Closed [GST]The Drawbacks of Being a Bad Father (Firenze)

[Pulren Marsh]

45th of Winter, AV 515

As the snow gently and steadily fell on the fields of Syliras, a splatter of snot and spittle exploded on the ground, green and bloody in stark contrast to the soft white of the season around it. Footsteps crunched through the snow as a man in a woolen overcoat passed through the great gates of the city in not so straight a line, his pace hurried and his eyes full of fire. A stream of grumbled, ranting violence spilled from his mouth much like the bottles of alcohol had spilled across his lips once he found that his quarry had taken off. he paid little attention to the patrols. They frankly weren't overly concerned over a drunken citizen who was angry. He was unarmed, save for the bottle he carried and the hate in his heart. He was no threat to the Knights.

Firenze, however, was another matter entirely. His footfalls crunched through the snow as his voice grated through a throat that had seen too much smoke and drink. "Petchin bitch....like her mother...shiftin to animals and runnin the wilds....ruttin with others of their kind..Yeah, I know you liked it, gettin it on with that damned Kelvic bastard...you jus wait, ye little bitch...." He had been summoned from his bar stool by a neighbor, not over the disappearance of sweet Fire, but because his door was standing wide open and snow could be seen in his room from outside. That alone was more than enough to send the violent drunkard over the edge as it was. When he found that door wide open and the mass of ropes she had been freed from, it was all he could do to keep his mind right and not seek her death. he locked up, making sure she couldn't return for anything and then went back to the bar for some more stewing.

Once he was significantly stoked by the pokers of the other bar denizens, all with their own reasons to urge someone on to violence rather than face anything on their own, Vinicus had decided that he was going to find Fire and get her to come back. She could come back quietly and nicely or not, but she would come back or she would die out there in the woods with her Kelvic ilk. A fresh bottle and he was on his way, the rage inside of him fueling his motions almost as much as the caustic liquid sloshing around in his gut. A sideward glance to any patrols became slowly more needless as the remnants of civilization began to dwindle. Most with any sense about them were staying near or inside the castle and its protective walls as the snow continued to fall relentlessly.

His cheeks rosy with the elements of ice without and fire within, Vinicus sneered at the very landscape as his eyes combed the snowbanks for tiger tracks. Not like he had any clue what they would look like any way, his mind traveled and wandered over the contours of her face and even her body as his rage burned and twisted inside of him. He knew she would be out here somewhere. He just had to convince her to come back with him, as friend or as foe. Made little difference.

"Firenze!"

[Firenze]

Finger slipping under the cold metal of the collar it shifted around underneath and along her neck against the irritated skin. Being in the wild without being able to transform was more terrifying than she’d originally thought it would be. Honestly, she hadn’t thought about it at all until she was outside the city and spent a few hours trekking out. Her surroundings were unfamiliar and it had taken her quite a while to figure out which direction she’d even taken.

It was chillier than expected after leaving the wind block of the city walls. She’d managed to find an area with a decent cover and gotten a fire started. The heat of the flames struggled to push past the wood in the pile. She sat as close as she dared, hands and fingers rubbed together to generate warmth. Glancing around, surveying the area, she realized that she’d need to come up with a plan. Figuring out the next move was her objective. Where to go? How far could she make it?

A trickle of fear sat in her chest. The city was not an option as the man she’d just fled from would be there. The wilds were not promising as she wasn’t familiar with the area and didn’t know what lurked beyond. Night had proven that as strange calls had come while she’d lain next to the ever hungry fire underneath the large cloak she’d stolen. Not wanting the fire too large to attract unwanted attention she’d fought much needed sleep as she slowly monitored the flames until dawn.

Once it seemed as though there might be some illusion of safety she’d dozed off for a few hours once Syna’s light had begun to filter through the tree tops. Now she was awake, hungry and in need of movement. Staying in one place too long was going to cause issues and it was becoming more aware as the sun rose further into the sky.

