Selina: The Flower of Carnage

Cathy smiled back at Tager, thrilled to see that rare twitch of his lips. Attention then went to the box in her hands, her fingers moving to unwrap the present. There was nothing glamorous about the decorations, but it's what was inside that mattered. When she lifted the lid, she saw a mask inside. It was unlike anything she saw before, very different from the tribal antiques she was used to. Gingerly, she removed it from the box and looked it over, her eyes twinkling with wonder. The craftsmanship was certainly admirable! However, it gave an unusual vibe; there was something magical about it. There had to be a purpose for him giving it to her.

She stood up from the chair with the item in hand, the box on the table with its ribbon. Like typical Cathy, she flung her arms around the Kin and squeezed his body, her face rubbing against him like an affectionate feline. That didn't last for as long as she'd of liked, though. There was a 'guest' in their presence, plus she knew better than to suffocate Tager with her love.

"Thank you!" she told him appreciatively, grinning. "What does it do? Should I try it on?"

Behind them, Elaine was smirking. She decided to distract herself with the dog by giving his ear a scratch, knowing that staring would be rude. The middle aged woman wanted the night to end quickly. She was anxious to find Margaret and learn what she did the years they were apart. That aside, she was glad to just have a destination. For the longest time, she and Tynee did nothing but wander. Wander aimlessly...
 
Tager maintained his coy smile, "This is a gift from the gods. It will allow you to focus your attention with your sword. It will help you to become something more than you could ever wish to be." He then placed his hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to put it on just yet, my friend. We have not yet reached Oren."

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The mask was of a golden hue surrounded by the feathers of a long extinct bird; one that we would call a phoenix in our own time. This was no simple gift that he gave to Cathy. It was also the same item that Edelweiss was now going to attempt to reclaim. Tager was playing with fire with this little thing...

The Mask of Rshacho had been created by humans many decades ago when the had first landed on this planet from their home world. These were one of several treasures that they brought with them. However, as time went on the Kin had declared that they would be the watchers of the human race following the Rift Wars. When the Kin discovered the mask, they applied their skills to it. The mask was converted from a relic of the old human world to a new relic of the Kin.

Rumors of its use had gone back for more than a hundred years, though during the final stages of the Rift Wars its existence was considered little more than falsity amongst both warring parties. That was until an Angel of Red appeared from the Kin's forces. He wore this mask and slaughtered thousands. This was the edge that allowed for the Kin to become the dominant force in this region of the planet. They limited the access of advanced technology to the humans, keeping them in a level of servitude. The one exception would be Oren, which used weapons brought from the home world...Nuclear weapons to hold back the Kin's final victory....

In the final peace accords, both Oren and the Kin agreed to lock away the Treasures of the Past. This included the Mask of Rshacho...That was until Tager found it once again....

 
"That sounds amazing!" Cathy commented with a jubilant tone, looking over the sparkling mask in her hands. She was very interested in the way it was designed and decorated. Everything about it suited her tastes, but she could tell it wasn't a mere costume piece. Smiling to herself, she set it back into the box for safe keeping, even putting the lid back on when she did. Since it wasn't needed, it might as well be safe from harm's way. Or the eyes of others.

"Will I not need to train with my sword, then?" she asked him, the curiosity apparent in her twinkling eyes as she looked back at him.

Behind her, Elaine was giving a suspicious look, still idly giving the head of her dog some affection. She was familiar with Tager; she could tell he was up to something. "What are you plotting, Tager?" she inquired, her voice flat. "It better not involve hurting my Margaret."

Elaine was a meek woman, but when it came to protecting her daughter, she wouldn't dare think twice about it. The acts might be foolish, since the young girl was more than capable of defending herself. Standing by to watch Margaret possibly die was not acceptable, though. She meant everything to her; she was all she had left.
 
Tager glanced away from Cathy when Elaine spoke. Though he did like the ambition of the young girl. She was a lot like Selina had once been back in the day. This made him happy, for it meant that his plans were falling into place. While it was clear that Elaine didn't fall for her being Margret, it was clear that Cathy was going to be very useful in capturing the rouge half blood.

