Wish and Sacrifice

An RP by wickedwonderlands and Tachigami

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The snow had stopped falling not long ago, and the result was a clean, white blanket all throughout the land. The trees were entirely bare, normally either covered in green leaves or dark brown, showing off their bark, but now they were caked in a layer of wet snow and sagged under the weight. Two sets of human footprints and a set of hoofprints defaced the newly fallen snow, following the scraped trees. The new layer of snow had covered any prints left by potential prey, and the evening was getting along, the sky dark and clear, the moon huge and full in the blooming night. They had decided to settle in a small, quiet clearing just up a gentle hill from a slightly frozen pond, and Karth was let alone to set up the tent and construct a temporary fire pit out of the snowy stones littering the area. He tied the horse to a small, stunted sapling and let the rope out a bit, taking the equipment off its back and setting it by a larger tree, picking and pulling until he found a small shovel, and began scraping the ground to reveal clover and grass for the horse, then starting on a couple bare patches for the tent and the fire pit.

Karth was a quiet man, not necessarily a man, however. His dark indigo eyes, though an odd color, hid quite a bit about him that he rarely told anyone that could spread the word. Maybe what was why he only had one real friend. One friend that probably knew more about him than Karth knew about himself. He pulled snow away from the ground, piling it up and around in a wide circle, then began lying out the bottom of the tent, a series of knitted-together furs. The bulk of the equipment---the tent and the tools---were carried by the stout-legged horse they called Bangi, a solid chestnut colored thing that wasn't necessarily a fast runner but could go on for ages without rest and on little food or water. Karth patted the horse's side, unstrapping the main canvas of the tent and setting it up carefully. It had seen dozens of hunting trips, but was in perfect condition, only a little wear around the hole in the bottom cover where the support pole went into the ground showing its real age.

He began digging into the cold but soft earth, pushing snow aside and building up the edges of the fire put before he began settling in the stones and rocks he'd gathered before. Pausing halfway through, Karth sighed and sat back on his legs, bringing his hands up and through his long black hair. It was usually a mess and never stayed back when he tied it tightly, but he didn't want to cut it. He hadn't cut it in years, and now didn't even remember what made him stop. But it was important. Straightening his light coat---an inside lined with rabbit's fur and an outside padded thinly with elk leather---he bent forward again and wondered where his dear friend had vanished to with their only lantern.

It was quite in the forest, well not completely quiet, as no forest ever really is. The crunch of newly fallen snow was just another soft noise that blended into the sounds of night. At the moment it was really the only thing keeping Malik company. He enjoyed the sounds of the night, so much softer than the daytime. The rustling of wild things settling in for the night was a soothing sound to him. Malik was heading north of the camp he and Karth had made, in search of fresh water for the night's meal. He couldn't help but marvel at the way the woods looked in the freshly fallen snow, so different from the way they usually were. The moon was so bright that he didn't even need the lantern that they had brought with them to see by in the darkness.

As quiet as his friend could be, Malik was almost the direct opposite and could be very loud at times. He loved being able to speak his mind and did it quite frequently, sometimes to his misfortune. There didn't go a day by that he hadn't made someone angry with his bluntness. He had tried just staying out of things, but it never seemed to work out that way most of the time. With a quick smile and a cheerful glimmer in his strange blue-grey eyes, he could talk his way out of almost any situation. His dark black hair was perhaps the only thing he had in common with Karth, as far as looks went that is. It only came to the back of his neck and he was always teasing Karth about how long his was getting.

They had been friends for what seemed like forever, although in reality, it had only been a few years. Malik didn't give his trust to just anyone, and really, Karth was the only one who had earned it. Just because he always seemed to be carefree and prone to just laugh things off, didn't mean he didn't have his dark side as well. So far, only Karth had seen this side of him and he planned to keep it that way. He still couldn't believe he had lost his cool like that in front of his friend but it couldn't be helped. Malik's face softened and a small smile appeared on his face as he thought about Karth. He had never met anyone just like Karth and he felt very lucky to be called his friend.

Lost in his thoughts, Malik almost fell into the large pond that appeared in front of him. It wasn't cold enough to freeze and the water gently lapped on the shore, like a whispered sigh. A light layer of snow coated the top and swayed with the motion of the water. "Perfect! Now I can fill up our water skins and head back to camp." He bent down and began to fill the skins, trying to fit in as much water as he could.

The lowest branches were free of snow, and these were the ones he cut down. Quite a few were large and dry, probably having died with the leaves to make way for new branches. These he piled into the area he had almost entirely cleared of snow, piling it up halfway around the clearing to protect them in one direction from nighttime carnivores that might like to sniff around their site in the dead of night. Cementing the stones around the newly-dug fire pit with the stirred soil and snow mix, Karth piled sticks into it and started work on a fire. He knew there were things called 'bottled fire' or salts imbued with the heat of fire, which would quickly ignite dry wood, but he preferred the old-fashioned way of creating a fire: Flint and a dry, hard surface. It took a little longer, but soon enough he had a small fire feeding on the branches. Shifting them a little, he waved air onto the tiny flames, letting them grow.

