Silverlight Terrace came across a cosmic serpent with hands woven into his hair

AW but maybe @Revui if he can wander away from MSP just a smidge?

He had headed east ever so slightly after no sight of his masked maiden. She had been the one to interest him the most in his stay in the western lands. Although that scrap with the sunshine boy had been rather entertaining...

For now he avoided the mountains the best he could. Of course he had to wiggle over them some to get here but he made sure to only walk on the stone that he needed to. One night he would consider climbing the mountains. Tonight was not the night.

With a huff and no idea in mine, Behemoth continued his nightly adventure.

✴     His sisters, the triplets, were gone. He knew that one of them had been off of the mountain for a little bit and then, when he'd tracked the sisters to Amekaze's company, he learned that there was something amiss. They were gone within moments after that; Revui had tried to keep up, eager to show himself off and go on a great adventure with them, but they were larger and more skilled, and soon left him behind. By the time he'd trailed them off of the mountain he was too tired to continue, so he rested for a few hours, and when the opportunity came to scale his home once more Revui took a chance and veered north instead.

It was a rare opportunity to see the world outside of their kingdom, and rarer still that he would opt to do this without Arcturus present. The boy made sure he did not go too far, and left himself many clues so that he would not get lost. He was just starting to feel the familiar indications of fatigue when he paused, and looked over his shoulder. Behind him rose the great Moonspear, and in his heart he felt a great sense of pride.

When he looked back, he saw a trembling shadow. As he began to follow after the canine shape, he realized that the sky was getting very dark but it was still early — Revui didn't realize that when the seasons changed, so did the sun. He was watching the sky when he heard a sound, like a heavy breath or maybe the chuff of an animal, and began to investigate his surroundings again.


  

He didn't know that someone was nearby. It could easily be blamed to his messed up sleep schedule as of late. He had been waking too early lately and it had deeply disrupted him. Soon enough his schedule would be fixed again though.

That was why it took him rounding a tree to spot an ashy, younger figure. The first thing that always crossed Behemoth's mind was what do I stand to gain? A missing child was worthy plenty but the scent on him told there would be plenty to bargain with. Which meant there was likely more to lose by keeping him.

Pale yellow eyes stayed trained on the younger boy. A low purr-growl vibrated out of Behemoth as he moved a bit closer to the boy. You're brave, aren't you?

✴     The closer the stranger came to him, the more he realized it wasn't just a shadow he had been chasing. They were similar in that respect to much of his family; he thought of the stalwart Hydra, or the smooth-stepping Amekaze, and saw something of them in the way the stranger moved. But when they locked gazes, Revui knew he had to be careful. They had a wild look to them, and this is what made him want to stick around.

When they spoke he understood, but did not retort with any verbal response. Rather, Revui acted physically. The word brave made him lift his head and proudly take up a mirror stance to what he saw his parents use around the mountain: dominance, pride, the raise of his tail and the puffy peacocking of his summer coat. The pose didn't hold for long. He wasn't used to it, and easily slid back to a more relaxed posture. With some heavy steps he drew nearer to the other wolf, tasting the air and prowling about, showing off how young and inexperienced he still was by the clear lack of fear he held. Thus far Revui's involvement with other wolves was reserved to family and he had not yet learned that creatures outside of the mountain-home could be dangerous.


  

It was rare for Behemoth to like someone but...this kid was something else. He didn't speak — didn't wasn't any breath — like most felt compelled to do. Filling the air with empty words. While Behemoth had started the conversation, he did not mind it ending at his starter. He allowed the boy to puff up like some grand king. A smirk tugging on his lips. Perhaps somewhere deep in his eyes was a fondness. Whoever was raising him had been doing a good job.

When the boy drew close, Behemoth puffed up his own stance. Tail danced upward but not fully erect and his hackles fluffed enough to thicken his teenage appearance. His head lowered and tilted to sniff back at the boy in return.

He offered a gentle click of teeth to the air but not in his usually violent way. Instead it was a bit softer and he could only hope what he was trying to teach the boy was soaking through.

Be careful.

✴      Children needed to learn how to behave in the world and for the most part, his family had done their job in teaching him manners. Most of his more beastly behaviors were acceptable among them; they too had accepted he was not a wordsmith, but it took repeated lessons to ward Revui away from something when he set his mind upon it, or to train him in new skills. He did not have the mental acuity of his brother Arcturus, forever the brawn to his brother's brain. But he knew this game — he had played it often enough.

