Only the Strongest will Survive

[nightblood]

The stars shone clear and bright on what should be one of the gloomiest nights in Arnlan. A full moon shone down upon the spring landscape and by mistake, putting a spotlight on what should be the first thing hidden in the shadows. NightBlood, the Beta of Arnlan, limped pathetically away from the border where she had been dutifully patrolling as she had done hundreds of nights before. She had to get to RavenShard. Or the Alphas. Whichever came first. In truth, she didn't know if she'd be happy to see anyone in her current state.

NightBlood had been attacked on the Sallin border by no less than NightShade herself. She'd laughed at the Beta's stature. Having just given birth and weened a second litter of pups far too soon after the first, she had not regained all of the muscle she had taken so much pride in. She knew it had been foolish to go on patrol in such a condition. Sallin had been quiet, so she assumed they would continue to be so. Only now did she realize that it was just the calm before the storm. The Alphas had to be alerted.

She lacked even the strength to howl. It was a wonder she was walking at all. Every step forward caused her pain. As if she was stepping through a sea of thorns. Her lips were pulled back in a silent snarl as she panted, tasting the blood as it leaked from her mouth. Her blind eye was swollen shut and a long laceration over right eye bled down into it, causing what remained of her vision to become blurry. Her hearing was impaired due to have of her left ear being cut off and bled into as well. A chunk of her other ear was missing, thanks to the fangs of NightShade. It was a miracle that she still had all of her tail. There were cuts and scratches ranging all over her shoulders and one gash on her right hip. Blood pooled in every paw mark on the ground. Her bad lag was twisted, but thankfully still attached and in place. The worst injury of all, however, was the one on her neck. She couldn't tell the extent off it, but the Beta knew that she'd bleed out if she didn't find RavenShard tonight.

Coughing for what seemed like the thousandth time this night, NightBlood raised her eyes to see where she was headed. It seemed that even that simple movement took an amazing amount of effort. She stopped, realizing where she was. She was near enough to the heart of Arnlan that someone was bound to hear her if she made enough noise. Trembling on her paws, she coughed again, this time clearing her throat. She raised her head as much as she could managed and attempted to howl. She got only half way through before she broke it, gagging on her own blood. She barked urgently, trying to clear it, before collapsing on the ground. Her legs just couldn't hold her anymore.

[Electus]

What is troubling you? Your mind is so chaotic I can't eve sleep.[/color]

Something's wrong. I know it. I can feel it.[/color]

If it bothers you so much, would you just go find out? Go, and try to keep it down![/color]

And so Mortil had went, shouldering through the thorny fauna that guarded his secretive resting place. He had felt this foreboding sense of doom ever since night had fallen. The ash-gray warrior did not go on his daily patrol today, electing instead to train a bit harder than he usually did. Mortil had a strange feeling that he would regret neglecting his second rank duties. He had never been more correct in his life.

He headed first for Nightblood's den, but then he heard it...and smelled it as he approached the heart of Arnlanian territory. It was Nightblood...but she sounded so weak...and he smelled the blood.
Instantly, he roused Umbra, and they did a rough but passable merging as they tore through the dark trees, worry and fear and rage burning like a cancer through his body. He did not arrive upon a good sight.

Nightblood, ragged and torn and broken lay like a discarded doll upon the ground. Mortilitas' first instinct was to scream in rage, and he did, an anguished roar that was also a call for help. He rushed up to Nightblood, his single eye glittering.

"Nightblood...who did this to you!? I...dammit!"

Something had gone wrong. He knew it. If only...dammit! Why did he choose today, of all days, to neglect his minor duties? And now, his beloved foster sister lay bleeding like a gutted dog at his feet...and he couldn't even rip the culprit limb from bleeding limb.

Mortilitas lifted his head again and howled, trying to impress the need of the Alphas and Ravenshard to hurry.

