Wicked Heart (Sanris)

[Deleted]

"Fuck," Kuruk tried to shake the sand from his paws one by one as he got closer to the river. The heat wasn't horrible but he could never see himself getting over this sand. This would never do. The idea of having a pack in the desert was once an interesting one but now that he'd actually seen what it would be like, he couldn't wait to get out of here. He wanted to go north again. There was a place that was completely surrounded by mountains that he wanted to see. Kuruk was a choosy buyer. He wanted the best possible location for his pack. He had once thought that he'd return to his birth island but he'd heard that another pack had taken residency there. True, there was still some land left but Kuruk would not be sharing a tiny little island with someone else. Not only that but Nova wouldn't be happy here. There wasn't much to see or do here. It was just... sand.

Kuruk walked up to the edge of the river and took a few large gulps. The coolness of the water against his lips was refreshing and welcomed. He thought he'd stay for a little while. Thanatos was no where to be seen and he'd get some alone time. He couldn't help but wish that his Nova would come up over one of the sand dunes to come and sit by him. They would have witty conversation and laugh together. She would make all his worry and stress over the formation of this new pack disappear. She's talk to him with that sweet as flowers voice and look up at him with her big beautiful eyes and everything in his world would be okay. Perhaps he'd even forget for a moment that she wanted to be with Thanatos. In his heart, Kuruk had hope that Nova would eventually chose him. For once, he wanted to get the girl. She saw the good in him. She knew that he was worth something. She knew he wasn't a monster.

@sanris

[Deleted]

When he first saw the river, Sanris thought it was another mirage. The desert had been plauged with them, and he had long since grown weary of the strange shapes created by the heat as it shivered over the sand. He had long since grown tired of the sand, too. It burned with the sun's scorching gaze and the tiny granules had rubbed his paw pads raw and blistering and ingrained themselves in the sores and scrapes and between his toes. The rest had gone various places- his fur, his eyes, ears, nose, mouth. Anywhere where it could irritate him until his nose and eyes were streaming and his muzzle wrinkled in a constant snarl of discomfort.

He was thoroughly tired of the desert in general.

So when there was suddenly a vast river roiling in front of him, that had seemingly magicked itself out of nowhere, he was sure it was another figment of the desert.

But no- the sound it made as it roared over the sandstone rocks, drowning out every other noise that reached his ears- that couldn't possibly be an illusion. Unless, of course, he had gone mad somewhere in the sand dunes.

He didn't even stop to consider.

Sanris half-ran, half-staggered down the slope toward the banks of the foaming river. The water was rushing fast and foamy around what was surely sharp rocks in the center, but he didn't care.

There was some knarled, viciously spiked scrub around the edge of the water and Sanris had just finished tearing through them like some sort of half-mad creature when he nearly ran right into the path of another wolf. He thought wildly for at first that it was not a wolf, but a grizzly bear, because this stranger was massive. Even if his muscles hadn't been soft from months without use and his wilted bulk nearly suffocating him, Sanris knew he could never take this wolf in a fight.

He backed up immediately, whipping his head from the stranger to the edge of the water, hackles raised and bristling with frenzied fear. He tried to draw himself up as tall as he could. He needed the water. Needed it. But animalistic fear kept him from doing anything but pressing his ears flat against his head and rumbling agitatedly in his throat.

OOC: In which San is lame.
Muse: A little rusty, sorry!
Tags: Kuruk

[Deleted]

Kuruk noticed something coming down over the dunes. "Nova," he thought. His wish had come true. Nova was coming to spend the day with him. He imagined that she was getting tired of Thanatos and wanted to do something fun. Unfortunetly, what he was doing wasn't much fun either. He needed to walk around all the unclaimed territory and pick one for his pack to lay claim. He had already decided that this desert wasn't an option. The sand was unbearable and he knew the heat would get to fatal temperatures come summertime. There were a couple more open areas that he planned on going to see within the next couple of weeks. He was trying to make his movement around the island as normal and natural as possible. He didn't want Nova to think that anything was going on. He didn't want her to get involved. He knew she was smart but she wasn't the greatest at making decisions. She, like all other females, thought with her emotions. It's not to say that Kuruk had never done anything based purely off of emotion. He had killed for anger and revenge... those were emotions. But this was totally different. This was a decision that would affect the rest of their lives. He knew that she'd want to be a part of this decision and he felt a twinge of guilt for leaving her out but there were some things that were best kept secrets.

