Uprooted [August/Edge]

[NightshadeVII]

A particularly bad late-autumn storm had left the usual spot particularly difficult to get to. But it was this exact same storm that made it so important that Edge got there quickly.
The event that brought him here to Wathais all those years ago also brought a handful of various creatures from his world. It had been tough on them at first, cut off from the world-pulse they relied upon, but over the years, they had adapted as well as they could, made a little corner for themselves in the woods surrounding Wathais. Though he couldn’t explain why, a part of Edge felt responsible for the situation these creatures had ended up in, they hadn’t been part of the conflict, they had only been at the wrong place in the wrong time. That was why he checked up on them so frequently, providing familiar contact. He liked to believe it was as soothing for them as it was for him.

The Darai sighed, stepping over an old fallen tree, ducking under a broken branch, only to be left picking leaves out of his hair anyway. By all means, it was good that the creatures kept so far away from the city and the hiking trails- they were too different, would no doubt be hunted or caught if humans ever saw them, but it did make visits trickier. The storm hadn’t helped, and Edge could only hope that none of them had been hurt during it.

When he finally arrived, in the small, tree shaded clearing, he looked around, assessing damage. A few broken branches here and there, an uprooted bush, but nothing too bad. It seemed like the tree canopies had shielded the area from the worst of the damage.
He called out in his native tongue, keeping his tone soft and friendly, and ran his hands across the earth, the dirt beneath him shifting unnaturally before falling still.

Soon enough, the Darai’s presence was noted and he was welcomed properly.
First there was a quiet, earthy rumble as a pile of small, moss-covered rocks became animated, the cracks in their surfaces coming to life to form smaller limbs and soft, expressive eyes. They were quick to come over to him, half rolling, half stumbling as they made various delighted sounds. Edge chuckled, holding out his hands for them to climb onto him, up his arms and onto his shoulders.
There was a brief gust of wind as a winged form swooped down low, snatching a leaf from his hair. The Darai smiled, clicking his tongue to beckon the creature over. This other creature, the size of a large bat, with a long, agile body, flexible wings and soft fur, huffed in acknowledgement. It made a trilling noise, and it’s kin quickly joined it, the three furred bodies quickly setting to work trying to pry open the Darai’s backpack. He had brought gifts and they knew it.

There was something incredibly calming about the familiarity of these creatures. They were a little bit of home, so unbelievably far away from home. That’s when the Darai noticed something was missing, someone. The Ajin.
Worry flared to life instantly, and he called out again, knowing the gentle creature didn’t stray far from the others. It still didn’t show up the second time he called out to it, and Edge cursed under his breath. Gently, he put the living rocks down and shrugged off his backpack before walking around the area, looking for any clue as to where the last creature might have gone. It would know he was safe, so the fact that it was nowhere to be found meant that something had happened.

Panic rose in his chest instantly, a thousand horrible possibilities running through his mind within seconds. Maybe someone had found it? Maybe it had gotten hurt in the storm?
He had to find it, make sure it was okay, but the forest was huge and he had no idea where to begin. His breathing was becoming shallow.

That’s when it struck him. Faolan’s friend, August, he worked with supernatural animals, didn’t he? The two had met before, exchanged phone numbers, and Edge would much rather call upon a friend than bring in a whole WDSA squadron- there was no way that would end well.
Pulling out his phone, Edge quickly found August’s number and dialed it, hoping he didn’t catch the vampire at a bad time.
“I hope this works…”

[indeath]

August had been considering what movie to watch when the call came through. He was in the mood for a good comedy but what era was the question. He hadn’t felt like going out and the storm forecast later had seemed a pretty good excuse. Still it was unusual for Edge to call so he picked up with concern rising for his friend.

“Hello? Edge… is that you, buddy? Anythin’ I can do ya for?”

He really liked the tall darai, Fao’s boyfriend was a super cool guy. He was keen to get to know the guy better.

