Kala Ree

Asak Blue walked down Iral Kay's main boulevarde, opting to stick to the lower grounded route rather than the maze of rope-and-wood walkways up above. His reasoning was clear--at the end of a leather leash walks his favorite Alkaw, Rimuwa. Though deadly hunters and prized guard animals, Alkaws weren't arboreal creatures. The slanted late afternoon sun cut through the tree trunks and lit the animal's blackish hide with purple highlights.

As head of Iral Kay's militia, Asak wasn't unknown in the city. People passing him by nodded their respects, though most of them kept clear of Rimuwa. The Alkaw seemed placid ... for now.

It was a good day to be out on a walk. The simple farm girl had with her a young Alkaw pup which she was trying to acclimatise to Iral Kay. It was kept on a leash, but it was quite the bundle of energy as it looked about curiously from her feet.

The young lady paused at a florist, taking a look at the contents and admiring a fairly large flower. It would make a perfect gift for her mother's birthday and she started to haggle the price with the shopkeeper.

"You know I'm a regular customer Kree. I do appreciate a slight discount. It's just for my mother and you know how she loves these," the girl said with a slight smile. No good shopping trip can go without one of those banters.

As she focused on her purchase, her little excitable Alkaw noticed another walking along the walkways. The next thing Ava knew, she was being tugged in the general direction of Asak by the little Alkaw pup.

"Evin! Stop!" she cried as she was pulled along by the beast's strength, only to have the leash jerked out of her hand, causing the female to tumble along with her purchases while Evein ran towards Rimuwa and started making playful gestures to larger beast. It had seen a friend and had assumed the other was as friendly as the other Alkaws on Ava's farm and wanted to play!

Ava landed on her face with an oof as her shopping basket rolled, spilling its contents. As she looked up, a brief expression of horror came across her face as she realised who it was who might have seen her undignified fall.

Asak was prepared to walk right on past the woman and her Alkaw, but it seemed the pup had other ideas! A look of horror matching Ava's came across his face as Evein ripped his leash free of the woman's hand and bounded up to him and Rimuwa. The larger female Alkaw began to growl softly, lowering her head in a threatening manner to show Evein her horn. "Rimuwa," Asak said in a stern voice. "Calm. Sit."

He needn't have worried too much. Rimuwa may have growled, but she lacked the sheer aggression of some of the other Alkaws in his kennel--which was why he felt safe walking her under Iral Kay's canopy. But still, it would have been a disaster had she torn this poor pup to shreds right in front of him. Whether Evein backed down or not, Rimuwa remained stoicly seated.

Asak stepped in between her and the bouncing pup. "Sit! Stay! Down!" He looked now to Ava, wearing a stern scowl. "You! This is your Alkaw, yes?"

The growl from Rimuwa caused the pup to halt in its play, as it took on a submissive pose. When Asak rapped out several commands, the young Alkaw studied him briefly, though it didn't listen. It wasn't its owner after all. Ava heaved a sigh of relief when her pup was still in one piece.

"Evin, come here. Sit," Ava called out from the ground and the pup obliged immediately now that the excitement had worn off. It seemed mostly well behaved but just excited at its age. It bounded around Asak, staring at the other Seera.

She picked up its leash relief soon turned to fright when Asak called to her. "Yes... yes sir," she mumbled, voice trembling slightly as she moved to stand up to greet him properly.

Asak followed the pup's retreat with narrowed eyes. Rimuwa calmed down after that, even letting her tongue loll out of her mouth--and as she relaxed, so too did Asak, at least somewhat. Sighing, he stepped closer to Ava, reaching down with his free hand to help her back to her feet. Rimuwa obediently followed him and began to sniff at the possessions that the woman had dropped.

"It needs better training," Asak said sternly, though perhaps not so sharply as before. "Or else it could wind up in serious trouble someday!" He drew a deep breath through his nose and released it as a sigh. "... it's okay. My apologies if Rimuwa scared you." He patted the Alkaw's head affectionately. "What's your name?"

The Alkaw pup sat by his owner's side, looking at them all. Although it was still fairly excited. The initial excitement had worn off.

