What We Do in the Shallows
02-08-2023, 09:46 PM
Thus far, Sephiran had found that leaving the comfort of his home to travel alone wasn’t so intolerable after all. It was a hard adjustment at first, given that he had grown accustomed to having his every desire fulfilled within a moment's notice. But, given his age, it was time for the teenage Saxe to venture into the unknown to make a name for himself. Only a month prior, he had separated himself from his immediate family and had spent the last season training with his father, having only one goal in mind for his future. On the most lonesome nights, when he was lost in the silence of his mind, he often remembered his father’s words, which fed his appetite for chaos and tyranny. You will become a king, whether it be over my kingdom, or one you forge on your own. There was nothing more Sephiran wanted in this world than to exceed the expectations that had been cast over him. These thoughts weighed heavily within his mind as he walked along the shore of the nearly deserted beach. He had been drawn here by the scent of a rotting carcass, which was intertwined with notes of sea salt and fish that radiated from the sea life that flourished here. Thick saliva that created strings as it dripped from his jowls had already collected inside of his jaws, as he could almost taste the flesh of what he assumed was a deceased seal. Of course, he would have preferred to slaughter the mammal himself, but he couldn’t be so picky given his circumstances. Playing the role of a vulture would have to do for today. The scent was nearly intoxicating as he finally stood atop the last sea dune that had separated himself from the carcass. And, what he saw several yards below him, made his stomach churn with disgust. A red fox, who was gnawing ravenously on the blubber of a seal, had beaten him to his meal. He didn’t even ponder his actions, nor did he hear the guttural snarl that erupted from his gaping jaws. He was sprinting down the small dune side, charging full force at the smaller canine, who barked a warning before bristling its pelt and rushing away in the opposite direction. Which, unbeknownst to Sephiran, was the same direction in which another wolf was swimming within the ocean’s waves. He didn’t even notice the she-wolf as he rushed passed her just as she broke the ocean’s surface and was shaking the water off her pelt. He was too consumed by the heat of the chase as he snapped at the fox's hind limb, slicing into its hock and causing it to tumble into the sand. ”Speech” |
02-08-2023, 09:51 PM
As the fox stumbled before him, crashing violently into the unforgiving sand, it released a bloodcurdling cry that could only resonate from a creature who feared for its life. And Sephiran loved it. It fabricated a sense of euphoria that he could not describe, and mixed with the taste of blood from the wound he created, he was nearly intoxicated from the adrenaline coursing through his body. The familiar sensation of fervorous lust started to simmer within his stomach, slowly spreading its warmth into his groin which caused nearly every strand of hair along his spine to stand erect. Another snarl billowed from his gaping jaws, and within moments he had descended upon the creature, who had taken on a defensive posture by tucking its tail and twisting to face him head-on. Much smaller, more slender jaws snapped back at him, sinking into the thick tuff of fur on his right shoulder, but he ignored it. This positioning left the top of the fox’s neck open, and he didn’t hesitate to strike at it. He grabbed the entirety of his opponent's scruff, ensuring to clamp his jaws tightly, to sink his fangs beyond superficial layers of flesh. Another yelp resonated from the fox, which quickly turned into screams as Sephiran violently shook his head, lifting it from the ground and flinging it from side to side. This continued for several minutes, as the fox snapped wildly at whatever it could grab, clawing at his chest to try and get away. ”Speech” |
02-08-2023, 09:59 PM
Finally, the sickening snap of spinal tissue preceded an abrupt cessation of the screaming, but even then he did not stop until the skull had almost been severed from the body. Subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and tendons had already been shredded, leaving fragmented strands of ligaments connecting exposed bone. It was a rather gruesome sight, one that would churn the stomach of weaker-minded predators, but for Siphiran, it felt natural. In fact, aside from the elation and blood lust, he felt nothing at all for the creature he had mindlessly slaughtered out of animosity. Sephiran stood still for a few moments, still holding his prize as he took several, drawn-out huffs of air, deeply inhaling through nostrils that splattered blood onto the sand with every exhale. One last wave of arousal trickled through his body, causing him to outwardly tremble and groan that was perverse in nature. His gaze shifted to his surroundings, settling upon the waves that lapped at his feet, pulling a dark shade of crimson into the tides that could only come from fresh, arterial blood. It was at that moment that he noticed something not too far from him, or rather, someone, standing in the same tides that tried to wash away the carnage. The hair along his spine was still bristled, though it became more erect as he stared at her, a deep, authoritative growl rumbling within his chest. His tail lifted, curling over his hocks, as he sent her an animalistic warning. Do you want to be next? ”Speech” |
02-08-2023, 10:06 PM
Sephiran’s domineering stance was unwavering as he waited to see how this girl would react to his challenge. Part of him expected her to flee or cower in a display of submission. But all he noticed was the stiffening of muscle, which may have been entirely instinctive. Aside from that, she seemed more upset than defiant, given her snarky remark. At that moment, a memory of one of his sisters formed inside his mind. She had a similar response to her first experience with gore but quickly overcame it after partaking in the next slaughter of an animal. Perhaps this girl needed the same experience? Or, was she destined to become his new plaything? These thoughts occurred in his mind as Sephiran carelessly dropped the fox, having lost interest in it now that it was dead and growing cold. He simultaneously took a few steps in her direction, wading into the water until it covered his paws. His claws dug into the soft sand, shifting between his toes while the water washed away some of the blood. The closer he came, the more he realized how close in age they must be, which sparked more interest. She was notably smaller than him, and it was apparent that she wasn’t missing any meals. She was well-groomed and had an air of confidence in her. As if she knew she could run to safety if she needed to. Connecting all the dots, he assumed that she likely had a pack to call home. “Not inefficient. Too efficient.” He sneered, his gaze trailing along every curve of her frame. “It died far too quickly- He wondered how soft her body and fur felt. How sweet and viscous her blood must be, given she was properly nourished.“-don’t you think?” His lips curled into a perverse sneer. ”Speech” |
