Calm yourself, Pacheco.

[Magna]

5th of Ash, 120

Khan's lessons had paid off, it seemed. Over the course of three months, the halfbreed was speaking almost fluent vithmi. She led herself, Pacheco, and Khan through the country roads of Atinaw with her own tongue, where she asked strangers for directions. What was even more impressive was that none of them looked at her strangely! There'd been more than one occasion where she spoke with some sort of animal man on the road, when she first started her lessons, where they'd openly laughed at and mocked her. But now, she had no difficulty speaking to the many rathari that inhabited the dangerous lands of Atinaw.
As far as other developments went, Magna found herself with money problems. She hadn't worked for the entirety of the previous season, and it left her purse baren. More problems arose in the fact that she quickly outgrew her fur clothes. She would have to buy more in the coming days, but after she found some work at last.
Her search for a purpose took her from as far north as Hopsfel to the far west of Felmas, then toward the southeast. Through her travels, she'd discovered a fair bit of information on the Jastai, but not nearly enough to be certain if she was one. So, her search continued.
She'd arrived at the gates of Alfsos sometime in the evening in her usual pelt vest, kilt, bracers, and boots in various shades and thicknesses. They weren't cut from the same animal by any means; it almost appeared as though she wore some sort of patchwork garment with its sloppy stitchwork and obvious seams. Silver eyes traced the rooftops of the buildings she passed while her free hand moved her long, frizzy red hair from her eyes. Despite her journey through hot searing days, her skin retained its fair complexion. She hadn't burned, nor had she tanned. Her limbs remained defined with muscle. Not because she was built well, but because she'd burned the majority of her bodyfat in her twice-over walk across the country.
"This is it? This is the capital city?" Asked the half-giant in Vithmi. Khan, who wore his usual chain armor while he rode on horseback behind her, nodded.
"It's your first time in a major city, isn't it?" Returned the chameleon while he ran the fingers of his one arm through the horse's mane.
Magna nodded. She'd found Hopsfel to be impressive; it was almost unbelievable that people could build such large and well-decorated houses, but the city was even more spectacular. If there was anywhere that she could find a purpose, it would surely be there.
A smile graced her lips while she thought about what sort of life waited for her... Until a bitter scent filled her nostrils. Her expression dropped, and she lifted her nose to take a deeper breath. "Do you smell that?" She asked with haste.
"Burning," replied the chameleon.
Magna looked to him with a furrow to her brow. "Maybe it's a bonfire?" She wasn't sure. Was it customary to set giant fires in the middle of a city? "A forge?"
"I'm not sure... Might be late celebrations for the change of season, but..." Khan paused and pursed his scalie lips. His beady eyes settled on the half-giant. "We should have a look. If it is a celebration, it might be fun to join in, no?"
"Yeah, I guess so..!" The half-breed grinned, then dropped her face as she turned back to the direction the scent came from. While she hoped that scent was just some locals having a good time, she knew well that burning wood alone held a different scent to whatever it was that filled her lungs. As she turned the corner, she saw it just a block or two away; a massive pillar of black smoke that poured into the open, amber sky.

[Althalos]

☿

Althalos stumbled down the street with the swagger of a drunk, but with none of the intoxication. There was no stench of alcohol to be found in his breath, nor were his muscles so exasperated with consciousness as to attribute his staggering with sleep deprivation. Instead, he meandered with a lack of drive in his step due to less concrete issues of biological health and mental acuity, and instead more emotional perturbances. His corpse was functioning all the same as it had in weeks past, and the consistent consumption of animal meat had done well to preserve his form.

The thought which rolled around his head was the same as it had been the day before -- Am I disgusting?. Of course, the question wasn't one of the literal appearances, or whether his mere presence was enough to aggravate a feeling of revulsion in others. He recognized that he had managed through subterfuge and deception to live among the living in the capacity of neighbor and businessman. There was little doubt that those who knew of him paid him little mind, perhaps referencing him in passing as 'the painter' or the 'Siltori fellow'.

Nevertheless, he was stricken with a sense of major inadequacies. Saej, his housemate, had made it evident through her actions that she had been interested in his company in more than a friendly manner. He had provided his secret to her in trust, recognizing her as being a logical person, one who admired him, one who wouldn't betray him. That had made the knife in his back all the more painful, the betrayal of his trust all the more stinging. She'd abandoned him at the moment of his weakness, and for all of the time that had passed, he kept returning to the question which now stood on the verge of rotting away in his cranium. One of disgust... one of failure.

It was difficult to walk when there seemed no point in trying to maintain normality. Any breach of his disguise was clearly enough to send others running from him, and he had little desire to play the part of the humble painter today. The musculature of his leg gave way as the weight was impressed upon it, and he didn't correct the lurch, allowing it to lead him partway into a well-worn wall. Of course, there was a bit of a sting to the impact, but he didn't care much for it. It was just another sample of agony to go with the others and a mild one at that.

