Majitsu Forest: Stairs to the Attic, The Vex Pack

[Ivv]

Two days had passed since Demolition's visit and the chase of a loner from the territory the pack had chosen for Indonesia to give birth. There had been a tension for a few hours as Indonesia had appeared to be going into labour, but it had been a false alarm. She was constantly tense, stressed by her own pregnancy and the changes in the pack her pregnancy had barred her from being a part of. And Indo's stress easily transferred to Weiss. The pack had conceded to giving the two their space, but there was a growing worry in many wolves over the safety of Indo's still un-born pups. Kiowa seemed to be bearing the brunt of the worry as she checked on her friend every few hours. Linue and Farley had been basking in the sun for about an hour or so when Foxx came ambling along. It had been a long time since he'd done anything that had been typical of their childhood — of his own loud, energetic personality they'd come to define him by — but this morning seemed different. He stepped on Farley's flank as he pranced around them, a dead fish dangling from his jaws. "Outsmarted a fox—" He'd begun to say, but the fish jumbled his words. He spit the fish out onto the hot rock his siblings had ben sunbathing on and grinned widely. "Takes a foxx to outsmart a fox," he said more clearly. "Foxx, that's a fish," Linue said through closed eyes, catching the scent of the fish instantly. "Yeah, but I stole it from a fox. Who probably stole it from someone else. The point is, I'm the one that got it." He replied with a little beam of pride. "The bones suck, but the meat's so good. I forgot how awesome Spring was." He added, nuding the fish towards his siblings for either of them to eat. He stretched out in a catlike manner, his tail wagging slowly but merrily as he cracked the bones in his spine with one great stretch. He took in a deep breath, knowing there was a calm in the pack once again. One he could only remember back when both his parents were alive and around, and Eowyn was still in the pack. Everything wasn't perfect, but it was life. It was messy, but good. Nearby, Kiowa, Weiss and Indo were sitting by each other. Channing was sleeping not far from them, and Gnome seemed to be following something — maybe a mouse? — in a circle near a patch of trees. Foxx took a seat and sighed, Baron and Syl had still not come back. "You know, I miss them when they're gone. I bet they're doing something totally badass." Foxx said with a sigh that sounded more like a snort, then smiled, letting the sun soak into his black coat.

[Kalma]

Gnome had found what was quite possibly the biggest, fattest, oldest lemming that had ever existed ever. It was certainly the biggest, fattest, oldest lemming he’d ever seen in his whole life, and he’d had a pretty long life so far. He was—what—five now? That’s soooo old! He’d had a discussion with Channing over this just the other day, showing him all the gray hairs that were slowly popping up. Like that one! On his right paw! It was totally a gray hair! And sure, yeah, Channing’s right, he was a gray wolf and had gray all over his body, but Gnome happens to know that that particular hair had not been gray a week ago, and now it was! THE HORROR! Anyways, the point is—and yes, there is a point here—that Gnome saying this was the biggest lemming he had ever seen in his life was saying something because he was old. This was seriously a huge lemming, though—it was as big as his whole face, and that is pretty freaking huge. Sadly, it was also an evasive little bugger, and Gnome had spent the better part of the last five minutes running around in circles trying to catch him. The grass here was high, though, giving the lemming plenty of places to hide, and Gnome was getting a lot of dirt up his nose which was not making things easier and what the hell smells like fish?! He stopped abruptly, swinging his head up and giving himself a thorough look-over. Okay, he didn’t see any fish on him… out of the corner of his eye, then, he caught sight of Foxx, throwing a fish in front of Linue and Farley. Ohhh, that’s where the fishy smell was coming from. Gnome cocked his head to the side, watching them for a moment, when something ran over his foot. With a snort of surprise—which sent small clumps of dirt flying all over—Gnome resumed his chase, hurriedly following the lemming. He was a good few yards away from the rest of the pack when, finally, with a mighty pounce, he caught it the little bugger. “Hey guys look I caught it!” he yelled victoriously, holding the huge lemming up for everyone to see. And it was pretty big, too—it hung from his either side of his jaw with more body than a lemming has a right to. He walked back towards the pack, setting it down next to Channing, who was closest to him. “Pretty impressive, eh? It gave a good fight, but in the end, the intelligence of the wolf won out!” Gnome gave a gloating little laugh—which sounded very much like “bwuahaha”—and grinned a goofy, cheeky grin at Channing. The pack may be stressed, waiting for Indo to give birth and all, but Gnome was always around to try and loosen things up. This was just one of those times.

[meg]

Farley was deeply feeling the stress that was going through the pack with Indo's pregnancy. Farley had never known what a horrible thing that being pregnant was, and quite frankly it scared him. If Indo had just gotten bigger, it would have been fine. However, she seemed to be having so many different troubles and problems that Farley was sure it wasn't normal. A chill went up Farley's spine at the thought. Would the pups be born dead? Farley hoped not, they were all looking forwards to the pups and he knew it would kill Indo and Weiss if their pups were stillborn.

Currently they were all lounging, however. They had found Indo's permanent den that she would give birth in, and luckily for Farley and Linue, it had a PERFECT sunning rock that the two were taking full advantage of. He laid in complete content next to his sister, and he let out a low content sigh when Foxx very ungracefully plopped up and stepped right on him. Letting out a low growl, Farley popped open one eye and it shot daggers at his brother. A fish was danging in his jaws, and Farley let out a low groan as he rolled to a laying position where he could easily watch Foxx act like... well, Foxx.

Foxx started rambling some nonsense through the dead fish in his jaws and Farley quirked a brow. "What was that?" he asked, and Foxx promptly spit it out onto their rock. Takes a Foxx to outsmart a fox. Farley shook his head and used his back leg to scoot the fish away from him and towards Linue. Farley liked to eat fish... sometimes. He thought they stunk, and he didn't want it to stink him up.

Foxx, that's a fish. Linue said, not even breaking her sunbathing to look at Foxx. Yeah, but I stole it from a fox. Who probably stole it from someone else. The point is, I'm the one that got it. The bones suck, but the meat's so good. I forgot how awesome Spring was. Foxx nudged the fish back towards himself and Linue and Farley shook his head.

"Go for it, Linue. Fish isn't exactly my favorite." he said with a grin. Farley pushed the fish towards Linue and then looked around the pack with Foxx. Kiowa, Weiss and Indo were close together as usual. Kiowa was truly concerned about Indo's pups, and had been sticking very close to her lately. It scared Farley, because it seemed like such a wise wolf such as Kiowa would be at ease and know things were going to be okay. It made Farley think things might not be okay. Shouldn't she have given birth by now? Channing was sleeping not far from the three siblings, and Farley let his gaze linger there. He knew that Foxx had granted him admission into the pack, but Farley still wasn't sure. Channing hadn't done anything to show that he was needed in the pack, or that he was worthy. Farley was waiting for the time when he could approach Channing and tell him good job and actually mean it. And Gnome was... being Gnome. Chasing a lemming or something. Gnome's head disappeared in the tall grass and popped up moments later in a different spot with the lemming in his jaws. Hey guys, look I caught it! Farley flashed him a grin. "Good job, Gnome! Catch one for me, too!" he called out, knowing it would send Gnome into a flurry right back into the tall grasses. Farley loved Gnome's puppy-like antics and his boundless energy.

