Chimera Fields drink a cup of cyanide for sweet dreams

@Tzila

he'd been heading back towards the coast when crossing paths with the devastation of a tornado, curiosity striking him in waves as he crossed the line that divided the field in two. on one side was a collection of budding flowers, the soil rich and earth ideal for plants to thrive. on the other was a mangled mess of dirt and stone, the ground torn apart leaving little more than earthworms to survive among the damage.

having never seen a tornado himself, he was lost on what could have caused such destruction. perhaps the same being that had burnt down the forest he'd seen had struck this pasture as well, their wrath with these wilds all too interesting to the inky wayfarer.

After a day or two of thinking, Tzila decided to try and seek out Astaroth's trail. Despite her constant conflicting emotions, she found his company pleasant. It couldn't hurt to stick around and see what would become of herself. Living alone was something she was used to, but by trying stick close, their odds of living a slightly easier life increased.

Trailing him from a distance, the great divide in the plains caught her eye. One side seemed pristine with new wildflowers. The other, nothing but churned up earth. Her brows furrowed curiously at this, but she didn't linger on it too long. She had never been one to express much of an interest in the forces of nature. Spotting his dark form ahead, she released a chuff to get his attention.

the chuff was enough to pull his attention from the torn meadow, golden gaze narrow as he squinted at her approaching form. "well would you look who it is" he called out in greeting, a cheerful smile painted neatly across his features as he turned to face her completely.

it hadn't been long since their last encounter, and the memories were still fresh in his mind. she warned him to stay away, and yet here she was following after him. it brought a rhythmic sway to his tail, a beat that happily played on repeat the closer she got. "i had a feeling i'd be seeing you again soon!"

Tzila had no idea why she was even bothering to trail after the man, whose name was still lost to her. Maybe it was because his cheerful company kept reminding her that perhaps, a small part of herself wanted to be better. She withheld the sigh she nearly let loose. She still had much thinking to do, but today she was not in the mood to go digging deep, examining her emotions. She'd sweep that under the rug and forget about it.

"Hey." She called, closing the space between them at an easy little trot. Her highly carried tail gave away her good mood, her sense of ease. "Looks like you were right." She smiled faintly. "Even if the other day wasn't ideal...on my end, I still like your company." She offered, moving past him to further examine the contrasting plains, but with little interest in her eye.

he watched with interest as the distance between them closed, ears twitching with each word that left her mouth. "glad to hear it, cause we're obviously destined to be epic friends", he let out with a toothy smile and playful wink. he enjoyed her company as much as she did his, even with all of her self-proclaimed flaws.

"heading anywhere specific?" he asked, curious to know if she had a destination in mind or was simply wandering like him. he knew where his ending point would be, but what happened between the beginning and the end was as much a mystery to him as anyone else.

As they neared one another, Tzila allowed her flank to brush up against his. She usually avoided such casual contact, but with this wolf, she felt relaxed enough to let her guard down. "I would hope that is indeed what the future holds." She hummed with a small smile. Though the future was an uncertain thing. It was never set in stone. She could only guess and maybe hope it played out a certain way. And what that was, she didn't even know yet.

She shook her dark head, ears flickering. "No. Unless I already have a pre-planned destination in mind, I go where these paws take me." She sat down beside him, content for the moment to look out past the expanse of burnt meadow to the one side. "I've always been a drifter. But what about you? Have your sights set on anywhere in particular?"

he returned her physical greeting with one of his own - a friendly bump to the shoulder as he moved to stand near to her. so, she'd become a wanderer like him then huh? "i'm heading back towards the coast to visit a friend", he revealed with a motion towards the bay.

"she's an aspiring leader, and i promised i'd visit with tales of my adventures." he'd not forgotten about valyri and her aspirations, and found himself curious to know if her group had grown in size since the last he'd seen her. "want to come with?", he asked then with a tilt of his head, silently wondering if she'd be up to join him on his journey.

Dark brows lifted up in an expression of mild interest. So he was going back to the coast? She wasn't entirely surprised, considering how much he seemed to have liked it there when they first met. If she were to consider him a friend (which she did) and a travel buddy, then there was no harm in tagging along. But he had another friend waiting, one who dreamt of leadership. To say the least, her curiosity was peaked. The corners of her lips cracked in a smile. "I just might."

Her dark tail, held aloft now began to wave freely in the air. "I've been thinking. Since I grew up along a coastline, maybe tagging along is just what I need. Reconnecting with my roots..." It might do her some good and she wouldn't know if she tried. Tzila dove down into a play bow, a move she hadn't made since her early childhood. "But first...tell me about this friend of yours!" She proclaimed, strutting by him with an actual skip in her step. Maybe there was still some salt water left in her veins after all.

he arched a brow at her reply, a faint smile dancing along the edge of his lips. he could use a companion these days, and tzila was about as good a travel buddy as he'd ever seen. and so when she took his offer into serious consideration, he couldn't hide the happiness the tugged along his features.

