[PRP]Down by Blood River (Jayden & Echo) -Finished-

[Yumitoko II]

Teepees:
-Sya///Yumi-

Echo strode out from underneath the trees shade into the warm sun, the warm glow of the sun grazed her cheeks and forced her eyes to squint. She stopped momentarily with her nostrils flared to smell the scent of hot grass. She felt there was something missing and abruptly jerked her head in the direction of where the tree's roots fitted so snuggly into the ground and picked up the accessory-a helmet-which had been given to her from her father, he knew she had always wanted one and went trailing round with it in his teepee, at times it was too heavy for her to lift properly.

It wasn't uncommon for heat to collect in the helmet or to adsorb onto the surface of her pelt, soon her mouth became dry but even long before that she felt a little bit parched. Luckily the river was near by she could have a dip to cool. Warily she looked around to see if anyone was watching, there was always something about her that strangers liked to laugh and point at every now and again or maybe just stare. She set on her at briskly picking up her pace before dive bombing into the river with a big old splash. For once she didn't look she was just simply too hot and nothing would stand in her way when it came to cooling down.

Her body didn't rise back up to the top like a normal soquilli would, sinking like a stone was always a rubbish disadvantage unless there was enough salt to keep her head at least a little above water. Echo exhaled and half-wadded-half-paddled back to the shallower banks of the river and was gasping for air when she finally got there. She looked around and thought about how sometimes life was so terribly slow.

 

[Syaoran-Puu]

Jayden licked his lips, the wolf he had just slaughtered for his lunch had provided some entertainment.... afterall, they rarely simply stood there and allowed their own end to come; despite the fact that it always did. Still, it felt good to have a challenge, to be up against a creature with a hightened sence of smell, that could move quickly and knew the terrain as well as he did.... those hunts his sister often insisted on that involved travelers were rarely as fun, although a soquili usually gave it their best in order to survive they simply didn't present the same challenge. Often clumpsy and careless.... nothing like his fluid grace, the fluid grace of a hunter, a killer, an animal.

Jayden was all of those things in one. Walker by day and Bat by night, his hearing more accute and sensative than most; yet even though his twin sister was the same as him they both had 'different talents'. He smiled at that thought.... wasn't life just so full of surprises.

He licked his lips once more, the metalic scent of the blood starting to irritate his sensative nose towards breaking point. Jayden knew that if he remained covered in blood for too long he would become overwhelmed by bloodlust... always fun.... but today he was not in the mood, today he felt lazy. That was probably the reason he had ditched Vanity in favour of his own sport. And so he made his way towards a river he had passed not too long ago.

The journey was short, his cloved hooves leaving very few marks on the ground behind him as his forked tail swayed from side to side. When he finially reached the rivers edge he looked at himself. Glowing eyes stared back. Blood dripped from his mouth and neck, splatter covered his chest, legs and some of his bat pelt. How troublesome feeding could be. Decided he walked into the cool river, knowing that as its chilling current battered his body it would also carry with it the evidence of evil.

He watched as blood, flesh and even small bones that had clung to him dislodged and made their way down the river. It was.... enchanting.  

[Yumitoko II]

Echo again felt to dry sun, there was no humidity in the air, she'd always preferred a dry air to humidity.
Water crept down to the ends of her mane which now at each end of each strand were mimicking sharp points but they were too wet and soft to ever do any damage. The water was now only just of ankle height, it lapped up and occasionally splashed harshly whipping up at her face, this part of the river was a little more calm than up stream which made it perfect for relaxing and drinking from, or at least for her.

She bent her neck down and looked at her reflection for a second, her golden helmet was beginning to get a little hotter but she just shrugged it off, for now. Soon her muzzle and the river met and he quickly lapped up some water feeling the cool liquid siding down her throat and into her gut. She looked up and exhaled, a sound of her own satisfaction. Once again she decided to take to the water and wade in.

After a while of splashing around little red and flesh coloured blobs started to float past her, she tried to catch them to see what they were but they simply just slipped away. The river ran a slight tinge of red and what appeared to be little clusters of blood clots, the colour clung to her mane but of course it was not visible against her black and blue. Echo wadded out, turned and soon saw the bigger picture moving out of her life faster than it had entered it although some pieces of cartilage reminded on the banks of the river. She strained her neck to get close enough to see what it was now she knew she was glad she didn't catch those floating fragments of what was presumably a deceased organism or someone in need of some help. She dashed down the river bank towards the source only to find a quite large looking stallion winged wearing what looked like another coat, or maybe it was his coat (she had never heard of the batwalkers before). She slowed down and addressed the stallion foolishly not realising because he had his back to her, but she presumed he knew she was there,"I'm sorry to bother you but here has been blood flowing through this river. I am looking for the source. You don't happen to know or you haven't found anyone injured have you?"

