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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2013 1:51:04 GMT
There was something enchanting about the dying play equipment. It creaked and moaned with the wind, the sounds sometimes ringing as low as whispers. It spoke the psalms of the dying, and Jedediah, resting his weary body on a rusting step, felt the crooning notes in each fiber of his being. After arriving in Hexasol, he had spent much time ghosting around the once-wealthy suburban neighborhoods, consuming scraps and corpses when he could find them. He found that he was mostly alone, but every once in a while, the scent of other creatures--felines and canines alike--would tease his nose. If his body were not so aged, he might have sought these others out with more gusto.
Alas, Jedediah was weak and, even though he knew he would find more comfort in the company of others, could not convince himself that he was strong enough to move on. So, among the play equipment and the towering, whispering oaks he sat.
Jedediah stood on shaking legs and, after taking a moment to steady himself, limped slowly away from the equipment. A maze of towering homes and unkempt lawns, which thirsted for tending, lay before him. A bitter winter breeze moved through his fur, and he squinted against the glare of the afternoon sun. In winter, the sun was always sinfully bright, as if it drew its strength from the dying planet below.
That sort of irony always puzzled Jedediah; made him laugh out of confusion. He stood stoic, his dainty paws hardly breaking the surface of the snow. And yet...what was that? A new scent on the breeze!
It was the scent of another creature--a canine! and a young female at that. Jedediah sat and felt his body sink slightly into the cold. Perhaps she would wander near enough so that he would not have to expend too much energy seeking her out.
A low whine left his throat. Jedediah's need for companionship was desperate.
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Post by Zen on Aug 13, 2013 1:36:26 GMT
Walking on three legs wasn't so bad once you got used to it. Putting aside the awkward-looking limping motion she had to use in order to get around, Kai could now barely remember what it had felt like to move on a fully intact body. While her dead leg still remained curled up uselessly against her chest, her other limbs had grown thick and muscular as a result of the extra effort she was putting on them, and her stamina was now just as high as it had been before she was lamed. But she was still faced with the same problem she had been stuck with for months: she couldn't run. She could jog at a decent speed, but trying to push herself any faster than that caused her hind legs to seize up and her body to stumble forward. It was infuriating. She almost wanted to scream or cry whenever she tried and failed to break into a sprint. Being able to run and maneuver herself meant she would be able to fight, and being able to fight meant she would have her old way of life back. And she longed for that more than anything.
The afternoon sun beat down on her back, but it provided little warmth. Though her thickly layered fur prevented the chilly air from reaching her skin, her nose had become numb from the cold and her sense of smell was soon dulled. She could find no trace of any prey scent on the wind. The wind howled in her tattered ears and she couldn't hear anything aside from the blood rushing through her head, and her vision was much less acute ever since the Iris cats had gouged out her left eye. Coming to terms with the fact that she was probably going to go back to Tempest as hungry as she had been when she'd left, Kai huddled under one of the giant plastic slides and decided to rest until her energy reserves were filled enough to start the long trek back home. She glowered with disappointment, feeling utterly weak and stupid. If she could run, she would be out in the forest helping her packmates bring down a deer instead of wandering through the city searching for rats and squirrels. Practically the only thing keeping her sane at this point was the thought of the impending battle between Iris and Tempest, the one that would crush those damned cats once and for all.
Kai swiveled her head around, feeling something crawl up the back of her neck. She was being watched by something, or someone. Immediately she stood up, her eye flickering towards the source of the disquieting feeling she was getting. It was only an old coyote. He wasn't even making a move to come toward her, and after realizing he wouldn't pose a threat to her, she lowered her guard. But only for a second. Maybe this old man was decoy, a trap set by Iris to lull her into a false sense of security. Kai knew she would be easily recognized by those cats if they saw her out in the open – the dozens of scars littering her body, the twisted leg, the missing eye were all dead giveaways. She knew Iris wanted revenge against her for her involvement in the slaughterhouse battle, equally as much as she wanted revenge against them for crippling her.
Her warrior training had been pounded into her brain so hard that even a seemingly harmless canine was a potential threat to her. She made her way slowly towards him, her eye narrowed suspiciously and her fur bristling. “Are you alone?” she asked, raising her voice above the wind and the creaking of the nearby swing sets. She just hoped she would be able to tell if he was lying or not.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2013 17:49:43 GMT
Jedediah was justifiably flabbergasted when he saw the female canine's approach. Despite her obvious young age, she was even more of a mess than he was. She was a depressing sight--such a clearly fit young girl cut down before she was even close to reaching her prime. As a pup, Jedediah rarely counted his blessings. Now, looking upon the burly stranger who towered before him, he finally understood the vulnerability of youth.
He met her eyes--well, eye--and for a moment, did not answer her question. Speaking of which, Jedediah considered it a particularly odd question. Why would he not be alone? ...Were there others nearby? Watching from the trees? The cold was slowly numbing his senses, so it did not seem too impossible that they may be being watched.
