Canis lupus <Shadow>

[Shadow]

>Wolf<

If he was being watched closely, Shadow showed no sign of knowing it. "I'm not much of stealth wolf by any means. I've got the pelt and the name for it, but it mostly only helps me with camouflage and hiding when I need to be hidden. As far taking anything, I always do it with at least some kind of force. I'm the muscle of the operation." Shadow smiled at that, making expressions and his posture loose, trying to get Leaf to calm and accept him.

"But as far as what you take, that's your thing. I don't really need a rep, just a few good friends in a few good places and a meal or two on the table." Shadow looked back at Leaf again, the smile growing bigger, almost to the point of showing his teeth, not in a hostile way though. To enforce the mood, his tail lay straight down and his ears half-lowered.

Shadow sat on his haunches again. "You know, we may have set a record for the first werewolves to ever talk to each other." Shadow grinned over Leaf slyly.

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[Leaf]

Relieved was definitely how Leaf felt when Shadow expressed his opinion. He was by no means rejecting Leaf and perhaps seemed even more relaxed. This guy was probably easier to get along with than Leaf had originally thought. The muscle of the operation, there was nothing contradicting about that from the looks of Shadow's figure. He picked himself up and took a drink from the river. It was a nice day out. 

Then Shadow said something that perked Leaf's interest. Friends in a few places. "Friends, huh." Although Leaf was a social animal and he enjoy being in groups, they were always just a temporary enjoyment. They were usually forgotten after a while. His clients? Well, they were considered connections. Not exactly the same thing. The friendly smile on Shadow's face was special, however. Leaf never saw such an act of kindness toward someone such as himself, especially after they knew about his deeds. He did his best to return a smile. "You do me a great deal by staying with me, brother." He said. "Breaking the record... In terms of friendly conversation, I would say that we have."

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

Shadow stayed where he was, his gaze shifting to the sky. He had to admire the day himself. It wasn't often he got the chance. He spent most of his time watching for danger and openings for him to get the much needed meal for each day. It was nice to finally get the chance, to enjoy another little tad bit of life that he had taken for granted as a child. He didn't know Leaf's back story or what he had gone through, but he was optimistic about the future.

Eventually he would get Leaf to trust him, and he'd trust Leaf himself. It would be almost like having a family again... Something Shadow wouldn't admit to anybody that he missed, but missed all the same. Trust came first... And that would come with time.

Shadow looked back to his brother again. "And you've done me a great deal by accepting my offer." Shadow replied happily. Even then he was thinking of what they could do. There were so many things he couldn't do by himself, places he'd like to try, too locked down for him to get in without some professional help... They could even keep it sentimental for the day, just lounge around the river, explore the area... So many options.

His mind had just drifted to what it would be like have an entire pack of wolves when movement caught the corner of his eye. An archer? Shadow took off. His eyes took in the whole thing as he ran, the bow and arrow lined up, the line of fire clear of all obstacles, a perfect shot. Right at Leaf. Something Shadow was not going to allow. Not now...Not when he had finally met a werewolf who would try, who would be the brother that he should have had a long time ago.

To both of the werewolves' luck, the man holding the bow spotted Shadow and brought it down, however... There wasn't good without bad.

As Shadow got closer, and then made the leap, the man slipped out a wicked looking knife. Shadow's momentum and speed carried him straight into the outstretched knife as it connected with his side, rending fur, flesh, and muscle alike as the wolf went down with the assassin. Shadow got enough breath to yell to Leaf, "RUN" before he bit into the man's wrist, trying to get him to release the knife before he wounded him any further. He was in a whole lot of pain, and nothing really made sense to him, it was all confusion, but he fought for his life and he fought for Leaf's nonetheless.

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[Leaf]

When the sense of danger first passed through Leaf's mind, he saw that Shadow had already disappeared. For a moment, Leaf was stunned. The dust kicked up by the black paws left Leaf gaping for a split second. Then, snapping his head around, he saw a figure in the woods as well as a glint of metal, aiming straight for himself! "Damn it!" Leaf muttered as he picked his feet up, ready to fly. 

