no posting please [autumn kalon #18]

[satyn]

[satyn]

cheyennesommer

NAME ;
Cheyenne Mali Sommer
"shy-ehnn mall-ee sum-err"

GENDER ;
female

SEXUALITY ;
pansexual

PERSONALITY ;

One wrong step, and you'll be burned. Cheyenne isn't the type to take nonsense or lies from others and will quickly "raise a brow" at weak excuses. Her strong emotions will push her through any obstacle without stopping to consider the collateral damage, and she'll fight anyone without holding back. Afterwards, however, the Kalon will realize who she's shoved out of the way in the process and will feel immense guilt.
Cheyenne is a passionate individual that will love close ones to the very end, even through rough times. Though she's not always the most reliable Kalon, she is quite independent, and prefers to only look out for herself. Her astute mind allows her to find an alternative to most situations, but her instinct of self-preservation often does not aid others. The only exception is when she takes care of someone she loves dearly, but sometimes, Cheyenne will accidentally forget about her responsibilities if something else catches her interest.
Most of all, Cheyenne is a free spirit. She wants to see the world with her own eyes - feel everything; touch everything. "A bird without wings is no bird at all," she'll say. Cheyenne uses her adorned feathers as symbols to express her secret desire for freedom, choice, and a bird's-eye view of the world.

[satyn]

PART ONE
"ｂｅｆｏｒｅ ｓｈｅ ｈａｄ ｔｈｅ ｆｅａｔｈｅｒｓ"

In modern eastern Central Africa lies a small, backwards tribe named the Talionis. Though their traditional culture thrives, the Talionis rules are very strict on the citizens to keep order in check. A young female Kalon named Cheyenne Mali finds the tribe's way of life to be too suffocating, but she can't bear to leave her only parent behind.

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The blazing African sun beat down on the fifteen-year-old Kalon's back as she quietly hummed a old traditional song. In her hands were a few thin twigs, which she skillfully weaved together into a basket. As the basket neared the top, Cheyenne wove in a few small, white flowers for decoration. She reminisced sadly of her father, whose funeral, after the Great War, had included the same flowers she was using; however, that was all in the past, and she couldn't dwell on that time any longer.

Satisfied, she set the finished piece on the ground near some dry logs. Cheyenne stood up and greeted her mother, who was concoting some sort of meat stew for the day.

"Cheyenne, my love, could you please go to the spring today for water?"

"Of course, mother," Cheyenne replied, smiling softly and fetching a large stone container. She tried her best to hide the whininess in her tone, which was not looked kindly upon in her tribe. Though her mother didn't mind as much, too many others were around to listen.

The Talionis are all so stiff, she thought, propping a donut on her head that would support the container as she travelled. Why can't I act the way I want? I don't want to be another drudge that isn't allowed to decide for themselves.

Cheyenne left her tribe's main area of living to make the long journey to the spring. As she walked through blades of grass and dirt terrain, she couldn't help but think of escape. Freedom.

"But could I really leave my mother?" she whispered brokenly, echoing her thoughts.

- ONE YEAR LATER -

"Sir, you called for me?" Cheyenne asked, bowing respectfully to her tribe leader. She knew what the old Kalon was going to tell her, but she hoped anyway that it wasn't what she was thinking. Only a single beam of light made its way through the carefully-constructed roof of the leader's abode. The rest of the darkness made it all the more intimidating.

Stern eyes seemed to shoot spears through her soul as the venerable Kalon answered. "As you know, all females of the Talonis tribe must marry at sixteen. Tomorrow, it is your time."

Cheyenne nodded and secretly bit the inside of her lip, dreading the next few words. She didn't want to marry, but all of the other girls her age had done it.

"Raisek Ghana of the Chipotle tribe has been seeking a wife. A marriage between the two of you will create a truce between the previously-warring Talionis and Chipotle. Be proud, as you are continuing the future of your tribe. He will be here tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Bobbing her head once more, but this time, a little too joltingly, Cheyenne stood up and left the leader's shack.

---

"Cheyenne," the Kalon's mother in acknowledgement to her daughter, embracing the younger. "How did it go?"

"The leader wants me marrying Raisek Ghana of Chipotle," Cheyenne replied quietly, letting out a sigh. "I've never met this man, and yet, I'm about to marry him. What if he's a bad person, mother? He comes from our rival tribe, after all..."

