FAIRHOUND

                                       ＷＥＮＤＹＧＯＥＳ．

            ＷＥＮＤＩＧＯ ＯＣ． ＳＩＧＨＴＥＤ ＢＹ ＨＥＡＲＴＹ.

Eerie stood where they were without moving. Black blood seeped out of their calves and down their boots. Leaving a dark trail behind, the deep metallic scent attracted many supernaturals.

They held their breath as the creature sniffed them out, the sensation tickled their sensitive skin.

❝ Innocent? I’m far from innocent. ❞ Eerie declared sincerely.

❝ I don’t need help. ❞ They huffed stubbornly. Clearly, they did, they couldn’t walk and they’d be exposed to potentially dangerous predators living here too.

     ＂ ｔｈｅ ｉｎｎｏｃｅｎｃｅ ｙｏｕ ｓｐｅａｋ ｉｓ ｎｏｔ ｔｈｅ ｏｎｅ                                ｉ ｃｌａｉｍ． ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｎｏｔ ｐｒｅｙ ｉ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｈｕｎｔ． ＂

      Their claw, raised still, hovers over them as if to move closer to their GRIM wound.

    ＂ ｙｏｕ ｌｉｅ． ＂

      Is the returning declaration, FUR BRISTLES; eyes like daggers that CLEAVE through the being.

      THEN, THE SCENT OF IRON. Not blood the kind that humans bled, no. Something else.

      DIFFERENT, somehow; innocent from the sins that were bespoken not by the SINS he PUNISHED.

     ＂ ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｗｏｕｎｄｅｄ． ｈｕｎｔｅｒｓ． ｓｃｏｒｎｅｄ ｈｕｍａｎ                        Ｆ Ｉ Ｌ ＴＨ ｒｅｓｐｏｎｓｉｂｌｅ． ＂

      They approach their steps silent yet heavy. Their knees bend to sniff and get the individual’s scent better.

    ＂ ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｉｎｎｏｃｅｎｔ． ｎｏｔ ｌｉｋｅ ｔｈｅｍ . .． ＂

      The beast’s breath is humid, full of the stench of flesh and death somehow intertwined with that of nature’s blooming life and the nectar of a flower and its thriving beauty. A slender claw rises, as if to wish to touch, but does not dare; their SKULL TILTS.

         “Wendy…”

          The name is tested carefully. Not something foreign to her, but one she wants to make sure she won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

          He spoke of being a butcher of the unkind. However…everyone was unkind to one degree or another. Nicole was sure there’s been things she’s said and possibly done she regretted. Hurting someone’s feelings, and then actual physical altercations. So…what did Wendy consider unkind enough to warrant butchering?

          Looking down at the name he had written in the sand, just making sure it matched the way she spoke. Not bad, not bad.

          Wait.

         “…Keepers? Wha’cha mean, Wendy?”

          ＂ ＭＹ ＫＥＥＰＥＲＳ， ＭＹ ＰＥＯＰＬＥ ．．． ＴＨＯＳＥ ＷＨＯ ＢＲＯＵＧＨＴ ＭＥ ＩＮＴＯ ＴＨＩＳ ＷＯＲＬＤ ＴＯ ＰＵＲＧＥ ＩＴ ＦＲＯＭ ＴＨＥ ＵＮＪＵＳＴ． ＴＨＥ ＮＡＶＡＨＵＵ， ＥＬＤＥＲＳ ＯＦ ＴＨＥ ＬＡＮＤ． ＂

          As he speaks their name, the fauna; mostly composed of birds and avians at the moment, begin to cause a ruckus; later on joined by smaller rodents and a fawn and its father, who stomp their hooves in soft unison. It is almost as if the name Wendy had uttered invoked some sense of respect, as if the animals felt the need to cheer and show respect.

         “Thank ya kindly.”

          A compliment was a compliment, at least as far as she was concerned it was. A little…strange at the worst. But point came to point, he meant her no harm. At least as of right now.  When he sat, she relaxed a little more. It made for an easier time when they were both in a rather calm manner.

          “My name? ‘s Nicole.” The one her pops gave her. Of course, whatever her true name could be she knew not. As far as Nicole knows, that is her real name. Her adoptive father is the one who raised and named her, so this is who she is. Birth parents had no say in this any longer. Not that Nicole hated them, but Cyrus had been her father for far longer than anyone else. He gets every say.

          Tilting her head slightly, golden eyes met those very tiny white pupils of the strange beast. “–Can I ask fer yer name too?”

