Hoarder of Souls

Quote:

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Closed to Eteri

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Gauntleted hands pulled on the reins as Azaranth guided his white-mottled horse to a halt. He could sense the beast’s hesitance as its weight stumbled beneath him; the stench of blood had engendered weariness in beast and rider both. They now stood at the edge of a vast swathe of steppe, the afternoon wind shifting the yellow grass blades. Before them was a narrow, yet deep, stretch of forest, timber trees and cedars arrayed in their scores. Azaranth was motionless in his saddle, studying the wounding forest trail that slithered its way through the wood. And covering that trail, were the footprints of a lone monster.

Azaranth dismounted, bent into a crouch to study the mark. The creature walked on its fours, had two pairs of claws in each foreleg, and five - one of them an overlong dewclaw - in its hind legs. The trail was fresh, he concluded. Whatever it was, the monster prowling this area was far from sizeable. “Need to be careful,” he said, for size alone did not decide what was deadly and what was not.

The sun overhead hid behind an uneven blanket of cloud. It would be few bells before dusk settled. More than enough time, he considered.

Azaranth returned to his horse. With a click of his tongue, he set the beast into motion once again, flanking the trail as it led them deep into the woodland. The forest floor was cloaked in a sea of underwood, the shrubbery overshadowed by the still-growing trees on either side. His only guide thus far was the trail, disappearing in some parts underneath the bush and reappearing in others. The footprints themselves, however, were consistent.

Until it came to an abrupt end, vanishing altogether. His suspicions were then confirmed. His target was winged, after all.

And not ten paces ahead, he suspected, would be its current location. Where a ring of mudstone houses centered a single well, a couple spires of smoke rising from back end stacks to foul the suddenly still air. Some of the houses’ wooden doors lay wide open, some were left ajar, and only one was closed shut, its surface bleached with old age. The stench of blood was now distinct, and, Azaranth decided, it came directly from the entrance-closed house.

He paused at the edge of the circle of abandoned houses, slowly left his saddle. He then led his horse behind the outer fence and hitched it there. A few moments later he was at the house’s door, where the stench was strongest. Faint grunts sounded from behind the woodwork. Azaranth sharpened his senses, and the grunts shaped up into acute, throaty growls, the sickly sound of torn flesh manifest in his mind.

The monster hunter spied a side window, and, slowly, spared a peek inside. The house was a ruin, everything now reduced to ash. He could spot a few bodies, reduced to nothing but charred bones - and directly before the front door was a knee-high, winged figure, feeding on one, unburned cadaver. Azaranth, holding his breath, took a few steps back and retraced his way back to the door.

His silver sword left its scabbard with an acute, metallic hiss.

Sniff Sniff

My tail twitched side to side curiously as I watched the horsey and the man stop at the entrance to the forest. They both looked rightfully scared. I tilted my gaze behind me at the dark forest. Not surprising really. A leathery winged, beastie-beast came toppling through here not long before. But I was busy, high up in this comfortable tree. Eating. Like I had time to follow such a boring, gross creature. It's soul was all shabby and torn too. Not good for clothing. Not good for looking at in bottles. Not good for nothing.

But this man…

My lips curled up into a toothy grin as I chanced to lean forward to get a closer look at him. Not many wandered into the forest. Branches and bark cracked beneath my weight, but he was too busy hunting the beastie-beast and looking at the mud below to notice lil’ ol’ blue-haired me watching from above.

Using my nifty ability I glanced at his soul….ok it was more of an elongated gaze…

Staring.

I found myself staring at his soul.

But I couldn’t help it! It was all wibbly wobbly, and warbled, but boy oh boy was it an interesting thing. The inner light of his soul flickered a pale shimmery blue, it darkened around the edges to a midnight blanket that rivalled the night sky. Then on the itty-bitty outer edges was the tell-tale crimson shades of turmoil. What made his stand out from the rest was the way the crimson beaded down into the hues of azure, like lightning bolts. I felt giddy. It was always such a delight to look at people’s souls.

Then, with a signal the man and his horse (whose soul was very horse-like: green and boring) were off into the woods. I huffed and puffed out my cheeks. It’d be no good to me if he went and got himself killed. How’d I get his soul then? Or at least a part of it.

