The sun blazed mercilessly over the dunes, its relentless heat turning the landscape into a sweltering sea of gold. Enyo led the way with measured steps, her powerful limbs sinking slightly into the fine, shifting sand. It proved fairly difficult to walk, but for every step that burned she reminded herself that pain was weakness leaving the body. She would only come out stronger. Her fur, a dramatic blend of black and white, shimmered with a sheen that accentuated her silhouette.

Beside her, her younger brother Nikolaos managed to keep pace. However, this harsh sun had both Enyo and Nikolaos panting for mercy. It seemed in her explorations, she had gone too far west. Which was fine, as long as she discovered something or familiarized herself with the land, there was no such thing as a wasted day.

"Keep close, Nikolaos," she instructed curtly, her voice a blend of authority and impatience. "We’re not here for a leisurely stroll."

As they moved through the shifting dunes, Enyo’s ears perked up, detecting the faintest hint of movement behind them. Her senses were never at rest, honed by years of maneuvering and strategic assessments. The sound of hooves crunching on the sand was faint but persistent.

Enyo slowed her pace, her demeanor unchanging. Her vanity and arrogance dictated that she remain aloof, even in the face of potential danger. She glanced back, her piercing gaze scanning the horizon. What she saw made her fur bristle slightly at the sight of an enormous Wild Donkey, its fur a dusty brown, trailing them. The animal’s eyes were wild with anger, its powerful legs kicking up clouds of sand. The donkey’s aggressive demeanor and the way it had been following them meant trouble.

Enyo held up a paw, signaling him to wait. "Let’s see what it intends first," she said, her tone firm but controlled. Despite her internal eagerness to confront the beast, she wanted to observe Nikolaos’s response. This was not only about the immediate threat but also about assessing her brother’s capability and composure. Enyo observed him with a critical eye. She allowed him to take the initiative, her sharp gaze assessing his every move. Enyo prepared herself to intervene if necessary. Her thoughts churned with a mixture of impatience and anticipation.

"What would you like to do brother? Shall we keep walking forward and ignore it?"

The donkey’s fury was obvious as it approached, braying loudly. Its hooves pounded against the sand, and its eyes flared with a primal rage. Enyo watched with a detached interest, her confidence still intact even in this dire situation. The animal’s bulk and aggression were interesting to say the least... quite different than a fellow wolf.





"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

WORD COUNT TOTAL: 451

Nikolaos' paws struggled to remain steady as he moved through the sand. Sinking in with every step, every step proved to have resistance. While he was perfectly capable of moving through the difficult terrain he did not enjoy it. His years as a Dunamis child had trained him for such difficulties. He had hoped with the arrival to the new land he would be somewhat free of the Dunamis reins, that he would be able to live his own life away from all this ridiculously self imposed hardship. Now he was wandering the desert with his older sister who seemed to be monitoring his every step.

As she gave her authoritative instruction he frowned in annoyance at her voice. It was irritating and grating at his ears. He always found it very annoying that she felt she had the authority to order him around. He didnt care if she was supposed to be the matriarch, she was still a female. He growled at her in his irritation but he still did as she asked. He sped up to keep pace with her.

As his sister slowed pace his annoyance grew. The cheek that she had to tell him to speed up but then she herself slowed down? Of course he was nowhere near observant enough to notice what was happening in the distance. His focus was one his irritating sister and the troublesome sand. He did stop when she signalled though.

It was only when she spoke that he moved his gaze from his sorry paws to the creature in the distance. He stared at it for a few moments, studying it in its fury. It was moving with quite a speed towards them and he wondered what could have possibly happened to upset such a large creature. His head cocked in curiosity as he studied it, his staring continued for probably a little bit too long.

He had seemed to ignore his sister's question, so absorbed he was in his focus. In fact the creature was now worryingly close when he finally responded to Enyo. "I wonder what could have happened to upset the creature so?" he wondered out loud. He was not at all worried about the possible danger the creature posed. After all they were Dunamis, there was nothing for them to fear from a prey animal.

