These l o n g Hours [Open]

[Cam]

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[bg=black] "Emerilla--" Cam began a caution, but his words died in his throat as the king seemed to fill out, grow - the anger rolling off him was palpable. He turned his head, locking his good eye on the two, and shrunk back, knowing full well that if he was drawn into the fight, even accidently, he stood no chance of winning. With his blinded eye and soft disposition, Aakesh would have him dead faster than a mouse, and although he had never seen the ryb in combat, he was fairly sure there was a reason she was a ryb. So the singer slunk back, his beak chattering with anxiety. There was nothing he could do to stop this, and how he hated infighting like this. It wasn't necessary, things could be talked out - and then he noticed the owlet that flung itself at the king. The one that was standing right there, potentially in harm's way right next to the king's razor-sharp talons. It was looking at him, and in its gaze he could read a fearful plea for help. His gizzard and his mind entered a war then; one telling him to save the poor thing from potential harm, and the other telling him no, don't take the risk to yourself - what if you were completely blinded, you fool? Who's to say that, in this fury, Aakesh could tell the difference between the feathers of Emerilla or himself? A reckless, snap decision, and Cam ducked forward, attempting to shield Tioren within his wings and pull him back, away from any chance of the innocent owlet being hurt unintentionally. He kept his eye on the fight the best he could, which wasn't very well considering how he had to move.

[kyran]

Emerilla gave up. She knew when she was outmatched and she would not deny that Aakesh was much stronger than her. She may be cocky but this, this was too important. She gave up trying to wrestle him off and she felt faint. Emerilla knew what was happening. She was meeting her end. It was over for her. Her face ached and someone watching the fight could clearly see the blood gushing from many sides of her head. She thought she heard Tioren and Cam gasp but who could be sure? Emerilla tried to speak but a barn owl probably couldn't here her at this point. "Aakesh, I know I'm at my end now and I hope you will take care of this tree and the good owls that live here. Please, just...fi...nish me....off" Emerilla whispered. "How sad." she thought. "I never experienced having a mate or laying eggs" she thought. Emerilla motioned Cam and Tioren to come closer. "You are both noble and good gizzarded owls. Please...do..not..for..get.. that. She tried to touch one of their faces with her wing but she didn't make it. Emerilla's wings fell to the floor, her body stopped it's shaking, and her face stopped it's bleeding. A pool of blood and Glaux knows what lay on the ground. The young strix was dead.

[aakesh]

Deep within the mind of the furious king, there sat a lonely soul waiting to take control over his own vessel once more. Aye, it was a pity that Aakesh had so easily lost control over his own emotions and let them rage over his soul, but even owls and avian creatures as strong as him had their weak spots. All control had been lost as the King, no, the beast continued his onslaught on this Strix's weakening body, breaking the facial region and tearing flesh from bone. Twittering and upset chirp sounds were produced by him as he slowed his attacks and violent pecking, the will of peace moving swiftly over his mind. Memories of his father shone bright and clear to him, sweet essences of hope that lived on in these dark times of his rule, and the laws of his legacy were remembered.

A thud was what drew his attention, and with a blood stained face staring down into that of the owlet's, it was clear that the innocence of that evening had been lost. A mere card game had started this commotion? No, it was not the gambling, it was the fact that he had chosen an idiot for a ryb. Screech was given as the beast from within ruled, releasing a sole foot to attack; however, such an attack was halted as he recognized the face of the singer. Eyes lost their wildness, his usual calm being restored. Feathers were shaken out as the King closed his eyes, a soft churr being produced as he glanced down at the victim of his rage. Golden, blood-stained battle-talons released their hold about the Strix's body, slowly rousing a deep, emotional change in his soul. Violence ended this way? Tsk. Tsk. What a waste of time she was.

