and all the wounds are reopening again.
#1
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OOC: Backdated to March 04, prior to the war threads. :o ((475))


In the recent days, the silver-furred hybrid had stepped up the border patrols even beyond the feverish pace they had already been. Since three of their newest members were murdered on the borders, the clan had been beyond alerted. Dahlia de Mai had struck; they would strike again soon. Already the coyotes were mobilizing to hit first—whispers of revenge had been on the wind for the past week, ever since those bodies had been discovered. They would wait, though—Inferni was content enough to remain dormant for the moment and allow Dahlia de Mai to believe they were safe for the moment. There would be no sneaking surprise attacks in this war; both sides were fully aware of the other, and both knew what the opposition was capable of doing.


The silver-furred woman wanted her own vengeance; for her this was far beyond what it was for the other coyotes. They knew their Centurion had been attacked, they knew some of their clanmates had died—but they did not know the full extent of the damage that Haku Soul had caused. They could not possibly see the festering wound beneath the scar tissue of the silver-furred woman, and those she had chosen to share it with were few and far between. Some of her children knew; some did not. It did not matter—she did not need to tell each individually. The news would spread among them and beyond, she was sure—such things were nearly impossible to prevent, and since telling Gabriel, she had known that would happen. It made her feel pathetic and weak, certainly—to have her own most fatal attack and weakness broadcast throughout the clan—but it was too late. And anyway, she felt better now. At least she had Inferni to guard her, at least she had her family to protect her. At least they saw the tip of the iceberg now.


The Dampwoods were quiet this afternoon. The air was cold, but not quite cold enough for snow—though patchy gray-white clouds floated above to obscure the brightness of the sun, it would not snow. It was too warm for that. Tonight they might even have rain; the hybrid lifted her single yellow eye to the sky, studying it absently. She could no more predict the weather than a weatherman could, but canines were more attuned to the natural world, and they were far better at sensing the signals of changing weather. The air was rather dead; only a slight breeze coursed through the forest, carrying various scents toward Kaena. Some were vaguely familiar, though she could never place a name to the scents she picked up. The silver-furred hybrid had been alive a long time, and she had known more canines than she liked to think about sometimes. Most of them were probably dead by now.


Table thanks to Ithen!
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#2
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Not sure what form Kaena is in, but Tay is in Optime! :] (WC: 650)


 



Tayui understood the risk she was taking. She was nearing the borders of two warring groups, and the threat of severe violence could not dissuade her from carrying out her mission. She had no one to report to, and was carrying out independent research of her own accord. Certainly, she supposed she could report back to Dawali, but she had no reason to. In fact, if she told him she had gone ahead and investigated the war any further, she knew it would rub him the wrong way. He had explicitly told everyone in AniWaya to remain out of the conflict. Although Tayui bore the scent of her new tribe, she would not be bringing them into this mess. Her thirst for knowledge was too strong, and unfortunately, her loyalty to the tribe could not overcome that.


Nonetheless, Tayui did not want to disappoint anyone, be it her leader, her friends, her children, or herself. She could easily disappoint the first three by doing this, but she knew she would only serve disappointing herself if she stayed cooped up in her den, hidden away from the world. Perhaps Tayui was a busybody, or perhaps she had spent too many days reading books. Whatever the reason, she knew she had to do this. For this reason, she had informed Claudius that she would be absent for a few days, and tried to put a word out to Ember and Dawali to notify them as well in case they came looking for her. Of course, instead of being responsible and ensuring that they knew she was leaving for a bit, she had gathered what she needed and set out. She had a few supplies to sustain her, should she end up waiting by the borders for a few days. She knew she would not find any members of Inferni just wandering through the neutral territories, so she was prepared to find one on their own time.


She had set up a small makeshift camp in the central western region of The Dampwoods, ensuring her camp was closer to Phoenix Valley than Inferni. She did not want to be mistaken for a Dahlian spy, but also did not want to alarm the members of Phoenix Valley.


