Unyielding Tempest (Koiji)

[Ryu]

These were dark times in the land that Deorian’s called home, for high above in the heavens stood the ever ominous presence of dark clouds, as they hovered idly over the terra. Darkening the landscape for as far as the eyes of even the great flying partner could gaze upon. Their shadow cast a sea of doubt and dread over the very tree’s that lined the forest floor, and sent lera scattering into the four winds. Perhaps this was the gods will, for their power knew no bounds and could very well shape the land and air to however they saw fit. Tor and Fenris could even take the lives of the very children they gave birth too, and all too often Deor was reminded of this power. Not too long ago, the life of their former Drappa was claimed and too this day there is still remorse in the eyes of those who were closest too Lucivar. She would be remembered by Deorian’s for many generations to come. But more recently, another soul of Deorian blood was taken. His death was unexpected, and worse than that, unexplained. The loyal ivory and sapphire streaked guard of Deor was no longer among the living, and his death could still be felt in the hearts of those closest to him.

The air itself felt cold to the touch, no doubt brought upon by the oncoming tempest that crept its way across the horizon like a sinister hunter to defenseless prey. It was unusually cold for this season, despite winter being just around the corner. Perhaps not just the wolves of Deor mourned the death of Chayton, but the very land itself would drape itself in black robes and cry tears of sadness and sorrow. But for now, a beige-hued Deorian could not allow the events of his most recent past to weigh him down. Ryu had to be strong for his family, and for himself. His mother was still recovering from the loss of her mate, and battle wounds from a most recent confrontation. Deor’s Drappa now carried both physical and emotional scars that only time could heal, but Ryu would do everything in his power to speed up that process, and make sure that no further harm comes to his family. Though he may not yet have the power to protect the family he loves so much, maybe at the very least he could provide support in their time of need. “If only I was stronger…”

Clutched in his muzzle was the result of his excursion for the day, a dead rabbit hung lifeless in the jaws of the hunter. Its blood dripped into the awaiting taste buds of Ryu, and tempted the wolf to feast upon the kill himself. But this life giving meat was not for the wayward defender; rather the kill would go to his mother, in desperate need of care and support. Ryu knew not of the ways of the healer, but knew that food would at least bring life and spirit back into his tired mother. And if she could not hunt herself, he would hunt for her. Such was the case of this day, as Ryu hurried along the path back to the Deorian dens. The land was growing darker by the moment, for the clouds above streaked across the heavens faster than the paws of a wolf could take him. Turning momentarily, Ryu gazed towards the horizon behind him, and his sight was greeted with a display of lights that streaked across the clouds, and a hanging mist that crept along the terra like a specter in twilight. “I must hurry, the tempest approaches. I might not make it back to the dens before nightfall if I linger for much longer.” With that thought in mind, Ryu took off again, hoping to beat out the storm that was vast approaching.

[Koiji. ♫]

I'm really sorry for the wait, I hope the post is okay =3 [/i]

Winter was coming, the trees were slowly dropping the once green and fresh leaves, and lovely colours now lined the forests of Deor. You could tell that some great storm was on the way, a tang on moisture was hanging in the air, and the big grey clouds above the land didn't inspire confidence in the wolves of the land. There would, undoubtedly, be a tempest soon, where the heavens would open and wash the lands, recovering again from a loss of life. A little white figure was making her way toward the dens, hoping not to get caught in the storm, but rather watch it from somewhere safe. Koiji's pace quickened as she heard the first rumblings of thunder across the lands, and she nervously glanced up at the sky. It made no sense, death was all around them, and they only ever seemed to care about it when someone dear to them died.

Koiji had never been acquainted to Chayton, the one and only guard of Deor, but she mourned for him all the same, she knew it was her best friend Delilah's father, and her Drappa's mate. She knew of Ryu as well, who according to Lilah (Koiji's nickname for her friend) that he had taken his father's death hard. Koiji had only met him once or twice, the later time she had thought him to be quite handsome, although, she couldn't really say to Lilah that she liked her brother. The young she-varg sighed, and hoped maybe that she'd get a chance to talk to the beige Mann about what had gone on when she got to the dens. Although she never knew Chayton, she'd heard lots of things about him, and in her eyes he was a valiant varg.

