Simone eyed the Kaadir as it was being led through the palace doors. At the reins was one of the guards. The werewolf caught the briefest of conversation, but not enough to put anything together. He wasn't paying much attention either. Simone tapped his foot on the flooring, sitting on a fine made wooden bench along one of the walls of the entrance. He was waiting for his master, Jherna. Everywhere she went he followed like her faithful companion - unless she was giving him some free time to do as he pleased with, a rare occasion but it happened. She had other bodyguards, after all. Though he did get a little jealous.
Wait, he was a bodyguard? In a sense, he was. Though he was hard to look the part. Simone was a short man, with broad shoulders and a round stomach. His pale skin marked him as a foreigner, as did his blue eyes. He did happen to sport Essyrn like hair, in which the curls were cut about his ears to keep it manageable. He didn't have any muscle so to speak. Simone was soft and fair. What was so special about him that a merchant princess would name him a guard? He was a werewolf.
It had taken him awhile to get used to calling himself that; to get used to the thought of himself being a monster. The kind parents tell their children about to get them to behave. He used to be terrified of the stories when he was small. Simone would over hear his father regaling the tales to his older brother. He would hide in his blankets and shiver, not sleeping. At one point he convinced himself that they were after him - the child wiliness disappeared with age. He didn't think that two years ago the thought would return.
Simone bit the inside of his cheek as he waited. The full-moon was near and it made him anxious. The monster side of him would call out, and ring through his skin. He had to put effort into concentrating in not shifting shape. With each full-moon he found himself having a growing detest of his human skin.
It got to the point in that moment where he could sit still any longer. If he remembered, there were public gardens in the palace, though of their appearance he had heard but rumours. Perhaps some fresh air would do him well - he doubted. It took some moments of wandering to find them, worrying that he was going the wrong way or going where he was not supposed to. He gasped when he sauntered through the entrance, with smells so strong he could taste them. They were far more lavish that his master's, though his master's gardens were beautiful in their own right. They couldn't match this. He didn't think anything could match this. Simone walked further in, the hot sun beaming on him, for once he didn't mind.
"O-Oh..." He stopped, spotting a woman in fine dress. An iron fist clenched at his stomach, and he felt his face become flush. She was a lovely creature, and with haste he averted his eyes. "M'lady, s-sorry for b-bothering you. I will take my l-leave."
In the privacy of Mistress's gardens, there was usually no reason to wear a veil. The Shah's guests rarely toured the gardens, unless it was by permission and escort of the Shah herself. In such an event, Malika would have heard their approach long before their arrival, and she would have vanished immediately to provide Mistress with the utmost privacy.
A lone guest, wandering by himself, was, however, unheard of...and, in fact, unheard, period, as the young woman in question contented herself with a moment of peaceful solitude among the brightly-colored blooms. She did not often find herself alone -- she enjoyed the company of others too much to wander alone -- but, now, surrounded by the fragrant plants and some of the wildlife here, she hardly felt alone at all.
Simone caught her as off-guard as she had caught him. The slave was leaning forward, bent slightly at the waist, with a few flowers clutched in her hands as she sampled the odors of the poppies growing at shoulder-height. His voice caused her to straighten with a soft gasp of surprise, brown-green eyes growing wide in alarm in spite of his kind voice and words. The flowers she had held scattered at her feet as she reached to cover her face with the veil hanging askance from its decorative bauble. The veil was drawn halfway across her face before she realized her mistake, and she let it fall back into place to reveal the blush across her cheeks.
"No," she bid softly, voice soft but melodious. It was a pretty, lyrical voice that seemed at home among the flowers. "Stay. The gardens are open to everyone who visits. I..." Oh, yes, her flowers! Kneeling, Malika began to collect them again. "I am collecting a few flowers for Mistress."
Oh dear! Oh goodness! He startled her! His mind raced with a flurry of other apologies, but all that came out was 'um' and 'uh'. He smacked himself in the face with a mental hand. How could he do such a thing? He was trained to be better! Oh dear, his master, what would his master think of him? He could imagine Jherna's stern face looking down at him, with his bright blue eyes staring up. She'd have some choice words with him and then throw him out on the streets. Or worse. He was so flushed that it took him a long moment to realize the veil covering her face, much like his. She was a slave. Like he was. His heart pounded.
"Mistress?" He echoed her words, his voice heavy with an accent of a different country. That too, took him a moment for his mind to catch up with what was happening. That time he almost smacked himself for real. "Oh! Oh dear. Y-y-you're the Shah's. I-I mean..."
He would never grow used to people being others property. It was the foreigner in him, and not the rebel. Things worked different in Essyrn, and it was perhaps his passiveness that helped him not to be angry about it.
Simone swallowed back a lump in his throat, and scratched at the back of his neck. He was starting to sweat in the heat. You'd think he'd be used to it by now. He wanted to lean down and help her with the flowers, but at the same time didn't know if that would be too intrusive.
"Would...W-would you like some help g-gathering? I mean, y-you can say no. I could just.. Uh, carry things. If you'd like. It's f-fine if you d-don't. I-I'm a stranger and all." He paused, his face falling. "O-o-oh! I'm Simone, my master is Jherna Isarak."
Phew. He almost forgot.
The poor man! His nervousness was beginning to make Malika feel fidgety as well! She hastened to gather up the few flowers, then rose with a soft laugh. "It's already done. But, I thank you for the offer. It was very kind."
The woman approached the nervous man carefully, hoping not to spook him as she extended a hand to him. "My name's Malika, and, yes, I do belong to the Shah. I'm here on my own time, so I don't mind the company."
There was a genuine kindness about her, and a sense that her trust was given freely and often. Even beneath the veil, her expression was open and unguarded; clearly, she was not accustomed to having that trust betrayed.
"Where is it you're from?"
