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The song of life is a funny thing in how it changes, ebbs and flows all around us without our notice or consent. Markus knew this for a fact, as he was one of the heralds who played strings of music which echoed the great melody of beginning without end. Yet even he was taken by surprise at the events which began shepherding him towards an unknown future for which he never would have imagined.

It had started some months ago with his dreams. Vivid...almost...visceral in their intensity, Markus had been rocked awake more than once from a image which had shaken him down to his core.

Black.

A darkness that was thicker than a night without the moon's warmth to shine down upon the land covering the earth for miles without end.

Pain.

The likes of which could almost be called erotic in its potency as Markus felt so much hurt and violent despair that it often lingered with him even after he awoke.

Blood.

Red and hot, like a fine wine. It poured liberally throughout his dreams. Sometimes from himself, but more often from those around him. Visions of men, women, children, all bleeding together. Their faces locked in endless horror as life slowly faded from their eyes.

As a wise man had once told Markus, 'never ignore the warnings that come when the mind lays unbidden, for there, the gods speak with urgency like no other.' Never one to deny the wisdom of his elder, Markus had taken great stock over what his nighttime visions showed him; much of which were nothing more than scenes from out of the nightmares of children.

Yet it was the flashing glint of jade and emerald which continued to dance within the darkness of Markus' mind night after night that spoke to the bard more deeply. Many an evening had left the young man worried for his soul as he often questioned whether he was being possessed by some sort of devil. However, time after time, as he went to see priests and healers alike, all could say that he was not afflicted with any sort of ailment or demonic possession that they had knowledge of. It did little to help Markus as the dreams began to become more arresting with each passing week. The nights when the young man would wake, drenched in sweat, heart pounding so loud that the beat could be called music in and of itself, left Markus shaking as he could still see flashes of white baring down on him from a maw filled with fangs too cruel to be anything remotely human.

Oddly enough, the dreams had given his spirit something to mull over as his songwriting had taken on a darker, more edgy tone. Many towns for which the young bard had passed had commended him for the enchanting tales he had spun. More than once had a lord or duke asked for his presence within their court, something for which Markus was all too aware was a rare thing indeed for someone of his social ranking. Upon arriving, the bard had taken his lute, strumming his spindly fingers across the well oiled strings with great care, and then played songs which curdled the blood of numerous aristocrats, at the same time they mystified many a nobleman's mind. Markus didn't realize until much later that the words coming from his mouth seeming to be not his own as he sang to heavens...or perhaps to the world down below with a passion that seemed almost...inhuman.

Thankfully, none ever asked what inspired the roan haired man; his words were more than likely to frighten even the stoutest out hearts if he did.

Weeks passed for the young man in silent tandem as he continued to contemplate his odd dreams, all the while his feet set him upon the ever worn trail which seemed to forever stretch on without end. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to reason away the visions which had taken hold of his mind, no sense could be found as to their purpose. Worse still, as the days began to turn into weeks Markus began to hear tales of troubles in the southern lands which only seemed to echo the manifestations happening within the young man's mind.

Tales of villages being attacked by creatures that walked on both all fours and yet two were whispered within the towns for which the bard had passed. Many a time a local would even stop him to ask if he had heard the rumors, only for Markus to shake his head sadly at the townsperson in question. It was usually a group of old women, charmed by Markus' roan hair and youthful looks, that would stop the bard to tell him of the stories for which they had heard. Being invited to some of their homes, many of them widows who children had abandoned them for their own lives, was not something Markus ever looked forward to, and as of lately the young man had seen his way out of a quiet settlement so as not to have his reputation tarnished by angry husbands.

Not that this was too out of the ordinary for Markus, he, after all, had to make himself marketable to other in both body and voice, otherwise his coin purse would be continuously empty. Few would pay the young man for his singing ability, already enchanting as it had been since the he had first sung for the gods in front of the small congregation of his village's church, if his looks were contemptible. Sadly enough, his handsome features were more than enough for the bard to catch hell in the form of ragged urchins which looked to him with jealous eyes; their own faces something a mother would have to pray for patience enough to love. A few scuffles in his earlier days had ended with Markus taking scraps along the side of his face, thankfully his body had healed well enough to leave him without permanent marks, forcing the bard to purchase a short sword for which he always carried on his person.

Having not the stomach to learn how to use it properly, beyond the few base swings which he used to cut kindling with, Markus often kept his gloved hand onto the hilt whenever his lute was not in between his fingers. A sharp glower of his eye made it clear to most men that, while he may or may not have been skilled enough to use his weapon as any soldier of the kingdom might, the young man was more than ready to draw his blade in defence of himself. How many times his feint had it saved him from harm, Markus could no longer could, but he was all the more grateful for it just the same.

It was after he stopped at a meek, little town, whose name he had long since forgotten, that Markus found himself beset by forces which would ultimately look to change his life.

"Are you sure you should stay here, mister poet?" A tavern maid asked him, one of the numerous ladies which worked at the rather humble establishment for which he had chosen to dine and then bed down for the evening.

"Is there any reason I should not?" Markus inquired, his jade eyes greedily drinking in the sight of the twenty-something year old woman wearing the faded brown skirt across her slim frame. The woman had made a show of being especially courteous to Markus, what with constantly swarming him with smiles and questions as to his comfort as he ate his dinner; the offering of an extra tankard of mead for free was a clear sign to the bard that the woman wanted his attention. Something the young man was more than willing to give, especially since she had made a small quip of not being engaged...twice already.

"It is just that..." When the woman held the tray she was holding up to her chin, her pretty brown eyes sparkling with fear, Markus set the fork and knife in his hand aside to pay full attention to the other.

"Just?"

A moment's pause followed a heavy sigh, the barmaid lowering her tray back down from her neck, "There have been stories of places further south from here being beset by...'creatures'. The Holy Guard has been scouring about trying to purge these menaces, but still they continue to swarm the towns." A small bit at her lower lip, the already full pink flesh growing rose from blood rising within, caused Markus' eyes to widen as his heart began to grow loud within his ears. "We...the townsfolk think that this village may be next."

Markus began to pant audibly, his mouth quivering as his mind ran free with the images from his dreams.

"These..." The bard licked his lips, summoning strength from the slight pause in thought before continuing, "...'creatures' you spoke of; what may they be?" The visions had always eluded him as to what it was that stalked him within the night, the flash of fangs and blood often left the young man trembling within the dawn.

"I...don't know for certain, but pray tell there has been mention of..."

"See here now!" Both Markus and the barmaid jumped as they turned to see a pudgy, old woman wearing a brown and white dress walk over to them. "You'll not be scaring away my customers with this wild talk, are you now Susana?" The growl for which the older woman kept within her voice made even Markus quiver as he knew an angry mother's tone like any other.

