A Veteran's Reflections

[phantom]

It had been quite some time since he'd last dared to journey into these lands.

The white form of Phantom, his amber eyes scanning the area intently for any signs of wolven life, exhaled quietly, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he trotted forward, into the territory that the Knaves, his old pack, had once called home. Regarded by everyone as bloodthirsty killers and feared continent-wide, they had ruled over this part of Anikira with an iron paw, attempting to bend every single territory surrounding the Chamoru Plains to their will, enslaving the pack wolves and taking over their homelands. They really should have known that that was an impossible feat, for no matter how many times Ardemu had tried to convince himself that he was invincible, that no other wolf could possibly defeat him, he had been wrong. Deathly wrong. Dreadfully and wonderfully wrong.

Now, the Knaves had been defeated in the ultimate battle- a battle involving all four of the packs in the area against the Knaves. Any surviving members had fled to the four winds, their leader slain by nothing more than an old windbag that never should have involved himself in such affairs. Phantom could have snickered out loud at the waste. The young fool. Always rushing into things and thinking he was invincible. He never would've been in this mess if he'd let an older and much wiser wolf handle things. the Gray male thought, shaking his head disapprovingly as he did so. He still remembered the battle well, the memory of it was still fresh in his mind- the screams of pain, the wild yells of the raging packs, the blood being spilled everywhere, the delicious delicacy.... licking his maw slowly and delicately, Phantom let his mind travel back to that fateful day, when he had finally decided to break off from the ranks of the Knaves and start a new life on his own....

He had been fighting like the devil, attempting to take down as many lives as he could, a whirling, snarling, clawing whirlwind as he fought his way through the battlefield, when a young male of some breed had fastened himself onto Phantom's leg, shaking it and holding it in an iron grasp. Phantom had managed to remove the fool, but finding himself too badly injured to continue fighting, he had dragged himself into a nearby thorn thicket to inspect his injuries and possibly recover from them enough to resume his post in the battle. When he finally decided to emerge, he saw that the pack wolves were beginning to retreat slightly, uttering triumphant howls as they did so. Whatever must have happened, it couldn't have been good for the Knaves. However, Phantom managed to keep up his "devil-may-care" mask flawlessly as he entered the crowd once again. "What'd I miss?" he had inquired, grinning madly, his teeth glittering in the fading light. "Where'd Ardemu disappear to?"

A Red wolf female had turned to face him, snarling loudly, her whole upper body caked in blood. "We could ask you the exact same question." she had hissed, her eyes glittering dangerously as they shot all over his frame, an amused smirk beginning to decorate her maw. "And Ardemu's dead. Or has that fact not passed through your thick skull?" Ignoring her, Phantom had somehow mustered up enough energy to race forward, trying to see if her story was indeed true. Sure enough, the deathly still form of his current leader came into view, Knave members surrounding it, bowing their heads in silent sympathy for the one wolf that they had actually bothered to respect through their months serving him. Looking down disdainfully at the alpha's body, Phantom had felt nothing for the Knave leader as he turned back to the female, his eyes widening as he tried to make his facade believable. The members had all glanced over at him, and all that had run through their minds at the moment was that Phantom was yet another member that was in shock over their leader's death. In fact, they couldn't have been farther from the truth.

In his mind, the young male had gotten what had already been coming to him. Ardemu, needless to say, had had a good number of enemies during his reign of terror over the island, and it hadn't taken very long for one of them to muster up enough nerve to slay him. He and the Knave leader had really never seen eye to eye, branching from their hostile introduction when Phantom had first asked to join the Knaves. Ardemu, after some uncertain moments, had reluctantly agreed, but he hadn't seemed too estatic about having another member in his midst. Even though Phantom had helped a great deal with rading parties and the like over his few months of enrollment into the rogue band, the two had never been friends of any sort, and now as he gazed down at the limp body, Phantom felt nothing but a strange sense of satisfaction.

After heatedly being asked about his loyalty to the band, Phantom had simply stated that he would no longer include himself into a band without a leader and had disappeared into the nearby underbrush, ignoring the mocking catcalls that had followed him. Last he'd heard, the Knaves had disbanded at last, spreading into the four winds and trying to make new lives for themselves in the form of the loner lifestyle. It was all a lost effort, in Phantom's opinion. They would never be able to forget their past, never be able to join a pack because of their reputation, never have a future for themselves....

Shaking his head, Phantom finally snapped back into reality, his gaze narrowing as he continued to scan the area, the plains that he would never have journeyed back to if they hadn't been his former home. A small frown wormed its way onto his features as he continued to note the absence of wolf life. The Gray male had been looking to add some fun to his rather uneventful day, but this area seemed to be completely void of any life, other than the flowers and the bees which zipped around pollinating them. "Well, this is the party.... so where are all the guests?" Phantom sighed, sitting up a bit as he continued to stare off into the distance, his eyes blank, his expression listless. Where were all of the chew toys for him to play with?

