"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
The hellhound can no longer be confined to the autumn kingdom. His thoughts of the current activities of late within Beqanna stir his mind, making him restless. It is only the call of the hunt that seems to clear his head. Not even Valdis seems to cross his mind either today.
He hungers for the thrill.
But he hungers for more than flesh and blood.
He hungers for more than what he has.
For what Sylva is too.
The transgressions of rules and obligations no longer seem important to him. He once had followed the path of loyalty blindly, but when he had the chance to open his eyes and see the truth he never turned back. The rules of civility and obedience to the laws of Beqanna are becoming useless and less with meaning to him now. What is the point of rules and laws if not to be broken?
He longs for stirring the quietness, the silence that has grown in the wake of the plague that has finally settled. There has been peace for too long, but there are things he must first take and make his. Sylva has been undermined for too long, even when opportunity had been given, he had been denied it.
No longer would that be the case.
He will have what is his.
Eventually.
The summer day is warm. He can feel the hot beaming rays of sunlight on his dark body as he prowls through the lush green meadow. Red-yellow glowing eyes scan across the meadow as the sun hangs mid-afternoon, lighting every part of trees and green plants. He licks his lips slightly as he glances to each creature that stirs and lingers within the meadow today.
Sinner can taste the thrill already. It fills every vein in him, teasing him with the adrenaline and the delight it brings him each and every time he goes in for the kill.
He might not get his fill for glory and what he desires, but today he will have his fill of a hunt.
Unless there are other opportunities that hide within the shadows today.
02-05-2019, 05:26 PM (This post was last modified: 02-09-2019, 04:54 PM by Caelestra.)
Caelestra
The pleasant warmth of summer was comfortably sweeping away the remnants of dead flora, left behind in the cold weather and harsh wind.
The carnivore is as active as usual, her large body moving across the terrain at a slow pace, her small black nose softly brushing against the green vegetation.
She has no idea as to why the meadow lured her back in, perhaps the seductive scent that baited her nose into the expansive land, always calling her back in.
The bear lurks in between the bushes that frequently provided shelter for her, moving in and out, a soft grumbling tone on the rise as she gently pushes the flora apart. At least, for now, she would be able to rest, or perhaps forage for berries.
At this time of the year, berries were the main source of food for the bear, the abundance of it rendering her need to hunt almost unnecessary, unless she was going to hunt for the thrill of it.
Her life at this point seemed pretty uninspiring, a rather continues routine that played on repeat each day. The only thing that had made it bearable was the ability to shift into her bear form, something she was quite used to staying in.
Yet today seemed like it would bring something different to the table, a new scent, a new stranger for her to investigate.
A smile gently decorated the edges of her dark snout, her eyes placidly placed in the direction of the new aroma, a sweet disguise waiting to be unravelled.
The bear sets out almost immediately, her body lifted high as her pace increases, following the direction of the scent.
She patiently waits for whatever lurked in the meadow today to reveal its identity, the bear waiting patiently by a large tree, her body resting against the trunk as she looks onward.
02-10-2019, 01:32 PM (This post was last modified: 02-10-2019, 01:33 PM by Sinner.)
there is but one rule hunt or be hunted
The summer wind sweeps across the meadow, carrying the scent of something new and unexpected. It is sharp and sweet at the same time. Holding an aroma of flora that draw him in like a seductress (or perhaps the need to hunt disguises this scent to lure him in). The hound’s gaze flickers across the land as he moves readily across the meadow from the shadows of the border.
He moves with ease through his old, yet familiar hunting grounds. A home he once called his own before finding his way into the autumn forest and living the life of a kingdom-dweller. Sinner does not forget his hunts here. The thrill that filled him from the beginning Pangea had fallen into the ocean and called the wild of Beqanna his domain.
The hellhound’s gaze scans the horizon of the meadow with anticipation. His nose sniffs out with eagerness for the scent of flora. The wind pushes and pulls softly again. It sends the new scent directly his way, filling his nostrils. The aroma welcomes him, invites him to come forward. Sinner accepts it with keenness as he prowls forward at a quicker pace.
