Enyo staggered into the cool, shadowed entrance of Erebros' den, her massive frame crusted with blood, muscles aching from exhaustion. The tear into her shoulder had yet to stop bleeding, Redrum had done his number as she did to him. Her breaths were shallow, her fur matted with dirt and dried crimson, and yet, a strange contentment swirled within her chest. She felt understood, even alive in a way she hadn’t experienced before. The memory of Redrum’s fangs sinking into her flesh played over and over in her mind, not in anger but in longing.

The fight? No, it had been more than that- had awakened something deeper in her, something she couldn’t quite place but couldn't shake either. Sexual attraction. The realization rattled her, the confusion gnawing at her as much as the wounds did. She yearned to see him again, to feel that wild, raw connection once more.

Her steps slowed as she neared Erebros, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, and she dropped a pitiful handful of herbs onto the cave floor, barely worth mentioning. She gave a half-hearted apologetic smile but couldn’t summon the usual pride to mask her tiredness.

“Didn’t collect much... I got distracted.” she muttered, her voice thick with fatigue, her mind still drifting back to Redrum even as she awaited her brother’s judgment. Knowing him, he would be worried. Perhaps even angry? Had he ever seen Enyo so beat and exhausted? So wounded?

“I need you to look at my wounds,” she said, her voice thick and tired, though still carrying that undercurrent of command. Her eyes, however, betrayed a different story: a restlessness, a confusion, a deep yearning for something she had yet to fully understand. Enyo seemed far away in thought, or perhaps confusion herself. Would this be something she wished to discuss with her brother? Would he understand?

"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

he woke from the sound of her shuddering voice, the smell of her blood highlighting in the air as his nares flared, the metallic spice enough to make him fully alive with animation. he growled, alert and uncertain for a moment as his animistic mind warned him someone close to him was hurt. it had been enyo. she dropped the herbs he asked for at his den's door, but she had something else to say. "Enyo!" he barked, a snarl rippling out his maw as he lunched towards her with eager assessment, his eyes wide with anger for a brief moment. he flared his nose, his body spiking with adrenaline as he came out his den to encircle her, his eyes hard and brows forward. "Who did this? Where are they now? Are they far?" he growled, eyes glancing for a second ahead before returning back at his sister with a scolding glare. "Why didn't you fucking call for us!" by now, his mane was raised and his snout puckered as he bared his fangs, tail high in the air.
he turned to grab his herb pouch before taking out his tin can filled with water that he collected hours ago. "Lay on your side. Now." he was in no mood for her shenanigans. "I tell you get fucking herbs enyo,- herbs! But you come home looking worse than a beat dog! Damn woman!" he fumed, voice raspy with growls. how could enyo have messed this up too? his only littermate!


"Talking" - "Thinking"

table by scarlet

Enyo’s ears twitched at her brother’s angry bark, and a low growl threatened to build in her throat, but she was simply too tired to fight him back. She stared at him as he encircled her, feeling the intensity of his anger but not responding to it. Instead, her eyes were distant, her thoughts still tangled with memories of Redrum’s powerful form, the heat of their fight. How confusing? She was not one to let emotions get to her. Perhaps it was the fatigue, her mind was as tired as her body.

When Erebros demanded to know who did this, she let out mild smile. "It was Medusa's son... one of the elder ones. Redrum?" she said, her voice thick and velvety, though laced with fatigue. “He isn't a problem.” she promised.

Her eyes narrowed at his scolding, and despite her exhaustion, a glimmer of defiance sparked within her gaze. "I didn’t call for help because I didn’t need it,” she said, her voice a mix of pride and weariness. "I handled it. It was wanted. He is as equally beaten as me.” She would say as she lay on her said, watching her brother examine her.

With a heavy sigh, Enyo did as her brother commanded, laying down on her side with a slight wince, her muscles protesting the movement. She knew Erebros meant well, but his anger was mildly irritating. She understood how the situation looked. Could she make him understand?

"The fight was welcomed. Perhaps I say too much... but erotic even. I have never experienced something like that before. Truly fun. We both let our bloodlust get the best of us. I didn't think he could handle it. He did. But I must say..." I like him more than I thought., "These Mortems are worthy. Worthy to be blessed with our genetics. With our heritage. If Medusa's children are this formidable. Imagine what you and her could create? Imagine a Mortem with Dunamis."

