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Post by Ajax Abeo on Jan 24, 2007 14:45:08 GMT -5
Ajax walked lightly walked down the street, making only a whisper of sound as his boots hit the ground. His cloak was tightly wrapped around him, and he was avoiding the eyes of anyone and everyone. Where he was going? Not even he knew. That was why he considered himself a wanderer, a traveller. He had no where to go.
With a sigh, he stopped for a second. It was cold out, and getting colder. Still, he did not know this place, as he had just come here. He knew that there were a number of shapeshifters around, and that made him very edgy. There had already been one instance when some one had tried to communicate with him. He had practically ran away, though not so discreetly as just fleeing. He had managed to escape, and wanted to stay alone.
Everyone hates a half-breed. I don't like these people. I hate them! I HATE shapeshifters. They ruined my life. So did humans. I hate them... With a slight growl in the back of his throat, he propped himself against the wall, brushing the silverish lock of hair that had fallen in his face back. He was so sick of being here. No one is truthful in this tainted world.
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Post by prometheus on Jan 24, 2007 16:55:04 GMT -5
Durriken walked down the same street, his bare feet hitting the bare dirt ground making near no sounds. Even though he wore very light clothing, made of light fabrics and no shoes, he didn’t really feel the cold. He was used to it after wearing the same style of Gypsy cloths all the time. He wondered to himself silently why he kept with the Gypsy traditions when he was outcast.
Looking up to make sure he was going to correct direction, Durriken saw a man that seemed on the defensive. He had odd silver hair. When he first looked at the man his deck pulled strongly on his mind and body, making him stumble toward the left, away from the building. His feet landing harder then they usually did was probably the first time he was noticed by anyone.
When he regained his balance three cards rose from his deck of tarot cards which he kept on his belt on his left side. The rose toward his face before he grabbed them. He looked at them with interest since it was rare for a person to get more then one card, not to mention three. He looked at each one with a keen eye and looked at all of them together.
The first card, Justice, was inversed. It normally means bias, false accusations, intolerance, unfairness, and abuse. The next card, the High Priestess, normally means Wisdom, knowledge, and learning. This meant that the first card wasn’t probably talking about the man. And last, the third card was The Sun, also inversed. This card normally meant unhappiness, loneliness, and a lack of friends. All these cards together told Durriken that this man had many skeletons in his closet, many pains in his heart, and has seen the dark side of mankind more then people should have too. He wasn’t entirely certain but he guessed that the man was a hybrid, a mix of two races, like himself.
“Hello, one of many conflicts within his heart.” he said, just barely above a whisper to the man.
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Post by Ajax Abeo on Jan 24, 2007 19:31:40 GMT -5
Ajax turned, his eyes darting to the one who had spoken. He was not human, though he looked like one. Ajax sunk into himself and glared at the man. As the man said the words, he felt a growl in the back of his throat. How could any one know what he had going through his heart. He looked away, a clear sign that he did not want to talk.
Still, it bothered him that the man had three cards in his hands, and that he had said that. It was painstakingly true that he had many troubles within his heart, but how was a person supposed to know this. He discreetly glanced at the man before looking away again.
"You have better things to do, stranger," the boy replied to the man's whisper. The man... he wasn't human. Because of his wanderings, Ajax had seen gypsies before... but this man did quite seem to be one... A half-breed? No, I'm too confused right now. I couldn't tell this man's race no matter what in this cold. Stupid cold... He's probably just another stupid, powerless human.
The stone wall on which he was propped against had started to leech away his heat, even through his cloak. He stood strait again, and started walking, still very close to the wall. Surely the man would walk away, seeing a disinterested person. Or the man would cause a fight, and Ajax could settle that quickly. He would have to start traveling again, but that was the price of being alone.
Ajax kept his insticts sharp, to see if he heard the man following him as he moved a few steps away. A bird, who was nesting in a tree somewhere, called out once, disrupting the silence as dusk decended slowly. The sunset, nearly over, was glorious, and lit up the sky in a show of bright lights that could dazzle the eyes. Ajax turned his face away. He didn't care much for the beauty of it at the moment.