[NightshadeVII]

The phone rang for what felt like eternity as Edge waited for the vampire to pick up. In reality it was probably only a few seconds. All the while, the Darai paced through the clearing, looking for anything that might let him know what had happened, where the Ajin had gone. It wasn’t like it to just disappear like this.
Finally, August picked up, and a smile touched Edge’s lips.

“Hey, yeah August, it’s me, I hope I didn’t interrupt?”, the Darai replied, sounding slightly relieved, “listen I’m sorry to call you out of the blue like this, but, uh, you work with supernatural animals, yeah?”
While he spoke, he felt one of the winged creatures claw its way up his leg. It was careful with him, clearly, but still playful. Knowing its kind, it was probably trying to cheer him up.

“I look after some, out in the forest and uh, one of them has gone missing”, the Darai admitted, “I can’t find it and I’m not sure where to even start looking. Figured you might have some good advice…”

[indeath]

August sat up with interest, suddenly feeling more alert. This sounded like a job and a half. He started pulling his shoes on just in case.

“Ya didn’t interrupt nothin’. Yeah I do indeed work with em. What kinda creature are we lookin for? Maybe the storm comin’ is upsetting it or somethin’ else. I’d look for its tracks, bring its favorite food or somethin’ new in its environment. I can come help ya out too! Two sets of ears n’ eyes are better than one.”

Mephy headbutted August and he reached instinctively to stroke his back. He could hear the stress in Edge’s voice. He wouldn’t know what to do if Mephy went missing.

[NightshadeVII]

“Well, it’s not from here”, Edge explained, “it’s called an Ajin, about the size of a horse, so it’s not exactly easy to overlook, Y’know? Other than the storm there isn’t much new in the environment. I’m worried it could be hurt somewhere, or worse…”
He trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence. The Ajin had been close to extinction back home ever since Moonfall- Edge had no way of knowing if their pouplation back home had ever recovered- but if something happened to the one that had been brought here… it could very well be the last of its kind. He couldn’t just give up on it.
Suddenly, he felt claws tugging softly at his hair, and a nimble body pressing against the back of its head, the motion similar to how cats pressed against their owners. The punk chuckled.

“Aré, aré-“, the Darai gently pried the winged creature off his head, leaving his hair a mess, its wings flapping playfully in protest.
“Honestly, if it’s not too much trouble, it would be a huge help to have another set of eyes on this. Do you know the jasper rock trail by the mountains?” Edge finally said, “I know this creature very well, it’s not like it to just disappear like this.”

[indeath]

August became increasingly concerned as Edge described the creature. A big creature definitely shouldn’t be easy to lose. So the chances something bad had happened to it increased. Either something had it in their grasp or it was trapped somewhere. August really hoped that just maybe it was lost in a small cave or something. He wasn’t sure if it was better if whatever might’ve caught it was supernatural or not, exposure or increase danger. Still one thing was apparent as heck, Edge needed his help. Luckily for Edge he’d put a oot of effort into knowing the outskirts of Wathais.

“I reckon so… I’ll get there as soon as I can! Hold tight, buddy!”

He grabbed his backpack and raced downstairs barely remembering to lock the door. Then he was on the bike using his vampiric strength to race quickly through the streets. Hopefully people would just assume his bike was electric or something.

Soon enough the curly-haired vampire with a large backpack appeared in front of Edge. Had he been human he’d have been sweaty and out of breath but as a vampire he was neither. He grinned warmly at his friend. Confidence to calm the guy.

“Heya Edge! Alright let’s start where ya last saw him?Unless ya cute beasties have an inkling?”

[NightshadeVII]

Edge had expected to have more time to orient himself and investigate. But with Myé on his shoulders and the tiny, rock-like creatures circling around his feet, all of them worked up by the worry he couldn’t hide, he spent most of his time trying to calm them all down. It seemed like no time at all before August was standing in the clearing, all geared up and grinning.

