Murder I
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2020 4:46 am
34th of Searing, 120
The day passed all too quickly and yielded to the night. The lithe Rath woke, grumbled and rolled over to spy his father, who was asleep, as he'd expected. Arkash smiled a little, then sat up in his throws. He worked soon, at the bakery. The nights were still cold in lower Nivenhain, so while didn't have clothes, he did need to soak in some external warmth as part of a ritual of work preparation; namely from the hearth. A lower amber glow persisted in the ashes, so he added some dry leaves, followed by sticks that he'd gathered sometime before, then crossed his fingers for a burn. Sure enough, the flame caught, and a steady flickering fire began to rise in the pit. The lizard laid out on his side with his belly facing the flame. That would allow him to absorb the heat faster, as he'd discovered from years of experience.
While he did, however, Cojack stirred and sat up a little in his bed. "Arkash..." The horse called, then cleared his throat. The younger Rath looked to his father while he laid. "I'm sorry, son. I fell asleep," confessed the old horse. Arkash shook his head, then laid it back down. "It's alright, I got a lot of sleep." The young Rath smiled a little and exhaled deeply while he laid down. That was the truth for once. With it being dark out, he must have slept for nine hours, possibly more. If that were true, then he would have had a full night's sleep and then some to make up for 'lost time. It felt good, and though his stomach was empty, he felt that he had enough energy to get through the shift ahead.
"You're working tonight, right?" Asked his father, and Arkash nodded where he laid on the hard wooden floor. His father had already asked that, but with how much Cojack slept, Arkash wouldn't blame him if he didn't know the season. Cojack's voice sounded much smoother now that his medicine had time to work. It didn't sound as though he was in as much pain, either. The medicine was pricey, and it had cost him a good few meals in the past, but it was worth it if Cojack didn't have to suffer all the time. "I worry for you, going out when it's dark like this..." Arkash rolled his eyes; he could handle it. "I'll be fine dad," he'd only been going out alone for the past six years or so. He turned over to look at the sickly horse, then smiled. "I'm happy that you care though, okay? Just don't worry." That didn't do anyone any good, after all. For a moment, he reflected, then smiled as he laid back down.
"You were right, you know," spoke the reptile as he gazed into the flames. "Hm?" Quizzed the frail horse. Arkash shrugged a little. "I feel better after sleeping, you said so during the day," Cojack nodded with a slight grin. "I'm glad... I can stay up more often, or at least try. It doesn't do a lick of good to sleep all the time anyway." The thought brought an uncertain frown to the monitor lizard's defined lips, but it made sense. "...Maybe we can start going for walks again?" he offered the worn horse. It had been some time since they went out together, years, even. When mom passed, they stopped altogether. Cojack paused at the notion, then nodded a little where Arkash couldn't see. Uncertain, the lizard turned to face his father and fully rolled over to warm his back some. "I'd like that," spoke his father. Ark smiled. "..When I get home, then?" It would be good to get some practice in for the journey they faced, and it wouldn't hurt to get some exercise for his father, either. Again, the horse nodded and met Arkash's smile with a grin of his own.
With a deep breath of the warm air that surrounded the fire, Arkash gently rolled to sit up on his tail, then pressed his claws to the ground to ease himself up with a groan. A brush of his clawed hands removed the dust and dirt from his dry, cracked scales enough to make him look presentable before he opened his arms to his father. "How do I look?" Cojack smirked a bit, then huffed a laugh. "Like a winner," answered the older Rathari. Ark exhaled some, nodded, then walked to do the door with just a few short steps that saw his tail drag across the floorboards. As his claws turned the key in the lock, he looked to his father again and bowed his head. "I'll see you later. Try and get some rest, okay?" Was his parting request to his father, who nodded in response. "Sleeping all day is what I'm best at, kiddo," was his reply. Arkash chuckled a breath. "I love you," he spoke finally. "I love you too," replied the older Rath. Then, the younger of the two opened the door and stepped out into the clear Rien night.
As the door shut behind him, he shivered, for he was cut off from the heat of the fire. From that second on, he was on a timer. He had to make it to another heat source before his body got too cold, or he would perish. So, he quickly set off on his way after the door behind him was securely locked. Chill searing night breezes cut through his exposed scales and threatened to tighten his muscles, which would slow him down. As long as he kept up a quick pace, however, the friction should be enough to keep him warm. It did strain the tears in his scales, but he pushed through it as he often had to.
