Blackfeather Woods the old gods and the new

Ever since the wolves from Teaghlaigh had been found on their borders with Abraxas, Atshen had felt drawn to the boundaries more often than not. His first few weeks of leadership had been compiled of learning the ropes of leadership, and though he had a long way to go, the boy had gotten somewhat of a good foundation from Nemesis. The next weeks were about both asserting his position within the pack and addressing the borders. While every day arose with its new challenges, Atshen met them with both rash decisions and his stoic nature. 

Needless to say was that the two-toned son of the Dark Master had quite a while to go. 

He slithered silently through the heart of the territory, setting off with no destination in mind. Despite his lack of drive at that moment, he carried himself high as he wandered the lands he knew so well.

But no one knew the lands of Blackfeather Woods better than it's rightful monarch. Damien was a shadow, blended in the dark of the undergrowth, stalking like a ghost for what he wanted, and he wanted his throne back.

He would have gone for the big bitch first, assert his dominance directly at the top of the pyramid, but the lowest blow he'd received from Nemesis was putting a child in the position of silencer, without even initiating the bastard within the Dark Brotherhood.

Atshen was his target, and as soon as he caught sight of the whelp he made himself apparent by stepping out of the shadows and right across Atshen's path.

"You think you deserve it?" he asked, indignation, disbelief and anger rumbling deeply as his voice grew dangerously close to a snarl.

It was in his wandering that his path was blocked abruptly. As he slammed on the breaks to halt his gait, he was sized up by none other than the Disgrace of his pack. Stiffening instantly, the boy looked to the former master, fire fueling the sudden bite of anger that he felt. 

"You think you do, of all wolves?" he countered, his deep baritone riding on a roll of thunder as he spoke. His tail lashed, and he stood tall as he looked to Damien, but, he would not wait for the other to answer. Atshen knew he had to act fast. 

Without any further indication, and giving the platinum-eyed man little time to respond, Atshen thrust his muzzle forward in an attempt to grab at the other man's throat.

Timber thick limbs thrust Damien forward as he attacked simultaneously, knowing their encounter to be beyond foolish discussion. This was a battle, one for dominance, one for honor and dignity. One for power.

The child was inevitably predictable, aiming for Damien's neck as he'd been expecting. He was experienced, more than Atshen at least, and he used his hard skull to deflect the blow by head-bumping him directly to the snout and placing himself below him to try and bowl the beastly child over with every fiber of muscle in his body.

His move had been easily predicted and was quickly countered. Atshen felt the pain as the two men collided and he gritted his teeth as he felt the throbbing of his snout. Nevertheless, he prevailed as he attempted to forego his pain for bringing the other man down. He could feel himself losing ground as Damien forced himself forward to move Atshen. 

Acting fast, the Silencer dug his claws into the ground to anchor himself, though time would tell if that had been a decent move or not. Even when his claws were dug in, he felt himself being pushed and knew that this was not a good sign of things to come. Acting quickly, Atshen swiped towards Damien's face in an attempt to land his claws directly on the other's cheek.

Like a train, Damien's body ran the bastard over, even when his attempt to take grip on the ground was making it harder. Damien was determined to bowl his opponent over, but in his effort, he focused too much on his advance to see that the child's paw was in perfect position to bitch slap him, and bitch slapped he got with Atshen's last effort to hold his ground. The claws hit Damien with impressive strength, scraping skin, drawing blood, inflicting pain. Damien's bark in response to the blow was full of pain, but it soon turned back into a guttural rumble that marked his comeback. Damien turned back around to aim with wide open jaws at the child's throat, but unlike Atshen's attempt, Damien was targeting the soft area right beneath his chin with full power.

Despite to two wolves seemingly matched strength, there was an advantage that Damien had against the Silencer: experience. Though Atshen had won his fair share of battles, most notably against the Akantha, Damien had the advantage in his age, and all that time he had practiced combatting. 

As the former Dark Master retaliated, Atshen quickly tucked his chin to his chest in an attempt to protect the tender flesh of his throat. It was as he braced himself that he felt the fangs of Damien tear into his chest. He roared in light of the pain, his body tensing as the fire of the other's drive tore into him. Without thinking much about it, Atshen attempted to fight through his pain as he surged forward with every fiber of his being to imbalance the raven-furred man.

