arin
New Member
"How do you keep an idiot in suspense?"
Posts: 12
|
Post by arin on Jun 9, 2012 14:13:03 GMT -6
Arin
Selena is our newest recruit but has none of the special training. I need her up to speed with at least the basics. Please train her and guide her in this. Be wary; she is very enthusiastic about joining us, so don't be too hard on her. I want a report when I return from Kotra.
Derek There were always two ways Derek sent messages. The first way was making it formal, having it sent by a messenger. Though she was a private, Arin and the Archer Unit saw her as his second in command. Sending messages like that cemented that idea, which Derek wanted. Arin was a good second, and the unit, though small, did not question it. They knew she was a good woman, if a bit foul and harsh. Arin made a point to admonish each individual soldier to do their best, but everyone knew she was fair.
But that was not the kind of message that Arin received this day. It was sunset when she got the letter back in her locker at HQ. This type of message sent by Derek was the "Do not talk about this to anyone" type of message. It meant three things: he trusted whoever Selena was, that the dragon was to remain a secret, and that she was to like her. Arin did not like the third reason. She knew what the dragon would think of her, if she really knew who Arin was. This Selena would rather Arin in pieces, though she doubted that Derek would send her if it was true.
Arin was a half-breed. While in her true form anyone could see the resemblance to both dragon and demon. Her tall stature, the horns she sported and the wings... they were all mixes of both species. If her Unit knew... they would probably hate her, Or worse. But for now she would get to know the girl, judge her among other things. If Selena deemed worthy enough, maybe she would show her true form. She leaned against the back wall of a cloth store. On the back of the letter were the instructions and lessons that she was supposed to give, as well as where to meet. Basics... just like Derek had taught her. She felt like she was probably going to regret this night, but Derek had asked. Arin would at least try. She closed her eyes and counted the seconds as she tapped her foot. She was early, but she was always early to lessons. And it was something she would drill into her new recruit's head.
|
|
Selena Marks
New Member
Some people don't realize the power of wind until they're swept up by tornadoes.
Posts: 29
|
Post by Selena Marks on Jun 9, 2012 14:47:26 GMT -6
After speaking to Derek, Selena had been sent out to Nilisk for basic training. Not only was she relieved to leave the underground dungeon of a base, part of her wanted to spread her wings and switch forms right then; fly off to her destination to meet this human tutor; Arin, she believed the name was. Unfortunately, Derek had also asked her to try and hide her dragon nature for the time being. Since she was hiding that much, she should avoid switching forms- which might prove uncomfortable in the long run. Sometimes, when in human form for too long, Selena got itchy and restless... but maybe she could sneak out to the Boneyard sometimes; just to stretch her wings, make a few dust devils and stretch out.
Of course, the thought of sneaking around during the first week of her employment with the human army made her feel guilty already, so perhaps that was an issue to run over with this Arin lady.
After strolling casually through Nilisk Village, stretching out her arms and stopping short a few times to dodge a ball thrown by some children. Smiling slightly and enjoying the slight breeze and quiet day, Selena finally noticed the place she was supposed to meet Arin; a cloth store. The store's front was a simple adobe structure with a few racks of cloth set out for display. On the store's porch sat an old man with an actual crossbow in his lap, a pile of bolts next to his rocking chair. As the man looked at her suspiciously, Selena offered an awkward, intimidated smile, half a wave, then darted into the small spaces between the stores- Arin was supposed to be waiting for her somewhere back there.
As such, Selena arrived, peeking her head into the back alley, seeing the woman for the first time and swallowing. Long dark hair, pale features, a rather serious expression... Selena again felt a bit intimidated. However, she had a fighter's spirit and wasn't about to let a little intimidation scare her into deserting. Stepping into clear view, Selena cleared her throat, then awkwardly shuffled into a weak salute. "Erm... Private Selena Marks, reporting."
|
|
arin
New Member
"How do you keep an idiot in suspense?"
