Attempting Reprieve

[Ceverus]

The moon is high in the sky, the air still and the darkness lingering around. To mos the night was silent, however for a select few it was filled with the wailing of spirits who remain lost in the living world. Ceverus stands perched upon the plateau of the cliff that spat the water creating the falls, his form crouched with his elbows resting on his knees, hands gripping the sides of his head. Every war and battle alike yielded the same thing, an unrelenting torrent of lost souls, too many to keep at bay for very long even for someone like himself. Down below and all around him the whisp like form of the souls move about, crying into the night...crying to him for guidance. This incident was different from his last, the souls now were far greater in number than anything he had ever encountered, some infuriated at being slain by his hand, others saddened by their ceased existence, trying to hold on to some semblance of their former life. It was starting to wear thin upon his sanity. He had come here to be alone so no one of his friends could see him, who was usual so calm, even in the heat of battle, breaking down like he was now.

[Ariana]

Ariana had followed the small fox here to the falls. For whatever reason he would not tell her he wanted to bring her up here. Mandre was against it but neither of them had a choice. She was silent. None of her footsteps made a single sound on the rocks. All around she could see little orbs but in her mind it was just the light refracting from the dust particles brought up into the air by her steps. Unaware that they were the spirits of the departed seeking a way home.

She nearly lost her silence when she heard someone crying. Once she finally came up behind the person she was embarrassed that she had even followed the fox up here. She had turned away but stopped, thinking that perhaps she could do something even if it is just to sit there. Quietly she moved over and sat down next to Ceverus. Her legs crossed beneath her. When the fox came over to her she nudged him back behind them so not to interrupt more than she already had.

[Ceverus]

One of the orbs that Ariana was seeing hovers infront of Ceverus now, after a moment causing him to tense noticeably. He hadn't heard her approach over the screams of the lost souls surrounding him. Another slow moment passes before he takes in a sharp breath and letting it out in a furious bellow that gave his voice an unfamiliar sound, "By the Dark, shut up!! Lest you wish to spend the rest of eternity in the void, shut the fuck up!" he screams, head raised. As he does this, the orbs dissipate into the night, the souls running frightened at his words. Once silence took over the area again minus the rushing of the falls he sits back, catching his breath, now looking at Ariana, remaining silent for now, reveling in the silence.

[Ariana]

She had to keep her body still when he had finally moved. But when he spoke he practically roared out and she could have sworn there was a second being that was speaking as well at the same time he had been. When he turned at looked at her, her gaze was not of fear or even questions. She did not want him to stop just because she was there, instead she had hoped that he could rely on her when he needed someone. So Ariana sat there silently. The only movement she made was when she reached over and took one of his hands, giving it a firm squeeze. The moon above providing ample lighting so she could see the tears that had moistened his face.

[Ceverus]

Cev looks down at her hand when she reaches out to him, he doesn't withdraw nor does he move to wipe his face off, most of the moisture being sweat some from tears and the rest spray from the falls. "They just won't stop...I've seen stuff like this before but never so many..." he says softly, voice returning to normal for his human form. He didn't like the fact that someone had seen him like this but at the same time he was glad she had come.

[Ariana]

Bright amber eyes watched him before looking down the falls. Thinking quietly about what could be done to help him. The fact was she did not understand fully what he did but she had the basics and if there was something she could do to help him she would do it. When she looked back over at him her eyes had darkened some to a dark pumpkin color. If he told her how she could help she would do it.

Ariana could feel the animals around them stirring. Not just the fox and Mandre. There were small lizards moving out from their hiding places since they lived by the falls. Catching bugs that came out in the moon light. Then the larger animals were moving down below the falls in the woods that had not been damaged.

