Post by Mythri on Nov 25, 2008 18:11:04 GMT -5
// Cast
Malak, male adult cougar
Revan, male adult cougar
Felstride, male elder wolf
// Theater
Deepening Woods
// Prologue
None.
// Scene
Malak is on edge as he tracks the scent of that dog and her wolf. He has smelled the lupine scent markings, but the wolf and dog have been staying just this side of the lupine border. Well, the trick they used further north will not work again. Though he travels slowly, paying attention to what is around them, he has no intention of turning back this time. A large pack could be a danger to even two full-grown cougars, but they are just on the edges of the pack's lands. They are no further in than they would have been, had they decided to cleanse this land of the lupine filth that inhabit it, so as long as he remains aware, he has no concern that either he or his brother could be in any danger.
Canines and lupines working together. The fact that their prey have actually traveled through wolf packlands is atrocious to the highest degree. Revan has to remind himself that they're dealing with inferior species, and such behavior can only be expected. That doesn't mean he has to like it, though, and the tightening of his mouth at the thought indicates just how he feels about it. Like his brother, his senses are on high alert, neither of them speaking, as they move slowly through enemy territory.
After his brief encounter with the young wolf and her non-wolf companions.. Felstride has remained on the northern fringes of the Lazuli's territory, at times crossing the border north trying to determine where the supposed cougars might come from. For a while, he found no traces of anything unordinary, save Sketch, Skel, and Vincent.. no cougars. Three days have gone by and he has not slept and he has not eaten. The alpha male is tired, grizzled, and the walking dead, to be sure. There are burrs caught in his pelt that he has not had the energy to remove, and his face is withdrawn and gaunt. His hind leg is stiff and heavy, dragging behind him longer than it should, only to snap forward with a painful grimace.. his paw at times folding in underneath itself; he's lost feeling on it, having walked on it so long without care. At one point, the vague sense of the feline scent wisps by his nose on a breath, and his ears prick, hackles rising. Despite himself, Felstride kicks his stride into a higher gear, panting heavily despite only running at a trot. His focus on the scent is intense, so much so he doesn't notice a tree root sticking from the soil. His hind paw catches in it, and halts his progress with an echoing shriek, a sound he would never make were he healthy. Ears flat, head bowed, jaw clenched, Felstride stands there, breath tight in his chest, listening to the echo of his painful failure bounce through the forest. Damn it.
Malak stops walking, abruptly, as that shriek reaches his ears. It is the first hint he gets of another animal's presence, as Felstride was not yet close enough that the unnatural gait of a wounded animal had caught Malak's attention. He spends a moment, just smelling the air. The two they are still pursuing are still far off, he can tell, so whoever made that sound... Well, no other sounds have accompanied it, so the creature is doubtlessly alone. He gives a glance back to Revan, leaving it up to the other male as to whether they check it out or continue along their current path.
What kind of creature would make that kind of noise? Revan stops as well, ears straining for any additional sounds that would provide more information. Is it a trap? Or is it an opportunity? A subtle nod is given to his brother as he slowly makes his way toward the sound. Even if it's nothing more than a wounded creature, at least they'll have the satisfaction of killing something to help energize their pursuit of the wolf and two canines. But as they close the distance between themselves and the... whatever it is, Revan feels a thrill course through him as the scent of wolf grows significantly stronger. Perhaps the shriek was the sound of prey dying to the jaws of a wolf, providing the perfect opportunity for the cougars to ambush. Or even better, perhaps the shriek was from a wolf itself.
For what seems like forever, Felstride stands there, his backpaw lame and caught under the loop of the tree root, his side aching from the pull of the muscles, feeling in his leg almost completely gone. He swallows hard, throat dry, and tries to ease himself back and out of the trees strangle hold. Eventually, the wolf manages to do so, hind leg tucked protectively, instinctively against his side, and the offending root is avoided. Tongue rasps across dry lips and he lifts his head, heavy on his shoulders, and tries to catch the feline's scent again. A few hobbled paw steps forward, the aging wolf doesn't get very far before his fur pops along his spine, and he snaps to attention. Amber eyes are darkened, but dangerous, and through the haze of his pain issues a deep, offending growl. The scent is stronger, blown in on a recent breeze; they're here. "Turn /back/," Felstride shouts, a snarl quivering his lips. "You are /not/ welcome on Lazuli lands." Silence, then, the scent of his own fear thick in his nose.
Though Malak drops back to allow his brother to take point as they investigate the noise, he hears the voice from not far ahead easily, and it brings a vicious grin to his face. There is none of the anger that he has expressed when a fellow cougar has attempted to order him to do something, because hearing a command from a creature so terribly inferior as a wolf is almost laughable. Still, he remains silent. The only operation that will garner his full attention is disposing of that dog. This little side game is his brother's, and he is only offering support, for now.
Thanks for stating the obvious, old man. Revan can't help but chuff in amusement. Turn back? Or what? He'll try to limp over and bite them? "The problem with your command, wolf, is that you're assuming that you still stand on Lazuli land." He begins circling around to the side, slowly stretching out and flexing his claws. This is going to be fun. He knows that his brother is probably wanting the kill a little more than he is, so he'll let Malak have the first attack while he makes sure to stay alert for possible lupine reinforcements.
The wolf's eyes narrow, following one of the male's to the side as he speaks and begins to move, though Felstride makes no motion to turn and leave the other male, the silent one, exposed to his back. However fervently he wishes he had listened to Storm and Miakoda, however much he wishes his pack were behind him.. another part.. is glad they are not here. He would not dare put them in such danger. His maw parts as he draws from deep within him a guttural, rumbling growl, head tilted slightly Revan's way. "There is a problem with your /ears/, /cat/. I told you to get out." The wolf lifts his head, eyes ablaze with his anger, tail lifted in dominance; the fear is gone, replaced by the anger, by the desire to save what is his, what he has lived for. "I do not care why you are after these dogs. They are strangers to this land. But you have crossed a dangerous boundary in your foul, misguided pursuit. Turn away, and you will live."
