'The Silver Ring'
Just a short, one-post story. Shows a bit of Dementa's background. Kind of long though...
Dementa approached the crowd from the alley, curious as to what was going on. Apparently there was some strange vistors in the city, vistors from one of the industial cities. She never seen on industial types before, but then neither had anyone else in the Forest Drakkic community.
She grumbled slightly as she tried to see pass the crowd of Drakkics that were blocking her view. Even though she had hind legs now due to the spell a strange mudokon had put on her not long ago, she was no taller then a fully grown drakkic male. But she could see one of the strangers, well at least part of him anyway: part a purplish-brown, melon-shaped head and glowing orange eyes.
Above the whispers and murmers of the crowd, she could hear the stranger speaking. It had a gruff, bass voice and was saying something about 'great profits could be made', but she couldn't get close enough to hear him clearly. He went on for a while, sounding much like one of the Seers when describing a vision they saw. He finally ended by saying: "Pretty sweet deal eh? So what da ya say?"
There was silence for a couple of moments, then one of the drakkics close to Dementa spoke.
"Such decisions are made by the Royal Family, not by the general populious."
The stranger made an annoyed sounding noise, obviously not pleased with having to repeat his speech to someone else.
"Well where is this 'royal family'?" he demended.
Almost all at once the drakkics pointed in one direction, toward the Royal Palace and went about their business. As the crowd thinned, Dementa could see the stranger more clearly: he was a little over 8 feet tall, with purplish-brown skin and orange eyes. He stood on armlegs like drakkics did, but had the rements of real legs dangling uselessly inbetween them. The clothing was simple and hung loosely on him so it would not impede his movement. Dementa racked her brain trying to think of what this guy was, she knew she had heard about these guys in her history lessons.
A glukkon...that's what he is... she thought as the glukk made his way to the palace.
There were two much smaller creatures with him, ones she didn't see before. At first she didn't recognize them as sligs, due to their masks and metalic pants and she frowned when she did recognize them.
Have they completely forgotten their past? she thought as she watched them enter the palace. She remembered in her lessons how sligs used to be great allies to her people, but one day they all but vanished. The few that remained were shy and reclusive, avoiding contact with anyone if they could help it.
"Well this morning has started out interesting hasn't it Authia?" a male voice said behind her, making her jump slightly.
"How many times must I tell you, Lyokk?" Dementa said rolling her eyes as she turned and faced Lyokk, who was one of the few friends she had. "Don't sneak up behind me like that and don't call me Authia...its 'Dementa' now..."
It was Lyokk's turn to roll his eyes.
"You will always be 'Authia' to me...that is your real name after all..." he said.
"It may be my real name but it no longer suits me..." Dementa said with a sad sigh.
"Authia...thats only because you don't look at the good things in life..."
"What good things?" Dementa said with a slight growl, "Look at me!" She pointed to her legs and chest, "I am a freak! I can't touch anyone without causing them pain! And the others make my life a living hell as it is!"
"That's only because you let them...you let them intimadate and threaten you. You need to stand up for yourself...once you do things will get better."
"That might have worked before I was cursed Lyokk..." Dementa said as she sat on the ground and buried her head in her arms.
Lyokk sighed and shook his head, it was going to be another long day...
By lunch time Lyokk had managed to cheer Dementa up again.
"I wonder what that glukkon wanted with us..." Dementa said.
"Who knows..." Lyokk said as bit into a piece of fruit, "We'll probably find out once he comes out of the palace."
"I wonder..." Dementa said with a sigh, "if I'll ever have a 'normal' life..."
"If everyone had a 'normal' life it would be boring." Lyokk said, "I know mine is..."
"How is your life boring? I think metal working is pretty interesting myself."
"Yeah but then you get those that are picky..." he then started mimicing customers voices, "'I don't like how that curve is going' or 'this isn't tapered enough' or 'it still doesn't fit right could you resize it'"
"That sounds more 'annoying' then 'boring'" Dementa said with a giggle.
"Yeah...you're right..." Lyokk chuckled, then sighed.
"What's wrong?"
