[Past]

"A perfect child," Virulent hissed. His voice rang with a sly softness, a short smile crept upon his scaled face. His skin was dappled with wavering light, seeping in from the trees in rays overhead. The air was tenderly cold, and his words emitted fog like smoke. Beside him, and the woman he spoke to, was his mistress, Mira. She was mechanical, in a way, and her legs and arms were a naturalistic shade of purple, lined with the bumps of keloid scars, surely inflicted by hers truly.

She had not had the child yet, but it was bound to be soon, within a few weeks or so. Her belly was swollen with the weight of him. At least, they assumed the child would be a him. They hoped, although for different reasons.

Several months passed, and Mira's belly only grew in size. Born to her, eventually, would have been a baby boy, just as perfect as either of them could have imagined. But her baby boy was never truly born.

Instead, it all happened one day whenever Virulent had an encounter with a wolf-like creature. He emitted something like the darkness, as if there were no stars or moon in the sky at night. He offered Virulent power, and despite his hungriness, and his greed, and his innate need to overtake his father, Virulent declined. He would have a baby boy soon; what more could he need?

It was the morning Mira went into labour. She panted, pushed, and heaved, but the blood kept spilling from her, and neither her nor the boy could be saved. Defeated, and with a growing ache for revenge somehow, for revenge on the entire planet, Virulent once again found Nautis waiting for him in the forest, and accepted his fate. Since that day, Virulent carried with him black blood and dark eyes, and an even darker soul. It was then that he had made the certain decision to take in Danica as his own.

Many years later, he would take Quince and her brother, Ajax, as prisoners. The two had known Danica as a baby, but barely even recognised her then.

Quince had reunited with her brother during their capture. Grateful to see him, but hating the circumstances.

The air was crisp and cold; colder than it had been. The icy air touched their skin like small frozen daggers, and Quince felt a pang of saddened nostalgia. She recalled where she had been only a few months earlier, settling in the warmth of a late spring and baking pies with her mom and younger brother. She missed them deeply, and even more so, worried for them terribly. But right now, her brother was her priority, walking beside her in the woods, slow with his shuffling. She knew that he felt the same. He surely missed their lovely family, too.

The feline huffed. He was large, bold and muscular, tan in coat. He was so different than her in appearance, but the two had a connection like none other. If soulmates could exist, Quince sometimes wondered if Ajax was hers. She imagined that if he had been born to her mom, they would have been identical twins. She smiled at the thought, thinking that perhaps he would have taken her old name, Keith, and she would have been born as a woman. But finding herself smiling while in such a dire situation felt strange, and it quickly fell from her dark face. Her hands were bound, as were Ajax's paws. From their cuffs were chains pulled along by a servant of Virulent: Danica herself. It wasn't long, walking through the cold fearfully and begrudgingly, before the two ended up in Virulent's Forest. They'd been on the outskirts of Virulent's Forest for quite some time, but now, they entered the bulk of the village, a town settled nearly beside a river where boats were camped for fishermen, and gatherers scoured the local fruit trees in the near forests.

The forests surrounding were made primarily of low-hanging, shrubby trees, growing winter fruit upon them. Many of the trees had been purposefully planted for generations, picking the largest and meatiest fruits to take seeds from, and cultivating a delicious variety. It was primitive agriculture, but very effective. Here, the people picked grown fruit all winter long, preparing for a lengthy 6 months of summer that was surely to hit like a wildfire after the short, but abrupt, winter season.

Here, winter was one of the most plentiful seasons, because it was a time where precipitation (albeit, frozen) would fall from the sky and wet the ground for a few short weeks. The snow and cold drizzles were excellent for planting, and many of the cultivated produce from Adam's Peak all the way to Virulent's Forest were specialised in protection against lightly frosted or snowy nights. Even so, the leaves on the trees began to darken and fall, not to be seen green again until the end of the long summer, and yet the fruit upon them continued to grow heartily, as did many leafy greens which were planted in farming plots along the edges of many villages, and particularly grown in River's Bed, which was known for their hard-at-work farmers and bountiful land. While River's Bed stocked on veggies and fruits, Jasper stocked on fish and rice, and Virulent's Forest stocked on a good mix of the two.

Quince didn't dare admire the busy, well-constructed methods of the place. She only looked at it through a grey lens, hating every single Saurion that lived here. But surprisingly, there were plenty of Lycanthropes as well. There were even Anthromorphs. The variety of classes and races was only a testament to the many travels and conquers of Virulent; those manipulated by him, or kidnapped by him, just like Quince. She wondered how many of these people were slaves. Even many of the Saurions were thin or pale, covered in scars or bound at the limbs with metals as they walked and worked. Quince shuddered, fearing that she was next.

"I don't like this at all," Quince spoke quietly to Ajax as the two were pulled through the streets of the town.