"her name is valyri", he started as he took after her, his inky tail mimicking her own as it swung cheerfully behind him. "she and her companion are looking to claim the bay", he paused for a moment, curious if she knew of the territory he spoke of. "ever been there?"

She slowed her pace a little, allowing him to catch up. To even pull ahead and take the lead, since she had no idea where they were going just now. "Valyri huh? Well then, you are going to have to introduce me to her sometime." An aspiring leader and a follower, seeking a claim of their own. She wondered, how many devotees this mystery female had already. "I can't say I have. I've largely avoided the coastal areas until now. But I am open to visiting."

She feigned a dash at him, aiming to tap a shoulder with her paw. This play was unnatural for her, yet with him it came easier than she thought it might. "What is she like? What does she envision, for this claim of hers?" Tzila was curious. She would make no assumptions for now, but if Astaroth liked her, then she couldn't be all that bad.

"of course, i'm sure she'd love to meet you." valyri seemed like an easygoing woman and he was sure if given the chance to converse, the two ladies would get along just fine. maybe they'd even become fast friends, who knows? "there are some pretty interesting spots along the coast that we could visit sometime if you're feeling up to it", he suggested with a upwards tip of his chin.

he let out a playful growl at the tap along his shoulder as he silently wondered if this was a continuation of their last game. "she's seems kind and welcoming", he started as he chased after her and aimed to give a gentle bump to her side. "not sure what she's looking to accomplish there though, we didn't get that far into the details."

She gave a short little laugh. "Oh I think my mind is already made up. I may not be super revved up about it yet, but I am coming with you to tour the coast." Tzila would just have to see how long she could handle being around such a familiar environment again, after so long. Maybe she would even force herself to linger. The right paths were often the hardest ones. 

She tried to dart out of his way, but wound up getting bumped anyways, steered only slightly off course. So, this woman sounded nice enough. Tzila would form her own opinion when she met her, but so far she was feeling hopeful. "Then, we should arrange to meet her. See if we get on as well as I do with you." She smirked some. "Speaking of names, I never did catch yours." Everyone in Nightwalkers just seemed either so uptight, unhinged or dead set on being better than you. To say she felt relieved to have put that atmosphere behind her was an understatement. Though free and with less cares, Tzila still would always bristle if she felt challenged personally. "Hm, sometimes that's how many packs start. No plans...no grand visions. You just sorta...run with it and if you are lucky, everything all falls into place."

she'd made up her mind and he couldn't be happier about it. "good, maybe i can convince you the coast isn't all that bad here." he knew her time near the sea had not been the best, but perhaps with him and a neighborhood of friendly faces, she'd come to see it wasn't all that bad. "we can head there now", he suggested with a tilt of his head, curious if she was ready to head to the coast so soon. he wouldn't mind taking the longer route if she need more time to mentally prepare, but if she was ready to go now, then they could be off and on their way.

ah, he'd never introduced himself! "astaroth", he revealed with a toothy smile, silently wondering if she'd return the favor and introduce herself as well. "i guess so, huh?" he'd never thought about starting a pack himself, and so knew next to nothing about what it took to get one up and running. he imagined it took time and dedication, and so found himself easily admiring those who could pull off such a difficult task.

"We'll just have to see. Only time will tell. But one thing that it has going for it is that it is not the same stretch of beach as my birthplace. So it is only fair that I give it a chance." Sheesh when had she gone soft? One month ago and she never would have considered letting her paws come in contact with sand and salt water again. Tzila still had a ways to go, but she was not outright refusing the possibility of turning a new leaf. "I don't see why we can't be on our way, but maybe we should grab something to eat first? Last I recall salt air and empty bellies don't mix well." She grinned, though she was being serious.

Tzila wasn't offended that he had forgotten to introduce himself. She couldn't blame him, since they were caught up in having fun, or on her end, spilling her emotions all over the place. It was an easy mistake and for a wolf like her, who didn't get hung up over formalities, let it roll off her back. Still, it was nice to have a name to match that dark face and golden eyes of his. "Astaroth...it is a pleasure." She gave a mock dip of her head, as if they were being introduced for the first time all over again. "Call me Tzila." With that she sprung away and ahead of him, letting only the tip of her tail tickle his snout, inviting him to give chase while on their way.

he gave a nod to her first set of words, agreeing that she should give the coast another try. he'd not been along the coast for too terribly long, but from what he'd seen, it was a place of wonders. the ocean glowed blue, the stars and moon seemed brighter, and the sound of the crashing waves was like a lullaby in the background. he was sure given a second chance, the sea would not chase her away again.

still, she had a point about grabbing something to eat. as if on cue, his stomach let out a rumble at her suggestion for them to catch something first. "sounds like a good idea to me", he let out with a laugh, on slightly embarrassed at how loud his stomach had been. "tzila", he repeated after her, making sure to commit her name to memory as she let her tail tickle him to the point of a sneeze. and with that they were off, him chasing her until eventually they grew tired and set off in search of an easy meal.