The vicious, bellowing of the young miqo'te's name continued to echo behind her as she fleeted off into the concealing, darkness of the night, putting more and more distance between herself and the familiar tone of a distraught mother as her nimble legs continued carrying her forward into the camouflaging blackness. K'nihqa had forbade her to leave her side since that day, told her that everything would be alright so long as she did not disobey her, but words were not enough to convince her daughter. In the past week she had simply sat by and bore witness as her family was slowly torn apart by grief and inward conflict. Yet her insignificant existence, a mere thirteen year old who could barely hold notable worth to her tribe was one of very few who escaped mostly unscathed. It was rottenly unjust.
The moment that her mother's wails of despair had fallen out of earshot, the girl sought momentary refuge behind a large, blackened rock that towered grossly out from the dense, soot-ridden Sagolii sands. A detestable fragment of the star that consumed all and left nothing but a fiery destruction in its wake.
K'nahli took the chance to regain her breath while remaining out of sight. Her mother didn't seem to have had any idea of where she had run off to, but it was no excuse for carelessness; she knew that she could not waste what would certainly be her only opportunity. Scratched hands, blackened from soot and smoke alike, gingerly brushed over her burning cheek, seeking out counterpart wounds that would better fit her circumstance. Though nothing of favour was found.
Why? Why did she have to be spared the horrors that so many of her family had to endure? What was it that deemed her to be 'worthy' of loitering in ill-necessity of medical aid?
Paled irises searched the ground beneath her feet for answers as another pang of guilt pulsed outward from her stomach. She threw her head upward in an attempt to recover herself from such thoughts. They were self-destructive, a crippling state of mind that would only slow her down. She could not think about such things now. She looked forward once more, eyeing the devastated scenery around her hesitantly before pushing herself away from the rock to commence running once more.
Her nimble feet carried her swiftly through the makeshift encampment, knowing their destination, though not the path to get there. K'nahli frantically looked about herself as she searched for something that might hint towards where he might be staying. He came back, she knew he did.Â
Her pale, pink eyes continued to dart desperately from side to side, finding only desolation and grief in place of a once proud and powerful tribe.
She came to an abrupt stop as she chose to investigate a nearby tent. She peeked inside with a naive expression of hope, only to be met with angered faces and others of newly found grief. She retreated, running around once again to continue her search.
- "I need to see him, I need to make sure hes not hurt!" -
- "You will do no such thing. Its not safe for you to go running about" -
- "I won't! I promise! I just need to make sure hes okay, I'll be quick, I..-" -
- "No, K'nahli!" -
The faint resonance of her mothers scoldings rang aloud in her skull. Each sentence reminisced causing K'nahli to grow more frantic in her search.
Another large tent that fell into her vision was the next subject of her investigation, though that tent would also yield no results.
- "Why are you being like this?! I just want to see him!" -
- "Arguing with me will not change my mind, K'nahli. The tribe, you..." -
- ".....?" -
- "Someone your age... a child, should not have to witness what is out there" -
- "........" -
A number of other tents and yet still no satisfying answers were found.
- "...I am not a child; you need not shelter me from reality, mother.." -
- "....I'm sorry, K'nahli" -
Where could he be? He came home, right? He's here, isn't he?
- "I NEED to see him, he's my....." -
A dimly illuminated tent a short distance away suddenly caught her attention. It was the largest one she had seen thusfar and surely where the wounded were being cared for. K'nahli wasted no time in dashing directly for it, as if drawn to it by some unseen force. This was where she would find him. She was sure of it.
Quickly arriving outside, the girl drew in a deep, choking breath of the smokey air before pushing her way inside.
- ".....my... friend..." -
Her silent form spectated quietly as she watched the unfamiliar figure of her father lean over a makeshift bed while tending to a male patient, both their faces hidden from view. A powerful wave of discomfort radiated outward from the girl's stomach. As if trapped in an eternal fall, she stood by the entrance in silence, too afraid to approach should she see what she feared the most. Her breathing slowly grew more rapid, still silent however, as her eyes dilated widely in fear.
("Its not...") she desperately tried to encourage herself to think optimistically, her words barely holding any weight upon her troubled mind, however.
("Its not him....") her thoughts, sounding almost like an alien guest narrating for her, offered further reassurance once more, giving her the courage she needed to finally push herself to take her first, apprehensive step forward.
Her frail hands were clasped shakily together before her chest as she slowly crept forward. The two men slowly coming within touching distance, but the patient, still momentarily shielded from view.
"F-Fath...." her voice croaked as she struggled to call out to the preoccupied and heavily wounded nuhn.
He was bandaged and bruised all over. His previously, strong and immovable form was destroyed from the unspeakable horrors that had claimed savage to his body. He looked unwell, unfit to move the young girl thought. Yet here he was, tending to others to the best of his ability. It was a brave sight, but also so painfully tragic.
