A/N: And here it is, ladies and gents. A little looksie into Shikimi's life without Miana. Starting with the ever popular fight scene!

The morning sun was leaking in through the breaks, and openings of the curtains hanging on the far wall from where he lay. Lenyunai slept fairly soundly next to him, her hair in a tangled array around her frame. He was sure he didn't look much better. Peeling himself away from his fiancée quietly, he got up and stretched, searching for his clothes.

He wanted to go home.

All the discussion with his soon to be father in-law was absolutely exhausting. He just wanted to go back to his hut, sleep on his bedroll, and maybe take a little play time with his human. After slipping into his clothes, he attempted to fix his hair and arrange his arm bands and the horns through his ears properly.

He turned back and looked over at the woman he was to marry in a very short amount of time. The great warrior was not nervous; no, he was never nervous about anything. He had too much self-respect and pride to let a simple girl make him anxious. No, the feeling pulsing through his frame as he thought of his impending matrimony could only be described as one thing: annoyance.

He was fairly annoyed. He knew, of course, that it was his duty to take a girl and make her a woman, but he really wasn't all that interested in it. Of course, that didn't matter at all. He had been betrothed to Lenyunai since her birth. He had been twenty-two winters, and he was looking down at his future bride, covered in embryonic fluids while his father discussed the details with his future father in-law.

How abysmal. He would much prefer to keep the life he had going. He liked his life. It made sense to him. No matter his status, or his popularity in the village, it was a fairly well known fact that he hated being the center of attention. He didn't like having people surrounding him and asking him questions, or giving him advice, or touching him, or flirting with him. He despised the entire institution.

If he could, Shikimi would live in his hut, do his job, pair with women, and never deal with talking to people. He didn't like people, generally. It wasn't because he was agoraphobic, he was just…recluse. She knew that. His little human girl at home knew that. She knew that he didn't like dealing with social situations in excess. She always seemed to understand what he was thinking, or what he was feeling when he walked through the door and seemed grumpier than usual. She always knew what went wrong without him having to explain it. He never needed to talk much around her, and he preferred it that way. He found their easy silences comforting.

With a small huff, the great warrior turned and exited the bedroom and began to exit out of the entire hut. His path was thwarted.

"Good morning, Shikimiyanakatari," His future father in-law, Moshanui, greeted easily. He was sitting at a low table on a cushion with one of his wives. Not Lenyunai's mother, but the other one, the young one, he noted. She was younger than Lenyunai. It was not unusual for this to happen of course, his father had a thirteen year old wife, while Shikimi's mother was getting up in her years, the lines showing on her pretty face. Lenyunai was fourteen winters (nearly fifteen), and Moshanui's wife was just twelve.

"Good day," He said expressionlessly. He did not wish to deal with this drivel at the moment. He wanted to go home.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Yes, I have to be getting home." He made no implications as to why. It was no one's business but his own. He had a human to feed. She hadn't eaten well yesterday, and had picked at her food at the festival, he was told. He was going to see if he could find her something nice today. Not rabbit. And not any kind of bird. Maybe a nice small cat? Kind of an 'I'm sorry' present, though he would never admit it aloud.

"Understandable," He smiled. "We have detained you," He waved his hand in salutation.

"Of course you haven't, Moshanui," He said, but also gave a sign of dismissal, and exited the hut. Of course they had detained him. They always found ways to keep him busy with them. It was apparent why. He thought of the slender, red headed dwarf of a human sitting in his hut this very instant. He knew that everyone in Zurahbi was aware of the workings of their relationship, but he found he couldn't quite care.

His image in the public eye was more a concern of his mothers', than of his. He leapt up onto the balcony of his hut, dropping to the woven floor gracefully. It was still fairly early, and he didn't have to go to council today. His father had told him so. When he saw that he was leaving with Lenyunai he told him to just take the day off. When asked why he was simply smiled at in that annoying predatory way and dismissed. Such a beast his father was…

He had never been all too fond of him. Much like his own heritage, Wjro'burankunipani was the product of a marriage arranged from a different village. His father had looked like all the men and women here in Zurahbi, whilst his mother had the blonde hair and the aqua eyes from a neighbouring village of warriors. Shikimi's own mother was from the same village as his grandmother. His heritage was also mixed, and so, he ended up looking the way he did.

Pale, and blond.

How dismal.

When he had been a child he had wanted nothing more than to look like the other children. He had wanted black hair, and bronze skin. His mother had of course scolded his wishes, and started giving him little talks about his heritage making him far more formidable, powerful, and impressive than the others.

"You are a diamond, and they are just rocks, my love," She used to say. Perhaps his childhood was filled with mild indoctrination, but he supposed it wasn't a terrible thing. In a way, what she said was true. He was stronger, faster, and deadlier than all the other warriors in the village. His heritage gave him some sort of advantage.

