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IC - General / Rimaru's Epiphany
« on: September 10, 2010, 10:29:19 am »
Relax...open your mind... fall into the hands of Mahrina... walk the path of dreams...
She repeated this to herself over and over again as she sat cross-legged on a rug in the center of the High Priest's hall. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the opening into the world of the goddess Mahrina, and truthfully she didn't want to.
Since the moment Rimaru could understand the explanation of walking the dream world she knew that it wasn't for her, that her calling was higher and more powerful; that it would actually affect the world. But she could never find the answer for this longing, this urge. Her home and the city it was located in was completely fixated upon the Dream Goddess, almost suffocating the young Heishan.
"Malamar, focus!" The high priest hissed at her, he used her last name to pick her out from the rest of the students, though none shared her first.
Opening her eyes a squint, she glowered at the wiry old elf wobbling down the rows of students, disgusted at his wasted life. Dressed in grey robes his vertebrae poked up on his bent spine giving him the appearance of a boulder covered in warts. As he turned to come back down the line she quickly straightened and closed her eyes again.
He was wasting her time just as he was wasting his own teaching her. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, she began to chant to herself again, attempting to enter the dream world once again. In the silence of the stuffy, lilac scented room, a groan erupted from one of the pupils. Rimaru opened her eyes and looked to her right as her friend Kalipa collapsed in a fit of spasms.
Jumping to her feet she dashed to her friend's side, as she was about to take her up into her arms, she was pushed aside.
"Let her be!" The High Priest shouted, glaring at Rimaru. He wielded his staff threateningly, Rimaru knowing full well that he had many spells that could kill her in an instant.
"But she could die!" She shouted back, getting to her feet.
"She has crossed into the dream world! If Mahrina wants her, she shall take her!"
Growling, Rimaru made a move to her friend again, only to get jabbed in the chest with the butt of the staff.
"I said let her be!"
"You old coot, your foolish dream walking causes the death of innocents every day!" A flame flickered, Rimaru's anger igniting. "I am not going to stand by and watch it happen again!"
Kalipa groaned again, curling into a ball, hands contorted and face contorted in agony.
"Look at what your goddess does to her! Look! She causes torture and fear. What good is that?"
"Only those unworthy walk this path." The old man retorted, almost smiling.
By now other students were watching the argument, brought out of their attempts of dream walking. The nearest, a boy only a few years shy of Rimaru's age, stared in shock at the shuddering form beside him.
Her's eyes met the cool copper eyes of the old Heishan's, trying to calm herself and keep from tearing out his throat. "Let me wake her. This one time go back on your teachings and let me wake her."
"Go back to your place, Malamar, you will learn why such things are as they are."
Looking down at Kalipa, she noticed that the girl was barely moving now, body still contorted and face now slack. Maybe he was right? Maybe Mahrina was guiding her to a better place, or at least to a path of safety within the dream realm. There were many stories of those who crossed and were attacked by hobgoblins on the other side.
No. It wasn't right. Rimaru moved again to her friend's side, preparing to lift her and take her from the temple. The High Priest's staff came up and dug into her side, shoving her away again. This time she didn't stand down, instead she gripped the staff in her hands and yanked it from his feeble grasp. Before he could shout out or cast a chant she swung the thick piece of wood and knocked him upside the head.
His eyes rolled back and he fell against the marble floor, unconscious but alive.
"Revel in your dreams now, bastard." She snarled, tossing the staff Kneeling down next to Kalipa she softened her voice and began to shake the fragile female's frame, all the while students were rushing to find someone to deal with this blasphemy. "Kalipa! Kalipa! Come on, wake up."
Seeming to hear a familiar voice, Kalipa's body began to soften, color slowly returning to her cheeks. A flood of relief washed over Rimaru, a comfort to know that the worst of Kalipa's experience was over and she was gradually returning to reality.
"She's knocked out the high priest!" Screamed a Heishan female to the guards as they entered the hall. "Down there! With the red hair!" The boot falls were loud and piercing as the guards ran down the long hall to her.
Standing to turn and face the guards she stepped back and barely missed a flashing metal sword, the tip running up the right side of her face. She felt the skin of her cheek split and the blood pour out of the cut and down her front. She stumbled back, tripping over the unconscious priest and falling back, her head hitting the marble.
Everything went black.
Finally coming to her head pounded and her body ached. As Rimaru sat up the dried blood on her face and body cracked and flaked. Slowly she raised her hands to her face. Her right cheek had an open wound from the corner of her eye to her jawline, scabbed over and painful. As her hazy gaze came into focus, she realized that she was no longer in the city of the Heishan's, but somewhere out in the hot and forbidding Wastelands, most likely left to die.
I wonder how Kalipa is.... Was her first thought. As she stood another entered her mind. Push those thoughts from my head, I am obviously excommunicated and unwanted. They don't deserve my worries or sympathies... any of them.
Sighing another thought entered her head. She was no longer welcome in the only place she knew, no longer a part of her family. She was no longer a Malamar amd no longer a dream walker. Neither she would truly miss.
She thought back on hitting the priest and the feeling she got from it. It was justice. The heishan male got what he deserved letting a young innocent like Kalipa seizure and almost die. And even though this is what she got for it, she still felt good.
