Private Tales Roses and Rust

[Larka]

Mirren didn’t stop running, especially after she looked over at Larka, seeing the dark expression and how her sword was poised to strike. At that moment, she yelped in frightful shock, just as Larka try to spear at the soft tissue behind Mirren’s knee.

Faster than it had before, rust swerved around Larka to block her pointed sword’s blow. With an annoyed grunt, Larka had to leap over to the side, narrowly escaping the fate of drowning in the rust. For a moment the rust seemed to swipe and paw at her, causing a wide berth for Mirren to keep running.

Larka wasn’t sure if the rust was going after Mirren because it wanted her or if it were trying to protect her at this point. Of course, she was hardly in a position to really think. And Mirren was completely terrified of such a thing, continuing to run and run.

But then out of nowhere, Mirren tripped and fell. The moment she hit the ground, the rust that had been following her swarmed around her, created a dome of protection that vibrated and shimmered from magic.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"Don't touch that!" Gannis called out.

He slowed up beside Larka and the dome of rust. His eyes were wild, his teeth were bared. Instinct wanted to complete the chase, but instinct also told him that unnatural magic required caution. The hairs on the back of his neck were all standing on end.

He looked to Larka. His knuckles were white around the handle of his sword. His chest rose and fell quickly.

"Mirren?" he called out, bracing for a reply.

 

[Larka]

Surprisingly, Larka felt feral enough to actually touch it. Something that seemed so evidently bad to do, she was still poking it with her fine-point sword, growling at the spray of rust before dodging any of the tendrils that tried to swipe at her.

Of course, Gannis’ orders was more than enough to stop her, to get her to calm down.

Her veins that had popped brazenly along her brow and neck were starting to fade, that pump of adrenaline flatlining. Larka took a breath, a deep one, and soon enough her head cleared. Instinct ebbed away and the situation presented itself in a new light.

“Don’t hurt me!” When Mirren spoke, the rust vibrated, that dome of protection still vibrating and swirling around, tendrils lashing out here and there in case either of the venari thought about taking a closer step. Perhaps because of the thick layer of rust, the voice of Mirren didn’t excite Larka quite as much as before. “I don’t want to die.”

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

Gannis was still breathing hard and fast, audibly so. When this was done he was going to need to blow off some steam. He could head deep into the woods and shift for a night, or simply take his coin to the whorehouse in Staville Town.

"I probably won't," he growled. He was honest about it. He stepped back as a tendil snapped out at his chest.

"Who is he and how is he involved with this rust."

Gannis quite liked his sword. It was a gif weight for chopping. He would still sacrifice it to the rust if he had to.

He made eye contact with Larka. The slightest narrow told her to stay focused and ready.

"We need to stop the rust eating the town and turning people into living statues."

 

[Larka]

There was silence, only thing Larka could hear was the vibrations of the rust, something that would most likely be lost on normal humans. Her breath. Gannis’ breath. Her beating heart. She was far from calm, but was ready as the venari had motioned for her to be.

“I don’t know.” Mirren said finally. “I don’t know who he is but he… he says I’m his wife.” Larka scoffed, mostly due to shock and being unable to express it properly.

It was then that too late Larka caught wind of the presence that had been creeping up behind them.

“He—“ Larka shouted, flinging herself back as large boulder was shot out at the two venari. Craning her neck over, Larka saw him. Or, a flicker of him. Rainbow and light blurred almost everything, but what the venari was able to glimpse was a horrific sight of a monstrosity that seemed to be mostly human but… something else entirely.

Deep holes pocketed over his face, and from those seemingly endless and dark holes was were the rust seemed to be flowing from.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

Gannis eat grass as he dove into the ground. A dull thud was felt, as much as it was heard, as the boulder struck the ground.

He was on his feet quickly, dragging his sword beside him as he moved to place himself between the apparition and Mirren.

Not because he wanted to protect her. Not right now, at least. It was because he hoped the creature wouldn't want to throw boulders right at his wife.

"I've seen worse," Gannis whispered to Larka.