"No, ma'. Just...having a chat with the poet here." Susana quickly fled after speaking, a patron at a nearby table waving her over for something or another.

"We should be hoping so." The lady of the house said, her nose snorting like that of a wild hog before she turned her beady brown eyes onto Markus. "Pay her no mind, boy. She's just talking of wild stories the rest of the townsfolk have been babbling over." A hand to her hip and a thrust of her buxom chest got a nervous chuckle from the bard.

"Of course, ma'am." The young man was more than sensible enough to know better than to argue with a woman as determined as this. "The food is excellent, by the way." Throwing an extra coin onto the table saw the older woman's eyes light up in approval.

"Well, let's see about getting you more, then!" And off the woman walked, turning her back just in time to see Markus let out a defeated sigh.

The rest of the evening followed by without incidence, something for which Markus was eternally grateful for. His second helping of bread and pork had instilled a warm sense of bliss within the young man and after setting another coin down onto the table for Susana's trouble; the bard had picked himself up from his seat, a firm pat to his silent belly, and then walked to the back of the house. Having rented a room for the evening, Markus found himself quite pleased at the furnishings for which he saw sprawled around said lodge, most especially the comfortable looking bed that was set over to the far right of the back wall. Setting down his lute and sword, the young man shucked himself out of his clothing, feeling as though the weight of the world was being liberated from his back as he did so. Once he was clad only in his undergarments, Markus knelt down to the side of the bed to say his prayers, hoping against hope that his dreams would stay innocent on this night.

'Of course,' the bard chuckled as he moved aside the covers to lie upon the comfortable mattress underneath, 'with talk of 'creatures' ravaging the nearby towns, what are the odds that that will happen?' Markus didn't realize how morose he sounded right then, had he, he would have said one extra prayer before closing his eyes to sleep.

The flash of yellow stained fangs met Markus' eyes as he submerged himself within the darkness of sleep.

The warmth of morning's light found the young man with a tear stained face as the sun's radiance touched the young bar's cheek the same as a father's embrace would. The nightmares that had followed him on the evening past had been so terrible that they had his mind had refused to allow him to wake and proof of that could be seen by the haggard look that masked the young man's normally handsome features.

'By the gods,' Markus whispered, his body trembling so much so that it looked as though he were going through tiny convulsions. 'Am...I going to die?' That was the only thing the bard could think of as he reached for his neck, his slim fingers seeking out the holes which had graced his flesh after the beast within his dreams had torn his head off.

None would ever know of the younger man's plight for the smile he wore as he greeted worried Susana, the young woman's face as bright and sunny as Markus' own as she brought him breakfast, compliments of her mother. His meal was eaten quickly, though carefully so as not to draw attention to himself, and before long Markus was on his way out of the door of the small inn, a lingering kiss onto Susana's dishpan hand the only proof that he had ever been. Moving out of town and then onto the open road which led further south, Markus decided that it was time for him to return home.

'If only to gather my wits about myself,' He reasoned, though in truth it was to say one last goodbye...should one be prudent.

Having come from one of the smaller villages which were hovering underneath the shadow of the beastly threat of creatures out of his nightmares, Markus had long since sent word to his family, of which there was only his mother and brother, that he would be returning soon. The coin he had sent with the message had assured the bard that he would be welcomed back to the place for which he had been born; his family's distaste with his choice of paths in life having been enough to keep him away for the past ten years. Yet now, Markus shook his head. He didn't want to think about it.

'Father always said that it was best for a man to keep his thoughts to himself, and now I see why.' Musing on the figure who had been dead for at least twelve years now made the young man slow his steps.

His father, a man who had been many things while alive, from soldier to philander, had taught Markus and his brother many things. Most of which revolved around how to keep one's mouth in check and his eyes open to the truths of the world around them. For the older man, nothing had been more important than making sure the next day was one in which he didn't regret, despite his dalliances with those not his wife. So, of course, his early demise at the hands of another country's warriors had come as a big blow to Markus. More so to his mother, of that there was little doubt, but to the bard, it had made him want to go out and sing tales of the heroism of those who had come and gone from the moment the news that his sire would no longer be returning had reached his young ears. His brother had quickly taken on the role of protector and provider, finding work wherever he could even at the tender age of sixteen, to support his three year young sibling and heartbroken mother.

The fight that the two of them had had once Markus had told the other of his choice in professions had been the stuff of gossip around the village for days to come. Thankfully, by that time, a year after their father's death, Markus was more than ready to leave off on his journey...and never look back. How ironic that the possibility of his own untimely end would see him darkening the door of the place for which he had promised to never return to.

'Father would never forgive me if I don't,' were the words that constantly echoed inside of the bard's head as he continued on his path. 'I owe him that respect, if not mother.' It was the last thought Markus had on the subject before he put all else out of his mind.

The rest of the journey, of which took him a day and a half, was fraught with tension as the pastures of sleepy hills and wide plains changed into dense lands filled with towering trees and low hanging vines. The world quickly began to fill with the potent scent of flora and fauna the likes of which might stifle another man not used to the particular odors. For Markus though, they all felt like home...and not at the same time.

'Is there...something here?' Markus asked as he flipped his head around, his grip on his sword tightening as he wondered whether it had been a wise move to change his path away from the road on his route home.

Not many people knew that there was another, albeit, more untrustworthy path which could take one into the deep south. The hidden pathway being one that was overgrown from the passing of time until the dirt of the forgotten road had become green once again.

'I think...I may have erred greatly in my decision.' The bard contemplated the wisdom of his choice as he let his senses spread out around him as much as was possible for one of his species.

There was something in the air, an anxiety which seemed to eat away at the earth until the very trees trembled with despair. Markus, not exactly a child of the woods, despite having played in them as a boy, could feel the signs of oncoming danger as he listened to the wind with cautious ears.

Danger...evil...pain...blood...cruelty...curses...

These were the words for which his mind replayed.

Many of them only whispers in the dark as Markus was no elf who could discern every syllable of nature into the common language.

It was a growled roar to his right that curdled the young man's blood, and with the speed due him from his father's bloodline, Markus dropped to the earth, his hand choking hold of the hilt of his blade, fingers wrapping around the weather worn leather which guarded the metal so tight that his knuckles were stained white beneath his gloves. A flash of black and silver passed overhead, the light seeming to almost be rendered asunder from the beautifully savage display of power which soared up above. Markus sent a silent prayer to the land for its vigilant guard over his life as he drew his short sword from his sheath, the scabbard holding firm to the bard's side as the metal sung with a promise of death for the one which looked to attack its wielder.

Jade eyes blinked in awe at what turned to regard the young man with contempt undenied, for there in front of Markus crouched a black beast out of perdition itself.

