She had kept the old man's corpse into the den he had once occupied and Pari was huddled at the mouth of the den. Her eyes scanned the horizon frantically, a whine pulling from her lips, everything about the woman spoke to her unease. Pari had considered maybe leaving the island several times over the past week, but she was incapable of really making that choice, paralyzed by her lack of orders. The woman hadn't eaten in some time either, she hadn't had the will to feed herself since the old man passed and her usually slight frame was veering dangerously towards unhealthy. Not that she cared much, Pari's sense of self worth had always been underdeveloped, tied directly to how well she had served her masters. And now? Well if she didn't have a master didn't that mean she was actually totally worthless? So many things she didn't know how to deal with had bombarded her mercilessly, should she move him? Should she try and leave the island? Should she try and find a new master? How could she make these decisions when she had spent her whole life letting others think for her? Another, louder whine pulled from her throat and she rested her head on her paws. "Speak only when spoken too",  Think only of the pack

Elias had skipped over the islands in his surveillance of the east that led up to the land claim for Ruina, but now that he had time to explore the east once more, he could no longer neglect them. He was surprised to find the scent of wolves out on this island, ones that seemed to be taking up residency. He never understood how they could sustain themselves on the small creatures that inhabited the islands, but he supposed the swim wasn't too bad to endure before a notable hunt.

He hadn't been planning on stopping to meet the natives of this island, considering himself as a sight-seeing tourist. He just wanted to collect information about who was here, how many, and then leave.. but the odd scent of decay intermixed with the sounds of faint whining caught his attention. He could not ignore it, and like a bear following the scent of honey- his paws absent-mindedly led him in the direction of the lure.

He was cautious as he approached the den, his eyes and ears moving around him like a paranoid crack addict. He relaxed once he came to the conclusion that they were alone and approached the monotone girl sitting at the entrance of the little den that smelled of death. He wanted to ask her if he was okay, but that fragrance was almost too much to let him think straight. The call of Apollyon hung hauntingly in the air like smoke and he was breathing it in, every breath making him more and more tired... distant.

He loomed over her, staring down at her in an odd sort of trance. Who was she, what was she doing here.. and why did she smell of decay? His eyes lingered over her scars, over her deep mulberry gaze, and then finally those hypnotizing lines dressing her feminine shoulders and nape.

He pulled from the foliage like a shadow, like a demon on the prowl. But to her eyes he was an angle; her deliverance towering over her. She felt her chest flutter in a strange cocktail of fear and hope. He stood over her, watching her, unspeaking and she submitted to his gaze, avoiding his eyes and remaining unmoving as he observed her. She licked at her lips a few times, ears twitching back as she continued to avoid his gaze. Would he accept her? Pari prayed that he'd understand her submission. There was doubt in her mind though, all her previous masters had agreed to take her as part of trades and this male had no affiliation with her old master... The part of the woman that wanted to survive, wanted to protect herself was screaming in her head. She had to do something, had to say something. Which scared her more than the idea of being left alone. She had learned to only speak when spoken too and the man before her had yet to say anything at all, but she had too. Keeping her gaze firmly on the ground and keeping herself in her submissive position she spoke, her voice soft but cracked from lack of use. "Please," she begged, "tell me what to do." "Speak only when spoken too",  Think only of the pack

There was something about her submissive behavior that fueled him, filled him with a rush like no other. Some part of him hated that it made him feel as proud as it did, but his demons relished in it. He lifted his head, twin ears pointed forward and upright on his skull like the horns of the devil. He waited for some sort of explanation, for her to beg for her freedom or try to convince him she had nothing to do with the stink of decay that lingered around her.

Instead, she offered a plea. Whatever part of him that didn't want to outright dominate her, claim her, and bring her home for the reaping simply quieted. His demons growled in his head, a low rumbling dwelling within his own chest for a moment before resonating up his throat into something more audible. He lowered his head only to test her, to push his nose against either of her cheeks below her eyes and nudge her head back and forth. Would she resist, or would she move with his pressure?

