It had taken him several days to collect himself after their hunt through the mines- for the echos of his mind’s demon to fall silent once again. Based on the recount from Sephiran, and the gruesome scene he found to match the story- the scent of blood that clung to his already russet coat. He finally accepted that he had played a part in the girl’s demise, though that wasn’t necessarily the part that concerned him. Why couldn’t he remember doing it? The chase through the caves was hazy. He remembered the pursuit, but his point of view faded in the shadowed gauntlet of the mine system. He couldn’t hear her screams over the visceral racket inside his head … and then nothing.

In the days since he had been alone. Sephiran had been off pursuing a different venture and had only returned to show off his newest surprise. Of course, after the last thrill-seeking adventure, he simply wasn’t sure of what to expect. But based on how excited his accomplice was, he had to wonder if it was something in a similar vein. Aresenn had been fairly quiet since their departure from the mines- lost in thought. He had been assured that the distance to their destination wasn’t terribly far away, though it was an easier venture if they followed the wall through the tundra to the Polar Sound. There wasn’t much cover, but the structure that cut the open area was in varying states of decay. With tumbled over sections, and large outcroppings of rock. At least it wasn’t actively snowing for once. Though the sky seemed like it might threaten to.

With a sudden escaped sigh, Aresenn cast a sideways glance toward the Saxe boy. “I don’t much care for surprises.” He muttered lowly, before realigning his attention to the ground in front of him. Part of him assumed that it was better to not know what was in-store today. He just didn’t know how right that part was.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Absinth had occupied herself with hunting and putting her weight back on after it had been lost to the sea a season ago, working to certainly not look like something that had washed up on the shore. She had spent a good chunk of time exploring the north as well, having departed from her travel buddy once he made his intentions clear of meeting his friend. She’d had the choice to join him but opted to make her approach at a later time- leaving Aresenn with a simple sentence. “Make sure you’re still on good terms with your friend.” She hadn’t really cared if they were or not. Though she did hope so considering the interesting implications of making friends with less-than-good-natured folks. A rather simplistic way of thinking but she had a very simple goal in mind. Aresenn and his friend being the key or not.

Once she thought it had been enough days to see if they were in fact still on good terms or not she set off in search of clues as to where they had gone. Finally she’d picked up a trail, and started off after it. Frequently testing the scent trail for more information- she found at one point that it was joined by another. A hint of something metallic she knew well intertwining the two smells as she continued to follow the path. Absinth was committed to catching a glimpse of them before she decided whether or not to approach- and that’s exactly what happened. She caught up enough to see them from afar as they followed the wall structure to some unknown destination. There was no cover for her to hide behind, but perhaps with her fur having a stark contrast of white and black she might do well enough among the snowy ground and the rocks to get even just a little closer before announcing herself.

She covered the last bit of distance giving up her stealth in favor of a normal approach- normal in her book was, in fact, not normal. ‘I don’t care much for surprises.’ “You won’t like me much right now then.” She peered at Aresenn, noting briefly how distracted he seemed before she gave a rumble of greeting from her chest.
 
“Aresenn, found you. Is this the friend you spoke of?” Absinth grinned in her unfeeling manner, twinkles of amusement in her eyes as she focused her sights on the stranger. An unordinary spectacle of purple and stripes of gold. They shared the emerald hue of his left eye, but his right eye being a deep purple caught her attention two-fold. She couldn’t tell if she liked it, or if the asymmetrical feature made her itch to fix it somehow.

