Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction ❯ Where the Wild Things Are ❯ Chapter 2
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Faia Saiyajin 
Anime/Manga: Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Occult / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.02.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 211 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Occult / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.02.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 211 | Status: Completed
It was a mild understatement to say that Kat was sufficently freaked out by this turn of events. When she skittered backwards, the dog-man followed, as far as his lead would allow. Now no longer concealed by the shadow thrown by the train, Kat made out the rest of his features in the dim lights.
One word came to mind. Monstrous.
Easily 6 feet 5, maybe taller, he was hunched to the ground, mostly because of the weight of the chains he wore. His wrists were shackled together with heavy chains and iron cuffs. His dark skin was covered in dust, as he had obviously been forced to run behind the caravan. Pants that had fit at one time were now too big, tied at his waist with a peice of rope. The loose legs were cinched at the ankles by another pair of shackles, and another length of thick chain.
His chin met against another thick cuff, that had abraded his flesh, leaving his lower throat raw and oozing blood. A long wound, that was sure to be an ugly scar, festered on his chest, starting above his collar bones, running on a low diagonal to the compact muscles of his stomach.
Kat was more of an animal person than a people person, and despite the man-beast's ferocious appearance, her heart softened for the captive. "You poor thing..."
Hearing the sympathy in her voice, he cocked his head, regarding her with his amber eyes. Despite his beaten-down appearance, his eyes conveyed a different emotion. Whoever held him prisoner had not yet broken his spirit. He chuffed lightly, raising his chin proudly. Shaggy dark hair covered his head, running down his back, held in a loose ponytail with another bit of rope. His sideburns extended to the curve of his square-cut jaw, barely concealing the small gold hoops he wore in the lobes of his pointed ears.
"Here..." she said carefully, inching closer. Knowing that she ran the risk of him turning on her, she quelled what little fear she had. "Let me see that wound." Holding her left hand out still in friendship, she used the other to pull free the small white hankerchief in the side pocket of her dress. When she was close enough, Kat tentively dabbed at the blood on his throat, not wanting to incite him to violence through pain. He sat through her ministrations, legs folded, hands resting on his ankles. Head lowered, almost dejectedly, he watched her through the thick fringe of hair that touched his arched eyebrows.
When most of the blood was removed, and the dried crust of blood and pus on his chest had been flaked off, Kat sat on back on her heels, folding the stained hanky into quarters. "There we go." She grinned. "All clean."
What little light they had was cut off, as a large figure stepped between they and the lamps. Kat whimpered, seeing the portly silhouette, which held a coiled whip at its side.
"What's goin' on here?" it said, with a voice thick with a foreign-sounding accent.
Kat's patient was in a crouch now, growling menacingly. She squeaked and edged behind him.
"Gustav! Bring the lamp over here!" the fat figure boomed over his shoulder.
A smaller man scurried forward, holding the oil light high, illuminating the man-beast and woman. The fat one was bald and sweaty, a rat-tail mustache brushing against his round chin. He wore a red vest inlayed with gold swirl-marks, pendulous belly hanging over black cotton pants. Thick rings were on his fingers, and he wore a giant hoop in his left ear. The smaller man, Gustav, looked greasy and neurotic, shirtless, but wearing the same pants as his companion. His black hair was slicked back and oiled, dust clinging to the surface. A strange tattoo marked the left side of his face, spread over part of his eyelid and brow.
"Looks like our doggy's found a friend, Hoi." he guffawed, his laugh a donkey's bray.
"Indeed he has." Hoi chuckled, stroking his mustache. "Who might you be, little lady?" He peered over his 'doggy', close enough to see her, but still out of reach of the beast.
"Kat. From Garousha."
"Garousha, eh? We just came from there, didn't we, Hoi?" Gustav said, eyeing Kat in a way to make her uncomfortable.
"Aye. Sold a young gentleman a lovely snake-woman."
Kat's eyes went wide. Sold? They were slave traders?! "What do you mean, sold?"
Hoi laughed, his belly shaking. "Aye. We're Gustav and Hoi, proprietors of the Midnight Children. A side-show and auction block. We specialize in rare ...things." He looked down at the man infront of Kat. His look was met with a threatening snarl.
"But that's ...illegal!!"
