Natural Decay [Open; Eavath]

[Oki]

"My, my...I sure have wondered far from Shinkou...where am I exactly?", her brow raised as she looked around. Ruins of old statues and stone buildings lay scattered everywhere. Patches of trees created barriers around clearings that held these broken pieces of history. Shuusui was hoping she could find something for dinner. This was her last trip for the night and she had already brought back a plump deer, an elk and even a young moose. She had never explored this far away and was curious as to what type of prey lived out here, "Doesn't seem like much", she answered herself.

Hopping up onto a slab of eroded marble, the small wolfess looked around, but much to her disapproval, she didn't find much at all. Puffing her cheeks, she sighed and her wings ruffled. Dropping off the slab, she continued to pad along, paws feeling good against the soft grass. Deciding to explore a little before she headed back to the Shinkou, her head dipped as she pushed herself through some fallen vines. A small portion of a large building still had its roof intact and created a small dwelling. Not finding much of interest, Shuusui backed out and looked around. Yawning, she stretched and continued to look around a little more.

[Eavath]

Sariya had been wandering around in the same area for the past couple hours, just taking in the sights. She hadn't ever seen anything like this before. All she was used to was trees with the ocassional lake through a clearing. As soon as the other wolf hopped up onto the slab, she crouched low, hiding behind a few large rocks. She tilted her head to the side a bit when she noticed that she wasn't the only wolf around with wings. Maybe it wasn't so strange after all?

Staying back a ways and keeping out of sight, she followed the other wolf for a bit, waiting to see if she was hostile or not. After backing back out of some vines, it seemed she was possibly just looking around, similar to Sariya.

She stood up, taking a few steps from out of the shadows and ruffled the feathers on her wings, clearing them of the dust that had accumulated. She slowly walked up to the other wolf and looked out with her. "Not really all that much to see around here, is there?"

[Oki]

Not expecting much to happen out here besides it being unervingly quiet, she would admit, Shuusui sat down for a little bit and looked up at the sky. The blue hues of the high ocean were becoming darker and different colors were starting to emerge as the day was coming to an end. "The day went by so fast, it seems", she thought. Inhaling deeply, she smiled at how fresh the air was and rose back up onto all fours. Shaking out her fur, she heard something off to her side; an outside noise she hasn't heard in a while.

Whipping her head to the side, her big lavender eyes blinked a few times to see another wolf. A little surprised, it wasn't the fact another was out here as much as how the other was mostly white and had wings. She was similar to herself. Shuusui hesitated a bit until she answered, "Oh no, there's plenty to see out here. Just quite lonesome", she smiled to the new comer with a very subtle dip of her head. Presuming by what the other wolfess said, she has been in this area more than once. A short silence fell between the two as she looked away at some of the ruins, then she brought her attention back to the other, "I'm Shuusui", she gave her name with a slight Saxon accent, her voice soft and honey-like, the second 's' in her name pronounced softly, "I take it you live around here?"

[Eavath]

She nodded to the other wolf. Lonesome she knew very well. She sat down, looking up at the slowly darkening sky. She missed her family terribly, but she knew it did nothing to dwell upon the past. She closed her eyes briefly and felt the warm, almost loving glow of the magic residing in her. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew for sure that it was her brother and sister, there to keep her strong. She looked over to the wolfess next to her. They were a white, not unlike herself, though the markings were darker, and unlike what she'd been used to. The eyes though, were definitely a color she had never seen before.

"My name is Sariya," she bowed her head finishing the introduction. She looked around again at the question and replied, "I'm not sure if I would call it my home. More somewhere to keep me safer than to be out in the open." her voice got heavier towards the end of her sentence. She wasn't sure where her home was, nor where she was. The wing joints on her shoulders sagged a bit when she thought to herself, I really can't go back home. There's nothing left for me there. Maybe this will turn into my home...

[Oki]

"Sariya", she repeated, "Pleasure to meet you." Such a mystic name, she thought to herself. Just as unique as herself. Shuusui was glad someone else turned up; she was becoming quite alone out here and was about to head back to Shinkou out of fear of finding something that she didn't want to. No prey were turning up so there was no point in prolonging her stay, until now. She was curious of this other. Was she friendly, withdrawn, evil, brazen, dark? It would depend on how long the other stays.

Shuusui wondered where her actual home was. Perhaps she didn't have one. It wasn't uncommon for a wolf to be a wanderer. A part of her wanted to rush her back to Shinkou, but the other part told her to wait and see what the rest of her story was. "That's what a home is, is it not? Isn't a home a safe place?", Shuusui asked, testing Sariya. But the way she initially answered, it seemed she had another place that she called home, "Then again, one can have more than one home. Are not from these parts then?", she continued to ask.