"I knew it..." Mortilitas murmured quietly, angrily, "This is my fault...I should have...Nightblood, dammit! Who did this? I swear...they will beg for death when I'm through with them..."

Rage boiled through Mortilitas, a primal anger that he had not experienced for many a moon...

[nightblood]

The Beta shivered as she lay upon the ground. The blood loss was significant, but it didn't occur to her that it could be fatal. Death just wasn't part of NightBlood's plan. She would be at her childrens' side soon, helping them train to become Arnlan's best warriors. Orem still needed help controlling his other personality and Zuka was scheduled for fine-tuning her stealth skills. Soon all of her pups, save perhaps Tamara, would be fighting at her side in the war. She was the bringer of death in her fights, not the victim of it.

As she fantasized about killing Sallinians with her children in the battle, a snarl sounded near by. At first, she had jumped by a fraction before realizing that it was Mortil. Her eye scanned the area as she layed hardly moving on her side until she found him. He was running up the her in a panic. His horror confirmed to her that she looked as bad as she felt.

"Nightblood...who did this to you!? I...dammit! I knew it..." Mortilitas murmured quietly, angrily, "This is my fault...I should have...Nightblood, dammit! Who did this? I swear...they will beg for death when I'm through with them..."

"Ni-" was all the female could choke out before her voice was stolen by a surge of coughs. It was the first time she had attempted speech after being attacked and left for dead. Once she steadied herself, she tried again, hoping he'd understand that she only wanted to give one syllable at a time. "Shade."

After a moment's rest after the ensuing coughing fit, she realized that this was her chance to find her leaders. She jerked her head up, trying for full eye contact with Mortil, but a wave a pain made her yelp and lay back down. Finally, she gave up all movement and continued with her one-worded speech.

"Alpha-" she managed to get out before coughing once more. The gash in her neck must have nicked her vocal cords or her wind pipe. One of the two.

[Sofika]

A slim dark form could be observed napping on a fallen tree, her chest rising and falling silently in the night. Her ears, however, were perked and quivering, as the Alphess never had an oblivious sleep in the woods of Arnlan. There was reason to believe everything was suspicious, and every shadow had a secret to hide.

A weak howl whispered over the lands, alerting her subconscious. Her dreams began to flicker and fade into the darkness that was Arnlan. As quickly as that howl ended, an explosive sound of discord erupted over Arnlan. Mortilitas Umbra was distressed.
Eyes snapped open beneath Sofika's obsidian mop of hair, and she launched herself off the log, still in a slight daze of sleepiness.
Sofika weaved through the thick mass of trees as she tasted Mortilitas's scent in the wind.
The moon carved two dark figures ahead of her as she arrived. One, Mortilitas, standing over the second, Arnlan's Beta NightBlood, strewn across the ground as if discarded, broken.

Sofika's lips parted in surprise as she took in the slumped form of NightBlood uttering the Sallinian Queen's name.
Her expression darkened into pure hate as she looked to the southern border. NightShade may have very well taken NightBlood's life. There will be hell to pay.

Even if she was being redundant, Sofika let out a clear, pointed howl for the pack's healer to come immediately.

The smell of blood was everywhere, spent for the sake of terror, and it angered Sofika.
Her expression pinched in worry. This was perhaps the most emotion she displayed in a very long time. Meticulously, carefully, she extended her thin, black paw to touch NightBloods face gently, and then moved down to her front paw.

"We are here for you, NightBlood. You will not die on our watch." She whispered words she wasn't sure of, giving a sidelong glance at Mortilitas Umbra, though it probably wasn't noticed.

[Electus]

"Ni-" was all the female could choke out before her voice was stolen by a surge of coughs. It was the first time she had attempted speech after being attacked and left for dead. Once she steadied herself, she tried again, hoping he'd understand that she only wanted to give one syllable at a time. "Shade."

