(SE) only so much a man can take

// grass stains cut my bloody knees, it's goodpain, it means i can't be phased
that little death inside my sides, won't make it right //

It has been a long road of traveling so far, but Sunjata doesn’t mind. He’s got most of the entertainment he could need — good conversation from the Dragoon and amusement from the way he continues to try and practice using the chakram. But they get closer to the scene of the crime and Sunjata starts to prod for more information, wondering how far into the investigation they were. And if it’s been too long, the chances of creatures and rain in this part of the Oerwoud would certainly have damaged anything left behind.

But he leaves those questions behind, at the top of his tongue for when they get there, carrying the bag of holding on his back as they wander through the overgrown trails leading toward the destination Koa’s searching for. “At least we haven’t come across more of those spiders.” Sunjata rumbles, his nose wrinkling in distaste, but relieved to see that there’s no cloud spiders around.

he wins every time i find myself inside, alone all night

SUNJATA

"There is that," Koa agrees resignedly, kicking at a stick. He'd known it would be a longshot, trying to find the scene, but he'd still held onto hope that their search would turn up something. Now though, hours into the hunt, even the young Dragoon's endless enthusiasm is flagging. It's muddy and humid and deeply unpleasant, and despite establishing a careful grid they've seen no sign of the scene. A scene that likely no longer exists at all, given time and decomposition and local flora and fauna and scavengers and gods know what else.

Koa sighs, running frustrated fingers through his mop of dark hair. Pip has long since fallen asleep, curled up at the top of the boy's pack. The day is fading, and soon it'll be too dark to continue their search. Turning to Sunjata, Koa bites his lip in thought. "Do you think... maybe you could smell them?" he suggests a little tentatively, not really sure how it works. "If you shifted? I'm running out of ideas otherwise."

be love in its disrepute,

scorches the hillside and salts every root

hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out?
I'm gonna change you like a remix, then i'll raise you like a phoenix

Yes, there is that. Regardless, Koa doesn’t have to be attuned for Sunjata to gather the feeling that the younger man is frustrated. He understands why, especially the longer they stay out here. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack as they traverse the jungle.

He looks over to Koa with the suggestion, pausing in his steps as he considers it and thinks on what shifts he holds within him that would have a better chance at searching. “It’s possible…” He murmurs, stepping over to set his bag of holding beside the Dragoon, rolling his shoulders before he decides on one.

He shifts swiftly, the tall body of the Flood morphing into the thick furred body of a black German shepherd, ears perked and tail raised, he turns his cool grey eyes over onto Koa as if to confirm that if he starts moving, the Dragoon would follow.

He takes a few moments to sniff the air and the ground, getting a mixture of different animals, but he tries to find a scent among them of decay provided the bodies remained; and after a few more long seconds the shepherd starts moving, slinking along the roots of the Oerwoud.

wearing our vintage misery, no, i think it looked a little better on me

SUNJATA

Koa steps back as Sunjata shifts, awe and maybe a little envy alight in his face. He's always been a little jealous of those with shifting powers, always wondered what it would be like to be able to change shape, but... well, he'd also always wanted to bond to a dragon.

And besides, his natural shape is pretty pleasing as is.

Anyway. Koa can only watch on curiously as now-dog Sunjata (Dogjata? Sundoggo?) sniffs the ground. He's got no idea what the demigod is experiencing, how his changed senses might be affecting how he experiences the world, but something seems to be working. And indeed, beneath the musk and must of the swamp and the earthy wet decay, Sunjata will pick up on something more. Something faint, faded, but recognizable.

Something distinctly human.

And all Koa will be able to do is trust and follow, Sunjata's pack slung alongside his own as they set off deeper into the swamp, following that stench of death.

be love in its disrepute,

scorches the hillside and salts every root

hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out?
I'm gonna change you like a remix, then i'll raise you like a phoenix

Dog!Jata it is, at least that’s what I’ve been nicknaming him. Either way, the Flood sticks his nose to the ground, to the air, trying desperately to parse the scents that invade his nose. And it works slowly at first, pushing away the other animal scents, the ripe fruit on the trees, the rotting ones that have fallen to the ground, snacks for wayward creatures.

But there, he hits it. A scent of barely there human that he latches onto, immediately pinpointing his trajectory toward it. He makes sure not to go too fast so that Koa can’t keep up, but if anything he certainly looks like he’s pointing, trying to say; there, there, there!