Soon enough though the creature was upon them. It's anger was palatable in the air and it did not seem to be in the mood to discuss it. It reared, it's dinner-plate sized hooves kicking outwards. Nicoloas dodged, hopefully missing the kick. He method was not one to go on the attack, he would wait for the creature to tire itself out before he launched his own attack.

Nikolaos did not reply to her but instead asked a quite useless question. What did it matter? Enyo couldn't care less what pissed the massive donkey off. All that mattered was that there was a very large and upset equine chasing after them. The creature seemed to have an easier time traversing across the sand than they did, judging by how quickly it caught up. Her eyes widen with mild concern as the donkey’s thunderous braying grew louder.

Stupid that it took all this time to catch up to them. It was humorous even. The donkey was a formidable beast with a large, swinging head and equally large but sharp hooves. It seemed to have had taken a fierce dislike to the two wolves. Its aggressive demeanor had escalated from mere angry braying to full-blown rage, and it charged at them with surprising speed. Enyo could feel the ground vibrating with each powerful step the donkey took.

It charged at Nikolaos first, kicking with all its might. Enyo was surprised at how large the foot was next to Nikolaos' head. The donkey may be more dangerous than she initially anticipated. Either way, it was far too confident charging at them. It would need to learn the dangers of messing with Dunamis. Enyo’s massive black and white form cut through the sand dunes with determined strides, her muscles rippling beneath her fur. The heat of the midday sun beat down on the desert landscape, but her focus was sharp and unyielding. Her determination was not fueled by the need to protect her sibling, but the need to protect her family from embarrassment. If this donkey bested the both of them or even one of them, what would others think?

While Nikolaos was more nimble and patient, Enyo was far from that. Her fighting style was highly offensive, she did not always wait for a window of opportunity but instead preferred to force one open with a flurry of attacks. With a quick, decisive motion, Enyo skidded to a halt, sand spraying around her in a wide arc. Her bristled with anticipation, spiking up and making the she wolf look far more massive than she already did as she spun to face their attacker. Her eyes narrowed, and a low growl rumbled in her throat, a sound that conveyed both defiance and challenge.

Without a word, Enyo surged forward, her powerful legs propelling her through the sand. The donkey, momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift in the wolves' strategy, very briefly hesitated. Enyo used this to her advantage, her massive frame moving with a grace that contradicted her size. The donkey would raise a massive hoof and kick the air, Enyo moved out of the way just in time. Feeling the air swoosh by her face. She lunged at the donkey, aiming for its flank with a series of swift, calculated strikes. Her first attack landed with precision, her claws raking across the donkey’s side. The donkey reared up, braying in pain and surprise, but Enyo was relentless.

Perhaps she became arrogant in her many successes or perhaps she did not think the donkey could be so agile. Maybe the sinking of her paws in deep sand threw her speed off. Either way, as she darted around the ass of the donkey, two legs would suddenly rear up. One struck Enyo's head. A hard and solid sound causing her to stagger and the unstable floor made her nearly lose her footing. Her vision was blurry for a couple of moments and sand was sprayed into her eyes. Enyo would snarl in response as she knew she needed to gather herself quickly.

In the meantime, she could only hope her brother decided to change his tactics.
"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

WORD COUNT INCLUDING NIK: 1531

Internally Nik cursed his sister's impatience. He hated exerting himself unnecessarily and through her actions she was forcing his hand. After all how would it look if he returned to the golden boy without her? Quite frankly his coming leap to action did not come from any care, love or devotion that would be common amongst siblings. No, it came from the fact that he would look like a fool if her returned without her. Goodness, what if they tried to blame him? No that wouldn't do.

With a burst of speed he whipped around the enormous creature. His own large frame diminished to the point that he looked like a pup. He was on the opposite side of the creature's focused and with a carefully calculated and speedy move he snapped at the creature's hind legs. His action was meant to taunt, not to injure and so all it did was scratch the creature's skin, pulling out a couple of thick hairs.