Mortilitas' concerned and anguished visage became an ugly snarl. Nightshade. That blackguard bitch would pay...he would make her scream, bleed, burn, rip, tear, kill! A thousand bloody pieces strewn across the ground, beg for mercy-

The ash-gray wolf halted his rush of thoughts, panting as he did so. Never...in a long time did he feel so...helpless, so angry. Only then...when his comrades lay dead before him, slain by his own fangs.

A shadow approached, and the warrior almost impulsively lashed out with his fangs as his vision became a blurry shade of red. But he did not. For even in this hazy, primal state, he recognized his Alphess. He watched her reaction, her added, urgent call for help. But he knew the signs. He knew that the wounds inflicted on his foster sister were too severe.

Nightblood was dying.

"We are here for you, NightBlood. You will not die on our watch."

He saw Sofika glance at him, but he could only meet her eyes with his crazed, burning golden orb. And he hated himself for it. He wished that Nightblood would not seem him this way, so primal, so angry, so base. He looked as if he was a thousand years old, haggard and weary. Gone was the gentle smile and insane cackle. Gone was the desire to protect. There was only the fury, the fire, the rage.

"Alphess. Do. Not. Lie." he whispered, his voice haggard and hollow. It no longer held the dry lilt or sardonic cool tone. "Nightblood...she will not live long. " The full force of his own words gripped him. And suddenly, he found himself loosing an animal roar at the Sallin border, louder than anything he had ever mustered.

Hear me, bitch of Sallin! For your sake, you would do well to wish death upon me, for if you ever cross my path, I will gut you like the worthless dog you are, and grind your entrails into the earth!

[nightblood]

A paw touched her face. The Beta's vision faltered for a moment, but she was able to see the familiar face of her leader, Sofika. Her ears shot forward and her expression turned to that of urgency, but the dark Alpha cut her off before she could say anything.

"We are here for you, NightBlood. You will not die on our watch."

It was Mortil's words that kept her completely quiet, however. Each one chilled her to the bone. She would have whined out in self pity had she had the strength.

"Alphess. Do. Not. Lie. Nightblood...she will not live long. "

She folded her ears back against her skull as her foster brother howled out his war threat toward the border of Sallin. Not having the strength to lift her head, she turned an eye toward the Alpha. The wounded warrior relayed the message as best she could with her broken-syllable speech.

"Sof-... War..."

After what might have been the seventh or eight coughing fit that night, the Beta began to feel the effects of her blood loss more than ever. She was getting tired and weary, wanting so much to simply close her eyes and sleep. Knowing she wouldn't wake up kept her eyes open. After a moment, faces appeared in her mind. Those that she had known in Draviria, the ones whom she knew she would be seeing soon, and those whom she would be leaving behind. Her friends... her family...

Blood's good eye snapped open. She knew who she wanted, but was hesitant to call his name. She didn't want him to see her like this. However, her voice betrayed her and took over. Her body was beginning to work on it's own now working off of the last orders the brain was giving it.

"...Geddon-"

She took another breath before surrendering to the coughing fit again. This one was weaker, but she was not dead yet.

[Blackfeathr]

((I had an awesome post and now it's gone >:C Sort of summarizing it up here.))
A terrifying howl roused RavenShard and she jumped up, still asleep but careening toward a sapling, hitting it with such force the branches swayed. Groaning, she awoke, rubbing her aching forehead. She had no idea how she ended up here. However, the metallic tang of blood reached her nostrils. Her subconcious began relaying the howl to her awareness. It was Mortil, and by the sound of his howl echoing in her mind, something really bad happened.
She rocketed off through the woods, reaching the group of wolves clustered together. Mortil looked absolutely livid, Sofika, with her back turned, eerily calm, however an aura of unease was shifting around her. They were gathered around NightBlood, splayed on the ground and bleeding profusely.
She skidded to a stop, and the herbs she picked up along the way floated to the ground, forgotten.
"F-fine... feathred... f-f-friend..." She whimpered, whispers of tears beginning to form. She and everyone here knew that nothing could be done about it. But by Gods, she had to try.
She sprinted off in the direction of a creek, grabbing a mouthful of last-season leaves on the way.
She dunked her head in the creek, then sprinted back to the group, her torso dripping wet.
She applied the cold wet leaves to NightBlood's major wounds, and withdrew that small basin from her leg pounch, collected the runoff from the leaves, and nosed it to NightBlood's mouth.
"Here... drink..." She whined. It was only a matter of time... and hope.

