TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2022

Kore bows his against the bitter bite of the winter wind as it whips flurries of snowflakes into his face. When it settles, the galaxy-hued pup looks around the white landscape and shouts, “Kaylke! Aoede! Where are you?!” Another gust drowns out his worried voice and covers his galactic coat with cold white flakes. The snow is deep as the pup trudges onward, head-lowered against the howling call of the blizzard. This wasn’t supposed to happen! They just wanted to see what the forest on the other side of the river looked like! Sure, the storm clouds that grumbled on the horizon had looked threatening but how were supposed to know this would happen? His joints have begun to get stiff from the cold that has settled into his bones and Kore’s teeth clack together in a vain attempt to generate warmth.

A calm moment appears in the storm and Kore tilts his head back to howl for his siblings, hoping against hope that they can hear him. The wind picks up and slaps his eyes with stinging bits of ice and Kore is forced to lower his head and close his eyes while he waits it out. A sound pulls his head up from and snaps his eyes open as one of his siblings calls for help. Letting out a growl the galaxy-hued pup rushes toward where he thinks the sound is coming from but, in this storm, it is hard to pin it down. As he runs, Kore calls out, “Kal! Ao! Where are you?” Another sound, right in front of him! The pup made of stars charges straight in and comes face to ass with a giant polar bear. Oh fuck!

The bear whips around to swing a paw at the thing that smacked into its butt but Kore is already back up, hoping the snow will work to obscure the bear’s vision as much as it has his. All he can smell the blood that is frozen in his nostrils, his vision is nothing but white flurries, and the sound that reaches his ears is the howl of the winter wind. Not the best conditions to fight in but maybe he can slip away before the bear attacks again. The roar that reaches his ears tells him that isn’t going to happen.


WC: 386
Total WC: 386/1500

"Kore Regni"

Kalyke had entered the forest more to escape the worst of the blizzard more than to look for his siblings. The snow was still falling fast and thick here but at least the trees blocked portions of the blizzard in the plain open. Kal found a tree where the base seemed crocked. Digging up fresh snow he found the roots were partially pushed up. Kicking up more snow Kal was able to get under the root that blocked out some of the snow. Maybe he could hole up in this spot for now The snow was light enough he’d dug through it easily enough staying here seemed a good course of action.

Then he heard Kore howl. So his brother was in the forest too? It made sense and maybe the rest of his family was here too. Kal howled back, telling his brother he was coming. The wind coming through the tree’s created its own howl, branches wavered, and larger patches of snow that had gathered on the thinner branches plopped to the ground.

After a moment of being a bit warmer and snow not falling on him, the boy left his small hideout. Which direction had the call come from? The wind in the forest twisted the sound. The way it scooped up snow from the floor and sent it dancing in the air Kal wondered how much of the snow he saw falling was really fresh snow versus the same snow that was just on the ground.

The snow was throwing off scents and the wind confused the sound directions. Kal didn’t charge forward but considered where he’d heard the howl then started a careful jog in the direction of his brother. Hopefully, at least it was in the right direction. Stumbling, one paw sunk through snow and a hidden root, scratching it and it felt as if he was stuck. He howled for Kore’s help but after a moment the leg came loose. Oh. Guess he was alright after all, other than a scratch.

He heard a bear’s angry roar and skidded to a stop staring up at it. Now he could spot his brother on the other side. Lovely. Kalyke snarled at the big polar bear, eyes flicking from it to what he could see of Kore behind him. He could smell his brother’s blood and his hackles went up in anger and fear for Kore. “It’s ok Kore! I’m here.” Taking on a polar bear really was a bad idea.

Kal ran forward, fearing for his brother’s life he took a risk he wouldn’t otherwise take. He ran at the bear, swerved and jumped a mighty thick paw, and latched onto the bear’s leg with a snarl.

WC 449
Total WC: 835 / 1500

"Kalyke"

Aoede realized quickly ito winter that if the conditions were correct she could manage to walk on top of snow. Her brothers were a bit too big to copy her, and sometimes she wound up falling through as well. This was one of those times. At the wind whipped the snow around her Ao tried hard to navigate, but the more she walked the more lost she became. The stress of her situation made her glow brighter through the gloom so she could only hope her siblings might see her.

Ao could see the shelter of the trees up ahead so she went to head that direction. Hoping that maybe Kore and Kalyke went this way. The three of them had always had a closer relationship than any of the rest of their siblings. They shared their unknown mother together, they were born alongside each other, and would always share that deeper bond. She would find them.

