bloodsport
#1
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+3. Private.

The transition to this new land had gone relatively smooth. Larkspur was not unused to being uprooted. This open air suited him better than the dank caves of Anathema, which reminded him too much of Tak’s domain. He had never been into that horrible cave, having recognized its power, but the earth still set him ill at ease. Today he had taken to his four-legged form to better learn the territory, stopping here and there to mark the borders and reinforce them. This was done with tact, for he did not (despite his size) make his own scent rise higher than Sirius’. While he had little faith in the boy, he understood the way dominance played out.

He was most pleased at the sheep, who had quickly adapted to having open fields. They were hybrid things, muddled with mountain goats and whatever else their ancestors had bred with, and belonged to rough land like this. The flock was scattered about in the plains below, grazing on mostly untouched grassland. Several of the sheep had begun showing signs of pregnancy, which was something the burly wolf looked forward too. A great number of his flock had been left behind with Anathema, not wishing to turn his back on his own family. He had kept his favorite ram and two others, for he intended on killing the ram soon. Archaic rituals still held fast with him, and he recognized their use even if he did not agree with all of them.

In his lupus form Larkspur was an intimidating figure, equally as large as his more common optime. He was the size of a mastiff with a coat of thick fur, marred by white patches and scars across his legs. While these had been turned white by Misery’s magic, the one on his face remained a pinkish color; this was due to it being cause by a sword. He did not know Itachi, whom he had only seen in passing, was the son of the woman who had caused it or that he carried the sword that might have done such a thing. This, like his ignorance about Eris’ activities with other men, was perhaps for the best.

Orange eyes scanned the landscape below as he sat in silence, wind ruffling his pelt. It had all but finished shedding its thicker winter coat, leaving a sleek black thing in its place.



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#2
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Word Count » 3+


He was a wraith in the forest, a creature of sinew and power and venomous eyes. Shadows rippled over the male's pelt, and he was invisible. The raucous cries of birds stilled in his passing, for they alone could see the Hunter in his earth-bound dominion.


The land was his, and it felt sublime. Prickled weeds and hardy, lean grasses, gnarled trees and the constant moaning of an ocean-spun wind. This wilderness belonged to the Family, and they alone could seek to command it. But his chosen were a clever people, each with their particular skills that made them valuable. For this reason, the Boss was not dismayed to see the formidable dark silhouette, seated yonder on the hills. The tundra grasses swayed below him, barely betraying the flock scattered like off-white boulders amongst its spine.


Larkspur had intrigued him initially, but Sirius had come to hold the man in unflattering opinion. He was Eris' thing, the father of her children and an oaf with impressive build but little spark. For a man of the tongue and the mind, this was relatively unappealing, albeit necessary. Woe to the fool who sought to steal from the Salsolan flock, for the cunning leader had little doubts about their fate at the mammoth brute's jaws.


He emerged from the treeline at an easy, ground-eating lope; Silent like the coyote, but long and effortless like the wolf. The Revlis male himself was a peculiar mixture of both; Unlike the wellmuscled form of the D'Angelo, he was built tall and lean, with lanky but strangely elegant frame. Long ears lifted forward from a wolfish head, and shortish tail was held dominantly high. "Arbiter," He said by way of greeting, once the distance between them was shortened enough that the wind would not snatch his words away. Canny serpentine gaze regarded the man coldly as he moved in closer for the customary nuzzling on both sides of the maw. "How fares your flock?"


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#3
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+3

A shadow the color of the earth rose from the stubborn weeds and rocky landscape. Larkspur turned his ears back to the approach, but did not otherwise turn. He was not certain of how to treat the man he now called leader, for until recently Sirius had only been a babysitter and Eris’ teacher to him. Now, though, things had changed. He glanced back at his new title, though kept those fire-hued eyes lowered as best he could. He was much taller than Sirius, and it was difficult to try and appear lower than him. The odd greeting was given without enthusiasm, though it was recognized as something he needed to perform.

