Canis lupus <Shadow>

[Leaf]

The steel of the blade was soon stained crimson by the blood of the human puppets as Leaf whirled and dodged in their midst. The fabric of the thief's clothes were sprayed and stained, but no blood came from where it landed. The brawl was intense and seemed never-ending, but soon, the decrease in quantity of the enemies was becoming apparent. Heads, limbs, torsos, clean slices went through each of them and they slumped to the ground, unwilling grimaces and looks of horror painted across their faces for the last moments when their minds were freed. Their freedom was not lengthy, however, as you could see the soul slip out of their eyes and into the arms of Death. Their bodies were left to nature's jurisdiction; left to rot, crumble, and disappear in this rural town that now only had the echo of a ghost inhabiting it's quarters. The last of the bodies fell and the shadow of death fell with it and lingered, settling over the village like a soft, eternal frost. Life would not touch this place for a long time.

Leaf looked at the ground and at the heaps of corpses that littered the field. Wiping both sweat and blood from his face, Leaf let out a relieved sigh and turned toward his dark-pelted brother, "It's ov-" His words were cut off as he bent backwards, dodging the monstrous beast that hurled itself at him. A gash opened on Leaf's face and a few tears of blood ran down the pale, dirtied cheek. Shadow had just pounced and nearly killed Leaf. Without his lightning reflexes, the thief would have fallen to join this massive field of carcasses. Observing the wolf's face, the expression on Leaf's face melted from shock to horror. His brother, his companion, Shadow's expression was blank. Blank with raw savagery, with the blood-hungry rage that churned beneath his eyes. The eyes looked blood stricken and were coated with an indifferent lust for killing. It's only want was to rip, tear, and shred. It was simply terrifying.

It was impossible. Had Shadow become too caught up in the fighting that he could not recognize his ally? Leaf pondered this as he felt his wound and winced terribly. He had to get Shadow out of this trance before anything worse happened. The usually calm mind of a thief was now jumbled in a frenzy. He was scared, horrified by the inner beast of his brother. Unkempt, savage, even grotesque. The ugliness of the darkness that surrounded the beast was atrocious and it seemed to want to envelope everyone into its body of chaos. This primitive state of mind that was not bound by society nor morals. This was the unconscious that lived beneath everything and Leaf was paralyzed by the mere presence of it. Shadow's appearance hadn't changed, and yet he seemed like a completely different person. Perhaps it would be easier to break this darkness by reminding him of their common blood. Their heritage as a werewolf. 

With that thought, Leaf dropped his sword and soon became the proud white wolf that he was. "Brother. Hear me and answer. We are safe, no more bloodshed is needed." He proclaimed to the blank yet aggressive expression of the black wolf.

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

Shadow missed. Oh well. He would have to strike again. Gone were any rationilized thoughts, thoughts about what that could mean. That Leaf was not an enemy, he was not one of the mindless drones, he was a brother, a werewolf.

The only thoughts were of a calculated killer. What he'd have to revise in his method to properly kill his brother with his next move. His body halted though. Impossible as it was, his enemy had dropped his weapon. His enemy had vanished, the human he had been ready to launch himself at again vanished.

It made little difference, but it was strange. Shadow's single-minded thinking couldn't grasp the thought, so he dropped it. Instead, his eyes rested on the wolf that had materialized on the spot where the human had once been.

Words. Things that meant nothing to his current form. 'Brother'. 'Safe'. 'No more bloodshed'. That alone should have made him stop. There was no more need for fighting... No more need for more blood to be spilt. But no... The beast he had become saw one last target, and that meant more blood still had to be spilt.

Shadow took a step forward, then another, and then finally launched himself at the white wolf.

Nothing had changed.

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[Leaf]

No emotion could be perceived from the indifferent, soulless eyes of the black wolf. His mind seemed far away and Leaf could tell that his words did not reach his brother. When the opposing wolf launched itself at Leaf, the white wolf could only respond by swerving his body, circulating around the powerful hurl of the dark monster. It would be too foolish, too futile to meet the opponent head on. Here, he would really need to rely on his speed, agility, and guile to evade and confront this opponent. His brother was now gone and replaced by a beast that Leaf would never recognize. Therefore, he would not treat him like a brother. After all, when someone is trying to kill you, you don't just stand around for them to do that.

