❖ Taka

[Suhuba]

(Lines by kaname423, Color by Tasinei)

|| Stats Page ||
Updated: June/4/18
Experience || 15

Inventory

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Weapons

Simple Blades

Items
None

 

[Mr Glacial]

Table of Contents

❖Table of Contents
❖Current Things
❖ Taka
❖ Relationships
❖ Beast Companions
❖ Rps/Plots/Battles
❖ Inventory
❖ Photos
❖ Growth Reqs/Info

 

[Mr Glacial]

Updates

10/15/2016 Taka was approved!

Currently: With her tribe in Jauhar

 

[Mr Glacial]

Name: Taka
Race: Alkidike
Gender: Female
3 Base Traits: Stubborn, Proud, Off-standish
Personality: Taka is stubborn and headstrong. While she may fail sometimes (or even a lot), that will never be able to keep her from completing the task or trial. Though it takes her a few tries, she makes sure to get the job done. This leads her to be a very proud girl, doing everything she can to come out on top. When she does fail, her pride gets hurt, and she does everything in her power to fix that. Though she doesn't reject situations where teamwork is required, she does have a preference to work alone.

Description: About average height for an Alkidike with lean muscle. Will be rather curvy.
Accessories: Just leather bands - often to tie back her hair in a ponytail or pigtails.
History: Blossomed by a single mother wishing to pass on her skills to the next generation Taka was brought into the world expecting to fight. Unfortunately, Taka only knew her as a youngling because it was her mother who was later killed in a hunt by a monster which decided to fight back. Before then she was living with a band of Alkidike hunters and had learned much about the hunt while growing up. It was these sisters who took her in after her mother's death and she herself sought to become strong so that no monster could take another again. In turn she would train to become the best huntress and rise to any challenge. After mourning, it later became pride which caused her to look forward to hunting every dangerous beast that she possibly could, and show her accomplishments to her tribe.

As the time of her growth came near Taka became more and more reckless. She even made a bet against a wind boy about who could capture a perzi and upon losing it had to dye her dreads a brilliant red. Ever since then she has sported red dreads and has actually attracted more perzi to her side, she secretly grew fond of them after her time away from Jahaur. After nearly dying to Menzuri the woman has become even stronger and now does many hunts solo. She is well known among her sisters as the red-haired Alk who is prideful yet caring for sisters in need. She also is rumored to hunt with many strange cat-like creatures who help her to navigate the forests and track down creatures.
 

[Mr Glacial]

Family
Her Tribe in Jauhaur

Friends

Acquaintances

Enemies

Other

 

[Mr Glacial]

Familiars

Gidyn - Her perzi that looks like a rare of sunlight as he runs through the trees. He's very arrogant and vain like his mistress, but cares greatly for her and will do his hardest during a hunt.

Gideon - The opposite of GIdyn in that he is a rather humble creature who while doing his best for Taka prefers to scavenge and find what's along the ground. Still he's great at sneaking behind bigger creatures and scaring them from the shadows.

 

[Mr Glacial]

Current Rps:

Plots:
*Becoming an established hunter

Finished RPS:

Stage 2:

[A strict teacher] - Taka visits with the Mystic.

Stage 1:

[WE - Creepy Crawlers]

Battles:

 

[Mr Glacial]

Inventory:


Images

 

[Mr Glacial]

Growth Info

Battle Growth Form

Character Name:Taka
Class Promotion: [Warrior (Amazon)]
Current Location: Jahaur
Journal: [here]
RP Growth Point Links:
20/35
[Strict teacher rp] - 5pnts
[Destroy the nest - 4500 wc]
EXP Growth Point Links:
/5
Class Quest Solo:
Items: Pelts x 6, Scales x 6, Dye x 8, Sewing Kit x4, Shoes, Change of Clothes x 2, Gloves, Scarf, Hair Ornament, Dancer's Ribbon, Metal Bands. Belt, Satchel. fetish x 6

Use all of the above to make an outfit based strongly on these references:
[x1], [x2], [x3]

[Dreads] are to be styled similar to this with loose bangs around her face. The dyes can be used to make her hair black and red (the blonde is black and the blue in the ref can be red, the white can be red or some other hue of crimson - CC). Beads or feathers can be added if wanted as well.
Weapons [dual blades] - hammer x 2 to shape the hilts and the blades to something like that + dyes to keep the colors dark.

