Fear of the Dark

[Lion]

A snap of branch from somewhere nearby caused him to nearly jump out of his skin.  He trembled slightly and ran a little further into the copse as he heard the sounds of hound wails in the background.  They were on his trail, this he could tell with his trained acute hearing, but he still couldn't tell how far away they were.  He'd been on the run for...well, he didn't know how long!  But his legs were tired and his throat stung from the constant flow of cool air that went in and out of him.  His lungs hurt and he closed his eyes tightly to try to keep his thoughts from agonizing him more.  Everywhere around him was the closing darkness of night.

He might not have been a survivalist when it came to living in the wild, but he knew how to hide amongst the trees of the small copses that were interspersed around the village he'd just ran from.  Despite his oddly colored hair, Rohir did his best to vanish in the midst of any greenery or any other colors that he spotted along his path.  He was glad that there were no paths to be round in the expanse of the valley around it.  As far as he knew the province of Darken Vei was nothing more than a large valley with few forests in between certain areas.  His best chances of escape resided in how long he could hide and not be found rather than making a run for it.

And as he feared it would soon, the sun was setting far too quickly than he would've liked.  Rohir was descended from a clan of dark-worshipping orcs on behalf of his father's side.  Yet he himself had no inclination toward the fall of night and didn't often like what he found lurking within the shadows.  All too often there were things that he could not explain.   A grown man with the fear of the dark was not usually considered the most mature of phobias, but it was one that Rohir had to cope with all through out his life.  And his heart beat all that much faster as the blood red sun vanished behind the horizon of mountains to the far west of where he was currently resting...

His heart sank with the sun and he shut his eyes again, listening for the hound wails before using the last dregs of light to peer upon his red covered palms...  The blood on his clothes and on his hands was not his.  But he only shuddered at the memory of brutally slain body he'd found.  Perhaps he was only in the wrong place at the wrong time, but who would believe him.  Before he knew it, the villagers were upon him and screaming at him in words that seemed to be from another language altogether.  They charged at him and only avoided them narrowly and ran as far and as fast as his legs could carry him.  That was only moments ago from where he resided now, and it was now that the howls of hunting hounds were drawing nearer and no doubt that behind them would be the village guard with weapons that would pierce his hide until he was as dead as the body he'd found.

There was the option to fight back.  But he didn't want anymore blood on his hands than what was already there.  He was not a murderer, despite what they might have called him.

Rohir shuddered and looked desperately around him, for some kind of window of escape.  He didn't know what he feared more, the growing shadow abound or the hunters after him.  Tears threatened the backs of is eyes and desperation was starting to take hold.  If he didn't make a decision now, then there would be no more options than death.  He looked on into the rest of the density of trees and set his jaw firmly as he made his choice.  Leaves floated up into his wake as he dashed into the night.  He didn't know if it was the right one for it could very well be that anything that lurked in the dark might also hunt him.  But for now, he was at least partially willing to take that chance.

[Anonymous]

Keoni clung to his twin's shirt, fisting the fabric tightly in his hand. It was getting dark out and they were out in some woods. A job had gone very wrong back in the city and now they were supposed to be hiding out. He and Keani had been heading to one of the smaller villages in the area, but some how they had lost the path.

"Kee? I...is that wolves?" A loud braying call kept filling the air every so often and the boy cast frightened eyes at the dark woods. A city he was used too. He knew how to handle a city. But these woods were a new experience. Dangers could be anywhere.

At least he had Keani here. His brother could handle anything! That thought made Keoni feel a little better. "You can fight wolves, right Kee?"

[Rhindeer]

"What? What on earth makes ya think I--" Keani stopped before he could finish that sentence, taking in his twin's frightened eyes, catching the note of fear in his voice, and suddenly very aware of just how tightly Keoni was holding onto him. It didn't matter that Keani had never battled wolves and never wanted to, and it didn't matter that he was just as unnerved as his brother (though he hesitated to use the word 'scared').

