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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2013 0:52:05 GMT
"Speech"
It had been six months. Six months of hardship, starvation, and torture. Six months of barely hanging on to life and hope, when it could be ended forcibly at any time. The only ray of sunshine in the otherwise impenetrable darkness that was Valkyrie's life as a prisoner was Ares, the black wolf whom she had come to love - the only one one she could possibly develop feelings for in this horrible place.
Scars littered the young she-wolf's body from nose to tail-tip, permanent reminders of what she had been through. Shifting slightly from where she lay next to the black wolf, she winced and lifted her head, ears pricked as she listened to the rain outside the slaughterhouse, pattering on the roof and the ground. It was late afternoon, almost twilight, and the rain hadn't let up since mid-morning; all the felines were grumbling about it. Those on guard inside the slaughterhouse were taking turns at dozing in a corner, trying to block out the miserable weather. She eyed them hatefully for a moment, amber eyes glittering with an undisguised hatred.
The female was glad of it, however, as it seemed to drain the felines of their energy - and it provided the prisoners with much needed water. Slowly and carefully pulling herself into a standing position, she limped over to the spot where a puddle of water, formed because of a hole in the roof, lay. Lapping thirstily at the life-giving liquid, she did her best not to drink it all; shaking her muzzle to dislodge the drops that clung to it, the timber - arctic wolf cross padded over to the front of the pen, staring out of it, wondering hopelessly for the thousandth time if she was doomed to spend the rest of her life here. A sudden burst of grim determination filled her, and she gave vent to a low growl; she wasn't even fully grown yet - she had her whole life ahead of her - and it wasn't as if she had no friends apart from Ares. They would rescue her, her and the black wolf - sometime, someday. Then the Iris Pride had better watch out - because all hell would break loose.
OOC; HORRIBLY SHORT AND TERRIBLE BUT I HAVE TOO MUCH TO DOOOO DD8
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Post by Mika on Mar 2, 2013 2:23:50 GMT
He tried not to make it obvious that he was nervous. The young 'wolf' had only recently become a soldier, and he was already being trusted to lead a rescue mission. He didn't want to question Brooke's judgement on this. There had to be a reason why she would choose him instead of someone with more experience. And, there had to be a reason why she would choose someone who most of the pack called crazy.
A lot of the older adults of the pack were probably too old to do something like this. And, thanks to Bane, Brooke had pups to take care of, Gus just hoped she wouldn't be dead by the time they got back. It was raining so, hopefully, his groups scent would be washed away; hopefully it wouldn't be easy for any of these felines to scent them. They just had to worry about how much water was on the ground. Maybe they would think it's from their companions.
Gus tried to mask his nervousness with a look of determination, something he was also feeling. He would successfully lead this group to where they need to go, They would rescue their companion, and there would be no deaths. He'll make sure this mission didn't end up like last time, even if Gus had to risk being captured himself.
He hoped that he was wrong about there being slightly more guards than last time because of the rain. Luckily the guard outside was easy enough to sneak by without being noticed. They soon reached stairs, just like last time. He turned to his group, keeping his voice low.
"We'll go up one at a time. Wait a little before following and make sure no one sees or hears you."
Slowly, he moved up the stairs. He stepped lightly so his claws wouldn't make so much noise that he would be easily noticed. There was a cat lying in a corner a good distance away from the door. The sight caused the young 'wolf' to recoil slightly until he noticed that he was asleep.
