Zane glanced between Young Song and Caius… something… something more than just a miscommunication was going on here…
Caius huffed, almost dislodging his Little Snack. Caius quickly stilled as that tiny leg pressed against his snout to maintain his balanced, "Oops, umm. Fine." Caius sighed, more gently this time so the little bird could remain perched on his nose. Aiya… still so adorable!
Ashton took another small bite when he was sure the fox's dramatics wouldn't send him sprawling to the ground.
Caius still glowered at Zane. "Leave it and go away. I don't want to see you right now." While Caius had been using the grievance to his advantage, his anger had not been feigned. Attacking a baby… only humans would brag of taking candies from babies and kicking puppies. Aiya, his poor little bird looked ready to fall asleep even in the cold, windy, elements.
Zane nodded swiftly as the chests were placed down with another bao as they backed away.
"Fox, how about I give you a seed if you leave the princeling be? It would be a bother to find a new protector for the little flower." Ashton remarked between another yawn as he started swinging his leg slowly. Some movement would help him stay awake… sleeping so much had just made him more tired.
Caius blinked, "What would I do with a seed? I can't grow it…" Caius stated matter of factly, Aiya… if he could grow a mana fruit tree he would not have guarded that tiny twig for decades…
Ashton blinked as he turned so he could look the fox in the eyes, "None of your kin?" Ashton asked half hopefully, he had fully intended to barter a seed to the fox… the more mana trees the better. With a beast of sin laying ownership… who would dare try and steal?
Caius looked wronged as he flattened his ears despondently, "Aiya… you expect too much Little Snack… if we had such skills that twig, I guarded for fifty years would still be around… it started to wither before I even plucked the first fruit." What fool would kill the gold laying goose…
Ashton laid back, "Hmm, that's unfortunate… well there's no rush. I'm sure someone would be willing to grow them for a fair price." Ashton stated nonchalantly as he tried to bite back a yawn. Ashton felt as if half the world was weighing his eyes down… he was also mostly full but still had more than a third of the fruit left.
Caius didn't miss the little bird's glance over the humans… Aiya… they all looked so similar… hmm perhaps he should learn their names… But they would be dead soon, they lived such short lives… besides he only saw them once a decade or so… sighs, better to know if any of them were useful.
Ashton hadn't even realized he closed his eyes as he slid slowly forward. Soon he was wrapped up in a warm fox tail, his fruit still unfinished. Ashton pried an eye open as he saw the fur surrounding him, "Hum, Fox, the fruit… such a waste." Ashton felt so... heavy… everything was heavy… as if he were trying to move through a swamp.
Caius used his nose to shift the little bird, then started licking the feathers. Such a pretty bird should not have ruffled feathers… well not unless he was the one ruffling them. Caius also ate the mana fruit as the little bird was lulled to sleep. Aiya, so sweet! Almost as sweet as his little bird. Caius didn't mind swallowing the loose feathers, still… for a baby to be losing so many feathers was a little alarming. Best to feed the baby steadily over the days to come.
Neolani wanted to speak to Ashton… but… if he was so exhausted that he could barely stay awake, she could wait until morning. Neolani had Neveu and Nerium in her tent, soon several plates of food were brought in and everyone, but Alexei dismissed.
Nerium was the first to broach the subject, "Do you know what the blood sacrifice ceremony will entail?"
Neolani shook her head, "I really expected Ashton to accept the tribe. Auntie, will everyone accept it?" Only because they were kin and had grown so close over the last decade did Neolani admit she was surprised. Otherwise, she would have upheld her position as Regina… she may have if only Neveu had shown up as chief.
Nerium gave a wry smile, "I am not so surprised, we have been hiding away like tortoises for over a decade… nor did we avenge our fallen. Is it so hard to believe a beast of Pride and justice would not look favorably upon us?" She was not young, nor a fool. She had personally given the order that anyone who could not keep up… would be left behind… It was her by her orders that children and elderly alike had been left to die. Worse than die, be captured, tortured, even sacrificed. Thankfully, their souls had been spared.
Neveu kept his piece, while he was chief, he was a young chief and not nearly the warrior or mage Neolani had been even fifteen years ago.
