#Drakhound’s Step

[adriaticpulse]

Arcane osvaja League of Legends - Novi šampion i nova ARAM mapa

[sleepy-exe]

Newcomer

OC’s, Kita, Makki

Warnings/Genre: apocalyptic au, hurt/comfort, fear/stress, blood/injury, someone is chained up in a basement

a/n: Text <like this> refers to a drakhound’s thoughts or when they are communicating telepathically with each other. I wanted a way to separate Kade and Desame’s thoughts as they sometimes speak to each other in her mind.

Word Count: 1.8k

“Kade.”

She stops in her tracks and turns around to meet eyes with a tired looking Kita. When did he get back home?

“Why is there a man locked up in my basement? Is he sedated?” He asks, scratching his neck. His dull brown eyes hooded with exhaustion. It must have been a long day of work for him.

“Uhm, well, saying it like that sounds worse than it is,” she says with a nervous giggle. “I’m teaching him to better control his hound.”

Kita eyes the towel over her arm and the bathroom door behind her. “And you’re helping by being up here, how?”

“Look, I need a minute to myself and a bath,” she shakes the towel for emphasis, “is just what I need. Ah, and he is sedated. That way he can be alone without any worries for a bit.”

“While you take a bath?” He looks unimpressed, or maybe he just can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“Self care is important, Kita,” she pats his shoulder, “I won’t be too awfully long and I’ll get right back to him after this. Why don’t you get some rest.”

She steps into the bathroom with that, watching Kita mosey down the hallway before shutting the door and giving it a nudge to be sure that it’s locked.

Draping the towel over a rack on the wall next to the bathtub, she rubs her shoulder. Kita might be one who’s well aware of what’s happening around him, but in his tired state seems to have failed to notice her own worn state.

She catches her reflection in the mirror when she slides off her jacket. The sleeves no longer hiding her arms, reveal long gashes across her right one. Jagged red marks still bleeding some even with her abnormal healing abilities visibly closing the wounds.

Red stains the sink as she rinses blood from her arm, right hand pressed into the basin while her left splashes water up her arm.

“Fuck- Kole,” she grits between her teeth at the pain. He really did a number on her this time. That’s what she gets for letting her guard down.

Still, it may have been overkill to knock him out immediately after slashing her with his claws.

<No.>

<It wasn’t.>

It was for the best. To keep the damage to a minimum.

Kade spends some time soaking in the hot water. Washing away the previous encounter and healing her wounds. Taking a moment to clear her head in the steamy room.

All in preparation to do it all over again.

—

Makki sits outside the basement door, lazily guarding their captive. “Evening, Boss.”

“Evening..” Kade scrutinizes the strawberry blond, “What’s up?”

A sly grin stretches his lips. “Who do you think chased Kita off? Thought I outta watch that no one else gets nosy.”

“I doubt he was being nosy.” She huffs out a sigh. “I hope you were nice.”

“Of course!” He moves from the door, opening it for her and waving her in. “Really think I’d be rude to our keeper?”

She rolls her eyes, stepping past the man. “Thanks.”

“Want some help?” The rare serious expression that takes over Makki’s face catches her off guard for a second.

“Nah.. Maybe make sure no one comes down?”

“On it, Boss!”

She holds in a chuckle, making her way down the creaky stairs to Kole.

His body still chained in place, he’s sitting right where she left him. Brown eyes blink open as he begins to stir.

“Oh, good. I made it back in time.” She approaches him with purposefully loud steps in hopes to not accidentally sneak up on the boy. She waves a hand in front of his face, a green glow swirling her hand and then his head momentarily. He sits up more with a grunt, shaking his head as he fully wakes. “There you go. Hey.”

Kole stares at Kade and then searches the room. THe tension in his body and wide eyes has Kade on high alert.

“Hey, hey! Look at me, Kole. What do you remember last?” She holds his chin lightly, making him look at her.

“I-I don’t know,” the panic in his voice makes her frown.

“Okay. Do you remember where we are?” She speaks softly, in the most soothing tone she can manage.

He looks around the room again, Kade having dropped her hand away. “K-Kita’s house. We’re downstairs.”

“Yup. Very good, Kole.” She smiles sweetly at him. He needs to calm down if she ever hopes to make further progress with him. “Do you remember coming down here? Why we are down here?”

“Y-yeah. My drakhound. You’re.. helping me.” The tension in his shoulders drops and she nods in confirmation.

“Yes.” She crotches in front of him. “Are you ready to continue?”

“I guess so. Yeah.”

She glances at her right arm. The gashes can hardly be described as such now, though they aren’t fully healed yet. By tomorrow she shouldn’t even have scars from the mishap earlier.

Green swirls in her irises and she locks eyes with Kole. Gold begins to swirl in his brown eyes in response. She reaches her hands out to him, close enough that his chained ones can still clasp her hands. “Do you trust me? I will help you in any way I can. I hope that you know that.”

