The Claiming[open]

[Deleted]

The land was blackened, covered in dark hot ash that burned the paws of most creatures who dared to walk across it. The previous night this area had being a raging inferno yet now there was an odd sort of stillness to it. It was peaceful despite what had happened to it, the earth had forgiven the fire because the fire knew no better. Above the clouds were darkening and lighting cracked open the sky. Slowly at first the droplets fell, sending steam gushing upwards in an effort to escape the darkness that the ash presented. Fallen and burnt logs offered even more steam than the ground. The water was the heat’s bane; it was rapidly cooling the land but just because the heat was dying didn’t mean everything else was too. The heat had activated small pods to release even smaller seeds, these seeds lay hidden in the ash that was becoming mud, ready to feed off of the burnt nutrients.

Within three days there would be shoots in this area, within a month plenty of underbrush and within three months there would be trees. Everything that lived on the thee burning plains was fast, they had to be to survive. If the plants did not grow fully by the time the fire came around again there would be no regrowth. If young animals were weak and could not walk within moments of their birth the fire would claim them.

The black creature fitted in perfectly with the smoldering ash, she walked at the head of a procession. Behind her was her father, her mother, her siblings and subjects. They were cheering her on, soon they would stop following simply because of the danger. Yes perhaps her father could follow but that was not tradition, tradition stated that she had to do this alone. She had to claim the land through fire.

As she neared the end of the ashes and the beginning of the growth her paws lit on fire, the ground that was already burned simply cracked and popped at the introduction of more heat. The rain still pattered down slowly and softly, nothing to worrisome yet. With a intentional strike she placed her lit paw in a pile of leaves, they began to smolder before the caught alight. She grinned and walked forward, on into the forest and in to her destiny. As she walked through the forest her fur glowed, one could mistake her for a creature made of molten metal. The flames on her feet had long since disappeared, it was a trick that she could not keep up for long. The heat did a better job than the flames anyways. She rubbed her body against trees, curling around fallen logs and swimming through bushes. Twigs that got caught in her fur simply turned to ash because of the intense heat.

Soon enough she got tired of course, keeping up the heat needed energy and so she stopped glowing white and returned to a simple orangey-red glow. Once she had covered what she needed to cover she took to the air, careful to avoid the plumes of smoke. She flew back to the convoy and landed with a splatter. The black mud coated her legs but one couldn’t tell the difference between the mud and she nodded silently as in the distance behind her the fire blazed, more in control than anyone could ever imagine.

Once a year she preformed this ritual even though the fires were kept burning all year around. She rarely needed to relight them, it was of course due to the magic that was infused throughout the land. The phoenix magic. She nuzzled her father as she walked towards him, careful to stay away from the rest of the family. Her fur still glowed somewhat and it would be a while before she cooled down. These rituals were always strange like that. Normally she cooled down immediately, but the ritual was not normal, it was sacred. And she, she was the queen of fire. She lifted her head to the air and howled, the howl of a wolf, her father roared the roar of a lion besides her and her family responded with their chosen calls.

[Hyenism]

She flew above in silence, having been witness to the age old tradition many times before, she knew better than to interrupt until long after the cries had subsided and the silence took it's place, the absence of sound a sign of respect. When Finally Aya believed it to be an appropriate time to land she swooped down silently, coming down with a gentle thud as she gripped to the bough of a low hanging tree and drew her wings close to keep balance. She nodded politely at the creatures she startled slightly, though she knew many of them well. She's seen them grow, their mothers, the grandmothers. She'd seen many generations as they came and went but her pride never dimmed when she saw what a beautiful pack they'd become over the many generations.

When she finally spoke it was a soft melodic sound, barely audible over the raging fires nearby.

"You performed beautifully, Igniria. Better than your father I dare say." she chuckled gently. "I was out for my claiming when I saw the fires start to burn and I couldn't resist." She smiled kindly, padding across the heavy wooden limb until she was able to set a delicate paw in the mud, followed by her others. "I would have joined, but this is a family matter as I'm well aware." she nodded politely. "But I won't hold your ear long, just thought it seemed a god time to stop by, it's been some time, you've grown quite a bit. Has Phoenix been treating your pack well? I've not seen any completely uncontrolled fires for some moons, it is a good sign, yes? "

((OOC: I hope you don't mind I assumed they knew each-other. Aya has been pack leader over the deserts right beside you for some six-hundred years so I'd hope they were on good terms.))

