Song Bird

“Hello, Ann’da.”

“Hello, my princess.”

“Minn’da always told me that you are a kind and loving man.”

“Do you believe it?”

The red haired girl stared at Melaeth for a moment. With a faint smile, she nodded. “Yes.” Her small hand reached out and touched his hand. He was more than happy to swoop her hand into his, lifting her hand to his lips as he gently placed a kiss upon her skin. He smiled at the six year old girl and she gasped. “You have sharp teeth. Are they dangerous?”

Melaeth’s lips closed to cover his teeth, but the smile lingered. “Not to you.” The little girl canted her head to the side and gazed at her father curiously. 

The man inched away against the wall as the tall elf approached him from the shadows. He had trapped himself and, desperate to find a way out, he tried to run to the side, but he saw grotesque humanoid things scowling at him from the sides. He knew what they were. Ratz. He turned to see a sharpened smile coming toward him. “It’s so good to see you again, Gerald,” the elf said. “You owe me something.” The Ratz grabbed the man’s arms and legs and before he could beg for mercy, the elf leaned in and the sharpened teeth dug into the man’s neck, like little daggers tearing into his skin before a chunk of flesh was ripped off

The little girl’s eyes shifted up his face, examining his features she had only heard in stories. “We don’t have the same eyes,” she said softly. Melaeth gazed into her green to light blue eyes.

“No, but your eyes are very similar to mine a long, long time ago.”

“Really?” She smiled and reached up to touch his eye lids.

The man gasped for breath as the deranged elf’s brilliant green eyes stared at his brown eyes. “Did you think you could hide from me? I have eyes everywhere, Gerald.” He smiled again with now blood-stained teeth. “Everywhere.” The man couldn’t help but stare at the mad eyes that terrorized him at that moment.

“Will they ever go back to this color? Minn’da’s eyes are not so green.”

“I don’t think they will, my princess,” Melaeth said softly. He gazed up at a tree off in the distance. He could see her silhouette, watching them closely, listening closely. That was as close as Lily would dare to be. He understood. They had promised to stay away for Amaranth’s sake. Meeting once more would be disastrous. That she had granted him permission to speak to Amaranth and spend time with her was a blessing. As long as he did not disclose who he was to the rest of the world, he could spend time with his daughter. It was a simple request that Melaeth could attain to. 

Amaranth’s eyes shifted down his neck and torso, looking at the tattoos and trying to decipher what lay beneath his fur vest. She looked at his hands again. They were rough, but slender and soft to handle. She saw the nails that extended into sharp points and she said, “And your hands look like claws.” She giggled a little, “Like minn’da.”

The Rat King stared at the dying man and he laughed softly. “I’m not going to lie. I enjoy this part very much. Just watching you take your last breaths. It’s quite satisfying.” The man continued to gasp, choking on blood. “But you’re not dying fast enough.” The King punched the man a few times, then he dug his nails into the man’s chest, as if his nails alone could rip through his chest to grasp his failing heart. The beat slowed and the man gasped a few more times before he stopped moving altogether. The Rat King retreated his hand and licked the blood off his fingers and nails. “Get rid of him,” he ordered. The four Ratz with him drew weapons and began to tear the man apart before anyone walked into the alley. 

Melaeth smiled and nodded. “They are there to protect you. I promise you, my princess, no one will ever harm you.” He smiled at her and then gazed up at the tree. “No one,” he said again, a little louder. Turning back to Amaranth, Melaeth reached down to kiss his daughter’s head.

“Happy birthday, my beautiful princess,” he said.

“Thank you, ann’da,” she said. Without hesitation, she leaned into his fur vest, wrapping her little arms around him. There was something about his scent, a musky sweet, coppery scent that made her feel safe and comfortable. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my princess,” Melaeth said softly, closing his eyes to take in the moment that only took place twice a year. 

