#alexander whitegale

[salenakingston]

This is sort of a rewrite of something I wrote years ago, but is basically still canon to this story. Salena’s obviously not from earth, so how did she come into the world of Novembria? Well this answers that very question, and gives an insight to not only the man she fears the most, but first impressions with Alexander Whitegale. Warning: The manner in which Xander speaks to Salena may not be desirable to everyone. Bare in mind he is a zealot, and has an immense hatred for the undead.

Prompt: None

Warnings: Blood, Medical Talk, Torture, small Self Harm

Timeline of Events: Pre-Whitegale Estate (Backstory)

Total Word Count: 3,433 words

Her back felt like it was on fire.

Suppose that was the entire point of it wasn’t it? To make the flames he had etched into her skin burn eternal. They would have to die down eventually, just as all flames did, but the damage had already been done. If the scars held no ashes from the flames, then the blackened brand at the center of her back did. For someone of such a holy practice, even that seemed far more brutal than Light above might allow.

But even whatever being controlled that power allowed this to happen, and continued to grant him access to that light. So long as he truly believed that he was deemed just, he would never have to worry about a loss in that control.

He gazed down at her, somehow his smaller human form towering over her. She hated that smug look he carried along his face. He must have thought this was an appropriate punishment for past deeds. He must have taken great pleasure in binding her down, taunting her, letting the heat lick at her fur before it was pressed into her. He spared her no mercy when the knife came just after it. No rest for the wicked. Each plunge was dragged out, a means to make her suffer more than necessary. It came to about half way through when she had been unable to hold back her cries. She didn’t want to go back to her hollow state, not when she had worked so hard to get her emotions back. Larregis would probably tell her she was being weak, that even wanting these feelings back would make her weak.

She missed him. He took advantage of her depressed state. She should have known better. He taught her better.

Now here she was, laying nearly face first against the stone floors, a bubble of concentrated light around her. That in of itself wouldn’t have been so bad, but it was the location he chose to keep her that made things worse. The many cathedrals scattered across the realm all came with one very important characteristic: being built on consecrated ground. So, even if the pain wasn’t enough to keep her down, the constant drain she felt was.

His smug look hadn’t faded. She wasn’t bound anymore, not seeing a reason for such. She was encased in the very thing that hurt her the most, and the only reason she was before was to ensure she wouldn’t attack anyone stepping inside her prison. She hated this feeling.

And she hated him.

“How the mighty fall. You should have expected this would happen.”

Her head turned up towards him. He just stood there, hands behind his back. When she didn’t fire back a retort, he took it as incentive to continue, “You undead monsters have been allowed to run free for far too long. It’s time someone took up the mantle of eradicating your kind.”

The beast found her voice, though barely a whisper. An echo to the torture she endured, “Then… just… kill me…”

“As much as I would love to, I think I’ll hold off a little longer. You’ll make for a good example to the rest of the Ebon Blade.”

“That’s… stupid…”

“You might think so, but our numbers will grow. You might have others fooled abomination, but not me. It’s all an act. Even I can see the blood on your hands, and if I can, then so will others. You’ll fall back into your old ways. It’s only a matter of time. Might as well put the dog down before it becomes rabid.”

“You… light damn… zealot…”

“You’re mistaken. I am not a zealot. I’m simply following through with what we should have done a long time ago.”

She wanted to press her head back down against the stone, block him out, and pretend all of this was some kind of messed up nightmare. Then the searing pain slipped back to remind her of reality. Why did she have to feel so weak? Narrowed eyes peered at one another, forcing her body up from the floor. She couldn’t raise up further than her knee, head lowered down as pants escaped from her maw, “Still have the strength to stand defiant against me hmm?”

Again she said nothing, the signature glow of her kind’s eyes barring down on the paladin. He considered the look, but ultimately dismissed it with the growth of his smile, “Admirable, but we’ll break you soon enough. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how much you fight, you’ll get what you deserve in the end.”

What she deserved? Maybe, deep down she truly believed she deserved this sort of punishment, but why should he be allowed to judge her? He didn’t know her. She tried to turn her life around. That should be what matters right?

No, of course that’s not what mattered. She was undead, a soldier, and one to be put out of her misery. Maybe she should, after all… what was there to live for now?

Larregis saved her, but for what reason? Her heart sank.

But all it took was one look at that smug smile to make a switch in her head flip. How badly she wanted to see it vanish… stop looking at her like that! Her eyes fell from him, just for a moment. The walls of her prison were not solid, the only binds keeping her inside being fear. Fear. She should fear nothing. Yet one look at the shimmer of yellow stops her in her tracks. Damn him!

Damn him!

Was she supposed to just take this lying down? It was just some damn light. Don’t be afraid of it.

Wipe that smirk off his face!

Her claws ran against the stone, body trembling as her head lowered. He didn’t need to say a word for her to know just what was running through his head. He’d conquered her, and he would end her on his own schedule. The only reason she was still alive was to be used as a message. Their forces would have to grow. Why her rather than someone else? Perhaps that too was a punishment for her own past sins. No… it couldn’t be like this. If she were to die, should it not be on her own terms?

Not his’!

This will come with pain. She was already in pain.

Endure it like always.

Just ENDURE…

And-

Her body propelled itself forward, firing pain scorching her fur. Light clung to her form, searing it as she raced through. Finally, she saw that grin wash away from his face, replaced with genuine surprise. Who would be stupid enough to jump through the one source of power that was their greatest weakness. Each passing moment seemed as if it were playing in slow motion. One of her arms pulled back, claws racing for his face. Her pupils were nothing but pricks, teeth bared as her face went feral.

She felt her claws rake across skin, blood pouring down the center of his face.

When time sped back up, her body came crashing down on his’. Even with her body trembling terribly, pain racing through her entire being, she still had enough weight to keep him pinned to the ground. He looked back at her wild gaze, arm already pulling back to strike him again. Rather than show fear, he laughed right in her face. She hesitated.

“Go ahead! Do it you bitch! Go ahead and kill me! Prove to me you’re the monster that I know you are!”

A wave of shame flowed through her. He deserved death for what he had done to her… but that would make her no better than him. She already knew she was a monster, one that was trying to make up for it. If she fell back into her old ways… she could imagine Larregis would push her towards killing him anyways. Morals were never something they could agree on… but she stuck by her own now. Her hand lowered, but hung only for a moment. She found enough strength to push herself to her feet, gripping his leg, and throwing him as hard as she could into the closest wall.

She didn’t want to hang around for the aftermath.

The beast lowered herself down onto all fours, her body swaying some as she began to take off up the closest set of stairs, a command ringing out behind her, “Stop her! Don’t let her escape!”

The catacombs of this church were hard to navigate, and with the pain rushing through her, it made nearly every inch look the same. Was she making any kind of progress? She kept moving, even with her body swaying from her speed. She’d crashed into walls and paladins alike, but there was only one thing that mattered.

Get out of here!

Just how long would she be able to keep this up for? Apparently not too long, as her body finally collapsed to the floor. His damn followers were able to block off both her paths. This couldn’t be the end of it. She had to be so close. Just a little longer and she could get out. She looked up… they were closing in on her. She had to move… NOW!

A bright light seemed to engulf the entire side of the catacombs, a wall where none had been standing previously. Whether on impulse, or desperation, she pushed herself back onto her hands and feet. If it was anything like those she knew, it had to be some kind of portal. Whatever was lying in wait on the other side couldn’t have been much worse than her current predicament. She pushed past the advancing men, jumped into the light, and then she was surrounded by nothing but white.

‘It couldn’t have been worse than her current predicament?’ She seemed to regret that sentiment now.

Pain once again shot through her body, but not scorching heat like before. No… it felt as if her body structure was changing. Something along her rear felt like it was trying to break out, and her hands were forced to her head with the rush of pain panging there. Her entire chest felt like it was tight. Just what the fel was happening?

When the light finally faded, she was no longer underground. She could feel grass and dirt under her form. Whatever strength she had before to get up had finally left her. At least from what she could tell, there was no one around, which meant she had managed to escape her captors.

The feeling didn’t last long though.

There was that tight feeling all along her chest again, something along her upper chest felt like it was beating so hard that it would break through the skin. That would be impossible though. Her mouth opened, and it felt like all the air escaped from her. Impossible. She’s undead. She doesn’t need to breathe!

Her arms clung across her form, choking gasps escaping from her maw. So this was really it then? Escaping her tormentors just to fall here… alone… Well… at least it would be as she wanted, on her own terms. Everything began to grow black, darkness working to claim her. The last thing she saw before everything went dark was the blocky shape of someone standing in front of her.

----

Beep… Beep…

What was that sound?

Beep… Beep…

It seemed to be the only thing she could hear, unable to bring her eyes to open. She could hear the sound coming from one side of her, but the same question remained: What was making that sound?

Beep… Beep…

All she had to do was open her eyes, then she would be able to tell what it was. Just open your eyes. It’s not that hard. If she could fight to stand her ground when she felt like collapsing, then she could break through the heavy feeling keeping her eyes shut. When they finally broke open, her vision was flooded with a bright light. Had she imagined the outside before passing out? Was she still trapped in the light she ran into? If that was the case, she should at least still be able to move right?

