[Sincate]

Birds chirped to each other in the morning frost, a white blanket had laid itself over Saboro's land during the night. As blue eyes glanced across the grove of the inner ring, they noticed little else about the atmosphere. No sounds of water flowing between the gorge. Sincate rose from their den, shaking the cold from their shoulders and stepped out into the crunching snow. It was odd at first, but the river was the indication of where the trail used to be.

The river was frozen solid, specks of dark floated beneath. Sincate wondered if the fish would survive with thick ice covering the surface. No insects to eat. Did they eat other things as well? Perhaps vegetation in the water. The Sabora shook their head though, trying to set focus back on their mind.

Their job was not yet done for the week. They had spoken with Hidalgo, and in the light of things, another person had crossed their mind. One who had prevailed ever since they got here. It was a long walk from the Emerald Grove to the outskirts of the territory, especially with a thick blanket of snow on the ground, but they had time. The day was young.

And so Sincate journeyed, snaking with the river until the lake was close by. The Sabora wandered around it's girth and then strayed when the second ring was around them. They traveled between the furs, listening and trying to catch a glimpse of red. After a while, they let out a bark, calling to the one they needed. They called as they found a place where the trees sheltered the ground from snow. A circle with a skeleton in the middle. Ribs of wood stuck from the ground with stones encircled.

Ah, a perfect spot.

When they heard the person they needed come, Sincate would turn to them. "Zanna." they beckoned, "Do you know how to start fires?" A useful skill, one few knew how to do in Saboro. Probably, anyway.

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[Zanna]

Zanna’s mind had been reeling ever since Saboro had been graced with the eerie presence of the strange black slime. The maroon female couldn’t get it out of her head, constantly trying to think of what could possibly be producing this disgusting substance and leaving it smeared across all of Saboro. It had left a lasting chill within her, gripping her bones tightly even when she was in the warmth of her den.

However, it wasn’t just the existence of this odd sludge that had planted fear so deeply in the ex-spectre – it was the fact that even the Sabora seemed shaken by this whole scenario. To see someone who is supposed to be a bold and fearless leader be so unsure of something made Zanna incredibly weary. Of course it was foolish to think that any one person could be absolutely fearless, but there’s always this lingering hope that the one guiding you on your path through life might emit a fearless aura.

Sleep had eluded the maroon girl, despite being given orders to rest before investigating. There was only so much that they could do, anyway. If they didn’t find anything, they didn’t find anything. There was nothing to do past that. And even if they did find whatever it was they were looking for, what were they going to do? Destroy it? Question it? Befriend it? There was no plan in place here, and that only fed the unsettling feeling within Zanna, helping it to grow larger and stronger.

Laying in her den with her eyes closed as her mind raced, she tried once again to sleep, failing as usual. Instead, she simply stared at the back of her eyelids, trying to think up possible scenarios to bring forward to Sincate. They could organize a search team to go beyond Saboro’s borders if they found nothing within Saboro – this might give them a head start on protecting themselves from whatever it was that was lurking out there in the Straits. Or they could set up shifts for 24/7 border watch, ensuring nothing came in or went out until this whole thing was figured out. Or—

A call broke the dead winter silence outside of her den, and this call was specifically directed to her.

It was the Sabora.

Zanna rose to her paws before her brain could even comprehend what her body was doing, and she immediately leaped out of her den, racing toward the call. It didn’t sound urgent, but any call from the Sabora was urgent – that was simply inferred by the receiver, not expressed by the deliverer.

She rushed to the Sabora, slowing only once she was meters away. Sincate was standing where the snow had not yet kissed the earth; the trees protected this ground, grabbing the snow out of the air, the flakes clinging tightly to their branches. There seemed to be some sort of sculpture on the ground before the Sabora, stones encircling the structure of wood and possibly bone.

She disregarded that for now, emerald eyes flashing to her leader, approaching them swiftly. She stopped a few feet away and nodded her head in a respectful bow. “Sabora,” she greeted.

“Zanna. Do you know how to start fires?” Sincate asked, their tone level and smooth. Zanna wondered if this had anything to do with their latest encounter, if this was part of a plan they were building, but didn’t ask.