He took her hand when she offered, as custom. His grip was soft, and held no hint of the monster. A not so sudden pang of embarrassment fluttered through his stomach, not that he would ever hurt her or anyone he didn't want to or was allowed to. What embarrassed him was, the fact that in her presence he felt so uncouth. A werewolf was nowhere near as elegant.
He quirked a smile when she said she didn't mind the company. There was something warm about her that made him relax - like he had known her before in some past life.
"Oh. I'm from a little town in Serendipity." He said, "I-It's a long ways from here."
"Where are you from?" He paused, and squeezed shut his eyes. That was a dumb question, she looked Essyrn, but then again, that was simply an assumption. "Um.."
"Essyrn," Malika answered with a cheerful smile. If she was aware of any awkwardness or his anxiety, she certainly didn't show it. She looked a bit amused at his comical expression with his eyes squeezed so tightly shut, but, rather than linger on it, she turned to pluck a sweet-smelling flower from the garden.
"I love the colors here more than anything. And the shapes of some of these flowers..." Her laughter was a gentle thing, seeming to merge effortlessly with her speech, like the bridge of a song. "...I think some of them are a little silly to look at, but I'm told each serves a purpose in collecting water or keeping the birds away."
The woman's green-brown eyes slid from the plants back to her companion, as she prompted, "You must like flowers as well? Or perhaps you're here to see the birds?"
Simone's lips pulled into a soft smile as he listened to her speak. He was lost in the sounds for a moment, but he caught the words she was saying.
"I'm fond flowers and birds." He said with a laugh. "It's amazing how they can keep so many species without them, well, invading the others. They must have talented botanists here." He reached out to touch a delicate petal of a flower with much care.
"I suppose you can say its a mirror to how people work. Under certain circumstances, they can all get along. Or at least that's what I think."
Malika's smile somehow grew a little wider, and she glanced away a bit bashfully a moment as she considered his words. She certainly wasn't accustomed to being in the company of philosophers, amateur or otherwise.
"That's very pretty," she answered honestly. To think of people as flowers and the world a garden... Yes, it was a very pretty way to see the world. It seemed a shallow thing to say in response, but it was all she had.
"Mistress enjoys showing off her garden to her guests. I only know what I've overheard, which isn't much, but I do know a few things. These, for example..." She held up one of the flowers she had collected. "The petals soften the skin. And you can use the petals of this one to create the prettiest blue make-up." She turned the flowers over in her hands a moment, then asked, "Do you know much about flowers?"
He noticed her glance away, and he worried that he may have said something too embarrassing. His tongue felt like wool in his mouth and his face grew flush once more thinking about it. But he realized it was only a moment to consider his words, his nerves relaxed.
Pretty was one way of putting it. Simone did understand that it was a fanciful way of looking at the world - and that it often didn't go hand in hand with reality. But he wanted to see things that way, for the sake of his own well-being. There had to be some good.
He couldn't help but keep a soft smile on his face as she spoke.
"I used to be a chemist." He said, "back in my home country. Ah, but that was some time ago. I don't believe I remember much of it." That was a lie, he just felt terribly embarrassed talking about himself.
"W-what's your favourite flow-" He stopped, and stared at a patch of garden beyond Malika's elegant form; where the flowers were tall, and shadowed the ground from the sun. They had moved, but there was no breeze. Simone took a deep breath in through his nose hoping he could catch a scent - and there it was. Something odd and musky, though concealed from his eyes by what he suspected was magic. It took everything in him not to bare his teeth like a dog.
"A chemist!" The girl looked a bit awed at the revelation. A chemist -- that was someone to be respected, usually. Just because he was now a slave did not mean anything to Malika -- regardless of status, chemists were still brilliant people.
It was a shame he didn't remember much of his homeland, though -- it would have been interesting to learn more about Serendipity and his former career. Naturally, even without his foggy memories, she wouldn't have pushed too hard; it was rude to interrogate others about what was, as some slaves were, rightfully, quite protective of their pasts.
Instead of pursuing his past or expressing disappointment, she moved cheerfully back to the topic of flowers. "Oh, I love the aliciella!" she exclaimed brightly, spinning a bit to find the nearest batch...and, unknowingly, moving towards the danger Simone had sniffed out. "There's some over here... I like the way the leaves take on the same tint as the flowers... And the leaves look so sharp and dangerous. I think it makes the flower look that much more beautiful."
(OOC: Because reference pictures are critical! (http://www.desertusa.com/flowers/Broad-leaf-aliciella.html))
His mind raced and his heart pounded in his chest like it was readying to burst out of his rib cage. It worsened when Malika neared the spot where he saw the movement; where a creature of some nature was hiding. He had terrible images running through his head; some monster lurking in the palace grounds, with a vestige monstrous enough to rival his own on a full-moon. He imagined the slaughter, the screams, and the blood. His master dead, the Shah dead. And Malika dead.
All gone. He missed the fact that the smell that stained his nose was human.
Reacting with his gut and instincts, he shifted; the sound of cracking bones going swift - it hurt, but it was a good pain. His muscles burned, and his body itched with the growing of fur. It took only a moment, yet it always seemed longer to him, to take the skin of a wolf. Albeit a fat one. The scent of blooms consumed his nose like nothing else, he was focussed however on the moving flower stalks and the briefest outline of a form - something that stood out to the washed out colour of his sight.
"Excuse me." He said, the low rumble to his voice was unintentional. Even if he was about to shed blood, he had to be polite.
Despite the extra weight on him, he could still move quick. Like liquid lightning he caught up with the intruder. His jaws were salivating at the anticipation of fresh meat, and with one deft movement he clamped on to a leg, his teeth digging in deep.
"Argh!" A man's voice cried out and fell, the magic spell disappearing with the stranger's running. Simone pulled at his leg, dragging him along, or attempting to. The man with his free foot he kicked at his head and landed a blow. He yelped and let go. The blood from the intruder's was free to bleed on the flowers below.
There was a sudden crack behind her, followed by smaller, more rapid cracks. The first had given the slave a start; by the time she had caught her breath and half-turned, the transformation was already complete.
