Lore of the Wild, Part One: Tooth and Claw

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Kimiko had only just sat back down in the seat that she had been assigned when the Bull thanked her by her first name. Kimiko wasn't really all that surprised normally formalities would just get in the way in her own opinion. She just hoped that this Bull and the other Beasts didn't think that they could say her first name because she was less than them or they were her equal. The only one in this tent that she felt to be her equal in terms of power would more than likely be Eadgils. While it was true that all of these beasts were Alpha she was an Alpha in her own right and they wouldn't be able to bring her down seperately which is when referring to her directly didn't bother her at all.

It seemed more importantly though that this Bull by the name of Romus didn't like the idea of Eadgils being the sole Alpha. It seemed that he believed that Eadgrils wouldn't be the savior of their race, but instead the reason for their ultimate destruction. When he spoke of such the other Alpha's that were in the tent seemed to mock him for his believe. At the same time though Eadgrils seemed to be at least slightly irritated at the words of the Bull. There was a faint threat in his tone which suggested that perhaps the other Alpha's weren't getting as much equal speech as Eadgrils had let on earlier.

When Romus actually brought up what he viewed as a problem though Kimiko couldn't help, but see the logic in what he was saying. It seemed that as Beasts did in the typical manner only the strongest was fit to rule and by forcing himself to be leader through knowledge Eadgrils wouldn't gain the support of all the packs. It seemed though that a third of the total packs weren't in favor of Eadgrils being made the sole Alpha in this manner and the Bull felt that it meant any attempt at rule would fail because of it so it'd be wiser to just stay seperate.

"My judgement on this matter holds very little weight as I'm not a member of a pack nor am I an Alpha to your race. I'm here on behalf of Soul Society to give my support the best I can so that as this new future begins it can start with you all having an ally you can all rely on. With all of that being said I do see the logic of both sides on this matter. Eadgrils wishes for your entire race to embark on a new way of life under his leadership. While a third of the race seems to believe that it's customs should be upheld. Now I see two possible solutions to this problem. Either the third that don't see Eadgrils as the Alpha can stay in Soul Society and the Human World as they have been or there can be an arrangment where Eadgrils proves he is the strongest of your race by fighting each Alpha of the packs that don't follow seperately."

[Zahra]

Once Zahra shouted into the stupid jackal's face and her aimed attacks hit true, she couldn't be happier. She had noticed the slight bleeding from her shoulder and could feel the blood matting up her fur. It was sad, but nothing too bad for her. Once she had stood up after her attack and watched Kharim fall, she felt something hit her. The pain didn't feel that much stronger than herself, but the mass behind it made her react.

She turned and saw that Ryok had pretty much tackled her to the ground. She had no idea how fast he was, but she assumed that he was faster than her. She growled low in her throat at being caught off guard that badly. The only bright thing she could think of was that now there was only one jackal harassing that wolf, so maybe he could actually do something to help her out. 

She was falling towards the ground and the first thing she thought of was that she needed to get up on her feet. She would have a severe disadvantage if she didn't get up to her feet fast enough. So, while falling, she tried to get her arms in the right position so she could do a back flip almost immediately, meaning that she wanted to land with her arms slightly bent over her head, like catching herself.

So once her back landed, she would move her hands near her head and use the momentum, if there was still enough, from her legs falling to help catapult her off the ground. She would let her legs continue the backward momentum, adding her strength and speed from the push off, as well as her own acrobatic skill, to try this maneuver to get up to her feet. If Ryok was still on her, she would try it to stand up and in the hopes of flinging the man off her.

The only other reason she would be doing this is because she didn't want the crazy one that bit her bite her again. If her flip didn't work, she would pretty much try whatever was necessary, including knifing them, to get back to her feet. Once there, she would try to run towards the creeping jackal on the ground. Since he was still moving and looked angry, she needed to try to quickly take care of him before the other.

She could try to take care of the other jackal, but since he was just crawling on the ground, she could easily forget about them and then be in trouble. She would try her best to quickly run behind him and slash both shoulders at the same time. She would pretty much try to slash the entirety of his shoulder socket quickly and deeply, in the hopes that he will then become immobile and that would take him out of the fight.

After this, she would try her best to keep up with this new fighter, staying out of reach till she got a good shot at him. While she was trying to get all of this done, she would randomly start yelling at Skoll. She didn't want to take her eyes away from the two jackals in front of her, so she just yelled loudly in the hopes that he would hear her. "HEY SKOLL! ZAHRA NEED HELP HERE! DO SOMETHING!"

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

“...You speak of this ‘Hellish’ aura, but I’m afraid I don’t understand. What does this mean? Does it have something to do with that weird feeling I get from him?”

Lumina’s ears would flatten as the Lion spoke. She was far better at hiding her frustration than Aevus. Who seemed to have already lowered his face into his right hand. He was both surprised and rather annoyed. Closing his two blues he wouldn’t hide that sigh. Of course the Lion didn’t know what he was talking about, it would have been far to easy. His fingers trailed away from his pale visage. His irritation wasn’t sheltered towards the Lion. More so the fact that he had forgotten what sort of beast he was dealing with.

The cougar had told him about this Lion’s kind. How the nomadic life of beasts differed from those who roamed the Rukongai but of course such memories wern’t perfect. He had certainly forgotten a few details. He breathed in deeply before returning his gaze to the large Lion. “Yes, I believe so...” Aevus wasn’t so sure himself. He’d keep his sapphire eyes locked on the Lion’s powerful ones. Regardless of the circumstances this Lion was still intimidating and he wasn’t about to give a reason to doubt him, he couldn’t lie.

“It means he’s dangerous.”

Lumina’s tail twitched and her ears pivoted towards the Lion. “Why do you suppose he had an escort to begin with?” She’d rise to her paws glancing warily up at the beast. “We wern’t trying to trespass.” The wolf’s forepaws dug into the earth and she’d clench the cold dirt between her claws. “For whatever reason I was tasked with bringing him here.” Aevus spoke up causing lumina to look over her shoulder and almost sneer at the reaper. “We...” Lumina corrected returning her silver lined irises to the Lion.

Planting his hand on her scruff he would let lose a soft sigh. “Yes, "We" were tasked with bringing him here." He'd correct himself. "He’s dangerous without the proper supervision. We can help.”

