Ever since Aryn was taken from the dungeon, all Joel ever did was pace back and forth inside of his cell. He could hardly focus on anything but his worry for her. What was Nora thinking? What did she want with the girl? Did she know who Aryn really was? For all Joel knew, Aryn was already on her way back to Ylatm, trapped and afraid as she was forced to be subjected to the Brotherhoods whims. He ticked in frustration, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to figure out what to do. He was absolutely useless down here, and he was going mad with the possibilities... Every one of them being completely out of Joel's control.
He couldn't help but curse himself even more. His stupidity is what had him trapped in this wretched dungeon in the first place! If he wasn't such a blundering idiot, he would have the freedom to actually protect her as he wished. Instead he was sitting here, caged and useless, while his little bird was out there alone. The world seemed to be against them both, and the thought simply drove him mad! How many days had it been now? He had no idea. It felt like it had been an eternity since she was taken away from him.
Kara watched the half-breed pace with a frown. He looked like a caged beast... Well, he
was
a caged beast, but that wasn't the point. She could feel the tension rolling off of him, and she knew it wouldn't be long until something set him off. The wrong tone of voice from a cellmate or guard could easily cause his thin veil of control to completely snap, and she worried that it would get him into trouble if he didn't blow off some steam. An idea occurred to her, and she crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall.
"Will you quit your damn pacing, mutt?"
"I'm not in the mood fer yer gripin', Kara," Joel turned to face the Tourik, scowling in irritation at her smug expression. "What I choose to do with my time is none of yer business, whether it irritates ye' or not."
"Yeah well, you're pining like a love sick puppy, and it's pathetic to watch," she snickered, standing from her place on the bench as she sized him up. "I almost wish they would bring the little bitch back. I'd rather deal with all your whispering than have to deal with this."
"Call her a bitch again, lass, and I'll remind ye' why the Dominion fear Kyaga half-breeds so much."
"I don't understand why you even like the cunt. She looks like a little girl," Kara taunted, swaying on the balls of her feet as if preparing for a fight. "Unless, of course, you like that sort of thing. I wouldn't put it past a mutt like you to prefer children. An animal would relate better to less... Developed minds."
She ducked as Joel reached out to grab her shirt, checking him in the ribs with a swift fist before feinting to the right to avoid another grab attempt. She slid to the right and threw a kick into his knee, but before she could land it he dropped to a crouch and caught her ankle in his hand. With a sharp yank, he pulled her off balance and she fell onto her back with a huff. He had her shirt fisted in his hand before she could react and dragged her up into a sitting position. Grinning mischievously, she reached up and wrapped her finger around his wrist, pressing on a pressure point that made him lose his grip on her shirt. With a fluid motion, she brought her other hand up in a fist and clocked him right in the jaw before scurrying away and hopping back onto her feet. He recovered quickly, returning to a standing position and staring her down with a tick in his jaw. He was fighting his temper, but Kara wants about to give up yet.
"You're going to have to do better than that, mutt," she spat with disdain. "I didn't end up in here from wearing dresses and attending tea parties."
"Don't make me hurt ye' Kara."
"As if you ever could, boy. You've grown too soft laying around this dungeon like a family pet, lounging all day and waiting to be fed," she laughed as she backed up as far as the cell would allow and reared up for another attack. "I don't think you have any fight left in you. Besides, you're too chicken shit to hit me. You know I'll kick your fucking ass."
"Gods, I needed this," he muttered as he cocked back and hit her square in the face. Her head jerked back as she landed into the wall behind her, and he quickly reached out to catch her before she fell. She used the deception to land a fist right into his stomach, and with a sly grin, reached up and wrapped her hand around his throat.
"You hit like a little girl, Joel."
Her hand tightened threateningly, but when he reached up to pull it away she wasn't strong enough to resist his iron grip. He shoved her arm against the wall above her head and worked quickly to catch the other one. She struggled futily against his strength, but the fierce growl that escaped the back of his throat stilled her movements. She looked up into his eyes and saw the predatory stare of the dire wolf she had only encountered twice in her life. The bracelet held it at bay, but she knew it's massive strength simmered just beneath the surface. She could feel it's wild, dangerous energy seep through Joel's composure as he regarded her in silence. His eyes were practically glowing with a hunger for violence, and she wasn't sure if she might have taken things a little too far.
