White on White

She often found @Arashi  making his rounds and surveying the slaves. Whenever she did, his gaze made her feel infinitely smaller and instilled an uncanny fear from within. It was petrifying as his eyes demanded obedience, and she would submit. In this hellish pack, she had but two masters. One demanded her body; the other demanded flesh and blood as payment for failure. She dared to believe that the cruelest of Warcrest was not the King but the Slaver who enjoyed his duties all too much.

But as of late, she had done well to avoid his attention, often keeping to herself and going as far as to only eat scraps. The pain kept her from venturing far and awake at night, with her only saving grace being the desert herbs she had picked up. She was once grateful for the useless gifts her sponsors had bestowed upon her, including the desert-kin who gifted her exotic herbs and spices with various effects. However, she recognized the ones she had been using as desert spikes. An herb that aided her with sleep, but there was only so much medicine could do with fractured bones.

But one thing in the pack welcomed her: her usual spot beneath the rare shrubbery in the Eye.

Often overlooked and rarely disturbed, it was all that was needed for Suzune.

@Crown

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As time went on, Crown had slowly become more well-acquainted with the different scents within his home. He knew who each scent belonged to, but he mostly kept his distance from the others and didn't know them well. But, there was a very unfamiliar scent that was going around lately. A brand new wolf in the pack. 

Today, as Crown aimlessly strolled around the territory, he had caught wind of the newcomer somewhere nearby. But there was something different that worried him. The smell he had become acquainted to was tinged with a faint note of blood.

Out of curiosity, he peered over at where she was currently lying, beneath one of the few shrubs within the place. She was a smaller, elegant-looking lady with a coat of various reddish-browns and creams. Though, the one thing that stood out to him was her wound. There was a nasty cut on her neck that looked fresh, telling him that she'd been injured not too long ago. 

Crown walked up to the lady with quiet, careful steps. "Are you okay?" he asked. "You're hurt."

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Sound caused her ears to flick upwards and her body to tense. Every person who has spoken with her had scarred her one way or another as of late. But her muscles relaxed upon settling her eyes on the child, far too young to cause any harm to her, yet bore an uncanny resemblance to the King.

“I can not reach that one,” she indicated with a flick of her tail as she continued to rest her head between her legs. “But why does the King’s children want to speak to a mere slave such as I?”

She did not want to frighten the child with the horrors of their guardians, but the company of someone bearing no ill intent was uncommon here but a presence she would welcome wholeheartedly.

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The way the she-wolf tensed up at the sound of Crown's voice didn't escape his notice. He paused in his tracks for a moment, unsure of what she would do next. When she ended up relaxing, he deemed it okay to sit nearby, while giving her some space.

His brows furrowed ever so slightly as he tilted his head. "King? You mean my...father?" He had hesitated in saying that word. Calling someone like that man his father felt so wrong, and it made something in his gut twist.

"It's not good to ignore someone when they're hurt." Crown added, as he thought of it as an undeniable truth. Being as young as he was, he was unaware of what the title of slave fully entailed.

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The child was a gentle creature, unbefitting of the tyrant and his riffraff crew. It broke her heart to consider the future where the boy would grow to be like her master. “Father?” She inquired gently as she shifted slightly and offered to share the thicket's shade. “You don't resemble him.” It was true, the boy was unlike Satan in mannerisms and physique, and Suzune hoped he would stay that way.

"It's not good to ignore someone when they're hurt."

For the first time since joining as a captive, a smile, small but entirely there, broke through her russet face. “It isn't,” she agreed. It was refreshing to receive some sort of unrequited sympathy or genuine worry. It had been so long that the courtesan had begun to believe the pack to be incapable of such emotions. Perhaps it had been bred out through artificial selection. 

“But do you know what to do when someone is hurt?”

Her yellow eyes regarded the boy with warmth as she invited him to learn — not to spread the violence that her masters worshipped, but to aide those victimized by it. A motherly warmth that she could never offer to her own biological children, for she wished to never carry any. A whore like herself could never provide the life that her offspring required or deserved, and the woman would never subject her kin to the wretched curse of life. 

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Accepting the lady's silent offer, Crown came closer and sat beneath the shade with her.

He found that he was quickly growing to like her. Everything about her was very kind and warm, but not in a way that felt too overbearing. It reminded him somewhat of how his mother was.

"He's not my real father." He stated bluntly. The boy decided that that was all she needed to know about the situation at the moment. Though, she didn't doubt that she already knew the kind of person Satan was. He had never once met his real father, but he hoped that he was nothing at all like him.

