Closed I Just Want to See You (Dor'gen)

[Tara Kenja]

Aquillar Hot Springs
88th of Fall, 514 AV
Morning

Her nights were almost restless. Whether they were filled with words she should have said or things she should have done at the party. Even though she took a healthy intake of the Hangover Tonic it would not curve the butterflies that would refuse to cease flutter in the depths of her stomach. Curled around in the warmth of her fur and hay Tara sat, chin deep in thought. All she could think of was the possible bad effects of these emotions. It could get in the way of her work!

But she did not question the feelings. She was afraid that if she did than there was some little details she missed that would wreck her heart. It has been done once and it could happen again, never did she have mixed feelings about oncoming emotions. Though she did not like sitting in the dark, maybe it was for the best. Shifting out of her tigress form, she got up and began to walk.

She paced continuously in her den. Was she to go into the starving city to see Dor'gen, an Akalak she was having feelings for, feelings she could not yet understand, or stay in the safety of her den and see if there was any rotting animal carcass near by that she could snatch for dinner. Bare feet slapped the surface of the cooled rock as she moved back and forth. Wasting her time and energy walking to and fro. That was it, she could not not go to see him. She quickly grabbed her pack and filled it with her properly folded cloths and a pair of her flexible boots.

Shifting Tara gently grabbed the bag's handle, it was a wonder it had not been chew apart already. There was evidence of large teeth marks in the material. Going through her back exit, her pink nostrils continuously flared as she expected to catch wind of some larger predator than her. Not one day did she spend in her own home not worrying about who or what was going to attack her next. Everything that enjoyed the taste of flesh was out to get you. Safety was a hard thing to guarantee in the wilderness.

Her tail twitched behind her. All she could think of for the past few days was the Quay and ever many thing that went on. Emotions were bubbling and boiling every tick. It was certainly a first memorable party for the Kelvic. The dead fallen leaves beneath her weight crunched loudly. Since it was early in the morning there was only a little chirp from a bird here and a bird there.

Her large ears twitched as they were filled with the short but sweet music. Between her jaws hung her leather backpack. Containing a change of clothing and a pair of boots for when she gets close enough to the city. Tara could never be safe in her human form with her lack of physical defence skills and no knowledge of weapons. Her best chance at making it into Sunberth without her demise would be to travel in her tiger form.

Before she knew it, she was right outside of Sunberth. She stopped, shifted and dressed herself properly. Clicking the chain around her throat Tara began to walk towards the southern hills. The only way she knew how to actually get to this cities hot springs. Faces pasted her with quick feet. No one stopped to talk or even look around. Everyone seemed so lifeless and dead, the starvation would have probably played a large contributor.

Yet again, it was Sunberth. What would you expect? It was a relief to come face to face with the small stone building once more. Dor'gen had brought her to these heated springs but every time it felt foreign. She was more keen and used to bathing in the cooled fresh water in her den. Not this steamy public bath.

Upon entering the establishment there was a gentle silence, a break from the outside chaos. Respectively Tara paid the male owner. As she let go of the coin it was as though she didn't want to. Money was almost everything if not everything. Tara could feel the heat and steam already. The bath house was practically empty, though there was one elderly man in the very back.

You could practically hear his deafening snoring from the door. Silently she removed herself from the confinements of her fabric clothing and shifted. There was no one there to witness it and she kept it quite. The steam was so thick but she knew exactly where she was walking. Her paw steps slapped the small puddles of water outside of the springs. First thing she did was go over and examine the turtles that swam mindlessly in circles, never questioning where they were or what they were doing.

Dim witted bliss. Carefully she lowered her nose onto the turtle's shell. Taking in a whole mixture of scents. Immediately they snapped into their shells and so did Tara. Backing away from them she slid into the water. It's heat was strangely relaxing.

Her muscles were tense and even if Dor'gen didn't show up, this was just what she needed right now. Though she wouldn't mind his company, in fact it is what drove her here in the first place. Tara's paws swatted the water beneath her as she swam around only for a tick. Getting officially comfortable in the water. Once confident enough, the Kelvic shifted into her human form. Keeping a close eye on her leather bag.

[Dor'gen]

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Pain.

There were certain expectations which came with the title of mercenary. First amongst these was coming to terms with the fact that death was a near certainty. In exchange for a regular sum of coin, mercenaries had to understand that a job could go wrong at any moment. For some, this terrifying reality was enough to dissuade participation in the occupation. However, there were those who took solace in knowing that their demise would come about in a manner of their choosing. In their eyes, life could be extinguished at some unknown point in the future...or it could conclude in a manner of their choosing. For the towering Akalak known as Dor'gen, this fact was actually attractive and served as the bridge to introduce him to life as a Sellsword.

