[Week ~6] [P] Morrigan Rassallion <Chapter 2: Reflection>

**Leviathan** Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:00 am

Chapter 2: Reflection

It was a long while before either Morrigan or his First Mate could move, yet the sight of the Delta Morina sinking was enough to content them until finally, with a groan, Yonyon sat up and demanded they make a move. Morrigan grinned and pointed to his immobile body with his forefinger; a gesture the Okama would have missed if he wasn't paying attention. Apparently, his new Captain no longer had the energy to speak, yet he found himself strangely okay with that fact as it meant he no longer had the capacity to complain about the wounds upon his back and wrists. He sighed heavily and got to his feet, realising that he would have to carry his Captain, though it seemed the infuriating man had already figured that out for he was staring up at the Okama with a ridiculously smug expression upon his face.

Rubbing his eyes, Yonyon also realised that he would have to carry the man's precious swords, lest they dig uncomfortably into his shoulder. With another sigh, he attached them to his left hip and hoisted Morrigan over his right shoulder, grinning as the Captain hissed in pain at being jostled. Morrigan's discomfort, however, suited Yonyon just fine, and as he made his way unsteadily back up the beach, he blatantly ignored the fact that his Captain kept attempting to speak, if only to whine at him as the medication he had been given wore off steadily.

They had remained upon the beach for the vast majority of the day, neither having the energy to give a damn about anything, other than the fact that they were miraculously still alive to enjoy the sun slowly descend in the sky. Neither expressed any doubts about Jaxxon; even the concept of his possible survival was dropped as soon as it was mentioned, for even the slight possibility that he was still alive sent chills of terror throughout them both.

Finally, after several near-falls, Yonyon made it to the edge of the beach. Through the trees, he could see the ruins of his home and instantly, flashbacks of Jaxxon tearing a hole in his wall and almost killing Morrigan ripped through his mind as vividly as though the walking nightmare of a man were there that very moment. Yonyon shuddered; Morrigan felt it, yet wouldn't question even if he could. He knew exactly what his First Mate was looking at and what he was feeling in his heart.

That was his job as Captain, right? To know and protect the hearts of his crew? He closed his eyes, and, using his last remaining ounce of strength, raised his hand to ruffle Yonyon's hair. The Okama jumped out of his skin, not expecting it. Morrigan grinned, then passed out, his last thought being about how lucky he had been over the past few weeks.

Yonyon panted, trying to regulate his breathing. His legs were shaking slightly, yet no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't be angry at the man slung over his shoulder for startling him. Shaking his head, he walked forwards towards the wreck, willing his legs to move and be stable so that his Captain wouldn't fall. He would support him as he in turn was supported.

Finally, with a ridiculous amount of effort, Yonyon found himself in his old bedroom. He placed Morrigan upon his bed as gently as he could, removed the swords from his side, then left to search for his medical supplies.

Morrigan's eye cracked open, the bright afternoon light quickly fading with the passing minutes. Movement was still completely beyond him, yet as he stared around at his surroundings, he relaxed slightly, knowing Yonyon wouldn't be too far away. He would never admit it out loud, but the concept of being left alone too long was far from friendly, and, with a slight shudder, memories of dark, bloody corridors and a single cyan eye in the gloom came flooding back to him as the room darkened. He closed his eyes, his brow furrowing as waves of pain began to pulse across his back and sides. He bit his lip and wished Yonyon would hurry up.

The man in question re-entered the room as the pain reached its peak. ''Oh, awake are you?''

Morrigan, not being able to answer, glared at him, his top lip twitching as he ground his teeth. Yonyon chuckled, then, much to the young Captain's chagrin, left the room once again. Morrigan sighed and curled himself into a ball as best he could; the massive hole in the wall was letting in a breeze. Where it wouldn't have usually bothered him in the slightest, in his weakened state, it was nothing short of an irritation he didn't have the patience to handle. Heat he could handle, cold he could tolerate. Wind... ever since eating the Moku Moku no Mi, he had hated it, for it made him feel strangely vulnerable. He ground his teeth harder; he would give Yonyon hell for leaving him where he was.

