"Cirrus Mireya" Cirrus was a creature of extraordinary beauty, her fur mostly white, but adorned with cloudy grey patches that ran down one side of her graceful form. The mottled light coming from above usually left her dappled and even more appealing, but the snatches of sky glimpsed between the thick foliage above was dark and ominous. The grove was a haven of life, with berries and fruits hanging in ripe abundance from the boughs of trees. It was here that Cirrus planned to spend her day, frolicking among the tall grass and exploring the mysteries of the forest. The grove felt like a painting, a masterpiece of nature with its vibrant colors and sweet fragrances. On this day, as Cirrus was playing near a thicket of blueberry bushes, she sensed an unsettling change in the air. Dark clouds gathered above, and a strange, foreboding tension filled the grove. Cirrus paused, her childlike expression of wonder fading as she gazed at the sky. In the distance, the first icy pellets of hail began to fall, striking the leaves of the trees like bullets. It was loud. Too loud for Cirrus, but she couldn't exactly turn off the sky, now could she? But the sudden hailstorm was not the only cause of her unease. A powerful and ominous presence drew near. From the underbrush emerged a massive grizzly bear, its fur a deep, dark brown, standing taller than any creature Cirrus had ever encountered. The grizzly's growl rumbled like thunder as it approached, and its eyes gleamed with a menacing hunger. It wasn't happy about the sudden onslaught of falling ice chunks either. It never dawned on the fae that she might run. To her, the only way out was forward and through. Despite her childlike demeanor, she was a killer when the need arose. She bared her teeth and growled back, piercing, mismatched eyes staring hard with determination. In her own unique way, she communicated to the grizzly that it was not welcome in this paradise. The hailstorm intensified, and icy shards fell with greater ferocity. Cirrus and the grizzly circled each other, two predators of the forest, one graceful and swift, the other powerful and relentless. Cirrus, with her nimble agility, darted around the grizzly, using the grove's natural cover to her advantage. Her laughter, though now less childlike, echoed through the grove. She found joy in the strangest things. There was a screw loose in there somewhere for sure. The fight raged on, the elements themselves joining in the clash. Cirrus's snowy fur and the grizzly's dark coat blended with the falling hail, making it seem as if the very storm had come alive to bear witness to their struggle. Despite her size disadvantage, Cirrus displayed remarkable cunning. She darted in and out, her cloudy patches allowing her to blend into the shifting landscape, confusing the grizzly. The grizzly, however, was relentless. It bore the marks of many battles and had strength that was unmatched. Cirrus could feel her energy wane as the storm raged on, and the wounds from the grizzly's claws began to take their toll. At least it hadn't bitten her, but she wouldn't last much longer if they kept up this same dance. Where was Tiros? A frown formed on the fae's maw as she glanced from side to side, distracted by the thought that her brother should be near. WC-564

Lefty had taken it upon herself to explore; the blue-toned wolf went further out this time in an attempt to discover what lay down, beyond the Bifrost. Her companions stuck by her side as she thundered forth. Auster, up until minutes ago, had been bright and pristine, but here there is a storm; here, the hail drives down upon her and makes Lefty jerk her head from one side to the other. Ow-ow-ow. That doesn't feel good.

It was chance--

The purest happenstance --

that brought her upon the sounds of combat. Kicking off the ground, Lefty jerked her head to send Storm-Eye up ahead, because the bird was faster and the bird meant that they could get a good moment of positional awareness.

They'd not expected the bear. They'd heard the sounds of battle, and braved the hail, but this was going to be rough. Luckily, Storm-Eye returned, reporting that there was a bear, but also a woman fighting said bear. Lefty's tail raised and they charged forward, March alongside them. The wolverine snapped her teeth, and Lefty wagged her tail, because that was a good sign at least. When Lefty sighted the bear, the woman, they called out to her in a sudden yelp: "Hold! I'm on my way!" Her jaws parted. Lefty huffed a breath. Closer, closer, closer.

