Playing with Fire [Ryker]

[Deleted]

Appearing from the frigid waters, Goliath waded in from the shallow tide and emerged on the shoreline of Acerbus, shaking his heavy pelt fiercely to rid it of the excess seawater. His maw remained soaked, dripping with salty residue as he strode past the beach and found himself confronted with a rather dismal sight – a dense woodland loomed ahead, the trees withered and blackened by a previous fire. Barely a sound came from the expiring forest, silence emanating from the untouched rocks to the undisturbed ashes coalescing with the leaf litter. The sight was undoubtedly eerie to the sane eye, but to Goliath, the absence of creatures seemed peaceful and quiet. This sight was not foreboding, but inviting – but what captured his interest more was the scent of an unknown pack, one that had obviously laid claim to this wasteland.

A stern frown heavied his expression, and he halted, turning back to gaze at Ina’mos across the short channel, his home appearing as a lush Eden in the calm expanse of the teal-blue sea. He had not considered that another pack could live so close to his own home, despite being a safe distance away; but the fact that he knew nothing of this neighbouring pack trifled with his mind considerably. Whether they were a threat or not was irrelevant – it was the unknown that disturbed him more.

Disgruntled at this inconvenience, he decided that he would acquaint himself with this pack, be it a friendly or not-so-friendly encounter that awaited him. Fear did not exist for him – at least, not towards common wolves. A divine being allowed no fear for mortal cretins. His brutish head inclined to bay thunderously towards the sky, his howl holding a neutral tone that, at the very least, promised a lack of hostility if he was received promptly. Gritting his teeth together, he paced forward, his gait undeterred and purposeful. Had time been on his side, he would have waited at their borders, but as his ultimate purpose was to find the she-wolf that had brutalised his sister in the South of Anikira, every additional moment he wasted was a moment that allowed her to venture farther from him. Trespassing was a risk he was willing to take.

TAGGED: Ryker

[Ryker]

lRyker heard the bellowing call of a male... from the west side of Acerbus. There was nothing but water and an inhabited island over on that side. What the hell? Ryker was forced to interrupt his daily routine, which consisted of doing almost everything around here, to deal with this strange call. The male must have swam from the small island or from somewhere else but the reasoning behind wanting to do such a thing was beyond the black and gold brute. Not only that, but the male had actually made a point to introduce himself. Most loners just wanted to get away from pack territories as fast as possible. Although, he feared that the name Descai didn't hold the weight it used to. Their numbers were dwindling. By his count, there were only five adults. There was his father, Atriell, Angel, a new male named Kaine he had just allowed into the pack, and himself. To say that this was a stressful situation for the alpha was an understatement. Every moment the pack went on with so few members was a moment where the pack may be ripped from his paws. That, coupled with the fact that he was doing most of the hunting and all of the patrol work basically by himself, did not make for a happy alpha. His job was to lead, not do grunt work. Things were going to start changing, soon.

The alpha male trotted along through the trees. He was a busy wolf and didn't have much time for dilly dallying. The smell of the other male was getting stronger as he strode closer to the water's edge. But the smell was getting stronger too quickly. Something wasn't right. The other male must be coming in his direction, clearly crossing the scent markers. Ryker growled low in his throat. The word irritation would not have even begun to explain what Ryker was feeling. Useless. All useless. Ryker was quickly getting tired of having loners crossing the scent markers with no hesitation. The scent markers were there, the fear wasn't. He needed to bring strength back to the name Descai. It had lost it's fear factor and that wasn't going to continue under Ryker's reign. He was going to have to take the reins from his backseat driving father and put the fear of Fenris into whoever dared stay for the next meeting.

The large male came into view. For a moment, Ryker wasn't sure the other male was even a wolf. He appeared more like a large bear. Ryker hadn't come across many males who surpassed him in size so it was a bit shocking to come across one that had at least 40 pounds on him. But that didn't quell his anger though. Ryker wasn't afraid of this male, not matter his size. He couldn't have been older than 2 years. A boy. A child. Ryker grew up around large males and he knew how to spot a young one. For what Ryker lacked in size, he would most definitely make up for in experience. Ryker knew these lands like the back of his paw and had years of training in the arts of fighting. If a fight was what he was looking for, Ryker would be glad to give him one.

