Xoris was thrown out of a dreamless sleep instantly by the harsh pounding coming from his door. He immediately reached for his sword. A mob? Am I being attacked? His eyes flit across the room, looking for an escape.

"I'm leaving in a half a turn. Be ready by then."

A defeated sigh pushed its way out of Xoris, his body deflating a bit. Even working together, Rajul was going to act as though this was his keep, which meant early mornings and lots of shouting. He put his sword down. "Fine. Just give me a moment."

It didn't take him long to put himself together, but a part of him almost felt as though he were even more tired now than he had the three restless days before. He was dragging through his movements, as if the long, countless turns spent awake had finally caught up to him at the worst of times. Even the few bites of soup Rajul forced him to eat didn't offer up much energy before the man stood up, clipping his black cloak around his neck as he prepared to leave.

Xoris did wake up slightly though as he followed him away from the tavern, and up to a shop surrounded by a large fence only a bit further up the road. A howl rose up from the place, and he took in a deep breath in awe.

"Wait, are we going to get a Welk?" He could barely contain his excitement.

"Of course? We're not walking that far. It would take well over a tally, and there wouldn't be much to save by then." He shook his head as if the very notion itself was impossible. "I am going to make you pay for it though. You're being paid more today alone than I am over the course of an entire Crack."

Xoris nodded. It was only fair, and it wasn't as though he had any better use for his chips. Besides, he thought as his face lit up at the sight of fur in the distance. I'd argue this is a great use of them. With that, he was opening up the wooden gate to the corral, standing and waiting for one of the large Beasts to come bounding up to him.

It only took a moment before the scampering of large paws kicking up the dirt became a steady beat, and a slobbery, wet sensation ran up Xoris' exposed neck and face."Lykos! Down boy! I am so, sorry," came a woman's voice as Xoris was quickly pushed to the ground, rattling a bit in his metal suit. He could see her tugging a set of reins attached to the Beast's curled horns.

Xoris laughed. "That's all right. I set myself up for it." He pushed himself up from the ground, taking off his gloves to run his hands through the Beast's thick fur while its enormous tail flicked back and forth happily. The grey fluff was incredibly silky and smooth, and he could tell right away that they were well taken-care of.

"Xoris! While I'm sure you're thrilled to make friends with another Beast, we're here to buy them, and leave," Rajul called out to him, only just starting to make his way inside the fence. Xoris sighed, withdrawing his hand with a small pat. While the harsh reminder wasn't pleasant, he was right. They did have a mission to focus on.

"Oh, you're planning on buying upfront?" The woman adjusted her hold on the reins so that both were held by one hand. "Are you getting them as pets, or for travelling?" Her green eyes flicked over to Rajul for a moment, the colour a nice contrast to the array of hazel freckles on her face.

"Travelling. We'll also be needing a caravan that will last us a trip to the sea and back," Rajul answered, inspecting the Welks around them, including the one the rancher had referred to as Lykos. They were huge, just slightly taller than Xoris, and Rajul looked practically tiny standing next to them in comparison.

"Hmm." The woman thought for a moment before answering. "I think I can get that, and it would be a two Welk set-up, if that sounds all right with you?"

Xoris looked at her, then at Rajul who was nodding solemnly. "We're going to get two?" His mind started to trail towards possible names as he looked around.

"Don't look too excited. They're not pets, and we'll be dropping them back off with the king as soon as we're done with them." The general tapped an impatient finger on his crossed arms. "And just how domesticated are they?"

"Oh, completely. None of my customers will be put at risk." She pointed up to a small, curved scar sitting on top of the Welk's forehead. "I remove the heka when they're three Cracks old, and the rest is all just love and care, so they have no violent tendencies."

At the mention of this, Xoris tilted his head. When put like that, it almost sounded as though the heka in their blood was where the urge came from. Images floated through his mind, of his own abilities, and the elated feeling he'd had when fighting. Removed... He shivered a bit at the idea. Whatever the procedure consisted of, it sounded painful.

"That sounds doable. For how much, then?" Rajul looked at Xoris, gesturing for him to leave the Welk he was staring at and come over if only to hand him his Aevida.