Continued from Foxes vs Ratz

The flash was bright and the portal opened in Kelah’s clinic. The King emerged, stumbling as he grabbed on to a table. Sarinna dragged Teriaan, who was getting weaker and weaker. The Flea walked through and the portal closed. All the Ratz they had taken either died or were left behind. “Kelah!” Sarinna called out frantically. “Kelah!” Teriaan’s wound where the nails had dug into him was turning black and poison had slithered outward, tracing where his veins were. “Hold on, Ter.” She turned to look at the King, who was holding on to his wounds. He looked at her and then at Teriaan.

“Stay there with him,” he said softly. The Rat King slid onto the floor and he laughed softly, but his head was pounding from getting hit. He leaned his head against the wall and he closed his eyes.

Kelah appeared from the storeroom in the back. Hearing her name being called, she walked down the hall at a brisk pace only to find the group in one of the rooms. Her eyes widening. “By the light!” She took a step forward into the room. Noting that Flea and Sar weren’t that bad off. Between the King and Teriaan, she was hooped. both were bad, both needed attention. “Jhon. At the end of the hall, there’s my supply closet. Get me anything that says antidote on it. Should be four bottles. I’ll also take one of the vials that say pain medication and a needle.” She didn’t bother to look at him as she knelt beside the king. Knowing that Teriaan required what Jhon was getting for her she could focus on the king for the moment. “Damning the consequences the woman pressed her hands to the King’s chest. Funneling shadow into his system, to hunt out the wounds causing the most damage.

The Flea ran to where he needed to be. He got the supplies and ran back. Sarinna was in tears, smiling at Teriaan, who was starting to close his eyes. "No, no, no, you can’t close your eyes Ter.” “Tell him….” the Rat King tensed up in pain as Kelah worked on him. “Tell him I order him to stay alive.” “You hear that, Ter. Come on. Stay with me!” The King looked at Kelah. “Go. Go to him. You have to save him…” He was in a lot of pain, but he wasn’t sure if it was the wounds or his chronic pain.

Kelah had stopped most of the bleeding, enough to stabilize the king. As Jhon returned she would remove the pain medication and fill a syringe, handing it to Flea. “Give this to the king.” She took the rest of the vials and went to Teriaan. “I will not allow you to die Mr. Teriaan. So you best stop acting like this.” She hissed the words at the man. Her hands glowed a brilliant bright gold. The glow usually contained to just her hands began to spread down the woman’s arms and over her form. A pair of angelic wings sprung about from her back. Closer inspection would prove them to simply be an illusion. The medic it seemed was accessing more energy than she typically expended. Her left hand pressed into Teriaan’s side, her mismatched hues having gone gold as she watched his face. 

Sweat fell from her face as she funneled and controlled so much energy. It wasn’t pain-free as she drew some of the poison from his system. Analyzing it with her magic before her right hand brought one of the vials to his lips. “Drink.” Her voice was soft, having taken an ethereal tone. While Teriaan drank or tried to, she would begin to pull the poison from his system. The antidote working to minimize the after-effects. The glow emanating from the woman would work to potentially harm Jhon if he was too close, and would continue to help heal the King.

Sarinna stood beside Teriaan while Kelah healed him and she turned to look at the Flea. Knowing that Teriaan was in good hands, she went to the King and took the syringe from his hand. “I’ll do it,” she whispered. She injected the King with the pain-killer.

He looked at her. “Drugs.”  

With a sigh, she looked at Kelah glowing. The Flea felt the light power spreading out and he stepped outside the clinic. Sarinna looked at the King. “Do you want me to get the Queen?”

“No…no, let her be. I don’t…I don’t want to bother her.” He tensed up once more and he gripped Sarinna’s hand. “But I need my drugs.” Sarinna was about to protest when he said, “I feel it’s getting worse…” She paused and her eyes widened. She turned to see Kelah, hoping that she was almost done.

Kelah’s ethereal voice spoke out. “Check in the supply closet. Top shelf, behind the box labeled spare bandages. Should be a tiny wooden box. With medicine for the King.” She continued to focus on Teriaan. Floating two inches off the ground at this point. Her considerable power focused on forcing Teriaan’s spirit to remain within his body while she healed the damage that had been done. The stray energy that didn’t get funneled into Teriaan flowed to the King. Continuing to heal his injuries and soothe some of the pain he must have been feeling from his wounds. The pain from his chronic illness was a different beast.

