Private Tales Crossing Over

[Syuri]

Her stomach twisted as she thought about how she'd reacted and she nodded lightly.. "Me too." she answered and chewed idly on her lip as she listened.

"If you really were that Fae that she showed me, it's clear that you're not that creature any more. If he's gone why not leave it buried and forget about it?.." her jaw clenched. "She'll be back.. She told me not to get in her way, that she'd find a way to prove it.." she frowned, finding it somewhat difficult to hold the gaze of his amber eye..

"Lets just, get moving. We can eat on the road."

 

[Keernan]

Keernan nodded in agreement. He travelled light; he was quick to to get packed up and on the move.

They took the road and headed towards their original destination. If the fae queen could appear before Syuri then he didn't think changing course was going to help throw her off their trail.

"This next town you agreed to go to," he said, slowing to a stop. "You've never been this far..."

Keernan turned around, looking back the way they had come from. It was a long way for her. He was taking her away from her responsibilities and her family.

"...we won't find help there. I'll have to set out North from there. Try to find a travelling alchemist."

 

[Syuri]

The walk helped to calm her racing thoughts. Much of it was spent in silence, Mango coddled like a child and purring against her chest.

She stopped as Keernan did, following his gaze back along the road behind them, a small smile playing on her lips as she nodded. The past week had certainly been more adventure than she'd ever had in her life..

"You will?" she half frowned at him and set the ginger cat down to let her wander, and Syuri approached Keernan to wrap her arms around his waist and settled her head on his chest. "I'll assume you mean 'we'.." she answered quietly and looked up at him. "I'll send word home that the trip is being extended. I'm not letting you go alone."

 

[Keernan]

Keernan looked at her closely, gaze dropping briefly to the content feline. She had commanded respect back at that Inn, where they would have sooner chased him out of town for offering help freely.

He wasn't worried that she wasn't strong enough of spirit to see through this. He just didn't want to walk her into even greater danger.

"You know the danger. I wouldn't hold it against you if you wanted to head back."

Keernan gave a sharp nod and continued on. It hadn't been a question, he wasn't looking for an answer from Syuri. Just two statements. Keernan knew that she was almost certainly going to fall into step beside him once more.

 

[Syuri]

She watched after him for a moment before shuffling along to catch up to him, scooping up the disheveled feline as she did so.

"I know." she nodded. "But I don't want to go back. You need me." she looked up at him with a light smirk and nudged at his ribs. "Remember?"

 

[Keernan]

That, it seemed, was that. He smiled back. After the morning he felt as if he had his feet planted firmly back on the ground, a semblance of balance back. He nudged her back gently, which Mango did not seem to appreciate at all.

Mango's ears went up and stayed up. Keernan thought it was because of him, but the small cat used its claws to pull itself up to Syuri's shoulder and started look around.

Keernan heard it next. A distant howl. He turned around slowly, tilting his head as he tried to get a sense of where it was coming from.

The arboreal cat, Mango, had the right idea and was looking towards the trees.

"Maybe wolves. They could be far away," Keernan said casually. "But get ready to climb if they're coming this way."

This would show the truth, she thought to herself. They were, afterall, his hounds. ​

 

[Syuri]

She noticed that something was off with the feline when she seemed in any way alert, given that she mainly slept or flopped around lazily. She couldn't recall the last time she'd seen her use her claws let alone felt them, and Syuri gave a quiet growl in annoyance as Mango climbed onto her shoulder. "Ow what the f-"

Syuri paused, looking at Keernan as she heard the howl. She moved in close to Keernan, nodding at his instruction and yet drawing her bow, just in case. Thank gods she could climb.

"Do you get bothered by wolves often?" she asked, cautiously glancing behind her, keeping her voice low to listen for any more howls. She paused again suddenly and looked to her right, the sound of a snapping twig, and then to her left, the sound of a low, guttural growl.

"They're not far away.." she whispered, slowly drawing an arrow from her quiver.

 

[Keernan]

"No," he said firmly.

He looked down at her bow and then to the closest tree that looked as if it could be climbed.

"Hear them often, but they don't normally attack people. Not unless they're desperate."