“Follow the leader!” I cried out as I nimbly followed him through the treetops. Not long after playing chasey with the man, (He was bad at it, but I forgive him because he didn’t know he was playing) he stopped at a clearing. I slowed my pace. The metallic smell of blood filled my nostrils. I didn’t like it. Not the smell of blood, that was actually not too bad. I didn’t like clearings. They made me feel open and vulnerable. I groaned, ears flattening against my head. The feeling of unease rumbling around in my tummy. Course, that could also be hunger.

I leaned closer, watching the flowing haired man.A bird got in my way, so I punched it in its beady little eyes. Twice for good measure. Did you know birds eyes are bigger than their brains? Stupid things. It squawked loudly and nipped at my face before flying off. “Nyer!” I poked my tongue out at it. Birds really were stupid.

“Well! Meow’s about time I had some fun!” I said with tones of glee, jumping down from the branch. I effortlessly landed on my feet, and practically pranced after the man. Who was being so sneaky, sneaky around the empty houses. “Hmm, Hmmm hmmm~” I happily hummed to myself, clambering up onto a roof. I much preferred to be up high than on the ground. The view was much better.

My ears flicked, as I heard sounds coming from a nearby house. Trashed, burnt. The smell of charcoal tickled my nose. I guessed by the noises, and the stance the man was taking that the beastie-beast was in there. There was too much tension in the air. Gross. “Hoiii!” I called out to the man, springing off the roof. I landed on his shoulders, and with a wide grin asked.

“Whatchu doiiiinnnnn~??”

Azaranth started, sounding an elaborate string of curses even as he tumbled with the added weight above him. The blade jumped out of his hands, skittering a few paces away as he met the mud-strewn ground. It seemed that even humans had their place in tree-climbing, after all. Regardless, whoever had landed on him was significantly lightweight, and not heartbeats later, it was revealed, a girl who had in someway or the other found his shoulder a worthy landing spot.

Women, Azaranth mused.

He remained motionless in the underlying possibility of an assail, but where there were no ultimatums, no demand of gold or a dagger to the throat, Azaranth found a lack of threat. Grunting, the Salvarian pushed himself upright and shook off the lass, straightened. When he was on his feet, he turned to hold the girl with his gaze, a deep frown marring his brows.

Triangular, over-sized ears, blue eyes the color of sea, and filled, sinewy forearms. Azaranth saw claws, swore and almost fell to the reflex of reaching for his sword - only to realize that, somehow, the claws were a primary asset of her nature. For she, he now realized, was not pure-blooded, as in, a cross-breed. Human. And cat.

Azaranth tsked, edging toward his sword. “I’d move along, tabby. Monsters prowling this place.” His grip secured once more, he examined the blade for notches. “Bad, bad monsters...” He paused, noticing that the feeding sounds had stopped for a couple heartbeats. Could it..? Eyes narrowed.

The front door shattered as a wide, scaled head barged through the wood, toothy jaws seeking flesh. And in the path of those fangs was the girl, the realization striking Anubis as, with a two-handed grip, he lifted his arms skyward, silver glittering. The sword whizzed across the air, spinning around its axis until it connected. The metal punched through scale, then flesh, before ramming into a narrow groove in the house's stone wall.

The drake's limp body spasmed, its screams wrought with agony and confusion as it lay suspended from its neck, two-thirds of the weapon embedded in the area just below its jaw. Its wings settled, raw blood trickling from the sword's edges.

Azaranth gestured for the lass to move. Then settled, awaiting the creature's slow, deserved death.

The man had pushed himself up off the ground, I had to clamber off of him. I never meant for him to take such a tumble like that. I felt my cheeks redden with the heat of embarrassment as I offered him a toothy, sheepish grin. Ears twitching. “Oopsie~”

He glared at me, amber eyes narrowed in anger and annoyance. I tried to smile wider. I meant him no harm. Well, no real harm. I just wanted to take a closer look at that soul of his, and see what made it so gosh darn colourful. “Hallo~” I said with a jovial purr. He gave a disapproving cluck of his tongue. Suggesting she move along.