You know, I miss them when they're gone. I bet they're doing something totally badass. Farley smiled softly. Of course they missed Syl and Baron, whom had been missing for a couple days now. Of course they would return, but the trio missed them while they were away. "Of course, they reek badass-ness, if they didn't do anything badass they would probaby offend each other." he said with a low chuckle. Baron would be totally horrified if Syl did something... not totally awesome.

This post has been edited by meg on Sep 28 2009, 08:09 PM

[Teak]

[ Hold Vex pack reactions until the T-wolves can get posts where they have arrived/come out of hiding, please. :D ]

It was spring, and Mackenzie was soaking up the world in her usual manner. It never got old - being free of the damn concrete world. Today she was feeling especially good, with the speckled sun warming her back as the three wolves made their way thought the woods. She looked behind her to see Tigris lagging behind some, with that look on her face. Mackenzie stopped and turned on a pivot, lunging past Duero at the smaller wolf and knocking her down easily and pinning her there. Of course, Mackenzie used no teeth and was actually quite gentle considering the truth of her strength, but there was no playfulness in her motion whatsoever. There was no snarling, teeth baring, or any other wolf dominance behavior. Nothing but Mackenzie's silent, serious face in Tigris's. She did not need to snarl or snap her teeth for Tigris to be anymore aware of the fact that her life was in Mackenzie's control in that instant. "If you don't keep up with the group and stay sharp it won't be long before you're with him," Mack said in a low voice, watching Tigris's pupils dilate and shrink in accordance with the rising and falling of her weak heart. Her weak heart that called out for her dead brother of sorts, Zambezi. With a huff, the older she-wolf stepped off of Tigris and continued on as if nothing had happened, shooting Duero a significant look as she passed him and continued in the lead. They had only suffered loss after loss, and she knew it was absolutely eating him alive from the inside out. Mackenzie knew that this time, they had to win. They had to see the life flutter out of another creature's eyes, to feel that thrill of control and prowess. Maybe they would howl like real wolves this time. Mackenzie did not know whether it would feel good to sing like that, or whether it would feel retarded as hell. A scent on the breeze made the she-wolf stiffen and stop. A chill fluttered down her spine. It was lupine - a pack, at that. Her cruel smile splayed itself wide, showing all her teeth as she looked back at Duero and Tigris. Now was the time to be invisible. Now was the time to kill. Mackenzie kept the trio downwind of the pack as they grew closer, and the black wolves were silent and invisible in the newly-grown, thick undergrowth of the forest. The pack had chosen a place in the sun, where their fur shimmered like gold as they played in the grass. These wolves all had tags, which Mackenzie knew were the marks of man only. No wolf would create something so hideous and useless. "Curious..." Mackenzie uttered absolutely under her breath, her yellow-orange eyes glimmering with that fierce, dangerous intent. She wanted to know. Of course, the only way to know a creature - to really know it - was to kill it. The pack seemed fairly connected and stood together, except for one. He acted like the truest of man's pets, dog, bounding through the grass and yelling stupidly. Mackenzie already knew this would be a success. So she nodded towards Gnome to her kin, though it was likely they had already picked him out. He might as well have worn the painted red stripes of a target. There was a boulder protruding to their left where most of the pack basked, a small clearing of grass to their right, and a great thicket of bushes and trees that curved into the clearing where Gnome played. The only way this would work would be surprise and intimidation. Mackenzie knew they were outnumbered physically, but she doubted all of them combined could outwit the Tsunami wolves' prowess in battle and strategy. Mack and Tigris would go up the side into the cover of the nearby trees for the ambush, with Tigris coming out first, and Duero would hold a hiding position along the bottom of the boulder in preparation to ambush and frighten away any wolves that came to intervene with Tigris's kill. This would essentially trap the stupid dog of a wolf and limit the pack's rebuttal. It would be easy as the day they escaped. Mackenzie turned to the pair with gleaming eyes. She spoke so low they would hardly hear, forget the pack wolves. "Duero - hold by the rock. Tigris - lead with me and finish it if you can." With that, she turned and moved with Tigris, hardly glancing back to check on Duero. He would do what he had to, and perfectly. Zambezi had died for a reason, and that was his stupidity. Duero might die, but only because of his passion. Tigris might die because of her heart, but Mackenzie knew that she would never die - not for any reason. And so today would be a good day.

[Lhyriad]

Duero despised it. New life was springing up everywhere, and he was constantly glaring at the birds who sang their silly songs out of his reach and the squirrels who wouldn't shut the hell up. When they passed flowers, he made an effort to stomp on them, just so he could vent the restlessness that gnawed at his soul. Perhaps if he'd tasted blood the previous winter, human blood, he could've been more at ease. But he hadn't, and he wasn't. Mack had. Duero glared in vicious jealousy at where the blood had once covered her mouth. No wonder she was in such a good mood. He turned to glance at Tigris just as Mack did. The little bitch was moping again, and Duero was in no mood to tolerate such behavior. And neither was their leader. Mack lunged past him to pin her down. "If you don't keep up with the group and stay sharp it won't be long before you're with him." To add promise to her threat, Duero stared Tigris down with blazing eyes and a quivering snarl on his face. He made no sound, but she spotted him quickly from around Mack, gaze dancing from him to her. There was no bluff to be seen. If he couldn't have his oppressors' blood coating his tongue, he could always use hers as a substitute. Their leader let Tigris go and took up the lead again, giving Duero a look that said, "Soon." Duero flashed a grin of anticipation, before turning to Tigris again, eyes cold and nasty. "Pining after something weak only makes you weak. If you screw the next one up..." The look he gave her communicated his intentions quite eloquently, and he could see she believed him. Then he trotted to catch up with Mack. He felt nothing in respect to the loss of their pack member. In fact, when he thought about that day, his thoughts weren't on Zambezi in the slightest. They were consumed with the defeat they'd been dealt. There had been too many lately. Not again. Not fucking again. The mingled scent of wolves and humans on the breeze made Duero's spine stiffen. Well, well, well. What did we have here? A pack? A sick grin slashed across his face like a rip in a bag. Mack's smile was almost as twisted as she looked back at them. They'd found the perfect prey. Or, almost perfect. They remained undetected as they stalked closer to observe these strange wolves, that, from their smell, served as human pets. What a disgrace. They even wore human devices on their bodies, marking themselves as the humans'. It would be a joy to kill something that belonged to the humans. An absolute pleasure. The clearing had quite a few of them, but that was hardly a factor. These human lapdogs were complacent and weak, lounging about in the sun and frolicking in the grass with stupid smiles on their stupid faces. One in particular drew Duero's eyes. The wolf was obviously an adult, but he was acting so childishly. He'd never acted like such a careless moron when he'd been young. The wolf caught something small, showing it off. Duero felt disgust and had an image of closing his jaws around this wolf's throat just to wipe the smile off. After a few moments of thought, Mack turned to give them their duties in this venture. Duero's face stiffened in rage when he was given the task of holding the other wolves at bay, but he did not protest. Mack knew best. Always. A thought occurred to him and he smiled. Perhaps a couple of these wolves would be stupid enough to come at him. He might get the chance to kill after all, so he quieted, planning a strategy before he began. The best hunter knows everything about his prey. Duero studied the placement of the other wolves, how big they were, what their weak points might be, who might be more aggressive. He observed everything he could and recorded it. This would be easy. Drool dripped down his chin when he thought of having the feeling of destroyed flesh in his mouth. He took deep breaths of the wolves' scents as he took up his position behind the rock. To rip. To break. To destroy. Duero lived for it.

