Post by Shoki on Jan 27, 2012 17:57:10 GMT -8
((A note for the reader: I'm putting this up here for two reasons. One, I can't really put this in Kumori's history section. Not in this format. Two, I had to write it in this format so I had to share it. So I guess it's here then. Let's see if I can actually fix up Kumori's history now. =P))
It had been wonderful. Kumori had taken great pains before hand, and her knives were wickedly sharp. Mathirath had been ready with all off what Kumori had taught her, and took relish in the opportunity to unleash her knowledge on the dark birds. As the petite rider sat atop the copper dragoness she looked utterly delighted. Dragons and riders would die this day, but how could they? They were the most vicious of any pair Pern had seen, and had a knowledge of anatomy to make them that more deadly. But they had been patient. They had let the other riders take their steps into battle first. For a few moments they observed the beginning battle, before Kumori leaned to the side to look Mathirath in the eye. Her eyes whirled with excitement and dark amusement. The dragoness looked back, seeing the light in her rider's eyes, a glint that matched her scars perfectly.
Do you remember the most important thing for today Math, my dearest?
Of course MoriLove.
And what is that?
The lovely light chuckle preceded the response, a lovely sound that Kumori would never forget. Go for the throat.
Then, lets go for the throat.
The copper dragoness had taken off and headed into battle. For one shining moment, it had been glorious. Mathirath had been an absolute terror, pouncing on the dark birds and sinking her teeth into their throats. Kumori had introduced her knife every place she had been able. To the riders of these beasts, to the wings of the black birds, where ever she could reach. They were wounded in kind, but the glee on Kumori's already scarred face never lessened. Even while arrows flew and talons met claws, it did not damped the pair's spirits. Though blood dripped from Kumori's ears at violent songs and Mathirath's pristine hide was now marred with slashes and arrows, nothing could stop them. Nothing would tear them away from the joy of combat.
Or so Kumori had thought.
She hadn't even noticed until Mathirath landed in the forest. The dragoness was breathing heavily, watching the skies with a wary eye. Kumori paused, the adrenaline still giving her a weird high, something she was somewhat used to. "What is it?"
MoriLove, get off.
Kumori stared for a moment then slid off the copper dragoness. She stepped back a bit to look at her lovely dragoness and caught her breath. Mathirath was bleeding heavily, arrows still sticking out of her hide. The copper hide was coated enough to be slick, but still the copper's eyes whirled. But not just with deadly amusement, there was something else there. Something Kumori had not ever seen from the copper. She was worried. Still somehow, the dragoness looked magnificent. The only thing that tickled at the back of the rider's mine was that she didn't want her to bleed that badly.
"What's wrong? Is it the arrows? Do you need me to fix you up before we-"
Kumori, hush. Have you looked at yourself recently?
The rider paused and looked down at herself. Her clothes were dyed red at this point, and her arms were covered in wounds. Now that she thought about it she couldn't really hear very well, those wherry brained birds were good for something anyway. Still, she had known for a while she was bleeding and wounded, but the adrenaline was still in high gear. She paused for a moment to look at her arms and noticed someone had nicked her wrist. It wasn't bad, since it had gone across her arm rather then down it. "Nothing I haven't' seen before." She rubbed her cheek against her shoulder, wiping some blood off onto her clothes.
No? Look up.
Kumori looked up, trying to figure out what had her dragoness in a bundle. Then she saw the deathwings regrouping. She cursed under her breath, and pulled out her knife again. Those birds were too much trouble, they had to die! She started to move back to Mathirath when suddenly a tail caught her in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Before she could get her breath back the copper was standing over her, and put her claw over her to stop her from getting up.
'Shards what are you-'
YOU ARE MINE. Suddenly the dragoness was full of rage, hissing rather then letting out a roar. YOU ARE MINE AND THEY CAN'T HAVE YOU. I WON'T LET THEM. I can't let them MoriLove. The coppers wings spread out as she stepped back, finally letting Kumori sit up. The anger was ebbing out of her body, being replaced by a deep sadness. Kumori picked up the dragoness' meaning instantly.
