Colony

[Tassik Cormal]

Tassik sighed heavily and stared down into his tea. "For the last time, that... -craft- died with my father. I swore I would never take it up again," he explained to the wolf, casting him a glare as he looked up from his cup. This wasn't the first time Dreek had asked him about this, and he was getting tired of his constant pestering.

"C'mon, Tassy boy! Your old pappy was so close to figuring it all out! How can you give up when we're on the brink o' the greatest discovery of all time!?" he urged, leaning over the table a little in his excitment. He grinned widely at the cat, gold eyes flashing with anticipation. "We could run this place m'boy! Just think about it! With the expedition that's leaving, the place'd ours for the taking. We just need to finish your pap's work, and we could take it just like that!"

Tassik stood up in a blink, fangs bared as he glowered at the wolf. "I SAID NO! I will NOT touch those tools! Never again! Too many lives were lost the last time! Now get the hell out of my shop!" he declared, pointing to the door. The wolf snorted and stood, grabbing his jacket off the chair, storming outside as he shouted back, "You're gonna regret this, cat!"

He let out another heavy sigh, turning back to the stairs up to the greenhouse, his footsteps feeling heavy with guilt at having turned away his old friend. There was nothing that would make him take up his father's terrible art. It had caused so much pain, and the lives of some many innocents, his mother among them. He crept over to the locked door, the one Salah had politely complied to not inquire about, and pulled out an old worn key from his pocket. He looked at the door for a moment pensively before unlocking it and stepping inside, lighting the oil lamp on the wall. He gazed around the darkly lit room. The air was stained with the scent of acids and metals, as well as numerous organic materials, many of which had either rotted to dust, or were preserved in jars on the shelves. As he made his was over the desk, he looked over the numerous tools stren about, many looking like those of a chemist, the others unrecognizable to anyone other than those of the art. He came to a stop in front of a pile of journals, all showing their age with their torn leather covers and yellowed pages. Opening the cover, he read the words he though he'd never have to see again. "This is the alchemeic journal of Jackt Cormal and is for the eyes of no one but myself and others of my craft." He winced, reminded of all the experiments his father had performed in his lust for knowledge of this forbidden art. He closed the book and surveyed the room once more, pondering what to do. Dreet would hold his word. He would return, and he do whatever it takes to get Tassik do bend to his wishes.

"We must leave..." he muttered to himself. But to where, and how? it was then that the wolf's words drifted back to him. "With the expedition that's leaving..." he'd said. "That's right, there's an group leaving for a settlement expidition, there's bills all over the place... we could go with them... prefect," he mused to himself. He went to the door, pausing as he took the handle in his paw, looking back to the room. They certainly had a lot of packing to do, and sadly this equipment was included. He couldn't risk these materials falling into the wrong hands, or Dreet's for that matter. He left then, heading to Salah's room to inform her of the situation, and of the dark secret her swore he'd never tell her of.

[jehs]

[Just an FYI, the posting order is presently waiting on IK - after whom I will not be posting for this round due to illness. It's difficult enough trying to crank out some writing for school with these headaches and stomach-rumblings. In short . . . do remember to skip me, please.]

[Ironklaw]

Sorry about the LOOONG delay. I wasn't feeling well and, in that state, I was in no mood to write. Back on the wagon, though! AWAY!

Ossos was dreaming. Images of his homeland in the Islands whirling around in his head; the open air of his nation giving relief to the claustrophobic confinement of the tight Lysteri streets. He dreamt of smiling faces from his youth and of the smell of chicken roasting in the open. He dreamt of his masters, those who taught him to cook and who instructed him in the Secret of the Spices. The dream was a montage of fond memories, of green grass and white beaches, of brightly coloured houses and towering canvass tents that made up so many of the homes, of the smell of the sea. He missed his home, but he had a purpose in Lyster and he knew that, despite these fond dreamtime recollections, he would need to stay in Lyster for the time being.

In the dream, someone was calling his name: a girl he'd known as a young man and who had shared in his training. Iana. Her supple feline body was just as he remembered it, soft, shapely but strong. He was lying down on a bed of blankets and cushions, like the one they'd shared that summer. She called his name, rousing him.

"Ossos . . ." she chanted softly. "Wake up, Ossos . . ." Ossos felt his eyes open.

"Ossos!" That last shout brought him back to awareness.

"You know I love you . . ." The ferret mumbled before the vision of the girl vanished to be replaced by the confused face oh Jeran, Ossos' roommate.

