just a late night snack

He wouldn’t deny it, seeing the helpless and weak creatures of Helovia crash-land in his home had raised two main feelings within him. Annoyance, of course, and hunger. The sheer number of them suggested they were going to be a threat - there was no way the Rift would be the same after such a mass immigration - and he was worried about what they could do to lessen the impact. Their blood seemed weak and watered down, as evidence by the lack of colour on many of their coats, and he did not rejoice in the idea of them mingling with his kind. Luckily, he mused as he paced along the shallow shoreline of Ultima, many of them seemed to be land-dwellers. So they would mostly be a problem for the fae of the night-forests and the others. Still, this was an issue for them all to deal with and they weren’t going to have much time to fret. It was nighttime in Ultima - almost indistinguishable from the day at this time of year, except the rain had tapered somewhat and the world was black instead of a hazy dark-blue. The vibrant, sickly-green glow of Nostromo’s markings and eyes was brighter in this darkness - sometimes the change in the glow was the only way for him to know what time of day it was. In the thick, choking darkness of the night Nostromo continued to pace - a slow and steady gait with carefully placed hooves upon the bits of glass and sand that composed this shore. He was keeping watch around him, but his attention was on the water. The glow of his body may seem, to some, something that would hinder a hunter - but tonight he was using it to his advantage, and it was only a matter of time before the show began.

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"THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF TERRORS."

The rash had emerged a few days prior.  At first, the little fae had thought nothing of it, for the patch of irritated flesh was small and such injuries were not uncommon in a place like the Rift.  However, the scalding skin continued to spread as the hours ticked past.  After three days, it covered a large span of her belly and had begun to crawl up her flank.  She didn’t want to leave the the rash to compromise her legs or to be left open to infection.  The little fae knew what had to be done to clear the infection, but she had very little experience when it came to taking life. Faes were not a violent bunch, and the very idea of having to kill made her uncomfortable.  

So, instead, Sidhra began to consider ways to make sure that this loss would be a productive loss.  She would not kill for sport or kill just for the sake of killing.  There was a balance to this world that faes were charged with ensuring was not knocked off kilter. 

The fae had been out swimming, hoping the cool salt water would soothe the burning on her sides.  However there was little to be done for a magical wound. She made her way back to the shoreline with little fanfare, shaking off the excess water and intended to make her way back to the trees.  Her attention was diverted by a shape pacing the shoreline, outlined by an eerie green glow. The little mare’s ears flicked in the direction of the shape and slowly her plan begin to click into place.  Perhaps… she thought to herself. 

She made her way over to the ever-pacing shape, slowing to a halt so as not to disturb him from his pacing but putting herself within clear view.   “Pardon the intrusion,” she said, into the hybrid’s mind, gently. “You are a predator, no?” She asked, with a slight incline of her head, her plan falling into place as her silvery gaze drifted to the creatures very sharp teeth. 

S I D H R A  &  A N U Y A

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His keen eyes spotted the fish starting to arrive - some of them glowing a similar green to that which laced his body, some of them other colours still - and he continued to swish his tail slowly to draw them over. He sensed the presence of someone else, another horse-like creature nearby, but hoped they wouldn't venture close enough to chase off his dinner. Unfortunately, that was not the case and his pacing slowed - attention shifting away from the water and towards her. She was the mind-speaker of the fae, he recognized her but couldn't remember her name. Although he had heard her gentle voice in his mind before, the intrusion still made him bristle slightly. As for her question, a grunt was his response - followed by something of a smile that curled back the long, tapered corners of his mouth to reveal the one set of gleaming teeth that she would be able to see. Then it was his turn to tilt his head - silently asking the question on his mind. What did a princess of the fae need with a predator?

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"THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF TERRORS."

“I have a proposition for you,” she spoke, mentally, to the creature from the depths of the Rift.  She often wondered what it must be like to explore the vast, underwater worlds, but had never done so on her own.  She knew the appropriate plants, but the idea of being so far from the open skies unnerved the fae.  That was the domain of the sea fae anyway. 

“I have been given a task, one I require assistance to complete. I must assist in taking a life,” her voice was calm, given the seriousness of the task, at at the mention the burning on her side seemed to intensify, but she continued. ”...but Fae cannot take a life without purpose. You, however, must eat…” 
 
“Perhaps I could assist you in procuring a meal, and you could assist me in completing this task I have been given?” Maybe it was a silly request to make, but not in the eyes of the fae.  The balance of life was important to their kind, and she simply could not imagine killing for sport. Of course, there were fae that had killed out of self defense, but she was hardly going to wait to be attacked to complete this trial.  Sidhra wasn’t one to simply wait around for something to happen to her. 

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He waited - watching her with those unblinking, glowing eyes. Almost everything about him was built to be a predator - with only the parts of his equine blood watering down the effect. He moved almost the same as they did, the other horses. He could trot, he could gallop, but there was an undeniable sense of prowling to his movements as well. This wasn't the first time he had been asked to help kill to complete a task, but he preferred the fae mare's method of asking more than the way the immigrant stallion had. Or perhaps he was just biased towards someone he knew was from this world and not somewhere else. He nodded his agreement. It would be no trouble - he had been hunting, anyway, and her presence would not be too much of a hindrance. For one, she was nearly silent - she wouldn't frighten off the pray. His gaze flickered back out to the ocean, to the fish that awaited there, but before he moved any further he required just a little bit of clarification from her. "Does it matter what animal?"

