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Post by jialingjin on Dec 3, 2005 23:57:46 GMT -5
The terrifying sound would have brought fear to anyone's face. However, Jialing wasn't anyone. She did not care about the war, about how won, or about who was killed.. as long as she could make a living. Her expression turned from surprise to a expression of glee. Jialing's eyes darted to the man, who she dismissed with a quick wave of her hand. "Run if you want. I ain't looking for fight." Her lips curled into a grin as she shrugged, palms upward. "They might be willing to pay me for my services.. whatever those are." Jialing grinned, her eyes sparkling with the thought of money.. desperately needed money.
Fists were placed on her hips as she shifted her weight back to one foot. "Isn't that right, Jin?" The dog's tail started wagging at his mistress's voice and he danced on his fore legs. "So you can run away if you'd like.. I'll be staying here." Jialing crossed the path to where the trees began to evolve into the forest. With a greedy smirk on her, she leaned against a tree. She lifted one leg, and crossed her arms. "Let the Fire Nation come.. I don't care one bit who's currency I use.."
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Post by read on Dec 4, 2005 0:20:43 GMT -5
Read just stood there. "How the hell could you do that!? The Fire Nation is tearing apart the world and you would want to help them!? Tell me, if one of your services were to kill an innocent child just for being born into the Earth Kingdom, would you!?" Read yelled at her infuriated. "And how do you know they'd want you to fight for them, hmm? They'd probably want you to entertain the soldiers! But as long as you can get money it's all good right?" Read took a deep breath and spoke as calmly and as softly as he could, "But who am I to tell you what to do?I'm going to leave here and I wish the best for you and your dog on your way." And with that Read walked off through the trees and shrubs into the forest to where he thought the shore would be.
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Post by jialingjin on Dec 4, 2005 2:02:45 GMT -5
"It's kill or be killed, Law of survival.. whatever you want to call it." Jialing didn't raise her voice, but simply turned her head down and shrugged, lifting a hand off her arm. "What do I care? I'm trying to survive." It wasn't her fault the Fire Nation was on a war path and there wasn't anything she could do stop them. "It's not like anyone else stands a chance.." Her voice trailed off as he started to leave. Well fine! With a scoff, she sneered, turning up here nose. Jin whined, looking up to his mistress all of a sudden. His tail had dropped, while his ears had perked. The dog's brows rose as his eyes drifted from Jialing to Read to Jialing again. "..What, Jin?" Then it hit. Whistling through the air, a large shell rocketed. The round ball of flame illuminated her face, slamming into the trees just to the right of her. The blast sent up dirt, rocks and the trunks of trees. Jin barked, racing out of the area as smoke, dirt and clouds rolled up around the area.
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Post by read on Dec 4, 2005 12:06:00 GMT -5
Read was walking hoping he would get through the forest to the shore. He walked and walked, but he wasn't getting far. Read hear an explosion, Read quickly looked up to the sky. There was dust and sparks flying every where into the sky followed by a bark. The birds in the tree wildly scattered as it began to collapse. 'Either they found her or they're getting really close...'
Read looked to the ground, then back in front of him and stared walking. 'You know they're going to kill her!' 'That's what she wants by the looks of it,' 'You don't even know her!' 'I do enough to continue walking,' 'Do you even know her name?' '..I don't want to know that girls name,' 'Use your common sense!' 'I am using my common sense by leaving her there,' 'You wouldn't know common sense if it bit you on the ass!' Read just tuned his mind's 'voice' out. And continued walking.
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Post by jialingjin on Dec 4, 2005 14:45:30 GMT -5
As the fireball closed in, Jialing started to move. Her feet nearly flew as she rocketed off the tree. Her hands flew to her shoulders, keeping her bow near. Chunks of dirt, rocks, and shards of tree trunks went wizzing by her, coating her with a fine layer of dirt. The thick clud rumbled up, swirling across the area before settling.
Jin was dashing through the trees, leaping over fallen trunks and weaving around them. The long hair of his coat streamed outbehind him, catching on bushes and ripping from his skin. The dog broke out through the bushes, his claws sinking into the dirt as he came to a stop. His bark, a shrill, high pitched thing, sang through the forest. He had to caught up with Read.
Jialing stumbled to a halt, falling to one knee. With her hair whipped about by a sudden gust of wind, she stared back at the settling cloud. Above the remaining trees, she could see a massive catapult making it's way through the trees. Smoke rose above the forest, as trees burned and were felled. Why hadn't she noticed this?! Silently, the woman cursed herself. So they were clearing a path through the woods for their catapults? Troops? What? "..Come on, Jin." Jialing lifted her head, her amber eyes searching around her. The laughing, golden dog was no where to be seen. Slowly, she rose to her feet, her brows furrowed in deep worry. her head swiveled in panic, as the fires closed in slowly behind her. "...Jin..?.... Jin!"