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: Sorry about the delay, folks, got a bit busy!))

Zahra’s quick maneuver helped her greatly; even as Ryok tackled her to the ground, even with no hopes of pinning her, her quick roll into a back spring had the male jackal tumbling forward, onto his face, making use of his momentum to keep him moving. This freed up Zahra, letting her get onto her feet before Kharim could close the distance between them. It also left her the opening of free mobility while Ryok was busy getting up to his feet, his speed greatly diminished when he wasn’t on the move, and this enabled her to make an attack at Kharim while the injured jackal was on the ground. Her knives flashed, aiming for the shoulder blade, and the downed male did his best to roll aside, avoiding the initial slash. However, he was now on his back, meaning that moving away effectively would be limited to rolling, putting him at a severe disadvantage.

Zahra would have about twenty seconds of uninterrupted attacking time as Ryok recovered from his dizziness before pushing himself onto his feet and charging at her. In this time, if she didn’t find a way to keep Kharim properly pinned down, she’d find herself grabbed again, this time around the legs so that she couldn’t perform the same maneuver to escape, and enough that it would hopefully buy Kharim the time to clamp on and get a proper bite. If he did, then Zahra would be at an increasing disadvantage; already, she had an injured shoulder, one that was probably throbbing and still bleeding somewhat, and another bite would just serve to weaken her further.

Her cry to rally Skoll was in vain, as well; Ormi had him pinned down, the jackal’s strength far superior to his victim’s, and he was raining down one blow after another, leaving the half-demon pummeled almost senselessly. So distracted was the wolf that he didn’t even take the time to throw another expletive at Zahra; he was too busy trying to protect his face from the punches being thrown at him. There wasn’t even time to concentrate for the use of a Kido spell; because he was still a novice at Kido, and only knew the basics of them, he didn’t have the ability to use spells silently or even cast them without at least a modest amount of concentration. For now, it would be up to Zahra to handle things by herself… if she could.

---

“Dangerous, huh?” The leonine guard seemed curious, but he didn’t argue the point. “Right. While I’m sure that we can handle him, it may be best to have some experts on the situation at hand. If you are willing to accept an escort, then I can lead you into the sanctuary long enough to retrieve the wolf so that we can monitor his actions. Once we are assured of how best to handle him, then you will be asked to leave again. Is this reasonable?”

If Aevus gave a positive answer, then the guard would place a hand on his shoulder again, though this time somewhat more gently than before, and he would start to escort him deeper into the sanctuary, a place where few humans were allowed. Aevus would get a better idea of the layout, the circular design of the sanctuary, and see how the various tribes were packed within this region. There were few direct pathways aside from the one he was on, so if he ever had to make a quick escape, odds were that it would come at the cost of doing so straight through a crowd of these Beast-Clansmen. With most packs being so territorial, doing so unscathed would prove difficult, so it would likely convince Aevus that the situation would requite some finesse, and a need to flee was unwise.

Eventually, after a short walk, they arrived at the center of the sanctuary. On one side was the closed tent; if asked about it, the guard would say nothing, only to say that it was none of Aevus’s concern. On the other was the Arena, which was a sunken depression in the earth, uneven and roughly hewn, a natural occurrence as opposed to a constructed one. In it was a group fighting now; a pair of male jackals were struggling with a female one, while another jackal had pinned a familiar black-furred individual to the ground and was landing punch after punch on him while Skoll simply struggled to not take a crippling blow to the head. Overall, it was quite the brawl.

Observing the fight, Aevus’s guard seemed almost… amused. “This is the ‘dangerous’ individual you were speaking of? I know that pack of jackals, they’re mostly cruel and devious but not particularly strong. If he’s struggling against them, then he’s certainly no threat to the sanctuary. It seems I will have to ask you to leave, after all—”

Suddenly, however, a loud commotion came from the tent, the sound of several voices yelling, and another lion similar to the guard escorting Aevus came out at a full sprint, followed by another who went in a separate direction, crossing along the middle and passing by the Arena as he did so. Aevus’s escort grabbed him by the arm, demanding an explanation. “What the hell is going on? What’s the commotion? Where are you going?”

“It’s Eadgils! We need a healer, right now! Someone, anyone who knows how to treat illness! Several of the packs have those trained in healing techniques, and we’re directed to get as many as we can, right this moment. You, go stand guard over the tent, ensure that no one comes in, and that no one gets out; we have no idea what caused this, but it could be anything. Stay alert!” Aevus’s escort gave a nod and quickly glanced over at Aevus, debating what to do, before shaking his head and making his way to the tent. His responsibilities to his leader came before dealing with this human who was unlikely to cause any sort of trouble; the various packs could handle him if needed. He had been asked to leave, so the lion could only hope that Aevus would comply.

This left Aevus effectively alone, even in a large crowd of Beast-Clansmen. If any time was one to act, it was now. What would he do?

---

Kimiko’s suggestion was put out onto the floor, and there were small bursts of discussion here and there, but the deliberations didn’t last long. Romus sneered at the idea that those who didn’t follow Eadgils would remain behind, and he made his point very clear a moment later, his voice booming. “You expect us to give up our ancestral homeland? The place we originate from, the place that we were born in? Our choices are now to go home as Eadgils’ thralls, or to try and fight him, knowing that we’re the minority? Your argument is weak, Kimiko, and it’s obvious now that you are in support of this new regime. I see that despite its claims that Soul Society has helped our people, it’s obvious that your aim is to enslave us. What did Eadgils offer you? Power? Authority over the subjugated tribes—”

“Enough, Romus! You forget yourself!” A powerful hand slammed down on the wooden surface before Eadgils, and the leonine leader stood, his expression angered. Silence swept over the room for the moment, but Romus was already on the charge, and after recovering from Eadgils’ response, he gritted his teeth and continued despite that. “No, Eadgils! You forget that you are not the alpha of all packs just yet! And now, you would ally with the other races in order to subjugate us, in order to force us to follow against our wills? You’ve shown that you’ve already swayed the Shinigami to bully us and threaten us; note that it is fight or surrender our home! Why must those of us who are loyal to our roots be forced to struggle, while those who would give up their way of life gain the reward of their homeland? I will not stand for it!”