So how come when she tugged at her arms, they wouldn’t budge. Panic began to set in.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The sound was getting more frantic, as if it were following in tune with her own rising feelings. Had she been captured again? Did he somehow manage to find her again? How? How was that possible? Blurry shapes began to fill her sight, some blocking out the light. She had been captured! She fought to get free of whatever was holding her down, though the fight didn’t last long. Her ears could catch the faint sound of a low hiss… and then everything started to go blank again…

Beep… Beep…

That sound came back into focus again. What happened before? Much like important details prior to this point, it was a blur. This time when she opened her eyes, she could see things much more clearly. The room she found herself in was nothing like those she knew. No.. they were not held up by wood or stone. What was this strange white plaster along the walls, and strange squared pattern on the floor?

Speaking of strange things, what was with the bed she now woke up in? That’s what it was right? But the bars along the side were unlike anything she’d ever seen, though the same could be said for the machines in the room. Not even the goblin or gnome engineers had tools like these. The beeping was coming from a small device at her right. It contained a black screen, a beep echoing in the room each time a spiked green line passed by.

She couldn’t recognize any of the other ones, only that a fair amount of them were hooked up to her body. In the case of one, there was a needle sticking into her wrist. Ordinarily she would have ripped the strange thing out, but she had come to realize the reason she couldn’t move was due to leather restraints along her wrists. No matter how much she tugged, her arms would not come free.

Along her muzzle was also an oddly shaped device. It was made out of some kind of see through material, fitted around her muzzle so that it covered her nose and mouth. There was some kind of tube coming out of it as well, attached to a tank at the side of the bed. Just what the fel was all this? Why was she here? What was whomever captured her doing to her? The worst part of all this was she couldn’t fight back.

And there would be no one coming to save her.

Her ears snapped to the side, the sound of footsteps coming. Her captor perhaps, coming to gloat over his newest catch.

An older man stepped inside the room, adorn in a suit that she couldn’t recall any man around Stormwind wearing. He had a clipboard in his hands, and it didn’t take long for his gaze to fall on her. Her ears pinned back, not liking the way his gaze fell. What did he want with her? She could only tense her body as he approached, “You’re awake. Good. You gave my staff quite a scare.”

Staff? She gave them a scare? What was he talking about?

He stepped over to the right side of her bed, one hand moving over the closest restraint. Her body tensed more, lips pulling back as she bore her teeth. How could she trust this stranger when she had just escaped someone that hurt her so badly? What’s to say he wouldn’t do the same to her now? Unlike before, there was something keeping her down other than her own fear. He seemed to notice her sudden aggression, “Calm down. I’m not here to hurt you. These were for the safety of my staff. Can’t have you injuring them while they work now can I? Behave and I’ll remove them.”

He was talking to her like she was some kind of dog in training. Why should she bend to his will? Her eyes narrowed more on him. His expression didn’t change much, “I’ll say it again, I’m not going to hurt you, though I would think you should be a little more thankful. I did save you after all.”

Save her? No he didn’t! She was still trapped! She gave a tug of her arms, “Says my captor. Why should I believe anything you have to say?”

“Captor? Dear, you are mistaken. I didn’t capture you. You’re here because your body was shutting down. Had I not brought you in, you would have died.”

Impossible. She was undead. She couldn’t die like that.

“You’re lying.”

One of his eyebrows seemed to raise. Without much hesitation, he reached for the strange piece along her muzzle. It took little time for it to be removed from her face. Everything seemed fine… but only for a moment.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

That noise was getting quicker, and she couldn’t seem to get any air again. Choking gasps rang out around her, eyes going wide as she tried to correct the problem herself. Growls echoed between her frantic inhales. The man standing over her seemed to smile, satisfied with his show of proof. He gripped her muzzle, slipping the device back on.

Beep… Beep…

Everything was normalizing.

“Believe me now? Are you going to behave?”

Damn him… What could she really do? She was truly at this man’s mercy, “I don’t have much of a choice do I?”

“Well you do, but unless you want to stay strapped to your bed, I suggest you work with me.”

Damn him! She really didn’t have a choice. Staying like this would only make things worse off for her. She gave a nod, feeling the tightness finally leave her wrists. She pulled her arms back closer to her chest, fingers rubbing over the sore feeling from her attempts at tugging. She could hear the man talking again, though most of it was drowned out. She had picked up on a few things.

“Your body is badly damaged. Your organs are acting as if they haven’t been used in years. They can’t handle functioning your body on their own. We’ll be keeping you in here and under close watch until they become more stable.”

Of course her body couldn’t handle itself. What reason would they need to work while she was undead? Such a thing meant nothing to her; but of course, they were still part of her body since she had not died before gaining her new state. And now… somehow… all of them were working again… and this man was aiming to try and keep her from dying. Why?

“What do you want with me?”

“Pardon?”

“I think I was pretty clear. Why did you save me? Why keep me here? What do you want from me?”

“My reasons are my own, but for the present time, I am willing to share that you are certainly not from here, and you look like you may need a place to stay. I can offer that to you.” He stretched an open hand out to her. Her own hand began to move up, but images began to flicker in front of her eyes. His own arm changed, covered in dark plate… That’s right… she’d been made this offer once before…

And look where that got her.

Her claws swiped across his wrist, the man pulling it back as she returned her own towards her chest. Eyes narrowed once again, her head turning to the side. There was a silence that hung over them for a while before he sighed, “Very well. I imagine you’ll be here for a while during your recovery, but that offer will always be open for you. In the meantime, perhaps it is best you rest. A doctor will be by later to check on you.”

And with that, he left. Once she was sure he was gone, a claw moved across her exposed arm, blood trickling down it. This stranger had opened up his place to her, and she threw it back in his face. She was going to be here a while… but that won’t stop her from punishing herself for her actions… This ‘doctor’ he mentioned wasn’t going to be happy when he or she turned up.

#salena #xander #alexander whitegale #novembria #my writing #tw; blood #tw; medical talk #tw; torture #tw; self harm

[talesofnovembria]

Lord gets lost in an Undead-laden forest in Salena's world and Salena has to get them out before the big boss gets wind of the new little type of undead hiding in his ranks.

Send me a creepy scenario/location and character(s) and I’ll write a drabble for it.

Duskwood was a place of conflicted feelings. The darkness gave her a sense of comfort, almost like the one she knew that constantly hung over the lands of Icecrown, though rather than ice and snow covering the surface, there were trees. It was the forest that made her feel more at home, especially being worgen… but that one word was also the problem.

‘Home.’

Of all places, why did this have to be the home of the Blackhearts as well?

Quite frankly, she didn’t care much for what most others thought of her, certainly not Larregis’ extended family. Even so, he had taken her in, which in part made her a part of his house. He hadn’t grown serious with its prosperity until later on in life, long after the fall of the Scourge army, and she had no desire to continue it. She already had her hands full assisting the Whitegales, Alexander making it clear for her to take more of a leadership role when he inevitably passed away.

Besides, she stopped coming here unless it was absolutely necessary for good reason. Why help out a family that in the end didn’t really give a shit for the head of the house?

Salena padded down the stone path from Darkshire. Of anywhere in Duskwood, it was the best place to land from one of her gates. The Night Watch didn’t seem to care too much for her presence, especially when it seemed she was just passing through. That didn’t keep her from keeping the hood of her cloak over her head until she was outside the town’s gates. It made her wonder if she would ever be comfortable showing her face anywhere in Azeroth.

[i]Not if he was still wandering around somewhere. Not so long as the people living here would look down on her for the things she’d done.[/i]

Everyone did not share the same feelings on the matter, but those that did take to knights poorly had every right to do so. They tore people and families apart, defiled bodies, and committed other horrible atrocities. Best to stay hidden.

A small ‘trill’ broke her away from her thoughts, eyes following to the source of the sound. The small, red form of Lord hovered just slightly away from the path, pointing at something near the base of a nearby tree. From the distance, it was hard to tell what the spirit was pointing out. Drawing closer, she could see it was a small bundle of bruiseweed. Kneeling down next to the plant, it took a swift movement of her claw to get the sample she required.

Malceum had requested she bring some Azerothian plants for him to study when she made her trips here. So long as she was careful, there were no problems in adhering to his request.

As she took the bruiseweed, placing it in the pouch along her shoulder pad, her gaze fell on the ghost. He was floating in front of her, ‘chest’ puffed out as if proud of his finding. She’d been against the idea of having the spirit tag along, especially when there were no other spirits here that shared a physical form like this one. At least with her friends, they had the advantage of being able to blend in with armor and clothes. Lord did not have that advantage.

But then again, of the three that tagged along with Frenzy, Lord was the one that did whatever it wanted more than the others.

So he was here to stay for the time being.