“No.” She said honestly. “I’ve never started one myself. I know it requires wood, or perhaps dried up grass or leaves.” She wondered if this was something she should know how to do, but would rather be truthful and look silly than tell lies to try and appear more knowledgeable. Liars always ended up looking significantly more silly in the end. At least that’s what she thought.

Zanna glanced back over to the strange gathering of materials on the ground. “Is that what this is for?” Her tone was curious, interested. What did her Queen have in mind?

A E S T H E T I C

[Sincate]

Within a matter of seconds, Zanna was within their presence. Sincate was rather impressed, but also wondering if the woman's den was closer than they thought. No matter, there was introductions in the form of bows and the Sabora nodded their head in acknowledgement. Past the formalities, came the business. Zanna didn't know how to create a fire, which was a slight disappointment, but nothing important. The cover of the trees was enough. The darkness was eerie.

"Yes, I think so. Someone had started one, but it's not of importance of why I called you." Sincate approached the circle and sat down before it. Imagination was going to have to do now. Fire would have to be a lesson they'd learn over the next few months, but that wasn't the task at hand.

There were more important things.

Sincate could almost sense the uneasiness in the air ever since the pools of black blood appeared. Thoughts had swirled around that scenario, and there was much to be done. First things first, they needed stability. Saboro was full of slabs and haphazard ranks. Gray and Sincate were the only leaders, the elites stood empty.

"Zanna. You've been in Saboro for... a long time, have you not? You came with us from the jungle." Sincate pondered for a moment, giving some space for the woman to answer. "What do you strive for here? If I was to place you in a rank, what would be your desire?"

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[Zanna]

Sincate told Zanna that it did seem that someone was trying to build a fire here, but the fire wasn’t what they wanted to talk to her about. The maroon girl tilted her head slightly, intrigued by the Sabora’s words. For a moment, they were silent. Emerald eyes moved to cautiously scan the area around them – a habit she’d picked up since coming across the rancid black slime, a side-effect of the paranoia that seemed to have settled in her gut.

“Zanna. You’ve been in Saboro for… a long time, have you not? You came with us from the jungle.” Sincate spoke in a measured tone, and Zanna nodded in response.

“Yes, I joined Saboro quite a while ago. So far I’ve only found more reasons to stay, rather than to leave.” A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth as her eyes focused on those of ice before her.

Sincate spoke again, “What do you strive for here? If I was to place you in a rank, what would be your desire?”

Zanna could feel her heart jump slightly. This was not at all what Zanna was expecting to happen, and yet it was what she’d been working toward for months – since before they moved to their new territory.

Inhaling slowly, Zanna carefully considered her response. It was easy to sound like a beggar, and Zanna would never want to come off that way. “Well,” she began, her breath materializing between herself and Sincate. “Back in the jungle, Crenate appointed me as Dragon Spectre. There was a tournament, and though I fell short in my fight, he must have seen something within me that was worth giving a rank. And he was not wrong – I wanted nothing more than to strive as a Spectre, to be the best that I could.” Her tone was strong – she really did believe in herself. She was not a cocky girl, but she had a lot of faith in herself. She couldn’t just rely on others to see her worth, she had to prove it to them, and she had always known that.

“But then I fell ill – very ill. I was down and out for months. I only just started to get myself back on my feet when the fog rolled in and we were getting ready to move territories.” Zanna used to get embarrassed about this, but she’d since learned that she couldn’t help the fact that she got sick. It was a complete fluke – she was a healthy wolf, and was always properly fed and watered. She had no idea why she got sick, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting better – which she did.

“Since getting back to my normal self, I’ve always hoped I’d be able to get back to a similar rank. I’m strong, Sincate. Mentally and physically. I’ve been loyal since day one. I want nothing more than to protect you and Gray, and everyone else here, which I will always continue to do even without a rank.” She already had been, in her mind, since being so on edge about this whole mystery blood situation.

“I’m still young, I’ve got a lot left in me before I’m put in the dirt.” Zanna was not groveling. Sincate had run into Zanna enough times to see the drive in her soul, the fire in her eyes. The ex-spectre was here for Saboro.