"Maybe for your kind, lass. But this be the traveling village of Dov. We make our own rules." Gustav hooted. He then promptly made a loud noise in his throat, and turned his head, spitting.
Kat curled her lip in disgust. 'Wretched Gypsies...' "What about him?"
"This flea-bitten mongrel? Good-for-nothing. Can't even let him in the car. He's killed valuable property of ours. ...and we can't have that, considerin' as they're so hard to find anyway..." Gustav kicked dirt and stones in his direction.
Chains slithered and snaked as the man tried to retaliate, lashing out with such speed Kat didn't even notice until Hoi and Gustav swore in a strange language, jumping back, out of reach.
Hoi silenced the momentary uprising by unfurling his whip, snapping it hard across his exposed back. His victim yelped in pain. Kat gasped, horrified.
"You can't do that!"
"I can! And I will. He belongs to me!" He grunted, as Kat leapt up, jerking on the thick arm that held the whip. Tossing her off easily, she landed hard on her back beside the man-beast.
Getting to her feet, Kat smoothed her dress. If he were left in their 'care' for much longer, he'd wind up dead. "...Is... is he for sale?"
"Him? HA!" Gustav laughed his obnoxious laugh. "No one wants him. We've had him for years. And the bastard's made sure no one will make an offer."
"I do. I don't have a lot of money, but I'll give you all I have." Kat said, silencing the half of her mind that was currently trying to talk her out of what seemed to be a REALLY stupid act.
"Eh? Well, I'd be more than willing to get him off my hands for 20. He's not worth much more. But don't come cryin' to us when he rips you apart. Vicious animal." Hoi said, smoothing his meaty fingers over his double chin. "Take him and go. It's more of a payment to be rid of him. Get the keys, Gustav."
His partner scuttled off, leaving Kat, Hoi, and her new purchase. Forking over the money, leaving her with only a meager amount left, Kat tried to ignore the grimy feel of his fingers as he took the wrinkled bills. 'Filthy pig...' Looking down at him, Kat blinked slowly, trying to realize what she'd just done. The sound of keys jingling broke her reverie. Gustav thrust the large metal key into her palm.
"Like hell we're gonna stick around while he's loose. Unlock him and get the hell out of here. I catch you near me, and I flay your hide wide open." His last threat was obviously directed to the ground. Gustav then raised his head, that perverted grin forming on his lips again. "Make sure he doesn't bite the hand that feeds him, eh, girly?"
Kat watched, clenching her fists around the keyring, as they hustled back into the train. "Irritating, self-righteous, uneducated..." With a frustrated sigh, she knelt by a giant padlock. "Now I'm gonna unchain you here... don't go and make me regret this, okay?" Kat's fingers shook as she turned the key, the mass of links falling from the open clasp.
The instant the bindings hit the ground, she reflexively closed her eyes, waiting for the strike. Instead, she heard the low grunts, bones popping, muscles creaking, as he stood upright, for the first time in what seemed to be a while. Peering up at him from one slitted eye, she saw only a broad expanse of chest, pectoral muscles bigger than her head, and that nasty cut. Awe-struck at his size, she carefully looked up, standing straight, realizing that he was taller than she'd thought, almost a full 7 feet.
Dumbstruck, she watched as he took the key from the lock, and freed his wrists and ankles, leaving the collar around his throat. He then unlocked the lengths of chain that ran from his neck to his limbs, eight in all. They fell to the ground with a dull thud, and sharp metallic sound, Kat realizing that he must have had at least 200 pounds of hardware on. His next maneuver left her wide eyed. Lifting the main lead in his hand, he offered it to her.
'I thought they said he was vicious? ...so far, he's... just like a slave. Is this a decoy? Or does he really think I own him now?' Kat shuddered at the thought. She'd just bought him. Reluctantly, she took the makeshift leash, and looked up at him. "Now what...?"
He merely cocked his head, a small fang poking out from behind his lower lip.
Figuring that she'd get no help from him, she hefted the heavy chain over her shoulder, and began walking east, the man in tow. Although she felt more protected against the night, Kat shifted nervously. What if he was going to get her out of earshot of Gustav and Hoi, and then rip her to shreds?
