Mama had said to be careful in the Gorge. That there was likely still other creatures lurking deep within the caverns that had yet to be cleared out or snuck back in after clearing out some of them. Ripper, of course, just had to go around and start poking his nose into things, all in all just looking for trouble. Sort of. He was mostly just hungry, but nothing in the packs food cache sounded appealing, and he wanted to prove he could catch his own meals. He, of course, wanted to prove he was grown enough to do it! The skeletal marked boy ventured into the Gorge, away from the watchful eyes of the pack members as he decided to sneak into one of the paths that he wasn't supposed to go into yet. Some of the passageways were unmarked still, as there were many the pack had yet to go through and light the pathways. Still, it didn't stop him.

He crept further in, his body starting to meld with the shadows the deeper he went. Was he afraid of the dark? Not really. But the hunger that gnawed at his belly was stressing him out. He felt his way down one passageway, and then another. The paths twisting and turning until eventually, he came across a scent that he recognized. Prey!? Food!? He followed the path, stepping quietly as he sought out the little piggy.

“Ripper wants to talk!”

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

The vermillion boy had been doing better with his hunting, at least getting the hang of ambushing with his profoundly noticeable red coat. It took more positioning, more opportunity. But he could manage, especially at night… or in the dark. Which is why he was in the gorge at all. His mother’s warnings echoed in his mind hauntingly, cautioning against the dangers lurking within the Gorge. Yet, despite the admonitions, he was there — ready to test his mettle once again. There had to be something to hunt in here!

But what he was not expecting was to come across a familiar scent as he felt about the cavernous systems of the gorge. Ripper. His brother was somewhere in here too, and for a moment he thought to call out — but better not. He could scare off any and all prey afterwards, and why not seek out his brother silently? His nose was being used to track more often than not, call it another test!

As he traced the path Ripper had taken, Redrum's heart pounded with trepidation. The darkness enveloped him like a shroud, creeping into every corner of his mind, whispering tales of unseen horrors that lurked just beyond his sight. No no. He couldn’t start thinking in fear. He had to be stronger than that.

With each step, Redrum's senses heightened, his instincts on high alert as he followed the faint trail left by Ripper. The scent of prey hung heavy in the air, mingling with the musty aroma of damp earth and stagnant water, leading him ever deeper into the labyrinthine passages of the Gorge.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Redrum caught the freshest scent of his brother yet. Relief flooded through him like a rushing tide as he called out to Ripper, his voice a hushed mixture of concern and curiosity. "Ripper..!” The red boy quickly padded towards his brother, eyes fighting to make out those familiar features even in the darkness. “What is it. What is. Ripper doing?” He said, nares catching hold of the scent of pig and holding it hostage as he considered just what his brother was doing here… Though the same could be said about himself. Ah. Was he trying to hunt too?

murder

Code by TR

He had no idea that his brother was following him down the dark passageways. His hunting instincts were skewed. He wasn't exactly the quiet, stalker, graceful type of hunter. He was often messy and careless with it. But down here? Down here was different. It was dark. His vision obscured by the shadows and the lack of light in the tunnels. All he really had to work with was his nose and his ears, but things echoed down here, so that also made it hard. He resisted the urge to heavily sigh with frustration. But he told himself that if he was capable of doing this in the dark...then he could do it anywhere. His mother had taught him to hunt, but not in this kind of environment. He peeked around a corner and saw only more darkness in the corridor ahead. The smell of the pig he had been trying to track down was strong, however. Maybe it was down this passageway? "Ripper..!” The skeletal boy nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard his name. His fur bristled in alarm, talons scraping the stone beneath his feet as he whirled around to find that Red had found him. His brother asked him what he was doing, and Ripper had to take a moment to chill out and calm his racing heart. "Red surprised Ripper!" He exclaimed in a hushed tone. Surprised was an understatement, of course. Red had nearly scared Ripper shitless! But he'd never admit that. "Ripper is looking for pig. It is here somewhere...but it's dark." He peered down the corridor again, ears twitching as he listened, straining to find something in the darkness. He glanced at Red, barely making out his sibling despite how much brighter his coat was compared to his own. But even in darkness, Red's fur was muted. "Come, let's find it. Ripper is hungry!" He whispered again in hushed, urgent tones. Although he was being dramatic, he swore his hunger was about to drive him mad! He crept down the passageway, sheathing his talons so they wouldn't click against the ground as he crept through. "Here piggy, piggy..." He whispered. Maybe he wasn't the stealthiest hunter just yet...but he was determined. As he crept along, the scent grew stronger, and he could hear the low snorts of his prey in the cavern ahead of them. "Ripper||"Menace"

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

Talons scraping ground, a whirl to face the vermillion boy with alarm. "Red surprised Ripper!" His brother would exclaim, his voice a whisper in the cavernous silence. Despite Ripper’s attempt to downplay his shock, Redrum felt a bit bad at apparently spooking his brother. Sawbone did the same thing to him all the time, though not in a dark and ominous cave… so far. Either way, Red himself wasn’t exactly the type to pull spontaneous pranks. (Like a certain brother who dropped a lizard on his face while he was sleeping.)

