Eldrin/Vai
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Post by Eldrin/Vai on Aug 3, 2012 0:16:02 GMT -6
(Nah, let's make it more interesting! ) Na'ako felt nothing less than shocked and betrayed when Kadina had given him over to the Gerudo. She had called him 'Nacho'! Turning him over to scary desert women to save her own skin was understandable, but a mispronunciation of his name? How could she? A catlike yowl tore him from his thoughts. The Gerudo were in a mad frenzy and Kadina was tackling the leader. Na'ako grinned. So it had all been a trick... Zahrah had been expecting Kadina's treachery, but had fail to foresee the dagger the bandit was going to fling at her. Now as they struggled in the sand, Zahrah glared up at Kadina. "This could have been so much easier, Kadina," she growled. Her chi may have been disrupted in her lower body, but Zahrah knew how to reroute it. She had been focusing on this during her entire fight with Kadina. Though it was slightly distracting, the fight was useful in getting her blood flowing. When she was finished, the Gerudo gave Kadina a cocky smirk. "Fighting me on my own turf... Bad idea!" Then she was gone. She sank into the sand as if it were water, leaving only Kadina's dagger in her place. "My staff!" Na'ako gasped, staring up at the imposing woman who had just grabbed his staff. He'd nearly reached it when she had emerged from the sand and snatched it up. Zahrah smiled kindly down at Na'ako. "Don't worry, little boy... I won't hurt you," she said soothingly, seconds before slamming the staff into the native boy's head. Na'ako looked dazed for a moment, then fell into the sand unconscious. "very much..." Zahrah tossed the staff aside and gestured for Hesani to take the boy. "Gerudo! Move out! Leave these two to me!" she ordered in a loud voice. The Gerudo instantly disengaged from whatever battles they may have been in and retreated. Zahrah waited until the last had past, sitting in a crouched position. As soon as they had left, she rose suddenly to her feet, bringing her arms up in powerful sweeps. A huge wall of sand rose behind her, blocking Na'ako and the other Gerudo from Kadina and Max. When this was done, Zahrah assumed a fighting stance. Her assegai lay several yards away, and it would be a while before she could sand-shift again after making the wall. She was completely unarmed, yet she showed no fear. Her eyes were set with an intense determination. She was going to defeat them both, and there was no other thought, no doubt, in her mind.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Aug 3, 2012 1:00:29 GMT -6
Max gritted his teeth in anger at what Zahrah had done. Capturing his new friend, who happened to be close to his age, and hurting him and Kadina on top of that. Max was feeling something he hadn't felt since the day Syrus made him hurt his friends in the Lost Woods: Rage. Pure, unadulterated rage. At first he embraced his white hot anger, wanting to use it to stop Zarhah at all costs. He longed to take the raw emotion and use it as fuel, fuel for yet another feeling inside his heart that had never been there before: Hatred. And this hatred spawned horrible thoughts in his mind of how he would get back at Zarhah for what she had done.
By the time Max had actually stopped to think his right arm had morphed into a menacing blade that curled up to his shoulder. It was then he realized that these emotions were not his...well, originally they were, but whatever they had become now were not of his doing. Now yet another emotion accompanied the rest: Fear. The instinctual feeling gripped his body as it dawned on him who's emotions these really were.
Surprise.. it growled in his mind.
Suddenly Max's eyes went white and the rage and hatred he felt amplified slightly. However, this time Max was in complete control. "Kadina, if there is another way out of this temple you might want to find it," he said, or rather demanded harshly. His voice was of the utmost serious and his other arm shifted to make a set. Whatever was happening right now Max could not explain it. He felt in complete control, but his emotions were so great that he was doing this out of what seemed to be blind impulse.
Max walked stood about ten feet from Zahrah directly across from her. "I can't let you leave here until you tell me where you have taken Na'ako."
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Kadina
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If you're bored then you're boring.
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Post by Kadina on Aug 4, 2012 12:22:24 GMT -6
(I think things have progressed outside of the temple since Zahrah sank into the sand, so I was going to edit that part about the temple but I'm feeling lazy so I'm just going to ignore it. No biggie.)
Kadina struck the sand with her fists and seemed to growl as Zahrah sank away. "I hope that sand burns the shit out of her wound..."[/color] She grabbed her dagger and rose to her feet in time to see Na'ako knocked out and carried away.
Zahrah was suddenly constructing a wall of sand with her shifting capabilities, but it seemed to wear on her energy rather quickly. Noting her assegai was several yards away, Kadina was starting to feel good about this. Not to mention she had Max fighting with her. Zahrah was really asking for it.