Body Type: [muscular] - she doesn't have to be that muscular but something close to that. Also there should be scars randomly on her body.
Preferred Artists: Flan, Miss or Flan lines, Tasi or Sabra colors.
WIPs: sure

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Prentice Growth Form

Character Name:Taka
Class Promotion: Blade (Amazon)
Current Location: Jahaur
Journal: ]Journal
RP Growth Point Links: 25/25
Creepy Crawlers (5) Solo 1,solo 2 solo 3, solo 4
All solos combined = 20 points
Class Affinity/Choice Solo: Amazon
Class Quest Solo: Quest
Items:
Dye x 8 (one for hair, rest for clothing -if needed- & blades) Sewing Kit, Change of clothes x 2, Gorogorum Scale, Pelt x 2, Shoes, Bandages x 2 (for arm wrap/wrap on her leg), Necklace (tooth necklace) Comb, Metal Band (for the cloth armband?) Fetish x 3 (for any claws, teeth décor) Dancer's Ribbon (headband)

Clothing Reference - Design her based on the outfit on the left.

Hair should be dreads in pigtails just like this with dye to make them crimson like the refs - (Ex1, Ex2, ex3

Simple Blades, Hammer (Dyes to keep some of the colors from the reference on the blades?)

Shape the blades to resemble something like this - ref

Body Type: Lean Muscle, Kinda curvy (Think B-Cup)
Preferred Artists: Miss, Kana, or Uke
Colors: Kana, Tasi, or Jay
WIPs: go for it.

 

[Mr Glacial]

Hunting Solo 1

It was pouring rain. The temperature of the forest was so hot that the fat drops seemingly steamed as they landed on the ground. This didn’t deter the young alkidike warrior. She was determined to continue tracking down her prey despite the rainstorm. Most tracks, however, were washed in the streams of water that decorated the forest floor. Such luck made Taka curse under her breath. Was Aisha truly testing her today? Mother if I offended you than I apologize. She prayed quietly before moving forward with a splash.

At least she wasn’t alone.

Taka and her older tribesman had been tracking down a strange beast for some time now. It had appeared in the last few days after they had set up camp for an extended hunt. Taka, along with other apprentices and their mentoring sisters, had been given the task of capturing the creature. Having a strange creature not native to Jahaur appear had alerted the elders. Not that it should be too uncommon now. Taka realized with a scowl. Since all of the earthlings enjoyed wandering back and forth between countries it seemed they had a knack for bringing new beasts with them. Though it did make the hunt a bit more exciting. This one apparently was similar to the radaku, but had long spiky hair instead. Her sisters spoke of it as a ferocious beast that was speedy and good at blending in with its surroundings, “Witu.” She stated the name more like a curse. That was what one of the sisters had called the beast. Apparently it was common in Tale with the savannah grasses providing it shelter. If it already hid well in Jahaur then Taka was even more curious about how the beast dominated its true homeland.

For now, she was stuck seeing it in her homeland. Taka frowned as she strode forward through the rains. I mustn’t disappoint my sisters. She thought to herself. This was a time for learning. Her sisters would be watching. While she knew that it was for her benefit that they lingered she also understood that this was a test. They wanted to see how strong she was as a hunter. So she was not about to treat this as a playful mission, but rather saw it as a true hunt. The witu may have been a strange creature, but it was her duty to be capable of facing such a challenge. If not, then she would never gain her own blades. Just the thought alone made her grit her teeth in frustration. She was a proud warrior and eager to grow so there was no way that she was going to let some ‘witu’ tarnish her image as a talented apprentice. In fact, she was hoping that this would be a trail that proved her worth. She would conquer this beast and be pushed even closer to becoming a true warrior.

If only she could find it. Taka twitched her antennae, keeping a feel out in case the witu was nearby. Was that something rustling nearby? She pursed her lips thoughtfully before gripping her blades even more tightly. It was close. That much she could feel. Excitement rose in her mind, it won’t be long now! This hunt could show her tribe her true skills and then next time she could go out on her own to track down a dangerous beast. There would be no more babysitting in her life save for when she was mature enough to watch over the next generation of youth. She would be the instructor then.

It seemed nature didn’t wish to give her glory so easily. A crackle of thunder filled the air as even more rain began to pelt down around the apprentice. Cursed weather stop getting in my way! Taka slashed a blade through the air in protest before pausing. If the waters were pouring down like this it meant that her scent was hidden even more. Not that it was a victory. The beasts scent and tracks then were quickly being washed away as well. Even her antenna felt pressured down by the flurry of water. How could she sense any movement when each heavy drop felt like a step of its own? She had even lost track of her sisters in the storm. Could some have called it for the day? She could imagine them taking shelter until the storm passed. That would probably be the safest idea.

It was probably best to do that. She could rejoin with her sisters then and rely on their advice and strength. They could help her to finish the hunt. It would be so easy. But then the older sisters would take credit and she would be subjected once more to menial tasks. It was a part of the growing process, but she was so tired of it. She just wanted to be a hunter and prove herself already. Still the threat of the storm did loom above her. Credit or not would it be worth the trouble to continue?

