Kueth Kahkol
| Kueth Kahkol | |
| |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Au Ra |
| Clan | Xaela |
| Citizenship | Unaffiliated |
| Status | Alive |
| Occupation | Hunter/Gatherer |
| Relations | Sage (mate, deceased) |
Contents
Basic Info
History
Early Life as a Beast
It was legend in their tribe that Kueth was found scrounging the harsh lands of the Steppes with a pack of wolves. Others say he was a revered child god and stolen for a trophy during a raid. Some speculated that he was in good breeding and taken into training to be a beast. There was even a rumor that Kueth sprang from the roots of a sacred tree upon the prayers of his tribe to provide them with stout, hearty warriors. Whatever the truth, it was no question that Kueth was a finely built male with strength, cunning, and plenty of battle scars.
For much of his youth, Kueth was not considered a member of his tribe, but a beast meant to be released during raids to rage against all that stood in his path. He spoke little, did not know affection, and was chained up with a few others of his ilk and the hunting dogs. Life was simple; fight, eat, try to bite the hand that poked him for fun. Puberty caused more problems to his barbaric mind, as he was raped to produce strong offspring and, knowing no better, began to crave it. So much so that raiding and sex became synonymous to the Xaela. Fighting was pleasure, mating was pleasure. He had no understanding of what else there could be for him.
One raid, with fire raging through a tribal village and screams of agony filled the smokey air, Kueth came upon a hut with a young, pale Xaela standing before children with feeble hope of protecting them. Before his mouth could foam with joy of a kill and lift his ax, a blast of unknown origins tore the hut apart. Only a few minutes passed when Kueth regained consciousness, but he awoke to the pale Xaela pulling the last child from the rubble and made them run for the forests.
Filled with blood lust, Kueth did not realize at first how injured he was until he sought to tear the broken debris off of himself and go after the villager when his legs refused to cooperate and a shooting, agonizing pain overtook his body. It was then that he realized he was resigned to a fate of being burned with the village or attacked by a survivor. One such was the pale Xaela as he approached Kueth. Unable to retaliate, Kueth had no fear of death but attempted to fight his body's sluggish movements regardless.
However, there was no blood, no sheen of a sword, no hands wrapped around his neck. In fact, the young boy knelt beside Kueth, eyes soft like a woman's and kind. Just... kindness. Kueth had never been looked at by another with softness before. So shocked from the flood of foreign emotions, he didn't resist when the Xaela put his hands to Kueth's broken body and a nasty snap rocked his spine.
This time, it was hours into the night when he returned to consciousness laying by the edge of the forest, and the village nearby now simmering instead of blazing. The stranger had saved him and Kueth was baffled as to why.
Life continued on for a few more years. Kueth gained privileges by showing loyalty, allowed to hunt as long as he was not close to the tribe's own hunting parties. Shirtless, barefoot, and armed with only a spear, Kueth had tracked a herd of ram on a prairie like a lion on the prowl. He'd spent two days picking out his kill and waiting for the opportune moment when he spotted another hunter.
Young, likely one of their first hunts, wrapped in thick furs and soft soled boots was none other than that strange, pale Xaela from the raid. And the boy, now a young man, put a finger to his lips, calling for quiet without an ounce of fear. In fact, his eyes sparkled playfully with familiarity. A point to the kill--the same ram Kueth had decided upon--and then the Xaela nod to Kueth. Teamwork?
It took a good while for Kueth to realize he was being treated like an equal, and not only that, but someone had recognized him and smiled. No one smiled at Kueth that way! With his heart pounding, he nod in agreement and gripped his spear beside the other's bow and arrow. Never knowing a hunt beside another, Kueth was surprised at the sudden ease it was to flag down their game and capture the kill. It was clean and swift, surprising even the beast of a man, his heart swelling with unknown emotions.
More to Kueth's shock, the stranger swiftly cut out the ram's heart and took a hearty bite from it. The pale features were stained red with a bloody smile when he offered the heart to Kueth. Hesitation was new to Kueth, too, as he did not understand. After a few attempts to explain, to which there were many words Kueth did not know, the boy offered as simple an explanation as he could with patience and warmth. "We honor it. We thank it."
Kueth was not sure what these feelings were stirring in his gut, but he knew then that he was staying by this one's side. Without a glance back, Kueth took up the heart, and took up a new life with this Xaela.
Domestication
Mahir, this pale creature that had shown Kueth kindness, had immense patience with Kueth. He gave him his name and tried to teach Kueth how to integrate into a tribe as a man and not a monster. Which didn't always work to their favor, especially in the early years. From learning how to use utensils for eating and not to piss openly in the tribe's square, Mahir was willing to share all his knowledge with Kueth and gently reprimanded him for his unruly temper and bestial mannerisms.
The Kahkol tribe, to where Mahir had taken him, did not welcome the monster easily. Life was tense and they always pitched tent just outside the safe circle of the group. However, once Kueth became a bit more knowledgeable of day-to-day life, he also began to realize that Mahir was not exactly a welcomed member to Kahkol, either. He was a sage, witch, a creature not afraid to use blood and bones and darkness for the sake of healing. He was always experimenting and going on long Spiritual Walks. Although strong in his healing abilities and often sought out for them, he was very obviously an odd, macabre Xaela despite his sweet and innocent face.