"Why do you trespass here, Stranger? " Ryker's tone was clearly not impressed but not outright aggressive either. He needed to get a feel for how this would play out and what this male wanted before anything else. Restraint wasn't a strong point for Ryker so he sincerely hoped that this male was straight to the point. He wasn't in the mood for fluff.

[Deleted]

His call was acknowledged quicker than he had expected, although Goliath was already past the point of no return having intruded an inordinate distance past their borders. A male appeared in the distance, and though the brute’s physique remained skewed by distant fog, his bizarre colouration was difficult to conceal amidst the colourless trees. The majority of his body was dark-pelted, but at the points of his nose and ears was a remarkable yellow tinge, practically gold in the daylight. Goliath’s features remained observant as the male was quick to close the distance, eager to discover who had trespassed – and indeed, his interest was returned.

This male was probably one of the largest specimens he had seen in his short time on Anikira, next to himself and Titan. It was a pity that this male already belonged to a pack – his size would have been revered in Kairos, and above all, his duties would have been far greater than merely serving as a one-man greeting party to any who might encroach on this territory. Such a waste.

Why do you trespass here, Stranger? 

His question was direct, spoken with a commanding timbre – but surprisingly forbearing, given that Goliath had already trespassed far, far beyond what he should have. This dark male seemed almost charitable to even afford him the opportunity to explain himself, especially considering the circumstance of his bold announcement. Goliath’s solemn expression turned dark. Had the roles been reversed, and this stranger had infringed upon his own territory, Goliath knew that his reception would have been far more abrupt and… violent.

Fortunately for this stranger, he did not have the time to wreak any form of havoc, though it would have been interesting to gauge the extent of this male’s power. He had no need to goad the male when his presence was already a threat all on its own. “Peace, stranger. I do not intend to stay for long,” his voice was smooth and uncharacteristically lenient, using the same word that he had been called to address the brute before him. He already knew that he was in the wrong to break the boundaries that belonged to this pack – not that it had stopped him from doing so. Why break the habit of a lifetime?

“Unless you give me reason to.” The threat fell from his lips before he could filter it from his tongue, instinctively guarded. This wolf must have truly not been threatened by him to address him without so much as bared teeth or raised hackles; being so accustomed to having strangers shy from him due to his stature, this was a new and intriguing encounter. Was his youth obvious? Goliath hardly believed that it mattered, given that he towered above any wolf older than him already. Experience was important, aye – for wolves that were not already naturally equipped with the sheer size and tools to dominate. An imperceptible smile crawled over his lips. He was more than happy to be to be misjudged by this male – after all, those that underestimated him were one step closer to ending up dead from their own obliviousness.

“I am Goliath, the alpha of Kairos,” he declared by way of introduction, though as he continued to speak, it was clear that this was not the crux of his announcement. “The intrusion was necessary, as I come bearing warning. My sister was recently set upon by a vile wolf that targeted her naught of any purpose - she claims that the fiend will attack again, and I believe her.”

His ears flattened briefly in contempt, before eyeing the multi-toned brute with purpose. “Inform your alpha: if you have females, or any young, keep them under close watch. I intend to hunt the filth down myself, but as I only have a scent and a name, the feat will not be easy,” he explained simply, including only the bare essentials of the details. As he barely knew this pack from any other on the continent, he felt no true compassion for them, but to gauge their identity he needed some weight behind his purpose in being there. Perhaps if this warning was accepted graciously, he would consider devising some arrangement between their packs that somehow weighed in his favour, but for now, he stared at the brute silently having given his short missive.