She was not sure when, but eventually, she spotted someone familiar. It must have been a day or two -- certainly, sooner than Tayui had expected. A greytoned female came into view, and from a distance, Tayui couldn't be sure to which pack or clan the woman belonged to. Tayui slowly made her way closer, walking slowly so that the other woman wouldn't be startled. Tayui did not want to start a fight -- all she wanted to do was talk. And learn. As Tayui neared the other canine, the familiarity became more apparent. She had not seen the other woman in what must have been years, and their last meeting had been fairly pleasant. Tayui paused, reaching out for a moment, then retracted her hand, holding it to her chest. She was unsure if she should call out or just wait to be noticed. Kaena Lykoi was studying the sky, and Tayui could see that she was a little lost in thought. Tayui took another step, pausing as she stepped through the snow and broke a branch, which made a muffled crack.

“Kaena,” she called out at last, letting her arms drop to her sides. “I'm Tayui Aston. I'm not sure if you remember me, but I was Alpha of Jaded Shadows some time ago. We met to discuss Inferni and Jaded Shadows.” She made sure to add the context of their meeting, and remind Kaena that they had met before, hoping that it would substantiate her greeting. And again, it would be like their last meeting. Although Tayui did not come representing her pack as a leader, she came again to inquire about Kaena's clan.



Table by Kate!

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#3
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I don't remember. HURRDURR. We'll say Optime toooo so we can match. xD ((466))


The hybrid had no particular direction today; she was merely keeping to the outermost rim of Inferni's territory, zigzagging in the general course of the border but far deeper in the neutral territories. She expected there would be something to draw her attention here; she did not think the Dahlians would be creeping quite so close to Inferni's borders. Perhaps she would find one today and be able to skin it and string its hide from the borders. The last thing the hybrid would have expected would be a ghost from the past such as the one now coming toward her. She had not seen too many canines from the old lands—the only ones she recognized were within Inferni and Naniko. Well, of course, there had also been DaVinci, but their meeting had been anything but pleasant the last time around. Now, apparently, he was in Inferni's midst. She could not understand why Gabriel would allow such a thing, but she did not question it; he had been kind enough to allow Samael refuge within the clan despite the boy's darker tendencies.


A sound from somewhere to the side and behind her drew her attention, and for the first time she saw the figure in the trees, a stranger at such a distance. The silver-furred coyote squinted to try and make out who it was in the distance, stiffening up somewhat as the other canine approached. The voice rang out over the air and carried to the hybrid's coal-colored ears the sound of her own name, immediately causing her to relax a hair. This was no threat—a threat would have crept far more surreptitiously, and a threat was unlikely to know her name. Turning to meet the other canine as she spoke, the hybrid's memory was finally sparked—she recognized the other canine at last, though this recognition did not provoke a smile. She was not exceptionally friendly with Tayui, but they certainly weren't enemies.


“I remember you now. You survived the fire,” the coyote observed. Jaded Shadows had not—though, if Kaena remembered correctly, Fatin would be at equal fault for that. The smoky-furred coyote had spoken ill of the packs for failing to survive the fire and the trek over the mountain, but of course she could not take into account that Gabriel had started the fire. She did not know this, and very few did. She also did not consider that they had a passage through the mountain rather than over it. “Where do you live now?” the hybrid said, thinking she might detect the scent of Aniwaya on the other canine's fur—but it was faded, days old. It might have been from visitation, even—perhaps Tayui was a wanderer now, and she had sought temporary residence in that pack.



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#4
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Sorry for the wait. (WC: 549)


 



Tayui gave Kaena a satisfied nod, glad that the hybrid recognized her. The woman looked a little older than the last time they'd met, but that was a given. Time had passed, and she knew they both looked older. Their scars had faded, though, Kaena's were still far more obvious than Tayui's. Upon her arrival to the Bleeding Souls lands, Tayui had met with various apothecaries and healers to try and 'fix' her appearance. Although she was not as ashamed as she once was, it was still a reminder of things that had been. Kaena's fluidity in her Optime form and the certainty with which she spoke conveyed her years as a warrior. She knew her body and moved with an ease Tayui envied. A tattoo composed of arrows and blood stood out on her breast, and Tayui found her eyes drawn to it, conflicted between the symbols Kaena carried. Scars, a missing eye, and a dark tattoo, some of which was hidden by shaggy fur. The pale woman didn't know what to make of it, but it seemed fitting, for a woman who made her life out of war and commanded a clan that thrived in conflict. Tayui knew it was hypocritical to think this after having reprimanded Asha for espousing similar views, but anyone who met Kaena would be obliged to think the same. While Tayui had fled from war (perhaps she was a coward, then) and allowed the wild forests of Ashen Mountain to shape her, Kaena had been born into conflict. Perhaps this was why Tayui found herself so curious about the woman, and this war now. It fascinated her in ways she had never considered, and it fed her curiosity like nothing else. Perhaps Tayui was a little darker than she let on, and perhaps Kaena possessed more light than most knew.

