so. they’d made it. or more importantly, she’d made it. though where it is, she isn’t entirely sure. drooping trees, damp earth and a chorus of ribbits? this is where her darling brother has chosen to cement his new empire? wrinkling her nose, Yarra picks her way through the trees, doing her best to avoid the pond and all its slimy little creatures. so far she’s rather unimpressed, but maybe good ol’ Seph has seen something in this place that she hasn’t. Father would've thought so, anyway – he’d thought the sun shone out of Seph’s ass, had believed his precious son could do no wrong. snorting at the thought, Yarra comes to a halt to survey the path she’s made through the trees; the problem with this land is becoming glaringly apparent to her, and the more she stares at it, the more certain she becomes: she’s needed here. "Speech"

Sauntering through the territory, Rhazien followed the perfume of his darling little niece Yarrabelle. A direct descendant of his brother, and one of Sephiran’s sisters, the girl along with her siblings held a special place in Rhazien’s mind. He was to protect and guide them, no matter what. Even if it was tiresome at times. The brood liked to split up, which made it harder to keep tabs on all of them - but it also aided in their pursuit of Sephiran. Spreading their plague into unknown lands, reaping it of its treasures and purity. That’s why they were here, and not back home beneath Apollyon’s rule. It was all part of the scheme.

Coming around a bend, Rhazien caught sight of Yarra’s silhouette in the distance. She was lingering near a cluster of willow trees, observing the territory with a gloomy, unimpressed expression. Striding towards her, he couldn’t help but flash her a smirk - one that wasn’t necessarily inviting but wasn’t hostile either. "Yarra, why so gloomy?” He beckoned to her, coming to stand at her side. Of course, he knew why she had such a sour expression. This desolate piece of land was disgusting. “You’re prettier with a bloody smile, you know- perhaps a hunt would cheer you up?” Peering down at her, he flashed her his fangs - inviting her to indulge in some family time.  

"Speech"

Yarra perks her ears at the sound of Rhazien's voice, twisting over her shoulder to flash him a disparaging look. she makes a show of glancing around the clearing, encompassing the drudgery of her surroundings with the kind of expression that says, 'well, duh.' but she quells her sharp tongue and doesn't mock him beyond this. of all the men in her life, Rhazien is far by far the least detestable; in fact, Yarra might go far enough to say that she...likes him. at his comment, a wry smile lifts one corner of her mouth, exposing the sharp point of a fang. “believe it or not, i’ve been told that before.” venom-green eyes twinkle with mirth, sharpening at the mention of a hunt. ”oh, uncle, you know me so well - a bit of bloodshed is just what this place needs.” she rakes a line of deep grooves into the earth with one paw, relishing the soil as it crumbles beneath her touch. "Speech"

The smirk on his face grows wider as he watches her mannerisms, noting the haughty expression that paints her face, and the sly smile that pulls at inky lips. Pristine-white fangs poke out from her lips, and Rhazien can’t help but imagine how lovely she will look with blood and sinew dripping from her maw. “Oh, I believe you- you’re my prettiest niece, you know.”  A compliment he readily handed out in the art of manipulating others. But when it came to his family, there was actual truth to the statement. Every Saxe was beautiful to him… especially the women.

Her gaze sharpened at the mention of a hunt, predatorial in nature which was exactly what Rhazien was hoping for. “I couldn’t agree more- let me find you something to play with.” He maintained eye contact for a bit longer, savoring those venomously green eyes of hers.  Then, the older Saxe tipped his head back and tested the air for a promising scent trail. It took a few moments, but he was able to catch the feline scent of a cougar in the area, which he decided would be a delightful opponent for Yarra.