"Neither do I," he said, glaring ahead, a scowl on his muzzle, his fangs glinting from under his lip.

Danica snarled, "Quiet." She tugged at their chains, and they reluctantly obeyed. Quince noted that Danica was limping just as she was, clearly injured from their fight. But even with this weakness, there was no escape. Her magic was too powerful, and Virulent's numbers too plenty.

It was a bit of a walk before they ended up in a secluded area of the village. The landscape was barren, stones scattered with a bit of yellow, burnt grass sprouting from between them. The river was nearby and loud, the air filled with the roar from its current. Ahead was a cell; it could be described as no other. Steel bars had been worked into a sculpted area of a stone roof, and stone walls to go with; the cell was small and dank, and had been built into the natural structure of a small cave, or perhaps a den. It looked like someplace an ancient beast would have stayed in in the olden days. It was pitch black on the inside, the thick rock walls unable to allow any light inside except for what was permitted to pass the dark, gleaming bars which admittedly, wasn't much at the time of day.

Danica ushered them into the cage with a whipping snarl, pushing harsh hands on their backs. Her black eyes gleamed, beady like a rabbit's. She hissed, "This is where you will be staying," as if it wasn't obvious already.

Ajax scoffed, "I appreciate the offer, but no thanks." Quince gave him a strong warning glare.

Danica narrowed her eyes at him, "Oh?" A smirk spread across her fair face. "Well, why don't I show you how things work around here." Despite her injuries, Danica was surprisingly strong with the aide of her dark magic. In a flash, she raised a crooked hand towards Ajax and a hot, fiery beam emitted from her palm, devouring him as he yelped out, shielding his face and eyes. The flames singed his fur with a foul smell and a loud, rattling sound, a sound that echoed through the crisp air and vibrated through the forest's ground. Onlookers from down in the village would stop and stare in awe and fear.

Quince called out, a pain in her chest, "No! Stop!" The fear and adrenaline pushed in. And despite her injuries, she was still quite strong. In her own flash of magic, Quince had lifted herself from the ground with two magnificent wings. One wrecked with pain, and their powerful flaps were lopsided; she was shocked she could even fly, but the excoriating pain was simply numbed from her mind as her focus was solely on protecting her brother. She flew at Danica like a rocket, but she was quick to react, turning her palm away from Ajax.

Just as he noticed, he called out in a panic, "Quince, stop!" His shout was hoarse. But it was too late. The beam of fiery light pummeled across Quince's wings, and she fell about a foot back to the ground with an agonising thud, that same pain running up her ribcage and now through her wings. Their feathers curled and smoked and singed, rendering them useless. The beam faded, and Danica cackled in response.

Quince was on the stone ground now, dazed. She curled a burnt wing around herself, eyes filling with tears as she saw the burnt edges of her once glorious ebony feathers. Usually gleaming in the evening light, they now were dull and matte with charcoal. Her grief and pain very quickly exploded into rage, and she pushed herself to her feet despite her blurry vision.

"You burnt my wings," the first time she spoke, it was with a cracked voice, as if she didn't realise it was true yet. But the second time she spoke, it was with conviction and rage, "You burnt my wings, you bastard!" Her eyes ignited with anger and hate, vibrant like fire. She felt all of her hatred towards Danica bubble to the surface uncontrollably in a spill of heat, and her body physically trembled with it. The hairs on the back of her neck and along her arms stood on end, as if she were about to be struck by lightning, and goosebumps crept along her skin. She seemed to physically grow, physically puff up, physically stiffen.

"Then maybe," Danica spoke slyly, "You should behave." Her smirk was insufferable, and the dark gleam in her eyes even worse. Quince wanted nothing more than to rip her features clean off of her face. She wouldn't have much to say then, would she? The thought brought Quince some much needed comfort in such a cold place. Still, she couldn't stand that snarkiness from Danica.

"What do we have to do for you to release us?" Quince finally asked, her voice wavering with pure, thick hatred. Despite the chilled air, she felt blazing hot, her jaw clenched, her throat tight.

Danica thought for a moment, that same smirk on her face, "Well, perhaps in exchange for your services, Virulent will consider your release. You see, it isn't truly you he's after. He wants Adolpha." Well, Quince thought that she was angry before, but now, she really was.

Bristling, she spat, "Don't you dare lay a single hand on Adolpha! I swear to Mother Nature, I will fucking kill you."

Danica tsked, shaking her head with amusement, "So much anger in such a small woman. Such foul language for one, too. You remind me so much of myself."

"How dare you say such a thing? We are nothing alike!" Quince's charred wings fluttered behind her, desperate to fly here way from here, but unable to. "Fix my damn wings, you brat!" Danica continued pushing the two into their cold, dank cell, that same wicked grin on her face. Ajax's long tail twitched at his hocks, all of his tan fur on end.

