Fresh Start [Thanatos/Joining]

[Takoda]

With the rippling muscles gained from almost three years of beatings and challenges, the exhausted male began to make the ascent up the firm wall of rock before him. Despite his warrior build and mindset, Takoda was weakened from the recent skirmish and tiring swim, each breath like claws raking down his chest and sides, each step like a savage attack to his legs. He remembered when he could see, although poorly; this thing before him was a cliff, built with rocks and stone. Some of it could have been a sandy colour or some could have been a blue-grey hue. The different rock types probably had different scents but his little time with sufficient vision meant that the chocolate brown wolf never had time to learn. He would have loved to have his vision back, if only to memorise how things looked, from the gentle sway of trees to the smell of different rocks.

No. I don't want to be stuck in the past. Focusing on the task at hand, Takoda felt around for pawholds before heaving himself up, bit by bit. His parents would hate him for doing such an act, he knew, but could they possibly hate him even more than they already did? Besides, it was not as if Takoda cared now that they were gone. He was moving on now, to a new life. A new life upon this new land.

On the verge of collapsing, a front paw gripped onto the top of the cliff and, with his final remaining strength, Takoda hauled himself up to the top. His body convulsed on the ground as he coughed up water, emptying his lungs of liquid after what felt like an eternity of being surrounded by water on every side. Deep breaths were taken before blind hazel eyes lifted along with a head to rest upon Takoda's paws. After a while of calming down and collecting himself, the large Mackenzie Valley male noticed a collection of scents, all smelling rather similar. It reminded him of... Of a pack. But it was not all rubbed in and overly marked like Exousía's; no, it was not intimidating to him. It reminded Takoda of... Of peace and happiness.

Obviously, he was on claimed territory and would have to leave it soon so he would have to alert the Alpha to assure them that he had no intent of harming the pack. Finally strong enough to stand, Takoda got to his feet and howled to summon a pack wolf to grant him passage through these lands so that he could catch a meal on loner lands. His song was short and brief, although it was loud and certain enough for the Alpha to hear and to know that he or she had been summoned.

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Words: 477
Tags: Thanatos
Notes: I would totally have made some graphics for him but I would have messed up his markings so bad haha. Sorry for the wait! <3
Muse: Meh

[Thanatos]

There was something wrong with Thanatos lately. Every morning his breath grew heavier and his heart was silent. It had been quite some time since he last saw a few of his pack members. What had happened to Aaliyah? Jericho? Leiah? Ayame and Caleb? Was he doing a good job as a Haimovi or was he failing at something? Thanatos frowned as the wind caressed his fur. He sat down at one of Zozyr's Glory's famous cliffs, looking at the ocean beneath him. He was frustrated and lost, and he had no idea what was going on within him. Thanatos raised his head and stared at the cerulean skies, hoping that Elohim would tell him that everything would be okay and that he was doing a great job. A lone tear began to fall down from his pale eyes, and a deep, resounding sigh escaped from his lungs. 

For a moment, Thanatos questioned his calling. He knew that what he had seen had been as real as himself, no doubt about it. He knew that Elohim had something great planned for him and his pack. But, why was it taking so long? Was it a test? That... that had to be it. Maybe this was all a test that Elohim was giving him, so that He could see how much faith he had. A soft smile appeared in his lips, and a sudden feeling of peace and security overwhelmed him. His heart began to beat softer, and his body relaxed. His thoughts became interrupted, however, when he saw a brown wolf in the distance, swimming to the shore and landing on one of the cliffs. Thanatos quickly got up on his feet and descended to the direction of the stranger, moving masterfully between the rocks and cliffs of the land.

The wolf howled, making Thanatos's ears perk up immediately as he went faster down. After a few minutes, he finally reached the male. "Greetings, stranger, and may Elohim bless you," he calmly spoke, smiling before continuing, "Welcome to Eden's lands. Are you alright?" Thanatos tilted his head in genuine concern, hoping that the male was indeed alright. If this stranger was friendly, he would kindly offer food and shelter, and an offer to join the pack. Wagging his tail softly and standing still, Thanatos hoped only for the best out of this encounter.


Takoda

[Takoda]

After Takoda had howled, a smell seeming male and of the pack that these lands reeked of grew gradually stronger. The loner took it as someone approaching him and stood still, not daring to move in case if he would fall off the cliff. Once the scent was strong enough and the acute hearing of a blind wolf picked up the pack wolf's soft footsteps against firm rock, the battered male found that the other wolf's voice seemed to come from right in front of him so he figured that they were about the same height.