Suddenly, Max began to transform. Kadina's eyes widened as she distinctly remembered the last time this had happened. Not knowing Max had since then learned to control his demon, she began to foresee a different result in the battle. Perhaps she and Zahrah were both screwed. Had this become a one-on-one free for all?
"Kadina, I'd get away from here if I were you..."
Kadina was surprised to hear the real Max. Once it had registered with her that he was in control, her shock subdued and she smirked. "Roger." She saluted Max and winked at Zahrah before going after Na'ako and the others. The bandit would rather chase down a gang of Gerudos than be present for the coming disaster... even though she had been looking forward to kicking Zahrah's ass. If Max didn't obliterate her, Kadina swore she'd have her chance.
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Eldrin/Vai
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Kaepora Gaebora
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Post by Eldrin/Vai on Aug 4, 2012 14:20:46 GMT -6
Zahrah stared in shock as Max's arms shifted into wicked blades. A little "hmph..." came from her throat as she watched, utterly bemused. Then her expression changed. Shock shifted into satisfaction. Fear turned to anticipation. Finally, a challenge. It was the same feeling she had gotten when she had fought Iona all those years back. To fight someone who could kill her with a flick of the wrist. To battle someone who was ten times more powerful than herself. Danger. It was to finally breath deeply. It was to feel her heart race. Her blood surged. Her eyes widened with delight. She bared her teeth viciously, and clenched her fists. She was alive! ________________________________________________________________________
Na'ako had returned to the blackness. Back into the world of shadows, the Afterlife. Before him stood two figures, a man and a woman. The man's black hair was arranged in the same short ponytail that Na'ako wore, but with the addition of a small braided strand hanging from his bangs. The braid was intertwined with a blue fabric, and decorated with bone beads. The mark of a warrior. The woman had her hair in a long braided rope down her back. She wore light blue facepaint, three diagonal lines on either cheek tilted downward toward her mouth. The mark of a healer. Both had the same icy blue eyes as Na'ako, and nearly identical features. They could have been mistaken for the boy's parents, but they weren't. In fact, Na'ako had never met either of these people in his life.
"Welcome young shaman. I am Eko'o." The woman said, skipping any explanations and just going straight to introductions. Her voice and face were both stern.
"And I am Rokka." The man added, offering a kind smile that turned his strong face into a cheerful, inviting one.
Na'ako stared in confusion for a moment before he remembered his manners. "Oh! Um... I'm Na'ako... Nice to meet you?" he said nervously. He was completely lost as to what was going on, but he didn't forget his manners. They were, after all, his elders.
Eko'o raised a single eyebrow at his introduction. "We know who you are, young shaman."
"And you know us, my boy. You always have," Rokka said, patting him on the shoulder. "I am your spirit guardian."
"And I am your spirit guide," Eko'o added, "We are here to help you in your jourey."
Na'ako nodded, he understood the basic idea of what they were saying. The tribe's mythology told that after death, every tribesman had one last duty to fulfill. To guide or guard another through their own life. It was said that everyone had a guardian and a guide with them at all times. Every time they escaped a dangerous situation unscathed, it was their spirit guardian. Every time they felt an odd intuition, any impulse that lead them well, it was their spirit guide. "So, why have you called me here?"
"Because you are in danger, my boy."
"It is time you learned the ancient art of our tribe."
"To push." Rokka extended a hand toward Na'ako. Suddenly, the boy was blown back by an invisible force.
"To pull." Eko'o extended her hand as well. Na'ako felt himself yanked back toward them by that same force.
Na'ako was in awe at this power. He had never seen anything like this within his tribe. If this had their ancient art, it must have been really ancient. He fell to one knee and bowed his head respectfully. "Teach me..." ________________________________________________________________________
Zahrah charged at the bladed demon boy before her. She aimed a kick at the boy's chest, and immediately after dodged under his left blade-arm. As she came around behind him, the Gerudo kicked the back of his knees out from under him. As he fell she aimed a punishing blow at the back of his neck. There was enough force behind her punch to break his neck if she made contact. ________________________________________________________________________
Madiyah watched the tribal boy warily. What did this Sanger guy want with him? It didn't feel right, turning the boy over to that madman... But what could they do? He had direct orders from Ganondorf. To refuse would be a display of treason toward the King of Evil. Even Nadeana couldn't get away with such direct defiance.
They were on their way to the fortress. Na'ako was bound up and lay on a small cart that they had brought along. Shehzadi sat in the cart with the boy, keeping an eye on him, and Aabish drove it. The other Gerudo walked alongside the cart, keeping guard in case the boy had any more allies that they didn't know about. Madiyah was walking directly behind the cart, watching the boy. As such, she was the first to see it...
