**FORUM PLOT** The Spark of Chaos

[Felypsa]

It was happening.

Keroberos, panting, stood on the edge of the wastelands, looking in. The combined army forces of Shinkou and Akeru had been organized faster than he would have expected, and were now marching through the wastelands in order to get to Giaku. His wings were healed, in part, but not fully; he had been forbidden to join the fight until he was fully recovered.

But when he thought of how this all started, it made him shake with rage and awe…

Somehow he, a Reku of Shinkou, brother-in-law to the great alpha Wyndbain, had crash-landed in their enemy land, Giaku. He still had no memory of how he got there. But while he was there, he had overheard sinister plans to attack his home. Indeed, both packs, Shinkou and Akeru, were in danger. He was about to flee to warn them when he was discovered by one of the Giaku plotters and attacked. Kero only barely managed to get away.

Now he had informed his sister-in-law and the alphas of Akeru of the nefarious plans. Immediately, they rounded up their fighters and began the march. They would have the element of surprise, it was hoped: Giaku would not expect a counter-attack so quickly. Kero let out a long sigh. Who would have thought that the self-proclaimed empire of Giaku would have the gall to attack the Allied Packs? Why now? Was it because of the new leadership? Yet he had met Lacrimosa personally and had thought her quite innocent, adorable even…he could not imagine her being the mastermind of all this.

But perhaps the Giaku advisers were more sinister. In any case, he could not un-hear what he had heard.

The battle—nay, the war—that everyone had been anticipating, yet no one had expected, was about to commence.

~

The news had shocked everyone. But they had no time to dilly-dally. The scouts hadn’t heard anything, but Kero had said that it was a very secretive meeting, deep within Giaku, that no ordinary spy would have had access to. It was wonderful to see him return from such a long journey, but he had terrible news. They all believed him, of course. He was one of the most stalwart, trustworthy wolves in both the packs. Brother of Wyndbain, even. When he cried danger, he meant it.

Novawing, gentle alpha female of Akeru, was in the second wave of fighters. Her dear darling mate, Zydeko, would be ahead of the first wave with Wyndbain herself. This was all happening so fast, it was terrifying. Yet they had to be ready. Giaku had proven to be so unpredictable in the past. They had to be prepared for the worst; they had to expect the unexpected. She was leading the more long-range magical wolves and the healers. She hated to leave her children behind in all of this, but they were being taken good care of. She was more afraid for her mate and twin sons who were both in the first wave.

War was cruel…she was about to enter into chaos. They all were.

[Mama Z]

The time has come.

After all the years of loyal service to the throne. It had finally come down to this. The dried up bone master couldn't help but smile at what lay before him. The earth below him sang the song, the soil already craving blood and the bones..they craved for freedom. Zerxes inhaled deeply. The sound wheezing as he approached the front lines as a lone wolf. He limped, a back leg seeming almost crooked, his boney tail hanging low. He looked so close to his death bed, but at the same time he was so far from it.

The general inched forward until he got to an awkward rock and climbed it. His dark, sucken eyes scanned the front lines of Shinkou and Akeru's combined forces. So full of life, and so many, oh so many were going to die. He looked back toward his own army and had to smile. They were eager. Many of them would die too.

IT was good really. The more that died, the more that he would be able to use to thrown against their enemy. The wobbly wolf jumped down, staggering as he hit the ground. Claws came out of his paws, digging into the earth where he could hear them sing. A shudder of pleasure ran down his spine, delighting him to no end. Licking his lips with a blackened tongue, he tossed his head back and let out a long, somber howl.

It would echo through the world, but as he howled, the world seemed to almost shake. The ground would rumble, spots would break open. And then they would rise. Bones. Some with flesh, some without. Skeletons of the creepiest kind. They would pop as they moved for the first time in ages. Above ground they would all wobble and stare. They were the first wave, meant only to slow and sap the others energies. He couldn't sustain all of them for long, or as often. But if they could bring down Tartarus, they could bring down a few more pathetic wolves.