It was beneficial to him later in life. Not only was he the best warrior, but that made him the most eligible bachelor in Zurahbi. Every father had practically begged for him as a suitor for his daughter. All the women took great efforts to flatter him, and entice him. Hell, even the women in the bordellos rivalled one another for his attention. If he actually enjoyed it, it would be fine. But he didn't.

Not really.

He really, truly, hated being the center of attention. He would never admit it, and he would never allow it to break his composure, but it made him uncomfortable.

Shikimi slid the curtain aside and entered the hut. He stopped dead in his tracks the moment he entered. Where in the hell was she? He looked from every single wall all the way up to the ceiling. She was missing. His heartbeats increased in tempo. All the window curtains were opened, inviting in the breeze. There was a certain fragrance lingering in the air.

It was very light, as if someone had attempted to cover it up with great effort. It smelled like sweat. Had someone taken her? Had there been a struggle? His eyes narrowed drastically. Something was amiss…

Someone had taken his property. Someone had taken his human. Someone had taken his lover. But where, he wasn't sure…

Leaping back out of the hut, Shikimi hit the forest floor and perked. Her scent. It was here. It was faint but it was here. He felt relief flood his system. He took off in a run, following her trail. It took a little less than a few seconds before the smell got strong. And then something unusual happened.

Xan.

He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at him with surprise. The man before him stopped walking as well, and became tense like a spring. His face developed a scowl after the look of shock melted off. A slight breeze fluttered by and a new scent hit him with full force.

Shikimi felt like he had been smashed in the chest with a battering ram. Like a mountain had just fallen on top of him. He knew that scent well. It smelled like that of his girl. Why would he smell that way? He felt the rage build inside of him as his breathing became ragged and strained.

And then she peeked around him and gasped as his shoulders began shaking and shuddering and his hands trembled in an anger so catastrophic it was tangible. Fury melted into every fibre of his being. His mind was having a hard time registering what exactly was happening right before him. He didn't want this to be real. With a sudden surge of fury, Shikimi flew directly at Xan, teeth bared.

The blue-gray beast shoved the human woman, that belonged to him, into the bushes, getting her out of their way. But somehow this action only added to Shikimi's rage. When they slammed together. The two immediately became a slave to their primal instincts. There was only one thing running through Shikimi's mind as they began to fight, snarling, hissing, snapping, roaring, and grunting at one another.

Blood.

He was out for his blood.

He had touched something that was his. He had put his filthy hands all over his woman. He didn't actually know all the gory details, but Shikimi couldn't stop the pictures that were running rampantly through his mind, just fuelling the fire of his wrath. He couldn't stop imagining her panting and writhing beneath this trash as she did with him.

He could hear her faintly in the background as the two of them came barrelling out of the trees and back onto the path. Shikimi slammed him into a tree, attempting to choke the life out of the arrogant fuck as his midsection was mauled by an array of punches he didn't even feel in his blinding rage.

Xan punched him in the face, feeling his cheek crack beneath the force. Shikimi, still holding his throat threw him violently into another tree not far off. And he suddenly whipped around, his vision red as he heard just one word exit her mouth: "Stop,". She dare tell him to stop from killing this man that had put his hands on her body? He punched her directly in the side of the head. He had hit her ear, and he felt the small gust as he burst one of her eardrums. The blood exploded onto his hand as well. She was on the ground in an instant.

And that's when Xan came barrelling back, slamming into him again, and sending the two of them streaking out of the human woman's vision, and back into the forest.

The bastards' claws ripped violently at his stomach, but Shikimi just continued his assault on the man's face. His six sets of claws suddenly dug deeply into his chest and tore viciously. Shikimi grunted loudly at this action, and slammed him against another tree. Holding him there tightly enough that the little fuck couldn't move. He was too short, and Shikimi held him right off of the ground.

"You touched my woman," He hissed, his accusation causing the man to flinch. He slammed him against the tree harder, causing Xan to cringe again as the cuts on his back flowed freely. The fury Shikimi was feeling had to be completely warranted. He knew that. "Did you fuck my woman?" He barked in his face, slamming him again. The man closed his eyes. Shikimi repeated the action, and stated the question yet again. Xan remained silent. "Answer me you son of a bitch." He roared in his face.

"…Yes," He whispered. It was barely loud enough to make out, but Shikimi caught it. His stomach clenched angrily. He felt nauseous.

"Did she treat you well?" He hissed, his voice coming out like he had never heard it before. It was so low and hard. Xan closed his eyes tightly. "Was she any good? Was she just what you expected? Or was it better than that? Was she a really loud moaner? She usually is." His voice went from being low and level to even lower and furious.