"Bite your tongue, woman." Tager then stood up to affirm his dominance over Elaine. With a swiping move, he smacked Elaine in the face. "You know your place in the hierarchy. I'm being more than gracious allowing you to even seen your little brat. You should consider yourself lucky that I'm a kind noble, that's even willing to extend a helping hand to a foul widow!"

There was now a large red bruise on Elaine's face. "No. I'm not going to hurt Selina. However, like you she'll need to learn her place in the world. And that is at the side of tradition and chivalry and nothing else."

Tynee began to growl once it saw that its master now had a flow of tears going down her face. Elaine remained stern, she was not going to let him get the better of her...

While this occurred, a black cat sat and watched this unfold. She then started to scratch the window. This caused both Tager and Cathy to watch it for a moment. It then formed an impish grin on it's face. She then stretched and jumped down and ran towards an outcropping of ruins. She ran towards Tybalt's camp, which was at most a few hundred yards away. Since Tybalt was a master of illusions, after all the pro-human goblins in Swamp Town were the ones that took him in, he knew just enough magic to blend in with the surroundings.

"Boss, it looks like the pretty boy struck the old woman, he did. It was so not right. It wasn't." Hector said with her ever present impish grin.

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The dark haired man she spoke to, had a gloomy face when he heard this news. "I see. So the Kin are going to be breaking their treaty with us?" Tybalt said this because he had been trailing Tager and Elaine for some time now. It wasn't often that there were travelers in the rolling hills that surrounded Oren.

"Nya~Maybe we should save the old lady. You said she'd be useful, you did." Hector said.

"You know....I think you're right." Tybalt then stood up and began to walk towards Tager's camp. He walked in a slow and steady pace, whispering to the winds, asking for their help in the sword fight that was bound to occur. Once Tybalt reached the door of the abandon home that Tager was using as a base camp, he kicked the door down with Selina-like power. The cool night time air came rushing in. The Prince of Cats' face remained emotionless but one could easily tell that he was not pleased.

The prince drew his sword and the little black cat from earlier sat on his shoulder, biting her thumb at Tager.

"You claim to be a man of chivalry....Yet you struck a defenseless woman, so my friend here says. That makes you dishonorable in my eyes. It fits when such a villian is a guest in my homelands. There is only one way to solve this. Let us see your sword movements."
 
There was sympathy in Cathy's eyes when she saw Tager strike Elaine's face. She knew he was a dominant person who wanted to make his position clear to anyone who challenged it. Was hitting a woman righteous, though? The question was troubling for her. Tager was the greatest thing that ever happened to her, so she felt she shouldn't think anything negative of him.

The word 'sorry' was mouthed to the woman who was holding onto her enraged pet. Elaine only looked away, though. To see a beautiful, innocent girl be tainted by Tager... It was unbearable. With no abilities that could stand up to either of them, she really would have to keep quiet.

Margaret would be in her arms soon enough.

Suddenly, cold air blew into the abandoned home, where a man with a cat stood. Elaine stared with disbelief; how did they know they were here? At the mention of 'friend', she instantly knew the cat was spying for him. This stranger was acting as a saviour, though!

"Tager, let me fight him," Cathy offered, giving Tybalt a glare. "We can use the gift you just gave to me."

The glare disappeared when she glanced at the mask in the box on the table. It was a good time to try it out, she thought. And an opportunity to further prove her usefulness. No insults would be had. True, hitting a woman was not chivalrous, but that didn't give this person any permission to barge into their shelter and pick a fight!
 
Cathy did not wait for Tager's response to start the engagement against this flamboyant dark haired man. Cathy, though cute, was impulsive just like Selina was. She placed the mask over her eyes and soon the world around her became little more than a haze of dull colors. While it seemed like long moments in her mind, the blobs around her soon turned into various blots of colors. Everything was working like a machine, she could see without being blinded by her fear!

"I will not fight a woman." Tybalt protested.

"I am his squire." Cathy said aggressively, "I have chosen to fight in my Master's place. If you are chivalrous, you will let me show my worth to a master of the blade, such as you appear to be." Cathy spoke in confident voice and was ready to fight.

"Alright." Tybalt said. "Then let me set a price for this duel. If I win, the woman comes with me. If you win, then I will give this sword to you. I have nothing else to give."