The young wolf's thoughts turned once again to getting to safety before the storm came in, once again her pace quickened to a slow gallop, her paws hitting the ground at equal intervals. She was aware of something else making it's way along, and as she slowed and looked through the trees, she spotted a beige-y coloured wolf, carrying with him a dead rabbit. Her heart flipped, this was Ryu, and he was making his way to the pack dens too! She giggled to herself, wondering if he'd noticed her yet... She smiled, and walked gracefully through the bushes toward him. She wanted to call out something, but she didn't know if Ryu'd like that.

She smiled, and stood her ground. He looked anxious about something and she felt she wanted to comfort him about it, but she didn't think she could. After a couple of minutes had passed, she found she had worked up the confidence to say hello. "Hey, Ryu, I haven't seen you for ages!" She greeted him, remembering the last time she'd met him, it'd been a short affair, but she liked it. She was also kind of amazed that she didn't get tongue tied, but her bubbly nature carried it off. Her smile upon her maw grew slightly, and she felt like she should say more, but she was unsure of what she could talk about. This was strange, she felt shy. She never really felt shy around anyone.... Only the Dragga of Deor had met her shy side. She looked at the beige defender, wondering what he thought of her. Probably not much, he could have his pick of any and all fae's out there, why should he go for me??[/colour] She thought, sadly. She suddenly felt a bit of a dork; what was she doing? She wanted to be friends, but she didn't know what to say. For the first time in a long time, she was speechless. And it wasn't by what someone else had done, it was by herself.

[Ryu]

Every step the Beige Deorian took made it seem as the land itself was growing dimmer. Above in the heavens, dismal gray clouds swept the skies as a plague would sweep a village. Their destination was of no concern, only the contents they carried played any kind of role. For in essence, the tempest brought both life and death in its wake. Many animals will perish from the dire conditions of being caught out in the storm, yet the forest itself will drink from the springs of life in which the tempest brings and become refreshed and restored. The air itself hung with the scent of moisture, and the heavens rumbled and growled more profusely with each passing moment. It wouldn’t be much longer now, and the dens were still a while off. Yet with all the conditions that plagued the young defender on this day, his mind was pondering on a different matter, that of his mother and Dakota. There was no question now that the beta of Deor concealed feelings of affection deep within his well muscled form, and upon learning the truth from that very Varg, such a concept deeply disturbed Ryu.

He was worried for his mother, fearing that perhaps in her shock of losing Chayton, sought comfort in the form of another, this other being the Beta. Ryu knew little of Dakota and even less about his intentions, which didn’t help the situation at all. Yet it seemed like everything was out of Ryu’s paws, and he could only sit back and watch the events unfold before his golden orbs, much like the same events that ended with the injuries upon Mist, and the death of his father. So the question remains, can Ryu look upon Dakota, a wolf in which the beige male knows little about, as a step father? So far the results weren’t going in Dakota’s favor; the noble black knight as he is referred to by Deorians would have to do a better job in getting to know Mist’s son, if those results are to change. A flash of lighting brought the defender’s thoughts back into reality. The bolt streaked across the clouds and illuminated the ever darkening forest as it cut the air in two and made its presence known. With the moisture of the air, and the scent of the dead rabbit taking up his senses, a beautiful white fae went unnoticed until her voice hit the male’s ears.

The yearling turned, believing to have heard his name being called. A golden gaze fell upon the form of a silvery white fae, and Ryu nearly dropped his prized kill from shock. Her fur somehow seemed to give off its own glow of elegance to contrast the ever deteriorating conditions. Soft white fur lined her body from nose to tail, broken only by a bit of grape flavoring that ran the length of the underside of the tail, and of course her icy blue eyes. Ryu’s own orbs instantly grew lost in those pools, and he himself could not explain why. It was like looking into a vast ocean of infinity, where you wish you could look upon such majesty for all eternity. At once the male recognized the fae as being Koiji of Deor. They had met only a few times, but each time the effect was the same for him. Entranced and mystified all in one well brewed concoction. A few moments of silence passed, Ryu could feel her icy blue gaze on him and it made the male nervous, a sensation he wasn’t used too. At last though he dropped the deceased rabbit and spoke. “Koiji, it’s good to see you again. I guess you can say I’ve been out and about, I apologize for that.”

