"What? Too chicken to fight me?" I sneered at the larger fire affiliated male wolf as we circled each other. "No." He retorted. "Oh really? Want that goat that you claimed was yours? You have to fight for it." a gleeful, sadistic grin manifested across my maw as I fanned out my Peacock tail for intimidation. "To the death." "To the death? Are you crazy?" I had to laugh. "Are you joking, or are you serious?" The bulky dark blue and white male growled in response. "Alright, enough small talk. I'm hungry."
I let the male make the first move. He lowered his head and charged me. I twisted away; the spiral horn at the center of his forehead just grazed my left shoulder. He put on the breaks and doubled back; this time, trying a pounce attack from behind me. Oh, the fool. As he sailed over me, I unfurled my black raven wings and pushed off of the rocky ground in a spiraling motion. My strong jaws clamped down on one of his limbs and I continued to gain height. I then released my grip, allowing him to hit the earth. I wasn't high enough to kill him, but high enough to leave him stunned or dazed.
I floated lazily back to solid ground; landing beside the male's battered body. I prodded his cheek with one of my front talons. "Wakey, wakey." No response, but I knew that he was faking it. Just as I had expected, His eyes snapped open and his head shot forward, seizing my left wing in his teeth. I made no sound. Instead, I ignited my serpentine tail; turning it into a long, fiery whip in a matter of seconds. I slammed my side into I nearby rock; the shock of the impact causing the enemy to lose his hold on me.
The fire whip was slung around my body and wrapped around his muzzle like a constricting snake. The smell of singed fur and flesh was welcomed for the time being. I then extinguished the flames for now, wrapped a massive black bird talon around his neck and slammed his back to the ground; all while keeping my tail around his muzzle to keep him silent. Then, I flipped him over and severed the spine; paralyzing him before turning his undersides to the cloudy sky once more. "Dissect, tear, gut, blind, break, or singe?" I asked him. I then answered my own question. "How about all of them! That sounds fun!"
I slowly ran a claw down his stomach as he writhed in pain, allowing a brief glimpse of internal organs as I did so. Using both front talons, I ripped the parted flesh open; exposing even more of his internal workings to my eyes. I used my left talon to slip into the incision and tear out a few of the not-so-important organs (intestines, stomach). I loved having talons. It allowed me to do so much more gruesome stuff than wolves with paws could ever accomplish.
I removed my now bloodied talon and used my clean talon to go for his face as I pinned him down. My curved black claws skewered his eyes and there was a bit of a popping sound before I jerked my limb back; effectively ripping out his eyes. I shook my talon; ridding my claws of the popped balls of pigment, blood vessels, and fluid. I had removed my tail from around his maw just so I could hear him scream and beg for mercy.
My scaled tail ignited once more and I walked past his slowly expiring body; dragging the torch along his flanks agonizingly slow. After "toying around" with him like a cat would with a dying mouse, I released a sad sigh. "You know what? This had been fun, but sadly, I have a meal to get back to." I used both front talons to grasp the body and I took to the skies. I hovered over the foaming ocean for a bit before I dropped it. I then dove after it, removing the lungs and weakly beating heart as I passed; a move that I had been practicing for quite some time.
I flared my wings right before my own body hit the churning waves after the mangled corpse of the male. The sharks will be eating well tonight.
Still high from the thrill of the kill, I made my way back over to my catch from earlier. It had taken some effort, to get it to this spot, but it was all worth it for this scenic view. I sat on the rocks and mantled as I began my well-earned feast; shielding the goat's corpse from any potential onlookers.
A slight sound caught my attention and I rose my head above my mantled wings; goat blood streamed from my mouth, down my throat and chest before splattering on the ground.
A sickly green furred wolf stood tall in front of the slowly setting sun, casting a shadow across the front of his body and the crumbling rocks before him. A large gash in his side looked recent, and continuously leaked blood from his clumped fur onto the sand beneath his belly. It quickly disappeared the moment it touched the ground. Fleshspark, the former, powerful alpha of Eastern Rock, was standing solidly to Silverfire's left. When she finally noticed him, he bared his chipped fangs in a grin.
