Private Tales Duals with Demons

[Kasimir]

"Tiefling blood is a little more resistant," Kasimir responded with that calm voice that was his trademark. It might even be becoming obvious it was a tone he reserved when he liked to dispense facts he found interesting, or when he was speaking about things that required serious consideration and thought. In the past his encounters with Nat had very much been that, they had rarely... played like this. He eyed her single blade and then seemed to make his decision.

He ran at her but as he got closer and his staff came round over his head then down across his own body in what appeared to be a move to sweep it up and under her chin to knock her back, he changed his tactics and planted the staff firmly instead. Kicking off from the ground his muscles tightened as he pulled himself round the staff like a dancer might a pole and then let the momentum send him towards her with his foot pointing directly at her chest instead.

 

[Rumer]

Rumer was engrossed as she sat there hugging her knees, wide green eyes moving back and forth between the two, wincing and flinching and gasping in awe at the display. Would she ever be able to fight like that? She wanted to be able to move like Nathaira, and made a mental note to press the woman to teach her how to do it, she made fighting look pretty, like dancing.

As the knife hurtled toward her, Rumer let out a quiet meep of a sound and she recoiled out of it's trajectory and her muscles bunched up. She blinked at the blade and let out her breath, her pulse suddenly pitched to frantic. She caught the look from Kasimir, and she'd been about to call out as she seemed to see Nathaira's move before he did.. it was a lesson for her to. Don't lose concentration..

Rumer winced as the tiefling's side was slashed open and she bit on her lip, fingertips fidgeting as she waited, anticipating the need to heal wounds when the sparring was through. She forgot, at times, that she was supposed to be a healer...

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira raised an eyebrow at his comment. Perhaps Kasimir had some resistance to her toxins' effects? That thought comforted her, to think that there was someone in the world that she might not hurt so badly just by being what she was. But that line of thought brought her back to Malphias, and the twisted pleasure he had taken from her venom. Her face dropped as she recalled the dark mission, the horrific visions he'd plagued her with. She didn't like how he'd reacted to her. She had felt very... used.

The unbidden thoughts were enough of a distracted to slow her reactions, and Kasimir's brought her back to reality just in time. She arched back and twisted in a display of incredible flexibility, just narrowly escaping the brunt of Kasimir's kick. While his heels did not drive into her, she was caught by his body as he flew by. Spun around a full 360 by the force, she reached out for the first thing to stabilize herself, which happened to be Kasimir's shoulders. His momentum pulled her forwards, and her weight pulled him down, sending them both crashing into the water. She landed on her stomach with her face next to his, looking at him from an upside-down perspective.

She tilted her head out of the shallow river, "A draw, then?" Her smile had returned, but the menace was gone.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir landed on his back. It was definitely a good thing he was used to bruises for he could feel a few new ones blossoming up his back and he rubbed the water out of his face with a small groan. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened there - she was fast enough that she should have seen his move and avoided it in ample time. He had had a whole series of followups planned but instead something had distracted her. As she turned towards him and lifted herself slightly out of the water he frowned. It was not like her to be distracted.

"Nat..." Kala had made him discover a softer side but with another Forsaken it felt even more awkward. He didn't know how she would react to something as simple as a brush of his hand against her skin. His hand had half raised out of the water and was partially on its way to brush his thumb across her cheek but he hesitated. The war within him raged and then, defeated, he let his hand drop and pushed himself to his feet instead. If she wanted to talk about something she would come to him as and when she wanted.

He would not force her.

He did however turn once he was standing and stretched his hand out to her to help her to her feet.

 

[Nathaira]

Her smile faltered at his face. It had gone soft and... his eyes... she couldn't stop looking at them. She suddenly forgot the cold water rushing against her body, instead everything felt hot. Why did she want his hand to touch her so badly?

He stood. She felt... disappointed? No, that was silly. She shook herself back into reality, taking his hand graciously as he lifted her out of the water with ease. She was soaked, and leather did not dry easily. It was a heavy and awkward walk back to shore, and she felt sluggish as the water sapped more and more heat from her.

She retrieved her knife from the tree, giving Rumer an apologetic look as she did so. "I'm hungry. How about you?" she asked the girl and turned to Kasimir, her face begging the same question. It took some effort to remain focused as he stood shirtless and dripping from the river, and she occupied herself by wringing out her thick hair away from Rumer.

