Paths of Gold

[C H E Y E N N E]

Gabe shrugged. "Yeah, well, there's another wedge between our species are argue about then. At least we can't procreate with each other."
Zach shuddered. "Can we stop talking about this, like, now?"

[Rogue of Night]

Robin nodded. "She told this to me as well. Lucents and Umbras are mirror images; should they be able to form a bond, all hell would break loose to war against the Heavens."
He was speaking of what Syclaine had once told him when she first arrived and he had asked questions.
The bartender poured Zach another drink, passing it to him in replacement of the other. "I believe this conversation will be finished, Zach."

[C H E Y E N N E]

"That's what Ophion Ephraim says. He's one of the archangels," Gabe muttered. "Nice enough guy, but a bit of a stickler for rules. His favourite is: 'Gabe, stop what you are doing right now. Honestly, one day your going to wake up with no wings if you keep this up!'"

[Rogue of Night]

Robin laughed. "I do believe I've heard mention of him."

Swift Hawk sighed from her place outside the group, watching the festival take place. She preferred to remain inconspicuous, but now with this lively group and party...well...that was proving next to impossible.

[C H E Y E N N E]

Gabe's face looked torn between a grin and a pout. "Yeah, well..." He shrugged. "Hey, did you know that some Lucents have guardians?" He said.
Zach looked over. Gabe hadn't mentioned guardians before.

Mem had already started dancing, her feet moving to the beat of the drums as she twisted and spun her body, a wide grin on her face. Near the fire, Kiche sat with his legs crossed, a pensive expression on his face as the flames flickered and added their own steps to the dance.

[Rogue of Night]

"Guardians?" Robin queried with a tilt of his head. "No, she has not mentioned that before."

Swift Hawk shifted her weight to from one foot to the other, admiring the tenacity and passion Mem danced with. If she had ever had something - besides her archery, that is - that she could become passionate about, she would have done proficiently.
A sigh escaped her lips as she cast a glance at Kiche. She wasn't one to pay much attention to the features of any being, especially of her own kind - she had reason to despise them - but for some reason, his stood out quite prominently. He was almost...handsome.
She frowned with herself at her thoughts. If she was here any longer, they'd manifest into something she really didn't want.

[C H E Y E N N E]

"Only some Lucents have them, like Ophion. He recently got assigned some girl named... oh, shoot, I can't remember her first name, but she's part of the Bonnafoy family, you see. Their oldest daughter. Pretty." Gabe shrugged. "If a Lucent is high-ranking enough, or if someone with high influence wants someone of less status to be protected, a guardian can be hired. Guardians can be any creature. I actually met a guardian, once. Two of them, actually. A girl named Amanda and her brother, Henry. Nice enough, I suppose," he said with a shrug. "I don't believe Umbras would ever do that, though."

Kiche looked up as he felt someone's eyes upon him, and he looked slightly confused when he saw that it was Swift Hawk.
She was one of the best huntresses they had, there was no doubt about it, and ever since she had arrived they were getting more much-needed food - especially since the white men were hunting the buffalo down, and paving the grassy lands with their cattle and livestock. Bear Claw had mentioned once that, should she decide to settle down here, he wouldn't have minded having such a strong woman to mother his children.
If he were interested in children, and thought along the same lines as Bear Claw did, he might have thought the same - a strong mother for strong children. But Swift Hawk didn't look like the type to settle down. Part of him doubted she ever would, and that, if it happened, it wouldn't be here.
His face darkened, but he didn't have time to think further, as Mem had stopped in front of him, holding out her hand.
"Kiche," she said, and he looked up, taking her hand as he got up.
Mem's blood-mother, Pampata, was dancing already, as was their father and a few others. Kiche allowed himself to shut his eyes and let the beat of the drums flow through him, to the best of his abilities, as he forced thoughts of Canada and his own mother out of his mind.
It had been years. Why could he not forget?

[Rogue of Night]

"Clai has never mentioned such a thing. From what I know, and have heard, it's every Umbra for him or herself. She once told me, when we first met, that her reasons for acting the way she did...being so guarded...was just because of certain things pertaining to their species. Where Lucents are calm and peaceful, Umbra's are chaotic and always fighting for their survival." Robin leaned against the bar, sighing. "I've seen her scars; nasty things."

Swift Hawk watched them as she folded her arms across her chest, her weight shifting yet again. This dancing reminded her of flight, and she oh-so-desperately wanted to go flying again. It had been far too long since she had.
The places on her back where her wings would appear almost pulsed with anticipation. Unlike the others of her kind, she had two sets of dark wings. They were leaner and longer, perfect for swift flight. And yet, they held bad memories, which reminded her to keep them under veil at all times. One of them, one of the four, had been badly damaged, causing her a lengthy recovery. She was just beginning to get feeling back into it, and this had happened seven hundred years ago.
She let out a sigh, starting backwards before turning from the festival completely, and moving toward her shelter where her crossbow still leaned. The poison tipped arrows gleamed dangerously; she inwardly cursed herself for not putting them away earlier, and so now, she did just that.