He turned away, warming himself on the new fire and rolling out oval-cut pelts so neither would have to sit on the cold ground. Claiming the one of rabbit and fox, Karth settled onto it and shrugged out of his coat, setting it beside his bow and quiver and glancing up to the trees where Malik had disappeared to. Where was the man? Karth rolled his eyes, turning away when something sounded behind him, and he froze, ducking down to see what the noise was from. A snow fox. Its pure white fur nearly blended in with the surroundings, but its eyes glowed in the fire when it looked toward the campsite. Without a sound, Karth grasped an arrow from his quiver and readied it on his black bow, narrowing his eyes and steadying his arm and letting out a breath before releasing the arrow. It flew forward almost silently---the whisper of the feathers came to Karth's ears as if someone were sitting there beside him, speaking some dead and unknown language to him. The fox didn't even yelp when the arrow pierced between two ribs and struck the heart, and Karth jumped up, running to his newest catch and sliding his dagger from the sheath on his leg to begin skinning it.

Karth couldn't help but wonder if Malik would be jealous of his flawless catch when they were actually supposed to be settling into a calm, quiet night. But they hadn't had the best luck over the past couple days, and only small game had been on their menu. This fox was a large one, and had quite the thick fur on it. Karth cut the creature's front open, pulling out the undesirable insides and burying them in the snow before bringing the pelt and fox back to the site. With barely a thought, Karth assembled a pair of iron stands and hung a pot with clean snow in it over the fire, and hung the fox and its pelt on the second. When the snow melted, Karth used the resulting water to wash the blood from his hands and pour it out over the small snow wall he had built up.

Returning to the fire, he sighed and stare in the direction Malik had gone. Nowadays Karth didn't like to be alone for long. He had come to rely on the companionship he felt when his only friend was near, the trusting gaze he was given, knowing that this one person didn't think of him as a monster.

By the time Malik had finished filling up their water skins to the brim, he was starting to feel a chill creeping onto his bones. His heavy coat was lined with rabbit and fox fur but even so, being out so long was even leaching the heat out of it. He hadn't seen a snowfall like this one in a long time. He loved the snow. The way it looked and felt under his boots, even the smell. It had a clean pure smell to it like no other. The trees always looked as if they were just under a very heavy blanket. It was beautiful out here.

He smiled at the thought that he was able to share this beautiful sight with Karth. They had been best of friends for quite a long time now. There was no one else he would rather be with right now. They were so in sync with each other from being friends for so long that they could communicate just by a mere glance. This came in handy, especially when they went out hunting together. It was nice not to have to tell someone what he wanted them to do, especially when one needed to be quiet.

Since the snow had stopped, it was easy to see which direction he had come from, making it easier to get back to the camp. Malik rubbed his hands together briskly, warming them up. He hoped Karth had gotten a fire started so that he could warm up. It would be nice just to relax in front of the fire with him and talk the way they couldn't in front of others. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since this morning when they left. He frowned a bit, wondering if what they had killed today would be enough for the both of them to eat.

His frown disappeared when he saw the glow of the fire, telling him that Karth had indeed gotten the fire going. He stepped into the light and grinned at his friend. However his grin faltered when he saw the prize of the white fox that Karth had set next to him. "When did you get that beauty?"

He pulled a small burlap bag out of his heavy pack, a bag that was full of minty candy. Bangi, the horse they relied on, loved the stuff, and seemed a little bored simply standing around, even after a long day of walking. He licked the hard candies up when they were offered, shifting and stamping the ground as if in appreciation. Karth smiled, patting the horse's side and going back to the fire, taking out his knife and settling down on his pallet, taking out a sharpening stone and running it down his double-edged dagger. From time to time he glanced up as if Malik had returned.

The two had met a long time ago, it seemed. Some years ago, when they were young, of course. They had barely been teenagers, but neither was exactly old yet. Karth was just glad to know someone, really, glad that his lonely days were finally at an end. That he had someone to talk to. Play with. Train with. Learn from and at the same time, teach. He smiled a little, checking the blade and returning the stone to its pocket as a set of crunching footfalls met his ear. Karth turned to see Malik, and smiled in his direction. "Hey, I just got it! You wouldn't believe how close to the clearing this guy was." He moved over, unhooking the skinned fox and placing it flat to begin preparing it. They didn't have much to eat yet, just a few small birds they'd planned on splitting, but this was a good catch for the evening. Even if their trip was shot by bad luck, Karth didn't really mind.

"Did it take you long enough to find the pond?" Karth asked playfully, smiling a little. "You certainly took a good while." Of course he didn't mind, but he was glad, nonetheless, that Malik was back.

Malik's eyes lit up with excitement. "That's great! Looks like our hunting trip is starting to pay off, eh?" He grinned at Karth, his smile filled with amusement. "That will make a great addition to our collection, especially when it's completely cured. And hey, maybe we'll get lucky and some more of his friends will decide to get curious about the newcomers in the forest." He walked more into camp and set his bags down beside the pile of furs that Karth had put out for them to sit on. Before sitting down he stretched out to his full height, and although not as tall as his friend, was still quite impressive. Small creaks and pops could be heard as he stretched and he gave out a loud sigh. "Ah, that feels much better." He then sat down and made himself comfortable.

Malik grinned at Karth. "The pond was actually a fair walk from here, although worth it, I thought. It was very beautiful on the way to and from. Maybe we can both go take a look at it in the morning. I'm sure it looks even more beautiful in the light of day." He held out his hands to the fire and begin to relax a bit as the warmth started to soak into his bones. He glanced around the rest of the camp with approval. "I'm glad you were able to set everything up by the time I got back. The walk itself warmed me up considerably but it's nice to relax in front of the fire."

