[Ori]

Continuation from the old forum

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He had run all night, his legs were so tired and his heart felt as it were going to burst form his chest.  He had run, he was not sure how far he'd gotten, but he was sure he had gotten far away from Gemini by now.  Far enough that no one followed, no one had tried to stop him, no one even called his name as he ran.

But that was ok, he was just Ori, not Tauro, not Kayira, not Akira, not Hyperion, not Chelae, not Deimos...  He was just Ori the orphan, and he was ok with that.  This was why he knew he had to go find Kariya, because if he was missing, others would look for him, but if Ori was missing- he wasn't as important, they wouldn't send others to find him, which was why he was the one to go find his brother.  He was expendable, he was Ori.  It didn't bother Ori that he was the least important, he just found himself lucky that he had a family that was great enough to take him in.  

So he owed them.  All of them.  They had taken him in, and accepted him as one of their own.  Ori had to find Kariya so they would have their own back with them once more.  

He could see the light of dawn peeking up just over the canopy of trees, trees that ranged for miles and miles.  He took a moment to stop and take in the morning, the fog hanging just barely between the ground and the canopy of trees.  It was almost peaceful, almost.  The creaking of trees shifting, and the sounds of other creatures waking form their evening slumber began to send Ori into a slight panic.  He remembered the day the bear had almost killed him, almost killed Markus.  He remembered that noises can turn into much more than just mere noises.  He slunk backwards, under a large oak tree.  He should have never stopped running, he should have kept going.  Oh he should had never left Gemini, he should have stayed, he was no knight, he was no warrior- he was Ori.  And that was explanation enough.  

With his back pressed so hard against the tree, almost as if he wanted to become one with it, Ori began to shake, and he closed his eyes.

He was not a knight, or warrior, but, he was the brother of Tauro- who was a warrior, down to his last breath.  He was the brother of Hyperion, the blue knight, who was afraid of no one and challenged everything.  He was out here to find his brother Kariya, through whatever means, even if it meant confronting a bear, or a cougar, or anything else out here with ill intent on the ghostly boy.  

Ever so slowly, he eased off the trunk of the tree, and took a step, followed by another, and another.  He could do this- He had to do this.  For Deimos- For Chelae- For Corona- For-  For all his siblings, but especially...

"F-for Serrate and Hawthorne. A- and T- Tauro..." 

He could do this, he had to.  For them. 

[Ori]

SOL KATTI

She awoke to the brisk morning chill, her lithe spotted frame curling tighter into herself with a weary side. "Coven." But there was no reassuring grunt, no warm weight draped over her shoulder. Only a cool morning breeze would press kisses to her cheeks today.

It had already been days since they had been separated—was her husband searching for her? Surely he was. And soon they would be together again. If not today, then the next day. Or the next, or the next after that, or... Swallowing down the twist of distress that bubbled in her throat, Sol Katti rose to her feet, quietly slipping out from between the tangle of ferns that had been her temporary bed. Vivid sea foam scanned the rising dawn before her, drinking in the sight of glittering morning dew and rays of sunlight peeking lazily through swaying leaves. This world did not murmur or sing to her, yet there was still beauty in this solitude. A warm kindling flame of tranquility within her lockbox heart that Saboro had never allowed.

Yet the loneliness ached, pulling her mind away from pretty scenery with needy hands. Releasing a wind chime sigh, the former Sabora began her directionless trek, all senses alert for any signs of her darkling king.

"—horne. A- and T- Tauro..."

Foxlike ears flicked toward the quiet sound, her sharp gaze quickly following suit. A boy painted in pale blues—if not for his little voice the dappled sovereign may have missed him entirely. Gently shoving aside the undergrowth, Sol Katti stepped forward to inspect the boy. He seemed sad, murmuring in a stuttering voice. Tauro. It was the only piece of his small voice that she had heard clearly. (A blessing to both—had the former Sabora heard the name uttered merely seconds earlier...) Tauro. A name? A pack? The questions swirled for only a moment before drifting away with the wind. She did not dwell on deciphering what or who the youth spoke to himself about. Instead, Katti peered at him with glassy doe eyes, tall ears that reminded her of Estein's boys and some of her own children. Vague and minuscule familiarity, but there nonetheless.  

Longing rushed through her veins. 

 "Are you... lost?" Sol Katti stepped closer, only to hesitate in the next heartbeat. Leave him alone. Familiar voices echoed quietly in her ears. Familiar screams. Familiar sobs. Familiar pleas. 

