Selene was unable to find the vampire doctor - then again, if she was honest with herself, she didn’t really try. The wounds were more superficial and made hideous by the dried blood overemphasizing the severity of the cuts. Her pride was hurt but she could deal with that, she was a hunter, she was patient. So, after a brief look around and determining that she wasn’t anywhere close to finding the undead healer, the lycan made her way towards the bath house hidden in the back corner of the inn’s inner courtyard. The house was old and a bit drafty, with the stone basins dug into the ground and the water more mountainous cold but that didn’t bother her. Whether because she spent her formative years living out in the snowlands with Jameyson or due to the nature of wolf-blooded beasts, she rarely felt cold, using blankets and thick sweaters for comfort than huge amounts of insulation.
Stripping down to her skin, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before plunging into the cold water. Immediately, her heart quickened and her skin pricked a bit until her body adjusted to its surroundings. Gasping as she surfaced, Selene sat still for a few minutes, letting the stress and pain leave her, relaxing. Her mind raced off, finally going through everything that happened over the past few days, from her old master’s death to becoming a prisoner but...somehow, the only one to really hate her was the cat. Shaking her head, the young woman started scrubbing at her wounds, hissing slightly when she touched her scarred flesh. Getting out and shaking off the water like a dog, the girl slipped into her pants, rolling up the legs to her knees, and her tunic, not bothering to tuck it in. Carrying the rest of her things, she started back to her master’s rooms, lifting her face up to the sunshine.
As Selene left the drafty bath house a cloth ball whizzed through the air and stuck her upside her head. A peel of harsh laughter followed the sound of impact. “Ha got her dead on!” Shouted a deep voiced young man. A lighter almost refined one followed. “Didn’t knock her out though old chum, you’re losing your touch!”
A group of four large young men emerged from a dirty alley way carrying clubs some even with nails driven into them. “Nah, planned it that way the last one went boned fish and we had to puppet her about while we had our fun, this way we can tie her up and get a fight.”
The lycan’s eyes narrowed from a confused doe-eyed look to a dangerous glare. The back of her head hurt, the result of their game making her initially stumble for a few steps before regaining her balance and finding herself pressed up against a wall, the four young men coming towards her. Their makeshift weapons looked too comfortable in their hands for Selene to ignore them. She felt the small hairs at the nape of her neck stand up as they would if she was a wolf. The bundle of clothes fell at her feet, her eyes watching the men, her elongated canines exposed. Whatever they were up to, she was not about to go down without a fight. The annoyance at the feline was enough to give Selene a bit of her fire and right now, her master wasn’t here to take these ruffians under his protection. Her arm was still weak but if she didn’t overuse it or block one of those sticks with it, she would be fine.
The boys chuckled moving closer readying their sticks. The leader snorted. “Well, well we got us a Cursed here boys. We can have our fun and turn her into the Guards for a bounty.”
Another one, this one dark-skinned and dressed like some kind of Urban Forest Ranger spoke next. “Or we could keep her and keep having fun, ain’t no risk of getting one of these fucks pregnant.”
The refined boy chortled and pulled his long hair back into a rough bun as if he was getting ready for the fight ahead. “Will need to muzzle her, but our girls can use her too. At least she’s got a bad wing shouldn’t be too hard.” With that the men began moving in on her.
Selene felt her body slowly tense up like a coiled spring, ready to pounce the second one of them made a move. She caught their words, the tone of their voices, the implications without so much as batting an eyelash - she was used to being seen as a monster. A monster someone always wanted to dominate over, to capture and to do their bidding, forcing her to act or look a certain way, to feel empty and void, to simply survive as a dog. A low growl escaped her and she rolled her shoulders, snarling at the men approaching, a clear warning that was promptly ignored.
She was not about to go without a fight - that was clear. Selene had already failed one master, she was not about to fail her new one, a man who looked upon her with much more kindness that Jameyson ever did. She was not about to be taken alive by these lunatics and although she wondered how exactly she was to get past them, it didn’t deter her determination to rip their throats out in self defense. An enemy was only truly eliminated when he was undeniably dead.
