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After his talk with the female wolf in the abandoned city, Onus had traveled north to the area of Inferni. He had set up in a tree where his presence would go unnoticed. He had sat there all day. Watching. Waiting. Nothing of particular interest had happened. He had witnessed no bad deeds. Though he was taking a keen interest in their method of showing their borders. Grisly skulls placed upon pikes. The sight didn't bother him, he had seen much worse. However he did want to know the reason. Had those wolves committed crimes? Or had they just been poor, unsuspecting victims? From his conversation the night before he was inclined to believe the latter. But he would see.
On the trunk of the tree a rat scurried near him. The 'yote sat there like a statue. Not even a twitch shaking his form. Then with deadly speed and precision his hand struck out at the rodent, instantly breaking its neck. His gaze never left the Inferni border as he brought his meal to him and skinned it. Really it was only a snack, with how small it was, but he didn't need anything more at the moment.
The sun had sunken beneath the horizon as the bones of the unfortunate creature were cast aside. Deftly Onus jumped down to the ground, his coat flaring out as he descended. He approached the warning stakes, studying them carefully. There were many of them. Many lives that had been cut short. One clawed hand reached out to touch the smooth surface of the nearest skull. It was sun-bleached and clean. Most of them were. He wanted to know the reason. For all of them. Each one.
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I am interested in this character. Fear ninja-Gabe. Fear him!
indentThe stranger’s presence had not gone unnoticed during the day. Marlowe, ever vigilant, had spied him while on one of the routine patrols that Gabriel often sent him on. This was not particularly unnerving for the Aquila, but he had made a point to wait for cover of nightfall to move. Low to the ground, nearly-silent, the doggish hybrid had slunk towards the border. He stayed downwind, using all the techniques that had been afforded to him while serving as Segodi’s spy.
indent It was a coyote, one wearing a cloak as his half-brother had been, touching one of the few skulls on the border. The number of these was quite less then it had been when his mother reigned. Still, there were enough. That was all that really mattered to Gabriel. Once he was close enough he stood, appearing as if from the shadows themselves. “Interested in something?”
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Zonoes! And this should be interesting!
Onus thought he had heard a rustling in the grass. He didn't act like it though. If it was by chance someone who wanted to fight, he preferred his adversaries underestimate him. Years of living on his own and chasing after the scum of the earth had taught him to always be very aware of his surroundings. He noted the curve of the ground and how far away the nearest tree was. If things were to go poorly, he would be ready.
As the other decided to show himself, his covered gaze turned dully towards him. The shadows were something he understood well. Things popping out of them didn't startle him in the least. He had done so himself on many occasions. "Yes," his monotoned voice answered. "Interested in why these souls lives were taken. Why remains displayed in such a way." Idly he placed his exposed hand back in the pocket of his trench coat.
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indent The stranger had a bandage around his eyes. His reaction indicated that he was not blind, which made the reasoning for a mask all the more peculiar. Gabriel studied his body language, as he had been doing with all people for years, and took mental note of the placement of the hand without letting his eyes leave the stranger’s face. In the voice there were not many clues; there was no tone, at least, to indicate if the man felt one way or the other about the skulls.
indent Gabriel, though, had no reason to lie. “Some were from a war. The rest are from those who felt it necessary to prove their worth by trying to kill the fifthly coyote menace.” Still despite the chill in the air, the fact his feet were slowly going numb, the Aquila continued to watch the stranger. “Were you told a different story?” The fact he called them souls meant he granted them humanity. Gabriel no longer did.
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"Hrm," he mumbled at the obviously hybrid male's answer. Onus knew about wars. Wars didn't concern him much, not like individual crimes or conspiracies did. In wars both sides lost people in the skirmishes. No doubt this man had lost some of his comrades just as these wolves had lost their lives. Besides, the reasons for war were often convoluted. Both sides believing they were in the right. That being said, his interest immediately shifted to the other reason he gave. Fifthly coyote menace, huh? Well, that certainly sounded like what the female wolf had told him, but this man seemed to feel that his people were the ones being victimized.
His breathing was as steady as the stillness around them. "No. No story about skulls. Just that trouble came from here." He didn't believe in beating around the bush. Getting to the heart of the matter was so much more efficient. Why waste the energy? It was clear to him that he and this man had at least one thing in common aside from their species: neither of them dealt with bullshit. "Begs question. When did conflict start? And who started it?" The simple reason that "wolves and coyotes just don't get along" wouldn't satisfy him. That was just a stereotype. Like many stereotypes there was only a little truth to them.
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indent Someone had sent him. Gabriel’s eyes narrowed only slightly, considering this as he did with all things. Trouble did not always evolve from Inferni; they had been victims of circumstance in many ways, demonized for the actions of one. She was gone. She had betrayed them in the sickest way possible. Gabriel would never forgive Faolin’s mother, despite his Christian-dogma. He had no reason to forgive a whore who accepted no responsibility and brought a red menace down on his home.
indent “A former member of ours attacked a wolf, and caused her to lose her children. The wolf’s brother then attacked and raped the coyote. After that he came to our lands and slaughtered a mother and her child, and strung their bodies up in the trees. That, ultimately, was what brought the war.” Gabriel believed in Hammurabi’s code, and that things should have ended with Haku’s first attack. What he had done after that was unconditional. It broke something. It had broken something in Gabriel, whom even now, waited for the day he would have that man’s head on a pike.
