Foul Fruit of Defeat

Yi TaeKyung · 11-23-2011, 11:32 AM

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Looked up Salvia’s home… ^w^ Let me know if anything is inaccurate/you pictured it differently~ Also, backdated to the 12th? (the day after she was found?)
WC: 526

Time meant nothing. She did not know how long she had felt the sea-less movement rocking her limp body. Absorbed by the darkness that enveloped her, eventually knowledge of movement ceased to exist. Once more the darkness was all she knew, a cold place, a dense place—suffocating, overly welcoming. Once her mind moved closer with a wolf’s curiosity, those unearthly tendrils of shadow wrapped tightly about her, unwilling to give. They whispered, soothing her mind. The Korean was comforted. Yes. This is where she belonged. It was in her blood. It was inevitable. The Darkness took her easily for she went willingly now. His presence was felt, but she could not see Him. This was the presence that had haunted her dreams, the presence that commanded respect and awe, but that, all at once, instilled an irrational fear. This presence was not of the living. Wandering souls of her culture were angry and desired something of the living. She knew that He wanted something of her, but she knew not what it was. Even now, so close to the source of Darkness, she could not discern it. Already, warmth invaded....

Slowly, deeply, she drank the warm, dry air. The scent of wood and fire was overwhelming, and upon that warm air, the scent of others became apparent. Her mind gradually recalled the scent from the ocean. She became to understand that she did not know when and how she had come to this place, why she was at this place. Suspicion trickled into her mind. Aggression. The martial artist was silent now, growing still as her consciousness returned. The tenebrous fae struggling for a moment to recall how to open her eyes. But as soon as she opened them, she shut them. Even the dim lighting was too intensely bright for her night-trained eyes. Pain shot through her head, and the throbbing at her temple returned. And then she remembered how the ocean and sought to devour her. The Korean grew unhappy, a low growl emanating hoarsely from her graceful throat. Like a wounded animal, and fueled by her belligerent instincts, the fighter became dangerous. The tiers of control that had once existed had been demolished by the wounding blow. The ‘sophisticated’ martial artist had been reduced to impulse. It was a dangerous combination.

The foreigner struggled to rise. Her body did not respond well to her desires. At first, there was no movement at all. The martial artist panicked—had she lost motor control? It was a fighter’s greatest fear. But no, finally she found the strength to shift her arms. But she was weak. Weakness seemed to emanate from her, and she did not like it. Forgetting that she was in Western lands, a hoarse, “여긴 어디야?” was called out. The sound of her own voice resonating in the air and within her cranial bones only caused her pained. “씨발.” She grew aggravated. In an attempt to discover herself where she was, the black fae tried to open her eyes but could only manage to squint. The white slivers of her gaze tried to look around, the blurred world slowly coming into focus.

Salvia Eternity · 11-24-2011, 12:01 PM

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That works! Assuming it is night now, just as a note. :> +3

It had been a hard ride, but Salvia was a stubborn creature. She had managed to make it back on her own. Pandemic had been startled by her cache, but aided her without many questions. They had a silent understanding between them, and her goals were simple enough for him to grasp. The transfer of ownership would not occur until she was ready, however—it would be a surprise, as much as it could be. For now, though, she owned the woman. This would be no different than breaking a horse.

Pandemic had gone into the back room they shared, and slept soundly. Salvia remained awake in the dark, alert and ever-aware of the woman nearby. They were close in age, she had surmised, and the muscles of the woman’s body told her she was trained for combat. At her back the fire burnt warmly, but low, and heated a blackened saddle and the spotted cat as he slept.

