Shadow Mountain careful with that axe, eugene

@Nikan. set for a few days after she arrives at SM, so, like April 8

She'd never known hunger like this before.

In Blackfeather Woods, there was always something juicy to find in the caches. If she played it well enough, she could manage to snare the odd rodent here and there. Even on their journey to and from the Bypass, she'd not gone more than a day or two without a meal.

But Maegi hadn't had a proper meal in days. Instead, she drifted in and out of delirious sleep, and the morsels brought to her had either sat in her stomach like a rock, or she'd vomited it up, dizzy from the pain of the blow to her head.

The wolves of this mountain weren't keen to let her go anytime soon. . .but she was in no shape to try and escape their clutches. She was trapped.

Whimpering, she lay on her side, stomach only barely rising and falling as she drew shallow breaths. Fatigue gripped her body like a vise; she felt rooted to the earth like the trees. Her mismatched eyes stared listlessly ahead, looking for any signs of movement.

There must be a guard here somewhere; even if she did have the strength to get up and run, they'd hunt her down with alacrity.

She'd never known fear like this, either.

In the shadows of the mountain he sat, listening and watching and waiting. Waiting for what he didn't know, was he waiting for their newest prisoner to attempt an escape? Probably, but the longer he waited the more aggravated and impatient he grew to meet their newest prisoner. By her scent he could tell she was young but he hadnt the slightest idea just how young she was. 

Deciding not to wait any longer he decided to torment the little beast, entering the den made for prisoners and spotting the youth laying there as if already dead. He growled and walked over slowly, blue and purple eyes gleaming with the faint light from the moon. When in front of her he lifted a paw and slammed it down, feigning aim for her face and instead slamming it down beside her. "Wake up. Prisoners dont die unless we allow them to"he growled watching for her reaction.

A black feather, beneath her paws. She'd taken it gently between her teeth, after lifting the boulder that pressed it to the ground. It was a bit weathered, but still largely intact, nearly as soft and gleaming as the day her brother had presented it to her.

"For the you, now."

"I keep for. . .forever."

She'd cradled it to her body as she slept, grief racking her body in waves the night after Cicero and her brothers had departed. Tearlessly wept, wondering when they'd return. . .and if she'd made a terrible mistake.

"Wake up."

It was Euron's voice in her ear, but the paw that slammed down next to her head was considerably larger then her brother's. His next words went unheard as she winced, skull throbbing. She cringed away, eyelids peeling open to slits as she peered up at him.

He bore a striking resemblance to Aries, and for a long second, she thought it was him, come to rescue her from this hell. But while the Svartell's eyes were cruel, this young man's were crueler still, and he held notes of brown in his pelt that her friend did not have. With a small shudder, she rolled onto her belly, sitting up as much as her aching body would allow.

"Who are you?" she murmured, voice hoarse with disuse. "What do you want from me?"

Holy shit she was young. The fact startled him, his morals warring with his evil tendencies and cravings. The monster warring with the softer side that his fake mate had stirred within him. A child, here as a prisoner which meant she was up for Kelina's sacrifice. A child here within the darkness of the mountains and judging by her reaction, the innocence there she was not one who was born of it. 

He began to pace, conflicting emotions going between anger and guilt,to the sheer amazement that he had a blank canvas here to write darkness into. He could scar her for life . That won him over for the moment and he turned to her and grinned, all pointy fangs and menace. "I am Skullchaser. It isnt me you should fear though. You are aware why you are here?" he asked with almost plain to see glee. 

He moved in close and attempted to get his muzzle near her ear. When he was just almost there he hissed "You're up to sacrificed. Our only prisoner. You'll be brought to the pack, chased down and then" with a dramatic pause he suddenly opened his jaws and snapped them shut, the sound loud in the den. He snorted and laughed darkly, eyes gleaming.

Molag Bai.

The name shivered through her mind as she stared at this demon boy, eyes almost reminiscent of Melonii indigo--but lighter, more icy--gleaming as he taunted her. Molag Bai. It had been her brother Ganondorf's other name, but she had seen nothing of that daedric prince in her russet elder sibling--but she saw Molag here, in this dark place. She had been captured, enslaved. . .and now was at his mercy.

He talked of sacrifice. And the name he gave: Skullchaser. It all was reminiscent of her own home, her own place of darkness, and her fear began to dissipate. He spoke of gruesome things, but she was a child of the darkness. She'd seen death. She'd seen the eyes of gods and demons in her dreams.

Maegi made no response to the man, blocking out his words as she began to whisper:

"Oh Mephala,
Mighty weaver of our destiny,
Receive our prayer,
Have mercy on us,
Speak to us in our dreams
Because we are your unworthy servants."

She would chant until he cut her off, her tongue not ceasing, willing the Night Mother to appear before her. It had been her very first prayer learned, and it held a special magic to her. She could only hope that that magic would spare her life on this mountain.

Nikan stood firm, shaken on the inside at her lack of reaction to His words. This child was trying to be strong, trying to hold onto herself when there was little hope for her life. He exhaled and paced back and forth like an agitated feline, only stopping when her small voice began to murmur, seemingly praying to some sort of god for help. He listened intently and then suddenly, with no warning lunged toward her aiming to slam his larger body into hers and roll her over. "Dumb child, your god will not help you here. I can have my jaws around your throat squeezing in an instant!"to prove his point he lunged in with jaws parted. If she didnt fight back he would wrap his jaws around the side of her throat, squeeze for long enough to cut off her air supply and release again.

He seemed disconcerted by her lack of emotion, and that pleased her. A small smile curled the edges of her lips as she continued to whisper, voice pitched lower and lower until it was no more than a faint note in the chilly air. She felt Mephala's presence even here, wrapped around her with the warmth of a mother's touch, strengthening--

Maegi was knocked aside by the man's blow, tumbling over like a leaf in the breeze. So weak, she attempted to scramble to her feet but fell again with a muffled thud on the ground, whimpering in pain. His jaws were cruel and cold and so incredibly close, but it was his words that bit into her like teeth.

"I might be a child but I am not dumb," she hissed, truly insulted. "My gods can help me anywhere I go. Squeeze my throat and. . ." She narrowed her eyes at him, but her entire body shook. It was a show of bravado, her speech, but inside, she was more terrified than she'd ever been before. This was real, true danger she found herself in--and no one was here to help her.

"Sithis will come for you," Maegi growled, tail lashing in fury behind her. She rolled into a crouch, waiting for his next retort.

As he hovered over her he gave her time to speak, allowing her foolish words to wash over him and fuel his rage. The notion that an invisible deity would do anything against him for hurting others was enraging to Nikan. Where was this Sithis when my father murdered my mother and tossed me and my brothers into thw river? he wished to ask. Was ot Sithis who allowed him to be the one to live? To survive and be truly and utterly alone, blessed with a broken mind and madness inherited from his dad?His posture went slack and for a moment he looked calm, eyeing the crouching youth. From his nostrils released a slow and heavy sigh, hackles falling flat along his shoulders and spine. It looked like her words had reached him, like she had gotten deep under his skin with her empty promise of godly retaliation. 


For a few moments he just stood there staring before his eyes narrowed and without warning he lunged across the den, parted his jaws and sank them into the girl's muzzle along the left side, ripping her face open from lips to just before the ear. He sprung backwards and stared her in the eye,licking her blood from his lips slowly. "May Sithis strike me dead then" he growled and grinned at her for a moment, truly unafraid of the god she so clearly respected.

PP was okay right? If not I'll change it.

oh yeah that's fine, if I PP depth of wound (like you're not gonna see her skull lmao)

For the briefest of moments, she thought she had won. He seemed taken aback by her words, as if he'd truly taken them to heart. She was astonished, incredibly pleased with herself. To stop a wolf with mere words? She had power. For the first time in her young life, she truly believed she had power.

Only for that power to slip away, and all the feelings of self-satisfaction with it, as he lunged for her face.

Maegi thought he meant to make good on his promise to go for her throat and had only an instant to feel fear, the shadow of death paralyzing her body. Not even a moment to spare for a prayer before this young man ended her life, nor time to think of the ones she'd leave behind. It was fear. All fear.

But for one reason or another, he spared her from complete destruction, instead sinking his teeth into the flesh of her muzzle and ripping outwards, leaving a jagged wound from the corner of her mouth to her ear--a sinister crimson crescent just above the edge of her jaw. She stumbled backward--it had all happened so fast.

And Maegi was shocked. No one had ever tried to hurt her. Not even Potema, who hated her, who could have taken her life at any given moment, had touched her. Even the collar had felt like no great malevolence, just an inconvenience. But this--this was a wound, a real wound, and someone had done her real pain.

It took a couple of seconds before the pain set in as she sat gaping at her attacker. Then it hit like a bolt of lightning, fire across her cheek, and she let out a piercing howl, nearly tumbling backwards in her panicked agony. Her vision blurred, dimmed, and she heard nothing but the roaring of her pulse in her ears, not even the demon's parting, mocking words.

Blood slipped down her muzzle and cheek, stained her snowy chest. Pattered onto the ground like rain.

Moonshadow was nearby when she overheard a nearby screech. She knew the young one's voice from anywhere and mad haste quickly. "Mephala please grant me strength." She whispered as she ran as fast as her ebony paws would take her. Maegi was dripping blood from her face when she arrived and a single wolf stood out most of all. It was Nikan. Rage immediately grew within her chest as she released a loud snarl. "Step away from the child now." She stood firm in her response, the she-wolf spoke with dominance as she observed his movements carefully.

