TRIGGER WARNING: GORE AND CUTTING UP OF DEAD CREATURE

Winter has its icy claws sunk deep into the lands of Boreas and the plunging temperatures have driven both predator and prey to find warmer climates. Ashen is still adjusting to their new lands and, while still establishing their borders, have had to fend off more than a few predators. However, word of ravenous coyotes encroaching on pack lands everywhere, not just Ashen’s, has prompted the need for experienced healers to make sure that any dead specimens they come across are not carrying some strange disease. Today, the task of preforming an autopsy on one such unlucky creature has fallen on the shoulders of the pack’s youngest Daimyo and she decides to use it a learning opportunity.

The girl’s small form flits around a clearing the she has made near the lake that the pack has claimed. The creature’s body has been unceremoniously dumped on the ground nearby and Seere is in the process of setting up a little makeshift autopsy area. On a large, flat rock, she places a rolled-up piece of leather and, carefully, unrolls it to reveal several sharp knives of various shapes and sizes. Each has its own use and there are some that are good for removing skin while others are meant for the denser muscles in the body. Glancing over her tools that are now laid out, the girl then places a small wedge made of steal and a similar sized mallet next to the knives. Those small items will help crack the ribs so that they can easily be removed.

Once everything is in place, the girl then moves over to the dead coyote and gives it a cursory visual inspection. Blood coats the underside of its throat where the killing blow has been dealt and it seems scrawnier than a normal, healthy coyote should be. However, it also seems to have been dead for a bit because gas has filled the stomach and bowels and caused it to begin to bloat. Thinking of her sister, Saia, the girl winces at the thought of having to burp it in front of her sibling, so Seere decides to deflate the creature before calling for Saia to join her. Grabbing a small, long knife from her tools, the small healer then moves back to the dead coyote and places her unused paw on its exposed side.

She presses firmly into abdomen, searching with experienced paws for the worst pockets of air in both the stomach and bowels. As she finds them, the long knife is deftly slipped through the skin into the pockets and, as she pulls the knife from the carcass, is greeted with loud hisses of air. However, sound is not the only thing that is expelled and Seere winkles her nose at the horrible, noxious gas that also fills the air. Once all the necessary punctures have been made, the girl then moves to replace the knife on the makeshift table before, once again, moving back to the dead animal’s side.

Sucking in some air, she then holds her breath while placing both paws on the bloated abdominal section of the deceased animal and pushes. The air escapes even faster and the foul sink that follows is almost to gag her but, by the time she done massaging the air out of it, the coyote resembles the skinny creature it was before death. Sitting back, Seere waits several minutes for the air to clear of the horrid stench before she tips her head back and howls out a call for her sister. She weaves into it, the fact that there will be a lesson and a dead body for them to examine before allowing the sound to die away.

Dropping her head back down, the girl smirks to herself as she wonders how long it will take Saia to appear now. Will the fact that there is a dead body that they will be cutting up draw her here faster or will it deter her completely? Folding her haunches, the girl comes to sit lightly on the grass near her table of tools, a smile already on her lips as she waits for her taller sibling to arrive. This is going to be fun.




WC: 702
Total WC: 702 / 2500


"Seere Abraxas-Destruction"

The move to the west had been substantially difficult for Saia. She didn't show so though. She had always been pretty reserved, hid her feelings. Of course there wasn't much for her to struggle with in her short amount of life, this would be the first time. She felt like she could be open with any of her family, even extending to her aunt and cousins. They all seemed pretty close or she felt that way at least. She had just never experienced this kind of struggle before. She guessed it was expected of her to adapt, it was in her blood she supposed. Her family lines and ancestry were strong, there was no denying that. And that's why she stayed quiet. Moved into her own den as her siblings had, and tried to find her way in life. It wasn't easy.

She had found her way into the patrol schedules, they had many capable warriors here in Ashen but as Venom had become busy with her new children and her blindness it seemed everyone picked up more slack than was available. At least better to give her Aunt this time with her young pups. Saia didn't mind. Walking let her mind wander in other places than where she wanted to see her future. Their second birthday coming up soon, she still had a long life ahead of her. But she still tried to think ahead.

At this moment she wasn't on a patrol though. Instead off by the oceans of their new home that reminded her of the archipelago. Even here in the west the breeze off the coast cut into her from the ending winter, but it was much different than the last year. The call from her sister may or may not have been unusual, but it was always welcome on her part. She would rise steadily and start to make her way out to the lake. Easy enough.

As she made the approach, the smell of the rotten and deceased filled the air. Saia paused and held her breath before going any closer, not really in view of her sister just yet. There were questions of course, but little worries. Seere was always one to teach and learn and Saia would immediately have that idea given these circumstances.

She finally found her sister, a wrinkle in her nose as she made those final steps in to her and peered down at the dead coyote before her. She didn't say anything at first, maybe more trying to keep from taking too many breaths in. "I suppose you've called me here for a reason." It wasn't rude, genuinely curious. A little sarcastic. She was more than willing to let Seere do as she pleased. Giving her this lesson was one of those sacrifices she'd take. Sacrifice? Only because of the horrid smell from the long dead creature.

Total Word Count: 1,181 words

"Saia Klein-Destruction"

As the small healer waits by her tools, she plucks up a small jar that is resting on her makeshift table and deftly opens it. A thick, white paste rests inside and Seere quickly dips her paw pad in to retrieve a generous dollop. The smell of any dead thing is gross and this concoction, of her own making, is a mixture of fragrant mint oils with a small undertone of the sweet floral hints of lavender. Applying the goop to her nose, the girl takes a deep inhale of the strong, sweet oils and waits as they work to naturalize the stench of the dead coyote. A sigh of relief passes her lips as the paste works just as she hoped and the girl makes a mental note to write the recipe down for future use.

