Sing for Me [Khellus]

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The darkness was heavy, pressing in on all sides. It fit Zitao perfectly. Many wolves would feel intimidated by wandering into such a place, away from the safety of the light. Not him. Tao enjoyed the cool silence that consumed him, the echoes created by even the softest padding of feet over stone. There was not enough light to produce colour, and the world shone at him in silhouettes, black and humble. His own coat was dark enough in the light, and with the stone walls blocking the rays of sun filtering through the trees outside, he melted into the shadows, slipping from one to the other. The only light this far in was weak, either coming from the entrance of the cave – a small spot in his vision now – or the stray beams that suck stubbornly through holes in the ceiling. A slight breeze ruffled his fur, and he welcomed it. The air in here was stale, soaking up the scent of the rocks and small bit of water that trickled underfoot. Dirt crumbled from the walls as his frame brushed alongside, seemingly too big for such a tiny place. He looked out of place, a large, dominating presence in this tranquil hole, but he was content here. It was quiet, cool, and best of all, secluded. Tao had encountered a couple wolves, but so far, he was unimpressed. There was nothing interesting about them, no reason for him to even bother conversing. Not that he wanted to. Having someone around usually proved to be a burden, and nobody had stuck around long enough for him to begin feeling comfortable in their presence. They were driven off from one reason for another. Perhaps sometimes it was his cold attitude towards strangers, but it was often that they were scared. At what he could do, would do. What he was about to do.


There were many caverns scattered along this patch of land, and many of them would have been more suited to his stature, but he had been tracking an animal, and had followed it in here. A doe, injured in some way. It was only a matter of time before he had caught up.


The cave made every sound more intense. The bleats and cries of the doe beneath his paws echoed around his ears, frantic. His pupils dilated with pleasure from the sound, sounding so pained. Blood coated everything in sight: himself, the walls and floor, all just one big puddle circling around the squirming creature. It cried out again, Zitao pulling at the skin that he had ripped open earlier. Flaying was, in his opinion, the best way to kill an animal. It produced so much pain, but didn’t do so much damage that the creature would die too quickly. Eventually, though, all things must succumb to the darkness. The deer cried out one last time, and sputtered out, plunging the cave back into silence.

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In the rocky, mossy, and grassy terrain, a single male wolf become slightly noticeable as he stepped out of a small cavern. The entrance was only a small bit larger than his body. The figure lowered his head as he moved forward, his silver eyes scanning the ground as his large paws moved him forward. His tail waved lazily behind him as his slightly parted maw tasted the air. The dark male stopped suddenly, his head turning towards the entrance to another cave. It wasn't too far off, but he could still barely tell where the opening was in the shadows that surrounded it. His eyes pierced through the darkness as he peered at the hole. There was another in there, he could tell, and the wolf was not alone. Along with the scent of another canine, the scent of fearful prey and blood hit his wet nose. He pinned his ears back and stalked towards the source of the scents.

After only a moment of a quick pace, he was in front of the cavern. Standing in the dark hole, the silver of his underbelly was all that was clear. For some reason that was unknown even to him, he was aggravated. There was certainly no reason for this. He didn't even know who was within the cave. Maybe it was because the stranger had managed to make a kill when he can barely to survive. Perhaps it was because he didn't have the area to himself as he had originally believed. Either way, he was far from pleased with the new development. Giving a short and low growl, he stepped into the cavern. It was smaller than the one he had been in previously, and it was clear by his fur brushing the sides of the entrance as he began the dark trek.

As he made his way deeper into the cavern, the scent of blood and the stranger grew, until he could barely see the outline of the wolf in the dim light. His silver eyes narrowed as he approached. He didn't say anything, waiting to see how the stranger would react to another coming into a confined place, especially considering the freshly killed carcass that was between the two.

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Zitao froze, sniffing the dank air. He had heard a faint growl, echoing off the walls. Had he imagined it? It was unlikely, but who would come into a place like this? He perked his ears, listening closely. He could hear his own shallow breaths, the trickling of water, but then, something else. The soft padding of feet, the brush of fur over cool stone. A small whoosh of air brought the scent to his nose; a stranger. Had he followed him in here? It was not a wise idea. The cave was far to small for a fight, and nobody in their right mind would follow someone like him into a place like this after seeing what he could do. A deep growl rumbled from his throat, a warning to the new comer. His eyes glared into the darkness, bright yellow against the dark background of his fur.A figure approached, just a simple silhouette at first, but then changing into something more. In the dim light, his eyes picked up vague details of the wolf. It was smaller than he was, its fur lighter in some places. He could handle it.

