The Entrance of Anathema
#1
Mido began his journey from Washington a little over half a year ago. The trip that he took dragged him over vast mountain ranges, across large bodies of water, through forests and left him physically drained. This adventure was mentally taxing; he never slept long enough for his mind and body to recuperate, maybe 2 to 3 hours at a time. He never stayed in any one location for more than a day. The amount of interaction he had with anybody else was minimal at best.
Mido trekked a tall ridge of an unknown mountain range for the last 2 weeks. The nights grew colder every night, forcing him to sleep in abandoned caves. This night was warmer than the last few, with the moon looming overhead brighter than ever. An unusually warm revitalizing breeze carried the scent of wolves and dogs through his nose, becoming anxious his eyes widened and his pupils dilated. He majorly needed sleep and more than just a couple of hours, Mido curled up on a ledge and closed his eyes; he would make his way down to the far off fields in the early morning.
When he awoke a dense fog that nearly blocked out the sun enveloped everything around him. He reached the base of the mountain and continued forward, his jaw dropped as he approached a grove of trees the size of which he had never seen before. Following a foot path that seemed to stretch on for an eternity eventually turned into a road. Something about the road made him question if he should continue on, but something in the back of his mind told him to stay put. He sat at the entrance of the road with his head high peering into the distance; he could see movement, of what he wasn’t sure.
He did not have a single clue to where he was. Thoughts ran through his mind as the fog dispersed. Mido was amazed as his gaze touched every point of the land his eyes could see. Would he finally settle down, could this possibly be the place he belonged?
#2
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Hey there Big Grin


The female was able to spend a little more time away from her pups now that they were nearly a month old - they needed her for food, but their feedings were slowly becoming more spaced apart. This meant that she could leave them with her sister or with Ravesque for short periods of time and that she could begin to take up her pack duties once more. She was relieved for this; Naniko was beginning to teach the pups life lessons already, but her duties to Anathema could not be ignored. Normally she wouldn't have minded taking them with her, if she was simply visiting her packmates or walking through the territory, but today she planned on heading out to the border to scout a little.


She had been keeping to her Lupus form during feeding times, shifting back to her preferred Optime form for doing needed tasks. Naniko hadn't expected to find anyone at the border or need to defend herself on this day (they had gone a few weeks without anyone disturbing their border area), so she had felt alright with staying in her Lupus form. She was large for her species, tipping the scales in both height and length. That was at least one thing that the alabaster Angela had inherited from her absent father, his size. She'd also been given his jade colored eyes.


Naniko yawned a bit as she padded along the border, tail swishing idly from side to side behind her. A peculiar scent came to her nose, becoming stronger and stronger as she walked toward it. She wasn't expecting to find anyone at the border and slowed down a little, looking cautiously ahead before continuing to walk to the area in which the smell seemed the strongest. "Hello? Who's there?" She called through the trees.


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#3
Mido was staring straight ahead of himself when a sudden voice scattered and echoed out from the depths of the trees filling his ears. A shiver rushed up his spine, his eyes darted left to right, his heart began to race, and his tail drooped. Mido’s hind legs turned to jell-o causing his claws to crush through the earth from the weight bared on his front legs. His mouth dried out and his throat seized in a moment of panic. Mido could not identify the intent behind the voice. He didn’t feel in danger, just uncertain of what he couldn’t see.

Mido turned his head right, then left ears entirely forward listening for anything. He made a brief attempt to regain himself before answering the question that lingered in the back of his mind. He swallowed, clearing his throat, he reminded himself to breathe.
“M… my name is Mido” he hesitantly responded back. What were only moments that passed seemed like an eternity of silence to him. The sun beat down on him as he waited in anticipation. No response had made its way back to him, but the presence was still there, it just had to be.