      ＂ ＮＩＣＯＬＥ． ＂

      The wind and the rustling of leaves and the fiend all echo her name, for a moment, it even seemed as the trees had spoken with her voice. His affinity to the land had always made the flora speak with him, scream with him, share his pain, his guilt and his joy.

      The ravens, last of the chorus, join in too, cawing out her name in a raspy display of vocals.

      The beast’s long fingers begin to trail shapes and lines in the ground before her as he begins to speak.

    ＂ Ｉ ＡＭ ＴＨＥ ＦＡＩＲＨＯＵＮＤ， ＫＥＥＰＥＲ ＯＦ ＴＨＥ ＬＡＮＤ; ＢＵＴＣＨＥＲ ＯＦ ＴＨＥ ＵＮＫＩＮＤ． ＂

      When he finishes, there are five letters that display the name he soon announces.

         “…”

          So…he can speak. That’s…a new level of freaky. And he appeared to be judging her. This was definitely something to think about. Something to worry about.

          He spoke of her being innocent, but it was still confusing. What was she innocent of? And then…was she naive? How should she answer this?

         “…Ta be hones’, I dunno how ta answer ya, Pardner. I mean, on one hand I don’ think I did nuffin’ warrantin’ me no harm. Bu’ on tha otha hand, I don’ know youse. No’ sayin’ yer bad ‘er nuffin’. Bu’ i’s kinda like…ya look guilty an’ stuff if ya run. Makes predators chase an’ stuff. So I figured keepin’ calm would work better. ‘sides, I’m pretty sure youse would catch me even if I had a ten minu’e head star’. Runnin’ would only stress me ou’ more.”

       His voice is like the wind, like leaves dragging across decaying grass, like the howl of air past the creek of a hollow tree, it’s the prospect of nature’s guardian, always there yet never truly in one place.

       ＂ ＳＯ ＹＯＵ ＡＲＥ ＳＭＡＲＴ． ＂

       A strange grin grows in the beast’s fangs, the sight of bone accomodatiing emotion is ... something of a thing to witness. Having watched her sit, he does the same, setting down on his haunches with claws idle between long legs.

     ＂ ＳＨＥ ＷＨＯ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＮＯ ＦＥＡＲ ＩＮ ＨＥＡＲＴ ＡＮＤ ＢＯＤＹ， ＫＮＯＷＳ ＴＲＵＬＹ ＳＨＥ ＩＳ ＩＮＮＯＣＥＮＴ ＯＦ ＪＵＤＧＭＥＮＴ．ＢＥＳＩＤＥＳ， Ｉ ＡＭ ＮＯ ＰＲＥＤＡＴＯＲ． ＮＯＴ ＴＯ ＹＯＵ． ＂

      A murder of crows caw in the distance, some flutter into the scene, settling upon the fiend’s horns, tilting heads at the girl.

       “Nature’s revenge?” Jack asked, concern and fear splayed in his golden features—he only blinked once throughout this ordeal as he feared he could be snapped up within a blink.

         He needed to play this creature’s game. Perhaps they weren’t a resident and didn’t know you SHOULDN’T eat other animals as they’re just as sentinent as himself. They have aspirations, and goals, and dreams. He thought of calling the police, but he knew it would be near impossible to contain this creature.

        “Mother’s traitors? What MAKES a traitor? And who…who is mother?” Jack questioned, gaining a bit of his vigor back.

        ＂ ＦＯＯＬＩＳＨ ＰＵＰ． ＂ 

       They draw closer, grinning a wicked smile as fangs bare and tongue reveals in a mocking display. Each four-legged step marks the land, leaving long, jagged prints.

              ＂ ＴＨＥ ＤＩＳＲＥＳＰＥＣＴ ＯＦ ＴＨＥ ＷＯＲＬＤ ＴＨＡＴ ＢＲＯＵＧＨＴ ＴＨＥＭ． 

                   ＴＯ ＮＯＴ ＧＩＶＥ ＢＡＣＫ ＡＮＤ ＢＩＴＥ ＡＴ ＴＨＥ ＷＯＲＬＤ ＴＨＡＴ ＢＲＯＵＧＨＴ ＹＯＵ ＩＳ ＴＯ ＳＰＩＴ ＵＰＯＮ ＮＡＴＵＲＥ＇Ｓ ＷＯＲＫ,ＩＦ ＴＨＥＹ ＡＲＥ ＴＯ ＥＸＰＬＯＩＴ ＵＳ， ＷＨＹ ＡＲＥ ＷＥ ＮＯＴ ＴＯ ＨＡＲＶＥＳＴ ＴＨＥＭ ＲＩＧＨＴ ＢＡＣＫ~？ ＂

         The powerful scent of blood and sulfur.

