[Flashback]Unexpected Students(Hex)

[Hatot]

Hatot looked to the berries for a moment before looking up at Hex. He gave a slow nod, sitting himself down in front of the bag. He had eaten some shortly after his last experience with Auristics, but truth be told, he was still hungry. Part of it had been due in part to the workout he was doing, but most of it did come from the use of the personal magic in the long run.

His large blue hand reached out, snatching up several of the berries from the bag. As Hatot popped a few of them into his mouth, he turned his head as though he were about to say something. Hex’s attention was drawn away by the sudden triggering of one of her traps, however, and her sudden departure to go check on them left him forgetting what he was about to say. So he sat there in silence for another passing of time, eating the berries Hex had gathered.

The bag had been emptied by a third by the time she had returned as Hatot dragged his thumb across his lips. As the two animals were held out for him to view, labeling them what they would be in the end, Hatot gave a slow nod before pausing for a moment. “Uh, Hex?” Hatot then said, tilting his head slightly as he looked at the rabbit and prairie dog in her hands. “I hope you know how to cook, because I certainly do not.”

[Hex]

"I know enough so that we can eat tonight." Hex said under her breath as she held the rabbit on its back and slid the tip of her hunting knife across the skin on its belly. She pulled one side of the flap back to expose the layer of tissue and fat that held its skin to the body. The blade was softly passed over this layer and she continued to keep the skin taut as she sliced. The fur came with it, separating from the body with the slow knife strokes she delivered to it. Flipping it onto its other side she cut the rest until a layer of shiny dark fur could be peeled from the body completely, leaving it naked and exposed. A plate was used to hold the corpse as she grabbed the prairie dog to skin it. The timing of skinning, gutting and cooking was all crucial. The dog's skin was slightly more loose and it contained much more fat than the rabbit; this made it easier to push the knife along the tissue and she did so until the hide was completely removed. To dry the hides she stretched them out between clusters of rocks, using rope and string from her medicine kit to hook the skin and pull it taut in different directions. The corpses still needed gutting and bleeding, and so she regarded Hatot. "We have to gut and bleed these. Lets go to the river." When they arrived Hex tied Hatot's prairie dog to a rock, tying its legs away from the middle of its body and on a downward angle so that it could be emptied of its life juice. She returned to her own meat and motioned for Hatot to watch her as she placed strategic slits into the flesh on the inside of its thighs and arms, and opened its abdominal cavity with the knife. Its insides billowed out like cotton from a plant encasing, and she gripped the organs with her hands, blood spilling out between her fingers as she threw the handful of intestine and glands into the river. Next she worked the knife through the sternum, breaking and cutting at the soft cartilage that kept the ribcage together. The ribs were opened and pulled away from the body to expose the lungs and heart. Although the lungs were thrown to the water, Hex held up the small heart in between her fingers, raising it up and looking at it straight on. She threw it into the river too after she had examined it and determined that it was not suitable for selling. Some animal hearts were known to heal ailments amongst her people but only if it had specific characteristics - very dependent on the life quality of the creature. The head was removed and sent down the current, and then the entire body was taken under the water and washed.

[Hatot]

Hatot tilted his head as he watched Hex first skin the animals. If it hadn’t been for all the violence he had seen in his own life, he might have found the practice a little off setting, something being skinned, rather than just intriguing for some reason. It wouldn’t be long after before Hex mentioned their trip down to the river, with that he pushed himself off the ground, following the young woman down towards the rushing waters. The wind gave a cool sensation to the skin as it slipped over the plains, licking the surface of the water lightly before finally brushing over their bodies. It was almost soothing in a way, the brisk feeling of the wind as it tickled at the wound along his shoulder, numbing the pain slightly.

