Pieces of the Kingdom

[Daust Masana]

Introduction

An Open Letter to the Entity Known as Fate

'...Fate, take your palm from the holster at your thigh and join hands with me, joyously, as your reign has been strong these past ten odd years. Commendable? On the highest level, I'm sure. Hide your modesty, for I'm sure you have not forgotten all that you have taken from me; the pride I held for my people, my nation, the chance at change that I had swept my hand at, and missed, the only spawn sharing my blood that I had favored, and the list goes on, but I shall resist retrieving your dagger and splitting your back muscles until they spasm and die. I shall resist retrieving your dagger and waving it next to your Adam's apple, asking in which way you would prefer for me to cut it, for I am a forgiving individual, no matter the crimes, as long as the redeemer feels this obligation deserves their full dedication. But you don't? Feel grateful, wretched bane of existence, as I've no desire to sulk on your sins any longer; quite the opposite, actually, I shall reverse them. Naturally, you are free to bestow upon me failure in any way you deem acceptable, but know I shall not stop, not even in death, though think twice before taking me within your fangs. My will has been described as one of the greatest poisons and, should you swallow me, I shall wreak havoc upon your systems and shut you down, just like so many men before me should have, though were simply too forgiving or too afraid of your being, despite being quite invincible themselves. I am far different and, thus, my challenge has been issued. Be sure to heed all my warnings and balance each action, consequence to gain, with the utmost care, as, in a chain of event such as this, there shall be no second chances on both planes and every little detail can contribute to one's own damnation, in the end...'

Sincerely,
Daust Masana

 

[Hasani Khulu]

Entry #1 - Opening Recordings of Separation

I would be lying if I recalled the meeting held between the hard crust of the floor, which twirled erratically under my abdomen, and me as the highlight of my escape, but there are far worse memories for me to dwell on when my chest is not heaving and my neck is not twisting off in some odd angle, just for me to get a glimpse at the position of my pursuers; still plenty behind, though hardly enough for them not to catch up within a matter of seconds. Needless to say, I regained whatever balance I had before my spill and slit of the knee, which, as fate would have it, gathered a whole platter of sand to accompany the cut as if such a measure would help some, and began to limp onward, somehow flicking these malicious beings off my tail through the awkward motions that could only be perceived as a full body thrust followed by the desperate jump a small child would take in order to win a game of hopscotch. I probably would have stimulated the receptive hairs within my ears so as to pick up the laughter of those around me, just to blush as a showing that I fully understood my unfortunate plight, had most senses not been dedicated to seeking a viable route through these blasted streets, ones which were so bare I could not utilize a great crowd of individuals as a means of cover like I was able to in Albastor. Every alleyway that had been passed was quickly surveyed, but all had been found to either be blocked off or leading to another open street in which spotting a tall draconian was all too easy. I felt a huff of well-deserved frustration mix in with those that supplied me with oxygen and rid me of wastes (CO[2]?).

With such luck, it was no surprise that I almost missed the chance to wrap my fingers about a ray of sunshine, which was delivered in the form of a gloomy, crusty, and very rusty passage carved in between the established pattern of the buildings that laid nearby. I felt the right side of my body shift so abruptly that my corresponding leg was thrown into the air in a manner comparable to the typical gesture of an erotic dancer while my arm curved backwards, bending sharply as it was nearly torn from my pectoral muscles, due to the force, and the blunt edge of my elbow came crashing into the nose of a rather unfortunately placed individual (which is actually a good example of the domino effect fate often likes to toy around with). By the time an apology had exited my lips, I was zipping in between the exteriors of the industrial blocks while trying to regain my balance, hardly caring if I appeared to be drunk while doing so; my last gesture, combined with the fact that I wore a flattering suit of armor with no weapons attached to the belt and ran with the utmost urgency from the authority figures of this fine town, more than attributed the required amount of solid evidence to support the theory of intoxication. Whether or not slowing down long enough to supply a proper pardoning was never revealed to have been worth it in the long run, though it seemed like such a choice would have been beneficial after the man who had been knocked down claimed I had stolen his wallet mid-drunkenness. Naturally, those pursuers increased their speed ten fold, as my patience decreased just about as much. Thus, when I turned the corner, I quickly stopped myself, finding certain sections of my suit tucked in unnecessary places, making the wearing of such quite uncomfortable, though I proved to be rather resilient as my legs allowed me to stop and pull my arm back once again in preparation.

