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 February 16, 2013 at 05:55:52 AM by VLADYA
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“What the hell am I doing here?” Vladya asked the question aloud, truly and honestly very confused about why he was currently standing on an outcropping of rock overlooking the expansive river that divided this half of Abendrot from everything else. He did not remember how he got here. He didn’t remember anything from the past three days, actually; his memories were like hazy dreams, and his dreams were like cracked-out hallucinations, and every step he took without collapsing in terror or pain seemed like such an uncanny miracle that Vladya thought for sure he was dead. That would make the most sense, right? Death? He had probably kicked the bucket a week ago in his little den of agony. If the morose ghost felt like it, he bet he could stalk back to that dungeon and see that heap of rotting bones that had once been his broken body, smeared against the cold cave floor with crows pecking at his eye sockets. Kershov would be there, most likely. Pissing on his corpse. The thought made Vlad grimace as he stared blankly over the water. Fitting. Of course he would imagine Kershov pissing on him—that’s all the cruel Alpha had done the minute he finally captured his ex-gangmate. Moons ago, dwelling on that horrific memory would have had Vladya shuddering and wishing for instant death. He never wanted to relive the moment Kershov dragged him from his miserable little hole in the mountains and forced him in Abendrot. Overwhelming shame flooded that memory, a sense of wrongness and humiliation so complete and visceral that Vlad nearly bit out his own arteries to prevent himself from feeling it. It was abject doom and despair. Gluttonous guilt that ate his chest out and left him a hollow vessel of self-loathing. Nothing—nothing on earth—was worse than deserting one’s pack . . . at least, that was what Ker had taught his band of outlaws back on the tundra. Desertion equaled destruction, either from the merciless elements or from the deserted gang. You didn’t just ditch the wolves you had sworn your allegiance to—and yet that was precisely what Vladya had done. After the nightmarish war that had practically shredded Kershov’s old gang to pieces, the surviving brutes had promised to rendezvous. They had promised: an unbreakable oath. And what did Vlad do? Tuck tail and run when he had the chance. Like a fucking coward. Huh. Why didn’t that bother him right now? Vlad closed his pyrite eyes—one painted a lurid red from where an enemy had smashed the blood vessels in his iris—and blocked out the world, eyelids veiling the glittering river and the cold diamond stars up in the indigo velvet sky. His battle-scarred face slipped into an expression that was as close to relaxation as it could ever be. Ice-white hackles lay smooth along his stone-muscled shoulders. The pallid dog’s thick fur still grew in awkward clumps where it had been pulled violently from his flesh, but other than his obviously scruffy appearance, Vlad may have been an average soldier enjoying the night rather than a newly healed prisoner. Who did he have to thank for this blessed wholeness? Surely not those incompetent “Healers” Kershov so fondly shoved down the cave to prevent Vlad from perishing. The only things Vladya remembered about them were their obnoxiously gentle touches and their oddly robotic voices. They were cold, clinical. Unlike Kobato— Vladya gasped. His eyes shot open. How had he remembered her name?! “Son of a bitch,” the ivory rogue muttered to himself. Now his mind opened up like a freaking book, shoving pictures of her face as she sat outside his dungeon to the front of his thoughts, remembering the food she brought him and the incessant chatter of her deliriously cheerful voice. Shit. Kobato . . . hadn’t she visited him quite a few times already? How had she managed to slip past the patrols? How had she not been caught? And why the FUCK did she care about him so damn much? Panic leaked into Vladya’s brain; his heart rate accelerated as he tried to recall more information, like how often she had come to say hi, whether or not they had designated meeting times— Shit. Tonight was a meeting night, wasn’t it? THAT’S WHY HE WAS SITTING ON THIS MOON FORSAKEN ROCK. GOD DAMN IT. “Son of a bitch,” Vladya repeated. His flaming eyes scoured the shining wet banks for the slender form he was certain would show up. |
Replies:
- a small touch of happiness - By k o b a t o February 16, 2013 at 09:18:23 PM
I HATE MY LIFE - By VLADYA February 22, 2013 at 03:05:25 PM
a small touch of happiness - By k o b a t o March 1, 2013 at 00:34:53 AM