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Post by prometheus on Jan 24, 2007 20:19:24 GMT -5
Durriken was fine, leaving the man alone, but his deck had a mind of its own. Wait...his deck normally followed what was either best for him or the person. Putting the cards back into deck, he began to turn away. But before he could fully turn away and walk away, a card flew out of his deck and began to fly toward the man. Before he could get a hold of it, it flew out of his reach and floated in front of the man’s face. After that card left his deck, a few other did as well, all flying toward the man and floating in front of his face.
The first card was The High Priestess, the next card was The Hierophant, after that card The Nine of Swords, and last was The Five of Pentacles. These cards flew out of his reach he could grab them and he jumped forward, toward the man indirectly, to try and get the cards back. They almost never did this, this was all knew to him.
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Post by Ajax Abeo on Jan 26, 2007 17:40:49 GMT -5
Ajax turned, a growl in this throat, as the man jumped towards him. Was the man planning to fight? Ajax's muscles tensed. He didn't like fighting, but he would if necessary. Looking at the man, Ajax saw him just trying to grab the cards. Ajax was mad now, but at least it wasn't a challenge to fight.
He looked the man up and down. The man wore no shoes. He almost slapped his forehead, but stopped himself. So, this man was a gypsy. Well, not full gypsy. Perhaps I should listen to my instincts more often.
So... he wasn't fully gypsy... Ajax could tell that he was a type of human, and that infuriated him. With a glare, he stepped away from the man. If he had hackles, they would have been raised at this point.
"Listen, you half-bred human! You stay away from me. I hate you! I hate humans! You're all so damn idiotic!" Ajax snarled, getting worked up. Humans... he hated them. He hated their stench. He hated himself for smelling a bit like them.
And he really didn't care if gypsies were the outcasts of the human world. They were still humans, and could very well have hurt him when he was young, like so long ago. Now he was fairly confident in his abilities to fight off any humans.
"It's not helping that those cards are flying around!" he hissed, his cat-like reactions partly due to his shapeshifting abilities. Then Ajax paused for a moment. Wait... cards flying around? No gypsies I've seen do that... He must be a magic user... a warlock, then? So... he's a filthy gypsy and warlock half-breed. And obviously his features are human, from the gypsy. Grr... I hate him!
"Why are you bothering me anyways, half-breed?" Ajax said quietly, switching into his deadly anger phase. Why was he talking to a human?
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Post by prometheus on Jan 26, 2007 18:08:22 GMT -5
Durriken gave his cards a hard glare and held out his hand. Reluctantly the cards floated back and into his hand. Putting them back he glared at the other person.
“Don’t look at me, the cards have a mind of their own. And don’t start taking out your self hating anger out on me. I accepted that I’m a half-breed, and I’m proud of it. You detest it, and hate yourself for it. If it wasn’t for both of my races, combing as one, I couldn’t do this.” he said, quickly drawing two cards from his deck. “Cards, show this man what binds his heart, make it for him to see! Judgment...Devil!” he called out, throwing the cards at the man where they attached on the man’s chest.
When the cards stuck a small field emerged, surrounding him. On the outside nothing could really be seen. But on the inside it forced the person to face their inner struggles. In the end it would help the person release the hatred within their own hearts. This is was on the first things the cards did to him before they would let him use them.
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Post by Ajax Abeo on Jan 26, 2007 18:55:32 GMT -5
His eyes widened as the two cards came flying at him. They hit him on the chest, and he looked at them. Then, the cards stuck the field around him. His eyes went wide.
Suddenly, the air before him changed. He recognized where he was. His eyes would have widened more, if they could have. He didn't want to be in this place! He looked around, hearing footsteps.
The footsteps, that was what woke young Ajax up. He looked around him, and then slowly climbed out of his very comfortable bed. Looking at where Reiko's bed used to be. That must have been his father's footsteps.
Quickly, he got a robe out from his dresser and wrapped it around himself. He opened the heavy wooden door to his room, slipping out soundlessly. Quickly, he walked down the hall, and saw his father guarding the door to the room where Reiko was sleeping.
His father turned away, and Ajax slipped forward fearfully. His father hadn't noticed him yet. Then he was at the door, opening it...
"AJAX VULTUS ABEO!" His father roared at him, grabbing him by the collar of his robe. His father's face was red, and his eyes were flashing, "What in the name of the Gods are you pulling, idiot! If you step one foot in that room, you'll die! You CAN'T SAVE HER!"
