Hurting a Petcher, Painfully and Horribly (Wren and Ana)

[Kreig Messer]

512, Spring 36th, 10th bell, Crimson Edge camp.

Such a day, as Sunberth focuses on it's reconstruction, People were out busy doing the odd jobs to get by, some lying on the street begging for money that is never to come or drinking a cheap alcohol that possibly tasted like their own urinary fluid. Children were either playing or doing the same thing as adults, they themselves doing odd jobs to get buy....or perhaps learning information that would aid others, yet hurt others as well. All in All, another day in Sunberth.

Kreig was walking down the streets, just like he usually does at such times. Yet there was something about this one, he was walking quickly, as if heading somewhere urgent and he was late for it. His hands gripped so tightly that they would almost bleed and the arms were positioned in a way that perhaps getting in his way would be the wrong move. Internally he had that familiar adrinaline rush, yet it was not the joyful one...Oh no, it was one of utter rage. Once more he was heading out of the town, and to a certain area....

Kreig had a scowl on his face, when he was talking to Ana he noticed unpleasent things, namely bruises. It angered him 'SHE WAS HURT BY HIM' very much so 'THAT PETCHER, He HURT HER" Ana, his thieving friend and frequent eating partner at the tavern, had tried to explain to him that her 'friend' did not mean to, that some other 'Persona' this 'Shroud' was to blame, not this 'Wren' 'I don't Care....HE HURT HER'

Kreig had come to view Ana as a sister, ever since the day he met her that winter he had done his bit to make sure she was fed, and when she told him she had a place to stay he was relieved, immensely so. Ah, but those bruises that and the fact it was caused by the one she lived with....Well lets face it, even if its Sunberth something like this is common place; someone getting payback for a hurt friend is quite common.

Thankfully he knew where the petcher lived, due to the fact they belong to the same organization and that Ana mentioned he lived around here it was not going to be hard, and when he see's him, the beating will be quite bloody, although at Ana's insistence, not lethal....


As he arrived to the camp, Kreig headed to the blasted tent and entered through the flap with that scowl on his face, looking at the bed with a still sleeping form lying upon, covered in sheets . He grabbed the blanket and pulled it away and said "Wakey wakey" in a childish voice lavished with hatred " Get up so I can knock your clock, I promise dear sir, you won't bleed to death"

[Ana Sol Starris]

