Dead Empress Backwater it's the body bag game

I'M STILL BREATHING, I'M STILL BREATHING

---

(I knew what I wanted, I went in and got it, did all of the things that you said that I wouldn't)

Asmund walked the edge of the pack's claim, his nerves aflame with fear but his determination strong. He breathed steadily, consciously, aware of every step he took, of everything around him, the sounds, shifts of light and shadow, the direction of the wind, the scents it brought. Everything was poured into presence, as though his very life depended on mastering this practice.

Something caused a branch to break and snap to his left, further into the woods that were not home, and Az froze, head snapping round and ears quivering with the strain of stain of standing so tall. The breeze would not help him in this moment, and the worms in his gut squirmed and insisted it must be the man who'd followed Llinnea into the Backwater that day. He fought back the image of him lunging from out of the dark and attacking him, tried to maintain that sole focus while his heart hammered on.

Moments passed, and nothing sounded nor moved. A rodent, perhaps? He waited longer still, counted as high as he knew to and then again, and was about to finally concede that he was being paranoid when it burst from its cover. He saw Rayjiek's face, and screamed.

@Oleander's cougar had been a parent, and their daughter had returned, young but still lethal in her own right. She lunged for the wolf, so small and so fearful she could smell it, intending to kill.

They collided and he was thrown from his paws. The impact knocked the wind from him, and its claws were already tearing into him by the time his terror-gripped body could think to react, piercing fangs sinking in somewhere above his shoulder.

"HELP!" he shrieked, tears springing to his eyes. It hurt so much worse than what the fox had managed to do to him, and all he could think of was how long it had taken his poor mother to die, how long she had fought for.

"HELP ME!"

What if no one came until it was too late, like it had been for her? He couldn't hear anyone, no snarls or barks or thundering pawprints, just the ripping of his fur and skin and his own sobs. No one was coming, not in time.

Asmund twisted, sinking his teeth into his attacker with a vice grip. His hind legs began to kick mercilessly, dull claws digging and ripping. The cougar began to growl and hiss through her own grasp, but her determination was just as strong. What the fuck had he even done to this thing to deserve such a vicious attack? What had he ever done to anyone to constantly be made a victim?

Az snarled and bit down deeper, instincts and training both kicking in. He began to shake his head with such force it incapacitated the feline's shoulder, effectively taking out one limb and its excruciating claws. It faltered from the pain and impaired mobility both, giving him the opportunity to regain his footing and wrestle it down beneath him.

It was his turn to hurt, now.

(I told you that I would never be forgotten, and all in spite of you I'm alive, you took it all but)

---

I'M STILL BREATHING, I'M STILL BREATHING

(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2024, 01:51 AM by Eros.)

SAGE HERVOK

Sage could recognize that cry from anywhere. Asmund. Except, this didn't sound like his normal anti-social squeal. Her heart dropped, along with the freshly killed rabbit that had been swaying between her jaws. A cold chill shuddered down her spine as her hackles stood on pinpoints. She was hurting from her cramps. Especially with just completing a hunt. Nevertheless, the woman took off in an uneasy gait. She moved as fast as she could while limping across the terrain back towards the border.

She hadn't been too far, but speed was not necessarily her strongest point at the moment. Catching the rabbit had been a game of extreme patience. The sight that met the woman had her head instantly skywards calling out for all of the Backwater adults. As her voice tapered off she approached the interwined pair with her tail held high. A snarl ripped clean from her throat as emerald eyes looked for an opening. Sage didn't know how to join in the frenzy to help her pack mate, hesitating as she stood there desperately wanting to help him, but not knowing how.

"SPEAK"

Dead Empress Backwater

EUNA VALLE

---

Naturally drawn in by the commotion, Euna was casually strolling towards all the hoopla. It was just Asmund and he overreacted as far as she'd been able to tell in her young life. So a cry for help me help me could be about anything, right? Maybe it was another incident with the spikey creature she'd heard rumors about. The call from Sage piqued her interest. Intriguing. The pup picked up the pace with vigor. Maybe this was something she wouldn't want to miss out on after all.

She hadn't been as close as Sage, so it took her a few to cross the territory and reach them. Not to her surprise the older female was useless. Where was her backbone? Couldn't she do more than catch lousy fish all day?! "Don't just stand there!" Euna scolded as she darted past the creamy wolf. Without any real skill or knowledge, gracefully the child slammed herself into both Asmund and the cougar.