Movement told Salvia that the woman was awake, though she was subtle and aware she was somewhere strange. The woman’s eyes shocked Salvia; they were white, even lighter than her brother’s silver gaze. Dimly, she felt fear. Dimly, she wondered if magic had pulled this woman to them. Had her mother not read signs? Had she not seen a shadow lingering in her thoughts that day? Perhaps. For now, though…

Salvia watched the woman fight to sit up. She did nothing. She did not trust this stranger. Foreign tongue, thick and heavy, and oh how strange those sounds. A linguist by birth, Salvia wondered about the difference in structure of the sounds and knew that the dark one was somewhere very far from home indeed. “You’re hurt,” Salvia’s voice came lowly, a throaty purr. “If you can understand me, then be still.”

Yi TaeKyung · 11-24-2011, 02:46 PM

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WC: 525

The umbral pelted fae pushed body forth with the minimal strength she had, a quiet grunt creaking from her parched throat. The sinew beneath her fur did not burn with fatigue but simply lacked tension. With the rest and warmer conditions, they responded better than upon the beach. Still, her full strength had not returned. The Korean paused, breathing deeply and holding her posture erect despite the effort. Exhaling, she brought her knee up and leaned with her elbow upon it, allowing her tenebrous crown to be balanced upon her fist. Pain shot through her skull once more before subsiding in waves. The shut eyes slowly opened, the eerily lunar orbs glinting in the dim light. Without shifting, her gaze followed a line along the floor landing ultimately in the corner. It was darker than the room—too dark. In her mind it was as if she could hear the shadow gathering, a low rolling of thundering silence. The white orbs were locked intently upon that place of shadow, those eyes empty and cold, filled with an exhausted and haunted light. She thought she could see Him there, leering in the dark. Smiling, laughing, mocking.

The sudden voice in the silence cut through. The Korean blinked and the shade was gone.

The words were foreign to her, but slowly her mind remembered the Western tongue. Black auricles swiveled to better catch the words. The voice was almost pleasant to hear, and so her defenses rose. The martial artist did not trust sudden kindness, and so suspicion was provoked by the soothing voice. And the Korean did not think she liked the sound of command within the final statement. Those pointed ears twitched as if to shed the words aside.

She lifted her head, turning to face the speaker directly. The strange female was coloured from the palette of the earth, unremarkable. The white orbs fell over the other’s body, taking note of physique. The lunar eyes fell finally upon the bright green gaze of the other and did not falter. The Korean was silent. “Why still?” The alto voice that scraped from her throat was heavy with the effort of shaping English from Korean, but she had learned better pronunciation since her arrival, if no grammatical progress had been made. She did not understand why she must be still. Indeed, she understood that she was wounded, but not the necessity of stillness. The black-furred fae was unsure whether to take it as a threat or advice. She was too weak to fight, but she would if she were required even though she knew defeat was inevitable. Slowly, she pushed her body to face directly the stranger who had taken her from the sea. The strong, black maw twitched in the beginnings of snarl before smoothing into a relaxed, neutral expression. The conflict within her mind was manifested physically upon her features as it never had before. “Who are you?” The dark lips seemed form a snarl. But at the moment, she did not so much care who this strange female was as much as she cared about why she was in the strange female’s house.

Salvia Eternity · 11-25-2011, 12:55 PM

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I can totally see these two eventually having some weird mutual respect for one another.

The woman managed to rise but not to her feet, and Salvia was pleased by this. If she needed to, she could put her down. It didn’t seem like this would be an issue though—there was fight left in her, but it was fight of the spirit and not of the body. While muscular and compact, the wolf-dog had lost much of her strength fighting the ocean. Likewise, it pleased her that the woman at least spoke some English. She was rough and it was a strange pronunciation, but one that the girl was certain would adjust in time. Even Rowan had begun picking up on English after a while.

Salvia’s fur bristled at the gaze, and her muzzle crinkled. Still, she kept it firm and her body language responded to such a demand; shoulders squared, spine straightened, muscles tensed. She was the master here. “You are to stay still so I can see if you’re hurt,” she explained slowly, attempting to ensure the woman understood. “I dragged you out of the sea. You would have died otherwise,” Salvia went on, her tone gentle despite the green-fire in her eyes. She would see this woman submit before she took her to the slave quarters for further training.

