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Post by Kyouran on Jan 24, 2011 0:20:09 GMT -5
[Open to anyone; Requesting Invader Phantom [Ryuujin].] The dusk settled over the land, bringing with it a significant decrease in temperature. The chilly air barely moved as the sundown was peaceful, and only an occasional hoot of a snow owl broke the silence. Glowing uncharacteristically brightly, the full moon reminded of a mellow, night Sun on the darkened sky of Japan. It cast its timid rays down upon the night creatures that roamed out of their hiding places, and one lone form of a pup, which lay still, except for a fluffy tail that would jolt now and then, controlled by the dream the youngster was having.
Naïve blue eyes gradually emerged from under still heavy lids, a bit foggy as Haz was half-asleep, enjoying one of the rare pleasant dreams. One part of him wished he were still warm, protectively carried on Romeo’s back. But the images had dispersed before his very eyes, just as they did in reality a few months prior. Noticing the shivers that started coursing through his body, Haz lazily stood up, not yet quite willing to let go of his dream. Stretching to get rid of the stiffness he felt, the young male pushed back all thoughts of the blue wolf to the back of his mind. That one short encounter with Romeo, who saved his life in the process, impacted him a great deal and he would still feel a slight pang of pain every time he’d think about him. And Haz realized well enough that dwelling on or mourning the past wouldn’t help. It wouldn’t bring Romeo back to him, either.
All of a sudden, a loud churning noise came from the pup’s stomach, reminding him bluntly that it was time for a hunt. With that on his mind, Haz let a satisfied smile grow on his muzzle; hunting was one of the things his gentle body was perfect for. Light built and strong legs made him swift and fast- well equipped for chasing down smaller prey. He held his nose high and inhaled deeply, expanding his lungs with fresh air and filling his sensitive scent glands with a promise of a meal to come. A faint gust of wind rustled his bright fur, and Haz didn’t miss the odour which came from a rabbit’s lair.
Had it been day, the focus on Inuhazure’s face would have been plain as he ran, tracing the smell that increased in intensity with each passing second. The trees and snow-covered bushes became just a blur to Haz, and the soft, pinkish paw pads barely disturbed the dirt and snow underneath him. Once he pinpointed the location of his prey, Haz could relax slightly and allow himself to enjoy the simple act of running that he loved so much; the way his muscles contracted and stretched, how he glided above the ground, almost.
What force he had to thank, Inuhazure didn’t know, but he was no doubt thankful for the dark cloud that sailed across the sky, hiding the moon as he came to a halt. The rabbit was just far enough not to notice the crunching of snow and the rustling of branches as Haz came even closer, skilfully crawling into a bush. As dark as it was in that moment, and with Haz being perfectly still, the smaller animal was clueless to the danger that lurked.
Every muscle in his body tensed as Haz crouched even closer to the ground, blue eyes focused on the rabbit at all times, and he suppressed the urge to growl in anticipation as only seconds separated him from fresh meat. Slicing through the air smoothly, his jump went unnoticed by the prey, at least until it was too late. Haz could almost hear the beating of its heart, racing in fear as the rabbit made his first and only step towards salvation. It sickened the kind-hearted mutt, even though he knew it was only natural. But he was merciful, as much as he could when taking a life. One practised and accurate clasp of the jaws around the fragile neck, and the life left it faster than the blood that filled Haz’s mouth.
Now that the act was over, Inuhazure relaxed and let himself forget his food was ever alive. He tore at the soft flesh with the sloppiness so unlike him, as hunger once again took over the more sensitive part of his mind. It felt good to have warm meat slide down his throat and fill him with pleasure as the need for food was satisfied.
The cloud moved finally, carried on the lazy wind, and the moonlight spilled from the sky to bring Haz into sight. Blood stained his white muzzle as he swallowed the last bit of the meat, running his jagged tongue over it in an attempt to clean himself off. His eyes had lost that hungry look they had, and he again seemed like himself, meek and cheerful pup with sky eyes that reflected good of this world that most couldn’t recognize. Haz stood up, moving a few feet away from the remains, and started digging through the thin layer of snow with the sole purpose of burying what was left of the rabbit. It was the only respect he knew how to pay to the creature he had killed.
Inuhazure felt a tingling feeling in his chest, but this time it wouldn’t be a coughing fit to shake his delicate frame. It was pure instinct, the wolf blood in his veins, boiling, screaming to come out, and before he knew what he was doing, or why, his head rose high, pointing to the full moon above, and a loud howl tore out of his throat, sending satisfied shivers down his spine as it echoed in the night.
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Post by ★Ryuujin★ on Jan 26, 2011 16:57:41 GMT -5
Can't be outfought Can't be outdone A grey nose rose to the air as the maw it was connected to fell open to gather as many scents as it could, tongue inside pulsing slightly with each sniff. With night having claimed the territory from the day's reign, most creatures had wandered off to bed, activities ceasing for the night - and with it, most of the scents that may have proved worthwhile. Which, unfortunately for the canine in question, meant a boring night... again. White ears twitched back in agitation as he laid on the branch he had carefully selected as a perch for the time being - one strong enough to support a steady weight, as he really didn't feel like taking a sudden fall or having to leap up to save his ass. Perhaps that was just him being lazy for the night.
