Altar of Twilight Dreams that almost feel real

@Alya

His dreams were of the most pleasant in quite a while, the images that flashed on the back of his eyelids colored with the gold of sunlight and white of snow instead of the rusty red of blood. Ace watched his journey over the frosted land replay before him as he slumbered, but instead of the inescapable grief and crushing anxiety that accompanied his dreams of the past, this one was much different. The sublime scenery in which he conjured up within his mind was glowing with a yellow hue, the lithe trees before him seeming to shrink and fade away to make way for his path – a path that never ended. His paws would sink into the soft snow like a knife through butter, just to be pulled free with the smallest of efforts. The frozen fury of the whirling wind brushed past him without him knowing. The warmth that spread to envelop him entirely shielded him from the bitter cold before it could catch him in its grasp. He was smiling, running, playing with his beloved sisters and brothers that were easily emerged from their disappearance without any thoughts of question or doubt. He was free and joyous. And he never wanted to wake up.

The falling snowball on his muzzle shattered his dream to pieces; his golden eyes were partially open. Ace huffed out a silent breath, drowsily stretching his spine, his legs uncurling from beneath his weight. As he stood up slowly, he shook out his black fur slightly matted by sweat, flecks of snow flying from his large frame, his maw parting widely to welcome a quiet yawn. His sleepy gaze was flicking in all directions as if he was still looking for his siblings. Is he returning to his vivid dreams? The male wolf was still sitting underneath the snowy pine, but this time he remained quiet as a statue, his posture relaxed and his ebony shoulders almost dropping. He made an exit from the pine tree, his paws staggering along the white path, unaware of where he was going. His gentle eyes were still barely open.

Alya was sniffing around the area, waiting for her next tribute to appear when she detected movement out of the corner of her eye. The dark shewolf went quite still, turning into a shadow on the hillside as she observed the movements of the other creature. A wolf, she noted. A male one. Dark fur, but not as solid as her own. A fine specimen, if not quite so fine as the one she currently courted.

Still, the woman gave a quiet woof to announce herself, having developed a strong interested in getting to know anyone who found themselves this close to Moonspear's borders. The altar attracted all sorts, and Alya was happy to investigate each and every one of them.

The black canine was still feeling sleepy, sleepy as a newborn puppy. He was a sleepyhead indeed. He could see nothing but indistinct shapes on the horizon. His right ear perked up at the woof sound that could only belong to another living soul. The soft barking that was coming from the shadows didn’t sound aggressive or threatening, it was sounding more welcoming and hospitable. His sleepy eyes wandered to the hillside as the scent grew stronger and cleaner, his golden gaze cutting through the dark to instead hill on the outline of a slim wolf. He watched drowsily the feminine figure before advancing at a glacial pace, his paws barely touching the flat expanse of snow that flew beneath him.

Not breaking his tranquil stare, Ace spoke up to the other wolf. “Sapphira? Is that really you?” He tilted his head to the side, lifting one of his paws to rub his tired eyes. “It is you!” He said dreamily, his gentle smile gracing at the corner of his lips. He began to run through the falling snow, ascending the hill to get a closer look at the she-wolf. He felt like he was dreaming again. All of a sudden, he came to an abrupt halt, his weary eyes lingering on the visible form of the female. There was still a long distance between them.

The male wolf tilted his skull again, but this time confusion was washing over him. He exhaled softly and shook out the snow that had collected on the thick fur of his scruff. Rubbing his eyes again, he looked at the female canine, his vision becoming much clearer than before, and then he realized that he was talking to a stranger in real life and not his sister from his dream. However, this female wolf looked almost similar to his sister, her black onyx fur as pure as the darkness of night. Their eyes color are the same as well, purely blue as heaven’s cloudless canopy. The only slight difference was that this wolf was much younger than his sibling. Ace’s ears flattened back over his head as he gave her an apologetic look. He still couldn’t figure out how he managed to make his way here without being completely awake. He hoped that he wouldn’t scare off the young one.

Alya drew back as she was misidentified, the ridge of fur along her spine beginning to stand on-end. While she was quite used to being mistaken for her sisters, she took great offense at being compared to this other, lesser being. She was not Sapphira - she was one of the Cerberus; a warrior princess of Moonspear.

"No," she snapped, tail lashing in irritation. Where her body language had been curious and friendly before, it was now cold and repelling - and then, downright hostile when the other charged at her. But she did not cower - Alya held her dominant stance, ready to fight if that was where this was going.

A moment later, though, the man seemed to realize his mistake. He slowed his pace a good ways off, second-guessing his decision to attack her.

Just a cameo!!!

 

Hydra lurked nearby; even in adulthood, the proximity of one sister to the other was never far. The Beta currently investigated the Altar of Twilight for traces of their wayward, pale, moronic sister. She assumed she sought a corpse, but her living frame would do just as well. Hydra did not think that Korei Julia had been spirited away; after her conversation with Vaati, Hydra knew that she had left of her own volition. 

It was the last of Hydra's own loyalty to Korei Julia that caused her to seek her in case she was in dire straits. But she sensed something was amiss and abandoned this in favor of what was her utmost priority. Altering her course, Hydra came upon her mirror image but did not draw near yet.

She noted Alya and her body language, though Hydra did not sense a need for aid. Her own sisters were fierce fighters. Independently, they could each hold their own and dispatch the enemy... but there was never a need for that. Even still, she moseyed in the other direction, investigating the territory more. Alya would know, though, that her attentions were for her.

(Sorry for the long post.)

The dark brute gave a little shake of his head, becoming fully aware of his surroundings. Finally, he returned to the reality. Perking up his ears, he noticed something different about this young female. Her demeanor changed completely and her friendliness melted away. Her relaxed posture and features were now replaced by an inhospitable display as well as maintaining a hostile façade. She didn’t flinch or move so far. The only movement that was made was the lash of her black tail, a view of the annoyance that was beginning to simmer within her. Ace could see her lips that was about to curl back to reveal vicious incisors. He understood why she reacted so coldly and defensively. It's normal to react like that. Everyone would react the same way if a stranger ran up to you.

With his ebony muzzle already raised, he inhaled deeply as the unique scent in the air remained as an ethereal reminder of the pack nearby. There was a powerful pack on the summit, not far from where he stood, and he already knew it. Early on in his journey, he had caught the scent of many wolves pack that had passed through this place before him, but somehow he had slept and forgotten about their scents. He just hoped that he wouldn’t go so far to set a paw on their claim territory – or maybe he already did. Uh oh. With every tail movements the she-wolf created, Ace’s head inched lower, his delicate tail lowering beneath his body. Not only had a stranger found him, but the fearless warrior herself had. His ears flicked to the side as another set of paws stepped into the area not very far from where they both stood, though these were much heavier. He shifted his sharp gaze to the distant carnivore. She seemed to patrol the borders with a lot of confidence. A slight surge of nervousness coursed through him as he could clearly see the difference in rank between these two similar wolves. She must possess a higher rank, and she could step in at any moment. Uh oh I’m toast…

Ace breathed softly before letting his golden eyes return to fall upon the slim frame of the female before him. Her azure eyes were still as cold as stone. He remained calm towards her, his muscles and posture fully relaxed. He did not wish to fight or hurt her. He never wanted to hurt someone. And he will never be like his ungracious father. Blood would certainly not be spilled upon the frost floor this day, and he would be sure of this. Clearing his throat softly, Ace spoke again to the young wolf. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to upset you. I didn’t intend to disturb your land at all, really. I wasn’t completely conscious when I saw you. I just woke up from a profound dream where I saw my siblings, and from far I thought you were one of them.” He stated; the tone of his voice more gentle than he had wanted. "I guess I was sleepwalking." He added again, his winter breath scudding around his nose. The male wolf gave the landscape a calculative stare, silently mapping each path for an escape, just in case the female wolf chased him.

Alya, although grateful for Hydra's support, was immediately irked by the defferential treatment showed to her sister while she was currently the nearer, (and thus) more dangerous presence.

"Don't look at her," said Alya crisply, stalking slowly toward the supplicating male. She carried herself as imperiously as any king, knowing that Hydra would not be offended by her display. She would not dream of putting herself above her sister, but this man did not know them, and would clearly never cut it among Moonspear's ranks. Thus, she felt free to terrorize him - especially considering the slight he'd just paid her.

Painting a look of cool tolerance upon her pretty face, the dark woman made to stand before the stranger. "Look at me. I am the more present threat, don't you think?" she asked in a soft, simpering voice.

Ace moved his gaze to fix all his attention on the raven warrior. Her voice was more brittle than anything, behind such a sharp edge to her roughly feminine voice. Her approaching steps seemed unmistakably threatening, her slowness as well as the conscious look of hostility that still masked her face sure to send a shiver down the spine of those who didn’t know her better. The female’s dagger-throwing stare hadn’t change a bit thus far. The black canine surreptitiously mapped her next moves. He would stay where he found the most comfort: on the defensive, calling upon his strength of reading the emotions that would flood the senses of another. He watched every flicker to the raven’s coat, taking note of each movement and release to the muscles that ripple down his legs and wrapped around his chest.

The brute didn’t budge at all when the female stood confidently in front of him. He could now see her cold gaze much clearer. And indeed she looked so much like his sister from his dreams. Her appearance was reminiscent of his childhood. His painful childhood. The thought of his past suddenly made his courage crumpled. His defensive display disappeared and it was replaced by a submissive behavior. His vision still lingered on the young female wolf. A look of disapproval etched in her features now, the constant flutter of annoyance that seemed to lick like ice fire behind the cold stones of her stare very much present as she was waiting for an answer. Ace stood still, his shoulders dropping as if he had a heavy weight on his upper back. He could not quench the gnawing anxiety that began to crawl with disgustingly clawed fingers up the walls to his throat. He kept his head below eye level of the dark warrior that stood before him. He mused quietly for a short moment, searching the words for his speech.

“Yes madam, indeed you are the more present threat. There’s no mistake on that, only truth.” The male wolf took only two steps in the direction of the she-wolf, lifting his head as far as his neck would allow in order to reach her pools of blue. “What are you going to do now? Are you going to maul me with your incisors and claws? Then do it.” He added, his voice not overly loud nor a whisper – just the normal tone to hear, though he had the deadly seriousness in his eyes. His aureate irises slightly moved as he still gazed her. He took a deep breath, and maybe it will be his last deep breath. Ace stared pensively at her dark chest. He couldn’t believe he said those last words to her. What happened to his mind that made him say that? He wasn’t so sure yet, but those last words were vaguely familiar. He couldn’t help himself but to think about his past. It didn’t take him so long before he was able to remember those moments when he used to say those same words to his father. With his mind so deep than ever, he could see the nasty images of himself being abused by his father. Ace’s expression suddenly changed, as his face remained emotionless. “As long as I live in this world, the inescapable pain within me will only continue to grow.” He spoke in a flat, phlegmatic voice. He shifted in the snow to take a seat in front of the female wolf. Everything seemed to be quiet, but this brief moment was just the calm before the storm. Maybe.

Alya huffed and rolled her eyes at the other's dramaticism. He seemed to be all over the place with his actions and emotions, but as far as her nose could tell, there was nothing physically wrong with him. Perhaps his mind was addled. It didn't seem to be catching, but Alya still didn't see the point in wasting her acting skills on him. He was too wrapped up in himself to notice.

"What makes you think I'm going to do that?" she asked flatly, not sure the man was worth her time at all. The Altar had been delivering fruits less and less ripe, as of late. "I'm not some kind of monster, asshole. I'm a princess. Princesses don't just go around mauling people." Not for no reason, anyway. But, she supposed mercy was reason enough, at times. "Look, if you really want to die, I suppose I can oblige you. Roll over and put your head back. I'll be quick about it," she offered, not quite sure yet whether or not she planned to follow through. She shot an incredulous look over her shoulder, wondering what Hydra's take on the situation was.

Ace shook his dark body and allowed the walls that held back the ghosts of the past crumble in his mind. He stared at the young wolf who seemed outwardly unsympathetic, his thick fur bristling a bit. “What? Did you just call me an asshole? How about I put soap in your mouth? Huh?” He spoke in a low guttural voice. With a flick of his tail, he realized that he said those words way too fast without thinking properly. Besides, his tone of voice weren’t too pleasant to hear. Now he felt a bit sorry for her. “Alright. I take back what I said and I apologized for being rude now.” He sighed softly as the frost breath escaped his muzzle.

Lowering his skull, he began to ponder his childhood moments. Again? All of a sudden, he rolled towards her, showing his neck, and not far from his shoulder, his terrible scar was visible. “Yes I want to die. No I don’t want to die.” He stood up slowly, shaking his fur to remove the snow. He opened his maw to release his breath. “I just don’t know anymore. Sorry for making you feel like a monster. It’s just that I’m usually surrounded by vicious wolves. Your approach and your pretty look were really threatening, so I thought you would demolish me.” He paused for a moment, his golden eyes gluing at the landscape.

“I just wish I could find a way to forget about my past. How can I do that? Maybe joining a pack, hunting a prey or making a challenge will distract me from thinking too much about those painful moments. Wait that’s it. A good challenge.” He glanced back at the young female wolf. “How about we do a race to the peak? It starts here. If you win, you will bite my leg. If I win, I will umm... throw snow at you. Do you accept my challenge?” He narrowed his gaze, waiting impatiently for her answer.

Like Hydra, Lyra too circled the area, assisting in finding any trace of Korei. While their pale sister was blood, the girl was none too thoughtful nor thorough in her search, not particularly caring if they were successful. The idiot had run off on her own accord, that was for certain, and if she had been taken by another pack or run into trouble then that was her own fault. To many times had the trio of sisters come to her aid, and the only reason they were out searching for her now was because it had aligned with Alya's own wants for the day.

Speaking of, Lyra's path turned as she noted Hydra heading inwards towards the forest where Alya had been, the scent of another intermingling with Moonspear's own. Voices arose slightly after, and Lyra peered amongst the trees, studying the figure of the male Alya had come across. Slinking through the shadows, she kept out of sight as Hydra made her domineering presence known, taking note of the stranger — tall, dark and...well, she wouldn't say handsome. He seemed older, if the flecks of grey marring his black and brown coat were anything to go by, and his theatrics only seemed to make him look weak. Unworthy.

She held back an amused giggle at Alya's sass, before stepping forward as she offered to put an end to his miserable existence, happy to lend her own teeth in this endeavour should he accept. His own snarky response, however, caused her to fully emerge from the cover of the trees, hackles bristling. He immediately seemed to regret his decision but the damage had already been done. Why are you still talking to him? Alya had a way with words, though, and Lyra knew her sister had some sort of plan formulating in her mind. When the strange man challenged her to a race — after a ramble that Lyra almost wanted to cut short herself — her ears perked. She snorted softly. If he wins, he gets to keep his life, she said through a simple look to her sister knowing she would understand, glancing over at Hydra to also gauge her reaction.

Alya's eyes flashed with anger at the slight and perceived threat. She was not afraid of the male - especially not with Hydra and Lyra so near - but the ridge of fur along her spine stiffened at his harsh tones, and despite his 'taking back' the insidious words, Alya could not help but seethe with anger. She and her sisters had never been known for their forgiving natures.

His suggestion of a game failed to grasp her interest, nor distract her from the insult he'd paid her by speaking to her like a child. Briefly, she contemplated suggesting a different set of terms, and possibly trying to take him on as a sort of indentured servant, but a glance between her sisters gave her a quick dose of reality. No, they didn't want to keep this guy around. What good would it do?

This in mind, Alya spoke with all the poison she could muster - which was quite a lot. "Why would I want your dirty-ass leg anywhere near my mouth?" she asked coolly. "I suggest you start running if you really don't want to die." With a twich of her ear toward both her sisters, Alya lunged toward the creepy male. Hydra and Lyra were just behind her, quickly closing in. Hopefully, the male had taken her advice - because, despite her words, Alya was very interested in getting her jaws around whatever piece of him she could. And they weren't going to play by his rules.

Ace’s words and gestures only seemed to exacerbate the situation, but in the first place, he never wanted to go through those harsh times with this young wolf. He never wanted to make her upset, but unfortunately, he did it. He made her more than upset and now he would pay the price for it. However, he wished he had found a way to appease her anger, but that would never happen. Perhaps he could pacify her if he let her bite his flesh. Will it work? The female’s blue eyes were now ablaze with a deep fire that could only be described as pure rage. The male refused to run away from her, even at the cold voice that ripped from her lips, as if what anger that boiled in her blood was brimming over.

There were no words that had escaped from his mouth and he preferred to stay quiet because he didn’t want to enrage her even more. His gaze shifted slightly as he watched her sisters that stood behind her. The two similar wolves were there for a reason. They were there to look after her beloved sister and they wanted to make sure that she was okay. Ace could see that she had a precious family. She had her two sisters that dearly loved her, and the love in their family seemed to flow so strong and deep that it would leave them memories to treasure and keep.

Ace’s golden eyes flicked back forward as the female wolf lunged towards him. Her quick movement was certainly frightening. He refrained from flinching away from her. A slight shiver did, however, run down the length of his spine at her attempt to attack him. He looked into her blue orbs and waited for her powerful, sharp teeth to pierce his skin. Strangely enough, he breathed once and faced her with equanimity as if he wanted her to attack him. He might be odd at the moment, but he was far from being malicious. He would never have the intention of hurting her or ruining a family.

The ear flick of assistance-desired-but-not-required came (as if Hydra would not join in on the opportunity to right this males behavior toward her sister), and her casual ambling in the distance suddenly transitioned into a heated-missile strike, his own bodies temperature the exact match for her target. She had heard him—he was a deranged lunatic. Hydra wished she could purge the world of them. 

She saw her sister go at him, and he did not move. Not even to attack. She wondered at this as the distance closed. He might have an easier time at it, for not running. The chase instigated them. He was guilty, guilty of cruelty toward her treasured Alya, and would be punished—though perhaps his stillness might prevent death. 

Perhaps not.

Alya shot seething venom back at the male and Lyra smiled with both love and pride for her sister, gaze flicking back to the stranger to see his reaction. Unexpectedly, he made no move to retaliate nor retort, and Lyra caught sight of his golden eyes as he warily eyed off herself and Hydra. They hung behind Alya as exact mirror images, as if one was seeing triple. When he remained silent, she huffed in indignation, his nonchalant calm only serving to enrage her further. Who did he think he was? Did he believe himself worthy of their mercy, that they would hesitate in defending their sister's honour just because he made no move to defend himself?

A flick of Alya's ear was the only command her sister's needed before they suddenly set upon the loner, who remained stoic and still as ever. His reaction - or lack thereof - puzzled the girl, who could only then draw the same conclusion of the male as Hydra. He was not right of mind. Perhaps he truly did wish to die. Lyra bolted off to one side as her sister's took him head on, aiming to dive in again when she had the chance and grab at his hindquarters and drag him to the ground.

Alya looked down at the creepy male, a sick feeling rising up in her chest. God, she hated it when they cowered like that. What must she look like, to have a wolf simply lie down to die? And what choice did she have but to strike down, jaws rending flesh from bone, blood pooling in the snow... she thought about dead wolves. Dead sisters.

She pulled back her head and did not look at the mess she'd made of the other creature.

"Let's go," she said quietly, turning already. "He's not worth the energy."

Maybe none of them were.

Ace fixed his gaze on the other female wolf who dragged him to the snow. He could see in her blue eyes that she was filled with anger. Now the sisters are becoming indignant, except the one who still stood behind them. The high-ranking wolf seemed to simply watch her sisters with great poise. The male wolf thought of leaving the area since he did not wish to become embroiled in their family and he didn’t want to cause trouble in their pack either, but of course it was too late to change his path.

“Argh!” He raised his voice, his heart lurching into frenzied activity at the impact of the female’s sharp teeth. His mouth curled into a painful grimace, his golden eyes gluing to the dark princess for a brief moment. He sucked in a sharp breath as a hot, burning sensation zapped through his new wounds, blood coursing down his stomach and legs. Ace slowly rested his muzzle on the red snow with his eyes partially closed. And just like that, he lied there, quietly watching the horizon. He was utterly reticent and thoughtful, unsure of what to do next.

He needs to act swiftly because he is on his last legs.

The dark trio departed, none sparing a wolf for the bleeding wolf behind them. Perhaps it was pride, or shame, or both. Alya knew in the marrow of her bones which one best applied to her.

They would tell no one of Alya's lashing out. Even if the dark wolf had deserved it for his insolence - there was a pit of anxiety in the dark woman's stomach that told her Liffey might be right.