Indelible {Kronas17 x CalamitousNag}

"And this is why we can't ever have anything good, let alone a general consensus." The man that had spoken appeared to be in his late 50's with silver threads woven throughout his hair. He stood in the center of a large den-like structure, the eyes of hundreds trained on him. With his hands he made a grand sweeping gesture toward a group of older looking men and women seated behind him. One bowed his head and chuckled while another barely concealed a sneer in the man's direction.

An elderly woman with skin the color of ash scoffed at the speaking man. "I refuse to be in the same part of the forest with one of those parasites. Do you think I can bear sitting in the same room with one?"

"I would think for the welfare of your kind, you would, Lady Sarca."

"Alpha, why do you insist on consulting us? You know very well what our answer will be and we know you won't heed common sense, so why drag it out?" This time it was an older male who spoke. Chastising as his words were, the elder's tone was not unkind.

The man who held the rapt attention of everyone in the room was alpha of the lycan clan. Tall and foreboding, he looked the part, though the smile that stretched his mouth belied a jovial nature. "I value the wisdom of my elders, that is all. It doesn't matter whether or not I agree with it." He turned to face the hordes of werewolves gathered around him. All ages were represented, from the heads of families down to the very infants who played amongst themselves under the very watchful eye of the omega. "We must all come to face the reality sooner or later, and depending on how long that takes us, we may or may not survive to see it through. We are outnumbered--"

"Yes, we know, Alpha, though I fail to see what joining with the vampyres will achieve. It certainly won't help the odds and it'd only expose our children to the lustful nature of the parasite. Should our blood be spilled--"

A pointed glare in Lady Sarca's direction was enough for her to turn her head aside, dropping her argument completely.

"No one's blood will be spilled, you can rest assured of that, Lady Sarca. Enemy though they may be, their situation is as precarious as our own. They may be too dense to understand compromise and cooperation, but on this matter, I think they will agree."

"Agree with what, Alpha?" a pale-skinned elder asked, her eyes distrustful.

"That we must play the humans' game. They have agreed to meet with us, but only if both our people and the vampyres are represented. They know too well our dislike of one another. Surely they're hoping we'll be too busy attacking each other to focus on a coup d'etat. Seeing the response today, I can't see how they're wrong."

"But why do you yourself not go? I thought you'd be only too eager," a cruel smile curved Lady Sarca's lips. A smile that was mirrored by the alpha.

"Because I must stay to protect you in case we are attacked. Would it really be wise to leave us head-less in times such as these? My elders, you won't even do this one thing for me, and yet you expect me to expect you to lead in my absence?"

Lady Sarca grumbled under her breath that his wife could lead, only to grin when the alpha growled in response. Secrets weren't secrets when everyone was so well of hearing.

The alpha began to pace. "No matter. I knew you would all be too old and too set in your ways to agree to diplomacy. New blood is what we need and this is why I have decided to send my eldest son to represent the lycan stake in this meeting."

A hushed silence fell over the crowd and it was not disapproving. Though many lycans would never agree to playing state with the vampires, the thought of sending someone young and open to ideals couldn't be a mistake. In essence, the heir had nothing to lose and, to them, losing an heir would only mean the search for a new one. The lack of disapproval was enough to have the alpha grit his teeth, but then he remembered just who he'd be sending, and he calmed. He couldn't think of a more level-headed individual to send--paternal bias or not.

"Sirris, please rise. Come before your elders and me."

A young man rose to his feet, head bowed as he approached his father, the alpha, at the center of the room. He was noticeably shorter compared to the giant next to him, but when he raised his head and looked upon his clan members, his very composure was enough to make him seem ten feet tall. His father embraced him loosely before turning to face the elders again. Two pairs of glowing orange eyes now confronted the elders, challenging them to disagree.

"He will go to be our voice. Our objective is to strike a truce with the humans that will allow us control and sovereignty over our land that we will manage in joint cooperation with the vampyres. This does not mean we have to merge with the parasites or agree. It only means we'll be civil long enough to obtain the rights to what is duly ours so that our clans may live in peace from human influence. Are there any not in favor of this initiative?"

