Kione loved these falls, mostly because he loved the water.  The wild dog truly seemed to live up to that name some days.  He had already found the deepest pool.  Since then he had made a running leap into it, enjoying the splash.  The painted dog wouldn’t stay here overly long and who knew how much water he’d find once leaving so might as well make the most of the moment.  The dog had realized quickly to be cautious of the water, the smell of and taste of the bit that got in his mouth warning of the dangers of ingesting it. Another good reason not to stay here overly long.

After another game of splashing and the dog had planned to swim to the edge and climb out but it wasn’t going to be that easy.  He didn’t get snuck up on very often but the painted dog had been enjoying himself too much.  Four hyenas had gathered around, waiting at the water's edge.  Kione snarled, looking from one to the other.  Well hell, Kione had no problem leaping into a fight but he was at a disadvantage for starting the fight.  

Kione showed off his fangs, growling softly, “you fellows makin’ a big mistake.  Get on home or be dinner for the birds.”  Big words.  Kione searched for some strategy to get out of the pool for an even match.  Ok, four to one wasn’t overly even but he liked the odds just fine.


"Kione"

She probably shouldn't have followed the dog, but she did. How could she help herself, really? Scylla was adventurous. A total free spirit. She didn't listen well to instruction. Or at least she didn't follow it after she did listen. So when the spotted dog was seen leaving the island and she had little else to do, the slate and alabaster child crept along behind. Thankfully she'd had her mother braid and tie up her tail today, otherwise going would have been much slower. By the end, she was a little tired since her legs were so much shorter, but she'd made it.

The girl hid behind one of the trees and watched as the dog splashed in the springs. She had no interest in that sort of thing. Mostly just in observing and learning what she could. She learned that the hot springs stank, but she had been told that they held healing properties, and so was curious as to whether or not it was true. Did the dog have any wounds that would miraculously heal now that he'd touched the water? How did this water even work?

She never really got to figure it out since a commotion came from the back. Hunkered down behind the tree, Scylla watched as a few large, strange looking creatures came up to the dog and started trouble. Hmm... should she just walk away? Well... no. This dog was pack now. She had to help him, right? Ugh...

Coming up from behind the spotted beasts, Scylla took out one of her little contraptions. The knife was kept sharp at all times and it sliced easily through the tendon at the back of one hyena's leg, severing it with blood, gore and ease. She then skirted back now that Kione would know that she was here with him. He would have to lead the show. She was still a puppy afterall.

"Scylla Klein"

Kione had smelled the fenmyre wolf somewhere around but when he finally spotted her was surprised to see both that she was a pup and how tiny she was.  Despite that, she easily took care of one of the hyena’s and Kione let out a laugh as he was able to escape the pool.  He ran past the one with its tendon cut, the dumb thing tried to bite him regardless but Kione just spun his head around sunk his fangs into the fool's muzzle.  That was all it took to make the foul beast realize it was over its head.

Kione had faced hyenas before, there had been pack rivalries a time or two and labeled them as natural enemies.  The cowardly creatures seemed to enjoy killing the pups of his kind, just the thought of it sent an added high-pitched snarl to Kione.  He barreled straight into the nearest hyena witch had turned its attention to Scylla.  His body slammed into it, knocking the hyena off balance.  Kione spun about to bite the neck of another hyena that had planned to get a surprise attack in.

These hyenas didn’t nip, they crushed bone so while Kione preferred wild all-out attacks he did choose to take care with multiple opponents and more so as there was a child that needed to be kept safe.  If one of them damaged Kione enough he might not be able to protect the kid that just helped give Kione the chance to get his edge back in the fight.

Kione spun around, keeping a grip on the one he bit to put it between himself and the hyena, “Watch out,” he called to the pup as he let go of the ones neck.  The other hyena was walking towards the child.  All the child needed to do was avoid them long enough that Kione could help but apparently, four at once was a bit hard.  

"Kione"

As the dog bit into the hyena, Scylla gave a little giggle. The pretty little fae enjoyed this sort of thing, though others probably thought she shouldn't have. She marched to her own tune and today was a symphony. With one hyena hobbled and Kione dispatching another, the odds were quickly in their favor.

A warning pulled the girls mismatched eyes to the side and she gave her head a shake at the hunch backed beast. "Not smaaaart!" She said in a little sing song voice before taking a step forward. It confused the much larger creature that such a small thing should possess sto much confidence, but that was Scylla. All confidence.

The hyena snaked around the girl and bit her tail, almost all of which was a thick plait of multi-hued fur and so there was no pain. She didn't like getting spit in her braid though and grimaced. Again taking up her knife, she plunged the blade into the hyenas eye with her dexterous little paws. The thing squealed and backpedaled and Scylla took the opportunity to move behind Kione so he could finish it off.

Kione hadn’t expected the pup to be so good at fighting though her style was a bit strange.  Killing was killing and the girl sure had promise to be excellent as she aged and gained more experience.  He had no more time to think about it though.  Kione had managed to get both hyenas in front of him so they no longer had the advantage of teaming up from opposite ends.

