Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag's hits delivered more force than they appeared. Narsi flailed one more time to try and reach him with her claws and found herself overbalanced in the opposite direction. She staggered back and fell onto her knee and hand. She could no longer see straight, or even think straight. She growled and snapped as an automatic response.

After a second on the ground, she tried to stand up and fell forwards. She rolled onto her side, breathing quickly, half-conscious, and thoroughly concussed.

---

Janius gave Kaleeth a worried look. He could not think of anything to say either. Saving the world was necessary, but remaining away after that could only be seen as selfishness if he would declare it out loud.

"Well, for whatever might happen in the future, we still came by to visit now," Janius said, trying to move on. "I am sure you and Kaleeth have much to catch up on. Kaleeth and I wanted Julan to know what life is like here, as well. And, perhaps later, you and I might speak as well? I left a poor impression the last time. If you would give me a chance to repair it...?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag's powerful blows did not outwardly appear to deter Narsi's movements beyond her head's yielding to his fist, but the pain was real and apparent where they landed. Narsi naturally swiped at where Lorag dodged to as if her speed would make up for her lack of skill. Lorag remained in full control, predicting Narsi's movements intuitively enough to convince her that he was reading her mind.

She remained furious. The lack of success only goaded her further. After a spin to face Lorag again, Narsi stepped up to swipe at his arms with the claws of her right hand. She followed up with a swipe from the left and planned to continue. She just wanted to land a strike at this point.

---

Janius held firm. "I could not withhold anything from Kaleeth, even if I wanted to. We have been living one life for too long." He blinked his eyes to Kaleeth. "She is telling the truth. And the situation is not as simple as singular favours. There are people depending on Kaleeth."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Narsi kept low and sprung. Her ears pinned back and her lips remained curled up to show her full set of sharp teeth. Between near-constant growling and snorting were threatening barks and cautious paces around Lorag.

For all her ferocity and speed, Narsi's movements were predictable. She did what most young lycans did by instinct; she leapt with all her body-weight direcly at Lorag in an effort to force him to the floor, going for his arms with her hands and the throat with her teeth.

At the very least, her savagery did not accompany the usual relative lack of strength from a starved feral lycan. Harriet had kept her exercised.

---

Janius looked away as well, desperately trying to put together a reasonable protest to Zharan. Again, he spoke slowly and carefully. "You would be doing something tremendous by letting us all stay, Zharanthixil. I'm grateful, really. Perhaps, in a different time, under different circumstances, I could remain." He sighed. "But my place is not here."

He bit his tongue before he let out an allusion to their upcoming mission and the danger it put Zharanthixil's tribe in, let alone the rest of Mundus.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Narsi held a scowl at Lorag. She looked about ready to lose her patience and protest about his recommendations of tact, but he did not give her a chance to speak.

Lorag left her in her room standing up and staring at nothing. He found her the next morning fast asleep in her bedroll, curled up like a cold animal. However, she was a light sleeper. Lorag's second footfall brought her to consciousness and she was standing upright in an almost military shortness of time.

All the same, she was still bleary-eyed on her way to the training room. She only started paying proper attention once she noticed the other people present and looking at her expectantly.

"Momma only taught me to fight as an Orc," she mumbled to Lorag. "Said I needed to be more lucid as a wolf before I could fight that way. But I still wanna hit you."

While she hesitated around the strangers, Narsi's anger overtook her modesty. She pulled off her clothes in a rush, throwing them down, and then straightened. She relaxed her shoulders and exhaled.

Young though she was, Narsi's own physique suggested Harriet had not let her off easily. She was spry, well built, and bruised in places often struck in sparring. If there was any cause for concern, it was her fallow torso. Lorag would have noticed the signs on Harriet as well -- they evidently had lean diets, for one reason or another.

Narsi's brief meditation was predictably interrupted with her breath catching in her throat. She doubled over and let out sounds of struggle as the transformation process set in. It was plain to see she had not transformed enough times to get used to the pain.

Still, the same werewolf Lorag had encountered on the forest trail stood up from all fours to glare and bare its teeth at him. Nothing was holding back the creature's emotion now.

---

Janius kept back and let Zharan and Kaleeth finally embrace. The back of his mind suggested he was clutching straws, but he wanted at least some moments to be savoured between the two.

If Kaleeth would not address their visit being temporary, he thought, perhaps the village elders could see sense in not allowing Zharan's request. He and Kaleeth could speak to them about it later.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The initial shock of the Silent City slowly wore off as Narsi was given the abridged tour. Some of the locals gave her curious looks, but she did not want to engage with them now even if Lorag was not half-rushing his way through it.

