schism

As she grew older, Astaroth was determined to spread her wings and fly. Each day she grew a little more confident of stepping out of her comfort zone and into the unknown, knowing that was exactly what she needed to do to grow stronger. She needed to meet more wolves, to explore the vastness of the world, to learn, to fight...

Nothing was able to prepare her for how different the world outside her home was. She'd never seen anything quite like this forest before. Fog wasn't unfamiliar to her, especially these days, but here.. it clung to the forest floor like it was a permanent part of this land. It seemed to dampen any noises that might be coming from her surroundings, something that was equal parts comforting and scary.

She moved slowly over the mossy ground, occasionally flinching as she slipped past a low-hanging vine, or snagged her paw on a hidden bit of tree root clustered under the moss. It was hard enough to tell what was going on around her, but as she ventured deeper into the forest it seemed the fog grew thicker. Stifling, almost. Astaroth inhaled sharply, feeling the cool moist air fill her lungs. She only paused for a moment before pushing on, though she swore she heard something moving nearby. Surely she'd just heard normal woodland noises, maybe prey animals climbing in the trees above, or maybe burrowing down into the damp vegetation for shelter...

Surely.

Her nostrils flared as she moved deeper into the forest, testing the scents here. All she could really smell was the heady smell of wet soil and vegetation, veiled in mist.

Which grew thicker and more oppressive with each step she took. Maybe she'd made a mistake coming here without a sibling to accompany her. She considered it for a moment, trying to draw strength from anything she could. Abraxas. He'd protect her, just as mother always said. With Abraxas, she was strong, she could do any---

All at once someone was colliding with her, sending her tumbling backwards right into the muck. It coated her pale fur, and she made even more of a mess of herself by frantically trying to pull herself upright and regain her sense of balance. Before she was even able to register what had happened, the other wolf was snarling something at her, and Astaroth reacted slowly at first- then all at once. She hadn't even done anything wrong! It was the stranger who had run into her! "I ought to be asking YOU that," she spat back indignantly.

The swirling fog made it hard to see much more than a figure in front of her. She found an instinctive growl beginning to bubble up from within her chest, happening before she was even aware of it. "YOU ran into ME," she clarified the situation, feeling blind, childlike rage beginning to consume her. She didn't appreciate being talked to that way, especially when she hadn't done anything to warrant it.

Only hesitating for a moment, she aimed to pounce on the other wolf, recognizing they were young and thus the fight had low enough stakes. She aimed to throw her weight forward, lifting her paws off the damp ground and hoping to bring them down on the other girl's shoulders. Not that she was sure the attack would land, given how little she could see through the fog, but it swirled around her body as it moved- hopefully enough so she could adjust accordingly.

Astaroth vs Korona for Spar
Round 1 / ?
Age: Under 1 Year
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Intellectual

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