The kid believed in him and sometimes Keani felt like that was the only thing keeping him together. Somehow, and Keani couldn't quite remember how, he'd wound up earning the rep of the strong, brave, bold twin, and it wasn't exactly a reputation he was displeased with, nor had any intention of renouncing. It just meant he wasn't allowed to show fear and that he just had to man up and deal.

"...Uh, I mean, what on earth'd make ya think I couldn't?" he finished instead, and with a wry grin he reached up and ruffled his sibling's hair. "Relax. S' probably just some dogs or somethin'. Wolves. Psssh. If there's any out here I reckon they be howlin' to warn their friends off, eh? Now c'mon, don't cling so hard. You're gonna make me trip."

Oh gods, that totally sounded like wolves or hunting dogs or something unpleasant! With a shudder, Keani grabbed Keoni's arm and urged him along faster, though in truth he didn't really know where he was taking them. Just...away. Away from that village a good safe distance until stuff had calmed down.

That's when he heard it and went tense, goose bumps raising along his arms and a pulse-racing jolt of alarm going through him.

Just up ahead, a loud rustling sound that was only growing louder, and then the heavy thud of footfalls. Keani had time only to register a sense of danger! and that they should move, fast, when whatever it was came crashing through the undergrowth and into view and--a  person?

Keani couldn't make out much more detail than that in the dark, but that wasn't important right now. What was important was that he was running. And that there was howling. Howling plus running equals...chased by wolves or dogs or whatever it was?

Shiiiiit.

"The hell's goin' on?" he blurted out and, because he didn't want to just stand there in the path of whatever it was that guy had after him, he pulled Keoni after him as he broke out into a run.

[Anonymous]

OOC:I hope this is okay.

   "I thought I told you not to come around anymore."  The woman pulled her shoulders back and crossed her arms around her chest. That smug smile crossed her face, Silence wanted everything just to put her in her place. This was a place of public, where everyone was supposed to be welcomed with smiles. A cool place to hang, where everyone could sit down, smoke a cigar, and have a good time. Who was this woman to say who could come in or not? She had no right.

Her blond curly hair purposely fell to cover her face. It was the exact body language that gave Silence the idea that she was hiding from her. Good, she had already taken back what she was saying. " Did you? I'm sorry I don't speak fluid cunt, must have misunderstood you."

The woman's brows rose with surprise. "Oh, so the mute can talk and she has a mouth on her."

By now, Silence's lips curled back in disgust. Everything in her body vibrated with the thought of slicing her throat out, and shoving her tongue where the sun don't shine. "What can I say, people like you bring the worst out of me." She said with a proud smile and shouldered passed her, through the door.

The aroma of cigars floated in to air. At this moment, it smelt stale and unmoving. Behind her she could feel the bitch turn and stare knifes into her back. People like her seemed to always have to have her way. Well, Silence wasn't going to allow it. "Bold 'N Tasty." The clerk gave a long look at her and then glanced at the hostess before sliding the change off the table, and returning with a cigar.

She took it with a "thank you". With her back still turned she reached into her pocket to retrieved a lighter and lit it. Slowly, she averted her attention to the hostess,who was still standing there speachless.  Silence began walking calmly up to her, slid the knife down her sleeve and pressed it to her gut. "Tiffany, I think we should step outside." Her lips curled into a sweet smile and walked her out the door. The look of terror wasn't going to be enough.

The stupid bitch had to open her mouth. To make the back story short, let's just say the blonde didn't last long enough to redeem herself. Now, Silence was loping through the wood, knowing that if she didn't make herself scarce. She would end up somewhere, she really didn't want to be. All for a cigar. Luckily for her, the foot prints stopped at the towns edge.

Being a shape-shifter was one, if not the only benefit in her life right now.  Who would blame a wolf? Hell, with the way the town folk talked, she was probably was dragged off by a wolf and never seen again. That was one hell of a murder story, and Silence loved the idea. It was only one body anyway. There was no way she could turn around and become a serial killer now would she? Nope. She would get away with this one.

The lights from the police, bobbed over the forest ground as they ran hard to keep up with the hounds. Somewhere near, there were many sound of foot falls from opposite the police. Someone was running away from them. But why? Could it be that they weren't after her? This thought made her tail twitch with anticipation. It was a different case altogether! She yipped into the air and let it draw down to a long happy howl.  This was too good to be true.