[Poim]

Tigris was panting, yet it was only spring. The weather wasn't terribly hot, and though her pelt was black, so were Mack and Duero's - and they were fine. The trouble lay within her heart, the sole weakness in this Tsunami Wolf's otherwise impenetrable coat of armor. Tigris' heart didn't pump blood as efficiently as her cohorts', so she grew out of breath quicker, and more tired faster. She also didn't handle heat as well, although none of these symptoms she would ever dare show when they were hunting. She would force herself to breathe normally and force herself to keep up a united front with her 'siblings' so long as there was prey around. Tigris could allow herself to show no weakness, and her weak heart was a difficult factor to ignore. It was for this reason that she lagged behind Duero and Mackenzie as they passed through Majitsu, not because her thoughts lingered on Zambezi - though they were often wont to do. No, Mack had interpreted Tigris' lowered head and slower pace as pining for the brother that was now dead. Tigris simply didn't feel well at the moment, that's all. A flash of anger shot through the Tsunami wolf's body as Mack roughly knocked her over and pinned her to the ground. "If you don't keep up with the group and stay sharp it won't be long before you're with him," she spat. Tigris fought the urge to bare her teeth and fight back to defend her position. But that would be unwise. Mackenzie would not hesitate to kill her, just as she had not hesitated to kill Volturno on the day they had escaped from the warehouse. Mackenzie moved away, and Tigris found Duero staring at her with disgust and hatred in his eyes; two creatures which always seemed to follow the larger, stronger wolf around. "Pining after something weak only makes you weak. If you screw the next one up..." he reminded her. And finally Tigris snapped. She flew to her feet and growled. "I KNOW, okay? I know why Zambezi died, and I know I'll be left to the same fate as he if I screw up. Which is why that is NOT going to happen! If I die it will be because of my heart, not because I made a mistake like Zam did. I'm learning from his failure before I suffer the same fate." Tantrum over, Tigris set her jaw and strode forward purposefully, anger radiating from her every move. It had taken a lot of self control to not just launch herself at Duero, but it was the wiser move not to. Even if she didn't intend to kill him, he would gladly kill her at the slightest excuse. The way he spoke, she felt as if he'd slash her throat open for simply snapping a twig during a hunt. And apparently, now she wasn't even allowed to lag behind the group when they were going from point A to B. Talk about pressure. Tigris pushed herself to keep up after that, though her actions were fueled by resentment. Sure, she missed Zambezi. But she was pushing herself to move on, to give him up, to forget about everything except the mistakes he'd made so that she could keep from repeating them. A scent on the breeze hit her at the same time it did the other two, and Tigris' muscles tensed as her heart began beating erratically in excitement. Upon further investigation, the three Tsunami Wolves discvoered the smell came from a pack. A pack that was marked, marked like dogs for their master. Slaves to an overlord. How would it feel if they were to... "liberate"... one of these slaves? Would the humans suffer because of their loss? Or were these wolves merely disposable puppets on strings? Regardless, any wolf committed to a life of human servitude deserved to die. Tigris shared her cohorts' sentiments; it was time to kill again. Her heart, which had stilled, began beating erratically again, and a crazed look came into Tigris' eye. A grin stretched across her face, and her mouth began to salivate, producing large strings of drool hanging from her chin. Were silence not paramount to their success, she would have laughed the laugh of the criminally insane. The laugh of Batman's Joker. Tigris knew her orders almost before Mackenzie whispered them. She was moving forward almost before the larger wolf was, and she saw her chance to attack almost before it happened. Everything was working like clockwork, and for Gnome, that clock was ticking toward death. Tigris lingered, hidden in the trees, for only as long as she needed to be sure that Mack and Duero were prepared and ready. When the opportunity came, Tigris devoured it like a crocodile attacking and dragging its prey underwater. Gnome was distracted. He was laughing and smiling like an idiot at one of his packmates when a grinning black shadow silently rushed in on him from the trees. He wouldn't know what happened to him at first, except that all of a sudden his neck had been sliced open from one ear to the other, he was bleeding profusely, and there was an insanely-grinning black she-wolf standing just a few feet away, crimson blood staining her black muzzle. He'd only see this vision for a second before she attacked again, knocking Gnome off his feet and driving him to the ground. For Gnome, this was death. But for Tigris... it was life.

[Ivv]

A lull came upon the trio at almost the exact same time. An eerie sense of calm that tends to only spike anxiety than anything else. A knowing that the calm around them was false, but no proof. Linue, who had refused to move from her laying position or open her eyes while Farley and Foxx bantered amongst each other, slowly came to her feet and Farley sat up. Foxx stood a few feet from them, standing tall with his nose to the wind. There was no scent that would be cause for alarm, just a hunch. His body went rigid for a moment; a second later, two black wolves burst out of the trees and struck Gnome with a brute force. As a loner, Foxx knew two things — defend what he needed to survive, and run if you could live without it. Confrontations weren't wise as a loner, but he hadn't been a lone wolf for months. The instinct was still there, but the drive to defend was overwhelming. He was alpha. He hadn't noticed anything beyond the attack on Gnome, but he felt his body become more rigid than he knew it could be involuntarily. It was like he himself was bracing for an attack. He didn't know what to make of the situation. One wolf had demolished Gnome, but he was still alive, and the other merely stood her ground. It was a dark scene to witness, the sort of indiscriminate fire that burned in their eyes — eyes that, though he didn't know it, were eerily similar to the colour of his own — and rules of engagement became a blur. These were the wolves who had attacked Aoime and One. These were not wolves, but monsters. Ideally, as a pack, they would fight for one of their own. But Indo was pregnant, delicate, and on the cusp of breaking down. Kiowa not the threat she once was. Weiss, despite his commitment to the pack, had only one wolf to protect — Indo — and that was it; no one would ever judge him against that fact. Syl and Baron were gone, which meant Farley and Foxx were the remaining muscle. Channing, too, if he could be trusted to fight alongside them; to fight for them. And they still had no gauge of what numbers they faced in their opposition. Though it appeared to be only two assailants, there could be more and Foxx knew there to be at least four of them. This was no situation a pack — especially one in their current rebuilding state — would ever dream of facing. They'd chosen a den site far from the other packs for that reason. A chance to calm their own ranks, a chance for Indo to give birth and start raising her pups, without the fear of a threat. Foxx felt a blaze of hot rage boil up in his blood. It was a matter of strength and dominance that drew a deep, vicious snarl from his throat. It was the thought that, as a loner, he'd left Aoime and One to save themselves. Out of the corner of his eye, he became aware of the black male, Duero, behind the exposed boulder. He made a motion to move, a decision to fight, when he heard Linue's tiny voice. "Foxx," It was so low he barely heard it, but he could hear her heart beating like a jackhammer. Undoubtedly, Linue had been processing the situation since the two black wolves appeared. She'd made every estimation he had, but she calculated the risks of a full fight as well. Foxx turned his head to look at his sister, witnessing the agony in her eyes. And instantly, he understood what needed to happen.