Crown thought about the lady's question for a moment, before he soon had an answer.

"You help them." Of course, that was the most sensible answer to him. Though, something began to bug him about it. He looked down at the sandy ground with a confused look on his face.  "But, I don't know how to." he added after a short pause.

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When the boy confessed his relationship with Satan, Suzune's lips pursed slightly. She did not know the specifics of it but thought it better not to pursue the topic any further. Her body naturally angled and curved towards the boy as she gave him her undivided attention. Given the King and his mate's appearances, she doubted the child was related by blood and doubted even further he was adopted by conventional means. She would empathize but never pity him, for she had grown to loathe the pitiful looks given to her behind the paper walls growing up. 

“It's easy,” she began softly. “Sometimes, they just need someone to share their pain. Other times, medicine is the remedy.” The courtesan nudged the plant towards the boy with her muzzle. Its exterior is coated in a layer of cobwebs, similar to a spread of cobwebs or cotton, shielding the green interior and purple petals. It was the same plant that occasionally decorated the Eye of Osiris, one that was commonly overlooked. “I can not travel far,” this is all I have, her mind echoed. If the woman could travel just a little further, perhaps she could've ventured in search of more proficient herbs. But a slave was bound to her home, and her fear and reliance only tightened the leash.

“It helps me sleep,” she lowered her head between her paws as the warmth of the sand soaked into her fur. “Maybe it can help you, too.” Suzune grew equally curious and fond of the boy as she watched in expectancy of his response. 

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Crown slowly blinked, contemplating this information. 

"I see." he replied. "I want to help others." Especially his siblings. Despite how he was around them, he always hated to see them in pain.

His mother had once told him that certain plants could cure sickness, but that was about the extent of his knowledge. He had seen very few plants in the desert and he didn't know the name of a single one. Maybe it would be good to know more about them, so he could better aid others' in need.

Crown tilted his head in curiosity. Gazing down at the plant that was nudged towards him, he took in every single detail. It could help others sleep? "What's this one called?" he asked as he gently pawed at it.

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“Desert spike,” she recited. “It helps with pain.” Although not an explicit sleep aid, it did help her with getting a peaceful rest. Or as peaceful as one could have in the mercenary pack. “It's harmless; you could eat it if you want.” It was one of the few medicines with no side effects other than the odd texture of the dry leaves and fuzzy exterior.

“One of these days, once I feel better, we can see what the desert has to offer.” She pursed her lips as she finished talking. Would she receive punishment for straying too far again? It was a thought that was more than unsettling, but she would justify it by accompanying the young lord. “Tell me, young master, have you traveled further than the desert? Where the sky is filled with leaflets tarps? Or cities that never sleep” If the boy allowed, she would talk about the distant lands he had yet to see. The wonders denied that he was denied of, and for a moment, the two of them could escape reality.

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Crown's tail gently swayed at the idea of getting to travel outside the territory. He was sure he'd enjoy learning more if he was taught by someone like her. "I think I would like that."

"You can just call me Crown." he stated, disliking the use of young master. "But, no. I never got to see much outside the desert."

He truly did want to. As he grew up, he found that a lot of the place just felt like endless, empty expanses of sand with little to no plants to speak of. Maybe a nice body of water if you were lucky. He craved to see something more interesting, if such things even existed.

"What's it like out there?" he asked as he rested his head atop his paws.

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It seemed that there was only an increasing amount of people who grew to dislike the titles assigned of them. In her culture, informalities were only bestowed to those who shared a connection that transgressed social circles. But she would not argue with the young prince. “Then you can call me Suzune,” she exchanged contentedly. It was almost pitiful how the mere act of sharing a name was able to bestow her a semblance of happiness.

“It's beautiful,” she whispered, recalling the sights she saw that lit up the night sky. All sights that would have been commonplace to others, but to Suzune, they were irreplaceable memories to return to as she skimmed the surface of her unconsciousness. “I was raised in a small farming village where rice farms extended as far as the eye could see. The rice, they're like cattails. They grew in huge ponds of water and we raised fish in the waters too.” These memories were perhaps the happiest times of her life for it was before the disparity between man and woman became painfully clear that bleak winter.

“Every summer, we'd have the Summer Festival and set the sky ablaze with colors you could only dream of. My brother and I would play among the fields and I'd try to find him.” Her voice grew lower and softer as she continued. “He was never good at hiding so one time, he was hiding at the edge of the fields. He was looking for me, but in the wrong direction as I slowly snuck up on him and then jumped on him! Just. Like. This.” And then she'd snatch the boy up by his scruff, careful not to hurt him as she playfully tussled and occasionally exhaled in his ears, creating an uncomfortable but ticklish sensation.