What shocked Leaf was, when he turned back to see Shadow, he found the black wolf charging toward the woods, lunging toward the hidden figure. Before Leaf could respond, the scent of blood hit him first. The blood of a wolf. "Shadow!" The scream left Leaf's throat, echoing in the air. The dark clips of fur drifted down, as if in slow motion, as the white wolf stood, wide-eyed and shocked. Run? Help? He glanced down at his sack. What could he do, but follow his own will? Then his feet kicked the ground and pushed off.

So many things clouded Leaf's mind. The feeling of flesh against fang and claw. The sound of leather colliding with water. The clunks of dull metal bumping against the riverbed. The ear-piercing scream of the man. One thing broke through all of these perceptions Shadow. The golden eyes turned blood stricken with fury as Leaf dug his teeth deeper into the shoulder of the man and dug his claws into his chest, ripping the man's shirt and skin. This despicable being harmed his brother, his only companion. He was going to pay a thousand times more. With his own flesh, his blood. His life.

No man could withstand two wolves upon them, even if one was injured. However, they tend to draw in more. The pit pat of footsteps crunched against the surrounding vegetation, forcing Leaf to let go. Within minutes, reinforcements of the assassin would arrive. He had to get out of here, bringing Shadow with him, but how? The sound of water caught Leaf's attention. Water? The river! Quickly, Leaf turned back into a man and grabbed a fist sized rock. "If I die, then I'll see you in hell." He whispered to the man, then smashed the rock into the man's face and bashed his head with it several times. Then, stealing the knife, Leaf dragged Shadow toward the river. "Hang on, brother." Then he pulled Shadow into the river with him.

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

Shadow knew nothing more than holding on to the man's wrist for dear life. He was a fighter, but he had always got lucky, never injured more than a nick or a bruise. The last thing that even came close to this was his own initiation, but even that was no more than a series of light scratches and teeth puncture wounds. The knife that the man used... It broke straight through, down to the hilt, and the man tore it downward, the only thing halting the motion was Shadow's own teeth breaking the man's wrist and separating muscle to where the man could never use it again.

His own wound was far worse than the man's though, and his mind wasn't functioning right. He still held onto the wrist, his mind not comprehending that he wasn't doing any more damage to the man. He should have gone for the neck, or at least his shoulder... The man made to move again, reaching for where the knife had fallen when he had dropped it with his other hand...

And then Shadow's vision was blocked, a white wall of fury hitting the man and knocking him back to the ground. The man's blood joined his own in the air, the scent sickening...the scent sweet.

Shadow's next few seconds of memory were blurred and scattered. Leaf as a wolf, biting down, Leaf as a human, the rock colliding with the man's skull, Leaf standing over him, words he couldn't understand, and the next moment he was in the water, Leaf holding onto him, carrying him away.

Shadow looked on and tried to help what he could, kicking his back legs, but soon stopped when the very movement made his vision fade and his body weak. He resorted to letting Leaf do what he would, shivering not with the cold, but with the reaction to the loss of so much blood. Shadow didn't know how bad it was, he couldn't look back. He knew it hurt and that the scent of his own blood was overpowering the water's. ...brother....hurry...

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[Leaf]

Leaf sputtered when he hit the cold water and struggled to keep his grasp on Shadow. The White Ribbon River no longer seemed so colorless as Shadow's blood started mingling with the river. Leaf could only hope that the cold water would help the blood clot before the blood loss brought Shadow to a critical condition. Kicking his legs, seemingly both swimming yet running, Leaf propelled himself and the black wolf downstream. He had to get somewhere where he could hide and heal Shadow. The dark wolf consciousness seemed to be slipping, but nothing Leaf did could speed up the flow of the river.

From a distance, Leaf could hear cries of murder and shocked voices of people. They probably discover the man whom Leaf had maimed, or perhaps killed. Either way, the men who discovered the body were probably on the hunt for them now. The blood in the river had not had enough time to disperse. Once they saw the tainted water, they would know where they went. Pushed wet hair out of his face, Leaf only sped up his kicks, bringing the two werewolves further down the stream.