Gaze turned back to the other pack.

Their move.

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[Wyndbain]

She paced past rows of eager wolves, some restlessly dancing from one paw to the other, others ready in their stance and minds, all waiting for that one moment when the order would be given for them to run headlong into battle. Or were they really eager? War was nothing pleasant or fun. Wyndbain had seen enough of it in the beginning of her life and here she was again, facing the same enemy that had struck down her own family so many years ago.

An ominous howl erupted from the Giaku side and there was movement from the ranks as some of the wolves were startled. Others simply lowered their ears and pawed at the dirt. Giaku was waiting and they were willing to give it to them, if only their leader would allow them.

Wyndbain lowered her head and growled, aware of the many eyes that were trained upon her. She was the alpha of Shinkou, standing in the front lines with her fellow pack mates and waiting to lead them into what would be another bloody chapter in the history of Shinkou's past. Hesitant as she was to lead them to their deaths, Giaku wasn't going to show them the same restraint. Standing here as they were, together as a pack, was the only way to protect their home and all that they believed in. Giaku was here and they were going to drive them out as they have been doing and as her father had done all those many years ago.

She spread her wings and flapped them against the soil, stirring up a cloud of dust from the dead earth of Hiagaru. As if answering the howl from Giaku's as a challenge, Wyndbain threw back her neck and danced up on her hind legs, flaring her wings and letting loose a howl that stirred up the courage of those who stood near enough to see the form of the alpha that would lead them.

[Aveilthé]

Raven would never miss an opportunity to fight by her Alpha's side. She stood to Wyndbain's left, tensing her muscles and feeling the dry, wasted earth beneath her paws. The golden hackles along her spine stood on end the moment her orange and golden eyes saw the demons coming towards them through the dust. One of them howled. It couldn't be helped; she felt a lingering shiver run throughout her entire body.

It had been ages since she had seen war. Alas, there was no surprise in that Giaku prepared an attack. After all those years, it seemed logical that Giaku would plot to thwart them.

The dark Beta flexed her wings and parted her lips, displaying rows of lethal, serrated fangs as she witnessed the dead seemingly come to life. Oh, how she missed the feeling of snapping a demon's neck in her jaws. Soon, very soon, she would remember it.

Dirge stood among the rest of her demon kind, a soldier awaiting the general's orders. She was a battle-scarred demon, but nobody would ever guess that she was a young and supple thing. Horns gleamed on top of her head. Clawed wings were spread upon her pale sides, paws dancing excitedly on the earth. She looked longingly at General Zerxes, ears pinned as she awaited that distinguished order. She looked on in awe as he rose an army of dead things, and felt furiously proud to have Zerxes command her in battle.

[riva]

Mut-iarna panted, thinking, "Good Gods, is it always so hot here?" It seemed only a few pawsteps ago she was at the ocean, and now she was in a... what did her mother call it? a desert. "I dislike these 'deserts', they are much to hot for my-" Suddenly, the scent of something hit her nose. It was distictly wolf in nature. But different, like it was mixed with carrion.

Mu continued to smell the air, how many were there? 6, 7, a dozen? Maybe even more. She started to jog, she hoped she hadn't run into the midst of a pack, not that she could really imagine anyone living here.

Then, she could feel them: paw-pads and claws scrapping up the dry earth, and restless wings whipping up sand. It was a lot more than she had smelled, more wolves than she had ever seen before. She could see a few wolves on the horizon, and she carefully skirted along the outside of the area, a careful distance from the cliffs, "Well, this is just my luck... " she thought, wondering what was going on.

[Felypsa]

The forces were drawing near…and Novawing could see, even from her more distant vantage point, that the army being raised before them now were nothing more than bones, zombies, corpses that had been reanimated for mindless battle. She drew a deep breath. There was no need to feel compassion for them when they would fall: they were already dead and needed to be returned to their natural state. She glanced back at her squadron. Healers and magical casters, ready for the first battle to take place. Her eyes briefly caught her sister’s in there. Echo was looking strained already. It was going to be hard on her, an empath, to be in the midst of chaos as it was happening. But she had volunteered, rather than stay behind: typical.