"I except." Cathy said. The Mask seemed to be giving her a confidence that she never knew that she had...Dare would one say, a certain youthful cockiness to it?

She made the first move, attempting to knock Tybalt to his feet. The young man was quicker than she had guessed. He parried her strike with the grace of a dancer.

"Mine turn." Tybalt smiled. He didn't draw his sword but rather picked up some dust. Blowing into it, the dust soon grew into a large storm of dirt!

"Magik?" Cathy taunted, "How boring!" She prepared for his strike that was bound to occur!
 
Ever watchful of what was to happen, Cathy readied her weapon, her eyes searching through the dust storm for some sign of Tybalt. A surge of energy coursed through her; something she was unfamiliar with. Having the mask on made her feel like she could do anything. Not a shred of doubt in her mind, not a single fear...

Then, something unexpected happened.

Instead of her humanoid opponent, a cat came charging towards her. The feline that spied on them earlier leaped through the twirling cone of dust, landing right onto the girl's face. Infuriated, she unwrapped a hand from her sword to try and pry the little beast off of her. It held on with all its might, hugging her head like an attention starved pet.

Meanwhile, Tybalt was sneaking past the scene to take Elaine and her dog away. The woman was quickly helped off the floor while she hushed her companion, who was eying this man suspiciously.

"We have to move quickly," he hissed to them, taking the woman's hand so he could lead them out of the abandoned shack.

With an angry yell, Cathy finally pulled the cat off of her head, tossing it to the ground. Of course, the feline landed on its feet, then darted away from the frustrated young woman.

"Show yourself, you coward!" Cathy screamed, searching around for Tybalt. 'I've been tricked. Where is that son of a bitch!?'
 
For Elaine everything moved quickly when Tybalt had moved her away from the clutches of Tager. While they weren't completely removed from danger, they were far enough away from Tager and Cathy for the time being. This was a camp site that Tybalt had used several days earlier. While he normally avoided using the same campsites, he'd make an exception this time around.

"Miss, I must apologize for the rashness of my movements. However, I can easily tell that you are a lady of great importance. There must be a reason why that Kin was escorting you around..."

"I wanted that girl's eyes. They are so prettttttty." Hector interrupted. Now she was in the shape of a brown pixie. Her cat like eyes filled with much mischievous glee. "But of course, master had to avoid fighting a woman. He's one of those dying gentlemen breed styles. Hector doesn't understand him. Nope."

Tybalt began to crush some berries in a bowl and then handed it to Elaine. "Here, these will help with your bruises. I apologize that I don't have more to offer you at this time."
 
The rescue was a blessing.

Elaine immediately took a seat when they reached the campsite, her legs crossing to make the sit more comfortable. Tynee laid down right behind her, suspiciously eying their saviours. The dog would stay calm, but was ever watchful and protective of Elaine. With all the betrayals in their many days of wandering, no one was completely trustworthy.

At the mention of bruises, she was reminded of the wounds she acquired before being taken from Tager. She took the bowl from Tybalt, however her eyes were on Hector. The creature was a curious thing to her. It could shapeshift, from the looks of it, and spoke in an odd way.

"I'm not what's important. My daughter is," she said with a sigh, her gaze moving to the ground. "I have to get to her now... Before Tager does. Thank you for saving me from him. I've forgotten how... Scary he is.

Who are you, exactly?"
 
"You know ladi, Hector often asks Mr. Master, who he ish. But alas, he does not tell Hector either."

"I'm just a traveler, from history I have come. I'm the greatest historical bum." Tybalt said. "I have been travelling around this planet for a long time in search of my meaning in life. Since you mentioned your goal to find your daughter, I will reveal mine. I have old company in the Capital, over that way." He pointed towards Oren. "However, due to some past... Difficulties... They won't let me in threw the front gates. I have a deal to make with you."

Hector then rolled around on the log that Tybalt was sitting, "Master, you talk too much. Master's name is Tybalt. Master is known as the King of Cats, he is. Greatest hero in these parts."

"You know...You always ruin my entrances."

"Pffftt, more like Master wants to be a specter."
 
"...From history?"

What he said was amusing to her, and she wondered if this introduction was common. Especially with the line 'from history I have come, I'm the greatest historical bum.' It was a clever rhyme, whether or not he planned that.