Like a rubber band, my joints and muscles sprang forward, after being constricted for so long, and harshly graced the face of the first of two pursuers by mere happenstance, which nearly surprised me as much it did the stricken and his partner in crime. Just as my eyelids refused to flicker in favor of parting as widely as the Red Sea, the other authority figure had slipped his hand around to the side of his belt and began pulling a gun of unknown effect from its holster. I allowed no time for the trigger to be squeezed, as I seized his wrist, impaling his skin with my tainted nails and cracking the bone within ever so slightly in a just as slight bit of anger, and delivered another socket of justice with my remaining set of knuckles. He proved not as easily persuaded as his partner, as his extra muscular limb flipped upwards over my head, no doubt in the purest instinct of harmful flashiness, and rained down upon me, delivering a blow that nearly took the forbidden fruit that rested at the most vital point of my body. His face reflected his failure as the situation registered and the blur of my armor became visible within his line of focus, then disappeared long enough to n** at the back of his neck and force him to his knees amidst all the pain, however short lived it might have been.

After he fell to the ground, I quickly checked the pulse of each pursuing individual, both of which still showed signs of biological functions, then turned my tail towards all the confused onlookers and ran as fast as my already quite strained muscles would allow me. I would need to find Travis as soon as possible, after all, and, if fate proved to be as kind to me as it had now, simply fend off a few external bodies or cast away tears. Such was my job, as his protector, and I intended to do my job right...once I managed to find him.

~ Daust Masana

* * * * *

Travis' Accountance #1 - Needs

'Where the hell is Daust?' was quite a common visitor within Travis' mind today. Given the circumstances, this was hardly surprising. Today began with a relaxing run, followed by a run in with emotions that should have been done away alongside the dreaded teenage years that actually proved favorable, as both protector and protected found a sense of comfort in each other when the latter laid his head upon the former's shoulder. Such an act, of course, drew the giggles of a few females walking nearby, as well as a raised eyebrow from overtly nosy beings, whom, shortly thereafter, were lightly scolded by their companions, who pressed them to mind their own business. Such gestures remained and, however uncomfortable they might have been at the time, Travis certainly preferred them to the accusing yells of an Albastrian soldier who seemed to recognize the two after having his eyes drawn to the scene. Truth be told, Travis was wishing he had buried his emotions, perhaps to be dug up at a more convenient time, but the raptor seemed to be so insistent, even towards himself, about showing them to others, just as he wished to now, sitting within the confides of a musty alleyway that was decorated with every unmentionable imaginable, among other such toxic materials.

Travis allowed his chin to rest upon his knees as his eyes rolled over the surroundings and his legs prepped themselves every few seconds in case it was necessary to run. Such preparations were soon lowered to being brought about only every other half minute, then minute, then five minutes, and so on, until the need to know the threats brought about by those whom wished harm upon the raptor had been relinquished. Both eyelids were allowed to close and remain in a resting position until a noise tore through Travis' tranquility and caused him to jump damn near five feet from his resting spot, tail in between his legs. His eyes grew wide in both fear and anticipation as he awaited the emergence of the suspense creating being, hoping against hope that it was Daust, or, rather, anyone who would calm him, or at least help him find someone who could fulfill such a task.