Though Ryu’s mind in general had been and still is plagued with the death of his father, he was not entirely ignorant to the happenings of Deor. “I heard that our Dragga promoted you to Scout,” Ryu spoke contently. “That’s what you always wanted right? Congratulations.” Ryu had a feeling that Koiji would make a very capable scout, for she possessed a stream like frame that would give her speed that he himself could probably never achieve. But now again, he found himself gazing upon the form of Koiji, and again puzzled as to why he keeps doing this. A drop of rain lands on the beige Deorian’s nose and brings his thoughts back into the known world. He looks away momentarily towards the heavens and is greeted by more rain drops. He had only briefly stopped, and all ready the storm had not only caught up to the two wolves, but now it rained its contents on them. A drizzle quickly turned into a downpour in a matter of seconds, drenching Ryu’s fur to the very skin and sending a cold sensation around his body. “We should find shelter!” Ryu speaks over the voices of wind gusts. Natural instincts now kicking into overdrive, he felt the urge to protect Koiji, and assure her safety.

[Koiji. ♫]

Koiji's crystal blue hues followed the beige defeneder as he turned to face her. As his gaze met hers, she glanced away, pretending to have been looking at something by his paws. In the fast fading light, Ryu's coat seemed to give off a homely glow; a warm light in the darkness that was predicted for the rest of the night. She smiled, if it was possible to see a wolf blush, the young she-varg would have been. As she looked up, her eyes met two golden orbs, clear, round and glinting warmly in the fading light. She saw the rabbit he was carrying seem to fall slightly in the air, but his head followed it down, and laid it gently on the ground. The voice rang out around her, like a type of music to her ears. The smile upon her maw seemed to grow slightly, once again she averted her gaze. "I guess you could say that,"[/i] She said, her voice sounding different to what it normally did to her ears, all quiet and tinkly. "It's good to see you, and heck, you don't need to appologise! You've done nothing wrong."

She knew that the young defender was going through a rough patch in his life, and genuinly wanted to help him out with it. She knew the pain of loss, quite well for someone her age. It was a wound that couldn't be seen to any type of eyes; not even the strongest night ones. It was like a void, that ate up it's host slowly, consuming it with fear and guilt. Momentarily, she began to think of her birth pack. It had taken her a while, but her void had been filled, and all the darkness and despair had disappeared. She'd found a family who loved and cared for her, and she was greatful for it. She wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. She shook her head, blinking away the thoughts of her birth family, and focusing on the matters at hand. Koiji's gaze met Ryu's once more, and she took in his form. She couldn't really explain why her eyes were so drawn to him, but from what she had learnt from Silve about her Night Sky, it was a way to tell that she might have been attracted to him.

The thoughts that were rushing through her head confused her slightly, she knew on one level, that yes, she did find him attractive, but on another, she saw him as her best friend's brother. He was quite lean, taunt, and not muscled to the extreme, but she found herself strangly... drawn to him. He was talking again, about her promotion to a scout. He was right, it was something that she had wanted to do for a while now, and was happy that she had got the opportunity to do so. Her lithe small form was built for speed, and that was something that she took pride in. She had been told by Chalos that if she would be promoted to a nurse if the pack ever need it, but at the moment, the job as a scout was better. She had agreed, and taken the offer with a great deal of excitement. She giggled and spoke again after he'd finished. "Yes, I was really happy when he told me that I was able to fill in a position." She found herself turning her gaze away to the floor again. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous, seeing as normally, she was really chatty. "What about you? I hear that your training to be a defender now? Hows that going?"[/i]

