[Flame]

Shatter could feel the frail young woman struggle weakly in his grasp, a small, almost unnoticeable motion which still managed to cut him to the core. She was powerless against his will, and to take advantage of someone who clearly was incapable of defending themselves ground harshly against his morals. Although he tried to avoid her gaze (regardless of the fact that she could not possibly see through his visor), he could not entirely ignore the small, delicate hand which encompassed his own, squeezing it with a gentle desperation as he pulled her to her feet. He’d never had cause to doubt his own actions before, but this situation was nothing if not confusing for the young soldier.

He had no way of knowing that Sevella was privy to some of the inner emotions which he kept well to himself, although he had the creeping suspicion that she knew more than she let on. Everything she said seemed almost as if it was tailored to the exact doubts which were currently running through his mind, on the verge of usurping what remaining control he had left. “No,” he replied with what sounded like a heavy resignation, “I do not wish to do this, but I have no choice but to comply with orders.” If she could have seen his expression, she would have been faced with eyes that were both distressed and confused, but instead, he continued to hide his thoughts behind an impenetrable barrier of cold, emotionless metal. It would be easier to accept things and move on if he just ignored what bothered him and continued to do what he'd always done without questioning.

Shatter glanced down at the young woman, somewhat surprised when her hand came to rest upon his chest plate, hovering over the spot where his heart beat under the metal covering. She didn't seem to be afraid of him as a person at all; just unwilling to comply with the unfair demands which he'd been forced to make of her. He was about to speak again when suddenly, the surrounding forest seemed to explode with a flash of color and feral snarling and a huge (as in, literally gigantic) wolf burst into the clearing, hackles raised and hell-bent on carnage. Automatically, his hand came to rest on his holstered blaster, the small, distinct click of a safety being flicked almost inaudible, lost in the cacophony of sounds that conveyed canine aggression.

Despite the fact that he'd never actually seen one of these 'shifters' in wolf-form before, he suspected that this must be one of the other tribe members, if all the irrefutable proof on hand was anything to judge by. After all, what wolves grew this big, had such strange fur colors, and could talk? He assumed that the wolf, apparently a male that went by the name of Mahj, was here to keep his healer from being taken against her will, but Shatter wasn't prepared to give in without a fight. As Sevella went limp in his grasp, he simply held her more firmly, supporting her slight weight, positioning her slightly behind himself so that he stood between her and the newcomer. He felt slightly odd, talking to an animal, but he still addressed him the same regardless. "I'd like to see you try, wolf," he retorted, switching effortlessly to the merciless fighter he was trained to be. He had no problems dealing with risks and danger, so Mahj's arrival promptly put him back in his familiar element, geared and ready for the worst, whatever that might be.

[MillietheWarrior]

Sevella’s eyes were no longer upset; she was resigned. And it showed on her face, her body slack against his grip. Her hands no longer rested against his armor, loose and free against her sides. As she was resigned to his fate, so too was he. Sevella could hear it in his voice. She wished she could see his face, but he felt the need and desire to hide behind his emotionless mask of metal. She knew there was more to him than this, yet he seemed too burdened by his duty to understand that there was more to life than just ‘orders.’ “Have you never made your own decisions?” she murmured softly, her tiptoes barely keeping her from tumbling forward; he was far too tall. “Perhaps now is the time to start.” But he had already accepted his fate, and he would not listen to reason.

Sevella closed her eyes painfully, her body protesting at every small movement she made. When she opened her eyes, her gaze shifted down to the blaster at his side. Although she did not know what it meant, any warrior in their right mind went first for their weapon when a threat appeared, and then thought twice about their actions only after the dust had settled. She could do little as she was moved behind him, pressed against his side. His hand never left her arm, and Sevella had hoped that she might at least have some sort of chance if he’d favored action over holding his prisoner captive. But he was a solider; he didn’t just ‘forget’ things like captives. She closed her eyes, ears filled with the sounds of armor and an angry snarling. This was not at all the day she had imagined.

Mahj, on the other hand, had not only been offended by the man’s comment, but incensed with the fact that he was simply standing there, still touching the woman at his side, still man-handling her as if she were nothing more than a sack of potatoes. Mahj felt his fur stand on end, taking a few cautionary steps forward. His tail was bottle brush straight, standing high above his back, and his lips were lifted over his teeth in a feral snarl. “How dare you,” he growled, his voice low and guttural in his lupine form. He was slowly circling Shatter, moving steadily closer. “How dare you touch her. She does not belong to you, or to your kind! Release her!”

His eyes strayed once to the weapon at Shatter’s side, but he did not recognize it for what it was, and dismissed it immediately. He snapped his teeth in the soldier’s direction; how to get Sevella away form him and not harm her at the same time? It was a difficult dilemma. But Sevella was a wolf-shifter, and she could handle a tumble if it happened; if Mahj accidentally knocked her away, then so be it. She could handle it. His shoulders hunched forward, and he snarled, before he lunged for the pair, teeth and claws aimed at the soldier, nearly unmindful of the woman at his side. “Very well then!” he shouted. “I shall make you!”