Strong of form, with muscles cut from the hardest of steel, was a panther of deepest obsidian growling a curse at the bard for his well placed evasion. Long of limb, the feline snarled at Markus, hate written clearly on its masculine features as the creature turned to face the young man, its massive body coiling in readiness for another assault. The tail of the beast, like a python ready to strike, coiled across the air, swirling and snapping as the cat curled its long claws into the mossy ground underneath it. The talons which serrated the earth looked to be yellowed with grime and dirt, the story behind them one Markus would dare not ask as he thought he saw hints of red flecked along the tips. If he were not so frightened Markus would be taken aback with awe as he looked to the picture of magnificence for which the panther was. The snarling features of the beast, promising nothing but death, were the stuff for which the bard could only hope to use in his poems, so breathtaking was the creature.

"Whatever you be, either demon or spirit, I ask you to please leave me be!" Markus shouted, his words seeming to belie the composure for which the young man kept as he stared the pointed end of his blade at the feline before him.

"No."

The simplicity behind the word caught Markus by surprise more than the mouth which sounded the response. The deep baritone of a throat never meant to utter the syllables of man made the bard feel something...deep and primal, a calling from a time for when strength and cunning ruled the world as the bard stared on in awe.

The movement of the great cat, like poetry set into motion, made the world freeze for seconds on end as the beast leapt for the young man, death shining intently within its emerald orbs. Markus, for a reason he would never be sure of, could feel the hands of time unleash their hold over him as he watched the vision of death sliding toward him like sand falling from an hourglass. The why and how was something for which Markus didn't question as the young man did nothing but move; his body unchained as his mind and soul became one.

A slow sweep of his sword to his left followed with a quick turn of his body to the right drew the blade across the sky, a crying hum the only sound Markus could hear as even the beat of his heart seemed to go silent in that second when death's claws reached out for him.

Within the flash a second, the world returned to order as a great howl of pain soured the air while red danced before the bard's eyes. Time, ever the capricious mistress of the world, grabbed hold of Markus with a steel bite; her heavy hand wrapping around his spirit with such mercilessness that it caused the young man to go deaf and dumb as the unity of body and soul was torn apart from the force which overwhelmed him.

When next the young man blinked, Markus found himself holding his trembling sword in his right hand, the wet stench of copper filled his nose as he choked upon the scent of the cat's blood. Turning his full attention to feline which lay sprawled upon the ground several feet from him, Markus gasped as he realized what he had just done.

'I...I killed him?!' The realization that his own life was spared in exchange for that of the beasts never hit home with the bard, only the sick feeling of disgust he felt for killing another being. 'Oh gods...what have I...?!'

"...aaaahhh..." It was the cry out a creature about to meet its end that robbed Markus of his self-pity.

Watching the crumpled form of the beast trying to curl into itself, Markus realized that the feline was still alive, though why that brought relief to him the young man would contemplate later. For now, Markus cautiously carried himself over to the beast, his grip on his blade never once faltering, despite the turmoil filling his mind. Once he was near enough to the panther to actually hear the other's breathing the bard knelt down to have a look at the better look at the strange creature. From what he could see, it looked as though his sword had caught the great cat more onto his side than into his stomach, though from the blood flow it would seem that Markus had severed a large portion of the other's flesh, despite the protection of the other's glossy black fur. Reaching down to prod at the injury the young man wasn't surprised when the panther hissed and growled in pure, unadulterated hate up at him.

An apology quickly left his lips, but the sincerity behind the young man's apologize was met with a contemptible snort as the beast bore its fangs at him. Allowing the other to have its moment at wishing for his demise, Markus continued to survey the odd panther before him; his eyes noted 'things' that seemed to be out of place on the animal.

"You're a..." The bard began, his voice growing thin as the young man moved his hand down the side of the dying creature's torso.

Where once the bard had thought the other nothing more than a strange cat, now the young man could see that what he had dealt with was both beast...and human at the same time. The tales of creatures which walked like men had inspired Markus at a very early age, the whispers of felines which stalked the deep places within the jungles had terrified, yet excited the bard as a young lad, but never once had the young man thought to see such a creature. The stories the old wives spun, of the ferocity of these savage predators who knew neither friend nor foe, had caused the young man to lay awake in his bed at night caught in between wonder abound and sheer, soul-shaking terror. Now as he looked along the bleeding form of the strange hybrid of man and animal, Markus could see that his grandmother had been right in some of her tales.

'He's beautiful.' The young man decided, though his words were far from that of being amorous as his tastes ran solely for the fairer sex. No, what Markus looked at as he stared at the slim torso of the black creature, was not an object of sexuality, but rather a gem of majesty for which the earth and spirits had carved from the purest of night. Broad of shoulder, strong of arm, with muscles that looked as if they could crush the greatest of stone with barely a touch, Markus stared in awe as he looked upon the monster which sparked his greatest of curiosity. What he would have given to be able to sit down with the other and converse at length about the life of the panther. The stories he could spin...

"Finish it."

The growled words broke the bard from daydream, his jade eyes hardening without his consent as his finger clenched together like a vice along the hilt of his weapon. Looking up into the rounded face of the snarling creature, Markus felt his own lips pull back as something almost beastly surged up within his soul.

"Why did you attempt to attack me, beast? I was of no threat to you." The bard had no idea where this great courage he felt within stemmed from, as Markus was hardly one to be called 'brave' even by the best of definitions.

"You're...prey...there's no...other reason...than..." the feline coughed several times, his hacks filled crimson as his body began to convulse slightly.

It was in seeing the red that glinted along the fangs of the panther that the young man came to a startling realization,

"You're the one who's been haunting my dreams." Markus felt the flower of understanding blossom within his mind seconds after his words rang within his ears.

The nights he had laid awake, terrified of the darkness which was filled with pain and blood, of emerald eyes which matched his own dark jade orbs glowering back at him, all could be pinpointed to the creature which now lay huddled at his feet.

'But...what does this mean?' Markus asked himself, his words so unsure that they failed to leave his throat.

Were all his dreams nothing more than premonitions that would lead to the panther's death? But that made no sense. Why would he dream of slaughter when it was not even his nature to kill? He no was battle hardened soldier ready to face death, he was but a simple minstrel. A songwriter who brought joy and wonder to hearts...not...this.

"What should I...?" The young man whispered.

"KILL ME!!!"

The shout forced Markus backwards, nearly making the young man trip over his own booted feet as he did so. Righting himself before he could take an embarrassing tumble, the bard shook his head, his roan hair splaying everywhere as he did so, and then returned to his place by the great cat's side.

"Why do you wish for death when it is coming for you, beast?" Markus could see that his strike had gone in deeper than he had originally thought, the blade having torn through some important artery as more and more blood stained the ground red. It wouldn't be long, maybe a matter of minutes before the shock of the loss of his life's precious commodity would send the feline into the throes of death, more than likely killing the creature within seconds after. It made little sense to Markus as to why the other would ask for him to finish him, and then the beast spoke again...