Both returned to the road, the spirit slipping around the folds of her cloak to wrap around her neck. The gesture was a familiar one, though she was just glad he was sticking close to her without having to mention anything. Duskwood was no place for one of the undead to go wandering free, especially not around the place she was heading towards.

Raven Hill.

The hills near there held natural resources for blacksmithing. They were more common, and didn’t have much in terms of magical properties, but these could still be used for pommels and guards along the swords she made back at the Estate. Besides, not everyone there was using some kind of magical item, so it made sense to work with all kinds of metals for different set tasks.

As her paws met the grass, her gaze turned to the spirit, “Lord, we’re taking some time off the path. Do not go wandering. It’s dangerous.”

Why did she get the sinking feeling that warning was going to fall on deaf ears? Probably because Lord didn’t have any. Well, so long as they kept to themselves, the wandering bodies at the cemetery should leave them alone. The way Lord nuzzled into her cheek was enough of a sign that he was listening to her.

And with that, she continued along the path ahead of her, shaded by the darkness of the trees hanging overhead.

Small shimmers caught her attention once the two were more out in the open. Fingers wrapped around the pickaxe at her side, kneeling down along the bottom of the hills. It looked like the stones growing here had some iron still intact. The sound of ‘tinking’ from metal on stone rang out in the silence, a small bag attached at her hip being opened to allow for gathering the raw ore.

The red spirit removed himself from where he was resting, floating around her. She took her gaze to fall on him briefly before she returned to her work. So long as he wasn’t going anywhere, there was no need to worry. Frenzy might have boasted about how hard it was to do real damage to him, how he couldn’t die again, or how he would just fall back to his anchor if anything too damaging happened to his body… but Lord could not afford such things.

In this world, the undead were at just as much risk as the living. Only thing they really had going for them was their toughness to actually kill.

Her attention was kept on the work at her knees, debris making tiny noises against the golden parts of her armor. Ears kept turning, taking into account everything else going on around her. It would be careless not to have some means of tracking her companion in a place so unfamiliar to him.

And it was that attentiveness that caused her to hammer the pickaxes into the stone, weight shifting to the side when bone clattering against one another.

The shimmer of metal against the eternal moonlight darkness was caught in the corner of her gaze.

This was strange… The undead roaming the graves of Raven Hill was common knowledge to locals and travelers alike. So long as anyone nearing this location kept their distance, neither side would have any interaction. So then what drew their attention?

One look to the flailing red ghost a short distance away gave her the answer.

Lord.

Of course they would be attracted to something like him, seeing him even from a distance. The only reason they were paying her any attention was due to her proximity to the red spirit. A hiss emitted from her left, swords lashing out at the lone spirit. Those were not going to do too much to Lord, not regular swords like those anyways. A runeblade like the ones she held would be much more effective. Speaking of which.

Eyes narrowed as she watched Lord dodging the attacks, taking off deeper into the fog covering the cemetery, a loud ‘FUCK YOU’ ringing out as he fled. Her ears pulled back as she gave a snarl. He would have been smarter flying higher to get back around to her… but then again, this was one of Frenzy’s spirits. Also, she could not fault him for not thinking straight in a moment of panic. They weren’t like her.

Gaze hardened, the skeletons not having much time to react as her blades sliced through the gaps in the bone along the spine. Whatever ‘light’ they had in their eyes, faded as their bodies hit the ground. She leaned down just enough to gather the bag she had, tying it at her hip before letting her blades hook back along similar places. Hands touched the ground, cloak flowing behind her as she jumped the metal gate, body sinking into the fog.

Her form pressed against the gravestones, the stench of death hanging in the air. Picking up on Lord’s trail wasn’t difficult, and even if it was, the spirit was a loud one. She could hear the swearing in the distance, but there was no telling how much attention he had grabbed since splitting away from her. He didn’t know the area… so lost and being chased… how troublesome.

Another hiss drew her attention. It wasn’t Lord, but rather the spiders that roamed these hills. Yes… because the undead being here wasn’t bad enough.

Another ‘FUCK’ called out in the distance, the spiders turning to the sound. Tsk…

Her hand moved out, chains sprouting from the ground to wrap around the nearby spiders, wind pushing past them as she pressed on. A red glow shone along the parting of the fog, a fairly large group of skeletons following after the swearing ghost. She should be concerned for Lord’s safety… yet all she could do was let her eyelid fall, watching this with an ‘are you kidding’ sort of look.

Not too much time to let those feelings sink in. Lord was her responsibility so long as he was tagging along with her.

Pushing to her feet, she approached the group, her hands moving up. The spirit seemed to notice her, flying towards her now that she wasn’t preoccupied. Once he was wrapped around her neck, her eyes began to glow. Icy mist began to form under the feet of the advancing skeletons, spikes jutting up from the ground to pierce through their spines. The ones with armor continued to advance, one hand wrapping around the grip of one of her blades. ‘Clangs’ rang out along the hill from blades clashing.

It put up a fight, but the undead’s fall was inevitable. Corpses lay at her feet.

Lord looked up at her, glowing eyes narrowing at the spirit in turn. That seemed to make him back off some. A sensation caused her head to snap around, pausing to consider what to do now. Body turned, claws sinking into the bark of a nearby tree. She paused as they came to the higher branches, their forms hidden by the leaves. There was a small gap in the green, allowing her to see the grass they were just against.

A familiar form began to float by. A lich? Out here? Heroes were said to have killed the one rumored to be here. Did they not finish the job?

It seemed the sight of the ruined skeletons were enough to cause a bolster in the forces. Its eyes moved around the area, turning to head back for what she presumed to be the house at the very top of the hill… either that or the large crypt hiding just beneath the earth.

Well…

She took in a deep breath, observing the movements of the newly risen undead under them. Her hand moved up, a purple energy channeling from her fingertips to the ground. Arms broke through the dirt, ghouls tearing their way to the surface. Why not turn her own small army on this one. If anything, it would give them the break they needed. After all, they only needed to make it to Raven Hill proper for safety.

The residents there would be enough for their safety.

Hood moved up above her head, jumping down from their hiding spot. She turned down the stone path, following it to the gates, the familiar sounds of combat ringing behind her. Just keep going. Make it to safety.

#bitch in armor - salena #meme reply #foul mouthed copycat - lord #tw; corpses #lizard-of-choice #((Maybe one day I'll learn to write short drabbles)) #((Right??)) #reblogable

[talesofnovembria]

🤗

The Angst Meme

🤗: Could you give us an angsty excerpt about your muse?

((Why of course you can. I was wracking my brain with what I should write, but I think I’ve got something really good. How about the reason you shouldn’t go poking the wolf gal’s back? This little bit would be sometime shortly after this one here. Please mind the tags!!))

Warnings: Blood, Death, Hallucinations, Self Harm, Slight medical talk

Timeline of Events: Whitegale Estate (Backstory)

How long had she been here now?

Long enough to know that it would still be a long time before she would even be allowed outside this room. Long enough to know she was still confined to a bed for a portion of her recovery. Long enough to continue feeling the stinging sensation of the burns and wounds.

The room she was stuck in was dull, the only saving grace being a window along the wall closest to her bed. Granted, there was only so much of the outside world that could be seen from this one angle, but it was better than seeing nothing but white all day. The place she’d landed was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. She’d seen large buildings before, mansions like this one… but never one that had its own medical wing. There were no magic-based healers here from what she could tell. How strange. Shouldn’t there be at least one?

That man… Alexander was strange in his own right. What was he thinking? Making a deal with her like that? She had no reason to stay… really… why go through with any of this? It’s not like there’s anyone missing me… waiting for me…

Her attention was drawn to the other side of the room at the sound of a click, followed by the squeaking of an opening door. A few people she didn’t recognize walked in, making their way over to her. Body tensed, fur standing up slightly as they closed in on her. One close to her side spoke up, “It’s alright. There’s no need to be so defensive. We’re just here to check on your injuries and rebandage them. As soon as that’s done, we’ll leave you alone.”

Of course. Her recovery… fine… play along. What else are you going to do?

“Fine…”

She’d barely noticed the gown draped over her form until it was being removed. She followed through with their instructions, glad to not be restrained. It certainly seemed to make everyone’s job easier. The bandages along her upper body were easy enough to remove, irritated red staring back at her. Those had been her own fault.

The price to pay for her freedom.

She didn’t want to even think about the state of the ‘creation’ that zealot had left along her back.

But… these strangers got to see it. They had to. She’d drowned out most of their medical babble, stuff she either couldn’t follow, or there was no reason to call for her own input. She couldn’t say she liked the idea of them poking and prodding at her wounds, but what else were they going to do without magic? Had she ended up escaping that bastard before now, it would have been the same case.

At least… save for whatever all this strange equipment was attached to her.

More words, the scratch of something being written down on paper, their eyes never leaving from her.

At one point, one of the healers stepped behind her, probably to check on the state of her back. There was no avoiding it. Might as well just get it over with so she could be alone again. Fingers began to part some of the hairs, tracing gently over the burns around each flame-shaped scar. For something that she assumed wouldn’t bother her quickly threw any cognitive thought out of the window.

