(Colai)
She was frightening to the prisoners, though she wasn't at all scary on the outside. They knew what she could do, and how she would do it. And she knew that they wouldn't step out of line, because she was there. She could have unlocked all of their cages and simply let them roam around. None of them would come near her, and none of them would try to escape. They knew that her bite was poison to them. A deadly poison that crept and strangled their nerves, that disabled their ability to move around, and to speak. She couldn't help but think this, and relish the thought. Every so often there would be a plead, for her to let them go. They knew that this was not going to happen, and only the new prisoners would be stupid enough to test Colai's patience. For the older residents of her esteemed jail, the Interrogator would leave them well enough alone, knowing that they knew their place here, they were the bottom of the food chain. She was at the top, and it would stay that way for all eternity.
But she did have to admit, having fresh meat to play with, people and skin shifters alike that didn't know the rules of her jail was too much fun for Colai. Especially when they didn't know how, or when to shut up. Most of the older residents just kept their traps shut, or tried in vain to tell the other, newer people that they shouldn't talk as well. Colai loved these moments. Her thoughts wandered as she looked at the blood spattered on the walls of the jail. This was home to her. There were many true spiders scuttling along the walls and the floors. She let poisonous, and harmless spiders occupy this part of Cru's army. She didn't mind them, but they often found themselves in the small, disgusting cells of each prisoner, and wormed their ways into the prisoners bodies. Nasty sights, and a nasty smell, and a horrible sound when the he, or she realized they had been bitten by spiders shrieked and moaned in pain. The bites would ooze puss, and it was quite disgusting. But she loved the sound, the smell, and the terrified looks on their faces.
"Please, please." A stuttering, soft voice filled the jail. It broke through Colai's thoughts. Her ears tingled with the sound of the voice, she waited to hear it again. She wanted to hear it again. That meant, someone was in for death, or some type of beating that she would take pleasure in. Her ears were still ringing with the high pitched tones, and she soon realized that this meant that the breaker of the twisted rules she had made was a child. A slow feeling crept into her stomach, like a fuzzy mist. The kind that you get when the sun is too hot on the road, and a mirage appears. It crept into her vision, causing her eyes to become glazed for a moment. She waited a few seconds more, but the voice had vanished, and the hopeful bubble in her mind that thought of entertainment for the day popped in the split second that the voice was gone. She slumped back against the wall and examined her nails. They were long, sharp, and beautiful to her. But caked beneath them was filth. Muck, and mud mixed with the dark burgundy tinge of old blood that very nearly matched the color of her dark hair. She picked at them for a moment, before reaching behind her and scraping them against the once white and sterile walls of the jail, a metallic screeching filled the jail, and the stirring of the other prisoners was what she could hear for a moment, before they became absolutely still, once more. For a sound rang through the air, a tentative, haunting tune that ricocheted off of the filthy walls.
I have something in my pocket..
It's something nay, to be kept at bay..
But this object in my pocket..
Is something that will behave..
The night will fall..
The sun will rise..
The rebels are in their grave..
For Cru's army will prevail..
In red, and crushing rage..
Anger splashed through Colai, and she saw red, and only red. Crimson splotches blocked her vision for a moment, but soon faded. But the voice had persisted, and she could still hear it. The voice was so small, so weak and tender. But there was something in their that Colai did not like. There was that of fate, when she slowly, and deliberately began to walk across the large hallway, bars were lined on the left wall, and the right wall was simply cracked and broken tile, with streaks of blood, and anything else that Colai desired to be splattered across the wall. But that voice, it scared her. She felt chills crawl up her spine, and she found herself stopping halfway down the hallway. The voice emanated from the very last cell that was occupied. The newest prisoner that they had picked up. A child.
Ice cold their hands will be..
When they finally see..
What is, and will always be..
The darkness that comes with triumph..
The light that comes from fire..
Perish if we must..
Be careful who you trust..
This song is at an end..
And so is one who truly believes..
That peace, will never fall..
Upon this hallowed..
Torturing..
Hall..