[rapture]

"Well, this is the party.... so where are all the guests?"

"Are you lookin' for little 'ol me?" Rapture stood merely a dozen feet behind the white brute. A mask was on his bloodied face, a mask of a gentle, caring, harmless creature. His entire form was drenched in blood, no longer could one see the creams and browns in his coat, or the texture. Since the gruesome battle, Rapture hadn't bathed, nor does he ever in the first place. He was decorated with her scars, a completely damaged right hip so now he walks with a huge gated limp. But the aging brute is still alive, stronger than ever.

Rapture didn't full fledged join the war, he participated just long enough to take a life or two, and a couple injuries. Then he ran off for unfinished business with his wench, Legacy. It was unfortunate that the war and his offspring were born in the same time frame. But what's done was done and the past should stay there.

The Mexican brute grinned crudely at the white male, and the Chamoru plains wistfully blew in ominous ways. Ardemu, a majority of the clan was gone now; Rapture was one of the lucky survivors in the mess. With a pained groan, the older brute slowly lowered his haunches to the flowered ground. He could only hold himself up with three legs for so long before he gets worn out. The sun beamed down, baking the already hardened blood on his fur, there was no soft strands left. As if he soaked in a pool of blood... It was a disturbing sight. "I remember you from somewhere, long ago. But can't actually recall. Refresh my aging memory?"

[phantom]

"Are you lookin' for little 'ol me?"

Snarling as a sharp, mocking voice entered his ears, Phantom turned to see a large Mexican brute standing just a few feet away from him, his entire body drenched in dry blood. Curling his lip distastefully at the brute as he noted this, Phantom's eyes shot all over the brute's large frame, trying to gather some information about him. What was this brute's purposes here, his fighting abilities? These were all things that would help Phantom take this brute down, for of course he was going to have to kill this brute for disturbing him in so rude of a manner. Yet he couldn't bring himself to make the move to strike. All of a sudden, he came to the sudden realization that he knew this brute. The memories were tangled in the deepest, darkest area of his brain, yet he was still able to retrieve them and remember... remember the days when he was enrolled into the Knaves, sorting through all of the members that he had come to know and dislike at the same time, trying to match an image to this brute... suddenly, he knew.

"Rapture." The name was spoken with obvious distaste as Phantom peeled his lips back in the beginnings of a snarl, his amber orbs boring holes into the Mexican as he viciously stared him down. "Never thought that I'd be seeing the likes of you around these parts again. Still, a strange wolf can lead to some strange habits, can it not?" The Grey brute was smirking now, as his paws slowly carried him closer and closer to Rapture, a hearty chuckle beginning to spring from his chest. He hadn't seen a fellow Knave member in quite some time, and now it was his turn to mess with this brute. Time for him to have the first real fun that he'd had in ages.... this was indeed going to be exciting. "As for me looking for you... why would I ever want to look for you, or anything that has to do with the Knaves?" Phantom's eyes were glittering dangerously, smoldering with a fierce fire that refused to ever be put out. He would be pushed around by no one, ruled over by no single wolf. Phantom was his own master, and that was what made him so dangerous. He and only he decided when to attack and when it was time to reel in his bloodthirsty tendencies, so no one knew how much mercy he would spare them, if at all. Phantom was a true image of a ruthless killer, and he was certainly not in the mood to play games with Rapture at the moment. And he was going to let the Mexican know that, or else it would be the end of Rapture's pitiful life.

"Strange that you'd journey back to the home of the pack that you hated so much." Phantom smirked, beginning to walk in a slow circle around Rapture, his eyes still glittering as if he was going to attack at any moment... and indeed he might have, were it not for the fact that he was excellent at keeping up a cool exterior. "I'd have thought that on a day like today you'd be prowling after defenseless pups or feasting on rabbit bones.... or have we upgraded to Arabians and the like now?" His statement was literally dripping with venom and sarcasm, ringing out harshly into the summer air. Phantom was not one to sugar-coat things, he was much more likely to just state them as they were, flat out truth was the only thing that came out of his mouth, along with a few lies here and there. In his opinion, Rapture was completely useless, he'd never seen the Mexican brute do much of anything other than sneak off to rape defenseless females and complain about how boring the Knaves were. Phantom was surprised that he'd even remained with the group for so long, when all he did was constantly threaten to leave it. But in all truth, Rapture was nothing more than a useless lump of fur, despite all of his tough talk.

