Carrying a mouth full of sinew, Sephiran made his way out of the forest and toward the cavern where he stowed his toys. Only a day had passed since his last encounter with Aurelia, and he was certain she was still unable to escape given the condition of her leg. Flying above him, his falcon carried a bundle of herbs he would use to redress her wounds. He may have inflicted all of the damage, but Sephiran was no idiot - if he didn’t tend to them, infection would set it, and nature would steal her away from him. It may have irritated him to complete such mundane work... but he wouldn’t allow the latter.

After walking into the entrance, he stooped to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness. “Aurelia,” He said, lips contorting into a sneer as he peered into the back of the den, where she was laid up against the wall. “I’m home.” It was a mockery his father had said several times when arriving back to their den, just to ensue fear in his playthings. He became more like his father every day. Sauntering over to her, he threw the mangled rabbit leg in front of her and took a seat beside her. The falcon brought him the herbs and hopped away to give him space. “Going to retaliate again?” He questioned, though it came out as a threat more than anything.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

Her life as of recent had mostly been fading in and out of unconsciousness. Oh, how she longed for the event that she didn’t ever wake up. While her flesh wounds were being treated- against her will- her dislocated hip joint had swelled beyond the point of recognition. The pain from it was constant- as best as she could tell, it had put an extreme amount of pressure on a major nerve ending. It was as if she was sat in a fire that she couldn’t escape- causing a burning sensation that ranged from her lower back to the toes she could feel, but could barely move.

In the beginning, she panicked- and occasionally she still did. The thought of being trapped with no reprieve could do awful things to one’s mind. But for now, she lay broken. Silent. Trembling. Cold. How many days had she been here? It felt like an eternity.

Though whatever sleep she was able to procure, it was shallow at best. As the sinister sound of her name on his voice resonated off the walls of the den, her reddened gaze flashed open as her breath caught in her chest. He tossed something on the ground before her- something to eat- though the thought of eating made her nauseous. Her attention didn’t shift from him as she watched him close the distance. Her anxiety nearly crawled up her throat, though she remained sill. He challenged her to retaliate, but she would refuse to answer his jeer. Instead, she made an attempt at swallowing the lump trying to fight its way out of her chest. Though, her mouth was very dry. “Seph-iran,” Her voice cracked, though it was to be expected. “I ne-ed wa-ter.” Obviously, she needed a lot more than just water. Though she wasn’t entirely certain of what he considered to be necessary in warding off her death. So, she felt water was a fair place to start.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

”Seph-iran,” His name came out shallow and breathless, but it was satisfying nonetheless. Better than snaggletooth. It seemed he may have finally beaten that pet name out of her system. His gaze aligned with hers, but only for a moment. His attention shifted to the pile of herbs at his paws, meticulously sorting them into piles by type. Some for inflammation, others for wound healing. But nothing to soothe the pain, which was intentional.

A single flick of his ear was his initial response to her request. And it wasn’t until he had everything sorted, that he would finally lift his gaze back to her. Water?” He mused aloud, thinking it over. “You make a request, but do nothing in return?” He shoved the separate piles towards her, right up in front of her face. “Chew those up, spit them out. Then we’ll talk.” It would have been a simple task for him to complete, but this was all part of his game. Keep asserting dominance until she no longer refused.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

Being ignored wasn’t something she had been expected. It made her question herself. Had she even said the words? Aurelia watched as the purple brute sorted out whatever herbs his pet had deposited. She didn’t look- and didn’t care to. In that moment, she was trying to figure her captor out. What did he want from her? Did he want her to repeat herself? In preparing to do so, the girl swallowed again. Weakly swiping her dry tongue over her teeth and tacky gums. Just as she was going to try and get his attention once again, he answered her. Water. It seemed to put genuine thought into the matter … though, she wasn’t entirely sure if that was a hallucination or not. Did Sephiran ever do anything genuinely? You make a request, but do nothing return? She couldn’t stop the breathy exhale that escaped her jaws parting in disbelief. It would have been a chuckle, though it was one of desperation. What could she possibly do in her state? He provided the direction he was looking for.

Begrudgingly, she took a couple of the herbs into her mouth- not even registering what they were or what they were for. Though, with very little moisture for the plant matter to draw out into a salve, the leaves stuck to the roof of her mouth and in the folds of her jowls. Even the effort of trying to grind up the leaves was exhausting. She shifted her attention away from the Saxe boy, not wanting to see him take delight in her struggle to perform such a basic task.

"Speech"

Code by Shelby

To his surprise, she didn’t even hesitate to follow his command. A single brow cocked upon his face, lips peeling back into a satisfied sneer. She kept showing signs that she was finally going to do as she was told. Which was progress in Sephiran’s twisted mind.

Watching her take the herbs in her mouth, Sephiran remained silent. She seemed to struggle, likely from how dry her mouth was. Which was enjoyable for him to watch. And when she shifted her attention away from him, Sephiran leaned forward, wanting to see the exertion of energy on her face. And, once she had completed the task, he would expectantly wait for her to spit it out. Motioning for the bird to come and scoop up the salve, Sephiran crouched down lower to Aurelia. “If you want water, be good.” Once he was on his belly, he positioned himself to make this easier. “If you retaliate, your leg will be the least of your worries.” A final threat was given, as he fantasized about cracking her femur in half. Part of him hoped she would attack him just so he could do it. With a single, powerful shove, Sephiran used his head to burrow under her, and his shoulders followed. Twisting until he was under her enough, he draped her body over his shoulders and lifted himself up, so he could carry her down to the water to clean her up.

-exit w/ Aurelia-  

"Speech"

Code by Shelby