“Tabyby!?” I said indignantly. Not appreciating the insult. I huffed my cheeks. “Hmph!” I wasn’t no damn stray dirty cat. Who did he think I was? He didn’t even know me. In an act of defiance I sat down on the ground, firmly asserting that I wasn’t going to do as he asked. “I’m not afraid of the beasties.” I said, still frustrated at his insult. “I even know where the beasties nest is.”

It happened with a flash, a crash and a kapow! The man with the utterly gorgeous soul had swung his not-so-utterly-gorgeous sword. The beastie had attacked, bursting through the charred, burnt remains of the house. Just as quickly, the strange man had parried, his weapon making quick work of the winged beastie. “Oh wow~” I didn’t have time to be scared, but I did have a new found appreciation for the man. “That was sooooomthing else~” He gestured for me to move, but I didn’t know him well enough to listen to him. Instead, I approached the dying creature, and knelt down beside it.

“Why were you huntin’ this beastie anyways?” I asked as I looked up at him.

“Contract,” the man said. “Not that you’d understand, anyway.” I watched as he went to retrieve his sword, pulling out the red-stained blade in a sickly tear of flesh. “Wait—” he twisted, “you say you know where the nest is?”

I grinned. “I sure do~” I licked my lips, a plan forming. “I’ll tell you Mister~ but first, you got to agree to two things.” I held out a clawed finger, “One, tell me your name.” I lifted another finger, “annnnnd two~ You let me follow you so I can get a closer look of that soul o’ yours, Oh Shiny man.”


A single, thin brow furrowed. “Azaranth Ubissad. Anubis is fine,” he said softly. A faint sneer then betrayed his confusion. It looked like he wanted me to explain further about his soul, but of course- Anubis had other plans. Finding the nest was a priority. “Fine. Can you lead me to the nest?” He asked.

I stood, dusting myself off. “Oh oh! Yes.” I turned on my heel. “Follow Eteri, and she will lead the way~” I mused. Offering him my own name with a happy hum as I headed deeper into the forest.

The lass straightened to her full height, rose on nimble knees. Her blue-haired pate was roughly at his midriff, her gold-yellow eyes regarding him with a… winsome stare. Azaranth shook off the thought, breaking through his own reverie. He sheathed his sword without cleaning its blade. He knew his efforts would be rather futile, for, it seemed, he would have to bloody it another untold number of times. There was a momentary pause, when the lass, after voicing her acceptance, set off onto the trail.

Azaranth’s gaze stayed on her for a couple heartbeats before he crouched next to the lifeless Drake, producing a small hunting knife from his breeches. He paused, weighed his options. A heartbeat later the warrior then deposited the knife in his coat, dusting his sleeves before turning back to the palisade. He brought two gloved fingers to his mouth, sounded a ringing whistle across the death-rimmed hamlet.

His horse came at a rigid canter, restlessly stamping the ground as it halted next to him. Moments after calming it with a shimmering wave over its bony head, Azaranth was at the lass’s side. He contemplated whether to invite her to join him atop the saddle, although he doubted she would care much about the gesture; one that would otherwise be expected from him with a less… atypical woman. The hunter shrugged, then leaned down on one side and extended a hand.

The girl glanced at his hand, her amber eyes shifted to his. Eteri offered Azaranth a grin before she grabbed tightly onto his hand and effortlessly joined him atop the horse. “Nyaawwww, aren’t you the sweetest~”

Azaranth shifted his gaze to the trail, struggling not to flush. After recovering from the discomfort, he shifted his seat, spoke with a straight voice. “This nest - tell me more,” he eyed the lass, Eteri, from his peripherals. “How far along is it?”

“Ho~hum…mew just gots to go straight down that there!” She pressed one hand to the mid of his back as she lifted herself up off the horse to lean over him. Pointing at the path ahead. “To the lefty left, the trail goes poof! You’d hafta walk on footsies, up, up, up the mountainside to a creepy cave. Smells bad in there.” She added, her ears flattening against her head.

A cave… Azaranth said in thought, his gaze fixed on the trail that, as Eteri had claimed, seemed to take a left-turn and disappear altogether. Nothing but forest continued on afterward. So that other drake was a youngling. Guess the mother will be waiting for us at her nest.