[OOC: I'm thinking Losty and Kalma should post before anyone else.. aside from the Tsunami Wolves, that is.]

[Kalma]

“Good job, Gnome! Catch one for me, too!” Farley called out, and of course Gnome got all sorts of excited at the prospect. Catch a huge, ginormous lemming for Farley? Why WOULDN’T he do that? “Right-o, First Mate Farley! One humongous lemming, comin’ right up!” he said, grinning widely at the black beta before bounding off excitedly to find another huge lemming, after, of course, giving Channing a look-over-this-one look. He kind of doubted that he’d be able to find another one quite as big and awesome as the one he’d just caught, and he didn’t want Farley getting any ideas! And then, out of nowhere, something ran into him. “Uh-wha-whoa!” he said, though it came out strangled and unintelligible. He didn’t even feel the slash on his neck, not at first at least. It all happened so fast—something hit him, and then disappeared. He looked around wildly, and had a split-second image of a black, grinning beast when he was hit again, only this time he was sent skidding across the ground, losing his balance completely. Gnome gasped in pain as dirt was sent into the wound on his neck, his pupils dilating in fear as he smelled his own blood in the air. He still wasn’t sure what was going on. All he knew was that something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. He tried to get up, his legs shaking uncontrollably beneath him. His eyes were on the ground, though, watching what he slowly realized was his own blood stain the earth. Wildly, he looked up at his pack, noticing them all standing there, just standing. Why were they standing there? They were being attacked! Shouldn’t they be fighting? Shouldn’t Linue and Foxx be defending them all? Defending Indo? Him? “H-help… guys, help…” he coughed, feeling the strength leave him as he said it, blood running freely from the gash in his neck. The wolf who’d attacked him had missed the jugular, but just barely; as it was, death wasn’t far away. This all happened in seconds. He tried to take a step forward, but was shoved down again, the strange wolf on top of him. He blinked up at her, pupils dilated as his heart beating harder and harder, which just made his blood leave him just that much faster. Gnome wasn’t a fighter of any sort; he was a pleaser, he was a goofy guy who liked to make others laugh. That was what he enjoyed in life—making others happy. If someone got pissed with him, he aimed to please; he said sorry, and meant it, and watched it around them for awhile, but he never got mad, never fought back… It was instinct that kicked in now. That thing that screamed at him to survive, to live. And it was with this overwhelming force that caused him to let out a weak snarl and lunge for his assailants legs, striving to hurt her back, to break her legs if he had to. He didn’t want to die; he wanted to live. He wanted to be there when Indo gave birth, wanted to watch her pups grow up, to be the fun uncle that played with them and told them stories… he wanted to watch Linue and Foxx grow into their roles as alpha, and to be there to cheer them up whenever the pack got too caught up with itself, too serious. But he did not want to die! His pack would come and save him, though. He was sure of that. His pack would come and drive this wolf off him and help heal him, because that is what packs did. They helped each other, saved each other from situations like this. They would all charge upon these strange wolves with unparalleled force, driving them off, maybe even killing them, all to protect their own. They would do this, he was sure… he just had to keep her from killing him until then. That’s all. He just had to hold on a little longer… just a little bit longer… just keep biting at her until they got to him… His pack would come. Gnome was sure of that. They would not leave him to die, just as he would not leave them to die. And it was that knowledge that kept him fighting.

[meg]

Right-o, First Mate Farley! One humongous lemming, comin' right up! Gnome called out, before scurrying right back into the grasses for his next lemming. Farley smiled lazily, and suddenly things just seemed to still. Farley's breath stopped and he watched as Linue tensed and stood, ears erect. Wide-eyed, Farley clambered to his paws and lifted his nose to the wind to figure out what was going on.

However, Farley didn't have any time to sniff anything. Two black wolves seemed to melt from the outer brush and trees and were on Gnome in what seemed like a blink of an eye, bowling him over and out of sight. Farley was on his paws only a moment later, his ears erect and his tail flagged up as he waited for this to become a joke and Gnome to rise once again. A strangled noise reached Farley's ears and he found it to be a strangled cry of the puppy-like Gnome.

Farley felt his blood run cold. He had never known life other than the Vex Pack. Gnome had been there ever since he could remember, and as the metallic scent of blood hit Farley's nose his eyes began to water. Blinking back his first instinctual tears, he took a deep breath and calmed himself for the fight that he knew was going to ensue. Himself and Foxx would attack that black ass of a wolf that had the NERVE to hurt, possibly fatally, a Vex Pack member. Farley's lips raised into a silent snarl and his hackles raised, and he practically morphed into the spitting image of Wolfe. He would defend what was his, what was close and dear to him. Losing wasn't an option.

Next to him, he felt Foxx brush up past him on the rock and prepared himself to leap off their sunning rock and into battle. Farley rushed up behind him, muscles tensing as he reached the end of the sunning rock as he prepared to spring off of it. Foxx. Foxx faltered, and Farley did as well, twisting his head to meet his eyes with his sister's. There was pure agony in her eyes, and cold doused all of Farley's insides. What was going on?

