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Post by Valentina on Apr 14, 2006 14:39:19 GMT -5
Two figures crashed through the brush, moving swiftly, under the distant indigo sky that was bleached pink on the horizon with the first signs of dawn. The trees were towering dark shadows, and from a distance, the wolves that moved through them were mere blurs that could be mistaken for an illusion of the unkeen eye.
After they passed though, the pounding of the hard ground sopped, the thrashing trees disrupted by rocketing bodies fell back into postition, the snarls faded and the forest was silent.
Then suddenly another sleek figure appeared, moving less gracefully than the preceeding canines but a thousand times quieter. Valentina panted from the already mile-long distance into the woods, running and twisting with agility around the trees without slowing down. Her thick fur was colour of dark blood in the frail light of early morning, but her pale blue eyes were as bright and sharp as ever.
Her eyes then locked onto a dark, glistening spot on a tree, and she felt her heart rise even higher into her throat. How are they even still standing? She stumbled over the thick roots jutting out of the ground, and tore her eyes away from the tree, speeding up and emitting a low, desperate whine under her breath. "Laion...please, please be okay..."
A loud snarl errupted from deep within Laion's chest as he was thrown againt the tree, blood flying from his injured shoulder and the raw wound scraping againt the bark. He twisted his body back around and latched on to Jaegar's ear before he could entirely pull away from ramming the smaller wolf against the tree. The tough skin shredded betwen his sharp fangs and then it was Jaegar's scream that reverberated through the woods.
Laion leaped away from the tree and the two raced on, side by side, leaping and charging and slashing at eachother.
Eventually they came to a clearing, a large area surrounded by trees that opened up above the area, the deep blue sky still spotted with white stars shining down. The two stopped in the middle, facing eachother, circling and bristling, then lunged at eachother in the same instant.
The clearing echoed with the sound of flying dirt and shredding fur, a constant growl rumbling from both like the hum of a car engine. A flock of birds took flight, and somewhere far off, the scarlet half wolf saw the sparrows and knew in an instant which way to head.
Half a minute later the husky burst into the clearing and skidded to a halt, claws dug in the ground and looking from Jaegar to Laion. Her icy eyes scanned them both and took in the damage; they both seemed to be equally injured. Laion's shoulder was cut wide open, and Jaegar's throat was still gaping and whistling with his every breath, and both his ears were tattered. Laion's posture seemed immensely more weary however, even though he appeared to be less bloody.
"VALENTINA!" Laion screamed at her, chest heaving with the effort, and she was truly frightened by the tone of his voice. "Why---" he trailed off when he tackled Jaegar whom had barely begun to make his way toward the husky. They rolled and the next thing Valentina could clearly focus on, since they were moving so fast, was Laion thrown off the larger wolf and slammed off a nearby tree. He slumped to the ground, dazed, then jumped to his feet and shook his head trying to regain his vision, and charged again; but Jaegar was already upon the prize which he sought.
Her blue eyes widened with fear and her body froze; she didn't have time to outrun him, barely had enough time to think. The distance had been so close, and Laion had failed to get between them this time. The husky dropped to the ground in the last instant, to prevent from being rolled and her neck and underside left open to the mercy of Jaegar's fang.
Jaegar latched his massive jaws on the back of the femme's neck, and she felt the massive fangs plunge through the thick fur and pierce her skin. She clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, but the scream still escaped her raised lips.
Just then Laion barreled into Jaegar, and both wolves fell on top of her heavily, crushing her considerably-smaller frame. She squeaked feebly from underneath the writhing mass, and Laion began to list off a long string of obscenities toward Jaegar. Finally Valentina struggled out from underneath and Laion managed to keep Jaegar pre-occupied while his sister took in her wounds, which other than the gouge in her scruff, appeared to be nothing other than a sprained paw, and she felt as if her hind-quarters might have some nasty bruises if she made it out of this alive.
Would you get OUT OF HERE?!" Laion roared between snarls at his limping sister. She wheeled around and gave him a look as if he was out of his mind, and leaped back into the tussle, but to her surprise, an enormous paw blocked her and knocked her back. Jaegar sunk his fangs into the unprotected limb Laion had used to hold his sister back, and the smaller wolf said through clenched teeth, "Valentina...please."
