Following the reunion of the Saxe brood, and the arrival of the two strangers loyal to Sephiran, Rhazien had been given a command. Of course, this came after trying to reason with the little tyrant, who had been hellbent on dishing out the punishment himself. Tactical in his advance, and political in nature, he had convinced Sephiran to allow him to address the situation. He had to prove his loyalty to the boy as well, especially after performing ploys right beneath his nose.

And, if he were being honest with himself. Part of him was enraged by the fact that this stranger had dared the azure beauty to end her life. Encouraged it even, and walked away from the collateral damage without taking ownership of her mistake. He could only imagine, how vicious Sephiran would have been if Aurelia had successfully killed herself in the wake of Absinth’s suggestions. Still, though, the girl needed to be taught a lesson. And, who better than him to do it?

He had memorized her scent from the meeting- stale wormwood, with feminine undertones. It was easy to find and track, given how thick it had become in the Polar Sound. As he closed in on her, tracking her down to the shore of the oceanside outlet. Rhazien felt an electrifying pulse of bloodlust roll down his spine. Pulling his grizzly cape tighter over his shoulders, sliding his tongue across his serrated fangs. This was going to be fun.

When her silhouette came into view, Rhazien loped towards her. Pelt bristled, ears tipped forward, tail curled and waiving above his hocks. Everything about his demeanor screamed aggression, danger, power. “Absinth,” He called out, seeking her attention. Wanting those acidic, green eyes to widen in fearful delight. “You look so comfortable, for a girl whose yet to atone for her sin.” He was certain she would recognize him from the meeting, and how he had glared daggers into her flesh the entire time. And, given that he had been sitting with Aurelia. It was only fair for Absinth to assume, Rhazien knew about what she had done. “Disobeying Sephiran so blatantly, after you swore loyalty to him. Biting the paw that fed you." A short pause. "It disgusts me." His mind wandered to the fiery boy who had been at her side. He was at fault too. But Sephiran decided to confront Aresenn himself, and Rhazien had no qualms against that. The boys had a rather interesting dynamic, after all. So he would leave him out of this, for now.

Surely, he didn’t have to spell this out for her. If she was a smart girl, she could piece together that she was about to receive a punishment. Playing with Sephiran's toys could get you killed. Baring his fangs, snarling in her direction. Rhazien allowed her a moment of recognition before he surged forward to close the distance between them, with the intent to maim her.

"Speech"

After the events of the apparent Saxe family reunion she had been a witness to, Absinth was certain it was all the beginnings of a powerful force of souls… all under Sephiran’s command. She herself, and Aresenn had committed to the cause as it were, so it was all a matter of growing stronger until they could take what they desired. It was all grand, really, but she was not quite a loyalist to the degree the others were. Would she fight for Sephiran? She already claimed she would, to his face. Would she die for him? Well. She wasn’t going to flee a battle to save her life, so probably. Ah, but she could not help but wonder how exciting the culmination of vulgar and malicious gathering had been. Only… something had been off.

That something was briskly approaching her from behind, announced by a bark of her name. Oh? He seemed so.. irate. It was obviously directed at her. Absinth responded in kind, unwilling to waver nor cower. She mirrored his body language, with a quivering smirk of her own flashing and reaching her emeralds with mirth. The words that fell from his mouth were accusatory and cryptic in nature, but why? She did not speak yet, mulling over their brief interaction at the meeting… where he bore holes into her whenever he had the chance. The one factor she could even deem feasible would have been… that suicidal bitch. They had been quite comfortable with one another, hadn’t they? What? Did she go crying about mere words to her great overlords? Ha. Let’s find out. “And which sin would that be? There are so many.” Her inky lips shot back, amused at the turn of events; but that swiftly turned into irritation at being reminded of how weak Aurelia had been when they first met. “Fuck are you talking about? The girl? Oh, sure. I told her to do a better job of killing herself, what? Did she try it? She looked so comfortable sitting with Sephiran now, didn’t she? I wonder if she stopped believing that her great goddess wanted her dead.” The reality was Absinth didn’t know for sure that Aurelia had tried again, and failed again, to take her own life. Either way, she was alive- and doing much better from the looks of it. “They always find the will to live once they realize all their failed attempts were just their own desire to live, hiding right beneath the surface of their suffering.” Absinth scoffed, the countless times she’d seen such a situation unfold in the slums of her homeland, the whores and the orphans cycling through the stages again and again.

