Quote from Mae on November 10, 2018, 1:42 am

As the curtain was drawn back, Kratos cast his eyes on a changed world.

Kratos' heavy white breath fell into the night as he looked around. All the trees were bare now, their gnarled arms stretching grimly over a black sky. Murky white clouds were crawling soundlessly across the ground. Blackened, twisted forms could barely be seen in the mists scattered in every direction; revealing the massecre of pine trees that fell victim to the storm. Earth had been turned up by the roots and muddy landfalls. The area was perfectly unrecognizable.

Compared to the earlier commotion the mountain was now eerily quiet. The fast-moving winds had passed the height and were now at a lower elevation, leaving the forest echoing with moans. Kratos listened to it. His ears swiveled as he leaned away from his refuge. His great black paws sunk deep into the earth.

There was no sign or sound of the rest of the pack...

Kratos lowered his head to the figure concealed in the shadows between his forearms and spoke softly, "Are you alright?"

******

Ulric heard nothing for a long time after the earth wall covered the cave mouth. He knew his body was changed, and that he had been pushed further into the cave, but he knew nothing more of his surroundings. There was no smell but wet earth, no sound except the settling of the mud, and no sight whatsoever.

When Ulric broke out of his icy prison, he shook the freezing mud from his mane and struggled to find footing. He coughed and slapped the mud.

"Jackie?!" He called. "Jackie, are you there?!"

Quote from Adriana on November 10, 2018, 12:56 pm

Bianca's eyes opened upon hearing the Alpha speak, and they were drawn up to meet his gaze. Nodding, she used the top of her paw to wipe moisture away from her dark wet nose, and stood, stepping forward into the new realm that surrounded them. The first steps forward into the dark, thick mud were met with a resilliance she wasn't prepared for, and she fell belly first on the mud. Picking herself up with a sneeze and a tremble, she knit her brow, tried to wipe away the mess and standing on her legs, raised her eyes and ears to examine the land.

Her ears drew back against her skull and her lips parted with a quiet whine.

"It's dest-royed.."

She was silent for some time, before turning her head slowly back towards Kratos.

"Surely n-n-no hunters could have..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. They were still people, too. She lifted her head, "Please, can we call t--th-them?" having stepped away from the Alpha, deprived of the warmth of his massive body, she realized fully how harsh the air was, how miserable the state of the mountain, and it was all she could to to avoid considering how grim the fate of her allies and friends looked...

---

The titans had clashed and left nothing but ruin in the wake of their battle. The mountains strength was also it's downfall, as it's nature would not let it move in the face of adversity, so it was stripped of it's garments and left barren when the mighty storm had passed over.

Surely if the mountain could not stand to face the strength of the ancients-how much less could those creatures on the mountain stand against such a tempest? To some, perhaps the mountain would reveal it's secrets-roots and crags would be sanctuaries that had held the test of time, formed into clever strongholds not even his enemies could uproot or smother. For others, it's treacherous slopes and paths carved from the storms previous visits might be damning.

Logan awoke from her dreams of cold fires and smothering air, awakening to icy mud and a heavy weight upon her back. Eyes parted open just so, she could see nothing but the earth below her nose. Her muzzle was all but smothered, thick muddy bubbles slowly forming from her shallow breath. The roots hanging around her told her that it was a tree weighing her down into the earth. The only thing that prevented it from crushing her beneath it's girth was the give of the land underneath her, allowing room for air in her lungs and nothing else.

Unable to draw strength to her arms or legs, which felt completely detached from her body- though she knew somewhat logically, they were still present-she had only one thought on her mind and was helpless to ward it off. Her eyes closed slowly, tiredly, and she tried to focus only on breathing.

Quote from Indy on November 10, 2018, 8:45 pm

The storm seemed to lighten, almost imperceptibly at first, until Theo noticed he was slightly less miserable with each passing moment. Was it safe yet to venture from the grove of trees? He didn’t know. He wasn’t going to risk it.

Almost apologetically, he glanced to his side to ensure his companion hadn’t blown away on him yet.

---

There was no reply to be heard in response to Ulric’s voice.  For a moment in the dark void, it seemed as though she’d vanished entirely.