"Well, normally I sell my Welk for a hundred a Beast, and any travelling setups for two hundred. But, I'll give you a fifty chip discount for the knight in shining armour who seems to like them so much." She winked at Xoris, flashing him a smile as he pulled out the Aevida.

Why would she give me a discount? I can more than afford it, and she does a good enough job to deserve the pay. The idea confused him, and he simply angled his Aevida to give her the full amount. He'd just picked up his wages the day before anyway, so it was no issue for him. "Don't worry about the change," he mentioned. "Can we pick out the Welk ourselves?"

"I..." The woman stopped, staring at her Aevida before sighing. "Yes, you may. I'll be back with the caravan."

"Thank you kindly!" With that, Xoris began to wander, reaching his arms up to pet a few of them, feeling the smoothness of their horns.

"You're an ashclaeve for not taking the discount," Rajul criticised, catching up with Xoris as he rolled his eyes. "Just be sure to at least pick out strong ones."

"Don't worry, I will," Xoris assured him, taking a look at the several lightly fenced-in around him. Part of him was reminded of Luke, and his stuffed Welk toy he'd always carted around in his youth. Even at the keep, Xoris had seen it shoved in the same chest he had kept his armour in, despite being so far from home. The four-legged creatures certainly weren't Xoris' favourite domesticated Beast, but he couldn't deny that he felt a sad sort of fondness to look at them now. A large female bent her head down to nuzzle a warm, wet nose against his hand. Beasts had never been close to him before, and he could tell the rancher knew her job well.

"Have you decided yet?" the woman asked, tugging a caravan into the centre of the place before pushing herself up to sit on the edge.

"I think so," Xoris answered, keeping his hand on the sleek girl in front of him. "I think we'll go with this one here, and the one from before, Lykos."

Rajul turned to him in an instant, a twitching sense of rage forming in his glare. "You can't be serious! I said pick healthy ones, and it doesn't even have eyes." He gestured wildly at the stitch-like scar spanning across his face, just above the happily panting, burgundy tongue.

"I... I'll just see for him. We're leading them with reins anyways. What does it matter?" He had liked the friendly spirit of the first Welk, and Rajul had given him permission to choose...

The general growled, stroking his salt and pepper beard in annoyance. "This is ridiculous." He turned to the woman before taking the cart's harness and making his way over to the Welks. The Beasts seemed happy at the idea of being able to explore more than just the enclosure they'd spent their whole lives in, and they bowed their heads gently to have the large belt slipped over their necks. "We're only taking them because this 'Lykos' looks like it's at least muscular and fit."

"Oh sure," Xoris looked at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he raised his brows to smirk at him. "It's not because you care about my decision, not at all."

"I don't. The only decision of yours I care about is you not joining the other side of the war." He tugged at the last strap of the harness, securing the Beasts in place. It was incredibly rude for him to not even make eye contact as he spoke, which irked Xoris for a moment.

Well, maybe it's to be expected. I did almost strangle him the last time we met. True, the man had been insensitive to Luke's death, which even now sent a flicker of anger through him, but he supposed it only made sense, in hindsight. Xoris had grown up with him, not Rajul. The general must have led thousands of soldiers to their death in his lifetime. It was part of the job description, same as fighting was to being a paladin. Perhaps the shock of it came not to weigh so heavy after enough time. Xoris hoped that was the case.

All the same, as he waved goodbye to the rancher and climbed up into the carriage, his actions continued to circle through his mind. "Um, Rajul?" he offered up, taking a shaky seat next to the man as the cart lurched into action at a crack of the reins. "I... I'm very sorry that you're upset with me. That day, when you came to bring me the news, I-I never should have done that. Usually, I have a much better control of my emotions, and I'm really not a violent person... or– well– you know what I mean. It's just been a very rough Crack for me, not that it justifies anything but-"

"I'm not looking for apologies, Stained. What's done is done, so the only thing you should be focused on is how you're going to end the raid."

"Right. Sorry." Xoris only realised his mistake after he'd come to apologise yet again. He finally settled himself on focusing his gaze at the long road ahead of them as the town fell away. It didn't take long while travelling in the second direction before the metallic smell of the sea began to fill the warm air, but he knew they'd still have several turns to go in the first direction before they'd reach another village, even with the Welk keeping an incredible pace.