"While I appreciate the sentiment, friend, I don't think you're really my sort." Jeran said with a serious tone and a smirk on his muzzle. "However, perhaps some affection is due since, thanks to me, you will likely be only slightly late for the public speech about this supposed expedition."

Ossos bolted upright and quickly shook the cobwebs out of his head, stopping for a moment to smile at the memory of Iana. "What's de hour?" he groaned. Jeran headed for the door to the hallway. "The sun is at her zenith. The meeting should start any minute. You'd best hurry."

"Yah, well, I'm workin' on it." Ossos groaned, standing up. "How long did I sleep?" He started dressing, his clothing still the colourful garb of his people. Never would he be caught wearing the malodourous rags of the people of Lyster.

"Almost twelve hours. You did lose a lot of blood, though, so I suppose that explains it." Jeran said before closing the door behind him. Ossos followed suit close behind.

"Where is it again?" He asked, putting on his vest and moving to the front door.

"Lyster Square." Ossos nodded and with a hasty wave of his hand, he rushed from the house, leaving the door ajar and a bemused Jeran inside.

* * * * *

The Square was busier than usual. People were crammed in everywhere they could fit. Children had climbed the fountain in the middle of the place to get a better look and their parents sat on the edge of it, staring up at the high stone platform and podium reserved for public announcements. A small table had been set up at the bottom of the platform and two finely-dressed scribes sat at it, pens and inkwells in front of them. The few vendors in the area -mainly food sellers- were swamped with business; most customers were peckish people waiting for the presentation to begin. Ossos himself bought a greasy length of beef on a stick and nibbled on it idly while he waited. It wasn't what he most enjoyed eating, but he'd skipped breakfast and was famished.

The din of the crowd settled and Ossos noticed a diminutive speaker in rich clothing taking the bier. He was a mouse, small in stature and fidgety in motion, slower than would be expected due to his middle age. His clothing all seemed too big for him and it gave him a comical air that Ossos had an incredibly hard time taking seriously. His plumed cap was pulled by the day's breeze and constantly seemed in danger of falling off.

"Thank you for gathering here today, people of Lyster." The mouse said, nodding his head politely to acknowledge the crowd, as was custom. "I am chamberlain Carolon Radfirth and I've come to you today with a matter of great importance and excitement." His hands fidgeted with a small sheaf of papers he'd brought with him to the event, his mousy hands almost a blur. "Earlier this month, the Emperor, with guidance from the most holy Saviour, decided that, for the good of our people and our nation, a new outpost must be constructed near the Saani border." A gasp erupted from the crowd. Ossos simply smirked. "To maintain our safety and prosperity, we must assert our presence near the Saani border, along the mountains in the north-east.

"This effort will require skilled people with great courage to ensure the day-to-day operation and safety of the colony. The most-holy Emperor has already appointed a knight to train and lead the local guard. We are looking for approximately 50 colonists to begin the colonization effort. Others will be sent in a later expedition once the settlement has been founded. Any people interested should speak to me after the presentation. Keep in mind that contact with the demons of Saan is quite likely, so I would ask that only people who are serious and prepared to deal with that eventuality should apply. Now, if there are no objections, I will turn the podium over to Sir Limnus, the military head of the expedition."

The mouse stepped down from podium and descended the stone stairs to the ground, where he took up a position at the table between the two scribes. A crowd had already started to form in front of it while the knight at the podium above began discussing his requirements for guard recruitment. Ossos couldn't be bothered to listen. He needed to get to that table. He quickly and carefully wormed his way through the crowd, slyly making his way through the throng until he was just behind someone at the table. When they moved away he approached the chamberlain in the middle.

"Name?" the mouse asked, disinterestedly.

"Ossos Rami, sah." Ossos replied steadily, taking the measure of the small mouse at the table.

"That's a peculiar name and accent . . . Where do you hail from?"

"The Islands."

"Which Islands?" The mouse asked, looking bothered, his hat slipping slightly.

"The Islands, sah. Do you know many islands?"

"Watch your tone, fool." Said a nearby guard. "Know your place."

"Easy now." Ossos said lightly. "Though where I'm from is na' nearly as importan' as what I do."

"And what is it that you do, Mister Rami?" The mouse asked, adjusting the drooping hat.