In front of anyone else, he would have to keep his guard up, but not in front of Karth. He trusted him with his very life. In fact, since his sister had died a few years ago, Karth was the only one he fully trusted anymore. A sad look crossed his face as he stared into the dancing flames and thought about his sister, Emily. They had been thicker than thieves growing up and always had each others backs no matter what. She had been his best friend before he had met Karth and he missed her terribly. She had gotten sick one winter and had never recovered. He remembered sitting by her bedside as the sickness caused her to waste away to nothing more than skin and bones. It had been heartbreaking to watch and even more so, seeing as there was nothing he was able to do for her. He still felt semi-responsible for her death, even though it wasn't his fault at all. He couldn't help the guilt he still felt for not being able to do something to make her better.

He hoped they would have more luck, if not tomorrow then later. He did want to give his bow the attention it deserved, after all, and it hadn't seen nearly as much as he would have liked it to. It was a very strong thing, better than any of his older bows, and was a bit more difficult to draw back. He disregarded it for the time being, however, and focused on the fox. Karth was quick and accurate with cleaning the catch, taking out all of its intestines, stomach, and smaller organs that were generally useless in anything but adding flavor to a soup broth. The heart and liver he kept separate from the general refuse and used a cloth to dry what remained of the creature's blood from his hands, then glanced back at Malik. The expression on his face made Karth's heart ache, and he sat back after wrapping the refuse up and setting it aside. "Malik."

The man was his only friend, and when he felt badly, so did Karth. He shared the man's emotions both positive and negative, entwined differently than Malik might understand. Karth hadn't told him about that---the way the empath in him reached out and grasped the very soul of the human it attached to. Then it fed him the emotions of that human. Even the physical pain Malik felt linked to him. And now it felt not only emotional, but physical as well. His sister. The poor girl. Karth had never known her but what Malik told him, and how strongly he felt for his sister, linked Karth to that memory in a more unique way. He didn't simply sympathize with Malik---he empathized with the man.

Settling back, he put a hand on Malik's shoulder, and for a moment, felt the man's life force. "You're okay." Karth said. He didn't believe that---the loss of someone so close to him he had never felt on his own accord. He knew ho family, no friends before Malik. But he knew the secondhand grief of sitting over one's closest friend---their sibling, one they shared blood with---and watching them perish, having no way to help them, watching helplessly. "She watches you. You know that. Her spirit gives you strength." He was never sure whether Malik truly believed that the spirit of his loved ones watched him, but Karth believed that one's spirit, when departed, never abandoned the ones they loved. Their ethereal form gave them the ability to uphold all their remaining loved ones, give them strength in dark times. Karth believed that, and hoped Malik could feel that.

Startled, Malik jumped just a bit when Karth touched his shoulder. He had been so lost in his thoughts that his surroundings had completely faded away. He smiled sadly at Karth. "Thank you old friend. That means a lot. I miss her very much. You always seem to know just when I'm thinking about her."

Karth was the only one he had ever told about Emily. It was just too painful to tell anyone about her, but when he was around Karth, it was like he had been there with him the whole time. He could always seem to make him feel better about losing Emily. Not that he was just a substitute for her, Karth meant much more to him than that. More than he could admit sometimes. He was like the brother he had never had. Yet sometimes, he caught himself looking at Karth from the corner of his eye, watching the way he moved. He was careful to not let Karth catch him watching him, but there had been some close calls. Not that he wasn't interested in women by no means, but around Karth....There was just something about him. However, since he valued their friendship immensely, he would never jeopardize it by telling him that he might, possibly, have feelings for him.

"Yes, I'm ok. It's just...hard sometimes. But enough about that. Let's eat!" He put a warm smile on his face and playfully pushed Karth with his right hand. "It may not be a whole lot but it smells delicious! Then again, you've always been the better cook." Thoughts of Emily hadn't completely gone away but it was always much easier to stop being as sad when he was around Karth.

Karth smiled almost against his will. It was such an odd power of Malik's to get Karth into a positive mood, even after a moment's deep reflection, something that could be so sad in the moment and leave lingering fingers of negativity in the mind. But in a moment Karth felt a warm sense of happiness, and shook his head, pausing to shed his heavy, fur-lined jacket and shake his undershirt out. It had begun to cling to him, and the fire warmed the immediate vicinity well enough that it was unnecessary. Crawling to the hung-up pot he pulled the spoon aside and looked in. "And it's a good thing I'm a good cook, isn't it? Or you'd be emaciated." Karth smiled, brushing back his hair and keeping a hand against it. "Seems it'll be a bit longer until it's ready, but there should be meat still in the pack in the meantime." There was no way he would let himself or Malik eat raw fowl. That would be illness packaged in a sweet-smelling skin.

He smiled at Malik. "Give it a bit longer, or you'll be finishing out the hunt on Bangi complaining about your awful illness, and I don't want to hear anything of it." Malik would know Karth didn't mean anything by what he said---their playful banter often went on for hours, sometimes just to pass the day away when there was little else to do and they were both tired. But what else could he do? he did like Malik quite a bit. More, no doubt, than Malik understood. The only reason he kept quiet about it was the voice in the back of his head. The voice that kept saying he was so desperate to be accepted he'd read far, far too much into friendship and kindness when someone finally showed it. That he'd love anyone if it meant not being alone anymore. He didn't even know what love was. Love for a friend---he knew that and showed it.

Instead of dwelling, going off into thought and getting that vacant look on his face that Malik would know was Karth's far-off expression, he crawled to the furry pallet he'd laid down and stretched out on it, staring up at the sky he could see through the spidery limbs of the bare, snow-caked trees. "Isn't it gorgeous here?" He breathed after a moment. "At times it grows so quiet I'm sure we're the last two on this world." But then he would hear the slightest shudder or shift of something out of their sight, and he'd know it was otherwise. But the dream was there, however momentary it was.

