Rabbits, Run!

[Ixzo]

3rd of Spring, 516AV

After the last crooked braid disappeared around a canvas corner, Ixzo sat back, pulling her ankles together to cross them before her, watching the fire. She was right, in the few chimes it took to get Iollu out the door, the bones had begun to smell horrible. Peeking into the iron pot, Ixzo stirred them, watching tiny bubbles find their way up the light sticks. Some meat was loosening, although she could not yet peal it off with her wooden spoon.

Instead, Ixzo focused on gathering her supplies. The few paintbrushes and paint that she had gotten at the market would do. The cat tried to dredge up the flaky memories from her childhood as she set to work. After the little bit of experimenting and eavesdropping she had done as a kid, the Kelvic knew nothing of Malediction.

Flaking in her mind, as she set them to center stage, she remembered the heavy wrinkles of the old witch. It was hard to see too clearly between the slatted bamboo of the shutters, but the child knew she would not be caught.

"Carving is best," The shaky yet somehow immensely powerful words rung out to the chosen girls. The true Myrians of the Shorn Skulls who would be taught this intriguing magic. "Although painting…"

Ixzo couldn't remember. But what could it hurt? She did remember one thing the old witch had said, since it had been said to her. "Malediction only goes wrong when nothing happens." Of course in her childhood mind, the Kelvic assumed it meant that it was the one and only magic that wasn't dangerous, still it had only worked to peak her interest further.

Memory had never been her strongest skill.

[Ixzo]

Still, Ixzo pulled up the basic rules in her memory. Malediction was not exactly taboo in her Clan, simply rare. Still those who were curious, like herself, could understand the basics of it easy enough. Spreading one palm up towards the sky, she rested it on her lap, counting her fingers with the other as she mentally checked off the list.

Malediction told a story from the bones, and used the story for power.
The magnitude of the effects depends on experience and the source.

Ixzo reached for her spoon once more, stirring the stew once more before placing the lid on it and letting it cook down. She had chosen a rabbit, and as a novice, any effects would be ultimately minimal. It was the safest option for such a dangerous craft.

There is no guarantee you will get the result you want.
Legacies stop working upon destruction.
Preserved body parts are better than decayed ones.

Then Ixzo's mind ran blank. She wasn't sure enough about any of the other statements floating in her head to commit to them. Still, it seemed enough to get her started.

Once her supplies were laid out, the Kelvic reached over to the boiling bones again, her sensitive nose crinkling with the rotten smell. Her neighbors likely would not appreciate the lingering aroma once she was done. Still, the water boiled, and when she dipped her wooden spoon in yet again, she found that the meat and lingering tissue fell off the bone with ease. Deciding it was time, she grabbed a rag, pulling the pot from the coals. Carefully, although still feeling the burn of the steam, Ixzo poured out the water, letting it fall into the grass. Caiyha would not appreciate it, Ixzo was sure grass was not used to the assault of boiling water.

[Ixzo]

Still, her bones were the priority. Not willing to wait, and with callouses thick enough to withstand it, the Kelvic begun plucking the fragile bones from the water. With light, swift fingers, Ixzo sorted through the bones to find what she thought to be the two thigh bones. She was uncertain, suddenly aware that a dismembered skeleton looked nothing like it did with the little bit of ligaments and meat holding it together.

Still, she found the largest bones and assumed them to be the femurs.

Once she had separated them, Ixzo used the rag to rub off whatever meat stained the bone, and tear the cartilage from the ends.

It looked as clean as she was going to get it, and to her pleasure, unbroken.

Now where would she begin?

Her mind was already racing, thinking of all the possibilities with this dangerous magic. She could ask for its hearing, or to be transformed into the speedy thing. She could ask for its prey instinct, although she never really thought it to be a good one. She could ask for its speed, or its jump, and about a million more things that she did not have, things she wanted.

Still, she had to rein herself in. She had never attempted this magic before. Besides doodling circles in the sand and eavesdropping on conversations she was not invited to, the Kelvic knew little of this magic. Should she try to wield something so flimsy and spotty as an emotion from these bones, she could curse herself. Couldn't she?