The ropes binding Na'ako began to stretch. It was as if some invisible force field was repelling them from his body. The ropes stretched to the limits of their fibers, floating around the native boy in rings. Na'ako ducked out from between them and they immediately snapped tight again, but with nothing to bind. Shehzadi jumped to her feet, but Na'ako raised his hand to meet her. Instantly, the Gerudo was blown out of the cart by an incredible force. She tumbled across the sand before finally coming to a stop in a cloud of dust. She was out cold.
The other Gerudo jumped into action, drawing their weapons and charging at Na'ako. The boy thrust his hand at Madiyah and sent her flying back. He held out both hands, one at Aabish, the other at Hesani. Both Gerudo soared through the air, straight at Na'ako, but the boy moved out of the way at the last minute. Though he was no longer pulling them, their momentum kept them flying until they slammed painfully into each other. The last Gerudo actually managed to reach him. Ilara swung the pommel of her scimitar down in a feeble attempt to knock the boy unconscious. Na'ako blasted the weapon out of her hand's, sending it soaring through the air and out of her reach. Ilara stared in shock as she backed away from the young shaman. "Damn, kid. You're good..."
"Thanks!" Na'ako said, blushing slightly. "So, do I have to fight you too?" he asked. Honestly, he was finding no joy in beating up these women. Even if they had been trying to kidnap him.
"Nah, I know when I'm beaten," she answered, tossing him the ropes that had bound him just moments before, "just tie me up." She chuckled at his apprehensive expression. "You need to stop being so naive, kid... If you just leave me here, I could attack you as soon as you turned your back. You can't trust people, it's a cruel world. Tie me up."
Na'ako sighed and did as she told him, making sure to give the ropes a little slack. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable... "We could just be friends, ya know? You could leave the desert with me and my friends... I'm sure they'd like you."
"That's not the way things work. This is no fairy tale, it's real life. Now get going, and steal the cart while your at it."
Na'ako nodded and after he said his goodbyes, he climbed back into the cart. The horse neighed at him and stomped its front hoof. Na'ako stared at the stallion warily. He didn't actually know how to drive a cart... There weren't any in the tribe.
That's when he noticed the figure silhouetted against the glow of the moon. "Kadina!" He extended a hand toward her and focused energy into it. Kadina was suddenly yanked forward, hurtling toward the young shaman. As she flew, Na'ako focused a little more energy into his other hand. An invisible force pushed at her slightly, slowing her momentum. As a result, Kadina did not crash into the cart, but merely floated to a halt next to it. "Wanna drive?" the boy asked with a smile, offering her the reins.
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Kadina
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If you're bored then you're boring.
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Post by Kadina on Aug 6, 2012 15:17:25 GMT -6
Kadina had finally made it around the wall of sand and trudged a good distance when she noticed a commotion ion the horizon. She squinted her eyes to see Gerudos flying left and right. Was this some sort of voodoo? What was going on?
She decided the scene wasn't worth running toward anymore. She slowed down and stepped closer cautiously wondering if the voodoo had gotten Na'ako. Before she had summoned the courage to find out, Na'ako had called out to her. He sounded unharmed. Maybe it was his witchcraft. Could it be?
As if answering her question, Na'ako suddenly lifted her in the air with an unusual power. Frightened at first, Kadina panicked and struggled against the force, but it was useless. As she flew closer towards Na'ako, she could see that it was him. A smile passed along her lips as she soared above the dunes. She closed her eyes and basked in the breeze before gently touching down by the cart.
"Wanna drive?"
Kadina looked around at the fallen Gerudos and the one tied by the cart. Looking back at Na'ako, she threw her arms around him and lifted him in the air in a bear hug. "That was awesome!" Her voice was heightened with excitement. She put him down and took the reigns. "You have my automatic permission to do that when ever you want. That was incredible! Like flying!" She tossed her arms out to her side like wings and threw her head back as if she would take flight all over again. After reveling in the memory of the previous experience, she looked back down at Na'ako and smiled. "Let's go get Max!" Kadina helped him up into the cart then took her seat beside him. With a loud "Hyah!" and a flick of the reigns, they were barreling toward the wall of sand.
Kadina had a few questions on her mind and now seemed as good a time as any to ask. "So, what was that, kid? Don't get me wrong, it was awesome... but should I be kind of concerned?"