She could only stare in mute terror at the large, strangely polite wolf as he leaped onto his prey. Her hands flew to her mouth as a gasp escaped, and she hastily backed away from the scene -- but she couldn't seem to tear her pretty eyes away.
Where had the man come from? Where had the wolf come from? And where, she realized suddenly, had Simone gone? Not putting two and two together (or, at least, not coming up with four), she could only look on in horror as the man's foot landed a sound blow against the wolf.
When the man scrambled to escape, something slid from his pockets. The bright, bejeweled piece landed on the floor with a soft chink, and Malika recognized it instantly. "Mistress's jewels!" He was a thief!
And the wolf was trying to stop him...
Recovering from being stunned, Simone barred his teeth at the man trying to scramble away, and pick up the jewels that fell from his possession. Simone smelt the perfume of the palace on them, and his heart beat quicker. The wolf's ears twitched at the sound of Malika's voice, catching the words on tenseness of the air. He was a thief. His master had rules about thieves.
He could eat them.
Simone lunged, but hadn't noticed the dagger the thief pulled out in self-defense. It buried itself into the wolf's shoulder, but his teeth found the man's throat and sank in. The hot sticky blood filled the beast's mouth, and he bit down harder, in one last attempt to save his life, the thief twist the dagger - but the wolf ignored the pain. He would feel later. One last gurgle, and the man stilled.
Simone let go, his muzzle soaked with red.
Still, she stood there helplessly, unable to react...or even to know how to react! It wasn't until the wolf bit into the man's throat that she found the willpower to look away. For a moment, she remained there, trembling, pale face averted and eyes squeezed shut as the last of the man's life drained away.
It was quiet then, except for the sound of her own heart beating in her chest. Timidly, she risked a glance in the direction of the wolf and his prey. She couldn't make out details in so quick a glance, but she saw a bright splotch of red -- too much of it, all over the ground, the wolf, and the still figure beneath the wolf's body.
The sight made her inhale sharply and squeeze her eyes shut all over again. She tried to turn away, but her knees chose that moment to give out. She landed in a kneeling position on the ground with one hand on the dry soil and another crushing the flowers against her chest. Her back was to the sight of the dead man, now, and that helped somewhat as she took deep, even breaths to steady her nerves.
Somehow, the idea that the wolf might attack her and gobble her up from behind never crossed her mind...
He licked his teeth, and moved his nose down the thief's torso. Simone's jaws lingered over the belly, want to tear into it. But no matter how much he wanted it, he wouldn't bite down. Damn his humanity. He gave out a low whine, feeling the pain from the dagger blossom in his shoulder. His tongue lulled out of his mouth in a pant, and blood dripped down. Simone turned himself away from the body, and found his yellow eyes gazing on the form of Malika's back.
"I'm... I'm sorry." He said, taking a couple shaky steps. The beast couldn't walk proper, and allowed himself to collapse. Perhaps that 'sorry' was empty, because he didn't regret what he did. He was defending, protecting, hunting. And wolves must hunt. What he did regret was what it did to the woman he just met. To the garden that was once so beautiful.
Simone panted from the pain, and let out pathetic noises. His tolerance was weak, and he dare not shift. The tearing and moving of muscle and skin would no doubt make the wound worse. He'd have to wait until it was healed. The blood clotted in his fur - his master wouldn't like that. He needed a bath.
But before that...
"M-Miss Malika... I won't hurt you."
Malika started at the sound of his voice, something deep and inhuman. It held no malice nor carried a threat of violence; it was merely that, for a moment, she had forgotten it could speak, and hearing a voice, in the aftermath of such violence, somehow startled her.
"You know my name?" It seemed surreal; here they were in the midst of terrible carnage (in her mind, anyway), and the wolf wanted to have a civilized conversation!
And, yet... "And, somehow, I believe that." She couldn't say how if pressed; there was something in the way the wolf spoke that seemed reassuring. Oh, he was still a wolf and still a creature with which to be cautious, but he seemed unlikely to attack her.
The whine caused her to flinch slightly, as though she herself was the one who was hurt. Slowly, carefully, she turned towards him. Her eyes carefully avoided the dead man; from body language alone, it would be clear that she was positioning herself to keep him out of her line of sight.
"You're hurt," she murmured in sudden sympathy for the creature.
If he could raise his eyebrows, he could. She didn't realize it was him? Simone? That was interesting. Simone weighed the idea of telling her in that moment, but decided against it. He eyed her, with no malevolence; watched how she moved to avoid the body of the thief. The taste and smell of blood was still rife on his senses, there was no way he'd forget it. Not in that moment. If he was glad for anything, it was her believing him.
"It...It seems that way." He said, the pain was near unbearable. Simone cursed himself for not thinking ahead of time; for not seeing the glint of the blade in the man's hand. While he would not die from the wound, it still hurt. And it would worry his master.
"I'm sorry if I scared you, miss Malika. It wasn't my intention." He said, his eyes holding a sad expression. He wouldn't ask her to pull out the dagger. She was still in shock, and that could put her over the edge. He could make do.
"I couldn't... Let him go. Something smelt wrong." He tried to explain.
Malika's nod was so slight it could have been easily missed. Justification for the man's death, however, made her no less sad for his demise...even if she hadn't known him and even if he was a thief.
She said nothing for a moment, and then, carefully, she rose. A few flower petals slipped from her hands to land on the ground below, drifting in a pinkish rainbow in the still air. She looked down at her hand, a bit surprised to find that she still clutched the ruined flowers, and then, delicately, she set them down alongside the path.
"Can I get you something? I can get a little water. Or, even, some warm milk."
It was kind of her to offer the water or the milk, but they had other priorities that she was missing. He breathed in deep, and let it out. They need the guards, or at the very least the guards of the palace should be alerted. Someone broke in, someone stole, and that someone could have allies still among the premises. It could endanger the Shah.