Despite the obvious amounts of drool on his work station and the fact the head could be someone’s companion he considered the head at least to be a nice decoration ontop of it. 

“I’d recommend a creature a tad smaller should you clearly choke.” that even included warm tea given by him to soothe their throat. “There is a lake nearby even as well for fish.”   

      ＂ ．．． ＂

       A silent brooding, he was being talked to just like CA’LLO addressed him often times. It made him feel ... how do they call it in their tongue ... foolish.

     ＂ ＩＴ ＷＡＳ Ａ ＨＡＲＭＬＥＳＳ ＭＩＳＴＡＫＥ． Ｉ ＣＡＮＮＯＴ ＤＩＥ．

 ＡＮＤ ＹＯＵ ＳＨＯＵＬＤ ＧＥＴ Ａ ＳＨＩＲＴ， ＩＳＮ＇Ｔ ＩＴ ＩＮＤＥＣＥＮＴ ＴＯ ＲＯＡＭ ＩＮ ＮＯ ＦＵＲＳ ＯＲ ＣＬＯＴＨＳ？ ＂

“The one not hacking up a dog carcass.” Xaallo deadpans, his muzzle wrinkling, “ Poor thing probably had a family sick the death worried about it. Oh well, circle of life, I suppose.”

He might not’ve been native to earth, but Xaallo could recognize an anomaly when he saw one. Nostrils flair– when he smelled one.

       A grim chuckle as the fiend rears up, rising to its towering height of ten feet, a claw rising to trail it’s throat, and then his chest. All the fur there is matted with blood.

     ＂ ＣＩＲＣＬＥ ＯＦ ＬＩＦＥ． 

      ＷＨＡＴ ＷＯＵＬＤ ＳＯＭＥＯＮＥ ＬＩＫＥ ＹＯＵ  ＫＮＯＷ ＯＦ ＴＨＥ ＣＩＲＣＬＥ ＯＦ ＬＩＦＥ? ＳＯＭＥＯＮＥ ＡＳ ＳＥＬＦＩＳＨ ＡＳ ＹＯＵ? ＡＳ ＦＯＯＬＩＳＨ ＡＳ ＡＮ ＩＮＴＥＲＬＯＰＥＲ ＷＨＯ ＤＩＳＲＥＳＰＥＣＴＳ ＴＨＥ ＫＥＥＰＥＲ ＯＦ ＴＨＥ ＬＡＮＤＳ ＴＨＡＴ ＨＡＶＥ ＴＲＥＡＴＥＤ ＨＩＭ ＡＳ ＦＡＩＲＬＹ ＡＳ ＩＴ ＣＡＮ ＡＦＦＯＲＤ ＴＯ ． ＂

      A slow gaze tossed behind him. There is a trail of blood that leads further into the canopy.

       ＂ ＢＥＳＩＤＥＳ， ＴＨＥＲＥ ＩＳ ＮＯ ＦＡＭＩＬＹ ＴＯ ＲＥＴＵＲＮ ＴＯ． ＮＯＴ ＡＮＹＭＯＲＥ． ＂

        Back to Xaallo, the WENDIGO sits on his haunches once more, an exhale; the stench of blood within.

          For a moment, they seemed relatively okay with her petting them. Which…in hindsight might not have been the best idea. Just because they were not lashing out at the moment didn’t mean they weren’t going to do it at all.

          When they recoiled, Nicole didn’t move. It was better letting them process this on their own rather than trying to actually force the matter at hand. No sudden movements, nothing that could be considered a threat.

          After a moment, Nicole slowly sat on the ground. At least now she was…once again smaller. Or at least would appear smaller to them. Less threatening by all accounts. Maybe they would decide to let her live or whatever. Cause out running this thing was not in the cards today.

      An internal rumble, a growl that is borne out of indecision. Seconds must feel like minutes, to the fiend, they feel like hours. He felt out of his element. Eventually, decisiveness rises to his chest and his features embolden with the necessity to know her motives.

＂ ＩＮＮＯＣＥＮＴ ＣＨＩＬＤ， ＷＯＲＴＨＹ ＯＦ ＭＯＴＨＥＲ＇Ｓ ＤＯＵＢＴ． 

        ＹＯＵ ．．． ＳＨＯＷ ＮＯ ＦＥＡＲ．