Thunder Dome fireloam

tagging @Timber in case u wanna join!

shardul prowled angrily through the wending forms of the stone. too close to his chosen home of the cavern had a group of whinging, odorous wolves taken residence. no matter. the cat intended to rout them through bloodshed and torture, and so that cold eve he chuffed for his female counterpart before setting off.

he searched through the growing shadows for a glimpse of the upstarts, lip curling into a silent snarl, and kept himself hidden in the darkness, that he might strike unawares to bring down these giddy foe.

Don't think you'll get someone from Sleeping Dragon all the way over here, so how about a Ryūjin member? c; lmao

When she wasn't roaming the cavern, following the various little streams and making note of where everything resided, she was hiking along the mountainside. It was often she patrolled the borders, keeping an eye out for anyone who appeared to need a home, or encouraging problematic beings to go elsewhere. Her intentions were to keep things calm, create a tribe of peace just as the place she was born into had been. It was with determination and a clear mind that she was able to remain focused upon her goal, and those very same things were what would lead her to soon laying down an official claim.

As Asterr trekked along the rocky outcroppings, she was met with various scents. It was not uncommon for large felines and goats to make themselves at homes within mountainous areas, but she'd yet to spot the prior. Scents could be found, but she'd yet to actually set her eyes upon the predatory beasts. Like many things, the dragon did not fear them. Already, she had a solution in mind in case she were to cross paths with one, for she saw no reason as to why they couldn't all live atop the mountain in peace. There was nothing that forced them to be enemies aside from the competition for prey. Even that, as far as the Draconid was concerned, could be negotiated so neither party was left to starve. The belief of such had driven her to set out in search of the larger creatures, trailing after the most recent of scents she'd been able to pick up.

lol that's what i meant WHOOPS. got them mixed up :) thanks for joining.

he was followed. that was what shardul assumed, given the feathering scent of a wolf nearby, though not behind him. growling lowly to himself, the silver cat doubled back upon his own trail, cutting through the trees with the sole intention of finding the fool who followed. while the dark creature might have thought herself a negotiator, it was shardul she would discover, and shardul did not bandy words nor treaties with the jackals of the forest. 

his yellow eyes caught sight of the wolf, and he stilled the movement of his paws, watching her from the deep darkness betwixt two trees.

Timber had been slightly trailing the scent of the silver male. She wanted to check in with him to make sure her was ok every hours or so. She lost his scent, and quickly picked up on a wolfs. She picked up the pace, blood sounded just fine to her. Maybe this would prove she wasn't a complete failure to Shardul. She quickly saw the wolf, and silently slipped up a tree. Her preferred attack was jumping from a tree, onto the victim. She quickly caught sight of her friend. Damn it.  So much for proving herself.

Asterr w h y... this is not the time for a friendly conversation >.>

The scent lessened and then doubled, leading her one way and then another. There were two, she'd concluded, one of which possessed a masculine odor—the first she'd caught wind of—while the other was feminine. It was fascinating, to say the least, for she'd been brought to wonder if they were a pair. Never had she seen a young cougar before, and there was a slim chance she ever would, but the idea of having them within her home was... enlivening. She was well aware of the dangers that came with such company, and yet, she remained curious of how such an arrangement might pan out. There were numerous outcomes, all of which having an equal potential to take the lead, but very few resulted in positive things. The thoughts were expelled from her mind quite hastily, knowing better than to tempt fate. Draco might watch over her, but that did not permit her to mindlessly welcome danger. If the felines were indeed a couple, they would have to be evicted.

Along the nape of her neck, the fur rose, stopping just above her withers. She could feel eyes upon her, burning down through her inky coat and then chilling her bones. Her movements stilled, bringing her to an abrupt stop, and her ears swiveled in an attempt to pick up on the sounds of movement. She was certain it was not a wolf, or at least not one of her own, for they would not have hidden themselves from her. Cautiously, she turned her head, scanning the surrounding areas in search of the culprit behind her unease. She seemed to catch something, a sliver of smoky furs, but her attention was pulled away from it before she could investigate further.