"I will have to decline for now." He said, his voice trying to be steady. "We need the palace guards, there could be more danger to the Shah."
He'd have to take whatever punishment would come. Even if it meant death. It made him sad that he didn't get to know Malika.
"Oh!" she gasped, brown-green eyes widening at her failure to prioritize her mistress over this poor creature... "Of course. But I'll be back. I'll be right back!" She had taken a step, then hesitated and turned back towards him. "Mr. Wolf, if I find my friend -- that is, I think we could grow to be friends -- can I bring him back with me? He used to be a chemist. I think, if there's something here that could help you, he would find it. I think he's probably very smart. And very kind."
After all, she was no guard; if there was danger in the palace, it would be best to step aside and let them do their jobs. The Shah had guests today; it would not do for anyone to be hurt while visiting the palace.
She was a sweet woman. Maybe a little oblivious, but he had his moments of that as well. His eyes glanced toward where his clothing was, laying splayed on the ground. Luckily, Essyrni attire had been easy to wiggle out of. He spied his glasses on the ground, and felt a pang of longing. He hoped no one stepped on them.
"Yes, you may bring him." There was a kind sort of laughter in his eyes. But it was for the best, he figured, that Malika didn't know. It may save his master a headache.
The guards came. And Simone watched their gapping mouths as they looked on the scene. Without taking any chances they drew their swords; they shimmered as the sunlight caught the steel. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he watched them draw near. He didn't dare move, lest he spook them. The men's faces were stern, and serious. It was a grave crime to murder someone, and that was what he did. There was no denying that the man's throat was tore out by inhuman teeth, or the blood stains on his fur.
"What do we do?" He heard one of the younger guards say.
"The Shah's slave said there was a thief," Another one said. "There may be others. You two, check the rest of the gardens. Hack all the damn flowers if you need to."
"What about...That wolf? How did it even get in here?"
"I'd prefer if you'd not kill me until you've heard my case." Simone said, startling them. The points of swords came in his eyesight. "I... I don't have any intention of hurting anyone else."
"A magic beast?"
"Get some bindings, and get that dagger out of him. It could be evidence of where this thief came from, and who he was if we can find the blacksmith."
Simone didn't struggle as he was bound by the neck and led off into confinement. Where he would await his sentence.
The most senior guard at the scene, a man with the rank of sergeant, went to find the captain as soon as he was sure that the others had the situation in hand. There was potential danger in the palace and he would need to know about it. The man strode with purpose down the halls towards the audience chamber. He entered the grand room through a side entrance that kept him mostly out of sight of the visitors.
The Captain-of-the-Guard stood in his customary place behind the Shah's throne. From his vantage point, he could surveil the whole room, which is why he noticed one of his sergeants entering through a side door. He kept the surprise that ran through him off of his face. Everyone knew that this was an important meeting and Mal'hin knew that the sergeant wasn't a stupid man. He wouldn't have promoted him if he was. Something important must be happening.
The sergeant walked over to Mal'hin as stealthily as possible, and the captain leaned down so the shorter man could whisper in his ear. The fellow urgently relayed the details of the last few minutes into his superior's ear.
A thief and an enchanted wolf? He sighed internally. It seemed like every day he worked this job the times got stranger and stranger. His soldier's wouldn't know what to do with this event.
He needed to take personal control of this situation and get to the bottom of it. He looked over the sergeant who had brought him the news and considered all he knew about the man. In his memory he was solid and reliable. He'd been in Mal'hin's service for a long time, and he trusted the man, marginally. More than he believed in most of his subordinates.
He patted the man's shoulder, and whispered to him: "Alright sergeant, thank you for informing me. I will take control from here on. I'm ordering you to stay here and watch over the Shah. Defend her faithfully, and there may be advantage for you in it."
The sergeant straightened immediately and threw a salute. Everyone knew that Mal'hin's lieutenant and second-in-command had been disgraced recently. The position was open, and very coveted. The captain nodded, satisfied. This man would do a good job. He stepped from his position, and allowed the sergeant to take it. He turned on his heel and went out the same door that the sergeant had come in from.
Once in the corridors, he started making his way to the barracks. He diverted any guard patrols he encountered to the audience chamber. They would take up posts by the doors, first outside them and then inside. They had drilled for this and each knew what places to fill in what order. The Shah's location was first priority of defense in case of a potential danger, and the elite palace guard was aware of the defense points of each room in the palace. Ma'hin had made sure of it.
He soon arrived in the center-of-command for his organization. It was purposely set centrally in the palace, to make travel there as fast as possible from any location in the place. The barracks was where The guards would bring any suspicious people they apprehended, and if he was going to investigate the current situation, this was where he should start.
He threw open the doors to the common room. "Alright, where's the talking wolf?" He almost smashed his palm into his face at the words. Had he really just said that? These were strange times indeed.
((OOC: This what you looking for Looshi? Don't be afraid to say so if you want anything changed.))
A man approached the captain, his back straight and gait full of purpose. He was older than he looked, and that did not always give the impression that he knew what he was doing. His jaw was clenched, readying himself to speak with his superior.
"We have him holed up in one of the interrogation rooms, sir." He said, giving a salute. "I can escort you there when you're ready. The wolf has been strangely cooperative, which has made him easy to subdue."
***
They had brought him a bowl of water, Simone was thankful for that and expressed it. The guard looked taken aback at his words, most like they didn't expect a wolf to be polite, or talk for that matter. While he was a monster, he knew when not to be savage. It would get him no where here. Simone lapped up the water with his tongue, savouring the cold as it washed the blood out of his mouth and sated his thirst, though the red still stained his muzzle. He favoured his right leg; the shoulder in which the dagger had been embedded, and twisted. Putting weight on it enticed searing pain, and he couldn't help but give out small whines when he misjudged his steps. His paw was lifted off from the floor as he stood, and his other front leg was starting to feel the strain. He soon eased himself into laying down.
