Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius laughed through his nose. "Okay, but only if his popularity doesn't cause his head to get as big as mine when I was his age." Janius took Kaleeth's hand and started a wander to nowhere in particular. "What do you want to do now? Is there anyone else you wanted to visit before it gets dark?"

---

Rhazii was taken by surprise at how quickly his mother burst into tears. Though, he did not hesitate to return her hug. He grew torn while looking over her shoulder.

"Mother...I didn't know you felt so strongly about it." He kept holding her, but he had to think for a short moment. "Look, I don't feel like I know what this'll all mean. I don't want to hurt you but...this is big and complex. Do you think I could talk to grandfather? Your father? Not revealing anything, but to ask him about his lifespan. Maybe father's mother as well. They have lived for a long time, right?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius put a hand on Kaleeth's shoulder. "It's not all bad," Janius said. "Things have changed. Not all of the changes are negative." He looked across the people around them. "Hear what people are saying? We raised a good child. They ought to remember that, right?"

---

"Okay," Rhazii said. He was not reassured, likely because of Ahnasha's choice of words. He lowered his knees and sat cross-legged. He leaned back on his hands while he spoke. "Living longer sounds nice, don't get me wrong. I...I don't like the thought of outliving everyone else, though. Julan is my best friend -- he would get old. All of my friends would get old. The rest of the pack would get old. I don't have a partner, but she would get old. I mean, it's the whole reason you said you did it, right mother? To be with father. I don't know if I have anyone like that. And if I do later on, she might not even be an elf. I don't even really feel attracted to elves." He sighed. "Sorry, I'm just thinking out loud."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius stood up and gestured to let the Vaarkai's friends tend to him, though they were on the job before Janius was even fully upright. He could not detect anything life-threatening, though Janius had no doubt Vaarkai would feel Julan's surprise hook for some time.

Not wanting to interrupt Julan's moment of victory, Janius strode back to Kaleeth's side with a small smile. "At least we don't have to worry about our son getting pushed around," he commented to her quietly.

---

Once again, Rhazii had no immediate answer for Ahnasha. He mostly looked contemplative, with his eyes and mouth occasionally twinging tensely.

He responded carefully. "Can I...take some time to think about it, mother? I never considered this kind of thing before. It got complicated in my head really quickly."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius craned his head forward after Vaarkai received Julan's blow. He recognised his disorientation immediately. Once Vaarkai lost consciousness, Janius calmly stepped forward and knelt beside the boy. He placed a hand on his head and cast a spell to inspect his injuries. Vaarkai was probably not in grave danger but Janius wanted to make sure to prevent any permanent damage if at all possible.

While he knelt, Janius peered up at Julan. It was hard to read Janius' exact thoughts. "You okay, Julan?" he asked plainly.

---

Rhazii did not have much with which to respond to Ahnasha's convictions than a small nod. However, the change to her demeanour afterwards made him perk up curiously, if worriedly. The following question made him go still and dart his eyes around in confusion. "Uhh...I don't know. Eighty, maybe ninety years? Being very old never really looks enjoyable. Why do you ask? Is it about how you stay young?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius nodded upwards towards Kaleeth in understanding. He stepped back to let the young hunters work the situation out themselves. He still flinched when Vaarkai turned on Julan.

For a fleeting moment, Janius was tempted to pull Julan away and put an immediate lid on what could turn into a violent tantrum for his son. He decided to stay back and cross his arms instead. Julan was young, but Janius trusted him. He was curious to see how Julan fought his own battle, to borrow Kaleeth's words. All the same, Janius readied himself to declare when enough was enough.

---

Rhazii stared at his clasped hands with little obvious emotion. He stared and mulled over Ahnasha's story, only showing a hint of paying attention to the rest of the world when his ear turned at the sound of a nearby bird.

