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His thin jackal face looked almost eldrich to Tali, sending shivers down her spine. \"F...father I would like to request...\" the delicate Ta'vissir started to mumble only to be interrupted by her father's thunderous voice. \" Speak clearly, and do not stutter,\" he demanded. Tali bowed and began again. \" Father, I would request to learn martial combat, like brother Jix, if it would be allowed.\"\n Seconds crept passed with not the slightest movement from her father as if he held no more life than the statues erected in his honor. He stared blankly unto the room while Tali stood there, waiting for a reply, her long upright ears beginning to twitch from the anxiety. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally turned his thin muzzle to her. Tali flinched from the sudden move. Her father's pensive eyes always found a way to break her posture. \"It is forbidden for female Vissir to learn martial combat.\" He answered. Tali knew this, of course, as all Vissir did. But her mother, who was not of Karodeem, had learned the art, so it seemed possible that being her daughter, she might also have this opportunity. \"But mother...\" Tali attempted to refute. Only to be once again beaten by the dark gaze.\"The law is clear; do not ask of this again!\" He replied, shifting his attention back to the void. Tali took a deep breath and bowed, leaving her father's side.\n The Elite Ta'vissir guards standing on both sides of the exit hall aimed their eyes to look at Tali as she left the throne room. Judging her silently. Trotting by them, she threw her head back and stuck out her tongue. \"Like it matters what they think anyway, someday they will have to follow my orders.\" She reminded herself. At the far end of the room, her sister wandered impatiently. Upon seeing Tali, she hid a piece of paper behind her back and ran towards her with a big smile, her padded feet echoing through the empty space.\nTali's put down her ears along with her proud stance as her sister came near. \n\"Sooo, what did father say?\" her sister asked, swaying back and forth. \nTali shook her head, \" What we expected, Nari. He clings to tradition.\"\n\"Oh, that's... too... bad,\" Nari replied, tapping her toes to the rhythm of her words.\nTali, aggravated by the reality of her life's path, threw her hands into the air. \"Father is simply incorrigible, We must embrace change, or we will risk falling behind...' she began as they walked .\" I don't understand why he holds on to the old ways so tightly. If my lessons have taught me anything, it is that Karodeem risks the same fate as the empires that came before it. Ruination and obscurity. Don't you agree, sister? Tali continued to Nari. The 8-year-old cat-like Ki' vissir looked up at Tali, and instead of confirming her ideals, she just smiled, squinting her azure eyes and scrunching her cute triangle nose as she grinned. Realizing that Nari had no idea what she was talking about, Tali whisked the thoughts from her mind; they would be considered iconoclastic anyway. \n \"Look what I drew, sister!\" Nari said, bouncing on her toes and holding a messy drawing to her sister's muzzle.\" Tali puzzled at the sketch, pulling it back and forth, trying to comprehend what she was looking at. \"What.. is it?\" she asked finally. Nari rolled her eyes, \"It's the light monster, from yesterday, remember?\" She reminded. \nWhile there was an unfamiliar light that fell across the sky yesterday, Tali didn't recall seeing any beast within it. Assuming it was just a product of her sister's wild imagination,\" I'm sure it wasn't a monster, Nari,\" Tali assured. Nari annoyed that her sister wasn't taking her art seriously raised her gray fur \" Yes, there was, I saw it. You just didn't cause your eyes aren't as good as mine.\" she yelled. \nWhile the statement was true, Ki'vissir did have uniquely better eyesight then Ta'vissir; Tali still doubted it's validity. \n The two girls advanced towards their bedroom, passing under red marble archways holding the interior of the palace. Each arch contained a detailed mural of critical moments in Vissir history. Tali had been told by her brother that some stories painted on these archways weren't accurate to the history written in other cultures. But he never said which ones specifically.\n Upon reaching the stairway, which spiraled up to their bedroom tower, Nari whistled to the royal guard dozing off beside it, snapping him to attention. This made the two girls giggle. There were a few guards Tali had learned to appreciate over the years, but this one was her favorite, as he was laxer and treated them respectfully. Unlike many under the employment of her father, who seemed to disdain that she was born to rule them. Still, though, she never bothered to learn his name.\n Ascending the gold stairs, they passed by a familiar wolf-like Do'vissir handmaiden, who asked Tali how her meeting with the king went. Before Tali could even begin, Nari, not keen on having to wait for her sister to drag on about such boring topics again, shouted. \" It was great, Lielia, but we have to go right now!\" she said, pulling hard on her sister's arm. Tali looked back at her friend, \"I guess later then,\" she said, laughing.\n\" Alright, don't forget!\" Lielia yelled as the girls turned the corner. \nIt never made much sense to Tali that although both the Ta' and Do' Vissir both shared canine attributes, Do'vissir were considered a lower race. It was never explained in any of her lessons or in the books she read, \"How could two Vissir who looked so similar, be considered so different.\" \nShe pondered as they continued to climb the stairwell. \n Reaching their chambers, Tali locked the door behind them. \nNari pounced ahead and lept, arms spread unto her oversized bed, quills, and colored charcoals bouncing into the air upon her landing and scattering all over the carpet.\nTali followed her sisters charge gracefully, walking to the far side of the room she slowly opened the double doors to the exterior balcony. Stepping out into the burning sunlight, she took a deep breath, and let the warm breeze flow through her dark fur. Days like this, she wished she could have wings like the Raisa so she could soar away from this place, leaving all her responsibilities behind. But, such thoughts were considered irresponsible and selfish at best, so she shook them off and looked from the ledge unto the palace courtyard. From her tower, she could see down into the streets of the second tier, which lay beyond Karodeem's outer walls. She had never actually been in the second tier; her father would never let her. \"It's Unnecessary for royalty to put themselves amid the rabble.