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Post by Hunter on Aug 2, 2013 17:29:09 GMT
It was time to prepare the pack. Bear already knew of his plans to eliminate the Iris Pride once and for all, but the rest of the pack needed to be prepared for the big battle too. He wanted it to be the end of this war, and to achieve that, he needed everyone to be ready. Winter was hard with the frequent blizzards and even though he’d done the best he could to make the pack store food up for winter, he knew they struggled. They all did. But the Iris Pride was weak. He’d heard from the Senka that the felines stood without leader, and after starvation through the cold winter months, they would be weak. Tired and unorganized. They’d be the perfect prey. This was as great a chance the Tempest Pack could ever get.
Outside the Asylum, the world was silent. Tracks had been covered with a new layer of snow from the storm which had just seized earlier this morning. It was noon, and now when the dark clouds were gone, the sun shone through, though the warmth it gave was scarce. Ryu shook his fur as the chilly air rustled in his doubletoned coat. Flanked by three Soldiers (one of them being the Hound), the Warden started to trot toward the place where pack meetings had been held in the years ever since the first Warden, Baron. The snow was deep. It covered half of his legs, but Ryu had other things than the cold mass in mind. He wanted the upcoming battle to be a success. They had until spring and then they would attack. Would it be the end of the war just as he hoped? Only time would tell, and the motivation of the pack was an important factor. And he knew he had to be steadfast to make them believe in victory. For if even the leader doubted in success, how should the rest of the pack be able to believe in it?
As they arrived at Tooth Cliff, Ryu quickly climbed a rock which would make him able to look out on the assembled pack members when they emerged from all corners of the territory. He took a deep breath to calm the last of his nerves and then set into a howl, giving it as much power as he could to make sure everyone would hear his call. It was time to let them know the news. It was time to let them know that he, with their help, intended to put an end to this godforsaken war.
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Post by Zen on Aug 2, 2013 18:38:02 GMT
Upon limping over to the gathering place, Kai blinked her one eye lazily and swiveled her head around to look at the dogs who'd arrived before her, searching the small group for a familiar face. All were strangers to her. Well, she was more than okay with that, since not feeling obligated to talk to anyone meant she could get a good spot in front of Ryu, close by where he would notice her and she would be able to speak to him without having to raise her voice above a crowd. She could admit that she had become an attention-seeker towards the higher ranked dogs. She didn't care if anyone else thought so, either. With nothing else to offer the pack, who could blame her for wanting to feel useful? She no longer had a body that could fight or hunt for anyone but herself, but she still had her wits about her, and she hoped she could at least provide good advice and support to the leader.
She made her way towards him, standing up a little straighter and trying not to walk as crookedly as she normally did. But as she sat down before him, her left hind leg was seized by a sudden pain that caused her to grit her teeth and growl almost inaudibly. It did that sometimes. Kai hadn't figured out what it's problem was but could guess that maybe a bone was out of place, or a nerve was being pinched. Whatever it was, she would probably be stuck with these random bouts of pain for the rest of her life. It grew bad enough that she had one day felt the urge to look over the edge of the Tooth Cliff, and had decided it was high enough to end a life quickly and relatively painlessly, if she felt it ever needed to come to that. But even on her worst days, days like this where the pain was almost unbearable, she always managed to keep going. She wasn't dead yet. As long as she was alive, she had to try to make the most of it. There had to be a reason for her surviving the Iris cats' attack, or so she told herself.
Kai shuffled into a position that put the least amount of pressure on her pain-wracked leg and still allowed her to sit at attention. She hoped Ryu or anybody else hadn't noticed her discomfort. And if they had noticed, she preferred if they would keep their trap shut about it. Nobody else needed to be burdened with her issues, and she never wanted to talk about it anyway. Tilting her chin up at him, she said, "So this is about Iris." It wasn't a question. What else could it be about? The pride was at the weakest and most vulnerable it had ever been - Tempest would be stupid not to take advantage of this fortunate moment. She smiled up at him; not a confident smirk she would normally give in a situation like this, but an honest smile of relief. "Lexis is wiped out, and now Iris will soon be begging for mercy at our feet. After so many years of battle and suffering, this war is gonna be ours."
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Post by Picasso on Aug 7, 2013 11:57:50 GMT
His first meeting. London was a little excited to be includes with the rest of the pack. Whilst the chocolate pup was still a juvenile, he felt he was old enough to finally join in their discussions. His long, gangly legs padded through the deep snow, crunching under his weight. The winter was a bitter time, and London couldn't help the shivers that racked his body. It appeared everyone would be looking forward to spring, when prey was plentiful and the temperature was warmer. He'd already heard the brutality of winter. Last week a female had lost her entire litter of puppies to the snow. Tucking his tail between his legs, London had to remind himself that it was nature's way of picking off the weakest. It still made his heart ache to think of the distraught mother who had been looking forward to rearing her pups.