Sickness. That is what he felt in that moment. The moment that the metallic taint of the youth's blood over his tongue truly registered in his mind. He had attacked and scarred a young child, one that had not only done nothing of real offense but who probably could not defend herself against him. Her wailing made his ears flatten back and he growled wanting her to shut up, angry and guilty and maddened even further by this fucked up deed he had done.


He was already pissed off and in full violent mood, really it wouldn't have taken much for him to snap completely, but the appearance of Moonshadow was definitely something that urked him further. Then she ordered him about like he was beneath her and he gave a low growl, turning to face her and lowering his head, lips curling up with deadly intention "Make me." he grunted coldly and lunged for her. As his flesh connected with hers he reared back and aimed a bite for her right eye. Whether he succeeded or not he would pull away and begin to circle her, intent on keeping her away from the prisoner. All guilt was abandoned but not forgotten, he would simply distract himself by punishing Moonshadow,making good on his promise to make her life here hell.

Maegi out

There were no words for what she felt. Every syllable was inadequate. She felt as if she stood on a precipice, the yawning darkness before her. It was her mind drifting on the edge of consciousness, but in her young mind, Maegi stood on the edge of the Void, the voices of the daedra and the deceased calling to her in one wall of sound, at once a scream and a whisper.

She swore she could hear Miraak.

Then she snapped back to herself and saw, through blurred vision, Moonshadow appear, one of the most unlikely heroes she could think of. This wasn't the situation to be choosy, though, and Maegi could only tremble as the dark woman spoke, her voice full of a confidence she hadn't held back in the Woods. Giving her enough time to feel regret.

She was not only a child, she was dumb, for thinking she could find her brothers on her own. She'd ran her mouth, gotten herself snatched up by a witch and thrust into the jaws of a sadist. She was a child, and any child in her situation might very well break down and sob, as she'd done when Cicero had taken Ramsay and Euron away. She'd have every right to do so in this hellish situation.

But Maegi knew she did not have the luxury to weep. Not here. Not now. And above all the voices that howled in her head like a brutal storm, one cried loudest: that of her own conscience.

Run.

Adrenaline coursing through her veins, and despite the slow pour of blood from her face, Maegi left Moonshadow to her battle with the fearsome man and took off at a mad pace, heedless of which direction she went.

Niiakn lunged at her and she could feel his teeth gash against her eye. She let out a loud howl in pain. Blood was something new to her as it dripped down to her muzzle. She let out another ghastly snarl. "With pleasure." With that statement, she lunges towards him but soon remembers his leg and she quickly aims for his shoulder. The females hairs rose alongside her back as she did so.

From his peripherals he saw the flash of fur that meant Maegi had escaped and while he knew the loss of a prisoner would be something to most likely urk Kelina, he would have the blood of both Maegi and Moonshadow to make a smooth lie that it was Moonshadow who aided in her escape quite believeable. The Nightstalker's rage would not fall upon him, perhaps he'd get mocked for not stopping the escape of a pup but he could handle that.  His bite had torn into Moonshadow's eye but he was not satisfied with just that, he wanted her blood to taint the air much more than that of the pup's.

She retaliated and her fangs sunk deep into his shoulder, causing a snarl to erupt from his maw. He shook and unhooked himself from her jaws, leaping back and then lunging in low. He would aim to grab her foreleg, tear into the flesh and lift it off the ground twisting at an angle so he could knock her off balance and get to the more delicate areas around her ribcage. His blood dropped steadily onto the ground and his nostrils flared, the scent of it stirring in him an almost maddening bloodlust.

She quickly felt the pain course through her body as she felt herself fall on her back. Her paw hurt immensely as she struggled to rise up. Her mouth snapping at almost any piece of flesh that she could sink her teeth into. At the moment she couldn't see, her vision was slowly fading but she could see just enough as she tried to push him off.

As she flipped onto her back he jumped on top of her, tail rising with dominance as soon as he took the position.  She lunged for him again and snagged his flesh between her teeth, tearing and opening a shallow gash. He roared and aimed a bite below her ribcage, fangs seeking to sink in deep and squeeze before he would release her again. He snapped at her face, a series of spittle flinging angry snaps in hopes of getting her to stop fighting. "I have half the mind to kill you! You lost us a prisoner, you attacked me. I should mark you a traitor!"he shouted in her face, a loud menacing growl ending his words. "Run. Run now and look a coward or stay and become subject to Kelina's rage. I'll ask her if i can do the honors of dealing your punishment" he snarled.

Teeth sunk into her already injured rib cage and she let out a howl of pain. She attempted of pushing him off of her as he shouted in her face. She returned his snarl with one of her own. "Sadly you won't be receiving that opportunity." She spews in his face. If she managed to get him off, she wolf would take that chance to bolt towards Blackfeather Woods

We can fade here if you want! She'll succeed in outrunning him.

At her words he bared his fangs and snapped at her face before she succeeded in making him stumble off of her. As she turned and sprinted off he chased after her, nipping and snapping at her hind legs in attempt to either grab or maim one of them in his jaws.