Celosia

While in Shadowglen, Elfric, Hanji, Teba, Ragnarok, Stryker and Asch are investigating reports of Wroles causing havoc to the landscape, and are threaning the pumpkin patch which is set to open for Morostide soon. After a few hours of trailing and tracking Wroles all over Shadowglen, Asch smells something. It smells of death and disease, not far from where they're at. But the smell is also familiar somehow. Silently, he wanders off.

"Asch? where are you going?" Ragnarok asks after noticing the big cat disappearing into the woods. The others look up in confusion, shrug and decide to follow after him.

Asch enters a clearing, and tries to figure out where the scent trail goes next.

"Hey, we're busy tracking Wroles, not antlephore or whatever you eat normally," Stryker chides as the group catches up.

"No, it's not that. Can't you smell it too?"

"I thought it was the smell of all the Wroles we've been slaying," Hanji explains. Ragnarok and Teba nod in agreement.

"But, this is different. It's familiar somehow."

"What's it smell like then?" Elfric asks, approaching the side of the cat, scenting the air but unsure. "Now that you mention it, this is different than the smell of dead Wroles."

Asch says nothing and walks further into the clearing. He picks up the smell again and he runs off in the direction where its strongest.
Soon, they cross through the woods again and before they enter another clearing, Asch stops suddenly. He stares in disbelief and feels the ridge on the back of his neck bristle in fear. A clan of Tigreans lay deceased and rotting in the clearing.

"How unfortunate," Teba laments as he catches up to his friend. "Do you suppose another clan wiped them out?"

"No...this smells like, disease."

"We'd better not get close then, lest we all want to end up on our deathbeds prematurely," Stryker coos. "I believe the smell of other felines is why it drew you in."

"Wait, there's movement over by that deceased Arid Tigrean!" Hanji exclaims.

Sure enough, a little Sun Tigrean cub pops her head up, looking to the forest where the guild is hiding. She cries out, and Asch rushes out, disregarding Stryker's warning. The two cats go nose-to-nose and the cub's eyes well up with tears. She embraces Asch's right front leg and begins to sob. Asch comforts the cub, resting his left front paw on her back. There was nothing to be said about what had happened. The cub looks off to the side, and Asch notices Hanji has also joined them, but she holds a cloth over her nose.

"She's all alone, Miss Hanji. Who knows how long she's been here like this. What can we do?"

"M-my mommy and daddy, they went to sleep and never woke up again. Everybody fell asleep and never woke up. W-will it happen to me too?" the cub squeaks, trembling in Asch's embrace. The soldier and captain exchange looks of concern before Hanji reaches out to scratch the cub's head.

"No, little cub, we're going to get you out of here and keep you safe" she comforts.
"B-but what about everyone?"
"I'm afraid we can do no more for them. It's dangerous," Asch's voice nearly broke. Surely the cub wanted her clan to be properly buried, but it was a risk to touch any of them out of fear of disease. The cub was going to have to be quarantined too if they brought her back. Hanji whispered to Asch, "We can at least come back and burn the bodies, to be safe." The Celinox nodded.

"What is your name?" Asch asked the Tigrean cub, who looked a bit more hopeful now.
"Celosia. My mommy said it stands for 'the prettiest flower who burns bright like fire'."
"That's a very pretty name, Celosia. We're going to go back home now, and we'll all take care of you from now on, okay?" The cub sniffles, but agrees.

In the forest, observing from a distance to minimize risk of others being contaminated, Stryker sighs. "Such a pity for a young cub to lose all her loved ones and be a sole survivor. Also a pity I can't collect the skulls."

Teba, Ragnarok and Elfric glared at the Irion. He shrugged indifferently. "At least if the mother's skull could be claimed, then the cub would have a memento to keep, is all I was going to say." The three continued to look unimpressed, and stepped out to greet Asch and Hanji along with Celosia, ignoring the bird. He clicked his beak in defeat. Celosia's eyes lit up brightly upon seeing Stryker.

"Your feathers are very pretty! My...family, they wore feathers to represent who did what for the clan. I haven't earned my feathers yet." Her began to well up again as realization set in further. "and now I never will."

Stryker stares at the cub, before plucking out one of his head feathers. It shone bright green at the tip. He carefully placed the feather in Celosia's neck fur.

"Yes you will. We will make sure of it," the Irion clucked, remembering also to smile earnestly. Celosia returned the smile and ran to embrace Stryker. He was taken aback, but patted her on the back once he recovered quickly.