[9/2]

[Flame]

The resignation in the young woman’s voice was evident, but it sounded much older and wearier than she looked, and seemed to add countless years to her age. Shatter glanced down at her, then almost immediately regretted it; her expression was pained, and although he wasn’t physically trying to cause her pain, he knew that regardless, he was the source of her distress. Normally, these kinds of situations wouldn’t bother him in the least; after all, he was created to be a fighting unit, pain was a part of his everyday life. Something about this situation felt distinctly different though. If he’d known what a conscience was, he would have said that this very much went against it, and the circumstances just didn’t sit well with him in general. With an effort though, he could tune all of his outside thoughts out and turn into the impassive, emotionless soldier he was supposed to be.

Sevella, on the other hand, seemed determined not to let him withdraw within himself, and for a moment, he mulled over her question, debating whether or not to reply. “No, I haven’t,” he finally said, his voice quiet as he carefully avoided her gaze. “I’m not supposed to make my own decisions. That’s not the purpose of a soldier; if everyone made their own decisions, all the order that exists would dissolve into utter chaos.” It was true; this was the sole purpose for which he was created and trained, and he was expected to perform his duty to the utmost perfection, otherwise, he was as good as target practice for the enemy and a liability to his squad. Having said this much already though, Shatter once again withdrew from conversation, feeling as if he’d revealed more than his piece.

As the large, strangely-colored, and highly-incensed wolf advanced towards him, Shatter automatically fell into the instinctive role of an experienced fighter, albeit he’d never been in a fight with an oversized dog before. There was a first for everything. He settled into a half-crouch, watching Mahj carefully from behind the emotionless visor, a hand still resting casually on his blaster, ready to counter whatever attack the creature had in mind. Shatter noted, almost subconsciously, that this newcomer was distinctly different from his female tribesmate; for one, he seemed much more aggressive and quick to anger than the young woman, and something about his personality (not just the fact that he was in wolf-form) made him seem a lot less…human. Shatter was very tempted just to shoot the guy and get on with what he was supposed to do…but if anything, that would only make his job harder in the long run. He wasn’t supposed to use violence except as a last resort, as much as the idea of babying an opponent exasperated him. Not that Mahj looked like much of a ‘baby’, in any sense of the term. He could probably give him a run for his money, but nonetheless, Shatter was fairly confident that he wouldn’t have an issue taking him down. He was rather surprised though, when his opponent came dead-on towards him, regardless of the fact that his considerably more delicate tribemate was in clear range. He did not bother replying to the threats, but instead, watched with narrowed, calculating eyes as Mahj sprang forward, then, as he lunged for his shoulder, Shatter swung a plated arm sideways, aiming to catch the snarling wolf full in the side of the head with a forceful blow and knock him off course. His free arm simultaneously kept the woman at his back clear of the violence while remaining within close reach of his blaster, should the situation happen to turn sour.

[MillietheWarrior]

Mahj’s lunge was cut short as the hard metal connected painfully against his jaw with the distinctive ‘crack’ of bone. His massive body flew backwards, claws digging into the earth as he skidded across the dirt. He turned, his body moving in a serpentine pattern as he slid towards Shatter once more, not giving the man a moment’s rest between attacks. His head was spinning slightly from the force of the blow, but he was a wolf, and there was very little, save for a blaster, or a knife, that could do him permanent damage. His eyes darted momentarily to Sevella, caught behind the giant, metal monstrosity. Another low snarl ripped from his lips as he saw her duck her head, forced to use the metal man to keep herself standing.  

Mahj’s momentum brought him closer to Shatter, and his massive body flew into the soldier, teeth clamping down on the metal of his arm. As Mahj bit down, his eyes widened, and he instantly let go of the appendage, leaping backwards with a howl of rage and pain. Blood dripped from his mouth; the Katarn armor had proven too tough and sturdy for even his massive canine teeth. He dipped his head then shook it, spraying small droplets of blood all around him. “What are you?” he snarled, anger coursing through his body. The desire to kill, to maim, to destroy was still singing in his veins, but there was something else now: caution.

Behind Shatter, Sevella was keeping herself upright with a vice-like grip on the seams of his back plate, her heart pounding madly in her ears. “Mahj,” she murmured, her eyes widening at the sight of the blood. Every molecule of her being was telling her to go to him, to help him, to keep him from killing or being killed. But she was afraid to move; she was afraid of what the soldier might do if she tried to get away. It was not her own mortality she feared, but Mahj’s. If he died because of her…then there would be little she could do to live with herself after that. Her fingers dug into the seams of Shatter’s armor, and she tugged as hard as she could, using all her strength to give him a little shake. “Please,” she said slowly. “Don’t hurt him. He just…he simply wishes to protect me.”

She ignored the fact that Mahj had put her in as much if not more danger than she’d been in before he’d arrived when he’d lunged at Shatter; that was beside the point and it didn't matter. Her fingers scraped painfully on the Katarn armor, breaking the delicate skin and leaving small smears of blood, but she ignored it, wishing she had some way of influencing Shatter's mind. “Just leave him. Let us go, and leave him be. I will help you if you just…just don’t hurt him…please…” Her arms would only hold her up for so long, and with a sharp whine that sounded more like a puppy than a woman, her fingers detached themselves from the armor, and she flopped to the ground, landing hard on her hands and back.

