Roleplay between crowsong and I :)

Reference Thread: Looking For Love And Death

Leeching Darkness x Lakeswara

Lakeswara was on a mission to find his sister Garin when he stumbled upon crowsong's territory and got defeated by Leeching Darkness and Ravensense.

The sun had just started its climb on the pale morning sky, carrying rays of golden light that pierces the white clouds. A flock of birds crossed the sky, their shadow falling on a male wolf who was making his way between dew-jeweled undergrowth on the forest floor. The towering trees would have generously blended the dark fur of the male in their shadows, yet curiously, the wolf strutted in the open.

His sculpted maws held high as his thick build sauntered forward confidently, bright golden eyes fixed ahead towards a clearing in the distance. Squirrels fled his path in panic, yet quickly stopped on the lowest branch and chittered to each other in confusion when the wolf didn't look their way. Upon looking back on the way he came from, four pairs of rabbits were barely hiding behind tree trunks and gestured back to the squirrels- we don't get it, too!

Lakeswara Ibn Lirios was, in fact, deep in thought. No, not over the mission he brought upon himself after he requested it to the Alphas. And not over whether he would succeed in completing it. He was very sure of his capability to do that, in fact, that he didn't even think about it.

He thoughts were actually on the morning dew pressing down on his fur, making his silky straight luscious mantle, flat.

Hence why he needed to get to the clearing! Out of the cover of the forest canopy, where the sun could shine on him directly and lift up the dampness on him up to the sky, becoming one of those white clouds.

Oh, how he missed those white clouds that occasionally peeked between the leaves above. Lakeswara sighed at the sight, content. The Jungle suited him well, of course, being bright and flashy with striking pops of color and those bravely designed foliages! He, in fact, prayed his commendation often to the Goddess Ciriin over the design choices. Unfortunately, the Goddess seemed to only hear praises and not listen to his prayer for less rain.

Yes, white clouds! How Lakeswara had missed it. The Jungle's clouds seemed to always be in a darker shade of grey, pregnant with rain, and without fail would turn black as thunderstorms ransacked the rainforest almost every day. He was excited to travel back here, where the climate was milder and his beautiful coat had a chance to fluff up. He was still handsome with his fur wet, of course, but he missed when his fur was dry and flowy.

His sister? She would be fine. Lakeswara was sure of that. If there was one thing Lakeswara shared with Garin—and they definitely shared a whole lot of things—it was the unshakable confidence. Lady Luck, as Lakeswara and Garin would often repeat between themselves, favors the bold!

Sure, there was a thick scent of wolves that filled the air, mixed with the crisp cold scent of morning, intermixed with the smell of happy foliages wet with dewdrops. Sure, forest clearings usually were where wolf packs choose to settle their den.

But surely they would understand, a handsome male should take good care of the beauty blessed upon himself. And thus, the brindled wolf kept taking resolute steps past the territory borders—black nose up in the air, dark tail swishing in lighthearted swing.

Leeching Darkness immediately unraveled herself in a stretch, flaring her paws open, claws digging into the earth beneath her as her spine arched. Her jaws spread in a wide yawn, clamping her canines together gently as she did so. She had every intention of warming up each muscle in her body, eager to start the day with the sun and birds that chittered so beautifully. She and her fellow packmate Ravensense were up first to patrol the territory and hunt while they were at it; there was no harm in starting the day earlier than normal. She shook her silver-dappled coat as she slipped out of the thick brush in search of her hunting partner, who had already awoken.

As the idea truly hit that it was time to explore the territory, both excitement yet boredom hit the shewolf at the same time. Was such a combination even possible? Excited yes, of course, to go on an excursion of sorts- adventuring and traveling always lit something within Leeching Darkness; however the boredom came with the repetition of scenery. The same trees, boulders, clearings... Everything was always in the same place and nothing ever changed. The occasional wolf or predator, of course, but that short burst of adrenaline wasn't enough for her. She had always wanted more. Something beyond the horizon called to her, that is what was exciting,

A soft bark caught her attention, silver ears swiveling around as she turned her head. Ravensense awaited her company, the night-black shewolf's tail swishing gently, eager to catch breakfast for herself and her packmates. She was always curious of her packmate's fur; such a powerful darkness, as if her pelt had never seen a ray of sun. Their alphas both possessed black coats but even Ravensense made them appear pale in comparison- darker than the shadows on a moonless and starless night. The shewolf shook her head, dismissing her thoughts as bounded over and raced past her partner.

