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Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Nauta Lyehga - 05-06-2014
K’yohko made his already thin lips even thinner as he thought, biting down on the insides of them. His treatment of outsiders had never moved to one direction or the other. He had always been protective of his people, but never outwardly aggressive. This time marked the first time he had ever threatened or been so hostile to a singular other Miq’ote. Even with K’piru he had not roar at her or wanted so badly to hurt her. Although he had wanted to hurt her, and still retained the bitter desire should her pitiful face ever return to camp. K’ile, he tolerated mostly well when they retained their distance from one another.
Yohko thought briefly on his relationship with K’hai Tia. It had never been poor, nor good. Like most in the tribe, he remained a neutral party acting only when he felt the need to maintain a balance in the camp. K’hai had been a strong and good hunter, a good man even. He should be welcomed back to the tribe if he wanted to, especially if they were welcoming a miq’ote with questionable at best relationships linking him to the family.
“No. You are no burden.†K’yohko answered finally, looking to K’hai again and walking his way. “You know our ways. Our family. Our hunt. I see you’ve grown smaller, but you can still hunt. You are not a burden like the others who returned to us.†The Nunh shook his head bitterly and took a few steps further out towards the dune, looking down on the valley of dunes. His nose carefully smelt the air, picking out the various smells for one of game.
“I would appreciate your help. We never hunt alone, yes?†K’yohko glanced back again and gave a short nod. “I would welcome you home, even if the others will not. Please, speak freely with me. I would answer your quarries if I had the knowledge.â€
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Kailia - 05-06-2014
K'hai smiled, of the family he'd met, K'yohko seemed the second to still have some sense in him.
"You are correct, we've not hunted together before." he replied.
Perhaps his talk with K'yohko would convince him otherwise of his decision to not return. He began following K'yohko into the dunes. He could tell there was still some anger though in K'yohko. Was it perhaps the loss of K'ailia? Or something else?
"Since my arrival in Ul'dah I've encountered several of our family. K'luha, K'ile, K'piru, and even her youngest daughter. Much had changed though... K'luha most of all." he said as he walked.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Nauta Lyehga - 05-08-2014
Truly, had he not hunted with K’hai? Certainly they had, or at least K’yohko felt as if he could recall such a time when they hunted together. But one of them was certainly mistaken if they remembered it differently. But K’yohko reasoned it didn’t matter if they had or not. They were sharing this hunt, and that was all that matter at the moment.
K’yohko lead K’hai down the dunes, across the sands and away from their usual hunting grounds. Most game wasn’t there at this time, and if they were to find anything for this hunt it would be in an unexplored area. So K’yohko followed his hone senses and the wind’s soft whisper at his back. He paused for a moment to take in the sands and the winds and the unheard whispers of Azyema himself. His eyes opened with renewed vision and he continued on.
“Does it surprise you that they change? Our family has always been fickle; K’luha the most fickle of them all. She is like the wind in the Sagoli.†K’yohko paused as a soft breeze passed through them, cooling his burning skin from the sun intensity. “A welcome breeze to caress you and then a sudden sandstorm to kill.†K’yohko closed his eyes and let out a very soft sigh before his feet continued onwards. His sense were ever vigilant, although he seemed most fluid and at ease during a hunt. His hand loosely strayed towards the dagger at his right hip. “Of K’piru, I would wish you did not speak. The woman does not deserve our namesake and if she ever returned,†K’yohko looked back with deadly eyes to K’hai, “I would kill her myself for what she did. When the fire rained from the sky in Carteneu, it rained down in the Sagoli. Most of our family was killed instantly, but many were left with burning wounds. When we returned back from the war, K’ile ran to his brother’s woman and cried about his loss. And then K’piru cried too and forsook her duties as a shaman. All those two could do was think of themselves and their loss, and let countless others die because their little family was dead.†K’yohko’s voice rose angrily although he did not mean it to. The sins from five years ago haunted him just as strong, if not stronger than they haunted the rest of the tribe. “K’piru let my mother and my sisters and uncles and aunts and brothers die; wailing because she lost K’thalen. K’ile didn’t even bother to tell K’thalen’s surviving children he was dead. I had to carry the bodies to bury them. Alone. I alone had the burden of fighting back the sandworms when the dead attracted them. And the bloatflies and the disease. And then K’ile assaulted me because I confronted K’piru for her sins and when K’piru realized her sins; she ran. She abandoned us a second time.†K’yohko bitterly kept his eyes in front of him as they walked. His courel followed behind, sense open as she could feel her master’s resentfulness and anger festering.
