|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 2:22 pm
He had not been easy to train. He was head-strong and stubborn. Somewhere in his head he seemed to feel that females were lesser, weaker, stupider. She had taught him differently, over long and excruciating lessons. He bore the marks to prove her prowess, and over time had come to acknowledge her worthiness.
It had gotten easier after she had broken him. But it had taken much time afterwards to build him back up. Many miles had been covered, many inuries endured as she taught him to hunt game much bigger than himself, how to face the teeth and claws of those who sought to kill him. Time and time and time again she had drilled him, both in practise and experience.
But it was done. She strode into the court's clearing, her head held proudly, every paw striking the ground in firm confidence of her success. She was bringing what had been a teen with potential, now nearly full grown and rippling with muscle. She drew near to Chernabog, setting aside her desire in order to properly present her pupil. Stopping, she stood firmly and waited to be acknowledged.
He did not tuck his tail or lower his head as he came among his fellow packmates. Strange scents he hadn't yet met filtered through his nostrils, and though his tattered ears twitched once or twice, his eyes were on their Alpha. He was the one who mattered most. He still sought the Alpha's approval, but this time he wasn't going to try and gain it with useless words. Kiara had taught him the value of action. Anything else was as mist, easily disregarded and blown away.
Standing just behind and to the side of his teacher, his head tactfully lower than hers, he waited for the notice and approach of their leader.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 9:40 am
Pups...pups...worthless until the seasons passed and made them stronger...utterly worthless. The great goblin king was in a soured mood, things were going so well for the court, new warriors, tribute pouring in from all the neighboring packs...and now this. He had taken on one pup as tribute and then his dear dark lady had found herself in the compromised situation...and then the flood. At this rate there would be more pups then warriors, a disgusting thought. He would have banished Liriel were it not for the fact he knew she had such potential, besides the Reign was a haven to those dark spirits and banish them would be a betrayal to his own ideals.
He might have killed a few of the pups himself had he not been curious of their potential...only time would tell. He glanced over curiously his red eyes narrowing as he saw a light figure approaching. He grinned and relaxed when he saw his beta, ah dear Kiara and he was mildly startled to see the male behind her. Had she actually managed to mold the brash youth into a warrior without killing him? He leapt down from his obsidian perch and smirked as he approached her with a graceful swagger.
"Welcome home my dear, you've been sorely missed."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 9:56 am
Her chest swelled and her chin tipped just slightly in pride as her Alpha came to meet her, greeting her so warmly. She swiveled her shoulders a bit more as she moved towards him, dipping into an elegant bow, smiling up at him with an amorous gleam in her eye. "Have I, now?" Her tone was arch, her tail swinging in slow pleasure.
She never forgot how majestic he was, not even in her wildest fury with Khorrigan. His towering horns, gleaming metal fangs, and those eyes! Being so close to him after so long apart made her hide tingle all over, fluffing her fur as if a storm were electrifying the air. She rose from her bow, nosing him once under the chin before stepping back and arranging herself formally.
"My Lord, may I present to you a new weapon by which to dominate your enemies and cow the other packs into submission?" At her words, a pre-arranged signal, the red near-grown teen rose from his own deep and respectful bow and came forward. "Khorrigan has returned reborn."
Khor dropped to his elbows immediately upon their Alpha turning towards them. His chin touched the ground, but his tail merely hung straight down. He did not tuck it, nor wilt his ears. He was no longer the whining, muzzle-licking pup. It was time to take his place as their leader saw fit. Granted, he'd be quite disgruntled to be made pup-watcher after all the training Kiara had put him through, but his brashness had been tempered by respectful obedience. If it took watching pups to prove himself worth to Him, then he would do just that.
As Kiara and Chernabog greeted one another, Khor's gaze wandered around the home clearing, the den, and any wolves that were present. Unbidden, the fur along his spine began to rise, his lip trembling in a precursor to a snarl. Kiara had also taught him survival in the pack. If he was to establish himself, he would need to stand against the others as well. Oh, not to make trouble, but to be certain noone took him lightly.
Just at that moment, however, he was distracted from such combatative thoughts by Kiara's introduction. He rose swiftly from his bow and stepped forward. "How may I serve my Alpha?" His voice had deepened, and his words came out as a growl. His body language indicated not aggression, but savage determination. He would make a place for himself here. This was where he belonged.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 8:26 pm
"Kiara...this transformation is most incredible, you are forgiven for your absence and praised for what you have accomplished in such a time." Chernabog moved to brush his muzzle lightly against hers for a moment before standing infront of Khorrigan.