He stared at the door, waiting for it to open. He could feel the seconds tick by. He could feel his heart racing, beating an irregular rhythm against his ribcage as the cool breeze vexed the stitches upon his exposed back. He closed his eyes. Tendrils of smoke encompassed the exposed area; the very essence of his Fruit was responding to his weakness and acting upon his instincts. In his mind, he saw a flash of iron in place of a fist, the raising of a powerful hand wielding a whip, teeth that were too white leering at him from out of the darkness and a single cyan eye, staring and judging, enjoying every second.

The door opened suddenly, startling him. For a moment, he didn't know where he was and panicked. The tendrils of smoke covering his back converged and shot out at the intruder in what was an instinctive attempt to defend. Just as the pillar was about to hit its target, Morrigan opened his eyes and saw Yonyon; his smoke instantly disintegrating into nothingness. The Okama looked thoroughly shaken and didn't say a word, yet Morrigan knew what had happened. For that single moment, he had been in different place at an earlier time, at the mercy of another man and he knew as he breathed heavily that he had, in his state of shock, mistaken Yonyon for Jaxxon D. Marko. The capacity of speech was utterly beyond him at that point, and, not even able to offer an apology and an explanation, he curled up tighter and attempted to will the Okama away, suddenly wanting to be left alone.

He breathed out, his breath taking the form of smoke for he was unable to control it. It took him a second to realise what was happening and another to realise he liked the taste of it upon his tongue. Another second later, he felt the pang of a familiar want and motioned for Yonyon to come closer. The Okama did, albeit hesitating slightly before moving, not wanting to spook the young Captain. Morrigan rolled his eyes and placed two fingers to his lips, as though smoking. Yonyon relaxed, a grin spreading across his face as he removed a cigarette from his pack and stuck it between Morrigan's lips. He struck a match and lit it, watching as the man steadily calmed down, the smoke he breathed out vanishing slowly until it had completely gone, only to be replaced with the smoke from his cigarette.

''You done freaking out at me, Captain?'' Yonyon said, softly. As a doctor, he understood shock and panic attacks better than most, and couldn't bring himself to be angry, despite almost being crushed by Morrigan's pillar. A defiant stare was the only reply Morrigan could give him. The Okama chuckled and lit a cigarette of his own. Mumbling around the stick, he raised an eyebrow and spoke. ''So you still can't control your Devil Fruit, hmm? That's gonna have to change soon, Captain.''

Morrigan rolled his eyes and blew out a smoke ring, pretending to have not heard. Yonyon grinned widely around his cigarette, then pointed behind him. Morrigan scowled, not being able to see until the Okama stepped back to reveal...

...a wheelchair. Morrigan's eye twitched. This time, Yonyon laughed out loud. ''Don't be giving me that look, now. We can hardly stay here, I know of a decent hotel over in the town, that's where we're gonna be staying. Like hell I'm carrying your sorry ass that far.''

As the Okama walked over to his wardrobe, Morrigan raised an eyebrow at the fact that Yonyon was fully dressed and had reapplied his make-up. Obviously he hadn't just been looking for medical supplies. His razor skirt was also missing. Morrigan scowled; they weren't out of danger yet, the Delta Morina probably sent an emergency Den Den Mushi SOS before it was devoured by the waves. Finally, he balled his hands into fists and forced sounds from his throat, frustrated when they didn't resemble words. Yonyon paused, then turned and passed him a small pad of paper and a pen. Morrigan instantly began to scribble a message. Once he was done, he petulantly pushed the pad back.

Why aren't you armed? We're still in danger, more Marines will be here soon, and I'm sure as hell not in any position to fight. If Jaxxon survived, we're done for! And don't even think about sticking me in that chair like I'm dependent upon you!

Yonyon sniggered, crumpled the note into a ball, and then threw it over his shoulder into the rubble. ''I am armed, Captain'', he said, pointing down to his shoes. Upon the backs of his heels were two curved blades. It was almost like he had taken the blades from two kama and attached them to the backs of his stilettos.

Morrigan sniggered and motioned for the pad to be returned to him. He scribbled something else down, then ripped the page free and passed it back to Yonyon.

You're literally an O-kama. Get it?

The Okama rolled his eyes. ''I expect the Marines to come looking for us. Don't worry, we have enough time to get moving. We'll be long gone by the time they know who they're looking for. And... you kinda are dependent upon me. You're completely at my mercy.''

Morrigan flinched, faint tendrils of smoke appearing once again from his wounds. Yonyon rubbed his face with his hands in embarrassment. ''Sorry Captain, very poor choice of words...''