He cautiously looked around once more as he slowly walked forward. He entered one of the pens where the door was open enough for him to not make much of a sound. He then crouched down, listened, and waited for the others to get there.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2013 10:29:08 GMT
To be frank, Harley was shocked that it was taking this long to get to start this rescue... would these two be alive by the time they arrived anyway? The German Shepherd's ears twitched in vague concern as he followed after Gus, his eyes narrowed. He had heard about the failures, and now that Brooke was having pregnancy troubles and pups to be taken care of, it was up to the young coyote -- wolf? Whatever -- in front of him to lead the way. Gus was a strange one, but Harley trusted Brooke and Bane's judgment enough to follow whatever the kid said. He could smell the poor coyote's nerves wafting from his being, though. Walking nearby, his treading kept light and as quiet as possible, he offered him a small but reassuring smile. This was a great chance for this young male to prove himself, and Harley would do what he could to help him out during this time. Though, obviously poor Valkyrie was the subject of this entire ordeal anyway... as much as Harley rooted for the kooky coyote, Gus was not the subject of attention at the moment. The guard was very easy to get past; Harley was almost amused at how simple that portion of this mission had gone. Thankfully, it was something out of the way. Now there were many more dangers ahead. The shep's blood pounded with excitement and nerves blended together at the thought. Gus spoke, trying to mask his nerves with a determined air. Harley smiled a little and nodded, ears falling forward. "Aye. You're the boss," he whispered while letting him move forward. Harley stood and waited a few beats, taking this time to sniff at the air before moving. He smelled another cat; it was clear Gus had seen it as well, and was being extra cautious about it. Harley walked forward after what seemed like hours, his breath caught in his throat as he sneaked up the stairway. Ears lay flat on his head as he made the trek after his temporary leader, his body rigid and ready to fight if necessary. The suspense in the moment was driving him mad, and he swallowed lightly as he continued on; it didn't matter how often he had done this, it was still nerve wracking. He wasn't part of the first attempt, but he knew how well that had gone. Nobody wanted a repeat of that. He arrived after a few moments, his hulking body looking fairly comical next to the scrawny "wolf."
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Post by Picasso on Mar 2, 2013 12:00:00 GMT
Orion was pumped. This was his first big adventure. Some may think he was going along to rescue his sister, but on the contrary, he didn't give a flying fuck about Valk. In fact, he didn't care if she stayed in there to rot like their mother. She got herself into this mess, she can get herself out of it. That was his thoughts on the matter. However, it seemed Brooke was intent on getting Valk back. Why, Orion had no idea. I mean, who even accidentally stumbles into the Iris territory? Orion scoffed quietly. He wasn't happy with her. However, one good thing had come out of this predicament: he was now on his first rescue mission, and that meant fighting. Orion licked his chops with bloodlust.
The large group of canines were mostly silent as they walked into the Iris Territory. Orion was surprised it wasn't more guarded at the borders, but he didn't dwell on it. If things were going their way, then good. However, Orion was a little disappointed that there was nothing to fight yet. They continued towards the abattoir until they reached the doors. One by one, the canines slipped through the doors as quietly as possible. Orion was near the back of the group, so he had been instructed to keep an eye out for anything approaching from behind. Orion slipped through the door last, and quickly peered over his shoulder to ensure no one had been watching. Nothing. A small smile played on his lips. The Iris Pride guards were terrible at their jobs.
Once they were all inside, Gusto spoke briefly and quietly. Orion said nothing, but his heart pounded with excitement. Orion couldn't figure out why it had been Gus appointed to lead this mission. He was a bit of a coward, and Orion could almost see the nervousness radiating from him. However, it was apparently not Orion's place to argue, so he had to keep his stupid mouth shut. Rolling his eyes, Orion watched as Gusto made his way up the stairs. Orion's body was on full alert, making sure nothing was about to creep up on them. He felt like a million pairs of eyes were watching them in the shadows, but no. There was no one about. He heard a roar of a lion, or maybe a tiger, somewhere in the distance, and Orion went rigid. His ears were pricked, but the noise soon stopped.
The rest of the group had gone up the stairs, and Orion quickly followed, casting his eyes around the surroundings behind him. Nothing. Where were all the cats? Were they waiting for them at Valk's cell? Orion made it to the top of the stairs, and took a deep breath. They were all together again. He spotted the sleeping cat a few metres away and froze. Any small amount of noise could wake it from its slumber. Gulping, Orion looked at all the small cells, wondering which one held Valk. He guessed the sleeping feline was supposed to be guarding one of the cells, but had got bored and bothered from the heat. Orion shook his head in disbelief. What kind of stupid place was this?