When the wolf he thought was Nova got closer into view, his smile instantly turned into a scowl. His eyes turned sharp and aggravated. This male had just ruined his good mood and he would have to pay for that. The male was tiny in comparison to himself. He could see the fear in the male's eyes and that gave him a renewed sense of pleasure. He wanted him to be afraid. He was right to be afraid. The black male smirked down at the smaller wolf and with the thrill of death on his mind, he quickly looked over his new opponent. It would be easy to overtake this small, pathetic male. The only question was how fast he would do it. Would he make this quick and painless or would be make this scum suffer?

He noticed the male making himself seem as tall as possible. Did he really think that he could take him in a fight? Or was he just so stupid that he thought that if he seemed confident that Kuruk would just step out of the way? The black brute could care less if this male was dehydrated and in desperate need of the water in which he stood in front of.

"If I had a good side, this would not be a way to get on it," Kuruk growled in response to the male's last ditch attempt at appearing brave. Suddenly, this situation turned into a game. Kuruk now owned this water. He couldn't let this male get to it, or he'd lose. Losing wasn't something that Kuruk was overly fond of so he supposed that this male would just have to die. His steel blue eyes glared as he thought of all the ways this male's life could end. The excitement bubbled within him.

[Deleted]

Sanris felt as if ice was forming in his belly as he watched the dark glee in the stranger wolf's icy eyes. He looked dilliberately between Sanris' gaunt form and the river rushing behind him, and a slow smile curled up his muzzle. Sanris fought the urge to shiver.

He desperately considered just backpedalling into the thicket behind him and making a run for it, as fast as he possibly could. There were other stretches of river to drink from. But another look into the dark stranger's face kept him rooted to the spot. He had no doubt that if he made a move to run, this wolf could easily kill him where he stood.

"If I had a good side, this would not be the way to get on it."

He had made a mistake. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He shouldn't have tried anything at all. He should have known- the intimidation tactics he would have used on a normal-sized wolf wouldn't make this monolith so much as blink. And judging from the mocking smirk, he was gong to pay for his mistake in full. He watched the stranger's stance shift subtly from putting weight on his forpaws to centering in onto his hindquarters. A protecting stance. He was guarding the riverside now.

Another low sound rumbled in the back of his throat, but this time it was closer to a whine. He kept his gaze locked on the stranger while his mind worked frantically to come up with a way to outwit this wolf, but all he could think of past the booming echo in his head was that the mocking smile and dark pelt of this stranger reminded him of another; he had had to bow to the whims of Atoyo of the Osani pack many a time. Bow to his whims. The feeble connection brought an equally feeble idea, but it was better than the alternative.

And he was not above grovelling. Quickly Sanris tucked his tail between his hind legs and crouched down, trying to make his fur lie flat and not quite succeeding. It still stuck up in small, scared hackles up and down his back, but no matter. He flattened his ears to the sides of his head and peeled his lips back in a very submissive gesture. He wasn't sure how far to go with this- could he risk offending the wolf further in the opposite direction? The answer was probably not a good one, and he chose not to think about it.

"What would be the way, then, if you had one?" his voice was dry and raspy, unused for long months, and cracked once, and he had to speak around his swollen tongue. Sanris was once again reminded of how desperate his situation was, and another snakelike tendril of fear wormed to join the nest in his belly.

Take the bait, please by the stars, take it, take it-


OOC: This is how San ends up dealing with just about every situation he can't bully people around in.
Muse: Still good!
Tags: Kuruk

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Seeing the fear in the stranger's eyes and body was something that Kuruk would never tire from. The large black male had the stranger right where he wanting him. If he ran, it would only give Kuruk the opportunity to chase him and kill him for his cowardice. If he fought... well... bravery was only a stone's throw away from stupidity. Kuruk out-sized this stranger so much that it would hardly be considered a fight. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of breaking his male's neck and leaving his body for the buzzards. One wrong move and this stranger was done for in Kuruk's mind. The cold smile remained on his lips as he stared down at this pathetic stranger. Warm blood rushing over his teeth and gums was one of his favorite feelings. It brought him back to the day he escaped from his torture. He had killed so many wolves that day and he had been freed. Killing had subdued his outward demons and now, killing would sooth his inner ones. When he had the throat of a stranger in his mouth, he was entirely in control. Whether they lived or died was completely at his digression. Killing calmed and soothed him. It gave him a sense of relief from his stresses. He would kill absolutely any wolf he wished and he could do it without blinking because of it. They were nothing to him. This male was nothing more than a wolf's hide. He felt the same amount of remorse as he did when he killed a deer or an elk or a rabbit.

