Mortiul and Ignasia Border Outskirts

Muscles tensed as the smell of the borders hit him, the combination of what was suppose to be fresh mountain air and suffocating ash was a blend that proved to be not to pleasing too the senses, but it was the underlying scent of pack wolves that brought a twisted smile to his face. They had finally made it, after just a few more days of travelling they had managed to reach their destination in one piece. Endymion had managed to catch a few more scrawny morsels of food to keep his gift in acceptable condition, and Yvaine had pitched in and provided a few mouthfuls of food for the group to share. He was incredibly grateful for the help and company that she had provided, the mere presence of her within their travelling party helping to ease the tension away from Endymion's edges, but he still ached for something to sink his teeth into, he just needed the hit of dopamine that rushed through his head whenever he had the pleasure of tormenting anyone who crossed his path at the wrong time. Perhaps he would find some sort of relief upon entering this pack. Hopefully they would give him some sort of test that would give him the opportunity to prove himself as well as expel his built up sadism.

Endymion caught Yvaine's golden cranium nodding from his peripherals, looking to her as she suggested he be the one to howl for the Alphas. He nodded in response before raising his head to the sky and letting his baritone vocals echo through the ridges of the mountains, loud enough to reach every corner of the territory and any ear willing to listen and respond. Satisfied with his calling, he looked back down as Yvaine's tail brushed up against the frame of his leg before she threw taunting words in Feyre's ear. Crystalline eyes pointed themselves at Feyre, his brows furrowing as he watched her stoop at his side, her sterling eyes still glued to the snowy ground as if she were avoiding looking up and into the mouth of her future. A low growl resonated within his chest. "You're truely pathetic, might as well except that your life is no longer yours, sweetie." Endymion mocked with a low chuckle, eager to watch her squirm under the eyes of her new owners. That would be a sight he would savour for the rest of his life.

But until that moment came, he could only sit patiently at the borders, Yvaine on one side and Feyre glued tightly to the other as they awaited the appearance of whoever would hear his call.

Mercenary Yvaine  @vivaldi  @marusya

The land lay still and charred, the scent of death and smoke hanging like a heavy curtain over it. Everything, as far as the eye could see, was black and burned; what little hints of regrowth had managed to show themselves above the ashen ground were brown and shriveled, offering little promise of life.

The she-wolf trotting briskly over the fire-gutted land looked as out of place there as she could possibly be, her gleaming golden coat and cold gray eyes providing a direct contrast to the stark black and brown of her surroundings.

It was clear from the way Kalia looked around her from time to time that she had never been in these lands before. Yet she did not walk as if she was afraid. She kept up a steady pace, neither running nor walking, confident without being foolishly bold.

Yes, she thought to herself as she made her way through the blackened terrain, I could be happy here.

Here, with the tall peak of the mountain standing sentinel, a shadow at her back, ensuring that she would never be surprised from behind. Here, surrounded by the evidence of the fire that had made her what she was now. Strong. The fires made me strong.

And here, with the packs of wolves that she had only heard about in terrified whispers. The last wolf she’d run into- she didn’t remember his name; he was only one of many- had told her of them with concern, believing the innocent, naive persona she had crafted for herself.

“Mortiul and Ignasia,” he’d said. “If you’re going into the mountains, beware of them. There’s a lot of things that might end badly for a young traveler like you, if you ran into wolves like those.” He’d told her the stories, the whispered rumors that made others steer clear of this area, and Kalia had stowed them away in her mind. They held no fear for her, only the feeling of familiarity. The two packs that everyone else feared sounded like a place where she could make herself a home. I’m something to be feared too. And I’ve had enough of being on my own.

She knew exactly when she entered the borders of the pack lands. She could smell the wolves who lived here- a sizable pack, it seemed. She had no idea where any of them were now, but she had a feeling she would meet them soon enough.