"No, you can't. We have to kill them all, you can't leave me-"
Then the dragoness did roar. YOU ARE MINE! YOU CAN'T DIE HERE! She stepped back and started to pump her wings.
"What do you expect me to do?! Mathirath, you can't just leave me here!"
Your arts, MoriLove, are transitory. We both can't just run, you know that. It's not in our nature. So I'm forcing you to. You are the master of them, make them live on. Find someone. The copper took off, just as Kumori's adrenaline wore off. Her entire body was in pain, and it looked like she missed a broken bone or two from her first assesment. Which is why she feebly ran after her.
You can't leave me! GET BACK HERE!
Mathirath didn't look back, heading back into the fray. For one glorious moment, she swooped in and had a deathwing by the throat, and tore with tooth and claw. But the black birds were many and one she hadn't noticed snuck behind her and-
-----------
"Irai? Darling, you are crying, are you okay?" The man's voice was worried, but Kumori couldn't see him in the dark. It was just as well, she couldn't bear looking at him when she was remembering. "Is it that dream again? You don't have to worry, you are safe here."
The silence stretched for some time while Kumori touched her face with her fingers, feeling the tears that coated her scarred cheeks. It had been decades, but it was impossible to forget. It was impossible not to cry. "I-I just need a moment." Kumori fumbled with her mask of the pitiful Irai, the mask that she had to keep up, no matter what she wanted. Arms wrapped around her, though she could barely prevent herself from attempting to escape them. She waited until she could get a grip and then started speaking sweetly. "Thank you Rindor, but I'm alright now. Truely." She moved her head onto the man's chest, moving as though she was cold and sought the man's warmth. Fortunatly it was dark so he could not see the expression on her face. Her dark eyes were trying to see into the darkness, past the wall, for a dragon that wasn't there.
Years would pass after that. None of the children would have what she required. The horrid mask was too sugary, she would think. But she knew that any real spark would be born of itself, not needing a teacher. So they grew up, even though she could barely keep herself from strangling them on her worse days. They would go and have children of their own. Rindor would pass away, old age getting him. But she couldn't. She refused to die. Even under the guise of peaceful and sweet Irai, she still had to find someone. Someone with the knack. She would live as long as she had to. She refused to die without a student. Because otherwise Mathirath, her dearest friend, had died for nothing.
It had been wonderful. Kumori had taken great pains before hand, and her knives were wickedly sharp. Mathirath had been ready with all off what Kumori had taught her, and took relish in the opportunity to unleash her knowledge on the dark birds. As the petite rider sat atop the copper dragoness she looked utterly delighted. Dragons and riders would die this day, but how could they? They were the most vicious of any pair Pern had seen, and had a knowledge of anatomy to make them that more deadly. But they had been patient. They had let the other riders take their steps into battle first. For a few moments they observed the beginning battle, before Kumori leaned to the side to look Mathirath in the eye. Her eyes whirled with excitement and dark amusement. The dragoness looked back, seeing the light in her rider's eyes, a glint that matched her scars perfectly.
Do you remember the most important thing for today Math, my dearest?
Of course MoriLove.
And what is that?
The lovely light chuckle preceded the response, a lovely sound that Kumori would never forget. Go for the throat.
Then, lets go for the throat.
The copper dragoness had taken off and headed into battle. For one shining moment, it had been glorious. Mathirath had been an absolute terror, pouncing on the dark birds and sinking her teeth into their throats. Kumori had introduced her knife every place she had been able. To the riders of these beasts, to the wings of the black birds, where ever she could reach. They were wounded in kind, but the glee on Kumori's already scarred face never lessened. Even while arrows flew and talons met claws, it did not damped the pair's spirits. Though blood dripped from Kumori's ears at violent songs and Mathirath's pristine hide was now marred with slashes and arrows, nothing could stop them. Nothing would tear them away from the joy of combat.
Or so Kumori had thought.
She hadn't even noticed until Mathirath landed in the forest. The dragoness was breathing heavily, watching the skies with a wary eye. Kumori paused, the adrenaline still giving her a weird high, something she was somewhat used to. "What is it?"
MoriLove, get off.