"Let me...die...by your hand." A few gruttal coughs found more blood painting the earth. "I've...hunted...your kind...to the end...it's...only right...that one...take...my...li..." The feline turned its head, exhaustion mixed with fatigue dragging it down into the pit of oblivion.

Markus...didn't know what to think as his body began to move all on its own. His sword gripped tightly within his hand, the bard leaned over the feline's side, his knee a touch unsteady as the weight of the world began to drive him forward, and then...

****

'I wonder if I did the right thing?' The young man thought, his words filling his mind with a sense of dread and foreboding even as he knew in his heart that what he had done was right.

"Damn you, human!"

Of course, the snarling cat over by his left most certainly didn't agree with that sentiment. The struggling feline cursed and spat, his words as venomous as any poison, yet Markus wasn't overly concerned about the creature's anger. Not with the way the other was bound and tied as he was.

"I'll kill you when I get free from these ropes!" The straining black muscles trying to eat away at the binds of hemp promised a deathly retribution should the beast get free.

Of that, Markus would bet his last gold piece on.

"You could at least show some gratitude." The roan haired man said as he poked at the quail he had managed to trap and kill for his dinner as the bird casually baked over the fire for which he had brought to life an hour ago. "I just managed to use the last of what little salve I had left to stitch you up in time to keep you from dying, and all you can do is shout obscenities at me?"

The roar of indignation the feline let out was so violent that Markus had to actually cover his ears to keep from going deaf.

"I WANTED TO DIE A WARRIOR!! NOT LIVE AS A BEGGAR!!" The great cat howled, his words shaking the very earth as he fought with the cords which had long since bit into the skin underneath his glossy, black fur.

Markus shook his head as he thought back to the decision he had made, wondering, for the third time today, if he had made the right choice in sparing the creature's life. Thinking back on it: in seeing the feline huddled into a ball, his life leaking through the wound that the bard had made with his clumsy, yet very precise slash, Markus realized right then and there that he would not become a murderer. While it may have seemed foolhardy to others, most men would have probably given the cat his wish to die by cutting him into pieces once it was clear the other could no longer harm them, Markus...just couldn't do it. In his mind, an animal was something that he could slay for food, justifying the notion that he himself would one day return to the earth to be a part of the great cycle for which nature kept balance with. Yet this...thing. This panther who could speak and understand the language of men, even going so far as to use it to define its own reasoning, was not just an animal to Markus.

It was a person.

Albeit, a violent and somewhat evil person, but still a person. And for that, Markus couldn't kill the other. Not even if the tables had turned and his strike hadn't found its way into the beast's belly. Markus just would not do it.

Of course, the bard realized that, if the tables had indeed been shifted against his favor, he would probably be within the creature's belly right now. More than likely on his way to becoming fetid rot for the worms, in one manner or another. But this was not the case now. And so...

"If you promise to not hurt anyone else ever again, I'll be happy to let you go off on your way." Markus couldn't help but smile as he watched the feline's already angry features darken into a murderous mask of animal fury. So, of course, the young man was more than prepared for the livid response, to which the panther gave to him a moment later,

"I've killed greater men than any you could ever hope to be, whelp, and I will continue to do so until a warrior steps forward to cut me down!"

That made Markus frown for a moment, though his long hair kept his dissatisfaction from the beast's gaze. If what the other said was true, and the bard believed that it was beneath the feline to lie in the first place, then the stories for which he had heard from Susana were true after all. Though, it was hard to imagine that just one panther had caused enough destruction to warrant the Holy Guard's presence within the south. Yet, if there were more creatures like his 'esteemed guest' running around, where were they? Surely they would not leave their companion all alone? Unless...

'Are they all dead? Does that mean that the Holy Guard only managed to miss this one panther by mistake? Or did....?' Markus had no idea what was truth and what was false, but in sparing a glance to the bound feline, the bard realized that it would be pointless to try and have a polite conversation with the great cat, what with the other growling and hissing at him like some sort of madman. So instead...

"You've got a lot of time on your hands...or, paws, as they are." Markus said as he licked his lips while looking over the roasting bird before him. "You ever thought about putting energy into doing something useful, say...crocheting? My grandmother really liked to do that whenever she was feeling overly..."

Another roar shook the ground, the likes of which scattered the birds throughout the sky.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you!" The great cat flailed and kicked, his lips spitting out saliva in small ribbons as he fought against the binds that were holding him back from savaging the chuckling human before him.

"Well, if you manage to get free from that tree, those ropes, and that collar I fashioned from my belt, you're more than welcome to tear out my gizzard and eat it," Markus didn't fight the laughter that rolled through his lips as he thought out about the irony of what he had just said, especially as he took the quail down from the spit in order to bring it to his lips. The golden bird had finally finished cooking, and in taking a bite out of the tender flesh the bard could say for certainty that he should have used those herbs he picked up a while back to season the meat with. The chewy meat was rather tough to rip through, the animal's flesh needing a nice wine to help break down the toughness, but alas, Markus had to make do with what he had...which was nothing.

'Such is the vagabond's life,' The bard knew that his brother would try to demean his way of living as 'soft' and 'carefree' once he returned home, but that would probably cause the young man to sock the other right in the kisser. 'Hopefully, it will be a quick trip home. Just have to go and see mother and then come back to...'

Realizing that he now had extra baggage with which he had to take care of made Markus stop in his eating as he turned to focus his gaze directly onto the suddenly quiet panther. Looking over the other, whose frame seemed to be quaking ever so slightly, the young man didn't exactly know what he was going to down about the great cat now that he 'possessed' him.

'I definitely cannot take him into a village full of innocent townspeople,' The scandal alone would raise hell within whatever established hamlet the young man chose to intrude upon, his own would be no different. 'But if I leave him he may starve, or worse yet, the Holy Guard may accost him.' The bard shuddered as he tried not to think of what the king's finest warriors would do if they caught the panther, trapped and bound as he was, without a way to defend himself.

The feline said nothing as he watched the human's face change in various, the scent of confusion/fear/uncertainty/ wafted from off of the other in waves forcing the great cat to simply growl at the young man as he knew not what was making the other give off so many scents all at one time.

Markus said nothing for several minutes as he continued to stare intently at the feline, the look he was giving the panther made the beast jerk his head to the side. Tail lashing beneath his like mad, the black cat knew that there was nothing he could do to get free...for the moment as his worn muscles were slowly losing their strength as he continued to struggle against the ties hugging at him. So, with little else to do, the great cat made do instead with snarling into the human's direction, hoping against all hope that the other would choke on the succulent morsel of fowl for which he had returned to biting into. A flush of color stained the feline's cheeks as his own stomach chose that exact moment to growl up at him in fury.

