ooc; his table broke, need to fix. not on my pc so please excuse the ugly

It was bad. It was bad. It was SO BAD.

He could not stop himself, he couldn't. He was trying!? Could they not see he was trying?

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...

His heart beat with a fervor inside his chest, rapidly tapping against his sternum with it's annoying fucking persistent knocking. Reminding him that he was in terror, that he was losing it.. that he..

A distant giggle echoed ominously in the distance, childish and clearly harbored by the young ghost of Katar.

Katar, his deceased wife.. was.. was this her tormenting him? Would she continue to torment him for eternity? Did she not know the guilt, the pain.. the mourning he went through for her?! He never wanted to hurt her, never.. he didn't mean..

A bubbled choke taking hold of his throat stopped him in his tracks, having previously been running through the knolls as if his life depended on it. An ugly gasp for air sent spit flying from his teeth as his jowls parted, his tongue writhing as if begging for air to sneak over it. Those well-muscled limbs were left in a wide stance while he tried to keep himself from falling to the ground all together.

The day had started out so ordinary, he had been focused.. he was going to begin his tracking today. He would find Miach and Kane for Zuriel, or at least.. a trail of them. His doubt had started out as an insistent nagging that maybe he should avoid them all together, it might be what is best for them.. how could he even think about putting them at risk? What would that do to Zuriel?

Didn't she know he was a monster? A murderer? A rapist?

Those panicked, ruby eyes became hidden behind lids wound tight in an instant when the giggling surfaced again, echoing in his ears but only for him to hear~ He knew that he had to focus, that if he could just keep hold.. that he could maybe...

No, who was he kidding? This was not sickness. This was what it was to be Praetor. Their ancestors.. all of them, tied together in this death ritual. Once one passed over to the dead, the living devoured their flesh to keep their spirits tightly bound. It was a bond stronger than blood, and Katar had asked for that very same custom.. now she was tied to him forever.

There was no cure.. who was he kidding? There was only an eternity of guilt, of punishment.. and he knew he was deserving of every second of it! "KATAR!" He barked, eyes on fire as his massive skull lifted toward the sky, thick neck craning back as he cried out for his tormentor. "Katar, I am sorry.. please forgive me.." She had forgiven him with her last dying breath, had she not? Oh.. had that all been a lie? Why was she here, playing with his sanity? Why would she not let him know peace?

And his father?! Where was he? Out of all his visions.. it was the apparition of his father that gave him sanctum.. and.. now he was forsaken? Of course, he was.. of course he was! After all he had done? To four women now... Dae really did awaken a beast inside of him that day with Pyra, didn't he? Of course, it made sense why his father had gone quiet. Elias was a disgrace to everything that Dominus was. Dominus protected his family, protected them. Elias destroyed them.

He needed to hunt.. desperately. He did not care if he was alone, he was going to take down one of these buffalo. There was no time to gather Eliana, no time to try to keep it together.. he needed to kill, something small would not suffice.

'What you need is a wolf, Elias.'

The gray beast growled, low and alike a heathen until it became a full blown scream out of defiance. "Shut the FUCK up, Katar!" His talons ripped into the partially earth as he propelled himself forward, barreling full speed across the knolls as his nostrils flared.. taking in any and all scents in every depraved breath of air. He needed to find something.

I'd rather be dead than live a lie
BURN THE WHITE FLAG!

Natha's golden eyes surveyed the buffalo with a curious want.  She wanted to know what the flesh of these creatures tasted like when it was fresh.  She'd only ever nibbled on the scraps having never had the luck of finding a young calf to take for herself. Well, perhaps that wasn't true.  She'd seen the young calves but lynx did not hunt buffalo.  She was not big enough or designed for such hunting.  Bison were the prey of pack animals like wolves not solitary felines but she couldn't help but wonder anyway.  Winter was turning into spring, if there were a time to hunt young bison that time was now.

Natha crouched, her spotted coat blending in with the dead grass that covered the knolls, only interrupted here and there with patches of snow.  The air was unusually warm and hinted at the coming of spring while the gray clouds began to gather overhead.  She eyed them carefully before continuing her stalking when all of a sudden she heard a great cry and turned to see a large wolf barreling across the terra at full speed.  

Her curiosity was piqued, ears twitching and she realized that he did not seem to be running toward anything in particular but nor did he seem to be running from anything.  

Natha sprang into action, her long legs and large paws helping her navigate through the frozen landscape as she sought to catch up with the wolf.  She was aware of that old adage 'curiosity killed the cat…. but satisfaction brought it back'.  She wanted to know and called out. "Hey!  What are you running around like a headless prairie chicken for?  There's a herd of bison nearby you're going to rile up, is this some sort of canine hunting strategy?  I have to say I find it particularly odd but I'll assist you for part of the spoils."

