Cursed IC

Flashes. Flashes of black and white. Snarls, roars, and whimpers filled the air as red dyed the snow. Argen was on one knee and blood was pouring from his body freely like crimson waterfalls. He was exhausted. They had been fighting for hours without end. Scarlet soaked claws were primed against his throat and forced himself to look up into golden eyes exactly like his own, "Vela...." was all the male Lycan could manage. He knew this was it. There was only one way this was going to end and the siblings both knew that. Argen looked up into his sisters eyes and saw nothing but fury and betrayal reflected in those golden hues. Yes....he could see why she felt betrayed. Her teeth were bared and her eyes were wide. Her white fur was coated in red like the snow beneath their padded feet. 


Argen saw the flicker of tension in the female's muscle and instantly knew what was coming. Vela cocked her arm back and shot it forwards like a whip cracked from the depths of hell. Argen still couldn't help but feel....content. If someone was going to end his life, he was glad it was his beloved twin sister. "Love you sister." he thought to her in his final moments as sweet death came to embrace him. 


Except, death never came. Instead tears, stained pink with blood fell onto his muzzle and the black wolf opened his eyes to a sight he couldn't believe. His sister had stopped her strike just before and was now crying. Her wolf-like features showed fury beyond what she showed during their twelve hours battle and a sorrow no man could know. The warrior within Argen rejoiced! A chance! Argen quickly grabbed her arm and using the final bit of energy he had, he twisted his entire torso and pulled her over his back and towards the blanket of snow beneath their feet. Over two hundred pounds of rippling muscle and white fur slammed into the earth and it didn't stop there. Argen maneuvered himself atop her and primed the final deadly blow. He didn't think. He didn't hesitate. This is what he was born to do! The lycan roared his triumph as he launched his dominant arm with all of his remaining force towards his siblings throat. 


Just before the blow landed, Argen saw it. All of the fight had left body and spirit. That was unheard of in Vela. No matter what, she always had fight in her. She would never just willingly give in to death, no matter what form. It was her eyes. Identical golden eyes gazed into his with a combination of sorrow and love that shattered Argen's heart and resolve. His own sight began to blur and he feared he was passing out. But it was tears. Tears had began flowing down his half wolf formed face, exactly like his sister's had. He couldn't do this. He couldn't take her life. 


Bones began to shift and snap back into a more recognizable human form, fur began to fall away and the body shrank a foot or two. The two siblings now looked upon each other, naked and tears streaming down both of their faces along with the blood from their wounds. Like a bursting dam, Argen embraced his sister under him in a torrent of tears and Vela held her brother with an equal amount of sobbing and wails. They held each other and cried for almost as long as they had been fighting. 


Argen's eyes flashed open and he was brought back to the present. His master had been up and about already, seemingly trying to get dressed once again. He had to admit, his master was a fine young woman. Any man would be lucky to have her. The colossal wolf shifted slightly from his position on the floor and made sure that his massive body was covering her completely from view. He craned his neck and picked up Elise's clothing in his teeth. He swung his head over and offered her clothing back to her with an unfiltered look of longing in his eyes. Not for her body, of course, but for home. For his family. For his sister. The longing was unfiltered and slipped through the cracks of their mental link. It would be something she would feel, even if he didn't use words.
 
Coda looked over his shoulder at the sound of another's voice. To his surprise he spotted the naked elf. He blinked as his face turned red, but was quick to look away as best as he could. His attention now fell to the back of the cave and his back towards Elise. He could hear others starting to wake, but he would keep his eyes where they were until he knew it was safe to look. 


Evilin slowly opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. She stretched out her arms and leaned back onto something warm and furry. She had been on the run for sometime that the thought of something nice to sleep on took her mind away from what was going on around her. Unfortunately it didn't last as she recalled the night's events. She leaned up from Argen's wolf form and looked back at the massive wolf. The red scarf still wrapped around herself she looked down at it as her fingers trailed over it a bit nervously.


"I guess we are all awake then huh?" She asked in a hushed tone. But because of the cave, her voice was clear and loud enough for those in the cave to hear. She looked around spotting Benton and soon Coda. She tilted her head a bit as a thought ran through her mind. She had gotten to know Argen's name, Elise and Benton... If her thoughts served her well, then they told her that she never did get the other black mage's name. She felt a little out of place now and somewhat embarrassed. She wasn't sure if she should ask, or maybe try to play it off like she knew his name. 


She looked over to Benton and Argen as she got up and started to dust herself off. She couldn't really see Elise as Agren's form was hiding her from her and the other's sites.  
 
Elise took no time getting clothed, her equipment had already mostly dried, which she was thankful for.  The set of padded leather fit her nicely, she had spent quite a pretty penny on the stuff before leaving home.  It was when she was pulling on the light coat that she felt something in her mind that wasn't hers, a scene that she didn't remember and had never crossed her mind before.  She paused and tried to focus on the thought, her curiosity piqued as she watched the two wolfish creatures pitted against each other, fighting seemingly to the death.  The name Vela was uttered from the male's mouth, in common tongue as well.  Not only could she hear and see the scene in her mind, she felt the faint tinge of emotion, specifically from the male, it was difficult to place exactly what he was feeling, but she definitely detected a sense of... loss maybe? Sadness? She saw tears in the females eyes, clearly the battle was one that was deeply personal.  The fight was short, the male gaining advantage after a moment of weakness before something changed.  The familiar cracking of bone, the fur receding into their skin, until the two sat there naked, weary and crying.  Finally she understood what was happening, she saw a familiar face on the male, her companion Argen, the shock of the moment made her gasp audibly, and the vision faded quickly as the wolf before her began to wake.  