She clamped her teeth together, resisting the urge to cry out in pain, and stared up at the back of the armored man. Mahj’s ears had perked up, his head lifting as he observed what was going on with a growing snarl vibrating within the depths of his chest.  He took another step forward, claws digging into the earth and gouging out large chunks of soil as he launched himself at Shatter again, seemingly oblivious as to the fact that, if he should knock the man off balance, he would fall directly on top of Sevella. But the anger and the bloodlust clouded his judgment, and it seemed as though her fall had only incensed the wolf and sent him over the edge; he didn’t seem concerned with her welfare anymore, only the primal, instinctive urge to kill the man who had harmed his potential mate.

[10/3]

[Flame]

Shatter could feel the familiar rush of adrenaline course through his system with the anticipation of a fight, despite the fact that the circumstances were much different from those he was used to fighting under. Instead of being faced by the usual ranks of endless, unfeeling droids or even wets, facing a giant, four-legged, clawed and fanged and highly incensed opponent was an entirely different ballgame, and he found himself having to learn through actual encounter rather than practice or training. It was a good thing that he was used to being tested in entirely alien situations; he found himself, for one of the few times in his life, thinking that perhaps the livefire exercises he’d been put through during training did serve some good.

He was ready when Mahj launched his second attack; for now, he played on the defensive, trying to refrain from causing his opponent any permanent damage. If anything, it was much more difficult to take down an opponent without seriously harming them than it was simply to finish them off. When the wolf’s massive jaws slammed shut on his forearm, Shatter was half convinced that his armor would cave under the immense pressure suddenly put on it. The force jarred his arm painfully and he could almost feel the metal screaming under the stress, but amazingly, it held, and he fervently thanked the manda, knowing full well that the attack would otherwise have mangled his arm far beyond repair. The dagger-like teeth did, however, leave several sizeable dents in the surface of his forearm plate to remember him by, and Shatter eyed his opponent a little more warily, conscious of the fact that the metal likely would not hold under another similar attack.

Although his concentration was entirely focused upon the fight he’d found himself unwillingly embroiled in, Shatter caught the faint sound of Sevella’s pleading voice, coupled by the light, barely-noticeable shake which she gave him in an attempt to catch his attention. He glanced briefly over his shoulder, almost as if her presence had caught him by surprise, keeping Mahj in the corner of his eye as he looked down at the young woman. “Fine,” he replied shortly, his voice a low rumble as he turned away from her once again, eyes narrowed at the wolf from behind his visor. “I’ll do what I can not to harm him, but if I must, I’ll do what I have to to get the job done.” He heard her soft whimper of pain as she fell and he subconsciously winced slightly at the sound, but he could not afford to have his concentration broken again, not when he was faced by an opponent this dangerous.

Shatter’s gaze was fixed unwaveringly on the wolf as Mahj launched himself towards him again, murder written clearly in the creature’s eyes. He knew that he had to end this bout quickly and efficiently, since he had no doubt that, given enough time, there would be more backup, and definitely not in his favor. Also, he had his doubts as to whether or not he could wear the wolf out in a contest of endurance, so the best choice would be to cut the fight short while he was still ahead. His eyes were locked onto Mahj’s every movement, and when he came barreling towards him, Shatter was ready. He knew that if he were to try and stand up to the huge creature hurtling towards him, there was no way he could counter the attack while remaining on his feet, and he was keenly aware of the fact that he would probably crush his charge, should he happen to go down with the wolf. He narrowed his eyes at Mahj, deep in calculating concentration; if he were to pull off this stunt, he’d have to execute everything with perfect timing, otherwise, it could spell disaster for him and his mission.

As Mahj lunged towards him, Shatter stood his ground, then, at the very last moment, just as the wolf’s jaws were ready to come crashing down on him again, he whirled to one side and out of his trajectory. As the huge body sailed by the spot where he’d been just a moment before, his arms shot out to encircle Mahj’s chest, and with a massive effort, effectively halted his flight (which would have brought him down on Sevella), and instead, slammed him to the ground just short of where the onlooking young woman lay. Without pausing, he drew his fist back and drove it against the wolf’s massive head, hoping that his pressure points were somewhat comparable to those of humans. Luckily for him, his opponent almost instantaneously went limp, knocked out cold. He knew that the lull would not last long though, and that this was likely the best opportunity he would get to bring his ‘visitor’ back to base. Taking a second only to check that the wolf was well and truly unconscious, he rose once again, finally turning to look at Sevella once more. “We’d best get moving,” he rumbled quietly, his face and voice carefully veiled. Without waiting for her reply, he briskly stepped over and scooped her up bridal-style, aware that she probably wouldn’t make it all the way back to base under her own power. He couldn’t help but be surprised at how light she was, and he briefly wondered whether it was normal for all women to be so delicately built. With that, he walked out of the clearing, trekking back towards base with his invaluable load in tow.


{Millie's permission given to steal Mahj for the post. ^^ Poor wolfie.}

[MillietheWarrior]

Sevella’s eyes were wide as she took in the scene before her. Mahj was leaping towards the soldier, jaws and claws outstretched. Sevella was not stupid; she knew if his attack connected, she would be crushed. Her heart pounded furiously, and with a mighty heave, she managed to roll her body away from Shatter, though was only able to make it a few inches before her strength gave out. She lay on her side, chest heaving and fingers gently running through the grass, the blood from her fingers leaving small red smears over the green. She could feel the ripples of pain from the forest around her, crying out their heedless warnings that she move, run, get away from the danger.

