sasha
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Sasha;; Please just save me from this hell
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Post by sasha on Aug 21, 2008 11:05:36 GMT -5
Sasha smiled and wagged her tail lightly at his hopeful comment. Yes, you could call her hopeful, but not all of the time. She could be one of the most doubtful creature alive if you catch her at the right time. Sasha's smiled suddenly faded as Volta began to switch emotions completely. He was now... almost in distress, and his mind was locked. He sensed something, and it was making him uncomfortable, whatever it was. Could it be that thing she saw earlier?! It seemed to be going in that direction. Once he began to speak and his voice was shaky, Sasha tucked close to him, but she gradually felt safer, and was able to move just far enough their fur was no longer touching. After a moment, she began to scan the area-- not just the top, and up the stairs, but near them, too. And then she saw what he did. The eyes.
"Yes," She whispered, sizing the creature up. She couldn't see it well, but just enough. She listened to him longer. Why wouldn't it be real? She wanted to ask why he doubted his senses, but she decided not to. Maybe she wasn't supposed to know. Her mind suddenly fell out of the dangerous category and she smiled. He was being so... so careful. Surely he didn't think Sasha was so fragile? Well, she might be... "Volta.." She let him talk a little longer, and finally, she shook her head, still smiling. She licked the side of his face, where his scar was, and kept her smile firm, "We can both go up there, okay? And promise me you won't have a heart attack." She wagged her tail and looked at him softly.
So, they were down to this. The damn shadow had them both stressing out, and, well, she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to contain her fright much longer. With Volta, she felt so... so safe. She looked away from him and to the stairs. They'd be walking up those steps in only a few minutes. Seconds, even, depending on how fast Volta would want to confront the situation. She took in a sigh. It was getting hard to manage her emotions right now. She was trying so hard to calm herself down... calm them all down. And what in the world was that thing? She caught a small glimpse of it. The thing looked like a very over sized vulture, and it looked almost mutated.
What she didn't know was that its wings were torn up, it was loosing feathers, and one of its legs were broken. Wonder what happened to that thing. A fight, obviously. Whatever it gotten into a fight with, it was unsure of who won. The bite marks in the side of the vulture's wings looked like teeth mark from a wolf. Strange, indeed.... and then the vulture was back in the shadows.
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Post by Volta on Aug 23, 2008 14:31:54 GMT -5
[Yeah! We made it to the next page! And good choice using a vulture; it’s much more threatening than a crow, and a little creepier than a hawk. Do you think it should be able to talk to them, or motion with its body like a charade’s game? I don’t think that birds and wolves would have the same language—but predators might share similar words. So if it speaks, it could have a sort of garbled, slang-y voice. I don’t know. What do you think?]
Despite his nervousness, relief washed over the black-and-white wolf when he realized that Sasha could see the creature. His feet felt as though they stood on firmer ground; he was in the real world after all. He mind had stayed quiet longer than he dared to hope. Of course, that still left them facing a nameless entity in the darkness of a ruined building—but at least it was a breathing mystery. One that could be reasoned with, or beaten down into harmlessness… Either way, the Arctic male’s fur ceased to spike quite so noticeably. He felt so much better, internally at least, that he scarcely sensed his friend’s wonderment at his behavior. In fact, he had to suppress a bemused expression himself when a smile crossed over her muzzle.
”Is… Did I say something funny?” he asked, tilting his head at her quizzically. The way she said his name—like he was a pup again, yapping at shadows, too quick to startle—didn’t offend him at all; he rather liked it. It proved that she wanted to look after him (and he needed some sort of guidance, whether he’d caught on to the idea or not). He wasn’t prepared for her reassuring gesture, though. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment at the flicker of her tongue. It’d been ages since anyone had come so close to him! Had he been born a human, Volta would have blushed. As it was, he simply straightened his posture a bit and grinned sheepishly at her.
”’S alright. My heart is heavily protected,” he informed her, half-joking, half spouting nonsense again. ”Nothing can attack it while you’re here.” It would make a mess, in any case. Ladies should not be subjected to messes… But before he could delve further into some madcap tangent, or walk another convoluted trail down into his consciousness, the beast moved awkwardly into a patch of light, revealing itself to them for an instant. Volta spied the hooked beak, the dark, heavy wings, the gnarled feet with their wicked talons. A vulture of some sort perched at the building’s peak, waiting for them. But why? It must have smelled them by now. Did it want to hurt them? Was it in need or food, or aid? Should they deign to help it, when it might turn on them? The wolf’s thoughts buzzed questioningly.
Aware of Sasha’s building fear, Volta brushed his shoulder against hers, then whispered, ”I don’t think we should get too close until we know what it’s waiting for. I’m going to try and say something to it.” He waited a moment for her feedback, then took a few steps toward the stairwell, avoiding sudden movements and hackling his shoulders to keep his neck protected. When he stood an equal distance from Sasha and the beginning of the steps, the piebald hunter sat down comfortably, turned to face the bird with concerned, unblinking yellow eyes, and opened his mouth. He used a voice that carried well in the echoing ruins, but did not shout or growl. A few times he paused to collect his fears, or to choose a less complicated word.
”Hello. We have come to look around—not to hunt. We are not hungry. My friend and I will not hurt you.” To emphasize this, the loner lifted a paw and covered his mouth, hiding his teeth for a moment. He then wagged his tail, doing his best to look joyful and undisruptive (rough work for a thick-furred, gangling adult male with stitches sticking out of his gaunt, gold-eyed face—but he did look pretty endearing for a second). ”Do you need… food? Water? Anything? Can we… help you somehow?” He then fell silent, glancing back at Sasha just long enough to see how she was doing. Then, he awaited whatever the vulture might do.
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sasha
Newcomer
Sasha;; Please just save me from this hell
Posts: 44
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Post by sasha on Aug 24, 2008 17:58:31 GMT -5
((I was thinking that maybe it's speech would be understandable to them the /slightest/ bit, but still difficult to translate. Like, his voice will be raspy, and interrupted by coughing and wheezing, and stuff like that. And, also, sometimes his words come out as caws and stuff. If that's cool? He also has a foreign accent )) Sasha shook her pelt and looked at him softly, clearly worried. She didn't know what to do. When he mentioned saying something to it, she whimpered and buried her face in his should. She was clearly beginning to loose her cool. She closed her eyes tightly and began to think, as he began to talk. She could imagine the creature swooping down and taking one of their heads off. Ouch. That thing was huge. "Please, please be careful, Volta." She whispered, not brave enough to open her eyes. The darn thing might end up attacking them, and she wouldn't know, because she was now blind to everything going on around them. And when help was offered to the creature, she flinched the hair on the back of her neck stiffening. Her ears pricked forward as shuffling in the darkness occurred. She dared to peek a little, and turned her head the slightest bit, before opening one watching eye. The bird was still in the dark, but his haunted eyes were now glowing a nasty green. Why were they /green/? A chill went down her spin and she lifted her head, and took a deep breath. The vulture made a loud caw and it made Sasha jump and back up. As soon as she did so, the large (and I mean huge) bird swooped down and just skimmed over their heads. Then, he took perch on one of the buildings' protruding metal frames. He was just disgusting. His feathers were oily, torn around, and in some spots there was nothing but scabbed, blistered skin. His broken leg was twisted and scabbed, and his talons, on both feet, were a disgusting yellow, nothing like Volta's wonderful eyes. And his beak... it's color was black, and it was chipped in random places, and a crack was happily placed down the middle. And his neck was completely bald, with a thick bite mark in it, matching his wing. A smile came over the beast, and he narrowed his eyes, "You zink I care vwat you are doing here? And how dare you offer me help. It is your kind vat has done zis to me!" He cawed loudly, and flapped his wings so they were spread around him, for only seconds, then wrapped them around his large body, eying the two carefully. "Disgusting... the fear wreaked among you two make me want be sick!" He cawed loudly again, making Sasha cringe. This thing was starting to seriously scare her. "Volta I don't like-" She began to whisper, than was cut off. "YOU DON'T LIKE VWAT?!" He demanded, "Me? The way I vook?" He flew down and scraped her back with one sharp nail, landing on the top of the staircase. "Vell zen, zi guess that you are scared of him, too? Just vook at his face!" Sasha growled. How dare he! "Actually, I don't mind him at all." Her voice was small and shaky, and it made the old bird laugh. He spread his wings yet again, but did not fly, and instead focused on Volta's scar, "So zen, Wolf, why zon't you take the girl away from here, eh? I'm starting to get hungry." He laughed again, harshly, and evilly, before closing his wings, and narrowing his eyes. Sasha glared at the bird and stood her ground, but began to shake. Was he mad?! ((If you don't like that post, then let me know and I can change it around.))
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Post by Volta on Aug 25, 2008 9:35:49 GMT -5
{I like it—you did a good job with him and you don’t have to change anything. Now things could get interesting…}
Poor Sasha seemed so frightened! Volta stood by her a moment, letting her fear soak into him, trying to pull it from her and contain it within himself. “Of course,” he promised her. Her concern both wrenched his gut and soothed his heart—she had been doing so well, but should he have even brought her here? Why hadn’t they just turned back when they’d felt the presence of something cruel? You always hurt the ones you’d love to save, something crooned in the back of his mind. You find a way to make them walk in the dark with you. No, the yellow-eyed wolf told himself. There are more important matters I must attend to here.
He spoke his piece, hackles uplifted as he stood his ground before the glowing eyes. Closer inspection revealed the vulture as something picked whole out of a nightmare—a ruined reflection of Nature’s handiwork. Its raucous voice drew an answering snarl from Volta’s throat, but even he could not help but crouch his head instinctively as the bird soared over them to reseat itself on another beam. Scare tactics, the loner thought, preparing himself for any form of confrontation. He adjusted to better face the tattered bird.
It looked an outright mess: mangled feathers, that twisted leg, the cracked and bleeding beak… However fearsome it might have seemed at one time, the beast could not hope to engage the two of them in direct combat. A fiercer portion of the wolf’s spirit—that same voice that called for action, for growls and the snapping of teeth—considered killing it out of pity. He could put it out of the dreadful misery its soul must be enduring in that wounded shell of a body. But the mental image of blood and destruction that such a move would entail kept the male’s mouth closed. He could do nothing yet—not with Sasha here and the bird still silently appraising them.
“A wolf attacked you?” After a moment or two of sussing out the vulture’s strange, croaking speech, Volta questioned it with alarm in his tone. “Who would maim you so? And why? If these injuries were made with spite, we will find who hurt you, and punish them…” But in truth his promise came out half-hearted. Inwardly, Volta suspected that the garish creature had done something to deserve such drastic wounds. But, the piebald hunter wondered, how had it survived an assault that brutal? He could not underestimate it, he knew now.
Noting the span of its worn, mistreated wings, the Arctic wanderer curled his lip at the mention of fear. “We were terrified by what we could not see,” he said, with a carefully controlled edge to his words. “Now that you’ve left the shadows, we know how battered you are. You aren’t—” But Sasha’s anxious whisper silenced him. For a moment, he’d forgotten her presence. He might have talked his way into a bitter battle, had it not been for her reminder that they were up against a monster who, though crippled, thought nothing of throwing itself at them, headlong.
Then the vulture dared to interrupt her. A guttural snarl fought to escape from Volta’s clenched jaws as it addressed them. When it swooped to harm her Volta whirled, fur spiked and shuddering along his back. “Don’t touch her, don’t you ever touch her,” he hissed. His eyes were blazing, yellow moons of something akin to hatred. The mention of his own defect was enough to convince him to bolt for the stairs, where he could end the spiteful bird’s life in a shower of feathers and gore. Again, Sasha kept him in check. Whether she realized it or not, the sound of her voice held Volta at bay until the unnatural rage inside him quieted just a little. He swallowed it down enough to look the Mexican she-wolf in the eyes. His gaze promised her that things would be alright. It told her not to worry.
Then he returned his full attention to the monster on the stairwell. As it talked of hunger—had it dared to threaten them?—the black-and-white wolf drew closer, then placed his forepaws onto the very bottom step. Back arched, ruff spiked, ears flickered back against his head, he spoke very carefully. “The lady isn’t going anywhere. If you sincerely hunger, I suggest you take to the skies outside of this place. But,” and again his eyes sparked, their pupils mere pinpricks as he remembered the strike to Sasha’s back. Had she bled at all? He will pay with his miserable life… “if you meant what I’m afraid you did—that you are hungry and foolish enough to try one of us for a meal—then I suggest you start with me.” He supplied a laugh of his own—a low and half-hidden sound that resembled the ominous rumble of thunder over an empty landscape.
”My heart is heavily protected…” from fear of death, from pain of injury, from remorse for the worst of my actions.
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sasha
Newcomer
Sasha;; Please just save me from this hell
Posts: 44
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Post by sasha on Aug 25, 2008 10:26:39 GMT -5
Sasha took his promise to heart. If he would get hurt, she didn't know what she would do. For one thing, she'd freak out, and possibly faint because she'd be alone with that thing. The thought made her shudder and she growled lightly, keeping her eyes on the bird. She studied him carefully as Volta watched him. It barely reacted to him, and hardly took note that they each had sharp, wicked teeth, and they could do twice the damage as one wolf. But would the be able to? "Did a Wolf do vis to me? Aha! Vhy would I lie about that? Oh, oh, no, Wolfy-boy, I probably deserved it," he coughed, "I did try to take her pups life..." He smirked and side glanced at them, turning his head away. As Volta growled and snapped at him, he cawed loudly in laughter, "Excuse me, vut I believe I can touch anyone I'd like. Vand by ze way, I would not eat you your face vis dee-sgu-sting!" And that made Sasha snap.
She snarled and charged forward, taking Volta's side. She let out a sharp growl and the bird only turned his head to them again, "I suggest you be more careful, girly." He warned, looking to Volta again. He laughed in a menacing way and took off in the air, circling them. "The pups cries when I wrapped my veet around him were beativul. You should have heard his cry vof agony, his plea vor his mother." He took in a deep breath and close his eye before swooping down at Sasha, making her dart up the stairs. He turned to Volta, knowing he'd be smarter and attack him if he got that close. "She did what the pup was not smart enouv vo do. He instead just stared at me with vig... yellow... veyes." He didn't have yellow eyes, though, he just wanted to get in the head of Volta. And he'd try, too.
Sasha watched the bird from the stairs and growled, courage slowly coming into her. She stood where she was, trying to think of where the beast was going with this. What progress was he making? He could be out looking for food just as easy as he was tormenting them- or her- couldn't he? She took in a deep breath of misery. Her tail was no longer between her legs, and her fur was barely erect, and her eyes weren't so scared. But her fear was still strong and intact. She wanted to run down there again, but she just couldn't. She was stuck to the floor.
The bird kept his eyes careful on Volta, and once in a while glanced at Sasha. He laughed horsely and snapped his beak shut, some kind of intimidation skill, "Voh, yes. His veyes were so..." He took a minute, and couldn't think of anything, so he left it alone. "Voh, and vou should have seen his mother. She attacked me so vell, vut of course... Vi got away and well... She lost ver eye. Vey pup was okay, though, I only left him with scars. They'll never vo away." 'Yeah, get to the wolf, make him suffer. Make him want to die,' He thought grimly, still circling. Oh, he was enjoying this, maybe too much.
Sasha snarled loudly at the bird, and she was ignored. He really wanted to torture Volta, make him fall, make him weak. If he accomplished that he could move onto Sasha. She'd be an easy target. And who knows, maybe he could destroy them both. He'd like that. He'd also love to eat them, but... he was weak right now, and even though he was over sized, he wouldn't be able to take them both. 'Get rid of Scar Face over here...' he thought, a grunt escaping his powerful jaws.
And he kept circling, just waiting anxiously for Volta's pain. He could only hope Volta would be affected. And he wanted him to be affected bad.
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Post by Volta on Aug 25, 2008 11:55:22 GMT -5
{I suppose they fight now? *rubs hands together manically* And Sasha could get involved however she likes, though I might have Volta powerplay a bit because he’ll want to push her back and keep her away from the battle. You make for a very convincing villain, btw.}
"I did try to take her pups life..." Flames of anger licked at the inside of Volta’s throat as the creature explained itself. His suspicions had proven correct; they were faced with a devil of the cruelest variety. Its heart is black. Irredeemable… Volta’s blood cooled with a new purpose, and he found the presence of mind to shake off his opponent’s petty insults (but he would make it regret swooping down on her so freely…). Words could not harm him now; he was no longer interested in talking. Volta’s mind focused instead on calculating his first move. He could not let this monster leave the ruins alive… his heart cried out against the very thought of doing nothing.
Before a plan of attack could be decided, Sasha flanked him. The strength that resonated behind her growling voice made Volta suddenly proud of her. The Mexican wolf was not so delicate after all! Still, he would do all he could to keep her from getting too deeply involved with whatever conflict came of this unfortunate meeting. How would he forgive himself if she were hurt? His thoughts snapped back to the present as the vulture took off. Somehow its battered wings still carried it—he watched it cautiously, awaiting a dive or the scouring of talons against his haunches. Instead the bird addressed them again.
”The pup’s cries… were beautiful.” So it sees poetry in pain, the harlequin male thought, baring his teeth. It’ll enjoy this, then… His musings were cut off as the buzzard plunged earthward, and he leapt savagely to intercept—but he was too late. His jaws closed on empty air, clicking fruitlessly. Luckily Sasha had dodged the airborne attack. Before he could relay any kind of instruction to her, the bird’s rasping voice snared his attention once more. “Big… yellow… eyes.” Volta narrowed his own, fighting not to be drawn in by such cruel taunts. Liar, liar, he soothed his raging mind. He wants you to step falsely, to stumble. And if you do… then he’ll take the sister. Yellow eyes widened at the idea. It could not come to pass. Not even if he were dead.
In the moment of silence that passed, the black-and-white male looked to his friend. Her growing courage heartened him, but he knew that she couldn’t yet face this horrible beast on her own. He would have to wait—to choose the perfect, foolproof instant—before putting himself in danger. For Sasha’s sake, mistakes had to be avoided at all costs. But still, the bird kept talking…
”She lost her eye… I only left him with scars.” Volta’s lips quivered around a curse at that point. The potential for violence burned behind his eyes; feverish desperation made him hackle. “Monster!” he howled. The vulture’s constant circling made his stitches itch. Made him pant behind his full exposed fangs. “Enough of this! You tore a mother’s face, you maimed a child’s body, and you think it makes you something to be afraid of?” Volta laughed again—a choking sound that carried madness in its echoes. But he remained still. He couldn’t reach the vulture from where he flew, and he meant to conserve his strength as long as he could. He’d need it.
“I won’t waste my words on you again! Get out or come down to our level. Stop your talking. Prove how fearsome you are.” The wolf shook his head, then spat on the stony ground. “I don’t think you’re worth the trouble, to be honest.” His jaws closed on his last words as he fought to steady his breathing. If the bird made a break for the woods, it might have a chance to heal elsewhere. And if it drooped to the floor, they could settle things here. Its choice.
But not really. Either way, Volta meant to end it.
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sasha
Newcomer
Sasha;; Please just save me from this hell
Posts: 44
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Post by sasha on Aug 25, 2008 12:37:52 GMT -5
((That's fine I'll understand. And thank you, I was hoping that I wouldn't suck or make this iffy for you, haha. I hope I'm still doing okay And wow, oh man, my post really sucks. I hate it, and I want to keel it x.x I'm so sorry.)) As Volta thought, he did too. His evil look was still on his face, and it wouldn't go away. He closed his eyes and used his senses to keep circling. His wings were sore, and he'd have to land soon. So, he suddenly swept upward and perched himself upon a hole in the ceiling. Half of his body was shaded, so he looked slightly intimidating. To Sasha, at least. She growled a little as Volta started talking again. She wasn't growling to make him stop or anything, but she was growling to seem... intimidating. She wanted them to look fierce, and make him afraid. The Vulture only laughed when he called him a monster. "Vell, you seem to have zomezing to zay, ya?" He directed the question at Sasha and she only growled, narrowing her eyes further. "Vat I thought." He mumbled, turning back to Volta. So, it was a fight he wanted? "Vell then, I guess I'll go." He looked at them both and swooped downward, flying out the hole in the building, going straight up. Sasha sighed and ran down the stairs. "Oh, thank goodness." She smiled, though, and sat down. "I thought we were going to have to fight. I'm glad we don't, though. I'd never-" She suddenly grew wide eyes and jumped backwards, "VOLTA, WATCH OUT!" her scream was loud, very loud, but not as loud as the loud 'CAW' that screamed through the air. The bird flew in as fast as he could and was heading straight for Volta, his beak pointed at his side, ready to strike. Sasha didn't have time to act, he was going way too fast! She could only watch in horror. She did manage to spring forward though, even though she knew it wouldn't do any good. His speed was fast, but his condition slowed him down. It angered him, but that fury helped out with the pain he would inflict on Volta, if he hit him, that is, or if Volta attacked him first. The Vulture wasn't sure how this would turn out. He was in such a bad condition he could probably be killed easily. Then again... it was still unknown.
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Post by Volta on Aug 27, 2008 20:38:01 GMT -5
{Aw, it’s alright. Like I said, combat’s hard. This isn’t too iffy; I’ll be powerplaying a bit while the fight goes down, so it doesn’t look like Volta gets all the advantage, but you already said that’s okay. I’m sure your next post will be better. *squishes*}
Frustration curled Volta’s lips as the vulture took another perch. Coward, he wanted to scream—but common sense held his tongue. He couldn’t push the bird too far. If it soared away now, he would have to wait until dark to follow it, perhaps into some suffocating, pitch-dark corner of the forest, where it held an advantage over him. The thought worried Volta, because he knew that part of him would not hesitate to enter such a place, if it meant that he could sink his teeth into that bald and bleeding neck. The vulture had sealed its fate the moment its claws brushed Sasha’s back—witnessing that violent act had transformed the black-and-white wolf into someone not quite in control of himself.
And that scared him.
The Mexican’s girl growls lent him strength, though. While he ached to think of her getting involved, Volta knew in his deepest heart that she would rush to aid him should anything go wrong. He shuddered at the thought of what might have happened she had not met him here. To face this evil alone… to let your temper get the better of you too soon? Disastrous, he told himself. Deadly, even. The buzzard’s mumblings won a responding growl from the piebald hunter, but it sounded distant; removed from the dialogue. All of his energy had gone into his body, steadying his limbs and honing his senses. He could almost taste blood in the air…
But then the malevolent creature prepared to depart, and was lost to sight before the wolf could so much as blink his eyes. Muscles tensed under Volta’s fur. He cast his gaze disgustedly toward the ground again, shaking beneath his coat. Is that it, then? After so much tension and injustice? He felt cheated, suddenly—his stitches chafed against his skin. I’ve lost my chance. Volta might have lowered his head dispiritedly then, but the she-wolf returned to him before he could, her voice as clear and relieved as sunshine following a rainstorm. ”I thought we were going to have to fight…” He glanced over his shoulder at her, about to answer—he almost smiled. Then the air around him came alive with sound and fury.
Volta did not even have time to resent his intellect for not expecting a surprise attack. At the same time Sasha cried out to warn him, his body twisted instinctively to prepare for a crash. His weight settled in his back legs, allowing his torso to swivel, to take most of the impact against the hard cage of his ribs. Volta was kinesthetically aware that Sasha had leapt to aid him, but he did not see her. Alarm and passion rumbled in his chest as tattered wings enfolded his body—at their center something strong and sharp collided with the upper blade of his shoulder and closed, clenching until red-hot pain incensed his nerves. Talons scrabbled against his own ragged coat, seeking to hook his vulnerable belly. The Arctic wolf snarled, jerking his head around to find the withered neck. When his teeth knit over the bruised flesh the monster released its hold, and crowing hoarsely, maneuvered to face him. Panic glowed in the back of its green-black eyes: it had narrowed escaped death, and now meant to flee the situation.
“Too late,” Volta whispered, a crooked smile smearing across his face. He threw himself forward, his left—unharmed—foreleg knocking the buzzard sideways before its wings could unfold. The smell of mingled blood surrounded them, creating a miasma of tension and malice. The bird scrambled to drag itself out of range, but Volta’s jaws closed over its broken leg, holding it in exquisite agony. Enraged by pain, the vulture lunged for its opponent’s eyes. Volta squeezed them shut and lifted a forepaw in self-defense; the malignant creature staggered backward, toward Sasha. When Volta opened his eyes again, a fresh gash bled beneath the right one. He noted the bird’s positioning with a cry of rage.
”Stay back!” he barked to the girl—it was all he manage before a harsh and guttural growling overtook his voice—the vulture meant to hurt her! Fur bristling, blood running hot beneath his pelt, he charged to side, placing himself firmly between Sasha and the battered scavenger. The sudden movement made him wince—already the shoulder was going stiff. But he hardly noticed the pain. To keep his enemy’s attention solely on him, Volta began to circle it. “You were a fool to threaten a wolf,” he hissed, dodging a thrust directed to his wounded shoulder. His voice stayed low and unfamiliar, as if someone else were wearing his skin. Laughing at the the futility of such a strike, he continued to speak. “You were a fool to deny our help.” As he talked his pacing slowed. Inside, his mind settled too, readying itself for the consequences of taking a life. His breath came in measuring waves. His shoulder throbbed and shuddered, until it seemed that leg could barely hold him. Behind his eyes, he counted heartbeats: three… two… two-and-a-half… “And you’ll die a fool.”
The vulture watched him hatefully, as if daring him to make a move, then wheezed out a last mocking laugh, a final half-hidden slur. The sound pulled Volta’s final trigger. He sprang without a second thought. Teeth closed with a hairpin snap over the vulnerable throat, choking, drawing dark and dribbling blood that pooled in the back of his gullet until he thought he’d retch. The remainder of it fed the earth, soaking deep. His head was turned slightly, to avoid the desperate death-throes that gripped those gargantuan wings, stirring them into frenzy. But his electric yellow eyes stood out, stark and open wide, from the black-and-white mask of his red-stained face.
Years passed in the back of the Arctic’s wolf mind, until it finally felt right to let go. With a ragged sigh he stepped back from the lifeless body, his own frantic heartbeat echoing gradually through his ears. His steps were heavy, his eyes having lost their maddened spark as he heaved himself toward Sasha. The loner’s tail drooped, and his ears held themselves flush with his disfigured skull, as if in regret. He looked at her sadly, feeling painfully aware of the blood around his mouth and the red, matted fur that outlined his right shoulder. ”Sasha,” he whined. His voice was sorrow itself.
“I’m so sorry, Sasha. And I don’t want to leave you right now, but I…” He slumped to the ground, lying on his side so that the rise and fall of his ribs could be easily witnessed. “I’m so very tired.” But he couldn’t close his eyes.
Not unless she was alright.
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sasha
Newcomer
Sasha;; Please just save me from this hell
Posts: 44
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Post by sasha on Aug 28, 2008 20:28:49 GMT -5
The bird's body dropped, completely still, with his eyes rolled behind the back of his head. His body didn't seem so big, lying like that on the ground, but in some way he looked like a warrior. All who knew him knew better than that. He was a filthy beast, and deserved exactly what he got. No, he deserved worse, but he was gone now, and that was all that mattered. In that things life he had killed at least eight pups, and most likely a few more than that. He'd injured many, many more, as well as their mothers. He'd caused so much torture, so much pain and sadness... his death was needed, and thank god it came. In Sasha's eyes only did she feel pity; the thing was damned from birth. He might even be crazy. For a second, his body twitched, but it was only his last dying nerve. He was gone, no hope left within. He was most definitely dead. Sasha smiled slightly, but then her ears jerked forward, and her eyes switched positions, and she saw Volta. He did such a good job. She wagged her tail and smiled, but suddenly her face turned to horror when he spoke. NO.
