Necromancer [bhu.]

[I L Y I C H]

Mother said we weren't to leave camp. Father chuckled at it and asked how we were meant to learn of the world. That always upset Mother. She didn't want us getting hurt. It was alright of course. I wasn't stupid enough to go tripping over my own paws or talk to a stranger like my brothers might. I was clever. Father said so. Any guilt that perhaps should be in me for having my paws in the damp red canyon dirt refused to surface. How else was I meant to learn of the world? Vea Apxn wasn't the end of it, after all. Much as Mother would love that idea to death.

Things did happen outside of the windy grasslands. Endless as they seemed. It had taken quiet some time to make my way out from the grasses into the scrub desert and then even farther onto this odd sticky dirt. It wasn't mud. I knew what that looked and felt like. It was just damp, for no apparent reason. Curious. What caused such a thing? Dust still puffed up in certain places, but it had stopped raining after such a very long time. Maybe it was a different substance all together.

Our soil back home was sandy and light. What was the difference here? It couldn't truthfully be weather. Everywhere seemed to be the same, at least from what I saw. It was sunny in Vea Apxn when I snuck out. It was sunny here. So it was sunny everywhere. Right? Well it made the most sense right now, though Father liked to laugh at me about such things. I was 'clever for a baby' but not clever enough. Normally it would make me angry, such an affront to my intelligence, but Father always continued and taught me something valuable.

There were so many things to learn out here. So much to discover. Mickey would agree, if she could get out more then a couple words at a time. When she got older Mickey would come with me out here. Prove I wasn't the only curious wanderer. It wasn't weird. Syntax could say what she wanted. Just because I didn't have to spend every second attached to my sibling's backs didn't mean I wasn't a good pup. It didn't.

Scratching angrily at the ground under paw I gave a low snarl as best I could. Aunty Syntax wasn't right. Just because she said mean things to me sometimes. I wouldn't pay attention to her. I didn't have to be miss social butterfly just to make her happy. Mother and Father didn't mind that I liked playing by myself. I liked it. It wasn't weird.

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

It was at these times I knew where my loyalties really were. Merchant was off and I was alone, leaving me to think about weird things, such as morals. Bidziil told me there were other gods outside the humans, gods who said it was okay not to be perfect. I wanted to know those gods, they seemed like they could make me feel a little better. Bidziil was cruel to us sometimes, mumbling under his breath that my brother and I were the beginning of the end. He didn’t think I heard him moan nervously about the war, but he did. I couldn’t understand where his anxieties came from. The humans wouldn’t hurt him, it was the savages they were after. Those uncontrolled dogs, the failed experiments. They endangered us all-- humans, folami, the ecosystem. I shook away the confusion. Maybe Bidziil had other reasons to worry about the war. He was a harsh dog, but he clearly valued his soldiers. I guess he just didn’t want to see anyone ripped to pieces by those merciless monsters that have made their homes in the prairie.

Brother said this war is for the benefit of our species, so I didn’t argue it.

I kicked at a small rock and watched it roll a few feet before sinking back into the soft clay. It was a rusty color, a burnt orange. I looked to my paws and watched it wrap around them. I enjoyed walking along the canyon when my brother went off to do his duties--since the long rain ended, this place had become my haven. The feeling of the smooth material mashing beneath my mass was soothing for some off reason. I continued towards the edge, grazing burnt gold eyes over the ridge on the opposite side. I felt a chill run my spine, knowing there could be savages watching me right now. Good feeling gone, I took a step back from the edge. The monsters would have an easy kill if they snuck up behind me and shoved me down into the depths.

The fur along my spine stood on end as a scent carried within range. I flicked my gaze, doing my best to hide my uneasy expression as I did so. It didn’t take long to see the rather young female picking her own way along the canyon. My personal desire was to simply book it out of there before this child’s parents could spot me, but my instincts were stronger. I was bred to destroy that which threatened humans, whether it be feline or savage. Fear fled my face as aggression took over each orifice. Teeth bared and ears back, I allowed one subtle snarl to tear up my throat. “What are you doing here, trespasser?” I didn’t want to hurt a child. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

But it wasn’t up to me. I wasn’t perfect, but my gods said I should be.