[C H E Y E N N E]

Gabe nodded. "Our species don't get along well, and lately, it's gotten real bad." He shifted slightly, sighing lightly. "It's really irritating, actually; I can't even go to the realms to visit Lavicius' son anymore!"
Zach made a great deal out of rolling his eyes and going back to his drink. "Brat."

Mem laughed as the music picked up, the wooden flutes adding an almost eerie edge to it that made her want to cry out to the stars. She twirled and stamped and stepped and spun, wanting the night never to end. She became aware of Kiche, who had stopped and was watching her with something akin to pride before he stepped out of the circle, turned, and walked into the forest.
She wasn't concerned. He did this a lot.

[Rogue of Night]

Robin sighed, shrugging. "Well, so long as it's all resolved in the end, we have no reason to feel upset, yes?"

Swift Hawk returned to the festival once she had made sure her dangerous weapon had been stowed properly, and her gaze returned to Mem...before glancing sideways at where Kiche had been. She almost narrowed her eyes, but thought better of it, and returned her attention to the dancing girl. It was...alluring.

[C H E Y E N N E]

"Sure, whatever," Gabe said with a shrug. Zach looked across the street to the hotel.
"I'm going to talk to Ranulf. Give me a moment."

Mem raised her hands to the air and spun again as a bright smile overtook her face. The drum beat was getting faster, faster, faster, then abruptly it was five beats, then four, then three, then nothing.
Panting, Mem smiled. "We welcome the summer!"

Kiche moved through the trees, pushing ferns and branches out of his way as he did so.

[Rogue of Night]

Robin nodded. "Should I have another drink waiting for your return?"

Swift Hawk's eyes glimmered with enchantment. Mem was a beautiful dancer, and though the older woman was uninformed with the ways of the people she dwelled with, she knew this ritual was important. With a sigh, she glanced once more at the place where Kiche had been. Why did she feel like she was drowning? Probably because she felt desperate and somewhat panicky. But why the reasoning?

[C H E Y E N N E]

"Please?" The zombie replied.

He came out here every festival. He'd stay for the dancing at Mem's insistence, but this was the first time he himself had joined it. It just felt so weird.
For him, the dance, the festival... it held no freedom. The whole thing back him feel like he was trapped in a cage, with the dancing flames and people as the bars, and the silent bystanders as the guards placed there to keep him in.
This place was nothing like Canada. It was hot, dry... the forest was smaller, the trees not as lush, the white men more...
A sudden crack! in the air and Kiche gasped and backed up against a tree, a low moan of pain coming from his mouth as he reached for his thigh.
Blood, he thought dumbly as he brought his hand up to his face. Blood, his blood...
"Got ya," a smug voice said as a pair of amber eyes glimmered in the shadows, followed by four more sets.
The man that stepped out was huge. With rippling muscled and skin that looked tan from the sun, even in the dark, he was an intimidating figure. Flanking him in a pyramid shape was two women on the right, and two men on the left, each of them holding either a pistol, a rifle, or a spear.

[Rogue of Night]

Robin nodded. "Go on then. It'll be waiting for you."

Swift Hawk craned her neck toward the forest line when she heard the sound; gunshot? Couldn't be. Her eyes narrowed anyway, and the sudden desire to go investigate filled her body. She would not turn it down.
With quicker movements than the fastest rabbit, she went for her crossbow, darting from the village and into the trees. Her being craved for a fight; she hadn't been involved in one for so long, and it was something that Umbra's always felt the need for. It was utterly painful.
And then, she saw them. The group of men and women advancing on Kiche. Swift Hawk sat upon the ridge, expertly darting into the shadows of a large tree, her gaze, which now glowed in the dim light, resembling that of a wolf's eyes, watching them all expertly. A poison arrow was soon notched in her weapon, and she watched and waited. There were too many of them to just openly attack; she'd need to wait for the correct opportunity.

[C H E Y E N N E]

"Don't you know better than to go wandering in the forest, savage?" The leader said nonchalantly, stopping just in front of Kiche, who had straightened despite the fact that he was gasping still.
"Faire ne vous savez pas mieux... qu'à..." Kiche reverted back to French, a habit he had picked up in the house he had once served just to annoy the master and mistress, who could never understand him.
It seemed to work for these guys too, for a second shot rang out, and Kiche felt had back slam against the tree as the bullet buried itself into his shoulder.
"Now listen closely. I don't like your tone, and you're in no position to fight against us, ya hear? Good. Clearly you don't know what we are, or you wouldn't be taking that tone with us," the man sneered, bending down, as Kiche was sagging against the tree, barely able to hold himself up. "Now, see, this is what you need to do to get your humans nice and submissive," he called to the others, who laughed. "Just show 'em who's boss. After all, they're good for nothing but slave labour, anyway. Weak beings, no powers, no assets, no--" The man's speech was broke off as he suddenly jerked and hollered with pain.
Kiche had moved fast, grabbing the curved sword-like knife he kept concealed on his person, and plunging it into the stomach of his would-be attacker. His shoulder protested the movement and he let out a pain-filled cry of his own as he did so, but it felt good... so, so good...
"I... am not... your slave..." he whispered lowly as the others stared in shock. Their leader had his hands covering his stomach, and he was twitching slightly.
And all that meant was that Kiche had less than three seconds to enjoy his victory before the others leapt into action.