Lost In A World Of Chaos (Kiara/Open)

[Kiara]

Tiny paws crept hesitantly along the hot sand of the dessert. It had been days since the pup last had something to eat other than grass and various plants. Her tiny stomach growled like a vicious adult wolf and tiny whimpers escaped from between her clenched teeth. This was the first time the young wolf had ever truly been afraid and she was utterly terrified. She was used to friendly ponds and the shade from a forest of green. She was used to relying on her parents to keep her fed and safe and the company of her siblings to give something to do. But now? Now she was entirely one hundred percent on her own. No four month old puppy should ever be on their own and she knew, unless by some miracle, she would not make it for many more moons. Already, she could feel herself weakening. Her stomach was in knots from hunger and her throat was as dry as the dessert she now walked on. Her knees and legs were weak and her head was pounding. She wanted to lie down and sleep but she knew at least better than to sleep somewhere so open and vulnerable where anything could get to her.

Finally, after what felt like hours upon hours of walking, she knew she couldn't take much more and when she still didn't see any trees or big plants, she knew she would just have to risk her life to get the sleep she needed. She continued on for a little while but stopped and laid down when she heard the chilling howl of a coyote. She had never been afraid of the creatures before because she had her parents to look after her but now, they sent chills up and down her spine. She curled up into a tight ball in the dry sand and closed her eyes so no sand would get in. She figured that maybe if she played dead, all would be well and she would live to see another day. She hoped she was right.

[Deleted]

"I just wanna get out of this fucking sand," Kuruk thought to himself as dinner plate sized paws sunk into the ground. The sand was so loose and the large black male was so heavy that his paws actually sank into the sand with every step, making walking that much more difficult. He groaned to himself as he couldn't see any nearby exit. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to be able to walk on solid soil. The heat was horrendous and his black coat didn't make it any better. It was like the heat was attracted to him and it just made him that much more irritated.

Since leaving the river, Kuruk knew where he would travel next. He had heard that the Oriens were completely surrounded by mountains. Land like that would make a good fortress and was at least worth looking in to. He couldn't remember why he had wanted to come to the desert in the first place. Whatever it was that had seemed appealing at the time had been proven to be wrong. There was nothing appealing about miles and miles of hot, dry, loose sand.

However, as he walked he noticed something on the ground. It was small and dark. Maybe a large rock or desert creature. It had been the first thing he'd seen since leaving the river. Had it not been on his way, he might not have stopped to check it out but since it was, he thought he'd ease his mind of the boredom that encased it. It would give him at least a minute or two of looking at something other than sand and listening to something other than the sound of his own breathing.

As he approached, he saw that it had the resemblance of a fox or perhaps an oddly shaped rat. It was either sleeping or dead and since Kuruk couldn't see any signs of breathing, he assumed the latter. However, Kuruk was fascinated by death and wanted to touch the dead creature. He wanted to know if it was cold or if it had stiffened up yet. He wanted to see if he could find the cause of it's death. If Thanatos were here, he was sure that he could tell him but that would take the fun out of the investigation. After all, this was all to cure him of his boredom. He approached it and saw that it was nothing more than skin and bones. "Must have died from starvation, stupid thing." He pressed his cold nose on it's body and... was it breathing? Was this still alive? If it was, it was on the brink of death. It wouldn't survive much longer without food and water.

He pushed it with his nose to try and wake it. He still wasn't sure if this was a fox or a rat but either way, it would be more entertaining for him if this thing were awake. Watching it die in it's sleep wasn't any fun.

[Kiara]

The young pup laid as still as she could, trying to get her mind to stay off the fact that she was alone and by herself. She hoped that in the blink of an eye hours would go by and she would regain her strength but she could tell that what had already felt like an hour was only maybe a minute or two. She whimpered softly before playing dead again. She continued to hear the howling of coyotes in the distance but to her luck, they didn't seem to be moving any closer. If they stayed at a distance, there was nothing they could do to hurt her. Right? She only managed to remain awake for a few more minutes before her exhaustion took over and she passed out. Her tiny paws sifted threw the grainy sand as she dreamt she was running back to her family. She stood on one side of the seemingly never ending dessert and they stood on the other. Her tiny legs carried her as fast as they could but no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't getting any closer. The dessert really was never ending she figured with another soft whimper.
All of the sudden, her dream with replaced with reality when she felt something nudge her. Her body tensed before starting to tremble, afraid to open her eyes. How could she have been so stupid as to allow herself to fall asleep? Why didn't she think about the fact that the sand made footsteps silent? She silently yelled at herself as she waited for the coyotes to kill her. However, when nothing happened, she slowly opened her eyes and instantly cowered back at what her purple eyes saw standing in front of her. He was a large male wolf, his size towering over her. She tilted her head in instinctual submission as her frame shook even harder. All she could think was that she had wandered into someone's territory and she would be dead for sure. It was what her parent's had always warned them about, why they were to always stay within their own boundaries. 