He should've known. At least now, her opinions on Medusa softened. She looked at the woman through a lense of respect and even awe? She was worthy. They all were.

"I support your marriage. If such a thing should happen."

Her shoulder was starting to slow down but she was still bleeding from the wound. It was funny, Enyo had her scraps and her fights but she always relied on her brother to patch her up. It was their dynamic. He was the Crown. She was his Sword.

"I got the herbs. At least I think they're herbs. They were green and they looked a little more important than others. I figured you would decide what was of use." she muttered, a weak attempt to justify herself, but even she couldn’t help the faint smirk that touched her lips. "Just... didn’t get much." As she lay there, Erebros’ voice faded into the background, her thoughts once more drifting to the memory of that wild, consuming fight. Despite the pain, she yearned for it again. How funny.

"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

as he sat there, sorting through his herb pouch, she went on to explain herself. 'medusa's son'. his ears splayed, offended that such a closely tied family had been responsible. even if enyo did desire it, this redrum would be scolded too. he flared his nose, steaming, "You know better than this." he spoke, his words spitting forward with harsh contempt. her state was bad, but his better had been worse.
as he assessed her some more, her piebald coat made it easier to make out where her major wound had been. "I will help with what I can. But you'll have many contusions, I'm sure. Bed rest will be ordered." he demanded her, using his familial power for her better interest. if the elders knew he wasn't taking care of the family, he was sure they'd come for his head.
his eyes didn't look at enyo, too frustrated while he grabbed the tin jug of clean water with his mouth to pour over her. it was sure to be cold, but it was meant to assist in stop inflammation. cleaning her, the water washed away the excess bleeding. to which he then quickly put down the jug to grab gauzes from the pouch that laid to his right. this would halt any further bleeding-, holding it on the bite wound. "You won't need stitches for this. but you will need antibiotics and bandages." he rumbled, slowly returning to his less bothered state.
after moments of applied pressure, Érebos began to sort through his herbal pouch for a small glass bottle of pure alcohol. he didn't bother to warn her, despising her ignorant nature. she treated her body as if it had been made of immortal steel. hopefully, the pain was enough to wake her up. and without warning, he lightly poured it onto her wound as he held her down with force. "It'll burn for only a moment. stay still." he said, a pensive look on his face as he focused. she would need a paste now before he patched her up.
he let her talk in the background of it all, his ears swiveling. he was a fantastic multitasker, keeping up to her with ease. but he paused after she mentioned feeling erotic about what had happened. he could relate.. far too well. remembering what it was like to battle medusa and feel turned on. how she could handle him and love him all the same. it was a free feeling for a dunamis- to not be sheltered and dimmed down by someone. but instead adored and enabled to express your essence without fear. could it be that the mortems simply matched them all? "Erotic? Do you fancy him, enyo?" he asked, his previous irritation with her dissipating as he let up to understand her. his voice even sounding lighter with intrigue. enyo then commented on the mortems as a whole, going as far as to commend Érebos and give her blessing. "I'm glad you're willing to give medusa and the mortems a chance. Medusa's past would impress you greatly- she has built a name for herself, by herself." he couldn't help but slightly grin before returning a gauze onto the wound again.
enyo commented then on the herbs, the task that he had forgotten all about. his brows relaxed, face balanced and eyes more lax on her figure. "Nonsense enyo. I care far more about you than herbs you most likely didn't get in the first place." he sighed. "However, let me know next time before you decide to batter yourself. I could've been on stand by for both of you. Who knows what could've happened had you been to weak and far to come home." he wanted her to use her head more, to wise up some. with power, there needed to be control. "We can all train with one another, so as long as there are rules set up in place to keep us all safe. without preservations and precautions, you're no good than an aimless woman with anger problems." he glanced at her finally, his chin tucking slightly as he jested with her. a soft chuckle leaving his maw.



"Talking" - "Thinking"

table by scarlet

It was funny, watching him like this. Rustling through his objects and items. Enyo would watch, resting her head on the floor before closing her eyes to the relaxing noises of his sorting through bags. The clink of different materials touching. Even his voice, despite being nettled, was a source of relaxation. No one tended to her wounds like her brother, no one got upset on her account as her brother did.

