The First to Go - GORE
Some things were meant to be hunted, and Shehk had always been a hunter. Skoll and Hati had stayed in that evening while Shehk had taken the Canis Major out for a run through the trees - and the pain in her stomach had started up again. No, Medea had said they could fix this - make it go away. She'd thought 'soon'. She would take care of it when she got back.
But every instinct she had suddenly flew after sudden movement off to one side - something in her brain yelled STOP!!!! - but not before she suddenly threw herself onto the moving creature, teeth seeking out whatever throat she could despite the yelps of protest. The yelps cut short as Shehk readily pulled her teeth away from the throat of the creature that now laid dead between her paws.
Helvetica. The Canis Pricolici's chest was stained with blood from Shehk's sudden assalt, and for a brief moment, Shehk stared in horror. Then the hunger returned and she began to put her accidental slaughter of her pet into her belly, feeding into a void that shouldn't have existed. She knew it shouldn't have existed, and even the devouring of her pack member didn't make it feel better. The hunger returned even after the pricolici had reduced the canis major to fur and bones.
More movement, Shehk's head turned towards it as well. The horrible symphony played and played again, it seemed. Yet every time a canis fell to her jaws, it didn't feel like enough. There was still an emptiness that ate at her - something resembling guilt. But the guilt was easily overpowered. She'd only devoured a few of her pack when the rest had fled out into the night - unwilling to return as prey to their alpha's jaws. Being freed was likely better for them than being in the care of Shehk.
But they would be more fortunate than the two remaining at home. Shehk's return was first met with excitement by Hati - and then a sudden bristle of horror had come over both of the Celestial Wolves' bodies, their posture rigid, suspicious. Skoll snarled. Shehk gave them both a long look, settling into her desk chair as she watched the pair cowering from her across the room. Considering.
Would they go free for their own safety? Could she let them go? Would Hati be able to survive with just Skoll taking care of her? No. No, they would never survive without her. She had tame them - they had learned to survive as long as she let them - and she couldn't let them anymore. It was a strange realization, settling into her gut far too easily as she fished into her desk, pulling out a familiar hand carved knife. Obsidian blade, bone carved handle - the one she'd made for Jericho. She took a minute with it, running her finger down the sharp edge of the blade, wincing when it cut through her skin and drew a few lines of the thick bioluminescent fluid that pumped through her veins like mud.
Then she looked up to her loyal pets. Her heart seemed to twist in her, sending a pang of a different pain through her chest, as she got up to her feet and began the walk across the room. Hati cowered back into the corner, terrified, but Skoll was more willing to try and fight the Alpha off - he'd always been more willing to fight Shehk when she made bad calls.
That was why the knife she held pierced into his throat first with a wet squelch - he barely made a dying noise as his blood spattered onto her floor, the red liquid staining his golden fur. Her heart twisted again, and she felt a sharp pain in her chest, flooring her and leaving her on her knees, only kept off her stomach by one hand supporting her against the floor. As she pulled the knife from Skoll's throat, she could hear Hati's barks and screeches of distress from her place pressed into the corner.
"He's gone, sweetie..." Shehk said, her tone eerily level as she forced herself up from her kneeling position and began making slow steps towards the darker wolf. Hati scrambled for Shehk's bed, but the pricolici grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, pulling her back out and carefully cradling the wolf against her. "Shhhhh...it's okay baby girl....." Shehk whispered as Hati continued to yowl and flailed her legs, her claws digging into the pricolici's forearms. "It's okay baby girl...it's okay baby girl......"
They would be the last words Hati would hear when the knife found her as well.
And yet perhaps it was for the better.....