--- Recorded by Daust ---

 

[Hasani Khulu]

Travis' Accountance #2 - Flight

The sound of gunfire was quite crisp enough to keep Travis' eyes widened to an exaggerated degree, his leg muscles strained through the thick leather and protective external layers that were applied here and there, and his teeth clamping tightly to his tongue, threatening to snap it in half should any form of harm turn the corner and aim a source of fatal intent towards him. Surely, the sound of bullets ricocheting off surrounding walls and, possibly, bodies was enough evidence Travis needed to grab his tail with both hands and head for the hills (metaphorically speaking), though, as with every tough situation, he seemed rather reluctant to move. So, he stood there, in the alleyway, sweat streaming down his face and gleaming against the body armor that hugged his skin tenderly, especially around the area of unmentionables, promising to protect him, no matter the cost. Travis very well knew that an old military academy uniform from Albastor was no where near as useful as those distributed to the finest officers and agents, with no price tag included, as he was a mere student, but he had to admit that such a suit was better than nothing. At least, if he had been filled with holes, he'd look as if he had gone down a soldier, however fallen, rather than a coward who could hardly detach his feet from the sticky wealth of filth that laid all across the alleyway's floor.

It seemed as if the offenders of the ears were just around the corner when the man who could hardly keep up with the protective fashions of the times had whipped around the corner, cursed, and tossed his hand in Travis' direction, no doubt intending for the raptor to accept his help readily and quickly or be left behind in the dust on the soon-to-be blood-stained path. Compliance to the former of the two options was found rather quickly as Travis' arm underwent a stressed spasm and slapped itself against his given savior's arm, wrapping each of his four fingers around the wrist as tightly as was allowed by the man's skin, which would quickly alert Travis of any unintended puncturing. Luckily, this was not a problem, allowing the two to be off without any troubles brought on by the delicacy of the human form, though Travis' locked muscles proved to be somewhat of a burden at first. The man would find himself slowly down slightly every few steps as the raptor would kick himself into second gear, only to fall back into first, then rise up through them once again. After third gear, it was smooth sailing from there, however smooth running through the busy streets of a town while holding hands with a stranger not the least bit intimate whom was dragging you along could be considered.

--- Recorded by Daust ---

 

[Hasani Khulu]

Travis' Accountance # 3 - Confused

Truth be told, one as highly concentrated as getting away from the gunfire as the man he was being dragged by speedily along the road could not foresee the sudden change in pace, which had automatically been forced down to zero as Travis was forced down onto his hindquarters by and odd manipulation of momentum. Both pointed pupils were covered by their lids as a bit of pain was introduced to Travis' posterior and tail bone, the former being injured inevitably when softening the landing for its host while the latter had been curled in an odd way during the fall and maintained such a position long enough to send a jolt up the raptor's spine. A furrowed brow was only natural at this point, especially when Travis had to go through the trouble of gathering his tail up and laying it across the ground in a fashion that would not insure more soreness the following day, but said brow rose up in surprise once Tristan himself fell down, then got back up, and then got knocked right the ******** back down again. Travis blinked. 'What...the ******** hell?' was an accurate depiction of the thought that crossed his mind as he backed up slightly, assuming that this being was willing to hurt him as well as his savior, though all worries were dismissed, at least somewhat, when the man commented on the weather. Well...Travis hoped he had commented on the weather, as today wasn't turning out so hot. At all.

"I wouldn't call it...nice," Travis stated cautiously as he allowed his nostrils to pick up the scent of this man and settled his arms' persistent attempts to convince him to flee. None of these attempts seemed to get through to the raptor, as the scent he had picked up convinced him that this being was actually very pleasant; abruptly violent and funny smelling, but pleasant none-the-less. "Maybe irregular-" Travis scooted over towards Tristan... "Or unexpected-" ...and proceeded to nudge the man with his foot before allowing a glint of his own shocked expression reach the perceptive orbs no doubt resting in the designated sockets on this mysterious man's face. "But nice...would be far too nice...and forgiving," Travis resisted further efforts to wake Tristan with his nudging and went about standing upright, holding his bum the whole time. It would be made obvious to this mysterious man before him that the equally odd being glancing between him and Tristan was in pain, however dull it was now and sharp it would be later. Travis made an effort to not seem so distressed, as that was what he assumed got him into this type of situation, but the pain in le bum could not be ignored. At least someone looking onward from afar could get a chuckle from the raptor that insisted on groping his own a**.

--- Recorded by Daust ---