The Sunspire Out Like A Light

The skies had been crying for a while now, he noticed. Their tears dripping endlessly and choking the world down with their sorrow, drowning—ending. The prince had seen far too many bodies waterlogged—turned over and floating in the water with their bloated bellies.

He absentmindedly wondered if they had families, had love. Had places where they belonged and if they had others waiting for them to return home.

He wondered if Easthollow was expecting him to return home.

Leaning himself against a great oak, the boy lifted his head up with closed eyes, feeling the splattering of rain upon his face before it dripped down in rivers across his sides and legs. The coldness of it soothing, distracting him from the world around and the heavy feelings that always seemed clutched tightly to his heart.

He didn't even take note of the rolling thunder ahead before it was too late—
before the bolt struck down.

He thought of nothing else in his demise. Just Easthollow—just rain.

Not even the pain of the gods wrath had been felt.

If anyone were to find him he would long be cold, stiff against the earth and fodder to the crows as they picked at his flesh.

screw timelines ig

Through the woods, past the valley, up, up, up the slopes. Parasite had never been on a mountain before. He giggled as he wondered what goodies would be discovered here.

Hey, what's that smell? Jaws part to taste the air. Charred flesh. The smell is foreign to him, and curiosity pulls him forward.

Up, up, up he goes. Soon he comes across a murder of crows that danced around—oh, what was that? Parasite ran towards it, sending the birds in a frenzy. They reveal a freshly burnt body. In his mind he could practically see the smoke arise from it.

One would be horrified to see their own kind end up this way. Parasite was not. Free meal! he thought as he gnawed on the boy's face.

It wouldn't fucking stop.

His fur seemed to stay plastered to his body permanently nowadays. There was death floating everywhere, the land was treachourous and yet Valour could not remain still. Poised with gunmetal eyes sharp as ever he had begun to wander the mountains the ferocity in his expression that of someone after something.
Someone.
Where the hell did he go now? Valour was so tired of traipsing around after this arrogant young prince, he'd find him and then he'd demand to know what had gotten into him. He missed the sweetness and gentility he had once found so welcoming in the pretty grey face....now there was simply pride, defensiveness and anger which in it's own way had Valour whipped. 
Through the moisture and drowned plant and flesh rot the air had taken up he caught the scent. Instantly it struck a chord within him.

Wrong.

His father bloated and rotting.

wrong...no. No this was wrong.

Eyes wide he strode forward and saw something laying at the ground. He saw a monster chewing away. Mind going blank Valour bolted forward his jaws parted and seeking out Parasite's flesh where if he struck he would rip and tear at whatever he could. Only if and when the wretch of a canine left would Valour stop to change his demeanor and look at what would lay before him.

tw: nasty cannibal stuff

Oh how he wished to RIP skin from flesh. He wanted to TEAR ribbons of flesh from bone and swallow them whole!

Paitence, brother. Maggot's voice rings in his head. You must savor the meal. Yes... y-yes of course. She’s right. It could be months before he got his teeth on another body. 

Savor, he murmured as he sunk a tooth into an eye. The texture of the flesh sant a shiver down his spine. Savor. Savor. Sa-

A force pushed him away from the meal. Canines pierced through the skin of his shoulder. A wide eye locks onto his attacker. This... little... bastard! How dare he disrupt dinnertime like this! He will pay.

The fight lasted longer than he would’ve wanted. This little shit fought hard. When Parasite tore into him, he’d tear in deeper. Motherfucker even managed to rip his ear from his skull. The world began to spin.

MERCY. MERCY, he shrieked as he scrambled backward. An old trick of Maggot’s popped in his brain. Feign weakness to exploit the enemy, she’d say. Usually she was the one to play the role. Now that she’s gone, it was his turn.

There was absolutely nothing within or outside of the encompassing rage. He heard nothing but a faint buzzing and saw nothing but the monster he'd targeted and the haze of red ringing his vision. Heart pounding in time with each connection of his body he felt none of the wounds recieved, did not hear the savage screams that ripped his throat raw. Behind him lay Clay....when he'd torn this asshole into nothing but crow scrap he would turn around and tend to his young prince until they could go back to The Saints together. This was why he ripped through flesh without a pause for his own injury....for that foolish image in his mind. When he tore the man's ear from his skull he took the pause to spit it out his breath heaving from his lungs in bursts that shook his entire body as he bared his fangs at the shrieking wretch backing up until he felt his hind paws hit something. 