As his brother explained what he was doing in the gorge, Redrum nodded slowly. Hunting. Pig. And an invitation to join his brother’s hunt. Redrum couldn't help but feel an excited tingle run up his spine, tail wagging in turn as he settled in to creep along the passageway alongside his brother. This was their first hunt together alone! How was he supposed to keep calm about that?

"Here piggy, piggy," Ripper murmured, his voice barely audible above the distant echo of dripping water and the faint rustle of unseen creatures. Maybe the pig they were trailing? As they crept closer to their prey, the scent grew stronger, mingling with the damp smell of the cavern walls. Redrum's senses tingled with anticipation, his eyes trying to detect any sign of life as they closed in on their quarry. With a quiet murmur he spoke to his brother, huge ears twitching at the snorts ahead. “There. Take left. Red will- take right. To. Cut off.” The vermillion boy grinned, waiting for approval so they would have the upper hand in the darkness.

murder

Code by TR

Hunger gnawed at his belly. He wasn't starving per se, but he was a growing boy, and growing boys needed to eat! The youth continued to stalk forward, ears straining to catch every sound he could. Though his ears weren't quite as big as Red's, who he knew could catch just about every sound no matter how quiet it was, he could still hear the pig somewhere in the cavern up ahead. He was growing impatient, however, and didn't quite know which way to go as the sounds echoed around them. Baring his teeth in frustration, it wasn't until Red spoke up and told him which direction he should go. Oh! Duh! He should've asked him, huh? He glanced at Red in the dark, a grin of thanks shown before he nodded. Quietly, he took up his brothers direction and headed down the path to the left. Before long, the scuffling of the pig got closer, and through the darkness he could barely make out the movement in the shadows. Its eyes glinting in the darkness. "We found you..." He whispered under his breath as he pressed himself against one wall, stalking quietly closer until he felt he was close enough to strike. Like a bat out of the shadows of Hell, Ripper burst away from the wall toward the pig, his talons slashing it across one hip before it squealed in pain and fear and surprise. Ripper's talons reached out again, teeth loudly clacking together after he missed his bite. The collared peccary pig thing tried to scramble away, but Ripper knew that with Red nearby, it didn't stand a chance at getting away from them! "Ripper||"Menace"

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

It wasn't until Redrum offered his guidance that Ripper's path became clear. With a grateful grin and a nod, Ripper followed his direction. Redrum was actually rather pleased, happy he could offer some support to his brother in the dark caverns. He stayed back for a moment, before quietly taking the right as he said he would. As the pig came into his brother’s range, Redrum was ready for the first strike to happen. Ripper was quick, barreling towards the pig and cutting it deep with his talons, squeals immediately erupted from the poor creature as Redrum closed the distance he needed to as well. He could hear the sounds of a struggle, the alarmed cries of the pig. Ripper was relentless, but the darkness was a difficult adversary to conquer. There was a snap of jaws, the peccary scuttling away to escape his brother just as Redrum reached them.

With a lunge and a snarl, Redrum seized the peccary’s nape, using his weight to try and bring it to the ground. He needed Ripped to take the other side, though, and then they could get the kill bite in! The pig thrashed to escape, screaming all the while – but Redrum held fast, mentally urging his brother to strike.

murder

Code by TR

The smell of blood permeated the stagnant cavern air as his talons wounded the pig and soon, his brother would join the fray! Through the darkness and the sound of the scuffling, he was able to pinpoint where their prey was, and it was even better when Red had managed to pin it to the ground! With a mixture of excitement and panic at potentially losing this thing, Ripper lunged forward and sunk his teeth onto the other side of the little beastie! Talons sinking into its hide as he thrashed his head. The squeals of their prey echoed in the cavern, and no doubt anyone would be able to hear it! With the two of them tearing into it, the pigs thrashing and squealing began to die down until it finally lay motionless, a sticky pool of blood soaking Ripper's feet. Once he felt it was good and dead, he released his grip, jaws opening and closing as he tried to stretch his jaws after having been latched on so tightly. "We did it, Red! We got the pig!" He whooped with delight as he turned around in circle like an excited puppy during playtime! "Ripper||"Menace"

Redrum's heart pounded as he felt the pig's struggles weaken under his grip. With Ripper joining in the attack, they had the upper hand, their combined efforts quickly overpowering their prey. The cavern echoed, the pig's squeals bouncing off the walls around them.

Finally it lay motionless beneath them, Redrum released his hold, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He watched as Ripper celebrated their victory, a grin spreading across his own muzzle in response to his brother's joy.

“Yeah, Rip! We- did– it!” Redrum exclaimed, his voice carrying in the cavern’s echoes as he joined in Ripper's happy circles. The thrill of the hunt, the taste of victory – it was a rush unlike any other.  But just as their celebration reached its peak, a low rumble echoed through the cavern, sending a chill down Redrum's spine. His ears pricked up, senses on high alert as he strained to pinpoint the source of the sound.

“Not – good. Ripper. Bad thing. Bad thing!” Redrum whispered in an urgent tone, his tone laced with concern as the realization dawned upon him. The hunt was far from over. The boy beckoned his brother to join him at his side, just as near glowing yellow eyes flashed ahead of them, a snarl creeping out from between barely visible ivory fangs. The tiger stalked forward, threatening them for the kill they had just made.

""