As much as he tried not to look, he was unable to make himself look away as Karth took off his jacket. His undershirt clung to him in such a way that Malik felt a catch in his breath. He laughed at Karth's comments but his heart was racing as he watched his friend push his hair back and smile. He suddenly felt an immense urge to be the one to run his fingers through his hair. Lost in his thoughts for a moment, he froze when he realized that Karth had possibly caught him staring at him when he looked his way. Oh no.... Trying to cover up the fact that he had been staring, he smiled back at him, but he was afraid that he may have made things worse. What if he started to look at him weird. Panic started to fill his mind and he tried his very best not to let it show.

"That's very true. I wouldn't want to ruin our trip by you having to take care of me if I got sick." He said it playfully but Malik could feel his heart speed up with the thought of Karth taking care of him. The fantasy in his head became even more pronounced as he watched Karth lie back on the furs. Wow... He shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. If he wasn't careful, he would end up giving away the unspoken desire he had for his friend. Malik would hate to lose the best friend he had over something that probably wouldn't be reciprocated.

He brought himself back into reality when he heard Karth's question. "Yes, it is. I'm glad that you're here to share it with me. Plus if we were the only one's left in the world then that would be perfectly fine with me." He said the last part very quietly, wondering if he had said too much or if he was just being paranoid and thinking that Karth would here the true meaning behind his words.

He couldn't be imagining things now. It was simply impossible to miss the signs and many were there. Especially the swell of feeling he got that wasn't necessarily his own. It was Malik's. And the man was staring at him a bit too much to be average, even by Karth's standpoint. That smile he gave seemed almost flustered. This wasn't Karth's mind playing tricks on him and it wasn't wishful thinking that let him hear the wistful undertones in Malik's voice when he spoke. You'll make a fool of yourself. That doubtful voice awakened in his head and he stared up, not meeting Malik's gaze. You're reading far too much into it. What you feel are your own emotions magnified, you're hearing what you want, you lovesick idiot. He shook his head, getting rid of it. It was like a demon in his head, that little voice doubting everything he did, even his hunting ability. It wasn't natural skill, it was his monster blood. He could only swim because his monster blood let him form webs between his fingers and toes at will. He could only run quickly, climb efficiently, endure more than most because it was his monster blood. And everyone---almost everyone---hated him because of that. The little voice was poison and he tried to ignore it.

Instead, Karth turned onto his side to face Malik. "That fate doesn't sound like a bad one." He admitted quietly, folding his arms under his head. "It sounds like our life now, only... without the malice of humanity to poison it." His hand was drawing absent little patterns. "It would be nice... to find our way away from the rest of the world. Well, I think so, at least. Maybe it's because I'm different, but I would love... to exist only where my friend did." Was he being too obvious? Karth felt his face warm and he quickly turned over to hide the flush with the firelight. There was no way he could ignore himself for too long. If he were reading the signs wrong, which he didn't doubt because he hadn't grown up around anyone but Malik, then he would possibly lose his only friend. And out here, so cut off from others. He shook the idea away for another day. Maybe soon he would find the courage needed to come out and just say it. Instead, he looked around. "Remember the... story I would tell? About the wishing statue. The single most heartfelt wish of the finder will be granted without even having to voice it, because the statue is linked right to the gods. But it's so hard to get to, no one has seen it in so long that it's now just a myth..." He glanced around. "I'm not sure what my wish might be if I were to find it... I had an idea, but---"

He silenced himself when a harsh scream cut the silence. Karth immediately turned, rolling onto his feet and taking a defensive stance. The scream echoed again, but further away this time. He looked at Malik. "What... is that a type of bird, or... dog?" It sounded like it was in pain, whatever it was. Karth wasn't thinking about what it was, but whether it was a human in need of help. He didn't realize his hands had taken on a long, claw-like quality in front of him until the pain registered. It was acute, and sharp from his bones rearranging. "Malik... Stay here, I'll check. It sounded from the way you came." From the lake, it had to have been. Karth took on a slight animalistic pose, crouched and with his clawed hands on the ground. Malik had seen his full transformations, and they varied. He didn't bother with a weapon as he slunk through the trees---it would just be a waste.

It took him a moment to realize what Karth had just said. Malik could feel his face turning red at the thought of it just being the two of them left in the whole world and what that would mean for them. It would be so nice to be able to live in a world without fear of rejection from the other people around them. It was only a fantasy however, seeing as that would never happen. Then again, it's not like he couldn't finally get the courage up to let Karth know exactly how he felt, the hell with the consequences. He had thought about it over and over in his head but whenever he tried to get it out, he just couldn't.

He smiled as Karth brought up the story that had been around since they became friends. They used to joke about it and think up silly fantastic things that they both knew they wouldn't wish for. Malik looked over towards Karth with surprise at the feeling in his voice and he was just about to ask what it was he was going to wish for when the loud scream pierced the darkness. He locked gazes with Karth, an alarmed look on his face. He had never heard anything scream like that in his life. What could have made that kind of scream? Either way they were going to need to go and check it out, if for nothing more than the safety of their camp. They had snares set up around the perimeter but that thing sounded big. Way bigger than the traps could handle.

Malik snorted when Karth told him to stay put. Yeah right, as if I'm going to let him have all the fun. He had noticed Karth's hands turn into claws but he took it in stride. He had seen a lot of the things Karth could turn into and it just didn't bother him anymore. He went to snatch up his bow and then frowned with he realized he didn't have it with him. Crap I must have left it at the pond. He gave out a loud groan and then scooped up the two razor sharp daggers he had brought with him. He preferred to use a bow and be able to have some distance, but in a pinch he was quite good with the daggers. He had spent hours practicing with them on dummy's and with mock fights he had set up with Karth. Shaking his head, he headed off in the direction Karth had went. It was only a few moments but he knew Karth could be much farther ahead with his special abilities.