Leave him alone —  Sindarian, Ki Tisa, Ixion — LEAVE HIM ALONE. — Artemisia, Hecate, Luxanna Knife, Kevvie — LEAVE HIM ALONE!—

But loneliness knocked and rattled against her icy chest, looping a noose of chain over her slender neck. Over the boy's pale shoulders. Another step forward, lithe frame settling unthreateningly into the soft grass. A soft smile, an airy hum. Soothing, gentle, the expression of a mother painted across mismatched features.  

A dainty black speckled paw reached out in an offer, welcoming the scared adolescent to seek warmth in her embrace.

"You don't have to be afraid..."

[Ori]

Everything seemed so much louder, so much bigger, so much MORE out here.  Every little noise turned into a million decibels.  Everything that crawled an inch, seemed to leap a mile.  Every set of eyes seemed to be staring at him, every branch reached for him, every empty gut seemed to rumble in the same solidarity for him.  He tried to keep his breathing steady- even, but he couldn't, not even when muttering the names of those he was doing this for.  He blinked for what seemed like an eternity, trying to clear his cluttered mind, wave away those thoughts of negativity and anguish.  He was fine thus far- clearly someone was looking out for the boy, otherwise he would have met his demise by now.  

The crackling of some branches and the sudden scent of someone new embraced his senses.  He froze, eyes opening slowly- awaiting to take in the form of whoever it was that was probably here to hurt him, deter him from his quest.

What his blue eyes opened to see though, wasn't that of a bear, or cougar- nor some forest demon, but a lithe, fox-like woman, staring at his with interest and what looked like a hint of concern in her sea foam eyes.  

"Are you... lost?"

Her voice resonated deep within Ori, almost a familiarity to it- motherly- warm- concerned...  Everything within him was screaming at him.  RUN.  RUN.  GET AWAY. But his feet stood planted where they were, even as she took a faltered step towards him.  Those eyes, they engulfed him, he could not run, he could not get away- would not get away.  "N-no ma'am. I- I'm not lost..."  He whispered out, barely above a whisper.  I'm looking for my brother.  Was the second part of the sentence, but it faded with his breath as she took another step towards him.  His breath hooked in his throat, and for a moment Ori forgot how to breathe, until the woman settled into the grass, and smiled.

She smiled at him, the look on her face he had seen once in Serrate- the face of a mother- the loving features that had escaped him as a pup, that had all but forgotten how to grace Serrates features, were plainly in front of him.  A deep, forgotten longing washed over him.  

"You don't have to be afraid..."

and instantly- he was putty in her paws.  

She extended her paw, and Ori rushed into her embrace, no thought of what he was rushing into, who's embrace he had just accepted.  Had he known the truth, had he known who she was, who she REALLY was..

He still would have rushed into her motherly embrace- one he had longed for, for the longest time.  And for a moment, he pressed his face into her fur, forgetting she was a stranger- forgetting he was not in Gemini- forgetting this was not his mother- NOT SERRATE.  He sobbed once, only once, before the scent of something unfamiliar washed over him, and he pulled away quickly, sniffling.  "I-I'm s-s-sorry... I d-d- didn't mean t-to..."  Pale blue eyes filled with water lifted to meet her gaze.  

"M-my name is Ori." He said with a sniff of his nose, "I-I'm sorry f-for crying on you m-ma'am.."

I just miss my mama.

[Sol Katti]

SOL KATTI

      
I-I'm s-s-sorry... I d-d- didn't mean t-to...

Her heart twisted and recoiled from the boy's tears, something in her wanting desperately to reel away from his upset. Yet Sol Katti only pulled him closer, mismatched features momentarily twisting into an almost pained expression. Had she ever held any of her own children in this manner? Perhaps she had held Crenate like so when he was an infant, and maybe she could have found it in herself to comfort little Alec before Saboro claimed him. But her own children — had she ever tugged them close, to kiss away their tears without a second thought? 

The feeling twisted once more, acid burning upon her tongue with the urge to lay waste upon the little ghost boy's neck. But she wouldn't. SHE WOULDN'T. He's done nothing wrong beside scrape at the icy edges of her heart and empty womb. "Don't apologize." She whispered, pressing her muzzle to the crown of his head. If she closed her eyes, perhaps for a moment she could play pretend. "You can call me Katti." Don't go, not yet. Voice strained and willowy in her throat as the boy pulled away.

M-my name is Ori.