What Takoda was confused about was, however, the part about some Elohim blessing him. Who or what was Elohim? And why did Takoda need his blessing? Was Elohim the Alpha of this pack? Why would the Alpha explicitly need to bless the loner to pass through the lands and to not trespass again?

And then there was a name. Eden. Perhaps Eden was the Alpha, or perhaps it was the pack itself. "Hello, sir. I am fine, thank you, although a little hungry and tired from the swim. I apologise for being on Eden's lands—I was just calling for a pack member to grant me passage through the lands so that I can hunt on loner lands and not steal your prey or be sleeping in your dens."

Hopefully Eden was not as strict as Exousía and would let him pass through just for a one-off time; the wounds on his flank were still fresh and stinging badly from the salt of the sea and he did not fancy getting any more wounds. Of course, if it really did come down to it, Takoda would stand his ground, but he would much rather pass through and settle down than fight blindly on lands that he was unfamiliar with against an entity that he did not know very well at all.

Thanatos

[Kiara]

The older the maned wolf became, the less her adventurous playful puppy personality shown through. Instead, she was becoming, a calm, regal, and smart young adult who loved to learn and prided herself on being graceful and a good friend and even better daughter of the alpha. She often her held high, her purple eyes shining bright and her steps were becoming more graceful and quiet as she grew into her long thin legs. Really, if it wasn’t for her unique neon purple eyes, one would never believe the present Kiara was the same wolf as puppy Kiara. But, she prided herself on that fact and hoped to continue being able to better herself. On this particular day, Kiara had found herself exploring near Zozyr’s Glory when she caught scent of her father and a new scent she didn’t recognize. Instantly, she started making her way over to where she thought the scents were coming from. She enjoyed watching her father accept new wolves and learning the ways in which he went about it. She hoped one day her father would grant her the permission to accept potential members for she would love to share some of the responsibility of her father’s pack. But for now, she knew the best thing to do would be to continue learning and showing her father she had what it took to be just like him. Finally spotting her father and the new male, her ears perked with excitement. Sure enough, the wolf was looking to join and Kiara moved forward, standing beside her father after she gave him a small nuzzle and listened to the wolf speak. He mentioned being granted passage so that he could eat and sleep in peace and her ears pinned in slight disappointment. Surely he would rather join a pack and always be able to sleep and eat in peace than just pass through. “Greetings sir, I am Kiara,” Kiara greeted him, bowing her head. Even though he only looked to be about a year older than her, she would still greet him respectfully. “Instead of just simply passing through, have you considered joining? Eden is always open and searching for new members and we can offer abundant food for these lands make great hunting grounds. We also protect our members so you’ll always have a safe place to sleep. I would be happy to show you around and help you get settled If you do decide to join,” she told him kindly, hoping her father wouldn’t mind her speaking up.

[Thanatos]

"Hello, sir. I am fine, thank you, although a little hungry and tired from the swim. I apologise for being on Eden's lands—I was just calling for a pack member to grant me passage through the lands so that I can hunt on loner lands and not steal your prey or be sleeping in your dens." Thanatos smiled at the courtesy and kindness of the stranger. Just before he was going to speak, he heard the footsteps of his daughter, Kiara, behind him. “Greetings sir, I am Kiara. Instead of just simply passing through, have you considered joining? Eden is always open and searching for new members and we can offer abundant food for these lands make great hunting grounds. We also protect our members so you’ll always have a safe place to sleep. I would be happy to show you around and help you get settled If you do decide to join,”

Thanatos loved his daughter and her willingness to learn and follow in his footsteps, but he made a mental note to let her know that she should wait until he dealt with the situation first. He knew that she was a natural born leader, but after a few revelations from Elohim, he understood that things were going to be a little bit different from now on. He didn't want her to be exposed to any possible threat that a stranger may impose. The thought of loosing her made his heart race with anxiety. He decided to wait until he gathered the whole pack to discuss the ground rules alongside Nova. However, he couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter and of her achievements, and of her bright personality. He loved her dearly, and she was going to be a shining example of what it meant to be a member of Eden--more importantly, to be the Haimovi's daughter. After letting her speak, he continued speaking to the stranger, in hopes of gaining his membership into the family.

"Like my daughter said," he spoke, "we are a family here. The offer is open to any and all who desire a new start in this life. It is what Elohim desired for our lives, and His sovereign will. The decision is yours. My name is Thanatos, the Haimovi of Eden. In other packs, the term is known as Alpha. What is your name, friend?" Smiling, he stood still, hoping that the cocoa colored wolf would accept his offer, and he would gladly accept him into his ranks if he was interested.