Synas rays peared through the flaps of the tent like curious little children, touching what they landed on and lighting it up in golden light signaling it was indeed morning. There in the tent, admist bags, equipment and furs, was a figure sleeping underneath the rich animal skins, almost hiding the smaller one from veiw. It seemed to be a man and girl sleeping together, the girl had her head on his shoulder connected to the upper chest with an arm latched around his body in a form of snuggling; the other arm was curled up against her own chest, against the mans side. Even, gentle rises of her back and shoulder indicated she was sleeping rather deeply or it appeared to be so. Groggily, there was a light groan as the thiefs eyes blinked open slowly, rubbing them, and then a childish noise of not wishing to wake up and nuzzled her companion instead. What peaceful times these were, there was no yelling, fighting, abuse, verbally or physically, there was no hate, there was nothing but a sweet, calm, and rather adorable time of the day. Morning, how Ana loved them, for the warm and carressing syna rays that told the small thief that it was safer to wander about the city, also brought a quiet comfort to her. Glimmers of a smile passed her lips, awake, though her eyes were shut. Ana just wanted to relax and enjoy this moment of peace between the thief and storyteller, it was the only time she ever really saw Wren appear to be in control for a brief period of time. But it never lasted, some how something kept triggering Shroud to come out when she would see him later in the night or afternoon, some how. That didn't matter right now to Ana, with a sigh, one that was content at this very moment she pressed tighter to him, clinged, hoped it was Wren that would wake up to greet her instead of Shroud. Ana didn't like Shroud, at all, she loathed him with a passion and had a goal to surpass him one day and show him she wasn't useless, but she also knew Wrenmae was underneath this.. That mask of his. The small thief knew what was underneath that murderous face of ill-intent and cunning, and she was patient for the time Wren would push back his.. Mask. Thats how Ana thought of Shroud, in this city it was required to be blood-thirsty, perhaps it had always been blood that was the darker slices trigger? Ana mused lightly to herself under her shut eyes, maybe it was conflict that brought the man with a arrogant look on his face to the surface? Trouble, conflict, it was bound to happen at any point of time in this city to someone and it was usually earlier than later when it did. Death, danger, this city reeked with it. These were good theories but they never worked all the time, Shroud could be the slice dice rolled in Wrens mind to wake up, or it could have been Wren to wake up, or even the rarer piece of him that she had only ever met once; Weaver. Not since she had shown him her book... The Thieves Tale, a piece of her brother that she had brought from Zeltiva to Sunberth, the only comfort she had in her earlier years of Sunberth, before Wrenmae, before the Crimson Edge and its familial veiws. The book acted as a sort of chain to her sanity, a stitch to ones mind, but now it was gone and she only had its memory with her to remember the lessons it held within. The chain was failing, and the stitches were coming undone. The guide it had been for her, it did nothing to teach her, yet she had been able to absorb knowledge from it in hopes of being able to replicate anything within the written words. What a load of rubbish, it had always been pure luck that she had managed to make it this far, she held no ammount of competent skill within her grasp, there had always been someone watching out from the sidelines, there had always been someone with a woe in their heart to help her from her bad-luck situations. The only reason she had survived... It wasn't because of her skill, or her book, it was on others actions. Burying her face somewhat, the furs were nice, Wrens body was also nice. Handsome, lean, but scrawny in a sense... Ana wondered why he let someone as ugly as her sleep with him, why not someone like that.. That other woman that she had seen in the tent days and days and even still more days ago, the one with the gaunt skin under the moonlight. She was pretty, in a strangely macabre way but still pretty none-the-less compared to Ana, the little woman with a cutting board for a chest, pale skin that could stand a few shades of healthy pink to come through, gangly arms and legs only meant for sneaking around in the dark, ambidexstrous hands of a thief perfect for picking items out of an unsuspecting targets pocket. But none of that mattered. Ana had little feminism going on for her, there was no such thing as a physical attraction that people held to her, so why did Shroud let her sleep next to him in the night? There was no such thing called lust between the two, there was only a mutual understanding that sharing body heat made it easier to sleep.. Lessened her sleep terrors at night, controlled them, binded them within her mind like a strip of leather tied around ones wrists tightly. But even a creature could escape those binds from time to time and spread havoc and chaos in the night, in the mind of the little thief before relinquishing her grasp to the belittled and frightened girl. The thoughts were maddening, depressing, the questions she held to herself but dared not speak outloud to anyone around her. Shifting again, Ana listened to the morning noises outside the tent and was oddly greeted with a load of stamping, getting louder, and louder towards Wrens tent. The rustle of the tents flap caused her to look up, but found her veiw was caught by the furs covering the twos bodys. Ana scrambled for the unsheathed shortsword next to her as the fur came off, the voice was familliar but she was far too tired to take note of it. As the fur came away, Ana held the shortswords blade pointed at Kreig in mock horror, realization flushing over her face. KREIG MESSER. The educated brawler was in Wrens tent, threatening him, "the heck!?" Ana shouted at him, she sat up more in her night clothing and tryed to act as a sort of deterrent to Kreigs way for Wrenmae by leaning over Wrenmaes body with her elbow lightly on over him in a protective gesture, holding the sword still "Kreig the hell are you doing?" she asked him, in an irritated tone of voice, this time not a shout of suprise. Ana noted the sheer rage wafting off him from his face, the maniacal smile, she stared at him having of never seen this side of him before. The blade she held faltered downwards slightly, more inwards towards herself, but remained in her grasp tightly, blinking at him confusedly and warily.

[Wrenmae]