[Eavath]

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Sariya replied. She wasn't quite sure what to think of this other wolf yet, but she seemed to be nice enough so far. She didn't want to let her guard down, though, in case anything like before happened.

"A home isn't always safe, though we like to think it is." her ears drooped a bit when asked about her previous home. "No, I'm not from around here. My home was full of very large trees and even greater lakes. her eyes got a far off look as she remembered the majestic redwoods that were scattered in the forest of her homeland. "I'm actually not sure where that is, or how I got here. All I remember is waking up surrounded by strange trees. Going back, though, I know is impossible. There's no one left." her ears drooped as she remembered her family fighting off the demon-thing, which then in turn killed her mate. She hoped more than anything to never see it again, but had a nagging feeling it wasn't gone.

[Oki]

Shuusui could easily tell by now that this one seemed to be down all the time, if not pessimistic. A home is what made a person whole. Perhaps that's why, Shuusui thought to herself. She herself was always brought up and believed that a home was always safe and the one place that one could always go to in any time of need. Though her home hasn't always been where she was born, she had one nonetheless. Also, she always felt that her true home was her birthplace, despite it not being a safe haven until just a few years ago. Coming to understand that a home can sometimes be unsafe, a new home can be always be made if there are still ones that love you. She couldn't help but allow her emotions to show, a feeling of solemn understanding came to her features. "Aye...", she agreed at first, "Though, a newer safer home isn't too hard to have when you're surrounded by the ones that love you", she repeated her thoughts. A softer expression graced her face towards the end of her statement, remembering her teacher, her old and new home.

Well, Shuusui could better understand Sariya's apparent sadness as she continued to elaborate on her origins. Though, it confused her how she had no knowledge of getting here or returning back to her home for that matter. She was about to ask if she remembered anything more of her home, wondering if she herself had any recollection of being near it, but she quickly resolved on it being impossible to return and there was no one there. "Are you sure?", she asked pre-maturely, not thinking of the ramifications of Sariya's answer, "No one at all?" Her tone almost was testing, curious if she truly knew or not. Realizing she may be prying too much, she couldn't help it now. It was something that was always to filter through her mind.

[Eavath]

Sariya nodded back solemnly. She replied, "it would be more than a miracle if there was anyone left." what had happened was still fresh in her mind. The agonized screams and dying howls seemed to be playing themselves back through her thoughts. Her expression turned stony, trying not to let her sadness seep through.

Her eyes took on a distant look again as she started, "A stranger had happened upon our pack. We would have sent him on his way if he weren't so near death. My sister had a certain... Ability, for lack of a better word, to aid other wolves in healing grievous wounds, so she tended to him. He was covered in deep gashes and other wounds that looked like teeth marks, but they were much larger than I had ever seen." her voices cracked as she paused here. Her shoulders shuddered a bit as she recalled more of the event.

"It seemed like he was making a recovery, until he died unexpectedly in the night. The next morning we had taken his body away from the other wolves, for fear of something spreading. It didn't help anything. Over the next few weeks, the other wolves started acting strangely, until they all snapped. Everyone, of course, except myself and my siblings. They turned on us, growling, like they had never seen us before." a small tear ran down her face, she hadn't thought if any of this since it had happened. It was hard for her to think about it, let alone talk.

She continued, "A large black figure grew rapidly from where we had left the wolf. It let out a horrendous roar I had never heard before. It felt like it went right through me. My sister told me to run, I didn't want to at first, but my brother convinced me. So I ran." she laid down and wrapped her tail around herself, tears falling unchecked down her face. "All I heard after I ran were the agonized howls of dying wolves and the loudest blood curdling scream I've heard." her voice trailed off as the tears had stopped. She felt the warm, loving glow again and it had calmed her down.

[Oki]

I suppose she was truly meaning that no one was there, Shuusui thought. She found it hard to believe that Sariya would be uncertain and yet act so sad and depressed. A part of her wanted to know for sure though, that crudely and nosy curious part of her. She knew that she should be heading back to Shinkou soon, but...something concerned her as Sariya began.

Silently listening to Sariya, Shuusui couldn't help but feel her pain and empathize. Such traumatizing events she explained seemed so surreal, however, it wasn't hard for her to imagine such things. For a moment, she could swear perhaps this is what her former Alpha spawned from; a demonic infection. At first her expression was stoic, biting her lip to hold back the sadness.

