Itzal! Let's get spooky. :> SSWM: 349

It was a beautiful afternoon for some solid exploration, Kesho thought. He had yet to see all that these new Inferni lands had to offer. Though he'd traveled most of the expansive territory, some parts had escaped his feet. The very center of the clan was one of them, and today he'd gone out with the intent to end up at this particular place. Grimwell Caverns certainly intrigued him; he was fond of caves, and especially of the secrets they held. Kesho thought that they might, perhaps, hold some interesting stories of Inferni's past, and these were always welcome.

His feet carried him swiftly, presently in lupus form as he jaunted towards his goal. Crimson eyes kept to the horizon line as he made his way through the sparsely forested interior of Inferni. As he neared, the landscape changed into one more treacherous; rocky, bold, and definitely more difficult to navigate. But it was a challenge, and he never turned on down, even at this age.

The man climbed carefully down the ledges around him, not seeing an easier way that was near enough. Claws dug into the clay and rock as he clung to the sides, sliding down slowly and cautiously. He wouldn't break a hip or anything, but he could certainly injure himself without much trouble here. Anyone could, if they weren't careful.

Once over this series of ledges and strange maze-like lengths of rock and clay, the land began to smooth out. The caves were numerous, and each held it's own story. He wanted to explore them all, discover their hidden wonders. For now, though, he would just start with this one. A relatively small cave, half of its contents barely visible in the midday sun streaking through the trees. The Hastati crept carefully into the opening, his body and head lowered in case he were to encounter something unpleasant in there. The rust-colored man knew when to keep his guard. Running around in half-lit caverns without a thought was one way to find a swift end.

SSWM: 334

Kesho did not appreciate trickery, even within his own clan. The man was annoyed when pranks were played on him, or when others sneaked up on him. An ear twitched as he heard the sounds of someone approaching, and he immediately whirled around, a snarl clearly on his face. He had barely had chance to explore yet, either.

The scent that was brought to his nostrils was unfamiliar, but carried the faint scent of Inferni. A new member, maybe? Either way, whoever it was should not be sneaking up on old men like that. Kesho gave a low growl of warning before the stranger spoke, was even taking a daring tone with his speech.

"HEY, what are you looking for out in these caves?" yelled the dark male.

Clearly, the stranger did not recognize Kesho as a clan member. This alone was immediately offensive to the old man. Kesho emerged from the cave he had been inspecting, his hackles raised in annoyance. Those dark red eyes fell on the figure before him and narrowed, his mind filling instantly with anger. WOLF! raged Bael's voice inside of his head. Kill him...! screamed the voice, but Kesho was hesitant. Keen eyes inspected the face of this screaming man once again, and he could see a faint trace of something else... something familiar. Coyote. Still, his blood was impure and Kesho scoffed.

"What are you doing, talking to me like that? I'll do whatever I like in these caves." he stated, his tone serious, offended by the man's condescension. "Who are you? When did you get here?" he questioned grumpily.

The old man stalked a half-circle around the other male, trying to pick up more information from his scent. He recognized the scent of Kaena, of that dark, ebony woman who was related to her. The one he didn't like much. Kesho's eyes narrowed again. Could this one be trusted?

No one can be trusted, Kesho; even you know that, idiot! hissed Bael into Kesho's mind, his thoughts unintentionally infiltrated.

SSWM: 329

Who was this new wolf-looking creature? Kesho frowned at the black beast, angered by his words, his presence, his attitude. He should know not to speak so ignorantly. Even though the man didn't know Kesho's rank, he should still be more respected. Dark red eyes narrowed again as the stranger spoke, each word searched for deceit, for untruth.

"I'm trying to find out what you are doing out here, and you can do whatever you want, as long as I know you are part of this pack. And as to who I am, I'm Itzal, I arrived her a few days ago. I am Inferni's newest member." he stated, and then questioned: "Who are you? And why are you out here?"