He is nothing more than a useless, pathetic mongrel, he doesn't even deserve to still be walking this planet... kill him now, you dolt! his thoughts hissed, desperately tying to push him forward, trying to make him massacre this foolish brute who had nothing coming but what he deserved. Phantom chose to ignore his instincts for the moment, however, for he wanted to toy around with Rapture a bit more before he killed him and left his body lying in the dust and flowers. It would indeed be interesting to see how far he could push the elderly brute before he finally snapped and decided to attack. But whatever Rapture decided to do, Phantom would be right there waiting for him, ready to counter-attack whatever came his way. He would not allow himself to be defeated by a scrawny Mexican, in the end he would rule supreme, and Rapture would be just another wolf that was cowering under his paws, begging for mercy. For now, Phantom would push those thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand, hoping that his actions would give him the interaction that he wanted from this brute.

"I remember you from somewhere, long ago. But can't actually recall. Refresh my aging memory?"

As Rapture sat down with a slight groan, Phantom kept a wide smirk etched onto his features. So, the Mexican's cracked old brain actually had enough in it to remember him. This could be an interesting turn point. Turning his whole body slightly, Phantom couldn't help but shoot one last wise-cracking remark at the brute's obvious weakness. "I was known as Phantom.... though you're more than welcome to give me whatever title you please. Surely your messed-up little brain can think of at least one?" he stated, the wide grin still remaining on his maw as he waited for Rapture's response.

[rapture]

"I'm just strange at it's worst, I suppose." The mexican brute yawned, flapping his tongue against his lips and staring lazily back at the white wolf. He wasn't the least bit intimidated by Phantom, if anything coming face to face with one of his offspring was ore intimidating. But they were all dead thankfully, a personal smirk laid upon his face, and his fiery orbs glanced away from the white male when he spoke of the Knaves. "Seems they all disappeared eh? Just a coincidence we ended up here at the same time. As if it were meant to be."

Rapture huffed in amusement as Phantom began to circle him. He snickered halfheartedly as the wolf mentioned the Knaves hating him. That may be, but Rapture simply didn't care. He hated all of them too, so it worked out perfectly. "Pups and rabbits are indeed outdated. But I'm afraid Arabians are extinct these days, hard to come by you know? But if I get the chance to come across one, I'll kill them just for you." Rapture replied honestly, not even bothering to take notice to Phantom's sarcasm. The Mexican would play the game, but no he would not die today from the likes of snowy here.

His charcoal claws scraped against the soil, a weary silence fell upon the plains. Rapture pretended not to notice the predatory vibrations coming from Phantom. Rapture was much faster and agile, better at evading than defending. The urge to bleed, was overwhelming. Only if Phantom decided to attack was when Rapture would prove how disgusting and unfathomable he truly was. "Oh right, Phantom was your name. However, I actually remembered after all this time. I just felt the need to hear your voice again, my dear Phantom." Chuckling, his left paw brushing up against the scab on his right forearm. It was rough, the same texture as his paw pads.

His tail thumped against the flowers, beating them into a pulp, they would no longer be living. A throbbing effect on his back limb was agonizing, maybe sitting for too long wasn't the best for healing. So, perhaps it was time for a goodbye, it wouldn't be easy, because Phantom was hostile. Rapture didn't feel like fighting and he'd be honest about that. Rising to his feet, unsteadily he turned his head to the white wolf. "Phantom, I feel you want no trace of Knaves living on this slab of Anikira. Well you will have to deal with one. Me, and I'm not dying today. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. But I'll be on my way." Rapture hobbled slowly forward, he moved slowly because he know Phantom would hold him back in someway. Chomping on his tail, taking out his injured leg even further, or simply jumping in front of the way and speaking nonsense or what not. Rapture would be surprised if none of those occurred, and he left without a scratch on his body.

[phantom]

"I'm just strange at it's worst, I suppose."

Phantom snorted disdainfully at the brute, still keeping his amber gaze firmly locked onto the Mexican in case he decided to attack. No matter what the old fool decided to try, the Grey brute would be ready for him, striking back as quickly as he could. He didn't even bother to move a muscle in defense when a rather annoying gnat buzzed by his ear, filling Phantom's eardrums with a sharp squealing sound. Watching as Rapture briefly licked his chops and then averted his gaze, a wide smirk appeared upon his maw. If the brute wasn't already feeling threatened by him, he would in a moment, if the current events decided to amount to a fight. However, Phantom wasn't really in the mood for a fight- not only did his injured leg make him slower at maneuvering then usual, but he'd also wasted most of his energy in tracking a young buck for the first half of the day. He'd rather not fight at a time when he was so vulnerable, but if the Mexican decided to make the first move, Phantom would be quick to remind him just who exactly was the weak one around here. "Old fool." he snorted under his breath, rotating his ears to catch the next words of Rapture's speech.

"Seems they all disappeared eh? Just a coincidence we ended up here at the same time. As if it were meant to be."

