Brandy Alayin Lore
Aug 22, 2023 15:16:28 GMT -5
Post by Brandy Alayin on Aug 22, 2023 15:16:28 GMT -5
*starting from quest in Starlight City*
...Suddenly I'm 14 again, wind rustling around me in the heart of the Bamboo Forest. The Man grabbed me by my tails as I tried to run. His ragged voice rang in my ears as his fist met my face. "This is what you get. This is what happens to little brats who try to mug me. Now come on Dearie. Don't make this harder than it has to be."
I woke up in the woods, head throbbing as I tried to get up. I picked myself up and limped back to the edge of town, making my way back to Genelle's home. I had stayed there for about two years, ever since Mother had been killed. Quietly slipping into the shower, I finally broke into sobs as the dirt and blood ran down the drain. Every inch of me hurt, and the water running into my open wounds only added pain. Genelle's came home just as I stepped out of the washroom, hair wet and barely dressed. She never asked about what happened. She simply helped me to my room and tended to my wounds.
All of this passed my mind in an instant, all while That Man smiled at me.
"Ah, I remember you Dearie. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Sitting down next to the small fire, Zenshu grabbed my hand as I told him what happened. I let out a slow breath as I looked up at him.
"I tried to mug him in the woods as a kid. Turns out a fully grown man was stronger than a 14 year old girl." I let out a forced chuckle. "He beat me black and blue pretty quick". I closed my eyes as it all came back to me. "He ended up knocking me out. When I woke up..." I took a deep breath. Zenshu squeezed my shaking hand.
"He had broken each of my tails, ripped out all my claws, drained nearly all my blood." I sadly shook my head at Zenshu's horrified face. "Cat folk are sprinkled all throughout Charon. Nothing too special. Fox-folk are bit more hard to find. Kitsune, like me, are near extinct from trafficking." Zenshu looked at me quizzically. "Besides the nine tails, we are originated from old primal energy. Deeply connected to magic itself. It takes little training to master various Domains, and plenty of Kitsune become powerful mages". I watched the glare of the small fire in the shine of my claws. "Our claws, furs, tails, blood, ears are worth their weight in gold and more" I took another breath. "Turns out he's, among other things, a bounty hunter and a trafficker." Falling into silence, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him. Being twice my size, he enveloped me without effort. Although quite comforting, I was still very aware of his sculpted and toned body. I couldn't help but think I would like Zenshu hugs more often.
"I'm sorry for scaring you like that earlier. He's done that twice before. The scaring me helpless thing. It's not often I run into him, but when I do..." I trailed off. I just focused on trying to steady my breathing. "I can't help that he still lives here. I just avoid him when I can. As for the shell salesmen, I'll just break their stands and their face as usual". Zenshu sighs as I trail off again. He starts talking as I prepare a small meal for us. He tells me about his time with his master, his training, and his goals for revenge and to find his father.
After dinner, we hover close to the dwindling fire as the cold air starts to set in. Shining his weapons, Zenshu watches curiously as I groom my tails. I meet his eyes, and he blushes when I smile shyly. I comb through several knots on my bottommost tail while I talk.
"They get tangled easily, so I have to brush them out every night." I run my fingers through the fur as he nods. "I can move them around like any limb" I demonstrate by wagging them back and forth, "I try to keep them dry except for when I clean my fur" gesturing to the various oils and soaps barely visible out of the top of my bag. "Once a week or so." Even more curious, Zenshu comes and sits right next to me. Asking first, he then gently pets my various tails. Despite his scaled hands and big claws, his touch is surprisingly gentle on my delicate fur. All is fine until his hand brushes along the joint on the third tail. I nearly jump back, hissing as pain rushes through me. I try to calm down as he apologizes profusely. I steady myself and look at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't warn you about that tail. The joint never healed right on it." The rest of the night is spent talking as we take turns rekindling the fire.
Shaking my lingering thoughts away, I made my way to a small lake a few miles south of the camp Zenshu had made.
The water around this part of the island had formed something of a small river, which in turn created a small waterfall and lake. Relatively secluded inside a circle of trees and greenery, it was a sight to behold, even among the heavenly landscapes of Crescent Isle's islands. Pristine clear blue water landed by cream white sand, filled with schools of gorgeous exotic fish. The crashing waterfall covered a small hollow cave system inside the face of a small rocky cliff. Capturing the sun's heat, the caves themselves were able to be a small water spa. Having come here for over half my life, I had transformed the lifeless hole in the cliff into an oasis within an already beautiful hideaway. I had spent years cleaning out the space, forming it into a small living area, with dry, flat areas farther in; some stolen furniture and storage. A small patch of sea kelp served as a small yet effective filter and barrier between the outside and inside water, which allowed me to use whatever bathing products I wanted without harming the fish, and keeping the water clean for my use. Besides that, I had grown a variety of plants in the water, around the beach, and on the rock face. Over time, it had flourished into a small ecosystem. I could always see small critters scurrying in the bushes, and birds of all kinds built a variety of nests. Overall, the lake and it's beach were totally secluded, and had become my small private sanctuary.
