"Shiine, I would so love to have our old family back..."
"Yes mistress, so would I. Unfortunately..."
"Unfortunately that bitch Riiya seems to think otherwise!"
"Ye-yes mistress..."
"Shiine, will you kindly show our guest the way out."
"Yes mistress Chacha."
That dream again. It's been haunting me ever since Aiushtha saved me from certain death. She says she isn't in her full capacity, but her healing is remarkably potent. I shudder at how effective she would be when she's at "full capacity" as she claimed she used to be. It's been only three days and I already feel like I could take down an army of city dwellers!
She has graciously allowed me to live with her in her desolate hut. I don't recognize any of the surroundings, except maybe the river that runs right through the city she has chose to live in. To be honest though, I think I could sympathize with her. I too am a stranger in a city made of stone, or once was and twice now. Naivety made me think that I could be a guardian, a protector. Reality brought me down, especially that of Chacha and Shiine.
They have both grown up, but something did not feel right with them now that I think about it. It's as if, they haven't aged as much as I expected they would have. Ten years may not be much, but from the looks of them, they seemed younger than expected. Maybe it's just me; I hope it's just me.
Be that correct or not, one thing's for sure. Dark magick had corrupted both of them, thriving on the souls of the living to extend their own lives and their own potentials. It would explain the many disappearances in Mochi Mochi before the eventual disappearance of my master and caretaker, but I cannot help but doubt. They are my friends after all, or at least they used to be. Now, I just... Don't know...
What should I do...
"RIIYA!"
"So he's here, huh?"
Aiushtha?
"So our precious Riiya is here? Bitch! How dare you steal him from us?!?"
Chacha?
"Mistress, shall we end her life?"
Shiine?
Bastards!
Showing posts with label White Wolf Riiya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White Wolf Riiya. Show all posts
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Antagonist
Friday, April 30, 2010
Deus Ex Machina
I was lucky to have survived that fall.
First Shiine, now Chacha as well; just what is going on here? It's been the better part of a decade since I last saw them; I had resigned myself to never see them again. But like a cruel cosmic joke, there they were! Or at least, there was Shiine and Chacha, but not how I remembered them.
It's all happening way too fast...
"Are you awake?" I heard a voice ask.
"Yes, I think I am, unless I'm hearing strange voices in my dreams. What happened?"
"Most of your bones are broken, your skin has been fried and torn up, you lost half the blood in your body and still you manage to be cynical huh? Well, I saw you unconscious on the shore so I brought you here." The voice answered.
"Here? Where is here?" I said, trying to get up. The pain wouldn't let me.
"Don't try to get up yet, you're ribs got badly beaten up and broken. It should take you a month, maybe two to heal."
"And you plan on keeping me here until then? What do you want in return?"
"Depends, I could just probably rip you open and examine your organs, maybe sell them to scalpers. I heard shape shifters like you are a rare breed. You heart would fetch a handsome amount..."
"Why you..." was my pathetic attempt at a reply. I heard her chuckle in response.
"I'm just kidding! Give me a little credit here; I did save your life! By the way, I haven't formally introduced myself. I'm Aiushtha, a forest dryad. Or at least I once was. And to answer your previous question, you are now in Crying Eagle. I've been living here ever since those stonedwellers destroyed my former home."
"Crying Eagle huh..."
"Yup! Legend has it that they got the name from the weird noise the birds made when they tore their way through the woods where they built this city. It sort of sounded like eagles crying, or at least, that was what the legend said. Still, the thought of it kind of makes you sad huh?"
"Yeah..."
"I'm sorry to be bothering you with these useless sentiments. Those woods... Was actually where I used to live. I won't be able to forgive those greedy stonedwellers, but there really isn't much I could do then and now."
"I see..." was all I could muster. It's been forever since I last talked to someone, never mind having to comfort them at the same time.
"Well, anyway, don't worry about it. Make yourself at home until your injuries heal. That should be in about a week or so."
"I thought you said it'd take a month!"