After a long while, perhaps an hour or two, Kat had figured that if he was going to kill her, he would have done it already.
"Thank you."
In her surprise, Kat dropped the chain, and spun on her heel, nearly bumping into him. "What did you say?!"
He snorted lightly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lip. "I said..." His voice was deep, with a slight graveliness to it. "Thank you."
"You can talk?!"
"Surprised?"
"Why didn't you say anything before?!"
"Because I didn't have anything to say, Kitten."
Kat's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "First off, the name is Kat."
"I prefer Kitten."
"Well I don't!" She snapped, as even her best 'threatening' stance looked pitiful, matched against him. "Oh.. nevermind. Call me whatever you want. I don't care." She raised a brow, looking at him skeptically. "Do you have a name, or should I call you 'Doggy'?"
"Fenris."
"Fenris. Heh. Here I am, thinking you're one of those big silent types... I guess you can understand me."
"As clear as a bell." He said smugly.
"Then you won't find it hard to grasp the concept that I didn't buy you to keep you. I bought you to set you free. Those men would have killed you."
"And I could kill you, you know."
Kat shuddered visibly, wrapping her arms around her thin shoulders. "If you're gonna, get it over with."
Fenris cocked his head, with that same quizzical look in his eyes she'd seen before. "I said I could. That doesn't mean I will."
"Okay then, dummy. That's fine. You're free now. Get out of here before Hoi and Gustav catch you again." She jerked with her thumb over her shoulder, to the black wilderness before them. "Scram."
"You're cold, you're alone, and it's the middle of the night. Do you really think it's wise to get rid of your only protection?"
"I can take care of myself. I've been doing it all my life." She retorted sharply.
"The dangers of town life are nothing. The sole thing you've to worry about are murderers and other degenerates. Out here..." Fenris smiled a little, revealing that fang on the right side of his lower lip. "Things are much worse. And the degenerates aren't human. Most aren't even mortal."
Kat shuddered again. Vampires. She'd been trying to ignore that word since the sun went down. "I get what you're driving at."
"Good Kitten." Lifting his head, he went still, tasting the night air. "There's a town. Not 20 miles from here."
"That's another day or so of walking."
"Not by my watch." With his bare hands, he ripped the collar from his throat. Kat was stunned. If he was capable of freeing himself that easily, why hadn't he before? Fenris stepped forward, stooping to the ground.
"Uh..."
"Get on. I don't want to stand around any longer than necessary. ...Don't argue with me, Kitten."
Kat shot a withering look at his broad back. "You're hurt, and carrying me on your back will only make it worse." He'd earned a nice-sized welt across his back, from Hoi's last whiplash.
"I can't feel it anyway." Fenris said, looking over his shoulder at her. "My sensory nerves shut down pain registration shortly after the wound is sustained." He grunted. "And once I get some food in my stomach, my injuries will be taken care of."
"All right, all right. Fine." Kat carefully climbed on his back, throwing one arm over his shoulder, getting the feeling she was going to topple over backwards. Her muscles tighened when he stood, Kat hoisted high in the air. Tucking his arms under her knees, Kat flushed in embarassment. This was not the most ladylike thing to do, especially when one was wearing a dress.
"Are we ready?" he asked. Kat nodded mutely, peering around his neck. She had this horrible notion that her rear end was hanging out the back of her dress. Fenris snorted. "Kitten, I can't read minds. You'll have to speak up. Breathe heavy or something."
She squeaked. "Ready."
"Good. Hold on tight." He said, eager to break into a good run.
Kat felt his muscles flex, before he started sprinting, his bare feet flying over the soil. He leaned into the run, leaving Kat clinging to his back. His skin was almost uncomfortably warm, but smooth. Trying to relax, and ignore the pinch of his hands on the backs of her knees, Kat held for dear life onto his shoulders.
Fenris ran in silence for a few minutes, ignoring the sour ache in his stomach. He'd just endured a four-hour run, attatched to the back of that wretched circus train. And Hoi wasn't exactly generous with his food. Most of the time the fat reject forgot he was back there. But Kitten had seen to his freedom. Whether that was a blessing or a curse, only time would tell. His ears twitched as the girl spoke, asking one of the many questions he was sure she had.