But Taka was proud and determined. Her chin lifted stubbornly as she walked between the giant trees of Jahaur. She was no weakling! Nor was she about to let her sisters baby her any longer. This weather was simply another test to conquer in her pursuit of the witu. Then she saw the shadow in the trees. Smirking, Taka darted forward after the running witu. She had found it and was not about to let it slip through her fingers! What she did not account for was the mud that slipped through her toes instead. As she jumped over the large tree roots along the forest floor Taka found herself twisting in keep balance. The heavy rains had created a slick environment and her toes were desperate to find some sort of hold. This only resulted in her cursing more as her body flew backwards while her legs went forward in the mud at the same time. Splat! Taka spat dirt from her mouth and attempted to wipe the mud from her hands on the damp tree bark. Someone may have seen the scene of an Alkidike girl as comical. She, however, did not. Her dreads plastered to her skin, her antenna bogged down by rain, her whole body decked out with mud the girl finally felt like simply laying back and giving up.

Perhaps it would be best if the rains just washed her away as well. Taka closed her solid black eyes for a moment before more rustling noises caught her attention. Was it her sisters? The Alkidike quickly attempted to stand up. She slipped a bit, but managed to grab onto a steady vine. By the time she was steadied the girl had already gotten a good sense of the area. None of her sisters were around. Which was both a good and a bad thing. Good because no one knew about her latest ‘slip up’ and bad because no one was around to help her either. Could she even manage to get home in this mess? Would she dare give up the hunt? Wasn’t she supposed to be a proud, strong warrior? Taka gritted her teeth as the questions fueled her anger.

“I will do this.” Her gaze snapped towards the left as she sensed something. Was the witu still here? It had to be. She could vaguely feel the familiar vibrations with her antenna. It was good that it had stayed. That wretched beast would be her’s soon. She just had to find a way about it. But how? Thoughtfully the Alkidike glanced around the small clearing. The rain had let up, but that just meant a thick humidity was in the air. A fog from the storm would be rolling in soon. She didn’t have much time until then. Unless a fog was what she needed. If she couldn’t truly see the witu and if the witu couldn’t see her to know where to run, then perhaps she had something. Her antenna now twitched thoughtfully as she sensed the area over. How could she go about this?

“It seems mud and fog become me.” She commented with a smirk before slipping into hiding. Her blades were ready as were the heavy vines that she also carried. She smelled like the natural dirt around her while her body was caked in dirt and foliage. The rest would soon be covered with fog leaving just her antenna to do their job. She was ready. She just hoped that the witu wasn’t. And if he was then that was better for her as she enjoyed the idea of a good fight. Taka lived for the hunt after all. It was in her veins and just thinking about it made her heart race. Excitement fueled her movements and as the creature moved forward into the clearing so did she.

By the next morning the Alkidike would find her way back to camp and she would not be empty handed.

[1504]

 

[Mr Glacial]

Amazon Solo



Bow, spear, or blades.

That was the biggest question to any apprentice in her tribe. Taka knew that her own time was coming around, but the warrior was stubborn. She was good enough to master all three, so why did she have to decide on such a thing? The Alkidike scoffed at the idea of being limited in her choice of weapon. Did it truly take a lifetime just to master the one? She glanced around as other sisters near her age picked through the simple bows, blades, and spears.

One girl took up the bow and pulling back the string sent an arrow flying straight and true. But even she didn’t seem satisfied while another struggled with the length of a spear. It was obvious that one had experience with the bow while the other would take months to grow into the long weapon. Taka could have rolled her eyes. Standing the girl moved over so that she could grip the struggling girl’s arms, “Just lean into it. Pull back and twist your hips so that it can spin easier.” She instructed smoothly before letting go.

“Th-thanks, Taka!” The younger sister beamed towards the apprentice before trying to copy what she had instructed. Obviously it would take a lot of practice. Taka could only shake her head with faint amusement before going back to look over the selection.

“What will you choose, sister?” Hua, the one with the bow, walked up alongside of Taka as she studied the various weapons, “You seem conflicted, but if you can do the spear then why not it?” She glanced towards Taka curiously.

“Just because I can use it does not mean it is my ideal weapon.” Taka replied stiffly, “I could shoot an arrow through the one that you just shot, but it does not mean I will choose the bow either.” It just didn’t feel personal enough? How could one enjoy battle unless they were actually feeling the blows they inflicted? The spear though felt too awkward. It was long and limited in movement. So that left her with very little choice.

“Then what do you think you will choose?”

“Probably these.” Taka reached out so that she could wrap her fingers around the hilt of two rather plain looking blades, “These will let any warrior truly experience a battle.” There was no cowardice in rushing forward with her blades held high. No hiding from the trees shooting arrows and no jabbing at something from the long end of a stick. With these she could easily dance around any foe and take down a prey by getting close and personal. Taka’s mouth curled up in a smirk at the thought. This was something that she could truly work with.