\" were his exact words. Although while their mother was alive, she would tell tales of how life was outside the palace. How people had to rely on one another to survive in the harsh climate of the Vamora desert. \"One day...ill be able to see for myself\" Tali promised to the wind.\n Tali heard faint, inaudible shouting in the distance. She quickly leaned over the railing and turned her gaze west. She watched as a Do'vissir man scurried through the streets pursued by three fully armed royal guards. She rested on the rail, head tilted in curiosity, knowing if the Do'Vissir was caught, he would be severely punished for resisting arrest. \n Rattling her brain for what act would justify three elite warriors, Tali felt a small tug on her tail. \"What's going on, Tali?\" Nari asked. Tali shrugged and lifted her sister unto her shoulders. \"You tell me.\" Nari placed her hands over her eyes, shielding them from the sun and allowing her to see the face of the Do'Vissir clearly. \"He's kinda ugly, his fur is all patchy,\" Nari pointed out. Tali let out a quick huff,\" Alright, that's...interesting, but why is he running, does he have anything?\" she asked. \nThe Vissir was running so swiftly it was hard to see what was in his arms, but there was definitely something there. \" He has something, I think, I can't tell what it is,\" Nari said, leaning forward. A few seconds later, the Vissir turned a corner and left their line of sight.\n\"Ah, Well, I'm sure we will hear about what happened sooner or later,\" Tali sighed, sliding her sister back to the floor. \" Do you think Jix saw as well?\" Nari asked, spinning her long tail between her fingers. Tali thought to herself for a moment considering the possibility; her brother was within the palace somewhere training with his combat masters. \"Maybe Nari, hard to know for sure,\" she answered, walking back inside, patting her smaller sister on the head. Nari swatted her sister's hands away and jumped ahead of her. \"Let's go find him!\" Nari cried, grabbing Tali's fontal sash in an attempt to lead her once again. Tali frowned,\" I don't think that's a good idea, Nari, there's a reason father didn't let us know where his training was taking place.\" \nYou're no fun anymore,\" Nari moped, stomping to her bed and plopping face down in her pillows. \n\"What's that supposed to mean,\" Tali asked, feeling insulted by the comment. \nNari yelled into her pillows\" Ever since you started studying with that instructor father hired, you've changed.\"\n\"How so?\" Tali replied, sitting on the end of the bed. \nNari lifted her head, her round eyes begging to water,\" you used to go on adventures with me, now you just sit in our room and study or write in your dumb journal.\"\nTali sighed, her sister was right; the last few months, she felt like life had just been passing her by. There was just so much she had to learn and so little time to do it. At sixteen, she would be considered a woman, giving her only two years to learn how to become a successful high lady, wife, and mother, in accordance to Vissir custom, so she may bring honor to her family's namesake. This role in the Vissir tradition was crucial to their way of life, even if Nari didn't know it yet. Without it, the class structure of Karodeem could fall apart, plunging the kingdom into chaos. Even if she hated the system, there was nothing two girls could do to change it. \n\"Fine, you win...we can go look for Jix,\" Tali said, giving in to her sister's plea.\nNari sprang up, and hugged her sister, \"Yay, I knew the old you was in there somewhere!\"\nTali couldn't help but let out a smile. \nMaking their way back through the palace's winding corridors, they finally reached the main hall, which split the palace grounds in two. Passing through it, Tali noticed her father's Ki'Vissir emissary, Caratein, hobbling towards the throne room. Tali never trusted the man, he always gave off a creepy aura. But whenever he was around, it meant there was some sort of trouble related to the crown. \" Do you mind if we make a quick detour\"? Tali turned to ask her sister, who was hiding behind a pillar to her left. Tali had forgotten her sister was so terrified by Caratein that she often hid when he was around. \n\"I'm not going near him,\" Nari whimpered. \n\"Fine, wait here ill be back in a minute, \"Tali said as she stealthily followed behind Caratein. Nari huffed and crawled after her sister. \n \"My liege, I return with the information you requested!\" Caratein announced as he slowly entered the throne room. Kneeling before his high king, his old bones creaked from the strain. Eyes closed and head upright, the king breathed in slowly. \"Tell me then, Caratein, are the rumors true, is there a hidden plot to supplant my rule?\" The king inquired. \"It would seem so, high king Den'val, the Do vissir we caught spying on the meeting of the high lords admitted to such treachery,\" Caratein replied, struggling to rise to his feet. \nThe king lowered his head and rubbed his clenched brow. \"Do' vissir scum,\" he whispered under his breath, long nails scraping against his throne.\n \"I doubt this plot carries many supporters, my King,\" Caratein added. \"The Do' gave no information about others, even after...days of thorough motivation to do so,\" he smirked. Den'val folded his hands and leaned back into his chair. \"See that it remains that way, Caratein, I find it insulting to have such lowly creatures believe they could overthrow me.\" \"As you dictate, so shall it be,\" Caratein affirmed. \nLoud clunking footsteps came rapidly approaching, startling the two girls hiding behind the furthest most door of the room. Nari recognized the Vissir as one of the guards who pursued that Do' they saw earlier. \n\" The prisioner...he escaped my lords!\" he exasperated. Den'val darted forward in his chair.\" How!\" The king gritted his teeth and flared his dog-like nostrils.\nKneeling hastily, the guard replied, \"Unsure my king, only palace guard had access to the room.\"\nDen'val turned his head sharply to Caratein, \"it would seem, your report has proved less than reliable once again Caratein, it's apparent that there are traitors within these walls.\"\n Caratein lowered his head. \" I shall do better...\" he apologized. \n\"See to it that you do, or I will have to find someone who can.