He was crying now, and he dangled off the floor, since his father had picked him up. He looked away, tears falling down his face, "But I haven't said good-night to Sis! I need to, Papa! I need to see Sis! Let me go! Let me see her!"
The powerful shapeshifter did not let him go, though, but paced back to Ajax's room, locking the door after throwing the boy in. Then he turned the key to Ajax's room.
"This is for your own good!" His father said.
The flashback faded to another scene, as Ajax thought fleetingly, I don't remember his saying that! He never said anything was for my own good!
Flowers, beautiful ones, framed the angelic face of the very young hybrid. Her head was braided and decorated. No one was there anymore, for the service had been over for hours. Well, almost no one.
Ajax sniffled again, tears blinding him. He had been crying for hours, but couldn't stop. He hadn't even SEEN his sister for the past month! He hadn't said good-bye! He hadn't kissed her good-night! He hadn't even apologized for what he had done that month ago to her!
His father... It was all his father's fault. His father was the one who hadn't let him talk to her, even though he had begged again and again! His father was the one who locked him in his room to keep him away from his best friend, his only friend!
Oh, he HATED his father! His father deserved to be in Reiko's place! He felt the anger come up and choke him. He hated his father. He hated shapeshifters. All shapeshifters deserved to die.
Slowly, he got up and placed one, sweet last kiss on his beloved sister. He looked down at her, his tears falling gently on her immobile face. They seemed to be his tears, but he did not notice that omen. He just brushed her hair lightly, and apologized for everything. Then he walked out of the room, not looking back, to go and get stronger so that he could avenge her.
Ajax fell to his knees in the field, screaming as the memory came to a close. Tears fell, but stopped slowly, at the last part of the flashback. Yes... that was why he hated shapeshifters... That was why he still hated them.
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Post by prometheus on Jan 26, 2007 19:12:54 GMT -5
Durriken sighed as he saw the boy struggle. He knew it was hard to go through all of that. He shuddered as he remembered his own experience with that spell. He had to see the exile of his mother and himself. He was too young to even remember that time. He saw his father giving his mother the deck of cards he held now, telling her to always keep them close. Soon after that he left for good. The cards also made him relive the death of his mother.
As he remembered these things a small tear fell from his eyes. His mother meant so much to him. Sitting down on the cold ground he waited for the spell to finish.
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Post by Ajax Abeo on Jan 27, 2007 14:49:09 GMT -5
The memory turned for the worst. Suddenly, he was walking down a dirt road, looking for something... for books!
Ajax, a very ten year old Ajax, was walking down the road, watching for predators. He was going to see if there were any good books in the market that he hadn't read yet. His pocket was full of gold, and he was read to buy quite a lot.
This was around his fifth visit to the market in the search of books. He hadn't really found many, but this was Market Day, which always had more goods than usual. His step had a sort of lightness in it, as the day was bright. Sure, there were many things wrong with his life, but the day was fighting his deeply hidden anger. He just sighed.
Suddenly, there were steps behind him. He ignored them for a while, as a couple of much older boys were following him. He supposed they were fetching food for their mothers or something. They were talking very loud, and laughing even louder.
Soon, they were right behind him. He tensed as their talking got quiet. They were breathing down his neck, and he didn't like it. He tried to walk faster, but they kept up with him. Now he felt the danger, and it was too late.
One of the boys moved right beside him and pushed him, very hard, against another one, calling, "Oy, look at the half-breed! Isn't he disgusting!"
"Hey, don't push this filth into me! He might give me something!" The boy who he had landed against, pushed him to another of the boys. There were so many of them! At least five, probably six or seven! He fought for he balance, and was rewarded by getting a knock on the head, rending him unconscious for a few moments. It was enough time, and now he was slung over one of the heavier boys' shoulder. He struggled, only to get jostled around. After a very short walk, they were in the forest near the town. He struggled harder. The boy flung him down on the ground, and his breath was knocked out of him.
The other boys, the ones who hadn't carried him, had gotten sticks along the way. Soon, all of them had sticks, fairly large in size, and were grinning evilly at him. Before he could scream for help, they started beating him bloody. The pain was unbearable, but they continued. Blood was draining from him at a rapid rate, and his heart was working twice as fast to try at provide his body with more blood. Still, the boys beat him, until he wasn't even in enough shape to fight back. Suddenly, they stopped beating him, and all he could do was keep breathing, in and out.
