The End of the Beginning

[Qit'ria]

Vhalar 47, 718

Qit'ria peered down through the ceiling window on the warehouse she'd discovered belonged to the Mantis. The other cats were gone, having followed a few of the men that had left, per her orders. She was alone now. She walked over to the front of the building and could see that there was still the boy in front, guarding the door. She turned back, flicking her whiskers, ears twitching as she listened to her environment. She slipped into her Sev'ryn form, the standard transformation coming easy.

She bent down, and unlatched the window, lifting it up, peering inside. It was a warehouse and was mostly empty. She Echoed her bear's sense of smell, and took a deep whiff. Sweat. Blood. Urine. She wasn't absolutely sure how many people she could smell, but she guessed about ten or so. She looked down at the vines around her wrist and had an idea. She stuck her arm out and the vines extended around a nearby pipe. She then climbed through the open window and extended the vine as she dropped, slowly. She lowered herself down, eyes scanning the building, not seeing anyone, nor hearing them.

She hopped down to the stone floor in a crouch, calling the vine back to her, watching as it shrunk and coiled back around her wrist. She pulled a spear from the pouch on her waist, holding it at the ready. Her eyes scanned the darkness of the warehouse. There was some light in the back, where she saw a passageway. Her nose told her that was where the smell of people was coming from. She quickly made her way to the wall, sticking to it, ears open, eyes on the passageway. Once she was next to it, she peered down inside.

It was a dead end, with cages built into the wall, jail cells, and a young man, more of a boy than anything, sitting in a chair, whittling away at a piece of wood. She could see the acne on his face and felt a small ball of pity in the depths of her stomach. Children shouldn't have to do such things. Hunting animals was one thing, but people a whole other. There was no way to sneak past him to the cells, to see who or what was in there, but the hairs on her neck told her that this was the place she needed to be right now. She could try it in rat form, but it was still large enough to be seen and cause her to be attacked.

Perhaps a different tactic was needed.

Faith was a people person. Pretend to be like Faith, she could do that. She took a deep breath. She put away her spear, stood up straight, tightened up her cloak around her. Faith. Channel her inner Faith. Be kind to strangers. Help them out. Be patient. Let them talk more first. She could do this. Anxiety built up within Qit'ria, for this was harder than any animal hunt she'd been on, and this was far more important. Stretching her mouth into the soft smile that Faith wore whenever she looked at Qit, the huntress stepped into the hallway.

"Hello? Can help me?"

The young man startled a bit, and looked up suddenly. He stood up quickly reaching for the sword at his belt. Qit brought her hands up, "Sorry sorry. No mean scare. I not sure if right place."

The boy looked at her suspiciously, "Ma'am, this is a restricted area, how did you get in here?"

"Man out front, friend of friend. I look for father mine. Man said I look here, if quick. He no come with me, said no can leave door."

The boy walked closer, but Qit'ria saw his hand move further away from his belted blade, and she continue to smile toward him. "This is very strange. Horatio said this?" She saw how his shoulders dipped and his eyes moved away from hers. He was hiding something. He'd only said a name so she assumed it to be a test.

"Who Horashio? Not that man."

The boy relaxed visibly, "Sorry, can never be too careful. Look, we don't ever have visitors. Why do you think your father is here?"

"Father is doctor. But magic man attack him. Make him magic. No want it. He ask friend for help. One day, men show up and take him. Friend say he might be here. Father good man. No hurt no one."

The boy's face carried pity upon it. "Is he Sev'ryn like you?"

Qit'ria nodded, "Come. He's here."

Her entire body went cold as her feet carried her forward down the passageway. She wondered if the man would be worried about her face. Once she was closer, she saw the startled look in his eyes. "What happened to you?"

She looked down, showing feigned submission, as though ashamed, "Father's magic. He not control well. Change me. No change back."

The man seemed to accept that answer, stepping closer, grasping her shoulder with his hand. "Magic is very dangerous." He lifted up his shirt to show burns up his entire front. "My brother too. He controlled fire, until he lost that control. He was a good person too. I joined the Mantis to help these people. We can remove the Spark."

Qit's eyes widened at this. She thought the Mantis was just killing mages. "You remove magic?"

The boy looked proud, "Not me personally. But the higher ups can. They have a special tool. But it doesn't always work well." He gestured toward the left cage. "These men have had their sparks removed, but..."

She looked inside, there were four men. They were well dressed and cleaned and looked fed. Cared for. But there was an emptiness in their eyes. One shambled toward her, looking at her. Or rather, beyond her. She matched the gaze but it was a husk. There was no intelligence in there. And her heart broke further.