First things first was to patrol the territory boundary before hunting, refreshing markers and searching for intruders. Only when they knew it was safe would it be time to find breakfast. Perhaps squirrels? Or a pheasant? Whatever was unfortunate to happen upon the shadow and half-shadow, their fates sealed the moment their scents were caught by the pair.

Ravensense used her pelt to her advantage even while being at a large disadvantage, seeing as the sun was beginning its ascent, and opted to stay within the thick underbrush and remain hidden, practically invisible. Hidden deep within the shadows, her thin pelt easily avoiding getting snagged on the edges of snapped branches or brambles.

Leeching Darkness, however, opted for a more visible approach although staying under the shade of the canopy. The sunlight filtering through the trees was reminiscent of the splashes of lighter silver on her coat and camouflaged her into her environment in a different way than her partner. Her head was held high, black nose sniffing out anything and everything. The smell of dew, the birds overhead, the creatures who had passed through in the night.

The grayscale shewolf's partner suddenly growled, pulling Leeching Darkness' attention back to reality. There was an intruder, though they had just missed him. A wolf, male, but the scent he gave off differed greatly from those they were used to. He didn't smell of the forest.. they didn't know what it was. Trees and woods but... Neither wolf had any words to describe it, it was something entirely new.

Leeching Darkness' thoughts wandered for a few heartbeats. Finally! Something new! How exciting! Adrenaline coursed through her body, prickling her fur. A change, a shift to their forest and its clearing. Although it came at the cost of an intruder within their territory.

Right. An intruder. A potentially dangerous intruder to have smelled the obviously thick wolf scent in the air and bypassed it completely. She shook herself free of her wandering thoughts as they came up with a plan. Leeching Darkness was to be more forward, Ravensense acting as her figurative and literal shadow, making the grayscale shewolf appear to be alone while still hidden until they found just how far this lone male had intruded before attacking from two different angles. The perfect plan; now all they needed was a perfect execution as they pressed forward, following his unique trail scent with ease.

He sauntered confidently towards the scents, not showing any signs of fear. "I was passing through and couldn't resist the temptation to visit your beautiful territory, totally not going to kill your pups- don't get me wrong, I have to mention that because two winters before my half-siblings were victims of pup-napping too! Ah, those brutes, terrible loss. I understand that you are all alarmed, but don't worry! I am here just to bask in the sun."

His posture exuded relaxed yet unwavering assertiveness as he awaited their response, his bright eyes searching for signs of receptiveness. He was sure his charm and diplomacy would be enough to diffuse any tension and allow him to peacefully pass through their territory. After all, he was Lakeswara, the most handsome, lovable, and lucky wolf around. And he was determined to share those good parts of himself with anyone he encountered on his journey.

"So, how about we put our differences--if any!--aside and enjoy the sunshine together? I assure you that you'll find me an agreeable company," he added, his tone congenial and conciliatory, hoping to ease any tension and find common ground with the other wolves. Such a beautiful day, he believed, would be perfect with the addition of new friends.

// wreck him >:D //

Ravensense chose to stay within the confines of the underbrush and her shadows as Leeching Darkness pressed forward, head held high even while her frame was crouched slightly. Such a verbose wolf surely had to be a distraction to throw them off center before attacking them, especially with his assurance that he meant them no harm. Bringing up pups made her ears pin back against her skull for a moment before her curiosity overtook her and her ears eased and pricked back up.

This wolf had the most beautiful coat Leeching Darkness had ever laid eyes on. She loved Ravensense's endless black coat but his coat was beyond words. The sunlight combing through his pelt made him appear like the autumn forest floor and its color-changing leaves. The faint white stripes that rippled over his body replicated sunlight filtering through the forest canopy as he moved towards them, it was unlike anything she had ever seen. As she stepped forward into the sun, her light brown eyes held the light and turned them gold and she relaxed her posture a tad, dropping her hackles slightly.

The shadows lurking within the growth suddenly emerged in one swift move, rushing to knock him off his feet by shoving her body weight into his front legs. Leeching Darkness used this distraction to pounce onto him, snarling as her canines dug into his back legs. By attacking him from different angles they gaining the advantage, Though they were two, he is significantly larger than either of them and could, perhaps, easily overpower one of them to turn the tides in his favor and win himself a one-on-one battle. Fiercely protective of their pack and of each other however, they would not grant him such victory.

