Meesei said no more about the blood sample once Fendros gave his short explanation, as she understood his meaning. As much as Ahnasha had been trying to hide it, Meesei could tell something had changed about her since the events with the cult. Perhaps she did not know the extent of her mental scarring, but she knew it was there. It was a difficult topic for Meesei to approach, but at least it seemed that they were finally getting help in some form.
Though much less sensitive than the situation with Ahnasha and Fendros, Janius' question still gave her pause to think. While the obvious answer would be to allow her to do what was instinctual for her beast spirit, that might not necessarily be the best option for their situation. Werecrocodiles tended to be independent, but Kaleeth needed to be able to cooperate with others, even in her beast form. "She should join the rest of you. It might be more comfortable for her to hunt on her own, but she is going to need to break away from her beast spirit's independence eventually. Instinct is a large part of what drives our beast forms, but it is not everything. Practice can change even strong habits."
Meesei approached Ahnasha and gave her a silent, understanding nod as she took Rhazii from her so she could transform herself. "As usual, you have the lead, Lorag." She said as the others were shifting around her. "I will remain here to watch Rhazii and Leaps."
EliteCommander Member
The Commander of Elites
- Last Seen: 10 hrs ago
- Joined: 12 yrs ago
- Posts: 8963 (1.97 / day)
- VMs: 2
-
Username history
- EliteCommander 12 yrs ago
-
Latest 10 profile visitors:
-
Most recent →
Ashifa ASMR YT,
Gurkenkrater,
Cath,
StarfrostedFox,
Sunflower,
Hibachi90,
Not a Sayan,
Digmata,
Raqueltrper,
Love Dove
Status
User has no status, yet
Bio
User has no bio, yet
Most Recent Posts
Remember a while back when I was backing up the RP and discovered that it was over 500k words long? I just learned that the Lord of the Rings trilogy is about 437k words long, and the longest work of fiction in history is only about 7X longer than this RP.
Meesei had not been awake long before she noticed Ariel. The next thing she noticed was, of course, the fact that Ahnasha and Fendros were draining some of their blood into vials. She did not know why she needed it, but knowing Ariel, it was likely for something alchemical. Lycan blood certainly had its interesting properties, the most dangerous of which being its tendency to infect others with the gift of beast blood. She trusted that whatever she was doing with it was well-intentioned, but she wanted to know nonetheless.
"Well, we may as well get the hunt out of the way while we can, so it is good that you arrived so soon." Meesei commented. "As for dinner, I would love to join. Unless something prevents us from coming, I will make sure to be there before sunset. I recall that Rukeewei was quite the friendly person, so it should make for a great evening. I...do have a question, though, but not about the dinner. I trust you, of course, but...why is it you are collecting Ahnasha and Fendros' blood?""
Kaleeth had been focused on unstrapping her armor as Ariel answered her, so she did not notice that she was taking samples of blood at first. As soon as she was out of the armor, her eagerness to begin the hunt prompted her to begin her transformation early. Fortunately, their camp was far enough from the city that there was little danger of detection. As she shifted into her werecrocodile form, she managed to suppress her beast spirit's usual satisfied roar upon being released, though it still gave off a low rumble. After stretching out the significantly stronger muscles of her new form, she finally took note of the blood Ahnasha and Fendros were drawing once Meesei mentioned it. Kaleeth was still not entirely informed on the properties of lycan blood, so she looked down at Ariel curiously with head tilted to the side, as she was still unable to form words correctly in this form.
"Well, we may as well get the hunt out of the way while we can, so it is good that you arrived so soon." Meesei commented. "As for dinner, I would love to join. Unless something prevents us from coming, I will make sure to be there before sunset. I recall that Rukeewei was quite the friendly person, so it should make for a great evening. I...do have a question, though, but not about the dinner. I trust you, of course, but...why is it you are collecting Ahnasha and Fendros' blood?""