“Hey August- Wait-“, barely had the Darai greeted his friend before one of the winged creatures that had been crawling around on his shoulder pushed off and began to prod at the vampire’s backpack. Though the creature was not aggressive, it was enthusiastic and overly curious, making soft noises as it nosed about trying to get into the pack. When it found that it couldn’t, it huffed, dissatisfied, and turned its attention to the vampire’s curly hair, practically climbing into it, despite its size.

“I am so sorry”, Edge sighed as he approached, “the Myé, they- well they’re curious and very trusting, especially of people I know.”
The Darai clicked his tongue and muttered some words in his native tongue, trying to coax the winged creature out of August’s hair. The creature trilled playfully, squinting as it just made itself more comfortable.
“Yes I know, he’s very nice, but you can’t greet people by making a nest in their hair”, the musician said before offering the vampire an apologetic smile, “it likes you. In case that wasn’t obvious.”
The musician smiled, thankful for August’s attempts at calming him down, though the worry was still clear in his eyes. This creature, the Ajin, was a part of his home, the sense of responsibility he felt for it was hard to describe accurately, but undeniable none the less.

“Well, usually it doesn’t stray too far from here unless it’s looking for food…”, Edge mused, thinking out loud, “and since it’s a creature from back home I can usually… sense it, I suppose? But right now there’s nothing. Hence the worry. I figured since you work with supernatural creatures you probably have some pro tips for finding creatures of all sorts.”

[indeath]

“Nah, it’s all good. I’m not bothered by the lil munchkin!”

August laughed delighted as the creature nestled in his curls despite the hair pulling. It was too cute to be mad at. He cautiously ran a finger gently on its head, stroking the creature’s fur. It was distractingly cute and he had a job to do.

He put on his serious face, still petting the creature if it let him. He glanced around the area looking for anything that might be out of place. Then he took a big sniff, trying to separate all the different smells.


“Well we need to start by investigating the larger area around its usual environment and keeping a nose out for its particular smell or footprints. What can ya tell me about that? Got a particular smell or tracks?”

[NightshadeVII]

The Myé pushed its head into August’s hand, allowing the petting for a moment, before a playful mood overtook it and it nibbled on the vampire’s fingers. Its teeth were sharp, reminiscent of a puppy, but it was careful not to break skin. The Darai chuckled and shook his head, but knew better than to try and remove the creature from its makeshift nest.

“Right, I’m afraid my kind doesn’t have an inhuman sense of smell…”, Edge spoke, then his eyes lit up in rememberance, “but the Ajin nests, so there will probably be scent and tracks there.”
With the entire group of creatures in tow, the two made their way towards the creature’s resting spot, a mossy nook under an old tree that had grown strangely, buckling under its own weight and bending downwards to graze the ground and create a natural shelter. The ground there was covered in well tread-down moss, which some of the Myé and rock-creatures quickly cozied up in as soon as they got close.
“There”, the Darai pointed to the ground, picking out the Ajin’s tracks. It looked similar to the tracks or a stag or deer, except the fact that a third, more clawed, almost bird-like toe extended out behind it for stability.

“It’s a herbivore”, Edge explained while they examined the creature’s nest, “about the size of a… large horse or a moose I suppose? But it has natural camouflage, meaning it can be surprisingly hard to spot.”

[indeath]

August laughed delightedly as the creature nibbled at his fingers. It was hard to be mad at such a cutie. He smiled widely at Edge showing two sharp fangs.

“Inhuman is what I do and I’m particularly good at trackin’, an’ since I started helpin’ animals, even better.”

He followed Edge to the nest, bending down and taking big sniffs to familiarize himself with its scent. It had familiar earthy smells like a horse or cow but something underneath that was entirely its own and not of this planet. A little similar to Edge’s own scent.

“Alright I got a whiff! Let’s follow those tracks an’ let me nose be our guide. It’ll probably come out once it sees ya… hopefully. Have ya got an umbrella or somethin’?”