Leaf zipped toward Shadow, baring his teeth and preparing to lunge. However, he swerved off to the right, leaping with a claw extended, attempting to rake the black wolf's eye. A cheap trick, but the upper hand would be granted immediately if the foe was blinded. Of course, this had to be an extremely accurate blow and Leaf hadn't had the time to calculate the attack with precision. The opponent would also be moving and if Leaf was caught, he would be in a dangerous situation. 

Suddenly, a sharp pain ran through Leaf's side. He looked down, seeing red blood tainting the snow white fur on his side. He must've been hit when Shadow had lunged at him earlier. Wincing at the pain, Leaf turned to face his black-furred counterpart. "Shadow." Leaf hissed gravely. "Forgive me, brother, but if I must take your life, then I shall. Otherwise, wake up from your bloody godawful trance." Red flashed in front of Leaf's eyes. Anger. Rage. The feeling of being betrayed by the person who had gotten closest to him. It was true. Maybe no one could be trusted. A dull throb pulsed in Leaf's head, literally in sync with the waves of pain from his wounds. Instincts were rising over reason. He was falling, falling, falling… If Shadow was going to fight, then it will be to the death.

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

Shadow saw the wolf coming, and true to Leaf's predictions, the black wolf was caught off guard by the feint. Even so, Shadow's reflexes and combat skills were still intact and heightened by his current state. Leaf's claw landed just past its original target. Two gashes tore their way through the fur and skin just behind Shadow's left eye, a snarl leaving the wolf's lips as he quickly turned around to face Leaf again.

But that was before Leaf spoke again, speaking his name, and recognition flared in his eyes, the power infused form he had taken wavering. By the second time Leaf spoke brother, Shadow whimpered, the pain breaking past the flimsy barrier in his thoughts that had been weakened by Leaf. The black wolf’s claws returned to normal, his teeth drawing back behind his muzzle again, and his fur went back to a more natural black.

Shadow drooped to the ground, laying there with his muzzle laying against the ground. The effort that he had exerted in the fight had suddenly caught up with him, his powerful form no longer keeping him from it, revealing the pain and weariness that would otherwise have been hidden.

His face bled, and countless little cuts and scratches started to take their toll. Shadow may have been an unstoppable tool of destruction when he had been fighting, but that didn’t prevent him from getting hit, he wasn’t that good.

Even with the pain and weakness, Shadow forced his muzzle up, glancing up at his brother, his eyes instantly locking on the white wolf’s side. “Leaf…” Shadow said faintly, quietly. “I didn’t…-” He pushed himself to his feet, dizziness trying to pin him back to the ground.

Once he got to all fours, his paws shaking, he made his way slowly forward to his brother. Leaf was injured…he had to help.

[Leaf]

Through the pounding pain in his head, Leaf noticed that Shadow had recovered and returned to his normal form. Blood had split from where Leaf scraped him. Was he blinded, or was Leaf off his mark? The headache blurred the white wolf's vision and he couldn't tell. He hoped that Shadow was alright. The dark, wild aura around Shadow had died down, though, and that was all that mattered. "Shadow…" Leaf gasped, flashing a dull smile that crossed with a sharp wince. "You're back. Good." His legs then collapsed under him and Leaf knelt on the ground, teeth clenched. He was losing blood from his side and the painful throb continued to pound periodically, racking at his brain.

