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Kat Dakuu
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#51
Old 03-02-2016, 05:48 PM

Sweat trickled down Shail's back, little by little becoming more than a trickle. It stung his eyes and wet his hair. The dry air and breeze evaporated it quickly, but more sweat just took its place so he felt drowned in it. But that would be more pleasant. At least then he would have water. When he collapsed under the outcropping, the shade offered a comfortable area that he could even stretch out in. Now it was a thin line that left him pressed up against the hard rock surface, squeezing in his toes to keep them from the harsh sun. He was stupid, stupid, stupid. Like this, he would die out here.

Shail turned his eyes up to the bright sky. Would Allah save him now? The being he sent his prayers to wasn't Allah at all though. Gemini! Desperately, he called out to the one being that might save him. Even if he ran away from her in the first place. With an arm pressed over his mouth, his body still fighting a cough, he thought he heard horse hooves on the sand. Was he dreaming now? It certainly felt like he'd slipped into a dream.

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#52
Old 03-03-2016, 04:29 AM

Gemini sensed that she was getting closer. She was moving at a hard gallop now, sides heaving with labored breath. Her white coat glistened with sweat, but she didn't let up. The sun was almost too high, almost too hot. She was so focused on running that she almost ran right past him altogether. She skidded to a halt, kicking up sand as she did, and snorted hard. "Shail!" She looked at him, wide-eyed. "Can you hear me? Can you stand up?" She moved closer so that her shadow was covering him, offering at least a temporary relief.

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#53
Old 03-03-2016, 06:27 PM

Shail blinked his eyes and turned toward the sound of Gemini's voice. Before him stood a majestic white horse, the sort of creature that belonged to kings. The pure color of it's coat didn't belong in this desert at all. It didn't belong anywhere near him. "This really is a dream" he rasped in response to her questions. Why should he answer a mirage even if it was the most beautiful he'd ever seen? He found himself reaching toward the horse because of some strange instinct. He bundled a hand in the end of its mane, just holding on. He couldn't stand, but he heard her voice clearly. But it couldn't really be Gemini could it? It it was, he wouldn't whisper things like this. "You really are beautiful..."

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#54
Old 03-04-2016, 04:36 AM

Gemini's ears flattened. He was delirious, obviously, if he thought he was dreaming. Although, she supposed seeing a pure white horse talking in the desert would have made anyone question themselves. Still, the way he was acting- stumbling, staying up only by holding her mane- made it clear he wasn't in his right mind. His next words gave her pause. If horses could blush, her coat would have turned red. "W-what?" Now she was sure of it. Shail must have heat stroke at the very least, and was probably severely dehydrated. He would barely remember any of this later.

With a sigh that came out as a gentle huff, Gemini knelt down so that her back was level with his waist. He would be able to climb onto her back now. "Shail, climb on. I'm going to bring you back. I have water back at the cave." She instructed, as calmly as possible. She only hoped he had enough strength to hold onto her the whole way back. She'd have to travel more slowly than she had on the way out, but it would still be faster than both of them walking. "Can you get up? I can help you, but only a little." She offered, suddenly realizing that he might not have the strength to pull himself up, even with her kneeling.

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#55
Old 03-04-2016, 05:20 PM

As the horse knelt, Shail got a better grip on her mane. He was only half listening to her words, but the gesture wasn't lost on him. He was to climb up and with an awkward lean, he rolled onto the creature's back. It took more effort to swing his leg to the other side, but he was soon straddling the horse with both hands now twisted in the mane. The entire time, he looked at her with a dazed, but awed sort of look. "The spirits like me. They always come rescue me," he continued to murmur as his fingers stroked the fur of the horse's neck. "But you're my favorite. I should never have run away. Tell...tell Gemini I didn't mean it."

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#56
Old 03-05-2016, 05:12 AM

Gemini waited patiently, keeping as still as stone while Shail climbed onto her back. He was shaky, which made her nervous that he would fall off, but his grip was firm enough. Her ears twitched back towards him as he mumbled, and she wondered what he meant by spirits. Had he seen others before? And why am I his favorite? She shook her head to clear it of that thought. It wasn't important now. Slowly, she stood up, making sure he wouldn't fall before she started walking. Was he getting worse? "Don't worry, Shail. Gemini knows you didn't mean it. But you can tell her yourself in a little while." She said. It seemed useless to try and reason with him right then, so she humored him instead. "Make sure you hold on tight." She added, before setting off at a steady pace back to the caves.