After a few minutes, the chill of the water really hit Leaf. It was cold. Very cold. He glanced at Shadow worriedly; the blood loss made him weak already. It was no good to let his body temperature fall like this. As they reached a shallow area, Leaf crawled out of the water, pulling Shadow along with him. So far, he had not heard the assassins… yet. If there was only shelter, a cave, or perhaps a house. In the distance, Leaf could see a small town. Or even just a small congregation of people. A minuscule farming community. They might have a doctor of sort that could help Shadow.

There was one concern, however. In this part of the country, Leaf could only hope that his infamy had not reached this rural area. "Brother. Can you hear me?" The golden-eyed boy whispered. It would be much easier for someone to heal him if he could get the black wolf to transform back into a man. "Brother! I need you to transform. We are near safety. I can get help if you transform! Please!" Shadow was alive. He was going to make it. He was not going to die. There were the words running through Leaf's frantic mind as he struggled to keep Shadow's consciousness intact.

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

>Human<

Strength went out of his muscles, sounds distorted, the world seemed to take on an unreal tinge of color, the backs swapping with whites, the sky dark even with the sun directly overhead.

He was cold... So very cold. The river was harsh to his body. It helped little with his wound, it slowed the blood flow, but did little to stop it. His body temperature dropped, his heart slowed, his mind knew only the will to survive. Everything else was seen but forgotten.

They hit the shore in what seemed to be a lifetime later. Shadow lay there, shivering uncontrollably, even his strength paling with the wound that had been inflicted. For all his power, he wasn't a juggernaut, he could be hurt, he could be killed...

Leaf's first words passed without Shadow realizing it. He realized after the line that Leaf was trying to talk to him, so he put all his strength and concentration to his ears. Even with that, he only caught the words 'Safety' and 'Transform'. But he couldn't... They were so close..but they were so far away... How could he. He wanted to, but it was no use, his strength was gone, his hold on the conscious world slipping.

He...he had to try... Shadow closed his eyes, his teeth clenched against the cold of his own body. The transformation took longer than it should have, and his skin was near pale white by the time he got to his other form. The shirt he had instantly stained with the blood from the cut stretching across the bottom of his rib cage to the left side of his waist.

He looked to Leaf, his hand over the wound, his eyes having trouble making out his brother's form. "...did I get him...?"

[/i] Shadow's voice came out faint and weak.[/color][/center]

[Leaf]

At first, Leaf watched Shadow struggle and shiver in pain slip in and out of consciousness. But soon he seemed to interpret the words and the transformation began. Soon, the wolf was gone and was replaced by a man. It was the first time Leaf had seen Shadow take the form of a man and he wanted to take a good look. However, the welfare of Shadow was much more important and Leaf quickly slung the dark haired werewolf's arm over his shoulder and started toward the community.

If there was anything Leaf was disappointed in, it was that he couldn't move his feet faster. He plowed the ground, trudging toward the building, and yet, even though he knew that he was getting closer, it certainly felt like he was walking in the same place again and again. Leaf looked at Shadow's face. It was pale and his skin was as cold as ice. He had to get to the village quickly. With the thought, Leaf furrowed his brow and picked up his pace.

It was an extraneous effort, but Leaf finally made it to the village. He walked up to a group of, perhaps gossiping, women, and asked for the doctor. A wave of concerned and frantic looks washed over them and they were quick to point the way to the village healer. Thanking them again and again, Leaf pulled Shadow over to the directed house, and sure enough, he was greeted by a man who introduced himself as a healer. "Please sir, you've got to save him. He's wounded by a knife and his body temperature is low." Leaf pleaded. The healer nodded and had Leaf bring Shadow inside. The thief laid the dark-haired man onto a cot and into the healer's care. "Sir, if you would please leave while I treat him." The healer said and Leaf reluctantly headed outside the clinic.