Ava accepted Asak's offer of help, standing up and brushing herself, heaving a sigh of relief as she was not given a good dressing down. "My name's Ava sir, just a farm girl. And I'm glad it didn't break out into anything sir. Evin's the most friendly of the litter and well behaved. I suppose he thought that all the other Alkaw's he met would be equally welcoming of him as those at home. It's his first time out," she explained as the pup stayed by her side this time, wary of Rimuwa.

She took one look at the fallen purchases and sighed. Some of the fruits and vegetables were damaged, and one tomato (?) had burst completely open. The basket had fallen over onto her freshly purchased flowers and the young Serra looked crestfallen at the damaged flowers.

As Asak helped Ava back up to her feet, he frowned. She had looked a lot older until he got a look at her face closer up. By father's ghost, did I just yell at a little girl? he asked himself, trying to not let his dismay show in his expression. He cleared his throat awkwardly instead.

"Well ... friendly he certainly seems to be. May I pet him?" If Ava gave him the go ahead, the Serra would bend forward and hold out a hand towards Evin, clicking his tongue to get the pup's attention.

From this vantage point, he noticed the shopping that Ava had dropped earlier. She seemed to have a bouquet of flowers that had been lightly crushed under the fallen basket. "Oh ... were they for someone special?" he asked. He sounded a little awkward--smalltalk didn't come easily to him, and his brusque demeanor always made him sound a little rough around the edges, making a jarring juxtaposition.

Ava nodded her head when Asak asked to pet Evin. The pup waited patiently and responded by nuzzling and licking the older male's hand when he patted it. This one wouldn't be a guard dog for sure. It seemed to lack the natural wariness that other Alkaws had. Friendly fellow indeed.

Ava meanwhile scrambled about to pick up her groceries while Evin's attention was taken by Asak. It was clear from how she handled each piece that the flowers were the most important. A look to Kree had told her that the florist had run out of those particular flowers for now. Ava was quite devastated and she wiped a tear away.

"Umm... yes sir, it's for my mother. She particularly likes these ones. You can't get them here. They're only found at the Sanctum... and it's whenever someone comes by."

She attempted to straighten the petals out though there was only so much she could do. "I'm really terribly sorry for the scare sir."

A tiny smile tugged at one corner of Asak's lips, showing a sliver of fang. The enthusiasm of a puppy was one thing that had always bolstered his spirits, though he always thought a Kyrka hatchling would be even better. His large hand rubbed the top of the Alkaw's head for a few moments. At least he managed to keep himself from cooing and fussing like a new mother.

When Ava started picking up her belongings, Asak jolted out of his puppy-reverie and went to assist her--though between his delayed reaction and having one hand still occupied by Rimuwa's leash, he probably wouldn't wind up helping very much.

With a sinking heart he watched her try to fix up the mangled petals. He had passed those flowers on his way to the sanctum the many times he'd tried to bond ... how many had it been? Five? Six? "I'm sure she'll still love them," he told her. "Do you need a walk home?"

Ava collected her groceries, counting them and accepting his help silently. The girl was clearly shy, or perhaps embarrassed from her fall earlier.

"I hope so too, her temperament has been a little uncertain of late," she said with a sigh, her tail flicking dully against the wooden walkway. There was a certain world weariness to the sigh.

At Asak's offer, she looked a little surprised but nodded her head. "If you'd like to sir, it's near the outskirts so it's quite a walk. Although I have a few Alkaws who might be wary of yours, but they're well trained enough. More so than this rascal here," she said with a chuckle as she reached out with her scarred hand to give the pup a scratch.

The girl was no stranger to handling the beasts judging from the marks on her hand. They were old and faded, newbie marks. Her mood had definitely shifted noticeably from when she spoke of her mother to dealing with the pup.

Asak helped with whatever he could, even hanging onto any of the parcels that might burden her. He nodded sadly as she spoke on her mother. Hopefully the woman wasn't ill. "I live just outside of town, too--I have to, with my kennels. As I'm sure you know, Alkaws don't take well to the trees." A small joke--hopefully enough to change the mood. "Lead the way."