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#57
Old 03-05-2016, 05:34 AM

Shail hummed in response, but he already found himself drifting and couldn't respond even if he knew what to say. The breeze as the started to move felt good on his skin, leaving him sighing with bliss. Pressed against the horse's back, he felt at ease again and even his breath seemed to come easier. He closed his eyes and just let himself feel the wind the entire way back, not asleep, but not entirely with the world either. Somehow though, he knew it would be alright. The spirit told him it wasn't his time and he rode back to earth where Gemini would be waiting.

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#58
Old 03-06-2016, 03:55 AM

As she walked, Gemini monitored Shail's breathing, making sure he was doing alright. He seemed to have fallen asleep, and his breaths came easier, which calmed her nerves a bit. A breeze kicked up, gentle enough to feel good without stirring up too much sand. Gemini became increasingly grateful that she had chosen her horse form, since it was strong and swift enough to make the journey less difficult. It wasn't long before the caves became visible in the distance. By that time, the sun had passed the center of the sky and was slowly beginning it's descent towards the horizon.

It was a great relief to enter the cool darkness of the caves. She carried Shail all the way to the back of the second chamber of her home cave, and stopped beside her bed. She could have brought him to his alcove, but it would be more comfortable in her bed for now. Carefully changing forms again, she became the wind and gently set him down on the bed, then went back to her human form and magically summoned a cup that she filled with water from a small pool on the other side of the cave. She brought it back to him and knelt down. "Shail...?" She called his name gently. "Wake up, Shail. I've got water for you."

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#59
Old 03-06-2016, 05:34 AM

The rest of the journey flew by. Shail roused some when he felt himself placed on the bed, but he didn't think about the where's or why. It didn't seem significant. When he blinked his eyes though, he found Gemini standing in front of him, looking tired and worried. She held a cup of water which he stared at blankly for second. Well, he stared at the cup with all his focus on her. Gemini was here. Was he back in the cave now? He should feel upset that his escape attempt landed him in the exact same position, but thoughts dizzied him.

"Gemini?" he croaked, just to make sure he woke up from his dream. He felt like he was still in it, but a niggling in the back of his mind kept him from just falling into sleep with that thought. Finally, he reached out and took the water. After a hesitant sip, he gulped with all the thirst he didn't realize he had. He needed water. He needed it like he needed air, maybe more. Once he finished it, he found Gemini's eyes with his wide and pleading ones. "So thirsty!"

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#60
Old 03-07-2016, 05:08 AM

For a moment, Gemini worried that he wasn't going to wake up. He was breathing, but obviously weak. Had the sand gotten into his lungs? What should she do? She didn't know how to treat that kind of ailment. Then, after what seemed like hours but was really only seconds, Shail's eyes opened. He took the water and gulped it down, and Gemini let out a silent sigh of relief. She took the cup back from him. "I'll get you more, but you must slow down." She told him, filling the cup again. "If you drink too quickly, you'll get sick and lose it all." She advised, before giving the cup back. While he drank, she dipped a cloth in some water, wrung it out and brought it over to him. She used it to gently wipe the dust off his face, then rinsed it and laid it over his forehead to cool him.

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#61
Old 03-07-2016, 06:06 PM

Gemini's warnings didn't really filtered into Shail's brain. He heard them and recognized the warning, but still couldn't stop himself. His starved body won out over his mind this time. For a while now, logic stopped dictating his movements. Taking the refilled cup, he finished it off not much slower than before. The effort left the rest of his energy exhausted and he dropped back into the bed, starting to drift off. "I'm glad it was you..." he murmured, not aware of the words slipping out his mouth. The last thing he felt was the coolness of cloth against his head and Gemini's amber eyes on him.

