The creature wove through the bone-like trees, as pale as the snow that had not too long ago claimed these lands. His tongue flicked out to lick at his lips, the ever constant buzz of voices silent for once. He hadn't had to kill, and they grew silent. It wasn't something he was used to, it had been so long since it was only his own voice in his mind. Erebos knew that it wouldn't last for very long, it ever did. Maybe they just got tired, giving him a break for once. It was in these quiet moments that the white marked wolf thought he could bounce back on his own without the help of Beau. It gave him false hope, and even though he was aware of it he still clung to it in desperation. There were times that he didn't even remember what he had been doing, his life a blur since his brother had vanished. He would wake up from blacking out coated in blood, unsure if it was his own or someone else. Today was one of those days. Erebos hadn't even remembered leaving the foggy forest, but when he opened his eyes he was in a whole new place. This time there was no blood, and no voices. Sniffing at the air in a tentative matter, he tired to find his way out of the bleached woods. It was really strange to be walking alone, the ghostly shape of Liliya had been his only companion for the longest time. His pink and blue eyes scanned the horizon, but it seemed to be rather barren in here. Or so it would seem. Not paying attention to his paws, the male soon found himself on the ground. Confused, he blinked a few times and picked himself up, looking behind him to see what had tripped him up. What he saw made him suck in a deep breath, the half rotted corpse of a wolf sticking out of a shallow grave. It was hard to tell if they had been killed in the winter before, having frozen after the snow came, or if it was a fresher kill. Gulping, he wondered if this is what he had done before he blacked out. No... it couldn't be. They had been dead for quite some time. His dark gray ears pulled back against his head as the all too familiar voices made themselves known again. 'Of course it was you, my dear. Who else could it have been?' Aletha cooed, her soft whispering voice made him shiver. The darkness started to cloud his mind already, no matter how hard he pushed it back. "N-no, it wasn't me." He growled back at her softly, shaking his head back and forth. All he heard was laughter, the sound of Liliya's chiming in. She hadn't manifested just yet, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before they all came flooding back. "SPEAK" 'Aletha speaks' 'Eunike speaks' 'Liliya speaks'

It had been some time since the voices last arouse though Kaitlyn was sure that they were still there. They were waiting, mocking her, waiting to claim what fragile bits of sanity she still had left. The youth was hurt, feeling more distant from Yoshiko once more as she reunited with Rivaxorus and the two began raising their children. Hell, Kait still blamed herself for Yoshiko miscarrying two of the little ones. Tears stung her eyes as she pressed herself onward, hoping, praying that somehow, some way, she was going to find some way to change the direction her life was going.

Kait was scared of the future. Afraid of the unknown. She felt so insecure and unstable… would she ever get better? Paws kept leading her on, though Kaitly didn’t know where she was going anymore. She was a bit lost… but did it matter? It hurt being around Yoshi and her family… Could she even really go back there now?

She felt lost.

She wove through bone-like trees, feeling as barren as her heart felt. It wasn’t until she heard a voice up ahead, almost muttering to itself, that the femme paused. Her ears perked forward, and Kaitlyn could feel her heart start pounding in her chest. She hadn’t really interacted with anyone outside her sister, Riv, and the kids for a while now… Did she even remember how to act around others?

Yet, for some reason, she kept going until she saw him. A dark coated male, his colors pretty and eye catching. Kaitlyn sniffed the air cautiously, having not yet noticed the corpse though death was on the air. She wrinkled her nose at the smell, giving a soft whine. Something didn’t feel right… and Kaitlyn couldn’t figure out why. Maybe she could slip away before the stranger noticed her?

He stared at the body for awhile still, his pupils contracting as his heart pounded in his chest. It hadn't been him, he didn't remember anything! It wouldn't be the first time though, he had blacked out before and awoke in a sea of blood. He shuddered at the thought, trying to fight through this storm to hold onto his contentious mind. But it never stayed long. 'We have company, a nice female cowering in the shadows. I bet she would taste good, mm? Or maybe she is here to steal you away from Liliya?' Eunike chimed in, his head snapping up as he heard the whine at the same time. He growled softly, his lips curling back from his teeth. Erebos' ears were pinned back, but it was more in fear than anything else. A warning, a plea for her to flee before it was too late. They were coming, and he couldn't control himself with them around. When the soft brush of cold fur reached him, his head whipped around to see Lili standing there beside him, her ghostly figure staring down the brown female. She had always thought herself as his mate, afraid that he was going to be taken away from her. Only Beau was able to make her disappear, but there were some strangers that chased their voices away. The white marked brute looked back at the speckle faced wolf, his body shaking as he fought to remain in control. But it was ever so slowly slipping away. Liliya made a few steps towards the stranger, Erebos following without even realizing. "R-run." He choked out, before his mind slipped into black. His pink and blue eyes slipped closed before popping open, a more crazed look in his eye as he took a few more daunting steps towards her. His lips were twisted into a manic grin, a humorless, wild laugh rumbling out of his throat. It was high pitched, his jaws snapping towards her. 'Yes my love, yes! Kill her, spill her blood! We will bathe in red tonight!' Aletha called within his head, but everything was cut off as Lilya growled. Erebos relaxed, looking to the specter beside him. 'No, she will be ours. We will claim the little girl and keep her for us to play with. Poor Erebos can't control himself with fresh blood in front of him, he will stay ours forever more!' Liliya laughed, making the wolf beside her quake once more. Turning back towards the female in his oddly calm nature now, his head tilted to the side. This was the darker version of himself, his mood switching under the control of the voices. "What is your name, child?" He asked in a booming voice, taking two more steps towards her. "SPEAK" 'Aletha speaks' 'Eunike speaks' 'Liliya speaks'

Why…? Kaitlyn’s mind questioned. Why did she feel like she was rooted in place, as if… a memory stirred and Katie felt tears begin prickling her eyes. Tears of fear… tears like those she cried when she saw her mother, what should have been her mother, tearing another apart… The young girl could feel her heartbeat quicken, everything in her mind screaming at her to run. Yet… for some reason she couldn’t turn away. It was like there was someone standing over her paws, holding her down… the question sounded in her head again; why? So many questions… no answers…

At the growl of the male the smaller female felt herself hunker down more, belly barely touching the ground beneath her. Her ears remained pinned to her skull, her green orbs wide with her fear. Somewhere she could laughing, but it wasn’t the male. The sound came from within her own head, and of a wolf she knew all too well. It was her mother’s laugh.

The moment her eyes met with that of the male it was as if she was a deer caught in the headlights. His warning caused her to flinch, anxiety making her breaths come out in rapid succession. For a moment those eyes, those mesmerizing eyes closed. Then, when they opened she began to quake in fear all over again. That look… that look… Oh Gods…

She managed to take a step back then, only just to make sure the jaws didn’t reach her. Kaitlyn was terrified, her heart pounding so loudly that it thrummed in her ears. Was she going to die? Was this man going to kill her? Did he have the same sickness her mother had?

”What a shame… Seems you still don’t have courage, do you?” The mocking voice of her mother rang in her head. The small female shook her head back and forth, trying to quiet the voice in her own mind. The last thing she wanted was to have her mother mocking her in her last moments. She had never been a courageous wolf… only snapping when that voice urged her enough… but was it real courage? Who was she, really? Was she ever going to be okay?

“I…” The she-wolf managed to stutter, her voice quiet. The male seemed to be within his own head, as if deciding what to do with her. Maybe.. maybe there was something not right with him too. Maybe he’d understand… or maybe he’d just kill her. Kait squeezed her eyes closed as he edged closer, dropping fully to the ground. Her posture was certainly submissive, at least while the voice didn’t try to urge her on to attack.

“M-m-my… name?” Kaitlyn slowly peeked one eye open, after verifying that was what he really wanted rather than to tear into her. At least for the moment.

“Katie… Kaitlyn Agatsuma…” The young girl managed to get out. Her voice was still very quiet, and, for now, so was the voice in her head. She watched the man with worried eyes, feeling her body quiver from nose to tail tip. Whatever was going to come… she would have to face it alone.

The poor dear didn't listen to the last warning from the sane wolf, and stood there cowering near the ground. Somewhere deep down, Erebos cringed away. He didn't want this, but it was so hard to fight the voices in his head. It was almost like he was put on the back burner while they took over his very soul, moving and bending him like a puppet on strings. He sneered down at the woman, his pink and blue eyes inspecting her freckled face. She was full of fear, there was no doubt about that. It was probably why she was so shocked when he asked for her name, her words stuttering out of her lips. Growling, he lowered his head so that it was closer to hers, his breath hot on his face. "Did I fucking stutter? Your name!" His words were a harsh whisper, tossing her another glare before he lifted his head to look down at her. It took her a moment, but finally he had something to call her. A more smooth smile claimed his lips, his head nodding up and down. How quickly the beasts moods changed, but Liliya was stirring the excitement inside him. She was nudging him closer with her spectral nose, begging him to take her away and have him for himself. It would be nice to have a young little girl to do his bidding? Wouldn't it? "Well then, Katie, where is your home?" He asked, hearing a delighted giggle come from the ghost of a wolf beside him. 'This isn't 20 questions! Just take her by the scruff and drag her home! Shake her up a bit, really make her struggle!' Screeched the voice in his head, making him shrink back slightly. He wanted to do this at a slow pace, no use having a slave who just stood there cowering all the time. Maybe he could even be cruel and twist her feelings for him, flip it all on its side and make her fall in love with her captor. How much more sweet would her blood taste if she were in love? Licking his lips, his gaze roamed over her smaller body again, scrutinizing her form. She was pretty petite, he didn't think that she would put up much of a fight. While that was a shame, it would make the struggle less. But not now, it wasn't the right time. 'Now, now my pet! Kill her now!' Erebos growled, tipping his head upwards to look at Lili. Her snarl matched his own, both wishing to silence the woman. "Shut up Aletha!" he grumbled, loud enough for the cowering child to hear. Blowing a harsh breath through his nose, he glanced down to see if Kaitlyn would do anything. He doubted it, she was so close to the ground it was pathetic. "Get up." He commanded her, rolling his shoulders forward as he waited. The body behind him was forgotten about for now, he had something else that was capturing his attention. "SPEAK" 'Aletha speaks' 'Eunike speaks' 'Liliya speaks'

The man’s harsh whisper still rung in her ears, and she could feel his breath upon her face. Her body continued to quiver, her breathing still coming in rapid succession. She was so scared, so very scared, especially when the next question came from his mouth. She thought of Yoshi, thought of Riv, and thought of those poor little children. The young girl, though she was three years old now that spring was here still felt so helpless. She wasn’t even aware of her heat…

“I…” Kaitlyn flinched, the man suddenly growling and muttering something. Something she could make out… something… that triggered her mother’s voice again. “So pathetic… look at you, cowering on the ground while he talks to his so called friends like that.” It was at that something moved inside Katie, and the brown girl lifted her body from the ground, narrowing her green eyes playfully as that strange part of her took over. That part of her that was on a path to self destruction.

“You want to know where my home is?” Her tone had changed, taking on a more mature tone, almost teasing too. “I’m afraid that I can’t tell you that easily~” The she wolf’s green eyes looked up into the bicolored hues of the male, her fear having faded for the moment. While this part of Kaitlyn was in control there was no need for such pathetic emotions. “So, I don’t think it’s too fair that you’ve heard my name… but I don’t know yours. Unless you want sweet little Kait to call you Master?” She flashed a toothy grin.

“Although… I’m afraid little Katie had to step out for a moment. You were scaring the poor little thing out of her fur. It was about time someone more on your level came out to play.” The child, thanks to her trauma, had developed the first of a split personality. The voice of her mother was just one sign that something was wrong with her… and now… there was no going back and changing the things that once were. “I suppose you could call me Proxy, Kaitlyn’s… placeholder if you will. Don’t worry… she’ll be back. I can never stay out long.”

It was only now that Proxy named herself. She’d come out before, when Kaitlyn couldn’t handle Ren being banished from the pack. The woman swished her tail thoughtfully, continuing to watch Erebos with some sort of fascination. No, they were definitely different… but in some ways they were similar. Proxy wasn’t necessarily interested in that sort of way either… but more the sort of fascination that came from a child when an adult becomes an idol.

Something seemed to switch in the girl, and Erebos stared at her with wide blue and pink eyes. One moment she had been cowering and hardly able to get out a word, and all of the sudden she was standing up as a playful look took over her features. Slightly stunned, even his voices fell silent. Blinking a few times, he wasn't quite sure what to think about it. It was like she had flipped a switch, something that he had done a few times as well. A single brow rose as he inspected her coolly, a new appreciation in his gaze. This sounded like a game, and he was glad that Liliya had chosen this girl for him to claim. A toothy, manic grin split across his lips as a dark chuckle pushed out of his lungs. "Master doesn't much suite us, does it?" he asked Liliya, turning his head to gaze at the ghost of a wolf. She met his grin with her own, nodding her head up and down. It did have a nice ring to it, but no. That wasn't him, not that any of this was the true wolf under all the crazy. "Erebos Lunete. Now tell me... Proxy. How did you come into this poor child? It can't be all my pushing that drew you out now, mm? Why don't you start talking?" His deep booming baritone became hushed as he took a few more steps towards her, the darker side of himself basking in the new found attention from the freckled woman. It had been quite a while since he had met a wolf who could match his demons, but this girl had more under her submissive skin than she was letting on. Proxy said she never stayed in the light for long, but maybe he could change it. 'Twist her, mold her. Kill the Katie in her and draw out this other side of her. Unless Liliya doesn't feel like sharing you,' Aletha said with a wild giggle, making Ere's ears flick to the side for a moment. The stern look from the wisp of a wolf was enough to silence the voice in his head and he turned back to the brown wolf. It was like he was just letting them take over now, he was too far gone. His poor mind had snapped when he saw the dead wolf, it wasn't hard for him to hide under his wicked ways. Licking his lips, his eyes narrowed as he looked her over once more. She would do just fine if he would be able to keep this other side of her alive. The cowering shell of a wolf before would not be any fun, this one he could play with. More his level had been the right thought, the mess of fur that was before him again wasn't too much fun. While striking fear into his victims before killing them was half of the fun, it would have been too easy. 'I still vote we kill her.' Aletha chimed in, a growl from Liliya once again sending his head into silence. Even though he hadn't gotten an answer of where she lived, he didn't care. He wasn't looking for more victims, just more wondering if there were wolves who would come out and look for her. While he was a good fighter, he knew that he wouldn't be able to take on more than one wolf at a time. With his unstable mind, there was no predicting what would transpire if it came to that. Walking around her in a tight circle, if she didn't move, he kept his eyes trained on her. "Are you alone?" "SPEAK" 'Aletha speaks' 'Eunike speaks' 'Liliya speaks'

Proxy couldn’t help but feel amused as the man took new measure of the situation at hand. She had probably caught him off guard with the sudden flick of her personality… no, not really personality, but state of being. There even seemed to be an appreciation in his gaze too, which only had the mischievous look on Proxy’s face growing. She was a bit surprised when he didn’t seek the name of Master, but rather gave his own. Erebos… She closed her eyes, giving a soft hum of interest. “Erebos…” The woman repeated, testing the name on her tongue. But she had been asked another question by the man, a question she was more than happy to answer.

“You, or however many of you there are… I bet you are no strangers to trauma, yes? Though if I had to guess you are much more familiar with causing such things.” Proxy grinned. “Katie is an innocent child. Naive and sweet from birth. But you see a certain illness can be born of trauma. By no means was I formed by you, Erebos, but alas it is Kait’s fear of you that drew me out. Whenever she is too weak, too scared to handle much, I can claw to the surface. I suppose…” The female mused, swishing her tail. “As for how I was born, and where… well that was outside the areas of Boreas and Auster all together.”

Proxy gave a low sigh. “It’s sad in a way, really… Kaitlyn adored her mother… and when she saw the woman snap, lose her mind and kill another wolf before her very eyes, well…” Proxy shrugged. “Katie has seen many dark things she had never been exposed to as a pup. Death like that… was trauma for her. That was the beginning of my creation, and each hardship after that broke her a little more. It’s a bit… sad really. I guess one could say that I’m her coping mechanism for the oh so bad things that happen in life.”