But, Absinth knew something was coming. She had never laid a hand on the girl, that Aurelia. Though it seemed that it did not matter. This was her reckoning for messing around in Sephiran’s affairs.. She could accept that, embrace the words she had spat here and to the sapphire-eyed toy. Fine. So be it. Absinth was fully prepared for the snarl that came, and the distance Rhazien quickly sought to close between them. Would her defiance be seen as defection? Could she fight back at all? She couldn’t be sure… but if this punishment was not being dealt out by Sephiran himself… she was probably lucky. Fucking hell. Absinth kept her lips curled, baring her teeth as she waited for his attack to come.
wormwood

The words that spilled from her jaws fell upon deaf ears. No matter what explanation the girl could have given, there was no justification for her sin. Even if Aurelia had been the one to spark the flame, and Absinth merely called her out on her bluff.  Truthfull, he may have done the same. But of course, this was Sephiran’s toy they were regarding- the untouchable azure beauty, who one day, may lose the interest of the little tyrant. Who was really at fault, didn’t make a difference. Rhazien was acting on Sephiran’s orders, which meant there was no room for error.

Closing the distance between them, Rhazien would initiate his assault. Approaching her head-on, with his defenses already in place- folded ears, erect tail, bristled pelt, bared fangs. The serrated, plated steel that coated his teeth shimmering in the sunlight. His movement appeared as if he was attempting to bulldoze over her- but, before contact, Rhazien would faint to the right, and then to the left. Trying to disorient her, splayed jaws snaking for the side of her neck as he relied on his momentum. If he were able to grab her, he intended to jerk her towards him with his movement. Wanting to disrupt her balance, so he could work on getting her to the ground next.  

"Speech"

Immediately the monochrome woman hunkered down her own defenses, lowering her head enough to block any moves to grasp her throat; her hackles raised as aggression flooded her ivory body. Nails dug deep into the ground, bracing for impact as her ears laid flat against her skull. And there. It came.

The older man much bigger than herself made it appear as though he would bulldoze right over her, instead he feigned a right- then a left. Absinth had enough time to brace for the right, leaning into it so she could dodge just as he were to strike- only she’d been taken for a fool. His attack redirected from her left instead, jaws sinking into her  side scruff and she was indeed jerked along with his heavier weight. Just as he intended. But she was a bitch full of surprises.

Absinth released a hateful snarl, anger thickly laden into her voice. She was caught, but not optionless. Never that. The emerald eyed woman did as she did best. Giving as good as she got. She twisted her neck to align her jaws with his shoulder, attempting to sink her fangs into the the Saxe man’s flesh. If he remained within reach, Her fores would come to offer her some balance by wrapping around his neck, the other over top his back and her hind legs fought to push back against him in an effort not to be taken to the ground. She could not go down easy. This man held no affection for her, there was no telling what he would do once she was defeated.

wormwood

Well now, Rhazien was a little surprised this girl wasn’t going down without a fight. Just as his jaws hit their mark, serrated fangs sawing into her flesh, attaining a tight grip and jerking her along with him. She would retaliate by grabbing him by the shoulder, making use of their closeness when he stepped into her crosshairs. A snarl erupted from his jaws, and they reflexively tightened in response to the pain. It was sharp in nature, yet it felt like he was being singed by the warmth of his blood.

And even as he surged forward, wanting to uproot the smaller girl and throw her to the ground. She would attempt to wrap her limbs around his neck, perhaps wanting to attain some kind of leverage. But Rhazien was six inches taller than her- which meant, she would have to balance herself on her hind limbs to achieve the feat. And for Rhazien, he would gain an advantage. Allowing her to advance, he wouldn’t pull away. And once she had her limbs around him, he would throw his weight forward and try to shove her off of her hind legs. In sync, using one of his front paws to try and hook it around one of her ankles to trip her. All the while, keeping a hold on her neck, wanting to keep control of her upper half.  