Xan opened his eyes and looked directly into Shikimi's. He looked cocky suddenly. He knew he was going to die. He knew Shikimi would take his life. Why shouldn't he have the last laugh? "Probably louder than you've ever managed to get her."

And that would be the last thing he would ever say. Shikimi's eyes glazed red and his hand tightened around Xan's throat, blocking his airway completely. He gripped his hair and the red blood splattered against his chest and throat as he dismembered him entirely.

The headless corpse then fell limply and lay at his feet. Rigor mortis induced twitching proceeded shortly after. "Not likely, you fuck," He hissed, spitting on the face he held in his hand and tossing it over his shoulder. He stood thus for a long moment, trembling and silent. Something within him snapped. His shouts could probably be heard for a good thousand yards as he punched the tree before him, dripping with the blood of his enemy still.

He tore himself from that and gripped the arms of the body and tore them off, throwing them into the distance with more loud yells of anger, and despair. He then proceeded to do the same thing with the legs. His bellows began to decrease in volume. Soon he was just leaning his face against the thick tree, breathing heavily with his eyes closed.

Never in his life had he felt such an intense pain. Such anguish. He was angry. He was betrayed. He was something he had never before believed existed.

He was broken hearted.

His chest felt horribly pained. Never in his life had he felt such a deep seeded anguish. She had betrayed him. She had betrayed his trust. She had betrayed everything he thought they had together.

It took a long while before he could force himself upright, and another long moment before he could even begin to make the trek back. His footsteps were slow and heavy. He felt as if his legs were made of lead. Where would she be right now? Would she have run off? Was she where he had left her bleeding and lying on her side?

Though he told himself he shouldn't, he couldn't stop himself from wondering where she was. Was she alright? Though he knew he shouldn't care, he wanted to know if she was hurt. Had he hurt her…?

She hurt him! She was the one who had hurt him. Why was he not allowed to hurt her back, and certainly not as deeply? He had every right to hit her. He had smacked her, albeit lightly, for much lesser offences. Surely he was entitled. But somehow, he didn't feel like he was. He didn't feel entitled. Somehow…he felt as if this all must be his fault.

Did he not give her everything she needed? Shelter, food, clothes, jewellery? Yes, he had given her a hair band, and a wristband. Leather and beaded, like his. The trinkets that men give girls when they are courting them. His parents had noticed and been quite unimpressed. He didn't care. Miana was supposed to be his. She was supposed to be his little human woman…

And image of Xan flashed through his mind and his steps felt heavier.

Shikimi headed towards the village and as he got nearer the scent of her blood became more prominent. Was she waiting there? He stepped out of the foliage and his suspicions were confirmed. She sat against the base of the tree that held their hut and stared blankly at the ground. She didn't even seem to notice him.

Shikimi watched her silently for a short moment before stepping forward. She made no movement. She didn't even blink. He was now standing right beside her and she continued to say nothing. She continued to restrict movement entirely.

"Say something," He said. His voice would have surprised him if he had not been so focused on her face. She flinched at the tone of his voice. There was a pause, and she finally opened her mouth.

"What…do I say?" She whispered. Her voice sounded so distant. She sounded almost as dead as he felt.

"Something," He whispered. Anything, he thought.

She started to slowly look up at him. Her half lidded eyes scanning his body and taking in his wounds. She looked as if she was going to be sick when she spotted his chest, the flesh hanging, revealing the slimy looking muscle beneath. Miana suddenly looked focused as she looked up at his face, like she was contemplating something very hard. Like she was making some kind of note in her mind. And while she did this, she looked so sad. Not the kind of sobbing sadness he had expected, but that deadened sadness that made her look lost and dazed.

"Say something," He mandated as she continued to sit silently. His tone did not change. He couldn't have forced it to. He was too shocked, he assumed. The whole morning was too shocking of a realization.

"Shikimi," She whimpered. Her suddenly saying his name brought on a new round of anger. Never in his life had he felt so many different emotions flitting around in his body at once. His legs, still feeling too heavy suddenly seemed to give out and he abruptly slapped her across the face. She did nothing.

Cry, He suddenly thought to himself. He wanted to watch her anguish. He wanted her to hurt half as much as he did.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. His eyes narrowed in fury and slapped her again, harder this time. They sat silently for a short moment and then the anger that swarmed his mind was deafening. He slapped her again. And then again.

"Why…?" He whispered, watching her face closely. He was desperately looking for a sign. A signal that would help him unravel this puzzle that was her betrayal. She was silent. He tried again. "Why…with him?" He demanded. His hands fell to his sides limply and his breathing became erratic. He felt like his heart was being squeezed. He was trying his best to control the sudden feelings swarming him, but he found there were simply too many of them at once to get rid of. This deafening hurt and sadness was trying to drown him.