Arriving at the cliffs, London scoured his surroundings. A few dozen dogs were already here. London spotted Clegane near Ryu, and he swallowed excitedly. Their training had been going well. London was getting better with each passing week. Whilst he was still clumsy, London knew Clegane would teach him to be the best fighter he could possibly be. Smiling a little, the chocolate canine slid through the crowd, only vaguely recognising the dogs here. He looked up at Ryu and wondered why he'd called a meeting on such a cold day. What news? Before London could wait for Ryu to speak, a voice made several heads turn. London remembered hearing of a canine who had managed to escape from Iris, half blind and lame. This must be her.
Iris. Of course this was about Iris. He turned his head back to their leader, careful not to say anything. He was still too young to voice his opinion. He would much rather sit on the sidelines and be given orders. A meeting had been called. How intriguing. Orion's large, ebony body crunched through the thick snow as he made his way to the cliffs. There was no doubt a plan forming in their leader's mind. Everyone could see the Iris Pride was crumbling. Since the disappearance of Alexander, they were stuck. They were hopeless at organisation, and as far as Orion could see, they had yet to assign a new leader. Rolling his amber eyes, he arrived at the meeting slightly late. He thirsted for more blood, especially ever since his sister had left the pack. She had turned into a traitor, who turned her back on the pack. It had been a long time since Orion had felt so angry. He was furious with her, and her blatant lack of respect for their pack. She had been loved and cared for here, and yet she spat it back in their face. Orion would never forgive her for leaving.
Controlling himself, Orion took some calm, deep breaths. He gazed over at Kai, who looked positively fucked up. He had heard of her return. Orion wondered why Valk had left Kai, who clearly needed help. Hadn't they been close? Sighing, Orion stopped nearby the lame bitch and listened to the whispers of other dogs. They all seemed to have the same idea; a raid on the Iris. Perhaps they would win this war once and for all. As Orion gazed at the crowd, it struck Orion how few canines he knew anymore. First it had been Victoria, then Valk. Orion wasn't one to make many friends, but it was almost pathetic how alone he was here.
"With Alex gone, they are defenceless," Orion spoke up clearly and loudly, "They are too stupid to get a new leader. They'll be crushed." His eyes glinted with excitement as he felt a prickle up his spine. He couldn't wait.
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Post by Kezz on Aug 18, 2013 18:51:50 GMT
"Speech"
It was time to let the pack know. Seven odd years of fighting would come down to this; the final battle, the ending of this catastrophic war. It would peel back the entrance to a new era - one ruled by the canine race for all of eternity [at least he hoped]. Hexasol would finally be theirs, rightfully theirs, and every cat would hunted down and torn, bludgeoned or slaughtered. There was no room for the enemy any longer; Iris had to die. It felt right, and yet in some ways strange. Bear's entire life had been centered around defeating their hated nemesis, to crush the rebellion against Tempest dominance. The pride was weak now, lacking in members and a leader, there had never been a better time to attack. But what would happen when it was all over? Could they all return to normal life? If they even new what normal was any more. As General of the largest pack in the city his entire existence was focused on the destruction of Iris, and yet without such an intense purpose, what would he do?
He could never leave, he didn't want to either; everything he loved lay here within these precious grounds. His parents were gone, long gone and he felt it his duty to make them proud, if nothing else. Bear often mulled over the fact that he had usurped his own father - but times had changed, Hueso had disappeared after Nikita's death, the position had to be filled. Ryu was making an excellent leader; he was strong, young and intelligent. Bear could only hope that he would live up to the expectations of the pack. He had certainly grown. As a three year old, the male had reached maturity and it showed in the way his tall brindle body swung with easy power and vigor. No longer was he the lanky youth, cocky and arrogant in his every mannerism. He was a cat-killing machine with jaws and rage, amberbrown eyes glinting in the cold, snow-laden light. There they were.
He strolled through the snow, pinning his ears at the numb feeling in his paws, but drawing up silently beside his fellow packmates. There was a flickering in their eyes - it spoke of excitement, relief, anticipation and hunger. A surge of pride rose in his chest. This was his pack, victory would be theirs. Bear dipped his head first at Ryu, a strong grin illuminating his dark, brindled face before he addressed the others with a flick of his curled tail and a glance in each direction. He knew what this was about, they knew what this was about. "It's time. Finally we will claim Hexasol as our own - what is rightfully ours." His attention laid upon Kai suddenly, the she-dog still appeared battered and tender despite weeks of recovery and there was a shooting feeling in his chest. He should have been there. But no, he had been searching for Antigone, his wretched sister, oh but his beloved sister.
