Aresenn stood on the frozen shoreline, a grim specter against the backdrop of sheer cliffs and cascading waterfalls. His breath steamed in the icy air as he squinted at the dark shape cutting through the grey waters of the inlet. But of course, as it would happen, he would notice it a second too late. The killer whale that was hunting the coastline.

The beast lunged towards him, its monstrous form propelled by an incredible force. In a reflex, he threw himself to the side, rolling in the frozen grit of the beach as the whale’s sleek form crashed where he had just stood. Massive plumes of icy water and slush exploded into the air, instantly drenching Aresenn. He sputtered, spitting out mouthfuls of salty sea-water. Scrambling to his feet, he stared at the behemoth beached before him. The glistening black form of the killer whale writhed and thrashed on the shoreline. Its massive tail pounded the ground in a rhythmic frenzy, sending sprays of water and sand in every direction.

Was there logic in attacking the giant ass beached whale? Not so much. But had he been a second slower, he would have been eaten. Needless to say, he felt justified in retaliating. Aresenn crossed the distance in a few swift strides, lunging for a fin as he aimed to cause as much damage as possible.

"Aresenn Praetor"

She'd spent a great deal of time studying the waters, trying to sort out exactly what lurked beneath. The pod of belugas seemed like it didn't want trouble, and would be good for eating if they ever needed. Stewing on trapping them, or an ambush in the shallows, had been weighing on her mind. What Iscariot knows too well, though, is the dangers that lurk in the deep. The killer whales that pick seals off the shore and eat them whole, but not just that. They toy with them perhaps more sadistically than even Iscariot herself plays with her food. When the sound of a whale throwing itself ashore to catch something breaks the quiet afternoon, Riot isn't entirely surprised. Morbid curiosity more than anything draws her in, but the scene itself? "Shit... shit, shit, shit," grumbling as she picks up a run, racing down the icy beach. Aresenn was closer to the beast than she'd like, and she can only assume what its initial target had been. Kill it? Drive it back into the sea? Riot isn't quite sure what their goal is, but she's not about to back down. Lunging at the whale's dorsal fin and digging into the rubbery surface, at least it should be enough to draw some of the heat and focus off Aresenn.

table coding by bunni ♥

Sloan was no biologist and thus, had very little knowledge of killer whales. Or really any aquatic wildlife. She preferred catching small game that meant little blood covering her coat. If the animal were larger, it was nice to wait for someone else to come along and kill it so she could sneak in and grab a piece for herself. 

But there was always an exception.

Hanging in the precipice of wanting to make a place for herself within the Syndicate, Sloan knew she needed to prove herself. These mongrels knew nothing of her and though they were family, there would be little trust that she was of worth. So when she saw the massively sleek figure of the orca crashing onto shore in an attempt to snag the fire-coated man into shallow waters, she figured standing by to watch his death wasn’t an option.

Making her way from the scrub brush that crunched as she rushed by, her olive green eyes also landed on the tiny form of Riot. What did the little twerp think she was going to do? Sloan thinks to herself, a snarky smile on her lips as she picks up the pace. Crossing those last few feet between herself  and the orca, Sloan summons as much courage as she can. The whale is monstrous compared to herself, but there was no backing down now. 

Lunging forward, Sloan uses her momentum to leap up and onto the side of the whale’s face. Focusing on blinding the aggressive killer would hopefully deter it enough to slide back into the icy waters.

As if the predators on land were not enough, the Syndicate has had to contend with beasts from the ocean. It has been strange and their tactics have been forced to change and adapt to the situation and Ezekiel finds that he enjoys the different challenges. So, when the distinct sound of a large body breaching onto the beach reaches his ears, of course the Saxe male is eager to go and test his skills against it.

Dark form races up to where Aresenn, Riot, and Sloan tussle with a beached whale, its own dark form writhing on the beach as fins and eyes are attacked. A wicked grin splits his maw as he races in to join them, making for the back side of the beast to grap ahold of its franticly slapping tail fin. Teeth slide through blubber and flesh as he plants his paws and shakes his head wildly from side to side, shredding the fin as much as he can before being forced to retreat.

Even if they drive it back into the water, this whale will leave with deep reminders of the Syndicate on its hide.


"Ezekiel Saxe"

Aresenn's thoughts were as muddled as the chaotic scene around him. He barely registered Iscariot's arrival, her timely distraction more of a passing acknowledgment in his mind than anything else. He was too focused on the whale, on the overwhelming feeling of rage pumping through his veins. Aresenn was fighting not only for survival but also for dominance. Over the fucking whale.

The idea of being bested by some blubbery sea beast was laughable, and Aresenn found himself grinning ferociously as he dodged a flailing flipper. The arrival of more Syndicate members spurred him on, each new fighter adding to the chaos that was rapidly tipping in their favor. With splayed jaws he fought for another hold on the sea beast, aware of a grim satisfaction as his teeth sank into the slick, rubbery hide. His grip was firm and resolute, the blood tingeing his teeth a dark shade of crimson. The taste was repugnant, sour, and gelatinous; it reflected the hostility welling within him.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Ezekiel tears into the tail, ripping apart the powerful muscle before retreating away as he feels the flipper tense and begin to raise and forcing him to disengage the back end. The man ignores the shocking cold of the water that the beast brought up with it, more focused on the art of hurting and killing than aware of the freezing climate around him. It writhes on the beach, trying to smack the wolves who are inflict pain on it and failing miserably.

A dreadful smirk tugs at his lips as Zeke steps back in, raising his front end up off the ground to place his paws on the lowering tail so he can wrestle it back to the ground. Teeth go to work as he pits his strength against the killer whale’s knowing that it will win in the end but that it is more than a little distracted right now. Jaw works as he attempts to saw through the blubber and muscle, more focused on hurting than the actually repugnant taste of it all.


"Ezekiel Saxe"

Her teeth strike at blubber, bouncing back at the beady eye stared into her soul. Skidding along the ice, paws scrabbling to find purchase, Sloan lets out a determined growl. She notices the blood dribbling down its cheek as it squints the coppery fluid from its eye. Revealing a daring smile as she dives back in, she leaps back for the beast’s face to finish blinding the slimy creature’s vision. It would be one less thing for them to worry about and one more thing for the whale to drive it back to the icy depths.