But this was all feeble guesswork. No matter how perceptive Tayui thought she was, she had made her own errors, and would pay for it dearly. Tayui's eyes snapped to Kaena's face once more as the woman spoke, reflecting on Tayui's comment. Yes, the Infernian remembered their first meeting; that was a good sign.

“I led Shadowed Sun for a time, but it is long gone,” she replied after a pause. She weighed her words carefully, knowing that this was the truth, but not the whole truth. AniWaya was not allied with Inferni, and Tayui would not go around brandishing her allegiance so foolishly. She offered a noncommittal shrug to punctuate her words, the paused once more. “I was hoping I would find you,” she added, almost shyly. “This war,” she began, then paused, finally emphasizing: “what is it?” She did not know how else to phrase her thoughts, and she supposed it would be better to let Kaena interpret her question and answer it as she pleased. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is,” she concluded, not wanting to intrude. Certainly, she was curious, but she did not want to seem too curious. After all, she didn’t know how much Kaena had changed since she had seen her, or if she had ever known the Infernian well enough to judge her. Tayui was taking a huge risk here, but she knew her curiosity would never be sated unless she did.


Table by Kate!

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#5
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I SHAKE MY FIST AT YOU. It's not like you don't have 093453904590395039405903 papers to write. ;> (500+)


The anxiousness had evaporated from Kaena. Since the attack she had been more careful, more nervous—she was always watching, twisting her head this way and that way so her single eye might peer around in all directions. Her left side was certainly handicapped when it came to the visuals she got of the world, and so the hybrid woman attempted to make up for it. These movements had increased exponentially since that night in Dalhousie, and now the cloud-furred canine was still on hyper-alert. Though Tayui was not a threat, the silver-furred coyote did not know whether or not to consider her an ally. Certainly, if an enemy to both of them were to happen upon this meeting, they might square their differences away in the mutual interest of survival, but beyond that the silver-furred coyote simply did not know.


“I don't know that name. I was gone for a long time,” she said. The scarred hybrid did not reveal the reason or the exact length of her departure, but it had been a damn long time, and it was no wonder she did not recognize that name. She only knew of the present packs; the history of the world before her re-arrival was virtually unknown to her outside of what Gabriel and various other Infernians had told her about the clan itself. That was all that was truly important, anyway—what did she care for the trivial, short lives of the packs in these places, anyway? It would seem as soon as one died, a new one cropped up to replace it. The pale-furred woman's words did draw the scarred woman's attention, though there was no verbal response to the statement, merely an expression of heightened interest from the Centurion.


So the news of war had traveled to the other packs. The coyote woman expected no less; she thought it fitting Haku would troll around his kind, trying to pick up unknowing supporters to his cause. Better that Inferni had them than he did—the fact that Tayui had made the trip out here to seek knowledge meant that she was not entirely converted to the other man's cause, if in fact he had attempted to maneuver himself into a position to gain her support (and in turn, possibly the support of whatever pack she hailed from. There was hesitation in the silver-furred woman. Some secretive part of her yearned for another strong woman's support; she had relied on her children for that, but there were some issues not even they would touch. She couldn't blame them; maybe there was some truth in thinking their mother was dirty. “Haku started it. Gabriel won't let him go unpunished. Not that he should go unpunished,” she said, her voice sounding strange and off. There was no razor edge to it, merely a sour and lingering hint of defeat. She had no desire to allow Haku to walk away unscathed, but in war, there was always the lingering fear that she might lose someone important to her. The danger was there.