He’s mindful of roots and potential hazards, drifting further into the thick of the jungle groves around them, until something gives him a tentative pause. His ears perk, his tail sticks straight out and still, no longer the light wags of his excitement over capturing the faded scent. And as he stares in the direction he does pause to look back at Koa, a canine whine slipping from his throat.

wearing our vintage misery, no, i think it looked a little better on me

SUNJATA

The dog picks up on something Koa can't possibly smell. And though Koa lacks an Attuned bond or particularly strong animal husbandry skill, Jata's body language screams I found something loud enough for even the Dragoon to understand.

So he follows as fast as he can, dodging roots and low-hanging branches that snatch and slash his broad shoulders. He's so focused on keeping up that he almost doesn't notice when Sunjata stops, grinding to a halt mere inches away from collision with the dog. "What is it?" Koa asks in a whisper, the hair on his neck tingling. Pip has emerged from the pack on his back; now she, too, sits at alert, nostrils flaring and hair on end as she stares into the gloom.

A sound - faint, scraping, barely audible to Koa, but the two beasts who accompany him will pick it up clear. The human rot smell is stronger now, and above it something tangy. Something metallic, iron, hot-- blood. Fresh blood.

And they really should let it go at that, should turn around and let whatever monster is at work have its meal, but that sound again, a sound Koa can barely hear but Jata and Pip sure can. A whimper of fear, a terrified mewl, and in answer, a growl, hot and cruel enough to make a shiver rock Koa's bones. He looks down at the demigod, not sure what to do. The chakram has slipped into his hand. "We shouldn't---" he starts--

--but then in a shot Pipsqueak is off, a shrill, shrieking challenge roared from her throat, and Koa feels his heart sink it pure, horrific fear.

be love in its disrepute,

scorches the hillside and salts every root

is this heartache we can fix?

in the morning when we wake?

Sunjata can’t respond to Koa’s inquiry, but he can take note of Pip’s own intrigue. His head swings back toward the scent and sound, looking into the darkness as he tries to parse all the information that overloads him again and again. Blood, and a lot of it from what it sounds like, and already Sunjata’s muscles bunch as he tries to decide what the next course of action could be.

There’s a frightened mewl and Sunjata’s almost content to just leave it, if it weren’t for the answering throaty growl that has the panther shift in him wanting to launch and fight. Of course, he doesn’t know right now what the frightened mewl could be, but the second he does it will be only more fuel for that panther shift of his to go into full protection mode. If nothing else, Pipsqueak taking off into the darkness has him moving already – body contorting again into a larger and still as sleek body, swapping out his canine shift for the black panther one that lingers in his skin.

He darts after the dragon, breaking through the cover into a smallish clearing that holds the strongest scent of blood, some lifeless bodies of a few tiny creatures that look like miniature version of the sea panther he’d fought on Torchline’s shores once upon a time. But there’s one still alive, one still cowering and mewling and all he can do is answer with his own deep throaty growl, steel eyes locked onto the molten tiger before he launches himself at it to protect the blood soaked kitten.

when i'm sober, would you stay?

SUNJATA

Sunjata is a shadow, darting into the woods.

Koa is a battering ram, crashing after him.

But Pipsqueak is a rocket, and it is she who gets there first - she, the little dragonling who hasn't quite mastered her wings, who looks more like a moldy noodle than a fantastic beast of legend. Maybe it's something motherly, maybe the indelible tie that binds neglected runts, but instinct takes the lizard over, turns her into something new. Fire streams from between her jaws, a plume of heat and rage and power, as she flies - flies! toward the tiger, fearless and unfazed.

A snarl answers her attack, the attention of the beast shifting from the mewling kitten to this new, bothersome pest. Dwarfing Pip in size, the large cat pins his ears in annoyance and fury as fire singes its whiskers. With a deafening roar it rises to hind legs, claws outstretched to bat the dragon right out of the air. In fact, so focused is it that it doesn't catch Sunjata's scent. Neck exposed and attention focused, it is an easy mark for the demigod. The roar twists into a yowl as teeth meet molten flesh, and the tiger curls, Pip forgotten as Sunjata takes it down.

But oh, it isn't done.

Large, old, a warrior in its own right, the tiger will be harder to defeat than that. With a snarl that shakes the canopy it slashes hind claws at Sunjata's belly, twisting to try and pin the panther, to douse him with the molten fire that oozes from its stripes.

be love in its disrepute,

scorches the hillside and salts every root

is this heartache we can fix?

in the morning when we wake?