Using Frozen Feet, I walked across the water and took my things in the small cave. The entrance had two halves. The first half let water into the small spa. The second, which I followed, was flat rock that led farther in. Lit up by large bunches of glow berries, the cave was small, warm, and homey. Stripping down to my small black bikini, I stepped back outside into the rushing waterfall and jumped into the warm water.
Grabbing the small plate Zenshu offered me, I sat down next to the pair. It didn't take long for us to launch into conversation. After an hour or so, we eventually reached the always touchy subject of childhoods. Since we were pretty close, and they had both shared already, I figured I wouldn't sugarcoat it, and just tell them my story.
"Both of my parents were Kitsune. My mother a witch, healer, and midwife. My father a battlemage. They were priests at a temple just outside Eclipse City. It was more of a small neighborhood with a temple in the middle. They were a collection of powerful magic users who worshipped the Pantheon. Monks, Mages, Shamans, Healers, Fortune tellers, all powerful. About half of which were Kitsune as well. About 40 of them, and with their families, about 100. In addition to worship, they collected together to protect themselves and their families from traffickers. My father died just before I was born. A poacher cornered him just a few miles away from home. Everything was pretty lush and good for a long time. I learned magic, witchcraft, healing, combat, anything and everything they could teach me. When I was 12... we were raided and pillaged. A large group of poachers, and every mercenary they could afford. Captured every Kitsune they could, any not captured were killed and taken for... parts." Spitting out the last word, I clenched my fists as the tears began to roll.
"Mother and I tried to help. We killed as many as we could, but they were many and powerful. With the job done, they set the village to flames. No one survived." Feeling the all too familiar anger start to boil up, I took a deep breath. Zenshu grabbed my hand and squeezed. "I remember there was this one woman who was always kind to us. She helped care for me after my father passed. She had just had her third child. I had just helped Mother with her delivery just a few days earlier. It was a difficult delivery, and the woman couldn't even get out of bed after. Mother ran back in to save them as the fire spread. I followed, trying to douse the flames. I got there just as the ceiling collapsed and crushed all three of them. I ran and ran."
I calmed a bit as I wrapped up. "I've been in Crescent Isle ever since. Mother's friend Genelle took care of me for a few years, but eventually I went off on my own, since I was relatively independent already. At which point I moved into the waterfall cave. I had been using it for a few years, and it wasn't far from town, so it worked out. And thats been pretty much it as far as the heavy backstory." I sighed as I trailed off. Considering their own pasts, neither Kika or Zenshu were shocked at my telling of my background. Zenshu moved in to wrap me in a hug as Kika cleaned up dinner
"So are you gonna lecture me on the drinking and getting stabbed??" He smiles at me, crouching down to look at me eye to eye.
"From the looks of it, you've learned your lesson." I chuckle, but quickly double over in pain, now gasping.
"Don't worry, I've had worse wounds. I don't learn lessons." His eyes suddenly dark, Zenshu grabs my hands and looks me in the eye.
"I hate seeing you like this, Brandy. I couldn't stand it if anything worse had..." He trails off. It was the first time I had ever seen him worried. Feeling horrible, I tried to explain.
"These things rarely happen, even with all the jokes. But in a city of brawlers and fist-fighters, it's hard to get in a fight without a few hits. And I can't just use magic constantly. It's too powerful. Especially mine. I can hurt others far more than they've hurt me." Taking a breath, I look at Zenshu. "And before you say it, I can't just not get in fights. Between helping people and work, I constantly have to defend myself and others. Not to mention the enemies I make. And it doesn't help that I'm a sly little fox." Reaching into my sleeve, I pull out Zenshu's dagger and hand it back to him. Surprised, he takes it and puts it back on his waist. ~He probably hadn't realized I even took it.~ "Not that I'm a big crook. I'm pretty good at pickpocketing. I'm just a fox. Kitsune are still a type of fox folk." Chuckling, he gets up and ruffles my hair.
He... really cared about me?? I was used to people caring about me, and I was used to people, especially men, wanting me; but the idea of both from the same person?? It practically scared me. I flashed back to scenes from my childhood. A sweet, happy memory. The families at the temple walking the grounds, holding the hands of small children with smaller infants wrapped in cloth carriers around their mother's chests or hips. I remembered always helping them. After Mother would deliver their kids, I would always help out the families. Delivering meals, tending the other kids, cleaning their homes. Suddenly, I realized that's what I wanted. Not the cleaning, of course. But someday, when I was older, to settle with my future husband in a home and start a family. Sitting down with my kids, teaching them magic, watching them grow up, watching them become great older siblings. My mind drifted back to Zenshu. Loyal, caring, honest. Could there be something between us??