As the boys closed in on the girl a low rumbling voice sounded from the alleyway. “So many against one, you city-dwellers truly know no honor.” The boys gasped and scooted back as a truly massive figure emerged from the alley they themselves had come from. A Minotaur clad in the robes of a Sunfist Monk standing more than three feet taller than the tallest boy and more than twice the width of the leader of the thugs himself. Like leaves on the wind the boys tripped over themselves running form the huge creature.
He let out a low chuckle as he watched them scamper down the street even tripping over some vegetable baskets in their hasty retreat. Once they were out of sight he turned to the young girl and gave his best benign smile. Kneeling down he spoke softly to the girl, there was something feral, but also strangely tame about the girl. “Hello little one, my name is Sir Kol-Bar. I did my best to get here once I heard their shouts. Are you ok?”
Selene blinked in confusion at the stranger, not sure how to respond. He came in like a whirlwind and scared away the boys but could he be trusted? That she couldn’t figure out. This man - no, a Minotaur - was strange, something she rarely saw before. Usually, humans avoided these Wilderbeasts as much as the Cursed. He was huge, not as large as the Giant, but he towered over her with ease. Even now, kneeling, he was almost to her height, his eyes a dark brown with the same innocent look as most bovines. That misleading innocence probably got quite a few unsuspecting people killed whenever they stood in the knight’s way. Her nose tingled with the foreign scent surrounding the stranger and unable to stop herself, Selene sneezed, nearly falling back onto her butt in the process.
“Thank you,” she responded after a second, deciding that her master would have wanted her to at least be polite. Tilting her head, she observed the man before her for a few minutes longer before finally looking away and starting to pick up her dropped belongings. If she could judge the time she had spent both in the baths and then dealing with these goons, she was late. And late meant that she faced the Giant and his water execution if Tris threatened again.
Kol-Bar smiled at the girl, noting her soft words and movements. Definitely not your usual Lycan, at least none he had met. In his travels he’s come across young Lycans being turned into slaves and servants because they couldn’t stay in their birth clan. It seems this young woman was one of those unfortunate souls. His heart always went out to the downtrodden, many in his Order would call this a weakness for a Paladin who would be expected to smite the wicked no matter what form they take.
But this girl seemed more scared than dangerous. Reaching down he helped her pick up her things and placed them gently in her arms. “Here let me help you.” He rumbled gently handing the girl her things, waiting patiently for her to sort them before standing back up folding his arms into his wide sleeves smiling down at her. “If you don’t mind my asking child, what brings a Lycan to Alegast? I haven’t seen one of your kind near a city in many a long year.”
Selene walked forward silently, somewhat chewing her lower lip in thought. How did she answer this question that the minotaur asked? She was here simply because her new master and his friends remained in the town, searching for something it seemed. The silent undead last night kept scribbling in her book and it seemed as though the women weren’t keen to discuss why they were there. Selene didn’t care for them in the slightest but she hadn’t yet gained the courage to ask Master Tristifer why they were in the city.
At the memories of the past night, Selene frowned slightly, her mind clearly playing back the feline’s attack, involuntarily touching the scars on her cheek. Her grey eyes grew dark but she didn’t say anything, stopping as they reached the doors of the hotel. Rolling on the balls of her feet, Selene looked at the Minotaur. “I am here because my….my master is here. I need to go find him.”
Bowing her head, Selene slipped into the shadows of the building, her eyes adjusting to her surroundings. Jogging up the steps, she burst into the room before realizing her actions could have been rash, her eyes looking around, trying to find Tristefer.
The Paladin saw the girl’s unease before she scampered off. So she was a slave of some kind. He had a feeling that such a thing was happening, the girl had a broken spirit. That he could see, a Lycan especially a female Lycan slave wasn’t unheard of in his travels. But knowing such a thing exists and seeing it are two very different things. With a deep sigh the bull began to move on his way, but a soft rumbling in the ground made him stop and look towards the forest. Another sight he had rarely seen a Giant. A genuine Giant...leading an Ocecat woman back towards the building the Lycan girl had just ran into. What a curious day this was shaping up to be.
The knife Tristifer had been impatiently flipping imbedded itself into the door frame next to the girl’s ear. The move was an instinctive reaction to her bursting into the room. The archer however raised an eyebrow at the girl, behaving as if it was intentional. "There you are."
