WordsSiduri ventured along the endless expanse of the white-sand beach. Her steps left faint, delicate imprints in the soft sand as she explored this newfound world, her curiosity a guiding force. Siduri's youthful spirit brimmed with wonder and innocence. Okay, maybe not innocence. When had a pirate- Excuse me- a Raider... ever been innocent?

As she roamed further along the beach, her ears perked up, sensing a faint, distant presence. It was a deep, guttural growl that sent shivers down her spine. Siduri turned her head, and there, emerging from the horizon like a looming shadow, was a massive male wolf. His coat was a dark, imposing contrast to Siduri's own. With each step, his muscles rippled under a coat of thick, matted fur. The look in his eye made his intentions very, very obvious. He wanted to hurt her.

The instinct to survive surged through Siduri's small frame as she realized the threat she faced. She turned and sprinted towards the sheltering embrace of the nearby trees. The gnarled roots and dense undergrowth seemed to promise safety, or at least a moment's respite. The doves nestled within the trees were shocked into life and they cooed and called above.

Siduri's heart pounded in her chest as she darted among the trees, her mind racing to collect her wits. The male wolf was relentless, hot on her heels. He lunged forward, snapping his jaws just inches from her tail, his hot breath sending chills down her spine. She was trapped, cornered beneath the twisted roots of an ancient tree.

Siduri's survival instinct kicked in full force. She couldn't afford to be a victim. Not when she was so pretty and smart and had so much life left to live. Summoning every ounce of courage she had, she whirled around to face her assailant. With a ferocious growl of her own, she lunged at him, her sharp teeth bared. Small, sharp puppy teeth bit into the man's muzzle and she came away with the taste of blood. "You'll not have a taste of me you vile, putrid, pugnacious, pest!"

What followed was a chaotic ballet of fur, fangs, and fury. Siduri darted in and out of the gnarled roots of the trees, delivering quick bites and blows to the larger wolf. Her agility and speed allowed her to land several precise strikes, but her opponent was formidable. He was bigger and stronger, his sheer size a daunting advantage.

As the skirmish raged on, a sudden change in the atmosphere caught both combatants off guard. The sky, once clear and serene, darkened ominously. The heavens themselves seemed to cry out in anger, and hailstones began to fall from the skies.

Siduri felt the icy pellets stinging her fur as they pelted her relentlessly. She winced with each strike, but she refused to yield. She utilized the shelter of the trees and their gnarled roots as best as she could, dodging and weaving between them to avoid the worst of the assault.

The huge male wolf, however, wasn't as fortunate. His massive form was exposed to the elements, and the hailstones battered him mercilessly. With each blow, he faltered, his strength waning. It was as if the very sky had turned against him.

Strike after strike landed on the pale pup and she was beginning to feel cold and quite sore. It seemed as though the hailstones were growing larger. Eventually, Sid curled up in a ball in the shelter of the roots while the enraged giant continued to bite at the tree, trying to gain entry. Whatever gods this land possessed, the girl hoped that they would decide to save her yet again.
Raider Brats

WC- 611

It wasn't that Calliope cared about her siblings in a sincere way. Her concern, which quietly laced across her strained expression, was because she hadn't seen Siduri in a long while. She had woken up that morning in hopes of tossing her smaller sister into the waves again, but when she had seen that her ivory and pastel sister was gone, she had had to resort to something else. For the sake of keeping herself entertained, she dragged Tarnish out from the living quarters to go find trouble. He'd been kind of sick lately and not interacting with them as much, but he was the only other sibling left who hadn't made it out before she'd awoken.

"Tar, c'mon," Calliope demanded as she pushed him forward from behind. Out onto the shore just as dark, ominous clouds came rolling in from the ocean. Of course, the vibrantly-colored girl ignored the threat of the storm. To her, it would just make their adventure that much more... adventurous! It doesn't take her long to practically shove her brother out to the water where a small raft is sitting. "Flurry tol' me there was treasure out on the islan'. Less try an' fin' it," Cal ushered her brother onto the raft with her following quickly after and paddled them across the short expanse of water.

Hail and rain began to trickle down from the sky as they made it to shore. Cal hopped off once she saw Tar was safe in the sand and began to wander across the sand and toward the dense shrubbery and trees that took up residence across the island. "She said it was s'pose to be towar' the center!" Her paws lift up high in an almost sort of skip as her tail waves excitedly behind her. The prospect of treasure excited the little gremlin a lot.

Hurrying up as the hail began to pelt their coats, she was soon distracted by the very loud noise of someone snarling and grunting. The added noise of paws and teeth tearing and scratching at the trees also caught her attention. Stopping to glance at Tarnish for a second, her eyes lit up. Calliope would not be one to run from the trouble! "Less check it out," Cal whispers to Tarnish and quickly sets off in the direction of the commotion. As she gets closer, she can see the large black wolf through the shadows. It's almost impossible to see the stranger through the pelting hail and dark skies. He looks mean and vicious though and something in Calliope grows eager and warm.

