• Placeholder • [Eastern Gauthrel] Fighting Feron Part 2

[Varthakh]

40th Ymiden 717

It was the seventeenth break. The heat of the Ymiden trial had started to quell, cool breezes flew from the north. Still, it was plenty light out and lots of time remained to return the Feron claws to Kayleigh's mother. Speaking of whom, the girl had spent the whole trial with him in the fields of Gauthrel. Together they had faced Soraanar and stekir alike, journeyed for breaks and learned a lot about one another. For instance, Kayleigh was terrified of blood, she came from Rharne and was looking for someone named 'Higan'.

He'd offered to mentor her on dealing with her phobia and even get stronger, he had a plan for such practise. That would come later, for now, they were walking through a wooded area in the east and had been for some time. Concerned, he looked to the girl. It was difficult to tell how she was feeling since five breaks ago, but there was a sure way to find out. "Kayleigh," he called her. Whether she looked, replied or neither, Fridgar asked "How are you holding up?" A stupid question, she couldn't have been that good after killing her first animal.

Whatever she had to say, the Lothar would listen intently. At least it was just an animal, not a person. He wasn't too sure the poor girl could stomach much more, but there was more than one way to skin a cat. Discarding of a phobia was difficult, it was crippling. The change couldn't be her choice, Fridgar would have to be careful and brutal all in one. Even then, his plans would likely damage their friendship. But! Kayleigh wouldn't be afraid to poke holes in things anymore... probably.

Before all that though, he had some bad news to break. After the talk on her mental state and all, Fridgar breathed in deeply. "Kayleigh, I've got something to say," he pursed his lips and shook his head. "I... I know you're madly in love with me," he nodded sincerely. "And I'm so sorry, but I can't love you back. I am promised to another, I love him with all my heart." Fridgar's paws budgeted with discomfort, clenching and unclenching. "Please don't cry, I still want to be your friend," Fridgar promised, looking to the probably-devastated girl. "I should have told you sooner. I'm so sorry I didn't!"

Fridgar may very well have been more emotional about the dilemma he'd made in his head than Kayleigh. At last, he'd come clean. Not out of spite or desire for evil, but because he didn't want to see his friend emotionally hurt. Regardless, they approached what appeared to be a wreckage; a caravan of some sort, turned onto its side and destroyed. No horses were around to pull it, indicating it had been there for a while. The vehicle had been cast against a large boulder and broken beyond either of their abilities to repair it. If either of them approached, they would find the remnants of a person, scattered about the scene from behind.

[Kayleigh]

It had been only some odd number of Breaks when she'd committed her first act, in which she'd taken a life that wasn't officially her's to take. Yes they were simplistic animals and yes, she understood there existed a balance in the world. Survival was a heavy part of life and death, just as nature itself was chaotic in its own way. She'd prayed that Immortals pardon her in the act of senseless killing, and then came to accept that she'd done the act and moved on. Even then her acceptance would not deny her the truth, that she actually enjoyed the aspect of fighting for survival. Perhaps that as part of human nature, perhaps it was something she'd never expected to learn out here. Regardless. Kayleigh knew she had a lot to learn, if she expected to make it anywhere and continue to survive.

Fridgar called her name but there only existed silence for the Bit, as there had been the past several Breaks that passed. How was she? Well she'd almost died by a malevolent spirit, then she had to slaughter little creatures for survival. Not to mention the fact she'd had more than her share of blood in one day, enough to sate any warrior's appetite for the rest of the season; or so she would've wagered. "I'm fine." She answered plainly with a look out the corner of her eye to the giant. "What's done is done, best for me to accept it. Right?" The reasoning proved logical thinking on the matter, although logic and emotion were to separate matters to handle.

