Now where had his older brother gone off to this time? Sigmarr had been scrounging around Ebony for any sign of his brother and found himself growing anxious. He knew Kass was probably just out gathering herbs but something in the air didn't smell right. Something seemed…. wrong. Finally catching a reasonably recent scent trail of his brother Sigmarr set to following it. Every step he took came more rapidly than the first and before he knew it he was in a dead run, unable to shake the ominous nausea boiling in his stomach.
The scent trail led to the opening of a weird cave system and Sigmarr felt a chill down his back. Why would Kassander go down into a place like that? There was no time to doubt his nose and without a second thought Sigmarr dove into the crypt. As he crawled further in his nose wrinkled at the disgusting scent of decay. What in the-
A fraction of light broke through the cracks above him, illuminating the figures of seven wolves. A mangy aging wolf, three teen whelps barely nine months old and two other adults who seemed to be in better shape than the other four and the seventh….
Sigmarr's heart plummeted as he realized that the mob of wolves had his brother, Kassander surrounded. No… there was no time to think as the eldest wolf let out a shrieking cry and dove right for Kassander. Sigmarr defenses were up in the blink of an eye a bloodthirsty snarl ripping from his throat as corded thighs launched him forward in a leap, landing squarely across the others back, fangs latching onto the left side of the old man's neck, right behind the jaw. A bizarre shriek peeled from the old man's jaws as he collapsed, unable to bear Sigmarr's superior weight along his back. Sigmarr's head thrashed, ripping muscle, vessels and sinew as the other adult males attacked. Releasing the hold Sigmarr launched himself forward. The two adults failed to get a grip on him but the big black one tore open the flesh of his right shoulder the smaller brown one opened a wound on his left hip but he barely felt it. Rage had consumed him that these monsters would dare to hurt a wolf as kind and pure as his brother.
Skidding to a halt next to his brother he glanced at Kass. "You ok?" Ice blue gaze turned to the three whelps but all was silent as they stared at the older wolf in complete shock. All eyes seemed to be focused on the old man who was lying terribly still, blood pouring out of the wound in his neck. Good, Sigmarr had shredded the carotid arteries. The black wolf nudged and licked at the older man but the other did not stir. He turned his amber gaze to Sigmarr, hate boiling in them like a rabid beast. "Ya killed pa…. YOU KILLED MUH PA!!!"
Sigmarr smirked as he snarled his answer. "Your pa' damned himself! He's now in hell where he belongs and where I'm all to happy to send you, you depraved sack of shit!"
That did the trick. Both the males charged at Sigmarr leaving the exit clear. "Kass run, NOW!" As the two males moved to attack him from the front the pups moved to attack him from the rear and for all his boasting Sigmarr suddenly knew he wasn't going to leave here. Even so… he would protect his family to his dying breath, he would protect his brother come hell or high water and if it was to be the earlier… so be it.
The brown wolf, being the faster of the pair was the first to leap at the Xanilov male. Sigmarr's limbs suddenly coiled and as the other leapt Sigmarr pushed himself up and forward with practiced precision. It was like being in the ring again. When he'd been forced to battle for entertainment, he blocked everything from his mind… or tried to… Come on Kass…. please live…. please… please be happy, no matter what happens. Fangs seized around the other males throat in a vice-grip and immediately he thrashed his head, willing himself to end this as quickly as possible, almost daring to hope that he'd make it out alive before the attacks suddenly hit him.
The black wolf ripped into the left side of his neck, right in front of his shoulder, the white teen tore into his left thigh, the black teen into his right and the third teen of an earthen color leapt onto his back tearing into the flesh between his shoulder blades as his limbs coiled desperately to take the extra weight. They tore at his flesh as though they were half starved but Sigmarr did not release his hold on the brown male until the other finally stopped thrashing and hit the ground with a thud. The black male wrapped his fore limbs around the base of Sigmarr's neck. More weight.
Sigmarr ducked suddenly, limbs coiling sharply as he slipped under the males arms and pushed forward, fangs ripping into the black males belly. The move caused his own flesh to tear, blood seeping in rivers from the wound in his neck but he'd achieved is goal as the ebony male yowled in pain before flopping onto his side, fangs lashing out and seizing Sigmarr's left wrist in a ferocious bite that caused the delicate bones to fracture, pain rocketing through his head.