The silence was deafening.

Sirris' eyes scanned the crowd before turning them up to his father. He nodded curtly.

"That settles it. The future of this clan lies in the very capable hands of my son. He and I will be traveling to a neutral location to meet with the vampyrian representative one evening from tonight. You are all dismissed."

(( I'm sorry for the delay, Kronas! I went to post last night and got caught by the downtime. ))

"Are you alright, son?"

Sirris started and turned toward the sound of his father's voice. He hadn't even realized his father had come to join him. He closed the cover of the book he had been looking through.

"It's almost time to go, you know," the older Fykos said as he strolled into the room, eyes scanning the area that his son called his.

"Yes, father. I was only thinking of what to take with me."

"Well, you surely don't want a dusty old book weighing you down. What you need to be packing is every kind of weapon--"

Sirris smirked and made a placating gesture. "Father--"

"--hawthorn, blackthorn... you know, I've heard good things about roses."

"Father--dad, don't. That won't be--"

"You know, I know a man. And it's a man-man, like an actual human--"

"Father!" Sirris stretched his eyes as he grasped his alpha's forearm. "Please. You know that is counterintuitive. I can't take a weapon to a peace deal."

"I'm guessing you won't be taking your common sense, either, now will you? Don't pretend for a minute that that parasite won't take every form of precaution against you. He'll probably have wolfsbane woven into his clothes--"

"Really, now? I've heard that vampyres don't fair too well with it, either."

The alpha's mouth worked for several moments until he found his voice. "That's beside the point."

Exasperating though he was, his father had managed to rid him of the nerves gnawing at him. He stepped close to his father and nuzzled him under his throat with the top of his head. Childish, yes, but it got the point across. His father settled, a smile now gracing his features.

"In all honesty, though, we must head out soon. The sun shall set within the hour and we'll need time to travel to the meet-up point. I figure it probably wouldn't help our image to arrive late to an alliance. Not the best paw to start off on, you know."

Sirris smothered a smile and nodded his understanding to his father. He walked over to the cushions that served as his bedding and took up the knapsack that held the essentials he'd need to travel to the human's location. "Is there a reason why I couldn't just meet the vampyre at the meeting with the humans? Wouldn't that be the smartest thing?"

The alpha seemed to consider it. "I wish it were that easy, son. You see, this is a game of negotiation. Your first negotiation takes place with the parasite. Once you've settled on a satisfactory compromise, then you'll both present jointly to the humans. This is the only way I know of to minimize both the risk of the vampyres selling us out and the humans manipulating one of us against the other. Should the vampyre go back on his word before the humans, kill him on the spot and then all lands shall be ours." He wagged his finger at his son. "We shall only play fairly if they will as well."

Sirris reached for his maul at the mention of the grisly possibility. Its long spiked-end would serve its purpose should it need to.

The alpha's brows jumped high on his forehead, seeing the hypocrisy. "I thought you said--"

Sirris threw a smirk the alpha's way. "I said I couldn't take a weapon to a peace deal. This isn't peace, father. It's only a silent war."

~*~*~

They didn't often come to this part of the forest, not his clan, anyway. A lone lycan in a moment of stupor might stumble out here, but most knew not to stray too close to the border between the vampyre and lycan lands. Simply put, it was not a neutral zone. There had been rumors of attack from both sides. Sirris found it strangely fitting that this location should be the birthplace of a shaky alliance between the two enemies.

Even in his human glamour, Sirris' right ear twitched at the sound of one of his hidden brethren shifting position among the trees. Though he and his alpha stood out in the open, they had several warriors on standby should the vampyres decide to take this opportunity to attack.

The sky had finally faded to night and the half moon hang low.