They continued to walk onward as Fridgar seemed to call her name again, this time he gained a full stare from the woman before he continued. When he started off with his... nonsense at first her eyebrows folded downward as her eyes narrowed hard. Love? Did he just say that she was in love with him? For a moment she could only scoff and listen to what he had to say, allow him to finish the speech he needed to get off his chest. "So is that what you think? That I'm madly in love?" She inquired with her eyebrows elevated out of curiosity, by then she couldn't help but giggle a little and shake her head. "Congratulations champ, glad you're happily involved with another." She rolled her eyes with a pat at one of his elbows, since she proved too short to reach up at one of his shoulders.

When they approached the scene of a completely destroyed caravan, the first thing Kayleigh noticed among the wreckage was (you guessed it) the remains of its traveler. Though nothing seemed left of the animals, possibly a good thing, the sight still seemed covered in both blood and pieces of fleshy human remains. "By the way," She murmured with an awkward pout, "You have the oddest idea of a first date." When she said this her eyes went from the floor up to Fridgar, the pout then twisted into a teasing smile as she yet again shortly laughed. From the looks of it their targeted hunt had definitely been here, thus she left it up to Fridgar to do his thing with the hunt. Whatever that 'thing' was anyways.

[Varthakh]

Kayleigh was fine, apparently. Fridgar didn't believe it, not for a trill. She'd been so distraught about the fight with the Soraanar and Stekir. Maybe she was distancing herself? It made sense, but... He didn't want her to distance herself from him, too. He'd resolved to help her and help her he would. He just had to cheer her up somehow, but first, he needed to fill her in on his fiance and how they couldn't be together. Fridgar simply nodded, sincere in response to her question.

"I know it won't be easy to get over me," the oblivious Lothar continued. "But believe me when I say that I will help you through this, Kayleigh. There's plenty of giant bear mages out there just waiting for your hand in marriage, just not this one..." he spoke, reassuring. When she said she was happy for him, Fridgar sighed, rubbing his watery eyes. "Don't be jealous, Kayleigh; mine and his is a bond like no other. Sometrial, you will find someone that makes you happy, someone kind," the Lothar then pursed his lips as she pat him on the elbow. His mismatched eyes turned to her, though didn't make contact with her own, "You forgive me? We're still friends?" he asked, dark eyes alight with hope.

Even if romance between them wasn't possible, the Lothar was in need of friends. He couldn't do everything with Alistair, he had to socialise with others, too. Kayleigh was a good person, if not for a little wimpy. But with time, he could make her strong.

Finally, they came across the ruined carriage. Fridgar's eyebrows raised, surprised by the blatant clue to what might have been the Feron's trail. Pieces of its occupant were left scattered across the place, but not all pieces. Turning his head up, he found the rest of the man, strung up by his entrails with his bottom half missing. The Feron had violently ripped out parts of the human before hanging him with his innards, then shreded him while he choked. The creature truly was malevolent. Worse yet, it didn't eat it's kill; this had been for pleasure, not preservation.

Before Kayleigh noticed, she commented on their first date. In return, he threw his axe to the floor and covered her eyes with his palm, holding her there before speaking. "First, I already said that we can't date! Second, when I take away my palm, I want you to look to the branches above. There's a mauled body there, prepare yourself for the sight of it now," he warned with plenty of time in advance. Something struck him though, she hadn't reacted to the torn flesh strewn about the place at all. This only enforced his concern. She was going distant, all of this violence and death, it was fucking her up?

"On second thought, maybe you shouldn't look... Don't look up, okay?" he warned before slowly removing his palm and recollecting axe. Looking about the scene, he saw no obvious signs on the trail of whatever had done this. He then crouched low and felt across the grass, searching for indent in the earth. Feron were huge, he imagined they would weigh enough to leave some sort of indent in the ground. Unfortunately, no such clue came to his sense of feeling. Instead, his eyes met with patches of flattened grass, leading off into the woodland. "Aha!" the Lothar celebrated.

