal's face was streaming with hot, salty tears and sweat. "You, me, Naturii, and Foreen! All of us!" His fists began to hit Kanaar's lifeless body. "You! Can't! Leave! Me!" Then it happened. For the third time. Felakal could no longer hold his fury. His eyes burnt with hatred and pain. Only once had he ever felt this sense of loss. He couldn't do it. Felakal couldn't hold Morgrah back. His hatred and anguish shouted and screamed deep inside. Morgrah was blood thirsty. He was battle hungry. He was surfacing. Felakal lost every scrape of control. He collapsed on top of Kanaar. The body rose back up but he was no longer Felakal. He was Morgrah. Morgrah turned around, standing all the way up, to face the snake charmer. She was standing in fear. Screaming in fury, he charged straight for her. But before he reached her frozen body. Another pushed her aside. The husband had finally found them. He must have seen the angry Akalak running straight for his wife and dove to knock her out of the way. Morgrah didn't care. He grabbed the male snake charmer by the throat. The human tried to resist but couldn't do anything. He was powerless as he was lifted off of the ground. And in an instant, Morgrah unsheathed his Lakan and plunged it straight into the soft flesh of the human male.

[Felakal]

Morgrah bellowed in fury. Pulling the Lakan out of the husband's stomach, he was about to send another shock wave of pain into the human. But he felt small, soft hands hitting his shoulder right before he stabbed the human again. It was the wife. Morgrah snarled and viciously backhanded her with his fist closed around his Lakan. She went spralling into the dirty grass. Throwing the man forward in the other direction, Morgrah turned his pain-filled gaze to the woman. And as she turned around, fear in her eyes, Morgrah threw the Lakan straight for her. Which plowed right into her shoulder. Just below the throat. Shouting again, he turned back around and ran to the male snake charmer. He had tried to crawl away, but Morgrah used his massive leg strength to land right above the husband. Throwing a full powered fist straight into the man's open wound, he screamed in pure agony. Morgrah lifted him back up again, only this time, by the shoulder. Forcing him to his feet, Morgrah sent his right fist into another low punch right into the snake charmer's bleeding hole in his stomach. There was so much blood. On his clothes, on the grass, on the ground, and on Morgrah. It was surprising that the man wasn't unconscious. It wasn't even ten seconds since Morgrah plowed his blade into his soft flesh, but Lakans were huge knives compared to a human's idea of a knife. As the man bent over in pain, Morgrah brought his right hand in a back-swing to his head. He started to fall back, but Morgrah kept him on his feet. Still holding him by the shoulder with his left hand, he grabbed his other shoulder and sent a knee straight into the snake charmer's gut. Normally that blow would go to the groin, seeing as how Felakal and Morgrah's fights were with Akalaks much larger than them. But this human stood probably a good six inches shorter then Morgrah. As the man took the knee, it was clear he wouldn't survive this encounter. The snake charmer was bent forward, giving Morgrah an oportunity to bring both fists to his back. Knocking the wind out of him and sending him straight into the hard earth. Picking him straight back up by the hair, the man scrabbled to get a grip of his own hair to stop the pain. But Morgrah brought a powerful, left uppercut, right into the man's jaw. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he began to go limp. Morgrah sent a left swing to his head again, only this time, breaking his nose. That's when the husband slipped into unconsciousness. But he wasn't finished. Morgrah lifted his dead weight back up, and used all his might to deliver a massive headbutt to the man's bloody wreck of a face. There was a another loud crunch as he broke more of the snake charmer's cartilage in his nose. Feeling no more resistance, Morgrah let the man drop to his knees, then wrapped both arms around his small head. Turning them counter-clockwise, there was a sickening crunch as he broke the man's neck. Letting his body drop to the ground with a thud, Morgrah turned around yet again and walked straight for the wife. He could here her panting, the smell of blood was all around him. She was going into shock as he moved towards her.

[Felakal]

The human female seemed to whimper as Morgrah neared closer. She continued to breathe and pant harder as he picked up his pace. She was covered in blood. Dark red stained her bright colored clothes. Her eyes were filled with fear and agony. Not only from the pain in her shoulder, but she knew that her husband was dead. But she didn't know why. She had saved him. Morgrah wrapped his fingers around the handle of his Lakan and withdrew it from her shoulder. She let out a roar of pain, gargled with blood and tears. Not wasting any time, Morgrah sliced open her throat with the cleanest cut he had ever seen. Cutting right through her jugular. More dark blood splashed onto Morgrah's face. A shreek filled the air as an eagle plummeted to the earth. He didn't care. The woman continued to bleed, not dieing yet. Morgrah shoved his the blade of his Lakan straight into her heart. Full force of an Akalak's strength and fury. He stared into her eyes with a heartbroken gaze. Her's began to drift and finally stare into nothing as her breathing ceased. There were a strong beating of wings he knew to be the eagle's. Turning around, he began searching for another opponent. Again he bellowed in turmoil. He lost another one. His family, Sulavik, and now Kanaar. Continueing to scream in fury, he kept searching for more blood to spill as Naturii flew above his head and stopped right in front of his face. Their gaze locked. A memory that only the two of them shared. No one else knew exactly what happend that terrible night. No one else could help Felakal resurface. Normally just a few moments is all it took for Morgrah to be forced back into submission, but their gazes continued to stare into one anothers. Again they shared the pain of losing a friend. Eventually Morgrah submitted and collapsed to the ground. Naturii flew back into the sky to meet Foreen as Morgrah blacked out and Felakal would begin his resurfacing to consciousness.

