they’ve been tracking it for a while now, since they woke earlier than usual and slipped out of their room to stretch their legs. the scent had caught them off-guard, something strange bathing their tongue and driving them from a little outside Armada lands. something vaguely familiar, but…not. they’ve encountered deer before, after all, and this doesn’t seem all that different. well…that is until they actually spot it: smooth brown hide, antlers so big they seem improbable, long legs ending in wickedly sharp hooves. Spider shuffles a few steps backward, eyes never leaving their quarry. so far, it hasn’t seemed to notice them - which is currently working in their favour. after all, they’re definitely going to need some backup. lifting their head, Spider issues a hopeful call for their fellow packmates to come and assist. maybe one of them might even know this thing exactly is.

"Speech"

Wylan was in the woods with Krak and Glacier when Spider’s call sounded out nearby. He’d been foraging for healer supplies, but nothing that couldn’t wait. Especially when it sounded like a call for a hunt! He looked over at Krak on his shoulders. “A hunt! Wanna help us scout?” He suggested, waiting a moment to see what his bird companion would do before he lengthened his stride and trotted in the direction of the howl. Glacier in tight formation by his legs as he moved.

“Hey Spider, whatcha got?” He whispered when he reached the stripped Heir and slowed his gait, coming to a stop in front of the other wolf.

"Speech"

As his 'companion' Krakarak may enter any of Wylan's threads without warning

Krakarak

He was out and about with Wylan, happily hitching a free ride on the yearling's shoulders while the other searched for herbs. He didn't really know much about herbs and so, was content to just sit where he was and watch the scenery go by around them. That was until he heard that call go up. He didn't know much about wolves, but he could piece together that it was some sort of summoning call. One that his wolf promptly answered and described as a summons to hunt. "Food! Krak! Krak! Ya, ya! Krakarak help wolves hunt!" He bobbed his head up and down excitedly. He knew exactly how to help his landbound companions with the hunt. "Prey not get away from Krakarak!" He promised. No matter how far it might run, they couldn't escape the eyes in the sky.

He kept a hold of the fur of Wylan's shoulders as he peered over the wolf's head expectantly at the other wolf when they neared. Four eyes. How strange! So many strange mutations in Armada! "Watcha got? Krak Krak?" The raven echoed excitedly.

"Kaw!"

Images © Vlad Bagacian, Rilvin | Coding © Plymouth

He left Jace to watch over the girl he found and made his way down the treehouse to wash bottles and check the cache of dried herbs to make sure it was all well.

He heard a call from Spider enter the sky and Eterna leaped off the branches above him to start flying there all on her own.

Alright! He'll join! He'll be happy to help bring down something with Spider! He suspected their ravens just liked hanging out together.

He padded quickly toward Spider in the woods and saw that his brother beat him there, with his raven Kakarak! So that's why she was so excited to get here!

"Alright! Raven Clan! Whatchu got Spider?" He asked turning his attention to the smaller wolf. Eterna landed on a branch above them, ruffling her ivory and cream feathers about. Her blue eyes watching them all below.


"Speech"

their request is answered promptly, and Spider perks up as Wylan’s winged figure appears at their side. “hey Wyl,” they chirp, nudging him with a friendly shoulder. it’s been a while since they’ve spoken with the boy, who seems to have really come into his own over the past few months. it’s like he’s taking shape right in front their eyes, solidifying into the man he’ll one day become. still, there’s a stirring of anxiety in the pit of their stomach as they look over him. how does he feel about their competing ranks? Spider can hardly blame him if he feels like they’re trying to take his birthright from him. fortunately, these unpleasant thoughts are disrupted as they take in the raven perched on Wylan’s shoulder. “oh, hello!” they greet, head tilting to one side. “who do we have here?”

