There was very little she could do to keep track of time. Fading in and out of unconsciousness- while it gave her some gleam of hope for her sanity to cling to- wreaked havoc on distorting her perception of how long she lay trapped in her glass-walled prison. She could feel some improvement in the condition of the flesh wounds that littered her neck and scruff. Though her leg remained limp as it lay stretched out at an awkward angle. It was so swollen- so sensitive. She had attempted to put it back into place herself in her captor’s absence- she knew how- though she was too weak, and couldn’t put enough force into the joint at the correct angle to achieve the desired result.

She was so tired of lying down. So tired of being rendered immobile. Tired of being drowned in the scents of blood and lust. But as the bruising and soreness eased, boredom became one of the worst parts to endure. Sleep was all she had that was hers. And as she lay silent and still in the pale lighting of the den, she prayed for it to take her.

However, it seemed that the universe wouldn’t be so kind. As she heard faint sounds of movement outside, her sapphire stare flashed towards the entrance where she had expected to see the brute she had been forever bound to. But after several seconds of waiting, he didn’t appear. “Sephiran?” She called out softly. Was this a new game?

"Aurelia Veratti"

Sauntering through the new terrain, Rhazien was drawn away from the shoreline in pursuit of a sickly sweet smell. His intentions had been to scope out the territory, as he swore he caught a hint of Sephiran’s musk in the area. It was so distinctive, like his father's. Intertwined with the suspicious cologne, was something almost as exciting. Female pheromones, blood, sex. All of the things that excited Rhazien to the core. And, being a creature of habit, he couldn’t help but put the task of looking for Sephiran on hold, so he could satiate his curiosity and investigate. What treasure would he find, he wondered?  

His pursuit brought him to the base of the mountain range, where miscellaneous caverns and dens had been weathered into the hillside. The scent of blood was stale, which was a slight disappointment. But the cologne of his nephew was stronger, which was promising. Following it up to the mouth of a cavern, Rhazien lingered at the opening for a moment, listening for movement inside.

“Sephiran?” The name brought on an immediate reaction, his lips curling into a wide, devilish smirk as an eyebrow rose. How lucky he was. Unable to wait any longer, Rhazien crept through the opening of the den, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bleak lighting. His gaze settled on the heap of grey and azure fur in the back of the cavern, head cocking slightly as he analyzed the girl. She looked like a toy alright. Meaning Sephiran was here. “My, you don’t look so good, little lady.” It wasn’t meant as a taunt, but an honest observation.

"Speech"

After gently calling out for her own demon, someone else entirely answered her summons. In the absence of an answer, she hadn’t realized that she had forgotten to breathe. But on first sight of the unfamiliar face, she had to bite her tongue to hold in the gasp. Her hackles rose to attention across her shoulders and down her spine- but it was merely a reflex. Even if she had to defend herself, she wasn’t sure what she could do. Though, rather than coming for her on first sight, the strange brute stopped to look her over- of course, she met the inspecting gaze with one of her own. Even still, she didn’t have it in her to submit- stuck on the ground or not.

If his intentions had been unclear in the beginning, then his mocking words certainly detailed his objective. But again, she simply couldn’t control her own snarky mouth.“Careful, you might hurt my feelings.” She answered, maintaining his eye contact while offering him a half-sided grin beneath her narrowed gaze. She wouldn’t wait for his response before continuing.“I don’t have the back-and-forth banter in me at the moment. So can you spare me who are you- and why are you here- and just tell me what you want?” Not to mention, there was no telling what Sephiran would do if he walked in and found an uninvited visitor. But she would hang on to that as a threat in case she needed it.

"Aurelia Veratti"

Her reaction to his appearance was primal - she bristled her pelt, muscles tensing beneath her coat but what surprised him was she didn’t stand up to face off with him. Still, she made it clear that his presence was unwanted, in which Rhazien would brush it off. What a weak show of aggression. “Your feelings may be all you have left, from the looks of it.” He took a step towards her, inching his way into the den. Observing her closer, he noticed the packing of medicinal salve in her pelt - an indication that an injury was being treated. His mind thought back to Kaiden and how this smell accompanied his brother's pelt. What a random memory to occur.

“Whoa now, not so fast.” Sliding in closer, Rhazien would attempt to come within a few feet of her before settling down on his haunches. Even closer to her now, he could really observe the azure hues in her fur, the long lashes around her eyes, the supple curvature of her youthful body. Damn, she was hot. Too bad. “Let's get to know each other better, hm?” The smirk on his face was unrelenting, contorted at the corners to create a rather uncanny expression. “For example, tell me how you know Sephiran’s name?” His question was the answer to hers - he was here for Sephiran.  