After he stood, he brushed off his palm in his fresh loin cloth before looking to the Caravan. "He must have been rich to take a caravan out here... 'doesn't have a convoy though..." The Lothar thought out loud before casting his eyes to the female in his company, avoiding eye contact still. "What do you think? Fancy looting for some nel?"

[Kayleigh]

At first she treated it like an amusing joke and nothing more, but then it became obvious that Fridgar really thought that was the case. Kayleigh? Fallen head over heels for a brutish heathen like him! Well she had to give credit to where it was due, and admit he did change her mind about being nothing more than just a muscles for brains. But this? She quickly lost her amusement when he continued, expressing he'd help her through it by finding some other Lotharron mage. As if.

"Okay big guy," She chuckled awkwardly with a more serious tone, "seriously I am not into you. At all." When she expressed this she stood in front of him, her eyes nearly confrontational as he would only direct his away. Why? Why in Idalos would he look away from her all the time? Did he have some fear of vulnerability inside? Considering how rough he was on the outside, Kayleigh considered the possibility likely even though she had evidence to the contrary. Maybe Fridgar actually did have a bit of an empty head up there, or maybe he just felt convinced that he was oh so desirable. "Not sure how that even crossed your mind really." She muttered as she turned to move onward, a soft chuckle echoed when he asked if they were still friends.

"Well we've only just met haven't we?" Kayleigh reminded him with a shrug. "You make friends with everyone you meet so fast?" The question more or less posed as an observation, not that she wasn't against having a friend in this place. Fridgar wouldn't honestly have been the first choice for obvious reasons, but yet here she was with him hunting in the wilderness. Already she felt her hands tremble and legs wobble at the gruesome sight of the caravan, her hesitation mentally pushed away as she forced herself to continue breathing steadily. It seemed her joke had been taken a bit too literally earlier, and warranted a face palm to her forehead as she could only shake it in denial. Why? Why her? Which of the Immortals deemed her worthy of such torture?

When Fridgar mentioned the mangled body she almost looked up out of spite, her eyes made to shut tight as she turned her back to the moment. Once he'd stood up to ask her if she wanted to loot nel, Kay gasped and planted her fists firmly into her hips. "Seriously?! Don't you have a lick of respect for the dead?!" Her eyes rolled as she crossed her arms in disappointment, unsure about Fridgar's own morals as she waited patiently for him to decide. She wasn't going to stop him from looting the caravan, but she made it clear she wouldn't have any part in it either. "Just do whatever," She muttered to him with her eyes cast off elsewhere, "the sooner we hunt this thing the better." There resided truth in that statement, even if it sounded like she wanted it to be done and over with.

With the Feron slain perhaps people would be a little safer on the road, and tragedies like this caravan wouldn't lessen maybe. To her there was justification in hunting it there, although it still didn't feel any easier to her.

[Varthakh]

Kayleigh's tone turned serious, firmly declaring that she wasn't interested in him whatsoever. Fridgar stifled a frown before opening his mouth, only no words came out. He then swiftly pursed his lips, contemplating his sentence. An open paw met his forehead in a forceful strike, heralding the recognition of his stupidity. "Shit..." he muttered under his breath. "Gah, I'm sorry. I just thought... Nevermind," Fridgar then shut up about the topic. He'd thought he'd gotten more intelligent in recent trials, but that was apparently proven false. He was ready to be done with his humiliation.

But, the topic of their friendship came up, his own fault. Well we've only just met haven't we? she asked, seeming disinterested. "You mean... we're not even friends?" The Lothar asked, disheartened. The hope that had once filled his eyes diminishing and fading. You make friends with everyone you meet so fast? she asked, almost confirming his question. "Oh," Fridgar sounded, failing to even look at her as he continued dragging his feet forward. His shoulders hung loose and he slouched, devoid of energy, his face drooped and eyes lowered, watching the grass as he wandered. Perhaps he'd do better to watch his step in the future?