the final member to join them is Oleander, who brings a raven of his own to the group. Spider chuckles at his words, eyes crinkling at the corners. “it would seem so.” what a coincidence that they all have ravens; perhaps they could form a club dedicated to raven-themed activities! discarding the thought, however amusing, Spider shakes out their fur and faces each of their packmates head-on. “ok, so, there’s a weird…horned…creature the next clearing over, and i was hoping you guys could help me take it down.” it’d been so large, they can only imagine the kind of resources they could scrounge up from its pelt and hide. “if you’re amendable, i’ll lead the way.” provided they agree, Spider spins on their heel and moves cautiously through the woods, pausing when the creature becomes visible through the foliage. it’s still there, chewing contently and gazing off into the distance. a shudder travels down Spider’s spine at the mere size of it. how is it even bigger than they remember? “alright,” they whisper, trying to sound optimistic, “any ideas how to approach this thing?”

"Speech"

Krakarak was quick to agree, which set Wylan’s tail going behind him. When they arrived, the bird echoed his own question. Ollie arrived a beat behind him, and he grinned at his brother. He hadn’t realised just how raven filled the group was until the white wolf pointed it out. His eyes roamed from raven to raven, and he wondered what Krak would think of the group.

When Spider greeted him, he lifted a paw to wrap it around the smaller wolf, his delight in seeing Spider obvious. “This is Krakarak, my new companion” He explained, shrugging his shoulder teasingly to bump the bird. “We’ll follow your lead, Spider” Wylan agreed easily, trotting after the dark toned wolf.

Ideas… ideas… ideas… “Well, I could charge it, if you like?” Wylan whispered. He was the biggest of the group, and more than happy to do dumb shit.


"Speech"

As his 'companion' Krakarak may enter any of Wylan's threads without warning

Krakarak

A new raven! A white one! Those were exceedingly rare where he came from and often had been thought of as a good omen when in a clutch. Of course, he preferred the dark feathers that most ravens had but wouldn't knock her appearance. He felt like he'd made the right choice joining up with this pack. He was excited to see her flying above and called out in his native Corvid tongue, "хЕЛЛО! вХО АРЕ ЫОУ?" Hello! Who are you? He cawed excitedly to the ravens above him in the trees. Although, he didn't immediately go join them as he wanted to address the wolves before joining his brethren up above.

When Wylan introduced him, the raven lifted his head and puffed out his chest so that Spider could see how magnificent he was. "Ya, ya! Krakarak can help! He can find prey if it runs! Krak! He can fly in prey face! Distract it! Krak Krak!" He bobbed his head up and down, clearly very eager to do his part to bring down something large. Big game like they were talking had been rare where he'd come from. His clan had not regularly worked with wolves but he was seeing the merits now.

Raven Clan. He liked the sound of that! So, he flew up with the other ravens, alighting next to the white one. He figured these new ravens would be his new clan. Although, they were quite large compared to him, it must be a thing here that the ravens were larger. He didn't really mind, it just meant that he was extra special!

He listened from up above and when the wolves began to move, he cackled happily in the Corvid Tongue, "ыЕС! лЕТС ФЛЫ!" Yes! Let's fly! And then he took off, keeping pace easily with the canines below and landing when they did. He peeked through the branches, looking at the large creature up ahead. He leaned down on his branch, listening to the plans being made and wondering what he could do once the hunt had started.

"Kaw!"

Images © Vlad Bagacian, Rilvin | Coding © Plymouth

The white raven clacked her beak at the smaller corvid and gave him a measuring look. "Я Этерна (I am Eterna)" She cawed at him back in their native tongue. When they alighted into the air her wings thrashed against his as she bolted from the branch first. Prove you can be part of the flock, She dared with a glare.

Ollie followed the smaller wolf and his brother, looking at the massive beast-deer with gigantic antlers. Those things would be heavy. He suddenly knew he wanted the skull over the front door of the treehouse. Unless Spider wants it, "Spider, you get first dibs on the skull and antlers, if not, I want it over the front door of the tree house." He whispered at them. How were they going to take down that mountain? It had a massive hump and weird dangly bits in front of its throat...

"The legs are tall, I bet we can trip it and make it fall on some rocks or stakes." He suggested, laying low in the underbrush. His white coat would be an easy telltale sign of danger for the weird monstrous-goat thing.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Spider listens to each suggestion with a thoughtful hum, glancing considerably at their quarry. they'll have to be clever about this, what with its size and the presence of those antlers. "how about this," they begin, turning first to Wylan. "Ollie and i will make some stakes. then, if you charge the creature, it'll hopefully get spooked and land on the sharp points. it might not be enough to kill it, but it should at least injure it enough that we can finish it off." it's a bit of a risky plan - what if the creature doesn't get spooked? what if Wylan gets hurt? - but Spider's confident in the capabilities of their packmates. "Krak, if you don't mind, could you provide backup for Wylan? maybe fly overhead and step in if it looks like he's in danger?" a swift peck to the eye could save Wylan if he got into trouble, though they're hoping it won't come to that. to Ollie, they add, "yeah, go for it! liven the place up." it still causes a small pang to think of their former home, but they push it firmly aside.

"Speech"

Wylan grinned at his new Raven’s friend's easy contribution to the conversation. Glad that he was comfortable expressing his opinion in this group. He did raise a brow when Ollie spoke of keeping parts for the tree house. “Do I get a say in this?” He whisper-asked his brother, voice teasing. His tail was still going madly behind him. He loved these wolves (and bird), and being around them.

He settled down and listened when Spider started to set a plan. They were leading this hunt, and their say was the start and end of it. Wylan grinned, and nodded along when his friend spoke. “Ready to charge on your mark.” he agreed.


"Speech"

As his 'companion' Krakarak may enter any of Wylan's threads without warning

Krakarak

Hard crowd, no? The other's measured response had him peering at her with a fluttering in his heart. He'd never had to prove anything before. He'd just been born among the flock, confidently secure with his role having earned his spot because of his parents. However, he was of the type that would fake it until he literally couldn't anymore. So, he opened his beak to let out a defiant caw. The wing shoved against his own slightly knocked him off balance, but he managed to stay righted, stubbornly working to keep up with Eterna despite her larger size. Determined to earn his place amongst the other ravens.

When they'd landed above the wolves below, he peered at the other raven triumphantly. As if to say, "I did it!". Until his attention was called to the creatures below. He let go of his branch with one leg which made him partially fall, he rotated down and hung off the branch by one leg while he looked at the wolves below him. He hung there, upside down, peering with his beady purple eyes at each canine in turn as he spoke. "Ya, ya! Krakarak do pecking if Wylan in trouble!" He seemed all too eager to get his beak on something if things started to go awry.

He spread his wings --still hanging upside down-- ready to take off when the others gave the signal.

"Kaw!"

Images © Vlad Bagacian, Rilvin | Coding © Plymouth

As soon as he was given the go-ahead, Oleander moved off from view and gathered what sticks and branches he could find. Quickly he stripped each length of wood and used his claw caps to shape each stake into a deadly point. He nodded to Spider as he went about his work and helped to pick out a drop-off where they could charge and herd the beast toward. He hoped they'd get the angle right. All they needed was to guess how far that beast could jump. With the massive legs, it could probably leap fairly far. Might as well make as many stakes as they could and litter the depression in the ground with them. He would follow Spider's lead in where to put them.

---

Eterna was mildly impressed that her buffeting of Krakarak didn't dissuade him. She cawed a laugh as he hung upside down. She chose her own branch and hung upside down too, watching the wolves below. "The white one is mine. He healed me. I keep him and call him mine. Bird-wolf yours?" She said to Krakarak in their tongue. Ollie was as much her companion as she was his.


"Speech"

everyone seems amendable to the plan, for which Spider is glad. they offer a grateful smile to every gathered face, including the birds. “thanks, guys.” now that roles are assigned, they make quick work of directing Ollie where to place his stakes, pointing out spots where the earth is soft and the ground obscures their weapons. it takes a few minutes, but Spider knows the end result will be worth it. “these are great, Ollie,” they murmur, flashing him a smile. “and you put them together so quickly.” Spider really does admire their friends, the difference skills and talents that make up their ragtag group.

with that finished, to turn their gaze on Wylan. “ready when you are, Feathers,” they announce, trotting back to the group. they bump shoulders with their friend, hoping they look reasonably reassuring. “and remember, don’t be afraid to ask for help. we’re all here for you.” he’ll probably be fine, but when charging a - whateverthatthingis - one can never be too safe.

