Great Bear Wilderness under construction from conception to death

March 18 — Mature-ish. Tags are for reference.

An agonizing ache, sourced in her womb, and the burning—

Hackles raised and teeth bared, she departed from the Glen. Her tail was tucked tightly between loose legs to conceal the scent, which was eventually diluted by the slow running water of a nearby creek.

Her thoughts were constantly shifting. First, to @Astaroth, the best lover she had known. She wondered what it might be like to feel him now, to experience his display through rose-colored vision. Small whines leaked from her maw, despite the effort to quiet them.

She thought of @Arcturus, and remembered how kind he had been. Would he be kind now? Would he be gentle, or would he be something other? Oh, she could only hope...!

@Revui crossed her mind for a moment, but the thought was soon whisked away, and whisked away, and whisked away. Despite her best efforts, his voice continued to creep into her mind, whispering his intentions into attentive ears.

Came @Aningan next, the boy who she had known for only a moment. His face and scent had become but vague memories, leaving the sweet details to be conjured by her imagination. 

Then, she remembered @Fengmian. The fantasies she had lingered on as a developing girl, the sinful dreams she had dreamt. Her breath hitched, her eyes wide, as she reached contentment beneath his phantom.

And when she awoke, Ying was shivering, submerged to her waist by the gentle current.

@Monty so you can track where he goes! It won't matter when this happens after Hydra's thread since he's all in a blurr right now lmfao

Half a wolf, half a man, all demon. He wandered the wilderness with every intention to leave a weaving trail behind him for that blasted cannibal to follow if he was desperate enough to finish the job. Rosencrantz would not be an easy prey, nor would he so easily let the twisted fiend come straight to their borders without jumping through hoops first if that was their inention.. to finish the job, to devour the paladin from head to toe. 

His wounds were still oozing, saliva and or blood, it didn't matter, he could feel the moisture upon his chin and chest, the cold tickling his teeth - it would take some time for him to grow numb to that feeling. The exposed teeth and gums, the odd sensation of only half an ear left on that same side. Hell, that whole right side may as well be casted into the depth of hell itself, barely useful if not the scare away any prying eyes. 

Small whines caught his attention, turning that ghoulish figure into the direction from which it came. At first he thought that maybe it beloned to the man from the dark forest but no... it was a female. Her scent was thick, it drew him in... a moment of madness maybe? Lost in the darkess of his own pain and blurr - or was it some thing more primal. As he approached the young lady, the one eye glimmered in the darkness, slack jawed he spoke a grim tune within the gurgles of what was left of his face. H-h-help.

Her return to consciousness was interrupted by the gargled pleas of— Rose? She studied him for a moment, eyes widening with horror as she examined the massacre that had become him. 

Ying might have had pity for the man, were these different circumstances. Rather, she felt a strong sense of hatred which bubbled from the pit of her stomach and exploded through growls sounded through bared teeth.

She was vulnerable, and he was a threat. Slowly, Ying pushed herself deeper into the water, assuming that he wouldn't move to meet her.

ying's scent trailed the fen, a new note to it.

arcturus' ears pulled forward, following the meandering path until it at last deposited him at the foot of a creek.

presumably, ying somewhere nearby -- arcturus' lamplight gaze roved the scene, his features blanching as a blooded spectre lurched across the shadowed creek. a chill raked his gut as he became fully cognizant of what was missing -- it was gruesome and horrid, and set the fur along his nape upright.

a deep peal sounded in the mountaineer, tumbling from him in a voice he had never heard before (nor knew he had). a possessiveness for ying bed with his senses, sending them to ruin. all he knew in this second was that she was here, and he a threat.

As he drew near the scent was familiar - that familiarity was enough to keep him moving. Someone he knew, someone he didn't hate or at least not on his part. The females who had come and gone from Rusalka held no hatred on his part, none that he felt. Even if one did challenge for his rank, that was normal for Rusalkans, was it not? He had challenged many already without hatred brewing, so why should he see them any different.

In the blurr of a moment he couldn't tell where the female lay, all that lingered was a soft scent. She was somewhere, somewhere someone was around. Akin to a zombie hobbling to their next wall he may as well be crawling the steps were so slow. Fueled by adrenalin and only the will to live, the will to leave a trail so convoluted that the cannibal could not follow, it was his only reason to stand. 

Standing in one spot, just beyond where Ying hid he stood, sniffing at the air trying to find that familiar scent that he hoped dearly would assist him ease the pain he felt.