Growling slightly, Phantom shifted his weight on his legs, annoyed to be standing in one place for so long. "I simply came back to look in disgust at the lands of a pack that was nothing more than a pathetic little band, who never achieved their quest for greatness... you have no reason for coming here other than your own stupidity. You are in the wrong place at the wrong time, brute..." the male snarled, taking a step closer to the deranged being that stood before him. If the Mexican was trying to tick him off, he was going to have to try a lot harder than that. Phantom wasn't about to bend to his will just because of mere words. Inside, Phantom was silently screaming a very long list of curse words at the male, but on the exterior there was no signs that the Grey brute had even acknowledged Rapture's words, other than the rather quick, agitated flick of his tail back and forth behind him. Of all the wolves I could have run into today... why'd it have to be him? he spat, though honestly, Phantom could have cared less about who he ran into in this Fenris- forsaken field. He could have come upon the most innocent pup in the world, or the oldest, most crippled wolf he had ever met, and still have the urge to slay him or her. Phantom's bloodlust knew no bounds, he would slay whoever and whenever he wanted, and absolutely no one had the power to stop him.

"Pups and rabbits are indeed outdated. But I'm afraid Arabians are extinct these days, hard to come by you know? But if I get the chance to come across one, I'll kill them just for you."

"How sweet of you, to think of me in your macabre killings..." Phantom stated sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the grinning Mexican. The brute's idiocy was beginning to severely irk Phantom, and if he kept this fool's game up the Grey brute would be happy to slay him. I wonder how good his skull would look if I stuck it onto a branch... perhaps his pelt to drape against a rock and his blood to paint this field a lovely shade of crimson... Phantom thought, baring his teeth in a distorted smile and quivering with excitement as he did so. The things he could do with a new, fresh victim... he had to contain a giggle of happiness just thinking about it! He hadn't killed in many moons, it would indeed be nice to taste fresh blood against his jowls once again.... Rapture had better prepare himself for what was to come. Once he managed to slay this flea-bitten excuse for a wolf, he could find other members to slay. Perhaps he'd hunt down that fiery little Red female- Wrath, had it been? She had been quite the little spitfire during her enrollment into the gang, yet Phantom felt certain that he would be able to take her down. Then the Enforcer brute, who had seemed to pop in and out randomly into the gang.... were there any members that he had missed? Phantom didn't think so, the Knaves had never managed to receive very many members when they had still been a functional pack....

"Oh right, Phantom was your name. However, I actually remembered after all this time. I just felt the need to hear your voice again, my dear Phantom."

Phantom didn't bother to respond to Rapture's statement as his eyes caught a teal-colored butterfly floating among the flowers. Jumping forward, he slammed his paws down upon its delicate body, killing it before it even had the chance to take off. Growling in glee, he stripped the wings off of the tiny body, shredding them to bits and disposing of them in the long grass beside him. Gulping down the body of the tiny creature, he turned back to Rapture, an insane glow entering his eyes as he stared the brute down. Laughing deep in his throat as he watched the Mexican stumble to his feet, Phantom pawed at the grass wildly, tearing out long strips of it and turning up the crumbling topsoil. Yes, Phantom was indeed insane. Did he care about such a fact? Absolutely not. He could function perfectly without a sane mind in his body, as Rapture would have been able to do so as well, if it were not for the Mexican brute's rising age. So engrossed was he in his wild rampage that he nearly missed Rapture's goodbye to him, turning to hear him just in time to catch the tail end of the speech.

"Phantom, I feel you want no trace of Knaves living on this slab of Anikira. Well you will have to deal with one. Me, and I'm not dying today. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. But I'll be on my way."

Chuckling to himself, Phantom stood up, gathering his limbs into a jumping position, wincing slightly as he put more weight then was needed on his injured limb. "Not going to die today? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, Rapture, but you are going to die today if I have any say in it. Every single one of the Knaves is going to turn into carrion if I have anything to do with it, starting with you." Aiming at his neck, Phantom had just enough time to whisper yet another harsh phrase to Rapture before he jumped, his fangs outstretched and aiming for the jugular vein. "So, then... let's see what skills you still have left in this battered old body of yours..."