Her eyes wandered to the bank, looks like something had brought back the old carcass of it's kill...it was him, her eyes widened but she tried to relax again, she exhaled slowly.

 

[Syaoran-Puu]

Jayden heard the sound of hooves rushing in his direction but ignored them, anyone with some sence knew to avoid him.... if not by his breed but by the dark aura that he exuded.

Yet, just as that thought crossed his mind he found himself.... surprised. Someone was addressing him, and their question.... well, it made him chuckle. He turned his head, looking at owner of the voice, clearly a female based on the high tones yet hidden behind what looked like.... GOLD! He licked his lips, such a trinket would look nice in his collection, too bad he wasn't in the mood for more food. And it would be a shame to waste such a specimen. It was then that his eyes wandered to her legs, they seemed different to usual soquili. Rougher, harder... more like stone. Interesting.

Since he was in a relatively good mood, and because her question had amused him he decided to play along. For now at least.

"Yes I know where it came from," his voice echoed with a darkness, the tones of it deep and dark. "Of course.... I believe it is too late for the poor creature. He was.... enjoyable though." To add effect Jayden licked his lips again. Teasing his prey and the soquili around him was always enjoyable, it was just a shame that most feared him too much to play along before he killed them.  

[Yumitoko II]

Echo's ears perked to the sound of the stallion's dark voice and she looked at him meeting his yellow eyes for a moment as he quickly regarded her, she couldn't help but do the same, it was an understatement to say their was an air of predation in his appearances for it was far more than that. Like her he was masked but it was of organic matter which he could not remove.

The smell of blood and warm flesh started to fill her nostrils but it wasn't a scent to bother her yet, the decomposers had not yet started but the flies had probabbly already started to lay their eggs which in turn would hatch and burrow into what was left of the the canine's flesh. The funny thing is that it now hardly looked like a wolf all was recognisable was the legs. "So I see", it was no longer disgust which she had felt back at the other part of the river, she had studied nature, food chains and food webs and this guy was at the the top. There was now no need for disgust because for the stranger was natural. She tried not to think too hard because she sometimes ended up speaking what was not meant for anyone else to hear. Looking at the corpse now she felt really stupid but at least the stranger had a sense of humour even if she wasn't sure she'd understand it but she'd jolly well try!!

'So they are real?' She though to herself,'but he's a bat....hmmm...this guy must be talented. I've never seen a bat so big. Where was it even found?!'

Echo tried to stick to formalities,"it's not like you care what my name is but I might as well introduce myself anyway", she momentarily bowed her head for a second letting him of of her sight as she did so which is also known as another foolish move,"my name is Echo, you may call me what ever you want."
She smiled,"I suppose the thrill of the hunt is more fun than eating grass off the floor?"It was rare to have vast amounts of adrenaline running round your system if you were not a predator or the pray being chased but Echo knew she wouldn't be able to run, she never really could, an adrenaline rush only made a minute difference.

 

[Syaoran-Puu]

Jayden cocked an eyebrow at her reaction, part of him had assumed that his obvious nature would scare her off. Yet she remained.... didn't even seem to be attempting to flee.

He turned, purposefully placing his spade tail in the water so that it caused ripples to dart through the water all around him. Slowly he waded through the water towards her. His glowing eyes never leaving focus as they bore into her own. He liked to... unsettle those around him, and if his sheer size, appearance or eyes couldn't do that.... well, he had other ways of making them squeal.

As she spoke an introduction, a pointless afrair since he cared nothing for her name, her purpose, or even her reason for being here. Still, part of what she said stood out to him/ 'call me whatever you want'.... she had just presented him with another opportunity to taunt her into fear him. He licked his lips. What interesting "Little prey" she was. He repeated his 'name' for her, "Little prey, little prey," He tutted and shook his head, sending a few water droplets cascading to the ground like sharp needles. "I NEVER eat grass. If it is not bloody and fresh then I don't want it." He stopped his advance and stood not too far from here.

With a flash of movement he snapped his wings open, revealing his true size. Once he had bore the wings of a Kalona, now he bore the wings of a bat. He cared not, they both allowed him to fly..... but for some reason, the bat wings made him feel more powerful. More.... unique. Except for his sister Vanity he had never stumbled across another batwalker.... catwalkers, wolfwalkers and even foxhunters..... but not bats. It was for that reason that he considered himself a rare specimen.

Rare meant valuable in his eyes.

Slowly he allowed his thoughts to return to the mare before him, "Now little prey, will you run?" He was well aware that he not given his name, after all.... if he decided to kill her it would be pointless, after all dead soquili couldn't talk to pass on his fierce reputation.  