 

[Rumer]

Rumer's gaze narrowed with a another wince as she watched them both go down, but her expression softened as she looked between the two, Kasimir's hesitant reach in particular.. She might have been thirteen, but she wasn't dumb. She smiled and looked up at Nathaira as she came to retrieve her knife and she cleared her throat..

"Yes.. I am.. But..." she grinned "I can wait if, you both need some time on your own.." she chuckled and looked between the pair mischievously.

 

[Kasimir]

Yet the wonder why I wear black...

Kasimir looked down at his soaking trousers with a small frown. They had been in the style the Empire favoured, tapered to the ankles and waist. Now that they were wet however they clung to every curve of his legs. His eyes raised as Nat and then Rumer spoke, his arms folding loosely over his stomach. Confusion was written plain across his face at the young girls words.

"Food... sounds good," he looked at Rumer as if she were going to attack him. He felt like she was trying to give him a message and it would end badly for him if he didn't get it. Kas grabbed his shirt from a nearby tree and then went to pull it on when he remembered the cut along his ribs and instead through it over his shoulder. The Forsaken got so few things he would rather not ruin a good white shirt.

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira knew what love was. At least, she thought she did. She had not had the luxury of experiencing it, but then again none of the Forsaken were entitled to such things. She was a monster. A hideous, sinful union of man and disgusting scaled beasts. This was what she had been taught, so it must be true. Still, she had traveled much of the world and learned more about life than most people. She had seen lovers when they thought they were alone, and witnessed the love of families. More often than not she destroyed these things with violence and fear, but that didn't mean she did not appreciate them.

The suggestion behind Rumer's words occured to her, but she quickly pushed it aside. Surely the child would not be suggesting... no. No that was foolish. Still... the girl had a mischievous look about her. What did she know?

You know, said a voice within her. It was unfamiliar, kinder than the usual sounds of her conscience. Look at him. Doesn't he look nice? Don't you want him to...

She immediately shut the thoughts out of her head, her face darkening once more. "Yesss... there must be something in these woods to eat." The fortress would offer nothing but bland gruel and water, but there were trees here and forests held life... and life was meat.

Part of Rumer's message must have broken through, though, because she turned to Kasimir and said "Show me, where can we hunt here?"

 

[Rumer]

It was worse than Rumer thought, they were ignoring her not so subtle tease entirely, without anger or amusement or anything.. She doubted forsaken were allowed to get close to one another, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity as she looked between the two.. She didn't want them to be sad anymore. As horrible as her life had been, she couldn't deny she'd felt bonded to the pair in some way. Nathaira had been like a mother to her, in her own way. She knew the woman cared about her, and Ru had never been cared about. She'd never been comforted by anyone either until Kasimir had done so himself.. Why shouldn't they deserve some happiness, like when Ru had eaten fish soup and drank pink juice at the beach?..

She used the tree trunk to pull herself to her feet and trundled over to Kasimir, and without asking first she reached out her hand to press it to the tiefling's wounded side. She was too tired to focus enough to do it without touch, it required too much focus and her head was woozy.

The knitting wound was usually a warm, tingling sensation. She found it ticklish..

"Will you teach me to hunt one day?.." she asked them both as she watched the flesh wound bind itself back together.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir looked dumbly between the two of them as an emotion seemed to ripple between the pair. Had he missed something? He rubbed the back of his head and half turned to look over his shoulder towards the other side of the river. It was when he was turned away that he felt the odd sensation over his gaping wound and looked down in surprise to see Rumers hand on his bare flesh and healing him. He was dumbfounded. Of course she would want to heal, that was her gift. The handlers were just mutilating something pure into a weapon. He ruffled her hair when she asked her question.

"Yes, Little Mouse. When you are less tired," hunting required stealth and a lot of skill. She would be best off learning something like that when she had more energy, he thought she already looked too tired to be healing him. "Why don't you sit and work on your sketch? I will show Nat where the better hunting ground are," he smiled as much as Kasimir did smile, towards the young child. "You could also build us a fire in preparation," his tail flicked and then he inclined his head in the direction towards the other side of the river and began to walk in that direction.