The young captain motioned for the Okama to come closer, which he did. He then blew a smoke ring into the Okama's face in revenge, and then began to eye the wheelchair once again whilst scribbling another note.

So... How are we doing this? I'm not going outside with my back showing.

The Okama's lip twitched in amusement; he could almost hear the disdain in the words his Captain had written down. ''You can have my father's old coat, that will keep you fairly covered up. Then, I'll wheel you over to the town, we can book into the hotel, then I can check your wounds over and you can have a bath. From there...''

He stopped speaking suddenly as he noticed his Captain scribbling more words down, an expression of sheer concentration on his face. Considering the fact that he still had his cigarette in his mouth and a good three inches of it were made of ash that hadn't dropped yet, the Okama couldn't help but grin.

We need a ship. A decent one that can handle combat. My old ship, the Penitent Tangent, wasn't built for combat, it was a ship built for stealth. It was my mother's flagship, yet it was much, much smaller than every other ship in her fleet. I need a ship that can handle Marines. I need a ship that can handle Jaxxon.

The word 'Jaxxon' had been underlined several times for emphasis. Yonyon nodded, understanding instantly. ''A ship like that will be hard to come by here, you know. They're all merchant ships, ones that were built light and speedy. The only ships that come by here that match that description are-''

Morrigan grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Yonyon almost choked on his cigarette smoke as he inhaled and simultaneously understood what Morrigan was getting at. ''Marine ships. You want to steal a Marine ship.''

Another smoke ring blown in his direction was the only answer he received. He roughly ran his hands through his hair, his hopes sinking. Morrigan's grin only served to irritate him even more. ''You're fucking insane. You barely managed to survive that sadistic fuck and now you're wanting to take more Marines on!?'' Yonyon spat, discarding the cigarette he had almost bitten clean through in frustration. ''You're going to get us BOTH killed, or worse!''

Morrigan only wiggled his eyebrows again.

''Will you STOP that! I'm being serious!'' Yonyon shouted, throwing a pebble at him in anger. Morrigan hissed in pain as it struck his back, and, with a scowl and a disproportionate amount of effort, stuck his middle finger up at the Okama. Yonyon rolled his eyes. ''We don't even know if he made it off that ship.''

Best to presume he did. Men like that don't get to the rank he got to without being resourceful, and I know for a fact they had lifeboats on board. Morrigan scribbled, still scowling. If you're going to be my First Mate, you have to trust my decisions. Can you do that?

Yonyon lit another cigarette, purposefully avoiding the gaze of his Captain. ''I've proved my worth to you by saving your hide. You haven't proved shit, especially your worth as a Captain, and you're wanting me to put my life on the line for you again? Tell me, how strong are you, Morrigan Rassallion? Truthfully?''

Ah, Morrigan thought, grinning. He spat the end of his cigarette to the floor, took up his pen again, and began to write. Heal this body of mine and I'll give you a personal show.

''Not too personal, I hope?'' Yonyon replied, frowning.

Morrigan tried to laugh, but the only sound that left him was a strange, drained rasp. Not unless you want one.

This time, it was the Okama that grinned. ''Thank god for that. But yes... I'll take you up on that. Rest, be healed, then prove to me you're worth following. Though... how do you expect to do that? What could you possibly do to prove your mettle?''

Well... I'll take a Marine ship for myself, by myself. You can stand and watch, being pretty.

Upon seeing that, Yonyon really did choke. Rubbing his eyes, he removed his freshly lit cigarette and stuck it into Morrigan's mouth before turning his back on him and opening his wardrobe. After a few minutes of rummaging through his vast collection of clothes, he removed a large black coat from the back and several sets of clothes. He may have agreed to become a pirate, but that didn't mean he was willing to do it without looking good. His pride as an Okama was simply too much to ignore, even for the asshole currently lounging on his bed. Packing his belongings into a rucksack, he threw the coat over his Captain, grinning as he knew he wouldn't be able to put it on without help.

That'll teach the fucker, Yonyon thought, packing the last of his possessions away. Morrigan huffed and flicked his cigarette at Yonyon, watching as the hot tip struck the exposed section of his lower back. The Okama jumped into the air, cursing as he was burnt, then span on the spot, glaring at the Captain who was looking innocently at him.

Need something? Morrigan wrote.

