Skeletal Hill eating hooks

@Dread
Forward dated: Oct 19th

Of one thing, Mako was certain. If he was told to do one thing, the boy was sure to do the opposite. On an earlier outing with his mother in the Red Fern Forest, he had noticed little animal skulls dangling from branches, or propped up in the crook of a tree trunk. His mom had warned him not to go past them, simply stating that anything beyond there wasn't worth seeing. Unfortunately his mother's tact of trying to make it sound boring hadn't worked. He wasn't stupid, she wouldn't tell him not to go somewhere for no reason. There had to be something there.

Mako left that morning, mentioning offhand that he was only going to go to the creek just at the border. Making sure no one was following him, most of all his loudmouth sister who would no doubt spill the beans, he snuck past the borders and off into the northern forests. He remembered the route for the most part, follow the creek and take a turn before it split. The skulls would show him the rest of the way.

The heavy snows concealed the carpet of bones that he walked over, but couldn't hide the little skulls and bones tucked against trees or draped along low hanging branches. He shivered, from the cold, he told himself, he wasn't afraid! He pressed onward to a clearing, finding at the middle of the grove a sizable mound, where the recent snowfall had yet to entirely cover the skeletons that made up the hill. Mako gaped for a moment. He was right! There was something here!

Mako yipped, clambering up to the top of the bony mountain. On his way up he swiftly picked up a deer femur to brandish aloft like it was a scepter. The boy positioned himself at the top of the bone pile, settling his rump down and holding his head high as he surveyed his new kingdom. All that stared back at him were empty eye sockets, and somewhere a wood mouse could be heard ruffling through the refuse. Mako snorted, this would not do! He had a throne, but if he was to be the king, he would need subjects.

(This post was last modified: Oct 17, 2016, 12:25 AM by Mako.)

For once, Dread felt like he was truly exploring the land that he had recently come into. Forests, vast lowlands and once again to forests, though this one had more of a...creepy vibe to it. Not that he minded at all, he liked spooky scary stuffs.

His shadow blended well in the shadows of the forest as he quietly walked around, curious about the bones that were hanging on the branches of trees and scattered on the ground. That's when Dread came across the pup.

The boy looked like he was playing king of the hill but instead of playing with other pups and an old stump or small hill of dirt, he was alone and had clambered upon a mound of skulls and bones instead, a bone clamped in his jaws like a scepter. Glancing around, he saw no other in the vicinity nor could he smell or hear anything other then the occasional sounds of a small creature scampering away.  So he was alone? Tsk tsk, what bad parents. Anyone could come back and steal this boy away. But he wasn't going to steal this boy away, like some ghost in the night. Oh no, it looked liked the boy simply wished to play and Dread would give him just the playmate he needed.

Crawling towards the mound on his stomach, Dread bowed towards the young boy, his head lowered and his chin dipping towards his chest. "Oh my Great King! How pleased I am to see you!" He cried with his eyes lowered, his tail sweeping the ground behind him. "I feared I was the only one to have survived the slaughter," With a sweeping gesture of his chin, the bones laying around them became the slaughtered citizens of the once great kingdom. "But I am so glad that you survived. I'm not sure what I would have done without your guidance! Whatever shall we do about the monster?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 17, 2016, 12:09 AM by Dread.)

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

Mako's eyes swept downward, amber gaze glittering as it settled on the large male that had appeared below. A stranger, only the second of which he had met in his young life. He grinned, pearly teeth shining against the white bone clamped in his jaws. Tail thumping behind him, he set the femur down at his paws before rising with his chest proudly puffed out before him. He didn't even have to do anything and he had servants crawling towards him. 

Mako fell easily into the game of make-pretend. He hummed thoughtfully, chin lifted as he considered his options for such a wolf-eating beast. Killing it was too obvious, and a waste as well. "Catch it!" Mako declared. "Catch the monster! We'll trap it in a cave, starve it till it'll listen to us!" Mako beamed, proud of his plan. He was a wise king, indeed. If a king had use for a wolf, a vicious monster was even more an asset. He could ride it, or make it do his bidding and destroy his foes. Not only would all the other pups have to listen to him, but the other adults as well! He was almost disappointed it was only a game, and there was no monster out there to catch.

The pup caught on to what Dread was playing and puffed out his small chest, as if now proud to have a servant of his own. The pup hummed as if in thought before answering his 'subject.'

"Of course, my King! What a splendid idea!" Dread crowed in agreement to what had been spoken, falling easily into the realm of pretend grovelling to the pup king. How easy was it to placate such a small being? Was it this simple to have him be entertained as a child? "It will have to listen, if we have all the food and it has none." Yet here, Dread paused, tiling his head only slightly up towards the young king. "But perhaps, My King, while it's a very good idea, we must still feed it. A weak monster is barely a monster at all. Only scraps of course, but just enough that it knows just who is the one in charge." It was a simple trick, one he had seen used many a time in hunting. Don't allow the elk to take a drink here, don't let it eat there, nip at its flanks if it so much as slowed down to rest. "I do not mean to question you, certainly not. But it must be taught who is king after all."

Keeping his eyes lowered, to keep in the game of the pup being king, Dread steadily rose to his paws. "But first Your Majesty, we must capture it. I saw its tracks not far from here, only a short walk. Shall we attempt to corner it?" He could still hear the rustle of the small creature nearby. How it hadn't been frightened off, he had no idea. But it was perfect. It could act as an actual monster for the boy to focus on.