The night was bright, which was something Arkash adored. The moon shined with enough glow to light up the street ahead of him and even made the alleyways easier to see down. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, that ease was only made greater. The stars glinted brightly on the endless obsidian canvas above him, and they even shined through the various colors that made up the strange space clouds that he couldn't comprehend. No good feelings were to last, however, as he suddenly felt an all-too-familiar feeling which crawled up his spine like some sort of arachnid. He was being followed. With a sudden sharp inhale, Arkash turned to face his pursuer and found nothing but the empty moonlit street. It didn't put his heart at ease, however. Instead, he backed up to a nearby wall and pressed his body flat against it. Nervous eyes flitted about the empty street as the precious heat in his body seeped into the cold stone of the wall behind him. Was he being followed? He could feel them watching him, stalking him in the shadows, but he had to move.
His chest rose and fell quickly as he steeled his nerves, then pulled away from the leeching stone and continued his push. One foot in front of the other assured that he wouldn't fall prey to his stalker, but... It was right behind him. With a startled gasp, the lizard turned on a dime to face the relentless follower, but again, he found nothing but the darkened streets. "Fuck this..." he cursed, then turned to start running. He had to flee. He'd come too far to wind up dead over nothing at all. Expertly, he navigated the streets on the way to the bakery. A mad dash saw him pass alley after alley, but he was sure strafe far enough away so that he didn't get caught and snatched by whoever was lurking in them.
That was when he heard it, ahead. The sound of heated words; an argument. The sound of irritation and anger flowed from a nearby alley; a light, feminine voice. A woman? For a moment, Arkash forgot his imaginary pursuer and slowed to a halt as the sound drew closer. A masculine voice replied though he couldn't make out what was being said fully. Something about a bag? Was she being mugged? "Nothing for you, street rat," came the sharp reply of the woman's voice. Her accent was refined, almost as though she'd come from nobility itself. "Feisty, ain' she?" Asked a different man's voice. Arkash peered around the corner to find that two men had cornered a woman who was dressed in a fine coat beneath a satin cloak that draped her head with its hood. "Dun matta'. She's all chirp, 'n no peck. Ain'tcha, sweetcheeks?" The man reached a hand to her face, and a quick hand shot out from her cloak and slapped it down. "Back off, slug," she spoke down at him. But that only angered the man's accomplice, who jumped forward in a sudden firm tackle, that pinned her to the wall.
Continued here.
The day passed all too quickly and yielded to the night. The lithe Rath woke, grumbled and rolled over to spy his father, who was asleep, as he'd expected. Arkash smiled a little, then sat up in his throws. He worked soon, at the bakery. The nights were still cold in lower Nivenhain, so while didn't have clothes, he did need to soak in some external warmth as part of a ritual of work preparation; namely from the hearth. A lower amber glow persisted in the ashes, so he added some dry leaves, followed by sticks that he'd gathered sometime before, then crossed his fingers for a burn. Sure enough, the flame caught, and a steady flickering fire began to rise in the pit. The lizard laid out on his side with his belly facing the flame. That would allow him to absorb the heat faster, as he'd discovered from years of experience.
While he did, however, Cojack stirred and sat up a little in his bed. "Arkash..." The horse called, then cleared his throat. The younger Rath looked to his father while he laid. "I'm sorry, son. I fell asleep," confessed the old horse. Arkash shook his head, then laid it back down. "It's alright, I got a lot of sleep." The young Rath smiled a little and exhaled deeply while he laid down. That was the truth for once. With it being dark out, he must have slept for nine hours, possibly more. If that were true, then he would have had a full night's sleep and then some to make up for 'lost time. It felt good, and though his stomach was empty, he felt that he had enough energy to get through the shift ahead.
"You're working tonight, right?" Asked his father, and Arkash nodded where he laid on the hard wooden floor. His father had already asked that, but with how much Cojack slept, Arkash wouldn't blame him if he didn't know the season. Cojack's voice sounded much smoother now that his medicine had time to work. It didn't sound as though he was in as much pain, either. The medicine was pricey, and it had cost him a good few meals in the past, but it was worth it if Cojack didn't have to suffer all the time. "I worry for you, going out when it's dark like this..." Arkash rolled his eyes; he could handle it. "I'll be fine dad," he'd only been going out alone for the past six years or so. He turned over to look at the sickly horse, then smiled. "I'm happy that you care though, okay? Just don't worry." That didn't do anyone any good, after all. For a moment, he reflected, then smiled as he laid back down.