"..." What was he saying?! 'No Volta, no, you can't leave me!' she wanted to scream that so loud, make him stay. She just... couldn't speak. Her eyes became foggy and she was suddenly very, very dizzy when the brave fighter fell. "....NO!" Her shout was finally loud, and powerful. Like nothing she'd ever done before. From her position on the stairs (she had ran their when Buzzard-Boy came after her...) she jumped-no, lunged- and landed right behind Volta. Her voice was weak again. It sounded worse than his when he spoke her name. She played the sound back in her head and winced. "Volta.... you can't. You can't go... no! I won't let you!" She collapsed, and she began to lick his face. Her tongue slid down to all of his wounds, and then back to his face. "You're staying. You are." Her voice kept cracking, and she sounded as if she could fall over, right there, and die. She couldn't deal with him leaving. "I can... I can do anything for you, Volta, I can t-take care of oyu, and m-make sure you'll be okay. I'll hunt for you, I'll give you food. I..." She couldn't talk any longer. If he was gone, her life would be over.
She stopped licking his face and set her own over his, her eyes full of fright and sorrow. She wouldn't let him die. He was NOT going to die! He wasn't, not while she was there. Her body was now curled closely to his, her face pressed against his, and her tail was tucked-smashed- between her legs. She whined a few times and licked him again, before repositioning her face. Her body went numb, and a chill went down her spine. So many emotions were swollen inside her, especially her sadness. It was swallowing her whole. Her mind began to make her angry. She had thoughts about Volta dying right there, thoughts of her lying there for the rest of her life and dying. She growled, then whine. "You can't go. You can't!" She almost growled, and stayed quiet. Her ears pressed against her skull and she stuck her eyes on that staircase, imagining the monster that dared to try and take her and Volta's life.
He... he wasn't really going to... go, was he? Just give up and die right there? Surely... he wouldn't.... right? Right? RIGHT? She felt her heart quicken, and she began to panic. Calming down, her ears only flicked. She had to believe in the best. She just had to. She was fine, but he wasn't. She'd do anything to help him, literally anything. She'd die for him right now. If he would risk his life for her, she'd do the same. The way he fought back there made her want to faint. He wasn't only fighting for his safety, but hers too. He wouldn't even let her near the fight seen, nevertheless actually fight. She whined again. He was so nice to her. She didn't deserve it.
Maybe he wouldn't leave her. Maybe he'd stay. He could do so much! The two were both young, and both had long lives ahead of them, he'd have to see that! He'd have to realize! He just had to! Oh, DAMNIT if he wouldn't have already killed the bird she would right now, she'd tear it to shreds and rip his feathers out. Maybe she would. Maybe she'd go over and rip his guts out. Yeah, that sounded nice. But... she'd have make Volta stand up. She'd grab him by the scruff and make him stand if she had to.
The thought of just standing up and walking over to the bird make her grin malevolently on the inside, and she would growl and snarl if she wasn't so depressed. Either way, life or death, Sasha was going to rip that birds head off. And she'd do it with pride, all for Volta.
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Post by Volta on Aug 30, 2008 8:48:50 GMT -5
{Poor Sasha… He’ll come back to her—if he ever had to die, his death would be much more extravagant. I assure you. }Despite his promise to himself not to sink into unconsciousness, the harlequin wolf faltered just as she denied his words. Gazing blearily at her, Volta realized he couldn’t hear her voice—the sound of it seemed to flee from his ears. It almost reminded him of the echo that followed a rock sinking into a pool. How the ripples grew wider and wider, until they finally disappeared… But in truth, he was the one losing his grip on the waking world. His paws scraped the dusty ground as she neared him— Why is she screaming? Get up, you idiot, what if the vulture’s not dead after all?—but managed only to kick up a scree of loose ground. The warmth of her tongue against his face calmed the wolf. His eyes finally closed, and he felt himself falling down, down… down. In reality, Volta’s spirit lay suspended evenly between life and death: very little chance favored the latter. Had the buzzard struck a major vein while snapping at his shoulder, or sliced his neck in place of the flesh below his eye, the story would play out altogether differently—but thankfully for the two of them, the loner had moved with speed and precision. His vital areas remained untouched, though exhaustion and loss of blood—as well as the tremendous emotional strain gnawing away at his mind through the entirety of the battle—had reduced the black-and-white hunter to a state of near-senselessness. He sprawled across the dirt breathing shallowly—perhaps so lightly that Sasha could not see his lungs filling and emptying beneath the screen of his pelt. His heart slowed, beating irregularly every now and again as it fought to regulate its rhythms. Every few moments some muscle or minute tendon would twitch, faintly, in his leg or shoulder or the corner of his mouth. And blood continued to flow sluggishly from his wounded limb and the gash on his face. When Sasha cleaned it away delicately, Volta felt her touch, but again, felt too far away to respond. He struggled against the rest his body demanded, but could not so much as twitch his tail. An almost inaudible whine fought to crawl its way out of his voicebox, but it faded, like the ghost of the wind, instead of building to speaking-voice level like he wanted. “I can... I can do anything for you, Volta, I can t-take care of you, and m-make sure you'll be okay. I'll hunt for you, I'll give you food. I..." The distant cadence of Sasha’s voice cut his heart to the quick; she sounded as though she might die herself, if he could not rouse his limbs in time and meet her gaze with his, to reassure her. Even as he formed these desperate thoughts, the urge to sleep and sleep threatened to snatch away his resolve. You must rest, something within him ordered, in the sibilant, firm voice he remembered as his father’s. Healing begins in darkness, in painless freedom from thought. He hurt you badly, you must admit… He brought your demons out to play, if only for a moment. The voice paused, as thought assessing his condition. It may not be wise to return to the girl so swiftly. Traces… traces remain.Traces of what, the voice did not explain. But Volta could not be bothered with madcap riddles. The Mexican wolf’s heartbroken whine sliced some barrier between the real world and this dreamscape; he visualized it as a tear in a black sheet, wide enough for him to pass through. Mentally he bounded through the rip, into light and sound and— Relentless, white-hot pain. With a shuddering gasp the male opened his eyes, twisting his head about wildly, his nostrils full of the acrid smell of blood. “Sasha!” Yellow-moon eyes lit on her familiar face and glittered with joy, though sorrow tainted the expression when he considered the anguish his injuries must have put her through. He wanted suddenly to pull her close; to drape his neck over her shoulders and whisper in her ear a thousand promises that he’d never leave her with that kind of misery again. Rocking on his hind legs, the wolf gamboled to his feet—then abruptly fell to earth again. He looked up at her with crooked smile on his face, a little embarrassed by his helplessness, and wagged his tail. “Oh, Sasha, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I meant to sleep, I never meant to die on you, I wouldn’t do it… That monster just fought so hard, I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer—but you don’t want excuses,” he growled, panting a little from the strain of so many words. “I’m sure I’ll be fine if you help me up and we wash out this wound on my leg. Then maybe… if you forgive my weakness… we’ll get something to eat? You must be just as exhausted as me, sister.” His eyes met hers imploringly, and he lifted his head to better hear her reply.
