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 Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:42 pm
The day was nearing sunset, as the warm weather filtered through the the temple creating a cocoon of heat within the stone walls. Only a small breeze releived those of the heat, yet most Malu vacated to the shade outside the temple. Aion could only assume thats what Elu has done. He had been left pup sitting, yet where he was posted, both he and Viveca was missing leaving the others nestled in their corner away from danger. No one except Elu and himself knew of the place, essentially blocked off to the outside world except for one secret enterence. In place of where the father of these pups were sitting, a single red paw was placed on the wall....a clear signal to someone.
--
Meanwhile, at the dark enterance of the sublevels, the head was particularily worse here, as it met with the warm putrid smell of rot in the darkness below. Gazing down with his partially illuminescent orange orbs, a frown had set over his ebony brown. Aion shook his head, almost hesitant to go down into the place of his shrine, and where he had lived for a year before he met Elu. Everything had changed since then, and he hadn't been back to this darkened abyss since the pups were born. It was a slight shame he had to break his record and head down once more.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:51 pm
Elu trotted back to the little "nest" she had made with Aion for the pups, as many fruits as she had been able to carry held firmly in her maw. She had requisitioned her sister into watching the children so she and Aion could be alone for a bit. She trotted up the steps and cast a glance around until she saw the red paw that landmarked the entrance to the little burrow.
She trotted inside closely followed by Taraneh. She dropped off her catch and instructed Taraneh on what to do if such-and-such happened before turning and retracing her steps back out and set about looking for Aion. Seeing him, she ignored the area he was in and plunked herself down next to him, "Tara's offered to watch the little ones for a bit to give us some free time." She told him, a faint grateful smile gracing her lips, "Any particular place you'd like to go?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:25 pm
Lifting his paw to take the trip down to the sublevels, Aion jumped slightly as his head whipped back to spot Elu. "For gods sake...stop sneaking up like that!" He barked slightly, yet raised a brow at the same time. She was taking quite a calm tone...perhaps she didn't quite realize yet that Viveca was not with the other pups, or with him yet. Seemed he was safe for now. He just had to keep a low profile about her, and not draw any suspiciousness to himself. He remembered what she did to Tara when she was pregnant, imagine what she would do to him when she found out one of the pups were missing.
"Oh...alright then." He commented on responce to the pup sitting Tara had offered to do. It was nice, as between himself and Elu they hadn't gotten a break since they were born. Taking a glance down to the Sublevels, he knew that was where Viveca had wandered off to, as he had tracked her scent here. It was then, a deviously clever idea evolved in his mind as he turned back to her. "There's a place down in the sublevels I think you'll enjoy. It might be a little gruesome to get there...but I believe its worth while. Come, I'll show you." Nudging her shoulder lightly with his muzzle, he walked down the steps into the darkness, turning down hall opposite to the one his shrine was in.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:51 pm
Elu laughed at his surprise, and raised a brow at his suggestion. He moved off toward the sublevels before she could respond. She followed him with a huff, "Gruesome, you say?" She questioned as she followed him down into the darkness, "I swear Aion, if you're taking me to your shrine again...." She let the threat trail off.
Needless to say if Aion's god tried to manipulate him again, well, the end result wouldn't be pretty. No one messed with something she considered hers. She followed Aion until the darkness closed in so well around them the only thing that revealed where they were was the soft hoofbeats against the stone. To deal with the sensation of curiosity burning through her she thought back to Tara and the babies.
Orahn had been sleeping across the room from his sisters. Clearly already developing the anti-socialness that Aion posessed. Ida'ila had been playing with her sister Angeni a bit roughly but a warning had calmed them though undoubtedly Viveca had probably rushed over to them by now and all three were probably ganging up on poor Orahn.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 3:03 pm
"Yeah, yet its dark, so you wont be able to see what I mean. Unfortunately, you'll be able to smell it soon." Aion spoke as he walked, knowing these tunnels like the his own paws. However, he slowed his step for a moment as a slightly new feeling washed over him...like he was being watched. Well aware that many unspeakable creatures lived down here...he never really was concerned untill now. This probably had to do with Elu being down here with him, as he awaited for her to catch up before laying his wing over her shoulders almost protectively before continuing his walk at her side.