"Speech"

Even as he drew closer, to settle in at her side, he continued to mock her. “And I’d prefer to keep them intact.”  She snapped, trying to push herself up against the wall. She couldn’t sit up straight due to her leg, but at least she wasn’t as confined to the ground. 

Despite her trying to avoid the ‘cat and mouse’ game that she was sick of playing, this strange brute seemed to not be so keen on skipping that part. Figures. Though the truly intriguing part, was the stranger’s  interest in her captor’s name. But asking how she knew it was a little odd- annoyingly so. “What does that even mean? Introductions involve an exchange of names. I know it because he gave it to me.” She answered with the attitude that had gotten her into this mess in the first place. “Do you mean, how do I know Sephiran?” Aurelia corrected. Shouldn’t that be obvious? With a casual gesture of her paw, she indicated to the wounds that littered her body. Mostly in her scruff and shoulders, though as she moved down her side, she lifted her functioning leg to offer a better view of her dislocated one- swollen and mangled- and subsequently, the mark that Sephiran had carved into her inner thigh. Though she drew less attention to that one. “How do you know Sephiran?” Not that she truly cared, it just seemed to be the appropriate follow-up question. With any luck, this was one of his enemies, and he would either be interested in killing her, or killing Sephiran. She would honestly be happy to work with either case.

"Aurelia Veratti"

Struggling to prop herself up, Rhazien noticed how she needed the wall for support, and how she contorted her body awkwardly to keep pressure off one of her hind leg. His gaze lingered on her leg, and he ignored her remark in favor of trying to decide why she was doing that. Injury perhaps?  It would explain why she didn’t immediately stand up to face him…. and why she was holed up in this tiny den, to begin with. My, what has Sephiran done?

His smile widened at her second remark. It was her attitude he found amusing - only because he knew Sephiran would enjoy beating it out of her. And from the looks of it, he had been doing just that. She even gestured to the wounds that littered her body, ending with exposing more of her mangled leg to him. And the Sidi marking. Cocking his head for theatrical effect, Rhazien let a falsely concerned expression take over his features. “No - Sephiran did this to you?” His tone was one of disbelief, but he was obviously faking it just to match her attitude. “He’s the kindest boy I know!” He brought a paw to his chest, acting out a motion of pledging loyalty. Like a soldier addressing his commanding officer. “And the best nephew I could ask for!” Answering her question, he waited a moment for the information to register before continuing. “I’m surprised he left you here alone- I assumed he’d be  protecting you from whoever hurt you so bad.” He fell silent then, wanting to draw more information out of her, but in a twisted, cryptic way.  

"Speech"

The kindest boy I know. Aurelia immediately interjected with a guttural scoff, making no attempt to hide the eye roll as she looked away from the stranger for the first time. “I’m not interested in being patronized.” She answered lowly. She was vaguely aware of some sort of movement at her side, though it was a gesture that she didn’t care to witness. She was trapped here, and this was just another form of torment. However, as he continued on with his false enthusiasm, he said something that did catch her attention. Nephew? Her attention returned to him in an instant- disbelief clearly painted over her expression. Her reflex was to call him a liar. But as she looked at him more closely … his amethyst gaze looked woefully familiar.

Aurelia remained still for a moment, before clearing her throat. “I’m sure he isn’t far.” Aurelia answered dismissively- honestly, she was halfway surprised that he had allowed someone get so close. Friend or not. “Though, I would imagine I don’t need to tell you he doesn’t share well.” She added, wondering what his true intentions were by lingering.

Looking around, she couldn’t help but try and think of a way to manipulate the situation to her benefit. Looking towards the herbs that were left aside for her, the opportunity for an incense burning immediately came to mind. “There is something you could do for me …” She said, a little more gently, as she looked back to Sephiran’s alleged uncle once more. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name …” Her tone quickly changed along with the addition of a smirk as she tried to elicit the response she was looking for.

"Aurelia Veratti"

When she rolled her eyes at him, Rhazien couldn’t help but laugh. A deep, throaty chuckle slipped through his jaws, amusement spread across his face as he peered down at her. “Alright, I’ll stop - for Sephiran's sake.”  The last thing he needed in these pivotal days was to piss his nephew off. Not when he was so close to finding him. In fact, it would be wiser to use this girl to his advantage. She seemed to be the key to Sephiran, after all. “I do enjoy seeing my nephew riled up though.” His mind thought back to memories of the boy, when Apollyon was still molding him into the monstrosity he was today. Rhazian had no doubt that he had bloomed even more since then - in fact, he was certain of it. He had claimed his own Sidi! Ah, it made the older Saxe so proud.