''Your handwriting is atrocious, didn't your mother ever teach you-'' Upon receiving a glare, the Okama shut the wardrobe door and rubbed the back of his neck. ''Never mind, forget I said anything. Let's get you into that wheelchair, hmm?''

[~]

It took several long minutes to convince Morrigan to put his father's long leather coat on and several more to get him to sit in his wheelchair, but Yonyon eventually managed it. The young Captain hadn't made it easy, despite having next to no energy and a heavily wounded body, and, as Yonyon navigated him through the rubble and debris, he couldn't think of any patient he had treated in the past that had been as awkward and stubborn as the man he was pushing. He had managed to still the man by dumping his heavy bag of medical supplies onto his lap and hitting him upside the head.

Morrigan scowled, his mood souring as the sun set across the sea, casting the area in a beautiful golden glow that was only intensified by the infinite movement of the waves that lapped at the equally golden sands of the beach. He reached to his back and flipped the coat's leather hood over his head, shielding his eyes; such sights were beyond him in his weakened state and he found he could not easily appreciate them as he might once have done, for he could still hear the resonating crack of leather as it sliced through the air ring loudly in his ears. No, it went beyond simple ringing. Instead, as he felt the small rocks and dips in the path beneath him, worrying his wheels as Yonyon pushed him towards the town, he thought to himself that it wasn't so simple as to classify it as a 'heard' sound. No, instead, it was more akin to a complete and total tinnitus of the senses. It washed over him relentlessly; the taste of iron in his mouth, the sting of flesh parted suddenly as it was struck and the crack of a bull-whip parting the air with as much ease. The smell of his own sweat and the churning seawater below, beckoning him into the abyss. The only thing seen was two eyes, one whited over in blindness, and the other an impossibly beautiful shade of cerulean, peering at him from within a cloak of shadow, never blinking lest it miss a moment of the pain it caused.

He had spent almost the entirety of yesterday within the bowels of Jaxxon's ship, or passed out, so the sheer intense glare of the sun upon his face was nothing short of unbearable to both his abused eyes and body. He silently thanked Yonyon for providing him with what must have been an extremely expensive coat and bowed his head as Yonyon made random comments about the weather and his wounds, totally unaware of the inner turmoil that had welled up inside Morrigan's soul. That suited him just fine; he would rather tame his demons alone. Captain's didn't impose upon their crew members like that. The Captain was the cornerstone of any pirate crew, and the very thought of exposing such a weakness to his First Mate made him feel nauseated. His mother would have sent him to the desert for a week for such a weakness.

On top of the bag upon his lap, Yonyon had placed his notebook. He held a pencil in his fist, yet couldn't summon the strength to write his thoughts down, even in response to his strange doctor's questions, which ranged from 'Do you have any specific dietary requirements?' to 'I've never been to Srysa, what's it like there?'.

Morrigan snorted, not wanting to thick about anything, then snapped his pencil in two. He stuck one end between his teeth, then, using the second half, started to draw. As Yonyon pushed his chair, he glanced over his shoulder occasionally, curious as to what the pirate Captain could possibly be drawing. The Okama sniggered as Morrigan snatched the book from view, holding it to his chest and using his large hood as a blockade to the Okama's curiosity. With a sigh, Yonyon shook his head and avoided a dip in the dirt track he had been navigating the infuriating man down.

After a little while, Morrigan stuck out his hand to get the Okama's attention, making his stop suddenly. The Okama was handed the front-most page of the notebook. Scowling, he squinted against the dying light of the sun, not understanding what he was seeing at first. It looked like a large, uneven circle, but upon closer examination, it was revealed to be a very roughly drawn map of an island. Above the picture, the word 'Srysa' had been written and underlined, and suddenly, Yonyon understood. He struck a match, watching as the picture was illuminated instantly.

The island had been divided up into four areas, each labelled through the middle: Desert, tundra, jungle, city. Yonyon blinked in confusion. ''Srysa... has deserts, snow and jungle, all on one island?''

Morrigan nodded as the Okama walked in front of him, pointing at the corner of the page. The island is located far north-west, as far away from the Grand Line as possible. The North of the island is cold and snows frequently because of its distance from the equator. The jungle and desert are located to the West and South, respectively. The city is located to the East. I came from the West, though spent plenty of time in the North with my mother.

''H-how is such an island possible? Snow and desert on the same tiny stretch of land?'' Yonyon muttered, squinting at each section in turn.