"Araneae Fatalis"

Wylan wanted to be as helpful as possible, and he helped his brother carry the stakes where Spider indicated. He occasionally looked up at the birds to ensure they were doing okay, and then Spider was asking if he was ready. He flashed his friend a brilliant grin. He winked at Spider, and trotted quickly into position. Somewhere from which he could leap at the moose and scare it onto the trap laid out for it.

He was ready. He leaped suddenly forward, flaring his huge, brilliant wings wide. Making himself look enormous as he snarled threateningly at the big, long legged creature. With a howl, he raced forward and the startled creature reared, its eyes rolling wildly at the strange and usual creature suddenly leaping at it. Perfect! It was too startled to think, and started to race towards their trap.


"Speech"

Krakarak

He turned his attention back to the other raven, cackling out his own cawing laugh as she mimicked him. "Щеьг! Ге ся псхе! Счэе хеэеи яеех ь удво усшг усхжя феодие. Осжкиеа сш уья ь ясжх до ждда ъгьиьъшеи сх ь удво." Yeah! He is mine! I've never seen a wolf with wings before. Figured it was a sign of good character in a wolf. He responded to Eterna. The wings had to be a good sign in his books, even if the flying lessons failed, it meant he was a cut above the rest. As was perfect for a wolf that was his own.

After all the plans were finalized, he waited until Wylan was ready and then he dropped from the branch as he spread his wings out. This allowed him to take to the air above the winged wolf, following along with him as they went to trap the prey. When Wylan howled and spread his wings, Krakarak too flared all his feathers up and let out his loudest caw. Echoing the wolf as he worked to help sew a little more chaos from above. The moose bellowed and ran, right towards the trap that was laid out.

"Kaw!"

Images © Vlad Bagacian, Rilvin | Coding © Plymouth

Oleander smiled and wagged his tail at Spider's praise! He was grateful he could lend a paw! Hunting wasn't his usual forte but it was still good to help provide for his pack and friends! What better way to learn how they work together than to try it out?

He looked up to the birds to check in then found a position to make the strange leggy animal stay the course.

He waited to hear the signal. He heard his brothers snarl and coiled his thin legs in preparation. The creature crashed through the underbrush and just before it could veer his direction Oleander pushed himself forward to snarl it back onward toward the trap!

"Speech"

Spider watches in tense silence as Wylan charges the creature - however, much to their relief, their prey seems too startled to launch an attack, and instead allows Wylan to direct it to their track. it’s hooves thunder across the terrain, kicking up rocks and debris, but with Krak overhead and Ollie offering assistance, they feel reasonably confident in Wylan’s safety. for one heart-stopping moment, however, it seems the creature might veer off course. Spider’s heart lodges in their throat, breaths coming in quick, frantic gasps. they can scarcely think beyond their paws hitting the earth, everything blurring as they race forward alongside Ollie to push the beast back.

Spider bares their teeth, a snarl ripping itself from their throat. thankfully, the creature redirects itself in the direction of the trap, and Spider flashes Ollie a grateful smile. their heartbeat thunders in their ears, echoing like a drum. they don’t let their eyes leave the creature, not until it’s tripped itself up on the spikes and, in it’s haste to avoid them, inadvertently pierced itself clean through. there’s a brief struggle and a moan of pain, but the beast finally falls still. blood pools down it’s leathery hide, and it’s flank froths with sweat. Spider approaches at a hesitant trot, eyeing it warily, but it appears quite dead. triumph and relief rush through them, one on the tail-end of the other. for a moment, they’d truly been frightened.

"Araneae Fatalis"