---

Armageddon was not far from them when Mortil's earth-shattering howl nearly deafened him. Grunting in curiousity and uncertainty, he trotted to the grey berserker's location.
What he saw hit him like a Mack truck, and he stumbled back, parting his lips in disbelief. NightBlood was strewn across the ground, bleeding, and dying.
"No..." he whined, terrified at this sight.
His mood shifted to anger and he growled in rage as his eyes flashed to a dangerous grey.
"WHO DID THIS?!" He snarled, wheeling around in the dark, permeated by the silent forest. No one but them around.
He took in her scent. There was no ash interlaced with the bloodscent, so it wasn't Patamon or his cronies. The only enemies of Arnlan was Sallin, as far as he knew.
Sallin...
His expression darkened. Its one of their number, or the Queen herself. He growled in the pitch darkness. Someone would pay for this. They would find their carcass floating upstream before they could turn around to see who was behind them.

[Sofika]

Sofika's head flicked to Mortil at his reply. He had the subtlety and gentleness of a rampaging bear, and his remark stirred a pang of irritation in her. RavenShard and Armageddon had joined their vigil, with RavenShard hopelessly doting on the beta like a new mother in denial caring for a stillborn. Armageddon was completely in shambles, screaming at no one like theres no tomorrow.
Even in Mortil's unwavering convictions, Raven's care and Armageddons despair NightBlood was dying. Mortil was right. Sofika had lied. One of the most trusted wolves in Arnlan other than her brother was dying, and there was nothing she could do. She hated being powerless.

Sofika looked down at NightBlood as she looked up at the mop of hair disguising her eyes.
"Sof-... War..."
Her eyes widened slighty underneath her bangs, but her expression remained neutral. NightShade had done this. The winds had changed, her fur shifting in its push and pull.
NightShade killed their beta. There was no reason to do this except as a formal invite to war. And it will be met.

[Electus]

Mortilitas looked away as Ravenshard and Armageddon entered the morbid scene. He couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear Ravenshard's desperate ministrations or Armageddon's enraged howls.

"WHO DID THIS?!"

"Nightshade." Mortilitas snapped off the name as if it was poison.

I should have been there! I could have saved her!

Could you have? Been at the right place at the right time? You rarely are.

But I...no...should have been-

You? Instead of her? Just like it should have been with your mother?"

As their connection broke, Mortil slumped, his head bowed low, dejected, defeated. Umbra was right....as he always was.

"Nightblood...I'm so sorry...I should have been there, I...I..."

He couldn't bring himself to say anymore, to deny that this was happening. Mortilitas could face the grim reality. He had to do the same.

[nightblood]

"Here... drink..."

Slowly, painfully, NightBlood lifted her head to lap at the cold water from the bowl. As she did, the blood pouring from the wound on her neck ran together with the clear liquid as it pooled on the ground. As her throat cleared, she hid the fact that she knew not much was getting passed the hole in her neck, and thanked RavenShard with a silent nod.

Not too far away, a young pup braved the night as he wandered far from his den. Delerath had told the younger ones to stay in the den when the first heard uncle Mortil's irate call for help, but allowed only Kuruk to investigate after being reminded that Zuka had killed the last owl in the area. He would not be harmed by Arnlanian predators.

