Exploring the territory [Open]

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal pads along the soft dirt, the mossy ground dampening the sound of his foot falls. He looks much better than a mere day or so ago, his fur is regaining it's shine, and the patches on his chest are fading as his muscles return.
He lifts his head to smell the air, giving a snort when he smells the smoke permeating the forest.
"Why does Man use the burning air to warm them? Why not just huddle together?" He wonders to himself, meandering in the quiet forest, following the scattered spoors of Liira long gone from this place. His tail wags as he spots a shuffle of movement in a nearby bush, bunching his hind legs and folding his front legs, he readies himself to pounce on the un-suspecting prey.

He may not be hungry anymore, but he was certainly bored.
"Time to play..." He mutters, grinning.

[Oki]

On the outskirts of the Shinkou packlands, Oki treaded the line between his new home and where the humans dwelled. Like most other wolves, he kept a good distance between himself and them, knowing how they view his kind. His whiskers quirked at the smell of burning wood, figuring he was close to a camp of theirs. The smell reminded him of the warmth fire gave and the seasons were changing, the air getting colder.

Passing tree after tree, Oki was scouting the borders, something he has volunteered to do for the Shinkou, knowing he was proficient at doing so. However, he chose to take his wolf form, without his wings and only having one tail. It was just a precaution as to not draw too much attention, also knowing he appeared smaller this way too; discrete was his aim. Paw pads quietly stepped as his head turned from side to side at times to check if anything was near. A wall of hedges blocked his path and still lying low, Oki began to push his way through the branches and leaves, careful not to get his muffler caught. Branches snapped and leaves rustled as he pushed his form through, cursing under his breath for always making things more difficult for himself. Head finally poking past the other side and half of his body out, eyes widened and pupils constricted as he was startled to find what was in front of him. It was certainly someone whom he has yet to meet, whether belonging to Shinkou or not, but the presence of the other took him off guard. Reflexively stepping back as he was startled, flinching, a small yip escaped his muzzle.

Clearing his throat, Oki remained in his spot and chuckled off the scare, "Whew, don't scare me like that" he told the complete stranger, "Guess its a good thing I didn't come a second or two later, 'ay?", he asked, although didn't expect an answer. Pausing shortly, he then wanted to request something, "So, are you a part of a pack or just a wanderer?", Oki wanted to know, as it was his duty to request the loyalties of ones he has never met before.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal chuckles, his boredom abated for now,
"Well hello there, voh ken Vulftung?"He grins wolfishly, then shakes his head
"Don't bother answering that, I already know you don't, your growls are not of my land." he growls in his low voice. Graal looks to the sky, letting the cool breeze wrap around him and ruffle his fur, "If I was in a pack, would I leave them alone to play in the woods? No, I am Kerl, a Loner, and I am somewhat of a stranger to these lands." He stretches his body out sniffing the tainted air.
"Do you tolerate these humans, or protect them?" he asks, seemingly unconcerned with any answer he may hear.
"Or do they encroach on your lands as they once did mine?"

[Oki]

Finding the stranger in a more relaxed pose now, at least hoping he still wasn't going to pounce him, Oki slid out from the brush, the scratching of the branches making some spots on his pelt twitch, slightly tickling him. As his full body was exposed, his body shimmied to rid of the stray leaves and twigs.

Head tilting slightly at the stranger's first question, he then realized what he was meaning and responded to his greeting with a nod, "Hello." His following statement answered his question, although, Oki was alone in the woods. Not quite understanding, he began with a nod, acknowledging his independent status, "Well, I am part of a pack myself and I'm alone in the woods. However, my duty is to check our perimeters for any wanderers, like yourself. Now, I'm not spiteful as some patrolers are", he chuckled, "But, I must ask if you are wanting to tread in our lands because I would need to take you to our Alpha's to get permission for you to enter. If not, you can wander beyond our borders, that's fine too; its up to you", Oki smiled warmly.

"Protect them? Ha! Barely. All's I know is that they live close to our pack lands, but always stay out. Since I have lived here, I make sure they do", he gave a grin, "We don't bother them and they rarely bother us and vise versa."

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal chuckles under his breath, "The Vulfs of this land are quite interesting..." he says, "The Vulfs of my land would invoke the rite of Fenris' fury for you trespassing their lands, and decide to kill you on sight. And yet, you would allow me to live... Very odd..."
Graal sits down, his tail wagging matter-of-factly as he speaks
"In fact, you'd have your legs crippled, dragged by your neck to the alpha, where he'd bite out your entrails and gorge on you while you still lived."
He pauses for a moment "That sounds less violent than it was, and I'm almost glad to be here instead of back with my Pack..." A pause.
"I'm sorry, my mind has been side-tracked again." Graal sighs, then looks up at Oki, "I am Graal, a Kerl from the Otonami packlands far, far to the west of here." he says, "And it is good that you do not tolerate the humans on your land, as we did once, and they destroyed us..." He trails off then shakes his head, seemingly either distracted or deranged, "I'm sorry, my mind wonders these days, where was I... Oh yes!" he exclaims, "I was going to ask about this land. As of yet, I have only met Thunder and, well, you." Graal grins, "Is your pack one of the ones accepting Kerls? Or at least, I heard there were..." he ends lamely, trailing of as if embarrassed.