Through the fuzzy view that he had, Leaf saw the black wolf staggering toward him. He was hurt, too. Their internal fighting had rendered both of them weak and injured. Leaf twitched his ear weakly and tried to get up, but a sharp pain and nausea swept over him when he tried and he fell back onto the ground. They had to leave this place or the enemy would catch up soon. They had to get up, they had to run. The ground seemed so comfortable, though. So open, so warm. Why not nestle here… in this field of blood an rotting corpse. After all, they would join them sooner or later, right? The throb in his head was so rhythmical, so repetitious… It was like a lullaby…

At the thought, Leaf suddenly snapped out of his drowsy demeanor. What was he doing? They had to get out of this place, and quickly, too, for that matter. "Brother." Leaf choked as he pushed himself up with his forelegs, grunting at the pain in his head. "We have to run." That's right. They had get the hell out of the place and find a temporary safe haven. Mustering all his strength to fight gravity, Leaf stood on shuddering legs and faced his brother. "After all," Leaf flashed a mischievous grin at his dark counterpart. "we're invincible, right?"

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

"Well... I am,... I don't know about you... little brother." Shadow grinned despite the fact that the little movement made his head spin. A little joust to brighten up the mood. The black wolf closed the remaining gap on strength he didn't have and brushed his muzzle against the top of Leaf's head and ears.

"Already on it brother." Shadow shifted, taking back on his human form. His wounds were much more predominate in his human form, the twin claw marks above his eye looking much worse, bloody and infected.

"Hold on Leaf." The black brother knelt down, bringing his cut and scraped up arms under the white wolf's belly, picking the wolf up gently, his muscles straining even as he tried it. Once he had the wolf off the ground, he leaned back a little, shifting Leaf's weight so that Shadow's chest took the majority of the pressure, and he stared forward away from the river, off into the woods with his brother, hoping to find some shelter soon.

"I probably don't....want to ask this, but what happened?" Shadow couldn't remember anything but the start of the fight and looking at his brother again, Leaf's side bloody and countless dead bodies around them.

[Leaf]

"Hey there," Leaf chuckled at his brother's petty jab. "don't try to patronize me now." The atmosphere had changed back into a light and friendly one. It hurt Leaf's side to laugh and his chortles came out short and forced, but he was glad that Shadow was back to normal. The touch of his warm muzzle again his head was comforting and Leaf closed his eyes, pushing his nose into the side of Shadow's neck gently. The black wolf then transformed into a human and picked Leaf up, which surprised him. The strength that he had was so incredible, that he could pick a wolf up even when he struggled to walk. That was something that Leaf could not achieve. The wounds above his left eye was apparent and they were swollen and bloody. It relieved Leaf to see that he had missed, though.

They headed for the woods and were soon under the cover of the thicket, hidden by pieced shadows and various shrubbery. Shadow then asked Leaf what had happened. Leaf looked at his brother quizzically. Had he really forgotten everything that happened? "Well," He started. "The demon's puppets attacked us and we fought them, slaughtering them all. The people that lived in the village back there… they're completely obliterated. Leaf shuddered at the thought. He had never killed so mercilessly, never took so many lives first-handedly. It was a messy, bloody massacre. But, they were alive, so it was fine. "Anyways, after the last man fell, you seemed so into the killing that you thought I was a foe. I changed into a wolf to try to get recall me, but you kept attacking. You changed, too. Your pelt became darker and your eyes had no emotion. In fact, you weren't you anymore. I attempted to blind you to stop you. After that, I spoke to you and you came to." It was scary, what Shadow had become. The lust for killing, for slaughter. Those were the only things that were in the dead eyes that stared through Leaf even now in his memory. "If you hadn't come to, I was prepared to either kill you or die at your hands." The white wolf said solemnly, looking down at his paws. The edge was stained red and crusting in the dark rust-like color of dried blood. Never had he gone through an experience like that. If the Hellhounds were still on his tail, then he would have to be prepared for a lot more.

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[Shadow]

>Human<

Shadow gazed at Leaf for the beginning of the story, confusion and questions raising up in his mind. He couldn't understand why he didn't remember anything that Leaf was talking about. An entire village slaughtered...

And he remembered not a single one of its inhabitants deaths.

Shadow's eyes narrowed and he gazed away from Leaf, looking along the path that he was taking, his mind far away. What had happened?

His brother spoke once more, the white wolf mentioning Shadow's own involvement and what happened after it was over...

Shadow's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape as he continued forward, barely keeping himself from tripping up. He... He had attacked Leaf? He had seemed so into the killing that he saw his own brother as a foe? No emotion...no recognition...just a killer. A murderer.