Just within the distance he finds the familiar large tree. Underneath the tree there is something large, fury, and brown. Sinner inhales the scent again, licking his lips as he tastes it too. His eyes flicker with satisfaction. A delicious meal, or his ending. For the large beast looked too much for himself to take on himself.
He doesn’t shy away though.
Sinner continues forward. Making his way towards the large brown beast, while he reveals himself into the sight of those that visit the meadow today. If he could not take on the large beast himself, what was the point of remaining in the shadows?
“Good afternoon,” his greets once within speaking distance to the large beast. Sinner holds himself back in comfortable distance. While he may be a predator, there were also things that would hunt and hurt him too.
Anything good usually didn't last very long, apparently even the art of sleeping was something waiting to be interrupted, her eyes open with a dreary glance, her eyesight wavering for a moment as a figure comes into her vision "Don't you know that you shouldn't wake a bear?" she laughs as she rises into the air, stretching her fur covered body with a yawn "A good afternoon it is for sure" she exhales as she moves to turn toward Sinner, his full figure now clearly visible as she rises onto her haunches, an instinctive behaviour when she was trying to get her bearings.
The brown female scratches her side before lowering herself onto her feet, her body slowly lumbering toward the stranger "Well aren't you going to tell me your name?" she shyly smiles, laying down in front of him in a relaxed manner, another yawn escaping her snout as she stretches once more.
"I'm Caelestra" she pushes her way through the moment of silence before the stranger could even return an answer "Or just Cael, whichever you prefer really" she nods as she looks back up to Sinner "What about you?" she asks inquisitively, her head slightly tipped to the side as if she was a horse once again.
It was quite nice to be able to meet another animal who was able to speak, then again, most of the animals she had met was helpless deer. The thought is fresh in her mind, she wasn't too fond of hunting, usually picking out the berries that grew in the forest, but the taste of flesh was something that always drew her in, the aroma always lingering around her.
She focuses her attention on Sinner as she stands up, making herself comfortable as her ears gently pivot to listen to him, a smile spread across her face in a friendly manner.
It seemed this bear had more than just a predator appearance, but was friendly. Was that even a thing when it came to predators? Sinner has been nothing but a hunter his entire life. He was sculpted and fed information to only serve the darkness and cause destruction. The hunter within him was his very innate nature, and noting would truly ever change that.
The hellhound remains where he is. Although he is a bit startled by the very thing of the beast and actually how large the bear is compared to him. But if the situation became dangerous, he likely could make it out alive. The way the bear moves only indicated she was not going to be fast as him. Then again, those sharp claws told another story.
“Are you bears always this friendly?” He asks with humor enticing his words.
He never met a bear before, but her friendliness was more shocking even ever. Perhaps not all predatory looking creatures were as dangerous as he was. Beqanna was full of different creatures and some of them entirely were something he could not quite figure out. But he doesn’t dwell on the wonders of Beqanna and those that it holds. He makes his own world and master it how he wants it to be.
“It’s nice to meet you Cael. You can call me Sinner,” he says before falling silent. He peers at the female bear for a moment. Sinner still stands on edge, though he does not make it known of his discomfort. He would never let another see his weak side. Not like his father had shown his mother his soft spots.
The mother rises again as she notices Sinner's lips move in conversation, her ears listening to pick up whatever he was going to say.
His reply amuses her, the smile she held quickly turning into a smirk as she continues to listen to the male, his name is Sinner. A very interesting introduction for sure.
The female holds the pause for a moment, she is in control of their conversation now, she enjoys the silence for a moment, her smirk turning into a toothy grin as she lurks closer to the male, her breath close to him now as she pauses, still strangling the silence until her voice breaks through the mist of quiet.
"I'm quite sadistic in my opinion" she licks the corners of her muzzle as she pauses "The smell of flesh drives me" she returns to a smile as she pulls back, a laugh growling at the base of her throat.