[Lion]

To describe Darken Vei as merely a province of mages was like saying the Hivan Ocean was little more than a giant puddle.  The former description was not entirely inaccurate, but there was more to it than what outsiders would have cared to discover.  It was a haven so to speak for various schools of magic, from the unique to the more unorthodox.  But as long as the magical practice in question did not infringe on national or provincial law or the rights of living, conscious individuals, it was generally acceptable.

The valley was wide and the expansive.  With the night already fallen, it became downright eerie.  What light managed to penetrate through the copse, made creeping shapes to his eyes of simple things that were more likely bushes and branches.  But that didn't stop Rohir from running away from those shapes.  This particular patch of forest was much bigger than he would have liked, and the trees grew gradually thicker as if it were trying to swallow him alive.

His feet carried him on as the howling grew more and more ravenous.  And as he ran a startling revelation came crashing down on him as he recognized that those were not exactly the sounds of hound howls as they charged closer.  No, he knew what a domesticated dog sounded like and those were certainly not domesticated dogs.  A sudden coldness spread over his heart and his breath was colder.  Those sounds could hardly be called wolves either.  Only wargs made the horrifying screams that rang out in the night air.

That notion only spurred him on faster.  But by now, his limbs were starting to ache and he had a faint idea that there was something ahead of him that didn't stand still like the trees around.  Then he saw two shapes, of relatively the same size, and voices emerged from them.  Voices he didn't recognized, but seemed as panicked as he felt.  Then they started running.  In the wrong direction!

"No!  You fools!  Don't go that way!" He blurted out at the top of his collapsing lungs.  "There are wargs coming!  Follow me!"  Rohir dashed into them and looked as menacing as he could to the pair.  He snarled at them in both irritation and fear.  Of course, he probably looked no more than a ragged madman with the way his ears were clipped, eyes were red, and clothes were covered in blood.  But he snarled all the same and shouted, "Run that way!"

One particular howl was closing in faster than the others though he couldn't tell why.  Whether it was a mere wolf or a warg like the others, he couldn't tell.  All he knew was that standing here would probably not be the best idea.

[Anonymous]

Keoni knew his brother had no idea what to do with wolves, but he needed to believe he could. So he clung to that belief as they made their way through the dark. When the crashing sounds got closer, Keoni froze with fear, hazel eyes huge as he tried to figure out what it was before his brother yanked him into a run.

Then he saw the other man, his eyes a demonic red and covered in blood. Keoni shrieked and gripped his brother tighter, tripping in the dark and dragging his twin with him. He fell hard in a tangle of arms and legs, the leg on his pants ripping open, his knee bloody and scraped from the fall.

"Warg?! What in the hells is a warg?!" His voice cracked in panic, struggling to his feet, still refusing to let go of Keani, "What is going on!?"

[Rhindeer]

It was an effort not to shriek right along with his brother.

Thankfully, he didn't get the opportunity. His brother tripped and, with a yelp, Keani went down with him, tumbling, but his brother took the brunt of the fall and he only came out with scraped palms and muddy knees. What the...what the fuck was that? Even as the man (if you could call that a man; he looked more a monster) shouted at them to run and follow him,

Keani froze with doubt. Follow HIM? The guy covered in blood and looking positively crazed? Haha! How about no? But before he could protest, Keoni was dragging him to his feet, the howls were getting closer, and--what choice did they have?

Cursing under his breath, Keani stumbled to his feet and pulled his brother into a run with him. "Let's not find out!" he answered his twin, heading in the direction the man had shown. Gods help him. There was no way of knowing they could trust this stranger (and every instinct screamed that he couldn't, that he was probably setting them both up to be murdered slowly and creatively), but if nothing else he at least sounded just as desperate and afraid as Keani currently felt.

[Anonymous]

((OOC: I think Roze is gone. So, I think we can just skip her))

[Rhindeer]

[ooc: Are we still continuing this? If so, it's Lion's turn. P: ]