The stranger puffed and filled with swagger; Revui was again reminded of his sisters and he wondered how they would react to such a display. He flinched slightly when they snapped at the air and stopped his pacing, his tail-tip lashing to and fro. Revui understood that warning but he was pigheaded enough to ignore it; or at the very least, he advanced and snapped his own teeth and grinned wickedly through a long smile, as if to say, no, you.


  

leaving it up to you if behemoth actually success at anything in his post.

He softly chuckled at the boy's return action. While he may have admired the boy for such brave antics that didn't mean he was ready to let him get by with them. Behemoth would lunge a bit closer and clicked his teeth a bit more forceful this time, with hopes of giving the boy a pinch. He was not trying to break skin only merely make contact. Perhaps a bruise at most would be left.

His tail swayed over his back with a more playful intention than he had had in a while — but the wild glint in his eye shouldn't be ignored.

✴       He was a fool if he thought goading a stranger would amount to anything good, but so far it was working. Revui relied on his sharp teeth to learn about the world around him, as his family could attest. Many broken toys and squealing siblings later, and he was well on his way to becoming quite the terror. But this instance of playing with a total stranger was so new to him — he couldn't anticipate how they'd react. It was a new thrill, and one that would inspire the boy to greater heights.

The stranger lunged and snapped again, and this time caught him sharply by the scruff, only to release him again and stride around him with practiced finesse. Revui bayed a short, dulled note of irritation as he felt the pinch of it. Then, as the other wolf moved around him, he countered with a style of movement he'd had much practice in: he lunged straight for his target as if to bowl them over.

It worked well enough on Arcturus, and typically the older kids and the adults would play along and fall to his efforts, but Revui would learn that not everyone was so eager to cater to his games.


  

He was pleased with his success but if anything, it seemed to egg on the boy. Behemoth could appreciate the fire that was ablaze in him. Perhaps — just perhaps — the boy was lucky it was the ebony teen who had found him and not someone else.

Granted that statement would depend on just how far the boy pushed his luck with the nocturnal beast.

Behemoth did happen to meet the earth though, if only because he was caught by surprise. He was quick to fling himself back though. Hopefully his size and age would help him overpower the boy. He wanted to switch the tables and get the young boy on the ground. Memories of the sunshine male flashed through Behemoth's mind.

✴        When his siblings fell to him, that was it. That was the game. He would stand proudly over them until they succumbed to his dominance, and then go off to find something else to do. So, when his opponent was caught in his wake and forced to the earth, that was it. He stopped. It was a stupid thing to do but Revui didn't know any better — he stood over the teen with his tail and head raised triumphantly, rumbling a deep but content note in his chest, and then took his eyes off his target.


  

He forced his weight against the young boy the moment he looked away to take him to the earth. Behemoth would stand tall over the boy with his tail curled over his back, staring him down with pale yellow eyes. Jaws parted to expose all of his ivory teeth. He hoped that the threat of danger was very real to the boy. Even if Behemoth didn't feel like fully acting on it. Giving him a scar (big or small) was enough for the ebony male.

It would only last momentarily though before he pulled away and backed up from the boy to give him personal space again. A soft boof escaping him as if he was checking up on him.

✴         The sudden application of force brought him to heel quickly, and the large boy came crashing to the dirt without a hitch. He was perplexed for all of five seconds before he realized he was down, and as he stared up at his attacker his face darkened with frustration as well as the cast shadow of the stranger. He flashed his own teeth when he saw the bared fangs of his opponent, and was rolling back to his feet as soon as he was given space to do so.

This didn't go over well with Revui. He wasn't usually pinned like that. Of the children he might've been the most physical, and he lorded his weight and his might over his siblings whenever he could. To be brought down with one push was enough to set him off; his spinal fur spiked and he rumbled a warning — but then he tried again, launching off the dirt at his opponent.

This time he was aiming low because his body was low, and it wasn't the usual way Revui fought. He went for the legs first and snapped at the stranger's hind, hoping to grab something and pull the proverbial rug out from under him. He refused to lose.


  

He felt teeth latch onto one of his hind legs and, reasonably in his mind, this flared Behemoth into a more aggressive mode than he had previously been in. A loud snarl ripped out of his throat into the air. If the boy wanted a real tussle than he would get one.