[Yumitoko II]

Echo watched every little movement for it was hard not to but some how she'd been stupid as not to have seen his spaded tail, it was possibly because she was instead almost overwhelmed by his size. He was much bigger than her or the wolf. Mentally she undressed him and tried to see past the pent but he was still just as big. She was not quite sure whether he could reach her from this distance, she knew he'd have still a little bit of a stretch, but mad men are strong, or so she had been told, told that they had the strength of many men at their disposal and they didn't always need much of a reason for using it. The stranger to her did not seem insane - no- he had a brain on him and a good one too.

'Fluffy round the edges with and evil core', she thought to herself as if it was an advertisement for him if he were to be sold in a shop, although her description would be inaccurate, above all he'd need a warning label, but in reality that kind of warning is implanted into almost every soquili's mind.

Her eyes flicked back to his and his expression, she shook her head at the deliberate licking of the lips,"are you still hungry?" She knew the question was foolish but maybe then it'd stop him from licking his lips she found it sorta distracting...and maybe a little rude but that was just her.

"I can tell. At least you can afford to be picky", she giggled,"things get much harder for everyone in the winter, there's always less of everything. It's the hardest time to eat fresh, for use there are less plants for you...well animals hibernate. This time of year is one of the easiest seasons so long as you don't over heat", she smiled and flicked her long tail, her ear rings and helmet clanked together when she moved her ears making a dense metallic sound.

Upon watching the walker spread his wings a small gust of wind blew into her face and through the holes of her helmet causing her eyes to water a little. When it came to advantages of transport...he had it and indeed he had many. She could tell is the way he conducted himself that he regarded himself highly.

"No Mr.Bat I will not run. I do not hold an interest in running nor do I intend to." He half laughed at herself and the memories of her...running. Running with her mother, running with her father, running for races, she wouldn't deny that in that department she was no good although there was always a determination. She smiled again,"why? Would you like to run?"

She knew that this must've been a tiny bit annoying but she wasn't trying to push any buttons, all she'd come to find is the source of the blood and bones and now she had found it, but now she didn't know really what to do or where it was gonna go or how it was gonna go, it'd be pointless to leave now.

 

[Syaoran-Puu]

Jayden had to admit that something about her intreguied him. She was niave and innocent.... yet behind that seemed to be a unique kind of bravery. Or perhaps it was simply stupidity.

He looked around the slightly baron land.... part of him liked it that way, and given that he could fly from location to location it made hunting so much easier, especially when your prey was oftened grounded. What a shame most of them never considered looking up. He supposed more would have escaped his grasp by now if they had. Still, stupid prey deserved to die.

"You talk too much." He finally said, a grunt to his voice as he rolled his eyes. "And if I had wanted to run you would have never seen me to begin with." He growled, a little in frustration a little from... something else.

Part of him liked that she called him 'Mr. Bat' and part of him hated it. He was so much more than just a bat, he had once been a feared Kalona. Adept in the black magic of their kind only to find himself striped of it as he became cursed.... it had been strange, a feeling of utter uselessness and weakness. Learning to fight and hunt all over again, learning new reflexes and muscle groups. Everything had changed so quickly.

He grunted at the memory of the pain and turned his head from the mare, a sign of bordem perhaps. He said only one word. "Jayden." He supposed that meant he had decided not to kill her.... not yet at least.  

[Yumitoko II]

Echo stayed quiet when he told her she talked too much, she wasn't loud or with an annoying voice but her own guess would be that the dead gave him more peace than the living but she smiled at him and nodded,"okay", she spoke in minimal words to show him he understood.
'And if I wanted to run you'd probabbly be trying to chomp into my marble butt." She giggled to herself.

The walker was thoughtful, or at least of matters concerning himself, most walkers were not portrayed in this way but that's probably because they wee considered to be animals more than people.

All she could do was try o figure him out before the encounter came to it's end. She'd never assumed walkers had lazy days too. She wanted to ask questions but that'd just give him an excuse to take a swipe, she stood her ground but at a fairly safe distance, he was still big and fast and could easily move forward.

 

[Syaoran-Puu]

Jayden raised an eyebrow at her one worded answer.... so it seemed she could learn. Interesting. Jayden had never considered attempting to 'train' and 'play' with his food before he ate it.... but what an interesting concept! He licked his lips again, partly curious for her reaction.

"So... little prey," He almost purred the words, "....why are you standing here?" Afterall most never stuck around long when a skinwalker was around, and Jayden knew that he looked just a fierce as any of his kind. He licked his lips again, this time more out of habit than consciously.

He took a step closer, just one. His spade tail swaying softly from side to side in a menacing display of power, not that he needed such things to prove he was stronger than her. Three clean movements and Jayden was sure could have her pinned and his mouth clamped around her throat. The lifeblood would well up, dripping into his mouth. Refreshing and delicious..... oh how he longed for more.

A growl escaped his lips, the corners lifting to reveal several sharpened teeth.