Crossing his arms the human studied the girl. "What did the vampire say? Does he have an update on your arm?"
Selene froze, her head turning to the trembling weapon a mere few inches from her face, her expression blank. Her new master had impeccable aim - a slight hesitation or a wrong calculation and she would be pinned to the wall like a butterfly. Slowly, she walked in and closed the door behind her, her eyes lifting to look up at the man.
“I…” she paused then sighed, “I never found him master….Tristifer.”
Tristifer's eyebrow twitched. "So where were you?"
“In the baths,” Selene walked to the corner table, about to place her clothes there. “I...got distracted on the way back.”
Tristifer shook his head. "While I approve of your initiative, not following instructions looks bad on you. Especially given the circumstances."
Pointing to his knife he motioned for her to bring it to him. "Speaking of; We need to discuss what's happening with the cat. We have the option to decide her punishment, well you can."
“I never found the vampire,” Selene paused before meeting the man’s eyes directly with a tiny flame in them. “I want the stupid cat to just leave me alone. I want everyone to just leave me alone!” She gasped at her own reaction before biting her lip and lowering her gaze. “I’m sorry. I….I will follow whatever you decide about the cat.”
The smirk that started on Tristifer's face vanished as the girl's attitude flipped completely. "You've got to be…" He started to mutter. Clearing his throat he spoke. "I want to hear your suggestions."
He motioned the girl to speak.
Selene let out a few shaky breaths, trying to think. What did she want the punishment of the cat woman to be? Frankly, she simply wanted to be left alone, to have a purpose of existing and to survive the upcoming full moon. Among the smaller wishes, she wanted her arm to stop aching and for the giant never to drown her. Slowly, she looked up. “I just want her to never touch me again, however you decide to do that. Otherwise, I can not promise to be so complacent master….Tristifer.”
"I'm sure that can be arranged. But it's not a punishment."
“You are my master and my protector,” Selene’s voice remained flat, only her eyes meeting his. “I will follow your lead.”
"I saw where the last one led." He said. "Try and make a decision yourself."
Selene dared a few seconds of glaring before turning away. It was his job to protect her, his to tell her what she could and could not do. To keep the monster that she was in line and away from hurting anyone. How could he be so confident that she would make the right decision?
“Whip her,” Selene wasn’t sure she spoke any louder than a whisper.
"Alright." Tris stated. "You'll deliver three lashes. Get dressed." The archer finished as he stood. Walking through the door he retrieved his blade. "We'll be waiting."
---------------------
As they neared the Annex, Mynx grunted, once again rolling her shoulders under Balder's hand. She did not want to be seen being led like this and the pressure was getting uncomfortable. She tried to slow her gait, pulling at his fingers with frustration.
"Let go!" she demanded. "Hurting! I said cat...I...walk. I not try to run." ...and because it had seemed to help earlier, she added, "...please," the word sounding pitiful to her ears.
Balder rumbled letting go of the Ocecat, his annoyance apparent. “A hurting shoulder will be the least of your worries depending on how this trial of yours goes. You need to temper your prejudice Mynx. Whatever excuse you think you have, whatever justification you try to convince yourself you had, attacking at random not only reflects poorly on you but on your comrades and the Guildmaster. Let’s just hope Adam and Tris are awake, we should’ve been in the Library by now.” With that the Giant jerked his head to the side signaling for Mynx to begin walking ahead of him.
Mynx grumbled, looking up at the Giant and shaking her head as she took the lead. “You not understand...I not attack at random...but you think what will. Your head thick like rest of you...no listen. I have reason...and it not change. Even if whip.” She rubbed at her shoulder with irritation, it wasn’t so much about the discomfort as the aggravation of the whole ordeal. At least she was being allowed to walk in on her own, Balder had given her that much. It was but a small bit of leniency, but she would take what she could when her pride was at stake.
She continued walking at a quick pace, huffing out her breath as her anxiety increased. “I not like you,” she said in a quiet tone, “...drag from sleep...treat badly. Make decision before hear side. Never should have helped you...and wooly beast. Let suffer. Like cat will suffer. I not make mistake again.”