Standing she stretched out the ache in her muscles and bones, a popping resounding from her knees. Bending at the waist she tried to reach as far to her toes as possible and then stood, grabbing hands together and leaning back with arms stretched. A large yawn formed an O with her lips as her tongue curled, eyes squinting. Drawing in a deep breath, twisting at the waist back and forth, she released it slow and tried to shake the sleep from her foggy mind.

Eyes were drawn to the fading camp, a heavy boot stomped it out. A bird chirped and twittered loudly from somewhere behind her. Listening to the song fade her feet taking her further out into the trees. Other birds who’d stuck around for winter replaced the singing of the ones before as she walked, eyes scanning the floor and trees.

Fire jumped and stopped in her tracks as another sound joined the euphonious singing. It sounded like a dog’s cry but she wasn’t going to stick around and find out; figuring it would probably be best to be out of the area as soon as possible. Direction shifted as she turned from the howl and moved towards a thinned area in the trees, the wind now carrying fat flakes.

The road wasn’t far off, just past the tree line, a few hundred meters in front of her. It wasn’t the place she wanted to be incase someone she didn’t want to encounter came down it. However, keeping it in her sights could be beneficial should she see a caravan, like the one traveled on to Syliras, that might take her away from the city limits. Perhaps even back to Zeltiva.

Others | Firenze | Thoughts

[Pulren Marsh]

The crunch of his shoes was nearly the only sound in the forest, occassionally accompanied by the glug of fresh booze down the gullet. The man's thoughts grated against the stone of his mind, his anger strong enough to suggest that it wasn't breath vapor but actual steam coming from his mouth and nose as he stomped through the snow. Seeing a suitable stump, he stopped and put his bottle down on it, pulling out some tobacco and a paper. His expert fingers and tongue put the work in until he had a smoke ready to go. A tindertwig was produced from his inside pocket on which he firmly pressed against the piece of flint in his pocket. Soon he puffed away at the smoke, a gob of spit landing in the snow near the stump as he scanned the forest for her.

Fortunately this was no hunter. The most hunting Vinicus had ever done was for a bottle with a swig left in it in his house. Without the protection of cities, he was actually rather vulnerable out in the wilds. He just didn't give a shyke. The world was going to be his oyster if he had to slam a boot knife into it and pry every pearl free, ready or not. While he stood there, he took the time to empty his bladder against the stump and secure the strap on his boot. "Stupid bitch. I'mma find you, that's for sure." Leaning on his one knee, squinting among the snow and the branches, he hoped to spot any sign of her. Again, not being a hunter and being drunk, the idea of looking for tracks was lost on him.

His bottle swinging in hand, his head ticking back and forth like a nervous bird, he thought he might have seen movement off in the trees to his left. He stopped, wavering on his loose legs as he did so. He tried to be quiet, listening for every bird, every footfall. A belch came. He laughed at himself and then started pushing through the bushes and brambles toward the movement. He just thought of the satisfying look of fear on her face he would get to see. If it was her at all.

[Firenze]

Snow softly blew along the edges of the road, the chill from the wind was trying to permeate the heavy woolen cloak surrounding her. Dark circles lined under her eyes from the lack of sleep, twigs and bits of dead leaves from fall stuck to the tangles in her hair.

The howl rang out again behind her. Ears perked up to the sound, trying to determine which direction it was coming from and how close it was. The distance wasn’t something that she could point out exactly but it sounded as though it were getting closer. Moving in the general direction that she was moving.

Standing at the edge of the forest she watched the road. No one could be seen and she wondered how often people trekked it. Although nature was a comfort for her there were things in the area that she was unfamiliar with and didn’t want to get hurt… or killed. The thought turned her mind dark. It was worse that the metal around her neck kept her from being able to shift. She felt vulnerable. It was by far one of the scariest feelings.

Walking along the tree line eastward she hoped to be able to run into someone heading west toward the city. Her heart raced in her chest, ears perking to the howl again. It was getting progressively closer and reassured that feeling of worry.