But even if she wanted to, she could not. Her body was weakened, and her legs felt like they would barely hold her weight, let alone be able to run away. And then there was the matter of Mahj himself. She could not leave him to his fate; he would surely be killed if she didn’t do something, anything, to help him. She craned her neck over her shoulder, just in time to see the man in armor grab Mahj around the chest. She could hear her tribe mate’s heartbeat, she could hear the whine that escaped his lips. She gasped, just as Shatter swung the massive wolf around and slammed him into the ground. A sharp cry escaped her, and she hauled herself up into a sitting position, reaching for Mahj as though she could get to him from where she lay.

Her eyes widened as the soldier smashed his fist into the side of Mahj’s head, and the body went lip. Her heart clenched painfully, a strangled sob escaping her lips as Shatter turned to her. She cringed, bringing one hand up as if to ward him off, but she knew it was useless. He advanced towards her, and even the sound of his voice now frightened her as he scooped her up into his cold, metal arms. The armor pressed painfully into her bare skin, and she curled in on herself as he held her, arms crossing gently over her chest. He was in no hurry, and rightfully sol his opponent was probably dead, a thought which made Sevella’s eye scrunch up and her breathing quicken. She looked up at the emotionless visor as tears squeezed past her eyes, small, strangled gasps slipping past her lips.

“I…I asked you not to k-kill him. I said I would go with you if only you…if only you let him live. But you killed him regardless! You are not a human! You are a monster!” she snarled, flashing her fangs at him despite the giant tears that slid down her cheeks. She writhed in his grasp, pushing as hard as she could against his armor, before her tiny fists slammed down on it fruitlessly. “Let me go. Put me down, now. I will not help you. I would rather die! I have to go back to Mahj! I have to help him. M-monster…” she sobbed, her voice rising in a crescendo before it tapered into a soft, hoarse whisper.

[11/4]

[Flame]

Shatter had thought that that was the end of that when his opponent’s head had hit the ground, but if the reaction of the woman that he currently held bundled in his arms was anything the judge by, the battle was hardly even halfway won. This, however, was not any form of combat he’d ever even vaguely encountered in his short existence, and would require an entirely different sort of strategy from what he was accustomed to. He glanced down at the woman, his expression somewhat perplexed behind the blank visor, as if trying to figure out exactly what he was supposed to be doing with her. Her tiny fists pounded ineffectively against his unyielding armor, although her motives and intentions were more than obvious in her simultaneously stricken and furious countenance. If this was how all women acted on a regular basis, he could see why the GAR would want to keep their troops away from them; they only served as an unnecessary distraction and posed a possible threat to those who happened to be responsible for them.

Nonetheless, it was his duty to bring this squirming young woman back to base, and although he could quite easily do it regardless of her current state of being, he had the feeling that she wouldn’t be inclined to cooperate later if he didn’t resolve her current misconception of the situation at hand now. Shatter sighed wearily, his whole form seeming to emanate jadedness although he wasn’t tired, not physically, at least. “Last time I volunteer to ‘take one for the team’ when it comes to missions,” he thought resignedly to himself before complying uncomplainingly with his charge’s request. Despite everything he thought and said and his general disenchantment and apathy towards his vocation, he knew that regardless, he would never hesitate to take a bullet, whether literally or figuratively, for his brothers and to do the duty he was created to carry out.

Knowing that there was nowhere for her to go, especially not in her current condition, Shatter bent down to place the woman on the ground once more before straightening up again to look down impassively at her, arms folded carefully over his chest. “Ma’am, I can assure you that your ‘friend’ is still alive and in perfectly good health. Call me what you will, but if nothing else, I’m a man of my word; I upheld my half of the bargain. Will you honor yours?” During the entirety of the exchange, his tone remained blank, gaze locked on the young woman at his feet should she decide to try something, as unlikely as it was. Jerking his helmet briefly towards the unconscious Mahj, he added, “The worst thing that could happen to him is that he’ll wake up with a headache to remember me by.” He just hoped that she wouldn’t spend too much time fooling around here; after all, he had to get back to base soon, and there was always the risk that either they’d run into more unwanted company while out here, or the temporarily downed wolf would wake up with a vengeance.

[MillietheWarrior]

Sevella was practically bombarded with a feeling of fatigue from the man’s aura, though she knew the fatigue was not physical. His mind was tired, and as distraught as she was, she couldn’t help but spare a little pity for him. He was being driven by unmerciful task masters; at least, she imagined they were unmerciful. If they what they forced him and his ‘brothers’ to do was anything to judge by, then she could only assume that whomever was pulling the strings did not bear any sort of emotions or heart whatsoever. And while her sister, Zita, had found the men in armor intriguing and fascinating, Sevella saw nothing but cold-hearted monsters, trained attack dogs that would snap when given the command.

She was disgusted and angry, but most of all, she pitied these men. What a sad existence.

When he set her down, Sevella inched away from him, having neither the strength nor the will to run. Her claws dug into the soft dirt around her, and she could hear the forest crying out in distress, knowing that the life forces around her wished only to keep her safe. But there was nothing they could do. “Our bargain-” she snarled darkly, her voice the only outward way she could express her anger and lividness at the situation; she cursed her weakened state. She couldn’t fight him as a wolf, as Mahj could, and she couldn’t fight him as a human, as Zita could. She had only her words as weapons, and this man’s armor seemed to protect even against that. “-was that you did not hurt him, human,” she spat viciously.