The she-wolves rotated places swiftly, Ravensense now the one to barrel into Lakeswara as Leeching Darkness snapped at his extremities before they once again rotated places but in the opposite direction, reversing their first spin. These whirlwind attacks were meant to disorient their enemy by turning them into passing flashes of obsidian and silver, running Lakeswara in a circle to turn him around both literally and figuratively.

Ravensense's tail swiped across her packmate's back and Leeching Darkness' splotched tail lashed in return; a silent signal to end the battle for good. They once again orbited, this time around each other rather than Lakeswara and the shadow wolf slithered beneath the much taller male and and stood up, shoving him off balance while Leeching Darkness barreled into him from above and pinned him to the dew-covered earth, canines holding the space around his jugular but not clamping down. The edges of her teeth scraped the fur and she could feel his racing heartbeat on the roof of her mouth as it reverberated through her canines. A soft growl echoed through her maw and into his throat before she pulled away, still keeping him pinned down as she met his gaze easily, panting with a second quiet growl.

"Who are you," The she-wolf questioned, "and what is it that you want?" Leeching Darkness was demanding the full truth from Lakeswara the stranger now, not wanting any games. His entirely too cheerful attitude and openness was something the pair of wolves were wary of, knowing the dangers of trusting any wolf's word blindly.

"What are you doing in our territory?" She added as Ravensense pulled up her rear, slightly crouched and at the ready should the male retaliate in any way. She was giving him her own thorough inspection while her packmate interrogated him, opting to remain as silent as the shadows she mirrored for at least the time being.

"Ouch, ouch! Ladies, not so hard!"

Lakeswara might have been big, but he was clumsy with his movements indicating he was not used to a fight--not to mention his utter surprise when his flawless persuasion had failed. His two attackers were well coordinated, while Lakeswara was slow and unprepared. The male tried to elude their attacks but they were circling him and he tried his best to avoid their snappings.

Suddenly he was already thrown off balance and pinned down, hot breath and canines on his jugular. His heart was racing as life began flashing behind his eyes.

It was a good life. He couldn't help but be proud of himself even at the brink of death. Running everywhere with Garin, taking care of the timid Payada, smoothing a border dispute with diplomacy, witnessing a wolf-dog starting a new pack, his loving two mothers, and his beloved alphas taking back their rightful throne. Heck, his former alphas might have been less favorable to him, but all he could remember at the moment was how they were cool and strong adults.

Remembering his family rooted him and gave him a sense of safety, even if he was about to die now, he didn't have any regrets.

But still, he definitely didn't want to die now! He had a brilliant life ahead of him!

The male watched in relief as the she-wolf pulled away her sharp teeth from his neck, even if his bristled fur hadn't settled down back in place. He could see them more clearly now.

Traces of puppyhood still remained on them: floppier ears, rounder faces, and shorter snouts. Juveniles.

One was jet black like a raven, almost twice bigger than the other. Her fur was a mesmerizing deep, velvety black that absorbs the light around her.

The other was smaller and more colorful, even if her colors were also grayscaled. Her silver fur shimmered in the sunlight, each strand seeming to glint like diamonds as she moved. Her obsidian legs were sleek and powerful.

Her coat was adorned with a mesmerizing silver brindle pattern, which seemed to ripple along her back and flanks like a river flowing over rocks. The delicate white belton spots on her back only added to the allure of her coat; the dark tips of her ears gave her a fierce look, adding to her already impressive look. But it was her light brown eyes that truly caught Lakeswara's attention, a pop of color amongst the shades of grey, black, and white.

One more beautiful sight to commit to his memory, the next time life might flash before his eyes.

The growl took him out of his admiring and he quickly gathered his wits. Lakeswara didn't bother getting up from the ground, just propping up his head straight to look at them, as if he was the one who owned the place.

"Are you deaf?" He asked back with concern mixed with indignation, rolling out his next words slowly and clearly. "I am Lakeswara Ibn Lirios. I just wanted to dry myself in that clearing, since your territory is beautiful and I had hoped to make new friends- but you two are very rude. Also beautiful, I have to say," he said with a regretful shake of his head, as if he just had to give credit where credit was due, "but terrible manners."

He finally got up from the ground and shook off the dirt of his coat. "Look what you did to my fur! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to do and a good bath elsewhere in friendlier places."