With a high pitched yelp he jumped back, the noise meant to draw the attention away from his weakened sister. Of course he would still stick to his original plan. A creature so large could not be tackled head on, it had to be played, like a game.

The creature spun around, if possible he was sure that the fury in its eyes would have set him on fire. He chuckled. Holding his ground as it readied itself to charge at him. His own head lowered and his legs spread. He was ready to jump out of the way as it barrelled forwards. He spun around again and nipped at its heel and then he repeated the entire sequence of actions.
Playing the creature until his sister had recovered enough to rejoin the fight.

He was smaller than his siblings and he was sure that because of this he had developed his unique fighting strategy. With every practice spar with his family the odds had always been stacked against him and so he had had to develop a tactic that gave him edge. Normally this would include far more taunts from his side, but with the beast before him that did not seem necessary.

"Sister dear" he said through gritted teeth and between careful quick movements once she seemed to be somewhat recovered. "I do think it may be wise for you to abandon your... Brute-ish ways for the time being" he paused between each word as he maneuvered he did not look at her as he spoke, his focus purely on the creature. "It may be advisable to take a more... Calculated approach. Let us exhaust the creature and then you can mince it in whatever method your heart desires."

It seemed there would be a clash of egos and tactics. She was thankful that he stepped in but it was only a passing feeling, she expected it of him. His attempts at advice would be lost upon her. It was a stupid and foolish take, did he know how many she had slaughtered who tried that same tactic against her? Yes, there were those smarter than her but she learned quickly that a smart brain is no good while an iron fist bashes it out of the skull.

"If you joined in instead of watching we could've been done with it," she grunted as she got up quickly. Ignoring the pounding sensation in her head. Enyo, the prideful woman that she was refused to acknowledge that she may be injured. There was a double vision that was coming and going. Was it heat exhaustion or just an after-effect of the kick? She didn't have time to figure it out and she would be damned if she showed any sign of weakness.

"Anything and I mean anything can be overwhelmed. Follow my lead and don't hesitate!" she called out. The donkey wouldn't kick unless they were close enough, she figured that much. So how could you tire it out? She circled slowly now, the donkey looking at them both with contempt.

"We'll drop dead in this heat brother. We must handle the ass quickly." As she made another lap, she noted how the donkey was keeping its eye on her. Spinning around if need be. She snorted some sand out her nose.

"One creature cannot defend two fronts. I take the front, you take the back! We attack at the same time? How does that sound?"

"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

WORD COUNT INCLUDING NIK: 2270

His sister's was clearly being insubordinate, he wasn't sure what he expected.

"If you had simply remembered your place you would not have gotten injured" he growled in response to her accusations. How could she dare try to blame him for something she did. She should have waited. She should have listened and she should have done what she was told.

Without thinking he began to morrow her, circling the donkey opposite from her. Making the already angry animal now nervous. It didn't seem to know what to do until finally it's gaze landed on Enyo who was much larger than him. Obviously the creature did not see Nikolaos' as a threat, or that's at least the line of thought that crossed his mind. The disrespect brought a white hot fury that surged through him. How dare this creature treat him as if he were nothing? He was so lost in his anger that he did not listen to most of what was being said. He only heard her last sentence.

With a battle cry that would rival the braying of the creature he launched at its rear. Landing on its rump and digging his claws in as he bit down. He could only hope his sister had acted as swiftly as he had and the creature was not about to turn in him.

Remember her place? Enyo’s eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and incredulity before she gathered herself. Still, she could not believe he spoke to her in such a manner. He will be dealt with accordingly. Now was not the time, the massive woman stared Nikolaos down her sharp silver-blue eye, glowing with an intensity, locked onto Nikolaos with a scathing gaze. Nikolaos of all of them to disrespect her. There would be no words later, only physical correction. To remind her she was a woman, then she would show him just how much woman she was.