Sarinna ran to the supply closet and she found the box with the vials. She nodded, grabbed one, and ran to the king, using the same syringe as before. She injected the blue liquid into the King and he closed his eyes. “How’s Ter?” “Better, I hope,” Sarinna said, leaning against the King, hoping he was feeling better. He kissed her head and tried to wrap an arm around her. “Did we do it? Did we kill him?” the King asked.

Kelah’s magic continued the flow. With each passing second, it was draining her reserves. The sweat continued to pour from her forehead and with a tug, her hand pulled free. The last of the poison oozing onto the ground but Teriaan was stable, although he may have jumped when she pulled away. Feeling his soul being tugged on might not have been a pleasant experience if he felt it. “Live, Teriaan.” As slowly as the glow had spread across her body that is how quickly it stopped. The always thin woman was looking far worse than typical. Sunken cheeks and little colour. She simply collapsed onto the ground. Breathing but unconscious.

Sarinna gasped and called out for the Flea, who ran in as quickly as he could. He ran to Kelah, elevating her head, making sure she was safe. Sarinna turned to look at the King and she kissed his lips before moving over to Teriaan. The King leaned his head back and sighed. “We killed him…..” he reassured himself.

Kelah was breathing, she was simply unconscious. And nothing would rouse her. Her pulse was steady if a bit slow, and her colour had been drained but she was alive. As was Teriaan and the King. The priestess would wake in two days, famished.

Sarinna managed to get Teriaan into a bed while the Flea took Kelah back home. She watched at the Rat King rose off the floor and stretched his legs. “I would like to stay here with him just to make sure he’s better,” she said.

“Yes,” the King replied and he walked out into the Kingdom. The streets were as busy as they usually were and on occasion, someone bowed before the King. Several tried to talk to him, but he was in a daze. With his medication taking over the pain, he was feeling tired. He turned to the direction of the cottage, but he didn’t want to see Mora. Not yet. As he continued to walk, he noticed that the pain was starting to return. It wasn’t something that should have happened. The drug’s provider and possibly creator said it would last a few days, so why wasn’t it working? He would have to contact the blasted pirate. How how long would the pain last? Was it going to trigger the berserker feelings and behavior that it usually did? Was anyone safe around him? He stumbled his way into the Nest and he ransacked the room, looking for a syringe and medicine. When he found it, he quickly found a vein and plunged the blue fluid into his body. Again, the medication was quick, but something still wasn’t right. He could feel the pain lingering in his veins. He stabbed at his left arm over and over, scrapping his skin with the needle.

Leaning his aching head back, he could hear the trolls laughing at him, telling him that his friends as dead. He could feel the hot liquid running through his veins, the crackling of the fire, the trolls breathing down his neck. He swung his right arm right into the stone wall. He hit it several times, each time, his body rattling from the impact. It was then that he rammed his head against the wall.

“Shut up…shut up…” he muttered. With no Sarinna, no Mora, no Flea, he wasn’t sure how he was going to ask for help. The Rat King was now bleeding from his head and his nose and the veins on his arm were starting to visibly pulse. Perhaps one more dose…just one more. The Rat King collapsed, his body shaking on the floor.

Continued from Surprise

Evan grabbed the door and tried to swing it shut, but the Rat King had already stepped into the cabin. “What? I’m not welcomed?” the King said as he punched Evan, pushing him away. Jados, Evan’s night elf bodyguard, drew his sword and moved from the back wall to the door. However, from behind the Rat King rang a shot and the night elf stopped and fell over, blood spilling out of the bullet hole on his forehead. Simoora, Evan’s partner, screamed and she glowered at the violet haired night elf still holding the gun.

The Rat King twitched at the sound of the gun and he sighed. “Noisy things.” He walked further into the cabin and he kicked the night elf out of the way. The other guard, Katya, a draenei, lifted her sword to attack the King, but Teriaan blocked her attack with his sword. This gave the King more room for him to target Evan. The Ratz that had accompanied the King and his guards ran into the room and began to fight Simoora and Isaac.