[Felakal]

It was near nightfall before Felakal woke up, covered in blood. So much blood. But he didn't know why. He rarely saw what happened when Morgrah was in control and he hated it! He hated Morgrah! Shortly before rising to a knee, he remembered Kanaar. He got up and ran as hard as he could to where he thought his horse was. Felakal soon found blood, and he found the source. He found a pulverized man that once was the husband snake charmer. His neck was at a far too awkward angle. He began to feel sorry, but then he remembered that it was his fault that his horse had been bitten. Felakal then realized what happened. Morgrah came out, he never stops. He had killed this man. This innocent man. He was foolish yes but he didn't do anything. Morgrah had turned Felakal into a murderer. Quickly turning, he ran the other direction. He couldn't find Kanaar. Felakal began to be hopeful that he fled when Morgrah emerged. But his hopes were in vain. He found him. Kanaar. His horse. One of his best friends. Lay on his side, motionless. Nightfall had almost set in and his body began to stiffen. He was overwhelmed with emotions. Furious yes but he was heartbroken. After Sulavik had left, it was just him Kanaar and Naturii. Now Kanaar was gone. And it was his fault. Maybe if he had caught him sooner, maybe then the woman could have given him the anti-venom. The woman. He instantly stood up, eyes searching. He saw her mangled body off to the side. She was covered in blood, just like her husband. There was a deep hole in her shoulder and chest. But there was also a very clean slice along her throat. This was no accident. This was plain murder. She had done nothing wrong. She saved him. Felakal wanted to save Kanaar but she saved him. Even when he had already attacked her husband in the city walls. The city. The gaurds. Half the city must have seen the show that the snake charmers and Felakal had put on. Plus the guards saw all three of them along with Kanaar. They would come searching. They would find the blood. The bodies. If he was lucky he would be banished. What if he was killed? Or marked as a cerulean? No! He wouldn't let it happen! Nothing kept him here anymore. He had a canoe, he didn't need room for anyone but himself. His birds would fly above and if they needed a rest they could land in the boat. Felakal ran to Kanaar. He wanted to give his final words for his friend, but nothing came to mind. "I'm so sorry..." He muttered. "I wish I could have saved you. Or these people." His tears began to wash away the dried up tears from earlier, along with the blood and sweat. "Kanaar I swear by your body that I will do all I can to remove this evilness from me." He stood back up and saw his two birds of prey take flight from a tall tree in the distance. Felakal then took his Lakan that lay in the dirt. He had to wipe off the innocents' blood on his shirt. He then slid it into it's sheath. He ran. He ran as hard and fast as he could. Not towards the city but to the sea. He was leaving Riverfall. He wanted to go to his parents' graves but knew there was no time. He would soon be a criminal. He had to leave. Possibly forever.

[Smudge]

Time to reap what you have sown!

Just as we have two eyes and two feet, duality is part of life.

~Carlos Santana

Name of the character: Felakal

Skill points: +5 Unarmed combat, +2 Lakan, + 3 Observation, +1 Deception, +1 Lakan (thrown), +1 Running and +1 Torture.

Lores: People in a good mood can be awkward, Pushed into being thanked, Frozen by a slithering fear, Horses HATE snakes, Running into the unknown carelessly, Comforting lies, The irony of running into what you were running from, Sharing Kanaar’s misfortune, Refusing to admit the inevitable, My life is worth less than that of my mount, Being stripped of the right to decide, Alive, but not happy, Succumbing to rage, Moragh’s wish for his victims to suffer, An eye for an eye, and two lives for a horse, Different bones make different sounds once broken, Stopped by Naturii and Survivor’s guilt.

Additional comments: While I have liked the thread, I would like you to take notice of a couple details that don’t quite add up. First and foremost, you would have more than likely been either eaten or arrested if you were indeed blacked out for as long as you wrote you were. And second, even if you weren’t eaten yourself, the smell of blood should have still attracted vultures of some sort and the other bodies would be more than likely gone by the time you woke up. Also, you wrote a bit above your level with a lakan otherwise you would get more points in that skill, and a bit more details in running would give you more XP. There are several typos throughout the thread, but nothing major. It would still be nice if you could proof read your threads before posting to avoid not matching up time tenses and spelling errors. On a side note, this is the first thread I have graded and it was a good one; keep them coming!