The silence was getting to him, his free paw fidgeting with the edges of his loincloth. So many questions left unanswered, maybe it was better not to leave this topic? "I don't know, I just thought that if you like someone, they're your friend," if he wasn't her friend, maybe she just didnt like him? Why? Did he say something wrong? What had he done to deserve this coldness? "I'm uhh... I'm sorry, Kayleigh. I was... I was just joking! Honest! Haha," the Lothar laughed nervously. By Ilaren's tits, why were women so complicated!?

He appeared to have cheered up a little by the time they reached the broken caravan and the deceptively gory scene. Though, his companion was still bitter about his mistake. Did he have respect for the dead? He shrugged "If I died, I wouldn't really care if anyone stole from my corpse... I think I'd have bigger problems than a few missing nel..." he replied, sarcastic. No, he didn't respect the dead. Out of all the attacks he'd lived through, all the viciousness and the horrific injuries, he figured if anyone wound up dead out here, it was their own fault. Natural selection took its course and purged the weak, he was only here to put toward his chances of surviving with the dead's failures.

Of course, he wouldn't say all that out loud. It would probably damage his relationship with her even more given how passionate she sounded about the whole thing. The sooner we hunt this thing the better the knife in his heart twisted. Fridgar sighed, nodding. Why did he even care? She was just another human, probably going to end up like their friend, dangling from the trees. "I mean, you don't have to stick around if you don't want to..." Fridgar spoke, somewhat quiet. "I can handle this myself, probably," he took hold of the door handle to the Caravan as he spoke, opening it as he finished his sentence.

As he looked, however, he saw the Feron, crouched and ready to strike. The image didn't last too long, as the beast threw both of its feet at him in a devastating attack. Fridgar flew across the woodland in a separate direction to his axe, landing and tumbling into a heap on the forest floor, broken and bloody. The creature snickered and laughed as it crawled from the opening, looking to Kayleigh with sharp teeth bared before camouflaging with the wilderness, barely visible. All around her, Kayleigh would hear the manic laughter of the creature as it presumably circled.

Fridgar lay on his front, bleeding badly. Turning his head up, he shook with strain as he barely managed the strength to hold his gaze. He saw Kayleigh, stood alone with no sign of the beast before dropping his head and shutting his eyes in agony.

[Kayleigh]

Kayleigh might've feigned the tough act for a bit too long, but honestly there existed a logic behind her reasoning. Sure she had mixed feelings over Fridgar but she didn't let those decide their friendship, not when it seemed better to know a person than just trust them on pure whim. Actions speak louder than words and to Kayleigh, this was a statement never more true. "I didn't say we were, but honestly I didn't say we aren't either." She murmured to herself after some considerable thinking, not that it would've changed anything since the damage had already been done.

She could see it in his posture as well as his expression, the Lotharro had become sullen at the thought. Did it really bother him so? Had he taken such a fast liking to her already, even though they had only just met Breaks ago? She turned to watch the forest more or less, a hand rested on her chest as she deeply considered her stance in this. At Fridgar's rhetoric of the dead Kayleigh huffed, her expression turned to one of disappointment as she shook her head. Men. They had their own way of thinking about things apparently, this one clearly held a more pragmatic view on things. Kayleigh honestly debated on storming off on the man for a Bit, since he seemed so caught up in the matter of looting.

Then it dawned on her. This was what survival meant; in a world that only takes, you can give so much before the end. True as it were the dead didn't need things, material possession was no longer a necessity on there part. Even so she felt bad about the whole thing, worse for having snapped on Fridgar about it. The woman sighed as she rubbed the toe of her boot across the grass, Fridgar's words on sticking around created more of a debate within her head. He can handle himself? Sure that may be true, but quite honestly Kayleigh wasn't as confident in herself. She knew there existed dangers here, and she knew better than to think she could handle herself out here. Alone. Come the time the door to the caravan opened, she turned to face it and Fridgar once more. The sight of the blood and gore, the smell of death in the air, the feeling of impending doom.