From down the staircase, Orion suddenly heard a gruff voice shout something. Had they caught onto their scent? His body began to quiver with adrenalin and fear.
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Post by Hunter on Mar 2, 2013 12:28:49 GMT
It wasn’t like he’d been asked to go. Brooke and the others knew very well that it only had been a little more than half a year since he’d even gotten out of this place. But he still felt like he had to go, he’d insisted on doing it. It was the least he could do for another packmember, especially one who was as young as Valkyrie. And besides that, it also felt like a great personal challenge, as if spitting the felines right in their faces by coming back so soon and then freeing their prisoners. Something about it just felt great, though he also had to admit he was rather nervous. Ryu had gotten so many bad memories of this place, but it just gave him the more reason to take part in the rescue, and he was determined on not ruining it all because of fear. He knew that Valkyrie had to be alive. The Iris Pride hadn’t that many prisoners, they’d want to keep her on the brink of life and death so they continue to have fun of her in a long time before her body naturally couldn’t take it anymore. The Canaan dog was disgusted by this, but at least it meant they could get Valkyrie out - they had the chance to give her a better life, even if she should have gotten as foul a treatment as him.
Gusto, who’d also been there when rescuing Estelle and him, was the leader of their mission. Ryu couldn’t determine if he was nervous or just really focused, but it didn’t matter. They were most likely all nervous as hell – who wouldn’t be when sneaking into the lion’s cave? The big German Shepherd, Harley, walked by Gusto’s side. He was a big contrast to Gusto’s slender figure, but even though he looked big and perhaps a bit clumsier than the smaller canine, Ryu was glad he was with them. If things went turned out bad and the felines should spot them, it would be nice to have some good muscle with them. After all, Ryu wasn’t a big dog either. He was pretty average of size, and though he was a well-muscled soldier, he couldn’t brag about being the toughest on the team. He couldn’t rely solely on brute strength, but woe the Iris feline who got in his fangs.
Being almost in the back of the team, Ryu slipped in through the door just before Orion, Valkyrie’s black brother. He must’ve felt awful about his sister being locked up in a cell, though the black and white dog had to confess he couldn’t remember a time when he’d seen the younger male grief or plead Brooke for setting up a rescue mission for his sister… Body tense, Ryu listened carefully to Gusto’s words and nodded without saying a word. For now they had remained unseen, but it was just a question about time before the felines would find them. Luckily the weather had been on their side, hiding their scents with the rain. Maybe it would give them more time, but Ryu would still prefer to be quick about this – otherwise, they’d probably all end up in a cell.
Going up the stairs, Ryu concentrated on being as silent as possible. He saw Orion keeping an eye out for felines behind them when a roar of a big cat made them both freeze on the spot. A sound like that was never pleasant, and it made a shiver run up his spine before he focused. They had to move on, no one had seen them yet. Ryu came up the stairs, Orion soon behind him, and was met by the foul stench of blood and puke. It was the stench of the prisoners, the poor, tortured souls who tried to keep themselves alive with hope. Gods, how could he even have survived a whole year in such a place? Noticing a guard resting nearby, Ryu did all he could to not make his body tremble. He quickly sneaked into the pen where Gusto had gone and looked questioning at him, waiting for an order. Then the voice at the bottom of the stairs sounded, and Ryu went all tense, almost sure that someone now knew of their presence.
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Post by Kezz on Mar 7, 2013 21:49:07 GMT
"Speech" So long, too long, Ares had wasted away in this Hell. For a large animal that had once been supremely powerful, it was intensely humiliating to experience the feeling of becoming something weak, useless, knowing that you could die any moment and there is nothing you can do about it. Scars littered both their bodies, some fresh and some old but all were viciously carved. Ares' thin fur was bloodied and shredded, revealing his dark, dry skin that was cracked from all the claws that had raked over it. It reminded him of the battle between the two wild families all those years ago, taking him back to the memories of blood being spilled left, right and centre. Ares shuddered slightly as he recalled his mother's screams, pinning back his scarred triangular ears slowly.
