[Quest] -- stay hungry

[Avdotya]

She stood over the stallion's body with sides heaving and nostrils flared, her heart still thrumming from the heat of the chase. Avdotya had always craved the taste of death upon her tongue; it was an addiction, in truth, and its tendrils were forever intertwined with her. It never grew old, watching the life drain from another's eyes as they stared up at her with wild desperation... just as Zolin had done the moment her spear cut through his delicate throat, unleashing a spray of bright red upon the stark white of his cold marble floors. She smiled fondly at the memory. Now was no time to reminisce, however, for the woman had a job to complete and it would not be done without a token of this man's death. She studied his corpse for a moment longer, then stepped forward with the tip of her spear pointed to his chest. The heart that once beat within it was what Avdotya sought, and messy as the task was, it happened to be one of the few pieces of irrefutable evidence one could provide for death. She quite enjoyed it, really, but there was always something to interrupt. Before her spear could find purchase in his flesh, the distinct feeling of company crept upon her sweat-soaked hide. Out of the side of her eye, she noted the large canine sitting intently as he watched her. His desires were obvious; this was a meal that could last him for days, one that he surely knew she could not make use of once she had what she wanted. The mutt was smart, she would give him that, and she supposed there was no better way of disposing of a body than having it consumed by another. Thus, he was permitted to stay, but he would not get any closer until the stallion's heart was in her possession. The sharp edge of her spear found its way back to the man's body, carving into him with only some protest from the thick muscle. She tended to the issue of his ribs with a simple thrust of her hoof, cracking the bone until it was no longer an obstacle to get through. From that point, the procedure was quite easy. The life-giving organ dropped into his chest cavity almost instantly after she severed the last string of muscle that held it in place, landing with a sopping thud. Without hesitation, the viper pulled it from his body, emerging with a bloodied maw and her prize firmly in-hand. The borzoi, meanwhile, watched with fascination the entire way through. His expression was one of significant intrigue, a sight that nearly forced something of a smile to Avdotya's lips. Of course, she did not have time to linger and enjoy the brief company of the scavenging onlooker. The mare was quick to vacate the area, leaving him to take what he wished of the carcass. Minutes later and, much to her surprise, she found herself a tag-along with a bloodied snout to match her own. image © aapex