Strix Emerilla's last words were received with a stingy "humph" from the King, his ears disliking the tone of these final words. What was it with owls that gave up so easily after a little scratch or two on the ol' noodle? He found disdain in this, and spoke in soft words to the dying owl, "Why do you give up so easily? Your life is not worth much to you? How dreadful to see." Despite the fact of having just accidentally murdered someone, and having the sensation of being Fortune's fool, his mind still functioned appropriately. As King, it would be Aakesh's duty to somehow not create some sort of scene and swiftly remove the body from the vicinity. How to do this was puzzling, but his mind carefully began formulating a lie to spread to the others of his tree... Oh whom were not in the vicinity at the moment. The whispers, oh he loathed the sound of murmuring in the distance. They spoke of him, they wondered who was next.

An announcement was made, his voice booming loud and proud, eyes looking sternly at all, "This owl was not our friend! Our Strix, ryb of colliering, has turned out to be a slipgizzle for unfriendly nations! Treason is met with death! She had lied and deceived us! Remove this foul bird's carcass from here immediately so Glaux does not curse our Tree!"

[Tioren]

Tioren went closer to Strix Emerilla. Had she really said that? Was her own king proudly serving out these werds to the public? Oh, this time sure was more than enough. Something soft just seemed to snap in Tioren. She went right into Aakesh's face, twittering so fast and loudly that a few owls picking up Emerilla's carcus stared. "AAKESH! You're lucky I can't fly, You're lucky everyone obeys... you... you'll be SORRY!" Sticking her wing in Aakesh's face forcefully, she seemed to have reached the top. "Cameron, take the gear. Just take it. Strike the red together for a spark or fire." Tioren dropped three homemade glittering sets of talon guards and one face mask near Cameron.

She hopped away to her flying buddy, saying over her shoulder, "You owlet, just... just keep the vole. And I don't care if it was a friend or foe, but why!?" The owlet stared at Tioren in bewilderment, then to Aakesh. "And her problem?" Tioren fluttered off into the dark branches with the other gliding after.

[kyran]

Kyran flew out of her hollow to go find Tioren. She had just finished talking to her dear friend Canis. She wanted to find Tioren so that she could get advice from her. As Kyran flew, ducking the dark branches of the tree, she found Tioren and another owlet, looking very angry. "What's wrong?" Kyran asked. "This can't be good." she thought.

[iamontda]

"Aagh! It CAN'T be happening!" She twittered on in this way until Kyran came. Fluttering lopsided onto a branch, she furiously started scraping at the bark. "My own king... right in FRONT of me, no mercy... and this tree! Why would he?! Aaagh.... Kyran, Kyran! Aakesh went on for some gambling, so some owlet wanted to do it and lost, so I decided to try and give him mine, but then Strix Emerilla came up and made the leader mad somehow and I was just standing there like very close to them and Aakesh like attacked her in the face and she said Cameron and I had good gizzards after I tried to stop Aakesh from hurting her but Cameron tried to pull me back so he did and I was mad at Aakesh and screeched in his face and gave Cameron the gear I made, and... and..." She stared at the branch. "Aakesh acted like Emerilla was a slipgizzle enemy and started blabbering about it..." Tioren swore under her breath and talked next in a threatened hoot. ".....Strix Emerilla's gone."

[kyran]

"Calm down," Kyran said in a calming hoot. "Now what's this about Aakesh?" As Kyran reviewed what Tioren said her face turned grim. "You mean Strix Emerilla, the colliering ryb? How did this happen? Did Aakesh kill her? I knew Emerilla and all she ever did was stand up for what she believed in. I can't believe she's gone." Kyran said. "I know for a fact that Emerilla wasn't a slipgizzle for the enemy. She had a good heart and a noble gizzard. Something's not right..." Kyran said with an angry hoot. "I bet together we can prove to all the owls of the Great Tree that Aakesh is lying. You said that Cam was there too right? He can help us. We need to prove Emerilla's innocence. The truth needs to be known! I'll tell Canis the whole story. I'm sure he'll help us. I know that you've never met him but he's someone we can definitely trust. Meet me in my hollow after tweener. We'll devise a strategy then. Are you in?" Kyran asked firmly. Kyran flew off to the direction of the cooking hollow to find Canis and tell him what had happened.