[Oki]

Graal mentioned how it was different here than an another land, his own. They seemed to be savages, the way they were barbaric in their border patrols. Though, he could understand in a way; those who enter another's land without permission deserve to be punished...just never thought it would be that severe. Nevertheless, Oki wasn't like that, at least to those who pose very little threat. Watching the other male sit, he felt more comfortable to sit himself and did so, nodding in acknowldegement at what Graal spoke of. "I am glad, too, that I am here now", Oki plainly agrees. Noting a quick observation, the male seemed to have a lot on his mind and it intrigued Oki as to what...

Sitting up more straight, he responded to Graals introduction, "Nice to meet you Graal. The name's Okamiimaru Doashi, but you may call me Oki. I am a reku, which is essentially a scout, here at Shinkou Ookami; the pack lands I now am a part of. My origins are from far north, where it snowed 11 months out of the year, The Nix Lagna Lacus pack, it was", he didn't elaborate further, at least not yet. "Humans are better left alone...cynical creatures they are", he couldn't help but scoff lightly.

Certainly, Graal seemed worried about something; was it the position he was in, perhaps thinking that he was about to be violently repremanded for treading onto another pack without permission. Whatever it was, it didn't bother Oki, he just hoped Graal wasn't like this all the time. Then another question was asked and he hoped he wasn't cutting off the male as he seemed to trail off, "'Thunder'?, he asked himself, "Not sure if I met them, but I know that Shinkou is vast and there are lots I have yet to meet. And Kerl? You mean a loner like yourself? From what I know, as long as you confront our Alphess, Betas, Deltas and Gamma male, and they accept you, it shouldn't be a problem. I can take you to them if you're interested." Being this the first time of potentially carrying out such a situation, Oki sure hoped he was doing it correctly; he didn't see no harm in the procedure. As he finished, his tail thumped against the ground lightly, content and eager to help out Graal.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal smiles, cocking his head as if listening to something Oki can't hear. He pauses before saying
"No, no, don't worry about taking me there just yet, it'd be terribly rude to ask to be part of a pack I've not made friends with and know nothing about, dreadfully rude in fact, But I do wonder, are you more than what I have seen? Thunder had an odd blue tint to her fur, she said there are Vulfs with wings, horns and powers I've never even heard of except in the tales of Fenris and Tor..." He trails off again, then clenches his eyes shut and shakes his head, seeming slightly frustrated.
"And thus, Wolfbane grew wings from his back, black as night and in the shape of Graak wings-" He halts in the middle of his intonation to add an aside to Oki, "-That's Crow wings to you. He continues with his tale, "And with those wings, he struck at his father's land, to spite the Vulfs who lived there, and to drive them into the fear for their lives that he felt with each night." Graal looks at the sky, the moon hanging above them and shining bright.
"I sometimes wonder if he yet lives in some distant land, mourning..." He mutters, barely audible as his eyes close calmly, a serene look on his face, in contrast to his distraction earlier, it seems the tale calmed him.

[Oki]

Oki couldn't help but nod in agreement. It would seem out of place to join a group without knowing who your collegues were. Although, he could remember when he came into Shinkou no knowing anyone but his mate. Thoughts began to tangle as events and logic contradicted each other, so much he almost missed Graals question. It was surprising that only through a short observation that he could tell Oki was more than what he appeared to the eye. A small smirk drew on his muzzle, amused slightly. A small portion of him wanted to show his full potential to Graal. He shook his head and looked across at the male,"Aye, you are very observent; I am, hiding, some of myself from you. Although, not from you per say, just to keep myself smaller so no potential hostiles can catch me in their sights as easily...", trailing off, Oki continued to answer his question. Taking a breath, sparks started to crawl over his pelt, increasing rapidly. These sparks manifested into the shape of wings and two more tails stemmed to the side of his current single tail. The electrical energy brightened as the shapes became more crisp and the sparks suddenly dispersed. Wings unfurling and showing their teal and deep blue feathers, Oki watched for Graals expression, three tails flicking.

The male's short story intrigued him. Never really hearing such lore, it still was interesting and something he wouldn't mind hearing more; maybe they could share a walk or a hunt together later on. He wondered what fear this Wolfbane had, but Oki waved a paw to himself idly, something he would ask Graal to elaborate on at a later date. "Your home lands seem to have a good foundation in tales and lore. They are quite intersting from what you have told. It makes me wonder if my home lands do", Oki then wondered out loud.

