Kaleeth and Meesei arriving back in such a state caught Sabine's attention. By her emotions, the blood, and the smell, something had gone wrong in a very particular manner. Sabine took the time to look between Meesei and Kaleeth's faces in turn while she broke down what could have happened. It was a few minutes of deduction before Sabine narrowed the possibilities, but Kaleeth's entire posture, her entire look, was something that made Sabine's heart fill with empathy. Even though it was in a cage at the time, Sabine was in Kaleeth's position years ago.
Sabine slowly stood up and stepped over to Kaleeth's bedroll. Moving deliberately, so as not to stress Kaleeth, Sabine sat down opposite her and reflected her seating position; knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Sabine looked at her with her beady stare, but this time the strange curiosity was backed up by questions. "Kaleeth-Rei?" Sabine started quietly, "What happened? Did you hurt someone?"
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Let Slip the Corgis of War
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Dear Mr Curly,
I have done little travelling lately because I have been so dreadfully weary. Can it be true as the old Ecclesiastes said; that all things lead to weariness? Surely not. Perhaps the opposite is true: that all nothings lead to weariness. I have a peculiar feeling, Curly, that I am worn out from something I haven't yet done and the more I don't do it, the more exhausted I become. How strange. Could it be something I haven't realised? Perhaps it's something I haven't said? Something I haven't finished! It must be very large and true whatever it is and a lively struggle in the doing but I look forward to it immensely. I know I need it. First, however, I must curl up in my chair and sleep deeply with the duck. Perhaps I'll dream of this thing and wake up refreshed and do it. My fond wishes to you Mr. Curly, and to all Curly Flat.
Yours sleepily,
Vasco Pyjama
xxx
P.S. Not having breakfast can make you weary. That's for sure!
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It's about ten to four in the morning here. Trying the wrecking ball treatment with my body clock to try and get used to daylight savings starting this weekend is my loose excuse, but I'll probably go to sleep after making a post.
If you like, I might involve Sabine with some interactions with Kaleeth if you want to sort this phase out over multiple posts.
Kaleeth's tone grated against Janius' patience. His own anger started to rise inside and it was reflected in a growl preceding his answer. "Few, if any of us want to kill. That is what makes us separate from monsters!" As Janius' voice escalated, he should have made it clear that his anger was directed towards himself, but his state of mind was not the clearest. "Do not ever think I want you, or anyone, even myself, to kill without reason!"
Janius halted in his tracks, shut his eyes and took a breath. He realised he was only making things worse by shouting. Before he allowed himself to get any angrier, he carefully placed Kaleeth down onto her feet, then turned, glancing to Meesei. "I do need to hunt. Now." Janius said, poorly holding back frustration in his voice. Without so much as a farewell, Janius dropped to all fours and bolted off into the wilds alone. He needed an outlet for his frustrations as much as he needed to feed.
Janius halted in his tracks, shut his eyes and took a breath. He realised he was only making things worse by shouting. Before he allowed himself to get any angrier, he carefully placed Kaleeth down onto her feet, then turned, glancing to Meesei. "I do need to hunt. Now." Janius said, poorly holding back frustration in his voice. Without so much as a farewell, Janius dropped to all fours and bolted off into the wilds alone. He needed an outlet for his frustrations as much as he needed to feed.
With a slow look over to Meesei, then back towards Kaleeth, Janius walked forward to where she was crying into the bloodied ground. He felt this was his fault again. He might have stopped Kaleeth, prevented her from realising what was probably one of her worst fears about being a lycanthrope. It was clear that there would be no more hunting or lessons for Kaleeth today, but Janius still needed to hunt for himself in his werewolf form. Without any words of comfort or clarification, Janius leaned down and scooped up Kaleeth in his arms, then he turned towards the camp and began to walk. He was intent on not letting her go until she was with the others.
With some time to think, Janius came to realise that it would only be a matter of time before something like this happened. He was fooling himself to think that it wouldn't. A slip of control, a set of bad circumstances. He had to admit that it was strange to find imperial highwaymen in such a dangerous land in the first place. It could have been a dangerous group equipped against great beasts of the marsh, putting Kaleeth's life in danger by attacking them. Or it could have been something that would be harder for Kaleeth to come to terms to, like peaceful travellers, a family even. Well, he supposed that was a family, by the words of the survivor. That only made him feel worse.
"I am sorry, Kaleeth." Janius said, talking with difficulty through his snout while he carried Kaleeth, "I wish your first person killed was under better circumstances, but it is what we all go through at some point." Janius wished he could transform back, but he needed to hunt. Seeing and smelling the blood only made it worse.
With some time to think, Janius came to realise that it would only be a matter of time before something like this happened. He was fooling himself to think that it wouldn't. A slip of control, a set of bad circumstances. He had to admit that it was strange to find imperial highwaymen in such a dangerous land in the first place. It could have been a dangerous group equipped against great beasts of the marsh, putting Kaleeth's life in danger by attacking them. Or it could have been something that would be harder for Kaleeth to come to terms to, like peaceful travellers, a family even. Well, he supposed that was a family, by the words of the survivor. That only made him feel worse.
"I am sorry, Kaleeth." Janius said, talking with difficulty through his snout while he carried Kaleeth, "I wish your first person killed was under better circumstances, but it is what we all go through at some point." Janius wished he could transform back, but he needed to hunt. Seeing and smelling the blood only made it worse.
