Post #2605339 in The Tribes of Imos 2, a roleplay on RPG

Darkness. Silence. Distress. The sky was tinted black, and as far as he could see, a blood red sea was stretching far into the distance of every direction. He was standing in the middle of it all, with blood up to his waist, and though he didn’t seem to move at all, it felt as though he were falling. Falling. Falling where? He didn't know, but it made him feel sick so he wanted it to stop. He tried to run, but like water the red substance held him back, and he realized that he would have to wade through the sea. In which direction was he even going? He couldn't tell, everywhere looked the same. Images flashed before his eyes; pale, gaunt faces with hollow eyes. Bony hands were reaching for him from the darkness, pawing at his face and arms, clawing at his back and chest. He tried to run yet stumbled over his own feet and fell.

Fell into the sea of blood.

More images of faces flashed before his eyes. Children, their faces twisted into cruel expressions of amusement. They were laughing at him, taunting him.

”If you’re one of us you should have no problem bending the water out of the way so that you don’t drown!”
”You can’t be water tribe and not be able to swim!”
”Throw the freak into the river! Throw the freak into the river!”

An invisible hand grasped hold of his hair, pushing him face first into the water, holding him down so that no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t get his head back above the surface. The laughter was drowned out by the sound of his erratic heartbeats, the taste of metal beginning to fill his mouth, forcing its way down his throat. He was beginning to feel light headed. Surely he would die. Surely he would drown in this sea of blood. He struggled harder, tried to reach the surface. The wraiths were closing in on him, their sharp teeth-

Lu Feng woke with a start, his eyes wide with terror and his heart hammering wildly in his chest. Beads of sweat had gathered on his forehead and his clothes were soaked, his breath coming out in sharp gasps. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts and realize that he was in fact riding, his slender fingers tightly entwined with the mares mane. She didn’t seem to mind, and continued to peacefully trot alongside the huge, coldblooded stallion, on which an equally large man was seated. He was regarding Lu Feng with a look of concern, pricking his peculiar animal ears. On Toru’s shoulder, Lu Feng’s falcon Hunter had made himself comfortable, puffing up his feathers as he cleaned himself carefully. He was about as vain as his owner, so they made a good team.

”W-why the fuck didn’t you wake me up?!” Lu Feng exclaimed, his voice riddled with anger and perhaps a note of fear; the aftermath of his nightmare.

”Because we’ve been traveling for almost three days straight and you’ve refused to sleep every single time we stopped to do so. I thought it would do you well to get some rest, even if it was on horseback,” the other replied calmly, a surprisingly gentle smile gracing his rather rough features.

”Well, it didn’t do me well so don’t let it happen again,” the raven haired male retorted coldly, refusing to even look at his traveling companion when he did so.

”What’s wrong with you?” Toru’s smile had faltered, replaced by a frown but also a look of concern, ”you’ve been acting like this ever since you fell into river.”

”It has nothing to do with the river,” it was an outright lie, and not even a particularly good one. Yet to Toru it was also a cue that Lu Feng didn’t wish to discuss the topic further, so he let it go.

For a moment, there was silence. It wasn’t awkward or anything – just a moment for both of them to gather their thoughts. Then, after a while Lu Feng spoke, his expression having softened slightly. ”Where are we heading next?” he asked, casting the giant a sideways glance.

”Lakeshore’s the closest town,” said Toru, before realizing what that meant for Lu Feng. The younger male tensed, a look of utter dismay settling across his delicate features.

”Lulu, I’m sure they won’t reco-”

”I don’t fucking care what you’re sure of, you stupid giant tiger! I’m not going anywhere near that godforsaken hellhole!” he was like a viper spitting venom, all worked up again.

Toru sighed, ”Lulu, you’re being childish. It’s not like I would let anyone harm you, nor do I think you would be unable to defend yourself. Whatever has happened in the past is in the past. We’re just going to stay there for a short while, stocking up our food supplies and perhaps trading or selling a few items, you know?”

Toru’s attempt to convince Lu Feng failed miserably, and he got nothing but a sulky youth as a way of reply.

”Fine,” said the white tiger, a warm smile spreading across his face, ”Let’s make a deal. We set up camp outside of Lakeshore where you wait until I’ve finished business in town, okay? And then we leave as soon as possible. Sound good?”

Lu Feng looked at him reluctantly. Then nodded his head. He could live with that.

Snippet #2605339

located in Imos, a part of The Tribes of Imos 2, one of the many universes on RPG.

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