The emaciated wolf shifted a little before gazing over at Valkyrie who was lying beside him. At least she wasn't as thin as he was, the black wolf had always given the younger girl part of his share, which was a most unusual display of kindness from he. All his life the Gray Wolf had taught himself to look out for number one, but in here that was impossible. If you wanted to ever get out of the Slaughterhouse with your mind intact, you had to rely on others, and Ares thanked his lucky stars that Valk had been around. It was true that he loved her like a daughter, she was the sweetest girl he'd ever known and instinctively he felt protective of the tawny female. Through his dark brown eyes he gazed quietly, large overgrown claws scratching at the cool ground. At least there was shelter from the summer heat in here, but it had been a miracle they had not frozen over the winter months.
Suddenly a sound, and a scent. It was so distinctive that Ares could never have missed it: canines, unknown new canines. His weary skull raised with rare curiosity and he flicked his eyes questioningly to Valk. New prisoners? Possibly, but there was something hushed about their whispering that made his blood bubble with a touch of excitement. He could hear their paws upon the stairs and now his hackles had raised. The sound of a guard below made Ares jump slightly, "What's going on out there?" He growled lowly, attempting to sit up despite the constant feeling of exhaustion.
ooc: rubbish but wanted to get something up for y'all <3
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Post by Zen on Mar 13, 2013 4:03:55 GMT
Given what a horrible, embarrassing failure her last attempt at rescuing Valkyrie was, Kai was surprised at how calm and collected she was now that she was back in the slaughterhouse-turned-prison. She had expected to feel some extreme of emotion - either terrified panic or crazy, bloodlust-fueled excitement - but she was numb inside, even as she considered the very likely possibility of her own death. The only thing she could say for certain she felt was hardcore determination. She wasn't going to run away like last time. Tonight, it was either get back Valkyrie or die trying.
Well, at least for her, anyway. She couldn't vouch for the other members of the group. She could barely remember any of their names, except for Gusto who she guessed must be some kind of big deal if he had been put in charge. But did any of them actually care about Valkyrie, or were they just here to get in on some cat-killing? Whatever, in the end it didn't matter much. As long as they weren't cowards or completely awful soldiers, she was happy to have them by her side.
Like the others, her eyes were drawn towards the sleeping guard. She recalled the layout of this place, and that cat was blocking the narrow hall where Valk's pen was located. Gusto didn't seem to know what to do, and as the minutes dragged on and nobody moved, Kai quietly slipped out of the group without a word. She hunched down and stepped lightly so that the click-clacking noise of her heavy paws on the concrete floor was less audible, and carefully crept up behind the cat. It snored lightly in its sleep, but didn't even so much as whimper when she stealthily assassinated it by grabbing and twisting its neck. The fool didn't even know what hit him.
She made her way back to the others with the cat's limp, crooked neck dangling from between her strong jaws. "All clear," she said simply, her voice low and hard. With a toss of her head, she threw the body unceremoniously into one of the open pens to let it rot there along with the other bodies. Would the Iris Pride ever even notice it? If they did, would the loss of one guard matter much to them? Somehow, she doubted it. To these sadistic psychopaths, the low-ranking guards were probably just replaceable fodder that served no purpose except to die when the time was right.