Nose crinkles as she focuses, inhaling deeply several times to lodge the good smell in her nostrils before the nasty part that is to come. Saia, her beautiful red and black sister, is quick to answer her call and, as her siblings leans over the dead coyote, voice stating the obvious, Seere smiles. She does not notice her sibling’s sarcastic tone as she offers up the white paste, saying, “Yep! I have to do an autopsy on this thing and I thought you might be interested in seeing everything inside. But first, put this on your nose. It will neutralize the bad smell if you only breathe through your nose.” Waiting for her sister to get a generous mount for her nose and take several deep breathes, the monochrome girl then sets it back on her little work table.

Retrieving a sharp, short knife, she carefully moves to where Saia and the dead coyote. Placing it gently on the ground by the body, Seere looks to her sister and explains, “There have been several coyote attacks on the pack lands and we need to make sure that the increase in attacks isn’t because of some disease.” The winter has been harsh and while it likely the creatures are only hungry, they still need to make sure there isn’t something more sinister going on. With a shrug, she says, “If you are wanted to watch and learn, I would be happy to show you.” Eyes sparkle with excitement at the prospect of teaching again.

Once Saia agrees, the smaller girl explains, “First thing we will need to do is remove the skin.” A grin is flashed at her sister as she adds, “When I open the belly, the guts will fall out. So, watch your paws.” With the warning voiced, the young hear picks up her tool and places a paw on the dead creature’s side. Leaning in, she makes an incision on the inside of each leg and a circle around every ankle that intersects with the cuts. Next, she moves the knife to the throat, creating a cut from the top of the throat all the way down, across the belly to the dead beast’s anus. Sitting back a moment, Seere sets the knife aside and looks to her sister, saying, “Okay, here we go.”

With that, she places her paws on either side and begins to pry open the body cavity, allowing the contents to spill out into the grass. Even with the mint paste on her nose, the healer briefly catches a small whiff of the horrible stench and almost gags. Luckily, she is able to hold her professional demeanor and continues on, calmly removing the spilled entrails from the grass and setting them off to the side for further inspection later. Reaching inside the dead creature, she makes sure to remove everything and places the contents with the rest of the guts. Retrieving her knife from the ground, Seere then lengthens the cuts on the back of the legs until the they meet the incision down the middle.

Moving to where the cut begins at the top of throat, she cuts from one side, around the back of the head until it connects to the other side of the cut. Finally, she moves to the creature’s butt, slicing through the anus, up to where the tail is and makes another circle around the base of the tail. As she works, she explains the process to Saia and clarifies why she is making the cuts where she is making them. With all the incisions made, she sets the sharp knife back on her table and picks up a shorter yet broader one. With the new knife in her jaws, Seere instructions Saia to help her begin pulling off the skin and, together they begin the process of peeling the dead corpse.

The skin begins to come up and off with the horrible sounds of tissues and muscles being separated and the small girl is there to help convince any stubborn areas to release their hold. Once they get the skin off of one side, they roll the coyote to peel off the second side much like the first. Once the skin is completely freed, they move it off to the side and take a small break. Rinsing their paws in a bowl of water, Seere offers Saia more of the paste for their noses. Sniffing a moment, she then offers a smile to her sister as she says, “Hey you’ve never seen a skinned, dead body, right? Here, I want to show you something.”

Moving back to their ‘patient’, Seere picks up one of the dead coyotes front legs and points to the back where the tendons lay, “All animals have similar tendons running down their legs. In a fight, if you take out this one” paw pokes at the thick tendon, “you’ll cripple any creature. See how it makes the paw bend and relax?” To demonstrate, the girl curls the coyote’s paw, the rigidity having long since left the body but it still takes some little effort to bend it. Once the tendon moves, she relaxes the paw, showing how the tendon relaxes with it. Moving her hold on the leg, she then points to the elbow joint, where the tendons and muscles attach, “See the joint? If you crush this spot, you will not only cripple the creature but you’ll inflict a lot of pain.”

There are lessons in everything and, while the pair are meant to be doing an autopsy, the chance to teach with a skinned body is an opportunity that Seere can’t pass up. Moving up to the chest, she points at the muscle that wraps from the shoulder around to the chest, “There is a thick bundle of nerves in here. If you land an attack, it will cause your enemy great pain. Plus, watch what happens when I move the leg.” Picking the leg back up, the girl moves it as if the dead beast is running, curling the paw while she moves the leg. Sure enough, the muscle moves in time with the leg and she cocks a brow at her sister, saying, “Cool, right?”

Moving down to the tail, Seere pulls her sister along with her so that she can teach, “Look at the spine and the tail. Do you see how the muscles extend down into it? That is why, when we sprain out tails, it hurt so much.” A soft chuckle bubbles out before adding, “But look, there are also a lot of veins running through here. Bite off someone’s tail and, if they don’t help, they can bleed to death. Which… is kind of an ouchy way to die.” Shaking her head, the girl moves away from the body to where her little workbench is as she scans her tools. Looking to Saia she asks, “Okay sis! Brain or guts first?” An eyebrow lifts as she waits for the answer, ready to crack open the creature’s skull at a moment’s notice. She stands, waiting, she can’t help but think that she really hopes Saia will chose the brain first.



WC: 1331
Total WC: 2512 / 2500


"Seere Abraxas-Destruction"