Fenikkusu Ei

[sera]

(( An old piece of mine i came across whilst looking for the information on the Merimo-go, which is  a race i created for my RP world.  lol  They're fairly involved, actually, and i hope that this piece is still interesting despite the fact that it might be a bit baffling as well. ^^;  ))

It was a quick pace, a bounding leap near to the ground, and she gloried in the feeling of power she had in simply running.  Long, pink tongue lolled from her open mouth as large paws ate up the ground, dark claws dug into the deep, rich earth beneath her.  She bounded around a turn, feet pushing against the rocky wall beside her, sending her flying back the other direction.  Dark, charcoal and smoke streaked sides heaved in pleasure, when a sudden, strange grunt, then a low voice murmured in her ear, "Dark, you have stop kicking."

Kicking?  She wasn't kicking, she was running, and the sheer joy of it. .. oh, she could run forever.

The elf sighed softly as the heavily muscled leg thumped suddenly into his side again, illiciting another soft grunt.  Gads, his ribs were going to be bruised tomorrow.  After another good kick, he gave up on sleep for now.  Darkened Wings wouldn't stop twitching until the dream had passed and Fenikkusu Eisei didn't think his sides would last the long if he remained.  He rose silently, skin obediently beginning to softly glow in response to the dim moonlight streaming through the window of his father's house.  He slid open the thin papered door and took a deep breath of the surrounding night. 

Toshi lay peacefully around him; silent and reposed in the middle of the night.  Ei put on his slippers and stepped on the wooden walkway that separated his room from a small garden area in the middle of the house.  An insect buzzed quietly from one of the trees and he took that moment to just breathe and re-center.  "I am a pool," he murmured into the night, staring at the small, still pond and trying to find the same deep level of calm.  Restlessness and unease continued to rise within him.  "More like the ripples from the rock," he muttered under his breath.  He moved to the staircase, familiarly changing slippers for sandals in one graceful move.  He straightened the slippers without a thought, then began to stroll along the square of green and stone.  This was a place of reflection, a place to find your calm.  But the calm of the community eluded him, and the dark red-eyed elf continued to pace uneasily. 

"You prowl the water like a tiger searching for its prey," a sudden deep voice caused the younger man to whirl, straightening to his full height uneasily. 

"Good evening, my father," he replied formally, hiding his surprise and unease quickly behind a mask of calm.  He was sure that somehow he loved this man, but. . . it was hard to remember on occasion. 

Eisei had never learned how the match had been sanctioned; perhaps simply because at the time of their first meeting only his father, Fenikkusu Tatsuya, had been elder-chosen.  Later, though, on the eve of her departure to join Toshi, his mother, Ryuu Hirome, had become elder-chosen in Tomo, her home village, replacing her father.  What a scandal is was to discover her pregnancy.  In the end, the wolves wouldn't allow her to leave, and she had remained in Tomo.  Thus, Eisei had begun his life in the Dragon School.  Leishei, his mother's wolf, had initially raised him, pushing him swiftly through the techinques of the Dragon, accelerating him through his studies.  It was just as well, Leishei abruptly deemed him ready at 75 years of age and sang the Deathsong.  The wolf had timed it well; Ei's father arrived in time to watch the ceremony and greet LeShus before taking his son away from his home.  It had taken a two weeks for them to reach Toshi and Ei could still remember wot his father had said, "This is Toshi, your home.  You are a Fenikkusu now."  And that had been that.