Canis saw Kyran fly in. "Hi Kyran, want some roasted lemmings? Tweener is soon, but I can give you a few treats considering your a...special friend." he said. Then he saw the look on her face. He sighed. "Alright, what happened?" he asked. Kyran told Canis everything that had happened, at least, what Tioren had told her. Then Canis looked into Kyran's shining amber eyes and said "I'm in. I'll try to get Cam in on what we're going to do. You sort things out with Tioren and then tell me. This is going to be hard but we can do it." After that Canis swooped out of the cooking hollow and went to find Cam. "I hope this works out. If it doesn't Kyran might get hurt, bad." he thought and swooped down to where Cam perched.

Kyran flew out of the cooking hollow and to the dining hollow. "It's time for tweener, and after Tioren and I will meet in my hollow to discuss things." she thought and walked into the hollow.

[iamontda]

Tioren twittered as Kyran flew away, "I'm in, but it'll be strange for others if I'm not training or practicing or such. My wings..." But Kyran was already flying away by then. Tioren watched Kyran gracefully swoop away, and she sighed. It was bad enough not being able to fly without assistance, but the others did it without seemingly thinking! She looked up to the sky and barely whispered, "I hope this works... Cam... show Kyran the gear..."

After a dull moment of silence for him, Tioren's flight partner hooted in a soothingly low voice, just as always. "Tioren... I can tell this is too much for you. I don't understand much of it either, but I will lay low just for you and not speak of this to anyone. Now, would you like to go closer to the main area, or do you want me to leave you here?" After Tioren muttered about staying, the owl patted her on the back with his large wing and took off, leaving her tucked up on the far branch. She stared at where she had come from and Kyran had gone. "Why is it always me?"

[kyran]

Kyran flew back to her hollow. Tween time was over now and she was waiting for Tioren to come in. "Maybe I should go look for her." she thought. "She must have a really hard time flying." With that thought, Kyran flew out of her hollow to search for Tioren and assist her with her flying back to the hollow.

While Kyran was doing this, Canis was perched with Cam. "He still hasn't said anything. I'm starting to feel awkward." he thought. Canis realized he should begin. "Kyran and Tioren are working on a plan to prove Emerilla's innocence. Kyran filled me in on the story that Tioren told her about when you and her were watching the fight. Kyran and Ti are planning as we speak. They need our help and were wondering if you would join. I'm already a part of this. Please help us." Canis finished with a desperate hoot.

[aakesh]

Perhaps Canis failed to realize how close they were to his proximity? Or had he underestimated his hearing ability. Slowly, his head would twist about to face them full on, burning amber eyes piercing the air separating them. No words needed to be spoken, for nothing was more intimidating than a King's silence. A low-hoot sound would be emitted from his vocal chords some time after looking at them, eyes narrowing to intensify his gaze. Dare they speak of treason so close to him? Ha. They were cocky. Bloodied face would twist about to face forwards once more, staring down at the deceased ryb. Ay, she sure as hell did seem like a slipgizzle with the way she was talking. She was the one who had asked for this, she was the one who seemed too pompous and foolish enough to dare to bring up anarchy to the King.

Aakesh glanced down at Emerilla's body, daring to touch the warped face with his bloodied battle talons. Foot pushed the head to face the side, a "tsk" sound being produced by him to show his disapproval of the situation. Treason. Anarchy. They should know that his brutal beatings from prior in his life would leave the care-free prince scarred. His emotions were damned to get out of line once in awhile, and unfortunately this Strix had been the victim of it. Ah, but who was to say that she did not deserve it? The words she had been muttering were treasonous, not to mention she had been saying them loud enough for everyone in the proximity to audibly hear it. Head slid back around to face Cameron, beseeching him to not try anything so idiotic.