[I L Y I C H]

My ears flicked to the sound of paw steps. Rapid. The low snarl went ignored. I wasn't stupid. I didn't have a chance if the thing, whatever it was, decided I was lunch. I would simply be lunch. So I though better then honestly caring about the action and continued on until the sun fell away behind shadow and the whatever it was spoke to me. Dual colored eyes lifting from the curious dirt, I locked eyes with the folami before me. Okay then. Just another folami, not even something interesting like a cat. Sighing out of distraction and mild disappointment I sat down neatly before the beast. "Your not what I wanted to see." I offered poorly, one ear flicking back as I watched him. "If something was gonna eat me I'd want them to be a bit more interesting. At least you look different." Honestly I'd wanted to look up and see a cat. A jaguar maybe, I hadn't seen one of those. Father said they looked like big bulky leopards with different spots.

This was just boring. A sad way to die, by boring teeth. Though this man's shape was different then any i'd seen before. He was mottled like some sort of human painting. Clarimonde had said something about camouflage patterns a bit ago. Apparently nature made those two, just not in green. It's head was thicker then any i'd seen, the muzzle shorter and the ears definitely huge in comparison. Definitely different. An odd parent I supposed, though Michael and Clarimonde were half dog and they didn't look like this. He was too big to be half dog anyway. Look at Clari and the dog they'd brought with them. Lindsay was tiny. She would just barely reach this guy's shoulder and Clari was barely an inch bigger then her. Michael just managed to be a couple inches taller then his sister. So no. No half breed. Just a weird looking folami. No fun. No fun at all.

Eyes rolling away slightly I looked back down towards the ground. "What is this mud called? It's different from the mud in the prairie but still... mud?" Ears flicking back totally for a moment before they rolled back forward I looked up at the beast demanding an answer. If he was going to kill me then he might as well sate my curiosity first. But hey he had just run up here and asked me a question. And I suppose I was technically trespassing even if that was a stupid rule. Made me wonder if Bidziil would be mad or upset that I had gone into his pack lands. They were after all, his lands. Not this weird looking folami's. He didn't really have a right to ask me anyway. If Bidziil hadn't said anything about them then they were bellow my caring. At this point anyway.

But I suppose I had basically ignored him for sometime now, and mother was always getting in my fur about my 'lack of manors' so maybe I should. Sighing again I frowned at the brute. "And I'm walking. Did it really look like I was doing something else?" Bored now, I stood back up, looking at him side ways as I turned my head to sniff. I couldn't really smell anyone else, but I wasn't the best sniffer dog. Maybe if I ran away he'd leave me be so I could keep walking and try and figure out what I could about the outside world before I had to go home and face the music of what was surely to be my very upset mother. "So if you don't mind, if you aren't planning on killing me, I'd like to leave now."

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

My expression shifted back to a mild state of unease. Brother would know how to react to this child. She seemed unafraid, though I towered angrily over her by a great many feet. I had little experience with children, choosing to avoid Tamriel’s batch. Children were fragile things, right? I didn’t want to be responsible to breaking them. Maybe puppies don’t feel fear, maybe they take a little while to develop that sense. Or perhaps this was part of the savages’ problem. If they didn’t fear the human lords, then that could explain why they did not follow them and respect them. I flicked my gaze past the child, nose quivering as I checked to be sure she was actually alone. I caught no other scents, but I wasn’t so arrogant as to trust my nose and let my guard down. I did, however, sit and stare at this duel-eyed girl curiously.

“I-I don’t want to kill you, no. I should, but I don’t see you harming no one.” My tone was not yet kind, but it was heavy with curiosity. I always had to act big and strong to get anything in the pack, Brother said the humans wanted us to be tough as rocks. I glanced over my shoulder, sniffing. I didn’t think any of my own pack was around, either. I wasn’t hurting anyone by talking to a savage so young. She wasn’t a threat and it wasn’t like I would tell her any of our secrets. “My name is Nomad, and I can be interesting.” I said it a little more defensively than I meant to. This little girl walses into my territory and openly says I am boring? The nerve! Those savages don’t teach their children manners, clearly. “And this hear red stuff is called clay.” My expression jumped to excitement as I stood up and swiped together a mound of the substance. I worked it quickly until it formed a rugged shape that vaguely resembled a human if it was overweight and deformed. “It will hold almost any shape you want it to and if you sit it on a dry surface in the sun,” I slithered it onto a flat slate and re-attached its arm that fell off in the process, “it will harden and keep that shape forever!”

