PLEASE remember this is my FIRST DRAFT, so... If it sucks, I apologize, hehe. And I still need to put up a post explaining the terminology, so just bear with me. And tell me what you think 
We’re dead.
Anouk’s chest heaved as she sprinted through the sun drenched streets of T’Ankir, stripping off her racing gear as she ran. Senka, her shadow fox unamenti, bounded along next to her.
We’re not dead, thought Anouk to the fox. Sarai won’t know we’re late—she’s at a gathering of the council.
Which is exactly why we’re dead. Senka’s fur melted from gold to red and back to gold as she darted across a vendor’s red mat. You’re supposed to oversee obstacle training when you’re mother can’t.
Oh, the girls can take care of themselves. They train the same way every morning, after all. Anouk ripped off her racing cowl, allowing her long red hair to stream behind her. Her feet threw up a cloud of sand and dust as she dug her heels into the ground, slowing down just enough to round a corner and sprinting on. But the narrow road before her was blocked by a cart with a broken wheel. Red haired Syrtians in dusty brown clothes unloaded crates from the downed vehicle.
Anouk’s sharp yellow eyes darted over the cart, the crates, and the surrounding buildings, which were interlaced with a spider web of colorful clothes lines. Her eyes flicked between the crates and the lines as she pulled her black racing gloves back on. She picked up her pace, savoring the pounding tremors that rocked her legs as she ran, reveling in the violent euphoria of pumping her muscles as hard as she could. Her heart raced, and a smile quirked in the corners of her lips. She lived for this.
Then, just as the cart driver spotted the sprinting girl and screamed for her to “Look out,” she planted a foot on one of the crates and launched into the air. She caught onto a clothes line strung just above the cart and swung herself over it, landing with a roll. From the roll she threw herself back into a sprint, glancing over her shoulder at the flabbergasted cart driver. “Anouk!” he bellowed, shaking a fist. Anouk laughed, and ran faster.
It would have been nice to be able to Sunweave, thought Senka. We’d get there a lot faster.
Anouk frowned. Since she’d been out all night at the snake races, she'd missed morning prayers and hadn’t been able to replenish her store of Luxthreads.
Running is better for us, she thought, sliding under a camel on her knees. We could use the exercise.
Senka gave a fox’s equivalent of a scoff. You and I both know—The fox threw herself into a narrow space between two buildings jumped between them to the rooftop—I am in perfect shape.
Anouk smiled up at the still sprinting fox, the thrill of competition sparking in her eyes. You wanna play that game? she thought. Before her the street ended with a tall, window stacked wall. Anouk threw herself forward, barreling toward the wall and hitting it hard with her right foot. She ran two steps up the sandstone and caught onto a window pane, pulling herself up it and launching herself onto the next window. She continued to climb until she reached the roof, where Senka sat waiting for her, tail swishing. You’re not in bad shape yourself, Senka thought. Anouk smiled, panting.
Anouk and Senka strolled to the edge of the building. Anouk lifted her hair off her sweat-slick skin, still panting as her eyes darted over the city below. T’Ankir, the royal city of Syrtis, sprawled before her, its peppering of gold domes glinting in the relentless desert sun. Sitting in the center of it all was queen Sanswari’s palace, made of perpetually flowing diamond sand. Surrounding the palace was the city’s water source, an inexhaustible crystalline oasis created by Sercobahn, God of Syrtis, for the sustainment of the people. Anouk licked her lips when she saw it. All the running had made her thirsty.
Some movement to Anouk’s left caught her eye—a dozen sprinting girls varying in age raced down the street below. Anouk tore off her gloves when she saw them and stuffed them in her pocket. Then she crouched, slippered toes curling over the edge of the building.
They all there? thought Senka.
They’re all there, Anouk responded, standing. She kept her eyes on the recruits as she sauntered into a light jog. Slowly she picked up her pace, running in the same direction the girls did, and as soon as they ran beneath her she broke into a full sprint and bounded off the building. She landed in a crouch on a wooden beam—one of many poking out of the surrounding walls. Then, without losing momentum she pushed herself forward and down, catching a second wooden beam and swinging to the ground. She rolled into place with the other assassins, running as if she’d been there the entire time.
“Morning, ladies!” she trilled. Senka bounded up beside her. “Welcome to morning obstacle training!”
Amrit, a young recruit with thin eyes smiled at Anouk. “Oh…shut up…Nou-nou!” she panted, stumbling over a rock, “Training’s almost over!”
“And BOY have I worked up sweat! What a workout this has been!” Amrit laughed as Anouk sped past her.