Strange dreams and fate held Wrenmae in a trance. He dreamed he held a blade, a cruel thing with a mouth that whispered him to evil. It spoke in his voice, raspier though, crueler. He could not drop it. Each time he thought to set it down it bit into his skin, chewing into his hand. So each time he felt that he was done with its wicked commands, it chewed deeper, shaping itself to his bone. The blade told him to kill people, told him to murder his sister, his brother, Sable, Alric, Ana, Mok...The people that meant most to him in his life. He tried to tell it no, tried to refuse it, but it controlled his arm and made him thrust, and thrust, and thrust and thrust and [color=#00FFFF]WAKE UP! It was his familiar, Zan, that brought him out of sleep first, not Krieg. But it was Krieg's face he saw when he opened his eyes, that maniacal smile, his body trembling with barely restrained fury. Wrenmae blinked at him, surprised, thinking him another facet of the dream before Ana stood above him now, her own blade drawn. Manoman, take a little nap and the whole world up and gets busy, Zan commented, rolling around in his stomach, Take it from a familiar who knows, that dude? He's not here to jump your bones. What does he want? Wrenmae asked Zan telepathically, the process so easy now, although it had taken some getting used to before, What in Vayt is going on? Funny you should mention Vayt, Zan commented, Your pal-a Ana isn't looking all that fresh today. But point is point, I think this dude is here to punch your face in, I mean, or babble at you...but if I had to take an educated guess, I'd say the former. I mean, c'mon, you aren't exactly the most agreeable person when you're not yourself. "I..." Wrenmae stammered, his eyes wide and a bit panicked, "I, what...I..." C'mon Cap! Wing it! You outrank him! Give him an ole death stare or kick him in the groin! I dunno! Improvise! All this sitting around is giving me hives...water hives...or, erm, the water equivalent of hives...ya know what? Ignore me. Let's get this play started already. Wrenmae took a deep breath, pushed Ana's sword out of the way and scooted out from under Krieg, grabbing a shirt. "Forgotten your p-place?" He stammered, still shaken, "That how you talk to a superior?" Taking a shirt he yanked it over his head. How commanding, Zan muttered, Got him shakin in his boots with that one, Cap. Oh shut up. Make me Wrenmae slapped his stomach impulsively, grimacing before trying to turn it into a pat for the sake of Ana and Krieg. This is gonna be a short fight, Zan commented dryly. [/color]

[Kreig Messer]

"Oh, Hey Ana" He said to her, not exactly realizing she was here, in the same bed.....with Wren 'WAIT, ANA?!? What the petch are you doing in bed with this nutter?!" In complete surpirse his face face contored into even more rage "So your a couple, eh? Well even more reason to hurt him for hurting you" The couple part was quite an assumption, but in a way it made sense. Why else would they share a tent, and as just witnessed, share a bloody bed?.

"You aren't my boss dear petcher, you think I'd take orders from someone who hurts my friends?" By this time there was no maniacle smile, but now frown, but a simple face with very angry eyes "I know from Ana that you got a few little nutters living inside that head of yours, and peharps its not entirely our fault. Actually, scratch that....Its even more a fault of yours now since you let them hurt her"

He cracked his kncukles and flexed his neck with a satisfying 'pop'. He wanted to hurt him badly 'But she's here, and I can't bloody well kill him anywa' He said, still didn't mean he couldn't beat the stuffing out of him "I don't much get this personality issue of yours, but let me teach you a lesson you can pass on to the nutters in your head..... The actions of one becomes blamed on the nearest one to you" A truth in Sunberth, if you did something incredibly stupid.... then whoever is associated with you will likely get in trouble. For Wren, Kreig assumed his 'personalities' , things he doesn't quite understand, are whats closes to Wren. To Illustrate his point he threw a punch at Wren's gut, doubting the man can endure pain properly.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Why was Kreig here? Seriously to attack someone when they were sleeping? Whilst they were still rather disoreintated? TYPICAL SUNBERTHIAN NATURE, Anas mind screamed at her. Cowards, the lot of them! But Kreigs words had stunned her.. Wrens awakening snapped her out of her nothingness for thoughts. Before she looked at him, she quickly went to sheathe the sword, when she listened to Wrens voice.. She knew it wasn't Shroud talking. Every pore in her body urged her to continue to stay in front of him, this wasn't the murderer Shroud who could defend himself; but the kind and confused guy that kept the hidden danger underneath him from killing her at the beginning of last winter season.. In her minds eye at least. Though Ana's sword was put away, she kept it in her hands and stayed near Wrenmae, staring intently at Kreig. Ana didn't believe Wren had it in him to attack anyone, she couldn't attack Kreig, but she could delay her brawler friend for as long as she needed to.. "..Wren..?" Ana muttered under her breath, possibly just loud enough for her companion to hear. His eyes brown, not black, and she tensed up even more. Kreig was going to hurt someone who couldn't possibly harm someone to save himself.. Shroud on the other hand, well.. The small thief didn't get to continue that thought as Kreig spoke up, his words took her by suprise, the accusation of being a couple! "C-c-couple?" Ana stammered out to the brawler, a bright red blush pushing up through the milky whiteness of her cheeks. Eyes wide, she snapped her gaze to Wren, then to Kreig, then back to Wren, utterly confused "w-what?" Relationships with him? Really? How? Did others think this as well? Ana had never thought of it like that.. The sleeping together was merely to keep warm, right? Nothing more. Yet Kreig had insuinated that there was something more to just sharing body heat, she tried to protest "Kreig.." Stopping, he mentioned what he had so muchly threatened and interrogated out of her during their time in the tavern as lunch buddies. The blush was gone, replacing it with a faint grey paling of her face- he wasn't suppose to say anything about that! Anything at all! Ana knew what he was saying was true, but the information he had been using would just get her in more trouble! IF Shroud were to find out about this, well the thief couldn't stomach the thought.. What would Wren think of her now? NO! She didn't want to lose his trust! Oh man, oh man, oh man, Ana quailed under the pressure as she stared up at Wren pleadingly then to Kreig "go away Kreig, you're not going to make this.." Then he threw the punch, Ana watched, 'move' was all her mind said as her body placed itself in the way of the fist. Shoving herself in the way despite any attempt Wren may have made to get her out of the way, no, she'd pay for this with pain; reacting just in time. When the attack connected at the last second, she crumpled inwardly on Kreigs fist with a sharply inhaled gasp of pain.