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Post by read on Dec 4, 2005 16:58:39 GMT -5
Read was walking when he heard something in the bushes. “I bet you’re that squirrel that kept chasing me,” But the sound just got louder. “Ok not a squirrel,” Read wasn't quite sure what it was so he stopped and went into a battle stance. Out of the bush came.... a dog? "You’re that girl's dog," Read said pointing to him.” You seemed like an obedient dog, why would you wonder off?” Then it hit him. "Come on boy; lead me to your Mistress!" Read said as he started to run hoping the dog knew what he said. 'I knew this would happen.’
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Post by jialingjin on Dec 7, 2005 0:39:18 GMT -5
Jin lowered his head, his ears pressed back against his skull as he whined. The golden dog backed up, away from the man. He did not want to go back to where the loud noise came from, he did not want to go back to the fire. The dog instead turned and ran again, racing away into the brush of the woods.
In a wave of panic, Jialing batted away a wave of smoke as she ran forward. There was something lacking now in her, that snobbish, determined facade was gone, replaced by some fear like that of a child who had lost a favorite toy. Jin was her outlet, an outlet for her to express herself too. In their two years together, the dog had never..ever.. left her side. She was lost without him.. She fell against a tree, her shoulder striking the bark and splintering a tiny section of it. Her bow fell down around her wrist. Scruntching up her face, Jialing took a hold of her arm, trying to shove her bow back into place across her shoulder as she held onto the freshly ground scrapes. The woman coughed in the thin cloud of smoke, again pushing herslf forward into cleaner air. "Jin!"
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Post by read on Dec 7, 2005 13:38:12 GMT -5
Read continued running, even though the dog wasn't coming. Read followed the smoke and flames. "Hey! Can you hear me!? Where are you!?" He shouted into the smoke. Then Read heard a scream,'Jin!' it called. It was a woman's voice. Read saw the woman and raced to wards her as fast as he could. "Are you alright!?" He asked her panicked. She looked so weak. Her shoulder was all scratched up and bleeding. "Come on," Read said holding out his hand. 'There's not enough time! Grab her and go!' He yelled at himself.
Read grabbed her arm and put it around his shoulder again wincing from his wound before. "Come on, Just walk with me," Read said to her. Read started to walk/jog through the up coming smoke to wards the shore. "All the animals are running south, the shore should be there." Read said to himself. "Lord, I hope I'm right."
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Post by jialingjin on Dec 12, 2005 13:26:23 GMT -5
Jialing would not allow herself to be touched. She threw her arms out to her side, flaying as if she had encountered a swarm of scorpion bees. Her panicked faced swiveled around, searching Read and the area around him. "Have you seen Jin?! Jin!" Biting her lower lip, She shoved her way past him and spun around searching the woods and scanning every creature that came barreling past them. The Firenation was getting closer, but their sweeping path of fire was well ahead of them. Her brown hair whipped around her face and shoulers, the ribbons and beads getting caught in a mass of tangles. Her skin was now covered with a light dusting of ash and soot. She bushed her cheek with the back of her hand, smearing a blotch onto her skin. If Jin was dead... or hurt... No, she wouldn't think that way, not till she found him. With blood trickling down her right arm, Jialing dashed off into the unburned section of the woods, ignoring all help from Read (rather rude ain't she?).Her bow, carved from a dark, red wood, bounced against her shoulder, the string pulled taught aginst her chin. Bells, hooks, and buckles jingled against her hips and torso, the harness slipping further of one shoulder with each step. Through the woods her voice, now a stentorian volume, screeched in a subtle desperation. "Jin! Jin!"
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Post by read on Dec 12, 2005 18:59:51 GMT -5
Read was trying to keep up with Jialing. He swirved through bushes, trees, shrubs, and fire. He was covered in dirt, and his shirt was getting tears in it. Lose threads were being caught on branches and ripping his shirt even more. "Wait! Hey! Wait!" He screamed at her. "Your dog is over this way!" "He's over here!" He screamed at her again. Read caught up with her and grabbed the back of her shirt. "Listen to me for one second! Your dog is over this way!" Read started to cough, " And if we don't get out of here quick we'll both either die from the flames or the smoke." Read started to run one way beconing her to follow.
