Ashton lifted his head with a playful smile, then thrust his arm into the red-haired fox's chest, the difference is he didn't miss when he gripped the larger male's heart. The man's face stiffened as he coughed up blood. Ashton deliberately licked up some of the blood. "If I'm just a snack, must be the meal."
Cough, "Ugh, how sneaky." Caius groaned as he removed his hand from the youth's chest with a slow drawn out squelch.
Ashton narrowed his eyes, but released the fox's heart. The fox wiped his own blood away as he leapt back, Ashton had silver flames coat his chest, burning the wounds away as if they'd never been. As the first rays of light crested the horizon, Ashton examined the fox closely.
Caius was taller than Alexei, probably nine, nine and half feet tall. His bright red hair had highlights of light gold, his hair reached his waste and blended into his seven tails that had all calmed down. Each tail also had gold tips, like tufts of hair in his fox ears. His black skintight shirt only covered his pectorals while each arm had three gold bands over his biceps. Each band was decorated with several beast core fragments.
Around his hips was a golden fox belt that held up white pants that flared out slightly, but were tight around his ankles. In the mouth of the golden fox was an indigo beast core, while along its spine were several blue and green beast cores all the way to the tail. Caius also adorned each finger with rings, except his left ring finger.
Ashton looked up into the golden fox eyes noticing a tiger tooth peeking out of the mans smile, "Quite the greeting Fox." A red gold flame was burning away the hole in his chest.
Caius swayed his tails as he placed his left hand over his heart with a shallow bao, "I wanted to have your undivided attention Little Snack."
Ashton rested his elbow on the dirt that might as well have been a throne, "Oh?"
Caius raised his head with a toothy smile, "My feelings would be hurt if you rejected me, so I brought a few offerings to… entice you."
Ashton tilted his head, then leaned back as one hand supported his neck. "I am intrigued. Your offerings must be special indeed to be proceeded by such a greeting."
Caius smiled as his eyes shown with delight, "Well, my first offering," Caius teased gesturing to himself in an enticing fashion, "Is myself Little Snack."
Ashton blinked, then blinked again as he tilted his head uncertainly. "Fox… look at me."
Everyone had stilled at the revelation… after attacking, destroying two mountains, nearly killing them all, and trying to rip his heart out… Caius wanted to… offer himself up? For what? Punishment?
Caius lost his smile as he eyed the youth… young… but his human form looked enchanting. There were no visible injuries, so Caius changed from looking at the youth's physical form to his soul form. The silver bird looked to stand… fifteen feet…
Ashton raised a brow when Caius's eyes narrowed. Without a word he dashed forward reaching forward but not for his body.
Caius gripped at the joint where wing met chest, there was a gap. He ripped the… chest plate? Away.
As soon as Caius touched something, they all saw Ashton's silver flame bird, as if it were standing over where Ashton sat. They saw as Caius reached in and… the whole translucent chest of flames was… flung to the side.
Caius stared… inside the soul armor… was a red chick… it looked up at him with a tilted head like an infant tucked into an adult's armor. "You're… a baby…" Caius mumbled as if he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. Then it hit him like a slap, "You're a baby!" Caius roared as red flames with tips of gold flared around him, all his tails were twitching with his suppressed rage as he turned to the humans.
Zane was staring at the baby bird hiding in the armor like everyone else when his instincts had him shifting his sight to the now raging beast. Suddenly all the barriers were diffused leaving him to face the beast's wrath. Before he could blink Caius was holding him up by his throat as flames licked up his arms.
"YOU LIED. TO. ME?" Caius demanded in half disbelief, half rage as he lifted the human above his head, slowly tightened his grip.
"Nh, no!" Zane gripped Caius's wrist as he struggled to breathe.
"My Lord! It's a mistake!" Rommel shouted desperately but didn't dare attack.
"YOU TOLD ME. TO ATTACK A baby?!" Caius snarled bringing the prince's face closer as he let his vulpine features overlap. His nose became longer, nails became claws, fur started to sprout.
Everything stilled as Ashton suddenly appeared leaning over Caius's shoulder, Caius immediately retracted his features to his human form as he used two tails to support Ashton.
Ashton peeked over Caius's shoulder with wide eyes, hair starting to bristle, "It almost looks like… you're going to… kill someone I'm protecting Fox…"
Zane was struggling as he watched, Young Song's eyes weren't wide with surprise… but as if he were taking on some his own bestial form.
Caius dropped the prince and carefully lifted the youth up, "Aiya, I was wrong, I was wrong!" He held the youth under the arms. When the crystal blue eyes blink slowly at himself Caius immediately hugged the small bird to his chest. "Aiya, look at you! Poor baby is freezing!"
Rommel helped Zane sit up as he choked air into his lungs. When he looked up Caius had pulled out a fox fur blanket from his gold band and wrapped Young Song up like a spring roll.
"I was bad, aiya, come come, it's too early for such a baby to be awake." Caius chattered glancing around then trotting over to the… tiny nest, "Aiya Little Snack, your nest is too small! It's okay, its okay." He was speaking more to himself as he quickly took on his fox form but only a fraction of his size.
Neolani wasn't sure how to react… Ashton had been the one to dispel their barriers letting Caius in. Now some crazy fox was tucking him into his tails like a worried mother.
"Sleep Little Snack, everything can wait until you wake up." Caius crooned as he used his nose to shift the tiny bird between his tails, he made sure the only gap was so the little one could still see and breathe while he increased his heat to a low boil.
Ashton blinked from the entanglement of tails, the warmth had him relaxing almost into a puddle. Soon he yawned… and fell asleep.
Caius waited until the Little Snack fell asleep, then turned a ferocious glare on the Adar prince, [we will speak of this.]
Zane stumbled from the impact of the voice reverberating in his skull. "My …lord," Zane tried to explain but a tail slapped him away. Before he could crash into anything a cushion of wind caught him, then unceremoniously dumped in on the ground.
[SILENCE! I will eat anyone who wakes the little one.] Caius snarled turning his glare on all the humans present. After ensuring everyone took his warning seriously, Caius went back to watch the little bird caught in his tails. This… changed many of his plans… but it could also work in his favor.
Neolani watched as the fox stared at Ashton first angry, then frustrated, and finally with contemplation.
Zane struggled up, several mages had started casting sound dispersing wards as precaution against waking Young Song. Rommel helped him to a chair while the rest… shared hesitant glances. No one dared leave… but no one wanted to stay either… alas they couldn't they leave unless a mage traveled with them with the sound dispersal spell active.
Caius kept strict watch over the bustling humans, aiya, I shouldn't have listened to that brat. Poor baby is exhausted. Any time someone made a sound, even if Caius couldn't hear it, he bared his fangs threateningly. All the while he shifted the little bird back and forth to keep it comfortable.
Jaxon found a place to set Monroe down, if the fox had helped… maybe they could barter with it to save Monroe. He glanced at Lucian who was sitting on a fresh stump while staring at the tails.
Neolani watched the fox as she ordered the warriors to make earth stoves to cook. When the fox only glanced over them, she ordered the warriors to continue. Each warrior held their own sound dispersal ward as they worked.
Agapi glanced over the humans, then to Caius, Lord of Lust… still she had other tasks to do this day. Leaving none behind, she took all the gryphons north.