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#6
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Haha, you would know considering I made you read them all... 8D ILU! (WC: 539)


 



Tayui offered Kaena a sad smile and a shake of her shaggy mane in reply. In the time she had been in AniWaya, more and more feathers, beads and other adornments had made their way into her mane and fur. Luckily, her arctic pelt was long and thick, so they remained in tact when she shifted. She did not know how they would have otherwise, had she not such a thick and long pelt. However, now, she had taken most of them out for the springtime. The feathers had lost their shine and the beads had dulled in colour, and she had resolved to find new ones. Her journey to Inferni gave her reason to remove them sooner rather than later, as she did not want to be so easily identified with her tribe. She would bear the responsibility of this visit on her own — there was no reason Kaena had to know where she lived now, and the pale woman had no intentions on clarifying this. Luckily, Kaena did not ask; Tayui's question had most likely stolen away her interest.

Tayui frowned at Kaena's reply, trying not to show her displeasure. There was obviously more to it than just "Haku started it." Her children came up with better and more elaborate excuses than the Inferni woman had. There were three possibilities now: that Kaena was telling the truth and that was all there was to it, which was unlikely; that her words were a half-truth and there was more to it; that Kaena was giving her the same propagandistic rhetoric she gave everyone; or that there was a darker meaning beneath it all. Again, Tayui considered how fortunate she was that no one — save Dawali and herself — knew who the father of her children was. It was becoming more and more apparent to Tayui that the secret would have to remain buried as long as Haku was alive.

“And what’s the full truth?” Tayui asked, exhaling slowly. She was taking too many risks; and these risks could easily have her killed. But she had to know. And if her children had all run off, couldn’t she at least be a little selfish for once? Couldn’t she think about her own interests? She didn’t even know if any of them would return (and it wasn’t like she was trying to throw her life away); she just recognized that there was a possibility that they might never return. And perhaps that was why she took these risks – because she knew there was a possibility they would return and wanted to ensure they had a home to return to, where their father was no longer a threat. Perhaps her quest for knowledge, then, was not as holy as she had made it out to be in her mind. No matter how she looked at it, she was being selfish; but she couldn’t bring herself to care.


“The last war wasn’t just one Infernian or Dahlian’s fault. Is that the case this time? ” she posed the question in another way, but this time being mindful to give Kaena an exit. If Kaena really did not want to tell Tayui the truth, she could just say ‘no’ and be done with it.


Table by Kate!

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OOC: It's okay, I had me some learnings. :O (462)


The Dahlian alpha deserved every ounce of pain and suffering he got. There was no reason he should not have had to pay for his actions, and Gabriel would be the one to hunt him down and make sure of that, Kaena knew. Her vengeance would be served, one way or the other, and she did not believe she was strong enough to defeat Haku on her own. She had done so once by sheer luck; her younger, stronger, larger son had far better odds against the chocolate-furred man, and this was something the silvery hybrid had to admit. She was old—too old to be chasing around muscled canines still in their prime. It did not much matter to Kaena in the end, though—either way, she would have Haku's head for what he had done.


Kaena thought back to their last meeting. She did not know this canine beyond that, but there was at least a connection there. Kaena would have remembered something terrible; she would have remembered ill will from this canine. The woman's connection to Fatin and Jaded Shadows lent to her credibility, of course. While Kaena did not presently trust the russet once-alpha of that pack in her personal life, the silver-furred Centurion knew in her heart that the Kali woman would never intentionally cause harm to Inferni or anything Kaena valued. That did not mean the same could be said for Tayui, of course, and Fatin had even been known to carry association with awful creatures—Salvaged Eternity, for one—but the silvery hybrid saw no danger here in trusting the pale-furred woman once again. Even so, that did not mean Kaena wished to reveal her greatest weakness. Then again, revealing just what had happened to her would certainly give aid to Inferni's cause, though it likely wasn't nearly enough to make anyone leap out and charge Dahlia de Mai's borders. These thoughts contradicted and conflicted one another, swirling through her head.


“He attacked me. Twice. I beat him the first time, he had his vengeance the second. It's his fault there is a war,” she repeated. She remembered the first time just outside of the coyote clan's territory; she had been willing to trade information with him then, having no idea he was the very one she'd been warned about. She did not want to remember the second time, and she had spent weeks alone and drowning those memories out. Rather suddenly, the hybrid's face split into a caustic smile and she laughed, though it was a hollow and humorless noise. “For once I really am not to blame,” she said, sounding almost amazed. Many things were her fault, but this was one rare instance where she might truly have claim to the good side.