After only two brief encounters with that wild beast, she knew without a doubt she was no match against it. As a Daegra, he was a frightening force. She had seen him fight first hand, and when he let the beast inside of him free, the feral untamed side of his nature was a force to be reckoned with. Very few truly understood just how greatly the two natures between Joel and his spirit animal differed. The dire wolf inside was a fierce hunter, driven by nothing but a carnal ferocity and instinctual need for violence. It thrived on fighting and killing, and though the power suppressing bracelet held it's physical form at bay, it's personality could push through to the surface even in his human form. The Daegra may be primitive in their lifestyle, but they were very strong willed, and wildly unpredictable. Even the powerful magic of the Kyaga's suppression cuffs could not fully diminish their strength.
Even more dangerous was the Kyaga blood that flowed through Joel's veins. The fire that fueled his temper and aggressive nature was nearly impossible to contain. The self control he exercised over his emotions had only been obtained through years of vigorous practice. It was difficult enough for a Kyaga to control their fiery nature, but the barbaric nature of his Daegra heritage was like dry grass in a wildfire. Even with his age and iron will, he was unable to fully tame the creature that shared a body with him. It was a wonder that he was still sane, trapped in this prison with that beast held captive inside of him. There was no doubt that it had become restless and frustrated. Cornered animals were always the most vicious, and this animal had been restrained for far too long.
Lowering her eyes in a submissive manner, she waited quietly while he framed her face with his nose, breathing in her scent as he held her firmly in place. His tree gifted senses were unparalleled, and she was certain he could read her fear easily in the scent of her pheromones, in the rapid fluttering of her heart and her shaky breathing. Long moments passed as he continued this strange, instinctive display of dominance, growling in approval when he was satisfied that she was finished with her childish rebellion.
Finally, his breathing slowed and he gained control of himself once more. She watched as the fire faded from his eyes and the iron control he had of his temper returned. But the tension wasn't as evident in his features, and he appeared more relaxed than before. He pushed away from her, releasing her arms as he found his center again. She looked up at him with a sheepish grin, and he frowned at her obvious uncertainty. He had frightened her, and he was afraid of what might have happened had she not been smart enough to surrender when she had.
"Feeling a little better?"
"I am," he sighed and closed his eyes against the bruise forming under her right eye. He shouldn't have hit her like that, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I knew what I was doing," she shrugged off his apology as she returned to the bench she had been sitting on. "I provoked you on purpose. Besides, I've been hurt worse than this before."
"That doesn't make me feel any better," war maiden or not, she was no match for him in hand to hand combat, and to lose control on her like that was juvenile. He could have severely hurt her. "Ye' shouldn't rile the beast in me, Kara. It's dangerous."
"Maybe I'm hoping you'll finish what you started the last time we met on the battlefield."
"I wouldn't kill ye' then, and I won't do it now."
It was true, and she wondered why he never did. Even fully fazed in wolf form, it seemed the dire wolf was just as uninterested in killing her as he was. In most cases, even the slightest scent of fear would send him into a frenzy, but it hesitated each time it had a chance to finish her off. Then again, it seemed the creature remained completely subdued in the presence of Aryn, so maybe it just didn't sit right with the creature to kill a female. Now that she thought about it, she'd never seen Joel kill a woman, even out on the field of battle. She found that fact to be strangely amusing, but in the same breath she was grateful for it.
Although, he didn't need to know that.
"Hey, a girl can dream, right?" she chuckled, leaning back against the wall. "Anything is better than this place. Even death."
Joel huffed in irritation, but didn't argue. It wasn't like he could blame her. Being stuck in this damnable cell for the rest of their lives was a shitty way to live. There were plenty of moments when he considered death over waking up to these cold, metal bars every day... And he hadn't been here half as long as she had. Once, years ago, he was on the other side of the bars, and his relationship with Kara was a very different one. Compared to the dynamic of being her interrogator, he could say that they were nearly friends now. He wondered how different things would be, if he and his brother hadn't been discovered by the dominion. If his parents had fled to the Republic like many of the other mixed families did, he and Kara might have grown up as allies.
He was pulled from his thoughts as two guards lead a new prisoner into the dungeon. He was traded into their cell, and Joel wondered why he was here. He seemed antsy, his yellow eyes fluttering between the other prisoners before landing on him. His plum colored hair was long, and it fell in loose tendrils around his face and shoulders. Joel scowled as he stared back at the dingy Naugu. He always found their kind to be a creepy, nasty race, and with his new knowledge about Aryn's past... He couldn't help but hate them even more.
There was something in his mannerisms that just stood out to Joel somehow. He seemed out of place, yet in the same breath it was like he was here for a reason... Like he was deliberating something. It seemed like he was trying too hard to be inconspicuous in the way he lounged by the door, but his Joel knew better. The bastard was up to something... He just couldn't figure out what it was.