"Do they.. are they still..?"

"Not yet. That one's my brother. Sometimes it seems like he's in there, but most days he's like this. I talk to him a lot, all of them. Read to them. I'm not sure if it helps, but I have to try, ya know?"

"Your father is there in the back."

There was a jingle of keys and the man unlocked the cage. He walked in and grabbed Yeye by the hand gently. The older man stood up and followed the man over and Qit couldn't breathe. She'd found him. Or rather, what was left of him. "Yeye.." she whispered.

She stepped forward, taking her father's hand, as the guard stood off to the side. She pulled her father into a tight embrace. But he didn't hug back, simply stood there. She stepped away, looking up at him as she held his face in her hands. His eyes were on hers but there was no recognition there. She was no different than the walls of the cage he was in.

Speaking in her native tongue, "Yeye... please. Please, come back to me. I'm here. It's Qit'ria. Your daughter. I'm here to take you home."

There was a momentary glimmer in his eyes, and they focused on her. "Q-q-q-q-q-q.."

She squeezed his hand, "Yes Yeye, it's me, Qit'ria. Qitcat."

"Q-q-q-q..."

He was in there, she knew it. She could bring him out. The guard watched her with a broken heart, tending to his own brother to give some privacy.

"Q-q-q-q-...k-k-k-k-kill me."

It was in Common. Her eyes grew wide in shock. Her face was horrified, she couldn't believe what she'd heard. Her father valued life above all. The guard was staring at her back, his own eyes filling with tears.

"Yeye, no. I'll take you to Faith, she'll make you all better. I promise. Faith can fix you. Please Yeye. I need you. Blackbird needs you."

She gripped his face tighter as tears streamed down her face.

"Q-q-q-qit'ria."

"Yes Yeye, its me," and for a moment, her heart perked up.

"K-k-kill me."

She looked through her tears into his eyes and she saw that old intelligence. There was only a little bit of her father left in there, and he was telling her to end his life. But it was him, truly, that was saying it. Qit'ria's vision blurred further and her shoulders heaved and bounced as she sobbed.

"I love you, Yeye."

"L-l-l-l-l..."

She squeezed his hand as she reached into her soul, grabbing her ether. She poured it into her bear cloak and then into her right hand. She'd never tried a partial transformation, but she wanted her father to see her face now, not the bear. Her arm twisted and changed while she held his face with her other hand, and his gaze with her own. In the distance, toward the front door, a small chiming could be heard.

Soon, Qit'ria's hand was changed, her fingers replaced by the long, deadly claws of the bear.

"L-l-l-l-l-love. Q-q-q-q-qit."

"I love you too, Yeye."

In an instant, she punched her claws just beneath his ribs, curving them upward. She felt them puncture his heart while her own shattered. She kept her eyes on his as she felt the torn heart stop and his warm blood seep down her arm. She saw a glimmer of gratitude in his eyes before they faded to nothingness. She pulled her hand from his torso, and gently laid him down upon the stone.

She looked back at the guard, the poor boy shell shocked. There was some understanding on his face, but he was still struggling to take it all in. Qit'ria felt her entire body go numb, but she fought that. She didn't want to go numb. She wanted this pain. She deserved this pain. She let it all out, she let it consume her.

Every memory of her father poured out in tears and cries of anguish. She fell to her knees and sobbed, loudly. She screamed and wailed and beat her fist against the stone floor. These people had destroyed her family. She had destroyed her family. And her father paid the price. Sobbing and heaving every memory of him flashed past her eyes. Him fixing up her broken arm as a girl when she had fallen out of a tree. Him chasing after her after she refused to come in at dark. Him cooking her first rabbit kill, looking so proud. The pride he wore on his face when she came home after all those years. The way he cared for her when she gave birth to Blackbird. All the good things in Qit'ria came from Yeye.

And she'd killed him.

The door at the far end of the warehouse opened up and a tall man in robes stood there, holding a necklace with a stone on it. Qit'ria looked up at him with rage in her eyes, burning away the tears. She knew instantly this man was important in the Mantis. She stood, looked at the boy, "Get in cage. Now."

"What are you ta--"

"NOW!" she roared, with a mix of all the animals' roars within her.

The boy paled and stepped into the cage, pulling his own brother with him, shutting it behind him. Qit'ria walked toward the robed man that had arrived. Her emotions raged and her spark reveled in them. It had never felt such things from her. She was letting loose all control. She began flooding her body and soul with ether, preparing. Her spark bounced eagerly. For the first time since she'd gained her magic, she was becoming one with her spark, truly.

"Well well well... Who do we have here?"