His strong legs pushed him through the deep snow as if it were a mere inch on the ground. He leapt through it flawlessly, because he was made for harsh terrain, and weaving through the trees was as easy as if they weren't even there. In a moment he was at the pond, where he was sure the cry had come from, and stood upright. Even with his slight night-vision it was very hard to see under only the light of the moon, and the pond was more than half ice, which wasn't exactly clear. He sighed, flexing his hands and creeping carefully toward the water. He could see the snow here was trampled, and amid the boot-prints he could see claw marks and blood droplets. Shaking his head, Karth looked around carefully, surveying the trees, hoping he could see something. The scream was still strong in his mind, as if he were still hearing it, but there was nothing. Not beyond the rustle of tree branches and the hoot of the occasional owl.

He stepped on something and lifted his foot, surprised to see Malik's bow and his quiver of arrows. Had he forgotten them...? No doubt, and he'd almost crushed some of the arrows in their soft quiver. "Malik, you're such an airhead sometimes..." Karth's voice wavered with caution and a bit of laughter. Sometimes if he weren't careful Malik could lose anything. Karth had often joked that he would probably forget his head if it weren't attached to his neck. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the cold sensation trickling down his back. It was getting more frigid now that he was away from the fire, and he wanted to get back in case that stubborn human had come along with him. Just like him to not want to miss a battle, even if Karth knew it was dangerous. He could sense it. Always had.

A shadow moved to his right and he twisted around. Bear? Moose? The source of the screaming? He gasped, losing his balance on the soft ground just before the liquid section of the pond. "Malik! M-Malik...!" He heard twigs snapping and the shadow was gone, bolting toward it as Karth lost his balance and fell into the frigid water, the air rushed from his lungs. Struggling against his clothes and the icy water, he burst forward and roared inhumanly. His skin was heated, his indigo eyes a poisonous tone of purple, his claws longer and sharper now. "Malik!" His voice was deep, husky, as Karth fought his true monster nature. He couldn't lose it here, not yet, with that shadowy... thing... going toward his only friend.

Malik had gotten about half way to the pond when he suddenly stopped, the hair raising up on the back of his neck. Staying very still and only looking around with his eyes, he was getting an horribly bad feeling. It felt as if something was watching him, something dark and sinister. He had never felt so much malice directed towards him and fear rushed into him almost like a physical blow. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that some of the fear he was feeling was not his own. It was like whatever was out there watching him was projecting a feeling towards him, perhaps as a predatory skill developed to make their prey immobile.

It was a good thing Mailk was no rabbit. He was able to push most of his fear down and away from him, although a good bit of it still remained. He tensed, ready to confront whatever was in the dark watching him. He called out, hoping his seeming boldness would catch the watcher off guard. "I know you're out there. Don't think I don't know what you are doing." He took a step forward but before he could get any futher a dark blur rushed out of the darkness and all he could see was burning red eyes, a ferocious snarl and row upon row of shinning white pointed teeth. He only had a moment and used it the best way he could, by shoving his daggers into the body of the horrifying creature that had him pinned down to the ground. His last coherent thought was that he wasn't going down without a fight.

His hair was plastered to him like an icy sheet, twisted clothes around his body and cutting off his movement. He tried to take several steps forward but tangled in something, perhaps large roots or weeds buried underneath the snow. He pulled at his shirt, and it ripped a little, and his bones started shifting under his skin. As he moved forward, his skin darkened. his pale eyes blackening. He wasn't normal and today he was using that to his advantage. Whatever that thing was, it was like him. He'd only met a few similar, and that was in the past. He forced his way through the trees in a simmering rage. That thing was going toward Malik, it was going to hurt him. He had to stop it.

Karth came up on the initial attack and nearly lost his mind. That dark, shadow-like thing had Malik on the ground and wasn't even registering the blades that had been shoved into it. Karth's eyes widened when he saw it raise its claws ans strike Malik in the neck, and immediately he heard flesh ripping. "NO!" His voice was barely there, but the command was heard. The thing rounded on him and Karth bounded forward, coming into contact with the thing in a full tackle and sending it flying back and into a nearby tree. His long claws pinned the monster's arms and Karth's own sharp teeth dug into its back, contacting the spine and ripping into it, pulling hard and forcing the monster into immediate stillness. But it was still alive. Karth released it and flipped it over, digging his claws into the thing's ribcage and breaking bone to get to its heart. He ground his claws into it, and the creature's body shuddered hard. "Die. Die, just die, just die." Karth didn't realize he was speaking as he watched the thing's eyes lose their light and fade with death.

Malik was struggling with all he had, but the beast was enormously heavy and using that fact to it's advantage. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to get out from under it. Sweat was pouring down his body, plastering his black hair to his face. He realized that the daggers he had thrust into the creature weren't slowing it down or hindering it at all. He was able to take a deep breath suddenly and then realized with horror that the beast had rose up and was coming down at him with those razor sharp claws and there was nothing he could do about it. His vision filled with the color red as the thing's claws sunk into his neck and began to pull and rip. Not even aware of it, he let out a piercing scream as the pain shot down into him, like nothing he had ever felt before.

