A Bone To Pick (Dhalvasha)

[Xnnn]

Fall 40, 511 A.V. Almost lazily, Xnnn slunk through the shadows of the alley. Life in the city was still confusing and a bit alarming, but food was plentiful at least. In the week or so since his arrival, he had already picked up a few pounds and was beginning to fill out finally, his ribs no longer showing quite as plainly through his coat. Dogs, cats, rats – even a pig someone was keeping in a noisome pen behind a tumble down building – were all readily available to the opportunistic predator. If he remained in Sunberth for an extended period of time, he was bound to get fat. It was quite a welcome change for the Kelvic, who had rarely known a full belly in his life. The Zith fed him, but rarely to a feeling of being satiated. And on his own in the wild, and then later with Tarn to also provide for, he had truly been almost at the point of malnutrition, his hunting skills were so poor. They had improved – and now what skill he had made easy pickings of the many stray, and pet, animals of the city. So it was that he was only half-heartedly stalking the medium size mongrel dog. Having already eaten a much smaller version of the species, earlier in the night, his belly wasn’t achingly empty. He could certainly eat again, and would, before dawn. But as the dog trotted confidently along, having just lifted its leg and let out a stream of territory marking fluid, Xnnn’s tail twitched slowly and he followed at his leisure. Stalking, he was finding, was much more fun when the prey had little to no chance to get away. He could make a game of it, and still eat. Motionless, he allowed the dog to round a corner into another bit of almost pitch black alley. That was another feature of Sunberth that Xnnn was coming to appreciate – the vast numbers of crooked lanes and narrow squeeze throughs and by-ways, which sank into near total darkness when the sun went down. They provided great cover, and numerous places to hide or sleep. Really, if he could only find Tarn, he thought this city might be quite a good place to live. It was so vastly different from the colony of his birth – so closed off and tight and yet free. Unguarded. So far, he had not encountered anyone who seemed to pose a real threat. He didn’t need to – when he could sleep hidden away all day and emerge as his cougar self to hunt the darkness at night – alone and undetected. He could still hear the dog’s movements, its nails clicking on the filthy cobbles. Then it had halted – and his ears pricked up at a new sound, accompanied by an intriguing smell that wafted to him on the night air. A voice, crooning softly, calling – apparently to the dog. Something that might have been the click of fingers. The scent that was like Lyth’s – only tenfold as strong. Not human. Definitely not human. The voice formed soft words and he heard the dog moving forward hesitantly, and he smelled the meat – some bit of . . . bird perhaps? Raw. Bloody. Xnnn hesitated, motionless, torn. He did not need this dog. He could easily find another. And his instincts always cautioned him to be wary, around the denizens of the city. On the other hand, the smell was captivating – so like Lyth’s. And he felt a pang that was more and more frequently pricking at his brain, and his heart. He was lonely. Curiosity, and more, got the better of him. Cautiously, he crept forward, still in deep shadows, until his nose poked around the corner. At the same instant, there was sharp yelp of surprise – from the dog – and then a louder cry. Then silence. Xnnn’s huge, cougar eyes, built to see in the dark, took it all in. The form knelt down beside the now still carcass. The white hair shimmering faintly in the darkness. The glint of metal at the end of an extremely long arm. Crouching down, fascinated, Xnnn watched, and waited.

[Dhalvasha]

When one went wanting for medical subjects, a resourceful surgeon worked with what he could fine. Dhalvasha was not picky, although he would have preferred a human being, animals had similar organic layouts...there was always research to be gleaned from them. Working for the only Doctor in Sunberth had its perks, namely with association. The Symnestra had not been secretive about his purpose with the bloody surgeon. In fact, he'd been open about his position from the beginning. It was remarkable how little he was bothered when it became abundantly clear that his continued life might save a violence prone resident from Petrocious's operating table.

The freedom it afforded was attractive, enamoring. For once, Dhalvasha did not feel reviled in the streets or in his place of work. No suspicious eyes held him in ill repute. These days they looked on him almost desperately. Rather him than the mad Doctor. Dhalvasha's brand of medical queries were far less...terminal, by comparison. Today, however, no one had come looking to get their skin stitched or bones snapped into place. So he had taken his leave of the office and to the streets, basking in the cool caress of alley shadows and the dank decay taking hold there.

Decay meant death, and death was always a fascinating subject.

The dog came to him on ambled legs, the mottley sort of creature common in Sunberth. It fed itself on the carrion left behind and was every bit as opportunistic as a vulture. Perfect. Of course such a creature had not survived long being trusting, it stalled its step in the dark alley as the Symnestra approached it...sensing the blood clinging to his hands.

