turn to stone

Saul Stormbringer · 07-04-2011, 10:56 AM

dated 7th july, mid afternoon. phoenix forest. CO-RANK THREAD 467

The journey home had been pleasent if not tiring. It had been so good to see his cousin again, and persuading her to come home with him had been a bit difficult but worth it. He was slowly gathering his family back up again, holding them closer to his breast now. He'd found a home for them to live in, although it needed some repairing. The ground floor was safe but the roof on the west side of the building had succumbed to the snow. It had collapsed, leaving it open to the elements. Lucky for them, Saul had at least a little experiance in building houses and knew how to put the roof back together again. It would take maybe a week of working on it diligently, but they would succeed. And then Cerne Rise, as he had so named the apartment building, would be habitated by his family. Gideon had fast learned the best places for fishing and had bought home more than his fair share of food. But stocks needed to be rebuilt, including that of dry meat and bones. He knew himself that he needed deer bones for fine needles to operate on. Not that he had a lot of experiance in operating, but he'd rather be prepared than not at all. Still, he felt just a little nervous about approaching any other Ichikan and asking for their help in hunting. He'd already asked Gideon, but the dark haired brother had held his hands up and professed only that he would slow him down. Saul had left that morning with hunger on his mind.

He thought of Alae briefly, his partner in this top rank of healing. She remained the spiritual side of things, while he was purely physical healing. Still, he hadnt seen the female since they'd arrived and wouldnt have had the first idea where to look for her. So instead he made a slow meander towards the Phoenix Forest. Nayru and Razekial had obvious bought with them things from home- the forest was named after the Valleymans home and the valley had been named after their Dahlian inhabitants. He would have headed down there to hunt, but he knew a lot of the livestock from the Valley had taken up residence there for the moment. He didnt want to be accused of hunting the cows when he had no intention of doing so. Instead he headed towards the forest, knowing that the birthing season in spring would mean weak mothers and babies. It was a cruel thought, but it was his survival and that of his pack he was thinking about. Lithe and lean body moved with swift grace through the trees, four legs this time instead of two. He would watch for a while before he chose his target.

Arye Cybelle · 07-08-2011, 09:07 PM

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Thank you for starting! <3

By now, the Chen-tao had covered enough ground within Ichika no Ho-en to feel as though she had developed some sense of direction. A cream colored blur, the honey-eyed girl navigated her way through Phoenix Forest, the portion of Ichika no Ho-en which had been named for her previous home. Arye had never really felt a big connection to Phoenix Valley, but she found that she still liked to come here. Pripyat and some of the previous inhabitants of Phoenix Valley had dearly loved their home, so she could make a place for it in her heart too.

But her heart was the last thing on her mind, unless you counted Pripyat. The girl felt hunger growing deep within her body. Indeed, she had been so preoccupied by exploring the outermost edges of Phoenix Valley, so she had been neglecting hunting for herself. If not for Pripyat's constant stream of thoughtfulness, Arye probably would been feeling more staggering effects of hunger at this point. Though young, she was not inexperienced but also not the most skilled as a huntress. She would try her luck and see what might happen.

However, it appeared that she would not have to hunt completely alone as her golden eyes poured over the form of another Ichikian. The lupine girl directed herself his way, making certain that she did not alert any possible prey to her presence. After curving around to meet him, her honey-colored eyes rested on his face, communicating to him through age-old body language of their non-infected canine ancestors. She asked his permission to join him, and set her keen gaze across the forest for any signs of life.

Saul Stormbringer · 07-09-2011, 07:22 AM

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no problem deary <33

Sunlight stremaed through the trees, creating shafts of slanted light that filled Phoenix Forest with fire. Or so it seemed to the green eyed male as he stood on a ridge of mud in the otherwise flat forest. Creamy paws were firm on the ground as distracted eyes followed the beams of light down to the forest floor. He couldnt help the grin that sat upon his face. Nayru had been right about this place, he was sure of it now. So much had happened since they'd arrived here that it did a very good job in spinning the Hui K'o's head around. He had no idea which way was up at the moment, and he was fine with that. He could right himself later, when there wasnt so much excitement going on. He was meant to be watching the herd of deer in the thicket below him, but he's been successfully distracted by the beauty of the forest behind him. The inaudible sound of an approaching wolf caught his attention. He turned and immediately thought of Siku- pearly white fur, honey gold eyes, just a few months old than him. Despite their almost identical looks, they were completely different in posture and attitude. So although his first initial thought had been Siku, it was not her.