It wasn't exactly subtle, nor was it polite, but it was to be expected. "What are you? I mean, I don't mean to be rude... but you can't be human..." Her question ended with a nervous laugh.
He grunted. "I am a Barbarois." Fenris smiled a little. "I'm sure you've heard of us. The freaks and demi-humans that are the runners-up in the nightmares of human folk. We are second only to Vampires in strength and legend." The forbidden 'V' word was said in disgust.
Kat was silent on his back, eyes wide and blinking. 'B-Barbarois? Holy Jesus. All I'm missing from my life now is a million-year-old Vampire....' She thought of something to say, to banish the uncomfortable silence between them. "Why did you leave...?"
"I... was exiled. Six years ago, when I was still a pup. By human standards, I am in my late 20's. But to my race, I am still juvenile. What you would call a teenager."
"So you're saying that the Barbarois age differently?"
"It's different for each of the clans and groups, but yes. Some are born, grow old, and die, all in a matter of days. Others live more slowly, seeing life around them as a mere blink, a flash in the pan. Those Barbarois are few and far between."
"I guess your clan uses what? Dog years?" The instant it came out, Kat regretted it, waiting to be dropped unceremoniously on the ground and eaten.
But Fenris only laughed lightly, smiling his canid smile. "You could say that."
"...Why.. were you exiled...?"
He went silent, and Kat feared that she had crossed the line again. Lowering his head somewhat, his eyes went cold. The shame, horror, revulsion. The sound of those rusting iron doors closing behind him, leaving him to his own devices.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." She felt the muscles in his neck and shoulders tense up.
Fenris shook his head, his thick mane of hair quivering as he did. "It's all right." He shot her a glance from the corner of his eye. "What about you? Why did you leave your home?"
Kat snorted.
"I see. Problems at home?"
"You have no idea."
"I think I do. I had an older brother at one time. And a mother and father as well."
"What happened to them?"
"My parents were killed in the last Great War. I was raised by my brother after that. He was killed, not long before my exile. Murdered by a Hunter."
"So you're all alone." Kat whispered quietly, lowering her head, until her chin rested lightly on his skin, just below the base of his neck. "I'm alone too."
Fenris said nothing in response, leaving the Human to cower pathetically on his back. Eventually she turned her head, resting her cheek on his shoulder, fingers releasing him from their frightened grip. Letting her sleep, he carried on in silence.
One word came to mind. Monstrous.
Easily 6 feet 5, maybe taller, he was hunched to the ground, mostly because of the weight of the chains he wore. His wrists were shackled together with heavy chains and iron cuffs. His dark skin was covered in dust, as he had obviously been forced to run behind the caravan. Pants that had fit at one time were now too big, tied at his waist with a peice of rope. The loose legs were cinched at the ankles by another pair of shackles, and another length of thick chain.
His chin met against another thick cuff, that had abraded his flesh, leaving his lower throat raw and oozing blood. A long wound, that was sure to be an ugly scar, festered on his chest, starting above his collar bones, running on a low diagonal to the compact muscles of his stomach.
Kat was more of an animal person than a people person, and despite the man-beast's ferocious appearance, her heart softened for the captive. "You poor thing..."
Hearing the sympathy in her voice, he cocked his head, regarding her with his amber eyes. Despite his beaten-down appearance, his eyes conveyed a different emotion. Whoever held him prisoner had not yet broken his spirit. He chuffed lightly, raising his chin proudly. Shaggy dark hair covered his head, running down his back, held in a loose ponytail with another bit of rope. His sideburns extended to the curve of his square-cut jaw, barely concealing the small gold hoops he wore in the lobes of his pointed ears.
"Here..." she said carefully, inching closer. Knowing that she ran the risk of him turning on her, she quelled what little fear she had. "Let me see that wound." Holding her left hand out still in friendship, she used the other to pull free the small white hankerchief in the side pocket of her dress. When she was close enough, Kat tentively dabbed at the blood on his throat, not wanting to incite him to violence through pain. He sat through her ministrations, legs folded, hands resting on his ankles. Head lowered, almost dejectedly, he watched her through the thick fringe of hair that touched his arched eyebrows.
When most of the blood was removed, and the dried crust of blood and pus on his chest had been flaked off, Kat sat on back on her heels, folding the stained hanky into quarters. "There we go." She grinned. "All clean."
