H e r e t i c [Komuro]

[EmmaliaChan]

This is a private RolePlay between myself and Komuro.
Please feel free to read along, but do not post.

Persecution. A witch hunt. Deserved justice.

People had different opinions on what was happening to her, and it was referred to with many terms. Julianne, deep down, felt maybe she did make a mistake, but every time she looked in the red eyes of her precious child she couldn't bring herself to regret her alignment with the druids. Bestiality, hybrids, all of thatwas fine - normal, even - to the druid coven she was a part of. Their rituals were sacred to them, but the king believed it to be unnatural blasphemy against the moral values of society. Understandable, maybe. It wasn't anything new for people to hate and fear what they didn't understand or what they didn't believe in, and the group's ancestors had surely dealt with the same prejudices. But was she truly hurting anyone? Were any of the druids truly causing society harm? If she were to be brutally honest, Julianne really didn't know the answer to that question. It could go either way.

Still she'd already done it, and her ritual had been successful. After an unusually short gestation (for a human, anyway), she gave birth to a healthy, happy baby girl who grew like a weed, both in a literal sense and in the figurative sense that she rapidly grew on those around her. Because of the specific wolf she'd mated with, a beautiful albino loner male, she was certain her daughter would grow up to be a very special girl - the courtship had been long and difficult, but she was so happy to have finally earned her beautiful little Earthborn - the name the druids had given to these hybrid babies. They shared the characteristics of the father animal, and had a deep bond with nature right from birth. Julianne had seen hybrid wildcats, hybrid foxes, hybrid bears, even hybrid rabbits. If the mother's magic could court the animal, it could probably successfully create a hybrid. It was limited to mammals, however. Attempts with reptiles and amphibians, as well as birds and fish, would be unsuccesful.

The guards didn't think of it the same way, however. To them, the cult was ruining their own culture, destroying the good name of the people of their land, and bringing abominations into the world. They pursued her relentlessly; despite her fervent efforts to hide the ears and tail of her precious daughter, the sheer majority behind the mission to eradicate all traces of the all-female druid coven was unwavering, and the men and women behind it were unforgiving. Once they caught a whiff of her and her daughter's scent, they would stop at nothing to erase them both from existence. It wasn't just a law to uphold. Those enforcing it also had a personal vendetta against the Earthborn children and the group that created them, meaning they were more than happy to spend their time hunting her down.

Their determination paid off. They caught up to her, swinging their weapons wildly as they went. Julianne had been wounded by their blades, her abdomen cut deep and bleeding rapidly, but she ran as swiftly as her wobbly legs could go, thankfully shielded by the cover of the night's darkness and the shroud provided by the heavy forest. For once, she was grateful there was no visible moon, the glowing beacon in the sky hiding behind dark, foreboding clouds. A storm was surely coming soon.

When she came to the path deep within it, her legs gave way. The brunette woman fell to her knees, nearly dropping the little girl she carried on her back. As she stumbled, the cloak covering the child fell to the side, revealing a white-haired, red-eyed little girl with a fluffy white tail and big white ears on top of her head. She appeared to be around nine or ten, physically. As her mother fell, she knelt beside the older woman, tail anxiously waving back and forth as she held one of her mother's hands in both of her own. Whimpering plaintively, she already was crying as she hovered worriedly over her mother, bleeding into the dirt where she laid.

Hearing someone's footsteps coming towards them, the girl began trying to drag her mother off the path to hide her, but wasn't strong enough to even budge the woman an inch. "You need to run, Syndra... Go, hurry, before you're spotted!" Julianne urged her, weakly trying to shove the little girl away, but the Woodborn wolf girl was much too stubborn and determined for that and continued her futile efforts to hide her beloved mother, furiously pulling at her mother's blouse with all of her might. The druid female continued to try and stop her, but she was getting weaker with each passing second.

How could she expect her to leave her there?! She'd be nothing on her own! Sure, she'd learned how to hunt a little, but even then she was highly unskilled and had a hard time trying to get any animal. Not to mention being alone was the worst thing in the entire world that Syndra could imagine... Why had they even left the other druids? She didn't understand! Her mother had never explained to her why they needed to leave, and now she was telling her to run before she got any answers and when she had nowhere to go... Scared and sobbing, she refused to leave the woman's side, laying beside her and resting her head against her mother's chest when she realized there was truly no way to move her mother's wounded body.