"Speech"

The bite from this man was excruciating, and she wagered through gritted teeth if he were a fucking freak of nature. His jaws felt more akin to a weapon than anything natural. They tore into her ruthlessly and drew a heavy amount of blood, but she held back her pained noises with a snort- anger bubbling out from the corners of her lips as she claimed her own piece of his flesh. She would not allow him the satisfaction of hearing her shriek so easily. Her own jaws were brutal in turn, teeth seeking vengeance as they buried deep into his shoulder. She shook her skull with the intent to do more damage, but what she was not prepared for was the loss of strength in her muscles, her hind limbs wavering for but a moment… and a moment was all it took as Rhazien surged forward and threw her balance off.

Fuck. Absinth stumbled backward, her mind flashing with options. One of which she attempted to play out. With her hold on his shoulder Absinth braces for her impact with the ground. Trying to take him down with her at the very least as he was already in the motion of pinning her. The emerald eyed woman released her forelimbs grip on him, seeking to claw and kick viciously against any part of him she could make contact with. But she was coming to a horrible realization. She had not been able to rest yet after the week-long scouting trip, and that had included multiple run-ins with danger as well. She knew she was pushing her physical limits to the extreme, but there was no way in hell she was going to just lie down and take it.


wormwood

Even as Absinth shook her head, digging her fangs deeper into his shoulder. Shredding the superficial layer of skin, and threatening to penetrate down into the muscle. Rhazien did not falter in his advance. Throwing his weight forward, using his paw to try and trip her. With the combination, and her forelimbs wrapped around his neck. She lost her balance, crumbling beneath him, pulling him down towards her as she hit the ground. It strained his neck, and put him at an awkward angle- taking on what looked like, a half-assed play bow. Releasing her hold, she started to kick at him. Dull claws raking across his chest and underbelly.

A snarl erupted from his jaws, slipping through the chunk of flesh and fur he was holding. While she squirmed, Rhazien attempted to anchor her down. One of his paws rose, as he meant to slam it down against her shoulder, to try and keep her beneath him. In sync, his head pulled upwards. Dragging her head and neck with him, given he was still holding onto her. And then, he would mercilessly shove her head down. Wanting to slam her head against the cold, hard earth with malicious intent. Multiple times, until she started to lose consciousness.  

"Speech"

She had succeeded in bringing him down with her, but not entirely. She had no chance of turning the tables like she’d briefly hoped. He had not stumbled enough to try and roll them, instead he set into flesh harder. He wasn’t letting go. She could kick and claw as much as she liked, but it was not doing a damn thing. She knew it then. He was not merely going to teach her some sort of atonement. She was fighting to save herself from this brute’s depravity.

The girl tried to twist and turn, even attempting to rip her own skin out of his grip - to no avail. Absinth’s jaws snapped forward, about to try and seize some new part of his hide when his paw came down on her shoulder and forced her back down. Fuck. Fuck! “You fucking-” She attempted to curse at him, interrupted by the brutal slamming of her head against the ground. Again. Again. Again. "Basta-rd!" At first she had gritted her teeth, her gaze opening and wincing shut as her eyes blazed pure fury, and then they grew unfocused. She was seeing Rhazien, seeing him continue to lift her only to smash her head back down into the ground… but it was blurry and much too bright for her eyes to stay open for long intervals. She could hear snarling, but it was far away… much like that weird moaning noise, where was that coming from?

Absinth’s nose began to drip, drip - blood, but she could not tell - nor could she staple together the idea that she was the one making those pained sounds as her body went lax. She was conscious, but her senses were failing her; as well as her body.

wormwood

She was acting like a cornered animal now- wild and frenzied, snarling and cursing. Recklessly snapping her jaws at him, catching a few patches of fur between her teeth. Her aim was getting sloppy, consciousness fading as he repeatedly slammed her head down. The scent of blood fills the space between them, causing him to salivate and increase the ferocity of his brutality. It splattered across his chest, weeping from her nostrils, tainting his charcoal fur with crimson streaks. If Sephiran hadn’t given instructions to maim her, and had given him free rein…. He may have killed the woman, only to satiate his own depravity. But alas, Sephiran had a purpose for this girl. Somehow, she fit into the tyrant's vision, which meant Rhazien had to spare her life.