She thought further hard on things and considered them heavily, what Fridgar knew had to be a way of life. For everyone here in Gauthrel. It wasn't just the thinking of one survivalist, but the lifestyle many used to cope with the world. Out here in all the danger, everything just suddenly became cold to her. Kayleigh didn't want this, not for her and certainly not for Higan. Another sigh came as she started to approach the caravan, only to find that Fridgar had been launched from it with force. "Fridgar!" The moment she darted her progress grounded to a halt, a startled retreat back made as the creature they were hunting drew out from within. The Feron had appeared. It's razor teeth bared in a snarl as the creature grinned, before it faded into the background of the environment. Kayleigh could still hear it though, her heart pounded in her chest frantically as she grew pale.

Fridgar was on the ground bleeding, likely unable to get up fast at this point. She swallowed hard as she looked around her, from the front and all the way around like clockwork as she searched. There appeared to be something there but she each time her eyes spotted something, it had already moved on with snickers and snarls sounded elsewhere. Fridgar please, She desperately thought as she slowly backed away, I don't want to die. Just then she felt something hit her, hard, upon her stomach and lower chest area. Knocking her back several feet as she squealed loudly with a followed grunt upon crash landing, a couple of gasps made as she turned over onto her front next. The Feron must've tackled her, plotted to overwhelm her and then go in for the kill. Or... worse.

Kayleigh forced herself up onto one knee, her sword finally drawn as she panned the area. Still unable to see the damned monster, though she heard it snicker again from behind her. When she twisted around out of alarm another nearly invisible force slammed into her, this time her entire form felt it since she'd been knelt down. Another brief shriek as she was flung from her spot to a point near the caravan, the sword dropped as it fell further away from Kayleigh's body. Her head pounded heavily with a loud ringing in her ears, gasps for air made it evident that the wind had been knocked out of her. She couldn't get up this time, not with the amount of pain she'd been in. She looked up above her to look for Fridgar, her vision blurred as she tried to make out any signs of life from him.

[Varthakh]

Well shit. Just like that, after mocking the dead and how weak they must have been to get slain out here, Fridgar had taken serious damage to most of his upper half in one fell blow. The Feron was hella strong, probably even stronger than him. Where had it gone through? It wasn't beside Kayleigh. As he shut his eyes and lingered in the agony of what he'd just suffered, he began to meditate. Clearing his head and slowing his breath. He then focused on his self totem and cast a transformation, refreshing his current form. Meditation had reduced the cost of Chrysalis, that and the fact that he wasn't in any fight or deathly danger just yet left him with a bit of ether.

He remained bloody as his skin rippled and repaired his wounds, but his body didn’t move. He had to be sneaky about this, if the Feron knew he was alive and well, it would likely try and finish the job. He needed to be prepared. He then looked up from his misery to see Kayleigh being struck down by an invisible force. Already, it was on her, but it was taking its time, not killing her instantly like it could have. In the coming bits, she could very well end up hung from the tree like the other human unless Fridgar did something.

he reached behind him and dragged his bag closer to his side before pushing and jumping to his feet. "HEY!" Fridgar roared, slamming his fist on his chest and snarling viciously in the direction of the invisible beast. Its yellow eyes turned to him, making direct eye contact. The creature was easily stood over nine feet tall, dwarfing the Lothar. "FIGHT ME, YOU FURRY FUCK!!" He bellowed once more, roaring to bring its attention away from the human girl. With a demonic laugh in multiple voices, the creature dropped its shroud and began its approach, laughing and snickering viciously.

One foot after another it approached the fiercely defiant Lothar. he looked to his axe, lodged in another damn tree. Fridgar dropped his bag then and cast adapt. His tanned skin would fold over in plates, like window shutters. He became covered in green scales from head to toe, thick plates of armour. He cast it again and took the strength of the Trachadon. This bolstered his musculature and greatly improved his mass. Taking a step forward, the ground shuddered beneath him. His opponent stood before him snarled and snickered, failing to find a balance between laughter and rage.