Kaleeth had been focused on unstrapping her armor as Ariel answered her, so she did not notice that she was taking samples of blood at first. As soon as she was out of the armor, her eagerness to begin the hunt prompted her to begin her transformation early. Fortunately, their camp was far enough from the city that there was little danger of detection. As she shifted into her werecrocodile form, she managed to suppress her beast spirit's usual satisfied roar upon being released, though it still gave off a low rumble. After stretching out the significantly stronger muscles of her new form, she finally took note of the blood Ahnasha and Fendros were drawing once Meesei mentioned it. Kaleeth was still not entirely informed on the properties of lycan blood, so she looked down at Ariel curiously with head tilted to the side, as she was still unable to form words correctly in this form.
Ahnasha looked away from Ariel and stared straight ahead. Such a promise seemed easy to make, as it was something both she and Fendros wanted. To come to terms with her memories would be wonderful, but she had no idea how to begin to solve such an issue. It wasn't like a physical wound that could be healed with time or magic; it was far deeper, and far more sinister. "I...can promise we will try. I don't want to feel this pain anymore, but I don't know how to deal with it. We did not have time to attempt the same ritual as Sabine, and I have no idea who else can help. I know people have experienced trauma like this before, and I know some have overcome it, so it is possible, it's just...I can't promise we will succeed. I can promise I will do everything I can to bring us back to normal, back to the way we were before, but I can't promise success."
Ahnasha spoke honestly and openly, though she hated showing such weakness. A glance over to the rest of the camp revealed that Lorag and Meesei were staring to awaken, and Janius and Kaleeth were returning to the camp. It likely would not be long before Meesei sent them on their hunt. Meesei herself would likely be staying behind to take care of Rhazii, as her ring allowed her to stay in control regardless of how long she went without turning.
Once back in camp, Kaleeth went to drop off her belongings at her bedroll, which was close enough to Ariel and the others near the edge of camp that she could comfortably speak to them. "Good morning." She said cheerfully. "We are probably going to go on our hunt soon. You traveled with them for a while didn't you, Ariel? Did you ever help with any of their hunts?" She asked as she removed her armor in preparation for the hunt, unaware of their prior conversation.
Ahnasha spoke honestly and openly, though she hated showing such weakness. A glance over to the rest of the camp revealed that Lorag and Meesei were staring to awaken, and Janius and Kaleeth were returning to the camp. It likely would not be long before Meesei sent them on their hunt. Meesei herself would likely be staying behind to take care of Rhazii, as her ring allowed her to stay in control regardless of how long she went without turning.
Once back in camp, Kaleeth went to drop off her belongings at her bedroll, which was close enough to Ariel and the others near the edge of camp that she could comfortably speak to them. "Good morning." She said cheerfully. "We are probably going to go on our hunt soon. You traveled with them for a while didn't you, Ariel? Did you ever help with any of their hunts?" She asked as she removed her armor in preparation for the hunt, unaware of their prior conversation.
Kaleeth gave a satisfied smile when she stood to her feet. These kinds of victories were not too common for her, so she enjoyed them whenever she could. As she was contemplating what to do next, she glanced back to camp and noticed Ariel and Sabine. It was slightly disappointing to see them so soon, as it likely meant they would be leaving shortly on their hunt. She and Janius had only just begun their sparring, but it wasn't as if they could not pick it up again later when they returned. Besides, controlling her lycan form was also something she needed to practice.
"I'm not sure, but it looks like Sabine is back. I think Meesei said we would be going on our hunt after that. I want to do this again when we get back, though. Maybe...you can try to think of what I need to work on the most? I think you know what that would be more than I do." She suggested.
Ahnasha shifted uncomfortably, which, in addition to the increasing activity in camp, spurred Rhazii to awaken. It wasn't seconds after he started to whine that she picked him up in her arms to comfort him. As for Ariel's question, though, she had a hard time responding. Even though she had fully planned on explaining it to her, it was a topic that affected her far too deeply for her to ever be truly comfortable talking about it. Nevertheless, it appeared nothing was ever going to change if she did nothing about it, and her desire for relief outweighed her desire to appear strong.
