agnus dei
#1
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826wc. Set at night, Grimwell Caverns. It's long, and for people who don't want to read it all, the last few paragraphs are all that really matter. Please do not feel the need to match this length. I never expect people to match outrageously long posts; 300 words is perfectly fine if that's all you usually do.


It had set in, the dark fear that always haunted the back of her mind. The sun had set, the shadows magnified, the haunting past bubbling up from the surface of each into figures of history. Beings frothed forward from the smoky trappings of darkness, reaching out to her with grasping hands. A whimper of fear escaped the victim who was crouched beneath the broken window, staring at the spilt moonlight on the worn wooden floor. It did little to ease away the ghosts; they simply flooded around it, unafraid of the silver glow. Her hands raised in defense, covering her ears to drown out the taunting words of her uncle as he came from each side.

"Talitha."

"I kept my word, didn't I, baby?"

"You couldn't get enough of dear uncle Andre last time, could you."

She choked back vomit, scents whirling in her head, reminding her of the Dahlian beach. The ocean, the salt, and something masculine that triggered her reflex to gag. It was all too familiar, laced with need and desire, backed by the vile smell of Andrezej Lykoi. She had known it other places, but never had it given her such a reaction; in fact, it was all too alluring when placed in the right setting.

This wasn't it.

Before the hand of the shadowed beast could touch her, she had moved. Standing erect, searching the room. She needed to leave, and quickly as possible. Her hands fumbled over what few belongings she had, gathering the bottle and journal from the dilapidated table with difficulty. It seemed the horrors of the room had left her ambisinister, as she almost dropped both atop the floor in her rush.

Her feet were swift in carrying her out of the door, through the center hall and down the eastern stairs. For a moment, she was unsure of where she was, crimson eyes casting shadowed glanced into the darkness about her. It was still D'Neville manor, but something was different. Counters that she was familiar with in the sunshine hours were suddenly devoid of familiarity, housing faces she longed not to remember.

It was no better outside, the absence of light creating more natural shadows that leaned out from behind the trees within the forest of Nod. She tried to avoid them, diverting her eyes from their creeping movements across the ground. They weren't real. He was dead. The things that haunted her had died in her youth.

With stumbling steps, she made it out of the boundaries of the thick Inferni woods, staring skywards at the moon as it sat overhead. A dull ache started in the back of her skull, creeping forward to cloud her vision. More prominent images of Andrezej Lykoi came before her, reaching out to grasp her shoulders, leaning forward to bite her ear. No true feeling came from his embrace, but he was so detailed, so lifelike. So real. His fingers graced her cheek, mouth moving with words she couldn't hear. A familiar heat built up between her thighs, a yearning reaching her heart with every lingering moment. Another trigger of her reflex to gag.

She tore herself from the ghostly embrace, sprinting from his vicinity. She had forgotten the purpose of leaving the manor. She had forgotten what exactly she had wanted to do. Her feet carried her across the Inferi-claimed wastes, eyes searching frantically for a place to hide from the mists of the past. The Grimwell Caverns came to mind, grafting comfort into her mind. It was where Gabriel slept, where she could be safe. Her uncle, her father, her grandmother. All sentries in the night, to keep Andrezej away.

It was far more difficult to navigate the caves within Grimwell than it was to sprint across the flat land outside of them; she bumped into the rocky walls at every turn, getting lost in the myriad of tunnels that created one of the popular homes for the coyotes. Scents that were familiar became tangled in a web that couldn't be deciphered, save the comforting scent of Gabriel.

In silence, she followed the metaphorical ray of sunlight through the darkness, searching for a place to rest. There was no Andrezej here, no seductively disgusting scents to turn her mind away from her destination. She clutched the journal to her chest, eyes focused forward, her heart simply giving up. Quietly, she stopped and kneeled, staring at the ground with her head hanging. Her hair obscured her face. What was she doing there so late?

"He's punishing me. I know he is." All of Gabriel's words about God casting the wicked into the fires flooded back into her head. She would join them in death, left with the haunts of her past. Her Shadow. Dead, but still there.

