Phantom Hollow that ensuing fire lights the darkness

hosannah is eligible for an injury because she is trespassing - but this is for @Veritas or anyone else who wants to spree this out!

and so she left behind the first shadow on her path. she worked her way alongside the river, watching the light dance through the very core of it, and was glad. though it was a mere river, it too was touched and made greater by her lord. by midday she was at a crossroads. the river split in to three paths, with a great sweeping woodscape to the west, and further to the north and east, only empty plains. there was a darkness to the horizon -- and so hosannah, assured by the teachings passed down by her kin, sought it out. in truth the shadow she witnessed was the smear of a mountain range on the horizon. it was her purpose to cleanse this place of shadow, of dark, of all manner of foul. she pointed herself in the direction of the farthest hills -- the north -- and plunged on, mindless yet fearless, beyond the clear markings of civilization.

Mwuhahahaha! Conflict, just the thing she was looking for! Let us, Ver and Mal, handle this! :DDD

The queen made her way through the foggy forest, her nose and ears prepared for whatever might be nearing. And oh boy did something hit her in the face. An unfamiliar smell, one of danger, one of trespassers. The spawn of Satan grunted. She had refreshed their borders every day, who was stupid enough to have missed it?! She sprinted toward the scent, nearing the trespasser, her tail and hackles raising as she pulled her lip up. She gave a soft growl, not even wanting to talk to the thing that had rudely barged in with borders not lacking of scent. Who did this thing think it was, ignoring all signs of civilization? Was it mad?

She growled again, now staring straight into the other's eyes, making clear she was boss around here. This thing wouldn't get away without a few bite marks. 

Veritas too, who had gone off to get herbs for Malice, was blasted by the same scent of unknown wolf in the face. Knowing that the new ruler would rush off headfirst to defend her claim, the healer rolled her eyes some more and grabbed a few more herbs just in case... And they were not only for sore throats, this time. Claws still coated in poison (but weak, for she had not recently dunked them in anything else, Veritas bundled up the herbs in her mouth with a large leaf and headed off. 

She didn't care about the kid right now, choosing to stand beside the queen (but with no growling and slightly less hostility. If anything, she looked annoyed that this encounter was likely to see injuries from someone in some form. ”Please, try not to scream,” Veritas whispered lowly to Malice so only they could hear. With the pissed off look on her face, the intruder might think she was whispering ways to destroy her. 

Perfect. 


@Hosannah

The scent of an intruder was enough to make the blood pump with rage. Paws thumped on the forest floor loudly as he raced to the scene. Whoever wanted to pass their borders had another thing coming.

Issun had came in from behind. Malice and some other were standing in the front while he covered the back. A wicked snarl curved over his maw. Hackles rose. He was ready to strike when given the command.

in the case of hosannah, her connection to the lord granted her a level of clarity unseen in most rogues; but that clarity was madness to others. she found indication that there were mortals here and this is what led her to ruin -- or perhaps, to greatness in the mind of the deathless one. she, devoted, protected, was under the unsubstantiated belief that her actions were guided by an unseen force. something powerful and protective. thus when the servant passed in to the realm of the shadow-people, she was unsurprised by their rebuke.

they were darkness incarnate, each of them: a trio of wisps intent on harm. the first came upon her within minutes of her arrival, and though she was nervous of the flashing teeth and wanton display of aggression, there was a placidity to her. a confidence unfitting her youth and situation. hosannah's head was raised proudly atop her shoulders, bold and fearless -- for fear was sin, and she would not fall so easily to it.

the second and third fell in to step behind their master, and so it was malice that hosannah watched most intently. she idled while the shadows convened, and while hosannah did stop her advance, she did not let their rage frighten her away. instead, she spoke -- her voice trying desperately to emulate the strength of her priest father but likely failing in its timbre.

"you show hostility to a servant of the Lord? He who brings the light, who grants life to all, sinner and saint alike?" yes, her voice did give a tremble, and her limbs felt as if they had turned to sand, ready to fall apart with the slightest touch. but she would hold firm here. she would watch as the daystar brought salvation upon these lost souls -- and perhaps selfishly, hoped that this was the path intended for her. a moment of doubt was not acceptable here, and yet she felt the taint in her heart.

Geez, so many words I can't make sense of XD I'm a Dutchy, don't mind me :P

The queen watched as their poison master arrived, stopping right beside her. She didn't look at her though, her gaze fixated on the thing that had rudely barged in. The whisper entering her ear was enough for her to make up her mind about even growling louder than she already was. Veritas was right, screaming was not the right option for it would further destroy her vocal cords. Instead, she gave a nasty look at the stranger. This was their first trespasser, and she would not go easy on their first fool.

Next came the young boy, Issun, the one she knew was capable of fighting. They had fought each other as training, and she had seen his combat skills. For his age, he was good, and she hoped he would further his training on offensive fighting. This was a perfect opportunity. He had entered the scene with the same rage as the spawn of Satan, not like Veritas who had kept a cool head. Though Malice knew that she was capable of poisoning their fool with the poison on her claws. She had told her when they had first met that she did this, and it was absolutely brilliant of the healer.

The fool was a speaker it seemed, one with enough guts to look at the dark queen. This only enraged her further. Breaking her promise to herself that she wouldn't growl loud, her sound of anger could be heard louder than before. The words the fool had spoken however, triggered something inside her to answer.

Indeed. I am the daughter of Lucifer, spawn of Satan himself. I serve only the one so dark he could take lives with a snap of his fingers. She said between her gritted teeth. This fool was a servant of her master's greatest enemy, and she would make her bleed.

Well, well, well. Veritas would not usually leap to insult another's religion Nor their cult, but this creature was simply begging to be ripped to teeny, tiny pieces. And then, have those tiny pieces fed to the mutts of society. One chance, the look in her cold gold eyes told, And I will utterly destroy you. Do not try me. 

Cut away from the wolf burning with freezing fire, one (Malice) was enraged and actically keeping herself from letting shit fly loose. That thread was already so thin, so pitiful that even a loud sound would have been enough to tip her over the edge and snap what remnants of self control she had left. The other, a young male was as unrefined as Malice, though the raw power he possessed in his body made up for what he would have lacked - years of experience of pure skill. 

As for herself? She was calm (outwardly) and decidedly cool about the whole thing, choosing to listen in and gather what information she could... Until Maloce openness her great big mouth to speak, and very, very inwardly, Veritas gave a wince. She could hear the scratching of vocals, and while it might make the woman seem fiercer, it did her absolutely no good to be wasting her voice. The healer was going to force medicine down her throat even if the queen didn't want it. 

"Rest assured I have no religion, stranger, but even if your Lord took one tiny step over this border, even by one hair, I would defend my pack's claim over land you have no right to. 

"I show hostility to idiots. I show hostility to those who make enemies out of my pack or me. I show hostility to those who don't give a shit about respect or politeness.

"Be glad you meet the Queen herself. She is decidedly more... Merciful than her counterpart. We wouldn't want you rushing off anywhere with, say, an arm or a leg missing, would we?"

Veritas smiled, an odd combination of fire and an icy grin. Her tail was slowly rising, but she waited for the order to Attack. After all, what use was there in taking the fun right now?

What a fool this intruder was. Instead of fleeing, she decided to stay and rant about something. The words uttered fell silent upon the youth's ears. All he could hear was the tremble in her voice. The slight fear in her body language. It could only fuel his desire to sink his teeth into the puny wolf. Though, however bloodthirsty he had become, he stood his ground. The only words Issun waited for were "attack".

sin manifested in many ways -- demons, in others. there were many, so many that her people did not differentiate. when the shadow speaks before her she does not recognize any specific name, but assumes that they were merely more corrupt beasts. when another speaks hosannah must divert attention to this creature, and as her eyes fall upon the figure, fear pierces her fully.

but the words sink in, and all she catches upon, all she responds to, is the first quip. like a true child, she hears nothing else. a thin smirk spreads across her gold-dipped face - the Lord has no hide nor hair like us lowly beings, He is light, He is life. of course, this was no time or place for childishness. however, it was impossible to ignore her nature. i am protected by His power. you would be too, if you renounced y-your sinful ways.

the rest of the woman's words were enough to silence the girl, though. that and the growling third wolf, who appeared ready to take action. the fear hosannah hosted in her heart was giving way to greater and greater doubt, enough to prompt her to step back a half-step; her voice lost its bravado until there was nothing but strained silence. she tried to hold firm in this spot, but it was clear that any attempt by these beasts would be enough to warrant her escape.

The forest went silent when the queen had finished speaking, her voice cracking in every single way. Though, it was not for long that the silence ruled over them all, for it was their healer to respond after. Her words were the nicest thing she had said so far, well, at least for the queen. Although it was aimed as a sort of threat to their trespasser, it included compliments to both their pack, the healer's loyalty and to the spawn of Satan herself. She gave a quick glance at the older woman, one of her mouth corners going up to reveal a small smile. It was true she had called the king more aggressive, and Malice could partly agree. She didn't see herself higher in any way than her lover, but perhaps he had some anger issues.

The boy kept quiet, only growling at the display of foolishness right in front of their faces. Why wasn't this servant of God running? Did she truly think that the god of all would protect a trespasser from getting harmed? Foolish child. It was ridiculous, this whole encounter. Why were they even still talking to the absurd good-doer?

Sinful ways? You think that trespassing, ignoring one's borders isn't a sin then? The queen almost yelled, her voice cracking. She had had enough of this crazy girl and had lost control of her tongue now. Well, if you truly think your so called lord will protect you, why don't you just stand their while we RIP YOU TO PIECES!

Get her... She said, gritting her teeth in annoyance and pain. This was the sign for the other two to go after the trespasser and the queen would follow soon after.

Veritas winced even more (inwardly, duh) as Malice's voice cracked, and her screams grew ragged. How many times do I have to tell you to shut up, stop screaming and just take action?! Oh dear, she and the Queen were going to have a long talk after they dealt with the intruder. But before she attacked, she wanted to respond to the stuff the stupid, foolish, shit-eating creature had said. "Well, I'm sure your Lord will forgive me if I destroy you, because should we all not defend our packs to the last breath? I'm sure you would too, if places were reversed. And I'm sure trespassing is a crime in your precious rulebook."

Veritas gave a tight-lipped smile, all teeth and no light. She trotted into the shadows but only to return with a leaf and a bunch of plants on top. Most were leaves and fruit, and all were toxic. Various effects. One would make her mouth and tongue swell, so eating was difficult. Another would give her uncontrollable spasms. Yet one more would provide excruciating pain everywhere, so that she wouldn't want to do anything more than die. Leaping forward with claws outstretched, Veritas aimed straight and easy - the face. She swiped at the nose and eyes and if she succeeded, the poison on her claws would sting and burn, almost blinding the wolf. They would have blinded her if the poison wasn't already stale. 

Once the wolf was tackled onto the ground by either Malice or Issun, she would attempt to force-feed the herbs down the intruder's throat. And that, she made sure to make known to the Queen before Veritas began her attack.

Okay, so I need @Hosannah's permission to do the poison thing (don't worry, it'll go away in 3-5 days) and for the Malice and Issun to carry out the 'pinning down' thing. Tell me in your next post if it isn't okay, Hosannah, and I'll just go to good-old maiming. Be warned that it has to be a serious injury, as stated in the guide!

Get her. Those were the orders and Issun soon complied. While Veritas went for the face, Isdn rushed for the backside. With a gaping mouth, the male aimed for her leg. If caught, he would attempt to yank her down on the earth to pin her down.

i'll give permission for a bit of maiming (i was thinking you guys could bite and tear at her skin as she runs away), but if she gets pinned there'd be no escaping. i'll also allow the poisoning... maybe it'll have extra complications for her in the long run, hmmm. we'll see. i just need her to start running back from where she came from so she can go around the mountain range / towards RS. 

according to this set of dice rolls you can maim her hind end / break her tail a bunch as she runs away / sever a chunk of her tail off if you want.

all the world belonged to the daystar, and the fact that some mortals lay claim to some of it was a moot point to hosannah. it was not trespassing in her mind, not when the power of her god was on her side. but as the conversation continued to devolve, as the wolves became increasingly agitated, hosannah could only do what instinct instructed: she backed up another step, and then another, almost sprinting in reverse as the two wolves came charging in on the order of their leader. 

it was true, then. her faith had been shaken - her doubt, her fear, her own levels of sin taking hold and making her want to escape. she did believe in her god; her devotion was there, but had been sullied by her own irresponsible behavior. whatever came of this event, hosannah deserved it. her god had not abandoned her here but she would know, should she live and recover, that this had been an important lesson for her.

as she tried to run, she felt the first set of teeth sink in to her flesh and gave a yelp as she was dragged down by the shadows.

