~A few weeks later~
"Oy! Ja', slow down, not everybody can move on the ground as fast as you do in those trees!" A young recruit, about 20 years of age was panting from the ground, as Ja'ren paused to lean up against the tree he was in. Despite being a fairly new recruit himself, he had been put in-charge of a small group who's main objective was to stop poachers in the Shroud. Obviously, there was someone in the group who ranked higher than he did, but that man's objective was to make sure Ja'ren didn't lead his group astray.
Now that Ja' had stopped dancing from tree-to-tree, the other recruits stopped to catch their breath. They weren't out of shape, Ja'ren had just been moving extremely fast, completely focused on reaching their destination and finishing the job they had been assigned. He still wasn't used to interacting with other people, so he tried to keep his missions as quick and painless as possible. Something the higher-ups in the Adders were beginning to notice. They continually assigned him bigger and bigger jobs, and each time, the task was completed promptly and with no casualties or injuries. Yet.
"Caught your breath yet? We're almost there."
The Sergeant assigned to their group looked up at Ja'ren, scrutinizing the boy for the hundredth time. The kid was gazing off into space, but the man knew better. He knew Ja' was sensing, seeing things the others couldn't. What the boy saw was unknown, but it had kept everyone safe so far.
"Ready your weapons. Couple more strides and we'll be upon them. There's a couple animals around, try not to hit them. I'll take out the forward scout, rest of you take down the resistance. Set the animals free before moving further." Ja' sounded like a Sergeant himself just then, barking orders, his tone low, serious. A rare thing for the boy. The recruits obeyed, knowing it would be a waste of time to try and argue, and the group moved forward, quietly.
It took but a few moments, before Ja'ren could clearly spot the forward scout, though he could only see the poacher's aura, it was more than enough for him to make the shot. The poacher went down, without any noise, the arrow Ja' used was tipped with a paralyzing poison, as were the other arrows he and the recruits had, and the group quickly moved in, the recruits fanning out to take down the other poachers. Just as they were beginning to set the captive animals free, Ja'ren yelled, leaping down from the tree and ripping off his eyepatch, revealing his red eye. "ANGRY COEURL. MOVE. MOVE. GET OUT OF THE WAY OR YOU'RE CATFOOD."
All of the recruits immediately moved out of the way, except for one. A small female mi'qote, who froze with fear as the large female Coeurl bore down upon her, claws out, about to strike. Ja'ren moved, quick as a blink, shoving the girl out of the way, and turning to face the large clawed paw as it slashed down at him. At the last second, he backstepped, but not enough to avoid injury. The coeurl's claw sliced across his left eye, opening a gash that started to bleed. Thankfully, it didn't actually damage his eye, a product of his backstep - it had put him just far enough away to keep the claw from piercing his red eye.
He staggered, ignoring the pain, it was nothing compared to how his eye throbbed some days, and stared the coeurl down. The mi'qote female whimpered, and crawled over to the other recruits who had taken refuge behind an empty cage. The Sergeant watched with interest, yet again the boy had seen, or sensed, incoming danger, and yet again he had kept someone from getting hurt.
The coeurl snarled, circling Ja'ren as the boy stared straight into the animal's eyes, as he turned to follow the wild-cat, the other recruits gasped quietly at the wound, and the eye. In the light, it appeared to be glowing red, and someone whispered, "Red Eye..."
Ja'ren snarled at the coeurl, attempting to assert himself over the female. He knew these animals respected strength, and would attack if he showed any weakness. The image of Ja'teeh jumping infront of him when he was a child flashed through his mind, and his face contorted, making him look even more fierce, almost scary - demon-like. The coeurl continued to circle, growling low in her throat, before she finally noticed the small catboy's eye. She froze, growl sticking in her throat, and stared back at the boy. Ja'ren stared back, face frozen in a snarl, and the coeurl female slowly stepped forward, sniffing at him and his eye. She seemed curious, like she had never seen something like this before, but suddenly her eyes softened, as she suddenly stretched her neck out to lick the boy's wound.Â
"Wha-"
Ja'ren's face suddenly swapped from the snarl to shock and surprise as his eyes grew so large they almost popped out of his head. The female ignored his protests and continued to clean the wound, when she finished, she inspected her work, and appearing satisfied, turned to leap into the forest.
The Sergeant and the recruits looked on in unmasked surprise. Had that coeurl just..treated Ja'ren like one of her kits? As this realization suddenly sunk in, a few started chuckling, and soon, the entire group was shaking with laughter. Ja'ren just glared, before scooping up his eyepatch from off the ground, and wiping his face on a sleeve.
"When you're all done wasting time, let's get back to give our report."
The small female mi'qote, who Ja' had shoved out of the way, slowly walked up to him and looked up into his face with tear-filled eyes. "Thank..you." She mumbled before scurrying off, recruits following, but the Sergeant remained behind. He walked over to clap Ja'ren on the back, "That was well done, kid. Let's get you to a healer."
Ja'ren rolled his eyes, shaking his head no at the tall elezen, "It's just a scratch, I can handle this myself." He reached up, pulling his glove off of his left hand, and held it over his eye as a healthy green glow illuminated his face. The cut slowly healed, skin knitting together, leaving behind a scar over his red eye. The Sergeant chuckled, "Just full of surprises, aren't you."