Eyes turned down the road, toward the direction of the city. The outline of a man stumbling caught her eye. The wild curl of the hair and the faint shadow of smoke rolling around the person made her heart race. Had he found her? Was that him? Without further thought she bolted in the opposite direction, not wanting to take any chances. She weaved through the bare trees, the thin layer of snow and dead leaves crunched underfoot.

Others | Firenze | Thoughts

[Pulren Marsh]

As he pushed through the foliage and the branches, Vinicus' style of running roughshod through the trees had an effect: A large gout of snow from up on high rained down on him, spilling down the back of his shirt, covering his head and worst of all, knocking the smoke from his hand and quenching it. A stream of expletives poured through the forest, so if Firenze didn't know by now who was behind her, she certainly would after this calamitous event. Bending over and shaking the wet slush from his hair, Vinicus tipped back his bottle to add some warmth to try to fight the shaking damp running down his back. "Are you petching kidding me?" He looked up into the trees as if he would spot the culprit, wavering slightly on wobbly knees.

He was mostly irritated about the smoke, the new drinks of alcohol already putting the thought of wet shirt in his back pocket. Irritation became frustration, then slipped right into fury. Vinicus began his march anew with renewed speed and vigor. His vision caught movement up ahead and not of the four legged variety. "'Sat you?" He stood and covered his eyes with his hands to block out the blinding effect of the snow. He could see that shape now, the curves of the bitch. His gait picked up quickly as he tore through the wilderness with a new fervor.

"Firenze! I know it's you! Hold up!" He was mad and it was coming through his voice. He stopped against a tree and rested a moment, his hot breath billowing out in clouds of steam. He thought about how he had raged against her and her bitch mother in the past. They always ran away. Like most animals, they had to be coaxed to the kill. "I ain't mad,girl! I jes wanna talk te ya fer a bell or two!" He wiped the sweat from his face as it stung his eyes. He had to get her to come to him, that or he had to catch enough of a breath to try to keep up with her. Looking up and down the road, he could see that there was no help coming.

[Firenze]

Thin scraggly branches and twigs pulled at the heavy cloak as she ran. Eyes scanned between the line of the trees and the road. Unsure of which would be the safer path. Cold air rushed in and out of her lungs as she ran, the burn making her chest hurt. It whipped at her face and caused her eyes to water, slightly blurring her vision. A thicker branch had grabbed at her cloak and snagged her. Fighting against it she grasped the edge of the woolen fabric and yanked, a small hole ripping in it, the force causing her to stumble.

Behind her she heard the call from the darkened shadow down the road. It’s him. As soon as his voice reached her ears her nostrils filled with the scent of stale alcohol and old cigarettes. The memory of his stench triggered with the sound of him. Her head swung as she turned her gaze from the path in front to check behind.

He had begun to chase. Thankfully he was far enough back that she couldn’t make out his features entirely so she had a little bit of advantage. As quick as that had come to her though it was ripped from her grasp. Her head swung back around to check where she was going. Unfortunately she hadn’t done it in time and her feet tangled up in a web of weeds that were half bent over. Boots snagged into the crook and hands flew out as she dove for the ground.

The side of her face landed against the frozen mud and grass, causing spots behind her eyes. Trying to recover she scrambled to untangle her feet quickly and get back up. The distance between the two was growing shorter with every tick she wasted and she knew it. Fear and panic rose in her chest as she freed her feet and got to her knees. Eyes glance back again to check his distance, widening as he quickly approached the spot she was pushing herself up from.

Others | Firenze | Thoughts

[Pulren Marsh]

Be it the work of the Gods or dumb luck, the sight of Firenze falling in the brambles brought a look of sinister joy to Vinicus' face. His ruse of care and concern evaporated in the face of the idea of sweet victory. His former stagger fell into a jumbling, broken run. The sound of a wheezing giggle came from his yellow mouth as he soon found his prey, ready to mount it. She was about halfway up when he got to her, his hands reaching out to her shoulders and pushing her down again. Kicking at her, he reserved himself for just long enough to take a long swill of victory from his bottle. "You shoulda known, you shoulda known, girl!" He laughed heartily, which brought a backlash of horrendous coughing, enough for him to see spots and lean against the tree. If she tried to take advantage and get up, he would just kick her down again, each time with more force. If not, he would regain his breath and take a seat on a nearby fallen log.

