Post by korinshina on Mar 26, 2008 14:56:07 GMT -5
"'Ow long we be stayin'?"
The question was posed in the cool, dark air of those pregnant last few hours before dawn. Perhaps this was a good thing, for the blanket of lightless atmosphere covered what might have been a butcher's field. Certainly it wouldn't be good for morale, though the few shreds spread between the living members of the group were not likely to be that of joy. Their backs were to the wall, pinned in a reality of the old adage 'between a rock and a hard place.' It was not, to say in the least, ideal. The grim mood was punctuated briefly by a rough laugh and a groan, before someone growled the answer.
"Forever. Until your mother comes to collect your rotting bones."
The speaker was unseen in the gloomy murk, the words punctuated by a dry cough. The troll, first to speak, peered unsuccessfully towards the direction of the second speaker, though she could not see who it had been. These were not her comrades, and the voice was hard to place. "Bones don't rot, fool raasclot." The troll snarled back, fingering a tusk in a sure insult. No matter the others likely could not pick out her movements: the troll was too angry to care.
"Be quiet." This was from a different voice; the leader of the tiny crew. He had been the one to hire her, them. The one with the plan. The sure plan. The one to get them killed. "You, troll. Forgive me, I had forgotten your name in the melee, would you be kind enough to remind me?"
"Korinshina." Her response was curt as she wiped a filthy hand across her brow. She tried to not acknowledge the stench of blood.
"Ahhh, Korinshina. How fares your energies?"
"Lukou be mers'ful, 'oofed one, I be ready when da sun rise."
The group was silent. She was their only remaining healer. A priest of both Voodoo and Light, she had utilized both skill-sets in the . . .battle--could it be called that?--that had occurred. The training in the Light, which she had been gently pressed into by her former teacher, had served to keep everyone up and moving until she could properly heal them with rada. Lukou was a powerful Loa, and Korinshina was in good standing with him. Yet, the healing had taken much out of her. It always did. She had only been able to completely close the wounds of herself and their Tauren leader. The rest she had only been able to stop bleeding and make the deeper, serious gashes shallower. She had vomited after that. They had found their way to a cluster of rocks in the unnatural dark, where she had performed the healing. She buffered everyone with the soothing powers of the Light, and had collapsed to regain her strength. The question between all of them remained.
What had happened?
-The day previous-
Sairaj blew hot breath at her master, baring teeth in the approximation of a sulking frown. Korinshina slapped the raptor's flank with a heavy brush to communicate her own displeasure. Neither liked the necessary washing, yet for a troll-mount it was necessary. Especially when the scales were covered in some uncertain muck that stank like the foulest of marshes. Korinshina sluiced the raptor, who trilled a growling roar in annoyance.
"It be ja own fault." Deft fingers slid through thouands of tiny, hard scales, earning a ripple of muscle. The raptor shook as a response, hide gleaming in the cool light of the Outland sun. Passing Draenei muttered amongst themselves in a lilting language. The troll paused to bare her own teeth at them. The Aldor's Tier was the only place with a large enough pool for the raptor, and as she had chosen neither Scryer nor Aldor, the woman was permitted--barely--to go where she would.
Raptor cleaned, she rubbed Sairaj down and replaced her tack. "Back ta da Lowa City." She said, more to herself than the raptor, and led the mount down the long and winding path to the Lower City. Through the bustle of the city she walked, holding the raptor's reins with a strong hand. Unlike many of the other residents, there were none for her to wave to or greet as she made her steady way into the refugee's quarter. She was for hire. She didn't truly belong. This did not bother the troll, being as how she was slow to trust and loathe of many of the other races. She kept to herself. She hired herself out when she was in need of money, and did some hiring herself when she was in need of aid.
She had few comrades and fewer allies.
All of five steps from her small home, rented from a tight-fisted druid, she was stopped by a large, furry form. "Peace." The tauren rumbled as she glared at him suspiciously. She grunted, tugging Sairaj towards the small corral the raptor shared with two others and a wyvern. The raptor hissed at the stranger, but entered the corral docilely enough as Korinshina removed her gear.
"Might you be the Priest Hilya spoke of, stranger?"
Korinshina shouldered the saddle, turning to regard the tauren with a sour expression. "Ya. Ja be 'avin' work?"
-Present day-
That had been her first mistake. Accepting his offer. And now, hearing the muted cries of the yet-hurting wounded, some she wasn't even sure what they were, she could only move forward. Complete it. And hopefully, Loa willing, not die in the process. Hopefully.