She was crying too loudly to hear exactly what was said, but she could have sworn she heard her mother begging someone, saying something like 'please protect my baby' -- was she praying, or was she actually asking whoever had hunted them down to help? They'd run for so long, surely she didn't think the guards would spare any mercy on her? They'd hurt her mother. But it definitely had sounded like a plea for help, one that ended just as she heard her mother's heart beat for the last time. Her crying intensified and she clutched tightly to the woman's bloody shirt, digging in her claws and burrowing herself as close as possible. Alone... She felt so alone. She tried to cry out for her 'momma', but it just came out as a blubbering mess of words, the little albino trembling and sobbing so hard she could hardly breathe. Why was this happening!? Her mother was a good woman! Why did everyone seem to hate her so much, except for the ladies at the coven who'd helped take care of her? Syndra just couldn't wrap her brain around the hatred directed at her and her family.

[Komuro]

The man whom she pleaded to was twenty five of age with a slightly darker tan skin color and jet black short spiky hair. He wore the trappings of a Ranger, one who is skilled with both a bow and sword. In this man's case he carried two one handed sword sheathed on each side with a bow and quiver stocked with arrows on his back. He was out hunting when he spotted the women bleeding out with her child who refused to leave her side. He noticed the's child's features and much to her fortune he did not share the same prejudice's as the rest of the kingdom. There were a few in the kingdom, in fact, that were against the king's cruelty towards these druids and their estranged offspring. Those who believed that everyone has a right to live the way they wish. Many of these supporters however have been rooted out then tortured and killed. This man was one of those supporters and he resents the king deeply.

Jayce sullenly watches as the mother of the child slowly dies. He kneels down before her and even those it was too late to answer her, he says as he closes her eyes "Oh you poor fair maiden... I will help your child, I promise." He then hears the sound of men shouting, drawing closer. No doubt it was the soldiers who were after them. He looks over at the young girl who was still sobbing over the loss of her beloved mother. "Young one we must leave, less my promise to your mother is made in vane." he said then whistles loudly. The sound of a neigh followed by galloping draws closer. A beautiful black stallion gallops to their side. Jayce carefully picks up the deceased women then even more carefully drapes her over his steed before lifting up the child and mounting her before finally himself. The steed seemed strong enough to handle the extract load as he kicks it's side ordering it to dash away from the angry mob of soldiers.

[EmmaliaChan]

The frightened pup was too distraught to even notice she was being moved at first, but she soon realized they were on a horse, galloping away from the clattering with exceptional haste. Ears flattened tight against her head, she held tightly to the saddle, unsure of how much she could trust the stranger but knowing she had little choice. It wasn't as if she had the strength to do anything; sobbing as hard as she was, all of her energy was being poured into deep-rooted grief.

She knew her mother was dead, and she knew her mother was dead because of her. The men chasing them wouldn't have been bothering to do so if she didn't exist. Her ears and tail were a curse. She was a curse.

Exhausted and cold, despite the warmth of the night, she had little time to dwell on it. Her fingers felt icy and her body trembled and shivered as if she had a fever, her anguish taking a physical toll on her. Still whimpering and crying, she hugged her arms to herself, fingers tangling themselves in her loose shirt. The little girl fell asleep soon after, and remained in her slumber for the rest of the ride. Her and her mother had been running for hours, and the night was mostly over; dawn would come soon enough.

Still, it didn't take long for them to get far out of the reach of their pursuers, the black horse much faster than their steeds and the woods being too dense for them to keep their direction easily. Beyond that, it had also begun to rain, washing away any scent their hunting dogs may have been able to pick up and erasing the prints they'd left behind.

