[ PRP ] Death Rattle - Stil x Kiss of Death

[Blinded By My Silence]

It had been a quiet, peaceful morning. The sun hung low, a sleepy god's eye, letting weak shafts of sunlight yawn through the canopy above. It shone pleasantly on the many shallow pools that dotted the grove Pestilence called home.

He'd been busy today, and a dull ache had settled into his neck and back, the reward of a job well done. He'd patrolled since dawn, stopping at every pool to check on the bloated and broken bodies that festered just inches below the clear water. Whenever he found a part in a particular stage of decay, he would gently recover the poor shattered soul, be it animal or, rarely, a kin, from the pool and carefully lay it ashore.

From his thick fur had crawled his helpers, beetles with mouths so fast and delicate and each with a name of its own. Slowly, they would clean the bones of flesh, fur and scale, only to place them back in when the job was done.

Now Pestilence rested on a high flat rock that looked over his territory, resting, the scuttling of tiny legs soothing as he thought.

FrostyPeaches

There you go!

 

[Blinded By My Silence]

Moving however was not something Stil did often. He knew his territory like his beetles knew his fur, and, despite being upwind, the doe's appearance didn't escape his attention. But still, it was quite a few long minutes before the buck spoke, his head still resting on his forelegs, his acid eyes closed while he basked in the sun.

"May I help you?"

FrostyPeaches

Thank you. <3

 

[Blinded By My Silence]

Again, long minutes passed before the buck who smelled of death and damp spoke. With a sigh, he lifted himself, acid eyes blinking in the sun. He stepped over to the edge of the rock and looked over at the golden doe below, returning her toothy grin with a raised eyebrow.

"I have always been here. It is you to whom that question should be asked."

FrostyPeaches

 

[Blinded By My Silence]

He stared at her unblinkingly. Kin were such strange creatures, he thought to himself, coming in all different shades inside and out. Beguile crawled out of his hair and rested on top of his ear, watching, flittering her sea foam wings.

"There is nothing to eat here. Living things fear death and that is all you will find here."

He was silent for another long moment before he disappeared agian from her view only to fly above her and land a few feet behind her with a thud of hooves and the skittering of pebbles.

"This way."

He did not wait for her, but instead walked on, making his way around his pools to the edge of the treeline beyond.

FrostyPeaches

Sorry about that wait, my muse just died and I couldn't get anything done at all. Dx

 

[Blinded By My Silence]

"If you eat meat," He replied without turning back.

Green hooves plowed forward steadily, lifting his nose to the wind, searching for the scent of any warm blooded thing. Females preferred hot blooded prey, or so he was told.

FrostyPeaches

 

[Blinded By My Silence]

Stil stopped for a moment and turned to look over his shoulder. One of his beetles crawled out of his mane and disappeared into the spines on his back. "There will be none of that. Insects are very helpful creatures," He stared at her a long time before blinking, and turning back, "Your help would be more efficient. Thank you."

FrostyPeaches

OMFG I AM BEYOND SORRY Q AQ

 

[Blinded By Silence]

When the dark buck had lead her far enough upwind that the warm scent of the living at last reached his nose, only then did he speak again. Softly, his voice like a breeze through dead branches, "I do not wish to die today, nor will I take life from those who have yet to experience it."

His ears flicked forward as a foxbun shuffled out of hiding to nibble at the seeds at the base of a tree. His whip-like tail flicked downward as he slipped effortlessly into a hunting crouch. He was too slow for such a creature. Normally he would let it run, settle for something slower, but the female was watching. Maybe...

"Be ready,"His voice was barely audible.

He moved so slowly that the poor creature failed to notice him until he struck out. Grabbing the foxbun's hind leg with his powerful jaws, he flung it hard at the ground by her hooves.

It was still alive. It scrambled and scratched at the dirt, desperate to get away. It's shrieking would scare off anything else near by. He watched to see what she would do.

FrostyPeaches

Literal years later, dear god. lol

 

[Blinded By Silence]

There was only the sound of his teeth meeting in the cold flesh of the prey caught earlier. It was tasteless as he tore flesh from bone, chewing quietly. He swallowed and it fell into his stomach like a stone.

Why?

He had tried, but everything felt off. In the end, the doe had left and, once again, he was alone.

He wasn't surprised. He sighed, looking over the corpse that would have fed them both.

He lay his head down on his hooves and looked away, letting his beetles skitter down from his mane to do what they did best.

Oh well, he sighed agian. Best get some sleep. He had more work to do in the morning.