An angry voice from the other section of the building made her blood freeze, but she couldn't make out the words underneath the roar. When she could breathe again, she focused on Gusto and voiced her advice. "We should move. There's still a chance it might not know we're here. If we wait here any longer, it'll find us and bring in backup. And then some serious shit will go down." She smiled slightly and shrugged. That idea neither thrilled or bothered her much. If it did come to violence, she knew that none of them would be returning to Tempest unscathed; Iris had its fair share of powerful fighters, as she'd seen on her last trip here and as the thin, jagged scars that littered her flanks could attest to. But at the same time, she couldn't really deny that she longed to plunge her teeth into some feline flesh and taste the revenge she had been dreaming about since Rikki's life had been brutally taken. Whatever ended up happening in this death house, she was more than ready for it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2013 6:38:50 GMT
It was odd, Harley supposed, that he really didn't want any sort of violence to come from this ordeal. The quickest, cleanest getaway with Valk intact was all he really cared about. For such a big, foreboding dog, he was almost too much of a softie. Of course, if he had to get his growl on, he would, if only for the sake of protecting the pack he was so loyal to. He was glad that there were so many other dogs around willing to fight and risk their lives as well... He recognized a few along with Gusto. He was a little shocked that Orion had come along; he didn't know him very well, but he was the last wolf that he really wanted to become acquainted with. He was still so young, yet so damn intimidating that his demeanor made Har's fur stand on end. He ignored him, though, staying close to Gusto while Ryu and Kai brought up close to the rear.
The sudden, swift scent of death hit him hard, and Harley looked over his shoulder only to see Kai tossing a dead cat's corpse into a nearby pen. Well, that took care of the guard. He grinned thankfully at her, not wanting to speak much more than he had to. She did well, though, it was too bad Harley could barely be quiet to safe his own hide when trying to fight... he needed room. He was a big dog, after all.
The sudden intimidating voice from below caused Harley to freeze as well as the rest. He looked at Gusto with a determined stare. They had to keep moving, and quickly, or else they'd be caught and then there'd be no chance of a clean getaway. Then again, what the hell was he thinking, a clean getaway in the Iris territory? Preposterous. He wanted to speak his mind, but he figured Gus was the boss for this. He had to figure shit out for himself. Brooke put him in charge, anyway. Kai spoke anyway, speaking what Harley was wanting to say. Nodding quietly, Harley dropped his voice to nothing above a whisper. "I can take up the rear, I'm one of the biggest here... if they hear us, they'll hafta wall through me first, aye?" He grinned too. All right, the prospect of fighting was a little exciting...
ooc: sorry, I posted because I wasn't sure if there was some sort of posting order D:
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2013 2:54:34 GMT
OOC; I'm sorry it's so terrible ; . ; D8
Valkyrie twitched an ear as the sound of hushed voices, whispering words that she couldn't make out. Her heart began to pound as she realised that they belonged to canines - she didn't recognise them at first, and wondered if they were simply new prisoners. But surely not - she would have noticed them being brought in, heard their voices before now. S Moving as far forward as she could, the she-wolf stared around the huge room - she couldn't see anything out of place.
A moment later, a low voice, a feline's, sounded from a floor below. She couldn't understand its words, and looked around to find that Ares had awoken. She shook her head slightly at his question, amber eyes filled with confusion and hope. "I don't know. Let's wait and listen, it might be nothing. . . " She turned back to watching the outside of their pen, eyes narrowed
It was at that moment that she heard a familiar voice -Kai's! Her friend, her only friend had come for her! Straining to hear more, she heard another canine voice, a male one that she'd heard before, as if in response to Kai. Her eyes sparkling with excitement she turned back to Ares, telling the black wolf in a whisper, "My friend Kai is here, I recognise her voice, and there are some others, I think. Possibly Tempest, come to rescue us!"
Everything was quiet until the other sleeping guard, the only one left on this level of the slaughterhouse, awoke, his confused voice ringing out clearly in the silence, "Evan, where'd you go?" More quietly, the feline, a young serval, muttered, "I hope he hasn't gone and left me here. It was my turn to have a nap!"
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Post by Mika on Mar 20, 2013 14:40:06 GMT
One by one, his group entered the pen without being seen. Everything seemed to be going smoothly so far, just like he had hoped. Gus thought of his next action as he waited for his group. One of them tried a rescue attempt before, it failed but maybe Kai remembered which pen their companion was in. He could have her lead them to that particular pen, kill any other guards that might be here, then get the wolf out of this hell hole as quickly as possible. Going through the alleys seemed to work fine when he rescued Ryu, the first mission Gus had chosen as a juvenile.