Naudir loped easily through the knolls, her companions soaring above her as their keen eyes hunted for potential meals.  There were benefits to have ravens as her companions.  It was a symbiotic relationship tracing all the way back to the ancient days of the gods.  Balthazaar, her black raven, called out.  "Naudir!  There are some bison up ahead to the northwest… it would seem there is another wolf about."  Naudir nodded sharply, her brow furrowed. "Only one?"  What idiot would try to take out a bison by himself?  She was certain that Balthazaar was mistaken and that she was about to stumble upon a pack hunt if she did not correct her course but then Branwen, the leucistic raven, spoke. "Aye!  Though there seems to be a cat near him, a sizable one."  Balthazaar ruffled his feathers.  "Bleck!  cats."

"Silence Balthazaar!  Cats and wolves do not hunt together.  This could be an omen of the gods and we should definitely investigate."  She shifted her course and picked up her speed as both her ravens fell in position a few feet ahead of her, gliding shadows of light and dark.  The man was running at an incredible pace.  She eyed the odd pair of them.  "Are you hunting?  I have need of sustenance myself and I offer my skills and those of my ravens for a cut."

The strong stench of bison hung heavy in the air. They were no reindeer, but they certainly would fulfill his need to hunt something large -- he'd been subsisting on mostly smaller prey, much to his chagrin. It'd been awhile since he'd had a good hunt, and if a herd was nearby, surely others might catch scent of their trail and find some interest. Aki, feeling particularly jovial at the possibility of a hunt - however slim it might be - found himself humming as he navigated through the knolls. This land was an odd one, flat grass giving way to sharp hills that reminded him a bit of the burial mounds he had heard spoken of in the stories he'd been told in his childhood. Either way, it was a strange place and his interest was instantly captivated.

What was even more interesting was the scents other than the bison that touched his nose. Two wolves, one distinctly familiar, and.. some kind of canine? His nose wrinkled in distaste. The species had never been a favorable one to him, and to hunt with one seemed unheard of, but the strangeness of the thought picqued his interest. Only when he drew closer did he realize the scent he'd found familiar belonged to Elias, a man he'd hunted with before and had been quite fond of, however briefly their meeting had been. They hadn't spoken much, but someone who would hunt beside him was someone he could consider a friend, regardless.

A grin brightened his features as he rounded one of the knolls and caught sight of the gathering. It was hard to tell much about the group, if they knew each other or not, but his gaze lingered a bit longer on the feline. "Ah, Elias!" he called out cheerfully, his voice heavy with his northern accent. "What sort of gathering do you have here.. and do you mind if I join you?" Perhaps the small group of them could take down a bison, if that was what they were aiming for here. He really wasn't quite sure.

table by argent/neffs

His breath was strained, his heart racing.. his eyes tunnel visioning on the trajectory ahead of him. He would find the bison, throw himself at one.. maybe get a few new scars and a concussion that would hopefully stop his mind from racing. Although, this did not seem like the sanest of plans.. it was the only solution Elias could see to his current problem. Hunting larger prey had always had a nifty way of sating his mind, bringing him focus.. regardless of whether or not it ended in food.

His eyes narrowed as his head lowered down even more, his shoulders rolling forward as each paw gripped the earth beneath him and pulled it towards him.. he was running across the knolls as fast as he could, pushing his muscles to their fastest capabilities. He had to burn off this adrenaline, and get rid of the ghost currently haunting him.

When the voice of the feline broke him out of his own mind, the fool tripped. He did not see the feline coming up on his side, he was so focused on what was going on ahead of him. He never really had concerns for becoming prey himself- his family were bear hunters, after all. His guard had been let down and the sudden surprise caused his paws to lose their placement while running up hill, sending him falling chest first into the ground. The barbaric looking, gray man could feel slight tenderness at the base of his chest from the impact with the earth, but he did his best to ignore the bruising that was sure to be left there and rolled onto his side so that he could see the cat that had called out to him.

He only caught the end of what she was saying, something about wanting spoils..

Dumbfounded, he gave her a nod. He wasn't sure how useful she could be in hunting, but.. in all honesty, he was simply thankful for the company and for the way she shocked him out of his bloodlusting mindset. He could do this, right? He could work with others..? He had done it before, on these very same knolls. It had just been so long..

Then, two ravens appeared in the sky of opposite coloration. It was certainly a sight to see, and for a moment.. it reminded him of his coal black father, and the white woman he'd fell in love with. Was that Dominus and Spirit soaring above? Had his father finally decided to show his face and help him..? Crows were deeply tied in with Dominus' heritage, Elias' aunt having befriended one as a pet. The idea was very plausible for the idealistic brute.

