Talking from the Soul (Mao/Invite)

[Sorian]

Radris' diatribes and insults fell on deaf ears. Mao's vicious, tempestuous words wrenched at the older Akalak's heart, causing his blackness to stir. Did she just order Hatot to kill him? It pained him, made him lose the composure he had, the confidence he felt. Perhaps it was her own way of saying that she missed the old him. Frankly, he did too. But the mellower tones of his giant heart deflated and pulled aside for a moment away from Radris, whom he still had to fight. Egged and encouraged on by Mao herself, he might not consider any other option. The fight was dangerously in his advantage now that Navis had lost most of his will to fight.

"Mao has spoken, come at me!" He snarled at him, trying to serve an aggressive stance but his bristling face quickly demurred into one in pain, struggling with his underlying emotions through it all. Why was she being so cruel? She had searched for him too, and it made him dance with joy when he felt her coming. His head was filled with an anguish that used to hold spite and hate together easily.

However he had not lost the ability to fight. Not at all. Radris was far more nimble, longer and taller than he is, and he would surely struggle with his deficiencies. But he believed that he can counter it with his compact, heavy body, raw strength. Had he had the inspiration, he would have had the advantage of a half-crazed desire to butcher him for his first offering to Mao's bloodlust in a long time. Styles held no principles for him. In contrast to the younger one's versatility, he needed no stances, no styles to fight. Navis had always been highly proficient in his own kind of fight, one that has preserved him through many years of battle: victory by attrition. To top it off, two hundred years' worth of experience and nature-trained skills backed him against Radris' youth. He was more than ready to more real than apparent.

Emotional upheaval from her command aside, his emotions burned and twisted like two cogs going separate directions at the ones he was supposed to kill, or be killed by. He had promised her all those moons ago that the world would bleed with his love for her, and the very night was fraught with opportunity to make it happen, just as Radris had pointed out. But even though her wish was his command--no, there was no other way for him to go--there was something strange about her, a hint of more dangerous emotions pummeling her down her core. There was a great deal of pain within her, he could sense it through their bond, and the only release he knew for her was to let her kill. If it had been another person, he would have simply let Mao chew away without a second thought. But it was someone he actually knew, and, deep inside, actually cared for, if only a tiny bit. He held little love for Kavala's gentle ways with them, but she had still occupied a niche in their heart; Sorian, especially, would fade into oblivion without her to keep him grounded.

What had been a feral heart was now one brimming with all sorts of insanity, but necessity bid his clarity toreturn to his thoughts, and he stopped snarling and cussing like a barbarian at his foe. The doubt that sprung back and forth between his still battle with Radris solidified his will into an instant plan: he would attempt to immobilize Radris before rushing to Kavala's aid. The former plan, however, was a very doubtful thought, so he settled for the one thing he knew he definitely could do better than he can.

Turning to the younger Akalak, he sneered vehemently, but with conviction. "You're trying to save your love, and I am mine. This fight is your advantage tonight, pup, because I also care about the one you're trying to protect! But if you'd rather fight tonight than save Kavala, then come at me, I've made a choice!"

It was clear that he was rearing to run towards the pair to separate the two, his mind focused on how he was going to set Kavala free while sedating Mao at the same time.

EDIT: Sorry for the modding again. Habitual, maybe. Accidental, most likely. :<

[Hatot]

Radris’ grin widened slightly, amusement as both Mao and Sorian beckoned him to battle. “Whispering those sweet nothings into my ear, you two are trying to seduce me.” Radris said as he began inching forward toward Sorian, noting his formless stance. It was a lull, something to cause his opponents to underestimate him, think him defenseless. For all of Radris’ banter, and grating personality, he wasn’t a fool. His anger may have clouded his judgment at times, but mainly just in matters of socializing with others, and it was sometimes on purpose.

Radris’ eyes then narrowed as he began seeing something he couldn’t quite fathom next. Reservations. Behind the mask of ferocity on Sorian’s face and behind his eyes, he saw doubt, and it led him to question whether Navis would even be brought to the surface in full capacity. This made the smile on Radris’ face fade, as he saw an inner turmoil mingling with Sorian’s very body language, what little there was he was showing.