Keernan tossed his bag aside, feeling the creatures close in around them. Crimson lines spread out across his skin joining together before the fire within spread.

"Go for the tree. I'll slow them down. Cover me with your bow."

 

[Syuri]

She still couldn't see anything, but by the sounds they were making, they didn't sound like they intended on passing peacefully. Syuri gave a nod and slowly, carefully edged toward the tree. She couldn't help but pause for a brief moment however, the sight of him shifting robbing her of breath, not in fear, but in awe.

Another snarl close by had Mango leap from her shoulder and scamper up into the tree, and Syuri turned to follow her, pulling herself effortlessly up into the boughs and grappling on with her thighs as she nocked an arrow and scanned the area for any sign of movement. For a long moment there was nothing, and even the birds that had only moments ago been chattering had silenced.

Then, from the thicket they stalked to surround Keernan, forming a wide circle. There were five of them, and they were not wolves. The sight of them caused her mouth to fall open and her heart to stumble in her chest.. Their eyes were all on Keernan, and they seemed wary. She prayed they'd think better and leave, but Syuri's arrow was ready to fire at the first sign of attack.

 

[Keernan]

Keernan backed away slowly, trying not to leave himself open for one of them to ekap at him. They must have tracked in almost complete silence to get so close, so quickly. It was the only option unless - and the thought worried him - they had come from elsewhere.

As one lowered its head and snarled, Keernan took two quick steps forwards and delivered a kick to the side of its head. Glowing cinders scattered down the flank of the beast, but it's fur didn't catch alight. It danced away, light on all four paws to circle around the others.

"They should be more afraid of fire than this!" Keernan called out.

 

[Syuri]

Syuri tensed as he kicked out at one of the creatures, the feather of her arrow sliding along her jaw as she aimed. "They're not wolves.." she answered quietly in response to his observation. She had never seen anything of their likes in her life, and somehow she didn't believe that they were here by coincidence...

"I think you should get up here!" she called back down to him, movement in her periphery caused her to glance down. "There's more!.. I can't shoot them all!" she warned as at least another five stalked out of the trees, a few looking up at her as she called out, but most were focused on Keernan.

 

[Keernan]

"I agree!" he shouted. His voice was hoarse. Liquid magma rolled from his lips as he spoke. The sight of him, the heat emanating from him should have been enough to keep them at bay. It was not.

One of the hounds darted a few steps forwards, maw low to the ground and teeth bared. Keernan held his ground. Another started advancing on his left.

"Shoot that one!" He called out, waving an arm towards it.

He couldn't climb the tree like this. Even if a fresh tree wouldn't be set on fire he would scorch through the bark where he touched it. He needed time to change back and to leap for the branches.

 

[Syuri]

She wasted absolutely no time in letting her arrow fly, another nocked on her bow before the hellish creature had even the chance to yelp. The arrow pierced through its ribs and straight into it's heart. Then it started, the first move had been made, and the creatures snarled and snapped their jaws as they approached Keernan.

"Move!" Another arrow flew at the beast closest to him, one to ground it, another to kill. Some turned their attention toward her and approached the trunk of the tree, but her bow was still aimed on those circling Keernan.

"Keernan!" she croaked and felt her skin pale. At least a dozen more were approaching from either side of the road. Syuri glanced down at her quiver. There couldn't have been more than fifteen arrows left..

"You made your point!! Call them back!!" Syuri barked, looking up into the canopy as though expecting to see the fae queen there. "I know you can hear me!!" she snarled and loosed another arrow into another of the beasts.

 

[Keernan]

There was no reply to Syuri's cry. Keernan didn't look up at her. There were too many beasts and he knew who she was calling out to.

He turned sharply at a hound with an arrow in its back. As his fist came down it hardened. The flowing liquid fire solidifying and his fist becoming a shining, black rock. The strike slammed the hound down into the ground. It didn't get up.

Keernan turned sharply, darting for the tree. Flames flicked out of his hand towards a hound that tried to block his path, but it was the hound behind him that got its jaws around his ankle.