"Nah, it would but you're gravely underestimating me. You see, I specialize in healing magic. It's been a while though since I last used them, so I might have grown a little rusty. If I were in my prime, you'd be up and running in no time!"
"I see, thank you- Aiushtha was it?"
"Yup! But it's unfair that you know my name and I don't know yours."
I couldn't help but grin.
"I'm Riiya, the White Wolf. Pleasure to meet you... If I wasn't hurting like hell right now."
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Conflict
Where… am I?
“Mistress, the guest awaits. Shall we give him a warm welcome?”
I hear footsteps in the distance.
“Mistress… Will we be together again? Like how we used to?”
Slowly I snapped out of unconsciousness, only to find myself chained. It’s never easy isn’t it?
“We can be a family again, right mistress?”
As soon as I regained feeling over my arms and legs, I found myself involuntarily flailing against the chains, trying desperately to break free only to fail miserably. Guess the easy plan never works.
“Right here mistress, the white wolf had been dying to see you…”
An unseen door screeched open. A strong draft wafted into what now seemed to be my jail cell.
It’s been a number of years since I last saw her face, or should I say their faces. The young blue mage and the little red witch; I can’t even recall their faces anymore! But as if fate hadn’t been cruel enough, there they are now right in front of me.
The blue mage spoke first.
“Riiya, have our accommodations suited your tastes? Wolves were meant to be chained you know…”
Tch.
“But enough about that, I know you’ve been dying to see the mistress. It’s been... Ten years? Twenty? I can’t even recall how you looked like until I found you. Hasn’t fate been cruel huh?”
“Shiine! Enough!” the red witch interjected.
She approached me, with the caution and grace of a young child. You could suppose the ten or so years hadn’t changed her attitude that much; at least that’s the façade she’s showing me right now.
“Riiya right?” she said, her tone gentle and warm; almost as warm as the touch of her hand against my face.
“It’s been a long time now… How are you? I’ve missed you so much Riiya… So very much…” her smile was angelic, almost making the chains feel comfortable.
“Riiya… Let’s be... A family again… With my magic and Shiine’s magic... We can live forever! We can be happy for the rest of our immortal lives, just the three of us adventuring like we used to… It would be like Mochi mochi again; you, me and Shiine prancing around without a care for the world, only this time, the adventure never has to end!”
I turned my head in disgust. What magic? Magic that requires a payment of blood and life? Disgusting…
The slap that followed resounded like thunder in the mountains.
“Bastard wolf!”
Talk about moody…
“Shiine, dispose of him.”
“But mistress…”
“I do not want a trace of him anywhere in my mansion. The stench of his animal fur sickens me…”
She turned towards me, her face once again a visage of grace with a beautiful smile to boot.
“Oh, and Riiya, it was really nice meeting you again!”
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Recollection
“Who- who are you?” but I already knew.
“You forgot? Aww, Mistress Chacha will be so sad if she finds that out…” he replied.
It’s been now ten years since I left Mochi Mochi. Not so long before I did, they left too, and not so long before that, my caretaker disappeared as well. I was saddened beyond comprehension because of their disappearances; I thought it was best to just forget about them completely.
Now he’s back.
“Are you sure you don’t remember me Riiya? Or are you just surprised…”
“You… Cannot be Shiine… Are you?”
“Aww, you remembered! Good dog…”
He’s taunting me. Confused beyond my wits, I stood frozen, afraid to move. Here is a figment of my memory, a long gone and long forgotten memory, standing right in front of me, talking to me; a shred of a long gone past now clearly in plain sight and in the flesh.
How do you suppose I should feel?
“Heh, come now Riiya, Mistress Chacha is waiting for you…”
He extended his hand towards me one more, beckoning me to follow him. Hesitantly I rose from my crouched position, still in shock at what has just transpired.
“What did you do to those poor souls?” I finally managed to ask.
Shiine, who was just about to turn his back, stopped for a moment feinting surprise. He turned to me and said
“Them? Mere fodder for my magic. Plus I didn’t know of any other way I could attract your attention…”
I could feel my fists clenching.