She began to walk again, but the words of the song seemed to be trapped in her head, in the very same cold voice that had bounced around the room but just one second ago. Her pace quickened, but the hall seemed to stretch out, dizzying her. Her legs seemed so short, and her arms were not elegant and graceful. She wasn't dressed in the old clothes she had been wearing a minute ago, and her hair fell to her knees instead of to the middle of her back. She felt herself slide, and suddenly she was on her knees, looking into a pool of her own, dark burgundy blood. Trailing in the pool of blood, blending in immediately was silky strands of matted, ebony hair. The blood became still, and the ripples disappeared, and what she saw made her scream.
"GET OUT! YOU MONSTER! YOU FREAK! GET OUT!" Her mother's eyes were gone, and in it's place were hollow, red sockets. You could see the veins rippling in and out as they began to trail out of the empty holes. Darla's hands seemed to be stuck in the blood as it coagulated around her fingers, she screamed again, but the blood was running and creeping around her, it was encasing her body, and finally it snapped her mouth shut, she could only watch, and listen to her mother scream, old memories.. Old fears.
"GET OUT! DID YOU HEAR ME? I WANT YOU OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU NASTY, FILTHY MUCK!" Her mother broke blood vessels across her face, bumps and bruises, and Darla realized that her mother's head was bent at an odd angle. It was broken. The spine was snapped, and sticking out of the back of her head. Her brains had begun to leak through her eyes, and her teeth were decaying before Darla's very eyes. Darla closed her eyes, she squeezed them closed, tighter than she had ever closed them before, the last thing she heard, was her mother's deathly screams, and then there was darkness.
"Kee kee kee." Colai's eyes shot open, and she snarled harshly, looking around the jail area. The fluorescent lights flickered for a moment, and remained completely on, before she heard the sound again, "Kee kee kee". She knew who it was, and she pushed off of the wall and unlocked the jail door. Light flooded into the jail, and a prisoner slammed himself into the bars, his thin, bony arms sticking out as he seemed to be stretching for the light. There was a hunger in his eyes, and his tongue hung out, useless. It was completely dry, these prisoners would die soon. His eyes were no longer lit, but simply black, dead, there was no hope left in this man's eyes, and Colai could see that. She ignored the rasping of the man's voice, but a metal, and cold edge to her voice was imminent as she spoke with Liron. She didn't like to talk to anybody but herself, and her prisoners. Glaring at the kestrel, she hissed between her two front teeth, before opening the door wider. She wasn't inviting him in, but she was going to ask what he wanted.
"What the hell do you want?" She said, her sharp voice pierced through the air. She wasn't one to mince words, Colai got what she had to do done, and then she was over it. It was like killing someone. You kill them, blood spatters, their cries ring through your ears, and then they're dead. Deprived of all emotion, the satisfaction of life, and their soul. But they don't care, because they are dead. She didn't give a second thought to the nightmare she had just had, but it was in the back of her brain, lapping along the edges of her mind. She didn't want to think about it. Nothing was supposed to scare her. But that dream.. It told something else. Her eyes softened immediately, but there was still the sting in her voice that meant she didn't want to talk. But she sort of knew she had to, so with a resigned grunt she took a step out, and felt her shoes touch the ground outside of the jail. Shrugging her shoulders, she closed the door behind her, and focused on the kestrel, waiting for him to either transform back into the other form, or to just caw at her again.
"You got anything about the rebels?" She asked, casually. In the softest voice imaginable. Her voice was silky smooth, and very near as persuasive as Cru's voice. But her eyes glittered, there had been something about the rebels in the song she had heard the prisoner sing in her dreams. It was interesting, this twist of events. Coincidence, she was sure.
As she waited, she slipped back into her own thoughts, and began to think about other things. Things that nobody else wanted to think about, unless they were as cruel as her. Colai was sliding into her stupor, a stupor of her thoughts. A coma that wrapped her in the wonderful screams of victims, and her flawless work when it came to cutting their toes, fingers, and eyes out without killing them.. Oh yes, today would be a fun day
(Cru)
"At ease, soldier." Cru commanded in the deep, rustic voice he had gained over the past few years. He had not aged a bit, not since he had turned twenty. He still had the commanding air, for one that looked so young in his years. His sharp, brown eyes glanced around the area, as though daring anyone to come up and punch him, to see how one of the soldiers came out of a fight with his leader. Grimacing, he began to walk across the camp, heading for the arena. It was obviously the only entertainment he had for now. He found that watching others beat themselves up, and kill each other was something funny. It wasn't stupid, and it also wasn't very good for the army, but it kept them occupied. He had decided to give rewards to the one that killed the most, and fought the most, but honestly he had seen nothing like that kind of champion yet.