\" Den'val grunted. \"For now, I want this Do'vissir found, we will use him to make a statement to any others who dare defy doctrine,\" he concluded dismissing the two. \nCaratein stopped just outside the door, letting the guard rush past. \" \"Eavesdropping on the king's conversations is a grave crime, best not make a habit of it,\" he said aloud before continuing on. \nTali and Nari both stared wide-eyed at each other for a second or two. \"How did he know?\" Tali wondered, stepping out from behind the nearby pillar. \n\"Let's go, Tali,\" Nari whined, still wanting to seek out their brother. \nTali nodded, \"Yes, let's get out of here.\"\nThe Armory yard was their first destination, being a prominent place to train future warriors. Of course, it was also the furthest point in the palace grounds, meaning it would be a 30-minute walk from where they were now. Tali luckily knew of a shortcut. The two girls wandered down a few sets of stone staircases until they reached one of the sand overflow gates. \"What are we doing here, Tali\" Nari questioned, kicking sand into the air.\nTali leaned on her knees with her hand to lower herself to Nari's height. \"You must promise not to tell anyone about what I'm going to show you, Nari,\" she said, tapping her sister's nose and looking straight into her eyes. Nari nodded excessively. Tali opened the gate, and the two girls stepped inside. \"It's been a while since I watched Jix do this; hopefully, I can remember the proper route,\" Tali thought, motioning for Nari to climb unto her back. Nari accidentally poked tali with her sharp nails when she jumped on, forcing Tali to wince and grunt.\" Careful with those,\" she said, rubbing her lower back. \n\"Sorry,\" Nari replied, wrapping her arms around the back of her sister's neck.\n \"Hold on tight,\" Tali warned, closing her eyes for a moment in concentration. The sand residue around them began to shift and form a solid object under her feet. \n\"Woah!\" Nari gasped in amazement, her tail curling. Tali opened her eyes, and her pupils shrank till her light brown irises were almost all that was visible. She pushed her arms outward, driving the formation through the sand within the cylindrical stonework pipes, her path lit by the small grates above. Nari screamed, at first in fear, but transitioning to joy after discerning what was going on. Tali had never used her earth magic in front of Nari before, it was considered unattractive for female Ta'vissir of high society to manipulate the earth. So naturally, she only ever did so in secret. \" Now all I have to remember is what Jix told me,\" she reflected, twisting her wrists to the left, forcing the stone to bend along the sand in that direction. \n It was only a few minutes at their high speed before Tali saw a circular light leading to an exit.\n\"This must be it,\" she hoped, pushing full force towards it. As they approached, the blinding sunlight forced Tali's eyes closed for only a moment. But, misjudging the speed that they traveled, Tali opened her eyes, realizing they were now too close to the exit to stop entirely. Tali tried to pull back and slow down, but it was too late, the two girls came barreling out of the pipe. Tali watched as her sister flew past, her heart dropped. She tried to speak, but before she could say a word, she slammed face-first into the muddy ground. She felt the air leave her lungs as she slid. Gasping to catch her breath, she gripped the ground with her long nails until she finally came to a stop. Failing to lift herself from the earth, she looked around half dazed for Nari. Who had landed only a few feet away and was already getting to her feet. Tali laid her head back down relieved, luckily Ki'Vissirs agile nature allowed them to recover quickly from falls and other imbalances, but the same could not be said for her.\nTali tried again to lift herself from the mud; this time, she felt severe pain from her left wrist. \"No, no, no she sobbed,\" not so much from the pain but from the idea of how her father would react if he found out what had happened.\" Tali felt two small arms wrap around her body, helping her get to her knees. \" Come on, Tali, get up!\" Nari cried. With her sister's help, she was able to get to her feet. Seeing both her and her sister's clothing and fur matted with mud and sand, Tali began to panic. How were they going to explain this\" she thought frantically, going through possible scenarios in her mind. \n\"Tali, where are we?\" Nari squeaked, wiping the dirt from her ears. \nThe thought hadn't even crossed Tali's mind, she was so worried about the possible consequences of what she had done. She looked to the pipe they came out of, it was mounted in the wall at least 15 feet above them. She dare not risk using her magic to climb to it in her current state, leaving it unreachable from where they were now. Looking around, Tali saw nothing but run-down shacks and piles of debris to her left and right, \" What is this place?\" she wondered aloud. \n The two sisters wandered through the abandoned slums for what felt like hours until they found another overflow pipe on the ground level. Tali really didn't want to risk going through another but, she saw no other option; it was as if this place had been cut off entirely from the rest of Karodeem. Once inside, Tali noticed that the further they got through the winding system, the less frequently she saw the overhead grates that allowed sand to fall through and, consequently, light. Until there were none, and they were in utter darkness. \"Nari you'll have to lead, I can't see in the dark like you can, \"Tali explained, stopping and letting her sister pass in front of her. Firmly grasping the hand of her sister, Nari led them forward through the dark. As they pressed on, Tali would periodically flex and move her damaged wrist, hoping that somehow it would miraculously start to feel better. But instead, the pain just grew with each improper move. Tali could feel a faint quiver begin to develop in her sister's hand now that they had been in the dark for some time \"It's going to be fine, I'm sure we're close to an exit now,\" Tali said to comfort her sister. Nari stopped, \"Its not that... I think I hear something up ahead.\" she stuttered. Tali perked her ears, at first there was only the sound of their heavy breathing, and a faint awful smell but slowly Tali began to notice some sort of scraping noise. \" It must be coming from an exit; if we're lucky, it will bring us out somewhere in one of the lower tiers.