Empty Jewel:
The fox raced along the ground, legs pushing into the soft mud and grass. The dark red ears perked and twitched, tail lashing irritably as it paused, then headed upstream. The sound of dogs grew, the barking and braying of hounds with the scent. It ran faster. The trees were oddly bent at the bend of the river, bowed over like people. Broken and bent people, bent at the knees or at the waist with hair draped over tragic faces. The hunters rode after the hounds, spreading out, their bows already notched with arrows, their faces set in a parody of smiles. A lust for blood to be spilt and a hate for the hands that did it. The fox paused again, scrambling up the tree, it wasn't fast enough. As soon as it was a little past a dozen hands up one of the giant mastiffs lunged, catching it's back legs with powerful jaws. The death scream was grating, and the hunters rode in to collect their prey.
One of the hunters sat to the side, his hand holding the reigns of an unusually placid horse. His blue eyes glazed as he watched the hounds tear the tiny red animal to bits. It wouldn't do, he thought absently, the way that the animal was already red, they would have to hunt a white fox next time. He'd love to see the white stained red. He didn't carry a bow or any arrows either, instead an elegant thin blade was strapped low on his waist. Beside him, a man a bit older sat, not carrying any arrows either, he didn't carry a sword though, but instead kept an eye on his dreamy companion. The blue eyed young man snapped out of his reverie, urging his horse forward, then sliding off with cat-like grace. The men parted a little, shifted uneasily as he drew his sword. One of them hissed a warning and called off the dogs. The fox was almost dead, having already screamed andits blood soaking the bank of the stream and draining into the water. One of the dogs had ripped its stomach open, and another had been gnawing on it's intestines. It stank of blood and stomach acid. He smiled.
"Iamir, perhaps we should head home, the hunt is over," the blue eyes' companion rode up, staying on his horse, the obvious sickness he felt apparent on his face. Blue eyes glanced over briefly, but then turned back to the fox, it's paws twitching, or what was left of them.
"Sthanatosth..." Iamir drawled, using his blade to turn the fox so he could look into it's eyes. It was dead now, the twitches ended and it's eyes began to cloud. He giggled then, a high reedy sound that pierced the air with its harshness. The cloudy orb dented when he pushed it with his blade, and then the blade slid in, liquid oozing out.
"Mir!" Sthanatosth cried, leaping down from his horse and yanking the other back. Iamir kept laughing, his shoulders shaking as he laughed, breaking free of Sthanatosth just so he could hack the body some more. The hunters watched, some disgusted and others amused, as he cut at it, blood flicking everywhere. The same ecstatic look on his face, and when he smiled the dried blood cracked and flaked. Sthanatosth just watched his half brother, a void within in growing.
"I was surprised you let him come back all bloody and the like, you're slipping, Than," Sthanatosth winced as the voice whipped across the room. A slim figure sat on the chair opposite him, only a desk between them. Though Than was heavier built and taller, the other radiated intense energy, and spite.
"It was like when he was under the Red Veil on the new moon," Than responded softly. The man behind the desk leaned forward, eyes that reminded Than of Iamir's caught the candles' light and threw it back at him with what looked like inhuman glee.
"Again, looks like dear old dad has been getting rougher," Than clenched his teeth as his other half brother laughed.
"Jayd,"
"Ah, I forgot, you don't like me mentioning his... other activities do you?" Jayd teased, coming out from behind the desk. Than looked away, not meeting his brother's eyes. They all shared the same, to use the nurse's words, 'enticing' blue eyes, but Iamir was an ice blond. His hair almost white, but Iamir was also the only legimate child, and the heir. Jayd was a dark blond, almost brown with wicked wit and smile. And Than himself... he was the middle child, but carried an apathetic streak mingled with the occasional compassion.
"Mah, anyway, dad will have to do better if he wants 'Mir up for marriage, neh?"
The fox raced along the ground, legs pushing into the soft mud and grass. The dark red ears perked and twitched, tail lashing irritably as it paused, then headed upstream. The sound of dogs grew, the barking and braying of hounds with the scent. It ran faster. The trees were oddly bent at the bend of the river, bowed over like people. Broken and bent people, bent at the knees or at the waist with hair draped over tragic faces. The hunters rode after the hounds, spreading out, their bows already notched with arrows, their faces set in a parody of smiles. A lust for blood to be spilt and a hate for the hands that did it. The fox paused again, scrambling up the tree, it wasn't fast enough. As soon as it was a little past a dozen hands up one of the giant mastiffs lunged, catching it's back legs with powerful jaws. The death scream was grating, and the hunters rode in to collect their prey.
One of the hunters sat to the side, his hand holding the reigns of an unusually placid horse. His blue eyes glazed as he watched the hounds tear the tiny red animal to bits. It wouldn't do, he thought absently, the way that the animal was already red, they would have to hunt a white fox next time. He'd love to see the white stained red. He didn't carry a bow or any arrows either, instead an elegant thin blade was strapped low on his waist. Beside him, a man a bit older sat, not carrying any arrows either, he didn't carry a sword though, but instead kept an eye on his dreamy companion. The blue eyed young man snapped out of his reverie, urging his horse forward, then sliding off with cat-like grace. The men parted a little, shifted uneasily as he drew his sword. One of them hissed a warning and called off the dogs. The fox was almost dead, having already screamed andits blood soaking the bank of the stream and draining into the water. One of the dogs had ripped its stomach open, and another had been gnawing on it's intestines. It stank of blood and stomach acid. He smiled.
"Iamir, perhaps we should head home, the hunt is over," the blue eyes' companion rode up, staying on his horse, the obvious sickness he felt apparent on his face. Blue eyes glanced over briefly, but then turned back to the fox, it's paws twitching, or what was left of them.
"Sthanatosth..." Iamir drawled, using his blade to turn the fox so he could look into it's eyes. It was dead now, the twitches ended and it's eyes began to cloud. He giggled then, a high reedy sound that pierced the air with its harshness. The cloudy orb dented when he pushed it with his blade, and then the blade slid in, liquid oozing out.
"Mir!" Sthanatosth cried, leaping down from his horse and yanking the other back. Iamir kept laughing, his shoulders shaking as he laughed, breaking free of Sthanatosth just so he could hack the body some more. The hunters watched, some disgusted and others amused, as he cut at it, blood flicking everywhere. The same ecstatic look on his face, and when he smiled the dried blood cracked and flaked. Sthanatosth just watched his half brother, a void within in growing.
"I was surprised you let him come back all bloody and the like, you're slipping, Than," Sthanatosth winced as the voice whipped across the room. A slim figure sat on the chair opposite him, only a desk between them. Though Than was heavier built and taller, the other radiated intense energy, and spite.
"It was like when he was under the Red Veil on the new moon," Than responded softly. The man behind the desk leaned forward, eyes that reminded Than of Iamir's caught the candles' light and threw it back at him with what looked like inhuman glee.
"Again, looks like dear old dad has been getting rougher," Than clenched his teeth as his other half brother laughed.
"Jayd,"
"Ah, I forgot, you don't like me mentioning his... other activities do you?" Jayd teased, coming out from behind the desk. Than looked away, not meeting his brother's eyes. They all shared the same, to use the nurse's words, 'enticing' blue eyes, but Iamir was an ice blond. His hair almost white, but Iamir was also the only legimate child, and the heir. Jayd was a dark blond, almost brown with wicked wit and smile. And Than himself... he was the middle child, but carried an apathetic streak mingled with the occasional compassion.
"Mah, anyway, dad will have to do better if he wants 'Mir up for marriage, neh?"