It was a simple gift, but it meant that all eyes were on that particular soldier, he was being doted upon, and watched over by Cru himself. This was an immense honor in a soldier's point of view. And Cru smiled cruelly at this, wondering when someone would actually become "Cru's Champion". There were plenty of soldiers that may have been able to pull it off, but it was possible that no one would be able to. Cru was somewhat of a pessimistic, and critical person. He had a good eye for combat technique and skill. Which meant that it was impossible to fight and be given a compliment by Cru. He would simply brush off a victory by telling the soldier what he had done wrong, and if the soldier did not win, Cru would say nothing. Because the soldier would be dead. Cru finished his thought, and realized that the soldier he had told to relax, was still standing in front of him. The vague, and discouraging look he through at the soldier told a simple command, "Get out'ta my face."
"S-Sir?" The soldier stuttered, looking at him with wide, frightened eyes. They were a deep blue, but Cru didn't notice this. He just waved his hand in front of the soldier, and the soldier scuttled off. He was a barker, most of the soldiers were barkers, and a few Maos. The soldier that had been standing in front of him was skittish enough to be a fucking chihuahua. What had happened to quality over quantity these past few months? It seemed like they were letting anyone and everyone into Cru's Army. Well, whatever. Cru supposed there was somewhat of an influence when you had more members instead of a few skilled ones. But still..
He had reached the arena, and settled on the throne without even taking notice of his wife - Tati - or his lieutenant Hati. He turned towards his wife, and gave her the crooked half smile that was his trademark smile, there was always just the slightest smirk in that sweet, sincere smile. It was like he was egging you on without meaning to. His smirk seemed to mean something like this: "Haha, if you look at me the wrong way, I kill you. If you breath the wrong way, I kill you. If you think about breathing the wrong way, or looking at me the wrong way, I still kill you." That's what seemed to go on in his mind most of the time. He was rather dark on the inside. He flashed his wife that smile one more time, but it was more sweet, this was his wife after all. Then he turned towards Hati. His eyes glowed for a moment, then settled. He always glowered at her, but that didn't exactly mean that he was angry. Sighing softly, he slumped in his throne and watched two, big black dogs beginning to tear each other in half. He couldn't tell the soldier from the mongrel, but it didn't matter to him that much. He spoke in a bored drawl that he reserved just for his right hand man.. Woman.
"So. Hati. Have you spoken to the Interrogat--I mean, Colai about evidence of Rebels?" He didn't expect her to answer this particular question, because they all knew that Colai wouldn't move out of her jail if she didn't want to, but usually she did creep around in the shadows. Colai was the only one that literally hated Cru's guts. She didn't care if he threw her out of the army, because she could fend for herself, unlike all the cowardly soldiers couldn't. He knew that if he lost her to the rebels, it would be torture for the soldiers. She knew every single path there was to the army, every exit and entrance. There were secrets throughout the barracks, and all the soldiers feared her. You would often hear the bone chilling cries of death and torture that came from her side of the camp. They all knew what would happen if they crossed Cru, they would be sent to Colai. That was the worst possible thing that could happen to you here, you would get sent to the Interrogator. The Jailer. There were numerous nicknames and rumors about what was held in the jail, and what happened to the people that lived in the jail. Fear rippled through even the biggest, toughest soldiers. Most of them were all brawn, and no brain. But even the smarter ones knew that they would never survive even a night in the jail. It was suicide to cross Cru, because of Colai. And he liked that.
