The pair of men looked at the small torrent of hot tea forming followed by its angry woman and young child, and then at each other as the lady advanced. The whips of tea made them nervous enough to step backwards a few times as they considered their options, not having expected a more even fight. The largest man growled at Kyouna, balling his fists repeatedly before the Earthbender leaned into his comrade and whispered something to him that made him roar, "But this fuck'en prick pickpocketed me," before his friend whispered one more sentence.
Slowly came an exhale of hot air from the giant as the pair retreated back further, the big boy declaring as he pointed to the still-motionless man laying atop Kyouna's tables, "That son of a bitch is gonna get what's coming! You don't mess with the Fangs!"
As they took their prompt leave, Siyu groaned as he tried lifting his arms, the world spinning around his vision. Getting sent through a window and part of a wall had poured pain into Siyu's life, but it was slowly beginning to lessen as he mentally forced his body to begin rolling onto its belly on the broken table. Siyu muttered, "I-I'm soww.. sorry about..." as he began pushing against the floor with his arms before losing his strength almost immediately and falling back down. On the ground he chuckled before coughing lightly, observing quietly, "Guy really... kicked my ass..."
Yes, you deseeeerve it. That was a job well done! replied the ethereal Avante, smiling as ever upon Siyu's shoulders. His tail tickled at the man's ear, forcing a retaliatory swat.
Hmm... I guess you're right... This time.
There was an increasingly renowned shop not too too far from here that Siyu had overhead people talking about, one which Siyu began walking towards, You know, you are right, Avante. I haven't really done anything nice for myself in months...
The reply slithered into Siyu's ear, Avante's got your back, along with a complimentary tail slap of the back. But the world around Siyu began to grow unusual yet again, darks and lights appearing in places they shouldn't. Colors began to shift more as Siyu started to sweat. Avante's tail pointed to the Kong bag, to which the young man followed orders and smoked what little of the herb he had left, "We have to go to the herbalist after this. Have. To."
The Kong quickly took effect, almost like a calm ocean of water enveloping Siyu. His cares and worries diminished with every delicious breath of air as he could finally relax and simply walk to his destination. The colors of the world mostly returned to their places, but still seemed a bit agitated.
Almost no time seemed to have truly passed to Siyu as he approached Tea & La, threading through the denizens of Si Wong City. Taking up position a few feet in front of it, he peered up at the sign, idly contemplating the world, What am I even doing here? What's the point, really?
"Hey! Dirt bag Sandbender!" a still calm Siyu looked to his left and discovered the man from earlier, tomato red with anger, "You're going to return my money!"
"Ah, shit..." Siyu didn't want a fight, choosing instead to turn about and run. But within three steps, his slowed brain registered another man in green garbs approaching, then lifting his left leg rapidly. The earth shifted suddenly to Siyu's right, Fuck! Too fast!
Siyu began to corkscrew his arms to deflect the blast as much as possible, but he was too slow in recognizing the danger. Nearly the full force of the earth pillar hit Siyu, sending him flying through the window of Tea & La, crashing across one table before his body came to rest on a second one.
Pain reverberated through his body as he mentally screamed, Get up! Get up! The two men entered the shop. Both were grad in green clothing, the first was the burly victim of Siyu who was currently cracking his knuckles while growling, "You ready for a beat down, Sandbender??". The second was a skinny Earthbender friend who was still quite dangerous.
A slimy voice roared in Siyu's mind, jolting him awake to promptly bump his head on the bed frame above, "Ow, damn it, Avante," muttered the young man as the occupant in the higher bunk growled back, "My name isn't Avante, ass hole, don't wake me again." Siyu grimaced and quickly slid out from his bunk, packing his things together as quietly as possible.
A peculiar little bushy tail whose colors kept shifting fell down in front of Siyu's face, to which the young man glared upwards at an obnoxious mongoose-shaped vision, Avante, who was sitting with its ass end on the growler's face. The ghostly form smiled as an ethereal voice of a jester appeared from every direction within Siyu's mind, Good morning, sunshiiiiiine.
Siyu ignored his visions, grabbed his pack and personal sandsailer, and quickly left the building, saying only the usual pleasantries on his way out. He didn't like to admit it, but Siyu was currently staying with a small gang of thieves who provided a place to sleep and training on theivery in exchange for a cut of everyone's take. They were an alright bunch, though a bunch Siyu didn't really trust. Anxiety would often find its way into his heart when surrounded by cutthroats as well.
Anxiety that began to rise as Siyu stepped out into the sandy world of Si Wong City. And what a world it was, especially to Siyu. While most people in this part of the city would recognize the trash and squalor, to Siyu there was not just trash and squalor, but also maddeningly twisted beasts floating through the air, people whose faces looked completely blank or turned into pitch black masks with blindingly white grins.
Breath. Breath. Just breath, the urging in Siyu's mind was clear as he clamped his eyes shut, drew in a slow, deep breath, and then exhaled.