[Wrenmae]

It was all chaos and words, skin and contact. Ana was there and then Krieg was swinging, she cried out, and Wrenmae scrambled back, grasping at his blade and pulling it from the scabbard. Ana crumpled beneath the blow, and Res was already seeping along Wrenmae's open left hand. As she cleared the way between Krieg and himself, the mage leveled his hand at the brawler and let loose a blast of wind to knock him from the tent. Rather than immediately follow, Wrenmae was at Ana's side, checking her for damage. The blow had been a sharp one, competently delivered, and she was gasping. There was no blood in her coughing, no other sign of internal damage, and Wrenmae wrapped his arms around her to lay her on the blankets of the tent, more concerned with her safety than his own. "The petch were you doing?" He hissed at her, pulling the blanket over top her, "Don't do that again! You could have been seriously injured!" Turning from her, he ducked out of the tent opening, dagger out and menacing. Personally, Wrenmae had little experience with the weapon...he used it for protection, but little else. Now he circled Krieg, holding out a shaking blade, hoping that someone else would see and intervene. Anyone. "You petching idiot!" Wrenmae snarled, always sure to keep the point between him and the brawler, "You could have badly hurt her! What the petch is your problem?" And then it hit him 'little nutters living inside your head' He knew about his lapses in reality. Ana had told him. Wrenmae dropped his guard, looking back into the tent, catching Ana's eyes with his own, brown and sorrowful. "You...told him?"

[Kreig Messer]

"ANA?!" He should ahve expeceted her to intercept, truth be told. He fuild guilty as he had accidentally hit her, her pain should have been that nutters, not hers. Pulling his fist away and stepping back, a sudden gust of wind hit him like a violent push as he stumbled back out of the tent and fell to his bum "PETCHING HELL, Damn Magic" Now Kreig had a bit of mistrust with magic, his was less typical of a Sunberthian citizen as he didn't outright hate, only hearing the tales from when mages took over Sunberth then were eventually overthrow "I swear, power like that is dangerous" He commented as he stood, there was no smile adorning his face as he saw Wren walk out the tent.


"I didn't mean to hit her....Angers that the dear girl is friends with you though after what you did, which lets take you question and direct it at you.... IF YOUR HALF AS DECENT AS SHE BLOODY WELL SAYS, THEN WHY OH WHY DO YOU LET HER FOLLOW YOU AROUND" He shouted, his fists tightening as he looked at wren.


"Yes she told me, after seeing those bruises I insisted that she tell me, I'm a friend of hers idiot, who do you think has been feeding her all those free meals? Or has she not talked to you about me like she has with you?" He said as he ran to the man and attempted to tacke him to the ground and wanting to strangle him.

[Ana Sol Starris]