Aroha's eyes narrowed at Ronin's explanation. So he was not the true leader who came to meet them today? Was this meeting not of great--even historical--importance? The alpha attempted to school his expression the best he could, trying to hide any of the suspicion he felt. It was a reasonable arrangement--lesser ranked individuals had sat in for him on many occasions--but he could not come to accept this move by the vampires as purely coincidental. There just was not enough trust there. As hard as he tried to prevent it, a low growl still managed to slip through his calm façade.

The alpha's eyes tracked Ronin's steady movements as he advanced toward them. "Of course not. The smart ones can never be too sure. By the looks of it, your kind seems intelligent enough," he spoke flatly, throwing his head in the direction of vampire kind's hidden numbers.

While the alpha bantered with the parasite at the forefront, Sirris took this time to try and identify the one he'd been fated to. He saw a taller male, the one called "Uriah" it seemed, accepting a pack of some kind. Sirris narrowed his eyes, mirroring his father's own cautiousness. Giving this kind the benefit of a doubt wasn't an option. Not if one wanted to survive.

Aroha didn't dignify Ronin's observation with a response, only eyed him as a younger looking male approached. Recognizing this as the end of the exchange, Aroha gripped Sirris by the back of the neck and directed him into a brief embrace. As expected, Sirris was stiff as a board. It was so completely opposite to how he usually was that a flicker of uncertainty ran through Aroha's mind.

"Be good," Aroha bit out, before kissing the younger's temple and releasing him roughly. He gave one final look to his son and his future traveling companion before backing away and finally heading the direction of home.

Sirris visibly jolted when his alpha's scent dissipated, only to be replaced by the scent of a parasite.

It was at this moment that he realized he had never been close to one. 25 years of life had never prepared him for the moment when a vampire would breeze past him, within striking distance--and yet, not attack. Growing up sheltered was an understatement.

Would the parasite notice if he didn't engage? He really didn't want to engage. Of course he would to negotiate, but anything outside of that--was it really necessary?

Sirris turned his head, eyes never leaving the one who so casually walked past him. It took him a moment before he finally walked in the same general direction as the other. He kept his distance, however, staying back several feet.

The night was a welcome blanket for Sirris. It meant he had to focus on his surroundings--everything but the unsavory situation before him.

In all truth, he did not particularly care for following after the vampire (actually, they just happened to be going in the same common direction). It was as if he had to be led to his destination and Sirris was no follower. And yet, he couldn't bear the thought of walking side-by-side with the parasite as if they were comrades. They were certainly not comrades and they most definitely weren't travel companions. They simply had a common destination that Sirris couldn't wait to get to.

While he walked, he tried his best to map out everything about this vampire that he could. He'd need to be able to recognize this creature and know where he was at all times, even while he slept. The next few weeks were certain to be far from restful. He could only lament his fate.

The vampire stopped. Sirris froze as soon as he realized, still keeping a healthy distance between them. His fingers twitched near the maul at his side. He was shocked that he'd need to use it so soon. When the vampire shifted ever so slightly toward him, Sirris felt cool metal in his hand. He did not draw. Nor, at the vampire's request, did he advance. And when the vampire continued on, so did he. This time, however, his eyes didn't stray away.

From that moment until the sun began to rise, Sirris was stuck in an internal debate with himself about whether or not he should flat out ignore the parasite. Fuck negotiating--had he really agreed to it? Okay, maybe he had, but he had never agreed on the /way/ he would negotiate with the creature. Maybe they could draw figures in the sand or some shit, but Sirris did not fancy talking to this thing at all.

Sirris' humanoid ears twitched when the vampire began rustling through the bag. The minute action was enough to break his train of thought, putting him again on guard. To his complete surprise, however, the parasite slipped a ring of some sort onto his finger. The action was curious... it reminded Sirris of the sealing ring his kind used to adopt and maintain their glamour. Vampires had this sort of thing? And if so, for what purpose?

He intended to find out.

Sirris' head turned as he tracked the vampire's steps, only to be surprised when the vampire reclined in a shaded area. He knew he'd regret opening his mouth, but there was no going back once the decision had been made.