"I'm sure he can't be that bad," her mother reassured. "Everyone has some good in them. Souls cannot become completely dark unless the individual has done something truly atrocious, and that's in the extreme."

Cheyenne closed her eyes, resting against her mother's warm body. "If you say so."

- THE NEXT DAY -

Cheyenne couldn't believe her eyes. The Kalon - no, thing that Raisek Ghana of Chipotle was horrific. She could understand the males being prideful of battle, but this was beyond sick. The stranger Kalon donned many skulls around his waist, tied to a belt of red-stained leather. and twine. His forehead was also stained with something reddish, and his head was completely shaved. Numerous battle wounds which seemed to have never been treated were on display all over his body, and he constantly picked at a scab on his left arm. Not to mention, he only had a few teeth.

I can't do this, Cheyenne's head screamed at her, the internal alarm bells making her ears ring. Raisek spoke with her tribe leader for a few minutes before the two spotted her and walked over.

"Cheyenne, this Raisek," the leader introduced, slightly dipping his chin to the other.

"Pleased to meet you, young lady," Raisek said with a wide smile, his missing teeth causing a lisp in his voice. Cheyenne, who was extremely creeped out, let out a meek reply. "I'm... Cheyenne..." Her leader gave her a sharp look for the bad image she was giving, but Cheyenne didn't care.

It wasn't too long until the marriage took place. Colorfully-dressed dancers and singers lined the sides of the long aisle in the center of the Talionis tribe. A light drum rhythm was accompanied by bells made of empty nut shells and a grass whistle.

Cheyenne closed her eyes, a jewelry-covered hand grasped in her mother's. Tribal paint stroked into delicate designs were displayed on her face, and she wore a clothing piece of beads and sashes. She looked up to her mother, who was smiling softly at her daughter. "Just hold my hand," the older Kalon said, guiding her forward.

As the two walked down the aisle, many pairs of eyes - some were of the Chipotle tribe - watched them with what seemed to be approval or glee. After all, Cheyenne was about to stop a painful, long-time feud between the Talionis and Chipotle.

At the end of the aisle, Cheyenne's mother stepped to the side, and the tribe leaders of both tribes stood with Raisek before Cheyenne.

"The Talionis tribe and Chipotle tribe meet today to make amends and bring peace to future generations with this single marriage. It has been decided that Raisek Ghana of Chipotle will take up Cheyenne Mali of Talionis as his wife."

Kalons from both sides watched in anticipation as the two undertook the marriage ritual. Raisek received a rough stone cup that was full of wine and nectar. After the groom drank, the bride would drink from the same cup. They would go back and fourth until the liquid was finished.

As he sipped from the cup, a group of Kalons began to murmur and rustle in the back. The Chipotle tribe leader glared at the crowd, but a certain glint in his eye made him seem like he was actually ... apathetic? Maybe Cheyenne was misinterpreting it. He doesn't look too kind.

Raisek was about to hand Cheyenne the cup when a loud scream pierced through the low song that was playing. The cup dropped from his hand and made a loud clang as multiple Kalons fell to the ground at the hands of Chipotle members.

"What is the meaning of this?" the Talionis leader shouted, clenching his fists and taking a step toward the chaos. His head whipped to question the Chipotle leader, but it was too late. A small dagger made him fall to the floor.

"Cheyenne! Cheyenne!" her mother yelled out through the screaming. The young female Kalon frantically left Raisek's side to join her mother, shoving through other tribe peoples - those she knew, and those she didn't. They grabbed each other's hands and embraced. Cheyenne cried out fearfully, "Mother, mother..."

"Let's get out of here... away from everything," her mother said to her as she led her child through the terrain. There was no time to grab any of their belongings or look for any of their tribe mates. The Talionis tribe had been deceived by their enemies, and they were paying the price for their unawareness. After all, why would an enemy tribe suddenly agree to be allies?

We should have known, Cheyenne thought, but we were too blinded by the hope of peace.

The night was colder than anticipated. Without the warm fires of the tribe home and a sun to lead their way, the cold air threatened to steal away their heat. Only the trees hid their cover. Cheyenne clutched her mother's arm as silent tears continued to trickle down her face. She was only sixteen and she wasn't ready to handle the stress of the events that had just transpired. They hadn't gone far, but the distance seemed to be enough from the tribe for them to be safe. The screams had died down and were all far off.