"Someday," Danica sighed, "You'll thank us." She pulled the iron bars on the gate, closing it shut with a loud clang, leaving Ajax and Quince separated from her and caged. She gave them one last look, something like pity, before locking the cage with chain loops and then turning away, slowly making her way back into town as if nothing had happened at all.

"I wonder," Ajax spoke curiously, "What Virulent did to her."

"What?"

"You have been friends with Adolpha for long enough to know that Danica wasn't always like this. As a child, she was sweet, mild, and mathematical. Completely the opposite from Adolpha, who I've heard was a little devil... It isn't beyond my belief that something terribly tragic has happened behind those black eyes of hers."

Quince shook her head, finally allowing her tense body some form of relaxation, "I guess I never thought about it like that."

"Maybe we will find out some day," Ajax sighed.

Quince sat down on the cold floor, her back against the stone wall. The coolness of the wall felt relieving to her burnt wings. As her muscles relaxed, she quickly began to feel all of the aching pain throughout her body. Her ribcage throbbed in pounding waves with agony; her wings both felt sore and terribly ached, and even more so her fractured one, which stung like a knife was through it. Her head and chest pounded, and her mouth felt way too dry.

"Do you think they will bring us anything to eat?" She asked her brother, who sat down across the cave from her. His left outline was illuminated by a gentle light from outside the bars.

"I'd say so," he said, thoughtfully, "Virulent clearly has plans for us."

"I hope it's very soon," Quince replied, utterly exhausted. "You don't suppose there is any escape from here?"

"I don't think so."

"Your magic can't heal, can it?"

"I'm afraid not."

She thought for a moment, "But it can destroy, can't it?"

He nodded, "I can try to break out of here..."

"Yes, try it."

With an aching heave, the feline stood to his two rear paws, tail wavering long behind him. He pointed his claws in the direction of the barred gate, and Quince watched with wide, curious eyes as his hackles rose, the hair along the back of his neck lifting like grass in the wind. Aside from a small vibration, nothing happened.

He grunted, "It seems like the gate is barred with something."

"Magic?"

"Yes."

"So it's likely there's a guard just outside, keeping powers locked onto our very gate," Quince reasoned. Ajax popped his back, groaning, and then slowly sat back down on the floor. His clothes were tattered, blackened and curled at the corners. They were both without weapon.

He huffed, "It must be a very powerful being, standing there for Mother knows how long, keeping locked onto this very gate!"

"It's the power of Nautis," Quince sighed, resting an aching head onto the palm of her hand.

"Are you tired?" Ajax asked her after a moment of silence.

"...Very."

"I am too..."

Another eerie silence, and then Quince spoke, "Are you worried about Adolpha?"

"I am, but I can tell that you are even more so."

"She's all I can think about."

The cat gave a small chuckle, "I believe that is normal for you, dire circumstances or not."

Quince felt her face flush, and she couldn't quite pinpoint why, "That's not very funny!"

"Then why are you smiling?" It's true; Quince was smiling, and suddenly, she was very grateful to have her brother here with her. "Besides," Ajax continued, "Adolpha is a strong woman. She will be alright. I am positive of it."

"You believe it?"

"Very much so." 

The sky outside was dark, with nothing but the moon's muted light. It cast a faint, blue glow over the buildings. The town down the lane became slowly quiet, and then completely and utterly still. The air was chilled, and Quince stared out of the dingy bars and into the dim, peaceful night. It was so silent, so beautiful. She could think only of Adolpha. She could think only of what her orange hair would look like under the blue moon. It would probably look grey, or even green in the light. But Adolpha's eyes would be just as blue as ever. As the night streamed on, lively like a river, but silent as a predator, Quince found herself falling asleep, her face against those bars, wistful and nostalgic as ever. She thought of her family, her little brother, her parents... she wanted more than anything to be home with them, with Ajax, and with Adolpha at that moment.

A tear fell from her cheek, leaving a trail of gleaming wet, reflecting the moon's gentle touch.

Adolpha could only think of Quince that following morning, walking alongside Pebble and his bright mother, Johanna. But like Quince, Adolpha felt the incessant darkness looming behind her as Yakob followed her closely in both body, and with his eyes. She could feel his stare on her back, and felt every single hair lift from her body in a creeping, sinking fear. She tried her very best to ignore it, to push it down, but it continued to poke the back of her brain.

She was very grateful to have Johanna and Pebble here with her, although, she wished more than anything that they were anywhere else. Adolpha couldn't stand how close in proximity they were to Yakob. She wanted to scream at them to run, to run as far away from him as they could possibly get.