TAGGED: Ryker

[Ryker]

“Peace, stranger. I do not intend to stay for long”

"Then why have you come?" Ryker was intruiged and a bit confused as to the purpose of this mammoth wolf being in his pack lands. Though his tone was more interrogative. He really wasn't in the mood for long conversation and he was getting the feeling that his brute just wanted to waste his time. He had mouths to feed. The only huntress the pack had was Angel and she wasn't especially talented at it. Zirena was of age, however, and he could use her for hunting. Her extremely small stature, only about 40 pounds, would have normally rendered her useless to the alpha male. However, she had the blood of Vorilye and the blood of Shayde running through her veins. Shayde was an exceptional huntress for her size and he hoped that Zirena would hold the same talents.


“Unless you give me reason to.”

Ryker growled low in his chest. "You are foolish to threaten the alpha of Descai," Ryker's tone had turned from interrogative to sharp and informative. It was true that Ryker didn't exactly know who or what he was dealing with here but this male didn't know either. His own threat wasn't totally empty. He did have Vorilye and Atriell and Zirena and Angel who would come to his aid, if he needed it. However, Ryker believed that he could take this male himself if it came to that. He wasn't afraid. Fear was weakness.

“I am Goliath, the alpha of Kairos. The intrusion was necessary, as I come bearing warning. My sister was recently set upon by a vile wolf that targeted her naught of any purpose - she claims that the fiend will attack again, and I believe her.”

Ryker couldn't help the dark smile that found itself upon his golden maw. The intrusion was necessary? It was necessary? Ryker didn't think so. "You mean to tell me that you believe that breaking my pack's scent markers was necessary? I beg to differ," Ryker's face couldn't have been more serious and he had the tone to match. If this child thought that he could get away with crossing the pack's scent markers, alpha or not, he was sadly mistaken.

“Inform your alpha: if you have females, or any young, keep them under close watch. I intend to hunt the filth down myself, but as I only have a scent and a name, the feat will not be easy”

Ryker's mind first went to Vorilye's latest litter. By the looks of Goliath, he could only imagine the his sister was at least his size and any wolf who had the balls to attack a wolf that size without reason, was dangerous enough for Ryker to worry about. "You dare to compare me to a common pack mongrel? I am the alpha of Descai and you will not disrespect myself or my pack again. Ryker took a pause in his speech, considering the rest of the wolf's statement and how he should react to such information. "However, I take heed of your warning. Though for future reference, I'm going to need you to stay at the boarders. As an alpha yourself, you should understand."

Ryker needed this wolf dead just as much, if not more than Goliath. The black and gold brute would be sleeping less until this beast was brought to an end. "What is this wolf's name?" Ryker would need the name in order to keep the pack safe. How the hell was he supposed to know who the wolf was, should they ever come this way, if he didn't know the name?

[Deleted]

| OOC | Oh dear. This didn't go as planned. >.<

| BIC |

You are foolish to threaten the alpha of Descai.

A vague smile formed on Goliath’s lips at the wolf’s acidic defence, the growl from the gold and black wolf permeating between them. This was the alpha, then? It seemed that his own harmless misunderstanding had struck the brute’s ego, although this only played towards the larger wolf’s amusement. Was that it - or was his pride also damaged at the fact that Goliath had managed to slip undetected across their border without so much as a flea to stand in his way. Goliath’s head cocked in assessment, a burly growl stirring from his own chest in immediate response, though the smile was still firmly in place.

You mean to tell me that you believe that breaking my pack's scent markers was necessary? I beg to differ.

Goliath returned a cold stare, his growl dissipating as he gave his curt response. “Then more fool you. If I had to sit idly by your borders waiting for some godforsaken welcome party, I would have forgone it altogether and you would have received no warning at all. I cannot afford to have my time wasted when I have a greater danger to take care of – even now, you squander precious time with your bruised ego and rhetorical questions when I could be hunting down the menace that threatens both of our packs.”