He was about to open his mouth to speak, when the female gave him signals in a completely different language. And Saul understood her perfectly. Despite their ability to speak to one another, wolves had always had a language made entirely of signals. And none of the Luperci had been taught it, but it was an age old system that could no be erased. So while Saul had rarely seen the signals before, he understoof exactly what she meant. She was asking permission to join him. And with the twitch of an ear, or the slightest twitch of his head to the side, Saul welcomed her to join him. Silently they turned to the deer on the forest floor, watching and waiting. They would pick a weak one soon and take off, but for now, they seemed happy to try each other patience out and watch for the one that would leap out at them as being their target.

Arye Cybelle · 07-11-2011, 11:01 PM

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<3

Arye obtained the wolf's permission soon enough. They stayed together, all quiet muscle, sinew, and anticipation, as they waited to spy reasonable prey. Thank goodness it was summer and not winter. Hunting now should be relatively easy, especially between the two of them. The prey should be bountiful, since the sun was shining kindly down upon the Ichikian land. It would be good for her to hone her hunting skills before the trials of winter would face her.

Golden eyes reflected the dappled light of the sun before her pupils contracted, darting to find the movement that accompanied the scent of deer. With acute senses, the Chen-tao was able to find the appropriate prey. An older, female deer stood out amongst a quiet pod of them, and they moved with a calm grace, for the moment unaware of the unspoken canine threat. Arye turned her head slightly to regard Saul.

Their patience rewarded, Arye began making the predatory creeping toward them. She avoided stepping on any dry twigs, trying not to alert the deer to their twinned presence. The cream colored woman could not wait to see how this would play out. She made sure that she stayed close to Saul until the time when they would separate, divide, and conquer.

Saul Stormbringer · 07-12-2011, 08:30 AM

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<33

There was no need to speak, they had already communicated everything they needed to know. They fell to silence once more, neither moving or speaking. There was no need. Green eyes watched the herd, occasionally glancing towards the creamy female to see where she was looking. It didnt take them long to pick a deer, green eyes watching honey gold to see that she had locked onto an older deer hanging near the back. She would be easier to deal with. He settled and the day wore on. It wasnt perhaps as long as he thought it had been until the female made her move. She was very quiet and Saul took a moment to catch up with her. His ears flickered back and forth once in a twitch he could no control, before the two wolves prowled forward in a perfect stalk. They were silent and stealthy as they moved through the forest. With a flicker of his tail and the twitch of his ears, the male asked, rather politely, if the female would mind curving round to the right while he took the left.

As they split, the male took to a jog instead of his previous quiet stalk. Soon the deer would be alert to their presence and there was no point in being silent if they werent close enough to get the kill. So the agouti male picked up the pace, remaining quiet. The noise of the forest muffled the occasional twig that snapped, the sometimes-crinkle of the leaves underfoot. Summer had seen the forest bright and verdant, but soon enough the crinkling cloak of Autumn would wash over the lands. He could still see a few spring shoots making their way up into the world, but they would either die or grow up.

A shift in the air, or a twig snapped too loudly alerted the deer to their presence, but the two hunting wolves were close enough that it didnt matter. With a glance to the side, Saul indicated that they should work to separate the older deer from the herd. The male launched himself forward into a run, curving to the left hand side of the deer and expecting Arye to move to the right hand side and curve in to cut off the path the deer took. It would be fine as long as they isolated their prey.

Arye Cybelle · 07-24-2011, 05:10 PM

Arye's response was somatic, purely physical, ingrained in her senses. She peeled right, ghosting Saul's steps until one of them set off a sound. She couldn't be certain who had triggered the noise, but it didn't matter. Their goal had been accomplished, as their selected prey began to break away from the group. With the energy of youth and the power of the wolf surging through her pumping limbs, the predatory chen-tao launched herself toward the deer.