They both snarled and tried to bite at him for a direct frontal attack.  Kione smiled broadly as he circled so they just both ended up in a funny dance with him.  One tried to split to get on either side again and Kione lunged towards it, grabbing its shoulder and flinging it back to where the one was before it could get out of his line of sight.

This time it was almost like they thought to work as a team.  The burlier one attacked Kione again even as the other leaped away and headed towards Scylla.  Kione aimed to bite at it but the other hyena got in his way, “one more,” Kione hollered out.  That done Kione showed this hyena the flaw in being alone with him.  Kione barreled into it, grabbing its neck.  The hyena tried to return the bite but Kione kept charging forward so that the hyena was off balance.  Once it fell over Kione dropped the neck and ripped into its stomach, tearing open the soft belly so that its insides spilled out.

His head spun to see if Scylla was going to need his help.


"Kione"

The pained sounds of its brethren dying pulled thre attention of the last hyena just enough for Scylla to comfortably act. The small girl leaped forward, biting into the side of the hyenas face with her sharp little teeth. Once she had a strong hold with paws, claws and teeth, she plunged her blade deeply into the side of the creature's neck. Blood erupted from the severed artery, spraying thick, tangy claret all over her slate coat.

Dropping away and moving back, she knew the hyena was done for and soon it's only moments were the last risk impulse jerks of a dying body. Casting mismatched eyes towards the spotted dog as he filled his belly, Scylla grinned. "Well that was fun," she admitted aloud before cleaning her blade on the fur of one dead hyena. "We should do this again. Like lots of it." If this new packmate liked to kill things, this could work out in her favor.

Kione looked bemusedly at Scylla as she spoke.  She couldn’t be all that old but she’d killed her attackers easily enough.  “Hey luv, they gonna mind you followed me this far out?” She was a good bit smaller than Kione which was mildly strange with how many giant wolves he had looked up to lately.  What was really strange was how her paws worked differently.

Kione left his bunch of corpses to head over next to Scylla. “Pretty talented with that little thing.  Hyenas aren’t pushovers.” For a pup she sure did leak of confidence, which was apparently earned considering what she had done.  “Ya like fightin’ then?” Kione grinned broadly sitting down next to her, watching how she cleaned the knife on the corpse. “My two favorite things prollu swimming and killing.”

“Long as no one skins me for takin’ their kid out killin stuff than you and I can hunt as oft as ya like.” Kione took a moment himself to lick the blood from around his muzzle.  It had been a fair size jog going from Fenmyre to here and it would be a jog going back as well.  Kione had an endless amount of stamina and a long gaited stride that carried him well.  The pup?  She had to be damned tired by now, right?  What were these wolves made of?  “So, lass, you going to need to rest a bit before we go back, or want a ride for a ways?”  The idea of a wolf on him sounded absurd but this kid really was that small.

"Kione"

The adrenaline was still pumping through the girl and her braided tail swished gently back and forth across the ground with a hiss. Kione's voice met marbled ears and Scylla turned her attention to him. She slid the serpentine dagger back into its sheath and gave her head a shake in the negative. "I kind of do what I want," she admitted. Yes, there were rules and guidelines, but she didn't really listen to them all that much. The girl did what she wanted, though she wasn't reckless about it. All decisions were made with a clinical clarity. She only fought the hyena's because Kione was with her and he surely needed the help. Had she been alone, she would have hidden until they were gone.

Compliments were given and Scylla beamed, her mismatched eyes lifting at the corners. "Thanks," she answered. "My paws are different than yours, so using things like this is pretty easy for me. Like extra teeth." When he asked if she liked fighting, she gave her head a little tilt as if considering. "Maybe not so much fighting, but I do like to kill things." It made the tiny creature feel powerful to take the life of another. Plus... after they were dead, she could do so many things to the bodies. "I like to see what's inside of things. Sometimes I put them back together. Sometimes I put them together with something else," she spoke, not even thinking for a minute that the spotted dog might think her mad.

Kione offered to take her out killing again and Scylla nodded fervently, her maw splitting in a grin. "I'm the eldest princess of Fenmyre. I can go where I wish. Besides," she added, "As long as I'm out learning and honing my skills, I think my dad would be happy for me to be doing this with pack instead of alone, right?" Logic. It worked. Chimera would want his daughter to be accompanied because he knew that she was going to get into trouble on her own.

When the offer of a ride was given, Scylla's eyes flashed again. Not that she needed one, but it was offered so she couldn't get her mind off of it. Maybe just a little ride? In the end, she nodded. "Maybe a short one." She then glanced towards the corpses. "Pity to leave all of these furs here, don't you think? How heavy do you think a hyena skull is?" Endless questions flew through her mind though she only voiced a fraction of them.