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#62
Old 03-08-2016, 05:14 AM

Seeing Shail gulp down the second cup of water just as quickly as the first, Gemini shook her head and sighed. She knew it would be too much to ask that he hold back, with how dehydrated he was. But still...she had hoped his logical side would win. She gently took the cup as he set it down, putting it to the side where it could be easily accessed. Hearing him speak, she looked up. Glad it was me? She felt a blush overtake her, but shook it away and focused on cooling him down. He was asleep in a heartbeat, this time looking restful. She knew he'd sleep a while, and probably deeply, so she got herself comfortable and waited, keeping an eye on him while he slept.

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#63
Old 03-09-2016, 01:43 AM

For quite some time, Shail continued to sleep, waking only every now and then, disoriented and unable to stay awake for more than a few minutes. Hours might have passed, or days. He couldn't track the passage of time in that sort of state. Only when dawn rays stretched outside did he wake with a clear mind.

At first, he couldn't tell where he was. His body felt heavy, but ached in a way that reminded him very clearly that he was awake. Opening his eyes slowly, he looked around. He recognized the cave immediately, but the angle looked different from before. Just where did he...oh. His fingers clenched in the blankets not quite the same as the ones he slept on before. Spotting Gemini nearby, he felt his face flush. No doubt about it; he lay on her bed. With a groan, he rolled over to press his face into a pillow, feeling only less disoriented than before.

"What happened...?"

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#64
Old 03-09-2016, 05:25 AM

Gemini kept diligent watch over Shail throughout the whole time he slept. She gave him small amounts of water each time he woke, and regularly replaced the cloth on his forehead. At some points, when he seemed restless, she even hummed a little for him, a song she had known as long as she could remember. When it started to get dark and cool down, she retrieved a blanket and draped it over him, making sure he would be comfortable. The rest of the day passed, and then the whole night, in much the same fashion. By the time the pale rays of the sun shimmered to life the next morning, Gemini was exhausted, but she refused to sleep until she was sure Shail would be alright.

This time when he woke, it was obvious he was awake for real. A blush spread across his face, and he rolled over and asked what happened. "You ran into the desert and collapsed." Gemini explained. "I found you and brought you back here. You are lucky I got there when I did, or you could have died. You almost died, Shail. Please do not do that again." Her voice broke at the end, and she cleared her throat.

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#65
Old 03-10-2016, 01:54 AM

Shail couldn't lift his head from the pillow. He didn't know how to face Gemini. Even with his eyes squeezed shut and his mind frantically searching, the day before came in only dream-like fragments. He wanted to tell Gemini that it didn't happen. The image of that pure white horse danced in his mind, the one unhazy thing from his memories. He remembered Gemini's voice at points, that horse standing there, regal against the sands. It's fur felt warm against his cheek. Beyond that, he couldn't remember anything past first collapsing at the rock outcropping. Half of what he could grasp, he wrote off as only a dream, including the beautiful white horse. Nothing more than a grasping for hope before Gemini found him. Even if logic offered one more explanation, he refused it.

Finally turning his head so he could speak, Shail looked at Gemini. "I'm sorry." He bit his lip. She sounded tired and distraught. Over him. But what could he say? Nothing honest wanted to come out his mouth. "I can't promise I won't do it again because....I'm really stubborn..." he managed to say, faltering at the end.

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#66
Old 03-10-2016, 04:42 AM

Gemini sighed, a tired smile playing across her features. She had half expected this response. "You insist on putting your own life in danger, where most mortals cling to life almost too fiercely. I have never met a human like you, Shail." She said. He must have been tired still, to have taken so long to answer. She wondered how much of the previous day he remembered- probably not much, considering his condition at the time. "Well, at least now I know to expect this kind of thing. Next time, I will be ready in my horse form, and hopefully I will find you before it gets to this point." She turned to fill the cup with water once more. "Here, drink, but slowly. You are still weak. I will take care of you, Shail. I promise." She didn't say until you feel better. She meant to care for him indefinitely.

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#67
Old 03-11-2016, 03:06 AM

Shail turned his head away at her words. If he could, he'd walk away and ignore the conversation, but that wasn't much of an option right now. In truth, he didn't think he'd ever run out into the desert like that again, but Gemini didn't call him out on the lie. With his faltering speech, he almost expected her to. But then, since when had he been honest with her? How would she know the difference.