I looked eagerly at the child, hoping to see my enthusiasm reflected in her own gaze. I was never allowed to be a people pleaser in the pack, such selfless desires frowned upon in that society. Maybe the savages were different in that sense. And if not, it didn’t really matter. The next time I see this girl probably would be during the war, and I just had to kill her then.

We weren’t hurting nobody.

[I L Y I C H]

Frowning heavily I stared up at the looming beast. "If you don't want to why should you? That doesn't make any sense." I guess Father was right when he called Bidziil's pack a bunch of morons. You didn't do something you didn't want to do for any reason. That was stupid. Like saying you hated the taste of something but you should eat it anyway. Why would you eat something that tasted bad? No sense at all. Snorting I took a step back. Obviously this guy just wasn't the brightest star in the sky. But hey if he wasn't going to kill me then Mother couldn't be upset about it. Or find my body to revive me and kill me herself. Ear flicking to the side and brow lifting I looked at the man for a long moment after he introduced himself. "I meant you don't look interesting." I huffed in response to the sound of his sore pride.

Of course everyone was a little bit interesting, but I wasn't about to say that now. Didn't want to inflate Mr. Nomad's head any bigger then it already was. Besides he distracted me really fast anyway. Ears pricking forward I moved close enough to look curiously as Nomad made his awkwardly shaped thing. I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but he seemed proud of it so I would assume it was just something I'd never seen before. "Clay? And it will stay like that?" Ears tight forward I took a quick curious step towards the older man. He couldn't be that much older. Maybe a yearling? He didn't look as old as Mahal and Alonda anyway and they were three. So a few months older then my three, but not all that great.

Leaning forward carefully I pulled a large bundle to myself and lay down on my belly in the cool clay. Shifting it curiously with my hands I fought with it as he had, pulling it into a shape that roughly matched that of my mother's thin form. It wasn't all that pretty to look at but at least I could tell what it was. Oh Mother was going to be mad at me. Maybe it was best to clean all they clay out of my fur now and not let either of them know where I had gone. Safer that way. But... I wanted to give Mother this little thing. I wanted to show her that I could be a good puppy. Even if Syntax didn't think so. I wouldn't tell on her to my parents. That would be rude, and what if I upset Father? But I would still hide from it.

Thoughts catching my weak point I frowned lightly, ears flicking backwards unhappily. "How long does it have to sit in the sun like that?" Asking questions would get my spirit back up. I'd bring Mother a present when I went home. Maybe she would be less angry at me for sneaking off. I didn't want to upset her. I didn't want to upset anyone. I just liked being off by myself sometimes. Syntax could bite me, but I did regret not spending more time at home. But home was boring, and Nomad had fun things to do. Fun things that I wouldn't have learnt at home. Looking up curiously at the larger folami i cocked my head to the side, laser focused as Father liked to call it. "So what's your pack like? Bidziill and the others wont tell me a single thing. It's not fair. They got to see my pack."

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

Her question caused my expression to shift in confusion, ears perked and eyes narrowed. “My Brother says that if we don’t protect this land, the humans will get mad at us. They say your kind will hurt us.” I shrugged cautiously with my words, brushing it all off. I shifted anxiously, keeping my mind focused on the scents in the air. This was my own territory, so I couldn’t say I was too afraid of more of her own dogs coming and harming me. It was my own pack that I was staying alert for. This little girl was an easy target, and most canines in my pack would kill her without a second thought. I didn’t think I would be able to watch a child killed, even if I didn’t necessarily disagree with the idea behind it. Take them out while they are still vulnerable and easily killed. That didn’t make it sit any easier on my conscience.