Upon opening his eyes, the visions had become somewhat less intense, but it was still overwhelming. As the air around him seemingly began popping with lightning-like flashes visible only to him, Siyu carefully pulled out his wooden pipe and Si Wong Kong bag. The local herb was known to calm the nerves, and that was just what the man needed.
Ah, shit, almost out already... exasperation filled the young man as he took half his remaining herb, stuffing it in the pipe before pulling out his flint and iron. It took a few strikes to produce enough sparks to take hold of the herb, but it was enough as Siyu took a long drag. Within seconds, he began to feel relief as most of the visions fell away, realigning Siyu's reality with those around him.
Better watch out there, little man. Almost empty. Be a shame to see what happens to you without the Kong these days... Avante's ethereal voice once more appeared, pestering him. The mongoose wasn't wrong though. Siyu did not want to run out of Si Wong Kong, and that meant earning money. And earning money in Si Wong Kong as a Sandbender often meant stealing, unfortunately. Siyu adjusted his headwrap, dark brown eyes of both tranquility and terror staring out from beneath it. Into the crowd, he went.
Just before entering a nearby market filled with hustling merchants and consumers, Siyu quickly stepped into a quiet spot and buried his sand sailer before heading in. Inside the market, there was little personal space, but that was perfect for what Siyu had in mind. As the shoppers moved along, the young man peered with eyes that had been taught the basics of to look for pockets, bags, and fabrics that looked like something heavy was in them. He noticed a series of lumps in the pocket of a burly man speaking to a vegetable merchant.
Siyu moved his hands very carefully from the ground towards the man, calling up a stream of sand from the ground that flowed like a tendril. It shot out to the man, slipping into his pocket in an instant, flowing over the coins, then solidifying before being whipped back out of the pocket. Within a second, a ball of coins had transitioned from one pocket to another as Siyu rapidly made his escape.
"Huh? Hey! HEY! I've been robbed!" the man noticed faster than Siyu expected, Shit, got to go.
A hand fell upon his shoulder, Impossible, how could he find me so fast? flashed through Siyu's mind as he looked back at the owner. A tan fist impacted his face.
Lights rushed passed, roars of infinity filled Siyu's ears. The world was torn asunder, upside down, and around. His mother's face drifted into view, then father's. An evil grin. Ever shifting voices of nonsense erupted, The albatross dies as the spirit lies. Echoes of freedom. Nine by seven I fly.
Siyu came to lying in the dust with the man standing above him, "You fuck'en Sandbenders are all the same, lying, stealing, cheatin' little fucks all of you!" The man brought his fists together and down towards Siyu, who whipped his limbs clockwise, summoning a concentrated sandstorm that threw the man off his feet while lifting Siyu to his. Siyu followed this up by turning tail and running away as he kicked up a much less dense but larger sandstorm that enveloped the area.
Slipping away while retrieving his sandsailer, Siyu put as much distance between himself and his victim as possible. Snazzy escape there. You're lucky he wasn't a bender. Once more, Avante's ethereal voice permeated Siyu as the world seemed to shudder for a moment. The mongoose appeared around Siyu's shoulders, So what's the haul?
The young man brought out the coins, counting them by sight, Enough for maybe today and tomorrow. Poor guy... Avante looked at the coins, then at Siyu, smiling an unnaturally toothy grin as he asked, Want some tea?
'I can't tell you what is reality because I don't know myself.' ________________________________________
Age: 19 Gender: Male Race: Sandbender Tribes
Physical Description: Siyu is a mud-eyed, burnt caramel-skinned, unusually tall and lanky young man with sinewy muscles that is routinely clothed in the sand-colored robes of his people, meant to protect against the heat and sunlight. His face is adorned with patchy black facial hair, a clear sign of his age that makes him uncomfortable, while the charcoal hair atop his head is kept extremely short.
Bending: Earth; Sandbending Focus
Siyu is an intermediate Earthbender, focusing on Sandbending. His fighting style, like many Sandbenders, is far more 'whimsical' and flow-oriented than most Earthbenders, entailing many acrobatic and aerial movements. In his training, Siyu has sought to acquire balance between offense and defense, preferring versatility as well as well-timed strikes to win. Despite this, he is still an Earthbender and has endeavoured to master more than just his native techniques.
Skills:
Exceptional Sandsailer: Growing up in Si Wong desert, a person learns to sandsail if possible. Such is Siyu's skill in this matter that he can turn a small stretch of wood and cloth into a personal sandsailer.
Desert Folklore: Born of desert people, Siyu naturally understands survival and navigation within the Si Wong Desert.
Weaknesses:
Unconfident: Siyu is young, really young. He lacks confidence in himself in many ways; body self-esteem, ability to connect with others, and his fighting ability.
Tormented Visions: From a young age, Siyu has been tormented by seemingly unrelated visions, dreams and apparent apparations. One of these is nearly always present and took upon itself the name, 'Avante'. The visions can at times become so intense that Siyu loses sense of reality.
Si Wong Kong: In the course of his life, Siyu discovered that a native plant smoked by his people to calm the nerves helps with his visions, though his use of the plant has generated a reliance upon it.