Johanna noticed. She noticed Adolpha's new silence, her careful eyes, her tight expression and stiff movements. She knew that Adolpha seemed terribly pale compared to who she was yesterday, as if the blood had drained from her face. She said nothing, but remained observant and careful herself, keeping a close eye on Adolpha and Yakob both as they continued on. It wouldn't be too much longer before they reached their destination.

That morning, Quince and Ajax awoke with a start. A clicking sound, the rattling of chains at their barred gate; the two shot from the cool floor to their feet, staring at who was daring to open the door to their cell. Behold, before them was Virulent himself. Quince had heard of him, heard descriptions, but had never been face to face with him like this before. He was even scalier in person, gleaming, bright red eyes and a snake-like body that was flexible and slim. The creature was smaller than she had anticipated, but the muscles that rippled beneath thick reptilian skin showed with pride that he was not one to fight with. A collision with such a beast would mean certain death to any that tried, and yet, Quince's mission was just that. The slimy Saurion before her was their one true enemy— no, not quite... As Nautis was easily a larger threat. Virulent, however, was his wicked henchmen. Ajax and Quince stood there, stiff, arms up, prepared to fight if needed.

"Down, boys," Virulent cooed lowly, like a Feline's purr in his throat, "I'm no threat." Quince pretended not to take offence to his greeting, as it was obvious who she was now.

"Why are you here, Virulent?" Quince growled, "Are you going to kill us? Try and manipulate us like you've so done with Danica?"

"Manipulate?" Virulent pretended to be shocked and offended by the word, but he batted no eye at their accusation of him wanting to kill her. "No, of course not, and I'm hurt that you would ever think of such a thing."

Ajax scoffed, tail flagging behind him in anger, "Oh, I'm sure you are."

"I only wanted to check in on the two of you. I understand this situation is less than ideal... but truly, I intend on helping you both."

Quince felt that fire ignite inside of her once again, and she blazed, "Help us?! You would never help us! You trapped us here, dragged us here all this way!"

"I can and I will help," Virulent scowled, "You must just do something for me, and then, your lives will return to normal."

"I'm not normally dead," Ajax hissed, and Virulent ignored him with purpose.

"You two just need to behave," Virulent said again, cold and calm. "And then you will see."

"And if we don't?" Quince asked, stepping towards him daringly. Virulent matched Quince's energy, taking a few steps into the cavern on his creature's bowed legs, his large claws making clicks against the hard stone floor. He neared her and Ajax, and then, with incredible speed, he flipped around, long tail wavering for balance, and pinned Ajax against the far wall with claws hooked around the soft fur of his delicate throat.

With force, Virulent cackled, "Do you really want to test that?"

Quince took a fast, faltering step towards them, gasping, "No! Don't!" Ajax grunted, pushing against the strong Saurion, but unable to move much. "Let him go!" Fear and panic began to ring in Quince's desperate voice. Her body trembled, her eyes wide and glassy and blue.

"You need to watch that temper of yours," Virulent said, slyly as always. Quince stood, fiery and afraid, preparing every tense muscle in her body to attack this creature. She would kill him with her bare hands if she had to!

But Virulent released Ajax, and the cat slumped to the floor with a gasp, paws around his throat, as if checking if it was still there. He coughed, but he was alright. Quince's body crumpled with sudden relief and grief both, and she raced beside her brother, kneeling with concern. Then, she flashed a glare full of hatred at Virulent from behind her. He smirked devilishly, standing in that open doorway to their cell.

Open doorway? Quince hesitated. The door was wide open! If they could push past Virulent, if they could be fast enough, they could escape just as easily. She turned back to her brother, who had now recovered, but the look of desperation and fear that he gave her was more than enough to tell her that running out that open cell door was a death sentence. Her spark of hope died just then, and she sagged to the floor completely. Utterly defeated, and hopeless. The wicked Saurion stared for a moment, lingering, and then left, meticulously locking the gate behind him. Guards followed him as he did so. For a moment, Quince sat up, exhaling, and full of anger and spite.

"We will defeat him," she promised, "One day, Virulent will get what it is that he deserves."

"I know," Ajax said. Usually the calmer one, he seemed just as bridled with rage as Quince just then, his slanted eyes loud. "We will ensure it." Her brother's voice held a strong conviction and energy, but Quince couldn't help but doubt their mission. If Mother Nature was truly dying, then wouldn't their magic capabilities fail them? She began to wonder if this quest to save the world had been a death sentence from the very beginning. She struggled to push the thoughts away, as they depressed her so. Instead, she focused on the warm feeling of her brother breathing softly beside her, and the two rested for a while.

A bit of silence passed as the day wore on, but not long after, Virulent's presence was replaced with Danica, which in some ways, was even worse, considering the three's history. Quince and Ajax still laid on the floor together, comforting one another in any way that they could. Danica's wicked self appeared at the gate with no warning, peering through the bars like a predator stalking its prey, her eyes just as beady as ever.