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Apr 15, 2006 8:16:21 GMT -5
A large auburn shape burst from the foliage, cropped fur bristling. A shaft of dim light caught Tyrant's blazing eye. His heart was thumping fast, his chest taught with anxiety. He had misinterpreted Laion's scream of 'Valentina' as a cry of despair, and felt relief course through him as he saw that his mate was on her feet. However, the feeling was short-lived. Valentina threw herself back into the writhing mass of wolf before his eyes, and Tyrant made to leap forward, to block her path.
Laion got there before him, thrusting his sister backwards with a large paw. Tyrant winced as Jaegar's fangs sunk into the brave wolf's leg, then bounded forwards, skidding to a halt before the husky-wolf and glaring hard into her eyes.
"You're hurt!" He barked roughly, over the rustles and snarls of the fighting wolves, so close behind him. The situation was surreal to say the least. The brute ran his eyes over Valentina's obvious wounds, and a low growl sounded in his throat. This time, the sight of her alive did not soften him.
ooc: Beh. I need tah wait for your reply before I can really go into the fight. hehe. What's going to happen again? Valentina's going to get even more hurt...? Laion's going to get her away... Tyrant's going to jump at Jaegar as he goes towards Laion and Val, and fight... Rev and Laion are going to jump in at the same time and kill Jaegar. Yeah, I think that's right. Right! Cue Val's second post.
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Post by Valentina on Apr 16, 2006 11:48:54 GMT -5
The force from colliding with Laion's immovable paw had sent the femme tumbling backwards. She was on her feet again in an instant, after rolling head over heels just once.
She heard Laion's pained voice and whipped her head back up, her velvet auds pricked straight forward and the sight of blood pooling on his arm made tears glisten in her eyes, knowing that last blow was her fault. She went to take a step forward again; a driving force within her propelled her to throw herself back in once more and fight alongside her brother, and this look was imminent on her face.
As she made to lean forward she suddenly found herself face to face with Tyrant, his blazing gaze seperating her from the fight. Valentina's feeling of desperation now was so overwhelming, the tears finally began to trickle down her cheeks and she stared into her mates eyes pleading for him to move. "I'm fine!" she said, and tried to dive around him.
As she put her weight onto her front right paw however, she found a blinding pain engulfed her and her entire body crumpled behind it. She had known it was sprained, but she'd thought the pain wouldn't be this bad. She cried out, and through tear-clouded eyes saw Laion half-leap over Tyrant and dive ontop of her, sending them both rolling across the clearing.
"FINE! If you won't leave I will MAKE you leave!!" Laion shouted at her in a blur of words, keeping his eyes on Jaegar and Tyrant. He gave Tyrant a nod, hoping he understood and wishing him luck, then hoisted the scarlet husky onto his back and tore off through the woods. "You're brave but you're stupid!" Laion growled, and Valentina didn't reply but struggled feebly to free herself as they whirred past the trees and seemed to fly over the snowy field back toward the Hollow.
Jaegar had been thrown back and caught off guard as Laion answered Valentina's cry of pain and dissappeared on the other side of the enormous chestnut brute that seemed to have appeared out of no where. He had lost the two that he longed to destroy the most, and this infuriated him even more; and he rested his blood-shot, burning gaze on this brute who dared to seperate him from his prey.
He snarled demanding attention, and slowly closed the space between them. He moved in an almost snake-like prowl, anticipating the dog's next move and ready to guage in an instant just what he was up against.
ooc: just psycho-pup and Ty now! ^-^ Laion shall return when the time is right. I'll make a quick post at the dens where Laion drops val off and rev can follow him back.
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Apr 16, 2006 15:30:38 GMT -5
ooc: Alrighty... But you'll be gone for a week?
Ergh... to speed things along a bit I might have to assign Amaya or Triss Jaeger to play while you're gone, so we can rp the fight until you get back with Laion. heh.
Anyway... Triss, Amaya, interested?
bic: Tyrant moved to the side as Valentina attempted to skirt him, but there was no need. Her cry of pain sent a shock, like a bolt of lightning, through him, and he physically winced, as if it were him in pain. Falling into a crouch, he was instantly at eye-level with her, dark eyes filled with fierce concern. However, before he could open his jaws to speak, Laion had leapt over him to spirit his mate away from the dangerous clearing. Tyrant barked gratefully after him, his voice fierce and loaded with determination. Then, turning sharply about, he found that Jaegar had already advanced several steps towards him.