"I can tell that you're probably hungry, but you can forget about me feeding you since you'd probably tear my hand off if I tried to do something like that." Markus said through a mouth full of quail.

The panther said nothing, but did make a point of snorting derisively at the young man before baring his fangs at the other.

So there the two sat/stood for the rest of the time Markus spent eating his meal. The bard seemed to pay little attention to his 'companion' of the hour as he chewed through the stomach of the bird he had in hand, making a point humming audibly as he rocked back and forth onto his rump, as he worked to quiet his own incessant stomach. Meanwhile, standing in front of the spiraling tree for which his hands had been tied securely onto the side of, the black cat hissed quietly as he tried not to let the delightful smell of the animal which had been cooked get to his senses. His twitching nose and grumbling spoke otherwise however.

"Damn you," the feline said in idle spite as he tried not to look at the rapidly disappearing flesh being consumed before him

Having been saved by the young man, his body having been sewn up and then covered with salve so as to help the wound heal and seal shut without leaving too ugly a scar, the great feline's flesh had spent the rest of the afternoon mending itself. The strange regenerative properties that the feline was blessed with had worked in overtime to try and restore the black beast back to his original health; however, the lack of blood had stunted much of the feline's recovery, leaving the panther somewhat helpless against the ropes holding him down. Normally, the great cat would have been able to snap the hemp into pieces, his body having survived much worse during his short life. But as of now his system had little to work with as his stomach tried in vain to break down the last few pieces of meat for which the other had consumed almost ten hours ago in order to rejuvenate the panther.

That had been the reason why the creature hadn't been able to fight back as he groggily watched the human truss him up like some kind of hunting prize. He had been aware of everything that was going on around him, mostly, but there had been nothing that the feline could do as he watched the human scuttle around while trying to maneuver him in such a way that he was forced to stand on his own two feet. Being as helpless as a kitten in front of the young man was currently proving to be something for which the feline felt nothing but ire about, though the why he wasn't exactly sure of. After all, he was just going to kill and eat the other once he was free again, so it really didn't matter...this irritation he felt.

Then again, there was something about this...human. Just the idea that such a slim thing, which he could have probably batted away with a paw on his worst of day, had been able to drag him around, bind him to a tree, and then...hold him into place like...

It made the feline's blood boil for some reason.

The great cat didn't know exactly how to describe the situation he had found himself in at the moment. Yes, he was a prisoner. Of that the other was quite clear on. But at the same time...he didn't feel like it. More like...

"Why did you save me, human?" the question had boggled the black cat's mind after he had awoke from a slight loss of unconsciousness some time ago.

Markus stopped from where he gnawing on the rib of the quail, blinking his green eyes in confusion, and then turned to regard the beast.

"Because I wanted to." The answer was given so simply that it caught the panther off guard.

Cocking his head to the side, a motion which made the cat's stomach turn as a slight bit of nausea overtook him, the creature tried to figure out what sort of joke was being played on him. Surely the other couldn't have thought that he could keep him here like this forever?

"Why? I am no friend of yours. You have no reason to want anything from me, save my hide."

Markus turned his head at that. He didn't think that the other had heard him when he had spoken about his dreams. Shadowing his eyes with his long roan hair so as to keep his thoughts from the beast, the bard tried to think of the correct way to accent his words.

"I wanted to do the right thing." the young man whispered.

"What?" The feline flipped his ears up onto his head, his hearing growing twofold as he did so. "I couldn't hear that, runt, speak up like a man." Charming the great cat could not say he ever was, but his words did get a reaction out of the human,

"I said," Markus lifted his head to regard the feline with glowing jade eyes, the intensity enough to startle the great cat, "I wanted to the right thing."

It was then the other's turn to pause, mind reeling as the truth of what was said threw the feline for a whirl, "That makes no sense." Reason and logic, ever the cat's imperative, made the panther run through every scenario for which 'right' could be applied to what the young human had done for him by someone he had sought to kill. He of course found none. "You owe me no debt. So for what reason would it be the 'right thing' to do to keep me alive?"

"Do you need a reason to something good for someone else?" The simply honest made the beast snort.

"You're an idiot." The feline felt his tail curl in between his legs, turning almost the same as the cat's eyes as the black beast moved his gaze off to the side; the arrangement of pink and yellow flowers suddenly looked very enticing to the beast. "I'll make sure to crush your skull when I kill you, just so you won't be this stupid in the afterlife." Eating the other was now firmly out of the panther's mind as he did not want whatever madness had infection the human to seep its way into him.

"Awww, see, we're already becoming friends!" That made the black cat snap his face towards the human, a vicious snarl on his lips. "Hey, if you're worried about me after I die that's a sure sign of friendship." The happy-go-lucky smile on the bard's face, shining as bright as the flames sitting in front of the young man, actually stroked the feline's wrath to new heights as he began to struggle against the ropes once again.

"I am NOT your friend, nor will I ever be as such!" The feline cursed as he watched the human wave his words of with a flippant sway of his hands.

"Sure, sure. You say that now, but I'm going to bet that sooner or later, you and I are going to be really good buddies!"

"In your dreams!" Grounding his claws into the bark of the tree to try and get so leverage so he could get free, the beast spat vehemently as he watched his captor's lips lift up into a larger smile, green eyes twinkling at him with strange knowing.

It was some ten minutes after Markus had finished his dinner, the quail now nothing more than a pile of slightly chewed bones, which the young bard decided to take his lute in hand and play something for his 'companion'.

"I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to ask you how this sounded before I went to bed," and then, without the great panther's consent, the bard began to strum his fingers along the oiled strings of his instrument. The air quickly sweetened with the melodic hums of the vibrating resonance of the song which Markus began to meld into being.

When the human opened his mouth let foreign words fly free the feline found the world around him growing hazy; his mind drifting down into the miasma of dreamless sleep as the day's stresses began to overwhelm the great cat's thoughts. Before Markus had even reached the middle of his song the feline hung in his place against the tree, sound asleep. The soft snores of the beast broke the bard from his concentration as he listened to the raspy noise coming from the other's throat, a slightly morose look crossing the young man's face.

'If this was any other situation, I'd be insulted.' The human chuckled, annoyance that his only listener was now unconscious. 'But at least that will make sleeping tonight a bit...easier?'

It was the crunch of leaves from nearby that made Markus pause in his musing, the sound of heavy boots eating up the ground caused the young man to instinctively reach for his sword. Whipping his head around to where the source of the noise seemed to emanate from Markus let his eyes go wide as he watched a pair of gleaming amber eyes stare back at him. Not being able to see what it was that was watching him, the young man pulled himself back slightly, his guard raised as he began to slowly draw his sword from its sheath. Then suddenly, the eyes turned from him to the figure which hung in front of the tree over by the young man's left. Nothing was said by the hidden creature as it looked to the feline and then back to the human, however, thankfully, the unknown entity quickly backed itself away from the human's camp; the glowing gold orbs fading into nothing as it did so.