[Qit'ria]

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Qit'ria sized up the man, as her ether swirled within her, a raging hurricane of emotion and vengeance. She was not controlling her magic now, she was letting it run free. Her spark was gladly taking the reins, her ether flowing from totem to totem, her body connecting all of them together. She felt her body and soul shifting as the storm blew. She felt her spark taking this opportunity to lay claim to more of her soul and she allowed it. She had so few important things and people left in this world.

Caza. Faith. Zeepa. Oonah. Noth. Hork. Her Spark. It was just as important to her as any person. She wanted it to know that. She'd never let anyone take it from her. Not like they'd taken her father. She'd keep it safe. It was family. It was a part of her, just as they were. And so, her Spark spread across her soul, and she relished the increased bond.

"You're her daughter, aren't you?"

The man wore fine robes, but Qit'ria could hear the clinking of chainmail beneath it. He walked on softwood sandels, wore a bunch of finery, but Qit'ria knew he was no simple city man. His steps were silent, his robes hid much of his musculature, but she could see it in the way he moved. This man was as much a predator as her.

But Qit'ria was the greatest hunter on Idalos. She knew it. And that desire was heard by her Spark. And it answered her. Woman and Spark worked together, Adapting her body into the ultimate predator form of all her totems. Her face, touched by the essence of bear, committed fully, taking on the mighty Bumblebear's head, unleashing a massive roar as she finished it. Her arms shifted into those of the Mer's, coupled with the poisoned talons on her webbed finger tips. Large spikes grew from her back, dripping with the gasping skitterer's poison. She maintained her Sev'ryn legs, though her feet grew panther claws. Every bit of skin covered itself with black panther fur, and her eyes matched the feline form as well. Finally the panther's tail extended out from her spine, adjusted with the tail muscles of the Ganditlip and on the end of it, the ganditlip's bone sword.

The transformation took even less time than before, and her opponent simply stared on smugly, choosing to not interrupt her. He was one of the few specialists from abroad, here to train the pitiable Mantis in fighting mages. The Mantis were mere pawns, to ignorant and obsessed to be truly strong, not like him and his people. The man pulled his robe off, revealing a lithe suit of dark, oiled leathers and chainmail mixed. This particular mix of armor is what the man always wore, after years and years of fighting, formally in an armor, guerrilla style, hunting, alone. He relished the challenge before him.

Qit'ria stared the man down, taking in every scent, every sound, every detail of the man she could. She watched as he drew two simple daggers, small. He held them well, balanced, not being showy about it, as he began to stalk around the warehouse toward her, just as she did him. The circled around one another, the door guard watching from the light passage, the young boy still in the cage with the broken mages, unable to see.

QIt'ria made the first move. She sprinted toward the man, who stepped back and awaited her approach. She held her tail high, the blade behind her like a furry scorpion's. The man held one dagger at his chest level, the other at stomach level, blades out defensively. Once she closed in, she punched forward with a taloned hand. The man's dagger snapped forward, but Qit was already twisting away from her own feint. As she twisted, she whipped her bladed tail toward the back of the man's thigh. It slashed there futilely, the man's chainmail protecting him.

And as she twisted, so did he, following her, and a blade slashed down, scoring a long groove in her left arm before he slipped out of her range, the barest hint of a smile on the corner of his lips. Qit'ria ignore the pain and came at him once more. She remembered the points on him that were covered in leather instead of chainmail. Her hands attacked high, but as he went to deflect her claws, she wrapped a leg in behind his, and shoved her body into his, kicking his leg up. His balance lost the pair fell, him still slashing her still clawing. He got several deep slashes into her arms, she got a nice score across his face.

Him on his back though, she hopped back onto her hands, relishing in the pain of her injured arms, as both of her feet kicked forward, traveling the length of his body beneath her, striking him in the chin hard with both heels. His head snapped back and one of his daggers fell from his hands. She kicked it away as she got herself to her feet. The man stood up as well, left side of his face bleeding, looking dazed. He settled once more into a defensive position and put some space between them.

They continued to circle one another again, and once more, Qit'ria charged. In the moment before she reached him, she Unleashed the entirety of her bear form, ducking her head down. She felt his knife pierce her shoulder but it didn't stop the fact that a half ton of muscle crashed into him bodily. He was thrown backwards, his other dagger thrown from his grasp as he was sent rolling. She charge after him, getting atop him, and raining down slash after slash. He protected his face and arms with his greaves but his strength was waning. She felt her back claws punch through leather and into flesh and bone.

