(Grins back)
(Lmao, the problems we writers have)
Christina stays mostly silent through all this, slowly becoming calmer. She sniffs the chicken, then devours it. She waits on the tea.
"I won't apologize or feel sorry for you." she murmurs, then pauses.
"But thank you." she says softly, shifting into a full fox and curling up next to the fire.
(Yup, lmao!)
Jonathan snorted,”I do not expect you to.”
He paused for a second as her thanks, then nodded. After a moment, he ate his own chicken, even snacking on a few of the bones. Then, he took his and Christina’s plate, setting them off to the side.
He sat back down and stared at Christina for a while, scrutinizing her. By this time, the tea had finished steeping, and he started drinking his. When he set the cup back down, his thumb traced the rune he had carved. It was an Ahkrethian rune, meaning ‘Hearth’. It brought him comfort and luck wherever he went.
"Good." Christina says, pausing, considering, then shaking her head. Whatever else she was going to say wouldn't help.
She lifts her head and catches Jonathan's gaze on her, and scowls. Languidly, she gets up and sits in front of him, ears and tail twitching. Fuck it.
She hops onto his lap, bats at his face as though to say "Not a word about this to anybody, lad, if you want to live" and curls up there, falling asleep.
(I snicker Lord knows what she's thinking.)
Jonathan rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything.
He snorted as she got up, not surprised by her reaction. Though, the moment she got in his lap and slapped him, his eyes widened in surprise. Then, when she curled up, he was just dumbfounded. He had no idea what to do, especially now that he was practically bathing in her herbal scent.
After a moment, Jonathan recovered enough to turn away and grab his tea. He tried his best to ignore the ache in his bottom jaw. Why did she have to smell like Chamomile?
(Lmao!)
(Note: Ahkrethians don’t have human organs [probably obviously, lol], so… yeah. Snickers slyly)
(I chuckle I figured. When I first heard of this race, I decided to do a bit of digging around.)
Christina barely shifts as she sleeps. She slept through that day and far into the next. With a yawn and a stretch, she stands up on Jonathan's lap.
(Lol)
Jonathan sat there for a while, sometimes watching Christina, sometimes distracting himself. Eventually, he dozed off from boredom and exhaustion, leaning his head on his fist.
He didn’t wake until Christina moved. He then slowly opened his eyes, drowsily looking around. His body ached from sleeping in a stone chair for a while, but he didn’t care. After a moment, he focused on the little creature in his lap, and his mind snapped to full consciousness at the sight of Christina. He still didn’t know what to do, so he just stared.
Christina gets off of Jonathan's lap and half transforms back to human. It was with great reluctance, though. She wasn't just half-human right then. She was in her natural form. She looks down.
"I forgot. I don't have my clothes with me for this form." she grins, getting up from all fours. Indeed, despite the fur, she was completely naked. She shrugs.
"Oh well." she laughs, looking over at Jonathan. "It's not like it would bother you, right?"
(I shake my head She's just as bad as On'nyosh.)
Jonathan continued to watch, then quickly averted his eyes once she stood straight. He cleared his throat, his naturally pale cheeks showing a faint bit of maroon.
“I… can make you some clothes, if you wish,”he commented, his tone carrying a clear note of timidness.
(Lmao! Poor Jonathan, he’s so modest, lol!)
(Lmao, she has more ammunition now)
"Oho! So you do mind!" Chrisina smirks.
She sighs. "Yeah, sure."
She knew better than to pass up this chance. Plus, she figured it'd be easier to hide if she had clothes.
(Dramatic gasp. Oh no! Lmao!)
Jonathan sighed, then immediately stood and headed to the tanning rack once she accepted the offer. He checked the pile of hides for some pieces that weren’t covered in dust, being careful not to disturb his old bow.
He then found a pouch with strips of sinew and a large needle big enough to fit in his hand. He then used the sinew as thread to sew the pieces of hide together.
After an hour or two, Jonathan had a basic, sleeveless robe made. He double-checked the seams to make sure they were sturdy, then walked over to Christina. He held the robe out to her, raised enough where it blocked most of her body from his sight.
“Try it. ‘Tis not modern, yet it is better than nothing,”he said.
(Grins)
Christina watches as Jonathan sews the clothing together, then accepts the robe. She tilts her head.