Fingers moving over her back.

Searing bright light.

Pain.

PAIN!

The wolf could barely register the quickened breaths from inside her mask. Even with… whatever this machine was helping her adjust to breathing after so long, it felt like she was getting no air into her lungs. She could still hear voices around her, but it was if all of them were speaking in another language. Her vision blurred, unable to focus on anything around her. One thing did seem to stick out…

When had it gotten so bright in this room?

All she seemed to be able to feel were the painful light-touched fingers sealing the flames, one by one over again.

A touch drew her attention back up to her surroundings… but her eyes flew open at the sight. There weren’t people in white coats and… single colored outfits… but them! Shining armor… white robes… golden accents… and their cruel stares. How did they find her again? Were they going to imprison her again? Where was he?!

More hands were touching her. They were touching her. Whenever they did that, it never ended well. She wasn’t restrained this time. No way they were going to get her twice!

Her arms ripped out of their grasp, one hand tearing the mask away from her face. Pain hit her lungs, breathing growing much more rapid, though the adrenaline pumping through her veins pulled her away. Her body seemed to curl, allowing her to launch herself at the closest zealot. Jaws made contact, red smearing her muzzle. The others seemed to freeze around her, her stalking towards them in almost a feral like manner.

Never again…

They began to run, heading for a door. Cowards! Let them face their crimes!

The beast gave chase, reaching out for one of their legs. She could hear two voices ringing out, both captured in fear. Good. She wasted no time pulling the zealot closer, claws and teeth coating in more crimson blood. It dripped down her face as she ran for the remaining two, huddled down by the door. As she drew near, they managed to narrowly escape her, causing her to slam into the wall.

They just kept running. The sooner she dealt with the problem, the sooner she would be free. They had to pay!

Another attempt at their lives brought her crashing down to the floor. Her head snapped to the side, another zealot having shown up out of nowhere. She was speaking to the downed beast, but nothing was being heard. All she knew was she was trapped. Trapped!

Teeth snapped out, but her face was pressed further into the floor, jaws being held open. Survival began to kick in. Do whatever it takes to get free. Kicking and clawing didn’t seem to do anything aside from getting a knee pressed into her chest. Her eyes trailed above her, noticing the shimmer of something. It had to be a dagger! They were going to do more to her! No! Nononono!

Her body struggled pathetically under the weight of the female zealot, soon enough feeling a sting in her arm. Pain came… but so too did darkness…

How long had it been since she woke up again? Confusion washed over her mind. What happened? She remembered the doctors coming in to check on her… then so much was blank. When she went to move her arms, they were stuck in place. Eyes shot up, glancing down to the restraints back on her wrists. She could also see something leather along her mouth. It was unlike the mask she had been wearing before, though she could feel the texture of it pressed against her lips.

Ears pinned back the moment she looked up. Alexander was standing at the foot of her bed, a woman in pink hair next to her. Both of them had their arms crossed, eyes narrowed on her. It was clear they were upset with her… but what had she done?

“It seems I hadn’t taken into consideration that you might have effects of trauma along with your other injuries. You had an episode, forcing Marie to hold you down while we sedated you.”

Trauma? An episode? What kind? What had she done?

A whine managed to escape between her lips, catching the man’s attention. She had to know. What did she do?

He seemed hesitant to respond, but the woman beside him was not, “You attacked our staff. Two of them are dead.”

“Marie.”

No one said anything. Salena’s head fell, body trembling slightly. Dead… two were dead… because of her… She wasn’t listening to anything else they were saying, and it wasn’t until both of them left the room when she dared to look up again. The very thought that she had ended two innocent lives wracked her brain. Her claws flexed, mouth unable to move much between the mask and muzzle. Small tears formed in her eyes as she tilted her head. There were plastic bars along the side of her bed… of course there were… the restraints had to be attached to something after all. Her head pulled back before slamming down into it. Again. Again. Again! It was all she could do to punish herself for her actions. All of this just brought another question to the surface again… one she had already asked not too long before this moment…

What was the point of continuing?

#mun speaks #bitch in armor - salena #head of house - alexander #annoying sibling - marie #tw; blood #tw; death #tw; hallucinations #tw; self harm #tw; medical talk #((really enjoyed writing this out)) #((hope ya'll like it)) #eagefree #novembria canon #meme reply

[salenakingston]

Another bit of backstory. I’ve really been enjoying writing these snippets. Prompt submissions are still open!

Prompt: None

Warnings: Blood, Violence, Death, Corpses/Bodies (minor), Cannibalism (minor)

Timeline of Events: Whitegale Estate (Backstory)

Total Word Count: 4,273 words

“I’m surprised you saw someone so new to the complex.”

“It is rare indeed, but there’s something peculiar about him.”

“Yes, I noticed that too.”

“And your thoughts?”

“He isn’t a greater risk than any of the other agents.”

“This won’t be the only time he appears.”

“I know, but because he is not a threat, or has proven what he is capable of, it is left to simpler decisions for now.”

“If I may interject.”

“Yes?”

“I might be able to help.”

“You have a plan? Why the interest in him?”

“It’s part of my job to assess new agents. Besides, you’ve never seen anyone connected to me before. I’ve noticed some quirks of my own. This plan is not without consequence, but may be an efficient way to learn more about him.”

“Very well. Let’s hear it.”

----

Malceum paced his small room, his mind racing ever since he had returned. He hated that she had been right in her own assessment. He had insisted she allowed him to give her a ‘proper’ physical, checking how her body was currently against everything that was listed in her records. He wondered if it was to prove a point, or for entertainment, that she granted his request. She had been compliant through the entire process, obeying every instruction he offered.

Part of him wondered why she changed her tune so quickly, when she had the confidence to mouth off to him before. How was it that the mention of one woman could make her flip a switch? It didn’t make any sense, just like her own assessment. Everything matched up with her records.

A body that was functioning, but only just enough. Every piece of her seemed to have some kind of problem. The beast seemed to entertain him further, having taken a seat next to her bed so they could discuss some treatment options. Mistake number one was suggesting options of a magic-based nature. Since the moment he’d walked into her room, she never raised his voice to him. Sure, she offered him plenty of sass, but not anything above her acceptive tone. The animal finally began to show its fangs, quite literally. Her tone grew sharp, growling echoed in her voice.

“Absolutely not,” she had said. Why? Even though the surgeon was confident in his skills, he knew based solely on facts that magic could offer more than just his bare hands. Who would want traditional means over something like that? Ok, if she was going to make such a fuss about it, then best not to revisit the subject. Either that or press her another time.

There had to be some kind of solution. That’s what he kept telling himself.

Mistake number two was trying to negotiate a further treatment plan. Anything he tried to prescribe to her was something she had already tried, or was shot down. “I already make use of the oxygen tank whenever I am in here or on down time. Too many drugs will either mess with my senses, or make it so I will have to take an extended leave from my work. Neither I am willing to accept,” she had said then. She was so damn stubborn.

He had half a mind to discharge her from work anyways, but he feared her. And he feared his employer. She didn’t seem like someone who would lash out at him, but her short temper and growing frustration could fester, putting him in the line of fire.

He had to save his own hide, even though he didn’t know why he bothered.

In the end, he cleared her just like the rest of them.

And that left him here, pacing, wondering if he had made the right decision.

His racing mind wasn’t doing the headache he had developed any favors. His lack of sleep was nothing new, but extended sessions always took a toll on him. Whenever he did sleep, nightmares were there to greet him. There was no safe haven for him, not even in a place as protected as the Whitegale Estate.

A knocking at his door guided him back to reality, “Y-Yes?”

He couldn’t see who was on the other side, as he kept his door locked. It was one of the reasons that kept him from getting close to the other personnel he worked with. It kept him from being a danger to those around him, and kept them from seeing the mess of a human being he had become. It was a gentle voice, probably one of the nurses. She had given another knock on the door, probably just to make sure he knew she was still there, “Mr. Whitegale is looking for you.”

Again? So soon? Why? Had Salena blabbed to him about their discussion? One hand moved to his head, the pounding growing worse from the onslaught of questions. He won’t know until he gets there, and he could not keep his employer waiting, “T-Than-nk y-you. I’ll be t-the-ere so-oon.” He could hear her footsteps leaving the door, leaving him alone once more.

Well, as alone as he could ever be. He would never be truly alone.

He wasn’t entirely sure how long he was standing still before he found the will to make his way to the door. The halls were empty, and one look outside the window showed why. Night blanketed the sky, the only light coming from the moon and stars. This just made him question more. He couldn’t have been isolating himself for that long. Why would his employer want to see him at such a late hour? Had someone been brought in late? Then why single him out?

And why allow him to come on his own time? No one else had come to bring his attention back towards the summon.

Malceum’s eyes fell on the door standing between him and the man on the other side. He had done his best to get his trembling hands to calm, swallowing down his nervousness. Alexander had not been unfair to him so far, in fact the man had been rather generous. There was no reason to believe that would change now. Hand grasped at the knob, turning, and then he stepped into the office.