Although inexperienced, the cream colored wolf's yellow eyes were twin golden suns locked upon their prey. And her body told her everything she needed to know. She would need to drive the prey further away, isolating it completely and bringing it to a point where both she and her companion could bring it down with swift, barbaric mercy. Herding the animal further away from its group, the wolf nipped hard at its flanks, driving it further toward Saul as she did so.

Saul Stormbringer · 07-24-2011, 05:29 PM

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<33

Adrenaline pumped through the agouti male's veins as they moved towards their prey. As they had wanted, the doe panicked and moved away from the herd. It wasnt far enough away to be an easy kill, that was for sure. But as they raced after it, it twisted and turned away from the herd. Arye was a white blue on the right side of the deer while Saul was a timber blur on the left. For a moment he considered going for the hamstrings and allowing the white female to surge forward and perform the killing bite. Trees blurred past them as they began to drive the deer well away from the herd. The herd, for its part, thundered through Phoenix Valley, th occasional bleat floating towards them as the animals made their way away from the danger. And they were away from the danger- their herd sister on the other hand was not. Green eyes saw her surge forward to snap at its flank, marking the place where she would bite if she would. Catching her eye, Saul quickly conveyed that she should go for the hamstring while he leapt forward to aim for her throat. Hoping the white female would bite strong and hang on, the male turned his head to the front again.

Powerful muscles rippled beneath his pelt as he surged forward. No longer intent on driving the deer anywhere, Saul pushed all of his energy into getting a lead on the deer. With Arye on its heels, the whites of the does eyes were clear as panic set in, terror coming quickly afterwards. He passed the doe's body in a bounding leap, another two leaps bringing him a few feet ahead of the deer. Immediately he turned and without hesitating he launched his body back towards the doe. Claws connected with the does shoulders, a paw either side of the deers neck as his head turned to the right. His bottom jaw hit the deer's skin first, piercing the skin as his top jaw clamped down. This was Arye's time to move, to latch onto the doe's hamstring and bring her down from the back. Blood filled the males mouth as the seconds slowed and he waited for the jolt as the white female clamped onto their prey.

Arye Cybelle · 07-26-2011, 09:13 PM

Arye's reaction to Saul's nonverbal cue seemed to be mantic; she could see herself closing her sharp teeth on the deer's hamstring to slow its pace. The Ichikian male leaped forward, his body surging in a streak of fantastical energy as he aimed his lethal jaws for the lifebeat trapped within the deer's throat. In counterpoint to Saul, Arye launched herself at her intended target, beastly smile showing on her maw before her teeth closed in on flesh that parted for her.

She felt the jolt as the doe staggered and Saul's wicked bite took effect. The cream colored chen-tao followed the momentum as they downed the animal. It didn't struggle long and was twitching as its eyes rolled back into its head and breathing slowed. The wolf felt primitive victory as it became clear that they had accomplished their task.

Arye backed off, licking blood from her maw as her yellow eyes took in the sight of their kill. She tossed Saul a wolfish grin of satisfaction, offering him the first choice of flesh since that was what custom and politeness would dictate. Finally, she began to communicate vocally, "That was...I really enjoyed that hunt!"

Saul Stormbringer · 07-27-2011, 07:34 AM

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<33

The jolt came quicker than he would have anticipated, showing that the female had been quick and on the ball. The deer bellowed as her teeth sunk into its hamstrings, but the combined weight of two wolves on it, plus the pain of being bitten on the leg and the throat, was enough for the deer to pitch forward and hit the floor. Saul took this opportunity to grasp the throat tighter, cutting off the supply to the deer's lungs. For a few short seconds, wide eyes stared at him, before they rolled back and into the deer's head. Its legs twitched and spasmed its life force slowly etched from its body. He wasnt afraid for the young white female- the deer's twitching was not enough to cause her damage. And then with a great heave of breath, the deer died. Staying in their position for a few further moments, Saul slowly unlocked his jaw, swiping away the blood that had swept up his lips and muzzle. He stood, stretching and shaking his fur to rid it of the debris of the chase. Glancing towards the female as she spoke, Saul grinned softly.