Once given, he drew back to study the aforementioned sheep. “Mostly well, Boss,” he found the term fell oddly from his mouth, unsure of it. Using English was still difficult, but he was improving greatly from what it had been when he had first arrived. While his odd mountain accent remained, muddled with the trace of German, he was learning how to imitate tone. This process had been slow, but a year was quick for an adult who had spoken nothing but the holy tongue for years.

“I found a dead one earlier,” he said, a trace of irritation in his tone. “Thing was torn apart, mostly gone. Looked like bear tracks near it,” he explained, knowing a wolf would be smart enough to take the kill away. Bears were stupid things that believed their size made them invincible. Even someone as large as Larkspur, who was certainly capable of outweighing a small black bear, had little desire to take one on. He had seen what grizzlies were capable of in the Khalif, and the memory stuck with him vividly. The sheep’s corpse, half-missing, was a fair reminder of such a thing.



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#4
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Word Count » 3+


It was odd, to be so outsized. Sirius was not a small man, and his height alone gave him formidable intimidation over most. But the King's lean build made him appear far slighter in frame than the hulking form of the D'Angelo, who attempted ungracefully to show physical submission. The Revlis man eyed him coldly, and with a distaste he assumed to be mirrored - Larkspur had never much been taken by his woman's hunting mentor. Perhaps he had assuming physical interactions between them, and although such a thing had not happened, the potential for it seemed constant.


The Boss could have been dismissive of such a thing, but even in his disregard, Sirius knew Larkspur to be an important cog in Salsola's machine. He was security in bulk and brawn, and worked better with the livestock than any other the Leader knew. Although he presumed the salt and pepper male to be unintelligent, that did not mean he was not valuable.


Thus, it was called to the umber and ocher male the need to secure the man's loyalty as Eris had. While he did not believe Larkspur would seek to disobey Eris, there was questionable ties that bound him to obey the Boss, and this would not do.


Sirius nodded to the other's vague report. A bear in the territory was and unwelcome intrusion - They were vicious, unpredictable creatures, that could take precious livestock as well as pack members. A grim idea formed, and though he loathed the potential of it, the new King allowed it to fester within his mind. "Tell me, D'Angelo," His tone was brisk but informal, poisonous eyes wandering casually over the prized flock below, "Tell me in truth, for the opportunity may not arise again. Do you respect me?" Now, narrowed pupils returned to the Arbiter, watching him with a dark venom. "Do you think me a good leader? Do you think, perhaps, that you would be better suited to my rank?"


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#5
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+3

While it was assumed by a great many number of people, Larkspur was far from stupid. He was simple in his ways, and his mind had been stunted by lack of socialization. This did not eliminate the wolfish adroit that came from his instincts. Never destined to read or write or learn from the dead, Larkspur had picked up his information from others—through observation and through careful listening. Perhaps he would never be considered clever, but that did not mean he was slow; far from it.

An intelligence—a savage, feral intelligence—glimmered in his flame colored eyes as the lanky wolf (the brawny man could not bear to think of him as a coyote) spoke from his side. Sirius had done some sort of magic to earn his place as leader, bringing with him Eris, the coyote-woman and her family, and even finding strangers to join him without question. Now, as he stared back at eyes not quite as feral as his own, Larkspur saw the shadow of potential in this man. The truth of the matter would come forth soon enough.

“No,” he said with little hesitation. “I do not think I would fit in your rank. I am not clever like you, Sirius,” the use of the name lacked proper formality, and implied they were yet strangers. “Yet I do not doubt I could kill you. Yer clever, but yer not strong—a good leader is both.” Off-white teeth, having cut through many an enemy in the service of a now-dead king, revealed themselves in a smile-snarl. “Yer not savage enough for this land. Talk as nice as y’want, but this place ain’t meant for talk. If yer not strong, yer liable to end up like that sheep.” There was the faintest warning in that phrase. Larkspur had no desire to usurp Sirius, but he had been present when Haku’s own people had turned on him. He did not doubt it could happen again.