He hadn't. Even the Leshie he had faced with an entire pack of Venari. There were vague and generic demons that embodied all kinds of aspects

"Come at me you cunt or I take your wife's head. Come on then!" he called out in challenge. His voice started to break, the last word sounding more like a growl than any language.

Killing her probably served no purpose to their cause. He was glad that he could work that out before he carried out an execution in vain. The threat was hopefully enough to sour the monster into making itself more visible.

His left hand snuck around his belt, grasping the handle of a throwing axe. He'd find out if this monster of rust could be killed with steel one way or another.

Not that anyone would hear about it if the answer was a resounding no. Larka was in the middle of this, instead of observing as he had asked her too. His folly would be her downfall too.

 

[Larka]

Larka wasn’t a good liar, nor did she really believe in lying in the first place. So it wasn’t Gannis’ expression or his tone that gave it away, but rather, an undeniable knowingness that told Larka Gannis was lying. He hadn’t seen worse. This was the worst. It was a comfort, in a sickening way, but more than ever it made her hesitant.

Whatever they were dealing with, there was no handbook. There would be no hints, no suggestions, nothing for them to think back to and to gain the upper hand. It was like studying for a test only to be given one that was completely different than whatever you studied for.

But two minds were greater than one, right?

And Gannis did have the right idea. This disgusting bee-hive of a man, for really it was the only way Larka could describe him unless she wanted to use more disgusting things like maggots popping out of dried, ashen flesh, did hesitant. He— was it even right to call it a he?— seemed to gauge Gannis, the malformed head cocking a bit to the side and turning towards Larka. The shimmer and distortion of light was fading, giving a much clearer outline or allowing the venari to see little pieces of his being.

And then like a siren’s song, words came from the monster.

“MINE.” Heavy yet lilting, words conflicting against the sound. There was a wave, air shimmering, and the thing produced two dozen sharp spikes made of rust. Without warning, they were flung at the venari while the monster stayed stationary.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

Gannis made himself as small as he could. Dropping to his knees, side on, his thick sword protected some of his head and chest.

Not enough.

He cried out in pain as one of the spikes cut across the back of his shoulder. It tored deep. The one that clipped his forehead barely broke the skin. He had worse scars, but that wasn't going to matter if they didn't get out of this.

Behind him, other spikes flew very close to Mirren. He had deliberately placed himself this close to the girl to put her in the line of danger. Apparently it hadn't dissuaded the monsters from its assault.

Gannis stood quickly. He whipped the axe around and flung it towards the monster, right for center mass.

"Keep wide!" Gannis called out. He didn't need to be explicit that he was holding the monster's attention to give her an opening. It was a common pack tactic against any kind of beast.

 

[Larka]

The spikes that had been thrusted at them through arcane means were actually a safe bet for the beast. Larka realized that as she ducked down low— very low to the point she had pressed her nose into the grass and soil— that they didn’t harm Mirren’s shield but instead were absorbed by it. She got up, looking over to see that Gannis had been injured.

Well there was one good thing about being short, she supposed.

But regardless of his injuries, he continued to move, continued to press onward to attack. Larka didn’t pause as he ordered her as well, and with a growl, she darted off. She kept wide, running as fast as she had been before.

Gannis’ axe met it’s mark. A crunch could be heard, the monster hadn’t tried to dodge whatsoever, staying still. However, the impact of the axe did cause for the creature’s form to appear fully. No longer just a hazy outline or a split-second glimpse of a piece of it’s malformed body.

It was a thing of nightmares. Seemingly human, or rather what a monster would assume a human to be. Arms and legs and a head— just anatomically wrong. Arms looked like they belong to two different people and it’s legs were extremely short despite the creature being nearly seven feet tall. There was an unevenness and lack of symmetry to it, and pieces of bone and gristle stuck out where it shouldn’t have. And while it did have one mouth and one nose and two eyes, there was just something off.

Never mind that it’s body was pocketed with holes with rust sifting in and out of.