[xexes]

Oobooroou had just completed his trip to the Evunkai Marshlands to shuttle off the energy he had collected over the past few months back to his tree. A little here, a little there, never anything major, nor particularly worth noting. He'd named the tree 'Oh Boo', jokingly, but liked the ring of it, as it resembled his own name, full of vowels and awkward sounds.

He'd had a hankering to explore more of the lands, which had in turn led to his wandering into The Burning Woodland. The constant state of smouldering both worried him and excited him - here there was energy abundant, as fire was by definition a state of extremely excited electrons, energy - not that he knew the science behind it all. He'd stumbled across a peculiar sight, and watched a gaggle of wolves, one in particular who seemed to have a sort of pride to her - or was it more of a royal countenance?

He winced at her walk, marveled when she seemed to grow molten, and watched as she flew and landed again. When she howled, another, new female appeared on the scenes. The calmness to it all was marveling. What attracted him the most was the fact that there was a howl.

He had hidden himself behind thick, ashen trees, and at last convinced himself to move forwards onto the scene. As one of his paws hit the fiery earth, he made an inaudible whimper and stepped back in surprise, holding his paw up, as if nursing it. He funneled some of his energy to heal the burn, and examined the ground, formulating a plan. Gathering his resolve, he stepped down carefully this time, drawing energy out of the hot, hot earth as he did so. This time, by the time his paws met the earth, the heat had been funneled into him, and the ground an ambient, non-scorching temperature. And then he continued his walk forwards, one step after another, into the fray of wolves, and the two females in particular.

"Ahereher-ahem. ", he started, clearing his throat. "Woof woof. Woof. Woof-woof-woof.", he finished, speaking dog, and saying the words rather than barking them. His tone had a question to it, and anything else that might have been in the words was incomprehensible. Surely he had heard what tongue they'd spoken, so why was he so daft as to use the wrong language? Oobooroou gave a grin, knowingly, as if he'd told a fabulous joke.

[Deleted]

Igniria bowed her head in greeting to Ayanco, and grinned. An old friend of the residents of the burning plains and said to be as old as time itself, or at least that’s what her grandfather had told her when she was young. Just like most childhoods hers had being filled with stories of the past as well as legends. Ayanco being as old and as prominent as she was had naturally played a part in it. When she was younger Igniria had view the wolf with awe and shyness. Now She knew better, now she viewed the wolf as a trusted elder. Their lands were allies after all.

”Ayanco, welcome” she said sitting in the mud, she didn’t mind getting dirty. Fire was a dirty after all. Her fur was constant covered in dark coal that seemed to be produced by her skin… or the heat. SHe had never quite figured it out. Her fur was getting soaked and the coal was creating a black puddle around her making it almost look like she was leaking. As a response to the cold of the rain her fur broke out in spots, some warmer than others and creating steam.

”Phoenix has being just as he always is, fair and loving and protective. We found a corpse of a trespasser just a couple of days ago frighteningly close to the center territory. Male from what we could make out. I pity his last moments” she said with a grin, speaking of the death as if it was an everyday event. If a wolf was stupid enough to wander onto the burning plains without seeking an invitation then they would suffer.

She had never met Phoenix but she knew that the male was not only her diety but her ancestor, she had no idea what he looked like or even what he was truly like but she imagined he was loving, warm yet temperamental like fire.

She cocked her head at the new appearance, almost expecting him to burst into flames on the spot simply because of what she had being thinking about. Of course his words didn’t impress her much yet she had to stop herself from laughing. She looked at Ayanco, ”Friend of yours?” she asked curiously, expecting the answer to be no.

[Hyenism]

Ayanco nodded, knowingly, her face bearing a grim expression at the thought of the creature stupid, and unfortunate enough, to enter the place of no return. In the summer months it was the worst, only a fool would have made his first step here, or a mad man. She felt sadness for his death, but not enough to wish it any differently.

She parted her lips in preparation for some sort of wise, over-thought things to slip past, but it didn't make it. She tilted old and knowing eyes in the direction of the new-comer and blinked lightly, a kind smile crossing her features, though it was dirtied with the glint of amusement. Friend? No, but she could tell what he was from a glance. She tilted her head, swallowing the urge to laugh.

"Not... Quite." she whispered before stepping closer to the stranger. "And a bark bark bark, bark bark to you too, stranger." she chuckled, despite herself. "My name is Ayanco, Alpha female of the Sol-Arinate packlands. This is my good friend Igniria, queen of the Burning Woods, and these are her lands." she said, making the intrusion obvious but being polite enough to smile it away, knowing the Deity would have known little better.