The mud squelched and shifted, yet something in the sound seemed far too rhythmic for only gravity’s hand.  Now that the cave was sealed, it could not be the wind that breathed haggardly further ahead of Ulric. The stagnant, muddy air was thick and heavy.  There was a sharp gasp, followed immediately by a metallic smell so subtle it may not have been detected if the earthen fortress hadn’t sealed it in.

The gasp broke into a small, pained sob that sounded far too human.

Quote from Cat on November 10, 2018, 9:32 pm

Toby whimpered, clinging to the trunk of a tree. He felt sure the mountain was going to give way in a massive mudslide at any moment.  The rain made him cold and caused his earpiece to start buzzing in an annoying fashion. Mental note, make these things water proof. That was why we tested things first.

Theo glanced back at him. Seeking shelter had been a completely logical and very wise thing to do. Unlike every other accursed member of this pack, Theo actually thought about what he did and was doing-- But what about the screamer? They both heard it, he couldn't have imagined it. Toby's ears perked. Would it be wrong of them to leave someone out in this typhoon? ... Would it be worse to come to their rescue as a pair of werewolves? Was it even possible to rescue someone in this weather? But how wretched would Toby feel finding their dead body later on a sunny day! And who was it anyway? Was it someone from town or had it been one of the pack? So many variables, each with their own logical and immature courses of action.

"W-we both heard the scream, right? We should keep looking for them." Toby whimpered reluctantly, "Our ancestors weathered storms like this all the time, and regular wolves in the wild do it too. It-it-- It's only a little rain. Heh. L-let's keep looking, but uhm, you know, stick to the trees for shelter." It was such a stupid thing to say! Everyone knew to avoid trees in a thunder storm, but they were on a haunted mountain! They were dead anyway. They might as well give the archaeologists something great to fantasize about-- Though at this rate, the story would undoubtedly be that he and Theo were sacrificial offerings..

Quote from Kaqurei on November 10, 2018, 11:05 pm

When at last the wind settled, and a gentle rain pattered upon windows once beaten in the fury of the bulk of the storm, Sabrina rose from her place. Her aunt had gone to bed after huffing at her about letting the boy leave to weather the storm on his own. Sabrina had impassively told her, "It was his choice. I can no more inflict my will upon another, than another can inflict her will upon me." And the meaningful look had told Aunt Katie that she had said all she was going to on the matter.

"It's as good as murdering him," she might have growled before retreating to her room.

But now the brunt of the storm had passed. Now it was time to hunt. Sabrina blinked slowly at the dying embers of the fire. She had not moved since Saber left. Now she rose, sleek and white, and quietly left her aunt's warm abode.

The night was grey, a light drizzle still pattering the leaves of the trees. Perhaps Saber stood a chance. Where other parts of the mountain may have been blasted bare, Aunt Katie's abode was situated in the lee of a small alcove. If the boy had any sense at all--which she doubted after he had simply walked back out into that storm on his own accord, for reasons entirely mysterious to her--he would be somewhere nearby.

The white wolf touched her nose to the ground, her mouth half open to taste for any hint of a scent. It would be difficult, with the herb being especially thick in this area and the rain to have washed it to and fro... but perhaps there would be something. She raised her head, eyes bright and ears erect. She would find him.

Quote from Skyelre on November 11, 2018, 1:14 am

Saber was long gone by the time Sabrina had finally come out to search for him. Just as Sabrina predicted, Saber had left the protection of the cabins location and had run back into the thick of the woods and storm, his destination unknown.

The small wolf had continued to run through the storm as it traveled down the mountain, quickly becoming fatigued by the onslaught of nature's wrath. It wasn’t long before he slowed down, the wind now dragging him along more than his limbs. The wolf could sense the threat to his life the storm did impose, but something in his subconscious mind made him press on desperately towards his destination despite the unlikelihood of ever reaching it.

Shortly after he had slowed, his body soon felt far too exhausted and cold to move much at all, and one swift push from the wind sent him tumbling down to the ground.