Kai then approached the pen, the body of the guard that was sleeping earlier dangling in his jaws. That was the only one he saw in the area Gusto's group was in, maybe they would be lucky and there weren't too many guards around. He exited the pen and stood next to the door, looking around cautiously in case someone else came and saw them. A sound from below made him turn and start to panic. Orion hadn't gotten to this floor yet, had someone seen him? Gusto didn't want to risk anyone being killed or hurt. 'I guess things don't always go as planed.' He thought as he tried to calm himself down. He turned to Kai and slowly moved toward the door.
"You've been here before right? I want you, Ryu, and Harley to find her pen and get her out of here. If someone does come I'll try to lead them away from you." He stood by the door that led to the stairs, just out of sight of any feline that might come up. He watched the door carefully, making sure he didn't attack Orion by mistake.
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Post by Hunter on Mar 20, 2013 15:05:40 GMT
He eased up as it didn’t sound like anyone was coming just yet. But they had to move quickly now. Kai, a friend of Valkyrie, was quick on her paws and snatched the neck of the sleeping guard. Ryu showed his teeth to her in a silent grin, loving how easy the big female had made it look like. She then came to the rest of the group that waited in the empty pen, and Gusto quickly followed her request, sending himself with Kai and Harley out to scout the pen which Valkyrie would be in. There was only one way to go for now, so Ryu chose to not waste the time – the ones staying in the pen would guard their back after all, perhaps giving the three dogs more time to find Valkyrie if they should be spotted by someone.
His nose searched the surroundings in this level of the slaughterhouse, trying to get a whiff of female wolf. It was hard to sort away the stench of felines and dead bodies, but he soon found a scent which he could follow. It was foul, smelled nothing like a healthy canine, but it was nonetheless the scent of a young female wolf. And alive. That was most important. They would get her out, then they could think about her health, getting her fit for fight again just like Ryu was even if he’d spent a whole year in these disgusting pens. Turning a corner, Ryu’s brown eyes found a young serval guarding a pen. Luckily for him, the serval had its back turned on him as he looked around the corner. The scent of wolf was close, very close. And as far as he could figure, there had to be two wolves. Surely this serval was guarding Valkyrie, or at least the other wolf he could smell. Whoever it was the young feline guarded, it had to be taken care of, fast.
Without looking toward the others behind him, Ryu quickly leapt toward the serval as his back still was turned on him and the rest of the group. The serval unfortunately turned as he leapt at it, but before a warning could emerge from the feline's throat, Ryu made sure that the only sound coming from the feline was a gurgle as his teeth found its windpipe. That was it. Killing could be so easy if done in surprise. The spotted dog almost wished he could've made the feline suffer even more instead of killing it so quickly. Many canines had been hurt and tortured due to the Iris Pride, and that was also why they were here right now. To make an end on a packmate's suffering. But this was no time to seek revenge, they had to move on so they could get out quickly and hopefully also unscratched. Making sure that the feline was dead, he rushed to the pen and stuck in his nose and looking inside it. He could make out some brownish fur, and even if he didn’t know Valkyrie, he was almost certain that this young wolf was her. ”Valkyrie, is that you?” he whispered. His bright eyes lit up for a second in the dim light, hoping it was indeed the young wolf his nose had directed him toward.
((OOC: Speeding things up a little! xD))
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Post by Picasso on Mar 20, 2013 15:33:52 GMT
Orion joined the others quietly and watched the large Shepherd take out the sleeping guard in seconds. He twitched in anticipation. He wanted to kill. They made their way into their pen, Orion keeping an eye on anything approaching from behind. The Slaughterhouse seemed too quiet. There was no one patrolling the corridors and all the guards appeared to be sleeping or just utterly stupid. Orion frowned. This wasn't what he'd heard of when he'd listened to stories of the Iris Pride. Keeping his ears prickled, Orion gazed at all the others in the rescue group. They were all on high alert as they made sure no guards had spotted them. Now... where was his sister? This place was so huge they could be searching for hours without finding her. Using their noses was useless due to the stench of felines and death. Valkyrie's scent was completely lost here.