The male whined. He whined. Kuruk couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic this male was. Before he had been so tough but now that he realized he had pissed off the wrong stranger, he was going to tuck his tail and cry? Kuruk growled at what an embarrassing opponent he had. It was like an insult to his fighting ability.


"What would be the way, then, if you had one?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kuruk took a step closer to this male, closing the gap between them. He looked down his nose at this groveling male and scoffed. "Look at you. You're pathetic. Hardly worth the fur on your back. Not a few minutes ago you thought you could best me - intimidate me. Now, you're groveling on your belly like a slave," Kuruk took another step, his steel blue eyes sharp like daggers piercing through the brain of his unworthy opponent. His lips curled, exposing his teeth. He lowered his neck and head and crouched his body to attack. Kuruk's heart started to race as the excitement of this moment increased. He could already taste this poor fool's blood. "Tell me, why should I let you live?" he growled through his teeth.

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[Nova Aviana Ulysses]

text ; speech ; thought

Nova had spent the morning investigating what she had originally thought was a single mountain, though upon reaching her mountain discovered that it was something much more exotic, a volcano. She had remembered her parents telling her of a great cloud of smoke and ash that on the wind drifted towards Tas’alea. They claimed that the haze lasted for several weeks but did not know where the cloud originated. Nova now knew that the smoke her parents spoke of had come from the volcano that was at the head of the desert territory. She had intended to be alone for a while and clear some of her thoughts, but her journey had not ended the way she had planned…

Now the Tundra female was returning to the river’s edge where she was likely to find either Kuruk or Thanatos. The brothers had clung to the river for several months now. On occasion Kuruk would wander for several hours of the day and return without saying where he had been, or what he had been doing. It always made Nova feel ill, remembering what her best friend Alvina had told Nova about Kuruk; killing innocent and helpless wolves to stave off his anger. Nova knew that his behavior was not entirely his fault; sure he acted out and did horrible, unspeakable things… But Nova knew him better than most, or at least she thought she did. He had a large heart and he just needed to be reminded that he could do great things without inciting fear wherever he walked.

Upon reaching the great river she waded in to the shallow bank, just far enough for the cool water to touch her stomach. Pink tongue greedily lapped at the calm water and when her thirst was quelled she lifted her gaze and looked across at the opposite side of the river. A sense of longing filled her; she wanted to discover what was on the other side. There was no sand in sight over there, just green grass and the faint smells and sounds of fresh prey. She could swim across if she dared, but only the water here along the edge was calm. A few steps further and the river bottom gave way to deeper waters and a rapid current. One day the trio would move out of this territory. There had to be more to this land than sand and rock.

Turning around she walked to the sandy shore and although she had barely gotten wet, the urge to shake out her coat was unstoppable. She relieved herself of very little water, but at least the sensation was gone. Along the breeze Kuruk’s distinctive scent entered her nose accompanied with someone completely foreign. The choice to sit and wait for either Kuruk or Thanatos to find her no longer seemed an option. Following the scent of the two wolves a little further down river she found Kuruk, with his back to her towering over another wolf, who at first glance seemed submissive, but as she drew nearer Nova got the feeling that the reality of the situation was not as she originally perceived.

The sand absorbed all sound, so her approach was silent as she crept closer. That also meant that it was hard for her to hear the exchange between the two wolves, the only distinction was that she was accustomed to the way Kuruk sounded when he spoke, low and always in a growl-like tone. Although still several yards away, Nova was now at least close enough to hear the last few words Kuruk had spoken to the cowering male wolf at his feet.

“Why should I let you live?”

Nova’s mouth went slack and her ears fell back against her skull. At this moment she was wishing that she hadn’t been eavesdropping. Her heart was racing inside her chest and she felt weak of limb after the rush of adrenaline and anxiety coursed through her. She wanted to turn and walk away but her feet remained where they stood. She couldn’t allow another helpless wolf to die because she was too afraid to confront Kuruk. She couldn’t allow Kuruk to damage himself any further by committing another sinful crime. She took a deep breath and rushed forward only stumbling once.