Standing outside the building, Leaf leaned against the wall, worrying for his brother. He pulled out the knife he had stolen earlier and looked at it. The thought that it was the weapon that had harmed Shadow so severely compelled Leaf to throw it away, as far as possible, but he couldn't. He needed a weapon, however weak, in order to defend himself if those assassins decided to show up again. The knife was jagged, an extremely dangerous weapon. Something on the hilt seemed strange to Leaf. Upon closer observation, Leaf saw a crest on the dagger that he recognized. It was the crest of an organization that he had once hired him. The task was to steal an object of power from a wealthy baron and Leaf had succeeded. However, after Leaf was dismissed, he was also the first to report the missing object to the baron, thus earning himself a hefty reward. This was just one of Leaf's cunning plans. The gain from both sides. There was no doubt that the organization had suffered and is attempting to take revenge.

So, it is they who are behind this... The thought ignited in Leaf's mind and he clenched his fist tighter on the dagger.

[Shadow]

>Human<

Shadow remembered nothing of the walk from the shore to the healer, his whole focus was on staying alive, his eyes open, but not really seeing, his hand pressed as hard as he could against his wound. It was time they both did and didn't have. Shadow needed healing, but they were also being chased. As he was laid down on the cot, he closed his eyes at last, slipping back out of consciousness again.

The healer did his work well, it was up to the werewolves own system to get his body back up and moving again. The bleeding was stopped, the wound stitched. It took time for Shadow's own system to replace the blood and for him to get stronger. The good thing about being both a wolf and a human was that you got the rejuvenatory abilities of both combined. It took no longer than an hour or two...but that was long enough.

They were being searched for, and they would be found easily enough with the blood trail. They had to move fast. The healer knew nothing about his and his brother's secret. He was in the other room, fully expecting Shadow to be under for another day or two. But Shadow stood nonetheless, not even bothering to figure out where he was. He knew where he was. He could feel the dull pain of his wound still flaring up.

He swung his feet over to the side of the cot, stood and walked toward the entrance of the room. The healer nearly walked into him as he was going to check on the werewolf. As the healer's eyes rested on the werewolves body, the bandage around his stomach, Shadow shoved his shirt back on and grabbed his coat by the entrance of the building and threw it on. It looked as if the healer had went ahead and washed his clothes, assuming they were the only ones he had. Shadow was glad for that. It was no good walking around with blood matted on your shirt for everyone to see.

The healer's eyes went wide, and Shadow knew he had to say something or they'd have the posse on them within moments. "Guess I wasn't injured as badly as we thought. Thank you." He held out his hand for the healer to shake it. The healer did so, but his eyes didn't decrease in size.

"Sorry..I've got no way to pay you, I was jumped. I'll remember you and come back and pay you when I can."

The healer shook his head, muttering quietly, "No..it's fine, I'm just glad to help."

Shadow nodded and turned, walking out of the building. It didn't take him long to find Leaf standing against the wall. Again they had no time for real introductions, or for Leaf to get used to his current form, because they had to move. They had already wasted too much time here. "Hey Leaf." Shadow smiled and looked off to where they had come from; the river. It was hard to tell, but it looked like they were safe for the moment being. He turned back to his brother. "Do you know who those people were?"

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[Leaf]

Joy leapt through Leaf's heart when he saw Shadow stroll out of the door, looking a little pale, but in a much better condition than before. "Good to see that you're fine, brother." Leaf smiled as he walked up to greet him. Shadow, even as a human, was taller and more muscular than Leaf. He seemed slightly older, by about two or three years. They really could be brothers. 

Leaf glanced at the river, following Shadow's gaze. He couldn't smell nor hear anyone. It seemed like they were safe for now. "Who those people were?" Leaf cocked an eyebrow at Shadow's question. "I am almost completely sure that they are part of an organization called The Hellhounds. If you look at this knife, you can see their crest on the hilt." Leaf explained as he handed the weapon to Shadow. "They were my clients once. I helped them, reaped the rewards, then deceived them for another set of rewards. It is no big surprise that they are after me." Leaf cursed himself silently. This was one reason why he never got involved with others; they'd always get caught up in his private business.