He crouched down, observing Hex as she tied the rabbit down along a rock, sparing him the chore of holding it himself with his injured limb. His brow then quirked as he observed her making the cuts involved with Field Dressing animals after a hunt. Finally, after making a firm grab, Hatot’s eyes widened for a moment when she pulled out all the organs and intestines tossing them into the river. “Fascinating.” Hatot said as he leaned closer, blocking Hex’s second grab at first. “That’s what they look like on the inside.”

Having been primarily a hand to hand user, Hatot had never once caused a deep wound himself. There were lethal strikes to be sure, but none of them involved cutting or stabbing. Point in fact, there was rarely any external bleeding involved when Hatot had killed someone. So, for the first time in his life, he was looking over the internal organs of a creature with a learning fascination out of simple curiosity more than one obsessed with mutilated carcass. Finally he leaned back once again as Hex began to open the rib cage. He soon took his own cooking knife, slipping the tip along the stomach before adding a little pressure. Too much pressure as the blade went strait through the rabbit’s body, hitting the stone beneath. “Damn.” Hatot muttered, drawing the blade back some before making uneasy cuts along the stomach, trying to repeat what he had witnessed Hex do.

The next steps followed was almost like a Greek Tragedy as Hatot first almost ripped the rabbit in half while pulling out intestines and lower organs, not having cut precisely enough, over cutting the ribs an accidentally crushing the heart between his fingers when trying to examine it, and making a general mess of the animal, leaving only it’s legs and part of it’s hindquarter suitable for eating anymore. Looking over his travesty, Hatot slowly shook his head. “This seems more suitable a task for smaller hands.” Hatot then said, looking over the giant blue hand of his which seemed to cover over half of the length of the rabbit alone.

[Hex]

Hex's eyes widened as she watched Hatot massacre the poor carcass with his knife and hands. Small pieces of meat hung by bits of tissue from the bones, shredded and quartered into different shapes. Hex inched herself next to Hatot, silently taking the body away from him. She told him to wait for her as she ran back to camp and several chimes later she reappeared with thread and a needle in her hands. Threading the needle, she dipped the thread in the river water, letting it soak thoroughly before piercing the tiny bits of meat and moving them down the strong string until she made what looked like a necklace of red fleshy beads. The remainder of the carcass was still good for cooking, the meat could be eaten off the bone easily - if one didn't mind picking through cartilage to get to the good stuff. Smiling over his lack of skill in butchering a small animal, Hex turned to Hatot. "You'd do a much better job with a larger animal I am sure." Taking the carcass off the rock, she washed it before taking it and the other prepared meat back to the camp. The fire was smoldering nicely and Hex strung the meat line over the fire, securing one end to the hilt of her hunting knife that stuck up from the ground and the other end around a rock of similar height to that of the knife. The string was pulled as taut as possible and held the whole line up surprisingly well. The bits of meat cooked very quickly being so small, and Hex removed them a few chimes later when the string was beginning to go brownish black and threatening to catch fire once all the water had evaporated from it. She unhooked the line and gingerly picked off the meaty bits, letting them fall onto a square linen she had resting on her folded legs. "Here" she offered the pouch of food to Hatot, quickly snatching a few bits away with a laugh as he took it into his hands. She smiled at him briefly, meeting his eyes and feeling content that for once they weren't training or facing their demons. They sat in silence as Hex made a bed of stones over the embers, leaving enough room between the stones to fuel the fire with air. She laid the two carcasses on top of the stones, their delicate flesh far enough from the embers not to get burnt or covered in ash, yet close enough to receive the full intensity of the heat too cook it thoroughly. They would eat soon enough but until then, Hex moved herself closer to Hatot, reaching out with her fingers to examine the bandaging on his shoulder. Spots of blood coloured the linens and she carefully removed them until she could see the wound filled with lymph that attempted to rid the body of any intrusive dirt or bacteria. She touched the edges very lightly, pressing the flesh to examine its state. No infection had taken hold, although the more obvious indication of that was that Hatot had no fever or nausea. It was already well on its way to healing - perhaps she could encourage it even further. Clamping her lips shut in concentration she closed her eyes and let her body relax, opening up her soul to Rak'keli and passively letting the flow of her healing energy pass through the top of her head and out her hand, which she left rested over the shoulder wound. Ligaments and cartilage were badly torn but thankfully the entire shoulder joint was still very intact. The glowing from her hand intensified and Hatot's body drew her in, sucking and lapping at the divine magic that flooded the wound area. Deep breaths turned into quick inhales and exhales, the djed urging her to keep up with its pace. Hex felt herself melting against the torrent of healing power that consumed her, she felt that every part of her glowed, not only the palm of her hand. She could have sworn she healed him entirely, but when the glowing died down and she felt her energy lax, she looked and saw that it had only partially reformed new tissue but was no where near to being completely healed. "I need more practice" she muttered, sliding away from Hatot to check on and then flip the meat that sizzled over the fire.