"Boy, it's none of your business what I do here." Kesho snapped back quickly. "I'm Kesho, Hastati of Inferni. You should learn the scent." he glared at the new arrival, sizing him up briefly. He did not trust this hybrid canine, nor his blood. "If you must know," he said, with a slight huff, "I'm hunting for stories in these caverns. Why did you follow me?" the man demanded, still slowly stalking the stranger, although he was slightly less on edge now.

Large ears were still back slightly as he walked slowly towards this dark Inferni member, whose face looked like a wolf. Kesho was still unclear of his intentions, and therefore quite wary. It was hard for him to trust someone so new, and especially a hybrid like this. Red eyes continued to size up the other man. Itzal was quite a bit larger than Kesho, but he paid this no mind. The Hastati knew his own skill, and if he had to fight, he did not believe this coy-wolf would be a challenge; he was young and likely inexperienced, no matter how cocky he might seem.

Kesho gave another rough grunt, and eyed the ebony man.

"Why did you come to Inferni?" he questioned, perplexed at the prospect of a near-wolf joining a coyote clan. He was wary, as always. He did not trust these hybrids, although their numbers in the clan were increasing and eventually, he guessed, he'd just have to get over it.

SSWM: 409

Kesho paced still, more slowly and less deliberately now, around this man who had dared to challenge him with such a voice. His warrior nature commanded him to trust slowly, if at all, and this situation was no different. A newcomer to the clan-- at least he was in the clan-- following him, supposedly in order to properly defend Inferni, but Kesho was not so sure. Red eyes narrowed once again, appraising this dark stranger named Itzal as he spoke.

"It was my business when I thought you could be a threat to the pack. And you are right, I should learn the scent. But how could I have known it if I'm just now meeting you? And I followed you because I was uncertain if you were an intruder into our pack, and also, I wanted to see where you were going. I'm sorry for my disrespectful attitude, but if you saw someone who you thought might be trespassing on pack territories, would you have treated them with respect? If you are unsure if someone is friend or foe, treat them like a foe, so you are always on guard." Itzal spoke, explaining himself in response to Kesho's questioning.

An eyebrow raised as the man finished his long-winded speech. He did not anticipate such a talkative canine, and gave a grunted response before speaking himself.

"I meant that you should know the scent of your clan. It is strong on most of us." he said darkly, appraising the last words the man had spoken. "You have a point." he muttered. "But I don't appreciate being stalked." he growled in annoyance at just the thought. How rude that was.

Kesho hoped that this coywolf was true to his word; he did not like being deceived. If Itzal were to disprove his spoken words in any way, any trust Kesho had for him would be immediately disposed of.

"Now who is intruding on whose business. I came to Inferni because I wanted a home. And I thought this would be a good one. I believed that this pack was strong and smart. So I figured it would be good for me to join. If you have a problem with me being a member, then I do not know what to tell you. I'm here to stay I believe." Itzal informed Kesho.

"The only fair exchange for information is more information." he stated. "I have no qualms with you yet; you'd do well to hope it stays that way." he stared at Itzal, his hard, dark eyes glaring with a perhaps unnecessary intensity. He would not tolerate nonsense or ignorance in the clan, even if it was not his to govern.

"If you are loyal to Inferni, then you are welcome here." he said, albeit a bit grumpily.

His posture had slackened, and he had stopped stalking the other man like prey. Still, he held himself proudly. He would not drop into such casual discourse so easily with this new arrival. Time would bring this, but having just discovered the other trailing him, he was cautious.

"You may join me if you wish. I'm just looking around here." he mentioned, turning and walking back towards the caverns he had abandoned. Large ears were turned towards the man, listening to see what his next move might be. Should he follow, Kesho would require him to keep close. The old man would not trust this strange youngster wandering off, in case he was not revealing all truth to Kesho.

:] SSWM: 446

Kesho tried to push aside his annoyance in favor of a better option, tolerance. It wasn't necessarily pre-set in his mind that any newcomer to the clan was unworthy, but...he did have requirements, things that he thought were necessary for joining. One was absolutely to give respect to those higher ranked or those with seniority. This...wolf-mutt did not seem to possess this ability. Or maybe he was doing it to push Kesho's buttons. Either way, it annoyed him. The old man's right ear twitched from the thought as he walked.