With a polite smile, she accepted her backpack from the wolfs teeth, slinging it onto her back, she noticed quite easily the look in her eyes, it expressed a feeling she knew herself, the feeling of longing, longing for home.  She ran a hand through her hair, and frowned a little, she wished there was some way to fix herself up, maybe even have a nice bath sometime soon, but unfortunately she didn't believe that would happen while they were on the run.  Either way there were more important things on their plate, if they planned to move out today she would need ingredients, it was a long road they would travel, and having some spare reagents for her potions would be a nice boon to the group.  


She ran a hand through the black wolfs fur, looking out through the waterfall of the cave, through their mental connection she told him she would like to go out and gather reagents, and asked if he would accompany her on her walk.  After which, she turned to the rest of the group "good morning, how have you all slept?" she asked curiously, making idle conversation as the rest of the group was waking up.  
 
She had felt his longing just now. He could tell. The very emotion that threatened to cause tears to spill over from the dream he just had was reflected in his master's eyes, albeit altered. She must have longed for home. Argen did as well but he longed for family, his siblings, his tribe....the despair he felt for the death battle he and Vela had was unbearably intense. So much so, that Argen had to shut his eyes hard to prevent it from overtaking him. It was a brief moment but just in time, as his master had just asked him to accompany her on a walk to collect plants or....those strange things that grow in damp, dark areas. Strange little creatures with a stalk and a bloated top. It was often colorful too but Elise warned him to never eat them. He could never fathom why not but her orders were absolute. 


Just before the wolf got up, he felt movement upon his back and waited briefly as the runaway princess awakened from her slumber. It seemed she didn't know where she was for a moment but quickly regained her bearings. She looked almost embarrassed when she held Argen's scarf in her nervous fingers. That timidness reminded him if his youngest sibling, strangely enough. 


With Elise fully clothed, Argen rose from the ground and took his place at her side. With a gentle nod, the wolf used his massive form to block the cascading water and let her onwards without getting wet. As they began touring the forest, Argen knew he owed an explanation but didn't bother waiting,  "I owe you and explanations are there if you want to hear them Miss Elise. 
 
Elise simply shook her head "I saw the dream, and I can infer one or two things, but your history is your own, I won't pry.  But I would definitely like to know more about this..." As she spoke she gestured to his wolf body, an amused expression crossing her face "It interests me, I've never seen a person go through such an... extreme change before."  The two made careful rounds through the small forest, Elise keeping an eye out for anything useful to her.  


They got a decent haul from the woods around the cave, although Elise made sure never to stray too far for fear of being caught out.  With every new plant they found she put into a separate jar of the many she kept in her pack.  The jars helped keep the ingredients fresh, keep other critters out, and although she warned him countless times, she often found Argen sniffing at her ingredients, so it was partially for his safety too, some ingredients have nasty side effects if consumed raw.  
 
"That....was my twin sister. We had a bad arguement before I left my tribe in search of greater strength. We were the strongest but I felt there was so much more out there. I was right and I have gotten much stronger. I just need to visit again and show her." Elise didn't pry but she must have felt the raw emotion during the dream as if it were her own. The lycan would never have wanted to subject her to such pain on his own accord so he figured it would bd best to help her understand at least.


"I've heard many things in my travels..." Argen began mentally. He wasn't entirely sure himself but he would answer as best he could, "My tribe believes it is our wolf ancestors that grant us this strength and form. Some people I have met believe it is a blessing from the goddess of the moon. Most believe it is a curse as dark and evil as the black magic of this land." The giant wolf laid down beside his contractor as she went about her harvesting of the strange plants, ever wary of his surroundings. "I just know I was born with this. It gives me strength and power beyond any mortals natural capability. We are also immortal. Once we reach a certain age, it seems like we stop aging altogether."


"I don't know Elise. It's just what I am. Maybe we can find out more while we travel together." In light of recent events, Argen was being far more open with her than he ever had been. He never spoke much to her and simply guarded her without giving her much thought on a personal level. Now he found himself genuinely wary of her well being. Funny how quickly some things can change. 


@Nogoodname
 
Elise listened to the short explanation intently "I see, I'm so sorry for what you've had to go through, I can't imagine the pain of having to face a family member in such a manner." She pulled from her work to face her companion "Listen... if you would ever like to talk, about anything really, I promise you I'll be open minded" she said with a small smile, stroking her fur gently, this had been the first time since she had hired Argen that they had ever really talked with each other, she enjoyed it, it was nice to have someone to converse with on her journey. 