“See, see I’m right! I’m Right!” Eteri said as she bounced, the horse beneath them grunting its exasperation. Its tapered ears twitched at the restless cat-woman on its mottled rump. “Stop fooling around!” Azaranth growled, giving the lass a light elbow in his seat. “Or we’ll have to walk on our way back...”

He paused. That’s pretty much my problem, isn’t it…

I glanced down at the horse, it did not look happy. I furrowed my brows. Blowing raspberries at the equestrian snob. The horse whinnied in response and bucked. I grumbled and slid off. “Your companion don’t appreciate my company too much~” I mused in a sing-song voice. The alteration (if you could call it that) didn’t bother me in the slightest. I wanted to remain on the man’s good side, so I did as he asked.

“S’okie dokie, I am happy to walk.” I said, “Course I’d rather be up in the trees - can see so much more there.” I edged closer to Anubis. “But this way I get to see you more closely.” Those words probably sounded much creepier than I intended, but in all honesty - I was talking about his soul. I wonder what it would look best as, a scarf? A coat? Gloves? Maybe it was juust the right consistency to start stitching together a soul of my very own…

My smile widened at the thought of something warm and comforting deep inside my chest. No more lonely hole, no more nightmares, no more constant ache.

A soul of my very own…

Anibus, in all his bright, and shiny souled glory hoped off the jerk-horse and joined me at the edge of the trail. “See, see!” I pointed to a variety of sticks and twigs and broken branches - where the beasts had trampled a makeshift path. Parts of the path had splatters of blood, and feathers. Further up were torn clothes from a few less fortunate people. “Little weird for them to go hide in a cave - they’re so dark and cramped. Don’t you think~?” I asked him.

“You said up in the mountains, right? Good vantage point, especially for the mother.” Azaranth let that sink in for a moment, then continued, “She can see, hear and feel all things that edge close to her abode.” He paused, tightening his sword straps. “Even us.”

His words were spoken with the weight of a warrior. His honeyed gaze steeled as they shifted to the path ahead. To him, surely this would be a mighty battle. I, on the other hand was more focused on other things. A mother...I never really stopped to think about how these beastie beasts had families. Nor how intricate and delicate the eco-system was, and how an outside entity, such as these, could destroy that balance.

“That’s...So amazing and cool!” I exclaimed, tail swishing side to side, my ears flicking. Focusing on nearby sounds. Nothing but birds and chittering fluffy creatures. I deftly and easily started the steep incline, it was clear I was far more nimble than he, but he was keeping pace. I was impressed.

Azaranth grunted. “That’s far from amazing, or cool. Drakes are dangerous. If I wasn’t careful, they’d be able to kill me.” He wheezed a sigh. “And that’s why I need you to hide. You’ll just be a liability when I’m so focused on not getting my head blown off.”

I turned on my heel and started to walk backwards so I could face him. “Well...wouldn’t YOU be dangerous too if you had someone killing all your kiddies? I mean...they just ate a few silly people. Is that really a big dealio~?” I asked. Not quite understanding the ire toward a creature who, granted, was out of its eco-system, but was just being it’s gosh darn self. Even if Drakes had gross souls. He wanted me to hide, I could agree to that. I wasn’t planning on following him into the cave anyway. “I’ll just watch you~” I smirked, pointing toward a rather large tree up ahead. “I can see the entrance from that there tree. Just don’t die pwetty please~”

Azaranth dismounted.

I’ll try not to, he murmured, edging forth through the lush undergrowth. A couple minutes later he came before a rock-strewn ramp, leading to a cave with a narrow-mouthed entrance. Inside lurked total darkness, and when he spared a glance backwards, he could see Eteri’s tree no longer. He then came before the entrance and attempted to peer into the gloom, to no avail. Then he paused in brief consideration, checked his weapons, then squeezed through, came upon the cave’s mucky floor. The rhythmic splash of a single droplet from the overhead stalactites was all he could hear, even with sharpened senses.

