AW. Backdated to the 13th please? :o



sharksIt seemed that no matter where their population moved, the northern territories were the loneliest of them all. Of course, he had never had much of a chance to explore the outer lying regions of the old lands, but his escape route had been tellingly empty. Most of the packs and the more popular neutral territories had lay to the west, and so it was to the west that everyone had fled. Over the mountain, that would save them. Standing at the top of a particularly tall hill, the grey coyote could see the sea. In the mid-morning sunlight, it glistened vibrantly, endlessly; it was a world that extended forever beyond his reaches, bathed in beautiful. The ocean had enchanted from the first day he had seen it. Occasionally, he still remembered the words of that one wolf that had told him about the lands that lay beyond it. Older now, it still seemed like something out of a dream, the idea that the ocean ended somewhere. Then again, maybe his current half-hearted belief that the sea went on forever was the dream, and what the wolf had said was the harsher reality. He didn't know how much he really wanted to know the truth, but in the end, he doubted he would ever be able to put himself out on a boat to find out.



sharksHis conversation with Castor had also evolved into a discussion about growing up and finding oneself, a topic he had explored again on the same strip of beach with a wolf named Tsunami. Arkham wasn't sure if his departure from his family counted as some kind of adventure into self-discovery, but it was hard to deny that the experience had changed him. The apathy of his younger days had faded considerably. Away from his sheltered life, some things had become more important than others, and quiet ambition rose in the back of his mind. The coyote still didn't have a sure plan for himself, but homeless and alone, he could not content himself to just lay on a beach watching clouds float by day after day.



sharksThe sun was warm, but he did not remove the tan cloak from his back or the scarf from his face that covered everything except his ears and eyes. Turning from the ocean, he could see a field of sunflowers in the distance, strangely isolated on the endless plains. The rocky shore crept southward as well, and he was sure that Inferni had resettled on a beach. The mint hung in clusters from his neck, half hidden by the drapery, but ever successful at masking his scent. Sighing deeply, the young male started slowly down the hill.

sharksHe looked up at the bird, but did not immediately notice the accompanying wolf. Instead, he wondered whether falcons were common in the area and whether the bird was nesting nearby. Footsteps drew his gaze from the sky and he stopped to watch the stranger as he approached. The coyote thought for a moment that he looked a little familiar -- his family was enormous and far-reaching with dozens of members he had never met; it was not so far-fetched to think that this might be one of them. Indeed, he was reminded of a conversation with Faolin. Everyone seemed to come and go so easily; perhaps this was a long-lost half-brother or distant cousin. Arkham shrugged it off though. Speculation seemed like a waste of time when it seemed likely that he would find out soon enough. Likely.



sharksHe flicked an ear at the other's words, uncertain as to what his first impression of the wolf was. Maybe, he answered decidedly, I might not have known it was the devil, and the devil might not have known it was me. Arkham was a nameless, wandering nomad, a lonely thing that for now, had no family and no home. But he had always liked company and conversation. Hiding his face hadn't changed that.

sharksJudgment came quickly enough: a sarcastic sort of fellow, confident in himself, maybe with a bit of a superiority complex. It was a little disappointing, really; he always looked forward to having someone to talk to and had been lucky enough to have met mostly good-natured people in his few months of wandering, but naturally, the occasional bad egg was unavoidable in the end. Arkham shrugged, plainly ignoring the other's tone. Maybe, he echoed again, Or maybe we'd been too busy dancing to care about remembering names and faces. The grey coyote continued down the grassy slope, stopping on even ground several feet from the stranger. And what of yourself? he inquired, peering quietly through the opening in his cloth mask.

sharksArkham had never had much of a swollen head, though the final fight with his only full-blooded brother had convinced him that he needed to at least be better than those that were obviously scum. Andre had was the most inflated egomaniac he had ever known, and the younger brother had decided that if the other was going to try and topple the world, then he would just need to be a little better than that and stop the world from toppling. Maybe he wasn't the best at anything in the world, but he was better than that, even if "that" was a vague and difficult to define thing.



sharksThere're lots of devils in the world. I suppose mine was just better than yours. He smiled from under his mask, I'm going to a party, don't you know?

sharksOf course, he confirmed with a nod, It's the best kind, naturally. He touched the cloth hiding his own visage and gave a small laugh, Without a face, everyone's an equal. He could be revolutionary with his words if he really believed in them. You look like you have a face, though, and a name to go with it, probably -- would you really want to go? Masks didn't quite fit over big heads, after all, there was simply too much to cover. Most of his family probably wouldn't fit behind a mask. As such, they couldn't very well dance at a party. They'd be spending the entire time trying to readjust themselves.

Seemed done. We can have another.



sharksThere were, of course, many different kinds of masks. Arkham did not contest the other's assertion and simply nodded. It was amazing sometimes, just how different people could be if they tried. The coyote did not know the wolf and so could not see past his mask, if it was one, could not see his face if it were showing. The "real" person was hard to find, and people often hid without knowing. Those were truths that had taken him a long time to learn. He wondered how many real faces he'd really seen in all his life. Well, I suppose it's all personal taste, he said, still smiling. But if you're coming, then I'll see you there. With that, he turned from the stranger, ever unnamed, and continued south.