“The Calamity has changed us all. It poisoned us all K’hai. Perhaps they cured you at the Lake of Bronze, but the rest of us remain sick. We remain feeble and dying. We are not what we used to be, and I fear for the worst in the coming days….†K’yohko trailed off from his thoughts and crouched down to take in the scents of the wind again. He smelt game in the distances. Sanddrakes; they would make a good kill and bring enough food for the new arrivals for some time. But it was a risk with only two people. Their thick hides might not break for the kill before K’hai or himself were injured badly. It was a risk that K’yohko was willing to take if the flames of the beast could subdue his bitter anger.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Kailia - 05-08-2014
K'hai listened to K'yohko's recount of what had happened in the camp during the calamity and clenched his fists. He had not known how deep their betrayal of their family actually were. But now... the pieces were starting to fit together.
"On my way to this camp, I encountered your wayward daughter. I heard her full recount of what had happened to create the situation. And what I've experienced and what you've just told me, I've come to only one conclusion." he said, following K'yohko.
Even his nose picked up the scent of the drakes. Taking a drake down, would be dangerous for just the two of them. Not even his little wooden shield would protect him from the flames of a drake. Only swift movement.
"K'ile is a sickness to the tribe. If not for him, your wayward daughter most likely would not be wayward. He'd tricked me in Ul'dah, into thinking the two exiles were still in the family. When sister told me to get him and send him back to camp to stop K'ailia from arriving, he cared nothing about it. His only concern was to steal back a wagon of food. And from his behavior after retrieving the wagon, as well as sisters own behavior, like your wayward daughter, I believe he has broken the laws of the Tia and become intimate with the both of them." he said, keeping remarkable pace with K'yohko.
"And Bronze lake was unable to fully heal me. Even as I traveled here, Aetherytes were still making me sick. K'ailia's parting gift for me, was cleansing the remaining sickness from my body. She is unfortunately an exile now, so it is too late for her. But I suspect she will not be the only daughter K'ile will target. I believe he intends to challenge you. And his threat to K'ailia of forcing her to mate if he had his way, would filter to your other daughters. Should they refuse, they could find themselves in a similar situation as her." he finished.
And finished in time he was, for the drakes here near. He drew his trusty Macuahuitl and shield and began to crouch low, to keep the wind from carrying his scent to their prey. They were near.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Nauta Lyehga - 05-08-2014
It was to K'yohko's relief that K'hai had met his daughter along the road. It meant she was traversing the Sagoli well enough, and she would soon return to wherever it was she was going to call her home. Someplace vastly different from the Sagolii, perhaps someplace with water. He hoped it would bring her happiness, although it brought him nothing but a deep sadness. He had to admit, he was interested in what K'hai made of the situation. In the past, K'hai he remembered as being a reliable Tia. Should things have gone differently, he might have made a suitable Nunh.
Yohko could see in the distance their prey. Two sandrakes, they looked to be more than just wild game however. They were battle geared with war paint and the thick stentch of the Amal'jaa. Were the Amal'jaa so close to their camp now? It struck K'yohko with worry that battle drakes would be so close. And on their own? Could it be a trap? But his thoughts on the presence of battle drakes was interrupted with K'hai's theory.
K'ile was a poison? Certainly he was... selfish and arrogant, more now than before the Calamity, but K'yohko had never thought of him as a poison. An extremely annoying uncle perhaps, but not a poison certainly. But K'hai's reasoning had never made K'yohko so angry in his life. That K'ile would actually dare to utter the words that he would force K'yohko's daughter to mate. That he would not stop K'ailia from returning and cared only for bringing back a feast!? A feast, and it all made sense. K'yohko had never thought the Tia would be so daring. He was a worthless Tia, and now a shamed one. That he would be so bold as to bring a feast to challenge him for the right of a Nunh when the tribe starved to death? And to be intimate with any female, he was as shameful as his brother K'zhuzu.
"Then I am proud of my daughter K'ailia for accomplishing so much with a magic we have no knowledge of." K'yohko replied quietly, his rage filling him completely and so entirely that it consumed him and made his voice very small and incredibly dangerous. "And K'ile Tia will never become a Nunh so long as I have breath. I will not accept it. I will never accept it. No Elder's wisdom can sway me in this matter. His transgressions are too deep, his ego too big. He does not understand the meaning and position of a Nunh. And I will not accept his challenge." K'yohko spat, as his anger rose his voice going quieter.
