Ashes to Ashes, We All Fall Down { Kezz }

"Speech."

Long claws extended from their protective sheath as Ishacus hunched his shoulders in readiness; there was a good chance the female would lash out defensively. His breath had at least settled now and thus allowed him to focus fully on the task ahead, for the larger lynx had a distinct feeling his prey wasn't going to hand herself over that easily. A deep, threatening growl rumbled from within his larynx to warn her: he was not playing games here. The grim stench of Lexis clung to her crimson-tainted coat and it made Ish's upper lip curl in repulsion. He could smell the blood of his pridemates all around her, the death with which she had brought upon them and it only fueled his glacial determination further. Ishacus did not storm or rage, he did not scream nor shout but there was a darkness in his heart that writhed in ire, fiercer than fire, and was the one thing that he could cling to in his solitude. His family was gone; dead and all for one reason: the canine race. Vengeance was what remained, what he would always, and only, live for.

His eyes glittered with a guarded expression, his face now completely expressionless but for the shadowy crease of his forehead which told of his vehemence. Ishacus heard her acidic voice and something changed ... he knew that blunt tone, that feisty thrum and his muscles froze. The tawny cat's jaw parted in disbelief for he knew this lynx; Sky, of course. Still Ishacus remained in a low, aggressive stance whilst glaring coldly across at the Eurasian female. When she spoke for the second time however and uttered his name, he pulled his tufted ears forward and tilted his large head, why her? Of all dogs, cats, creatures in Lexis why had he tracked Sky down. Ish narrowed his bright amber eyes and clenched his jaws but his face was guarded by a dark mask, refusing to let his old friend in on his confusion. It had been years since they had met, after his mother had died all contact had been lost and yet here she was. My she had grown. Where a gangly, fluffy adolescent had once stood was a slim, womanly young lady with beautiful golden eyes and yet there was an inner flash of sorrow that he detected in her puzzled gaze. 

Instinct told him to attack but Ish was not a complete sociopath, they had shared a childhood together and Sky at least deserved a hearing. "Sky ... it has been a long time." The tone with which he spoke was vague and obscure, for the Canadian lynx was still contemplating the situation. Instinctive, impulsive fury still burned like a icy tempest in his barren heart but when he looked at his long-lost friend an whisper of warmth reverberated around the desolate caverns of his soul.

"Speech."


Ishacus couldn't remember copious details of the many childhood memories they shared but still the echoes of their laughter and games rang out in his tufted ears. True he had never been, and never would be, a loud and extroverted character but that didn't mean he had been a total misery as a cub. Ish's sisters had gotten on well with Sky too but of course they were gone as well now: Antonia slaughtered by a Tempest patrol and Karina vanished to escape the conflict that festered in Hexasol. The Canadian lynx had lived in the city his entire life, so had his captive-bred dam, thus the thought of forging an existence outside of these walls was rather intimidating. Oh yes how he missed his sweet, kindly mother; ditsy she may have been but you could never have said she did not love her kids. Although it became clearer as they got older that the three cubs hadn't been planned, their mum had never stated their accidental conception in such a crude way and had made them feel wanted. Ishacus could still remember the first day the small family met up with Sky, her brother and parents and how shy the youngsters had been around each other. A faint smiled tugged at the corner of his mouth as the flashback sprawled images across his mind. 

The sound of her ragged breath exuding into the air, and the sharp words which followed, jolted Ish back into reality. Slowly the large male had begun to relax and the fur along his spine steadily flattened, though his face remained cold and blank. In theory it was an incredibly simple question which elicited a yes or no answer, but this was not an easy choice to make. The pride or an old friend. In general, Ishacus was not a sentimental being and when it came to matters involving personal issues he would rather shut everyone out and present the cruelest side to his personality because emotions were weak and they made you vulnerable. This however was totally different as it involved his mother and the company she used to keep. The five year old ranked family higher than anything else, not that he would let onto this fact, and so how could he possibly murder the daughter of his mother's best friends? Sky was all that remained of his old life, a time of happiness and ease but most of all she was the last link to his sisters and single parent. With this knowledge Ishacus stepped back and allowed a comfortable distance to develop between them, bright amber eyes tracking Sky's every move: though he would not kill the female, Ishacus refused to let her go, yet.

"No, I am not going to kill you." He sat down against the cool brick wall and rubbed his hot fur against it, reveling in the shade. As his gaze poured apathetically over Sky once more he noticed just how exhausted she looked and he felt! The real effects of the summer sun and the physical exertion were beginning to show now that his adrenalin had waned, causing his shoulders to droop slightly. Sky's voice sounded again and this time a flicker of pity fired in the male's golden eyes. Still, Ishacus cleared his throat and allowed the monotone, expressionless words to seep from his tired jaws. "I could not say whether your father has been murdered or not but I do know that Iris warriors were sent into Lexis territory to pick off any stragglers and the weak left behind." His voice did not feel like his own, it sounded detached and automatic but wasn't that how he always operated in situations where he felt vulnerable? Ish knew that the female lynx could take advantage of his generosity; he couldn't blame her after all, for his actions would no doubt be seen as treacherous to his pride. The situation was entirely bizarre, and part of him still hadn't gotten over the fact he had bumped into Sky again. It really had been a long time, and seeing her certainly evoked memories of his sisters. So where was her brother then? Fighting in the battle? Dead? He didn't like to pry, for Ishacus had always been the quietest sibling, the most elusive guard and the hardest character to befriend.