Simone eyed the guard positioned at the door. He was tall, and had an awkwardness to his movements, like he didn't know what to do with his limbs. The young man had a dusting of patchy facial hair on his chin. Simone thought it made him look a little ridiculous. He was trying too hard.
"What's your name?" He asked, all he got in return was silence and eyes darting away to look at a far wall. Simone laid down his head.
He didn't know what to do, and his mind was floundering for answers; even a little glimmer of hope to show him the way out of this. Simone thought of his master, Jherna, and imagined her disappointed face, the way her eyebrows would furrow and her lips turn down into a frown. He gave a low whine, and the guard flinched. Readying himself for death was something he prepared himself for ever since he had been bitten and figured out what was going on with him; that his nature was changing, becoming more of a beast than what he ever thought was possible. All the talking to himself, deciding what he would say as his last words, what he would think in those fleeting moments. He would imagine better days, happiness. The moments he loved instead of the ones he regretted. Simone would even brush over the memories of Ayla, and remember that some nights he missed her scent all too strong.
His ears twitched at the sound of footsteps, and he lifted his head. The door opened and he gazed upon a tall, built man with shoulder length dark hair.
The Captain.
OOC: Rhi, I hope it's ok I just presume that, while all of the there stuff was going down, Jherna and Persea were discussing business 8D
If not I can fix lol
----
The merchant princess had quite an extensive set of wares to show, and was proudly discussing with the Shah herself about the richness of the scents and the varying degrees of imported locations. But it was hard for Persea to hear Jherna's spiel when the ears on her two pharaoh hounds swiveled at the subtle exiting of her Captain of the Guard. Though his exit and 'replacement' irked her, she remained cool headed as her green eyes remained on the sparkling, amber colored perfume bottle she now held.
"So you say this scent is cultivated from the jungles?" Persea went on, and used two delicate fingers to pluck open the crystal cap as she allowed herself to waft the smells towards her nose. But as she did so, the pair of Pharaoh hounds resting on either sides of her throne suddenly were brought to life, the hackles raising on their back sides and teeth flashing white as tehy were frothing barks and howls as they rushed towards the door the Captain of the guard had disappeared through.
The very action startled the Shah herself, and the opened bottle of rare, exported perfume fell through her fingers crashed onto her chest, half the contents pouring down and stickying up the front of her clothing before it eventually tumbled to the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces of shimmering colors.
For a moment, the Shah stared, stunned that she had been defiled by so much perfume, and the smells- over whelming as her eyes burned at the scent. But something else burned as her hands clenched into fists and she turned herself in the direction where the dogs were now pawing furiously at the side, gilded door.
"Nuft! Neft!" she said, snapping her fingers twice as she strolled across the grounds, shoulders back and head held high. But it seems the two dogs ignored the tone in her voice and continued to snap angrily and paw like savage beasts at the door.
Irritation was evident on the Shah's face, her brow wrinkling as she continued to make her way towards her dogs when the door they were pawing at opened up-
and there the pair of hounds went, ferociously barking through the halls. Seeing who was responsible, she threw up her arms in anger and proceeded to chew the poor guard out, but when it was revealed to her another trespasser was found on the premise (considering she hadn't been informed of the first), her expression changed greatly to that of surprise as her lips gaped open as she stared at him.
Turning towards the Sergeant, she snapped her fingers towards him.
"You will escort me there." And to Jherna, she rose her head a bit higher, and told her, "Wait here. We can discuss this once this matter is resolved." And with a fluttering of her skirts, she and the sergeant left, leaving Jherna alone in the Shah's place, and only two guards standing nearby to keep an eye on her.
But off to the side of the room in a plush bed lay Persea's other pet, a cheetah, with it's tail lightly tapping on the floor as it's eyes studied the merchant princess in silence.
Mal'hin let his subordinate lead him to the room with the wolf. He looked through the window of the door to get a better look at this mysterious creature. It looked like big . Much bigger than an average wolf, that was for sure. He turned to the guard. "So what happened? What exactly is going on here?"
The looked wide-eyed. "We're not really sure yet sir. That wolf in their killed a man who appears to have been a thief, but we don't know anything for sure."
Mal'hin looked again at the wolf, and then turned back to his subordinate. "And it talks?"
The guard nodded. "Yes sir. Very politely too."
Mal'hin nodded in understanding. "So did you think to ask it what happened?" The man looked thunderstruck and the captain almost hit his forehead with is palm. He never wondered at the training of the men in his guard, they were prepared for any situation they'd gone over, but he often worried about their ability to cope with things out of the ordinary. His concerns were just validated in the worst way. He was going to have to figure out a way to teach his men to improvise...
But that was for another day. Now it was time to get to the bottom of this. He opened the door and went inside the interrogation room. He decided a no-nonsense approach was the best solution for now. There was enough nonsense in this situation already. "Good afternoon, I am Captain Mal'hin of the royal guard. Why don't you fill me in on exactly who you are and what's going on here."
He really hoped this would could speak and understand him, because he was suddenly feeling like the butt of an awful practical joke, and he didn't want to actually look like one too.
Fortunately for the captain, it wasn't a practical joke. Or unfortunately depending how one looked at it. Simone could have been sassy and not answered, but it wasn't in his mind or nature to do so. Though he did consider it, if only for a moment.
"I'm Simone, sir." He said, lowering his head slight. Simone knew he was on the larger side of a wolf. Big, fat and fluffy. With more emphasis on the fat part. He did not want to intimidate the man, if it was at all possible. Simone mulled over his next words, worrying whether or not he should involve Jherna in this - then he imagined her scolding him for not.
"I belong to Jherna Isarak." He continued, his tongue feeling heavy. "I was in the garden, w-with the Shah's slave, Malika. There was a scent, an odd and misplaced one. One that didn't fit. I was led by instinct... I admit that. I grabbed, no, I bit the leg of the intruder. Um, there was a spell concealing them."