"It's...not that. .It's not because of our beast blood, though I doubt that is helping. It's..." Ahnasha began, taking in a deep breath as she looked straight ahead, instead of at Ariel. "When we were fighting those mercenaries to gain the favor of the cult, myself and Fendros were captured. Their leader wanted information, so he cut me open and made Fendros watch. I couldn't handle it, and I still can't now. It's burned into our minds, and we can't get away from it. I don't flash back to it while I'm awake as much anymore, but I'm still plagued by night terrors, at least a few times a week. It is to the point that I am almost afraid to go to sleep. I doubt there is anything that can just stop nightmares, but...if there is anything that can just make us forget our dreams altogether,...you have no idea how grateful I would be."
"I'm not sure, but it looks like Sabine is back. I think Meesei said we would be going on our hunt after that. I want to do this again when we get back, though. Maybe...you can try to think of what I need to work on the most? I think you know what that would be more than I do." She suggested.
Ahnasha shifted uncomfortably, which, in addition to the increasing activity in camp, spurred Rhazii to awaken. It wasn't seconds after he started to whine that she picked him up in her arms to comfort him. As for Ariel's question, though, she had a hard time responding. Even though she had fully planned on explaining it to her, it was a topic that affected her far too deeply for her to ever be truly comfortable talking about it. Nevertheless, it appeared nothing was ever going to change if she did nothing about it, and her desire for relief outweighed her desire to appear strong.
"It's...not that. .It's not because of our beast blood, though I doubt that is helping. It's..." Ahnasha began, taking in a deep breath as she looked straight ahead, instead of at Ariel. "When we were fighting those mercenaries to gain the favor of the cult, myself and Fendros were captured. Their leader wanted information, so he cut me open and made Fendros watch. I couldn't handle it, and I still can't now. It's burned into our minds, and we can't get away from it. I don't flash back to it while I'm awake as much anymore, but I'm still plagued by night terrors, at least a few times a week. It is to the point that I am almost afraid to go to sleep. I doubt there is anything that can just stop nightmares, but...if there is anything that can just make us forget our dreams altogether,...you have no idea how grateful I would be."
This was new. Kaleeth actually had Janius down. Sure, she had knocked him down before, but he was usually quick to recover. This time, however, she had her weight on him, so he couldn't move as freely. It was definitely a success, but it wasn't over yet. Frantically, she tried to think about what to do next. In her training, she had been taught not to let an opportunity go to waste, both by Janius, and by her father when she was becoming a hunter. Even if she didn't make the best choice, she had to do something.
Janius' shield protected his upper body, and Kaleeth did not know what to do to get around it, so she just tried to hit whatever was open. She did what she could to keep her shield between her and his axe, then started to strike at his right leg with her mace. Being that they were not in an actual fight, she did not hit him as hard as she could, so it was enough to hurt, but not injure beyond bruising. She couldn't really kill someone by hitting them in the leg, but she figured giving an opponent a broken leg would be better than nothing.
Janius' shield protected his upper body, and Kaleeth did not know what to do to get around it, so she just tried to hit whatever was open. She did what she could to keep her shield between her and his axe, then started to strike at his right leg with her mace. Being that they were not in an actual fight, she did not hit him as hard as she could, so it was enough to hurt, but not injure beyond bruising. She couldn't really kill someone by hitting them in the leg, but she figured giving an opponent a broken leg would be better than nothing.
This was new. Kaleeth actually had Janius down. Sure, she had knocked him down before, but he was usually quick to recover. This time, however, she had her weight on him, so he couldn't move as freely. It was definitely a success, but it wasn't over yet. Frantically, she tried to think about what to do next. In her training, she had been taught not to let an opportunity go to waste, both by Janius, and by her father when she was becoming a hunter. Even if she didn't make the best choice, she had to do something.
Janius' shield protected his upper body, and Kaleeth did not know what to do to get around it, so she just tried to hit whatever was open. She did what she could to keep her shield between her and his axe, then started to strike at his right leg with her mace. Being that they were not in an actual fight, she did not hit him as hard as she could, so it was enough to hurt, but not injure beyond bruising. She couldn't really kill someone by hitting them in the leg, but she figured giving an opponent a broken leg would be better than nothing.