That didn't mean he got along with her, but that wasn't the case right now. He returned his thoughts, and focus to Hati with a small smirk, and no sincerity in his face this time. "So, tell me, Hati. What is going on with the Rebels that is making the soldiers so... Skittish." He grimaced at the word. He had noticed that all the soldiers in the stands, that were watching the fight seemed to fidget, or murmur to each other. The only ones that weren't, were the ones actually fighting for their lives. He tsked beneath his breath for a moment, before sitting up straight, and wrapping his fingers around Tati's. Bringing her hand to his lips, he pressed it against them for a moment, before dropping her hand back into her lap. He watched the two black dogs brawl for a moment, before growing bored of this.
He stood up, and whipped out a shot gun, pulling the trigger, a blast echoed through the arena. He had killed the mongrel, and the soldier phased back into his normal form, looking completely annoyed, his face reddening. He began to shout, but turned around and saw that Cru was the one holding the gun. The red seeped out of his face, and all of a sudden he was completely white, pale. He muttered something and backed away, through the entrance he had come through to fight in the arena.
"Soldiers. This, is what I am talking about. This is how we will deal with the rebels. We will fight back, and we will prevail. This is non-negotiable. You will not fail, I WILL NOT FAIL. These rebels are going to die, and we will walk in triumph across their graves, the victors and the supreme rulers of the city."
The soldiers bellowed, and many began to scream in a complete adrenaline rush. It was but a single moment, but some of them even phased into their dog forms, howling praises to their role model, Cru. The biggest, toughest, and scariest of them all. He knew how to rally, and to get them up on their feet. These new soldiers were piss and vinegar, and the old ones were just as good as the new. The perfect balance between adrenaline, and experience would keep this army together. He would make sure of it. He was in fact, quite content with where he was. But as he said and thought all these things, he turned back to Hati, and his eyes were bright he was still waiting for an answer from her. There was no more excitement in his voice.
"Well?" Obviously you could see that Cru could change his personality on a moment's notice. That was the way a leader had to be. But he was prepared to laugh at his lieutenant if she had no information for him. As was his job to. Being a leader was fucking hard, but it was fun at the same time. His expression was dark as he remembered his question, and waited for her to answer it.
Those rebels were going down.
She was frightening to the prisoners, though she wasn't at all scary on the outside. They knew what she could do, and how she would do it. And she knew that they wouldn't step out of line, because she was there. She could have unlocked all of their cages and simply let them roam around. None of them would come near her, and none of them would try to escape. They knew that her bite was poison to them. A deadly poison that crept and strangled their nerves, that disabled their ability to move around, and to speak. She couldn't help but think this, and relish the thought. Every so often there would be a plead, for her to let them go. They knew that this was not going to happen, and only the new prisoners would be stupid enough to test Colai's patience. For the older residents of her esteemed jail, the Interrogator would leave them well enough alone, knowing that they knew their place here, they were the bottom of the food chain. She was at the top, and it would stay that way for all eternity.
But she did have to admit, having fresh meat to play with, people and skin shifters alike that didn't know the rules of her jail was too much fun for Colai. Especially when they didn't know how, or when to shut up. Most of the older residents just kept their traps shut, or tried in vain to tell the other, newer people that they shouldn't talk as well. Colai loved these moments. Her thoughts wandered as she looked at the blood spattered on the walls of the jail. This was home to her. There were many true spiders scuttling along the walls and the floors. She let poisonous, and harmless spiders occupy this part of Cru's army. She didn't mind them, but they often found themselves in the small, disgusting cells of each prisoner, and wormed their ways into the prisoners bodies. Nasty sights, and a nasty smell, and a horrible sound when the he, or she realized they had been bitten by spiders shrieked and moaned in pain. The bites would ooze puss, and it was quite disgusting. But she loved the sound, the smell, and the terrified looks on their faces.