He paused, his eyes darting away out of embarrassment. This wasn't his forte. Talking to people, that is.
"The magic broke, I think the person dropped jewels, I heard Malika..." He stopped and whined. "I-I'm sorry. The man kicked me, and I lunged. He dug a dagger in me, and I ripped his throat out."
Well, he didn't have to be that blunt on the matter. Oh well.
The wolf was very informative, and his explanation was welcomingly concise. Mal'hin was glad for the simplicity and directness in the answer. His story had the ring of truth to it, and his cooperation was scoring big points in his favor, but the captain wanted more verification, of course.
"Thank you for the information Simone. I'm gonna get those people you mentioned and see what they have to say, so you just sit tight here." He left the room and addressed the soldier who had brought him to the room. "You," he searched for the man's name, "Apos, go find Malika, you know her, and get somebody else to go and request Jherna Isarak's presence. She should be in the audience chamber."
Apos nodded and ran off to do what his superior requested. "And someone bring me to that thief's body!" he shouted to no one in particular. Someone would fill his request. They were trained to.
Elsewhere, as the Shah strode through the halls of the palace, the guards they encountered fell into a protective box around her. Normally, she could move through the halls of the palace with only minimal guard, but an intruder meant that she needed to be protected. Eventually, eight guards surrounded her in a box formation made to make sure that she would be safe from any side. The guards didn't have the authority to stop the Shah, but they could protect her.
Jherna jumped violently when the hounds started barking, and a second later she cringed at the sound of shattering glass. Oh dear. That perfume had been quite expensive to make, and would sell for three times the amount it had taken to produce it--and not to mention the oils, Kishahni import, were very difficult to acquire as they came from a deep, dangerous part of the jungle--she'd had to hire an expedition just to bring her the plant she needed!
She took a deep breath and tried not to think of that even as she wanted to internally panic, and panic some more when she realized the Shah had spilled the perfume all over her beautiful clothes and skin. A tiny little dab went a long way, and that much was strong enough it was beginning to sting her eyes!
But before Jherna could offer to help the Shah clean up, she was striding away to handle the dogs. Which was great, because dogs made her nervous. Predatory animals with large, sharp teeth and loud noises made her nervous in general.
Well. Except for one. But that one also talked. And that one wasn't always furry.
And that was why Jherna had a difficult time when the Shah got called away to deal with an intruder--multiple intruders, apparently!--and told her to stay in the room until it had been dealt with.
Jherna stared back at the cheetah staring at her, and swallowed hard. Then she remembered that staring at a predator was a bad idea and looked away, but she could still hear the light thump of its tail. Cheetahs were rather small, but it was still as big as her, at least! And though it was thin and pretty, all animals were deceptively strong...and those claws...and teeth...and it was looking at her. Maybe wondering what she tasted like...
She managed to sit there a few minutes, but between the overwhelming smell of perfume and a cheetah that looked like it was sizing her up, she could take no more. Standing briskly, she rushed for the door--she could explain the cheetah had scared her, right?--and was about to slip out when she bumped headlong into a guard.
"Jherna Isarak?" he said, and she nodded. "You're needed at once. Come with me."
Confused (but also relieved), she followed after him as he escorted her down the hall. "Is something the matter?" It was a stupid question in retrospect; there were intruders, of course something was wrong! But she was more curious, and concerned, with how this matter required her presence.
"The Captain requires your presence," the guard answered, for he didn't yet have all the facts himself to be able to brief her, and Jherna's heart sank.
It wasn't long before they caught up to the Shah's procession and fell into step behind the group, keeping a respectable distance away.
Malika remained where she had been left, looking submissive but impatient. She was worried about the talking wolf and the terrible wound it had suffered in retrieving Mistess's jewels. he deserved care and gratitude, neither of which, she feared, the guards would supply. (Not that it was their fault... Their training lay in other things.)
When a guard arrived, Malika was on her feet in an instant. "Can I see him now?"
"The Captain wishes to see you first. it's up to him if you see the wolf."
Malika nodded in understanding and fell into step behind the guard. They reached the antechamber as the Shah's procession entered the corridor.
"Mistress..."
The procession of men and ladies following her showed up swiftly to the holding cell where the wolf was kept, and as she was paused at the door way, she was informed the guards inside her palace were still making chase of the second thief.
"If you find the second, capture him for questioning and bring him here!" she commanded, then turned towards where she heard her name. "Malika!" The girl seemed as white as a ghost. "What has happened?" THough she knew the gist of it, hearing it from her most trusted slave not only showed how much she trusted the girl, but of her concern for her as well.
Malika was relieved to see her mistress. The guards, of course, stepped aside to allow her access to the protective box. "It's terrible, Mistress! There was a giant wolf in the garden -- and it spoke to me! And then, all of a sudden, there was a man there. He had your jewels, Mistress, and the wolf attacked him and killed him." A shudder went through her as the fresh memory of the dead man ran through her mind. "But he was hurt..." Her expression fell at the thought; even with her veil on, her expressiveness was clear. "And the guards forbade me to bring him water or the doctor."
(OOC: Sorry for the cruddy post. I accidentally deleted the first one. ;_; I'd wager Rhi's character could probably overhear her!)
Persea was taken back.
"Talking wolf?" And her lips fell open as the rest of the statement was given, and it took her a few moments to collect herself before hardening her features as she nodded.
"Well it is good to see one thief is taken care of." And she glared at her guards. "Come. Let me speak to the beast personally." And she paused to stare over at her slave and gestured for her to come to her side. "But you are not lieing? There truly is a beast who talks?"
It was dizzying to think! But why would Malika lie?
Malika nodded slightly. "He was, actually, very polite..." For a wolf and for a man both... Strangely, it was the fact he was so polite that made his ability to talk seem so surreal...
Persea made a face.
"So very strange. To think, talking beasts!" And ones who had manners. "What did the wolf say?" For she was curious what could have made her own slave say such things. She knew Malika was no fool. Sweet, but not a fool.