Kumori stared for a moment then slid off the copper dragoness. She stepped back a bit to look at her lovely dragoness and caught her breath. Mathirath was bleeding heavily, arrows still sticking out of her hide. The copper hide was coated enough to be slick, but still the copper's eyes whirled. But not just with deadly amusement, there was something else there. Something Kumori had not ever seen from the copper. She was worried. Still somehow, the dragoness looked magnificent. The only thing that tickled at the back of the rider's mine was that she didn't want her to bleed that badly.
"What's wrong? Is it the arrows? Do you need me to fix you up before we-"
Kumori, hush. Have you looked at yourself recently?
The rider paused and looked down at herself. Her clothes were dyed red at this point, and her arms were covered in wounds. Now that she thought about it she couldn't really hear very well, those wherry brained birds were good for something anyway. Still, she had known for a while she was bleeding and wounded, but the adrenaline was still in high gear. She paused for a moment to look at her arms and noticed someone had nicked her wrist. It wasn't bad, since it had gone across her arm rather then down it. "Nothing I haven't' seen before." She rubbed her cheek against her shoulder, wiping some blood off onto her clothes.
No? Look up.
Kumori looked up, trying to figure out what had her dragoness in a bundle. Then she saw the deathwings regrouping. She cursed under her breath, and pulled out her knife again. Those birds were too much trouble, they had to die! She started to move back to Mathirath when suddenly a tail caught her in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Before she could get her breath back the copper was standing over her, and put her claw over her to stop her from getting up.
'Shards what are you-'
YOU ARE MINE. Suddenly the dragoness was full of rage, hissing rather then letting out a roar. YOU ARE MINE AND THEY CAN'T HAVE YOU. I WON'T LET THEM. I can't let them MoriLove. The coppers wings spread out as she stepped back, finally letting Kumori sit up. The anger was ebbing out of her body, being replaced by a deep sadness. Kumori picked up the dragoness' meaning instantly.
"No, you can't. We have to kill them all, you can't leave me-"
Then the dragoness did roar. YOU ARE MINE! YOU CAN'T DIE HERE! She stepped back and started to pump her wings.
"What do you expect me to do?! Mathirath, you can't just leave me here!"
Your arts, MoriLove, are transitory. We both can't just run, you know that. It's not in our nature. So I'm forcing you to. You are the master of them, make them live on. Find someone. The copper took off, just as Kumori's adrenaline wore off. Her entire body was in pain, and it looked like she missed a broken bone or two from her first assesment. Which is why she feebly ran after her.
You can't leave me! GET BACK HERE!
Mathirath didn't look back, heading back into the fray. For one glorious moment, she swooped in and had a deathwing by the throat, and tore with tooth and claw. But the black birds were many and one she hadn't noticed snuck behind her and-
-----------
"Irai? Darling, you are crying, are you okay?" The man's voice was worried, but Kumori couldn't see him in the dark. It was just as well, she couldn't bear looking at him when she was remembering. "Is it that dream again? You don't have to worry, you are safe here."
The silence stretched for some time while Kumori touched her face with her fingers, feeling the tears that coated her scarred cheeks. It had been decades, but it was impossible to forget. It was impossible not to cry. "I-I just need a moment." Kumori fumbled with her mask of the pitiful Irai, the mask that she had to keep up, no matter what she wanted. Arms wrapped around her, though she could barely prevent herself from attempting to escape them. She waited until she could get a grip and then started speaking sweetly. "Thank you Rindor, but I'm alright now. Truely." She moved her head onto the man's chest, moving as though she was cold and sought the man's warmth. Fortunatly it was dark so he could not see the expression on her face. Her dark eyes were trying to see into the darkness, past the wall, for a dragon that wasn't there.
Years would pass after that. None of the children would have what she required. The horrid mask was too sugary, she would think. But she knew that any real spark would be born of itself, not needing a teacher. So they grew up, even though she could barely keep herself from strangling them on her worse days. They would go and have children of their own. Rindor would pass away, old age getting him. But she couldn't. She refused to die. Even under the guise of peaceful and sweet Irai, she still had to find someone. Someone with the knack. She would live as long as she had to. She refused to die without a student. Because otherwise Mathirath, her dearest friend, had died for nothing.
