|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2015 10:05 pm
 Sure-footed and swift, the cat-like Wraik bounded up, rock to rock, heading ever up the pile. Her wings rustled open, thrusting down with a powerful stroke to give her jump a boost to reach the top. She landed with wide-set paws, tail lashing to counter her inertia as she skidded to a halt. Then, she allowed herself a grin and shook out her coat as she straightened up. Nothing like a good run and a climb to get the blood racing.
With a heady feeling, she looked back the way she came, to the wilds below and the darkness within the trees. She was alone...for the moment. Of course, it wouldn't stay that way long.
Stretching like a cat, Meli padded over to a flat rock and draped herself over it to bask in the waning afternoon rays of the sun. She didn't mind the quiet. Better than a bunch of noisy, stupid Winiko. And of course, that excluded her preferred company as of late. Funny how it seemed both so new...and yet, as if it had happened so long ago...
*****
Some time before...
Stupid house! Stupid human things! Stupid Winiko!
Each thought was punctuated by a snarl from the colorful Wraik, or an angry swipe at some offending piece of flora. Blind with frustration and rage, she seemed intent on taking vengeance on whatever inanimate object got in her way. Cobalt blue eyes narrowed on the forest edge, then shifted back to the city behind her. She wasn't supposed to take off without telling someone...especially not into the forest, she remembered...
With a resolute snort, Meli turned her back on the dirty human city and stomped off into the dark forest.
Not that she had any idea where she was going.
Anywhere was better than here.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 7:50 pm
Sometime Before...
Laying in the mud, covered from head to tail, the hunter waited and watched. This was the best spot he'd found for hunting bigger prey. More challenging prey.
Movement!
Hakon raised his back-end slightly, shifting his weight from paw to paw and shaking the loose mud down. Slowly he crept towards the target. He stopped when he actually saw her. Head tilting, he just watched for a moment.
In a flash, he sprinted forward. In one fluid motion, he wrapped himself around the other Wraik, tucking to roll for a safe landing. Heart pounding, he loosed his hold while lifting himself. He looked down at the face of the girl now also covered in mud. He felt like he couldn't catch his breath.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 8:15 pm
Meli was far from the stealthiest hunter. She'd been a bit sheltered, that was true, and could have benefited from a bit of survival training probably. That being said, she was still a Wraik deep down. Far from a whining damsel in distress.
She never heard the attack coming. She'd just been stalking along angrily into the forest when a swift, solid weight slammed into her and knocked her paws out from under her. She went down hard, hitting the ground before she was even aware of what happened. The heavy weight wasn't on her long, shifting as the other demon rose up over her. She lay sprawled in the mud, winded from the surprise impact. Instinct screamed at her, You've been attacked! Defend yourself!
Her dazed expression hardened, her eyes narrowing and focusing on her attacker as she responded to the adrenaline rush by lashing out with a clawed paw and a vicious hiss. Just like the others...this one wanted to attack her...likely just because of what she was. Fine, if it was a fight they wanted, it was a fight they were gonna' get.
She only belatedly noticed that the other demon had four eyes just like her...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 9:29 pm
Hakon fell backwards, landing on his butt. He was conflicted. Why wasn't he tearing into this catch? She attacked him. Shaking it off, he sprang to his feet and stared her down, hackles raised, teeth bared. Hakon blinked twice then raised a paw. He wiped the blood from his face (making his face muddier in the process) and growled. "Ow!"
"Watch where you go," he snarled.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 10:00 pm
Feeling a surge of satisfaction at seeing her foe falling backwards on his tail, Meli took the moment to scramble to put some distance between them. Still slipping in the mud, however, she wasn't able to get her paws under her and settled for keeping her belly close to the ground. She was drenched in the slippery mud and flexed her wings to throw some of the muck away from her while raising her wings to appear more intimidating. She hoped.
She wasn't sure it was working.
Though...in the moment they locked glares and exchanged challenging snarls, the sight of the four glittering eyes peering from a similarly muddy frame shook her more than the fight itself. He was...like her? Ears still flat against her skull, she watched warily as he lifted his paw to wipe his face. For a moment, she almost felt something she may have identified as regret...until he snarled back at her.
Indignant fury flaring, she snapped back, "Me? Watch where I'M going?!? You tackled me, you...you...jerk!" She punctuated the insult with a stomp, forgetting that it would splash even more mud upwards. Oops.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 10:51 pm
It was a little funny watching her slide in all this mud. Hakon frowned and furled his brow - the angriest face he could make considering he wanted to laugh. "... you ... jerk!" he repeated to her, almost mocking.
Okay, maybe he was mocking.
Hakon's eyes darted quickly from her to the left, then back to her, then to the right. He approached her slowly, still with his angry face, and snorted. He followed that up with a pawful of mud swept up towards her.
Spying exactly what he was looking for, the Wraik leaped towards a rock. Not a particularly big one, but one big enough to make a point. Wrapping both front paws around the rock, he lifted up. When the swaying stopped, he flapped his wings sharp, to get some mud off so he could fly easier. No go. He hobbled on his two back legs, steadying himself with his wings and just walked a short distance.