Taking time to look over both shoulders, Jedediah finally gave an answer:
"I s'pose I am. Though, t'be honest, my nose isn't workin' so well in the cold."
There was a laugh in his voice. It was a warm sound, like that of an old oak swaying in a summer breeze. Jedediah stood (with some degree of difficulty) and turned his head to look at a nearby grove of trees. He was beginning to doubt how alone he had been, but perhaps her question was just sparking some harmless paranoia.
"I'm not so sure of how alone I really am. But, then again, maybe I'm growin' stupid with my age."
Jedediah smiled warmly, his attention refocused on the female standing before him. His heart ached a bit for her. Wounds such as those, he assumed, could only be born through bravery and a foolhardy attitude.
"Looks like you ran a gauntlet of grizzlies and survived, if you don't mind me sayin' so. Where'd you even get scars like that, kid? Y'runnin' with the wrong crowd?"
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Post by Zen on Aug 14, 2013 3:38:36 GMT
Kai blinked her eye slowly. Right away, as if by some gut instinct, she knew the coyote really was nothing but a harmless old codger. The only danger she was possibly in would be from losing her own sanity by having a conversation with this guy. Realizing this, she shook her head and stepped back away from him. “Sorry. Forget I asked.”
She was about to turn on her heels and leave him to his ramblings, but then he had the nerve to comment on her ugly appearance. Anger surged through her blood. Unlike most warriors, she wasn't proud of her battle wounds. She hated them. She couldn't even stand to look at her own reflection, much less talk about them with total strangers. Her scars were her business. “Maybe you are going senile, gramps. Your moldy old brain still remembers that there's a war going on all around you, right? What do you think happened to me?” She had to keep herself from audibly growling. Scarred and crippled animals were definitely not a rare sight in Hexasol. The consequences of war could be seen everywhere you looked on Iris, Tempest and loners alike, so why would he even bring it up?
Still, she had to remember who she was talking to. Maybe this guy's mind was so far gone that he didn't remember what city he was living in anymore. She relaxed and sighed, “Look, I'm sorry. I'm kind of having a bad day. But if you really have to know, I'm...I was...a soldier for the Tempest pack. Me and a group of dogs staged a rescue mission and it got out of hand, and I ended up like this." Why was she even telling him any of this? She didn't know him. She didn't owe him anything, especially not any information about herself or her past. He was probably just a loony old man and talking to him was going to end up being a massive waste of her time.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2013 15:36:03 GMT
Jedediah hardly responded to the female's zealous insults. He simply gazed, his ochre eyes fixated on hers. He understood the pain of injured pride and regretted his earlier prying. She did have a point--the origins of her scars and wounds were not his to know.
And yet, for some reason, she shared them. Having not been in Hexasol for very long (and having had very limited contact with other wandering creatures), Jedediah was not extremely keen as to what this "war" entailed. He knew of an intense rivalry between canines and felines (which, to him, came off as a bit amusing), but until now, he was unaware of the gravity of the situation. They were maiming each other? In the name of what? The itch to find out was intense, and Jedediah hoped that further questioning would not send this female off the deep-end.
"I appreciate the honesty, miss. This may not mean much comin' from an old bandit like me, but I can tell you're still strong and you still got some fight left in ya'."
The old coyote smiled, his expression soft and understanding. There was something about this young girl that reminded him of his past. The intensity of her eyes brought him back to his days of fighting and loving and robbing. His weak heart swelled with the warm, familiar feelings of youth.
And yet, it seemed there was very little time for reminiscing. She had mentioned something that he had only heard as a whisper on the breeze. The Tempest Pack...it sounded ancient and idyllic, but perhaps Jedediah was just being romantic.
"Now, I only blew into town maybe...less than a week ago. I'm not too familiar with this war or with all this Tempest nonsense. Maybe you could enlighten this poor old fool."
Jedediah looked upon her, his smile still soft and his gaze still warm. He was eager to understand the nature of this war...and the nature of the titan creature standing before him.
((sorry this is kinda late! things got busy around here ;u;))
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Post by Zen on Aug 19, 2013 0:36:10 GMT
OOC: no worries! my replies will probs start coming later too with school coming up
The coyote's reaction, or rather his lack of reaction, was already enough to send a stab of guilt through Kai's chest, but then he actually had the nerve to compliment her. What kind of person did that? She didn't deserve the kindness. She'd been horrible to him. He was just an old man out for a walk and she'd lost her temper and insulted him, like the rude, obnoxious puppy she really was deep down. Instead of replying to his compliment, she stared down at her paws and just shrugged. She didn't want to let him know how much his words meant; she was too disgusted with herself.
Having never had many older mentor figures in her life, Kai's only idea of elders was that they were weak, forgetful wastes of space that rambled too much and smelled bad. But this guy was already proving he was different. He didn't lack wits like she'd childishly assumed he did. He even smelled kind of nice too, like trees and freshly dug earth. She lifted her head and spoke more quietly, “I'm a real idiot. I didn't even think to ask if you were new to this place. I just thought...err, you seemed like you've been living here for...a while.” She smiled self-consciously and laughed a bit, trying to move on. It wasn't so bad talking to this guy. Not bad at all, actually. She could tell somehow, even though she knew nothing about him yet, that he was trustworthy and sympathetic. That she could tell him things without fearing he would judge her. Without thinking much about it, she sat down in front of him and began telling him what she knew.