"No, no, my fine furred friend," The Symnestra crooned, his voice laced with the power of hypnotic memerization, speaking only confidence and trust to the poor creature, "Do not turn away, come closer, come closer." The dog was hesitant, with good reason. Dhalvasha knelt extending a hand to the animal while removing a deceased chicken from inside his robes. He was loathe to go unprepared, and although this creature should have been his meal...it would do better to have a subject to spend some time on.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, almost wryly, setting the bird on the ground in front of him and focusing on the dog. It quailed in his presence, instinct battling Djed for supremacy. Dhalvasha was careful about his incision into the Dog's aura, clinging, gentle, all syrup and sugar. He tasted copper in his mouth, immediately cutting off the hypnotic suggestion. Overgiving was not a means in which he would obtain this specimen. No, it had already been softened and he wouldn't waste his health pushing himself.

Dhalvasha left the bird where it was, placing his hands against the alley wall and scuttling up its expanse, hand over hand, till he has out of sight in the darkness.

The dog, hungry and confused, acted as any scavenger would and leaped for the offered Chicken. From above, Dhalvasha descended, almost slowed in his fall with silvery hair trailing behind him. Landing on the ground, he took the dog's surprise to extend sharp black claws into its neck, pinning the creature to the ground and choking on its own surprised death.

His other hand liberated a scalpel from his pocket, expertly spinning it down against the heaving chest and burying it to its handle in the poor creature. Shocked, confused, and bleeding, the dog simply allowed itself to die...back legs struggling futiely against the cold grasp of death.

Dhalvasha held it down a little longer than necessary, wary of after death spasms, before removing his claws and licking the blood from the black surface. Spicy, but low quality, almost thin. Shaking his head, the surgeon cut into the chest and neatly split the dog apart. Here were the organs in their death throes, still quivering in stress. Smiling to himself, humming some unworded tune, Dhalvasha began meticulously removing the glistening tissues...using his claws to cut the connective strands and veins that held many of the organs in place. A quick autopsy would sustain him for the day and so absorbed was he in the process, he did not note the eyes watching him from the alley.

Instead he hummed and cut, removing bit by bit as though disassembling a toy.

To him, there was little difference.

[Xnnn]

Xnnn waited. He wasn’t particularly unhappy that the creature had taken his prey – had caught the dog first and was now hacking it up. He had seen Tarn slice and dice the various animals that Xnnn had managed to catch, out in the wilds – if they were big enough to bother, that is. So he knew what the man-like predator was up to. The Kelvic might have been the tiniest bit surprised to witness such butchery here in the pitch black alley. For one thing, he knew most humanoids did not see too well in the dark – at least Elymas and Tarn certainly had seemed to be blinded by it, as had the humans he had known growing up. There were of course creatures, such as the Zith, who had excellent night vision. Lyth’s had seemed to be quite good. So, the fact that this individual was crouched down in the dark hacking away at the dead dog was not really incomprehensible – just . . . unusual. The additional fact that the thing – whatever it was – had chosen this place to kill and eat his dinner was also not typical for the residents of Sunberth – at least not so far as Xnnn had experienced. After dark, most people seemed to hang close to the few better lit places and to stay behind closed doors. Oh, there were plenty who roamed about – almost as stealthily as the Kelvic himself. But of these, none had been hunting for a meal, to his knowledge and observation. And so it was that Xnnn, suffering from a mix of curiosity, boredom and loneliness, was content to take up his position and watch the butchering progress, wondering idly if the thing would start a fire to cook with, as Tarn had done. Xnnn had eaten cooked flesh, but he much preferred raw. The act of searing flesh made little sense to him, though he had never said as much to Elymas, or Tarn. The moments ticked by, though, and the thing simply carved and poked and loosened and set aside, without once stopping to taste or actually take a bite. Xnnn, becoming a bit bored with the lengthy process, wondered only why the thing had killed, if not to eat – for it was obvious the act had not been one of defense. He had ample opportunity to observe the physical attributes of his competitor. Though of a slight build, he certainly seemed to possess both the strength and natural weaponry – in the form of viciously sharp claws - to easily have dissuaded any canine from attacking. And the one that Xnnn had been following would have posed no risk to anything other than an alley cat. So, with a deepening sense of frustration, for having been done out of his own second course by one who apparently had no intentions of dining on the dog himself, Xnnn’s chest began to rumble softly. Now, here was the problem. He could certainly rush out and try to scare the thing away from the remains, which now lay scattered about on the cobblestones, around the other’s feet, and close to hand. But he had seen the flashing scapel, and was always wary of metal blades – which, he had discovered – could be thrown with great accuracy, by some. An even stronger sense restraining him from such a charge at the creature was the feeling that, despite his frustration at the apparent waste, he was exceedingly curious to know what the hell the thing was up to. Why kill and butcher a stray dog in this fashion, in this place, at this time of night? What possible purpose could it serve? The longer Xnnn had been around humans and humanoids, since his escape from Shade, the more he realized how little he knew about them. And he wanted to know more. As he was drawn to them, so too was he curious about their ways – and how he himself fit into their world. Now, here was a mystery, and an opportunity to learn. Should he avail himself of this chance – or was it too risky? Would this creature look upon him as it had the dog? Would it make a difference if Xnnn approached him in his human form – which could be even riskier still? For long moments, Xnnn pondered this condundrum. The thing seemed to be absorbed in his . . . work . . . and the Kelvic thought perhaps the element of surprise might give him a better chance to run should he receive a hostile reception. Drawing back further into the shadows, he shifted – easily with the amount of fuel he had been providing his body of late – and with a last peak around the corner, he stepped out, unclothed of course, walking towards the creature he had been spying on these many long minutes. There was no immediate attack and he got as far as the bloody and ruined carcass, before he spoke. Slowly kneeling beside what had been the dog, he asked in his accented common, “Are you going to eat that?”, pointing at the relatively untouched haunch and hind leg. The scent of blood and flesh in his nostrils was overwhelming, and he felt the saliva running in his mouth. Reaching for the tender lobe of liver near his knee, he plucked it up. “Can I have this?” he asked, politely.

