Heart within the beast

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let out a soft sigh and returned his gaze to her eyes


"I'll be fine. The old one knows what she's do--"


Kurogan froze for a fraction of a second before he ducked down, pulling Rhea with him. A familiar form flew over both of their heads, crashing a few feet behind the two


"You IDIOT!"


Kurogan had to step back a few steps as the figure, Faora, threw a few punches at his face


"Why did you do that?! Why would you--"


Her fist collided with Kurogan's chest weakly, barely making an impact


"Why . . . would you leave us like that?"

 

[Ricia]

Rhea gasped and as pulled down with Kurogan, before she took two stumbling steps backwards, landing on her butt.


"Oh I don't know... if I was being force to do something I really disagreed with, I would proububly leave too. Specially if that is the only way to stop a mass genocide." Sage said after Faora finished her a yelling spree.

 

[Ixidor92]

Faora glared over at Sage, taking one step before Kurogan grabbed her wrist


"Silence human! You don't understand--"


"Faora--"


"--The gravity of what has just happened! Kurogan just risked his life for your species! And even--"


"Faora!"


"--if he somehow survives the battle, the challenge still carries the penalty of EXILE!"


"FAORA!"


The tent went strangely quiet at the last statement. Kurogan had never raised his voice like that to anyone in present company. The only time Rhea would have seen him yell like that was the first time he revealed his true form to her

 

[Ricia]

Sage only tired to match Faora's glare, "You did this to yourselves. You have no one to blame but that. I think you are the one who doesn't understand Kurogan. I haven't know the guy long... but I know someone with great integrity when I see one."


Rhea took a long breath, "I didn't know... you would be banished... But Kurogan... know you always have a place with me..." Rhea said softly, hoping it would help put Kurogan at ease some.

 

[Ixidor92]

Faora was visibly shaking as she glared at Kurogan. Some mixture of pain, loss, and anger was present in her eyes moments before she stormed back out. Kurogan took a deep breath and sat back down


"Yeah . . . I'll be banished upon the eve of the challenge. Assuming I survive."

 

[Ricia]

Sage scoffed, "You have a lot riding on the lines right now... I admire you for putting your life and home up for them... Thanks for that." Sage told him in an actual sincere form of thank you.


Rhea just gave Kurogan a rather pathetic look, "I mean it though... you are always welcome with me..." She confirmed.


"Hell your welcome with me." Sage told him.

 

[Ixidor92]

(I don't know how much more can be said here. Do you want to skip ahead to the hour of the showdown?)


A small smile graced Kurogan's face


"Thank you. Both of you. That means more to me than you probably realize . . ."

 

[Ricia]

(Sure thing!)


Sage nodded and rolled over, holding her side mostly.


Rhea took a few large steps to Kurogan and hugged him fiercely. She wished she could do more for him, she really did.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let the embrace go on for a while. Likely longer than he ever had before. After several minutes, he pried Rhea's arms off of his torso and knelt down so that his mouth was only inches from her ear.


"I can't stay here with you overnight, but you'll be safe, I promise you. We won't see each other again until just before the challenge tomorrow."


He gave her a sad smile before exiting the tent. Over the course of the evening, the old one entered a couple more times, Faora entered once, and a few other beast-kin could be seen to poke their heads in for a brief moment or two before they were spotted. Kurogan spent the night in his old home. It hadn't been altered at all from when he had left it, probably at the behest of Faora.


-----------------------------------------------


The morning came entirely too early for everyone involved in what was happening. Faora entered the tent where Sage and Rhea had been sleeping, with a very stern look on her face.


"I'm going to escort you to our sacred arena. No matter what happens, you must not speak, do you understand?"

 

[Ricia]

"Alright..." Rhea said, softly agreeing to the terms. She didn't wish she was bound by silence, but Karogan was fighting for her... she proububly shouldn't disgrace him by disgracing his people's sacred area.


Sage on the other hand didn't really give an answer, more like a defile grunt which kind of served as a 'whatever'.