Breath caught in her throat, a painful twist, and for a moment a little girl with matching seafoam eyes stood before her. "Oriana." Her breath nothing more than an airy exhale. "I have a... My..." Baby? Daughter? No, the word died in her throat. Sol Katti had never spared much of a glance at her daughter (never looked at any of them — even poor Astoria, you had promised her so much) during her youth. She had handed rank in replacement of love, and in the end pressed that cursed crown to the girl's head and fled before—

She could feel the accusing golden eyes, a hint of a knowing sneer in the air. Before what, Katti?  "It's a pretty name." Sol Katti finally murmured, tucking her thoughts close to her chest. Close the box, lock it shut. The boy did nothing wrong.

But his small voice stuttered more apologies, his soft gentle voice. So much like Kevvie, so much like Ixion, so much like Alec. Mechanically the Sovereign aimed to click her teeth quickly over his nose in a sharp instinctual nip. "Enough apologies." The sharp reprimand of a queen was sudden, thoughtless. It was as easy as breathing but in the aftermath Sol Katti would recoil as though teeth had been aimed at her and not the ghostly boy. With foxlike ears flattening against her skull, the lithe woman would briskly stand. "It's not safe." Her tone could have been a plea if not for the steel cold edge to it, lips curling over her teeth in a warning. "I'm not —  strangers aren't good, do you understand? Be more careful." And for a moment she was speaking to little Alec, bodies cuddled close together with the volcano, looking over Saboro's vast jungle.

It hadn't done him any good.

HE WAS GONE AND THIS ONE WOULD SOON BE GONE TOO.

"Go home," She remembered Maesa, wine red eyes, expression like Tyrfing's had once been. She loved her babies, and then Katti had taken them. "Your mother misses you."

  

[Ori]

She pulled him closer, leg wrapping around him pulling him closer to her warmth.  If he only knew, oh if he only knew what sort of mother Sol Katti really was, what she was actually thinking in her head.  But he knew nothing of her past, nothing of her atrocities.  All ori had to hold on to was the kindness, and motherly love she was showing to him right now.  He heaved a heavy sigh into her fur before he pulled away, though he didn't want to- he didn't want to overwhelm her with his need.  

"Don't apologize. You can call me Katti."

He almost melted into her embrace again as she placed her muzzle on top of his head, but he refrained, as much as it pained him to.  Although, the look she gave at the mention of his name did not help Ori in his want to hug her more.  She looked confused and conflicted, sad but somehow also very angry.  Ori took a step back, he had witnessed emotions like this before and knew that most of the time they ended in lashing out at the nearest living thing- which was usually himself.  

"Oriana.  I have a... My.. It's a pretty name."

Ori tilted his head in confusion, but kept his distance, albeit a small one, as the need for comforting her grew and grew.  He knew a compliment given needed a thanks in reply, but the words died in his throat as Katti, the golden queen with a crown of blood, lashed out at his last apology, striking his nose.  It was a small gash, but nonetheless Ori recoiled at the reprimand.  

"Enough apologies."

Instinctively Ori wanted to apologize, but how could he now?  Knowing that if he did, he could offend her more, and receive another mark.  Eyes darted around for a second to try to find words other then, "I'm Sorry", but he failed.  "I... I.. D-didn't m-mean to up-s-set you Miss Katti..."  He stammered out, eyes threatening to well up with tears once more, looking up to the Golden Queen.  

"It's not safe.  I'm not -- Strangers aren't good, do you understand? Be more careful."

"But y-you're good Miss Katti.  Y-you've been kind to m-me. You're n-not a stranger to me, n-not anymore anyway."  He said, fear wiped away by the sudden feeling of needing to comfort her once more.  

"Go home.  Your mother misses you."

Ori swallowed hard, the lump in his throat seemed to grow.  Serrate couldn't miss Ori as much as she missed Tauro, as much as Hyperion, as much as Kayira, they were her blood.  He couldn't go home, not yet, not until he found Kayira.  Why did no one understand how important this was to him, to Deimos, to Serrate, to Gemini.  They had lost so much in the recent days, Ori could not let them lose anything more.  He could not let them lose the one thing they had left. Hope. "No."  He said in a tone that he wasn't aware he possessed, it was firm, and final, but he soon returned to his smaller, meeker voice after realizing his mistake.  "I can't."  He said in a defeated tone.  "Not until I find my br... Kayira.  His mom will miss him more then me if I can't find him.  He needs to come home, I need to bring him home."  His tone turned into something of desperation, exasperation.  Miss Katti didn't understand the importance of finding his prince brother.  She didn't understand what this family meant.

Or so Ori thought.