...Suddenly I'm 14 again, wind rustling around me in the heart of the Bamboo Forest. The Man grabbed me by my tails as I tried to run. His ragged voice rang in my ears as his fist met my face. "This is what you get. This is what happens to little brats who try to mug me. Now come on Dearie. Don't make this harder than it has to be."
I woke up in the woods, head throbbing as I tried to get up. I picked myself up and limped back to the edge of town, making my way back to Genelle's home. I had stayed there for about two years, ever since Mother had been killed. Quietly slipping into the shower, I finally broke into sobs as the dirt and blood ran down the drain. Every inch of me hurt, and the water running into my open wounds only added pain. Genelle's came home just as I stepped out of the washroom, hair wet and barely dressed. She never asked about what happened. She simply helped me to my room and tended to my wounds.
All of this passed my mind in an instant, all while That Man smiled at me.
"Ah, I remember you Dearie. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Sitting down next to the small fire, Zenshu grabbed my hand as I told him what happened. I let out a slow breath as I looked up at him.
"I tried to mug him in the woods as a kid. Turns out a fully grown man was stronger than a 14 year old girl." I let out a forced chuckle. "He beat me black and blue pretty quick". I closed my eyes as it all came back to me. "He ended up knocking me out. When I woke up..." I took a deep breath. Zenshu squeezed my shaking hand.
"He had broken each of my tails, ripped out all my claws, drained nearly all my blood." I sadly shook my head at Zenshu's horrified face. "Cat folk are sprinkled all throughout Charon. Nothing too special. Fox-folk are bit more hard to find. Kitsune, like me, are near extinct from trafficking." Zenshu looked at me quizzically. "Besides the nine tails, we are originated from old primal energy. Deeply connected to magic itself. It takes little training to master various Domains, and plenty of Kitsune become powerful mages". I watched the glare of the small fire in the shine of my claws. "Our claws, furs, tails, blood, ears are worth their weight in gold and more" I took another breath. "Turns out he's, among other things, a bounty hunter and a trafficker." Falling into silence, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him. Being twice my size, he enveloped me without effort. Although quite comforting, I was still very aware of his sculpted and toned body. I couldn't help but think I would like Zenshu hugs more often.
"I'm sorry for scaring you like that earlier. He's done that twice before. The scaring me helpless thing. It's not often I run into him, but when I do..." I trailed off. I just focused on trying to steady my breathing. "I can't help that he still lives here. I just avoid him when I can. As for the shell salesmen, I'll just break their stands and their face as usual". Zenshu sighs as I trail off again. He starts talking as I prepare a small meal for us. He tells me about his time with his master, his training, and his goals for revenge and to find his father.
After dinner, we hover close to the dwindling fire as the cold air starts to set in. Shining his weapons, Zenshu watches curiously as I groom my tails. I meet his eyes, and he blushes when I smile shyly. I comb through several knots on my bottommost tail while I talk.
"They get tangled easily, so I have to brush them out every night." I run my fingers through the fur as he nods. "I can move them around like any limb" I demonstrate by wagging them back and forth, "I try to keep them dry except for when I clean my fur" gesturing to the various oils and soaps barely visible out of the top of my bag. "Once a week or so." Even more curious, Zenshu comes and sits right next to me. Asking first, he then gently pets my various tails. Despite his scaled hands and big claws, his touch is surprisingly gentle on my delicate fur. All is fine until his hand brushes along the joint on the third tail. I nearly jump back, hissing as pain rushes through me. I try to calm down as he apologizes profusely. I steady myself and look at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't warn you about that tail. The joint never healed right on it." The rest of the night is spent talking as we take turns rekindling the fire.
Shaking my lingering thoughts away, I made my way to a small lake a few miles south of the camp Zenshu had made.
The water around this part of the island had formed something of a small river, which in turn created a small waterfall and lake. Relatively secluded inside a circle of trees and greenery, it was a sight to behold, even among the heavenly landscapes of Crescent Isle's islands. Pristine clear blue water landed by cream white sand, filled with schools of gorgeous exotic fish. The crashing waterfall covered a small hollow cave system inside the face of a small rocky cliff. Capturing the sun's heat, the caves themselves were able to be a small water spa. Having come here for over half my life, I had transformed the lifeless hole in the cliff into an oasis within an already beautiful hideaway. I had spent years cleaning out the space, forming it into a small living area, with dry, flat areas farther in; some stolen furniture and storage. A small patch of sea kelp served as a small yet effective filter and barrier between the outside and inside water, which allowed me to use whatever bathing products I wanted without harming the fish, and keeping the water clean for my use. Besides that, I had grown a variety of plants in the water, around the beach, and on the rock face. Over time, it had flourished into a small ecosystem. I could always see small critters scurrying in the bushes, and birds of all kinds built a variety of nests. Overall, the lake and it's beach were totally secluded, and had become my small private sanctuary.