What little light they had was cut off, as a large figure stepped between they and the lamps. Kat whimpered, seeing the portly silhouette, which held a coiled whip at its side.
"What's goin' on here?" it said, with a voice thick with a foreign-sounding accent.
Kat's patient was in a crouch now, growling menacingly. She squeaked and edged behind him.
"Gustav! Bring the lamp over here!" the fat figure boomed over his shoulder.
A smaller man scurried forward, holding the oil light high, illuminating the man-beast and woman. The fat one was bald and sweaty, a rat-tail mustache brushing against his round chin. He wore a red vest inlayed with gold swirl-marks, pendulous belly hanging over black cotton pants. Thick rings were on his fingers, and he wore a giant hoop in his left ear. The smaller man, Gustav, looked greasy and neurotic, shirtless, but wearing the same pants as his companion. His black hair was slicked back and oiled, dust clinging to the surface. A strange tattoo marked the left side of his face, spread over part of his eyelid and brow.
"Looks like our doggy's found a friend, Hoi." he guffawed, his laugh a donkey's bray.
"Indeed he has." Hoi chuckled, stroking his mustache. "Who might you be, little lady?" He peered over his 'doggy', close enough to see her, but still out of reach of the beast.
"Kat. From Garousha."
"Garousha, eh? We just came from there, didn't we, Hoi?" Gustav said, eyeing Kat in a way to make her uncomfortable.
"Aye. Sold a young gentleman a lovely snake-woman."
Kat's eyes went wide. Sold? They were slave traders?! "What do you mean, sold?"
Hoi laughed, his belly shaking. "Aye. We're Gustav and Hoi, proprietors of the Midnight Children. A side-show and auction block. We specialize in rare ...things." He looked down at the man infront of Kat. His look was met with a threatening snarl.
"But that's ...illegal!!"
"Maybe for your kind, lass. But this be the traveling village of Dov. We make our own rules." Gustav hooted. He then promptly made a loud noise in his throat, and turned his head, spitting.
Kat curled her lip in disgust. 'Wretched Gypsies...' "What about him?"
"This flea-bitten mongrel? Good-for-nothing. Can't even let him in the car. He's killed valuable property of ours. ...and we can't have that, considerin' as they're so hard to find anyway..." Gustav kicked dirt and stones in his direction.
Chains slithered and snaked as the man tried to retaliate, lashing out with such speed Kat didn't even notice until Hoi and Gustav swore in a strange language, jumping back, out of reach.
Hoi silenced the momentary uprising by unfurling his whip, snapping it hard across his exposed back. His victim yelped in pain. Kat gasped, horrified.
"You can't do that!"
"I can! And I will. He belongs to me!" He grunted, as Kat leapt up, jerking on the thick arm that held the whip. Tossing her off easily, she landed hard on her back beside the man-beast.
Getting to her feet, Kat smoothed her dress. If he were left in their 'care' for much longer, he'd wind up dead. "...Is... is he for sale?"
"Him? HA!" Gustav laughed his obnoxious laugh. "No one wants him. We've had him for years. And the bastard's made sure no one will make an offer."
"I do. I don't have a lot of money, but I'll give you all I have." Kat said, silencing the half of her mind that was currently trying to talk her out of what seemed to be a REALLY stupid act.
"Eh? Well, I'd be more than willing to get him off my hands for 20. He's not worth much more. But don't come cryin' to us when he rips you apart. Vicious animal." Hoi said, smoothing his meaty fingers over his double chin. "Take him and go. It's more of a payment to be rid of him. Get the keys, Gustav."
His partner scuttled off, leaving Kat, Hoi, and her new purchase. Forking over the money, leaving her with only a meager amount left, Kat tried to ignore the grimy feel of his fingers as he took the wrinkled bills. 'Filthy pig...' Looking down at him, Kat blinked slowly, trying to realize what she'd just done. The sound of keys jingling broke her reverie. Gustav thrust the large metal key into her palm.
"Like hell we're gonna stick around while he's loose. Unlock him and get the hell out of here. I catch you near me, and I flay your hide wide open." His last threat was obviously directed to the ground. Gustav then raised his head, that perverted grin forming on his lips again. "Make sure he doesn't bite the hand that feeds him, eh, girly?"
