by .sleepwalkers. » Sun Feb 08, 2015 3:01 am
username;; Tyger, Tyger
name;; Kudus
explanation;;(OPTIONAL) Indonesian and Javanese for holy, sacred.
art/story of how he got his name;;(OPTIONAL)
(warning - long post.)
A flickering glow alerted the forest of a traveler.
The lamp flared lazily, the flame occasionally vanishing before relighting itself, as if to trick the man who owned it. Every time the light ceased, he would look up, concerned, only to sigh as the golden flame lit up the bruises on his wet face again. The dark green cloak he wore grew darker still as the rain pulled it to the ground. The ground itself was treacherous, for it could hold water no more. Patches of sticky, black mud had materialised, some with traces of animal prints seemingly avoiding the thick substance. All he could feel was cold, and that was all that existed.
Just as the young male thought he saw signs of civilisation ahead, the flame subsided. He glared at the thin, brittle wick, expecting it to reappear with brilliant brightness. After a few seconds, his mildly unimpressed face screwed in anger, and the lantern was hurled down into the mud he was ankle-deep in. A wave of exhaustion poured over the traveler, crippling him and seeping into his bones. His saturated cloak hugged him with icy arms. The mud threatened to suck him under, but with the last remaining energy he had, the young man dislodged himself from the boggy earth and half-trudged, half-dragged himself towards the inky shadows just past the trees.
Red eyes stared down at a young face, mottled with bruises and drawn with exhaustion. The eyelids were twitching - that meant that the man was either fast asleep or about to wake up. The scarlet creature studied the curves of his jaw, the lines on his palms, and in particular his ears. They looked far too small, and they were too far down on his skull. His nose looked odd too.
The first thing the man saw when he regained consciousness was dark. Opening his eyes was not effortless, but it was worth it. One side was blue, another was green. He then realised he was lying on his side, so he sat up to examine his surroundings. He instantly regretted it, as a throbbing ache hammered against his skull, blurring his vision. He lay back down again, and his clarity of vision returned. The headache would be dealt with later.
The second thing the man saw was a tiny creature. It was slightly bigger than a coconut, with spidery black markings on a blood red pelt. Its eyes were firmly locked on him. Upon sight of the animal, the traveler grabbed a stick and beat the ground near it. It didn't flinch. His surprise faded, but he still thumped the ground with the birch branch. The creature blinked, slowly, and sat down, its tail curling around its feet. The infuriating critter even added a small yawn to give effect. What was wrong with this pest? The traveler suddenly realised his headache was gone, and he stood. His legs and shoes were caked in dried mud, and his cloak was still damp from the night before. His stomach rumbled angrily and he rummaged in his leather satchel, unraveling a cotton cloth. Miraculously, the bread inside had stayed dry. He wolfed it down, dry crust crunching loudly, and felt eyes glaring at him. The creature was still there. It stared at his bag, then at him, and then its eyes flicked back to the small loaf. Did it keep his bread from rotting? Maybe that's why it stayed, he thought. He then realised why he didn't think of hitting the creature - it had stopped him from harming it. A smile played at the traveler's mouth, and half the bread loaf landed on the grass in front of the animal. "Kudus," said the man, and Kudus began to feast.
i'm telling you
just watch your mouth
i know your game
what you're about
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sleepy ➵ demigirl
[she/her or they/them]
(wip, FR, dA)
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