Alexander sat behind a paper filled desk, two chairs sitting at the far side of where he was. Their eyes met upon his entrance, door closing behind him. He moved his hands together, doing his best to mask the shaking that he couldn’t seem to get rid of. If it wasn’t out of nervousness, then it had something to do with him.

“Malceum. Thank you for coming. I know this seems rather sudden. I wanted to start with thanking you for taking care of Salena. I know she can be hard to handle, but she means well.”

“N-No pr-robl-lem. I-It’s my j-job-b to t-tak-ke ca-are of th-hos-se y-you s-sen-nd to me.”

“Yes, I am aware, but she updated me on the talk you had.” Of course she had. Why would he have expected otherwise? He couldn’t help the way his eyes lowered at that statement, Alexander noticing the change in expression. If he wasn’t so tired, he was sure the older man would have given a chuckle, “You have nothing to worry about. A lot of this is new for you, and she’s a rather special case. Just give her some time, she’ll grow on you.”

D-Doub-bt it-t.

“Anyways, the reason I called for you is because something has come up.”

“D-Did y-you-ur w-wif-fe see me a-ag-gain?”

“Not this time.” No? Then why him? Was this some kind of medical emergency? He could hear the shuffling sound of more papers, a few laid out in front of him, as if he were looking over some kind of list. He looked up to the surgeon soon after, “I have a mission that I would like for you to go on.”

“Me? A-Are y-yo-ou s-sur-re?”

“I know it’s outside of your job requirements, but you were asked for specifically.” Asked for? What? Who would want him to come along for anything? Was this something that would need someone of his medical skills? The questions wouldn’t stop coming every time the older man spoke. He couldn’t seem to comprehend why anyone would want him. He didn’t even know anybody, as he had purposefully isolated himself.

He couldn’t keep silent, “W-Who a-ask-ked for m-me?”

“I did.”

Both men turned their heads to the leftmost chair sitting in front of the desk. A familiar figure stood up from where it was sitting, moving so that Malceum could see. Her.

Salena Kingston.

Why?

She was dressed, not in a gown like he had seen when they were in her medical room. This time, she wore something that he could only describe as something out of a fantasy book. He could tell the material was made of leather, sticking tightly against her skin? Fur? She was far too complicated for him to make coherent thoughts.

Salena moved her arm against the top of the chair, leaning against it slightly. He couldn’t help but notice how relaxed compared to when they were in the medical wing. Did she hate it there? He couldn’t blame her, especially with how many times she seemed to wind up there. Her gaze was fixated on him, causing a small shiver to move down his spine, “I am going out hunting. I wanted to see if you would like to come along.”

“H-Hun-nt-ting?”

“I do it every now and then. Sometimes they are prompted by Alexander, but that is not the case. I thought you might like to get out of the estate for a bit.”

Yes.. but why him? He just couldn’t understand it.

He did. Clever little mutt. She knew there was something wrong with his host. This was an attempt to draw him out. That had to be the only reason. He wouldn’t allow it. The headache seemed to grow worse at that moment, a voice in the back of Malceum’s mind being the only thing that kept him from moving his hands to cradle his head, “Don’t you dare. It’s a trick. I will not have you expose me more than you already have. You’re going to go right back to your room, unless you want me to make you suffer more.”

“I-I d-don’t-t th-hin-nk I wo-oul-ld be th-he b-bes-st ch-hoic-ce for s-som-meth-hing-g l-lik-ke t-this-s.”

“I’d be willing to make a deal with you, Sorrowgrave. All I ask is that you come on this one hunt with me. I know Alexander pays you, as he does everyone else. I can pool part of your earnings to the same place my money goes. I can have small shipments of dreamless sleep potions sent to you with this. You wouldn’t have to rely on me if you want them.”

This bitch. She knows what he wants, and he truly does want this relief. He can’t even remember the last time he slept without having a nightmare. He knew either way he was going to suffer. The hollow wouldn’t ever stop until he agreed to surrender his being. The only way he would continue on was getting any small mercy that he could.

“A-Alr-righ-ht.”

Both Salena and Alexander gave a nod, the older man turning his attention to the wolf, “Do you have a place you’ll be going?”

“Yes.” Strange that she mentioned no specifics. Was it not necessary to tell her employer where she was taking them? Guess not giving the accepting nod from Alexander. She moved past him, one hand moving up. It was that same magic she had used before, bigger this time. The opening was large enough for the two of them to move through it. Her head turned enough to catch him in view, “Follow me. This portal is going to put a strain on your body, but you’ll be fine shortly after we arrive on the other side.”

He nods.

She takes the first step through, followed by him. He could feel the strain she was talking about. When he stepped out, it took everything in him not to buckle down under the weight. When his vision refocused, he could see Salena not too far ahead of him. She didn’t have the same strength he did, find her form against the earth. It looked almost as if the very air around her was pushing her down. He should have guessed that if this magic put a strain on the body, then of course she would have it worse than him. But then why travel by these portals in the first place? What was the point?

While she recovered, his eyes moved around the land. He didn’t travel much, but where they came to looked like no place he’d ever seen before. The grass under them looked washed out, bits of dirt poking through in patches. There were trees, though few given it seemed they were along hills. Even this seemed like it was devoid of life. Near death was a good way to describe it.

Finally he could hear Salena getting up onto her feet. She dropped the portal they had come through, pushing towards the top of the hill. It would be best for him to follow her. Her eyes peered over the top, looking down at the base of their hiding place. He could see a stone tower in the distance, small patrols and camps around it. Both men and women were patrolling. Their clothing was rather strange. It was a mixture of white and red. They looked like how crusaders would have been dressed in human history.

Surely they hadn’t gone back in time somehow.

Malceum had barely noticed that Salena had begun sneaking ahead without him. Wait, what was she doing? Why were they here? Why did it look like she was stalking them?

Wait…

Wait!

He only just seemed to notice the sheen of a blade resting at her side. No, not just one blade, two of them. One of her hands was gripping on. Her eyes narrowed creeping closer. He wanted to yell at her, call her back and demand to know what she was planning to do. There was nothing he could do as red bagan to cloud his vision. Blood spilled from the crusaders, her blade, claws, or even her teeth finding ways to ravage them. This wasn’t hunting, it was slaughter.

OH? Seems she’s a murderer just like you are. I’ve changed my mind. Maybe you should go down there and join her.

No. He couldn’t do this. He could say that this time. He wouldn’t risk drawing himself to the surface with her around. He had to do something other than let her continue.

She had been careful up to this point, picking them off one by one. Blood stained her mouth and clothes. She could see him moving down the hill, not paying too much attention to his surroundings. Eyes narrowed as she noticed a scarlet moving behind him. He must have been spotted. Deal with the threat themselves rather than raise the alarm. He watched as she stomped her foot down, but nothing seemed to happen.

Then a gurgling noise rang out behind him. He turned around to see the crusader… impaled on a spike of thick ice, blood dripping down onto him. His body was shaking again, that feeling of a thrill he was missing out on wracking around in his brain. She moved over to him, trying to get his attention, but he couldn’t pay attention. He could see that she looked to the side, voices crying out.

They were calling out one thing.

‘Death Knight.’

What did that mean? He wasn’t whatever that was.

He seemed to come back into focus, seeing that Salena had turned on the growing mass. Was she ready to take them all on by herself? Just how much blood was she willing to spill? Taking a tight grip of her wrist, he began to drag her away. She seemed to give him a surprised look, snarling as her lips turned up. He could see another string of magic leave from her hand, the other reaching for a loose part of his duster. She had taken him into her arms, fleeing to the hills.

They managed to lose their attackers, the trembling in his body stopping as they did. He hated that he could still smell iron in the air. Once she was sure the crusaders were gone, he was set down, a bloody corpse being tossed at his feet. Had her magic grabbed one of them? Just what the hell was she playing at? Just what kind of life had he actually landed in joining up with this lot?

He couldn’t stand it any longer.

“W-Wha-at t-the fuck wa-as th-hat?”

“I told you we were going hunting. You weren’t paying attention to what was going on around you. You gave us away.”

“I-I m-mad-de it cle-ear I wa-as not-t t-the b-bes-st for th-his. Y-You j-jus-st mur-rde-ered t-them-m.”

“They deserve it.”

“W-Who a-are-e you to j-jud-dge t-the-em?”

“Someone who has first hand experience with them. I’m far from the first person who despises them.”

“T-Tha-at’s b-bes-side th-he p-poin-nt!” Why couldn’t she seem to get it through her thick skull?

“Then you would rather I kill someone that doesn’t deserve it?”

What?! Was she serious?

“K-Kil-ll no o-one!”

“I can’t do that.” She… She what?

“W-Wha-at are you t-talk-king a-abo-out? Y-Yes you c-can-n!”

He noticed her eyes narrow down again. There was that shiver again. How was it that both women he interacted with seemed to have eyes that bore down past his skin? He almost felt himself take a step back, “No. I can’t. If I stopped killing, I would drive myself insane.” Had she really killed that much? Was she so much like him that she got a thrill out of it? He hated this. He hated her. He hated that she bribed him into coming along on this.