'What was that?' Markus questioned, his mind a whirl as he turned to look at his slumbering companion as though expecting the other to awaken with the answer. 'Or, perhaps, I don't wish to really know?' Nothing good could come from the panther's muzzle at this point, and worst yet, the other might entice the unknown creature to slay the young man, should the creature be the great cat's ally. 'But...if that thing, whatever it may have been was akin to him, why did it leave him behind?' The mystery behind that question left Markus awake long after the flames of his campfire burned low; the young man, feeling too unsure to rest that night remained awake long into the evening.

It was a silent roar which woke the bard. The roan haired poet let his head bob once before pulling himself fully awake; the moment when he had began to doze eluded him. Turning around when a second roar sounded throughout the area of the jungle, Markus didn't know if he should laugh or growl after he realized that the sound was coming him trapped companion, or rather, the other's stomach.

'Well, he did miss a meal yesterday,' Markus wasn't sure how to feel about that since, technically, it was his fault that the panther had not been able to find sustenance, at the same time... 'I doubt I'll receive warmth for this, but...'

The smell of cooking meat roused the great cat from his exhaustion induced slumber. Emerald eyes blinked the fog of uncertainty from the feline's eyes just in time to see something thick and moist being pressed in front of the panther's face.

"You bite the hand feeds you and you won't be fed again." Markus warned right before he popped the leg of the wild boar he managed to trap and kill into the great cat's stunned muzzle. It took a moment for the feline to realize what was happening, his mind was still a bit groggy from the events from yesterday, however, when his tongue rolled across the juicy flesh, seasoned just right with various herbs, the panther put everything out of his mind. His starving stomach thanked him greatly for his platitude as the panther chewed and then swallowed everything that lay in between his muzzle before dumping it into the hungry pit of his belly. "Good," the young man said as he slowly backed away from the still trapped creature in order to return to the roasting pig. "You can follow instructions. Maybe this whole affair won't be so tedious after all."

That of course, got a response out of the feline.

"Let me go."

Though, not one the human hadn't expected.

"If I did," the bard began, snatching another leg from off of the boar before returning to his companion. "How soon would it be before you tried to kill me?" The panther said nothing as it merely stared at the human with bitter contempt. In response to this, the young man withheld the next morsel of meat until he gained his answer.

"I'd have your head in between my jaws before you could think to blink." the deathly seriousness that covered the black cat's face made Markus turn his head to chuckle ever so slightly.

"I appreciate your honesty," and thus, another leg of pig was set before the great cat. Reaching out this time of his own accord instead of waiting for the meat to be shoved in between his jaws, the feline was careful to only take the animal's flesh and not the man's, though his fangs did graze the bard's fingers. Markus didn't take concern over the slight faux pas as his emerald eyes stared hard into the beast's own jade orbs; a clear warning written onto his face should those fangs do anything more the touch.

"You can't keep me here forever, human." The great cat said as he watched the other spin on his heel away from him only to walk back over to the fire pit.

"Technically speaking, I can keep you there for the rest of my life, or yours, depending." Markus had no illusions of doing so, but he didn't need to let the beast know that.

"You will find that when my strength returns these ropes will fail to hold me," the panther struggled against the hemp causing the material to groan a bit. "When it does..."

"Yes. Yes. I know," the bard began, half- heartedly waving his hand off to the side at the creature in an attempt to shush him. "You're going to tear off my head, rip my arms free, cast my entrails to the birds, and otherwise deliver a new sort of pain unto me, the likes of which would make a demon's stomach turn, am I correct?" Shining green eyes turned to regard the stupefied feline somewhat haughtily.

"...yes." A small curl of his tail followed after the great cat turning his head off to the side in wonder.

"Ahh, glad I was spot on, then." Markus reaches for his hunting knife, which he had placed next to the small container of water he had managed to fill from the river some half a mile east of where he now rested. "I guess I'm going to have to try and not feed you so much, if that is the case." the young man cut a strip of meat from the pig, blowing over the steaming sinew so as to help it cool all the faster, before popping the tender morsel into his mouth.

The panther turned his head back to face the human with a snarl dancing upon his lips. "I will not become your pet!" The feline struggled anew when he caught sight of the human smiling in his direction.

"I had no interesting in making you as to one," Markus replied after swallowing what was in his mouth. Getting another piece of meat from off of the fire, the roan haired youth continued with his thoughts, "though...I do wonder if you would make a good traveling companion, should that temper of yours be doused." The bubbling growl which tore free from the panther's lips made the bard laugh out loud. "Oh come now, my company cannot be so atrocious, after all, am I not being a good man by allowing you to eat when you have offered me not but condemnations?"

"You humans, you see the world as a fool made to bow before you." The feline hissed, tail lashing so hard that it smacked the tree behind it hard enough that the leaves from up above began to trickle down to the grass beneath the panther's feet.

"Some may feel in the manner for which you have spoken, but I certainly do not. I merely wish for all to work together as brother's in arms, friends at best, should favor smile upon us." It was the simplicity behind the words that made the panther scoff in disdain.

"Man was not meant for such a thing. Your kind reveals in violence even greater than what even I can dream, of that, I am certain." The black feline snorted.

"Is that why your kind have been haunting the villages within his area?" Markus questioned, his eyes ablaze.

"Heh, is it not said for one to do unto others what has been done to them?" The bitter laugh that escaped from the cat's muzzle twisted Markus' stomach into a tight knot.

"Yours were hurt by humans?"

"There is much you do not know, young fool. Much indeed."

"Tell me," Markus bayed, his focus clearly on the large male who stared back at him in bemusement.

"Why would you want to hear tales of loss and tragedy? Amusement? Sport? Or just idle entertainment?" Contempt was written into every word the panther spoke as the creature's eyes burned hot with unspoken hatred.

"To know the truth helps others to understand one another; that is why I've chosen to become a bard, to see that the stories are not forgotten." Markus' family couldn't grasp that simple fact, as they were a people of great simplicity, having little care for either the past or the future. Had he the money, the bard would have tried to apply for the school of learned me far to the north, the rich history there would have seen him through many years, alas, he hadn't had either the prestige, or the fund to charm his way into said place of learning, so instead Markus became a walk library of his own. His travels having given him a plethora of material for which he could use to keep the world abreast of the happenings which only time had seen.

"You would mock my words with song?!"