With the post sniping lets just assume he didn't hear Arc lmao

Although capable, she was afraid. Ying continued to back deeper into the creek, her paws numb from the cold. The growing rumble hid the chattering of her teeth, helped to stabilize her quivering frame. 

Arcturus's warning held her for a moment, her eyes shooting toward him with a silent plea. Help me! she begged, quickly retreating back to her defense.

Rosencrantz had never given her a reason to distrust him, but he wasn't the same anymore. He had become someone, some-thing different, and there was no way to predict what damage he might do.

Ying noticed the damage to his eye and wondered, could he see her? Carefully, the warrior began stepping back toward shore, hoping that her steady movements would help quiet the water's parting.

eyes rapt to that gristly phantasm, arcturus moved to the water's edge with his tail hiked over his hips.

he knew not the beast's affiliation, nor his past with ying. in this moment, his mind's eye was clouded by a sense of fear of the unnatural (for what else was that bloodied rag which his face barely held onto?) and an overwhelming sense of testosterone-fueled guardianship.

ying was gliding towards the bank; arcturus' gaze never left the mangled beast, what was left of it. he issued another low growl, this time his fangs bared and muzzle lowered as he told the monster to come no closer.

It was no wonder Hydra was here. Heatscent compelled and repulsed her in equal measure. There was the persistent desire to curb it... but, given their agreement, Hydra felt in equal measure prepared to protect it. And so, Hydra followed it; she arrived in time to hear the warning rumble of Ying. In the darkness that Hydra melted forth from, her sound echoed it twentyfold; the rumble of Arcturus bolstered it to a steady pitch that made clear their intent. 

Hydra's own path cut before the pale, beaten and bloodied male; she stood between him and Ying, now. She was as still as he was, and kept a decent distance while she set her defenses; she squared herself off, draping her muzzle over her throat and keeping her weight even. In solidarity, Hydra was with her brother; as Ying moved, Hydra's warning growl was ceaseless so all other sound paled in comparison to it. To touch any in a way that displeased her would spell out a grizzly end for the man. Her family ever came first.

Silence still. He was left in the dark, to wander as the monster he had found himself to be. The feeling was hollow, and sorrow filled his heart. Never again would he reach out for aid if it only was met with silence and hostility... Hostility. The growls resonating the still of the void were finally caught and immediately the spectre reacted. With a hideous snarl of his own, stained and dripping the pale man's peace and plead for assistance were immediately retracted. Another dark figure came and growled, at him? He couldn't tell, they may as well. Stepping back, he'd return to the path he had come from and only keep an eye and ear out for whatever lingered in the darkness beyond.

The world was against him, against his survival - he'd show them all. The figures in the dark. The paladin would not be killed any day soon, he was certain of it.

Exit Rose!]

it was not difficult to miss the alluring scent in the air no matter how much one tried to hide it. even with the commingling of other aromas, he was able to pick out ying's scent. he was aware of the sweetness to it, to the way his paws moved on their own. he didn't fight the pull, and easily gave in to the desire that stirred in his loins.  

he convinced himself to just check on her, to peek and see that she was ok. he assumed it was her future mate she'd spoken of that accompanied her scent in the wind, but there was another and he found himself cautious in his approach to the commotion.

he recognized one body, scarred and pale. the other, inky like himself, he did not.

he didn't move from his position, his attention fully devoted to finding ying, which he did, hiding among the ripples of a creek. he took a step forward from the shrubbery he'd remained concealed in, only to take a step back at the arrival of the ebony female and departure of the injured beast.

silently he remained grounded, eyes flickering from one figure to the next as he awaited to either be ran off, or accepted.

Rosencrantz's expression, the Moonspearian guard; she stepped onto land and shook the water from her pelt, terrified to watch him make his exit. Ying avoided eye contact with either of the witnesses, surprisingly ashamed of her current state of being.

Arcturus was there, and were it just the two of them, Ying would have stepped forward. Instead, she remained planted, eyes flickering with unsureity between the ground Hydra's face. Would she leave? And if she did, would her brother follow? 