Like a child, the beast looked down at the axe, one arm (this one was shorter than the other and the forearm was twice as big as the bicep) and took hold of the handle. Rust began vibrating, like a swarm of buzzing bees, and began to cover the shaft of the axe. With a grunt, it pulled the axe out of it’s very, very long torso. There was a moment of inspection.

It looked at Gannis and threw the axe back at him. Right as Larka had made her way around the creature, leaping up and aiming to strike through it’s chest where the heart should be.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

That was disheartening. Gannis had learned that a lot of monsters could shrug off minor blows. It did not make them immune to steel.

It was worse knowing that his first gambit to use the girl against him had failed. It had complete control over the rust wherever it was. If he was the beast, he would try and disarm them and then disable them with its rust appendages.

Larka was about to make her move. The monster was looking down at his axe. She mattered more to him now than the villagers. She was his charge and he had managed to teach her very little in the day, but he was quite possibly going to get her killed.

"Mirren doesn't belong to you!" Gannis screamed for its attention as he charged. He swung his blade across his torso with surprising speed, knocking the thrown axe out of his path.

He just needed it's attention a moment more and to be close enough to strike at it, should Larka's blade not drive home.

 

[Larka]

Either the venari were moving very fast or the monster was just slow. Perhaps it was a combination of both but there was a drowsiness to the beast’s movements as Gannis and Larka attacked. Their blades met the monster, Larka’s thrust piercing through the chest while Gannis’ swiped across the torso.

For support Larka had angled herself so that her feet would plant themselves onto the beast’s lower back, a trick she had learned that would help propel her away from her enemy’s counter. The humming of the rust had stopped. Only silence accompanied them. Larka went to pull her sword out from the monster— only to find out that while she tried to jump off, she couldn’t.

She looked down to see that the rust was creeping up on her sturdy boots, already crawling up towards her ankles. The young foster gasped in disbelief and when she looked up, that dome protecting Mirren was gone, revealing the young girl to be in fetal position as the rust traveled back to where it once had come from.

Larka grunted, the rust going to cover the beast’s wounds. Without hesitation she unlaced her shoes, wiggling out comically and landing on her ass, luckily still with her sword in her hand. The monster said nothing, it’s shimmering glamour completely gone now.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

Gannis had been prepared to abandon his sword and transform to try and finish the creature off. Not that he rated his chances.

Instead it had tried to immobilise Larka and then protected itself with its rust. The fleks of rust were able to harden into a metallic surface, but remained flexible under its control. There were few defensive measures he had met quite as effective.

Larka was down and vulnerable, but she was fast.

Gannis backed away, sword in one hand. His axe was gone, but he took a knife from his belt and tossed it high behind himself. The blade would land in the ground behind Mirren, but the beast probably couldn't tell.

He very much needed Mirren alive to keep its attention. If they had killed her, he had no idea what the monster might have done.

Only a few more strikes before it had their weapons and them encased in rust and it seemed resilient. Gannis darted to his right, then back in and swung for the head.

 

[Larka]

Mirren looked up, frightened. The knife’s handle was sticking up out of the ground, no more than a foot away from her. She looked over to the venari and the monster, fighting. To her, it looked like the venari were losing. But of course they were. They were up against him.

Meanwhile, Larka took advantage of the opening and time Gannis was giving to her— although somewhere in the back of her mind she believe that they should be switching roles. Wouldn’t it make more sense for her to be a distraction than Gannis?

His swing of course connected. The thing’s head cracked and it’s slight neck buckled underneath Gannis’ brute force. Larka saw the layers of rust ripple like a stone falling in a lake. The monster hardly seemed to care for maneuvering or any sort of defense. It also didn’t seem to attack Gannis physically.

The rust was doing everything it could to heal it. Or maybe it was waiting for something? Larka frowned, stabbing at behind the creature’s knees, seeing if it would fall. It didn’t. She went to strike again but from the corner of her eye saw Mirren, standing up, with a knife in hand. She gasped, seeing the girl poised to stab her own throat, her entire body shaking.

Finally. The monster moved. Completely ignoring Gannis and Larka, it ran straight towards Mirren— even if it’s head was still completely lopsided.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"Back up," Gannis growled at Larka.