Table thanks to Ithen!
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#8
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Oh good! 8D (WC:316)


 



Tayui offered Kaena nothing more than her stolid silence. Kaena's answer was not what she expected, and the pale woman wondered how Haku "had his vengeance" the second time. She wanted to know, for her sake and Kaena's, but did not want to push it. If Haku had exacted his revenge against Kaena, what could that mean? Certainly, the Infernian matriarch would not appreciate Tayui pushing and prying into such matters, but if that was what started the war, then she wanted to know. But how far could she go before she crossed the line that defined social acceptability? She did not want to create more conflict when the land was already consumed by it. If violence begot violence, then one stray word could also cause a flurry of discussion. Worse, it could cause a clash of fangs and claws, exacerbating the situation. But Tayui had tried to remove the scent of AniWaya at least so it seemed like she had left the tribe. It was still evident, clinging to her fur in a conspicuous way. While Tayui did not think she would start any more wars between groups, she did not want to create a war between her and Kaena. Neither of them needed that.



“He broke the peace, so you made more war?” she questioned, hoping it was not too confrontational. She did not know if this was truly the case, or if she was simplifying it too much to try and understand Kaena's argument, but she wanted to clarify the entire situation. The last time, the details had been murky. But now, if the war had been started because of Haku's actions against Kaena, then certainly, Tayui would be able to get to the bottom of it. She tried to placate her question with a calm gaze and small smile, hoping Kaena would understand that her intention was not malicious in any way.


Table by Kate!

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Getcher lernz on, gitcher lernz on. >_> 428. And this post made me sad. ;~;


The silver-furred woman wondered what had possessed the pale wolf to travel out this way. Certainly she knew there was danger here—most of Inferni probably wouldn't have regarded her so kindly; perhaps it was only the vague recognition in the scarred woman's mind that even made these circumstances safe. When the silvery coyote had been Aquila, no wolves were safe anywhere near Inferni, but Gabriel liked to keep better relations with the packs, of course, and Kaena was bound to his will. His mother or not, disobeying Gabriel would cost Kaena her current status within Inferni, no doubt—not that Kaena was feeling particularly irked by this meeting. It was just much, much easier to bite first and ask questions later—assuming everyone was an enemy was far simpler than trying to weed out the friends from enemies.


The question hung in the air, and a strange look crept across the hybrid's face, her remaining eye growing almost distant, her face almost blank—for a long minute, she was quiet, lost in thought or memory or hallucination. The moment ended, and anger flashed across her face, defiant of the other woman's good thoughts. “There was no bloodshed in his second attack on me,” she said, unwilling or unable to say it in any clear fashion—the word rape echoed off of the inside of her skull, growing in volume and heaviness by the second. It was too cruel, and in voicing that word she thought her lunch might follow immediately after; already a queasy sort of feeling lurked in her stomach from the thought of it. If the silver-furred coyote's mind had ever been close to breaking, it was now. Her yellowed eye drew back to Tayui, focusing in on the pallid woman with surprising intensity.


“Does that make it any clearer for you? Or maybe you'd like to see the way he held me down, too?” There was anger in her voice for having relived it again, just as she seemed to every night. The dreams had not faded—maybe they never would. In a strange way, the hybrid knew it wasn't Tayui's fault; this was simple curiosity over what had started a war. Any good neighbor would be interested—though the silvery coyote couldn't discern where the other woman was from, the coyote had assumed it was somewhere here. Even so, anger and shame burned in her chest, reflected clearly on her twisted face. Though there were more marks than one could easily count on her physical body, this one ran far deeper than that.


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#10
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Aww~~ :C It made me sad to read, too. (WC: 330)


 



There was a long pause, and for a moment, Tayui’s heart clenched with fear. Had she asked the wrong question? Had she phrased it poorly? Her face twitched slightly as she tried to contain a frown. She did not want to appear rude – although, now she was concerned she already had. Few words could have a great impact. No matter how few words one spoke, it was not the length, but the contents, of one’s thoughts. Kaena’s face twisted into anger, then smoothed into some other emotion. Tayui could not tell, and as she pondered this, Kaena responded. Now, she allowed a frown to cross her features. She suspected the meaning, but did not want to say it aloud. An attack without bloodshed; there need not be any wounds to cause pain.