Her deft hands quickly picked a few mushroom caps, placing them into their own labeled container which she then clipped to the side of her pack, strapping it to the side with leather straps that hold it in place to prevent the containers from hitting each other as the bag moved.  Before long she had quite the storage of reagents, which would be useful in the long journey they had ahead of them "Let's get back to the others now, we should get everyone up and moving soon" Hefting her heavy pack onto her back and making her way towards the cave once again.  
 
"Mmm...." Was all Argen said in the way of affirmation. Normally, being pet in such a way was rather degrading but there was a kindness in the touch that caused Argen to swallow whatever pride he had on the subject. Elise's hand was so small compared to the wolf's massive form. The cursed canine's wet nose was almost as big as she was let alone his head or body. Like a small kitten petting a great dane. 


While Elise finished up and collected some of those strange stalk plants with the bloated tops, Argen admittedly eyed those ones a little longer than he should have. How did those taste he wondered? His curiosity was not lost on his employer he was sure but at the same time, he wasnt trying to hide it.


"Aye." The wolf replied as the girl suggested they move back to the cave with the others. He stood to his full height and padded alongside the small elven female for the rest of the walk before using himself as a shield once again at the waterfall's entrance so that Elise wouldn't get wet.


@Nogoodname
 
Elise stepped under Argen, entering the cave once again with their companions "I return, how has everyone else been?" she asked, looking over the group before sitting back against one of the walls of the cave with everyone else.  It seemed about now everyone was either awake or just getting there, they should probably prepare to head out sometime soon if they wanted to put some distance between their group and those who followed them.  


"Are you all ready to go? We should really leave shortly" She pulled out a few pieces of alchemy equipment as she waited for the rest of the group to prepare, finding just enough time to whip up a few potions, two potions of healing and a potion of cure poison/disease, it would definitely come in handy if they met trouble in the forest.  With that done, she set her things into her pack once again, leaving the potions on top of her things in order to reach them more easily, and stood, ready to go when the rest of the group was prepared.  
 
Evilin had watched Elise and Argen leave the cave. her attention slowly drifted to the scarf still resting around her neck. The red stood out against her fair dirtied skin, which then made her look herself over. She frowned seeing that there was old dried blood on her clothes and skin. She had been through a lot and her looks showed for it. She looked back up from the scarf and over towards the water. She thought only for a few seconds before getting to her feet and moving towards the water. From there she used this time to wash some of the dirt off her skin and clothes. Her mind mostly focused on her task until a voice called her back to the contents of the cave. 


"You should give me those horns." Coda watched the princess with a narrowed gaze. 


Evilin looked over to him and felt her emotions sigh. "they need to be destroyed." She stated as she turned to focus on her clothing. 


"They need to be returned to where they came from." Coda argued in a somewhat hushed tone. 


Evilin let her eyes shift over to Coda only for a mere second. She couldn't help the breath that quickly escaped her lips. "What are they anyways?" She asked hoping the black mage would give her a straight answer for once. but all she got was silence and a mean glare from the dark mage. Evilin frowned and turned back to her work, not before long she was done trying to clean as much dirt and blood and found herself just watching the water. She hoped Argen and Elise would be back soon. She didn't say much when it came to the others, and couldn't help that Coda did not take his eyes off her. 


Finally they were back. Evilin jumped to her feet and nodded quickly to Elie's question. "I know I'm ready." She stated. 


Coda slowly got to his feet and looked over Elise and Argen. His words were quiet but the thoughts in his mind were loud. This whole thing could be settled so quickly and yet no one believed him. All they had to do was give him the horns and this would be all over. 


(I'm sure my next post will be longer. (^_^)... for now this will help move things along.)
 
After the small elf stepped out from under him, Argen didn't follow. Instead he turned back the other way and tried to submerge himself in water to change once again. It didn't work. Even laying down, Argen towered over the water's surface. He transformation back to man was as painful as it was loud. The air around was quite literally filled with the sounds of someone's body being broken and torn on a fundamental level and then being reshaped once again. 


Argen stepped back into the cave as a man once again. As naked as the day he was born but again, the man didn't seem to pay it any mind. It was just a fact of life for him whenever he shifted in such a way. There was no use in feeling any real shame. The lycan walked over to the remainder of his clothing, bare footsteps echoing throughout the cave, as he began pulling on each article of clothing one by one. 


The wolf noticed the pool of dried blood on the cave's floor and absently check his side. All healed up and scarred nicely it seemed. He had actually forgotten all about that one. 


While he had not heard the entire conversation, Argen did pick up the last few words of the conversation between Evilin and Coda. They didn't say much but it was clear that the two were on less friendly terms than Argen had originally thought. 


"Ready madam." He replied as he slid his massive weapon into its leather holster. He had all of his furs and clothing. All that remained was his scarf.


@NovaNovass


@Nogoodname
 
Benton had been silently watching the others has he gathered his things to get moving. As he waited for the Lycan and his master to return Benton took the time to pull out his research journal and document all he learned in the past night. The dangers of trying to draw power from nature itself, the need to to secure more replacement 'parts' during the journey, as he doubted he wouldn't be using his dark magic during the journey, and he made note of the black horns that Evilin now had in her possession. He could feel a great power within them that he could use. However the boy would no doubt stop him from using them. 