Janius didn't have to so much as roar at the highwaymen to get them to turn tail, which gave him some space at least. Their own clumsiness unfortunately negated the advantage before Kaleeth began to close in. Janius spun around to face her and only had an instant of time to realise that Meesei had backed off. Without his alpha backing him up against the strength and bulk of Kaleeth's werecrocodile form bearing down the path, Janius flinched, then dodged out of the way. He knew he couldn't stop her, and if he tried, at least one of them would be torn to pieces.
In the moments that followed, Janius' mind frayed into panic, and he backed off and froze. Perhaps he had made the wrong choice in that split second. Maybe he could have given the highwaymen a chance to escape in he had held Kaleeth for only a few seconds. Now Kaleeth was going to kill someone probably for the first time in what will be a horrible way. They could only look on as the events unfolded.
In the moments that followed, Janius' mind frayed into panic, and he backed off and froze. Perhaps he had made the wrong choice in that split second. Maybe he could have given the highwaymen a chance to escape in he had held Kaleeth for only a few seconds. Now Kaleeth was going to kill someone probably for the first time in what will be a horrible way. They could only look on as the events unfolded.
Sent
Janius was otherwise calm as he and Meesei ghosted Kaleeth for a while. Janius' intended plan was to have either himself or Meesei try and find something for them both to eat so they had an easier time focussing. However, before they separated, Janius saw a reaction in Kaleeth's demeanour that connected with the scent of a nearby human. This wasn't good. If Kaleeth was heading in the direction of the smell, then she would either be seriously injured, or eat an innocent traveller.
There was no time. Janius had to think quickly. He looked at Meesei for a moment, then bolted off around Kaleeth and towards the road, intent on outrunning her there. If he could scare the human away and try to distract or hold back Kaleeth, she might avoid doing something that she regretted. Hopefully Meesei would catch on and help. Janius knew he couldn't outmatch Kaleeth's strength on his own.
There was no time. Janius had to think quickly. He looked at Meesei for a moment, then bolted off around Kaleeth and towards the road, intent on outrunning her there. If he could scare the human away and try to distract or hold back Kaleeth, she might avoid doing something that she regretted. Hopefully Meesei would catch on and help. Janius knew he couldn't outmatch Kaleeth's strength on his own.
Given how we're going to be skipping soon, if you'd like an extended scene for dialogue, Elite, I have some time to do a collab if you like.
Although Shiva didn't show it, Rareth's answer was curious to her. Though on thought it made sense to gear their society more towards preserving life where their population is already heavily controlled. Rothians were so foreign. Nevertheless, it seemed as if Rareth wasn't outwardly cross with the idea of Shiva's treason.
"Yes, it does." Shiva continued in a tone that didn't waver with emotion, having had more than enough time to cry about it in the past, "In the Sovereignty, there are few things worse than turning your back on your country and betraying them. In most cases, it carries a death penalty. The only reason that I wasn't killed was because I was very young at the time. The judiciary decided that I was too young to know better, so instead they beat me with whips,-" Shiva raised a hand to touch her tattoo, "-printed this tattoo onto my head, and threw me in a cell." Shiva's fingers traced across each symbol as she explained, "The first two symbols are a mnemonic for the prison facility I was placed in, the other four symbols are my serial number. I currently have twenty-eight years left on my sentence." Shiva lowered her hand and looked ahead, not making eye contact, "They may as well have killed me, though. I am marked as a traitor, so virtually every Sovereignty citizen treats me with contempt for it. This is actually the first squad I have been in which hasn't verbally or physically abused me since...well, ever. As for why I am here and not a cell, or what I did, those are longer stories."
With how many gaps Shiva gave in her explanation, she expected that Rareth would have more questions. Until they got behind closed doors, though, Shiva only explained as much as to answer her question about the mark. It just so happened that the officer's quarters were just ahead. Shiva still found it odd to make use of them as a 1st echelon, but she was half-following Rareth at this point.
"Yes, it does." Shiva continued in a tone that didn't waver with emotion, having had more than enough time to cry about it in the past, "In the Sovereignty, there are few things worse than turning your back on your country and betraying them. In most cases, it carries a death penalty. The only reason that I wasn't killed was because I was very young at the time. The judiciary decided that I was too young to know better, so instead they beat me with whips,-" Shiva raised a hand to touch her tattoo, "-printed this tattoo onto my head, and threw me in a cell." Shiva's fingers traced across each symbol as she explained, "The first two symbols are a mnemonic for the prison facility I was placed in, the other four symbols are my serial number. I currently have twenty-eight years left on my sentence." Shiva lowered her hand and looked ahead, not making eye contact, "They may as well have killed me, though. I am marked as a traitor, so virtually every Sovereignty citizen treats me with contempt for it. This is actually the first squad I have been in which hasn't verbally or physically abused me since...well, ever. As for why I am here and not a cell, or what I did, those are longer stories."
With how many gaps Shiva gave in her explanation, she expected that Rareth would have more questions. Until they got behind closed doors, though, Shiva only explained as much as to answer her question about the mark. It just so happened that the officer's quarters were just ahead. Shiva still found it odd to make use of them as a 1st echelon, but she was half-following Rareth at this point.
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