Like a ram he hit the beast cub with all the power he could gather. Damien was going full out on Atshen, giving in his all to break him or pin him down long enough for the bastard to submit willingly. But Damien's experience had encountered an unlikely rival in the savage child's rashness.

Teeth collided with flesh, but not the one they were seeking. Damien hit the boy's chest instead of his throat, but still he clenched down hard while his paws pushed forward against the other's defenses. He was trying to batter down the dark titan with his weight, and Damien tried to counter-balance the effort by widening his paws' distance. Their strengths cancelled each other out, shoulder against shoulder in a clash that would end only when either of them fell victim to fatigue.

Despite the differences in age, the two raven-colored men were evenly met in regards to their full strength. In the midst of the fury, Atshen realized Damien's true advantage: his endurance. Even in his fight with Akantha, he could not remember being this fatigued so early on. It was as though the Disgrace knew how to drain his energy and was using this to his advantage. 

Atshen, on the other hand, continued on at full strength. As pain scorched through his chest, Atshen drew a heavy paw to Damien's cheek in an attempt to knock off the other's hold on him. He growled as he sought to push his limb onto the other's snout, voicing his anger towards the other wolf freely.

The boy was eager and unyielding. Perhaps those two were the traits that Damien would give to the bastard along with his physical strength. Hadn't he been disgraced to be born from the bitch he would surely had been an asset that Damien would want in the Brotherhood's ranks, but under such circumstances Damien couldn't afford to allow him any closer than he was right now. Like Nemesis, Atshen had stolen him, betrayed the pack's pillar motives, and for that he would pay.

Again, Atshen attempted to bitch-slap Damien as though it would do him any good. Damien had taken grip on the bastard's chest, and for every inch that Atsen's claws dragged over his face did his fangs dig deeper into flesh. Atshen had sacrificed his standing when he decided to lift his paws from the ground, and Damien's pillars had never left the ground. He took one step further, trying to take advantage of his position and attempting to completely unbalance Atshen as he battled through the pain that burned in his face. He needed to end things once and for all. If there was ever something good about Damien's stubbornness it was that he got things done his way, and he usually succeeded.

The two wolves were dancing a dangerous dance, teetering the fine line of life in death as they tore into each other. Utterly unaware of the vulnerabilities that he had opened himself to, Atshen followed forward in his attempt to bring Damien down forcefully. It was as he reached forward that the Disgrace took advantage and landed as he had intended. His teeth clamped shift as he attempted to stabilise himself, yet, he soon found that it was too late. The Silencer landed hard onto his side, his fire-like eyes burning into the former Dark Master. Rebounding quickly, yet finding no time to stand, Atshen launched his head towards the other's chest in an attempt to reach up and rip into the tender flesh of the other's breast.

There was adrenaline in the air - the scent of blood that was not part of their borders. She knew it well, the liquid that told so much and tasted like iron. It put her on edge, the first thought about Damien and his rather aggressive way of conversing and doing... anything, basically. The second thought went to Nemesis - how she might already be dead and that Damien and Nyx could have a happily ever after at last now that the traitor was gone. Knowing it to be too good to be true, she then thought of her older brother and how he might've gone body-hunting again. He had a strange hobby.

She hurried to the scene - slightly accidental - and could not believe her eyes. A growl escaped her maw as she rushed in, trying her best to block attacks on both ends with her body that took pain as pleasure if she were to be able to come close enough. Have you both gone mental?! She hissed.

A thundering snarl ensues when Damien's muscle stomps Atshen to the ground. Damien feels the encounter turning in his favor and he doesn't hold back. May have been his ego blinding him, but Damien had felt the end of the match coming, and it looked like he'd get the upper hand. But he was no oracle.