Azaranth knew, still, that deeper within awaited a hungry handful of what he had just slain. The mother included… He pursed his lips. A bone-white orb lighted with a snap of his fingers, his eyes squinting as he let them adjust. Think it’s safe to say that I’m goin’ in for some deep shit.Who woulda thunk.

He studied the vicinity, found himself standing at the start of a path. The jagged walls on either side held no more than three men abreast, and the stubbornly frequent droplet came from some distance behind him, a side path. Although he doubted that’s where his quarry was, curiosity saw the hunter turn and head toward it. When he found the originator, Azaranth came to an abrupt halt and swore under his breath.

There, beside an array of rough stalagmites, where a pungent smell wafted strong; Azaranth crouched on one knee beside the remains, his cold gaze studying them in brief detail. The carcass itself wasn’t too old, its clothes tattered and split wide in succession with the wounds, the cloth like an extra layer atop ruined flesh. Powerful jaws had crushed its bones in some parts, and lesser, smaller-sized variants had torn through entrails, similar to that of the lone drake. Its entire lower half was missing. And from the handful of larvae eggs within the wounds, it seemed the rotting phase had just begun.

Must be that girl old man told me about, Azaranth decided, rising to his feet. He turned, retracing his way back to the entrance. Poor bastard.

The hunter then reached the end of the main course, and halted. Breathing. In-human. Coming from— he flicked his gaze up— above? Azaranth switched off the light orb and from where the breathing sound came, saw a hint of light outlining the rough edge of a shelf. Must be another entrance. Makes sense, with how small the other one is.

He then turned, spared a glance at the open area on his left. One brow furrowing, he saw that indeed, a handful of drakes awaited him. Dead drakes, that is. All had died from bite wounds, some even half-eaten, numbering at least a half-dozen. Cannibal. Mother must have been hungry. Explains why she would attack a human.

He studied the three arms-length wall for a way up, found none. Ah, guess I’ll have to drive it out. Azaranth brought back one arm, paused, and when he thrust it upward, it was aflame, flinging a ball-sized flame that lobbed into the ledge.

Oh…

Beastly screams, then the distant beating of wings.

Shit.

Inhale…. Exhale… Then, a sigh.

How utterly booorrriinnnggg….. I had been sitting in this tree for what felt like forever. How long had it been? An hour? Two? I wasn’t very good at telling time, or sitting still. If I were to look at the scenario logically I’d realize it had only been at beast half an hour. But I was never one for logic, or patience.

How long does it take to kill a bunch of beasties? Maybe he got eaten? I frowned as I wrinkled my nose and twitched my ears. That had to be it. The silly man went and made himself a tasty dinner for someone. I stood and shifted my position so I could distribute my weight more evenly on the bouncing branch, standing on the very edge of it I leaned forward hand over my forehead to shield my eyes from the sun. I was focused on the mouth of the cave, looking for any signs of life. “Guess I get a free horsey outta this~” I mused to myself.

Just as I had turned to climb down the tree I heard a guttoral cry. “Holy Hokes!” I grabbed onto the branch above to avoid tumbling unceremoniously down the tree. A large Drake smooshed her way through the opening. I widened my eyes at the realisation of what it was. “The Mother…” the words came as an awed whisper from my lips. She was beautiful. Leathery skin glistening with blood and ichor. Her wings stretched out far and wide, the screeching trill of her frenzied warcry, and the ravenous look in her yellow eyes, which were focused right on…

Hoo boy!

Focused on me! The mother gave another guttoral cry as she flew straight toward me, I bent my knees and jumped forward. Not today mother dearest, not today! It snapped at my ankle and missed by mere inches. I tumbled forward and landed squarely between its shoulder blades. Even I was bewildered at my luck. I could feel my heart thumping hard against my chest as adrenaline charged through my system. I started laughing.

I was riding it!

If only Anubis could see me now.

“HEY! ARE YOU MAD!? GET OFF THAT THING!”

I grinned. Looks like he did see me. I gripped tightly to one of the thrashing Drake’s horns and waved at him with the other, calling out to him. “Heey! You’re alive! Lookit this!” A particularly sharp buck of its back caused me to almost loose my grip. I yelped and tightly whipped my hands back around to grip tightly around it’s neck. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

The gravity of my predicament slowly began to dawn on me as the initial rush of adrenaline dissipated. Suddenly, I realized this was not a situation I wanted to be in. I clutched tighter to the drake, pressing my cheeks against its blood covered scales. My ears flat against my head. “I don’t wanna die like thiiiiiiis!”