"I..." Shadow walked past a few more trees before stopping in his tracks, still gazing straight ahead. "Was I the one that gave you this wound?" Shadow gazed down at the white wolf's side, disbelief and concern mingling with sorrow and confusion.

He would have brought his hands to his own eye to verify what he already knew if they weren't already occupied. His head was bleeding from a claw wound, Leaf's story was true. How could it not be?

His voice grew quiet, whispering to himself, "...Die at my hands...?"
If it wasn't for Leaf's weight to give him a concrete physical strain, he felt like he would drift off into his thoughts, desperately to cope with these treacherous deeds he had committed that he didn't remember.

...that had almost resulted in the end of his brother's life....

[Leaf]

All Leaf had to respond to Shadow's confusion was a grave nod. The puppets had not been able to touch an inch of his skin because of the black wolf's adept protection, but it was ironic that this protection would turn against him and tear across his body mercilessly. He may have destroyed everyone in the village without knowing, but they were threatening. The face, the gaze that Shadow had given Leaf during the fight was just one that was swallowed into the bloodshed. How quaint… The best ally turned into the most threatening enemy in the blink of an eye. The fear that he put upon Leaf had been enough to drive him to attack back, to forget about their bond. It was enough to put survival before friendship.

Both of the werewolves were silent, drowned in their own thoughts. The toll of sin strangled their heads and their hearts beat next to one another's imperfectly, but together. "Shadow…" Leaf spoke in a whisper. "I am no better than you. I struck you as well." The werewolf fell silent again. He could remember the resolve he had; it was so clear, so bold. Although it was fear-driven, the thought that he was going to put his brother's life out was… repulsive. 

Looking up and scanning the surroundings, Leaf spotted a cave on the side of the path. It was covered by thorns and other various forms of vegetation, but it was definitely a cave. Squirming out of Shadow's grip, Leaf landed on the moist earth. His right hind leg buckled and slipped, but Leaf pulled himself up immediately. "There's a cave, brother." The wolf reported as he trudged over to the hidden cavern and pulled the vines away with his teeth, trying to force an opening. It wasn't much, but it was shelter and it was protection and that was all they needed.

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

Shadow gazed after Leaf for a moment, considering what his brother had said. While Shadow had lost control, and that was his own fault for not keeping better tabs on himself... (He still didn't understand it completely...), the white wolf himself had turned on Shadow without a real second thought.

Shadow sighed at the depressing thoughts, but at least there was one thing to come out of it. He may have hurt Leaf, but at least none of the other countless drones had touched him... It could have been worse... It always could be worse...

The werewolf shifted once more, slowly following in his brother's footsteps. Shadow tried ineffectively to block out the sight of the trickle of blood he was also following.

By the time he reached the cave, Leaf had already broke through and stepped inside. At the white wolf's disappearance and Shadow's own near entrance into the cave, he turned back. Dark eyes somberly searching the path of the forest from one side to the other. No other danger that he could see.

It was for the best he supposed...

Shadow turned and followed Leaf inside.

[Leaf]

Limping into the gaping mouth of the den, Leaf found a nice, soft indent in the earth and nestled into it. The air was moist with a moldy touch, but it was uninhabited. The wolf watched as Shadow stumbled his way in, a sliver of ivy dyed red from the blood near his eye. They were hidden, but not all of their tracks were covered. Leaf kept his senses perked until his brother had entered the cave fully and the wrangles of torn vegetation sprung back into it's place. Yawning widely, Leaf burrowed his head into the ground, nuzzling it. The pain in his side had died down to a dull, gentle throb and his headache had just become a tinge of nausea. All he needed was rest. He needed to throw off the fatigue that hung at his eyelids and gripped at his muscles. All through the day he had not been able to stop, not been able to miss a beat. Leaf was exhausted.