Tayui did not know what to say. She offered no words in consolation, and simply watched Kaena quietly. She did not want to say anything until she was absolutely certain that her words would not cause another reaction. Tayui’s frown deepened as Kaena spoke again. She shook her head in reply, allowing her frown to turn into a softer, less aggressive expression. Certainly, the Centurion did not need any more hatred, anger or aggression in her life.

“That is not necessary,” Tayui replied quietly, but firmly. Last time, she had quizzed Gabriel on the cause of war and had discovered a mother and her child had been slaughtered on the borders. Now, it was closer to home: the leaders’ own mother had been raped. The pale woman could not say anything that would give Kaena peace of mind, and she did not think she was qualified to try to. She could try.


“Destroy him,” she said suddenly. There could be no other way. Her children would not be safe as long as Haku Soul was alive, and apparently, women of the land would not be either. His death would bring the peace – and hopefully the closure – they needed.


Table by Kate!

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We shall both have delicious baked goods and feel better, then! Big Grin


If there was one thing the hybrid had not expected, it was this—even some within Inferni now lamented bloodshed. Her own Razekiel killed and regretted it; Rikka had did the same, despite what that had cost her. She had not anticipated such a clearly dark statement from the other canine, and this showed on her scarred face. There was something else in her single eye now, the same look of glee from a destructive child at pulling the wings from a bug. If there was one comfort in all of this, it was that she would be avenged, one way or another. If she failed, Gabriel would kill him. If he did not, Halo would take up the task. If she failed, someday, Samael would return, and nothing would save Haku from that child's vengeance. Regardless of Astaroth's lies, something dark lurked in that boy, she knew. He had not inherited it from his father, either—maybe the Kimaris lineage had madness lurking it it, maybe not. Either way, he belonged to her now.


“That is a certainty,” the coyote said. Someday soon, Inferni would throw a parade, marching about their perimeter with Haku's head on a stick, all of them in a procession behind her as she cried to empyrean how he was at last slaughtered and she was avenged. Maybe even that wouldn't make her feel clean again, but at least when she bathed in his blood she could find rest again. “If I don't do it, my family will,” the hybrid woman added. These were not possibilities or even prophecies in her mind—it was written in stone, set and immutable as the history behind her.


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#12
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Mmmmm. :3 (WC: 318)


 



Kaena’s surprise was evident. Her eyes crinkled, causing her scars to wrinkle, stretch and twist. Her brows drew up, and her mouth twisted into a strange shape. It only lasted for a moment, and was quickly replaced with a much darker expression – perhaps one that mirrored her sentiments toward Haku. Somehow, this expression relieved Tayui. Kaena did not look well surprised. She was too suited to aggression. It had shaped her and chiselled her features, shaping them with the focus and skill of a sculptor’s hand. The pale woman could see that the sculptor had used a variety of tools to make Kaena in to what she was today. The Infernian bore many scars and wounds, one which partially denied her sight. Instead, there was a gaping hole which had long since been replaced with broken flesh and scar tissue. Kaena was suited for violence. She had been wrought from this destruction, and she carried herself with a certain litheness Tayui would never possess. Even her words were tinged with conviction. It was appropriate.


Tayui watched the female contemplatively, continuing to observe her shifting features. This mongrel – born of wolf, coyote, and perhaps something else – was fascinating. And so, the pale AniWayan was silent. She offered nothing in reply, but simply inclined her head, acknowledging the words. A certainty; somehow, this made Tayui cringe. But she would bear it. It was nothing compared to what Kaena had endured.


“I hope you do,” she stated. “It would be good. Yours would be the last face he sees. Perhaps that will destroy him, and help you redeem what you’ve lost,” she concluded. Tayui mentioned nothing of peace. There would be no peace until Haku Soul was dead. Through his destruction, perhaps, life would return to the older woman’s eyes. Tayui hated to see someone in such pain, but she knew soft words and quiet coos would not make anything better.


