[LOG] What Are You? (Crimson Queen x Mercykill)

[SilverLutz]

Crimson Queen’s nose twitched as she scouted the borders of the packlands. Her violet eyes stared into a void, as if in a trance. To those around her who knew her, she was. To those who didn’t, wouldn’t know the vision that she was having. They had been coming more frequently, and to Queenie she didn’t know why.

Once the vision subsided, she continued forward. She moved out of the pack lands, creeping into the redwoods. Occasionally her paws would scratch against a tree, marking the area she had been, noting how she could get home.

She did this a lot, especially when venturing into an area she may not have done in a while.  

[SilverLutz]

There was someone in the trees that didn't know what the far-off look meant, but now she was curious. Mercykill crouched quietly in the shadows the dead trees cast, bright eyes watching carefully as the dire wolf made her way parallel to where she was hidden. Her going was slow but deliberate and she could see the marks left by the other female. It was only when she was nearly out of sight that she began to follow.

Mercy wasn't known for her stealth. She had to move slowly to keep the branches and leaves under her paws from drawing too much noise, but she knew eventually her position would be given up. Deciding to have that happen on her own terms rather than the dire wolf hearing her, Mercykill broke into a light trot. The trees, although dead, were dense and kept her mostly hidden from any direct line of sight. A flash of maroon fur here and there, perhaps the shine of her eyes or teeth, but she kept her distance for a little longer. Let the dire wolf hear her, see her for just a moment. Let her worry. That was part of the fun, wasn't it?  

[SilverLutz]

Queenie froze, hearing the dried of leaves wrinkle and break under a heavier being. She froze, her eyes narrowing as she listened for the intruder. She saw a blur, her head following the movement. If she had a tail, she would be low, but her nub was stuck straight out.

The glint of teeth were not as worrisome. She may not look it, but she could fight if anything. But, the intruder’s size was what was worrying.

“Stop fooling around and show yourself.” Queenie commanded, violet eyes narrowed.  

[SilverLutz]

Oh, she could smell the adrenaline spiking in the dire. Not fear, persay, but she was certainly on alert. Mercykill's own heart beat faster with delight as she paused, a thick tree between her and the other wolf. It wasn't enough to completely hide her but that wasn't what Mercy was going for. A low chuckle left her as she moved around the tree, finally facing the other female, though keeping her distance still.

"What's the matter, dear?" she purred, licking her muzzle. "Not a fan of games?"  

[SilverLutz]

The site of the other caused the gray female to take a small step backwards. She had not seen a creature like this before. Hulking in size, fangs longer than she could have imagined before.

The first words the seer uttered from her maw from her initial shock was “What are you?” A rude introduction, but the female before her wasn’t exactly the typical being Queenie had seen before.

Maybe she was the reason her visions were coming more?

She straightened herself up. Finally addressing the other’s question. “Not a fan of a game I didn’t know I was playing.” She said with a bite to her tone.

“Especially with a creature who shouldn’t be roaming these parts so close to the vileblood territory.”  

[SilverLutz]

The surprise was clear on the smaller female's face and Mercy's grin turned a bit more feral. The question that came soon after made her let out a bark of laughter and she rolled her shoulders, clearly delighted in startling this wolf.

"What am I indeed?" she said, her tone amused as she began to slowly move forward, though her path was in an ever shrinking circle, the arc wide and intersected by trees, letting her disappear and reappear from behind them as she drew in closer.

"Oh, is that what I smelled?" Mercykill hummed, pausing in her slow circling to draw in a breath. She'd caught the scent of many wolves on the air and had assumed a pack was nearby, though she hadn't been terribly concerned. It seemed she still didn't need to be since her new friend was alone.

"Well, now you know you're playing. Care to start over?" Mercy was close enough now to get a good whiff of the dire wolf and she didn't hide her deep inhale. The scent was familiar in the way that all dires had that same sort of underlying scent, but something was different about this one and Mercy couldn't quite put a claw on what it was.

"Aren't you interesting?" she hummed quietly, though certainly audible to her new 'friend'.  

[SilverLutz]

“I would not.” Queenie said quickly, almost defiantly. “It is still not a game, especially when one does not agree to it.” Games has rules. What rules did this one partake with?

She was sure the beserker wouldn’t tell her either.

“The only game I would like to play is that of you leaving. One howl and my brethren will come running. I can smell you, your strange scent. No others are in these blight infested lands. You’ll be outnumbered. Surely, that is a game you would like to play then?” Her head tilted as her eyes flash, a small shadow rolling over.

Another vision. This time, many creatures, the size of the female before her there. The vision left just as soon as she came.

Queenie shook her head, the feeling always exhausting. “No more interesting than a lone wolf.” Though, did her vision mean this one wasn’t alone?  

[SilverLutz]

A shame, it didn't seem like her new friend wanted to play. No matter, that would make the game more interesting for Mercy. She had to give it to the other wolf, she was holding her ground and not backing down even if the very blatant threat was laid bare before her. There were more, and while Mercykill didn't back down from a fight, she knew she wouldn't make it out alive if a whole pack of wolves descended upon her.