The deeper she went into the territory, the stronger the scents became. But now there were others. One pack wolf; the rest rogues like her, seeking entrance to the deadly packs that lived here.

“Alright,” Kalia said to herself. “Which Kalia are they going to meet?”

She could forego her facade of amicability. There was no reason, in these lands, to appear shallow and trustworthy; the packs here would accept the hardened warrior that she had become. It would be a relief to drop the mask for awhile, to let her true self show.

But then again...perhaps Mortiul or Ignasia had need of a liar as skilled as she. If she played her innocent role for these rogues, only to turn the tables when it came time for the pack to accept or decline them, proving her talent at hiding her true nature...

She made her decision. She followed the scents of the group, keeping herself out of sight and climbing higher up the ridges and crests of the mountains. Finally she arrived at the perfect location- a little outcropping above the gathering, where she could look down upon them and see without being seen.

There were four, it looked like. She couldn’t tell which was the pack wolf, and she supposed it didn’t really matter. She lay down, both to conceal herself better and to give her travel-weary paws a rest as she surveyed the wolves below her. A male and female of a strange species, coppery-coated with thick stripes of black fur running down their necks. Then another male, a more normal-looking wolf this time, with a cowering orangish-gold female by his side. I doubt she’s here voluntarily.

Kalia took a few moments to decide what her strategy would be. Clearly they would not expect such an innocent little thing like the role she played to ever desire a place in Mortiul or Ignasia. She would act, then, like what they would expect- a silly, shallow young female who had wandered to these borders on a whim without fully knowing what she was getting into.

With her role decided, the flaxen female slipped from her cover, tucking her tail underneath her body in a friendly gesture, communicating that she was not a threat.

“Hello,” she said, purposefully adding to her voice the tremulous uncertainty that she had come to perfect over the years. “I don’t mean to intrude, but if you’re waiting to join Mortiul and Ignasia, I’d like to wait with you. That is, if you don’t mind; I’d be happy to go and wait somewhere else if you’d rather.”

 Paladin Endymion @vivaldi @marusya Feyre Infidel Quentin   Mercenary Yvaine

Feyre's reaction to both his and Yvaine's threats had been as entertaining as usual, offering a few seconds of distraction from the boring task of waiting for the pack superiors to arrive and greet them. But their loneliness at the borders didn't last long, as a familiar creature emerged from his hiding place with a smirk crossing their dark lips. Endymion was sure he was going insane as he looked to the she-wolf that sat by his side to confirm that she hadn't moved. He blinked. Oh god, there were two of them. Brows were furrowed as he realised he wasn't seeing double, and this was in fact, somehow, a completely different wolf. He tried not to look too startled as he watched the stranger approach his gift, a small and wary snarl crossing his lips as he watched the unknown male sneer something into her ear. Feyre's gaunt reaction was as sweet as always, and he simply chuckled as he figured that this strange creature shared his love of tormenting his victims. Endymion decided very quickly that he just might be able to get along with this creature.

"Now what would the names of you two beautiful wolves be?" It was strange to hear another male refer to him as beautiful, but he wasn't wrong, so Endymion would take the compliment with a brash smile. The brute didn't miss the stranger's dark and lingering gaze that fell across Yvaine, probably entranced to see another of his kind in a place like this, but Endymion would be the one to break this small connection as he stood on his paws and ended up towering over everyone gathered at the borders. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Endymion." Simple and to the point, just how he liked it. But he was not finished addressing this pack-wolf, as he was clearly not a superior that Endy had been hoping for. He wasn't about to hand his gift over to an omega, and he was eager to meet the Alpha that he had been hearing so much about. "Will your superiors be joining us anytime soon? I'm sure they'd love to receive the little morsel that I brought for them," a genuine question as well as yet another sneering jab for Feyre to mull over.