She sent Storm-Eye ahead. The falconet dove for the bear's eyes, striking out with tiny claws and that little, evil beak. March circled 'round behind the bear and bit at its tail, its rear; Lefty herself joined the head-on charge. That massive claw struck at them, but Lefty managed to avoid the swipe before lunging to grasp at the bear's forelimb, sinking fangs in deep, blood seeping into their mouth. With the new arrival, the combat potential became less ... one-sided. Lefty released their grip and lunged back, their companions scattering as well. Blood clung to their jaw, their lips, and they panted once, heavy, strong. This, they knew, would be a good fight-- the hail was rough, threatening to cut skin with its larger strikes. The bear, too, was rough. But they could handle this.

"Speech"

wc - 919

The dark young man is slowly windings his through the strange land, his makeshift boat having deposited him on these new, foreign shores. Ezekiel has arrived in search of his wayward sister, Ely, and he is determined to find her. Oak trees spread their leaves high above the ground, blocking any view of the sky that might have reached the man below. Not that he really cares since he is just passing through this place on his to distant lands. His mind wanders as rain pelts the leaves above his head, tapping out a calming rhythm as he plods along the wet ground underneath.

Suddenly, the strength of those drops increases and begins to sound fierce as they strike against the delicate structures of the trees. Shadows dance as the canopy recoils and springs back in place and then, suddenly, a piece of hail breaks through to strike Zeke squarely between his eyes. The young male pulls up short as he realizes that, whatever had just happened, actually kind of hurt. Duel-toned eyes blink away the surprise as he turns his once wandering attention up to where the heavens are unleashing their furry.

Lips peel away from his teeth as he gives a low growl of annoyance to nature, as more of those stupid frozen chunks of rain begin to hit him. However, his attention is drawn away when some all too familiar sounds greet his ears. Now, to be fair, Ezekiel doesn’t really give a flying fuck about a stranger or two fighting but there, mixed in with their scents is the musk of a grizzly bear. Excitement rapidly floods his veins, pumping adrenaline through them that deadens the pain of the ice balls that are beginning to strike him with more frequency and ferocity.

His heart is now a fist full of thunder, pounding with so much force that it feels as if the organ might explode. A stirring of something primal and dark flutters in the back of the young man’s mind as he pushes off, rocketing away underneath the canopy toward the glorious sounds of battle. Two wolves appear in the distance but he pays them no mind because there, in front, is the only thing that matters in the world right now. The grizzly bear is deadly beast and Zeke is going to bring it down.

Blood, thick and coppery fills his nostrils and the man feels that primal stirring again, his body reacting to the scent by making his length grow firm. Oh gods, how he loves a good funeral. Without warning he rushes past the two wolves, quick as an arrow as he darts forward lunging up toward the beast’s neck. The grizzly is caught by surprise, its scars of previous hard-fought battles, meaning nothing as Ezekiel begins to attack. Hail pounds into his form, leaving welts and bruises across his body while he begins his relentless assault.

Teeth strike out, filling his mouth with blood and causing his balls to quiver with anticipation. The bear attempts to strike him but Zeke is ruthless, opening wounds across its face and chest while driving the beast back. It shifts its weight back, planting its hind paws and standing… which only spells the creatures doom. He rushes in, teeth finding the soft flesh of its belly and he begins to tear it apart. The bear grunts, attempting to swipe at him and then squish the young man by bringing its body down on top of him. But the damage is done and, with one last rip, all the internal organs of the beast fall out onto the ground.

The dead grizzly grunts, blinking down at the pile or organs that now steam upon the ground and is being stuck by the hail. It lists sideways and attempts to walk away, the organs, still connected, trailing after it in a grisly display. Finally, Zeke acknowledges the presence of the other two and he turns to growls a warning, “Leave.” By now, he is hard as a rock and this is his only warning to the pair to save them from seeing what he is about to do. The bear continues to stagger away, intestines uncoiling as it goes and the young man slowly stalks after it, the hail completely forgotten as he now seeks the sweet release that only this beast will give him.



WC: 728
Total WC: 1647 / 1500