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Dagos
"So We're Mates Now?" - 1325AE.
They walked on. The sky was filled with falling embers. Ashes trailed in their wakes, pelting the desolate ground with fire. The air was saturated with the scent of smoke. Everywhere one's nose turned, there was only the scent of smoke on the wind, beyond the wind, everywhere. Their limping steps crunched beneath them in the cinders and the charred ashes. Two sets of footprints led away from Keeper's Sanctum, one a light and sure step, the other lumbering with a wide gait. The two figures kept together in step, almost touching at times, half turns in the ashen sand and then sure steps onward.
"Just one more step," said the smaller grey charr. The little Ash clutched his dagger in one hand, the other pressed to his bloodied nose. His ears flickered. His body shook. He remained tense and alert, using all his inert training to watch Kasik Scraphide's steps and at the same time be wary of their surroundings. This was open ground. They had come here on adventure. They had left with merely their lives left. He pulsed with a nervous energy. His heart sounded in his ears. He turned to Kasik and then back to the trail ahead, goading the heavy footed Iron on.
Kasik Scraphide had a long cut across his neck, hand pressed to it. He limped, he carried on an injured creature struggling to continue on their track. His ears hung limply, and he scowled. He tried to keep from showing the pain. This wasn't a moment to rue over injuries. They had far to go. There were many more steps ahead of them to the front lines, beyond which they had crossed without a single thought. Now, that was the only thought. Kasik continued on, looking down at Tactius just a step ahead of him and giving slow grunts and nods to convey that he was still conscious, that he could still keep up.
"One more step," he intoned. His tail hung loose, sweeping back and forth in long strides. He kept his hand pressed to his neck and took deep breaths, summoning all the resolve of all the dolyaks to keep walking. Tactius looked back at him, a worried caring in his eyes; he had led them here after all. He would again lead them out. It was an understanding between the injured charr. They would get out of this alive. They had survived against overwhelming odds. Behind them in the Sanctum were at least eight bodies. Eight against two. Kasik couldn't believe himself, their luck, the turn of events, the sword to the neck, the way he had fallen, the way Tacitus swallowed as he watched Kasik fall. He watched him slay the last three. Now, he watched him bleed, leading them further out into the Desolation. They had done it.
Tacitus took a deep breath and gripped his still bloodied dagger even tighter. He turned back towards the south and sniffed back some of the blood. It continued to pour down his mouth and onto his gloved hand. He was not alarmed. His body continued shaking with adrenaline, but his mind was clear. Get home, he thought. Get to the front lines. Get away from this place. Go home.
And Kasik too was thinking the same. Get to the lines. Get home. Get away from where they had made their narrow escape and live again to see snow. Live again to see the mountains where the two of them had huddled in a tent and kissed for the first time. See that again. Kasik took a deep breath and steadied himself. One thing at a time. They must continue on. The Iron nodded to the Ash, closing one eye as he watched at the concern and worry on the little charr's face, watched his steps ahead of his own. They would see snow again one day.
"We really did it," Kasik said, sighing.
"We did. We did it," replied Tacitus, gulping down air and nodding. His ears continue to twitch. The pulse in his ears does not abate. "And just another step, you hear? Just another step."
"Just another step," the larger charr replies. His chest swells. He looks taller, still hunched from his injury but yet looming larger. The steps are more sure. The cinders crunch beneath his feet. He limps on, proud and accomplished. There was more to all of this; the gears turn in his head, rumbling towards the conclusion of a thought. He looks up at Tacitus and sees him as his shadow. He sees in his eyes the care of someone more than just a fighting comrade. They had come through hell. They had fought in the belly of the Sanctum, and here the little Ash could have fled when the Iron was struck down -- and here he was leading him to safety. The Ash's blood-red eyes keep flickering back towards Kasik, reddened and stinging from the soot and smoke. He looks into him.
Tacitus saw snow in Kasik's green eyes. He saw with clarity their first kiss on the mountain. He nodded once, looking forward and then back again, drawn back into the larger charr's gaze. It's not a sympathetic look, but it's a look that conveys an understanding forged in blood they had shed for each other. Here it was. Confirmation. Here was the final stroke that sealed them. The walk back, if they survive will shape them forevermore. Tacitus felt something burning within him as though fanned by the thoughts of fresh Shiverpeak winds in this barren landscape. He looked again at Kasik, and Kasik looked at him. They walked in silence, the only sound being their footsteps, one light, and one heavy.
The cogs in the Iron's head stopped turning, reaching a sure conclusion. The fight had changed them. This was certain. He took a breath, looked down at his hand before pressing it back to his neck and set his tongue against his teeth. He spoke.
"So we're mates now, aren't we?"
Tacitus nodded, his nervous energy continuing to express itself in turns of his ears and singed whiskers, in quick spasms of his tail. "Yeah. We're mates now, Kasik."
They looked at each other for another long moment before Tacitus finally turned ahead, looking for the clearest and most direct path back to the front lines. Kasik kept his eyes on Tacitus. Through his grit teeth, he smiled. And had he seen the little Ash's face, he would have seen the bloodied smile of his proud mate.
"Just one more step," said Tacitus.
"Just one more step," Kasik echoed.
Dagos"So We're Mates Now?" - 1325AE.