Cameron was not an idiot, as far as Aakesh was concerned, so perhaps he saw the logic and rational reason behind the third degree homicide? Nay; best not to take his chances. Slowly, the large bird would ascend, wings carrying him the necessary short distance to land beside the singer elegantly. Beast was all that remained now, thus wanting him to soothe his throbbing head by requesting a song. The sailor's voice would resound, vocal chords straining to produce a steady voice, "Cameron, sing a song of your choice. Sing it loud and proud as I ascend to the heavens to take this bird's carrion somewhere. Your voice shall soothe the beast."

[iamontda]

Tioren was dozing off a bit on the slender branch when Kyran reappeared. She said groggly, "Kyran... I was thinking, we've been skipping everything. I think we're taking this too fast, all of this about a killing... so suddenly. I saw him straight in the face, right in the eyes, he seems to do this for a living. Aakesh knows no one can argue or stop him without being attacked cruelly by others. I mean, what can a disabled double-student and two home-love owls do with a literal right-wing owl? Really..." Tioren looked down again.

"For the first time after the storm, I actually feel useless... completely hopeless... That storm caused it..." She suddenly stomped a leg and spread her wings, flapping slightly as though threatening to take off. "It's always my fault for what I do!"

[Cam]

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[bg=black] OOC // I like to relate the songs Cameron sings to real-world songs; I imagined him singing this. I realize that most of you probably don't speak Swedish, so I made this for you too. He would be singing it in 'english' or whatever language the owls speak. Obviously, if you don't like the idea of him singing this, just ignore it. Cameron frowned, knocking aside the suddenly-appearing weapons. What sort of owl did they think him to be? He might be many things, yes, but what he wasn't was a traitor, especially to the leader of the place that kept him, not only kept him but provided for him, despite the limitations his blindness placed on his ability to serve the great tree. No, these weapons were useless to him. And as he studied the battered body of the ryb in front of him, he came to a realization; that perhaps Emerilla had never respected the king. Not in the way she should, not even in the way enemies should. To speak to him like that - a disgrace, to herself, to the tree, to the title she formerly bore. He looked up at Aakesh's proclimation, and accepted it quietly; he had no overwelming sense of justice, not like like this smaller owl that had perched next to him. A stupid sense of justice, Cam realized as he was spoken to. Even if the king had lied, it was a nonissue; the insolence she had shown had no place on this island. If she had died in the course of punishment, then surely she was weak; Cameron has sustained similar injuries in his past and he was still very much alive, even if he scare easier or fly a little crooked. True that not all owls could be him, but still... He was still silent when Aakesh approached him, and he gave only a single cursory glance and beak-dip to his newfound - friend? Hardly a friend, but the term worked - before giving his full attention to the king. A song. He wanted a song; something suitable for a shattered peace - perhaps something to lift sad spirits? That could work, yes, to soothe this beast the king spoke of, and perhaps even to quell the rebellious thoughts of Canis. Or perhaps even- No, this one was better, almost perfect, to reflect the mood - and what was music, but a way to calm hearts and gizzards by expressing what you could not say? "Of course." He answered after his moment of thinking was done, ruffling his wings and moving to create some space between himself and the - Cam was starting to think crazed - owl perched next to him. He was silent for a moment, gathering himself, and then launched into song. There was no gradual rise to volume, no hesitation in his words - just a song, spilling from his beak in a tumble of music that he hoped would do something, anything to pacify the situation.

[kyran]

Kyran looked at Tioren with empathy. "I know how you feel..." she said quietly. Then suddenly she looked up in surprise. "Wait, what do you mean by two home-LOVE owls? Is there something you know that I don't?" she said in joy. She then calmed down to her normal self. "Come back to the hollow and I'll tell you something. It's important and I know that we're not great friends but I really need someone right now." Kyran said looking down and scratching a branch with her talons. "Come on." she said and flew slowly so that the owl could follow without too much trouble.