Clearing her throat, Ying straightened her spine and tucked charcoal-ridged tail neatly between her legs. Her voice was shaky, still misaligned by the extreme cold, but being determined to express her gratitude, she whined a quiet, T-thank you. Still groggy, Astaroth went unnoticed.

now the shape in the reeds shifted, moonlight blading down its macabre face. the wet sheen of blood which roiled from rosencrantz' face glittered a cold, gruesome silver. the beast came no closer, instead, it seemed to fumble about before making a much-anticipated exit.

arcturus would have breathed easily then, were it not for the arrival of his sister. with his instincts on high, he turned a wild eye to her briefly, feeling irritation and guilt knife its way in duality through him. it was ying's scent that did this, instinct that riled him up so, but he did not know. his face was stoic as ever, betraying none of what he had just felt.

a new wolf replaced that which had just left. arcturus did not see him, but he scented him -- standing protectively near ying as she thanked him, the moonspearian glared pointedly at the wavering darkness, his hard glare commanding whoever was there to show themselves.

A scent came to her from not far, which deterred her journey to Moonspear. 

A scent not unlike one she had carried herself only weeks earlier, and wreathed with a scent so familiar to her. Ying. It could only be her sister, and the strange scent which she now found something sickening, could only be heat. And so she headed to the scene to find an odd group of faces. Arriving just after Astaroth, she had no chance to catch sight of the monster whom had just vanished. But there was Ying- Hydra, the panther again- as well as two men, one familiar jellyfish-eater, and one unfamiliar, who carried with him the scent of Moonspear. The scene was so strange that she could not tell what had just taken place, or what would happen next. She carried herself into the open with a careful step, eyeing each party carefully yet not coldly, as if with childish curiosity. Finally her gaze would settle on Ying, who reeked of fertility- and Huā would scrunch up her nose slightly, whether she intended to or not.

He came closer, not because of the scent of the woman, but because of the presence of his brother. He had been tracking through the lowlands and gotten waylayed by the other boy's presence; a sense of homesickness luring him through the wilderness until he spied Arcturus. The ache he felt in his chest was strong enough to knock the wind clear from his lungs, and for a moment Revui thought he had inspired some sort of curse, or been swept up by some nameless sickness, the power of it forcing him to halt and count his breaths.

The gulps of air grew thick and sweet, and he was soon distracted by the woman's scent too; and he saw the pair of pale shapes, one large and gnarled while the other, shrinking in the water, the familiar woman - shadowing her was Arcturus. The wolf ducked and snaked closer, curious, eager to set his mind on something other than the ache he felt for home and for family. He did not dare get too close, lest his brother notice him - or the other, the giant with the pale coat, so much like a bear.

Then - another woman. The dark capped girl from before. Addled by the many faces and scents, Revui did not know where to go first or what to do; he drew to a halt again, breathing quickly and looking from shape to shape as if one might turn upon him and attack. The aromas were thick in the air and causing reactions within his body he was not prepared for - notably, the serration of his graphite coat when his gaze slipped across the rival men. His brother was nearest the stranger - and yet there were other shadows, but the one that drew his attention the most was not the snake with golden eyes, but Hydra - off of her mountain and watching, prowling among them.

Hydra out from here! ying arcturus hua revui hydra astaroth ying

 

Hydra nodded in turn to Ying, and did prepare to leave. Several others arrived then, more known than not. Two kept to the shadows, and suddenly, Ying's sister too. Supposing Ying had spoken with her own sister about her future and her decision for children, Hydra presumed approval was simply given... but perhaps it could be gained then. That Revui was there, for the timebeing, was nearly missed by Hydra who turned to head, now, in his direction. 

Oh, she had information to shade. He said a cannibal did that. Seems as though he is running, likely for his life. If he is, he would have led that wolf to the Wilderness. Somewhere within it, perhaps. So, Hydra forewarned, gaze falling to Arcturus, to Revui, between the two of you, determine who it is that will keep her safe so long as it suits Ying. She is in season, and so in search of her husband, and the father of her future cubs. Her gaze was sharp: do not touch her unless that is your desire with her. Arcturus, too, would have her blessing if he decided this was the life he wished for himself, and asked it of her. Revui had already all but done so. But she had made herself clear. Get rid of his trail here, she encouraged. 

