monax
#1
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+3 Forest of Nod, early morning. Zeke is in his lupus form.



The hunting behavior of the coyote was one based upon his history. Ezekiel had spent nearly two years living as a loner—his size and intelligence had aided him in this matter, but it was the instincts and the patterns he had followed that truly aided him. Observing other predators had been a key factor in learning, followed by the experience of failure. More often than not, he failed to bring down larger animals. With a weight more relative to that of a gun-dog, his skills fell to the endurance and speed granted by the coyote lineage left. This was why despite his obvious canine body, Ezekiel hunted like a bird.

It was not as if he had the capabilities to strike from the air. Had God intended for four legged animals to fly they would have been born with wings. As it stood, though, when Ezekiel did not hunt in his Optime form he favored a pattern of stalking that was based on speed rather than simple strength.

He was low against the ground, ears flat and tail even with his spine. Though his golden pelt was a source of constant trouble during the winter, the blackened sable-print pattern along his shoulders and spine worked well to conceal him. Amber eyes were focused ahead, locked on the marmot hole. He had been lucky to spot it before tromping all over such a thing—the rabbit was a small prize compared to a fat groundhog.

Ezekiel’s tactic was a simple one. When the animal emerged, he leapt into the air and brought his full weight down on its back. The woodchuck squealed, but teeth connected to the fat body even as the shock of the attack hit. Several savage, sharp shakes took the life out of the animal with little difficulty. Pleased with himself, the Aquila carried his prize off to a more secluded section of the forest to eat.

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#2
Hiya! Big Grin (WC: 333)
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[/html] Wraith hadn't intended on following the Aquila that morning; it just sort of happened. She saw him making his rounds (or doing something important, she was sure) and decided to catch up with him to talk about her rank. He'd given her the Praeses rank and she had been very proud about that. She knew her father would have been happy to know that she was worth something to the clan. He didn't like lazy coyotes, so she knew being admitted into the Milites ranks was something to be proud of. Of course, this just meant that her quest to find the right fit was becoming more challenging. She didn't want to let everyone down by being indecisive either. Her father had a few things to say about folks like that, too.

So, when she finally caught up to Ezekiel, she found him hunting. She didn't want to disturb him, so she hid away and quietly waited until he was done. Once the smell of blood permeated the air, she figured it would be okay to go and find him. Once again, he had disappeared. The scent of blood made it easier this time and she was glad she was getting better at tracking. After all, Praeses were supposed to be the scouts of the clan! She didn't want the Scorpius' thinking she was bad at it.

She mustered up her courage and tiptoed over to where the Aquila was. She didn't want to interrupt him while he was eating, but she also didn't want to lose him again. When she thought it was appropriate, she trotted over to Ezekiel with her head low.

"Hiya Mister Ezekiel," she said. "Umm," she began, "when you're done, umm... can I umm... talk to you?" Suddenly very conscious of herself, Wraith tried not to seem rude or impatient. She didn't want to do this wrong. She feared that the proper behaviour of greeting one's leader was completely exoteric and she was just doing it all wrong.[html]
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#3
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I almost forgot they were cousins, lololol. -fail-



Predators naturally hide kills; Ezekiel was no exception. He did not leave a trail beyond that of scent, and had he been outside of the borders, he would have likely consumed the majority of his quarry by this point. As it stood, he was midway through the meal when the reddish girl appeared nearby. Ezekiel eyed her curiously and stopped, neck and head craned over the dead animal as if she might attempt to take it from him. The fact she was no longer a child meant his instincts did not demand such exceptions for her; while young, Wraith had begun showing promise as he would expect from a child of Hybrid’s.

A pink tongue rolled across his bloodied muzzle, and he placed one paw over the carcass. This allowed his head to relax, focusing on her with raptor-colored eyes. He did not recall when her mother had left, but knew it was early on—Talitha had helped raise the girls before Valkyrie stepped up to do such a thing, and he wondered what sort of effect this sisterhood had on their development. “What do you need?” He asked patiently, his belly comfortable though not yet full. The heat of the fresh kill helped with this illusion, and given his conformation, a seven-pound animal would fuel him for at least a few hours before the energy expended by patrols burnt such a thing off.

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#4
Oh hey man, they totally are! I sort of forgot 'till you mentioned it now, doublefail olol.
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[/html] Uncertainty held Wraith in its grips and made no move to release her. Hesitantly, she raised her eyes a bit, but did not step forward. She still did not know if she should hang back and wait for him to finish his food or if she should do something else. When he addressed her, she was struck with a sense of panic and wondered if she should say it now or ask another question. But, since he had asked her, it would only seem right to respond to him in a proper way.

She was never too sure what to do in these sorts of situations, since Hybrid had always told her so many things about Ezekiel. He was a warrior, their leader, the son of Gabriel, and his nephew. Which of those roles should she acknowledge? She came to him looking for a Aquila, so she hoped to address him, properly, as such.

