Fantasy Kumari and the Ghost (Malhyanth and PrincessSkye)

[PrincessSkye]

Villagers bustled around, whispers flowing through them as they met then broke apart. Much like the ants that skittered around the forest outside the large tree this village was hidden under. Walls of hard packed dirt, roots, and stones echoed the excited murmurs of the people down passed the vine bridges that conected the homes of those villagers, around the center gathering place and into the largest of these stone and root homes.

The whispers faded just passed the entrance to the home, or rather hut, not reaching the ears of a woman seated off in one corner of the room. Panels of stretched skins closing it off and making a separate space for her. A frail old woman sat at the woman's back, pulling a fur full of cool water over her, cleaning her of the nights dirt while the woman bathed her face with a bowl of the water in front of herself.

"Today is the day you become an official warrior of the tribe..." The woman spoke in a thick guttural language, almost like the growl of an animal. The woman ran her hands over her eyes, down her cheeks and sighed.

"I am not ready, yeay..." She spoke softly using the formal wording for the older woman, her accent much like the woman's though not at rough. She bent forward to look into the still rippling water of the bowl, stormy grey eyes staring back up at her, dark almost black hair flowing around a thin worry worn face.

The woman pulled the woman back, turning her to face her and smoothed her hair back, taking up a bit in the front and braiding it quickly as she spoke. "Your mother would be very proud of your decision, my Kumari...choosing to become the next leader is a difficult choice to make...I'm sure you would have made an excellent medicine woman like your mother and I but it is not where your heart is...with the hunt."

Kumari's grandmother wrapped a cord of sinew around the braided hair, smoothing it down and looked back at her granddaughter. "Finish dressing and get your best spear...I suppose we'll be inviting a grown warriess into our fold in a few hours time." The old woman spoke, touching Kumari's cheek before standing and hobbling out.

Kumari turned back to the bowl, turning the braid in her hand. She let out a sigh, reaching out to grab a small object from a nearby bowl and slipping it onto her bare foot and up to her ankle. The carved wooden bracelet sat there, the few beads left rolling gently over her skin. The only thing she had left of her mother, the best gift her father had given her, her lucky charm. She took another breath and stood up, easily wrapping a few skins around her body, leaving her arms, legs and feet unprotected. Kumari grabbed her newest spear, one she had finished only the night before, and stepped out from behind the screens, rubbing the braid through her fingers once again.

 

[Malhyanth]

Icy blue eyes watched the ruckus around her home with faded interest. He knew this day would come; the day his childhood companion, his rival, would take her vows, and enter into the Dance, with more weight upon her shoulders than he'd had when he'd done it. Around his narrow, sculpted waist, the head and shoulders of the dark beast he'd Danced with hung, it's wonderfully preserved face pressed against his lower abdomen, its snarl staring at the crowd around her hut with the same expression the young man had. He was in his 21st Summer; slightly older than the little lady that was about to enter the world, and hunt her first tiger. He'd always looked out for her, but now, that pledge made his throat stick. This was something he shouldn't be involved in, but the elders wanted him to hawk over her, watch her Dance, make sure she won.

His lip lifted, and his broad hands rested on his waist as she stepped out. She was radiant, as always. He was always scruffy looking; his long black-russet hair chopped in different lengths to keep it out his way, usually because when a long bit fell forward when he was working with his blades, it was pulled taut, and the blade sliced through it. Only the one braid at his left ear, slightly pointed, remained long. His eyes narrowed as he watched her movements, and the way the crowd gushed at her. He rolled his eyes and huffed, taking up the long scimitar style blade handle, which he favoured, and rested the heel of his hand upon it.

"Mnoussa btes lelea." He hissed, his voice a rumble, like the Tiger's growl. His words were in relation to the Tribe, and the way they fawned at her. She would have done fine; done this thing in her sleep, had the pressure of the whole Tribe not been placed upon her shoulders with this Dance. "When will they learn?" He signed and scratched at his bare chest, the tiger pelt on his hips sagging a little with the pressure applied to the blade. His other hand raised to twist at the fang in his stretched ear lobe, similarly expressed as the head of the tiger he'd killed at his waist. His caramel skin glistened with the sweat of the heat around them in this near noon day, and he shook out his hair, the russet-y tones gleaming as he shook out his hair, and leant back against his own hut to continue to watch.

 

[PrincessSkye]

As she exited the large chieftain hut, eyes the color of a storm met those the color of the rare ice seen in the forests surrounding the hidden village. Kumari stopped, resting the butt of her spear down, watching the young warrior as he watched her. The villagers bustled about her, bowing and touching her gently with light fingers as they prayed for her. She turned her head away, bowing to them in thanks and murmuring to a few others, touching them in turn.

