WINDS OF THE PAST

""BREATHLESS""

Just as they all stopped several feet away, Copper stood, sheathing his claws and hauled Ki to his feet. His hand, although slender, were powerful, like iron-bands around his wrists as he led him inexorably towards his Tundra, initially ignoring his futile, half hearted attempts to wrench away. But after a moment, he grew impatient, and jerking him to a halt, he shook him quit roughly.

"You can not escape from me, half-blood," he said softly, fiercely, a muscle working in his set, determined jaw as he stared at him, his eyes smoldering like embers as they raked over him. "Not now! Not ever!"

At that declaration, his heart began to pound so fiercely that he thought it would burst in his chest - and then, for the first time in all his years, entire lifetime, Ki fainted.

PROLOGUE : STORYTELLER

KA'TARIA : 3 days after New Fa'zz

KI'S HOME VILLA, ALO "WELCOME"


A Storm was coming, Shiro Ki Savage thought, as he glanced at the greying sky above the open pasture where their Tundra's grazed, and where he had just finished telling several stories to dozen's of Ka'Tri, half-blood, and human children. On the distant horizon, dark, swollen clouds were gathering, and the warm spring evening temperature had begun to cool. Rapidly.

Not that it mattered. Unlike so many of his Alaysha 'People', he didn't fear the dreaded thunderstorms, quit the opposet. And oddly enough his children, grand children, great-grandchildren and their children did as well.

But the thunderstorms came second to the main pleasure...besides family. And that was the joy of telling their history to eager listeners. Since he had such a good memories of history, folklore and ancient tales, he learned them and every new year...after the Great Fa'zz...he would tell the stories. Usually many of them, but this night the main story asked for was of the Outcasts...Chang'ko and his band of Ka'Tri Warrior's and Copper, a half-blood.

With him being the Letler'yorst 'Story Teller', as well as the derloh 'holder' of the stories, Ki was happy bout it. For he had loved the stories, folklore and history of his Alaysha 'People', but his favorite had been the Story called "WIND'S of the PAST", with Chang'ko, his outcast Ka'Tri and the half-blood Copper.

When he'd been younger, he had asked all the Elders about him, as well as the Older Letler'yorst 'Story Teller's', if Copper, the half-blood, had been truly been real, but he had gotten the same explanation. {{"It is a story, Kullo Gelo 'Strong Heart'. A story past down from ages past. We learn it, we tell it, we pass it along to the next Letler'yorst 'Storyteller'. Is it true? Maybe! Maybe not! Our job is to tell the story and pass it on, not ask if it's true.}}

That maybe none of them really existed had proved a crushing disappointment to Ki. Mainly because of Copper. Who was a half-blood, as is Ki, and treated cruelly by his family and Alaysha 'People' and had followed Chang'ko and the other Outcasts. He had always felt a connection to Copper, that they shared a bond. More than once, while growing up, he had told himself that it was a foolish, crazy idea that was. After all, if the half-blooded Ka'Tri had existed...well lived...he was long dead and buried, two thousand years before he'd been born, and even longer still with how "old" he really was. The fact that he, his children, grandchildren and so on, lived far longer than normal Ka'Tri's, didn't help much. Yet the feeling persisted...still...as strongly as in the beginning, and it had been a thorn in his side when the other kids found out his infatuation for him.

"Roje, roje!! Kullo Gelo's 'Strong Heart's' a roje!"

"Yeah, a roje! What else would you expect from a half-blood given birth to by his own Paja 'father'!? What happens if we touch you Kullo Gelo 'Strong Heart'? Will we become roje too?"

"Yeah, can't believe that you, a half-blood, would be good to hang around, we might get the roje germ if you touch us, so stay away! Get lost and don't ask to play with us anymore!"

From then on he was called a roje by all the kids as he'd grown up and from then to the time he'd gone looking for his Aja 'Mom', had become a word that hurt each time it was spoken with a disgusted and hateful tone.

Now, as Ki remembered their cruelty, he would sigh and push back the pain that came with remembering his years of growing up with them and their cruel words, actions and down right meanness in those days growing up. One had grown up to be the Zi'Luu 'Chief', heritage, while four others were killed in the hunt of his Alaysha 'People' by the huma's, one became a vel'sa 'slave' on a distant planet and the last two. One had beaten and raped him while they had been held captive by huma scientist, the other died shortly after.