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/7288/atreyutbg.jpg,true] Heavy footfalls were steady and powerful; each muscle movement seemed both subconscious and yet deliberate, defined all the way down to the precise calculation of where each paw was placed. In a hasty trot, he pressed on with a deep burning hunger, evident in the way his claws gripped the soft soil beneath his shadowy body. Twin peaks were laced back against his skull, and scent receptors were working in overtime tracking his prey. Unfortunately, he wasn’t ‘hot on her trail’, just heading in the direction of where he figured she might be hiding, tucked away into the safety of the pack, or, better yet, by herself. Anikira was a large place; luckily he still had months before it was necessary to have found her. “We must find her… We need…need to feel…and experience her…again…” the voice whispered, words lingering heavily in his mind; bring forth memories that urged him to move faster. But the memory slowed him down as his body tensed, male organ extending from its protective sheath of flesh and fur as his eye lids slid closed and his head rolled back towards the open sky. With a great shudder from his shoulders through his tail he gasped for breath and released an exited bark. Alternatively, Atreyu suddenly became very aware of what this female was doing to him, and although he desired her, he did not love her, and would not act out like a love sick adolescent again. Growling and muttering under his breath he picked up his pace again, heading towards the lands where he had left her many months ago. Before long, he was once again consumed by his task, stalking the Chamoru Plains, a part of Anikira he knew very well. I’queyer was a land he had unofficially staked as his home, a place where he had taken more than one life, a place where he had spared another - the life he was now searching for. He was so committed to his hunt that he didn’t bother to avoid what was lying ahead of him. As the onyx male crested the top of a knoll, emerald eyes spotted two wolves in the valley that he had been completely unaware of until now. Quickly he crouched down and took a couple of steps backwards, concealing himself in the long grass. His decisive action was not out of fear, besides, what would he have to fear? Atreyu was the most dangerous living being on Anikira. Tre lay sphinx-like, dark eyes peering over the shuts of grass, eyeing a large white male wolf angrily conversing with a deranged wolf covered in blood, identified by the stench that hung in the atmosphere around him. Ears perked forward, listening to the conversation between the two males. “I was known as Phantom.... though you're more than welcome to give me whatever title you please. Surely your messed-up little brain can think of at least one?" spoke the white male. But as the other replied, Atreyu suddenly realized who the other wolf was. "Oh right, Phantom was your name. However, I actually remembered after all this time. I just felt the need to hear your voice again, my dear Phantom." It was Rapture, that Mexican son-of-a-bitch who he should have finished off over a year ago, and he would have if it weren’t for Ardemu barging in and ruining his fun. He fell into a state of déjà vu, only this time around he played the role of Ardemu, and the white male, now identified as Phantom, took the role of Tre. Although he isn’t doing a very good job of portraying me. Atreyu scoffed suppressing a chuckle. He continued to listen in on the duo’s banter, and just as this so-called Phantom launched a strike, Atreyu rose to all fours. Voice booming, he called down to the lackeys that belong to Ardemu’s band of knaves, “Not if I have anything to do with it!” Sauntering with authority, he slowly approached the two males, closing the twenty meter distance between him, and them.

[rapture]

Orange orbs followed the fluttering butterfly that simultaneously caught both wolf's eyes, practically interrupting their conversation. Rapture rose a brow as Phantom brutally attacked the pathetic insect, ripping it's wings off and acting like a total dumb ass. Killing a butterfly... How frightening. The Mexican rolled his eyes and sighed, Phantom was wasting his time picking a fight with Rapture if he thinks sizing up a butterfly was worthy enough. Rapture may be older, a little sore in the joints but it didn't mean he couldn't fight. All was an act, egging Phantom on as if he were a frail old wolf who couldn't fight. Well, Phantom was wrong.

As the bloody brute began walking off, he predicted Phantom refusing his exit and charging for an attack. Rapture was right of course, he was a killing machine but not a complete stupid one like Phantom was. Flicking his torn ear, orange eyes side glanced at the white wolf right as he was homing in on his target. The most obvious tactic; aiming for the throat. As if Rapture hadn't been through this particular event a thousand times in the past... This wasn't any different. "Oh Phantom, I thought you'd be more vigilant in your fighting skills." Rapture growled, his fur bristled and hips creaking as he dodged the attack rather gracefully; all he had to do was bend down and slink to the right. Phantom wasn't as quick as the lithe form of Rapture apparently.

Before Rapture could counter Phantom's attack, a familiar voice entered his auds and a black form pranced into the scene. Atreyu. Rapture narrowed his eyes at the ebony brute, encountering him once in the past and battling a rather intense fight with the male. Once again, his fights get interrupted one way or another. "What brings you here Atreyu? Coming back for our rematch?" Rapture hissed, his tail lashing left and right while his fiery orbs shifted between both enemies. Everyone was out to get him, apparently. "I'd rather have Master Atreyu take my life than an amateur like you Phantom." His raspy voice low, threatening, encouraging. But Rapture always sought the black brute to be more the type to watch the action than to join into it. Rapture waited, muscles tensed as he tried to read why Atreyu trespassed.

(OOC: crap, sorry.)

[phantom]

"Oh Phantom, I thought you'd be more vigilant in your fighting skills...."