Atshen had still a lot to give despite his position, and he managed to take a good grasp on his chest as Damien battled to keep him down. Pain was no longer an issue, Damien's body was numb by the adrenaline, numb not only physically but in any other possible way. His only desire, his only reality was that Atshen needed a quick death, but everything blew up the second he realized that Nyx was in his way. She'd appeared there out of nowhere and Damien wasn't sure whether he'd hurt her by any means... But the only thought of it being possible got him to jump back in shock. The heat of the encounter emanated from him condensing the air. His breath was a rushed, nervous sway as he vaguely tried to regain some composure, but he couldn't contain his anger, and his eyes were fixated on the fake silencer and the blood that covered him.

"Get out of here, Nyx," he commanded, his voice but a low growl, contained in contrast to five seconds before when he was about to tear Atshen's throat into pieces.

The dance of their fighting had been an exhausting one, and it seemed as though Damien's advantage was slowly, yet surely, ensuring him a victory. After having been forced to the ground, Atshen attempted to counter with all of his might to make sure that the Disgrace would not finish him off for good. Frankly, it wasn't looking good for the two-toned Silencer. But it seemed as though fate had other plans for him. 

A body was pushed between the two wolves, and Atshen quickly discovered that it was none only then his star-kissed sibling. Despite their questionable past and his lack of empathy for most, he found himself worrying for the well-being of her. As she took his blows, Atshen acted quickly in pulling himself from the weight of Damien's hold so that he could get some distance between them. His breaths were ragged as he positioned himself just behind Astrid. 

"Don't demand anything of her," Atshen panted harshly, finding it rather difficult to even stand let alone spurt out a comprehensive thought. Even with his inner-most desires tempting him to surge forward and somehow end the other's life, even he knew he was not in shape to do so. Finding himself on a particularly defensive tirade, he continued in pursuit of his sister's honour-- whether she asked for it or not. "I-If I ever hear of you mistreating her, I'll kill you." Despite his fatigue, he somehow found the strength to utter such a threat. As poorly as the battle had gone today, Atshen would find a way to get better and finally defeat the disgrace of a wolf.

It worried her greatly; her two closest individuals fighting each other with an intention to kill. Both males were slight experts at it too - one was almost always angry and one had even killed some. While the battle was physically in favour of Damien, Nyx would not allow her brother to be killed - not even with her weird affections for the Forest King. Atshen, while surely the favourite of their mother given the attention and position he had been granted, was not nearly as bad as Nemesis and Nyx considered him an ally more than anything. He was the only family member she was afraid to lose.

She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as some of Damien's former impulses hit her and she hissed some curse words under her breath as she felt her body getting excited. It was surprising how fast he was to retreat; almost as if he was afraid of hurting her and Atshen was able to scamper away and hide behind his speckled sister. She didn't know why she was the one saving him every now and then after all that had happened between the two but was certainly happy she did. She raised her head to look at the anger-filled vessel of Damien, glaring at him in a determined way. She liked him whenever he was not angry, but seeing him like this brought a strange sensation she wasn't fond of.

Damien spat a command she was not about to follow, but before she could protest her injured brother spoke. Her eyebrows raised in shock at his words but she didn't dare and look away. She focused on Damien's muscled chest, her eyes trailing upwards to his cold yet flaming eyes filled with unexplained hatred for her brother and, perhaps, soon a hate for her too. As much as she appreciated Atshen's words, she would not allow a single drop of blood to spill between the two under her watch ever again. Do not make promises I will not allow you to keep. She breathed in sharply. None will die but one who is not present.

Damien didn't risk glancing at Nyx to see whether she'd been harmed. His pupils were aligned with Atshen's, locked on his figure in case the fight resumed where it was left off, and wishing the boy was stupid enough to try anything so that he could finally end his sorry life. The heat emanates from the dark prince's body forming a cloud of blur around him, but the heart beats start slowing down as Damien takes deep breaths to balance his rage.

Atshen's voice falls prey to Damien's deep growl. It looms like a stormcloud, countering every word spoken by the false silencer. There's no need for a response, for it would be a waste of energy to argue with the child any longer. Hadn't Nyx stepped between them Damien would have already ended him, gotten rid of one problem, but now his blood and effort had gone to waste.