Looking to Huā, Hydra invited her to her own side to speak in her quiet way as she moved to return to the Glen to mark over all of the places the blood of the pale man had come to litter. Now, later, she left it to Ying's sister to decide when to follow, if at all; Hydra did recall, though, that she had journeyed this way to speak with her again, so Ying had suggested.

she knew he wasn't a fighter.

against any of the several faces that made up their party, astaroth was sure to lose.

that didn't stop him from swallowing the lump in his throat and revealing himself though, which he did, albeit rather slowly and only after the inky woman made her departure. he'd rather not be flagged as an enemy, and so made his approach cautiously towards the group.

he settled a distance away, visible to all that had gathered, yet far enough to avoid the jaws of those who might yet try and attack. fleetingly, he stole a glance in ying's direction. the sight of her uninjured eased the tension in his muscles as he released a breath he'd unknowingly been holding in.

he didn't know what to think or do, having heard the ebony woman's words, and so remained steadfast for now, a jealous pang in his stomach sending his attention jumping between the two other men.

Those gathered continued to ebb and flow with Hua's arrival and Hydra's subsequent departure. Ying's attention had been focused on Arcturus; she noticed his defensive posture and tracked the focused gaze, a small smile forming as Astaroth stepped into the open.

It was unfortunate, but the pair had already discussed their situation. Astaroth was not ready to be a father, and because she felt similarly, Ying did not want to force or coerce him into the role. She nodded for him to leave, deciding that they would reunite after her heat had passed.

Twice over had Hydra made herself clear. The decision was between Revui and Arcturus, two competent men who (in that moment) appeared equally attractive. She winked at Hua and withheld a small laugh, finding the scrunch of her sister's nose to be the comedic break needed in the intensity. Assuming her sister followed behind Hydra, Ying was left with her two suitors, resigned to await their decision.

excuse my break in post order! thought it was appropriate as hua is exiting, so nobody else has to be vague about whether or not she is there<3

 

Another boy soon arrived, and the jellyfish-eater finally drew himself into the open. Ying paid her a wink- which lightened her mood, despite her recent distrust of the girl. Were Huā still in her own heat, she might've been jealous of the agglomeration of men, but having returned to her right mind, she knew they were just that- men. Never so beautiful or careful as the fairer sex.

And so she returned a wink to Ying suggestively. If Huā did not become pregnant, then somebody would have to, to supply the pack with the next generation- and who better, than her second in command? Plus the thought of being an aunt made Huā all giddy, thinking about the adorable pups that would come. And so permission was granted in the tiniest way with that little gesture; encouragement for Ying to get her freak on. 

When Hydra invited her, Huā would follow willingly. Never before had she felt so welcome beside the panther, and though she was still tense with some worry, she was glad too. Glad that Hydra did not hate her as she had so assumed, and glad that she could have a second chance of establishing an alliance with the queen of the wilderness. She would pay Ying a final glance- surrounded by hungry men, which made her want to bristle, as it had the summer before- but everything was okay now.

a new scent co-mingled, at once drawing the fur along arcturus' back and neck rife with rippling tension. revui.

the mountaineer's gaze arced from the lurking stranger to his estranged sibling immediately, his lips curling. as if this situation could not get tense enough.

one ear was cupped back to listen to hydra's words, but arcturus' attention was balefully steadfast on revui. this was no lovelorn reunion, this rendezvous in the dark -- revui was one of the last wolves arcturus wished to see in this hour.

a bitter pall overtook the mountaineer's emotions. he watched as a she-wolf joined hydra, his heart leaping for a moment as he noted her resemblance to the woman hydra had instructed him to look out for at all costs. confused, disillusioned, and drunk on his own crippling adrenaline, arcturus pressed close to ying's flank and snarled at all within the vicinity to fuck off.

He could hear the words being shared by Hydra, and sensed the queen's withdrawal, but did not stop staring at the scene before him. There stood Arcturus with his body poised protectively near the island woman, bristling, flashing his teeth, in every physical way he could he issued his claim of her; yet Revui did not stop staring, and was even pulled forth by some unseen will to press against the boundary that lay invisible, yet tangible, between them. All he knew was the animal instinct that flourished within him - this feral spirit which had, at one time, united the brothers and then set them at-odds. That same instinct was heightened now. Had Revui been in his right mind he would have (eventually) linked the feelings with what Hydra had tried to tell him before - and what she had said as she drew the sister away - but he could not do that now. Now, he was merely a hungry beast, but he was unaccustomed to this particular kind of gluttony.

