Sebastian looked down at himself, taking in the blood that coated his bare chest and arms. This too would likely disturb the settlement. After brief consideration, he tore a section from the scout's uniform and wrapped the head carefully, creating a bundle that concealed the grisly trophy while preserving the evidence.
Even so, blood had soaked his pants and stained his skin. He considered washing in the stream but decided against it. The scout's information was too urgent to delay delivering. The orcs needed to know about the search parties, especially his brother's proximity.
Sebastian stalked through the forest; the wrapped bundle gripped firmly in one hand. His bare feet left occasional bloody prints on the forest floor, his body flowing with grace that belonged to neither world yet somehow bridged both.
The settlement's outer markers appeared through the trees. Guards on the watchtower spotted him immediately, horn signals carrying warning throughout the village. The heightened pitch of alarm rang out in the predawn night, not just the usual alert for his approach, but something sharper, more urgent.
Warriors appeared at the walls, their weapons raised higher than normal. Sebastian could sense their alarm as they took in his blood-covered appearance. The fear was obvious as they noticed the bloody bundle in his hand.
Sebastian slowed his approach, realizing how threatening he must appear. "I found one of my father's scouts near the eastern border," he called, his voice carrying across the distance. "He carried information you need to hear."
Thornmaker appeared at the gate, his new spear angled more steeply than usual toward Sebastian's heart. His expression shifted from alarm to disgust as he took in the blood covering Sebastian's body.
"By the ancestors..." Thornmaker muttered, before visibly composing himself. "You killed one of your own?"
"He was never one of my own," Sebastian replied, lifting the wrapped bundle slightly. "Not anymore. What matters is that he got this close without your patrols detecting him."
Sebastian surveyed the gathering warriors, noting how they maintained greater distance than usual, their expressions showing revulsion he now understood. Their heartbeats accelerated, the sour scent of fear mingled with disgust. Even those who had begun to accept his presence stared at him as if seeing him for the first time, as if the blood had stripped away all pretense of civilization, revealing the predator who existed beneath his increasingly human appearance.
"I apologize for my appearance." Sebastian recognized their discomfort. "The information couldn't wait."
"Where?" Thornmaker asked, his voice more clipped than usual as he forced himself to focus on tactical concerns rather than his evident revulsion.
"Too close. Near the eastern stream just beyond my cave," Sebastian replied, keeping the bundle carefully wrapped. "And if one got through, others will follow."
Boarstaff emerged from behind the gathered warriors, and Sebastian felt an unexpected tightness in his chest at the sight of him. But as the warchief took in Sebastian's appearance, his step faltered. Sebastian saw the momentary shock that echoed the warriors' reactions.
The shock in Boarstaff's expression made Sebastian acutely aware of how he must appear, bloody, primal, every inch the predator his father had designed him to be. Despite his evolution, despite the growing connection between them, that moment had revealed the gulf that still existed between their worlds.
"Open the gates," Boarstaff ordered after a brief pause, though Sebastian detected uncertainty in his normally assured voice.
As the gates swung open, Sebastian walked forward, understanding now why people drew back from his path. Children disappeared behind protective adults. Warriors tightened their grips on weapons. Even those who had begun to treat him with cautious acceptance couldn't seem to look directly at him.
Sebastian approached Boarstaff, holding the wrapped bundle with more somber respect than he'd been taught to show. "Your warriors need better training," he said without preamble. "This scout got too close. Others will be watching. Waiting."
He extended the bundle toward Thornmaker rather than a random warrior, recognizing that the spearmaster would better understand the tactical necessity of such evidence. "I brought proof," he explained. "I know this isn't... how your people would normally handle such matters, but I needed you to understand the threat."
Thornmaker took the bundle with evident reluctance, his expression grim as he felt the weight and shape of what it contained.
"They're using the old methods," Sebastian continued, increasingly aware of the blood drying on his skin and the discomfort it caused those around him. "The ones from before synthetic precision. The ones your people haven't faced in generations."
"You should... clean yourself," Boarstaff suggested, his own discomfort evident in his careful tone and the distance he maintained. "Before we discuss this further."
Sebastian nodded, understanding the wisdom in this suggestion. "Of course," he agreed. "The eastern stream shouldsuffice. I'll return quickly, there's more you need to know about my brother's search party."
As Sebastian turned to leave, Boarstaff caught his arm, though his grip was lighter than usual. "Wait," he said quietly. "What exactly happened out there?"
Sebastian met his gaze, recognizing the complexity of emotion he saw there. "I protected the settlement," he replied simply. "As I would protect anything that matters to me."
He could see that his answer troubled Boarstaff, and he understood why. His body responded to emotions he would once have calculated away.
"I acted as I was trained to act… not as I'm learning to be."
The distinction seemed important, though Sebastian couldn't fully articulate why. He only knew that Boarstaff's troubled expression mattered more to him than he would have thought possible before his transformation began.
Sebastian made his way to the eastern stream that flowed just beyond the settlement's outer markers. He was aware of the warriors who followed at a distance, maintaining vigilant watch while keeping well away from him. Their caution felt different. It wasn’t just the usual wariness around a potential threat, but something deeper. As if the blood had stripped away their ability to see him as anything but predator.
The stream's clear water welcomed him as he waded in, blood dissolving from his skin in crimson swirls that were quickly swept away by the current. Sebastian sank deeper, letting the water cover him to his shoulders, watching as dried blood softened and separated from his body.