"I would tell it in a way for which others could feel the pains of loss, as well as the sadness of regret; that is one of the few ways in which others can come to realize the plights of another." It was a truth the young man had learned very early.

The panther...was quiet for several moments after ingesting what the roan haired youth had to say. Hard jade eyes regarded the human with suspicion and mistrust, as though they had seen such a spectacle once before and been burned by the image of seeing truth turned to betrayal. Turning from the young man, it was easy for Markus to see that the panther was going to ignore him, yet he couldn't let the great cat bring silence to the moment in between them.

"Please, if only so our time is not spent glowering at one another, tell me your history." A quiet huff gave way to a long stretch of silence before the panther returned his gaze to the young man. Opening his muzzle to speak, Markus was prepared for anything that might flow out of the black feline's muzzle, yet what followed next was a tale for which Markus found himself both raptly entranced by, as well a horrified beyond measure.

Visions of horror too terrible to behold filled the bard's mind; scenes for which would forever scar the innocence of youth while tearing at the souls of even the most hardened of men played over and over inside of Markus' head. All of them...so cruel. And unjust.

"And now you know part of why I loathe you and your kind," the great beast grunted, his body growing tired as his mind finished replaying the memories which had haunted him so.

"I cannot begin to apologize for everything my people have done to you and yours." A stray tear slipped free from out of the young man's left eye, trailing down the side of his tanned face with ease as Markus' soul wept for the lives lost to a much too cruel fate.

"Then don't, I have no interest in your false regrets." The panther said, his lips spreading from over his fangs as he tried hard to blot out his curiosity for the scent of sadness he could smell wafting from off of the bard.

There was silence between the two for several minutes as the story which had been spoken bounced back and forth in between the minds of the two men. Neither was sure what could be said, the panther hating the human for the past which haunted the feline while Markus found his thoughts spinning as he tried to find the words which would bring justice to such a sad tale. It was the black cat who broke the silence. The unnamed feline began to thrash around wildly, his still recovering body straining at the ropes, muscles trying desperately to break the hemp as jade eyes narrowed over and across the top of the bard's head.

Before he could ask as to the matter Markus rolled his head to the side as a sudden noise caught his attention. What the young man found was a sight to behold as several armed men, one mounted upon horseback, slipped their way free from the dense foliage surrounding the roan haired youth's camp. The sight of them, eyes scanning the area with both contempt as well as a smidgen of fear, made the bard wonder who was more frightened as the men let their gazes settle upon the yowling panther still struggling to get himself free. So of course, when the men, as there was not a female in sight amongst the lot, turned to set their sights onto Markus, the young man could do nothing more than smile nervously before opening mouth to speak,

"Good day, gentlemen," the bard began, sweeping his head down to the ground before continuing, "may I offer you some roasted boar for the morning's meal?" Every sense within the young wandered warned Markus that not only were these men dangerous, they were also brutal enough to slay him on sight if he so much as attempted to do anything to incur their wrath.

"Who are you?" Asked the man sitting on the back of the black appaloosa stallions. The rugged features of the auburn haired soldier, his long side burns running down the length of his face until they met at his chin, made Markus feel as though he were looking at his father as jet black eyes stared at him with a demanding look.

The bard let out a noisy cough into one of his gloves hands, his mind a flutter as he tried to summon up his most charming spiel, "My name is Markus of Tandory, and I am but a humble poet wandering the land." Slowly reaching for his lute, ever mindful of the archer standing back behind the group, the other's bow clutched tightly inside of his calloused hands as beady blue eyes glared hatefully at the great cat snarling at all, Markus withdrew his instrument and then casually waved at hand at the hissing feline over by the tree, "And this is my companion..." Markus realized that he had no idea what the other creature's name was, the two not having been formally introduced the night before.

"Aeolus." The name came from out of the bard's lip without provocation. The surprise evident on the roan haired man's face couldn't compare with the suddenness of the great cat snapping his head over to the other, jade eyes wide in shock.

The two shared a moment of...understanding?...revelation?...with each other before...

"He's currently bound for committing something of a faux pas, so you'll have to excuse him for not being courteous at the moment." Markus was praying to all the gods he could think of at the moment that the panther played along with him, otherwise...they both might not be walking away from this little altercation.

Whether 'Aeolus' got the unspoken message or not Markus could be sure, however, the great beast did settle himself back against the tree without spouting another sound; the black cat's settling an intense stare onto him was all but ignored by the young man.

"You expect us to believe that you've tamed this beast?" That got an immediate snort out of the feline.

"'Tamed' is a strong word, more like..." Markus thought quickly for something that could describe the relationship he and the panther had, "I know he won't kill me." 'Before he kills you,' was on the bard's lips, but wisdom made the young man hold his tongue.

The look that crossed the black panther's face at that was one mixed with both disbelief and utter bewilderment, yet the feline kept himself from speaking. The surrounding men, on the other hand, looked to one another with confusion, evidently believing the young bard to be quite mad, before turning to look at the beast growling back at them. When one of them decided to take a step forward towards Markus the panther let out a wild snarl, scaring the man back.

"He's kind of overprotective, so perhaps I should retract that offer for breakfast," The young man laughed, the smile on his face shining through the terror he was feeling.

"Interesting," said the auburn haired man on the horseback as he pulled himself down from his steed; the heavy thump of his booted feet meeting the ground made Markus jump slightly. "Did you know that the villages within the province have been attacked by...Aeolus' kind?" The hard stare the unnamed man sent to the bard warned him against lying.

"Hmm, I think I had heard something of that from one of the towns I had passed." Markus was still praying as the heavily armed man came over to sit next to him; the broadsword strapped to his back tilted to the side as the sheathed blade met the earth, pointing almost mockingly at the snarling black feline. "Though I can say for certainty that Aeolus has killed no one under my watch." 'Or better to say, I've never seen him kill anyone,' the bard thought fearfully.

"Hmm, and just how long have you both been together?" The man waved for those under his command to take a rest, the group doing so quite readily as they shouldered their weapons while at the same time moving to sit around the small camp at leisure. The auburn haired soldier didn't wait for the answer as he went to take a strip of the still roasting boar down from the fire, though he did make a point of raising an eyebrow after placing the steaming piece of pork into his mouth.

"We've been together..." Markus turned to look at the panther, his green eyes boring holes into the other, memories of his night terrors returning to him in rapid succession, "for quite a while now." Aeolus blinked at the human.

"Ahhh, well then, I suppose its of little concern then to you of our mission, young bard." the auburn haired soldier placed the piece of meat into his mouth, noisily tearing the flesh from the knife he was using as a fork as he did so. A happy murble followed the auburn haired man motioning for his troupe to have at the delectable animal.

"Mission?" Markus watched with a sour look as the animal he had worked so hard to procure quickly disappear within the hungry maws of the armored men, the lot of them not taking so much as a single moment to bother thanking him for the meal.