"Hello, stranger" he said softly, his voice low but powerful "What brings you to a place like this?" He grinned, teeth glinting in the dark, "The ones that come here are usually one of three things. Lost, wishing for death, or dangerous. Tell me, which are you?" Tao didn't know this wolf, and it was unsettling. It blocked the exit in which he had came in, and the cave would probably end soon, if how far in they were already was anything to measure by. Zitao could hold his own in a fight, he wasn't worried about that. Even so, the thought of any confrontation in such a dark, hazy place was never a good idea. Tao didn't like to play games unless he was sure to come out on top. His gaze flicked between the carcass of the doe and the stranger. Tao was not hungry, this kill had only served the purpose of entertainment, but to give it so easily would be demeaning. He was a pretty self respecting wolf, and he'd be damned if some nobody thought he could swoop in and take what he had worked for. He stepped forward, over the doe, wincing as he placed his foot in the icy trickle of water. Go on, stranger,  he thought, an evil grin twitching at the corners of his kips, make your move.

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The brute's steps stopped as soon as the opposing growl met his ears. His grey eyes had adjusted to the darkness by now, and he could see the other wolf in front of him for the most part. The stranger was larger, that was clear, and his amber eyes stood out in the surrounding blackness. Though the other's black pelt blended in nearly perfectly, Khellus was able to see him step over the prey, clearly showing possession of the carcass. When he spoke, his ears twitched as he returned his gaze to meet the other's. "Hello, stranger." He nodded his head slightly in a calm greeting, not wanting to pick a fight in such a cramped space. "I was just wandering and exploring the caverns and caught wind of your kill. I'm not here to fight you, I was simply following my nose out of curiosity." As if to disprove his stated business, a low grumble game from his stomach.

He had to admit, the scent was what drew him into this cave, though it was not purely out of curiosity that he followed it. It was the hunger he was growing ever used to in the unfamiliar land. He was used to a human providing food a few times a day, not having to go out and hunt for it. No, he wasn't lazy, he was simply uneducated in the ways of the wilderness. His body was trained to go to food when he scented it, thinking it would be handed to him to gulp down with only the few other wolves of the enclosure to fight with over it, and that was minimal. It was a habit he had yet to break, one that might have gotten him into trouble this time.

"I promise you one thing stranger. I will not fight you over the doe. It was your kill, and you deserve it." Khellus slightly lowered his head before he shamefully spoke his next words. "I would be grateful, though, if you were to share even a small morsel of the kill with me, though. I don't know how to hunt, and I'm not sure if I am able to live without the help of another." He kept his head and gaze down, hoping the stranger wouldn't attack him. He also wasn't looking for pity, just some help in terms of getting something to eat.

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Zitao was about to reply to the strangers statement, but he was cut off by the small rumble in it's stomach. It took him aback for a second. He had known hunger himself, when he was young. It was right after the death of his mother. He almost chuckled at the memory, the young him wandering endlessly, frustrated and stupid. He knew he should have waited longer before killing her, even a few more hunting lessons would have helped him. But alas, he could not change what he had done. He trained himself to hunt, to kill, the monster spurring him on. He learned. He had never gone hungry again. But this male in front of him, he was living that right now. It was slightly puzzling. These parts of the land were teeming with wildlife, even a young wolf might be able to scrape by. What made him so special?

Tao listened to his words, his face a blank slate. This wolf was so vulnerable, so humble. It made the monster in him stir, but he ignored it. He had learned his lesson about rapid succession killings, and did not want a repeat of what came after. He felt uneasy. Was he really so far gone that he couldn't spare the pride to share? He wasn't even hungry. The stranger held his head low, his voice almost apologetic. Tao stayed silent, the battle between the good part of him and the monster raging on in his head. The seconds ticked by in silence, his gaze hard and unwavering on the newcomer. "Very well" he harrumphed, stepping back. "You may have it"

He watched the wolf carefully, his face slightly put off. "What kind of wold doesn't know how to hunt?" he scoffed sitting cautiously a few feet away. His eyes wandered all over the cavern, the air sliding into tense silence once more. In his mind, he was going over what just happened and why he had even allowed this wolf to have his kill. Perhaps it was the empathy of having been where the stranger was himself, or maybe just the idea of talking to someone who was pretty much defenseless. Either way, Tao was intrigued, "Tell he stranger" he said, breaking the silence, "What do you call yourself?"

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Khellus kept his head drooped, hoping that the other would be easy on him. Normally, he was not this desperate, but the past couple days had been mostly travel and not a lot of hunting. It hardly mattered how much he tried to hunt, anyway. Considering the only lessons he had were very basic and when he was young, it was not one of his strong suites. He internally sighed, wishing he had gotten more time to learn how to really be a wolf before he was thrown into the wild with no warning whatsoever. Because he was so deep in thought, the words from the dark stranger surprised him, and he quickly lifted his head to be sure he had heard correctly. He smiled gratefully, though did not approach the carcass immediately. He gave a quick thanks first. "Thank you, very much." He padded forward the few paces required before he cautiously eyes the other one last time and crouched down to eat.