Morrigan grinned and started to scribble once again, his pencil moving erratically across the page as he struggled to write as much as he could as quickly as possible. The island isn't fixed, it floats atop the waves. It was once a fixed tropical island, located next to the Red Line, and was much further South. The underside of the island broke away after a particularly harsh storm, and so the island began to move with the currents. The further North it floats, the more Srysa will turn into a snow-island. It was the perfect cover for my mother; have you ever tried to locate a constantly moving island? Plenty of places to hide too... Srysa is where I'm from, and that's where I was trained.

''Ah, I see... Damn I can barely read a word you've written! You'll have to tell me more about it once we check in, we're almost there.'' Yonyon replied, blowing the flame from the match he held. Morrigan, not having the strength to nod, sat back a little further into his chair and sighed heavily as the lanterns of the town came into view.

The rest of their journey was completed in silence. Yonyon didn't ask any more obscure questions, and Morrigan didn't bother to write anything else down. Instead, both were content to simply enjoy the others company and the way that the quiet night became steadily louder as they entered through the town- gate. Most port towns never slept; this one was no exception. The Okama grinned as Morrigan's eyes scanned the crowd and bars ahead. ''Don't even think about it, Captain. It's gonna be a few weeks before you'll be able to leave the hotel room, much less 'enjoy' the night life here.''

Where are we, anyway? was the only reply he received as Morrigan lowered his head further, sulking.

''Karsa Town. Used to be very, very active on a night, until pirates started to attack our merchant ships. After a while, the Marines finally caught onto what had been going on, and set up a headquarters here. Since then, we haven't seen many pirates, but we don't get many merchant ships as we used to either. Still, the town thrives and the Marines keep to themselves... mostly.''

Mostly?

Yonyon nodded, bringing the wheelchair to a sudden halt outside a small, shabby building. ''Oh yes, the Marines here have been known to hit the taverns here too, on occasion. They almost make as much noise and mess as the pirates do.''

Morrigan laughed out loud at this, or tried to, breaking into a great hacking cough as Yonyon chuckled wheeled him inside.

Is that so? Well then... I suppose we'll have to pay them a visit!

''That we should, Captain. But first...''

Yeah yeah, I get it. I gotta rest, right? Same old song and dance with you.

Morrigan exhaled through his nose as he was wheeled into a small room that was only lit with three candles. Raising his head as much as he could without hurting himself further, he eyed the desk in front of him wearily as the Okama brought him to a slow halt.

''Well I never, if it isn't you, Yon! It's been quite a while since you stepped foot in here, how have you been?'' A gruff, elderly voice said. Morrigan couldn't quite see his face over the counter.

''It really has been too long, old man. You wouldn't happen to have a room spare for the next say... month or so? There have been some problems back at my place, and I have a patient that's in dire need of assistance. There's no way I can treat him properly back there.''

''Oh?'' The old man said, raising himself from his stool to get a better look at whoever the Okama was pushing. Morrigan pulled his hood further over his face automatically. The old man chuckled and handed Yonyon a battered key. ''For you, anything. The room is free of charge, as always... it's a pleasure having you back, Mr Castell.''

''You're too generous, Sallar, way too generous. And I'm afraid I must impose on your generosity further, old friend.'' Yonyon replied, his voice low. ''This man... is sought after by the Marines. Considering it is my duty to heal all who need it, regardless of their background or supposed crimes, I cannot let them arrest him, especially considering they're attempting to arrest him for crimes he never committed.''

''Say no more, friend, say no more. Room fifty three is available for you and your patient. If any Marines come asking questions, I'll send them on their way.'' The old man said, waving them off with a grin. Yonyon grinned back, thanked him again, then began to push his patient off down a corridor to the left.

''Hah...'' Morrigan rasped.

''Oh? Finally found your voice have you, shitty Captain? What's so funny?'' Yonyon said, amused.

''Funny? The world works in mysterious ways, shitty medic.'' Morrigan replied, his voice raw. Yonyon cringed at how painful it sounded and massaged his own throat thoughtfully as he wheeled his Captain further into the building.

''I'm afraid I don't quite follow you.''

''Heh... We've been given room fifty three, correct?''

''Oh, so you were listening! That's surprising, I thought you had fallen asleep, being pushed around in a wheelchair is so tiring, after all!''