Standing stiffly, Sirris addressed the other, the accent of his people coloring his words: "You still hide in the shade. What is the purpose of that?" Sirris motioned with his chin, referring to the ring the vampire now wore. "Should I be informed of anything else that can kill you? It'd be unfortunate if only one of us arrived to the council meeting alive." Sirris' eyes rolled as he thought it over, "who would have ever guessed that it'd be a meeting keeping us alive." There was a double meaning in his words and Sirris could care less if it was inferred or not. He only spoke the truth. There was no denying the fact that if their mutual survival wasn't at stake, they would have killed each other hours ago.

"Naive, yes, but it would have been easier on me. You'll forgive me if I am a bit disappointed," Sirris spoke the words with a smile, but the expression held no warmth. He took this time to thoroughly examine the vampire, eyes leaving no feature unchecked. It was a pointed, provocative look--just daring the vampire to say something to the contrary.

He would admit he was a bit surprised when the vampire stood from his resting spot and moved to hover above him. Sirris' eyes maintained their glare, undeterred. He watched as the vampire ran his tongue over his teeth. Sirris blatantly rolled his eyes. It was meant to be defiant.

"To use this weapon on the likes of you would be an honor you do not deserve," Sirris stated, turning slighly and looking past the vampire, boredom visible on his face. That was, until the parasite had the audacity to call him a 'mutt'. He was pureblooded! Comparing him to the unfortunate humans who developed lycantropy from a true lycan's bite was obscene. Unconsciously, a low-throated growl crawled up his throat but then the vampire was pushing past him and it was enough for Sirris to remember himself. He closed his eyes to steady his composure and stared ahead into nothing when he opened them again. This journey was going to be a long... a long...

Vidin. He had never been. There was no reason for his kind to venture into the human town. Though they masqueraded as humans for the sake of normality, werewolves did not freely associate with humans. They lived off meat and vegetation, things that could be herded, grown. They were self-sustaining--unlike the parasites. But, perhaps then, a parasite would know more about this human place they were traveling to.

Sirris decided to scale the tree that the vampire had just been sitting under. His callused fingers gripped the bark and he clambered up to a low-hanging branch, collapsing easily on it. It provided the perfect vantage point to spy on the vampire and be above him for a change.

"Have you been to Vidin, parasite?" The 'mutt' jab hadn't been forgotten, but Sirris decided he would not stoop to name calling. Why, parasite was just a definition of what the vampire was. "I have been told the castles of old still stand at the town's entrance. It would be wise to anticipate a hostile welcome. Have you as much experience in diplomatic relations as you have with bravado?" Sirris teased as he pulled his legs in toward him, settling as he watched the vampire at the bank. Curiously, he had drank something in a small vial. Sirris regretted refusing any lessons his tutors had offered on the vampyre culture and ways. He only wished to know how to kill them. Never had he known about the rings and the potions. While it was interesting and curious, it didn't better Sirris' opinion of the parasitic undead.

Something had changed, but Sirris knew not what. Something had stilled the vampire's actions at the bank. Sirris was close to asking again--perhaps demanding this time--what the purpose of the vial was. He despised anything regarding vampyrekin, but if this were something that could determine their joint survival...

Sirris sighed aloud, head falling against the bark of the tree as he once again lamented his current situation. His alpha had specifically chosen him for this task. There had to have been a reason. Sirris knew he was level-headed and he couldn't let--

"I wonder if that look on your face would change if I scale up there in mere seconds..." Sirris tensed noticeably, and he sat up straight to eye the vampire. The other creature kept speaking but Sirris was finding it hard to hear him. 'How dare he...' the werewolf began to growl again. He wasn't stupid--he knew when he was being provoked. Yes, it was working but he wouldn't let the jabs hit home.

"I can't wait until they look at you like the foul beast that you are..."

And the vampires were any different? They walked around, enjoying their near-likeness to humankind, until they had forgotten their very nature. They were beasts themselves. At least Sirris's own blood ran through his veins, not blood stolen from someone else's body.