Conversation broke out on both sides, but the tone was very obviously angry and distraught. But it didn’t remain contained for long; a single cry from the supporting side echoed across the distance between the two, and an angry rebuttal came back. Before long, arguments started to erupt back and forth, and the general council broke into angered yells and thrown insults. No one had yet done more than rise from their seats, but it was obvious that the level of tension in the room was growing rapidly, to the point that it could escalate to violence. All throughout, Eadgils had raised himself from his seat, and was trying to regain order in the council, a handful of guards coming in to try and settle those involved. Their numbers were too few, however, to make order from the chaos.

And then the change came, so suddenly that no one had expected it. Only Kimiko, seated next to Eadgils, would see the first signs. Suddenly, the lion’s yelling stopped, and his eyes seemed to bulge with surprise. A choked, half-smothered gasp came a moment later, and then a trail of crimson seemed to drip from his half-opened mouth to fall to the ground below. A hand grabbed in vain at the side of his chair, but fingers suddenly numbed wouldn’t grip the wood, and Eadgils fell to the ground on his side, his body twitching, his eyes threatening to roll back into his head. The thin stream of blood trailing down his fate was met by a hacked-up splash of crimson liquid that coated the ground beneath his head, staining the fur of his muzzle and cheek.

Silence fell over the room immediately, and several individuals ran over to inspect the fallen leader. Kimiko, nearby, would see something that none of the others would in that split second: a diminutive and serpentine form slipped beneath the tent’s wall and vanished from sight. How would Kimiko react; would she pursue? Would she see to the fallen Eadgils? What was going on? It seemed that her position as a representative was quickly growing into something more.

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: One week warning for all members. >_> I have gotten a message from Asmo, but nothing from the other two.))

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: I am giving one last day for folks to post. If not, I'm going to move on, even with no posts, and you all will have to deal with the consequences of inaction.))

[Zahra]

OOC: Sorry it took so long!

Zahra yelled at Skoll and nothing happened. Well, something could've happened, but she didn't have enough time to really look and see if he did anything. She had a window to try to do some damage against the Jackals in front of her. Either that, or try to hinder them and go help Skoll. Skoll was the heavy hitter and she needed his aid to help defeat these Jackals. So, because of that fact alone, it had quickly made up her mind.

Once she had stood up, the two knives were thrown towards both Jackals in front of her. She would throw one towards the downed Jackal, aiming for his throat in the hope to easily end him. The other would be aimed towards Ryok's right thigh. She hoped that if it landed, it might be able to hinder him somewhat. So, right when she threw both of the knives, she would quickly jump backwards.

After hopefully avoiding both of the Jackals, she would run towards Skoll, aiming for his Jackal attacker. She would immediately grab another knife while running. Once she was a few feet away, she would throw another of her knives towards Ormi's back, in the hopes of getting him off Skoll. She would continue running towards Ormi and grab two more knives out of her right before she would get within arm's reach, she would dart under his hopefully outstretched arms and slide under him, throwing another knife at him. She hoped this was enough to buy Skoll time to hit someone.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Kimiko had only just finished speaking her mind on the subject when she heard the sounds of the Alphas throughout the tent start to speak with those near them on everything that was being deliberated so far. Almost immediately afterwards though the Bull by the name of Romus began to attack her verbally in a harsh manner believing that she was working with Eadgrils and that Soul Society was only in this so that they could gain something they didn't have before. The term slavery had even come up and Kimiko for all of her strength was barely managing to remain still her hands clenched into fists and her lips closed.

While the others were busy giving most of their attention to Romus the Captain of Law in Soul Society was having a difficult time containing her rage. Romus had not only insulted her own opinion, but the honor of Soul Society and by extension of herself the Shihoin Family. Her fists clenched into fists were just one sign of her rage as her arms trembled from the fighting within herself to stay still. Her bottom lip was cut open from her own teeth causing blood to run down her chin which would be obvious in a moment however she had to remain political which meant beating this Bull was out of the question.

Thankfully though it seemed Eadgrils didn't approve of Romus's claims either as his own show of rage was more than likely equal if not greater than what Kimiko was feeling right now and he was displaying it for all of the Alphas to witness. In the following moments though Romus challenged Eadgrils rule and authority and then rage and argument broke out throughout the entirety of the tent. All of the Alphas were arguing now and Kimiko could only watch as they screamed at one another. Her own rage seemed to just disappear as she sat back down in her seat wiping the blood from her chin awaiting for Eadgrils to reestablish order so that they may continue.

That would never come to pass though as in that next moment Kimiko's eyes picked up on a blur of motion and as her head turned and her eyes widened in anticipation to track the movement the sound of Eadgrils gasp of pain filled the tent. In the following moments as the Alphas rushed towards Eadgrils while his lion guards did the same while also trying to make sure that he wouldn't die more than likely Kimiko was already trying to take action against what she had just seen. The small Shinigami had grabbed ahold of the seat she had been sitting in and using his acrobatic talents had been able to flip herself over the back facing where that serpent had gotten away.

Kimiko knew though if she left it would only make it seem more likely that she and by extension Soul Society had come here to kill Eadgrils. All that would do is cause further conflict and possibly a war between the Beasts and Shinigami. Soul Society was already facing multiple other factions and couldn't withstand another war on another front. She had to stay here and try to explain what she had seen and hope that some of the Alphas would believe her. However, it didn't mean she couldn't track the culprit. Kimiko held out her massive zanpakuto horizontally and then in the next instant it shattered into thousands of shards of darkness. The pup Haunzu was sitting on the ground in front of her in that next moment starring into her eyes.

"Haunzu a Serpent Beast just assaulted one of the Alphas. I have to stay here and make sure that they don't jump to conclusions by blaming Soul Society. It went out through the tent right there do your best to find it Haunzu." Kimiko issued the orders to her Zanpakuto telepathically something that she could only accomplish with them. The small black and grey wolf nodded his head forwards and then whined for a moment. Kimiko looked somewhat puzzled for a moment and then realized what it had done as blood poured from it's mouth onto the ground. Haunzu had bit off his own tongue which now fell to the ground between them. Kimiko nodded to her zanpakuto with a sad expression across her face. The pup sniffed the ground for a moment or two and then thanks to it's incredibly senses picked up on the scent and moved under the tent tracking down this would be assassin.