She was sure to keep a fair distance until she could gauge the new male's attitude toward her sudden arrival. Her limbs ready for a quick reaction time if need be, though her facade gave nothing away in regards to her caution. She kept a steady gaze on the purple male, offering her first words directed at him. ”Care if I join you two?” She held no hope for Aresenn to aid her if she clashed with this male, the goal here was to see if this friend of his was someone who could give her a direction to her aimless existence. Whatever that meant. Absinth was here to find out.
wormwood

After indulging in their game, Aresenn had departed from Sephiran for several days. Sephiran didn’t question him, nor did he care to know the reason. He had something to attend to anyway. And so, while the former pirate lingered around the mines, Sephiran headed back to the Polar Sound to pay his little toy a visit. One would think mutilating the girl would have satiated his blood lust. And until he saw Aurelia, he felt satiated. But of course, once she was within his grasp, he simply couldn’t help himself… which meant he spent the last several days indulging.

And, sometime during his days with Aurelia, an idea came to mind. Why not show her off to Aresenn? It quickly turned into an impulsion, which sent Sephiran back to the mines in search of Aresenn. Once they regrouped, he convinced him to follow him to the Polar Sound, with the notion that he was in for a surprise. Sephiran loved surprising people.

As they walked along the wall, he held a different type of aura. It was atypical for him to have such a wide grin on his face, lips twitching while he randomly laughed under his breath. He was thrilled to show Aresenn what he had captured. Like a kid showing their friend their brand new Lego set. Of course, he wasn’t going to let Aresenn play with her… but if he wanted to watch, Sephiran would allow it.

”I don’t care much for surprises.” His head turned to shift his gaze to the crimson male, ready to retort. But suddenly another voice interrupted the silence between them. ”You won’t like me much right now then.” His pelt immediately bristled, a snort escaping his nostrils as he twisted to face the intruder. And he was unable to hide the perking of a brow when he realized it was a woman standing before them.

”Aresenn, found you. Is this the friend you spoke of? A single ear flicked towards Aresenn, but he didn’t take his eyes off of her. Friend? His head lowered when she shifted her gaze to him, a throaty growl resonating from his chest. He took this time to form an assessment of her, before coming to the conclusion that perhaps Aresenn was surprising him with a toy of his own. She looked around their age, was a female, and given Aresenn’s nature, she looked like she could be easily mutilated.

“Aresenn,” Sephiran questioned through his growl, still eyeing the girl who kept her distance. “Is she for us to play with?” He ignored her when she asked if she could join them. He wanted an answer from Aresenn first. “Or is she for you to play with?” If he was returning the favor by bringing him someone new to hunt down, Sephiran wouldn’t hesitate to indulge. But, if this was Aresenn’s "Aurelia", he would proceed in a different manner.

Still, Sephiran could feel the saliva pooling inside of his jaws, the urge to lunge forward and taste her whirling inside of his mind. Would her blood be sweet, sour, tangy? He cleared some of the salivae from his maw, wiping his whiskers clean, while staring at her with a manic spark in his eyes.


"Speech"

Code by Sea

Just as the words had rolled off his tongue, a different- feminine voice quickly interjected. Pointing out that he likely wasn’t going to be fond of her presence in this particular moment. Aresenn’s amber gaze immediately shifted to the source, recognizing the girl from the beach at once. He was surprised, but not like what he had been anticipating following Sephiran to an unknown destination. To god only knew what kind of gory scene. The Praetor boy’s ears flicked at the sound of his own name, followed by a question in regards the friend he had spoken of. It sounded odd being said aloud like that aloud. Though, he supposed that was the term he, himself had used in his hungover stupor. He wouldn’t readily acknowledge it here and now.  “Absinth.” He greeted casually.

Before he could get anything else out, his attention was requested by the purple brute at his side. Funny how one single word could convey an entire address worth of intention. Aresenn’s attention shifted to Sephiran, offering a half-sided grin as he inquired if this was someone for them to share, or if he were going to claim Absinth for himself. “Well, Seph. It seems that this is your world and we are all just merely pieces in it.” He began, partly in humor, but he was certain Sephiran would take the sentiment very seriously- and he counted on that. “Though, I would prefer it if she lasted us longer than the last.” While he wasn’t going to instill hard boundaries over this girl, he didn’t want to see her befall the fate of the girl from the mines. While Absinth might not be a predator, she wasn’t prey either. She was a scavenger. Aresenn cast a glance in her direction before continuing. “She told me stories of her father flaying traitors to their kingdom alive- parading them before the pack without their skin. I thought you might admire the creativity.” Which was the heart of his truth, and also why he had thought Sephiran might take special interest in the castaway. Though in hindsight, maybe being a special interest of Sephiran’s might not be the ideal place to be.