"You have grown khorigan, and learned much I hope...let us see if now you are worthy of the court. To what position do you think yourself best suited? Pup sitter?" The alpha smirked the question one to bait the ire of the other male.
"No that would be a considerable waste, Kiara wouldn't forgive me..." He held back a smirk. "Lord perhaps? No...I have enough silver tongues to lay claim to every pack in Telk. Every court needs a jester, do you amuse?"
Chernabog finally glanced at Kiara and grinned. "Or is he a warrior?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:19 am
This time Khor's lips did indeed curl back in a silent snarl. Jester indeed. "My tongue is far from silver, Sire," he growled low, following the alpha with his eyes and an occasional ear swivel. "Nor do I caper for favor." He was being baited, and he knew it, but it didn't mean he had to take it. "I am built for bloodletting. My coat soaks in the lifeblood of my foes." He snapped the air with his maw full of fangs for emphasis. "Let me loose to mete out your judgment, or send me to bring down those you scorn. Weak or strong, it does not matter. They will fall beneath my assult." Well, perhaps he was laying it on a bit thick, but he had trained hard against Kiara and large prey and predators alike. Just not... wolves. Not yet, anyway. He stood stirm, not relaxed nor tensed either. He was ready. He knew it in his bones. This was his time to shine, and to rise.
Kiara stood back and said nothing, letting her pupil do his own defending. If she'd taught him right, he needed no help from her in making his case to their King. Instead she sat and watched her Alpha as he moved, as he spoke, soaking in every nuance of him. It had been too long since she had the chance. Once this business was past, it was time to see just how pleased he was with her. She had not lost the drive to be Queen in the least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:16 pm
"A Warrior then..." Chernabog nodded and grinned. "You shall be a warrior, and we will soon see how useful you can be. The pack is in need of the strength of many against those who would be willing to oppose our court. As the lords and ladies travel it might be helpful to send along a retinue of guards with them, the further they travel the greater the peril."
"Tell me of your training, what has your greatest challenge been?" He sat down relaxed though his eyes remained focused on the younger male before him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:56 pm
Khorrigan spared a moment's proud glance at Kiara. She'd set him quite a task as final proof he'd learned all she could teach him. As his Alpha settled down for a leisurely listen, Khor snapped to attention. His ears came forward sharply, his neck straightened, and his tail stood out straight behind him. Time to report!
"Majesty, my last assignment was to kill two cubs before seeing to the demise of their mother. Kiara gave me one week." He kept his eyes straight forward like a good soldier, not slanting his glance to see what the alpha's opinion of his task was. Only results were worthy of reaction, and that he would give.
"The late rising mother had two cubs, both of equal size. I tracked their movements for two days. On the third day, as the mother foraged in a berry bush, I slipped in from upwind of them and slaughtered the first cub. I stayed only long enough to let the mother get a good look at me before I fled." He did not flinch from reporting that he'd run away from a charging and infuriated mother bear. To not have run would have been weaker than using his head and escaping.
"The next day I followed them until they crossed a large meadow. She kept the remaining cub closer, but I was able to dispatch it before she could stop me." Bear hide was thick, even he had to admit. Still, the proper throat grip, sharp enough teeth, and even such tough little critters as cubs would go down. "I fled once more, after recieving the mother's wrath."
That swipe had almost laid his shoulder open to the bone. His expression did not change as he recalled the pain. "I took two days to recover and scout the land. on the seventh day, I showed myself to the mother. Heedless to any threat I might pose, she pursued me. I led her to a cliff I had found the day before." She had nearly caught him twice as he lured her there, weak as he'd been. No need to mention that, however.
"It was my good fortune that lightning had struck a tree near the edge the summer before. It was also to my advantage that it had been a wet winter." He permitted himself a feral smile suddenly, eyes flashing with joy at the simplicity of his plan. "It was a simple thing to taunt her until she followed me out onto the leaning trunk." He finally turned his eyes to meet his alpha's. "Good thing wolves weight less than bears. A leap from a branch as the tree toppled allowed me to survive."
He also left out what happened afterward. He had not had trouble leaping from the branch, as his hind legs worked fine, though the balancing bit was terribly tricky on a swaying wreck of a tree. But the landed had almost undone him. He'd landed on his injured shoulder and had lain there, nearly delerious from the pain, until Kiara had found him to see how he'd fared in his test.
It was thanks to her that he'd lived.
Kiara was not one to let an opportunity pass. As Chernabog had settled down, she had moved closer to him, sitting so that they touched. Casting him a low-lidded smile, she nibbled at his shoulder in a delicate grooming gesture. How glad she was to see him! Adoration and desire were alight in her eyes, quivering in her breath. She practically didn't hear Khor's tale of his final trial. she knew the story anyway, as he'd done it at her bidding, and she had cleaned up the mess he'd made of himself afterward.
