Rogan sensed Diosa’s presence the way someone might feel a delicious breeze ruffling their fur - a tactile, comforting aura that pressed near and automatically made Rogan sigh in relief. The only scent that clung to the Vampire Princess was that of her faint, salty tears… but these had dried by the time the dark damsel reached her saidu, her paws delicately dancing across the terra as she drew closer despite the healing wound still tugging at her hind limb. She looked exhausted. Forlorn. And yet, beyond the sadness gripping her soul, Rogan could see fragile notes of joy flickering in her ruby lanterns as the luscious scents of the jungle embraced her. Grinning widely, the russet warrior greeted his maker by giving her a brotherly nuzzle into the dusky fur of her nape, right in the spot where earthen hairs mingled with the vivid red of her bloodmark, while she in turn pressed her muzzle against the side of his neck. “We won’t lose this territory again so easily,” Rogan promised. He puffed out his deep chest, tail sailing dominantly over his spine. “The first thing I’ll do is hunt down those damn flowers and rip each and every one out of the ground. Then I’ll start marking the border with claw-marks and prey’s blood…”

He continued murmuring out his plans - a collection of wolves to sate their thirst, a guard to keep the vampires safe during daylight, nightly patrols - and did not pause until the sounds of somebody pushing through the underbrush met his auds. Or, rather, two somebodies. He could hear hapless paws crunching over wide leaves and fallen twigs, could eventually smell the musks of one femme and one… male tangled in the humid forest air. Rogan had a split second to think Printesa? before the male’s cologne overwhelmed his mind. The rust-hued beast was not aware of leaving Diosa’s side - and yet he somehow ended up plunging through the darkness to meet Printesa before she fully entered the clearing. He’d been introduced to the misery-soaked ess near Drylic Cofa; she’d asked the foul monster Draven to end her life, but after a rather odd and confusing conversation Rogan had managed to convince her to come to Caidir Olc - if only for a short time, so she could rediscover a purpose for her seemingly empty life. But it wasn’t the black lass that had Rogan’s undivided attention. No - his blazing scarlet irises trained with intense focus upon the stranger she dragged with her.

The male was much, much smaller than Rogan. Nearly faerie-like, actually, with features most would describe as “pretty” instead of “handsome.” In the shadows of night and bathed by the red glow of Rogan’s vision, the boy’s actual fur color was mostly concealed… yet the Vampire King could discern soft shades of pink and blue sewn into the creature’s pelt. Flower colors - unnatural and strikingly beautiful. This outward charm amazed Rogan on its own. He felt as if he could stare at this bizarre wolf forever. And still there was something else that held the predator rapt, that had him straining in his skin, fangs extending past his jaw and dripping venom, his hackles prickling, arousal burning through his blood, dead heart hammering faster. That SCENT. That incredible, wonderful, delectable reek that rolled off the other male’s fur and purled into the atmosphere and caressed Rogan’s nares with heinous, intoxicating promise. The hunter had tasted a whiff of this magnificent cologne once before during the heated battle with the Tempests - except that had been a mere shred, a single thread compared to the overwhelming tapestry offered to him now. Saliva pooled in his mouth and dribbled unabashedly between the corners of his twitching lips. He wanted to rip this wolf’s head off and stuff his muzzle into the gory puddle of his throat and drink until he burst like a tick. He wanted to crack the rainbow’s ribcage like a nutshell and swallow his mouth-watering heart whole. He wanted to slurp up those appetizing veins like pasta noodles and gorge himself on blood and wear that impossibly colored pelt like a fine robe -

“A… present?” Rogan’s voice left him raw and ragged, a skein of drool leaving his mouth and dripping to the ground between his paws. He realized he had leaned uncomfortably close into the stranger’s personal space and quickly drew himself back with a startled growl. Smoldering hellportals sought out his master’s visage. “Diosa - do you smell him? What is it? I want to eat him so badly I could...” He couldn’t finish the thought. A savage snarl rippled through him as a horrific hunger pang punched him in the guts. It was as if the rainbow freak were begging Rogan to rip into his arteries already. And at the same time… the colorful thing made Rogan feel… happy, almost? Insanely hungry, but… hopeful? He desired to murder the shit out of the stranger, and at the same time he felt as if he could curl up next to the brute and fall peacefully asleep. The energy radiating from the rainbow wolf simultaneously calmed and tempted the vampire and he had no idea what to do with himself. He finally glanced at Printesa, who had hung her head low and was staring sullenly at the dirt. Rogan reached out to press a forepaw under her chin, raising her gaze upward.

“I don’t know what the hell this is, but thank you. Do you think… are there more of these in Blossom Forest? Could you find a way to bring more here?” Imagine - an entire fleet of these beautifully painted animals reclining in Caidir Olc. Sumptuous snacks to eat whenever they wanted. Lovely bodies to lay next to when the sun rose. Rogan didn’t even know what they were and he already wanted at least twenty of them. Again he peered at Diosa, wagging his tail like an excited little boy. “Should we eat this now? Or later? Or should we savor him? Printesa said to do what we will…”

Funny how Rogan had gone through the trouble of securing the kingdom and gathering recruits, and he nonetheless deferred to his sweoster. Of course, given how very, very badly he wanted to devour the rainbow, he probably would have lunged at the poor boy’s neck anyway if it hadn’t been for the lure of fresh blood.

Not wolf blood - this was the leaking life force of a crocodilian. Since the reptiles were predators themselves, Rogan had successfully kept his thirst at bay at least once by consuming a caiman’s blood. He turned his head, ears perking forward with interest as another stranger waltzed into view. This one must have been drawn in by his open call… the unique soldier did not hold himself aggressively, as if to challenge the gathered wolves, and in fact appeared curious about Rogan’s small party. Pulling himself away from the temptation of the rainbow was like peeling himself out of a thorny, grasping briar patch, but the vampire succeeded; he turned to face the newcomer fully, silently sizing him up with calculating oceans of lava.

The opposing hessian surely possessed confidence in surplus. He easily swung his latest kill from his back, blood beading down his uncommonly short fur, and immediately dug in as if Caidir Olc had been his home all his life. Rogan noted the unusually long tail, the thick ruff of fur ringing the male’s neck like a lion’s mane… and shrugged his broad shoulders, deciding that this man wasn’t all that weird considering a multicolored lupine stood just behind him. Stepping protectively just in front of Diosa so that she could still watch the haughty stranger, Rogan boldly spoke up. “Aye, we are vampires. Don’t know much about this ‘rainbow,’ but I also do not know much about you. You have… a snake’s features about you. Not quite true wolf. Did you barge in just to eat your meal in front of us?”

At once the soldier held out a forelimb. No trepidation whatsoever. His arrogance astounded and impressed Rogan at the same time - so refreshingly masculine after the disappointing experiences he’d had with the other citizens of this coddled land. The vampire had been frowning subtly as he regarded the long-tailed stranger, but now he broke out into a full smile, an approving laugh jumping from his chest. “You are a direct one, aren’t you? We are Rogan, Diosa, and Printesa. Before myself or my mistress sink our fangs into you… may we have your name?”