Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN]

Number of posts : 471 Registration date : 2011-02-04

Bringing his massive frame in movement, Hades went down low the opposite direction Leto had took, effectively bringing the doe between him and Leto. While Hades wasn't fast, his great size and strenght compensated for that. He hoped for Leto to take initative, and he could just discern him from the thick underbrush. If he could only get close enough...

Number of posts : 1144 Registration date : 2009-01-25

Leto watched Hades move in the shadows, his form barely discernible from them, but he could still see the bru's blazing blue eyes, like twin fires. He crouched low... It seemed that the doe would be their catch. The fawn was still young and bony - it would be better when it was full grown. He tensed, waiting for Hades to get into position, and it became apparent to him that he was to take the initiative. Leto then sprang from the undergrowth with a loud bark, startling the deer. The fawn stumbled in alarm and the doe pushed him in the other direction, fleeing from him. Leto let out another bark and corralled them in Hades' direction, knowing that if Hades missed, they would have to give chase.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:22 am

Hades sprung up just in time for the doe to notice him, but too late for her to change course. Feinting an attack from the left, he caught her when he slammed himself into her side, dark ivories flashing at her side. Trying no to tear up her flank but rather to keep hold of it, Hades braced his rear legs against the ground, locking himself and the deer in place, dragging her side lower. He felt the doe's left foreleg's hove slamming against his thigh twice, but the pain was nothing compared to what he was used to endure. He made sure the doe was keeping being fouccused on hims by slashing his claws next to where he was holding her, so Leto could go for the kill.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:42 pm

And Hades sprang, locking his jaws into her flank, but not tearing it to shreds. She bleated and cried, swinging her head left and right, kicking her hooves to get the large wolf off of her, but to no avail. Hades had a strong grip on her. Leto watched her struggle, and when she raised her head again to try and bite Hades, he struck. Jaws clamped around her lithe neck, incisors piercing into her jugular and crushing her wind pipe, ending her life. She collapsed with a thud onto the ground, her blood staining his chest, but not in gratuitous amounts. He turned to Hades and smiled, teeth bloodied. "Nice one," he said, red eyes now bright from the hunt.

Auds twitched, picking up the sound of something in the brush. Leto turned and found the doe's fawn, sticking its head out of the bushes, black eyes wide with fear. Leto's smile faded, but he knew that was the way of things. "Go," he said to the fawn in a hushed voice, locking eyes with it. It quivered at his voice, but then skittered in the other direction, leaping over the brush and disappearing into the fog that slithered throughout the woods. He turned his attention back to Hades and the kill they had made. "Shall we do as the Romans do and dine like gods?"

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:54 pm

Gods... Hades smiled. "I am more of a Greek though." He added on a cheerfull note. Leto had done the job quick and clean, altough Hades had kept his lock in place until he had felt the doe's life ended. He then proceeded with burrying his maw in the belly. The bloodied, hot meat sensated his tongue, and slwoly he swallowed the meat. It had been long since he had anything that resembled a decent meal, living of scraps of scavage when he had travelled from over the mountians when the war between the glacier packs had beed decided. He had been on the losing side for once, altough even his tactics and personal battle prowress hadn't changed the fact the pack had litteraly torn itself appart in the last months, leaving it leaderless and helpless. Hades had made a silent retreat, while he wasn't a coward, he wasn't eager to die either. He had too much work left to do. And when he had heard the lands of Fire and Ice had a regular war or two, he had held high hopes. It would be up to Leto now to get him to a (possible) warzone.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:50 pm

Leto smirked at Hades' reply before digging into the meal. It seemed that he, too, knew the history of lands beyond. "Perhaps we aren't so different," Leto said, and then dug into the soft, sweet flesh of the deer. He ate enough to sate his hunger, as he wasn't too hungry in the first place, and this was more of Hades' meal than his own. Finished, he took a clean paw and wiped his maw, brushing off most of the blood, but until they found a water source, he would be stained. The dirt and grime didn't matter to him, as they would be headed out across the desert, and soon there would be enough sand beneath their pelts to make a desert of their own.

Leto looked over his shoulder to his companion. "Whenever you are ready. There is no rush," he said, and then turned to the tree line, which stopped much shorter than it seemed. The dark earth gave way to the bright, golden sands. He stood just over the line - on the edge of the earth - the wind blowing the fine grains into his face as he gazed eastward, towards the direction of Muerta Mountains. They were a faint pile of brown rocks in the distance. For once, the sky above them was not piercing hot, but tinted orange and cloudy. Curious, Leto looked to the south, and saw a great swirling bulk of sand. To their luck, they were upwind of the sandstorm; however, none could predict the weather, no matter how many times they had crossed the lone lands.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Tue Jan 31, 2012 4:20 pm

Gulping down a last piece of delicious flesh, he replied, his tone cheerfull. "Then I suppose we're off." Hades always went happy after he had tasted blood, the more the merrier, as his sister, Aphrodite always used to say. Sometimes he missed her and his other siblings, Zeus and Hera. But where they where now, after all those years, if they where still alive, he didn't know. Shrugging of his youth memories, he turned himself to Leto once again. "While we are on the way, would you mind telling me some more about Muerta?" Not knowing why, but for some reason the place started to intrigue him, but it seemed this lands where very interesting at the least.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:25 am

And they were off. Two strangers in a strange land. The wind whipped and howled in Leto's ears and he pinned them back to keep the sand from getting in them, though he could feel the grains work their way through his fur. The sandstorm was a mile or so off, but it was enough to tilt the shape of the winds in the barren wasteland. Hades walked at his side, so he could still hear the bru's question, but he had to strain to hear it. "The most I know is of their Queen, Akira, and that she rules her pack with an iron jaw, but chaos brews within. From what I understand, Muerta is the first to attack others in times of war. Other than that, I don't know any more than you do. We shall have to see when we get there," he replied in a loud voice, his head down. He hoped that the storm would go away, or they would at least be able to escape it if it came towards them. Leto's internal compass told them they were going in the right direction, but it was always easy to get lost...

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Wed Feb 01, 2012 5:49 pm

Hades nodded. The information wasn't really helpfull, but it was sufficient for now. He shrugged of the strong winds and wiping sand, to him, a wolf used to long travel trough harsh conditions, it was merely an annoyance. He wasn't so sure about Leto though. While his companion showed no weakness, he didn't looked like a fighter to him. But, as with everything, appearances could deceive.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:34 pm

They both fell into silence as the wind battered their wolven forms. Though small, Leto was muscular for his size, and managed to keep up with Hades, if not striving a little ahead to keep them on track. While it was difficult to see and all kinds of scents were thrown around, Leto relied on his inner compass. When he peered into the swaths of sand tossed in front of them he could still see the outline of the Muerta Mountains, growing darker and taller as they approached. The cloudy sky blocked all kinds of sunlight, but the world did seem to be growing dimmer. If his internal clock was correct, they would be arriving at the foot of the mountains in less than a day's travel now, if they were to heed the storm. Then, they would have to climb up into the mountains, reach the border of the pack, and then descend into Akira's lands...

The hours passed and eventually, the minor sand storm turned southward, away from them. Heavy sand soaked his granite coat like drenching rainwater, and, taking a step away from Hades, he gave it a very violent shake, the flying granules making a small sandstorm themselves. He sat down and scratched behind his ear, knocking the sand out of them that had gotten in. "Thank the wolf gods that we didn't get stuck in the middle of that," he muttered, coughing from the dryness of it all, dust coating his nose. "I feel sorry for whatever souls got lost in that. Do you want to keep moving, or stop for rest?" He didn't care either way; Leto was a reserve of energy, drawing on more natural strengths than just his mental ones. One could say that his determination was his best quality.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:37 pm

Hades grunted a little when he too shaked his pelt rather violently; "Better keep moving, otherwise our limbs grow stiff." It wasn't very far anymore, he guessed. Not that he had any lay of the land or anything like that. He wanted to make a comment on Leto's wolf gods, but restrained himself from it. Now was not the time for religous discussion. "Altough we are definitly going to find some water allong the way." His mouth was a bit dry, but he wasn't really thirsty, he'd just rather keep his body cool and fresh. Only the gods knew what their little trip in Muerta would cause...

