07-12-2009, 01:00 AM
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| http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/kae_disorder.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> The coyote was familiar with the term karma, though she did not know its proper definition. Her understanding of it was simpler; what comes around, goes around. Even so, this phrase and belief alone was not comfort enough to keep her from inflicting her own revenge. She was too impatient to wait for fate to roll around and bring everything back around—that long-term, slow-acting vengeance that was never absolutely certain. Some offenses deserved immediate and swift retribution. "Maybe that's it," she said wistfully, though she had no better an understanding of the underyling power in the world. One mangled sable ear turned to Jael as he spoke, and Kaena listened, turning his words over again in her head. Was that true? She wondered—if it were, wouldn't she have an army of canines out for her blood by now? Unless by some chance she'd just killed those without friends or family—the chances of which were slim to none. Salvaged had no relatives left alive—his adoptive mother had disappeared some time during her leadership, and she did not know of any legitimate Eternity children. Even Fatin had turned against him. It occurred to Kaena for the first time that she had committed a supremely good act in ridding the world of Salvaged Eternity, and she had shown personal responsibility in pursuing the creature for so long. Even so, would she have bothered had he not made such an impact on her life? Would she have left him alone if he hadn't killed Zulifer? Her motivations hadn't been pure of heart; she hadn't woken up the day Zulifer died and seen a shining golden light, the voices of gods speaking to her. Still, that hardly mattered—she'd rid the world of a monster in the end, and maybe that didn't quite change her status, but his death had benefited the world at large. "Maybe not. Some people deserve to die no matter who loves them. No matter who would miss them," she said, again with that indifferent, casual shrug of her shoulder. She spoke of Salvaged, but she realized immediately after the same could hold true for Vitium. Surely, Jael's mother might have said he deserved to die for what he'd done for her—Jael might hold the same belief for the same act, the very one which had formed his existence. "The world is better with some people gone," she added, unafraid that he might ask if the world was better with her gone. Was it? Surely. But Kaena was quite accustomed to warfare, and she would have almost welcomed another nemesis like Salvaged, one to goad her blood and put purpose in her step. They can try, she thought to herself, satisfaction filling her head. |