SPOILER: Click to show

Haunzu's Stats
Strength: 50
Speed: 50
Instincts: 400
Senses: 400

Shikai: 10/10

Remaining Reiatsu: 1000/1000
Shikai (Class 7): {-0}

[Zeich Yajuu]

Zahra knew that she didn’t have time to keep playing around, and so she threw her knives to get the other two off of her. The first one was deflected by Kharim, though it left a deep gash in his arm, the wound bleeding profusely. The other was sidestepped by Ryok, who was already moving again, but it distracted him for a few moments, giving Zahra time to move. Already she was on the way towards Ormi, who was still pummeling Skoll, the battered wolf looking more worse for wear than he had let on. Already one eye was swollen shut, a nasty bruise covering it, while the dark-furred lupine had blood dripping from his mouth as well.

Zahra’s dagger came not a moment too soon, and though Ormi was able to hear it and move to avoid it, it wasn’t fast enough to avoid damage. The dagger didn’t hit him square in the center of the back, but it dug into his shoulder and bit deep, blood pouring from the wound. The jackal let out a growl of fury before standing to face Zahra… which was his mistake. Even as he turned, his bloodied fists raised as he prepared to strike at the female, his victim gave a toothy grin that only Zahra would see before a hand came up. “Hado #4: Byakurai.” Ormi didn’t have time to react, not at so close a range, as a bolt of lightning erupted from Skoll’s palm and struck the jackal right through the center of his torso, punching a bloody hole through the canine. Ormi gasped, his eyes going wide, before he collapsed to the ground. No doubt about it; he was dead, or would be soon enough.

“Brother!” Ryok let out a pained howl before racing across the battlefield, his speed fast enough that neither Skoll nor Zahra could immediately react. The jackal picked up his fallen ally, sitting him up, as though doing so would save the gravely wounded Beast-Clansman. Ormi wasn’t breathing, though; his body was limp, and no amount of shaking would bring him back. Skoll seemed bothered, watching Ryok’s reaction; his eyes refused to focus on the two of them, his gaze always wandering away as he tried to look tough, as though it didn’t bother him. There was a haunted look in his eyes, though, one that said he was all too familiar with this scene.

At this point, the fight was over; Ryok was too distraught by his brother’s death, and Kharim was injured too badly to stand, so Skoll and Zahra were the winners, though most of the work had been done by the female jackal. If she had wanted to make a point, she had done so, but at what cost? Had she just helped kill and maim her own kind so that she could prove to them that she was better than breeding stock? On top of that, Zahra had just associated herself with Skoll, an unusual wolf who could somehow use Shinigami magic, an ability that left the rest of the crowd wary of the two of them. After all, such a thing was unnatural in a world where their kind only used “natural magic,” as some called it; the few spiritual abilities that they possessed usually had an explainable source, some sort of trick to it that made it function. But Skoll had simply produced lightning with a wave of his hand, and it left everyone feeling unsettled. No one would approach them, and any attempt to approach another’s territory would now be greeted with open hostility instead of casual indifference. They were no longer welcome among others, and would have to find their own territory.

But was it all because of Skoll’s unnatural nature? There was a sense of tension among the crowd, and there had been some sort of commotion during the fight. The expression and body language of the various Beast-Clansmen suggested something was wrong, and many gazes were turned towards the large tent that was set on the other side of the large central clearing. Skoll noticed, but he was apparently too tired and sore to care about it; he picked an unoccupied patch of ground in the clearing and just sat down heavily, rubbing at his jaw and grumbling about something. That something was very evident a moment when he found what he was looking for, pulling free a tooth that had been loosened to the point that it would no longer stay in his jaw, tossing it aside and spitting a wad of blood after it.

What would Zahra do? Would she remain, rest, and take stock of the situation? Would she go towards the tent and find out what was going on? Did she dare try and question the lion guards who seemed to be in a frenzy, or did she dare attempt to bother one of the other packs, hoping that their dislike of Skoll’s unnatural nature wouldn’t stop them from at least communicating? It was her decision.

---

((OOC: Remember that Release duration goes down by two posts per Class drop, so you’re actually at 1/4 with a Class 7 Release.))

Haunzu would have no trouble slipping out through the tent; the ends were tied down, but there were plenty of loose sections in the cloth that a small creature could fit through, and the wolf pup easily made his way out of the tent. Doing so did little good, however; the young wolf wasn’t able to spot any creature fleeing the area. The scent of something scaled was present, however, but the smell was surprisingly diminutive; either the creature in question was masking its scent, making it far more difficult to track, or it was a much smaller one than anticipated. Perhaps it wasn’t even a Beast-Clansman, but something else?

Either way, the trail would lead a short distance away, towards one of the owned territories. In fact, this particular territory, not far from the tent, belonged to Eadgils and his pack. Most of those gathered were female; the Scylding clan seemed to be highly patriarchal, with the males leading and the women following. This did not diminish the strength of these women, though; each of them looked ready for combat, and all of them were on edge. It would be unwise to intrude upon this territory right now, especially with word of Eadgils being attacked starting to spread throughout the camp. Antagonizing would only bring further anarchy, and perhaps break into the civil war that Kimiko was hoping to prevent. For now, all she’d know was that the scent disappeared into the Scylding territory, and that there was nothing else she could do to follow it right now.

Back in the tent, two or three healers from various tribes were attending to Eadgils, discussing the symptoms and the best ways to treat them. While there were many places in which their personal beliefs and medicinal choices varied, they were all skilled at their job, making compromises as needed; bickering would only get Eadgils killed while they decided between the old remedy of using leeches to cleanse bad blood or specific detoxifying herbs. Three guards stood watch over Eadgils, keeping anyone else away, including Kimiko. Even though she was the guest of honor, even she would not be permitted to draw close to the fallen Alpha.

“Old fool. I knew that we should have just taken those loyal to us and left it at that.” A voice would speak from beside Kimiko, and if she turned, she’d find another leonine Beast-Clansman standing next to her. Though he possessed a full mane and wasn’t much shorter than Eadgils was, this feline was definitely younger, his fur more vibrant, his eyes less tired. He seemed important, judging by the fact that several gazes were directed his way, as if weighing him, considering his value in this time of crisis. “Look what it has brought him; an attack on his life, an attempt to throw the clans into chaos.”