Katya kicked Teriaan and said, “And here I thought we’d fuck again.”

“You weren’t that great,” Teriaan growled as he reached to punch her. Katya dodged and threw an elbow at him.

“That’s not what you were saying the last time.”

“You were an easy fuck,” Teriaan growled, managing to punch her back.

Simoora was able to eliminate most of the Ratz attacking her. She was a trained assassin, but she hated being attacked without warning. Isaac managed to fight a few of them off and he ducked as he saw Sarinna’s leg coming at him. He ran to the door, looked back, and ran out. He kept running until he felt his legs freeze in place. “Fuck,” Isaac said, turning to see the Flea walking toward him. “Oh, look…it’s our mage,” the Flea said.

“I can explain…” mumbled Isaac.

“Of course you can! Let me guess, you were spying on Evan so that you could tell the King everything, hm?” The undead man fixed his cuffs and looked at Isaac. “He knew all along. You don’t think we spies? You gave yourself away too quickly.”

Isaac tried to defrost the ice holding him. “I am loyal! I promise!”

“Yeah…to Evan.” The Flea’s blue eyes began to glow brighter and so did the runes on the palm of his hands. Isaac has seen that before and he cast a shield on himself before breaking free from the ice. Teleporting a few feet away, he began to cast a spell, countering the attack that the Flea had afflicted upon him. Canceling each other out, the spells faded and the Flea laughed. “I know your damn moves, Isaac.”

“I know your damn spells, Flea.” They exchanged spells, countering each other over and over. Isaac was breathless, tired of casting and dodging. The Flea simply smiled.

“I can do this all day without any problems.” They both turned with Ratz were being flung out of the cabin. “But they need me in there.” The Flea cast his spell at Isaac and the human didn’t have time to counter this time. He flew back, hitting his head against a rock. He didn’t move. The Flea approached the body and he shook his head. “Too bad. You weren’t bad.” With that, he ran back to the cabin.

Far from the magical chaos, hidden behind a tree, Isaac peeked out and saw the dead body in the illusion of his form. He had never disclosed to anyone that his strength was illusionary magic. He caught his breath and ran. If Evan lived, he would get in touch with him later.

Inside the cabin, Katya continued to fight Teriaan, both surprised at how skilled the other was. Simoora had killed several of the Ratz and she was defending herself from Sarinna. The Rat King sat on Evan, holding a dagger to his neck. “You still bear my sigil. Why? You do miss me…” The Rat King laughed and Evan snarled.

“To remind me of the suffering you’ve caused me. You killed my family…” Evan spat out. The Rat King nodded, acknowledging the crime. “Why these two idiots still follow you is beyond me.”

“And so…you simply want to take what I have taken so long to build and just start your own little business? It doesn’t work that way, Evan. I have been in this line of work for so long, I can tell you right now that it doesn’t work that way. Others would have forgiven you, maybe exiled, but I’m the Rat King.” He dug his dagger a little more into the skin. Evan groaned at the pain. “In a few minutes, you’ll be dead and your heart will—” He was interrupted as Sarinna was thrown off in his direction. Both of them fell and Evan quickly got up to attack the King, but Sarinna stopped him. This gave the King a chance to get up and attack Simoora.

“You could have come here with me. We could have ruled,” Evan told Sarinna, who held back his attack. “We could have tried again for that family we almost had.”

Sarinna jabbed him and he fell back. She held him against the wall and whispered, “It wasn’t yours, Evan.” He furrowed his brows and kicked Sarinna away from him. “Whore,” he spat at the night elf and he turned to Simoora, who was caught in the King’s hold.

She struggled to breathe and Evan drew his dagger, stabbing the King in the side of his torso. He screamed out and released the woman before turning to Evan, who smiled at the wound. “I guess the fox outsmarted the rodent,” Evan said. He laughed and backed away, taunting the Rat King.

The Rat King stumbled and glared at Evan. He then laughed. “You think a wound like this is going to kill me? Fuck you.”