When the other wolf came into view, his attention was redirected. There was something mystical about the woman with the way she spoke, and again.. he was simply thankful to have something real to focus on.. if... either of them were real. Come to think of it, it was an odd pairing... was this something new he was fabricating into his reality?

Then, the incredible presence of the tusked man he'd ran with before tugged at his heavy heart. Just when he was beginning to question everything again, something solid had made it's way into the circumstance to bring him a bit of hope. For some reason, the strength, respect and kindness that Aki had showed him the first time they'd met had always been a bit of a.. personal goal for Elias himself to achieve. He wasn't sure if he'd ever run into Aki again, but of all days for them to run into each other- of course, it would be one where Elias was barely hanging on.

A bit of nervousness was tugging at his skin beneath his cold, emotionless expression. He hid it well, but he felt it and was fighting it off as best he could. Elias got to his paws, standing on his exceptionally long legs as he faced the small gathering that had accumulated around him. Right, he could do this.

He looked around after Aki asked his question and smirked. "Looks like a hunting party to me, and I am glad you asked. A buffalo would be more than enough to feed the lot of us for the night, and together I think we can do it." His bloodgem eyes flashed toward the woman with the crows, "How well can you communicate with them?" He was curious, but also hopeful that it would be a viable option for scouting.

I'd rather be dead than live a lie
BURN THE WHITE FLAG!

Natha resisted the urge to giggle as the man tripped. There was a great benefit at being able to sheathe her claws in that she could approach almost soundlessly. Either way the man gave her a nod. Excellent! She was going to dine on fresh bison meat tonight!

For a moment it was just the pair. Another wolf showed up with an interest in the hunt and Natha suppressed a growl. They'd need a full pack to take down a bison but she didn't much trust the wolves not to drive her off when the kill was completed. There was also the nature of the ravens being with the young female that had arrived. It was odd to see ravens and a wolf working together. They had a somewhat symbiotic relationship but she considered it more opportunistic than anything. This was just downright surreal.

As if that wasn't enough another large male showed up with weird deformed teeth. Was she dreaming? Natha took in a deep breath of air just to reassure herself that this was happening. She kept her silence and let the scarred man lead. Natha did not know a thing about hunting bison or hunting in a pack and so she contented herself with learning.

Another wolf arrived and Naudir resisted the urge to stare at his tusks.  It was a curious feature, as were his markings but there were other matters to attend to.  The scarred male declared them a hunting party and she nodded.  A buffalo would feed all of them certainly and she was not one to be particular about company.  Such an odd gathering had to be the work of the gods and she was certain some sign would reveal itself in this task.  Perhaps then she'd finally gain some direction in her future.   Naudir did not like the idea of being a loner forever and she had dimly thought of joining one of the other packs at least temporarily but she doubted she'd fit.

The man asked how well she could communicate with her ravens and she swiftly answered. "Very well, they've been with me for over two years now.  Balthazaar, the black raven, sighted a heard of bison to the northwest."  She turned to her companion. "Anything else you wish to add?"

The bird nodded and came to a rest between Naudir's shoulder blades. "They number about 2 dozen and it seems there are young calves with them as well."

Áki didn't immediately notice that anything out of the ordinary was going on inside Elias's head. Perhaps his lack of awareness of how others might be feeling, when it wasn't apparently obvious, was one of his downfalls - he tended to be a bit selfish in that way. He caught the tail-ended of Elias bringing himself to all fours, but he was oblivious to if he'd been sitting or if he'd been fallen; truthfully he didn't think much about his previous state, only him as he stood now. He looked very much ready for a hunt, and he confirmed that verbally. Áki's grin, as unabashed as could be, widened at his affirmation. Only after a long moment did he recognize something strange in Elias's demeanor, though it was hardly enough to dwell on for long. A bit of nervousness, perhaps? It was unlike the sort of creature he had presented himself as before, though perhaps it was merely a fluke. He too felt a bit odd at the prospect of a hunt with a friend, a stranger, and a feline on top of it.

"I think you're right," he agreed eagerly. It wouldn't be the easiest hunt in the world, but sometimes the hardest things were the most rewarding, and the idea of a rigorous hunt was extremely appealing to him now. It was apparent then that he didn't know the female wolf and the feline that had arrived too, or at least it didn't seem so, and his gaze turned to the canine as she spoke up.

He spent a moment appreciating the younger woman's impressive markings, not terribly unlike the ones he bore, ashen grey and deep crimson red. Her presence was appreciated in its odd familiarity, though he doubted she was anyone with any relation to him at all. He listened as she spoke with her companions and offered up what information they had. It was certainly a start, if nothing else. "Did they spot any that might be injured?" Aki asked curiously, his ears flicking as he glanced sideways at Natha. "Or do you think it'd be best to go for one of the younger calves? Three wolves might be pushing it. Unless this one will be much help.. can't say I've ever hunted with one of your kind before." His words weren't disdainful, merely curious, as he glanced back at Natha now, wondering if she would offer up any words.

table by argent/neffs

Elias' eyes never left the black raven once it had been addressed. He watched it fly down to the woman's shoulder blades obediently, and his eyes grew wide as she suggested that he might be able to talk. He'd never spoke to a raven, so it was more than a little uncanny when the bird's beak actually muttered something he could understand. In fact, it seemed quite articulate.. he understood absolutely everything.