"We should keep moving. I don't want anyone to find us," Cheyenne's mother urged. She started to walk off, but Cheyenne did not budge. "Can we please stay here a little longer? There's a dip in the ground over there where we can hide and sleep. I'm not feeling well..."

A concerned expression took over her mother's face as she nodded, giving in. "Fine, but we must leave before the sun rises. Not too far from here, the forest ends and there is only open space."

The two headed over to the small hole and used large leaves to make a bedding, as well as some branches for concealment. Mother and daughter curled tightly to each other and let their fatigue lull them to sleep.

- THE NEXT MORNING -

Cheyenne awoke to the sound of leaves rustling. Why is it so bright? she wondered, scrunching up her eyelids. Did we... oversleep? She briefly opened her eyes to search for her mother, who was missing from her side.

Her heart stopped at the sight and she quickly closed her eyes. A large Kalon was huddled over the form of her mother, and she saw something red. As she processed what she saw, she realized it - the Kalon was Raisek Ghana of the Chipotle tribe.

"Hah, as if we'd ally with the Talionis. They're idiots for thinking that we wouldn't use the peace to our advantage," Raisek mumbled huskily. "Now, I'll just end this family... I'm pretty sure I got rid of the father in the Great War. If only I knew where the girl was, though... surely, she's nearby." He sniffed, rubbing his nose. "What was her name? Shiny? Chen He? Whatever, it doesn't matter."

Cheyenne could only gape in her mind in fear of letting her presence be known. It seemed that Raisek only discovered her mother in the hole that they were in, but time could only tell when he would come for her next. The information Raisek mentioned made her stomach twist and heart beat in her ears. Was he her father's killer? It was too much of a coincidence.

Quickly, she opened one eye and searched for something to use as a weapon. The branches were too brittle and noisy, so she had to use something else. Her hand soon slid over a dirt-covered stone. Slowly wedging it out of the ground as silently as she could, Cheyenne firmly grasped it in her hand.

With an anguished cry, the female Kalon threw the rock at Raisek's head, briefly pausing to see him fall before bolting. "So this is when a soul turns dark... oh, mother..." With fresh tears in her eyes, she told herself she needed to get away.

Cheyenne continued to run, but the terrain ripped at her tender pawpads and pricked at her limbs. It was hot, so hot. But she could not stop, in fear that the unknown ahead of her will cause her to turn back.

As her adrenaline died down, so did her strength. It had been hours since her leave, and she could barely keep a walking pace. The sun started to dip close to the horizon and darken the surroundings.

Collapsing on a nearby shore she had been bordering, Cheyenne closed her eyes. With a final breath, her last thought was of her mother, flying into the heavens with wings on her back.

[satyn]

PART TWO
"ｗａｔｅｒ ｗａｔｅｒ， ｅｖｅｒｙｗｈｅｒｅ ／ ｎｏｒ ａｎｙ ｄｒｏｐ ｔｏ ｄｒｉｎｋ"

x
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She woke up in something soft and flat. Sitting up abruptly, Cheyenne took in her surroundings. A small room with only a bed, a table, and a window.

"How..." she breathes out, shifting her legs to hang off the bed before sliding off. She peeked out the window and saw a shoreline. I'm probably not too far from where I collapsed...

After examining the room - there wasn't much, besides some dust bunnies and a wooden spoon - Cheyenne slowly opened the door to the room and tiptoed out.

In the next room, she could see a male Kalon standing over a stove, their back turned to her. Her instincts of survival told her to grab the nearest blunt object and throw it, like she did to poor Raisek. However, she began to notice the weak slump of the Kalon, and realized that he was very old.

Confident in her fighting skills, she spoke up. "Who are you and why have I been brought here?" she asked demandingly.

The old Kalon stopped, turning to face Cheyenne and mumbling, "Ah, dear, you're awake..." He began to trudge over to her, and she made no moves in stepping back.

"I am Aldaric. I saw you on the shore and I thought you could use some help. You looked quite exhausted, and I haven't seen another Kalon for a few years, so I guess you could say it was a bit selfish of me." He gave a half-hearted chuckle. "May I have your name?"