When Gusto gave the orders for three of them to find Valk, Orion deflated in disappointment. He had wanted to find Valkyrie. Suddenly, a voice from behind him sounded the alert. Spinning around in surprise, a large Ocelot stood there hissing. "Intruders!" He yowled loudly, "Sound the al-" Before the feline could finish, Orion launched at his throat. The Ocelot was quick to react, scratching Orion's face with his claws, but Orion was heavier and managed to pin the Ocelot. It didn't take long for him to rip open his neck and let him bleed out. However, they were in trouble. The alert had been sounded and he heard noise from the floor below.
"Our cover's been blown." Orion said frantically as he began to move in Ryu's direction. They were at Valkyrie's cell, and there was another black wolf with her. They looked awful. Orion examined the two, and vowed never to trespass on the Iris land alone like she had done. Shaking his head, he just gazed at his sister, "You didn't learn anything off mum, did you?" He sneered cruelly. Probably not the best approach to a half-tortured wolf, but he couldn't resist. She had landed herself in the exact same situation Rikki had. It was almost laughable.
The voices were growing louder, and Orion stepped back into the corridor to see felines approaching from both sides. They were a variety of sizes, and Orion gulped at the larger, big cats. "We've got incoming!" He called to the rest of the group, before launching himself at the nearest feline. It was a flurry of claws and teeth before he managed to overpower it. Damn, this was fun! His adrenalin was racing and he panted in excitement. He needed more blood!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2013 19:22:11 GMT
Harley's ear twitched a little at Gus's words. Really? That was hardly a good idea, putting a plodding creature like him in a stealthy situation like that... but whatever, Gus was in charge for a reason he figured. He'd challenge his logic silently and not speak of it for now; it was clearly not the time. Giving a stiff nod, he moved forward after Ryu and Kai, being sure to stay at the rear so he could still act as a wall. That was when the flurry of scents hit him. The stench of decay and the pitiful smell of the tortured... Har's ears flew back at the smell, looking towards the cages. Valk was ahead, that much he knew. Orion had decided to follow as well; no doubt to help his sister.
Orion's voice suddenly sent cold chills throughout Harley's blood; he froze, eyes flashing with the instincts rolling through his veins. Shit. Orion teased at his poor sister and the sorry fellow that accompanied her, but Harley only gave Orion a withering look. Whatever; as long as Orion helped get the two back to safety -- because they clearly had to take this other black male in as well -- then he could say whatever the hell he liked. Harley moved forward, his limbs splaying out a little as he took his stance in front of them. Orion was covering the other side; both canines were large enough to hold their own, and Orion seemed to enjoy the thrill of battle. This would be fairly simple if they kept it quick.
Harley lifted his muzzle and barked a few times to signal to Gus that the chase was on. No need in being quiet at this point when every cat and their mother was coming out of the woodwork to stop them. A cat lunged at him, and he quickly leaned forward and snapped his powerful jaws around the smaller feline's neck. The sickening crack followed by a dull thud signaled its death. He turned his head to look back at Kai and Ryu. Kai had been here before, hadn't she? "Kai, get Valkyrie and the other to the nearest exit, aye?" he hissed at her, trying to drown out his voice beneath the din of the battle. He looked back just in time to see a large paw of a lion come hurdling towards him. He jumped out of the way and ducked down, biting at the lion's exposed belly. The creature staggered backwards, not dead, but his injury seemed to fuel a new fire in him. Great, just what they needed, a rampaging feline leading the ragtag group. He only could hope that Ryu would stay behind to hold off the cats with him and Orion while Kai slipped away amidst the chaos.