Yi TaeKyung · 11-25-2011, 09:26 PM

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^w^~~
WC: 552

White orbs did not falter. Even in her weakened state, her fighter’s will still burned like a cold, ethereal flame. It seemed to flicker there within the depths of her gaze, calculating, analyzing. The stranger’s green orbs did not waver, and she herself refused to submit. Black auricles flickered once as if flicking away the annoyance of an insect. Her maw twitched, a low, growl of warning grating the air before silence was allowed to ensue. Who was this stranger who presumed to challenge her? The Korean did not know. She knew only that the scent-brand of a pack, one that she had encountered many months ago, was laced within the stranger’s scent, within the stranger’s home. She knew only that she was no longer on neutral territories, that she was within pack boundaries. She knew only that she now faced this female with a lack of strength beneath her ebon pelt. The archaic ritual of setting the challenge resonated in that room, shaking the silence with their intensity. Although the taekwondo yoo-dahn-jah remained motionless, she knew that, for now, she had no choice but to submit. And as the pack wolf erected herself, the Korean made no open opposition save for her stillness.

Black auricles drank in the foreign words. A cold sneer seemed only to threatened upon her lips, but for her shattered mind, the sneer manifested with chilling intensity in response to those near-gentle words. “I very thank you,” the alto voice replied, but there was no gratitude within her voice. Weakness should not exist within her. Inattentiveness had allowed the damned brother to strike her from behind with full force. The ocean had every right to claim her. Her soul had every right to be His to devour. Death would have been the honorable way to die. But the Messenger had not yet come to take her to Death, and the martial artist found herself at the mercy of the green-eyed stranger, in submission. The lone wolf did not take well to submitting. She was accustomed to being dominant. She was a fighter. The cold, wry sneer was gone, and the white orbs glinted dangerously, a quiet, disgruntled growl following. “I no move.”

Slowly, the female lowered to her elbows, her strong form twisted so that her hips and legs rested on their sides. The black tail struck the floor once before growing still. Her muscles were tired. She was hungry. Her strength only continued to be drained. But she refused to allow the green-eyed woman to see it. The Korean features were smooth and still, but those white orbs did not lose their fire. Her lunar gaze never left the other’s. She did not belong to the pack—she was but a loner. She bowed to none save for the forces of nature. Her purpose was to fight. She was a fighter. She fought to win and to kill. She fought to get better. That was her purpose—to become the greatest fighter. Taekwondo was her weapon, her will her shield. The green-eyed woman held no meaning for her. Another growl sounded. Strong white teeth flashed in a snarl-esque smile, mirthless, fierce. “Come look.” A brief silence followed as she hooked her finger at the stranger. “I no move.” The fangs were sheathed by quiet, black, lips.

Salvia Eternity · 11-25-2011, 09:46 PM

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Had an idea; Salvia provokes TK to attacking her, forces her to physically submit since I think that's the only way this will work, and then TK can begin her actual "slave training". I'll PM you some details about that once you reply again. Big Grin

Deep within the girl lingered the might of a tiger. She had seen it once before, when she sought to strike down her own sister. If no one had come, she would have killed her. Salvia would have killed her and felt no mercy. Even now, she felt none—she cared only for her end goals, not for others. While the woman with the moonstone eyes studied her and held the challenge, Salvia calculated how to break her. It wouldn’t be something done easily, oh no. Not when the woman had nothing to lose but her freedom. She seemed not to care for her life, but there had to be a way…

The flashing teeth only caused Salvia to smile, a thin and terrible thing. She could not be hurt here. Once, a slave had struck her. He was crippled and his tongue had been fed to him. No one dared touch the daughter of the Auxiliary, the daughter of the Arbiter. Pandemic would rise if she called him. His size alone could break the fighter in twain.