Eventually his arms gave way and Qit'ria lunged down. Her jaws snapped around his face and she bit down hard, feeling the bones crush. She continued to bite through, before tearing it away, flinging it in a squishy heap nearby. The man was dead. It was over, just like that. Qit'ria shifted back to her Sev'ryn form, dizzy and woozy from the rapid transformations. Adapt took more out of her than expected, but it was new. The guard in the doorway looked on in fear, his body shaking. She saw the horn on his belt, and walked toward him slowly.

The man was too scared to run, too scared to scream out, and within a moment, Qit sank her mutated claws through his neck. She pulled him into the warehouse and shut the door slowly. She threw his body to the ground. Their deaths didn't make her feel any better, didn't help fill the hole in her heart left by Yeye. But she knew in this moment that the Mantis would pay. All of them.

She stalked toward the cages, her eyes burning with rage. Arriving at her father's body, she looked in at the guard in the cage. She looked at the boy within, and her rage grew. She wanted to spill his blood too, and it seemed he could feel it.

"Please..."

She looked down at Yeye, seeing how restful his face was. While he'd been scared, his mind broken, this boy had worked to make him comfortable. Cared for him. He'd been kind. Just as Faith would have been. She ripped open the door to the cage, for he'd not locked it in his youthful foolishness.

"Take you brother. Leave city. Leave Mantis. Go be doctor, or I kill you. You good to Yeye. Go. Now. No come back."

The boy looked around nervously, then nodded. He took his brother's hand and led him out of the warehouse. Once Qit'ria heard the door shut, she looked at the other two broken mages and sighed. She shifted her hand into the long claws once more and stepped toward them, the final shred of softness leaving her eyes.

[Qit'ria]

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The flight hadn't taken her long. Thankfully the batpanther form was strong enough to carry a body for a fair distance. Qit didn't know where she was going, she just flew high enough until she could see some forests, and made her way there. She went high enough to avoid as much detection as possible. She didn't want to be interrupted.

She landed in a small copse of trees and shifted back into her Sev'ryn form. Her eyes fell on her father's body, and for a long while, she just stood there and stared. He looked so peaceful, yet so weak. Her father may have been nice, calm, soft, but the man was never weak. He was stronger than her mother, who ruled by force and violence.

And he was gone.

Truly gone. What was the point of even being here now? She could leave, return to Faith as promised. She'd failed the mission. It was all for naught. She shifted into her bear form and began to dig. She clawed at the ground, carving out massive grooves, tossing the soil behind her. Physically it was easy, but each swipe meant Yeye was further from her. Each growing pile of dirt was another reminder of what she lost.

Eventually it was deep enough, and she shifted back to Qit'ria, climbing back out. She gingerly picked up his body, straining under him. He was bigger than her after all. She slowly climbed down into the hole, setting him down gently, just as he had set Caz'aria into her arms after she was born.

Qit'ria didn't really worship the Immortals, but she knew her father was a devout follower of Moseke. So Qit took a handful of dirt, held it over Yeye's body, and said a prayer to Moseke. She asked that Moseke take his soul and guide him to peace. She asked that Moseke return his body to the earth and that the world make use of it once more. She asked that Moseke give him a hug, just like Qit'ria would, one last time. Qit'ria sprinkled the dirt over him and stooped down. Using a knife, she removed one of his fingers. A selfish token to remember him by.

She climbed back out and buried him. Once she was done, she sat atop his grave, carving down the finger into a bead that she put on her necklace along with her own self totem. And then she meditated with it, pouring her ether through the new totem. She poured every memory, every emotion she had for her father into that totem, and the tears ran down into the soul as she did.

Once she was done, she could see that it was night now. She grew out her wings, and prepared to return back to the inn her and Oonah had rented a room in. She looked back at the mound of dirt and hope a tree would grow there. Her breasts were heavy and swollen. Caza would be hungry. It was time to go back.

"Goodbye Yeye."

[Korva]

Rewards!

Name: Qit'ria

Knowledge:
Becoming Ability: Adapt
Becoming: Adapting a bear's head onto a Sev'ryn body
Becoming: Giving everything to your spark
Becoming: Adapting spikes out of your spine
Detection: The sound of chainmail
Unarmed Combat (Inner Beast): Stab with claws in the heart

Loot: Yeye Totem Necklace
Injuries: Random injuries that will take a few trials to heal
Renown: 10 for showing mercy and another five for killing a member of the mantis
Magic XP: Yes

Points: 10

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Comments: It's cool, I didn't need emotions, just drain them out of me with you're writing why don't you? All that, she went through all that just to have to kill him and that was a damn nightmare that was beautifully written, well done!

If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM or ping me in Discord. Thanks!

**Made by the magnificent Kes