“The war's been going on for longer than I've been alive. I don't know how it really started, but it's always been the canine Tempest Pack against the feline Iris Pride. The Iris Pride are...insane. There's just no other word to describe them. They're sick monsters who kidnap dogs – innocent loners, even – and hold them prisoner in a slaughterhouse where they torture them and starve them and god knows what else. Tempest has done its share of dirty tricks to win, I'm not gonna try and deny that, but Iris has always been a gang of heartless psychopaths through and through, and they'll never change.” She scratched at the ground with her claws. Just thinking about those cats was causing her blood to boil. “But the Pride is at its weakest right now. We're planning one last assault against Iris that will crush them for good and end this stupid war once and for all, hopefully.”
Kai took a breath and met the coyote's gaze with her single eye. She was more than willing to go into more detail about something if he wanted it. It had been so long since she'd gotten to have a full blown, one-on-one conversation with anyone, and just talking, even if it was about something as grim as the war, was pleasant and comforting. “Well, stranger, I answered your questions, now you gotta answer one of mine. What brought you to our glorious, shining city of Hexasol?” Her sarcastic smirk quickly changed to a look of genuine curiosity. She had always been perplexed by the idea that anyone could possibly travel through this oversized junkyard of a city and find it appealing enough to call home, even if they hadn't heard of the war. Hexasol was falling apart at the seams. It was an ugly, desolate place by anyone's standards, and dangerous to boot. Not exactly an ideal place to spend one's last years in... |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2013 14:37:28 GMT
When Jedediah had walked into Hexasol those few short days ago, he was under the assumption that this war was nothing more than a pissing match. But, as the female spoke, he came to the grisly realization that the situation in Hexasol was much more dire. Never in his life had he held any grudge towards a feline. In fact, he had never felt any deep-seeded hate for any creature. Jedediah figured, though, that continuing to stay in this city would expose him to such hatred.
The world was about to become much too dark for his liking.
She had asked Jedediah what had brought him into the city. Thinking back on it, the old coyote gave a small laugh--the circumstances were a bit comical.
"So, y'wanna know how I ended up in this mess, huh?"
Jedediah laughed a bit more robustly, and his smile suddenly betrayed his age. It shone with youth and his eyes sparkled with humor.
"I met an old crow while walking one day. He was head deep in a hare's gut, but once he caught notice of me, that bird clambered on top o'that hare as fast as he could and croaked somethin' fierce. H-He actually cried so loud that he spooked himself and fell flat on his back!"
The old coyote's frail body shook with laughter. Not many things made him laugh anymore, but he held that one simple story very dear.
"But eventually, he and I got to talkin', and he mentioned that somethin' pretty peculiar was goin' on in Hexasol. Since I didn't wanna spend my last days out in some field somewhere, probably alone, I thought I'd give this place a shot...it's workin' out, I guess."
Jedediah smiled knowingly at the girl. Little did she know, she was helping to make his transition into life in Hexasol much easier.
"M'name's Jedediah, by the way, but I guess you can call me Jed. So, little lady, why don't you tell me all about yourself? I'm eager to know all that I can."
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Post by Zen on Aug 21, 2013 0:49:36 GMT
“A crow, huh.” That sounded kind of like one of those weird tales that old folks made up in place of the truth because they couldn't remember what had really happened. But regardless of whether or not it was really true, he seemed so entertained by it that Kai had to chuckle too. “Well, just be careful. The Iris Pride might be on its last legs, but there are still big cats out there that will kill canines just for breathing the same air as they do.” She almost considered asking him to join Tempest; at least that way, she would know he was safe and among friends who could protect him. But he didn't seem like he wanted to be tied down anywhere or want anything to do with the war, which she could understand.
“Jed's a lot easier. One syllable, nice and simple - like my name. Kai.” She shuffled on her paws as he asked her to tell him more about herself. Once she would have jumped at the chance to brag about her experiences as a soldier-in-training. Nowadays she much preferred to listen to others talk about their own lives. “What about me do you wanna know? There's not much to say...my whole life has been training to fight and not much else. Now it's hunting rats and trying to stay sane, and not much else.” Kai managed a brittle smile. She spoke pretty honestly; there really wasn't much more to her than that. She was a shallow husk of a soldier and an ugly excuse for a female. What you saw was what you got, and she wasn't interested in trying to pretend to be anything other than what she was.
“You've probably had a way more interesting life than I have, Jed...or ever will. Uh, I dunno where you live or if this would be asking too much, but you could walk me back to Tempest and tell me more of your stories?” The sun was already starting to dip behind the mountains, reminding her that she would soon need to start the journey back home before sunset. But she also wasn't in a hurry to end her conversation with the old coyote just yet.
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