Phantom could sense exasperation rolling off of Rapture like a heat wave as he continued to execute his neat jump towards the old brute's most vital life line. It seemed clear that the old brute just wanted to forget about this whole encounter and be on his way. Well, that just wasn't going to happen on the white brute's watch. The old brute had about a snow-ball's chance in hell of winning against him, and Phantom was going to make that perfectly clear. However, as Rapture quickly dodged to the side, Phantom's eyes widened in panic, mentally bracing himself for the blow to the floor of the plain. Slamming into the earth and skidding a few feet, the Grey male wasted no time in getting back to his feet to fix a murderous glare upon Rapture, spitting out harsh lyrics as he did so. "You think a lucky get-away is going to save you? Well, think again, you twisted bastard!" he spat out, a deep growl rumbling in his chest. If he was going to die today by Rapture's claws, then so be it. But he'd be sure to pull the Mexican along with him. However, almost as soon as he'd conjured up that idea, a loud voice spoke from directly behind them.

“Not if I have anything to do with it!”

At that statement, Phantom froze, his head slowly turning to see just who it was that had spoken up and interrupted their fight. Yet, that voice- it held so much authority about it, that for a moment Phantom had to consider the possibility that perhaps- No.... it can't be... Ardemu's supposed to be dead.... Scowling fiercely as he desperately tried to hide his emotional turmoil, Phantom frowned as an ebony black male came into his line of vision. Odd. Last he'd remembered, Ardemu had had a mottled brown pelt, not a black one. Keeping up his harsh glare, Phantom let out a loud bark towards the stranger, ending the last syllable on a growl that would have been the envy of any domesticated dog. The white brute, had he been a normal wolf in his right state of mind, would know better than to act so hostile towards a wolf that he barely even knew- after all, this male could have been a former Knaves member and he wouldn't know about it. Only another reason to kill him, of course. Standing upright, Phantom let out a small growl once more, his caramel eyes boring holes into the other brute. "And may I ask who the fuck you are?" The growl grew even louder in his throat when the male came closer to them. Obviously he hadn't taken Phantom's earlier hint to shut the hell up and leave them to their fight. Before he could take so much as a pawstep towards the brute, however, Rapture spoke up again, his growled lyrics ringing out harshly.

"What brings you here Atreyu? Coming back for our rematch?"

"How surprising, you freaks actually know each other." Phantom said, rolling his eyes as the pair, who apparently knew each other from some age far gone, continued to bore holes into each other with their gazes. Granted, none of them looked exceptionally happy to meet the other again. All the better for Phantom, of course. He'd love to witness a good fight between the two, and he eagerly watched to see what Rapture would do. Lashing his tail back and forth fiercely, with his dull orange eyes glittering fiercely, Rapture looked downright pissed off with Atreyu's sudden appearance. Yet none of them were actually making a move to attack the other, which was what confused Phantom the greatest. If they were old enemies, then they should have been at each other's throats by now. Instead, Rapture was just standing there like a statue while Atreyu was prancing around like he owned the entire field. It was downright disappointing, to say the least. However, Phantom's tiny slump was quickly going to change from that into an inferno of anger. It really didn't take that much to tick Phantom off- he had always had a notoriously short temper, and what Rapture said next was enough to send him over the edge.

"I'd rather have Master Atreyu take my life than an amateur like you, Phantom."

Phantom averted his eyes for a moment, looking out to the distant mountains, before turning his head to look Rapture and Atreyu straight in the eyes. His voice was terrifyingly calm as he spoke, the kind of calm where you know that a storm is sure to follow. "If he's such an expert, then explain to me why he wasn't able to take you out the first time." Phantom knew that he was just asking for trouble, challenging these wolves, but he just couldn't help it. He desperately wanted to see an example of this male's skills. "Well, then, let's see these skills of his. Let's see what he can do to a poor, defenseless amateur like me." he stated, his eyes glittering as he awaited Atreyu's reply to his challenge.

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/7288/atreyutbg.jpg,true] Chassis expanded and contracted steadily with every breath as the onyx brute carried himself proudly towards his enemy and his enemy’s foe. He kept both males in his field of view, being sure to watch each vigilantly with a trained eye, looking for key movements as a sign of advancement. “One cannot be too careful around these two Atreyu…” As he drew closer, the white male growled and spat profanities in his direction, to which Atreyu’s only reply was a quizzical stare; a single brow furrowed, its twin raised. Atreyu surveyed the Grey wolf named Phantom; the hunger in his bronze hued eyes, a face that might have otherwise been handsome had it not permanently been disfigured by a snarl. Although the majority of his coat was white as snow, peppered along his nape was a string of black that bore a cross along his shoulders. Phantom looked ready and willing to fight, but just where had the initial threat come from? The question buzzed around his mind for a few short seconds before Rapture’s two-faced welcome interrupted his train of thought. Inconspicuously he took a small step back, only now realizing when he looked to the blood matted Mexican that he was closer to Rapture than he probably should have been. He parted his jaws to respond to Rapture’s questions, but Phantom broke in with another comment. “How surprising, you freaks actually know each other.” The insult rolled off of Atreyu’s shoulders, learning ages ago that pride was not a virtue when it came to his style of living. Before he could interject, and continue to ignore whatever came out of Phantom’s mouth, Rapture shot back a response, and the two Knave lackeys continued to bicker. Sighing heavily, he reclined to his haunches, tail batting the grassy terrain impatiently. Emerald eyes danced between Phantom and Rapture; finally he noticed the Mexican’s bum leg and other miscellaneous fighting scars such as his torn ear. Atreyu was sure that there were more, just not visible through the blood stains. “Let's see what he can do to a poor, defenseless amateur like me." With his head still facing Rapture, emerald eyes locked onto Phantom, an eerie smile spreading across Atreyu’s onyx mug. The voices in his head boomed with laughter, “I believe this is the first time we’ve ever been asked to assist in suicide.” Standing with haste, he flashed a toothy grin towards Phantom. “I’m sorry, Phantom. But you see, I didn’t come here today to grant your death wish,” his voice was velvet smooth, and quiet given the circumstances. Continuing, he took a practiced step to his left, initiating a circle around the two adversaries, beginning with rounding Rapture, “I actually intruded because I have something to tell your friend here.” Eyes flickered for a moment from Phantom to Rapture and back again, signifying who the ‘friend’ was in his monologue. Passing Rapture, and edging his way towards Phantom he asked, “Could you forgive my trespassing? I promise I won’t stay long, and, you two can get back to…” He paused partially behind Phantom, although careful enough to give him a wide girth, just in case he or Rapture tried to pull something shady, he would have enough time to react. His expression was unreadable, and his eyes seemed distant as he focused on the terrain beyond the two males standing before him. “Well, whatever it was you two were doing,” he said, bringing his focus back to Phantom, a smirk evident on his lips. Picking up his pace, his gaze momentarily fell, giving the impression that he was at ease with these two scoundrels. ***** words: 584 muse: average - below average notes: none of significance, I'm just sorry you two that it took me so long to reply. I honestly couldn't think of what I wanted Atreyu to do... -heh- I kept it short and sweet and to the point, and open ended so you guys could take it where you wish.

[rapture]

Rapture was rather surprised at Atreyu's random appearance back at the scene of the crime a few years back. In fact, the tree was only a few yards away, but doubtfully any remains of the blood splattered would be far in the soil by now. Even so, the Mexican male had a questioning look in his eyes as they shifted between Atreyu and Phantom. He could tell both have never met, black and white contrast... All that was needed was a little red in between. He licked his lips, blinking rapidly as he tuned out Phantom and listened to his guest. No harm done in discussion.

Rapture carefully watched Atreyu circle him then make his way behind Phantom. Calculating eyes tried to predict what the black male was doing, but he was very hard to read. In any case, Rapture being the type to provoke any fight shuddered in anticipation. He may be old but he definitely wasn't weak. Despite the injuries he had, pain only brought more pleasure anyhow. And right at that moment, Phantom was in a very vulnerable stance. With a killer wolf behind him, and another in front, where could he go? He was trapped, and very unsuspecting. What ever Atreyu wanted could be involving a fight. So how about taking out a wolf that was useless to them in the first place?

Rapture twisted and lunged, his dulling fangs didn't need to be razor sharp for damage was all about the strength of the jaws clamping on his throat. The white wolf was so unexpected by the attack, he took it full force. Both wolves brushed past Atreyu, ruffing up each other for a good five minutes. Rapture was more for torture than finishing the job, a few scratches to the shoulders, kicks in the gut and bites to the neck and Phantom was already a bloody mess. Rapture even had the decency to stomp his paw on Phantom's muzzle to keep his mouth shut, for a wolf being much bigger than the Mexican male, Rapture had no troubles keeping the Arctic brute down.

"For such a big boy with a bigger ego, you make the biggest target... Dear Phantom." Rapture smirked, Phantom's blood dripping from the psycho's muzzle and dripping back on the white wolf's fur. "Atreyu, want to do the honors? I mean, you didn't travel all the way here for nothing right?" Rapture advised, lifting a brow and awaiting Atreyu's answer. Rapture believed that Phantom was too young to be a real threat on Anikira, he didn't want any more competition along with Atreyu. Now that most the Knaves gone, Ardemu was no longer the biggest fear. Rapture would forever keep the title from now on.

(OOC: UGH, extremely HORRIBLE post. But I wanted to get it out of the way. And yeah, Rap is allowing Atreyu to finish off Phantom, since JK is no longer a member on the site.)