With that, the lion turned his head, acknowledging Kimiko. “Greetings, Shinigami. I am Skofnung, scion of Eadgils, and acting leader until my father recovers or dies. Until either result occurs, I ask that you defer to me in this time.” Unlike his father, Skofnung wasn’t nearly as imposing; he felt very personable, very conversational, and though he lacked Eadgils’ charismatic and powerful presence, there was something almost casual about him that made it easier to relax around the young lion. “I saw that you sent out a dog after the attack; I do not know if you did so as a traitor or as an ally, but I choose to believe the latter until I have proof of your ill will. Suspicions will do us no good in this time.”

Skofnung looked around at the other Alphas gathered in the room. “Look at us, Shinigami. We are divided and weak, and a civil war will break us further. Many of our kind will die no matter what side wins, and packs will be shattered, morale will crumble, and our only chance of unifying as a race will be lost forever. It is my goal to stop this war, at any cost… even if it means defying my father’s will to bring us together under the Scylding leadership.” Skofnung had just proposed giving access to the Beast Realm to all freely, allowing the packs to live as their normal nomadic groups as opposed to living under a central “government” of sorts. That was in complete defiance of what the lion’s father had wanted, a way to unify and create order among their people.

“I will not do it alone, though.” He said suddenly, placing a hand on Kimiko’s shoulder. She’d be aware of just how large one of those paws was, and how easily it could snap off her head if she was caught off-guard. “If the goodwill ambassador from Soul Society accepts a proposal of nomadic tribes and free access to the Beast Realm, then I can convince both sides to agree to this, and we may move to our new home. Maybe one day we’ll be able to organize things, but for now, keeping peace is what’s important.” A somber glance was directed at Kimiko. “But do what is in your heart, and state what you think is right: even if we are on opposing sides on this decision, we will not be enemies. Perhaps you will be able to convince our more stubborn elements where my sire could not, and we will unify regardless. A lot will rest on you though, Shinigami; what will you do?”

[Zahra]

She was happy to see that at least one of the daggers that she threw at the two jackals worked. The one on the ground rolling got a gash in his arm and distracted the other. The distraction let her attack to the bigger jackal work just as she wanted. While she ran towards him, she watched the dagger dig into his left shoulder. She smiled at him as he turned around to face her. Stupid jackal.

Once he turned around, she heard Skoll speak and watched the lightning skewer him. She quickly ran up and pried her dagger out of the jackal before she heard Ryok yell brother. He ran over and she walked backwards and quickly jogged over to grab her other two daggers. She growled at Kharim, the jackal on the ground, and said to him in a low voice, "Zahra not breeder. You come at Zahra again, this happen again. Tell pack that." She stood up and jogged back over.

Ryok was crying over the dead body, but Zahra saw it differently. The jackal obviously wasn't strong enough to fight against them so he died. Kharim wasn't strong enough either, which is why he was rolling around on the ground like a stupid bug. Only the strongest survived and she didn't see why he cried over someone weak. Then again, she never really had siblings and when she did, she was still alive.

Her memories of being alive were hazy at best, so she didn't remember actually feeling horrible when they did die. When she awoke in Soul Society, she was alone and took care of herself. She really depended on herself, though she did have her mate. Though, he also could easily take care of himself. So, she had never really formed a sibling bond with anyone before, so she felt weird looking at what was going on.

It was then that it seemed that the fight was over and they had won. She nodded to herself in triumph and that's when she noticed the stares from the other Beast Clan around them. It seemed that the others were now either wary of them or afraid of them outright. It was true that people feared what they didn't understand, but they were also in a new place. No animal here really had their own 'home base' to feel safe in.

An environment like that would make anyone look on something different as bad or weird. Zahra didn't mind. She lived alone with her mate in Soul Society, and honestly, she didn't expect to make friends here either. She just came to see what the big deal was and didn't really care if other animals liked her or not. They walked out of the arena and she got a better look around. Something was.....off.

People were looking towards the big tent and the guards seemed to be running around like something major happened. She had no idea what was in that tent because she didn't even ask about what was going on it in. She had just heard something about Beast Clan 'Homeland' and came. Maybe the big tent was where the people who said the 'Homeland' exists is? It was curious.

But, she needed some rest for right now. The fight had wore her out and she had almost hit a wall in the fighting. She sat next to Skoll and took a few deep breaths, trying to cool down from that fight. She looked over towards Skoll and said, "Skoll interesting Beast-Clan. Have magic but no strength. Zahra able to fight two at same time, Skoll not stop one. Zahra not met Beast-Clan like that. Zahra glad help Skoll or Skoll probably dead now." She would wait to hear a response.

She then looked around to see what the guards were actually doing. They just ran around, with no pattern and it seemed like maybe they were looking for something? Did something smell bad? She pointed her nose to the air and smelled nothing really strange besides the normal scents of this area. If one of the guards would run by, Zahra would try to stop him by standing in his way and say, "What going on? What happen?" She was just generally confused by what was going on.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Though the fight was over, the conflict was not. Skoll looked displeased by Zahra’s remark, especially when she commented that he hadn’t been able to handle one jackal while she had been fending off two. “Shut up, wench. You don’t know what the hell you’re talkin’ about. I could have handled the fucker just fine if you had just done your goddamn job and kept him off of me. Besides, I’m not the one who’s bleeding all over the damn place.” Skoll made a pointed comment, directing a nod towards the wound on the female’s shoulder. Of course, he failed to remark upon the fact that his own mouth was bleeding, and that he was probably missing a few teeth; he’d have to get those restored later. “Besides, unlike you, I actually killed one. So don’t talk down to me; I could have handled them all on my own.”

Skoll turned away, a scowl on his face; whether he was sore about a true fact or if he was just unsociable wasn’t obvious right now, but it was evident that he wasn’t happy with the situation. A simple thank-you from him probably would have sufficed, but the demonic wolf didn’t say a word, his arms crossed as he looked about, trying to figure out what he was to do now. Zahra was probably in a much similar situation; neither of them had a pack to join with, so at this point they’d have to pick a place to pass the time and wait to see what the Beast-Clansmen leaders decided to do. Whether that led to an outright war or a peaceful transition to the Beast Realm that people had been talking about was unsure, but something was bound to happen soon.