The girl was tired even as she finally waded through the snow and into the forest. She felt a bit of relief as the snow thinned under the branches, but it was still cold, and the storm continued to howl. No, the howling wasn’t just the wind in arms around her. The sound was the voice of her own brother. Ao tried to pinpoint the direction the voice was from, it was a difficult task with how much storm was raging over them. For now she knew that Kore was alive and well, she hoped the same could be said for Kalyke.

Aoede ran as best she could, which was only slightly better than in the open, but she ran, and was rewarded with the sound of her other brother’s voice, was he calling for help? Ao wasn’t sure if she should change course, but the decision would be made for her when she heard the angry roar of a bear. She tried to go faster, suddenly fully realizing the scope of her sibling’s danger. From storm and bear alike.

By the time she arrived both brothers were deep in battle, but Aoede didn’t hesitate. If there was anything to be said about the girl it was her standard of courage. She showed no fear as her worn body was thrown forward to help the two boys she cared the most about. As Kal went for one arm Ao went for the other so Kore could make an escape.


"Aoede Regni"

406
total: 1241

The bear’s claws open a few gashes along Kore’s nose, causing the boy back away and once more, lose sight of the creature. Eyes scan the landscape of white, trying to pinpoint exactly where the angry beast is. Luckily the cold works in his favor with the scratches, the warm blood quickly freezing to form icy clots and staunch the blood flow. The wind whips icy flakes into the galaxy boy’s already stinging eyes and he is forced to squint to continue scanning the snow-covered forest. A form rushes toward him and, with a mighty sinking feeling, the boy realizes the icy-pelted pup is his brother. Kore’s main mission in life to protect to his family, he doesn’t want them to get hurt! So, when Kalyke assures him it is okay and then turns to charge the bear, the boy made of nebulas lunges forward tin a vain attempt to try and stop his brother. Kore fights with the wind, shouting as he tries to be heard over the raging storm, “Kal! We need to run! We have to find Ao!”

But, the wind carries his words away and worry settles like a rock in his gut. He is exhausted, his body already pushed to its limits and he knows this fight isn’t worth it. Taking a step forward to go pull Kalyke away, a soft beacon of light appears in the snow. The glowing form of his small sister appears and she immediately rushes into the fray making the rock of worry become a boulder. Now, to be clear, Kore isn’t afraid of the bear, hell in good conditions he would be the first one to rush in and attack it with his siblings. But here, in the middle of storm, exhausted and freezing, the boy knows they will be fighting a losing battle. Still, he will not allow his siblings to get hurt so he rushes in toward the angry white bear. Kalyke and Ao both are attacking paws so he charges for the face as his growls and snarls are swept away by the angry wind.

As he gets closer to the angry beast, the boy can get a better look at the creature and Kore realizes this bear is thin and sickly. The only reason it is attacking during the storm is because the bear needs the food to make it through the blizzard. It is a battle for survival, the bear needs food to survive and the pups need shelter to live. His moon-kissed sister’s pelt glows and casts a faint light onto the bear, allowing her galaxy-clad brother to see the angry beast better. With the energy the three have spent to trudge through the storm and now to fight, Kore knows that the bear will have to die for them to make it out. He bites the bear’s muzzle earning a roar and a swipe of claws but Kal and Ao are there to pin down errant appendages. With grim determination, the nebula-hued pup rushes in, leaping up to grab the soft spot in the predator’s throat where the vital points lay.

Kore tugs and tears until hot blood pours out in great gushing waves and he backs up, panting heavily, to signalsfor Kal and Ao to give the dying bear space. Blood sprays onto the pristine powder, painting a morbid picture as the creature pitches over. The siblings huddle together as weariness tugs at their bodies and, when the bear stops moving, Kore says, “It can provide us shelter from the storm. Come on, let’s get under it.” Leading the way, he walks up to where the predator lays still, frozen blood pooled around the neck. Kore, with the help of his siblings, quickly digs a small trench in the snow under the body. Once complete, they climb down and huddle close together, sharing their body warmth and companionship.

Before they drift off to sleep, Kore maneuvers the bear’s body to plug the hole they had made to get here, sealing them off from the storm and any other predators. With that done, he curls tightly around Aoede and lays his head along Kal’s back. Heaving an exhausted sigh, he listens to the muffled howls of wind as he slowly falls away into the depths of slumber.


WC: 715
Total WC: 1956/1500

"Kore Regni"