By the time she had finished, Shuusui looked away, trying to hide her teared up eyes. The story held more meaning because she could understand. And it's not like it happened years and years ago like with herself; she was recalling what she was doing yesterday and the few days before. She had spent day with some friends and the day before enjoyed herself on a quiet walk. Meanwhile Sariya and her home were being terrorized by some demonic power. Yes, she knew it happened all the time, but this...this she knew about personally and she felt connected to it. And it wasn't Sariya's fault, she just wished she knew about it sooner. Lifting a paw, she used the heel of her wrist to brush against her eyes. Clearing her throat, she looked at Sariya, "I think your siblings are alive", she flatly told her. Figuring that they weren't infected by this...monster, there was still some hope left for them. "I know on my part, it's a rash thing to say, and I know I've only just met you, but...but I can't help but think that they're still alive." Pausing, she continued, "You said you had siblings, aye? I have a younger brother and we share this bond...like we have this gut feeling whenever the other is in trouble, hurt or when they're close or distant, for instance...Do you have this feeling?", she gestured and grabbed her stomach with a paw.

[Eavath]

Sariya's ears perked up a bit when Shuusui suggested her siblings could be slive. And they very well could be. She sat back up, tears gone from her eyes, and looked over at the other wolf. "They could be alive still. I never actually saw what happened there." her eyes scanned the horizon, looking for anything that looked even remotely familiar. She saw nothing.

She tilted her head at Shuusui's question. She thought about it for a second and replied, "I never really noticed if I did when I was younger, but I know I started to feel something after the second time I saw the figure. Though it's not necessarily there" she lifted her own paw to her stomach. Her brows furrowed in concentration, trying to figure out how to describe it. She then continued "It's more similar to a warm glow, almost as if I were laying on a rock in the mid summer's sun, except that it's coming from inside."

She readjusted her wings, looking as if she were trying to get them back to being comfortable. "I told you that my sister had these, sort of, abilites to heal wolves. My brother had abilities as well, except his were a bit different. He was actually able to make and manipulate fire. I was always fascinated by both of them, though I'll admit, I did get jealous of them. See, I never actually had anything like that." she looked at her back at her wings and golden markings and continued, "That is, until I saw the demon again. It was similar to the first time. a sickly looking wolf with wounds covering his body approached myself and my mate. I wasn't going to be fooled a second time, so I tried to tell my mate, Niar, to run with me. He didn't. He was frozen in place, mesmerized. Then, the wolf seemed like it was ripped apart from the inside. That's when I saw it the second time. Niar jumped between us, trying to protect me." she shuddered as she remembered the wolf gore spread accross the clearing and covering her mate. She continued, "He was thrown as if he were just a twig. As the figure turned on me, I felt this feeling. It felt as if I had my brother and sister standing beside me. I felt empowered and confident I could get rid of this thing once and for all. The next thing I know, I'm covered in a golden flame," She let out a small puff of breath, and a small golden flame started floating in front of her nose. "It looked exactly like this. As soon as I touched the demon, he was covered in it. He seemed to disappear as the flames died."

The flame at the tip of her nose winked out and looked over at Shuusui and said, "I don't think they're physically around any more, but I think their spirits may be within me. I was born a white wolf without wings and no powers. And everytime I feel like I need someone, I've always had the feeling they were there. Does that make any sense?"

[Oki]

Of course, it would be all the more reason to head back, Shuusui's ears twitched when she thought of this. If Sariya didn't see anything happen, it made sense that she should check it out and if needed, Shuusuis would follow. As the other female looked off in the distance, Shuusui wondered how far exactly away it was.

The question that Shuusui posed, she felt that she didn't explain herself right or not enough. However, as Sariya began, it seemed that she had. As she continued to explain, it seemed she held a different kind of feeling. Though she did the sensation right, "Exactly", she commented. Going on, Sariya went on to explain that her siblings had abilities; how her sister healed intrigued Shuusui and wondered how one went about doing that. She knew back in Shinkou that there were some healers and they held different techniques. When she mentioned that her brother could make fire, it made her smile, knowing she did could do the same. Engrossed in her story and recalling of events, Shuusui listened with interested ears and figured out a few things. First, it seemed that powers were awakened by strong emotional or desperate events. Second, this demon that she spoke of, seemed to follow her around, if not her family. She felt the latter odd, especially how her mate became paralyzed when he saw the entity. However, she realized that Sariya had some sort of devine fire, different from her own; she found it fascinating to think such. Her eyes lit up when the flickering flame hovered just in front of her muzzle.