Focusing back on the monochromatic fae, he offered her a casual grin. “I think that’s a fantastic idea.” He answered her inquiry to join them. If she any idea of what was best for her, she wouldn’t run. Motioning them onward with a flick of his chin in the direction they had be going, he looked for the Saxe boy to take the lead. “Sephiran was taking me to check out a different kind of surprise- though even I am not sure I want to know what it is in advance.” He explained, the dry humor hidden in his words. Even still, he had the idea that maybe getting Sephiran to his toy would distract him from Absinth. Or maybe he had just played a part in leading the sacrificial lamb to slaughter. Either way, he wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Absinth held steadfast in her bold approach. Eyes locked on the stranger male who grew defensive immediately after her arrival. Of course she was hardly going to be a threat, the cogs turning visibly within the mismatched eyes of the brute. He looked to be the same age as her - but much better fed. She could see the sort of man he was. Oddly enough it was  just like being faced with her Father again- only far less dangerously loving. Perhaps his madness was deeper, or shallower - but this was terrain she could navigate carefully with experience.

Aresenn greeted her normally, but his friend... he began to question the red boy about what Absinth's purpose was. A toy. A plaything. How touching. Not a bad start, she supposed. -this is your world and we are all just merely pieces in it. Oh? Absinth began to read into Aresenns words as she faced the drooling maw of a predator who was sizing her up…. and all the things he could possibly do to her. Better a plaything than prey - but she knew she could still easily fall down to a lower rank than that. You know, dead. Her inability to control her facial features began to pull at the corners of her maw, giving way to a contorted grin where she had wanted to place an unreadable expression. Well, now I look crazy. It was exciting to be caught here with no escape- where her heart beat cooed in her ears.

She allowed the brutes time to converse of her fate, apparently. This was to be expected, she never fooled herself into thinking they would be any semblance of decent, Afterall - she wasn't either. That was the reason she had rejected Talyssa's offer in the first place. Absinth was in search of like-minded fellows. Surviving amongst them was part of the deal too but she still needed a way to dig her claws deep into belonging. "Daddy dearest was all sorts of creative, when he wasn't having a go at his pretty little toys." She didn't giggle, but a sound close enough to it came oozing out of her throat. Aresenn was not a friend to her, not quite yet. But he did offer some breadcrumbs she only had to follow and play off of to not wind up dead. In other words Absinth could roll with the punches with him acting as a buffer.

"I'm far more amusing alive, and I for one, love surprises." She took a note from Aresenns book- to turn Sephiran's mind back to his waiting toy. Absinth tried to tame the odd smile on her face but it was difficult- usually when she was on guard this would happen. It might've been the reason she survived so long in the company of her father. Now they waited to see if Sephiran would turn back in the direction of his 'surprise', two green emeralds glancing casually at Aresenn to see if she'd done well enough.

wormwood

Before answering him, Aresenn greeted the girl, calling her Absinth. A single ear flicked upon his skull, his aggressive body language unwavering as he waited for Aresenn to answer. He flashed Sephiran a half-sided grin, making a comment on how they were merely pieces in his world. At least Aresenn understood it now. He gave a low rumble in response, and picked his head up over his shoulders when he requested that this girl last longer than their other toy. Did that mean this would be a slow burn type of torture? Still unclear of what Aresenn really wanted out of this girl, Sephiran decided to be more direct in his questioning. “We kill her later then?” For such a bold statement, the words came out monotone and matter-of-fact.