The older Serra noticed the scars on her hands--for one so young, it seemed strange for her to have to bear such a burden. If she can handle that, she'd make a good Kyrider, he thought. Even that was enough to make his heart sink, reminding him all too painfully of his own ability to bond. Many Serra never bond, even if they try, he told himself, but it was a meaningless platitude. Ava might notice the man's sudden change in demeanor.

Ava appreciated the help.

"Yes sir," she said as she looped Evin's leash about her arm and carried her groceries. One day the pup would have to help her by pulling a wagon or carrying a basket on his back or something when he was older. Until then she would carry the burden. The other Alkaws weren't as friendly and she hadn't judged them suitable to enter more crowded areas.

The change in mood had not gone unnoticed, though there was a brief bit of panic if she wondered if she caused it. Time to test the waters then.

"Is something wrong sir?"

Asak walked alongside the youngster with her parcels. Rimuwa padded easily at his side, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. She seemed content to coexist with Evin now, though mostly displayed this by ignoring him.

As Ava questioned him, Asak let out a soft and mirthless chuckle, head swinging back and forth morosely. "No, no. I was just thinking ... that ..." He hesitated--what if, by some strange twist of fate, he could still bond? He knew he should encourage Serra to attend the next hatching, giving the young Kyrka their best chances to find a perfect match. But if he kept hopefuls away, perhaps one of the hatchlings would be desperate enough to bond with him instead ...

He grimaced slightly, guilt rankling in his gut at even considering going against his civil--and moral--duty. With a soft sigh, he put a smile back on. "... you seem mature for your age, and I've heard rumors there's going to be another Kyrka clutch at the sanctum soon."

Evin being the rambunctious pup he was, was darting about and jumping though he made sure never to trip his owner. Ava had given him a good enough scolding on more than one occasion and he had learnt his lesson.

At the mention of clutching at the sanctum, Ava shook her head.

"My mother says I'm never to go to the sanctum. It's filled with pain and sorrow," she said quietly. "Although everyone speaks well of it... I really want to go there one day but..."

The filial daughter didn't want to disobey her mother.

As they neared the outskirts of the village and Ava's house. They could hear someone singing loudly. No neighbours were near them. Many knew better. Asak might recognise it as the place where there was a rumoured mad woman. In Ava's younger years, her mother had created quite a bit of ruckus to probably give her name and the occasional visit from authorities. She was harmless but definitely unpleasant, refusing to form close bonds.

The house wasn't in terrible condition but there was repair patch work seen. On the rooftop, an older Serra woman sat singing. Ava sighed as she saw it.

"Sorry she's in one of her moods again..." Ava said, tail flicking a little. "Mum, it's me Ava! Could you please get down from there? We have a visitor! I've also brought you some flowers. They had the kind you like!" she shouted. For a young girl, she had a surprisingly loud voice.

A few alkaws heard her voice and came bounding over to a fence, looking at Asak and Rimuwa. They didn't growl, but their body language showed they were certainly cautious.

From the rooftop, Kulris peered down and clambered down, waving to Asak.

Filled with pain and sorrow ... that sounded about right to Asak, who had weathered a lifetime of disappointment in the Sanctum. How many years had he wasted, hoping for something that would never come? "Perhaps you will go someday," he said, "even if it's just long enough to pick some of those flowers for your mother."

The sound of singing made his ears perk, though he couldn't yet tell where it was coming from. It took him quite a long time--not until Ava apologized for it--to figure it out. It was the last thing Asak was expecting. He cleared his throat and scratched his head. "I ... well, I see. You don't need to apologize."

As the other Alkaws came bounding over, the Serra tightened his grip on Rimuwa's leash. "Sit," he told her. She obeyed him instantly. "Stay. These are friends." While the Alkaw couldn't understand all the words he was saying, she picked up on his demeanor.

He watched the woman clamber down from the rooftop. She seemed sprightly for her age--though she likely was younger than him, even. Not only had his life left him without a bondmate, but also without wife and child. He was never wanting for lady friends, but never dared make bonds that would chain him anywhere ... just in case, against all odds, he bonded. "Hello, ma'am," he said, awkwardly returning her wave.