"And no, my shrine was the hallway to the left, we're going to the right. If you like the stars...you'll like where i'm taking you." His smooth vocals spoke out in a slight absent tone, his eyes darting around to look into the darkness for Viveca. So far they were on the right track...yet it seemed she had gotten a good head start before Aion had noticed she was missing.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:38 pm
Elu blushed faintly at the touch of his wing but didn't comment on it. After all, he might retract it. "I see..." She murmured, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, "Her ears twitched at his next sentence, Stars? Since when had Aion been interested in showing her stars? This wasn't like him at all....
FOr the first time, she wondered if anything else was down here. She felt as if something was watching them. Something....unpleasant. She shivered slightly and her imagination began to run wild with possibilities. She wasn't about to voice her fears though. Aion would just look at her like she was a fool or someting. They may be mates, but there were still some trust issues going on between them. Issues that hadn't been resolved even after the children.
Her nose twitched as she caught a familiar scent. A mixture of her own and Aion's and yet....slightly different. She blinked and cocked her head to get a better sniff. Was that....?
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:57 pm
The walk down the corridors was beginning to turn out long and silent as both Malu were unwilling to share their thoughts. Keeping his wing tightly around her shoulders, Aion gave a sigh as they were still not close to finding Viveca. He dreaded though what was going to happen when Elu caught on, or when they come across her down here all alone. Either way, he figured he wouldn't be leaving the sublevels this evening without a few bruises.
Despising the silence as he knew that minds wandered when not preoccupied, he decided to break the silence for both of their sanity. "You...look good, Elu. Not that you didn't before...yet you've gracefully returned back to how you were." God, why were compliments so stupidly difficult? If one didn't say it right, it could be taken as an insult, and he could clearly remember what happened last time she had asked him about appearence.
Titling his own head, he too could smell the faint scent which was Viveca, yet also could smell the scents of the other beings who lived down here. His heart twisted slightly as he just hoped that they hadn't found her yet.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:12 pm
Elu had opened her mouth to speak just as he had began to and what he had said shocked her into silence for a moment. Finally regaining her composure she bobbed her head, "Ah...Thank you, Aion." She replied valiantly resisting the urge to giggle like a child. His complement must've been quite difficult for him to say and the thought of it tickled her.
She paused for a moment and rubbed her head under his chin slowly in a promising gesture, perhaps looking at the stars wouldn't be the other thing they'd be doing tonight. She chuckled softly, flipping her mop of dark brown hair out of her sight and sniffed the air in hopes that they were getting closer to their destination.
Elu's eyes widened as she caught a full whif of the strange yet familiar scent, "Aion...." She began calmly though the thought a happy night alone with Aion was vanishing like a puff of smoke, "Is that one of the children I smell? Viveca to be exact?" She asked softly. Every fiber of her being tensing and bristling at the thought. Had Aion taken her down here? What was he going to do to her? What had he done to her?
She tore away from him and ran down the corridor scenting everything in hopes of finding her daughter, all the while anger burning through her. Anger directed at Aion.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:25 pm
Raising his brows as she had accepted his compliment (Much to his relief) and nuzzled her head under his chin, an odd almost happy grin crossed his lips. Nibbling at her ear gently before she pulled her head back, it seemed she was eager to get to where Aion had promised that they were going to go. Yet....everything fell apart a moment later.
"W-well..." Aion stammered, very much unlike the always collected Malu as he swallowed; hard. However, he didn't have time to even usher another word as she tore off in search of their missing daughter. Normally, he would have let her...yet not here. He knew this place too well. "ELU!" He yelled, tearing after her as fast as he could, and once he did, he promptly ran her into the wall to stop her from moving. "Do.not.run." He hissed quite viciously, his brows furrowed as his breathing was deep from the sprint. "Listen, if you run here...you'll attract them. The creatures down here feed off of energy, like rapid heartbeats and sweat will only have us swarmed. Its hard, yet you must walk, and you must be calm. Its the only hope we bloody well have to make sure we get to Viveca before they do. Do you understand?" He hissed, using his body to keep her against the wall as his ears twitched, listening to see if the creatures stirred in the shadows.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:38 pm
Elu gasped in pain as she was slammed against the wall. Her head was in agony and pain only made her anger flare. She growled in response at first before slowly calmling enough to listen. "Them?" She hissed back, eyes narrowing, "You allowed our daughter down here? Where she would almost certainly be killed? What kind of father are you?" She demanded viciously, "Not only will you most likely get us killed and orphan the children but you endangered you daughter!"