“If you say so.” Hua shook her head, “I must prefer working from afar.” Her fingers caressed one of her arrows lightly, “I’ll just allow you to do the dirty work then.”

Taka raised a brow, “You mean the work of keeping the enemy away from you? Alright then.” She grinned as the other Alkidike shook her head and walked away. Perhaps one day she will know what it is like to truly be a hunter. She raised the blades so that she could inspect them better

These were the ones that she had used against the witu. It was back then that she knew the dual blades were perfect for her. Taka smiled at the memory. It had been damp and foggy that day. She had been covered in mud and a bit of everything else. All she had on her were the two blades and a thick vine to use as a rope. Her mission? To defeat the witu. The memory of how she jumped onto the creature and fought with it still lingered. Her body remembered it as well with the bruises that were just now fading. When she had come back Taka had been proud rather than devastated by the mud and blood that clung to her body. Bite marks and scratches were decorated with ointment and then bandages. Those she had shown off with pride to her sisters.

Look I managed to do it! The strange beast was defeated.

And all it took was a pair of dual blades. Taka smiled as she slashed the weapons through the air. A spear would have been too slow and a bow was too far range to defeat such a sly creature. But the blades had been enough. They had even felt like an extension of her own hands. It had been so natural to dodge and retaliate with them. So it was no surprise that when she was asked for her weapon of choice that she decided upon keeping them.

“I want to become an amazon.” Commented Taka boldly. She wanted no benefits of magic in her blades nor would she want a beast to ride into battle on. The Alkidike would find her own feet just as fast if not faster than any radaku. And if she needed to take to the air then she would find a kinfa willing to fly, but she would not bond with one to rely solely on it. To be an amazon was to be self-sufficient and she was proud to do that. She would hunt her own prey and defend her land from any enemies with just a pair of blades.

Well, a pair of blades and her own brute strength. The alkidike smirked as she began to hack and slash at a target. She would see if it took a lifetime to truly master these blades. Or better yet she would spend a lifetime finding the blades that were truly perfect for her. These were good for now, but as she continued to hunt and grow stronger she hoped to have her blades adapt to her as well. Just the thought of seeing how she could grow and how she could advance her weapons as well thrilled the young hunter. It definitely would be something to look forward to.

[1009]

 

[Mr Glacial]

Training Days Solo


Running with radaku was definitely not a typical hobby for others. But it was something that Taka did. After feeling the rush from battling the witu the Alkidike had decided to grow stronger and faster. She wanted to be able to run circles around creatures and her sisters. So she practiced running. Running through the forest floor, jumping over the tangles of roots, climbing high in the trees, and even growing at the radaku pack which she chased were all a few of the things she began to do. Early in the morning before the sun completely rose the young woman was up. She splashed her face with some water to ease the sleep from her eyes and then proceeded from there.

Today her first task was to wrap leather bags around her ankles and arms. Inside the bags were rocks as weights. She would make certain that they were secured to her limbs and begin to move. At first it would be a simple walk and then her pace would increase as she got further from camp. Faster and faster until she was jogging. She wouldn’t go much faster since she wanted to increase her stamina as well. At the end of her jog the Alkidike would stop in a clearing with a rather large tree. That tree she would find to be the best for testing her climbing strength. Keeping the weights on Taka would reach up and with a grunt began to pull herself up limb by limb. Her biceps ached and so did her calves, but it was worth it. The burning sensation for her was a mark that she had done something. She was learning and as the days progressed into weeks she would find it easier with the weights. Until it got too easy and she would have to invent some new path or add more rocks to her load.

In the late morning she would go tend to tasks set for her by the sisters. These could vary, but Taka would shoulder them all and power through. If she finished early the Alkidike would take the time to take a short rest in secret. Or she would go back and train some more. And if not that she would be sharpening her blades in preparation for her next hunt. Ever since she had decided on the blades the Alkidike had been consistent in her care of the things. They weren’t ideal, but they weren’t awful either. Who needed something elegant or personalized when the blades just needed to be strong enough to do their jobs?

Taka peered at the blade and raised it so that the sunlight could glimmer on the cold surface. It was shiny, but nothing that enchanted her. She had seen a pair of beautiful blades hit the sunlight once and it was those that she kept in her heart. Those blades had been long and slender with the handles wrapped in ribbons decorated in designs. Ribbons from apparently her mother’s lover when they were young. The thought made Taka’s mouth purse into a straight line. Her mother. Now that was a tough topic to even begin thinking about.

She had adored the woman and at the same time resented her. Resented her for failing the hunt and for failing her. How could she simply leave the young Alkidike alone? Sighing, Taka shook her head. This was not the time to mope. She had her blades and would deal with them. One day she would have blades equal to her mother’s, but until then she would just fight her way with these. It was the thrill of the hunt that mattered after all and not the style of her blades. Time was precious and she refused to waste any more just sitting here like this.