That feeling swells as she notices a pale pastel pup hiding among the roots of the tree in front of the enraged stranger. "SID!" Calliope screeches and boy, that probably wasn't a good idea. Suddenly, the beast of a wolf turns on her and Tarnish. "Leave her alone, ya daft idiot!" Cal yells at the guy as her hair bristles and her lip pulls up in a warning snarl. As the stranger lunges forward toward her, Calliopes dives to the side and wiggles her way under the gnarled roots of a nearby tree. Turning around as the wolf goes to bite her, she swipes at his nose with her paw, practically punching him right in the nostril. He lets out a disgruntled growl and continues to try and get at her through the roots.

Calliope, The Callous

wc: 566, total: 1177

ooc: sorry if this is a bit scrambled, I forgot to read all the way through first!

Tarnish settled down in the sand to spend his day bird watching and bird hunting. He dug his front paws into the sand, soaking in the warmth as he watched the gulls, egrets and other birds flying to and fro. If only one would land a little bit closer. Most of the birds were white but he did notice a big, black bird looking at him. As soon as he made eye contact with it it would go to preening and completely ignore him. Maybe he could stalk closer to it?

Tarnish had yet to learn the ins and outs of disguise so he simply slunk into the golden sand in a stalking stance, not realizing that his dark coat made him stand out clearly against its pale, shimmering surface. He moved slow, placing each paw carefully. Tar was learning that if he didn't want to trip he needed to be more deliberate about where he placed his paws and to move slowly, which was such a pain in the ass. He was just at the base of the tree when the bird started staring at something behind him. Tarnish squinted then looked back. Nothing. When he turned to look back in the trees the bird was gone. Boo!

A chill breeze started to blow and Tarnish shuddered, suddenly feeling woozy. Maybe it was time to lie down again. He'd been feeling ill on and off, his energy coming in spurts. He slinked back to the den and immediately curled up to fall asleep. He must've dozed for some time but it felt like he'd barely shut his eyes before Calliope shoved his back. He was about to tell her to piss off when she mentioned treasure. Ok… she had his attention. Not that he was sure he believed her but the chance, however minimal, was too good to pass up. He rolled to his feet, shook the sand from his coat and meandered out of the den with his sister hurrying him along to the raft. He had a moment of uncertainty looking at the gathering clouds but it passed as soon as he acknowledged it.

"So, what kind of treasure is this anyway? Is it like a skeleton or jewels or something?" He hopped off the raft. "And why isn't she taking this treasure for herself? Why tell us about it?" Tar yelped as a quarter sized hailstone bonked him on the head. Needing no more encouragement he scrambled into the underbrush, nestling under some mangrove roots before a snarling sound caught the attention of both pups. Calliope leaned in and whispered that they should check it out. Tar nodded. It sounded like a wolf and he figured it had to be one of the pirates training. Maybe they could get a lesson out of this.

However, when they arrived it was clear that this wasn't a pack wolf. "Intruder! Intruder!" Tarnish screeched at the top of his lungs in hopes of alerting the other pirates and especially his dad. They'd eviscerate this fool! Suddenly the wolf charged at them, Tarnish scrambled out of the way and to his benefit the adult wolf was focused on his more colorful sister. Without a word Tarnish leapt for the other wolf's hind end, his teeth latching onto the wolf's tail. The intruder yelped, standing up suddenly and bashing his head into the top of the roots before scrambling backwards, whipping around to try and get the boy off his tail. Tarnish squeezed his eyes shut and held on for dear life.

Suddenly the brute screamed and stopped. Tarnish took the chance to let go and scramble under a nearby shrub. The intruder's left ear had been shredded vertically into three pieces. What the hell? A croaking caw caught his attention and he looked to see the black bird, the crow, perched above him with blood dripping from its talons.

Raider Brats

WC: 649, TOTAL: 1826

The Raid King had been content to wander around the isle today. Trusting that the siblings would keep an eye on each other, he had allowed the pups to go wander the archipelago. It wasn't that far off and being so young, he figured they would return soon for a nap. Had to let them have some freedom, right? Well, that perhaps wasn't the best idea. As he patrolled the shore, he noticed the dark clouds rolling in. A storm was coming and fast. Concern laced his expression as he looked out toward the nearby cluster of islands.

Gil calls for Erish who lands on a rock beside him. "Check the islands for the pups," he rumbled to her before continuing his pacing stroll. His expression is tight as he watches the owl take off toward the storm before quickly swirling around in the sky and returning minutes later. Before she is even close, he hears her screeching cry and she takes off back toward the archipelago. "What the fu-," Gil had no time to finish his cursing before he took off along the beach where the raft would be located. All three of their small rafts were gone and more cursing could be heard under his breath. Diving into the water, he wastes no time paddling out across the turbulent waters.