\" Tali sighed in relief. \"Let's keep going, the faster we get out of here, the better,\" she added. Nari continued on, her trembling still persisting despite her sister's words.\nThe sound came and went sporadically as they continued until it eventually stopped altogether; the smell, on the other hand, only grew stronger. \" There's a small dropoff here, be careful,\" Nari informed as she sat at its edge, dangling her legs down before sliding off. \"There's a cave down here,\" Nari said as she guided her sister down safely.\nTali realized immediately that the floor they were now standing on was no longer the material the pipes were made of. While she couldn't see what it was, the sound it made when she moved her shoes across it was different for sure. Tali felt a knot form in her stomach, this path didn't seem to be leading to a way out like she had hoped. They weren't even 20 steps in before Nari stopped again. \"What...whats wrong?\" Tali whispered. Nari didn't answer; she just tightened her grip on Tali's hand to the point that it hurt. \"Nari? She said again. Then the sound of irregular scratching hit her ears. \n Nari stared frozen in terror at a looming figure in the shadowed distance; it was easily 4 times her size. Its long skeletal arms would touch the floor beside it even if it wasn't currently picking apart a mutilated corpse. She wanted to scream, but all she could muster was a gasping breath. Suddenly the creature snapped its head towards her, flesh falling from its teeth. The only way her mind could comprehend its face would be to define it as horse-like. It stared crookedly at the girls, eyes so black it seemed as if they were just holes in its head. It stood there utterly still, blowing heavy air through its nostrils. Then it reared its head back, blood-soaked hair slapped loudly against its back, and it let loose a violent roar. Throwing the body aside, it advanced towards them, at first with a slow gait, which quickly turned to a full sprint.\nTali's body seized from the roar, instinctively she pulled her sister behind her breaking her statuesque stance. \"RUN NARI,\" She yelled as scraping nails grew louder and louder. Nari grabbed her sister by the arm, and the two girls rushed back to the dropoff. Nari lunged and pulled herself up, swinging back to help her sister, she saw the beast again. It was now mear meters away. Nari pulled on Tali with all her strength. Tali fought to get up the wall, forcing her to use her broken wrist, which sent spikes of pain up her arm. She screamed as she drove herself up. \n\"Come on!\"Nari yelled, helping her sister to her feet as there was no time for respite. \nThe beast slammed into the ledge and immediately after roared from the impact. Luckily the space between the ceiling and the wall was too small for it to pass through easily, forcing it to claw through the gap slowly. The girls raced through the tubes, Nari frantically trying to remember from which they came. Each turn they took through the maze, the beast writhed after them. The only reason they could even keep ahead was that it was too big to run through the pipes. Finally, the grates started appearing above them again, allowing a dim light to cut through the darkness. It was then that Tali was able to see their pursuer for the first time. It was some sort of abhorrent abomination between horse and man. She didn't know such things existed in the world, less so, this close to her home. Desperately Tali attempted to cast her earth magic at the beast, but she couldn't focus, so the best she could do was throw sand into its face, which only seemed to madden it further. Tali could feel their stamina growing thin, the girls became slower and more exhausted with every step, which allowed the monster to gain on them to the point where it seemed there was no hope for them to make it out. At least not both of them, tali thought, maybe if she stayed behind, the beast would only take her and leave her sister. Looking back once more at the gnashing teeth and disturbing form of the creature, Tali realized she couldn't bring her self to it, she was too afraid to die alone at the hands of such a beast. They made one more turn, and then, at last, an exit was before them. Summoning forth the last bit of their strength, the girls sprinted to the pipes end. They stumbled unto the ground outside where a few Do' Vissir onlookers watched in confusion. Nari crawled forward on pure adrenaline until she finally broke down in tears, realizing she was out of that awful place.\nTali held her sister tightly as she also began to tear up. A large shadow was cast over them, and a monstrous hand grabbed Tali, long nails penetrated her dress and dug into her skin. As she was lifted up, she watched the people scream in terror and scatter. She reached for her sister, who just stared dead-eyed. Tali shifted and looked down the endless abyss that was the throat of the beast. It dropped and dislocated its jaw to fit its maw around her. Tali closed her eyes, she felt tears roll down her face as she braced for what was to come. A sickening crunch and the warmth of fresh blood. But, it was not her own. Tali peeked open her eyes and saw the beast, its lower jaw wholly removed from its face, blood running from its hanging bones. It shrieked in pain, throwing Tali to the dirt. Spears of stone impaled the creature, until one finally sliced through its throat, causing it to fall lifeless beside Tali. She laid there in confusion, staring into its black eyes as its body spasmed and settled in death.\n\"Tali...Tali say something, We need to get her medical attention now!\" A familiar voice rang out. Tali was able to barely move, but she titled her head just enough to see her brother kneeling above her for a brief moment before blacking out.\n \n \n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"
December 6th
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Ta' vissir High King of Karodeen peered down at his eldest daughter, eyes shrouded by the shadow cast from his twisted crown. "You may speak Tali," he commanded from atop his opal throne. His thin jackal face looked almost eldrich to Tali, sending shivers down her spine. "F...father I would like to request..." the delicate Ta'vissir started to mumble only to be interrupted by her father's thunderous voice. " Speak clearly, and do not stutter," he demanded. Tali bowed and began again. " Father, I would request to learn martial combat, like brother Jix, if it would be allowed."