Whether Lorag or Saras noticed or not, Narsi did take the opportunity while left alone to try and find a way to peek inside or hear their words. She had no luck, of course -- Saras was nothing if not thorough. She ended up leaning up against a wall, dropping her bag, and wrapping her coat more tightly around herself. Lorag saw exited to find her staring at the floor as if she had a chill.

She looked up at him neutrally as he explained what was to happen next. Her response to his last line was to roll her eyes.

"Pff...Right, I'd almost forgotten," she said sarcastically.

---

Janius half-parted from Kaleeth while Zharan spoke until his hands had slid up to her arms. They could both pay attention to him that way.

Perhaps back when Kaleeth and Janius first met, Janius might have been volatile enough to interrupt Zharan in his shaming. The years of parenthood tempered him and instead brought him empathy enough to keep his eyes down.

Janius was expecting to attempt a humble apology, for all it was worth, but Zharan's conclusion took him off guard. He returned his father-in-law's look, startled and dumbstruck.

Some useless words eventually found their way to his mind. "I...I don't know what to say." He fumbled over his words. "I understand the anger. I w-would be lying if I didn't feel a measure of Kaleeth's guilt." He let his breath go. "In truth, I came here certain that you wouldn't give me a chance. I only hoped you would give Kaleeth and Kaj-Julan a chance. If you are willing to do that at the very least, I cannot ask anything more of you."

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

@Muttonhawk

Actually, I think we should just suspend the Zyus stuff for another five or six weeks since it’s just a silly subplot. What’s really important is that you have this time to write another Yorum masterpiece!

@Cyclone

I have already posted one silly screaming gif today. Do not move me to an act so crass as repeating myself.

_{Although this weekend I'm booked out inspecting apartment complexes, so I hope you don't mind a short wait...}

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

@Cyclone

Side note, I enjoyed Zyus and Zephy's banter.

I suppose this means it's business time. *Cracks typing fingers*

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Narsi did not have time to rationally process the existence of a werelion running by her. She dodged aside, half-turning to look at the young beast more clearly. She started walking with greater care behind Lorag.

Some of Narsi's ambivalence sounded through her voice, even as she spoke clearly enough to Lorag over the crowd. "Uh...so, are you going to make me hunt transformed or...?"

---

Janius slid his hand comfortingly up and down Kaleeth's shoulder. "You don't know that, Kaleeth," he cooed. "Here..." Janius raised his chin and looked to Kaleeth's father. "Zharanthixil," he switched to Jel again. "Did your partner speak much about Kaleeth-rei after we departed? What did she say?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The way Narsi kept her eyes on her surroundings gave the impression that she was only halfway paying Lorag any attention. However, his last remark drew her eyes. "Pfft, I didn't go crazy in Cheydinhal, did I?" she said sarcastically.

Narsi just as quickly broke eye contact. She sniffed once an shrank slightly into and anxious slouch. "How many people are here?" she asked quietly.

Lorag was used to the smell of a crowd of lycans before. Narsi was not.

---

Janius knew at this point that whatever he did would probably annoy Zharanthixil. Still, he reached for Kaleeth's shoulder and very carefully drew her into a hug while she cried.

To Julan's question, Janius looked at him over Kaleeth's shoulder, curled in his lips, and nodded sadly.

Janius wished they had been here earlier, if only they knew. He did not feel the need to say as much; he had no doubt everyone was thinking the same thing.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Narsi fell once more to ignoring Lorag and Meesei while they waited for their portal. The only time her eyes left the floor was when she hazarded long looks out the window, into the daylight beyond. Lorag may or may not have noticed as easily as Meesei the way Narsi held herself. Her stillness and shallowness of breath betrayed just how much emotion she was holding back.

When the portal appeared, she turned to look at it and found herself unsure. She looked at Meesei as if she did not wholly believe her reassurances. Still, she acted without further encouragement, stepping up to the portal with her left hand outstretched. Her fingers phased through the threshold. With no sensation but the coolness of the cavern beyond, she slowly stuck her head through, and then stepped all the way through.

Narsi stood without words, panning her gaze around her. She had as much curiosity as could be expected, but her impression remained surprisingly subdued.

"What is this place?" She asked without checking whether Lorag had followed her.

---

Janius wished he had not been correct in his suspicions. The forethought allowed him to temper his reaction, but even then, seeing Kaleeth so distraught, he had to breathe slowly with his mouth ajar not to be moved to tears himself.

He spoke once confident his voice would sound composed. "Zharanthixil, I'm...so sorry."