"King of...cats?"

Elaine looked baffled, to say the least. That name was unheard of. To her, at least. She was a wanderer, though, not exactly familiar with specific areas of the world. There was much more she needed to see and learn. That was never her goal to begin with. Traveling was just something that... Happened. A result of loneliness and a yearning to change the scenery. Until recently, everything was perfectly fine.

"A hero indeed," she belatedly agreed with Hector, when she thought back to how she was rescued.

"What is this deal? You think I can get you past those front gates?" Elaine then asked while folding her arms.
 
"Simple." Hector said, speaking before Tybalt did. "You help us through the gates by pretending to be a holy woman. You will follow our everyrequest and then I will grant you whatever wish you'd like. Within my power of course."

Selina pushed Jon out of her way. Two people had seen her black markings reacting to their presence. In the Kin world, this was a sign of fear or weakness. She knew that deep down if there were any other Kin in the region they would clearly sense her.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit and a pile of it!" She thought aloud. Selina was looking for a place to hide. The last time the markings had gone off was back when her column was attacked....No matter how brave she pretended to be, there was something about those markings that scared the living hell out of her.

Selina found a sanctuary in the coat room. She then began to cry. The memories of her past came back to haunt her....
 
"What the!?"

Jon smoothed out his coat after being carelessly pushed aside. That behaviour of Selina's was expected by now, but there was no reason to treat him that way. He did not do anything moronic that he noticed. All he was doing was standing there.

As he followed her to ask what her deal was, he saw her disappear into the coat closet. At that, he raised an eyebrow and scratched at one of his temples. There was no imagining why she went in there, so he would just have to ask. Although, he couldn't help but feeling like something was... Wrong. A strange, emotional pang hit his heart that told him so. 'Weird.'

He got close to the door then, about to knock on it. Jon paused, though when he could hear quiet weeping. This was a surprising discovery; she rarely showed such feelings.

Instead of asking through the door, he twisted the knob and dropped to one knee, then craned his neck to try and get a look at her face. "Selina? What's going on?" he asked in a gentle voice, his concern very clear in his eyes.
 
Selina's first natural reaction was a wide eyed stare. She knew that he couldn't really see her face too well, at least hopefully not. Selina wasn't fond of showing emotion off in front of all these strangers; especially male ones. Deep down she knew that Jon meant her no harm but why was he so willing to follow her around?

"Nothing." She said with a sniffle. This was a lame attempt at a lie. She knew that he could hear her moping. Selina then rested her head on her knee. Sighing, she spoke, "My markings are causing me pain. Sometimes, they cause irrationality when they start up."

Selina was once again, bending the truth. Alia had somehow triggered the glowings. But how was that even possible? Only Kin had the ability to do that. While she couldn't be hundred percent sure, there was little chance of Alia being part Kin. The Kin had little or nothing to do with the Rice Growers. To the Kin upper class, these humans were little better than slaves. While to the lower classes, most of them avoided humans altogether due to rumors.

"I just need to get it out of my system. That is all." Selina said it once again but the moping was stronger sounding.
 
'Pain?'

Jon showed a crooked frown as she explained the problem to him. As expected, she was trying to hide her emotions from him. That was typical Selina, he figured. Though, it was a bit upsetting. While he wasn't too experienced with women, he was aware of the importance it was for someone to have a shoulder to lean on, no matter who or what you were. He always considered himself that sort of person; a sturdy stone figure for people to lean against when they were falling apart.

Selina wanted to get this out of her system, she said. So he stopped himself from asking further questions about these markings and the harm they were causing.

"Is there... Anything I can do?" he asked, looking over his shoulder before scooting closer to her. Instinctively, he put his arms around the girl and gave her body an affectionate squeeze. Part of him was jubilant for this moment. He was falling in love with this young woman and since the day he realized it, he'd wanted to hold her like this, and more. Jon settled on just hugging her for now, though. She seemed to need a comforting embrace more than anything else, and something to get her mind off of this matter.

However, he couldn't help but notice how pleasantly warm she was...

"What can I do?" he asked again.
 
Selina was unsure on what to do. Never before had any male human gotten so close to her. It had been many years since she last felt the embrace of a hug. She remembered her mother's love but this felt different.