Even more, she knew very little of this rabbit, other than catching it. She would need to generalize what its life had been light to draw out and highlight the part she wanted. This actually came quite easily to her mind as soon as she realized she would have to. Rabbits where known for speed. It was one of the reasons she only hunted them with traps or arrows, otherwise she'd never catch the things, especially as big as her lion form was.

Would this speed help Iollu? It surely couldn't hurt.

[Ixzo]

In her mind, Ixzo assumed she would make the child as fast as the rabbit, the idea of simply enhancing the child did not cross her mind. She would jump straight in.

Picking up her fine tools, one small vial of paint and a brush so tiny it would be difficult to keep the hairs in, she uncapped the paint. Except, just as she did, she remembered that she must assemble the item first. She had wanted to paint the thing she needed from the bone before she would tie it into the bracelet, although she knew that was not the way.

Stuffing the cork back into the vial, she pulled the length of twine she had picked up. It would not be the most comfortable bracelet, but there was no softer rope available. And twine would be easier to tie. The bracelet was to be simple to make. With lithe, and maybe over-sized fingers, Ixzo wrapped the end of the twine around one end of the femur thee times, before tying the simple hook knot across. Estimated how large Iollu's small wrist would be, Ixzo looped that much twine to one side before tying the other end of the femur the same way. After yanking the rest of the length of the twine through the final knot, Ixzo pulled her knife out once more, quickly yanking the blade through and severing the length.

Making small bone bracelets like this was simple for the Kelvic, and it reminded her when she was a child. With her cousins, she would make small bone bracelets from their measly kills. Ixzo's had always been much larger and more secure kills than the other children, although it was simply that she aged so much fast than them, she was often forced to be ahead of her peers.

Still, Ixzo had to grin at herself by how easily her hands remembered the motions, even so many seasons later. Had it really been two years? Was she truly to be six soon? Wow.

[Ixzo]

Now that the simple assembly was done, the Kelvic pulled up the paint once more. As she dipped the entirely too fragile brush into the oily black color, swirling it together a little bit, her brow furrowed. How was she to illustrate the speed of the rabbit in a small picture? She knew no written language, aside from the Common Tongue, but her vocabulary was so small it couldn't count. The old woman had told her pupils that to write a prose, whatever that meant, of the creature's life, illustrating what you wished the legacy to possess, was the way to go. Yet, not even among the Myrians was there a written form, her students must have had to learn Common. Still, perhaps an image would do? Once the blood sealed it, would it not be the same?

She had no other option, but still the Kelvic hesitated. She could shoot and kill a rabbit any time if this did not work, perhaps it was worth the try? Carefully, Ixzo swiped one side of the brush on the edge of the vial to dispense the load of paint that fell on it. Turning the inside end of the femur, the most space on such a small bone, up, Ixzo began.

A simple circle, that was easy enough. Still, it took her many small brush strokes and a few dips with the tiny brush to get a somewhat round circle. It was not the neatest of spheres, but she didn't think that would effect it. She had almost not skill in drawing, and even less in painting. For some reason the Kelvic assumed they would be the same, when they were not.

After the circle was complete, the Kelvic set to making a small rabbit. A rough oval shape was the result as she figured the body would be, and the Kelvic laughed out loud. This looked no better than the circle!

[Ixzo]

Continuing with her childish drawing anyway, Ixzo filled in a smaller circle for the head, and a weird lumpy shape on the opposite side, meant to represent the leg from which her bone was pulled. Instead of laughing this time, Ixzo merely grimaced. Still, she couldn't start over at this point, the paint for the body had tried, and she had no intention of chipping it off, and ruining her bone.

Off the head she drew the ears, too large. She immediately recognized her error as she had assumed the animal's ears tobe forward. A memory of a running hare quickly reminded her that the creatures tucked their ears back when they ran, just like her, why would they have done anything else? Too late, again.

One dot for the eye in the center of the head, and a bigger dot for the nose on the tip. Her drawing skills would have to improve tenfold if she wished to pursue this craft.

While she let the paint dry, Ixzo cracked another grin, trying hard not to laugh at herself. Was she not now a full grown adult? If she had the chance she would have been a mother a year prior, and yet her painting looked nothing better than if Iollu had done it herself. Ionu might be messing with her, even if it was for a child named after him.