Seconds crept passed with not the slightest movement from her father as if he held no more life than the statues erected in his honor. He stared blankly unto the room while Tali stood there, waiting for a reply, her long upright ears beginning to twitch from the anxiety. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally turned his thin muzzle to her. Tali flinched from the sudden move. Her father's pensive eyes always found a way to break her posture. "It is forbidden for female Vissir to learn martial combat." He answered. Tali knew this, of course, as all Vissir did. But her mother, who was not of Karodeem, had learned the art, so it seemed possible that being her daughter, she might also have this opportunity. "But mother..." Tali attempted to refute. Only to be once again beaten by the dark gaze."The law is clear; do not ask of this again!" He replied, shifting his attention back to the void. Tali took a deep breath and bowed, leaving her father's side.
The Elite Ta'vissir guards standing on both sides of the exit hall aimed their eyes to look at Tali as she left the throne room. Judging her silently. Trotting by them, she threw her head back and stuck out her tongue. "Like it matters what they think anyway, someday they will have to follow my orders." She reminded herself. At the far end of the room, her sister wandered impatiently. Upon seeing Tali, she hid a piece of paper behind her back and ran towards her with a big smile, her padded feet echoing through the empty space.
Tali's put down her ears along with her proud stance as her sister came near.
"Sooo, what did father say?" her sister asked, swaying back and forth.
Tali shook her head, " What we expected, Nari. He clings to tradition."
"Oh, that's... too... bad," Nari replied, tapping her toes to the rhythm of her words.
Tali, aggravated by the reality of her life's path, threw her hands into the air. "Father is simply incorrigible, We must embrace change, or we will risk falling behind...' she began as they walked ." I don't understand why he holds on to the old ways so tightly. If my lessons have taught me anything, it is that Karodeem risks the same fate as the empires that came before it. Ruination and obscurity. Don't you agree, sister? Tali continued to Nari. The 8-year-old cat-like Ki' vissir looked up at Tali, and instead of confirming her ideals, she just smiled, squinting her azure eyes and scrunching her cute triangle nose as she grinned. Realizing that Nari had no idea what she was talking about, Tali whisked the thoughts from her mind; they would be considered iconoclastic anyway.
"Look what I drew, sister!" Nari said, bouncing on her toes and holding a messy drawing to her sister's muzzle." Tali puzzled at the sketch, pulling it back and forth, trying to comprehend what she was looking at. "What.. is it?" she asked finally. Nari rolled her eyes, "It's the light monster, from yesterday, remember?" She reminded.
While there was an unfamiliar light that fell across the sky yesterday, Tali didn't recall seeing any beast within it. Assuming it was just a product of her sister's wild imagination," I'm sure it wasn't a monster, Nari," Tali assured. Nari annoyed that her sister wasn't taking her art seriously raised her gray fur " Yes, there was, I saw it. You just didn't cause your eyes aren't as good as mine." she yelled.
While the statement was true, Ki'vissir did have uniquely better eyesight then Ta'vissir; Tali still doubted it's validity.
The two girls advanced towards their bedroom, passing under red marble archways holding the interior of the palace. Each arch contained a detailed mural of critical moments in Vissir history. Tali had been told by her brother that some stories painted on these archways weren't accurate to the history written in other cultures. But he never said which ones specifically.
Upon reaching the stairway, which spiraled up to their bedroom tower, Nari whistled to the royal guard dozing off beside it, snapping him to attention. This made the two girls giggle. There were a few guards Tali had learned to appreciate over the years, but this one was her favorite, as he was laxer and treated them respectfully. Unlike many under the employment of her father, who seemed to disdain that she was born to rule them. Still, though, she never bothered to learn his name.
Ascending the gold stairs, they passed by a familiar wolf-like Do'vissir handmaiden, who asked Tali how her meeting with the king went. Before Tali could even begin, Nari, not keen on having to wait for her sister to drag on about such boring topics again, shouted. " It was great, Lielia, but we have to go right now!" she said, pulling hard on her sister's arm. Tali looked back at her friend, "I guess later then," she said, laughing.
" Alright, don't forget!" Lielia yelled as the girls turned the corner.
It never made much sense to Tali that although both the Ta' and Do' Vissir both shared canine attributes, Do'vissir were considered a lower race. It was never explained in any of her lessons or in the books she read, "How could two Vissir who looked so similar, be considered so different."
She pondered as they continued to climb the stairwell.
Reaching their chambers, Tali locked the door behind them.
Nari pounced ahead and lept, arms spread unto her oversized bed, quills, and colored charcoals bouncing into the air upon her landing and scattering all over the carpet.