Ravensense gave a low growl as his insolent tone, insulted at his disrespect. He invades their territory and has the audacity to be rude to them. To talk to them as if they were stupid like he hadn't made the conscious decision to invade their home and be surprised that he had been attacked. Her ears flattened against her skull as her canines peered through her slightly drawn back lips, tail thrashing and her water-blue eyes practically glowed with rage.

"Where are you going?" Leeching Darkness' tone was lighter than expected now, laced with light confusion. Why had he... complimented them? Was it another trick to throw them off their guard? She failed to conceal the tilting of her head and shook the tension off as well, curiosity slowly getting the best of her. She turned to her pack mate before returning her gaze to Lakeswara. The way the colors of his pelt rippled in the sunlight astonished her, the undulating waves of dark earth and soft white. The she-wolf could stare at it forever she mused for a moment before blinking harshly as if the sunlight in her eyes suddenly bothered her, dismissing the thought.

"Do you truly mean no harm?" The silver she-wolf inquired, the slight rise of pitch in her voice further highlighting her curiosity and confusion. The fact that such a large male would come by himself and intentionally invade their territory to just.. sunbathe? There were a fair amount of clearings within their portion of the forest and they had fought for access to the lake that fed the many rivers and streams.

She supposed there were many a place for a wolf to sunbathe, especially her favorite one the field where there are boulders that are warmed by the sunlight. The tranquility that she found there allowed her mind to wander to places she could only ever dream of, the bird songs and chattering creatures conversing with each other beyond the tree line was blissful. Leeching Darkness' dreams of adventure and travel that she desperately sought were only truly attainable within those fields. A place of peace that she could get lost in with the sun shining down on her, whisking her away with its rays into an imaginary land of wonder and adventure.

"A mission for what?" Ravensense finally spoke, voice raspy after all her snarling and growling, even now her voice still low and threatening. She was not nearly as flattered by this stranger, Lakeswara, and his compliments as her pack mate clearly was. Leeching Darkness may have seemingly lowered her guard by the raven-colored wolf was having none of this nonsense. She watched the two converse with her head lowered in case the strange male surprise attacked them in retaliation.

What was still pondering Leeching Darkness' mind was that he hadn't even attempted to fight back, only doing his best to dodge and nothing more. The stranger, Lakeswara, as he was called, seemed to be true to his word. Even now he didn't even care all that much that they had attacked and defeated him or that he was intruding on their territory. He desired only his "mission", whatever it was and nothing more. Curious and curiouser the she-wolf grew.

Lakeswara's dark ears perked up when he heard Leeching Darkness' questioning, turning around almost too eagerly. He quickly deduced the silver she-wolf was more friendly than the other, and his warm golden gaze engaged her with his whole focus.

"I am seeking a pack, Mcphylian. Have you heard of them, by chance? Maybe they stopped by? They're Neutrals, nomadic ones."

His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air in her direction. "I've never expected Darkseekers quite like.. you."

There was pleased appreciation in his gentler tone.

"You know how Lightseekers are," he smirked. "We're goody-goodies. Weaklings, I've heard some Darkseekers say. Do you agree?" He watched her with a certain inviting curiosity.

His eyes tore away from her as he searched his memory. "Most of us, at least - I won't rule out the exception, but the exception doesn't include me." He chuckled and paused, deciding it might be better to be forthright. "Yes, I mean no harm. I've come a long way, from wetter lands - you might smell it in my scent, and see it in my fur. It's not always this flat, you see," he winked at her, "I have sorely missed the beautiful sunlight of these parts."

He glanced, almost reluctantly, to Ravensense when she spat her question at him - but once his eyes landed on her, he shifted his body, giving her his full attention.

"My dearest sister," he began fondly. Memories of her danced on his mind, and a small smile formed on his lips, the corners of his eyes.

"She is with them. She was pregnant, and she brought with her two very precious pups. I have to find them... but as you know, those of Neutral allegiance are less structured. They can't even commit to a side after all," he grinned in jest, "but Darkseekers, I heard your side values information and share them with each other. Marvelous cooperation, very smart in my humble opinion."

A flattering twist to the rumors - amongst Lightseekers, Darkseekers were said to be a vicious web of spies, stealing and hoarding information of their enemies' weaknesses from the forest's shadows. He might have spun the rumor to make it sound like a compliment, but Lakeswara sincerely entertained the thought and was excited at the prospect of it being true.