She took one hesitant step forward, leaving behind a cordate pawprint in the snow.

"I wanted to ask you about the ranks in Inferni," she explained. "I-- you have me the Praeses rank and now that I'm older, I want to know more about what I can do -- or what I should be." She faltered at the end when she struggled for words. She wanted to say more, but she also wanted to see his reaction and hear what he had to say before continuing. [html]
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#5
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As a boy, the coyote had learned quite quickly that there were rules and regulations to be followed within the social structure of canines. Wolves especially, he had learned, obeyed this demand with frightful urgency. After they had left Fatin, it had been her brother, Tristan, that established these ideas within him. Slashing fangs and body-language alone had put forth rules that Ezekiel followed to this day. He likened his ability to “speak” through combat down to such a thing.

Ezekiel was, therefore, able to see the hesitation in her step even though her voice betrayed such doubt. Red ears fanned high, sharp and coyote-like in ways his heavy bulk would never be, and focused on the girl. A faint smile crossed his face, fading as he noted that someone else had failed to educate her on such matters. Perhaps this too, was Hybrid’s fault—if his daughter could not do such a thing, why would he expect it of this other litter?

“Well, your rank means you are a scout. Inferni’s scouts are expected to work together to cover our borders; you are the eyes and ears of this clan.” He shifted his weight and a ringed tail curled across a single well-muscled haunch. “Your father was a scout and a warrior of this clan for many years. I thought you might like to try scouting; do you want to do something else instead?”

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#6
WC > 300
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[/html] Wraith nodded, wide-eyed as Ezekiel spoke. Unlike she, his words were calm and certain. Wraith felt incredibly vulnerable talking to him. She felt so young and silly talking to him and knowing that he was the leader. Even though she was an adult now, she was only on the cusp and therefore, doing grownup things, such as speaking with much older and more experience coyotes who weren't her family was somewhat frightening.

He explained the role of the scout and this time, she was able to bob her head with a little more confidence. Yes, she knew what a scout was. But was she any good at it? How would she ever know? Would she be better at something else? These were the many questions tumbling around in her head and many of the things she wanted to ask.

Her eyes widened when he mentioned that her father had been a scout. Is that what he had been doing when he took her out on patrols?

"Oh," she exhaled. "I -- how do I know if I'm any good at it?" she squeaked. "I mean, my... daddy took me patrolling before. He told me how to look for smells and signs that people had been there before. And uhm, I met Miss Optio Vesper. She said she's in my... tier. I went hunting with Ithiel and Symera and Myrika and... but... how do I know if this is what I like? I think I like scouting, but I don't know. Umm.. yeah..." She trailed off, uncertain if she should say more and concerned that she had said too much. When would she know if she talked too much? Would Ezekiel get upset at her? She wished she could spruce up this conversation and free it from her awkward pauses and uhm's and uhh's. She just wanted to make everyone proud of her but she didn't know how. [html]
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#7
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(304)



It was an instinctive fear to be wary of older things; to go without it would lead to children wandering in the wild and being eaten by the first hungry animal to cross them. The Aquila was glad that Inferni reinforced such things to their younger members. Certainly, he imagined that Hybrid had, for the time he had been with the girls, done such a thing. Pale eyes shifted over her form, adult-like but still young and not fully grown into her shape. In a few months she would be ready to advance yet further—he had seen Symera’s potential but now thought it a mistake to push her up when she was still a child. Max he did not make the same mistake with; the boy had spent most of his time as a simple foot soldier, ensuring discipline and experience before rising to a true rank of skill.

The coyote looked away from her at a noisy cry from nearby, saw the raven was not his own, and ignored it. His focus returned to the girl, though he pulled the carcass closer to him. “Ah,” he began. “You’re doing what you should be doing, Wraith. Learning more skills, working with others—Vesper is the highest ranked member of the scouts, and she can help you. So can Myrika, and Ithiel; they’re all scouts too.” He paused, thinking of how to spruce up the job so she might find it of interest. “Being a good scout means you know how to use your senses. Your nose, your eyes, your ears…your main job is to be on the look-out for strangers, or anything you don’t recognize. If you want, we could set you up with the other scouts. They could teach you more,” he concluded, suggesting this was the proper course for such ranks.

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#8
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[/html] There was a momentary flurry of motion that stole Wraith's attention from Ezekiel, but she returned it soon enough. She glanced back to see the Aquila watching her once more with his piercing golden eyes. She noticed that they were much like her own and she wondered if that was because they were cousins.

When Ezekiel said that she was doing what she was supposed to be doing, she let out a quiet, "oh." Somehow, she was surprised that she was doing this right. So everything she thought she should logically do was exactly what she was expected to do. Huh. She hadn't really expected that. She dipped her head slightly in thanks when she realized it was almost praise.