Possessions:
Personal Sandsailer: Similar to a skateboard without wheels, instead being attached to a sail.
Sandbag: Like most Sandbenders, Siyu keeps a bag of sand on him at all times as sand is what he is most comfortable bending.
Si Wong Compass: A compass that points directly to Si Wong Rock, crucial for navigation within the desert.
Crucial Desert Survival Tools: Other small, assorted tools Siyu keeps with him since the desert is a harsh mother.
Siyu was born alongside his twin Ishou among the Lanata Tribe of the Sandbenders to two loving parents with a total of seven siblings born in total. But the desert is a harsh mother, and one of his brothers died while he was just a baby of disease. Thankfully, Siyu's young age spared him for the most part from this loss.
At three, Siyu was discovered to be an Earthbender when he tripped and fell while the family was travelling on their sandsailer. Busting his nose, the toddler cried out, blowing away the sandstorm powering their sailer. The entire family was proud to have another bender, and even more proud when Ishou was discovered to also be gifted.
The training of the twins was taken up by the eldest sister, Mei. Mei was one of the better benders in the Tribe, and indeed the Wuzhous had been known for years to produce capable benders. His eldest sister was described as, "a sandblaster," producing high velocity sandstorms and bending that could be likened to having your body stripped layer by layer. Cockiness was perhaps Mei's greatest downfall.
When Siyu was eleven, the Lanata Tribe found itself embroiled in a conflict with the Daiyu Tribe, a tribe well known for endorsing raider tactics against foreigners. Mei was called up along with most of the other benders of the Lanata. Siyu cried for days when he saw she was not among the warriors who returned. A quarter of the Lanata warriors died in the battle, including the Chief. Multiple survivors who had been captured for a time and escaped reported witnessing Mei's gang rape and then murder at the hands of seven Daiyu men, but the Lanatas were so broken it was unlikely anything could be done.
The resulting power struggle split the tribe in two, each claiming the name of Lanata but agreeing to simply separate. The chaos and loss crippled Siyu, who recoiled into himself and ceased practicing his bending. Ishou tripled down, training almost endlessly under her new master, Rattlebreath, a Lanata shaman that was now practically second-in-command and known as a crickly old ass hole who'd whip you without a second though.
Ishou had, up until this time, been one of the brightest stars in Siyu's, and the tribe's, world. Wherever she went, she spread joy. There have been tribesmen who have said that everything the Gods took from Siyu, they gave to Ishou. Mei's death was a turning point for the young woman though. While she still spread joy across the world, it seemed lessened, and Siyu often wondered if his twin wasn't pretending at times. It was impossible to get Ishou to talk about her deeper feelings, so Siyu had little choice but to simply watch.
After two years of watching Ishou endure, overcome, and blossom, Siyu finally returned to his training as well, taking Rattlebreath as his new master. Siyu struggled under the old man's barrage whilst his twin overshadowed him at the same age of fifteen by beating twenty year old tribesmen in duels. Deep feelings of inadequacy and inconfidence bore themselves into the boy.
The only relief Siyu had from the training, the tribe, and his family was sandsailing. Whenever he had free time, Siyu would be out on the dunes, screaming through the desert. With little more than the sound of his sandstorm and the wind, it was precious time to think and reorganize before once more being drowned.
And drowned he was. Ishou's abilities seemed endless, whilst Siyu's abilities were, in comparison, not in the same league. The nickname 'Wasted' became popular for Siyu, implying he was wasted time. In contrast, Ishou finally defeated Rattlebreath when they were seventeen, declaring that night to Siyu, "I am going to right the wrong of Mei's death, Siyu, join me!"
Ishou revealed that she had been planning for years to hunt down the seven men who killed Mei and enact her revenge. Despite Siyu's protestations, Ishou made it clear she would go with or without him, and so he left with his twin.
The first man was easy enough to find, track, and then ambush while he was travelling. Siyu spent the man's last moments attempting to convince Ishou not to take the man's life, but she looked at him with incredible disbelief, "This man raped and murdered Mei, and you want him to live? No." Ishou resolutely ended the man with the coldest face Siyu has yet witnessed.
Three more men the pair successfully kill before coming upon the fifth. Railong Qent, now the leader of his own small band of sandraiders. In total it would be five on two. Those were shit odds in Siyu's opinion, but again, Ishou didn't care. Three of Qent's underlings died in the battle but Siyu was shot through the abdomen with a rock bullet whilst Ishou was wounded four times with rock bullets. Both received numerous other small wounds, the battle ending with Siyu making a desperate retreat with Ishou in tow.
For thirty-eight hours he sailed, and sailed, doing what he could to stem Ishou's bleeding. But it wasn't enough. Ishou Wuzhou passed away in that desert in her twin's arms. The pain is utterly unbearable, Siyu's cries and screams generating a sandnado. He returned to his people with Ishou's body, giving it to the sands with his family.