His eyes turned back out to look upon the battle drakes and he wondered if it was wise to engage them. If Amal'jaa could be near, it could turn out very badly for them. But his nose did not pick up more than the lingering scent of Amal'jaa upon the drakes.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Kailia - 05-08-2014
K'hai paused, his senses going into overdrive. He was certain even K'yohko knew what the presence of Battle Drakes meant.
"This is not good. Amalj'aa battle drakes would not be this far unless there were Amalj'aa. We should turn back and warn the camp." K'hai said in a very low quiet tone.
His eyes scanned around them, darting everywhere, his ears perked up listening for any ambush. Though he was contemplating even returning to camp before, he would not allow family to be attacked now by Amalj'aa. If need be, he would see to it that K'yohko could get back, even if he could not.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Nauta Lyehga - 05-08-2014
Certainly, the Amal'jaa had to be somewhere in the vincity. But the Amal'jaa were more clever than they seemed. Even if they could not be seen or smelt, they were there. Lurking and waiting... looking for something even. K'ile's wagon journey through the sand no doubt caught their attention and lead them this way. Idiots. Was there ever any end to K'ile's idiocy? Perhaps not.
K'yohko looked to K'hai, his eyes narrowed. They should return certainly and warn the others... and yet. And yet what good would it do? The Elders could not be moved. The camp could not be moved so quickly. And if there were only two battle drakes, there would only be two or three Amal'jaa. Yohko clenched his fists tightly before his hand moved to grab his dagger.
"We take out the threat now. Before it encroaches any further. You can choose to return to camp, or you can choose to fight with me. But they're too close to camp. We couldn't move fast enough. They already know where we are. If we're lucky, they haven't returned to their own camp to alert the others and they are only scouts...." He spoke in deep hushed whispers towards K'hai. His eyes watched the drakes intently. They would look back towards their masters frequently, and so he might be able to tell what direction the Amal'jaa were in and just how many there were.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Kailia - 05-08-2014
K'hai crouched low, "No, you are as a brother to me. If you wish to take a stand, then I shall help you. You are nuhn, if you've got a plan, I will listen and implement it to the best of my abilities."
K'hai's tail began wagging with obvious aggression. The Amalj'aa would be a threat. But them battle drakes, taking one would be dangerous enough. But two... They would need a plan. One hopefully, that could take both drakes out quickly before their masters could intervene.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Nauta Lyehga - 05-09-2014
A plan… of course he had a plan. Although his instincts told him to bash their skulls in, he knew better than to run on his angry impulses. K’yohko took a deep breath of air. He could taste more clearly the ashen scent that followed about the Amal’jaa. His eyes watched the battle drake’s heads, how they moved and where it was they looked most off. It was just off to the right side where it seemed K’yohko and K’hai were hidden from view thanks to a rocky outcropping. K’yohko motioned to the right and began creeping along the edge of the outcropping. If they could get a better vantage point of the Amal’jaa, Yohko could probably take them down with a bow from afar before they would have to deal with the drakes. The hides on a Sun Drake were far too thick to pierce with arrows. One needed to slash up the softer underbelly to get anywhere with a drake, and their flaming mouths were a very good deterrent to close quarters fighting.
Although the Amal’jaa had scales, they had a few weaker areas of their body that lay exposed. Things that K’yohko could pick out from afar, and hit with precision. He was confident in his ability, and he was sure K’hai could stand up to a drake in a fight.
At the end of the outcropping, K’yohko halted and waited a moment for K’hai to catch up. It smelled most strongly of the Amal’jaa here, and now his ears picked up bits and pieces of their conversation. It seemed to him, although he could not comprehend most of their idle chatter, that they were indeed a scouting party, sent to follow the tracks of a wagon. K’yohko peered carefully around the edge of the outcrop for a moment to count heads.
He counted three in the party, but only two battle drakes. There would be a third somewhere no doubt, but where? It concerned him, but for the moment he tried to take stock. He motioned K’hai to move back along the outcrop so they would be out of earshot before he spoke.