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#6
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Word Count » 3+


Words flowed quickly from the rough brute, as though they had been waiting for some time to be spoken. They were insolent words, traitorous and detestable, but Sirius had known them to be in the heart of the D'Angelo man since the foundation of Salsola. This challenge, although apparently Larkspur had no desire for his rank, was a weakness within the Family - A flaw that could not be permitted to exist. The cunning male saw, dreadful and true, what had to be done to secure the coal beast's loyalty. Perhaps anger stirred his blood to adrenaline, for Sirius no longer felt a surge of dread, but rather a deep and simmering fury that his character could be so insulted.


For a moment, the two males seemed to glare at eachother in open dislike, almost hostility. Larkspur's threat hung rancid in the air between them, festering within Sirius' growing determination. His teeth, yellowed from seeking the blood of so many, flashed in a snarl to match the much bulkier Larkspur's. "So be it;" The snarl thrummed from his throat, the male's elegant tail held impossibly high. All pretence of civility seemed momentarily dropped as the hackles along the coywolf's lean spine rose, bristly. For a moment, it seemed he would be so foolish as to challenge Larkspur, then and there.


But Sirius, of all creatures, was not foolish. His bright intelligence had proved to save his hide many times, and although it was dulled by the anger, the cunning male used it yet, a tool sharper than any sword or tooth. Long, coyote ears flattened to his crown. "Come with me. We are going bearhunting." No option was given, as the Hunter immediately turned on his lean haunches, long legs pressing into a stubborn, ground-eating lope. At the bottom of the hillock he turned again, poisonous eyes setting slitter pupils on the beast. "Where did you discover the sheep carcass?"


It seemed an incredibly foolish thing to do - Two wolves alone against a bear were very unfavorable odds. Worse still, they were both in their fourlegged form, Sirius without the daggers and hunting knives he used so well. This would be a primal hunt, requiring the stamina and strength and instinct bred into both males from their ancestors at the beginning of time. And if the Revlis man survived such a reckless feat of skill, then there was little doubt in his mind that he would secure the loyalty of the brawny Larkspur.


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#7
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+3

Had he said this to anyone else—to Haku, or even to the brute of a man he called father—Larkspur would have teeth in his face and a fight on his hands. Sirius’s body displayed such potential aggression and Larkspur, still seated, watched him curiously. If he was attacked, he would fight. Yet that previous shadow he saw now blossomed, and from it he imagined the potential all the others seemed to understand. Orange eyes narrowed, pupils widening to suck in the light around them.

Larkspur rose to his feet at the command, and followed his lanky leader down the slope. This was territory he was used to; rocky, uneven ground. It was like the mountain of Khalif, the mountains in which his people lived. Salsola’s land was different, of course, but Larkspur had an advantage over most. He moved with the ungainly lope of a mountain goat, finding the best trails with little ease, letting the mountain do his work. As they reached the sheep’s ground below, he lifted his ears high.

So the boy was actually going to go through with it. So be it. Without a word Larkspur turned north, moving along drier, rockier paths that would not hold their tracks. It was not long before the kill-sight was found, where blood still clung to the rocks and hung in the air. “I dragged the sheep away,” he explained, nodding towards the northern border. Several ravens still circled above, likely chased away by larger scavengers. Shifting his feet as to allow his leader to pass. There was a subtle challenge in his step even now, daring him to follow the obvious trails, to go after the bear that would kill him. Larkspur would fight for his own survival, yes, but not yet for Sirius. As far as he cared, this was still nothing but talk.


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#8
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Word Count » 3+


The bulkier male followed his sharp command, although Sirius had little doubt that his obedience was no more than a curiosity, daring the male to fulfill his obscene words with action. Fueled by the burning rush of his anger, the Alpha constricted it tight within himself, a sharp orb of determination in his gut. Years of strict control over his emotions and actions proved to be useful now, and no outward signs of irrational aggressiveness were shown - Merely the poisonous cunning to his eyes, massing around the needle slits of dark and cold pupils.