Fridgar broke into a run, rushing toward the enemy as it went invisible. Not fast enough. The ground shook heavy as he charged with the force of a Trachadon, slamming his full weight and strength into the creature. The invisibility of the beast faded as it was tackled and taken to the floor. Fridgar slammed fist after fist into the creature's face, recoiling the creature with each heavy blow. His advantage didn't last long as the creature put its feet to Fridgar's chest and thrust hard, sending him flying. Following its momentum, it rolled to its feet, low and prowed. As Fridgar fell, he opened a chasing portal ahead of him with another portal behind the Feron.

As he landed on the portal, he appeared behind the creature, emerging from the tear in space. His full weight landed atop the Feron's back and sent it crashing to the floor. The hulking combatant slammed his balled fist into the back of the giant creature's head, dazing it for a trill as he got to his feet and stood one foot on its back. His two hands then gripped the creature's head as he squatted low. Then, in one hard full extension of his body with all the weight on his back, he deadlifted the Freon’s head and ripped it from its shoulders, taking a length of its spine and all.

Just like that, the creature was no more. It barely had the chance to laugh as Fridgar ferociously destroyed it. gripping the creature's head, he held it in the air and roared a victory cry, his foot still pressing into the body of the now dead Feron. His roar was cut short as he looked to the body of his companion. Immediate, he cast aside the head of the Feron and opened a smaller chasing portal below his bag with the exit beside him. he caught the bag as it fell from the tear in space and ran to the caravan where his companion lay. he cast another basic transformation, clearing all his buffs over the span of a bit as he refreshed his Lotharen form.

"Kayleigh! Kayleigh, can you hear me!?" The Lothar called as he knelt beside the broken girl. Just how severe were her injuries? First, he checked her breathing, placing a hand an inch from her mouth and nose and feeling for the rush of air. If her airways weren't clogged and she was still living, he'd then check over her body for bleeding. Through her hair, he felt along her scalp before checking her clothing for wet spots on her body with the back of his hand. if he'd found any, he'd check for the presence of blood of his hands. If nothing was found, he'd check her circulation by holding two fingers to the spot on her neck and making sure that her circulation was normal.

[Kayleigh]

For all that she was capable of, Kayleigh tried to find the will to remain awake. She'd felt so sore from being slammed by the Feron's tackles, likely bruised all over her abdomen area from the first hit she took. As for her head she felt as though she hit it against the ground perhaps, as the ringing in her ears hardly seemed to let up at all. She could hear Fridgar challenge the creature as she watched him rise, completely healed from the injury he suffered just moments ago. She tried to roll to her front but her ribs and chest hurt too much, thus she remained somewhat lifeless like a rag doll for the time being. At first she tried to watch but whether out of fear or injury, she closed her eyes and focused on breathing again.

She needed to normalize her intake of air before anything and right now, it pretty much even hurt to try and do just that. The sound of the fighting still filled her dulled sense of hearing though, her thought process based on Fridgar in hopes he'd win. The Feron was a fearsome creature to her, almost matched the Soranaar even. Kayleigh hadn't been sure of her chances anymore, and understood now just how truly weak she was in this moment. Finally the sound of flesh being torn apart made her body tense, the crackling snap of bone and ligament filled her ear as the Lotharro roared loudly. He'd won the fight it seems, torn apart the creature that waited in hiding for them.

Good... Kayleigh told herself as she took deeper breathes now, the pain in her lungs slightly died down in the time Fridgar fought. When he came over to check on her, her eyes opened once more to see the face of the Lotharro. That same bearded face of the man she thought was nothing but a mere brute earlier, looked down on her with concern as he checked her body for injuries. "I'm... intact." She responded at last in a somewhat lucid state, Kayleigh winced a bit as she tried to lean up into a sitting position. "Nothing too serious." She said that but she honestly wasn't sure, what with the way her limbs felt as well as her chest. When she rolled up her dirtied blouse to reveal her stomach, there had certainly been bruising from where the creature first tackled her.