Something had lured her into averting her gaze to the foliage above, where her eyes were then drawn to the beast hiding within it. It was the very same creature Asterr had been seeking a meeting with, though it puzzled her that there was only one. It was then assumed that the other was the one responsible her previous chill, but the 'why' behind their separation continued to elude her. Maybe they were not a romantic pair, but strangers in passing—she decided to leave the topic alone for the time being, certain that the answer would be revealed to her in due time. Currently, her focus should remain upon the woman perched in the tree, to whom she offered a greeting. "This is the first time I have ever seen one of your kind up close," she revealed, posture showing she was of no threat to the feline's safety (though she was the only who should actually be wary of harm). "Where might your... friend be?" Already it was suspected that the owner of the other scent resided nearby, but the dragon doubted he would show himself to her alone.

timber was near -- he had never thought her a failure, though her youthful fumbling annoyed him somewhat. she was spotted by the wolf, who approached, beginning to speak in a tone far too calm for one facing a pair of murderous cats, and shardul's teeth were bared in the darkness. how dare the wolf ask after him! who did she believe she was? knowing timber would not give him away, the silver cat backed further into the darkness, intending to circle around behind the talkative wolf.

Timber could see the wolf was weary of the lion's presence. The inky wolfs' hair raised, which pleased Timber. The wolf was trying to make itself look larger. The wolf spoke, and she had the voice of a female. Timber smiled, looking friendly. She wanted to vomit, trying to act friendly to a wolf. "This isn't the first time I've seen a wolf." She growled, and gave her an angry smile, baring her large white teeth. Timber had an idea, and let a few fake tears fall. She dropped down the tree, and started to walk forward. "I don't have any friends, that is the scent of my ex-lover. His scent lingers around here." She lied, though it look extremely real. It was physically impossible to tell she was lying. She walked closer, the scent was intoxicating, and it took Timber all her power to to attack. She walked closer, tears still falling down her face. She could still smell Shardul, and this moment, gave him a good opportunity to attack, or at least show himself. The inky wolf was distracted.

Lies.

There came the faintest of voices, almost like a whisper from within her own mind. At the time it'd seemed deeper, and she believed it to have belonged to a man—or, rather, a dragon. It would have been the first time Draco had ever reached out so far to her, so too bad that that wasn't the actual case. While her conscious thoughts had been focused upon conversing with the feline, her subconscious mind had been hard at work; picking up on little details, taking notes of important feats. By the time the beast's paws had touched the earth, it'd already been silently settled that she could not trust the creature. It was small things that had driven he to such a conclusion, such as the fact that the scent of the male was recent. It was not faded in any way just yet, alerting her to his still being around.

Previously, she'd been interesting in arranging some sort of deal with the felines, but if they were dishonest from the start, how could she trust them to uphold their end? Combine that with the fact that she'd believed the voice to have come from Draco—even though it was actually just her conscious pointing out the obvious to her—and her next actions would come as no surprise. She'd waited until the female had drawn close enough, body appearing to be relaxed the entire time, before she'd quickly slipped past the larger presence. The movement was fluid, uninterrupted and swift. She'd been placed before the cat one moment, then a fair distance behind it the next. Her back faced the direction of the tree while her gaze lingered in the direction of the untrustworthy being, having turned her body mid-pass to remain alert towards where the woman stood. Between Timber and the shrubbery her eyes would flicker, certain she was being set up.

"I understand why you have been unable to acquire acquaintances," the dragon voiced, her tone somehow remaining soft and absent of negative influences. "You have lied to me. If the scent were truly that of a former lover's, and continued only to linger in this area, then do you not believe it would be less salient than it currently is?" Asterr had always possessed a knack for picking up on things, details especially. Tricking her was no easy task, for she refused to let herself be so easily fooled.

he was evaded, somehow, and chuffed lightly to timber, to close her jaws. no need for more tales; they were found out. shardul prowled into the light alongside the smaller female cat; his jaws twisted into a macabre grin. "no matter," he purled in a mocking tone to the wolf's attempts at deduction. "it makes no difference whether or not thou wast deceived. thy place is before us, and we to thy sides." 

the shards of yellow pierced with coldness the wolfess before him. she was alone, it seemed, faced with a pair of predators more well-equipped than she, and with murder blossoming like blooded roses in their hearts.

shardul did not believe she would escape.