He would have elaborated more on what plans Aresenn had in store for her. But, at the mention of flaying traitors alive and parading their skin, Sephiran’s mood drastically changed. The bristling of his pelt fell flat, eyes widening with maniacal excitement as his sneer morphed into a grin. “Oh?” He said, imagining the delight he would feel if he performed such an act. It would be so fucking arousing. “And you assisted him, yes?”  He said, hyper-focusing his attention on the girl, wanting her to admit she had committed such a vile act. But she continued on to say her father was creative and had toys, just like Sephiran and his father! “My father had toys too-“ He thought about his time as a child, as father would play roughly with them in the den, while he and his siblings were sleeping with their mother. “-as do I.” Aurelia came to mind, but only for a moment. He wasn’t worried about her escaping, given he had displaced her hip joint, rendering her immobile.

At the mention of joining them, Aresenn was compliant with the idea. She responded by saying she was more amusing alive, and that she loved surprises. Sephiran was quick to answer. “Not until you’ve proven it.” If Aresenn wanted to keep her around, she must be useful. And Sephiran needed more convincing that she was worthy of that. His impulsivity took over, and he decided Aurelia could wait for now. “Change of plans.” He said, tail flicking behind him as his gaze shifted back to the girl. His smirk faded, eyes narrowing as his expression contorted into one of malice and contempt. "Impress me." The command dripped like venom from his jaws, his callous gaze unwavering as he analyzed her closely.  Whatever she chose to do, Sephiran would stand back and watch - unless she went for him of course.  

"Sephiran Saxe"

Absinth was patient as they talked, unfazed by Sephiran’s callous words on the matter of her living or dying. Her charcoal tail flicked left and right as she called on a great amount of patience she did not even know she had. It wouldn’t do to get pissed off here, where they might team up and end her existence - but she so badly wanted to do something. All this tension really made a girl itch in her own skin.

It was almost child-like how the purple boy suddenly changed at Aresenn’s words, like a switch was flipped. Aresenn had his attention with her past ramblings of torture and, apparently the madness of her father. A great point of interest she could play off of. Well well, Aresenn. What a helping hand. She locked eyes with Sephiran, mirroring his excitement with a practiced ease. She had so many stories and experiences with her father, and what an interesting turn; like returning to her roots. “Daddy’s little assistant here.” Absinth grinned at his wonder and his comparisons to his own upbringing. You’re cute when you're not threatening to kill me. Uh. Maybe even then. “My father was as mad as a hatter. Can’t get that kind of thing out of your blood.” She hadn’t thought much of the time when her father was around- here she was nearly 2 years of age and the last time she had seen him was probably less than a year ago. Off on his pursuits again, never able to stay in one place too long. That was why she’d been left to her drunken mother, fending for herself mostly. As a street urchin, sometimes she had to pull her own mad hatter out from within to survive.

‘Not until you’ve proven it.’ Absinth rather liked that it wouldn’t be easy to work her way into their fold. Why would something worthwhile ever be easy? “I have plenty of ideas.” She purred promisingly, But which one to enact? What was around? Her head swiveled around, senses on alert. A sorry soul with no clue about the depravity compacted into one place? An animal? She’d have to track one down first, and nothing small would suffice… Absinth glanced at Seph for a moment. He was huge, and had already mentioned multiple times he’d like to kill her. One day soon. Her mind flitted from one idea to the next, and then her eyes settled back to Sephiran’s- a wicked smile playing on her inky lips.

‘Impress me.’ He’d said. Sorry Aresenn. Without warning Absinth reared back on her hinds, twisting her body to put her full weight into bringing her teeth down hard into Aresenn’s shoulder. Poor boy was within rage and even if he was able to connect the dots of what was about to happen - she was fast. Her teeth sunk in deep, Aresenn’s life essence coating her tongue in an instant. She could leave no room for hesitation or mercy, emeralds burning with her intent to put Aresenn to further use. Was he up for the task? He’d certainly been committed to act on Sephiran’s impulsivity, this was just an extension of that.