Not too far away, Nova noticed a lone wolf, lurking behind the march. Giving a nod to her sister, Nova briefly left her squad to approach her. “You might not want to be here…” Akeru’s alpha had a soft, gentle voice; sweet, nurturing, motherly. “There is about to be a great battle between the packs who own this land and those who wish to invade it.” It was more than that, of course. It was about vengeance; privilege; the next bloody part in this lifelong feud. Nova looked out again, across the desert plains, her varicolored eyes seeming to shift like the aurora as she beheld the army of the dead facing them. “There will be many casualties on both sides…neither of us will give up easily.”




The sound of Wyndbain’s courageous cry seemed to fill the empty air of the wastelands. Kero shifted his weight, watching the army of the dead with cold eyes. So this was their first wave. Vile creatures. He hoped that the gathered forces of Akeru and Shinkou would show them no mercy.

A desert breeze wailed in his ear, and normally it would bring him whispers of what was being spoken, but not a single wolf was breathing a word. He just heard some grunts and growls of everyone preparing for the inevitable. Kero’s eyes flew open suddenly. The large Mutatio, lion-like and wolf-like, began to barrel down toward the flank of one squad. As he neared the leaders, where his sisters Wyndbain and Raven stood in anticipation, Kero suddenly pounced, landing in the sand. His paw came bearing down, and a bony head flew from where he struck.

Panting, Keroberos straightened over the form of the assassin zombie that had clearly tried to raise out of the earth and secretly attack his alpha.

“Let the battle begin,” he breathed to Wyndbain, letting all those nearby hear him. “They have already treacherously attacked.”

[riva]

Mu looked up, to see a fae approach her, and she pinned her ears back, bowing her head slightly. She didn't want trouble. However, as this one spoke, she could hear the kindness in her voice, and she relaxed.

"Hm, a great battle, between packs...?" she mulled it over in her head for a second. Her mother had told her stories about the packs on the mainland they had left shortly before Mut-iarna was born. She recalled her mothers voice, on one evening while she was just a pup:

~

"Mu, have I ever told you the story of the mainland packs?' she had said, motheringly, watching her two then-youngest pups play in the beach sand.

She had looked up from her play, her brother, Crucea, still had her ear in his mouth. "No mama." she said, kicking at her brother, trying to free herself from his puppy teeth.

Her mother had gestered towards her children, telling them to come to her. "Well, it is a very important story, dear."

She wagged her tail, she enjoyed stories then. "Does it have magic, mama? and heros?"

She laughed in her silent way, "Yes, dear, of course."

It was then she learned of the demon wolves, of the two allied packs and their rival, Giaku. The great battles and heros and of the land she had never set foot in.

As she had grown older though, she believed they were simply tales her mum had woven to teach her lessons of courage and other such things.

~

Now it seemed, they were not such tales after all. In fact, they were very, very real. She thought to this she-wolf, "Oh, perhaps I can lend a paw then? I know I cannot speak, and my ice magic may not be of much use in this desert, but I can remember the tales my mother told me as a pup. And you seem to be on the side of good, you didn't kill me as soon as you saw me.,and I'm already here, so I might die anyways. Who are you, if I might ask?" she wondered. She did not know this fae, by name or by face. She had hoped she was not insulting her, and that she would not freak out at having someone talk to her via her mind.

[Wyndbain]

"Aye." She simply said with disgust in her voice. Wyndbain scowled at the broken skull upon the ground, kicking it as she moved past, wolves along her sides moving around her and picking up speed.

"As long as I am here, they'll not have Shinkou!" She yelled, pulling back her lips and baring her fangs. She suddenly jumped up into the air and flapped her wings, knocking over one of her own soldiers as he unknowingly rushed too close to the alpha as she took flight. Wyndbain would do far greater damage to her enemy within her own element; the sky.