Siyu did not say another word for months after Ishou's death, preferring instead to lay in his sleeping bag. None could make Siyu stir, not his parents, siblings, or Rattlebreath. When he finally began to speak again and return to normalcy, Siyu spoke of a world of utter madness and insanity, stating that still haunted him constantly. There was even a strange vision that called itself 'Avante' and had taken to jeering at him, calling him names and laughing whilst Siyu was bedridden.
Consulting with Rattlebreath about these strange visions and voices, Rattlebreath called on a number of other Shamans, but Siyu found no relief. He could do little but endure this new world he had been thrust into. It was a world full of Ishou's touch. He could see her in his parents and siblings. Hear her in Rattlebreath's orders. Even the tribesmen who lessened their teasing reminded Siyu of his twin. It was unbearable.
And so he left.
To Si Wong City he went, hoping to the Gods that he could find someone could help him, or perhaps a new life free of his baggage. But life is not easy, even in Si Wong City. A man without connections, money, or real skills beyond sandsailing and sandbending combined with prejudices against sandbenders ended up wrapping Siyu up in a minor theive's gang. It was among these thieves that he discovered the herb known colloquially as 'Si Wong Kong', 'Kong', 'SWK' and 'Shwick'. When smoked, Si Wong Kong causes relaxation in the user, relaxation that turned out to directly lessen the visions and voices. It wasn't long until Siyu began regularly using Kong, a habit that required more and more money. Slowly but surely, Siyu turned more and more to thievery, until the present day.
Supporting Cast:
Avante: A 'being' visible only to Siyu as far as he knows, Avante's visual form is that of a small mongoose covered in black and white fur. Only the colors are constantly shifting, blending, birthing new colors, and ending those colors. It sits upon Siyu's shoulders, often whispering to him. Avante's motivations and even whether or not it actually exists are still unclear to Siyu, who isn't sure if Avante is an actual spirit or a figment of his imagination.
@Sep This is my submission, and I am in Discord if you have questions.
Siyu Wuzhou
'I can't tell you what is reality because I don't know myself.' ________________________________________
Age: 19 Gender: Male Race: Sandbender Tribes
Physical Description: Siyu is a mud-eyed, burnt caramel-skinned, unusually tall and lanky young man with sinewy muscles that is routinely clothed in the sand-colored robes of his people, meant to protect against the heat and sunlight. His face is adorned with patchy black facial hair, a clear sign of his age that makes him uncomfortable, while the charcoal hair atop his head is kept extremely short.
Bending: Earth; Sandbending Focus
Siyu is an intermediate Earthbender, focusing on Sandbending. His fighting style, like many Sandbenders, is far more 'whimsical' and flow-oriented than most Earthbenders, entailing many acrobatic and aerial movements. In his training, Siyu has sought to acquire balance between offense and defense, preferring versatility as well as well-timed strikes to win. Despite this, he is still an Earthbender and has endeavoured to master more than just his native techniques.
Skills:
Exceptional Sandsailer: Growing up in Si Wong desert, a person learns to sandsail if possible. Such is Siyu's skill in this matter that he can turn a small stretch of wood and cloth into a personal sandsailer.
Desert Folklore: Born of desert people, Siyu naturally understands survival and navigation within the Si Wong Desert.
Weaknesses:
Unconfident: Siyu is young, really young. He lacks confidence in himself in many ways; body self-esteem, ability to connect with others, and his fighting ability.
Tormented Visions: From a young age, Siyu has been tormented by seemingly unrelated visions, dreams and apparent apparations. One of these is nearly always present and took upon itself the name, 'Avante'. The visions can at times become so intense that Siyu loses sense of reality.
Si Wong Kong: In the course of his life, Siyu discovered that a native plant smoked by his people to calm the nerves helps with his visions, though his use of the plant has generated a reliance upon it.
Possessions:
Personal Sandsailer: Similar to a skateboard without wheels, instead being attached to a sail.
Sandbag: Like most Sandbenders, Siyu keeps a bag of sand on him at all times as sand is what he is most comfortable bending.
Si Wong Compass: A compass that points directly to Si Wong Rock, crucial for navigation within the desert.
Crucial Desert Survival Tools: Other small, assorted tools Siyu keeps with him since the desert is a harsh mother.
Siyu was born alongside his twin Ishou among the Lanata Tribe of the Sandbenders to two loving parents with a total of seven siblings born in total. But the desert is a harsh mother, and one of his brothers died while he was just a baby of disease. Thankfully, Siyu's young age spared him for the most part from this loss.
At three, Siyu was discovered to be an Earthbender when he tripped and fell while the family was travelling on their sandsailer. Busting his nose, the toddler cried out, blowing away the sandstorm powering their sailer. The entire family was proud to have another bender, and even more proud when Ishou was discovered to also be gifted.
The training of the twins was taken up by the eldest sister, Mei. Mei was one of the better benders in the Tribe, and indeed the Wuzhous had been known for years to produce capable benders. His eldest sister was described as, "a sandblaster," producing high velocity sandstorms and bending that could be likened to having your body stripped layer by layer. Cockiness was perhaps Mei's greatest downfall.