“I usually let it sit out for a day.” I looked over her shoulder to eye her own creation. A dog, clearly. “If you want to sit it next to mine, I could, um, take it to our scrub desert border so you can get it tomorrow morning.” I offered awkwardly. I was really pushing the limits with how many rules I wanted to break for this girl. This child. I shook my head. That was my reason, she was a child. I must have some sort of soft spot for children I hadn’t been aware of. At the mention of Bidziil, though, my attention snapped back to the present. I didn’t say a word on the matter. So that was where Bidziil had been disappearing to. He was probably on an undercover mission, so it would be wrong of me to let a hint of knowing creep onto my face. Though, if I was thinking logically, I could assume they knew Bidziil was our alpha. A lot of the dogs there had broken off from the original pack. So maybe he was tricking them into trusting him?

Either way, I saw no reason I couldn’t tell her a little about my pack. “I hope Bidziil a bit nicer to you guys than he is to us.” I chuckled it lightly, blinking a little too playfully. I felt more giddy and carefree than I had in a while. This girl was not a savage. Not yet. She was just a curious child that had not yet been tainted by the evil in her pack. I could take advantage of that. “He and Nimrod are always bashing heads--Nimrod is our second in command. I think it is Nimrod who is really in charge, though.” I sighed heavily. “It is all work and no play there. The humans go by a very rigid lifestyle and, well, we just sort of follow suit.” My tone had shifted to a bit more annoyance. “Not that I am complaining. Brother says the humans only want what is best for us. I believe him. They come and give us medicine if we grow sick, and yummy food if our hunts are slim.” I tried to push more enthusiasm into my tone to prove how confident I was in the humans, but it came off as lightly coated frustration. I shook it way. “All in all, my pack is a boot camp.” I shifted to sit a little closer to the girl, ignoring the heat of day.

“Your molding is very nice, by the way. A folami?”

[I L Y I C H]

"Hurt you? We don't go anywhere near you." Snorting roughly I tilted my head in the opposite direction, frowning. "Mother says we aren't to go near the border because you all hate us for being a family." Not that I followed either of those ideas very well. I'd gone right over the border and farther still to get a look at the red clay I had spied off in the distance. Aside I wasn't very good at family. Syntax said so. Ears flicking back slightly I watched with a mildly hurt expression having just caught on to the reality of what he was saying. "And I'm the same kind as you." We were both just folami weren't we? No one had said anything about us being any different. Some of the members of our pack were quiet proud that they had simply ignored what they were made to be. Humans wouldn't purposely make us different. Wasn't that why they hated us so much? Father said we had free will, and harsh gods don't like the idea.

Looking back to my little sculpture I blinked sadly at it. The clay would just have to sink back into the ground then, I couldn't wait a day for it and I didn't think it would still be here if I came back to get it. Nomad's offer surprised me, brought my head up and drew an awkward uncertain smile to my lips. "You'd do that?" Smile wavering I looked back down to the red brown thing and sighed softly. "It might just be better to break it. I'm not suppose to be here anyway, and I don't wanna get you in trouble too." As big talking as I was I didn't lift a paw to touch it. I wanted to keep it. The pressing of it was fun and cooling against my paws. Besides I wanted to give it to Mother. I could always lie and say I found clay by the sea shore. With careful paws I moved the thing over to sit beside Nomad's on the slate. "You won't forget?" I asked in a low voice, looking at the thing with worried eyes.

My attention was drawn back to the splotched man when Bidziil's name came up, an incredulous look on my face. "Bidziil?" I couldn't keep the disbelief out of my voice. There wasn't a mean bone in Grandpa's body. Frowning heavily I looked up at Nomad in confusion. "Grandpa loves us. He isn't mean. What did you do to him to make him mean?" My voice was raising. Probably a bad idea but whatever my aunt liked to say about me I wouldn't sit down and listen to this random guy talk bad about my Grandpa. Gritting my teeth slightly, I watched impatiently with my dual colored eyes. I recognized the name Nimrod. Grandpa and Carska muttered it every now and again when they were having their 'secret war talks' that they thought no one else knew about. He was a bad man. "If Nimrod is in charge then thats probably why Bidziil is angry at you all." I huffed crossly. Grandpa didn't like Nimrod. At all. Even when he tried to pretend like he did. Even I could see he didn't and I couldn't even tell when Mickey was upset because she stubbed her claw.

