[FIN] Lessons Learned (Aeldra x Jezabelle)

[Faithofthefallen]

As the sun began to sink beneath the horizon, Aeldra's bright blue eyes snapped open and narrowed, his large ears twitched and flicked towards each new noise as he slowly sat up and stretched, pawing at his slender muscle to reach an itch. He sat up fully and surveyed the ground beneath him. The morning before, he had scaled the tree and claimed this buzzard's nest for his own. Slaughtering the previous inhabitants with ease and munching on their remains as a late dinner. the large nest was littered with scattered bones, feathers, and worse.

For much of his life, Aeldra had known hunger, his slim build, void of any extra fat was testament to his lean existence. Abandoned as a foal, his jaws and teeth had been too weak to make kills on his own and his small size had not been ideal for a predator. His ribs had been perpetually visible beneath his dark coat and Aeldra had taken to following his littermate, Anadeia about to scavenge the remains of her kills. Full grown, he was now fully capable of hunting for himself, but he had developed a taste for foisting off most of the work on the unsuspecting and tricking his way to victory. He derived immense satisfaction from manipulating the unwary and making his victim's march to his own twisted drumbeat. It was so easy to twist their weak mind's into bringing about their own demise.

He descended from his perch gracefully, and stopped, ears positioned to pick up any hint of movement. Aeldra had discovered his power to transform rather recently, and since had spent nearly all his time as a fox, so much easier to move about unnoticed, and he aroused much less suspicion when he approached other soquili in this form. The tip of his tail twitched back and forth as he sashayed between the trees, hunting.

The sound of weeping met his sensitive ears, long before the scent of female stirred on the breeze. Interest aroused, Aeldra pursued the delightful sound, licking his lips as he approached his unwitting quarry. As he passed through the last copse of trees screening his prey from view he beheld a small female, pristine, her pelt and mane seemed to emit a faint glow. Love was a meaningless word to the young stallion, but as he observed this female, he felt a different kind of hunger assault his senses. She would be his then, he decided, he need only lure her to a more convenient location. He slid from the shadows, molding his features into a compassionate mask as he approached the mare.

"Oh, pardon me miss," Aeldra crooned in mock concern, "I was passing by and I heard sounds, I feared someone had been injured. I didn't mean to intrude." His eyes flicked down to the long gouges scored into her flank, the injuries were old enough to scar, but the tissue was still pink and delicate. When he made his move, he would aim for her previous injury.  

[Faithofthefallen]

Belle's heart was pounding so loudly, she wondered if the sound of her blood pumping through her body alone would be enough to attract the predator. She had found the signs that a beast resided in this section of the woods. There was an almost palpable darkness in the air, scattered bones crunched underfoot, and most of the animals that would normally reside here had fled to safety if they had any sense of self preservation. It was eerily quiet, Jezabelle knew she had found what she was looking for.

If her family knew she was hunting purewalkers in her spare time, they would call her insane and lock her up until she regained her senses. Perhaps they would be right, but a 'walker had killed her daughter and wounded her to the point where she couldn't even take Claudette's body home for a proper burial. Vengeance was an unquenchable thirst, she had trained for this moment, sought out the best of the best to train her, outside of the family of course, to keep her secret safe. Her stomach fluttered guiltily. If what she was doing was right, why did it feel so wrong? No. She was happy with Wisp, happier in a way than she had ever been, but the ghost of her earlier madness haunted her. She lost control if she allowed her bloodlust to grow out of control without sating her thirst, if she ignored this madness, surely it would grow and take control in the same way? She was terrified to return to the scene of her daughter's death, terrified of what she would find there. She feared answers as much as she wanted them. She would practice with a different 'walker, once she had more experience, she would return and take down the bearwalker that haunted her nightmares.