Meanwhile, Teriaan continued to fight with Katya. She dug her hand in a pouch and when the opportunity hit, she dug her sharpened nails into Teriaan’s skin, breaking through. He began to bleed and he was about to attack when Katya spoke, “Good night, handsome.” Teriaan stopped as he began to feel dizzy.

“Sarinna,” he called out. Sarinna ran to help Teriaan when Katya tried to scratch her as well. Sarinna blocked her and high-kicked her head, causing Katya to fall, passing out.

Katya falling distracted Evan and he turned to see her. It was enough for the King to stab Evan in the shoulder. Evan fell and when he turned to see the King, the dagger plunged in him once again, digging into his arm. Evan screamed and the King grabbed the dagger with both hands, sliding it down his arm. He ripped the dagger out and he slashed his face.

“I will make you suffer before you die, fucker,” the King snarled. He lifted the dagger again to stab him when he was hit on the side of the head. The King was dazed and he fell back. Simoora quickly ran to Evan.

It was then that Flea walked into the cabin. Sarinna turned, “We need to go! Now!”

She reached for the King and Teriaan and the Flea cast his spell, creating a portal for all of them to escape. Several Ratz limped into the cabin to attack whoever was still up, but Simoora took them all out. She saw the dead Jados, Katya knocked out on the floor, and Evan losing blood quickly. She screamed, holding Evan in her arms. Evan laughed and shook his head. He remembered his mother and his siblings. He looked forward to seeing them once more.

The Flea smiled and said “This song is amazing for dancing. Especially when you have a wonderful partner who can move alongside you.” 

@song-bxrd 

PLACE IN SOCIETY

✖ FINANCIAL – wealthy  / moderate / poor(ish) / in poverty

✖ MEDICAL – fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / deceased

✖ CLASS OR CASTE – upper / lower / middle / working / unsure / doesn’t follow general societal class systems  

✖ EDUCATION – qualified / unqualified / studying

FAMILY

✖ MARITAL STATUS – married, happily / married, unhappily / engaged  / partnered / / divorced / widow or widower / separated / single / it’s complicated

✖ CHILDREN – has children / no children / wants (more) children / adopted children

✖ FAMILY – close with sibling / not close with siblings / has no siblings  / siblings are deceased  / it’s complicated

✖ AFFILIATION – orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by both parents / other

TRAITS & TENDENCIES

✖ disorganised / organised / in between

✖ close-minded / open-minded / in between

✖ cautious / reckless / in between

✖ patient / impatient / in between

✖ outspoken / reserved / in between

✖ leader / follower / in between

✖ sympathetic / unsympathetic / in between

✖ optimistic / pessimistic / in between

✖ hardworking / lazy / in between

✖ cultured / uncultured / in between

✖ loyal / disloyal / in between

✖ faithful / unfaithful / in between

SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION

✖ SEXUALITY – heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual / omnisexual / demisexual

✖ SEX – sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favourable

✖ ROMANCE – romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favourable

✖ SEXUALLY – sexually adventurous / sex experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious / uninterested

ABILITIES

✖ COMBAT SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✖ LITERACY SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✖ ARTISTIC SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✖ TECHNICAL SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none Tagged by: @kanekuran​ @safrona-shadowsun​

The memories of a beating heart seem distant, but there is still life in the man called The Flea. His golden eyes and pale skin are a dead giveaway of his undead status, but Jhonathan Cress works very hard to live this second life, dressing well and appreciating the little things. As the Kingdom’s mage, this suave and debonair man is capable of sweet-talking anyone into doing the King’s will. He knows very much and he always has everything under control. This is why he gets away with murder, among other things. He’s the recruiter for the Kingdom. He’s the manipulator of ideas. He’s the Flea.