[NightshadeVII]

The darai smiled, a hint of relief beginning to show in his expression. 
"That's great to hear", he said, "I didn't want to call the WDSA and risk dragging an entire squad of specialists out here, was worried it would do more harm than good, you know?" 

The musician was quiet as August worked, studying the tracks and familiarizing himself with the ajin's scent. He had known trackers back home and some had even offered to teach him, but back then, he had declined, figuring he wouldn't need a skill like that, living in Horizon. A choice he regretted now.

"An umbrella? Sure", Edge looked up at the sky, trying to gauge whether it might start raining, then he began rummaging through his bag. Despite his many years of living in Wathais, he still hadn't kicked the habit of packing for the apocalypse. That meant that he still tended to carry around a handful of items that he, thankfully, rarely needed. Half of them would probably seem entirely foreign to the vampire, haphazardly fixed and scratched from years of use. An umbrella was normal in comparison, and he quickly fished it out, keeping it folded for now. 

"Right, lets go", he said with determination. A portion of the tracks were still visible, leading out of the clearing, and as the two began following it, Edge stayed focused on the visible tracks, trusting that August would let him know if the scent led them somewhere else. 

[indeath]

“I get ya! Some people like ta shoot first an’ ask questions later. I reckon this kinda thing needs a soft touch. Besides it’s my specialization… Well I kinda made it my specialty but they pay me for it so… it’s on them, right?”

August nodded as he followed the scent of the creature, he enjoyed being out in nature. It was also a chance to get to know someone better which was always good. Edge seemed incredibly cool and August admired his punkish fashion sense. He seemed very different to his partner who was a little less flashy. Fao seemed like a more understated kinda guy.

“Ya been with Fao long? He’s a real bombaroo guy… Super understandin’. I don’t suppose he told ya how we met?”

August did worry slightly that the tall darai may have negative feelings towards a guy who tried to eat his boyfriend. He wouldn’t have hurt Fao but he hadn’t exactly been in his right mind either. He was glad they were now friends and he had an ethical source for his substance. He checked back on Edge as they came to a steep bit of hill, hopefully he had good balance.

[NightshadeVII]

“A soft touch? Definitely”, Edge nodded in agreement, “its been through a lot already.”

As they walked, it hit the Darai that though the clearing and the path leadin up to it were incredibly familiar to him, he hadn’t taken much time to actually explore the rest of the surrounding area. In hindsight that was stupid, but it just made it that much better that august had had the time to come out and help. He’d have to figure out a way to pay the vampire back after, he definitely owed him big time.

“Oh me and Fao have known eachother… almost 10 years know? And been together for about 6 if my math is right. Time flies and all that. But yeah, you’re right, he’s amazing”, Edge smiled sheepishly, stopping himself from gushing about his boyfriend again.

“I think he told me the gist of it?”, the musician said after a moments pause, “but not in any detail or anything.”

As they approached a stepper hill, the Darai huffed softly, eyeing the loose rocks. His boots thankfully had decent grip, and the ascent started out fairly simple. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to scale mountains or anything like that. If they were really lucky, the Ajin would be just up this hill.
Edge couldn’t shake the feeling that it wouldn’t be that easy.

[indeath]

“Bombaroo! That’s so cool. “

August’s mouth hung open when Edge said 6 years, they were practically married. It was so romantic, August’s longest relationship had been three years. Though being a vampire had put a real damper on dating for a while. He kept his nose on the smell, leading the darai towards the odor as it got stronger. There were other smells but he focused on the poor beast’s.

“It’s pretty embarrassin’… I uh tried to eat him. I was starvin’, I uh wasn’t gonna hurt him though. Then he helped me with WDSA and findin’ Ru. He was lookin for movies ta see with ya. I like drinkin’ the blood bank stuff because I don’t actually like eatin’ people.”

August looked sheepish, he still felt guilty for the incident. He was really grateful that Fao had become his friend. He’d felt pretty lonely when he first came to Wathais. August had no issue with the steep hill and seemed almost to float up it. It was cheating a little but what else were vampire powers for.