Janius' shield protected his upper body, and Kaleeth did not know what to do to get around it, so she just tried to hit whatever was open. She did what she could to keep her shield between her and his axe, then started to strike at his right leg with her mace. Being that they were not in an actual fight, she did not hit him as hard as she could, so it was enough to hurt, but not injure beyond bruising. She couldn't really kill someone by hitting them in the leg, but she figured giving an opponent a broken leg would be better than nothing.
As they started again, Kaleeth quickly saw that he was going for the exact same attack. Since she was a bit more prepared this time, she knew how to respond, but she still had some worries about what he would do afterwards. After all, she had already told him what she intended to do, so he must have had some other kind of response in mind. She did not know what that would be, but she was hesitant to try the same thing again.
Kaleeth once again kept a close eye on his axe as she pushed forward with her shield with as much force as she could muster. Instead of trying to grab the axe, she lifted up her shield as she pushed forward to make it more difficult for him to unhook his weapon while keeping her mace ready and tried to pay close attention to whatever he was trying to do. If he did not attack, then she would just try and barrel over him.
Kaleeth once again kept a close eye on his axe as she pushed forward with her shield with as much force as she could muster. Instead of trying to grab the axe, she lifted up her shield as she pushed forward to make it more difficult for him to unhook his weapon while keeping her mace ready and tried to pay close attention to whatever he was trying to do. If he did not attack, then she would just try and barrel over him.
Kaleeth felt a bit of frustration with her failure, but it was nothing new. It only served to motivate her further to learn, so she would not have to feel it so frequently. She stopped and looked down at her shield as Janius spoke, going over in her mind what she had done in the fight. Overall, she tried to make sure her thoughts focused on her advantages; what Janius said she was good at.
"Well...I was trying to grab your axe and pull it out of your hand. It would give me a chance to attack, but..." She began, taking a moment to contemplate what would have made her more successful. "You pushed, instead of pulled. If I wanted to protect myself, and maybe get your axe, I should have pushed too. You couldn't have attacked me if I would've pushed with my shield before you did. I am stronger than, well, almost everyone, so that would usually work. I just have to focus on what I am good at."
"Well...I was trying to grab your axe and pull it out of your hand. It would give me a chance to attack, but..." She began, taking a moment to contemplate what would have made her more successful. "You pushed, instead of pulled. If I wanted to protect myself, and maybe get your axe, I should have pushed too. You couldn't have attacked me if I would've pushed with my shield before you did. I am stronger than, well, almost everyone, so that would usually work. I just have to focus on what I am good at."
Kaleeth was disappointed her attack did not work, but she really did not expect anything different. He was able to block her strike, and given that they were simply training, it wasn't too forceful. As well, he grabbed her shield, which was strapped to her arm, but if he started to twist it, she would have to resist instead of letting it twist as she could with a center grip shield. At least since she was making sure to watch his axe, she was able to block his initial strike. However, he was quickly able to bring up his weapon to hook over her shield and pull it down.
Kaleeth felt exposed with her shield being pulled as low as it was, so she tried to think quickly on how to respond. Her immediate thoughts were to what Janius had told her. She would never be faster than him, but she could always be stronger. She knew that she should not even attempt to outdo his agility, so she tried to react with force. Reaching over with her weapon hand, she attempted to grab the blunt side of his axe so she could pull back on the weapon as hard as she could, and hopefully bring it out of his grasp.
Kaleeth felt exposed with her shield being pulled as low as it was, so she tried to think quickly on how to respond. Her immediate thoughts were to what Janius had told her. She would never be faster than him, but she could always be stronger. She knew that she should not even attempt to outdo his agility, so she tried to react with force. Reaching over with her weapon hand, she attempted to grab the blunt side of his axe so she could pull back on the weapon as hard as she could, and hopefully bring it out of his grasp.
© 2007-2026