[Hatot]

Hatot rubbed his jaw with his good hand in thought as Hex collected what meat she could salvage, examining the string of meat as it was slowly made. “Hrmm, I never would have though to collect it in such a way.” Hatot then said as he finally removed his hand, looking at the entrails and blood that still covered it, a frown crossing his features when he realized that he had just smeared it over his face. “Well, I feel foolish all of a sudden.”

Hatot then followed Hex back towards camp once again, his eyes gazing down to the steps she did, taking it all in like the student he was in such matters. If nothing else, he would learn how to cook a little bit in this endeavor, sitting down as Hex placed a bag of food into his lap Hatot then slowly gazed at the cooking food as Hex laid it out, his hand dipping into the back and eating, as if watching some form of theater with a snack bag, waiting for the climax of the act. He was entranced enough that he didn’t notice at first when Hex flanked him from the side and began pulling off the bandaging to check his wounds.

His face suddenly cringed as he she began giving slight touches, to the edge of the wound, his eyes slamming shut for a moment before he soon felt that tingling sensation once again, his head turning to see the glow of Hex’s healing gnosis at work. The deeper parts of the wound slowly began to mend and knit back together as clots covered open areas, muscle tissue strung across the small gap of the deep laceration, and began pulling the wound closed slightly. Eventually, however, the magic stopped and so did the healing as Hex slumped back along the ground. The rush of rapid healing left even Hatot slightly breathless for a moment as his head dipped forward for a moment, a short couple of heavy breaths taken.

As Hex muttered the comment, Hatot slowly looked down to wound for a moment, observing how much had been healed. His gaze then slowly floated over towards Hex again before one of the berries was tossed at her, bouncing off her head to gain her attention. “You did well.” Hatot then said in a stern voice. “A wound that would have taken a full season to heal will now only have a small stretch of days. Instead of searing pain, there is now only slight discomfort. As long as I don’t overexert this arm, it should mend nicely. So do not be disappointed that it did not heal all the way. There is such a thing as pushing yourself past your limits and pushing yourself too hard, Hex. My hope is that you will not fall to the latter.”

Hatot then looked down to the meat, giving a slow sniff into the air. “It’s beginning to smell good.” Hatot then said, dipping his hand into the snack bag again.

[Hex]

Taking her hunting knife to the cooking flesh, she poked at the meat to check how close it was to being done. "Do you see how the meat is not yet firm? Its still soft, that means its not yet cooked" Hex explained to him, poking and prodding at the thicker carcass that lay on the hot stones. When she checked the second carcass, the thinner pieces of meat that lined its bones were much firmer. Hex immediately stabbed the carcass with the knife and pulled it from the fire, holding it as she brought it closer to Hatot. It sure didn't look very appetizing but juices from the meat trickled down, sizzling on the ground as they fell in droplets. "Now this one is cooked, see how the meat is very firm here?" She pinched an area to show the firmness but quickly withdrew her hand, popping it into her frowning face. She furrowed her brow to comment, "Mmm, perhaps wait a chime or two before eating that." When the second carcass had finished cooking Hex removed it from the fire and set it down on the cloth that had been used to hold the small bits of meat cooked earlier, which were long ago devoured. The fat that had dripped from the flesh stained and soaked the fabric but at least it protected it from the dust and sand below their feet. They continued to talk as they ate and Hex periodically looked back to his wound, which she left undressed for the meantime in order to let it breathe. She had done a better job than she thought. This made her feel more peaceful and more connected to Rak'keli than ever. The goddess trusted Hex's word, her instinct that healing needed to be done. Hex explained to Hatot the compulsion she had to heal, that it was in her blood and in her soul. It was her destiny and the gnosis mark on her hand the compass leading her down her path to the next wounded one.