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"THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF TERRORS."

The glowing stallion’s appearance was striking, to put it mildly. Perhaps others would have found his appearance to be intimidating or even frightening, but Sidhra had simply seen too much to be afraid other creature for no reason other than differing dietary preferences. It was often that rush to judgment which caused tense situations to boil over into something uncontainable.  Predators too, had their place in the delicate ecosystem - even one as complicated as that of the Rift. 

Sidhra did worry, however, how these newcomers would factor into the environment here. 

The fae’s ears flicked comfortably in the direction of the night’s familiar sounds, her body at ease with the exception of the angry rash that covered one side.  She wanted to make sure that the sea-dweller had the option to refuse her request with no hard feelings, but she was pleased when he seemed interested in her proposal.  

”A life is all that is required, there were no specifications.”  She followed his gaze towards the sea, deducing his reason for asking. She assumed one from Akvo City could sustain themselves on what was available in the depths.   “Just tell me how best to assist you. I cannot claim to have much prowess in hunting,” she offered, with a small smile, knowing that this fact was glaringly obvious.

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Another nod at her answer. If there were no specifications, this would be easier - they could hunt for the fish and sea creatures in the shallows like he had planned instead of travelling elsewhere to find different prey. He gestured to the water, encouraging her to wade in. He was unaccustomed to hunting with others - many from Akvo City were still herbivores or omnivores and did not need so much hunt as they did forage. Some of his fellow soldiers, usually the younger ones, were queasy with the idea of aiding in a hunt so Nostromo had learned to hunt alone. He didn't realize that the blood that gave him his strangest features thrived off of a solitary life. But that did not mean he was without ideas. She could move in the shallow water, frightening the fish and encouraging them to move towards him - but then it was just as likely that they would travel back out to sea. "The fish will arrive faster and if we spill blood in the water." He commented in a casual voice - watching her still. Just a few drops would do, and he had heard rumours that fae blood was among the sweetest.

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"THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF TERRORS."

There was no visible reaction to his request. No tightening of the eyes or tensing of the muscles.  No hesitation or startled gasp.   It seemed only right in her eyes. A blood sacrifice on her part in exchange for her assistance in taking a life.  Just.  She had no qualms about the request.  Plus, the request seemed based in logic, not in any undue masochism.  So the little fae simply nodded her head. 

What would her sister think of her now, out hunting with an oceanborne warrior.  And to think, she wasn’t the adventurous one.  

The fae makes her way to the ocean without hesitation, allowing the waves to lap at her fetlocks for a moment.  To the fae, the ocean is a mysterious abyss.  She looks back at the sea-dweller and gestures towards the meaty part of her haunch, just beyond where the rash has reached.  ”I’d appreciate if you could avoid the infected skin,” she spoke, her eyes traveling from his own glowing eyes, to his knife-tipped tail, and back again.    

She stepped deeper into the water, the cool waves now lapping at her knees and hocks before drawing to a halt once more.  ”Am I to do anything else than serve as bait?” She asked, with a curious tilt of her head.

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Although it was tempting to use his teeth, to taste the sweetness of her flesh and the silver blood he knew travelled in her veins, he resisted. He could feel his own heartbeat pick up for a moment at with the temptation. He was better than that. Slowly, he drew his prehensile tail through the water, shifting a little so he was standing in a way that he could reach her with his tail but watch the movement as well. The actual cut was made quickly - he had no desire to draw it out, for the benefit of both of them - and her silver blood pooled, looking strange where it lay on the green glowing tip of the blade. His nostrils widened at the smell but that was the only animal response he allowed himself to it, he then lowered his tail and moved it - washing it of the blood in the water before them. Only then did he answer her question about what else she could do. "When I tell you, move in the water to startle the fish." Hopefully, with the addition of the blood in the water, her movements would help more than they would hinder. And sure enough, with the help of the silver fae blood the glowing fish returned to the water - lured in by the tail that Nostromo continued to move slowly through the water. He swished it near the fae, moving it through the water near the one the fish would not consider a predator, luring them into an easy state. "Now." He hissed, both his jaws and tail ready to make a strike on the fleeing fish.

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"THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF TERRORS."

The water did little to soothe the burn that crawled up her belly.  That, in itself, gave her pause.  A normal burn, the coolness of the water would have provided some relief.  But not this.  Some fingers of magic had touched her here, and for that a creature had to pay the ultimate price.  Had she not been able to find someone to make such an arrangement with, she wasn’t sure how far the burning would have spread.  The little fae likely would have let it consume her before needlessly taking life.  

But instead, here she stood, allowing her silver blood to drip freely into the water. The wound was small, but large enough for the blood to flow freely.  She had done her best not to flinch as the warrior’s tail met her flesh, but the muscle protested immediately.  Sidhra watched as the predator began to lure his prey - the mingling of the sea, the silver, and the slow loop of his glowing tail distracting from the burning and the added pain from the new wound.  Again, she simply nodded to indicate she understood his instructions, her large ears tipping forward as her silver eyes watched with keen interest.  

She was surprised how quickly they came, attracted by both light and scent. The creatures swirled in a rhythmic motion, seeming to use one mind rather than thinking independently. But as soon as the command was free of the hunter’s lips, Sidhra leapt, using her legs to swirl up sediment from the bottom and using her long, thick tail to slap against the water.  Eyes then snapped to the hunter, eager to see if their plot had been successful. 

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