Using Frozen Feet, I walked across the water and took my things in the small cave. The entrance had two halves. The first half let water into the small spa. The second, which I followed, was flat rock that led farther in. Lit up by large bunches of glow berries, the cave was small, warm, and homey. Stripping down to my small black bikini, I stepped back outside into the rushing waterfall and jumped into the warm water.
Grabbing the small plate Zenshu offered me, I sat down next to the pair. It didn't take long for us to launch into conversation. After an hour or so, we eventually reached the always touchy subject of childhoods. Since we were pretty close, and they had both shared already, I figured I wouldn't sugarcoat it, and just tell them my story.
"Both of my parents were Kitsune. My mother a witch, healer, and midwife. My father a battlemage. They were priests at a temple just outside Eclipse City. It was more of a small neighborhood with a temple in the middle. They were a collection of powerful magic users who worshipped the Pantheon. Monks, Mages, Shamans, Healers, Fortune tellers, all powerful. About half of which were Kitsune as well. About 40 of them, and with their families, about 100. In addition to worship, they collected together to protect themselves and their families from traffickers. My father died just before I was born. A poacher cornered him just a few miles away from home. Everything was pretty lush and good for a long time. I learned magic, witchcraft, healing, combat, anything and everything they could teach me. When I was 12... we were raided and pillaged. A large group of poachers, and every mercenary they could afford. Captured every Kitsune they could, any not captured were killed and taken for... parts." Spitting out the last word, I clenched my fists as the tears began to roll.
"Mother and I tried to help. We killed as many as we could, but they were many and powerful. With the job done, they set the village to flames. No one survived." Feeling the all too familiar anger start to boil up, I took a deep breath. Zenshu grabbed my hand and squeezed. "I remember there was this one woman who was always kind to us. She helped care for me after my father passed. She had just had her third child. I had just helped Mother with her delivery just a few days earlier. It was a difficult delivery, and the woman couldn't even get out of bed after. Mother ran back in to save them as the fire spread. I followed, trying to douse the flames. I got there just as the ceiling collapsed and crushed all three of them. I ran and ran."
I calmed a bit as I wrapped up. "I've been in Crescent Isle ever since. Mother's friend Genelle took care of me for a few years, but eventually I went off on my own, since I was relatively independent already. At which point I moved into the waterfall cave. I had been using it for a few years, and it wasn't far from town, so it worked out. And thats been pretty much it as far as the heavy backstory." I sighed as I trailed off. Considering their own pasts, neither Kika or Zenshu were shocked at my telling of my background. Zenshu moved in to wrap me in a hug as Kika cleaned up dinner
"So are you gonna lecture me on the drinking and getting stabbed??" He smiles at me, crouching down to look at me eye to eye.
"From the looks of it, you've learned your lesson." I chuckle, but quickly double over in pain, now gasping.
"Don't worry, I've had worse wounds. I don't learn lessons." His eyes suddenly dark, Zenshu grabs my hands and looks me in the eye.
"I hate seeing you like this, Brandy. I couldn't stand it if anything worse had..." He trails off. It was the first time I had ever seen him worried. Feeling horrible, I tried to explain.
"These things rarely happen, even with all the jokes. But in a city of brawlers and fist-fighters, it's hard to get in a fight without a few hits. And I can't just use magic constantly. It's too powerful. Especially mine. I can hurt others far more than they've hurt me." Taking a breath, I look at Zenshu. "And before you say it, I can't just not get in fights. Between helping people and work, I constantly have to defend myself and others. Not to mention the enemies I make. And it doesn't help that I'm a sly little fox." Reaching into my sleeve, I pull out Zenshu's dagger and hand it back to him. Surprised, he takes it and puts it back on his waist. ~He probably hadn't realized I even took it.~ "Not that I'm a big crook. I'm pretty good at pickpocketing. I'm just a fox. Kitsune are still a type of fox folk." Chuckling, he gets up and ruffles my hair.
He... really cared about me?? I was used to people caring about me, and I was used to people, especially men, wanting me; but the idea of both from the same person?? It practically scared me. I flashed back to scenes from my childhood. A sweet, happy memory. The families at the temple walking the grounds, holding the hands of small children with smaller infants wrapped in cloth carriers around their mother's chests or hips. I remembered always helping them. After Mother would deliver their kids, I would always help out the families. Delivering meals, tending the other kids, cleaning their homes. Suddenly, I realized that's what I wanted. Not the cleaning, of course. But someday, when I was older, to settle with my future husband in a home and start a family. Sitting down with my kids, teaching them magic, watching them grow up, watching them become great older siblings. My mind drifted back to Zenshu. Loyal, caring, honest. Could there be something between us??