OOC:
What's this?! There's a strange noise from the mountain? :O This is NSV's first pack activity/event and it WILL effect everyone in some way or form. This will take place one week in advance from the present, meaning all wolves that are in progress of being accepted ARE accepted at this point, and all roles your characters seek would have been acknowledged by the pack at this point. We will have THREE rounds as follows;
Round One; From the early afternoon to early evening, the mountain makes a strange growling sound. It could be noticed that the forest in the Vale has gone quiet. Characters are free to make their suspicions.
Round Two; A loud 'cracking' sound will be heard and the first smaller mounds of snow and ice will start to fall down the mountain.
Round Three; A small scale avalanche will occur! Any character that has not posted by this time will be assumed caught in the slide (but not dead!). Injuries WILL occur but are to the player's discretion. If your character is 'trapped' PM either Jaye or myself and we'll plan to get you out!
*(All rounds will be based on pack activity and participation. There's drama! Let's make this successful!
No posting order [but please be courteous])
There was no doubt that spring was on the rise in the Vale. If the delicate nares of the wolves that made the haven their home could not smell it, then certainly it could be seen by the blossoms peeking through rich verdant shoots and endless earthen fields. And in the air as well, if the scents of the flora were ignored, was the warmth of many of living forms passing through the lands. All familiar to the other, some new and others veteran, but all regarded with similar fondness as one of the mountain paradise.
On this particular day of notice, the air was quite warm even though the sun had yet to reach its afternoon peak. It was to the notice of a warrior and some fodder within the pines, that a sound had emerged… much like the groaning of a wounded thing. But there was no creature, the warrior concluded as she investigated, nor was there a trail or scent of an intruder. Never the less, as the sound progressed through the hours, she grew more unnerved by it even going as far as to express her bother with both her lead and the Alpha Monk. She assumed the sound was nothing but a trick of her own ears; a sign of her fatigue from an early start to the day, and upon her relay, she went back to her den to rest before the afternoon grew late.
But while walking home she noticed bits of ice along the path, a little too far from the base of the mountain for her liking. And what white rested near the dark walls was stacking. It made for an uncomfortable return, being so near to the mountain’s base. But again, she believed (or rather hoped) the ice to be of no bother. Nor the groaning one of danger as she slipped into the cool darkness to rest.
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Ayvo had chosen to spend most of his time in the forests surrounding the vale. It was here he felt safest. It was the most familiar thing to the paled male. He last home was all evergreen forests. While it was nice to have a change of scenery, familiarity was also of equal importance. With this most recent boarder patrol nothing seemed unusual. He started out roaming the edges of the vale in the morning then towards the afternoon Ayvo made his way towards the center of the vale sticking to the forests. After his lunch of a small hare Ayvo laid down to take a nap, he hadn't planned on it lasting very long.
About an hour after he rested his head the mountain that rested on the vale's pack territory made a rumbling sound, likened to that of a growling wolf. Ayvo still in a drowsy state didn't fully understand the sound. With a tilted head he rose and looked towards the mountain. Making his way towards the center of the vale Ayvo started to search for answers. The eeriest part of the whole event wasn't the rumble, but the silence that the sound instilled upon the whole vale. All the animals seemed to be in equal curiosity. Even the trees and the wind dared not to make a sound.
Acacia sat at the base of the small tree, looking around for any new wolves. She felt replenished, both spiritually and in the sense of nutrition. She laid down, realizing she'd probably be alone for a while. As she relaxed and rested her head on the ground, a low rumbling forced her awake. She stood, slowly, and began to follow the sound.
After a while, she began a slow trot, her feet clawing into the ground. Still, no one was around. Assuming, she'd only heard things, she relaxed by another tree, this one larger and *seemingly* sturdier.
He'd never been left to his own devices so often before, and the overbearing weight of free-will left him restless. So Leatherface did as he had been used to do before life in the pack; he simply threw it his weight around. It had been as a stroke of luck that the place he'd come to know as his new residence would be abundant with creatures that he could sink his teeth into. But today they seemed far and few between, and save the fleeing form of birds in the sky the rest of vale grew death quiet. The beast raised his hackles in anticipation.
A strange hot thrill shot through his spine, and pacing in a circle he could hear little but the loud thumping inside of his chest ringing his ears. It did not occurred to him to inspect the source of such trepidation, his curiosity only lending him to whip his eyes around, mirroring the restlessness of the Vale's other wildlife. Insight would have him see that the growling came from the mountains themselves but he believed the sound haunted him from this morning's dream, and with each new echo the speed of his pacing increased.
The dragon had heard the rumblings of the earth and likened them to the guttural bellows of his kind. Like a restless monster stirring beneath the surface, the sounds had given him some kinship with the valley and the dangerous shadows that surrounded it. He couldn't determine why he found the sounds comforting, though it could have been the foreboding air with which they entered the atmosphere. But when Xi'nuata expressed her concern to the beast, what likeness he felt with the emerging thunders vanished in place of dutiful awareness.
He opted to investigate, moving towards the mountain ridge where white caps still painted their heights. Raheerah twisted his ears forward, watching with utmost caution for what beings may be lurking in the darkness and causing those sounds. He would hunt them, slaughter them and present them to his tan companion to put her worries to rest. Assuming he could find them.
Velox, as usual, was in her den situated neatly in the Vale's curve, just against the mountain which had seemed like a very safe place at the time. The overhang above the den's mouth and the actual slope of her residence kept melting snowdrifts from blockading her, but not much had actually fallen at this time, despite spring's appearance. She was comfortable, though alone that late afternoon when she suddenly heard the massive groaning of the range above her.
Having been napping, the pale she-wolf pushed herself to her paws and limped outside of her den, turning to peer curiously up at the mountains and tilt her head back and forth like an interested pup. The sounds continued, but no movement, and Velox—not at all a wolf of the mountains—shrugged off the sound after about ten minutes of listening. She ventured back inside her den for some well-needed sleep, and curled up, wondering if Dawa would return tonight and perhaps explain why the mountain had made such a noise.
The deep creaking continued well after she had lay down again, and the sun was setting before it had stopped. Velox hadn't found a wink of sleep in this time, and was glad for the sudden silence. Although the silence was welcome, she was eerily aware of just how silent it was, and she pulled her nose from beneath her thick tail and peered at the mouth of her den for a long time, her spine prickling with unforeseen unease.
Round Two! The worst has yet to come, but it's starting! If you have not posted already, HURRY! Otherwise you WILL be counted as buried D: (but not dead) It's no man for themselves! Help your packmates! @Shiva @Dovev @Anemone @Vega
A calm had fallen on the mountain not long after, but it was with eerie air that it settled. The pines no longer shook with the passing wind, nor did the air shift with the scents of movement within the haven. It was a forced calm, as it waiting with bated breath. But for what inevitably, none could not yet see.
By the time the tan wolf had rolled to her side in slumber, a reverberating crack resounded above the mountains overhead. It was a sharp, sickening sound like the splint of bone between relentless teeth. But there was no sweet marrow or spray of blood to follow… but a cascade of white and rock as it shifted from the great height. She had heard the sound, but her body would not move. The fatigue of days upon days of patrol and training left her both mentally and physically exhausted. Her eyes remained closed even as the white began to fall outside…
From the center of the lands, one could see the change in the white-caps overhead. Bits of ice surrendered to the pull of the earth below beginning first in thin sheets, small clusters along the peaks. Then progressing to sizeable chunks of rock and ice. As it shifted, the mountain continued to groan as it shed its heavy coat under the growing warmth of the spring sun…
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since Rah is pretty close to the mountains, i figured it would make sense for me to post him now
During the course of his investigation, the mountains had fallen silence. It was eerie, and the beast's kinship with the groaning landscape fell away. He would stop on his path and stare up at the precarious white caps, wondering what had caused the mountain monsters to cease their singing. The sounds had vanished, but he wasn't satisfied. He would keep on exploring until he found their cause, so Raheerah continued forward, blind courage directing him through the mountains.
The beast was traversing its slopes, pressing his nose to the ground. He swallowed in the scents of the mountains, though they carried nothing but the aromas of his packmates. Raheerah raised his head. A single step forward would bring an earth shattering crrrraaaack ripping through the sky. The ground beneath his paws quaked. The sudden sound caused him to tense his body and immediately turn his gaze up to the mountains, but already he could see its mass sloughing off of the peaks. He was struck for a moment, confused by what he saw - the mountain crumbling, sending waves of white and brown rolling towards him. It must have been the mountain creatures. Without a second thought, he turned and fled towards the valley, pushing himself into a pace he'd never before taken.
The sound of advancing debris was faint, but as he ran, it slowly grew louder. Raheerah moved as fast as his paws would take him, throwing back his head to utter strangled cries of warning to whichever of his packmates could hear. His thoughts first leapt to Lham - where was she? Was she safe? He had to find her. And then his thoughts moved to Xi'nuata. He had faith she would handle herself, but his Lham, she was fragile and broken. Another few sharp calls broke into the sky, but Raheerah's calls would soon be drowned out by the roar of the advancing avalanche.
The monk had been deep within the springs' cave on the opposite side of the Vale when the rumbling shook him. He lifted his head quickly in the darkness, squinting toward the entrance of the cave some ways from him. It was a large expanse, very open; and that growling resonated around him uneasily. He stood completely still, listening for more, but there was nothing. Slowly, Tenzin moved forward until he was finally at the entrance, and he listened still. Nothing. Not even the birds he so loved to hear. He stepped outside and scented the air curiously. What had happened? Was it something within the mountain he was in? He doubted it, for it didn't sound that close to him.
Dawa. His mind became frantic. Whatever it had been, she'd be terrified. Suddenly the monk kicked into overdrive and he began to hurriedly scatter through the Vale, twisting unnaturally into turns as he looked relentlessly. "Dawa?" he called, several times a moment as often as his breath would let him. "Dawa?" he called again, but there was no response. His heart quickened. He was a man of self control but he lost all of it in times of danger particular to his ward. She was his to protect. He had saved her. That was when the great crack splintered the air. His eyes shot up to the snowcaps on the other end of the Vale.
No.
Tenzin had witnessed an avalanche on a homage journey with his fellow monks when he was only two years of age. Five years had made him, what, ignorant? He watched the first few sheets dislodge and he closed his eyes. No, he thought again, trying his hardest to picture where Dawa would have been. There? Was that where her den was? He had been so negligent of her. How could he have been so distant? The Dragon's short and broken calls startled Tenzin into action. His eyes flew open and he knew: Dawa was there. Tenzin began to run toward the falling snow but the Vale was wide. He wouldn't make it.
He wouldn't make it.
He stopped, rationalizing: the life of one opposed to the life of many. He couldn't afford to swoop in and save her - he wouldn't make it, it was as simple as that. The monk was smart, weighed the options, and turned with a heavy heart. He let out a long, steady call, picking up where the Dragon had left off. It was a warning, a great warning. The Vale wolves were in a dire situation and they needed to get as far from the avalanche as possible. In his call, Tenzin directed the wolves to the far end of the valley near the border, hoping that would give the wolves enough distance to judge the pace of disaster.
Then he headed that way too. His pace was fast, but not as fast as it could be. He was heavy with regret. It felt like he was running through thick, neck-deep mud and that rocks were tied to his ankles. He repeated his previous call but it was clear his voice was dull and melancholy. How many would they lose? How many had dens near Dawa? The monk trudged onward, leaving her behind. It went against everything he stood up for, and stood against. His conflicted brain turned him into stone. He was making an escape but he had left himself. Spiritually, he was shut down, like a circuit breaker tripping. He was merely Yasuo Tenzin, a wolf of great cultural background and only one reason to be here: Dawa.
Acacia froze in her chase of the call. She turned slowly in the sound of the crackling and began to cry loudly. She froze. She was terrified and she was alone and she froze. She slowly paced backwards, trying to make it as far as her shaky legs would allow. Her head twisted as she frantically attempted to call out to anyone who could hear.
Her broken howls were in vain, as no one was near and she was very much aware. "Please, please not again." She'd just found this new home, and to lose it would be heartbreaking. Her heart began to pound in her ears and her tail cowered between her legs. Yes, she had the responsibility of fending for herself before, but this was something different. Never in her short existence had she seen something so...confusing. This was new, and she was not designed for anything but routine.
OOC: Round three has not started yet! I'm just waking her fat-butt up. Feel free to reference any of the Upper Tiers running around and follow to safety!
The siren of alarm was raised both within dream and out, though it took a considerable moment before it reached the conscious mind. Her spell had been deep, but the ambient noise of the danger beyond the den was a calamity even the deepest of sleeps would not deafen her to. The walls of the earthly haven echoed with the shattering of rock and ice, startling the beast awake and wide-eyed. The sudden adrenaline set a charge through her heart, yet as she rose the course had not reached her limbs to aid her rise and frantic scramble for the entrance. As if walking for the first time, she stumbled twice then clambered against for the entrance, though stood for a moment in horror as ice bore down from the mountains to barricade the entrance. Light was dwindling was darkness crept with each cluster of ice and rock impacted upon the entrance.
When there was but a sliver of hope in that light, her stupor shattered and she charged for the entranced with head tucked. Her body became aligned as a ram thick head braced against her shoulders as she turned slightly in her charge. The collision was sharp, ice biting through the thinning fur to raw flesh, yet she felt it give way as she applied her force against it. The weight was malleable as the worst had not yet fallen, and with a stubborn push, gave way as she burst through the barrier to breathe again the free air.
Her paws felt the ice beneath as did her back feel the pummel of frigid rock as it rained upon the mountain’s base, but she did not pause to look behind and take stock of her home now hurried beneath the ice. A home could be remade. A life, however, could not. Immediately her thoughts went to her packmates as the wails of warning and alarm reached shattering proportions. Her own call was raised, letting those therein and nearby know she was alive and searching. Her priority were the subordinates, undoubtedly lost and confused with this change in nature. She had to find them.
She had to make sure they were safe.
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Acacia looked around her as her whimpers grew louder. The pounding paws around her seemed to fade out. She felt lightheaded, but figured it was only because she still wasn't fully back into proper shape. She lay down crying as she waited for someone to come across her weak body. "Why?" She thought back to the evening upon which she saw her mate trampled and limp. That was the last time she felt like this. This was the last time she remembered anything like this. Her body shuddered and shook as it had on that evening, and she came to realize exactly what was happening.
This was an anxiety attack.
Acacia lifted herself from the ground and tried to run as far as she could take herself, but the illusion of darkness halted the process. She closed her eyes and continued as far as she could until the impact. She staggered back and fell onto her haunches. Her eyes lolled and she fell onto her side, weak and silent.
@Acacia - lemme know if this post is okay! otherwise, i'll fix it
The rolling of debris was close behind him, but it was hardly comparable to what the mountains still had in store. Regardless, the beast himself was still fairly close to the mountains, and they unleashed their bulk with great force, heaving a weight from their shoulders. He moved as quickly as he could, and eventually the sounds of others rang up around him, too. He could barely hear them over the loud groaning of the debris, but whose voices he did hear, he recognized; the monk called out, first loud and panicked. And then he heard Xi'nuata's voice, and felt relief that she was safe. Lham would not call out, he knew, but hearing the monk he was assured that she would be with him. He hadn't heard his leader's second call; the rolling snow and dirt was far too loud now.
Just a little bit further, and he would be clear of the snow. A quick glance over his shoulder told that the rolling wave of debris was losing momentum. But as he swung his gaze back to what lay before him, he was suddenly met with the helpless body of a packmate. For whatever reason, he saw her fall onto her haunches and then to her side. He frowned, and could determine no immediate explanation for her collapse. But Raheerah couldn't leave her behind. He surged toward her, paws churning ruthlessly beneath him until he reached Acacia's side. "MOVE!" He roared. Raheerah wrapped his jaws around the back of her neck and thrusted her forward, an attempt to rouse her and bring her to her paws.
Though the snow and dirt had slowed, they maintained a speed that would still allow the cascade to reach them within seconds. If Acacia would not move, then Raheerah would slip underneath her and carry her on his back in order to dislodge the woman from potential danger.
Acacia, though still in a dazed state, lifted her head and peered groggily at her surroundings. She had been near the mountain's base last she remembered, but now she was....moving. Afraid, she whimpered loudly and scrambled to her feet. She stood confused for a moment at the foot of the tree she had fallen before and noticed Raheerah's still moving body.
"R-Raheerah?" she whispered to herself. She quickly composed herself and began chasing after him with a new might. She no longer was aware of the danger behind her as any recolation of previous events was lost at her original fall. No matter where Raheerah swerved, she followed. And she loved it. She was made for this; for speed.
OOC: Round Three is here! Remember, if you have not posted yet, your character is considered 'lost' but not dead. If your character is in need of rescue, please PM someone and we'll get you out, otherwise have them surface at you convenience. LET IT BEGIN!
With what might she could muster, she willed herself not to look behind as the mountain groaned, and instead applied more distance between herself and the rolling sheets. Though the pace of a wolf could match that of fleeting prey, the advance of nature was unrelenting and cruel. It did not exhaust, it did not falter. It needed look to the path ahead for safety, only barrel through what obstacles stood in its path. It was only a matter of time before the ice caught to her heels and in its curl rain down heavy shards of rock and ice.
Her howls soon silenced when the roar of the wave behind deafened her efforts, and focused instead on reaching more stable ground. None had yet to heed her calls, and with the silence came worry for those she knew to live under the shadow of the mountain. She had a mind to turn and call for them again, regardless of how lost her voice would have been to the rage of the ice. But she could not… she had to see to those that had pulled themselves from the frigid clutches. Charging forward still, she headed toward the Chenrezig in the heart of the territory, hoping that the snow would exhaust itself before reaching the sacred bark.
In due time the mountain would come to settle. The ice dislodged from the sudden warmth of spring rested at the base of the mountain and a several yards inward, downing the towering pines of the forest and laying upon the Vale a new form of winter. Earthen dens were collapsed. Caves were blocked by the piles of ice barring their way. Yet at the near top of the mountain, new openings have appeared… yet with the devastation below it was doubtful few would take a moment to notice the treasures revealed. Only time would bring such discoveries to light.
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It took a moment, but after the beast had grabbed Acacia and thrust her forward, he heard the woman whisper his name as if in confusion of his sudden arrival. Raheerah didn't have any time to process it or explain; her voice was enough to tell him that she was conscious and aware of what was happening, and soon enough he could see out of the corner of his eye that she had scrambled onto her paws and began racing after him, realizing the danger that roared on behind them. The beast snorted, halfway pleased that she managed to right herself, and halfway alarmed that his minor show of heroism had slowed them down enough that the racing slump of debris almost consumed them.
Somewhere beyond what he could see, a few more howls rose up into the air. He recognized them, belonging to the voice of his companion. Instinctively he raised his head and turned it slightly, as if expecting to spy her from amid the trees. But all he saw was the rushing white, rolling waves of mud and snow. At least hearing her voice assured him that she was still alive, and had not been swallowed by the avalanche. He had to focus on what was going on now around him - Acacia was now running alongside him, racing against the slumping debris as well. It thundered on behind him, deafening him; he wouldn't be able to shout out commands to the female.
Raheerah curved his path to move next to her, bumping his shoulder against hers. He shed a brief glance towards his packmate before lifting his gaze up to the heart of the valley, the direction in which they ran from the avalanche. That would be their goal - and while the roaring debris drowned out all other sound, Raheerah was fueled by blood rushing in his ears and his heart pounding, desperate against his chest. They had to reach the tree. There, he knew his light would be waiting, and Tenzin and Lham. They would make it. They had to.
Acacia tried to keep pace with the larger male as her feet plastered themselves to the ground. Before them she saw other wolves of whom she had yet to meet, but based on the aura Raheerah's large body gave off with his grunts and determination, she knew they were a checkpoint. The first thought to come to mind was that of when she was a pup. It was the night she was lost.
"Acacia!" her mother called. Acacia ran with might surging through her short legs. The ground was wet and unfamiliar but her mother's face spoke calming psalms as she raced against the dust to meet her. There was a dust wave close behind them, and Acacia's mother knew if they didn't leave now, everyone in their pack would die. "Acacia!"
"I'm here, mom", Acacia thought to herself as she began to swerve into safer land.
Quiet.
He stopped. The man was still, silent; he was in a state of emergency meditation and had blocked out the noise of the roaring mountain to concentrate. He again tried to position Dawa on a mental map of the Valley, coming up with the same awful realization that she indeed was now stuck under the fallen snow and dirt. That was the only possibility that was most likely. His brows pinched together as he dove deeper into his mind but there was nothing more he could do but regroup. With a heavy head, he looked up to where the red leaves of Chenrezig brushed above the others in the middle of the Valley.
Quiet.
Tenzin twitched an ear as he woke from himself, noting that the earth had also become still and silent. His head lifted and he noticed the avalanche had indeed stopped, finally. It was hard for him to move. Though he was walking on steady ground, he may as well have been trying to move through thick, solid mud. It took the monk a while to reach the white-barked tree he and Dawa had named for a god from back home. Chenrezig, he thought as he approached the base, resting his forehead against trunk, please forgive me.
It was then the others started to trickle in. Irrationally, he searched for Dawa among them, but knew in his heart she would not break the treeline as the others did. Xi'nuata was first, followed by the Dragon and Acacia. There was a pause in the monk's breath, though calling him a monk at this point in time would be laughable. He was still spiritually detached from the realization of losing the only thing he lived for. Yasuo Tenzin caught the fiery eye of his chained beast and lifted a lip at the thought of the oncoming Dragon's rage.
"She is not here," he said simply in a deep voice, a heavy contrast to his light and high-spirited self. He stood with his tail straight out, hairs raised, head held high - he had no runes to protect him now. He had no barrier to escape to, no fellow monks to entrance the Dragon and sing it back to sleep. Once it woke, Tenzin would have no way to defend himself; but it was Tenzin who had failed, and Tenzin who deserved the wrath of the Dragon.
just FYI, there is gonna be a brief exchange between Tenzin and Raheerah; feel free to post, but please don't interfere! <3
Finally, the roar of the avalanche had begun to die down. By that time, he and his packmate had made it to the heart of the territory, where they would be safe from the onslaught of debris. His muscles by now were sore from the endless running, the adrenaline-fueled escape from the snow that had caused him to move faster than he ever had before. Acacia was next to him as he spied the tree, and expected to see the rest of their pack there, hoping that nobody had been caught under the snow. But as he adjusted to the image before him, he was dismayed to see only two figures; though there was relief in that one of them was his wife, the other was... the monk.
Raheerah's pace had slowed to a gait by the time they arrived, but it had paused the moment he realized that Lham was not there. The monk stood near the tree and his light; all together, there were four of them. And Lham was not among them. In that moment, everything fell away. He had forgotten Acacia, and Xi'nuata. All that he saw was the monk alone. "Wwhheere." The dragon rumbled at first, but he already knew the answer, just as the monk would already know what he would be asking. His stride picked up again, briskly taking him towards the pristine male, seemingly untouched by the landslide. His body burned, not with physical exhaustion but a sudden and pure rage, and his eye locked on the monk, empty. "Wheerre iis sheee." His voice roiled, increasing in volume as he drew nearer to the monk. Strains of panic were evident among his words.
Then came him answer. His own voice had changed. Everything had changed. Lham was not by his side. She was now somewhere beyond their knowledge, presumably trapped. Abandoned to that fate by not Raheerah, but the monk, who had adopted the responsibility of caring for her. It had been his job. His purpose. And he failed. "Mmo-rang kaa-baaar yo-ree?" The beast held fire in his single eye. "Laab ngah laaa. LAB NGAH LA!" He erupted, wild teeth flailing as he lunged at the monk, intending to grab him at the conjunction of his shoulder and neck and throw him in the opposite direction, fed only by the fury of his lost Goddess.
As the Dragon grew nearer, Tenzin lowered his head slowly and lifted his lips. There was nothing the man would be able to do should the beast charge him. Tenzin expected the fury and received it, thrusting forward as if challenging the Dragon when it asked him in their tongue where Dawa was. There was a eruption from the large demon and Tenzin opened his jaws to snarl, but there was nothing he could do against the fire that bellowed from the beast's belly. The larger wolf—if you could call it that—lifted the monk with ease and tossed him aside. The white wolf traveled some distance from the powerful throw, and rolled several times before sliding in a crouched position and lifting his head. He came to a slow stop, crouched still.
"Mo-rang ma-re ri-pong", Tenzin growled lowly, looking up toward the Dragon with nothing but the ice of regret behind his eyes. He locked onto the flame that held the Dragon's fury and sneered. "'Brug," he spat, the derogatory name dripping like acid from his teeth. His shoulders and back had been badly bruised from the impact earlier, minor scrapes stinging his skin from where he had slid along the ground. His paw pads were also scraped, sore from the friction he had used to stop with. "Bkjig 'Brug!!" the monk shouted in a loud voice, lifting his head to roar the ancient words that had been used to chain the beast the first time.
But Tenzin was without his fellow monks. Without the rest of them to chant the words with him, Tenzin had no divine power over the beast and braced himself for another impact.
Permission to pp Tenzin was granted ;>
With a powerful thrust, he tossed the white wolf aside, uttering a thunderous and deep outcry of rage. He whirled around to face the monk, though he had underestimated his own strength; the wolf was sent rolling along the dirt some ways away before he managed to stabilize on his paws. And then, he raised his eyes. The dragon was met with a glare opposite his own; the two of them were opposing forces, completely and entirely paradoxical of one another. A creature of the skies and heaven, of white and blue, stood in the shadow of the hellhound of grey and orange. They met the other with a look of violent aggression, of hatred; a rivalry long ago birthed. He stared at the monk, lips still curled back as he produced loathsome words in the language of their past.
She was not here. Forcing him to say it, perhaps it would become real, evident to the monk, too; perhaps he would understand the consequences. Surely he failed to now, for he stood before Raheerah in the safety of the heart of the valley, without Lham by his side. Without so even going out to look for her. He must not have understood the depth of the situation. He must not have truly admired Lham, like he did. He was not loyal. He was a traitor. The beast had begun to step forward, slowly sliding himself towards the monk, prepared to punish him further. It was not the name that harmed him. For as many time as the monk would spit it at him, he would revel in it. It was a name that incited fear. It had made the monks quake. It gave him power.
No. It was the command that made his blood turn to ice. A memory of sudden, overwhelming darkness. A thousand voices all rose up from the ground like stone walls, they blocked him in. Together they had overcome him and dragged him down to his prison, with just those words alone. No. He would not allow the monk to imprison him again. Tenzin had promised freedom, so long as the dragon would protect his Goddess. He had not gone back on his word, and he would not let the monk do so, either.
From the moment he froze, all sanity escaped him. Vehement frenzy consumed him. He would not be imprisoned again. Raheerah launched at the white wolf and heedless of his safety, swung his jaws towards the man's forehead and eyes, slashing into the skin and grasping his skull to throw the wolf down once more into the dirt. He spared no time diving down at the monk; the two of them engaged in a vicious flurry of snarls, flying fangs and scraping nails. Raheerah's only intention was to punish him. He would violently drive his teeth into the man's skin, he would grab what he could and slam it back onto the ground, to emphasize his rage; and, eventually, they had rolled close enough to the tree that the dragon re-emerged on his paws and maintained a grasp on Tenzin's throat. Had he truly nothing left in this world, the dragon would have torn it out there. But Raheerah had far greater plans for the monk, and they would bank on the moment his Lham's death was confirmed.
For now, she still lived. And thus did the monk. A roar bubbled up from him as he hoisted the white wolf up and threw him against the tree, drawing conclusion to their short scuffle. He panted; his spine rose and fell with heavy breaths. Blood stained his teeth and the corners of his mouth, and what gashes marred his body as a result of the monk's defenses. "KU-SHO KA-BAR YO-RE TAN-DA?" He roared, clicking his teeth as he closed in on the male once more. "Yoou haave failed! Yoouu aare unwoorrthy of leeaading thisss paaradiise." Raheerah bristled, eyes ablaze. "Yoouu aare noo moore thaan a scoouuurge on thiis Vaale. Ii wiiilll wreennnch it fromm perridiitionn!" Another eruption as he hovered close to the monk and snapped his jaws before the man's face. His voice then dropped dreadfully low, and his eye fixed on the twin blue orbs set into his skull. "Kuuu-sshho ngeey zhuuu-paa khyeeen-soonnng-ngeeey?" The dragon hissed.
He didn't care for an answer. The beast tore away from him. Briefly, he caught sight of Acacia and Xi'nuata. He didn't care to register the looks on their faces. He didn't care to know how they felt, or what they saw; there was only a fleeting twinge of shame that his wife had to witness the monk's punishment before he erupted into a jagged howl - "LHHAAAAAMMM!" - calling for his Goddess, and returning to the slump of debris that had only minutes ago chased him from her location.
exit Raheerah!
rip tenzin's pride :'((
"Bkjig 'Brug!!" the monk called again, louder, but it fell on deaf ears as the wrath awoke in the beast's heart. Tenzin shrunk and curled defensively like a cornered cat, baring his fangs open in a silent hiss as the Dragon broke free of its momentary stun. There was nothing more he could do. Where he had tried to save the lives of many as opposed to one, perhaps he underestimated the value of such lives. Surely one weighed more than many combined, but Tenzin had not evaluated the situation closely enough to notice. He did not think far enough ahead and surely had no way to defend himself against the Dragon who had razed Jokhang. He did not think far enough ahead to prepare himself for this.
The Dragon's approach became furious and Tenzin recoiled, turning his face away with shut eyes. The rage from the beast before him was hot on the monk's face and he cried out as the Dragon's sharp teeth tore flesh on his face and cheek. The attack caught his ear as he turned away, eventually subsiding on his neck and shoulders before the beast shifted into a different attack. A pressure suddenly deafened him and he registered himself being lifted by the skull, only to meet the ground with a solid impact. A ringing in his ears dazed him and he opened eyes slightly to try and assess the situation, but his vision was too blurry. Another impact drove him to the ground and he was raked with tooth and claw.
Tenzin threw his head toward the large beast, jaws open in an attempt to make any contact that he could. The two of them wrestled for some time, but it was always the monk on the receiving end. Again and again he was thrust into the dirt, wounds fresh and bleeding over most of his body though centralized to his head and neck. Relentlessly, he snapped back, but Tenzin was not strong in head-to-head combat. He could kill a wolf with one bite, but not the Dragon. The Dragon was not a wolf. "Srul-" he choked out as the Dragon grabbed him by the throat and lifted him from the ground. A gurgling of lost words fell away as he struggled against the unnatural pull of gravity.
Again, he was airborne. Tenzin twisted awkwardly in the air before hitting the large, thick trunk of the white tree. Dropping to the ground with a light thud, the monk lifted his head with great effort to try and view the Dragon now. His ears were still ringing and his body ached all over. Shaking, he slowly regained his breath as he glared toward the beast. Tenzin no longer cringed as the Dragon roared, clicking its jaws near the monk's face. "My brothers," Tenzin called softly within his mind, reaching for his meditation state but could not find it. As the Dragon taunted from above, where were his monks? Tenzin wondered the same thing. Had he truly been separated from them? There was no more fight left within him, however, and Yasuo Tenzin slumped into a weak and broken collection of blood and fur.