"See. Just bruising. Nothing I can't walk off." Kayleigh quickly rolled the blouse down over her skin, her eyes full of concern as she inspected Fridgar herself. Mainly just the chest area where he'd been hit before, the fact his wound had gone away so fast... it sort of frightened her but at the same time, helped her find peace in knowing he would be okay. "Thank Immortals you're okay," She sighed with a pained smile, "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't recovered so quickly."

[Varthakh]

The Lothar looked her over as she stated that she was fine. Apparently, she was right. Fridgar nodded and helped her up as she stood. "No dizziness or anything? How many fingers am I holding up? Do you feel sick at all?" Fridgar looked her in the eyes, checking for dilated pupils before his spark rang in his ears, stirring anger within. Just as soon as he'd looked, however, he turned his head away and shut his eyes, clenching his fist tightly. "Fuck! Sorry!" he bared his teeth in a snarl as he tried to calm himself.

After a brief headshake and a rubbing of his eyes, he was fine and resumed not looking her in the eyes, releasing the tension in his paw. "Well, if you are concussed, it's nothing major. You'll probably have a headache for the rest of the trial, but you'll sleep easy," he nodded, considering what to do next. "Well, I've got a favour to ask," Fridgar explained with a turn of his paw before recollecting his bag. He then turned to the body of the Feron and approached, motioning for Kayleigh to follow. If she did, Fridgar would draw the masterwork dagger from its sheath and hold it by the flat of the blade before handing the handle to Kayleigh.

"Friends or not, I said I'd help you with your phobia and with getting stronger," he'd continue if she accepted the dagger, "the blade is sharp at the edge, real sharp. Don't touch it, but I want you to remove the Feron's paws. Take as much time as you need, it won't hurt you." He then pat the poor girl on the shoulder before turning to the head he'd discarded. Finally with a moment to breathe, Fridgar lowered his head and closed his eyes, praying his thanks to his immortals. Thank you Ilaren, it was thanks to Palenon that I made such short work of the Feron and with your domain of brawling. And thank you Thetros for my ever burning strength and passion, allow me to help Kayleigh through this trying trial.

While Kayleigh got to work, or didn't, Fridgar removed the remainder of the spine from the Feron's head and dug his claws into the skin of it's neck. Pulling hard, he rended the flesh and began to peel away the loose tissue, slowly exposing the surface of the creature's cracked skull. He continued to pull and peel, wiping his hands in the grass to dry them occasionally as the crimson grew slippery on his paws. Soon, he'd completely skinned the Feron's head and removed the eyes. He turned the skull upside down and rested it on the floor as he looked to Kayleigh. How was she doing with the assigned task?

If she were still busy, Fridgar would get up and wipe the blood from his hands on his bare body, along his chest and thighs mostly. The Lothar then approached the Caravan and peaked his head on the inside, checking for any more Lurking Ferons. Once satisfied, he stepped inside and looked about. A small chest, roughly a foot wide had been tipped upside down with golden nel spilled from the lid across the ceiling of the Caravan, glinting in the dark. "Fuck yes," the Lothar celebrated before wrapping his paws around the chest and turning it over. More nel fell free but he didn't care.

Stepping out, he looked to Kayleigh. How was she doing? "I'm here if you're struggling," He offered as he approached, checking her progress.

[Kayleigh]

"I don't think so..." Kayleigh answered as she had been helped on her feet, when he checked her with the finger question, her eyebrows somewhat folded together as she answered him. "A couple? I'm fine really, just several sore spots honestly." She told him as they held a stare for a brief moment, it was then Fridgar seemed suddenly agitated by it. In just a trill he'd almost become completely aggressive, but suppressed the urge of violence within and apologized for it. "No it's... it's okay." Kay looked down and wiped her shirt and breeches off, more or less used the dirt as a distraction just briefly. "Why do you do that anyways?" She finally asked him, unsure if he'd answer.