Extra adrenaline was released into Tyrant's system, his heart increasing in speed. He lowered his head, lips pulling back to reveal glistening fangs. A snarl reverberated through the air - something that rarely escaped the usually mild dog's lips. Blazing eyes bored into those crazed orbs of the wolf, and Tyrant half-crouched, powerful muscles bunched. He who usually towered above other dogs could easily be considered small when compared to the massive wolf before him, but he was not scared. If he was to die today, he could think of no better way to go than fighting for those he loved.
The dog began to pace in a small half circle, moving from side to side, eyes fixed on Jaegar's crazed face, a low, ominous growl trembling in his throat. Then, without warning, he lunged forwards, jaws agape, teeth bared, aiming at the wolf's face.
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Post by ~ T r i s s c a r ~ on Apr 17, 2006 14:13:52 GMT -5
|| ooc || Okay, um... Change everything if you need to, 'cause I don't want to do this wrong.... || ooc ||
Crazed beast copied the ridgeback's movements, dark talons gripping the earth as he continued to stalk around Tyrant. Soon there was a mahogany blur at his side, and he took in a wheezing breath from the hole in his neck. As he saw the fangs flash he moved to one side in a quick, graceful sidle, but there was a long line of blood from his snout to his cheek, not too deep.
Snarling with rage and shaking his massive head, he bunched his hind limbs under him and sprang, sweeping a mighty paw at the Top Dog, trying to bowl him over and over, then perhaps jump at him once he was unprotected.
|| ooc || Yay! Bad post! Um...Tyrant...modify it if you need to... || ooc ||
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Apr 18, 2006 10:30:20 GMT -5
The metallic taste of the blood to his teeth as they scraped Jaegar's cheek gave Tyrant a deep, uncharacteristic sense of pleasure. He was lost in a strange trance, his usual personality buried beneath the pure instinct that currently controlled his actions. It was kill, or be killed. Kill, or have his loved ones killed. There was a lot at stake.
Tyrant's teeth dislodged themself from the wolven flesh and he landed heavily. Turning sharply about, he was faced with a snarling Jaegar, a fresh cut decorating his cheek. The wolf had already crouched, his hind-legs streching, propelling himself from the ground. Tyrant had no time to do anything but brace himself and turn his head away so that he was not facing the wolf's paw straight on.
The massive, clawed mitt struck him a massive blow around the cheeks that wrenched his head backwards and to the side, in a stiff and painful arch. A sharp yelp of pain escaped his lips, and he bounced backwards, away from the wolf. Shaking his head quickly to loosen up his throbbing neck muscles, Tyrant saw blood and spit fly from his muzzle into the air, and as he noticed this an agonising pain shot up his snout to reverberate in his brain. He started, gasping for air. Jaegar's claws had ripped his left jowl into two chunks, which, every now and then flapped upwards or outwards to reveal clenched teeth. He stood still for a brief moment, recovering from the shock, and his jowls stopped quivering. They looked almost normal, with only a thin, scar-like line running from the bottom of his muzzle about halfway up the height showing that all was not right.
The dog did not dare take more than a moment to stand still, for fear the wolf would finish him completely. He growled, trying to ignore the pain, and focused on his opponent. Again, he leapt forwards, large paws raised, aiming to tackle the massive wolf. Obviously, Tyrant's common sense had disapeared.
ooc: Crap post... xX;
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Post by ~ T r i s s c a r ~ on Apr 18, 2006 14:16:47 GMT -5
| ooc | Not as crappy as mine...or perhaps this one... | ooc |Continuing to leap forward even after clawing at the mahogany hound's face, Jaeger let out a low rumble of pleasure at the agonized yelp that came from the Top Dog. He shook his large skull, flinging blood into the air, then bared his bloodied fangs. He saw Tyrant running up to him, and his ripped ears flicked back as his lips lifted in a snarl. For a second Jaegar was about to leapt to the side, but instead he came forward and met Tyrant in the middle, his larger body knocking into his and pushing him back. | ooc | Eep...sorry if that was powerplaying, but I assumed... x.X;; | ooc |Jaegar backed away, something odd nagging at his crazed brain. The silent snarl never left his lips, white teeth flashing against black. Suddenly he sprang forward again with a sharp, whistling intake of breath. He pounced toward the Rhodesian Ridgeback, paws outstretched to pin and jaws parted to bite and do as much damage as he could. | ooc | >.< I'm really uninspired...sorry... | ooc |
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Apr 19, 2006 4:07:22 GMT -5
The breath was knocked from Tyrant as Jaegar rammed into him, the full weight of the wolf crushing his chest. He was knocked to the ground, hard, and this time there was no air in his lungs to beat out of him. Pain exploded in his chest and head, and he gasped for air, greedily gobbling the life-giving oxygen.
Tyrant, who had lowered his head, lacking the oxygen, and therefore lacking the energy, to keep it upright, lifted it now to seek his opponenet. He found Jaegar immediately, readying himself to pounce towards him. A chuff of surprise escaped Tyrant's lips, and he quickly flattened himself against the floor and rolled out of the way of Jaegar's claws and teeth.
He was not as agile as his mate, and this trick did not work nearly as well for him. He escaped death, escaped being pinned, which would probably result in death. But Jaegar's huge mitt struck his arm hard, and Tyrant heard the bone click as he tugged it quickly from beneath the massive creature's mitt. He scrambled to his feet, and immediately winced as pain jarred up his injured leg. Throwing most of his weight onto his other three limbs, he snarled and began to limp painfully slowly towards his opponenet. His leg was not broken or sprained, but it was twisted. It was near to useless now. On his own, without the aid of one of his fore-limbs, Tyrant was sure to lose the fight. But he would not give up.
The male continued clumsily forwards, pure determination burning within him. But before he could commence his attack on the wolf, a sudden, powerful bark filled the air. Tyrant's hackles shot onto end, and his eyes widened as an auburn shape burst from the foliage, behind his opponent.
"APHRO! NO!" Tyrant yelled, but his sister was already in the air, soaring with paws outstreched towards Jaegar's unprotected back. She didn't even look at her brother, so concentratred was she on the skeletal back of his attacker.
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Post by ~ T r i s s c a r ~ on Apr 19, 2006 14:50:00 GMT -5
The large wolf landed on his paws, scrambling to remain standing, and turned with a low rumbling growl to the gang leader. He saw that -- even if he had failed to pin him -- that he had done enough damage, and he was satisfied with the limp that he had caused in his opponent.
Soon the auburn dog bounded unevenly toward him, and as he got ready to leap and slash with fang and claw, another canine sailed toward him. He wasn't quick enough to dodge this time, and the femme landed on his body.
Her claws dug slightly into his skin and he gave a yelp at the impact, falling over for a moment before snarling and pulling away. Pain lanced up his spine and he stumbled back a few steps. Quickly gathering himself to attack again, he ran, gritting his teeth at the pain, toward his new target: Aphrodites. His large mitts pounded the earth as he galloped toward her, eyes looking crazy as he turned his head to bite at her.
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on Apr 21, 2006 12:32:54 GMT -5
Aphrodites' claws sank into Jaegar's back, and she was tugged forward as he crashed to the ground. She distached herself and rolled away from him, leaping to her feet again beside Tyrant.
Jaegar's jaws were flying towards her before she had a chance to speak, and she leapt nimbly out of the way, a lot more agile than her heavier brother. A snarl escaped her lips and she had crouched, ready for another attack. Tyrant opened his jaws to protest, looking desperate. Aphro, hearing the beginnings of a sentence, turned to look at him.
"I'm NOT going to lose you again!" She screamed, and her expression, along with her tone, silenced the Top Dog. "You're all I have left!"
Tyrant gazed at her for a short moment, but in that moment time seemed to slow and he saw clearly all that his sister had lost. His eyes softened for a minute, and Aphro sighed in relief, knowing he had caved. If they were to die, they would die side by side. They would leave the world in the same way that they had arrived - together.
A short nod was the only gesture of agreement Tyrant had time to display. He fell into a crouch beside his sister, injured leg already healing - he was a strong wolf, and a minor twist could not ail him for long. The two ridgebacks split up, prowling around the wolf in a half circle, one heading to the right, one to the left. When they were stationed to either side of him, they both advanced as one. Aphro's jaws fell open, glistening fangs aimed at Jaegar's shoulder, while Tyrant simply squared his shoulders, lowering his head, charging straight towards the wolf with intentions of ramming into him.
ooc: Bad post... mostly. XD
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Post by ~ T r i s s c a r ~ on May 1, 2006 18:56:10 GMT -5
The large brute gave a rumbling snarl as Aphro hopped out of his past, and he kept going before whipping around and crouching. He saw two mahogany shapes padding to either side of him, and he felt it hard to keep his eyes trained on both. He stared at Aphrodites, his ragged ears swiveling in Tyrant's direction, and he tried to judge when they would meet.
The lupine saw the pretty femme lunging for him, and he thrust a heavy paw out at her while ducking. However, the other dog tackled him, and he lost his footing. He tumbled a few feet and rolled onto his paws once more, wheezing. Saliva trickling out of his mouth, he stared in blind anger at them both.
Jaegar's bloodshot orbs were narrowed as he focused on Tyrant. He took a few steps toward him, mane bristling, then stared at the Top Dog's sibling. He began to retreat a few pawsteps, still facing him, and then threw himself forward. His massive head was lowered, and he was ready to butt it into the female twin.
| ooc | Meh...very bad... Sorry... | ooc |
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on May 2, 2006 10:43:36 GMT -5
ooc: XD S'ok
Jaegar's paw hit it's target. Hard. The taloned mitt flung Aphrodites into the air, her muscular body suddenly seemingly no more than a frail rag doll. Tyrant, who had sent Jaegar tumbling to the floor, stumbled, shoving a bruised paw out in front of him to prevent himself from following his wolven opponent. He lifted his head, mahogany eyes watching his sister, helpless. Time, for him, seemed to slow, and he caught the look of sickening fear spread openly, subconsiously, across Aphro's face as she soared towards a nearby oak tree.
For the female, however, the opposite was happenning. She barely had time to register the jarring pain in her ribs, the sickening feeling boiling in her stomach, before she crashed into the hard wooden trunk of the tree. A high-pitched, scream-like yelp was smashed from her jaws, and with it came all the breath in her lungs. But she didn't feel the pain for long. She had just enough time for a gasping breath, and then everything went black as she fainted, sliding limply down the last few inches of the trunk to land in a crumpled heap in the loamy soil.
Time ceased its fidgeting and began to run smoothly again. Tyrant's jaws fell open, and a scream of "No!" Erupted from his jaws.
Movement caught the chestnut brujo's eye, and he turned his head sharply as Jeagar began towards Aphro. A wild, wavering snarl of rage escaped his lips, and he shot forwards, blocking the wolf's path with his own, broad-shouldered form. He lowered his head, bracing his shoulders, and a final snarl escaped his lips as Jaegar crashed towards him.
ooc: Ok... this is probably a good time to pin Tyrant, Triss/Valentina/Whoever's playing Jaegar at the mo'. hehe. Then, Laion and Reverie can leap in simultaneously, and yadayadayada the evil wolf's defeated. ^^
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Post by Valentina on May 2, 2006 17:04:17 GMT -5
ooc: righty-o then. Triss you did a very good job with Jaegar, and stayed very true to him! ^-^ Couldn't've done it better myself! Aight Tyrant..excuse the bit of power-playing, but you said to pin him right?
A lop-sided grin dawned his dripping jaws as the female screamed in pain, and a fresh surge of andrenaline pumped the dying body. His eyes glowed like wildfire and the lust for the taste of Aphro's blood consumed the freyed remnants of Jaegar's mind. He covered half the ground between them in a bound and a half, as was the sheer size of his body in comparison the clearing, but leaped back on his enormous paws, snarling furiously as he registered Tyrant's battle cry and the sound of his footsteps in an instant. The near-mirror image of the unconscious female appeared before the killer's blank eyes, and it was a mere heartbeat before he felt Tyrant ram heavily into him.
The wolf had already been braced, therefore he did not tumble, but he slid back on crouched legs a fair distance, dirty talons leaving deep gouges in the near-frozen ground. The top dog's shoulder had struck him squarely in the dead-center of his chest, and a hollow snap rang through the clearing-either Jaegar's sturnum or a rib. The wolf suddenly couldn't breathe. His head lowered in what looked like whip-lash, and his breath was a barely-audible whistle through the hole in his neck.
The pain was paralyzing, and Jaegar's mind went completely white for an instant. Figured flicked through his mind. Valentina as a puppy, hunting side by side with Laion. He remembered the good times with them, and the look on Jaegar's face was clear he was having a revalation. The hardedned features softened, the life flowed back to the gold eyes, the black lips fell into a frown. Jaegar looked up, the conscious, thinking part of the mind trying desperately to return, when the rapid thud of footfalls brought his eyes from Tyrant to the edge of the woods for a moment.