"Please, please." A stuttering, soft voice filled the jail. It broke through Colai's thoughts. Her ears tingled with the sound of the voice, she waited to hear it again. She wanted to hear it again. That meant, someone was in for death, or some type of beating that she would take pleasure in. Her ears were still ringing with the high pitched tones, and she soon realized that this meant that the breaker of the twisted rules she had made was a child. A slow feeling crept into her stomach, like a fuzzy mist. The kind that you get when the sun is too hot on the road, and a mirage appears. It crept into her vision, causing her eyes to become glazed for a moment. She waited a few seconds more, but the voice had vanished, and the hopeful bubble in her mind that thought of entertainment for the day popped in the split second that the voice was gone. She slumped back against the wall and examined her nails. They were long, sharp, and beautiful to her. But caked beneath them was filth. Muck, and mud mixed with the dark burgundy tinge of old blood that very nearly matched the color of her dark hair. She picked at them for a moment, before reaching behind her and scraping them against the once white and sterile walls of the jail, a metallic screeching filled the jail, and the stirring of the other prisoners was what she could hear for a moment, before they became absolutely still, once more. For a sound rang through the air, a tentative, haunting tune that ricocheted off of the filthy walls.
I have something in my pocket..
It's something nay, to be kept at bay..
But this object in my pocket..
Is something that will behave..
The night will fall..
The sun will rise..
The rebels are in their grave..
For Cru's army will prevail..
In red, and crushing rage..
Anger splashed through Colai, and she saw red, and only red. Crimson splotches blocked her vision for a moment, but soon faded. But the voice had persisted, and she could still hear it. The voice was so small, so weak and tender. But there was something in their that Colai did not like. There was that of fate, when she slowly, and deliberately began to walk across the large hallway, bars were lined on the left wall, and the right wall was simply cracked and broken tile, with streaks of blood, and anything else that Colai desired to be splattered across the wall. But that voice, it scared her. She felt chills crawl up her spine, and she found herself stopping halfway down the hallway. The voice emanated from the very last cell that was occupied. The newest prisoner that they had picked up. A child.
Ice cold their hands will be..
When they finally see..
What is, and will always be..
The darkness that comes with triumph..
The light that comes from fire..
Perish if we must..
Be careful who you trust..
This song is at an end..
And so is one who truly believes..
That peace, will never fall..
Upon this hallowed..
Torturing..
Hall..
She began to walk again, but the words of the song seemed to be trapped in her head, in the very same cold voice that had bounced around the room but just one second ago. Her pace quickened, but the hall seemed to stretch out, dizzying her. Her legs seemed so short, and her arms were not elegant and graceful. She wasn't dressed in the old clothes she had been wearing a minute ago, and her hair fell to her knees instead of to the middle of her back. She felt herself slide, and suddenly she was on her knees, looking into a pool of her own, dark burgundy blood. Trailing in the pool of blood, blending in immediately was silky strands of matted, ebony hair. The blood became still, and the ripples disappeared, and what she saw made her scream.
"GET OUT! YOU MONSTER! YOU FREAK! GET OUT!" Her mother's eyes were gone, and in it's place were hollow, red sockets. You could see the veins rippling in and out as they began to trail out of the empty holes. Darla's hands seemed to be stuck in the blood as it coagulated around her fingers, she screamed again, but the blood was running and creeping around her, it was encasing her body, and finally it snapped her mouth shut, she could only watch, and listen to her mother scream, old memories.. Old fears.
"GET OUT! DID YOU HEAR ME? I WANT YOU OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU NASTY, FILTHY MUCK!" Her mother broke blood vessels across her face, bumps and bruises, and Darla realized that her mother's head was bent at an odd angle. It was broken. The spine was snapped, and sticking out of the back of her head. Her brains had begun to leak through her eyes, and her teeth were decaying before Darla's very eyes. Darla closed her eyes, she squeezed them closed, tighter than she had ever closed them before, the last thing she heard, was her mother's deathly screams, and then there was darkness.
"Kee kee kee." Colai's eyes shot open, and she snarled harshly, looking around the jail area. The fluorescent lights flickered for a moment, and remained completely on, before she heard the sound again, "Kee kee kee". She knew who it was, and she pushed off of the wall and unlocked the jail door. Light flooded into the jail, and a prisoner slammed himself into the bars, his thin, bony arms sticking out as he seemed to be stretching for the light. There was a hunger in his eyes, and his tongue hung out, useless. It was completely dry, these prisoners would die soon. His eyes were no longer lit, but simply black, dead, there was no hope left in this man's eyes, and Colai could see that. She ignored the rasping of the man's voice, but a metal, and cold edge to her voice was imminent as she spoke with Liron. She didn't like to talk to anybody but herself, and her prisoners. Glaring at the kestrel, she hissed between her two front teeth, before opening the door wider. She wasn't inviting him in, but she was going to ask what he wanted.