He was starting to suspect that what they were hacking away at was a physical manifestation of some spirit they could not harm.

As much as he trusted steel to kill almost everything that walked this world, there were times when another approach was required.

"Don't do that Mirren!" he shouted. That was his fault. He had tried to convince the monster to expend more effort defending her and had never considered this possibility.

"Do you have enough control to shift and run?" he asked Larka. He was starting to think that they needed a more studious venari to untangle this mess. He wanted the option of retreating fast enough to survive this to bring help to try again another day.

Right now, they still had all their limbs attached.

 

[Larka]

Larka looked over at Gannis as he shouted, still backing up away from the strange thing to then only look back over to Mirren— seeing the young girl ready to end her life. In the back of her mind she was curious if Mirren was only doing something so bold because she was sick of the hand she was given in life, to forever have this strange and grotesque monster following her around and deeming her to be their wife. Another part thought perhaps it was a distraction— and it was the latter that sung true.

The hum and buzz of the rust from the beast went into overtime, deafening all other sounds out. Larka watched Mirren attempt to plunge the dagger into her neck to only be stopped by the swirling rust around her elbow, not letting it bend further no matter how much she tried. The monster wailed out, animalistic and inhuman in every way, the cries echoing out.

Agony. Loss. Regret. Shame. Most importantly: grief.

Larka heard it loud and clear despite no words being used. She looked at Gannis, unable to hear him but able to read his mouth. Fear crossed over her face. To shift? Now? She nodded her head, her heart dropping into her stomach.

The truth of the matter was, Larka wasn’t sure after she shifted if she could go back. She was still very much learning how to control this side of her, but… Gannis was right. They needed to leave. And fast. Unfortunately this wasn’t a fight they could win. She looked back at Mirren, seeing her become covered in rust. Without looking back again, Larka began running, beginning to shift.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

Shifting to run was not going to feel good. He was going to be left anxious, with his blood running hot and no outlet. When he shifted he wanted to hunt and to howl. Not to retreat.

Gannis spared one final glance for Mirren.

Normally he would feel worse for the lost coin than anything else. There were more fearsome creatures than men in this world. Sometimes humans were just prey and sometimes he failed to track down a predator.

This was different. An entire town was going to be lost because of his failure.

The Triumvirate or another lore keeper might have the answers. It was no curse and no common monster he could fell with strength alone. That knowledge might be too far away to save these people.

His clothes tore as he gave himself over to the change. It was a sharp pain and then forgotten as ground was covered quickly. Gannis remained vaguely aware of Larka off to his left as he bounded away.

---

He kept enough of his senses to take a route back to where they had left their dogs. Larka would likely follow through pack mentality if nothing else.

Gannis drew himself up to his full height and lashed out at a tree in frustration. It tore a solid chunk of bark away.

 

[Larka]

It’s true that Larka followed after Gannis, whether it was instinct or because she tended to be more on the obedient side didn’t matter. Unlike Gannis she had much less control, only able to hyper-fixate on the the white-furred form ahead of her. How strange, a deep yet small part of her thought, how his fur was like untarnished snow. She could only imagine how it must look when soiled in battle, crimson must have shown up bright and clear.

When Gannis stopped, Larka did as well, and to no surprise to her, Kitty came bounding forward, whimpering and panting anxiously. As Gannis shifted back so effortlessly to lash out at a nearby tree, Larka was focusing on how to shift back. It’s not that she couldn’t, it was just that it was a slower process. And most of it related to mentally preparing for the withdrawal.

She wasn’t sure if it was her strain or not, and really she felt talking about shifting to those in the conclave was taboo, but shifting into the beast was euphoric in every sense. Shifting back to a human? Agony. No pleasure, all pain, and mentally fatigued. It was the sort of tired and sore were the marrow in her bones hurt and she would be forced to have a fever or cold sweats, to radiate between hot and cold.

Kitty continued to whimper. A comfort more than anything else, and slowly Larka’s limb would turn human and no longer would be a runt of a wolf but instead a runt of a young woman, light as a feather despite the grave look in her eyes.