[Deleted]

The tiny little thing began to move. It must be alive after all. His steel blue eyes looked down at it while it opened it's lids to reveal purple eyes. He had never seen eyes so strange. He had seen green eyes and grey eyes and even orange eyes once or twice but never purple. Kuruk had been raised to believe that colors meant something more than just something to look at. He believed that it was The Great Spirit's way of communicating to those on earth. Eye color was a way to look into someone's personality, soul and even history if you knew how to read it correctly. Luckily for Kuruk, his father had taught he and his brothers how to do so in case they should ever need it. This skill had come in handy once or twice but mostly, he just used it to get an extra edge on wolves he was unfamiliar with. Purple, was meant to signify something sacred, something powerful, something mysterious and something magical. Whatever or whoever this creature was, it was something special. Perhaps The Great Spirit had guided him here to this god forsaken desert for this purpose - to find this once in a lifetime creature.

He saw it's body begin to shake. Perhaps out of fear or perhaps it was because it was dying, Kuruk wasn't sure (though he assumed it was a bit of both). He had heard that dying felt cold but obviously he had never died so he couldn't know for sure.

"Do you speak English?" Kuruk asked in a nonchalant tone. Though after seeing her eyes, he was more interested in her life, he couldn't make himself seem more concerned. It was something that he never could do well. He couldn't pretend to care. He either did or he didn't and it would be obvious in his tone of voice and the look in his eyes. He still wasn't sure exactly what he was looking at. The sand distorted smells and all he could pick up was the dryness of the air. He wasn't sure what language foxes or rats spoke. He was sure it was something different than English but maybe if she understood him, he could find out more about her and her strange purple eyes.

[Kiara]

Kiara looked him with over him with nothing but fear in her eyes, like a deer caught in headlights. Had the situation been different, had she been with her family and with her parents, she would not be afraid. If she knew she was protected, she would have walked, or more like bounced over to him, introduced herself and commented on something like how awesome his eyes were. Now however, given the circumstances, things were entirely different. Kiara trusted nothing and no one, especially a strange adult male wolf. She wanted to run, to hide, but there was nowhere to turn. Left, right, forward, and back, were all the exact same; miles of emptiness and sand. If she was to run from him, he would catch her for sure, maybe even in just one stride with how he towered over her. So, with no other options left, she simply laid there and watched him fearfully, trembling like there was no tomorrow.
She could see him examining her eyes and she nervously closed them before deciding it better she didn't risk angering the strange male and opened them again, looking shyly at the ground. She laid quietly, afraid to speak and say the wrong thing. She was even afraid to move, really. She didn't know what would set this wolf off and she was in no mood to find out. When he asked her what language she spoke she couldn't help but laugh lightly inwardly, of course she spoke english, what else would she speak...cat? Instead of speaking her mind, she simply nodded and quietly spoke up with a submissive, "Yes, sir." She didn't think something polite would make him mad so that was all she said before she fell silent again. She waited on edge for him to speak again, hoping he wouldn't have anything mean to say about her.

[Deleted]

The small creature's eyes were wide with nothing but fear. He could see her weighing her options. Run or stay? If she had ran, Kuruk most likely wouldn't have chased her. If she wanted to run and die alone in the desert, he would allow her to do so. She wouldn't have made far before she fell to exhaustion anyway. The creature was smart and decided to stay where it was. Though, it's body was trembling enough to give itself exhaustion anyway. He understood it's fear. He was a great and powerful beast. Being in the presence of someone with such strength must be frightening.

Then the creature spoke, "Yes, sir."

Kuruk thought to himself that it must have learned those manners from somewhere. It's parents had probably lost it though by looks of it, it had been lost for quiet some time. Kuruk could easily see her ribs and hips, tell tale signs of malnurishment. He looked it over once more before pushing his nose back into it's fur. He took a few short sniffs, enough to tell him that this was in fact a wolf (though a very strange one) and a female. He took a step back to give her some breathing room. Though he had entered this situation with death on his mind, he found himself wanting her to live. He wasn't sure what about this female, perhaps it was her eyes or perhaps it was her apparent will to live or maybe it was because her parents had lost her but he knew he didn't want to scare her to death.