Afterwards, for several years...four...he had cared for nothing but taking care of himself, his paja 'father' and slowly being winged from Smoke. Which he'd gotten addicted to during his year of captivity. He had given up dreams and fantasies, or about climbing the Warrior status ladder to become a Ka'Tri warrior and a success amongst his Alaysha 'People'. He had spent those four years wanting to be loved by another, besides his paja 'father'.

Shiro Ki would have been happy with the little hutch 'home', a garden and herb patch, a male who would pay attention to him and cared about his thoughts and feelings, who would talk to him at the end of the day. A helping hand about the small patch or just out of the blue a handful of killa's 'flower's' and a gentle loving that would leave them both sated and happy.

But than things changed when his Alaysha 'People' tried to have his paja 'father' killed and he had gone after his Maja 'mother'. Then many things had accorded from then to now. Many mate's life and soul bonding's, and barres of the Seal. Sometimes he would still dream of meeting Copper.

The half-blood Copper would be imaginative, exciting, bold and daring. He would notice him, ache for him and then he would determine instantly that he must be his, that he couldn't be without him or live without him. Then he would lift him up off his feet and carry him away to the Outcast's camp, where he would make mad, passionate mind blowing love to him.

Sadly of course, that was all just a fantasy, Ki thought now as he finished storing the last of the cushion pillows and looked up at the sky when thunder boomed but than lightning continuously shot across the sky than streak down to strike the ground.

"Shit...!" muttered Ki, as he hurried across the open space. *Kenie! Put up the shielding now!* he sent mentally even as he put up his own about the Tundra pastor. For lightning storms were bad on Ka'Taria because of the abundant metal that was through out the ground.

Muttering under his breath about the traditional ceremonial clothing of just a beaded fringed vest and knee length clout, Ki paused as he pulled off the band on his right wrist and pulled his hip length hair up into a high ponytail. His ears in full view and hurriedly began to toss several pots, pans, skillets and cups into a sack, and turned just in time to leap back as a bolt of lightning hit the spot he had been standing in.

"Shith..."

"Paja!!" cried Kenie, as she came running towards him. "You better go, Ja. I'll finish here."

Nodding, Ki placed his forefinger to his forehead, breathed deeply and at that exact moment, a horrendous burst of lightning shattered the heavens. As if several smaller bolts merged together. The huge, jagged bolt seemed to come straight towards Ki. Fleetingly, he felt his hair stand on end, warning him of the monstrous surge of electricity that was about to strike. Then, abruptly, the place he stood at exploded into a brilliant, dazzling white hot light - and than he knew nothing more.

"Paajjaa..." screamed Kenie as she rushed towards her Paja, but was blasted back by the blast. Minutes later, after she caught her breath and she could see and stand, she rushed to the charred spot and found...nothing.

Nothing except for a single bracelet that was made of crystal balls. "Nooo....paja." she wept as she fell to her knees and held the bracelet in her hands, ignoring the pain as it burned and those who stood around her as she wept. For though Ki wasn't dead, she couldn't feel him or sense him. For she had seen him shimmer just before the lightning struck.

"Where are you paja? Where are you?"

ONE

GRAND PLAINS, KA'TARIA

THE PAST


KI WOKE to grey sunlight shinning down in his eyes and groaned as he twisted away and gasped at the pain that shot through him. "Oh gods," he gasped, as he slowly sat up than stood, stumbling slightly before getting his balance and looked about him. Only to frown when he saw rolling hills and forests where the open space, pasture for the Tundra's, should be.

"What the hell!" he whispered, frowning as he moved out into the sunlight and looked about him. "Kenie? Entaly Gelo 'Angel Heart'!" he called out and frowned when all he got was silence minus birds flying away.

*Kenie,* he sent, than, *S'ki, Su, can you hear me!?* *Silver!* *Key!? Shith...!*

"What the hell," he snapped as he took off towards the tall rise before him, knowing that his villa 'village' was just beyond it - at the bottom.

"Shith! 'Damn', maybe I can get to them by teleporting," he muttered, but when he stopped and tried to teleport...he couldn't. For it didn't work. "What the hell is going on?!" he snapped as he stood on the hill and watched as the clouds slowly faded and the blue sky shown through.

"Ooh..." he whispered as he looked about him. For though he recognized the land marks of his villa, there was no sign of his Alaysha, or his villa. Anywhere! The area looked like it had never been used...ever.

"What is going on? What happened? Where is everyone, and why the fuck can't I contact them, feel them, let alone teleport!?" he muttered aloud as he dropped to his haunches and looked about him, his eyes drifting over the tranquility and silence of the area before him.