Posts: 12
|
Post by arin on Jun 9, 2012 15:12:48 GMT -6
Arin tapped her feet about a dozen times before she heard footsteps. She looked up to see a small girl, only a bit shorter than Arin, salute. Dark hair, determined eyes, a rebellious posture... "I see why that bastard chose you..." she muttered sighing. "He always picks the naive ones... and you are naive." Arin always seemed this way to her unit: insulting, harsh, and judgmental. She sighed and stood up off the wall and looked down the alleyway. "Arin. Derek's right hand. I don't boast; it is fact. If you need something, go to me or him. The superiors do not like either one of us, so don't talk a lot about us around them." It was true. Derek was practically a war hero by now and Arin had... other reasons.
"You are here for training, little one. Derek said you were pretty green. I am here to make the green ones brown a little. You will do as I say, when I say it." Arin began walking between the stores. "You give me bullshit, I hurt you. You do it again, I kill you. Derek may seem nice but that is because he cares. I do not care. Dragons do not impress me. YOU do not impress me." She stopped at an intersecting alleyway and walked to the right into the connecting street. It was covered by street shops selling and trading. "Your first lesson are the three aspects of scouting: detail, timing and patience." Arin knew somewhat of what Derek was planning. She had little time to teach the girl and even less time for practical use. She would need to hurry just a tad.
"Detail. A scout and covert op member must be ready to remember everything they see. This takes years of concentration to successfully master. It takes even more time to string it together to gather conclusions." Arin knew what detail was more personally. Her abilities demanded that she pay attention to it, otherwise anyone would be able to point out the inconsistencies. "For instance, I know you stood in front of the memorial wall. There is a pink stain on the right side of your left boot. It is the same stain of a rare flower that one of the riders in our army collects. She pays tribute by dropping a petal there. That means that Derek taught you one of Archer's family law's. 'No man deserves death, no matter their species.'"
Arin turned to Selena and held an arm out to the market. "Tell me Selena. What do you see? What do you know about the man selling that collection of vegetables, or the two children sitting on the ground at jewelers rack? What do you see?"
|
|
Selena Marks
New Member
Some people don't realize the power of wind until they're swept up by tornadoes.
Posts: 29
|
Post by Selena Marks on Jun 9, 2012 15:39:43 GMT -6
Selena wasn’t sure what she thought of this new character; Arin seemed harsh, judgmental and just plain mean. It wasn’t like Selena was sensitive or anything, no, but exactly what did she mean by naïve?! Selena made a careful point to mask the small spike of anger she felt at being pretty much insulted. Holding the petty salute (she figured she should keep it up until told otherwise), she nodded when Arin told her to go to either her or Derek for her needs, not to talk much about them to the superiors (which was sketchy, but neither of them seemed like incredibly bad people, so she’d obey). Here for training? Selena knew that much. Still feeling the need to prove herself as a good addition to the Archer Unit, she nodded boldly when Arin told her to do as she said… though she couldn’t hide the involuntary eye twitch at the mention of being killed.
As Arin started to get a bit farther away Selena finally hesitated and dropped the salute, skipping a step and jogging to get closer to the woman… especially since she didn’t seem too patient. Dragons do not impress me, she said. Now that was a bit insulting; what kind of person wasn’t impressed by dragons? Unless… Selena gulped, suddenly hoping that Arin wasn’t one of those humans that actually hated dragons and wanted them out of the army completely. That… would not be good. Mentally slapping herself and forcing herself to pay attention, she heard Arin say the word ‘patience.’
Well, there’s an aspect I’ll have trouble with… Selena thought, bitterly.
When Arin mentioned that she’d been at the memorial wall, Selena’s eyes widened a bit, and she glanced at her left boot. She was right- there was a small, pink smudge on the toe. Selena bit her lip, hoping she hadn’t stood on a bouquet by accident. As Arin motioned to the marketplace, Selena turned her attention to the people there. What do you see?
