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 Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:28 pm
That was why Rummy felt it important to keep the adolescents together, in the pack; to train them as Brothers and guide them in making the most important decision, the manner in which they would wear their cloaks. There was no shame in any rank of the Brotherhood, but there were certainly differences. The gammas wore the cloak over their head and the veil over their faces; the cloak reminding them of their place as stealthy hunters and warriors, the veil reminding them to think before opening their mouths. The omegas had their hoods looped to their backs, keeping their faces free to snatch pups, the weight forever reminding them of the essential role they played.
It was necessary for the adolescents to find their strengths and their destinies in the pack, and so Rummy had called them together. He gathered them at the shore of the western lake, gazing evenly at the group. He got right to the point, as was his nature.
"You have always been youths, in this pack," he started. "Today you will earn your true place as Brothers."
((there won't be a posting order, but please wait for everyone else to post before posting again, unless a week has passed without a reply.))
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:49 pm
With the rise of their new leader, Dustiel had done a lot of thinking. It was very likely that he was to follow the role of gamma, rather than usurp Betzalel like he had always promised the old grey beta he would do. Dustiel found that without his nemesis here to feel the anguish of such an action, it was hardly worth it anyway. It didn't stop him from desiring though, but he had come to terms with the truth, and he had walked to this meeting with his head held high, confident in himself, yet lacking true arrogance which he had once had when the previous hierarchy was still around.
Dustiel kept his mouth shut, and his eyes on their new god in a respectable manner.
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:47 pm
Amongst his peers, Sato felt small and lost. There were youths who had been here before he was born even and who were almost on the cusp of adulthood; it was almost awkward to stand among them and still be called "Brother", regardless of his attempts to learn about the other cloaked members. Elapse proved to be his mentor and closest friend here, and without the omega around Satoru was close to floundering. Before them was the alpha, though, and he knew he couldn't afford to look so weak here.
Still, the guy had his goofy attitude to wrangle and place respect within instead - not that Sato had ever had problems with authority figures, but he did have a tendency to yammer if given too much time to speak. So in response he grew tight-lipped and nodded, though as per usual he gave their new alpha a little smile and wag of the tail, trying to look as eager as possible. If there was one thing he had learned from Elapse, it was this: find a niche or risk being thrown out.
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Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:05 pm
Okeetee listened patiently to his new God speak. His eyes and tail were low in a respectful stance as his mind clung to each word that left the red wolf's maw. While he was very interested in what was coming to pass, he seemed rather more reserved than usual. He struggled to reign all emotions, as he had since joining the Brotherhood, in fear that his life might be taken from him if he was deemed unworthy.
His tail, however, betrayed his youthful eagerness. It began to swish and the edges of his maw turned upwards slowly, shifting towards a smile.
He, however, said nothing in response to Rummy's words, regardless of how eager he was. It was not his place to speak out. He had erred at the meeting, something he still kicked himself for, for speaking out of turn. He wished to serve Rummy, not anger or annoy him.
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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:04 pm
Aka kept a tight rein on his emotions as the God spoke of positions and his place amongst the heirarchy, keeping a respectful position with tail and eyes low, yet perhaps nearing an edge higher, testing his limits. It wouldn't do to show too much of anything just yet, his competition stood to his sides and he assessed each one in turn from the corner of his eyes.
Out of the three Okee was the only one he knew, a sure disadvantage in being able to use the others weaknesses against them. Still he remembered the one named Dustiel from the meeting, older but perhaps not as cunning as Aka was. The other, whose name he did not know, was the newest and he appeared weak, easy enough to dispose of should the male stand in his way.
Finally there was Okeetee, his true brother not just among the pack, they had been born together, pupnapped together, killed and eaten kill together. He seemed to possess the most threat, but nothing too menacing yet. Aka may want what was meant to be his but his brother would be the last to go and then only if it was a necessity. Pleased at these results he allowed himself to relax more, he would not be challenged by them, the pack and God were another matter.
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:59 am
Good. They'd all shown up. Rummy's eyes scanned the group, his face betraying nothing. Perhaps most interesting about this group of adolescents was their basic, plain, nature coats -- excepting maybe Satoru's shiny undercoat. Still, in the dead of night, under a cloak, would it really matter?