His ears twitched as the other spoke, probably to himself, as he moved a short distance away. His eyes were downcast as his mind thought about what he had said. What kind of wolf doesn't know how to hunt? Sadly, he was that kind of wolf.

Khellus was actually a bit embarrassed, having to stoop to almost begging for a meal, not being able to care for himself. He gulped down a few more mouthfuls of flesh before the stranger directly questioned him, asking for his name. He swallowed the bit of meat that was in his mouth before answering. "Khellus is my name. I'm sorry for not introducing myself sooner. Uhm... what might your name be?" He felt like such a fool for indulging in a meal, caught by someone else, without first getting to know him and telling his own name.

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Zitao watched in amusement, mulling over the strangers thanks in his head. He couldn't remember the last time he had been thanked, most of the words people had ever said to him were either pleas or curses. This stranger seemed genuinely grateful, and it made Tao pleased with his decision. He also noticed, however, that the wolf was... oblivious. Crouching down so easily in front of a strange wolf, let alone one that had just killed something. It was not a very wise choice, exposing the neck and back, and had Tao been a different wolf, it could have gotten him killed. It made him wonder how much a pathetic wolf came to be. "Hey" he snapped, surprising himself that he even bother talking, "Don't you know its dangerous to expose yourself like that? I could have killed you by now, if I wanted to." Silly little wolf, he sighed in his head,  you truly are oblivious.

He frowned, unsure whether or not he would want to give his name out. There was always some possibility that a wolf new his name, and that they didn't like him. One may think him being paranoid, but it had happened it the past. He had befriended a young she wolf, surprisingly enough, but after introducing himself, she changed completely. She grew quiet, would glare at him when she thought he wasn't looking, completely distancing herself. Then one morning, he woke up alone, the only memory of her the word 'murderer' scratched into the dirt in a circle surrounding him. He hadn't even bothered to look for her, knowing that their friendship had been killed the moment she realized who he was.

Don't be stupid, he thought to himself, You don't even care whether or not this wolf knows you.  He sighed, knowing he as right. "My name?" he murmured, his mind only half present. He paused before speaking again, "You may call me Zitao" He was always like this, so caught up in his thoughts, emotionally unreachable. Not exactly a friendly characteristic, but Tao needed the time to think. Most wolves were so high speed, always needing to do one thing or another. He was different. He enjoyed being lost in thought, or sometimes none at all, his mind going blank into peaceful oblivion. "Tell me, Khellus," He inquired suddenly, his mind coming back to reality, "why can't you hunt? It seems unusual for any wolf to be so... lacking."

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Crouching there, the dark brute ate gratefully, loving the fact that he had met a wolf who willingly shared a kill with him. He let his mind wander slightly, though still kept part of his attention within the small cave. Yes, he was a little naïve, but not completely. He knew the basics, which he had learned young from his siblings sneak attacking him, and one was that you never completely leave yourself. His mouth was filled with bloodied meat when the other spoke, causing him to jump a bit. He swallowed quickly and tried to muffle a small cough, probably failing. ”Oh, uh… yeah. I guess my hunger got the better of me?” His voice made it sound like a question.

He shook himself mentally, collecting himself again. After that, he was a bit embarrassed and honestly nervous about crouching back down. After a brief moment, he did lower himself back down, but this time kept his eyes on the other. He didn’t want to be further criticized, viewed as being weak, and ultimately killed when he wasn’t expecting it.

There really is a lot I don’t know that I should. I was supposed to end up in the wild a couple years ago, after all. I should have learned this all. The other wolf spoke again, and this time Khellus completely stopped eating, lifting himself back up to a sitting position. He was feeling fuller and better already after just a few mouthfuls of food. ”Zitao…” He mumbled the name, testing it, and urging himself to keep it in his mind. Again he was snapped from his thoughts as Zitao continued on. He sighed inwardly. It was the question he knew he was going to grow to hate to answer.

”You are going to find this strange, and might not understand completely. I don’t know how well I can explain everything, as most of it is extremely foreign.” He looked Zitao in the eyes before he continued on. ”I can’t hunt because I never was a wild wolf. My siblings and I were born in something called a wildlife preserve in a distant land. We had creatures called humans who checked on us to make sure we were healthy, and they usually provided food. I was supposed to be released into the wild a couple years ago, but for some reason I was sent somewhere different. I was sent to something called a zoo, where they kept groups of a bunch of different animals. Again, humans took care of me. They provided food a couple times a day and checked to make sure we were healthy. They provided a warm den to sleep in. I was there for the past two years. I was supposed to go to a different zoo, but the ship crashed, and I ended up here instead.”

He let out a small sigh, his body tensing ever so slightly as he prepared to be ridiculed, attacked, chased away, anything. He honestly did not know what to expect.