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Aug 10, 2012 20:03:27 GMT -6
Every hit landed with expert precision, knocking Max around like a cheap rag doll. The only blow that Max had deflected was Zahrah's ending strike that was aimed for the back of his neck. The point where Zahrah had made contact hardened into a stone like substance, immediately negating any chance for her to break his neck. Once the woman had finished Max stood up with a menacing look on his face. He was not happy with her response. Max had wanted an answer at where Na'ako had been taken, but instead she chose death. Max glared at Zarhah and it became apparent that he had allowed all of her attacks to hit him. The anger and hate he felt inside him were growing at an extremely dangerous rate, and all Max wanted to do was make Zarhah suffer. Like lightning Max latched onto Zarhah's forearm and morphed his own around it, allowing no escape. He drew her in close so that they were face to face with hard jerk. With his other hand he gripped her by the throat, shifting it to be much larger and comprised completely of stone. "I am not playing games, woman." Max began, his voice cold as the arctic sea. "I said I wanted to know where you are taking Na'ako. This is your last chance."
The thought of murdering this woman in cold blood crossed Max's mind with a horrifying execution. It was then that Max knew that what he was doing was not him, this was not how he would do things, this was not the Max his friends knew and loved, and all at once a whole new set of emotions washed over him: Utter disgust and guilt. How could he let the demons emotions control him so easily. What was happening to him? This was definitely not normal, it had never happened in all his time hosting the vile demon. In a way Max felt as if control was slipping from him, but when he checked his mental strength he knew that there was no way the demon could ever surface again. So what was happening to him? Maybe Faro would know.
Max let go of Zarhah and backed away a few steps, "I..I'm sorry, I don't know what happened to me there. I apologize for losing control." His voice was small, soft, but more than anything else, sincerely apologetic. Max felt as if he had take Zharah's chance at a fair fight away by shifting into his demon form, and it didn't feel right to him. He didn't know how she would react so he took another step back to prepare for another assault.
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Eldrin/Vai
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Kaepora Gaebora
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Post by Eldrin/Vai on Aug 12, 2012 16:45:14 GMT -6
On their way to rescue Max, Na'ako sat at the front of the cart, nearest to Kadina's spot as the driver. She asked about his newfound abilities... As if he really knew... He hugged his knees close to his chest and thought about it for a moment.
"Well... I'm not sure. I don't think you have anything to worry about, but I don't really know what it is either," he admitted, "I just focus energy to a certain point in my body, then I release it as either a 'push'," he demonstrated by moving a lock of Kadina's hair. He channeled his chi into his index finger and pointed it at the lock. A small, invisible, force blew the piece of hair to the other side of her head. "Or a 'pull'," that same force gently tugged the hair back into its original place. "It's 'a matter of repulsion and attraction'," he explained, directly quoting Eko'o. "'Pushing' is done by repelling the object from my body, 'pulling' is done by attracting it..."
Zahrah recoiled as her fist struck the stonelike back of Max's neck. A nasty crack filled the air, and pain shot up her wrist and forearm. She tried to back away, knowing that she'd likely broken a few knuckles. Not to mention, being so close to a crazy kid with blades for arms was not at all healthy... But before she could move, the Gerudo's arm was suddenly consumed into the boy's. Her face expressed utter horror as Max's arm formed around her broken hand, causing further damage. "Shit, kid... What the f-" Her words were cut off as Max's other hand grabbed her throat, crushing his windpipe.
"I am not playing games, woman." Max began. He continued speaking, but she couldn't hear him over the blood rushing through her ears. Her vision blurred with tears, burning her eyes. Her tanned face flushed red, partially with shame. Even in front of someone who was trying to kill her, she could not stand the thought of crying. She couldn't show weakness. Black replaced the blur as she slowly slipped from consciousness.
Get up, brat!
Zahrah's eyes snapped open. Adrenaline surged through her veins. She gritted her teeth. Her free hand grabbed Max's dagger and unsheathed it. He might be about to kill her, but she was going to take him with her.
But then he stopped.
Zahrah stared in even more shock than before when Max released her. She backed away quickly, holding the boy's dagger ready to fight. But he was offering an apology, and apparently had no desire to fight anymore. She considered her options. She could just run at him head on, but that would risk tangling with that weird morphing technique again. She could feel her chi flowing once again, but she wanted to save that for making an exit. Seeing as her leg was injured, she couldn't exactly run back to the fortress. Or maybe... I could just... be nice? The thought struck her as strange. Had she ever ended a fight on good terms? Nope. In fact, the only time she had ever left a fight without killing her opponent was when she went head to head with Iona. And that was because Iona was too tough. Not tough enough to kill her though...