The question was posed in the cool, dark air of those pregnant last few hours before dawn. Perhaps this was a good thing, for the blanket of lightless atmosphere covered what might have been a butcher's field. Certainly it wouldn't be good for morale, though the few shreds spread between the living members of the group were not likely to be that of joy. Their backs were to the wall, pinned in a reality of the old adage 'between a rock and a hard place.' It was not, to say in the least, ideal. The grim mood was punctuated briefly by a rough laugh and a groan, before someone growled the answer.
"Forever. Until your mother comes to collect your rotting bones."
The speaker was unseen in the gloomy murk, the words punctuated by a dry cough. The troll, first to speak, peered unsuccessfully towards the direction of the second speaker, though she could not see who it had been. These were not her comrades, and the voice was hard to place. "Bones don't rot, fool raasclot." The troll snarled back, fingering a tusk in a sure insult. No matter the others likely could not pick out her movements: the troll was too angry to care.
"Be quiet." This was from a different voice; the leader of the tiny crew. He had been the one to hire her, them. The one with the plan. The sure plan. The one to get them killed. "You, troll. Forgive me, I had forgotten your name in the melee, would you be kind enough to remind me?"
"Korinshina." Her response was curt as she wiped a filthy hand across her brow. She tried to not acknowledge the stench of blood.
"Ahhh, Korinshina. How fares your energies?"
"Lukou be mers'ful, 'oofed one, I be ready when da sun rise."
The group was silent. She was their only remaining healer. A priest of both Voodoo and Light, she had utilized both skill-sets in the . . .battle--could it be called that?--that had occurred. The training in the Light, which she had been gently pressed into by her former teacher, had served to keep everyone up and moving until she could properly heal them with rada. Lukou was a powerful Loa, and Korinshina was in good standing with him. Yet, the healing had taken much out of her. It always did. She had only been able to completely close the wounds of herself and their Tauren leader. The rest she had only been able to stop bleeding and make the deeper, serious gashes shallower. She had vomited after that. They had found their way to a cluster of rocks in the unnatural dark, where she had performed the healing. She buffered everyone with the soothing powers of the Light, and had collapsed to regain her strength. The question between all of them remained.
What had happened?
-The day previous-
Sairaj blew hot breath at her master, baring teeth in the approximation of a sulking frown. Korinshina slapped the raptor's flank with a heavy brush to communicate her own displeasure. Neither liked the necessary washing, yet for a troll-mount it was necessary. Especially when the scales were covered in some uncertain muck that stank like the foulest of marshes. Korinshina sluiced the raptor, who trilled a growling roar in annoyance.
"It be ja own fault." Deft fingers slid through thouands of tiny, hard scales, earning a ripple of muscle. The raptor shook as a response, hide gleaming in the cool light of the Outland sun. Passing Draenei muttered amongst themselves in a lilting language. The troll paused to bare her own teeth at them. The Aldor's Tier was the only place with a large enough pool for the raptor, and as she had chosen neither Scryer nor Aldor, the woman was permitted--barely--to go where she would.
Raptor cleaned, she rubbed Sairaj down and replaced her tack. "Back ta da Lowa City." She said, more to herself than the raptor, and led the mount down the long and winding path to the Lower City. Through the bustle of the city she walked, holding the raptor's reins with a strong hand. Unlike many of the other residents, there were none for her to wave to or greet as she made her steady way into the refugee's quarter. She was for hire. She didn't truly belong. This did not bother the troll, being as how she was slow to trust and loathe of many of the other races. She kept to herself. She hired herself out when she was in need of money, and did some hiring herself when she was in need of aid.
She had few comrades and fewer allies.
All of five steps from her small home, rented from a tight-fisted druid, she was stopped by a large, furry form. "Peace." The tauren rumbled as she glared at him suspiciously. She grunted, tugging Sairaj towards the small corral the raptor shared with two others and a wyvern. The raptor hissed at the stranger, but entered the corral docilely enough as Korinshina removed her gear.
"Might you be the Priest Hilya spoke of, stranger?"
Korinshina shouldered the saddle, turning to regard the tauren with a sour expression. "Ya. Ja be 'avin' work?"
-Present day-
That had been her first mistake. Accepting his offer. And now, hearing the muted cries of the yet-hurting wounded, some she wasn't even sure what they were, she could only move forward. Complete it. And hopefully, Loa willing, not die in the process. Hopefully.