 

[Ixidor92]

Sage was pointedly left behind in the tent, deemed to injured and fragile to make the trip to the sacred grounds. Rhea was escorted alongside several other beast-kin, arriving at a stone clearing. It seemed rather out of place in the middle of the forest, with three large chunks of stone marking the edge. In the center, obviously made by mortal hands, was a ring made of small stones. Somehow, the shadows on the ring seemed to be of the same size and consistency. Thrown by the three large stones around the clearing. On either end, Kurogan and Beowulf were both sitting cross-legged. They were both shirtless, and had only the barest of cloth coverings over their decency. Both men had a multitude of scars on their bodies. Kurogan seemed to have more, smaller scars, where Beowulf had only a few extremely large scars over his torso and limbs. As the sun neared the center of the sky, not a word was spoken between the two as they both stood up and faced each other. Each one had a patch over their left cheek, which were pulled off. The torn flesh had only had one night to heal, and it was evident whoever survived the ordeal would forever have scars on their face as a result of this challenge. The shadows on the ring slowly started to recede . . . and when the sun hit its peak they were nonexistent. In the second, both combatants moved. The uneasy silence from before was broken by the grunts of effort and shouts of strikes as the two engaged in melee. Kurogan darted in and out of Beowulf's range, while the older man would look for opportune moments to hit the young man as hard as he could. After five minutes, neither looked any closer to victory over the other. It was then that Kurogan kicked a patch of dirt at Beowulf moments before charging . . . as a wolf. Beowulf sidestepped, his ears twitching with the change, and silence took back over the arena. There was a long pause before Beowulf gave only the barest hint of a smile and shifted into his bear form. Faora leaned down to whisper to Rhea, as they sat on the sideline


"Now is when the true battle begins . . ."

 

[Ricia]

Rhea watched completely nerve wrecked. She couldn't believe that he was actually going through something like this. It was hard.. not to scream or yell, to cheer for Kurogan as loud as she could. When Faora leaned down to speak to her, Rhea's eyes left the wolf she had come to known as Hikaru for mere seconds before looking back. Rhea had hopes, high hopes for him... but she was still scared. Even if he did win... there was such a chance that he could not live after all the damage he took.


You can do it... I believe in you... and I love you... Rhea thought to herseslf, almost willing her thoughts to Kurogan.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan and Beowulf did not remain in one form or the other as they fought. Claw and fang, fist and cunning, the battle was a mass of shifting bodies as the two continued to shift between their forms and around the ring. Kurogan found himself flung against one of the rock pillars as a bear-hand collided with his human-form torso. There was a lot of blood, to be sure, but Kurogan could tell at least a few of his ribs were broken from the impact. He had only a few seconds as another claw flew at his face. But the man shifted into his wolf form and dashed underneath the bear's legs. He leapt around and grabbed onto Beowulf's back. He had to finish this quickly now. If it dragged on for too much longer, the older warrior would have the advantage. Beowulf made to roll over, fully intending to crush Kurogan beneath his mass. It was the next few seconds that seemed to go in slow motion for everyone in the area. Kurogan shifted into his human form, leaping off the back of Beowulf as he rolled. In the second that he was on his back, Kurogan was falling back and shifting back into his wolf form. He didn't hesitate. He didn't give any quarter. His jaws went straight to Beowulf's exposed neck, and ripped out his throat. Kurogan slowly shifted back to his human form, on his knees as the blood loss started to take its toll. Beowulf lay half-shifted, half-not. The fur along his arms was all the way up to his shoulders, and his nails were partially extended into claws. However, his human facial features remained, aside from his hair having grown out somewhat. Gargling sounds escaped his mouth and the gaping space where his throat had once been, blood leaking everywhere. Kurogan slowly limped his way over, dropping just behind the older warrior's head


"Beowulf. Find peace in the embrace of mother Gaia."


A roar resounded throughout the trees, causing every bit of wildlife to flee--as Kurogan put his hands on either side of Beowulf's head and broke the man's neck. Kurogan knelt there, panting for a few more seconds, right before he collapsed backwards into unconsciousness.


------------------------------------


The next three days were unexpectedly quiet at the camp of the beast-kin. Beowulf had been returned to Mother Gaia, and the remaining council was looking to replenish its numbers. However, Kurogan was still unconscious. Several of his bones had been broken, and he had lost enough blood to kill a normal person. Rhea had been allowed to stay by his side for the time being, at Faora's insistence.