"We've been sent by order of the king to clear the land of all of these beasts," one soldier said, his remark gaining him a sharp roar from Aeolus for his troubles.

"Ahhh, well, I should hope that yours fare well in this endeavor." Markus currently didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the situation he had walked himself into. Of course what one of the men next said made the bard realize that sobs would be the best course of action to take,

"We had to put a few to the sword after they were gouged by one of those things, so that hopes not worth a piss." There was a pause in the ravenous chewing that had overtaken the men present as all of them, but most especially the auburn haired leader, seemed to be remembering something for which should have remained unspoken. "Sorry, captain." the auburn haired man made a tight nod, dismissing the comment as easily as it had been made.

"Dare I ask, for what reason such an act was needed?" Markus played his words carefully as he knew that anything could set the other's off now, but he needed to test the waters in order to see where he stood.

"You don't know?" the archer inquired, he amongst the lot having not taken a seat by the roaring campfire, choosing instead to stand off to the side as he unconsciously scouted for any possible dangers.

"I can say that I do not, seeing as I was not present during your struggles." 'Playing the fool often made even the most stout heart lower their defences', Markus recalled these words a wise man had once told him as he put on his most innocent of faces.

"Odd, since one who claims companionship with a lycanthrope would know not what it means to be gouged by one." It was his dealings in storytelling that helped the young bard to right his words when next he spoke, his mind going mad with tales of creatures that were both of man and of beast he had heard from so long ago.

"I must say, I had thought that the Holy Guard would be more than prepared to resist the affliction of lycanthropy when going off to face such creatures." Markus was proud of himself for catching his tongue before he could utter the word monster.

Several heads turned to stare bloody murder at the bard prompting Markus to reach out for a piece of boar to stuff into his mouth. Over by the side of the tree Aeolus snickered rampantly at the human, his tail curling down in between his legs in an obvious show of amusement, that was right up until the men shot their looks of wrath upon the feline. A roaring snarl brought with it the rising of the black panther's back as Aeolus stared a challenge to all present.

It took a moment, but when the captain of the troop spoke up all focus was drawn unto him which helped to alleviate the mounted tension, "We falsely believed ourselves to be invulnerable to the...affliction, as you say, because our belief in the gods of the light." Markus turned to regard the man with a open stare. "That mostly my mistake. I can admit that now." The auburn haired man tucked his face off to the side as he grit his teeth in remorse.

"I apologize, I hadn't mean to make you feel sorrow." Markus leaned over to curl his fingers against the captain's shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze to show his own repentance for his misplaced words.

"It is not your fault." The captain replied, one gloves hand going to knock away Markus' unwelcomed show of affection. "And regardless, that has nothing to do with you. What matters now is what you plan to do with your companion over there." All eyes turned to Aeolus, the panther suddenly freezing in place as he found himself under much heavy scrutiny.

"He is a friend, and soon as I deem fit, he shall have his freedom." the bard nodded at that, his words growing firm inside of his heart as he turned to regard the black cat currently hissing at the soldiers.

"You would do well to keep him at your side, then, for should he be found running free...he will be killed." The cold declaration was more than enough to assure Markus and Aeolus that the captain meant what he said. A shiver ran throughout the young man as he imagined what these men would do to his 'companion' before they finally ended the other's life, though.

"I shall make sure to endeavor him to my side always, then." That was a truth Markus would come to accept very deeply much later on.

"See that you do."

At that point the men returned to eating, the last of the boar being polished off with relative ease before the captain gathered his troops to depart.

"You should know that the king has made his plan to claim this region known to all within the east and south, so you will need to be cautious when traveling these lands, as your companion will face much scrutiny in the coming days."

"Dare I ask what that entails for other creatures of the woods?" Markus was almost sure that he knew that the captain mean, but he wanted Aeolus to hear the words, to know that they were not fabrications from his own lips.

"Those beasts who do not submit themselves to the rule of the king shall find themselves put to the sword and fire set to their homes, so says the monarch of these lands." The captain finished just as he placed himself up onto his mount.

Markus said no more as he watched the captain tug at the reins of the noble appaloosa, guiding the equine and the soldiers on foot back into the forest. The heavy thumping of the bard's heart followed after until Markus was sure that the other were gone far enough away. After that the roan haired youth let himself collapse backwards onto the ground, his mind all but a storm as he thought over what just happened.

"Companion? When did this miracle happen?" A certain low baritone voice called out, forcing a frown onto the young bard's handsome face.

"Since the moment death decided to come seeking your life." A flick of his gaze towards Aeolus pinned the panther with a look so severe that it made the other sneer. "Also, for all of your sudden bluster, you played your role quite well, I must say."

"Those humans," the great cat snarled. "they deserved to feel my claws and fangs, not hear my voice."

"Hmm, so you say, but I wonder," Markus heard a voice inside baying him to cease his teasing, yet the bard chose to ignore it for the time being. "Could you really have taken on all of them and survived?"

"Let me go and I'll show you." Aeolus struggled against the hemp, desperate to remove the material so that he could have his revenge.

"I think not, though I will say thank you for what you have done." That caused the panther to cease his motions.

"Pray tell you mean what by that?" Jade eyes blinked unsurely as the great cat watched the young man as the bard stood onto his feet, careful steps taking him in front of the bound feline.

"If you had made even the slightest notion that my words had been false, both of us would have been put to the sword; I, for lying, and you, well..." There was no need to finish that statement as both knew well what would have been.

"I commend your storytelling, saying that we had known each other long when we had only just met." Aeolus chose not to dignify the human's words as he looked down at the smaller male with bored joviality.

"But we have known each other long," Markus said.

"I have never seen you before yesterday, human, of that I am certain." The panther hissed.

"Yet I've met you several times before...once upon a dream." The bard finished, his bright green eyes shining with the need to tell his story.

"Dream?" The disbelief on the other's muzzle was quite clear, right up until the bard opened his mouth.

The next hour was filled with the great cat being taken for a loop as he listened to the human's tale of his midnight memories. The vividness of the scenes for which the other drew with his words were enough to convince Aeolus that, somewhere within the darkness of his mind, the young man had indeed seen the sights of himself and his 'leap', as the group of werepanthers once known, went about wreaking havoc across the human made villages.

'But how was that possible...' thought the panther as he stared at the bard with amazed eyes.

"You have been with me a long time," Markus said as he reached up to touch the side of Aeolus neck, "I can only hope that we can be with each other for still longer to come." the young man finished just as he began rubbing across the side of the black cat's muscular neck.

The fact that Aeolus didn't snap at him as he caressed alongside the other's neck was a testament that there was something more between them than mere words.

Or perhaps Markus was just pressing a fool's luck.

Only time would tell.