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The wolf tasted like justice. The sweet scent of righteousness and everything that was going right in the world. Hybrid knew that this was what doing what one was born to do, what one should do was like. He was satisfied that in some way, he and Gabriel were ensuring that the laws of Inferni would be upheld and that they would have another wolf skull to put on display at the edges of their territory.
Hybrid ducked around the wolf, allowing for Gabriel to attack and following up behind him. The two of them attacked the wolf with sure precision of warriors. Both had fought in wars and saw to the death of other wolves and other creatures, and were nearing mastery of the art of killing. They were not there yet; both had much to learn, but this wolf served as a learning tool.
Hybrid snickered at the thought as he lunged toward the wolf's exposed belly. The wolf was snarling madly, and may or may not have been cursing at Gabriel. Hybrid was unable to tell, for the sounds of battle were overwhelming. Hybrid tore into the wolf's belly, holding his front paws down with one of his own to ensure his safety. The wolf, knowing he was to die, was trying to attack at them in any way possible. Blinded or not, he had a grudge. Hybrid flinched away as the wolf caught his fur, jerking quickly so the wolf's claws slashed through his skin, leaving a shallow wound. Hybrid moved back, standing over the wolf's broken back legs, continuing what he had started. Again, his teeth broke the skin of the wolf's belly and his claws held on tight as the wolf thrashed and whined.
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indent The art of killing and the art of torture were two different things. Gabriel could have killed this stranger without a second thought, ripping his throat from his body and his soul from his belly. That was where it lived, after all—though true power came from the heart. Bloodlust was only part of what drove him to do the things he did. They were righteous, because the righteous always prevailed over the wicked. Gabriel was laughing, but he didn’t hear himself anymore.
indent Something broke. Gabriel had brought his weight down on the male’s chest and heard something crack, heard a startled gasp. The stranger began to whine, unable to understand the pain he was feeling. Gabriel’s eyes burned and he sank his teeth into the chest, forcing his teeth into the skin, around bone. He yanked, tore, and forced the skin and bone apart. Blood coated his face, running over his scar, splattering into the sand that swallowed it like water. In there was what he wanted, still beating, though it was growing weaker by the second. The lung was punctured; done when his ribs cracked.
indent With a growl deep in his throat, Gabriel’s teeth closed around the heart and ripped it from the body. He shook his head once, sent it flying, and swallowed what was in his mouth. In order to gain an enemies strength, one had to consume it. Snorting blood from his nose, the Aquila looked to Hybrid, as if recognizing his presence for the first time.
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Hybrid was content to watch Gabriel as he devoured what little was left of the wolf, almost amused at the entire display. He stood by, chewing on the wolf's hind leg, amused as the wolf yipped, howled, and cried out in pain. He bit down and, chewing off part of the wolf's foot, yanking hard with his head to detach the foot from the leg. The wolf's quiet whimpers had begun to grow louder as Gabriel attacked the wolf's stomach with renewed vigour. Hybrid could see that this was the end for the wolf and did not bothering to interfere: the Aquila would be the last to attack.
Hybrid spat out the piece of the leg he had been gnawing on as the Aquila turned toward him. He smirked, as if laughing at a joke he and Gabriel were sharing. He was the only one laughing, of course. He regarded the other male, then glanced around them. Hybrid was covered in blood, as was Gabriel, and the sand and bits of grass. He grinned as he saw the carcass, wondering how much else they could do to desecrate it. "A stick sharpened on both ends," he muttered. He wondered if they would simply shove the head on a stick, or perhaps, try to recreate the wolf with multiple sticks and let the carcass rot by the borders. Another warning for another wolf.
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indent Panting and standing stiff-legged in the sand, Gabriel heard what Hybrid muttered but did not hear. There was a second, quieter voice that was speaking, one only he could hear. It had not been this quiet in years and that was a sign. Lifting his head and studying the area around them, the Aquila was not perturbed by the scent of blood and death so much as he was the utter silence around them. After the noise of combat settled, the area had turned eerie, and almost too quiet.
indent Still, he showed no sign of this. Moving forward, he grabbed the wolf carcass by the nape of the neck and dragged it the several yards to the sandy border, Hybrid following. There, he dropped it. “I’ll leave this project to you,” he said, suggesting that perhaps there was some sort of further test involved. Gabriel and his mother had begun the gruesome warnings, and he wanted to see just how far the others would go.
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Hybrid felt clean. It was a wonderful feeling, having taken what seemed like a shower in the wolf's blood. He had cleansed himself through the other's death. Although the thought of having his fur dirtied by a wolf's blood seemed repulsive initially, it was where it belonged. If it was in the wolf, that meant the wolf was living, and that was most certainly not good. The cheerful glow that followed a death as wonderful as this always made him feel better, always brought up his spirits. The rush of it all was a little intoxicating, too.
Hybrid nodded as Gabriel spoke, shaking his fur slightly, stepping back so he did not spray the Aquila with the bits of sand and twigs that were falling off his fur. Their scuffle in the sand had caused a few things to attach themselves with his fur and drying blood. He regarded the carcass for a few moments before deciding to shift into his Optime form. Hands would make the task much easier. The process took only a few moments, for he had trained himself to shift quickly should he ever need to in battle. It had been a little painful, but he knew the reward would be great.
He stood up and scanned the territory for a stick, or a branch. He saw some wood that had been washed up on shore a few paces away, and jogged over to it. He attempted to pick it up, but found that it was extremely heavy. He dropped to his knees beside the piece of wood and dug around it with his claws, unearthing what seemed to be some sort of frame. The wood was attached to more wood. He dug around it some more, pushing sand away so he could see the three pieces, all connected with nails at different points. He sat down and placed his feet on a piece of wood lying horizontally. He grasped the one piece of woof and pulled back, surprised when it came off fairly easily. The wood was rather dry and brittle, and only the sand had prevented him from taking it. He set it aside and pulled another piece off. He took one piece of wood in each hand and started back toward Gabriel. "A bit farther away from the water, maybe?" He asked, almost speaking to himself. He looked at the carcass, wondering if it would be best to chop the creature up now or later.
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