Quickly, one of the boys kneeled beside him, grabbing his unusually colored hair and pulling his head up... Then something disgusting was shoved down his throat. He choked and coughed, forcing the substance out. But the boys kept forcing more of the mud, he could see it now, down his throat. He nearly died from blood loss and choking.
After a while, the boys got tired of that, and then it was to fire. One of them could create a fire, and he did so, at the urging of his friends. Ajax barely noticed it at first, for his will to live was fighting as much as possible as he kept blacking out. But the painful searing of his skin woke him up enough, and he screamed in pain. It seemed to continue for hours as the boys found his weak spots. It was horrible, and he screamed. It was amazing that no one had heard him. Suddenly, the boys hushed, and there was the snapping of a twig. But no, it was only a squirrel, which they chased away. It had done enough of a distraction, though, because the boys moved onto something worse... much worse.
It was all a blur after that. They had tied them down, and then violated his virginity. They didn't care about that, and they each took turns. He knew that he cried out more than once, and he couldn't ever forget the stench. The boys, they did it until every single one of them got bored, and then they did it some more.
Finally, it was growing dark, and they boys were wanted home. Ajax was barely alive at that point. To hide what they did to him, they threw him in the slow-flowing river about half a mile away. Before they threw him in, they each took a turn hitting him. Then, unsuccessfully knocking him out, they threw him in.
The river's pull woke Ajax up, and he started to weakly struggle. He had no energy to struggle. Water filled his mouth and went down his throat. He coughed, losing the battle for survival. Slowly, he started to sink, even though he paddled as hard as his broken body could.
He was dying.
Suddenly, a rock hit him on the side, and he clung to the boulder with all his might. He crawled on it, finding it big enough to hold his small body. He shivered from the cold, knowing that he was likely to get a disease this way. He couldn't move. He tried weakly, but he couldn't. He was broken. His body was violated. His mind was a swirling mass of dispar. He couldn't go on. But he had to.
Ajax stayed on that rock for quite a while, crying endlessly. There was somebody on the bank. He struggled, trying to ward of the person, figuring that one of the boys realized that he had lived. But no, when the person came wading over to the boulder, it was strong arms that held him and helped him off the rock. He fell into a dreamless sleep, his last thought being, I hate humans. I really hate humans.
Ajax, in the bubble of the field. Shuddered and clung to himself. While the memory was blurred for the young Ajax when the boys violated him, it was not that way for older Ajax. He felt every painful bit of it, and his whole body throbbed from everything that happened. At the end of the flashback, Ajax fainted. It was all so horrible. Yes, that was why he hated humans. Who could blame him?
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Post by prometheus on Jan 27, 2007 15:16:39 GMT -5
Durriken was concerned when the boy fainted. He never remembered that happening before. Walking over he removed the cards from the boy’s chest and lifted him up. Grabbing him he dragged the boy to the inn he was staying in. Casting a quick field of invisibility over himself and the boy, he went up to his room and laid him on the bed. He placed a light sheet over him and waited for him to awaken.
He sat in a small wooden chair as he thought it over. He couldn’t see what was going inside the sphere, but he could tell it was bad. As he waited Durriken drifted back to his own experience with the spell.
As soon as he found the deck of cards in the latest place he and his mother lived, two cards rose and stuck themselves to him. The first thing he saw was his mother inside a caravan of wooden wagons. A large man was yelling at his mother, calling her filth for falling in love with an outsider, a warlock. He took her hands and stripped all the rings off of them and took all the bracelets off her wrists, and then took her ear rings. They took ever piece of gold from her before they threw her out of the family. She left, caring Durriken in her arms. She was crying. The father of her child left her, and now the rest of her family also did. Crying, she left and turned her back on the family forever.
Coming out of his reminiscing he pulled the deck from his side. He took the top card form his deck and put it toward his forehead.
“Four of Swords, here my call, show me what this poor boy has saw.” he said and picked the next card from the deck. “Justice, guild the way and only show me truth.” he said placing the card over the other.