“The vegetable man? He seems normal enough,” Selena said, noncommittally. She remembered the stain on her toe, and peered closer. The man stood perhaps five foot eight or nine, had shaggy, unkempt brown hair and soft, green eyes with wrinkles at the edge. He looked to his customers as if they were each old friends, but each bought what they needed and left slowly. “People don’t like him,”[/b] Selena realized, blinking suddenly. Looking about the stand, she tried to find the reason why, but couldn’t see anything out of the usual. He wore a white, worn apron smudged with grass stains- probably from handling his wares- and under it, wore a normal white shirt, like the others of the village, and brown pants. He also had boots that looked new enough, with something red on the toe that Selena was too far away to make out. He stood with hands, coarse and scarred from picking vegetables, held together in a welcoming gesture. Once or twice she thought she saw his eyes flicker from side to side, but she couldn’t be sure. “That’s… all I can tell…” Selena said, a bit disappointed.
Ready to try her hand again, she looked to the children.
The children seemed much easier to read. One, a girl with tangled blond hair, smudged with dirt and wearing a dress of scant and hole-infested rags, seemed to be the oldest. She consoled the second- who, judging by the similar facial features and nearly identical eyes, might’ve been her brother- as he bent over his own ragged outfit, hands twisting in his hair as he cried about something. “Orphans,” Selena began; but that was the easy part. Anyone in this village could spot an orphan. “They’re acting. While the jeweler looks away to give them privacy, the girl is slipping rings into the holes of her dress.” Again, that was about as much information as she could spot from the scene; but at least she’d given it her best shot, right?[/size]
|
|
arin
New Member
"How do you keep an idiot in suspense?"
Posts: 12
|
Post by arin on Jun 9, 2012 16:15:40 GMT -6
Arin watched Selena patiently. Arin said much, insulted much, and acted much. She was in fact more curious about Selena than she let on. Derek did not choose idiots, weak, or otherwise useless people to join the Archer unit. She knew this because Arin gave him reports and evaluations every week on every one of the men in her squad. As second, she was expected to know everything. Derek made runs, assassinations, and other missions for his Unit regularly. He was a very busy man and could not keep up with everything.
Selena blinked somewhat surprised at Selena's observation. She was correct, the store owner was not well liked. It was his overbearing posture. It was a sign of hesitation and hopelessness, as if the man had already given up and was simply waiting for the days to stroll by. The man glanced side to side looking for customers... but there was something else there. Something Arin could see but couldn't pick out. It was not the look of a man waiting for someone to come buy something... he was looking for something. Arin smiled suddenly, the puzzle falling into place. She would need to confirm her suspicions later... for now, lessons. "Lucky guess on the old man," she muttered watching Selena watch the children.
This was the easier but at the same time more difficult of the two. Selena easily stated the obvious: the two were little thieves. But... could she past the obvious? No... Arin could not expect it so soon. Selena was young, and Arin had years of experience. Derek was a genius when it came to the three basics, but she was a natural. Arin did not expect Selena to pick it up immediately. "They are not orphans... or rather not without homes." Arin pointed to the jeweler who turned back around to the two children and gave a quick glance at his wares and then began calling into a passing crowds for advertisement. "He does not care that his things were stolen. He looked away purposely. One can only assume that he wanted to be stolen from. No merchant would look away from a couple of strays."
Arin nodded and strode over to the two children. They looked up at her and she sighed holding out her hands. The stern look on Arin's face told them they had been caught and the girl began digging through her tattered clothing. She placed two gems in Arin's hands. She placed the two gems on the jeweler's table and walked away the two children disappearing into another alleyway. Arin returned to Selena, the same stern expression on her face. "You did well for your first observation. Better than most recruits on the first day. But don't get cocky. I'll be damned before I say you're ready. Now the second lesson. Timing. That jeweler is a scammer. He sells fake jewelry to unsuspecting customers. Why did I not just take down his store? I have the power. What am I waiting for? Detail will tell you if you look hard enough. Detail will tell you why timing is so important."
|
|
Selena Marks
New Member
Some people don't realize the power of wind until they're swept up by tornadoes.
Posts: 29
|
Post by Selena Marks on Jun 9, 2012 16:45:37 GMT -6
“Not without homes?” Selena repeated, watching the orphans. For the life of her, though, she wasn’t picking up on anything… she didn’t see what Arin did, apparently. The shoeless urchins had stolen from a vendor; they probably intended to sell it to someone else for money for food or clothes (though they probably stole a good deal of that too). And why would a merchant want his wares to be stolen?
Selena sighed, her pride lost. Becoming a good member of the Archer Unit was going to be harder than she’d thought.
She watched with interest as Arin returned the wares to the vendor, who nodded and thanked her, then left again. Why would he let his things be stolen? Selena wondered, pity? Attention? True enough, a few people had wandered over to see what was so valuable, made curious by the quiet scene. Arin returned, and Selena was disappointed to learn that she had no answers. If reasons were present, Selena couldn’t see them.
“That jeweler is a scammer.”
Oh. Well… good to know. Selena looked back to the jewelry stand with a frown, trying to put everything she’d figured out together. Coming up blank at first, she looked to Arin with a weak, somewhat pathetic smile. “Because you wanted to make a lesson out of him?” she asked, hopefully. Looking back with a frown, she hummed a bit. Thinking out loud, she made another guess; “Well… he might’ve let the not-homeless orphans steal from him so, when caught, it’d draw attention to his store… maybe he thrives off of attention?”
…
Joining this unit was going to be much, much harder than she’d thought.
|
|
arin
New Member
"How do you keep an idiot in suspense?"
Posts: 12
|
Post by arin on Jun 9, 2012 17:19:42 GMT -6
Arin turned her head glaring at Selena. She was doing this wrong, Arin realized. It wasn't Selena; Selena was trying her best to impress her. She was trying her best to impress Derek... but that's not what this war was about. Arin muttered a curse quietly as she watched Selena try desperately to pick something out of what Arin had pointed out. Selena's first observation about Arin was just flat out wrong. Arin had gone out there to simply make happen a little more obvious for what the jeweler wanted. Arin watched as two window-shoppers began to inspect the man's wares. It was starting to go as Arin had expected. The jeweler's store was getting more and more attention. Perfect.
And then... Arin was impressed. Selena had started on the right path. The orphans had let themselves get caught so that they would be assumed to be thieves. The assumption in the open would mean that jeweler had something of value. Value of good items... items that could be resold. It was a small but complicated plan. Selena saw half of the picture. "You see well, but not perfectly... Timing. Timing makes the smallest illusion stand out a little more or the biggest illusion pass without a second glance. For instance... our perception of our scammer. Close... he wants attention but not to thrive off it. He let those children steal from him, with the certain notion that he was profiting. Now they could have been hired to make a ruckus or whatever... but they didn't. They got interrupted by me. Now he has attracted attention but with a bit of foreknowledge, such as knowing that he is a scammer, you now know what he is really trying to do. And what an error he is about to make."
"OI! YOU'RE SELLING WOOD!" one of the newer customers yelled throwing the gems back at the jeweler.
Arin smiled. "Timing. Had I let the event play out, this man would have looked like a hero, stopping the two little 'thieves' himself. He would have been swarmed with onlookers. He would not have had to worry for suspicions. But now everyone is still wary... still, suspicious." Arin turned and walked back the way they came. "Timing is everything, Selena. You can completely ruin another observer's perception with the proper distraction at the right time. For instance," she snapped her finger and the image of the two children that were seated next to jeweler ran past. "With that, now everyone on that street will be more watchful about those children. They won't be able to steal on that street again, along with their suspicions of the jeweler. But they have forgotten all about the mysterious dark haired woman who caught the thieves. Timing. A scouts ally detail, timing, and patience."
|
|
Selena Marks
New Member
Some people don't realize the power of wind until they're swept up by tornadoes.