Balder sighed and shook his head. “I have heard your side Mynx, but it doesn’t justify your actions. You’ve been with our group for a long while, you know the rules as well as anyone. There’s still the chance the girl will forgive you, but still you must face it.” The Giant was growing tired of this, he could see their schedule for the day just going right down the sink hole.
There was nothing left to argue about, the ocecat merely puffing out her cheeks and releasing a long drawn out breath of air. She didn’t have to like his decision, but she would have to accept it, his was the voice she had to follow in the absence of Dagur. Second in command...big honcho...man in charge...but not the alpha. Knowing this did not make it easier for her...she wanted to scream in his face...tell him he was wrong again and again. Throw a fit. Scratch his eyes out. Oh yes, the things she imagined...they brought the slightest hint of a grimace to her lips. But she had promised...and if nothing else, she was true to her word.
“Of course...side not matter...I broke rules...I bad cat.” Her words were said in a flat tone, a coldness in her voice. There was nothing left but to face the lycan.
Balder rolled his eyes slightly as they arrived in the courtyard of the Annex seeing neither Adam nor Tris out yet. But a Minotaur from the Sunfist Order was, as was the vanishing form of Selene the Lycan, as she ran back into the Annex. What in the abyss was going on now?
Mynx paused at the sight, a low growl coming from her, both due to the cur and the cow-like creature. She had never seen such a beast and her sense of caution was greater than her curiosity. She looked up over her shoulder at Balder, waiting for him to give her some direction, as she had no intention of venturing closer unless her bade her to do so.
---------------------
Approaching the bull man Balder nodded to him recognizing him once he saw under the hood. “Kol-bar as I live and breath. What are you doing this far East?”
Looking up his not so great eye-sighted finally coming into focus he chuckled taking the Giant’s hand shaking it as best as he could. “Ah Balder of Stonestead, I’m here on a Diplomacy mission for the Sunfists. But I could ask the same for you old friend. Last I knew you stayed pretty close to the central plains when not working with those Rogue’s Gallery scoundrels.”
Balder chuckled back, pointing a thumb back at Mynx. “Well those scoundrels are the reason I’m this close to Elfland. In fact I have some disciplinary actions to take with this one over here. So we’ll have to hold the reunion for now. Are you staying in town?”
Kol-Bar looked past the Giant at the Ocecat woman snorting lightly. The feline Wilderbeasts are always trouble makers, hardly a surprise to see one being led into the “Headmaster’s” office as it were. “Yes I am staying the Studious Stag Inn, my business shouldn’t take me too long to handle so I’ll meet you there sometime in the afternoon, sound good?”
Balder nodded and once more clasped the Minotaur’s hand firmly and turned back to Mynx as the Paladin left. Crossing his massive arms over his chest he kept Mynx in his sights and shouted at the Annex building. “Ready when you are Tris and Selene.”
The ocecat met the Giant’s gaze, her eyes narrowing as she waited for the others. There had been a moment, albeit a short one, when she could have fled, but she had decided against it, once more going with staying true to her word. She grumbled, her lip lifting in a sneer before she looked away, her gaze now focusing on the door of the Annex.
Tristifer stopped half way down the steps, sticking a finger in his ear. "At least one hangover is going to regret you doing that." The archer told the Giant. "The girl will be out in a moment."
The archer crossed his arms and studied the others present. The giant, as always in these situations looked a cross of annoyance and disappointment. The cat appeared to be frustrated and impatient; Tris wondered if she was considering making a break for it. The minotaur looked curious, and fed the curiosity of others. Tristifer wasn't a fan of the Sunfists, hell he wasn't a fan of any of the orders. They tended to be nosy and judgemental, and not in the fun way. Glancing back towards the door he raised an eyebrow at the time it was taking the girl to get dressed.
-------------
Selene pondered taking her daggers for much too long, trying to figure out what would upset her master more - her carrying the blades or ending up in another situation where someone would beat her up. The decision, paired with dressing nearly one handed took time, but eventually she sighed and tucked the daggers into their usual places before jogging happily down the stairs to where Tristifer and the Giant were waiting. As she got to the entrance, she caught the archer's glance and skipped a step, ducking her head for a second, expecting repercussions that usually followed her mishaps from her old master. It took her a few steps to remember that the rogue and the thief were two different people with very different reactions and she dared lift her eyes up, standing beside the man. She forced herself to relax outwardly though if anything were to happen, she would be ready to spring into action at once.