She stared in confusion. What language was he speaking? "I don't understand what you're saying," she said.

"Mmm. You speak tribal language, don't you?" he asked, now in her tongue. After seeing her surprise, he repeated what he said about himself before.

"My name is Cheyenne," she replied. "How do you know the tribal language? I've never seen anyone like you before."

Aldaric left to go back to the stove, and Cheyenne followed after a brief moment of hesitation. "I am very knowledgable in the culture of Africa," was his only reply. He handed her a bowl of fish-smelling soup and motioned for her to sit at the small dining table.

"Um... anyway, thanks for the food... and for helping me, too," she said after testing the soup to make sure it wasn't poisoned. Cheyenne remembered a story her mother told her one time of someone that ate poisoned food from a secret enemy. The thought of her now-late parent sent a pang of grief in her heart and tears in her eyes. She knew she would never get over her loss.

Aldaric nodded and sat down across from her before noticing her tears. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," replied the female Kalon, looking down and shoveling more soup into her mouth to avoid further conversation.

For the following few days, Cheyenne was allowed to stay at Aldaric's home. She had nowhere to go and hadn't thought about where she'd find necessities when she ran away from the tribe, so staying was the best option.

On the fourth day, they had their second actual conversation.

"I used to be a pirate, you know," he started, sipping a cup of water. "Not the captain or anyone special, but I'd ride the waves with my shipmates. It was a nice life, though I think I regret leaving my home in Germany, a bit."

Cheyenne nodded. "So... you must've sailed a lot around Africa if you know the tribal languages and culture," she said, referring to his claim a few days ago of knowing the African culture.

"Yes, that is how I learned, but I went to other places, as well. Europe. The Americas. Every continent, really. Unfortunately, I had to stop my adventures when I was too tired."

Aldaric continued his tale, and Cheyenne nodded every so often. Somehow, this interaction made her feel more comfortable. For the rest of the day, they simply talked. Not just about their history, but of little things, like favorite colors and songs and birds.

"On the topic of birds, would you like to do something fun with me?" Aldaric asked.

"I guess. What is it?" Cheyenne answered.

"We still have some daylight left. Every so often, I go out to watch the birds fly by. Sometimes, they drop feathers. I have a collection here." Hobbling over to a side table, he grabbed a box from beneath and showed her its contents. Inside, feathers of many colors were piled up.

"There's not much to do around here, but this is a pretty peaceful activity I enjoy," he added. "Let's go then, shall we?"

In the bask of the sunset, the two followed the shoreline and looked up to watch the birds. After twenty or so minutes, a small, light feather fluttered to the ground.

"Ah, it's beautiful," Cheyenne commented quietly, her eyes following Aldaric as the old Kalon picked it up. The feather was grayish-blue near the shaft and faded into a bright orange.

Aldaric smiled and stuck the feather in Cheyenne's hair, laughing when she widened her eyes from being startled by his action.

"I have plenty of feathers. Why don't you have it?" he said, a kind look on his face.

"A-Alright... thank you," Cheyenne replied, reaching up to touch the feather. The softness soothed her rough paws. "You know, when I was a bit younger, I used to wish I was a lion, since they were powerful. But nowadays, I've been thinking, and a bird is much more appealing."

"I can see where you're coming from, but for what reason specifically?" asked Aldaric.

"The freedom. They don't have any worries... they just fly around wherever they want, and there's peace in being in the empty sky as well."

"I guess the feather on you is fitting, then. You're on your way to becoming a bird," Aldaric joked. Cheyenne giggled at this and shook her head.

"A bird without wings is no bird at all," she said, motioning to her flat back.

"Maybe you'll get them, someday," he replied. The sun continued to set as the two sat together, smiling.

---

The years flew by like pages in a book. Cheyenne and Aldaric's bond continued to grow until they were practically family. The female Kalon even started calling the older "grandpa," and he didn't stop her. Aldaric was the only male figure she had in her life at the time, and his gentleness reminded her of her late father.

Also, Cheyenne found out that Aldaric's knowledge didn't stop at Africa. He was well informed on the world. A few years ago, he went to a city by the north side of the Red Sea. He caught himself up with the new developments in the world and brought home books to study it some more. Cheyenne requested Aldaric to act as a teacher for her, so she could learn more about the modern world. After all, the Talionis tribe had been quite backward, and they weren't updated with what happened outside of their area.