One Kiss away from Killing

BACK OFF, I'LL TAKE YOU ON, HEADSTRONG TAKE ON ANYONE

HANDLE YOUR OWN WHEN YOU BECOME A MAN

Eros paused his marking to listen, having just barely heard something that had sounded like a voice... then Sage's howl followed, and the leader was running before his mind could even catch up. He flew over the forest floor, heart pounding with adrenaline and fear both. It had to have meant someone else was hurt now, and he wasn't sure if after Sephrina he would ever not be afraid that he was about to be met with death. He smelled Euna along the way, and it worried him all the more. Then came the stench of blood, and his stomach dropped. He was already barking before the trees between had even fallen away to reveal the scene, certain that there could not be so much in the air if someone was not under attack. A small part of him had even been concerned that maybe one of the pups' dominance fights had gone too far, but his gut knew better. He flung himself into the knot of tussling wolves and cat, swiftly locating the back of the cougar's neck and biting down. In moments, it fell limp, its spine crushed. "Euna, are you okay?" he gasped the moment he knew their opponent was dead. As the youngest and his sister, she was his first priority, something he honestly did not think twice about.

BECOME A MAN WHEN YOU HANDLE YOUR OWN

(This post was last modified: Mar 10, 2024, 12:16 AM by Eros.)

I'M STILL BREATHING, I'M STILL BREATHING

---

(I knew what I wanted, I went in and got it, did all of the things that you said that I wouldn't)

When help did come, he could not hear it. He was getting the upper paw, he could feel its strength starting to give, and his confidence was mounting. He could do this, he was going to kill this fucking thing all on his own-

Something else hit him, distinctly not the adolescent feline. A loud snarl revved in his chest, but he didn't dare let go of the cougar until it was dead. His green eyes were completely encircled with bright white, adrenaline held them so wide, and still he couldn't make out who it was or whether or not he had a second assailant. It ended up not mattering. The next moment, Eros was there, Asmund able to see the older wolf's face distinctly given its proximity as he disposed of the rival like it was a scrap of brush.

Az blinked as he tried to register just how quickly the situation had changed, and what had been stolen from him. A fresh wave of anger brought heat to his cheeks as his tail rose and he growled at Eros, "I had it!"

(I told you that I would never be forgotten, and all in spite of you I'm alive, you took it all but)

---

I'M STILL BREATHING, I'M STILL BREATHING

(This post was last modified: Mar 07, 2024, 01:47 AM by Asmund.)

SAGE HERVOK

Sage had been standing there with wide emerald eyes, searching for an opening, utterly lost. Asmund had seemingly been winning, but she just wasn't fully confident. He was so small.

Before she could throw herself in the way or offer a word of caution the bane of her existence was there, running blindly into the chaos. The pup slammed into Asmund and the cougar alike. Sage panicked, reaching forward to try and snatch the girl back and away from everything but missed. Euna was only going to worsen the injuries the male gained with her lack of experience!

Before Sage could worry herself to death Eros was on the scene to save the day. Once again she was utterly grateful for her friend's capabilities. He was strong, wise, and loyal. She respected him rightfully so, not just because he was her alpha, but for the wolf that he was.

The cougar was quickly dispatched and the woman rushed over to Asmund's side to inspect him. She knew nothing of wounds, but these looked bad, her eyes glancing to Asmund's own with concern. A spark of anger ignited in her at Eros's words, if anything Euna needed scolding. Then Az shot out an equally frustrating remark. She bit back her anger for both males to the best of her ability, "Eros, come look please." The fear and frustration in her voice was evident. She did not dare once to peel her eyes off of Asmund. She wanted to reassure him somehow, to comfort him, but once again was helpless. The least she could do was make sure he didn't bolt.

"Speak"

Dead Empress Backwater

EUNA VALLE

---

To her surprise, Asmund didn't sound grateful that she was assisting! Instead, his snarl intensified. Euna snarled back, both at him and the cougar, before sinking her teeth into an open spot. She thrashed her head about, hoping to cause any level of damage to the feline. She was helping kill a cougar! How cool was that?! The pup played out a grand scene in her head of bragging to Tori and her brothers. Speaking of brothers, Eros came flying onto the scene.

The fun was over just as quickly as he arrived! She was torn between complaining that the cat died too easily and being in awe of her big bubby's strength. Before she could decide which she favored he was fussing over her. "Yeah, did you see that? I helped!" She boasted proudly to him, her chest puffing up as a widespread grin sprawled across her face. She searched his eyes for acknowledgment of her achievement.

"I had it!" The angry voice caught Euna off guard, her head poking around the large frame of Eros to stare blankly. His tail was up and he looked mad. Her brows knitted together as her tail curled over her back, "Don't yell at my brother!" Then Sage was stressing over Az, further angering the girl, "Shut up Sage!"