Balder let out a low sigh as everyone finally showed up to this trial. Enough of the day had been wasted so he wanted this to be done as quickly as possible. He was glad that this wasn’t a Giant Trial they’d be here all day just with the talk up and reading of the laws and reasons. So he clapped his hands and began. “Ok, let’s get this over with. Mynx you attacked and wounded Selene without obvious provocation. How do you plead?”
The cat looked up at Balder in confusion for a moment, the Giant's words beyond her grasp, but the meaning finally coming to her in context. She scrunched up her face, growling low in her throat as she glanced at the scratches on the lycan's face. "I do nothing wrong," she said defensively, refusing to admit guilt.
Balder hmmed lightly and nodded expecting that response. “Noted, Selene what’s your side of the story?” He looked down at the small Lycan girl and Tris.
Tristifer watched the cat at the girl's appearance. He quirked an eyebrow at the cat's confusion and response. When the Giant called for Selene to speak, the archer turned his attention to her. "Tell only the truth." He stated.
“I was following orders,” Selene responded calmly, her eyes meeting Tristefer’s. She bit her lip for a moment before continuing. “Master Tristifer handed me off to you, Master Giant, before you passed me onto the Orcess. When she stood to leave without giving me any other orders, I assumed it was right to go with her.”
The Giant rubbed his scruffy chin slowly absorbing all that he had been told. Despite Mynx’s explanation, Selene’s reasoning proved Balder’s suspicions. The attack was indeed a mistake, no doubt made worse by alcohol and such. But still the attack was unprovoked by the rules of the Gallery. He nodded to the girl then looked at Tris. “Both sides have been heard. But Selene is your charge Tris it is ultimately up to you what happens here. What say you to the evidence provided?”
"The cat screwed up and broke the rules in the process." Tristifer raised an eyebrow at Mynx, "I'll even wager she'll admit to the deed. If you get caught breaking the rules you get punished." He shrugged. "The girl made the choice as to what the punishment will be."
“Cur’s words mean nothing,” Mynx grumbled under her breath. “She say what archer want. Nothing but slave. No rules against slaves.” She set her gaze to Tris, scowling at him, then crossing her arms over her chest. She was wasting her time arguing, but she refused to remain quiet. “Just get punishment done...tired of game.”
Tristifer motioned for the girl to speak. "Name the punishment."
Selene sighed and bit her bottom lip. A few seconds later, she finally responded. “Lashes, as is acceptable by the Guild.”
So it had been decided. Mynx briefly cast a glance to the lycan then shook her head, accepting her fate with a low rumble. She wouldn’t resist as long as they met her one condition. She looked up at the Giant, remembering how he had stated it was not up to him who delivered the sentence--that decision belonged to the archer. And so it was to Tristifer that she turned her attention once again.
“I will suffer judgment...but ask that whip be held by you.”
The archer blinked. He'd seen the cat make strange decisions before, this one surprised him. While his mind ran through the possible reasons why she would make the request he turned to the lycan. "Not my choice. Your punishment you get to decide."
Selene met the man’s eyes, her own looking more wolf-like in that moment. The look that the cat had given her made her hair stand up and her hackles - were she in her wolf form - rise. The request was a strange one and for a second she was tempted to refuse. Whatever bit of pride she had left was enough to withstand the pathetic demands of a feline who caught her unaware and injured. Another look at her master and she thought better of it - there was enough tension in the air and she wasn’t ready to face the cat again should said feline decide to strike. Sighing, she shook her head - she had no objections to the archer dealing out the punishment.
With a shrug Tristifer stepped forward. He held out a hand to the Giant, "Let's get this over with. The whip please."
Balder nodded and walked to the wagon pulling out the long bullwhip and some extra rope. They kept a whip for just such an occasion and as luck would have it they rarely needed to use this thing. Sadly also because of its lack of use the whip itself was nearly new and would sting like the Sky Father’s lightning. With slow steps the Giant returned and handed Tris the whip before pulling Mynx’s clothing down enough so her back was exposed. He assumed he wouldn’t need the rope to retrain her, but he tied it into a kind of lasso and hung onto it as he stepped back giving the archer a nod to begin.