Aldaric told her of the world's cultures, inventions, and languages. Over the course of their living together, Cheyenne had even picked up the German and English language, though it took her a long time.

The two also continued their feather-catching sport, and Cheyenne was now adorned with many colorful feathers to symbolize her freedom. Life wasn't too intense or exciting, but it was peaceful, and both Kalons were okay with that.

---

Cheyenne went from being a sixteen-year-old to a twenty-three-year-old. The years were filled with happiness and learning, and Aldaric was there to share them with her and fill in the pit in her that needed love.

As always, now, Cheyenne would leave in the early morning to hunt for food. Usually, it was fish, but sometimes she would catch a land animal if she could find one.

Today, she did exactly that. Grabbing her food basket, she set out to hunt by the shore after checking to make sure Aldaric was alright. Recently, he had been having minor chest pains, so she didn't want to leave him for too long.

After catching multiple fish for their meals, she went to return to their shack, but something caught her eye. It was the most beautiful bird she had ever seen, with feathers that almost shimmered.

For an entire extra hour, she followed the bird until it dropped a feather. Satisfied, Cheyenne came back to the shack.

"Grandpa? Look what I found!" Cheyenne called, racing to Aldaric's room. He was still in bed, but the sheets weren't rising, so she assumed he was awake.

Going to his side, she shaked him gently and wagged the feather in front of him. "Pretty, right?"

Aldaric didn't reply, and his eyes did not open. Cheyenne shook him multiple times. After listening to his chest, she dropped the feather. Tears slid down her face.

"No. You can't... grandpa, please! Wake up!" Cheyenne yelled, slamming her fists on the ground and crying hysterically. She had lost so much already! Why him? Why? She didn't know, but apparently, the powerful forces in the heavens hated her.

Cheyenne slid down the side of the bed, holding Alderic's hand as she continued to cry.

[satyn]

The rest of her story, summarized:

- Alderic passes away suddenly to a heart attack and leaves her with german money and a plane ticket to Germany, where he grew up before becoming a pirate. she is now about 23 and fluent in german for the most part.
- after finding the nearest airport, she takes a while to get used to the new environment as she's not used to seeing a lot of tech and such. eventually manages to get on her plane. Uses the last name "Sommer" since it was Alderic's - "Mali" becomes her middle name.
- goes to Germany. culture is very new to her, but the old pirate taught her most of it and showed her picture books.
- takes up a job as a convenience store worker for a short time to pay her bills at an apartment she now rents.
- hears a story from her boss about their brother that died from a heart attack. she realizes how similar the symptoms were to the old pirate's.
- inspires her to go into medical field. boss understands her and lets her go. she uses money from the old pirate to pay her tuition at a small college. pursues profession as a doctor so she doesn't have to see kalons like the old pirate die again when they could've been helped.
- ...one day, she flies back to the old shack with a bucket of colorful feathers. it is still standing, but barely. she finds her old feather collection and combines it with her new one.
- goes to old pirate's grave. lays the feathers there (like feather in mouth on adopt's pic) and tells him the life she's lived and will live thanks to him - "I am now free." is now 29.

Fun facts:
- About Raisek Ghana - Raisek is a random name I made up. Ghana is the name of a place in Western Africa that used to be a part of the Mali and Songhai times. The Chipotle tribe name is also very random... and it's named after a restaurant. xD
- Cheyenne's father died in the "Great War." That was honestly a random name I created and hadn't been intended to connect to WWI.
- Cheyenne is the name of a Native American tribe. Mali is the name of an old civilization in Africa. Sommer is a German last name that relates to "summer."
- every time I look at the eye on the kalon, I keep thinking the blue schlera is the pupil. ^^;
- Cheyenne's instinct to throw the rock at Raisek seems crazy, but she is still a confused teenager... just with the knowledge of survival.

Notes:
anyone mentioned in the story that is not Cheyenne is not a real kalon/character. they are only there to provide flow, since writing about a character's background with only themselves doesn't exactly work. xD
Please excuse any factual inaccuracies. I'm no history/life expert!
All drawings and writing is by me.

CONSIDER THIS FORM AS DONE