The pair moved easily across the wild terra, each built to fit it in their own particular way. Evolution had fashioned Sirius into an agile creature - Long limbs and rangy tendons, lean muscles that sat well on his lanky form. His large paws were soundless on the scattered, rocky tundra, and his lope was effortless, endless; A stride that could take the male to the end of the world and back. Larkspur's blood proved to provide different traits, and his heavyset form was perfectly adapted to the sharp muscular requirements necessary for traversing such a hard and merciless land. There was little doubt that his brute strength vastly outperformed the lean male beside him, but it would take more than strength or speed to defeat their unseen foe. The leader between the two would be determined permanently in the events that followed, and it was this thought that had provoked the cunning Sirius to such hazardous lengths.


They were quick to come to the killsite. Instantly, the ocher and umber male dropped his nose to the ground, trotting in wayward circles about the blood-splashed ground. His lovely tail was held in a tall banner, exuding a calm assertiveness and possessiveness, even now. Olive eyes did not lift again to Larkspur until he had finished - The trail was relatively clear, and would probably be so until they reached the dense forest. The bear was not a creature that nature had programmed to cover its tracks, for what stupidity would possess a lesser beast to follow such carnage?


A low authoritative uff! was uttered, deep in the male's throat - His lark, elegant ears held high over a fox-like, calculative profile. Only the wolf's broad maw and sharp, crocodile smile betrayed his true blood. Then, he was off; Long limbs easy stretched to a challenging speed, head held somewhat low so as to keep the invisible trail in check. When they reached the thick pines, his speed would have to slow as tracking became more difficult. The hunt had begun.


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#9
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pray to your god, open your heart

Word Count: -- ●

Words were words, and Larkspur had little patience for them. He had been a stunted child and unable to speak properly until his second year, and only learned this common tongue from Misery and the endless repetition that followed. This too was echoed in his body—repetition, that was—for muscle memory paced him behind Sirius and kept his pace even with the lanky male’s. Subconscious signals were responded to. The stiff-legged walk, the high tail, these were displays of dominance that the D’Angelo thrived on. Larkspur needed structure and discipline, but he refused to find it in those too weak to hold power.

Silently, he observed. He had known the scent when he had found it and had no reason to follow. It was much-faded now, given the blood and the excrement left behind from the kill, but even Larkspur had to admit Sirius’ skill as a hunter. Orange eyes narrowed as he watched the earth-colored male work. They widened slightly at the unspoken command, and his body snapped into attention. Feral as he was, Larkspur was a creature of habit; he knew to obey these wordless orders well.

Sirius was faster than he, and Larkspur fell behind. He trailed after the hybrid, white-tipped paws thundering against the soft earth below. This was a fool’s errand, but one he intended to see through.

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#10
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Word Count » 3+
feel free to have them both belly-slink forward and see the bear or something Big Grin just PP siri giving lark directions whenever.


The small hunting party headed northeast, sticking to the unseen trail left prior by the lumbering woodland menace. Sensing the power within his own legs, Sirius felt the first slivers of genuine enjoyment pulse through him, warring with the anger but honing his skill further. Unlike Larkspur, who possessed the ability to remain still and focused and dutiful while watching the domestic herd of Salsola, Sirius was a creature crafted for the hunt. His attention strayed selectively, picking up miniscule prints and scents left by the large predator, and his blood rallied to the fight that was soon to come. Although a somewhat vain and arrogant creature, his faith in his own tracking abilities was rarely misplaced.


They broke through the line of the pines, and the new King's pace abruptly halted. The increasingly dense leaf litter made it difficult to hold the trail, and he was frequently stopped to cast about again, slinking shoulders high as dark nose flurried in the mulch. Silent signals were given to Larkspur, more from instinct than thought, as Siri had always been a primarily lone hunter. The flick of an ear sought hesitation, a sudden stillness commanding attention - The slight wave of a flagged tail signally triumph as the trail was found once more. On this progressed, through meandering fern growth and tough, bristly thistle clumps; About sapling trees and sentinel pines with girth large enough to block the filtered sunlight.


The harsh lands of Salsola finally succumbed to the pull of more mountainous regions. The incline made for slippery ground, and the rangy male had to be careful with placing his large feet, unable to be as instinctively adapted as Larkspur. All his speed and endurance could do little when there was no hare or deer to chase - The two males were heading for a direct confrontation.