"What the hell do you want?" She said, her sharp voice pierced through the air. She wasn't one to mince words, Colai got what she had to do done, and then she was over it. It was like killing someone. You kill them, blood spatters, their cries ring through your ears, and then they're dead. Deprived of all emotion, the satisfaction of life, and their soul. But they don't care, because they are dead. She didn't give a second thought to the nightmare she had just had, but it was in the back of her brain, lapping along the edges of her mind. She didn't want to think about it. Nothing was supposed to scare her. But that dream.. It told something else. Her eyes softened immediately, but there was still the sting in her voice that meant she didn't want to talk. But she sort of knew she had to, so with a resigned grunt she took a step out, and felt her shoes touch the ground outside of the jail. Shrugging her shoulders, she closed the door behind her, and focused on the kestrel, waiting for him to either transform back into the other form, or to just caw at her again.
"You got anything about the rebels?" She asked, casually. In the softest voice imaginable. Her voice was silky smooth, and very near as persuasive as Cru's voice. But her eyes glittered, there had been something about the rebels in the song she had heard the prisoner sing in her dreams. It was interesting, this twist of events. Coincidence, she was sure.
As she waited, she slipped back into her own thoughts, and began to think about other things. Things that nobody else wanted to think about, unless they were as cruel as her. Colai was sliding into her stupor, a stupor of her thoughts. A coma that wrapped her in the wonderful screams of victims, and her flawless work when it came to cutting their toes, fingers, and eyes out without killing them.. Oh yes, today would be a fun day
(Cru)
"At ease, soldier." Cru commanded in the deep, rustic voice he had gained over the past few years. He had not aged a bit, not since he had turned twenty. He still had the commanding air, for one that looked so young in his years. His sharp, brown eyes glanced around the area, as though daring anyone to come up and punch him, to see how one of the soldiers came out of a fight with his leader. Grimacing, he began to walk across the camp, heading for the arena. It was obviously the only entertainment he had for now. He found that watching others beat themselves up, and kill each other was something funny. It wasn't stupid, and it also wasn't very good for the army, but it kept them occupied. He had decided to give rewards to the one that killed the most, and fought the most, but honestly he had seen nothing like that kind of champion yet.
It was a simple gift, but it meant that all eyes were on that particular soldier, he was being doted upon, and watched over by Cru himself. This was an immense honor in a soldier's point of view. And Cru smiled cruelly at this, wondering when someone would actually become "Cru's Champion". There were plenty of soldiers that may have been able to pull it off, but it was possible that no one would be able to. Cru was somewhat of a pessimistic, and critical person. He had a good eye for combat technique and skill. Which meant that it was impossible to fight and be given a compliment by Cru. He would simply brush off a victory by telling the soldier what he had done wrong, and if the soldier did not win, Cru would say nothing. Because the soldier would be dead. Cru finished his thought, and realized that the soldier he had told to relax, was still standing in front of him. The vague, and discouraging look he through at the soldier told a simple command, "Get out'ta my face."
"S-Sir?" The soldier stuttered, looking at him with wide, frightened eyes. They were a deep blue, but Cru didn't notice this. He just waved his hand in front of the soldier, and the soldier scuttled off. He was a barker, most of the soldiers were barkers, and a few Maos. The soldier that had been standing in front of him was skittish enough to be a fucking chihuahua. What had happened to quality over quantity these past few months? It seemed like they were letting anyone and everyone into Cru's Army. Well, whatever. Cru supposed there was somewhat of an influence when you had more members instead of a few skilled ones. But still..