BASICS Full Name: Melaeth Vin’derarr Nickname(s): The Rat King Age: Adult Race: Sin’dorei Gender: Male Sexual Orientation: Bisexual. Romantic Orientation: Biromantic Religion: He worships nothing but himself Occupation: Crime lord Language(s) Spoken: Thalassian, Orcish, Common, Darnasian, Minimal: gutterspeak, troll,

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Face Claim: Gerhard Freidl Hair Color: Blonde Eye Color: red-tinted green. Height: 6’4” Build: Thin, athletic Distinguishing Characteristics: Sharpened teeth, hyena-like laugh, Rat King tattoo across his chest, pin-up on his right forearm, skulls, 4 claw mark scars on his chest, multiple other tattoos and scars.

PERSONALITY Positive Traits: He’s a crime lord. He makes sure that his Kingdom is working well and that no one attempts to bring it down. He has been known to be forgiving and even tender. Negative Traits: He’s unstable. One minute he could be fine and the next, he could be stabbing someone to death. He’s murderous and violent. Goals/Desires: To bring chaos to the world. He doesn’t believe that the world and life are peaceful, therefore, he believes he is the harbinger of chaos and destruction. Fears: He fears love and compassion. He fears being alone. Hobbies: Stalking his family, taxidermy, illegal substances, visiting benefactors Quirks: Eye rolling, smirking, Likes: Death, blood, cannibalism, rough sex, gold, power, interesting alliances, his Champions, Sarinna, his daggers Dislikes: Peace, love, disobedience, failure, idiots,

FAMILY Father: Sarnathan Vin’derarr - Retired guard in Silvermoon City Mother: Galleria Vin’derarr - Sous chef in Silvermoon City Sibling(s): Mathavaen & Daeli - Silvermoon City Pet(s): His followers, the Ratz Financial Status: Well off. He trades for what he wants and is quite successful in the drug trade, goods, gambling, prostitution, and trafficking. He has attained several benefactors in both Horde and Alliance cities who donate to his cause of chaos and death.

Ratty: “She’s our medic. I trust her, but she could easily fuck it up, and it would be a shame to kill her.” The Rat King sighs. “She better not fuck it up. She’s good at what she does.”

Sarinna: The night elf glances around before responding. She doesn’t want anyone to hear her. “I trust her. I trust her with my life and I trust her as a mother.” Her silver eyes turn to the ground. “I trust her with the most important little being in my life.”

Teriaan: The dark-haired sindorei shrugs. “I mean, she’s our medic. We have to trust her. She hasn’t done anything to show us that we shouldn’t trust her. She has done so much for the Kingdom and I know she would do more if necessary.”

Goldie walked into the Inner Circle’s home, carrying towels in her arms. She curiously tried to look around Sarinna, who was towering over an orc. The Night elf held the orc’s arm, which looked grazed with burns and cuts. Goldie cautiously inched toward them, placing the towels beside the orc, Kalru Darkblade. The sindorei had seen this orc wandering about the Kingdom, but she had never stood close to him before. 

Kalru was smiling as he winced in pain. “I have had worse injuries than this, my dear,” he said, gritting his teeth as Sarinna attempted to apply salve to the damaged arm. “It will pass.”

“The King has sent for our medic. She can take a look at your arm. In the meantime, let me see what I can do.” Sarinna turned and looked at Goldie, who was staring at the orc. “Stop being rude to our guest,” Sarinna walked away to a nearby table where she had a few jars and bandages laid out. 

Kalru saw Goldie and he chuckled coldly. “This is what happens when you attempt to pull demons from the nether.”

“Why would you do that?” Goldie asked curiously. She was dressed in her ridiculous babydoll dresses with frills and lace, so her appearance was that of a curious child. 

The orc reached his good arm around Goldie’s leg and pulled her close, speaking into her chest. “Because when I attempt to revive the dead, I need the help of my friends. It can be a very dangerous ritual.” He licked her chest and tightened his grip on her thigh. Goldie cringed, but Sarinna returned, swatting the blonde away.

“No sex until this arm is better,” she said stoically. The orc laughed and groaned at the same time. 

“Save me an evening, Madam. I’m sure you’ll make me feel a lot better.” The orc chuckled, turning to look at his arm. Sarinna glanced at Goldie, feeling sorry for the elf, and Goldie glared at the orc, hoping that he would not remember his threat toward her.

soft mention: @song-bxrd