 

[Nathaira]

No one else would have been permitted to call her "Nat," but she enjoyed it when it came out of Kasimir's mouth. It felt... familiar. She supposed that this was as close to friendship as they would be able to get, and while her instincts told her to fight the attachments, she had not done a very good job of resisting. She had never been good at facing her demons, preferring instead to ignore them. With Rumer to occupy her time and now Kasimir as well this was easier.

She caught the girl's eye, "Yess, a ready fire will make a quicker meal." She nodded to Rumer, and then turned on her heel to follow after Kasimir. A faint apprehension tugged at her as they left. Should she leave Rumer alone? Would she be safe? Of course she would, she was to be Forsaken, after all. If she could not defend herself here she would die in the field anyway. Something between the orc incident and their recent heart-to-heart had made it difficult to be indifferent, but she knew what Rumer was capable of when pushed. Besides, they would not be gone long.

The water chilled her feet to the bone as she went to catch up to the red-skinned devil. Her clothes were heavy and wet but she had not through to bring anything else. She could feel the cold slowing her down, but she fought it.

"Thank you for taking the time to train," she said as came up beside him. "She learnss quickly." A few beats. "And thank you for... the resst," she did not wish to discuss the emotional conversation, it still confused her.

"How often do you come here?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

 

[Rumer]

Rumer smiled with accomplishment as Kasimir tousled her hair, but her eyes blinked heavily and she yawned as he pointed out how tired she was. He was right, of course, and she nodded in agreement with their plan. "Alright..." she agreed, and felt an odd sensation as she looked around and knew that she was alone..

She made quick work of a fire and she settled down in front of it with her parchment to draw, a small, mischievous grin on her lips as she drew, or at least tried to draw, Nathaira and Kasimir. Nathaira had squiggly hair under a hood and Kasimir had horns and a tail. The pair were holding hands.

Rumer soon curled up in the comforting heat of the fire, and fell fast asleep..

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir hadn't waited for Nat knowing she could catch up easily as he began walking across the shallow river towards the other bank. Sure enough, he heard her splashing her way across the shallows to catch up with him very shortly. His hands dug into his pockets in his usually relaxed manner as he slowed his stride to accommodate hers and listened quietly as she spoke. He merely inclined his head towards her thanks and offered no further words. It was a delicate subject so he decided it was best left where it was.

No Forsaken liked to show emotions to one another.

"As much as I can," came the smooth reply from a voice that was both deep and soothing. "Not many Forsaken wander this far either - it is full of Spirits but they do not bother you unless provoked," he had seen more than a few of the ghostly figures and heard the wailing that struck fear into the hearts of Vel'Anirs deadliest. He led her deeper into the forest until they could no longer hear the rushing of the river and where the trees grew thicker. This was prime hunting round.

In the distance a creature was grazing. It looked smaller than a normal deer but of similar composition.

 

[Nathaira]

She kept in stride with him as he described the forest. The notion of spirits disquieted her, and she kept a little bit closer. Of course Kasimir would not be frightened by specters, he practically lived with them. She understood why the rest of the Forsaken would avoid them, though. They had all sent enough people to their graves to gain the ire of more than a few ghosts. She scarcely remembered her victims’ faces anymore, a long-trained defense tactic against the nightmares. She had no desire to confront them after death.

It was dim here, but Nathaira could see quite well. The cool surroundings made the warm creatures stand out crisp and clear to the heat-sensing pits along her lip, and she spied the small animal at once.

”Look,” she whispered. She put a hand on his shoulder and let her body rest on his side as she pointed. His heat was too enticing to ignore, chilled as she was, and it was a most supreme comfort. She hoped her cool skin and damp clothes would not be too uncomfortable to him… but he never seemed to mind the cold.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir was very much aware of her damp form pressing against his side and for a moment his heart tripped over itself. His eyes were not on the animal at all but rather on her as she watched their prey. Kasimir was a good hunter but Nat was on a different level; the way she could see was designed exactly for this. Very slowly he reached down and brushed a strand of her hair back out of her face, twirling it briefly around his finger before setting it behind her ear.

"I believe you can handle this on your own," he gave a half smile before finally looking towards the animal. Two of them would be overkill for such a creature. It made sense. Logical sense. Him touching her did not and so he put his hand back in his pockets and canted his head in the direction of their meal.

