A ghostly image of his daughter danced before him as he lay in the mud, splashing happily in water that was no longer there. He had allowed his mind to succumb to the effects of the blazing heat. It was a nice recess from reality. Here in his mind he could see them again. It was odd, though, that he always thought of his child, but not his mate. He had loved them both. He missed them both. Perhaps it was the guilt. She never got to live her life, and it was his fault. He should've been there to protect her, one too little to protect herself.
A scream of challenge rippled through his reverie. It sounded distant, but further than it should have been. He slowly raised himself from the ground. His thoughts and movements were clumsy as if he were drugged. Ainlif frowned. He shouldn't have gone that deep, anything could have happened to him and he wouldn't have been able to react in time. It felt like being jolted out of a deep meditation, and his mind hadn't had the time to reawaken properly. He sought the imagined ghost of his daughter as his mind struggled to focus. She was frozen in movement, like a still image. Her pose was still joyful, but her face had warped to pure terror. Then she vanished. She had probably looked that way when she died without him there to fight for her.
Like a dash of cold water, the fog in his mind was cleansed. He was renewed. Ainlif shook his coat, slinging muddy bullets at the trees. He battled a burning rage growing within him. His eyes burned with the heat of it. His rage was with himself, he knew, and not with whoever would come at him through the trees. He had to get it under control or he would do something he could never take back.
He glanced at his shoulder. Half covered in slick mud, the tail-end of a koi fish showed through in white ink. Hidden underneath the muck, a second koi danced. They symbolized his parents, his heritage. Something he wasn't always happy to be reminded about. His father, a king, had nothing to do with him. His Amazon mother raised him alone. He had earned his tattoo as a Brother, and by now would be a vichomeraki. For a time, he had begun a herd with his mate and daughter, but it wasn't long before they were killed while he was away. This was the only place he belonged now. He lost his family, his heart, and possibly his mind, but he wouldn't lose his home. He would accept this challenger and show them why he was granted his place in the Amazon.
Ainlif thumped the ground hard, trying to relieve the building tension in his body. His chest still burned with anger and resentment. He was ready. Another battle-call shot at him, much closer now, instantly fueling the flames in his heart. It was distinctly female, which was not at all surprising. These lands had always been nearly exclusively female. And they were all prepared to battle males when it became necessary. It had a thunder of authority to it though, an undertone of power, and he knew this was one he could not battle without truly dire consequences. The leader herself was personally calling this challenge. Fighting her would either cost his life or come with far more responsibility than he ever wanted. Neither option sounded at all appealing.
She burst through the trees, her coat glinting with a protective armor, and bold determination in her fierce eyes. He roared in frustration, trying to expel the wild scorching wrath that wanted so badly to be set free. Ainlif angled his body, positioning his tattoo directly in her path like a shield. Still splashed with mud, it was the only thing he had left, his badge of oath to the Amazons.
"My HOME!" he bellowed. His voice sounded foreign to him, like it belonged to someone else. It had been unused in his self-condemned isolation while he mourned the loss of his family. But he was home now, and it was a new beginning for him. All he could do now was see if she would force him to fight, and risk losing his life, or his grip on the slippery control of his inner rage.
(OOC: So sorry this is so late! My summer classes have kept me busier than I expected! Also, that turned out far longer than I meant it to be, sorry!)
A scream of challenge rippled through his reverie. It sounded distant, but further than it should have been. He slowly raised himself from the ground. His thoughts and movements were clumsy as if he were drugged. Ainlif frowned. He shouldn't have gone that deep, anything could have happened to him and he wouldn't have been able to react in time. It felt like being jolted out of a deep meditation, and his mind hadn't had the time to reawaken properly. He sought the imagined ghost of his daughter as his mind struggled to focus. She was frozen in movement, like a still image. Her pose was still joyful, but her face had warped to pure terror. Then she vanished. She had probably looked that way when she died without him there to fight for her.
Like a dash of cold water, the fog in his mind was cleansed. He was renewed. Ainlif shook his coat, slinging muddy bullets at the trees. He battled a burning rage growing within him. His eyes burned with the heat of it. His rage was with himself, he knew, and not with whoever would come at him through the trees. He had to get it under control or he would do something he could never take back.
He glanced at his shoulder. Half covered in slick mud, the tail-end of a koi fish showed through in white ink. Hidden underneath the muck, a second koi danced. They symbolized his parents, his heritage. Something he wasn't always happy to be reminded about. His father, a king, had nothing to do with him. His Amazon mother raised him alone. He had earned his tattoo as a Brother, and by now would be a vichomeraki. For a time, he had begun a herd with his mate and daughter, but it wasn't long before they were killed while he was away. This was the only place he belonged now. He lost his family, his heart, and possibly his mind, but he wouldn't lose his home. He would accept this challenger and show them why he was granted his place in the Amazon.
Ainlif thumped the ground hard, trying to relieve the building tension in his body. His chest still burned with anger and resentment. He was ready. Another battle-call shot at him, much closer now, instantly fueling the flames in his heart. It was distinctly female, which was not at all surprising. These lands had always been nearly exclusively female. And they were all prepared to battle males when it became necessary. It had a thunder of authority to it though, an undertone of power, and he knew this was one he could not battle without truly dire consequences. The leader herself was personally calling this challenge. Fighting her would either cost his life or come with far more responsibility than he ever wanted. Neither option sounded at all appealing.
She burst through the trees, her coat glinting with a protective armor, and bold determination in her fierce eyes. He roared in frustration, trying to expel the wild scorching wrath that wanted so badly to be set free. Ainlif angled his body, positioning his tattoo directly in her path like a shield. Still splashed with mud, it was the only thing he had left, his badge of oath to the Amazons.
"My HOME!" he bellowed. His voice sounded foreign to him, like it belonged to someone else. It had been unused in his self-condemned isolation while he mourned the loss of his family. But he was home now, and it was a new beginning for him. All he could do now was see if she would force him to fight, and risk losing his life, or his grip on the slippery control of his inner rage.
(OOC: So sorry this is so late! My summer classes have kept me busier than I expected! Also, that turned out far longer than I meant it to be, sorry!)