Leaf looked around, scanning for uncanny ears and eyes with his sharpest senses, then he lowered his voice to whisper to his dark haired counterpart. "The Hellhounds… while I have only seen humans among their ranks while I was with them, they seem to have their strings pulled by demons. I am not sure, but the from the whispers I've heard and from what I can interpret from their needs, it's possible that they are run by stronger forces than we may think." The fact made everything harder. Humans were one thing. Mortal. Cowardly. Weak. Demons, on the other hand, were on a completely different scale. Their deadly blows, their lightning quick regeneration abilities, and their agile minds and bodies left them almost invincible to mortals.

Leaf ran a worried hand through his lush brown hair. "Brother, I am worried that if one demon is set on our tail, we may be in big trouble."

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[Shadow]

>Human<

Shadow took the knife and gazed at the crest. It was hard to keep his eyes from the blade though, the one that had shredded his own body. He still wasn't entirely up to 100% yet. That wound had taken a toll on him that none had before. He began to question just how he had survived the night that had nearly ended his life almost 15 years ago. But that was irrelevant. His mind raced back to the present.

The Hellhounds... A double cross... A great plan, but one with serious consequences, funny that it be Shadow to pay the price when he decided to interfere. But that was behind him. It was time to move forward.

"Demons..." Shadow slowly shook his head. "I can't do demons brother." His fist curled around the knife. He then whispered back, "Okay, so if we've got this large organization after us, we are going to need to lose their trail...and if that doesn't work...well...the way these organizations usually work is they keep sending things after you until your dead. We'll have to double back..."

Shadow looked into his brother's eyes, "We will have to bring the fight to them."

True, there were only two of them against an innumerable amount of foes, but they'd just keep sending people after them if they ran. The best they could get was a year of quiet, and then they'd have to lose their tail again and start over. They had to bring the fight to the demon or demons that ran it...catch them off guard...and perhaps even slay them. Shadow didn't think much of their chances, but they were two werewolves...they would at least cause some trouble for the organization at any rate. He'd leave Leaf to planning, Shadow would be the one to take the blows. He didn't mind. He was a simple man. A simple werewolf. Action, reaction. Repeat. This just happened to be the biggest center of action he had ever seen in his life...

It was time they sounded off. Shadow had fallen to one injury during their last fight. It couldn't happen this time. They had to fight 'till their last breaths, and even beyond if needed. Shadow gazed upon his golden-eyed brother with his own dark eyes, memorizing the one he was to go to certain death with. Strong enough? It was hard to judge, werewolves could be deceptive. Human forms could hide things, slim-downed muscle, some even go so far as to radiate almost an air that caused any around them to ignore them naturally. The man he looked at was cunning, one could tell that just by looking at him. He knew the ropes, and he also knew who made the ropes and what they made them with. Shadow was glad to have such a wolf to back him, and he was also glad that he could fight along-side with his white pelted wolf-brother.

The black wolf held a hand out to the white wolf, "Invincible." It was an offer. Shadow made it a choice, Leaf could decide either way. Would Leaf follow him all the way to the darkest corner they could get themselves into? Would he fight along-side Shadow even though their odds were bleak; slim to none chance of them returning? And finally, would he fight to his last breath, keeping Shadow's blind-side protected until the end?

Would he stand with Shadow, invincible in the face of anything that dared stand against them?

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[Leaf]

Leaf looked at Shadow's outstretched hand, then at his face, then back to the hand. The invitation to fight. To fight against something where the chance of victory would be bleak. If someone had asked him a day ago, Leaf would have refused or asked for a reward. However, this case was different. This man, this wolf, he was a brother. He was stepping into an issue unrelated to himself just to assist Leaf. This was their bond. A bond that was strengthening even as we speak. This feeling of insurance, of trust, of kinship that Leaf felt was like none other he had felt before.

With a confident smile on his face, Leaf grasped Shadow's hand "Invincible." He nodded affirmatively. If he was going to die, then so be it. He would not be alone. 

The atmosphere suddenly had an ominous feel to it, even though Leaf could sense no one. Nothing in the scenery nor weather had changed, and yet, a dark fog of tension and danger seemed to hang in the air around them. A person came around the bend. A woman. In fact, one of the women that Leaf had seen gossiping earlier. Something was different about her, though. Her eyes had no soul to them. Her feet shuffled awkwardly when she walked and she gave off no presence of herself. To be honest, the presence was almost foreign and nonhuman. Demonic. The demon of The Hellhounds was no doubt powerful. This woman was definitely possessed. It had nary been a couple of hours since Leaf and Shadow had arrived. The enemy was fast. A fight was unavoidable.