“Yet you did!” She turned her head away from him, flashing her fangs only briefly; her long, knee length hair fell over her shoulders, shadowing part of her face and hiding her eyes from view. “Poor, sad, disgusting creature,” she said softly, at last breaking the uneasy silence. “I pity you, and your unnatural existence. You should have never been created. You are not normal, not of this world; even your scent is wrong. You are expendable, worthless, useless, yet you still run at the heels of your master like any foolish dog will do. You have been trained to kill, and to hurt, and to destroy. You bring nothing but death and destruction wherever you go, and you do not feel remorse for the lives you take or the souls you crush.”

She looked up, her face a blank mask of indifference. “You do not deserve my help; neither you, nor your brothers deserve this life you were falsely given. Tell me-” she said slowly, as if speaking to a small child. The anger returned to smolder darkly in her eyes, fangs flashing. “-why I should waste my time giving life to those who were not intended for it in the first place.”

[12/5]

((Oooooh snap. XD She doesn't mean any of it, really... <3))

[Flame]

Shatter stared impassively down at the woman, his expression a schooled mask of apathy despite the fact that it was hidden behind the glowing, faceless visor. She understood nothing about him or any of his brothers; she saw only what was visible on the very surface and from that alone made her judgments. As trained, he uttered not a single word to interrupt her as she spoke, although his silence grew more and more pointed as the moments ticked by. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to just forget her, forget this whole shabla mission, and go back to base. Heck, he’d even choose open combat over this. It was clean, simple, and efficient, where everything was laid out in the open, and everyone played with even stakes; kill or be killed. There were no underhanded comments, no questions of a personal nature; like anywhere else, no one cared who he was or where he came from, but here, one could make a mark based on how well they could fight.

“You’ll excuse my impoliteness,” he finally said once she had fallen silent, his tone icy, “But for one as wise and omnipotent as you are said to be, you seem to me extremely shallow and quick to judge.” He paused, the silence frosty as the expressionless visor stared down at her. “But that’s just my humble opinion.” His patience was just about beginning to wear out, and he felt inexplicably stretched paper-thin, as if the slightest thing would break his slowly diminishing façade of cool control. “Of course, perhaps I should just have let your friend have his way with me, shouldn’t I? You preach to me of remorse, yet if that was the case, I would undoubtedly be dead by now, and both of you would simply go along your merry way as if nothing had happened. After all, ‘he shouldn’t exist, he’ll be easy to replace, and no one will miss him anyways’, right?”

Shatter snorted bitterly, subconsciously aware of the fact that something within him had snapped; he knew that he would probably regret everything he was saying later, but right now, it felt as though the emotions which he’d unknowingly bottled up over the years were finally forcing their way out into the open, refusing to be contained any longer. “You think I don’t already know that? We were created solely for that one purpose, to live and die for a cause that is not ours. Yet why do we still follow so foolishly, as you so shrewdly pointed out? Well, unlike all you people who take pride in being ‘free’ and having a ‘right to exist’, there is no existence for us outside of the military. We can’t simply turn our backs on the army and walk away; there’s nowhere for us to go. Yes, we may be ‘unnatural’, ‘expendable’, and everything else you call us, but nonetheless, we do exist, and perhaps contrary to your conceptions of us, we are still human. The only difference between us and any other person you might walk by on the street is that we all share the same face and the same genes, and unlike them, we are denied even the most basic of human rights. Like you, we can feel happiness, sadness, anger, pain, grief. Like you, we all die. But all of our likenesses are overlooked; our rights are disposable, as long as it’s for a cause that all of you support. No one cares what we think, what we feel. It would have been kinder, had they taken our emotions, our thoughts, and our ability to feel pain. Then, only then, might one even begin to come close to being able to feel justified in the sacrifices that are not theirs.”

He stopped, as if there was something more that he wanted to say, but after a moment, turned away from her, both his helmet and gaze fixed rigidly off to the side, anywhere but on her face. He felt as if he’d said far too much, especially to someone who happened to be a complete stranger and obviously cared nothing for him or his kind. “Yes, perhaps we do not deserve life, yet it was forced upon us. Do you think that any of us were given a choice, whether or not to take it? Who in this world would choose the existence that we were born into? You tell me, have you ever seen those you care about die as you watch? By the hundreds? Have you seen men die needlessly because of a careless order by an incompetent general? Soldiers ‘put down’ simply because their wounds would make them unfit for battle, because it would be cheaper to ‘manufacture’ more?” Shatter found that he was almost shaking with suppressed emotion as he spoke, his jaw and fists clenched as he fought the unnamed anger threatening to overwhelm him. When he finally spoke again, his voice was soft, his tone once again detached. “Whether or not you will help is not a matter of my concern. My job is only to find you and bring you back to base. After that, regardless of whatever you choose, you will likely never have to see me again.”