Only moments later did water appear to be falling from the sky. Koiji looked up, watching the drops sail toward the earth, splattering themselves upon the forest floor, and the two young Vargs. She looked over at Ryu, who, with the rain drops upon his coat now looked like he was sparkling, and then looked back up at the midnight sky. She blinked furiously as the shower soon turned into a downpour, and she had to look down. "It's started,"[/i] She called above the noise of the rain. "I love storms, but not being out in them!" Ryu yelled to her that they should go find shelter, she nodded and looked in the direction of the dens. Her whole being felt numb, the rain beginging to seep through the winter layers of her coat, and chill her. She took a few steps closer to Ryu, and was about to ask which way they should be going. When something in her head seemed to blaze. It lingered in the back of her mind that he seemed like a warm, safe presence by her side, and how she felt all tingly and nervous being this close. It was making concentrating hard. She looked at the beige Mann and smiled, her icy blue eyes twinkling.

[Ryu]

//ooc: God-Moding Aproved//

The tempest of the century rained its contents upon the land of Deor and its neighboring regions. The heavens were set ablaze in a fantastic display of mystifying light, as streaks of lightning ravaged the kingdom of Tor and Fenris above. A war of titan proportions devastated and plundered the skies, as hell itself seemed to take refuge in the chaos that ensnared itself within the kingdom of the wolf gods. From the ground, panicking lera could hear the sound of a raging beast, it’s presence could be heard and felt by all manners of living creatures, as it let loose a thunderous roar that felt as though it came from all four corners of the globe. Could this be the king of the tempest, or perhaps a war cry that would summon forth an even greater vent or rage? The wind itself raced along at a tremendous velocity that ripped grass blades from the terra itself and sent them asunder. Aimlessly they flew, governed by the mercy of the winds and the tyranny of the storm. No longer did it seem like the forest of Deor could benefit from this weather. These rains did not bring life at all, quite the opposite; they promised death to any and all in their path.

The wind picked up with each breath taken by the two Deorian’s, both caught unwillingly in the heart of this raging beast. Rain water was soaking deep within Ryu’s protective beige coat of fur, penetrating the very skin and numbing his muscles and joints. His fur hung limply from the weight of rain water and he could feel himself begin to shiver from the sudden drop in body temperature. Golden orbs looked to Koiji, she wasn’t managing much better in these dire conditions. She was barely audible over the howling wind, as her protective winter coat took the brunt of rain water, but it too fell to the mercy of the elements. The ivory Deorian scout moved closer to the beige defender, her icy blue eyes met his golden eyes. They sought golden comfort and Ryu would do his best to fill that role. “Hopefully this won’t be the last time we’ll be in one!” Ryu responded over the howling wind, his voice beginning to grow horse and numb as he took in frosty air into his lungs. “The den’s are too far, we’ll have to find a cave to shelter!” The beige male soon padded next to Koiji, his side rubbing up against hers protectively sent a small bit of warmth between the two wolves.

Golden pools scanned the terra, as the defender in training tried to get a grasp on his bearings. Fortunately for Ryu, he knew the land of Deor well and recalled the site of a cave that was close to their current location. It used to be home to a family of bear but has since been long abandoned; now-a-days it served as a marker in territorial routing. On this day it would serve as much needed shelter. “There’s a cave not too far from here.” Ryu whispered in Koiji’s ear as he brought his muzzle close to her aud. It was quickly becoming apparent to Ryu that he was losing his voice in this storm, as his lyrics mixed with hot breath seeped into the ivory scouts open aud. “I promise I’ll get you there safely.” But just as the whisper faded, the sound of wood snapping filled the vicinity. Golden orbs shot upwards, and their gaze was met by the sight of a falling tree branch. All ready weakened and withered, it had finally given way to the weight of water and wind, and was now quickly falling right towards the two Deorians. There was little time to react, and no time for Ryu to get Koiji out of the way of the incoming branch. There was only time for the beige Deorian to make one move…