She chose the site of battle and curled up in a ball, burying her face as she began shaking her shoulders and imitating the sounds of weeping. She drew on memories of Claudette, stabbed her own heart with memories that pierced like daggers to bring on the tears. Don't track a purewalker to its' den, where it will have the upper hand. Choose your own ground, and draw the beast out. Pain, blood, fear, despair; those things are like a fragrant banquet to the 'walkers. Choose the site of the ambush and draw the monsters to you. Despite her pain, her rational mind curled in one corner like an observer, coiled, restless. It wouldn't be long now before the creature sprung the trap.

The sudden voice made her jump, she spun to face the intruder and was set off balance at the appearance of an inky black fox. His eyes were bright pinpricks of dazzling blue swimming in an ocean of darkness, he would have disappeared entirely into the shadows were it not for those eyes and his curious shimmering markings. He sounded so sincerely concern, she nearly doubted herself, for a moment, she thought perhaps she had drawn in a sympathetic passerby and she worried what would come of him when the purewalker arrived. But as the fox slid closer, she saw his gaze dart to her scars, his mask slipped momentarily, but she was watching for it, and in his eyes, she saw more than one kind of hunger. Her quarry had approached unnoticed, a blow to her ego to be sure. He was larger than your average fox but still slender, he did not disturb much with his dainty paws and he moved in near silence through the underbrush. She cursed silently, she had been hoping to hear the intruder and pinpoint his location. She would attack him immediately as he entered the clearing, and use the element of surprise to her advantage. Well, circumstances had changed, and the foxwalker was closing the distance between them at a dangerous rate. She would need to change tactics and fast if she hoped to survive this encounter.

She stood, and tossed her hair over her shoulders, sniffing to clear her nose as she met his gaze with her tearstained crimson eyes. "Thats very kind of you," she gazed up at the sky and strolled away as if in thought, "You're not intruding, I was just lost in my thoughts and I'm afraid they overwhelmed me in the moment. How embarrassing." her watery smile invited him to share the joke. He obliged with a toothy grin that made her blood run cold.

"We've all been there," he crooned sympathetically. Facing slightly away from him, Belle raised one eyebrow and scoffed silently. She highly doubted that.
She noticed the way his eyes tracked her old injury and obliged him, casually presenting that leg as bait to lure him into attack. She could not rush him and hope to take him by surprise, if she let him get close enough to where she could risk a lunge he would be ideally placed to hamstring her, her only choice was to let him make the first move. He still thought he had her fooled...  

[Faithofthefallen]

Something wasn't right here, but Aeldra couldn't put a paw on it. Unease stirred in his gut and making his eyes narrow in suspicion. He, the trickster, had a feeling there was some sort of trick being pulled here, although he hadn't the slightest idea how that could be possible. The mare was small, only a couple handspans taller than an Usdia, and doll like. He scanned the forest around them, raising his snout into the air to sample the scents flowing by, but he could find evidence of no one but the two of them. Perhaps there could be another soquili upwind, but he had come from that direction and would have sensed if he had been followed.

He turned his gaze back to the mare and tilted his head as he examined her. Her injured leg was entirely vulnerable to his attack, instinctively he jerked forward a little, but stopped himself. The positioning was just too perfect. He growled low in his throat and resumed circling. For some reason this mare was presenting herself for attack, why? Did she have a death wish? He had met soquili in his time who had intended to use him as a form of release, he hadn't obliged, it was no fun if they wanted it, he would usually leave them more damaged than before, consumed in torment and self loathing, it was a delightful treat. But while he did see despair in this mare's visage, she was not hopeless, there was something glittering in the depths of her crimson eyes that could only be determination, although to do what he had no idea.

Did she know what he was? He stopped, backing away a few feet he made the change, fur receding as he shot upwards, limbs lengthening, paws expanding, teeth rearranging. In a matter of moments he stood at his full height in the form that revealed his true heritage. One devoted to darkness, misery, pain. He was a Purewalker... And she knew that. There was no gasp of surprise, not even a shocked intake of breath, her gaze remained steady as she watched him, calculating even. He recognized that look. That was somewhat of a letdown for Aeldra, there had been times in the past where his changing had reduced a soul to tears, screams, desperate begging, any of the above would have been perfectly acceptable, but not this irritating passiveness. It scraped his temper. Now that he was grown he had become used to instilling fear with his very presence, he licked his lips as he met her eyes and was rewarded with a faint sense of nervousness and disgust for the trouble.