There was a proposition—no, a claim—from the Dragon and Tenzin only barely recognized it. His blue eyes searched the shadow before him but his world was still a blur. The only sounds the monk could utter were pained wheezes as breath painfully passed through his bruised throat. There was a thundering as the shadow moved away, and Tenzin could only assume the Dragon was going to search for Dawa. An awful howl sounded from nearby and the monk lifted a lip in disgust as he twitched awkwardly among the roots of Chenrezig. For a brief moment, he thought he caught a glimpse of Xi'nuata coming toward him, but his world spun rapidly upwards before finally going black.
Darkness surrounded him. He was not meditating. He was still and quiet and his mind was blank. There were very few times when, as advanced of a monk as he was, his mind was blank. There was nothing to focus on. Not his gods, his brothers, his sisters, Dawa - there was nothing but still, quiet sleep.
exit! he passed out / likely has a concussion
He was swept. It was the equivalent of taking a mountain to his side. He thought to leap at the last moment, previously frozen in place at the howls of warning, lost without direction; what was he to do? There was no one around to guide him, to nudge him towards a safe route. An instinctual urge to flee from danger had shaken his form, but the shadow of his anxiety had locked his limbs in place. Swept away thoughtlessly like a leaf in a rush of wind.
On the outer edge of destruction some would have thought he was lucky. The blackness of dirt, rock, and snow had released him, and with some resistance the dark figure flung his eyes open. Soreness crept over his body, unfamiliar with the ache of his bruises. The gash in his hip, which had taken damage a few days earlier in a hunting accident, had been ripped open. His nose thickly coated in snow could catch the rich scent of his own blood.
A vague awareness of his surroundings revealed the bark digging into his back, his anchor in this sudden turmoil. When knocked off his three good legs, he lucked out enough to somehow slam up against the tree's trunk, saving him from an early burial but not without it's consequences. Surprisingly he hadn't been torn in half by the force of the mountain, but the effort to do so left internal damages.
Choking on the air he shuddered to release from his lungs, a splatter of blood leaked from his maw, driving through the sharp pain to inhale once more. It was an exhausting effort soon soothed by a blanket of slumber.
Acacia, though she tried to stand tall, whimpered loudly beside Xi'Nuata as her tail cowered between her legs. She sat down in fear of embarrassment and looked to her superior beside her. She lifted herself gently and began to trot away. "What am I doing?" she thought to herself. This was not the way a warrior should act, this was an act of cowardice.
She stopped herself and looked back over the few feet she'd covered and slowly began to turn, now sure she was at a comfortable distance.
OOC: To all the other warriors; sorry for Acacia's non-warrior (I guess[?]) behavior, she's about to clean up her act...
Silence prevailed when questions were better spoken. But what could be asked for the scene that had transpired? Nature had laid its heavy hand upon their haven, and from its unforeseen actions came confusion and unrest. Truly, she would not have thought such a force to invoke that angered will from within another… yet it proved two fold that she knew nothing of nature nor the male she had come to call her mate.
She had watched alongside Acacia in horror as is rage broke its restraints and laid into the white monk. Fur was taken, flesh was pierced, and a body was revered by his brethren was grabbed and tossed by such naked fury; a wilting flower tossed by the relentless jaws of a monster. And like trees, they stood there, watching the hell unfold as their leader was stripped and made humble before the mountain beast. It was painful to watch, yet the eyes of Gamma did not avert. However wrenching the scene, her eyes remained fixed upon the pair, monitoring that one blow might not end the life of another. In truth, she did not understand what stemmed this rage within her mate, but by the flash of his fangs, she knew not to interfere, regardless of her own desire to aid their fallen Alpha. Yet it was the question unasked, the reason behind their brawl, that left her still as well… pondering in silence the significance of the one the pair called Lham. Was Dawa some treasure to them?
When at last the roar of the beast trailed off toward the fallen snow, Xi’nuata relinquished her idle posture to tend to the wounded resting against the tree. She lowered her muzzle to his to ensure he was breathing, then barked sharply for Acacia to accompany him. Trusting the girl to follow her order, she continued, “Watch over him until I return.” Her voice was somber, void of what life she had been assumed to carry in her tone. “I will look for others and see to Raheerah.”
She left no room for contest, turning swiftly on her paws in pursuit of her mate. Regardless of his actions, he could not leave them in this state. And she would be damned to let his personal goal overwrite the needs of the pack.
[Exit Xi’nuata]
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