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Post by jialingjin on Dec 15, 2005 19:25:35 GMT -5
Jialing's feet stopped, her heels sending a plume of dirt into the air. She keeled over, a hand outstretch to keep her balance as her head lifted and turned.Her dark brows lifted from over her amber eyes, nearly disappearing under her thick hair. "He is?" Her harsh voice murmured, jaw dropping. As if she had turned merely on a dime, Jialing's body rose in a lurching diagonal and she dashed back over the path she had taken. Leaping over a fallen log, she stumbled forward, gathering her feet under her in a series of hops just as she passed Read. "..Where?!" The woman called back, turning around to speak to him as she jogged backwards. Her hair bounced in her face, the dirty and greasy strands doing nothing to help her dirt and soot streaked face.
The catapults, with their creaking wheels and gears, were getting louder and obviously closer. The catapults, with their flaming loads were being sent ahead of the main marching force, with a squadron of men to clear the path. Over the squaking of birds, the chittering of foxes, and the growls of the larger creatures being driven from their home, the soliders could not hear the shouts of the two youths.
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Post by read on Dec 15, 2005 22:27:31 GMT -5
Read turned around and sprinted for ward. The young woman was now following so he didn't look back. Read followed the same path he took to find Jialing, but this time to wards the dog. Read swerved around trees and kept low as he ran. Read looked back and made sure the young woman was still running after him/ with him.
Read slowed down to a slow jog and went around a bush. "Told you he was he," Read told the girl as he bent over and caught his breath. But there was no time to stop. The smoke and flames were closing in on the three and they were being pushed towards the shore. “Listen, we have to continue to the shore if we want to get out of here alive. If you don’t want to then you can stay here. But I’m going before we burn to a crisp. Are you with me?” Read asked.
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Post by jialingjin on Dec 16, 2005 22:51:02 GMT -5
Stiff pads poun the dirt, the moss and the dry leaves, creating a crunching sound that the dog whined at. His head was low, a crest of long fur raised as high as gravity allowed from inbetween his shoulder blades, as he paced along. Jin would not allow himself to go any further, though his instinct told him to run with the rest of the fleeing animals. They did not have a mistress. His golden fur, which shown in the sunlight, was now a dull brunished yellow, the smokey haze filtering out the sunlight. Again, He whined and shook his head.
Her arms broke through the underbrush, her brown skin marred by hundreds of tiny red scratches. Blast those thorns! Jialing stopped, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she doubled over, her other hand on her knee. Those bandages, meant to protect her arms from the bow strings, did not face a chance against thorns and branches and now hung like tatters from her slender arms. A deep throated whine brought her attention back and her head up. The sooty haze in the air did not hinder her recognition of the long-haired cur companion. "Jin!" Within an instant, she had the dog in her arms, face buried in his mangy coat as the dog pawed at the ground anxiously and whined.
Hardly hearing Read, the woman lifted her head, brown gaze fixed stiffly on him. One corner of her lips curled up in play. "I'm not with you... but I'll gladly let you lead the way."
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Post by read on Dec 16, 2005 23:43:45 GMT -5
"Fine. Let's move," Read said quickly as he again began to run."You're Welcome," He said under his breath.
Read caught something in his eye and stopped. He rubbed his eye and out came a....fly? "Uh! Nasty!" He screamed as he flicked the fly off his finger. Looking back to Jialing and Jin, he once again started to run. Read saw a stream and followed it until..the ocean. "Finally! The ocean!" Read exclaimed looking around for his ship. He looked to his right and there she was. His boat built with sanded oak, glazed with a mixture of slime and oils. Its light brown mass shimmered in the sun, while the wind lifted the green sails. The ropes waved back and forth as if dancing. "Thank the Lord it's high tide!" Now, all Read had to do was lift the anchor and he would be off. Read looked at Jialing and Jin.
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Post by jialingjin on Dec 17, 2005 1:35:35 GMT -5
And so, they followed Read though Jin often times raced ahead of the two and stopped, looking back. It did not take them long to find the river as they only had to follow the deer and long ear-rabbits. The river, as all rivers do, led them to the ocean. Jin rushed without hesitation to the waiting boat, which Jialing had no clue was Read's. The Dog, with his long tail wagging walked to and fro across the bow's railing as if it was his boat and he was.. 'king of the world'. Straightening, Jialing through her head, frowning at the pup. "Jin, get over here!" She called, patting her free hand against her thigh. The golden colored dog leapt off the bow and onto the sand. He trotted to Read's side, as the man messed with the anchor and planted his rear end. Jin whined in his deep, pathetic whine. Both eyebrows lifted, as Jialing took on an amused apperearance. "..You want to go with him, Jin? Fancy that.." Her head rolled to the side.. eyes following. "Come on.. don't be silly, pup."
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