{Suddenly very chatty, isn't he? XD Poor guy just has to let off some steam. x3}

[MillietheWarrior]

If Sevella could have seen Shatter’s face, she probably would have been surprised to know that her own mirrored it. She hid her emotions behind a cold mask of indifference, staring up at him as if his words had no effect. In reality, every word he uttered broke her heart. She could never have imagined that humans could be so cruel to one another, that they could treat their own kind with the ignorance and animosity they afforded only the lowliest of creatures. Her hands clenched on her knees, claws digging into the palms of her hands and drawing small, crescent moon shaped drops of blood.

She blinked hard, and lowered her gaze, and although an overwhelming wave of guilt washed over her, the anger and the unfairness of it all washed it away; she could feel Shatter’s emotions, and despite the emotionless visor he presented her, she knew, that inside, despite his cold voice and his apathetic nature, he was hurt. He was broken. She had said those things to harm him, to guilt him into letting her go, to break him from the inside out. But he was already shattered…His name, though she did not know it, was an apt description of who he was; shattered, broken, perhaps forever and beyond repair. She had not anticipated feeling or knowing this; but she could not fend off the crashing of emotions that washed over her, fueled by Shatter’s silent suffering.

With a massive effort, Sevella used the tree beside her for support as she struggled valiantly to her feet. Her body swayed dangerously, eyes flickering briefly in pain brought on from the distressing events of the day, culminated in the large bruise on her back from where she’d fallen earlier. Her head and her heart ached, and she wanted to go home. She wanted to comforting embrace of her sister, the warm, reassuring words of Tinahni, the gentle, loving hands of Akiva, the strong, protective presence of Mahj. She wanted to go home, but something inside of her, despite her weakness, kept her from shifting and running off as far and as fast as she could into the forest. The wolf in her urged her to go, but her heart urged her to stay; even if she had added fuel to the fire, she had to somehow find a way to make up for the burn she had caused.

She hadn’t meant it; she just wanted him to let her go. His overwhelming emotional pain was hers; she felt it, and she wanted to get rid of it. So, Sevella did something she had never done before with any outsider; she stepped forward, and delicately wrapped her arms around him. It was a difficult process, as he was much larger than she was. Her arms hardly even made it around his front, stopped by the bulk of his armor. But nonetheless, she did not pull away, and instead, gently laid her head on his chest. “I apologize,” She said at last, the silence palpable. “My name is Sevella. What is yours?” It was an odd question, and an odd gesture, but she felt it was necessary; to quell the small fire she’d begun, Sevella was going to try her hardest to extinguish the inferno.

[13]

[Flame]

Lacking Sevella’s ability to sense the emotions of others through arcane means, Shatter was left to take what was given at face value, a façade of callous indifference. Not that he’d really expected anything different from her, but still, her complete unconcern stung, although he knew that he shouldn’t have let her get to him this easily. He’d known for a long time that his ‘job’ had been wearing him thin, but a combination of steely resolve and his determination not to let his brothers down kept him going, even when he felt as if he were on the verge of breaking. Not that he had much of a choice otherwise, that was.

However, something about hearing the words coming from a complete stranger was more than he could bear; it wasn’t something that he could simply shoulder silently and carry on with, as he always had. Something about what the young woman said finally pierced the shield of careful self-control he’d hid all of his personal thoughts and feelings behind, triggering the sudden outburst of emotions and turmoil which had been bottled-up and hidden for all these years. He was somewhat surprised at just how vehemently he felt about the wrongs that he and his brothers were subjected to, and while it was agony to spill all of the resentment buried in his soul, at the same time, it felt oddly liberating, as if the knowledge that his bitterness was no longer his burden alone somehow alleviated the torment, if only marginally so.

Shatter knew that he shouldn’t resent the woman for her naivety, after all, she couldn’t have known any better, but nonetheless, the hardheartedness of her comments made it difficult for him to overlook her ignorance. It was all he could do, not to try and shake some sense into her; even though her words were harsh, she was weak and he could see that. He couldn’t blame her for using the only defense that she had at her disposal against him. Instead, he tore his gaze away from her, trying desperately to quash the emotions, pain, and anger currently running rampant through his mind and regain control of his thoughts and feelings. His gaze was fixed on some point in the distance, seeing, but not really seeing what was before him, arms folded tightly across his chest, as if he could force all of the unrestrained emotions back inside. He hardly seemed aware of the fact that he was still shaking, even if almost imperceptibly so. The forest around them had gone unusually quiet; even the normally incessant hum of the insects had paused, as if silently waiting for the sign that it was safe to resume their activities again.

Shatter was so caught up in his own internal conflict that he didn’t see or hear the young woman move until he felt something bump gently against his chest plate. His arms went up in surprise, and he almost leapt away from the woman, half expecting an attack of some sort. However, it became quite evident that she meant him no harm, and he blinked down at her in puzzled bewilderment, his own unrest momentarily forgotten as he tried to figure out exactly what the reasoning was behind her odd behavior. Was she…apologizing for what she’d said? Well, that was certainly unexpected, and for a moment, Shatter was silent, undecided on what he ought to do next. “I-It’s RC-1156, ma’am,” he finally replied, more on instinct than anything else. For a moment, his hands came to rest gently on her back, then sprang away again just as quickly, as if he was unsure of what he was supposed to be doing with them and afraid that he might offend her. Something told him that what was going on right now probably wasn’t allowed, but he was completely at a loss as to what he was supposed to do. After all, none of this was mentioned in his training manual, so he vouched to stand still, his arms awkwardly at his sides as he waited for some sort of cue from Sevella.