Wanting to take advantage of this opportunity, Rhazien poked around for more information. “I’d never play with Sephiran’s things.” He raised a paw up, signifying an honorable notion. “Honest!” But the perverse smirk on his face made the act very unbelievable. This girl was so damn good-looking. He had a feeling it was going to be hard to keep his paws off of her. “Not unless he asked me to.”  Was what he ended with before the girl made a request.

Rocking forward, Rhaizen pulled himself to his feet, which made him loom over her even more. “Rhazien.”  He said, giving her his name. “And you are…?” He wanted her name in exchange- though, in the end, he would call her whatever Sephiran wanted him to. “I’ll consider your request, depending on what it is. No jailbreaks though.”  He couldn’t help but tease her, loving the way her expressions changed on that pretty azure face of hers. “And in return, you do something for me?”  The stakes were set, now all she had to do was accept.



"Speech"

His laughter was somehow more ridiculing than his words, and she despised it. He assured her that he would stop, but she wouldn’t even entertain the idea of taking him for his word. Words were words, and they meant little to nothing. She was far more intrigued about what she could talk this man into doing for her. “Aurelia.” She answered the inquiry of her own identity with ease. At this point, what did she have to lose? 

Much to her surprise, he didn’t shut her request down immediately, just gave her the stipulation that he wouldn’t help her escape. Not that she could escape even if given the opportunity. And, that she would owe him a favor of sorts. Honestly, she didn’t really like the sound of that. But again, what was there to lose? “Wouldn’t dream of it.” She answered his condition of maintaining her captivity as flatly as she could. In response to his other terms, she had to think. She wasn’t going to blindly accept whatever trade off he had in mind. She didn’t need the incense that bad. But if it came to running an errand when she was able, she would consider it. “As to your request, I will do something of equal value within my capabilities in exchange.” Aurelia answered slowly, eyeing him with clear suspicion before moving on to recount what she desired from him. 

She motioned toward the small pile herbs that she had noticed earlier. “I would like you to light a spark into some of those herbs over there.” The girl explained simply, her tone almost sing-song in the matter-of-fact way she presented it. Returning her attention to him, she continued. “You’ll need steel. Do you have a knife?” She asked inquisitively. Though, when he didn’t answer her right away, she took a guess as to what his answer would be. “No?” Odd that Sephiran would carry a blade and his uncle would not. Even better. “Then you could retrieve mine. It’s a ritual dagger- super helpful in sparking flames. The blade is long and thin with a gradual taper on both sides to the  point. The hilt is almost half as long as the blade, with waxing, full, and waning moons decorated into the handle.” She described, probably with more detail than necessary. A knife was a knife after all. Even if it wasn’t her knife he found out in the snow, it would be of use all the same. As to where he could find it … that was a little more tricky. ”I left it- or wasn’t given the opportunity to collect, rather- in the central clearing of the valley. It would be close to a ruined fire pit in the middle of a circle lined in stones. You can’t miss it.” She finished, hoping to see something that resembled recognition or cooperation and his marbled gaze. But of course,  if he declined, she wasn’t out anything.

"Aurelia Veratti"

Aurelia. What a pretty, sing-song-like name. Fit for such a pretty girl. Rhazien stored it in his mind, aligning it with her features and scent. While she went on to confirm she wasn’t trying to break out of her makeshift prison, Rhazien smirked and waited for her to accept his terms. But of course, she wouldn’t do it blindly - wanting to know his request first. Not a pushover… what a challenge for Sephiran. “What I want is simple- call for Sephiran when I ask.” He wasn’t ready to encounter his nephew just yet. He needed to bring the boy's hoard of brothers and sisters together first- which became more challenging than he originally thought. Enchanted by the new scenery, the other brood members were off exploring what this continent had to offer - which meant Rhazien was constantly chasing after them.

When she gave her request, Rhazien was surprised to say the least. He had expected her to ask for anything else really- food, water, a plot to kill Sephiran. But asking for him to light some herbs on fire was the last thing he expected. When she asked if he had steel, he thought about the serrated plating over his teeth. But he wasn’t going to offer that up as a catalyst. “Not everyone needs a blade to threaten with.” Was his response to her retort, ears tipping forward as he listened to the rest of her request. It was simple enough, seeing she gave him clear directions to the location. She described the knife in more detail than he cared for, but he knew where to look now, which was what mattered. If she agreed to his terms, Rhazien would flash her another toothy smirk. “Off I go, little Aurelia.” Was all he left her with before he turned to go hunt through the Polar Sound for her precious knife.