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sasha
Newcomer
Sasha;; Please just save me from this hell
Posts: 44
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Post by sasha on Sept 3, 2008 14:28:59 GMT -5
Sasha got up and backed away, watching Volta carefully. His breathing seemed to slow down, and it looked almost like... he was sleeping. She frowned inwardly, and looked over at the bird. She growled at it, before looking back to Volta. When a drop of blood hit the cold hard floor, she slowly walked over and licked his wound, before laying down next to him. She kept her distance and tucked her ears against her skull, letting her tail remain between her hind legs. He couldn't just die, could he? Not that easy... the bird was... it couldn't be that strong. But maybe it was. And if it was, then... then Volta...
Sasha let her light eyes shut, and she began to remember the first time she lost somebody she loved. She remembered so well, how that winter messed everything up. How she had watched one of her pack members die. They were so close they could have been sisters. "..." She wanted to say something as her eyes opened, but she just couldn't. She was in such pain, but clearly not as much as Volta. She turned her eyes to look at him again, and twisted her body this way and that until she was laying on her side, with her paws spread out limply. Her tail was even sprawled out randomly, heading off somewhere towards the back wall. And then, suddenly, she jumped up with a shocked whine, and fall over.
He was alive?
"Volta!" She called his name only seconds after he called her own, and wagged her tail as he sat up. When he fell, though, she rushed over, a little too later, and licked his face. She listened to him, thinking he was going to say sorry for having to 'go', but instead, her heart was relieved of any new burdens. Her eyes softened and she pressed on his shoulder gently, and made him lie down all the way. She shook her head, her voice shaky, but relieved, "You don't worry about anything. I-..I'm sorry for taking your words the wrong way. I'm paranoid." She laughed a little, and tilted her head. "Just sit here for a few. I'm going to go grab you something to eat, and we'll get your strength up, then we can go to the river to wash out your wounds, okay?" She really didn't want to leave him here alone, he was hurt! But... she couldn't really bring him out in the open, either. It was better for him to stay... he needed energy. he could rest, then eat when she got back. It made sense.
Sasha laid down next to him and began to clean his wounds one last time herself. She was very careful not to hurt him, but made sure she cleaned it enough to matter. "This won't get infected, I don't think. I just want to clean you up one more time before I leave. I don't know how long I'll be.." She directed her sight to the hole in the wall and nodded. It was around 2:00P.M. or so. "I'll definitely be back before dark, if I get anything or not. You are NOT staying here alone after dark, no matter what." She turned back to him and finished her cleaning with the wound on his face.
"Just promise me you'll be alive when I return, Volta." She sihghed, her voice low. And she stood up, not wanting to leave.
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Post by Volta on Sept 14, 2008 15:30:59 GMT -5
{Never should have took me so long. Hope you’re doing alright.}
“You shouldn’t be the one to beg forgiveness,” Volta said as she apologized, his eyes bright with sincerity. He opened his mouth to say more, but Sasha’s words brought his own to a halt. “I’m paranoid.” …What reason did the red-furred lady have to expect death in those she cared about? He watched her wonderingly from where he laid, muzzle level with the earth. At the words just sit here awhile, the black-and-white wolf almost laughed. Where was he going to go in his condition? But she meant well; he could only wag his tail in silent reply.
As though he were a pup again, to be bathed by his mother after every scrape and tumble, the Arctic warrior kept still while Sasha cleaned him. She took the utmost care, he noticed; something in her movement did in fact remind him of the way his family had looked after him, seasons ago. He could almost see his aunt’s face overlaid across the Mexican wolf’s narrow features, if he squinted his yellow eyes… But the reverie lasted only a moment or two—just long enough for Sasha to finish her task.
After dark… Despite his size and relative experience with danger, the thought of lying here until the daybreak, with the smell of blood around him and that battered corpse lying just out of eyeshot, made Volta shudder beneath his heavy coat. He began to think of ghosts—white figures slithering beyond his awareness, taunting him with laughter that rang from the sky, or deep below the ground—but his fears crept back out of consciousness when the girl addressed him wearily.