Glancing between everyone Benton locked and put his research journal away in his things before standing and saying, " I'm ready to head out as well.  The sooner we leave the better I say. We don't need that search party catching up with us." Benton then leaned against the cave wall and waited for the group to move. As he waited he looked over the stitching in his arms, checking them  for discrepancies.  Though the stitching seems random Benton actually went through a lot of trouble to make sure the stitching was the way it was. When all the stitching is complete it forms a magic circuit of sorts which allows Benton to control this sick, almost foreign body.
 
"We should get moving then, let's not lose anymore daylight" Much like the rest of the group, Elise was anxious to get moving as to not allow the group behind them to gain any ground, which could easily be the case, who knew how early that man and his troops would wait.  She had to turn away from Argen as he went through his transition, the sound alone was enough to make her sick to her stomach and she didn't want to see if the view was any better.  As soon as it seemed to end, she stood and waited for her companion to get dressed "If the rest of you are ready to move, let's, we can eat as we walk" Even with how early it was, she didn't want to take any chances, they were on the run now, and any distance they put between themselves and that man was a good thing.  


Standing at the edge of the waterfall that hid the cave, she took a short breath and lept out through the cold water onto land just outside of the cave with a grace only an elf could muster.  Her clothes were a bit wet, but they would try in time, and the ingredients in her pack were firmly sealed meaning they wouldn't be damaged by the water.  With careful eyes she drew her bow, nocking an arrow just in case as she waited for the rest of the group to follow.  


Elise took the time to consider just where the party should head off to now, all she really knew was they they needed time to inspect the black horns, therefor the best course of action would be to lose their pursuers long enough for Elise to set up shop and take a good look at the things, then they could make their next move with the information gained from their collective examination.  The only issue now was they she was completely unfamiliar with these woods, and didn't know which way would lead them to safety from here, potentially one of the group could know, if all else failed they could even try to gain some distance and circle back to the inn.   
 
Unlike the well maintained roads of the capital, the trail below was uneven with edges tousled up by the slow advance of tree roots. Yet as perilous as it may be to one without vision, Eira walked without fear of falling thanks to the mule beside her. The poor creature’s ribs could easily be felt when she ran her hand along his side, a lasting testament to the beast’s past treatment.To one with eyes the mule would look half dead but Eira could only sense the stubborn strength of her guide and how it grew with the distance between its old master.


It would seem the gods had heard her prayers and the journey thus far had been uneventful. Before she had left on her journey Eira had visited each god’s altar and had lit a candle at each in return for their blessings. Despite this being a traditional part of every pilgrimage undergone by priests, her old friend had urged her to skip it entirely and make haste at once. Ever since the news of her latest ‘vision’ the aged man had been on edge, jumping even at the slightest movement of a shadow as if they were the monsters in the tales he used to tell her. It took a while for Eira to soothe him, and even still his fear lingered up until she could no longer sense him due to the limited range of her gifts.


She reflected on this as she walked, one hand pressed against the mule’s side for navigation. The air was cool on the priestess’s skin, moist from the morning dew and heavy with the scent of pine and rotting leaves. It was difficult to say if this was the wood she had seen in her vision, judging only by the brief glimpses she could snatch from the mule’s eyes, but something was telling her she was on the right course. After some time Eira began to hear voices ahead, along with the sound of horses. Concentrating, she reached out her mind to locate the source to find it was a group of people conversing. As she approached, Eira could feel waves of anger and fear emanating from the group. It seemed like one of them wanted to stay away from something while the other was angered by this.


A man’s voice, thick and coarse.“You couldn’t pay me three fortune’s worth to go in there. I ain’t touchn’ those corpses, cursed they is.”


Then a woman’s. “You won’t will you? Last time I checked your drunken arse owes me ‘bout as much considering you keep shirking your tab. I can’t afford to close up the inn any longer. GET. THOSE. DAMN. SOLDIERS. OUT. NOW!”


The woman was about to hit the man when Eira stepped in. "What is wrong? I may be able to help."


"Bout time someone sho-" The woman seemed to notice who she was talking to for she stopped mid sentence. "Ah, a priestess... just what we need, someone to talk sense into this oaf's head." She smacked the man upside of the head as she said this and gave a hearty chuckle. A jolt of pain graced the back of the priestess's head as well, which increased to a dull throb when she absorbed the man’s half of the blow.


Once the man recovered he gave the woman a glare, too angry to ponder why his head suddenly stopped hurting. "The inn's been cursed I say. Some witch lady came in there last night... possessed the guards and ate out the organs of one while they watched. Then she rode off into the night on a wolf! Bertolt over there saw it with his own eyes." He pointed in some unseen direction, but Eira was able to sense whom he meant. The man named 'Bertolt' was about to voice his confirmation when he was cut off by another.


"You've got it all wrong. Twas a black mage that attacked the witch with his fancy spells. The unlucky bastards in the inn last night were just caught in the middle. When the witch found out she was losing she turned into a wolf... everyone knows witches can shapeshift into animals."


"What about the gutted guard, eh?"