She brushed her dark auburn hair from her forehead that was already beginning to profusely sweat.

“Gannis?” She had cleared her throat, her mouth uncomfortably dry. She was acutely aware of Kitty licking her calves. “What are we going to do?” Larka held back the words she really wanted to say: “what can we do?”

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

Gannis turned and snarled at Larka. An element of the albino wolf in that visage.

Dog growled. The low rumble cut right through the sound Gannis made.

Gannis took a step back and closed his eyes. Dog was his friend, companion and hunting partner, but he was also there to keep him under control. If he ever lost that, Dog would be at the front of the hunting partner tracking him down.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but I need to put some clothes on."

He was as grim undressed as he was dressed. Wiry cords of muscle and scar tissue. The anamalistic part of him still howling in frustration was aware of the female form too.

"We need more knowledge. We stay and observe or we get help," he said as he turned away. They came prepared for this and he had left a small pack of clothes with their dogs.

 

[Larka]

Larka flinched at the snarl, instinctually a hand went to where her sword was— only to realize that she had forgotten it back there. She bit her lower lip, cursing herself. What a rookie mistake, to leave behind her weapon! Kitty had stepped in front of Larka, it’s head lowered and baring it’s teeth as it growled back, but Larka could feel it’s fear. Kitty was scared, too.

Larka took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment, and counting to ten cats. One black, two white, three tabby, four striped, five calico, six…. When she opened her gold eyes, she did her best to raise her chin in confidence. She had to be brave, at least for Kitty’s sake.

Clueless or innocent, Larka followed after the venator, still chewing absently on her lower lip. She was staring at his back but was very much lost in thought. She was happy that it seemed like Gannis fully intended to see this through— although they had a contract and that was the lifeblood of the conclave. So what to do in this situation?

Clothing first, yes, but how to solve their problem. Ah, but first…

“I left my sword back there.” Larka whispered, looking down at her bare feet. It was better to be direct and honest now rather than later. “I’m sorry for not thinking.” She added, knowing it wouldn’t make it better, but she felt inclined to apologize anyways. Dreading Gannis’ reply, Larka dressed quickly, not for shame but because their job wasn’t done. It was because they didn’t have time to waste.

Despite not saying anything about her, Larka hoped Mirren was still alive. She hoped that she could be saved.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"Don't get too attached to swords," Gannis grunted. "Remember it next time, but you'll lose all my respect if you give a sword a name and get it engraved on the blade like a real cunt."

His clothes felt uncomfortable and itchy. True, they were cheap, uncomfortable and itchy clothes but right after a temporary shift all of that felt far worse. His skin was sensitive, but mostly it was the feeling of being trapped and confined when he wanted to let the animal out.

"We go and get help from the others, head to Ithrax Port and take a ship. Otherwise we get back into town before that thing and see if Florian and his books might give us an idea."

He phrased it as if he was testing his charge, but in truth he was just bouncing ideas off the girl because he didn't know what to do.

"We can't face off against that thing without knowing more. Nothing seemed to harm it."

 

[Larka]

Despite her too-dry mouth and overly wet eyes, Larka cracked a wry smile towards Gannis.

“I dunno,” She said, her throat still hoarse but the playful tone came through clear enough, “I think I’d like to name a great sword ‘butter knife.’” Her golden eyes flickered over to Dog. “If you were to name a sword you’d probably just name it ‘sword.’” She was clearly referencing what they had named their partners, uncommon names among the conclave. But the lighthearted jest was over just as quick as it had appeared.

Larka was solemn in thought, thinking over her lessons, thinking over this instance. A beast that was not a beast. It seemed like it couldn’t be harmed by hacking away at it. A shame.

“Our contract is to just stop the rust,” Larka said slowly, “we may not need to kill it. But… well, Florian seemed to have set us up. It’s like he knew her singing or her voice caused it.” She frowned. “Maybe he knew more than he let on? He didn’t seem keen on coming with us.” She added, looking at up at Gannis, curious if she had given the right answer.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

“If you were to name a sword you’d probably just name it ‘sword.’”

"What do you think it's called?" he teased.