Whether or not he did would prove to be least of her troubles in a bit, as he had a favor to ask her once he assessed her injuries. He motioned for her to follow as they drew closer to the lifeless figure of the Faron, a hand brought up to cover her mouth and nose as Kayleigh stuck by him. Already she'd become heavily grossed out by the headless appearance of the creature, her eyes fallen heavy on the dagger that Fridgar presented to her. What he wanted her to do? Face her fear of blood and butcher this creature. Somewhat an impossible request for a person like her to accept, even so she somehow managed to in the unlikeliest of ways.

Though her face had grown pale she nodded and slowly took the dagger, her eyes heavily focused on the blade before they fell on the body. It won't hurt me anymore. She reiterated in her head after hearing Fridgar state it, even then however it didn't quell the fear pitted deep in her stomach. First her eyes fell upon the neckline area of the missing head, her body quickly tensed as she looked away with a gasp. For what it was worth she would've rather stood up to the creature alive, than have to mutilate its dead corpse with her own hands. But... she had to do this. Fridgar was right when he asked her to, he knew this would help her conquer the fear. Or at least... make it easier.

She knelt down with the hilt on both of her hands, the edge of the dagger lined against the wrist line of the Feron's claw. Kayleigh might've stalled by checking her alignment a couple of times, even though it'd proved unnecessary it helped her just a little. Before she convinced her self to prolong the inevitable any more, Kay hesitantly lowered a hand onto the arm of the creature, surprised to fine its body still held some warmth to the touch. Finally she pressed the edge into its thick skin, and motioned the blade as though it were a saw to cut apart the flesh. Freshly dark blood pooled from where the cut had been made, altogether halting her progress as she looked away with a heave. She buried her mouth and nose into the crevice of her arm, her eyes watery as she forced herself to blink hard a few times.

I can't do this! I can't, I just- She looked over at the caravan as something heavy moved inside, likely Fridgar checking for loot as he stated earlier. When she noticed the skull and pieces of the Feron left on the ground, she looked back to her own work next. Her breathing had shortened and already her hands shook erratically, but as she looked down to the creature's lifeless body she remembered. She remembered what it did to Fridgar and what it would've done to her, had the Lotharro not been able to get back in time to save her. She remembered how this place looked upon arrival, how the innards and bodies of the people belonging to this caravan were scattered. This was just like the Soranaar, a dark and twisted creature that in a way... deserved to be put down.

Butchered however was far from what she would've done, even so Kayleigh used that feeling of bitterness. She needed it. Thus she held onto it and in turn paced her breathing, and then proceeded to press the dagger once more. As bad as she wanted to close her eyes and not watch, she knew doing that would only pose further injury on her anyways. No. Kayleigh had to be careful and not lose sight of the blade, she had to look past the blood and see where her cuts were made. She sawed and sawed before finally her motions nearly became frantic, Fridgar's words finally reached her ears once he approached. Unable to deal with it any longer she rose to her feet and buried her face into his, pieces of memory flashed through her mind as she begged him not to make her do anymore.

"Please Fridgar, please don't make me!" Her eyes were shut tight as she tried to get her mind off of it, the sight of the Soranaar as it made Higan look all grotesque and horrifying. The illusion of blood it spewed and covered her with in their retreat from it. The actual sight of blood from where that Muntha creature had been slain, the blood found here when they arrived to hunt the Feron. Fridgar's blood when his axe fell, and of course the blood of the Feron itself. It all flashed across her mind repeatedly, drove her mad as she clung desperately to him for support. "I'm sorry I can't, please don't make me do it anymore!" Her voice pleaded to him as her head rang.