•|•|•"We live in a world of reflection where balance thrives. To the left, it is right. To love thereis hate, and to darkness there is always light." •|•|•[SHADE SHADOWS]"And how was your day, master?" I asked as I stacked the books on the table.A smile was stained on my face involuntarily. My spirits had dampened after his crass comment but re-lit after the redemption of the one that followed.Perhaps I was foolish to be happy simply because of a compliment. The thought paused me.No- I shouldn't be too high upon horses to believe a master would actually offer such a thing to the likes of a Keffer. I admit it sent something warm deep down my insides to hear of my difference being spoken in a different light.One that seemed positive.I hoped, though hope was dangerous, that it was how he truly saw me. It was refreshing to hear it be spoken so highly, not as a peculiarity or a deformity, not as a curse but a thing of-Perfection.My smile returned, and I glanced at the master t
•|•|•"The sea is no place for a wolf."•|•|•[KAYOS]Vaeln was here.2 weeks before he was intended. His scent was strong as I pushed the doors of my study open, my eyes falling on the Light Wolf, a hardness in my jaw I couldn't quite get rid of. Vaeln was a menace if I ever had one. He was the reason for the noise he had blasted throughout the court with a bloody horn. He sat across my desk, staring at me with an amused smirk. The longer I looked at him the more irritated I got. "Will you not speak-""What are you doing here?" I growled, gaze hardening.His lazy smirk dawned into a chuckle."Sit Kayos. Standing there makes me feel so goddamn uncomfortable." He grinned, turning in his seat for a moment, "Offer me a drink or something. A decade-aged wine is what I would prefer."I stared at the obnoxious Arc, trying to stop my anger from reeling its ugly head. "I was unaware it was my duty to make you feel ...comfortable." I gritted through my teeth."I am your guest. Therefore
•|•|•"What do you know of the endless pup?"•|•|•[Kayos]A dark tent-covered cage sat in the Hall room beneath the castle. There was no light in any crevices except the candles that were carried by six of Vaelns men, who guarded the cage on all four sides, standing as still as statues.My ears stretched noting that whatever creature that was trapped here was so silent, it could not be breathing. It must be dead, for it had no heartbeat either.Master Gregory stood a little ways behind us, and Mother stood beside me, whilst Vaeln approached the cage. It was large I registered, judging by the size of the cage, big enough for a Full-grown wolf to roam freely.- An Alpha wolf to be exact. My ears sharpened at the sound of a hiss and grunt from the depths of the covered cage. It was alive. No heartbeat, no breath- but alive. Either it could mask these things or it simply was something diabolical.Scratching sounds followed, rough and hard against the silver bars."I will warn you," Vae
•|•|•"The stories are real Dula. The nightmares father used to tell. The beasts are coming. The villages have disappeared. There is darkness in the air. Do you not feel it?"•|•|•[KAYOS] The human girl trembles before us. Her hair is thin, long, and stringy, a fade-off from the color of the earth. Her scent is strong, a musk of sea and land, salt and dirt. Her sunken eyes remain glued to the stoned floor she kneels on, eyes darting all over the place. Her heart is a hard pound within her. I know what she feels. It is a pain that calls out to my very being. Releasing a hunger in my wolf. She is in a foreign land amongst beasts that could rip her to threads in a breath. Perhaps that is why she fails to breathe normally as one would. Instead, it is a harsh wind against her dry torn lips, her hands shivering in her tattered lap."She can speak," I state, head tilting slightly, taking in the human."She has not spoken a word." Vaeln counters, starting at the small creature. "She w
•|•|• "The Monster is the Wolf." •|•|•[Shade Shadows]"He is simply- insufferable.." I whined, stacking up more books, "Does he truly not know how to say goodbye?" I huffed, my gaze landing on Diane.The beady-eyed bird only tilted its head, watching me intently, as I sighed, stacking away, "he will have to learn. I will have to teach him," I huffed, making sure the spines of each book aligned, "truly insufferable."Diane cawed at this, ruffling her feathers.I glanced at her for a moment, before pausing, "I guess he is busy. I can not expect more from him, he has given me enough. A friendship with a keffer..." the words trail off and a small smile appears against my lips, a warm feeling drawing within me, "he is the first you know-" I huff, gaze trailing back to the bird, "outside of AMA and Vale-"Diane caws loudly and I chuckle-"And of course, you, my pretty little diamond," I gleamed,
•|•|•"There will be no fraternizing with the Guards. You are slaves. Do not forget."•|•|•[Shade Shadows]The slave quarters are filled with whispers and rumors. Everybody is talking about the horn, the visitors that arrived. I walk in quietly, and no one pays much attention to me as they gossip away. My body is tired and all I wish to do is sleep. There will be more to do tomorrow and so I curl up on my mat and shut my eyes. I wish to drift off immediately but my ears remain open, listening to the words of the slaves around me.They talk of the visitors and the cage that came with them in their midst. Some say they heard growls and hisses coming from beneath its dark covers and a shiver crossed my spine.I can not deny I am also curious about these new visitors. I know there is some sort of ceremony taking place in a few weeks, that is why the tribunal has been called, and that is why there will soon be a h
•|•|•"Amidst fleeting moments, her memory wanes like a delicate sunset, yet the cherished years we've woven remain etched, timeless, within my soul's embrace."-Xiirian•|•|• [KAYOS]The world is nothing but a graveyard of water around me. The water is cold, ice cold, but I revel in the numbness of it all.I do not feel the cold. The cold is home. The numbness is solitude. And the blurry vision of the space above me is dreamlike. Perhaps if I stay here long enough reality would fade or simply cease to exist. I stare upwards for minutes beneath the waves but the vision above me remains. Finally sitting up, the water sloshes around me as I take breaths of air in replacing what I missed, my hands pushing my wet locks from my face, breathing harshly until I settle back in the bath, the dimness of the room around me leaving a hollow feeling within me.The shadows move across my walls and I lazily tu
[ SHADE SHADOWS]I am ready for the day. I am ready for the day.I repeat the same words relentlessly even as I march after Madam Catherine towards the red door. This time she does not leave me by the door, she freezes as if caught by time a few feet away and stops.I stop behind her, confused, glancing at the red door. She turns sharply, clearing her throat, "Hurry now, the master awaits."My eyebrows arch together, as she walks passed me with a nod, leaving me alone in the hallway.That is rather strange. Master. Not masters. My fingers went cold, and my heart thudded from within me as I turned round to the space she had disappeared from gaze batting the length.What if she knew? Could she? About the Master and I? I shook my head. How could she? She never entered the library, not even once- I paused to think this through-Not even once.My gaze shot back to the red door, remembering the words of the guards that night. Why were they afraid to enter it? Madam says it is the m