None of them spoke. Their respectful fear was palpable. Rummy started to pace, walking back and forth in front of the line they'd formed. "You know the Brotherhood prides itself on strength," he said. "But most important to your survival is your loyalty." There were always wolves who were not as good, who were slow, and weak, but were allowed to remain in the pack because of their blind trust. The Brotherhood did not mistreat their omegas. They were the pack's heart, keeping a continuous flow of life-renewing pups entering the lands. The gammas were the body, going out and doing the work of the alpha and his betas -- the head, surely.
He stopped pacing. The first part of the test was a quiz. He had not been keeping his eye so closely on these pup's upbringing, more concerned with the tremors that had raced through the old guard in the last generation, and now he did not know what they knew of the traditions. He addressed all of them with a question, "What," he said, "Does each rank's cloak represent?" It was -- hopefully -- an easy one to start with, and a good way to reinforce his own place at the top of the pack.
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:57 pm
Glancing once more to the others Aka raised his head more. He'd gladly be the first to answer, hopefully his answer was correct for if not he was unsure how he would handle his embarrassment. "The gammas cloak is a reminder to the gammas to think before they speak." Glancing up hopefully at their God he hoped he was right. To be wrong.......and especially in front of the God himself!
((No one responded in over a week so I just posted a small blurp to keep it alive))
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Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:20 pm
Cloaks, cloaks, cloaks . . . aaah, what did Elapse tell him again? While Satoru thought, of course one of the other teens answered partially, and he kicked his cogs a'whirring, staring at nothing in particular; Sato was a simple wolf with simple mental faculties after all, and if his mind was set on seeking some tidbit of information, why, of course his visual point of concentration would be so lax that he looked glazed over in those green eyes. Eventually he decided giving only another partial answer again, figuring splitting it into four would only be fair.
"Omegas wear cloaks with the hoods on their backs," Satoru answered, "and don't have shrouds near their mouths so they can grip pups when stealing. It also shows that they are not high enough in the heirarchy to have the pride of wearing the symbol on their brow like everyone else and denotes their low rank in the pack." That was right, right? Oh, it'd be just like him to remember wrong . . .
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Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:12 pm
Dustiel could not remember ever having the meaning of the way the cloaks were worn brought up to him, however he could make his guesses. Having two answers given already by the others, he gave the last;
"And you as our god, and the betas, wear the cloaks with the symbol proudly on their brow displaying their allegiance proudly, and no veil covering their muzzle. This is because when one of them speaks, it is of importance not to be filtered((that is saying the veil is like a filter of sorts)), direct, and with no room for argument, in which the veils over the gamma's muzzles are a reminder that they are to listen rather than talk back, and choose their words wisely when they speak."
Even if they did raise an important point, or had something to say. Just as Satoru said..it was a reminder to think before they speak.
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Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:35 pm
Rummy’s head moved in a slow, continuous nod as each adolescent answered, however hesitantly it came. The only one who did not speak was Okee, who Rummy knew from experience was no fool. Was he still abashed from when he had spoken out at the pack meeting, or did he just feel no reason to repeat the others? Dustiel’s answer trailed into redundancy, repeating what Aka had started with, but the tan male seemed eager to present all the knowledge he had. Only Satoru mentioned the omegas—subconsciously choosing his own fate. Three gammas and an omega, it seemed it would be, though Rummy kept those thoughts to himself.
”Very good,” he said, when they had all finished. ”You have been… taught.” Perhaps not well, but it was impressive the omegas had managed to impart any knowledge during the pack’s turmoil.
Yellow eyes trailed over each of them in turn. The next question’s answer was simpler, but a harder one to impart. ”What do you do,” he said, ”if your god asks you to kill a brother?”
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Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:57 pm
Okeetee listened in silence as the other three answered, his own maw closed as he listened. Yes, he did still feel a bit embarrassed by his sudden outburst at the meeting and perhaps this was why he was silent now, but currently he didn't even know why he could not find words to push from himself.