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#2
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http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46 ... epmoon.png); background-color:#211f14; background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; text-align:justify;">WC: 306

Sepirah preferred to do her rounds closer to night instead of during the day. Her dark pelt blended in well with the night sky as well as the blanket of darkness covering the land. The only thing she thought anyone would be able to see were her golden eyes and the orange red muzzle. Aside from these two factors, she was the best at border patrol during the evening. The dark princess took a moment to look at the sky. It was getting closer to the end of winter and she could not wait. She wanted the spring to come back to so bad. Once she was done with her break, she went back to looking along the borders. The jackal was glad to see that there was no one around the borders so she would be able to go back home.

Sepirah was walking through the forest and thought she noticed movement. Was there an intruder in the area. She raced towards the figure and figured she would be able to follow whoever it was until she could see who it was clearly. She could see them heading out of the forest and towards the caverns, her appreance coming into the light. It was Talitha! It had been a while since the dark princess had seen the lykoi female and wondered just what she was doing heading towards her home. She followed behind the female, not as hidden now that some of the moonlight was breaking through. The jackal smiled as she stopped to the outside of her own home. ”Hello Talitha.” She sat down and waited until she had the lykoi female’s attention. Her golden gaze glowed against the darkness as she waited. ”It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Are you lost?” She flicked her tail gently and stretched out her limbs.


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#3
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3+

The scent of Gabriel kept the ghosts away, but the night still sank into the mind of the de le Poer princess. She was alone. Or so she thought. A living shadow approached, black pelt far different from the silver and gold she saw more frequently in members of her family, but it was no stranger. Sepirah Lykoi, a movement in the dark and a strange creature. Her golden gaze parted the black night that surrounded them in the tunnels of the caverns.

"Hello, Talitha."

"It's been a while."

"Are you lost?"

Her cousin's words came in fragments, distorted by a panic that skimmed the surface of her mind. The coyote's ears twitched, head jerking to the sound. Her crimson eyes, shared amongst members of the Massacre bloodline, found the Lykoi eyes with ease. They stood out in stark comparison amongst the darkness that enveloped the jackal woman.

"Lost. No. Not lost," she murmured. The Massacre eyes slid from the younger woman in silent surveillance of the caves. Yes, they were alone. Her posture relaxed. "I decided to leave the manor. Father is a more comfortable alternative to Cotl Ulrich." The sentence was light in tone, punctuated with laughter that was hollow.

In one fluid movement, she pushed herself to her feet, fingers curling against her palms. Her skull was throbbing. She raised a tawny hand to push curled chestnut locks from her eyes, a subtle preening gesture she underwent each hour of each day.

"And you, little Lykoi. It has been a while." Though Sepirah was not truly 'little', the older woman's practice of withholding the names of her pack mates reigned over whatever preference that each individual pack member held. The Inferni princess gave the jackal a subtle smile, rooted in familial affection that was handed out to who she deemed the fringe edges of the worthwhile component of the Lykoi troupe.

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#4
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http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46 ... epmoon.png); background-color:#211f14; background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; text-align:justify;">WC: 316

Sepirah was glad to see Talitha again after all this time and also glad to see that she was doing well. She remembered the last and only other time she had seen her cousin. It was back in the fall when they were admiring the skull lined border together. They were talking about each of them placing a skull there one day, except for the fact that Talitha wanted to paint her skull and the dark princess just wanted to leave her’s alone. She figured that having a dead enemies’ skull on display was humiliating enough. She wondered if the coyote still wanted to paint a skull and put it on display. The jackal figured she could leave that question for another day. For now she just wanted to enjoy the time she was having to find out what was going on in her cousin’s life.

Sepirah was a bit surprised to find that Talitha was actually spending time with a male in the pack, grant it one that she did not know very well, but still a male. She smiled at the interest but was a bit disappointed to see that the relationship didn’t work out. ”I’m so sorry to hear that Talitha. I’m sure Gabriel will welcome you.” The dark princess had no doubts in her uncle. He was a caring leader and of course her father. She followed to the side of the coyote as she looked to the sky. ”It’s a wonderful night isn’t it?” The jackal smiled as she looked to her cousin and trailed at her side. She could not think about what else to talk to her about. There wasn’t much to say. She just waited for her to say something. While she was waiting, she flicked the tip of her tail and turned her golden gaze up to stars. They all looked so wonderful in the nighttime sky.