Motioning for her to follow, Rhazien would lead them through the territory and towards a clearing in the willow trees. As they approached, the scent of a fresh kill was intertwined with the smell of a male cougar. “Caught him at meal time,” His smile widened, head tipping forward as he peered down at his niece. “Which means he will be more territorial. Make sure to avoid those claws- wouldn’t want to ruin your face.” After providing the prelude of a lesson and an exhilarating battle, Rhazien stopped at the perimeter of the clearing. “Take the lead, show me what you can do.” It wasn’t often that Rhazien allowed others to take the reins - but for his nieces and nephews, he always made adjustments.  

"Speech"

“flattery will get you everywhere,” Yarra coos, and though she’s rather aware of her uncle’s naturally flirtatious manner, she can’t help but preen a little at the praise. she is only mortal, after all. “pray tell, what nefarious entertainment have you in mind?” her voice is a low purr, while a delicious shiver runs the length of her spine. no one outside the Saxes could ever truly understand her, could read the filth and rot beneath her pretty pelt and coax its growth in all the right ways. when she looks at Rhazien, she sees a man who knows the blackened depths of her soul - and rather than be disgusted by it, he seeks to draw it to the surface as though it’s a pretty trinket to admire. she falls easily into step with her uncle as he leads her through the forest, every step serving only to heighten her bloodlust. soon the scent of the cougar touches her own nose, and as the cat itself comes into view, a wave of saliva coats her tongue, spilling out from the sides of her bottom jaw. “oh, uncle Rhaz,” she sighs, sneaking him an admiring look from the corner of her eyes, “all this for little ol’ me?” it reminds of when she was a child and he’d bring her gruesome little presents, things like rabbit heads and sparrow heart and the femur or his recent kills. she’d held a fascination with femurs for a long time as a kid; it’d been her very bone. now she looks upon the cougar as it devours it’s snack and a nostalgic smile flits across her lips. ”i shall bring you its heart,” she promises, head tilting in thought, “as a token of my thanks.” and then she’s slinking from the undergrowth, stepping loudly to draw the cougar’s attention from it’s prey. it bares its teeth, hissing fiercely, and Yarra begins a slow circuit around the clearing, relishing the fear and wariness in its eyes. she wants it aware of what’s about to come, to understand who it’s sorry life is about to belong to. the cougar crouches low, haunches quivering in preparation of attack. Yarra grins. the cougar springs forward, feigning left and right in an attempt to intimidate her, and she follows suit, letting it lead in this morbid little dance. and when it does another tight circle around the clearing, Yarra waits for its hind quarters to face her and descends upon it like an omen of death, jaws clamping around the base of its tail while she uses a forepaw to steady its rear. the cougar yowls and twists it’s hard wildly back and forth, snapping its teeth - but Yarra wastes no time yanking on the tail, biting down as blood flows into her mouth. the cougar scrambles forward, and the momentum of Yarra pulling, pulling, pulling backward…rends the tail clean off. the cougar positively screeches, blood pooling onto the earth as Yarra lifts her head, brandishing her prize, letting it’s fear-scent soak into her pelt like the sweetest perfume. "Speech"

”Flattery will get you everywhere.” Ahh, yes, it will. Rhazien had discovered this long ago, in the midst of his childhood- seeing his father adore his trinkets, bestowing them upon his children to entice them with forsaken love. His uncle Basilisk, who used sex and attachment as an extension to his ideals, always having a harlot or two on his arm at every family event… only to rip their throats out days later if they disobeyed. They were powerful figures to look up to. Manipulation in the sense of temptation was an easy way to satiate both greed and unrelenting hunger- which was why he spent so much time perfecting the art.

And of course, in the light of praise and admiration, Rhazien found himself most at home. ”Oh, uncle Rhaz,” His pelt started to bristle, animalistic in nature and serving as a reflex to her breathless words. ”All this for little ol’ me?” Flattery and gift-giving had always been his forte, which Yarra remembered from her childhood he assumed. Nodding his head a single time before motioning toward the cougar, he shot her another smile, one painted with bloodlust and encouragement. “Perhaps we can split it?” Not one to share his prizes, it was a bit uncharacteristic for him to offer such a deal. But for his darling niece, Rhazien would do anything.