[Ceverus]

Once he had caught his breath and had calmed slightly, he tries to resume his usual mannerisms but to little success. "You couldn't see them, could you? The souls of the recently fallen...they call for me to put them to rest. I can't help them all...I don't know what to do." he says looking down at a small group of lizards that had approached him, one of which had climbed up his arm and into his shirt to poke its head out by his neck. "I can't be alone right now...company might keep them away longer..." He adds, stroking the head of the lizard gently with the index finger of the hand not held by Ariana.

[Ariana]

"The only thing I could see was the light reflecting off dust particles.."

She looked at the lizards and then back to him. Thinking to herself on what she might be able to do to help him when she was not there next to him. When she saw the lizard that moved up his sleeve to poke out at his shirt collar she was unable to keep from smiling. A smile that did not last long when she looked back into his eyes.

"I can stay unless you do not wish me here. I did not mean to intrude but a small fox wanted me up here and I think I know why now..."

[Ceverus]

"Please...stay." he says, looking from her to the fox that was behind her. "But do tell me...why do you think the fox led you here?" he asks, a slight tilt to his head. Sure animals had always been attracted to him, but he had never known one to wish to help him.

He reaches his free hand towards the fox, the lizard on his shoulder looking from him to the fox then around at the area surrounding them. A small trace of a smile breaks his expression but fades soon as though it took too much energy to maintain.

[Ariana]

Ariana nodded her head when he asked her not to leave. Even if he had asked she probably would not have left his side. As she turned her head and looked at the small kit, the creature lowered his head to the ground and flattened his ears as though he were going to be in trouble. Ariana made several clicking noises with her tongue and the baby fox trotted over to them. Rolling over on his back between the two of them in hopes to get attention.

"I think he knew that you needed company and needed help. Although he will not tell me..such a sneaky fox.."

Ariana chided the small fox, but she only teased him as after all he was a fox and that came with a lot of responsibility.

[Ceverus]

Cev reaches down and gently scratches at the kit's belly, running his fingers through its fur. "He's smart. Sensing other's pain and going to assist, noble as well..." he says quietly, his subtle smile returning for another moment as though petting the fox and talking to Ariana had indeed brought him comfort. "I don't understand why they have to scream. Most of the time they mull around quietly but when it ends unexpectedly for them...they get lost and scream at me and the few others who can see them...Kenshu has it pretty bad as well." he adds looking up at her again.

[Ariana]

"What can we do to help them move along so they no longer yell at you?"

Genuinely concerned for him and Kenshu as well. Although she had only met the woman in passing at the meeting prior to the battle taking place. She had noticed the woman being quiet but other than that there was nothing she was able to see that would have warranted knowing the woman could hear the spirits.

[Ceverus]

"Threaten them with an eternity of darkness so they will be silent long enough for me to bring them to their final resting place. With Kenshu, there really isn't much that can be done unless I step in and tell them to leave her be." he says looking into her eyes. He had done nothing in these past few weeks but try to help the others cope with the situation, so much so that he had neglected to do anything for himself and it showed.

[Ariana]

She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled as well so he knew she meant what she was about to say.

"I am not going anywhere right now Ceverus. Please do not feel like you need to hide your feelings from me. If you need to scream into the darkness or throw something down into the falls than by all means."

Ariana made sure to keep her gaze locked with him. She did not want him to hide as he had seemed to have done all of his life and more so since the estate had fallen victim to such a horrid attack. Everyone had their breaking moment and everyone needed to release how they felt without being judged.

[Ceverus]

Ceverus nods once, removing his hand from the fox's belly and looking out over the falls. "Thank you...I've never been one to use violence for anything unless the need was dire, as was the recent situation with the coven. That scream from earlier gave me some peace already...all I really have is grief for those I couldn't defend in the battle...no matter how many I killed or devoured, some still managed to get around me...I thought I could keep them from ever reaching the estate but they were so many..." he says, fresh tears forming in his eyes. He differed from men of this realm in that, rather than converting grief into anger, he would express his emotions as what he truly felt...though it was rare for him to express them at all as his calm demeanor immediately following the battle.