The General had heard whispers of how Kai had turned from being a beautiful young girl into an ugly tragedy but Bear didn't think so, he didn't think she was ugly. Bear dragged his burning gaze away, looking out across the white wonderland of Tooth Cliff but even then he could not shake the stirring in the pit of his stomach.
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Post by Pluton Leader Smiff on Aug 24, 2013 23:01:05 GMT
It had been about a week since his mother had passed on, but Zeevi's heart still felt heavy with grief. He and his siblings had buried her body by the ocean, and since then, the juvenile had visited her resting spot each and every day. It had been a miracle that he'd heard Ryu call the pack together over the roar of the ocean - but he had, and at once, he felt burdened with a sense of duty. Even though he was easily the quirkiest dog in the pack, he felt as though it was now his time to live up to his family's name - their honor. Both his mother and his father had been brave soldiers, and leaders.
It was now or never.
He would prove himself at long last.
Zeevi tried to think of the meeting ahead and not counting his steps as he took off at a run. He had to make his way all around the territory to get to the top of Tooth Cliff - by then the meeting would have probably started - but he didn't care. He would attend and he would speak his mind if he felt it appropriate.
There were several canines at the gathering by the time he made his appearance, tongue lolling out as he panted. He'd made it there in record time, it seemed, because there were still other dogs arriving. Good. At least he didn't have to apologize for being late now. He looked around to find a place to sit, catching London out of the corner of his eye. With a slight wag of his tail, he padded over to his brother and sat beside him, nudging him with his nose, "First meeting. You excited?"
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Post by Hunter on Aug 26, 2013 18:14:47 GMT
The pack began to assemble. From all corners of the pack, canines came running to answer his call – big and small, broad and thin, old and young alike. It warmed his heart to see how quick they were to come, but their loyalty to him also made the determination inside him burn even stronger. He wouldn’t let them down by being a bad leader. He would lead them into victory. Victory against the Iris Pride – lives would be lost, it was inevitable, but he knew this was their chance, and he wanted to get through it with a reason so the lives lost wouldn’t be gone for nothing.
Despite her poor state, Kai was well among the first to arrive, sitting down right in front of him. He smiled down to her, liking how she was able to somehow keep her wits despite her efforts. She’d never be the same again. And for that he felt sorry for her. But he hadn’t tried to talk to her about it. Even to Ryu, it was clear that the proud female wouldn’t want to talk about her struggles. So he’d let her keep them to herself until she one day would talk about it. If that day ever came. He didn’t get to answer her before the black wolf, Orion, emerged and made his comment. Though Ryu hadn’t liked the way the male wolf had acted toward his sister, Valkyrie, while rescuing her, he knew that the young wolf would be important in the fight. He was as if bred to be a Soldier.
Then the one closest by his side appeared. Bear. The General dipped his head to him in respect and he greeted the brindle mix with a court nod as the male now stood by his side, overlooking the pack. He couldn’t hide a smile at Bear’s claim of the Iris Pride. Because he was right, the Iris Pride, and everything it included, would soon be theirs. Ryu raised his head a bit further to look around. Fewer dogs were arriving now, meaning that it was time to talk. Was he nervous? He wasn’t sure. Other feelings were merging inside of him, better feelings, overwhelming all nervousness he might before have felt.
As the light coat of Brooke’s son Zeevi appeared, Ryu shortly dipped his head to him and London in compassion. They’d lost their mother about a week ago which was a great loss to all of the pack. She would be missed dearly, and Ryu wished she’d have seen and experienced the end of the war. However, he couldn’t help but feel joy at the fact that no feline had tasted the victory of killing the old Mistress. Maybe, somehow, it was better this way. With the pack gathered, it was now time to speak. “Hush, my dear ones,” he barked to get everyone’s attention back to him. After all, he hadn’t made them come here to chatter among themselves though their guesses were correct. “The Iris Pride should have given up a long time ago. Now it’s time for us to show them why,” he said with a deep voice, a tune which could be identified as a growl. “It is right that I intend to crush the felines. But I don’t just want to have them all wiped out – once we have taken over the Slaughterhouse, I want a handful of prisoners. Why?” He let the question linger a moment in the air before answering it himself. “We won’t let them all get away with something as easy as death. The felines need to pay for the wrong they have done, for the pain they have caused us. We will take them as slaves – starve them, treat them like we want. In this final battle, we won’t just take their land, won’t just take their territory as ours and maul their families to the ground; we. will. break. them,” he growled the last words to emphasize his opinion on the matter, to make the pack understand his wish.
