City's Burning

For all Spine members who did not make the first round of escaping: @Arverk @Alkha @Nanuk @Salamander @Aariak @Tatsuya

True to his word, Iqniq ran down into the heart of the Spine. Tonravik called from the summits, beckoning the pack towards her so they might make her quick escape. Some of the  other wolves? With all the wind, it was easy for a wolf's voice to be lost in this storm. Heck, as he descended into the valley of their home, her voice was lost to him completely. The rest of their wolves? He and Nanuk would have to find them on foot.

He moved quickly as he gave his best effort to scent the wind, track the ground, and overall see to it that hunted down the rest of his pack family. He had no idea who had gone to join Tonravik and who remained, so he would collect as many as he could. He howled, lifting his bellowing voice with the hopes that he might gather the rest of them near. "Arverk... Alkha... Salamander... Aariak... Pack..." It was, perhaps a foolish hope because of all the wind, but those clouds were rolling ever closer and the sky... There was something about it that spoke of certain doom. "Find me! I am here!"

He circled the packlands, spiraling around them so that he might cover as much ground as possible before meeting Nanuk back by the summit pond. Hopefully he would find someone in this nightmare so they could all flee to safety.

Arverk had noticed that something was wrong; he wasn't stupid. The skies were a strange color the whole day, and the thick and dark clouds that hung heavily overhead indicated the storm, as well as the humidity in the air around him. He had never encountered a tornado before, so he didn't know what would happen, but he could guess that this would be a particularly terrible storm that would potentially endanger the wolves of the Spine. What he hadn't expected was how terrible it would turn out to be. Later, he would look back on it (if he survived) and realised that he should have seen it coming, realised that he should have been better prepared.

Tonravik howled, but Arverk could not hear her. Her voice was lost to him, blown away by the swirling and howling winds that threatened to topple the lithe whale. He stood there, just stood there like a dummy for a moment, staring at the scene unfold before him with dumbfounded blue eyes. It startled and surprised him; he didn't know that such a horrible storm could happen. But then, nature always, always surprised him with the amount of tricks she had up her sleeves. He supposed, in a way, he should've known.

What were the leaders's command? Where were his packmates? What should he do? Naturally, he should run, but he didn't want to, given the fact that he beleived his packmates were still here somewhere, and what if he left while they stayed (not that they were stupid enough to), he couldn't let that happen. Thank the gods that Iqniq solved his problem for him. The russet alpha male's howl rang sharply through the air, reaching Arverk's pricked velvety ears. He uttered names, some he knew, others he did not, but he heard his own among the flurry of words and knew he was not forgotten.

The Spine wolves kept their promises, they did not leave him behind. This was the third (or was it the fifth? He'd lost count) time he told himself that he had made a brilliant decision when he joined this pack. But enough of that folly. Arverk glanced around, and then made his way as quickly as he could to where he had determined Iqniq was and hoped with all his heart that he was right. He found the russet male when he was halfway to the source of the howl. Well, technically he found Iqniq by bashing headfirst into the male but...same thing right? "Iqniq!" he exclaimed when his blue eyes found his Alpha's form and stood up once more. Wherever the fiery male went now, he would follow. He could only hope that Kapvik (the wolf he considered his friend) was safe.

Someone can come team up with Kroc too and then they'll reunite with Iqniq and whoever he's got!

They ran from Tonravik's side to root out all the remaining members of the Spine. They would leave none behind but they would not cover as much ground together as they would apart. With a rushed and rough nip to her Alpha's shoulder, Kroc broke from his companionship and ran. A heavy creature was she but it was as it the wind pushed her faster, the storm looming over them the threat to cause her speed. Far off, Iqniq's howl wavered and she sent up her own, both to locate the members of their pack and to let Iqniq know where she was. They could not afford to be lost or separated from the pack now.

"Motherf--..." Her growl was cut off as she ran the borders, drowned by a peel of thunder. Gold eyes hit the sky overhead, the dark clouds making her ever-nervous. Something was happening and it was not going to be good. Her ears lay back against her head, thinking to Tonravik and her yet unborn brood. The pack would survive this, and they'd do it together. She just had to find their members first.

Tatsuya tried his damnedest to coordinate where he searched with Iqniq and Nanuk's movements. It was a challenging venture – one Tatsuya was late to join – but it was worth a try. Treading where the two wolves had skipped over, the Epsilon used his nose as best he could. What with the whipping zephyrs, it was arduous pinpointing which tracks were new and which were not; the tempest impeded his search by throwing the scent around. Damn it. Being one wolf was not enough. He needed at least one other to make good on Tonravik's demands.

He saw the speeding Nanuk through stalks of grass and shrubs. He only saw her for a split second but that was all he needed to rush after her. What with the wind at their backs, they both seemed to go faster. Or maybe his mind tricked him into thinking the weather had anything to do with how doggedly he trailed after his gray Beta.

Whether she has seen him yet or not, Tatsuya barked to get her attention. He also let her know Tonravik sent him here to join in on their search, though this information might have been redundant to Nanuk. Nonetheless, he stuck close to the indomitable Beta, using his nose for any sign of recent activity. Not a damn thing. The only scent prominent here was Nanuk's and that was a given. He would not stop with his aid unless the Beta ordered him to spread out. Tatsuya would not contest this though deep down he felt they were better like this: with the Epsilon as the nose and Nanuk as the eyes.

Thanks for the participation. @Alkha and @Salamander are still welcome to join at any time!

He took a lap. Running, he paused here and there to howl and sniff at the wind. All the wolf markings in this area were so frequent it was difficult to tell if any were fresh. With the bellowing winds ripping through the trees, it was near impossible to howl or smell anything at all. His best hope was to encounter whatever pack family remained so he ran and howled here and there with the hopes that his voice would carry.

He found one, or rather, Arverk found him. The wolf collided with his shoulder, effectively rocking him enough to stagger and stumble until he fully righted himself. "Arverk!" He nudged the wolf affectionately before tipping his head, indicating for the wolf to join him. "Have you seen Aupârtok yet? Or Alkha? Aariak? Aegaus?" There were many more names he could have listed of members both new and old. He didn't know who'd joined up with Tonravik already, which meant he could only hope they all made it out alive.

"Run with me," he said over the wind before taking off with another howl. I am here! With both of them, they'd be able to run with each other in their peripheral and cover more ground. When they circled back towards the valley near the summit pond, they'd ascend again and rejoin with Nanuk and whoever she managed to find.

Thunder rolled. Lightning flashed. The time between them was growing shorter. The storm was getting closer. Too close.

The winds destroyed any semblance of preparedness the Spine had. The remaining members wandered aimlessly now to try and find one another, to come together and survive this chaotic mess. A bark, though faint, made the female leader skid to a halt, dirt flying from underneath her paws as she spun to search the scene behind her. Tatsuya. Any previous issue with him was gone in that moment, a rough nip to his shoulder signifying her acceptance of his presence and the reason he was here. 

She turned to start moving again, a brisk walk her pace at first before her stride opened up to carry her along a stretch of the borders again. There were no other wolves that she saw. Looking to Kapvik, Kroc sought to gauge his expression to see if he saw or smelled another, but there was none to be had. At this point, any stragglers had to find their way to the Moonspear, without the pack. While the goal was to leave none behind, they had to remain alive for the last ones to come back to. 

"To Iqniq!" She shouted into the wind, nudging him hard in her rush to grab his attention. Spinning on their heels, Nanuk now led the other to the pond where Tonravik had left from. The storm overhead only worsened, rolling in like a wave building speed. She did not want to be here when it crashed against the Spine. But the red wolf was not too far ahead and she pulled to a stop, gold eyes glancing over Arverk. Four was their count; Salamander, Alkha, and Aegeus were still out there. "We need to get moving. They can rejoin us later." The storm would not pause because they had not gathered everyone. She knew Iqniq would be aware of that.

While Arverk was not as large a wolf as Iqniq was, he still managed to push the russet male off balance, enough for him to stagger and stumble before he steadied himself once more. The whale himself had backpedaled and stumbled, causing him to half fall onto  the ground before he pushed himself up again, blinking at his victim. The swarthy whale was greeted with an affectionate nudge from the Alpha Male. Was he the only one that had heard the leader's howl? Where were the others? Were they still lost in this horrible, damning storm?

He joined Iqniq and shook his head in silent reply to the fiery meteor's question. "No, didn't see no one until I bumped into you," he said in his lightly accented tone. Somehow, even in this mess, he found it amusing that most of the names the Alpha Male uttered — no, strike that. He found it amusing that most of the names in Ouroboros Spine started with the letter A. Obviously, he didn't tell the russet wolf that because it would be highly inappropriate of him to do so when most of the pack was still missing, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

Kroc appeared, accompanied by Kapvik. He flashed a glance at the brown furred wolverine and managed to shoot him a relieved grin. It was good to know that his most ruthless sparring partner was still alive.

The tempest grew in power, his fur and demeanor tousled, wind thrashing their bodies and impairing perceptions. They would find no one in this chaos. Tatsuya could scarcely hear anything aside from the wind and his nose was practically useless here, throwing an amalgamation of scents every which way. Nanuk knew this venture was futile, ordering him with a touch and a spoken demand. Tatsuya skidded to follow the Beta, dirt curling under his claws. He was not as agile as the branded Beta, but he kept up with her all the same. Like hell tiredness would slow him down now.

As they ran to the elevated area in which Iqniq resided, Tatsuya's heart jumped at the sight of Arverk. Relief flooded him. So much so he labored in joining in on the group, happy pants and tail wags sent the whale's way. I'm so glad yo- A savage bolt interrupted the sentiment overhead. Ears pinned at the deafening sound, body lowering in response. As if he could somehow avoid heaven's wrath.

Last round here! If there are any remaining wolves who wish to escape, please join us in our next thread at the Moonspear.

Hadn't seen anyone... Iqniq's ears drooped, frustrated that they could not find more. He didn't wish to lose a single wolf in this storm, but for now, he could only hope Tonravik and Nanuk had more luck in finding the rest of them. Determined that as many of them as possible would survive, he eased away his moment of doubt and offered the wolf a nod. They'd circled these lands. If any wolf were to be found they'd have discovered them by now. It was time to meet back up with Nanuk and head out.

He lead them up the edge of the rim towards the summit pond. Nanuk and Tatsuya waited for them. He glanced over both of them before turning to Nanuk for any visual information she might offer based on her search. He trusted they'd ran the perimeter. Four of them wasn't a bad number. Tonravik and Echelon had taken a few more. He was content in knowing they'd made every effort to gather up their own.

The storm brewed. Wind lashed through his fur. The moment he parted his mouth to howl a final time, his voice was stolen from him. Useless.

A crack sounded behind him. He turned back towards the inner heart of their home only to spy one of the tall trees flared with the embers of an infant fire. The edge of the storm was too close. The rumble of thunder and the flashes of lightning were so close together that counting their distance apart was worthless. Another strike of lightning. Another ancient tree struck. The fire leapt. The Spine would soon be cloaked in flame.

He passed his eyes over all who'd gathered and turned their trek towards the Moonspear where they could wait out the rest of this storm.

The crash of lightning setting the trees aflame caught her off guard, and made her fur stand on end as she whirled to face their home. Shock rippled through her as the fire reflected in her eyes, engulfing their home. She knew then that the Spine was no more, but they would regroup later. To do so, they needed to leave. Now. 

Iqniq knew this and turned their company to the designated location, the one they'd discussed with Tonravik just hours ago. Any stragglers could follow them, if they survived, and if they found wherever the pack ended up.

The wolverine's happy tail wags and yips were reciprocated by the smoky black whale who's usually stoic facade had vanished when he caught sight of his brown furred friend. Now, a wide grin spread across his rugged countenance, nearly splitting his face. However, when the lightning struck the tree, setting it aflame, Arverk's demeanor immediately shifted from one happy to be reunited with a friend to a defensive stance. Velvety swarthy ears flattened against his skull, tail flicking agitatedly behind him as he surveyed the scene with barely concealed worry.

The whale followed Iqniq and Kroc when they began moving out, moving to fall in step beside the wolverine, nuzzling him in a friendly manner as he did so. I'm glad you're alive and here. Words were not needed to express his emotions; Arverk really didn't believe in words at all, preferring to use actions over it, which was what he did now.

Interchange between two friends was cut short, joviality eclipsed by dread. The bellow of thunder from earlier was not only heard and felt by all gathered, it was nearby too. The Epsilon stared on in paralyzing fear as a woody plant behind Iqniq burst into flames. The air around them grew hot from not just the flames; energy animated the space around them, cackling threateningly. An anxious swipe of his tongue tested, tasting. This was wrong. Horribly wrong. His home would soon be engulfed in flames and there wasn't a goddamn thing they could do about it.

They left in a hurry, Iqniq and Nanuk taking point while Arverk and Tatsuya brought up the back. The wolverine departed with a final, saddened glance back to Ouroboros Spine. Just as he was starting to like the blasted place, it had to razed. This is bullshit. Arverk's affections were returned with downhearted ardor. They would survive this, but at what cost?