The brown pup charged ahead at lightning speed. Green eyes darted about, on the lookout for enemies as well as obstacles. Finally, he entered the clearing where his mother had fallen. He stopped cold in his tracks, hidden from view by the shadows of the trees. His jaw slacked open, horrified at what he beheld. There lay his mother, broken and bleeding in the moon light, surrounded by Alpha Sofika, RavenShard, and his uncle. Tears welled in his eyes. He took a step forward, bringing his paw up for another step before he was cut off by his father's voice.

"No..."

Kuruk and NightBlood both looked up to see Armageddon, now enraged as he looked upon the sight of his mate's body. Both sets of ears were folded back, ready for the familiar howl of frustration, the likes of which had already come from Mortil.

"WHO DID THIS?!" He snarled, wheeling around in the dark, permeated by the silent forest. No one but them around.

"Nightshade." Mortilitas snapped off the name as if it was poison.

A little growl came from the darkness. Kuruk knew the name well, having heard his mother's stories about that sadistic wolfess. She would PAY! The Beta of Arnlan turned her eye toward the darkness and whined, knowing one of her pups had seen her in this state. After a moment's hesitation, she gave a small yip and twitched the tip of her tail, calling her son to her.

"MOMMA!!"

Kuruk did not need another invitation. He blasted out of the shadows as if the whole of Sallin was on his tail. He ran up to the fallen Beta and assaulted her face with licks and kisses, wanting so much to be told that everything would be fine, but knowing it wasn't. Blood tried to return his affection, but her injuries limited her movement. Only when he stopped moving could she give him a lick to his cheek. He wrapped his legs around her neck, away from her injury, and gripped her as tightly as his little legs would hold. Tears had started running down both their faces a few moments ago.

"You gunna be awaight, Mommy? We take you to da den. WavenShawd make you bedder?"

NightBlood looked up at Armageddon, then too RavenShard, looking for an answer. Her eyes fell upon her leader, pleading for any sort of silent counseling. How did one explain to a child that they weren't going to be waking up from the nap they were about to take?

"Nightblood...I'm so sorry...I should have been there, I...I..."

"WHY YOU NOT DER?!" Kuruk shouted, jumping up and turning to his uncle, tears soaking his face, "Momma always by Sallin. Sallin ALWAYS DANGER! It yur job too! WHY YOU NOT WIF HER?!"

"ENOUGH!" NightBlood barked, choking away her cough for the moment, "It's NOT his FAULT!"

The pup folded his ears back and embraced his mother once more as she began coughing again. It wouldn't be much longer before she stopped coughing all together.

[Blackfeathr]

Armageddon's aquamarine irises locked with RavenShard's maroon ones. RavenShard, a mage, had more knowledge of goings-on than he, but as they excanged glances, they both knew that this was the end.
Armageddon watched as his son ran up to his mother, wrapping himself around the uninjured part of his neck.
"You gunna be awaight, Mommy? We take you to da den. WavenShawd make you bedder?"
He didn't have the heart to answer.
The emaciated wolf laid down next to his mate and child, his body gently leaning on hers, so she'd know he was there in her last moments.
RavenShard laid down as well, facing her.

"I'm sorry N...NightBlood..." she choked back tears, "There's nothing more I can do... w..we are here for you till the end." Her hyperness had completely subsided, her body motionless, her eyes studying the broken wolfess's form. It was only a matter of time... but they would stay with her till she left this world and entered the next.

((blah, short post))

[Sofika]

Sofika wavered as NightBlood and Armageddon's offspring shot past her, clinging on to his mother for dear life.
"You gunna be awaight, Mommy? We take you to da den. WavenShawd make you bedder?" the confused pup warbled.
Letting a soft sigh slip, she looked back down at the dying Beta. Nodding slightly at the Mage's words, she added "The best we can do for you is stay here with you."
She watched as NightBlood's mate and the mage laid down with her. Folding her ears back, she looked to Mortil. The war was starting. They'd lost their Beta, one of the best warriors in Arnlan. The winds were changing, and it was time to set sail.

[Electus]

"There's nothing more I can do... w..we are here for you till the end."