Lyokk didn't answer, he looked like he was deep in thought. His eyes told her he was debating with himself over something.
"Lyokk?"
Finally Lyokk let out a long slow sigh. Then while balancing on one armleg, he reached into a small pouch that was hanging around his neck.
"I...was going to ask you much sooner...before you had that 'incedent' with the mudokon..." he said taking a small silver object out of the pouch and held it out to her.
It was a ring, a silver snout ring to be exact. Dementa stiffened when she saw it and realized what he was asking. She was touched by his offer, but at the same time horrified.
"I'm sorry..." she said turning her head away, tears in her eyes, "I can't...as much as I want to...I can't...it would be torture to me...to never be able to..."
"We'll find a way Authia..." Lyokk said softly, "I know there is a way around it...we have to at least try..."
Just then there was a loud curse and the pair turned toward the Royal Palace to see the glukkon storm out of it along with the two sligs. The look was fury was obvious on the gluk's face he stormed past them, muttering unintelligable things under his breath.
"Looks like the Royal Family refused whatever offer he had..." Dementa said as they watched the irrate glukkon leave the city.
"Being a poor sport about it too..." Lyokk said.
Why do I get a bad feeling about this? Dementa thought.
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A couple of days later Dementa was basking in a clearing, one of the few past times she could enjoy without being harassed. But she felt restless. She felt guilty about turning Lyokk down, though he seemed to be taking it well enough.
'we have to at least try...' his voice repeated in her head and she sighed.
Maybe I should have accepted... she thought, He does try his hardest to make me smile...and I don't feel so lonely when I am with him...
She rolled onto her back, watching the clouds go by. She was hoping that Lyokk would have been able to join her out here, but he had some work to do in his smithery.
A large flock of birds suddenly flew over head, crawing and chirping in panic.
I wonder what startled them? Dementa thought as she sat up and watched then fly away.
She looked in the direction they came from and her eyes widened in shock at the dark smoke cloud that was raising into the air.
That's coming from the city! she thought in panic as she jumped to her feet and ran toward the city.
As she got closer she heard gunfire and a sickening feeling filled her heart. When she ran into the city she saw it in flames and dead drakkic everywhere.
"No..." Dementa muttered as she searched the ruins. Tthen came across Lyokk's body and her heart sank like a stone.
"Lyokk...no..." She collapsed by his still form, hoping by some miricle he was still alive. But he wasn't and she held his head to her chest, sobbing.
Faintly over the roar of the fire around her, she heard the metallic sounds of slig pants. Looking up through teary eyes she saw a group of sligs searching through the huts, apparently checking for anyone they missed.
Her heart filled with a mix of grief and rage, Dementa charged at them, howling her fury. Not expecting to be attacked the sligs were caught off guard and Dementa easily cut the first one down with her claws and powerful jaws. She managed to slash another across the face and knock down a third with her tail before the rest of the group opened up on her.
For a brief moment she felt pain...then there was nothing but darkness....
Some unknown amount of time later, Dementa opened her eyes.
"Whaa..." she muttered as she sat up, confused.
How am I still alive? she thought, was it just a horrible dream?
She looked around and saw to her sadness that it wasn't just a dream. Her city really was attacked and burned, her people slaughtered. She looked at her tunic and saw where the bullets had struck her...but there was no evidence of any wounds save for the holes in her tunic.
How can this be? I should be dead...
She looked over at Lyokk's body, which was now stiff and starting to decay. Her heart heavy she crawled over to him.
"You wanted to help me be happy..." she said, tears running down her cheeks, "now you'll never get that chance...You should have been the one to survive...not me......not me..."
She then noticed he was clutching the small pouch iwth a handfoot, like it was his last act before death claimed him. Carefully she pulled it out of his dead paw and opened it. Inside was the ring he offered to her a couple days ago.
Even as your life was taken from you...you thought of me... she thought, holding the ring in her hand. Not fullying knowing why, she slipped the ring onto her middle face tentacle. To her, the ring symbolized what could have been...and the loneliness she now must endure for however long her life will be...
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