"Father...." she finally managed to speak, pausing briefly, almost as if pronouncing the word alone had sapped all of her strength. Her eyes searched for her father's desperately, hoping that his placid glance would grant her mind the solace she so gravely needed. In those short moments that she awaited her father to turn and look back at her, a time that felt like a nerve-shattering eternity to the young miqo'te, she prayed silently for his solid reassurance that everything would be alright.
If anyone else could make her feel safe right now, it was him.
The moment that her mother's wails of despair had fallen out of earshot, the girl sought momentary refuge behind a large, blackened rock that towered grossly out from the dense, soot-ridden Sagolii sands. A detestable fragment of the star that consumed all and left nothing but a fiery destruction in its wake.
K'nahli took the chance to regain her breath while remaining out of sight. Her mother didn't seem to have had any idea of where she had run off to, but it was no excuse for carelessness; she knew that she could not waste what would certainly be her only opportunity. Scratched hands, blackened from soot and smoke alike, gingerly brushed over her burning cheek, seeking out counterpart wounds that would better fit her circumstance. Though nothing of favour was found.
Why? Why did she have to be spared the horrors that so many of her family had to endure? What was it that deemed her to be 'worthy' of loitering in ill-necessity of medical aid?
Paled irises searched the ground beneath her feet for answers as another pang of guilt pulsed outward from her stomach. She threw her head upward in an attempt to recover herself from such thoughts. They were self-destructive, a crippling state of mind that would only slow her down. She could not think about such things now. She looked forward once more, eyeing the devastated scenery around her hesitantly before pushing herself away from the rock to commence running once more.
Her nimble feet carried her swiftly through the makeshift encampment, knowing their destination, though not the path to get there. K'nahli frantically looked about herself as she searched for something that might hint towards where he might be staying. He came back, she knew he did.Â
Her pale, pink eyes continued to dart desperately from side to side, finding only desolation and grief in place of a once proud and powerful tribe.
She came to an abrupt stop as she chose to investigate a nearby tent. She peeked inside with a naive expression of hope, only to be met with angered faces and others of newly found grief. She retreated, running around once again to continue her search.
- "I need to see him, I need to make sure hes not hurt!" -
- "You will do no such thing. Its not safe for you to go running about" -
- "I won't! I promise! I just need to make sure hes okay, I'll be quick, I..-" -
- "No, K'nahli!" -
The faint resonance of her mothers scoldings rang aloud in her skull. Each sentence reminisced causing K'nahli to grow more frantic in her search.
Another large tent that fell into her vision was the next subject of her investigation, though that tent would also yield no results.
- "Why are you being like this?! I just want to see him!" -
- "Arguing with me will not change my mind, K'nahli. The tribe, you..." -
- ".....?" -
- "Someone your age... a child, should not have to witness what is out there" -
- "........" -
A number of other tents and yet still no satisfying answers were found.
- "...I am not a child; you need not shelter me from reality, mother.." -
- "....I'm sorry, K'nahli" -
Where could he be? He came home, right? He's here, isn't he?
- "I NEED to see him, he's my....." -
A dimly illuminated tent a short distance away suddenly caught her attention. It was the largest one she had seen thusfar and surely where the wounded were being cared for. K'nahli wasted no time in dashing directly for it, as if drawn to it by some unseen force. This was where she would find him. She was sure of it.
Quickly arriving outside, the girl drew in a deep, choking breath of the smokey air before pushing her way inside.
- ".....my... friend..." -
Her silent form spectated quietly as she watched the unfamiliar figure of her father lean over a makeshift bed while tending to a male patient, both their faces hidden from view. A powerful wave of discomfort radiated outward from the girl's stomach. As if trapped in an eternal fall, she stood by the entrance in silence, too afraid to approach should she see what she feared the most. Her breathing slowly grew more rapid, still silent however, as her eyes dilated widely in fear.
("Its not...") she desperately tried to encourage herself to think optimistically, her words barely holding any weight upon her troubled mind, however.
("Its not him....") her thoughts, sounding almost like an alien guest narrating for her, offered further reassurance once more, giving her the courage she needed to finally push herself to take her first, apprehensive step forward.
Her frail hands were clasped shakily together before her chest as she slowly crept forward. The two men slowly coming within touching distance, but the patient, still momentarily shielded from view.
"F-Fath...." her voice croaked as she struggled to call out to the preoccupied and heavily wounded nuhn.
He was bandaged and bruised all over. His previously, strong and immovable form was destroyed from the unspeakable horrors that had claimed savage to his body. He looked unwell, unfit to move the young girl thought. Yet here he was, tending to others to the best of his ability. It was a brave sight, but also so painfully tragic.
"Father...." she finally managed to speak, pausing briefly, almost as if pronouncing the word alone had sapped all of her strength. Her eyes searched for her father's desperately, hoping that his placid glance would grant her mind the solace she so gravely needed. In those short moments that she awaited her father to turn and look back at her, a time that felt like a nerve-shattering eternity to the young miqo'te, she prayed silently for his solid reassurance that everything would be alright.
If anyone else could make her feel safe right now, it was him.
Characters: Andre Winter (Hy'ur) / K'nahli Yohko (Miqo'te)