Then those eyes opened once more and fell onto the warrior. Kumari started forward, the crowd dispersing easily like a parting wave of water. She stopped just before the warrior, having to tilt her head up some due to their different heights. One thing she could never forgive him for even if he had no choice. For a second she watched him with those hard eyes, brows knitted together, spear resting in her hand at her side.

"dauchneh anak nung trauv ban chaulruom cheamuoy khnhom aoy mk noh mk...." '<So, you'll be joining me then...>' Kumari said tilting her head to the side a bit, surveying him up and down.

Then suddenly her face broke out into a wide grin and she reached out to lightly tap his chest with her fist, "kreante now kraw khlakhmoum vithi robsakhnhom!" '<Just stay out of my way cub!>' She said grinning up at her friend and stepped back rolling her shoulders a few times, letting out a long breath. "<I still don't think I'm up for this...what if my spear breaks or I get caught before I can pounce...>" The woman said softly so the milling villagers couldn't overhear her.

 

[Malhyanth]

The warrior looked down on the little lass, and huffed at her, one eyebrow raising as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. He looked over her head as she approached to the crowd that watched on. She sashayed, with all the false confidence these leaders held, as usual. She certainly had that down, so she was certainly in good company with the leaders of the Tribe. As she punched him in the chest, he growled, and his brows furrowed deeper.

"Min ttuol ban kar chuecheak leu khluoneng chroul (1)." He snarled, poking her hard on the forehead, leaving a little red mark where he stabbed at her with his finger. "Tomnoukchett pouch lngongkhlaw, chaotalngong (2)." He crossed his arms again, and turned his head away from her, his icy eyes staring off towards to forest. Out there, it was going to be a mystery as to what was going to occur. Out there, there was a beast that was going to be fighting for its life, and this little wisp of a thing had to survive. He growled at the thought he was supposed to follow her; no one had ensured his success. He felt cheated, not just for himself, but for her also.

"Chue toukchett khnhom (3)." He growled, and he brushed down his tiger pelt, before scratching at his chest. "Khnhom min chng towteam anak. Vea thveu aoy anak khauch kerti៍ nung trauv anouvott tam knong prei muoy (4)." Khmaoch's eyes met with her stormy grey ones for a fleeting moment, lips pursed for a moment, in a sullen pout, before he pushed past her, with a growl, and headed towards the communal well, pulling up the bucket, and taking a long slug from the ladle. He kept his eye on the situation going on around him, snarling back at those that did not appreciate his tone to the future Leader.

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(1) Don't be overconfident.
(2) Confidence breeds stupidity, stupid.
(3) Trust me.
(4) I do not wish to follow you. It does you a disservice to be followed into the forest.

 

[PrincessSkye]

Kumari rubbed her forehead, nose scrunched up in annoyance at his mood. It's not like she had asked him to follow her, or that she even wanted to be followed during this day. It had been on the orders of her father, the chief, that Khmaoch was to make sure she at least wouldn't fall prey to the beast she would soon hunt. If she should fail to take her form then she would simple be made into one of the few medicin women of the village, instead of being cast out of the village like others would.

She watched the sour warrior walk to the well, brushing off the horrid looks the villagers sent him for his treatment of her. Sure, Kumari was the next in line to the chieftain status but she didn't like the way her people looked at her. Like she was some fragile doll in need of constant papering. A behavior that had only increased since her mother's accident moons ago. Her father hadn't taken on a second wife since her death, leaving Kumari the only next in line. Khmaoch, the villages lowest class warrior, never seemed to treat her like a treasure. Even when they were cubs he'd always shunt her away. It was one of the few reasons she liked him, even if he thought her presence might have been annoying.

Kumari tucked her hands behind her back, walking up behind him and tilting her head to look up into his sallow face. "<Keep up that scowl and you'll get lines deeper than my grandmother's...>" She said, lifting her chin a bit as she reached out and took the ladle from him, dropping it back into the bucket. "<Let's get going before it gets too hot.>"

 

[Malhyanth]

Khmaoch realised then she expected him to go with her from the start. He'd been planning on following from a distance, being involved as little as possible. His icy blue eyes glared at her as she took the ladle from him, and commented on his scowl, which only served to deepen it. He lifted his lip, but instead of responding verbally, he grunted and waved an arm, pointing towards the forest. It's meaning was clear; get going then! He took the label one last time and drank his fill, before rolling his shoulders, and cracking out his neck, and stepping in line behind her.

The crowds cheered for her, whilst scorning her escort. Khmaoch simply ignored them, and those that tried to grab at his arms or speak to him, he simply snarled at, and shook them off. As they exited the village, and headed into the forest, out of sight, Khmaoch sneered. "Anakphoumi banghourchham! Vea dauchchea kmean norna mneak ban tamory kar nih moun pel.(1)" He brushed down his arms, and his pelt, grumbling to himself further as he started to slow, to give Kumari her distance to do this task. His curved blade tapped again his thigh every time he took a step.