"We..." He began to speak, his voice trailing off as he picked his words, a shame he didn't exactly plan what he was going to say beforehand, as they just sort of tumbled out, "must do as our God asks of us. If our God deems a brother unworthy of the pack and unfit to serve, he must be eliminated."
Please don't ever let me be one to be expunged. He thought silently after he voiced his words. Ever since the night he and Aka had been stolen, he had been afraid of letting the pack down. Even in turmoil, after Dainel had left, he had been afraid to venture too far from the main dens, lest it be thought he would be thought a traitor or worthless in the future. Only once he had his cloak, would he be a little less anxious. Then he would be a true brother...
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Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:21 pm
Dustiel answered with no hesitation;
"If our God asks such of us, then we do so without questioning his decision." At least vocally. "Our God must have some reason for asking such, and it is not our place to question his authority. If he has no reason, than we do as asked of us anyway, even if we are not mindless pawns, we do so for our God our of respect, a since of duty, and a general desire to see that our God is pleased."
Betzalel's harping on loyalty proved to be good for something after all,...though the gray wolf had used a word Dustiel had carefully omitted...'love.'
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Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:19 pm
Pleased that he had answered correctly Aka let a slow warmth travel through his body. Okee's silence puzzled him though. His brother, though less ambitious, had always been smarter then himself. Perhaps he had his own plans in motion, in that case Aka would leave him to it and focus on his own.
Allowing the others to speak he made sure his answer would be honest, and yet prove his worth. "I would accept what my God had handed me without hesitation, God's word is law and I would not dare question it." But true to his nature he would not allow himself just that. "But I would ask my God if he would allow me the honor to know the reason my brother was to be slain. Knowledge is something I highly prize and if my brother has done something to anger my God to the point of his death, I wish to know what he has done, so I may alert my God of others who have done the same thing."
Unsaid was his own fear of doing the dreaded thing the brother did that deserved death. His own ambitions lay inside everything he did, but always his God came before even those.
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Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 2:29 pm
Yikes, what a question . . . Satoru floundered for a few moments as his peers answered one by one, two answering yes without question, the other expressing interest in their god's reasoning. Agh, what would be the best answer here? He chewed the inside of his lip thoughtfully, thoguhts whirling. "It'd be a very sad time if I knew," Sato replied truthfully, trying to encapsulate his feelings on the topic in as few words as possible - a very hard thing to do for the usually talkative, effeminate male. "And if it's possible, I'd ask why he needs to be killed. Maybe he can be redeemed somehow, by being forced out onto spy missions near dangerous territory or, er, something. Or be punished other ways like being the practice target for young and learning fighters. If he was a good brother before, it'd be a big waste to kill him then and there if there are other options . . ." And there he stopped, because otherwise he would begin to rant, shaking his head slightly.
"But I know I'll be an omega when I grow because I don't have these high aspirations like other worthier wolves, so I guess it wouldn't be my place to deny my god if he so demands."
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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 3:15 pm
The younglings' answers reflected perfectly their personalities. Okee, who seemed to wish only to demonstrate his undying loyalty to his alpha. He would be an excellent gamma, the kind Rummy could use, for whatever purpose he required. Dustiel, the overthinker; his words reflected loyalty but his tone took on a subtler meaning. Rummy would have to watch him. Rummy would have to ensnare that mind to his own means, carefully assuring the dusty-colored wolf of his importance. If he could do so, he knew Dustiel would be his forever. Aka was more philosophical, and something of a micromanager. His hunger for knowledge also marked him as one to be watched, but Rummy felt something of a lack of creativity in him, and a lack of true fighting spirit. And then Sato, poor little Sato, with an omega's heart. Rummy would simply have to assure that he had a steady stream of pups to care for, to pour that heart out into, and he would be fine.
The alpha smiled, an outwardly reassuring gesture. "Fine answers, each," he said. He padded a short distance away, to the craggy hole where unused cloaks were held. The pieces of cloth were difficult to get ahold of and to mark; brothers frequently wore a cloak formerly possess by another. "Here," he said, overturning the stone that covered the pit. "Chose for yourselves the one that fits best, and wear the mark of the pack proudly." He knew from his questions that each now understood their place in the pack, and felt sure they would chose their correct cloak.
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