Tatsuya regarded the near mirror of his younger self steadily.  That Eisei was unhappy was evident to a blind man, and after the Bat came to him for the fourth time about the elder-chosen's unhappiness, the elder knew he had to do something about it.  However, getting his son to talk to him about it might prove more difficult.  He began to walk around the area, mirroring the younger man's steps only in the opposite direction.  He glanced back at Eisei, and soon the two were moving together silently.  Tatsuya watched his son out of the corner of his eye, taking in the long straight lines, the loft of the brow that was so like Hirome's.  Sadness winged swiftly through him and he felt the brief concern of Kiirosh from his bedroom.  He sent reassurance to the massive wolf, pushing the thoughts from his mind.  Fate had claimed his love and he lived a widower now.  ^^ But your concern is for the living right now, ^^ he strictly reminded himself, pushing his mind back to his only child; the only current heir of the Fenikkusu line in Toshi.  ^^ Wouldn't that be ironic, ^^ the thought came unbidden.  ^^ If something were to happen to all the adults in Fenikkusu. . . the line could die out in our own village. ^^  Well, he still had a sister and a younger brother.  It might be time to encourage them to settle down.  He knew from his own grandfather that the Fenikkusu tended to feel overly protective when leading the Toshi.  All these lovely thoughts, however, were not helping his relationship with his son.  Well, as his own father taught him, when in doubt, say something deep.  Chances are high that it will eventually come in handy. 

"The moon waxes within her own time, my son," Tatsuya said gravely.  He saw Eisei start slightly, then glance sidelong at him.  He didn't meet the young man's gaze, letting his own dark eyes sweep the garden.  He always felt so content here.  So at peace with the world.  He stopped, taking a deep breath of the night air and letting it release slowly back into the swell of darkness.  He heard Eisei do the same and felt pleasure.  He had been able to help!  With a clear conscience, Tatsuya strode a few more minutes with his son, then bid him a polite goodnight and went back to bed.

^^ Things went well? ^^  Kiirosh asked him mind-to-mind.

^^ Yes, ^^ Tatsuya knew his joy was vibrating across their link, but he couldn't not share his joy at finally connecting with his son.  Finally, after all these years.

Eisei had quietly bid his father goodnight, then gave another sigh of frustration.  The moon waxes. . . wot in the world did that have to do with him right now?  Such words didn't stem, didn't appease his spirit, that fought against his own self control like the waves against the shore.  He was a finite rock and, after 150 years here, he was certain he was little more than a pebble.  "Soon," he muttered forlornly.  "I will wear away completely, and the moon can continue waxing and waning without me!" 

The Phoenix's tail feathers shone red, orange, and yellow, in a brief flame of light, catching his eye.  Eisei stared glumly at the line of colour and movement that wound slowly up his arm to disappear across his shoulder.  The dragon remained hidden beneath his baggy pants, though if he looked he could see the blue-green tip of its tail.  His tattoo was just too apt; both sides of his heritage were at war within him.  He didn't know if he wanted to see the end of that battle.  With one last frustrated breath, Ei moved back to his room.  As the moon would wax as she willed, so the sun would rise in the morning.  He had plenty to do come daybreak. 

He glanced down at his bed where Dark sprawled across the entirety of it.  With a small shake of his head, Ei retrieved a blanket and laid down on the woven straw floor.  This wouldn't be the first time he'd slept here and, with Dark's energetic sleeping habits, it would hardly be the last.  It wasn't the floor, however, that left him staring up at the dark wooden ceiling for several more hours.

[Ryuukokoro]

Excellent start! I especially liked the ending, it would be a perfect end of a scene or chapter.

I think you did very well explaining these peoples and their lifestyles in the beginning and the end.

The middle section, starting with "Eisei had never learned how the match..." and ending with "Chances are high that it will eventually come in handy" tripped me up. I read it several times and couldn't understand what was being said, I think perhaps because this is a small piece part of a larger story where it would make sense. But otherwise the writing was very smooth and easy to follow. ^^

[sera]

*fluffs* Thank you, Ryuu! ^^  *loves getting feedback*

Hrms. . . *pokes at the confusing part*  Ahh. . .  The paragraph of 'Eisei had never learned. . .' is actually all about his history, whilst the next paragraph 'Tatsuya regarded. . .' is back in present times.  i must think on a way of making that smoother and more clear!  ^^

*happy wiggle at feedback and gamphs off*