"Finally, you spot me, Silverfire. Your feather must be in your line of view, because you completely missed how I herded that goat in you direction. I don't want my next top follower in poor condition, now, do I?" he asked, padding across the cracked, dry ground to circle in front of the she-wolf and face her. He had to sit back on his haunches in order to look down at her comfortably. He turned his head to the side to peer at her with his good, amber eye.
"I am in need of wolves, you see, to carry on my plans since I am not always able to traverse this realm Compass Rose resides in. But not just any wolves. I need the strongest ones I can find. And you, dear, I have been watching for a while. I would be so disappointed if you were to refuse..." He frowned sadly at her with a sigh, then turned his head to look over at the ocean. "It would be such a shame to see your potential go to waste." he hummed, picking at a growing weed with a thick, snaggly claw. He glanced up at her to see her reaction.
NOTES: I'm supposed to be writing a research paper... whoops
"Finally, you spot me, Silverfire. Your feather must be in your line of view, because you completely missed how I herded that goat in you direction. I don't want my next top follower in poor condition, now, do I?" My head turned and I was greeted with the sight of a spirit. Next top follower? How does this being even know me by name? I lowered my black feathered sails and arranged them in their normal folded position against my flanks.
My bi-colored beams traced the male spirit's form as he moved in a circle around me to fix me with a single-eyed stare. "I am in need of wolves, you see, to carry on my plans since I am not always able to traverse this realm Compass Rose resides in. But just any wolves. I need the strongest ones I can find. And you, dear, I have been watching for a while. I would be so disappointed if you were to refuse..." The green one said as he turned his attention to the water. "It would be such a shame to see your potential go to waste." He continued.
Once I was sure that the soul was done with his words for the time being, my jaws parted and words left my box. "Well, my decision is going to be affected by the plan that you have in mind." I told him cooly. "If it's some sort of 'let's get everyone to be friends' sort of plan, then no." I laughed. "But then again, I don't think that''s what your plan entails. One who appears as you do would be the least likely to be one of those idiot peacemakers." My black forked tongue was swiped around my lips to clean them of the drying goat's blood. "If your plan involves killing and torture, which I think it does." I paused and gave the male a bloodstained metallic grin. "Then I will gladly take part."
As Silverfire spoke of the idiocy of everyone sitting together and singing and laughing, amusement twinkled in Fleshspark's otherwise dead eyes. Oh, this was definitely a clever wolf he had chosen. He could not wait to see how she fared in the midst larger, more determined and devoted wolves. He could sense her will to cause anarchy among the Compass Rose canines was as strong and unchangeable as the ocean's violent tides, but would she be loyal to him, and only him? If his cause did not match up with hers, would she refuse him in one simple choice?
No, he thought, she will not refuse my word. She will want to see this to the end. And the will be no end.
"Good," he stated simply once she had finished speaking, "and now that you are joining my movement towards a new era here on Compass Rose, I believe that I should introduce myself. It is only fair, given that I know much about you, young Silverfire. My name is Fleshspark, and I am very pleased to welcome you to the first generation of Night Minion soldiers. Any questions?"
"Good," the undead male replied. "and now that you are joining my movement towards a new era here on Compass Rose, I believe that I should introduce myself. It is only fair, given that I know much about you, young Silverfire. My name is Fleshspark, and I am very pleased to welcome you to the first generation of Night Minion soldiers. Any questions?" Upon hearing the –spark suffix, I extended my ink black wings to their full length and bowed deeply, tilting them forward at a slight angle as I did so. “A pleasure and an honor truly, Fleshspark.” I responded as I kept my swirled pupils focused on the ground under my front talons. I did not dare to look up until he told me to do such a thing. I wanted to show him that I was not a threat to him or the position that he held.