His strides were purposeful, slow, and deliberate. He did not so much lunge towards the pair, but prowl, keeping his head level with his shoulders at first and then raising it triumphantly with each successive step. He drew in breath after breath of Ying's enticing scent and felt the same flare of heat and tension as he had before, when he had escorted the so-called Empress days ago, and rivalling that was a mixture of emotions: love for his brother, entitlement for the woman, pride in himself, and somehow - loathing, too. A nagging sense that his brother was now a threat. Those teeth were met with a similar grimace and a deep rumbling in his chest which he had only ever used on the enemy.

Everything about Revui in that moment demanded that Arcturus step away or feel those teeth. This was his right — but the oddest part was, the argent boy was lost to his own pheromones and did not even know what it was he fought for. He only knew he must drive his rival away and take Ying as the prize somehow - but he was certain of that, at least.

astaroth out!

he'd come to make sure she was safe, which she was, or as safe as she could be with two men vying for her womb. with him no longer needed, proved only further with her nod for him to leave, he gave only a swift glance in her direction before he turned and made his way back towards the direction he'd come from.

it was his mind verses his desire as he fled the scene, his paws picking up their pace the further he went. he'd accepted her decision, knew it was coming, was happy for her in a sense, and yet that didn't make the reality of it any easier.

Inexperienced and unaware. Similar to the brothers, she squared her shoulders and bared her teeth, displaying a silent snarl of disapproval. The guardian backed away from Arcturus's reach, snapping for either brother to mind their distance.

Futility could, and often did, prove dangerous. The trio was caught beneath a mist of arousal and aggression, each wolf determined to prove their potential.

Regardless of the victor, Ying did not intend to leave with either brother. They had proven themselves feeble-minded; despite each male's physical prowess, she saw nothing of interest if they did not possess a similar control over their emotions. 

You are making me afraid, she barked, I will escort myself. Hackles raised and tail neatly tucked, she began to back away.

arcturus' gaze knifed through the darkness, watching as astaroth slunk away.

now all that was left was ying and his displaced brother.

arcturus' eyes landed on his sibling coldly, the thin needles of his teeth flashing in the arcing moonglare. for all their familial love, in this moment arcturus was only aware of the negative emotions revui inspired within him:

abandonment. desolation. bitterness. isolation. pride. anger. hurt. insecurity. lust.

and his brother, the originator of all that blackness within him save the very last. arcturus barely noticed ying's snap, and while he heard her words well, his focus was shifted on the prowling spectre that challenged him with each and every step.

his spine steeled as wrath scampered up his body, placing a stranglehold on his mind. how could his brother dare to menace him after all he had done? how could he?

if they were to replay the book of genesis and a brother was to be slain that day, arcturus would make sure it was he that metaphorically raised the rock over his head and bashed his brother's brains in. for every step the leviathan took, it was met with the incremental inch of arcturus' unyielding head.

he did not give way to ceremony or pomp. with a furious snarl the mountaineer lunged for revui's face, wanting nothing more than to snuff the boastful light out of his brother's eyes forever.

He had been dismissive of the third virile male; perhaps he only had eyes for his brother, love-hungry and family-starved as Revui had become, they were not a threat and had not poised themselves in such a way. Their escape left the two combatants alone to quarrel over the woman. As Arcturus' attention drifted to the departing shadow, Revui moved closer—boldly so.

The tumult of emotion between them was heightened by the animal instinct they shared. He felt his blood running hot in his veins, and on any other day he would have gladly thrown himself at his opponent and jousted with his teeth, or battered them down in to submission, merely for the enjoyment. Revui did not enjoy any of this, though—not the look upon his brother's face, nor the certainty that brewed within himself that heralded, 'I will take what I want.'

Then came the snap. The silence broken by the sound of a body shifting, of teeth whispering through air, and the sound of fangs clattering as Revui instinctively bore a defensive grimace and parried the lunge. He was not as swift as his brother; while Revui had been roaming the wilderness it was Arcturus who had rooted himself to the mountain and honed his skills among their family—he was always the swifter of the pair, slick and sharp, and with pure intentions to direct him there was truly no contest between the brothers.

Revui knew this, yet he did not back down. He made his own lunge—aiming for his brother's face, the equal and opposite force. Adrenaline and arrogance might have fueled Revui now, as he was so focused on his brother that he ignored Ying's shallow pleas and nimble withdrawal.

exit!

Hm. Maybe she had overestimated her relevance in the situation. Ying wondered what underlying cause had acted as catalyst for this reaction, but decided that it didn't matter. She took the moment of distraction as her cue to leave, and turned to make way for the coast.