Looking down at her soiled clothes and blood encrusted body she began to laugh. "Well, one thing's for sure. I need a bath."
She repeated this to herself over and over again as she sat cross-legged on a rug in the center of the High Priest's hall. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the opening into the world of the goddess Mahrina, and truthfully she didn't want to.
Since the moment Rimaru could understand the explanation of walking the dream world she knew that it wasn't for her, that her calling was higher and more powerful; that it would actually affect the world. But she could never find the answer for this longing, this urge. Her home and the city it was located in was completely fixated upon the Dream Goddess, almost suffocating the young Heishan.
"Malamar, focus!" The high priest hissed at her, he used her last name to pick her out from the rest of the students, though none shared her first.
Opening her eyes a squint, she glowered at the wiry old elf wobbling down the rows of students, disgusted at his wasted life. Dressed in grey robes his vertebrae poked up on his bent spine giving him the appearance of a boulder covered in warts. As he turned to come back down the line she quickly straightened and closed her eyes again.
He was wasting her time just as he was wasting his own teaching her. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, she began to chant to herself again, attempting to enter the dream world once again. In the silence of the stuffy, lilac scented room, a groan erupted from one of the pupils. Rimaru opened her eyes and looked to her right as her friend Kalipa collapsed in a fit of spasms.
Jumping to her feet she dashed to her friend's side, as she was about to take her up into her arms, she was pushed aside.
"Let her be!" The High Priest shouted, glaring at Rimaru. He wielded his staff threateningly, Rimaru knowing full well that he had many spells that could kill her in an instant.
"But she could die!" She shouted back, getting to her feet.
"She has crossed into the dream world! If Mahrina wants her, she shall take her!"
Growling, Rimaru made a move to her friend again, only to get jabbed in the chest with the butt of the staff.
"I said let her be!"
"You old coot, your foolish dream walking causes the death of innocents every day!" A flame flickered, Rimaru's anger igniting. "I am not going to stand by and watch it happen again!"
Kalipa groaned again, curling into a ball, hands contorted and face contorted in agony.
"Look at what your goddess does to her! Look! She causes torture and fear. What good is that?"
"Only those unworthy walk this path." The old man retorted, almost smiling.
By now other students were watching the argument, brought out of their attempts of dream walking. The nearest, a boy only a few years shy of Rimaru's age, stared in shock at the shuddering form beside him.
Her's eyes met the cool copper eyes of the old Heishan's, trying to calm herself and keep from tearing out his throat. "Let me wake her. This one time go back on your teachings and let me wake her."
"Go back to your place, Malamar, you will learn why such things are as they are."
Looking down at Kalipa, she noticed that the girl was barely moving now, body still contorted and face now slack. Maybe he was right? Maybe Mahrina was guiding her to a better place, or at least to a path of safety within the dream realm. There were many stories of those who crossed and were attacked by hobgoblins on the other side.
No. It wasn't right. Rimaru moved again to her friend's side, preparing to lift her and take her from the temple. The High Priest's staff came up and dug into her side, shoving her away again. This time she didn't stand down, instead she gripped the staff in her hands and yanked it from his feeble grasp. Before he could shout out or cast a chant she swung the thick piece of wood and knocked him upside the head.
His eyes rolled back and he fell against the marble floor, unconscious but alive.
"Revel in your dreams now, bastard." She snarled, tossing the staff Kneeling down next to Kalipa she softened her voice and began to shake the fragile female's frame, all the while students were rushing to find someone to deal with this blasphemy. "Kalipa! Kalipa! Come on, wake up."
Seeming to hear a familiar voice, Kalipa's body began to soften, color slowly returning to her cheeks. A flood of relief washed over Rimaru, a comfort to know that the worst of Kalipa's experience was over and she was gradually returning to reality.
"She's knocked out the high priest!" Screamed a Heishan female to the guards as they entered the hall. "Down there! With the red hair!" The boot falls were loud and piercing as the guards ran down the long hall to her.
Standing to turn and face the guards she stepped back and barely missed a flashing metal sword, the tip running up the right side of her face. She felt the skin of her cheek split and the blood pour out of the cut and down her front. She stumbled back, tripping over the unconscious priest and falling back, her head hitting the marble.
Everything went black.
Finally coming to her head pounded and her body ached. As Rimaru sat up the dried blood on her face and body cracked and flaked. Slowly she raised her hands to her face. Her right cheek had an open wound from the corner of her eye to her jawline, scabbed over and painful. As her hazy gaze came into focus, she realized that she was no longer in the city of the Heishan's, but somewhere out in the hot and forbidding Wastelands, most likely left to die.
I wonder how Kalipa is.... Was her first thought. As she stood another entered her mind. Push those thoughts from my head, I am obviously excommunicated and unwanted. They don't deserve my worries or sympathies... any of them.
Sighing another thought entered her head. She was no longer welcome in the only place she knew, no longer a part of her family. She was no longer a Malamar amd no longer a dream walker. Neither she would truly miss.
She thought back on hitting the priest and the feeling she got from it. It was justice. The heishan male got what he deserved letting a young innocent like Kalipa seizure and almost die. And even though this is what she got for it, she still felt good.
Looking down at her soiled clothes and blood encrusted body she began to laugh. "Well, one thing's for sure. I need a bath."