"Pelvelea daembi barbanh, preahneang techtuoch.(2)" Icy eyes took in the foliage around them, the ground, searching for tracks, watching the girl ahead, to see if she noticed the same things. He'd say nothing further, simply follow her, and ensure she did not die.
________________

(1) Bloody villagers! It's like none of them have been through this before.
(2) Time to hunt, little princess.

 

[PrincessSkye]

Kumari waved and smiled to her fellow people, only glancing back at her escort once before she exited the large tunnel leading out of the huge tree the village was hidden under. It was as if a change swept over the young woman. As soon as her bare feet brushed over the soft mossy ground of the forest floor, her shoulders relaxed, her head tilting back down and her back curved slightly. Giving herself over to her senses fully. A skilled hunter.

She let her hand slacken on her spear as she came to a stop, listening to the forest around her. "Choe ng haw preahneang khnhom, aumehkea(1)" The woman said quietly, almost absentmindedly as she tilted her head, those stormy eyes darting about, taking in every twig, leaf, and insect in her path. She stepped forward, tilting her head again, breathing in deeply to calm her heart and quiet her mind. In a sudden movement, Kumari launched herself at a tree, climbing up its trunk in a swift array of motion and came to a stop on a large branch, crouching down while she servade the land from her new vantage point.

After a few more moments of silence she stood up, looking down at the hunter. The cold eyes looking into his, "Khnhom min trauvkar anak ban meul leu khnhom. Dauchneh anak ach chakchenh pi ilauvnih." (2) Kumari rested her spear hilt down on the branch, helping her balance more effectively. "Anak min chaulchett khnhom toh yeangna anak trauv ban hetoaveibeanchea dauchneh khangokraom nih khnhom? Banteabpi kar banhcheatinh? (3) " She asked unable to stop the smirk from spreading her lips while she observed him.
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(1) Don't call me princess, omega.
(2) I dont need you watching over me. So you can leave now.
(3) You've never liked me anyway so why are you following me? Following orders?

 

[Malhyanth]

Khmaoch smirked at her actions, and leant against the bottom of the tree, using a sharp splinter off of the bark to remove grit and dirt from beneath his fingernails. He ignored her insult, calling him Omega. She knew he was better than that, and that her goading was an attempt to remove him from her space. As much as he'd like to do that, the wrath of her father was not something he wished to experience, so he continued, looking up at her with a skeptical brow, tsk-ing through his teeth at her, looking around the area, seeing little of interest. No tiger was stupid enough to venture this close to their village. They would need to walk for a fair few hours before she would come up against her foe.

"Kreante ttuol ban now cheamuoy vea, preahneang. Khnhom min mean pelvelea knong kar khcheahkhchay leu karobrakuot robsa anak. (1)" His tone was bored, his icy blue eyes surveyed their surroundings as well, and he ignored her for the most part. "Khnhom min chaulchett anak meankar trauv ban phdal karnenam tow daoy aupouk robsa anak daembi theanea aoy ban tralbmokvinh mean sovotthephap robsa anak. (2)" Khmaoch spat on the floor, placing the splinter from the tree between his teeth and chewing it, turning to finally climb up the tree and join her, in the hopes his being closer would goad her into action.

"Anak mean setthi, khnhom mean chomreusa te bonte daembi anouvott tam kar banhcheatinh teangnoh te, dauchneh rbieb ampi anak banhchhob kar khcheahkhchay pelvelea robsakhnhom ning ttuol ban meanh. (3)" He pulled himself up onto the branch beside her, straddling it with his strong legs, and looking up at her. He smirked, his wicked grin sharp as he looked up at her, bowing his head. "Preahneang. (4)"
___________
(1) Just get in with it, princess. I do not have the time to waste on your games.
(2) I don't have to like you to be given instruction by your father to ensure your safe return.
(3) You are right, I have no choice but to follow these orders, so how about you stop wasting my time and get hunting.
(4) Princess.

 

[PrincessSkye]

Those stormy eyes flashed with fresh annoyance, the trapped beast within showing though the quick spurt of emotion. Kumari glared down at him while he sat and looked up at her. Since when did he ever care about following orders...She thought bitterly ripping her eyes from him and scanning the area. Guess she'll just have to do this the old fashioned way, loose him.

Kumari crouched, bending her legs beneath herself and propelling herself forward enough to leap into the next tree. Her arms wrapped tightly around a branch, her body swinging a bit as she gagged the distance to the next before swinging her body forward and catching herself on another tree. Quickly she pulled herself up, gripping her spear tightly to her side as she started running along the tree branches, leaping nimbly from one to the next, eyes narrowed and staring straight ahead. After a few moments the woman came to an abrupt stop, crouching back down while her chest heaved in silent gasps for air, her ears pricked for the slightest sound while her eyes roamed the forest floor.