Making a face I looked up at Nomad. "The humans sound like their ma-nipulating you." It was a word Father only just taught me so I probably said it wrong, but I knew what it meant. Carska did that with the pups. Food and toys to keep them distracted from doing things she didn't want them to do. "My alpha Carska does stuff like that to keep her puppies from doing stupid stuff." Ears flicking forward and back rapidly twice I tipped my head farther back. Staring up with demanding eyes. "Whats a bootcamp?" Intent as I was with the unknown information it caught me off guard when Nomad bounced to a different subject so easily. "Oh-yeah, its-."

The soft press of paws directly behind me froze me to the very clay. The wind was blowing away from us. Even with him this close I just barely caught the scent against the eastern wind."Is that Mother, Astrid?" Turning slowly I stood up on the tips of my toes, pulling on as pathetic a smile as I could. Father's black face stared down at us both, the man standing taller even then Nomad. Those sharp blue eyes cut darkly across my face and onto the other pack member's. Father always had a smile on his face too. He was going to make Nomad think he was going to eat them. I nodded once to the man when his eyes came back to me, sinking back and shuffling awkwardly. "You know Ayita is going to end us for daring to get into any sort of trouble my dear." Paradox's head lifted, the auburn on his back shining in the sunlight.

Apparently he wasn't mad. For some unknown reason. Father's thought process did make very much sense most of the time. But the man looked more curious then upset. "I've not been on this side of the scrub desert for almost two years." Flicking his eyes about once more Father sat down neatly, dark tail curling over ebony paws. In a moment every bit of intensity in that ice like stare was focused on Nomad with enough abruptness to make me uncomfortable and I was accustom to it. "I suppose I have to thank you for not hurting my daughter but you should know that if you'd so much as plucked some fur out I would have had to feed what was left of you to Akando." A rougish smile pulled up on Fathers face as he lifted one paw to lick the clay off of his claws. "Though they don't like me very much their either. My name is Paradox by the way. Gamma Medic of Vea Apxn. It is such a pleasure to meat you."

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

I let myself shrug off the girl’s defenses. She was still young, I wouldn’t expect her pack to let her in on their more vicious side just yet. She wasn’t aware of how dangerous her kind really was--but give it a couple more months and we’d meet and she’d sooner tear out my throat than offer me a smile. The thought hurt me much more fiercely than I considered reasonable, but none of this made sense anyway. I just had to do what I was told and forget the rest. Well, except right now. Right now was before she was dangerous so I could ignore a couple orders here and bend a few rules there. I wasn’t hurting nobody.

“Yeah, I didn’t mean it like that.” In reference to her being the same kind as me. They were the same kind, I knew that. The humans created them just like they had us. Well, maybe not this small child. She was one of those natural born dogs that were frowned upon so heavily. A true threat in every sense of the word. Most folami had to push aside instincts to become what they were in her pack, had to be failed experiments. This girl was just a broken thing in every way. A responsible dog would bring her to the humans so she could be saved, but some little twist of my gut said that would be wrong.

I shoved myself away from the topic, hating the prick of hurt she had in it and the tidal wave of guilt that washed over me for it. None of that should be there. I shouldn’t care if I hurt this child’s feelings--Nimrod took great pleasure in doing so when it was for the right reasons. That man was a true folami and I couldn’t help but be jealous over the matter. I wished I could be so sure of everything like he was. He barely even batted an eyelash when his mate disappeared--long as he had his humans, he was content. I wished I could be so loyal.

I moved my paw to touch her’s lightly, curving my claws gently to form a reassuring grip. “It would be my honor, truly.” I shrugged away her concerns. “It is such a pretty little statue, no one could get mad at you if you present it to your authorities. As for me? Don’t worry about it.” I would have to find some excuse to leave Brother behind, but I’d think of something. Nimrod could bite me, I was still young. I could play the ‘didn’t know any better’ card if the man caught me. It was wrong to lie to my superior officer, but I felt it was necessary here. “I won’t forget.” I squeezed her paw one more time. “I promise.” I pulled away my paw with that and set it neatly back down into the clay.

Bidziil was a...grandfather? I scented the air. This girl was certainly not related to my alpha. Sometimes Bidziil called Tamriel is daughter, so maybe he pretended folami were his kids in the other pack, too. To fit into their family society and further lull them into a false sense of security. I shook away the thoughts, smirking at her final statement though I knew I shouldn’t. Bidziil did always seem in a better mood when Nimrod was off hunting or patrolling, so that could very well be the reason. I wasn’t at liberty to respond with such things, so I simply snorted in amusement and left it at that.