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Post by Zen on Sept 4, 2013 20:47:25 GMT
Kai smiled in approval at the others' comments, wondering how anyone could doubt that Tempest was destined to rule. Year after year this war proved that there was no hope for harmony between canines and felines - just look what had happened to Lexis. It was impossible. There couldn't be a draw in this war, only a victor. And the victor had been decided. Images of screaming, dying cats filled her head and her teeth ached to tear feline flesh and crunch feline bone, but she knew she needed to calm herself and not let the feelings completely overwhelm her. Unlike most of the others here, she wasn’t going to have the chance to mangle any Iris cats and get her revenge. She let out a deep sigh and focused her attention back on Ryu and Bear, waiting for them to officially begin the meeting. Now she just wanted it to be over.
Prisoners. Her heart dropped at the word. She didn't want the stink of cat poisoning the Tempest Pack's air, she wanted them gone. She wanted Iris wiped off the face of the earth and forgotten, their legacy turned to dust and erased from the city's memory forever. Having slaves around to torture and starve would not bring her peace of mind. It would just be a daily reminder of all the suffering she and the other canines had endured because of them. “But prisoners can escape,” she pointed out, her voice low and level. “They can revolt, plot and be rescued. They have to be fed and kept guarded. You sure it's worth it? Giving each cat a slow, painful death makes more sense to me. The sooner Iris is gone, the better. Besides, most of their sanity is already too shattered to be broken any further.” Kai shrugged and cast her eye off to the side, away from the other soldiers who were now looking at her. She didn't care if they disagreed. This was a meeting and she was allowed to speak her mind.
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Post by Picasso on Sept 11, 2013 10:10:08 GMT
London had a feeling his mother should have been here. It felt wrong without her, and judging by some of the expressions on other dogs' faces, others felt the same way as him. Without Brooke, it was strange. London was only young, but he could tell some of the older members felt uncomfortable without her as their leader. He pushed the thought aside, trying not to think of the death of his mother. He missed her dearly, but death happened, didn't it? Heaving a sigh, London glanced at the sudden pitter-patter of paws coming his way. A smile appeared on his lips when he saw Zeevi lumber over to him. Wagging his tail, London leaned forward and licked his nose affectionately, before glancing back at the meeting before them, "Yeah. I'm nervous too." He whispered to him.
Ryu was beginning to speak. A hush descended on the crowd as they listened to his words. London felt a prickle up his spine the more Ryu talked. He was unsure whether enslaving cats was the best idea, but he was careful not to speak up. Would it not take up valuable resources and guards? Shuffling around uncomfortably, it was a lame dog that spoke up after Ryu and mostly spoke his own opinions. Relaxing, he hummed slightly in agreement with her. She had a valid point. What if they escaped and started a rebellion? It meant they weren't done with the cats after all. London didn't hate cats with a burning passion, but he did fear them. Ever since he'd been attacked by that lioness months ago, the thought of fighting them sent his knees quivering.
The crowd begun to mutter amongst themselves, and London leaned in to Zeevi, "Well, at least we're getting somewhere. I just hope it all goes smoothly." It would be disastrous if all this planning was for nothing, and they lost more dogs.
Orion was shaking with excitement. This is what he'd been waiting for ever since he was a cub. He was now old enough to take part in a mighty battle, and he would kill the felines. As he listened to Ryu, Orion wondered what it would be like to have cats as prisoners in their own pack. He hoped the smell wouldn't be affected too much. He loathed the scent of felines. He wondered whether he could sometimes hurt them, and pay for what they did to his parents. Or would that make him as bad as them? No, he would never be as bad as them. This was revenge for all the years of them torturing innocent canines in their hospital and slaughterhouse. Now The Tempest Pack seeked vengeance.
He briefly wondered what his parents would've thought, if they were here. Whilst Orion had never met his father, he wondered whether he'd be proud of the direction Ryu was taking. And what about Rikki? She had turned to a cat-lover in the end. She would hate to be part of the scheme. But surely, somewhere inside of her, she yearned revenge? For countless years she'd been hurt and tortured. How could she not want to hurt in return? Orion shook his head in disbelief. And then his mind wandered to Valkyrie. He sneered in disgust at the thought of the cowardly wolf leaving her pack. It was shameful. How would she feel, when they exterminated the entire pack?
Kai spoke up against the enslaving of felines, and Orion cleared his throat to speak after her, "It will be difficult to keep them in one space. During winter, we already struggle for food. We will have to feed them something to keep them alive during that time, but I don't want our precious food going to waste on those stinking cats," He hesitated, "I think we have better guards than the Iris, so we can keep them locked away. But we'll have to be careful."
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