Tali followed her sisters charge gracefully, walking to the far side of the room she slowly opened the double doors to the exterior balcony. Stepping out into the burning sunlight, she took a deep breath, and let the warm breeze flow through her dark fur. Days like this, she wished she could have wings like the Raisa so she could soar away from this place, leaving all her responsibilities behind. But, such thoughts were considered irresponsible and selfish at best, so she shook them off and looked from the ledge unto the palace courtyard. From her tower, she could see down into the streets of the second tier, which lay beyond Karodeem's outer walls. She had never actually been in the second tier; her father would never let her. "It's Unnecessary for royalty to put themselves amid the rabble." were his exact words. Although while their mother was alive, she would tell tales of how life was outside the palace. How people had to rely on one another to survive in the harsh climate of the Vamora desert. "One day...ill be able to see for myself" Tali promised to the wind.
Tali heard faint, inaudible shouting in the distance. She quickly leaned over the railing and turned her gaze west. She watched as a Do'vissir man scurried through the streets pursued by three fully armed royal guards. She rested on the rail, head tilted in curiosity, knowing if the Do'Vissir was caught, he would be severely punished for resisting arrest.
Rattling her brain for what act would justify three elite warriors, Tali felt a small tug on her tail. "What's going on, Tali?" Nari asked. Tali shrugged and lifted her sister unto her shoulders. "You tell me." Nari placed her hands over her eyes, shielding them from the sun and allowing her to see the face of the Do'Vissir clearly. "He's kinda ugly, his fur is all patchy," Nari pointed out. Tali let out a quick huff," Alright, that's...interesting, but why is he running, does he have anything?" she asked.
The Vissir was running so swiftly it was hard to see what was in his arms, but there was definitely something there. " He has something, I think, I can't tell what it is," Nari said, leaning forward. A few seconds later, the Vissir turned a corner and left their line of sight.
"Ah, Well, I'm sure we will hear about what happened sooner or later," Tali sighed, sliding her sister back to the floor. " Do you think Jix saw as well?" Nari asked, spinning her long tail between her fingers. Tali thought to herself for a moment considering the possibility; her brother was within the palace somewhere training with his combat masters. "Maybe Nari, hard to know for sure," she answered, walking back inside, patting her smaller sister on the head. Nari swatted her sister's hands away and jumped ahead of her. "Let's go find him!" Nari cried, grabbing Tali's fontal sash in an attempt to lead her once again. Tali frowned," I don't think that's a good idea, Nari, there's a reason father didn't let us know where his training was taking place."
You're no fun anymore," Nari moped, stomping to her bed and plopping face down in her pillows.
"What's that supposed to mean," Tali asked, feeling insulted by the comment.
Nari yelled into her pillows" Ever since you started studying with that instructor father hired, you've changed."
"How so?" Tali replied, sitting on the end of the bed.
Nari lifted her head, her round eyes begging to water," you used to go on adventures with me, now you just sit in our room and study or write in your dumb journal."
Tali sighed, her sister was right; the last few months, she felt like life had just been passing her by. There was just so much she had to learn and so little time to do it. At sixteen, she would be considered a woman, giving her only two years to learn how to become a successful high lady, wife, and mother, in accordance to Vissir custom, so she may bring honor to her family's namesake. This role in the Vissir tradition was crucial to their way of life, even if Nari didn't know it yet. Without it, the class structure of Karodeem could fall apart, plunging the kingdom into chaos. Even if she hated the system, there was nothing two girls could do to change it.
"Fine, you win...we can go look for Jix," Tali said, giving in to her sister's plea.
Nari sprang up, and hugged her sister, "Yay, I knew the old you was in there somewhere!"
Tali couldn't help but let out a smile.
Making their way back through the palace's winding corridors, they finally reached the main hall, which split the palace grounds in two. Passing through it, Tali noticed her father's Ki'Vissir emissary, Caratein, hobbling towards the throne room. Tali never trusted the man, he always gave off a creepy aura. But whenever he was around, it meant there was some sort of trouble related to the crown. " Do you mind if we make a quick detour"? Tali turned to ask her sister, who was hiding behind a pillar to her left. Tali had forgotten her sister was so terrified by Caratein that she often hid when he was around.
"I'm not going near him," Nari whimpered.
"Fine, wait here ill be back in a minute, "Tali said as she stealthily followed behind Caratein. Nari huffed and crawled after her sister.
"My liege, I return with the information you requested!" Caratein announced as he slowly entered the throne room. Kneeling before his high king, his old bones creaked from the strain. Eyes closed and head upright, the king breathed in slowly. "Tell me then, Caratein, are the rumors true, is there a hidden plot to supplant my rule?" The king inquired. "It would seem so, high king Den'val, the Do vissir we caught spying on the meeting of the high lords admitted to such treachery," Caratein replied, struggling to rise to his feet.
The king lowered his head and rubbed his clenched brow. "Do' vissir scum," he whispered under his breath, long nails scraping against his throne.
"I doubt this plot carries many supporters, my King," Caratein added. "The Do' gave no information about others, even after...days of thorough motivation to do so," he smirked. Den'val folded his hands and leaned back into his chair. "See that it remains that way, Caratein, I find it insulting to have such lowly creatures believe they could overthrow me." "As you dictate, so shall it be," Caratein affirmed.