Watching her slink off into the underbrush, Rhazien felt a wave of pride crawl up his spine. Apollyon’s brood was doing so well. It was every Saxe father’s dream to witness their child partake in unrelenting bloodlust and satiation - it made him wonder, what his brother would see if he was here to see Yarra in action. She was tactical in her approach too, not in the sense of trying to hide her presence. But she knew how to maneuver around the agile feline, until she was able to ensnare its tail between her vicious jaws.

As she tore the tail off, the roar that emanated from the cougar was nearly deafening, and blood splattered across her face before soaking her maw and upper chest. “Ahh, there’s the beautiful girl.” Rhazien decided he would be a bystander no more. Striding forward, the Saxe brute attempts to lunge at the cougar head-on, wanting to capture its attention to provide a diversion for Yarra. Whatever she chose to do next, Rhazien would fall in suit. This was her toy, after all.  

"Speech"

Yarra flashes a blood-stained grin as her uncle appears, watching with fond amusement while he frightens the cougar further. it's truly pathetic now, the poor creature, yowling and tripping over itself in a desperate attempt to escape the two wolves. its posterior is a bloodbath, a patchwork of flesh and bone and sinew dangling hideously from the stump where its tail had been just moments before. dropping said tail at her feet, Yarra circles the cougar while her uncle distracts it, eyeing it from every angle with careful consideration. so many avenues, so many possibilities...but which would inspire the most fear? inflict the most pain? a moment of consideration passes, and then Yarra pounces, utilising her uncle's distraction to latch onto its right ear and tug it clean off, teeth slicing through cartilage as seamlessly as a duck slicing through water. falling back to all fours, Yarra spits out the ear and goes for the second one, relishing the blood pouring down the cougar's face and into its eyes, its pained screams as they rise into the air. she's enjoying this, chipping away at it, rendering it further terrified with every passing second. she can see its brain whirl, watching her with crazed fear. what would she take next? what would be left of it by the time she'd had her fun? "take its eyes next," Yarra suggests, quirking a brow in Rhazien's direction. it is framed more as a possibility than an order; she knows better than to order her uncle about. "i'll bring you it's heart, then, if it pleases you." a plan of action, though Rhazien is at perfect liberty to reject it. "Speech"

Weaving to his right, faking a turn to his left. Whirling around to the cougar's side, snapping his powerful jaws at its face. Rhazien did what was needed to keep the feline’s attention on him. In his peripheral, he could see Yarra starting to encircle her prey, observing from each angle, calculating possibilities. He couldn’t help but smirk to himself- he couldn’t read the girl's mind, but he had an idea of what was whirling around behind those venomous eyes. What would bring the most pain? Entice the most fear? What method would drown the beast in sorrow and despair?

There was only a brief moment of consideration before the viper struck. Her sudden assault caused the feline to stumble towards him, before it reflexively tried to whirl around and face her. Rhazien intercepted, grabbing a mouthful of its cheek in his jaws, using the leverage to pull it towards him while Yarra ripped an ear clean off its head. After a momentary game of tug-o-war, the duo switched places and repeated the act on the opposing side, leaving the cougar earless.

The Saxe brute didn’t contemplate her suggestion. If she wanted the eyes, he would bring them to her.  "Everything you do pleases me, Yarra." Leaping forward, Rhazien used Yarra’s previous assault to his advantage- the feline’s vision was already blurred, given that blood was pouring down its face from the newly opened wounds. He barreled into it at first, knocking the breath from its lungs, and forcing it to the ground. Claws were swiping in his direction, and a paw caught his right shoulder. But he didn’t falter in his assault. Jaws opened, and serrated fangs raked across the right eye first, removing the organ from its socket. Backpedaling, he rolled it around in his mouth before spitting it onto the ground and lunging forward the take the second eye next. Yarra motioned harvesting the heart… and Rhazien assumed she would be working on that task, while he completed his.

"Speech"