"I will keep an eye on the perimeter," for ghosts and ghouls and other things that had seemed to worry her. Kasimir had long ago made peace with the souls he sent on to the other side.

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira looked at him as he touched her hair. It was a small, intimate gesture that she both did not fully understand and desperately needed. His fingers set her ear on fire, and for a brief moment she could do nothing but stare at him. "Kas..." she whispered under her breath.

His words snapped her back to the task at hand. She swallowed and looked back at the doe. It was difficult to hear over the beating of her own heart, but she took a few deep breaths to quiet it. She let her hand slide from his skin and over the handle of her knife, caressing the steel in a routine motion.

She moved low and silent, twisting her way through the low branches like the snake that she was. Her tongue dashed in and out of her mouth, fluttering in the air before delivering the scents it had found. Each withdrawal gave a burst of sensory information, and it moved faster and faster as she got nearer.

The heat of the creature glowed clear through the leaves, and after a minute or two of creeping, she ended its life with a lightning-fast strike to its jugular. The deer screamed for a second in fright before collapsing as its blood drained into the mossy earth.

Nathaira's eyes softened a bit as the hungry serpent subsided, and she looked up for Kasimir. She couldn't say for sure, but she may have heard some whispers from the trees.

 

[Kasimir]

"I am here."

No sooner had she disappeared into the trees had he caught the ghostly figure of a wraith wandering aimlessly through the forests. Quietly he had pushed off from the tree he had been leaning against to walk after her and turn her away from where they were working with a soft whisper and gentle misdirection through the art of shadow. She was a harmless thing but where those spirits wandered so did the more violent. He made his way quickly over to Nat where she had just made her kill, saw her searching the grounds where he had been stood to seek him out.

His lips twitched up at the corner before he made his way over to her, taking care to make his footfalls audible so as not to catch her unawares.

"The spirits are drawn by the smell of blood," he crouched down by the kill and with one swift movement took the creatures head off its neck then took it and laid it on a rock almost as an offering. Then he returned and hoisted the carcus over his shoulder and motioned for Nat to follow him back towards the river.

"They do not like running water. I find they will not cross it so Rumer will be safe where she is."

 

[Nathaira]

He decapitated the creature effortlessly. Most people would be terrified at such a display of casual brutality and practiced technique, but to Nathaira it was as ordinary as any other skill. Setting it on the rock was a bit odd, and she felt a new chill as he mentioned the spirits.

"Then let uss return quickly," she said in a hushed tone, her eyes darting around the clearing once more. For a moment she thought she saw a flicker of something, but it must have been the light. Staying close to Kasimir, she eagerly waded back across the river.

The fire was hot and so, so welcome. She sat down next to Rumer, as close to the flames as she could manage. She thought about waking the child for a moment, but decided against it. She could use the rest, and touching her would likely be startling, she realized with a pang of guilt.

She chose not to go down that trail of thoughts again so soon, and instead chose to watch Kasimir prepare their kill. "When did you firsst find this place?" she asked him.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir worked quickly and efficiently, blood smearing his skin every now and then as he skinned and gutted the animal then carved it up so it could cook quicker. He left the little fire only once to go to the trunk and retrieve a few herbs before returning and smearing it over the skin of the deer. The devil glanced over to Nat with the fire dancing in his orange eyes for a moment before he returned to skewering their meal on some iron pokers.

"The Handlers used to use these forests as a way to train the Forsaken," if Nat had thought her torture cruel, then she should think of the years that had proceeded her. "They would leave us as children in the middle and then see who crawled out of it alive. The spirits want living flesh it is why they do not rise to the surface and torment Vel'Anir. It was deemed too wasteful to send the Forsaken in here when only myself and two others in our class managed to crawl their way out of here."

Kas went quiet for a while as he turned the meat and then...

"One of the spirits of the children wandered out of the forests and was tormenting the other Forsaken. Even the Handlers were too afraid to go near it. Their touch can drain a life in a second. But she seemed to remember me when I spoke and I managed to get her back into the forests. I think she was just lonely. I have been coming here ever since."

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira's face remained impassive as he spoke. The horrors of their training were many, and she was not surprised when he told her how he had learned of the forest. The idea of the spirits chilled her even more than her drying clothes, and had she been able to she would have shivered. She habitually scooted closer to the flames.

