{ @sunderedoldfriends sent a prompt }
Zenos had accompanied Severus on their hunt for the first time, the tedium of his daily life leaving him unreceptive and cold towards most anything, and even now he did not have high expectations for the distraction that presented itself. Zenos knew how to hunt and he did yet have to find some sport that would bring excitement into his existence.
But Severus did not hunt like Garleans did, not even like Zenos did, and they didn’t even seem to go for usual sport. When they had told Zenos they would need to hunt and feast, Zenos had expected them to go for some sort of prey animal, but instead they were stalking an unsuspecting Hyur, who did not know he was indeed the hunted and not the hunter.
Zenos was quiet when he followed them, always keeping a bit of a distance to not disturb Severus‘ concentration, but when at last they fell upon their prey and the screaming stopped, Zenos eventually approached. For a moment he was confused. They did not intend to eat this man they killed, did they? Zenos himself did not care much about any living beings, they were all equally boring to him, but even he knew that feasting upon others was forbidden. Still he couldn’t help but watch in anticipation.
Severus used the bloodied dagger still clutched tight in their fist to begin cutting off the rapidly dying hyur's clothes. There was no sense in making this easy for anyone, and torn strips of cloth and leather were easier to burn and scatter than whole clothes. They didn't hesitate once the coat was open enough, though. Cracking open the chest, they tore the weakly beating heart from the chest with precise cuts and raised it to their sharp-toothed mouth.
Their eyes met Zenos' as they took the first, decisive bite, claiming the fading soul's strength for their own. Blood dripped down their chin, soaking into the scarf wrapped around their throat in dark rivulets. Those eyes glowed brighter than ever, the limbal rings reflecting back far more than mere moonlight as they tore the chunk free and swallowed it whole.
"Come quickly, or it will fade before you can feed on it." In this hunt, they're the leader. There is no social order but that of who dealt the killing blow - no gods or kings here.
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find the word tag game
tagged by @thewriteflame and my words were: joke, jump, brown, bug, book
all from Seafoam
joke
Zeno murmured something, and I blinked, abandoning my racing thoughts and returning my attention to him. “What?”
“I said, we could get married.”
The absurd desire to laugh nearly overcame me. He was about to speak again, but I shook my hand between us, cutting him off. “I appreciate you trying to make a joke, but is this really the time?”
His expression contorted to an almost-grimace before it shifted into a small smile. Then, he shrugged. “Sorry.” I scrubbed my hand roughly over my face, leaning forward, slightly away from him. “It is an idea, though.”
“Us getting married?”
“Yeah.”
I sniffed a quiet laugh, despite everything. “Please, we’d be miserable.”
jump
The door to [the captain]'s quarters was right up against the railing, with just the riggings swaying between me at the oar-churned ocean below. I stopped, looking into the water, my hand absently fingering the shard in my pocket as my gaze traced patterns in sea foam lining the choppy waves. I could jump. The oars might catch me. Or they might sweep me under, their turbulence keeping me below the surface until I was out of air.
Heart stammering, I stumbled away from the railing until my back pressed into the wall. Did I actually wish for death? Or did I just want this to be over?
Freedom. That’s all I wanted. Basate promised that; I could hold out until then. I could…
I would.
brown
It was strange. Being here. New experiences—not that I had a lot of practice with them, mind—always were strange. She sat across from me, crossing her feet beneath her and clasping her hands together in her lap.
“What was your name, again?”
“Solera,” she said, her grin bright white against her russet-brown features. My eyes dropped to the dimples indenting her faintly freckled cheeks. “And, I know coming here, leaving your family, it’s a bit much to take in.” I met her gaze again. “If there’s anything I can do to help you adjust, or settle, just let me know?”
I returned her smile, however faintly, and nodded.
bug beetle
A tiny armored beetle skittered over the marble steps by my fingers, deftly avoiding them in its hurry.
Could I have done anything to help? Would the sound of Osmari’s pleas ever stop ringing in my head?
“Stay back,” a calm voice said, drawing near. “I’ll talk to her.”
Geros. No longer the Diamo, to me.
Solera was right. He was just another man who had done nothing to deserve my respect.
The beetle had made it past my hand now, scurrying over the sun-warmed marble toward the shade of the pavilion until it was crushed under Geros’ sandal as he made his way to me. He hunkered beside me, his hand rubbing false comfort between my shoulders.
“It’s disturbing, isn’t it. The lengths my children force me to go.”
book
“Be still, and accept the blessing of the gods,” he said, stepping nearer to them and laying his hand on each of their heads. When he spoke again, it was almost song-like. A chant, of sorts. In the old tongue. I knew very little of it. Just a few words. Curse words, to tell the truth. Zeno, Ismi, and I had found an old book of it in the attic of their home years ago, and that had been all we had been able to look for before Hele called us down for lunch.
His voice resonated throughout the latridom, even after his chant had stopped.
He lifted his hands, staggering back a step. As if he had been possessed by the gods themselves and they had suddenly left him.
“You are now one.”
I'll tag....... @pinespittinink @flowerprose @daisywords @ashen-crest @isherwoodj and @nectargrapes (as always, no pressure!)
your words will be: purpose, plain, peer, pressure, and pain
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