Azaranth swore as he stared up at the hulking, girl-ridden shape overhead, a winged figure carving its way through the air. The drake’s efforts to buck off the lass seemed rather futile, Eteri persisting in holding on to its sun-gleamed scales. No other choice, Azaranth considered, for death awaited her at the ground if she were to release her grip now. The question was, however— How did she get herself in this situation?

Then again: Normally I’d have been shocked, butafter landing on my back in the middle of nowhere… No, that's ridiculous. Now, I need to get her off that thing in one piece before I can finally kill it. The Salvarian considered, unlimbered his crossbow. On second thought, maybe I don’t have to do that... Instead, mama drake is going to deliver a safe, sound landing.

A quarrel was already held in place, primed to fire. Bearing his teeth, Azaranth cocked the weapon, and aimed. One eye shut, he took a moment to get a feel for the stock after a short time of disuse. A heartbeat later the weapon thunked, hurling the short-studded quarrel at the airborne monster.

And it connected, stunning the drake midair to a momentary halt. Which descended, Eteri fastened right to its body. Azaranth dropped the crossbow, broke into a dash even as he unsheathed his sword, running to where the beast would land. He readied his grip on the sword’s hilt. And even as the beast recovered a third of the way from meeting the ground, Azaranth leapt up and forward. His metaled chest struck against something hard, then he found himself holding on to the drake’s heavy tail. It would not land. Instead, it flew higher and higher still, gaining momentum and height both. Cursing, Azaranth spared a glance down and found Eteri staring up at him, safely landed on the ground.

Oh, how ironic.

Legs flailing, the monster hunter tried to near the drake’s main body. It seemed to have just noticed his arrival, went into a restless fit in attempt to shake him off. He held, just barely, he held. One arm holding tight on the scaly rump of the beast, Azaranth himself snarled. He drove back his sword-wielding arm and thrust inward.

Blood sprayed as the tip tore through the drake’s eye, which sounded its agony in screams that were like thunder in his ears. The drake lost balance and began its descent once more, this time, Azaranth reckoning, without the odds of recovering midair. Wind shrieking, the forest-cloaked world rushed up to meet the fall of hunter and hunted.

"Whoa!" The mama beastie gave a startled cry, heck, I gave a startled cry. I wasn't expecting her to just, well...stop flying midair. I squealed as I wrapped my limbs tightly around the leathery beasts neck, feeling the air whizz past my head. My heart beat hard and fast against my chest as I saw the forest scenery, and my life flash before my eyes.

And what a life it was, sweets, breads, cheeses...and the souls! Oh the SOULS! So glorious and shiny, then there was Anubis. That may have been my one regret in life, a part of his soul would have made a wonderful accessory.

The ground was coming closer, and with it the big ka-splat that would end my life. I forced my eyes shut expecting the pain of impact. Instead, I felt my stomach turn as though it was doing flip-flops as the beastie managed to stop its descent of death. "Eh?"

I opened one eye, then the other, "A-Anubis!?" I cried out startled, cheeks flush with the rush of adrenaline. It was almost as though he was flying through the air, if I didn't know better I'd assume that was exactly what he was doing, but that wasn't the case. He desparetly grabbed onto the beastie's tail as his sword dug deeper into its flesh.

I turned my attention away from his struggle to note the nearby tree. Sure, I could help Anubis, I mean... he did have a beautiful soul and something so shiny and intricate should be preserved but on the other hand... He was a stranger and my life was far more important than his, if I knew how to help him I would have but my expertise was not in riding dragons. "Good luck~" I called out to Anubis as I leapt onto a gratuitously placed tree branch. I landed lightly and with a relieved sigh.

I'd live another day, I made my way down to the ground and peered up at the sky. "Well that's not good." I said as I strained my eyes against the light, the two were nothing more than black splodges in an otherwise pastel sky. At first, I thought this was the last I'd ever see of him, but I was wrong. For the second time today.