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Post by Zen on Mar 23, 2013 2:27:31 GMT
Kai listened to Gusto's order, but his last couple of words were drowned out by the sudden screech of cats yowling an alarm. More voices soon followed, and their sound kept her rooted to the spot for a few minutes while several other members of the group made their way to Valk's pen. She wanted to see which side of the building the guards would attack from so she could plan her exit route in the opposite direction.
Her floppy ears pricked forward attentively when the big guy, Harley, addressed her. "Yeah, will do. Be careful, okay?" She forced an uneasy little smile. Granted, she had never spoken two words to most of these soldiers, but that didn't stop her from worrying for them. After all, they were her family - not through blood, but through loyalty and the sharing of a common enemy. The enemy that was right here and would kill her if she didn't get moving, so she spun on her heels and galloped over to Valk's cage.
There was no time for a tearful reunion or any words other than "C'mon, Valk, we gotta move!" Immediately she leaned down and pushed her nose against her friend's shoulder, urging her to stand and to lean on Kai's heavy weight if she needed the extra support. Hopefully, Valk would have enough strength left in her to make the getaway back to Tempest. "You too, mister," she grunted as she pushed, looking at the dark wolf next to Valk imploringly.
She lifted her head suddenly and snarled in pain when a well-muscled body collided with hers. A lion had turned its attention to her and was now pinning her to the floor with its massive bulk, ripping at her sides with large, knife-like claws. "Valk...go," she choked, jerking her head towards the unguarded doorway at the end of the hall, the best and nearest exit. The poor girl didn't need to be involved in this fighting; in her current condition, it'd most likely kill her. Kai swatted at the cat's face with her own claws, hoping to cut something, even if it was just its nose. If she was going to die like this, she wanted to go down with some kind of glory, and a nosebleed was better than nothing.
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Post by Kezz on Mar 23, 2013 18:17:48 GMT
"Speech" Ares was well known for being partially cynical at times but right now he could not help but feel a spark of hope. He clung onto the possibility that a rescue group was on it's way, despite his instinctive feeling of doubt. Several times before they had woke in the night excitedly only to realise it was simply the sound of new prisoners being dragged in. At least he had Valkyrie; what would he have done without her? In truth the black wolf was surprised Iris had kept them together for so long! Surely they would have wanted to cause them more suffering but then again maybe it was all part of a master plan to pit one against another later down the line. Who knew what those sadistic lunatics were up to. Valk murmured her thoughts and Ares nodded slowly, his scarred ears twitching with curiosity as the hushed voices drew nearer, louder.
When his friend spoke about a voice she recognised however, Ares swung his muzzle about and gazed hard at the younger female. A bold new light fired up within his normally emotionless eyes, his jaws parting breathlessly ... could it be that they were getting out of this hellhole? "Come, let's take a closer look." His voice was little above a whisper as the large, yet malnourished wolf heaved himself silently his paws and padded slowly towards the entrance of their pen. The harsh voices of suspicious guards broke the tense silence and suddenly the sound of several paws filled the hallway. Just as Ares reached the door four canines appeared before their eyes; a two-toned dog, a dark wolf and two shepherds of some sort. He did not say anything, or smile or display any kind of relief, instead the skinny male gazed stonily at them in a state of mild shock. Was this really happening?
Guards were beginning to attack some of the rescuing party and Ares brushed off any words said to both he and Valkyrie. He was exhausted from starvation and hours of torture and all this excitement was making him feel entirely detached from the situation. He just wanted to get out, now. BAM- a lion slammed the female, whom Valkyrie seemed close with, to the floor and Ares flattened his ears to his head, baring his teeth defensively. Everything immediately sped up and he knew that if he and Valk didn't leave now it would be too late: for all of them. Mustering up any strength he had left, Ares nudged his only friend towards the door and began limping down the hallway, away from the conflict behind them. He felt only a smidgen of guilt about leaving his rescuers, their efforts would be in vain if Valkyrie didn't escape because that's what this entire mission was about wasn't it? They were Tempest dogs after all.
ooc: I missed stuff out but wanted to speed it up a lil' :P
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