02-08-2023, 10:10 PM
He took one more step forward, his tail relaxing a bit to align with his hips, but the sneer on his face did not fade away. In fact, it grew wider as she spoke, distorting into nearly unnatural proportions that displayed his blood-stained fangs. He couldn’t help himself. After she claimed he had no skill or accuracy, that he had made a mess of the fox, he found himself indulging in her revulsion. A derisive bubble of laughter erupted from him, as he meant to ridicule her and get under her skin. No skill? No accuracy?” He found humor in her words; it was a rather bold statement coming from a female he could easily break in two. “Should I show you what skill and accuracy are?” He paused for a moment, to study her. He wanted his words to slice into her skin, to make her feel inferior. That was her place, after all. And when she questioned him, he found himself starting to become irritated. In his mind, there would never be a logical explanation, as he did not believe the act was wrong. It was quite the opposite for him, as he found it to be pleasurable, euphoric even. He never understood how others didn’t feel the same rush he always did. “The same reason you do anything.” He felt his hackles starting to rise again. “Because I wanted to.” He went to take another step towards her, wanting to close most of what separated them, but a sudden outburst of noise behind him caught his attention. A turkey vulture had already descended upon the fox and was plucking out one of its eyeballs, cawing an annoying tune that drew other vultures to it. He whipped around, lunging back towards the shore, snarling and snapping his jaws as he drove the bird away. Even though he had lost interest in the fox, he would never allow a scavenger to take what was rightfully his. He would bury it in the sand before he let that happen. ”Speech” |
02-09-2023, 12:18 AM
Perhaps it had been the sudden rush of a large body hurtling towards it, or the guttural snarl that had echoed across the beach. Or, perhaps it was the sense of danger that emanated from the teenage Saxe. Whatever it was, the vulture who had been picking at his prey erupted from the ground with a fast flap of its wings, trying to avoid its attacker. It managed to escape his grasp with only seconds to spare, but not unscathed. Sephiran had grabbed a mouthful of tail feathers, and he was spitting on the ground as the girl came up beside him. He didn’t care to look at her as she spoke, his eyes narrowing towards the sky as his mind conjured up nearly every nasty word he had ever learned. Sephiran hated letting his opponents escape. Once the vulture had vanished into the horizon, he turned his attention back to the girl who was talking beside him, though he honestly had missed most of what she said. His head twisted upon his shoulders, turning towards her with narrowed eyes that continued to study her body language. He had to admit, she wasn’t bad to look at. But nothing particularly stood out about her either. She kept motioning towards the fox, explaining some sort of strategy she would have taken if she had killed it. And her words went in one ear and out the other. At least, until she stated he had opened himself up for a counterattack. He couldn’t help but laugh again. A counterattack from a fox? How foolish she was, to think something so insignificant would even dare to cause any real damage. Of course, this thought was formed because of his arrogance and naivety. In reality, the girl was right. But Sephiran would never see it that way unless it had been his father who taught him that. “You talk a lot… for a girl.” He nearly hissed, tongue sliding across his fangs as the smell of the carcass started to make his mouth water. “And you make assumptions.” He crept back towards the fox, not hesitating to shove his way past her if she was in the way. “If I wanted to kill it quickly,” His jaws opened and he grabbed the remnants of what used to be the neck, and placed one of his paws on the shoulder to hold it down. “I would have done so.” His voice was muffled through the flesh in his mouth. With a few, powerful tugs, the last few tendons separated from the bones, splattering dark, metallic-smelling blood onto the sand. His eyes shifted towards her, holding the head in his jaws by the base, as the fox’s tongue fell from its gaping mouth. There was a darkness in the boy’s eyes as he looked at her. He was starting to wonder how loud she would scream if he did the same thing to her. ”Speech” |
02-09-2023, 05:46 PM
As the girl took a few steps back, likely to avoid being sprayed with flesh and blood from the dismemberment, Sephiran said nothing. He just stood there holding his prize, watching her with an unwavering gaze. A bicolored, unempathetic gaze that shone with the type of bloodlust that could only accompany the face of a monster. He was silent even, up until the moment she claimed there would be something bigger, meaner, and tougher than him. A low, guttural warning started to rumble inside his chest, resonating from depths only anger could bring to the surface. Though she may have meant it as a warning, there was truth to it. Sephiran only saw it as a challenge. A stab to his ego that made his stomach churn in disgust at the mere thought of something being better than him. He went to take a step towards her, his head lowering to align with his shoulders, just as she scoffed and took off into the dunes. Part of him wanted to chase after her, as watching her run away, stirring up a small cloud of sand in her wake, beckoned to the predatorial instincts within him. The urge to hunt her down bubbled inside him and increased when she stopped to make a command. His muscles tensed, the fox head falling from his mouth as he contemplated chasing her one last time. But she suddenly vanished into the horizon, leaving him alone on the beach with the fox, the seal, and the vulture lurking nearby. Sephiran would spend the next couple of hours succumbing to his anger before finally departing from the beach. The next wolf to visit, which he hoped would be the girl, would be met with a disgusting scene of dismembered carcasses littered across the beach. Only clusters of vultures picking away at what was left behind would remain with time. -exit- ”Speech” |