[Mama Z]

She could have the air. Zerxes gave a smile as he felt the bones around him dance with anticipation. They would solve this battle once and for all. He would have blood and soldiers and they would have disgrace and death.

Working on a silent cue, the creatures that surrounded them suddenly lunged forward. Those with four limbs ran faster than those with fewer. Some even had to crawl. But they were heading right for the ranks of Shinkou and Akeru. Tossing back his head he let out a laugh, 'Giaku warriors! Onward!' Again his words were spoken clearly, traveling throughout everything. Then without waiting a moment longer he too dashed forward, intending to join his minions in the first blood of the battle.

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[Aveilthé]

Wind and dust stung the Beta's eyes. Thick black fur whipped all over her body, now with a light coating granted from the earth. In her mind, she prayed to Etanus that they would all make it out of this alive. Those Giaku bastards, causing their pack grief... they were evil, pure and simple.

"Ha! Those demons will rue the day they decided to pick a fight with us!" Moving one with the entire pack, she picked up speed as they did, watching the movements of Wyndbain and those on the other side of her.

A patch of cloud in the sky had darkened. This was something Raven could take advantage of. And the heat began to build up inside of her, enabling to use her elemental abilities efficiently. As Raven parted her mouth, smoke furled from it, as if the inside kindled with fire. True enough, as the undead neared closer, Raven unleashed a powerful blast of fire. A terrible mistake on her part, but also an advantage; some incinerated and burnt up quickly while those with flesh upon them merely ignited and continued moving forward, burning slowly. Raven saw her error, and cursed, warning wolves to avoid them. There was no time to apologize now...

When the way ahead of her was clear of the undead, the living demons came charging with the same ferocity and hatred she harbored for them.

"RAAAAAAAAAGH!" Cross between a roar and a howl, she charged at the first one in her path. Both connected with tooth and claw, and with a cry, Raven felt her flesh teased and torn by ravenous demon claws and horns. Her pelt began to sizzle with electricity, causing the demon holding her to yelp and jerk away from the electric shock. Snarling, Raven pounced and snapped the demon's neck, instantly killing it. Victorious, she spread her wings, looking to the sky. She had seen that those with wings took to the air for an aerial battle.

Fearless, the pale horned demon shouted her own battle cry, mingled with all her fellow demons that began to charge straight into Shinkou and Akeru. Her eye was upon a great male, who looked half lion and half wolf--Keroberos, the one who unintentionally helped ignite this chaos. He was her target.

[Felypsa]

Surprise shone in Nova’s eyes as the loner answered not in voice, but in mind. Even more surprising was her offer. “If you wish to fight, that is your prerogative…but how would you know you’re fighting for the right side?” she asked gently. “I may seem kind, but there are surely kind beings on the other side as well.” She looked around briefly. “There is still time to escape before the battle begins.” That, unfortunately, was where she was wrong: for just then, the battle cries sounded, and Novawing turned to see the two sides clash already, heat crackling in the air. A grimace crossed her maw. She needed to return to her own position.

“Come with me,” she said to Mut-iarna, her voice quiet. “My people can protect you for now. If you feel the urge to fight, you may of course defend yourself. But I would hate to see an innocent bystander in all of this suffer.” She could not ask that of her and feared that her offer was too innocent. She did not know enough about this conflict to be willing to die in it. “I will see to it that you are safe. I am called Novawing, I am alpha of the Akeru pack.” She motioned with her head for Mu to follow her back to the squadron of healers and spell-casters.




Just like that, war reared its ugly head and roared. Keroberos watched as Wyndbain led the charge and then leaped into the air. Her element as much as his own. Unfortunately, his wings were still healing, and so he was confined to the earth at least for now. To one side, he could see and hear his sister, dark and powerful, clashing with the demonic zombies, showing her wrath. He rushed to fight alongside her, but three bony things jumped him at once. His wings flared out—he could not fly with them yet, but they were still large appendages for him to use—knocking two of them back. The other he crushed into the ground.