His words seemed to confirm her fears, that the spirits of the dead did indeed rise here. Did they need to die within the forest, she wondered? Or could they migrate here from afar? Surely, if they could travel here, she would have been accosted by many more.

Her heart warmed just a degree as Kasimir explained how he had dealt with the wandering spirit. Of course he would be able to calm it, his presence was soothing... tranquil... Her lids drooped a bit as she stared at him during his story.

Then a horrible thought occured to her. What would happen to her when she died? Would her spirit be trapped here forever, unable to move on? There was no peaceful death in her future, after all. When she was murdered it would be with malice. Would she die with hatred in her heart? Fear? Would it hold her forever on this plane? The thought was too horrid to entertain, so she shifted her attention forcibly to the fire

Her tongue was darting in and out more frequently as the meat cooked. It smelled wonderful, and her mouth began to water in anticipation. She rested a hand gently on Rumer, trying very hard not to startle her. "Child... it iss time to eat."

She turned back to Kasimir, and despite her fear of the place and its ghosts, she said "I should like to return here with you ssometime. It iss... peacceful." The sound of the river complemented her words.

 

[Rumer]

She did flinch at the touch, and a small wave of panic piqued her breathing and she stared around at her surroundings in a moment of disorientation. She let out a breath, her fears assuaged by the warmth of the fire and pleasant scents of cooking meat as well as the gentle touch Nathaira's hand. She groaned and yawned as she pushed herself up and rubbed at her face of sleepiness.

"I was just resting my eyes.." she frowned, her voice gritty from sleep, and her nose pulled at the smell of food as she craned her neck to see the meat on the fire, her stomach growling with demand.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir caught Nat's eye as she voiced her wish and he merely inclined his head.

"As you wish."

The Tiefling stood and then inspected the meat to ensure that it was cooked whilst Rumer orientated herself once more to the world of the waking. He was a little concerned she had not woken when they had returned but the pair were trained assassins built to slip into rooms at night so he would forgive her this once. In the future though it might mean her life so he was keen to drill it in to her how to sleep with one eye open.

"It's ready," he nodded and plated everyone up a few slices before sitting back down to eat.

"Did everyone enjoy their lessons today?" there was a thread of amusement to his voice.

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira eyed the meat greedily as it was handed to her, and her long tongue snaked out and lapped at the juices. She had forgotten how hungry she had been. In her usual fashion, she consumed her piece whole, letting it slide down her neck and warm her from the inside out. She licked her fingers clean as her jaw popped back into place.

"Of coursse... did you enjoy yourss?" she hissed with a wicked smile. Their battle had ended in a draw as far as she was concerned, and she would not let him claim it as a victory. "Rumer learnss very quickly," she said with a sideways glance at the girl, "It wass a pleasure to watch."

Her eye caught the drawing Rumer had made while they were away. "Oh? Did you make another picture? Do you ssee things differently now?"

 

[Rumer]

Rumer rubbed the last of the sleep from her eyes and took the plate from Kasimir, wasting no time in tearing into the meat like a starving animal. She chewed a few mouthfuls and swallowed before nodding quickly at the tiefling's question and she smiled. "I did.. Thank you Kasimir.." she nodded. For the training, and for not going too hard on her. She'd have a few bumps and bruises, but nothing much.

She smiled up at Nathaira's praise and she let herself beam with a little pride before scoffing some more of her food. Of course, her efforts had been nothing in comparison to what she had watched the two display, and she hoped that some day she'd be able to fight like they did. The thought made her eager to learn.

"Mhmm." Rumer nodded at Nathaira's question, her mouth still full, and she grinned as she looked between the pair. She saw things a whole lot differently...

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir's smile was faint but it was there as his eyes focused on his plate in answer to Nat's words. His tail flicked across the ground and his eyes rose when Rumer spoke though and he inclined his head to her words of thanks. They probably meant more to him than she would be able to ever realise but he gave no other indication of such away as he returned to his food and let the two girls talk over some other painting. In truth it had just been away for him to try and ease the tension between the two earlier. He was never good at dealing with emotions but he had always felt calmer when he had sketched.

It seemed his gambit had paid off.

His gaze flicked up wondering if he would catch a glimpse of the picture in question but instead froze.

The girl was giving him that weird look again.