The creature now lay nearly motionless, completely soaking wet and freezing cold, battered and bruised from natures beating, a shallow breath and violent shivers the only movement left. The merciless storm continued it's pathway down the mountain, leaving Saber behind in its wake.

Quote from Kaqurei on November 11, 2018, 10:13 pm

White clouds trailed low and lazy over the earth, filling the forest with utter obscurity. As the small one lay trembling in the mud, a figure appeared in the mists, head bowed to the ground. Her head raised, smelling what her eyes could not yet see, and her ears fixed ahead on his quivering breath. Her footfall was all but soundless as she padded to his side, her step neither hurried, nor slow.

She gazed down upon him, her face untouched by emotion, either compassion or hardness. She merely was, as she'd always been. There he lay, a mass of wet fur and sunken flesh, reaping the punishment of his own choosing. Did such deserve compassion? That was not her call to make. His life was hers to preserve, else he be utterly wasted for his moment of foolishness.

Sabrina did not know the boy's story. There were others yet she'd known longer, and their stories remained secret to her as well. Perhaps this was the punishment of her own choosing.

She bowed over him and hefted his form over her shoulder, standing now on two legs. She felt the chill water of his fur trickle down her back, repelled by her guard layer of fur, drunken in by her clothing. His body was as ice.

"Why did you run," she chastised in a breath. But she did not expect him to answer. He needed care, and quickly. She knew the way back to the cabin, and while it was far, she knew the fastest paths by heart.

Quote from Skyelre on November 12, 2018, 12:00 am

The wind howling. The rain assaulting his fur. The darkness of the night and the eerie shapes of trees that stood tall above him. These were the last few things Saber's wolf did see before his eyes closed and his consciousness slipped.

He didn't see Sabrina nor hear her words. He didn’t feel her carry him or see when they had reached the cabin. He surely wasn't aware of how weak his body was, nor how abnormally fast his heart was now pounding. His body simply continued to shiver and breath in an attempt at self preservation as his mind wandered in the realm of the subconscious.

Quote from Mae on November 12, 2018, 12:42 am

"Jackie? Jackie!" Ulric jumped and paddled over the mud until he reached the trembling shoulder ahead of him. He stretched out his padded hand and tried to touch the perception of his friend.

"Jackie, are you hurt? What's wrong?" Ulric said anxiously. He did not know if she had been bludgeoned by a rock, bruised or broken her leg. He simply never heard her cry in such a vulnerable way before. Furthermore, he did not know what he could do in the dark if any such were the case.

*****

Kratos watched Bianca with a steadying gaze, observing her footing as she trudged through the mud. Then he looked at the great tree that had withstood the storm at his back.

"We were fortunate." He said, casting his gaze around at all the other trees in the vicinity. "All the others are shallow-rooted pines. How we managed to find the only oak tree within miles is surprising."

Kratos' heavy paws sunk exceptionally deep. The mud rose midway on his forearms as he left the safety of the oak's roots.

"The mountain will be exceedingly treacherous now."
Kratos stood up and wiped off the mud. Then he began to bind up his cloak until it was tightly folded and tied to his side. He did not appear to mind the cold as well as one might expect. The heat of his body sent rolling white tendrils off his great hide. The natural crimson haze of his fur could not be seen in the dark. So seldom was Kratos without the crimson cloak that it was surprising to see his shoulders bare. More surprising still, however, was the white patch of fur that could now be seen on his left breast.

"Given the circumstances, it would be well for us to call them. However, if they have managed to secure a place on the mountainside, drawing them to us would be folly." Kratos said, pausing to consider the incline of the mountain. His broad black brow narrowed and his large nose was lifted nearly to the trees' boughs.

After a long time considering, Kratos set his hands in the mud again and motioned to Bianca.
"Whatever goes up will surely descend, and in these circumstances - rather rapidly." He said. "Jackie and Logan came here before the storm collided with the peak. They were headed north. They cannot be too far. However, we can neither ascend nor descend from this place without great risk."

Kratos turned his large head toward Bianca again and stared at her for a short interval of time... his thoughts rolling through his mind like the storm over the hills.
"... I hesitate," He said, "I do not know why... but I feel that it would be unwise to call for them at this time."