"There was a she-elf in the inn last night, the bitch must've slit the guard's neck while everyone was fighting. I heard some of her kind eat people like sweets."


"OH WILL YOU TWO JUST STOP IT ALREADY!" The woman growled. "It doesn't matter, we've got a priestess here. She can cleanse the inn. Now go get the shovels, I want these people in the ground before midday." Once the men had walked off the woman directed her attention back to Eira. “You can cleanse the inn, right? I can’t afford to keep people out any longer.”


Eira bowed her head. "Of course. Allow me to get my supplies and I will begin at once.”


While the priestess rummaged through the bags attached to her mule she heard the woman utter some swear words beneath her breath and stalk off, leaving the priestess to her work. She may still be angered, but not nearly as much as before Eira drained away some of it. Finally Eira’s hand found the blessed herbs and oil she had been searching for and made her way towards the entrance of the inn. The door was unlocked and retreated away from her on rusted hinges when she gave it a firm push. In all honesty she didn’t know what to expect, but she was no stranger to dead bodies, having blessed more than her fair share of the deceased during her time at the temple.


(Someone's gotta clean up the mess you guys make!)
 
"I'll lead the way." Argen stated as he casually walked through the cascading waterfall. The wolf's eyes scanned the distance and he couldn't see any signs of movement nor smell anything beyond a bear tearing into a baby deer about 100 meters to the left side of the river. "Coast is clear. Let's move!" The lycan barked to the others within the cave. 


Argen navigated his way down from the cave and marked a brisk pace for everyone to keep up with. Enough for them to put some distance between them and their pursuers but slow enough so no one can start complaining too soon. Everyone was rested anyway. Any complaints would be met with a hot, golden glare. 


(Not much but I'm trying to get things moving along.)
 
    The sounds of hoofs against stone echoed off of the still air. Birds flew happily around tweeting as the flew through the warm air. the occasional passerby or trader waved at the blonde haired girl who's icy blue eyes twinkled with happiness. There was a light wind that seemed to carry her song she sang softly over the ferns and trees, disappearing into the powerful sunshine rays. Zola's hand gripped lightly on the reins of the two horses that pulled her on the old wagon. The wagon back was filled to the brim with her father's harvest of this season. The items inside ranged from potatoes, onions, apples and wheat to bread, milk and wool. There was also the slated beef, pork and fowl, some tanned hides, and chopped firewood. she gilded the horses through the twists and turns of the road as she road on the outskirts of Bellmore, hoping to make a descent coin off of the harvest this season. 


  The sun warmed Zola's tanned skin as she took in the sight of the world around her. She smiled at the Birds who chirped and flew around the wagon, and the squires who scurried up trees at the sound of her approach. She enjoyed the air of the wilderness that would soon be replaced by the stuffy air of the kingdom. The horses walked at a slow pace as their chocolate brown fur shone in the morning's light. Her light singing continued as she made her way to Bellmore.
 
Benton gathered his things and pulled his hood over his head when Argen called the all clear. It was already daylight so they would need to get moving. The last thing Benton needed was to use anymore experimental spells. Though his robes weren't very thick they provided protection enough from the waterfall. As he descended from the hidden cave mouth he looked around for signs of the enemy and kept his senses sharp for signs of hostile magic. 


As he followed Argen Benton's mind wandered to the boy he had left for dead in that field. Without any help his curse should have killed him by now, but Benton guessed he was too tenacious to die so easily. They would meet again.
 
Evilin was quick to follow Elise and Argen. She agreed with the group. They needed to move. If Karn and his men caught up to them.... She feared the thought but would not let her mind linger on it as she leap through the waterfall. For the moment she was under the water she couldn't stop the thought of Argent's transformation. When it was happening her mind had gone blank for the time. She had diverted her eyes and ears away from the man as to her his casual attitude towards nudity was not of her nature. But once through the waterfall she took in a deep breath of air and looked up at the sun light. It was a new day and she had new allies. In her hopes, she only wished that this would bring good fortune and peace to the dark world around them. 


She glanced over her shoulder when she heard someone else come through the water. No surprise when she found Coda already giving his wet clothes an annoyed look. His eyes shot up and over to her which made her jump a little. Coda narrowed his eyes at her and thinned his lips. Evilin gulped a bit as she saw anger in his eyes. She had seen him angered before... Like last night, but there was something else behind his eyes this time. Something that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. 


Coda made a sharp tsk sound through his teeth before moving away from Evilin. a heavy breath escaped his lips as he caught up with Elise and Argen. Coda's mind was far from the same idea as the others. his thoughts still focused on getting the horns from Evilin and then finding his companions. These people had no idea what they had, nor did he think they could understand. Coda's eyes wandered around the area. If Nora was there she could easily figure out which direction they needed to go in with in seconds. 


This only made Coda look over the group he was now traveling with. They would never understand.... How could they? 


the thought of walking long distances made Coda frown as he knew what he could handle and what he couldn't. Right now he should still be sleeping. Sleep during the day to prevent the nightmares and terrors, and be up all night so he could defend the darkness away. 