Salvia did not move. She would not be commanded by a slave; by someone who was not even a person to her. “I don’t think you understand,” she went on, unreasonably still. Steel-sprung muscles were coiled and ready to strike. “I saved your life. Your life is now mine. So you do not have the right to wag your finger at me,” her voice turned harsh, cold. It was as if her lungs had filled with ice. “You belong to me, slave.”

Yi TaeKyung · 11-25-2011, 11:23 PM

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Sounds good!
WC: 610

The tension in the air only seemed to grow. Once, the lone wolf would have tread carefully in the presence of a pack wolf, and even more so in the boarders of a pack; it was unwise for a lone creature to provoke a body of wolves that worked as a unit—even she could not overcome so many on her own. But that inhibition no longer existed. Instead, she seemed only to provoke the inevitable, to stir the embers so that the flame would frenzy and flourish. The green-eyed woman only smiled at her, and the black fae understood the situation. Despite fatigue, despite hunger and weakness, she could act only in the way she knew best. It was in her blood. It was all the shattered mind could understand. The black passion rose forth like a rabid beast, and prowled there beneath her gaze. Anticipation, excitement. Lust even. As the silence grew deafening, the shadowy plume struck the floor with His whispers of war. The wounded did not care why the tension thrived so well between herself and the green-eyed fae. She only cared for the end to that tension. Parched tongue tested the white fangs, tasting the air with satisfaction.

But what was spoken was not expected. The white orbs seemed to widen slightly in disbelief. For a moment, there was silence. Some words were lost to her, but she understood clearly mine and belong. She understood slave. Keen eyes did not miss the stranger’s readied body, but all at once it did not seem to matter. Cold, mirthless laughter grated from her throat, clawing the air. The sound was almost maniacal. “뭐?” At that moment, only Korean found its way to her tongue. She paused to catch her breath. “Slave?” she repeated. “Chh.” The white orbs glinted dangerously, forgetting the great weakness that weighed down her limbs. The mirthless sneer faded and her features grew dark. “이 씨발년....” Air was sucked through her teeth in a warning hiss characteristic of her culture. “욱기고 있네.” She spoke almost to herself now, white hot gaze turning away to the dark corner as if to consider His shade that was no longer there. The Korean returned her eyes to the stranger. “Me? No.” She shook her head, emphatically wagging her finger. Her tongue clicked thrice. “I belong no one.” An unnerving stillness took the martial artist. Her body was relaxed even as she prepared, gathering the last once of strength for this last stand.

But her muscles were slow—the sea had done its work. Somehow, the wounded female propelled herself forward and up. Adrenalin rushed through her, and a wild cry from the pit of her being exploded forth. A challenge. It was official now. Her body was loose as she took on that fighting stance. The graceful, Korean features grew distorted by a snarl, her teeth bared. Black ears were pushed forth like the horns of a bull, and her tail was lifted. Bristled fur accentuated her strong form. The white orbs shone. The Korean lifted her front foot—a fake, before turning to deliver a back kick—the most powerful if correctly executed—to the stranger stomach with perfect form. But her muscles were slow—the sea had done its work. Even as the obsidian fae threw the kick, she knew it would be futile. Even still, she could not simply go without a fight. Once the kick was thrown, she prepared to throw a back fist to immediately follow. The Taekwondo artist could not accept defeat without physical evidence. Even in her weakened state, she would not—could not—remain idle. She was a fighter.

Salvia Eternity · 11-25-2011, 11:44 PM

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I hope her technique makes sense ;-; Pandemic won't join the fight but I don't think it'll last very long given TK's condition; obviously, feel free to have her strike at Sal again. :>

Finally, she understood. Salvia smiled yet. She said nothing. Her body was prepared and so was her mind; a steel trap with waiting teeth and baited breath. Yet the woman did not seem to recognize what it was she faced—she made a peculiar sound through her teeth and moved with jerky movements that spoke of her weakness. Still, Salvia stood still and allowed her body’s weight to transfer low, shifting her center to prepare for the attack. It came with a cry to wake the dead.