Of course, it seemed something was already happening. Guards were in a frenzy suddenly, hurrying towards various packs, and often retrieving a single individual to follow them. Others were passing along messages to the other guards, likely spreading news of some sort. Neither Skoll nor Zahra knew what was going on, but Zahra seemed to decide that she wanted to know, standing in front of a guard as he approached to stop him so that she could question his actions. This drew Skoll’s attention as well, as the wolf turned, but Zahra’s act did little to halt the feline before her. A powerful shove had the jackal-woman pushed aside, and the guard continued with his task.

Until Skoll decided to get involved. “Hado #1: Sho.” A blast of energy emerged from his hand and struck the guard’s leg, tripping him and causing him to fall to the ground. Skoll strode over casually, placing a foot on the male’s back as he stood over the fallen guard. “Hey, furface. Little miss heroine—” It seemed Skoll had a new nickname for Zahra. “—asked you a question. It’s rude to ignore others, now isn’t it?” The lion let out a warning growl, giving threat through the rumbling from his throat, but Skoll just pointed a finger slightly to the side. “Hado #4: Byakurai.” A bolt of lightning struck the ground a few inches away from the lion’s head, and the guard froze, startled. “Want to talk now, or do you need a hole through your thick skull?”

“It’s our leader…!” The guard spoke in a hushed tone, unwilling to speak loudly enough for any of the other packs to hear. “Something’s happened, he’s collapsed, and we’re trying to find healers and send word to our troops to keep order while we sort things out. If something happens, we’re running the risk of a riot; Eadgils is the only one that knows where the Beast Realm is, and if he dies, then it will be lost to all of us again. The other tribes will go berserk, knowing their home is denied to them!”

“Ugh. This is why I hate these shitty ‘organized packs.’ You take out one leader and the whole chain falls apart. You guys don’t even have a backup leader? For fuck’s sake… Even Odin was smart enough to assign a Beta to take over if he died unexpectedly, and I swear that asshole’s getting senile with each passing day.” Skoll sighed and shook his head, but the guard forced the wolf off of his back. Doing so wasn’t difficult; Skoll lacked physical strength, though he made up for it in spiritual prowess.

“Idiot. You think we haven’t gotten that under control? His son, Skofnung, is now our leader during Eadgils’s disposition. But as far as we know, only Eadgils knows the location of the Beast Realm; without him, we lose our chance at finding it again.” The guard brushed away the dirt from his front before making his way back into the crowd, looking like he was heading towards the border of the sanctuary. Likely, he was to alert the border guards, get the news out among the others of his clan. It wasn’t really their problem anymore.

“Well, I guess I’ll get going to the meeting then.” Skoll said suddenly, his expression suddenly neutral, almost bored, but it was obvious he was trying to hide his curiosity and interest in the situation. “If they’re looking for healers, who better than a magic-wielding fucker like me? Maybe it’ll be more interesting than standing around and waiting for shit to happen.” He glanced over his shoulder at Zahra, giving her an unreadable look. “...Y’know, I guess you helped. If you want to come along, I’m a sure a ‘healer’ would like a bodyguard with a little strength behind her. Just don’t expect any other favors, got it?”

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

Aevus nodded as the Leonine guard spoke. He wasn’t about to say something to change his mind and well a silent nod was always the most noteworthy yes in his book. Being gripped once again, he would notice the weight burying down upon him had changed. He was a lot less rough with him and yet a skeptical expression seemed to sketch Lumina’s visage. They had gotten the guard to trust them but what would they do once inside? Aevus hadn’t thought far enough ahead.

He had no idea how he’d separate himself from this lion. And once he did, he’d had have to find his target. Even for a higher ranking Onmitsukido he still had a lot to learn. His pacifistic nature would only get him so far and well much to his dismay he hadn’t fully shed that side of him. It was different telling himself one thing and another following that said path. Could he really change his own heart or was he just foolishly lying to himself? Yes he said but in truth he knew he’d have to be faced with the choice with either assassination or capture. Assassination was such an easier task but he knew that was the last thing he’d resort too.

Glancing around the encampment, he noticed straight away the circular nature of the place. Different tribes all brought together in a melting pot. He had an idea that these beasts were territorial. For it seemed most beasts stayed with their own. They were still animals driven by instinct at least somewhat. The paw on his shoulder painted that clear enough. He was a temporary guest and his stay here was gonna be rather brief. Which was good because he didn’t plan on staying very long.

As they neared the center of the sanctuary Aevus made note of the large closed tent. Being placed in the center it might have been a gathering place for the tribes various leaders to discuss various politics or whatever these beasts liked to talk about civilly. Lumina on the other hand was watching the brawl with keen interest. Her silver lined eyes wincing just a bit from each blow that skoll was taking. Her ears flattened against her head as the lion spoke up. Aevus too would look to the lion a troubled expression painting his features. He wasn’t expecting such a short window.

That was until his attention went elsewhere. Lumina’s ears caught the commotion first turning to face the tent. Aevus followed after listening as the uproar echoed causing his escort to leave his side. It seemed any peaceful negotiations were out of the question now. He would have to go along with his real orders. Fingers briefly brushed his Zanpakuto and Lumina would look to him signaling that she was ready. They had to be quick and they had to be quiet if this was going to work. With the lion gone Aevus creapt away with Lumina on his heels.

[Zahra]

The wolf still called Zahra a wench. She hated that. She growled low in her throat at that while he talked about it being HER fault that he couldn't be more help. How she didn't do her job and she was bleeding all over the place. She just stared at him. "Seriously?! Zahra one bad cut. Zahra's face not horrible looking like you. Also, it was ONE. Zahra fought TWO. Skoll couldn't run away and shoot? Skoll need fight more. I injured one to point of non fight. That more skillful than kill."

She would huff after that, turning away to try to stop one of the guards. When she did, she was pushed aside by the lion. Angered, she was about ready to catch herself and try to sweep the legs out from under the guard when Skoll decided to make himself known and stop the guard on his own using whatever weird thing it was that he could use. When she was referred to as 'little miss heroine,' it made her smile while she was getting to her feet.