And for that moment, it was deathly still. Breath could not be heard, the oncoming footsteps approaching with the same certainty one sits on the train tracks with and counts minute by minute how much time he has left before he dies.
Laion didn't pause before he threw himself back into the picture. He leaped through two narrow trees, not noticing Aphro slumped against one, and seemed to fly over half the area between them before he even landed. But it was Laion's face that sealed the fate of Jaegar that day, for in his snarling, gaping jaws, Jaegar saw the faces of his beloved pack scream and die once more in his mind.
The smaller wolf had been snarling furiously, expecting the worse when he entered the scene, but to Jaegar, Laion brought back not only the memories of his loved ones, but how he hd in favt lost his mind, and as quickly as it had returned, Jaegar's mind was lost again. Laion had seen the flicker of intelligence on the larger wolf's face, and stopped infront of him, closing his mouth and blinking up at him curiously. "J..Jaegar?" he whispered incredulously, but it was too late. He had already slipped away, and by the time Laion had his guard up again, thrown off by the sliver of hope his friend had returned, Jaegar had already turned on Tyrant.
His head dipped in a flash and his enormous jaws clamped around Tyrant's forepaw, and with his shoulder rammed the rhodsian ridgeback, sending him toppling over and and making a mess of his foot. Jaegar dropped the foot and was on top of Tyrant before he could roll away, golden eyes boring into chocolate ones, and that was when when he began to close the distance between Tyrant's throat and the the wolf's fangs.
ooc: I'll add valentina in a bit, triny to stay on the sidelines, looking over aphro and scared to death for Tyrant and Laion. anyway, post as rev jumping and laion will be at her side! ^-^
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Post by .::Tyrant::. on May 6, 2006 4:34:14 GMT -5
ooc: Righty-ho!
bic: The resounding crack that issued from Jaegar's chest as Tyrant's shoulder made contact caused the Top Dog to wince. He bounced backwards, scrambling clumsily in the dirt so as not to lose his footing. When he gained his balance again, Jaegar was standing still, his eyes glazed as if he was reminiscing. Tyrant faltered, frowning.
Before he could make a move, Laion flew from the undergrowth, snarl plastered across his maw. The appearance of the other wolf jogged Jaegar from his trance, and Tyrant tensed - but it was too late. Jaegar was on him in a flash, and Tyrant felt powerful teeth crush his paw. He gave a fierce, rumbling bark, conveyed in it his pain and disappointment. Jaegar now had him on the floor, and as the wolf's jaws descended on his throat, he was suddenly incredibly calm as the realization that he was going to die swept over him.
But today was not Tyrant's day to leave the world of the living. His Saviour, in the form of a fawn coloured Estrella Mountain dog, burst from the foliage when Jaegar's jaws were mere inches from Tyrant's jugular. She wasted no time in taking in her surroundings, but simply threw herself at the wolf with a high-pitched snarl, taloned paws outstretched.
ooc: Would've put 'one of his Saviour's' but it didn't sound as good. XD
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Post by Valentina on May 16, 2006 16:46:57 GMT -5
"NO!!!" Valentina screamed from the sidelines as Jaegar's teeth drew helplessly close to Tyrant's throat. She made to bound out into the clearing after them, but the fawn lightning bolt Reverie had rocketed out of the woods and into Jaegar.
Her speed had also astounded Laion who had wasted no time in launching himself at the enormous wolf as well, face twisting back into the silent snarl. His heavy paws and black talons struck Jaegar's side an instant after Reverie had already thrown him off balance, and Jaegar collapsed, Laion crumpling around him and trying to sink his fangs rapidly into every ounce of fur and flesh of the wolf that he could reach around Reverie, who may have been stuck in the entwined, tussling bodies as well.
Snarls and powerful jaws snapping shut on air reverberated through the ground. Valentina stood tense. Evrey bit of rosy fur stood on end, her eyes were pained slivers of blue ice, and her black lips were slightly parted. Now her everything was at stake; her brother, her mate and her friend. She took a step forward, wanting desperately to help, but pain racked her body and she stood back, issuing a low whine under her breath. She noticed Aphro as the fighting made its way back toward that side of the Clearing, slumped against a tree not far away, and the husky limped stiffly over to the unconscious form, her thick tail sweeping the ground and her ears pinned back concernedly.