She snapped her jaw open and shut with an audible clack and didn't deign the rest of his statement with a reply. She pushed him off herself and shook her body, a vain attempt to calm herself down. "If we have to walk to my daughter then we will do so but," Her tone grew as cold as ice, "If anything and I mean anything has happened to my daughter." Her entire body tensed again, "You will not walk out of here in one piece."
She turned away from him and stalked deeper into the darkness, refusing to acknowledge Aion's presence except to know that he was the one causing the faint sounds and not some other creature. Her ears flicked back and forth and her nostrils flared both in search of her daughter.....and maybe something else.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:04 pm
"Yes...them. The tribe of malu which lives in these sublevels. Be thankful you can't see what's around your hooves." Aion growled lightly as he pushed off her, yet he didn not move as he was sure that she wouldn't run again. Listening as she angrily scolded him, he had nothing to say in return...for he knew she was right. He wasn't father material, not was he able to keep track of four pups for the life of him. Sighing lightly, his head dipped down considerably...
"I know...I wouldn't have it any other way." He spoke in response to her threat on his health, his vocals quite dull as he followed a few steps behind her. Despite his irresponsible behaviour, he wasn't about to go back on his promise....he wasn't going to allow anything to happen to either Elu of Viveca. Opening his mouth to speak up, he was interrupted by a horrid scream of a baby malu, none other then Viveca's voice. Not even taking the time to think it through, Aion bolted off ahead towards where his daughter had cried. If anything had happened to her....something's head would be rolling.
Skidding to a stop in a circular cross section of hallways, he saw the young Maluess squirming under the paw of a large, rotted looking Malu. Actually, as he gazed around...there were quite a number of these dark malu. Their fur matted and bloody, horns twisted on their skulls as they were covbered with scars. Their eyes white as if blind...yet that wasn't the case. The male smirked to Aion, as Aion growled....he recognized this Malu....the leader of the tribe. "Relic...I should have known. Let my daughter go." He hissed, his fur on his neck rising. Relic laughed, his teeth uncharacteristicly sharp for a malu's. "Aion...its been a while. I have not seen you at your shrine, as we have not been blessed with your sacrifices for some time. This is yours? Ha. What a pleasure." He smirked, keeping his hold on Viveca as the young Maluess looked more angry then scared.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:21 pm
Anger burned through her as she stalked forward until she heard a scream and rsuhed forward again, suddenly finding herself flanked by Aion and then passed by him. She skidded to a halt behind him and her eyes narrowed. She saw Viveca and was immensely grateful that she wasn't harmed but she saw a paw on top of her daughter a paw that connected to a groutesque corpse of a malu. cars marred his body along with stains that reeked of blood.
Elu stepped forward until she was next to her mate. Her voice as she spoke was eeriely calm, for she had descended past the common anger which often was attributed to flame into the cold ice of a new anger far more rare then the first, "Let her go," Her lips split into a snarl. She didn't care that she was out-numbered and she sure as hell didn't care that Aion knew the b*****d who held Viveca. All she knew was that there was someone touching her daughter without permission, and that creature would pay dearly. "Or I will make you."
The hairs on her back rose in challenge and she didn't stop wathing her surroundings in case of a sudden attack. No one was going to keep her from her daughter.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 12:20 am
Relic laughed, gazing to the pair as as a smirk came over his lips. "Well well, You have a fiesty mate there, Aion. I'm suprised she's still alive in all honsety. Yet it makes it even better that this is child of yours..." Placing more pressure on Viveca, a small squeak of pain actually escaped her lips as the other black malu chuckled and grinned, licking their lips. "I will let her go....yet I will only do so with fair trade. For her life...you may sacrifice your own..." His eerie white eyes shifted between Elu and Aion, a devilish smirk rising.
"Viveca..." Aion growled, his small claws scratching against the ground as he knew he couldn't forcefully take back Viveca...neither could Elu. The moment they would attack, they would be swarmed...and no matter how instinctive Elu was feeling, or how strong he felt, they couldn't take on such a large pack. Closing his eyes for a moment, he probably could have standed a better chance if he wasn't blind in his one eye, yet there was nothing he could do about that. Watching as She turned her head to look at them both, her normally cold eyes filled with fright, Aion clenched his teeth and shook slightly. Turning around he looked Elu square in the eyes, not caring how angry she was at him, or the situation right now.
