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: 119.224.14.218
Posted on April 18, 2014 at 10:36:24 AM by Scarlet Nights
Step after stumble, stumble after fall...I will not fall. Her majesty was too late, her skull lined the mossy earth and her legs, at least three of them, had delicately folded under her, the fourth, a hind peg- stuck out at a odd, painful angle. It still wasn’t reset and the pain was now numbing her, rather than driving her, she was still only a mile from her borders when she had first scented the taint to the air. Blood. I left a pretty path to follow. She did not other to waste energy turning, but rather played the merry old tom fool and stumbled onwards, more scarlet than milk and less milk and honey than she had ever possessed. Paws grasped for distance, but her strength was awning. No wolf was invincible- but she could at least try. Scarlet was a determined ess of a devil, she never gave up and would never allow herself to be less stubborn- to allow pain and injury to rule her life. Death is a long time, my daughter. A snarl ripped out of her maw as her hind limb bumped the ground, the jolt of adrenaline brought on the dizziness she feared and her breath quickened. The borders. Get to my borders.
Paw steps evolved behind her, multiple assassins had obviously been timing this- waiting for her weakened state and then they would ambush her. She pressed on, step after agonizing step, dragging herself on three semi-useful limbs and tolerating the hindrance of the fourth. If it didn’t have the ability to end her life- she would she torn it off and been done with it. Murmurs, plans and whispers reached her ears. Rip out her throat and mount her. Teach her corpse the lesson her mind could not learn. She felt the urge to glance behind her and ignored it as the borders came into sight. The paw steps were getting louder and she hesitated to call for help, but the feeling of the closeness of another being made her instincts make up her mind for her. A howl burst forth from the borders, instinctive and primal in its passion. It wasn’t a call for help- it was a call for anything…anyone.
Snarls erupted behind her and she stopped perhaps twenty feet from the borderline. Nights had exhausted herself and she wasn’t sure shy she felt so damn tired. Her coat under her throat was saturated with thick, brownish-red blood. Clots fell away when she attempted a feeble shake and faced her opponents. A pack of coyotes had been harassing Abendrot’s border for some time. They enjoyed the leftovers Kershov put out for them- fine dining was Abendrot’s sector and they delivered 100% every time. Scarlet stood, legs shaking, frame convulsing in pain, her weaknesses served up to her like cheese on a sliver platter. A bolder coyote stepped forward and skulked left and right, her head tracked it lightly, as if she weren’t really paying attention. He lunged, testing her reactions and she blinked slowly. Did he really lunge or was it all in her head? The other coyotes started yipping and howling, calling to their brother to make the kill. Another stepped forward; a bigger one and it immediately took a chunk out of the smaller one, sending it back to the chorus line.
You. Nights smiled. Seeing her possible death was an amusing thought for her and as the coyote lunged left and right and finally upon her, she couldn’t help but let out a strangled, half mad laugh. The coyote collided clumsily with her; obviously it had expected her to dodge and was now panicing that it was touching cheekbones with her. Their eyes met and almost only the whites of its eyes showed, her eyes were soft, quiet and then…they weren’t. It was like the great white sharks eyes turning black before they blindly snap at their prey, Scarlet opened her trap and lunged forward, pushing of her hind legs, she heard s snap and again, screamed. A fiery relief came knowing that her hip was reset, not that it felt an different- still in agonizing pain, but somehow her body knew that things were slightly less broken and fucked up. The coyote landed on its back and in a moment, Scarlet had her jaws wrapped around its skinny pathetic neck and tore its throat wide open, sending a fine spray of crimson all over her. It always was my colour. While the last of the life spurted of her victims jugular, she closed her jaws over the rest of his neck and wrenched his whole head off his body.
With a flick of her painful neck, making a wound bleed inevitably more and ruin whatever slight slotting had formed; she threw the severed head of her victim to the feet of its family. It bounced twice and rolled into the pack, several stopped yipping and bent down to sniff it and then react. Most still yipped and yowled and another Coyote decided to try its luck. This one rushed her in an even more stupid fashion and Nights decided they didn’t get the point and lowered her frame to aim her cleats of his forepaw as he rushed past for a quick nip and run. It clamped home and she jerked back like a fisherman on his rod and heard a satisfying SNAP! to his lower radius and ulna. It started screaming, which silenced a few more coyotes from yipping, but Scarlet decided she really disliked that sound and reached down and grabbed his femur, holding his pelvis down, she wrenched upwards and dislocated his right hip socket, then wrenched her head again to snap his femur. Her latest victim was nothing but a writhing furry bundle at this point and the rest of its pack started backing up and melting into the woods. They were completely silent now. She watched them go, almost oblivious to the blinding pain and suffering at her paws. About a minute later, she looked down and murmured at the coyote.
I’ve had a terrible day, my dear fellow.
Replies:
- THE MAD KING - By KERSHOV April 19, 2014 at 05:51:53 PM
THE SCARLET QUEEN - By Scarlet Nights April 22, 2014 at 04:52:41 AM
THE MAD KING - By KERSHOV May 4, 2014 at 00:43:20 AM