"Well," she began thoughtfully. "He was, as I said, quite polite. And sensible about things." A bit ashamedly, the girl admitted, "It was he who told me to fetch the guards, Mistress. I was in such shock and so concerned for him, I wasn't thinking clearly."
Yes, a kind wolf -- even if he had just killed a man!
Persea digested this with a curt nod.
"Yes, well, let us not waste any more time!" And with an impatient wave, the guards lead the way-
and deep within the bowels of the dungeon, behind a locked door- was the wolf in question, and as the guards lead her that way, she hesitated before finally approaching, and taking a few timid steps as she blinked.
She felt the fool, but figured, as the Shah she ought to be the one starting off these sorts of conversation.
"So I heard you stopped a thief in my garden, wolf?" And though her voice was a command, there was still the hint of uncertainty there.
Mal'hin looked over the body of the thief with a careful eye. He was Essyrni, and he was well-equipped, but his keen eye could discern little else. The man clearly took careful efforts to look ordinary, and there was nothing on his person to assist on identifying him at all.
He was going to look over it all again when a guard came to get him. "Sir, Malika and Jherna Isarak have arrived, and the Shah too."
Mal'hin looked up in surprise. "What is she..?" he started, but the guard's blank look told him that the man had no idea.
He stalked away from the room with the body down the corridor down to where Simone was being held. He saw the crowd of people standing by the door, and called out, "Just what is going on here?!"
Simone licked at the blood on his fur, the movement of his head causing a shock of pain to run through him. He whined low, or started to, for he caught himself with the form of the guard posted inside the room in the corner of his eyes. If he could blush, he'd be embarrassed by his show of weakness.
The captain of the guard left him much to think about. The man did not seem entirely displeased with his actions, nor did he give him any idea of what was to become of him. His heart was heavy with the thought of his master dealing with this. He never wanted to put more weight on her shoulders. Simone's job was to take it off of hers. Or well, his purpose. He didn't have a say in what he did.
He thought of the kind girl Malika - Simone had a desperate want to apologize; to make up for the ruined afternoon and involving her in such a mess. Maybe if he saw her again. That was an if he didn't have to remind himself of.
For long moments, all was quiet, and he laid his head on his front paws. He would stare at the guard, and find an amusement in watching him squirm. He had no intention of hurting him, or forcing his way out. At last, on the edges of breath, he heard footsteps approaching. Many footsteps. He heard voices, and his heart thudded in his chest.
The door opened with a creak, and what he saw was something he never thought he would.
The Shah.
"Y-Y-yes, your magnificence." He squeaked out, keeping his head low out of respect. "I caught the thief in your garden and killed him. I apologize for getting blood on the flowers. They were beautiful."
Persea ignored the shout from her Captain of the guard. She didn't have to explain why she desired to be here and turned her back to him as she regarded the wolf. At his words, she found herself going silent as thoughts rolled through her head.
"And just how did you, and the thief, go about getting onto my grounds? I do not recall a lack in security..." Nor inviting such a beast into her palace- hero or not!
His heart thudded in his chest, and he wondered if it was so loud that the Shah could here it. What a big brave beast he was, he internally joked. He had his moments, of course. But most of him was timid.
"I...I don't know about the t-thief, your magnificence." He stuttered out. "But I belong to my master Jherna. I'm...I'm not always a wolf."
He couldn't lie to the Shah, after all.
It was at this revelation she peered over at the woman in question, then back down to the wolf with a blink. She had not quite put two and two together on the last thing he said before asking, "What do you mean not always a wolf?"
It was at that moment that Jherna was ushered inside, her heart in her throat because she had absolutely heard a nice chunk of that conversation! And there was no mistaking Simone's voice.
Oh Hakeshna, no.
Scurrying into the room, her eyes wide with horror as she saw poor Simone there, in wolf form, behind those bars and being questioned by the Shah herself, Jherna cleared her throat loudly.
"Shah Persea, Your Majesty, if I may...?" she said, folding her hands in front of her to keep them from twitching nervously. Her face was pale. "That is my slave, Your Majesty. Simone. The one I brought with me today..."
She trailed off, her voice taking on a miserable note as she looked back and forth from the Shah to Simone--Simone, who looked so pitiful, locked away like that, splattered in someone else's blood--and was he injured, too? Her heart clenched. "He, ah...he has a condition, you see..."
The slave that had come in with her? But she had only seen a man- and this wolf clearly was no man! Raising a sharp brow, she pressed, "A condition?" Her gaze seemed to narrow as she said with finality, "Please explain." But there was no real please about it. It was more or less a demand!
Malika had turned to acknowledge the approaching guard -- but as the Shah and her guest seemed determined to ignore him, there was little she, a slave, could do but continue to stand by unhelpfully should there be another question to answer...
Which is, perhaps, why the Shah's guest's explanation of just who sat in the cage made her react so dramatically. She gasped softly as her hands lifted to her mouth. That was Simone? Kind Simone with the spectacles?
It did, in hindsight, explain why the wolf had seemed to appear so suddenly...and why Simone had vanished just as suddenly!
The sudden realization made her cheeks color in a scarlet blush -- or, perhaps, that was her embarrassment over her outburst.
Jherna cleared her throat and wet her lips. "Your Majesty, some time ago, he was...ah, bitten. Bitten by an animal. And since that day--or night, he'd have to correct me on that, not that it matters now, details and all! Anyway, since that time he has...well, he's had this odd affliction. Where sometimes he's a wolf, and sometimes he's a man."
Dear goddess that sounded utterly insane when she put it that way.
Master Jherna! He nearly yelped as he saw her, his heart fluttering faster. His yellow eyes darted between the Shah and his master, as well as catching glimpses of Malika, with her slender hands pressed to her mouth. He let out a small whine, unable to contain it. He hardly wanted to get any of them involved. He wished he never had ripped that thief's throat out. But what would have happened to the Shah then? What if that man had attacked him an Malika in the garden? There were so many questions he didn't have answers for, yet his scientific mind searched for the actual probability of such cases.