“I don’t know where I am, and I don’t mean to cause any problems. All I need is a place to belong to, if nothing else.” He said to who was listening. Maybe he was only hearing things. He wondered how crazy he must have sounded, Mido dipped his head, took a deep breath and let out an easy sigh.
#4
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The canine held herself with an air of authority as she stepped out of the brush to meet the owner of the voice. Her body language spoke volumes about her rank and place in the pack; her head was high, ears perked forward and tail raised slightly as her judging eyes bore into the stranger that she had discovered. He had stated his name and had even given his reason for being there without her having to prompt him for it. Obedient already, she could see...answering questions that the leader had yet to formulate in her own noggin.


"I am Naniko D'Angelo - you've reached the edge of my packlands. We lay claim to much of Halcyon Mountain, which makes crossing the ranges somewhat...problematic for many outsiders." His posture and words had put her a little more at ease, though she showed no change in her own stance. Naniko wouldn't let Mido know that she was in her more unfamiliar form and that she knew next to nothing about fighting or defending herself. She did have the pack to call upon if she needed them, though.


"You say that you are looking for a place to belong. Are you fleeing a bad past? Anathema is home to many misfits and rogues. You've survived as a loner and you don't look too starved, so I assume that you can at least hunt proficiently? Do you have any other skills that would make me more inclined to welcome you into our family?" Naniko asked. As she spoke she became a little more satisfied with the fact that the other wasn't going to attack her, and sank down into a more comfortable sitting position as she waited for his reply.


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#5
He quickly looked her over, making sure to not stare through her. The pack leader Naniko D’Angelo held a confident gaze, a very pronounced individual, she seemed passive and relaxed; there couldn’t be any other leader more suitable than her. Mido gave Naniko a mildly saddened look as his mind danced in the past for a moment.

“Yes, you could say that I abandoned my troubled past. Only to better the ones I left behind.” Mido thought for a moment about how his mother and sister were, a content grin appeared on his face they’re just fine.

“Hunting isn’t an issue for me, I am capable of finding food when I need, but I will say it has been some time since I have had to worry about anyone other than myself.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken to another, it delighted him whether she cared or not, he hadn’t the slightest idea. He adjusted his weight, planting his rear on the ground and looked up to the sky. Her words ran through his head once more, he never gave any thought to skills he might have. Mido looked back to Naniko after giving her question some thought.

“I’m a great fighter, I’ve always gotten into trouble and it’s forced me to be really good at it. I have a unique talent for movement, what surrounds me is everything I can use to my advantage, few obstacles can actually get in my way.” He responded to her question. He thought to himself for a second, not much for skills to bring to a table. Mido tilted his head and stalked Naniko with his eyes searching her, wondering what was on her mind.
#6
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If he could hunt, he could at least add to their food stores. Her pups would be needing something to chew on and practice with as they got older and gained more skills, so it would be nice to have some extra food around so that she and Ravesque wouldn't have to be on the hunt constantly. She thought this over and had already made a decision before he had even named his more interesting skill. With Theodore's absence, they didn't have many warriors to spare any more. An extra hand with border interceptions and defense was always needed.


There was one final thing that she needed to do before she could accept the male, and she cursed herself for having left her weapons-belt at home. She would have to shift to perform the Rite of Agares and make him into a true member of the pack, to make a cut on each of their paws to join their blood. "Warriors are always needed here; we have a lot of territory and one of our more skilled warriors recently left the pack. Come with me...I'll show you to the caves."


"There is one final thing that I must do before I can accept you" She said as she turned to pad forward into the forests that surrounded their mountain home. "It is called the Rite of Agares. For this Rite, to become a true member of the pack, I must make a cut on each of our paws and join them together. Join us together, making you a part of our family." Naniko spoke as she walked, her eyes turned to him and her gait even and sure. She knew these paths well, and walking them was a second nature to her.




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#7
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As soon as Naniko had spoken she was already making her way back into the forest. She had disappeared behind the curtain of trees in no time at all.