Shaking his head and chuckling, he was clearly seen as someone who was regaining the ego he had briefly lost. Now that he felt that he was regaining control of the situation, he wanted nothing but to make sure that the little runaway knew it. "What am I gonna do with you? You know you left ma door open ?The damned snow was all over everything. You're gonna sleep on wet floor now, ye dumb bitch." Another long draught and he wiped his mouth/ "just like your mother. You damned Kelvic are a dumb lot, always getting caught up in snares. Maybe I shoulda et ya." The idea made his eyes burn like sadistic embers.

The forest was silent. No foot traffic on the roads and only the occasional skitter of a squirrel or the chirping of birds broke the silence of the situation. It seemed to both Vinicus and Firenze that they were alone. They were not.

[Firenze]

As she tried to scramble to her feet, she could feel his presence looming over her. A hard kick caught her in the stomach and knocked the breath from her lungs. Her hand came up and grasped at the spot as she fell to the side trying to draw in the cold air. The sound of his smoky cackle caught her ears as she looked up at the gruff face from between her squinting lids. Frozen grass eased some of the pain on the back of her head from where it had landed. Firenze watched as he leaned against a tree trying to catch his breath.

It was her want to get up and try to go for it, but the pain in her side reminded her that she wouldn’t get far. Besides the pain, she knew Vinicus, after having lived with him for the last few months, and if she were to try to take advantage of his current coughing fit, it would just land her back on the ground with more pain than she was in currently. It had become clear to her after the first few weeks of being around him that he had an affliction for causing pain to others and watching them squirm. If they didn’t do his bidding, he would make them.

He’d sat down on a log nearby, and she dared to try to sit up herself. “What do you want from me? I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked, and I’ve told you before that I don’t know where my mother is. If she’s that important to you why aren’t you out looking for her instead of torturing me?” She knew that Melody and Misha had to be long gone from Zeltiva by now, that was something for which Fire was grateful. They had to have known that something happened and that she wouldn’t leave them on purpose. The only thing that worried her is if they were looking for her. She hoped they weren’t.

It made her a sad that she might not see them again, but it was also mixed with a tinge of happiness that they wouldn’t have to deal with the shyke-hole that was sitting across from her. Eyes narrowed, and she stared at him. If she weren't so tired from the long night or had the irritating collar locked around her neck she would have already scratched his eyes out. Fingers twitched slightly as the thought crossed her mind.

He spoke of her leaving the door open and having to sleep on a wet floor. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to go back to that cesspool of a living quarter let alone get close enough to have to sleep on the floor again. His last comment infuriated her, though, “You know nothing of my mother. She is sweet and kind and loving. Nothing like you will ever even hope to be,” Her words sparked a fire in her chest, the anger creeping up and a slow darkness crawled through. More words spilled from her mouth before she even stopped to think about what the consequences might be, “You’re a horrible mean ugly person who will always want what others have but never get it. You know why? Because you have no heart. You care for no one but yourself! You’re going to die alone and unhappy. And you know what? I look forward to it! Because there will be one less shyke head in our world.” Labored breathing came hard as she tried to vent all the pent up emotion.

It was then though that she felt and tried to hide the fear that slowly crept in from the realization of what she’d said. It was unusual for her to be so hateful and she wondered for a moment if he had rubbed off on her in the time that they’d spent together. She didn’t want to be like him. The fear however also came from the realization that he would probably retaliate to what she’d said. That was all right for her, though; she was tired. Of him, being chained, not having a home and always feeling like a toy for the Gods to play with.