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Than, your overprotective side is showing!
Takoda  + Kiara

[Takoda]

As he stood there, awaiting a reply from the male, another scent drifted in his direction. This time, it was that of a young female, and it was growing closer to him. Cautious of potential danger, Koda pulled himself up to his full height. Was the male's kindness feigned so that the newcomer would be relaxed? Were they to gang up on him and attack him, just like everyone else had done back on the island?

Suddenly fearing for the strangers' intentions, he shuffled cautiously away from them a few inches so that, should they have an ulterior motive that would harm him, Takoda had an easier escape route. But surely they were friendly? If they had an intention to harm the Mackenzie Valley wolf, he had been rather vulnerable just a moment ago. He had no idea of where he was as well as having been weakened from the swim.

Sighing, the male abandoned his train of thought to hear what the she-wolf had to say. She introduced herself as Kiara before offering Takoda membership in Eden, one of the last things that the foreigner had expected. The blind wolf reminded himself that she did not know of his disability—they would probably not want him after they found out, and Takoda wanted to be truthful with the two kind canines who had greeted him. Such an offer was surely too good to be true, or would be once they found out. When the other male, who introduced himself as Thanatos, offered more information on the pack of Eden, Takoda felt inclined to tell them. He did not want to lead anyone on or drag a pack down with his nonexistent eyesight.

"Hello, Kiara and Thanatos. Thank you for the offer—I truly do appreciate it, but there is something that you must know first. And my name is Takoda, before I go on. But... I... I have an issue that might prevent me from being as helpful to Eden as you might want. You see, I am... I am blind—my mother hates me so she attacked me one day, and I went blind. It's perfectly understandable if you don't want a blind wolf in your pack—just let me know. I wouldn't want to lead you on or put your hopes up for a healthy member of the pack."

Hanging his head, Takoda waited for their response.

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Words: 411
Tags: Thanatos Kiara
Notes: Sorry for the wait! <3
Muse: Good

[Kiara]

As Kiara approached her father and the new wolf, she couldn’t help but to notice his apprehensive expression and his defensive posture. Instantly, her ears pinned, worried that she had made the wrong choice by coming over. She knew her father had yet to scold her for coming over whenever she saw him but that didn’t mean it was appropriate every single time. But, she also knew it was too late to turn around and slip away unnoticed. She had been seen by both wolves and it would be more suspicious, she thought, if she turned tail and left than if she actually came over. Once she had reached her destination, she sat beside her father and listened quietly as he spoke to the new wolf. She listened as he introduced himself and told the wolf that he would be more than welcomed to join Eden if it was what he wished. “You won’t be disappointed if you decide to join. We have a lot to offer, a lot for you to learn, and I personally think our pack is really fun,” she told him in hopes that he would agree. “But, if you decide not to join, that is fine too,” she added as to avoid him feeling pressured to join. As the wolf introduced himself, Kiara said his name a few times to herself. It was a unique name but she liked the sound of it and it seemed to fit him well. As he mentioned being blind, she couldn’t help but frown. She didn’t think it was fair for any wolf to have to go through life without being able to see, but what made it worse was how he lost his vision. She couldn’t imagine any mother hating her own child so much that she would attack them and cause them to lose their sight. Really, she was thankful she couldn’t imagine it.

[Thanatos]

Thanatos listened quietly, smiling softly at the male. The chocolate colored brute spoke, telling Thanatos and Kiara about how he had an impediment to join--his eyesight. Apparently, he was blind. Thanatos felt a strong sense of sadness overcome him, when he told them that his mother attacked him out of hatred. How could someone be so cruel? Whimpering softly under his breath, Thanatos then spoke with softened eyes and a warm smile. "Takoda, that is no problem at all. Blind, deaf, or mute, whatever your condition may be, consider Eden as a safe place to thrive and just be. We would never turn down someone because they are unable to see. In fact, I admire you," Than said, his tail wagging softly, "you are able to believe in things without seeing them rather than seeing to believe them." He stopped before adding, "I see no problem with you becoming a part of our family."

For a second, Thanatos felt the responsibility he had with these souls in a more tangible way. He knew he had to take care of them and guide them in the ways of Elohim, but how could he travel in this narrow road without blindly trusting in his Creator? He wouldn't be able to do it on his own. Burdened with the cocoa pelted male, he began to feel much better with the fact that if this male indeed desired to join, he would be safe, loved and cared for in these lands. He would not have to suffer any longer, vulnerable to the traitorous intentions of Nukpana--No. He would be safe with Elohim here. Smiling, the Haimovi then finished his statement with warm words that almost offered an embrace to the male in front of him. "If you desire, this can be your home, Takoda. We can be your family. Elohim can give you peace." 

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ooc: :3
tags: Takoda + Kiara
words: 313