After Skoll so 'nicely' stopped the guard for her, it seemed like things had gone down while they were fighting. It seemed like the leader that had brought everyone here had went down, but his son was leading while they were trying to deal with everything. She also learned that Skoll hated packs, since when the leader died everything fell apart. It was an interesting thing to talk about, since she had never thought about it.

Though, since his son immediately took up the reins, she figured that everything should be under control.......shouldn't it? Though, with the father being the ONLY ONE that knew where the location of this 'Beast Realm,' it seemed that they couldn't let him die. It was pretty stupid that he was the only one that knew where to go. The son should've known as well, just in case something like this were to happen.

The beast really didn't think too far ahead on that front. Skoll then announced that he would be going to the meeting instead of waiting around to see what would happen. The meeting would definitely be the more interesting place to go then just sitting around here and watching all the chaos. He then suggested that she should come along to be a bodyguard to the 'healer' as he now called himself. She was then told to not expect anymore favors. "Zahra make sure face not get uglier."

[Zeich Yajuu]

Skoll didn’t seemed bothered by Zahra’s anger, but he did growl back when she started to throw insults back at him, claiming that he couldn’t handle even one of them, while she had severely injured one “skillfully.” The wolf gave a look of scorn at his companion, then simply turned and walked away. If she chose to follow, so be it; he was half tempted to tell the guards that she was stalking him, just to see the look on the jackal-woman’s face when she was thrown out, but at the same time Skoll knew that he did need the support; though he had unusual powers and his spiritual abilities did give him the element of surprise against the more physically-inclined Beast-Clansmen, at the same time it was a double-edged sword, diminishing his physical talents to the point where he couldn’t keep up with many of the stronger opponents. Having a guard to keep opponents busy bought him time to prepare a spell or two, which still took longer than he’d like due to Skoll only possessing instinctive, rudimentary knowledge of them.

So no getting the jackal thrown out. What a pity. Maybe something else would present itself in time, but for now, the half-demon remained civil, or at least as civil as he got. No words were exchanged with Zahra, and the two of them traveled in silence until they reached the large tent at the opposite end of the central area, which was now surrounded by a ring of guards that prevented anyone from passing. As Skoll and Zahra approached, they all tensed up, seeing none of their clansmen accompanying them. Skoll stopped, motioning Zahra back a step or two, then spoke up with a tone of surprising authority, though that might have just been his natural uncaring attitude.

“Hey, curs.” A derogatory term for a dog, nonetheless it was suitable for Skoll’s intent. “You guys asked for a healer, right? Ask the guys by the arena, I’m a magic man. Want me to shoot some more lightning out of my fingers or knock you all on your rears?” The surprisingly low amount of profanity was unusual for Skoll, but he did want to play the part and seem like he knew what he was doing. Only by acting the healer could he find out what was going on, and sate his own curiosity. “I hear the big boss isn’t feelin’ too well. I’m here to check on his spiritual auras and such. You know, magic healer stuff. Your medicine men and herbal remedies won’t be able to find everything, so I’m here to lend a hand. Let me by.”

A tilt of Skoll’s head gave an indication to Zahra behind him. “Oh, and let her in too. She’s a decent enough guard, even if she’s simple in the head. She can’t talk–” Skoll’s tone was warning enough for Zahra to keep quiet, and let him handle it. “–but she’s good at keeping people from knocking my teeth out. Most of the time.” Skoll flashed a grin, showing that he was indeed missing a tooth or two from his earlier pummeling. His sense of humor was always self-deprecating. “But yeah, I want her nearby so no one will bother me while I’m studying your leader. No arguments, or I turn around and leave.”

The guards looked at one another, speaking softly as they tried to determine what to do with this unusual approach. Normally, another of their clansmen accompanied any of the healers they had found, and without an escort, the two before them seemed suspicious. Still, it was evident enough by the look in their eyes that they were desperate for help, and a little push would be all it would take to get them to agree. Acting as though their deliberation was a sign of negation, Skoll turned as though he were getting ready to leave, only to be stopped. “Wait, wait! We’ll let you past. You must be a strong magic man, to be so confident. Please, come back. We need your services.”

Skoll hid a smile, and turned back, giving a disapproving nod. “Very well. I will forget your hesitation for now; the patient is more important. Come, woman.” Skoll gave an imperial wave of his hand, guiding Zahra forward, and starting past the line of guards before heading straight for the tent. Once they were out of earshot, Zahra would be able to talk again without giving away the deception, assuming she hadn’t done so sooner to make him look bad. But doing so would do very little for their case, and might have made it harder to get in, so he counted on her being silent. Soon, the two of them were ducking into the tent.

Things had been more organized since the initial attack, with the fallen Alpha laid across one of the wooden surfaces that had been used to divide the opposing sides before. All the others, whether they were with or against Eadgils, had been asked to stand on the opposite side, and there were guards flanking them. Although all of them together could probably overwhelm the guards, doing so would be an act of treason in a very high-tension time, so for the sake of keeping themselves from being ripped apart, they simply sat and watched. Two healers were looking over Eadgils, one of them a tall, lanky lizardman who was rubbing some kind of oily slime over the lion’s leg, while the other was a black-plumed crow woman, examining the alpha’s face and ensuring that he was able to breathe.

Skoll strode up to them, knowing that the show had to go on, else people would question why they were there. Indicating for Zahra to keep a slight distance back, where she’d be able to overhear conversation or find out if there was anything else interesting going on, the half-demon made his way up to Eadgils, his tail twitching lightly from side to side as he began to feel nervous. The chain on his tail rattled lightly, further indicating his discomfort to any who knew his quirks. If he botched up this bluff, then he knew that they were going to be treated as trespassers, leading to imprisonment, or worse. Skoll cursed his natural curiosity and the resulting act of causing trouble, but at this point he was committed. He didn’t care much for Zahra, but he liked his own hide intact.

While Skoll was off pretending he was a “healer,” Zahra would be left by two other individuals, a tall, leonine figure that seemed to bear some resemblance to the alpha laid out on the table, as well as a Shinigami, whom she would recognize by outfit if not by appearance, depending on if they had met or not. She would overhear part of the conversation, as well: “If the goodwill ambassador from Soul Society accepts a proposal of nomadic tribes and free access to the Beast Realm, then I can convince both sides to agree to this, and we may move to our new home. Maybe one day we’ll be able to organize things, but for now, keeping peace is what’s important. But do what is in your heart, and state what you think is right: even if we are on opposing sides on this decision, we will not be enemies. Perhaps you will be able to convince our more stubborn elements where my sire could not, and we will unify regardless. A lot will rest on you though, Shinigami; what will you do?”