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#5
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3+


Her cousin brought back other memories, just as Cotl had. She had met Sepirah on her last trek through Inferni land, admiring the borders in their cranium-decked glory. Neither girl had been in possession of a skull back then, though the russet princess had since put her piece upon their rows, but it had been a bonding moment for the two vastly different women. Sepirah wanted a clean skull, without paint, to decorate the borders with. Talitha had covered hers with the imagery of their kingdom. The Lykoi star now sat in full view along the western borders where she had found her golden prince, Ezekiel. Her family ruled with tainted blood, and all others gave their minds to the cause, and now everyone could know it. Sepirah favored the unmarked warning that was a wolf skull, giving unease but no distinct message.

The Lykoi mutt explained her purpose in the caves, and the dark desert princess countered with her own words. An apology, though Talitha was not sure what it was meant for. "I'm sure Gabriel will welcome you." The de le Poer gave a nod, but she didn't feel the same comfort in the idea. Gabriel was her father, and Gabriel offered comfort, but she wasn't as close to him as she would have liked to be. She worshiped his actions, and offered him praise, but she was ashamed of his bloodline. No smile passed her lips, leaving her with a vague frown instead.

"It's a wonderful night, isn't it?" Talitha's crimson eyes twisted toward Sepirah's face. "Yes, wonderful. The stars give more pleasant light than the sun." The sun gave shadows, while the stars gave subtle brightness in an already dark world. Her fingers tapped against her knee, head turning upwards to join her dark cousin's gaze upon the different shapes hidden among the twinkling diamonds above. "That looks like a rabbit." She said offhandedly, pointing to a small cluster of stars toward the east.



table by silver; image by marilynjane@flickr


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#6
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http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46 ... epmoon.png); background-color:#211f14; background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; text-align:justify;">Sorry for the wait. WC: 321

It was great to be spending some more time with her cousin and it was nice to hear what was going on in her life. She seemed to be a bit more on the quiet side about what was going on in her life. She didn’t trust anyone yet to tell them what she had been doing outside of the pack all this time. The dark princess lowered her head a bit as they continued to walk. She wanted to say something but she was unsure of what she could say more or ask her cousin about. The jackal looked over as they neared the entrance to her cave. She was getting a bit tired and thought it would be a good idea to get some rest. She wanted to get up early so that she could head out and get started on her duties earlier in the morning. She stretched out her limbs before stopping and looking to Talitha.

Sepirah looked to the sky when Talitha did and saw all the stars dancing in the sky. She had to admit that she loved looking at the night sky. It was one of the things she liked about staying up late. She always preferred the night as apposed to the day. The dark princess nodded and looked to where her cousin was pointing when she said one looked like a rabbit. Indeed it did. She smiled and nodded. ”Oh yeah I see that. Hmm…” The jackal began to look for other shapes in the sky. She was sure she would be able to find something too. Eventually she would and pointed just above her in the stars. ”Look there. There’s one that looks like a snake.” She stopped for a moment to admire the snake in the stars. She loved the slithering creatures and could not help but take in all the beauty the night time sky was giving to it.


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#7
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3+


Her fingers tapped against the padded palms of her russet hands while she wondered about her cousin. There was little she was truly interested in, but those outside of her upper Lykoi crust were not part of it; still, the exotic jackal left the elder de le Poer curious. As she sent her crimson eyes to the sky, her thoughts all divulged onto one solid question that went unasked. Instead, the words that escaped her echoed a picture in the twinkling stars. A rabbit. Sepirah agreed, after allowing her golden gaze to reach the same dark sky. Staring at the stars brought vague memories of her youth back to the front, a youth she rarely thought of. Stargazing was often a love of all children.

The dark female saw a snake, though her cousin saw an eel; their differing opinion made her turn her face back to the world. "Someone once told me that stars are the souls of the dead who went to heaven," she murmured. Myron had told her many things, and his piece of wisdom about the night left her comforted by the appearance of the twinkling silver. Even if it wasn't true, even if she couldn't believe it, the thought was nice. Very nice. The russet female crossed her arms beneath a worn ribcage, letting her head fall to the side. Auburn curls followed the motion with a jaunty bounce. "Do you always creep around in the darkness, little Lykoi?"

In truth, the older female was afraid of the dark, of the shadows that spawned when the sun fell below the horizon. Within them hid ghosts meant to harm; Talitha simply couldn't handle the possible strain on her mind. Especially not when she saw him again, the golden eyed dead who had ruined the world to his niece's innocent gaze. A shudder ran the length of the woman's spine at the thought of Andrezej.



table by silver; image by marilynjane@flickr


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