Another voice soon interrupted the small exchange, Endymion's steel blue gaze cutting through the female that approached with such meek tones. A malicious smirk was dug across the male's face as he drew similarities between this newbie and what Feyre had been like before he had gotten his paws on her. Endy gave a nudge to Yvaine as he kept his hungry gaze on the new meal that practically cowered before them. "Maybe you should claim that one as your own gift to the Alphas." He suggested, knowing that it might improve his friend's standings in the Alpha's favour if she were to present a wolf of her own, and this one was almost too easy to take.

Infidel Quentin  Mercenary Yvaine  Kalia

Yvaine listened to what Endymion said to Feyre and couldn’t help but snicker. Unlike the confident maned wolf, Feyre had no confidence radiating from her. She was a broken and shallow husk that radiated terror, and she would be nothing more than a pet for the Alpha. Her pelt brushed up against Endymion as she waited patiently for the wolves to appear. Although she could let them know she was there as well, she wasn’t sure if they would recognize the type of ‘howl’ she possessed. Only one of her kind would. And with the sparked thought, came a red figure that appeared in her visage. He approached Feyre first, making note to let her know just what was in store for her. The fact that she heard a wolf like her had fallen in love made her scoff. Love was something only fools needed. Yvaine was not interested in that, love was weakness. And Yvaine had no weaknesses. All she needed was to build her reputation among this pack and become one of their assets like she knew she could be. Hearing him call her a breeder however, made her think of what other non-traditional ranks this pack had. Sure, she had been in packs where their ranks were nothing but traditional, but being somewhere that was non-traditional was a nice change of pace. And with Yvaine herself being a non-traditional species to be in a pack, she adored the idea of having a specialized rank within this pack. With her being as cunning and flirtatious, she could become an assassin for these wolves, luring others to their swift death, or getting information out of a lonely bastard in one of the other packs. She was useful, and she would make that known.

As he turned and extended the question of what their names were, the flattery that came from him was noted, but definitely not taken as anything more than words. She had been called by too many wolves beautiful and pretty. She was used to it, and she would expect nothing less from another of her own kind. He seemed to have a personality that she could get along with, or simply hate. She would have to see how they interacted in the future, but she was looking forward to see that. Before she could answer the male, another she-wolf joined the mix. She didn’t seem overly crazed or evil like most, and honestly Yvaine thought about claiming her as a little gift, when Endymion confirmed her thoughts. She smirked, but this she-wolf would not do. She wasn’t anything special in Yvaine’s eyes. “I hope you have a particularly useful skill when it comes to murdering. Or I might present you as an offering to the Alpha once they come,” She sneered before turning towards the other maned wolf. “Yvaine,” Her sparkling aquamarine eyes looked him over. Endymion had already introduced himself and asked where the superiors were, and she wondered the same. She wanted to get this done and over with so she could play with this new male more. But it seemed they would have one more intrusion before a superior would appear. Another wolf, one that was particularly respectful in their presence, made Yvaine roll her eyes. “You didn’t tell me that weaklings would be present Endy,” She said, giving the male a bump of his shoulder, and coming to rest comfortably against him.

After the newest she-wolf’s approach, it seemed that they would finally be answered by a superior, as a she-wolf came up. Aquamarine eyes settled on the beautiful white lupine that held herself in front of them in a dominant position, and she remained relaxed, ears perked as she listened to what she had to say. She insulted Yvaine, but it simply was in one ear and out the other. This pack was not one for kindness, and she knew that. She was here because of that reason. It seemed they were not familiar with Maned Wolves, and having one already seemed to still be a mystery to them. At least she had found a pack with one of her own kind. She smirked a bit as the Alphess assessed each and every one of them, commenting on how the two females that were not Feyre had not howled to let her know they were there. Yvaine herself knew she couldn’t, but it seemed these she-wolves had already earned a strike against them while she had not. The Alphess was humorous, a small sadistic smile pricking at Yvaine’s lips as she listened. She asked for their names and how they’d be useful. Speeches weren’t required, and Yvaine didn’t need a large speech.