[cptkickercutleg]

(( All of the lore is from a tiny little notepad where I note down ideas and concepts, then link them into stories for the Otonami clan, including different kinds of Werewolves (Varg and Vulfen), and how to treat them, human lands and their different factions and ways, and just a dash of fantasy to make it seem plausible but unlikely ))

Graal yelps and jumps back, terrified of the sparks that rise and seperate from Oki, his wings and tails growing, copper, teal and scarlet from the sparks.
"By Fenris!" he exclaims "I thought the Changer was a legend, but mayhap there is more to the legends than mere children's stories..."
Graal takes a step back, his eyes narrowing.
"And yet, your blood must be far diluted from Wolfbane's, or your blessing was granted by the gods in a different tale..." Graal shakes his head again, still unable to process what he had just seen.
"Oki, you are truly a Vulf unlike any of those I have yet met." he says, a grin spreading across his face, his muscles slowly relaxing again.
"Do you come from another land as well?"

[Oki]

((Wow, thats actually very creative . How long have you had Graal?))

Graals reaction was much more emotional than what Oki had imagined. It amused him to be quite frank; he had never gotten a reaction quite as, colorful, as his. chuckling, Okamiimaru couldn't hold it back, letting it slip through his teeth. Albeit his amusement, he felt somewhat flattered and his nose quirked as the feelings washed over him. Clearing his throat as Graal finished, he responded promptly, "Aye, that I did. I came from far up north where those like me reside. We are isolated so that may be why you may have never seen any other like me. I'm not too sure of how our kind came of this way, I didn't exactly grow up in my pack...'tis a long story for another time", he smiled apologetically.

His wings unfolded just a little and repositioned upon his back as he thought about something else he could show Graal. Clearing his throat, he spoke, "I can also change into another form, but promise me not to run off", he gave a joking chuckle. With that, sparks from before started to jump around his pelt. Although, this time, they covered his whole body. His silohuette bright as it shifted forms, becoming larger and taller. It grew to just under twice the height of what Oki was previously and it appeared to be on two legs rather than four as it stood. the sparks dispersing, Okamiimaru stood before Graal, 5'8" in his anthropomorphic form. His wings unfurled some and nestled back onto his shoulders as he fluidly sat down cross-legged. Deep blue eyes watched Graal as Oki held his breath. His fur patterns were all the same, however his belly fur was more visible as it faced the other male. However, since Oki wasn't rippling with muscle, his fur hid most of his figure, so he appeared thin and lean mostly.

[cptkickercutleg]

(( The Otonami Clan has been in my mind for about 2 years now, my characters Little Brother, Brother, and Cercius were outcasts from it in another RP, and so I occasionally make references to them in legends, as it happened long ago for most wolves (40-50 years), so their is a lot of exaggeration and rumour mixed in with the tales Graal will tell, as some of it has been passed on by mouth for centuries, and each generation adds their own embellishment to make it more exciting for their pups. ))

Graal watches Oki closely as he changes, his ears flattening to his head in astonishment as Oki grows, standing on two feet, his body changing to become more humanoid.
"Voh es Vulfen!" he exclaims, looking up at Oki's anthropomorphic body, his ears shooting up in recognition, "I know you now Oki, you are a son of Larka, the Vulf that controls the Change! But never before have I seen this form..." Graal's brow furrows, "Or perhaps not all was told in our legends, your scent, your appearance, they contradict... You smell of the Vulfen, but also the Varg, your Change is different because you have no human, you have none of their impurities..." he continues, speaking quickly, excitedly. "Perhaps Larka and Wolfbane had a child after all." Graal takes a deep breath, calming himself visably, reassuming a calm demeanour, "Or, at least that is what may have happened."

[Oki]

((You should write a book because this is great writing material))

Anthro paws reached up to scratch at his goatee as eyes peered at Graal. Letting his arms lax, paws rested on his knees and he gripped them lightly. Watching Graal intently as he spoke, he had no recollection of any names that he mentioned, or for the story material for that matter. However, it was still intriguing. Smiling, he subtly soaked in some of Graals excitement, "Oi, maybe I am. How long ago did Larka and Wolfbane been said to be alive? Perhaps they did have offspring together and my breed is a product of such...And I "have no human"? You mean the ability to change into a human?", he shook his head, "I don't. Although, I myself, heard that an anthropomorphic wolf came to be by wolves evolving to become a better hunter by becoming more hominid, envying the humans. I also heard in some beleifs, wolven gods and goddesses walked on two legs and one of them decided to live among the mortals and perhaps had offspring...", Oki trailed off and pondered this. As Graal calmed down and a short pause sat between the two males, Oki inhaled deeply, a thing he did to break the silence right before he spoke up. "This form is beneficial though, I usually fight in this form against large foes", he swiped a thumb over his nose with a grin, "I unlock more potential with my powers and can also grip my sword more correctly rather than in my mouth...."Lifting his right paw, he gripped the pommel of his sword and pulled, unsheathing it. The dark metal blade still shown in the little light that made its way through the canopy of the forest. The symbol that resided on his thigh was also at the base of the blade at the hilt. Resembling a katana, it was straight and had a more sharp and cornered point, 5 foot from the tip of the blade to the end of the pommel. Oki brought it down to his lap and held it so that Graal could get a good look at it if he wished. "It was my Father's."