So I had two leaders now. Oakspark and Fleshspark. “I wish to know the details of training.” I wondered. “When and how will these sessions take place? Should I spend my free time honing my skills on prey and… other wolves?” My front talons curled and dug into my meal’s side. I fanned my peacock tail out and the entire length of my blue dragon-like tail burst into flames. I was imagining some poor victim writhing in my grasp. I then relaxed my grip and freed my black claws from the pile of meat and bent down to run my tongue over them, as well as the rest of my front side in order to clean the caked blood off.
After I had been told to relax my respectful pose, I would look up at him slowly with a grin of sadistic pleasure plastered across my façade; the light from my torch of a tail would cast eerie shadows over my face. “If there’s anything I can do to further help what we’re working for, then I’d be glad to do it.”
Fleshspark tilted his chin up at the sight of Silverfire's wings spread, something much different than amusement shining in his eyes now. Having another live wolf among his pack gave him more power, and with more power gave him another step closer to life. He could feel the intensity of a new member's spiritual strength course through him. The furless patches of his skin slowly filled in as her head was bowing, and he huffed at her once he was over the high of power.
"Oh, please. Don't do that unless I ask." he dismissed, and allowed her a moment to speak and clean herself. He watched the shadows dance across her bloodied fur, a new craving beginning to light. He kept that option in the back of his mind as a possibility in the future, once her abilities were fully assessed. He hummed at her questions before answering.
"For now, we will just do some tests to see how advanced your strengths and abilities are currently. If you feel like honing your skills, don't kill here. It would be a waste of prey for Eastern Rock, but we do not wish to raise suspicion of Night Minions' rise." With that, Fleshspark got to his paws and looked at Silverfire with a soft smirk. "But for the future, I will need a bloodline. They will help me keep Night Minions from destroying itself in the name of hapless freedom."
"Oh, please. Don't do that unless I ask." I proceeded to adopt a more casual and relaxed pose, bringing my back talons forward and lowering my hindquarters to the uneven terrain. For light purposes, I kept my second tail ablaze as the giant ball of sky fire sank further into the churning sea while my ‘fancy’ tail was closed over it. Yet, the feathers did not burst into flame. Instead, the tongues of fire leapt through the various gaps between the decorative plumage. It was very helpful to have fireproof feathers when one had a tail that was capable of bursting into flames. “It was only right that I did such a thing upon first meeting a leader. Not doing so can seem like an act of defiance or a challenge. That was definitely what I did not want to convey upon first meeting.”
"For now, we will just do some tests to see how advanced your strengths and abilities are currently. If you feel like honing your skills, don't kill here. It would be a waste of prey for Eastern Rock, but we do not wish to raise suspicion of Night Minions' rise." I gave my second leader a slow, thoughtful nod. “Of course. The sudden appearance of mutilated corpses around pack territory would send everyone’s imaginations running wild, and surely rumors of our pack’s rise will get passed around by word of mouth.” I had said ‘our’ when referring to the Night Minion Pack. Two packs, two leaders.“I will make sure that Oakspark nor any of the others become aware of this pact. You have my word.” I vowed.
My gaze scanned his semi-transparent form, noting with fascination that the bald patches that had littered it were now gone. Nothing but green tinted fur and wounds were showing. How odd. I thought to myself. Did that just happen? Did I say or do something? I didn’t dwell on the thought for long, though. “How will these assessments work, Fleshspark? I’ve heard of Sparkpack wolves appearing to the living in dreams to warn them of ‘impeding doom’ and whatnot. But, I’m not quite sure. Do Dullpack wolves do the same thing?” I added.
"But for the future, I will need a bloodline. They will help me keep Night Minions from destroying itself in the name of hapless freedom." I chuckled. “Freedom? Hapless? That couldn’t be more accurate.” I remarkd as the behemoth got to his paws. I got the basics of what he was telling me. I nodded once to show that I understood. “Every great leader should have offspring to continue their reign.” To be honest, I didn’t know if he actually was as great of leader that he appeared to be. Only time would tell, that was for sure.