However, just as the former soldier came to terms with the fact that his life could end during any job, he also understood that injuries were commonplace. Although he had been a resident within the sordid city for just almost a season, Dor'gen was now well versed in the lifestyle of a mercenary. He had seen, time and time again, injuries befall comrades. Some were minor and could simply be shrugged off...whilst others were near-fatal. These either permanently ensured that the poor sod in question either died hours in the future or never lifted a blade again. Fortunately, the Akalak had yet to be met with such ill-fate...but this day, he had received an injury. By his estimation, the wound was nothing to be overly concerned about...

...Yet the magnification of his pain seemed to question that train of thought.

The tale of this unfortunate twist of fate began during the earliest hours of the morning. Having risen at an hour well prior to his norm, Dor'gen was beyond tired...and was also one grumpy petcher. The point of his abandonment of slumber's sweet embrace was so that he might earn his daily wage through selling his prowess. His customer for the morning was an unremarkable man and the goal of the venture was seemingly unremarkable as well. In fact, the whole of Dor'gen's mission revolved around retreaving his client's daughter from the company of an unpleasant suitor. Although these sort of "disputes" were typically beneath the Akalak, the promise of his typical wage and the heartfelt pleas of the father led Dor'gen to agree...begrudgingly.

However, upon arriving at the specified location, Dor'gen soon found out that a great deal of effort was in store.

The target was affiliated with some minor gang...and the residence in question was their "regular haunt." Although there were only a total of five men to worry about, the Akalak had learned the hard way that urban combat did not match that of jungle warfare. Centuries of experience were all but useless amongst the alleyways and walls of stone. However, Dor'gen did as he was paid to do. The insuing chaos saw two of them men killed and a third incapacitated before the Akalak managed to retreave the "package." However, the battle did not see the giant unscathed, for a stray blow of the sword added a new gash to his face...and being tackled through a table didn't help. Now sore and bleeding, Dor'gen happily received his payment for the venture before electing to return to his "home".

The voyage across the breadth of Sunberth was indeed unremarkable, yet Dor'gen's focus was not upon the journey itself. With each passing moment, the stinging of his face began to grow more and more intense. In fact, by the time he arrived at the Aquillar Hot Springs, the pain had grown to the point where he could no longer bear to keep his left eye open. Little did Dor'gen know that rust was a prevalent element upon the blade he had been stricken with; and now the remnants of the oxidized metal resided in his skin. Yet, despite this lack of knowledge, the Akalak had a touch of common sense. His intention quickly shifted from a desire to collapse in bed upon arrival...to taking a dip in the Hot Springs. This bath, hopefully, would allow him to wash out the wound and relieve himself of whatever caused the pain.

With this new goal firmly at the front of his mind, Dor'gen briskly entered the establishment and made for his personal quarters. Having already rented the space for the whole of Fall, the Akalak had the key to his room at the ready and promptly admitted himself within. His armor and armanents were immediately shed, followed by the totality of his garments. From there, he clothed himself simply in a tower and seized a handful of coin so that he might pay for his dip within the community springs. As each passing tick only brought about more and more pain, Dor'gen practically jogged through the corridor until he arrived at its conclusion. Coin was deposited into the hand of the waiting, elderly attendant before he slid open the rearmost door.

A wall of steam and heat greeted the towering man, encouraging him to squint against the white. Waving his hand ever so slightly, Dor'gen made his way to the edge of the water. Now that he was, essentially, down to one squinting eye, he did not see that there was a mass of orange and white fur wading in the rear of the Hot Spring. As such, deluded into thinking that he were alone, the Akalak simply dropped his towel and stepped within; not caring that he had exposed himself to the world. This "display" did not last long, however, for long strides bore him directly into the waters. Having become used to the temperature of the Aquillar Hot Springs, Dor'gen did not feel the need to test the waters before stepping in. Almost immediately, a small sigh of satisfaction escaped the Akalak as he waded into the blissful heat...

...But all the bliss in the world was abandoned when the pain reared its ugly head.

Immediately, Dor'gen made a splash by dunking his head into the water. His hands then furiously rubbed upon his face in an attempt to cleanse the gash from whatever made it hurt so bad. In all honesty, he hoped that the heat of the Springs would also work to dull the pain altogether; just as it did for his aching muscles in the past. However, the pain did not minimize at all...and Dor'gen resurfaced with a huff. At least, now, the sting had localized to the gash itself and Dor'gen could bear to open his eyes. Upon wiping away the stray waters and blinking rather furiously, he noticed that he was indeed not alone. There were turtles, of course...and an old man way to the back...but there was also a tiger. At once, his heart skipped a beat, for thoughts of Firenze invaded his mind immediately.

Yet, upon closer inspection...there was something different about this tiger. No, this wasn't his Firenze...and if it wasn't her, there was only one other tigeress that he knew. Despite the pain, the Akalak adopted a warm smile and spoke with a gentle tone. "Well this is certainly a surprise, Tara...Good morning."

Word Count1,077
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