“… Besides, just what are you thinking? Becoming the self-proclaimed protector of life in this city? Trivial nonsense if you ask me…”
This guy…
“Trivial nonsense? You just killed someone…”
“Kill, murder, sacrifice, consume, mere technicalities of the term. I am a magician Riiya, a practitioner of the arts. It just so happened that in my line of specialization, I’m required to feed on a soul or two every now and then. Failure to do so would lead to my weakening and eventual death. I’m sure you’ll understand-“
“Shut up!” I growled, launching myself forward, catching him off guard, mounting him and grabbing his neck.
“Hey hey, there’s no need for violence. It’s just two measly people; they had their time coming anyway…”
“How can you be saying this? You… You are not the Shiine I knew…”
“Riiya, you’re still naïve as ever. Didn’t you realize why we left Mochi Mochi?”
I tried to talk but nothing came out.
“Simply put, Mochi Mochi was getting too nice, too cute. Me and my mistress wanted something else… Some excitement…”
“And you found this excitement in killing people? Are you insane?”
“Heh, killing people is an inevitable cost we had to pay…”
“Cost?!? For what?!? What would compel you to take life so indiscriminately?!?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Power, Riiya, power makes the world go round. If you have power, you can have everything.”
“Monster…” I spat out, tightening my grip on his neck.
“In due time I know you will understand…”
Ooof… What the hell was that? One moment I was on him, the next I was sent flying across the rooftop. Lifting himself up, he began to walk towards me, relishing each step as if he had just won a war.
“Did you like that Riiya? That’s not even a fraction of my power…”
He placed two fingers on my forehead.
“Don’t resist, this is going to hurt only for a little while.”
As soon as he pressed his fingers into my forehead, I felt a sudden and painful stream of electricity jolting up and down my body. My muscles began to twitch on it’s own in painful succession. It felt as if my blood vessels were going to burst open. I let out a scream, but even that was painful.
Just before everything went black, I heard him say.
“Sleep tight Riiya… Soon we would be together again… You, me and mistress Chacha…”
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Exposition
"White wolf huh? Nah, I don't believe that kind of crap."
"But some people claim they've seen him, it, whatever..."
"Aww, come on girl! Don't tell me you're into that sort of thing?!? Major turn off..."
"Sheesh, I was only asking!"
Such were the rumors about the legend of the white wolf. Truth be told, I'm not really that much interested about what people think about me. I'm just careful not to develop any close connections with anybody, here in this city or anywhere else.
You could say I learned my lesson.
Many years had gone since I last saw them. I don't know if I'm even interested in seeing them anymore. I would rather live my remaining days not hearing from them, if only to not reopen wounds that have only just begun to heal.
It still hurts a little when I try to remember.
"It's getting dark... Honey, should we go back now?"
"What? But it's just getting fun!"
"Erm... Fine, but I have to be home by ten in the evening, or else pops would be really mad..."
"Aww, don't worry about your old man, I'm sure he'd understand or somethin'! You're her Prima Donna after all!"
"Eww! Don't call me that!"
"Woah, ow ow ow! You don't have to be so harsh!"
Nightfall is fast approaching. The howl of the wolf is only ever heard at night; it's too noisy in the morning. Buzzing cars, people marching by; when there is light, people can see and people can work, but when darkness covers the sky, life stops.
That's the time the wolf feasts.
The city reeks of evil at night. From petty thieves to murderers, the city doesn't seem to have enough of them. Every time you take one down, another takes its place. But I'm not really interested in stopping them. After all, it's not that they have a choice. The city is a punishing place; you have to literally lose yourself to survive. It's no wonder criminals are so prevalent. But there are some who do it not for survival nor for self-sustenance.
That's my cue.
"Hun... Where are you taking me?"
"Hehe, just trust me alright... I know where we are going..."
"O-okay... But it's so dark in here... Are you really sure? I'm getting creeped out..."
"Don't worry honey... We're here!"