So early afternoon would lead to chores and eating. Taka would help to prepare the food and do even more work in devouring it. If she knew one thing it was that to hunt properly she needed strength. To get strength she needed a full stomach. Such thoughts prompted her to eagerly gulp down food and water before she would stride away from the gathering and prepare again. This time though she would spend the afternoons not alone.

Instead the alkidike warrior would train. She would pair herself up against sister after sister and spar. Now that she had chosen blades she was subjected to actual fighting. No more did she have to sit and watch as older sisters showed them the weapons and the appeal of each. No more did she have to help others learn the bow and the spear alongside the blades. Nor did she have to use a heavy stick to spar with another. Well at least as often as before. Now she could actually spend a good deal of the afternoon with her blades in hand. Older sisters would spar with her while others her age would clumsily try to fight back. It frustrated Taka to know that her sisters would either be going too gentle on her or trying too hard. But that was part of learning. She simply had to learn patience and accept that.

It was hard. She wanted to be impatient. She wanted to slash her blades against something other than fake targets. She wanted to go back into the jungle and race after some wild beast. Another witu or even some radaku or even menzuri. The thought made her grin as she darted forward and fought back another sister in training. How exciting would it be to fight one of those beasts? She had heard about them lurking in the oldest and deepest parts of Jahaur. They could spin illusions and trap someone in their web for hours if not days and weeks. A cruel slow death. And their bodies were a challenge with their hard crystal exteriors. Now talk about exhilaration! She wanted a challenge. Nothing here could make her heart race like that witu had. She wanted that thrill again. Perhaps such thoughts did make her a bit more aggressive against other sisters. So much to the point that one of the older alkidikes put a hand on her shoulder, “Enough Taka. You’ve worn her down.”

Blinking Taka glanced towards the other apprentice who was panting heavily, “Sorry, sister.”

“You were fighting as any warrior, but don’t forget your sisters aren’t your enemies.” Chastised the Alkidike lightly, “You have the right spirit, but don’t get lost in it. Remember to have patience before you strike so that you can truly know your opponent.”

“Understood.” Taka bowed her head and helped the other alkidike apprentice up.

“I believe you may retire for now. I think the rest are finishing up if you would like to stop for now.” The older Alkidike offered a smile, “We have a hunt tomorrow so it’s best to rest for the evening.”

Taka nodded her head, “I will make certain to do so.” Could she rest? As Taka turned from her sisters the young Alkidike had to sigh. Another night of rest sounded rather dull. She wanted to run, to fight, to do something. Sitting around just was not her style.

[1202]

 

[Mr Glacial]

Ugh Solo

Taka stared over the waters with pursed lips. With her face furrowed in such a frown one would think that the woman was judging the clear surface. How annoying. Her fingers clenched around a bag of berries at the thought. How very, very annoying. Ugh! If she could the Alkidike would toss the bag of stupid things into the waters. Waters which unfortunately reminded her of the earthling boy that she had met. The boy who had not only gotten in her way towards victory, but had also humiliated her by doing what she could not. Why had something so frustrating for her been made so easy by him?

It felt like a set up.

Still, Taka had gotten her perzi. So for that she owed him thanks. The very thought of thanking an earthling, however, brought a bitter taste to her mouth. She was a proud warrior and as an Alkidike looked down on the earthling race. How could they dare act so boldly in Aisha’s world? Mother forgive me. She had shamed their race by acting so foolishly. She had even allowed the boy to get a rise out of her. He had bartered with her pride and she had lost. Lost a stupid bet over a perzi who had walked right into his arms. She had lost so she had to honor her deal with him. But why this? Taka glanced once more at the crimson berries in her hands. Dye her hair with these? He wanted her to do such a humiliating thing. She would look so different compared to her sisters.

Gingerly she reached up to touch a long dread. Her precious hair was lovely with its deep black coloring. Anger knotted her gut. I won’t do it. She thrust the handful of berries back into the bag and tossed them to the side towards the water’s edge. Secretly she wished they would continue rolling into the waters, but instead they stuck on a rock and stilled. Even if it didn’t hit the water that didn’t matter. She was just going to leave it there and get on with her life. It would be simple enough to put that awful meeting and that stupid bet behind her. It’s not like the earthling would ever come near Chibale to bother her. He wasn’t even a shifter so would he even be in Jahaur again? Surely it was just pure coincidence that she had ran into the strange, pale eyed boy. So why do such a silly thing for someone she would never see again? He probably hasn’t even thought twice about our meeting. And it wasn’t like she was going to leave Jahaur and find him. Nor would it be easy to find her in the vast forests of her homeland.