Posts: 29
|
Post by Selena Marks on Jun 9, 2012 17:56:18 GMT -6
Selena didn’t notice Arin’s glare; and even if she had, it wouldn’t have changed anything. Selena fully believed she was doing things fine; she joined to fight in the war, of course, and her efforts to impress him were merely to pay him back for the kindness he’d shown. Arin could translate it however she wanted, but that was the bottom line. Her eyes darted through the crowd picking out minor details and thinking through why they were there, how they’d gotten there…
In the middle of doing so, it suddenly occurred to her that her job was more of a thinking job than a fighting job. I’ve been tricked… Selena thought, expression going flat for a mere second. But… this is kind of fun, I guess. Expression returning to it’s determined, watchful gaze, she watched as the salesman attract more and more business. She turned her gaze to Arin as she began to speak of timing, and explain exactly what had just happened. A shout roused Selena’s interests, and she found herself looking back to the merchant- and to see his cheap, fake wares thrown back in his face.
Arin continued her lesson, explaining further why she had done what she’d done… and a grin broke out over Selena’s face. “Wow!” she gaped, “And you were able to tell all of that just by watching…”
“Timing is everything, Selena,” Arin continued. Selena blinked a few times when the woman snapped her fingers, then noticed the illusion and stared at it blankly as Arin concluded the lesson. But now, Selena’s mind had been awakened, and she noticed something she deemed… off.
“You have powers?” she asked, looking to Arin blankly. But normal humans don’t have powers… does that mean she’s a rider? Selena looked at her feet for a moment. If she were a rider, she’d be in the Wingspan Unit unless… Selena looked back to the merchants and vendors on the streets, not liking the conclusion she’d come to.
Unless her dragon died.
|
|
arin
New Member
"How do you keep an idiot in suspense?"
Posts: 12
|
Post by arin on Jun 9, 2012 20:26:29 GMT -6
Arin froze mid-stride. "Oh no..." she whispered. She had been so caught up in the moment she had forgotten that it was a secret... or supposed to be. She didn't want to lie... Derek did not lie so she tried by example. So she turned back to Selena and sighed. "You...weren't supposed to see that," she said flatly but with an edge of frustration. "You are a dragon... a creature born on wings and trusted by humans." Arin looked around... looked at the alleyway that they were in. She couldn't do it here. The sun was about to finish setting and the nightlife would be hitting the back ends of the street. Arin could not let herself be exposed here.
"Follow. And I shall show you what I am." Arin turned away and began to walk. And as she did, she remembered Selena's smile at the dots connected that Arin had given. She remembered the wrinkled brow that Selena always made when she was thinking, concentrating. Arin put on a pretty good act of despising Selena, but she had taken a liking to her. She was an honest girl, and every emotion displayed was true to her. Arin envied that. Arin's lineage had been cemented with lies and deception. Even her powers, her abilities were nothing more than lies. "Derek..." she spoke to Selena as they walked down the street towards the slums. "He saved me a few years ago. I hated him at first. He was too nice... too sincere with someone of my kind. He was too... naive." She smiled wandly at the memory. "But eventually... I grew to like the man... to love him. No I don't think I could ever take him as a mate... but he showed me a side of humanity I didn't know existed."
They reached a quiet alleyway of the slums, having passed several different men who gave both women an eyeful. Arin's glare however, gave them much pause to their thoughts. Arin turned to Selena. "Hate me if you want, but it is by the man who recruited you that I still live. Remember that." She threw back her hair and a pair of horns sprang forth from the sides of her head. Her dark uniform disappeared as a much more revealing outfit came forth. Her age appeared to have gone up twenty years and wings sprouted from her back. She held out her hand a misty form erupted from the shadows and formed a large scythe. And then her height grew a foot and then a bit more. "I am Arin, Traitor of Kotra, lover of night, deceiver of souls."
Arin sighed and smiled sadly. "I am a half-breed... Half demon. Half dragon."
|
|
Selena Marks
New Member
Some people don't realize the power of wind until they're swept up by tornadoes.