[[OOC: i know you just wanted Kalma and Losteh to post, Ivv... but Farley's post didn't change anything it just pretty much went along with what was already said so I figured i'd post it instead of getting behind >> << if theres a problem, let me know lolz]]

[Teak]

[ You can have the second thing Mackenzie says happen after whatever Linue says, if it makes more sense that way. ]

For all her weakness, Tigris was still a Tsunami wolf, and Mackenzie could only grin in a strange sort of pride as the fast little she-wolf tore Gnome's throat out before he even realized it. She chuckled to herself, shoving the wolf forcefully to the ground and watching him squirm in his own blood. It was so peculiar how he did not fight back, only whined for the help of his pack. Mackenzie looked up at the pack, and the grin on her face widened, crinkling the corners of her yellow-orange eyes. There was nothing but hesitation on the faces of those stupid creatures that called themselves friends, that said they were loyal to one another. They were just cowards clinging together for safety, like minnows in a school. Mackenzie felt a sharp pain in one of her back legs, where Gnome had bitten her. Without a sound she tore her leg from his mouth and twisted around to bite his face all in one unnaturally graceful movement. Her teeth found leverage around his cheek, and she gave a shake of her head like a shark might with a seal, satisfied at the tearing sound and the feeling of his skin and muscle pulling away in her jaws. Mackenzie turned to face the pack again, and deliberately she took two steps forward, her eyes challenging all of them. A couple wolves in particular seemed eager to come, and she wished they would. Her muscles itched to be used to their fullest, her jaws craved to tear the flesh from these stupid pets of man. One wolf she met eyes with to find the same color as her kin there, and she tilted her head to the side slightly at the sight. But no, this was no wolf of her kind, there was hesitation and fear in every hair on his body. That was all packs were made of. Fear of being alone, fear of the consequences of their own actions. Mackenzie laughed aloud then, a wild sound that had no warmth to it. "Even the most loyal pack of dogs steps back when the blood pool of their kin edges too close," she said to no one in particular, though she was sure the pack would hear it. Mackenzie blinked slowly, her eyes moving from Farley, Linue, Weiss, Kiowa... wolves that all held the same stupid faces. Foxx drew her eyes the longest once more, as he snarled loudly. Duero seemed interested by that, coming more out into the open, and the wolf with the orange eyes made as if to make an attack. Mackenzie's spine tingled hot with anticipation of the bloodbath to ensue. She gave Duero an approving look - and then something changed. The previously eager Foxx hesitated, and Mackenzie's lips peeled back from her teeth in an unsatisfied sneer. There was a long moment of continued hesitation in the pack. Mackenzie couldn't take anymore of this idiocy. She turned and ravaged Gnome more, pulling away the tender flesh where his limbs met his body as if she would eat him as she had the bear. Fury burned all through her frame, and despite her lack of true wolf communication skills, that was clear enough. Mackenzie was mad, in more ways than one. "Go and run, pets! You may not want to see us eat your dear friend alive." She smiled widely again, holding Gnome's head down with one heavy fore-paw and his shoulders with the other as he fought for his life with the little energy he had left. Mackenzie found the eyes of each pack wolf and looked into their souls. She would kill them all, and then she would kill all of their owners.

[Lhyriad]

Duero watched longingly as Tigris and Mack slithered out of the shadows and assaulted Gnome. The wound Tigris made caused blood to soak into the earth. Good. She was being useful. Whatever he thought of her, she was a hundred times better than these sorry excuses for wolves. They were frozen in fear, watching as their pack-mate was slowly ripped apart. Duero stepped a little further from his hiding place, waiting with anticipation for one of them to try and help. A shiver rippled down his spine, and his mouth twisted into a cross between a grin and grimace. Even the most loyal pack of dogs steps back when the blood pool of their kin edges too close." One of them, dark in color, snarled loudly, fury in his eyes. Excitement jumped up Duero's throat, and he stepped completely away from the rock. This caught the wolf's eyes, and he took a step toward Duero. A sadistic light blazed in Duero's eyes, and he smiled, taunting, coaxing the wolf to attack. He was lost in bloodlust, but it didn't make him stupid. Instead, he wore it like a familiar cloak. It was almost a tangible feeling in the air. One could almost smell it, just as Duero could almost taste Foxx's flesh and hear his bones crunching close to his ears. Foxx's hesitation turned Duero's grin into a snarl, and he took two steps toward the pack. Then he composed himself, the rage on his face being replaced with an eerie certainty. He began to pace back and forth a little, like a lion in a cage. He would win today. Their lives would be his. There was no question about that. The only question was who would die first. He smiled at them. "Go and run, pets! You may not want to see us eat your dear friend alive." Mack stood with the dying wolf under her paws, where all humans and their pets belonged. Soon, these wolves would taste dirt mixed with their own blood. Mack's suggestion interested Duero. Eating a pet alive certainly held its attractions. It would certainly be a slow death. Duero laughed the laugh of the intelligently insane, catching the pack's attention. He looked at each one of their terrified faces, enjoying the reactions as he licked his chops hungrily to back up Mack's statement. "Or not," he rumbled. "I haven't eaten yet." There was no smile in Duero's voice, nothing to say he was joking.

[Losty]

She had been content. She had been at peace. She had been happy. After speaking with Weiss the night before, she'd come to understand what had gone on in his mind during the events that led to her and Foxx's acquisition of the pack, and they'd shared a very deep moment where everything else fell away, and all that was left to explore was their own hearts. By the time he'd returned to Indo, they had come to an explicit comprehension of each other, and a new level of respect. And beyond that, laughter had finally come back into their daily language. They had a long way to go, but things were slowly trickling back into place. That afternoon, Linue was basking in the peace and perfection of their pack. Earlier on in the morning, Indonesia had shown an increase in discomfort, and both Weiss and Kiowa were in the den with her now, coaching her through the start of what they already knew would be a very long, very hard labour. No one else was allowed near the den, but that was alright; Foxx had gone off to entertain himself, Farley was lying by her side, Gnome was chasing something or other, and Channing...she wasn't quite sure. What she was sure of, was that she wanted this quiet moment to last all afternoon. The pack needed a lazy Sunday. So when Foxx pranced towards them (and she knew he was prancing just by the sound of his foot falls) and she could already smell the fish, she groaned and rolled onto her side without opening her eyes. She made her comment lazily. Behind her, she heard Gnome's obvious success, and still she simply enjoyed the sounds in a very delicate place between snoozing and being awak. But then something shifted. There was a heavier calmness that settled over them. She slowly peeled her eyes open and drew her head up, her nose working at the usual scents. Beside her, both Farley and Foxx stiffened. Now she was standing, and her hackles began to bristle. A blink, and suddenly two black shadows barreled into Gnome, who let out a strangled cry of surprise and pain. Her instinct was to rush at them, but her responsibility to the pack stopped her cold; Indo was in labour, Kiowa couldn't fight, Weiss was the two females' only protection right now because the three of them were over by the den and otherwise away from the bulk of the pack. That left herself, Channing, Farley and Foxx, but she already knew the outcome...if these wolves got to Kiowa and Indonesia, more than just three wolves would be killed. She wanted to believe that they could survive this, but she knew better, and it was a risk she couldn't take. She wouldn't take. "Foxx." Her voice was low, filled with something she knew her brothers had never heard before. The look Foxx gave her said that he already understood what she was thinkingl, and so she simply nodded, turning to Channing and Farley. "Make sure they don't follow. Channing, come with me - we need to get Indonesia out of here. No brisk movements." And with that, she turned her back on Gnome, disappearing through the foliage that screened these wolves from the den.

