macabre

Phineas - You discover a dead elk that is missing its skull and the nearby trees have blood smeared on them.

AW but quick replies only. Thread must be complete by November 15. :) If anyone else has the same RE, feel free to join!

There were aspects of the Vale of Shadows that were beautiful – and yet, there were aspects within the valley that were absolutely grim. Of course, the Deep Forest was an entirely different scenario altogether, and the word ‘atrocious’ came to mind as the ivory male propelled himself through the thick forests of the Mosses. He lost count of how many dead and rotting trees he had to leap over, and at times, crawl over, despite his large stature. The entire land left little to desire, and as his fiery eyes scanned the gloomy terrain before him, a soft snort escaped his muzzle.

Scouting out nearby possibilities for the migrating herds this upcoming winter, he came to the decision early on that the land was unsuitable for such a thing – no beast would want to be confined to such a space. Yet he could not stop his exploration just yet – it was a twisted curiosity that kept him moving forward, even with threatening grey clouds that rolled overhead.

Suddenly, the stench of blood pooled to his senses. The scent that was usually intoxicating churned his stomach, though lured him forward now in curiosity. Metallic and bitter as if he could taste it upon his tongue, his rolling stomach did a lurch then as he came upon the scene. Tattered and torn, the body of an elk lay in a heap just past one fallen tree – such a sight was manageable, except for the fact that the skull was entirely missing. A pool of red was on the forest floor, nestled in the thick mosses that bedded the ground.

Circling a tree, his eyes remained fixated upon the beast before him, his eyes narrowing slightly. The scent of death was overwhelming then, and what little thought he had of salvaging the carcass quickly dissipated with the rot that filled the air. His eyes drifted from the animal to its surroundings, wondering if any signs of what had happened had been left behind.. Instead, his eyes met with red trees – this had been no simple hunt, but a slaughter, and a shiver suddenly coursed his spine as his thoughts drifted to what could have done this.

The day progressed like any other for the vagrant prince. His migration had always started out as a search for his sister, but the objective had shifted since he was away from the shelter of his former pack. For Jak was an animalcule to the rest of the pack world here on the Canadian terrain, he made no difference if he was alive or dead. He had lost so much weight since his journey, and his migrations were now solely scrounging for a source of food and shelter.

He had passed the mountain ridge days ago, hoping for less packs and greater prey, but it almost seemed in vain. Instead of being greeted with the lush and vibrant foliage it was a plethora of death and foreboding. This area especially seemed enigmatic and eerie as the spoiled wolf picked his way through the spongy mosses of the land. There was no prey to be seen, only the lazy insects that defied the changing of the seasons. The growl that sounded in Jak's belly translated into his throat as he tossed his head back and forth, shaking his anger and frustration to the disappointing forest.

It was a smell that lured him from turning tail and risking the venture back to the other side of the mountains. It was strong and near putrid, but made his saliva glands activate with ferocity. Before he could even register it, his tawny legs picked up the gait and he propelled himself toward the source. It could have been revolting, it could have been covered in maggots and - at this stage of the game, Jak was not a picky eater. His muscles clung desperately to his frame, attempting to linger despite his lack of food eating away at them. The retched stench lured him, and he stalked low and soft, not wanting anything to go wrong in his scavenging prowl.

He saw the wolf before he saw the kill. Jak slunk even lower to the ground, attempting to veil himself behind the twisted and gnarled carcasses of fallen trees and overlarge, sprawling roots. His ears were flipped back against his skull, and his tail was pulled tight against his haunches. He sized up the wolf, too large and healthy for Jak to challenge him for the meal, and Jak didn't want to risk his aggression if things went south. But he had to eat. So in times of desperation, Jak pulled at a hefty stone, picked it up neatly between his teeth, and tossed his head so that he threw it in the direction far, far away from him. It landed with a responding thud, and Jak quietly attempted to slip away the other direction.

I am the worst.. I am so sorry. </3

his eyes remained riveted to the beast -- or what remained of it. The scent of death continued to fill the air -- the coppery taste of blood penetrating his senses to the point he felt he could taste it. As juch as he desired to pull himself away, to simply leave.. he almost could not tear his eyes away from the sight before him.

A noise suddenly shook him from this trance. His gaze darted instantly to the direction of the sound as his figure tensed, hunkering down lower. Every muscle in his body screamed with the tension, his lips pulled back to reveal his teeth at any threatening creature that might come lumbering from the shadows. Whatever the noise -- the drop of something, the fall of a paw or hoof, seemed to silence suddenly. No sounds came to him then, and only when the gentle push of wind drifted past him once more did he release a low growl.

The stench of rot consumed him then, and while close to heaving the meal he had eaten earlier from the day, it was the scent of another dangerously close that captivated him. Masked almost completely by the scene before him, his muzzle swung around, his gaze darting to the foliage as he attempted to seek out his company. "Come out," he snarled lowly, his tail lashing the air as he remained rooted to the spot -- if his demand went unanswered, he considered the idea of flushing the other creature out. Perhaps whoever it was had an idea of what had happened here.. or at least a theory.

Or perhaps.. they were the cause of it.