[MillietheWarrior]

Sevella was frozen in time, head resting lightly on the chest of his armor, eyes half-closed. The gentle weight of his hands encircling her startled her, but she did not pull away. Shatter seemed more surprised by his own reaction than her sudden, strange decision to hug him. After a few moments, it became clear that she was now using him more as a support than actually hugging him. Her knees began to sag, eyes drooping as her breathing became labored; she was tired, worn out, and weak from the day’s events. Her back was badly bruised, and the cuts on her hand from his armor had only just stopped bleeding; Sevella was unable to use her own powers to her own wounds. It was simply impossible.

“I meant-” she whispered quietly, struggling to find a breath that wasn’t labored. “-your name. A number is not a name. And my name is not ‘ma’am.’ I told you, it is Sevella.” She stepped away, though her hands clutched the front of his armor to keep her upright. The aura surrounding her and Shatter had begun to settle and diminish; it was no longer a complicated turmoil of raging emotions, but a calm well of peace and tranquility, albeit, shot through with streaks of confusion. Sevella was aware that she had surprised him; she’d even startled herself. But there were some things that words could not say, and that actions could.

Her fingers slowly uncurled themselves from his armor, and with a soft grunt, she staggered backwards and sunk slowly to the ground, her body no longer able to support her own weight. She seemed almost like a rag doll; lifeless and listless, her limbs heavy and unmovable. She lifted her head, eyes still half-lidded as they observed Shatter from beneath thick lashes. “I am sorry,” she said softly. “If you wish for me to walk, I will require a two day rest. My body can only sustain me for so long…I am afraid I have reached my limit.” She seemed either too tired to argue with him, or to have simply given up the fight.

His words had stirred something within her; she no longer felt only pity for him. Now there was something strange and different coloring her view of him; he was no longer a monster, or a piteous creation. He was a human. A human who felt pain, anger, sadness. “I will help you,” she said at last, her words soft, and her voice very slow. “If that is what you truly wish.” If she did as he asked, it would mean the end of her, but if she did not, it might mean the end of Shatter and his brothers. Sevella would die knowing she had done something to help these poor men escape the suffering and the pain forced upon them.

[14]

[Flame]

Shatter was quite at a loss at the moment, not to mention the fact that he felt distinctly awkward and somewhat uncomfortable. After all, it wasn’t as if he’d been exposed to women all that often in his few short years of life, not to mention getting this close to one. For him, it was as if he’d just met a creature of a completely different species and been hugged by it for absolutely no reason (it didn’t help that he’d never really been hugged in the past either). Nonetheless, somewhere in his subconscious he knew that he should (and that he did) enjoy the strange gesture, regardless of how bizarre and unexpected it was. Despite how awkward it felt to simply stand there as impassively as a block of stone, he quelled the perplexing instinct that told him to wrap his arms around her once again, afraid to know where that course of action might take him.

Her next statement only further surprised, and he blinked blankly at her for a moment, unsure of how to reply. Outside of his brothers, he was only referred to by his number, as it was the only visibly distinguishing factor about him, and no one outside of the army (or even in the army, for that matter) ever bothered to wonder whether he even had a name. The question made him feel a little embarrassed, to be truthful, but he’d been drilled to think of almost anyone outside of the army as a superior, and it would simply be discourteous not to reply. “My brothers call me Shatter, ma-I mean, Sevella.” Sharing that piece of personal information made him feel somewhat self-conscious, not to mention the fact that addressing the young woman as anything other than ‘ma’am’ felt rather improper. However, if that was what she preferred, he would try his best to remember.

Shatter watched as she once again sank to the ground, exhausted, and although hidden by his mask-like helmet, there was an expression of mild concern on his face as he regarded her. He was reminded once again of how fragile she seemed to be, as if all of her energy balanced precariously on the edge of exhaustion, and he was worried that she just might pass out on him there and then. He paused for a moment, weighing her words and his options, limited though they were. There was no doubt that he could quite easily carry her all the way back to base; it wasn’t as if he hadn’t hauled several times her weight in gear on more than one occasion before, over much longer of a distance. However, even then, there was the still the question of her apparent weakness. In this condition, she would be little or no use to the army, but knowing them, they would probably try to drain her of every last drop of strength that she had, regardless of the effect it might have on her. As much as he wanted to get this mission done and over with, Shatter realized that he simply couldn’t put Sevella through that kind of treatment (if she even survived it), although why, he couldn’t exactly find the words to explain. It was just…wrong.

Finally, he seemed to reach a decision, and sighing, he shook his head lightly as he glanced down at the woman at his feet. “If that’s the case, then you are currently in no condition to be brought back to base.” He watched her carefully for a moment, then continued. “There is no doubt that they would tax you beyond your means, and would not hesitate use your weakness to their advantage. Even I wouldn’t be able to protect you in that situation.” There was a brief pause, then took a step towards her, although this time, it was a little less assured and almost questioning, as if he were asking her permission to approach. Bending down, he scooped her up into his arms once again more gently than the last time, but didn’t start moving just yet. “We can find a place to camp for tonight so that you have an opportunity to regain some of your energy before heading for camp.” Another brief pause. “If you have no objections to that?”