[Flint]

Days had passed since the pack had moved to Majitsu and he was tired. Things were starting to turn slightly more eventful with Indo getting ready to have her liter of pups and the pack seemed to be on their toes. They picked one of the best places for them to stay with the forest being as quiet and secluded as it was - it would be easy to pick out any intruders that might threaten the well being of the pregnant female. Just as he closed both of his eyes and started to drift into a light sleep, Gnome quickly interrupted any thoughts he had of sleeping. Re-opening one eye to see the grinning fella in front of him, he couldn't help but smirk. “Pretty impressive, eh? It gave a good fight, but in the end, the intelligence of the wolf won out!” "Dang, way to go Gnome, that's a good catch right there!" Figuring he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, he stood up and stretched out his lengthy gray body.

Just as he took a seat the ash colored male yawned and felt his stomach grumble. He could definitely use a bite to eat and he was sure that some of the other wolves were probably hungry too, perhaps that would be a good way to score some points with Foxx and the other wolves. Food always made everyone happy. He let his gaze linger on a few of the members before he started to look past them into the forest, debating on where he wanted to go to find some grub.

Just as he stood up, an unfamiliar scent struck his nose. He felt his spine stiffen and his back hollowed out as the fur on his neck bristled up slightly. It wasn't a good smell and regardless if this was an innocent bystander, this was his pack now and he would help protect it- especially with a very pregnant Indo in her den. His cold yellow eyes glanced to his right where he saw a few shadows lurking and darting. He wasn't sure how many they were, but he kept his guard up.

It all happened so fast. Two wolves darted out of the shadows and full out attacked Gnome. Immediately looking to his left to find Foxx and Farley together, with a few long strides he came next to the two brothers. His fur was bristled and he flashed his teeth dangerously. He felt a slight pain on his muzzle as the scabs from where Foxx had grabbed him ripped open to start another light stream of blood, however he simply ignored it. He was too busy concentrating and waiting for Foxx to give the orders to attack the two obsidian intruders, but it never came. He was ready to fight and protect the rest of the pack and most importantly to protect Indo.

A wave of confusion flooded over him as his focused moved to look from Foxx to Farley with a questionable stare before glancing over to a few of the other pack members. Why weren't they doing something? Why hadn't Foxx let them rip them to pieces? He didn't understand. Before he knew it, Linue was standing near them and asked him to come with her to get Indo and get her out safely. He didn't speak. Instead he solemnly nodded and silently yet quickly padded off behind her.

This post has been edited by Flint on Oct 1 2009, 07:58 AM

[AKwolf]

Weiss’ first instinct was to attack.
Something darted and raged from the trees, driving into Gnome and slicing his neck open. Attacking Gnome. Attacking Weiss’ best friend. There was no question about what he needed to do. It didn’t matter who this attacking wolf was, how many there were, or how strong they were. The only thing that mattered was that Gnome had been attacked and Weiss needed to protect him.

The unknown black wolf erupted from the trees like a steam train and twice as fast, immensely more deadly, and rammed into Gnome. Weiss heard Gnome's cry from in the den and immediately he was up and poking his body half-way out of the den to view the scene. A shocked snarl erupted from his throat as his mind tried to process all the information at once, as it tried to process how quickly the world had been spun upside down. There was a snarling shadow, a flash of blood, Gnome being pummeled into the dirt, and out of the corner of his eyes there were more shadows. “Gnome...” he whispered that sort of shocked and frantic whisper of someone who was still trying to piece together just what the hell was going on. As if his whisper could save Gnome, could stop this insanity.
Gnome was his best friend. Nothing else mattered. Weiss’ body strained to run, to leap forward, to fight. He had to fight! That was Gnome, for Lupus sake!
He had to fight. He had to protect Gnome! Nothing else mattered. He would save Gnome or he would die trying!

Blood pooled around his friend and the attacking wolf. Weiss’ vision was filled with segments of red, segments of black, segments of slicing teeth, like scenes from a movie all flashing a bursting out of sequence. The scene felt almost surreal in front of him, as if the blood was entirely too bright to be real. But the coppery scent shocked his mind into motion. Weiss moved forward, pulling his chest and neck up and tensing his legs as if he were walking through thick muck. His instincts were split, his mind was screaming. He was holding himself back without realizing it and internally he was ripping himself apart in a war against himself.

Attack, damnit! FIGHT! That’s your friend you fucking cowardly—
Something brushed against him and Weiss turned his panic stricken eyes to meet Indonesia’s equally distraught ones. Indo had been through a trying morning as labor began to take her into its pain and agony. Her, Kiowa, and himself were by the den, the three of them had emerged into the sunlight the moment Gnome cried out.
Indo’s eyes were weary, wracked, filled with the gray of sleepless nights. However, her eyes also held a conviction in them. A silent statement. A plea.

I need you.

Weiss and Indo had always held a strong, wordless connection. An understanding flowed between them at an almost atomic level. They had always been able to read one another, to know each other’s most intimate and minute tells. They could finish one another’s thoughts, and right now Weiss’ thoughts were screaming in Indo’s mind. But she couldn’t let him do what he so desperately wanted to do. It would eat her up inside, the fact that she would be the one to hold him back, but there was nothing she could do to alleviate the situation.
The decision was not simple, it was predetermined.

Weiss could not fight for Gnome. Indo and his unborn pups were his first priority. It was why he hadn’t leapt forward and charged headlong into Gnome’s attacker. His heart, body, and mind knew that he could not fight. His pups needed a father, Indo needed a mate. She couldn’t get through this without him.
The look they shared stretched out across agonizing seconds; the thought going through both their minds caused Indo’s eyes to brim with anger and anguish and caused Weiss’ eyes to fill with a deep pain as well a strong surety. He would not fight because of Indo, because of her state. He knew that had she been strong, healthy, without pups she would have charged in beside him to protect Gnome. But that was not the case, and the anger and guilt he saw in her eyes infuriated him.

Weiss turned to look at the attacking wolf, a vicious snarl pulling up his lips and carving deep lines into his face. Fucking bastards! Gnome had never harmed a soul. He had been by Weiss’ side since Weiss came to this island. They had always been there for each other; they were the best of friends. And now this asshole, this vicious fuck was going to kill him…and Weiss couldn’t save him. His mind flared in despair, his vision blurring with hot color and his muscles tensing until they flamed. His stomach knotted itself so tight with emotions of helpless anguish and self-loath that Weiss felt the cramp of it in his throat.

He was stuck in a horrifying limbo. Every fiber, every cell of his body raged to push and pull his muscles, to pump blood through his heart and veins, all to send him rushing forward into an attack. The drive to protect Gnome was storming in him, building and boiling and mounting without relief. But he was rooted, unable to move due to the lives next to him, the lives inside of Indonesia. And so Weiss felt the storm inside of him begin to kill off tiny pieces of his soul as it fought to drive him forward and into battle. But when he didn’t move, his overwhelming desire to protect Gnome began to tear him apart. If he wouldn’t listen to it, if he wouldn’t alleviate that drive, then it had nowhere else to turn and nothing left to do besides destroy him.