[Ixzo]

There, that was the best bunny she could make. It looked more like a fat pig on the fire for roasting, one with ears too big, and an odd nose. Did her accuracy in the image matter? Wasn't it the intent that was awakened when her blood touched it? She hoped so, for her intent was to portray the creature's grace and speed. However this depiction was anything but. Still, it would have to do. Unsure of herself, and to add to the effect of the speed, Ixzo dashed a few light lines behind the animal. Could she have made it any worse?

Dipping the brush back into the paint, Ixzo stared at the tiny bone with the tiny, albeit hideous, hare on it, and grimaced. She was a shit-artist.

Still, it resembled something of a fast rabbit, and that might have to do.

Corking the paint once more, Ixzo rubbed the small brush in the grass, hoping to wipe up whatever paint stayed on it, but realizing she would have to go properly clean it in the stream if she wanted to use it again. Deciding to set that task aside, she focused on the bracelet.

It was hideous. Twine wrapped around a small femur with a nest of black lines drawn on it. She knew what it was, and what it was to represent, but would Iollu just laugh at her? Likely. Still, it would have to do.

Deciding her project was as done as it was going to get, Ixzo pulled her knife from her pocket once more. Using the tip, she dug a very small indent into the bone, just inside the circle, but not touching any ink. She hoped it would be a place to catch her blood, as she was sure the circle could only hold one drop.

[Ixzo]

She didn't mind the pain, for she had felt much worse, as she dug the tip of her knife into the side of her index finger then. She didn't want to knick the pad, since the small cut would take a few days to heal. Still, the huntress winced at the sharp bite of the metal before wiping the knife on her pants and putting it back. She put her finger as close to the small nick in the bone as she could, and pinched the skin. Bright red webbed out of the caramel, following the patterns of her skin before swelling enough to produce a drop. Only then did it finally condense to a deeper color, falling onto the bone. It missed its designated place, and Ixzo flinched as she squeezed out another drop. It was such a small cut, there was not much blood to give. But with enough pinching, it fell it finally fell into place.

And nothing happened.

Sucking on her finger, she let the bracelet sit for a few ticks, watching closely… for anything. Still, all she saw was the bright crimson darken as it slowed out in the air. She waited a chime, seeing the drop dry where it was, and decided if it hadn't already happened, nothing was going to.

Unsure if she should be disappointed, Ixzo picked the bracelet up, carefully. She wanted to see if maybe she would feel something. But, no matter how much she wanted it to be different, it only felt like she was picking up a twine bracelet.

A frown etched into her face, and she twirled the bracelet on her finger. So much for magic, all she had done was wasted her time!

Maybe she had to wear it like a bracelet, rather than simply touch it. Perhaps that was why it was important to assemble the thing before she activated it.

But she had made it too small for herself, it was meant for the child. Still, Ixzo tried to stuff all five fingers into the small hole, the twine barely made it past her knuckles, and no amount of forcing was going to get it past her thumb knuckle. Stupid big paws. She would have frowned at herself if she wasn't already frowning.

Already tired of what she assumed could only be a failed project, Ixzo flung the wrist bracelet to the side. She collected the cooled bones, tossing them in with the waste, and continued to clean up the area. Her stew would cook for a while, so she didn't need to worry about that. But disappointment sank into her chest. How was she ever to learn this magic? Iollu would be taken away from her soon, whether it be to return to her family, if they found them, or because the Drykas saw Ixzo unfit to take care of her. Who knew? All the cat knew was that it was coming. She wanted to protect the child just in case, and a legacy seemed the best way.

She knew it might not be a success on the first, or even second, try, but the lioness couldn't help the disappointment. Forcing herself into distraction, Ixzo pushed the bracelet out of her mind. This one hadn't worked, but she would need to find another way to actually get this magic to work!

[Jasmine Stormblood]

This is my first time grading any kind of magic so just let me know if I missed anything Ixzo.

 

Ixzo

XP

• Malediction: 5 XP
• Painting: 3 XP
• Cleaning: 2 XP
• Organization: 1 XP
• Planning: 2 XP
• Carving: 1 XP
• Knot Tying: 1 XP

Lores

• Malediction: goes wrong when nothing happens
• Malediction: effects depend on source and experience
• Malediction: intended results not guaranteed
• Knot Tying: Hook Knot
• Painting is not the same as drawing
• Carving: a small hole for blood