Jayden knew he needed to get control of himself.... and quickly.... or bloodlust would consume him. He looked to the wolf, reminded that he had just finished eating. That helped... a little. He brought the claws of his wings to the front, hooking them together in a 'folded arm' gesture. Now he just needed to calm himself.....

He breathed, following the procedure his sister had put into place for such need of control. One..... Two.... he only hoped she was wise enough not to intrupt him before he reached ten. Three.... Four..... Five.... Six....  

[Yumitoko II]

Echo's ears perked,"at first it was curiosity, but I can't turn my back on you now can I? That would be just as foolish as it is to speak to you as I am now, just stay silent or show fear. At least if you leaped I'd be able to see it rather then not know what just hit me like most of your chew toys." His way of speaking almost creeped her out, she had only just stopped her self from emitting a slight shudder.

She stood her ground but watched his tail swaying as if it could hypnotise her into a deep sleep, the tail reminder her of...of ... what humans called cats! Oh how quickly they could turn from purring to swiping. She began to wonder whether the walker was more talk and less action.

'Besides...I don't think I'm advertised as chewy...but walkers do mean almost certain death.'

And there it was the sudden turning in every walker there was some blood lust, he'd done well to just old it off this long, or so she thought. In moments like this she maybe thought too much and maybe should find a balance. Echo looked at him with a what-the-hell face tilting her head gently and stepping forward only one pace when he bore his teeth.

'The guy's a ticking time bomb...'

She glanced to her side and then past and beyond him impatiently, she'd be no fun to run after and that was her guarantee, much too slow.

 

[Syaoran-Puu]

Seven... Eight... Nine... TEN!

He breathed a little easier, and feeling easier he approached her again. His tail mesmorising behind him as he drew closer, but he purposefully walked past her, only touching her under the chin with his forked tail. Her words had slowly sunk in through his clearer mind. A little impressed he stated, "You are wiser than you look little prey..... interesting."

He stood next to her. His tail near her front legs, and his head near her rump. Now that he was closer he could see that her body appeared to be made of something unusual..... he blinked... rock?

Unable to hold back his curiousity, after all he had always had an interest in the rare and unique, he couldn't stop himself ask; "What are you.... my strange little prey?"  

[Yumitoko II]

Echo did not move apart form lifting her chin up as the walker's tail stroked it and she held her breath for the slightest moment. She knew he was only humouring her when he called her 'wise' but in one go had also comment on how silly she may have looked to him. Still her eyes bore into him and she would try her best to not let him totally out of her sight.

"I am the daughter of an obsidian destroyer", she swallowed,"I am a mixture of volcanic rock, glass and of course ...organic flesh."

She wasn't entirely certain of the last part but she knew it must be true if she was her mother's daughter, it was in there somewhere. Maybe one day she'd find out but she'd rather wait a few years at least.

Echo wondered if that tempted him any further into trying to take a chunk out of her or would he try other tactics. Had he ever met anyone with his sort of advantage. Of course people in armour could always have their shells yanked from them but in actual fact she was volcanic rock and glass. Not many noticed unless the sun shinned or she got wet, only the hair held the moisture and the rest dripped off her from points of her underbelly or slid down her limbs. She was indeed a slippery customer.

 

[Syaoran-Puu]

Jayden turned to look at her as he raised his tail again so it was under her chin, he had noted that she had subtly turned her head to ensure that she didn't lose eye contact.... again that was wise of her, after all, he was unpredictable. He licked his lips as he watched her.

At her words he found himself.... surprised, though such emotion did not cross his face, no, in that department it was as he too was carved from rock. His expression never revealing more than what he wanted to. And what he wanted was menace, feirce, and intimidating. Still, he couldn't ignore his interest. "Rock..... glass..... flesh," He purred each word, rolling it around on his tongue as he spoke, "...I wonder if you would smash if I stood on you?" He mused over the last part, tilting his head slightly as he narrowed his eyes, he was curious to see her reaction, and curious to discover what the weakness of rock was. After all, any respectable skinwalker took every opportunity to discover the weakness of others... that way, they could use it against them.

He moved his tail, poking her in the leg with it. "I wonder little prey.... do you sink too?" Part of him already suspected he knew the answer to that.  

[Yumitoko II]

Her ears followed his voice slowly his questions made her heart sink. It was all just a game but she already knew that. "I don't think I'm that hollow...are you really that heavy?" She looked at his wet lips and then back to his yellow eyes with a scowl,"what kind of question is that? I think you know the answer."

The weakness of stone and glass was never a hard task to find them. He could probabbly roll her over like a heavy stone but as long as she held her stance she though she was fine. The water was something she couldn't do, she envied other soquili for being able to swim. If he tried she'd sink and drag him down with her by a wing or a tail. There were also weaknesses of organic matter and people of flesh, although Echo wouldn't normally look to cause harm.

"Drown me and then what? Where's the fun?" Her nostrils flared slightly as she shot him daggers.