The Hastati remembered the vow he made to himself to be more understanding, more open. He sighed to himself, rolling his eyes away from the other man so that he would not see. He supposed it was his duty, to show newcomers around and all that. Welcome back to clan life... he thought. Remember, this is what you signed up for. Just get over it.

Though he listened to what Itzal said, he did not bother responding to it. This young, dark coy-wolf breed seemed to be too sure of himself to take any instruction from Kesho, at least yet. This was one reason he didn't like to...hang out, with younger people. They were obnoxious. Again, that compassionate part of his brain, all dusty and tired from misuse, pulled at him. Just give it a shot. So he did. It was hard, though.

"And I have none with you, but you would be smart to not underestimate your opponents, no matter how good you might be. And also to at least speak to me like I'm not a new born pup."

Kesho gave a slight growl at this statement, turning and staring through red eyes at the dark male. Was he being mocked, or did this kid just flaunt his knowledge and skills at everyone that made the mistake of listening?

"I have not treated you any differently because of your age." he muttered truthfully. Itzal's age was not what bothered him, but the associated ignorance and pretension. The man turned his head forward again, trying to ignore the itch in his mind connected to this ebony creature's words.

Whee. SSWM: 709

Cold feet trod slowly through the rocky caverns; his red eyes were alert and all-seeing. A lone bat hung in a corner nearby, and it shifted slightly in it's day-sleep. Until there came something better, his attention turned to it, though his head remained forward. While he was not necessarily intentionally ignoring his dark companion, it might have seemed that way. Truthfully, his interests were just focused on the remnants of broken bones, decaying flesh of who knows what, and any other hidden goodness that might be lurking nearby. His fixation was unfortunately broken by the voice of Itzal, a man now trying to explain his behavior.

"Look. I know I can be pretty rude, and Obnoxious. And ignorant, and arrogant, and pretty stupid at times. But it is mostly just the way I am. I grew up away from any other pack then my family, And the one pack I lived in after that, I lived in a week.....and in that week I was abused, beat, and used. But none of it broke me and it made me more determined then ever never to submit. Then I lived on my own for the most part, looking out for myself, until I ended up here." the man explained, as if trying to apologize for his previous actions. Itzal then continued, adding: "So yeah, I'm disrespectful and I do not submit very well. I am not use to admitting I am wrong and that I do not know everything. So sorry, I will work on it, but in the mean time, please, do not take to much offense from what I say and do."

Well, maybe you should learn to behave yourself, at least... Kesho thought, a slightly frustrated expression on his face at the dark hybrid's words. He did not need to hear explanations for behavior, only a change in it. With a noncommittal grunt, Kesho nodded his graying head.

"Fine." he muttered, in an attempt to urge this intense conversationalist into a slightly more subdued state.

The old man continued his trek, taking a left at a fork in the road, following the much more dimly lit path, his eyes taking the time to adjust to the change in light. The walls were narrowing now, and though Kesho was not afraid, he knew that this sort of thing might scare others. The perfect reason for this land to belong to Inferni... he thought with a sly grin, directed at no one.

Itzal's words began flowing again, and Kesho braced himself for another story. Maybe he would just have to endure it; would there be a reward for him in there somewhere, at the end of this "adventure"? Something akin to karma that he would have to word towards? Maybe. And it was that thought that allowed him to calm down again, if only briefly, and manage to listen to this strange hybrid's words.

"I came from a jacked up pack of crazy wolves who believed that they should only be purebred, and where my family was killed and my uncle's pack abused me until I ran away, then wandered, and came here." the dark man explained in earnest. "I honestly do not know the name of the place the pack was at. I would have to see a map of the U.S to show you. And I would rather move on from my past, so I do not really remember the name of the pack I was in." he said in conclusion.

Kesho couldn't help but chuckle. A pack of purebred-loving wolves? Well, wasn't Inferni quite like that? No, no, they aren't. Not anymore. Ugh. He turned to meet the yellow eyes of his acquaintance with his own fiery red ones, muttering only a few words in response.

"Inferni hasn't always been so different from that, you know." he said, his tone almost pleasant. "We were once ruthless killers and pure-blood worshippers." he added, his face contorted a bit in reminiscence. Here we go again. But then, he changed the subject. "I don't know how to read a map, but I'm sure you could find one in Halifax." he said quickly, his pace increasing as he heard the rushing sounds of water.

Then, as if to ward them away, the cave produced a sound unlike any other. A hooting, whooping, maniacal sound whose origins could not be easily named. Even Kesho's large ears, though thoroughly able to hear it, could not decipher the tone. His eyebrows creased in wonder, in frustration. Things like this excited him; the urge to find the source immediately took over his brain. He turned to his dark companion, a large grin across his face.

"You heard that noise?" he said nonchalantly tossing his head towards its vague direction. "Let's find it."

Paws turned as the cavern opened up again, though its insides were still shrouded by lack of light, his bat-like ears helped him narrow down the location of the sound, and that would be his destination. Behind them, the path he had not taken sought them out, it's light chasing them intermittently through small cracks in the cavern's sturdy foundation. Dark eyes tore through the light-starved pathways, and as they made their way deeper inside, his pace slowed. Several alleys to the sides offered escape from this journey, sunlight creeping dangerously into these inner chambers; but he chose to stay on this path, the one he knew would lead to that sound.

Something that made such a hauntingly and demonically ghost-like noise had to have been alive, had it not?

SSWM: 553

"Well, I do not mind the ruthless killer part, I am one myself after all, and as for the Pureblood worshippers, I do not mind that you once were, and I do not hold it against others who still are, I was just explaining to you the nature of the pack I came from." said Itzal without emotion.

Kesho once again declined to speak a response to Itzal's words. An ear twitched as at the dark Scorpius' mention of Kesho having "once been". In reality, he still was. His prejudice ran deep, and despite recent attempts to correct or at least diminish it, Kesho had limited success. Yes, his tolerance for the breed was...slowly increasing, but it certainly wasn't perfect and he couldn't help but slip into that mindset frequently. But, his longevity in this clan would be determined by his behavior, and that included obeying himself around wolf-beasts.

Continuing carefully down the rocky corridors, Kesho followed his ears as the sound hit the air again. It varied each time, indicating it's possibility for being an animal. Perhaps he could get an easy meal out of it. Oh, but I'd have to share... he thought with slight annoyance. Of course he would share any meat, but it was not his favorite idea. Nevertheless, it might not even be that. It could be an enemy laying in wait with a trap set, or something else, like a ghost.

Kesho did believe in ghosts, though he'd never seen them. He had been told of them several times by multiple canines, and often felt their presence in places like this in Inferni. To him, they were lost souls caught between life and the afterlife, and nothing more. They were not to be feared, but guided into death. It was unlikely, though, that a ghost would be able to make audible vocalizations, so Kesho tossed this idea aside for now.

The cave walls opened up slightly now, and the one they were following finally led down a long, lone tunnel, dark and with nearly zero light. Red eyes pierced the darkness and Kesho eyed the skeleton of an antelope; someone had bothered to drag it all the way back here. Clearly, they had wanted to be hidden. The creature's skull intrigued him, and he mentally recorded it's location. The old man would return later and create a helmet from that magnificent skull, horns and all.

The sounds increased in volume now; they were close, but did not seem to be moving. He turned to his companion, lowering his body into a stalking pose, the man whispered.

"Quietly, now..." he said, his words nothing but a breath on the wind.

Cream colored paws inched across the cold floor, his movements slow and calculated as he neared a curve in the pathway. He was determined to find this beast, or whatever it was, and knew that the thing had to be just around this bend in the road. The man's nose fiercely attempted to read the scent on the cave's stale air, but could only vaguely recognize the more recent smell against the myriad of scents combined here. Turning now, he checked to assure himself of Itzal's presence, if only for the sake of teamwork.

Seeing the man's yellow eyes and dark shadow on the barely lit wall, Kesho nodded to him, then gestured with his head for them to go ahead. Strong legs carried him towards the noise, now only a short 50 feet away, it's scent becoming increasingly familiar, but not quite recognizable, as they neared.

SSWM: 860

Kesho had stalked a thing or two in his time. He was practiced, you could say. Experienced. It was different, though, tracking and hunting inside of a cave. His senses didn't work as well; they became confused. Echoes bounced off of the walls, distracting his ears' attention. Scents mingled with the dingy, dusty air of the caverns and made his nostrils unsure. Shadows danced in the darkness and played tricks on his eyes, still adjusting from the stark difference from daylight. But still, his senses were strong. They identified, as he closed in.

A young avian, perhaps days' old dried blood, and the scent of the pathetic little thing's urine and feces, which had built up all around it from the thing being unable to move. As Kesho moved forward, a small amount of light managed to allow him to see what they had heard, what he had been expecting to attack, to kill.

Abruptly, Kesho stopped his feet from advancing, lifting his head, ears now fully erect, staring straight ahead at their quarry through dark red eyes. He narrowed his eyelids briefly, momentarily unsure, before approaching the wriggling creature.

It was a young owl, clearly fallen from it's tree, it's wing perhaps broken, perhaps in it's first attempt at flight. Kesho scoffed, glancing down at the tiny beast. It was useless now, it's wing broken, it's feathers ruffled and out of line. Would it even be able to fly, if it healed? Now, it seemed pitiful, hopeless. Kesho lifted a paw and prodded the small bird, wondering if he'd even get a response. Sure enough, he did, and that horrible noise echoed deeply throughout the cavern again, immediately causing Kesho to retreat several feet, his ears pinned to his skull and a snarl on his lips. With a low growl, he turned to Itzal.

"It's just a fucking bird." he muttered with a frown, looking up at the ceiling and noticing the perfectly sized hole in a nearby corner of the wall. That must have been where the thing had come from. Stupid animal. But then, maybe it wasn't. What a strange angle the bird had to have been flying in to get into the cavern like that. Reconsidering the beast, Kesho eyed it again.

The thing floundered about, flapping it's wings, occasionally letting out a scream of pain as it rolled onto it's injured wing. Then, as if sensing it's possible savior, the bird straightened itself, standing on two legs as firmly as it's starving body would allow. It's wings came to a rest beside it's body as it willfully stared back at Kesho, as if determined to find a way out. Well, then... Kesho thought, an eyebrow quirked in amusement.

Without a word, he shifted. His body changed, his spine rearranging itself into a two-legged template as his muscles strengthened and his fur lengthened. He was much taller now, and these caverns were still quite small. Kesho's head nearly hit the ceiling, but he lacked several more inches. Glaring down now, stretching his arms out, knuckles cracking as he stood, feeling glad, for once, to have this form to use at all. He bent down and, as gently as possible, picked up the bird by it's feet, rising to his feet and turning to carry it back, the creature dangling in his grasp. It would not be hurt by his grip, but allowed Kesho to control the thing, keep it from flapping about stupidly. He would take it home, find it something to eat, and raise it. This creature would make a nice pet. It would do well to have a night guard in Inferni. Kesho would train it to alert them of enemies, of dangers, of food. Yes, yes, that'd be wonderful...

"Well, that was exciting." Kesho said in a dull monotone, standing briefly beside his companion. "He'll make a good night guard." he stated vaguely, gruffly as he continued on, back towards the entrance, now on two legs.

Now, what was he to do? It became obvious to him instantly that he had no mode of confining the beast. That would need to change. He would also immediately need a home. One of these caves would probably do, Kesho thought, glancing around as they approached the slightly more well-lit section of the cavern. Once more, they passed by that antelope skeleton, and, unable to help himself, Kesho bent and took the skull, shaking off the debris and cobwebs covering it. The thing still had a small amount of fur attached to it, but that was fine. He would clean it and have it made into a glorious helmet later, fit to the head of his Optime form. What a grand day.

"It'd make a good helmet, eh?" he muttered, lifting the skull up and out towards the dark shape of Itzal. He was out of hands, now, though. With any luck, they would not encounter much trouble at their departure from this cavern. After all, there were still many more to explore.