When Siyu was eleven, the Lanata Tribe found itself embroiled in a conflict with the Daiyu Tribe, a tribe well known for endorsing raider tactics against foreigners. Mei was called up along with most of the other benders of the Lanata. Siyu cried for days when he saw she was not among the warriors who returned. A quarter of the Lanata warriors died in the battle, including the Chief. Multiple survivors who had been captured for a time and escaped reported witnessing Mei's gang rape and then murder at the hands of seven Daiyu men, but the Lanatas were so broken it was unlikely anything could be done.
The resulting power struggle split the tribe in two, each claiming the name of Lanata but agreeing to simply separate. The chaos and loss crippled Siyu, who recoiled into himself and ceased practicing his bending. Ishou tripled down, training almost endlessly under her new master, Rattlebreath, a Lanata shaman that was now practically second-in-command and known as a crickly old ass hole who'd whip you without a second though.
Ishou had, up until this time, been one of the brightest stars in Siyu's, and the tribe's, world. Wherever she went, she spread joy. There have been tribesmen who have said that everything the Gods took from Siyu, they gave to Ishou. Mei's death was a turning point for the young woman though. While she still spread joy across the world, it seemed lessened, and Siyu often wondered if his twin wasn't pretending at times. It was impossible to get Ishou to talk about her deeper feelings, so Siyu had little choice but to simply watch.
After two years of watching Ishou endure, overcome, and blossom, Siyu finally returned to his training as well, taking Rattlebreath as his new master. Siyu struggled under the old man's barrage whilst his twin overshadowed him at the same age of fifteen by beating twenty year old tribesmen in duels. Deep feelings of inadequacy and inconfidence bore themselves into the boy.
The only relief Siyu had from the training, the tribe, and his family was sandsailing. Whenever he had free time, Siyu would be out on the dunes, screaming through the desert. With little more than the sound of his sandstorm and the wind, it was precious time to think and reorganize before once more being drowned.
And drowned he was. Ishou's abilities seemed endless, whilst Siyu's abilities were, in comparison, not in the same league. The nickname 'Wasted' became popular for Siyu, implying he was wasted time. In contrast, Ishou finally defeated Rattlebreath when they were seventeen, declaring that night to Siyu, "I am going to right the wrong of Mei's death, Siyu, join me!"
Ishou revealed that she had been planning for years to hunt down the seven men who killed Mei and enact her revenge. Despite Siyu's protestations, Ishou made it clear she would go with or without him, and so he left with his twin.
The first man was easy enough to find, track, and then ambush while he was travelling. Siyu spent the man's last moments attempting to convince Ishou not to take the man's life, but she looked at him with incredible disbelief, "This man raped and murdered Mei, and you want him to live? No." Ishou resolutely ended the man with the coldest face Siyu has yet witnessed.
Three more men the pair successfully kill before coming upon the fifth. Railong Qent, now the leader of his own small band of sandraiders. In total it would be five on two. Those were shit odds in Siyu's opinion, but again, Ishou didn't care. Three of Qent's underlings died in the battle but Siyu was shot through the abdomen with a rock bullet whilst Ishou was wounded four times with rock bullets. Both received numerous other small wounds, the battle ending with Siyu making a desperate retreat with Ishou in tow.
For thirty-eight hours he sailed, and sailed, doing what he could to stem Ishou's bleeding. But it wasn't enough. Ishou Wuzhou passed away in that desert in her twin's arms. The pain is utterly unbearable, Siyu's cries and screams generating a sandnado. He returned to his people with Ishou's body, giving it to the sands with his family.
Siyu did not say another word for months after Ishou's death, preferring instead to lay in his sleeping bag. None could make Siyu stir, not his parents, siblings, or Rattlebreath. When he finally began to speak again and return to normalcy, Siyu spoke of a world of utter madness and insanity, stating that still haunted him constantly. There was even a strange vision that called itself 'Avante' and had taken to jeering at him, calling him names and laughing whilst Siyu was bedridden.
Consulting with Rattlebreath about these strange visions and voices, Rattlebreath called on a number of other Shamans, but Siyu found no relief. He could do little but endure this new world he had been thrust into. It was a world full of Ishou's touch. He could see her in his parents and siblings. Hear her in Rattlebreath's orders. Even the tribesmen who lessened their teasing reminded Siyu of his twin. It was unbearable.
And so he left.
To Si Wong City he went, hoping to the Gods that he could find someone could help him, or perhaps a new life free of his baggage. But life is not easy, even in Si Wong City. A man without connections, money, or real skills beyond sandsailing and sandbending combined with prejudices against sandbenders ended up wrapping Siyu up in a minor theive's gang. It was among these thieves that he discovered the herb known colloquially as 'Si Wong Kong', 'Kong', 'SWK' and 'Shwick'. When smoked, Si Wong Kong causes relaxation in the user, relaxation that turned out to directly lessen the visions and voices. It wasn't long until Siyu began regularly using Kong, a habit that required more and more money. Slowly but surely, Siyu turned more and more to thievery, until the present day.
