**FORUM PLOT* Spark of Calamity

[Aveilthé]

It all happened in a stunning blur. One moment, she was lying in wait as a maiden for her lover. Next, she professed her love to him, he who instantaneously became the new Emperor of Giaku. By her side, he will forever remain. And their love will grow beautifully.

And then, as she and her mate approached Charon about with the happy news, Lufelon the Olu came to them with great urgency in his eyes. His voice resounded throughout the chamber, critically emphasizing this dark event unfolding.

When she learned that Shinkou and Akeru were waging an attack upon Giaku, she felt her stomach drop, and her knees wobbling precariously. Staring silently at the wall behind Lufelon, she turned her head to her family. That was when she rose her head tall and proud, all manner of happiness of the day evaporating quickly.

"Let them come. Giaku shall embrace them with great rapture."

Since then, she bade that Ammon follow by her side to the grounds of Giaku, where she would assemble the generals and amass their army. She looked to the towers, where she was sure that Charon could see her. He would no longer support her now.

The armies under Zerxes were the first to march. Lacrimosa looked on upon a grand pillar of stone next to her mate, a very grim, old look seen on her features that should never have graced the visage of an innocent young wolf.

"Ammon, we must act fast. I shall go forth with my soldiers and meet our enemies. You shall stay here where it is safe."

She looked her mate in the eye. Although it had already been a day, she felt like it had been hundreds of years that they had been together.

[demin]

The day had gone from the single most joyful one in his life to the worst, the day he had lost his limbs paling in comparison. Despite this, Ammon walked proudly by his Empress, his mate, the leg Charon had given to him making a beautiful ding each time it hit the earth. The sound was so out of place in what was soon to be a battleground where hundreds would fall and die. A side of Ammon that even he did not know exist had now awoken. The newly crowned Emperor hungered for battle, lusted to feed the blood of the invaders to the very land they sought to destroy, and what his mate had ordered of him made him stare at her in surprise.

"My Lady, this is my home as much as it is yours, and I won't cower here while you are fighting. I am Giaku's Emperor, and I will fight alongside its Empress."

Ammon looked back to the assembled armies, and though he did not hold the prejudices the older members of Giaku did, his pure black eyes burned with rage at Shinkou and Akeru's intrusion. He would fight, he would kill, and he would do so without remorse.

[Aveilthé]

For what seemed like an eternity, the Empress looked hard into Ammon's eyes and saw truth in them. She knew that she could forever trust him. And with that, she dipped her head. "Yes, my Lord. Together we shall face them, and if we should fall, we shall do so with great grace and dignity." She lifted her head once more. "Let us assemble the generals and discuss a plan to barricade our lands. The surrounding canyons will do much of the work for us, but we need an army surrounding it. I suspect winged wolves may give an aerial attack. And I pray to the gods that General Zerxes will stop Shinkou from marching further..."

She looked on to the canyons in the distance. They were so very small to the eye, but up close, they were massive in height, and virtually impossible to penetrate by a wingless creature.

Lacrimosa rose her head and howled an urgent song to the generals, requesting that they come to the pillars where she and her mate sat upon.

[Addykins]

It was not only Lacrimosa whom had grown and became a strong youth. Thanatos had become a very fine young Druin, his gleaming coat bright against the drastically dull region that was Giaku. At Lacrimosa's urgent cry Thanatos had decided to find his cousin and assist her with whatever she needed. His large body lifted up and his long legs propelled him forward at a soft trot. He held his tail inches off the ground to keep the pearly white scales on the underside of his tail clean. His thick wavy gold fur glinted in the sun and he held his fine head high, his orange and blue eyes narrowing as he found Lacri with another wolf he had met briefly by her side. And then there was Lufelon, a wolf that Thanatos hadn't really cared for. He approached the Empress and gave a bow of his head. "Lacrimosa, its nice to see you again." He turned his head to look at Ammon. He had always liked the wolf, sometimes tagging along with Lacri and Ammon when he was a younger pup. "Ammon, I see your doing well" He glanced down at the new leg Ammon was sporting and grinned at the wolf. However, the druin ignored Lufelon.

Sitting before Lacrimosa the young druin looked over his shoulder at approaching figures. "So, your highness, what has gotten all this commotion going?" He looked back over to his cousin. Was there some sort of rebellion? Or a fight? The thought excited him as Thanatos had just recently unlocked his own powers. And he was quite eager to use them in battle.

[Le Mad]

It was a day of tension. The air was thin, as if one couldn’t get enough oxygen in just one breath. Hearts quickened as the news spread like wildfire throughout the empire. Panic, too, spread just as fast. The residents of Giaku were either terrified or skeptical. It was just the beginning. She’d heard it from another Besheika Demon, that Shinkou and Akeru were planning an attack on Shinkou. It was all Arche could do not to attack the creature, but she needed to get to her Empress. She had begun her search, attempting to find her empress when, as if on cue, she heard her howl ring throughout Giaku.