He holds his title by Nemesis' illicit command, he speaks, his voice directed to Nyx as a means to explain why her brother could not be spared. If he does not abide by my law he will suffer the same punishment as his mother,

Despite Nyx between the combating sides, Atshen does not let down his guard. Though his sister was able to separate them, there is something within the dimwitted wolf that warns him that it isn't over yet. Listening, Atshen remains rigid as Damien explains himself, declaring the ember-eyed man's fate. Atshen does not fear the other's words and instead rises to them, his muzzle heightening and his tail draping along his haunches as he glares at the older wolf as if silently stating: bring it on. 

[table width=80%][tr][td]It was usual to say the least, to see Nyx being so passionate about something. Ears pressed to the sides of her head and tail stretched out commandingly, she stood there as a protective wall between them that neither wished to break. As much as she admired Damien, she could not allow the blood of her brother to spill. They had grown too close together for her to simply watch him die in the mouth of a man she was obsessed with. She listened to his reasoning with only two true objective in mind; change his mind and keep Atshen in check.

I am afraid you have not given him much of a choice then. She says in her accented voice, raising her chin. Atshen is... a valuable wolf to me and I cannot allow him to suffer for Nemesis' doings. Her eyes flickered towards her brother, noticing his simply challenging form grow. It was something she knew Damien would not tolerate and so a low growl spilled from her young maw. Back off, Atshen. This is not a fight that will end in your favour and I will not save your ass a third time. She lightly threatened.[/tr][/td][/table]

Tired, angered and cornered against Astrid's wishes, Damien had little else to do than stand down. His growl grows thinner until the rumble in his chest dies out, and his stance releases the tension it's been holding to. But his eyes, pale, cold, mad to exorbitant reaches, hold Atshen's gaze without a single drop of compassion.His voice, directed at Nyx, is low and paused, yet clear and assuring.

"Then he is your burden. I have spoken my will and I will not allow Nemesis' loyalists to stay in my forest,"

Damien had no patience left for traitors. Burke, Akela, Grimnir, an endless list of disgraceful bastards, all of them had dug a little deeper into that wound that Bane had opened the day he left and he was done putting up with it. Atshen could stay as long as he was obedient, but he would hardly, if ever, hold any of Damien's trust. He would always be on the edge.

Though Atshen wouldn't admit it, he found Damien's conditions to be fair. Keeping his eyes locked with the Disgrace's, Atshen gave a curt nod and remained silent to allow the others to talk. For now, he quickly decided that he would do as he was told and keep himself well off of Damien's radar, knowing that that would be for the best. In the meanwhile, whilst keeping to the shadows, he would tell Mother of the incident and see what she would make of it before acting further, knowing she would know best.

[table width=80%][tr][td]Nyx was perplexed to see the bulk of a man that was Damien still and to hear his first threatening growl thin and disappear. The constellations on her face shifted as her expression softened, listening intently to his words with deep appreciation for what he was doing. While she already suspected that her brother's relationship with Damien was one trying to balance on very thin ice and would stay so for, perhaps, the remainder of her life - but, she had not expected Damien to let her keep Atshen.

Thank you - I will make sure he will not get in your way. It was quite hard to speak of her brother as someone in her Dark Master's way, but it was necessary to make her promise last. She would not allow this kind of fight to become a recurring thing and wished not to see who would win if she were not around.[/tr][/td][/table]

With her words spoken, words of promise that Damien would not take lightly, the shadow king decided it was time to give the bastard, the usurper, a rest. Damien was confident now that he could handle the brutish cub without problem, that he could apprehend him should the need arise and that was enough of a safeguard in case that Astrid failed to keep her brother in line. It was important to him that things were under control, the plans were detailed, and this time there was little room for mistakes.

With one last stare held between himself and Atshen, the spider heir dismissed himself from the meeting. Atshen had heard his demand, he'd known his will, and should he continue to ignore it, he knew the consequences too.

The terms of their future relationship had been laid out for the three wolves, and Atshen understood the importance of his compliance as long as he lived within the woods. He felt himself relax the moment that the heir departed from this sight of their spar, his attention quickly panning to his star-kissed sibling. "Thanks," he remarked offhandedly, his ears falling slightly despite the stoic expression he held. 

If this meeting indicated anything for Atshen, it was clear that Atshen would have to consider all of the relationships in his life and what they meant to him in relevance to his survival.