Ava hook her head.

"Mum said I should never go there. Bonding is the worst thing ever according to her," she said sighing. She clearly didn't believe it as she flicked her tail.

"I've been practicing running long distance. Maybe one day I can run to the Sanctum and back in a day," she said optimistically. No she can't. But she was twelve and hadn't much of a concrete sense of distance.

"I need to come back to help her with the chores. She tends to get forgetful and distracted," Ava said with a smile before she went over to give her mother a hug. Given her size she was at the same height as her mother. Kulris ruffled her daughter's hair gently.

Ava took out the flowers for her mother, who squealed excitedly like a little girl.

"Oh Ava that is wonderful! Oh some of the flowers are a little wilted, but that's all right."

Kulris then turned her attention to Asak. "Oh hello, what are you doing here?" She asked tilting her head before leaning close into his personal bubble till she was nearly face to face. There was definitely something off about her for sure. She was still rather lithe and well built for her age.

Asak's lips quirked down into a frown. "No--to share yourself with a beast of such power is the highest honor one could ever hope to attain!" But with Ava's mother nearby, he didn't want to push the matter lest he offend the strange woman. Surely she had reasons for her belief. After looking her over, Asak thought that whatever those reasons were, they couldn't be sound.

Asak didn't have time to mull it over too much, for soon Kulris was leaning in until their noses nearly touched. He hesitated, tail flicking behind him. He could handle a feral Alkaw, or a rampaging frostmaul, but this? He had no idea how to handle this. "Ah. Well, your daughter had a bit of a spill, and I wanted to help her bring her packages home." He set down the parcels he had been carrying. "I hope that's ... all ... right?"

Ava glanced over at Asak sadly when he said it was the highest honour, but said nothing about it.

Kulris looked the fellow up and down as he explained his presence.

"Is that so? Well now, we have to be hospitable, I insist you stay for tea to thank you for your help," she said before disappearing into the house without waiting for an answer, taking some of the packages.

There was a brief pause from Ava before she looked at Asak to see how he handled meeting her mother.

"I've tried to convince my mother several times to allow me to go to the Sanctum but she refuses to let me. I just hope I can go some day... more so since a new clutch has appeared. It's just like a wonderful land that I cannot reach... but I suppose one can dream," the girl said with a sigh.

Evin nuzzles against Ava gently. He knew enough to tell when his owner was feeling upset and the girl reached out to pat the fellow absent-mindedly.

Asak bowed his head to Kulris at her insistence. That seemed as much a seal of approval as he'd get from the strange woman. There was something ... off about her. It seemed like something was missing. As Kulris went back inside, Asak adjusted his vest and turned his attention back to Ava.

"Well, she is your mother, and you must respect her wishes ... she might fear for your safety. You're young. Maybe in a few years she'll change her mind." Absentmindedly he rubbed the top of Rimuwa's head. "You could even try when you're fully grown, like me." Of course, he had started trying when he was still a boy, and there were no documented cases of people bonding beyond their early thirties. But that gave Ava a good number of years yet.

Ava nodded her head as she listened to Asak, gesturing for him to enter the house. Inside it seemed fairly well kept and they lived a simple life. The living room was neat and rather impersonal.

Kulris was busy in the kitchen, getting together a couple of biscuits and some tea for their visitor. Their dining table was set in the middle of it, with a door heading out to the kennels. As Ava led Asak towards the kitchen, they would pass a painting kept at a corner, not large enough to catch attention, but it was placed in a special place, with the frame adorned with blue feathers.

It was a painted portrait of a family, with a young child with Ava's colours was seated atop a blue Kyrka, flanked by her parents. The female looked like a much happier Kulris. A visitor standing at the door would see it, but anyone invited in would have noticed it.

Only two chairs were at the table.

"We don't really get that many visitors so take a seat," Kulris spoke with a grin before she went over to Asak, putting the tea on a plate, and the cookies into a chipped teacup.

"Tastes better when it's done this way. Ava always tells me it's the other way around but ha! I've tried and this tastes much better."