Pleased with her curious nature for the time being, Fleshspark chuckled lightly at Silverfire's multiple questions. "For now, I will just bring you to Dull Pack territory for battle training with my fallen pack members in your dreams. You will be trained by them, and will brawl with them. If I see that you are fit for the job, I will send you off on missions in the waking world. My pack members will go for the kill, and you should do the same, even if they already are dead. They will come back. I trust that you will do well, though, so you shouldn't have to worry about anything." He paused for a moment, looking her over from nose tip to multiple tail tips.
"As for pups," he continued, "I need a wide range of females to choose from. Will you help me select the strongest, most loyal of each of the four packs?" His eyes lingered on her a bit maliciously before they moved on to look at his old pack's lands distractedly.
"For now, I will just bring you to Dull Pack territory for battle training with my fallen pack members in your dreams. You will be trained by them, and will brawl with them. If I see that you are fit for the job, I will send you off on missions in the waking world. My pack members will go for the kill, and you should do the same, even if they already are dead. They will come back. I trust that you will do well, though, so you shouldn't have to worry about anything."Seems simple enough to me. In a strong, determined tone, I responded with, "I can safely promise you, Fleshspark that you will not be disappointed with the fact that you chose me." The flames that burned down my neck rose higher and burned hotter as did the ones on my dragon tail. I flexed my front talons repeatedly, eager to get things up and running. "Would it be correct of me to assume that these training sessions will be taking place on random nights?" Stop asking so many stupid questions! You're probably annoying him!
"As for pups, I need a wide range of females to choose from. Will you help me select the strongest, most loyal of each of the four packs?" I dipped my head slightly before raising it back up. Is he asking me to act as his Co-Alpha? I didn't ask him out loud, but my eyes shone with the question. Regardless, I answered, "It would be my honor to do such a thing for you." My trap opened wide in a yawn; my metal daggers catching the last rays of the descending sun. I had to admit, after hunting down that goat and savagely killing that fool of a male fire wolf had drained me of most, if not all of my energy. It was just about time for me to head back to my den to grab some shuteye.
Fleshspark pondered the she-wolf's queries, taking a few moments to gather just the right words in his head. He tilted his head back and watched the sky as he did so. Finally, he looked back at Silverfire and looked her over.
"Tonight, I will let you rest and prepare yourself for what's to come. You will need to keep your strength for what we will be doing. After you wake, you will be called upon each time you are unconscious. You will have to earn your days off through successful battles or providing much needed intel of the packs. I must warn you, though, you will not be liked. My wolves are fighting for the same cause, but it does not mean that they will treat each other as pack mates just yet. This especially goes towards the wolves who are still living and may hold a grudge towards you. They have not gotten used to the idea of everyone in my pack being their friend.
"My pups are to born from dams of the purest blood and strongest abilities. Keep an eye out for those." he explained further, then paused. "Oh, and Silverfire, I do hope you are strong." he stated, baring his nasty teeth in a wolfish grin.
"Tonight, I will let you rest and prepare yourself for what's to come. You will need to keep your strength for what we will be doing. After you wake, you will be called upon each time you are unconscious. You will have to earn your days off through successful battles or providing much needed intel of the packs. I must warn you, though, you will not be liked. My wolves are fighting for the same cause, but it does not mean that they will treat each other as pack mates just yet. This especially goes towards the wolves who are still living and may hold a grudge towards you. They have not gotten used to the idea of everyone in my pack being their friend. A soft chuckle slipped between my teeth. "If I could handle multiple angry wolves from three different packs trying to kill me, then I believe that I can deal with a few of the vengeful dead." I replied as I ruffled my feathers and began to preen my now extended right wing.
"My pups are to born from dams of the purest blood and strongest abilities. Keep an eye out for those." he explained further, then paused. "Oh, and Silverfire, I do hope you are strong." "I survived the Battle of the Compass not by cowering in a dark corner with my tail between my legs as some of my pack members have done." I paused and shook me head from side to side. "No, I survived using skill, and skill alone. So am I strong? Well, I'll let you make that choice as my training sessions continue." I returned Fleshspark's grin with my own metallic one. "I will be looking forward to our sessions in the near future."