How rude.

"What? I perform a magical masterpiece for you and I don't even get a modest round of applause?" He quipped, striding toward her again. He felt that curious stirring again at the fearlessness in her eyes, there was slight madness there, which said more than it didn't about why she was here this day. It was satisfying looking down on the little mare, he wasn't a large stallion, he didn't tower over many, but watching his shadow fall over the face of this mare as he approached was oddly satisfying.
 

[Faithofthefallen]

lub dup

time seemed to slow as Belle's eyes tracked the walker's movements, when he stopped and shifted, her heart skipped a beat but she was careful to keep her features composed, neutral. She allowed no hint of her fear to express itself. Belle knew he would taste her emotions in the air if she lost control of herself, he would know what tricks to play to give him an edge.

Jezabelle bared her sharpened canines at the stallion as he approached her with unbridled malice, his towering figure casting her own small form into darkness as he gazed at her with a possessiveness that sent a thrill of disgust down her spine. She allowed herself to smile grimly at the flicker of irritation that sparked in his beautiful eyes, thinking to herself that something this evil should not be disguised with such beautiful trappings. The outside should reflect the rotting soul within.

"I've seen better" she hissed, her eyes glinting as the purewalker stepped within range and she threw herself at him with heart stopping violence.  

[Faithofthefallen]

Trigger warning: blood and violence


She was a fast little creature, he had to give her that. A low chuckle emanated from the stallion as he dipped and dodged her attacks, with a larger bulkier predator, her methods would have proven brutally effective.

Unfortunately for her, she'd chosen the wrong stallion. Aeldra was not a large purewalker, could not muscle his way to victory in battle, he had had to be quick and he had to use his wiles to survive until he grew into his powers and could fend for himself. The very things that may have given her an advantage were weapons in his own arsenal. On top of that, Aeldea was bigger and stronger than this mare. He danced out of her reach again, his eyes glinting with malicious glee as he let her wear herself out, there was desperation in her face, as well as a wild thirst for his blood and a hint of madness. Oh, he liked this lovely female, perhaps he would keep her around, break a leg or two so she couldn't run off. He'd eaten recently, he didn't really need another meal so soon, drawing out this kill would provide far more entertainment.

Finally, the barrage of blows stopped, and she pulled back, panting, spent. Glaring at him from a few feet away. Aeldra offered her a serene smile in return, his breathing was even, lifting a paw he gazed at it thoughtfully as he slowly sheathed and unsheathed his dagger like claws. "My turn?" he purred seductively, his heated gaze pinning her in place.

His nostrils widened at the sudden heady scent of terror that filled the clearing, as she realized things had definitely taken a turn for the worst. Aeldra quirked a brow, well that was flattering, but certainly not what he'd expected given her previous reactions to his teasing. Aeldra deflated a little. Perhaps she would be boring after all, well, there was more than one way to enjoy her company. The mare's eyes were filled with such terror that the stallion glanced around the clearing, wondering what had caused such a reaction. Was she playing games? Trying to excite him into acting rashly with her fear, lure him into a trap? His tail flicked, his interest aroused again, but he held back, not wanting to lunge forward to finish things so soon.

"Is there a problem, princess?" he crooned, sashaying closer, his eyes affixed to that tantalizing spot between her slender neck and shapely shoulder. He wanted to sink his fangs into that skin, inhale the scents of her fear as her blood filled his mouth, her terrified thrashing only serving to push his teeth deeper. Water filled his mouth at the thought. Her eyes tracked him, her breath coming in short little huffs as she slowly backed away, "You're not about to run from your own party are you, dearest? Rather rude to even contemplate, when you stop to consider that it was you who invited me to play your little game... Is the reality not living up to your expectations? Did you truly think you were strong enough to take down the ultimate predator all by yourself?"

