Just as he reached the river that bisected the four packs the sky began to blush, if only in the slightest, the eastern edges growing a lighter navy. Dawn was still some time away, and the starry beasts would reign over the sky for a few hours longer, saying their lingering goodbyes to the treetops. His sapphire pools lingered on the heavens a few more seconds, pupils wide in the dim light. It was beautiful. Yes, as a bloody guy he could say those sorts of words too. That was the only word he could use to describe it, in all reality, and he wasn’t ashamed for it one bit. Still, he had a task ahead of him, that tingling in his brain returning and Serris returned his attention to the flowing water before his chest, wide and deep but certainly crossable. Picking his way down a slight ridge, careful of the loose soil and falling rocks beneath him, the hessian found himself at the river’s edge, hesitating only a second before wading into the cool stream. The water bit at his flesh, bitter from the snow runoff of the mountains and the atmosphere of the night, but his pelt was thick and proper and he drifted out without much difficulty. About a third of the way across his limbs began to scramble in open water, changing from a slow underwater walk to a serene dog paddle. He had always loved the water. Even when he was miles away from home, beaten and depressed, water was always his savoir. Just the way that everything was connected, everything flowed so smoothly, not getting mad about the rocks in the road but simple choosing to go around and continue as life should. For hours he had sat by streams and rivers, pools and oceans, puddles in caves and waterfalls on cliffs. Each time he learned something new about the clear substance and something new about life, a profound epiphany that he locked deep within his chest and shared with only the rare few. Refocusing his attention on his current situation, Serris felt his breathing quicken, not out of strain or panic but out of the growing need for oxygen in his muscles. He was more than half now, and with a slight glance up and down stream he realized that this must be one of the deepest parts of the river. Just his luck to cross where the current ran deepest. But in a way the brujo much preferred it this way; he got to spend more time with his favorite element, more time being washed and drowned in knowledge. Ah, he would definitely make this river a special place for him, once he claimed his pack. The brute smirked right as he fores contacted solid rock. Ah yes, there it was, wasn’t it? A pack of his own. It had never really been an ambition of his, but the prospect had always sat festering in the corner of his mind, waiting to be fully realized. And now was his time. Slowly dragging his limbs through and out of the water, the mighty brute gave a shake of his obsidian pelt, water droplets spotting the ground around him, creating a sort of brown cheetah beneath his feet. Looking down with smug satisfaction at his impromptu artwork, Serris pushed on.
Finally, after another hour or so and padding along the lesser known forest trails, the vampire found himself in a land he found increasingly more appetizing. The most noticeable thing was the air, scenting of death, strong and putrid. Sure, it wasn’t like he was obsessed with the stench or anything, but any mildly insane creature could relate to that musk in some way. For many it had shaped lives. But while most wolves chose to stop at the surface of the perfume, Serris dove deeper, ebon nares going to work at the tip of his muzzle. The sugary sweet amber of maple, the tang of blackberry bushes, the musk of ferret and badger. Even the elusive scent of nectar didn’t escape his nose, thick and juicy in the night air. Ah, it was glorious. And the views backed up his surging emotions, the tall, dark, handsome trees that rose around his slender skeleton like columns of a temple, welcoming him to his new land. Yes, this had to be the one, without a doubt. The irritation had now blazed into a fire, wild and raging and mad within him. For one who was fond of water he had quite the flame. A few more comfortable paces into the territory and he finally came upon the border, the weakening stench of a strong female power masked by the sharp new urine of a male, although that too was beginning to fade. Incompetent Alphas didn’t keep up on their borders, and the brute’s respect for the current leader plummeted as a result. Before he might have felt the slightest bit bad about intruding and claiming this as his own, but now he knew he would be doing the land a favor, enacting a King that would actually care for his subjects and keep a tight grip on all of the pack matters. And keep the damn border markers fresh. A new steely determination glossing in his orbs, Serris boldly stepped over the border, just a few steps, until when he sat down his rump was squarely set upon the line. Disrespectful? Only to the weak of confidence. Sentries perked and listening, the hessian considered just sitting and waiting for some member of the pack to find him patiently waiting, biding his time. But no, this was a challenge, a real battle of will and strength, and he would do this right. Lifting his gray-masked pate to the dappled atmosphere above, Serris let his muzzle drop open and his song slip out. It was quiet first, contained, letting the mountains warm up to his voice, deep and demanding and urgent. But then he let it swell, jaw dropping even more, tongue dancing within its cave, sound gurgling and bubbling out of him like water from a well, forced out. There he let it quiver, throat turning raw and dry, before tapering the sound and letting it fall off into the trees, echoing between the mighty trunks. But, as the trees often swallowed many a stranger’s cry, these monoliths helped the sound along, developed it as it sunk into the cracks in their bark and squirmed its way back out to find another victim. Yes, this was his Mother helping him, as he always knew she would. The lingering notes lasted an eternity, reaching far around him, sinking into the distant valleys and crashing against the side of mountains like waves breaking along the shore. But then all was quiet again, as quiet as night could possibly be anyway, and Serris drew in a long breath, his indigo portals closing with the bliss of that simple action. Releasing a content sigh, the raven male turned his attention once more towards the sky, orbs softening at the sight of dawn just around the horizon, hanging on the edges of the world just waiting to spring up and surprise them all with another splendid sunrise. Beautiful. Just beautiful.
S E R R I S
Demon | Adult | Packless | Loveless | Mindless | Mimi
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