" Just in time for Ryan's late-week brunch you two," Theodore said holding the door open for Vayle and Cal as they knocked the dirt of their boots. Vayle walked right past the food and dragged Klaus up the stairs to heavens knows where while Cal sauntered over to his friend and sat across from him. Haven already eaten from all those food stalls there was no reason for him to get more.
" Are you not eating?" Tanen asked as he ate whatever was on his plate with his seemingly never-ending stomach.
" What even is it?"
" Ryan had so many leftovers from last night that he decided to reheat it, its nothing special." He replied passing the water pitcher over for Cal, " So you went out for a walk? It's cold here ya know."
" Yeah found out pretty quickly but I got this nice jacket so ill be fine," Cal replied pouring a glass before chugging it and pouring another. " You fed Smokey right?"
" Yeah I fed your cat," Tanen replied full of attitude. His sass needed to be pulled back at times but truly made for fun times. Cal just grunted slowly sipping on the water as he stared at his friend. Tanen eventually noticed and flushed red under Cal's piercing gaze," W-what."
" Nothing really, just you spend a lot of time with birdbrain,"
" I-I... yeah we've been talking,"
" Mm, mouth to mouth?" Cal said with a grin. He knew he was pushing his friend but it was all good teasing.
" Y-you can't just say that," Tanen replied back, his face would put the brightest tomato to shame, " And what about you and Vayle? You guys went on a walk together."
" Yeah as friends Tan." He replied smoothly.
The two continued this argument for quite some time. Cal laughing at his friend while he tried to find excuses for what's been happening. All the while Vayle and Klaus were nowhere to be found after disappearing up the stairs. Most likely talking about the future mission that was coming in only a few nights time. Kyia on the other hand was not having a good start to her day.
The snake hybrid woke to searing pain flaring up her long torso, reluctantly pulling herself out of bed she slithered to her full-sized mirror. Slowly she peeled the stained gauze off her body, revealing both her small breasts but also the inflamed stitches up her torso and across her stomach. Tears spilt from her black slitted eyes as she had her first real look at the damage done to her body. Sure she was already covered in scars but these felt ten times worse at least. The older scars she carried were all small and thin, barely noticeable, but these ones, once they healed, would never not be angry and red looking. She could already tell.
She must have twisted around in her sleep as blood seeped from between the stitching over her ribs, apparently, a rib was poking through her skin there. The rib itself wasn't broken but an incision was made above the selected rib and was then pulled above the skin, never-ending torture. On her left, her skin was marred with burns from the men heating the tips of their daggers or whatever else and pressing it to her skin. First, a slice and then crudely cauterizing the wound closed to just repeat it over and over again.
The stitching over her scalp was from a mix of them slicing bits off and smashing her head into the nearby rocks and trees. Her hair would never grow back the same. Her sobs grew as she scanned down the rest of her body till she saw the end of her tail, still wrapped tightly with fresh gauze. Those monsters tried to cut off her tail. If they succeded she would never be able to move without help from others and that terrified her. It wasn't like she had legs like other hybrids, her bloodline was so pure she was more snake than human. The damage was as minimal as it could have been thanks to her thicker scales and how fast help arrived, but even then the damage was done. She could no longer feel the tip of her tail, it felt like they succeded.
Klaus said the numbness was only temporary but she knew that to be a lie, it would never be the same ever again. Heavy sobs racked her body as she slowly fell to the ground, her core giving out. She caught her own fall with her right hand and slowly lowered herself fully to the ground. She wished she could cry out but the sobs were so great she could barely breathe. Her body twitching slowly curled in on itself as though to protect her from harm.
Heavens knows how long she stayed there on the stone floor, but she didn't move till she couldn't cry anymore and caught her breath before slowly rising and slithering to her wardrobe. Where she took fresh wrappings and slowly covered her lower torso seeing no reason to cover her breasts as they were left surprisingly unharmed. Staring at her various tops she selected her white cropped halter. She needed to ask the doctor for more pain meds before it got unbearable.
Slowly slithering to the doc's office which resided at the other end of the third floor, she knocked on the wooden door.
" It's open!"
" Hey, doc I need more pain meds." She said slithering inside the large room. Beds lined the walls and thank the heavens he didn't keep the place stark white as most did. Instead, it was tans and reds as he claimed they stained harder.
" Kyia, I was actually expecting you earlier than this, but I'm not surprised." He said standing from his desk and heading for the large blue cabinet at the back of the room. Handing her decent-sized satchel he waved her out of the room. Taking a pill from the satchel dry she officially began her day.
" I should find Klaus."