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Zitao couldn't count the number of times he had taken advantage of someone's distracted mind, using it against them in such a way that he would always come out on top. He wondered how this wolf had even managed to stay alive. Nature was a brutal, heartless thing, always trying to take out those who weren't prepared for whatever it had in store. "I couldn't care less, really, it was just interesting to see someone so... oblivious. I suppose it isn't particularly your fault, but all the same, it is you who has to live like this."

He said nothing more as the other continued eating, at least now having the sense to watch his surroundings. Although, if he needed to be reminded to do so, it was not that much sense at all. They stayed like that, the only sounds in the cave the sounds of Khellus eating and the water trickling by. From the outside, it may seem slightly awkward, but Zitao was used to silence, to the cool press of aloneness that spurred vibrant thoughts in his mind. He stared deeply into the stream, if you could even call it that, sending ripples with every movement of his paw. He was thinking, plotting, ways to teach this newcomer. He had tried before, a couple times, but none of his proteges had a strong enough stomach to handle his hobby. Khellus, however, could be different, he could be corrupted. He was like a child, so innocent that he could possibly be taught the darker side of the world. He could learn to lurk in the shadows, to create puppets out of puppies as Zitao had done. It was a life only for those who knew how to play their cards right. One wrong step could end you in front of a seething alpha, or worse, have you spiraling into a guilty madness. He wondered if Khellus would be able to put up with it all.

He listened intently to the story, images flickering in his head. Many of the words were indeed foreign, but he pieced together what he could. His face twisted in slight disgust at the easiness of the others life. "Well, I am sure that must have been delightful" He snorted, his face void of any emotions, "Having all my meals handed to me on a silver platter sounds fun and all, but look where it got you. I wouldn't be able to handle such a ... boring environment. You have not experienced all that I have. You have not heard the songs of a dying animal, triumphed over natures hardships. You are but a child, Khellus. I can help you be more, if you can handle it." A wicked grin spread onto his face, breaking the blank mask that he had held for most of the conversation "The question is, can you?"

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Silence. That was all the brute's mind registered. It picked up the echoing silence of the cave as he waited and the other contemplated. He was a fool, thinking he could survive in this landscape, having no idea what animal he was even partaking in for lunch. All he knew was that something in this male's eyes sent shivers down his spine, though he was still unsure as to whether they were in anticipation or fear. He watched the male's face as he imagined the life of Khellus, and he was still unsure of how to react. It wasn't until Zitao spoke that he understood the feeling the prickling of his spine had translated to.

It must have been delightful.

Oh, it was very delightful, and he wished to speak the truth, but he saw the look in this wolf's eye, and he had a strong feeling that saying so would not end well for him.

"It wasn't the worst thing in the world. It did get to be pretty boring, though, I'd have to agree. There was nowhere new to explore and nowhere to really run. It may have been easy, but easy does not necessarily mean perfect." Oh, how he hoped he would not come to regret those words. "What do you mean by help me?" The look in his eyes unsettled Khellus greatly, causing him to stand and back away a few steps. "I may be ignorant, but I don't know if I like the look in your eye right now, Zitao."

Khellus pressed his ears back, more so out of nervous fear than aggression. Actually, not at all in aggression. He honestly felt at extreme unease now, but could not take his gaze from the other's. He swallowed slightly, taking a quick glance toward the exit to the cave he probably should not have entered to begin with.

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Zitao's gaze turned frosty at his words, eyes dragging patronizingly over Khellus once again. It was like he had been gift wrapped, the perfect little present for someone with nothing to do. You start building from the ground up, and make him into a sick, beautiful sculpture. A masterpiece to look at from a distance, should you get too close and cut yourself on it's razor edges. "Easy?" he repeated, voice low and venomous, "Life is not and should not be easy. What you experienced before was not life. You survived. You did not live." He shook his head in disapproval, too lost in his own thoughts about this strange wolf to worry if what he said would offend. Not that he cared either way, but Zitao figured it would be easier to win him over nicely. Not all wolves could be beaten into submission. Some you had to wrap slowly up, catching them in your web to test their strength. Drain them to see if they could fill themselves back up. Those were the wolves that were meant to run the world. The weak had no place in Zitao's life except underneath him.

"I mean that I can teach you everything you need to know. You can rise above the filth that you live in now. You could become the monster in the corner, The shadow lurking beneath the trees. They would say your name in hushed voices as they do mine. This is not an offer I make to everyone, and not one that I will repeat to you again." his teeth glinted dangerously in the darkness, poking out from the evil grin that curled across his face. He watched him back away a few steps, his ears flicking back in uncertainty. The action, however, only spurred him on. Zitao didn't have to threaten or growl or attack to send uneasiness crawling up spines. He simply had to be, and that was enough."The look in my eyes is nothing but what I can offer to you. Power. You will never have to be afraid again."