Ah, it felt like that itch was getting scratched Afterall.

wormwood

As he suggested that Absinth last them longer than the last girl, in true Sephiran fashion, he wouldn’t allow the potential to kill something pass by. The Praetor boy couldn’t help the breathy chuckle, as to not want to deny his accomplice the satisfaction. “Yes, perhaps later, then.” Aresenn answered gently, agreeing that maybe another game of chase and murder wasn’t totally out of the question. But, his compliance was more or less to achieve appeasement above anything else.

Taking his lead, Absinth ran with talking up whatever morbid background she came from. Good. It seemed that they had been able to establish an unspoken line of communication, or at least, the girl was sharp enough to pick up on cues subtle enough to travel beneath Sephiran’s radar. He made his own silent assessment in that moment. She was clever. He’d give her that. As she expressed how far more amusing she was alive- that she loved surprises- he couldn’t help but crack a more genuine half-sided grin. She chance a flash of at eye contact- a check in perhaps. He offered a downward flick of his pupils, maintaining the grin as his attention returned to the Saxe boy. The purple brute’s attention seemed to be captivated. It seemed that they had found common ground to bond over. How dastardly sweet. Far better than Aresenn had anticipated. Though, as they threatened to move the conversation on to whatever surprise Sephiran had waiting, he quickly redirected their momentum. Not until you’ve proven it. The Praetor boy maintained his grin, though his curiosity prevailed for even he didn’t know how they were going to traverse the upcoming interaction. His friend announced a change of plans, followed by the order for the monochromatic fae. Impress me. Dance for me.

The true test for Absinth’s allure. How well could she dance? If she came from a background as similar to Sephiran’s as he had thought, she should already have a pretty good idea how to handle herself. She answered the challenge with a collected excitement. One that had his interest peaked as well.

Though he was not expecting his imminent involvement in her solution.

Aresenn felt the impact of her jaws before he registered her sudden lunge. Her canine sank deep into the flesh of his shoulder, which caught him nearly off guard entirely. Immediately, his ears flatted against his skull as he the snarl resonated from his chest. “You bitch!” He seethed, before shoving his weight into her fangs. It might have sunk her hold that much deeper into his own flesh, but he hoped to stress the joint of her jaw. As he propelled forward, he sought to grab hold in the side of scruff, while trying to force her to the ground between the oppositional force he pressed through his hold and the counter force in hers.

This wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when he thought back to introducing Absinth to Sephiran, though, he had to admire the girl’s tenacity. And while he wanted to help her to not become a toy, they had to make it believable … and he also wasn’t just going to lay down and take a beating from a woman.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Adrenaline immediately began to run through her veins, much to her delight. She hadn’t been able to sink her teeth into another wolf since arriving on this new land. It amused her to think that perhaps at the end of this fight, his red fur wouldn’t even look soiled with blood- it would merely blend into his natural coloring. And her? Oh her snowy coat would certainly be stained, white had a way of turning into a canvas for grime. Maybe they would both walk away with a piece of each other. An attractive thought to the blood thirsty girl.

Her attack was met with anger. Aresenn did not hesitate to retaliate. How blindsided had she left him? Was he not used to his kind of thing? Absinth could recall numerous times when her father had urges to taste her blood- then quickly shower her in affections and sweet words afterwards. She could apologize later if it was necessary but at the moment she needed to make this an interesting show for their purple spectator.