Suddenly, sensing a new freshness to the track, Sirius stilled. His legs became stiff, tail held low rather than the proudly dominant mast it had maintained prior. Large ears swiveled, and cunning eyes were keen. They were nearing the source of the scent. The wind blew down from the peaks of Halcyon mountain in the East, and the umber male left the trail, seeking more Western ground so that the bear would not smell their approach. A sharp command was given to Larkspur to remain hidden in the thick brush via flattened ears and similar movement himself. A low rumble had started, much nearer to the wolves that even Sirius might have suspected - The sounds of a bear awakening from its slumber.


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#11
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pray to your god, open your heart

Word Count: ●

While he was neither as fast nor as skilled as Sirius, Larkspur’s size and patience made him a capable hunter. He was large enough to bring deer down on his own, though this often involved catching them by surprise or outlasting them in a long-distance run. Wooded terrain and rocky cliffs suited him, though he lacked the agility to dodge and weave through trees as a more limber animal might.

Sirius was more apt at trailing the bear’s route, and Larkspur lingered behind him. He picked up on the silent signs that the hybrid gave, instinctively recognizing his position as second-wheel to the lead hunter. Part of this also came from his unwillingness to face a bear—survival instincts warned him against such a foolish idea. Yet he followed still.

The broad white paws of Larkspur’s build served him well against the stony ground, vaulting the bulky wolf up the mountainside as they entered the bear’s territory. Any higher and they would risk being without cover. Larkspur had just flattened himself to the ground when the noise rose, as low and dangerous as thunder. Wide-eyed, Larkspur’s muscles tensed, hackles rising all along his spine. His lips pulled away from his teeth, showing them to the noisy animal that was waking from within its mountain rest.

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#12
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Word Count » 5+


ooc: lahv, if you have the bear thrash or rear up or whatever in your post, please pp Siri being thrown off? danke <3


For the briefest of moments, Sirius allowed himself to be thankful of the presence of the male behind him. Larkspur obeyed his instinctual signals without hesitance or challenge, but the thistle King was aware that such obedience came from a desire to see the death-antics of a false leader more than a changed wish to serve. However, such intelligent thoughts fled from calculative mind at the horrifying rumble that rose slightly ahead of the crouched hunters, off to their right - The sharp snuffling of the bear as it scented the breeze, tasting the air for fear.


There was fear within Sirius. He was not brave, nor foolish, and this act was both. However, nor was the Boss a cowardly creature; He had devoted his purpose to this task, and with the blood of the Hunter pulsing thick with adrenaline through newly royal veins, there was little more than a flinch given to show the terror that withered within his gut. However, the Revlis male did not, as some might, detest the sharp blade of his fear. It was recognized as a valuable weapon, for with the fear came the wariness, the intense rush of energy to empower his long limbs. With the fear came the desire for life, and from this, for death - Death to the creature that threatened him. Death to them all.


As with Larkspur, the male's black lips pulled back from his yellowed canines, revealing the large fangs to glint in the unstable shadows of their sparse bush covering. Long coyote ears were flattened hard to his skull, and shaggy hackles rose along slightly arched spine. However, he held his position, remained totally silent - Surprise was the edge they needed to change victory.


Hardly daring to breath, a mixture of aggression and tightly leashed energy radiating from the stiffened lines of his crouched frame, the male crawled forward on his belly. It was a risky move, for as Larkspur had seen, the foliage ahead thinned dangerously and chanced observation. But height was a definite advantage, and worth the deadly risk.


Tail tucked close to his hindlegs and body compacted, ready for fight or flight, Sirius emerged into sight behind the bear. It had ambled from its cave-den, standing now on a flat out-crop of stone that jutted into a dangerously steep drop. The only safe way down was a worn path to the right - A fall from the ledge for wolf or bear could easily result in the breaking of a bone, perhaps even death. Larkspur was hidden in the thicker foliage of the path downwards, and with a jolt of alarm, the thistle-King realized that the bear intended to walk directly past his location as it made its way down into the less steep hunting ground that flanked the mountain.


