Bramble Falls by the way i tried to say i'd be there

For @Hexamora only.
Dated 10/30 - Partly cloudy & exceptionally cold, dusk.
Halloween RE: Nathaniel, you scavenge a carcass only to find that it's overgrown with maggots... and what's that thing crawling out of its chest?

Nathaniel had not managed his time well, a fact that was by now painfully clear as the sun had disappeared amidst the thick forest canopy, casting the gloom of dusk over the land. Orange light remained, filtering through best it could but it could not be argued that night would be upon him soon and still he had a mountain to climb to return back home. It was considered that perhaps he should save such a feat for the morning, that his energy would be best spent seeking shelter, yet the thought of bedding down in strange territory so thoroughly separated from his pack made the man feel incredibly uneasy.

As he neared the falls, the air began to grow heavy with moisture, eroding away the scents within the air. Perhaps this was why he could not smell the putrefaction within the carcass as he discovered it, tangled within the brambles of brush that rest beside the plunge pool created by the falls' erosive force. Hunger panged dully within his stomach, and he paused his determined return to partake in the free meal. Yet as he approached the marmot's corpse, it began to writhe, and Nathaniel jerked his skull back away from it, a sneer of disgust spreading over his features.

Just perfect, it was inedible. He was close enough now to see the tears within its hide, and what little light was left within the air glinted off the pale maggots as they devoured the putrid flesh. It occurred to him to wonder just how many of the minute beasts had infested the body, laying it to rest with only the crashing of the falls to serve as an epicedium, for it was difficult to believe that such tiny creatures could make the entire carcass tremble so. Perhaps he had imagined it, his mind magnifying the motion as it had raised such abrupt red flags, his teeth so close to taking a bite. With a chuff, he turned his back to it, green eyes scaling the mountainside apprehensively as he was made to face the prospect of climbing without a meal.

A deep cold began to consume the land as daylight handed over its warm filled position over to its colder, darker counterpart. What little rays of filtered orange light remained guiding Hexamora through the treacherous collection of bramble underbrush, one false step easily capable of sending the ivory woman for a late hour swim in the falls; that echoed in the distance, sure to chill her to the bones. Soon the sun will have set permanently behind the thin layer of clouds, enveloping the world in total darkness to make traveling near impossible. A disgruntled sigh at the notion of seeking a temporary shelter once again escapes the vixen's lips. At least her thick arctic pelage would aid in diverting some of the nightly chill.

Each paw was placed with precisional care as single pine green optic worked double time to make out the clearest path of travel in the gloom of dusk, her shadow no longer discernible from the rest that claimed the earth. Audits suddenly pivoted forward, embodiment freezing as a low chuff barely registered within hearing range, ivory tail curling over the length of her spine. Hex was definitely not going to bed down here for the night knowing a stranger lurked in the darkness. The small built woman didn't quite feel comfortable sharing this space, a decision to chase off the competition ringing as a fine idea, though. As swiftly as her limbs could safely allow she was off on the trail of this mystery wolf, the moisture building in the air discarding any scents possible of cluing her in on whom she may come face to face with.

There was no warning as a flash of ivory lept from the shadows toward the back of Nathaniel, teeth bared with the threat of seeking flesh and blood if their paws didn't get to moving. In her haste and ill-thought out plan, Hexamora had not taken the time to notice the maggot infested carcass below until it was too late. With a sickening squish her front limbs collided with the rotted flesh, sending her weight and the hoard of maggots forward with the force of her momentum. A yelp broke the air as her jaw met the solid surface of the ground, a wince apparent on her muzzle. Slowly her single functioning eye opened. At first the world was a blurry darkness, nothing a couple quick blinks couldn't fix. It was when the dark silhouette of Nathaniel came back into view that her stomach filled with a foudroyant feeling of leaded bricks likened to great embarrassment. Fuck.

(This post was last modified: Dec 19, 2015, 09:51 AM by Hexamora.)