The Heartwood to pick the ship up, leave it clean

iliksis was certain the boy would run -- but he remained in his tracks. the dark male considered it fateful - perhaps he was paralyzed by fear, or perhaps he, like other souls iliksis had encountered in the hinterlands, had no conception of the pall of malice that was about to overcome him.

he stopped only a few feet from the silvery agouti, his dull eyes resting on the boy's soft throat with a strange and unidentifiable hunger. "iliksis." he did not ask the boy his in return -- instead, he flung himself to the boy's chest, hoping to slam into him with enough force to send him flying across the snow.

for a moment he seemed to stop and inspect his work -- and then like a devouring shadow, fell on the boy once more with fierce fangs scything for lucca's muzzle.