Supporting Cast:
Avante: A 'being' visible only to Siyu as far as he knows, Avante's visual form is that of a small mongoose covered in black and white fur. Only the colors are constantly shifting, blending, birthing new colors, and ending those colors. It sits upon Siyu's shoulders, often whispering to him. Avante's motivations and even whether or not it actually exists are still unclear to Siyu, who isn't sure if Avante is an actual spirit or a figment of his imagination.
The Mordukai spent much of the tail end of the monsoon huddled in the low-altitude caverns of Skyrender, until the rains finally began to dissipate. It began once more on that second-most fateful of days, the day when all seemed right with the world once more, but not until late. With the rains apparently finally ended, and the Mordukai pent up and anxious, the Queens decided to begin moving the Hives back towards the lands they first colonized.
A hundred insectoids picked up camp and began the hike back down the foothills of Skyrender, merry that calm times had finally come again. They set down much of their belongings not far from where they once made camp, though this time the Mordukai decided to settle at higher altitude. They began to set about rebuilding home as the day ended, and the rains once more began in the night.
At first it seemed little more than some errant droplets, irritating a few sleeping Mordukai, but slowly, it became a very clear sprinkle. The Queens were made aware of this issue, and watched for hours as the rain slowly increased, until it was clear something must be done. Before the Sun rose, the Mordukai grabbed what they could and began heading back towards Skyrender.
Yet it was too late. As noon approached, the storm became so intense it was difficult to see. Finding themselves on a forested hill surrounded by rain and the sounds of what may have been creeks become rivers, the Mordukai huddled close together, interlocking their limbs, ensuring no one would be lost.
With lightning crashing down repeatedly not far away, thunder deafening them, winds pummeling them, the Mordukai began to shiver and shake, losing hope. In desperation, the first Queen begins muttering to herself quietly, "End this storm," over and over. As the minutes grow into what feel like punishingly long hours, her fervency grows until her closest Soldiers hear her and begin repeating the mantra. Soon, all ninety-nine Mordukai are chanting together, though to describe it better would be more like ninety-nine roaches hissing and humming together in a giant clump in the middle of an ultra-hurricane. The Drone, meanwhile, was some distance away, yelling at the storm and fighting it with four stone blades.
At the peak of the storm, the strangest thing occurred. Shadowy figures began appearing in the rains, popping in and out of existent around and sometimes between the Mordukai. Panic began to sweep through the Mordukai, for this was something that was truly unearthly and impossible to them. Seeing this, the first Queen understood the Mordukai could likely do little to fight this figures, but she could still steel their souls, as she gripped those who held her hands tighter, declaring with her loudest voice, "This storm will break before we!" A second mantra that spread like wildfire, a mantra to hold themselves against the darkness that surrounded and enveloped them.
Ninety-nine insectoids hummed so loudly and in unison together that it is said that day that even the thunder could not drown them out, the vibrations even moving their bodies as shadows danced between them.
But finally, the darkest seemed to have past as the storm moved east. As the first rays of light began to fall upon the huddled Mordukai, they lifted up their heads towards the sky, relieved. The first Queen looked around and told them, "Sisters, let us pray until we are sure the storms have gone!" As none challenged the first Queen, the Mordukai returned to their 'chanting' as the day wore on.
When the night came, there was a new display awaiting the Mordukai through the branches of the trees; a great display of newborn light stretching from horizon to horizon. It was utterly marvelous to the Mordukai. The first Queen looked upon this display and felt in her heart a message, declaring, "This is the reward for our efforts! We have broken the storm!"
Her closest Soldier raised up her fist, "You lead us through the storm, you told us what to do. You are the Stormbreaker, leader of the Mordukai! Do any stand with me?" Rapidly, the entire peoples of the Mordukai, save for the Drone doing who knows what, stood and raised their fists. The great display above, the Mordukai declared to be the Stormbreaker's Crown, as the new stars appeared to be a crown atop the earth, and through weird logic, a crown atop Stormbreaker's head. And so the first Queen was anointed as Stormbreaker, First of Names, Breaker of the Great Storms, Crowned of the Earth.
To ensure their victory, Stormbreaker ordered, the Mordukai would return to their prayer until they were certain the storms were gone. And thus they prayed for three days and three nights until delirium and exhaustion forced them to slumber. It was then that Stormbreaker received a dream that has been recorded through time as,
Darkness encroached all around. Shadow marauders danced between ghostly Mordukai, fighting with strange tools. Fires rained down from above. I sat in ash and bone adorned me. The color was gone, my people hungered. I drew breath, focused, prayed. The world shifted into peace, prosperity. Carry the prayer.
When they awoke, Stormbreaker declared that there would always be at least one Mordukai praying to ward off the darkness, lest they risk the return of the shadows. She further declared that they would build their homes here, naming the spot 'Adamant'. This was now their home, their holy land, the land where they had stood against the storms and the shadows and won, in their opinion.