[cptkickercutleg]

(( It's great writing material, but I'm not the one to write it, my skills concerning character are far too flawed, as all of my characters end up becoming either a saint (an example of this would be my RP character Marcus) who never did anything evil and was always a voice of peace and calm, or a problem-solver (Deadly Winter, my snarky female AI who turned from avenging demon to social worker in a matter of days). I can't keep up an evil personality to create the conflict necessary for a truly gripping fantasy story. Anyway, BIC ))

Graal hesitates, then steps forwards, peering at the long blade.
"It is like a long knife, right?" he asks, head cocking.
He shakes his head, answering Oki's former questions distractedly,
"Wolfbane and Larka? Wolfbane is among the first generation of Vulfs in our world, a direct descendent of Tor and Fenris, whereas Larka is the daughter of the Firstborns, Huttser and Palla, and the tale has been taught since time immemorial, even the Vulfen's records cannot go far enough into history to pinpoint when we began to tell our history through our tales, telling our pups how the world began and how we came into existance. And their records span a thousand years." he says, a slight smile on his face, before it slips into a frown.
"Pa never believed in the tales, said we shouldn't listen to ancient tales of what may or may not have happened, only concentrate on what is happening and what will happen, so the Gran had to teach me, the oldest Pup." he finishes, a look of regret on his face. He closes his eyes and wipes the negative emotion from his face in an instant, but if Oki was observant enough, he'd be able to see it.

[Oki]

((I know how that feels, I have an evil character and a character thats bi-poloar and one half of him is evil. But my current evil character I can't keep him entirely evil. My personality can't deal with being evil it seems. As you said, he'll probably end up becoming nice and not as evil when I'm done with him. And for your potential story, perhaps you can give it to someone to write and you can supervise it and make sure its what you want. As for his blade, I have an illustration, but I think its due for a revamp soon: fav.me/d2y19et))

As Graal steps forward towards him, Oki tilts the flat part of the blade for him to see better. "Aye. Technically it's called a sword, but essentially it is a long knife. Also, see this metal patch on the pommel?" he taps it with a metallic claw, "I can force my electrical energy into it and into the blade itself." With that , the blade started to glow a silvery white with current, illuminating his lap. "I can cause more damage with this and its easier to cut through certian things as well, like another sword...if the metal is weak that is", he smirked, showing subtle pride. After a while, he withdrew the current and the blade returned to its dark sheen.

Then, Graal proceeded to answer his questions. From what he said before, he figured that Larka and Wolfbane were the first of their kind, like Adam and Eve. Open minded, Oki listened to what Graal said and absorbed the tale. Smiling in acknowledgement it turned into a frown as he noticed the male became unhappy about something. It was terrible that his Father didn't allow his son to believe in what he wanted to; he seemed too literal with no imagination and creativity. Personally, he disliked those kind of wolves. At least he learned what he did from another. Oki could tell it wasn't a fun memory of his, "I see your Pa's point, but tales and stories are not only for entertainment, they pass on traditions with them and bring families and friends closer together...even sometimes creating them", a smile slowly crept onto his muzzle, "Despite his belief's, he's still your Pa, mate." Almost allowing to himself to reference his own story about his parents, he ended up not doing so as it was irrelevent in a way. Besides, it would make it seem like Oki was just saying something to get Graal's sympathy, which Oki really didn't need. So, he left it at that and if a conversation came, he would tell at the appropriate time.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal nods,
"Perhaps, but then, should I not have been treated as his son, despite that my blood-father was his brother? Knowing that, should he have treated me as his son, as my blood-father could have done, had he not died in a fight with a pride of lions?" he asks, bitterness creeping into his tone, "I was always the runt, despite being the strongest and oldest pup, but Ma never noticed, Bran never noticed, and Pa barely even saw me." Graal sighs, "But I say too much of what once was, and not enough of what is or may come to pass." he says, a small smile upon his grey speckled muzzle.
"What can you tell me of the different packs and clans in this land, Oki? If learning is all I can do for now, then I would learn under one who walks the land rather than hears of it."