There, a few feet ahead, a patch of orange moved slowly through green brush. It was slight, but enough to tell Kumari she had found her mark. Carefully, slowly, she started to move forward. Picking her way through the dense branches until she was following right above the massive tigress. It sniffed at the ground, unaware of its new audience as it examined the fresh scent of it own prey. Kumari watched her, letting her breath calm and her mind to focus on its weaker points. Which to hit while it was stunned. She leaned forward, preparing to leap.

Crack!

A chunk of the branch the woman was sitting on snapped off, falling to the ground below and bouncing off the beast's shoulder. Kumari didn't think, she acted. With a roar to match the started tiger's, she jumped from the tree, spear up, and began to fall towards her target.

 

[Malhyanth]

Khmaoch listened to her pathway through the branches, sedately swinging his legs, watching her go. He was in no rush. She was stealthy, sure, but she was stubborn and bull-headed. Something would keep him tracked on her movements. He stood slowly, as she disappeared from view, and used the branch to practice his balance before working his way through the canopy towards her direction. He took longer routes, working his way through thicker tree branches, ensuring he was always secured on a branch before going too much further. He couldn't hear her now, but he knew he soon would. His nose had picked up the scent of a large tigress on the wind, and if she took the first bait offered, she'd be in battle soon enough.

The crack that reverberated out, however, was unexpected. Khmoach stepped closer to the trunk of the tree he was currently in, and spied a flash of orange, and the falling form of Kumari. Had she fallen from the tree? Or was it a distraction plan? Whatever it was, the tigress was huge compared to Kumari, and Khmoach had a feeling this was going to be a tight call. He made his way through the branches towards where the branch had snapped and cracked and split. The tigress was angered, a shoulder bleeding from the impact of the branch. Perhaps it had been on purpose, but from the positioning, Khmoach observed this could all have been over very early had she brought her spear down clean. Icy blue eyes surveyed the arena chosen; messy, full of foliage, no way to cleanly swing her spear. Did she have a back up choice? He wasn't sure, he'd not checked her armoury before she'd left; it was her fight, not his, and if she felt a spear alone was enough, then that was her choice.

Laying down along the branch, thighs gripping the rough wood, hands hanging loosely, he watched the below interaction with interest. He simply had to roll to the side, and he'd be amongst them, and in the fall, he'd bring out his inner big cat. He could feel it swirling beneath the surface, the warmth of the wavering stripes of colour, tinting his vision. She had to succeed alone. He would not forgive her if she failed.

 

[PrincessSkye]

Kumari landed. Feet planted on the soft mossy ground of the forest floor, bending her knees to absorb the impact. The tigress let out a snarl and began her slow circle around the woman. They watched one another, yellow eyes meeting stormy ones. Sizing each other up. The tigress growled deep in her throat, the sound rumbling up and trembling the very bones within Kumari. These animals were bigger than she had anticipated. She knew her form would out weight this tigress by far, but she had never seen a tiger of her clan nor one in the wild before. Each were dangerous because they were unable to recognize friend from foe in the unstable form that was apart of them.

The tiger let out a warning roar, swiping at her with one large paw. Kumari stepped back quickly, jabbing out with her spear and nicking the back of the Tigress's paw. She let out a howl and lept forward. Kumari brought the spear up jamming it into her large jaws as they both went flying into the brush. Disappearing from view. There came another snap, a roar, then silence.

Far away now, the fight having pushed the two beasts far into another clearing, one blocked by a large cliff face, the tigers roared and clawed at one another. One snapping its large jaws at the others neck with its opponent raked its claws down the other's stomach. Blood splattered them, the ground, while fresh rain started pouring down. The larger of the two managed to bring its heavy jaws down and snap the tigresses neck in half, bringing the fight to an end. She stood there, her stomach dripping with blood while she breathed through the bloodied neck of her prey. The larger tigress turned her head, eyes the same color as the clouds above scanning the area while her nostrils flared. The scent of another wafting around her, and there, at the bottom of a cliff stood a small someone, his hands up above his head, odd spectacles askew on his face.

They looked at one another and before she could make up her mind pain shot through her, causing her to drop the dead tiger and whip her head around. She roared with frustration, glaring at a small tube like object poking out of her flank. Pain shot through her again and she staggered to the side, a wave of dizziness overcoming her and she fell. "Tie her up! Get the ropes!" The tiger's eyes roamed until they met the strange man's again, he was closer now looking down at her with fear and wonder in his face. She wanted to rip his throat out. But she was too tired, her body wouldn't move and now there were more strange men tying her paws together and covering her in a large net. Kumari opened her mouth and tried to let out some sort of call, only managing a small wheeze before darkness overcame her and she slipped into a dark heavy sleep.