With mild amusement, Fleshspark watched the she wolf groom herself as she went on about her rather admiral bravery and strength. "Perfect." he said, not giving whether it was about her genes or her attitude. Really, it was mostly some of each. "I will be looking forward to our sessions in the near future." she had said, and Fleshspark found himself nodding along.
"Yes, as am I. You will be an interesting addition to the cause. I can't wait to see how my wolves interact with you, and please, let them know when you don't like them. Don't hold back on my account. I have no bias towards my soldiers. The only thing I dislike is when my living wolves are killed by each other." The crooked alpha sighed forlornly, but looked up at the slowly setting sun.
"My old pack had an advantage over the other weaklings with you in their ranks, but now that I have your loyalty, the Night Minions are even closer to ruling. But Oakspark mustn't know this just yet. Act like a good, obedient co-alpha, and follow the earthen brute's decisions. I will let you know when we will reveal our rising.
"Now, run along to your alpha. Both he and I need your pack stronger. Clean yourself, then offer to go hunting. I shall call upon you tomorrow night." Then, with his own bow, Fleshspark added, "Until then, frauline."
NOTES: he's converting into the Thorian wolf seen in my thread with Earth
"Yes, as am I. You will be an interesting addition to the cause. I can't wait to see how my wolves interact with you, and please, let them know when you don't like them. Don't hold back on my account. I have no bias towards my soldiers. The only thing I dislike is when my living wolves are killed by each other." I released a short laugh. "Oh believe me. I will let them know when I don't like them." I looked down at the goat carcass as I decided what I was to do with it.
"My old pack had an advantage over the other weaklings with you in their ranks, but now that I have your loyalty, the Night Minions are even closer to ruling. But Oakspark mustn't know this just yet. Act like a good, obedient co-alpha, and follow the earthen brute's decisions. I will let you know when we will reveal our rising." I sighed. "But if there were more wolves like me in Eastern Rock, we would've won that war." I said, a hint of an annoyed growl was laced within my lyrics. "But what's done has been done, and there's no going back."
"Now, run along to your alpha. Both he and I need you stronger. Clean yourself, then offer to go hunting. I shall call upon you tomorrow night. Until then, frauline." He told me with a little bow of his own. I nodded and mantled slightly in respect. "Of course. See you then." I replied, grabbing the goat by the neck before dragging it to softer soil. I would bury it and came back for it later.
Tonight was going to be my last good night of sleep.
Fleshspark watched the she wolf leave, then padded off, leaving paw prints in the dirt as he went to where he knew his transport wolf waited for him. As he walked to the path that lead down to the beach, he thought of ways to gain more members. Perhaps he could have Silverfire recruit more Eastern Rock members for him? Maybe, if Oakspark was desperate enough, the alpha would pledge his allegiance to Night Minions to receive more food for his pack.
But Eastern Rock wasn't the only pack he had his sights on. The blasted Northern Islands wasn't as united as they seemed or claimed to be. He could sense it. He knew that if he did enough snooping through their precious islands, he would find a strong wolf to join his ranks. At the thought, he chuckled darkly. More members meant more power, and with more power, he would finally be able to rule the Compass.
Fleshspark exits at last.
NOTES: let's wait a bit so she can finish her patrol c:
Welcome to Compass Ross Packs territories. These wolves are... different than those of Earth. They live in a different realm, and the only way in or out is through the Transport wolves.
What are these wolves, you ask? These wolves have magic on their fur and the elements in their blood. These wolves have power. But will they use them for good, or for evil? That is up to you.
Compass Rose was created by Sentinel. Content is copyrighted to Compass Rose unless otherwise stated. The skin is created by Wolf of Gangnam Style. The board and thread remodel is by Kagney.
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