He didn't bother to breathe anymore. Not typically, not since it became clear that he was an abomination. Part of him hoped that he would be discovered, that they would find him, and stick knives in his skin until he died. An apt punishment for so revolting a creature, he thought, his tongue running across his teeth in search of rancid dog's blood that might've stained their tops. A drop of socially repugnant and delightful ichor to add to the stirring concoction of his body.

He sighed aloud, not out of compulsion, but out of desire, and the intake of breath brought a stinging scent to his attention. Long-dead olfactory senses still managed to detect smoke, the infernal offspring of fire. There was little reason for such a strong odor given the lack of a nearby forge -- even then, they didn't often utilize wood for their fires, and that was what seemed to cause most smoke. No... doubtless, there was a fire blazing somewhere where it ought not be, and with a sudden resurgence of energy, Althalos seized on the idea of locating it.

Perhaps... he could grow beyond his skin, and become a hero to the masses... or perhaps the fire would rip him apart and he could finally put the question to a rest.

Credit to Saej!

[Magna]

Nothing about the billowing pillar of smog felt right to her. The moment her eyes fell upon it, her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. A glance at Khan's beady eyes revealed a similar feeling of dread. Even Pacheco seemed to hold his reservations at the sight.
She said nothing on it, of course. They all knew something was wrong. Words wouldn't put it right if there was something wrong, only haste and action would. So, she picked up her pace a bit and pushed toward the scene. Along the way, locals of various shapes and sizes stared in thought at the plume. Some even asked one another what was happening. The ambiance of confusion only added to Magna's concern. If it was some sort of celebration, wouldn't the people know so?
She paid the siltori that leaned against the wall no mind as she passed him for the first time; her mind was completely absorbed in the task of investigating the source of the fire. Pacheco grew more hesitant with every street they turned. She pulled his lead quite hard, and he likely had a sense that something was wrong just from Magna's and Khan's body language. He was a smart horse.
Then, the trio advanced on the right street. The heat in the air as she approached the scene made her think of some of the hottest days of the searing just gone, and she wasn't all that close. The house spewed flames from its windows, its door was barred by a collapsed support, which burned with fires high enough to block the entrance all together. The adjacent building had also caught fire toward the roofing, and the inhabitants poured into the open streets.
Khan dismounted as the steed became less and less comfortable with the sight, and Magna turned to reach for his saddle, where her axe rested. She didn't know what she needed it for, but the massive blade comforted her in times of duress. As she drew her axe, Pacheco neighed with disapproval. Perhaps the axe also put him at ease? He pulled on the lead hard, and Magna pulled back. "Pacheco!" She spoke with anger. If she had a free hand, she would have slapped him on the nose. It was not the time to horse around. She had to tie him somewhere, but as she pulled on his lead, he only grew more rebellious.
The rope stung her hands while she gripped it tightly, and he wore down the strength of her shoulder as he desperately pulled away. It was when another burst of flame roared from one of the upper windows of the building that she let go. The horse turned and bolted down the street from which they came. Magna lifted her spare arm to shield her eyes from the wave of embers and burning debris. Then turned to glare at the horse as he ran. "PACHECO!" She called out in a panic. The horse didn't stop, he just kept running.
Before she could take off after him, Khan gripped her by the kilt. She looked to the source of the tug on her furs with a furious glare that flared her nostrils. "What?!"
"Two members of that woman's kinship are trapped in the building still;" Khan let her go and pointed toward some sort of pangolin rathari, who was covered in soot and ash. "One of which is very young."
Magna stared at the pangolin rathari for a moment. Her claws were clasped together, distress clear in her eyes. She couldn't go after Pacheco, she had to do something to help. If there were people in that building, they wouldn't last too much longer. "But Pacheco!" She cried.
Khan nodded. "I'll go after Pacheco. Stay here and help whoever you can." Magna grit her teeth. Pacheco did like Khan, she had no doubt he'd go to the chameleon if he managed to catch up somehow. So, she nodded her approval, and the beastalt took off in the same direction.
Her silver eyes returned to the scene with the worry for her companion pushed toward the back of her mind. What could she do? There was a group of rathari and humans alike congregated near the pangolin; all of them were soot-ridden. Five people in total. As Magna evaluated them, she the pangolin turned her gaze to the half-giant. In her eyes, Magna saw her plea. It was a subtle thing, but Magna saw it all the same. The look of desperation lit something within her; a fire of her own.
Without thought, she ran at the doorway with her ax lifted overhead, then dropped the blade on the support beam that barred the tall entrance. It wasn't enough to dislodge the debris, but she didn't hold back her second swing, nor her third. Chopping wood was what she did best, and before long, the flaming, fire-corroded beam broke in two. Magna booted the construction to the side with her heel, which in turn lit her fur boot in the back. She didn't seem to immediately notice and instead proceeded through the large doorway.