Leaf furrowed his brow and reached for his pack of stone which he always carried by his side. "This woman, the demon is controlling her. She is now a puppet of its demonic powers." As Leaf finished his words, the woman's eyes flashed and she pulled a kitchen knife from behind her back and ran at the two werewolves. Leaf spun on his heel and threw a well aimed kick at her temple, knocking her to the ground. Blood trickled down her head, but a few seconds later, she got back up. "Damn it." Leaf cursed as he pulled a stone from his pouch and threw it, straight and deadly, clean through the human puppet's forehead. This time, she did not get up.

Though a puppet of the enemy down, the ominous presence had not disappeared. Slowly, more figures crept into the scene. There were more of them. More of the poor, helpless humans that could do nothing but submit. "Brother, the attack must be fatal, or the body will still be controlled." Leaf warned Shadow. Then he darkly added. "There's going to be a lot of bloodshed."

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[Shadow]

>Human<

>Wolf<

A smile formed across Shadow's face as Leaf accepted his offer. Brothers until the end. He felt empowered, like he could do anything with the white wolf at his side. They were one in the same, fighting for the same right to live that had brought Shadow to Leaf in the first place. The demon that hunted them would soon find the tables turned.

As the woman rounded the corner, he kept his wolf side, his chosen fighting method, handy. He was healed enough to where he could fight. A switch might even help what was left of the healing. Shadow watched as the woman pulled a knife and was soon dropped by a kick from Leaf. That's what he had been looking for. The demon may have found them, but he had someone to watch his back when things went out of hand. And as Leaf finished off the woman with a stone to the temple, they quickly did.

"None of ours if I can help it." Shadow growled back to Leaf. "Sound off." Shadow shifted, embracing the rage that gave him the power he needed to fight off all those that would stand in his path. None would reach Leaf, and even if they did, his brother could handle those few who got too close.

The blood of the humans for the blood of the werewolves. A sickening trade. He'd end these humans' suffering quickly. What this demon did was inexcusable. The black wolf couldn't wait to crush the demon's throat. These helpless bystanders would have to do for now. Few were armed with any real weapons, but that didn't make them any less dangerous. When controlled by a demon, they didn't give up. They had to be completely disabled for them to stop attacking...which in most cases meant death.

Shadow lunged forward, jumping onto what appeared to be a boy in his early teens who got too close to Leaf. The wolf ignored the boy's hands, trying to grasp at his fur and throat and quickly latched his own teeth around the boy's neck and crunched down. Leaf was right... Blood would be spilled here today...and it was all for nothing.

He got off the boy, staring down two grown men, one with what appeared to be a lumberjack's axe and the other with a hoe.

His gaze shifted over to Leaf, what he saw had him on the move again. Guards? From the City?! Was the demon's reach that far? These weren't armed with tools, they were armed with real weapons and real armor. There was no way he'd let them harm Leaf. THEY WOULD NOT TOUCH HIS BROTHER!
Shadow ran forward, power surging into his muscles, like liquid fire burning in his veins, erasing everything but him and his target. Five guards. Five. But not one would touch Leaf.
Not. One.

His claws and teeth lengthened, shimmering gold, his eyes narrowed and filled with the same golden fury that defined him as a wolf. His fur grew even darker, his rage unleashed.

The five had their backs to him and were advancing on Leaf. He leaped onto the back of the closest to him, his claws searing right through the man's armor and into his muscles and skin underneath as Shadow knocked him to the ground, face first. The black wolf's teeth followed, cutting through the man's spinal cord with no resistance, like the bone wasn't even there.