The world flew back into focus as the pack began to move. But no one rushed to Gnome’s aid. Some distance from himself and the two females with him, Linue gave order to Channing to follow her. Weiss felt his gut wrench, he felt as if the world was falling apart. He felt the agony of watching a friend die…of knowing they would die. His anguished eyes stayed on Gnome as the two black monsters tore at him; his throat was clenched so tight he felt he wouldn’t have been able to scream had he wanted to. His stomach turned knots as he thought about what he needed to do now. What he must do.

“Go,” his voice was hushed and full of a pain so potent it sounded as if he had aged years in only seconds. He turned away from Gnome, away from his best friend, and faced the future he had to protect. He faced Indo. “We need to go. Now.” His voice strengthened. There was no room for debate or question. His eyes blazed with a protective fury, the dark strength of someone who was knowingly sacrificing one love for another.
He felt it would kill him. But he had to protect Indonesia and his pups.
Her eyes glazed with a sorrowful fury as she tried to look past him to Gnome, but he blocked her view and frowned, looking to Kiowa. “Get her out of here; I will be right with you. Go.” He spoke more forcefully this time. It was the voice of a father and a mate.

Behind him he heard Linue approaching and with one last pain stricken glance to where Gnome was being killed, Weiss flinched as he felt a piece of him dying alongside his best friend.
And then he turned away and began hustling Indo and Kiowa away, vigilantly wary of any dangers which may descend upon them.

[Ivv]

There was this panic, this chilling sense of panic that engulfed the pack. Foxx could feel it radiating from every wolf. Weiss seemed to have felt it the worst, like it was a disease that had leeched onto him quicker than it had the others — but how could you blame him? As the some pack members straggled to understand what was happened, and what had been the chosen course of action, Foxx merely stood, calming watching the black male across the way. His orange-brown eyes locked onto Duero's intense orange ones. Maybe it was the fact that, despite the chaos that had engulfed the pack — despite the panic — Foxx, of all wolves, had nothing but calm. He could fee every muscle in his body relax and tense with every move Duero made, seemed to want to make, or simply didn't make. Beside him, Foxx knew Farley was watching the other two. His brother watched them rip Gnome apart. Linue, too, had a strange sense of calm about her. Maybe it was purpose that drove her and calmed her nerves. For Foxx, he didn't understand why he — of all wolves, so attached to his emotions as a source of fuel — could stand so calmly and look at wolves he knew to be killers, not just of wolves but bears, too. Foxx's stare didn't relent until he heard the pack's footsteps become mere shuffles in the distance. The game of chicken between he and Duero subsided as Farley nosed his shoulder. "Foxx," his brother said, his voice a little anxious. Finally pulling his eyes off Duero, Foxx nodded to Farley. Time to go. "Shoulder to shoulder. Back away slowly until you can't see them. If they move, we have to move with them." It was a thought of suicide. Despite the fact that there were still only 3 visible wolves before them, Foxx knew they'd killed a bear. He knew they would have killed Aoime and One had they gotten the chance. And now they'd killed Gnome — not that the act of killing Gnome would have ever proved hard to any wolf, but it was the instinct that proved disturbing. The ability to take the life of a kindred. It wasn't right. It was irrational and unnatural. It was for that reason that, for the Vex Pack, Farley and Foxx had to be the last line of defence. They continued backing up, slowly, until they disappeared....

[OOC: Losty's new thread time? :) heh]

[meg]

Even the most loyal pack of dogs steps back when the blood pool of their kin edges too close he heard the black wolf call out lazily, and her eyes began to flick from one pack member to the next. When her gaze landed on him, he bristled and let out a snarl, his tail raising slowly. If only Linue and Foxx would allow him to be released from this position, he would barrel into that bitch and do exactly what she had done to his friend. Farley didn't understand. Okay, he understood at least a little. Indo was humongously pregnant, possibly giving birth at this very moment, and their numbers were down because of it. Weiss was going to protect Indo, Indo couldn't protect herself, Kiowa could only protect herself or the others to a point, and then there was Channing, himself and Foxx. Linue would need to help Indo to safety and find a good place for the pack.

Still, that was 3 wolves. There were 3 visible wolves, and it appeared as though Foxx had his eyes on the larger male that had been holding back. Then again, it showed Farley that they had a plan, almost like an ambush. When they rushed to Gnome's side to defend him, the other wolf would come at them from behind when they weren't expecting it. Disgusted, another guttural snarl came from his throat and his eyes just shot daggers at Mackenzie dangerously. Go and run, pets! You may not want to see us eat your dear friend alive. Farley was just surging with anger, when Linue caught his attention. Make sure they don't follow. Channing, come with me - we need to get Indonesia out of here. No brisk movements. Farley nodded mutely, all the intesity that had been radiating through him diminishing. Channing appeared confused. He had bounded over to Foxx and Farley when it had happened, and that was a good sign to Farley. Channing's confused gaze flicked over Farley's face and he gave him a mute nod, yes... go with Linue.

He turned and went off with Linue, and Farley turned to Foxx. His eyes were upon the male, and he twisted his ears back to listen to the pack's footsteps grow faint. "Foxx," he sid, touching his shoulder with his nose. Foxx's eyes left the other wolf's and gave Farley a nod. It was time for them to leave Gnome.

Shoulder to shoulder. Back away slowly until you can't see them. If they move, we have to move with them. Farley gave his brother a quiet nod, and the two of them began to back up together while keeping an eye on the three wolves.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, the wolves were out of range and they disappeared quietly, following their pack in complete silence.

[Teak]

Mackenzie's mentioning that they would eat this wolf seemed to have little effect on the pack. She had hoped that they would be enraged into fighting at this, seeing as they all seemed to care about each other. Apparently it was just a bunch of bullshit. Already, they were beginning to flee. Her whole body grew hot with rage at this. Cowards! How boring! She was trembling with the desire to tear into flesh, but not Gnome's. He was just a weak pet of man, an unloved member of the stupidest bunch of wolves Mack had run into yet. Mackenzie wanted to feel that resistance, she wanted them to fight for their life and she wanted to revel in the power that she had taken that last thing from them. Soon though, they were gone. It would be of no good to chase them into the forest. They would only run, and Mackenzie was quickly growing bord with these idiots. The Vex pack was obviously the bad one to choose. Any wolf tamed by man such as these retards obviously had been... well, they weren't going to be anymore fun than herding caribou. "They're just stupid deer with teeth," Mackenzie said, and knew that Duero and Tigris would understand what she meant by that. There was none of that fierce rage that it took to be truly powerful behind the eyes of these wolves. It had been there in the bear, and so they had eaten from it. It had not been in this pack. How boring. Stepping over the bleeding Gnome as if he were a log, Mackenzie began to trot away. "Boring, boring, boring. Let's find something that will actually fight back." There would be no pride in killing Gnome. He was obviously of no consequence to that pack, the way they abandoned him so easily. Killing him would be easier than killing a fish on land. Mackenzie craved challenge. She wanted to take something that didn't want to be taken - the essence of a wolf who fought to live but would die in her jaws, and the jaws of her kin.