Radris then slowly blinked as Sorian began speaking again, rolling his eyes at being called a pup once again. Then, as he finished speaking, he saw Sorian charge. Radris’ own movements pushed him forward quickly, making a strait path to intercept Sorian as he ran forward. His body ducked slowly down, his hand and extended fingers plunging strait at Sorian’s knee as it was being lifted in another stomp of his run, only to swipe at empty air and into the ground. “Pup, Fossils, defending loved ones, blah, blah, blah,” Radris said quickly raising into his stance once again. “Kavala can do just fine for herself. You toss out a threat though, you should mean it.”

Radris then paused, observing Sorian’s face with narrowed eyes. “You don’t, though. Do you?” Radris said, tilting his head slightly in observation. “You just want to get to her.”

Radris then let out a slow sigh, shaking his head slightly. “My woody is gone,” he said with a slight disappointment in his voice. “Kavala, let her up.”

Before Kavala could word a sentence of dispute, Radris quickly added, “You can’t heal with force. That’s what you taught Hatot when he was keeping me caged up inside. Is it not? Just let her up. Get behind me and let them have their chat.”

Radris then slipped his hands along his waist, his eyes still on Sorian. "You get things squared away. Then you and I can head to the Arena and have a proper ass-kicking fun time." Radris said.

[Mao]

Let the sleep take her. Just allow her heavy lids to fall over glazed eyes and wallow in a sea of dreams. What more could she ask for after having found what she had longed for for years. But only more surprises were in store for the kelvic. She had thought the Konti incapable of reacting to her actions so readily. She had been stupid and let her guard down in the face of a potential enemy, and when Mao felt the leather wrap around her neck that was when something snapped in her mind. Clawing, scratching at the collar desperately, she hissed in the older woman's face, only to be silenced by the sudden strike to her stomach that left her breathless.


Her movements gradually became slower, but the fear was stricken in her eyes. Never had she been restricted in her shifting, and she felt vulnerable with the realization that she was nothing without her bestial self. Still, as she lay on the chilling sand, her eyes locked onto Kavala's, and only anxiety was projected in tidal waves. "Take it off, take it off!" She cried, dragging her sharp nails down Kavala's shoulder, drawing blood once more. Her words were laced with pleading, something she had not ever done in her entire life. And yet here she was, reduced to a kitten in her own eyes. A lamb ready for the slaughter; a mouse being toyed before the kill.

Only in the dark recesses of her mind did she allow Navis' words to penetrate. His were heavy with his desire for her, and yet she had only showed cruelty and hate for what he had become. Had she reverted to the monster now? What was left of her humanity was thrown out the window as her inner beast took over the wheel, but was this the decision she wanted? No, there was only that shadow, whispering softly in her ear, urging her to rip apart this woman called Kavala, to sink her fangs into Hatot... But Navis? The bond they have kept her from ever truly feeling the desire to end his life. She loved him, with all her heart, she loved him, would die for him. Only this darkness in her soul did not allow her to show it.

Even as she stared into Kavala's gentle blue eyes and her movements died down, her attention was directed to Hatot, who had voiced his opinion to allow Mao to stand. The kelvic was unsure in her state, if she would even have the capability to. The collar was tight and nearly restricted her heavy breathing, and her body had become bruised during the struggle against the Konti. And her fear, the utter fear of being trapped in a cage or tied up in a dungeon was still fresh in her mind.

Pale green eyes fell on Navis, but her words were not directed only to him. "Will I be thrown to the darkness and left to rot? Will I be starved to death? Drown me now, the sea calls to me!"

Incoherent words, but that is the result of her vicious imagination.

Then the most curious of circumstances occurred. The feral kelvic crumpled under the weight of her own emotions, and bitter tears streamed down her cheeks. Her body shivered under the relentless wind that battered against it, and she found herself curling up against the Konti she had just been attempting to slaughter for her very freedom.

[Sorian]

Even in the face of a fearsome opponent like the younger Akalak, when it came down to protecting Mao, Navis' rage would never be a match for his level of arrogance or confidence, a fact that could go both ways. He could only watch in horror and pain as Mao struggled to free herself from Kavala's solid defenses, every screech, every scream blacking out his senses and turning his heart upside down. He himself fought mightily to concentrate on his slightly more determined foe, Radris' distaste for his current state of mind apparent in his sarcastic voice. After a very lackluster attempt to sedate his opponent which ended with neither getting hurt or even breaking a sweat, he conceded his troubles. "I meant every word I said, but you are correct. I have only her in my mind right now. Her safety takes precedence over my pride, much like Kavala surely means more to you than this fight."