They were starting to swarm over him and the others. Kero’s mighty jaw broke through many of their magically-connected limbs. Occasionally he would summon the desert wind to beat against his opponents, but mostly, he was taking them out with brute strength. The wind swirled aruond him, bringing him many hasty updates of the progress of the battle. Bloody cries and pitiful yelps. It was impossible to know which side was winning at this point. Good thing they still had other warriors, fresh and ready for their own attacks.

He stood his ground, never moving, though plenty of bony corpses threw themselves onto him. For one moment, though, he was clear, alone, and he took a deep breath. By chance, his eyes locked with one demon who seemed to be looking at him. Kero growled and only then did he move, but not toward her. No, he proceeded to Raven’s side, knocking back one demon that was trying to sneak up on her. He had promised his brother, Raven’s mate, and himself that he would protect her as best he could. And he would.

[riva]

Mu's ears pricked up, the sounds of battle filling her every bone. She did as this female alpha wished her, going back towards the healers and long-range spell casters.

She sighed with discontent; she wouldn't be able to use her magic here, it was much too hot, and thusly there was no water in the air, nor any in the earth. And even if she could use it, the ice would turn to water anyways.

Mut-iarna was slightly confused by the alpha's words: "There are surely kind beings on the other side as well." If she knew there were kind ones, ones with emotions and feelings and families, why did they fight? She quickly snorted the idea out of her mind, war was something you couldn't logic out.

Though she had been ordered to stay with the healers, she somehow wanted to help. She felt almost guilty, the way she had wandered in here.

So she took to the skies, flying higher than the fighting wolves, even the ones in aerial dogfights. This wasn't high enough to escape the cries of war, she found: the claws on hard-packed dirt, teeth crunching bone, and hard scales protecting those who wore them. They were cries she had never heard before.

She scanned the dust-whipped desert, looking for those who were injured. If they were small enough, she could carry them back over to the healers. Mu flapped her strong, ocean-trained wings, knowing she could at least help in this way.

She hung her head solemly for a moment, saying a brief prayer to the warriors in her native tounge: "Avarethe, zeita dulce de vindecare, va rog sa se uite peste aceste lupi. Si pentru cei care nu poate fi salvat, ma rog la Rhan. Rhan, Doamne Dumnezeule de soarta, lasa aceste saraci sufletele trece prin urca in viata. Va rog.*"

She wondered if any of them could hear her.

* = "Avarethe, sweet Goddess of healing, please look over these wolves and protect them. And for those who cannot be saved I pray to Rhan. Rhan, good god of destiny, lead these poor souls through to the afterlife. And so I pray."

[TheRuddyRaku!]

In the Dark of an alcove in Toai Ruins a sentient being remained quiet, In stasis as It meditated. The gleam of iron shone in the dying embers of an Astheric torch burning feebley. Hyraku stood in meditation, thought and semi-slumber. A vision plagued his thoughts, One of Carnage, a battlefeild littered with bodies, animals of all kinds. Fighting, Dying, roaring, tearing...

Hyraku's eyes shot open in the darkness with a shril breif squeel of metal and three words echoed in his mind :

"Shinkou, Akeru, Giaku."

The large iron wolf's brow furrowed in scorn and metal eyes seared into the Darkness. His paw moved slightly, the first motion the iron beast had made in around two moons, sending his chainmail body veil chinking softly.

"So, they go to war. This... Is not good."

His voice carried quietly across the cavern as more visions of bloodshed and murder filled his vision, almost blending in with his real sight. In his head, The metal Dakkan had to do something about it. The last war he had seen on this scale had caused double genocide in his forreign counterparts between Asthera & Kal'Kathak. He had Vowwed to his own god never to let a war happen, not if he could prevent it. Wolves on both sides would be in agony, he would ease their pain, even if he meant becoming a martyr in the process. HAHA! a Dakkanic Martyrdom.