The time for action had come. His crawling had positioned Sirius above the cave's opening, at an equal height to the bear. He knew, even as he moved, that the bear would detect the slightest sound - Using the speed for which his hunting skills were famed, the umber hybrid burst from his crouch into a forward motion, given only a single pace till he launched from the higher ground. The bear had heard his movements, and with a blood-curling roar, twisted its head to meet this unexpected and foolish attacker. Just managing to miss the jaws that snapped for his limbs, Sirius landed on the creatures back, his teeth snapping shut around the thick fur on the back of its neck.


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#13
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pray to your god, open your heart

Word Count: +3 ●

Fear was something that Larkspur knew well. He had been afraid when he had been cast away by his parents, and he had been afraid since the night he had seen the eye of Tak and hear the voice of the ini, the well of worlds where his earth-god lived. Since that day he had feared the things in the dark, feared the fire that he had seen in his future, and knew he would forever be watched by those terrible red eyes.

A guttural growling rose from the bear, which hobbled from its sleeping place. Larkspur knew several things about bears; they were capable of killing with tooth and claw. They were stupid, near-sighted, but smelled more than well enough to make up for such a thing. The Khalif had been cautious about bears, and with good reason. Far too many children had been killed for wandering too close to the caves along the mountain. Tak, the whispers blamed, Tak sent these beasts to kill the unworthy. After all, they came from the earth. This was why Larkspur feared the animal that was now lumbering towards him. His body curled up as a cat’s might, tail curling under his body and over his groin.

Then suddenly Sirius was flying through the air, but he was met by the lumbering beast (which no longer moved slowly, Larkspur saw with a fright) head on. Even though the hybrid managed to grapple the bear’s neck, it proved to be in vain. With a bellowing roar the bear rose to its full height, thrashing in an attempt to throw its attacker off.

Larkspur did not move. He was held fast by that instinctive, learned fear and by that still-stubborn desire to see his Boss prove his own worth. Sirius had brought this on himself.

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#14
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Word Count » 3+


There was no room to think, no time to use any of the male's impressive calculative abilities. The urge to survive overrode all others. Thick fur filled his mouth, but it was almost impenetrable by sharp canines - Then the bear rose, its terrible cries filling Sirius' flattened ears as though he had descended into the roaring pits of hell itself. For one moment, his body remained clinging to the back of the beast, held there only by clamped jaws - The next, he was dislodged and the sensation of flight made long limbs twist in search of ground.


He landed - hard - but surprisingly on all fours. There was no time to draw needed breath into burning lungs, but only to react. Another lunge, this time aiming for the bear's softer underside. But the massive creature, enraged by the idea that such a pest could dare challenge its existence, met his attack with a speedy paw. Wicked claws sliced through the fur and flesh of his chest, barreling the Thistle King sideways with ease.


It was more difficult to regain his footing this time - The claws had come close to where his foreleg joined his body, and beautiful red blood oozed down the limb, which shook slightly. But Sirius was far from spent. With a wicked snarl, the Boss rose again and resumed his attack, leaping this time for the tendon-areas of the bear's hind legs as he might with prey too large to asphyxiate. A commanding bark was given to Larkspur to enter the fray; It was time for the dark-furred monolith to decide where his loyalties lay.


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#15
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pray to your god, open your heart

Word Count: ●

Each bellowing roar shook a child’s fear in Larkspur’s being. He felt that terror rise up in his chest, filling it until he thought it might burst. Anxiety rippled through his body, and with each ripple he began to change. It was an expedited process due to his terror, one that twisted bone and sinew and gave an even further and impossible mass. While his Optime form would have been far more suitable given its weight, but he was no longer thinking clearly. A haze of fear and panic had filled his mind. He didn’t realize he had shifted to his Secui form until Sirius’ commanding bark broke through the silent terror.

Everything changed in an instant. With a roar to match the bear’s own, the near three-hundred pounds of wolf sprang from the thick underbrush. His challenging bellow was met with another, and gave him enough time to distract the bear from Sirius’ attack. When the hybrid’s teeth did manage to find their hold the grizzly spun, swiping at the smaller male.

