EBC - Bad Blood

" If we're only ever looking back
We will drive ourselves insane
As the friendship goes resentment grows
We will walk our different ways

But those are the days that bind us together, forever
And those little things define us forever, forever

All this bad blood here, won't you let it dry?
It's been cold for years, won't you let it lie?

I don't wanna hear about the bad blood anymore
I don't wanna hear you talk about it anymore
I don't wanna hear about the bad blood anymore
I don't wanna hear you talk about it anymore

All this bad blood here, won't you let it dry?
It's been cold for years, won't you let it lie?"

-Bad Blood by Bastille

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It was a starry night.
The wind whispered it's secrets to the stones and long grass in the plains, and the ground chilled as it overheard them.
It was so cold the sky could have very well froze, but the stars were burning bright despite the weather.
Everything but the wristling grass was silent... until soft steps made their way across the long leaves. A fiery orange pelt challanged the freezing breeze, and it had peaceful aqua-blue eyes.
As if Aether himself was guiding him and keeping him warm, Naghar padded calmly across Air Empire territory.
But there was an storm raging.
His expression was clouded by doubt and his thoughts were runing wild.
An storm inside him.
The young gladiator gracefully leaped to a rock. He winced as the warm colors of his pelt couldn't protect his paws from the ice-cold surface of the rock. Fighting his instincts who pleaded for his warm nest back in the camp and the soothing sound of his empiremates breathing, Naghar sat on the rock and looked up to the stars.
"Mom? Dad...? Brothers... are you there? I need your advice." He asked to the dark sky. The breeze ruffled his fur. It felt warmer somehow. Naghar took a deep breath. That would be a long talk, and his throat felt dry like dust in summer air. "I... i don't know if i'll be... mentally able to protect my empiremates anymore. The tought of leaving the smallest scar in other feline's pelt sends chills to my spine... what kind of gladiator am i if i can't have blood in my paws?"
He licked his dried lips. The sound of rustling grass calmed his skipping heart a bit, and he continued. "I have an apprentice, you know. Her name's Rogira. I... felto so... honored, part of the empire, when i was assigned as her mentor... she's so sweet... but what kind of mentor i would be? I can't hunt, can't battle, i'm terrible with words... i want the best for her, and... i'm not the best mentor for her. And if i taught Jerah, my sweet dear sister Jerah, to be a kind soul, how can i start battling again? What better i am than the hunters if i do? Ah, Jerah... i miss her so much... she's in Ice Empire now, did you know? Haha... i hope she's doing fine... in a mountain in this time of the year... she could catch a cold..."
The tiger looked down to his massive paws. One of them scarred, from the first time he tried to hunt. Jazmin was sick, and his friend Asteus was with her, Naghar remembered, when he entered Ash's den with his paw soaking wet in his own deep red blood. He had arrived the empire weak and hungry, as he almost always gave his meals to Jerah in the coliseum. His blood thinned by hunger kept the running for way longer than a healthy blood would, and he remembered the Healer's worried expression.
The burden of bloodied paws...
Did he always have to get his paws dirty in the deep red blood?
The clouds in his eyes started to rain, making his eyes water.
He didn't want to stick his claws in the flesh again...
Naghar cried softly, his tears warming his face like a heat wave. The plain was quiet, in respect to his sadness. "... please, guide me..." The young tiger continued crying, his dry throat was stinging. Suddenly, a cold breeze rustled the grass, and the sweet smell of the plants got carried to the gladiator's nostrils. He opened his eyes, blinking to defog his vision. He breathed deeply in that smell until it vanished, and his tears finally dried.
What if... his destiny wasn't that?
What if he could use those paws to cure... instead of causing harm?
He remembered Ash's determined look while taking care of his paw. Despite her worry, she knew what she was doing. He would always be grateful for that.
Naghar looked up to the stars and smiled. "I could... help them, right? Jerah will rip my ears off, but that must be my destiny! I can use my paws to heal instead of harm!" A surge of joy warmed his frozen bones. "Thank you... thanks for the advice, my dear family..." Before starting to cry again, this time with relief, he jumped from the rock, and walked his way back to the camp. He felt tired, but alive!
As the tiger left, the wind started telling secrets to the plains again as if it hadn't been interrupted.
In the sky, not far from the moon, a few stars that before were shining faintly now were burning bright.
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Yep, entry to Healer Apprentice
I was going to make Essoby a blacksmith, but she wouldn't want to make Hades sad x'3
Nagh has issues with fighting, so why the hell not?

And... i may or may nor have gotten carried away while writing. Oh well. Missed my orange muffin, anyways.

Art, Naghar and text, Lawless-Lands / Me!