"Huh? Where? But it's all dark and -"
A scream. The shrill sound of an innocent life being defiled is to me an inexorable cry. Quickly I make my way through the maze of city walls. Each daring leap, each dangerous step brings me closer to the source of the sound. I care not if I fall or if I trip; life must be protected at all costs.
I do the city a favor by being its guardian of life.
I can feel that I'm almost there. The smell of life being crushed is getting stronger and stronger. I draw my staff for the judgement that lay ahead; whoever is doing this will most definitely get his or her just desserts. No one has ever the right to defile and destroy life-
Wait, what just happened? The sound... It's... Gone...
I stood frozen for a short while. My hair stood on end as I realized what just happened. The smell of life, both from the victim and the attacker are both gone. In it's place lie the cold emptiness of death. But I can't smell the trail of whoever did it, it's as if they both died just on their own. But somehow, I can sense the offender is still close by, very close by. Whoever or whatever is doing this... Is taunting me...
"Hello Riiya, it's been a while!"
That voice! I turned around to see where it was coming from.
"Did you miss us?"
It's unmistakable. Only those magically conscious can seal away their existence completely. And the way he did it, it's as if he knew me from long ago. He masked his existence in such a way that I will recognize it but only ever so subtly; with such a terrifying aura too.
He extended his hand towards me.
"Come now, White Wolf, Mistress Chacha would be very pleased!"
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Prologue
While the city sleeps, the wolf watches.
He stands guard amongst the tall spires and high towers, watching vigilantly as life slept below. With the moon as his only companion, he watches over the thankless world. Patiently he'd scan the horizon, observing intently every motion, every disturbance in the city below. Nothing escapes his senses. And when he finds something amiss, nothing escapes his claws.
His shiny blue hair contrasts against the darkness of the night; he covers it so he wont be noticed. If he passes by you, you're lucky to even see his shadow; no one has ever seen him. Very few acknowledged his existence anyway; to the waking world he is nothing more than a night-time shiver. He changes forms as he sees fit, man or wolf. He was from a clan of werewolves after all.
And when the day breaks, he leaves.
He once lived in a place of happiness. There, he enjoyed the companionship of his friends, his little so-called family. He never knew of his mother or father; he grew up an orphan, being taken care of by the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen. He would play everyday with his small group of rather clueless friends: a young witch in a red cowl and a young wizard under the tutelage of his caretaker's rival. He would go on adventures with them, strengthening their bonds and making them really close friends. He loved every minute of it.
But happiness cannot be forever. As they grew more mature, the young witch and wizard grew closer and closer together. He sensed he was becoming a third wheel, but the couple wouldn't want to push him away. So he hanged out with them still, going in lesser and lesser adventures as the couple furthered their magical arts, and their relationship. There was awkwardness of course, but they kept reassuring him that it was OK, he would always be their friend. They didn't know for him it was more than awkwardness, it was heartbreak.
With a broken heart he trudged on. He joined the couple wherever they went, loving their company but growing ever more distant. The couple fell so much into each other, it began to irritate him. So the white wolf moved on, accepting the fact that their group would never be the same.
Then one day, darkness struck.
The first wave came in the form of the disappearance of his caretaker. Nobody knew where he went, not even his rival turned wife. It came as a surprise to him and to the rest of the people who knew and recognized the power of his caretaker. Some asked "Why would he leave? He was very happy here?" Others asked "Who could have done this to him? How could anyone match his peerless wizardry?" The latter were the wiser.
To this day, no one can answer those questions.
But perhaps his so-called friends knew. A few days later they too disappeared without a trace. This was the second wave of darkness and confusion for him. His lupine senses told him something was up, yet his conscience could not accept what it was telling him. Racked with emotional pressure, he left Mochi mochi.
He left his home.
He took residence in a nearby city, adopting it as his new home. He never grew any new emotional attachments, not even to his new city home. He took on the role of protector, as a distraction more than as a commitment. Thus begins his story, my story.
I am Riiya, the White Wolf.
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