They walked on. The sky was filled with falling embers. Ashes trailed in their wakes, pelting the desolate ground with fire. The air was saturated with the scent of smoke. Everywhere one's nose turned, there was only the scent of smoke on the wind, beyond the wind, everywhere. Their limping steps crunched beneath them in the cinders and the charred ashes. Two sets of footprints led away from Keeper's Sanctum, one a light and sure step, the other lumbering with a wide gait. The two figures kept together in step, almost touching at times, half turns in the ashen sand and then sure steps onward.
"Just one more step," said the smaller grey charr. The little Ash clutched his dagger in one hand, the other pressed to his bloodied nose. His ears flickered. His body shook. He remained tense and alert, using all his inert training to watch Kasik Scraphide's steps and at the same time be wary of their surroundings. This was open ground. They had come here on adventure. They had left with merely their lives left. He pulsed with a nervous energy. His heart sounded in his ears. He turned to Kasik and then back to the trail ahead, goading the heavy footed Iron on.
Kasik Scraphide had a long cut across his neck, hand pressed to it. He limped, he carried on an injured creature struggling to continue on their track. His ears hung limply, and he scowled. He tried to keep from showing the pain. This wasn't a moment to rue over injuries. They had far to go. There were many more steps ahead of them to the front lines, beyond which they had crossed without a single thought. Now, that was the only thought. Kasik continued on, looking down at Tactius just a step ahead of him and giving slow grunts and nods to convey that he was still conscious, that he could still keep up.
"One more step," he intoned. His tail hung loose, sweeping back and forth in long strides. He kept his hand pressed to his neck and took deep breaths, summoning all the resolve of all the dolyaks to keep walking. Tactius looked back at him, a worried caring in his eyes; he had led them here after all. He would again lead them out. It was an understanding between the injured charr. They would get out of this alive. They had survived against overwhelming odds. Behind them in the Sanctum were at least eight bodies. Eight against two. Kasik couldn't believe himself, their luck, the turn of events, the sword to the neck, the way he had fallen, the way Tacitus swallowed as he watched Kasik fall. He watched him slay the last three. Now, he watched him bleed, leading them further out into the Desolation. They had done it.
Tacitus took a deep breath and gripped his still bloodied dagger even tighter. He turned back towards the south and sniffed back some of the blood. It continued to pour down his mouth and onto his gloved hand. He was not alarmed. His body continued shaking with adrenaline, but his mind was clear. Get home, he thought. Get to the front lines. Get away from this place. Go home.
And Kasik too was thinking the same. Get to the lines. Get home. Get away from where they had made their narrow escape and live again to see snow. Live again to see the mountains where the two of them had huddled in a tent and kissed for the first time. See that again. Kasik took a deep breath and steadied himself. One thing at a time. They must continue on. The Iron nodded to the Ash, closing one eye as he watched at the concern and worry on the little charr's face, watched his steps ahead of his own. They would see snow again one day.
"We really did it," Kasik said, sighing.
"We did. We did it," replied Tacitus, gulping down air and nodding. His ears continue to twitch. The pulse in his ears does not abate. "And just another step, you hear? Just another step."
"Just another step," the larger charr replies. His chest swells. He looks taller, still hunched from his injury but yet looming larger. The steps are more sure. The cinders crunch beneath his feet. He limps on, proud and accomplished. There was more to all of this; the gears turn in his head, rumbling towards the conclusion of a thought. He looks up at Tacitus and sees him as his shadow. He sees in his eyes the care of someone more than just a fighting comrade. They had come through hell. They had fought in the belly of the Sanctum, and here the little Ash could have fled when the Iron was struck down -- and here he was leading him to safety. The Ash's blood-red eyes keep flickering back towards Kasik, reddened and stinging from the soot and smoke. He looks into him.
Tacitus saw snow in Kasik's green eyes. He saw with clarity their first kiss on the mountain. He nodded once, looking forward and then back again, drawn back into the larger charr's gaze. It's not a sympathetic look, but it's a look that conveys an understanding forged in blood they had shed for each other. Here it was. Confirmation. Here was the final stroke that sealed them. The walk back, if they survive will shape them forevermore. Tacitus felt something burning within him as though fanned by the thoughts of fresh Shiverpeak winds in this barren landscape. He looked again at Kasik, and Kasik looked at him. They walked in silence, the only sound being their footsteps, one light, and one heavy.
The cogs in the Iron's head stopped turning, reaching a sure conclusion. The fight had changed them. This was certain. He took a breath, looked down at his hand before pressing it back to his neck and set his tongue against his teeth. He spoke.
"So we're mates now, aren't we?"
Tacitus nodded, his nervous energy continuing to express itself in turns of his ears and singed whiskers, in quick spasms of his tail. "Yeah. We're mates now, Kasik."
They looked at each other for another long moment before Tacitus finally turned ahead, looking for the clearest and most direct path back to the front lines. Kasik kept his eyes on Tacitus. Through his grit teeth, he smiled. And had he seen the little Ash's face, he would have seen the bloodied smile of his proud mate.
"Just one more step," said Tacitus.
"Just one more step," Kasik echoed.
Category Artwork (Digital) / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1280 x 719px
File Size 93.8 kB
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