"What's your name and where are your parents?" Kuruk asked a little more intensely than his first question now that he found himself more invested in this puny pup. It was sort of like deja vu. Kuruk remembered asking Thanatos who he was and where he was from on the first day that they met. He had been scared and alone and hungry just like this little puppy. He had brought him to his father who had taken him in as his own son and the two of them grew up as brothers. It was almost comical that Kuruk found himself in an almost identical situation. But what to do? He'd probably help her find her parents or at least get her some water and something to eat before leaving. She was so young and so innocent. Leaving her here to die felt wrong to him.

[Thanatos]

Text | Speech | Thought | Others

Thanatos was tired, but his feet and mind didn't let him rest. They had to find a place that screamed perfect to Thanatos. It needed to have plenty of animals to hunt, a good water source, nice trees to relax by, and beautiful places for the pack's recreation and entertainment. He had this beautiful idea of a wonderful place in his mind, but he wouldn't tell his brother, since he knew that maybe Kuruk was looking for something else. He decided to trust Kuruk on this one and see what he would do. Even if he was worried intensely and his thoughts were all screaming disaster, he couldn't help but be excited and happy about the pack formation. He knew that Kuruk would be a great guide, and even if Kuruk thought differently, Thanatos saw his father as a great example to live by. Even if Kuruk didn't see it like he did, Thanatos's undying gratitude towards his father was still beating in his heart, and his loyalty was even bigger to Kuruk, since he was the one that saw him for the first time when he was alone and broken. Walking and looking to all directions and scanning the area, Thanatos walked away from Kuruk in his tracks and began to explore the place. Analysis after analysis proved that this place was just horrible. It was hot and arid and uncomfortable and just plain horrible. There was nothing appealing of the place and the temperatures were rising. Thanatos frowned at the place and headed back to Kuruk, sniffing the air to pin point his location.

After walking for a while, he arrived to Kuruk's destination to find his brother staring at something in the floor. What, did his brother loose his mind? It was probably a rock. However, he kept looking at it more and noticed it was moving. Walking next to Kuruk, he saw a thin and frail pup in front of them, with dark coloration on its pelt. What struck Thanatos, however, was the pup's eyes. It was the most beautiful shade of purple he had ever seen in his life. She must be special, and something in his heart told him that she had to be protected. She was odd-looking, appearing closer in resemblance to a fox rather than a wolf. He had never seen something quite like her. Stepping in closer, Thanatos heard when Kuruk asked the pup if she spoke English. A small voice affirmed that she did speak English. Kuruk asked about her name and parents, and Thanatos had a severe déjà vu moment when he heard the question. He looked at Kuruk and suddenly he saw himself in that little pup. He was scared, confused, lost, alone and heartbroken, and Kuruk rescued him. Now, they were in front of a lost and lonely pup, and Thanatos's heart wanted to confort her, and tell her that everything was going to be okay, just like he needed in that moment. Smiling a little bit, he looked back at the delicate pup and sighed. "Familiar, isn't it, Kuruk?" He looked at the pup with soft eyes, feeling like the pup was a reflection of his own story. The pup was scared and terrified, and he could understand why, because he went through it. He looked at Kuruk and began to hope in his heart that he decided to take her with them. She couldn't survive here alone, and leaving her behind didn't feel right. They had to do something.


Kuruk Kiara

[Kiara]

She was paralyzed in fear from the moment the first male wolf showed up and towered over her. However, now, it was even worse. She was no longer being looked down on by one wolf, but instead, two. It wasn't long after the first wolf showed up that another one came and stood beside him. What was going on? She didn't know. Did she make the wrong choice by staying where she was? She wasn't sure. All she knew to be a fact was that she could now very easily be killed. Like two pythons staring down a tiny mouse, she had no chance. She was at the mercy of two, very large, male wolves.

Suddenly, the black wolf shoved his muzzle back into the pup's fur, only heightening her panicked state. She froze as her muscles tensed again, sure she was about to be eaten. However, after a few sniffs, he lifted his head and backed away slightly. She couldn't tell what was going through his head but she didn't think she wanted to know and she took a few very small steps closer to the other wolf who, for some reason, felt more safe to her. He had yet to speak to her but the look in his eyes and the small smile he wore made Kiara feel a bit more secure. Even if the black wolf didn't have the best intentions, she doubted the new wolf would let him harm her.