She could feel his growl through her teeth, a vibration from his anger making her lips crack out into a bloody smile as she held fast to the flesh. Good. He was playing the game, of course he would. It seemed to her that he had done a lot in order to keep Sephiran close, but why? Were they more similar than she had thought? Absinth was going to confront him later and question his motives. But first…

Aresenn’s counter was to try and force her to the ground, and gain his own hold on her scruff. They were nearly even in size, with Absinth falling short by a mere 2 inches; an important factor when it came down to a battle of brute strength. She was stubborn. Her limbs planted firmly to deny his attempt to bring her to the ground. If she went down it would be over, she’d be defeated in the ways that mattered - a boring sight. But she couldn’t hold out forever in this deadlock. Something had to give. Her jaw, the weight he was pushing down on her, his flesh, her’s. And it needed to be in her favor. She had to reign in control. So, instead she chose the route that would cause the most pain. For entertainment purposes, of course. Perhaps it would hurt so badly he’d ease off her scruff, and she’d be able to let go- or maybe he'd be able to break the stalemate. As he had pushed into her jaws more to cause strain, the calculated risk came into play; doing so had her fangs cut deeper into the chunk she had a hold of. Now she was truly cruel- she began to try and pull backwards. She sought to rend the piece from his body. His hold on her scruff being the only barrier that maintained the pain she was inflicting rather than the quick motion of ripping her target away - she would accept the damages he may do to her in the process so long as she got what she wanted here. I will have my pound of flesh Aresenn.

wormwood

While his own canines made contact in the loose skin of her scruff, it simply wasn’t enough to gain the leverage that he had wanted. He had hoped that the impact of his weight into the joint of her jaw would have been enough to dissuade her- or at least set her off balance, though she was stubborn. Or determined- more like it. Instead, she took advantage of what he had offered up to her, sinking her hold. As he felt her start to apply a visceral amount of pressure, he was struck with disbelief in his flash of realization. She wasn’t going in with the mindset of a spar- a display of her skillset. She was out for blood. Bitch. Though, he had to commend her for her tenacity.

With as much tearing force as he could apply to the more elastic flesh of her neck, Aresenn attempted to pull her into him. He thrust his shoulder forward, angling his entire body at a shallow angle- the shoulder that Absinth had maintained her hold in as an effort to alleviate what little tension he could. He anchored himself in his hind legs, using his hips to set himself with a broadened base, and his opposite foreleg to try and help maintain balance as he put his entire weight into trying to keep her close. It was a tug-of-war of flesh, and as he felt his own muscles tearing in her grasp, he had resigned himself to the truth that the scavenger girl might get a piece of his sorry pelt prematurely to their original agreement. He’d have to remind her of that.

"Aresenn Praetor"

She was brutal in her execution of her dance. Spars were reserved for children. Or perhaps if her life was not on the line, she’d have had a lot more restraint. Really this might not have happened if Aresenn had properly warned her of Sephiran’s proclivities. Surely Aresenn had been made to undergo a test of similar nature? This was his reckoning. Bastard.

Her neck burned with pain as he manipulated the flesh to his advantage. He pulled her closer, preventing her from fully tearing away the chunk she sought. Hmm. What to do? She was feeling a great deal of exhilaration from deep within her black little heart. This was unexpected. She’d lived by the mindset to keep herself alive, but it was as though the true delight in life was… the danger? Oh God. I am turning into my father. Maybe it was because he’d kept her on edge for so long, that when he ran off he took the joy with him. What. The. Fuck. She hissed at the revelation mentally.

They may have nearly been the same size, but Aresenn had a bit more weight to him. Males. She’d have to work on her own musculature, she’d never imagined herself as lesser than a man. She wouldn’t let it happen. These dickheads needed to have their egos knocked around once or twice - she’d have to make that a goal. Blood oozed down her pristine white fur, offering color to the monochromatic fae. He’d given her some of that red fur after all… But she was about to take more of it anyway. It was going to be her’s when he died anyways, this was a nice sample. She tensed her muscles up now, building up her strength to enact a final tug. Absinth didn’t care if it would do the same damage to her. His grip meant nothing essentially, if she was willing to endure the pain. Fucking fuck!

