Wolf RPG

the silver rogue had not before seen the sea, and he left regipre not far away with a contingent of small game to satisfy any hunger that might arise. he himself made for the broad ribbon of cold and shimmering water in the distance, brined in salt and fringed with foamed breakers, and after a slow and slinking tread across the unprotected expanse of beach, shardul stood in awe of the mighty waters.

wolves had traveled to this oceanic mecca, many of them, and more had thronged nearby. his nerves frayed and presently shardul growled lowly and began to pace the sands, unwittingly moving in the direction of the sound.

the wisp-like she-wolf traveled at at a clipped trot, the daggered shape of her muzzle trailing along the cold and coarse sand. occasionally the sylph would pause in her rumination and nose along whatever promising artifact caught her eye -- and at length she was rewarded for her dull task in the shape of a wonderously unharmed sliver of sea-shard. trilling in excitement, the wretch clasped the coral frag in her muzzle and swung homeward.

she had not gone long before an alarming scent wafted towards her on the whip-like breeze. the sea-wretch froze, a mulish ear slowly turned back in worry. at a slow crawl she crested the bend of sand-dune, her heart sinking as she glimpsed the formidable feline that stood facing the ocean's sprawl. for a moment caiaphas considered her options. she could turn around and away from home and come back another time -- or she could throw her life on the line and seek to pass.

she was unwilling to make a decision - the wind was fickle that day and she feared once she passed him she would have the grey cougar at her backside. a troubled frown pierced her muzzle and she held the frag in her mouth with anxiety threatening to coalesce her thin muzzle.

the glut of brinewater had assaulted his nostrils until they burned -- only the brief and now-halted movement of the dark-headed cur alerted shardul to the watchful eye of the wolf farther down the strand. his heavy head swung toward her, and the roseate tongue flickered to lick the pad of his broad nose as he pondered tearing wolfs'-flesh once more. the latest attack had left him heady and aroused with a sense of his own power, and yet he had been torn a thousand small times; the healing scabs still throbbed with their myriad and painful memories.

and yet the verve for killing rose in his blood and in his loins -- he was removed from regipre and so did not need worry about the rugged pup. the sands rasped beneath his paws as he turned with a resounding crunch of the tiny rocks and began a leisurely stride.

though he bore directly for the wolf, shardul was aware of the great distance between them, easily expanded by a fleet flit of her small paws, but he was a patient monster, and if the reward of her blood was to be had, the silver one would pursue her even unto the very ends of the earth.

caiaphas felt her heart pitter as the long-backed animal turned to her -- despite the distance that swung between the two she was sure she had gazed well into the icy depths of his rigid stare. she felt her gut sink and for a moment her jaw slackened just enough that the coral frag swung downwards towards her chin. she swallowed tentatively, regaining purchase of the sea-shard -- and watched in horror as the animal slunk deliberately towards her.

her gaze slid to the wide path behind him where ankyra glittered in the distance, hardly more than haze-clouded shires that jutted out from an incomprehensible film of sea-fog. and then back to the cat, who had made an alarming amount of progress.

she knew she couldn't outpace the ashen cougar if he caught up to her -- his fluid stride spoke of an agility caiaphas was terrified to witness. gulping, caiaphas regained motion, picking up a panicked trot. she decided her best chance for survival was to angle herself slightly towards the swash where the sand was firmest and break for a headlong run. she was closing the distance between them by the second, and she couldn't help but feel terror propel her stilt-legs into a canter. meanwhile, the cat stalked confidently forward, the ream of his broad paws leaving scores in the sand. if caiaphas carved a wide enough berth between them perhaps she could make it out alive today -- close encounters of the feline variety were not particularly enjoyed by the slender coywolf.

shardul fairly existed for the slow burn of fear to enter the gaze of those beasts unlucky enough to lay eyes upon his approaching form -- this creature was no different. the stretch and pull of her body away from him glutted his gut with the familiar roil of anticipation -- his stare seeded itself through with a dark and mirthless humour. presently the ponderous tread of the puma grew truculent -- he wearied of their prancing game, and so sped his steps toward her.

a run was something into which he would not break -- not yet. not until he had closed sufficient space between them. lithe though his heavy body denied, shardul knew that his thick muscles would not facilitate an extended run, the likes of which the skinny jackal was sure to lead him upon should he give chase.

instead, the silver cat swung into a broad trot upon paws poised to pivot depending on which direction the wolf took -- he would back the frightened predator against the cliffs if he was able, and maul her there until the breakers had reddened with her blood. an emptiness filled the cat's yellow eyes -- he fixed them upon his quailing quarry with a thirsted directness and pursued at this more rapid pace.

caiaphas swallowed, feeling the saliva slide roughly down her raw and inflamed throat. a singular, lengthy ear was pulled back atop her skull to assess the cougar's location -- she could hear the quickening of his pace and the successive footfalls thereafter. braving a glance behind her she saw he had yet to break into a heated chase, yet all the same he was closing the distance between them with alarming quickness.

with the frag still clutched in her mouth caiaphas dropped her body in the manner a racehorse would do so at the last stretch -- save she was neither quick nor powerful in her attempt to elongate her body and hasten her stride. her shambled canter fell into an unbalanced yet excessive gallop. breathlessly she pounded forth along the swash line, eyeing the shore where the coast gave way to shallow cliffs. if she could not shake him, her last attempt would be to ford the water for a sea-ward getaway.

the hapless and bony beast attempted to course for the land that lay like moses' promised land, just out of reach. shardul chose this moment to break into a loping gallop, one that grew faster with each ticking second -- he aimed his collision for the straining flank, the whites of her rolling eye looming larger before his vision. muzzle twisted into a hideous snarl -- his barrel chest swelled with the roughening of his breath. though he all but matched the wolf now, step for step, it was an acceleration that the cat could not maintain for long.

as he felt himself fall away from her lunging shadow, shardul propelled himself forth with one last surge of strength and swung a blow toward the mangy hip. more likely than not would the swipe of his claws glance from the bone there, wounding her flesh but with no lasting damage -- if she fell he would be upon her, however, and there would be no escaping his wrath then.

she staggered as blood blossomed in gruesome flowers along her flank, but she did not lose her feet, and sped off down the sands, leaving behind her a crimson trail. shardul drew up heavily, tongue lolling as he panted, and presently he screeched his rage after her retreating form, angered by the loss.

she pressed on wildly, breath haggard through clenched jaws. she fled in the manner of a harried deer, bounds and erratic bursts and a shambling sense of misdirection. anything to slake the beast that followed her -- anything to ensure her survival.

she did not see it but the sleek monster had already prepared his blow, brewing a most potent concoction of alarm and pain -- his claws raked through her hide, taking with it fur and flesh. blood welled immediately, a flush pink stopped by matted pale fur. she screamed through clenched teeth, the shock insurmountable -- and the force of the blow sent her scattering through the breakwater like a snapped twig.

she gasped, the searing blow claiming the use of her left haunch -- she staggered, wildly scrambling along the bluff. she did not stop -- she could not -- and despite the recoil of agony that tormented her hind limb she flew in the manner of a frenzied gull. now was not the time to look back, or to stop -- and she ran until she could no more.

she sped off down the strand and when the last echoes of his voice had died from the air, as the last breath of a fading zephyr, shardul shook with impotent rage. his only consolation was the small threads of flesh and hair clinging bloodily to his forepaw; a long tongue lowered to lick out the gore from between the large claws, and the cat found himself both sated and aroused. yet he could remain upon the strand no longer -- with a growl he turned and sidled inland, to sequester himself in some pleasant patch of shadow for the remainder of the day.