Freezing, shivering, and soon pelted by large balls of hail, Gil is sufficiently pissed by the time he makes it to the shore where he sees Erish swirling overhead. His expression is more worried than ever as he darts into the dense grove. He can hear a loud commotion as Erish dives in from the treetop and begins to attack something... someone? Gil's water deer fangs unfold and his fur bristles as he can finally hear the screams of his pups. Fury fills him as he tears through the jungle and doesn't hesitate. His paws stretch out, his jaw opens, and he launches himself through the air to slam into the intruder.

Erish had thankfully distracted the wolf enough that Calliope, Tarnish, and Siduri had been able to dive under and hide in the tangled roots of the mangroves. When he slams into the wolf, his owl takes to the trees to sit beside Tarnish's companion. Meanwhile, Gil is digging his fangs and teeth into the wolf's neck. He presses down on the wolf's shoulder and sides, sufficiently pinning the stranger. Feeling the man writhe and groan beneath him as blood covers Gil's chest and face, he only stops when he can hear the man's breath begin to gurgle from choking on blood.

While the intruder struggles to live a few more seconds, Gil lifts his muzzle to stare at his pups. There is a shine to his eyes that many do not get to see. "Come. Take your trophy," his voice is a deep growl as he lifts a paw and smashes it against the wolf's cheek, pressing it hard into the mud beneath them. "There are four canine teeth, take one each and the last one for me," he instructs his pups as he continues to press down on the wolf as it looks up at him with terrified eyes. To have your teeth pulled while still alive would be a horrendous punishment that Gil felt fitting for the crime.

"speech"

Suddenly there were more wolves. Sid immediately recognized the much larger form of her sister who was quickly followed by her brother. The fear quickly began to melt away. They weren't always nice to one another, but they had each others backs. This, she knew. Cal and Tar both did their bits, distracting the big brute enough so that Sid could slide out from under the mangrove that she'd been hiding beneath. He'd done a good job of ruining the roots on that one, so she moved to another.

"Your mother is a hamster!" Sid's sharp puppy teeth snapped into the heel of their attacker, drawing bloody before she darted through the sand and back beneath the protection of the trees. The brute's attention was pulled in many different ways and he was quite distracted. So, when the pups dad showed up, the dumb animal had no idea what was coming!

Gil leaped on the brute, wrestling him to the ground. Siduri whooped and crowed, exiting her hiding place the moment that her dad had the situation under control. Gil gave the pups instruction and Sid's maw split in a wide grin. "This is what happens when ye mess with Raiders, ye filthy barnacle!" Stalking proudly forward, Sid reached into the brute's maw and, with one firm jerk, snapped the top left canine right out of his mouth. The wolf yelled and thrashed, but Gil held him firm.

Sid waived her bloody prize at her siblings and smiled as though this was just another day in the life of a puppy. Just a nooooormal day. Nothing odd or unnatural here! "Your turrrrrrrn," she called to her brother and sister in a sweet little sing-song voice.

Raider Brats

Sliding out of the way of harm and nestling in beside her siblings, Calliope watches as their father assaults the wolf. Her eyes go wide and her mouth opens slightly. Blood splatters everywhere and her ears flick backward at the sound of crunching bones and strangled cries. A quiet sound of awe escapes her as she feels a tingling excitement spread through her. Oh how she wanted to be big and old enough to take down wolves like their papa! Calliope's tail wiggles as Gil calls them forth.

Removing her larger body from the entangled roots of the mangrove, she follows Sid's lead and marches up to their attacker. Cal smirks wickedly at the poor chump as she waits her turn. She was okay with Sid going first - her sister was the one who was initially being attacked anyway. Giggles even escaped her as Sid yelled at the wolf and Cal couldn't help but swipe a paw at the wolf's leg. Take that!

Once it was her turn, Cal stepped forward and grabbed on to the wolf's other tooth. Her bold eyes stared right at that man as he thrashed and writhed beneath her and Gil. "This is nothin' compared to what he coulda done," the young pup hisses to him as she yanks the tooth out from his mouth. Holding up her new prize, she turns and shows it off to Sid and Tar. "Now you Tarny!" Cal calls out to her brother with a wag of her tail and a little yip as she moves to the side.

Yep, definitely a normal and perfectly natural thing to happen.

Calliope, The Callous

Adrenaline raced through his body, causing his limbs to shake. Oh man! Oh man! They were really in trouble now. Tarnish tensed his legs beneath himself, ready to pounce or flee if needed. Thankfully he didn't have to make that choice for his dad came running in and attacked the intruder. "Yea, get him dad!" Tarnish cheered as Gilgamesh took the intruder by the throat. In moments the fight was over. They were each instructed to go and take a canine tooth. Tarnish didn't think much of it. In fact he thought it was cool! He waited patiently for his sister's to choose first.

They, of course, took the top canines but that was fine. Tarnish pressed his paws on the side of the wolf's lower jaw to give himself a bit more room to work with. His claws shot out, digging into gum as his teeth followed suit, clearing flesh before with a jerking motion he dislodged the right lower canine. He raced over to his sisters, tail wagging furiously. "We should make something out of these."

Raider Brats