[Hatot]

Hatot leaned in slowly, observing the meat for a second as Hex poked at it for a moment, giving nods as she commented on the soft tissue. “I imagine not too firm? I’ve seen some foods,” Hatot then said, pausing for a moment, “well, turn black.”

Hatot then turned his sights to the other piece of meat as Hex held it up in front of him. She discussed the firmness of the meat, explaining how it would be done and ready for eating. Hatot then reached out, pinching the meat between his fingers to gauge the firmness of the meat himself. His Akalak strength soon proved to be too much, his fingers pinching through the meat almost like a scissors as a little bit began to fall. The quick reflexes that came with his training soon found his hand dropping down, catching the meat before it hit the ground. “Oops.” Hatot said, holding the meat in his hand, looking to Hex for a moment for the inevitable laugh.

He then quirked a brow at Hex as she popped the meat into her mouth, frowning slightly after and suggesting they let the meat cool. Hatot almost scoffed, looking down to his own piece of meat. “Nonsense. I am an Akalak. I trained regularly and lived with the pain of that training for over twenty years. I think I can handle this meat.” Hatot said before popping the meat into his own mouth, his face blank for a moment. Soon his eyes watered slightly, his own form forming as he opened his mouth, gasping slowly. “Haaaaaa, hot. Hot. It’s hot.”

The day would eventually pass into evening, the pair of them taking a break the rest of the day from any simple training. In the end, it felt weird for Hatot. His whole life had been training, but this was something more simple. Something easing in a way. If it hadn’t been for his injury, he may have felt restless, but as it stood that day, he felt somewhat content. His first student, his first of several learning experiences. He knew it likely wouldn’t last, as neither one of them could realistically spend a great length of time in the plains, simply training. In the end, though, it left a lingering thought in his mind that perhaps he didn’t have to spend all his time away from the city. Perhaps he could benefit the younger Akalaks in Riverfall. His time, thus far with Hex, was a start at something new he would discover later on in his life.

[Puck]

Hex_______ Skills Auristics 5 Hunting Knife: Thrown 1 Medicine 2 Meditation 4 Teaching 4 Unarmed Combat 3 Trapping 1 Wilderness Survival 2 Skinning 1 Cooking 2 Rhetoric 2 Running 1 Lore Nature of Akalak Martial Arts Rage of Radris Fighting Predatory Poultry Flaunting Orders Witness the Carnage Don't Sleep by Radris Seduced by the Dark Brother Akalakian Duality Reading Rage in an Aura Teaching Auristics Hand of the Healer Preparing Dinner in the Sea of Grass Succeeding at Butchery Fluency (Common) Hatot_______ Skills Unarmed Combat 5 Evasion 3 Tactics 1 Seduction 1 Meditation 2 Teaching 3 Auristics 4 Wilderness Survival 1 Rhetoric 2 Lore Fighting Predatory Poultry Quarantine for the Dark Brother The Return of Radris It's Just a Flesh Wound Overkill Open the Cosmic Eye Sweet Whispers The Eye Cave The Structure Beneath Appearance of a Rabbit's Innards Preparing Dinner in the Sea of Grass Failing at Butchery Other Fluency (Common) Notes_______ My gift of contrition for the goddess.