a wrongful right: sick and wounded - 1134 words

#1 Woven Cities

Show your character exploring one of the woven cities. Your piece must include your character and buildings made of living trees.

 

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The woven city spread its beauty around with tendrils of vividly-colored roots and architecture, both defying and conforming the very nature they were a part of. The jungles of Aridin were vibrant in color and spirit, and their atmosphere and boundless energy trickled and bled into everything that resided within them.

 

Along a narrow street strolled a duo of creatures, one on two legs and the other on four - if one didn't count the second biped that strayed from the group constantly, and caught up to them just as often.

 

Kate led Scossa behind her as gently as she always did. The lead rope hung loosely between her grip and the halter it was attached to. The dragon was more than used to following its mistress.

 

The woman looked around her calmly, inspecting the street that enveloped her and her surroundings. The bustle of the small boutiques and locals scattered their vim and colorful glow across the street like paint from a soaked brush. She couldn't help but smile. The eternal's gaze followed a long flower arrangement along a building's wall. Slowly, she came to a stop.

 

The corrupted shifter looked up. Without thinking or her giving a permission for her own body and mind to do so, her eyes began to instantly scan every line she saw. She mapped the scenery with her viridescent gaze, simultaneously carving an imaginary path - the fastest way up, and onto the roofs above. Alternative routes for plans from B through F. Lines of actions for countless different scenarios.

 

Kate lowered her eyes to the natural pavement. A wave of uncomfortable longing and sadness washed over her in one, relentless swoop. Her shoulders dropped, and a sigh escaped from her throat, passing her sharpened canines. The quadruped drake nudged her side in an attempt to offer some comfort. It didn't evoke any reaction, whatsoever.

 

"What is it?" Caspian's concerned voice from behind her made Kate nearly jolt in place. She turned to the bright-accented eternal for a second, before turning away again.

"Nothing," she assured him with little success, "just fighting against old habits. That's all."

 

Caspian set his arms behind his back. He leaned forward, towards the woman, curious like an owl chick. "And what might those habits be?" He didn't expect an answer, but it didn't hurt to ask - at least that was the impression he had gotten. Kate didn't have the tendency to explode if someone presented a tactless question.

 

At least he thought he knew, or assumed right - he asked such questions very frequently.

 

The green-haired vixen chuckled soundlessly. She sighed with an amused smile on her face and raised her eyes to the architecture once more. The woman glanced at the man beside her, as though to make sure he was paying attention. She raised her arm, and gestured towards a building, right on ground level.

 

"That ledge is the perfect starting point." Kate pointed at a thick root, that had been crudely painted red. Caspian followed her movements closely, with a keen eye and quiet as a mouse. The woman traced a path in the air with her index finger to the next point of interest. "Leap there, and you've got an edge right above for leverage to get up there." Kate moved her finger straight up, and sharply to the left. "Those things are good stepping stones, but require a quick crossing to not bend or break. Although, if they are more flexible than I think they are, they might just give a nice boost of added momentum."

 

The desecrated shifter repeated this multiple times in rapid succession. She described every move and placement of foot and claw so intricately, that crafting a sequence of images of the path with one's mind's eye became child's play.

 

Caspian, however, slightly regretted that he even asked. He saw every word and action in his mind the very moment they were spoken out loud. The information flooded in faster than he could keep up. He slowly straightened himself, profusely blinking for a bit. The eternal tried to block out at least some of the data that was being fed to him to avoid getting completely overwhelmed, and in the worst case scenario, breaking down.

 

Kate had pointed through the whole, tall building, and got to the top with her overly complex strategy.

 

"...and that's the last ledge to jump from. Done and dusted in a jiffy, faster than--"

 

She suddenly froze, and fell silent. She didn't mean to go that far. The common dragon behind her flicked all of its four ears as it turned to its mistress. Scossa blew warm air out of its nostrils at Kate's upper arm. The woman lowered her raised arm, and rubbed the affected point with her hand. Her gaze sank to the ground again, and all the enthusiasm in her demeanor bled off her frame.

 

It took Caspian a second to realize that Kate had stopped. He wasn't going to question the whole thing at first, until he started to play back what the other had said. He shook his head gently, as if it would slot his thoughts into their respective gaps in the shelter of his skull. The man turned to Kate.

 

"Faster than?"

"No one--" Kate barely finished the word. She growled under her breath while shaking her head. "Nothing," she corrected hastily.

 

Caspian didn't want to pry any more than he already had. He ran his eyes over the street and its complex, living detailing. Biting the inside of his cheek, he pondered - then, he snapped his fingers, and leaned straight on Kate's shoulder.

 

"I know a nice tea shop we could visit," Caspian confessed with a sliver of a mischievous smile clinging to his lips. Kate seemed to snap out of her misery in a step or two, as she turned to the other eternal. She raised her brow.

 

"I thought you don't drink tea."

 

"I don't."

 

The answer she got made the woman blink a few times to digest the information. Why was she even surprised that this man made no sense? It was clear as crystal that he barely ever did.

 

Kate let out an amused huff. She took steps forward, until she was out of Caspian's reach, and started walking. The sienna-hided drake passed the turquoise-haired eternal without caring much, and bumped its flank accidentally into Caspian when it hurried after its mistress. The man stared after the two for a short moment, before he joined them with a few long steps, half ran.

 

"So would you like to--"

 

"No, Caspian, I wouldn't," Kate spoke over the other quickly and firmly, a smile framing her voice gently. Caspian sighed, seemingly relieved.

 

"Good. I don't know where it is, anyway."

 

Kate burst into laughter. "Oh my god, you're the worst!"