"To be honest. I have no idea on what you can do..." She sighed, "This sort of stuff probably would just go over your head."

Some tears were still trickling down her face. Selina knew that her defensive nature was trying to surface. There were a number of emotions going on in her head at the time...All swirling around in a confusing blend of helplessness and happiness.

Jon was now looking her directly in the eyes. "Don't do that..." She said....
 
She was probably right; he probably wouldn't understand. Be that as it was, he wished she would talk to him about it. A person always felt better after discussing a problem, even if the listener wouldn't know what to say. You at the very least knew someone was willing to try, and most importantly, they cared.

One arm loosened from the embrace so he could free one of his hands. With that very hand, he ran a thumb over her cheeks to flick some of the tears away. Seeing Selina cry brought soreness to his heart. He still smiled, though. It was an assuring smile that told her everything would turn out alright in the end. Jonathon would see to that, even if it killed him.

"You have the prettiest eyes," he told her quietly, his mind screaming the word 'idiot' when he said that. Just all of a sudden, he felt the need to compliment her. He was getting so lost in those eyes.

Jon brushed a few more tears away before tucking some of her snowy hair behind an ear. An unnecessary gesture, but it was something he's always wanted to do. Instead of setting his hand back down, he kept it rested on that side of her face, his thumb comfortingly stroking around her cheekbone.

"I'm here for you. Okay? I always will be."
 
She didn't know what to do at this point. He confessed love for her. Where had this strange notion come from? Hadn't they only known each other for a few days? These same thoughts cycled in her mind. She was...Confused. Selina never liked to admit to being unsure of how she should respond. Everything was supposed to be by the books...Until now.

"My eyes?" She asked. It was more of a quiet mummer than a question that needed an answer. "I...I...I have never looked into it." She said. "I know that they are there...But I don't think about myself..." She was rambling and it embarrassed her to do so. This was not her spit and polish self; maybe something closer to the truth of whom she is.

Her body then acted impulsive. Selina then hugged him back when he said that he'd always be there for her. It was a strange sort of comfort. She knew that she needed it...Maybe, just maybe something would go right and the nightmare of the past would leave her alone.
 
The returned hug caught Jonathon by surprise. They were sharing a tender moment, yes, but he did not expect her to react this way. Typical Selina would have pushed him away, or punched him! He also half expected she’d just sit there, unresponsive.

Jon’s arms were wrapped strongly around her, keeping them as close as he could manage. His back slouched against the closed closet door so she could lean into him and stay leaning, if she so desired it. This was a sensation he craved for, but from her. Nobody else. Even now, his reasons for it were mysterious. Which didn’t matter. He was thankful for what little softness she allowed herself to show him.

“And don’t worry,” he whispered, with a smile. “I won’t tell anyone about this. Everyone’s convinced you’re just a stone cold fighter.”

A quick sigh passed through his lips as he sat there, the back of his head thudding against the door. He was happy, to put it mildly, that he was able to be of some use to her, aside from the joy of embracing her. The past few weeks, he felt like a burden, being so inexperienced with his fighting.

While he sat, he had to resist another urge; the urge to kiss her. He was certain Selina would hate that...
 
"I do thank you for not telling anyone else about this....I have my reasons." Selina said. "I am sorry that we couldn't have met under more stable of conditions...."

By this time, it was pretty clear to Jon that this small woman always tried to be rational, logical and clearheaded. He was sure that deep down, if she could be unemotional, that'd be perfectly fine for her. He was always curious as to why this was. Selina seemed subtle. Jon could tell that this woman thought profoundly and deeply, throughly exploring all possibilities before deciding on a 'safe' alternative. The decision to come to Oren was not a brash one. There had to be something or someone to provoke this fear of dread within her.

Could it be those markings that made her become so stern? He doubted it. While he might not know what to want extent those markings connected her to her fellow Kin, he didn't seen something like those having much control over her life. He felt her body next to his. She was quivering, an emotion that he wouldn't have associated with her stern face.

Then a flash came to the back of his mind.

Swamp Town. They were attacked by those strange machines that Samson called "Relic Guards."

"Selina. Would you mind, if I ask you something personal?" He asked.

"That man. The one that sent the Relic Guards after us...Did he do something to you in the past?"