Once he felt her body go lax, her mind fading in and out of consciousness, Rhazien would let her go. Pulling his jaws away, which were soaked in her blood.  He couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her pained whines echoing throughout the clearing. But he wasn’t done yet. Twisting in place, he turned to her lower half. Widely opening his jaws, he struck at her hip- where it connected to her abdomen, and her ribs could be felt. Dragging his serrated fangs in haphazard movements, sawing down into the muscle. Rhazien would leave her with lacerations so deep, she would be left with thick, mangled scar tissue.... serving as her maim.  

"Speech"

Her beautifully white coat was now splattered and smeared with her own blood. She fought to maintain her consciousness, but her eyes could simply not adjust. Her body felt cold, and so heavy. All she wanted to do was sleep. But for her two short years of life she knew that if she slept now… if she woke up again she would regret it. Absinth couldn’t even tell he had released his hold on her. No - she was floating somewhere in the middle of numbness and anguish, desperate for something, anything to pull her out of her forced dissociation.

And something did come to her aid. But it was hardly a good thing.

Burning! She was burning! At her hip, her ribs, something was ripping! - tearing! her apart! Absinth’s eyes came back into focus, her bloodied face contorting into a multitude of emotions. Pain, of course. Anger. Grit. She tried to move but her body would not cooperate, the only action she could muster up rose from her chest like bile. A scream, one that ripped through her maw like the serrated teeth of her attacker. It was a cry that faded out into a strangled wail as she ran out of air, and very much unlike any noise she had ever made since running away from her homeland. Her head dropped to the ground again, eyes open but not truly seeing anything as her breath devolved into shocked pants.


wormwood

Her screams were so fucking loud. They sent shockwaves rolling down his spine, the sensation oscillating into his musculature. Carnal lust. He couldn’t deny the erection starting to form between his thighs. The desire to pillage the girl, in more ways than one, flooded his mind. Eye’s trailing across her mangled frame, gaze cold, licentious, unforgiving. Hungry. Licking his jowls, clearing some of the blood off his lips and whiskers. He glanced towards her bloodied face, searching for those acidic green eyes. They were open, but seemed unable to focus on anything specific. Bringing his face into her view, aware she couldn’t exactly see him. He wanted her to be aware of his silhouette. Of his proximity. “Next time you think of meddling in Sephiran’s affairs.” Slipping over her, placing his paws on each side of her. A paw rose to scoop up her hips and bring them to him. “Think twice.”

But suddenly, Rhazien would freeze. The eerie, deafening howl of Sephiran’s voice resonated from somewhere within the sound. Summoning him. Ears twitching upon his skull, and a sigh escaping his lips. He could hear the crunching of paws in snow, somewhere in the vicinity. It sounded like someone was sprinting in their direction.

Rhazien glanced at Absinth one last time, savoring the damage he had done. And then, his lips pulled back into that characteristic, devilish smile of his. A job well done. Turning away, he left her there- alone, mutilated, wallowing in a pool of her blood.

-exit-

"Speech"

Aresenn's breaths came in ragged gasps as he sprinted through the valley, the taste of iron lingering on his lips from his own bloodied face. The confrontation with Sephiran had left him enraged, battered, and bruised. But it was the anguished cries of Absinth that spurred him to abandon the unfinished duel. His heart drummed with fury in his chest as he reached the source of the desperate pleas. The sight that greeted him was a nightmarish to say the least. Absinth lay in a pool of crimson, her face marred, and her once vibrant eyes now clouded with pain, half-lidded with exhausted distance. A deep gash on her neck oozed with fresh blood, and a more sinister wound on her side bled profusely, staining the ground beneath her. Her pristine white coat nearly as red as his own.

Fury burned within Aresenn as he dropped to the ground beside her, paws trembling with rage at the sight of her. His eyes scanned her injuries, each one a testament to the brutality she had endured. Then frantically scanned the surrounding area- longing to see the bastard that caused this. The executioner had vanished, leaving behind only the echoes of a malicious act. Scowling, he returned his attention to her, leaning in to get any sort of recognition from her. "Absinth!?" Aresenn's voice trembled with a mixture of concern and rage. "Absinth, do you hear me!?" There was a moment of stillness, Aresenn's heartbeat syncing with hers in the chilling silence of the valley. The world seemed to freeze in that moment; even the air held its breath. What was he supposed to do?