Sirris had remained somewhat calm but his breathing was starting to quicken. Unconsciously, his fingers sought out the ring above his heart that held his transformation. The ring's magic was very rudimentary as evinced by the black fur coating its outer edge. The concept was simple. As long as the seal, the ring's center, remained unbroken by the wearer, it would take the lycan transformation while the wearer could reside in glamour. All he would have to do is slip the ring on. This small band was the only thing that stood between him and his true self. The vampires had it easy and they were too vain to realize it.

But that was the difference between he and they, wasn't it? The werewolves knew humility, had been forced to live it. It was the vampires that roamed free, interspersed with the humans, and thought they were better than he.

Lost in simmering hatred, Sirris jolted when a sudden, high-pitched whine sailed past his ear and landed sickeningly easy in the bark just to the left of his head. Wide, glowing eyes sought out the source of the sound, landing on a sharpened projectile. His jaw slackened at the sight, revealing canines too sharp for a human's mouth. Slowly, he turned his head toward the one who had hurled the weapon.

This was not how it was going to go.

Soundlessly, Sirris scrambled from his perch and dropped to the ground below. The vampire was crossing the stream. Sirris walked towards him, being careful to keep his growling--and his temper--in check. Each breath he sucked in was blown forcefully through his nostrils in a poor attempt to calm his accelerating heartbeat. He sped up in attempt to catch up with the creature, pushing through the stream bed until he had butted his way into the vampire's path amongst the trees.

"You have overstepped yourself, vampyre. The next time you decide to act foolishly, you had best not miss your mark. I have no obligation to you. I have an obligation to my clan. That is the only reason I will tolerate your words, but I will not tolerate your hostile actions," the shorter male's voice was a hiss as he stared up at the one who dared taunt him so. Though he hadn't known the creature long enough to know what was normal and what was not, this close up, Sirris could definitely tell that something was off. Something about the vampire had changed.

The vampire was close to him now and the fact that he couldn't feel any body heat emanating off of the other unnerved him. If it weren't for the scent he caught, it would be as if nothing were there at all, no indication of anything living. Sirris shivered involuntarily. He could see this species' advantage, though how they could bear being close enough to procreate was beyond him.

Sirris hadn't expected such a leap in his train of thought. His focus switched back to the infuriating creature in front of him. The vampire was close enough to bite and when he unintentionally bared his teeth to him, the werewolf mimicked the action out of animalistic instinct. When the vampire turned from him, he was left to simmer with hatred. Infuriating was perhaps too light a word. The vampire was right--they would soon see. Sirris forced the anger he felt to the back of his mind as he decided to focus on more constructive things.

"An excellent proposition, parasite. I'm reassured you possess a sense of practicality," Sirris growled before turning and crossing back through the trees.

The hell was the creature suggesting? Sirris wasn't foraging for no damn leaves and sticks. He was a ~prince~. What the hell would the vampire need a fire for, anyhow? He had no body heat.

Oh. Sirris unconsciously came to a stop before he waded back across the stream. Perhaps vampires were like turtles... they needed light to stay warm but too much of it would kill them...? Hm. Curious. Sirris wondered what'd happen to the parasite if he got cold--could he get cold? It's not like his body was producing anything to keep him functioning.

Oh, well. Enough of that. They hadn't gotten far, but Sirris thought it a good time as any to redirect his anger into something productive. He hadn't eaten. He decided to hunt.

With the retreating sounds of the vampire behind him, Sirris crossed the stream and up into the woods they had just passed through. It was still early morning. Likely the forest creatures were just now emerging. Warily, Sirris broke his seal.

~*~*~

Reattaching the sealing ring to the chain around his neck, Sirris reached down to gather the warm carcass of a young doe over his shoulder. It had taken forever to find anything of substance in this part of the woods. He was lucky to have caught this doe, but considering it had walked with a limp, that wasn't saying much. Easier for him to just snap its neck without mutilating it, though. He grunted with exhaustion as he headed back towards the small camp.

When he broke through the trees and onto the bank, he was surprised to see the vampire in one stationary place. Sirris raised a brow upon spotting the fire ring the vampire had made. He left it alone and dropped the deer carcass nearby instead.