Neolani took Nerium's aged hands, "Auntie… it was an impossible choice… without your leadership… we would not have been able to reach you." Neolani's heart ached… Nerium had been haunted by her choice all these years… her self-doubt had aged her terribly, usually the chief would retain their youthful appearance until days before their passing. To see her aunt so aged…
Nerium had cried enough teers to fill all the rivers of the savannah, "Do not burden yourself Neolani, better to be his possession than abandoned. Our hope was not in vain, we expected the worst. Now let us eat and speak of happier things. This will be a new age for the Dolquist. Perhaps even Lord Caius will start trade with us." Nerium tightened her hold on Neolani's hands then let go with a smile.
Neolani's face struggled to smile… had she also been so arrogant to believe Ashton would fulfil all her wishes? Neolani took a deep breath forcing a smile, "Let us eat, and yes, speak of happier things, Neveu! Youngest chief in history! And soon to be married. Your parents would be proud!"
Neveu did his best to give a real smile… if he was the reason they could not join as equals… if his pride had faltered… "Yes, Amina and I will have our ceremony in the fall, we would be honored if you attended."
Caius waited until the little bird was thoroughly cleaned and breathing evenly before curling the little bird up in his tails. Then Caius gave a low bark to his kin, two dozen treats were led over after being cleaned, Talvi had ensured none of them could wake the sleeping baby so Caius just quickly ate them.
Zane shuddered, he'd never heard of Caius keeping humans to eat later. Zane wasn't sure why, but seeing the over twenty men just standing there, unchained, naked, terrified, some even crying was worse than when the men had been screaming earlier. This was just so… clinical? As if they were just regular food items.
Rommel gripped Zane's shoulder pulling him away, while Zane had seen death… this was more of an execution. Worse still, was that none of them could fight back. The men were eaten, two at a time just swallowed whole with the only sounds of splattering flesh and crunching of bones. At least earlier, in the heat of the moment, their deaths seemed more acceptable.
But hours later, after understanding how close to death they had been, and emotions had cooled… it seemed so much crueler. No… if anything the false hope earlier had been crueler… but they weren't part of the mob anymore.
Rommel gave Zane a wry smile, it would seem even they had been naïve, having Caius show up and be so ruthless and willing to kill them had startled them out of their false sense of comradery. In Adar Alaina was an invisible deterrent that had made the other beasts behave… to have the blinders ripped away made them more sympathetic to the Smyrnaeans.
Zane steadied himself, even without Alaina's silent protection, Young Song was still here. Zane decided they had to be more careful since Caius would possibly be looking for faults. There was also some dissatisfaction on Caius's part with Alaina which they would add to their mage report. While not immediate like a node channel communication earlier, it was safer and more private.
Rommel saw the determination return to Zane, still the human meals would be constant reminders of how easily the tides could change without protection. When Caius snapped his head around to stare at Rommel who had been looking over Zane's shoulder, Rommel's gripped tightened unconsciously.
Zane saw Caius's reflection in Rommel's eyes, he stiffened but otherwise didn't move until Caius ate the last two people.
After Caius had finished his meal he stretched out and circled the nest in progress, when it was finished he should also be able to fit… hmm maybe he should encourage his Little Snack that room to grow might be a good idea. Caius laid out, while it was early and he didn't need to sleep nearly so often, keeping the little one company would breed familiarity. Familiarity would breed fondness, fondness would breed reliance, and reliance would breed dependence. So long as the Little Snack depended on him, Caius could slowly leed the little one further into his cage.
Besides, keeping such an adorable baby company was no hardship. Caius ensured he kept shifting his Little Snack throughout the night, though… since Caius was usually nocturnal it would be an adjustment to keep the little one company during the day.
Caius lay quietly as he pondered his plans… clearly the little one had an idea of what went on in Adar, or at least about Alaina… Caius grimaced at his own naivety… nothing was free. Even if it hadn't exactly been his choice about going to Adar, still. Alaina was entrenched in enough hearts that few questioned her, for the little one to already have opinions… what a smart baby. Caius searched himself thoroughly… still nothing… maybe he was over thinking things… but it never hurt to be cautious.