"I've never heard of such a pack I'm afraid." Leeching Darkness responded lightly as she tilted her head, ears flopping as she did so. Mcphylian was such an interesting name. Did all wolves from where Lakeswara came from have such elaborate and intricate names? It was such a fascinating idea to her. There was so much more to the world she did not know and wished to learn and understand. What did his name mean? Did the name of the pack he searched for have any signifigance?

A Lightseeker; now his lack of wanting revenge for the unfair battle made sense. Ravensense's ears released as she watched him longer, slowly determining that he was indeed true to his word. A true Darkseeker would never admit to being a Lightseeker, especially since he immediately knew that they were the opposite faction. She took the tension off of her shadow colored coat with a huff through her black nose, turning now to her pack mate as she expected her to answer. The silver she-wolf was silent, her only response her twitching ears and tail. It was the first time Ravensense was unable to get a read on her and for a moment her confusion showed through a subtle tilt of her head before she turned to Lakeswara.

"Your sister? Why did she leave?" Such a personal question from the raven-black she-wolf, breaking Leeching Darkness' silence with a soft bark of shock at such an intrusive question. She turned to Ravensense with alarm, dark silver ears perked up as they twitched. Her light brown eyes flashed with concern and answered his other questions instead.

"Like us? We're not all evil." Leeching Darkness responded. She knew why he had that idea; there were plenty of other Darkseeker packs who were truly vile; attacking wolves just for the sake of bloodshed, invading territories just to eliminate the pack and take over. She had heard stories just the same as Lakeswara had though from his perspective, a Lightseeker and a wolf who sought peace, she imagined they were much more brutal. It was standard practice and nothing new to her, though her pack was nothing like that. They resided within their shadows but attacked only when necessary; her Alphas found it useless to potentially sacrifice the lives of their pack mates unless they had good cause.

"I'm sorry for not introducing myself. I am Leeching Darkness, this is Ravensense." The silver she-wolf wagged her striped tail slowly, attempting to break the tension she could feel still coming off of her pack mate. The shadow-black she-wolf did not seem pleased she had been introduced but still gave a nod of greeting before sitting back, not intending to attack again though she was still wary of the stranger.

"Where exactly did you come from?" The three of them knew he was not of these woods, he had even confirmed their silent suspicions. Curiosity was overtaking Leeching Darkness again; it was her nature to always seek answers and adventure. He smelled of moisture and had said he came in search of a place to dry off; did he live near a river? A pack of swimming wolves? Too many questions all piling on with no answers to them yet.

"Ah, understandable," Lakeswara replied. "But don't worry, I don't hold it against you. After all, who can keep track of everything, right?"

He leaned in a little closer to Leeching Darkness, his eyes sparkling with interest and his tail began to wag as he watched thoughts brewing in her eyes. "Curious, isn't it? The world is full of wonders, I wish to see all of it, too. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like you and I are similar. You know, I find it fascinating that we share such worldly thoughts. There's so much to see and experience out there, don't you think?"

Lakeswara laughed when Leeching Darkness barked in surprise. "It's okay," he said to Leeching Darkness. Then to Ravensense, he gave her an even, mysterious smile. "I appreciate your curiosity too. But I'm afraid it's an information I don't feel safe disclosing... yet. You see, we did have a bit of a rocky start earlier, and I wouldn't want to put myself or my pack in any danger. But who knows? Perhaps once we've gotten to know each other better..." his voice lowered into a scandalous whisper. "I might let you in on the secret."

"Of course not," said he to Leeching Darkness, his golden gaze rested on her intently and he nodded in solemn acknowledgement. "I can see it."

His ears perked up at the mention of their names and he tilted his head slightly in wonder. "What a name! Leeching Darkness... Ravensense... strong names, for two young warriors. I love making new acquaintances, especially those with such intriguing names. Leeching Darkness and Ravensense... they're almost poetic, don't you agree? Pleasure to know you two."

"I just realized I haven't introduced myself properly either, pardon me," he gave the two a little polite bow, yet his tail wriggled playfully. "I am Lakeswara Ibn Lirios, the son of Elder Lirios. I am the Beta Heir of Jawa Supremacy Pack." He squared up his shoulders with pride, standing a little taller. But then he winked at them, a smug smirk across his maws. "The pleasure is yours."

"We currently - at least when I left - are advancing in the Jungle Territory. Past the edge of the forest, all the way across the Swamps." He paused, gauging from their reaction whether they recognize it. "Have you been there? It's a very different place from here. Different trees, different preys, different weather. A lot of rain and no snow."

He eagerly watched the two as he spoke, savoring their reactions.