in the desert, i saw a creature
The crowd is riotous today, their voices melding together into a single, ceaseless roar that from a distance may sound like a teryr’s screams. They call for blood, her blood, and they would not be denied.
The sun gazes down on the fighting pits without blinking, and the entire desert withers beneath its stare. The day is hot, even for Solterra; the early morning is not enough to provide relief from its searching gaze. A line of sweat begins to trickle down the backs of the observers, and the flies descend like a greedy cloud upon the dust of the arena. The citizens of Solterra line up, unable to contain the eagerness leaping frantically in their throats, filing one by one into the stands surrounding the pits. And then, they wait.
It is the Davke girl who’s brought in first, shoved unkindly into the sand once her shackles are removed. She is bare, save for the empty leather strap wound about her left foreleg. Her weapon is missing.
The crowd sneers down at her, pointing and laughing and hurling insults. The pit master allows them, encourages them; the bids are coming faster than the collectors can take them, and he is in no rush to stop them. Only once the crowd has had their fill does he signal to the arena keepers, allowing them to reveal her opponent.
The metal grates screech as they are pulled up, the inhumane shriek cutting through the air like a knife. But from within the cave comes another wail - a rasping, rumbling growl that rises above the din. The earth itself shakes in response, silencing the crowd so that their cheers die in their throats. From the darkness steps a shadow, and only the bear’s yellow eyes and drool-slicked teeth glisten brightly. It points it snout at her, opening its fearsome mouth wide, and roars. The spacious arena now seems cramped and claustrophobic with both Avdotya and the bear standing upon its sands.
Perhaps she can hear Zolin laughing over the bear’s challenge, or perhaps she can hear the pit master calling for her spear to be brought in. Perhaps she hears only the sound of her own beating heart, and the Solterran wind racing through the nearby dunes. Or maybe she can hear her blood beginning to sing in response: and something in her blood shifting, stirring, coming awake -
They toss her spear down before the bear, well out of her reach. The crowd howls its approval as the beast steps forward, lips pulled back in a snarl, and stands protectively over the weapon. The claws of one paw scratches deep gouges into the wooden shaft.
Overhead the vultures and carrion crows begin to circle. And as the pit master calls for the fight to begin, the laughter of the boy king rises above the voracious cheers of the crowd.
But the sands shiver again around her hooves as the bear howls again, rising onto its back legs and swinging its paws at the sky. The desert itself is watching, whispering, waiting; and so perhaps Avdotya is not as alone on her side of the arena as she appears to be.
The sun gazes down on the fighting pits without blinking, and the entire desert withers beneath its stare. The day is hot, even for Solterra; the early morning is not enough to provide relief from its searching gaze. A line of sweat begins to trickle down the backs of the observers, and the flies descend like a greedy cloud upon the dust of the arena. The citizens of Solterra line up, unable to contain the eagerness leaping frantically in their throats, filing one by one into the stands surrounding the pits. And then, they wait.
It is the Davke girl who’s brought in first, shoved unkindly into the sand once her shackles are removed. She is bare, save for the empty leather strap wound about her left foreleg. Her weapon is missing.
The crowd sneers down at her, pointing and laughing and hurling insults. The pit master allows them, encourages them; the bids are coming faster than the collectors can take them, and he is in no rush to stop them. Only once the crowd has had their fill does he signal to the arena keepers, allowing them to reveal her opponent.
The metal grates screech as they are pulled up, the inhumane shriek cutting through the air like a knife. But from within the cave comes another wail - a rasping, rumbling growl that rises above the din. The earth itself shakes in response, silencing the crowd so that their cheers die in their throats. From the darkness steps a shadow, and only the bear’s yellow eyes and drool-slicked teeth glisten brightly. It points it snout at her, opening its fearsome mouth wide, and roars. The spacious arena now seems cramped and claustrophobic with both Avdotya and the bear standing upon its sands.
Perhaps she can hear Zolin laughing over the bear’s challenge, or perhaps she can hear the pit master calling for her spear to be brought in. Perhaps she hears only the sound of her own beating heart, and the Solterran wind racing through the nearby dunes. Or maybe she can hear her blood beginning to sing in response: and something in her blood shifting, stirring, coming awake -
They toss her spear down before the bear, well out of her reach. The crowd howls its approval as the beast steps forward, lips pulled back in a snarl, and stands protectively over the weapon. The claws of one paw scratches deep gouges into the wooden shaft.
Overhead the vultures and carrion crows begin to circle. And as the pit master calls for the fight to begin, the laughter of the boy king rises above the voracious cheers of the crowd.
But the sands shiver again around her hooves as the bear howls again, rising onto its back legs and swinging its paws at the sky. The desert itself is watching, whispering, waiting; and so perhaps Avdotya is not as alone on her side of the arena as she appears to be.
This quest takes place in the past, and is a combined Active Magic and Enchantment quest.
@avdotya finds herself tossed into the fighting pits for Zolin's pleasure. Her spear has been tossed beneath the feet of her opponent - a great and snarling bear, starved and poked into a frenzy. She must defeat the bear to save her own life. But perhaps she will find she is not quite so helpless as she appears...
Thread requirements: 1 reply, 500 words. Please tag the RE account in your reply.
How to tag this account: @*'Random Events' without the asterisk!
Once you respond, you may post to claim the quest EXP
Enjoy! -sid
@avdotya finds herself tossed into the fighting pits for Zolin's pleasure. Her spear has been tossed beneath the feet of her opponent - a great and snarling bear, starved and poked into a frenzy. She must defeat the bear to save her own life. But perhaps she will find she is not quite so helpless as she appears...
How to tag this account: @*'Random Events' without the asterisk!
Once you respond, you may post to claim the quest EXP
Enjoy! -sid
Please be advised, tagging the Random Event account does not guarantee a response!