Oh, if it isn’t just the kitten that he’s trying his best to save, it’s also Pip as she takes all of her fiery fury out on the much, much larger feline. It helps as a distraction for Sunjata to barge in against the molten tiger, teeth sinking into its neck, clamping down before he has to release the second he feels them twist and the ghost of claws rake against his belly. It misses the majority of his stomach, at least, instead one claw catching on the edge of his hip.

Sunjata snarls, letting go the second that it tries to pin him, he tries to evade out of being pinned down by the tiger – already harboring more than enough memories of burns to last his lifetime. He tries to evade it, tries to swipe his claws along the side of the tiger as he pulls away, blood dripping from his jowls as he tries to ensure that both Pip and the sea panther kitten are safe, taking on the creature headfirst.

when i'm sober, would you stay?

SUNJATA

The scene is feral and bloody, violence sending any animals who can fleeing away. Sunjata slips out of the tackle as the tiger flips around, its snarl garbled by the metallic blood bubbling in its throat. Claws land true, more of the searing liquid splashing, causing the damp swamp to sizzle with stream. Koa watches, eyes wide and dry mouthed, hesitant to intervene lest he strike Sunjata instead of the tiger.

But then Pip darts back into the fray, and all of Koa's hesitation coalesces into a knot of protected fear. "Pip, no---!" the boy cries, too late, too late, as a massive paw slams the dragonling through the air, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Panic howls in a soldier's brain, and for a moment Koa is torn - but through the mental bond he feels Pip's life present, her indignation and agony a call to action.

And act the boy does.

"Jata, take its other side!" Koa shouts with surprising calm, the order falling naturally from well-trained lips. He waits until the demigod is out of the way, waits for a clear shot before throwing the chakram as hard as he can in a graceful, cleaving arc. And this time the circlet strikes through, the tiger howling as its face is slashed. Blood gushes, striking Koa, burning his skin, but he doesn't notice. He's too busy rushing to where Pip has fallen, leaving Sunjata to finish the monster as he reaches for the crumpled dragon, her battered body and unsteady heartbeat an echo of his own.

be love in its disrepute,

scorches the hillside and salts every root

// grass stains cut my bloody knees, it's goodpain, it means i can't be phased
that little death inside my sides, won't make it right //

It’s a pale blur in the corner of his sight as he watches the dragonling dart back in. And perhaps, due to Sunjata’s recollection of when Haai had taken on the relic beast, he snarls his fury and launches a half second too late to keep the tiger’s paw from smacking her body from the sky. It’s with an extra renewed vigor of anger that Sunjata dives toward the molten tiger, listening as Koa’s instruction is heard.

The panther moves quickly, diving over toward the other side at exactly the right time that the chakram slices the tiger’s face, the painful yowl heard as the tiger is blinded from both the chakram and its own blood. He takes the moment to strike while Koa dives toward the dragonling, and with another latch onto the tiger’s throat with claws digging into its side, the beast finally falls. He feels a sickening crunch in his mouth and the tiger grows limp and Sunjata immediately retreats away from the pool of metal, shifting back into himself the second that he knows the area is clear.

He allows Koa the moment to focus on his companion, looking over toward him as he walks toward the sound of the sea panther kitten, coated and dripping in blood along his face and body. “How is she?” He calls over to the young man, having been able to see a bit of movement from the dragonling, which was certainly a great sign and it allows for some relief to spread through him.

At least, until he kneels down by the trunk of a fallen tree, reaching for the sea panther and its wide gilded eyes, its fuzzy and scaled fur smattered with blood as it clammers up to him with its webbed feet. And just like that, in all of the span of a second, that relief from Pip still moving is dashed when he feels that connection link into place in his mind, filling a void he hasn’t fully grieved yet, and Sunjata recoils like he’s been burned with curse after curse falling from his lips as he scrambles back, falling on his ass while he scoots back away from it. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking fuck!” I don't want this, I don't want this, I don't want this.

he wins every time i find myself inside, alone all night

SUNJATA

It's all over almost as quickly as it started, but Koa doesn't care. He doesn't hear the death cry of the tiger, doesn't see Sunjata shift back to human form. He doesn't even notice the burns on his arm, the way his skin puckers and screams out in pain. His attention is wholly fixed on the puddle of inky blue-purple-black cradled in his arm, his thoughts entirely dedicated to prayers that she's ok, she's ok, gods above please, please let her be okay.