He stopped, and turned towards the girl, angry-faced still. Another snort and then he chucked the rock to the ground.
A very loud, very large rusted set of iron jaws jumped from beneath the leaves and snapped shut, shattering the rock.
"Watch where you go." And he did as she had, and stomped a foot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 11:44 pm
Her mood had already been sour upon entering the forest, long before this rude jerk got involved. Meli glared at the male's taunts, sneering at his angry face. Oh great, now he was gonna drop a rock on her! Could this day get any worse?!?
Or not on her, she discovered fortunately, but nearby instead. Despite her efforts to appear tough and intimidating, it was all dashed aside by the metallic trap being sprung and the ear-splitting crack of the stone being split. She squeaked, her scrambles sending her falling back on her tail with wide-eyes. Only belatedly she questioned the possible presence of more traps and pulled herself out of the mud, standing on her tip-toes and looking around herself warily.
He...he had saved her. He was like her...and he had saved her. Two very hard to believe truths that stood plainly before her, though her mind was dizzy at the mere possibility. She wanted to deliver some sort of clever response. Something impressive and bold.
She had nothing. Instead, she simply stared at him before swallowing and nodding. "...I will."
*****
Back in the present...
Chuckling softly to herself, the female Wraik shifted, her tail sweeping off the edge of the flat stone, her cheek resting on her crossed fore paws as she watched the sun sink towards the horizon. She had been so naive then. So foolish. Why he'd ever put up with her tagging along after him like some lost thing to start...?
She'd learned a lot out here though, how to survive on her own, without the help of any whining Winiko or their pet human things. No, she didn't need them anymore. Shameful that she ever had. But, that was gone now. She'd learned all she needed to know from Hakon. Not that he spoke much...actions spoke louder than words anyway, and she could talk enough for both of them if need be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:02 pm
In the Present...
A silvery shimmer caught the sunlight, glistening majestically. It was but only a moment, from a few droplets of water falling from a fish out of water. The relaxed and unsuspecting kitty-Wraik had no chance.
Distraction achievement unlocked! Hakon zipped towards his favorite target, only slowing barely enough to grab Meli. Momentum carried him with his prize tight in his grip, back down the rocks she'd so proudly scaled. They came to a full stop in a small patch of clover beside a decomposing log covered in moss.
Hakon lifted himself up, and put his paws on the ground beside Meli's head. A toothy grin spread across his face as his eyes met hers.
"I catched you lunch!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 9:37 pm
Her half-lidded eyes flickered open at the glittering object. Wait, was that a fish--?
Ah crap, she fell for it again! Oof! The whirling tumbleweed of fur, tails, and claws came to a stop in a soft patch of clover, leaving the feline Wraik pinned and staring up at the obnoxiously grinning male. Growling playfully in response, she reached up and batted at one of his ears. "So you did. Good to know I'm not lunch," she teased, then arched her brow, grinning cheekily. "Gonna' let me up then, ya' great fuzzy lump?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 11:38 pm
Hakon perked up. "Yah? Did not know Meli on menu." He gave her a long, slobbery lick up the side of her face and bounced up. "Maybe fo' dinner?"
Having Meli around was definitely the highlight of life now for Hakon. His days before she nearly killed herself in the big monster trap had been filled with hunting for food and sport, and mostly laying around in mud or sleeping. He'd found fun and someone to pick on that didn't want to rip his throat out. Well, sometimes he suspected she might actually want to. (He slept with one eye open those nights). Teaching her how to hunt was the best thing he's ever done. He didn't realize the sense of satisfaction and pride that came along with seeing Meli succeed would be so gratifying. And she helped catch half the food so that made lazing about a little easier too. And lazing about with her was even better.
He stretched his wings and yawned, before heading off back to the river. It only took about three minutes before he returned. "MELI!" he shouted and then chucked three more fish towards her..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2015 4:30 pm
"Ewwww!" As soon as she was freed, Meli scrambled to her paws, making a face as she made a show of trying to wipe her cheek clean. "Hakon drool," she grumbled as the other Wraik took to the skies. She watched him soar until he was out of sight, then shook her head. He could be so obnoxious. Between the pouncing and the drool. Then, there was the teasing. The way he always seemed to know just how to needle her and get under her fur. And the constant lessons on her hunting techniques and what she was doing wrong...
...and how he still hunted for food for her. And how he could be so fiercely protective of her towards anything that could even possibly be conceived as a threat. Inanimate objects included. That poor sapling...all for dropping a few leaves on her while napping...
She supposed she could put up with a little obnoxious behavior, considering. She stretched, shaking out her fur and started off in the direction Hakon has flown off when she heard the shout. Her eyes darted upwards and she tensed, seeing the incoming projectiles. She swatted the first aside, grabbed the second fish by the tail with her teeth, then whirled in a circle before hitting the third with a wet smack of her paw and sending it back in Hakon's direction.
Standing with paws braced wide, a fish dangling from her jaws by its tail, she reflected again silently on just how much obnoxiousness was worth putting up with again...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