Behemoth turned his front to try and latch onto the boy's scruff. The older male wanted to yank the boy off of him if it was possible. The angle was awkward though and the possibility of them going down together was higher than he usually would have liked to deal with.

✴         Rough-housing with Revui always became too rough, and the twins were always the first to back off from whatever game the boy had instigated. Arcturus kept up better with his aggressive mannerisms, but would always buckle in the end. Perhaps this gave him an inflated sense of his own strength and ability; but when the stranger turned on him and defended himself with more ferocity than previously shown, Revui was all for it.

It was good to finally have a playmate that would not back down. The sound of teeth snapping by his neck made Revui lunge away but he did not stay back for long. When he tried to bring his opponent down again, this time his attacks were messier and did not land as often as he would like — but pairing that with the other wolf's awkward position meant that they did indeed fall, and he would serve as the landing pad. It was one thing to successfully trip up his opponent, but it was clear that Revui hadn't been thinking as he struck because soon the pair of them were tumbling together.


  

A soft oof escaped him when they met the earth together, tumbling like a lively tumbleweed. Any onlookers surely would have been having the show of their life right now. Behemoth could only hope anyone who might have considered prying into their tussle had enough mind to stay out of it.

Instinctively he kicked his legs out towards the boy, aiming to kick him right off of him. Behemoth wanted to free himself from this tangle even if it meant having to continue to get a bit more rough with the boy.

Although he would never admit it, this was even turning out to be a bit of a learning lesson for himself.

✴         There were flailing limbs, paws catching on odd angles of bodies, and maybe even a few good stomps on a tail, but eventually the two bodies separated and Revui was rolling to his side and struggling to his feet. Once he was up again, he was panting and pacing but keeping a good distance between himself and the teen. He was furious. However, it had been a learning experience and a fun one at that.

After huffing and puffing a little bit, he settled back on his haunches as if the entire fight hadn't transpired, and glanced away from the dark stranger, his way of saying okay fine you win. But he wasn't happy.


  

If Behemoth wasn't so exhausted, perhaps he would have held a more triumphant pose. As it stood now though, he was hunched forward panting in even rhythm to catch his breath. The boy had put up one hell of a fight.

Yellow eyes squinted softly (more form tiredness than actual frustration or aggression) as he eyed the boy who seemed to finally be giving up. Anyone teach you? He asked with a slightly raised brow. Did the boy have an actual teacher or was it all from puppy play tussles?

✴         Revui acted as if he hadn't heard the question. He was bothered by the loss, or what he considered a loss, and feigned disinterest for a little bit. Eventually the petulant boy did accept that he was having a conversation but he did not speak. His nose turned towards the mountain in the opposite direction but in the dark it was hard to see; a mist had descended during the chilling night that he could feel beyond the warmth of his adrenaline-filled skin. He chuffed softly and lifted his nose to motion towards Moonspear, and then glanced at the shadow curiously.


  

His eyes followed where the boy had looked to. It was the mountain Behemoth had been avoiding and it seemed it was for the best he had if there were wolves up there. I see. He murmured softly as his gaze returned to the boy. You better rest up and head back. They shouldn't be missing such a good guardian. It was rare that Behemoth gave genuine compliments but the boy deserved it.

✴          This compliment he accepted easily with a lift of his head, a tightening of his jaw. He leveled his gaze upon the yellow eyes of his opponent-turned-companion and then got to his feet. While Revui wasn't interested in following anyone's direction but the rules and orders given by his family, he did want to get home.

But as he turned to head towards the mountain he stopped again, and looked to the shadow, then gave a boof — and once he caught that gaze again, he huffed and ducked his head ever so slightly; it was an invitation. His family would benefit from having this one, he thought.


  

feel free to respond or archive.

He contemplated what the boy was displaying and Behemoth turned to better gaze upon the mountain. Behemoth wanted — needed — to see a bit more before he settled down. Although he was willing to beat if the boy was a proper representative of the mountain dwelling group, then it was the exact place he wanted to settle in.

Soon. If the offer doesn't expire. He answered the ashy boy. Behemoth would stay in his spot until his companion took off and then he would dismiss himself.

✴          He could tell by the way he grew still, rather than actively moving to walk alongside him, that the answer was no. So Revui began to stalk off again towards home, and only slowed when he heard the shadow mutter something contrary to what his body read. His ears pivoted to hear him. He took a deep breath to fix the stranger in his mind in case they met in the future, and slipped along through the dark.