They quickly began to fall back down to the earth, I swore and glanced around, my sapphire ears twitching side to side. I didn't want to get squashed. I grit my teeth as I headed back to the safety of the tree, pressing my back hard up against its large, course trunk.

CRASH!!

The mama drake had landed against the ground, hard. "Well then!" I exclaimed as I approached it curiously, it looked dead, I glanced from it to Anubis. "So - is that it then? Your job is done?" I asked with a flick of my tail.

Anubis didn't have time to reply, I didn't even see it happen - just a dark blur followed by searing pain. The damn thing WAS alive, and it's teeth had sunk deep into the flesh of my shoulder as it tried to rip my arm off. I yowled in pain, tears in my eyes as I struggled to pull myself away, my hand twisted and I could feel the wet slick of its tongue against my skin. I grit my teeth and dug my claws into it, tearing down the length of its tongue till it finally let go.

I teetered back a few feet before collapsing in a heap on the loamy forest floor. Whimpering as I clutched my bleeding arm. It was difficult to concentrate on much else, the pain was absolute, it felt hot as though someone dunked my shoulder into searing coals, and the bits of my exposed flesh ached as the cool wind hit it. I whimpered again forcing my eyes shut.

Today was not working out well for me.

The drake had attacked so quickly that Azaranth’s words died before they could leave him. And Eteri, as fragile as she seemed, had proven surprisingly efficient in shaking off the beast. Alas, the damage was already done - red punctures covered several spots on her shoulders.

Backing up for a moment, the drake’s tongue, or, rather, its remnant shreds, lolled out of its maw like a lifeless being. Azaranth stepped in and stood between it and Eteri, waving his sword at its face like a bared tooth.

Unfazed by the obvious feint, the creature stepped forward, its haunches readied to charge.

And so it did, approaching fast to cover most of Azaranth’s vision.

Who dashed forth to match its assault, waiting for the right moment to counteract.

The drake covered one odd stride and was suddenly a few feet in the air, to which Azaranth immediately slid underneath, the tip of his blade running down the soft underbelly of the creature.

To shower him with blood, blinding him as the drake continued to sail above. Coming to a halt, Azaranth rubbed at his eyes and looked up to see the drake still on its feet—

As if unmindful of its own entrails that splattered over the ground, the creature's slit eyes regarded him for brief moment. Azaranth then realized it was losing consciousness. It sputtered, blood and bile gathering underneath. A heartbeat later finally the drake finally fell to its long-overdue death.

Azaranth, turned and approached a supine Eteri, silver sword in hand.

He extended one, blood-stained hand. "You all right?"

Azure ears sat flat against my head, pointed teeth clenched tight, eyes shut tight to block out the horrid world and the Drake mama that injured me. My breathing had all but stopped as I gripped my bleeding arm tight, small things I attempted to ease the burning pain from my wound. It wasn't incredibly deep, but it was deep enough that my tiny fingers sunk into my flesh, a bad mistake on my part...I could feel the pulsing hot mess of my flesh, and the vermilion ichor as it dripped down and over my hands.

Was this the end of the magnificent Eteri Yoko; seamstress extrodinyar? Would I never be able to stare at souls and eat delicious fish? Would the world mourn for me, as their greatest blue haired catgirl became nothing more than a whispered memory upon peoples lips?

Probably...

I felt nauseous and dizzy, now, I'm no doctor or Ai Brone, but I am pretty sure those are symptoms of CRIPPLING PAIN AND DEATH.

I could hear a guttoral roar that I assumed came from drake mama; unless Anubis had some damn strong lungs on him, and several extra body parts a human male shouldn't have. I flinched, expecting more pain. Instead... there was silence.

Slowly, I opened one eye, then another.

Anubis stood over me with a look of mild concern etched upon his face. Did he just ask if I was alright? Couldn't he see that I was DYING?

I wrinkled my nose as my lips fell into a pout. "NO!" I snapped, clutching my wound tighter. "Can't you see I dying!"

Anubis stared at me, bewildered. He sighed as he crouched down upon one knee in front of me, carefully placing his sword to the side. "Here. Let me see." He said softly as he reached for my wound.