Still somewhat still conscious, even with the pain intensifying and his vision darkening, Malik heard Karth's voice and the command in it. "No," he weezed out, "don't hurt him." He had forgotten for a brief moment about Karth's abilities and his only thought as he lay there dying was for his friend's safety. His breath started to become more labored and painful. He could feel his life's blood draining out of him. I never got to tell him how I felt... If anything this was the thing he regretted the most. He could even admit it to himself that he thought of Karth as more than a friend. It was too bad death was the only way that it would happen now. He closed his eyes and waited, accepting at the last moment that he couldn't escape death.

The world was blurred and painful, and had tinges of red to it. The snow was bloody... No, that was his own vision, red from unfiltered anger, and blurred from the tears of pain and horror mingling in his eyes as they faded back to their indigo tone. His skin took on a more human tone, his claws retracted painfully, and he heard his friend---his only friend, wheezing through a gaping injury in his neck that was letting him bleed and choke and suffocate. "No, no, no no nono..." He stumbled forward, losing his balance and falling to his legs and hearing an awful crack. But he ignored it. "No, please don't let this happen..." Karth's voice was high in his desperation, frail almost, as he dragged his now-useless leg behind him and came to rest at his friend's side. "Malik, don't... don't close your eyes, Gods..." He clasped the man's pale face and leaned forward. "No, no... No... I'm such an idiot, I can't believe... You're more than a friend to me Malik, damn me for not telling you that..." Was he dead? He couldn't be dead. Karth wouldn't let that happen.

"I told you... I told you I'd keep you safe no matter what... I told you that, remember?" His eyes were so clogged with falling tears that he could barely see his friend. One of his hands shifted, growing long, pointed, steely. "I can't believe I failed... But I won't fail again. I'll save you. I swear... I love you Malik." He was shaking, a mix of fear, ebbing rage, horror, sadness, he couldn't place the flood's specific location. His claws dug into his neck, and he leaned over Malik, letting his darker-than-normal blood fall onto Malik's injuries. He dug deeper into his neck, finding the jugular, removing his hand. "Sorry... Sorry, Malik... I..." He choked, feeling faint, his heart struggling to beat. He gasped, and his heart stuttered, and he lost consciousness, slumping to the side as Malik's skin began knitting together again.

Everything had gone dark and it felt as if Malik was floating, weightless in a vast open space. Every once in a while there would be a flash just on the outside of his vision and he could almost make out figures in them but they vanished almost instantly. Suddenly he was walking, not quite knowing how he went from floating to walking. There was a faint light up ahead and he started towards that. Reaching it, there was a small house set in a beautiful clearing. What was this? That looked like Karth just around the corner. He started to run towards him, a happy smile on his face when he felt jerked back. It was almost like someone had a hold of his shirt and was pulling him away. "No! Let me go! Karth, I'm here! Just look this way!" Karth looked up toward him and mouthed "I Love You." No matter how he fought he couldn't get away from whatever was pulling him back. He let out a sob as he flew back into darkness and was pulled up.

Malik gasped and his eyes opened wide taking in the night sky above him in shock. What had just happened? He turned and saw Karth collapsed onto his side and everything came rushing back. He scrambled over towards Karth and drew him close to his chest, grief rushing into him as he saw the gash on Karth's throat. "Nooooooooo!!" This couldn't be happening. How was he alive right now? Reaching up he felt the line of scar tissue on his throat and realized what Karth had done. "This isn't the way things were supposed to happen! You can't leave me, I won't let you!" He felt for a pulse and relief coursed through his body. He was still alive! Barely but he could feel a faint pulse. Frantically he tore a long piece of his shirt off and wrapped it tightly around Karth's neck. Maybe it would slow the bleeding enough so that he could get help.

Quickly Malik jumped up and started to make a pallet for Karth to lay on so that he could pull him behind him. They couldn't stay here, he would only die. In his haste, when he reached for Karths bag, some of the stuff inside fell out. A yellowed piece of paper caught his eye as he started to put everything back inside. Unfolding it, his eyes widened when he saw the drawing of a statue in the middle of a forest. It had claws for fingers and very long hair and a grim expression on it's face. In one of it's hand's it held a curious looking orb and around that someone had drawn the words hearts desire. There was a rough map on what was left of the paper. It had certain places marked out and notes everywhere. In the top corner he could make out the words: It lies here in the most ancient of trees, guarded by those who would prevent it from being used by the wrong person. Past the mountain shaped like a bear and over the raging water lies the entrance that only the selected one's may enter. Be careful what you wish for. A light clicked on in Malik's head. What if the wishing statue that Karth had always told him about was real? He knew his heart's desire, to save Karth and have him live. I swear if this thing is for real and I find it and I can make him better, I'll tell him how I feel, damned be the consquences.

Malik brought the pallet over to his friend and started to put him on it without injuring him. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do, Karth wasn't the smallest of people. Finally he got him up on it and secured him so that he wouldn't fall off. He placed their furs on top of him, wrapping him in warmth. He had put runners on the bottom that would help him get over the snow. Strapping up to the pallet he placed the fragile map in his pocket and began to pull Karth back towards the way they had come into the forest. There was a small town back that way and he was going to need supplies. He started towards the town, determination in his eyes.

Karth reached into the water and pulled the net he'd cast out several hours ago. This river, while slow, was clear and clean and packed with fish. He brushed back his hair, having let it grow long, and pulled hard. Either the net was caught on something, or he'd be pulling a bear out of the water soon. He fought, though, and finally hauled the entire net up onto the springy green grass beyond the shore. "Oh yes..." Karth panted, standing up straight and pulling his hair back and into a ponytail with a strip of leather. "Hey, where are you!?" His voice carried over the warm air, but he didn't really stop to look around. He had at least two dozen fish in this net, and they were pretty huge.