"Well, it is nice to meet you Sinner. Don't worry, the only flesh I enjoy is of deer, or those who tend to annoy me" she lets a short laugh escape before sitting back down on her haunches.
"Most days I'm just a fat bear who enjoys gorging on berries" she continues, looking away for a second as the temperature changes "No need to be scared of me" she smiles again, continuing her risky play, her bold character allowing her to get rather cocky, constantly nipping at the tension in the air, something that usually led her straight into trouble.
She knew that if the stranger decided to reply aggressively next she probably would not be able to fend him off for long, she is no good at combat, usually spending her days gorging on food, sleeping and annoying others until they give up.
Today she was delighted to have Sinner as her new project.
He remains where he first is still, though he keeps his gaze carefully on the brown bear who calls herself Cael. She moves freely and with ease. There is nothing that seems to bother the female bear either. There is no fear, but does that mean he should not be afraid? Sinner doesn’t know quite yet, but he does not let his guard slip. He never does.
Cael’s answer is warm with her tone of words. But her words give off another sense that may send others fleeing. He knew bears were to be aggressive, but just how aggressive was not really ever mentioned to him.
The hound smirks at her words. He picks up her humor as a laughing growl escapes through her lips. Cael makes herself comfortable in front of him, but he still does not move from his position. His muscles easily tensed, but they gave off the impression that he was comfortable from where he was. Sinner had perfected the technique over the years, especially when he had flourished into becoming more of a master of hunting and manipulating others. It was a necessary skill, and even more as he continuous to wear the crown of Sylva.
“Sounds like a great life to be a bear then.” He says with a smile, pushing past her words of not needing to be scared of her. Does she know? Sinner asks himself, but he knows his fear is not always displayed so easily. Fear was entirely out of the question for him to fully live in. The hound was always so sure of himself.
He laughs at her words of being scared now. “Usually I am not the one being told that.” There had never been a time where he should not be afraid of another. Sinner has always been fearless and sure of himself in this world. It was always others that had feared him. He was the predator, the hunter that was the ending of their story.
“I’ve always scared others instead,” he continues from taking a moment of silence. “I am not really one to enjoy gorging on berries though.” The hound lets out a soft laugh, feeling a bit of himself relax now in front of Cael. “The feeling of the chase and the smell of flesh drive me.” He says referring earlier to her words before.
The bear is still basking in the sun as Sinner speaks, body stretched out along the high grass, colder winds sweeping the floor as autumn begins its arrival.
The carnivore looks toward the beast as he speaks once again "Yes, it can be rewarding. But most of the time it usually deters folk, but I much rather remain in this state than any other" she returns the smile as she sits up, a little more formal now as she tunes in to the conversation.
The male continues, now replying to her previous mentions of fear, he states that he is usually not the one being told to not fear something, Cael smiles with a nod, cutting into the silence"I am not surprised" she allows a silent laugh to pass through her throat as she sits up.
The male then says that he is usually the one scaring others, a brow raising as she looks toward him "I am usually the same, but rather than switching into my equine form I prefer to stay like this" she nods, a gently frown making its way on to her face "As for berries, they're great for when there is no prey around" she laughs in response to his, her smile makings its way back across both corners of her maw.
The beast now seems a little calmer, there is not a whole lot of difference to indicate it, but Cael can feel the air around them cool down.
The male then talks about hunting, the feeling of the chase. The mare looks toward him intently, her head nodding "Oh yes, I love to hunt, although it can prove difficult sometimes, especially with nimble prey" she refers to her size, finding it difficult to hide most of the time.
Caelestra now changes the focus of her attention, returning to the male's scent "You rule Sylva, am I right?" she questions inquisitively, making sure her suspicions were correct.
The mare had been crossing the border of Loess to look around Sylva from time to time, although she did not do this frequently, before he can reply the mare cuts in once more "I have been to Sylva a couple times, mostly because I've been causing quite a bit of trouble in Loess" she grins, referring to her current run in with Castile, her rejection of region's current objective.