His grip on her tightens. “Yeah.”

“Good. Thank you.” She closes her eyes briefly in thought of how to proceed this time around. “Do you trust your hound?”

<No.>

Des, don’t.

He shys away, tucking his face into the shoulder of his jacket.

“You’re going to have to learn to trust him. Maybe instead of calling him forward, you can try to talk to him?” I’m sure he speaks plenty, she thinks and Desame gives her an annoyed grumble at the thought. “What’s his name? Has he told you?”

“No.”

“Hmm. You know how he talks to you? Er, maybe even just speaks, not necessarily to you.”

His eyebrows pinch together and his nose scrunches up. “He never shuts up. I wish he’d stop!”

“Okay, okay,” she gives his trembling hands a reassuring squeeze. “They do quiet down over time, I promise that. As you two learn to like each other, start to get along and trust each other, and become more in control, the less violent yelling will come from him.”

He doesn’t look convinced, but she doesn’t lose hope. She’s been through this scenario enough times now to know not to give up so early. “Hmm, Des still chats with me here and there. Voicing her opinion or sharing her curiosity - they are pretty curious creatures. Has he shown interest in anything?”

He scoffs. “Yeah. Killing. I don’t want to do that. I just want it to stop!”

She shushes him again. “Okay, alright. Anything less violent you can think of? An object maybe?”

He shakes his head.

“Think about that, but for now let’s try something else.” She drops one hand, placing both hands on his left arm. “Ask him a question. Anything. The simpler, the better.”

He sits there quietly in thought before following her directions, “What’s your name?”

Nothing. She can tell by the look on his face. She shines a reassuring smile, “Really direct the question right at him.”

His brows furrow and he tries again, “What’s your name?”

Something sparks in his eyes as they shoot wide. The first smile she’s seen on him has them both giggling in excitement. “He-he answered!”

Kade smiles widely at the boy who has struggled with and feared his hound ever since Mattsun dragged him here a week ago. “Good! What is it?”

“..Detch.”

“Hello, Detch. Welcome to our group. Welcome to your home.” She hugs him tightly, letting Desame get a feel for Detch in hopes she can get a read on him. “I hope you can get adjusted soon. I know you both have been through so much, but it’s over. You are safe here.”

He hugs her back, tears in his eyes. “I know. Thanks.”

“Okay!” She pulls back with a clap of her hands. “Knowing their names is important. You can use his name to have a better time communicating with him. Usually calling their name can really help when you’re trying to get their attention.”

“So.. Just say his name if I want to talk to him?”

She hums. “Are you okay with seeing my girl right now? I’ll still be right here beside you. She will not hurt you, okay? She may be able to communicate with Detch.”

“Okay..”

Black wisps flow from Kade to the space beside her, growing thicker until a smaller version of Desame appears. Hopefully a german shepherd sized hound is less threatening to someone who’s been so overwhelmed.

Even half her normal size, Kole looks afraid of Desame. Kade intervenes, shushing Kole again and holding his hands. “It’s fine, it’s fine. This is Desame. She’s been with me for the last.. Thirteen years? Yeah, something like that. She’s calm. She doesn’t want to hurt you, okay?”

She turns to her longtime companion, slowly running fingers through her thick fur. He begins to calm down as he watches the scary monster act like a pet dog, giving puppy smiles and pushing into Kade’s touch. Kade side-eyes Kole, “You can pet her. Think of her as a big dog right now.”

Desame huffs a complaint in Kade’s head, taking insult at her words, but she ignores her and continues to coax Kole into interacting with her.

When Kole gives in and pets Desame, she rolls over to expose her belly. Attempting to seem less scary and more friendly. He asks, “Can I rub her belly?”

“Normally I would say steer clear of any hound’s belly unless it’s your own. But, she is inviting you to do so. I promise.”

Belly rubs are not her favorite, but right now she’s willing to put up with anything to get to know her new pack mate.

“Wow.” He scratches her belly and chest, the fur of her underside significantly longer than the rest of her coat. “She’s soft.”

The strange dog’s head is thrown back, resting on the floor with her tongue hanging out of the corner of her mouth. “And.. tame.”

“Yours will be too with time. You have to have patience and be willing to work with him.” Kade slips her palm under one of the hound’s paws, even in this form it fills her hand. The sharp magenta claws would be scary to anyone, and if they didn’t belong to Desame, they would be scary to her too. She has faced the wrath of many hounds’ claws, even Detch’s just today. “I’ll help along the way.”

With Kole calming down and physically touching Desame, she takes the opportunity to reach out to Detch.

<Detch, was it?> Desame asks, her words silent to the room but obvious to the four of them.

She waits patiently for a response.

Several minutes later, Detch responds. <Yes.>

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