She did spare him a look of satisfaction and approval as he concluded his tale. She was indeed proud of him. Perhaps as a mother was proud of her pup. The thought made her pause to ponder the concept. Yes, if this was what it was to be a mother, she thought she could manage that just fine. The feral smile that crept across her muzzle had less to do with tender love and more to do with the fierce pride of raising warriors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:56 am
Chernabog glanced at Kiara mildly surprised by the difficult task she had laid before the young male. Still the fact that he stood alive before him reporting the task meant that there had been no failure. Ruby eyes remained focused on the young warrior as he told his tale.
The alpha's ears perked and twitched and he had to hold back a grin of pride. A show of strength, and cunning, he could appreciate the difficulty of the task for it was one that humans relished in throwing his way.
"You have proven yourself well Khorrigan, I believe we shall place you on patrol. A warrior is ever alert and you will soon learn the difference between friend, foe, and lunch."
He turned his gaze to his beta and finally allowed a small smirk to escape him. "You have excelled in your duty Kiara, I wonder now if you should not be placed in charge of training the young. Your talents would be wasted corralling the others."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:00 pm
"Yes Sire!" Khor's ears snapped forward at attention proudly, and he couldn't quite suppress the happy lolling of his tongue. Even so, momentarily he was again bowing deeply to his soverign, eyes closed in reverence to him. He had done it. He had won his place in the pack. It was with a swelled heart he rose and moved away, leaving Kiara beside their Alpha.
Kiara was satisfied with Chernabog's assignment of her pupil, but quickly dismissed that from her mind as his burning gaze once more settled upon her. She smiled at his words, one corner of her mouth quirking up in response to his smirk. "Thank you, my Lord and Master." her eyes danced with amusement as she continued. "I excel at other things as well, which you are robbed of when I must tend to such training." Her tone was arch, her meaning clear. Even so, his suggestion bore merit.
"If I were to become a trainer, Most High, I would only be able to take on one at a time, of proper age for proper disciplining." One lip drew back slightly, indicating the kind of discipline that had resulted in Khorrigan's scarred ears and muzzle. "Too little, and I shall break them." She gave a snort then of mild arrogance. "I am not a pup-sitter."
She did not imply he suggested she was, but she felt the need to make this clear. As assured as she may feel about her position in Chernabog's favor, she would not be walked on, nor taken for less than she was. She was deteremined to prove herself just enough to permentantly rise in his favor, not get stuck in a job that would result in her being relegated to that job alone. Whether anyone else wanted her there, she wanted her place to be here, beside him. Firmly and unqestionably her rightful place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:05 pm
Chernabog watched the male go before turning back to Kiara and chuckling softly his eyes moving over her appreciatively. "No you most certainly aren't a pup sitter, but your skill in keeping the younger wolves in line will always make you valuable in the court."
He growled softly his ruby eyes flashing in anger. "We ran off the foundling Feros, he softened with time instead of strengthening." He tipped his head to her. "come walk with me, we shall dine together and I shall inform you of all the packs progress." He moved steadily onward as usual Chernabog turned his back, not out of stupidity or trust but because attacks from behind were a specialty of his and he liked to see who would be so foolish...before he killed them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:40 am
It pleased her to have him speak of her value to the pack, though it was her value to him specifically that she sought to gain. Her lip curled back as news of that pup she'd once been given to watch momentarily had gone bad. Or was it good? Either way, he was completely unsuitable for their leader's needs. She had not been particularly fond of him when he'd appeared, and now she wished she'd simply killed him on sight. Ah well, live and learn. She hadn't had permission to dispatch him then anyway.
The astonishing thing about Kiara was the apparent contradiction of both intensely desiring to rise in Chernabog's esteem and desire, and her unwavering dedication to what he said, ordered, or implied. She rarely even thought beyond what he'd expressed. It might have been called blind devotion, but to her purposes, it was exactly the angle she needed. She didn't care to supplant their Alpha. Not at all, just the opposite. She wanted him to rule forever, as far as she was concerned. She merely wanted him to consider her his most trusted, most worthy, and most intimate partner.
She spared a moment for a hungry look of admiration when he turned away, the teeth on his mask flashing during the heartbeat that his face was in profile against the sky. Then she was loping after his tail, striving to reach his shoulder to pad next to him, tail swinging in mute pleasure behind her. Oh no, this was one she-wolf he'd never have to worry about an attack from, whether he realized it or not. In her, he had a most devoted and determined of servants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
