Stonewatch Timbers Growing Pains

ooc: @Xanthus ; welcome home.

N i c o s t r a t o s        Z a r e k s s o n Paws seemed to take the wolf on an almost impatient journey, easing himself between the trees at the most leisurely paced that could have been imagined. What should have been a gentle and predictable tongue was growing more and more short tempered as time passed, and thus there was no reason for him to not do much beyond a sharp narrowing of his eyes as he surveyed. What was ripe was the scent of the prey around, but Nicostratos ultimately had no clue which way to turn - whether or not it was even worth it to try. The giant, bulky built wolf snorted. Some days he understood why his mother had picked him as the twin to sacrifice, he was relatively mundane in comparison to his brother Xanthus. But who was always there to take down the heavy loads? Who was around to cause a chaos in the world when there was always a fair bit of pressure on what should have been going on in his mind, and he bristled absently with the notion that was tickling his senses. They had lost Kerberos, long ago, much to the dismay of the male. The one he would have liked to kill had been a fair bit of a temptation, it had sung to him as the wolf had taken and staked out the world of the Black Coasts. But when the bloodlust had started to call, they had set out. Kerberos, his slaves, and the demons snapping at the heals of everyone to keep them moving forward into the next generation. Young. It was an envy of Nicostratos, although he was not fawn of spawn. They were a tedium, but to have reached this age knowing that he had lost the opportunity to have them - as far as he knew, although who was to say; perhaps between his twin and himself they had scored some little off spring that would have been otherwise a temptation. As tail swished from one side to the other, he could only imagine how... tempting it would have been just to torment the unattainable. Ears swung on his head, and he found himself arching his neck faintly. Birds are just as obnoxious here as they were at home, The three stray calls of different bird species nearby was taunting him, and orange-red eyes narrowed. Foolish fowl, foolish!

(This post was last modified: Sep 11, 2015, 07:43 PM by Nicostratos.)

The tall male strode silently through the many trees that littered this landscape. He walked with purpose, even though he had no clear destination in mind. One of the first things one had to learn, was always to seem in control. One slight lapse of concentration, and some whiny irritant would begin questioning your authority. His lip curled at the mere notion that anyone would doubt him. He, who had years of experience behind him? He, who had successfully kept his brother from doing completely idiotic things? No, he would not accept some punk-haired youngster puffing himself up like a rooster. Youth was to be educated, and the methods of such education needed to be firm and unyielding. Show one sign of weakness, and you were doomed!

Pulled from his musings by the gravelly voice of the equally large male beside him, Xanthus turned his head. His brother looked as bulky and thick-headed as usual, but the elder twin knew what was hidden behind the coarse pelt and thick muscles. A slowly creeping weakness; one which ate at the nerves and the muscles. Old age was catching up on them, and the male detested that. Where once they had been a well-oiled machine that could take on anyone and anything, there were now certain considerations that had to be made. The ache in the joints on those cursed misty mornings of late november!

"Indeed that are, Nicostratos" he agreed after a moment's pause, letting his own gaze drift in the direction of the chirping birds. "They too seem to be unencumbered the inevitable end that stalks ever closer." He spoke was a lazy drawl, as though the subject matter was one that held no interest to him whatsoever. That was, of course, simply a masquerade. His age was forever on his mind, but he would be damned if he let anyone know that little secret. Only Nico was privvy to such information, and then only because the boy was the only living creature he trusted. "Their minds are too small to comprehend that their days of inane chatter and tuneless chirping are counted." He was disdainful of those scatter-brained creatures that needed to pollute the air he breathed. After all, stupidity may end up being contagious, and there were plenty fools running wild as it was, without there needing to be more of them!