With that the Behemothic Iron wolf took off into the sunlight building speed, with a low growl toward the wastelands. He covered a pace which would chew and spit out miles at an alarming rate, Causing his metal body to heat with friction and screech uneasily on the ears as his armoured plates ground together with the force of a freight train. Several minutes into this journey he had reached his fastest. the Fel-iron armour so behemothic in weight that acceleration was not his fortei, However now at speed onlookers would Hear a horific screech of tormented metal and a flicker of metalic sheen streaking across the packlands, with a stampede of four paws grinding into the earth.

Hyraku's Maw Moved in prayer as he ran, Hoping Mor'Kheth looked down upon him, And for any Mercy of the gods, that God Krol wasnt staring down at the war with favour...

The iron juggernought of a Canine bombarded through the lesser obsticles in his way, occassionly swerving to avoid something big, But at this rate he would be there soon...

He would Heal those screaming in agony,

Pray for those long gone,

Ressurect those he had a chance to save,

He would put an end to this violence, even if it killed the fel-iron Dakkan himself!!!

[Wyndbain]

Bursts of light from the battlefield below caught her attention and she dove closer to investigate. Raven, a sister of her through Yueh, was doing a fine job on the first wave of mindless, risen corpses. Though some of them had become a nuisance as they barreled towards Shinkou's own front line in a torrent of flames.

Wyndbain adjusted the angle of her decent, heading towards Raven's area. She flared her wings and balked her path in mid-flight, flapping them and stirring up a sphere of swirling winds. With a loud thud, her wings came together at either sides of the sphere and shot it towards the ground as Wyndbain moved away in a midair flip on the aggressive winds. It hit the ground like an explosion as dirt and dust flew into the air and the swirl of winds charged up into the sky like a dust devil. Inside the small vortex the flames dispersed, choked from lack of oxygen that was being pulled out by Wyndbain's ethereal currents and what was left of the skeletal frame crumbled away into dust.

A searing pain spread across her left wing and Wyndbain turned her attention to the source. A Giaku soldier had taken advantage of her distraction and had caught her by the wing. Though Wyndbain ended up taking him by surprise as she lunged at him while still hovering in the sky, well above the battle taking place below. Grabbing her attacker in her claws and trying to bite at him with her fangs, the both of them began to slowly descend as they lost control of their flight.

[Aveilthé]

Raven briefly smiled a relieved thanks when Wyndbain dispersed the fire. That when she saw it... a demon from above intent upon attacking her alpha.

"WYNDBAIN!"

It was a good thing that she had already begun to ascend into the air; perhaps she could help Wyndbain. It proved difficult to reach them... the air was suddenly thick with demons and wolves, all clashing, hurling, and tumbling like bizarre acrobatic birdlike beasts. Snarling, she shoved a stray demon with her body, and the demon slammed into the earth below, knocking a few more demons to the ground with it. Just as she was about to summon a thunderbolt to her aid, another demon came out of no where and proceeded to bite anywhere it could reach.

Raven felt a sear over her face, and knew it to be cut badly. Enraged, Raven let lose the energy building up inside her body. The small cloud above swirled and began to churn with violent lightning. Attracted to Raven's energy, a bolt of lightning descended to the earth and struck down her foe in a dead, crispy heap on the earth floor.

Her energy slowly starting to weaken, she knew it was a matter of time before it was all spent. She had not practiced in so long, and had not exercised her power so that it may last longer in times like this. But she had to keep going... for Shinkou and Akeru... and she prayed that Wyndbain was alright... the Beta was unable to see or find her now in the midst of chaos.

Dirge had seen that the wolf-lion creature acknowledge her with a vicious snarl, but made no move to attack. So be it, thought she; he was a scum of Shinkou and Akeru and deserved the life beaten from him.

The winged demon charged at him, releasing a violent snarl. She was closing the gap between them now... at any moment, her fangs would meet with his flesh.