Timber was quickly told she was lying. She stopped the tears and have the wolf a bloody thirsty smile. She lashed her tail, and took a step closer. "But it did distract you didn't it?" She growled as the silver male appeared. Timber didn't take her eyes of of the wolf, but she gave a friendly growl to Shardul. She gave her another smile, one you would see only in the most psychotic. Ones that have killed and not been caught. A serial killer on the loose. She bared her large teeth and took the smallest step forward, closing the space before them even more. Some new scars would be added to her pelt today, and if the lion and lioness got lucky, this wolf would not go back to tell her home the stories.

Hope you two don't mind, but I decided to roll the die to see what would happen here, aha. Looks like Asterr has to stay and face the music. Y die... y u betray me? Would very much prefer Asterr to not be lethally injured<3
Bonus: Asterr right now ehe

The male appeared once the female's tactic had failed, sporting a silvery coat. Never before had she seen a cougar of such colours, but that mattered little. They were an unfriendly pair, she knew, and would have to be dealt with. How she would accomplish such a feat was unknown to her, yet that did not lessen her resolve. Those who pursued violence for the joy of it would not be permitted atop her mountain, no matter their species. "I had considered granting you access to this mountain, believing we could co-exist in peace," she began, her own body inching back silently with each step the feline took, movements discreet. "However you two have proven that to be a fantasy, something unable to be achieved." There appeared to be no reasoning with them, the predatory looks in their eyes telling her all she needed to know.

Asterr placed a decent bit of distance between herself and the cougars—Timber, especially—before tossing her head back and letting her voice touch the winds. She called forth her tribe members, those she knew capable of holding their own. Her voice rang out for @Jolon and @Frostrar (though Kuro doesn't know what his player has planned for him lmao sorry!), as well as @Winter. She did not call for @Leo, not wishing for the child to sustain any more injuries than what he'd already had in the past. Once her song had died, she lowered her head and waited, eyes never leaving the two beasts as she continued to back away.

Jolon is not one to break promises so I must reply to this thread. shoopdiedoop, this is gonna be mighty interesting :)

Jolon had been walking along the borders of their home, their safe haven, to see if more wolves would come to join. After his hunt with the frosty wolf, Winter, there was not much else for him to do. He hadn't seen Asterr the whole day, but didn't think much of it since she was a very busy female. He thought the bright spirit was lingering around the borders as well looking for more followers to recruit. He sniffed in her scent, the one he had been following to see where the borders were. It was a sweet scent, one who he could not mistake for any other. There was not a single sign that said his alphess was in danger. He remembered what he had said to her about howling if she was in danger, and hoped she still knew. He put his muzzle in the air, looking at the cloudy sky. What a lucky one he was, Jolon thought.

There was a howl in the distance, making Jolon's ears perk up. It sounded like a female, and not like the howl that had entered his ears when Winter showed up at their borders. 2 thoughts went through his head, one being of a female at their borders waiting for someone to greet her. The other however wasn't as positive, as a picture of the bright spirit's lifeless body went through his imagination. He shook the bad thought away, turned around, and sprinted towards where the faint howl had come from. While running, he let out a powerful howl, signing that he was coming. He prayed to the gods that he wouldn't find the raven she-wolf on the ground, covered in red.

As he ran, he avoided the big rocks and almost jumped over the smaller ones. He didn't trust the ridges at all but wouldn't dare to be too late. He had made a promise he would protect her, as well as his fellow followers, and he wasn't planning on breaking it. His tongue was grazed by the winter breeze, as it fell out of his mouth. Panting, he still avoided the obstacles on the ground. He went as fast as his strong legs could carry him. He could see his breath meeting the cold air. he wasn't far away from the place he thought his leader was. 

