The forest stands tall and lush here; ancient trees reach weather-twisted arms to the sky, fighting monster-like storm clouds back with their interlacing fingers. Shadow seems to lurk everywhere you look, but it spills calmly, coolly, inspiring a sense of stealthy calm or protection rather than unease. That is, if you've forgotten what kind of creature might be stalking just out of sight...Abendrot is a land cradled by the dark woods on all sides; in the center, some of the larger trees stay behind to reveal a small plateau - a citadel where this pack can gather and defend itself from invaders. There are, of course, softer sides to the land. Clearings here and there allow the sun to throw down its rays in incongruously resplendent gold showers. Ignore the lingering scents of blood spattered here and there along the borders: those do not concern you. The river on one edge of the territory is playful enough when it hasn't been gorged by violent rain. You can choose to note the ragged claw marks raked down tree trunks and the forest floor as friendly "Home Sweet Home" signs, if you wish.
All who treasure loyalty, order, victory, and the occasional indulgence of raw visceral pleasure are welcome, once they've been approved by the ever-watchful eyes of Abendrot's Alpha. But keep one thing in mind: no matter what your motive, this is not a fool's Paradise. This is the land of soldiers, assassins, and spies. This is ABENDROT.
Make up your mind quickly and prepare to prove your worth. You wouldn't want to add to those blood spatters, would you...?
IP: 76.243.46.249
Posted on September 30, 2012 at 09:48:05 PM by KERSHOV
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Kershov halted just as he crossed the border, paws suddenly stopping, forcing the battered brute behind him to almost run into his haunches. The Alpha spun around and snarled in his prisoner’s wretched face. His imperial hackles spiked into shards of ice along his spine. “Be still, damn you!” In reply, Vladya could only cower, dropping to the ground with his tail between his legs and forepaws crossed over his chest for mercy. Kershov ignored the entreaty and promptly tore into his ex-soldier’s shoulder, teeth sawing at Vlad’s flesh until the cur shrieked like a pup, unable to bear the vicious assault. “I. Said. Be. Still.” With each grunted word the ivory warrior wrenched at the slave’s skin. Harder. Harder. Harder. The Alpha’s muzzle had been drenched by blood long ago, but now fresh spatters worked their way up his fangs and over his cheekbones, coating his tongue, warming his throat. Finally Ker used his teeth to flip Vladya onto his bruised side. Vlad curled into a fetal position and lay shuddering at Kershov’s paws. And Kershov still wasn’t satisfied with the torture. He slammed a massive forepaw on Vlad’s wounded shoulder, eliciting another muffled scream. “What do you smell, Blood-Eye?” Kershov hissed glacially. His voice dripped from his bloodied mouth like frost on bones. “There is something that does not belong on my border. Can you tell what it is?” Ker ground his foot into the gaping teeth-marks on his prisoner’s hide before dragging that paw up to mash Vladya’s face into the dirt, claws splayed out near Vladya’s swollen eyes. Well, it wasn’t quite dirt anymore—Vlad had bled too much for the ground to be dry. Vladya lay in the quagmire of his own leaking life. Lovely. “Even you should be able to tell that someone has trespassed here, Blood-Eye. Someone not of my army. A loner. A coward. And what, pray tell, do you detect beyond that lovely little slick of information?” Vladya dare not answer . . . yet he could sense some vague and vile deed clinging to the outside scent that rivaled the torment oozing out of his own skin. Pain. The scent twisted around the intruder’s cologne was pain. Kershov dug his talons into the flesh of Vladya’s skull. He did not coax any rubies past the surface of the broken dog’s white fur, yet even so Vlad nearly cried out in agony. “While I have wasted my time dealing with you, one of my own has been harmed. How do you think that has affected me, you rotten, putrid, pathetic little piece of shit?” Obsidian eyes narrowed in frigid sub-zero rage. When Kershov spoke again, his tone could have cracked metal. “If my property has been ruined beyond repair, you will die. And it will be slow.” Shark’s jaws clamped around Vlad’s throat and hauled the shivering prisoner to his paws. As Kershov stepped over the revolting trail streaking past Abendrot’s wall, Vladya limped and whimpered behind him, hopelessness hanging from his neck like a noose. The slave flinched when an Abendrot soldier’s howl split the air. Well. Just in time for the hanging. Commanding his charge to keep up under penalty of further torture, Kershov broke into a gallop, toward the source of Scorpio’s call. By the time the almighty Pharaoh had reached his destination, many of his army had already assembled. Ker’s black glare sliced straight toward Ruhani. Though he had not heard her explanation, he could guess by her wounds what had happened. A blizzard roar built in his chest and throttled his vocal chords with a resonate rumble. Blistering wrath twisted his innards into knots. Whoever this bastard was that had broken into his kingdom and injured his property and scoffed at his pack’s honor was as good as murdered. The only question that remained would be who would get to do the killing . . . Vlad lurched in behind Kershov and collapsed about four yards away from the rest of the military, sides heaving with effort. The moonwhite monster didn’t even spare the wounded mutt a glance. “I am going to condone the fact that a dead man is still walking outside of our land for now, because I know that he will not be walking for long. I cannot be disappointed that you responded to a packmember’s distress.” Although achingly cold and ruthlessly controlled, a growl still managed to reverberate through Kershov’s dark lyrics. He looked upon each soldier in turn, neither in praise nor in condemnation. “However . . . if this is allowed to happen again, let it be known that your ranks will be thinned until only those capable of defending their pack are left standing.” He glanced carelessly over his shoulder at Vladya’s barely animated corpse. “Meet your new chew toy. You will lucky to receive his fate should you fail me.” [OOC: Vladya is an arctic wolf male with a stark white pelt and eyes of an indistinguishable color, since they are swollen almost completely shut. He's bleeding on the ground a little ways off, so feel free to glance at him and then ignore him. I'll post as Vlad later] | |
Replies:
- hope can't save you now [done] - By fallacy September 29, 2012 at 12:53:52 PM
I am the sword in the darkness - By Marx October 5, 2012 at 04:18:59 AM
FROZEN MASS GRAVE - By KERSHOV October 16, 2012 at 08:56:09 PM
The Killer of Autumn - By AutumnLeaf October 22, 2012 at 00:29:47 AM
- By ff October 7, 2012 at 10:27:52 PM
- - By - September 30, 2012 at 08:45:30 PM