At Balder's signal to Tristifer, Mynx snarled, her upper lip twitching as she turned slowly, presenting her bare back to the archer. She had not resisted the lowering of her clothing, merely following the action with a growl, then pulling her long hair forward and tucking her tail in close to her body. Wary of the possibility of restraint, she couldn't take her eyes off the rope in the Giant's hand. She had not really expected them to go through with the punishment, but now that the time had come, she tensed her shoulders, preparing herself for the first strike.
Tristifer snaked the whip out, turning away from everybody he flicked his arm and cracked it in midair. With a shake of his head he once again wondered why the cat would make the request she did. Did she expect he'd take it easy on her? She should know better.
At least with the girl it likely would have been three quick hard strikes and done. Likely the whip wouldn’t have hit as hard, as the lycan likely has little idea as to how to use one. Much less aim her strikes. Tristifer however, was never one for typical weaponry. He moved into range once the Cat was ready.
He swept the whip side to side for a moment then pulled his arm back letting it shoot into the air. He brought his arm across and jerked back at the last second. The leather whistled the air, the sudden jerk causing it to crack across the cat's shoulder blades and make her twist, a painful hiss slipping from her lips.
The archer's arm continued its move, snapping back across from the other side. Again his wrist flicked, and the rawhide cracked, leaving a second burning lash across the small of her back.
The cat did not handle herself as well, her knees starting to buckle as she cried out. With a force of will, she straightened herself and looked over her shoulder just as the weapon twirled and the archer’s arm went high, then plummeted. Tristifer’s arm snapped and the motion slid down the leather like a wave. The third lash slashed down along the left side of the cat's spine.
Tristifer gave another snap of his wrist and the tip of the whip leapt back towards him before another flip defeated its motion. The archer gathered the tool, wrapping it slowly. He'd hit the points he'd aimed, the points that would remind of the punishment every time the cat moved. Turning he motioned the girl to leave. Heading off himself. "It's done, onto more enjoyable things," he tossed over his shoulder as he walked off.
As soon as he was gone Mynx fell to her knees, hissing out her breath and bowing her head. She remained silent, trying to gather her strength. This had been more than an eye for an eye, the punishment worse than the crime. She had only delivered one strike but had taken three...and hers would have an effect on the hunt. Reaching behind her, she grabbed at the upper half of her outfit and gingerly pulled it up, flinching as it rubbed against the open wounds. Her gaze lifted to look at Balder, her eyes narrowing as she huffed out a last groan and stood back up.
“Can I go now?” she asked.
Balder sighed sadly and picked up the whip after the Archer discarded it. “Yes Mynx, you may go, you are clear of wrongdoing. Clean yourself up and make ready for the Library.” He wiped off the whip and began to coil it as he walked slowly back to the wagon to put it in storage. He knew this wasn’t going to be the end of this issue, but soon he hoped the group would be too occupied with finding these Tears to carry on old blood feuds and grudges. He was too big to do any good in the library, but maybe his meeting with Kol-Bar would shed some light. The Sunfists were a well-traveled organization and had gathered artifacts and lore from all over Eisignol and Bisignol. At the very least it’d be nice to talk with an old friend for a few hours. He truly hated disciplining those in the Gallery, he usually left that unsavory duty to Dagur. Giants were peaceful, even in the punishment of crime. The worst he’d seen among his own people was the branding and banishment of thieves who stole from the homestead’s coffers. Murder and assault were all but unheard of among the Gentlefolk of the Plains. Mostly because it was very hard to injure a Giant enough so they were unable to fight back, but still the very idea made his stomach queasy. He replaced the whip and rope before he tied on his water skin and gave Masso some bags of grass that Lulu hadn’t gotten into to eat now that his injuries were getting better. There was much to do before he could go meet Kol-Bar, like rounding up the rest of his group to send them to their duties. Wearily Balder rubbed his eyes and went to find or wake up the others, his large shoulders sagging.
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