 

[Ricia]

Sage was a panicked mess by day 2 of being there. What Kurogan didn't know was her mother was very sick and all alone. The fact she wasn't there was terrifying to Sage. She needed to leave and be with her. To cook her meals and make sure she took her medicine. Sage begged and pleaded to be able to leave. She had to get home, she needed to go take care of her mother. Sage was on the verge of getting out right violent, specialty since Rhea was not with her most the time.


Rhea however stayed with Kurogan. She was worried sick for him. She tried to help medically with him. She knew now, exactly what she wanted to do... and she knew now exactly her feelings for him. After the days of worrying after him for so long, it had all become so clear to her. She had been denying it to herself... scared to take a step like that with someone so close to her, who knew her so vulnerably. But after this, she knew she needed to put her foot down and stop being so indecisive...

 

[Ixidor92]

A slow groan came from the bed that Rhea sat next to, a groan that belonged to a voice she recognized. Kurogan slowly blinked his eyes open, the dwelling around him coming in fuzzy. He was in his house, carved out of a tree. His entire torso was wrapped in bandages, and he could feel the dull pain aching throughout his entire being. Then his short term memory hit him like a rock. The battle with Beowulf, the blood flowing like a river over the ground, the sound of bone snapping like a long-aged tree branch. His head turned to the side . . . where his eyes met Rhea


"Rhea . . ."


-----------------------------


Several of the beast-kin told Sage that she was free to leave, though no one could say what awaited her in the forest. The old one, of course, said that her leaving in her current state was out of the question, and continued to tend to her wounds just as she did Kurogan's

 

[Ricia]

Rhea would sometimes drift in and hour of sleep next to him. Though this particular day, she was wide awake. When Kurogan stirred for the first time, Rhea's heart leapt in joy. "Kurogan..." She said softly. One of her hands lunched foreword to brush his hair away from his eyes, the other to hold his hand.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan closed his eyes again, his hand tightening slightly around her own


"Is it done?"


He couldn't force anything else out of his mouth. Had the tribe marched? Was war averted? Had his last attempt done anything?

 

[Ricia]

"Nothing happened...." Rhea said softly. "As far as I know... you've just been sleeping... and we've been taking care of you. The word right now is that they are looking for new members... but that is all i've heard." She told him, she waited for the signs of him relaxing, hoping it was the answer he was looking for.

 

[Ixidor92]

A slow, long breath came out of Kurogan. His grip on Rhea's hand loosened slightly


"Thank Gaia . . ."


His eyes slowly opened, a fuzzy image of Rhea appearing in front of him


"You're . . . all right?"

 

[Ricia]

"No harm has come to me.... and I've been aloud to stay here with you... Sage isn't doing so well... I'm worried about her, but i'm more worried about you... i'm not sure if you were almost dead or not.." She told him. Her fingers tenderly continued to brush his hair, her hand still holding his.

 

[Ixidor92]

"I . . ."


Kurogan closed his eyes again, too tired to keep them open and focus on the blurry shape in front of him. Her touch was all he needed to feel at ease.


"I think . . . I saw my mother, for only the briefest of moments . . . But she said someone else needed me . . . "


He gave a small smile, and his breathing started to slow again. It seemed like he was drifting off to sleep

 

[Ricia]

Rhea smiled lightly, trying not to cry. "I need you.." Rhea said softly. She was not sure if that was who his mother was referring too... but it was not why she said that. Her heart pounded a bit, she was terrified, but she knew she should do this when he was more awake. "I'll be here... till you wake." She assured him.

 

[Ixidor92]

"He'll be all right."


The old one had seemingly sprung up from nowhere behind Rhea, apparently she had entered during the middle of their conversation.


"The fact that he has opened his eyes means he's through the worst of it, it's just a matter of giving his body time to recover. Now if only that friend of yours was as cooperative as he was . . ."

 

[Ricia]

"Sage's mother is very sick... and alone..." Rhea said softly in defense of Sage. Though she looked behind her a moment later to look at the old one. "What is gong to happen now...?"

 

[Ixidor92]

"Kurogan will be cared for until he is strong enough to move about on his own, or if you are in a rush, with assistance from yourself. At that point, we will hold the ceremony of exile. He will be allowed his final farewells, and then we turn our backs to each other, at which point he is to never again walk upon the lands of the tribe."