Surely she could take out a few on her way down, though.

"Perhaps," she grinned, though the toothy smile faded as the other female stared through her for a few moments. The grin was replaced with a snarl, the fur along her spine bristling, her head lowering and ready to attack. What had that been?

"What is that you're doing?" she growled, the teasing tone gone from her voice. "You did it before, too. Looking...elsewhere."  

[SilverLutz]

She let the question go unanswered for a moment. This creature had never seen a seer in action it seemed. It was a rarity to some, but to Queenie she knew of quite a few with the ability she had.

“Just seeing your fate.” She lied. “It seems you don’t know much about the dires and their abilities some have. Shame” She took a confident step forward.

“Perhaps then you would know about the potential dangers you are getting yourself in.” Not a boldface lie, but perhaps one close to it. Would Mercykill take the bait? That was questionable. Still, she tried.

“Maybe you should leave, before you see if that vision decides to come true or not.”  

[SilverLutz]

What was this wolf talking about? Seeing her fate? Visions? It was then that Mercykill noticed the dire wolf's purple eyes. She'd never seen eyes like that before, the color unnatural and unsettling. When the other female took a step forward, however, Mercy's low growl turned into a snarl and she surged forward a surprising distance with a single pounce.

Now close enough to see the dire wolf's chest rise and fall with each breath, Mercykill stood to her full height to stare down at the smaller canine. Her own eyes were ablaze as she was threatened, the urge to kill tampered only by the terrified curiosity that burned in her chest.

"Perhaps I should tear out your throat so your lying mouth ceases to speak," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "What vision? You are not anything more than a dire wolf." But she had said something about dires and the abilities some had...no. She couldn't listen to that. Not now. She must be lying.  

[SilverLutz]

She couldn’t back down. Not now at least. She had dug her grave, and it was time for her to get out of it.

Crimson Queen let out a throaty laugh. “Heh. So it’s true. Your…kind isn’t dire, nor do they seem to know about them. Tell me, does your kind bear the color eyes that I have? From you stare I think not. Well, shame. Some dire wolves were blessed with such gifts. And well, we can see into the future. Some may be able to see into the past. Lucky for myself, the future is what I saw, and if you wish to see it to fruition, I suggest you stay right there.”

Would the beserker call her bluff?

“The choice is yours, dear.” Queenie mocked, using the term Mercykill had used on her earlier.  

[SilverLutz]

Mercykill listened though she didn't want to believe. Dires could see into the future? The past? And from what the other female had said, dires with purple eyes could do the same. Mercykill had never seen any creature with purple eyes, but now she would be wary.

"I don't believe you," she snarled as her own mocking term of 'endearment' was tossed back at her. She advanced again, this time circling the smaller female, her tail swishing back and forth stiffly, her hackles still raised.

"My kind is berserker," Mercy growled, snapping her jaws threateningly at the other female. "And my name is Mercykill. And you, dire, will prove to me you can see the future, or you shall never see again." Mercy was a very simple wolf when it came down to it. If she couldn't see it, it wasn't true. How could she know this wolf wasn't just saying things to chase her off? She wasn't about to be scared away by a lie.  

[SilverLutz]

“Shame.” Queenie found herself muttered with a small shake of her head. “Oh well, your loss really.” She tensed, watching the berserker head towards her. Keep calm… she willed herself, eyes narrowing as the female described herself as a berserker. She threw her head back as the other snapped out.

“Proof. Hah. Only the paranoid need proof. It is good to know how truly paranoid your kind must be to not take one’s word. Alright then, show me your strength.”

The seer waited until the berserker pounced. She would narrowly miss the attack that was aimed for her. Would that be proof enough for the female? If not, she had other words up her sleeve.  

[SilverLutz]

Mercykill continued to circle the dire, her wariness translating to irritability and a short temper. The goading from the other female wasn't helping her much and when she insulted not only Mercy but all Berserkers, she'd had enough. Before the dire wolf had even finished issuing her challenge, Mercykill was airborne, her massive form hurtling right for the other female. There was no way she would miss.

But she did. Mercy landed on all four paws with nothing beneath her but the ground. She whipped around, blue eyes wide with terror as she realized she could see what the future had in store. There was no other way to rationalize dodging that attack.

Words failed her. She stood frozen to the spot, slack jaw and wide eyed. The purpled-eyed wolf was magic.

She didn't like it.

She also recalled the warning that if she didn't leave soon, she would face a hoard of this female's packmates.

"Unnatural," she growled, her fur still bristling even as she backed away. "You shouldn't be alive."  

[SilverLutz]

The sense of relief washed over the young Crimson Queen, as she stared straight towards the berserker. “It is all natural. Your kind just doesn’t know of it. Leave this place, these redwoods. I can hear my pack coming. Soon, they will feast.” Queenie tempted, eyes narrowing as she watched Mercykill back up slightly. Keep baiting her, the gray wolf said to herself. Her eyes flashed, as if to portray another vision. She shook her head, staring Mercykill straight in the eye.

“You have a chance to change your fate. Leave now!” She all but shouted, her tone causing a few crows nearby to spook and flee the trees.

WC: 956