It was apparent he didn't see many other creatures, she could understand how he might feel, and also respected the fact he might not want others knowing just how powerful he was. She chose to keep this to herself, and of course that meant not letting him clue on. Though he was old, possibly far older than her, even. She was hoping that their differences would help hide their lies. She could smell his aura from here.

"And who might you be? Tell us, why wander out here?" she asked, bowing her head slightly, as she had forgotten to do so before. "These lands are dangerous at best, surely you're not simply ambling?"

[xexes]

Walking towards the arrangement of creatures would allow him to hear better what they were saying, and he took liberties with his ears. The talk of a creature dying, possibly caused by nearly trespassing worried him. Had the male been killed for it? Or merely natural causes seized him auspiciously close? Who was this Pheonix, had it killed him? And had fair, loving, and protective really meant killing a wolf? He had second doubts about his purpose. But whereas he had eeked by taking energy in minescule amounts from those with an over-abundance, here, there was abounding energy, free for the taking, and not being used by any creature, as fire didn't have a soul. Here he might be more protected than ever, and here he might grow quite powerful.

"What's that? ", he cocked an ear as Ayanco spoke to him, and smacked his lips as if tasting something foreign, or determining wether or not he was wearing dentures . "Oh, bark bark.", he replied, having found the proper language.

"Dangerous? What lies out there?", he stretched his back by scrunching up and aiming his spine upwards, like a cat. While he knew of some dangers, whatever else he could learn could only be to his benefit. Especially for someone so afraid of death. He now allowed himself a wide, silent yawn while he crouched, aimed his rear leg, and began scratching at his teeth as he yawned. He began to speak again, too. "I thought I heard a howl. A rallying howl. So I came. A pack will protect me from dangers. But I don't have one. So I hoped that the rallying howl was calling for new members to join a pack. ", he explained slowly and in simplistic, short sentences, as if he were a few cheerios short of a full bowl. "I'm Oob.", he added a little extra emphasis of the 'buh' sound, making it sound a bit like a female body-part. There were many questions that he'd asked without asking. Was this a pack? Were they indeed looking for new joiners? And could he join? But he'd worded them in such a way as to avoid rejection if the answers were in the negatives.

We need our characters of every alignment, so please don't take my character's inner monologue as any sort of criticism. = ]

[Deleted]

He flitted through the fire, jumping from flame to flame and allowing the heat to be a conduit. It allowed him to pass through the land faster than most and it allowed him to be everywhere at once, it was useful. Until Igniria had ignited the trees as per ritual he had hidden out of view in a more physical form. He leaped through the flames joyfully, enjoying the heat and the ferocity of it all. Around him animals fled, some died while others lived to see yet another day. He watched the corpse of a rodent be devoured before moving on, moving closer to the followers that he held so dear. He listened to their calls, the howl of the current leader, the roar of the previous. The snaps and snarls of the lower creatures pulled it all together in a beautiful song. He grinned and stepped onto the ash. From this far away he would simply look like the fire.

He watched the pack proudly, watched as the nieghbouring leader landed nearby and greeted and then he tensed. The deity that had arrived was not one he knew, he was not one he remembered allowing onto the territory. Yes Igniria ruled the pack but the territory was his, it was his birthland and his duty just as was the pack living here. He growled and took a step forward, disappearing into the heat of the ground. He travelled through the heat, his consciousness all that existed and then he waited, waited for the right moment.

When all was silent he appeared in the air next to Igniria, he had not appeared to far off the ground and he landed with a soft splosh in the mud. The mud was wet but warm and cooling fast. He had appeared in the air next to Igniria because of the heat. Her fur was steaming but it too was cooling. His eyes narrowed as he took in the other deity.

”This pack, this land and these creatures are claimed Oob” he said calmly, his eyes narrowed. He was not yet angry yet he was protective. He stood in front of Igniria his burning wings outspread and his head held high.

[Deleted]

SHe jumped as the creature materialized next to her, her heart speeding up. SHe could not help but step backwards. Behind her she heard exclamations and excitement, they all knew who this flaming male was. She was torn between bowing down and standing her ground yet he wasn’t paying her much attention at this moment. Rather he was focused on the male who had introduced himself as Oob. This had never happened before, normally newcomers were welcomed and accepted, not warned off. Was this Oob a threat to the pack? Her eyes narrowed as Phoenix spoke.

