Flashback Ferocious and Invisible III

[Shausha]

30 Summer 511
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Continued from (here)
Shausha woke to the heat of a crackling fire on her back and wings. She blinked slowly, trying to remember how she got there. All at once, the memories of the previous day flashed before her eyes. She lept backwards, back to the corner of a dimly lit cave. Still blinking the weariness from her eyes, she growled. The few nearby Zith glanced at her before returning to their food or conversation.

Confused, but not sensing any immediate danger, she let her guard down. She rubbed her throat, just now noticing that it felt sore and rough. She tried to call out, but only a hoarse squawk that was audible in the human spectrum escaped. A few of the Zith nearby snickered to each other. She ignored them, concentrating on keeping her legs under her as she stood, wobbling.

The colony was buzzing quietly. Slaves slunk around the edges of the tunnels, low and inconspicuous. Several Zith were circling above the cavern, exiting or entering through the hole in the ceiling. A curtain of rain fell through the skylight, illuminated by the soft yellow glow of sunrise. Most were gathered around struggling fires, snoring happily or chattering quietly to each other as they wound down their activity .

Shausha padded carefully through the mass of bodies, careful not to step on any wings or hair. When she got to the rainwater run-off where no one wanted to sleep, she tracked it down to where it pooled, just behind a boulder that sometimes served as a meeting rostrum. She slid out of her harness, bent over the pool’s edge, and splashed herself with the water. Had Ikbal really tried to kill me? It seemed so fantastical that she doubted herself momentarily.

She continued to clean the dirt out of her fur with her claws. Cuts she did not realize she had received at the time now stung when met with the cold water. Shausha beckoned a slave over from a nearby gathering of humans. The young, tattooed woman put down the sharpening stone and knife she was working on. This particular slave was one of Shausha’s favorites; The way this one knew how to braid and work hair was very useful. Many Zith came to her to have their hair knotted back in tight, intricate plaits that stayed for months.

She undid the current knot in her hair and gestured to her mass of dreadlocks. As Shausha continued to pluck specks of dirt from herself, the woman worked on her hair. She pulled out clumps of soil and loess, shaking the dreadlocks to loose any dust. Shausha’s locks were re-twirled into tight ropes, then the lot of them were twisted into a large knot, high on the back of her head; Just the way she liked it. Shausha cooed at the great feeling of having that mess straightened out. The woman did not look back as she returned to her whetting stone.

Shausha heard a man screaming behind her and whipped around to see what it was. Four-Fang, Goliath and Tard descended in the now, brightly lit stream of rain. Four-Fang had a young human male by the ankles. When they landed, he let the boy go who spun slowly in a circle, looking around him at all the disgruntled faces of the Zith his screams had woken. Spotting the humans next to Shausha, the newly-acquired slave ran towards them, bawling. The same woman who had done Shausha’s hair quickly ran to meet him. She tried to calm him down and brought him back over to the slave’s corner. Shausha watched as he cried into the woman’s chest. She rocked him back and forth, whispering quickly, and brushing hair out of his face. Glimpsing a small tattoo on the boy’s leg, Shausha supposed they were of the same origin.

Before she could do anything else, Four-Fang appeared beside her, brandishing a thin rope. “We snatched that pup from a Drykas horse field. It was a stretch since we didn't have Drizara with us, but there was enough lingering dark to allow us to escape. And that boy was flinging this thing around. Since none of us have any interest in it, I thought I’d give it to you... see if you can make any use out of it.” he explained, handing her the bright red cord. Shausha examined the strange thing, wondering to herself why Four-Fang had thought she could use such an object. Pulling it long, she noticed that it had several knots along its length and a heavy, small blade attached to the end. Shausha looked up at Four-Fang who was now inspecting his fangs in the pool before them.

“Is it a weapon?” she inquired, sniffing it intently, “Is there blood on this?”

“Yeah, Goliath got a nice cut from it actually,” he tossed his head back and laughed. The laugh turned into a yawn. “We meant to get back before you woke, but this one was too easy to pass up. Anyway, Ikbal’s been outcast, so don’t worry about him anymore. Not sure where he is now though... Probably on his way back to Din. Dumb shit.” Four-Fang gave Shausha a gentle whack with his wing and said, “‘bout time to turn in, eh? You've been sleeping since you passed out... Can you sleep any more?”

“Probably. I still don’t feel normal,” Shausha confessed, standing, but stooped to pick up her harness in her free hand, “Thanks for the thing. I’ll tell you if I can do anything with it.”

Four-Fang nodded as he walked away. Shausha followed him with sniffing, trying to match Goliath’s blood scent to what she had smelled on the thing. She made her way to a free spot near a fire to dry off. She fell asleep, turning the arrow-head shaped knife over and over, examining its edges and counting the knots in the string.

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[Shausha]

32 Summer 511
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A few days later, Shausha searched for her group. She walked, spinning the rope thing beside her. Catching sight of Chi-ee, she ducked into the shadows. Chi-ee was sitting, her back facing Shausha, and trimming her toeclaws daintily. Shausha dropped to her hands and crawled slowly, careful to mask her movements. Creeping carefully, she closed the gap between herself and Chi-ee. When she was right behind her, Shausha let loose a terrible shriek that made a nearby Zith jump and cluck their tongues in reproach. As for Chi-ee, she screamed and threw a clawed hand at Shausha who leaned in to avoid the blow. Now, practically on top of her, Shausha lost balance and the two fell over. Shausha, laughing hysterically, batted away her hands as Chi-ee playfully wailed on her friend.