A toothy grin spread across his maw, now this guy knew what he was talking about! They would show that monster who was boss around here! Mako started down the hill, where he slipped and stumbled in the last few feet, loose bones rattling in a fine snowy mix that slid easily underpaw, before catching himself and strutting as if that was exactly what he had meant to do. No problem, he had everything under control. The boy stood before the older male, not really realizing that the wolf in front of him was no more than a boy himself. 

"Let's go get it!" Mako chirped, mottled grey tail lashing the air behind him. Already he was walking and expecting his loyal servant to keep up, ears flicking to and fro though he was really more focused on his newfound companion rather than searching for rogue beasts. "What're we gonna feed it though?" He asked, angled head tilted quizzically. "My momma said the sask... sas... skaswatch eats naughty children who stay out too late after dark...." He said with a huff and a wrinkled snout. "I'm not a naughty child though!" He added with a sniff. They would have to find something else to feed it... Once they found it, that is.

"Well your momma isn't wrong, a lot of monsters do like the taste of little children," Dread ran his tounge over his teeth as he diligently followed Mako. "But! We have something that they like even more!" Seriously, this mouse was either the most stupid thing in the world or the most oblivious thing, becuase he could still smell it's stench. "This one is different, becuase it likes to eats the bones of those already dead." He spoke in a lowered, hissing sort of voice, eyes darting around to the multitude of bones that cracked under their feet and the ones that were staring at them with empty sockets, hanging on the trees. He spoke as if he didn't want the bones to hear him speak of them, as if they were the monster's next meal. As if he was sharing some great secret and wanted to make sure no other but Mako heard him. "It likes to crunch and munch on these dry bones, get them stuck between its teeth and then slurp out the marrow in them, because that's the best part of the bones." Suddenly, Dread went silent, ears pricking.

"Shh, it's right in there, see?" Dread crouched low to the ground, nose pointing toward where the small rodent had been trying to stuff leaves into its home for the winter, his voice in another hushed whisper. "It's not big but it's very vicious. Once, I saw one of its kin take down a full grown bear!"

"I mean, it is the best part..." Mako mused more to himself as he walked, before noticing the swarthy male behind him had stopped, his ears perked as he listened. Mako, too, listened, dark amber eyes fixed on the location the stranger pointed out. He heard a rustling, rattling, scurrying. But how could such a big monster be hiding in there? There was nowhere to hide! Nonetheless, Mako crept closer, oversized ears alert. Just as he felt like he was nearly on top of the noise, it stopped altogether. Mako looked around, baffled, glancing at his companion in confusion, even. Then he looked down on the ground right in front of him. Right there, bold as day, was a black little mouse, beady dark eyes bulged out as it stared straight at him, standing up on its hind limbs with its forepaws drawn up against its chest. 


A few seconds passed, the two seemingly frozen in time before Mako finally made a move. "Ehhh?!" he cried, "Its just a MOUSE!" From the mouse's perspective, there were two very BIG monsters here who had suddenly taken up way too much of an interest in her. She squeaked, tiny paws quickly scampering over the bones, where her twitching whiskers and ropey tail soon disappeared into the little hole it had carved out for itself beneath the pile. Mako growled as he raced after, his high pitched voice far from the menacing rumble he intended. His ashen paws fell upon the ground, black claws tearing at the burrow to get at it.

Dread laughed lightly at Mako as he dove after the mouse, tearing at the burrow with his paws as his dark rump stuck out of it. "A mouse is still fierce, if left cornered My King." Dread swung around, nose low to the ground as he quickly tracked the mouse's back entrance, the one it would use to surely escape from his young acquaintance's digging.

It was easy to find and Dread let a deadly grin cross his face as the mouse poked her head out to escape before letting out a shrill cry upon seeing him. Her little head disappeared back into the burrow, clearly panicking as she attempted to think of a way to escape. She had one monster fiercely digging to get to her and another with a wicked smile and looking at her like she was his next meal - which was very likely. Dread pawed at the entrance, thinking to scare it back towards Mako. The scraping at both ends was surely driving the small thing made with fear, two very big monsters clawing at her home and no way to escape. What the hell was she supposed to do now?!

"Come out come out little mouse," Dread drawled menacingly at the mouse, still grinning widely as he dug slowly at the back exit. "My little king is hungry and wishes to feast upon your little bones."

@Dread

Mako stuffed his muzzle into the burrow, teeth clacking as he tried to push himself in further and grab anything that found itself between his jaws. His efforts were futile, and instead all he got was roots and dirt. The boy spat, pulling himself out and looking over to the inky dark wolf who had positioned himself on the other end. "Have you seen anything yet? You didn't let it out, did you?" Mako snappily asked, growing concerned that the mouse would simply bide her time until the two grew bored of it. 

Instead, Mako felt something tickle over his paws, and as he spun around he watched the tiny black blur dart off into another stack of bones, vanishing into the remnants of a moose. Mako dashed and dove after it, sliding along the bones and crashing face first into the pile. He lay there for a moment, dazed, before picking himself back up and metaphorically dusting himself off as if nothing had happened. He felt something heavy sitting on top of his head, and his amber eyes rolled upward to find the moose skull perched over his scalp, a little black mousy face peeking out from an eye socket. A king had to have his crown. Mako looked over to the black wolf, smirking as if he had planned the whole thing himself.