Proxy tilted her head to the side, gaze shifting to the man as he circled around her. “I doubt they’ll notice Kait is missing. Just her sister and her sister’s mate… but they’ll be too preoccupied with their little ones. Who knows? I’m sure at least one of them blames Kaitlyn for the stillborns.” Proxy shook her head. “What they don’t know… was that I was the one who lead her away. It’s a bit… sad really. To think that they might see her as crazy. But Kait’s not crazy… nor is she a violent soul. She is mentally a child… however…” The she-wolf fixed her green gaze upon Erebos again.

“That is why I'm here. I have no qualms about arguing or fighting, if it serves a purpose. I also know when not to attempt battle in this body. I can see things for what they are.” Proxy flicked her ears forward. “You reminded Kait of the day she saw her mother kill another… that’s why I could come to the surface. It won’t be until she feels it’s safe she’ll regain control. So perhaps this time I'll be out a bit longer.” Though if he was catching on he’d realize that by Kaitlyn becoming overwhelmed, becoming too stressed and afraid, Proxy would reappear. “I should give you a warning though… I can feel another shifting in their birth stage within Kait. I’m not sure what they’ll be like… could be more violent than even I, or perhaps another happy go lucky ray of sunshine. Time will tell. But Katie… isn’t the only one here.”

He felt irritation rising within him when she went on and on about Kait's little sob story, repeating over and over how sad it all was. He felt his eyes rolling as his lips curled up silently, he didn't ask for her fucking life story. He just wanted to know if she was alone and if anyone would come looking for her. He wasn't stupid, even if he wasn't in his right mind. If two or three wolves came looking for them he wouldn't have any way of fighting them off, and at the moment he thought that she was a good enough prize to keep. If she shut up. It wasn't until she got to the part of there being more inside Kaitlyn that he actually focused on her, Liliya growing stiff beside him. More? It wasn't like he was one to talk about being normal, he had three voices in his head and one of them made herself pretty well known. He nodded his head, but that was all he did with it. There were a few related to her but they were busy with a new family. Perfect. "Welcome home, then." He said in a gruff voice, rising to his paws and walking behind her to attempt to nip at her rump to get her moving. For the first time he picked up on the scent of her heat, too preoccupied by everything else around him. His nostrils flared as a new hunger filled his eyes, but a growl from his spectral companion had him looking over at her. She shook her head softly, walking up and running her tongue along his fur. It felt like a whisper of wind as she touched him, making him shiver slightly. 'You are mine,' Liliya growled, making Erebos nod his head as he started to lead the way deeper into the alabaster forest. The dead wolf was forgotten about, he needed fresh blood. Shaking the scent of her heat away, he tried to see if there was any prey around. 'You have a little pet to do that for you now, dearest. Get her to hunt for us.' Ere twisted around to eye the brown girl, his head tilting to the side. "Can you hunt?" he demanded, not that it really mattered. They both needed food and Lili was right, now that he had her she needed to do what he said. There hadn't even been a fight, but the cowering mess that she was before Proxy was an answer enough for him. He would ensure that she stayed with him until she served her purpose. Then he would see about killing her or not. "SPEAK" 'Aletha speaks' 'Eunike speaks' 'Liliya speaks'

Can I Play With Madness?

Part of Proxy had gone on the way she had to see what buttons she could push inside Erebos. It was a game, really. She was amused with the situation, more than she should have been probably. As he welcomed her home Proxy dipped her head, moving once she felt the nip at her rump. Delicate paws lead the she-wolf onward, and she glanced back at him with a mischievous look. Had he noticed little Katie’s heat? What on earth would he do with her when all was said and done?

But for now it seemed that the thought of her heat was pushed away. The femme shrugged off the mild disappointment before focusing her green gaze ahead. “I can~” Came the sing song voice of the little female before she flicked her tail teasingly back and forth. “Depending on what you crave anyway. A little body like this isn’t too good for large game, but…” She paused, sniffing the air. “I do smell water. Fancy a fish, perhaps?” Proxy gave a toothy grin at the male. “Unless you can scent better prey of course.”

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