broken silence.

[ϟĦÅУḎ€]

A nice day, by Orion's standards. The sky was slightly hazy, the sun's rays faltering in the thin cloud cover. You could hardly see the sun anymore in fact, even though it was midday. The autumn air was crisp and cool, but winter's harsh grip had yet to close around the temperature. Yes. A nice day... by Orion's standards. A Cephian may have found it bitterly cold. Brutish desert-dwellers - they had no place in Orinian territory, weren't even suited for it. And yet the two packs had a sort of loose understanding, which was at least better than the open hostility that Orinians and Andromedians had for each other. The Cassiopeians didn't understand Orion's wolves at all, but they never failed to live up to their expectations and blindly welcome any wolf into their big, warm paws. Still, it was as if his pack was alone in the world.

"Hmph. How stupid of me to think about such things."

These days, the alpha of the pack of Orion frequently found his mind wandering. A faint force was always nagging at his consciousness, as if he was missing something important. It was bothering him to no end. Necromancer felt the fur on his spine stand on end as he stared up at the canopy of the massive tree known as Rigel's Oak. He'd never met the tree's namesake, but for some reason he wanted to. Maybe old Rigel would have said something to him that would make the nagging go away. It was silly, he knew, but by now he was so fed up with it that he would have tried anything. Now, sitting beside the oak and staring up into its branches, he spoke.

"Orion, tell me what it is I am supposed to do."

Nothing happened for a very long time. Necro didn't expect it to. Gods were flighty, and Orion had... a sense of humor, perhaps. It was expected of the god of the sly to have a sharp sense of humor that had a painful bite. Still, it would have been much easier if he could just know what it was that he needed to know, needed to see. His red eyes glowed in the dim morning light. Fog was rolling in on the horizon. Perhaps it would make it, but perhaps not.

His world was full of maybes today. The leader of the sharp-tongues and shadowy assassins was not as he should have been - alert, on edge, snappy. No... Today, it was all melancholy. Something was going to happen, and he didn't know what.

And it bothered him.

[&CAESAR !!]

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[bg=A6EC92] she had awoken buried deep in the roots of a tree, dirtied and stinking of blood. a quick glance between her toes allowed her to see blood caked there on her claws, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust; she must have gotten too rowdy playing with her brothers. she wondered where they were as she scrambled to slither from under the roots, then she wondered where she was, because she didn't see her mama or papa or cassius or jurius. perhaps they had abandoned her, left her there, and why was she so big?, and oh - she remembered. the feeling of desolate isolation, the long hours she spent howling her heart out for her brothers and parents, sobbing and whining and trying to find a flicker of their thoughts, a small lick of emotion, but it had been nothing but cold, empty space buzzing in her ears. a flame seemed to burn in her chest, devouring her soul; luckily she had found the orion pack and they had taught her their ways, took her in, and made her an assassin. assassin. the thought made her laugh as she squirmed and clawed at the dirt surrounding her, how in the name of orion did i get down in here?, finally breaking free and tumbling about, her light violet paws momentarily lost. she snorted soil from her nostrils, dragging her small paw over her snout; light blue eyes sought out a familiar shape in the familiar darkness of the bellatrix woods before she huffed, slinking in between roots and trees, crawling her way to the moss woods and, ultimately, rigel's oak. the oak held a special place in her heart. the place where she'd been found by some orion pack member, "take me to your leader," she had commanded at the age of six months, and then by some miracle she had been accepted - yes, the oak was very important to her, and it was bound to be beautiful. it usually always was during the autumn season, residing mysteriously, looking as if it were the guardian of all things that resided on it's land. as the trees thinned out and she passed various landmarks she became aware of the dim morning light and the fog rolling in; her thick white and gold dappled fur bristled and she shivered lightly, as if anticipating the chilled, damp fingers of the low hanging cloud. finally she was standing by the oak, the ringing of another's emotion clear in her ears and heart. aurelia grinned, staring at the black and red wolf. ah, dear alpha ne - cro - man - cer, she drawled, what has you out here all on your lonesome, if i may ask? you seem bothered. this is thought or emphasis. this is speech.

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this is telepathy.[/color]

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[ϟĦÅУḎ€]

For a very long time, Necro sat in silence, watching the crimson and fire-orange leaves fall gently at his paws. Every so often, he reached out with his mind to where he knew Orion called from, but he could never get very far into that mysterious realm... so after a while, he stopped all together. It's useless to persist against a deity, he told himself, but it only made him angrier. His claws dug into the soft ground surrounding the great trunk of the Oak and his tail twitched as if it had a mind of its own.

Speech from behind him suddenly made him tense up, fangs bared, but he did not turn. Instead, he listened, ears turned toward the sound. That easy-going, feminine drawl was unique; in an instant he recognized one of his assassins - Aurelia, was it? - that the pack spread rumors about but never confronted. No Orinian ever confronted a suspected Assassin. This was mostly because they were the protectors of the territory... if their identities were common knowledge, how long would it be until the other packs - the blasphemers - weaseled the information of traitors? Orinians, being the most intensely treacherous and religiously sly of all wolves in the region, were always aware that they might be double-crossed. Every wolf was secretly suspicious of the other. It was a curse, really.

In any case, Aurelia had asked what he - the Alpha, for Orion's sake - was doing out at Rigel's Oak by himself. The way she said his name was enough to aggrivate him, but questioning her leader was unacceptable.

"I should ask you the same thing, I think, Miss Aurelia."

His voice was venomous, dripping... but unnaturally smooth. It was like talking to a cobra.

"... But yes, I am bothered, if you would so like to know."

Aurelia was... different. She changed personalities frequently, and Necro could not be sure which of these she had immersed herself in at that moment. So, in accordance to his goal to be in good relations with his pack, he played to her tune rather than his own. It would be better that way... at least until she crossed the line. He paused for a moment, then turned, his red eyes gleaming.

"It is your choice whether you want to know what I am bothered about... And I am not bothered easily, Child."

[&CAESAR !!]

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[bg=A6EC92] aurelia had felt the anger before she had seen the male, thus she knew that the feeling was not directed towards her. she smirked, slowly coming closer, her tail lowered but waving slowly, her head ducked slightly - as if she were stalking prey. the feelings of irritation washed over her and she resisted the urge to laugh; the pack mentality of a better - yes, she did believe, and while she was quite fond of her alpha and thought he was doing a marvelous job, she could not help but to test her limits. it was in her nature. when he answered her first question she really did laugh. i did not wish to be alone, alpha necromancer. i had brothers - did you know that? - and so i was never alone before i joined the pack. now, however, others see me as - unfriendly? and so i find solace in tracking down others and starting a conversation with the poor wolf that falls prey to my soul-sucking powers.

[/b] she chirruped happily.

she could barely suppress the shiver that passed through her as his red eyes gleamed at her, though again she grinned. if i did not wish to know,[/color] she whispered gleefully into his mind, then i would not have asked, my dear alpha.

the thought that he could rip her to shreds passed in her own mind briefly, but she didn't worry about it too much. after all, it wasn't as if she had delved deep into his mind - she was far too unstable already.

this is thought or emphasis.
this is speech.[/color]
this is telepathy.[/color]






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[ϟĦÅУḎ€]

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[bg=292421] ☠ η ε ¢ я ø м α η ¢ ε я

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. . . we all became such f r a g i l e , broken things . . . [/b][/color]
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this is text.
"this is speech."
this is thought or emphasis.



As Aurelia went on about something or other, he sort of blocked her out while maintaining the illusion that he was listening. True, he recognized most of her speech and managed to decipher the gist of her babbling, but for the most part he wanted no part in the confusing or otherwise frivolous conversation. Sometime during her small monologue he completely lost interest and looked away, watching the cloud of fog in the distance creep towards them like a wary predator. Something in him - a secret part that no one alive except his mate knew about - purred, pleased with the fact that soon the day would be prime for hunting. Calm, Necro, it murmured - or rather seemed to. Soon the mist will hide your power, and we can be together. . .

He exhaled sharply. Later, he told himself. There was company now. And company that could not be completely trusted, at that.

Just after those thoughts had left his mind, others entered it that were not his own. Aurelia. For a moment, he glared a warning at her; it was not well within his limits to tolerate such an invasion. He had told her as much before, but it was not unlike her to disregard or forget such information. . . After a very long moment, he sighed. The sound was unusual, almost bone-chilling, in the fact that it sounded like it was the sigh of multiple voices - ranging from soft groans of pain to feminine sighs of pleasure. It was a completely artificial effect, but one that Necro used often. As his muzzle closed, a curled grin crossed it, and the whiteness of his teeth suggested that his muzzle was merely a black shadow. Any other would have thought the Cheshire Cat may have crossed his path.

"Aren't you a persistent little bug. . ."

As he spoke, tongues of black flame licked at his muzzle and below his glowing eyes. But after staring at her for a second, he turned to face the Oak, releasing her from his gaze. His back was to her, but he was confident enough.

"Something is wrong, Child. Very wrong. Not presently, but it is coming. I do not fear for our pack, and certainly not for the others, but. . . The balance of this arena of ours is set to tilt. I am bothered. . . because I do not know what this thing that is coming is. And I feel that because I do not know. . . the region - the Orinians, the Cassiopeians, the Cephians, and yes even the bloody Andromedians - will fall."

He turned toward her partially.

"Satisfied?"

She had better be, he thought, irritated again. He quite disliked talking with her, simply because she was so unpredictable. But the first wisps of fog began to curl lazily about his paws, and he sighed again - with less bravado than before, and more pleasurably. Not even his red eyes would be visible by the time the main cloud wrapped them in its hazy grasp. . .

Excellent. He felt. . . more. . . free in the fog.

Indeed, what an fantastic feeling. . .

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count 534
to aurelia
biohere.

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notes none~
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[&CAESAR !!]

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[bg=A6EC92] he wasn't listening to her. she frowned, crinkling her forehead and muzzle in distaste; hadn't he asked her what she was doing? the nerve of him - as if she weren't gracing him with her presence! else wise he would be sitting underneath the branches of the old oak, sulking and being necromancer-like; she had saved him from himself in a way, and she actually almost laughed aloud, covering it quickly with a snort and a rather forced sneeze. a small prickle of pleasure sparked in her mind, pleasure that was not her own - she regarded the bigger black wolf wearily, as if the black hellfire flames that licked and flickered from his maw would catch her thicker fur on fire, burning her into clumps of bloodied white and gold fur, reducing violet paws to ash and melting away blue eyes - - her fur prickled uneasily but still she slunk closer, ever closer to the alpha. his mistrust washed over her like a tidal wave, and something akin to pain burned in her chest. back when she had been traveling with her family they'd always trusted one another - now, she had no one. her breaths became harsher as her mind spiraled downward; she clawed desperately at her sanity, yet it seemed to disintegrate with each flailing movement she made, and she realized this isn't real, this isn't happening, oh please help me, why can't i move? please, oh please, not now, no - - necromancer,

[/color] the thought was fleeting, pushed forward from pathetic resignation and designation. she shivered, a puppy again and she wriggled close to the older canine, peering up with him that eyes that shone silver as she was ensnared by his words, and giggled quietly at his calling her a bug.

bugs were fun to chase. cassius liked to chase them too, but jurius didn't as much. but they were gone - these wolves were her family now. she smiled happily until her alpha mentioned the word 'fall'. horror crossed over aurelia's face as she pressed close to the ground beside necromancer as if she were trying to melt into the fog. alpha, i don't want to die![/color]


this is thought or emphasis.
this is speech.[/color]
this is telepathy.[/color]






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[ϟĦÅУḎ€]

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[bg=292421] ☠ η ε ¢ я ø м α η ¢ ε я

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. . . we all became such f r a g i l e , broken things . . . [/b][/color]
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this is text.
"this is speech."
this is thought or emphasis.



She changed then, and Necro seemed to feel it in the very air they breathed when she did so. One ear swiveled backwards when he heard his name whispered in his mind, but otherwise he did not move. In a moment, sure enough, she was there, cowering at his paws like a scorned and frightened pup. Her touch made him cringe inwardly - he so disliked being touched by anyone but his mate... But in light of her... mental state, he endured such disgraceful contact for the time being. She trembled and begged now, pleading, crying for the opportunity to survive. The whining was the last straw.

Quite suddenly he whipped his paw up that was closest to her, nearly smacking her right in the muzzle. When he brought it down, it was insanely quick, pressing firmly down on her neck. It wasn't a wounding blow - nor was it meant to be. He merely meant to startle her, quiet her. As he pinned her there by the fragile first segments of her spine, his red eyes glared into hers. The time for mercy was long gone.

"Listen, girl- I have tolerated your... handicap for quite some time; much longer than you rightly deserve. You are an assassin - my warrior, a warrior of Orion, and I will NOT tolerate your weakness for much longer."

His head lowered to her level, his snout nearly touching hers. The flames from his mouth licked at her nose, but did not burn.

"So whatever part of you that is still in there, control your damn body."

And with that he let her go... and continued studying the Oak as if nothing had happened. The fog was thicker now, nearly concealing the glow of his markings and eyes. Unsurprisingly, neither the Oak nor his contact with Orion had changed. All was quiet. Some would say too quiet, but that was the curse of the lands of Orion. In the fog, everything trembled silently, knowing that the wolves would soon be hunting. Fog and Darkness... both an Orinian's friend. Perhaps not Aurelia's, but that would be determined shortly.

Someone was coming.

He turned, sensing the approach of one of the lesser scouts. The resulting wolf - a slight little thing with hazy white fur - was panting like he had been running. There was a look on his face that unnerved even Necromancer. When given a questioning glance from his alpha, the scout took a deep breath...

"Sir the alpha of Andromeda is here and we caught him but he wants to see you?"

For one long, airless moment, Necro stared. But the stare became a glare and then a growl and then a snarl--

"WHAT!?"

"I'm sorry sir, he's quite adamant about it--"

"Polaris be damned! WHERE IS HE?"

"N-n-not far-- we made sure not to take him near the dens and--"

"BRING HIM."

Without another word, the frightened scout turned tail and ran back into the depths of the forest, back towards where the Alpha was surrounded by Legion wolves. No doubt Legend would be throwing a fit, if not attempting to throw his captors around. Surely he could not be that stupid, to bring hostile intentions to enemy territory. Either that or he was foolishly sure of himself. Probably the latter. In either case, Necro would be sure to show him proper Orinian hospitality...

"Aurelia... I want you to watch whoever he's brought with him - he's not insane enough to have come alone."

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. . . this is how we'll d a n c e when, when they try to take us d o w n . . .

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count 582
to aurelia, perseus, legend
biohere.
notes I think you've probably got the idea now, Rhee. Legend and Perseus got caught by a Legion patrol and they sent a scout to alert Necro before bringing the two of them to the Oak. They made especially sure to shepherd them away from the dens or anywhere of interest, so in other words they're out in the middle of nowhere.

Also, apologies for the slight bout of powerplaying... Aurelia IS in puppy-mode after all... and puppies sometime need to be scolded...
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[bg=32363a] L E G E N D never an honest word ; but that was when i ruled the world - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Legend growled. ”Hey, now, don’t you manhandle me!” Damn Orion bastards... “Do you know who you’re talking to you? Answer me, do you? This is the King of Andromeda you’re talking to, not some damned low-life loner you’re talking to. You all shut your traps, I’m a king and whether I’m part of you’re pack or not, I’m above you—I expected to be treated as such! Great Wolf…” These damn forest dwellers. Don’t know how to do anything. “Just take me to your goddamned alpha already. I demand to see Necromancer!

“Come now, Percival, don’t fall behind, these wolves are barbarians, I swear.

“And as for you brutes, get to it, now, you better not be tricking me! I know your sneaky little ways, you can’t fool me. I want to see Necromancer, no one else—so take me there!” Damned little foxes…. If they decided to pull something, well, heh, that’s what I’ve got this guy for. He’ll protect me, won’t he? Won’t he? He will protect me, won’t he? Damn, I should’ve brought more aces. What if this one’s disloyal? What if he just left me? He wouldn’t do that, would he? He’d save his king, not just himself? Shit…. Damned Orion bastards...!

Legend found himself tripping over roots and other such forest debris. The ground was littered with leaves—what a messy way to keep their land, he thought; it was as if someone had just thrown yellow/orange/red rubbish everywhere. Didn’t they think of cleaning it up? It was so unlike the plains, neat and prim with its delicate grasses. Only rocks here and there ruined the grasses’ balance, but those were natural, and added a more homely flavor. But this? This was just garbage. Disgusting!

His large paws were unused to the terra beneath him. The soil was slightly mushy from the moisture in the air. It disgusted him, and he longed for the comfortable, familiar soft carpet of grass under his feet. He had to constantly watch where he was going, making sure no more damned roots got in his way.

The trees surrounded him… everywhere. They were like a never ending cage, infinitely tall. He had nowhere to breathe! The plains. He wanted the plains. He wanted the openness, he wanted to actually see the sky, not damned trunks and leaves. The brute felt claustrophobia creeping in on him. How did they live like this?

Moreover, why had he done this again? Goddamn, was it really worth it all, all the annoyances of these little dimwit wolves herding him around like he was some lost loner, and the damned trees, the damned trees! It had seemed like such a good idea.

And it was, he corrected himself. Exactly why he had thought this up, he did not know. It was just his instinct, he suppose, rising from the blood of his ancestors coursing through him. He was here to enforce the age-old rivalry between the two packs. The Andromeda would not stand for any of the Orion’s bullshit (even if this one was made up, but they didn’t have to know that.) If things came to a certain point, the Andromeda would never be afraid to fight them.

Yes, yes, it was a brilliant idea. He would prove his point, that’s what he would get for his efforts. He would prove his point that the Orion were damn cowards, slinking around behind the cover of their bushes, stealing what was not their, like the puny foxes they were! They would see. Necromancer would see.

Legend snarled again. He was losing the remnant of what little patience he had. He couldn’t see anything in the fog, where he was going, where they were taking him. His fur prickled. He knew why he hated the Orion so much—they couldn’t be trusted! True, he didn’t trust his own wolves, but these damned forest dwellers… Especially tricky. Cowards. Looking for the easy way out in a fight.

Did that mean eliminating the enemy’s leader?

No… If it came to that, Necromancer would do it himself. But he had his ace to protect him. But he was in their territory, he remembered. Him and one ace against all of them. No, not good odds.

Surely the Orion weren’t that cowardly. He came here to talk, talk and nothing else; if he had come here to fight, then, oh, things would be much different. Surely they have enough guts in them to respect that…? he wondered, as they came towards a massive tree seeping through the foggy gloom.

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760
bio click.
to perseus, aurelia, necro
notes legend likes saying "damn" a lot when he's frustrated :3c
two alphas, two assassins.
OH MAN THIS WILL GET INTENSE

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[KAL;]

perseus

Perseus was pissed off. Not only had Legend commanded him to go on this fool journey, he was acting disgracefully like an idiot for being the alpha of Andromeda. What had he expected - to be treated like royalty in Orion territory? They were trespassers here, regardless of whether their intention was to talk or kill. Legend must have forethought that, but he didn't seem to be forethinking much. Percy, however, could not break his cover, so he walked placidly along his leader, who was string insult after insult at the patrol that had inevitably found them. They were being escorted to Necromancer, and Percy was unhappy about this. He was unhappy about Legend's foolishness, and the dirt he was placing on Andromeda.

Look at those Andromedan fools, they'll whisper, their leader threw a hissy fit when he was caught on our land. The babies. The welps. The weaklings.

Perseus could almost not stand it, but the blue tiger-striped male kept his cool as he paced just behind Legend. He was formidable, even in this unknown territory. It was mostly woods here, and he was unfamiliar with all the closure. He was used to the open plains, but everything was so claustrophobic. He felt himself being watched from all sides. Maybe it was just paranoia. But Percy was being careful.

He was beckoned by his leader - he had fallen behind. He gathered the speed, keeping a quick, even pace. His face was a careful mask and his eyes were dark and unseeing. He was feeling the frost on his teeth, the muscle under his skin. If this came down to a fight, he'd be ready.

Legend. A disgrace. Hmph. However, Percy was not. He was in prime condition - a perfect example of how a wolf of Andromeda should act. Oh, Great Wolf, he pleaded silently as he trailed along, knock some sense into this bone-headed fool before I acquire the temptation.

Why had he agreed to go with Legend? Well, you know the answer to that.

[ϟĦÅУḎ€]

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[bg=292421] this is text. "this is speech." this is thought. While the alpha of the pack of Orion waited for his own personal military to bring him his worst enemy, he paced relentlessly. His muscles were tense as he strode stiffly back and forth in front of Aurelia, growling curses to himself. Why in Polaris' name was that Andromedian fool here? No doubt he had some kind of complaint to shove in Necro's face, but what was it this time? Every so often he snarled to himself when his anger seemed to flare. By Orion, this would be the last time that Legend just waltzed into his territory. The boldness of the act was sickening in itself. The two alphas were the same age, and yet STILL the Andromedian had no intelligence whatsoever! Paranoid freak didn't know when to quit... "GGRAH! Where ARE they!?" The glow in his eyes flared up, as if they were on fire... but died down as soon as his snarl ceased. A few more moments of infuriated pacing continued before Necro heard the steady growling of one of the Legion cutting through the fog. "Oh, EXCUSE US, your majesty. We didn't hear who you wanted to see the LAST THOUSAND TIMES you yelled it at us. Ah, watch that hole-- Oh never mind, you seem to have already stepped in it. Are you hurt? Of course not. Not the almighty Legend." There was no humor in the soldier's voice, and nor in his step. He was a big wolf of rust red and creme underbelly, but he had the same sleek build of his alpha. They were not related, but they might as well have been. Necro smiled grimly at the sound of the other's voice. He did not outrank his peers, but they respected him nonetheless - a worthy Orinian, and a faithful one as well. As the group - totaling twelve, including the wayward alpha and his accomplice - emerged from the fog, the rust colored male gave Aurelia and Necro one look... then nodded and left Legend and Perseus to them. The rest of the Legion scout group left with him. For a very long time, Necro just glared. He didn't move at all. The rage was apparent in his stance, but he managed to keep it more alpha-like than he would have preferred - and he would have preferred to rip Legend's throat out on the grounds of trespassing without due warning. The fog whirled unnaturally around his legs and muzzle. Then, after about thirty seconds, his muzzle formed the words. "I would ask you what you're doing here, Andromeda, but it's obvious that you've been planning something in that thick skull of yours. So. Tell me. What is it that my pack has done to you that requires such a sudden visit." He used the term "Andromeda" in a formal way, speaking to Legend as though he were a representative of the pack and not an individual - which, supposedly, he was. It sort of helped ease the absolute fury burning deep in the black wolf's chest, but not by much.

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. . . this is how we'll d a n c e when, when they try to take us d o w n . . .

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count 511
to aurelia, perseus, legend
biohere.
notes none~
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[&CAESAR !!]

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[bg=080B16] a sharp sting alerted her to the fact that her almighty alpha had struck her, silencing her pitiful and humiliating whimpering; she didn't struggle as he held her down quite painfully by the delicate vertebrae in her neck, shame washing over her as the black hellfire flames from his maw lapped at her nose harmlessly. she wanted to crawl away, to hide from this shame - the disgrace, to loose control so easily, when with her brothers it had been so easy! and yet there she was, held down by the wolf who lead the pack that had taken her in, all instincts willing her to shake and cry. i must repent, she realized, forcing blue eyes to stare upon the ancient oak as she was released and she stood, barely keeping from stumbling. thank you, necromancer. i won't fail you.

[/color] she humbly and graciously thought, allowing it to echo into his mind.

faint whispers of emotion seemed to vibrate in the air, bouncing off trees and into her skull. she focused, feeling another drawing in closer; she sidestepped delicately, maneuvering herself so she could see both the alpha and the lesser scout that had approached. her claws dug into the earth as the other male spoke; briefly, echoes of irritation and anger that was too faint to belong to either of the males with her sounded in her head, and she realized that that had to be legend, and great orion he was having some loud emotions. she almost jumped when the great ebony wolf snarled - almost - and watched with interest as he frightened the poor scout. a grin twitched on his lips until she remembered that just a few moments ago that had been her; that thought sobered her up quickly. she nodded to her alpha at his request - command - and focused on the path the frightened little scout had taken back, attempting to read into the minds of those who were too far away.

mere moments later, aurelia came back to earth to see necro pacing in front of her, snarling. she nearly laughed, her twisted sense of humor taking over, before turning her attention back to the path. it was interesting, really, listening in to the whispers of their minds. they must have been getting closer, though; she could feel the irritation of a legion wolf, and images of a charcoal and blue tiger-striped wolf - his mind practically screamed assassin, though to the real assassin, the magnificent aurelia, he seemed quite vain - and a gray-scale male she knew to be legend, king of andromeda. an inaudible hiss was forced from her maw as she glared fiercely at nothing in particular - the nerve this wanna-be king had! a growl almost sounded in her chest; calm, she told herself, no need to show him exactly why he should be paranoid.

... yet. she grinned rather unpleasantly as the forms of twelve wolves became clear, though with a quick look at her alpha she dropped it, masking her face and standing straight and at attention, close to necromancer but behind him, respecting his space.

a shiver of excitement shot down her spine as she hid her inner glee, watching the two proud andromedans almost be spoken down upon. aurelia wouldn't admit it, but it felt nice watching her leader be angry at someone other than her; the sting and shame of being struck down to regain control still bit at her pride. necro's handling this well, she mused, resisting the urge to peer into the minds of the king and ace. it wouldn't do if she started a fight because she was curious, would it? no, of course not.


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[&! R H E A]

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[bg=32363a] L E G E N D never an honest word ; but that was when i ruled the world - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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"Oh, EXCUSE US, your majesty. We didn't hear who you wanted to see the LAST THOUSAND TIMES you yelled it at us. Ah, watch that hole-- Oh never mind, you seem to have already stepped in it. Are you hurt? Of course not. Not the almighty Legend." The nerve! It was all he could do to resist lashing out at the wolf. If the red and cream brute had been one of his own, he’d have had another thing coming to him. But he bit his lip, forced himself to stay calm. This was another pack. Best behavior.

It wasn’t that he’d expected a great old welcome. Certainly, if Necromancer had gone over to him wailing, “Oh, Legend, my good sir, welcome, welcome to the Orion! Please make yourself comfortable, we hope you enjoy your stay here,” something would have been very wrong. If the damned brute had ever greeted the Andromedian king with those excellent manners, well, we can just say that something would have been very wrong with our dearest Necro’s head.

But, really, couldn’t he have any respect? He really hated it, being treated like trash. His whole life, he had been greeted by respect—was it respect or was it fear? Eh, didn’t matter, as long as they knew their places below him. Now these little brutes—oh, it wouldn’t do to get him started! Disgraceful, moralless, insubordinate Orion brats! Didn’t Necromancer whack any sense into them? Oh, of course not, because Necromancer was a sneaky little piece of trash himself!

“I’ll have you know, you little…” he began at the red and cream wolf, lips pulled over his teeth, but something stopped his outburst. They were here. Not to some secret bunker where he and his companion, Percival, would be slaughtered by Orinian barbarians—thank the Great Wolf—but to the goddamned Head Honcho himself. Just how he had wanted it—not that it made him feel any better, really. His insides still rolled in a searing cesspool of hate.

He’d seen the brute before, of course, and Necromancer didn’t look any less smug and arrogant since their last meeting. He was a dark wolf, slightly skinny, with gleaming red eyes that, for what seemed to be a long moment, pierced Legend’s own in a glare.

Necromancer had sent his damned little patrol away, which would have comforted Legend, had he not been presently consumed by his hatred for the wolf who stood in front of him. Necro left himself with only a little white fae, a fair face-off, seeing that Legend had only himself and Percival, who had not proven himself to be disloyal (yet.)

Still, Legend’s nerves did not ease. For all he knew, they could be hiding in the forestry and bushes around them, waiting silently for their alpha’s command, on which they would pounce on the Andromedian king and tear him to pieces…. Ah, but he was getting carried away. Surely they wouldn’t do that, would they? No, no, no. They wouldn’t. They wouldn’t!

But he could never be sure.

The Orionian reek here was too strong; he could not tell for sure if the Legion wolves had truly left or not. Normally, his panoramic vision would have solved all these problems. But no! The damned fog! Heh, how convenient. Necromancer was lucky today, for his rival could not see more than a few feet around him.

“I would ask you what you're doing here, Andromeda, but it's obvious that you've been planning something in that thick skull of yours. So. Tell me. What is it that my pack has done to you that requires such a sudden visit."

The arrogance. The sheer arrogance of this bastard! Legend’s ears flattened against his skull, his stance became rigid. “Don’t you dare tell me that my skull is thick, you mangy little brute. I’ve had enough of your damned pack, and you of all wolves, I don’t need you on top of it,” he snarled. “The nerve you have, Orion….” How could they even stand themselves?

“Anyways, let us get to the point, shall we? You see, Necromancer…” For a moment, his gaze flicked towards his ace. Legend grinned and picked up his paws. His tail was raised, though slightly ruffled. He careened over to Perseus, or “Percival” as he mistakenly called him, circled him. “Well you were the eye-witness, were you not? Why don’t we hear it from you, the primary source?” he crooned at the ace.

He completed his circle, but as he did, he brought his maw close to the brute’s ear. “This is your first test, darling. I like you, you know. Don’t fail me now, and there will be great things in store for you.”

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785
bio click.
to perseus, aurelia, necro
notes >:3c

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[KAL;]

Perseus was silent. He had not spoken from the moment they had gotten caught, and he did not break his hold of tongue now, even when they were herded to Necromancer like sheep and insulted just as rashly as Legend had insulted the Orion. It was funny how alike the two kings were, even though they clearly despised each other for reasons of their own accord. It was mostly just a conquest for complete and total power, Percy mused - Legend wanted to destroy Orion, and vice versa. It was quite simple, actually, when looked at it from a calculating perspective. However, this was an idiotic way to get what they needed out of the situation. If only he could tell Legend that, pull him aside and hiss angrily about all the things he was doing wrong here. He could hardly believe Andromeda's king had stayed in power as long as he had.

Of course, Percy knew why Legend was still in power. His paranoia. It was apparent to 'Percival' quite clearly. Legend was terrified of being usurped, or having a rebellion against him, or having one disloyal subject. It was painfully obvious, and Percy hated it about his king. He hated that he had to put up with Legend's worry and fretting and constant fear of someone stabbing him in the back. Soon enough, my king, thought Percy, soon enough.

Necromancer gave a less obscene greeting, but it was harsh and to the point all the same. It held just the right amount of anger, distrust, and formality, and Percy liked that. However, it was just a show, he was sure. Necromancer was most likely fuming inside, and it made Percy absolutely giddy. He scanned the area, noticing a particularly important looking she-wolf with pure white fur, looking like she had a job to get done. She also looked suspicious. Percy made eye contact without shame, sizing her up. She was probably some sort of assassin or high-ranking individual, if Necromancer was keeping her close. She also looked very...shifty. Percy didn't like the look in her eyes, those eyes looking somewhat knowing.

Percy was confused. What possibly could he be thinking? Of course she didn't know anything. But maybe she did. As sure as he had frostbite powers, she must have something, too. And maybe that power was something of knowing capabilities, and he felt very spiteful just then, though it did not show on his calm, blank face. Of course. Though he couldn't put his finger on it, he knew this would be harder than anticipated.

Legend was replying now, just as stupidly as before, and was looking like he was trying to make up for a losing battle. Percy couldn't help but feel inwardly disgusted. Of course they would lose, if it came to a fight. Percy might be able to watch Legend's back, but who would watch his? This was Orion territory, and he had followed Legend, the bull-headed king, into this unknown landscape to fabricate a lie that Legend thought could be truth. Percy had agreed, because it would serve his own purposes. He had known the idiocy of the plan when it had first been uttered, but had said nothing. It was better to appear dumb and unassuming than to be his cold, calculating and intelligent self. He had a plan rolling, and so far, Legend was playing into it nicely.

Then Legend sashayed over to Percy, winding in a circle around him, preparing to spin the lie. But instead, he laid the attention and responsibility on Percy to play it right. There will be great things in store for you, Legend had whispered in his ear. Great things. Percy was not amused, nor intrigued, by the statement, but it did not show. He stood stock still, quite, powerful, and intimidating. He did not hesitate before speaking, but in those few seconds of silence while he processed Legend's outspoken request and his whispered warning, Percy thought long and hard about what he would say.

The goal of all this was to have him take the blame for erasing Orion's stench from their territory. It was for him to take the fall. And that was okay, because the more he was willing to sacrifice his pride and abilities for Legend, the more the fool king believed he had an iron grip on the ace. So, what would Percy say? He would be convincing, surely, but his words would have to be said just right. He knew he could do it, and he felt no pressure, but he needed to get this right, if only to suite him and his plots in the future. He needed to stay on top of things, needed to say in a loud, clear voice just what needed to be said and nothing more. He would not be obnoxious or rude like Legend, but he would not be daft either. And so he took a deep, calm breath, and in his exhale, he began to speak:

"As my king has already revealed, I have been brought solely for the purpose of relaying the events that transcribed one evening while I was making a border patrol." His voice was deep, baritone, husky, and completely tranquil. He knew what to do. And he knew he was playing this right already - he had not admitted to being anything but a witness for Legend. He had made himself unassuming as an assassin, because he had not glorified himself by saying his title. Instead, he sort of demoralized himself by saying he was only a witness, and that was all.

"When I was making my rounds, I noticed a rather peculiar odor, and when I investigated it more thoroughly, I realized it was nothing less than the perfume of the Orion."

[/b] He paused there again, staring at Necromancer. This was it. Here came the ultimate demoralizing, and here came where his words would have the most impact and the most crucial information. Here we go... "Now, I have to admit, I was foolhardy at this time, stunned by the scents before me. In a fit of complete idiocy, I marked the spot where I smelled the scent of Orion so that order in our lands would be restored back to Andromeda.

I could not bare the thought of Orion fragrance on our borders, and that is my petty excuse for my crimes." He broke off again, but never let his eyes stray from the Orion king. His words were constant, level, and secure, and because of that they had a definite ring of truth to them, and his face had just the right amount of shame. But he was also being very careful with his mind. He was still wary of the white-coated female who'd appeared strange to him at first, and so he was fabricating a memory in his brain that relayed the exact events he spoke of, when he told them. So, when he was talking of marking the scent with his own, he was envisioning it in his head, and his calm personality and non-frenzied brain left nothing other than utter assurance. He did not trust the white girl, but he knew he'd fooled her. He'd fooled everybody. But his mind did not stray from his fake memory, though it was starting to seem real even to him.

"The good king Legend saw to it that I explained for my actions, and that I was reprimanded for my mistake." He had not been, but it was good to say. He knew the Andromeda king would not mind him spinning a bit more of a lie in there, too. He envisioned himself being harshly dominated and spat at. He looked away and to the left, shame coating his face. But he had no more to say. His part was done - the explaining of his section was finished. It was assumed that this was the reason why the king and ace had ventured to Orion, and he knew the Orion wolves would pick up on what was left unsaid: that Legend came to figure out what the hell had happened.

He had played his part perfectly - a gifted actor. He knew he would be praised when they returned home. His voice had been calm, sure, truthful, and with just the right amount of shame to make it believable. He had made the memory in his mind, and now it seemed almost real to him. His face had been expressionless, up until it had held the shame. And then he tucked his tail between his legs and backed up a step, head lowered. This sealed the deal. Whatever the Orion wolves had been thinking, he had just completely made it seem like he was a cowardly low-life of a normal wolf, and not the brutish ace he was. He was protecting Legend in yet another way, now. If this came to a fight, Percy would have the element of surprise.

ooc; (:


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