A crash could be heard throughout the territory of Deor, the sound echoed and reverberated across the landscape and reached the four corners of Deor’s borders. It sent frightened birds and lera scattering like panicked field mice. A bird’s nest that had resided on the fallen branch was lost to the whim of fate. Its contents scrambled in shards of broken eggshells and remnants of a nest that was. The fates of those unborn chicks however, were fortunately not shared by the Deorian’s. Ryu opened his golden optics, his head pounded and his ears rang from the sound of the loud crash. To his nearby left, the bulk of the branch had missed him only by a few feet. The realization of narrowly escaping certain death was slowly sinking into the mind of the male, leaving his golden gaze filled with shock. Turning his gaze away from the branch, he looked down to the sight of Koiji beneath his form. Ryu had managed to get atop the fae before the fallen branch landed on the ground, affectively shielding her body from harm with his. Now the two wolves lay on the ground, his body over hers. But before he could ask if she was ok, a wave of pain rippled through the male’s body, causing him to yelp instead. Golden orbs instantly shot to his left front paw. While trying to protect Koiji, he had sprained it in the process. Ignoring the pain in his paw as best he could, Ryu spoke. “Are you ok Koiji?” His voice and lyrics still a whisper.

[Koiji. ♫]

Rain lashed down upon the Deorian lands now, covering every visable surface and splattering into the ground. At first it had only seemed to be light, growing from a shower quickly to a downpour, and now it was as if the wolf God's were emptying an ocean over their heads. The two young Vargs started to move; both of them now dripping wet and numbing from the cold that was penetrating their bodies from the rain. Koiji's bright blue hues did their best to say to Ryu that they were going to get through this, his golden ones seemed to say to her that he was there to give her comfort and support during this vicious event of nature. She smiled faintly to him as he spoke about how they'd hopefully not be in one this vicious again. Doubt about reaching the dens was creeping into Koiji's mind, and she thought about the closest means of shelter to where they stood. Ryu's voice was being carried over the winds; now a little hoaser from taking in the cold air. A cave? Her mind spun, attempting to think of where the cave was positioned. She knew of a place that was like a sort of overhang, her and Delilah had played there once. Was that where the beige defender was talking about?

"Sounds like a plan to me!" She yelled over the sounds of the tempest. He had moved closer to her, and she felt a suprising amount of warmth shoot up her side. She shook herself ever so slightly and peered into the misty eye of the storm. She knew where abouts she was, where the two of them stood, but in this terrible tempest, it was hard to believe that this ever was that quiet peaceful clearing they had stood in before... The fae closed her eyes, trying to imagine where this cave was. He promised he'd get her there safely. Her heart seemed to skip as he made the promise, she couldn't tell wheather it was from shock of seeing lightening fork its way to the earth, or wheather it was from flatterly. She looked up at him, they might have been the same sort of age, but she stood at least a paws width from being the same height as him, and said "I know you will."

No sooner than the promise had been made, was there a large snapping sound from somewhere. The scouts keen eyes flickered to the source of the problem, and realised that there was a tree begining to make its way toward them. The crystal hues widened, in fear that they might be squashed under the tree, and she yelled to her friend; "Quick, Ryu! Move!" But the defender was a step ahead of her, before she knew what had happened, she felt her paws give beneath her, and the deafening crack revert around the vicinity. Her eyes clamped shut, she wasn't aware of what she could feel on top of her. She heard a yelp, and they snapped open. The defender was on top of her, shielding her from the main onslaught of the tree. Of course, it had been him who yelped. She looked up, and her gaze latched upon his. "Oh my Tor, Ryu are you okay?"[/i] She spoke at the same time as him, her voice too growing hoarse from the storm. Their lyrics mixed together, and the icy Deorian averted her gaze to the tree that lay next to them. "Ryu, your paw," She spotted the wierd position it was in. "Never mind about me! What about you?!?" Hoping he wouldn't take what she did next personally, she gently shuffled out from underneath him.