Despite the intense heat it kept its grip and pulled Keernan from his feet. The trunk of the tree was just beyond his fingertips.

 

[Syuri]

Syuri felt a rush of dread, as though a bucket of ice cold water had just been poured over her. "Keernan!!" she cried out, loosing an arrow at the eye of the beast that had hold of him and hitting home, though more were already on their way. She nocked, and fired, and nocked, and fired, trying her best to give him time to get out of their reach.

Her heart pounded throughout her entire body, adrenaline pulsing through her veins. "CALL. THEM. BACK!!" she demanded with each of her next three shots.

 

[Keernan]

He rolled. Jaws snapping at him from all directions. He lashed out where he could, kicked back and connected with something heavy. The growling had because vicious, gut-churning snarling.

He climbed over a corpse riddled with arrows and dragged himself to his feet. The heat didn't keep them away, but it was the reason he hadn't been torn to shreds.

Keernan got a hand to the tree. The bark smouldered beneath his touch. He leapt for the lowest branch. A hound took a leap, fangs sinking into his thigh. The pack moved in for the kill.

"Stop!" Shouted Keernan, voice cutting through the air.

They did.

The hounds, each and every one, settled down on the grass.

 

[Syuri]

Syuri shot, and shot and shot as Keernan fought to get away, her breath catching in her throat as one leaped at him and she shot it through the neck and it fell. She drew her last arrow and nocked it, but the feather had only just grazed her jaw when the attack ceased.

Her heart was still pounding, her chest still heaving from the heavy breaths of panic, but her bow lowered as she gaped down at the beasts that appeared suddenly docile and obedient. Her mouth fell open, and sudden realisation washed over her like a bucket of ice water. She felt her skin pale as she looked down at Keernan.

'I'll find a way to prove it to you..'

"How?..." she asked, unable to finish the sentence but she knew the single word would be enough.

 

[Keernan]

Keernan had his back to the tree, facing the pack. Black smoke rose from the tree where he touched it. There were bright spots in his thigh where the teeth had pierced his rocky skin. Keernan was visibly trembling. Adrenaline and pain taking hold as the silence stretched out.

One of the hounds casually placed its chin on its front paws.

Keernan turned sharply, shifting back as he grasped at the lowest branch. Blood spread across his breeches where he had been bitten and he favoured his left leg to climb up to Syuri's height.

---

"Could anyone else make them do that?" the Aralyssian asked.

The huntsman shook his head, antlers catching the branch above them. They were in the mortal plane, but far from the action. They watched the scene play out as a reflection in the pool by their feet.

"I train them, but he created them."

"Can you call them back?"

"I will try," he said, raising a horn to his lips.

---

A shrill horn rang out. Keernan turned sharply. As did the hounds. Some of them rose to their feet, some nuzzled the fallen and wounded. Some looked to Keernan. When the horn rang out again they started to move away, cautiously as if waiting for Keernan to contradict the call.

 

[Syuri]

Her gaze remained on the hounds below as Keernan climbed, watching how at ease they seemed to be now that he'd issued his command. Her mind raced, and she finally looked at him with a light frown.

"Keernan th--" she was cut off by the sound of a distant horn blowing and she looked off in it's direction, and then to the beasts as they reacted to it. It was her, and this was her test. Syuri's jaw clenched, her fingers tightening around the last arrow in her hand as she studied Keernan for another brief moment.

"Call them back." she said quickly. "Call them back, I'd far rather they were on our side than hers." she said and dropped the arrow back into her quiver with a quiet thunk, watching the hounds to see what they'd do.

 

[Keernan]

"Stay! Come back!" Keernan called out.

Keernan already had a cloth on his hands and was binding it around his legs. The fangs had not sunk deep into him because of how solid that form was. The puncture wounds were still bleeding.

Some of the hounds were already bounding away. They had their ears pinned back and continued on. Just two slowed to a stop and started to trot back towards the tree. The rest seemed indifferent, or perhaps confused. His voice hadn't carried to same weight.

---

"Clever little bitch," she spat. "Blow the horn again."