Finally, still panting, he reached the bright spirit. He could see her black fur, and smelled her syrupy scent. But the female's scent was mixed with an unfamiliar smell, a smell that could only mean trouble. As he trotted closer, he spotted two cat-like creatures. They were threatening his dear leader and friend, but he wouldn't have it. He stepped closer to Asterr. As he reached her, their shoulder's almost touching, he let his gaze fell upon the two abominable creatures. He pulled up his lip, growling in the most threatening way he could. He would not let the bright spirit be dinner today, or any other day. 

Sorry, it got a little long, hopefully that's not a problem :)

*tosses this in here* hopefully this is ok. still ...trying to figure out 'rar's character, lol.

The air was frigid against his thick, coarse winter coat, biting against the puckered pink exposed skin of his aged scars. Oðinn's mark was upon his marred flesh, heavy in the weight of his loyalty to the Allfather. Slowly, the Scandinavian drew in a deep breath, the sting of the cold air against his lungs familiar before he let it out in a slow exhale, his breath rising from his black, leathery nostrils in a steady tendril of steam. He watched it writhe in the air, for the briefest of moments a palpable essence before it dissipated. The northman had kept his word to the dragoness. He might not have actively sought her company since they had parted after he agreed to aid her in finding her pack he had not deigned to be too far away. He had explored the range she had spoken her desire of laying claim too, studying it's landscape and what it could offer them as far as prey went. He had seen two sparse herds, one of deer and the other of elk. They seemed to have claimed feeding grounds nearby. Taking from such a sparse gathering would dwindle their numbers rapidly and it was only mid winter. There were still a few grueling months to come and as if to attest to this the days had grown colder.

Such chill was familiar to him. He was born in the harsh grasps of winter and it was his element. He was adept at surviving, surviving war and winter — of which sometimes were barely distinguishable. Winter could be as cruel as war. The dragoness' howl rose into the frigid air, slicing through it as if her song were a corporeal thing. The Jarl had been expecting her call but the one she had sent out to him and another was not the one he'd been expecting. There was an undercurrent of urgency in her tone, platinum ears cupping forth to the dying sound of her summons. She was in danger.

The Viking was near though another had been closer he saw as he moved towards the gathering. He did not recognize the darker male and at the moment couldn't be bothered to care. He moved forth, hackles bristled along his spine, moving further than where the ebony male had ceased his steps, fiery eyes taking in first the dragoness and her close proximity to the two cats: one of silver and one of tawny. Would the situation not have been so immediately dire he would have offered a witty quip as to her situation ...but now was not the time to tease her. The northman moved to the dragoness' other side, brushing against her side briefly before he boldly came to a stop a few steps ahead of her, head lowered to protect his throat, lips curling back from his sharp canines in warning. He was not boisterous about it as the other male had been: did not accent it with a growl nor snarl. It was not the stoic berserker's style. His message was clear: it was not a challenge to her rank but a show. He was prepared to fight for her and to get to her they would have to go through him. The cats were larger but they were also outnumbered.

the woman continued to babble -- shardul exchanged an incredulous look with timber. before he could step forward and rip out her tongue, however, the wolf howled for her fellows, and was joined summarily by a pair of brutish creatures. against two wolves would the cats be evenly matched; three jackals pushed the limits of reality even in shardul's maddened mind. he looked to timber then, wishing to know what she would do -- fleeing was something he did not wish to do, but it meant that they could melt into the shadows and return another time to strike.

the game of it, after all, was the seductive aspect of it for the silver cat.

Timber caught the look, she wouldn't speak until told from here on. Her tail continued to lash as a comrad of the girl joined. She was all in, and she wouldn't flee. She bared her teeth more, but remained still otherwise. She was curious to see what the silver male would decide. A few extra scars on her pelt wouldn't be that big of a deal, so if signaled, she would dive in.