“I don’t see why you are making a fuss with me. I thought you would need something like this.”

Now it was his turn to narrow his eyes back at her. It didn’t seem to have the same effect that her’s did on him, “Y-You d-don-n’t kn-now me.”

“You’re right Sorrowgrave, I don’t. However, it’s part of my job to keep tabs on the new recruits, and that includes you. You have little ticks. You obviously don’t get enough sleep, someone with a stutter is not too worrisome, but you’re constantly twitching. I know you’re not nervous, otherwise you wouldn’t have stood up to me like you did. You’re acting more like an addict that hasn’t had his fix in a long time.”

“H-How-w w-woul-ld y-you kn-now?”

“Because I was just like you, Sorrowgrave. You will drive yourself crazy if you continue on like this.”

He wasn’t sure if it was humor in a fighter trying to give medical advice to a surgeon, or her lack of logic that made him relax slightly, “Y-You-u’re s-supp-pose-ed to d-dis-scour-rage ad-ddic-cts f-fro-om th-heir-r v-vic-ces.”

“My own vice, unnatural as it is, can not be fixed. I have to hunt. I’m sorry you don’t see it the same way. I thought feeding your’s would be a temporary fix until I could figure out a better solution.”

“W-Why-y do you c-car-re?”

“Everyone can see that something is wrong with you. No one knows to what extent, but they can see the signs.” He could feel her hands reaching for the mask he wore across his mouth. His hands shot up, covering her own to keep her from removing it. She almost seemed to be smirking as he did this, “You see? I stand a good chance of helping you, all you have to do is let me.”

“Y-You w-won-n’t let-t me do th-he s-sam-me.”

“You did help me though. Your stitching is far better than my own, and I have no doubt you’ll be seeing a lot more of me. I’m one of Alexander’s best for a reason, but that means a greater risk. I’ll need someone like you.”

He hated this. He just wanted to go back to the estate. He wasn’t supposed to bond with anyone. They were a weakness, or even a target. The hollow made it clear he already had an interest in her, and this was certainly not helping. If he had control of his host, Malceum had no doubt he would be jittering with joy.

Was it worth trusting her though?

No one had ever shown him this sort of backwards kindness. She offered him mercy, and now here he was in her position, spitting it back in her face. Why?

Why did it have to be like this?

In his mental crisis, he had barely noticed that Salena was trying to remove his mask again. He honestly wasn’t sure why he felt his hands go lax, allowing her to do so. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on first glance, but a spike in his headache made his lips curl up. Nothing but sharp teeth, just like her own. Her hands moved up again, forcing his mouth open. It was almost as if she could tell this was unnatural.

There was nothing special about him. He was as human as they come. Someone else had forced him to do this to himself.

And he didn’t take kindly to the impromptu investigation of his host. The pain in his head grew worse. It was as if the hollow was unwinding himself in his host’s mind, sticking thousands of wires through his brain. Mouth shut down along the beast’s arm, head pulling back to tear at the flesh.

Her head moved down, staring at him. There was that flicker she had seen before. Her arm raised in his grip, not allowing the shade or hair to block her view, “Caught you.”

Shit.

Why was she so still? Why wasn’t she bothered? He was a freak. He was trying to peel her own flesh away from her body. Why wasn’t she trying to stop him? Why didn’t she kill him like she was doing just a few moments ago? Why couldn’t he just let go? Let me go!

And he listened. Teeth removed themselves, his form staggering away from her. All she was trying to do was help him, and he had bitten her. She stepped closer to him, her hands moving to grip his arms. She lowered themselves down to the grass. He could hear her speaking, but couldn’t bring his eyes up to meet her own, “Sorrowgrave, let me help you. Feed the demon as it were, and let’s go back.”

She knew about him, but not what he was. How was it that she was on point? His eyes moved over to the body she dragged along with them. That trembling came back, and his stomach suddenly felt so empty. He scooted closer to the body, teeth sinking in. He could feel a hand moving along his back as he ate, hating himself every moment that passed.

Another portal opened, the familiar halls of the estate greeting them.

Again she fell to the floor, but this time he moved over to help her up.

Their bloody hands met one another.

They seemed to be standing in front of a door, one he had seen briefly in passing. He could see the halls leading to the medical wing from where they were standing. Wait… why were they here instead of heading to his room? He found his gaze up at her, a small portal at her side. Like before, she reached in, pulling out a familiar green vial. No. Don’t.

He will just break it again.

“I promised you I would get you a steady shipment of these, and I plan to keep that deal. You came with me. Start with this one for now.”

He reached out to take it from her, knowing what the outcome would be. If he didn’t try to take it, he would take over and do it for him. As his hand drew closer, she took a firm grip of his wrist. What the hell was she doing now? Her mouth lowered to the top of the vial, popping the opening with her teeth. The hand gripping his wrist moved up, forcing his mouth open again, the other hand pouring the liquid down his throat.

She knew. She knew what he would do, and acted accordingly. If he wasn’t suddenly feeling so tired, he would have thanked her.

He could vaguely feel her taking him into his arms. She adjusted him so she could open the door they were standing near. It was a furnished room, one that he couldn’t see very well with the darkness of night. One thing he could make out was a bed, one that he was being lowered into. This wasn’t his bed… so where were they? He would have to ask her when he woke. His mind began to fade, growing blank for the first time in years.

She watched him drift, finding her hand moving through his gray hairs before turning to leave. He’s had it rough, so sleeping in her bed would probably do him some good rather than the sub quality of the ones the medical personnel use. She quietly shut the door behind her, moving down the hall to a very familiar room.

The new door swung open, Alexander still sitting at his desk. Shutting the door behind her, she took a seat in front of him, “We have much to discuss.”

#my writing #tw; blood #tw; violence #tw; death #tw; bodies/corpses #tw; cannibalism #novembria #malceum #the good doctor #alastair #salena #the terrible trio

[salenakingston]

Decided to forgo the prompt thing this time around and write a little something that came to my head on my way home from work. Been writing a lot more backstory related stuff to the main trio, and I don’t intend to stop. It’s so fun to play around with.

Prompt: None

Warnings: Medical Procedures (minor), Blood

Timeline of Events: Whitegale Estate (Backstory)

Total Word Count: 3,117 words

The halls of this estate seemed to just go on and on. Guess that was to be expected when being invited to a place like this. The Whitegale name was one that stretched far beyond the reaches of Sweden, for a number of reasons. Alexander’s wealth and power was nothing to scoff at, but more than that, it was what he had chosen to do with it. He could very well be running his own country with the number of contacts he had, and the people that flocked to him on the promise of a good paycheck. The Whitegales never seemed to be short of work.

And that’s why he was here.

News articles continued to pile up on top of one another, the gap between his own kills becoming shorter and shorter. It seemed that since discovering his project had been a failure, he was not allowed much room to breathe. The demon had put up with him before then, no doubt already knowing the outcome before even his host had learned the price of dealing with those that were already dead.

Magic was real, but even in this new world, there were laws that had to be obeyed. No one could come back from the dead without being broken. Pleas and cries haunted the mind, be it in the waking world or when asleep.

He couldn’t stay at his office anymore, not without risking getting caught. His brain argued with him that he deserved to be taken in. He had lost count of how many lives he had stolen away, be it from those that deserved death or not. He did not care so long as he could get a laugh out of it. He would take.. And take.. And take until there was nothing left of who he once was. Life was slipping away from his fingers.

Sometimes he even wondered what the point of fighting was anymore.

Malceum had found himself on the steps of the estate, mostly by chance. Forced to flee his home country. It was quite the jump to make, Germany to Sweden. Anywhere else might have been a better idea, a place where he might be able to isolate himself so that he couldn’t thrive off the thrill of others… but there was one thing that drew him in to the promise the Whitegales proposed.

Stability.

A roof over his head.

A job.

He could be left wandering country to country without the promise of being able to see anyone. No one owed him anything, and he couldn’t very well work and move at the same time. He needed a new place to call his own. While the estate itself didn’t belong to him, since Alexander had taken him in, he was granted his own space along with the other medical personnel in the building. He had work, or at the very least, something to keep him occupied. On the plus side, with so many people around, he couldn’t just do as he pleased. Someone would notice if one of the staff went missing, or if he had slipped out of the building.

It was a bit of a win win actually.

Unfortunately, it didn’t keep the hollow’s witty commentary silenced.

Alexander had called upon him specifically for a task. Guess the man himself had been impressed by the surgeon’s work. At least that’s what he assumed before stepping inside the office. It was for a stranger reason that he had been chosen. Alexander’s wife had seen him in a vision. Said woman was quite the enigma. Seeing her was rare outside of briefings and events. He had gazed into her unseeing eyes, and could swear that she was somehow still staring back at him. It was enough to unsettle anyone.

He didn’t believe her vision, at least when it seemed like it was something so minor. It was just another surgical job. What did it matter if he was the one who did it, or someone else. Alexander had explained that he never questioned anything his wife had seen, nor was surprised at Malceum’s skeptic tone.