The pain that curdled in her stomach had been enough to knock the air clean out of her lungs, she curled, trembled, felt frantic as the lack of oxygen was scaring her. Was she going to die by suffocation? Anas body shook, an air bubble rose in her chest and finally broke when she let out a gasp of much needed air, still she breathed, in, out. Shutting her eyes for a moment, a blast of air had rushed by and above her, was it magic? Wind certainly couldn't originate within a tent unless someone had bad gas, though that was as far fetched a thought as one suffocating from a blow to the stomach. Slowly, her eyes opened, squinted, she coughed into the ground as her mouth had become very dry at that moment. Anothers presence was above her, almost as quick as the wind had come. The small woman, was shivering, shaking, she coughed as her chest heaved suddenly; the disgusting vomit rose, but she swallowed it down with enough force to make her coughing worse. The hands were gentle, if not prying as she was checked for damage, was it Wren? She peeked an eye open, gritting her teeth, yes, yes it was Wren; a warm, fluttery feeling passed over her senses. Glad that the taleweaver cared, maybe Shroud didn't but at least the taleweaver did enough to make sure.. But for what? How stupid she had been, her small hands clung to him somewhat desperately not to follow after Kreig, no, did she have the right to be near him anymore? She had.. Had told Kreig, but Wren hadn't of seemed to realize what the brawler had said, maybe she was in the safe zone for now? Possibly, Ana hoped to herself, don't realize.. Don't realize.. Don't realize.. Her mind continued to chant. Choking out a whisper, Ana looked up at him "s-sorry.." It had been quiet, possibly not loud enough to be heard under the present circumstances. But he was gone, out the flap of the tent despite her attempts to keep him from facing Kreig. This wasn't going to end well, what had happened with the Zith nights ago during the attempt of a kidnap of her person, Shroud would come out, the rarity that was Wren would dissapear once again and she was going to be brutally beaten... Ana leaned on her side, trying to watch what was going on, the dagger was out, Kreig was talking, the rage evident in his voice as well as in Wrenmaes. Blinking, she watched from the flap as Wren turned to look back at her, she watched, she stared, she felt her chest clutch painfully as she glimpsed Wrens eyes, the question was light on her ears. He had realized, despite her hopes. The tears welled up faster than she could stop them, before she even realized what was happening her eyes had brimmed over and were watering terribly, she was crying without her knowing, she hadn't noticed the tears yet. Kreigs shout, broke her out of her trance, she saw the figure move quickly, heard the stompish footsteps "watch out!" Ana yelled with as much force as her vocalcords could take, with as much of a reflexive action as she could muster, then groaned, crumpled, her stomach screamed at her to stop jerking about so much like a willy nilly fishy.

[Wrenmae]

His eyes were on her, only her. Ana’s face was crestfallen, staring at Wrenmae with the kind hopeless guilt and sorrow he’d expect out of a child. It was only for a moment though; a bellowing brawler knocked him off his feet and onto the ground in a tangle of limbs. Wrenmae’s head thumped off the solid ground and his vision swam, rough, calloused hands circling around his throat and squeezing. He found he couldn’t breathe, gripping at the hands with wild desperation. His fingers tried to curly beneath his hands, scratched at his skin, clasped his arms, but Krieg was powerful and he did not yield. Sparks flew at the corner of Wrenmae’s eyes, a perpetual shadow slowly seeping around his vision. His head felt light, blood pounding a resounding heartbeat in his head. He couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t think, only sunk toward oblivion with the raw panic of death filling his tongue with bile. Wrenmae passed out, terror thickening his tongue and bulging his eyes. Shroud opened those eyes; breathless and furious, locked only a small way from Krieg’s own glaring gaze. Djed poured along his arms, into his fingers, arms falling flat onto the ground beneath Krieg. Shroud smiled with lips turning purple, gasping as his the world of Sunberth around him fell from reality to twisted illusion. His tent swam, Ana swam, Krieg swam, and the long black claws he was growing from his fingers lengthened and thickened. Krieg was a force motivated by adrenaline and fury, likely too set on watching Shroud suffocate than to pay attention to his hands. So it would likely come as a surprise when sudden pain assaulted his neck, long black claws lightly piercing the skin, suggestively pushing deeper. Shroud stared at his assailant, a grin despite his fading life. It seemed to say that before he passed out, he’d impale the fighter on whatever weapon he’d drawn and put at his neck, hidden as Krieg was unable to look down at them. “P-Petch off,” Shroud gasped at him with his waning breath, pushing harder against his throat.

[Kreig Messer]

Something felt off, that much was certain as Kreig was busy choking the Magic user to unconsciousness.Wren was practically a different person it at the moment, yet Kreig failed to notice the change of persona, he also failed to realize the claws that Wren's hands morphed into claws and their tips had lightly pierced his skin, Kreig's rush ignoring any pain that may result from it....A terrible thing unfortunately, to be unable to feel the pain meant he'd keep chocking Wren, which meant that the claw tips would be pressed deeper in his throught, piercing either his wind pipe or veins, not a good way to go "Petch Off? You Petching little Shyke" its an unfortunate thing really, to be unable to feel pain is a good thing.... but to be unable to feel pain in a vital area is such a lethal thing


Perhaps Wren would die first though.... Keigs might accidetly kill him even if he did not wish too, hard to control ones strength when they are in such a state after, and wren was an awfully frail man. Or perhaps they would both kill each other.....Nothing good would come either way. All hope of both living rested on Ana, friend of both and the reason why Kreig had begun all this.