Crossing his paws, he laid his head on them, silver eyes halfheartedly staring at the moon as it ducked behind a cloud dragged along by the cool wind. The night wasn't too terribly cold, or at least he thought it wasn't - it was rather enjoyable... then again, he always did prefer cooler weather, and his pelt was rather thick - so he couldn't complain. With more thought, the more he began to realize that a night of relaxation couldn't be too bad for once, right? He was always running, always on the move, never in one spot for too long - never hanging around long enough to let his scent soak into his surroundings. It was something that he was damn sure that made nobody else know who he was, and he preferred it that way. A loners life, caring for only himself, not having to worry about anyone else getting hurt or hurting him - that was the best life for him. He had nothing to fear then.
But relaxing wouldn't be happening tonight. Ears perked up as they picked up the sound of a shuffle below, head raising from his paws to peer over the branch as a flash of color flurried under him - that color... was it fear? Sudden interest gripped him as he moved to a sitting position on the branch, watching the rabbit run, the color of the creatures aura definitely that of fear. But it had good reason to be afraid, it was being hunted, as he saw moments later, a small pup chasing after it. The sight made him tilt his head -What's this? Regret? Was this pup feeling guilt for filling his own stomach? The thought made Akira snort ever so lightly. This pup would have to get over this feeling if he expected to live much longer, as killing would be something he would have to do on a daily basis, and as he grew, perhaps more than once a day - or at least move onto bigger kill other than a rabbit.
Though he had previously eaten that day, out of instinct at the sudden scent of blood overwhelming his senses, his tongue slipped from his maw to run over his maw in a quick contrast of color, blurring before disappearing back into his maw. No matter how much one ate, blood never lost it's appeasing, coppery smell - one that perhaps could even drive his own stomach to hunger once more. "Tch." Aki watched the pup below with great interest as he buried the carcass, what strange behavior. He knew that it was a great deed for others to give their lives so they could live, but not once had he bothered to bury the carcass - it was too much of a bother, too much work - especially if he never wanted to linger, it was dangerous.
Then, the pup did something that made the canine cringe. As the cloud that he had watched as it was so carefully placed before the moon by the wind was pulled along once more by the same gentle touch, revealing the moon once more - the pup howled. At this, Akira nearly bolted, but something made him stay - instinct once more, perhaps? How stupid can you be, Kid? You're just asking for trouble now! Though, the thought made him think more. Here before him was a pup. Alone. A pup... had he any training at all? ugh... why me....? Shifting to stand on the branch, his claws digging into the bark to steady himself, he leaned to the left a little, his ears laid back both in annoyance and with the attempt to block out the younger one's howl as best as he could. In the next moment, he pushed against the branch, quietly soaring to the ground, landing with little more than the crunching of snow behind Haz.
Without a thought, Akira growled suddenly in a rather snappish manner to hush the other. "Silence, boy! You just made a kill, the scent of blood is already enough to draw others to this area, your howl will only make it worse. And you have no clue what's out there." His voice was little more than a whisper, dripping a little with the emotions of anger and caution as he walked a circle around Haz, silver eyes never leaving the pup's body.
Can't be outmatched Can't be outrun
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Post by Kyouran on Jan 28, 2011 16:08:49 GMT -5
The air froze in one moment, dragging on a second at a time. There was something in the night, an aftermath oh the dying echoes that mirrored one pup’s howl. And he could feel it, even before his keen senses registered the subtle changes in the forest around him. The way leaves rustled and one branch bent under additional weight, and a lingering scent that held a warning. Had he been more experienced or paranoid by nature, Haz would have already bolted, leaving only shallow paw prints as evidence he was ever on that spot. But for the kind mutt there was nothing threatening in the unknown presence, and only a slight movement of his white-tipped ears indicated he was aware of a body landing behind him.
His sky blue eyes widened at the low voice, the said words making no sense to the youngster, as he turned around just in time to see the tail of the canine that started circling him. Haz shifted in place, trying to keep up with the other male’s moving form as he thought about when he was advised. ‘But… why would I need to keep away from others?’ even without looking at him, judging just by his words one could the Inuhazure was young, and while not stupid, still too naive.
When the cold started getting to him, now that he stopped moving, Haz shuddered and stood up, trying to remember if he saw a warm place to spend the night anywhere. The only thing that came to mind was a small cave he noticed a day or two ago, but it was too far away and way too small for two canines to fit in. An owl’s hoot broke his train of thought, and Haz laughed apologetically, just realizing he had spaced out. The other’s presence was making him rather nervous; he couldn’t shake off the feeling he had done something wrong.
A strong scent of something unfamiliar to Haz reached his scent glands, and he inhaled deeply, trying to figure out what it could belong to. It had to be a big animal, he came to realize, since he could smell almost nothing else by that point. And while in was not in his nature to get scared and run even before being proven the situation was dangerous, he could tell this… creature, would not be a cuddly friend to play with. He could smell blood on it, lots of blood. Inuhazure shifted in the place again, not quite sure if he should run or wait and see what would happen. Maybe he was wrong when he assumed the creature would be aggressive.
But just as that thought passed through his mind, the pup heard a loud crash not too far away, as a smaller tree got ripped out from the ground and thrown a small distance away. Blue eyes instinctively searched the other’s silver ones, now truly regretting that one howl from earlier. Seems like the stranger was right for saying he had no idea what was out there. Haz tried to see his face, to see if the other canine had also sensed danger approaching. If the other could smell a bear making its way to them.
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