There was a quiet sense of thanks in Navis' eyes and tone for his understanding, ones which he would never express with words, only with actions in the near future. There was also a breath of relief, drawing air which had softened his apprehension and stress somewhat. He let his defenses calm down, contorted features wracked with pain floundering into a total stiffness, and as he turned to draw nearer to the two women, he spoke gruffly but reassuringly. "Yeah, well. You can be sure of a very good fight later."

He could feel every painful sting that made his ferocious bondmate break down into wails and sobs, but he did not complain nor did he make a fuss. Even if Mao showered him with all the insults and cruelties in the world, he wouldn't have said a thing. He would have accepted everything, if it meant that she would stay by his side. It was why he lived, why he continued to exist long after the dream that was their shared time together had faded into history. He might have changed, and she might despise him for it after everything had been said and done. But he was more than willing to risk everything, that much is sure.

With nothing but the waves and Mao's pleas and sobs ringing in his ears, he knelt beside her and Kavala, looking the Konti in the eyes with the most gentle, listless expression and voice that he could possibly give her as Navis. Looking at her wounds for a moment, he stifled an attempt to touch her hair as a discreet way of saying thank you, instead opening his chest up to receive his beloved. "Let her go, Kavala, and patch yourself up. I can take care of Mao."

[Kavala]

Kavala changed in the three seasons she'd lived in Riverfall. Perhaps it was the water, or living among the Akalak, but she'd grown stronger, fiercer, and though she was still no killer - a warrior spirit infused her and made her fight all that much harder for what she thought was right. Mao was dangerous. The bloody wounds on her shoulders testified to that. So too did the ferocity that she fought Kavala when the two women went down. Still, she tried to keep her still, tried to prevent the beast from overwhelming the thinking part of the girl because Kavala understood pain. And truthfully pain oozed form Mao, from every nook and cranny inside of the creature. She suffered, and Kavala could feel it acutely. Wounded creatures fought. Wounded creatures didn't ask for help or respite, but kept running and using claw and fang until there was no where left to go and no enemies to overwhelm.

Kavala was not an enemy.

It must look as if she were though, dropping the Kelvic and restricting her freedom. Dimly she was aware of the voices around her, and then of Radris' distinctive tones. By that time, Mao had stopped fighting her. And Kavala too had stopped holding her down. Even as he spoke, Kavala's blue eyes met Radris' crimson gaze across the expanse of darkness and her lips parted slightly in surprise, shocked that he would say such a thing. Hatot yes, but Radris? Pale arms gently loosened, even as the creature cried out her fear of being locked in darkness or behind bars. Her pleas for drowning due to her fear of starvation and confinement moved Kavala.

Kavala's words were soft then.

She spoke for Mao's ears only as she stroked the girls lovely black hair and gently rubbed her sobbing back. "We have no iron bars here and hunters are plentiful so there's never a lack of meat. You are talking about guilt and pain, kitten. They wrap around you like an iron band and warp your soul. You can't wrap iron around the body of a living thing... be it the trunk of a tree or the neck of a child. They cannot grow straight and true if you do. I can feel it, even now, and your soul chaffs with it. Let it go. Navis is here. He loves you. I dreamed of your bond. And he can help you be so much more than you have become. The leather is to let you think. In this form, thoughts are easier. The cat only knows how to fight - how to kill." She said softly, stroking the girls back one more time and rising, letting her go. Kavala took two steps back, then two more, until she was apart from the group. She let the scratches and craps along her chest arms and neck, even the one on her cheek bleed freely, cleansing themselves of the debris from the beach.

There was another reason she didn't touch the wounds, a darker reason, but one no one but her sister had a clue about. She liked them... craved them... even if she was loathe to admit it.

[Mao]

There was an ongoing battle raging in the kelvic's mind. The battle between the beast and the girl that dwelt far within her already crippled heart. She had been a beast for so long that her mind had been molded to think as feral instinct dictated, and perhaps that was why the collar had struck her to her core. Yes, she could think more clearly this way, but she preferred to speak with her claws rather than her lips. And it was clear with the way she had attacked Kavala from the beginning. The woman who she had thought such an easy victim to overcome, had won over her in the end.

But there was no anger in the Konti's eyes, nor her actions. She did not strike her for her harsh words and the scratches she inflicted on her pale skin. No, she spoke with a gentleness that reminded her of her mother. She looked up at the woman, wiping away the wetness from her cheeks, and listening with rapt attention to what she had to say. And it dawned on Mao that this woman only meant to help her, regardless of if she asked for it or not, and for a reason she couldn't quite place, Mao was distraught over it.

"There is nothing wrong with me!" She hissed, but still the tears continued to fall, landing on bruised knees dug deep into the sand. "There's.... nothing wrong..."

Yes, there is something gravely wrong with me...

Whispers. The heavy sleep was threatening to overtake her. She swayed for a bit as Kavala moved away from her, but the heat emanating off Navis prompted her to turn, and she did. She stared into his eyes with the look of someone so tired of running; tired of relying on her bestial self to live, to survive. Navis was what he was: her bond mate, and regardless of if he had changed, he was still hers, and hers alone.

Slowly, she raised her hand and touched him lightly on the cheek then trailed it along his chest until she abruptly moved forward and curled against his firm body. Her hand, trembling still, gripped his wrist tightly, as if she feared he would disappear like so many nights ago.

"I killed so many humans for you, Navis..." Weak words, barely audible, but either way she cared not if the other two individuals overheard. "So much blood I have shed for you, for your memory. I was so angry..." Her eyes closed as comfort began to wash through her. The comfort of his presence looming over her once again, and she found that sleep overwhelmed her as quickly as Kavala had.

[Sorian]

The feel of her little hands, those familiar hands of hers, did something for him that he thought he had lost for good when she vanished into the darkness of his unconsciousness all those moons ago. He felt like crying, even though tears were nigh to him in happiness. His once broken heart, so bogged down by his own desire to avenge their losses, felt whole, strong, and alive. Even if it was only for one night, his arrogant self was completely erased from him, and the legend of Cyphrus, the giant of cruelty, shattered into an almost distinct likeness of Sorian, only more gruff and firm.

"My Mao, my one and only Mao..." His voice was soft and loving, much like how a child would speak if a beloved doll had just been returned, only that the sentiments ran so much deeper, the emotions so much more meaningful. As she closed her eyes in sleep, the breath of her gentleness washed over his body. and as he stood up with her nestled warmly in his arms, he spoke to her in rhythms that no one would have ever expected from him. He felt alive again, after such a long time.

He let her hands travel all over his sculpted body, letting out a comforted sigh washed with longing, for it was all that he had wished to feel for such a long time. Their reunion had come at the best time; it had only been a year, but the aftermath of their separation was the darkest he had ever seen. Both of them had almost given up on each other, but the bond refused to forget. Big eyes of blue looked back at her tired green with a concern that shifted everything around him into an illusion, then into blackness. She was all that revolved in his world, the jewel in his eye.

"Hush now. You don't have to run anymore. Sleep, love. You're home." He cooed her softly, smiling contentedly as he pressed his face beside hers, wiping the last remnant of her tired tears away with his own cheek. She was his saving grace, possibly even more than he was hers, for the mere breath of her gentleness was enough to make him forget the painful words. They delved into the depths of his soul, cleansing it of all the pains he had for himself.

Slowly he stood up with her nestled warmly in his arms, encasing her within his embrace as if she was a precious baby. In a way she was, indeed. She was his. "Forgive me for allowing hate to overcome you. Never again, I swear."

Navis' eyes looked at both Kavala and Radris with amazement and appreciation respectively. Who would have thought that after all that he has put Kavala through, after the wounds that Mao had inflicted, that she'd still care enough to soothe her and make her see her errors? And who would have predicted that the dark Akalak would spare him such a great amount of trouble, to let him see to his bondmate's safety? For the first time, he understood two things that he had never bothered to care about before: what it was about Kavala that Sorian loved so dearly, and what it meant to have a shred of honor to give to an opponent. Both of them would probably deny, vehemently at that, the mercy they have shown; he too did not have enough grace to properly say thanks. But Kavala knew him well enough by then; she would understand how different he truly was from everyone else.

For once, he trusted her to see through his inability to say what he truly meant.

"You've done so much for both of us tonight. I wonder... Why you're so benevolent with everyone. You really are crazy, you know that Kavala?" He quipped gruffly to the Konti, his features more stoic than anything else then, though it immediately broke down into a rather happy kind of smirk.

[Hatot]

Radris slowly stepped up next to Kavala, his right hand falling to his waist as his left hand was held out slightly, blood still slowly trickling down it from Mao’s claw marks. He gave his general grumpy moan as he observed Sorian and Mao have their reunion. Eventually, he rolled his eyes. “Things are getting a little to sentimental.” Radris said after Sorian gave a subtle nod, not voicing any thanks.

Radris then turned towards Kavala, a frown on his face as he looked into her eyes. “Okay, first things first. Let’s the get the obvious important mistake out of the way.” Radris said as he raised his hand for a moment, then suddenly snatched out, grabbing Kavala’s breast fully, squeezing it a couple of times. “I haven’t done that yet tonight. Next time I wake and your not there, I’m gonna have to grab your sister’s instead.”

Radris’ hand then raised from Kavala’s chest, his index and pointer finger extending as he gave a gentle poke to the center of Kavala’s brow, forcing it back slightly. “Sometimes, you’re the dumbest smart person I know Kav.” Radris said as his hand finally fell to his waist again. “You’ve got some skills, but a leather strap isn’t going to get you through most encounters. Next time you get a hankering to go skinny dipping in the middle of the night, at least bring your darts with you. It’s better to have them and not need them, then not have them, and need them. Not even the guards can be everywhere at once.”

Radris finally looked down to his arm then for a moment before looking to Kavala’s shoulders. Wounds both of them had earned tonight. “Well then, you think they can continue the cuddle fest back at Sanctuary so we can get ourselves patched up?” Radris then suggested, looking to the pair.

[Kavala]

There was a reason she was standing away from the group. It was incredibly hard, at times, to feel what she felt rolling off the creatures that were not human. Mao's damage effected Kavala in ways she couldn't even remotely begin to explain. The hate was as damaging as actual physical blows. The guilt was weighty and crushing. As bad as it was for Kavala to feel vicariously through Mao, the konti suspected it was completely and utterly debilitating for the kelvic.

She needed a moment - a breath - time to feel only herself. Radris' approach should have brought comfort. Instead, it was simply another assault. Kavala watched him through distant eyes, and it felt for a moment as if she stepped outside of herself and became a casual observer. She watched as his hand grabbed crudely at her flesh, and then glanced down to watch her own fist clench and unclench. A normal woman would have slapped him. An even stronger woman would have flattened him with a vicious unexpected fist in his nose. She did neither. It simply wasn't in her. Instead, there was the numbness of no sleep and the terror of the dreams that involved Mao and her killing and other things... darker and sweeter things. It caused only her fist to close and open convulsively - once then twice - before she turned her back on him and walked away.

She wished she had clever or biting words to throw at him like weapons. Akela would have known just exactly what to say. Instead, she simply had to get away - for a few chimes, or even bells.

When Radris spoke again, after tapping her forehead gently, it was to Kavala's back. As he gave her his comments, she gave no indication if she'd heard them or not. Kavala knew Navis would take care of Mao and see to her immediate needs. Crying was only the first step. Rest was needed next. Then would come a great deal of food. Things would get better, day in and day out... a little at a time if Navis played his cards right. Radris would take care of his self - it was obvious he would never take her seriously or at least treat with curtosey. So she would give him no more of her time or no more chances to hurt her, even if they was only in small ways.

So Kavala fled - in a slow measured pace that hurried without appearing to be hurried - to the only place none of them would bother her. She retreated to the Sea.

[Sorian]

There was a startled expression in Navis' face as he watched what transpired between the other two. He too had expected Radris to simply take the tired Kavala into his arms and give her a hug or something comforting. While it didn't piss him off--far from it, in fact--what the youngster did instead was a bit uncalled for. The expression crumpled into a silent dismay as he watched the Konti flee to the sea away from her own lover.

It was so amazing to him that he almost felt bad for the two, even though he did not voice out any opinions about it. He had hoped for a better ending for all of them too. Scoffing to himself, he snuggled Mao more closely, somewhat thankful that she was asleep. It might have enraged her, it might have not. Whatever the reaction from her, it would probably have been another discussion, another war of cussing words, or even another fight. He was too tired and too happy to want to do anything of the negative sort.

"I don't know what you're planning to do, but I'd leave her alone if I were you. Take a breather and relax too, I guess." He said it like a casual observer, then turned around to carry Mao back to Sanctuary. The advice was nowhere near sagely, but it was at least a bit timely.

He was completely unsure if he was really going to take her back to Kavala's home or theirs in the Sea of Grass, not knowing if it was a new environment or an old one that Mao would like to wake up to. Whatever the case, he knew that she'd be happy as long as he was there. It was something that he thought of as he walked with her sleeping soundly within his bosom, the warm feel of their colliding skin the only feeling he wanted to know tonight.