She would continue for as long as Crown wanted to and only then would she release the boy from her grasp.

“One day,” she promised. “I'll bring you there.” 

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Crown began to relax and looked on as Suzune recalled memories from her past. Sure, he didn't fully understand some of the words; But it still painted such a vivid picture in his mind regardless. He thought it would be wonderful to live in a place like the one she described. The night sky being filled with lights of many colors sounded like a scene out of a dream. If only he could have witnessed it too. 

At first, he was confused about what the lady was planning to do. Suddenly, she grabbed him by the scruff, eliciting a startled squeak from him. The bite wasn't rough, very much like how his mother and siblings would play with him.

"Hey!" Crown huffed as he playfully nipped at Suzune and tried to wriggle out of her grasp. Eventually, she put him down. He giggled, his lips forming into a stilted attempt at a smile.

The boy's blue eyes seemed to light up. "Really?" He looked down as he contemplated something. "Do you think my brothers and sisters could come too?" He was sure being able to go somewhere that wonderful would make them happy as well.

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She liked the way his eyes lit up. Warcrest's interests seemed only piqued when it involved unnecessary violence and bloodshed, and there was an innocence and naivety that the children held, but adults had cast aside. She laughed softly with Crown's teeth tugged at her fur. It seemed that the pack's children were often left to their own devices and neglected in the social aspects they needed. Though overstepping her reach, she would take in Crown as her own and teach them what his parents could not.

"Do you think my brothers and sisters could come too?"

An odd and warm sensation bubbled in her chest for the boy who cared more about his siblings' feelings than his interests. He was selfless, a virtuous trait she hoped he would nurture well. “If your siblings are just as lovable as you,” she murmured between licks as she undid the kinks on his head. “Then I don't see why not. The vast fields are vast; even if they weren't, we would crowd the same spot together.”

“Come here, Crown.” She indicated towards the half circle of space beside her, and if the boy obliged, she would curl her tail around him before gently nudging his cheek with her nose. “Raise your head, child. You'll make me sad if you keep looking like that.” His earthen face was meant to be seen in its full valor, not hidden away as his gaze fixed on the ground. Crown was an heir and a prince. She did not impose traditional male beliefs on him as her parents did on her brother, but Suzune would certainly not let the boy grow comfortable with the shadows, not as she did. “Tell me what you want to hear, and let this courtesan tell you tales of them until you can see them with your own eyes.”

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Crown found himself satisfied with Suzune's answer. He nodded, and the look in his eyes softened. "Thank you."

The boy curled up near her, accepting her gentle touches. "Can you tell me more about the summer festival?" he asked, gazing up at the lady.

At first, he was confused as to why Suzune was so kind to him despite this being their first meeting. But, he wasn't opposed to it. In a place as uncertain as his new home, it was great to have someone you could trust.

Maybe, he thought, things won't be all that scary with Suzune around.

As time went on, the boy's eyelids began to feel heavy as fatigue overcame him. He eventually fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. And when he slept, he dreamt of a pleasant future of lush fields, and skies painted in many beautiful colors.

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She gave the boy an affirmative lick before smiling at him. “The Summer Festival happens every year. My village was small, but we'd buy fireworks from the nearby city for it. Children would carry the sun in their hands, and we'd dress in our finest kimonos.” From time to time, the courtesan would stare affectionately at the boy before continuing with her story. “There were stories of playful spirits who often visited our village during the summer to partake in the festivities.” Whether these stories were true or not, they were never confirmed. But Suzune never doubted the stories, for they had happened too often to be a mere coincidence.

“We'd eat from food stalls and play with other children. Try to catch goldfish with flimsy nets. We knew we would never see one, but it was about the experience, not the fish. But the fireworks, the fire that set the skies ablaze with marvelous colors — ah.” Her nose pressed against his ear gently, and when she confirmed that the boy had fallen asleep, she exhaled softly. 

Suzune wondered what it would be like to have her children in that peaceful moment. Would they, too, enjoy stories of lands from far away? Would they look like Crown with his earthen face?

She kissed his nose gently before shifting and laying on her side, coiling her tail around him protectively. If anyone were to approach, they would only see Suzune, for Crown was nested safely within her bosom. No sun touched his skin as she wrapped him in her shadow. He would sleep undisturbed by both the sun and wolves alike.

 — Fin

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