It took some time to find the location- about an hour or so. But once the destroyed altar came into view, Rhazien knew he was at the right place. Scouring through the debris, he found the blade beneath a layer of ash and snow, collecting it with ease and making his way back to the cavern. Holding the tiny thing in his mouth, he entered the den without announcing his arrival, hoping to catch her in the middle of something naughty. Of course, that hope was his own perverse fantasy.

He didn’t need any instruction from her- he knew how to use a blade to ignite a fire. And so, he would pull a rock beside the pile of herbs, pushing them both near her so she could do her part. “Get ready to blow me- I mean it.” He almost laughed at his own banter, before leaning down to strike the rock with enough force to create sparks. They showered over the herbs, but they still needed her airflow to help speed up combustion.


"Speech"

In reality, what Rhazien asked for in return seemed fairly simple. And after a few moments thought, she offered him a nod in acknowledgment. “That I can do.” Aurelia agreed. In receiving her request, to his credit, he was gone without any inkling of refusal. Something that genuinely surprised her. It had taken him longer than she had anticipated, but if he was new to the area, it could have taken a bit of effort to find the clearing she had described. Though, in his absence, she had remained alert, eagerly awaiting his return. But when she heard the approach of steps this time around, she remained quiet. Not really interested in a rerun of the earlier situation that brought this entire event to a head.

The brute immediately set to the instructions he had already been provided- gathering the herbs and bringing them to her- which she watched in delight. It didn’t surprise her that he omitted offering the knife back to her- she would have been more shocked if he had. When he offered up his own direction, Aurelia wouldn’t even consider dignifying Rhazien’s dumb, perverse joke with a response. But rather than insulting him, she left it alone- he did just retrieve her ritual knife after all. It only took a couple of attempts to cast a spark, and when a flash of light finally fell to the dried herbs, she was right there to stoke the flame. A small pillar of smoke began to rise in the space between them- to which she quickly moved to stack the few leaves together in order to keep the embers fed. As they began to smolder, their earthy and floral essence rapidly began to perfume the air of the den. Forgetting Rhazien’s presence, she recited the offering prayer in a hushed tone. “Nam mater, virgo, et crons. Suscipe, quaeso, munus nostrum et invitationem ut nobiscum vigilet.” If her company spoke or not, it fell on deafened ears. She was entirely absorbed in her own doings. After several deep, meditative breaths, she ended the prayer. "Dea, duc famulum tuum.” It was only then did she prop herself back up on the wall. Though her leg still hurt- maddeningly so, she had procured a moment of clarity. 

Allowing her attention to return to Rhazien as the haze from the smoke began to build, she offered him a faint grin. “That’s better.” She started. “I suppose I should thank you.” Whether he had been respectful or not, he had provided the opportunity, and that stood for something.  

"Aurelia Veratti"

After a few attempts from them both, the herbs finally caught fire and started to burn. They created a small stream of smoke that quickly filled the cavern, shrouding it in a herbal aroma that was almost therapeutic. The language that came from the girl was unrecognizable, and Rhazien was admittedly curious about it. Once she was done with her bit, the Saxe brute simply couldn’t help himself - always parting in oneupmanship, even if it was against a captive. “Păcat că Sephiran te-a revendicat deja. Te-aș lua mult mai bine decât el.“ He said with a shrug of his shoulders. Whether she knew that his family could speak Romanian or not, didn’t particularly matter to him. He just wanted to throw around the fact that they had their own language too.

Finishing up, Aurelia propped herself against the wall, flashing him a grin and offering a thank you. Setting the knife down and placing a paw over it, he smiled back at her- only, his expression was more devilish than sincere. “When I return with the others, be ready to uphold your part of the deal. Oh, and about this-“ He motioned towards the knife, which he was spinning in a circle with one of his claws. “Can’t leave any weapons with you.” She would either try to kill herself or Sephiran if he left it behind, and both possibilities were a no-no. “Once I have everything prepared for Sephiran, I’ll be back- try not to miss me so much.” Picking the knife up, Rhazien cast her one last glance before he turned and vanished from the cavern, leaving her and her little herbal remedy behind.

-exit-  

"Speech"