Kat watched, clenching her fists around the keyring, as they hustled back into the train. "Irritating, self-righteous, uneducated..." With a frustrated sigh, she knelt by a giant padlock. "Now I'm gonna unchain you here... don't go and make me regret this, okay?" Kat's fingers shook as she turned the key, the mass of links falling from the open clasp.
The instant the bindings hit the ground, she reflexively closed her eyes, waiting for the strike. Instead, she heard the low grunts, bones popping, muscles creaking, as he stood upright, for the first time in what seemed to be a while. Peering up at him from one slitted eye, she saw only a broad expanse of chest, pectoral muscles bigger than her head, and that nasty cut. Awe-struck at his size, she carefully looked up, standing straight, realizing that he was taller than she'd thought, almost a full 7 feet.
Dumbstruck, she watched as he took the key from the lock, and freed his wrists and ankles, leaving the collar around his throat. He then unlocked the lengths of chain that ran from his neck to his limbs, eight in all. They fell to the ground with a dull thud, and sharp metallic sound, Kat realizing that he must have had at least 200 pounds of hardware on. His next maneuver left her wide eyed. Lifting the main lead in his hand, he offered it to her.
'I thought they said he was vicious? ...so far, he's... just like a slave. Is this a decoy? Or does he really think I own him now?' Kat shuddered at the thought. She'd just bought him. Reluctantly, she took the makeshift leash, and looked up at him. "Now what...?"
He merely cocked his head, a small fang poking out from behind his lower lip.
Figuring that she'd get no help from him, she hefted the heavy chain over her shoulder, and began walking east, the man in tow. Although she felt more protected against the night, Kat shifted nervously. What if he was going to get her out of earshot of Gustav and Hoi, and then rip her to shreds?
After a long while, perhaps an hour or two, Kat had figured that if he was going to kill her, he would have done it already.
"Thank you."
In her surprise, Kat dropped the chain, and spun on her heel, nearly bumping into him. "What did you say?!"
He snorted lightly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lip. "I said..." His voice was deep, with a slight graveliness to it. "Thank you."
"You can talk?!"
"Surprised?"
"Why didn't you say anything before?!"
"Because I didn't have anything to say, Kitten."
Kat's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "First off, the name is Kat."
"I prefer Kitten."
"Well I don't!" She snapped, as even her best 'threatening' stance looked pitiful, matched against him. "Oh.. nevermind. Call me whatever you want. I don't care." She raised a brow, looking at him skeptically. "Do you have a name, or should I call you 'Doggy'?"
"Fenris."
"Fenris. Heh. Here I am, thinking you're one of those big silent types... I guess you can understand me."
"As clear as a bell." He said smugly.
"Then you won't find it hard to grasp the concept that I didn't buy you to keep you. I bought you to set you free. Those men would have killed you."
"And I could kill you, you know."
Kat shuddered visibly, wrapping her arms around her thin shoulders. "If you're gonna, get it over with."
Fenris cocked his head, with that same quizzical look in his eyes she'd seen before. "I said I could. That doesn't mean I will."
"Okay then, dummy. That's fine. You're free now. Get out of here before Hoi and Gustav catch you again." She jerked with her thumb over her shoulder, to the black wilderness before them. "Scram."
"You're cold, you're alone, and it's the middle of the night. Do you really think it's wise to get rid of your only protection?"
"I can take care of myself. I've been doing it all my life." She retorted sharply.
"The dangers of town life are nothing. The sole thing you've to worry about are murderers and other degenerates. Out here..." Fenris smiled a little, revealing that fang on the right side of his lower lip. "Things are much worse. And the degenerates aren't human. Most aren't even mortal."
Kat shuddered again. Vampires. She'd been trying to ignore that word since the sun went down. "I get what you're driving at."
"Good Kitten." Lifting his head, he went still, tasting the night air. "There's a town. Not 20 miles from here."
"That's another day or so of walking."
"Not by my watch." With his bare hands, he ripped the collar from his throat. Kat was stunned. If he was capable of freeing himself that easily, why hadn't he before? Fenris stepped forward, stooping to the ground.