Enyo lay still, her muscles tense under the cold sting of water and the sharp bite of alcohol on her wounds. She hissed softly, her eyes narrowing at her brother, but she knew better than to resist. Erebos' touch was as careful as it was precise, and though his words were harsh, they were filled with care she could not deny. She wasn't a fan of his lectures, but there was truth to them that she couldn’t ignore.

You know better than this

...yeah she did, but it had felt good.

She was feeling sluggish, a side effect of blood loss, but she was at peace. As if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. As if some of the rage that had built itself up over the years had been relieved. Even if temporary, it was nice.

When he asked if she fancied Redrum, Enyo huffed. A mix of irritation and confusion colored her expression. "Fancy him?" she repeated, her voice laced with incredulity. "I don't know, Erebros. I’ve never felt like that before." She paused, her eyes meeting her brother’s briefly before drifting off, her gaze distant. "It wasn't just the fight. It was him... the way he pushed back, the way he understood me. I gave him everything I had and he took it. I hate to admit it, but I crave it again. It's maddening. Cathartic." It wasn't like her to just confide in someone but she wanted to share it. Whether it was just to verbally relive the moment or find understanding in it through someone else? Was she going mad?

"He was the first man who I desired. But he was... he was clueless. I don't think he has been with a woman before." Sex was far from taboo within the Dunamis. It was a part of life, and to be fruitful was part of their culture. Which was one of the reasons she didn't want to tell him this. There was a chance here, for her to do what she knew he wanted. What they all wanted from her. It was their want that made her rebel, to abstain from it.

Maybe he understood? He didn't seem surprised at her mention of it being erotic... Maybe he experienced something similar?

He made sure to point out how Medusa carved her place in this land of her own volition. She had half a mind to comment in criticism of the Dunamis patriarchy and ways. Imagine how many great women were denied the freedom to act on their own accord? But she had danced that dance too many times and even now, she knew to hold her tongue. Her torpor was too great, the fight in her all used on Redrum.

If they had been too weak to come home? She smiled and nearly laughed. Then maybe they would've spent the night in each other's arms, seeking comfort from the very bodies that wounded the- she stopped the thought. No. Maybe it was just her season, foreshadowing its inevitable arrival next season. Maybe that was the cause of it all?

She had never desired a man. It felt like such taboo... like betraying her body. Giving herself to the very thing she rebelled and bucked against her whole life? But she couldn't help but wonder what she was missing out on. Men were like some forbidden and poisonous fruit. She had never wanted a taste till now. But only from Him.

His mention of rules and regulations told her that he did not understand as she had hoped. It was the very lack of those things that made it so tantalizing. So freeing.

Her brother's comment about the herbs drew a quiet chuckle from her, the sound dry and weary. "I did get some," she insisted, though her smirk betrayed her amusement. "Not much, but some. And don't worry, brother. I can handle myself, and Redrum too evidently."

She met his gaze as he jested, a rare warmth in her eyes. "I understand, Erebros. I’ll be more careful," she said, her voice softening. "I would never be reckless. I cannot risk everything we’ve built. This was an exception, heat of the moment if you will. But you know me... I need the fight. I need to push myself, to know my limits." She paused, her gaze hardening slightly. "And I am far from an aimless woman with anger problems. I have reason, and I wield it wisely."

She did not feel the need to prove herself, she knew he knew.