A living body shouldn't be that hard. Turning with dead, unseeing eyes he ignored the charred and open flesh throwing himself across the dead prince. Exhaling slowly he lay his head across the destroyed face refusing to look down into it in fear of what he would see. "yours right? don't go without me" he whispered the words sapping the last of his energy out as he closed his eyes and let the rain pour down turning the ground around the pair into waves of crimson and torn flesh. 

The bastard did not back away because he was merciful. He did so to grieve. A grieving wolf is a weak one. 

Run, an instinctuel part of him (the voice has grown so quiet over the years) hissed to him. A rational man would listen. Maybe he would have too, but..

Yours right?
Yours right?
Yours.

The bastard claimed the body.

No. NO.

MINE.

Parasite threw himself towards the boy. The bottom row of teeth pierced through the jaw. The top sunk into his scalp. One tooth—the sharpest of them all—went through the eye.

It was invigorating.

Valour heard the pawsteps falling with wet thuds upon the flooded ground. 

"MINE" 

A flash of silver and the sight of gaping jaws. A pressure, a stab of pain, a popping sound in his skull. Then a haze of heavy numbness spread over his entire body his jaw going slack as his brain failed to process the agony for a few sweet seconds. All at once the pain hit causing the world around him to fade away as an ear piercing scream tore from his maw as he shoved his forelegs down and stood up beginning to buck and thrash much like a wild Stallion would. There was a sickening sound as he tore himself free and another scream ripped itself from his throat this time only stopping as he once again slumped down over Clay's body fully Unconscious. In Parasite's jaws would rest one silver eye torn from Valour's face, the price of keeping Clay's body safe from the Monsters of the world. 

An agonized scream erupted from the boy. Music to his ears. The desperate trashing put a smile on his face. It’s what he fucking deserved. 

The boy managed to rip himself out of Parasite’s grasp, but a part of him was left behind. A fresh eye was skewered through a tooth. He plucked it off with his tongue and swallowed it whole.

Yum! 

The beast wasn’t through yet. Now that the little shit was out cold, he could eat in peace. But oh no, not here. Not now. 

Parasite seized the deceased by the nape. He glanced back at the unconscious boy one more time before creeping away with his kill.

@Donovan Azura If you want?

The world did not come to properly. He felt stiff, cold...his body felt hollow and empty. The ground beneath him was left with flesh and rot...all that was left of his prince. Silently he trembled upon the ground as the agony flashed like fire through his nerves bringing life back into his cold limbs and a ragged cry from his maw as one eye flew open and the other trickled blood from an empty socket. The image of unnaturally hard flesh and drenched silver fur, a Monster eating away at his face. Valour screamed again his muzzle lifted to the sky expression contorted and twisted into a hideous mask of rage. Over and over again he screamed out the emotions ravaging his mind until he slumped to the ground once more panting and staring into space. 

Derg didn't often travel from the Canyon. It seemed there were a plethora of lightning strikes raining across the range.
And he was caught in it.
Shit.
But he wanted to follow that wildcard. Valour.

He was far behind, taking an easier route for his aching bones.
Anyway, he could hear some old snarling up ahead so he picked up his pace. Perhaps it was one of those bitches from the Court. Or worse.
Alas, he was rather late to the party.

Blood soaking the ground, Valour laying slumped and pouring blood from his face.
A trail disappearing into the wilderness with whatever kill there was.
"Shit," he breathed.
Ok, ok.
He had to get back. With Valour.

He moved around the youth, "Valour, don't you dare get up to eat me," he didn't realise the gravity his words might hold to the boy and what he'd just seen.
He lowered his muzzle closer to investigate, licking up the blood from the wounds to try and stop the bleeding. He could feel there was no eye in the socket, and he'd heard in passing it was a blessing rather than a curse.

Though there was someone else there now Valour did not tear his good eye away from the trail of gore the Monster had dragged away. Recognising the voice to be Derg's he sighed outward his remaining eye fell shut as he tried his damndest to ignore the man as he circled not wanting sympathy or anything other than to lay here till he died. It was the man's comment that had his lips fly over his fangs which remained grit tightly together "I'm not like that" he said growled his voice tight with pain. The simple movement of his lips was enough to cause the muscles around his empty socket to twitch, agony flaring up and rendering him silent his legs stiffening as he stifled another hoarse cry. "Clay is dead..the man...he's eating him!" he shouted then, lifting his head to stare at the man with a tormented expression. Breath wheezing raggedly he began to clamber to his paws, the adrenaline surging anew at the memory of that monster and what was being done to his prince. Physically his body was done and as such the world spun and he wound himself back down sprawled onto his side where he lay defeated, good eye turned to the dirt where it filled with tears that mixed into the rain. 