[Dhalvasha]

Just as he was examining the dog's heart for palpitations, a naked man knelt down beside the corpse, saliva glimmering at his jawline, and asked rather plainly for the leftovers of the carcass.

Dhalvasha blinked.

Of all the possible encounters in Sunberth, this was not one the Symenestra had counted on. A vast array of possible mental diseases flooded the surgeon's head, each one tied to a different characteristic the hungry man before him. None seemed to fully define the behavior and so Dhalvasha abandoned preliminary judgement to focus on original analysis. The man was a fine specimen, well muscled, apparently hungry although his form appeared to exude the notion of health. He was naked and while partially alarming, it afforded the Symenestra to make a quick diagnosis of the rest of him.

Nothing all that amiss.

At first, Dhalvasha did not speak, turning over the heart in his hands before discarding the organ with a sigh. There was nothing amiss in the corpse, no alteration of anatomy nor overt sign of impending demise. The extra practice in dissecting, the medical process of knowing, was helpful but ultimately useless.

"Take it," the Symenestra muttered, withdrawing from the corpse, "It has served its purpose." He layered his voice with hypnotic Djed, piercing Xnnn's mind delicately and encouraging a state of calm curiosity...a precautionary move for a possible madman. While exerting his will, the Symenestra implanted another whispered suggestion, one of honesty...to perhaps be more open.

He would be lying if he said the naked man did not interest him. His mannerism and desire for raw flesh was hardly the attributes of a typical Sunberth citizen. If this fellow was different in some way, perhaps it would fill the void left by such an unsatisfying autopsy.

Cutting open the stomach of the creature, Dhalvasha sifted through the remains only half interested, watching Xnnn with the corpse. The stomach showed some signs of tumors, the beginning nubs of growth along the lining's side, but it would have hardly been a pressing concern in the near future.

And now never again, owing to its demise.

"Not many humans I know eat meat raw," the Symenestra observed quietly licking blood from his claws, "Is there a particular reason you prefer your meat uncooked?"

[Xnnn]

The creature hesitated, giving Xnnn the once over and then returning his attention to the heart which he held in his hand. Perhaps – finally – Xnnn thought, the thing would eat. The heart was tough, yet flavorful. But no, once again he merely set it aside, discarded it, and then gave his acquiescence for Xnnn to help himself. The Kelvic needed no other invitation. He immediately bit into the liver, swallowing the soft organ tissue in large chunks. Reaching for the hind foot, Xnnn tugged at the leg but the dissection had not gone so far as to really loosen it much. Still chewing on the handful of liver, he put his own foot forward, to hold the rear end in place, while he gave a mighty tug. It was a fair bit harder than when he was in cougar form, and Xnnn considered shifting again. But there was a peacefulness that had settled into the marrow of his bones and he felt quite relaxed. Content. So he tugged and twisted again and finally succeeded in wrenching the leg from the body. Having shoved the remainder of the liver in his mouth, he waited a moment, masticating all the while, before gulping the last bit down and raising the haunch to his bloodied lips. His new acquaintance, meanwhile, was busy poking about inside the stomach. That was an organ Xnnn typically left for the buzzards. Even his nostrils curled up at the stench of the contents. The stomach too was tossed aside, as if the fellow found nothing of interest there. Xnnn tore off a bite of leg muscle, and of course, with his mouth now full, the creature just had to pose him a question. A large bit of it dangled from his lips, and Xnnn could only stare at the guy. He considered the question, and then let the hunk of meat drop from his mouth into his hand so that he could answer. “Elymas and Tarn liked it cooked.” He nodded in agreement. “So did my mother. But . . . “ He shrugged. “Zith eat it raw. And I eat it raw.” He shrugged again. “I have no flint and steel. I don’t like it cooked.” He made as if to put the slobbery wad of flesh back in his mouth but stopped halfway. “And I am not human.” He said, matter of factly. “As you are not.” He wore a curious look on his face. “Why did you kill the dog, if you did not want to eat?” As if expecting an answer, he shoved the gob back in his mouth and chewed methodically.