Picking up on a run, the General sped in the direction of the howl. Her dusty navy pelt quivered as her muscles rippled underneath it. Her speed was almost unbelievable given her size, but she achieved it with ease. Archebane could see her Empress and Ammon, her newly appointed Emperor. She didn’t fully trust him yet, but it would come with time. It didn’t matter now anyway. She was coming up upon them quickly, slowly decreasing her speed.

She had achieved a leisurely trot when she neared them, both perched upon pillars. She smiled briefly, though her eyes were about as serious at they come. She let her right paw buckle, bowing her head and her upper body to her leaders.

“My Lord and Lady.” She said quietly, filled with respect. She slowly stood, backing up in a submissive, yet still proud stance. The call wasn’t just for her, it was for Giaku’s other Generals as well. Her nostrils flared as she glanced to Thanatos. She hadn’t the slightest clue who he was, but he was to be respected. She glanced to Lacrimosa, waiting for any response.

[Aveilthé]

Lacrimosa watched the wolves come--most of the soldiers had already gathered together, awaiting further orders. Amongst them came a familiar figure, a fine Druin that the Empress had been fond of since childhood. Her cousin, Thanatos, approached. Lacrimose could not find the heart to smile upon him.

"Welcome, cousin," she told him, briefly nodding her head. "I'm glad to see you again. May I introduce Ammon, the Emperor, and my mate?"

Of course Ammon and Thanatos knew each other, but it was simply the Empress's way of introducing him as Emperor and mate.

"I will speak soon, but first, let the others come..."

Archebain had arrived on time. Lacrimose was pleased to see the female general ready, poised for action. "Pleasure to have you here, General Archebain," said she, dipping her muzzle briefly. "Alright... General, Thanatos... Shinkou and it's sister pack, Akeru, have gathered an army to mobilize against us. Resources have told Ammon and I that they are prepared to strike Giaku. Thus we have answered by sending General Zerxes with his army to meet them head on, and from what I've heard, they are currently battling in Hiagaru Wastelands at the borders of Akeru. General Archebain, I will ask that you gather up an army of wolves to surround the borders of Giaku. If Shinkou manages to be at our canyons, they might proceed with an aerial raid."

She paused so that she could leap from her rock. With a clawed finger, she proceeded to draw a crude map of Giaku on the dusty earth. "Have the scouts and assassins patrol the beaches of our land, and send some into the outlands to watch for our enemy, should they approach." She drew dots to represent the scouts along the beaches of Giaku, and further into the outlands. "They will howl to warn us of their arrival. The soldiers should be positioned on Keikoku." She drew exes to represent the soldiers. "Ammon and I will lead an army at the entrance of Giaku, beyond our landbridge. Also, have any able-bodied winged wolf circle the air, prepared to meet any aerial raids. Have you any questions or ideas to the plan, please speak now. There is no time for me to give speeches to Giaku, so I am counting on you all to repeat these orders to every wolf that will fight. It is unknown how far along Shinkou might be, and whether General Zerxes was successful holding them off."

Then she turned to Thanatos. "My dear cousin, I know you want to fight," she said slowly. "I know you are able-bodied, and ready to prove yourself. I give you your chance... please stay in Giaku and protect all civilians. Summon others who have fight in them to guard everyone."

[Felypsa]

Wherever the eager Thanatos went, the more subdued brother Auster was never far behind. The young Druin, though discreet and subtle in personality, stood out in terms of looks, his upper half and the tip of his long scaly tail a dark deadly crimson, splashed against snowy white. He looked like he was permanently bathed in fresh blood. The black-ringed red eyes that glared out from under four scissor-shaped horns added to this menacing, dangerous appearance.

Yet he spoke little; though perhaps that made him all the more deadly. He slowly came to the gathering, listening intently as his cousin, the Empress Lacrimosa, began to explain what was going on. The happenings were grim. The young rulers were being tested very quickly. Auster’s eyes flashed. The idea of the allied packs threatening his cousin when she was so unwieldy was despicable.

She was proving to be an able strategist, however, as she mapped out the situation and her orders of retaliation. Finally, she gave the bottom line, speaking to his golden brother. Auster then stepped forward. “You have no orders for me yet, dear cousin: I thus must ask that I be allowed to stay at your side at all costs.” Of course everyone was going to want to protect the empress, but for Auster, it was personal. He was born to be her bodyguard.

[demin]

Ammon was both pleased and frightened at Lacrimosa's world. He was glad that he would be able to fight alongside his mate, but he shuddered at the thought that he would be slain and be leaving Lacrimosa alone in the world. He knew, however, that he had to fight against those who would seek to destroy his home, and the image of the nation's Empress and Emperor fighting side by side would inspire those on the front lines. The Emperor was stirred from his thoughts as the first of the newcomers approached him and Lacrimosa. He acknowledged Thantatos' arrival with a slight bow of the head.