“Three. Two lancers and one with a staff. Scouting out where a wagon had passed by. I can pick off probably two of them with a bow. After the first shot, I want you to grab the closest one by surprise and take him down. Once they are left without masters, we can deal with the drakes. The key is to blind them and slice under the belly. It’s easy to cut there. There might be a third drake. I didn’t see it near the others though.â€
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Kailia - 05-09-2014
K'hai followed silently behind K'yohko, his body tense, ready in case of ambush. When K'yohko motioned to move back he did so, and listened to the plan.
"Sounds easy. Ideally, you should take our your two targets when I leap. I can bring my Macuahuitl down on my target, taking him out on one swift motion, but I would be vulnerable at that moment." he said confidently.
Quietly he crept to get a look at their positions himself and spotted his target then backed back around and found the most optimal leaping spot, then nodded at Yohko that he was ready.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Nauta Lyehga - 05-11-2014
Yes, that had been the plan. To strike together so they might have the element of surprise. But rarely did all go as planned after all. Yohko could miss, or his shots might not kill. That was more likely than missing, that he would not kill with the single shot. But he had confidence in his skill, and K’hai would have to trust him. He would need trust and skill and precision in his leap. Else they might both perish or be taken prisoner. K’yohko would rather die than ever be taken prisoner. Besides, there was no way they could move the camp. If the way Luha was looking from the cart, she couldn’t be moved any more without risking death. Yohko watched, inhaling slowly as K’hai crept over to assume his position. This was it. A moment of truth.
Yohko shifted himself, pulling out his bow and readying an arrow from his quiver. He had less than seconds to perfectly aim and shoot two heavily scaled Amal’jaa. He took a deep breath again and looked to K’hai with a sharp nod. Now.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Kailia - 05-11-2014
K'hai lept into the air like a missile and brought his Macuahuitl down upon head of his target as an arrow sailed past him and into one of the other Amalj'aa, followed swiftly by the second. His target collapsed, but he knew one strike was not enough and this time, brought it down onto the soft part of his target, the neck, spilling more blood all over himself.
He looked up in time to see the drakes began to move. Not good. But luckily he had his own plan for one of them. He charged and lept at the drakes, landing between them, he kicked one to knock it off course and swung his Macuahuitl towards the other's flame gland.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Medipack - 05-13-2014
In the midst of all the commotion, a cry rang out from behind the nearby dunes, followed by the cries of a similarly frantic chocobo. No sooner had that happened that the aforementioned yellow bird leapt out from the top of one of the dunes, carrying along with it a rather distressed miqote girl, who was struggling to regain control of her mount.
 “Wha—stop!‘eel! Don’t go runnin’ me into more bloody beasts ‘ye stupid bird!â€
That was about the time the third battledrake burst out from the sand, with three deep gouges scored across its face; the chocobo’s handy work.
“…actually, ah take that back! You’re a smart bird! Now get us out of—whoa!†K’lyrhi tried to correct before she was unceremoniously flung off her saddle and onto the sand, in front of the two miqote males in the midst of battle.
“kack! Stupid bird…†the young miqote coughed, shaking the sand off of her dark purple hair and wiping the remaining sand off of her face, the dried red paint of her warpaint flaking off. K’lyrhi looked back up at the men before her “Sorry to trouble you, but ah don’t s’pose you could ‘elp with my current—"
K'lyrhi's tail bristled as she heard the battle drake roar behind her
“-problem!†The miqote cries out in a panic, scrambling to her feet to seek refuge behind the two.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Nauta Lyehga - 05-13-2014
As K'hai lept swiftly through the air, K'yohko turned and stood up. He aimed straight for the first Amal'jaa and let his arrow sail by his brother's head and into the skull of the first. A perfect arrow. Yohko pulled the second arrow from his back and readied it in a fluid motion as K'hai brought down his macuahuitl down on the third. He inhaled shortly and released the arrow, the second victim turning to look at his assailant. The arrow greeted him to his face, embedding itself between his eyes and deep into his skull. Blood spewed forward from both, and the third victim which left K'hai bathed in blood.
Now the more difficult part came forth, and Yohko's eyes shifted from the dying and dead Amal'jaa to their enraged drakes. Yohko readied another arrow as K'hai charged forward. His momentum and body weight shunted the first off balance and he moved to engage the second. Yohko shot another arrow to the unbalanced drake and cursed as the arrow clattered to the ground, bouncing off of the tough hide. Arrow were mostly worthless against a drake. Especially a battle drake. He grasped the dagger from his hip and leapt over the rocks that separated him from the drake. He still didn't hear a third drake, but they had more prevalent issues to deal with. He faintly though he might have heard a cry from a distance, but his eyes quickly darted back to the drake he was charging at.