This caused some minor issues. Pottery had been refined not long after the storms ended, so storing food, water, and goods was much easier, but Adamant's relative distance from the rivers resulted in some inconvenience. This inconvenience pushed the Mordukai to begin pondering how to move goods around better...
With the air growing colder by the day, the Mordukai begin building their homes of stick, stones, leaves, and mud. They reconstruct their irrigated fields, hunt, gather, and spend more time working on domesticating the Lepus and Ovis. Their objective until they reach what their instincts tell them is winter is to store up as much food as possible and become established, and to those ends they focus.
The Mordukai weathered being trapped in the middle of the storm by repeating mantras together and became convinced that the storm broke because of their fortitude in the face of impending doom, calling the new display in the night sky Stormbreaker's Crown, or 'the Crown', for short. Stormbreaker being the first Queen, who has become the established leader of the Mordukai. Her full name is Stormbreaker, First of Names, Breaker of the Great Storms, Crowned of the Earth. On the spot the Mordukai broke the storm, they build their homes, naming the site 'Adamant'. There is always at least one Mordukai praying at the center of Adamant to ward off the darkness.
They discovered Pottery and now working on Fermentation/Wheel.
Written upon a paper presented secretly before the cabinet members is a paper inscribed with the words of Colonel Pepe, "With President Saavedra becoming indisposed, his delegation to me the position of Acting President, or Acting Presidente, as I prefer, comes with great responsibility. Until President Saavedra is once more capable of taking the helm, I shall hold this position until the end of his term, at which point I shall release my position to whomever wins the next election. Thus, I lay out my proposed budget for 2021:
Proposed 2021 Budget
Ministry of Security - $2
Ministry of Defense - $5
Ministry of Transport - $5
Ministry of Foreign Affairs - $2
Ministry of Energy - $5
Ministry of Industry - $5
My logic is simple;
I do not believe the Ministry of Security is in dire need of more money, as they shall receive double their budget from the previous year. I have appropriately allocated more funds to Defense in accordance with our increased income because he who wants peace must prepare for war.
The Ministry of Transport receives more funds because we need to develop Melizea's infrastructure and logistics capabilities far beyond what it is currently if we wish for Melizea to compete on the world stage to any extent. The same goes for the Ministries of Energy and Industry. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is receiving double its budget from last year, and I know although it is less, I would not be surprised if we were to close the borders very soon, so foreign relations are likely to become less important.
Thank you for your time, Gentlemen and Ladies, Acting President Pepe"
The skies quickly began to grow dark no doubt all across the lands as the Mordukai witnessed an intensely rapid change from sunny, to increasingly stormy. It turned out that the land they inhabited, what they would eventually discover to be the South of an island, was usually particularly hard hit by the storms, being that they came from the South. The structure of their land, Mountains a few days walk away North, with coasts right next door, created a kind of physical wall into which crashed the Southern Storms like a freight train. Their hot, humid air was sent crashing upwards into the colder altitudes by what the Mordukai would come to call, 'Skyrender's Wall'. And, as hot air becomes colder, rain begins to form. And rain, god damn, it did there in the South during this time.
Within a week, the Queens became concerned and began ordering a harvest of the fields, as the banks of the Sunset and Sunrise began to rise. Within the past three months, a great harvest of vegetables from wild beans to squash had been grown. What couldn't be eaten by the Mordukai was often eaten by the Lepus, which the Mordukai had finally mastered the husbandry of with the help of simple stone age plant fiber ropes, adding more food to the Mordukai supply.
It could have been larger, the Queens lamented, considering the help that irrigating the fields had given to its yield versus having moved the fields somewhere safer. In the end, they decided to test the difference later.
During Week 13, the storms only worsened, until the Queens decided to move towards Skyrender and seek shelter there. All the Mordukai grabbed what they could, tearing up huts at times, and moved north, seeking to avoid the coasts which were reported by one Soldier as, "having over my head waves." Unfortunately, without a good means to store things, a large portion of food was left behind, pushing the Queens to wonder how to store items.
The Mordukai discovered the beginnings of the Skyrender cave systems, taking cover in the lower altitude cave entrances. At higher altitude, conditions were a fair bit less wet, though the Queens worried that the Storms would simply increase further.
Even as the storms worsened, the Drone, whom had once been simply exploring the area, killing and eating game but now found himself huddled in a cave losing his mind, came to the Queens and declared, "Lay with me!"
A horny, bored, eight foot tall, dangerous Drone is not a good Drone. The Queens agreed on one condition: that the Drone go out and kill an Ovis singlehandedly. In truth, the Queens had seen the beasts on the Mordukai's journey up to the slopes of Skyrender, had seen how they were thick, muscular, Soldier-height beasts that would likely trample and brutally murder even a Drone most likely. And so, half hoping the Drone would get itself killed, the Drone set off.