Well… whatever. He had a job to do.

Returning him back to his path through the halls. He had finally managed to figure out where he was going, though it probably helped that he dropped the files he had been flipping through from his eyesight. Anything already on a person’s medical record could help him to understand his patient’s body. Their strengths and weaknesses, at least on a physical level, and what kind of treatments one had already undergone. Which worked, and which ones did not.

But this file just left him dumbfounded.

It was for someone by the name ‘Salena Kingston.’ The first thing that struck him as odd was the inclusion of a ‘species’ tag on her records. Species? It labeled her a wolf, but this had to be some kind of mistake. True, magic was a possibility, but this just seemed too much of a stretch as to what could be considered real now. Humans seeing the future? Believable at the very least. Humans channeling enough energy to bring the souls of others back from the dead? He had seen it first hand. Humanized animals? Unheard of.

Brushing past this mistake, he got into the meat of her records. It baffled him that the list of problems with her physical attributes grew longer and longer with each person that had seen her, yet they had all cleared her to return to duty. Were all of them so negligent with their jobs, doing this on purpose so they could make another sum of money from their wealthy employer? Or was this Alexander’s own doing? It was clear he had contact with everyone on his medical team. Surely he wouldn’t be worse than the doctors.

Well, he wasn’t going to be like them.

Malceum stopped as he came to the medical wing. He knew the path here, but not to this specific room. It seemed strange to be directed to one room, as many others he had taken care of were spread through to whichever space was available. This was ‘her room.’ Just how often was this person here to have a room all of her own?

The surgeon steeled himself, and then opened the door. Strange that this door requires a pin number to open, sliding rather than opening like any normal door.

A pair of blue eyes peered over at him.

The door shut behind him, effectively locking him in the room with a literal beast. So that species part of her documents hadn’t been a typo after all. There, sitting in the bed, was a wolf with a humanized figure. He couldn’t find one thing to focus on, his eyes moving all around her. Her red face markings, visible scars across the top of her muzzle and neck, the curved notches in her ears, the traces of bags under her eyes, but mostly that piercing gaze that fell on him.

A gaze that seemed to be narrowing the longer he stood still. He even found his hands shaking slightly. No, it wasn’t fear that was causing this. He seemed delighted by this turn of events.

“Hey.”

What? Oh that was her voice.

“Are you going to stand there gawking at me, or are you actually going to do your job?”

Malceum was taken aback. Never in all his career could he recall a patient speaking to him in such a way. Annoyance replaced his surprised expression. Oh, he could tell he wasn’t going to enjoy taking care of this one. He set her file down on the small table next to her bed. As he drew closer, he noticed the tubes sticking out of her nose, a tank on the opposite side from where he was standing. Oxygen? Was she having trouble breathing? There were so many problems on the list, it was likely his brain skipped over it, much like the fact of her ‘species.’

“Hey.”

“Y-Yes, st-top.”

His hands were shaking again. She’ll be fun to play with.

Y-You ca-an’t-t.

Oh I’ll find a way.

He gave an audible sigh, an eyebrow raised on the woman? Wolf? In bed. Right, he must look like a crazy person. She was glaring at him at this point, so he might as well match her attitude, “W-well M-Ms. Kin-ngs-ston, I can h-hones-stly s-say in all m-my l-lif-fe I’ve n-nev-ver se-e-een s-som-meo-one as b-brok-ken as y-you are a-and-d s-stil-ll w-wil-llin-ng to m-mout-th off t-the p-per-rson w-who’s-s b-been a-assig-gned to h-help you.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble Sorrowgrave. You’re hardly the first person to be assigned to me as you put it.”

She knew who he was? He hadn’t even been here that long, and he’d never seen her before. Did Alexander tell her about him before summoning him? He mentally shook off that train of thought, scoffing at her, “S-So I’ve s-see-en, a-and it s-seem-ms n-non-ne of t-them-m h-have b-bee-en t-treat-tin-ng you p-pr-rop-perly.”

“And you think you can do better?”

“I k-know-w I c-can.”

“Doubtful.”

Now he was getting more than just annoyed. Were it not for the mask covering his mouth, he was sure his sharpened teeth would be flashing to accompany his growl, “Y-You d-doub-bt my s-sk-kills-s?”

Her tone didn’t change. From the moment she first started talking to him, it seemed she was intent on holding onto her level of sass, but content. Was it acceptance? It was too soon to tell. She didn’t shut up, “Oh no, I’m sure you’re great at what you do. I’m just saying I doubt there’s anything you can do that the other doctors haven’t already tried, or improve upon. My body’s fucked.”

Und-der-rst-tatem-ment-t.

“T-Then-n c-care to ex-xp-plain to m-me w-why y-you’v-ve b-bee-en cl-lear-red e-ev-ver-ry s-sin-ngle t-tim-me y-you’ve b-bee-en h-her-re wh-hen ev-ven you are a-awa-are th-hat s-somet-th-hing is w-wron-ng w-with you?”

“Have you been paying attention? I told you there’s nothing that you can do to improve my condition. You’ll either clear me like the rest of them or I spend the rest of my life sitting in bed. Sounds far too dull.”

“Wh-hy are y-you h-her-re t-then?”

The bitch seemed to roll her eyes at that question, “Did Alexander not even bother to tell his new surgeon why he was being sent here? Just send him off with a file and expect him to wing it?”

Obviously she wasn’t pleased, but was that directed at him, or at her employer? She had to be working for the man if she was in her own private room, but also referred to the Whitegale man by his first name. How was it that she seemed more annoyed than he was having to put up with this? He glared over at the file, as if it had committed a crime by simply being in the room, “H-he s-said his w-wif-fe s-saw me h-her-re in a v-vis-sion.”

That was the thing that seemed to shut her up. Her attitude melted away, head moving up slightly from its slouched over position, “Cassandra saw you? I see.”

So she knew something about the man’s wife too. Just what was so special about this woman and what she could see? Why was it a driving force for so many decisions made around here? It was largely irrelevant for the present moment. He still had a job to do. He found his face easing slightly, “N-Now t-th-hen. W-What-t are y-you in f-for t-tod-day?”

“I need stitches. The staff have been able to do what they could for the wounds, but they won’t heal properly without that work, and Alexander won’t let me do the ones I can reach myself. I’ve been instructed not to move as much until someone got here to take care of the problem.”

She’s capable of doing her own stitch work? Perhaps their employer didn’t want her to do it, feeling more confident with a professional surgeon on staff. Guess his reputation from his home country had something to do with that.

There was a spot for Malceum to prepare for this small task, doing his best to get his hands to stop shaking before he got to work. When he turned back around, he noticed that she had placed her wrists above leather straps on each side of her bed. Restraints, yet she was so casual about their use. She was looking so expectantly at him, “I d-don’t-t s-see a n-nee-ed to hav-ve to u-use t-thos-se.”

“Look Sorrowgrave, I know you’re new here, but trust me on this one. Unless you want to risk my claws finding your skin or impaled on accident, you will strap me down.”

“Y-You c-can’t-t do wor-rse t-than-n wh-hat has al-lre-eady b-bee-en d-done to me.”

“What?”

What?

She didn’t seem to buy that, trying again, “Trust me on this one Sorrowgrave. You’re going to want me restrained. I wouldn’t ask you otherwise if I didn’t think there was any danger to this.” It baffled him in a way that she was willing to be tied down, for his own sake. She was aware of her own power, able to assume she had some from the way she phrased her words, and took her own measures to ensure the staff’s safety. Seeing no need to fight her further, he stepped over to her bed, tightening the straps as tight as he could around each wrist. Her eyes turned forward, waiting now.

He only stepped away to gather his materials before coming to her side, “I’ll n-nee-ed to re-em-move y-your g-gow-wn.”

“Go ahead.”

He had done this so many times before, so there was no need to be so hesitant. The gown was laid across the railing closest to him, his eyes focusing to the new bundle of white and red along her shoulder. So one wound there. He could see the same along her upper chest, another spot along her side, and one last one near her thigh. Whatever mission she must have been on didn’t include an instruction on being careful.

His hands moved around the bandages, removing them. Sure enough, the cuts were deep, jagged in some places. He couldn’t help but notice the ones along her upper chest were different. They were straighter, each one with more than one line next to them. They looked very similar to scars that already littered her upper body. Eyes narrowed, staring on them, and she must have caught onto him again, “As much as I would love for you to keep gawking over my body, do you mind getting on with it? I hate sitting still.”

A low growl passed through his lips, sitting back up so he was at a better angle to do his job. No point in entertaining her rebuke. The sooner he could get these stitches done, the sooner he could leave. A syringe moved towards her wrist, sticking her in a safe place. It shouldn’t take too long for her body to grow numb. While he waited, his eyes moved over the wounds. Whichever medical personnel came to see her before him did a good job cleaning them out. All of them were clear of any signs of infection. Good. He would have hated to do more work than necessary.