"Eat," Sirris made a short gesture before collapsing to the ground himself. Once he'd regained his breath, he reached into the pack that was slung across him and began digging for a dagger. What he didn't finish tonight, he hoped he could salvage for scraps later. The fresh kill might compromise their position on the ground but perhaps once it was drained of blood, it might not pose any problems.

(( Oh, please, you're fine! I hope all went well. :) ))

The werewolf watched the other creature with curious intensity. He noted the book that the vampire stored away. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what the vampire would be reading at a time like this. For some reason, Sirris hadn't really taken him for the reading type.

Sirris' eyebrows rose when the vampire looked his way and they just about jumped off his face when the vampire actually took the invitation and knelt before the kill. Unconsciously, his jaw dropped. For some reason, he had been expecting to be left with an entire deer to finish on his own. He'd never admit it but he was pleased.

Werewolves, like their primal cousins the wolf, were pack-minded animals. Though he couldn't stand the vampire, his mind had unknowingly accepted the creature as part of his pack. That meant that no pack member would go unfed and be left to fend for themselves. As he watched the vampire feed, a low growl--almost a purr--emanated from his throat. Sirris wasn't conscious of this, however.

When the vampire had pulled away, Sirris moved forward with his dagger. He used it to cut the venison into reasonable portions which were easier for him to eat under his humanoid form. The carcass had been effectively drained of blood to Sirris' pleasure as he sunk longer-than average canines into the raw meat. Every so often, his eyes would flick over to the vampire's position at the river. The creature seemed to be cleaning himself. Sirris couldn't help but snort around his full mouth, amused by the vampires' preening.

"Will this stream take us all the way to Vidin?" Sirris mulled, his appetite sated. "Convenient as it may be, it might reveal our position. It would be no surprise to come upon a human encampment who has taken up residence by the water." His stomach was now distended and he was starting to grow ill of venison. Sirris wanted to take the meat with them, but he feared it might cause more trouble than it was worth if he couldn't properly dry and store it. Standing, he heaved what was left of the carcass into his arms and slung it into the weeds surrounding the bank. Scavengers would at least be able to feed off of it--it wouldn't go to waste.
Sirris turned and walked towards the vampire's position, stopping a few steps away. "We will need to agree on a few things before we venture any further... Uriah," the name was foreign on his tongue, but he figured offering a bone would facilitate an easy enough discussion.

Sirris hummed, nodding his head. Sticking to the stream's path for now should prove safe, if only for the sake of being much more straightforward. He had maps in his pack, but Uriah seemed to know where he was going and Sirris had no problem following along.

"Vidin is close, it seems. It is curious how the humans allow us to possess lands so close in proximity to their own. Perhaps they've since expanded their foothold since the lycan and vampyre clans first settled here. Now, their territory butts up against our own. If that is the case, we can surely anticipate a hostile welcome." Sirris said matter of factly. "I am so grateful for your familial piety. It reassures me that I will not be your next meal," the werewolf said boredly, turning to look back to where they had come from.

When he turned back to the vampire, he found him fixing his footwear and talking of cats. Sirris jerked his head, a funny expression on his face before shaking his head and choosing not to comment. Was the 'cat-call' intentional?

"I have no interest in touching your possessions, vampire, as I'm sure you have no interest in touching mine. Keep it that way. My terms stem from more than possessive greed and it is imperative that you understand." Sirris was quiet for a moment as he fell in step with the vampire. "I will remain in glamour most of the time; it is the way of my people and how we do things. However, you must know that on the night of the full moon, I must break the seal that contains my true form. I will be away from you, then, and rejoin you in the morning. There is no debate, this must be done--lest I frenzy and relinquish all control over my actions. If we are traveling together, you will need to accommodate."

Sirris' head whipped around to look at the vampire. "Did you not, just an hour ago, enjoy the fruit of my slaying?" His eyebrow raised and his mouth twitched, but he made himself focus again on the road.