Mido made a rush for the spot he saw her enter; she was nearly out of his sight, he ran after her crunching leaves and twigs as he closed the distance

between them. Naniko’s shoulder blades shifted as she moved swiftly with no hesitation along the path. Mido checked the surroundings out of his peripherals

noticing multitudes of paths that stemmed from one another, if he fell too far behind he would get lost. Her scent filled his nose as they moved.




Mido thought of what she had said earlier, always needing warriors in the pack, was the pack small? She didn’t seem troubled, so there couldn’t be any

turmoil among the pack. Mido had never joined a pack before, it made sense that they had a form of initiation. Naniko called it the Rite of Agares, making

a cut on each of the involving paws and joining them together. The worse thing he had done to himself was scratch his paws, a cut on his paws certainly was

not going to tickle, but he could deal with it.




He struggled to imagine the caves that she mentioned, between these paths and caves her pack must stay relatively safe from just about everything. He

wondered much about her pack, the kinds of wolves and dogs that make it up. Mido’s mind ran wild about how they did things, he had so many questions, but he

would wait till the appropriate time to ask. As they traveled the paths, Mido could feel traces of Naniko’s personality pulse with every step she took. She

seemed like the kind of leader that put family and pack first; these are always the best kind of individual. The silence was killing Mido, he needed to

break it somehow. “You mentioned caves earlier; your pack sounds very isolated, do you ever find yourselves lonely or depressed?” He asked wondering if he

was stepping outside his boundaries.


Mido


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#8
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Slight pp of them reaching the caves, if that's alright :]


He didn't say anything about not accepting the rite and had followed her into the woods, two things that she took as a good sign. Naniko was always worried about the pack's defense despite their cave home after the events that had happened on the border in the past. An Inferni member had crossed their borders and had made it as far as the entrance to the cave system before they had been detected in the past. Naniko and Theodore had made quick work of the fellow, slaying him and tossing the body back over the borders, but it had still been a chilling event.


The coyote clan had raised quite a fuss over that death, that they had killed one of their clan members...but the intrusion had been taken as a threat and she felt they had handled it appropriately. More recently, a loner had been attacked by two dark creatures that had left her for dead just beyond their borderline. This had put Naniko on alert once more. She also had her litter of pups to protect, month-old children in the back room of her spacious den. Defense was always on her mind.


They were through the main entrance to the caves and walking down the hallway before she realized that she ought to answer his question - Naniko was comfortable with silence. She cleared her throat, turning her head to look back at him. "Anathema is blessed to have this cave system - it provides defense from bad weather, a cool place to live in the summer heat, and many other things. It has an underground spring for relaxation and another spring that holds cold water that we keep fish in." She said. "Our territory is not only caves, though, we have a lot of forested parts and even a stretch of beach near the ocean. It's the best of all worlds, I feel. We are not the only pack this far North...another has moved to be just above and to the West of us, I believe. So no, not too lonely"


"Be right back." The Angela stopped outside of her den, glancing back at Mido as she went out of view. He was not a pack member yet and would not be allowed inside of her den, the place where her three precious puppies slept. She entered and greeted her sister, Pontiac, before beginning to shift up into her Optime form. This took the leader a bit of time and effort, but as soon as she was finished she reached for her weapons-belt and cinched it around her waist so that she could return to Mido. Taller and larger than before, Naniko stepped back out into the hall. "This is the final part of your initiation. Please give me your paw"




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#9
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Naniko had more than just answered his prior question, she

completely elaborated on the subject. She confirmed what was on

his mind; the location of her pack was nothing short of genius.

With all the aspects their territory comprised of, this place was

more amazing than he originally thought. Having family, friends,

and a pack to look after, one really can’t be lonely. Standing in

front of her den she gave a look that said much, and told him she

would be back.



Mido had remained in the precise spot Naniko had left him. She

exited her den in her Optime form, standing tall, strong, shoulders

back, and undeniably confident. She now wore a belt fully loaded

with weapons. Her weapons clinked together as her hips swayed with

each stride she took. Naniko now towered over Mido, asking for his

paw.