He left the catch just for a minute, running up the slight hill to a stone outcropping to fetch the wheeled cart he carried with him while hunting. He was young, yes, nearly sixteen, but he'd had to rely on himself for the most part. Now that it was a different story, he was having trouble letting that complete and studious independence go. He brought the cart down, acting as the mule that would have pulled it originally, and knelt at the net, finding its opening and pulling his knife from his belt. He made quick, effective slashes through the eyes of the fish, killing them instantly and tossing them up into the lined cart. Most could be sold, and the rest would easily act as food, preserved with salt or dried or smoked, or traded for other meat.

Folding the net the best he could, Karth tossed it over the pile of fish and turned the cart around with some difficulty. Shaking his bangs out of his face, he started pulling it up until the ground evened out and he was faced with a sunny, bright, grassy valley. At least the beauty made up for the rough time one had bringing down natural predators. He stared around for his friend. "Hellooo!?" He called, rolling his indigo eyes. The cart was pretty heavy for just one teenager.

Malik was nearby, but he was so focused on being perfectly still he didn't even hear Karth calling him. He had been watching that fox for going on ten minutes and he didn't want to spoil his chances of bringing back a beautiful fox pelt and having bragging rights for the next week. Slowly he brought up his bow when he was sure the fox wasn't looking but just when he was about to let his arrow loose, the fox was startled by the loud hello his friend had just let out. Malik tried to stay still but it was too late, the fox saw him and started to run. "Oh blast it!" Quickly he let go of his arrow, hoping that maybe he would still hit his mark. It flew in a perfect arch but the fox moved more quickly than his arrow and it barely missed it's head, lodging itself into a tree.

Malik had held himself tense in anticipation but as soon as he saw he had missed, they slumped down. "Man I would have been in the lead for sure with that one." He sighed and picked himself off the forest floor, grabbing his bow and arrows and walking back towards the river. He made it to where he had left his friend, a glum look on his face. It quickly went away though when he saw the haul of fish that Karth had in the cart. "Wow, what a haul! Here let me help you with that." He quickly walked over towards Karth and took on one side of the cart. It was much easier to pull with two of them. "I almost had you beat, had a beauty of a fox in my sights when it got spooked and ran off. Eh better luck next time I suppose." He would never make it sound like it was Karth's fault. He was his best friend and he hated to make him feel bad. It hadn't been his fault anyway so no point in saying it was because the fox had heard him call out.

Karth grimaced when Malik referred to the narrow miss. "Aw, I must've scared it off. My voice carries a lot more than humans' do..." And that was a frustrating thing. While it worked when he was calling for Malik, it would sometimes scare off the more timid animals Karth hated doing that, but he never really meant to. And Malik seemed to let it slide. "You'll beat me sooner or later. Maybe sooner than you think, eh? I hear there's a herd of deer coming through the valley in a couple days." Since it was warm now, they were coming back from the coast, and Malik would have his chance to beat Karth's catch. A deer or fox was more prized between the two than a bunch of fish, no matter the amount. It was easy to just toss a net into the water and let the foolish things have the current send them into the manmade spiderweb.

"Anyway, we'll... um... I mean, you'll be able to get a pretty penny for these guys. Just don't sell them all, I can preserve a few, use them as bait for bigger fish or those bothersome big cats..." He had his eye on one monster of a big cat. Not many tried to tackle them, but that meant their pelts, teeth, claws, and meat were very expensive and heavily sought over, especially by the rich. He rearranged the cart in his hand and looked up over the valley. Not far off a large town sat on a hill. He didn't often go around people. They saw his eyes and pegged him as different. They knew he wasn't normal and he hated the stares and whispers. It was just one of many reasons he was so glad Malik was his friend. Malik didn't get scared or defensive when Karth told him what he was. That put quite a few positive marks beside Malik's name.

Malik brightened up a bit when Karth mentioned the deer that were supposed to be heading their way. He loved to be able to move through the forest and get almost close enough to touch his intended target before actually going in for the kill. He hadn't always been able to do that and it was really all thanks to Karth. He had shown him how to move through the forest without making a sound and how to mask his scent by using simple things like rubbing the bark from the inside of a tree onto his clothes. It made him smell more like the forest and less like the human he was.

He grinned at Karth with amusement. "Oh I see, you're looking to get one of those big cats and make your score even higher, eh?" He laughed with good natured intent. He rarely overlooked an opportunity to tease Karth a bit. He tended to be a lot more serious than Malik was, and Malik loved to see him laugh along with him and take things more easily. He knew it was very difficult for Karth to blend in with the people in the village because of the way he looked and he hated that his friend had to deal with that.

He had found out about Karth's shape changing abilities on accident. It was before they had met and he had been in the woods hunting by himself. He was almost ready to shoot the rabbit he had in his sights when he heard the strangest noise to the left of him. Curiosity won the better of him, and he crept over towards the sound, never thinking he would come upon a bear who had the features of a man. He wasn't as quiet in those days and a breaking branch had given him away. When the man-bear turned toward him and he could see the human eyes in it's face, he didn't run away screaming as many men had. Instead he had tilted his head and said: "Well aren't you a strange one. I wonder if you're more of a man than a bear." And with that he had just stood there and watched, seeming completely at ease. He had heard the rumors circulating in the village about a monster that roamed the forest but instead of being afraid, he found himself with an insatiable urge to find this "monster" for himself. The human eyes in the bears face had decided him and he had stood his ground. Good thing too, otherwise he wouldn't have met Karth and found his best friend in him.

