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Ku

(essence is the “magical system” of my fantasy world. It’s based off of Plato’s true forms, if knows what that is. =) )

 

Pitch blackness.

“No.” No way could I be alone.

I stretched out my essence, seeking for some living creature. Surely, I would find one. Even as a street urchin, I was never really alone. Every square inch of earth housed millions of friends I could have as companions.

Falling down on my knees, I searched the strange, cold ground I was on. If felt like glass, but it was as hard as metal. I couldn’t actually see it, but I could feel it.

The panic worsened. Not a single insect? How was that even possible.

Where was everyone? Where was I? What was I supposed to do? Where should I go? Could I go anywhere?

Hyperventilating, I hugged my knees and fell over into the fetal position. Every fiber in my body rebelling against my solitude.

Abandoned. Unwanted. Worthless. Unloved. Why was I even born?

Tears streaming down, I cradled myself, unable to move. Unable to speak. Unable to think.

 

Abirami 

(Dhiaga is my world’s word for emperor, and the current emperor is ‘evil’ – the one who led the invasion that killed Abirami’s father – and is out to kill Abirami due to a blood curse placed on his people that targeted Abirami’s father. Since Abirami is of the same blood, the target of the curse was passed on to him as well.)

(Augmenting means to take on one aspect of a creature, and is much more difficult than transforming into the animal itself.)

 

I laid down and closed my eyes, waiting for Ku to wake up.

Hopefully she woke up soon. If she was having a dream similar to mine, I could only pray it was over quick. Her baggage was much thicker than mine ever was. Sure, my father had been killed during the invasion and I’d lost everything, but she’d never had anything to begin with… growing up alone in the slums, ostracized and despised.

I tried not to think about it, but memories of finding her sleeping under a garbage pile on the side of a building, sickly with nearly pale white skin, haggard with barely anything but skin and bones…

I shook my head. I had saved her from that life, and I was determined to never allow that to happen again.

A rustling grew louder, a hum I recognized all too well.

“Ku-”

Sitting up, I was surprised to see Ku’Aya was still asleep, but her hive was activating, swarming around her.

“Not good.”

I stood to my feet and backed away as the swarm grew, encompassing Ku and expanding outward. Augmenting the eyes of the hawk, I could see her more dangerous insects were swarming along the outer edges.

As I feared, the hive was in defense mode, and that didn’t bode well for anyone in the room.

This had happened once before, when Ku had been knocked out by one of the Dhiaga’s assassin squads. The swarm attacked anything and everyone within range, unable to discern friend from foe.

“Get back!” I yelled. “Everyone get back! Out! Get out of the room!”

 

(FYI, havent figured out what all Ku’s insects do just yet, but she does have a good lion’s share of wasps, bees, bullet ants, etc. in numbers that are akin to the biblical plague of locusts in Egypt)

 

Ku’Aya

(The reflected image of Ku in this section is an exaggerated version of Ku’Aya’s looks. You can think of it as a sort of self-image, since Ku has been told over and over since she was born that she’s ugly by townsfolk and strangers, etc.)

(Menna is an evianian [a race that can fly] and Menna and her brother, Setti, are also orphans who were saved and adopted by Abirami and his caretaker, Semiramis [a maunin who can control plants] Menna is a few years older than Ku, but really close in age, and they butt heads a lot due to Menna being a bit stuck-up. Menna’s mother was governor of the town before she died – soon after the invasion)

 

I lay there whimpering, huddled up into a ball and hugging my knees. The tears continued to flow.

A high-pitched, maniacal laugh filled my ears.

Standing over me was a three-dimensional, shimmering reflection of me. Her ears were large and elongated, the mohawk on top of her head frayed and enmeshed, and her calloused grin showcased sharp, jagged teeth.

“What’d you expect? Who would want your ugly self? You put worms in your hair and crawl around, playing in the dirt all day.”

“I do not!” I exclaimed. “And it’s a bawl, not a worm!”

“Whatever. It’s still disgusting.” The person resembling me straightened up, the front of her mohawk resembling that of a feather, and her voice shifted, reminding me of Menna. “And where do you find the bugs you play with?”

I looked down, knowing the answer. “In the dirt,” I muttered.

“Exactly!” the voice crackled. “Dirty, disgusting, ugly, worthless piece of street urchin; should never’ve been born.”

My arms shook, but not from rage. Something inside me told me Menna would never have said those things, but my body quaked because she might as well have said it. My heart drowned in deep despair because it was my voice saying it – the words I never allowed myself to utter, for once spoken, there’d be no denying the truth.

“Your parents were smart. Abandoning you before you could drag them down with you.”

“No,” I whimpered. “It’s not true.” I looked up into the face that was my own, and the hatred and anger there sent me sprawling back on my hands.

“You know what normal people do when they see a bug, don’t you?” the alternate me asked. She raised her foot and kicked me in the face.

I cried out, putting my hands up, unable to retaliate or shy away.

“You’re really no better. Parasite, uselessly draining the life from all your friends and… well, so-called family.” A hand pushed my arms out of the way and grabbed my throat, lifting me up off the ground. “Perhaps I should end your misery right now.”

I grasped at the arm, unable to fight back. Tears fell, blurring my vision. I didn’t want it to be true. I wanted to live, but how could I fight back? How could I fight myself? Was this really what I wanted?

 

 

 

(whew. okay. Yeah, I know. A real downer… don’t worry, Abirami will come in for the save, after he gets everyone else to safety… looking forward to seeing everyone’s reactions to a massive swarm of dangerous insects. ;p   :0  hehehe – oh, and for the newcomers… Ku is NOT the sensitive type. Lol. so this is a side of her that is very very rare indeed!)