She placed herself in between Kuruk and the now apparent male wolf on the ground. Nova ignored Kuruk almost entirely; she knew that if she looked him in the eye her courage would falter. She was afraid of him, excited by him… She needed to stay focused in order to help both of the males. “My name is Nova,” she said to the lone male. Copper colored eyes did a once over his body and found his coat dull and stretched taunt over her frame. “I’m a healer,” she stated matter-of-factly, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She took a paw and placed it on the male’s snout and pushed his lip up to reveal dark gums. It was a sure sign of dehydration, something she and her parents came across often when a wolf washed up on the shores of Tas’alea. “You’re dehydrated. Come. I’ll help you to the river.” She smiled reassuringly towards the nameless male, fear still clearly written across his face. She kept herself between Kuruk and the other male and offered her shoulder as support for the loner to lean upon. In an effort to stave off Kuruk’s lashing, as healer and patient walked past she wrapped her tail around his broad chest and trailed it along his body.

words: nine twenty-nine
tags: Kuruk and Sanris
notes: Nova the bleeding heart!

[Deleted]

Sanris could pinpoint the exact moment, down to the second, that he slid right into the other wolf's claws. He ground his muzzle desperately into the dirt again, but nothing could reverse the damage.

The dark male scoffed, something that looked close to glee gleaming in his eyes. Sanris was reminded suddenly of a time once when he was very young, soon after he had fled the reach of the pack territories and into the mountains, when he had watched a mountain cat corner a small goat. Instead of killing it outright, it had toyed with it until it could no longer move, only bleat frantically, before pouncing down on its neck almost playfully. He swallowed the panic rising in his throat.
"You," the male snarled, pacing closer, "are pathetic." Sanris shrank back involuntarily, quivering. "Just a minute ago you thought you could best me, beat me," the male continued, peeling his lips back into a snarl so that Sanris could see his teeth gleaming sharp and white in stark contrast. He himself had commonly extorted other, weaker loners in this way, terrorizing them out of kills. This is what it felt like to be on the receiving end. The male's muscles rippled beneath his fur as he slid smoothly into a crouch. "And now, you're grovelling on your belly like a slave."

Sanris could not have told, later, if time really did slow down when one was facing death. At that moment, it was just as real as any other moment of his life. Sickeninly, intimately real. And he was going to die.

"Tell me... why should I let you live?"

The panic was back in his throat like a bird trying to escape, only this time it was accompanied by bitter bile. Sanris swallowed them both. "I- I c-could be- be useful to you," he rasped hoarsely, shaking from his paws to the tip of his tail. He had run out of tricks. The only option left was to beg for mercy. Mercy was a thing for fools, but he could at least pray it would amuse the dark wolf into backing down.

For a single, awful moment, the male did nothing. Sanris tensed; his body flooded with adrenaline as his barely controlled panic burst free- he would run, as fast as he could, it didn't matter-
But suddenly something white cut into the space between himself and the dark wolf.

It was another wolf, this one white as northern snow. And they- she, his retreating concious mind registered- was talking to the male. He jerked backwards, ready to run. The she-wolf turned his way, still talking in a calm voice. To him, probably, though he his nerves were too fried to concentrate on the actual words. She was very close now; he rolled his eyes frantically up to look at her, tensing for a blow or a bite. Instead he felt his gums being pulled back daintily. He jerked reflexively back.

She was talking again; he caught the words come and river. That he could process. Could it possibly be? He felt a muzzle nudge his side, and he struggled to his feet. With her help he made it to the bank, before stumbling from her side and sitting down right in the water.

If he had just seen death, and had gone through hell in the deep desert, then whatever this was was surely the opposite. He only lifted his head when he was so heavy with ingested water he wasn't sure he could stand. He wasn't sure he would be able to anyway; the rush of panic-fueled adrenaline a moment ago had left him shaky and fatiuged, the last of his energy spent. But the river had not washed his other predicament away. With reluctance, he heaved himself up on his front paws, watching the wolves on the bank warily from the river.

OOC:  Surprise! Finals are almost done here, so a quick post.
Tags: Kuruk, @nova