Coda hadn't even noticed that the group was all out of the cave by now. The smell of the so called other 'dark mage' cleared him of his thoughts. His eyes drifted over the man and in the light he was able to get a better look at him. A disgusted look crossed over his face. The man's body was made up of other body parts, Coda could assume that all the parts were not of the man's own. The thought of how the man used magic even gave coda's mind more to think about. A curious look blended into his face as he thought about it all. The man had no idea what he was doing with black magic. 


Coda tilted his head and would have spoken up.... But he needed to save all of his energy for the trail ahead. 
 
Elise followed behind Argen, trusting his instincts far above her own, she took to watching the treeline carefully to make sure they weren't followed.  Argen was leading them at a rather quick pace, which she appreciated, they needed to put distance between themselves and their persuers, she just hoped that everyone in the group could keep up, it shouldn't be difficult considering they just finished a good long rest, but the boy had complained the previous night, and getting a good look at Benton now, she couldn't imagine how he had the strength to stand by himself. 


She turned to her companion "Do you know where we're headed?  I was thinking if we get some distance from that man we could circle back to the Inn? At least then we'd have an idea of where the road goes" She suggested, although she trusted her companion greatly, she wanted to get some sort of insight as to where he planned on leading the group, and maybe her idea could help them some.  Plus she wanted to make some idle conversation, the group had been nearly silent as they made their way from the cave, a nice conversation could help with the general mood of the group.  
 
While walking, the lycan suddenly paused and lifted his arm to signal the others to stop. The wolf man began to sniff at the air, much like wild wolves do when they search for something. Something had caught the lycan's attention....


....and that something was food. 


No one in the temporary group had eaten and while Elise did have food on her, it wasn't going to be enough for everyone. Hell, it probably wasn't going to be enough for Argen alone. But there was food nearby. A traveler or merchant carrying a haul of supplies somewhere. Two horses as well. Very well raised. Strong. The lycan's eyes began to take a small shine at the thought of tearing into the horse's raw flesh, the beast within commanding him to do so. Hunger had a way making what the beast said seem more appealing than it usually is. 


"Go to the treeline." He snapped to the group. The wolf didn't wait for them to process the order and quickly made his way into the thick brush besides the road. Not a moment too soon either. The carriage was coming around the bend soon. Argen could see the tip of the horse's ears, then its head and neck. Argen's golden gaze became unblinking and wide. A low rumble resounding deep within his chest without his conscious thought behind it. The way he stared at the herbivores looked exactly like a pack of wolves stalking sheep. "There's food on that carriage. None of us have eaten." He said with a rather low, rumbly voice. 


"It's only one woman. Rather young. No need to harm her unless she gets out of hand. If she does, I'll handle it."


Once the wagon got close enough, Argen silently pulled his blade from its respective sheath and subconsciously passed his tongue over his teeth. His entire body was coiled and ready to lunge at the promise of a fresh kill.


And lunge he did. Argen leapt out of the treeline in a blur of black and crimson color, bringing the full weight of the massive blade down upon the right horse's neck. With a weapon that large and Argen's inhuman strength behind it, there was no questioning it. The beast's head lopped clean off. It looked surgical with how clean the cut was. 


Horses have a lot of blood and naturally, after such a swift decapitation, the torrent that spouted out from the suddenly exposed arteries and veins was similar to the waterfall they had to pass through in the cave (yes, its literally that much. I've seen a horse get put down. Bloody stuff.) But the lycan didn't stop there. Now painted scarlet, Argen's blade and body dipped low and swung high. He used the full power of his legs from his low position and a harsh twist to give the blade a overkill potential on the sequential horse. 


All this happened before the second horse could even process what had just happened. The only reaction it had was its eyes widening in fear as it connected with Argen's hungry golden ones for the briefest of instances. Then its head was on the floor next to the first's.  Another torrent of blood followed and the ground beneath him was already starting to pool with the sudden overload of liquid the dirt was being given. Naturally, the cart lurched to a halt as the horses fell forward. 


The blood soaked lycan then turned to the civilian girl and pointed his now scarlet blade at the woman. He fixed her a gaze that could only be described as a bloodthirsty monster. "Don't.Move.Human." he growled out, his voice sounding more like a beast than a man. Blood dripped down his face and into his eyes but it was like Argen didn't even notice. That same, wide eyed, hungry stare now fixed on the human girl who was unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. 