With a growl that resonated through the dunes, Enyo lifted her head high, the thick mane around her neck bristling in frustration. Her dense, black-and-white fur seemed to ripple with the force of her displeasure. The contrast between her icy blue and shimmering silver-blue eyes only amplified the intensity of her emotions.

"Do you think your pitiful display is helping our situation, Nikolaos? If you were even half the woman I am you would be far more worthwhile than you are." Her voice was a thunderous rumble, dripping with disdain and superiority. "The donkey knows who to fear, wise it is. You should have listened to me. I am the Matriarch. But of course, you must always insist on making a spectacle of yourself, even in the face of danger. Are you that desperate for validation?"

She watched with a smug look on her face as Nikolaos charged toward the donkey, in the end, he obeyed. Whether he believed it or not. She took a step forward, her powerful limbs moving with deliberate grace, the heavy weight of her presence commanding attention. The maimed bob of her tail swished in irritation, a reminder of the sacrifices she had endured.

She was already calculating their next move, her keen mind working through the turmoil. Her tone was sharp and unforgiving, "I will deal with this creature. Try to focus on making yourself of use for once." Whether he heard her or not was lost upon her, Nikolaos jumped onto the donkey's back forcing her to act.

She made herself as loud and abrasive as possible, forcing the donkey to split its focus on her and her brother. The next time it turned to nip or kick Nikolaos she would launch. The War Goddess made sure to position herself so that the very moment the opportunity showed she would take it.

With a swift motion, Enyo launched toward the giant ass, cutting through the sand with practiced precision. Her powerful jaws opened wide, aiming to clamp down on the creature’s throat with a crushing force. Each movement was deliberate, controlled, and efficient, and proof of her excellence. Finally, the donkey would turn to look at Nik on its back. Attempting to bite. It was trying to buck but her brother was quite heavy so its movements were slower and weighed down.

She launched, and all the tension she had building in her haunches boosted her off the ground with so much force that once she connected it nearly knocked the donkey off its hooves. Her teeth sank into its thick neck, she could taste the coppery blood on her tongue and she relished it. Feeling the donkey's muscle flex and twist as it tried to fight. Enyo would not let go, holding on despite getting kicked in the ribs. Eventually it would weakened, feeling its heart slow more and more until her own thundered so loud that it drowned the donkey's out.

The equine gave one last final jolt before it collapsed under the weight. Enyo, began lapping any blood from the throat. Relishing any form of liquid in this heat.

She would say nothing and began tearing at the flesh and eating her fill. There would be no dragging this back home. She would have to tear a haunch or two off and bring it for the others.

"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

Enyo’s words infuriated the already angry man-child. The disrespect that he was being shown by both the creature and his sister was ridiculous. As a male Dunamis he deserved to be treated better. The creature was about to pay for its crimes but his sister… his sister would need to be disciplined at some point in time. He wouldn’t be the one to do that, no he would not survive against her. She was far larger than he and therefore much stronger. No, he would need to arrange something.

He decided not to respond to her comments, rather directing the energy of his anger towards the ass. He dug his teeth into the creature’s rump, the sweet coppery taste making this effort worth it. He looked forward to the tough meat, he had not realised how hungry he was. He lifted his head to bite again but in the moment the creature bucked, throwing him in the air. Something hit him in the chest, and he landed in the sand. A cloud of dust erupted around him and as quickly as he was down, he was up again. The adrenaline coursing through his veins made meant that he felt no pain. He gave another growl and launched at the creature once more.

His eyes glanced at his sister who seemed to be hanging on to the creature’s neck. He jumped back on to the creature’s back. Digging his claws in and nipping at its rear in quick succession to distract it from what was happening to its throat. As he clung to the rump, he felt it start to lose its strength before collapsing.

He leapt off and then stared at his sister, who had already started devouring. She was covered in blood, it disgusted him how barbaric she was. He grunted and then began working on detaching a hind limb for himself. Once he had the limb loose, he grabbed it by the ankle and started to walk off. Leaving the barbaric bitch alone with the kill. He would deal with her later.

-Nikolaos Exit-