''It's hilarious... We've been given room fifty three... Jaxxon was Captain of the Fifty Third Division. What are the chances?''

Yonyon moved his hand to the back of his neck, a strange feeling of unease making the hairs upon his arms stand up. As he reached a set of stairs and began to pull the chair up them backwards, he sighed and freed his mind of all doubt and worry. After a few minutes of struggling and ignoring Morrigan's insults and retorts, he brought the chair to a standstill and fumbled with the small key he had been given. He couldn't help but agree with what Morrigan had said. The world did indeed work in strange ways, and it did nothing short of setting him on edge. He could see his allocated room from the topmost stair and quickly moved towards it. With a click, the door swung open to reveal a surprisingly large room, complete with a double bed and a sizeable window which could be opened and used to gain access to a balcony that overlooked the busy street they had entered Karsa Town.

''Think you can stand on your own, Captain?'' Yonyon said, turning to the man in question. He raised his eyebrows in surprise as Morrigan had already lifted himself from his wheelchair and begun shuffling forwards awkwardly with the aid of his katanas.

''Of course I can... What do you take me for?'' Morrigan grinned, taking another unsteady step forward.

''A very... very lucky man...'' Yonyon whispered.

''Eh?'' Morrigan replied, pausing. ''Sorry, didn't quite catch that. Speak up, woman!''

Yonyon grinned and shook his head slightly before taking a step back and opening the door wider. ''Nothing Captain. You must be hearing things.''

[~]

Morrigan stared at the headboard in front of him with an intense expression of concentration. He clamped down his jaw, his teeth cutting into the leather cylinder between his lips as he breathed heavily through his nostrils.

''You need to relax, otherwise this will hurt much more than is necessary.'' Yonyon said from behind him. The young Captain rolled his eyes and spat the bit out, glaring at the teeth marks he had left upon its battered surface.

''Relax? You're cleaning my wounds... with a nail-brush. And why are you sat on my ass, can't you use a chair?''

Yonyon chuckled and shoved the leather bit back into Morrigan's mouth. ''Unless you want to bite your tongue to a bloody pulp again, I suggest you keep that in. I have to sit here, otherwise I won't be able to reach both sides of you at the same time. I should have known that Sallar would give us a room with a ridiculously large bed... and a high one at that. Not exactly ideal conditions for fixing up back wounds.''

Morrigan stuck both middle fingers up at the Okama from over his shoulder. It only served to amuse the man even more. ''That's more like it.'' he said, dunking the nail-brush into a small bucket of soapy water next to him. He rifled through his bag and pulled out a scalpel. ''Don't fidget, I'm removing your stitches.''

Morrigan grunted and swung his hips to the side defiantly, water sloshing over the rim of the bucket and onto the carpeted floor and almost making Yonyon fall from the bed. Yonyon retaliated by taking one of the stitches between his finger and thumb and yanking sharply. Morrigan hissed and glared at him. He spat the bit out once again. ''Bitch.''

''Fucker.''

''Asshole.''

''Bastard. Now what have I told you? Keep that damned thing in your mouth!'' Morrigan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Yonyon slapped him upside the head again and replaced the bit. ''And stop doing that! It's fucking creepy!''

He massaged his temple with his left hand, then placed it firmly against Morrigan's side. With his right, he inserted the tip of his scalpel into the track mark of each wound, the bladed edge facing up, and sliced clean through the thick, black stitches, wincing as he pulled them free. He had to give Morrigan some credit, it must have been incredibly painful to sit upright against the back of the wheelchair, yet he never heard the man complain once. Just as he was contemplating this, Morrigan spat the bit back out once again. ''Oi... clean them out, disinfect them, whatever... but don't restitch them.''

Yonyon's eye twitched, not believing what the young man had said at first. A few awkward moments of silence passed, the Okama's expression quickly changing from confusion, to awe, to anger. ''Are you mentally ill, or just stupid!?''

''Probably a bit of both, but I mean it. Leave them open.''

''You... want them to scar? Why on Earth-''

''Jaxxon thrives on fear. If that bastard is still alive, I want to show him his shitty little interrogation session did fuck all. I don't fear him and I'll wear that fact proudly on my skin.''

''Are you... Are you sure? They'll take weeks, months to heal...''

Morrigan's only answer was a defiant stare as he inserted the leather bit back between his teeth and bit down, hard.

[5341][~Fin]