Until the Lions Tell Their Tale...

[xiumi]

...the history of the hunt will always glorify the Hunter.


RP with @Little Lupa


A little background on the title: it's actually an African proverb. If you think enough about it, the title is very vague and obscure. But I think the feeling of uncertainty only adds on to the tone of the RP. I hope you don't mind it.

 

[xiumi]

Just as it does for days on end in Zahari*, the sun shone with raging intensity. Its fierce strength piercing, clawing its way beneath the multiple layers of clothing, prickling Jibril's skin. A drop of sweat, at his left temple, had grown too heavy and trailed down his face, reached his chin before disappearing into the dampness of his clothes. It doesn't seem to matter how many layers he wears, there's always only one temperature: too little clothing, too hot; too much clothing; too hot. The layers of clothing does keep his skin cooler, but not by much. In the desert, everything was a lose-lose situation.


He had trekked across the vast sand dunes for days, each step was heavier than the last. He abruptly stopped, allowing his aching feet to rest, and examined the world around him. But there was nothing to see but the boundless, barren, expansive sky painted in vibrant cerulean above him and the vast sea of sand beneath. An unceasing reminder of thousands of steps he needed to take to get to his desired destination.


He dropped to the ground in a swift motion, placed his hand on his face and let out a long, heavy sigh as he ran his hand across his face, revealing his irritation and impatience. According to his map, he should have arrived at the Danhbad* two days ago.


He thought back to the last time he had walked through the streets of a bustling town a week ago. Passing through the marketplace, he hadn’t intended to purchase anything but food and commodities. Noticing that JIbril was a traveler, a merchant—who can only be described as shady with his eerie grin and raspy voice —called out to him, offering to sell a map of the common caravan routes for a bargained price. Maps such as these were hard to come by as they were a well-kept secret by caravan merchants. Though he really had no need for a map, Jibril acknowledged that having map would make his travelling time shorter as the more developed caravan routes were much easier to walk through than the open desert. Against his better judgment, Jibril purchased the map from the suspicious-looking merchant on the off-chance that the map was authentic.


The road he started on seemed well-maintained and walked on but the longer he walked, the more debilitated the path became, until eventually there was no path and he found himself in the open desert.


I should have listened, he thought with irritation, now he was in this predicament: lost, hot, broke, and running out of food supplies. After another sigh, he stood up and continued his journey of ten thousand steps.


----


It took another three days before he arrived in the city of Danhbad. As soon as he arrived, he went straight to the closest inn and rented a room.


He strode purposefully towards the innkeeper, summoning the last of his energy to drive his feet forward. He all but slammed the last remaining coins he had on the table surface. Every move seems to be taking all of his energy at this point. His expression weary and dismal.


“One room, please,” his voice hoarse from week’s disuse, in addition to the dryness that resulted from the lack of water. He ran out of water the previous day and if it had taken him longer to arrive, he probably would have passed away in the desert. So he pushed himself during the last stretch of the journey and he was dying for a bed and a shower after that hellish week. He was also ravenous, having been reduced to eating dried foods during the last 10 days, but the fatigue was greater than any sensation he was feeling at that moment.


The innkeeper was an elderly man of a slightly larger build with knowing eyes that seems to be common amongst the older people. He didn’t seem to notice Jibril’s current physical and emotional state as he was taking his time counting the few coins in his pouch, but Jibril couldn’t even summon the energy to be irritated.


“Hm…” the innkeeper mused thoughtfully, “Sorry to tell you young man, but you don’t seem to have enough to pay for a room.”


Jibril groaned inwardly as he affirmed the innkeeper’s claim. “Please, sir, just one night…I’ve been on the road for the ten days… I’ll have the money tomorrow…”


“I really don’t want to turn you down, young man,”—Then don’t—“but I’m afraid that’s not how it works. I don’t take IOUs.”


Jibril frowned momentarily, “Please—” A wanted notice posted on the bulletin behind the innkeeper catches his eyes. At the bottom of the poster was a bounty. He looks back to the innkeeper. “I’ll take care of that rushah.* He's been causing trouble around here, right? First thing in the morning, I'll take care of it, if you let me stay the night.”


The innkeeper huffed crossing his arms across his chest, “Hmph! 'Trouble' doesn't even begin to describe what that rushah has done. Stealing and causing havoc everywhere he goes. He thinks he can just push people around because he can control ruach, lowly piece of scum. That scoundrel used to be one of this town’s best hunters, you think you can take care of him? That'll be the day," he scoffed, " How exactly do you plan on doing that?”


“‘How?’” Jibril scowled at the innkeeper’s skepticism. He really had no patience for this right now. "I know I don’t look like it…But I can also manipulate ruach. After all, I am sayid.”


----Notes----


* Zahari & Danhbad- I didn't misspell it xD I'm just gonna come with weird town names that may or may not resemble real places.


* rushah - i just decided to respell "R'shah" so that it's easier to pronounce when read o: feel free to suggest alternative spellings though ^^


Vocab


ruach - a form of energy taken from spirits that reside within humans; soul


sayid - hunters who harness ruach


rushah - sayid turned dark; uses their abilities for their own gain at the expense of others; also applies to hunters who are low on ruach