Yohko bolted across the sands at the drake, whom was quickly regaining its balance. With a rear of its head, it spewed flames forward at him. The flames licked at his tail and arm, and Yohko skidded to a stop, turning directions suddenly to outrun the flames. He tried to come in from the left side this time, and again the beast followed his fleeting figure with its burning breath. Cursing as the flames singed his tail and arm further, Yohko stopped suddenly to look into the beast's maw. Flames came at him in a rush, but he held steady as the burn washed over him. His eyes strained to see and he flicked his arm forward strongly, letting his dagger fly forward from his hand and through the flames to embedded itself into the drake's mouth. The beast gave a screech, and a singed K'yohko looked to K'hai to see how he fared.
He had little time to ponder on it as through the dunes burst a chocobo and a rider. The girl went flying to the ground and at K'yohko's feet. Upon instinct he drew his bow and aimed an arrow to her throat, but relented upon her visage. She required aid? Could she not see that he and his brother were- The skin crawled along his back as the roar of the third drake pounded in his ears. So there had been a third. Yohko spat as the girl skittered behind them for shelter. Coward!
He braced himself for battle with a third. As the beast stormed through the sands and became visible, its roar was drown out by the too familiar and thankful roar of a courel. K'yohko's courel jumped from its place in the sand and bit down at the beast's neck. The great beasts struggled, and for a moment Yohko was too distracted by their fight to notice as the second drake turned on him. He might have silenced its flames, but the claws were just as deadly as any other bit of it. The drake leapt forward and landed on the Nunh. Hissing, K'yohko turned and landed on his back, the best biting down and sinking its claws into his shoulders. The drake's blood spilled down from its throat upon K'yohko could see the silver dagger gleaming at the back of its throat. The beast was dying, but it did not seem content to go down without a fight. With a heavy grunt, K'yohko pushed all of his weight forward and threw the dying beast backwards. He jumped swiftly, landing atop of it and bringing his arm down to pry the beast's maw open. His other hand reached for the dagger, but he underestimated the strength of its jaw. The drake snapped down upon his arm, and K'yohko struggled not to cry out. His fingers, numb and tingling with pain, grasped at the dagger and held it tightly. As the drake continued to bite down, Yohko pulled the dagger forward with what strength he could find in his arm and repeated stabbed into its throat.
And the drake's maw loosened around his arm, leaving K'yohko bloody and burnt to grunt as he pulled his dagger and arm out. The nunh staggered backwards in the sand and used his slightly cleaner hand to wipe the blood from his face. A distant growl from his courel told him the beast was successful, and he turned his head towards K'hai to see his courel bloody and with a drake's body hanging limply from its mouth, dragging partially across the sand.
RE: Isolation [ Hipparon Tribe ] - Kailia - 05-13-2014
K'hai's macuahuitl found it's mark, puncturing the flame gland, but the beast reared away and swiped at him with it's massive claws, catching his shield and arm, the little wooden shield buckled and shattered as the claws dug into his arm, and a second claw came raking down his chest before resting back on the ground.
But he would not be defeated here he told himself as he dropped his macuahuitl and threw the beasts claw from his wounded arm, he backed away and crouched as he circled the beast like a predator squaring off with an equally dangerous prey. With the flame gland punctured, the beast was effectively disarmed of fire.
Suddenly the beast charged and he lept up, twisted in the air and came down on the beasts back. The drake began trying to shake him off as his wounded arm grabbed the bottom of its jaw, and his sword hand grabbed the snout and began to open the beasts maw. The drake continued to struggle as its mouth reached its maximum opening length, but K'hai was not stopping there as he continued the pressure.
The drake let out a horrific screech as bone and tendon began tearing in it's jaw, and with a quick hard jerk, K'hai tore it open at the mouth bending the head all the way back to the back of its neck, snapping the neck in the process. The beast collapsed, and he too gasped, grabbing where the claw raked down his chest. The wound was deep, but not fatal. Of that, he was thankful of Azeyma.
He rolled onto his back, off of the beast and layed there panting. The only real problem he knew he had right now, was the bleeding.