“Yvaine. I could be of use as an information gatherer from outsiders as well as an assassin if necessary. I excel at mind trickery and stealth. Making for a deadly weapon in a war, or to assassinate a wolf you particularly don’t like,” She finished, looking towards the Alphess as she would take that information as she would. She would listen to each and every wolf speak, although she focused her attention on Quentin. She wondered what his position was in the pack, and how well he was at it. Maybe she would be better and steal it. Only acceptance would be able to tell her what would happen. And she was ever excited for the possible outcomes.

@vivaldi Paladin Endymion Feyre Infidel Quentin Kalia Breeder Lluise

Endymion's skin crawled as a number of different scents suddenly flooded onto the scene, some closer than others. The first new face to be revealed was that of a pristine white she-wolf who held herself with a level of maturity and grace that one might expect from a withered matron, trying to uphold her appearance. Regardless, it was another female that Endy could see himself having an amount of fun with, in his own unique way. A smirk chiseled itself onto his maw as these thoughts crossed his mind, already coming up with an endless amount of ways that he might corral a helpless she-wolf into spending a night or two in his wicked company. A small bump to his shoulder broke these blissful plans, clear blue eyes shifting to watch the lovely face of Yvaine as she rested herself upon his side and muse over the presence of the new comer. “You didn’t tell me that weaklings would be present Endy,” he chortled at her remark and brushed his tail over the arch of her rump, completely inthralled by the warmth of her body as she leaned against him. It was almost enough to break his focus away from the task at hand, but the sudden appearance of a beautiful pale she-wolf snatched his attention as she approached. Endymion almost choked on his next breath of air as he watched her stop in front of him, her figure held to the height that one would expect from a proud Alpha.

Alphess Vivaldi of Mortiul, the one that Endymion had been waiting for had finally arrived. The bastard's knees felt weak at the mere sight of her, yet he was completely fixated on her every movement as she approached the cowering girl that had been glued to his side, poking at the little thing only to watch as she flinched away from the touch of a stranger. Endymion snorted at this small interaction, amused to watch Feyre shrink away from the wolf who would very shortly hold her life within their paws. ”As I can only assume a creature this pathetic is here as a gift, I understand why she did not howl. And god only knows what the fuck is going on with your vocal cords.” Steel blue eyes watched intently as the Alphess looked over each of them that had gathered, calling out those that had not howled and leaving Endymion feeling incredibly chuffed with his basic amount of capability. An amused smirk had crossed his dark lips as he watched the Alphess verbally abuse the other females that had appeared at the border and hadn't howled, quickly deciding that he liked this she-wolf very much, yet he wasn't exactly sure if he was brave enough — or stupid enough — to flirt with her as he would with every other female that got close enough to him and his raging need for a bit of fun.

”Now each of you give me your name and what use you think you’ll be. Save the speeches, I do not have all day.” A lady of little words or patience, it seemed she knew what was worth her time. Endymion waited as Yvaine introduced herself, and couldn't help but notice his friend's wandering gaze as she was snagged on the sight of the other strange creature that mirrored her own likeness. The brute didn't think about this note too much, and instead turned his attention back to the Alphess that awaited his response, leaving his gaze at an uncharacteristically respectful level. "I am Endymion, and the gift that I have brought for you and the other superiors is named Feyre, the daughter of Noctis. I'm a warrior, and a damn good one if your standards are high enough. I'm willing to serve, eager to please, and happy to undertake whatever task you may give me," he finished his introduction, struggling to refrain from winking at the Alphess with his last comment. Maybe once he was a little more comfortable within the pack he would begin with the dangerous task of flirting with such a magnificent beast such as Vivaldi, but for now, he was simply wanting to keep his head on his shoulders and make his way into the pack without getting into too much trouble.

@vivaldi  Mercenary Yvaine  Infidel Quentin  Breeder Lluise  Protector Bishop  Assassin Crimson  @eulalia  Kalia