As Gemini continued, he found his breath stilling. Rather than take the cup, he just looked at the djinn woman like some kind of deer. "Horse?" he asked with hesitation, the one word almost inaudible. It couldn't be. Even if logic said so. Just for a little while, he wanted his perfect little mirage to exist as a mirage, untouched, and unconnected by the real world. These sorts of emotional words that Gemini spoke confused him far too much. His head swam just from all the implications.

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#68
Old 03-11-2016, 05:01 AM

Gemini looked at him strangely. Even for what he'd been through, Shail was acting a bit off. A suspicion crept up in the back of her mind that there was a lie being told, but she couldn't figure out what the lie was. Dismissing that, she nodded. "I can take any form I wish. A horse was the fastest way to get to you without causing a sandstorm." She explained. "Though I prefer to become the wind, that was too dangerous." She looked closer at him and realized he was reacting badly to her words. In a flash of memory, she recalled the way he had acted the day before, not realizing it was her who had taken him back. He doesn't know I was the horse... She realized suddenly. He didn't want to know it was her.

"You were completely passed out when I found you, so you didn't see me, but you mumbled something about a white horse. My form is black, so you must have been dreaming." The lie came easily and flowed like truth. She wouldn't ruin his illusion, at least not now. She was sure he would see her horse form again some day and know the truth, but that didn't have to happen for a long while yet. She would let him believe a benevolent spirit had visited him, rather than a frantic djinn. "Now, enough talk. You need water. Drink." She pushed the cup forward again.

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#69
Old 03-11-2016, 09:15 PM

He couldn't deny it any longer. The horse from his hallucination was real, the form Gemini took in his rescue. The details of that incident still felt fuzzy to him, but his emotions were clear. That memory was in some way precious to him. And it was Gemini. As she continued though, he looked up, finally meeting her eye after some minutes. Gemini's horse form was black? But then...? It didn't seem right, but he clung to the words nonetheless, needing to cling to his illusion just a little longer. He was beginning to thing though, that it wasn't an illusion at all.

"I...I see," he murmured as he took the water. He drank, letting the cool liquid soothe his throat without gulping as he had before. "I'm sorry. I don't remember any of it. I was just curious since you mentioned a horse." Maybe he lied too easy, but he didn't want to share his embarrassing memories especially if they weren't real. "It sounds like a storybook though. Most wouldn't expect a djinn to chase after a human..."

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#70
Old 03-12-2016, 04:02 AM

Gemini glanced away as soon as their eyes met. She couldn't look him in the eye and continue to lie, she was sure he'd figure it out if she did. The unspoken truth hung tenuous as a spider's thread between them, invisible but always there. After a quiet moment where Shail drank his water- slowly this time, she noticed with satisfaction- he spoke up again. Though entirely true, his words took Gemini by surprise. She blushed slightly, thanking the cool darkness of the cave for hiding it. "Yes, well...most djinn don't bargain for a single human as I did." She said with a shrug. She hoped he didn't ask why she had made that bargain, because she still wasn't entirely sure herself. She cleared her throat. "Besides, you are under my protection. I am not a killer, and I would not have someone die while I was watching them. It is bad enough the villagers blame me for every random death as it is, I won't aid those rumors by allowing them to be true." She said this last part bitterly. Yes, she was a djinn and liked causing trouble, but she had never been a killer like some of her kind. She was more of a...minor mischief maker.

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#71
Old 03-13-2016, 03:10 AM

Shail stared silently into the depths of his cup as Gemini's words struck him. He already suspected that his misconceptions about djinn were wrong, but this only proved it more. Most djinn wouldn't chase after a single human? But, then why did Gemini? The questions spun around in his mind, becoming far more muddy rather than clearer. He couldn't bring himself to ask though. Maybe he feared the answer.

"....If you're not like that, why do you let everyone believe it?" he asked after a long pause. His voice sounded quite in the large cave. Or maybe it only seemed that way to him. "Only they see a beast." When did he stop seeing a monster in her? He only came to this cave days ago and all that fear, just where did it go?