Though she hadn’t heard the entirety of it, Zahra would hear that the two of them were discussing something about allowing the Beast-Clansmen free access to the Beast Realm without having to unify under Eadgils. She wouldn’t know the two of them, and wouldn’t know of their respective positions, so whether this was a discussion being made under the table or an agreement between two leaders, she probably couldn’t say. Still, if she wanted to interject, there could be no better point than this. Maybe they wouldn’t listen to her because she was just another “guard” in their eyes, but it was that or stand still and wait for Skoll to give up their act. If Zahra had some input she wanted to give on whether the Beast-Clansmen should unify or not, or even if she had any questions, now was the time. At least having a Shinigami nearby would make things somewhat familiar, hopefully.

---

Aevus’s opportunity had come from ill events, but there was no denying that fortune seemed to favor him at the moment. No longer guarded, the Shinigami was able to slip away and make his way towards the tent, his orders relaying in his head once more. Observe the gathering of the Beast-Clansmen, and if they should choose a path that would exclude Soul Society from access to this new realm, capture or kill the one in charge once you have gained the necessary information. We believe that should they unify and gather in a peaceful coalition, they will be willing to extend a hand of friendship like they are now, allowing us to send our representatives to their realm. If there are signs of anarchy, however, expect the worst. Act as needed. Whether the target lives or dies is irrelevant as long as you gain the required knowledge in the worst-case scenario.

Though the orders seemed simple enough, they left a lot of judgment calls for Aevus to make. He had to determine whether or not the Beast-Clansmen were willing to settle things peacefully, and if not, he had to decide the best course of action. Assassination of a chosen target, and extortion of information from others? Or would he try and capture the heavily-guarded alpha and use him as a source of information? Either way, the results would not be pleasant if Aevus did not find the current situation to be in Soul Society’s interests. The weight of this entire conflict rested on Aevus’s shoulders, even more so with another Shinigami there; Kimiko was the legitimate representative from Soul Society, performing diplomatic duties to try and peacefully gain access to the Beast Realm, while Aevus was the shadow, his mission to take that knowledge should he have to. They were opposite sides of the same coin, one acting in legal light, the other in shadowy darkness.

Aevus was able to slip through the ring of guards with only some difficulty; his talents in stealth were enough that he could mask what few noises he made, leaving observers to think it was merely wild animals in the area. Normally the guards would have been more alert, their keen senses keeping them wary of any approaching intruders, but with unease and lowered morale running through the Scylding clan members with their leader indisposed for the time being, their focus was shot and their guard was lowered. It was enough that the Omnitsukido member didn’t even have to try too hard to get past them, and soon enough he was by the outside of the tent, the thick material serving as the only barrier between him and discovery.

Much like Zahra, Aevus would catch the tail end of the conversation between Eadgils and Kimiko, but unlike Zahra who was simply a free agent and could act as she chose, Aevus’s orders came up again. It sounded like the two of them were planning to simply let the Beast-Clansmen have free access to the Beast Realm with no sense of order or organization. While that didn’t immediately assume that Soul Society would not be allowed to be present as well, at the same time it was the first of the conditions in Aevus’s orders; if it looked as though there would be anarchy over order, he was to act. Of course, judgment was still left up to him, and if he chose, he could instead just listen in, waiting to be sure before acting. If not, though, it was up to him to figure out a way to capture or at least take his target hostage before the other Clansmen in the room were on him.

[Zahra]

Zahra chuckled to herself as she followed Skoll towards the main tent that she had seen earlier. She would look around as they walked and saw the confusion. It seemed that the guard really wasn't joking about the state of the area. Beasts were looking uncomfortable and the guards were rushing around more than she had seen them do since she's been here. She didn't speak to Skoll as they made their way to the tent.

Once they got there, she saw the ring of guards around the tent. Something definitely happened in there for all the guards to be there. They saw them coming towards the tent and she saw them tense. Her tail flicked a little anxiously. She had no idea what these guards were going to do to them. She wondered also if they judged them more harshly since they were alone and not with an actual pack.

It seemed that the big thing during this meeting were packs. One pack was going to open up the Beast Realm and it was mostly packs and clans that had showed up. Could they really be this freaked out with two loners walking up to the tent? Well, she guessed it made sense, but it was still weird. There were several guards against two loners. They really shouldn't be these tensed up about two beasts when there were so many guards.

She made sure her ears were flicking around, trying to catch any sounds that were going on that might actually be important. Nothing had really hit her yet, but with all the tension, something important was bound to hit her ears at one point. When Skoll stopped, Zahra stopped right behind him, distracted by what was going on around them. He motioned her back and she obeyed.

No idea as to what was going to happen, she watched very curiously. She listened to what he said and when he finally said that she couldn't talk, she decided to actually play along. They were fairly outnumbered and she knew she was good in a fight but against this many? She highly doubted her skill would work with these many enemies. She only growled at him when he continued to speak, especially about being good most of the time.

When he threatened to leave, the guards almost jumped out of their skin before they pretty much begged him to stay. Wow, these people were pretty desperate. He turned around and 'graciously' accepted to help them. When he said come woman, Zahra growled again. SHE HAD A NAME DAMNIT! But, she said nothing, just growled behind Skoll as they walked in. While they walked in, when no one saw them, she would elbow him in the side.

She would only go so far in these weird charade. They made it inside and she saw the lion lying on the table. Whelp, what they said was true. This lion was obviously the leader and she saw three other Beasts looking over him, trying to heal him. Zahra had no idea if Skoll had anything healing, because she knew nothing about what magic he used. She kept herself alert as she looked around and saw a shinigami there.

Why in the hell was a shinigami there? To her, it didn't make much sense that a shinigami would be here for a matter that dealt with the Beast-Clan members. It was then that she heard what the other Beast-Clanmen was telling the shinigami that was there. The shinigami had a say in what was going to happen with the Beast Realm? He was going to give free access now? Zahra walked up to the two of them and looked to the Beast-Clansmen. "Zahra want free access. Show Zahra there now."