"I cook, sah. And I have experience keepin' an inn. I could cook for de expedition an' I could open a restauran' and inn in de colony, givin' workin' colonists somewhere fe to eat and rest."

"I must admit that you are an attractive prospect for this journey. What sorts of food do you prepare?" The mouse asked, his tone softening.

"I cook Lysteri food as well as native foods from de Islands." He explained. "An' I even have some experience wit' Saani food." The mouse blanched suddenly and motioned a silent prayer.

"You've been among the demons?" The mouse asked in a quaky voice.

"I nevah seen no demons, sah. Dey no so bad, you know? Differen', is all."

"Have they poisoned your mind, man?" the mouse said in an accusatory tone, leaning forward across the table. The guards took an interest in the goings on. "The demons murdered, raped and enslaved us!"

"Dass a long time ago, ya? An' my people nevah been no slaves. So before I come here to Lyster, I spent two years in de Saani capital. Beautiful city. Near de ocean, which I liked. Again, dey be covahd in scales, sure. Dey different. But dey not demons, sah. Some Saani live here in Lyster, ya know. I seen a few."

"And you didn't alert the guards?"

"About a family tryin' to earn a livin'? I'd neva do somet'ing like dat. I'm an honest man."

"That kind of talk can be considered treason!" The mouse said, his words coming out in a furious rasp.

"Look, I'm no demon. I jus' no scared o' dem. You need a cook and I know how to cook anyt'ing dis expedition would need. Give me a wagon with everyt'ing I need and I promise you sah, dat everyone will have full bellies da whole time dey be workin'"

The mouse started to calm down. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Very well. But you will be observed. Do you object?"

"I have not'ing to hide, mista chamberlain, sah."

"So be it." The mouse turned to the scribe to his right. "Dosias, please include Mr. Rami's name and profession in the list of participants." He turned back to Ossos. "The expedition is set to leave in two weeks time. A commisary wagon will be made available to you then. In the meantime, I'd recommend settling your affairs here." He said brusquely and dismissively before shouting "Next!" into the crowd.

[Shayde]

(OOCness Yeah guys, just skip me for a bit. I've got nothing good to add right now. That and I can't stand the internet right now, the forum, websites in general, just can't be arsed to put in any effort. I'll be back to posting soon though)

[Tallaan]

Clanging swords in the background as two armies battle to destroy each other for land. A soldier green from training, is thrust into the front lines in a push to win more land. As the archers loosed their arrows, the soldiers push foward, forcing the enimies back".

As the push looks to be working, screaming from behind the lines, the attention of the foward pushing soldiers look back, to see their archers, being cleaved in half, 4 at a time, from something unseen from the distance. The morality of the soldiers is shattered, as they break formation, a few lost to the other soldiers, as thier concentration was broken by the screams of the archers.

As the cleaved bodies turn from archers to soldiers, a vague shape can be seen between the slashes. Long, spike like ears, bairly visible through his speed. The soldiers bairly able to raise a defencive stance, they're cut in two, the hunks of flesh, fur and metal hitting the ground.

As the newest soldier tries to get up to run from the massacre of his allies, the asassin appears over him with a large bladed blue spear, a glaive, bloody with the kills of all around him. He can't move, the sight of him paralyzes him on the ground as the asassin, his red eye glaring above him, he swings his glaive downwards onto him. The figure behind the weapon, a white blur, with a downfall of red and black drops along the white blur.

Tallaan wakes up violently, falling off his chair, banging his head on his way down. as he rubs his head and gets up he looks at the far wall, where a large blue staff hangs. "Ugh, I hate these nightmares, usually means something bad is gonna happen." He walks up to the staff and holds it in his hands. "I hope I won't have to use you fully" then he mutters quietly, as he slowly ties the staff to the pack.

[Tassik Cormal]

Salah's ears flickered as she heard the sigh rise up from the stairwell that led to the main of the shop, letting her know Tassik had returned. As she set down the last of the herbs and medicines in the packing case, she looked to the door, just in time to see the feline walk in. He was rubbing his eyes wearily, clearly showing how little sleep he'd gotten, as he sat in a chair by the pot of tea they'd made. The mouse smiled a little and closed the case, making sure it was secure before making her way over to him, picking up the kettle.

"You don't look so hot boss..." she said, pouring him a cup. She winced, spotting the glare he gave her, "...I mean Tassik, sorry. Old habit die hard," she chuckled.