N i c o s t r a t o s Z a r e k s s o n As much as it seemed to be some sort of harder spoken reality, his ears were swishing on his head as he attempted to rationalize the fact in his head that the world as he knew it was changing. The tension that was sliding through his limbs was a gesture of danger, and his ears seemed to come back on the piece of his mind that was best authorative of the well being of those around him. The only one who really mattered anymore was the blessing of which was his brother, and @Xanthus appeared like a ghost on the wind as always. The slender male was a tribute to the lineage, what could look like regal sophistication. If Nico would have been able to voice it, he might have once upon a time. The cute little flaw of where they had been gnawed apart though, it had the twin grinning cheekily at the other wolf, the energy pulsating through his body. Age was just a number, and the old wolf was determined to make sense of what was to become their next set of expectations. Control and purpose was always the intent, and the power that should have been given and the quest for eradicating that of their less desirable brethern was not going as swimmingly as would have been hoped. Such was why the heavy sigh slipped out of the gray male's lips, You need not worry, Xanthus - we're managing this just fine. They will quake and quiver when the call comes of our wrath, if they're due to have it. Smooth confidence, but there was simply no way to guarantee it. Nose to the air,he found himself wishing he would have had something clever to say; but his shoulders shrugged faintly on the matter. Besides, we still look as impeccable as we have since the day we were born... Grinning cheekily, the male was twisting as he yielded to the surge of affection. It accosted him his good humor, reaching out to touch his dark nose to the cheek of Xanthus. We will teach these nether-dweller, my fair brother, it's only up to you where we start.

(This post was last modified: Sep 11, 2015, 07:03 PM by Nicostratos.)

It was frustrating beyond comprehension, how time sneaked years of his life away and let them vanish into nothingness. To think that he was cursed with old age in the same manner that creatures of lesser intelligence were was simply unthinkable! Of course, he knew that it was inevitable. He bled like any common cur, after all. But regardless, he had always been of the opinion that growing old couldn't possibly be as terrible for him as it could be for others. And, if viewed objectively, perhaps it wasn't. Here he stood, just under eight and a half years old, and not much had really changed about him. There were larger patches of paler grey fur creeping around his cheeks and muzzle, but they didn't stand out too garishly against the backdrop of darker greys that made up his appearance. No, the faint signs of age were merely giving him a look of greater distinction; of heightened sophistication. So it could, and he was quite ready to attest to the fact, be a lot worse.

"Certainly" he drawled in reply to Nico's supposedly soothing words. "I am hardly going to let something as trivial as age keep me from worthwhile pursuits." What kind of gentleman would he be if he tucked tail and hid away at the first sign of adversity? Pah! He would show time where it could go stick it! He, in any case, was not inclined to let the world know of his affliction. He sniffed a little disdainfully as his brother continued speaking - Nico had always been a bit of a prattler if he put his mind to it - but there was no point in denying the truth the bulkier male spoke. "Right you are, Nico" he agreed, a small smile curving his lips as his brother's nose met his cheek. "Well, I suppose we'll need to seek out some companionship," his lip curled on the word. As though there could really be many in this land worthy of his time! But still, sacrifices needed to be made in the interest of gleaning information on the sort of society that was kept hereabout.

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2015, 07:04 PM by Xanthus.)

N i c o s t r a t o s Z a r e k s s o n Aged wine was sweeter on the tongue, but for a wolf age was always a dangerous promise. It was a twist and turn of fates that could happen very easily, could subject the world to things that would not otherwise be an issue. Nico was not about to look too deeply into his chaos and escapades, but he was realizing with some gumption that the world was turning out of his favor. There was going to be a time when he would have to take his brother, and fix things. Eyes remained lingering on the other, Xanthus' distinguished manner in which could not be told as something to take away from him. Nicostratos, on the other hand, was looking grizzled. He had never been as seamless as the more slender wolf; his build had not allowed for it. Such was why he took steps, the wolf attempted to reintroduce movement into their pause. Companionship. It was quite the reason to be going around and jabbing their faces into places it did not otherwise belong. The half smile swept up his features; Perhaps we'll find a harem to take over. Taunting words eased off his lips, eyes dancing with the notion; neither had much settled with the thoughts of families. Wandering was always as favored thing to keep together, and such was an anticipation that could not be thwarted. The urge to carry on the lineage, despite the accompaniment to the lineage's ways; well, the darkness followed them. It would spread outward, and it would infect anything that came from their loins. But so long as it was possible, there was some biological pull to make it happen. Just to see what the outcome would be. There seems to already a wide assortment of marked boundaries about... it's merely a choice of where to stumble on first. Thoughtful words murmured, and his paws restlessly swayed his body.