Violently she put her whole body weight into pulling back, and then attempting to twist them in the opposite direction of his hold on her. She was aiming to finish this. To break the deadlock with their own pieces of each other to show for it. Through her teeth and his flesh she growled savagely with the effort, her eyes aglow with macabre enthusiasm and pain. Oh. So much pain.

wormwood

The taste of her blood leaking out through his hold did grant him some satisfaction, though, in hindsight, he wished that he had been more diligent in going for a point that didn’t have so much give. He could feel the tissue weakening around his teeth, and as he pulled back so did she- though it was his muscle that gave first. God-damn it! The pain rippled down his entire foreleg and into his shoulder blade. However, as Absinth suddenly won her trophy, her opposing weight hit his jaws, his canines ripping through her skin. While all he could taste was blood and fur, he had hoped that his grip hadn’t been for nothing.

As they both had been pulling each other apart, the sudden dislodgment left them scrambling in the opposite direction, though Aresenn was quick to regain his footing. The Praetor brute flexed his nails into the ground beyond the snow and launched himself forward. His gait was uneven- him now limping on his left shoulder, though his intention was clear as he leaped from the ground- throwing his entire weight back at the scavenger girl with outstretched forelegs. With any luck, she had hopefully not been as quick as he was to re-establish her balance and prepare for a counter.

In the middle of their fray, Aresenn had nearly forgotten that they were being observed, or why they were fighting each other in the first place. It vaguely dawned on him that this was meant to be a test, but now he was pissed for an entirely different reason, more annoyed that he now had an injury to treat after just getting off of bed rest from the cold he had gotten from saving Andromeda. Women.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Waiting for her to make a move, Sephiran practically leaned forward in his seat, inviting her to act erratically. His mind went wild with scenarios, ranging from her murdering a stranger, to fighting him in a match to the death. For a moment, he thought she may choose the latter, given the expression she flashed at him. His body tensed, lips curling to flash the entirety of his saber fangs. But then, she made a move he hadn’t anticipated. She went for Aresenn instead of him.

Taking a step back to give them room, Sephiran released a throaty babble of maniacal laughter. The battle didn’t last long, and would end with Aresenn knocking the girl to the ground… but only after the two exchanged a moderate amount of blood. Absinth had removed a chunk from Aresenn’s shoulder, and in return, he tore through her scruff. Both would leave scarring, he was sure. To serve as a reminder of this battle, which would benefit the girl should she ever dare to retaliate again.

“Enough.” Sephiran gave the command before striding forward to interfere. Aresenn had her on the ground, and Sephiran would jump in to attack if she kept retaliating. Shifting his gaze to Aresenn, he inspected the gaping wound on his shoulder, which was dripping blood onto the pristine white pelt of the girl beneath him. He turned his attention down to her, seeking to align his gaze with hers. “Tell me, Absinth.” His tail rose above his hips, pelt bristling in a display of dominance and aggression. “Will you fight for me in that manner?” He didn’t take his gaze off of her, searching for any crack in her expression that might reveal hesitation. "Or are you truly just a scavenger?" If she pleaded her loyalty to him right here and now, he would be impressed. But, if she faltered and denied him what he wanted, he would give Aresenn the command to kill her. So the real scavengers could pick at her bones.

"Sephiran Saxe"

As they separated from their bloody tug-of-war, Absinth felt satisfaction surge through her body. She let all her tension leave her muscles as she lost her balance thinking only of her prize still lodged in her jaws. She was about to spit it out onto the ground and gloat, but before she could even comprehend it she was tackled to the ground. Blood dripped down from Aresenn’s open wound onto her further soiled coat.

Absinth was quite amused by his expression, wondering if he was about to attack her as retribution for her actions. But the attack never came because Sephiran interrupted with a quick command. The test must be over. She relaxed further in obvious surrender, shooting Aresenn an apologetic look; though it seemed a bit insincere. She thought the situation was about to come to a conclusion, but perhaps the climax was only just approaching. The purple boy asserted himself above her, capturing her gaze with his own intense one. She could gauge the gravity of his next words would be the catalyst of her future.