“Thank you,” he said at first, in a crisp tone of voice that suggested formal gratitude for her promise not to leave him. He hadn’t expected her to run away without him—it wasn’t in her character—but the gesture of thanks still meant something to Volta. He paused a moment, then swore, “I wouldn’t scare you twice.” Hoping to turn the comment into a joke, he attempted to smile at her. Only half of his mouth would turn up, though—the hunter wagged his tail to make up for the expressional mistake. “My hungry stomach wouldn’t let me close my eyes again, if nothing else.” And he nodded gently, giving her wordless permission to leave him.
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sasha
Newcomer
Sasha;; Please just save me from this hell
Posts: 44
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Post by sasha on Sept 14, 2008 16:08:21 GMT -5
Sasha smiled and backed up a few steps, keeping her head high. "You just wait right here! I'll be back and you'll be as full as can be!" She barked loudly before running outside and down the steps. Her movements were graceful, despite what had just happened. Ahead of her she could spot a flock of birds. She smiled and charged at full speed, running through the crowd of crows, listening to them angrily talk to her. She ignored it all, though, and kept running, determined to bring Volta something to eat. While she ran, her eyes studied the earth below her, and she could see that hooves recently upturn the soil here, and that she needed to slow down, and realize that she might have actually found something.
With her ears upright, Sasha could see her target, but she immediately shook her head and turned away, walking east. Two deer, mother and daughter, were grazing, and she just couldn't take either of their lives. She couldn't separate them like Sasha and Volta almost were. It would hurt either one of them, depending on which lived. She needed to find something else, and fast. Studying the sky, Sasha assumed it had been around a half hour, maybe a little less. She needed to get moving.
Her feet began to ache, and the sun was turning pink. She growled, clearly frustrated, and swiveled around a pack of trees. A spider fell down in front of her and she swallowed it easily, before nearly gagging. "Disgusting," She muttered, shaking her pelt, and continuing on her way. As she walked, she found something she wished she hadn't. A human footprint... right in front of her. And it looked only a few days old. She whimpered and looked behind her, deciding whether or not to continue. Her paw went inside the print and she scratched at it, before deciding to continue. It was risky, what she was doing, but there were also hoof prints of a deer, and hopefully a good sized one, but no so big that she couldn't take down herself. Signs of the deer began to show as she spotted uprooted plants, peeled tree bark, and a urine patch. So, her prey was a buck? That seemed so dangerous, and it was. Antlers could take her out very easily, let us prey he was still young. By the size of the hoof prints, he was. But hooves are small anyway... they're just very sharp.
Sasha growled lightly as the male came in view. She pressed herself against the earth and peered out from behind the bushes. A gunshot sounded not too far away, but Sasha was too focused to notice, no matter how eager her legs were to run. She wanted this buck, and she wanted it now. The buck was smarter in some ways and took a few steps toward Sasha, edging away from the hunter, but closer to Sasha. She smirked and sidestepped slowly, before looking for a target spot. He was still young, no doubt, but his antlers were definitely starting to grow. They were still small, but they had dangerous points, and he himself was pretty big. Hopefully no match for the wolf.
She thought about what to do. Go straight for the neck or legs... maybe another vital organ... she didn't know what to do, really. "Let's just hope for the best," She decided, and sprinted forward, taking a bite in the creatures thigh. He jumped forward and tripped, and ran a short distance, before turning around and facing Sasha with his head low. Sasha bared her fangs and growled, keeping her body low. Once he charged she stood her ground, and turned to run. Instead of running the same path as he, she turned sharply and twisted around a tree, before following him. Confused, he stopped in his tracks, and she ran between his legs, before locking her jaws on his front leg. That probably wasn't smart, though, because he threw his head down and smacked into her with his antler. She flew to the side and hit a tree, blood coming out of her upper shoulder, where his antler hit her.
She whined and stood up snarling, getting ready to attack. He held his leg up. At least she managed to do some damage. He snorted and she took a step forward, before breaking into a run, stopping, running, and stopping. Every time she ran he jumped back, and every time she stopped, he snorted and shook his head. This was starting to go her way. Hopefully he wouldn't turn and run away like the females would, or she'd be out of luck. With a sudden movement Sasha barked loudly and jumped up, biting his chest rapidly, before making her way to his leg again. In this attempt, he had smacked her a good three times with his hooves, but she was okay, he was weaker than she thought. She did have two gashes, though, and a bruised rib. The buck was still reared up and she jumped weakly, knocking him over onto his back. Perfect! He rolled onto his side and Sasha bounded over at full speed, knocking into his neck and dumping her canines onto him. They sat there for a few moments before the buck smacked her off with his broken leg, and they both laid there, gasping for air. The buck sat up and stared at her, before she too mimicked him. But she was in better shape. He leg wasn't broken.
"Give up?" She growled, getting a loud snort from the buck. He stood but only injured himself, and fell down. Sasha took this as an advantage and hooked onto his bleeding throat. He died.
Sasha whined and let herself fall to the ground. She was in worse shape than she thought. Her rib had managed to break, she had at least five gashes, and she'd be walking with a limp. She howled in victory, though, and grabbed him by the back leg. She was proud of herself, and thankful that he was still young, and much, much lighter than she would have thought. Bad news, though. It was dark.
Sasha had dragged him to the staircase of the building where Volta lay, hearing at least two more gunshots. She was so close, and she wanted Volta to know she was okay, and she had food. Panting, she yelled up a "Volta! Volta it's me, Sasha, I'm back!" She sounded worn out and out of breath, but she was okay. She probably made it halfway up the stairs before she needed to rest, and then she went up again. Finally she made it up to the doorway, and she coughed violently.
A smile came to her face and she dragged the dead body over before collapsing, and wagging her tail. She felt great! Well, for the most part. "Eat, Volta, we have much to do in the morning."
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