[MillietheWarrior]

“Shatter,” Sevella said quietly,, her voice no more than a whisper. “How very fitting…It suits you, Shatter.” She fell silent, her eyes sinking to the ground as she contemplated her predicament. Sevella had never feared death; she had known, once she was identified as a healer, that death was an immanent price to pay for her talents. The gifts she had been born with, the gifts that set her apart from her tribe mates aided her in healing them and keeping them safe. But there was also a price to pay for such a gift; her life would be short, her energy given not to herself, but to her people, and her body would slowly waste away and perish, even if her mind was stronger than ever.

Sevella had never been given a choice as to what she was, the same way in which Shatter too, was never given a choice. She was a slave to her powers, as he was a slave to his superiors. But Sevella did not regret the burden placed on her, nor did she despair over her fate. In fact, she viewed her burden as a gift, and embraced what life she had to live. She found happiness in every little thing, and she found joy in even the simplest of words and actions. Sevella had always intended to live her life to the fullest, and she did, everyday. Although this day was turning out to be a very…peculiar one indeed, Sevella did not intend to miss a single moment of it. She realized that now that she’d agreed to go with Shatter to what he called a ‘base’, that her life would not last very much longer.

Her healing powers, like all her powers, came with a terrible price. Although she could heal any wound, emotional, physical or psychological, there was still a price to pay for what she did. Whatever wound she healed was transferred to her, and while Sevella could overcome the pain quicker and much easier than any normal being, she would still be in great pain for a short duration of time. It was this pain that inevitably led to the shortening of her life span, and inevitably, death. There would come a time when the pain proved too great, and Sevella would be unable to heal her own wounds. And she understood and accepted that if she were to followed Shatter to his home, that time would be upon her far quicker than she ever imagined. Sevella lifted her eyes to Shatter, to stare that cold, emotionless mask in the face. She much preferred his human skin to the harsh, unforgiving metal.

“Very well,” she agreed with a breathy sigh, though did not bother to tell him that no amount of rest would ever be enough to give her the energy to heal the masses of wounded or keep herself or them alive. Sevella silently and tiredly marveled at his ability to carry her as if she weighed nothing; those of her kind were heavier, stronger and far tougher than regular humans, no matter how light or gentle they might appear. She instinctively wound one arm around the back of his neck, the other curling against her stomach. Her ears twitched, and she lifted her head to sniff at the air, her eyes already drooping. “To your left, a fair distance away, there is a cave. It was once used by a mother bear and her cubs…but you need not worry, it is vacant now…and will serve as a good place to make your camp.”

[Flame]

As Shatter watched his charge, he couldn’t help pitying her. After all, it was through no fault of her own that she’d been chosen to fulfill the wishes and demands of the GAR; she just happened to wield this unusual ability to heal the wounded, and as soon as the army had caught wind of it, they naturally had to make it theirs. Her health and safety was of no concern to them as long as she made it back to base alive and in one piece, even if their efforts to tax her abilities to and beyond their limits would ultimately result in her death. However, no matter what Shatter thought – not that he was supposed to have an opinion of his own in the first place – orders were orders, and if he didn’t follow them, nothing good was bound to come of it. So, he had no choice but to follow blindly; after all, he was nothing more than a pawn in this game of powers that reached far beyond his apparent insignificance.

Shatter sighed wearily; it was as if he could almost feel the raw exhaustion radiating from Sevella’s limp frame. He wanted nothing more than just to get this whole mission done and over with and head back home to the comfort of the presence of his brothers. Something about this forest just felt strange, what with its mysterious wolf-people and the shroud of secrets which surrounded it. He felt like what he knew he was; an intruder in a place that clearly didn’t welcome his presence, and he would give anything to be far away from here. But regardless of what he wanted, he still had a job to do, and his own unease aside, he would do it. He just hoped that his superiors would assume that finding their wanted captive was taking longer than earlier anticipated – after all, the natives were a guarded people who were likely capable of hiding from seeking eyes much longer than they let on. Contrary to popular belief, he did have a heart, and he wasn’t about to let her go back to base in this condition. The amount that he could deviate from his orders was extremely limited, but if it was within his power to at least help ease her discomfort, he would do it.

At her direction, he merely nodded in quiet assent before hefting her more comfortably in his arms and heading out on the course she had indicated. The instructions were vague, and he was unfamiliar with the details of the topography of the forest, but he had no doubt that Sevella would have no issues finding the place. Why he was trusting her not to lead him into a trap, he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps it was something in her demeanor that told him that she was a woman of her word, and now that she had agreed to return to base with him, she wouldn’t go back on that promise. After just an under and hour of trekking through the undergrowth, they finally reached the spoken-of cave, and just like she’d said, it appeared to be uninhabited for the time being. Nonetheless, just to play it safe, Shatter briefly scanned their surroundings for signs of life, but found nothing significant or potentially dangerous. Satisfied that they would be safe here, at least for tonight, he strode into the cave, gently depositing his precious cargo on the cool, dusty floor. “I’m going to fetch some firewood so we don’t freeze tonight,” he said quietly as he glanced down at her, his voice once again smooth and detached, a blank mask of impassiveness. “Will you be alright on your own for a little while?”