Yes - it had been necessary, and even if it hadn't, the gain for doing so was equally for Descai's benefit in receiving his warning. This wolf must have been too blinkered by his own pride to see that. Goliath saw how this wolf smirked sardonically when he spoke of his sister being attacked, and at that point there was no return for the giant. A grating huff left his throat, his irritation mounting into rage. How wrong he had been about this wolf – he was no un-glorified warrior. He was an over-sized pup having a tantrum towards a stranger who had explicitly stated, word for word, that he only wanted peace. Had this alpha simply accepted his warning as he was supposed to, Goliath would be on his way out of his territory by now – but instead his time was stalled by this male’s contentious need to prove his merit as a leader to someone who blatantly didn't care for it. Pitiful.

You dare to compare me to a common pack mongrel? I am the alpha of Descai and you will not disrespect myself or my pack again.

Goliath glare remained icy, genuinely infuriated by this wolf’s lack of comprehension. “Look at you – so rife with insecurities that you take a message intended to bring safeguard to those in your pack and instead you twist it into a selfish need to gloat of your own importance!” Goliath’s head reared with a bark of laughter, not entirely sure that what he was hearing was real; he had told him very simply to protect those in his pack due to an imminent threat, and all Goliath received in response was a jarring wail of how much greater this alpha was than everyone else in his pack. It was clear that this brute had chosen to entirely ignore the content of his warning to instead fixate on the phrasing of it. How dare he make such a mistake? Goliath saw no shame in being a hunter, or a warrior, or even a damn gatherer. Every wolf, weak or strong, played their part, and that did not make them useless and it certainly did not classify them as 'mongrels'. Was this fool honestly so deluded that he believed anything below the status of alpha was mere filth? That was the only justification Goliath could find behind his outrage in being recognised as anything other than the alpha – and he was a lousy one at that, he was proving well.

“You belittle your own family by calling anyone other than yourself a ‘common mongrel’, and yet you accuse me of disrespecting your pack when I’ve not said a single word against them. YOU disrespect your own pack – you disgrace them with your childish dignity,” his voice was raw and serious, but instead of ascending in amplitude as his temper rose, his tone lowered in a deathly calm. “Whatever point you are trying to prove in antagonising me has failed, boy. Belligerence is not bravery – it only invites danger to yourself and those around you.”

Goliath’s ears flattened in repulsion, words continuing to come from his mouth in the same manner that a father would scold his wayward pup. If he’d had the time to waste, then he certainly would have stayed, if not to teach this blind fool a cruel lesson then for his own gratification in seeing his green eyes ripped from their sockets. And he certainly wouldn’t have stopped there – his rage was also for the fools that followed him, the mindless dolts that called him alpha and merely served to worsen his selfish complex. Who would thank him for his bravery then, after inviting upon them a vicious beast with his thoughtless enmity? Sure, he spoke the words of a fierce wolf – but his petulance proved that he was anything but.

Goliath stared him down straight in the eye, his head a considerable number of inches above the dark brute's. “May I offer advice – wisdom from one alpha to another. Continue this self aggrandising and you will soon find yourself abandoned by the very mongrels that give you your rank. One by one they will leave you – and you will be a very lonely alpha indeed.”

His head turned sharply, eager to venture on with his task, but words drew his attention back.

What is this wolf's name?

Goliath could subdue this problem on his own; he saw no need in sharing any more words with this senseless wolf. He considered not offering any answer at all and walking off in silence, but as his tendencies were not so childishly inclined, he answered with a dull voice, his gaze fixated ahead. “You think that after spitting my warning back in my face I’d care to offer you any more information? That wolf is the least of your concerns now, alpha of Descai.”

His words ended ambiguously, but the meaning in them was painfully clear. On that unpleasant note, Goliath trudged farther from the brute and closer to his ultimate goal, certain of one thing in particular. Ryker had made a powerful enemy that day.

TAGGED: Ryker
| OOC | It doesn't necessarily have to end here, but as I feel that this is in no way leading towards an alliance, and that was the initial goal, there's really nothing left to  salvage here (unless you want a one on one combat, which we can totally do). It's up to you if the thread ends here or not. ^^