"Uh..."
"Get on. I don't want to stand around any longer than necessary. ...Don't argue with me, Kitten."
Kat shot a withering look at his broad back. "You're hurt, and carrying me on your back will only make it worse." He'd earned a nice-sized welt across his back, from Hoi's last whiplash.
"I can't feel it anyway." Fenris said, looking over his shoulder at her. "My sensory nerves shut down pain registration shortly after the wound is sustained." He grunted. "And once I get some food in my stomach, my injuries will be taken care of."
"All right, all right. Fine." Kat carefully climbed on his back, throwing one arm over his shoulder, getting the feeling she was going to topple over backwards. Her muscles tighened when he stood, Kat hoisted high in the air. Tucking his arms under her knees, Kat flushed in embarassment. This was not the most ladylike thing to do, especially when one was wearing a dress.
"Are we ready?" he asked. Kat nodded mutely, peering around his neck. She had this horrible notion that her rear end was hanging out the back of her dress. Fenris snorted. "Kitten, I can't read minds. You'll have to speak up. Breathe heavy or something."
She squeaked. "Ready."
"Good. Hold on tight." He said, eager to break into a good run.
Kat felt his muscles flex, before he started sprinting, his bare feet flying over the soil. He leaned into the run, leaving Kat clinging to his back. His skin was almost uncomfortably warm, but smooth. Trying to relax, and ignore the pinch of his hands on the backs of her knees, Kat held for dear life onto his shoulders.
Fenris ran in silence for a few minutes, ignoring the sour ache in his stomach. He'd just endured a four-hour run, attatched to the back of that wretched circus train. And Hoi wasn't exactly generous with his food. Most of the time the fat reject forgot he was back there. But Kitten had seen to his freedom. Whether that was a blessing or a curse, only time would tell. His ears twitched as the girl spoke, asking one of the many questions he was sure she had.
It wasn't exactly subtle, nor was it polite, but it was to be expected. "What are you? I mean, I don't mean to be rude... but you can't be human..." Her question ended with a nervous laugh.
He grunted. "I am a Barbarois." Fenris smiled a little. "I'm sure you've heard of us. The freaks and demi-humans that are the runners-up in the nightmares of human folk. We are second only to Vampires in strength and legend." The forbidden 'V' word was said in disgust.
Kat was silent on his back, eyes wide and blinking. 'B-Barbarois? Holy Jesus. All I'm missing from my life now is a million-year-old Vampire....' She thought of something to say, to banish the uncomfortable silence between them. "Why did you leave...?"
"I... was exiled. Six years ago, when I was still a pup. By human standards, I am in my late 20's. But to my race, I am still juvenile. What you would call a teenager."
"So you're saying that the Barbarois age differently?"
"It's different for each of the clans and groups, but yes. Some are born, grow old, and die, all in a matter of days. Others live more slowly, seeing life around them as a mere blink, a flash in the pan. Those Barbarois are few and far between."
"I guess your clan uses what? Dog years?" The instant it came out, Kat regretted it, waiting to be dropped unceremoniously on the ground and eaten.
But Fenris only laughed lightly, smiling his canid smile. "You could say that."
"...Why.. were you exiled...?"
He went silent, and Kat feared that she had crossed the line again. Lowering his head somewhat, his eyes went cold. The shame, horror, revulsion. The sound of those rusting iron doors closing behind him, leaving him to his own devices.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." She felt the muscles in his neck and shoulders tense up.
Fenris shook his head, his thick mane of hair quivering as he did. "It's all right." He shot her a glance from the corner of his eye. "What about you? Why did you leave your home?"
Kat snorted.
"I see. Problems at home?"
"You have no idea."
"I think I do. I had an older brother at one time. And a mother and father as well."
"What happened to them?"
"My parents were killed in the last Great War. I was raised by my brother after that. He was killed, not long before my exile. Murdered by a Hunter."
"So you're all alone." Kat whispered quietly, lowering her head, until her chin rested lightly on his skin, just below the base of his neck. "I'm alone too."
Fenris said nothing in response, leaving the Human to cower pathetically on his back. Eventually she turned her head, resting her cheek on his shoulder, fingers releasing him from their frightened grip. Letting her sleep, he carried on in silence.