Okay, guess I'll let Malmal take her down with Issun and then make her go for the tail. Perhaps as a souvenir? *Smirks devilish* XD If something is not OK in my post, feel free to call me out and I'll change it :)

The two almost mercenaries went for the trespasser's legs as their healer went for the head after getting some herbs and stuff. Malice didn't know what they were, but approved of her plan, whatever it was. Their healer had said before she was good with poisons, so perhaps that was her plan. It didn't take long for the three of them to take down their foolish trespasser, and the queen went for her flank. She sunk her teeth in the flesh, tasting blood. It was the second time that she tasted the red liquid one needed to survive, and it tasted delicious just like the first time.

After trying to bite her butt off, keeping her paw on the stranger's leg as it tried to run, she went for her tail. She wanted something that would remind the fool never to come back again. She sunk her teeth in the part of the body that one used for communicating with others, probably crushing some tailbones and signalling Issun to help her with this matter.

Eyes flashing in the dimmer lighting, Veritas' claws struck home and while they may not be the sharpest things out there, the sheer force put behind her attack hit home. While they did not manage to scratch the intruder's eyes, they broke the skin of her neck area when Veritas fell short, letting the poison mix with blood and seep into veins. Granted it was not a deep wound nor a serious one - but the poison now had an inlet to do its work. Grimly, the healer stepped back, knowing that there was no need for herb eating. The mixture on her claws would do the work just fine. Still, the healer grinned, tight smile even more fake after her attack.

"We are not without mercy. This time, you get to leave. Tell any and all who dare to trespass upon the lands of the Phantom Shadows that they will not be met with such kindness." Tossing a set of leaves towards the stranger, Veritas continued. "These alleviate pain. I am a healer, and my nature is not to abandon one to die even if they commit such crimes. You can either figure out how to use them, or die."

There were precisely two in that set. One was poisonous - a deadly toxin that could seep into skin when the leaf was broken and its sap rubbed onto it. Consumption of the leaf would be near fatal. The other was daffodil. Supposing the stranger could find the right herb and then decide how to go about using it or perish. It was simple enough to understand. 

Knowing Malice would understand Veritas' trials, she turned and walked away, silently counting on the fact that the intruder would choose the wrong leaf and give them all a better time.

To his happiness, the intruder toppled under the power of the two wolves. He kept a tight grip on the female's leg, excitement filling him as the taste of blood rushed through. He released her only when Malice signaled to go for her tail.

Moving to the backside, Issun sunk his fangs in her tail, yanking his head around as if it were a toy. This fool would pay dearly for her action and set an example for other wolves to stay away.

exit hosannah! feel free to continue amongst yourselves if you'd like. thanks for the thread!

the servant struggled against the weight and power of the shadows, fiercely determined to escape; yet they had her - first one, then another. as veritas struck her with blunted claws, the others tore at her retreating body. they caught her by the tail, and she exclaimed like a wild thing indeed. the pain of having that part of her body held and pulled was different from what came next - the disfigurement, the wrenching of her tail back and forth which made her scream out a chorus of bestial sounds. she scrambled for escape even as the poison of veritas crept through her system, not yet taking over her body -- and as hosannah pulled free of the teeth that rooted her, she both felt and heard a great splitting of bone. in her terror she was struck with a sense of nothingness, and the shock of the attack would be with her for hours more; but she knew, somewhere in her psyche, that a piece of her would always remain in this dreadful place.

Alrighties! Guess we can end this one with 1 more post from the three of the pack wolves?

As the trespasser struggled to get away, Veritas doing her thing and Issun helping the queen to tear her tail off, she could hear the bone breaking. As she was still pulling, she was sent several steps back as the tip of the trespasser's tail let lose. Yes, now the despicable being had something to remind her of this encounter. Though not a fully established pack yet, this would sent the right message to all that encountered the being. Moonlit Hills was no pack to mess with.

The being ran, probably leaving a trail of blood, and Malice chased her till the borders of their home, hoping the other two would follow if the trespasser tried anything else. The piece of tail still stuck in her mouth, she panted, watching the thing run for it's life.

Well, don't think that one will be coming back anytime soon. She commented, her mouth full with the stranger's tail.

Short post because I really want to end this ~

Veritas nodded, eyes partly hidden as she lowered her head as if to chase after the retreating figure. Her breath was not heavy, due to the exercise she had done ever so recently. Her fur was slightly ruffled but as she calmed down, the hair on her nape began to lie flat again.

"I have ideas to protect our borders so they will not be so lightly taken again. I just haven't had the time. Rest assured... this plan will see far fewer intruders."

And she turned and vanished into the darkness.