Posts: 29
|
Post by Selena Marks on Jun 9, 2012 21:32:11 GMT -6
Selena found Arin’s reaction to be funny. Not “ha-ha” funny, but ‘something’s off here’ funny. Was it a secret that she had a dragon? Selena’s imagination took flight; perhaps Arin was so happy being in the Archery Unit that she didn’t want to be transferred to Wingspan, so she kept her partnership secret. Maybe the thought of her deceased partner upset her so thoroughly it was a taboo subject. Selena frowned a bit as her teacher simply stated that she wasn’t supposed to see that- which Selena found somewhat ironic considering she’d been shown.
As such, Selena found herself trailing behind Arin, not unlike a lost puppy. She listened honestly when Arin spoke once more, somehow coming to the absurd conclusion that this was a test of sorts and she was supposed to be connecting dots and listening to details. However, the solutions were quite simple, weren’t they? Arin was a dragon rider; there were two options as to why she wasn’t in Wingspan unit, and yet… why was Arin talking like that was such a terrible thing?
Selena came to stop a foot or so away from Arin, ignoring the looks both women received, too focused and distracted to bother closing her jacket over her tank top. Finally, Arin was ready to show her what was the big deal about her powers. The woman tossed her hair, and to Selena’s confusion, began to transform.
Selena swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. Arin was a demon.
Half-demon, half-dragon.
No wonder she’s so good at what she does, Selena thought, her face blank and expressionless. She sees what others ignore, twists them together to make a larger image, uses them to advantageously diffuse dangerous situations… but under the surface, she’s just using those around her to her own benefit. She’s a demon; no, worse than that. She’s some sick, twisted, freak made from a union that was destined for failure.
Selena took a deep, shaky breath. Whistling through the alleys came a strong, unnatural wind; the kind of thing that happened when Selena tried to contain anger, hurt betrayal…
…pretty much everything she was feeling right now.
Selena finally exhaled, though the winds kept up. “I have one question,” she asked, voice dangerous and shaky with contained emotions. “Why didn’t you lie?” For some reason, Selena wished she had lied. Pretended to be a rider who’d lost their dragon; it wouldn’t have been much of a stretch; Selena would’ve believed her and, more importantly, she would’ve held her respect for the woman. So why hadn’t she lied?
|
|
arin
New Member
"How do you keep an idiot in suspense?"
Posts: 12
|
Post by arin on Jun 9, 2012 22:04:22 GMT -6
Arin stood, towering over the other woman. Despite that, Selena was the on who looked intimidating. Arin felt so small then, so insignificant. She felt like running away, ashamed of what she was, what she did, and what she always would be. And in those eyes... those cold eyes, the one that drew hatred, anger, resentment, she saw what she had seen in every other demon's eye.
Freak.
It was something worse than any other name she had ever encountered. Arin stood frozen in time, remembering everything from her childhood. Remembering the only word that demon kind could give her. Monster, they all were. Foul was more of a compliment. But freak? It meant that she was something... outlandish. Something resentful. Something untrustworthy. Something that they could label as an outcast. Arin nearly flinched under the gaze. But one person had reminded her that she was her own no matter who told her otherwise. That she deserved the same chance that all life should have, dragon or demon, human or not. "Because," she whispered to herself, "I deserve to live." Her eyes dipped down to Selena and she raised her staff.
She brought it down slamming it into the earth. Nothing happened, but Arin wasn't doing anything. She simply forced scythe to stand without her holding it. She folded her wings behind her and stood in front of Selena. "My mother was a demon. My father was a dragon. Yes I know my lineage from my mother: deceiver of men, lust incarnate, I am a succubus." An image of her mother, a proud woman, features very similar to Arin's, appeared before Selena and only Selena. "I know my father, Mirinus, The dragon that stood on neutral ground in this war." An image of a man, strong but gentle wrapped his arms around his mother's waist. "They fell in love. Succubus magic cannot touch a dragon. And my father had done the courting. My mother opposed this war, Selena. My father wanted nothing to do with it. One died protecting my existence. The other died to tradition."