It had not taken long for two of the three she'd called for to arrive, and though she gave no verbal greeting, her expression made it known that she was glad to see them. Though they'd made it clear they were ready for a fight, she remained there with a neutral look in her eyes. The felines were large and, though they were outnumbered, she could only imagine the type of damage they were capable of inflicting. As a young child, she'd heard tales of those who'd decided to throw themselves into battle against the competitive predators, and hardly any had ended well. While the wolves had numbers on their side, the mountain lions had something far more dangerous; bloodlust. The female of the pair seemed to demonstrate the most aggression, and so it was she that the yearling would wish for her tribe members to avoid the most.

"I will give you a chance to leave these grounds," Asterr voiced, words directed towards the silver cougar. While the woman had been more aggressive visibly, the dragon had noticed her glances towards her companion. It was the male who was the more dominant of the two, so if they could get him to leave she was certain his friend would follow. "Numbers are not on your side, I would advise that you decide with caution." She wished not to risk harm befalling her companions, but there was no denying that the cats had to go. Though peaceful by nature, even the small girl would fight to drive them out of their home.

Not long after Jolon had joined his leader, a silver male who he did not recognize joined the other side of the bright spirit. Jolon assumed it was one of the tribe members he hadn't met yet, for he did only show aggression towards the cats and not towards Asterr or Jolon. His way of showing who was boss, however, was different from the way Jolon had did it, for this male did not growl. He just stood there, threatening the beasts with only his big build. He had scars, probably from past battles, but didn't look older than 12/13 moons. Jolon was impressed with this younger male's actions, but couldn't admire his behavior for long, for the warmer colored cougar was ready to attack. 

Before the big cats could try anything, Asterr spoke up giving them a last warning. Jolon had been waiting for a bit of action, but if this encounter could end peacefully he would be just as, if not more, happy. Jolon snarled, this was his last warning too.

she gave him leave to go. shardul showed his teeth unto the wolf-woman in a smirk of disgust and dark amusement; a moment before, he had sensed her nearness unto fear. it was only with the calling of her dogs that she gleaned such confidence, to command him and offer shardul the mercy he surely would not have showed. to timber he gave another look; then to the beast that threatened him with bared fang, and the second who snarled a wordless warning.

the silver cat was greatly tempted to attack, but knew it would end quite badly for himself, even if he were to score marks upon the three jackals. and he would not have his companion mauled; she had been a good and faithful servant these past months. "very well," shardul purred in tones that dripped with poisoned honey. "we shalt depart thee." he did not taunt her, nor did he make mention of his intentions to return.

the argent cat began to back for the shadows, knowing that timber would follow suit, but his eyes burned with hatred and vengeance toward the wolfess.

The girl looked between the two wolves. Her heart and mind said attack, but she knew her body would suffer from her actions. When Shardul admitted their retreat, Timber have one last nasty glare, and followed behind the silver male. She was angry at the retreat, failure still clouded her. She would quickly have to prove herself to the man, even if he expected nothing of the sort, she would do this for herself.

An agreement was met, the cats would leave. However she couldn't help but feel as if it would not be the last time they saw the felines—perhaps it was the way the male had spoke, the look in the female's eyes, or possibly even paranoia. No matter the cause, the fact remained that she felt an uneasy feeling settling into her bones. It was not nearly enough to have her wishing to pack her bags and head for the hills, but it was something that would remain. Not always being prominent, but always being present. Only when the threat was permanently neutralized would she forget of it, though she could not imagine a day in which such an event could ever occur. To bring death upon another? Unspeakable, honestly, but... she felt uncertain of her resolve.

Asterr had waited until the felines had placed some distance between the two parties before murmuring, "Perhaps they should be followed..." It would be only to ensure that they had left the premises, but she did not directly request either of the males to follow up on her words. It was nothing more than a suggestion, for she believed that the silver cat was wise enough to know what battles were better walked away from. She could care little for the actions of the fawn one, having already presumed she'd constantly follow the lead of her dominant counterpart.

