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Post by Felypsa on May 5, 2011 23:07:00 GMT -6
 Akeru.
Her home, her true home.
A golden wolf stood upon a knoll near the pack’s central lake, Mizu, looking over the territory. Though she was short, she carried a posture and a presence that made her appear regal. The rich color of her fur, the bright amber of her eyes, the powerful-looking feathered wings settled on her back…even a tiny amulet winking from the thick fur upon her chest…it all gave the appearance of a queen. A queen returning to her throne.
Politically speaking, however, Fyramist had not yet taken back the mantle of alpha here in Akeru. She had not been home for long, and indeed, not many of her pack members realized she was back. To suddenly reclaim the power she handed off to her betas so long ago—it didn’t seem fair. The shift in power would have to be more delicate than that.
But for now, the Youroi was just happy to be back. A long sigh of relief left her, and she padded slowly down to the side of the lake. Her forced sabbatical, so to speak, had been somewhat successful. All those many months ago, Fyramist, realizing she was going insane, handed over her mantle to her competent betas and took leave of Akeru—leaving behind everyone she ever knew, including her dear half-sister Wyndbain.
Now she was once again sound of mind…though there was a darkness in those eyes of hers. The things she had seen and experience while in the depths of madness were things she could not simply shake off. The wounds in her mind were mostly healed, but they still left deep scars.
She was different now…colder. That was another reason why she could not simply declare herself alpha again. Fyra used to be so approachable. She endeavored to be well-liked among her pack members, to be their close friend as well as their leader. Now she did not think she could muster up that kind of socializing again. Not for a while, at least. She would still be polite and friendly, but it would be much more distant now.
It didn’t help that right now her closest friend was a borderline sociopath…though perhaps that just made sense…
So maybe Fyramist was not quite fit to be alpha again. Not right away. But she could not stay away from home any longer. Akeru had needed her in the fight against Giaku. She came for that and did her part to bring that conflict to a tentative close. And now…she could just sit by Mizu Lake and enjoy all the familiar feelings of being here.
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Post by Mama Z on May 5, 2011 23:31:18 GMT -6
She moved around a great deal. He knew that and wasn't surprised by how far she had traveled this time. He had never really been here before, but the smell was so familiar. It was what Fyra had smelt like when he had first encountered her. She really didn't need his help either, but he had a fun time keeping up with her. Even if she was half nuts.
This place was beautiful. Something very different than what he was used to. He had followed her here and currently she was sitting near a large lake. The fire wolf looked around briefly. He probably wouldn't be welcomed back in these lands, but he couldn't let Fyra just go wandering around. Shifting a black paw, he moved toward her and looked around.
"This place is annoyingly perfect,' he grumbled making a face as a butterfly fluttered by. [/color][/size] |
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Post by Felypsa on May 6, 2011 14:43:02 GMT -6
A familiar smell interrupted her nostalgia. Fyra had stopped being surprised about when Fuoco would appear. They didn’t spend every minute together, but they always found their way back to one another somehow. It was a strange relationship, one she didn’t quite have figured out, one that had spawned from her own madness.
She turned to look at him as he approached her and lifted a brow at his words. “It’s not so perfect now. Blood has been spilled upon the land. It is no longer pure.” Fyra knew he liked chaos…well, he liked being a wrench in people’s plans, thwarting perfection.
“If you start a fire here, I’ll kill you,” she added casually…and it was hard to tell if she was joking.
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Post by kaalo on May 8, 2011 0:41:05 GMT -6
 Kaalo was strolling along the path from the lake where he had made his homestead. Times had been rough, of that there was no doubt, but for now there was a stillness about the night. The day had brought more bloodshed and sadness for the Akeru tribe. More pain, more death...
Kaalo had a way of wrapping himself in thought as he walked in a way that left him quite vulnerable to the world around him. Tonight was no exception as he stepped over a small ridge exposing the Mizu before him. The sound of voices, however, brought him very quickly back to the reality that surrounded his unchecked paw-steps. What he had chanced upon took a minute to process through the tired wolf's troubled mind. On a ridge just a few meters away Kaalo noted two figures, both of which were well worth noting. The first and grandest was one he had never laid eyes upon before... Fyramist. The golden creature standing proud as ever could be none other than the former alpha of Akeru who had abdicated in her own fall to madness. The sight was frightening in a way... There was something dark in her presence... Grand and beautiful, yet at the same time almost terrifying about it.
The second figure was much more troubling. The beta wouldn't be doing his job correctly if he hadn't known that Fuoco was a born trouble-maker. They had met on only a small number of occasions, but Kaalo knew very well what the beast was capable of and would take no chances at fire on fire.
Kaalo had been lucky enough to be positioned downwind of the pair on his approach to the hill that hid his own figure, but as he was brought to attention by the sight of them, the wind had shifted and he knew they would notice him within a matter of seconds if he tried to retreat. He padded calmly down the hillside and up the ridge stopping a few meters from them. He was careful to keep his tail in a neutral position (this was no time for confrontation between possible allies, better to air on the side of caution than offend the ex-alphess and her sociopathic friend).