"As did I. I'm Saul Stormbringer"

He finally introduced himself as he moved towards the deer's belly. Before they made a move to eat for themselves, thanks had to be given to the deer. With a difinitive swipe of his claws he spilled the deers guts onto the forest floor, the intestines, spleen, bladder and stomach a heap on the floor. Moving towards the deers kidneys, he pulled one swiftly for the body. With quick motions he dug a hole in the ground, dropping the kidney into it. "We give thanks for your sacrifice, deer. Your death will feed many, though we cast some of you back to the ground. Wander free" He spoke quickly, conscious of the rumble in his stomach. After the ritual was complete, the male moved back and allowed Arye to step forward. Saul went instead for the muscles at the shoulder, teeth dug into the thickly packed tissue as he rendered it free of the kill. The hot blood was soothing to the males insides as he ate the meat, glancing back towards the female to see if she was okay.

Arye Cybelle · 08-25-2011, 03:43 PM

Arye observed the strange ritual that Saul carried out before her. She had not disrespected her food - other than probably in her early childhood. But she realized that it would be very respectful to pay homage to the life they had taken so that they could both carry on with the rest of their lives, feeding from the life of the deer. It was a very fitting ritual that Saul carried out, and one she decided that she might adapt. She didn't know about speaking aloud, but perhaps she could give a moment of silence after her next hunt.

The cream colored girl ate with gusto, relishing in the fading adrenaline from their hunt. Plus she did not want to let this deer to go to waste. She thought about the next time she would hunt - it would probably be with Prip. She would discuss this new ritual with him. Was this a new custom inherent to Ichika? The girl wasn't really sure, but as she matured she decided that she wanted to integrate pack custom into her own daily life. It would be must one more way to belong here.

The Chen-tao lifted honey colored eyes, clearing her throat as she realized that Pripyat would probably be looking for her at this point. They had yet to settle their home and so they tried to catch up with each other before the end of each day and to stick together. "Thank you for showing me the ritual and helping me hunt, but I must find my friend. I hope we can see each other soon," she said, inclining her head respectfully to the male before loping off in pursuit of the storm-colored Soul.

Saul Stormbringer · 08-29-2011, 11:35 AM

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omnomnomnom<33

The two ate in silence, the sound of tearing flesh and hot liquid the only things to interupt their thoughts. The silent hunt had bought back some primal need within the Stormbringer, a need to reconnect with who his ancestors were. He hadnt realised just how humanised they'd become on their move to Ichika, nor how often he found himself in his optime form. Dahlia had been spent on relatively all four paws, while he'd spent a lot of time already on two, with opposable thumbs. The hunt had returned him not only to the real wolves of his past, but those few months he'd fought so hard to live on his own, to live at all. Those two months where he'd been so lost and alone that he often still felt the raw ache in his gut when hunger kicked in. Filling his belly now with the meat so pure and delicious, he pushed thoughts of his old life behind.

There came a point where he was aware of Arye looking up, a worried emotion in her eyes. He stopped then, looking up to see her backing off the carcuss. Cinnamon ears flashed forward as she spoke, thanking him for showing her the ritual and making her excuses. He nodded softly, adding a gently "It was nice to meet you and hunt with you Arye." Before she bounded away. He ate a few more mouthfuls before he thought about the rest of Ichika. They would need feeding, even if it was a half eaten carcuss that had already been picked over by the two of them. Deciding to take it back to Trenton and see who else was hungry, the male remained in his four legged form. It was how he'd caught the animal and he felt bound to stay in it.

He grasped the animal by its ripped open ribs, finding it difficult but manageable. With slow and even steps, he moved out of the forest and over the valley towards Trenton. It took him a good hour to cover the distance with a kill in tow and as he lay it down in the dip of the amphitheatre he licked his mouth clean of the pink that was threatening to stain him. Raising his head, he gave a soft howl to those around who were interested in food before he moved away towards the East River. It was time for a bath before he thought about what else needed doing around here.

-exit saul-

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