My ears shot upward, was he mad!? "NO!" I screamed as I went to turn away from him, but that crafty man... he had gripped my lower arm and with more ease than I'd care to admit, pried my fingers away from my wound.

"SEE! SEE!" I said, near hysterical. "I DYING!"

"Eteri..."

"I NOT HAVE SOUL! I DIE, I GO POOF. NO NOTHING!"

"Eteri..." his voice held the chastising tone of a father toward a disobedient child.

"WORLD WILL CRY WHEN ETERI DIE!"

"ETERI!" Anubis snapped, loudly.

I fell quiet, staring at him with a pout. Who did he think he was? He wasn't my father. Heck, I couldn't even remember my father. So, I guess, he could have been, but then my father would have been just a wee bab when I was born. Was that possible??

"Eteri, you're not going to die. We just need to get this cleaned up and dressed."


His words hung in the air, thick like the thickest honey you'd ever imagine. Thicker than tar, thicker than tar and honey combined! I felt a myriad of emotions, shock, relief...a dash of delight. I wasn't going to die! Oh joyous of days! All these emotions were quickly overshadowed by a odd feeling, it was difficult to describe. I felt a little silly for overreacting. (If you could call it that, I mean, I did think I was going to die after all.)

"Oh." I said quietly.

Their ride back was shrouded in silence.

The sky was overcast with grey clouds, the yellow-grassed landscape a mirrored, albeit differently-colored, reflection of the ever-distant realm overhead. Dull, dreary and quiet. An endless expanse of nature, from whence emerged - as they had just witnessed - ferocious monstrosities that cared not whose flesh they would fill their bellies with.

Azaranth in the front of his saddle, Eteri in the back, they rode on. Indeed, the late afternoon was quiet - but not silent. Unseen civilizations dwelt throughout the lands, overheaded by these countless grains. Many hunts by other, savage beasts were well underway, probably to nourish their young - a criticial component of survivability out in the harsh wilderness - so the cycle would repeat itself over and over again.

He would track, hunt and slay monsters only so they would be inevitably replaced by another batch. To either live their lifetime and die, or, more commonly, fall to a hunter’s blade. Thus, the question would arise - a nagging thought gnawing on the mental energies of all practitioners of the trade.

“Is it worth it?”

Azaranth blinked. “What?”

Eteri’s voice felt almost mute behind him.“Is it worth it? Hunting down these beasties?”

“Worth it? I’m hardly one to answer that, Eteri. I’m not a sophisticated person - I don’t think much. Hunters don’t think. They act, and they do it without any hesitation whatsoever. It’s a predominant principle among all trackers of the beasts. After all, we do most of the dirty work. Thinking? Leave it to the philosophers. Too many of those around, if you ask me.”

A hawk veered ahead into view, a small shape suspended from its taloned feet. He was silent for a time, then, “So, tell me. How does a cat-girl survive out in the world?”

I had fallen asleep at some point. I remembered my older sister saying that when I was asleep, it was her favourite time, she said silence was golden and I was incapable of it. I grumbled as I rubbed my eyes, feeling the warmth of Anubis in front of me. I loosely wrapped one arm around his waist.

I fidgeted, it was too quiet. Far too quiet. Silence bothered me, unlike my sister I hated it. Unless I was napping that is. To break the silence I asked Anubis about why he hunted the beasties, I didn't understand it myself. If they weren't bothering anyone, why bother them? Was it fun to kill things? Did it give him a rush?

He gave me an answer that...I didn't understand, he used words that I struggled to comprehend. Sopheestikated? What was that? Sometimes, I wish I paid more attention in language class.

Oh well...

"Et tu? Me?" I asked.

"Do you see any other cat-girls around here?" He asked.

I glanced around, looking for any. I found none, and realised that it was a rhetorical question. I huffed. "Eteri just looking for things."

"What kind of things, I am a hunter after all. Perhaps I could help."

I managed a laugh, an empty feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, and it wasn't just the lack of food, and the pain of my wounded shoulder. "No can find. Eteri look for souls." I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against his back. "I no have. Want to make one so no feel empty and cold."