Others | Firenze | Thoughts

[Pulren Marsh]

Now that the air was returning to his lungs, Vinicus could once again taste and smell, his lips smacking like a fish trying to drink the air up. A dribble of guttural chuckling came from inside the withered man, the darkness in him more pronounced by the constant white everywhere. He watched her wince and crawl like he felt was her place to do. He allowed her the purchase to it across from him, even let her talk sass about her bitch mother. When she started talking to him like a human would though, that was too far.

"Listen, bitch. Yer a pet. That's it. You know what you Kelvic are. Animals playin at being human. Yer shyke at it too. Come off like retards." He amused himself and he rewarded himself with a long drink off of the bottle. The rush of heat the alcohol brought made him roll his neck on his shoulders. His mouth hung open like a brass ring as she had her say. Under sober circumstances, as few and far between those were, Vinicus would be pretty incensed at her spite and audacity. At the moment, however, he found it funny. Once she was done, he stood over her smaller and more vulnerable form.

Wiping spittle from his mouth with the back of his sleeve, his eyes turned dark and full of angry fire. "All done with mouth, bitch? Maybe we ought to use it for somethin nice for once." He took a step toward her, as if he was going to have the prize that he had considered many times when her long, lithe form was tied to his bed. Yeah, now would be the time.

A long, low guttural growl came from very close. Too close, in fact, for safety. Forget comfort. Looking to his left, there was a large wolf, its own mouth slavering with drool. Its eyes were angry too. Vinicus' face slid quickly and easily from dominance and rage to fear and terror. He started to stumble away, his hand coming up in defense, as if it would help-/ With little warning, the wolf leaped forward and pulled him down with practiced instinct. Once he was down, his screams turned gurgles once long canines found his throat. A similar and stark contrast of color came again, this time the spray of dark blood across the snow, so warm it steamed where it landed.

[Firenze]

Her breathing was still labored after the spout of hate at the drunken fool sitting across from her. Shoulders slumped in deflation, the anger leaving her after having vented most of it. However, despite her lack of motivation Vinicus appeared to have done the opposite. Her eyes followed his head as he tipped it back and took a swig of his drink. As he stood and began to move toward her, she tried to think of a way to take advantage of the situation. Was there anything that she could do to put him down and give her enough time to try to get away again?

Golden eyes dipped from his face, scanned the body to the nether regions and back up, hoping that he wouldn’t have caught the glance. It appeared though that he had some dark thoughts in his mind and was distracted as she caught his glassy black stare.

After taking a few deep breaths, the tigress focused on keeping her heart from leaping out of her chest and keeping her nerves under control. Even though the anger had temporarily left her, she felt the spark rekindled while her mind chewed on an escape plan.

Punch him when he gets close enough… then what?...kick him as hard as you can while he’s down and then run for it. Her eyes flashed around trying to figure out which route would be the safest. The road or the woods?

However, the thought was cut short; his body was only inches away but her mind, and plan, went blank as her sensitive ears picked up the deep growl and yellow eyes that mirrored the wolf’s who was standing not too far from the pair. It’s teeth were bared, lips shaking as it licked hungrily at his mouth. The hair rose on its haunches, and Fire knew what all the telltale signs of that meant. They were lunch.

Pulling at her collar, nails bit into her throat and broke on the cold metal. Feet kicked at the ground, pushing her from a half kneeling position over onto her backside as she scrambled away. It was her moment to run if ever there was one. Not only to get away from Vinicus but from the wolf that was preparing itself for lunch. She absolutely hated feeling as helpless as she currently did. No way to shift, no form of protection. Her only hope was that the wolf would launch itself at Vinicus first and not her.

Her silent prayer was answered as she watched the beast push forward, his muscular legs shoving its body on top of the man who’d held her prisoner. Sharp fangs sunk into the soft skin of his neck his screams and effort to remove the beast in vain. The gurgling and cries of pain echoed in her ears and fear rooted her to the spot. The white of her eyes were visible as she stared in horror. Panic and shock of her words only moments before becoming truth right in front of her eyes.

Others | Firenze | Thoughts