Midnight In The Jungle

Chapter One
By Vonnacht

Von left the large worg, Angua in the small house in the Vale. Kya was asleep in the bed, still recovering. Von knew the large worg would keep his beloved safe, even at the cost of her own life, and decided to take a short walk, to think about recent events.

He made no sound as he crept through the jungle, surrounded by utter silence, apart from the odd bird call or scream from one of the nearby raptor packs. Memories of the past few months flooded back, from his first encounter with the Tigers to nearly losing it all when Kya was attacked. In the midst of his reverie, the jungle went silent. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he tensed, turning.

A large cat flew out of the underbrush as he spun around, knocking him on his back. It pinned him down, and its jaws bore down on his throat. Reacting quickly, he kneed the beast in its ribs, flipping over, and sending the cat sprawling. In an instant he was on his feet, crossbow aimed. As his finger tensed on the trigger, the cat changed...

It became a tall, light skinned night elf, naked but for a small collar with a pouch attatched. Von couldn't believe his eyes, realising who she was. 'Nightshade? What are you doing here?' he asked, still dumbfounded.

'Put the crossbow away, and give me a moment to cover myself.' She replied, undoing the pouch as he turned. 'You know I mean you no harm.'

When he turned round again, she was wearing a simple robe.

'You still didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?' He asked warily.

'I'm sure you know why I'm here. I wanted to check on your beloved Kya. You know I've spent some time with her, gotten to know her... I've watched how you are around her, and I know you'd only bring her here if something was wrong. Tell me.'

Von explained recent events, being vague about names and places, even the extent of the injuries.

The druid sighed. 'Hrmph. Years ago you wouldn't have allowed that to happen. You're getting sloppy, Von... Or should I call you...'

'No. Don't even mention that name. I'm not the same person anymore.' Von cut her off abruptly, anger spreading across his features.

'Ah yes, you cling to your so-called "new life" and your sense of justice. But I know who you really are, and what you and I used to do...'

'Things have changed, Nightshade. I care about people now. I enjoy my life with the Tigers, with Kya...'

'Ah yes, so you say. But I know what you rreally arre, Von. You're an animal, a killerr. How much blood did we spill togetherr? How many lives did we end? You enjoyed it, don't trry to deny it. Having that powerr, knowing that the last thing ourr victims would see beforre they died was yourr cold eyes... You can't escape it, no matterr where you run to. You'll go back to the old ways, and I'll be herre, waiting for you...'

'No. That part of me is dead. Now go, leave this place, and never contact Me or my family again. So help me I'll...'

The druid laughed. 'You'll do nothing. I know you'd neverr harrm me, as do you. Enjoy yourr time with Kya, you'll come rround soon enough. I know you too well, Von...'

With that, the druid shifted again, the robe tearing apart, and disappeared into the brush. Von looked away, tears forming in his eyes. Was he kidding himself? Would he go back to that? Could he control that voice in his head, the red mist urging him to kill?

Chapter Two
By Kyanali

Kya sputtered out in anger, trying to kick at the intimidating beast before her. Somehow her legs were too short, and her arms flailed... unable to connect with the satisfaction of a blow landed. His mocking laughter rang in her ears, over and over, mercilessly. One immense hand spread widely over Kya's head and held her pinned by immeasurable strength. A fat thumb threatened to press over her eye. His taunting words rang through the air, bouncing off walls with a doppler effect, "I'll find her and dissect her, limb by delicate limb!" The rage erupted in her belly and rose out her throat in a force insane enough to break her new plate armor, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Kya sat up with a jolt, her rigid body bathed in the sweat of vivid and inescapable recurring nightmare. Her chest heaved with the wracking breath of both unvent anger and lack of mental acuity.

She felt Von's arms around her and his soothing voice calm against her rage. Unable to shift her perceptions and emotions to wakefulness quite yet, she continued to struggle as if Von were the enemy, even knowing somewhere deep inside this was not right. She tried to throw his arms off in the continuing momentum of her dream, but he held on tightly and would not ease. The blow to her head had caused her to have lapses in memory still, and this was her struggle to find wakefulness separate from her trauma.

Her rage slowly began to subside as she heard his voice continue to talk her down. She now knew it was Von, but she hated that he was confining her, and her last spurt to break free of whatever held her prisoner caused her to beat at his chest in one last primal roar before collapsing in sobs against him and allowing him to comfort her.

How many times now had he held her in just this way after waking from this same nightmare? She couldn't for the life of her remember.