Arin glared down at Selena. "Why didn't I lie? Because neither you nor Derek would have forgiven me for it. I am not like that. Not anymore."
|
|
Selena Marks
New Member
Some people don't realize the power of wind until they're swept up by tornadoes.
Posts: 29
|
Post by Selena Marks on Jun 9, 2012 22:24:51 GMT -6
If there was anything left about Arin Selena could respect, it was her honesty. Sometimes the easiest lies make all the difference, and Selena could’ve understood it if the woman had wanted to keep her identity a secret by any means necessary. The fact she hadn’t lied showed pride for herself, and the very fact that she’d chosen the harder path was admirable in itself.
Of course, that didn’t make Selena like her any more.
Demons were evil. They were terrible beings; in every single one of them was a seed of unstoppable evil which desired nothing short of the destruction of the entire human race, and that was something Selena wouldn’t- couldn’t stand for. Every demon was against every human, and vice versa. Dragons were supposed to be on the human’s side; any that wasn’t, wasn’t worth the air it breathed.
In layman’s terms, Selena was racist.
She watched Arin’s display without a change in her expression. What did that prove? Some of the nicest looking people, people who’d fallen deeply in love were just as evil as anyone else; and, adversely, some of the most cold-hearted, mean and terrible people turned out to be heroes. So why should some petty little image change her opinion?
Selena allowed Arin to finish speaking before she gathered the words needed for an appropriate reply. “I hate demons,” she replied, being every bit as honest as Arin. “I can’t justify their existence other than causing misery for humans, and I love humans. I can’t understand why a dragon would ever betray his own race and fall in love with… be seduced by a demon, but that’s none of my business. Frankly… neither is your race.” Her eyes narrowed, returning Arin’s glare. “I need to learn the basics to join Archery Unit, and you’ve been charged with teaching me. I’ll still accept you as a teacher, if that’s the response you’re waiting for… but don’t think that means I like you.”
Selena paused, waiting for Arin’s reply, wondering where to go from here. Should she walk off? She’d basically just told off her superior, and there was no way to go back, but at the same time… that superior was a demon, which, in Selena’s humble opinion, wasn’t all that superior anyways.
|
|
arin
New Member
"How do you keep an idiot in suspense?"
Posts: 12
|
Post by arin on Jun 9, 2012 23:09:07 GMT -6
Arin did not expect much from Selena. Hell, she didn't even expect as much as she got. Everyone saw her family like that. Dragons, demons, humans they all sounded exactly the same to her. What did Selena know? She knew what her kind did when they decided to taint. She knew what kind of monsters plagued and pillaged villages. She knew what kind of atrocities those same monsters did to humans and what they could do to dragons. Of course Selena would have sheer disgust for her and her kind. It was sad, not because Arin was ashamed, though she was. It was sad because Arin had to battle with those same thoughts everyday of her life. That her family was nothing but useless garbage.
"I taught you, tonight, two of the three basics. Detail, the ability to see and observe crucial elements of any given situation. Timing, the act of placing the correct disruption or illusion at any given point." Arin finally understood why Derek had let her train the dragon. It had been a risk; the two species were at each other's throats in the first place, Why would he send Selena to her? It finally made sense. "The last lesson I must teach you tonight is patience. Patience is the hardest concept to grasp as it determines whether or not you are ready for our squad." Arin's wings unfolded and then refolded around her. The scythe melted into a shadowy mist and her cloak wings began to become cloth like until her previous uniform took shape.
"Do you know why I actually like you, Selena? Because you are ready to sacrifice your hatred to further yourself. You may not cut it away so easily but you do not let it cloud you." Arin sighed. "I envy you, Selena. Because you don't hate being something you love. You don't kill things you should love." Arin turned away. "But the last basic you already have. Patience. The willingness to put yourself aside for the sake of another." She began walking towards Selena and stopped when she stood beside Arin. "I have taught you everything about the basics. Scouting and secret missions are not about sneaking and betrayal. It is understanding one's surroundings. It is understanding people. It is understanding yourself. I leave you with one last thought: Human or dragon, you all hate me for what I am and not what I do. To me, you are all monsters, ready to kill me. I would call you a demon, but they are honest enough to just enjoy the pain and suffering of others. Dismissed."
|
|
Selena Marks
New Member
Some people don't realize the power of wind until they're swept up by tornadoes.