After a moment, Chi-ee stopped. Panting she said, “What the heck is wrong with you? What’s that in your hand?” Shausha displayed the rope-like weapon she had received yesterday.

“I’m not sure, actually.” Shausha said, sitting up, “Four-Fang gave it to me yesterday. I was wondering if you’d like to go out and practice with me.”

“Four-Fang, huh?” Chi-ee said, licking her lips and looking around, “I’d like to be bitten by him. You know, just to see what it’s like.” She added with a wink. Shausha rolled her eyes and tugged on Chi-ee’s wrist. “Oh, come on! You need to start learning how to flirt with the men. Watching people beat each other to death for you is a thrill.” Her eyes sparkled, full of memories from the previous spring. “Come on, just squeeze your boobs together and poke your lip out. They’ll lose their minds! It’s hilarious!”

“The only thing I want is to go out and practice with this weird thing!” Shausha said indicating to the rope weapon, exasperated. Chi-ee was one year older than her and had participated in the carnal rituals that spring. Shausha, too, was called on, but she had chosen to sit out at least another year. Shausha made a simpering face, poking her lip out and shimmied her chest in Chi-ee’s direction, saying in a sultry voice, “Would you please...go outside...with...me....” She whispered the last word hotly into her friend’s ear.

“You bitch!” Chi-ee laughed, slapping Shausha’s shoulder. “Why don’t you ask Shoo or Raven to practice with you?” she inquired as they rose into the air.

“Shoo and Raven are morons.” Shausha responded and lead the way out and to an open expanse of land. It was near the forest’s tree line surrounded the Vaspura River. Shausha landed by some trees and held the rope weapon out in front of her. “Sooooo...” she said, “Apparently the person using this was ‘flinging it around’”

“Huh.” Chi-ee responded, peering over the instrument curiously.

“I guess you just swing it around?”

“Seems so.”

“Seems stupid.”

“Just give it a try.”

Shausha gave Chi-ee a sarcastic glance while backing away. “Why don’t you use yours while I’m figuring this out?” Chi-ee reached into her boots and retrieved two very sharp, very thin knives; They were almost glorified needles. She held them so that the blades protruded backwards, something she had claimed help her cut necks. She spun the knives through her fingers, looking up at the sky, calling out to passing Zith.

Shausha looked at the rope in her hand. She swung the heavy tip, halfheartedly. Watching its movement carefully, she spun it harder so the end was no longer visible. Chi-ee looked over, curious. “You don’t look very threatening,” she pointed out. Shausha shrugged, not a clue what to do with it. She raised it above her head and swung it like a lasso. Turning to target a tree, she let the blade loose. The blade flew from her hand, soaring the complete opposite direction. For a moment they looked at each other, surprised, then burst out in cackling. Chi-ee teased her about the blunder for a half hour afterward.

For a while after that, Shausha practiced getting used to closing her fingers before the final knot along the ropes length passed her fingers. Several times, she sent the blade soaring into the woods or over her shoulder, not reacting quickly enough to catch the end knot. The scent of Goliath’s blood on the weapon helped her locate the object quickly. Twirling and swinging the rope around her head and side, she got more used to its particular weight. She also became slightly more aware of the directions it swerved when slowed or had its direction changed.

The final technique she worked on was getting used to exactly how long the cord was. She would fly up and around, losing her position. When she returned to the ground, she tried to guess the distance between herself and a tree. Flinging the blade out, it would sometimes swing back at her, not having reached the tree’s bark. Other times, it would embed soundly in the wood, leaving slack in the rope from being too close. Shausha had to guess the rope was twice her wingspan; It was probably twelve feet long.

“Tsk.” Chi-ee sighed as the ribboned blade missed the tree, Shausha being too far away. “Why don’t you just practice with me now? Why’d you even bring me out here?” She was obviously very bored; Her knives were currently stuck into her hair like pins and she was laying on her back, tracing stars with a finger.

“I don’t want to kill you.” Shausha pointed out with a laugh, “We can go back for lunch in a second, okay?”

“That’s it! You’re practicing on me!” Chi-ee jumped to her feet and stood in front of a tree, declaring, “Make another turn in the air! Lose your place, then return here! You wouldn't hit me! Come on, you’ll have to get used to its length this way.” She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow in challenge at Shausha, who sighed. Shausha jumped into the air and flew upwards until she could see both the forest on her right and Xy’s ruins on the left. Releasing the tension in her wings, she dove, swooped low and planted herself a few feet from Chi-ee’s stubborn face.

She ran the rope through her fingers, counting the knots. “Here goes,” she warned and began to spin the instrument. She shook her head warningly at her silly friend. The air howled around the blade as it picked up speed. Shausha counted on her luck, because anyone watching would know she had no skill to depend on. She released the cord, ready to snap her fingers closed before the rope escaped her hand.

Shausha opened her eyes to a squint and looked at Chi-ee. The tip of the blade was just embedded into her shoulder. Panicking, Shausha yanked the blade out of her skin.

“You...bitch...!” Chi-ee shrieked and lunged at Shausha who was now snorting down laughter.

“I told you!” Shausha screamed back as she jumped out of the way and into the air. “I told you! I told you! I told you! I told you!”

Chi-ee chased Shausha all the way back to Xy. Their calls of “you bitch!” and “I told you!” lasted until Shausha pacified her with the heart of an animal that served as their lunch.

Continued (here)
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