Finishing up, Shuusui found herself softly nodding her head, processing everything that she heard and acknowledging what was said. With a few more nods, she spoke up, "Aye, I know what you're talking about", she smiled, "Loved ones always are there when you need them, regardless...Though I still wouldn't give up on your brother and sister just yet." She spoke candidly.

"I felt myself alone for a while, years and years ago. I thought my brother died along with my parents. Our Alpha wasn't the...friendliest; more like deranged. He had killed our parents out of cold blood 32 years ago. Both of us were still young pups. However, I was further north, training and when I heard something was up, so I rushed back home. Finding our parents dead, I looked for my brother but I couldn't find him. Then, six years ago, he just showed up to our home land, declaring he had avenged our parents and freed the packlands from the Alpha's tyranny", she couldn't help but smile, recalling upon the memory, "He had told me that he went looking for our parents, after the Alpha told him to run away and never return. Finding their fate, he told me he felt alone, not knowing he still had me. Both of us thought the other to be non-existent." She drew in a slow breath and looked over at Sariya, "What tragic lives we lead...", her voice was melancholy, then she smiled once more, "If you're willing, I'll help you look for your siblings and the rest of your family...I won't let the Devil's spawns have their way!" Her voice became more vehement at her last statement, her resolve clear. It was almost as if she became angry in that instant, though not directed at anyone but the dark powers itself. Riding her determined and absolute emotions, fire began to materialize in place of her body, outlining it with gold and amber flames. Her forelegs were off the ground as she sat up, flexed almost in a fighting stance as she declared, paws in fists.

[Eavath]

Sariya's ears perked up as she noticed the other wolf start floating up, fur turning to flames. She couldn't help but smile at the last statement. She nodded to Shuusui and said, "There could be a possibility that they are, in fact, alive somewhere. Knowing Chath, he wouldn't have let anything get near Afiya. And knowing her, she wouldn't let much harm come to him." Sariya had seen her siblings fight together once. They way they moved flowed like water. There was no resistance nor hesitation in their movements. Everything was calculated to perfection, both keeping each other safe from harm.

She began thinking back to the demon again, this time anger welling up slowly instead of sadness. Sariya's own flames materialized around her form, though hers was a red so deep it was almost black. Her eyes, though, if looked at in the right direction, seemed to have taken on a golden hue as opposed to the normal violet.

Sariya grinned and looked over to Shuusui, "Thank you, for your offer of help. I'm not one to turn down assistance when it's given. I would like to ask you: If I can locate my siblings, would you be at my side if the demon has taken them somewhere?" She could feel the hate she held toward the creature, even if she hadn't seen it. Their pasts did seem very similar, there was no denying it. Sariya didn't believe in blind chance. She felt as though everything that happened, happened for a reason. Maybe there was a reason she happened upon Shuusui as soon as she did.

She felt a surge of hope start to well up inside her. Her brother and sister could very well be alive, which is something she hadn't been able to even think about. This feeling of hope slowly rose, until she couldn't contain it any more. She tilted her head back and let out a long howl, full of hope and potential happiness. There was even a part of her that hoped that her siblings, or even the demon, had heard her.

[Oki]

The scent of adventure was filling Shuusui's nostrils. Perhaps she should tell someone that she's gonna be gone for a while, but it was often for her and her brother to wander off for prolonged periods of time, either for selfish reasons or for more selfless reason, like now. A part of her wanted to go off and use this to exercise her abilities. However, the other half was telling her that she needed to help someone else in need and rid of a dark power. Raring to go, her flames became brighter, licking upon her fur and form. It was good at this point that Sariya had at least some confidence in her siblings and finding them. Otherwise, it would be hard for Shuusui to help.

It had seemed that Shuusui had triggered something inside Sariya once she demonstrated her powers, causing Sariya to do the same. However, her flames were dark. Curious, Shuusui wondered why. Also, her eyes changed; perhaps it went with the ability, she thought to herself. Settling down a little, Shu's flames still flickered upon her form and looked over to Sariya when she heard her voice. Giving a welcoming nod, her eyes became enthused with overwhelming anticipation to get goin, yet serious at the same time, "Of course I will", she ended with a wink.

Determined, she was more than ready. Adrenaline was already starting to seep into her veins. She had a feeling that perhaps everything will go into their favor, whether it was defeating the dark creature and/or saving Sariya's siblings. It was her personal goal to help brethren in need and she would never turn something, especially this dire, down. Smiling, Shuusui joined in with Sariya's joyful howl. Giggling as they ended, her eyes returned their serious anticipation, "Ready?", she said, wings unfurling as she did. Once Sariya agreed, she would allow her to lead and take off into the air after her.

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