A Prayer in the Rain

A place for the stories that take place within Rhy'Din
Post Reply
User avatar
Rakeesh
Expert Adventurer
Expert Adventurer
Professional Duelist

Posts: 715
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 8:08 pm
Location: Unknown
Contact:

A Prayer in the Rain

Post by Rakeesh »

In the wee hours of the morning, the Spring rains washed grime from the streets of Dockside. The gutters were full, and the sloping alleyways carried the dirty waters down to the bay, and out into the sea.

But the smell in Dockside could not be washed away so easily by the rain.

But the old wounds in Dockside could not be cleaned by a simple downpour.

But the poor in Dockside could not take reprieve in the elements. The rain was just another problem, another symbol of oppression to them.

Rakeesh Sah Tarna was bone-tired. No amount of sleep could remedy that. He was old -- too old, and all of the rain in the world would not revitalize him. After all, the sky could not give him back years of his life, or return to him his youth. And, besides, the aged beast hated the discomfort of having wet, sticky fur. Even after twelve years walking this world, he was not used to it. His heart ached for Tarna, with its vast, dry desserts, its great pyramids and cities full of other liontaurs.

As day struggled to show itself, the Paladin crouched down over the body of a dead mage and let his red-brown eyes silently regard Dockside's newest victim. He was a boy, perhaps only sixteen years old, too young to have even grown a beard. He was a boy, and he was a mage, and he had been beaten to death by at least two armed men. Hateful messages had been carved into his flesh post-mortem.

Rakeesh did not bother to read what his murderers had written in blood. Hate was always the same, no matter the words that gave it shape. The liontaur laid his greatsword down before the body of the boy, shut his eyes gently, and prayed aloud in his world-weary rumble.

"O Sekhmet, Source of Strength and Mercy,
I am beset by sorrow and many troubles;
wounded by the world's injustice
and offended by its wrongdoing to others.
Grant me the strength to meet adversity
with quiet courage and unshaken will.

O Sekhmet, Overcomer of All Enemies,
Forgive our weakness and renew our hope.
Place your protective mantle around us,
help us remain steadfast and resolute
in front of our enemies.

Shield and defend me and those I shepherd
from the ravages of fear and anxiety.

O Sekhmet, Who Rouseth the People
Grant me the fortitude to show forbearance
to those who would sin against the People.
May I allow no trial, however severe,
to embitter my soul and destroy my trust.
May my heart not despair.
May my sword-arm not falter.

O Sekhmet, I praise and honor Thee.
My sword is your sword.
My heart is your heart.
Your hand is my hand.
Your justice is my justice.

Grant Mercy to the Wronged.
Grant Redemption to the Lost.
Grant Justice to the Wicked Ones.
Grant Strength to the heart of your Servant."


Rakeesh Sah Tarna continued to pray for some time there, in a nameless back alley, while the young mage's spilled blood mixed with the spring rain, flowing out towards the sea. What the storm couldn't wash away was what was beneath Dockside's grime: the quiet desperation of a neighborhood that had been at war with itself for too many years.
When I am silent, I have thunder hidden inside.

[OOC: Twitter is the best way to stay in touch. <3]
Post Reply

Return to “The Streets of Rhy'Din (shared)”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest