All You Have Is Your Fire...

A tremor had settled in her left arm as well as the small of her back. As she moved the muscles would shiver and shake and a deep exhaustion had settled over her. Perhaps it was from the journey northward or perhaps it was just the last of the sand starting to flow from her hourglass.

She arrived at the base of the falls, just as the full moon peeked out from the clouds. What should've been a warm summer night was unseasonably cool. Autumn was right around the corner and in the far north was making its presence known. A cold wind whipped its way down from the north, stirring the leaves and sending them scattering across the rocks. The rush of the water from the falls drowned out most other noise and she paused for a drink before moving on, farther north and stepping closer and closer to the Armada border. As she moved she hummed softly to herself, an old melody that she couldn't pin the origin to. There was a heaviness laid across her shoulders. A sense of ending. A hope for beginning. An acceptance that not everything would be as it seemed.

Returning home from the Hallows had emboldened the young princess, who seemed to lack the capability to learn where it was and where it was not safe to roam. Already she'd escaped the watchful eye of her mother and nearly became a harpy eagle's early morning meal, and now she had exploited her intimate knowledge of Armada's tunnels to sneak south. It was all fun and games for the disabled young pup, who was rapidly taking steps toward independence and attempting to overcome her disability through real world experience and adventure. She would learn nothing stuck in the Col all day, having already memorized its many features. The true test of her and her seeing-eye-snake's partnership would be navigating a land she had no experience with, in broad daylight.

Mom and Dad had certainly chosen a crappy place to live. The Col and the surrounding woods seemed to be the only hospitable places, and the further south she walked the more mountainous the world seemed to become. Perhaps it was her familiarity with the Col that made it seem easy, but Vanta could not remember ever feeling so uncertain in her paws as walking along the ridges of this land. Around her neck her viper remained vigilant, reining her with her thin body and directing the pup onward and through the brush.

The sound of water alerted the team and all Vanta needed to do was angle her body toward it for the snake to pick up on her cues. They approached without a word, entering the forest surrounding the stone basin and pushing through until the crashing of the falls became a roar she could feel deep in her chest. Mists and moisture kicked up from the flowing water made recognizing the stranger's scent as another wolf much more difficult, and it wasn't until the pup was well within view that her short-sighted  companion brought her to an abrupt stop. The viper's head lifted, approaching Vanta's faintly flicking ear to whisper into it a soft hiss of alarm. "Who's there?" Vanta called out, suddenly aware she was not alone.

"Vanta"

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis moved gingerly over the rocky terrain, ears picking through the sounds of the night, the rush of the falls, the crackling of leaves blown over the stone. Out of the dark a little voice called out. Pyralis turned and saw a pretty little pup with strange, crystalline eyes. She approached, deftly moving closer as she scented the air. "A lonely, old woman. Who might you be?" She didn't have to guess to far for she caught the scent of the Armada on the pups fur and a wicked grin parted her jaws. How kind of fate to deliver such an opportunity into her paws. Well… maybe. Pyralis winced at the shooting pain in her hip. She needed to sit and swiftly moved to do so.

"You have pretty eyes, child. I have never seen their like. What brings you out so far this way? I hope you're not breaking any rules, but don't worry. I won't tattle." She chuckled.

Vanta's crystalline gaze squinted open a sliver as a voice called out in reply, one that was as strange to her ears as the scent was to her nose, and clearly more aged then the puppy she'd encountered in the red woods. She could not look upon the woman's form long before the bright light of day swelled the pain too high, her eyes squeezing shut tighter than they were before. "Thank you." Vanta murmured uncomfortably to the compliment, her rear paw reaching backward to draw herself a step back away.

Something about the tenor in the old woman's voice and the grin that split her jaws had Vanta's instincts screaming, and though she'd been raised better than to abandon an aged and lonely wolf, this stranger lacked the gentle warmth she had come to expect from the elderly. "My name is Vanta, my parents are nearby." The pup lied cautiously in return. She was breaking the rules, but she was not about to let this stranger know as much. Vanta's soft heart gave a squeeze of fear and indecision, her kind nature and willingness to help others was warring with the prickling feeling upon her crystalline nape. "Do you need help with something? Are you hungry, or hurt?" She tried to open her eyes a crack once more, shading them with her paw.

"Vanta"

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis watched the girl fidget, an amused grin on her face. The child introduced herself as Vanta and she was quick to say that her parents were nearby. Pyr's smile faltered but only for a second. "Ahh, a nice outing with mommy and daddy. So sweet." Her nostrils flared as she took in the scents that wafted in the air around her. As far as she could tell Sirius wasn't close by, nor was his horned wife that Pyralis had battled some time back when she'd intended to burn the Armada grasslands. However, there was a familiar scent on the wind. Gossamer was about somewhere… somewhere close…

Do you need help with something? Are you hungry, or hurt?

Pyralis eased herself to her feet. She knew she was never going to get another opportunity as sweet as this one. It was time. She resigned herself to her fate, knowing she had little time left but she would not go quietly into that good night. She came into the world screaming and covered in blood and she was going to go out the same way. She was ready to be free, to be liberated. "Actually, my dear, there is something you can help me with." Her ears caught the sound of crunching leaves nearby. "You see, I need one of your pretty… little… EYES." Pyralis launched herself forward toward to the girl, jaws flung wide.

Gossamer took solace in her patrols, as she often did. She'd only just returned to the Armada after news of her mother's death had been delivered. She was still in a state of shock and anger still burned in her heart at the unfairness of it all. They'd already lost her once now to lose her again, permanently this time. It was almost more than she could bear. Knowing about Zee's illness ahead of time hadn't made it any easier and try as she might she struggled to come to grips with her new reality.

Walking had always been a way for her to privately deal with her thoughts and emotions. Normally it was uneventful but this day it was not. She felt ice in her veins as she caught a familiar scent and heard a familiar voice. Fucking Pyralis again… The sting of shame burned her at her loss during the raid and the fresh, still-healing scars upon her face. Gossamer loped to the source of the sound only to come up behind her little sister Vanta. Her heart leapt up in her throat. No! Her mother would never forgive her if this pirate harmed the girl! "Vanta, run!" she shrieked as she leapt forward to intercept the attacking pirate.

Her defenses hastily set, she attempted to leap head-on at the pirate. The front of her left shoulder lanced forward for the older woman's throat, seeking the trachea with the intent to smash it. She'd had enough. This was the last straw. She was going to kill that filthy pirate here and now or die trying. Her jaws dove down seeking to grab hold of the top of Pyralis' muzzle. Her full bite force was aimed in this attack. She wanted to get hold and break bone. She would break this vile woman into pieces.

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis had not only seen Gossamer approach but had been expecting the attack. Finally! The Armada warrior attacked her more fiercely than she ever had before and Pyralis knew this would be a fight to the death. Even though she wished to go in battle she would not throw such an important fight. If Gossamer wanted victory she had to forcefully take it. If she failed Pyralis would take the young woman's life.

The pirate quickly sidestepped to her right as Gossamer leapt forward, avoiding the shoulder throw but not quite the jaws. The girls fangs sliced through the top of her muzzle, almost to the bone but she failed to gain a hold of the pirate's head and Pyralis was quick to retaliate. The pirate launched herself along Gossamer's side seeking to slam the center of her chest into Gossamer's left knee. At the same time her jaws flung wide, seeking to dig into the flesh where Gossamer's thigh met her side. Pyralis sought to shred tendons and cripple the younger woman's leg.

Rage bubbled up in her chest. Every foul thing that had ever happened to her, especially her loss in the raid and the loss of her mother, fueled her violence. There was something horrifically cathartic about Pyralis' blood on her tongue and though she failed to gain hold of the older woman's muzzle the severe lacerations were savored. Gossamer was running on instinct and emotion. Her muscle memory guiding her far more than her thoughts in this battle. As Pyralis slipped to her left Gossamer quickly pivoted her hind end to her right, seeking to get it out of range and bring herself perpendicular to Pyralis' hips. As she moved, she felt Pyralis' fangs slice through the outside of her left thigh but it didn't slow her down. The minute her back paws touched ground she kicked off again.

Gossamer aimed to slam her chest into the outside of Pyr's thigh as her fangs aimed for the woman's back, just in front of the hips. She intended to use her saber fangs to sever the older woman's spinal cord. At the same time she shifted her wait and lanced her right front paw forward, seeking to snake it behind Pyr's nearest leg. She hoped the combination of her paw pulling the leg forward and her chest shoving into the thigh would unbalance the woman and give Gossamer a better chance at success.

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis saw her target slipping away and she swiftly arced her upper body in towards Gossamer, the pair of them forming a spiraling ying yang as they tried to damage and evade each other. Pyralis felt fangs cut into the top of her back leaving moderate lacerations. The younger woman's paw swipe missed but her chest bumped into the pirate's thigh. Pyralis was able to take the hit as she was already rotating her hindquarters away.

Pyralis dove in low, jaws wide as she attempted to dig her fangs into Gossamer's tender belly, just behind the sternum on the nearest side. At the same time she attempted to lance her right shoulder up into the soft guts, seeking to deliver as much pain as she could. She had the sudden desire to take the girl with her. They would both walk those dark inbetween places together. Her answer at the autumn festival had assured her there was something else to this experience. She was ready to meet it with open arms and open jaws. And if she could take someone with her, wouldn't that be even sweeter?

Adrenaline and determination surged through ever vessel and Gossamer kept her eyes fixed upon Pyr's back where her fangs had already drawn blood. She paid little attention to anything else, letting her body moved on instinct and experience. Her youthful vigor allowed her to outpace her opponent and as Pyralis arced in for her belly Gossamer leapt, her hind legs uncoiling like a mighty spring as she launched herself onto Pyralis' back. The old woman's fangs gained one last mark, slicing into her side but only to the muscle. The pain only fueled her attack. Gossamer's front legs landed hard on Pyr's back and she felt the old woman buckle beneath her. Her head immediately darted down, jaws wide. Gossamer's saber fangs dove deep into Pyralis' spine, severing it it just in front of the old woman's hips. Gossamer bit down as hard as she could, savoring the sound of cracking bone as the old woman suddenly shrieked.

Pyralis' fangs ripped flesh and spilled blood but once again a solid hold evaded her. She was panting, she could feel her aging body struggling to keep up with what her min demanded of it. Then all at once she felt the fangs on her back and a blistering pain that ripped a scream from her jaws. It sounded so foreign to her ears. She could not recall the last time agony had struck her. The shriek suddenly bubbled down into laughter. Pyralis steadied herself on her front legs, saliva dripping down from her lower fangs. "C'mon…d-don't… don't tell me that's it…" She panted as she spoke. She was so close to her liberation. It couldn't end here. "If I must drag my broken body… to your border… and burn all you love to the ground… I will." Pyr's eyes looked up to the large hawk perched up in the tree. She grinned wickedly. Alkali dove down on the unsuspecting Gossamer, talons seizing the girls neck and pulling her head up. Pyralis laughed as the girl shrieked. The pirate struggled to get her legs under her but they would not do as she bid. As Gossamer struggled with the hawk, her head bent low, Pyralis seized the opportunity, dragging herself over before launching her head forward, seeking to strike at Gossamer's eyes and pierce both of them. "Talk" "You" Think

Gossamer screamed as the hawk's talons slashed through the skin on the back of her neck and dug deep there. She could feel the wings flapping above her and her victim slip from her grasp. She raised a paw trying to swat the bird away, shake it off, but no matter what she did she couldn't seem to shake it off until Ásta leapt onto the scene. The fox launched herself from a rocky ledge and crashed into the hawk, ripping it from her companion. Gossamer shook her head, looking up in time to see Pyralis' fangs headed right for her face. Not again… not fucking again. This time she was ready. Gossamer launched forward, her own jaws flung open, her head just below Pyralis'. The warriors collided with each other. Pyralis bottom fangs tore through Gossamer's cheek as she delivered her throat right into the Armada woman's jaws.

Gossamer's fangs snapped shut over Pyr's windpipe. There was a slick crunch and a burst of blood. Gossamer knew she had the pirate now. Blood stained her vision and time seemed to slow to a crawl. She almost didn't hear the old woman's mess of last words as they drifted just above the roar of the falls.

Pyralis felt her fangs graze the girl's cheek, cutting two neat lines through flesh before her air was suddenly pinched. Pyralis gasped at the pain of the fangs digging through her flesh into her throat. Blood spilled in and she hissed, her words bubbling out past her teeth. "Savor… this end… its only… my new… beginning…" The last of her breath slipped away in a gurgling sigh. She felt Gossamer release her and she flopped to the ground gasping. Each breath brought less and less air. Her vision started to blur, the trees dark shapes against the rising moon and the setting sun which set the sky afire in blazing orange and red. She felt the world tilt, her ability to think slow as the world around her went dark. She could still hear the roar of the falls but moment by moment it grew fainter and fainter… until there was nothing. -exit Pyr via death- "Talk" "You" Think

Gossamer held onto Pyr's throat until she was certain it was over. She let go, dropping the limp old woman to ground, the pirate's words whispering in her head. She scowled. "Whatever you say, crazy old bat." Panting she licked the blood from her maw, then in a sudden burst of rage she pushed the pirate's body of the nearest ledge, listening to it smash into the rocks until it landed in the pool carved out by the falls where the river would whisk it out to see and out of her life forever. She wrapped her tail around her paws, feeling the sudden exhaustion and pain from the battle settle over her like a cloak. Getting to her feet she looked about to see if her sister had headed her warning and ran home or if the poor girl had just witnessed that whole mess.