"…I was…" She whispered. She stopped and closed her eyes, like she wasn't sure what she should say next.

"…Why?" He whispered again. The pause was painful. He needed to hear her speak. He needed to hear her reasoning. There had to be an explanation for this. There just had to be…

Her eyes became wet and her breathing became erratic and ragged. Her crying usually annoyed him, but for some reason he felt an almost dark pleasure from her pain. "...I love you…" Miana blubbered, tears pouring out of her green eyes now. He was staggered by such an answer.

"So you betray me…" Shikimi whispered turning his face away, feeling her sudden tears no longer gave him pleasure, but discomfort.

"You're marrying her any day now and then you're going to leave me." She bawled. This wasn't true. But Shikimi decided it was better to stay silent on the subject. Didn't she know anything about Zurahbi yet? Didn't she understand that monogamy was not a principle practiced by the men of the village? He was going to bring her along to the new house with him, and Lenyunai. She would have a room all of her own…One with a few nice animal skins to pick from, and some beads she could wear in her pretty red hair…

"So you let him fuck you?" Shikimi suddenly barked. He was too infuriated by the thought to watch his tone with her. He had no reason to. She had betrayed him… Why should he give a damn about her feelings?

And yet he still did…

How pitiful a man he was.

When she nodded he felt another surge of fury. He grabbed her shoulders and slammed her against the trunk of the tree. She truly was the size of a child. "In my house?" He whispered. His voice was trembling again, as his heart constricted painfully. "In our bed?"

"I'm sorry," She cried. They sat for a long moment like this. She was sobbing and he was shuddering and shaking. "I love you," She whimpered through her sobs. He moved his hands away from her shoulders slowly, letting them hand limply at his sides. Why were these three stupid words making it hard to breathe? Why were three stupid words making his heart hurt, and his body tremble.

"I don't love you…" He began to say, but it didn't seem right. "…Now…" He added shortly after. Just saying it made it even harder to breathe than before. "Get away…" He snarled at her, furious that she was bringing out all of these stupid feelings that were making him feel pain like never before. He backed away from her, hoping it was maybe their proximity that was causing his chest to feel tight like this.

Shikimi stood, backing away from her even further. "Leave," He mumbled. He turned away from her and trembled slightly. "I never want to fucking see your face again…"

"Please," She sobbed. "Please no," She stumbled up to her feet. "Please, don't,"

"Leave," He whispered again. His heart was thumping wildly now. Every beat stung. She remained behind him. "Go," He barked suddenly, whipping around to look at her with fury. "I never want to see you again!"

"…Why…" She sobbed. "Why can't we do what we just usually do? Why can't you just be mad and hit me until it's over?" She begged him.

"I don't think I could ever possibly strike you enough…for me to feel better about this…" He closed his eyes and took another ragged breath that stung him internally. "I couldn't even…start to feel better about this…" His shoulders shuddered again as Shikimi's breathing became more and more forced. He felt suffocated. "Get out of my life, and don't you ever come back."

She stood before him for a long moment, sniffling and looking around herself. Not only did she look panicked, she looked confused. Well, there was no reason not to set her off in the right direction. He was upset, not sadistic. He pointed out the way she needed to go, and told her how to get home. Her eyes followed the direction he pointed out to her.

"Go," He whispered. He began to walk back to the base of the tree but he felt her small human hand reach out and gently touch his back. A million memories raced back into his mind at once. Each one needing to be visited and mourned equally.

Their first meeting. Their first night together. The first time he took her to his special spot. The first time she had an orgasm while they made love. The first time she kissed him. The first time she held him tightly, though he had pretended not to notice. Her kiss. Her touch. Her compassion. Her shyness. Her excitement. Her questions; her endless questions. Her frailties. Her strength. Her tears. Her laughter. Her sadness. Her joy. Her companionship. Her moans. Her softness. Her gentleness. Her desperation.

Her love.

"Go," He whispered, rushing up the trees to get away from that touch. He needed to get away from that gentle touch. The one he loved so much. Given to him by the woman he loved so much. Too much.

Shikimi landed on the balcony of their hut. Everything seemed so much more quiet. Everything seemed darker. Everything seemed…dead. He walked into the hut slowly, looking around the space with a bored, and yet clinical, eye.

He made his way over to the end of the room and opened a small trunk. From the wooden box he pulled out a plain white cotton dress. Very much human apparel, simply by the look and feel of it. He sat down on the woven floor and dragged his fingers across the material.

Shoulders shaking, Shikimi looked around the hut. He finally understood something that his small human woman had been saying for a long while. He finally noticed it too.

It was very quiet.

And he had never felt this feeling rush his body before. But it came out of nowhere, demanding his attention. Shikimi trembled.

He was suddenly…very much alone.

A/N: My poor baby

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