Well now it seems like I’ll be hiding from him. Taka groaned in frustration as she stopped walking away. Then ever so slowly she peeked over her shoulder back towards the bag of berries. How could she even think about letting an earthling intimidate her? That was simply too shameful. She was a strong and proud warrior. How could she be so fearful of accepting her own punishment? It wasn’t even life threatening! It was more irritating than anything. This was not like her at all! The thought made her take a few strides back towards where the bag had fallen. But as her hand reached for the item her body froze again. What would her sisters say? The thought of the younger ones’ laughter and the idea of the elders’ scorn made her hesitate. Was honoring a bet to a insignificant earthling truly worth it?

Taka’s antenna twitched in frustration. Even if it was to an earthling boy she still had to keep a promise. It was her honor as a warrior. She made the bet and it was up to her to uphold her own punishment. If she backed down now then how many more times would she be tempted to hid from her own faults? Taka huffed, “Not that I should feel bad for my confidence.” Or rather pride. It was a lesson to teach her to not always underestimate the earthling races. Or at least to not underestimate an earthling boy with pale eyes. She had scoffed at him and now it was only fair that others would scoff at her. Ever so slowly Taka reached out towards the bag of berries and picked it up. It wasn’t like it was going to be permanent. The dye would fade with time. So it would be best to suck it up and get this over with. This would be her reminder to calm her temper and hold her tongue in the future. That more so than anything else would be her hardest challenge yet.

[803]

 

[Mr Glacial]

Tag Along

Her hands were going to be dyed for days.

The time had come for her punishment and she had diligently taken the time to make certain every last strand of her hair was dyed. Even though diligently came with a few faults at first leading to pink hands, bandages, and legs. She didn’t want to be seen by others so the young Alkidike had even ventured away to ‘train’ for a couple of days. Something which due to her recent fervor in training had been granted. As long as she did venture too far away from their camp. That was an easy enough promise. The older sisters knew that Taka was experienced enough to hold her own. She had her own blades now and could easily navigate through Jahaur. Nothing scared her. Nor should she be babied much longer. The time for her to become an adult in the community as nearing. She was thankful for that. Though if they knew why she was out here and how she had allowed herself in such a situation the sisters may have reconsidered their faith. Even worse they could probably trust a youngling more than her judgement with that story!

Sighing, Taka rubbed her fingers furiously under the cold stream water. At least now her fingertips were only a light pink as compared to the deep crimson from the other day. Her hair however was not pink. As the Alkidike peered closely into the water’s surface she had to frown. Her face was the same, but then above it was a red mess. Well not so much a mess. It was definitely red though. A deep crimson that stood out from what used to be dark raven dreads. Yet she wasn’t so angry. Honestly the more the Alkidike glanced at her reflection the less she found her punishment so horrifying. It was dark and the color of blood. Such a color had always fascinated her in secret. She enjoyed how vibrantly it stood out against the dark earth of Jahaur and against the pelt of fresh prey. Taka pursed her lips into a thin line. Still! It did not mean that such a color should be in her wonderful dreads. Those were her pride and joy, but dammit she had her warrior’s pride and honor to uphold. At least she still wore dreads. She would have died from shame if he had taken those from her as well. That may have pushed the line then. Even deciding to dye them had been tough.

At first she had taken days to debate doing the task. She had even tried throwing the berries away. Even had tried thinking about hiding on Chibale for a couple of years. It was shameful and such thoughts made her sneer at herself. Could she be so childish? I was childish enough to make such a bet. She chastised herself once more before groaning at the memory. A little perzi had caused her so much trouble. And she had let an earthling boy rile her pride! It was such shame that made the Alkidike venture away from the sisters for a bit. She just hoped that when she returned from her long ‘training session’ that her tribe wouldn’t be too upset. Her younger sisters definitely would cause the most trouble. They were always eager to mock her for being so uptight around them. Not my fault I can best them in a fight. Snipped Taka to herself as she sheathed her blades on her hips.

But as she thought back to why her hair was this color now Taka sighed. She deserved all the ridicule. Taka gritted her teeth in frustration. Foolish, so foolish! It truly had been a test of her patience and pride. One that she had easily and rather quickly failed. Her sisters had already chastised her that day for talking down to the earthling boy, but what would they think if they knew the full story? He had easily captured that small creature without even breaking a sweat! Meanwhile she had spent all morning chasing after the pesky creature. Terrible, terrible thing that it was. It was its fault for leading her to that strange boy. “If I ever see one of those terrible things again I’ll make certain to toss it into a river.”

She grumbled a bit more about her ill fate and the luck of some stupid earthling. But it was when she was stopped to rest once more that Taka’s antenna twitched. Was something else out here? Obviously the forest was alive around her, but something this small normally didn’t approach when an Alkidike was walking through the paths. So what was it?