Shadow's gaze wildly searched for the next closest target, his movements almost feral, barely under his control. The next went down only a moment later. So fast and so brutal was his approach that it took the end of the second for the third to turn to attack Shadow. The farmers had moved too, along with other villagers, closing the gap, getting closer to the two werewolves. Shadow snarled and leaped toward the guard who held out a sword to the black wolf. Shadow acknowledged it no more than he would a pencil. He was too worked up to care.

The demon would see what it was like to hunt something like him. To hunt Leaf meant to face both of them. Shadow would make this demon Learn. He would make this demon Pay.

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[Leaf]

Stones flew from the tips of Leaf's fingers faster and deadlier than an arrow released a bow. Blood spurted as they pierced through the heads of several humans precisely where Leaf had aimed them. The action was intense and it only got worse from there. More stones flew, blood spilled, fang flashed; everything seemed to be a blur. The demon was indeed a horrifically insensitive one, for its of the humans was inhumane. Leaf clenched his teeth as he unleashed another kick in the side of another puppet, striking the kidney. Wiping a drop of blood off his cheek, Leaf looked at Shadow. He seemed to be doing okay, ripping and tearing at the men's flesh. If they could get away quickly, it would be fine.

The tables turned, however, when guards from the royal palace came marching over the hill. Leaf's eyes widened as they came staggering up in the same clumsy gait as the puppets. It couldn't be. Those guards were also part of the demon's marionette army. There were five of them, marching with real armor and weapons and untouchable by mere stones. Truly, it was useless, Leaf perceived as a pebble impacted the armor and bounced off harmlessly. The guards ignored Shadow completely and marched straight for Leaf. He gulped nervously. This was going to be challenging. Then Leaf saw Shadow, ripping through the barrage of armoured enemies from with fire in his eyes. His rage was so defined, so palpable that it was scary. For a moment, Leaf did not quite recognize the wolf brother that he just acknowledged. 

After a guard went down, Leaf zipped into their midst, picking up the sword that the maimed guard had dropped before swinging it around, loping the head off another soldier. The demon was not adequate in his control. The puppets moved clumsily, but were powerful with their blows. Leaf narrowed his eyes as he took a fighting stance, bracing himself with his sword. Eyeing the closing wall of puppets, Leaf took a deep breath. This was where his speed and agility was going to be useful. He was going to cut through them and find the true demonic culprit. 

Then he was going to make him wish that he never messed with the Master Thief and his brother, Shadow.

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

Down went the last of the guards, Shadow's teeth searing through his windpipe, the body discarded before Shadow was even done with it. His mind calculated that that was the last of the guards, but there was no reasoning, there was no sympathy, no humanity in his actions. Mercy was a a dangerous trait that he couldn't afford to show, and his anger drove him far easier when up against an army of drones.

The black wolf's golden eyes found his next target in the mass of villagers that were surrounding Leaf, who had inadvertently conjured up a sword in the midst of the fight. But even though Shadow's eyes gazed over Leaf and the weapon, they weren't stored in memory. The only thing that was on his mind was death and the way he would kill the next person. Precision, accuracy, lethal.

Villager after villager were laid to rest as Shadow tore threw more and more flesh and bone. There was no end to them, but there was no end the Shadow's fury either. There was enough for everyone. And when he was through with the villagers, he almost wished the demon would be there, just so he could have another target.

As Shadow's teeth snapped together another time, a life extinguished once more, a sword flew straight for his muzzle. The black wolf spared no second thought in what he should do. His maw opened once more and he caught the blade between his teeth, the tip of the blade separating from the rest of the sword as the middle disintegrated between the wolf's golden imbued teeth.

Unknown to Shadow, the army that had once stood to face the two brothers was now destroyed, his own mind had lost count of how many he had killed, and what was going on. The only thing that was calculated was each killing blow and how it was preformed. That was all he needed to know; how to kill each of them. How to kill every target that raised a weapon. Every target.

For there was only 1 man who had grabbed a sword in the crowd, and there was only 1 target left. The demon wasn't here, but at least there was a final target. A final being Shadow could set his teeth against.

Shadow took barely a moment to let go of the remainder of the blade in his maw, this misunderstanding taking a turn for the worse as he leaped after the bearer of the blade.

His intent?

To kill him.

To kill Leaf.

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