@Fluffykitty9000
 
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[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The first thing Eira noticed was the stench. Thick and heavy, it clung to the air as fog shrouds the marches to the south. At first all she could smell was the sharp odor of the alcohol that had been spilt on the floorboards and walls, but after a few more steps there was another, dull and coppery. Blood. She also noticed a curious absence of any magic, both ill or good, within these walls. Whatever black magic that had occurred here did not last longer than the extent of the spell. It would seem the only darkness that lingered here was the sort that lived within men’s hearts.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“So the inn is not cursed after all.” She muttered to herself.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]There was no need for a cleansing but her thoughts went back to the inhabitants and the amount of fear the news of black magic had caused. No, she would cleanse the inn regardless. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Carefully, Eira ran her hand along the shattered remnants of a railing while she began to map out the interior of the building in her mind. As she made her way to the common room her foot collided with something soft and heavy, causing her to pause. She didn’t need eyes to know exactly what it was. Eira knelt down beside the corpse and began chanting a soft prayer for his passing into the afterlife, asking the Stranger to guide their way. After tracing the symbol of the gods in the air above the slain man she reached out a hand to close his eyes. In doing so she brushed against the source of his fate; an arrow lodged within his skull. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]With sadness, Eira removed it and cleaned away the resulting blood and gore. She touched the man’s face in different places as she imagined what he looked like. He was young, older than her perhaps by only a few winters. Beneath his shirt was a locket of sorts, one that opened up to reveal an engraving within the metal that Eira could not read. She wondered if it was from his wife, now a widow, or if it was something else. Perhaps he had children who would weep at his passing. Only the gods knew.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]She repeated this process with each corpse she found strewn throughout the room, blessing each and careful to leave none behind. Eventually she found the gutted man, lying beside a shattered window with his throat slit and innards lying about him. It would seem his attacker had came from outside the inn after all. Eira’s blindness spared her the sight but the smell was compensation enough and she could hear the flies already going about their business. [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Only once she had blessed each corpse did she ignite the holy oil to begin the cleansing process. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]By the time she had finished the owner of the inn was waiting beside the entrance along with a few men armed with spades. [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Well?” she said. “Is the deed done? Can these dimwits touch the corpses now?”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Eira gave the woman a patient smile and bowed her head slightly. “The inn has been cleansed, along with the curse. The black magic is no more.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The woman clapped her hands together, a rush of relief following.“That’s what I like to hear! Bertolt, Sanson, Godfrey, you lot get those men into the ground. Anya, Tatsy get the rushes changed and the floor cleaned up. I want this inn in proper condition by sundown.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Those mentioned hurried into the inn, leaving Eira alone with the inn-keep. She could tell that the woman had something more to say.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Priestess, you did me a real favor back there. I couldn’t let word of some bloody curse get down the road, it’d be bad for business you see.” There was a pause as the woman mulled over something in her head. “I suppose you’d like a payment of sorts… gold perhaps? We don’t got much to spare at the moment but i've got a few silver pieces that should suit your fancy.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Eira was quick to respond. “Keep the silver. Our order puts little value in such things. Your inn needs it more than I”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Surely we can get you something for the road? Food? Drink? We’ve got beds if you’re lookin' to stay the night.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Food will be more than enough, I don't think I shall be staying very long.”[/SIZE]



[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Right then, I’ve got a wheel of cheese down in the cellar. Imported from the capitol, nice and sharp.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 14.6667px]The woman left for a few minutes and returned with a burlap sack in tow that smelt strongly of spices. She tapped Eira's hand while she handed it to her with the other. "There was some leftover nut cakes from the other night and I found a few loaves of bread that weren't too stale. Tatsy thought it would be a good idea to give that mule of yours a few apples. Poor thing looks starved." [/SIZE]


[SIZE= 14.6667px]Eira was sure to thank the woman graciously before turning back towards the stables.[/SIZE]
 
The group stopped at a road, halted by Argen who instructed them to stay in the trees before he made his way onward.  Elise shot him a curious look, but he didn't return an explanation, much more focused on something nearby, she saw him sniff the wind and wondered if he had caught wind of someone coming down the road.  Surely enough, she could see a carriage round the bend shortly after, it's driver seemed to be a merchant of some sorts, driving a wagon of supplies, maybe she would share with the group? Or at least sell some supplies, Elise had some coin on her, not much, but maybe if the group pooled together their coin they could buy something off the merchant.  


Her thought was broken by Argen's next words, what did he mean by.. 'if she get's out of hand' Was he worried she was a bandit?  Elise couldn't see any way the single girl should cause them any trouble.  The elf's eyes went wide as she saw her companion lunge towards the carriage, she was just able to cover her eyes before she witnessed just what Argen had done to the horses, even without looking, the noise alone was enough to make Elise feel sick to her stomach, it was horrible, and the moment hung in the air for what felt like forever before the noise stopped and Elise was able to uncover her eyes.  She stood there, frozen in shock for a moment before the reality of the situation hit her once again.  


As soon as she regained control of her legs again she burst through the treeline out into the open "Argen!" she called, her face stricken with shock "What are you doing!? Stop this immediately! Have you gone mad?!" it was clearly much too late for the horses, but perhaps she could stop him before he could bring harm to the girl.  She knew she had to do something, lest he hurt the merchant as well in his current, seemingly unstable state, and though she knew their contract gave her some control over him, she couldn't help but fear the thing that had taken the place of her companion.  
 
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Argen's instructions worried the princess to no end and she was one of the first to dive into the trees and hide from sight. She went quiet as ever as she pressed her back against one of the trees. Only after she was hidden did she peak around the tree to see why they had to hide. She watched as a merchant cart came into view. She only figured that they didn't want others to see them. For if this merchant girl did , she could easily tell the hunting party as to where she had seen them. That alone would place the hunting party right back on their trail after trying to escape them so well. Her eyes shifted around the tree line as she noticed the others were now hiding as well. 