The next two questions she was asked made her heart hurt all over again. Why, out of all the things he could have asked, did he have to ask her about her parents? Why couldn't he have left that up to his own curiosity or maybe discuss it with his friend? She sighed and went to answer, "I'm Kiara and my mom and dad are.... " before she could finish, she was pulled into yet another set of flashbacks. She remembered all the good times she had, had with her family in the few months since she had been born. All those times were nothing but fading memories now. The older she got, the less she remembered. She knew that, unless she found her parents within maybe six months, she would no longer remember them or her family. There names would be the names of strangers and even if she did see them, she wouldn't know them. The idea of forgetting them killed her and made her want to cry until she fell asleep but here with these wolves was not the time or the place for that. "My parents are somewhere, I don't know where," her small voice was barely above that of a whisper, as if just speaking that sentence hurt her and while she spoke, she looked at the newer wolf. Speaking to him made her feel just a little less vulnerable than speaking to the other wolf would.

[Deleted]

The tiny wolf pup lay perfectly still like she was terrified, as she should be. Normally, when large males happen upon pups, the end result is not a pleasant one. Luckily for her, however, Kuruk had no intention of harming her. Those eyes, they were peculiar and beautiful. They were innocent and free from corruption. She didn't know the horrors of the world yet. Everything those eyes saw must have been new and exciting but also frightening. Kuruk couldn't remember when he was that young but he knew that his childhood was better than the one that this poor girl was getting (however sad that statement may be). Kuruk's childhood wasn't a time he liked to revisit often, though of his bad memories his childhood was one of the better ones. Kuruk's father had never been pleased with him. You're reckless he would say. You're irresponsible his father's voice would scold him. Why can't you be more like your brothers? his father would ask while feeling fed up with his son. He remembered the pain he felt from his father. The rejection, the hatred. The only way Kuruk made it through was by turning it off. He had to block out everything his father said to him and treat it like it were nothing. He had to pretend like he didn't care what his father said or what he thought.

"Familiar, isn't it, Kuruk?"

Yes. More so than he'd like to admit. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched the little girl exert the energy to go stand under the protection of Thanatos. She was brave. For all she knew, Thanatos was planning on killing her and was only pretending to be nice. Kuruk's lips curled into a smirk as his steel blue eyes looked down at the small little being. She was no more than skin and bones.

"You're afraid of me," he stated while looking her over once more. He took a long pause, not for affect but so he could decide his next words. This was an interesting situation he had been put in. The Great Spirit had led him here to this pup, her eyes told him that. However, Kuruk was planning on building a kingdom and he wasn't sure how having a puppy running around was going to help.

Kuruk sighed internally and rolled his eyes at himself. He knew what he had to do. "I wish you no harm, believe it or not Kid, I wanna protect you." He doubted she would fully believe him but his sincerity was real. Having her around would be challenging even if it were only for a little while. Kuruk had no idea how to take care of a little puppy but he was sure that Thanatos did. Sometimes Kuruk wondered why he puts up with Thanatos and then he always remembers that he and his brother were a team. They complimented each other. Everything Kuruk couldn't do, Thanatos could do. Everything Thanatos could do, Kuruk would swoop in and save the day. It was dysfunctional and even though Kuruk held some resentment towards Thanatos, he was the only wolf to stand by him through everything and show an undying loyalty that Kuruk would never forget. "You know how you can trust me? I'm mean. You can always trust a mean wolf to do exactly what he says. Its the nice ones you have to watch out for. You never know if they're lying to you." If nothing else, at least this little girl would learn a life lesson. However, that lesson wouldn't be very valuable if she only lived for another day or so. Perhaps The Great Spirit had sent him here to return her to her parents. Perhaps they had something for him. Maybe if he returned their daughter to them, they'd give him something in return.

"I'm Kiara and my mom and dad are.... "

Kiara. It was name meaning "dark." Now why would a wolf name her daughter something that meant dark? This was puzzling. However, it was also the name of a saintly wolf his mother had told him about when he was young. Which meaning was it? Its not like he could ask her. She probably wouldn't know. His own name was one that meant "bear" and The Great Spirit knew how well it fit him. He'd been confused as a bear on more than one occasion although he never took it as a compliment. They were stupid, dirty, mindless creatures. Still, names were a powerful tool that many wolves never bother to use. Names can control destiny as well as give others an insight into the one who bears it. It was hard to tell with a pup so young. She could turn out either way. Her parents had taken a risk in naming her something with vastly different meanings.