[Lhyriad]

The pack, instead of becoming enraged as Duero had hoped, only cowered like the spineless rats they were. How disgusting. And... unsatisfying. He locked eyes with Foxx, mocking him, calling him a coward with his gaze. But no matter how much he taunted and poked at the male, he remained where he was. Another male spoke a few words to him, and they began to back away. Duero shared Mack's sentiment: this was getting boring. Which was why he turned away from where the sniveling pacifists had disappeared and trotted over to Mack and Tigris. The bloody Gnome was still gasping for breath as Mack stepped away from him, and Duero spared him a small glance. Well, mostly he just eyed his wound and licked his mouth. But it would be far too easy to take away this pet's life. Duero wanted a challenge. "They're just stupid deer with teeth." Duero snorted at the comparison. "It was quite inconsiderate of them. We went to all the trouble to hunt them down. If we wanted deer, we would have gotten some real ones," he said contemptuously. Gnome was making quite a few pitiful noises by now, mainly from his open throat. Duero flicked an ear at them, but otherwise ignored the dying wolf. He wanted to see the light leave something strong, something that thought it was invincible. He'd thought that any pack would have such a mindset, for his own knew that strength for a fact. But the Vexes had proven him wrong. Bunnies could band together and call themselves a pack, but that wouldn't make them any stronger than they were before. "Boring, boring, boring. Let's find something that will actually fight back." He trotted after Mack, pondering what prey they could target next as Gnome's whimpers faded into the distance. It would have to be good. After all, they'd thought that hunting down a pack had sounded fun, but look how it had turned out? He wouldn't be averse to going after another bear, but it was Mack's decision. He knew she'd come up with something fun.

[Poim]

Gnome had gone down fast and hard. While Mack and Duero were taunting the pack, Tigris was having her fun taunting Gnome. She bit at his toes and tugged at his ears, daring him to fight back and make it more fun for them. "You're just a weak pack wolf," she mocked, saliva hanging from her lips. "The humans' little pet, their footrest. You're nothing to them. They're letting you die here, just like your pack is." Tigris stood a few feet away from the bleeding wolf and looked over the top of his body at the hesitating pack just beyond the little perimeter Mack and Duero had set up. She had a crazy-loon grin and a fiery insanity in her eyes. Gnome's blood mixed with saliva dripped from her chin, and she chuckled low in her throat - a strange, unnatural sound. As the Vex pack began moving away, Tigris' grin intensified and she tipped back her head to let out a long series of chilling, coyote-like laughs. The pack was backing down, the cowards. They really were invincible. As she ended her giddy celebration, Tigris lowered her head again and spoke cruelly in Gnome's ear. "See that? They're leaving you. They didn't even try to help you!" She spat with a snarl, her hackles spiking. "See how much they really care about their packmates? They care enough about you to let you die... alone." Duero and Mack began moving away, having expressed their boredom. Tigris agreed with their sentiments to an extent, but she also didn't like to leave a job unfinished. She wanted to make Gnome suffer even more - mentally if not physically - but she would not be left behind. She couldn't let herself fall back and give Duero grounds to punish her. Tigris stepped over Gnome's still-breathing body and she left him without another word.

[Kalma]

He wasn’t sure what was going on anymore. The blood was pooling around him, quickly leaving his throat as he tried desperately to fight back—and then excruciating pain, as the female on top of him gripped his face and practically crushed it, mangling his face so it resembled nothing more than road kill. He let out a yelp, or at least tried to—it came out strangled and garbled, something terribly unreal. It terrified him, that sound; it wasn’t a sound he normally made, wasn’t a sound he’d ever thought he’d be capable of making. Did this mean he was going to die? Gnome didn’t hear what Mackenzie said to his pack; his ears were full of blood, and the sounds of his own blood rushing out of him. He managed to get that she was talking to his pack, though, and moved his head a little, just a little, trying to see them, to see where they were—surely they were coming. They wouldn’t just leave him there. They couldn’t! His pack was strong, they were better than these monsters, they would—they would— Something was pulling at him, pulling at his toes, at his ears, pulling hard, as if it was trying to tear bits of him off, but not really going hard enough to actually succeed. He rolled his eyes around to find himself staring at the black female who’d first attacked him, eyes wide and full of pain. She was talking, but he didn’t really take it in—except the last part, “They’re letting you die here, just like your pack is.” His pack? What was his pack…? They weren’t letting him die here! They were just… they were… “See that? They’re leaving you. They didn’t even try to help you! See how much they really care about their packmates? They care enough about you to let you die here… alone.” Her voice was taunting and evil, but Gnome didn’t believe her. He tried to tell her, tried to tell her she was wrong, that his pack wasn’t leaving him, they were just strategizing, but his voice wouldn’t come, just a garbled sound as he coughed up blood. The Vex pack wouldn’t leave each other, not ever! Not him… he was Gnome. He was the playful, silly one, the one that kept everyone else from acting too much like they had a stick up their bum. They wouldn’t just leave him! They needed him! He felt paws step over him, and just lay there unmoving, letting these monstrous wolves do their thing. It took him awhile to realize they were gone. He just lay there on the ground, breathing sporadically, the pain dulling as the blood left him, his brain doing its best to block out how much it hurt. Only one thing kept him going, kept him alive: His pack had not left. They were alive still. And they’d come and help him now, he was sure. He was sure… Gnome didn’t know how long he lay there, waiting, just waiting… it could’ve been minutes, or hours; time was all the same to him now. Slowly, very slowly, he shifted, lifting his head, trying to look around with his one good eye, everything blurry and red-tinged. His pack… where were they? Where was Foxx? Farley? Linue? …Weiss? Why… had they really left? But why? He needed them… he needed them now! Didn’t they need him? Didn’t they… didn’t they care? He tried to crawl forward, but pain seared through his body, and in a convulsive fit he cough up blood, staining the grass even more with red. Lifting his head again, his usually playful eyes were hard and sad. They had left him. He could see that now. Those wolves were right: His pack had left him behind. They had left him to this… this death, alone and unloved. And he was unloved, wasn’t he? If they loved him at all they’d have come for him… he was sure, that if it had been Linue, or Farley, or Foxx attacked, the pack would’ve moved into motion immediately. But him? He was expendable, then. Uncared about. All of it… all of it was a lie. His body gave up then, at that thought. He flopped over, his head hitting the ground with a soft thump, breaths coming slower and slower… everything he’d lived for had been a lie. They didn’t care about him at all. If they did, they’d be here now, just like he would’ve been there for one of them. But instead they’d left him… they’d left. Why…? Slowly, the rise and fall of his chest became more and more shallow, the intervals between each inhale becoming longer and longer. His eyes closed, because everything was too blurry to look at anymore—and he didn’t want to look at the red-tinged grass any longer. It was… it made him sad… it was just too… he let out a long, slow breath, his body sagging and relaxing as he did so, the breeze tugging at his blood-soaked fur as he finally let go, still clutching to one thought… “But I don’t want to die…”