Aaaaaaaaand that's all I'm showing you. For now. Hehe...
We’re dead.
Anouk’s chest heaved as she sprinted through the sun drenched streets of T’Ankir, stripping off her racing gear as she ran. Senka, her shadow fox unamenti, bounded along next to her.
We’re not dead, thought Anouk to the fox. Sarai won’t know we’re late—she’s at a gathering of the council.
Which is exactly why we’re dead. Senka’s fur melted from gold to red and back to gold as she darted across a vendor’s red mat. You’re supposed to oversee obstacle training when you’re mother can’t.
Oh, the girls can take care of themselves. They train the same way every morning, after all. Anouk ripped off her racing cowl, allowing her long red hair to stream behind her. Her feet threw up a cloud of sand and dust as she dug her heels into the ground, slowing down just enough to round a corner and sprinting on. But the narrow road before her was blocked by a cart with a broken wheel. Red haired Syrtians in dusty brown clothes unloaded crates from the downed vehicle.
Anouk’s sharp yellow eyes darted over the cart, the crates, and the surrounding buildings, which were interlaced with a spider web of colorful clothes lines. Her eyes flicked between the crates and the lines as she pulled her black racing gloves back on. She picked up her pace, savoring the pounding tremors that rocked her legs as she ran, reveling in the violent euphoria of pumping her muscles as hard as she could. Her heart raced, and a smile quirked in the corners of her lips. She lived for this.
Then, just as the cart driver spotted the sprinting girl and screamed for her to “Look out,” she planted a foot on one of the crates and launched into the air. She caught onto a clothes line strung just above the cart and swung herself over it, landing with a roll. From the roll she threw herself back into a sprint, glancing over her shoulder at the flabbergasted cart driver. “Anouk!” he bellowed, shaking a fist. Anouk laughed, and ran faster.
It would have been nice to be able to Sunweave, thought Senka. We’d get there a lot faster.
Anouk frowned. Since she’d been out all night at the snake races, she'd missed morning prayers and hadn’t been able to replenish her store of Luxthreads.
Running is better for us, she thought, sliding under a camel on her knees. We could use the exercise.
Senka gave a fox’s equivalent of a scoff. You and I both know—The fox threw herself into a narrow space between two buildings jumped between them to the rooftop—I am in perfect shape.
Anouk smiled up at the still sprinting fox, the thrill of competition sparking in her eyes. You wanna play that game? she thought. Before her the street ended with a tall, window stacked wall. Anouk threw herself forward, barreling toward the wall and hitting it hard with her right foot. She ran two steps up the sandstone and caught onto a window pane, pulling herself up it and launching herself onto the next window. She continued to climb until she reached the roof, where Senka sat waiting for her, tail swishing. You’re not in bad shape yourself, Senka thought. Anouk smiled, panting.
Anouk and Senka strolled to the edge of the building. Anouk lifted her hair off her sweat-slick skin, still panting as her eyes darted over the city below. T’Ankir, the royal city of Syrtis, sprawled before her, its peppering of gold domes glinting in the relentless desert sun. Sitting in the center of it all was queen Sanswari’s palace, made of perpetually flowing diamond sand. Surrounding the palace was the city’s water source, an inexhaustible crystalline oasis created by Sercobahn, God of Syrtis, for the sustainment of the people. Anouk licked her lips when she saw it. All the running had made her thirsty.
Some movement to Anouk’s left caught her eye—a dozen sprinting girls varying in age raced down the street below. Anouk tore off her gloves when she saw them and stuffed them in her pocket. Then she crouched, slippered toes curling over the edge of the building.
They all there? thought Senka.
They’re all there, Anouk responded, standing. She kept her eyes on the recruits as she sauntered into a light jog. Slowly she picked up her pace, running in the same direction the girls did, and as soon as they ran beneath her she broke into a full sprint and bounded off the building. She landed in a crouch on a wooden beam—one of many poking out of the surrounding walls. Then, without losing momentum she pushed herself forward and down, catching a second wooden beam and swinging to the ground. She rolled into place with the other assassins, running as if she’d been there the entire time.
“Morning, ladies!” she trilled. Senka bounded up beside her. “Welcome to morning obstacle training!”
Amrit, a young recruit with thin eyes smiled at Anouk. “Oh…shut up…Nou-nou!” she panted, stumbling over a rock, “Training’s almost over!”
“And BOY have I worked up sweat! What a workout this has been!” Amrit laughed as Anouk sped past her.
Aaaaaaaaand that's all I'm showing you. For now. Hehe...
Last edited by LadyInk on Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:26 am; edited 1 time in total