Once on her feet, the scout moved quickly to her friends side, and with her nose started to nudge the small broken braches off him. She made pretty quick work of it, and soon he was free the tree. She noticed that he seemed to be having difficulty with his paw, so, after making sure the branches were clear of him, she rushed back to his head so she could help."There, hows that?" She asked, her blue hues searching to see if anything else was causing the defender pain. She nuzzled his face before suggesting to him to get up. "We really need to move, do you think you can take any weight on that paw of yours?" He attempted to get up, seeming to take the weight on his injured paw well at first, but his body slumped again after a while. It was then that Koiji has a brainwave. "Ryu," She spoke softly to him, "Do you think that you could get up if you leaned on me?" She moved to his left and positioned her body next to him again. "Here, lean on me, and take your weight on your other paws, you can use me for support, don't worry. I'll be here as long as you need me." After a bit of effort, the fae and the defender were standing. "There we go, well done, now, your going to have help me with the directions. I'm not too sure where this cave is." The two set off, more slowly now, and sopping wet. Ryu leaned against Koiji, walking gingerly now, avoiding putting too much weight on his paw. She smiled and encouraged the Mann to move, following the directions he gave her. She was begining to feel the brunt of the storm now, the cold was getting to her. But the warmth from her friend at her side was enough to keep her going.

[Ryu]

As a defender, one takes on a very heavy responsibility, for it is their job to ensure the safety of those entrusted to them. If the defender should fall, it could very well mean the end of both their lives and such a notion weighed down heavily on the mind of the beige Deorian. As time passed, the situation seemed to grow worse and worse. Before at least, Ryu had been healthy and fit to fulfill his role and promise to Koiji. However now spoke a different tune in the form an injured paw and a far more injured pride. At first Ryu tried to rise up on his own power, but quickly his chest fell to the maddened and wet surface of Deor. His left paw shot pain throughout his body and caused the yearling to feel numb from shock and exhaustion. Sensing distress Koiji quickly worked to remove the excess branches from Ryu in hopes to relieve some pressure off the exhausted mann. Golden orbs watched as the ivory scout successfully liberated the young defender from his branch like prison but Ryu was still unable to get up on his home. His last attempt had failed in a flash of pain and yelps.

Koiji’s nuzzle of encouragement brought much needed warmth, and Ryu found himself now depending on the fae for all matters of assistance. “Some defender I’ve turned out to be.” Ryu thought to himself. Shaking his head a bit from the throbbing, he did his best to answer the concerns questions expressed by Koiji. “I’m not sure.” Came a raspy whisper from the beige male. Again Ryu tested his injured paw, bringing the same results. Now he knew for certain, there was no way he’d be able to reach shelter on his own. The clarity of the situation was now more apparent to Ryu than ever before. The rolls had been reversed, Koiji was now the defender, and such a shock couldn’t have come at a worse time. Silently he complied with all of the ivory scout’s movements and notions with simple nods and gestures, using a horse and sore voice as an excuse to keep quiet about the emotions that ran the course of his body. His pride had been injured, and another promise broken. “I’m no defender, I’m just useless and a burden. She would do better on her own.” Ryu thought, as he leaned on Koiji’s side.

Soon the two wolves were on the move, they advanced at a slow pace, Koiji having now to deal with both the elements, and an injured companion. Ryu motioned in a direction with a movement of his head, indicating the direction they would need to go to reach the cave. As the two wolves slowly traversed the hardship of the storm, Ryu kept quiet, pondering to himself. His gaze had lost its luster and his pride had taken a mortal blow. The yearling felt like baggage, he knew he was slowing the ivory scout down. Each painful paw step proved that theory accurate and thus made Ryu feel worse. A kind of discomfort that outweighed any his sprained paw was giving him. The trek was long and difficult, but at long last the cave in question was within their sites. The two wolves stood quite a distance away still, but now hope was literally in site. Again with another motion of his head, Ryu confirmed that such a cave was the one in question. Once more Ryu tried to put pressure on his left paw, hoping to the gods now that he could at least make the rest of the journey on his own. A yelp of pain drowned all hopes of this and dowsed what little flame could have been left. The flame of a defender had drowned in this unyielding tempest.