Salvia’s ears rose high like a crown; her eyes widened despite the pupils narrowing to pinpricks. She let forth a tiger’s bellow as her own teeth were bared to the darkness. She did not move until the foot flew up at her—and then she rushed forward and grasped at the woman’s leg with one arm, raising the other with viper-like speed. It went for the throat, exposed by the woman’s fist. It struck Salvia against one ear, making her head ring. Roaring yet, she pushed forward and hooked her foot behind the woman’s grounded leg. If she connected at the throat, she could force her down and force her down hard.

So loud did she roar that Salvia did not hear her brother rise from his room, calling her name. Nothing mattered but forcing this woman to submit, even if it cost her.

Yi TaeKyung · 11-26-2011, 10:23 AM

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Cool! Yes it makes great sense OuO Also, I don’t know if you know (sounds like you do) but just in case, some references! *Back Kick*
WC: 531

Despite perfect execution, because of fatigue and lack of tension and strength, the martial artist’s timing was off. The back kick struck only air—a lucky fact for the green-eyed stranger, for surely bones and organs would have shuddered and broken from the force. Even still, having prepared another attack, she took her chance with the back fist. Her body began to twist gracefully, power gathering as her twisted body unfurled to deliver the blow. As her opponent grabbed her leg, the Korean realized that she was dealing with someone who was trained. Amusement tickled her mind as her thrown back fist made satisfying contact, although full power had been robbed due to her ensnared leg impeding full rotation. If only she could have had all of her strength returned to her. This battle would have proven much more satisfying. The Korean knew she could not win. She could only deliver an example of what she could have done. In a sense, she was but a shade of herself, a simple, black shadow.

The obsidian fae reacted to her leg having been ensnared. Deftly, she had twisted her hips over, able to utilize the last second of room before the green-eyed opponent had tightened her grip. Even though she had not been able to free herself from her opponents grasp, the foreign fae had given herself a less awkward position. From there, now face to face with her opponent, the tenebrous female bared her teeth, letting loose another cry as her own clawed hands shot out, hoping grasp mercilessly the back of the stranger’s head and securing the grasp with her claws. Her other hand formed a hardened fist, preparing to throw multiple punches to the unprotected face. Her jaws snapped viciously, hoping to find purchase in the other’s lighter-hued maw. Snarling, she used her grounded foot to push herself forward upon her opponent, hoping to do some damage.

But the earth-hued female had had the advantage since the disconnected kick. The lone-wolf’s opponent caught her in the throat, cutting short the livid snarls. Her footing was robbed of her, and both females fell to the hard floor. As they fell, the snarling jaws turned, long canines seeking to mar the forearm of her opponent in those last moments. The Korean hit the floor, her body absorbing the shock. A snarl was cut short, ending with a high pitched sound of pain. From her heavy training, she protected her head from striking the floor, but even still pain shot through it, the wound in her head agitated. Perhaps she broke a rib. At that point she knew the fight was over. The black fae was beneath the other, her soft vitals exposed. The adrenalin no longer flowed strongly through her veins. Her strength was spent. Even in her hands she had no strength, but she grasped still the mane of the victor. Her breathing was ragged, each breath relinquishing a low growl. Still unwilling to show fully her weakness, the Korean woman remained tense. The Korean was still, unmoving, the lunar orbs glinting as she stared into the other’s green gaze. She was silent, but it was clear who had one.

Salvia Eternity · 11-26-2011, 12:40 PM

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I actually didn't know that there was a spin involved :O Taekwondo is so interesting to me. Krav Maga is what I practice (though I don't formally train in it) so the variations are really interesting to see. Also, Pandemic is not grabbing her, but is ready to. I figure we can close this once you reply and get you all titled up! :> I'll PM you once you reply so we can figure out some time-jump stuff. +3

Salvia knew, when she felt the force behind the kick, that if this woman had been at her full strength and that she would have not walked away without broken ribs. There was something jarring about such a fact. The way she was trained to fight was different, and suddenly she wanted to know more about this technique. These were vague and distant thoughts as she toppled over, her head ringing, teeth slashing at her face. Her own maw responded in earnest, snapping and snarling, and while she managed to block several of the blows many more struck. Her face was bleeding and her jaw had taken several fierce punches. Teeth scraped her arm.