“Seriously? I don’t believe this, by Aisha’s roots.” Taka groaned as she finally spotted a pair of golden eyes staring at her from the bushes, “Go away.” She spat out the words as she waved her hands towards the bushes. But the bushes didn’t want to listen to her. Instead what emerged was an oddly orange colored perzi with some darker shades of orange scattered in stripes here and there. Its crystals were golden as its eyes and it purred as it approached the Alkidike.

What was this?

Was he here again? Was Jhin hiding here in the bushes? Had he been waiting in Jahaur this whole time to make certain she had kept to her promise? “Are you gloating in my failure to capture your kind?” Hissed Taka as she kicked towards the creature, “Get away!” Why wasn’t it going away? The stupid thing was staring at her. Taka groaned as she watched it try to approach her once more, “I swear I can cut you right here and now. Do you want to die little creature?” Oh, but it wasn’t like the other one. This one seemed normal. It had such an innocent look while the one she had chased with Jhin seemed more like an otherworldly creature. This one was considerably less aggressive and seemed to be slightly cute. Taka shook her head quickly, “Nope, nope. Get away!”

But when her foot connected this time the young Alkidike found herself stopping. It seemed so innocent and those huge eyes just stared at her. Did it want something? “Ah.” Taka rubbed the bridge of her nose before leaning down to open her bag, “You’re one of those mongrels.” She had extra meat from her last hunt. It had been dried and that was what kept her going the last few days. Dried meats and bits of food from the plants around her.

The small perzi instantly began purring as it latched onto her hand. But as Taka tried to remove her fingers the little teeth bit into her skin instead, “He-hey!” The Alkidike’s gaze widened as her cheeks flushed and her antenna twitched in response. It definitely was a feisty one! “Fine, fine. Here.” She offered it more. Such a strange creature. It had to have been a pet. But what was it doing all the way out here? Taka glanced around once more. Could Jhin be here?

No, he didn’t appear to be the sort to hide. “Seems you just wandered away too far. The shifter villages are that way.” She pointed before throwing her satchel back across her shoulder, “So go there.” But as she walked away the little pawsteps continued to follow her. “Really?” Taka prayed to Aisha for patience as she turned around for the fifth time, “Stop, shoo!” Hadn’t she just said she would throw the next one in the river? Was that what she should do?

So why didn’t she? Taka could have cursed at herself as she continued walking through Jahaur. It seemed that even running didn’t work as the little perzi would eventually let out a meow and force even Taka to stop. It was just so heart wrenching. She was proud and vain, but not cruel. And that perzi was not a monster to fight. It was just like a baby freshly bloomed. The thought made her hang her head in shame. “I’m not one to bully.” So she squatted on the ground and in one motion scooped the perzi kitten up into her hands, “Don’t blame me if you can’t keep up with my lifestyle. And if you leave me later then good! I didn’t need you in the first place.” Even better if it fell out of her bag on the way!

She scowled at the kitten one more time before placing the thing in her bag. Of course she had to move more gingerly as the thing continued to peek its head out and study the world. So annoying. But her scowl was slowly fading as the perzi continued to purr and meow happily along the way. Instead a small smile decorated her features as she moved through Jahaur while balancing all the good warrior names that she knew. It had to be something fitting of a stubborn, golden creature after all.


[1498]

 

[Mr Glacial]

Growth

[In this quest Taka demonstrates that she is maturing and has let go of her pride. At least some of her pride. While on a hunt to truly test herself the Alkidike learn that she should be more accepting of help rather than wanting to do everything on her own. And then realize that sometimes making mistakes is just a part of the process so that she should accept her actions from before and learn from them. To truly show that she lets go of her pride Taka admits that she lost a bet to an earthling hence her sudden change in dread colors. At the end of the day she goes on her very first hunt alone with her earned blades and begins the path towards an Amazon.]

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She heard whispers about her dreads, but Taka kept her head held high. The Alkidike had come in the morning sessions right before the group was to leave on a hunt. At first the older sisters were startled, but since their time was pressed they did not risk losing more by questioning one of their oldest apprentices about her sudden flare for red. They had a hunt to begin. Taka was thankful for that and eagerly jumped up to join.

“No, not yet.” One of the elders put a hand out, “You aren’t old enough for this hunt. The Menzuri are a dangerous creature and only those experienced enough may go.”

“But sister! I’m surely ready for anything.” Taka protested, “Have I not proven myself enough to you?”

“Taka, please.” The elder placed a hand on her shoulder, “I know that you have great value to offer us, but this creature truly is the worst. One slip and someone could easily die to its poison or worse hallucinate and attack another sister without warning.” Her gaze went towards the ground, “Never again shall that happen so no apprentice is allowed on this hunt. Go train with your younger sisters.”