He didn't know how long he squatted there, his ears twitching towards each sound he heard as his tail flicked and curled behind him, helping him keep his balance; but it was the shouts of da'rds 'men', the thundering of hooves and the rumbling of Tundra paws followed by..."Ka'Tri," he said as he stood and raced down the hill, moving fast, his tail balanced out behind him.

The closer he got to the noise, the more uncomfortable he felt. Until anger, confusion, hatred and pain hit him, causing him to cry out, stumble and fall to his knees. He knelt there gasping for air as he pressed his right hand to his temple. Only to cry out as pain struck him across the back, than the chest and struggled to his feet, slamming shields up even as thoughts of rage, hatred and death slammed at them.

He had just crested the highest hill...with a steep drop...and gaped as he stumbled to a halt at what he saw.

Twenty humas on long legged horses were chasing eight Ka'Tri's on terrain raised Tundras. Their thick legs and massive muscular body's designed for uneven land pock marked with gola 'gopher' holes. Their pawed feet gripping the ground as they ran, while their claws dug in each time they made contact with the ground.

But it wasn't that that had him gaping, not the humas...though that was a surprise to...but it was the Ka'Tri's on the Tundras that caught his attention.

For the Ka'Tri in the lead on a sleek yet muscled stad 'male' tundra had caught his eye. For it was Chang'ko. Exactly as the letler 'story' described him, it was scary. Aside from him, there were seven more, on either stad or lida 'female' tundras, and each one Ki recognized as they shouted between each other and tossing back insults at the humas who trailed behind them.

"Am I linging 'dreaming'!?" he whispered, only to feel his heart leap and his gut drop when he heard a Ka'Tri roar and watched wide eyed as a blood red stad tundra came rumbling over a rise, with three more tundras and slammed through the huma ranks as if they were brambull bush's.

"Copper..." he whispered, as he watched the half-blood slash with claws and tail...done like jagged teeth on a dagger...both sides. As he stood there, he ignored the half dozen slash and cut marks, as well as the lazier holes through his arms, thigh and shoulder. Grimacing only once when a lazier grazed Copper's left temple.

Than, as suddenly as it had begun, the battle was ended. The Ka'Tri's successfully drove off the remaining humas, who cursed and yelled threats over their shoulders as they beat a reluctant but rapid retreat.

Moving quickly...down the sleep incline...ignoring the flowing blood and pain, Ki hurried down towards the flat ground, dazed and shaking, his heart racing, as was his mind. 'What is this? A ling 'dream'?' he wondered, as he leaped from rock to rock down the last hundred feet of the incline and stumbled to his knees when he reached the bottom. "....Ouch..." he said, grimacing as the pain intensified. Only to snap his head up, realizing then that the tie he'd used to hold his hair up, had snapped and his silver streaked tawny gold hair hung loose. But that's not what caused fear to hit him. It was the battle rage in the Ka'Tri as they rumbled towards him. Seconds later, he was surrounded by them, Chang'ko at their head.

"Where did you come from, byral 'boy'?" he inquired as he leaped from his tundra to land lightly and move towards him, menacingly, still caught up in his murderous rage.

"Me'ho 'What?'," he said, lifting his head, ignoring the flowing blood and pain, as he studied him.

*He is a young Ka'Tri Warrior,* he thought, watching him. A full blood...Ion 'Lion' type, with mane...who did not want humas' around his Alaysha and had been very vocal about everything the humas' did or wanted. But when they slaughtered a small Villa of flightless Rowspaz "Sparrows' all for their rainbow colored feathers, that had been the last straw and he, with several others who thought and felt like him, had become the Outcasts.

Ki couldn't help but feel sorry for him, and the others. Before he had been born his Alaysha had been dealt a rough hand in a hard time period...and in the end, *He wasn't so very different from some of the troubled young warriors of his time and his age.* he thought.

"Me'ho?" Chang'ko repeated his answer to his question. "Don't think so half-blood. I saw you come from over that hill and stand there watching the fight. Looked to me like you had come from the same direction they had!"

"Did I?" asked Ki, looking back over his shoulder, along then up the steep incline behind him, only to frown when he saw that no horse could make it down that incline without snapping its legs, or even its neck.

"Wrong! No humas horse would make make it down that incline, Chang'ko!" he snapped, glaring at the leader, only to flinch when he realized he had said his name.

"Really!? Than why are you here? Knowing my name, and looking like you have been fighting?" He crossed his arms, tail lashing behind him. "Maybe your a pasha 'whore/pleasure pet' for the huma soldiers, and brought them here to catch us on one of our hunts! Right boy's!" He glanced around at the other Ka'Tri's for confirmation of his theory.