Mido’s heart hammered at the inside of his chest. He had rarely

interacted with other canines in Optime form, and never directly in

an unthreatening circumstance. Mido raised his head and pulled his

shoulders back; tracing her body upward with his ice cold blue eyes

till his met hers. The caves held a silence that couldn’t be

rivaled, and Naniko’s gaze was captivating, he felt almost

hypnotized. Mido shifted his weight to his haunches, maintaining

his balance, he raised his paw to her as high as his current form

would allow.



Mido

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#10
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Be careful that you're not powerplaying without asking - try to describe your own character as much as you can, and only describe things that I note in my post, if it's something you wish to talk about in yours. For instance - I did mention Naniko putting on a weapons-belt, but it only carries an axe and a dagger on it at the moment. It's by no means "fully loaded with weapons".

Also, Welcome :]] Please PM me which den you'd like Smile An image of the dens and cave system can be found here.


He was definitely willing enough for the ceremony. She liked this, liked the fact that he was willing to give her his paw and become one of the family. From what he had showed her so far, she could guess that he would be an obedient servant to her - hopefully his Zepar days would be short, and he would prove himself adept enough to enter one of the rank tiers soon. Some newcomers became Zepars and stuck around in that rank for ages...but others shot up and showed her that they were really worth it.


The Angela knelt slightly, taking his paw in one hand and pulling her ceremonial dagger out with the other. She did it quickly, made a slice across the male's paw and then one across her own padded hand. She held them together for a moment, bowing her head for a second before releasing his paw. "It will sting for a bit...but it's a shallow cut. Let me know if it doesn't heal within a few days, or if you feel more pain than this. I tried to make it on an area you wouldn't put as much pressure on when walking." She said, returning the blade to its sheath. "Welcome to the pack, Zepar. Would you like help finding a den to stay in? We have a few furs and things in storage that you could have to start furnishing it with"




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#11
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My mistake, I’m new to this and know nothing about role playing. I didn’t mean to tamper with your character.




Mido winced a little from the cut on the paw. Naniko had made the incision quick and painless in comparison to what he thought it would turn out to be. He flicked his paw making an attempt to shake off the excess blood. Mido took steps in place to see how it might bother his paw, just a slight ache, all good to go. The pain didn’t concern him; it would take a few extra days to completely heal with how rough he is on his body.

Upon completing the Rite of Agares she addressed him as Zepar. He didn’t understand exactly what she meant, must be a new pack member. He would come to understand their ranks and responsibilities later. He wondered for a moment how he was going to be of help, when fighting was what he was good at. He didn’t know now, but somehow he would make a contribution.

She asked if he needed help finding a den, and he certainly was going to need it. “If I could have help finding a den to stay in, that would be great. I feel I may get lost if I take a wrong turn.” He stated as he looked around him. “A fur would be awesome till I could make a den comfortable, uhhh, I am sick of sleeping on hard ground.” He said with irritation. He looked directly to his new leader who remained in Optime form, watching him not saying much. Mido felt like the idiot who ran his mouth too much.


Mido

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#12
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Hey, no worries. Feel free to thread anywhere else, now - here, you can have multiple threads at once.


She gave him a nod before turning to continue to the storage area. It didn't take Naniko long to find what she was looking for, with her knowledge of the place and of the items inside of the storage area, and she came back out with a few furs in her arms. She knew what it felt like to sleep on the cold, hard ground...and the caves weren't the most comfortable. Ravesque's hunting had provided them with many different furs to give to newcomers to start them off - in her arms she held a few long deer pelts and a few fluffier rabbit ones to use as a pillow.


The Angela turned back to lead him back down the hall that led to a majority of the dens. "Whichever one suits you is yours - we have many individual dens that are open. You can smell which ones are occupied." She advised. She wanted him to get comfortable and settle in as quickly as possible, for Anathema to feel like as much of a home to him as it did to her. She loved it in the caves, and was glad to be able to share her home with another canine in need of one.



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