"Well like I told you, your habits just make me feel old... I'm only a couple years older than you, don't forget," he replied, picking up the cup carefully, blowing on it in an attempt to cool it off. He glanced at the box Salah had just finished packing. "Are we all set...?" he questioned.

She looked over at all of the cases of herbs, salves, and other medical items they'd decided to bring. "Yeah, we're set... and all of the... materials are stored in the hidden compartments. No one will find them if we get inspected," she said, turning back to the feline.

"Good... that stuff is the last stuff they need to be finding..." he mused, sipping on his tea. "Sit down and have a cup my dear, it help you relax from the lack of sleep," he said as he poured her a glass.

"What kind of tea is that anyways? I've never seen tea so... pink..." she remaked as she eyed it cautiously.

Tassik chuckled as he had another sip. "Its a special blend I created... trust me, its good. Tastes the same as Earl Grey," he smiled, lifting his glass a little to her.

The mouse's whiskers flickered as she smirked back, returning the gesture and taking a sip. "Mmm, not bad... so, we're registered?"

He nodded, pouring himself another cup. "The wagon will be arriving in the morning, at that time we'll load up, and I'll prepare the store for departure."

Salah lifted a brow at those last words, eyeing him curiously as she finished her cup. "What's there to prepare?" she inquired, "We've taken all our belongings, harvested the whole green room, heck, I don't think there's even any dust left in this place to bring, what could you possibly have left to do?"

His eyes sank into his cup as a grim look passed over his face for but a moment. "That is my business Salah, not yours..."

She nodded and didn't press the matter any further, pouring herself another cup, offering one to Tassik. He shook his head, standing. "I have a brief errand to run, so if you could, save me a serving of supper, and I'll see later this eve," he said, heading to the door.

She turned to inquire once again, but instead this time just smiled, deciding it best to leave her employer to his affairs. "I'll save you three Tassik. Stay safe, you know the streets aren't safe at night."

He turned back a little and returned the smile nodding before he made his way down to the back of the store out through the alley behind it.

* * * * *

The wind howled through the treeline that surrounded the city's cemetary. This place always had a spooky feel to it, and as such, not many visited those that were layed to rest here. Tassik however, found it to be a place of comfort suprisingly. It was quiet, cool even on a summer day, and there was a soft energy here that he couldn't find anywhere else. As he walked through the rows of gravestones he turned and stopped at a small, modest one, very simple amongst all the enormous elaborate ones that surrounded it. He smiled, kneeling down to lay the rose on the grave, laying his paw on the stone, which simply read Samantha Cormal. He closed his eyes, listening to the wind, remembering the last time he'd been with her. It was just before he'd gone to his aunt place to visit for the weekend. He remembered her smiling at him as he waved fo the wagon, wishing him well, him saying he loved and would miss her. He had no idea that'd be the last time he'd get to say those words to her. It wasn't till many years after that that he'd learned of what his father had done, and how'd he'd murdered her and harvested her body for his experiments. Tassik had turned Jackt into the authoroties after that, and his father had pleaded guilty, not ashamed at all of what he'd done. The man known as Jackt Cormal had died in prison, viewed as a psychopath, and Tassik grown up to redeem his name, studying to be an apothocary and opening a fairly reputable shop in the city. The pain of his loss still surfaced from time to time, but he made a habit of coming to visit his mother once a month, to tell her how'd he's been and how much he missed and loved her still. He'd already visited this month... but this was a special visit...

"Hey mom, it me... I know I've already visited you this month, so you're probably wondering why I'm here... Well, me and Salah are leaving Lyster. Dreet's pressuring me to do you know what, and its not safe for us here anymore... at least for now... I'm sorry, I don't want to go, but... I have to think of Salah's well being. She's young, and as much as I didn't want her dragged into this, Dreet's too unpredictable." He ran his fingers in the dirt a little, sighing heavily. The choice to leave his mother behind was not one he was enjoying, and he had hoped this talk would lighten his heart a bit. It only seemed to make it heavier. "I wish there was a way we could stay, I hate to run, you know I've always faced up to all my problems. But this one... there's too much at risk. I'm gonna miss you mom... I promise I'll visit at least once a year, and with trilliums, I promise. Heh, only reason its a rose is cause I didn't have time to order any like I normally do." He stood up and looks at the sky, which was dotted with stars and clouds. He closed his eyes as he took in the night air and smiled. "I love you mom... see you soon..." he whispered to the wind, turing to leave back to his shop.