"Speak"

One Kiss away from Killing

BACK OFF, I'LL TAKE YOU ON, HEADSTRONG TAKE ON ANYONE

HANDLE YOUR OWN WHEN YOU BECOME A MAN

Somehow, the situation deteriorated even after the cat was dead. Eros was quick in his review of Euna, who seemed to be in pristine condition. A sigh of relief left him, then he heard Asmund's anger, and Sage's concern as he turned. It was bad enough, the state the yearling was in, but then his sister's voice shouted out from at his side, clearly far too wrapped up in the excitement of the moment. Eros was mortified, and it showed through his dropped ears and widened eyes as he looked to Sage, but his sister wasn't the only problem. He could hear Az's displeasure before he saw it, the tension doubling all at once. The boy looked ready to strike, and Eros felt as though he needed to act quickly to diffuse. He stepped completely between Asmund and Euna, removing them from each other's view, and faced his sister. They would definitely be having a talk about her words, especially regarding Sage. His friend had done nothing wrong, and was only trying to help despite having not been well the past few days. Cracking down on Euna all at once, however, especially with an audience, was not going to help, and her rudeness was not the highest priority here. Asmund needed medical care before he could deal with anything else. "Euna. That is not helping," his voice wasn't quite as stern as he'd wanted it to be, but it was still clear that he was serious and expected her to listen, "I need you to find @Viorel and tell him what happened, it's critical and you're the fastest one here." Hoping that was enough, he would turn in place to now face the boy. Part of him wanted to scold him for baring fangs at Euna, half-motivated by the desire for his sister to feel she wasn't the only one being corrected. The minute his peach eyes were on him though they softened. What else could they expect from him right now? He began to lick blood from the yearling's face and look him over to ensure there was no damage that couldn't wait for them to get to the infirmary and his supplies.

BECOME A MAN WHEN YOU HANDLE YOUR OWN

(This post was last modified: Mar 10, 2024, 12:16 AM by Eros.)

I'M STILL BREATHING, I'M STILL BREATHING

---

(I knew what I wanted, I went in and got it, did all of the things that you said that I wouldn't)

The deep punctures from the bite burned the worst, providing a focal point while the rest of his torn body ached and bled. Nothing was so severe that his life was presently at risk, but scarring was practically a guarantee at this point, as well as infection. He didn't know it, but feline teeth were particularly lethal. Still, he was alive, standing, speaking up for himself.

'Don't yell at my brother!'

Asmund's eyes snapped onto Euna, immediately widened with rage. He wasn't putting up with another @Isla, especially when this little shit wasn't even Viorel's, and especially not when he'd just taken on a cougar. She was nothing compared to that, and Az felt a strong urge to prove it to her. His tail arced high over his back now, and his hackles stood on end while he bared his fangs at Euna and took a step toward her. A deep, threatening rumble rolled like thunder in his chest.

Then suddenly all he saw was Eros' great wide tawny hide, and he snapped out of it. His ears planed to the side with annoyance, and he scowled deeply. All he heard was the guy praising and coddling the asshole, and again he was reminded of the bullying he'd gone through from age-mate Valles, and how they'd never once gotten corrected for it.

When Eros' attention was on him again, he was brooding darkly. The older wolf's touch elicited a growl, but the sound faded as the care became comforting. That was more like it. He'd nearly forgotten Sage, Euna's presence was so much larger.

(I told you that I would never be forgotten, and all in spite of you I'm alive, you took it all but)

---

I'M STILL BREATHING, I'M STILL BREATHING

(This post was last modified: Mar 07, 2024, 02:14 AM by Asmund.)

SAGE HERVOK

Everything escalated once Euna opened her mouth. Sage was familiar with the disrespectful snaps. She knew how to ignore the sharp words, clearly, Asmund did not. Uncomfortable with the confrontation, she wanted to reoil from the scene. The she-wolf willed herself to stay in place. She was higher in the hierarchy and turning tail wasn't the answer. She took a step forward with a dominant glare cast towards them both in turn. She wanted to be looking at Eros for guidance instead. She wanted him to show her how to handle this sort of situation. It was like he could read her mind, the male creating a physical barrier between bristled wolves. She was keen to pay attention as he took control.

To her relief, he sent the hellion off on a mission. The tension in her body relaxed, her tail falling into a slow wag. The focal point of attention brought back to Az, "Is it bad?" She walked up to the smaller wolf to inspect. Studying the way Eros's eyes addressed the wounds. Concern riddled her brain as she fretted over her pack mates well being.

Sage shifted her focus to Asmund. In an attempt to comfort him, she offered a platonic compliment, "You were brave." Sage started to smooth some of his furs down with her tongue, removing bits of blood as their alpha had.

Dead Empress Backwater