Mouth bloody, she grinned a terrible grin and used her weight to pin the shadow-colored woman to the floor. While the fall had been carefully taken (Salvia saw this, even through the haze of battle) she knew it could not have been without a price. The woman was winded. While her hair was held onto by one bloodied paw, Salvia began to laugh lowly, a breathless thing. She tasted her own blood. A free woman had done that, though, and she could accept such a thing.

Behind her a more massive darkness moved, rumbling deep and terrible. Pandemic had not seen Salvia engage in true combat before, and now that she was bloodied, it infuriated him. Yet the blonde girl gave him one silent order to remain still. Her hand tightened around the growling throat. She could feel the vibrations run through her hand. “Now you see,” her voice was thick, heavy with blood. “You have much to learn.” Only then, once she was satisfied, did she allow her brother to come forth. With his size, securing the woman was a matter of simply grappling her.

Salvia did not make to bind her hands, and continued to speak (after she spat blood onto the fire). “This is Salsola,” she explained, pride full in the word. “Until you die, this will be your home.”

Yi TaeKyung · 11-26-2011, 04:02 PM

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Cool~! I think it’s cool that you practice on your own. Yeah, I’ll try to include a ref link if I include something that’s not basic like front kick, roundhouse kick, sidekick, or other basic kicks that I think are well known. That way it won’t be too esoteric >u<;; And that sounds good! I’ll be looking out for your PM~
WC: 519

As she struck the floor and was pinned, her opponent grinned her victory. The defeated one only snarled. She took defeat well, but it was where this defeat took her that caused her to be so vehement. The grip about her throat tightened, and the black fae relaxed, giving herself more space to breath. The space was quickly taken by the strong vice, but the other did not seem to wish to rob her of air, to suffocate and kill her. White orbs shifted at last from the victor to the black shadow that came from behind. Something flickered within those lunar depths—had He manifested? But no, this male creature was pure black and did not bear the death-white mark of the pied crow. This was no shade but a true wolf, alive and breathing, with eyes that were not black but silvered. For a moment the white orbs shone their defiance at the male, and then they were upon the green-eyed one once more.

Through the growls and snarls, the white teeth flashed in a vicious grin. Much to learn? The martial artist could have responded to those words, but for once she found enough mentality to keep silent. Indeed, the green-eyed woman had saved her life, but the Korean owed nothing to her. The stranger had shown aptitude in fighting, but the taekwondo fighter did not respect her. She was captured and subdued, but the pack wolf could not ensnare her soul. Salsola. The word was bitterly unfamiliar. At least now she knew what this place was called. The foreigner did not believe the stranger. She did not believe that she would be here until she died. And yet, in the depths of her heart, she heard the laughter of His darkness. She could only respond in silence, the black lips sheathing her white fangs. A frown tugged at her corners, and the eyes held their defiance. The black-pelted fae did not look away from those eyes. She refused to. She refused to accept true defeat to this Western female, to the angered male behind her, to the pack Salsola. She refused to accept that she was a part of this pack not as a member but as a slave.

A silent rage was ignited within her breast. Slave. Slavery. This should not have been her fate. Frustration rose within her, but without the means to act, there was nothing she could do. She had been defeated. She was determined. Somehow she would grow stronger. One day, perhaps, she would taste freedom once again. But it would not be soon. The Korean seemed to sense it. And the green-eyed one promised—until she died. Within her heart, a disheartened mark was made. Without freedom, what did she have? The martial artist, however, was not broken yet. She still had her limbs, and soon her strength would return. If she could fight, her life would not be completely without worth. Regardless of her capture, the young woman simply would not give her young fighter’s life away to slavery, and she would not allow it to be taken.

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