Loud clunking footsteps came rapidly approaching, startling the two girls hiding behind the furthest most door of the room. Nari recognized the Vissir as one of the guards who pursued that Do' they saw earlier.
" The prisioner...he escaped my lords!" he exasperated. Den'val darted forward in his chair." How!" The king gritted his teeth and flared his dog-like nostrils.
Kneeling hastily, the guard replied, "Unsure my king, only palace guard had access to the room."
Den'val turned his head sharply to Caratein, "it would seem, your report has proved less than reliable once again Caratein, it's apparent that there are traitors within these walls."
Caratein lowered his head. " I shall do better..." he apologized.
"See to it that you do, or I will have to find someone who can." Den'val grunted. "For now, I want this Do'vissir found, we will use him to make a statement to any others who dare defy doctrine," he concluded dismissing the two.
Caratein stopped just outside the door, letting the guard rush past. " "Eavesdropping on the king's conversations is a grave crime, best not make a habit of it," he said aloud before continuing on.
Tali and Nari both stared wide-eyed at each other for a second or two. "How did he know?" Tali wondered, stepping out from behind the nearby pillar.
"Let's go, Tali," Nari whined, still wanting to seek out their brother.
Tali nodded, "Yes, let's get out of here."
The Armory yard was their first destination, being a prominent place to train future warriors. Of course, it was also the furthest point in the palace grounds, meaning it would be a 30-minute walk from where they were now. Tali luckily knew of a shortcut. The two girls wandered down a few sets of stone staircases until they reached one of the sand overflow gates. "What are we doing here, Tali" Nari questioned, kicking sand into the air.
Tali leaned on her knees with her hand to lower herself to Nari's height. "You must promise not to tell anyone about what I'm going to show you, Nari," she said, tapping her sister's nose and looking straight into her eyes. Nari nodded excessively. Tali opened the gate, and the two girls stepped inside. "It's been a while since I watched Jix do this; hopefully, I can remember the proper route," Tali thought, motioning for Nari to climb unto her back. Nari accidentally poked tali with her sharp nails when she jumped on, forcing Tali to wince and grunt." Careful with those," she said, rubbing her lower back.
"Sorry," Nari replied, wrapping her arms around the back of her sister's neck.
"Hold on tight," Tali warned, closing her eyes for a moment in concentration. The sand residue around them began to shift and form a solid object under her feet.
"Woah!" Nari gasped in amazement, her tail curling. Tali opened her eyes, and her pupils shrank till her light brown irises were almost all that was visible. She pushed her arms outward, driving the formation through the sand within the cylindrical stonework pipes, her path lit by the small grates above. Nari screamed, at first in fear, but transitioning to joy after discerning what was going on. Tali had never used her earth magic in front of Nari before, it was considered unattractive for female Ta'vissir of high society to manipulate the earth. So naturally, she only ever did so in secret. " Now all I have to remember is what Jix told me," she reflected, twisting her wrists to the left, forcing the stone to bend along the sand in that direction.
It was only a few minutes at their high speed before Tali saw a circular light leading to an exit.
"This must be it," she hoped, pushing full force towards it. As they approached, the blinding sunlight forced Tali's eyes closed for only a moment. But, misjudging the speed that they traveled, Tali opened her eyes, realizing they were now too close to the exit to stop entirely. Tali tried to pull back and slow down, but it was too late, the two girls came barreling out of the pipe. Tali watched as her sister flew past, her heart dropped. She tried to speak, but before she could say a word, she slammed face-first into the muddy ground. She felt the air leave her lungs as she slid. Gasping to catch her breath, she gripped the ground with her long nails until she finally came to a stop. Failing to lift herself from the earth, she looked around half dazed for Nari. Who had landed only a few feet away and was already getting to her feet. Tali laid her head back down relieved, luckily Ki'Vissirs agile nature allowed them to recover quickly from falls and other imbalances, but the same could not be said for her.
Tali tried again to lift herself from the mud; this time, she felt severe pain from her left wrist. "No, no, no she sobbed," not so much from the pain but from the idea of how her father would react if he found out what had happened." Tali felt two small arms wrap around her body, helping her get to her knees. " Come on, Tali, get up!" Nari cried. With her sister's help, she was able to get to her feet. Seeing both her and her sister's clothing and fur matted with mud and sand, Tali began to panic. How were they going to explain this" she thought frantically, going through possible scenarios in her mind.
"Tali, where are we?" Nari squeaked, wiping the dirt from her ears.
The thought hadn't even crossed Tali's mind, she was so worried about the possible consequences of what she had done. She looked to the pipe they came out of, it was mounted in the wall at least 15 feet above them. She dare not risk using her magic to climb to it in her current state, leaving it unreachable from where they were now. Looking around, Tali saw nothing but run-down shacks and piles of debris to her left and right, " What is this place?" she wondered aloud.
