It was far too late in the spring for it to be this wintry still. He'd been born and raised in Auster so all Boreas seasons seemed odd to him yet, but he'd been here enough years to know that the continued cold was not right. The cold had seemed to settle into his already painful joints with an unceasing ache and sharpened the bite of the gashes on his brow where new horns had emerged so violently, but movement helped keep his painful joints somewhat less painful than not moving, and he'd finally made it a point to make a trip outside of pack borders despite the odd weather. A long journey would do his aches and pains good and he'd perhaps be able to discover more about what was going on. Considering his own recent mishaps, maybe the whole land had somehow been cursed as well, with some sort of malicious everlasting winter. If it lasted into summer, he might well consider moving Aerie back to Auster, if perhaps temporarily.

A strange smell reached him, one that was like and yet unlike a wolf. Not quite so close as a dog or coyote, nor quite so far as the maned wolves he'd seen on the southern continent, but... something wolf-like. He paused cautiously, glancing around for whatever strange creature it could be. Unbeknownst to him, though, he'd been moving past a birthing den with a new nursing mother within, a young female dire (extra dire on the side) wolf with a premature litter. The female's mate was young as well, and nervous with a responsibility beyond his years. They were alone, without a pack, and the presence of another predator near their young made them suspicious and paranoid. When Eligos paused with caution to look around, the male took that as furtive skulking, and leaped.

The only thing Eligos knew about any of this occurred all at once when a heavy weight crashed into him and sent him rolling, and he was suddenly in the midst of a snarling, slashing, rolling battle as he and his unknown assailant flailed and rolled in a heap through the frozen underbrush and heaped junk. Luck and his opponent's nervous inexperience saved him from immediate death in the jaws of another predator, but Eligos was shocked to find that the other creature was well larger than him despite his own unusual size, and was hard pressed to keep the snapping jaws from his own throat, let alone land a blow hard enough to drive off or kill it himself. He could only hope that either some good Samaritan happened to be in the area, or Kida and Cypher miraculously caught up to him today instead of tomorrow. Even as large as this wolf beast was, surely it would back down when confronted by more than one opponent. He just needed to hope to the Fallen God that someone happened along and was drawn in by the noise of the battle. He'd already had cause to be grateful he was wearing his armor, and the surface showed fresh scores where the wolf creature's teeth and dull claws had gouged at its surface.

Word Count: 529

I can't trust the fall

His mother's homeland was strange. When he had crawled up to the Veteran's Plateau he had been met with a strange terrain. Wasn't it supposed to be warm now? From what he knew his mother had said that normally these months were filled with the beginnings of life. Yet with winter's grip remaining the loner had to make sure to keep him and his daughter fed. Being a single father wasn't easy - not to mention he saw his mother seldom often since he got here. She was getting old and he was worried for her, but his thoughts were interupted by a rather alarming sound.

Ahead of him his ears perked, the screaming exploded into the plateau in a flurry of dirt and sand. The dust suddeny settled and Pheonix could get a better look at the situation at hand. Two large... and an understatement of large, wolved were fighting. Although the more understandable height one was in a bit of a predicament. It seemed that they had stumbled upon a new nest with the large dire wolf being a paranoid new father. His fur bristled along his back, he couldn't let a stranger be killed over a mistake. After all they were both wolves - what made them thing they were a threat. Then again Pheonix didn't blame them.

With a second though Pheonix rushed forward, picking up speed depsite his small size. With Eligos being big and the other opponent even bigger Pheonix was not the tallest wolf out there. Quickly he tried to shove his weight into the massive wolves legs to knock it to the ground. His friend there had been lucky enough to be wearing armor, Pheonix was not leaving him at a horrible disadvantage. "Stop!" he snapped at the giant dire wolf. When Pheonix snapped that the wolf let out a growl, snapping forward it's massive teeth stopped inches from the young wolf's face. Pheonix's eyes widened as his tail lashed behind him he snapped back. Catching the nose of the beast before he quickly darted back - he was small enough with the speed.

"I think you're better off facing him head on than me." he chuckled lightly next to the large wolf. Hopefully his help was not unwelcome. "The names Pheonix, Pheonix Isokan. I'll help you." his ears pinned to the back of his head. Toes spreading in the junk underneath him. A growl ripped through him. If this dire wolf wanted a fight than that's what he would get. Neither of them were here to harm his family but Pheonix had a feeling that they needed to teach this uncouth beast some manners.

Word count: 440
Total: 969/1500

MADE BY MINNIE of BTN

She had left Boreas some time ago, abandoning the Empire without a word to tend to personal business of her own. Besides, it wasn't like the Empire would have missed her presence. They'd been full to the brim and Belle seemed to have her paws full so much so that it was likely her absence was hardly missed, if at all. It wasn't the first time a Klein had a bout of wanderlust and took off without a word. Hannibal did it often, but the Priestess was not going around to try and chase him down this time, no. She had returned to their homeland to see if there was any chance of rebuilding, and on the way, she had come across more kin, though they no longer seemed to hold close the ideals they once had. That was all fine and well, Pandora learned that family wasn't everything faster than she wished, but things didn't always remain the same. She could care less about blood and family nowadays, it always seemed to be a game to the Klein family of who could climb to the top and remain there whilst the others toppled like some weird game of Jenga.

But now, she had returned to Boreas after several months - or a year or so? - she had lost track, honestly. And she wasn't heading straight to her family. She was forging her own path with her companion and the spirits that continued to whisper in her ear. As she trekked through the plateau that was littered with human artifacts, she heard the sudden snarling of others. Were she younger, she would have shown curiosity. But since she returned to Boreas, she noticed how the snow clung stubbornly to the lands and the massive creatures that were milling about. They certainly hadn't been around last time she was here, and she wondered what in the world was wrong enough to bring about a snowpocalypse complete with gargantuan creatures.

Bi-colored eyes turned upward as Bekh flew towards her, alerting her to the fact that there were two wolves squaring off with one of the larger ones. Although it wasn't really her business to meddle in, she couldn't help it. She wanted to see one of the creatures up close, and what better way than to introduce herself so suddenly? And with others, to boot.

With a smile curling her lips up, she altered her course and followed the owl in haste, and once she saw the back of the creature and the tussle with the others, she couldn't help but click her metal claws together before charging in. "Hello boys, mind if we crash your party?" She exclaimed as she motioned to her companion. The large owl swooped in towards the dire wolf's face, distracting the beast from the others while his mistress dove in for a nip to the hind leg. She was quite smaller than all three boys from what she could tell, and her speed could be distracting enough for one of them to get a good whack in, especially the handsome black and gold horned man. She was curious about him, but for the moment, she'd keep her focus on the big boy in her grip.

She could smell the pups and the other dire close by, so she figured this big guy was simply trying to protect his family. Still, maybe this would make him think twice about stranger danger.

WC: 575
Total: 1,544

It seemed the Fallen God was watching over him today, for just as the massive jaws of the beast had closed partly over the helm and throat of the wolf pinned beneath him, one giant paw pressed against his larynx to pin him there while it attempted to open his throat around the protective helm, the dire staggered, and Eligos took the opportunity to curl his legs between them and heave desperately at the heavy bulk upon him, barely managing to throw the dire away while he was distracted. A single trickle of hot blood slicked the dark fur at his throat, and though his breath burned harshly in his chest and throat he was on his on his paws in a heartbeat, bristling as he spun to face the dire. Eligos didn't spare a glance from his enemy for the wolf who'd saved him, though he did not swiftly in the male's general direction as he circled the dire to put it between him and the rescuer. Dividing his attention and giving him multiple targets to have to choose from, rather than one. "Eligos Abraxas," he rasped, and skipped back away from the dire's charge. He snapped at him in return, but the dire was already spinning to face another threat that had come upon them. Eligos gave a faint chuckle at the bitch's words, though the sound came out more like a hoarse caw. "Feel free to take this dance, if you want it," he invited her dryly. Despite his words he didn't back away to let her take over, but rather stepped forward to continue to harass the dire from his side with snapping teeth.

But the dire had had enough. Outnumbered, the desperate young thing backed towards his den, crouching in front of it for his last stand. Eligos gestured for his unexpected companions to desist, and backed cautiously away himself. "I believe he's had enough. If we leave him be, he may leave us be." The hoarsely spoken words must have gotten through to the desperate new father, because he stood there, gave a grateful nod of his massive head, and disappeared into the den. Eligos ruefully massaged his pained throat, and turned to nod at his rescuers. "Thank you. It seems we share our world with odder and odder creatures, since the ice bridge froze in the north. I will need to keep a more cautious eye out next time."

WC: 406
Final WC: 1950