"Interesting that you chose this particular style." she murmurs, slipping the robe over her head. Experimentally, she does a few tricks and smiles. She walks over to the ladder and looks up. A small blast of wind lifts the trap door, and she jumps straight up and out of the cellar.
Jonathan didn’t know how to reply to her words. Almost all Ahkrethians wore robes, and Jonathan himself was accustomed to tunics, so… That line of thought somehow seemed so awkward to him now. Why?
When she took the robe, Jonathan turned away. He didn’t turn back until she was walking toward the trapdoor. He was about to question her, but by the time he started to speak, she had already jumped out.
“Amazing,”he mumbled, astonished by her leap. Jonathan then froze when he realized he had actually said that.
He shook his head, then moved to the ladder and climbed out. He needed some fresh air.
As Jonathan gets out of the cellar, he finds Christina scowling at the door. She grabs Jonathan and obliterates the roof, leaping 10 times her height into the air just as the hut itself is hit by a fireball.
"Damn it. . ." she mutters, hovering in the air. No. Not hovering. Standing, as though on solid ground.
"Didn't take long." she chuckles.
(Please note that Christina is about 7 feet tall. They are now 70 feet in the air.)
(Lol. In human form, Jonathan is 6’9”. But, in his true form, which he’s still in, he’s about 7’3”. For an Ahkrethian, 7’ is actually about average, lol)
Jonathan paused at the sight of Christina, then yelped when she grabbed him and jumped. He watched the hut get obliterated and groaned.
“Fire will not hurt me, yet that is bullshit,”he commented.
Jonathan then sighed as he dangled in the air. He reached over and escaped her grip, plummeting to the ground. Bronze and gold wings burst from his back and Jonathan quickly caught himself, hovering about fifteen feet below Christina, which was just enough room to accommodate his flapping wings.
Holding out his hand, Jonathan focused on the hut, then summoned his old friend. The black bow quickly materialized in his hand along with an arrow made of the same wood. Using just muscle memory, he expertly nocked the arrow and aimed toward the hut, watching. He tried his best not to remember all those he killed with the bow in his hands.
(7 feet is insanely tall for a kitsune. 4-5 feet is average. She's almost twice that.)
(Does Goldergon have an Ahkrethian form?)
Christina chuckles.
"Just don't obliterate the entire park. I'd hate to have to restore it all." she says, picking at her nails fastidiously.
"Oh, I forgot to mention: I have an idea as to what this thing is. And if I'm right, that bow won't even scratch that thing." she mentions, sounding almost bored.
(Yeah, I was wondering why 7’ sounded strange for a Kitsune, lol)
(Um… I honestly don’t know. It’s possible though. [I seriously need to work on what forms Goldergon has, lmao!])
Jonathan snorted,”Mine bow will do far less damage to the trees than what you already did.”
He groaned in annoyance, then eased the arrow out of the string, shifting so that he held both the bow and arrow in one hand. Afterward, Jonathan flapped his way back up to Christina, glaring at her irritably.
“As usual, you hide valuable information. Damn it, Christina, how are we supposed to be rid of or escape this creature if you hold all the knowledge? I may be a banished warrior, yet I am no fool! Now, what is this creature?”Jonathan snapped.
(Update on Goldergon: He now has an Ahkrethian form. Evil cackle!)
(Yeah, I figured XD)
(That's always the issue with shifters like him and Ren and De Tearion's Vanisher buddy, lol)
Christina grins. "Don't try to trick me, Ahkrethian. I know what your runed weapons are capable of."
"You sure you want me to tell you? I promise, you won't like it. As a matter of fact, you might even try to kill me if I tell you. And besides, I said I had an idea as to what it was. I could be wrong." she retorts.
(Lmao!)
(Yeah. Considering, Nwalan [De’Tearion’s cohort] is easy compared to Goldergon. Nwalan’s pretty much a baby, so he has, maybe, a dozen forms. Compared to Goldergon who is almost as old as the multiverse and has probably encountered almost every race in it. So… yeah… But, I love a good challenge, grin)
Jonathan snorted again, rolling his eyes.