The dampness still hung in the air. A little… too damp. Leaf twitched his ear and the first drop fell. It splashed upon a leaf outside of the cavern, emanating it's delicate sound through the forest. Then, more came. It was soothing and soon the pit-pat of the drum became the downpour of a symphony. The rain fell in buckets, draining the sky. It thundered against broad leaves and the top of the cave, sending dim echoes between the sedimentary walls. Each drop had its individual sound, but together they were also one. The noise was soothing, though. It was constant and comforting, washing away Leaf's thoughts about his day. It was just wonderful to relax. "Brother," the canine muttered lethargically, "I'm glad we're fine..." He smiled gently as he closed his eyes and swept his tail softly against the floor. It was nice to have a roof over the head. And this warm, fuzzy feeling that churned inside the heart felt good, too.

Bliss.

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[Shadow]

>Wolf<

Somber eyes laid to rest on Leaf's snow white fur, tracing the red trails cutting a small path in his brother's side. This was far from over. If they were going to continue, he had to steel himself. Control his anger, his sense of impending unending doom. Clear thinking, careful planning...that's what it would require... and the cost... It just kept going up.

Torn grass and roots slipped back in place, his footsteps soft and quiet. A twitch of an ear and he glanced over his shoulder in time to see the start of the downpour, the air heavy with the calming scent of the raging storm; silence and the steady beat of the droplets upon the forest floor and leafs.

He would have continued to watch the storm, lost in the eye of it, but Leaf's voice cut through the euphoric mist;

Brother... I'm glad we're fine...

"So am I Leaf... So am I...." He whispered back, not lending strength to the words that came unbidden to his mind after, for how long though?

For now, he swept those thoughts away as easy as Leaf's tail traveled across the smooth rock surface of the floor. They were safe, and he needed his rest as much as Leaf did if they hoped to get to the bottom of who was hunting them... and just what this demon had in store for them yet to come.

Shadow padded forward and let his feet slide down on the ground, his muzzle following as he curled up beside Leaf, his body between his brother and the den's entrance. No more than a few minutes later and his own eyes closed, the wolves' shared heat and comfort and the soft pouring of the rain without driving him into the realms of sleep. Bliss.

--

A long exhale, sniffle, sleep laden eyes resisting the urge to open...

Sunlight reflected off a stone, catching an unprotected iris and forcing the eye open completely, then the other.

Shadow looked up without moving, eyes traveling past the vegetation blocking the cave and on to the damp world beyond. He was sore all over, weariness infused with adrenaline in the spur of the fight turning into just plain exhaustion after a good rest to peal off the levels of protection from his abused muscles.

He realized only on an instinctual level deep down that he was hungry. But an equal and insistent need drowned out the nagging need to hunt.

Just go back to sleep. The den is safe... No need to go out and get your fur all wet only to wear yourself out further chasing after the swift feet of the forest's prey...

But... Leaf....

There it was. Despite Shadow's weariness, his muzzle lifted and he turned to gaze at his white brother, the obsidian furred wolf's dark orbs seeming to shift with the bending of the light in the den.

He couldn't go back to sleep, he had a brother to look after and protect; And he had answers to find.

With a soft growl to himself, he pushed his paws underneath his resisting body and lifted.

[Leaf]

Before Leaf knew it, he was already trying to crack his eyes open to a new day. The storm had calmed and the world outside of the cave was probably soaked from the aftermath of the rain as well as the morning dew. Letting his amber eyes accustom to the fragments of sunlight permeating through the vegetation, Leaf could see that Shadow was too, getting up. 

Moving a limb lazily, Leaf could feel a slight strain in his muscle. Thus was the consequences of overworking himself the day before. But Leaf would rather go through a day of soreness than be part of that decaying mass of flesh they had left behind at the now deserted town. The rain probably left the piles of corpses soaking and was attracting flies now. The very thought made the white wolf shudder and very last bits of drowsiness were driven from his mind.

Pushing himself up off the cozy stone floor, Leaf pulled himself into a long, nearly feline stretch of his back. The action made him wince, however, due to the wound on his side. It was much better than the day before—the bleeding had stopped—but Leaf knew he had to be careful not to tear the crusted scab. "Morning, brother." He yawned as he pulled himself back into an upright position. The long night had given him plenty of rest and despite the setbacks of aching in his muscles, Leaf felt much more refreshed. 