She tossed the dagger. It stabbed into the ground in front of Max's feet. "You've got a good heart, kid. And you're one hell of a fighter," she admitted limping closer. "Little tip for next time... Kill me." The Gerudo stood in front of the young assassin. "There's no such thing as an unfair advantage. If I had been able to use my shifting, I wouldn't have hesitated to kill you with it. Showing mercy is just a glorified form of giving up..." She pinched his cheek and gave him one of her rare smiles. "Later, kid."
Zahrah disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared earlier. She sank into the sand in less than a second and was gone. The wall fell back to the ground in curtains of sand, revealing Kadina and Na'ako's cart on the other side. They had been busy trying to figure out how to quickly get over the wall. They knew that it would take too long to go around... One plan involved Na'ako shooting Kadina into the air with his new power, but that wouldn't really work out. As far as Na'ako knew, Kadina couldn't take that kind of fall.
But now they were watching as the wall collapsed... rendering all their planning pointless. "Max!"
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Kadina
Administrator
If you're bored then you're boring.
Posts: 379
Played By: MOjO
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Post by Kadina on Aug 14, 2012 11:17:34 GMT -6
Kadina shielded her eyes with her forearm as the wall disintegrated to their pleasant surprise. Through the light sprinkling of unsettled sand, she saw the young assassin standing alone. Her face beamed as a smile proudly stretched across her lips. He won! Removing her forearm as a visor, she placed her hand back on the reigns and whipped the horse into gear toward Max. Zahrah's body was nowhere to be found.
Upon reaching their destination, Kadina angled the cart for Max to jump right in. "You alright, kid?" She analyzed him for any major injuries. He seemed okay for the most part, but knowing he had battled Zahrah, she was more concerned about his psyche. The bitch liked to talk.
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Post by Argoth/Maximus on Aug 20, 2012 10:28:36 GMT -6
Before Max's friends had found him Max thought about what Zahrah said and a small grin appeared on his face. Not because of her words exactly, but because the woman had showed compassion when she otherwise had a tough exterior. He had gotten to her, and he felt that if the two of them ever crossed paths again he was going to try and be friends with her.
Max was worried about what had just happened to him but upon seeing Kadina and Na'ako it all washed away. "Hey guys!," Max yelled back.
"You alright, kid?
Max smiled up at Kadina and nodded, "Yeah, I'm alright." Max felt that he should leave out what happened in the fight, he didn't want his friends to be disappointed in him. "Where are we going to now?"
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Eldrin/Vai
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Post by Eldrin/Vai on Aug 20, 2012 14:46:23 GMT -6
Immediately after greeting Max, Na'ako had ran straight to his staff. For a moment he held it close to him, energy seemed to flow through him. He felt complete again. He returned to the other two just as Kadina asked if Max was alright. When all of their greetings had been exchanged, Max posed a very interesting question. "Where are we going now?"
Na'ako knew that he had to find this Siskin guy, but for some reason he didn't really want to share that bit of information. It was odd, seeing as he had no reason to withhold such knowledge. He just felt like he shouldn't tell them. "I don't know..." he muttered sitting on the edge of the cart. He extended his hand toward his bag, making it fly at him. After searching around in it for a moment, Na'ako produced an old map. It had been given to him by the shy girl on the caravan. He spread this map across his knees. It was an ancient map, made of incredibly thick parchment. The edges were trimmed in gold, and the illustrations were more like full color artworks detailing the land of Hyrule. Na'ako found the spot in the northwest section of the map labeled Gerudo Valley in spidery, cursive script. He followed a river that ran out of the desert down to a vast lake in the southwest. Lake Hylia. "How about there? Water would be a nice relief after the desert. and maybe we'll even find food." Not to mention, maybe they would find the last Desert Monk there...
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Kadina
Administrator
If you're bored then you're boring.
Posts: 379
Played By: MOjO
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Post by Kadina on Aug 23, 2012 11:13:11 GMT -6
Bliss washed over Kadina as Max smiled up at her. Any questions she previously had seemed unnecessary. He was alive and smiling and that was all that mattered.
She watched curiously as Na'ako pulled a map from his bag and searched for the answer to Max's question. "How about there?" He pointed to Lake Hylia. Kadina couldn't agree with him more. She loved the water. And on top of that, she was wanting to know more about Na'ako. It was peculiar that such a young boy was traveling on his own... It was also peculiar that Max put up such a chase for that urn. Perhaps she was just dealing with some very strange kids.
"Sounds good to me!" She smiled and pulled out a tiny antique compass from a pouch on her belt. With their direction set, Kadina allowed time for Max to get in the cart. Shutting her compass, she lashed the reigns in a downward motion and raced through the desert towards Lake Hylia.
[Exit Kadina]
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