Ah, he was awake.
Derg stepped back, listening.
He was in great pain. In body and soul.
Derg felt for him. All he could see was Kenn's broken body, snow flurrying around them.
But this was Valour. And he needed his help now too.

"We will find him, but we need to get you help." The rainy season promised prevalent disease. Winter...perhaps even more so.
H needed to get Valour home. fuck Clay if he was already dead and seemingly being eaten by another.
"Valour.." he started again softly, "please come with me. We can save Clay later."
He stood in the pathway. The small pool of blood. Blocking the path this seemingly murderous man took off with the body.
If Valour decided to surge after them, Derg would stop him.

"I do not ask for help" he snapped his temper breaking through under the pressure of the pain and desperation to find Clay and rip the monster to shreds even it took his life away. He once again brought his forelegs underneath him and shoved himself up his eyes glassy and distant as they honed in on the more honed warrior swaying for a moment as he realised he could barely feel a single inch of his body anymore. Instead of seeing that as reason to stop he instead saw the lack of sensation as inspiration to give his all "Derg I am sorry but I promised him" his voice was ragged, ears shifting back and tail tucking between his legs before he peeled his lips over his fangs and bolted forward snapping only defensively to try and ward off anything Derg made so he could swerve around and toward his goal. Unfortunately not being able to feel his paws and being weak as it was, he only stumbled forward and slumped into the man's chest. A wretched, frustrated sound heaved it's way from his throat and he pushed himself backward turning his head away "He's gone...he's being eaten like crow food" his voice was a dejected whisper as he began to head toward their home staring blankly at the ground as droplets of crimson dripped in his path. "I have lost everything" he murmured mainly to himself the words bringing a twisted, manic sensation to his gut. Yet there was one thing not done....one thing he'd promised and had yet to attempt before he'd decide if his life was worth living. Ursus....they would understand what a true Warlord was like, what Vengeance would mean would forever be marked under his name instead of the monsterous shadow of Nightwalkers. 

A snarl of anger burst like a solar flare from the yearling.
Derg stood stoic. Unfeeling.
Unflinching.

He propped himself up like a house on a scaffold. Unsteady and broken. Full of rage and desperation.
Made for a lousy fight, especially when damaged.
He knew the sort of promise though. The one he had made to Keen.
He lurched forward, and Derg held fast, waiting for the body slam, the sharp rip of teeth. But he slumped at his feet, slithering down his chest dejectedly.
"Gaisgeach briste​," he started in his Mother tongue, "you can't keep all promises you make."

Life was hard, and he knows that young Valour already knew that, but not everything.
Friends and family die.
Derg lowered his head to Valour, "He will forever be with you. We will find the body and bury him where you wish...if you need." Derg didn't know how Clay died. Only that he had. He felt for the boy, but showing it was something he wasn't very good at. He'd get better, hopefully.

"I knew his scent was fading and I let him leave. For the second time we knew one another. This time my failure to go after him cost his life" the words were cold, bitter, and as lifeless as the way his gait quickened away from the man though he followed. His ears pressed back to his head and he stopped dead in his track his remaining eye squeezing shut tightly "He's gone and that man probably won't leave much of a body" he knew it would only be eating and torn apart by the savage who'd taken his eye. "If you find a body it belongs to Easthollow. I will bring it there" with nothing more to say he would quicken his pace until he reached their home and find his den, passing out for the next few days. 

I'm sorry. Crappy last post here.

Poor, poor couple.
A tale of lovers ultimately failed by Donovan and whatever creature had decided a body was a meal.
All he could think of was Keen. Still, just her poor bloody form prone in the snow lingered in his mind.

At least he was real.
Derg will have to talk of this with him at a later date. When he was healed better. And they'd find something to take back to Easthollow. Despite them being enemies, Valour had some sort of allegiance to them that will have to be broken by this.
And he'd go with him to ensure his safety.

For now though, he'd just follow him home and help him with his wounds, and let him rest.