[Komuro]

When the rain started falling he takes off his cloak and covers the girl, trying to keep her as dry as possible so as to not catch a cold from the cold downpour. They soon arrive at a small log cabin where the Ranger resided alone until now. He dismounts then carries the sleeping girl inside where he lays her down on a soft feather bed and strips her of her wet clothing. He then covers her naked person with a warm blanket before moving to the fire place and ignites a fire from dry wood stockpiled in the corner. As much as he would love enjoy warmth and comfort of a warm fire, there was still the matter of the druid mother’s body. He grabs a shovel and heads back outside. He removes the body from onto his steed and carries it a little ways before reaching a suitable clearing. He lays the body down and proceeds digging a shallow grave. Once acceptably deep enough he gently lays the body to rest.
“There now you can return to nature Druid.” He said as he finished burying her. He sighs deeply finding all this most unfortunate. He begins wondering how to move forward with the young hybrid girl. Where were they to go? What were they to do? Who were they to trust? These were questions that filled his mind as he returned to cabin he sits in front of the fire, stoking it on occasion as he thinks of answers. He occasionally glances back at the sleeping girl, wondering when she will awaken.

[EmmaliaChan]

The pale-haired girl slept soundly for several hours before waking, her body still feeling icy cold despite the warmth from the fire. Silently she rose from the bed, wrapping the blanket around her like a dress to cover herself up, and went to sit in front of the hearth, sniffling and quietly sobbing as she continued to grieve her mother, and hugged her knees close to herself, readjusting the blanket to encompass all of her. All that peeked out from the blanket was a face and tiny toes - as well as the very tip of a fluffy white tail.

She wasn't particularly aware of anything around her, the Earthborn's body moving on autopilot to try and get warm, and had no idea as to where the stranger who'd scooped her and her mother up was. Fact of the matter was that she didn't particularly care, her thoughts distracted by the fact that she was now alone. Just because the stranger didn't wish to turn her in then didn't mean he wouldn't soon, or even immediately - she had little faith in those outside the coven after seeing her mother attacked and killed.

But maybe if that was the stranger's intent, it would just be her getting what she deserved... Had she never been born, her mother would've been alive. If the ritual had failed, her mother would never have even been suspected as one of the druids. Outside of having a child with animal features and bright red eyes, her mother had looked entirely normal, like someone you'd invite over for tea and pie on a Sunday afternoon. No one would have suspected a thing.

Then she was born.

No matter how hard she tried to push it out of her mind, the hollow, empty pain in her chest couldn't be ignored. The weight in her arms and legs and her body wanting to stay still and never move again, just sit down and sob, wasn't something she could resist.

At these thoughts, Syndra's tears started falling faster and she hugged her knees even tighter, burying her face against them to stifle her increasingly forceful sobs. She hated this! Why was she even alive!? Now her mother was gone, her father was a damn wild animal, it was her fault her mother was dead, and there was nothing she could do about it! Between the shivering from her body feeling numb and trembling from trying not to scream in frustration, Syndra was shaking so hard she almost looked to be convulsing. If it weren't so obvious that it was from grief, the sight of the quivering blanket might have been comical.

[Komuro]

By the time she awoke, the rain had long since stopped and dusk was slowly falling onto the land. cooking over the hearth fire was a full grown rabbit he had hunted. He was sitting at the fire, watching it dook when he heard small footsteps approach him and the hearth. The little girl sits in front of the fire, trying to warmer. “Ah good you finally awoken I was beginning to worry about you.” He greeted though she said nothing back nor did she even acknowledge his existence. He notices her shaking and quiet sobbing. Seem she still has yet to overcome her mother’s passing. He tries to consol her by gently rubbing her back. “I’m so sorry little one…” was all he could think to say. It wasn’t long before the rabbit was finished cooking. He takes it off the fire and cuts it up. He offers her several chunks of delicious meat. “Here eat.”

[EmmaliaChan]

Too wrapped up in her own thoughts, Syndra didn't hear a word he spoke, and the blood rushing in her ears making them pound to the beat of her heart definitely wasn't helping. The smell of the meat cooking over the fire didn't even register with her, even the warmth nearly being lost on the little girl. Her eyes were shut tight, and her face still pressed against her knees, sobs still shaking her body and her attempts to stifle them still failing completely. There was no way for her to have seen the meat even if she weren't in a borderline fugue state.

Her body still exhausted despite her long nap, she eventually fell asleep again, this time sitting up.