"My parents are somewhere, I don't know where,"

"Well, we'll find them." He told her, even though she was speaking more towards Thanatos. He didn't mind it if she preferred Thanatos over himself. Any child would prefer one who coddled them. However, at the end of the day, it would be him who would find her parents again and return her. He would be the one getting things done while Thanatos got all the glory and credit for it. This was their cycle. This was how it always happened. They had it almost down to a science. He wanted to find out the reasoning behind her strange name and the only way he would, would be to talk to the parents. He looked to Thanatos as if to ask how much longer she had. He needed a time frame so he could return her alive.

[Thanatos]

Thanatos scanned the body language of the frail and bizarre pup in front of him. She was terrified of the two wolves, but Thanatos noticed that the pup was specifically terrified of Kuruk. He could understand perfectly why, though--Kuruk was of an impressive size, and many shook in fear and wonder due to this only fact. The brothers were big, but Kuruk towered above his brother and his weight was far more noticeable. Thanatos looked at the eyes of the pup, and he could see all of her emotions. He was amazed at her eyes, though. He couldn't stop staring at them, which was probably why she was more terrified. As Thanatos kept watching the scene, his head slowly moved to his brother's direction in awe when he heard him say that he wanted to protect her. He really had something with adoption, and for that, Thanatos was thankful for, because he wouldn't be the wolf he was today. 

"You know how you can trust me? I'm mean. You can always trust a mean wolf to do exactly what he says. Its the nice ones you have to watch out for. You never know if they're lying to you." Thanatos nodded, yet he couldn't help but wonder if that comment was also directed at him. Ah, well, knowing his brother, what wouldn't be directed at him? Thanatos chuckled and lowered his head to the pup and made a small smirk, whispering words to the pup's ear. "Hey, I can be nice, but I ain't lyin'." Lifting his head again, he heard the pup say that her name was Kiara. A name that meant "dark" for such a beautiful pup? He didn't understand, but all he could think of is that the pup was beautiful and that she would grow up to be so. She didn't know where her parents are, so that made him even more worried. A pup this small, malnourished and frail wouldn't make it without dying in the attempt. They had no means of giving her the milk she probably needed, and Nova probably couldn't provide milk just yet. They needed to find her parents fast before the effects of dehydration and hunger would harm her horribly.

"We should at least find her some water before leaving to find her parents. I could use water too... but we need to find her parents soon like in two to three days max, because... you know," he said in a way that the pup couldn't understand what he meant. He didn't want to scare her more than she already was. The pup was so fragile that she would not survive for a couple of days, three as a stretch. Thanatos signaled Kuruk to pick Kiara up and to bring her with them. He was worried about her, and he was very thirsty, so he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.


Kuruk Kiara

[Kiara]

The pup continued to watch the males although her nerves were starting to calm down though she didn't know exactly why. Was it from exhaustion or was it because so far the wolves had yet to hurt her? Or was it just because of the second male who gave off a calming sense? She couldn't begin to comprehend everything going on around her, everything that was silently being communicated between the wolves, but she was starting not to care. Her puppy instincts were growing stronger the more tired she got. She wanted to curl up in the warmth of an adult even if she didn't know them well. She wanted to be taken care of, she didn't want to keep trying to be more mature than she was, searching on her own, trying to survive by herself, it was doing more harm than good right now. She let out a huge yawn that was accompanied by a soft whimper.

She nodded when it was stated that she was afraid of the black wolf. She was taught not to lie so she wouldn't, and she didn't see what she had to lose if he got offended by her agreement. But the second part of his statement confused her. Shouldn't she be afraid of mean wolves and fond of the nice ones? She couldn't trust mean wolves could she? She whimpered again, too tired to understand or sort out her thoughts but as the second wolf whispered in her ear, she caught herself nudging him comfortingly with another yawn.

It was the next thing that was said that made her ears perk up from the slightest bit of new found hope. Could the wolves really find her parents? They were older than her and probably knew of better ways to search but still, would it be enough? If it was enough, would it be before her fate set in and she forgot all about them? Would she be handed over to strangers who somehow knew who she was? The pup had a strange mix of both fear and hope but she held on with the last bit of life she had left to the hope.