Chapter 246 - The Kitsune (1/2)

Surai had watched with curiosity at first. She had slit the wrist of one of the invaders to her territory, invaders that had harmed the forest, and she had held the struggling man's bloody wrist over Rassa's mummified body's mouth.

She'd found it strange that he didn't smell. A corpse rotting like that, one would expect quite the stench. the only indication that he was even alive was the slow and distinct thumps of his heartbeat every half hour or so. If Surai looked from the right angle she could even see its movement. It had been fascinating, but disconcerting. She'd spent less and less time in this corner of her little cover over the past two years, returning only to ensure that no sorry creature had come along to take a bite out of him. But it seemed that they knew to stay away.

But at the taste of blood on his lips, it was as if he hadn't spent the past two and a half years completely immobile. His fangs sunk into the wrist violently, and he began to drink in almighty gulps without abandon.

It was his bones that healed first, then the nerves and muscles and fluids that surrounded them. He was still without most of his skin and organs when he drained the first body dry. Surai pushed another his way as he half sat up.

Bony arms and hands shot out, grabbing the fleshy body and yanking it forward with surprising strength. His fangs sunk into the mans's neck this time, through clothes as well, didn't seem to matter so long as he had access to the blood. Those after a minute he withdrew and yanked the clothing aside as if to get closer.

It was his organs and the fleshier muscles this time, his eyes and lips started to appear much more alive as well. He was still skinless after the second body however. He pulled himself onto his knees, the old clothing that had long ago torn and withered away with his body falling away as Surai pushed another live body towards him.

Surai could barely concentrate on keeping the captors in their fantasy-like illusion as she watched in fascination. Though the moment they were fed on it seemed pointless to keep them in it. She could hide what they saw and heard, but she couldn't trick a body's internal pain receptors. And it certainly seemed painful.

At least the first to had, the third screamed at first when Rassa plunged his fangs into him, but shortly after he just went limp. At first Surai thought that Rassa had just drained him that quickly, but it didn't seem to be the case. Did Rassa had some kind of illusion power as well, the man's eyes certainly looked glassy.

When the third body dropped, Rassa seemed mostly healed, though still looked thin and weak. He took a moment to take a breath, then he stepped down from the bench he had been lying on and walked right up to the forth in a kind of lazy gait that was every bit a man simply taking what he wanted.

Surai couldn't help but smile at that. Now that was the Chaos in him.

The fourth body seemed to be a more leisurely meal as his body filled out and his Life Lines took on a darker shade, a sign they were healthier and held some power. When Rassa dropped the fourth body on the ground carelessly, he turned to look over his shoulder at Surai as he grabbed the fifth and final one.

”Got any clothes for me Surai?”

Surai smirked, ”What? You don't want to flaunt it?”

Rassa hesitated before sinking his fangs in, taking a moment to glance down at his body before up at Surai, a smirk on his own lips, ”Haven't you had two and a half years to ogle my body as you please, Surai?”

Surai huffed, ”Please, who wants to ogle a rotting corpse?”

She smiled then as she stood, ”And for the record, if you hadn't been a corpse, I'm not sure I would have been able to stop at ogling. Good gracious and Chaos is generous to its followers”.

Rassa scoffed and sun his fangs into the fifth body as Surai left the room, flicking small flames of blue fire over at the four bodies which were alight in a matter of seconds, then she called over her shoulder, ”Be a dear and clean yourself up afterwards? There's a spring nearby, I'll have those inconvenient garments for you to wear afterwards”.

By the time Rassa finished the fifth body, the flames were nearly extinguished on the other corpses, having not left them despite being surrounded by fallen leaves and branches. He threw the body on top of one and it lit that body, burning brighter again.

Rassa was not full, not after being in the sub-death for two and a half years, but he was sufficient enough to not feel starving anymore.

He exited the small cave before he scented the spring Surai had spoken of, relishing in his speed for the first time in a long time before he entered the water. He cleaned the dirt and muck from his body, noticing that Surai had sat on a rock nearby as he bathed. He'd also noticed that this lake was much like the one in the illusion. Perhaps it was the one in the illusion and he just hadn't bothered to notice.

He emerged from the water, taking the thicker cloth she offered to dry off before he dressed. Dark brown breeches with black leather boots. He took the tops and cut slits in the back of each, a deep red cotton shirt with billowing sleeves and a black leather vest. A leather coat as well, with a hood. He smiled at the hood, noticing as he placed the coat on that it was only long in the back, reaching just below the back of his knees. At the front it buttoned closed at the front around his waist like a normal jacket.