"Lafayette!" One of the teens, the white one, shrieked at seeing the blow dealt to his kin. Sigmarr growled in disgust. This right here was the problem. How could these wolves care so much for their own family, their kin, their brothers and yet act as if taking Sigmarr's brother from him was as simple as slaying a rabbit. Did they honestly look at Kassander and not think that he had family that loved him as well?! Sigmarr choked, barely managing to maintain his grip as he felt fangs pierce his own abdomen, the white teen tearing into the flesh on the left side the black one ripping the flesh on his right. The brown teen released his grip moving for a new target.
Sigmarr wrenched his head sharply to the right, causing enough pain for the black male to release his left foreleg enough that with a mighty push he rolled to the side, once again allowing his flesh to tear, the pain to consume him as he stumbled back to his feet. Sigmarr's head was swimming, he was loosing too much blood…. limbs shook as he watched the other four wolves get to their feet… dammit. Shifting his weight to his three good legs he waited.
The white teen charged first, aiming a bite for Sigmarr's eyes. The Xaliov brute twisted his head and caught the other boys' lower jaw in his own, with a push and twist of his upper body he sent the wiry youth tumbling to the side with a satisfying crack and pop as the jaw broke and dislocated sending keening howls of pain echoing through the crypt. Pain kissed Sigmarr once more as the brown teen latched his jaws around Sigmarr's left forelimb right above the elbow, the lower jaws wrapping around the inside of the limb leaving the throat exposed. Without a second thought Sigmarr's head dove down latching around the youths throat and with a swift decisive bite he crushed the boys trachea leaving the boy to choke on his own blood.
There was a stab of remorse in his heart but it didn't last long. For about the time he attacked the brown teen the black teens jaws latched around his left hind leg and severed his achilles tendon. The moment the brown teens body hit the ground the large black male's right shoulder rammed into Sigmarr's side like a freight train, sending him sprawling on his left side, unable to further support his own weight. Fangs latched onto his lower side between his hip and ribs, causing a cry of agony to slip from his own lips. No… no… he wasn't going to give that monster a chance to pursue Kassander. Twisting in an arc towards his attacker Sigmarr managed to lift himself on his right front leg enough that his fangs latched onto the other males genitalia before a thrash of his head ripped the appendage from the males body sending the other flailing and spasming away from him…. dying.
Sigmarr got to his feet, vision blurring as he heard the black teen start to sob. "La…lafayette?…. Ambrose? Alzaphine…. pa? I'LL KILL YOU DEAD!" The boy charged in a sloppy attack. Sigmarr managed to throw himself over the boys back and pin the distraught teen to the ground. He took a moment to look at the carnage around him and the darkness of his mind seemed to recede as he stared at the wailing, sobbing boy beneath him. For a moment he thought he saw himself. What would Kassander think of this if he were to walk back down here? And then… didn't Sigmarr have the right to defend himself and his family? Even if one of the wolves he'd slain was younger than himself? Sigmarr lowered his fangs to the boy's ear and spoke calmly and solemnly.
"The darkness of your kin sealed their fates and dragged them to their deaths… not I… had you not sought to kill my brother… I would not have needed to kill yours or do you think your lives and your loved ones are some how… more valid… than mine?" Sigmarr struggled for breath as he gazed for a moment at the ebony teen and then at the pallid one hunched sobbing in the corner.
"I could kill you here boy…. take your sibling and get out of here. Learn to lead lives of peace and understanding or suffer in the dark depravity like your family." Sigmarr got off the child, watching dimly as the boy skittered over to his brother and both fled deeper into the crypt. Sigmarr wondered if there were more of them down here though it seemed unlikely since no one else seemed to show despite all that ruckus.
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Slowly, painstakingly Sigmarr emerged from the crypt, barely conscious as he collapsed outside the entrance. A slight shiver ran through his body. "K-Kass?" He couldn't see, all his sense seemed dull, everything in the world seemed to be fading into a haze. "I love you…you're… strong and kind, a… better wolf…than I ever…. tell… Sindri…. I really am…. sorry….."
Final breath leaving in an apology he slipped away into the autumn air, rustling through the blood-stained leaves, traveling on the wind.
"Speech"
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