"Listen. Take Viveca, and run back to the nest. They can have me. I might be able to escape afterwards, so it will be alright. You wont have to worry about them chasing you, so you need to run as fast as you can. Don't try and stop me....we can't win, nor I know you wont want me taking care of our kids in your place. Just do what I say. I promised you no harm will ever befall on you, or the kids, and I will not break that promise." He said quite sternly, knowing she would probably make a fuss....or maybe not...she was quite angry with him afterall. Leanding forewards, he kissed her on her lips, lingering a moment before turning around and taking a step forewards. "I'll accept the trade, Relic. Give Viveca back." As Promised, Relic grinned and stepped away from Viveca to allow Aion to move and grab her.
"Noble, Aion. Yet I figured as much....I will enjoy feasting on your powerful god, as we all have dreamed of since you first arrived down here." Relic smiled, and licked his lips as murmers began to spread over the other malu. Aion ignored them, as he picked up his shaking daughter by her scruff and returned her to Elu. Leanding down to place her on the ground at Elu's paws he gave his daughter a lick on her head as he whispered, "I'm sorry, Viveca." Before taking a few steps back away from the pair. "Now go....just follow the hall to the end, when you see the light, go back up the stairs." He nodded, taking a few more steps back as he turned around, frowning as the black Malu's began to creep close, licking at his sides.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 10:40 am
Elu narrowed her eyes at the evident leader, Relic. How dare her demand a fair trade! He was hardly one to talk! She galnced quickly over at Aion and returned her gaze to the creature who held her daughter. A single ear twitched in his direction as he spoke. Had she not sunken so deep into the icy grip of her anger she would have been touched but what he said was of little consequence right now. She had no intention of leaving without either of them. After all, Aion still had to pay for allowing their daughter to get out of his sight.
The thought processes stopped for a moment as Aion kissed her but immediately started up again, this was not the time to get mushy. She watched with anguished eyes as Aion brought their daughter to her and instructed her on how to escape. She mentally snorted dismissively, like these creatures would allow her to escape. She glared at Aion's back as if daring him to die, "You'd better not be dead when I come back, Aion." She growled, "Or I'll put you in a females body to spite you!"
She snatched Viveca up in her mouth and fled the room leaping through the corridors and up steps onto a landing. She glanced up quickly. A light though faint, winked in the distance and she nodded, "Viveca, I want you to stay here and hide, I have to go get your father." She told the little girl, hoping she would understand and obey. She leapt back down the steps and toward Aion. Geez. Never a dull moment when I'm with Aion. she thought grimly as she ran back to him.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 1:51 pm
Turning his head back, Aion watches as Elu ran off with Viveca as he huffed before looking back to the Malu before him. Relic smirked, his teeth stained with the blood of others as he stepped close, licking at Aion's cheek. Grimacing slightly, he rolled his single orange orb while looking down on these creatures. "You disgust me, killing is one thing...yet devouring your own kind for some stupid nonsence of gaining the strength of other gods? You surely fit your gods of greed." He growled faintly, jumping slightly as one took a n** at his side.
"Perhaps, Aion...we all do what we must to please our gods. It is a matter of faith, and loyalty....which is something you have begun to slack. Despite your weakening god, he is still strong from your erlier devotion....all will be well." Relic almost purred out, bearing his teeth as he was about to bit down when Aion leapt back with a smirk. "Heh, did you actually think I was noble enough to let myself be beaten by scum? You really don't know me at all. " He laughed cruelly before bolting off towards the exit. Snickering as angry cries from the pack behind him erupted, hearing the sound of hoofbeats as they began their chase after him.
However, his plan wasn't going his way, when he suddenly closed in on Elu running back to him, as he blinked. "Elu..?" No time. Scanning the walls, he noticed the hallway they were supposed to take as he made a quick turn. "Follow me! Quick!" He yelled, before seeing the glowing hole in the wall, grinning, he ducked down and scotted himself inside, awaiting her to come as he took a deep breath. They would be safe in here for a while, as he looked around to the room filled with tiny, glowing green mushrooms. Gazing up to the celining, it almost appeared like their were stars in the sky.
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