Grouse Thicket A BOY IS A GUN

@Vengeance
tags for reference

you will guard, she said. and the young dragon obeyed.

it was surprising really. if one were to spend just a moment with this boy, they would assume he wouldn’t take kindly to orders. and they would be correct. orochi wasn’t happy about the job @Minori had so suddenly thrust upon him. he just wanted to go back to the keep with his mother.

oh @Takara. his feelings for her were extremely mixed. she betrayed him, left without a word. and her reasoning? she was sick. sick. what the hell was that supposed to mean? that was no excuse. she shouldn’t have deserted him out of the blue.

he missed her dearly when she was away. life was not the same without her. every night he would sit outside and pray for her return. his prayers were finally answered. she was here now and orochi wouldn’t let her disappear again. so for once the little dragon would obey his orders. he would guard takara because he loved her.

---

the plateau had grown stale. the wonder he felt the first time he visited this place was gone. a few days of exploration proved this flat land was bland. orochi wanted to leave and he had somehow convinced his mother to go somewhere else. it wouldn’t be too far from where minori had left them, but far enough to get a change of scenery. 

takara led him to a strange forest where he was left to explore on his own. the brightly colored apples and their sweet scent stuck out like a sore thumb and were the first things to catch his attention. orochi trotted towards one that sat under a tree. he placed a paw on it and rolled it around.

67°, currently it is partly cloudy and set during the day. Located in Tuktu Hinterlands, grouse thicket | ooc notes: I was looking forward to threading with Kacchan boy for a looooong time!!!

As Nightwalkers grew in numbers, Vengeance felt more and more comfortable to leave their borders in the hands of the followers he had gathered. Their scent marked the lands more heavily with each passing day, and soon he would call a meeting to make their presence official. He had much to share in recent days (keeping the alliance with Moonspear vague until that thread is over). 

In his travel in recent days, he had passed at least three packs. Their scent was heavy as they clustered close together at the foot of the mountain. He couldn’t help but wonder if they too had the same conversation that @Hydra and he had previously. 

A new scent caught the attention of the mighty beast, the sweet scent of apples had filled the air as he wandered through the forest. It was a scent he had crossed before, but not all too often - or this strong. The orchard was a sight to see, perhaps even more so in the spring; but that was not what he was looking for. But what caught his attention most, was the young boy who sat beneath one, playing with the apple in his paws. 

Silently he stood, watching the youth. Contemplating on what he would do about it… so many packs were sensitive about their youth but were it wise to begin taking them back to the woods and training them under his laws.

that pair of crimson eyes hidden amongst the shadows went undetected at first. no child would take notice of the small orbs amongst all the color. well, maybe his brother would. deku was an observant little fellow. he took note of everything it seemed. orochi was not gifted with this sense of wonder. he only focused on things that were most exciting in the moment,  that being the apple he rolled and chased around.

but the stranger could not go unnoticed forever. the fruit rolled across the earth and led the boy’s eye to the towering vessel. all interest in the newfound object was lost.

where did he come from? orochi’s ears flattened and his eyes narrowed. strangers were not wolves to be feared, not to him. liffey was kind enough, so why worry about this man?

A pup. No more than maybe four months old, surely not old enough to be wandering around on his own without some kind of guidance - should his parents be clever enough to understand themselves, the horrors of the world around them. 

Stepping forward, he kept the distance between himself and the clearly weary pup just enough for him to hopefully not run away - but closing it slow... eventually... so that should the need arise, should that hunger strike, that he was close enough to possibly be within striking distance. 

Where is your guardian, boy? Still, he wasn't certain what his plan was with this kid... he would allow time to tick forward, his mind to wander the options before continuing on any action.

where is your guardian, boy? the dragon glanced over the stranger with, as one would call it, tense disbelief. nobody guards me, he muttered through a stifled grunt. that question was borderline insulting. orochi was the most strongest, most brilliant child in these wilds as far as he was concerned, tasked with an important duty. speaking of which, it was something he must fulfill.

i am the guard. uttering those words boosted his ego. and that pride crushed whatever uncertainty he felt about this. and this, he gestured towards the orchard that surround them.  this is my turf. pride makes you blind. so tell me what you’re up too.

Is that so? Tickled. Vengeance, Warlord of the Nightwalkers, was delighted and amused by the boy's brazen attitude. Though usually such attitudes were met with aggression, to test their disposition and pure desire to show that they meant what they meant despite his callousness toward their pride - to see it in such a youth, was amusing to say the least... at least for now.

Perhaps he was just in a good mood today.

Challenging you to your turf I suppose. At least now he was. He would play this little game the young man was playing, see where this all would come... How long would his good mood last until that humour cracked?

when the man questioned it he lifted his chin and replied, yeah, in a matter-of-fact way. orochi was quite pleased with his position in this situation. it was similar to how he ruled the roost in shadwood. how he’d boss around his brother whenever he got the chance. only this time he laid his claim over a new world. and instead of pushing around little deku, he pushed a giant. a giant who actually challenged him. orochi would eagerly accept.

fine. do it, i dare you. the boy took one bold step towards the trespasser. you’ll lose. because no one can slay a mighty dragon.

