Under Pursuit (Whilaroo, Cobra)

Diaes' head turned, it was nothing more than a glance, but somehow it carried a great deal of meaning. The fire in his eyes dipped for just that moment to show the deep, dark eyes which held for a moments breadth a softness and care that did not quite seem to belong to this creature. It said more than his mouth ever did. He hadn't ever been afraid of frightening Cale. The look in the boys eyes had been enough to tell him that he couldn't be scared, whether that was good or bad, but the girl was still of a more human persuasion. She could feel the full range of emotions, and she was not used to being met in the dark of night by phantoms whose sight would chill the blood. What the eyes said, simply put, is that he valued her that innocence somehow, and he was sad in the knowledge that bringing her with them, though it would undoubtedly save her from a worse fate, would still strip away that innocence. But then his eyes turned back into the mist, for a moment more, they retained that dark state of reverie before the glimmer returned to them.

Cale continued to just sit, the horse was following on its own, he needn't do anything. The boy just looked at his surroundings, subconsciously picking out hiding spots should they need them as they went. With nothing else to think about, Cale's thoughts drifted to the Sanctuary, the daily beatings, the harsh training, the mundane tasks that the Redeemers were too lazy to carry out themselves. He thought of the first 5 men he had killed, when his 'gift' had been discovered by Redeemer Bosco and was put to the test to see if it was genuine, it made Cale a valuable asset for the Redeemers. Cale was awake, and aware, he could not sleep until they were all safe, but exhaustion was getting the best of the girl, who had now drifted into sleep.

The smell still filled his nostrils, and every moment that it remained putrefying his very existence was sheer agony. Every muscle fought against him, every instinct told him to leap back and tear away an opening, to remove the thin layer that rested between him and every heartbeat's worth of that precious and life-giving serum. He closed his eyes, but that only allowed his mind to play the vision before him with frightening clarity, as though he had already committed the act. One clawed hand clenched down upon a handful of the horses mane. Yet, somewhere deep inside, something of him was in brutal control so that the horse was not injured, the boy still rode high, and the girl was left untouched. Opening his mouth was definitely a risk. If once those teeth were unsheathed, they refused to be locked away again, there was little hope for the young couple. But he parted his thin, blood-red lips, slowly. Even in the gloom, and through the fog, each pointed incisor gleamed like the sun was bright upon them. His tongue ran along them for a moment before, "You had no friends in the Sanctuary, but comrades, perhaps? Assuredly, you knew others, boys with fates as terrible as your own, and perhaps other girls who were as cursed by destiny as the one who rides behind you." He did not turn, that would have been a terrible idea. The fog might obscure him from them, but he could see into the deepening darkness with unparalleled clarity, he would be able to pick out every nuance of the heavily stained clothing, and even the smallest scratch upon Cale might have been unbearable. Distraction, what little it was, "What does that mean to you, Cale?"

"Never had i seen a girl before escaping, I did not know such creatures existed. As a general rule, the acolytes stayed away from each other, to have friends would be the same as being disrespectful or commiting a sin, the Redeemers would punish us. I was treated...worse then the others, and by the others, due to being Bosco's Zealot. Bosco would beat me personally for any mistakes or crimes, and it would always end the same, with him forcing himself to leave the room, to prevent any...undesirable things from happening." Cale spoke, with a very slight hint of hysteria, but he subdued it, he did not show emotions. He looked down towards the horse, repositioning himself to be more comfortable. "I have never trusted before, i do not know how, these emotions i have felt over the past few days are alien to me, and i can not give them names." Cale spoke with an even, monotone voice, no emotion present, it seemed rather dull.

Diaes only nodded. He was reminded of a time when he had first felt emotions that might be called alien to his nature. His existence had been altered entirely. Before, he would have been like Cale, only devoid of any form of moral standard. Once upon a time, he would have simply killed the boy, and probably played with the girl, like a cat with its food, before slaying her too. A flicker of thought caused him to wonder what these alien feelings might be doing to the brutalized young man. He put that out of his mind. It was not his business, getting the two of his charges to safety was. The horse rose and fell beneath him, but his form was steady through the mists. The fog had become dense now, hardly afoot could be seen in front of a body. Holding a hand out before you would cause it to almost be lost from sight. Yet, through the dampening effect of the earthbound cloud, could be heard the beat of horse hooves, many hooves and the heavy metallic sound of armor. A Redeemer advance patrol, along with an armed cavalry unit, if the amount of clatter was any indication. Still, Diaes merely guided his horse forward with that same silent assurance, letting the beast sway back and forth. the horses were not worried, and neither was he.