"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

she ensured that she collected the herbs he needed, to which he then threw a lazy glance at. "Weeds. You brought me colorful weeds." his raspy voice said, a small smile pulling on the right side of his mouth. alright fine. "Thanks for the dandelion I did not need. Can't ever have too much can we dearest sister?" he heaved a chuckle then, his mane bouncing as he laughed wholeheartedly. enyo was so fun to see develop and change. from the angry little girl to the ambitious woman growing feelings for a man-, it was all so nice he ought to say. their bickering was something he admittedly enjoyed. "Alright, going in. Shush for now." he needed to focus, paws going to grab antibiotic paste made from the thicker gel of aloe. in it, was turmeric and comfrey- something that would not only help her feel better but prevent infection. slowly, Érebos made himself accustomed to the act of healing others and himself.
after he plastered it generously on her wound, Érebos resumed conversation. "That is the thing with these mortems. utterly and hopelessly clueless. not dumb, just clueless." he told her, voice smooth over her. "Medusa had no idea what I was trying to say when I expressed my own admiration for her. After some moments clarifying, she understood as I hoped she would." his eyes softened when he spoke about her, in love.
he went back to the pouch to gather bandages, gently coming to dip them in clean water from the tin jug before placing them carefully over the wound. he did this repeatedly until her wound was entirely covered. he sighed then, satisfied with his work. "You've more wounds but I've taken care of the most critical one. The bleeding has stoped for the time being. Take it ease, let your bandages dry. No hunting, no battles. I order you to bed rest for one week. I will see to it that medusa places guards around your den lest you try to fool me." he said with vocals that vibrated out, deep and immersive. stern and fatherly almost.
"And about Redrum.. Go for the lad. He is bound to be a somebody. Make sure you assert your hold over that somebody." he urged her, eyes fetching to her face for a moment. He knew enyo knew what he meant, a very dunamis thing to say. Érebos was unaware that red had any mates, any women to bear his children. perhaps enyo was called for this. "I approve of it. And I will work on making this happen through my own private connections." he winked, smiling.



"Talking" - "Thinking"

table by scarlet

Enyo rolled her eyes at his teasing, a faint smirk curling her lips despite herself. "Dandelions are versatile," she retorted dryly, though she knew full well she hadn’t brought the right herbs. Erebros’ hearty laugh lightened the tension, and she felt a strange comfort in their banter, even in her wounded state.

She obeyed for once when he told her to hush, letting him focus on his work. The cool sensation of the aloe paste against her wound was a relief, and for a moment, she allowed herself to relax. Closing her eyes as his steady paws applied the bandages. It was rare to feel so cared for. Even more rare that she needed it at all. There would be sharp twangs of pain and a constant dull ache but it was nothing for the Dunamis. Pain was a part of life and tolerance of it was deeply ingrained into them all.

As he spoke about the Mortems, she opened her eyes, noting how his voice softened when he mentioned Medusa. There was admiration there... love even, and it made Enyo pause. Was the ever-rational Erebros head over tails for that woman? Funny. But more dangerous than anything. "Hopelessly clueless, huh?" she mused with a faint chuckle. "I know what I wanted. I think some part of him knew too, his body did but not his head... or at least the wrong head."

She fell silent as he finished his work, listening to his orders. A week of bed rest? She wanted to argue, to push back. But she knew better. Erebros wouldn’t take no for an answer, and part of her knew she needed it. However she also knew herself, and she knew she would not be lying around all day. The mention of guards around her den earned him a glare. "I’m not some pup you need to babysit," she grumbled, though her tone was light.

Then his words about Redrum struck her. Go for him. Her chest tightened at the suggestion, the approval. She hadn’t expected that, least of all from Erebros. Assert your hold. It was a Dunamis way of thinking, one she understood well, but this...this was different. Redrum wasn’t just some conquest.

While she knew that the idea of who he could be excited her, she wasn't quite sure what made her want him. There was plenty powerful men who wished to lay with her. All of them were denied or ignored. Pedigree was not the prize for her. Nor was it position. If Enyo ever wished she could do her Dunamis duty and lay with any of them. Perhaps have strong and formidable children should she find one of grand enough size. Men were not complex creatures to her, she knew she could play the game and secure a spot should she desire.

But she didn't.

She never wanted to give more to man any more than men had taken from her already.

But Redrum gave, he understood.

And the confusion of it all was maddening. It made her want to go outside and tear the grass apart. Destroy something.


Still, she couldn’t deny the thrill that ran through her at the thought. The fight, the passion, the connection. She wanted it again, more than she was willing to admit. "I don’t know what this is yet. I don't think it is anything actually," she said, her voice quieter, more thoughtful. "But I’ll figure it out. Redrum... No man has made me want him! There’s something there. And I’ll see to it that I get what I want."

Hopefully soon. There was fear in meeting him again, that perhaps the spark really was a dud. Just the right situation under the right circumstances. Or perhaps, she feared even more, that it was just her soon-to-come estrus. However she had experienced it before and it only made her want her women more. Never was a man on the menu.

She met her brother’s eyes, her usual confidence returning. "Thank you, Erebros," she said, her voice firmer now. "For everything. I’ll rest, I promise."


"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN