[The Foundation] Resurgence (Redd)

[Venser Rush]

8th of Fall, 514

A full season. A full season had passed before Venser Rush was well enough to operate at capacity again. He had forsaken the idea of working for Mikayas since then, and had resigned from the position, his master fully understanding, more than even Venser knew. But, it was done. The life that Venser had lived was behind him. Fists clenched as he felt the full force of his recovered body's strength, his pale blue eyes cold and empty, yet his mind was vibrant. A grudge welled deep within the Rush twin's thoughts. He resented the undead for crippling him so with the 'Trial of Gladiator'. He resented Karn for his disgusting, patronizing attacks upon his mind during the recovery. Approximately 70 days (for the condition had worsened with time) were spent listening, helpless, impotent, as the snide remarks of an idiot stone frog bellowed through his mind. They ribbed at him, tore into him. They wounded, for the Rush twin was raw from his injuries.

It disgusted him just how weak he felt while in bed rest. It was even worse as his physical therapy progressed. Though, eventually, he felt alive again. Arisen from the depths of an abyss far colder than the grave, Venser felt anger colour his pale complexion, the djed welling within him. His room's table had been, for days upon days on end, the abused target of his one good arm's vicious bludgeoning. The limb was uninjured, though the table had been knocked over twice, cracked once. Venser sought to finish it off. In truth, he wanted to burn the filthy hovel that he called his home to the ground for all of the use it had been in his convalescence. It was haunted by the stain of Venser's chagrin. The place reeked of it if Venser chose to utilize Auristics inside.

The Rush twin pulled upon the tapestry of his djed, siphoning it from the musculature of his left arm. It was much simpler to transfer djed from muscle group to muscle group and thus, Venser's bicep and forearm weakened, the djed fueling into his tricep as he raised his shoulder. The movement was fluid, quick and seamless as he brought his elbow down on the table, djed quickly moving through his pathways. The pull of his arm from stretched out position to flexed required his bicep, and the djed coursed from his tricep into the single muscle. Like a point on the body pressed and then released, the djed flooded in, akin to capillary action as Venser flexed his bicep. His elbow crashed into the table, deep, welling elation coursing through his body as the table was destroyed. The same followed with his bed. Djed welled into his calf as he stomped on the mattress, breaking down the bed's frame beneath it before he composed himself.

Anger had been vented, but never released. Siphoned, but not eradicated. The practicality of the situation was proven in that Venser's body was repaired again. He felt his heart beat erratically in his chest, life's blood pumping through his body. The Flux was the magic that had the quality of making Venser truly feel alive. Anger was turned into strength as rage pumped his djed through his body. A battle trance was not quite as distracting when one was always entranced. Always seduced by it. The Flux was an addiction far steeper than any drug could ever well. A power far stronger than what a mundane man could accomplish. But, the power, while showing that his body was once again strong, was ill-directed.

Venser Rush passed by the rather panicked-looking proprietor of Tarsin's Boarding House, making his way outside of the establishment and through the city of Ravok.

Miro was the ultimate source of his hatred at the moment, even the filthy Kirt inadequate and insignificant in his eyes. Karn was merely a catalyst. The source was the origin point, the crippler, the ruiner. And while Venser had no way of destroying that source, he could, at the very least, make himself feel better by going and destroying his property, as well. Venser, while unfamiliar with the business that Miro ran, knew it by location. The undead had told him to go there once. It seemed a lifetime ago, and now he would return as its conqueror. A grin materialized upon his features for but a moment before he trudged forward.

~~~

Several chimes, nearly half a bell had passed, Venser becoming lost more than once before he found the place. He had forgotten just how close it was, nearly on the path towards the City Center and the Vitrax, but he course corrected and made his way forward. Curiosity bit at the Rush twin's mind as he looked upon it. It was a very new construct, by all appearances. Two sturdy looking doors blocked Venser's path, but he barged in regardless, pushing them aside as he cast his gaze towards the receptionist. By the half black sun upon her hand, she was quite obviously a slave, Venser pursing his lips for a moment before he asked,

"Is Miro here?"

"Not at the moment, sir. Can I help -"

"No, you cannot. That is fine. I will let myself in."

"But sir, you need to-"

But Venser was already gone. He did not have the time to listen to the words of or directly involve an innocent slave. Rather, he would ignore her completely. Consequence was driven out of sight and Ariennette was ignored in favour of not giving a bloody petch about the rules. Miro hadn't cared when he had violated Venser's soul, draining his djed and rendering his body completely useless for days. He hadn't cared when Venser's body shut down by effect of said draining, days later, still injured from it all. Venser didn't care to show Miro the respect that he so pompously thought to deserve.

The blonde barged into the 'Hypnotherapy office, gaze cast about for the undead bastard's desk. It was to be the first thing to go.

Count: 1004 words.

[Redd]

Redd had been drifting in and out of sleep, resting upon the comfy couch that Miro had in his work office. She didn’t think that he would mind considering he was out on patrol and her orders were to essentially pick her weight back up considering she had basically lost it from starvation. Master Miro had been providing her with a steady source of food so then she could do exactly as he expected her to do. Ever since she had stepped into this room it had sparked some kind of comfort to the wolf, there was just a feel to the room that had her either lying within this room or under the desk in the main room. This room… She yawned softly and rolled over onto her back, her head supported by the arm rest of the couch, her hazel hues half lidded as she tried to place the feeling that she had, but she just simply could not. It was something that could only be felt and not placed into words. Her lips parted as she yawned and her right arm lifted to place over her eyes. The room itself was dark, which is probably why she liked it so much. It also reminded her of her cave out into the wilds and often she had dreamt about it, of running wild once more.

Drawing in a slow breath, the young wolf exhaled after a moment’s pause. She hated the fact that she needed to recuperate, to lay around and pick her weight back up. When she had last been half starving, she had been a year old pup and a wolf pack took her in and fed her. That was when she had been a pup, now she wasn’t so much a pup and she didn’t like feeling as if she was weak. A huff fell upon her lips then as she slowly removed her arm from across her face so then she could peer at the only other piece of furniture within the room, the arm chair that her Master sat within whenever he was in this room. She had wanted to go out with her master to show him that she was fine, that she could protect him, but her safety was her priority. He had told her that, but she still did not understand how her safety could be her priority when her Master was her priority. The wolf listened to the room, it was silent which was how she liked it, but she could hear voices from beyond the door. Although it was soft, she could have sworn that she heard Arienette’s voice as she tried to speak to someone that kept cutting her off.

Another yawn parted her lips as she slowly moved to slide her legs off of the couch so then she could push herself up into a sitting position. Honestly, the kelvic hoped that the person talking to Arienette, would get the hint that their Master was not currently home. However, the moment that she moved to stand, the door to the room seemed to burst open and her gaze snapped to the doorway to spy a man standing there. The man most definitely did not look like her master; instead he had blonde hair and blue eyes. Redd was tempted to growl at the man, but she held back, with some effort. He was trespassing, trespassing into her Master’s home. ”Master Miro is not here.” She had to hold back the temptation to growl her words at the man. This was her Master’s home and he had no right to just walk into it. She lifted her chin a little higher as she prepared to defend it.

Word Count620

[Venser Rush]

"I am quite aware."

Master.

That was what the woman had called Miro. Two slaves in a single building, both bidden to Miro's will even when the man was not in the room. A smirk cast upon his lips as he heard the inkling of defense in her tone. In fact, the entire thing sounded very feral and aggressive for such a woman. There was something very off about her, and as the Rush twin cast his gaze upon her face. Her hair was a strange array of colours, unlike most humans which clung to only one. Dye? It was possible, and thus Venser ignored it. It was, however, when the woman spoke that he noted the elongated teeth. Paired with her tone and the strength of her gaze, Venser was taken back to when he had challenged the wolf. The hazy breath of Winter's attack cling furiously in his mind, and though Venser could not be sure, the woman was perhaps more feral than he had initially thought.

A Kelvic, perhaps?

He entertained the thought for a moment before casting it aside. His gaze cast itself about the room for a moment, taking in the rather rich air of the place before Venser decided to abandon his interest in destroying Miro's property, for just a moment. There was a far greater prize before him that he could seize and send his message to Miro in that way. Given the opportunity, it was simply the most practical move to pull. Most easily understood. And unlike the first slave, this one was not quite as innocent. Fierce and aggressive in both stance and word, she presented an enemy to Venser that he would very willingly take.

"In any case, Miro never told me that he had so many slaves! Very, very interesting. Has he given you a name, slave? Or is your identity sunken and gone just like the cold, wretched soul of the spawn that has purchased you?"

The smirk grew ever wider, the Rush clenching his fist as he took a step forwardf towards the possible Kelvic slave. He felt the grim fury setting itself again in his mind, the cold smirk growing upon his features. He decided to look upon the slave's aura. To familiarize himself with her was a good step, for if she was to become a sacrifice to his anger with Miro, there was perhaps a need to know a sliver of her story, as well.

Djed welled within the Rush twin as he cast his gaze upon her. Keeping alert to the situation, the energy gathered at his eyes. A crimson flared surged from the woman, her aura manifesting as a cloak upon her body. Upon her form, several flickers of history were present, scars upon her form that could perhaps attribute to the grand totaling of her tale, but there was little reason to pursue what would possibly take chimes or even bells of analysis to come to fruition. Instead, he decided to keep the marks in mind. He had seen a ring about her ankle's aura, akin to bite marks. It went with the theory, and it spoke of some sort of subjugation. Venser decided to take a guess, smirking again as he said,

"Once a beta, always a beta, eh, slave? The wolf is there in you, but never the alpha. Even a wolf with the mind of a man cannot overcome the savagery of the wild, it seems. How... pathetic."

Derisive laughter filled the air as the Rush twin cast his gaze upon the form of the Kelvic. It was a guess more than anything else, and possibly quite humiliating if he was mistaken, but all of the evidence pointed to her being a Kelvic. Venser painted the story in his mind. Her wolfish savagery, her pointed canine teeth, the lack of warmth or human life in her speech. She was feral, and thus, she was inferior. Inferior for showing her feral presence.

in distinct ways, all sentient souls are barbaric and feral. We pretend to act civilized. We pretend to be different from the animals that we separate ourselves from, but we are not. We feel their hunger, their pain. Our emotions are elevated and with them, as are our fears and our base, innate corruption.

Sentience does not extract the feral mind of the wild, but transforms it into a hidden, cruel irony that baits upon the mind. It is the intelligent that learn to hide their feral nature. It is the more intelligent that learn to utilize it while also proving themselves to be civil.

A grin materialized upon Venser's features as he finished speaking, actively baiting the Kelvic into being more aggressive with him. As civil as Venser claimed to be, his rage was not contained. It couldn't be, for to contain it was to poison himself and subject himself to the cruel experiment of emotion. That was unacceptable.

Words: 823

[Redd]

 
Redd angled her head slightly to the right as the man mentioned that he didn’t realize that Miro had so many slaves. Many? There was only her and Arienette that she knew of. To her, she felt that that wasn’t exactly something that she could call many, especially if she compared it to the wolf pack that she had once ran with. He asked about her name and the corners of her lips twitched, the young wolf was tempted to give him a false name, especially considering that he had insulted her Master. Her Master was not cold, he had saved her, saved her from starvation and was caring for her. He had freed her, freed her from the collar that had been locked around her neck. Her neck had only just recently healed from the bruising that had once adorned it, but she was still skinny, only slightly managing to put on some weight since that fateful day upon the streets. The young wolf lightly bit down upon her bottom lip, she wanted to avoid piercing the skin there as she was prone to do, so of course her bite would be light. How could she get this man out of her Master’s house without shedding blood? She didn’t think that Miro would appreciate blood staining his floor, well, she didn’t think so seeing as this was the room that he liked to conduct his business in.

The kelvic was just about to tell him to leave when he seemed to speak once again and she couldn’t help the small growl that reached her lips. She had missed the fact that he had taken a step forwards and her gaze slid down along his form to view his clenched fists. She too took a step forwards, another growl upon her lips as she spoke, ”You know nothing human, nothing.” The wolf made sure to put an emphasis on the word nothing, because she truly felt as if he didn’t. She had not met him till now and he was assuming things, things about her being a beta and never an alpha. Indeed, she had never led a pack herself, even though she fought and struggled to keep above the game, but now she found herself serving a Master, her Master Miro. Serving once again and never did she have any rule over her own actions, they were always governed by the rules of others. Rules of a pack or the rules of a master. It was then that she stopped, it wasn’t as if her serving someone wasn’t of her own choosing. Her Master had offered her a way out and instead she had chosen to serve him.

Finally a scoff descend upon her lips, her chin lifting once again in that defiance that she possessed against those that she did not particularly like. ”You know nothing human. Wolves look out for each other, you humans are too busy stabbing each other in the back. As for my position, I chose to be in the position that I now stand in.” The woman couldn’t help but growl out the last sentence as her hazel hues glared at the male that seemed to dare her with those mocking blue eyes of his. However, something within told her to hold back, she didn’t know his strength and she didn’t want to rush into a fight with him. Her master was not here, so he wasn’t in direct danger, however, this man was trespassing and so she would have to deal with it… Somehow. ”Now, I suggest you leave,” She growled softly in hopes that it would make this stranger back down and walk away. Redd didn’t want to have to disobey her Master, but there was only so much that she would take before she bit back.

Word Count636

[Venser Rush]

It was laughable that a Kelvic could hope to call him ignorant. The words that Venser spoke, however, obviously struck their cord. A derisive laugh escaped the blonde's lips as he stepped forward again. Venser's right arm would go limp as he drained the djed from it, siphoning dhed from the depths of his soul. The siphoned djed acted as a magnet, pulling the residual djed within Venser's right bicep and tricep. The larger quantity of djed pooled into his shoulder, the strength of his right bicep flowing into his tricep. He sought to build the strength in it and by using it, quell the false confidence that Miro's mastership supplied her. She likely felt protected, sheltered from the world outside. However, Venser Rush was by no means on the outside. He was an acquaintance of Miro. He had made his way into the Foundation of the Elemental Mind. The Kelvic was in far more danger than perhaps she realized, and as Venser closed the distance between himself and the Kelvic, Venser decided to strike.

The Flux increased the speed of his hand as it lashed upwards and forward. The Flux was never obvious to the common person. Most believed magic to be some sort of mystical force extruding from the body. And only Reimancy, to Venser's knowledge, was like that. Reimancy had challenged the Rush twin's knowledge of djed, but in the moment, it mattered for naught. He struck forward, intent on striking the Kelvic's face with his knuckles. Speed and power combined into one as the djed from Venser's right arm surged within his left, djed utilization minimized to avoid strain but implemented for the largest possible impact that he could muster. He wanted her to hurt.

And even if the Rush twin missed, he would speak, caring little as to the damage the Kelvic may or may not have suffered.

"I?! I know nothing? Pitiful, ignorant slave. You speak as if the beast could ever hope to be equal to a man. Words mean nothing without the power to support them. What are you? A beast wearing the flesh of a woman. A corpse devoid of life. None can walk the true existence without what Miro and I have! Without what we know! You know nothing of what he did."

The Kelvic had failed to answer any of his questions. It had failed to act as a slave should and be obedient. And most of all, it had failed to act as the sacrifice to Venser's rage. No, it had only magnified it. The Rush twin momentarily lost the desire to harm Miro and was instead struck with the incessant, consuming desire to teach the slave before him a lesson in humility. A lesson Venser had learned from Miro not once, but twice. Pain was the only master that could teach one the true breadth of their powerlessness. And thus, the Rush twin siphoned the excess djed from his arm, taking several ticks to send the djed back to its proper placement within his body.

The power began to set in. The feeling of incredible, unstoppable power that the Flux supplied. His heart beat erratically in his chest, the thud thus pounding through his head. He felt activated. He felt alive in the way thst only magic could truly supply. His eyes widened, crystalline blue irises and white sclera wide, the sclera spidered with red as the Rush twin's rage culminated, boiling over and producing an adrenaline rush that was only amplified by the Flux's 'trance.' The slave had offered herself up to Venser's rage by interfering and she was to pay for her transgression.

The Rush twin stared down the Kelvic, eager to taste the blood of victory.

Count: 622.

[Redd]

Redd had not seen the strike coming, nor had she expected it when he had approached her, almost closing the distance between them. It was mostly because she was so used to humans being so scared of her, however, instead this man didn’t seem at all scared. His strike came fast and before she knew it, pain lanced through the left side of her face, across her left cheek. Her head snapped to her right and she stumbled back a couple of steps, her left hand rising to cover the left side of her now throbbing face. He hit her, he actually hit her. It was a shock of some kind, as her hazel eyes were suddenly wide with the shock that radiated from her whole being. The young wolf doubled over, her hand continued to cover the left side of her cheek, his words echoing inside of her head while she remained silent. However, one word continued to echo inside of her head even after he had stopped talking. Beast… It was a word that continuously followed her throughout her life, the word chased her, accused her and made sure that there was no way that she could ever be what most people wanted her to be. They wanted her to be normal when she was a beast.

Slowly the fingers of her left hand would begin to dig the nails into her very own cheek, doubling the pain that throbbed there. She closed her hazel hues as a partial memory flashed on the back of her eye lids. Her mother screaming as the club came down upon her two month old pup form, "Get out you mongrel beast! GET OUT!" It had been the start of the never ending cycle. When the wolves had found out that she was not completely wolf, they too had chased her off. She did not belong in either world, because in both worlds she was a beast of some kind. Beast… I am a beast, she silently told herself as her nails continued to bite into the left side of her face, the throbbing pain doubling because of this. ”Beast…” She finally whispered, a frown creasing her forehead. Why would her Master want a beast? Why would he care for a beast? Feed the beast? A rage began to boil within herself, a rage that was akin to the pain that she felt with each stinging rejection. A pain that haunted her dreams at night.

A soft growl finally began to work its way to her lips as her gaze opened to reveal those hazel hues of hers, but instead of shock, anger filled them. ”You want to see a beast do you?” She finally growled as she slowly began to straighten up her form, her head still bowed for a moment, her gaze focused upon the floor until she finally looked up at the blonde man, except he was a little different. The whites of his eyes had begun to spider with the colour of red, but she wasn’t sure if that was because she was seeing things from the anger that boiled within her or if that was all him. Her top lip peeled back to reveal her elongated canines as she snarled at him. ”Fine, I’ll show you a beast, I’ll show you a beast that craves for the blood that pumps through those veins of yours.” Blood… The beast inside did crave for that sweet liquid, it also craved for death and if she had it her way, she was going to kill him if she could. With another snarl, she leaped at him, pushing back on her right foot to power her form forwards. Her left hand pulled away from her face and she reached out to attempt to grasp his shirt with both hands, her teeth and attention aimed for that sweet spot at the neck.

Word Count650

[Venser Rush]

There was no fear in the Flux.

The djed, though static now, whirled through Venser's mind. Hastened as the heart beat was, his mind was equally as quick. Time seemed to slow, the breath upon his lips rapid, his body intaking the oxygen needed to fuel the surges of adrenaline coursing through him. He was by no means released. He did not move with the speed that Miro had in their battle. He did nothave the dexterity of the undead, but he felt power flowing through him. And he reveled in it.

A laugh escaped the Rush twin's lips as the filthy mutt continued to speak. She took on the monicker of the beast and threatened to release it. Yet, she did not transform. Venser had half-expected it, almost going so far as to adjust his posture for her shifting, but when she did not, he straightened himself. He did not feel the need to pull upon his djed. He saw the motion of her body as if it were slowed, his heartbeat slowing as the battle trance of the Flux set upon him. However, it was then that he allowed the djed to flow once again. Drawn from his soul, Venser Rush allowed the Flux to siphon djed from his right arm to his left again. His right arm fell limp at his side, Venser's body turning slightly as Redd grabbed hold of his shirt.

She had said she was to release the beast. A wolf did not fight with claws, but with their teeth, and thus, he expected the strike. As Redd set her sights on his neck, Venser thrust his head forward, leaning his body's weight into the motion as he met her face with the crown of his head. Pain, dull and forgotten in the Flux, welled in his forehead, but Venser was not done. The djed was powerfully gathered in his striking arm Venser swiveled on the spot and raised his left arm. The strength surged through the limb, his palm open and flat as he struck forth at her. He aimed for her chest, intent on striking her core, though the result ultimately did not matter. Not a moment passed before he raised his hand, utilizing the residual djed left within his arm to bring it forth, intent on wrapping his fingers about her throat.

And then, he would speak, the last transfer of djed bringing his body back to balance. If his fingers did coil about her throat, he would apply pressure and he spoke regardless of the result,

"You speak of the beast as if you truly believe yourself to be one. Pitiful, worthless. A being lacking of power in any way. In whichever skin, this form is nothing more than a lie. You are neither beast nor man, but an insect unworthy of walking at the feet of your Gods-damned Master. At the very least, he has power. He deserves his place above mine. And you,"

If able, Venser's grip would tighten around Redd's throat, a harsh laugh cast from his lips as he continued,

"Will learn yours."

The Rush twin was disgusted by the animalistic display. She was brave, to say the least. She was loyal, something Venser could have respected in any other scenario. But his desire to see this pathetic shell suffer changed his perception of the event. He saw her as grasping at straws, pathetically clinging to a life in the skin of a woman. Clinging to hide away from the despair of her meaningless existence. A doll, a meaningless, diverting slave that Miro kept as a toy. Without purpose and without use. She was nothing more or less than the insect he had titled her to be.

Venser felt his mind begin to clear as the effects of the Flux faded away. Deep, burning pain materialized within the muscles of his left arm, Venser feeling the muscles twang under the strength of his grip. He needed to calm down and allow his left side reprieve. He still had access to his djed, and his right side. Weaker, but suitable, Venser Rush was confident in his ability to proceed.

For the moment.

Count: 693.

[Redd]

Redd’s fingers surprisingly found their grasp upon the man’s shirt and they tightened like a vice upon it. She had honestly been expecting him to use his quick speed against her, but no, the only thing that indicated that he was going to attempt anything, was the slight turning of his body. She didn’t waste any time to lunge for the throat, her lips parting as she prepared to bite. A bite of which did not happen for something hard connected with her forehead and more splitting pain was sent through her head. Her fingers gripped onto the man’s shirt tightly as she tried to hold on the world around her. It literally felt as if her skull had been cracked open with something incredibly hard. She would have leaned in to the male so then to stop herself from falling backwards, but her body swayed slightly to the left when she felt another blow. Although this one was to the right side of her rib-cage and pain, familiar pain of those ribs breaking again, sparked a cry which parted her lips. She then careened forwards, her knees no longer able to keep her standing. However, just as her grip upon his shirt loosened and fell, she felt something wrap around her throat.

The only other thing that had been wrapped around her throat before, had been a collar, a collar that her Master had set her free from. Now, something else was wrapped around her throat and she struggled to breath normally, for pain… pain was everywhere. It honestly felt as if her body was being broken, piece by slow piece. Pressure was applied and she recognized it as a hand around her throat, the stranger had a hand wrapped around her throat. Slowly he was cutting off her air supply and her pained breathing, turned into pained gasps as whimpers fell upon her lips while she lifted her left hand to grasp at the wrist of the man. The man was talking again… He was? She silently questioned as she listened, barely able to pay too much attention while she struggled for breath, breath that was being cut off by the hand that grasped at her neck. A tiny voice, in the back of her mind laughed with the man as he mentioned about her learning her place. Place? She didn’t have one. She hadn’t had one in a long time and even though she gasped for even the smallest amount of air and although her head felt as if it had been split in two, she just couldn’t help herself.

”Pl… Place?” A pained wince crossed over her facial features as pain lanced up her side. It felt like more broken ribs to her. ”I… I ha… have… Her words cut off as she struggled to breath with only the wisps of oxygen that the she was able to get. Soon it wouldn’t be enough and she could already feel what little strength she had, begin to fail her. ”I h…have… n…no p…place.” The young wolf finally choked out as she dug the nails of her left hand into his wrist. It hurt, it hurt to move and it hurt to breathe in what little oxygen she could manage. Her head felt as if it had been split in two and it hurt to talk. She had held out at first, she had told herself when the man had first barged into the room to not engage him and it seemed as if her instincts had been right. However, her blood had boiled when he had hit her and now, now it seemed as if he was going to choke her to death. A lone wolf in life and a lone wolf in death, she thought to herself as she felt her conscious slipping.

Word Count637

[Venser Rush]

There was no regret in the Flux.

The Rush twin felt the woman's chest decompress against his fist when he had struck her. He relished in the weakening of her pulse as he wrested the oxygen from her body. Scarcely able to breathe, most likely suffering from internal bleeding from the broken bones, the slave was likely not going to forget who her better was. Satisfaction curled his lips into a wry grin as he felt her vocal cords wheeze against his fingers, the slave intent on speaking words and perhaps shortening her life all the more. However, her last act of defiance against what he had said to her intrigued him. Venser did not intend to kill the slave. He never had. Death released one from the pain that their broken, worthless body could withstand. Death released one from the worries of the world and the consistent, present fear of having your betters in one's vicinity. No, Venser never intended to kill the Kelvic. He meant to, as he had stated, show her her place.

As her movements slowed against him, her last, weak attempt to clutch at his wrist drawing blood and cutting flesh, Venser cut off the pressure. He loosened his grip around her throat, but as the woman began to sift through states of consciousness, Venser became concerned about whether or not she was going to fall over. Venser had no intention of picking her up from the floor, and thus, he decided to act. A wall stood to Venser's left side, the Rush twin releasing his grip upon the woman's neck and clutching, instead, both of her shoulders. He swung his body to the left, usinh the momentum to throw Redd. He wondered if he measured the distance well enough and if her body would cooperate, but it was irrelevant.

He would not catch up with her.

Venser felt his arm seizing up from the effects of the Flux, a twang felt as a muscle pulled itself, the Rush twin gritting his teeth to the point where he drew blood. A drop fell from between his lips, pain cast upon his mind as he stepped forward to meet with the woman. The impact from repeated use of the Flux had struck him, and he was glad that he had stopped using it. There was no need to just yet. He would preserve his djed for another time. Rather, Venser Rush reached down to his waist, undoing the clip that suspended his punch daggers, retrieving one of the weapons and curling his right hand around it, clenching it tightly as he stepped forward and moved to his fallen adversary.

"We all have a place. And yours is on the floor, groveling beneath your superior. The black sun upon your hand marks you as a slave, that is a place. Your broken body marks you as my inferior, for I have given that place to you. Now, stand."

The command fell from his lips with a sneer, his fist clenching all the more tightly around his punch dagger. A fatal weapon when invoking the use of the Flux, the punch dagger was ordinarily seen as a worthless toy. However, Venser had learned from experience that it simply was not the case. If Redd obeyed his command, he would allow her to stand and again move forward to close the distance. If not, then he would kneel to her. The punch dagger suspended over her right eye in either scenario, hovering just an inch from her retina as the Rush twin whispered to her,

"This. This is the consequence for attempting to violate your placement. For attempting to strike at a hand that is greater than yours. Pay for your penance. I will allow you to choose what you pay with."

A smirk cast again upon Venser Rush's lips at the bitter irony of the situation. Even a slave was allowed to make their choices. Enslavement merely narrowed the choices down.

Count: 663.

[Redd]

Redd felt the hand release its pressure from around her throat and she gasped in mouthfuls of air. Pain stabbed its way along her right side as both worked to gasp in the sweet oxygen that she had been denied. The rush made her head throb more, but she didn’t care, for she could finally breathe. She never really knew just how much that she had taken for granted the access to that sweet oxygen. Only twice had she almost strangled herself and that was through her own doing, this time however, it hadn’t been and she had feared for her life. She felt the hand move to her shoulder, another hand also grasped at her other shoulder and she wondered, what is he going to do to her now? Is this the price that she paid for submitting to only one master? Suddenly her body was thrown to her right and she felt her back slam against a wall. Her head smacked against it before her knees refused to keep her standing and they gave out, her body falling to the ground in a pained heap. Pain… It was all she felt right at that moment. It was everywhere and she wondered, just how far would he go and how much more pain could she take before she passed out.

The man commanded her to stand and she realized that he was not finished with her yet. Pain may be coursing through her body, but she glared up at him with a growl. Hate coursed throughout her being and she forced her body to work, to move despite the pain that was being coursed throughout her body. She would not lie down in the face of her adversary, no she would stand and face him until her legs would no longer hold her or until she was dead. Using the wall as some sort of lean, she forced her legs back underneath herself and slowly she moved to stand her legs quaking with the effort. Soft growls were upon her lips as she finally pressed her back against the wall, only for the man to close the distance, the sharp pointed end of what appeared to be a small dagger hovering just over her right eyeball. Slowly, her gaze trailed up along his arm and something caught her eye. A bracelet that appeared to be made out of fur and she sniffed, it smelled like… Like… Wolf, her mind finally echoed and her top lip pulled back in a silent growl.

This was not good, she finally decided as her gaze finally met the eyes of the man that whispered to her. She never once thought that her life would ever be pain free, nor did she ever believe that she would ever find peace, but this was not how she thought that her day would turn out. He was giving her a choice and she didn’t want to choose anything, she would rather die and she simply remained silent, refusing to please the man with any answer. The only thing that she could do at the moment was glare, glare at the man that had made this day turn south. She swore, if she ever got the chance that she would return the favour to the man, but instead of keeping him alive to pay her back afterwards, she would kill him. When she killed him, she would make sure to bathe in his blood, to enjoy the taste as her tongue was coated in that crimson liquid. The young wolf swore to herself that she would continue to live and one day she would exact her revenge, she would kill this man and she would enjoy it. For only this man’s death, would set her free from the darkness that would soon cloud her mind and haunt her gaze.

Word Count642