I narrowed my gaze and shuffled a bit more space between us as she brought up the humans, though. I would not lie, I had thought that that might be the case before. Back when my brother and I were in training, sometimes they twisted lies into truths and blurred details. I had always had my reservations about the humans, but I trusted Merchant with all my heart, and he trusted the humans. “They said your kind would say something like that, try to make me question.” I snapped it a bit harsher than I should have and I immedietly blinked apologetically. This child was not the enemy, she was merely regurgitating what her foul pack said. I could get nothing more out, though, before a new scent came over me a split second before a man’s voice sounded from behind.

I turned sharply and took several steps backwards, staring in surprise and ears laid back. The snake-like dog was clearly a fair amount older than me, full grown and skin telling of times in war. When the man spoke directly at me, I shifted my expression into aggression to mask over the terror. Without Merchant I was a mediocre fighter at best, and this beast was larger and much more experienced than I. I gave him no name in response to his own. “I don’t see the need to protect the territory from those who aren’t yet a threat. A bit irresponsible, but my conscience would eat away at me if I did.” Loathing plastered over my face as I took one more step backwards before sticking my tail out aggressively. “Our pack isn’t full of monster, like some.” I spat spitefully. “I am not stupid, I can not win a fight against you. So please, I ask for mercy. Just take your daughter and leave our lands. You might kill me, but not before I warn my pack, and I don’t think either of us want that. No child should have to die because of their parents wrongs.”

I wouldn’t howl. I didn’t want to see this Astrid child get hurt. But I didn’t want to die, either.

[I L Y I C H]

Father tilted his head slightly to the side, that playful grin set firmly in place. It relaxed me seeing it there. Nothing would happen. That was his fun and games smile. Not the scary one he got on when he was about to rip someone to shreds with his tongue. "Your territory? I lived here once too. It sucks doesn't it? Rather boring track of land." Father's bony muzzle lifted slightly raising enough to look curiously about himself. The smile warped across his lips softened slightly as his pale eyes traveled downward deep into the canyon. Like it sucked him in and lost him, but the niceness to the look on his face told a story different then the black magic that I was starting to fear after the long moment elongated. "No..." The word drew out long and soft across Father's tongue as h stood abruptly, but the man's large body didn't move towards Nomad but away. "No I don't think we'll be leaving. But you're perfectly welcome to." I stood slowly, tail flicking uncertainly as Father turned slightly to look over the edge of the canyon.

"Oh but do me a favor. Who ever you send out here to 'take care of us', it wont matter they wont find us, don't send Ellipses." My ears went back at the name, lip curling just slightly. Father had waited one day until Mother had gone hunting to tell us of his brother and why he was evil and we had to stay away from him. Ellipses was akin to the word traitor in my head and nothing was worse. I didn't want to see my Uncle ever, and especially not now. But if Father said they wouldn't find us then they wouldn't. He was the best hide and go seeker I'd played with. Maybe this was a bit more serious then hide and go seek but Father was very very good at finding very hard to get to hiding places. Seating himself slowly Father lowered his ebony stomach to the ground. For legs hanging over open air he closed his eyes and breathed in softly. "I did meet your mother in this dull place though, Astrid. That gives it a point."

Ears pricking I took a small step forward, curious. No one had ever told me about how Mother and Father had met. Father at least had always laughed and said it was gross adult stuff. Looking sideways at Nomad I smiled meekly. "Sorry I guess, but we're not hunting or anything anyway." Sure we were still trespassing but why did that matter? It's not like we had any plans to stay in this place. It smelled weird and Uncle was here which made it two times as worse, at least in Fathers book. He always seemed to be avoiding the original pack lands, and though I assumed it was Ellipses fault I wondered if there were other reasons. "What are you doing out here anyway Father? You don't like this place." He looked up and towards me, narrowing his eyes playfully. Frowning back at him I lifted my tail slightly but he just chuckles.