--------------------

A week passed, and Syndra ate little and spoke even less, the white-haired girl not having said a word since her mother had been killed. She followed the stranger with empty eyes that were gradually becoming a bit more responsive, though grief still made her prone to random bouts of tears and sobbing when she was still or left alone for any period of time. When she wasn't crying or quietly following behind, she was sleeping, and she slept a good majority of available moments to do so.

Two weeks later and she would give simple one-word answers to direct questions, but outside of that it was rare for her to give even a nod of acknowledgement. But, one sunny morning, a butterfly came and landed on her arm as she was about to eat her meal. She gasped and, for the first time since that fateful night, her ears lifted from their seemingly permanent flattened spot against her head. Wide-eyed, she remained perfectly still, carefully setting her plate on the ground in front of her. When it flew away, she followed it, giggling when it later landed on her shoulder. Her eyes had completely lost their glossed-over look, and she no longer appeared to be a soulless vessel. She was actually seeing the things around her again, by some miracle, and she slowly started to get better and better with time.

Three weeks later and she was mostly fine again. Occasionally she'd zone out with her ears flattened, but tended to snap out of it quickly. Things were going much better, and she was coherent enough that travel was a potential option for the future, rather than having to remain in the cabin in case one of her crying bouts alerted guards or other unwanted souls to their position.

[Komuro]

He sighed when she was so unresponsive. It was obvious it would take time before she overcame her grief. As the days turn to weeks, she slowly but surely got better. Every time she broke out into sobbing he would try his best to comfort her and even got better at it. He wasn't unfamiliar with kids per-say for he had spent a bit of time at a church where orphaned children were being cared for, however he never had to console a child who just lost their mother before their very eyes.

By the second week, she was started to give one word answers. He took the oppertunity to finally start getting acquainted with her. He informed her of his Jayce and got her name, Syndra. He began telling her stories of his travels as a ranger and how he had befriended a few druids in his travels. It was the first step in building a relationship with her. He then told her who he was and how he was going to care for her and protect for the time being. He would offer her to sleep by his side for more comfort if she needed.

By the third week he was glad to see she was almost completely well. He thinks she's able to travel without being hindered by grief. But he had to be sure. One night as they were eating. "Syndra I think it's time we leave. This land is dangerous and we must find you a proper Sanctuary. It has been a divine miracle that the king's hunting party hasn't further scoured these forests for you for the past few weeks. As I mentioned I now a few druids who are in hiding in a town a day's journey away. Hopefully the king hasn't rooted them out for they may know of a place we can go."

[EmmaliaChan]

Syndra had never taken the opportunity to sleep by his side; he was still a stranger, and a male stranger, no less. She'd grown up in a community composed entirely of females, and it seemed that males were most often the ones oppressing her family's way of living. It was a male king who shunned them, it was a male guard who'd dealt the blow that killed her mother. She didn't trust him even half as far as she could throw him, which even with her enhanced strength from being an Earthborn wasn't particularly far.

His stories mostly fell on deaf ears, their only usefulness being that the constant white noise of his talking often kept her mind from becoming empty enough to wander back to thoughts of her mother. Still, Syndra had hardly heard - or perhaps a better word would be 'retained' - any of the information he'd been sharing. She knew his name, and he knew hers, but as for questions about her background or family or her mother, her one-word responses never extended to these. The only things she ever replied to were questions about needs, like if she was hungry or cold or tired, or if she was feeling alright. Small basic bits of information came after she started speaking more, but nothing particularly substantial.

So the night he sprung on her that he wished to leave the little cabin, it came as a bit of a shock. "No," Syndra said after swallowing a bite of her meal. "Momma's buried here. You can go, but I won't leave." Her mother was all she'd ever had; sure she was dead, but burials were exceptionally important in her family's culture. Returning a body to the earth was as sacred a ritual as their beast courting was, and their customs regarding it were very specific.

[Komuro]

"I'm not going to leave you. I'm sworn to protect you as your mother's dying wish. I understand that you want to stay and I won't force you... but know that the longer we stay in one place the greater the chance of our enemies finding us." he subtly insisted. He had a feeling it would be tough convincing the girl to leave her mother's resting place and he hopes that she'll soon come to understand that they had to move forward.