Larkspur took his opening and leapt onto the massive animal’s back. His legs could not find purchase and scrambled, eventually returning to the earth, but he clung with a steel grip and formidable claws. With his teeth clasped around the thick bump of shoulder-fat, Larkspur stood at his full height and stagger-walked as the bear remained on its hind legs and tried to shake off the massive wolf on his back.

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#16
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Word Count » 3+


Never again would he question the value of the D'Angelo man - There could BE no questioning, not when the monolithic Secui form of his Arbiter charged to meet the beast that sought Sirius' death.


Larkspur seemed to have caught the bear by surprise - the Revlis' man's early attack meant that the coal male's location had remained hidden. The giant beast had focused all of his rage-fueled attention on the one attacker, not thinking that there might be two. This tactical move seemed to have paid off, along with Lark's impressive size. The bear's attention was now focused on this larger, more demanding challenger, leaving Sirius to inflict his own damage.


The Thistle King was quick, and driven. Diving beneath thrashing forepaws, sharp teeth sought the flesh of the creature's leg joints, succeeding in inflicting impressive damage there. He remained in Lupus form - Its smaller, leaner size gave the male an almost unmatchable speed, as Larkspur's Secui gave him unmatchable strength. However, the wound on his chest was bleeding profusely now as the heart pumped more heated blood through racing limbs, and all it took was a moment's hesitation for the bear's massive teeth to latch on to the King's handsome tail.


A terrible sensation of pain raced through the coywolf and a strange yelp issued from his maw. He was lifted bodily from the ground and shaken, like a furious child with a ragdoll. While Larkspur had kept the body of the bear at bay, there was nothing he could do to prevent those jaws from committing their disastrous intent.


The crushing, searing pain ended suddenly, and Sirius was thrown to the side. For the first time, the nimble, canny creature was not able to gain his feet - He landed heavily on his side, dangerously close to the edge of the jutting precipice. The wounded, blood-lusting bear spat something from its jaws - A mangled length of fur and flesh that on closer inspection would reveal itself to be a tail - Before turning all of its massive wrath onto the D'Angelo male.


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#17
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pray to your god, open your heart

Word Count: ●

Time slowed. The hybrid king, his Boss, the man who had risked his life to prove his right to rule, let out a sound that filled Larkspur’s head with red-hot rage. His own chest let out a deep and terrible growl, but he could not risk releasing the bear as long as it held his Thistle King. Then the brown man was flying and time rushed forward again. The bear and Larkspur howled together. His teeth did not lessen their grip even as the bear made to turn on him.

With a forcible yank, the massive wolf threw his hind feet up to the bear's back and allowed gravity to pull them down. This move cost him dearly; even as the bear let out a stupid bellow they were falling onto the rocky ground below. A sharp pain shot up the dark wolf’s back and all along the length of his spine, but he could not hesitate, not when the life of his leader was on the line. Snarling and making as much noise as his heavier opponent, Larkspur scrambled to grapple with the bear. It roared, unable to gain footing, and as the Arbiter moved against sliding rock he felt sharp and terrible pressure against his thigh.

The bear, unable to reach him with massive paws still struggling against its own weight, had reached out and clamped its massive jaws onto the D’Angelo’s haunch. Yelping, the Secui’s turned his own fangs onto the bear’s face, slicing its nose and muzzle as he snapped in a flurry of off-white teeth and blood-stained foam.

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#18
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Word Count » 3+


He teetered on the knife-edge of pain, eyes glazed, brain shocked. Body knew what the mind could not - His tail was gone.


In truth, it was lucky that the bear's teeth had not been higher up. They very well could have shattered the King's spine, and then he would have only been rewarded with a Fool's Death. But some sense of survival had proved its worth within the lanky brute. Wild snarls and roars, the noises of nightmare beasts, filtered through the male's mind. Groggy, but still conscious, his head rose to see the terrible sight.


The bear had larkspur's haunch in maw, and the thick muscle there could be irreversibly damaged if it was allowed to be rent or torn. Dull rage, the effects of adrenaline still coursing through him like a wildfire, twisted in the downed King's gut as he watched his Arbiter be thusly wounded. The big black wolf was his property - HIS pack. Nothing was allowed to damage what belonged to Sirius Revlis.