He had reached the arena, and settled on the throne without even taking notice of his wife - Tati - or his lieutenant Hati. He turned towards his wife, and gave her the crooked half smile that was his trademark smile, there was always just the slightest smirk in that sweet, sincere smile. It was like he was egging you on without meaning to. His smirk seemed to mean something like this: "Haha, if you look at me the wrong way, I kill you. If you breath the wrong way, I kill you. If you think about breathing the wrong way, or looking at me the wrong way, I still kill you." That's what seemed to go on in his mind most of the time. He was rather dark on the inside. He flashed his wife that smile one more time, but it was more sweet, this was his wife after all. Then he turned towards Hati. His eyes glowed for a moment, then settled. He always glowered at her, but that didn't exactly mean that he was angry. Sighing softly, he slumped in his throne and watched two, big black dogs beginning to tear each other in half. He couldn't tell the soldier from the mongrel, but it didn't matter to him that much. He spoke in a bored drawl that he reserved just for his right hand man.. Woman.
"So. Hati. Have you spoken to the Interrogat--I mean, Colai about evidence of Rebels?" He didn't expect her to answer this particular question, because they all knew that Colai wouldn't move out of her jail if she didn't want to, but usually she did creep around in the shadows. Colai was the only one that literally hated Cru's guts. She didn't care if he threw her out of the army, because she could fend for herself, unlike all the cowardly soldiers couldn't. He knew that if he lost her to the rebels, it would be torture for the soldiers. She knew every single path there was to the army, every exit and entrance. There were secrets throughout the barracks, and all the soldiers feared her. You would often hear the bone chilling cries of death and torture that came from her side of the camp. They all knew what would happen if they crossed Cru, they would be sent to Colai. That was the worst possible thing that could happen to you here, you would get sent to the Interrogator. The Jailer. There were numerous nicknames and rumors about what was held in the jail, and what happened to the people that lived in the jail. Fear rippled through even the biggest, toughest soldiers. Most of them were all brawn, and no brain. But even the smarter ones knew that they would never survive even a night in the jail. It was suicide to cross Cru, because of Colai. And he liked that.
That didn't mean he got along with her, but that wasn't the case right now. He returned his thoughts, and focus to Hati with a small smirk, and no sincerity in his face this time. "So, tell me, Hati. What is going on with the Rebels that is making the soldiers so... Skittish." He grimaced at the word. He had noticed that all the soldiers in the stands, that were watching the fight seemed to fidget, or murmur to each other. The only ones that weren't, were the ones actually fighting for their lives. He tsked beneath his breath for a moment, before sitting up straight, and wrapping his fingers around Tati's. Bringing her hand to his lips, he pressed it against them for a moment, before dropping her hand back into her lap. He watched the two black dogs brawl for a moment, before growing bored of this.
He stood up, and whipped out a shot gun, pulling the trigger, a blast echoed through the arena. He had killed the mongrel, and the soldier phased back into his normal form, looking completely annoyed, his face reddening. He began to shout, but turned around and saw that Cru was the one holding the gun. The red seeped out of his face, and all of a sudden he was completely white, pale. He muttered something and backed away, through the entrance he had come through to fight in the arena.
"Soldiers. This, is what I am talking about. This is how we will deal with the rebels. We will fight back, and we will prevail. This is non-negotiable. You will not fail, I WILL NOT FAIL. These rebels are going to die, and we will walk in triumph across their graves, the victors and the supreme rulers of the city."
The soldiers bellowed, and many began to scream in a complete adrenaline rush. It was but a single moment, but some of them even phased into their dog forms, howling praises to their role model, Cru. The biggest, toughest, and scariest of them all. He knew how to rally, and to get them up on their feet. These new soldiers were piss and vinegar, and the old ones were just as good as the new. The perfect balance between adrenaline, and experience would keep this army together. He would make sure of it. He was in fact, quite content with where he was. But as he said and thought all these things, he turned back to Hati, and his eyes were bright he was still waiting for an answer from her. There was no more excitement in his voice.
"Well?" Obviously you could see that Cru could change his personality on a moment's notice. That was the way a leader had to be. But he was prepared to laugh at his lieutenant if she had no information for him. As was his job to. Being a leader was fucking hard, but it was fun at the same time. His expression was dark as he remembered his question, and waited for her to answer it.
Those rebels were going down.