The two sisters wandered through the abandoned slums for what felt like hours until they found another overflow pipe on the ground level. Tali really didn't want to risk going through another but, she saw no other option; it was as if this place had been cut off entirely from the rest of Karodeem. Once inside, Tali noticed that the further they got through the winding system, the less frequently she saw the overhead grates that allowed sand to fall through and, consequently, light. Until there were none, and they were in utter darkness. "Nari you'll have to lead, I can't see in the dark like you can, "Tali explained, stopping and letting her sister pass in front of her. Firmly grasping the hand of her sister, Nari led them forward through the dark. As they pressed on, Tali would periodically flex and move her damaged wrist, hoping that somehow it would miraculously start to feel better. But instead, the pain just grew with each improper move. Tali could feel a faint quiver begin to develop in her sister's hand now that they had been in the dark for some time "It's going to be fine, I'm sure we're close to an exit now," Tali said to comfort her sister. Nari stopped, "Its not that... I think I hear something up ahead." she stuttered. Tali perked her ears, at first there was only the sound of their heavy breathing, and a faint awful smell but slowly Tali began to notice some sort of scraping noise. " It must be coming from an exit; if we're lucky, it will bring us out somewhere in one of the lower tiers." Tali sighed in relief. "Let's keep going, the faster we get out of here, the better," she added. Nari continued on, her trembling still persisting despite her sister's words.
The sound came and went sporadically as they continued until it eventually stopped altogether; the smell, on the other hand, only grew stronger. " There's a small dropoff here, be careful," Nari informed as she sat at its edge, dangling her legs down before sliding off. "There's a cave down here," Nari said as she guided her sister down safely.
Tali realized immediately that the floor they were now standing on was no longer the material the pipes were made of. While she couldn't see what it was, the sound it made when she moved her shoes across it was different for sure. Tali felt a knot form in her stomach, this path didn't seem to be leading to a way out like she had hoped. They weren't even 20 steps in before Nari stopped again. "What...whats wrong?" Tali whispered. Nari didn't answer; she just tightened her grip on Tali's hand to the point that it hurt. "Nari? She said again. Then the sound of irregular scratching hit her ears.
Nari stared frozen in terror at a looming figure in the shadowed distance; it was easily 4 times her size. Its long skeletal arms would touch the floor beside it even if it wasn't currently picking apart a mutilated corpse. She wanted to scream, but all she could muster was a gasping breath. Suddenly the creature snapped its head towards her, flesh falling from its teeth. The only way her mind could comprehend its face would be to define it as horse-like. It stared crookedly at the girls, eyes so black it seemed as if they were just holes in its head. It stood there utterly still, blowing heavy air through its nostrils. Then it reared its head back, blood-soaked hair slapped loudly against its back, and it let loose a violent roar. Throwing the body aside, it advanced towards them, at first with a slow gait, which quickly turned to a full sprint.
Tali's body seized from the roar, instinctively she pulled her sister behind her breaking her statuesque stance. "RUN NARI," She yelled as scraping nails grew louder and louder. Nari grabbed her sister by the arm, and the two girls rushed back to the dropoff. Nari lunged and pulled herself up, swinging back to help her sister, she saw the beast again. It was now mear meters away. Nari pulled on Tali with all her strength. Tali fought to get up the wall, forcing her to use her broken wrist, which sent spikes of pain up her arm. She screamed as she drove herself up.
"Come on!"Nari yelled, helping her sister to her feet as there was no time for respite.
The beast slammed into the ledge and immediately after roared from the impact. Luckily the space between the ceiling and the wall was too small for it to pass through easily, forcing it to claw through the gap slowly. The girls raced through the tubes, Nari frantically trying to remember from which they came. Each turn they took through the maze, the beast writhed after them. The only reason they could even keep ahead was that it was too big to run through the pipes. Finally, the grates started appearing above them again, allowing a dim light to cut through the darkness. It was then that Tali was able to see their pursuer for the first time. It was some sort of abhorrent abomination between horse and man. She didn't know such things existed in the world, less so, this close to her home. Desperately Tali attempted to cast her earth magic at the beast, but she couldn't focus, so the best she could do was throw sand into its face, which only seemed to madden it further. Tali could feel their stamina growing thin, the girls became slower and more exhausted with every step, which allowed the monster to gain on them to the point where it seemed there was no hope for them to make it out. At least not both of them, tali thought, maybe if she stayed behind, the beast would only take her and leave her sister. Looking back once more at the gnashing teeth and disturbing form of the creature, Tali realized she couldn't bring her self to it, she was too afraid to die alone at the hands of such a beast. They made one more turn, and then, at last, an exit was before them. Summoning forth the last bit of their strength, the girls sprinted to the pipes end. They stumbled unto the ground outside where a few Do' Vissir onlookers watched in confusion. Nari crawled forward on pure adrenaline until she finally broke down in tears, realizing she was out of that awful place.
Tali held her sister tightly as she also began to tear up. A large shadow was cast over them, and a monstrous hand grabbed Tali, long nails penetrated her dress and dug into her skin. As she was lifted up, she watched the people scream in terror and scatter. She reached for her sister, who just stared dead-eyed. Tali shifted and looked down the endless abyss that was the throat of the beast. It dropped and dislocated its jaw to fit its maw around her. Tali closed her eyes, she felt tears roll down her face as she braced for what was to come. A sickening crunch and the warmth of fresh blood. But, it was not her own. Tali peeked open her eyes and saw the beast, its lower jaw wholly removed from its face, blood running from its hanging bones. It shrieked in pain, throwing Tali to the dirt. Spears of stone impaled the creature, until one finally sliced through its throat, causing it to fall lifeless beside Tali. She laid there in confusion, staring into its black eyes as its body spasmed and settled in death.
"Tali...Tali say something, We need to get her medical attention now!" A familiar voice rang out. Tali was able to barely move, but she titled her head just enough to see her brother kneeling above her for a brief moment before blacking out.
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