"You were right, you know," spoke the reptile as he gazed into the flames. "Hm?" Quizzed the frail horse. Arkash shrugged a little. "I feel better after sleeping, you said so during the day," Cojack nodded with a slight grin. "I'm glad... I can stay up more often, or at least try. It doesn't do a lick of good to sleep all the time anyway." The thought brought an uncertain frown to the monitor lizard's defined lips, but it made sense. "...Maybe we can start going for walks again?" he offered the worn horse. It had been some time since they went out together, years, even. When mom passed, they stopped altogether. Cojack paused at the notion, then nodded a little where Arkash couldn't see. Uncertain, the lizard turned to face his father and fully rolled over to warm his back some. "I'd like that," spoke his father. Ark smiled. "..When I get home, then?" It would be good to get some practice in for the journey they faced, and it wouldn't hurt to get some exercise for his father, either. Again, the horse nodded and met Arkash's smile with a grin of his own.
With a deep breath of the warm air that surrounded the fire, Arkash gently rolled to sit up on his tail, then pressed his claws to the ground to ease himself up with a groan. A brush of his clawed hands removed the dust and dirt from his dry, cracked scales enough to make him look presentable before he opened his arms to his father. "How do I look?" Cojack smirked a bit, then huffed a laugh. "Like a winner," answered the older Rathari. Ark exhaled some, nodded, then walked to do the door with just a few short steps that saw his tail drag across the floorboards. As his claws turned the key in the lock, he looked to his father again and bowed his head. "I'll see you later. Try and get some rest, okay?" Was his parting request to his father, who nodded in response. "Sleeping all day is what I'm best at, kiddo," was his reply. Arkash chuckled a breath. "I love you," he spoke finally. "I love you too," replied the older Rath. Then, the younger of the two opened the door and stepped out into the clear Rien night.
As the door shut behind him, he shivered, for he was cut off from the heat of the fire. From that second on, he was on a timer. He had to make it to another heat source before his body got too cold, or he would perish. So, he quickly set off on his way after the door behind him was securely locked. Chill searing night breezes cut through his exposed scales and threatened to tighten his muscles, which would slow him down. As long as he kept up a quick pace, however, the friction should be enough to keep him warm. It did strain the tears in his scales, but he pushed through it as he often had to.
The night was bright, which was something Arkash adored. The moon shined with enough glow to light up the street ahead of him and even made the alleyways easier to see down. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, that ease was only made greater. The stars glinted brightly on the endless obsidian canvas above him, and they even shined through the various colors that made up the strange space clouds that he couldn't comprehend. No good feelings were to last, however, as he suddenly felt an all-too-familiar feeling which crawled up his spine like some sort of arachnid. He was being followed. With a sudden sharp inhale, Arkash turned to face his pursuer and found nothing but the empty moonlit street. It didn't put his heart at ease, however. Instead, he backed up to a nearby wall and pressed his body flat against it. Nervous eyes flitted about the empty street as the precious heat in his body seeped into the cold stone of the wall behind him. Was he being followed? He could feel them watching him, stalking him in the shadows, but he had to move.
His chest rose and fell quickly as he steeled his nerves, then pulled away from the leeching stone and continued his push. One foot in front of the other assured that he wouldn't fall prey to his stalker, but... It was right behind him. With a startled gasp, the lizard turned on a dime to face the relentless follower, but again, he found nothing but the darkened streets. "Fuck this..." he cursed, then turned to start running. He had to flee. He'd come too far to wind up dead over nothing at all. Expertly, he navigated the streets on the way to the bakery. A mad dash saw him pass alley after alley, but he was sure strafe far enough away so that he didn't get caught and snatched by whoever was lurking in them.
That was when he heard it, ahead. The sound of heated words; an argument. The sound of irritation and anger flowed from a nearby alley; a light, feminine voice. A woman? For a moment, Arkash forgot his imaginary pursuer and slowed to a halt as the sound drew closer. A masculine voice replied though he couldn't make out what was being said fully. Something about a bag? Was she being mugged? "Nothing for you, street rat," came the sharp reply of the woman's voice. Her accent was refined, almost as though she'd come from nobility itself. "Feisty, ain' she?" Asked a different man's voice. Arkash peered around the corner to find that two men had cornered a woman who was dressed in a fine coat beneath a satin cloak that draped her head with its hood. "Dun matta'. She's all chirp, 'n no peck. Ain'tcha, sweetcheeks?" The man reached a hand to her face, and a quick hand shot out from her cloak and slapped it down. "Back off, slug," she spoke down at him. But that only angered the man's accomplice, who jumped forward in a sudden firm tackle, that pinned her to the wall.
Continued here.