"I hate it" he said brightly, tail flicking behind himself. "Because it is boring and full of dull people. But you made it interesting so I came to see what was going on." He paused for a moment his gleeful expression dropping into something mildly terrified at it's edges. "Also because your mother would destroy me if anything happened to you and I would miss my little Astrid." Frowning thickly at his sickly sweet smile I snorted as hard as I could to tell him just what I thought of his guilt tripping. Father rolled his winter blue eyes, glancing over his other shoulder at Nomad's splotched form for a moment before he pushed his legs back under him and stood up. "And what about you Mr. Angry border golem. Do you hate it too? With your conscience and all."

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

This was....weird. I put my fangs away but my gaze remained narrowed, locked on the adult male. He was the dangerous one here, however much he wanted to pretend he wasn’t. “You and the other rebels can kiss my” I looked at Astrid, “butt.” I knew Folami swore around children all the time, but I had never been able to make a habit of it. The few times I was around Tamriel’s children, or even Jackson, I held my tongue. The first time I heard ‘fuck’ pass by Meli’s lips I nearly had a conniption and glared at Brian, sure the dumb hound was the one responsible. Bidziil laughed at me for it, but I could hear him struggling to filter himself around the children, too. It comforted me that even the Alpha had his drawbacks--if he was careful with words around children, then he wasn’t as harsh as the humans wanted. Our gods wanted us to be perfect, but even the Alpha fell short, so surly I was allowed even more leash than he?

I couldn’t help but pout mildly at how ignored my demands went. Or disregarded, I suppose, would be a better way to describe what this beast was doing. I wasn’t going anywhere. As stupid a thought as it was, I could see no immediate threat in staying here. My gaze flicked to Astrid once more before laying it heavily, a bit annoyed now that I knew I wasn’t about to be eaten, at Paradox. I sat down a few feet from where the man dangled his paws over the canyon’s edge. “I swear, if my Brother comes, you better say you just got here. I don’t feel like being yelled at today because some jerk was stubborn.” Defensiveness gone, I listened to the daughter and father exchange, grunting at Astrid’s half-ass apology. I was annoyed to some degree, but it was mostly a mask to cover up the amusement. Life in the pack could be so boring--besides, I would be lying if I said I was never curious about the savages.

“My name is Nomad.” I snapped it, though there was no heat in my tone. “Aren’t you a little old to be giving dumb nicknames?” Okay, so maybe my tone was a bit more playful than should be allowed when glaring in frustration at someone, but this man was amusing me. His words, however, confused me. Was he suggesting it was my pack who had no morals? The fur along my spine rose defensively, though I had no aggression on me, nor did I stand. “I care for my pack and they care for me. It is your pack that needs to learn morals.” Perhaps I sounded a little childish, but this man had insulted my family--my brother. Nothing, not even the pretty little puppy, was worth the integrity of my brother.

My brother was a good man.

[I L Y I C H]

I smiled coldly from my place on the cliff top. A monster who kept his cussing to himself. Not that it mattered very much, Alonda would make up for all of them. The silly ones who thought restricting anything around a child did anything but make them want it more. I heard Astrid's intake of air as she went to call the boy out on what he'd done, too smart for her own good. But the boy apparently did something else of interest because she held her tongue. Which was uncharacteristic of the girl, but my ears only caught the sound of her ears flicking. It was nice to see her making a friend, even if it was a friend she couldn't very well keep for too long. It would be true that my daughter would find the single most dangerous thing she could and make clay sculptures with it.

Fitting.

Lifting myself back into a sitting position I flicked my tail neatly. "Stubborn? No my boy I think you mean ignoring you." Astrid huffed from where she was still standing, and I turned my skull to look down at her. The way that brow was arched was far to reminiscent of her mother for my liking. And here I had thought Astrid would be the proper little psychopath for me to play with. But Mother had beaten manors into the children's skulls with every word she spoke. How boring. At least Astrid still gave up and admitted she found them stupid every now and again when she was sure Ayita wasn't there to tell her the nastiness of such statements. "Oh I'm being reminded of my manors by a three month old. My apologies. I shan't ignore you any longer."
Turning on my haunches I smiled mockingly back at the two, settled neatly into as correct a posture as I could muster.

