the pale Beast

I hope you don't mind a little bit of PP, I assumed Achille has already noticed @Saira. Feel free to DM me if it's not good for you ;u;

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Since setting foot on these accursed lands, the soldier had yet to experience the pleasure—or the misfortune—of encountering a sentient being, something that even vaguely resembled himself. Beasts, he had come across in abundance—some so fantastical they seemed to have sprung straight from the mythological pantheon of his childhood—but of men or women, there was no trace.

To make matters worse, he could no longer perceive the presence of the army meant to guard his back. Achille had never felt so alone, so much so that he no longer even knew what to do.

No legatus to command him, no father left to disappoint… And yet, not the faintest notion of what to do. His mission was to scout the land, to establish contact with the primitive societies that the empire of Lupopolis would one day crush beneath its heel—but there was nothing here. Nothing but beasts.

Bereft of all human companionship, the poor soldier—so naturally inclined to camaraderie—had, in recent days, taken to speaking to the creatures that roamed these forsaken lands. And now, in the distance, one such creature wove its way through the tall grass, its pale coat almost mystical, even spectral. It did not appear large—at most, it might have stood as tall as he.

Ears perked up, his steps cautious, Achille decided to approach. At first, a melody resonated from deep in his throat, and then words slipped from his lips—a ballad sung to calm nervous horses before battle, a song used in the fields of Lupopolis to soothe the beasts.

“♫ Sotto il vento e sotto la luna,
Dormi, mia bestia, chiudi gli occhi.
Le ombre danzano, nulla dura,
Il giorno verrà, dolce e felice.

Niente caccia, niente incalza,
Il mondo veglia in silenzio… ♪ ”

As he got closer, the creature gradually took on a lupine form.
“You!” He choked in surprise, leaping back onto all fours before shaking his head to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “You’re a wolf!” he observed, in a brilliant display of deduction. Bravo, Achille!
the staff team luvs u

so sorry it's taken me so long to reply! <3

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the world was soft—inviting. around her, the flow of grass seemed to sing across her skin, mistaking her for the land and pleading for her to return. its grasp was needy and yearning, snagging on the tangled hairs of her coat—an adamant wish to keep her. to swallow her whole.

she was looking for something. a breath. a sign. woven within the land, there was a connection she sought, a light that would further help her see her path within akashingo. a path that could guide her to hemet-nekheb. she would find it within the oasis just as she would here, grasping threads to weave together within her mind. different places to return to when another may fall apart.

the grass would sing to her, the earth warping symphonies that twirled within attentive ears. it was soothing—the words sung in a gentle baritone, sweeping in a cascade like the wind that rustled the dust at her feet.

but the grain harbored no voice. no baritone that was capable of smoothing furrowed brows. and then something persistent, striking, loud. it was thunder amidst the quiet, causing her to flinch as she peered over her shoulder within the lengthy grass.

“you.” she relayed with softly narrowed eyes, turning to face him more out of curiosity than caution. “wolf.” her head tilted after her reply left dry lips, his observation instilling a brief and fleeting sense of mirth within her gaze.

the staff team luvs u

No worries! Take your time <3

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He had been thrown off by her response, his ears angling backward in a silent display of confusion. Was she mocking him? Unwilling to stir any tension, the soldier settled for a hesitant, self-conscious smile.

“My apologies. That wasn’t the best introduction.” he conceded, abashed. “I am Achille.”

In truth, she showed no sign of annoyance or displeasure—if anything, she seemed amused, which only unsettled him further. He could not decipher her, could not determine how to conduct himself. In the army, things were simple: orders were given, and one obeyed. Eloquence was a skill reserved for those of higher rank, a burden he had never needed to bear. And yet, had fate played its hand differently, he might have been among them…

“I mistook you for a beast… standing there in the fields like that. I mean, I have not been particularly fortunate since my arrival, and—” He was stumbling over his own words now, fully aware of his own incoherence, yet powerless to halt the momentum once set in motion.

“What I meant to say is… you do not resemble a beast up close, but from afar— WELL I MEAN” He caught himself abruptly. “Ah… I imagine you must have a name?” he ventured, in a last attempt to contain the damage.
the staff team luvs u