"As well as a ruler of a besieged nation can be, friend." He said grimly, again shifting his gaze toward Giaku and her armies, noticing the arrival of one of the generals and another of Lacrimosa's cousins. Only when his mate began going over the strategy for the coming battle did he look back, hanging on her every word. He was glad that she knew how to handle councils of war, able to strategize and entire army. Ammon felt he would do better in the middle of battle where he could directly influence what was happening around him.

"My Lady," he said, looking to his mate. "I feel useless up here. I will head to the front lines and ready the troops. I will await you there." Ammon bowed to his mate as he finished speaking, then rose. "Unless you need me here, that is."

[Aveilthé]

The sky mirrored the Empress's thoughts: dark and cheerless. She was unable to understand how Uncle Charon always seemed to have a collected mindset in dark times. Wistfully tearing her pale eyes from the discombobulated wolves to the churning clouds, Lacrimosa imagined that the clouds were wolves running into battle, their fierce jaws parted and their breaths steaming the cold, Autumn air. She realized that she was looking into the future, at least her imagination played a believable scene of what could occur.

And here Auster came, that poor fool. Lacrimosa's attention was stolen by him, and was thankful that she could be distracted from her vision. For a long while she remained silent, contemplating his words carefully. "Very well, I shall not stop you in doing your duty." She would deftly touch his nose with her own. "Cousin, please take care."

She would look to those around her, her expression melancholy, and mutter to them, "May Krol guide your heart, and Sidenya make swift your paws on this great earth." Her prayer was swift but also full of great passion, and she truly meant it. When her mate spoke then, Lacrimosa touched her nose to his as he spoke. She was not one to display affection in the open, but she felt if she did not reach out to him now, there may never be a chance to do it in the future. Nodding and swallowing hard, she told him softly, "I will follow you hereafter, my Lord, when all preparations are assembled."

[Le Mad]

So the rumors were true. There was an army on their way, and Zerxes was on his way to intervene. Arche nodded, lowering her navy snout as her Empress leaped from her pillar to draw out a diagram in the dusty soil. She took in the information, the spark of a war hound igniting in her deep crimson eyes. She let a soft grunt, before looking to her Empress as she requested an army to be placed at the borders of Giaku. She chewed her tongue, nodding as her mind began to race. She thought of her troops, the vast amount of untrained wolves, and the even bigger amount of demons that had been trained. Nodding once more, she shifted her weight. She listened until Lacrimosa was done speaking, before she pondered for a moment. She thought, and shook her head. Her Empress had covered everything.

“With honor, Empress. It will be done.” She said swiftly before she bowed and turned. The general did not glance back. She knew what had to be done. She would scatter her most untrained soldiers among her most trusted fighters. With every five untrained came seven that would be able to take down at least two creatures. It wouldn’t be long before she was explaining the situation and barking orders to every soldier she had, telling them to get to their stations. She had trained them for this. It was their shining moment, to prove to their leaders that they were useful. They couldn’t waste it.

And neither could she.

[Addykins]

Thanatos sat diligently infront of his empress and kin. Ammon had become his emperor and somehow Thanatos felt pleased that the wolf was to be his kin also. Lacrimosa gave her command and he stood up as if in protest when he was ordered to stay. He wanted to protect his cousin as much as Auster did and as his brother walked up he settled down, accepting his role for the moment. "Lacrimosa, my cousin, I trust you" He told her softly, she was yet a young empress and even though Thanatos was a youth to her yet he still believed her to be a strong leader. With great pride Thanatos nodded his head to her words. He would show Lacrimosa that he could do his task, he would prove that he was capable of defending his home.

Turning to those behind him his eyes sweeped the crowd. "All those who wish to stay and defend our home come this way" Thanatos turned to Lacrimosa. "My cousin, I hope you don't find me out of place, but I believe we should gather the citizens and make a perimeter incase the slim chance Shinkou and Akeru breaches our defense" He would bow then, deeply with his snout touching the floor before her as a sign of his loyalty. He then backed away, turning to the group that stepped forward. "Alright, let us find all civilians and gather them at the towers, then report to me and we shall set a perimeter" He told them as they broke apart and sprinted to find the old and the ones too young to fight. He then took towards the towers to make room for the wolves coming.

It was as Thanatos was leaving that his mother ambled up between the wolves. Some of the wolves recognized the former slave yet they said nothing. The aunt of the empress was a bad choice to pick on. She walked to Auster, giving him a soft nuzzle before stepping up to Lacrimosa. "Lacrimosa, my lovely niece" She smiled up at the empress. Phobia was growing older, her body becoming slimmer with the wieght she was loosing. It was clear that her body had endured much punishment and it was slowly failing her. But her mind was as powerful as ever and Phobia knew it. "I want to do my part in protecting my Empress" She said with conviction. Phobia's shield was stronger than ever and if it was the last thing she would ever do protecting Lacrimosa and her sons would give her peace in death.