He tested her, his pushing gentle at first though the growling within his throat might have been foreboding for what was to come. He froze, his red eyes widening some as his lips began to quiver with intent. The muscles of his scared muzzle pulled back, square set of thick teeth on display as drool rolled down their slick slopes and dribbled on to the girl's nose. He never thought of himself as an outright cruel man, he told himself there was something instinctual behind this happening here.

Without warning, he lunged at her nape like lightning and would attempt to grasp it within those salivating teeth. He aimed for the fading white at the base of her neck and pinched, then immediately pulled attempting to drag her weight out of the den and out into the open sands of the island. He dropped her there and stared down at her, hackles raised and tail flagged as his teeth remained expressed and menacing. "You can start by telling me who, or what, is dead in that den.. and why."

Pari waited, her words having felt like lead that tumbled from her too weak lips. He was moving, a reverberating growl coming from him and his head floating into her periphery and then his nose dug into the fur on her face, each time he pushed she obliged allowing him to move her, to observe her. Pari felt like a cut of meat he was unsure was safe to eat; but she allowed him to poke and prod, her head swiveling in the direction of each push. The woman did not watch him, did not dare meet his gaze but she did not miss his growing aggression but still she remained as she was, submissive and easily moved by his pressures. Saliva dripped onto her muzzle and still she remained, in truth this was hardly anything at all for the woman. Her flesh bore the tortures of her many masters before the last and she was more than willing to garner more if it meant she would be allowed to live the only life she'd ever known. He lunged and though Pari flinched she did not fight back, he grasped at the base of her neck and the scar on her shoulder flared slightly, feeling tight as he pulled at her skin. He pulled, dragging... The part of the woman that resisted such attempts at manipulation had died long ago so when she felt him starting to tug she instinctively moved with him. Allowing him to pull her along until he dropped her, where she once more crumpled into a submissive crouch. He spoke and still she avoided his gaze, though she did lift it slightly. That was an order, something she knew what to do with and while she remained in a position that made it clear she was submitting to him her tension eased slightly. She was back on familiar ground. "M-My master..." She began, stumbling slightly as she spoke. She had never been told any name and he had clearly not been fond of other wolves much so she had never heard him called anything so that was the best answer she could give. "He- He was old and sickly. I tended to him until his last breath as I had been ordered too." She bowed her head, maybe she would be punished, for being unable to save him; for being useless as he had slipped away right before her eyes. "Speak only when spoken too",  Think only of the pack

The way her voice stammered as she spoke and clung to the name Master spoke volumes to him about her character. For a moment, he simply watched her... it wasn't hard to see that her soul had been lost. She was suffering.

He stood tall, towering over her for several long moments as he weighed his options. He wanted to take her in, to build her.. but she seemed to be conditioned rather deeply to the life of a slave. Who was he to take that away from her, to shock her into a new life? A soul was a soul within Ruina, some weaker.. some stronger.. he wondered how strong he could build this one.

His previous aggression seemed to slip from his features throughout his inward thoughts. His shoulders relaxed, his hackles smoothed out and his ears even lowered back toward his skull somewhat. He gave her a nod and straightened up his posture, making his decision.

"You are now a part of Ruina's flock, you are now bound to our service eternally. You are to obey my command or fear the calling of death, where you will meet the wrath of those that came before you. Do not struggle, or you will not be fed. Do not fight, or you will be maimed. Comply, and you will be rewarded. Your own actions will decide your own fate, so choose wisely." He watched her, bloodgem eyes seemingly transfixed and glimmering in the backlit sunlight behind her.

"Follow me, lost one."

The woman didn't fail to notice the way his aggression melted away and it confused her a lot. She was used to the domination, the orders and to have it just disappear suddenly had her unsure what was expected of her now. Slowly, ever so slowly she raised her eyes to look up at him. He nodded and her confusion grew, unsure what he could be thinking at all. Then he spoke at something in her clicked, he was bringing her back to the world she knew, the world she understood. She slowly nodded her head, for the briefest of moments seeking out his gaze and meeting it before flicking it away. Her tongue flicked between her teeth, her the tail tucked tight between her legs wagged slightly as she continued to avoid the man's gaze. "Thank you." She whispered. "Speak only when spoken too",  Think only of the pack