Astrid was of course not pleased with my petulance. She was much like me in her dislike for being the one teased. Never the less she played along, wrapping herself into the game as evenly as I ever had. Daddy's little girl. "Oh but Father that would require you giving a shit." Barking out a laugh I waved my tail to the chocolate pelted girl. Such a horrible influence she was. And making it apparent to this spotted lad at the same time that she wouldn't stand being filtered around. It was a useless activity after all. Took more energy then it was worth, considering it was worthless. Ah but the dog was speaking again and I turned blue eyes back to him. Nomad then? It would seem annoying him was the way to accrue information. Smiling evenly back to him I shrugged heavy shoulders.

"Why though? I am older then you yeah but I am still a stupid teenager in my mind and thats what counts." Astrid matched my shark like grin easily as she turned her bi-coloured eyes to me instead of this odd friend she had made. The girl made as if to say something, but Nomad was already speaking and I felt my lips quiver in response. Composure was kept but only barely.

"Your pack is a group of rattlesnakes with their rattles cut off." Winter blue eyes freezing over I looked at this confused little boy and felt nothing but chilled pity. How horrible it must be to be so brain washed by your fellows that you thought being loathed for imperfection was proper morality. Astrid, unlike me, had not kept her composure. I had not expected she would, the girl was still learning such things and manipulation was not a thing she was good at. Her face had fallen from shock into fury in less then a second. If there was anything Astrid was vey particular about in her otherwise oddly formatted emotion scheme it was loyalty and how the girl loved her 'Grandparents'.

"You take that back! Carska is way nicer then your stupid Nimrod. We're a family! You said that your pack was a bootcamp. How is that nicer then a family?" Bristling the girl took a threatening step forward, though her yes reflected honest confusion behind the protective anger and a nice little layer of spite. I stood in response to the step, feeling the edge of possessive worry begin to spill into me as well. Astrid could get herself hurt here, and I would be forced to destroy this 'friend' of hers in front of her eyes if anything occurred. "Thats why Grandpa loves us more! He spends more time with us then he does with you"

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

Before I could even consider stopping myself, a careful smile pushed onto my lips. A playful little duo, aren’t they? Their bantering amused me, right on down to the looks they gave each other. I cringed openly when the child swore, staring awkwardly to my feet. I wanted to correct her language, but knew that would be wrong on so many levels. So I simply eyed them curiously, pushing the smirk back forward.

It wasn’t until the snake-like dog insulted my pack that the smile fell away. I had a confused look, at first, not understanding how such a nice little banter had changed so quickly. Ah, but I suppose it was my own fault. I had let myself enjoy this talk when I should have kept my guard up completely. These were monsters, of course they would try and turn my mind against my own pack. A group of manipulative savages, bad people, the enemy. I had hoped that maybe these dogs were different, but that had been silly of me. “Right.” It came out icily, masking over the fact that it bothered me these dogs were no different than the rest of their kind.

When Astrid spoke, against my better judgment, I listened. Cold stare sitting heavily on the angry dog, I kept my expression void so neither would catch how much it hurt that I had upset the cute little girl. Part of me wanted to warn her her grandfather did not love her and would be the death of her, but that would be treason. Besides, they were only here being nice to try and recruit new members, I was sure--try and manipulate dogs into being their own spies. I wouldn’t fall for it, not when it could hurt my brother.

I stood up and held my ground as the girl took a threatening step at me. I would not harm her, though I knew I should. It wasn’t fear of her father that stopped me, but that damnable connection I had made to her. It would be different when we went to war, she’d be older than. Right now she was a child that knew no better. I only glared at her question, not letting myself react. Our pack was a family, too, right? We would die for one another, I think. “Your Grandpa is only--” I myself off, reacting out of emotion would only force things out of my mouth these dogs had no right to. I looked over the child at her father, eyes narrowed hatefully. “Just take your kid and go back to your precious family. My brother warned me of the way your kind would try and manipulate us.” I looked back to Astrid, lowering my skull to hold it close to hers. “And I lied earlier--you and I are not the same kind. You can thank your savage parents for condemning you to an inferior race.” I turned and bolted away at that, not even caring how many rules I was breaking by leaving enemies unguarded on our land. I didn’t care at this point.

Guilt is a hell of a drug.