Table by Kate!

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#13
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Word Count :: 302


Some were suited for peace. The coyote had told Razekiel this recently—some families would have been content to take the wounded home and patch them up and offer them comfort, nothing to say of the perpetrator of violence, but the Lykois were not given to this, Kaena maybe more than any of them. Haku would not roam unpunished forever—the chocolate-furred man's days were numbered, and this was the hybrid's sole comfort in thinking of him anymore. As long as Dahlia de Mai harbored him, they were in danger. If it were not for their leader, there would be nothing between them. As the hybrid saw it, Haku had driven Onus and Cwmfen out with the threat of their children first, and then he had taken care of Cercelee. She did not know what had happened to the latter, but at least Onus had been able to send word of his safe passage.


“What he took from me,” she corrected, though this was said softly and without a hint of sharpness. Anger had faded from the hybrid now, replaced with the ecstasy brought by visions of repayment to Haku Soul. “It would be a good end for him, but I wonder how many others he's hurt, too,” the hybrid said, shaking her head. The silvery hybrid was generally the last to offer sympathy to other creatures, but when it came to what she had experienced, it could not be helped. No creature deserved that, yet so many had inflicted it. In the end, they always paid for their crimes—she had seen to Salvaged's end, she would see to Haku's. If she failed, Gabriel would not, and behind him, there was a veritable army of Lykois to take up the cause. Speaking purely in numbers, Haku's demise was almost a certainty.

Table by Jimjamz!!!
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#14
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301


 



Tayui flinched at Kaena’s quick reply, retracting her head back slightly. She nodded curtly in response, frowning slightly. She could put up as much of a strong front as she wanted, but she knew she would never be the one to end Haku’s life. Kaena’s quick assertion only proved it: the Centurion was a woman of actions, movement and finesse. She was a trained warrior and her body spoke volumes. While they had this meeting, exchanging words, Tayui suspected her acquaintance could learn more about someone with body language and choices than words alone. Tayui, on the other hand, could try all she might, but she knew there was no way she could ever measure up. And she also knew this feeling had something else lodged in there: admiration. She was quick to recognize it, but loathed to acknowledge it. Somehow, respecting and admiring someone were too different; somehow, it felt like she was doing something wrong admiring Kaena. She wanted to be able to move like her, but she knew she could never stomach the consequences of killing someone. So when Kaena continued, Tayui nodded once more. It was appropriate.

“Enough for it to mean something,” she replied sharply. She eyed Kaena, narrowing her eyes slightly. She could not trust this coyote with her secret, even if she admired the woman and even if there was something they shared. The reason she had come here was to speak with someone from Inferni, and most of all, to keep her children safe. The best way to do that would be to see Haku Soul dead.

“Some may mourn it,” she added, thinking of Conor. “But it will outweigh the losses. And maybe you will gain what he ripped out of you.” She would not and could not make that mistake again.



Table by Kate!

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#15
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Word Count :: 304 I am OCD and I had to fix a typo and a misused word in the last post I made. >_> Also lol, I am so heterosexual I made a vague reference to the thread title in this post. x_x But it couldn't be helped, damnit.

The thought that Haku belonged to any kind of family, that he meant anything to anyone, had utterly failed to occur to Kaena. In her mind he was nothing more than a demon, another Salvaged Eternity to torment the lands until someone better or badder came along and killed him. Haku was not the first, and he would not be the last—there would always be one of them, it seemed. The silver-shaded coyote had lived long enough to recognize that. She had helped to create the demon who had once dwelt in Jaded Shadows, but she had also put an end to him, too. Though she had no hand in creating Haku, she was now bound to end him, too—this was the way of vengeance, and this was all the scarred hybrid knew. Be struck and strike back—there was nothing more to life.


She was quiet at the pallid woman's response, pondering it—vague recognition began to cloud over her yellow golden eye, but it disappeared just as quickly, a tendril of a thought lost and never regained as Tayui spoke again. “I don't think anyone would chase revenge on his behalf,” she replied. She knew of Conor, and she knew she had been able to plant a seed of doubt on the young man's mind, and somehow, that had ended with Haku being removed from the Dahlian pack, stripped of his crown. It had passed to the cinnamon-furred man, and the hybrid simply hoped the same darkness did not lurk in him. “Maybe. Time does wonders for old wounds, but they split open again pretty easy.” the hybrid said. This was true enough—as long as it had been since she had been had by Kairo, those very same wounds had bled, traced over expertly by the chocolate-furred demon's claws.