How could she tell her that? Taka gritted her teeth. As much as she respected her older sisters the Alkidike was confident in her own abilities. I can fight these menzuri. She felt as if she would never get to join the true hunts at this rate! Frustration kept Taka’s hands busy and her mind sharp as she continued to train in the morning hours. Even if a younger sister made a mocking call towards her they were quickly silenced by Taka’s fierce expression. She didn’t dare explain why she had red dreads, but even offered the suggestion that she had willingly tried out such a style. She refused to acknowledge to the others that she had lost a bet to an earthling. Talk about shameful!

Eventually it got to her. The frustration from not being able to join a hunt and from the looks she was receiving for her dreads. It was just too much. As the afternoon began to drain on Taka found her chance to slip away. She would track the hunters and join them in this task. How bad could it be? The elders had acted like the presence of a menzuri nest was so dire that it truly enticed Taka. But she was not prepared.

As Taka traced the group’s steps she found something else first. “What is this?” Scowling Taka reached up to pull something sticky from her hair. Webbing? “The Menzuri.” Taka smirked as she drew her blades. She could take care of these here and now! At the same time she slipped down from the high ledge and into the dark forest below a sister spotted her.

“Taka, no!” K’lina darted behind her younger sister, “The others are not here yet!”

But Taka was determined to fight. She ignored her sister and ran ahead. She was so fast that it took several minutes before the older alkidike could catch up. And by then Taka had already found one of the creatures to fight. As she squared off against the menzuri the apprentice called out, “Just protect yourself. I can handle these things!” Ugh, but why were they so hard? The crystal bodies frustrated her as her training blades just glanced off of them. Taka got so caught up in her frustration that when she did finally manage to back one of the creatures down that reality hit.

Menzuri nest meant that there was more than one. And it was K’lina who protected her from it. Taka’s gaze widened as the older Alkidike swayed behind her, “Told you to wait.” She breathed as the apprentice helped to steady her, “Silly child.”

“K’lina.” Taka’s gaze hardened as she slashed against any of the creatures scuttling towards them. Where were the rest of the sisters? The sisters? Her antenna twitched in surprise at the thought. Just like how K’lina had protected her was she thinking of relying upon the others? Why hadn’t she done that in the first place? Was her pride worth losing the life of a sister? It would be more fitting if she died for her own mistake. How could she even make a mistake like this? Once more her pride had ruled her actions. Her mouth pursed into a line. Not waiting had been her mistake, but it did not mean she would fall here. “I will protect you, K’lina as you did me.” Her spirit returned in that moment and the young Alkidike found herself fighting even more fervently than before.

Then a miracle from Aisha.

The sisters had arrived. With their arrival K’lina was taken to safety and Taka found herself helping to fend off the creatures. They had done it. Breathing a sigh of relief Taka trudged back home with the few who left the clearing early to report back to camp. Their hunt was done. But her story was just beginning.
---
“It is my fault that K’lina was injured.” Taka bowed her head in shame, “I was proud and didn’t wish to be left behind any longer, but for that decision I risked a sister’s precious life. I will accept any punishment.” She truly did not deserve her blades yet. Not with how she had just behaved.

But a hand touched the Alkidike’s shoulders, “K’lina is doing well.” Replied the elder quietly, “She also spoke volumes of how you defended her until the others arrived.” The Alkidike offered a small smile, “While I may wish to punish you for such rash decisions your spirit showed true in the end. Rather I should be chastising myself. I was so dedicated to protecting the daughter of a dear comrade that I held you back when you should have shined.” The elder moved and brought forth a pair of familiar blades, “They belonged to your mother and should have been given to you over a moon ago with the witu’s capture.”

Taka’s antenna flinched in her surprise, “Mother’s blades?”

“Yes, they should be yours.”

Ever so slowly the Alkidike reached out for them, “Do you truly believe me to be ready?”

The elder nodded, “Though I would like to wonder why you dyed your dreads. Is that a form of protest as well?”

“Ah.” Taka bit her bottom lip sheepishly. She had gone all day without telling the truth. She had instead painted a proud picture of herself and had hidden her other mistake. But she would do that no longer, “I lost a bet to an earthling boy and this was his punishment. I swore on doing as he wished if I lost and I could not go back.”

Instead of being chastised the elder simply laughed, “Seems that you have learned a lot, Taka. Before I could imagine you would have come up with another story for this.” The elder patted her shoulder, “Since you seem to have learned a lot in the last few days I have decided. You shall leave on your own hunt in the morning by yourself.”

“My own hunt?” Taka’s gaze widened in pure delight, “Truly?”

“Yes, sister.”

Sister and not child or young bloom? Pure joy lit up Taka’s features, “I will not disappoint you!” The rest of the night she spent preparing herself by sharpening her blades and finishing her traps. She would catch her first true prey and come back with it in a week. Its hide would become a part of her clothing and she would show off its claws to her sisters. This hunt would truly prove that she had matured and grown even more towards becoming the ideal Amazon. Just as she had proven today by defending K’lina and admitting to her own mistakes.

[1308]