The change shattered through his frame - The lanky, lean-muscled body became extravagantly so. Size seemed to double, but unlike the impressively bulky Larkspur, Sirius' build shifted far more in favor of speed. Long legs were plied with extra muscle as the skeletal form grew to match this new mental threat. Before he had already risen to his feet, Sirius' Secui form was complete.


At his heavily-furred haunches, the small tufty stub, matted with blood, lifted high in aggressive dominance.


Then he was back in the fray. The bear's head was twisted, leaving a patch of its ivory throat bared and vulnerably. Larkspur had successfully, if unintentionally, given the Boss the opportunity he needed. With the remnants of his strength conjured in a final burst, the male launched himself forward, jaws widened to reveal freakishly large yellowed fangs, which embedded themselves around the beast's jugular.


It's roar was cut off with a strangled gurgle. For a moment, the thrashing continued, and the three massive bodies remained locked in combat, splashed with eachother's blood. Then, with terrible finality, Siri's canines punctured the pulsing lifesource. Blood streamed out, staining his maw a wicked crimson red.


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#19
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pray to your god, open your heart

Word Count: ●

Instinct had overruled the cognitive thought of the massive wolf, who was as tall as the bear but hardly half its weight. This was no longer about proving a point. That was made well enough through his action, which was nothing less than devotion. He could have died. Sirius could have died. Unable to allow either option to take place, the Arbiter had done what his instincts demanded. Protect the alpha. Protect Sirius.

The bear’s fury caused it to break the grip on his leg only seconds before the lanky and awkwardly built body of the umber leader came rushing in. Several agonizing seconds passed as the bear bled out under them, and then it was over. Larkspur’s legs were trembling from the adrenaline, his hind one elevated and seeping blood through the deep wound left by massive fangs. Yet his concern was now with Sirius, and the wolf limped to his side. A single low sound escape his body, followed by a sign of submission he had never shown since arriving in ‘Souls. Several short licks came from his lowered head, cleaning off a small section of the blood from where it had stained Sirius’ face.

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#20
[html]

Word Count » 3+


At last, death came to the enemy.


The bear left life as it had been born into it - Soundlessly, with an expression of feral fear. When its eyes became glossy and its muscles slumped in final relaxation, Sirius allowed his jaws to relinquish their hold on the slashed throat. Blood dribbled down his bearded chin - Some of it his own, some the bear's. A great weariness stole over his body, and as adrenaline ebbed from the Secui's tall frame, each wound was felt anew.


Sharp olive eyes, still possessed by the inner beast that emerged when in such a battle-ready form, darted to Larkspur as the mammoth male moved - He was wary, wary of his state of weariness and his current wounded vulnerability, and this made the male jumpy. But a single glance at the Arbiter proved this to be unnecessary. The male's body spoke what their feral tongues would not yet be able to - Sensing this cemented shift in their relationship, Sirius instinctively made the effort to lift his head higher than the taller brute's, his long elegant ears sharply erect even as body quivered with exhaustion. Breath was taken in sharp, gulping pants, the cool oxygen sliding over his bloodied tongue and whistling between ruby-stained teeth.


The low sound that came from his follower made the creature jerk slightly, his eyes rolled to reveal the white and upper lip lifted in a dominant snarl to show bloodied gums. He did as his body commanded - The next few seconds were very important in imprinting the relationship between the two primed males. Larkspur was given a slight snort that signified his allowance to approach, although eyes remained fiercely staring. Then, the larger, stronger male licked at his grizzled maw, a final sign of his submission.


For a moment, the bloodied bobtail was held to attention - Then it wagged, just once, and the King's posture loosened as his weary muscles slid back into a relaxed position. The strained foreleg, on the side on which his chest had been ravaged, was tucked away from the ground. Without needing to confer, both males rose, each limping from their various wounds. They marked the small area and den with their individual scents, although for all his pheromones, Sirius' was strongest. Then, like a pair of battle-weary soldiers, the two males made the slow and lonely trek back down the mountain.


Sirius would have Larkspur return for the bear - It was an important prize both physically and mentally, and not to be wasted.


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