"The other thing I wanted to talk about," he said. "It's not so much a question. I just want to say something now that I know what you went through." Without looking at Ahnasha, he brought his fingers up to the uneven, scarred area of fur on his head. "I don't remember any of the fire. Not really. Frankly, the worst part about my burns is just people talking behind my back. I know people think it's ugly or unsettling, but no one bothers me about it. Probably because I've always been bigger than the other kids." He glanced up at Ahnasha briefly. "I've still got friends. I've still...well, I kissed a girl. Point is, I never really wished I didn't have my scars, so...you don't have to keep being guilty about it." He lowered his voice. "I don't want to be that reminder for you. It hurts."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The boy, Vaarkai's, outburst caused Janius to flinch. However, it was not the same as Deerz's violence. It was childish roughhousing, not the vicious anger from before.

Still, Janius did show some concern. "Easy, now. No need to come to blows over it, you two." he said.

Janius stayed back to see how the moment would progress.

---

"I'm sure I wouldn't, but..." Rhazii let out the rest of his breath a second later. "You said before you've killed a lot of people. Did you ever kill anyone you think you shouldn't have? I don't know what to do if that happens to me. It's..." He snapped his fingers in the air. "Like that. Once it's done, it's done. That makes me afraid."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius laughed gently at the girl's question. "No, I'll not force Julan to marry anyone. He can marry whomever he can charm on his own."

As for the doubtful boy on the log, Janius lifted his chin and smiled. "You might be right. You might be wrong. Either way, Julan picked his path and I'm interested to see where it leads him." He peered down at Julan again. "But, if you wanted, perhaps you could practice a little before the rite, Julan. We haven't been able to do much sparring while travelling but maybe you could ask someone here?"

---

Rhazii shifted uncomfortably. "I understand defending myself, that's not the thing." He winced and ran a hand back over the burnt side of his head. "Mother, I don't think I'm comfortable killing anyone just because I might think they deserve to die. And...I feel like that's what happened back there."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius stopped and gave Kaleeth a quick look. He did not know how else to answer as he addressed the violet-scaled girl. "...Same way as a Saxhleel can be the father of a Saxhleel, child," he explained. "I see plenty of curiosity is still in the youth of the village. Reminds me of you, Kaleeth." After giving Kaleeth a smile, Janius turned to Julan with a teasing grin. "Do you plan to marry someone from here, son?"

---

Rhazii nodded. Then he was quiet, looking down and away for a while.

"Mm." He spoke carefully, like he was thinking about each sentence before saying it. "I know you said those were bad people. I know you said they deserved to die so that they wouldn't keep doing bad things. I trust you. I believe you..." He glanced up worriedly. "But next time, I might not know. What do I do if I kill someone I was wrong about? Like this -- hunting them down all deliberately."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Despite the quiet he and Kaleeth caused, Janius wore a friendly smile for the group. He raised his brow to boy on the log when he was addressed, but did not skip a beat. "Well, hello to you too. And to the rest of you, greetings. Julan, who are your new friends? I didn't think I had lost that much muscle in my old age." He chuckled.

---

Rhazii was at least calm now, but he remained visibly conflicted. He carefully turned himself around to Ahnasha and sat on the dirt with his arms holding up his crossed legs.

"I can do it," he said firmly. "I can protect those I care about." He lowered his head and closed his eyes, thinking hard. "Mother, I love you. You look out for me. But I want to talk about something- a few things, now." He sighed. "Sorry I ran off on you. I got really scared and angry back there."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Janius nodded along with Kaleeth. He formed a subdued smile; it did sound like it was what Kaleeth needed to hear. Perhaps more than that she needed to hear it from Reanaseer.

He put an arm around her shoulders as he turned to where Julan sat a distance away. "Oh, only here and there," Janius answered. "He was nervous but he's opening up now, I think. Shall we go and meet his new friends?"

---

Ahnasha's recount caused Rhazii to bring himself upright while kneeling. He looked confronted and some of his sadness returned, this time sympathetic towards Ahnasha, but he did not sob.

He turned his eyes down and away for a moment. He sniffed and rubbed the tears from his eyes. "The worst punishment there is. He would deserve the worst, to do that to you and father." He had to stop to breathe. He looked to Ahnasha's eyes. "Mother, I had no idea. I'm so sorry."