Ultimately, however, Zanna would be happy with any job being given to her. “At the end of the day, Sincate, I just want more purpose. Any job, any task. I’m willing. And I appreciate you asking me, Sabora. I really do.” She nodded her head to punctuate her words, all spoken in complete honesty.

A E S T H E T I C

[Sincate]

Blue stared into emerald as Sincate stood at attention. Zanna had been with Saboro in it's trying times, had proven herself once to be capable. Loyal. Fierce. Until sickness grew over them all. The Sabora faltered in their stare, glancing down to the skeleton remains of a fire pit. The name of their once-father stung. He was once fair and noble, but the poisonous thorns of the crown corrupted him.

They would never forgive them for what they did to Enys.

Sincate often wondered what happened to the others. To Abyss and Ratchet. Even to Jezebel who they hated the most out of them. Were they dead too? Or wandering into the great beyond of the Fringe. It didn't matter, they all lost so much and now it was time to rebuild. The crumble of their empire shook Saboro to the core, but the people that remained were they keystones of their revival.

Blue lifted by the end of the speech, thoughts drifting. Considering. "I have no doubts of your loyalty, Zanna." they confirmed, tasting the sweetness of the moment on their tongue. It was foreign, strange. They were not used to tales of heart-felt desire. Ones of selfless heroics and willing to help the kingdom anyway they could. It spoke volumes to the Sabora, and their lips curled into the slightest smile.

"You have been with us the longest, possibly. And... for that, I admire you." Because throughout the chaos, many had fled. They had lost hope and were unwilling. Zanna had triumphed through the hardships, through her sickness and still wanted to gain, to achieve. To support her home no matter the cost and no matter the obstacle.

"That is why I want you as my Captain. I need someone strong willed and capable. I have not ignored your strive for the good of Saboro. So... I'm asking. Would you help me rebuild? Will you help Saboro defeat whatever evil is coming and give leadership to those with the courage to fight?" The elites had been barren for far too long.

It was time to rebuild.

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[Zanna]

Sincate listened intently as Zanna spoke, and Zanna took note of that. The respect the Sabora paid to the rest of the pack was admirable, and the red girl appreciated it very much so.

The Sabora returned her gaze to Zanna as she finished up her spiel, telling their underling that they had no doubts of her loyalty. Zanna was happy to hear that, glad to know that her love for Saboro did not go unnoticed, even among the Sabor and Sabora. She was careful not to let these words get to her head, however. Being loyal was nothing special – it was expected of everyone and was a basic requirement for being part of Saboro. It didn’t set her apart.

Sincate’s lips curled upward then into a small smile, which was entirely contagious despite Zanna being slightly caught off guard by it. She nodded her head in thanks before Sincate continued, telling Zanna that they admire her. Zanna felt a warmth in her chest; hearing these words come from someone of such high status was incredible. It always felt good to be told you’re admired but hearing it from your Sabora was an entirely different ball game.

Before Zanna could thank them for their kind words, they spoke again. “That is why I want you as my Captain. I need someone strong willed and capable. I have not ignored your strive for the good of Saboro. So… I’m asking. Would you help me rebuild? Will you help Saboro defeat whatever evil is coming and give leadership to those with the courage to fight?”

Zanna stared at Sincate for a moment, digesting the weight of their words carefully. Captain… The title had a nice ring to it; it sounded powerful. It especially sounded sincere having it worded as Sincate’s Captain. This was more than just being a Dragon Spectre, not that the rank was insignificant by any means. Zanna knew she could be a Spectre, she’d been there before. But she never thought she’d be promoted to an Elite rank so soon. It was shocking at first, but the red girl reminded herself that she was made for this.

A smile slowly stretched across Zanna’s maw as the reality of what happened started to sink in. She finally did it. She finally proved her worth and it finally paid off. She made it. She fucking did it.

“I’d love nothing more than to be your Captain, Sabora. I will do anything I can to help overcome the obstacles coming our way, and to rebuild this new Saboro that you and Sabor Gray have created.” Her heart felt so full, her pride was validated. She wanted to rise up with Sincate and Gray, with all of Saboro. Never above them.

She bowed her head slightly, closing her eyes as she did so. “I will not fail you.”

And she won’t.

A E S T H E T I C