"And I'll see to it that she does a thorough job of it," he added to Fyra's last comment.
Tension was thick between them, but it was pretty clear this was not a threat, but rather an assurance that unpleasant behavior would not be tolerated...[/size] |
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Post by Mama Z on May 9, 2011 11:06:20 GMT -6
She gave her normal response and FUoco smiled, half way tempted to set a patch of something on fire just to see if she would attack. She probably wouldn't and know he wouldn't willingly ruin anything she liked. But teasing was fun. Too bad everything here was so damn green. Nothing would catch. But whatever threat he was supposed to carry out died on his mind as a voice came through.
Fuoco turned to glare at the individual, not caring about rank or anything else. Those were rules Fuoco never followed and why he never could join a pack. Ironic that he was in love with the alpha of one. He gave a snort at Kaalo, 'You don't scare me.' He stated, then looked to Fyra, 'She does though.' [/color][/size] |
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Post by Felypsa on May 9, 2011 12:30:05 GMT -6
Fyramist could practically feel him grinning. She turned her head to glare at him, as if to catch him in the act, but that was when a sound reached her ears. She sniffed the air and smelled a familiar scent. At the time of her alphaship, Kaalo was the gamma male; now in her absence, he had taken up the mantle of beta. He spoke with some iron conviction toward Fuoco…and Fyra thought, not without amusement, that they must have met before…
In his typical irreverent fashion, though, Fuoco dismissed Kaalo’s edgy statement flippantly—then added a comment that, from him, could only be interpreted as flattery. Fyra felt a smile tugging at her maw in spite of herself. “And that’s how it’s supposed to be.” It made no sense, of course, her relationship with this wild cur. She loved her pack, would die for it, would lead it into hell if she had to—but do everything to make sure it made it back again. And Fuoco didn’t give the slightest rat’s ass about it.
Maybe that was why, though. He was a guilty pleasure, an escape from the stress and burden of leadership. A slice of her old madness she would never get rid of. In some sense, he was freedom.
Fyra shook away such thoughts and focused on Kaalo, a gentle smile on her face, though it did not come as naturally as it once had. “Never mind him; he will behave. How are you, beta? How have things fared?” The war had changed things, obviously. Akeru was wounded and needed time to heal. She could help. Maybe…she wanted to, at least.
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Post by kaalo on May 9, 2011 22:55:01 GMT -6
Kaalo made a small snear towards the rogue but decided it was best to not take the threats of violence and destruction seriously. Fyramist's response however was a little more troubling to him. He had no prior knowledge of the pair's apparent relations with one another and that made him the odd-wolf-out. After a few seconds however, Fyra turned the conversation onto him with a question he had feared since the moment he came across the golden wolfess.
Things had not fared well in Fyramist's absence. It wasn't the fault of Novawing or Zydeko, it was just a rough time to lose a well-respected alphess to the throws of madness. War stirring from Giaku had brought hoards of demons through Akeru in the more recent days as well and it was wearing on the pack as a whole.
"Not so well, m'lady, not very well at all." he said in a pointedly bland tone, "Demons press on our ranks daily and the toll it is taking on our pack-mates is increasing, both physically and emotionally. We have other beasts within our own borders that threaten us from all angles as well. Shape-shifters and creatures unseen plague our homeland from underneath. I guess most importantly however, I should ask of your affairs as of late..."
The last thought was a little quieter and less militaristic in nature. It was a personal question but the reply would certainly effect the upcoming events within the pack. A fallen heroine returning to her homeland in the midst of war and unrest could serve as a morale boost to the troops and their families. Yet, somewhere in the back of Kaalo's mind, he knew this was a very unlikely outcome... and even deeper in his mind he knew it would mean he would be stripped of his more active roles within the hierarchy.
There was something about Fyramist that just didn't seem right however... Subtle, but unnerving... |
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Post by Mama Z on May 9, 2011 23:10:22 GMT -6
He was pretty much silenced by a few words of Fyra's and he made a mocking gesture with his mouth before calming down. He looked out over the lands, half listening to how much trouble Akeru was in. Not surprising that there would be trouble. Now they'd be at their weakest, many would be wanting these sickeningly happy lands. Then he asked how she was and Fuoco gave a snort. Oh yes the lands are going to be taken over but that doesnt matter as long as you haven't run completely mad, he summarized in his mind. He looked to Fyra then to Kaalo, his tail twitching in agitation about wanting to speak out loud but refrained. [/color][/size] |
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Post by Felypsa on May 9, 2011 23:42:10 GMT -6
She resumed an expression of utter patience as she listened to Kaalo’s report, more or less. Yes, she had known about the war…in Giaku, she had stopped the vicious empress from killing her own sister. But she had seen how the battles tore up Giaku’s territory…though coming home to it was a different story. Fyramist hated to hear how her people were suffering.
Of course Kaalo wanted to know what she had been up to…and Fyra’s expression closed slightly. “Trying to get back to sanity when one is utterly mad is not a journey that I can speak lightly about,” she replied softly. “Just know that I am unhurt. Thanks to, in part, Fuoco here…” She turned her head toward him and lifted a brow. “…who is just dying to say something. Far be it from me to keep you silent, Fuoco. What do you have to say?”
She knew that his very presence here was something that would cause contention…even distrust. She knew Kaalo was mentally questioning why she was putting up with Fuoco. It went beyond simple gratitude, though it was true that Fuoco had probably saved her life a few times when her madness caused her to wander too close to death. This was going to be difficult. Fyra knew she would have to return to protect Akeru in some capacity…yet at the same time, saying goodbye to Fuoco was something she was loath to do…and the two would not mix well. A dilemma she was most irritated by.
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Post by kaalo on May 9, 2011 23:59:26 GMT -6
Kaalo listened to Fyra's words with notable concern. He had almost forgotten Fuoco's presence for a second, but Fyra brought the hot-headed wolf back to the conversation. He waited for a second, but added a quick statement before Fuoco was mentioned.
"Well thank the stars for your health," he said softly.
Kaalo then yielded the floor to the patiently waiting Fuoco. His brow curved slightly, but he listened politely all the same. |
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Post by Mama Z on May 10, 2011 0:15:03 GMT -6
Fuoco was surprised the conversation didn't resume without him. He looked to Fyra, a grin moving over his face. But then Kaalo added his comment and the wolf looked between the two. He casually shrugged his shoulders, 'Oh no. Nothing to say here.' For emphasis he laid down on the ground, one paw crossing in front of the other.
It probably didn't help that he was looking at a bug crawling by...and setting it on fire. [/color][/size] |
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Post by Felypsa on May 10, 2011 0:32:23 GMT -6
He was like a young pup sometimes: insufferably annoying. Fyramist scoffed at his little activity and then went right back to ignoring him. She wanted to apologize to Kaalo but it seemed rude to make an apology on Fuoco’s behalf when she knew very well that he was not at all sorry. Instead, she went right along as if she had never paused to give him a chance to speak.
“Thank you,” she said, inclining her head to show her gratitude for his good wish for her health. “I am quite well, actually. Sound of body and of mind.” It was not a lie. Yes, she had changed after her sabbatical, so to speak. She was not the Fyramist of before. But she was stable and that was all that mattered. “But I shall not take back power just yet. It would be too chaotic at a time like this.” Besides, she was not sure if all of the pack members would give her the same askance looks that Kaalo had been subtly giving her.
“But let us relax now…in spite of all the turmoil happening around us, it is currently a beautiful night. So let us simply enjoy it.” She reclined on her haunches and took a deep inhale of the air, purposefully ignoring Fuoco and his flaming insect.
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Post by kaalo on May 11, 2011 22:39:00 GMT -6
Kaalo was actually relieved to hear Fyramist's words. For the time being there would be no dramatic struggle for power that could in all actuality divide the ranks of Akeru. And alas, it was a beautiful night and for that they should all be thankful. Kaalo found, however, that he was far from relaxed...
Kaalo couldn't help but send most of his looks to the most unpredictable one in the group. Fuoco had seemed incredibly anxious to speak as he rolled around setting flame to whatever insect was unfortunate enough to cross his path. He felt compelled to walk over and exstinguish the dying innocent with a good firm paw, but decided this was too tense a night to start conflict. Kaalo glared at the other fire-wolf all the same...
"Yes, we'll thank the stars that at least the night is clear and free of the terrors we've suffered as of late," Kaalo said coldly, as he stared harshly at Fuoco, "Do you mind?"
What a beautiful night... what a terribly beautiful time to be alive... |
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Post by Mama Z on May 11, 2011 23:03:46 GMT -6
It was funny watching the wee fireballs move around. Running as their lives fried away. But the other had to just walk up and kill the fun. Literally. He squished the bugs with a move of his paw. Fuoco stared at the paw as if it had a mind of its own and came from no where, before looking up at Kaalo. It was obvious he wasn't happy about him being here and that made Fuoco want to stay all the more.
At the question, fuoco gave a wide smile. 'Nope.' He stated and proceeded to look back at the ground for more insects. [/color][/size] |
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Post by Felypsa on May 11, 2011 23:24:02 GMT -6
The tension between the two males here was escalating fast, in spite of Fyramist’s attempts to keep it to a calm, relaxing night. Kaalo was too uptight and that was just the kind of person that Fuoco liked nettling. He would push him and get under his skin until they razed this little hilltop. As a response, Fyra gave a quiet but very clear growl. She was not going to take sides. Her personal friendship with Fuoco was something she could not explain or justify to Kaalo, but damned if she would let it actually cause problems.
“I know it is in both your natures not to get along,” she said crisply. “But do you have to make my return home difficult?” She knew Fuoco’s answer to that, of course: yes, he did. For some reason he enjoyed riling her up. And when it was just the two of them, Fyra did not so much mind. They had a quirky dynamic but she had never really questioned it.
Not waiting for an answer, though, the former alpha rose and strode down the hill to be closer to the lake. She was going to get her peaceful moment of reminscence and reflection, dammit. The other two could handle their difficulties without her.
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