"Hey," she said urgently. "Hey, wake up!" If Jaegar broke free of Laion and Reverie's hold on him, he might go for Aphro and she would be helpless. Valentina figured if she could at least wake her up she'd stand a little better chance of survival. She nudged the ridgeback's ear with her maw, then stepped back and struck her in the shoulder with her mitt, just as she had done to Reverie when they'd been stuck in the fire.
The snarls behind her had been loud but monotonous, and when the volume flared up all of a sudden, Valentina whipped back around to bring her fearful gaze back to those she cared for most.
Having been attacked from the side, Jaegar had been near-defenseless to shake his pursuers, although they had barely been able to reach anything truly damaging. The thick, matted fur and sinewy muscle had protected him, but suddenly Laion had thrown himself into the ground, belly up. Jaegar hesitated for only a second and instantly drew closer to the wolf below him now, sealing his own fate. Deep sadness flickered through Laion's eyes, and he closed them tight as he twisted away from Jaegar's gaping jaws, and thrust his head up to once more take hold of the larger wolf's throat.
It wasn't a truly good hold, but the manuever had worked well and Laion was blessed with the same all-powerful jaws of all his kind. His hold was like a clamp, and Jaegar used up the remainder of his air in a final, desperate snarl. He tossied his head and buckied, trying to throw Laion off, although the smaller wolf's fangs remained a safe distance from veins of any kind. Laion thought all he had was a mouthful of thick fur and loose skin---the neck's last line of defense, but then Jaegar slowed, and his breathing began to be barely audible. His entire body began to shake with the very effort, and Laion took advantage of this time to gain his footing, his back grey with dust and dirt, all the while keeping his jaws locked tightly around Jaegar's windpipe.
For five minutes this went on, then finally the giant wolf seemed to go weak in the joints. Slowly he fell, blazing eyes bulging, and Laion still holding strong.
Eventually he went unconscious. Laion held on for an extra minute, ears swiveling madly and trying to detect the slightest change in his prey. Finally he let go, and stepped back. He hung his head low, blue eyes roaming sadly over his fallen friend. He knew Jaegar was still alive, but he knew how it had to be.
He looked up once, to the eyes of his sister. She padded slowly over, standing on the other side of Jaegar and surveying the damage. Laion could see in her sullen eyes she'd recognized him as well. Finally she looked up, and Laion looked away ashamedly as Valentina leaned forward and nuzzled his neck, paused, then pulled back. She said nothing, but nodded. The fear in her brother's eyes was tearing her apart, but she knew as well as he did what he had to do. Laion sensed the unspoken knowlege that had passed between his sister and he, and it did nothing to ease his heavy heart. He'd slaughtered many, humans, dogs, and wolves alike, but past friends were another thing entirely.
The strawberry and creme half-wolf turned away, limped over to her mate and rested her head on his shoulder and sniffling silently, so her back was to Laion to and Jaegar. "He has to do it..." was all she said.
The ink and gold wolf's fur bristled, rippling with the movements of his muscles like waves over his body. He brought his head back down to the near-still form, and uttered under his breath, "It's been fun old friend. Guess this pretty much finishes up the good times, huh?" he gave a raspy, humorless laugh. His voice was hoarse. "Look...I'll see ya soon, kay? I'm sorry, Jaegar."
And with that he took a step back, then leapt silently forward again, leaving a slash long and deep the entire length of Jaegar's throat, from side to side. Blood spilled out instantly, and Laion's maw was black with it. The shining liquid flowed quickly over the ground, scarlet pooling around the body, and Laion stepped forward to roll Jaegar over, so he was on his stomache again again, so that he might die with his feet beneath him.
Laion backed away from the blood snaking through the spaces between rocks and gravel, and sat silently, eyes closed. At last he threw his head back and let out a long, wavering howl, hoarse from the fighting and fatigue, and yet it did not stop. Valentina recognized it too, a good bye howl similar to the one he had issued earlier, and she turned away from Tyrant, letting the tears spill down her cheeks as she laid eyes on Jaegar. She took her place next to her wolven brother, and joined him in the ceasless howling, more overcome by the sadness of what had happened than by the happiness that it was over.
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