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300. About time to finish this up?


 




“Perhaps,” Tayui replied quietly with a small frown. Uncertainty tainted her features as she shook her head slowly, unsure if she believed herself or Kaena more. She knew little about Claudius’s friend Conor, but no matter what the circumstances, Haku was still Conor’s father. But he was also Claudius’s father for that matter, and she could not deny that from her children from much longer. She had come here to meet with the Centurion, hoping that Haku would die before she had to reveal the truth to her children. And that was still the plan. But somehow, the other woman’s comment put it in perspective for her. If Conor did not mourn for the loss of his father, what would her own children think?

Uncertainties were voiced again, this time from Kaena. Tayui began to speak, but stopped when she realized the other woman had not finished. She lowered her head slowly letting her frown deepen as she considered her words. They both had scars of their own; perhaps Kaena’s were more numerous and obvious, but years ago, Tayui’s had stood out as a brilliant gash as well. Now, she carried the legacy of that scar: one eye, tainted from the wound and the other a pale blue. Although it had been a bold blue when she had been younger, the colour had begun to fade ever so slightly. Though, her luck was much better than Kaena’s, who only had one eye now.

“Yes,” she said. “But it’s better to get rid of the demon now so that the only wounds will be ones in our mind. To make sure he cannot inflict more pain on anyone else in these lands.” She frowned, regarding the matriarch gravely. “I just hope you can do it. You and your army,” she added.



Table by Kate!

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#17
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Yaaar. We could just oocly state they had their good-byes after this post or you could post again or something, I dunno. XD I didn't know wtf to have Kae say here. :/


The only comfort Kaena had anymore was the thoughts of vengeance she carried with her always. Haku would pay; if she did not see to this personally, her family would. Gabriel would. He had not fallen when he had chased Haku previously—the silver-shaded hybrid held no doubt he would find himself victorious against the chocolate-shaded demon. A younger Kaena might have worried the borders of Dahlia de Mai far more frequently, but there was fear in her now. She had something to lose, finally—in her younger days there had been no one but herself. There was no Inferni to care for, no family to protect and nourish. Her own children were years beyond physically needing her, of course, but there were their children, and perhaps soon their childrens' children. With something worth losing, life was worth living.


Maybe for the first time, the coyote wondered what this pale wolf's interest was with Haku. She did not question her, however—something in Kaena did not think this information would be so readily shared with her. It was a question that lurked in her mind, however, and the silver-shaded woman pondered it even as Tayui spoke. She found herself with complete agreement with the woman's statement, and a faint smile crept over her scarred muzzle, an almost imperceptible nod at the sentiment. He would not run forever—she was not the only one chasing him. He was no Salvaged Eternity; the knowledge of his crimes were widespread, and he did not even have his own pack to protect him anymore.


“We will.” This was a certainty to Kaena, and again that faint smile showed on her scarred muzzle.

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#18
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From the shadows... I arise... TO POST! Done, y/y? Big Grin


 



Tayui nodded briskly in reply. She was glad they were in agreement and she was glad there were others out for Haku’s blood. It would be best for her family if he was dead; it would be best for many luperci and non-luperci alike if he were dead. It would be a relief and it would allow her to continue on living her life. Haku Soul had to die so that she could live – in peace. She did not flinch at the thought of requiring one’s death. In fact, it empowered her. The fear that had grown so strong, breeding in her bones and feeding on her marrow was slowly beginning to die. He might be Claudius’s father, but he was nothing more. She would destroy every relation between them. Colibri Soul was her children’s grandmother, but Haku Soul was not their father.

“Very good. It was nice… I am glad I met you. Thank you. We will meet again,” Tayui stated. Her voice was steady as she altered her words; this was not a pleasant meeting. It had not been nice to meet Kaena. It was simply what had to be done if she was to see the death of a monster.


He was not their father; he was a monster.



Table by Kate!

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