The two cards began to glow, as did Durriken’s eyes. They glowed a bright yellow as the cards showed him the truth. The boy has been through much. More then any other human or other creatures, even demons, should have gone through. His own existence as a boy was cake compared to his. Putting the cards down he looked at the boy with new eyes. He had true reasons for hating humans. The boy did have to overcome it though...anger was the worst thing to hold within the heart. It corrupts the heart, and eventually the mind. It will cloud the sight and lead to unspeakable things.
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Post by Ajax Abeo on Jan 27, 2007 15:31:50 GMT -5
Ajax, after a while, opened his eyes. He looked up, seeing a ceiling. That was NOT were he was before...
Then it all came rushing back to him, and he cringed under the pain that came with it. Tears started flowing down his face, and his body throbbed again. Looking down, he saw that the cards were gone. At least that was a relief.
He was in a bed, a soft on, with a sheet over him, though it was pushed back now. He looked around, to see himself in a small room, and that the man with the cards was sitting there, beside him. His eyes filled with anger again, but not much. He was too spent to get really angry.
"Why... why am I here, human?" Ajax said, slumping forward, and crossing his arms over his bent knees. Tears were still flowing, though silently. He could deal with the pain. He had before. He would again. He did not look at the man.
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Post by prometheus on Jan 27, 2007 15:45:18 GMT -5
Durriken sighed and stood up.
“Because not all human are bad. Only the ignorant, which you have had a lot of dealing with. And only the ignorant let their emotions control them. When anger infests the heart, it spreads to the mind and eyes, blinding the person to the world around them.” he said sternly to the boy. “And don’t even say I don’t understand what you were through, cause I do.” he went on, no give in his voice.
Durriken walked over to the window on the opposite side of the room and looked out at the setting sun in the city.
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Post by Ajax Abeo on Jan 27, 2007 16:20:18 GMT -5
"Feh, are you calling me ignorant?" Ajax looked away. It was not the face of the nineteen year old hybrid, but the ten year old little boy. Of course he was ignorant of somethings, but he didn't like to be told that. He was scared, especially if that man could have him relive those memories.
"And why do you tell me this? Why are you helping me?" Ajax said, unsure of this man's intent. He grimanced as he moved a little, the bruises of so long ago hurting again. His scars reminded him of what happened.
"And why am I not allowed to hate humans?! They did horrible...horrible things," tears still slid down his face. His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.
"It's not fair," this last was a whisper, if barely that. He shook his head, "But, the world isn't fair. And neither am I. I did nothing to the world, and I had all these horrible things done to me."
Ajax swung around, placing his aching feet on the cool floor. Then he looked at the man, "You're the only person I've talked to for this long in quite some time. I don't need help, and I don't want it, honestly. I know that you're trying to do something about my anger... but I can't let it go. Not until I've avenged my sister..."
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Post by prometheus on Jan 27, 2007 16:37:49 GMT -5
Durriken slowly turned and looked at Ajax.
“I can only guess why I am helping you, these cards tell me I should, so I do. They see things better then I can, so I trust their judgment. My best guess would be to help you overcome your anger. It is not wrong to hate, but if kept within the heart to long, it will do horrible things to you.”
Durriken walked back over and sat down. Looking the boy in the eyes.
“How do you know if your sister wants avenged this way? Would she be happy to see you as you are now, being lead around on a leash of your anger. Being controlled by it.”
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Post by Ajax Abeo on Jan 29, 2007 22:10:19 GMT -5
"You know what? I don't care if something bad happens to me! I just... don't... care anymore... I'm so tired..." Ajax said, looking down at his feet, his brilliant blue eyes losing there shimmer. He sighed, "Why should I go on anyways? I mean, I'm doing no good... Much more evil than good."
He shook his head and put his hand on his forehead in frustration. Growling he bit his lip in punishment, "What am I saying?! I have to go on. Damn it, I hate this life!"
Then he looked at the man, "I should be angry with you for saying that. I really should. I don't know anymore."
His father, shoving him back in his room and turning the key. Then his sister, laying there, dead, and without a hope...
"Gah! Of course I need to avenge her! She'd... she'd be happy, right? Father... he was such a bastard to me! She... Gods, I miss her!" Ajax curled up tighter, but looking at the man.
His eyes, while they were filled with anger, held the shadow of a boy who needed to spill his feelings out. There was the faint hint of a boy who had "died" nearly ten years ago looking out of those eyes. There were confessions to make. Those eyes told a story beyond what Ajax was telling.
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