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His lip twitched slightly as the story was relayed, though it was almost invisible. It sounded as if there were some very sick canines that inhabited these lands. There were some things that gave someone a death sentence in the man's head. Killing innocent people and unborn pups were right at the top along with rape and murder. Both this coyote woman and the wolf deserved to die, as far as he was concerned. "What are the names? Of this ex member and wolf?" If they were still around this land perhaps justice could still be served upon them, if it hadn't already been. Maybe they had already been killed.
Though the man had misinterpreted his question. It was not the war that interested him at the moment. It was the reasons why the skulls that hadn't been gained in the war were there. Had they asked for that fate? Or had it been rained down upon them for no reason? That was the answer he wanted. "But those that are not from the war? What did they do to deserve death?" If anything. So far Onus had found nothing wrong with the hybrid. But he needed more information before he could make any solid decisions.
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indent “Asphyxia was the coyote. She’s long gone from here.” She would be a fool to remain. Gabriel felt no pity for his mother-in-law, and therefore, was indifferent to her fate. “The wolf was named Haku. One day I’ll put his head on one of these pikes myself.” His tone indicated a second message--the kill is mine. Gabriel could gather that was what his peculiar companion was after, given the interest in such matters. It was uncommon, and therefore, set off a warning.
indent Gabriel smiled thinly. “They refused to respect our requests to be left alone.” That held true for these ones, at least. The four during the war (nameless, faceless, without pack scent) had been indiscriminate kills because Gabriel had the wrath of God burning in his blood. “What do you aim to gather by asking this?”
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He noted the female's name in his head, even though he said that she was no longer in these lands. He traveled many places. The chance of him running across her at some time or another was greater than it was with some. He also made note of this Haku character, who apparently must still be around. The unsaid message in the male's tone was loud and clear to Onus. "From what you say he deserves no less." That was fine. As long as justice was served by someone, it didn't matter much to him who it was. He just hoped that the clansman would make good on his vow. There was little doubt that he wouldn't at least try.
Was there supposed to be a threat in that sentence? The trench-coated man couldn't quite tell. Either way he wasn't intimidated. If someone or some people really wanted to be left alone, they were living in the wrong world. Even the solitary coyote couldn't avoid everyone. Still, it wasn't clear if these wolves had provoked the clan in some way or if they had just been hapless travelers that had been killed for no reason. His suspicions for this hybrid were growing. "Aim? Want to know who the guilt party was. Them..." he said, head turning to face the skull closest to him. "or you." While his head was still facing the skull, his eyes were focused on the man.
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Gabriel was not one for subtle threats. He often laid things out black and white, and did not need to make idle on his promises. The Aquila listened calmly and observed the stranger, seeing all too well that this man was judging him and marking him by what he said. Shifting his weight nonchalantly, Gabriel explained the situation further.“That one in particular attacked me after he refused to leave. Claimed that ‘no fucking halfbreed could tell him what to do’, as I recall it.”
There was no lie in those words. Even if that hadn’t been the same wolf (they were all the same) they had all judged him the same. It didn’t matter if Gabriel was more wolf then coyote, only that he had chosen his side and remained firm.
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The reason this man had given him for the skull before him was a bit sketchy. But he supposed if the wolf had attacked first, then that particular one could be dismissed. Onus was a firm believer in justifiable homicide. He himself had killed many in his life's mission. If someone was willing to rape or kill or maim for no reason once, you better damn well believe they'll do it again. The world was a better place for those he had taken out of it. "Why so many so concerned with blood?" he mused out-loud. It had never made any difference to him. Fullbreed, halfbreed, whatever. The only measure of a person was how they led their life. What they did.
However, there were still skulls that hadn't been accounted for. Until that time, someone worthy of punishment could be hiding in the clan's borders. Whether or not it was this one in front of him. Though Onus was getting the sense he might be the leader. If so he was responsible for keeping his people in check. "And the others?" He had come here to find out why each and every one of those skulls was there, and he meant to finish that objective.
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They're spaced out, so there's only about two or three per every half mile.
“This place has always been like that,” Gabriel explained, though that was a weak response. It was true, though. For as long as he could remember the coyote blood was filthy. Filthy coyote blood. He was not indifferent to this hatred, despite his build, his wolfish jaw-set and height. He had chosen his side, and now he remained.
Gabriel frowned, knowing now why this stranger was so interested (though perhaps not as fully as he might have liked). Proving that these wolves were victims did not change anything. They had crossed the line, whether or not they had any reason to become décor on the borders. “Like I said, they ignored our requests. Now unless you have any other business here, I suggest you leave.”
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This was getting rather irksome. For some reason or another, the man was avoiding giving him a straight answer to his questions. He could sense that the hybrid was also getting annoyed with him. What he wanted to know was why. Was it because he had a guilty conscience, no matter how much he apparently despised these individuals? Or did he feel that he didn't need to answer to some stranger at the border of his lands? Either one was entirely plausible. Some criminals just loved to brag about what they had done. Would give you ever little detail. He was not going to be so lucky tonight he could see.
As desperately as Onus wanted those answers, he wouldn't get anything more out of the male unless he resorted to violence. He had a feeling that that would not be the best course of action. At least not right now. Not tonight. He hated to leave such matters unresolved, but he didn't currently see a better option. He didn't want to fight the man unless he had solid proof of something. The case of this clan would not be an easy one to crack. It would require more investigation at another time. "I will leave then." But I will be back. For his business was far from finished.
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