Feeling more calmer as the conversation continues, the hound allows himself to find comfort in his current sitting stance. His ear perk forward though, keeping careful attention to the movement and words that come out of the brown bear’s mouth. He doesn’t find himself on edge at this moment as he did before. There seemed nothing but friendliness in Cael now, and as the conversation moved forward there was more things they shared together.
“It feels foreign to be in my equine form too,” he says when she mentions remaining in her bear form. There was something unnatural about his earthly form being that of a horse. It was not the way he was made. He was not intended to live his life as a horse, but as a hunter and bringer of destruction. Then again, he had been created to serve and he has abstained from that path entirely now. “There is more freedom and power when I am in this form.” There is fear and authority when he is in his hellhound form. He brings fear and moves with strength like no other when he is the hound he is now.
His smile increases as she agrees about his comments on hunting. There was nothing more thrilling than feeling the adrenaline in your veins, the smell of the prey just inches away, and the high from the kill afterwards. Sinner laughs softly when she mentions her size. He can picture her now trying to snatch up a rabbit or something of similar size. “Bigger animals are a bit of a challenge for me. I guess we have our own strengths when it comes to hunting,” he says with a smirk.
At the mention of Sylva and him ruling, he keeps quiet. His right ear flickers left and then forward. Sinner listens carefully after she mentions creating a bit of trouble in Loess. Her grin is satisfying, but he does not show any emotion except for the smile that remained on his lips previously about their talk of hunting.
“Yes, I lead Sylva.” His words are quick, but he does not miss a beat in answering her questions are showing his suspicion of the new information that unfolds in their conversation. Sinner may be cautious right now, but he will not let it show or change the direction of the conversation now that something intrigues his interest. “And what sort of trouble are you causing?” The hound asks with a laugh. It is natural, but underling he is curious what sort of objection she would create in Loess.
The brown bear nods at Sinner's reply, remaining silent as the beast takes his turn to speak, Caelestra bumping in with her voice once his had closed off "Oh yes, I feel like I can do anything when I am in this form, only sometimes will that transfer when I switch back to my equine form" she laughs slightly as she sits up from her slight slouch, her body acutely positioned upright, her mind reminding her to not remain too relaxed.
Her small ears respond to the recurrence of speech as Sinner begins to speak, everything still as his words echoed toward her, his smirk almost causing her body to shiver, her own smile returning to her once the male has finished speaking.
"Yes, I tend to go for deer. Although sometimes I feel quite confident, those days are for hunting even bigger things" she smiles, referencing to her hunts that consisted of large prey, something that could get her adrenaline rushing.
For a moment silence returns to the pair, closing off the bear's last mouthful of sentences.
Only Sinner's quick and sharp entrance clears the haze, his voice returning to her, his smile remaining painted on his face.
The male is quick to pick up on her mention of causing trouble in Loess, something she would be quite happy to speak about.
"Well" she opens, her words quickly following his, her smile wide "I am not interested in the war that they are creating" she pauses for a moment, holding the quiet for a second "I have let Castile know of course" her grin spreads slyly as she continues to speak, a soft tone arriving at her lips "I would much rather settle things with peace, but they rather choose war. I arrived at Loess to help those who are currently suffering. A war will only bring more suffering and pain, it is not what Loess needs right now" her words remain sharp, the growl she had used when talking with Castile almost gripping her throat now, emerging into her soft tone.
"I will hopefully be able to change things" she looks around for a moment, her eyes dull all of a sudden "Even if it means that I am bound to Loess" her smile doesn't take long to vanish, her eyes returning to Sinner with hope, possibly reassurance, she didn't know what to expect of him.
While her thoughts remain on Loess, she tries to refrain from doubting herself "I'm confident that I will be able to make a change, the small differences will add up. We do not need to fight for healers when we can ask peacefully" she smiles toward Sinner.
She still wasn't sure what would happen to her in Loess, her mind was fully set on restoring peace and avoiding conflict, but that seemed to be failing at the moment.
@[Sinner] sorry this might be super messy but I wanted to get this out while I still had muse for the evening!