After a bit of a stare, Elias finally pulled up his chin and stood with a little more determination. A few calves? The mothers would undoubtedly be on guard. Aki's inquiry kept him hopeful, staring at the raven while he hung on to the hope that there might be an injured or elderly bison among them. Two dozen buffalo would not be afraid of three wolves and a lynx when it came to protecting their young, but he has seen herds leave behind their elderly and sick before when they could no longer keep up.

Regardless, it was the only herd they had intel on- it would have to do. Elias' ruby gaze peered over to the direction where the woman with the ravens had come and, slowly, his paws started to lead away from the group. He wanted to get higher ground, to see if he might be able to spot them for himself. He climbed the knolls, crouching with bent knees as he tried to keep his tall figure out of view from whatever might be on the other side of the hills. One ear kept directed at the group, waiting for their response.. but he assumed they would follow behind him as well.

I'd rather be dead than live a lie
BURN THE WHITE FLAG!

Natha took in the information the woman with the birds provided. There was a herd of bison to the northwest, about two dozen and they had young with them as well. A thrill of excitement hummed in her gut. The young would make for excellent targets for the small gathering and like with most young prey they'd be a safer target than trying to mess with an adult. Frankly, Natha wasn't sure she wanted to be involved in going after a much larger beast like a full grown bison. The tusked wolf addressed her and she grinned toothily. "My kind are well adapted for the art of killing. I find it impressive wolves can kill anything without a decent set of claws." She let out a chuckle but then her mood went serious. She was a proud creature, no denying, but she was not arrogant enough to overlook her flaws. "That said my kind are stealth hunters meant for sprints and ambushing. I do not know that I can keep up with your endurance if you seek to run the bison down over many miles."

The large tusked male asked if any might be injured and she turned back to Balthazaar. The bird shook his head. "There were none that I could see." Branwen, the white raven, then flew to rest on the middle of Naudir's back and spoke to the gathering of wolves. "Indeed, I did not see any that were injured either but we were in the air and our mission was a quick scouting endeavor. It is possible that you may spy some injuries from your vantage points on the ground that we could not perceive from the air."

Naudir shifted lightly, spreading her limbs to allow for the extra weight. The birds weren't super heavy but having them both perch on her sometimes made her feel like a tree that needed to spread its roots for fear that a large wind might lead her to sway. "Thank you Branwen, Balthazaar. With that said I think we should take advantage of the young they have with them. What say the rest of you?"

She glanced at the feline and repressed a shiver down her spine. Cats were unusual creatures and something about their gaze was oddly disconcerting but she knew of their skill as hunters. She was willing to give hunting with a feline a chance. She took in the woman's words about her strengths and weaknesses. "Perhaps we can herd the calf toward you while you lie in wait. With your claws you should be able to cling to the beast well out of the way of its hooves though I wonder if you could make such a kill on your own. It may be best to have someone lie in wait with you or to use you as an element of surprise. Cause the calf to stumble with your weight on its head and leave the kill to one of our larger party." She glanced to Elias and saw him move up the hill. It was time to start. She moved quietly up the hill to join him, both ravens took off into the sky, circling and waiting.

The brute found his own gaze lingering uncomfortably long on the ravens, amused that it could speak but not completely surprised. He'd seen some crazy things since coming to these lands - leave it to one of these strangers to have talking birds. He was mostly intrigued by the answer to his question, and his ears perked when one of the creatures spoke up again.

It didn't seem they'd seen any injured bison, but some young. While he didn't prefer to kill young prey unless necessary, he knew the meal wouldn't go to waste, not between three wolves, a cat and two scavengers. His grows furrowed a bit as he listened to the plan. The feline could be useful to run down one of the calves, perhaps with the ability to run the calf down faster, while the rest of them separated it from the group carefully. "We have to be cautious," he warned, only half-heartedly since he figured they knew as well as him that they didn't need a herd of angry bison trying to charge them down. Between the feline and the three of them, surely they could confuse them enough to lose their trail entirely while they picked off one lone calf. "I'm happy to wait with this one to go in for the kill, if the two of you want to do the herding?"  Between Natha's speed and claws and his heavy weight, he suspected it would be no problem at all to bring the calf down. He glanced questioning to Elias and Naudir, wondering if that plan sounded fine to them too.

table by argent/neffs