Karth smiled and nodded. "Perhaps, perhaps. I do like to mark my points up. But I could really use some of their teeth. You know they make wonderful blades." He turned his gaze to Malik and studied the human. He had surprised Karth a few years ago. He hadn't run away. He hadn't tried to kill Karth. Neither had been entirely as cautious or intelligent as they were now. Karth's transformations had been hard to control, sometimes entirely random, and incredibly painful. He didn't change randomly anymore, unless driven to rage, and could control his transformations into specific body parts or spread evenly so he didn't change fully, but took on the characteristics of the animal he was channeling at the time.

When one of the wheels hit a stone, Karth wrenched it free and they breached the hill they had been climbing, onto yet another stretch of flat land. "Malik, perhaps I could wrap my eyes with something to appear blind to the villagers." He said suddenly, inspiration hitting him as they approached the village. Normally he let Malik go into the villages to sell or buy, and he had to wait under a tree or on a rock until he appeared again. He'd accepted this fact as a reality of life long ago, before having ever met Malik. Instead of going to villages, towns, and cities he would rely on travelers and caravans to sell to and trade with. He had appeared so young back then, the adults had taken pity on him. Just not enough to spend much time around him. They had seen his differences and had hurried on their way, even going so far as to tell him outright that he wasn't allowed to follow them.

"I could use thin material so I can still see." He mused. "No one would be any the wiser." Pushing back his hair, Karth looked toward Malik. Sometimes he felt like a bother to the human, who could go anywhere he liked. Oftentimes a walk through a town or city would be much easier than going around, which Karth had to do, and it took more time. But Malik would never leave him, even if he told the human to go on through a town.

Malik could feel Karth's gaze on him and made an effort not to look over towards him. It was one thing to look back as a friend but here lately...well his gaze might not have been just as a friend. He was a little confused about the strange feeling he seemed to have around Karth sometimes. It was almost like...like he was sort of crushing on him and it made him very confused. He had never crushed on someone of the same sex before and he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. Some people would take it as he was an abomination but others would just accept it as the way things were. It just depended on where exactly they were in the kingdom. Right now they were on the outskirts and people were a lot more close minded out here than in more civilized areas. Plus he wasn't sure how Karth would react if he told him, so he just kept quiet and tried to figure it out on his own. Of course he didn't realize that when he was quiet like this he gave himself away sometimes that he was thinking on serious matters.

They crested the hill and Malik turned to Karth, a huge smile on his face. "That, my friend, is an excellent idea! How is it we haven't thought of this before?" He sat the cart down, making sure it wouldn't tip over or roll away from them. "I think I may have just the thing for it too." He pulled his bag out of the bottom of the cart where they had rigged up a sort of basket to hold the other things they carried other than game. It was quite the genius thing really, they had waterproofed it with animal skins and even made it to where it could be shut without anything falling out of it. He had never seen anyone's else's cart made up like theirs was and he always got some satisfaction out of it.

Rummaging around in his bag for a moment, he finally found what he was looking for. It was a long strip of light brown colored cloth. It didn't look like much, especially not if someone needed to look through it but that was the beauty of the cloth. It let the user see through it with no problem at all and it was amazingly soft to the touch. Of course anyone looking at it from the outside would think that it was just a coarse piece of fabric, not knowing that the wearer was able to see everything around them. "I've had this for a while now and you'll be able to see through it just fine." Malik grinned, a sly look on his face. "I used to use it for 'begging' when I was down on my luck with hunting and no one was the wiser. Here let me put it on you and you can see for yourself." Without waiting for Karth to give him permission he quickly brought the fabric around his eyes and proceeded to tie it in the back. "Let me know if that's too tight, ok?" He could feel his heart beat just a little faster from being so close to Karth, but kept his breathing even so he wouldn't give himself away.

Karth studied Malik carefully for a moment, tilting his head at his friend. It was so odd how the young man sometimes acted around Karth. Now and then he wouldn't answer a question because he was staring off a bit sideways. Sometimes he wouldn't even look at him and the monster wondered in those moments what Malik had to be thinking about. Was he ever second-guessing his friendship with something that wasn't even human? Was he wondering if Karth was really to be trusted, was really able to reel in his monster blood? He was too worried to ask, but couldn't help but dwell on these ideas, concerns. When Malik asked why Karth was so tired during the day sometimes, he couldn't admit that he'd been awake all night, wondering what Malik really thought about spending all his time with something that could kill humans so easily. Couldn't help but stay awake, wondering if Malik would do something after deciding Karth was just too dangerous to live with, hunt with, even be around.

Smiling and setting down his side of the cart, Karth shrugged. "Well, I guess neither of us are exactly winning throngs of fans regarding our intelligence, are we?" He chuckled an stretched his arms, watching curiously as Malik pulled a strip of brownish cloth from his bag. "Ah." Karth nodded knowingly at Malik's past ruse. Why not pick up a few bits here and there when the rivers were frozen over and the migrating animals left. He accepted Malik's motion and turned to receive the strip over his eyes, reaching up to touch Malik's hand when he tried to tie in some of his hair. "Mmmm, ah, hold on..." He reached under the cloth and flattened his hair to his head. "That feels better, actually..." Karth was careful when he opened his eyes, his long lashes hitting the cloth. "Wow..." It was similar to looking through a screen, an he turned to face Malik. "It works so well! Can you see my eyes?" It was hard to believe that one couldn't see as well through the cloth as he could.