"Okay," she said at last. "I can do all that. That... I do that. So I just need to get better at doing that. I've met all those guys before so should I just... ask them?" It seemed strange asking for things from people who weren't her family. She was accustomed to asking Valkyrie, Lucilla, or Nathaniel for things because they asked her for things, too. But when it came to her pack members, she was worried that they might say no or that they might not like her. [html]
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#9
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derp. we can wrap this up soon.



While the Lykoi blood was most dominate here, Ezekiel had the unique spattering of Massacre within him that gave him further attachment to the children…though they were mostly grown now. Even though, as the girl before him was, they remained gangly and uncertain of their roles in the world. It wouldn’t take long for their training to begin; he could not allow for rest when the never-ending threat of the outside world loomed.

“I would,” he suggested, watching her face curiously. “All members of the clan are expected to aid others; having a higher rank brings on more responsibility,” the Aquila continued to explain. “When you become skilled enough to advance, it will be your job to help teach others as well.” Inferni functioned because of this, and he intended to see this practice continue. If they isolated themselves from each other the point of having a group was destroyed. The natural tendancies of coyotes favored smaller family groups, and Inferni was an offshoot of this—bound only by blood and the need for survival, recognizing this because of their grown intelligence and (as his father had once confided, when Ezekiel had spoken of his distaste for his wolfish blood) something that could not have been achieved without the addition of the gray wolf within so many of them.

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#10
Sure thing! c:
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[/html] Wraith nodded, her head bobbing furiously, betraying her eagerness. She was glad to hear that she was doing things right. It seemed odd to think that she might be good at this. She had always though she was good at finding things that didn’t want to be found, but she’d only ever compared herself to her siblings. She was excited to become an adult, too, but scared at what it meant. She wanted to do things and prove how she was a good clanmate, but she also liked having fun and playing with her brother and sister. Where did that put her?

She supposed she’d figure it out soon enough. She thought she was pretty smart, too, so she’d be okay – even if Ezekiel was a little scary, though less so compared to Halo.

Though, the one thing she’d never considered was helping others in their ranks. Since she was still new to it all, it seemed like something very far away. It would be more than a year before she could do that.

“Okay,” she replied. “What—what if they don’t want to learn? I mean, I’ll be an adult soon, but what if someone ranked lower than me thinks I’m dumb ‘cause I’m just a kid? I still have ta learn a lot more, but… would it be weird?” she inquired. She certainly hoped not; she looked forward to helping others.[html]
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#11
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One more each and I'll close? :O



Unlike the previous leaders of the clan, Ezekiel’s true nature was an enigma. He did not carry himself with Kaena’s self-known righteousness, or walk with Gabriel’s God-given prowess. There was a shadow and a ghost within him that refused to allow the Aquila to show himself for what he truly was. It came through in glimpses, in flickering light and sideways glances. Only there, at these ends of the earth, was the savage thing within him given ground.

Ezekiel was a great pretender, and he intended to keep this charade up until it suited him to do otherwise. So she was right, in a way, to fear him—the fear of the unknown was a natural one. His whiskers curled towards the red streak on his muzzle, twisting his face into a smile that did not meet his eyes. “Then you tell me,” he said gravely. “Our ranks have no room for those who don’t know their place.”

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#12
Sounds good! Thanks for the thread c:
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[/html]“Well,” Wraith began, considering the question. Her face contorted in concentration as she tried to reason it out. She didn’t want to know just the right answer, but the one that would make sense; to prove to Ezekiel and herself that she was a worthy member of the clan. Wraith glanced back up at the Aquila once she realized she had looked away as she had thought.

“If they’re not respecting the rank, then that’s wrong. And if I know more than they do, they should respect me – as long as I’m doing it right. So if they don’t want to listen to me, they’re disrespecting me – and their rank… and Inferni, too, I guess. And that would be bad.” As she spoke, she became more confident and more certain that her reasoning was sound. But still, she was a member of Inferni like any other, and so, she watched for Ezekiel’s reaction. She deferred to Ezekiel, like she should, since that was the right thing to do. And her father had always stressed doing the right thing, like respecting Gabriel (but she figured that meant the Aquila, since Ezekiel was the Aquila now) and keeping Inferni safe. They couldn’t be safe if their own members weren’t following the rules.[html]
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#13
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The girl worked out her reasoning as best he could expect from a child. It was simplistic but the core of the idea, and he was pleased by this. He had worried that being raised by Hybrid would somehow stunt his children with his fanaticism and outright disapproval of his role as Aquila, but it seemed his premature death and Valkyrie’s role as surrogate had kept this from occurring.

A thin smile crossed his face, turning it wolfish. “You were born in this clan,” he explained. “That above all else grants you the right to command.” With that he gave a pointed look of dismissal. He watched her head off, remarking on the true coyote blood that made her unique amongst some downright wolfish cousins. Once he was satisfied she was gone, he rose to his feet and picked up what was left of his kill. In the paranoid manner of their ancestors, he trotted away to another location before finally finishing and moving on.

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