When the cougars could no longer be seen, she'd glanced to her tribe mates (given they hadn't left to pursue the cats, of course) to offer up a silent dismissal. They were free to return to whatever they'd been doing prior to her calling, meanwhile she planned to head towards their borders. The scents marking them would need strengthened even more now, if only to serve as a better warning for other predators. Wolves lingered on the mountain, and Asterr would not permit beasts upon their lands.

Jolon watched as the dominant male left, bringing his companion with him. As relieved as he was, he did not look away till the both of them had disappeared into the shadows. He was disappointed in the cougars, for he felt they stood a chance, even with the numbers not in their favor. He was happy though that it hadn't ended in useless violence and bloodshed, but rather in a peaceful way. No-one got hurt physically, mentally he was not sure, for the male cougar didn't seem happy about the deportation. Maybe they had hurt his pride a bit, but it was better than an open wound dripping in red. 

He relaxed his muscles again, now focusing on the two wolves that had stood beside him this whole time. He did not recognize the younger white male, but he didn't care for now. He was more interested in what Asterr had to say. Perhaps the cougars should be followed, but Jolon was certain that they wouldn't come back. And if they would, they would chase them off again and again till they gave up.Perhaps. Although I don't think they will come back any time soon. Jolon said with a smile on his muzzle. And if they will, I will personally escort them out, you have my word. He had promised to keep them safe, that also included to not let filthy beasts like the cats into their safe-haven. He glanced at the white male, which he assumed was part of the followers of the dragoness. He knew that he was not capable of chasing away two big cats and neither could this younger frosty wolf. Perhaps they could form a team when encountering these creatures.Perhaps he could help me with that job. He said to Asterr, pointing with his muzzle to the white male.

last for me! ty guys <3

but there was no need to follow; once shardul had removed himself from the sight of the wolves, the argent cat turned and allowed himself a great lap of speed to carry him swiftly from their borders. for the first time, shardul was unashamed of his retreat; he had already mapped the lay of at least that land he had seen, and he vowed within his black heart to return. 

presumably timber ran beside him, or not far behind; the savage pair would regroup at their cavern. bloodlust beat in his breast, deeply and wantonly; his mouth watered for the anticipated taste of wolf's flesh.

Timber followed at his pace beside him. She lashed her tail as she ran, still bearing her teeth. She took one last glance as she exited the territory. Oh, they would be back, next time with a clearer plan. She no longer worried about scars, and now forgot about the pain that came with an attack. Her black her dark heart pumped the black sludge through her veins, no one would take that away, she would die on her own time, when she was ready, not in the paws of a wolf.

Last from me, too~

She nodded, wordlessly agreeing with the dark male. Hopefully they would stay gone, for she wished not to risk another run-in with the felines. Sure, she had been able to call for assistance, but what if it had been another? Leo, by chance? She couldn't live with him being injured again, especially since she'd sworn to protect him. Despite that, she did not insist upon the cats being followed. She'd dropped the topic, deciding it best be left alone for the time being. If they showed their faces again, actions would need to be taken, but for now she would let the incident slide—somewhat, anyways. It still remained present in her mind, far from being easily pushed out of her thoughts.

The girl glanced to Frostrar for a moment before her pale gaze flickered back to Jolon, considering his words. In truth, it was not her decision to make. Well, actually... given her role as the chieftess, she very well could test the waters and see if her direct orders would be obeyed or not, but that just wasn't her. "If a time ever comes for that to be needed, I do hope that you both will be present in order to assist in the driving of the cats from our land," she voiced. "However, I will not force either of you to do so." It was all she would say on the matter.

Asterr gave the direction the cougars had disappeared in one last glance, letting her eyes linger on the space she'd last seen them. One could only hope they never returned, lest they were fully prepared to be shown no mercy. Such vicious thoughts were quickly dismissed as she'd turned around, giving her farewells to both of the males. "I will be along the borders if needed," she'd informed them, her purpose for choosing to do so quite clear given the events from moments ago. Without so much as another word, the dragoness took her leave and headed away from the felines, eager to begin strengthening their scented warning.