The air had no scent besides the muddy dampness from outside the cave. That was usually what it felt like after the rain, anyways, but Leaf could sense that the enemy was nowhere close. Looking at Shadow, Leaf could see that he had signs of soreness, but his dark eyes sparkled with their rightful ferocious gaze. The scratch that Leaf had given him during the fight seemed to have faded and was not nearly as swollen as it was yesterday. As expected of such a warrior. The thief thought to himself.

A pang of hunger suddenly hit Leaf. It made him realize that he hadn't eaten for a day and a half now. He just hadn't the time for it. "Why don't we get breakfast?" The white wolf suggested. After all, they were out in the woods. It couldn't be that hard to catch something to eat.

[Shadow]

>Wolf<

"Morning." Shadow did much the same once his legs cooperated with him enough to stand. He stretched out and yawned, gazing first toward the cave entrance and the damp world beyond before gazing back to Leaf. His eye didn't bother him any more than a brief burn every few minutes. Werewolves were notorious from recovering from wounds far worse than his scratch. He wouldn't let it bother him, as Leaf had put it in his thoughts, he was a warrior. A fighter, and he was used to getting more than his fair share of wounds. The one earlier, the arrow, was far worse.

He had even done worse to Leaf than his brother had done to him. He still hadn't gotten over that yet, but he was doing his best. He was sorry for it, and he hoped Leaf understood without him saying it.

"Sure." Shadow gave a haughty grin to Leaf. That nagging voice tried to make a come back then, reminding him that it was going to be hard to catch the little critters around here, but he didn't pay attention to the voice. Maybe they'd get lucky and come upon some abandoned food along the way. It would be soaked by now, but that was a small price to pay. What with the numbers they had fought back at the village... He would be suprised if they didn't find some abandoned stocks along their path.

But before they left, he had a small matter to attend to. Shadow swept casually forward and lightly nosed Leaf's side. A sniff and a gentle brush of black fur against white and Shadow was satisfied. He still didn't like the way the wound looked, but at least it was healing.

Shadow pulled back and met Leaf's eyes with his own, "How are you feeling Leaf?"

[Leaf]

Wagging his tail slightly, Leaf grinned at the prospect of catching some food. Even after all the bloodshed yesterday, he was still up for some meat if he could get it. Pacing toward the entrance, Leaf answered Shadow's concern, "I feel fine. My side stopped bleeding so I'll be okay if I'm careful." He turned back and gave the black wolf an assertive grin before pawing his way through the vines.

The air outside was damp, even slightly foggy, but that only brought a fresh, clear smell that seemed to refresh Leaf from head to toe. Stepping onto the raw earth, Leaf could feel the soft, wet soil mold itself around his paw. Rarely had he the chance to enjoy such a beautiful and natural feeling. "C'mon Shadow!" The white wolf beckoned playfully. "The prey isn't going to catch itself!"

Leaf amused himself for a few moments by jogging around in the morning air, enjoying the feeling of soft earth squish between his claws. Hopefully they would be able to catch something satisfying. A couple of rabbits would be nice, but if they could get their paws on a deer… Man, the thought was simply mouthwatering. Of course, they always had the village as a backup, Leaf thought darkly. The prospect of returning to that place brought chills to his mind. Sure, it would be squandering to not pillage the town, but Leaf didn't want to face the soulless eyes glaring back into his again. They held within the last moments of panic and horror that crossed their minds before they would never think again. Their last etch of life emanating from their empty windows had been seared into Leaf's mind, unable to be effaced for eternity.

Shaking these thoughts away, Leaf turned his nose to finding a scent that they could follow. The air was somewhat empty, seeing as the rain had washed the smells out of the air, but it wasn't long before Leaf could pick something out. It was the smell of something alive—not himself nor Shadow, it was too far away—definitely the scent of warm blood pulsing under skin. [color=lightgreen

[/color]"Do you smell that?[/color] He asked. "I think that's our breakfast."
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