 

[Syuri]

Even Syuri could tell that the instructions hadn't carried the same weight as they had when he'd made his earlier demand, but it seemed they had two, and that was better than nothing. At least she hoped so, she only prayed that he could stop them mauling her. Mango didn't seem to pleased with the idea either, judging from the low growled wail coming from Syuri's bag.

She stared down as the beasts looked up at Keernan expectantly, sitting like obedient dogs and looking like nightmares. "Are you alright?.." she asked Keernan in a breath she'd been unaware she'd been holding.

At that, the horn blew again and Syuri's attention was drawn in its direction once more, her jaw tightening. "What do we do?..." she asked. On one hand, she wanted the Fae Queen dealt with, on the other that didn't appear likely to be an easy feat and the last thing she wanted was her encouraging whatever dark fae lay dormant in Keernan's memory to stir. Running didn't seem to be an option either.

A single tear shed onto Syuri's cheek and rolled to her chin before she wiped at it with her sleeve. Hopelessness didn't sit well with her.

 

[Keernan]

Keernan grimaced in advance of the pain. With each hand holding an end of the cloth he gave a sharp tug. He barely muffled the growl of pain. He drew in a long audible breath through his nose.

"I'll make do," he replied.

"Stay here a moment," he said as he slipped down from the branch. "Keep an arrow nocked."

He was also uncertain about the hounds. They both watched him closely, but neither attacked. He carefully moved to the two corpses that held the most arrows.

Keernan moved very slowly as he pulled free the first arrow. If they were going to attack, he was sure they going to do it when he approached one of the fallen members of their pack.

They did not attack. He drew arrows until he had a full bundle held in one hand.

"Come down slowly," he said, limping to put himself between the hounds and the base of the tree.

 

[Syuri]

"I only have one!" she exclaimed in a whisper in protest. If those beasts wanted to attack him, he was on his own with at least one of them. She did as he asked and nocked the arrow anyway, barely breathing as she watched him creep around, collecting her arrows from the fallen creatures. Each time he plucked an arrow free her heart stumbled and she let out a slow, shuddered breath as he made his way back toward the tree.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?.." she asked hesitantly, dropping the arrow back into her quiver and slipping the bow around her shoulder.. "They're not going to like me very much.." she muttered quietly as she looked across the peppering of dead hounds. Slowly, she edged her way across the bough and down the gnarled trunk to stand behind him, peeking out at the creatures who stared and growled quietly at her. The one nearest stood, it's hackles raised, and it only growled louder as Syuri's hand settled on Keernan's bicep and squeezed.

 

[Keernan]

"I can deal with two of them," he replied with a little confidence. If they came rushing in quickly he probably wouldn't be move enough to get into their path.

As soon as she touched him they were on edge again. He held up a hand towards them, palm down. They looked up him once more, waiting.

"Sit down?"

Nothing.

"Sit!"

Both dropped back onto the ground slowly.

"I don't like them," he said to Syuri. "Even if they're sometimes doing as I say. Just...look at them..."

They weren't sleek like hunting hounds. They had an unnatural shape, all the muscle bunched up around their shoulders and neck. Their jaws opened unnaturally wide for those oversized fangs. Fire didn't seem to burn their tough hide.

 

[Syuri]

Syuri watched the creatures anxiously, her gaze narrowing as once again, they obeyed.. She swallowed and rubbed at her brow, a sigh tumbling from her lips. "No, nor do I, and they don't appear to like me very much either.. But, they seem to know you..." she said quietly, casting a side glance to him.

"She sent them.. She said she'd find a way to prove that she was right about you. It, may be a trick but.. I don't know." she frowned, her crystalline gaze wandering over the beasts with a worrisome frown. They seemed just as monstrous and cruel as the fae she'd seen in the Queen's memory, the one she was slowly convincing herself lay dormant within the gentle elf she currently clung on to.

"If she finds a way to call him out..." she whispered her thought aloud and looked at him. "Promise me, you won't let him kill you? You'll hold on to the heart you have now?" she asked, uncertain of if it were even possible or how it even worked at all. It was so far beyond her comprehension.

"How...Do you kill a Fae queen?" she asked, her voice lower than a whisper.