Shadowkill

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Savant 4 (speaking to notepad):

It begins to look like we’ve managed to break the very close kin-bond between this subject 3F (native name: Kinefray) and the control subject 3A (native name: Azram)… unfortunately this seems to require large and frequently repeated doses of CPF24sub2 combined with Levastrayin and trace quantities of the ananile called Dragon’s Blood… the result does not justify the expense for anything but purposes of research… the rapid metabolizing of these drugs by this species complicates the study… in addition, there seems a slow deterioration in the physical well-being that we have so far been unable to check, especially when this is combined with the effluents of rage…, see the reports of subject 3Tj (native name: Tejnor)…

NOTE: Final report on 3Tj submitted at this point to the panel of Savants. 3Tj dead of massive cerebral accident during forcible administration of a new drug series. See Flake DDY-37 for details of incident and autopsy.

Azram rolled up his left sleeve, working with meticulous care, getting the folds smooth and even. He cut a deep scratch in his forearm, watched the blood ooze out. Holding his arm level, he got up, crossed to Kinefray’s side of the cell, and dropped beside him.

Kinefray’s ears twitched as the blood smell reached him, but he didn’t look around, just stared at the dusty gray floor.

Azram watched the dark red liquid round into beads on his fur. When he thought there was enough of it, he wiped his hand across it; in a continuation of the same motion, he smeared the blood across his cousin’s face.

Kinefray screamed, lunged up, and leaped at Azram.

Azram ducked away, circled him, batting at the hands reaching for him, claws out. He kept his claws carefully sheathed; at first he was afraid, but his reaction time was unimpeded by drugging, so he was much faster and stronger than his cousin.

Kinefray snarled, slashed at him-but seemed to realize finally that there was no threat here, seemed to realize finally that this was only Patti-Paw. Confused and uncertain, he retracted his claws.

Azram darted in, caught him about the torso, and muscled him to the cell floor.

In minutes they were play-fighting, wrestling vigorously, even enjoying themselves…