[Wyndbain]

The atmosphere was quiet despite the large army of wolves flying around her and marching below. Many of them had already tasted the realities of war and here they were off to yet another battle before the first one had even ended. The grim faces of her pack would be one of the more prominent memories in Wyndbain's mind, if she ever lived through this war long enough to remember these fateful days.

Ahead of them lay their goal, the very heartland of Giaku, yet they were so far from it, barely gracing the pack's borders as they were. Certainly Giaku would appose them, though if things went as had been planned, Giaku's forces would be too thin within their home while others went to war against Akeru in the wastes. If the tide could be turned, Shinkou would make an attack on Giaku's forces from their own territory.[/color]

[Aveilthé]

Suddenly, howls all around resounded and clamored deep with Lacrimosa's heart. She stood, alert, ears twisting at the deep vocalizations. They were like battle-horns, or a fanfare, announcing the arrival of Shinkou Ookami.

She had heard those speak around her, and she listened quietly. But for the moment, she had to allow her brain to organize all the events unfolding before her. Right, then.

That was when the true calamity began. Winged wolves came from seemingly nowhere from the Empress's perspective. The battle upon the canyons commenced.

"I must go to Ammon... Shinkou has come. GIAKU! TO YOUR POSTS! DEFEND GIAKU!"

Before she fled, she turned to her family. "Thanatos, I leave you in charge of the defenses of the towers. Do that--the heart of Giaku lies in your paws now. Go, GO!"

She turned to her aunt. "Come with me to battle," she said, touching her aunt's nose with her's. "Lets fight together. Come, Shinkou is at our doorstep!"

With that, she took many demons able to fight, hopefully with her aunt running by her side. The march took a while, but finally, Lacrimosa as upon the threshold of Giaku where Ammon awaited with an army of soldiers. And there was Shinkou in the distance, with Wyndbain in the lead.

This was the first time Lacrimosa had ever seen the Alpha of Shinkou. Curiously, she studied the alpha's features at a distance, and thought her to be pretty. But the battle ahead weighed heavily on her mind, and knew that one of them had to die for the war to be over.

The Empress lifted her head and marched to the Emperor's side. Lifting her muzzle, she issued a song of battle, to hopefully lift the spirits of the scores of demons at her back. It was also to announce that they all must prepare, and be ready to fight.

[Addykins]

Thanatos nodded his head urgently to Lacrimosa before turning to the group returning to him. Civilians and soldiers passed by him on thier way to the towers. "I need a volunteer of fighters to form the first line around the towers' He was quick and decisive with his choices. Soon he had three lines of wolves to cut back the onslaught if it reached this far. The first line was melted into the forest, waiting to bring the call and begin the defense. The third line was outside the towers in the vast field. They were also at the ready. The third line was within the towers, ready to protect those within. Thanatos watched his mother, brother, and cousin bound off and with a proud glance at his mother and brother he took off to the towers. He would stand at the top, watching the battle from afar with keen eyes. "Keep safe my family" He murmured to himself.

Phobia nodded to her niece bounding at her side to the fight. Phobia's pants were loud and often but she stuck to her nieces side like glue. Her red marks already were glowing faintly, showing that she was already enveloping the druin beside her. "Lacrimosa, please stay close, I know not how strong my shield is nor how far I can project it." Phobia knew that Lacrimosa would fight for her people and that she would be in the thick of the battle but Phobia needed her to stay by her side, if not for comfort in a war that Phobia had never thought of than for all those that needed Lacrimosa to lead them. For as long as Phobia had some sort of breath in her she would keep the young empress alive.

[Wyndbain]

Wyndbain looked down upon the enemy army, feeling her nerve waver at the size of what loomed ahead of them. She had never been to the Giaku pack lands and since Tartarus had died, she knew nothing about the leaders who commanded it. Though the druins were easy enough to pick out amongst their soldiers and Wyndbain could tell who it was they all followed.

"Wyndbain..." An unsteady voice snapped her from her thoughts and she turned to see a worried looking wolf beside her. Not just this wolf, but the whole pack of Shinkou was looking to her as their commander, just as the Giaku soldiers would follow their own commanders. Wyndbain's mood suddenly changed and her expression of anger surprised those who flew close enough to see.

"SHINKOU!!" She barked as loud as she could, "We fight for Shinkou!" The others around her howled, and some of those who heard, joined in the chorus as well. Below, those who could only cover the ground raced ahead, coming closer to the ever looming army that held groups Giaku soldiers. Shinkou charged into the mess as the second battle broke out in a flurry of claws and fangs.