The Drone crept among the slopes and earthly flows of the mountains, stalking a herd of Ovis that were grazing upon it. They moved surprisingly majestically, leaping here and there, but the Drone was utterly determined to bring back a trophy to his Queens. Besides some food, with him he brought three things: three stone knives and a long stretch of plant fiber rope. As he laid low on the ground, watching the herd carefully for hours, the Drone learned which Ovis were old, and which were young. The Queens had told him, 'kill an Ovis', but they had not specified what age, the Drone had realized.
Finally, the Drone began fashioning the rope into a crude kind of lasso, really just a noose meant to trap a victim. These nooses the Mordukai had learned from their trapping and beginning domestication of Lepus, and it was this noose the Drone intended to use on a younger Ovis.
Carefully, steadily, the Drone crept closer, using the winds and rains as cover, it finally leapt into action, throwing the noose. It fell promptly around the neck of a smaller, younger Ovis, causing the Ovis to jerk wildly against the rope. Its jerk movements spooked the rest of the herd, as did the Drone hissing and clicking loudly. Scared by something they'd never seen before, the rest of the Ovis scattered as the Drone wrangled with the much smaller beast.
Tossing aside one knife, two hands were used to pull the Ovis closer. In terms of size, the Ovis was about three feet tall, so still quite powerful despite its youth, but it was contending with a four-armed, eight foot tall Mordukai. The struggle lasted minutes, but finally, the Drone began stabbing the Ovis repeatedly in the neck until it stopped moving.
Triumphant, the Drone cut the head loose from the body and broke open the back of the skull, devouring the Ovis' soft and delicious brain. Sitting atop the body, the Drone took the time to clean the skull, and even used some impromptu stone tools to shape it until he was certain it was just right, then placed it upon his own head like a helmet. That done, the Drone removed what meat he could carry, and returned home.
Upon returning home triumphant, he fell to his knees among a crowd of Mordukai within the caves, holding up his Ovis skull helmet to the Three Queens who had assembled in front of him. The First Queen took the skull from his hands and looked it over before placing it upon her own head, finding it fit better. With the horns of the Ovis jutting out from her head, she thanked him, "Thank you Drone, for your gift. We will lay with you." Satisfied, the Drone became less restful, for now.
With the demonstration of this capture technique by the Drone, the Queens decided to take advantage of the situation and began hunting the Ovis with spears and ropes, also deciding to capture a number of the most young Ovis the Mordukai could find. The Mordukai would turn these Ovis into livestock just like the Lepus, the Queens reasoned. The rain and winds may have made things more difficult in one aspect, but they helped cover the Mordukai's movements on the other.
Within weeks, the Mordukai begin adorning themselves with Ovis fur, helping them adapt to the somewhat colder temperatures at higher altitude. Ovis skulls and bones also begin becoming a central focus, with the Soldiers often wearing pieces of a kill to show their worth to their Queen. Slowly, but surely, the Mordukai were beginning to form a culture.
The Storm worsened more and more though, to the point that the Mordukai decided to keep their heads firmly down during these trying times, remaining mostly inside the lower altitude caves of Skyrender. And it was during this time that rumors began to circulate amongst the Mordukai of strange, eerie sounds echoing through the caves. Sounds that would keep Soldiers up at night, standing watch reflexively. The Queens decided a simple stance of doing nothing other than being ready to be attacked by animals was all that was necessary, and so the Mordukai hunkered down and waited.
Finally, the Storm reached full strength during Week 18. And it seemed to refuse to relent. They wait, and waited, for almost a week, and nothing changed. Occasional gathering parties would go out for food, and the Mordukai had some stores, but more was never a bad thing. Finally, they sent Soldiers into the cave system, armed with torches, spears, and knives, soon discovering a glowing purple mushroom that, after testing with a Worker, was entirely edible.
What they also discovered were the Chit. These creatures were magnificant beings to the Mordukai, fellow insectoids that also worked together as a Hive. It was a match made in heaven. Except for the fact that the Mordukai could not communicate with the creatures. Despite trying to lure Chit in with food, or trap young ones, the beasts proved difficult to gain control of. The Queens looked upon the Chit as natural underlings beneath the Mordukai, if the Mordukai could just figure out a way to tame them.
Satisfied, the Mordukai returned to their abodes, waiting for the Storm to die with the help of their new food supply.
With the rapidly worsening weather, the Mordukai decide to harvest their irrigated fields because the Sunrise and Sunset Rivers are beginning to rise, and pick up root, moving to the lower altitude caves of Skyrender Mountain. There, a Drone kills a young Ovis by trapping it with a plant fiber rope, and begins a practice of Mordukai wearing Ovis bones and skulls. The Mordukai begin hunting the Ovis for food and fur, and capture a few young ones to begin domesticating much like the Lepus. They later investigate a small part of the cave system, discovering a glowing purple mushroom and the Chit, whom they try to domesticate but fail, for now at least. The Mordukai are working towards Pottery this turn.
I wanted to understand better just how large our island is, so I compared it to-scale based on the legend's scale to England. We aren't much bigger than Ireland, it seems. Warning, this is a large image:
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