Her eyes filled with tears, Aeldra smiled, he could feel the heat rolling off of her, feel the vibrations of her echausted trembling, he reached out and ran the tip of a single claw down the side of her face, her neck, her shoulder, pressing ever so slightly, just enough to cause blood to slowly well and bead in his wake. She seemed dazed, he leaned, his fetid breath washing over her. He clicked his tongue and shook his head in mock disappointment, "Will anybody miss you when I'm through?" he reached up to unravel her silky purple ribbon, freeing her cloud of white hair to spill around her and let it fall to the ground between them. "I think not. Happy, well adjusted people don't go picking fights with purewalkers for fun. I think your family will be relieved when you don't return, don't you? The insane little offshoot of the family tree finally taken care of in a way that raises no uncomfortable questions." Aeldra observed the way each word hit her like a blow, the fire in her eyes sputtering out, her shoulders sagging under the burden of his poisoned syllables.

"No one will mourn." He breathed, "No one will ever find out what became of you."

She turned her head to him, he grinned down at her possessively, enjoying himself immensely. She seemed to be gathering the energy to say something in response when her face went completely blank with staggering shock. Aeldra almost forgot himself to look around to try to find the source of the panic he now felt rolling off of her in waves. Her beautiful crimson eyes snapped up to meet his, and she suddenly smiled sweetly, and then promptly slammed her head into his with such force that Aeldra dropped like a stone, stars dancing in front of his vision.

 

[Faithofthefallen]

Belle's sides heaved with exertion and stress, her heart thundering. Her offspring, so still and peaceful up until this encounter, were now kicking and bucking within her, not enjoying the surge of adrenaline that passed from her to them. She must be farther along than she had thought.
Happiness surged, she had survived. So far.
Her gaze flicked down to her would be killer and murder surged within her heart. He was down, disoriented, she could end this threat here and now. Thats what she had come here to do. In her shoes, he would have happily returned the favor. She raised her lade over his head, her crimson gaze meeting those stunning blue eyes and holding them for one heartbeat. Two. One pupil was larger than the other and it was clear she had hit him truly. The large lump already forming on her head would be testament to that as well.
The stallion squeezed his eyes shut, groaned in pain, and went limp on the ground.

Still, she waited, blade raised, heart thundering in her ears, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't take a life in cold blood. The stallion was no longer a threat to her. She saw the scene of herself standing over an unconscious form, blade raised, her face unfamiliar in a hateful grimace and she tossed her blade aside with a sound of disgust. She didn't want to be that person.

Belle hadn't killed in ages. She had been willing when it was her only means of survival, had defended it. Now she had quick acting toxins to temporarily send them to sleep. Belle took the blood she needed, cared for the wound she had created, and left the creature to live. Even that was rare these days, living with th herd, she had a steady supply of blood. Offered to her from another's kill, or from their own throat if they saw she needed it. Jezabelle couldn't allow the death of Claudette to turn her into a monster, even if she was only preying on other monsters. Some might call her a monster as well, and if she justified taking another's life simply on the subjective perception of another's existence, someone could easily use the same judgement to take her own life, or the life of someone she cared for. That was unacceptable.

Belle retrieved her knife, turned her back on what had almost been a huge mistake, and went home. She would find Wisp, admit everything and tell him the good news. Her mania was gone, replaced with excitement for the new lives she carried. Her soul deep sorrow was a part of her now, but she could no longer allow it to drive her, she had to be strong. For Saxon, Wisp, her herd, and these new young ones. In a way, it was a new birth. Her struggle had nearly broken her, but in the end she had chosen a different path. She hoped she could use the lessons that had cost her so dearly could be used to help others before they made the same mistake she nearly had.

FIN