While Kyran and Tioren headed for the hollow Canis stood on his perch in disbelief.. "I can't believe that this owl didn't even respond!" he thought. "Coward!" he thought with the words exploding in his head. If this owl wanted to prance around following everything the king does then it was fine with him. "Think of Tioren and Kyran." he whispered to himself. Canis flew off to find Kyran and Tioren and join them. As he was flying he noticed how close the king had been to them. Oh, he was in trouble now. "Later I'll request to see the king and beg for mercy." he thought. "Perhaps if I do so he'll spare me as well as Kyran. I'm sure he knows her weakness. It's very noticable." he thought and kept flying.

[iamontda]

(time for a freak-out!)

Tioren silently twittered a laugh to herself. Of course she knew Kyran followed Canis near and to the main tree a while back. It was one of the great guardians himself, now dead from battle who told the small story. But what type of battle? She could guess. As she flew lopsided behind Kyran, Tioren said, "Kyran, what if Cameron respects Aakesh? I still believe we're the only owls on this island that are against the king. Did he have reasons? Was it just because? We need to question him with someone, one way or another, and not jump in... Maybe... Maybe..." She started shaking and her airstream wobbling became a bit worse.

"Maybe we should forget about this. I need to catch up with everything, and I am as usefull as an owlet with barely any flying feathers." Tioren swayed from side to side playfully. "Really..." She swooped away from branch tips, landing sideways and chittering up a storm of undefinable words. She finally uttered happily, "This is the best I've ever d- WAAAAAAAAAHH!!!" When trying to straighten up, the flow of the wind caught Tioren. Unable to react, she turned slightly west and tried to swerve back. As once before, she got pelted in the face with, yeah, air, the type others could easily avoid being changed by.

Tioren had started to nose-dive very steeply, trying to swoop back up but being sacked by a branch. The wind was knocked out of her middle while she was saying, "Kyran, HE- OUCH!" She gave it her all when wobbling upwards past Kyran. She turned unsteadily toward a double branch, a thick and thin side each. Tioren wobbled up to the fork at the end and quickly clawed up the the thick side, panting and quickly searching for Kyran.

[kyran]

"Tioren! Wait I'm coming!" Kyran shouted as Tioren tumbled through the branches of the tree. Kyran flew down to where Tioren was. "Oh no! Tioren you have some cuts! I'm so sorry I couldn't help you. Climb on my back and I can take you back to my hollow and we can fix you up. I bet you're not that heavy. I'll get you on." Kyran said while grabbing Tioren and putting her on her back. "You just rest easy. We're not too far from the hollow. You should probably stay overnight. Easy now." Kyran settled Tioren on her back and started flying. "Man, she's heavy." Kyran thought as they ducked from a tree branch. "Or it's just my weak bones." she thought as she glided into the hollow. She put Tioren down in her nest and looked through her herbs. "Perhaps one of these could help." she said mixing together a few plants and berries. "Here, drink this. I'll be right back with some worms and rabbit ear moss." Kyran said while flying out of the hollow. As Kyran flew she bumped into Canis. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to fly right into you." she said getting up. "Oh, Canis! So how'd it go? Did you get Cam?" she asked with hope in her voice.

"I'm sorry, but no." Canis said a bit sad, disappointed, and guilty. He told Kyran everything that happened. "I see..." she said slowly. "So Cam is with him now. I can't say I'm too surprised." Kyran said a bit disappointed as well. "Can I come into your hollow?" Canis asked her hoping she wasn't too disappointed. "Oh, um, well, now's not a good time. I have a patient. Although, I could use some help if you don't mind." she said with hope in her voice. "Well, okay. Anything for you." Canis said with a smile. As him and Kyran flew over the island looking for rabbits ear moss and worms Canis hooted happily. "This is what I look forward to after I propose, assuming she says yes." he thought. "Here's some!" Canis swooped down and picked up some rabbit ear moss with worms in it. He put the moss in her talons. "Thanks." she said with a smile and flew off. He sighed.

Kyran flew back into her hollow and put some worms on Tioren's cuts and then layered the cuts with moss. "Now, what were you saying about me and Canis and... love?" she said doubtfully.