The wolf deity stood in front of her protectively and in such a way that she remembered that he was her great grandfather of sorts. She looked to Ayanco, at loss and not knowing what to do, the other female was more experienced, surely she would know what to do. SHe stepped forward, allowing a few of his flames to touch her fur. They were not hot as she expected but rather they were cool, yet they were slowly heating up leading her to believe that Phoenix did not enjoy the idea of this male being here.

[xexes]

A figure evaporated in the air next to the female who'd howled, and told him that the lands were claimed. And that the creatures were claimed. This confused him, and his face morphed visibly at the words, as if he were told that the universe was made out of cucumbers and pickles and nothing else. He'd come to join a pack, as this female had howled a summoning and rallying howl (so he'd thought) for more creatures to come and join the forming pack.

He felt unsure of who was boss, so he waited. And when the female who howled didn't say another word, he knew who the boss was: not her. And he also knew his answer: get out. His presence was not appreciated, and they wanted him to leave. As much as he wanted a pack, things had gotten too risky for him. He wanted a calm pack where he could be protected, but here, he was not protected, and he feared for any violence that might break out on his behalf.

He bowed slowly, respectfully, his limbs creaking like trees in the wind with the effort, and then turned tail to leave.

-- exit --

[Hyenism]

Aya was not surprised to see their great deity, nor was she surprised to take note of the ferocity of his actions, not quite harsh, but very bold. He was the embodiment of fire, born of it, part of it. All that he was could be expected and yet unexpected, thus was the nature of fire. She lowered her head respectfully, but did not tear her eyes from the goings-on. She watched the exchanges, and made no motion to stop Oob from leaving. When all was said and done, and the stranger gone, she slid easily back up on her low-hanging bough, and sat. Watching from a slightly elevated perspective. She did not fear their 'god'. She was impervious to his particular brand of unstoppable power, having a form that could neither be cooled or warmed in any way.

She didn't speak, not a word, just watched with calm, unblinking eyes. Her tail swayed passively, her ears swiveled, paying more attention to the sounds around them. She looked almost board, but she was not, she was showing the same amount of respect she would show to any other creature of his stature, mortal or not, and if he motioned for her to leave she would do so without another word. She doubted many of the creatures here had ever laid eyes on their beloved guardian, she would give them their time, but she would not leave unless asked.

She did, however, give Igniria an inquisitive gaze as she tilted her head in silent questioning. More likely a question along the lines of 'any idea what's going on here?'

[Deleted]

He stretched his firey wings, allowing them to dim and disappear as he watched Oob amble off into the distance. He did not mind mortals stepping onto his land but the power of deities was dangerous. They would not only threaten him but they would harm his followers. The pack that he looked after as lovingly as he did. He breathed out, a flicker of flame erupting from his maw and he grinned. It was a grin of satisfaction, a grin that showed he was proud to know he was still dominant. He turned and looked at Igniria and his smile turned to one that was a bit more fatherly, protective and dominant. He nuzzled her and then stepped towards Ayanco, he cocked his head and then straightened up.

”You are the leader of the desert, I can smell it on you” he said simply and then turned to look at Igniria, ”Does this wolf please you?” he asked simply as a ring of fire surrounded Ayanco. He was more than ready to kill for Igniria simply because she was his follower and she was his. The desert was a strange smell, it irritated his nose and without expecting it he sneezed and the fires around Ayanco flared.

[Hyenism]

Ayanco was no stranger to the antics of gods, she did not flinch when he turned his attentions to her, and though she did not hold any disrespect, she certainly didn't bow her head. He spoke and she watched, and then he sneezed and the fires flared, lapping dangerously close to her flesh.

She lowered herself closer to the branch, which took to the flame quickly but would burn slowly and pose little threat. She was immune to his heat, so the damages from falling off a crumbling log was more of an issue. She narrowed her eyes slightly. "I'm no danger to you or your lands," she said flatly, "I've stood by the side of several of your leaders, your show of power is needless and I already know my place." She said respectfully.

She turned her gaze briefly to the flames, okay, she was immune to heat, and the normal mortal fires of Estyre, but a god flame, well, maybe she didn't want to tangle with that. There was a vast difference between the two, and she could feel the heat, not unpleasant but the fact she knew it was there was cause for concern. She bowed her head respectfully at the deity, just in case.