The bond between the flickers and gutters, and Koa lets out a sob.

"I'm sorry, Pip." Sorry for taking her for granted for so long. Sorry for not being braver, stronger. Sorry for not protecting her, the way he was meant to do. Tremulous, shaking, he runs his fingers through her fur.

And Pip squawks in response.

Sobbing turns to laughter, a choked, broken sound, as the dragonling turns baleful eyes up at her dramatic companion. And Koa laughs again as he takes in that gaze, his chest shaking, tears burning hot against his eyes. "You're okay," the soldier gasps, his squeeze earning another protesting chirp. "You idiot noodle, don't ever scare me like that again!" The dragonling chirps, shaking herself stiffly, before climbing up closer into Koa's arms.

Together they peer back to Sunjata, blissfully aware of the demigod's pain. "Sunjata! Are-- are you okay?" The laughter and relief falter as the pair takes in their friend, the way he seems to be panicking, scooting away from something. Immediately on guard, Koa grabs the chakram while Pip readies her fire. And yet as they approach the only thing they see is the demigod gripped in horrible fear, and before him the source which is...

...is...

"A... kitty?"

be love in its disrepute,

scorches the hillside and salts every root

// grass stains cut my bloody knees, it's goodpain, it means i can't be phased
that little death inside my sides, won't make it right //

Everything that Koa says to the dragonling becomes nothing but white noise, static for Sunjata in his sudden panic – one that’s reflected in the poor sea panther’s confused mewl as she clamors back toward the Flood who tries to scoot away. He doesn’t get very far, though, not as Koa approaches and asks such a simple question that it shouldn’t break his heart as much as it does.

He stops trying to scramble away, if anything he grows silent and resigned, his heart thundering in his ears to where he can barely even hear his own thoughts as he comes to terms with the kitten as it latches on. Though, on his face, there’s nothing short of sorrow and heartbreak that blooms as he sits up, says nothing, stares as the creature crawls closer, letting her webbed feet splash in the bit of blood soaked onto his clothes until she curls up in his lap.

He doesn’t want to cry, especially not here in front of Koa, so he swallows it down around a throat full of gravel as he stares at the sea panther and tries to find the words to answer the dragoon, one bloodied hand rising to rub at his face, smearing some of the scarlet around his forehead, over the scarred eyebrow, eyes shutting tight. “She uh…” He trails off to try and swallow the lump in his throat. “Bonded… I guess.” Hopefully the dragoon would be able to piece things together.

And maybe he’d recall Sunjata’s admission from when they’d worked on the lanterns of how he’d lost his companion during the relic wars. “I don’t…” Want her. He has to cut himself off, hand falling from his eyebrow to pinch at his eyes as he holds his breath to try and get the tears to leave, but only succeeds in the sea panther mewling bright, staring at Koa with gilded eyes of her own confusion.

he wins every time i find myself inside, alone all night

SUNJATA

The pressure of fingers in Pipsqueak's fur doesn't ease as he nears the Flood, though Koa lets the chakram drop down to the crook of his arm. It would be a beautiful picture, should be, as the kitten finds safety in the demigod's lap, the bond between souls all but visible as it forges between them, solidifies.

And yet it isn't wonder or delight on Sunjata's face, but something close to devastation. It makes no sense, and Koa can feel Pip's confusion across their own shared bond, a tremulous thread in the flow of relief and love and hope they share. Slowly, with the caution one might display when approaching a wounded animal, the Dragoon kneels down beside Sunjata, Pip still close to his arms.

"It does look that way," the boy agrees carefully, biting on his lip. Something flashes in his mind as he takes in the scarred and older man, a memory, a pained exchange. Had... he'd had a companion before, had and had his soul torn asunder, and now...

Ah. It all makes sense.

Koa's grip tightens on Pip, earning a muted mewl of protest as bruised muscles strain under his embrace. He can't imagine - can't imagine - what Sunjata is going through, lacks experience and emotional intelligence needed to comfort or empathize. But what Koa can give is a soldier's practicality, the ability to compartmentalize and take things one step at a time. And so he keeps his expression steady, quiet as he watches the demigod. "She is yours," he says softly, firmly, trying to channel the calm of countless captains who'd trained him as a boy. "And you are hers. And right now she needs you to keep it together. Can you do that? For her?"

be love in its disrepute,

scorches the hillside and salts every root