"Oy! Ja', slow down, not everybody can move on the ground as fast as you do in those trees!" A young recruit, about 20 years of age was panting from the ground, as Ja'ren paused to lean up against the tree he was in. Despite being a fairly new recruit himself, he had been put in-charge of a small group who's main objective was to stop poachers in the Shroud. Obviously, there was someone in the group who ranked higher than he did, but that man's objective was to make sure Ja'ren didn't lead his group astray.
Now that Ja' had stopped dancing from tree-to-tree, the other recruits stopped to catch their breath. They weren't out of shape, Ja'ren had just been moving extremely fast, completely focused on reaching their destination and finishing the job they had been assigned. He still wasn't used to interacting with other people, so he tried to keep his missions as quick and painless as possible. Something the higher-ups in the Adders were beginning to notice. They continually assigned him bigger and bigger jobs, and each time, the task was completed promptly and with no casualties or injuries. Yet.
"Caught your breath yet? We're almost there."
The Sergeant assigned to their group looked up at Ja'ren, scrutinizing the boy for the hundredth time. The kid was gazing off into space, but the man knew better. He knew Ja' was sensing, seeing things the others couldn't. What the boy saw was unknown, but it had kept everyone safe so far.
"Ready your weapons. Couple more strides and we'll be upon them. There's a couple animals around, try not to hit them. I'll take out the forward scout, rest of you take down the resistance. Set the animals free before moving further." Ja' sounded like a Sergeant himself just then, barking orders, his tone low, serious. A rare thing for the boy. The recruits obeyed, knowing it would be a waste of time to try and argue, and the group moved forward, quietly.
It took but a few moments, before Ja'ren could clearly spot the forward scout, though he could only see the poacher's aura, it was more than enough for him to make the shot. The poacher went down, without any noise, the arrow Ja' used was tipped with a paralyzing poison, as were the other arrows he and the recruits had, and the group quickly moved in, the recruits fanning out to take down the other poachers. Just as they were beginning to set the captive animals free, Ja'ren yelled, leaping down from the tree and ripping off his eyepatch, revealing his red eye. "ANGRY COEURL. MOVE. MOVE. GET OUT OF THE WAY OR YOU'RE CATFOOD."
All of the recruits immediately moved out of the way, except for one. A small female mi'qote, who froze with fear as the large female Coeurl bore down upon her, claws out, about to strike. Ja'ren moved, quick as a blink, shoving the girl out of the way, and turning to face the large clawed paw as it slashed down at him. At the last second, he backstepped, but not enough to avoid injury. The coeurl's claw sliced across his left eye, opening a gash that started to bleed. Thankfully, it didn't actually damage his eye, a product of his backstep - it had put him just far enough away to keep the claw from piercing his red eye.
He staggered, ignoring the pain, it was nothing compared to how his eye throbbed some days, and stared the coeurl down. The mi'qote female whimpered, and crawled over to the other recruits who had taken refuge behind an empty cage. The Sergeant watched with interest, yet again the boy had seen, or sensed, incoming danger, and yet again he had kept someone from getting hurt.
The coeurl snarled, circling Ja'ren as the boy stared straight into the animal's eyes, as he turned to follow the wild-cat, the other recruits gasped quietly at the wound, and the eye. In the light, it appeared to be glowing red, and someone whispered, "Red Eye..."
Ja'ren snarled at the coeurl, attempting to assert himself over the female. He knew these animals respected strength, and would attack if he showed any weakness. The image of Ja'teeh jumping infront of him when he was a child flashed through his mind, and his face contorted, making him look even more fierce, almost scary - demon-like. The coeurl continued to circle, growling low in her throat, before she finally noticed the small catboy's eye. She froze, growl sticking in her throat, and stared back at the boy. Ja'ren stared back, face frozen in a snarl, and the coeurl female slowly stepped forward, sniffing at him and his eye. She seemed curious, like she had never seen something like this before, but suddenly her eyes softened, as she suddenly stretched her neck out to lick the boy's wound.Â
"Wha-"
Ja'ren's face suddenly swapped from the snarl to shock and surprise as his eyes grew so large they almost popped out of his head. The female ignored his protests and continued to clean the wound, when she finished, she inspected her work, and appearing satisfied, turned to leap into the forest.
The Sergeant and the recruits looked on in unmasked surprise. Had that coeurl just..treated Ja'ren like one of her kits? As this realization suddenly sunk in, a few started chuckling, and soon, the entire group was shaking with laughter. Ja'ren just glared, before scooping up his eyepatch from off the ground, and wiping his face on a sleeve.
"When you're all done wasting time, let's get back to give our report."
The small female mi'qote, who Ja' had shoved out of the way, slowly walked up to him and looked up into his face with tear-filled eyes. "Thank..you." She mumbled before scurrying off, recruits following, but the Sergeant remained behind. He walked over to clap Ja'ren on the back, "That was well done, kid. Let's get you to a healer."
Ja'ren rolled his eyes, shaking his head no at the tall elezen, "It's just a scratch, I can handle this myself." He reached up, pulling his glove off of his left hand, and held it over his eye as a healthy green glow illuminated his face. The cut slowly healed, skin knitting together, leaving behind a scar over his red eye. The Sergeant chuckled, "Just full of surprises, aren't you."