He was always careful with his work, testing to make sure the anesthesia was in effect before the needle even touched her skin. Salena barely moved during the entire procedure, making this far easier. Guess he was right that she actually didn’t need to worry about the restraints. He couldn’t help but manage a smug look behind his mask. Good thing she couldn’t see that.

Clean bandages were wrapped back where the dirty ones used to be, leaving the surgeon with nothing else to do aside from clean up. He took care of himself before returning to his patient’s side, freeing her wrists and offering the discarded gown back to her. She snatched it from him, draping it back over her form. Guess his work here was done, so he could leave.

Before he could input the pin to the door panel, he heard her voice again, “Wait.”

Wait? Why? He thought she would be thrilled to have him leave her space. She was rubbing one of her wrists when he turned his eyes back onto her. Her gaze moved to the side, “Thanks. Let me compensate you for your work. I know something you may appreciate more than whatever Alexander will pay you.”

Weird. What could she possibly offer someone like him. Eyes widened when a pocket of magic She stuck her arm inside of it, pulling out a vial. What had he just witnessed? Truthfully, he wasn’t sure, but it fascinated him. Just what was this woman capable of?

Eyes trailed down to the vial, the magic having disappeared, and this what was offered out to him. He took it in his hands, fingers rolling it back and forth as it rested along his palm. The vial contained some kind of green liquid. He was about to question her when she noticed his confusion, “It’s a dreamless sleep potion. I can see the dark bags under your eyes. If they’re anything like mine, I can guess partly why you’re not getting sleep at night. Figured it might help.”

“I-It’s a w-what-t?”

It’s a what?!

One was thrilled, and the other panicking. He couldn’t lose the only outlet he still had for the time being to break down his host. Malceum’s hand began to tremble, grip moving around the vial. Audible cracks from the glass rang in the small room. He tried to save this small act of mercy she had offered him, but he was stronger. The vial shattered, potion spilling between his fingers. Tiny tears pricked at his eyes, red mixing with green along his hand.

He turned around, punching in the code to allow himself to leave, racing down the hall once the door opened.

She didn’t miss the orange flickering in his gaze.

He could tell she was a danger. She had something that could help him, and he made them flee. He wanted to go back to her, beg her for another one, but it was useless. He was going to make him pay for this new found hope.

Salena’s eyes didn’t leave the man, even as he sprinted past the window looking into her room. There was something very wrong with him. Cassandra saw him being sent to her. There was some reason they were meant to meet. Her gaze shifted down to the puddle on the floor, green mixing with red. He wanted that.

Something else made him break it.

And she would find out what.

#my writing #tw; medical talk #tw; blood #novembria #malceum #The Good Doctor #alastair #salena #the terrible trio

[talesofnovembria]

(viviskull) "Five of those book related topic HC's"

Send me “Five of those ______ HC’s” and fill in the blank with a topic, and I’ll give you five headcanons about that topic for my muse!

1. When Salena is around the estate on down time, the most common thing to see her doing is reading a book, be it in the estate’s library, or along the window seat in her own room. Bonus points if it’s near a storm.

2. The Whitegale estate is home to a wide selection of reading material gathered from not only across the globe, but from other worlds as well. Some of the books from Larregis’ secret hold have been donated to this collection by Salena.

3. One of Malceum’s primary jobs when it comes to work within the estate is translating books that are written in other languages, as well as being the main researcher on the team, so he spends a majority of his time with his face buried in a book.

4. Salena and her team, or at least mostly the former, will often take to books first before being sent out on a mission, or she will “borrow” books through her gates to read them on the way. This is especially true when visiting other worlds where not only are the rules different, but there are so many unknown factors. Best to have some idea of what the team is walking into.

5. Salena doesn’t have a particular genre that she likes to read, just ones that tell a story, be it true or not. Malceum’s favorite types of books are ones that further his research, no surprise there. Alexander doesn’t have a favorite, he’s just interesting in anything that can expand his collection.

#mun speaks #tag game reply #viviskull #((ooo this is a good one. Thanks for sending it in)) #((going multi muse for this one))

[talesofnovembria]

What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents?

Super detailed questions about your OCs

Strap yourselves in folks, this one’s going to be a long one. I say that because it truly depends on which parent. Salena’s biological parents or the adopted figures she’s made.

1. Biological: Salena didn’t have a good relationship with her birth parents. Granted it wasn’t to any large extreme, but the constant disappointment she got from her father never sat right with her. And when it came to getting some sympathy from her mother, that seemed pretty non-existent. There aren’t really any good memories to think of, though a bad one would probably be when she was learning about making traps, as the town her family resided in was full of trappers and hunters. She got her foot caught in one of spike traps, and not only did she get help after being mocked, but received nothing but a disappointed lecture from her father. She knew them, but felt no grief when she finally ended their lives after refusing to join her and the Scourge.

2. Larregis: Larregis was another death knight Salena came to know after her king’s fall, and played by one of my best friends. Their relationship was a bit rocky, him pushing her to having the mentality that most death knights did. She’d gained compassion and sympathy in this time, but he always told her that made her weak. He too had the same level of disappointment her own father had for her, but more out of a sense that she had the potential and was just not using it rather than just plain disappointment with no chance of it ever going anyway. He actually seemed to care about her where her biological father did not, even if he was constantly pushing her so hard.

A good memory would have been at a point in time where he was testing her and her abilities. After beating her mentor into the ground and sparing his life, he gifted her with a new set of armor, one she still keeps on hand. A bad memory would be his untimely passing. Larregis basically blew himself up in a giant mana bomb to stop a shade of himself, teleporting Salena out before fatal damage could be done to her body. She was heartbroken.

3. The Whitegales: Both are Salena’s current employers, but Alexander is the one responsibly for saving her life when she first came into Novembria’s existence. While she has grown to trust both of them with her safety and well-being she 1) still does not understand why they bothered to take her in and let her stay, and 2) is skeptical of Alexander at times. I mean, wouldn’t you be skeptical of someone who is constantly collecting strange and magical items for benefit?

A good memory would be sharing tea with Cassandra, as well as having her as someone that she can talk to whenever her husband is not around. A bad memory... ah, when Salena first sealed the Doctor away from Malceum’s body, he tried to take him from her. As unpredictable as the Doctor was, she was not about to give him up, especially at a time when she didn’t fully trust him. There was a pretty heated argument over that.

#mun speaks #get to know the muses #eagefree #ooc

[talesofnovembria]

It took some time to fine the Whitegale estate Salena lived on. He'd never been himself before,so locating it was something of a feat. He was grateful he did, though, even if it took some time to locate. Now he was moving towards the entrance, holding at himself.

At least this was easier than other trips. What he had to ask of Salena was far less to ask. A kiss was so-- invasive, from a stranger.

He dragged his feet as he walked, however. The idea of seeing her was a welcome on, especially in the absence that had reigned since the spell was cast. He forgot how much he missed her voice until the prospect came that he might hear it again.

But-- she still suffered by knowing him. Lament, the King,and Salena had taken it hardest, forming a team and running the ground red. Was it worth it to give her back what she lost?

...He wasn't sure. But Sal deserved the choice. Whatever she chose, he'd respect.

With that thought in mind, he approached the entrance, hoping to gain access and find her.

Fingers dragged through her bangs, frustration filling the fibers of her being. A sleepless night she'd spent, sitting in the library, tea having been replaced with coffee. She really was picking up on Alexander's habits now wasn't she?

There was no word from the fae. Either her threat worked a little too well, or they truly didn't have anything more to add than she'd already been able to figure out through her own work. The one time she was willing to listen, and they didn't respond.

Typical...

Half her time was spent in her mind, the sunflower from before wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet. She'd seen the effects of this magic from the physical side, now it was a matter of seeing if there was any difference from inside. Much the same... loud static, flickers in the eye, nothing but empty walls.

All her notes laid out in front of her... She felt so close...

A shake on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. Cassandra? What was she doing here? She blinked, "Is something wrong?"

"There's someone on the grounds here to see you."

On the grounds? To see her? Who?

Salena pushed herself up from her seat, gathering her notes into one pile to leave before leaving. It didn't matter too much if anyone came across them. Moving through the halls, it didn't take her too long to come to the entrance. Pushing the doors open revealed the vast space of the Estate's grounds. How was she meant to find anyone with such vague direction?

She stopped short when she spotted the sun hitting blond hair in the distance.

Static.

Orange and yellow, the sunflower.

Distortion.

His whole form seemed to flicker, broken apart and coming together again. Finally it seemed she'd seen just this young man, but someone she'd never seen before. Anyone else on the grounds knew who she was. How did he come to this place? This had to be the one Cassandra mentioned right? She knew everyone by name as well.

She kept her distance, a couple fingers moving over her wrist. Her ears pinned back, tail sticking straight up, "Who are you?"

#bitch in armor - salena #blind but unheard - cassandra #punsandfuturekingsmen #m!a: Arthur? Who's that? #((All aboard the feels train)) #((Anything new relating to the m!a will be taking place before this)) #((This is the last event))