Once again, he came face to face with someone who thought they may claim land without any rights, without anyone to back them up. This time, the youth was much more forgiving than an adult who would certainly know better.

As the boy stepped forward, bravely, stupidly, Vengence wasted no time to swat at him with a mighty paw. How will you defend it? He taunted. For now, he had no desire to kill the boy, he was having fun, testing his boundaries, the limitations this one would have. Instead, he simply used his paws, swinging and stomping brutally - one that would make any mother cringe at the sight.

Was he stronger than the Rusalkan whelp who cried and sobbed when faced with danger?

his paw couldn’t even reach the ground before something flew towards his face. it was so fast, too fast to dodge. the trespasser swatted his side with a force he’d never felt before and orochi was easily toppled.

first came the shock. no one has ever been able to push him down before.  not deku, not valour. no one. and yet this stranger was able to accomplish that with a simple flick of the wrist. embarrassment warmed his cheeks.

no. this isn’t happening. he was orochi, the greatest child to ever grace this earth. get up. the boy pushed himself out of the dirt with a groan. he glared at the trespasser with a new fire in his eyes. it was determination.

how will he defend it? i’ll fight you! the boy leaped towards the very paw that striked him, eager to grasp it between his little jaws.

His paw made the desired connection, that satisfying thud felt against his limb brought a smile to his grim face as he watched the pup tumble back, anticipating, waiting for a response to see how this one would react in comparison to the last. 

Quickly the boy got up, and already that look in his eye was a vast improvement to the other pup he had come across. That determination, that flame that burned continuously despite the odds stacked against him.

Then came the 'attack', the boy ran forward as the other did and began to bite at his paw. Small, sharp teeth breaking the skin but not enough for him to react all too violently to other than look down.  And what if I reach down and grab you. he continued, slowly, inching.. carefully closer to the boy, lips twitching as they threatened to peel back.  Pick you up in my jaws while you're so tantalizingly close. Those ruby eyes of his a flare, burning, yearning as he continued to slowly descend. 

 And violently shake you until your body cannot handle it anymore. Then he snapped, reaching down to follow through with his threat, teeth snapping to try and see if the boy was fast enough to move - or if he would feel the wrath of his teeth around his small body as the other had.

triumph swelled within him as his fangs made contact. there, that should teach him not to mess with a warrior. this victory wouldn’t last any longer. as soon as the stranger muttered  ominous threats he was forced to let go. orochi defiantly stared into his eyes, but he was subconsciously backing away. despite his pride and the overwhelming desire to win this fight, his senses told him to run.

but it was too late. one moment his vision was surrounded by black and red, the next he was caught in between the giants jaws. a scream pierced the air, pain and anger was laced in the tune. LET GO OF ME! he snapped around wildly in the hopes of biting him. anything to make this pain go away. LET GO!

The boy bit and struggled, sinking teeth into his nose and lips but Vengeance held on for just a while longer - proving his point. As the boy demanded to be let go, eventually he did obey, but only when he wanted to. Carelessly he tossed the boy to the side, turning to face him once more, anticipating... waiting, curious to see what the little spitfire of a pup would do next. In the meantime, the pink muscle within the daggered cavern he called a mouth slipped out, slicking the puncture wounds along his lips and muzzle in slow motion. I'm still here. He teased. Hoping to prod that little fire within his gut to go further.

this pain was like none other he felt before, if he had even felt it at all. it was like fire, starting on his skin and spreading through his veins. orochi’s grip on the attackers snout tightened and he screamed through his teeth. it provided some distraction from the burn, albeit very little. 

the man did eventually comply, brutally tossing him through the side. orochi didn’t get up at first. he couldn’t. his heart pounded in his ears and the blood rushed to his head. the world spun around him even as he got up. 

the dragon was bloody and broken, yet he still growled.

Can't wait for our next thread someday! <3 feel free to - as always - shoot me a message for another!

Though tough, it seemed like the boy has had enough. Bloodied, tired - but standing eventually with just a little time to recollect himself, there was nothing left for Vengeance to do other than kill the kid. A smile crept onto the bloodied lips of the behemoth. 

Some day you may be fierce. But today, you are lucky for my mercy. Get stronger, then come find me for a re-match. It would be a shame to kill someone with such promise before you bloomed. With that said, the leviathan turned to walk off further into the orchard, to leave the boy to think about what had just transpired and rest before heading home to lick his wounds.

Vengeance was honest in his words. When older, he would love to challenge the boy again to a re-match and see what kind of training would bring the kid. More of a challenge than to beat up a brat no older than a few months.