"Scylla Klein"

Kione nodded at the mentioning of her paws, “Pretty useful.  I have to admit I like biting my enemy more but that tool seems to work good for you.  Ever thought of using two? One in each paw?” Kione had no idea if that would work good for her or not but it was just a curious thought.

She liked killing, eh? Kione grinned a toothy smile at the tiny pup, “well then lil sis, happy to take you out with me whenever ya like.  I enjoy the fighting and the killin, but I prefer killing with family at my side.”  It wasn’t about needing help or the truth that it made it easier but, killing with family was a way to grow closer to those you labeled as kin.  Some of the prey was more dangerous than others and the thought of how easily a lion could squash her certainly came to mind but Kione was confident in his ability to protect so it should be fine.

“You ever cut things up before they fully dead?” What would she think of that one?  Kione was perfectly happy eating things before they were fully dead but that was for the purpose of eating instead of intentionally causing pain.  Now he was asking Scylla about making something suffer for a point other than food.  If he could get a lion helpless then how lovely would it be to let this girl do whatever she wanted to with the body.  

Kotori shrugged, “Skin it or take off the head as ya wish, no hurry.  I’m sure it's not so heavy I can’t carry it back with us.  I can help you hone your skills all ya like too, certainly better I help you fight than ya try alone.” Kione hadn’t actually bothered skinning anything before so he just sat down watching curiously to see what she did.

"Kione"

Kione admitted that he liked biting and Scylla gave a little shrug. "I don't have a very big mouth or teeth like my dad, so this little knife is like extra teeth." And no, she hadn't thought about two. Logically, three paws on the ground was more ideal than two, and so she doubted that she would ever dual wield.

The dog called her "lil sis" and a little thrill went through Scylla, mismatched ears shifting to catch the words. Could one make family like that? Yes, she was a sister, but could you claim someone that wasn't blood as family? She decided to ask. "Are we family then? Does that make you Big Brother Kione?" A little tilt was given to her head as she considered him. A moment later she shook her head, then nodded. "I would be glad to go out with you again. I like learning." He could surely teach her methods of killing that she may not have considered prior.

The next question about cutting things up before they were dead pulled a giggle from the quad-colored girl. "Oh yeah," she admitted. "I do other things too." Suddenly somewhat bashful, her ears pulled back against her crown for a moment. "I could show you my collection if you want. Others don't really like it, so I keep it hidden out in the jungle on the island."

Kione offered to carry the skull or the pelt back and, the more Scylla thought about it, the less she wanted to do so. The markings on the hyena's weren't anything special and, if they went out killing as much as Kione was promising, they would be able to bring home other things. The girl shook her head and began moving towards the larger canine. "Next time we'll find something really special to bring back." In a weird moment of affection that was very unlike the girl, she leaned into one long leg with her cheek. "Thanks for not treating me like a baby,"
she spoke softly before unceremoniously clambering onto the spotted canines back. "Back home we go!"
"Scylla Klein"

Kione nodded to Scylla’s explanation of the knife.  It was smart.  Instead of her just accepting she had a smaller mouth and couldn’t bite as deep she had found a working solution.  The weapon balanced out nicely her ability to fight.  As she grew up she’d become more dangerous for careless predators that underestimated her.

“It’s a lovely thing to have blood family but it's not the only way.” Kione wouldn’t have considered it in the past really.  Family had all been blood but necessity taught a canine all manner of lessons.  “What’s really important sis is the bond you have with another.  ‘Far as I’m concerned your as much my little sister as any of my blood-related brothers and sisters were.”  Were.  Past tense.  All dead now. Most of them had been buried.  Well, this wasn’t a time for sadness, this was a time for building back what he’d lost.

She liked learning and she liked cutting into dead things.  They could do that. “Well Scylla, we’ll go out as oft’ as possible and find a variety of creatures to kill so ya get some variety.”  Kione didn’t particularly care what they killed.  He was better killing things that fought back instead of things that ran away but they’d work with whatever they could get.

“I’d love to see your collection.”  He wasn’t sure what would make others dislike her collection but Kione doubted he’d have any problem with it.  Family should support each other at their hobbies whatever they were.  “Seeing what you have in this collecting might help me figure out other things we should kill to add to it, right?”

Apparently, the hyena was to be left behind.  Kione grinned and lowered the shoulder down that was closest to her, making it easier for her to get up on his back. “Lass, you helped take down a cluster of hyenas, no one that can do that deserves to be treated like a babe.” It wasn’t polite words, as far as Kione could see she’d done a task not all adult wolves could do as far as Kione imagined.  Hyenas were cruel aggressive things.  

Kione chuckled softly at her declaration of leaving.  Feeling her well balanced on his back Kione walked for a few strides to let her collect her balance to his movements.  Once he was confident she was well set he’d move out to a faster stride, a slow lope, and then a faster one.  Kione was sure to pay attention to her balance as he headed back towards the pack.  Perhaps in his list of things Kione loved he should include running.  If he didn’t get enough running or fighting in Kione would grow positively restless.  No one should spend a day staying still.


"Kione"