As the Beasts drew the cart close enough to see the endless crimson water of the sea lapping at the sand, a powerful wave of heka hit Xoris like he'd never felt before. The decisive, comforting feeling returned, and his hold on his body slipped out of his grasp before he knew what was happening. He knew that the Stained energy was strong near any body of water, but still, he hadn't expected it so suddenly.

At first, a sense of panic began in his stomach at how quickly any concept of control was taken away, but it faded after a few drips. After all, Rajul had already seen him like this, twice, and there was no one else around. Besides, it was a lot easier to work with the heka he was surrounded by than fight it. He was much too tired to do that, and the slight rest he took to close his eyes while the Welk lapped at the sea's water ended all too soon as Rajul led them back to the cart, snapping the reins at their horns to launch them into motion once more.

The feeling of the sea's power didn't fade no matter how long they ran besides it. After a while he peered over at the red liquid, bored, watching as it lapped at the piles of sticky sand, dying them from their dusty yellow to a dull crimson. It was where the term Stained had come from: when the unfiltered waters of the rivers and sea flooded and came to make contact with a Human. Not that Xoris has ever seen it, but even now he could recall countless stories of the water seeping into the skin, washing the colour away as red blotches formed until the Human became a Vampire, or died if the heka within the water reacted with their majik.

At least, that had been the first meaning of the term. Being Stained had grown to cover many more races now, now that others had come to research what did and did not fall under the category, but they all had one thing in common that made them stick out from the other Beasts. They had a mind, a consciousness, and supposedly a connection to the Stained land itself that Beasts like the Welk in front of him could never achieve. It was what made them different, and yet... I don't have any connection like that, do I? He perked up for a moment, trying to pull at the energy in his chest to gain a sense of his surroundings more than what all his eyes could give him.

There was an ancient solidity in the energy that rolled off the ocean settling into the very air he breathed. It was like the beating of a heart in sets of three, the steady intake of a breath from the world itself. Heka was life. Xoris had always heard Luke describe it as a cage, a sense of control that sought to snuff out his own majik, but if anything, Xoris found it almost... Comforting. It was purposeful, welcoming.

His mind trailed back to the Welk lapping greedily at the water as Rajul held their leashes, standing a good ways away from the waves. Xoris wondered if he too, could drink water without it needing to be filtered now, but he quickly rejected the idea. Whether he could or not, he didn't want to know. Instantly, he was settling his energy, pushing it down. Thoughts like this weren't healthy. They hinted at other things, things Humans would never do. No. He wasn't a part of that. He refused.

As another crash sounded as a wave hit the shore, Xoris tried to determine how many turns they'd spent in silence by this point. However many it had been, it was wearing on him quickly. He was quite done with his thoughts, and there was nothing else to occupy his mind, nothing to pass the time but the throbbing of waves and mound after mound of sand. Even with the drumming of the Welks' paws and the occasional crack of their reigns, it was too quiet. He hated it.

At some point, he began to pat his hands on his thighs to a set rhythm. His foot tapped in time with it as he glanced around the caravan for the hundredth time. He had just started humming to the beat he'd made, when he felt his armour vibrate a bit, the sound echoing from the empty space between his side and the layer of metal. Oh right, he managed to put together from his exhausted brain. I suppose I can do that too.

Focusing on his side, he attempted to make the sound go a bit lower, despite his usual tenor range, if only to hear the sound echo a bit more. When he focused on his other two mouths to do the higher harmonies, it actually sounded quite nice as he lined the song up. It wasn't any tune in particular, as far as he knew. Just the same melody he always hummed when he was bored. The one he'd known all his life. He was simply able to put more effort into it now.

"Would you please stop that?"

With a flinch at the shouted command, he closed up every aspect of being Stained, grabbing at his knees as his face flushed. "I'm-"

"-Sorry, I'm more than aware. Well, there's no point in turning back now." Rajul huffed, and as the scent of smoke and flame reached his nose, Xoris knew he meant the words in more ways than one. "We're here."