"The best we can do for you is stay here with you."

Mortil fought to control the shaking in his body that had nothing to do with the cold. He didn't feel cold. He wasn't sure that he felt sorrow now, either. All he felt was liquid magma being poured into his veins, and then hardening into rock before shattering like glass. His world was slowly crumbling around him, and he could do nothing. Nothing at all. What use was the skill to take lives when you couldn't save those of the one's that you love? Useless. Utterly and disgustingly useless.

The tears came before he could halt them behind his steel reserve. But only for a moment. They stopped before he realized he was even crying. He felt hollow, falling, everything around him was a haze of red and black.

"Sofika...I beg you...let me go. Let me fight. Please. Give me permission to do this. I am one of Arnlan's best warriors. I can do it. Please let me go..."

[nightblood]

"I'm sorry N...NightBlood... There's nothing more I can do... w..we are here for you till the end."

"The best we can do for you is stay here with you."

NightBlood winced, not in pain, but at the realization that things were coming to a close. As her family and friends gathered close to her, she was suddenly aware of being very tired. She glanced at her son, the worry in his eyes. Blinking once to clear her eye of blood and growling to clear her throat again, she clawed at the ground to get his full attention.

"Kuruk... fang..." she choked out. After saying this, the wound on her neck gave a last spurt of blood, rupturing the rest of her vocal chords so that she could no longer speak.

Whining, the brown pup searched the ground around his mother's head fervently until he set eyes on the blood-soaked necklace still wrapped around her neck. He folded his ears back against his head and clamped down on the pendant with his tiny teeth. Tears streamed down his face as he tasted his mother's blood in his mouth, but he managed to bring his head up and rest his chin on NightBlood's face, the string of the necklace still tangled partially in her wound as well as around the whole of her neck.

Now a river of tears fell down the side of her face as the Beta of Arnlan looked up into her mate's eyes. It hurt too much to attempt at saying all the things she wanted him to know. Instead, she put all of her energy into forcing all images of love to come forward in her mind and having them shine in her eyes. She knew he'd get the message, but death was coming on far too quickly. Within a few short moments, her sides stopped moving. No more air floated through to give her life, but for one painful moment after all the air had left her, she was still alive.

"Sofika...I beg you...let me go. Let me fight. Please. Give me permission to do this. I am one of Arnlan's best warriors. I can do it. Please let me go..."

And in that instant, NightBlood's soul no longer had the strength to remain attached to the earth.

"...Mommy...?"

[Blackfeathr]

It seemed as if Armageddon's very soul was being torn apart as he continued to watch the scene unfold. It felt like just that... a scene, which he didn't feel a part of. He was on the outside, looking in... seeing his mate die while he was somewhere else. His awareness snapped back to earth when their son pulled her fang necklace from her and she looked into his eyes. All the love that was felt in this life entered his soul, he saw his friend, his mate, through the good and the bad... she was the first soul he met upon entering these lands... the training sessions and how awkward he was around her... That storm that ripped the trees of Arnlan apart but brought them together... at long last... the look of their children's eyes... maroon eyes and aquamarine...

His vision swam with tears as he looked at NightBlood, at her final chapter. He would have to move on, keep living while she died... he didn't want to... he wanted to lay right here and die and stay with her wherever their souls would fly....

He swallowed a sob, licking NightBlood's nose gently as the heavens stole her soul from her earthly form.

"Sofika...I beg you...let me go. Let me fight. Please. Give me permission to do this. I am one of Arnlan's best warriors. I can do it. Please let me go..."

Armageddon had his eyes shut tight, not wanting to open them, ever. However, he did at the grey wolf's words, finding that RavenShard had dissapeared without a sound.

"...Mommy...?" came Kuruk's tiny voice.
Armageddon lifted a paw to scootch Kuruk closer to him, though he still would be touching his mother's body. He nuzzled his son, for Kuruk's comfort and his own.