Upon hearing the order Coda was already worn in from the short distance they had walked. It hadn't been very far, but for him it was far enough. A chance to hie and sit down was nothing he would argue about. He had found a tree not too far behind the others. Keeping still and catching his breath was his main focus. Coda already knew that if it was trouble they were running into, no matter how strong the dog was, he could easily get rid of 'the problems'. 


But what shocked him the most was the feeling of the first horse's life being taken away so quickly. A hand rushed to his chest and over his heart as he closed his eyes tightly. He gripped as his damp clothing and merely changed the direction he was looking at. 


Evilin on the other hand had witnessed the quick motions of Argen's attacks and placed a hand over her mouth to make sure as to not make a sound. Everything happened so quickly that she had to look away. When she heard Argen's voice she looked back to see him threatening the merchant girl. 


Elise had stepped up and was already rushing over to the wolf demanding her questions to be answered.... Mostly as to why or what he was thinking. 


Evilin slowly came out from where she was hiding and made her way back onto the road. She couldn't believe the scene before her. The mission was not to create more darkness, but to hopefully bring back the light. Argent showed that he was more dark than light with his most recent actions. 


Coda kept to himself behind the trees. His heart was pounding in his chest as his breathing was indeed heavier. Two deaths so close did not help his conditions during the day. Last night when Benton had made his attack on that soldier... That was different... It was night time... This was day time and things for him would be a lot different.... For him and his magic. 
 
At Elise's incessant yelling, Argen had to shut his eyes to maintain the small shreds of self control he had left. His contractor, this stupid little girl! She was standing between him and his prey. He had not fed for so long! How could she not understand that he has been starving himself for her damn safety and now....


And now.....


His words started out incomprehensible. Mere growls and snarls that began tearing their way out of his throat but eventually the lycan gained some semblance of control back. However, the words that were decipherable were rather......informative.


"Elise!" He bellowed. The lycan's body was now visibly shaking from the restraint he was showing. The sclera (whites of his eyes) shifted to black as they did when he shifted forms. One could hear how hard he was grinding his teeth to not lash out physically. "Since I have been contracted to you I have not eaten a damn thing. I have been starved for WEEKS!" he cried out. The bones in his hands were beginning to break and the wolf's visibly scrunched up in pain from the unwanted transformation. "I have not slept properly until last night nor have I fed and you are asking if I've gone mad?! YES! I HAVE! And you are not going to be the cause of my death due to starvation!" 


His eyes darted rapidly between the small elf contractor, the farm girl, and the still bleeding food beneath his feet. The smell of blood was growing stronger by the minute and Argen was beginning to drool at the thought of finally having a proper meal. 


"Would you prefer I eat the horses or would you prefer that I lose control at some point out of hunger and eat YOU? Or the princess? Hell, I'lI even take the walking corpse over there at this point!"


Some measure of shame became apparent in his features. He knew that this was not like him at all but he couldn't take it anymore. His voice takes a much softer tone with his next words, "You felt it firsthand. You know exactly how much influence that beast has. What it can make people like me do. Don't make it harder for me to keep in check." He was referring to the dream he had. After all, the beasts within the siblings almost drove them to kill each other, no matter how much they loved each other. A truly terrifying curse that the lycans never had complete control over. One way or another, they were all beholden to the whims of the beast within.
 
Elise stood there in shock, the power in his voice causing her to take an involuntarily step back "I... I'm so sorry, I had no idea that I was hurting you like this" she said, her expression quickly shifting from one of fear, to worry.  She respected Argen immensely for what he did, she doubted she would have made it out in the world for very long if she hadn't have found him.  The thought that she was hurting him was something she hadn't even considered before, and the realization of this fact made her quite upset with herself.  She went quiet for a moment, the sorrow she felt for her actions was clear in her expression, before she realized there was another matter at hand here.  


Taking a deep breath, Elise spoke up once more, it was strange how calm she felt, even after such a terrifying outburst from Argen. "I'm so sorry for hurting you in this way, It was selfish of me, you've been more help than I could ever repay with mere coins, your companionship is one of the reasons why I haven't lost hope on my journey.  I can promise you that from now on if you're feeling this way, you only need to speak to me and I can accommodate for you.  But right now, this" she gestured to the two horses dead and bleeding along the road "This is wrong, these horses don't belong to you, they weren't yours to take, and we need to repay the woman we just stole from" 


Though she felt an heavy remorse for how she had neglected her partner, she couldn't just take the horses without properly repaying the woman, for the moment, Elise knew she could take the burden upon herself to apologize and accommodate the woman in response to his actions, he hadn't been in control of himself, at least, she hoped he hadn't.  For now, she didn't deny Argen from finishing off his "meal" But he would have to learn that if they were to continue traveling together, he would have to learn to communicate his needs to her, she was more than willing to help ease his burden if he would only to talk to her.  


Reaching into her pack, she picked her coin pouch out and turned to the woman "I'm so sorry for everything that's happened here, I can repay you... and we can help find a replacement if need be" she said, hoping that she could make things right with the woman, after all that had happened Elise was willing to do anything to make things right.  
 
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