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:36 pm

At Hades' word to keep moving, Leto licked his nose and lifted it into the air, inhaling the dry, desert air. "There's a water source about a quarter mile from here," he said. "I'm going to guess it's where all of those green plants are growing." Not far ahead of them, a grove of evergreen trees had sprouted up, resistant to the desert's harsh environment. Leto loped towards them, the scent of water growing stronger, the and the swirling sands of the storm falling behind him. After breaking through the first layer of brush, he discovered that his instincts were correct - a thin creek trickled between the trees, providing just enough water for a line of plants to form. Farther up, the creek looked like it diverted off from a river. Regardless of where it went, Leto lapped the warm water, not as cool as probably Hades had hoped, but it was enough to take away the desert's dryness.

When finished, he looked up at the steep slopes of the Muerta Mountains. To the average wolf, they looked impassable; but as with everything, there was a way to get to the other side. He knew that many wolves had emerged from the Lone Lands and joined Akira's pack. It was as if the mountains themselves were a test to see if they were worthy of joining. He looked to Hades. "We have several options here," he said, knowing that he was eager to learn about the pack. "We can go around the mountains. That will save us any dangerous pitfalls, but it will also take us longer to get there. I don't know how long exactly, as these mountains stretch this entire side of the desert. We can go over and through the mountains, which would be the quickest way there, but likely the most dangerous. Personally, I suspect that there is an underground system of caves that would lead us through and up to the pack, but I do not know for sure. In addition, we would have no way of navigating in the caves. Another option is a rumor I heard from a pure-hearted wolf not long ago, about a passage on the southern tip of the range. The passage, from what the wolf told me, is in Midnight Meadows. It leads straight up to Muerta, but I have no doubt that Akira heavily guards that entrance. As with any strong leader, she is fierce in keeping her opponents out of her territory. We would be treated enemies instead of potential packmates. I don't have a preference to which one you choose; as your guide, my job is to lead you to a destination, and that is my sole purpose." It was true - Leto didn't care which way they went, because any way they went promised adventure. He was the kind of lone wolf that could wander until he was just skin and bones, as long as his soul felt like it was a part of something... more.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:33 am

Hades joined Leto at the pool, and satisfied his need for water rather quick. Leto started to point out that there where several ways to Muerta, some more atractive then others, but Hades' his choice was quickly made. "Over the mountians then. While it may not be the safest, I suppose it's the quickest way to get there." His gaze locked on the dark mountians rising up before him. "I don't suppose there will be any decent food there, so it's best if we go over it in as little as time possible. That means no resting, think you can handle it?" the last sentence had a playfull intonation. Hades was hardened, after years of traveling around the world, but there was so little he actualy knew off his companion. "So, Leto,where are you from, if I may ask." he spoke. A little knowabout had never hurted someone.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:44 pm

Leto's smile fell into a cool smirk. Did Hades think he couldn't handle it? He didn't have the body of a traveling wolf for nothing. "I'm beginning to wonder if you'll be able to keep up," he replied, and started their journey upwards. It was a gentle ascent at first, but the ground beneath him quickly became rough, rocky, and required one to be deft of paw. This didn't, though, stop him from making casual conversation. "I come from a place southwest of here, near the ocean. It's a very small community, one that's likely disbanded now from the disjunct beliefs of all that were there, including myself. My brother and I, Julien, left for these same reasons, but we... had a falling out, of sorts. We discovered that our differences were much larger than our similarities, and we parted ways. I haven't seen him since," he replied, jumping onto the first of many boulders. It appeared to be the quickest way up the mountain, but if one boulder was to be misplaced... Things wouldn't be pretty for either of them. Leto silently wondered what Julien was up to now, and if he was in the lands of Fire and Ice. Placing those thoughts in the back of his mind for his own entertainment, Leto looked over to Hades. "And what about you?" he asked the dark brute. They were similar in the way that Leto could tell that somewhere way back in the line, they were connected. Perhaps fate had brought them together again for this simple journey.

OOC: I thought Hades was dark grey/black? From the picture, he looks white...

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:23 pm

OOC²: zoomzang! better then before, altough it(s technicaly not a blend xs
OOC³: NOOOOZ, it pixelized!

Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] - Page 2 Hades3

OOC; honestly I was just messing around with the light effects, but it turned out not as wel as I wanted. And I found his original pic back, so I think I'll make another one for him. After all, practice makes perfect

Hades smirked about Leto's response. "Oh, I hadn't had thamuch of a bad childhood, I guess. It mostly involved beating up others who my younger brother had aggrevated. We had a good life, altough father and mother never looked at us, except to punish. Not that I hated them for it though. I went my way, they went theirs. I left pretty young, and my sister, Hera had tagged along for a short while, but soon I found what I craved for, or atleast for a while, wars tend to end quickly if I am participating..." He grinned a little more. "And then all the conflicts up west dried up, and I heard of these lands, so I decided to give it a look." His left paw shifted a little on some instable pebbles, but Hades found his balance back quickly. "I have one brother and two sisters, but where they are, and if they are alive or not, I don't know. Frankly, I couldn't care less."

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Fri Feb 10, 2012 11:27 pm

"Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war, That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial?" Leto said, facing head as the slope grew steeper with each bound. The air began to thin and the wind turned cold, but Leto paid no mind; they were wolves, and they were built for any surface of the earth. If anything, the mountains were their home, surrounded in the clouds and snow. "If I may ask, Hades... Where did you learn the legends of those far beyond our time?" Leto asked, truly beginning to believe that their crossing was not an accident. They were reaching the peak of Muerta Mountains now, and once they were on the other side, he knew that they would part...

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:06 pm

"Long time since I heard that." Hades responded, smirking. "My grandfather thought me the most. And the rest I learned of wolves in our pack, some where quite...philosophical, I think you could call it that." He increased his speed a little, so he as closer to Leto, and didn't had to shout over the mountian wind. "But most of it didn't intrested me that much, I live in the present, and tend to not dwell over the past." He could see the peak ring up before them, but he didn't glanced back. While he wasn't afraid of heights, he wasn't really comfertable with them either. "But left when I was still pretty young, a year or two, I guess. While they where all big talkers, there weren't enough do-ers to make things intresting." While he didn't really cared about his past, he was curious why Leto was so intrested in his. "Anything else you want to know?"

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Sun Feb 12, 2012 6:12 pm

"I find that the past can teach us many things about the present. That's why I'm interested, really," Leto replied without missing a beat. "I find the history of wolves passed to be fascinating. You could call me philosophical as well... I've always believed that it is with their legends and actions that brought me here today." He continued up the mountain without a look behind him, certain that Hades was able to keep up. He fell into silence, then, allowing Hades to entertain his thoughts as the wind picked up and threatened to blow them off the mountain if not for their sure footing. Another bound and they had reached the peak, sharp and angled towards the cloudy sky, but plateauing off and leaving them with a small shelf.

Though the wind whipped around his ears and the oxygen was thin, Leto inhaled the frigid air, his exhale coming out in an icy mist. From where he stood, one could see nearly every corner of the world. There were the pale forests of Jabbar to the west, the dark green landscape of Hamara in the northwest, the softer mountains guarding Tirisfal in the north, the bright meadows of Midnight in the south, and the golden basin of the desert below them. Looking behind them, there were the steep slopes of Muerta and then the sea; out on the sea, almost shaped like an island, was the Pearl. It was as if he was standing beside the wolven gods, looking down upon all of the land with their eyes. One half of the world was covered in ice, to the far north where large swaths of white coated the distant mountains, and the other in fire, blooming with heat; Fire and Ice, created by the paws of Fenrir.

Leto turned to his companion. "From what Mithra has told me, the Muerta pack lies at the bottom of the mountain slopes," he said, pointing with his nose in the same direction. "But here, my friend, on the top of the world, is where we must part. You are much better suited for Muerta than I ever will be, and I also have lost travelers that await my guidance. It has been a pleasure to meet a wolf such as yourself."

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:05 am

"Well, one way or another, I guess you're right." He peeked down from a ledge, into Muerta. "Well, it was a pleasure to travel with you. May we cross paths again in the future, my friend." Without any further goodbye, Hades leapt from the edge, making a free fall for several feet, before landging on his fours. He then proceeded down, following a small trail down the side of the mountian. Leto had been nice company, but Hades felt that now he had to set his mind back on his life's goal. War.

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:04 pm

OOC: I'm assuming that we're both done here?

Subject: Re: Amongst gods, no one can shine... [OPEN] Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:21 pm

Ooc: you assumed right! see you later

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