“You do not even know what the runes are for,”he mentioned, not bothering to actually go into what they were. Jonathan figured there was no point. After all, it would just end up pissing him off again. And, he also wanted to avoid explaining some of his bow’s abilities, simply because of the pain it would bring him.
“I already do not like it. And, why would I try to kill you for telling me? That would be counterproductive,”Jonathan replied with a huff.
(Huh. . . Interesting. I suspect that he might have met and tried to kill Christina at one point then. She isn't as old as him, but she's definitely a Creator. [Lol])
(I grin Time for some alternate universe shit. Where history is brutal and more violent.)
(And to spice things up, I'll tell you about kitsune history. That way, you can come up with ideas to derail this further, lmao)
—
"You forget that while yes, I don't know your runes, I do know what Ahkrethian arms are capable of. After all, you've slaughtered all of my kin." Christina murmurs. She adds something in a lyrical, lilting language that even an Ahkrethian can understand.
She says this: "Your history isn't as pristine as you think, Jonathan. The Day the Sky Wept Red. Ask the eldest of your kind about that day. They will remember."
"Because I made this thing what it is. A member of a dead tribe of Ahkrethians. Formerly one of your best. He was ambitious, and hot-headed." she says.
(Ooh… that would be a neat twist)
(Lol!)
(If you need context on the tribes, just ask)
Jonathan shrugged, then paused, bewildered. He listened to her words, shocked. Lucitius? Did she mean Lucitius? Was he hiding things from Ahkrethians?
At her explanation, he almost did aim his bow at her. But, the mentioning of a dead tribe made him hesitate. Only two Ahkrethian tribes were truly dead, and they had been destroyed generations ago. But, the description of him seemed more like Aethon, currently the largest living tribe. Or was he related to Aethon, but born of one of the others?
“Which tribe? Anastasios or Morpheus?”he asked worriedly. Jonathan hoped it wasn’t Anastasios.
(Indeed, lol)
(That'd help out my ideas, XD So, yes please.)
Christina could see Jonathan's thoughts, clear as day. She doesn't answer immediately.
"Just ask him." she murmurs, pointing behind him. To the glittering blue form behind him.
She opens her mouth to answer, but her expression becomes confused. A puff of red liquid escapes her lips. Then she starts falling.
(For extra context, Lucitius vanished because he turned into a true human [temporarily. Long story, but basically he’s currently no longer Lucitius]. But… evil grin. Every leader needs a messenger, chuckles)
(Also, the house is a reference to my series, lol)
Jonathan’s eyes narrowed in confusion. He then turned around, just in time to see a blue portal close and a water bird appear. The bird smelled strangely Ahkrethian. And, it shrieked in terror at the creature below before taking off in a hurried flight.
“That is not Lu…”
Jonathan’s words ended with a gasp as Christina fell, and he dove after her. He caught her by the waist and teleported.
They appeared in the ruins of a burned down house, against the one standing corner of the building. He gently set Christina down, checking her for wounds.
(I chuckle The greatest of them, reduced to a mere human. Horrifying.)
(Interesting. . .)
Christina smirks, and another pint of blood escapes her, splattering Jonathan.
"If you're checking for wounds, the only one is the hole in my back and my deflated right lung." she wheezes, still sounding much the same despite being in so much pain. There was blood all over the floor now too.
"Nice place, by the way. Very unique, what with the massive floor-to-ceiling windows and the skylight. Makes it seem very roomy. Must've cost half a soul, at the least." she adds.
(Yeah, lol. And, that’s without mentioning why he’s human. Grin. I ain’t spoiling that one though, lol)
Jonathan didn’t flinch at the blood, then winced when she told him about her wound. The fact that she was still talking… How powerful was she?
He gently rolled her onto her side, wincing again. Then, he took a deep breath and concentrated on a healing spell.
“‘Tis been a long, long time since I have done this,”he mumbled under his breath as gold rays flowed from his fingertips to Christina’s back.
“Do not mock this house, Christina. It was the home of a dear friend. ‘Tis been almost ten years since I last saw the lad, and I watched with him as this place burned. It left a mark on the entire neighborhood, including mineself,”Jonathan hissed, sorrow clear in his voice.
(I chuckle That's no fun.)
(The fact that she's conscious, and speaking, should tell a violent, cruel and sad story from her past. As I said, the war was dark as fuck. It was barely even a war.)