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#72
Old 03-13-2016, 05:16 AM

A beast. The words stung, even though they were nothing new. She knew- had always known- that the humans thought of her as a monster. She had worked hard to make that reputation for herself, and to keep it that way. But...why? She remembered when the humans came to her territory. Their settlement was little more than a few tents at the time, but still she had disliked their presence.

She had started harassing them in small ways, just to show that this was her land, and they were just trespassers. Then she found that pranking them was fun, and kept it up. After a while, it became second nature. It got worse when they became curious about her. Their village grew, and it became clear that they wouldn't be leaving. Their children, and sometimes even adults, would come to her cave. She felt threatened...frightened, even. So she scared them away.

A few hundred years later, they had a long standing agreement that she wouldn't harm them as long as they wouldn't invade her caves. This came about after a man had walked in to find her sleeping once and tried to trap her in a bottle. He didn't survive the encounter. She hadn't meant to kill him, but the villagers didn't understand that. So they struck up a deal. Gemini sighed. Even thinking it over didn't give her a clear answer.

"I am not sure why." She said finally. "Perhaps it was easier, to keep them away from me. I..." She couldn't say it. The idea was so strange to her, even as she realized how true it was. She was afraid of them. She didn't know why- she was a djinn, far more powerful than they were. There was no reason for fear. But something inside of her still feared those humans. "It has been so long, I can't really remember the reason."

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#73
Old 03-14-2016, 04:00 AM

Shail regarded her in silence. Even Gemini didn't seem to understand this question. He didn't know why he needed to ask it, but he wanted to understand. She wasn't a beast, but maybe even beauty. He shook the thought away and squinted against the pain in his temples that it caused. Right now, he wasn't ready for such thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," he finally whispered back to her. Even if Gemini said she didn't remember the reason, she sounded so infinitely sad that he didn't know what to say. Turning away again, Shail let himself relax against the blankets. His energy already started to fade. "You should be more honest. There...are good and wondrous legends too...." He fought to keep his eyes open, if only a second longer. "...Before it's too late."

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#74
Old 03-14-2016, 04:15 AM

Seeing that Shail was staring to tire again, Gemini gently took the cup from him and placed it down next to her for easy reaching when he next woke. She sighed, watching him lay back down. It looked like he had a headache, and she decided to do something for him about that later. "No, it's alright. You have every right to ask questions." She said quietly. Of course he should ask about her. It was only natural to want to know more, especially about someone who he would be spending an unforeseeable amount of time with.

His words as he drifted off gave her pause. Good and wondrous legends...? Did he think she could somehow turn her reputation around. Before it's too late. But wasn't it already too late? Hundreds of years of carefully cultivated fear and distrust would be impossible to change. There was no way she would ever be one of those good legends. "It is already far too late for me." She said, but he was already asleep. Sighing again, she leaned back against the wall and relaxed, losing herself in her thoughts.

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#75
Old 03-15-2016, 01:54 AM

For the first time in years, Shail found himself dreaming like he used to as a child. It left his sleep restless and his breathing uneven. Before him, a black pit opened up. No air moved in it, as if the pit lead to nothing. It was a giant vacuum that didn't belong in this world. Shail stood on the edge of it, watching his sandals push closer to the edge. He did everything he could to pull back, but some other force pushed him, or maybe pulled him forward. No matter how he screamed or struggled, his limbs didn't obey. Not even a whisper made it out of him.

So this was death. This pit was the oppressive heaviness inside him where all air was squeezed out. Rocks crumbled beneath his sandals, tumbling down into the pit. By now, they stuck out an inch into that darkness. Just when he thought he might fall though, a whisper of wind floated over the pit. His lungs breathed in deep, fresh air, like flowers that bloomed for one week in the desert. Across the darkness, a white horse tossed its mane. Like nothing, it walked across the air toward him, kneeing the ground as if to say, 'why don't you help yourself?' And just like that, he could.

A second later, the pit vanished and Shail blinked his eyes. He found himself in the cave again and his heart beating just a little bit faster. Not seeing Gemini immediately, he stumbled from the bed and made his way to the cave entrance again. There he sat, looking out at the sky that now appeared just past midday. He just...needed to breathe for a second. The dream was too raw.

 


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