He was grateful for the note of humour in an otherwise dire situation.

Gannis really didn't want to turn his back on this one. On the other hand, with his blood already up he had considered that he knew a good place where he could get blind drunk, fuck a brothel girl and get into a proper brawl all in one night.

"We head back," he said. There was a spare knife in his pack. It wasn't much. He had left a lot behind too. He tossed it to Larka.

"Take it slow and careful, don't want you shifting again so soon. Get what we can out of him and circle around slow. See if we can get your sword back without crossing Mirren and that thing again."

 

[Larka]

“I wouldn’t mind shifting again, feels better than this.” Larka admitted sheepishly, shrugging up her shoulders as she caught the dagger. “I feel like shit. Can’t wait to handle shifting completely like you.” Where Gannis still had his blood pumping, Larka was becoming increasingly aware of how sick she felt. Just raising her arms up and she felt sore and achy. Her breath ragged as she took the dagger and to conceal it at her waist. Kitty was sniffing her cheek, licking the perspiration on her pale skin.

Once again, Larka used her hands to pull her damp hair off her brow, and fiddling around with the over-sized tunic. Every size was too big for Larka unfortunately. The pair of breeches only fit because she had rolled the waistband up so many times. Her stomach growled and Larka sighed. Despite being so small, she was always hungry.

Ignoring her fatigue and hunger, Larka put on a brave face.

“I think Mirren is still alive. Do you?” She asked Gannis as they began to make their way back to the town. Even if Larka had only been there once, she clearly remembered when Florian’s home was. Despite having the chills and shivering, there was a flame of anger within her gut. Florian. Her golden eyes narrowed. He had seemed like a bumbling idiot yet he had directed them to take Mirren far from the town. He seemed stupid but… perhaps it was all a ploy?

Unable to come up with a good reason why Florian would do what he did, Larka still couldn’t hide that twinge of suspicion. Or that growing flame of rage that he probably cared very little for Mirren. She couldn’t understand why that upset her so, she only knew that it did.

Gannis

 

[Gannis]

"If you think I'm under control, it's just because I've done it long enough to hide what it does to me," Gannis replied with a shake of his head.

"It's the reigning it in that hurts. Right through the middle of me. Need to hunt, or fuck or fight or just run with the pack for a few hours."

He thought it was worth explaining the limitations of what experience and control could bring. It was an important lesson of its owns.

"I think she's alive," he agreed as they walked through the town. He was watching every corner, every flicker of movement. They had run far from the town, he hoped to be back here before Mirren and the monster.

"Remind me to make you some more clothes at Ithrax Port," he said. All Venari had soft skills. His - to the surprise of many - was needlework.

"Right, let's see what this cunt knows," Gannis growled, turning up the path. He struck the door once, leaving an indentation in the wood. Flecks of dried paint clung to his knuckles.

 

[Larka]

Larka found it interesting that Gannis wasn’t as “under control” as she had assumed. Merely hiding the effects of it? Larka blinked. She made a slight face at the fact that his needs seemed completely animalistic whereas hers tended to be rather tame: eat and sleep. But this sort of ache? Maybe to have her adrenaline pumping through her at a breakneck pace even after a shift would be better.

“Sister Aysel always said that men and women shift differently, that different parts of them tended to be fueled more than others after the enhancement. She said all women venators are frigid. I think it’s the strain, though.” A better, safer answer. “Because I can’t taste but others in my year can.” Larka added, but the conversation was now over.

The foster did her best to not look relieved that Gannis also thought Mirren was alive. It was better news than him telling her he’d make her new clothes. While Larka could handle basic repairs, using a thread and needle tended to be tedious and uninteresting her. (And if one were to ask Sister Aysel, she had sloppy handiwork.)

The knock was impressive, at least to Larka. Of course, the crack of broken wood was probably not what Florian wanted to hear. Seconds later the door would open, and Florian would peer out slowly, blinking in surprise at the venari and his foster. It took him a moment before he opened the door wider.

“Where is Mirren?” He asked, and then frowned. “You two don’t look well.”

Gannis