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/7288/atreyutbg.jpg,true] The younger Grey wolf just did not know when to keep his mouth shut. One might have thought, that as one of Ardemu’s grunts, he would have learned how not to aggravate a couple of sadistic wolves. Phantom, as he proudly called himself, was clamoring on about how weak Atreyu was, “Why don’t you want to fight me old man? Already know you’ll lose?” If Atreyu had been paying half attention to Phantom, he might have assumed that next to Rapture, he was the single most annoying wolf he had ever met. Hell, today, Phantom was making Rapture seem bearable, even likeable to a certain extent. The insults that rambled out of the Grey’s mouth rolled off Atreyu like water on a ducks back. He was far too interested in the bloodied Mexican male. Dark emerald eyes were intent on Rapture’s body language; the way his muscles twitched with what looked like anticipation. A wild fire was burning just beyond his black pupils, and a maniacal sneer took hold of his features. It was the same behavior he displayed back when Atreyu had first met the son-of-a-bitch; when Rapture was giving his diamond in the rough a hard time. Rapture was expecting a brawl to break out, and with orange optics locked onto the cocky Grey, Atreyu was eager to stick around and watch the events unfold. With little notice, to the untrained eye, Rapture lunged at Phantom catching him off guard completely, since Phantom was too concerned with listening to his own voice trying to provoke Atreyu; with was like trying to ask the sun not to come up. Turning slowly, Tre observed the short battle between Rapture and the larger Phantom. Studying the two, Atreyu took note of either wolf’s tactics, how they fought, and how they responded to each other’s attacks. Rapture was quick, even with a bum leg, he was still able to jump in and jump out. Atreyu recalled watching Rapture use the same technique with the floppy-eared Tundra; he would lunge at his opponent and bite at any piece of flesh he could get his mouth around, and then recoil just as fast and repeat the process until his victim was worn down from trying to counteract the attacks. Rapture’s method was proven, probably many times before, to be an effective means of murdering someone. Poor Phantom had fallen into Rapture’s tricks, and spent his energy trying to inflict minimal injury on Rapture, but having little success, as he was also trying to keep an on Atreyu lurking nearby. The Mexican male was reckless; he could have cared less if Tre joined in the fight, even if it was to kill him first. Sure, Phantom had gotten in a few good punches before Rapture eventually pinned him to the ground, but the Mexican male was only fueled by pain. Atreyu had learned that lesson first hand, and was now able to witness it again. The old wound in Atreyu’s chest throbbed with the memory. Over the years Rapture had desensitized himself to the sting of punctured flesh; Phantom never had a chance. He needed to get a grip on the Mexican wolf, and hold him there until he could split open his jugular. "Atreyu, want to do the honors? I mean, you didn't travel all the way here for nothing right?" Intense gaze lifted off the fallen Phantom to his adversary and Atreyu was suddenly faced with a complex. Honestly he hadn’t intervened the original fight between the two wolves to assert himself; he genuinely had questions for them. But leaving now would be counterproductive with the repertoire he had to uphold. Besides, who in their right mind would turn down a free meal? Okay, so maybe you had to be deranged to consider on of your own kind a meal, but as far as Atreyu was concerned, it was all the same if not better. He gathered himself up and charged towards Rapture, teeth bared and a throaty growl emanating from his mouth. His dominate posture made the scene feel as if he were stealing Rapture’s kill away from him, but the Mexican male was gracious to oblige Atreyu with firsts. Although laced with tension and distrust, Atreyu and Rapture had formed a relationship of understanding; Atreyu would leave Rapture to his business, as long as the bastard kept a healthy respect for the true predator of Anikira. If not, there would be no Ardemu to save his sorry hide the next time Atreyu tore into him. Soulless eyes watched Rapture carefully as he backed away from Tre and his next meal. They may not have been able to trust one another, but Atreyu could sure as the sky is blue, put up a better defense than Phantom had. Feeling content that he had successfully “claimed” Phantom’s body for consumption, salmon-hued tongue rolled over his velvety lips and dug in. Sharp canines made little work of tearing open the flesh of Phantom’s abdomen. The shrill cries of the “big, bad wolf” in agony emptied the plains of all other creatures. Atreyu’s demeanor became wild with a hunger that ached to hear his victim plead for death. The male continued to eat away at Phantom’s insides, gnawing at his beating heart. Shock and massive amounts of blood loss slowly overcame the Grey wolf and his life ceased to exist. Blood matted face finally lifted from the carcass, demonic stare falling squarely on Rapture. Curving his lip slightly, Atreyu flashed a malicious grin towards his foe, a subtle reminder of just what he was capable of doing. ***** words: 914. muse: high. notes: end thread.