When Jherna spoke, it did sound utterly insane. But it was the truth, whether the Shah wanted to believe it or not.
"I-I...I do believe the correct term is werewolf, your majesty." He said in a quite voice.
Mal'hin quite thoroughly resented being ignored, and one of his guards, the seargent he'd left behind who had taken charge of the situation thus far, noticed his superior's rising temper. He walked quickly over to try and explain the situation.
"Sir, the merchant princess and the slave girl were fetched as you ordered, but the Shah insisted on being brought to the prisoner." He looked to make sure that Persea was out of earshot. "You know how she is," he whispered to his superior. "There was nothing we could do."
Mal'hin, slightly mullified, looked over at the room where Persea stood. He worked his jaw a couple of times and breathed deeply a bit. After he finished mastering himself, he smiled ruefully at the seargent, to show that he wasn't in trouble. "Yes seargent, I am all to aware of just how she is. Still, you did a good job getting all these men together to protect her. You've been impressing me recently seargent. Keep up the good work."
He patted the fellow on the shoulder, and then slipped passed him and the other guards so e could get close enought to the entryway to hear what was going on.
Persea grew quiet as she chewed over this new piece of information. She looked over to the nervous Merchant Princess, then back to the speaking wolf- never mind anyone else was there.
"So, you took it upon yourself to handle the thief?" And she regarded the statement- he had, after all, killed the intruder, which would have been the man's fate had he been captured alive. Of course, she had no idea in that moment, how to proceed handling all of that when another frantic guard rushed into the room, addressing Mal'hin.
"Sir! The second thief.."A nd here, he leaned into whisper the report. "They say he's made off wtih quite a lof of our Shah's jewels. He's so far thwarted are attempts to apprehend him but..." And here, he remained uneasy before revealing, "ANd well.. we've since lost sight of him so. For all we know, he's still onthe premiss."
And then, he added, after drawing in a quick breath. "And he's armed, sir. One guard having been killed already."
"He killed someone...?" As she said it, Jherna looked at Simone in horror. It was just a thief, apparently, and an intruder at that from what Shah Persea was saying, but hearing that still made her heart drop.
Not because she felt such a death was unjust; it was a thief, after all. But because this was Simone, and it was the killing of another person, and she was afraid of how the Shah would handle that. But she clamped her mouth shut again for it wouldn't do to speak without being addressed, and the guard that rushed into the room seemed to have distracted the Shah.
Taking advantage of the slight lull in conversation, Malika stepped a bit closer to the Shah. Her voice was a soft murmur -- a pleasant sound, like water moving over stones -- as she pointed out, "Mistress, the thief hurt him -- badly, I think -- as he tried to defend your possessions." Herself, included... "Please, if there's anything I can do to help him, I would like to..."
His subordinate's words made Mal'hin frown. If his men couldn't catch a single thief they were more incompetent then he'd thought...
Wait, the wolf, Simone, had said that the first thief had been concealed with a spell. Maybe this second man was similarly outfitted. In which case normal men wouldn't be able to find him. He turned to the frantic guard. "Keep up the search, I'm going to work on an alternative solution."
So saying, Mal'hin forced his way to the front of the group clustered by the door. He looked over the wolf appraisingly before calling out to him, "Simone." Once he thought he had the wolf's attention he apike again, "Simone, do you think you could find another thief the same way you found the first?"
"Of course there is!" Persea snapped at her slave. "To stay by my side until this whole thing is all over with!" Though she was taking her anger out on Malika, her eyes lingered towards where Mal'hin was speaking to the wolf, and her ears perked up in hopes to hear what the animal would say.
Oh dear. They wanted his help? Simone, with a very dog like gesture, tilted his head at the captain when he spoke.
They weren't going to kill him? At least, not in that moment. He didn't know if he liked the growing anticipation of his doom. But helping them was the least he could do after bloodying the gardens. They were pretty flowers after all. And once something has blood on it, it's never the same again.
Simone stood up, though it was slow going, testing what little weight he could put on his injured leg. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep him moving.
"I think... I-I think I can help." He stuttered out. His nose wasn't broken after all.
"Yes, Mistress," she answered humbly. And though she bowed her head in submission, as she always did, she continued to shoot pitying glances in Simone's direction. After all, it was obvious how much pain he was in...but if it was her mistress's command that he should sniff out the thief's partner, then who was she to question it?
Mal'hin smiled predatorily at Simone's answer. The look in his eye would give the best carnivore after prey a run for it's money. "Alright then. Let us get to work."
So saying, the captain unlocked Simone from his restraints and cleared the people from the doorway so the wolf could reach the corridor. Once he was sure the way was clear, Mal'hin turned back to Simone, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Whenever you are ready to lead the way, Simone."
Not wanting to test the patience of either the guard or the Shah, Jherna stepped outside into the corridor to wait for Simone, fidgeting nervously as she waited for him to emerge. He'd killed a thief, so...so that made him a hero, right? For defending the palace and the Shah herself? Hakeshna, she could only hope so. She'd always taken her slave's presence for granted, but now, the idea of losing him made her stomach clench.
But she bit her lip and waited for the rest of the party to follow. Hopefully she could get close to Persea so she could speak to her on the matter. It wasn't really her place, but she was hoping that, maybe, the Shah would respect her word at least a little, after spending a little alone time together going over perfumes.
Persea gave an impatient sigh and new full well the dangers she was in, but perhaps not all that it entailed. Still, she felt on edge and turned to one of the guards who had been designated to watch over her.
"You, escort me and the merchant princess to my chambers. We shall wait there, fully guarded, until we get news from the Captain of the intruder's death."
For she was certainly not going to keep the intruder alive if he were found that way. What would her father think if she did?
Not even giving a glance back to her companions, she moved with her entourage of guards back to her room.