“Tell me, Absinth. Will you fight for me in that manner? Or are you truly just a scavenger?”

She could not answer. Not because of hesitation - no. Her eyes were nothing but cheerful fidelity, especially after working so hard to earn the question itself. It was the silly matter of still having a lump of flesh in her mouth. She supposed spitting it out now would seem like an insult to Sephiran, so she did the next best thing. The only thing, in her opinion. She straightened out her neck and proceeded to swallow the meat whole. It went down like liquid, due to all the blood. She grinned a bloody, cannibal grin - and cooed out her response. “There’s nothing else I’d rather fight for.” It was almost a romantic response, without the romance of course. She’d never been interested in anything else, and oh how her heart had raced! How it was still racing! She knew what it meant; that she needed to be a part of this… whatever they were building. He stood above her and asked the true question - will you devote yourself to me, or will you die here? “I am more than a mere scavenger.” She maintained eye contact for a moment, shifting her glance to Aresenn above her then back to Sephiran. The true allure was something she had known from the moment he’d opened his mouth- there was strength here. Not the kind that toted kindness and benevolence, but violence and power. She felt like she could nearly feed off of it in the air, so thick, so attractive. She did not want to lose it. “I will give you my very being. What will you mold me into?” Absinth was eager for an answer from him, clinging to his mismatched eyes for even a flicker of a response.

wormwood

Her weight buckled beneath his, though in the process of doing so, a simple breath of command was issued from Sephiran. Enough. Aresenn clasped his jaws closed as he collected himself- staggering off the top of the girl in his accomplice’s address. He moved away from her, off to the side with an obvious limp leftover from the injury he sustained. Breathing heavy, he didn’t quite catch the initial question. However, he heard her answer plainly … after she swallowed whatever piece of him she had managed to steal. With a sudden tickle in the back of his throat leftover from the sickness he hadn’t quite yet conquered, Aresenn leaned towards the ground in a moment of a hacking fit- Absinth’s blood spraying the snow from his maw. As he righted himself, he stood to the side glancing back and forth between the judge and the accused. For a moment, he locked eyes with the girl, allowing that half-sided smirk to return. He wasn’t even going to try and predict Sephiran, though he personally felt that she had delivered. But of course, he was the one with the new hole in his shoulder.

"Aresenn Praetor"

When Absinth didn’t immediately answer, Sephiran interpreted the pause as a moment of hesitation. But the assumption was proven false, as he watched her swallow down the chunk of flesh she had in her mouth. It brought a smirk to his inky lips - she could have easily spit it out, but swallowing it down was something he would have done. And, if Sephiran was anything, he was a man who enjoyed when others followed in his paw steps, so long as they were behind him. There’s nothing else I’d rather fight for. What a strong pledge for someone who just met him. I am more than a mere scavenger. His tail lowered a bit, aligning with his hips but the bristling of his pelt remained. “We will see.” A simple response, one that made it clear this wouldn’t be her only test of loyalty and strength. There were many more to come.

What will you mold me into? His gaze was unwavering as he stared down at her, alit with maniacal pleasure. Another body added to his ploy for dominion, especially one so willing to be fabricated in his image was enthralling. Good work Aresenn. “Aresenn will determine a use for you.” Sephiran had other tasks to attend to, such as recruiting more bodies for their cause. And, given that Aresenn seemed to be the catalyst in this dynamic, it would be his responsibility to ensure this girl morphed into something useful. “As for me-“ He leaned in closer, wanting to hover his face above her own… close enough so the breath from his nostrils would sway the bloodied hair on her face. “I want a metamorphosis- evolve into something I don’t want to kill.” In other words, something with enough purpose to mitigate his blood lust. Like Aresenn. But of course, that would only come in time.

Shifting his gaze to Aresenn, he expected little to no response. And, if the two of them had nothing else to say, Sephiran didn’t either. No more words. He wanted to see action from the both of them.  

"Sephiran Saxe"