Posts: 29
|
Post by Selena Marks on Jun 10, 2012 11:00:46 GMT -6
Selena stared blankly at Arin. Was she… complimenting her? Selena wasn’t sure why, but that only furthered her anger. She wanted to yell, ‘don’t talk like you like me when I just said I hate you!’ Instead she simply watched the demon blankly, the slightest of pouts forming on her lips. When Arin finished her speech, Selena had nothing to add, nothing to say. The wind that’d kicked up began to spiral around her, like a small, weak dust-devil licking at Selena’s hair and jacket. Selena saluted, more out of obligation than necessity or sarcasm, turned on her heel, and walked away.
…
A demon, she thought, as she found herself back in the marketplace, where people were still trying to return their counterfeit jewelry. Should she return to base? Ah, but she didn’t feel like being the presence of… well, anyone. Somehow Arin had managed to twist the situation into a lesson; leave it to a top-notch teacher to do that much. Selena eyed the path out to the seashore. Polluted and ugly as the water was, it lit up brilliantly at sunset, and could be… peaceful. But it was also a bit of a walk, and Selena didn’t feel like doing that much today. So, instead, she made her way to a small attraction in the “town square” of Nilisk. There was a small, dead twig of a tree in which children had tied dangling bits of differently colored glass and twisted metals. The sun hit them and cast colored blocks of light on the ground, and sometimes, when there was enough wind, the metals would hit against the glass and other metal bits, making a bit of a wind chime.
It was peaceful.
Selena took a seat on a park bench, threw both arms out to the side and let her head roll back limply, closing her eyes and reviewing the day’s events in one of the most awkward poses known to man. It took her perhaps ten, fifteen minutes to finally make her decision.
Today sucks.
|
|
arin
New Member
"How do you keep an idiot in suspense?"
Posts: 12
|
Post by arin on Jun 10, 2012 11:54:14 GMT -6
Arin sat against the wall, shoulders drooping. Why was she so hated? Why did she have to be the one to take on this burden? Not every demon was a monster right? Arin had given up her heritage, her inner nature, her true passions to help those who needed it. She felt cold. Demons didn't feel cold. Damn that girl. Damn her for making her see that hate. "I should have ran her through..." she whispered to herself, even though she knew she could never. The dragon had a talent for this... maybe not the right amount of patience for it yet, but she would learn that she enjoyed it. Arin stood and shook her head, trying to fight off the pain. "I won't let some whelp beat me down."
A scream shattered the quiet slum. Arin looked up and then around. The voice sounded young. Too young. She turned the corner to see a small figure standing over another. It was the two children from the market. The sister sat sobbing over the brother. A knife protruded from his side. Arin's eyes went wide with horror and she ran. "Damnit..." she hissed as she slid to a stop over the two of them. "WHAT HAPPENED?!" The girl continued to sob and the boy groaned as he tried to move. "Shit... shit... shit..." Arin repeated as she inspected the wound. She couldn't pull it out... he would just bleed out. He needed...
And then a faint smile twisted up on the boy's lips. Arin froze and then slowly went to stand. "A trap..." she muttered. Suddenly she felt something sharp stick from her shoulder. She turned her head to see an arrow protruding from it. She quickly pulled it free and the arrowhead was covered in a bright green substance. "...Poison..." she faintly made the connection. It was already coursing through her and it was strong. Even her abnormal constitution didn't help fight the slow submersion into unconsciousness. She felt her knees hit the ground and her vision began to blur. A man stepped into her line of sight.
"Finally caught the bitch... devil woman she is..." Arin recognized the voice. The man from the store... the vegetable stall. And then everything went black.
|
|