Christina sighed, which was accompanied by a violent coughing fit that sprayed Jonathan with moqe blood. "I can see exactly what you're thinking right now, you know."
"Why bother to keep me alive? Even if you manage to heal me, I'll be severely anemic. I'll slow you down. Anastasios will catch you, and all of this will have been for nothing. You need to leave me, Jonathan. Right now." she says, ignoring his words about her mockery of this place.
(Snickers. It’s a very long story. There’s a reason it’s six books. And, technically, it’s actually more than that, lol)
(Oof. Jonathan was the lucky one in this case. The war he was in was actually rather mild [The bulk of the three fighting races survived]. That, and Jonathan only saw half of it)
(I knew it! It was Anastasios! Lmao!)
“Easy,”Jonathan cooed, ignoring her comment as he focused most of his healing magic on her lung. But, he also kept an eye on any spots that the blood came from, focusing on them as well.
“Christina, I vowed to mineself to never leave another behind. Not again. I would be a coward if I broke that vow. And, that is one of the last things any Ahkrethian wishes to be known as,”Jonathan answered.
It worried him when she said Anastasios, but there was little he could do. But, if Christina made him, then it’s possible she could stop or destroy him.
(Chuckles That's fair.)
(He is lucky.)
(I snicker Fair, considering what I asked.)
Christina growls and slaps Jonathan, hard.
"Use that tiny lizard brain of yours and think. You know what Anastasios is capable of as well as I do. He wants you, and every other Ahkrethian, dead. How much he loved you is now his level of hate. I made him into this, turned him against you for the atrocities you've committed. He obeys me. He won't kill me. He will kill you. I'll live, long enough to stop him." she snarls. "Now go. You're not being a coward if you run. I'm not being noble if I stay."
(Yeah)
(Lol)
Jonathan startled at the slap, then glared at Christina.
“Anastasios will have to get in line, then. There is already another Ahkrethian who wishes the race’s death, and he nearly killed Lucitius in his attempts. He built two races by corrupting the Ahkrethian form, then started a war with them. I was in that war. And that fiend still lurks, searching for Lucitius as much as the rest of us!”he hissed.
With an aggravated growl, Jonathan noticed that Christina’s lung was healed and the hole wasn’t nearly as gaping. He summoned a metal ingot to his hand, his claws glowing with heat and molding the metal into the shape he wanted. Jonathan then pressed the red hot metal against Christina’s back, cauterizing the wound.
“I think I have made my point clear. I do not run. Now, you are going to help defeat this corrupted Ahkrethian of yours, or I will tear open that wound and leave you to die. Am I understood?”Jonathan growled.
Christina swears violently and profusely, literally staining the air black with how foully she was speaking. She grabs Jonathan by the collar.
"Understand this, you arrogant green bastard. He is going to start with you. You need to run because with your death, he will revive Morpheus next. I'm talking about two entire resurrected clans, quite possibly the two most powerful clans. Anastasios holds sway over reality itself, Jonathan, and Morpheus can turn you into a damn human to make it easier to kill you all. Chew on that. They can literally do whatever they please, and the only one who can stop either clan is the one right here screaming at you to run!" she screams.
She hisses at the sensation of her own skin burning and melting.
"I was going to kill it anyways." she growls back, somehow slipping into the rolling, growling syllables of the Ahkrethian language. She gets up, glares at Jonathan, then snaps her fingers. Nearly 800 mile-per-winds slam into Jonathan and carry him away, spiriting him into the sky and keeping him there, spinning him constantly to keep him disoriented.
She turns to face the resurrected Anastasios clan. "Kneel."
The clan, as one, drops to their knees. "Reveal your crystals."
A rustling of dry scales and robes, then the gleam of thousands upon thousands of crystals. The final command.
"Destroy them." she whispers, and as one entity, Anastasios does so, and dies. With that, Christina lets her plans go, her ambitions, and looks up, bringing Jonathan down.
She collapses to her own knees, the remnants of thousands of Ahkrethian souls whispering on the wind. She looks at him.
"That was fun. I need a nap, though." she mutters, and falls over sideways. "When I wake up, you'd better help me get you away from all this. My former employers want us both dead, and there's no way in all the 7 layers of hell that we can take them on."