"Aresenn Praetor"

She was still, her body forfeit to the trauma her head had endured. Shock gripped her, eyes distant and clouded with some far away memories. Or nightmares. Either rang true. The brute pushed his way into her view, though blurry and unfocused as it was. He was a shadow overhead her, and still she gave no reaction. Not even to his words, or the manner in which he stepped over her and began to raise her hips to his waist— and then nothing came of it. He left her to rot.

In her haze of semi-consciousness, Absinth felt both heavy and as light as a feather all at the same time. Pain and numbness. The same cycle over and over, and it felt like eternity— until a voice reached her near deaf ears with desperation.

They called her. Called her to answer. But could she? Her breath hitched in her throat, why? Her body shuddered as a familiar presence entered her space, her beaten down and bloodied space. She didn’t want them to see her like this. Who was it? She blinked once, twice, limbs curling in on herself as she moaned in pain. Her teeth gritted, shifting her head as though it would help— but of course it didn’t. Her nose dribbled more blood as she moved, her side bleeding profusely with every breath she took. Absinth tried to focus her vision, seeing a figure before her… red, gold, comforting golden eyes.

“N-no…” She spoke, her voice weak as she struggled to stand. Her limbs were weak, unstable and untrustworthy. Still she fought to raise herself off the ground, to not appear weak in  his eyes. She knew who it was. Aresenn. She didn’t want him to see her so broken down. Get away. Don’t look. Don’t.. But Absinth wavered in her attempt to stand fully, her body lurching forward to fall.


wormwood

When he finally heard her weakened response, it brought a fraction of relief- but of course, it was short lived. “Absinth!” Aresenn's own voice was becoming raw, almost hoarse from his own pleas. While he couldn't have anticipated it, he could see that she wanted to rise, to gain her feet and stand before him, but the pain and weakness in her body seemed insurmountable. As she made a staggered attempt to stand, he was caught between the desire to steady her, and being afraid to touch her. With every labored step she took, her side would cry out, threatening to bring her to her knees once more. But still, she fought. She stumbled. And she hit the ground before his eyes. "Be still.” He insisted. She needn't exert herself any further, though her determination and inner strength shining through despite her fragile state. It tore him to pieces- she was ... so broken.

No. She wasn't. He wouldn't allow himself to think that.

Aresenn choked on his frustration, mind reeling for a solution as he focused on his companion. He could hear her ragged breaths, feel the heat radiating from her body, and see her grapple with the state of her being. They needed help. "Listen to me, Absi.” He made another attempt at her attention- though he wasn't sure if she could hear him, or even begin to understand. "You are whole, and you are safe. I just need you to hang on.” He said sternly, whether it was reassurance for her or himself, he wasn't sure. He didn't wait to see recognition. As gingerly as he could, he lowered his muzzle to get beneath her. The contact of his own wounds burned like fire, and his blood smeared against her ivory coat. But as he pulled her into place atop his shoulders, he was quick to set in motion. He needed to find her a healer, and unfortunately, he could only think of one.

-Exit-
"Aresenn Praetor"

The haze of her mind was a heavy opponent to tackle. She was trying, but it was so fucking hard. All she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep to get away from the pain, the despicable desire for him to not see her as she was. Her thoughts were a jumble of pain and instinct to move and hide. But her body did fall, unable to complete the disjointed task she had set for herself. With a weak groan she found her limbs insolent in that they would not obey her.

Her eyes were slow to take in her surroundings. Though she could register… the scent of blood, and the voice calling her. Right. Aresenn. He was here. Seeing her so mangled. Fury and… and something else rose in her throat, her eyes beginning to tear even though she fought to swallow her emotions. Absinth didn’t do emotions. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. But he spoke, and her ears twitched to listen involuntarily. God she wished she hadn’t.

He was assuring her. Grounding her. Focusing her. It was all so horribly evocative, she felt her chest burn and her throat choke with raw emotion. No. Don’t show him anymore pathetic things. Stop before it’s too late.

As she numbly felt herself lifted onto broad shoulders, ones that felt steady and warm at the same time – Absinth fell into the depths of sleep once again. Her only wish was to hide, even if that was in her subconsciousness.

[Exit Absinth]

wormwood