Malak actually laughs as he takes a few steps forward, his pace slow, menacing. The sound in anything but pleasant. To Malak's mind, he may as well be staring down a lame rabbit, incapable of running away, ordering them to turn tail and flee. Recognizing what his brother has offered him by being the first one to move off to the side, he finally speaks, addressing the old wolf directly. "You have obviously met our true quarry, so I will offer you a deal. Tell us where to find what we seek, and we will leave these lands. For now." He is not lying. They will leave. However, he cannot allow a wolf so bold and brash as this one to walk away from the encounter after the way Felstride has addressed them.
He may have not liked the fact that Skelaghe and her companions brought these cats onto his doorstep, but he will not betray their location. Upper lip quivers in distaste as he watches one of the cats ooze forward, disgusted at the feline's words. "You mistake me for a fool," the wolf nearly balks. In the pit of his stomach, he can feel the knot twisting and turning, but he dashes the feeling away. He places his injured hindpaw on the ground, standing as tall as he can before Malak, eyes flitting behind him every so often to keep track on the other. "Whatever misguided judgment led you to pursue those three, abandon it. You will not pass through Lazuli lands."
Revan throws a sideways glance toward his brother, making sure that Malak isn't going soft on him. One look at the other male's expression dispels any thoughts along those lines, but his attention returns to the wolf as he speaks. "You are correct," he admits, though his voice and demeanor are both confident and amused. "We will not pass through Lazuli lands at all." Almost with casual ease, the male spraymarks the base of the tree he's standing near, and stretches out a little more. "We're passing through our own lands. And unless I'm mistaken, that now makes *you* a trespasser. A rather fatal mistake on your part." He falls silent, ears swiveling as he continues to listen for signs of other wolves that might be approaching. His gaze moves from the wolf to his brother, waiting for Malak to administer the proper punishment for trespassing.
Three? Yes, Malak had smelled another dog, but hearing that the two they are seeking are now traveling with a third canine is good to know. As Felstride fails to tell them what they want to know and Revan claims this land as their own, Malak finally crouches down less than a second before he springs forward, snapping his jaws at the wolf's neck. The wolf is old and injured. This will be over shortly, and the Lazuli will be left with a clear message about how dissenters are rewarded.
The wolf turns to face the second male behind him, ears slicking back in disgust and distaste, hackles quivering as Revan marks /his/ tree. Waves of anger wash over the old wolf.. /men/.. and he turns as quickly as his hind leg will allow, attempting to spring forward in a desperate attack to reclaim his land, to protect what resides there. He doesn't get far, for as he turns his shoulder is nearly crushed in by the weight of the fully grown, healthy Malak, and his breath is pounded from his lungs. The only sound that comes from him is a dull grunt, having no breath to draw on; his only saving grace was his turn to Revan.. but it only prolongs what is surely to come. For a moment, the pain seems to melt away from his bones and muscles, and though deep behind his eyes sits a rooted fear, Felstride fights as valiantly as he can. Crushed back legs kick at the cougar's stomach, maw with bared teeth go for what he can reach, neck, face, ears, tearing away bits of fur where he can, spit frothing from his maw.
His marking wasn't so much to claim the territory, contrary to what he might have led the wolf to believe, so much as to make a statement. When the rest of his pathetic wolfpack find his body, they'll also find a very clear indication of who did this. Cougars. That's right, inferior wolf. Sleep in fear tonight, because there are predators out there who are after your blood. Of course, Revan knows that he and Malak will no doubt continue to track the two canines and the wolf, leaving Lazuli behind, though he does want to make sure that Whiskers remains okay. Hopefully his explanation will keep her from following, and he's confident that they won't be gone too long. His dark blue eyes watch the wolf with a coldness that evaporates any of the amusement he might have previously shown. The wolf is going to die, and while Revan knows that his brother will have no trouble at all in dispatching him, he still wants to watch the purging take place.
Shortly after he lands, he can feel Felstride kicking, but the claws are much blunter than his, and through there is pain, Malak has no need to me concerned about being torn apart by the kicking. He takes advantage of his own position to dig his claws into the lupine's flesh. He cannot avoid every strike from the wolf's teeth, but when the wolf attempts to bite down on his face, he backs up, pulling his claws with him to rake them through the wolf's flesh. He would have preferred warm, fresh blood in his mouth, but not while those teeth present a risk, and it makes no difference to him if Felstride dies quickly or slowly.
The claws in his flesh dig deeply, pinching away his air, and the cougar's weight slowly crushes his lungs. The wolf continues to kick his hind legs when he can, flailing his forepaws at the cougar's face and front, lips pulled back from his teeth that continue to try and snap and bite whatever they can reach. When Malak backs away, hot, searing lines rip through his ribs and sides, and the spit flying from his muzzle becomes flecked with blood. The old wolf doesn't cry out in pain, the pain all but dissolved into a muted throb across his entire body, and issues a deeply aggressive, yet anguished, howl, mixing with his growl.
At the Deepening Woods, Felstride howls in anguish.
The pain in that howl lifts Malak's spirits, but it also tells him that it would be wise to finish this up quickly. He doesn't know how many wolves will respond to it, but he and his brother will not cleanse this land by taking on the entire pack at once. With his own growl, he swipes harshly at the lower half of Felstride's face, his sharp claws exposed as he does so, attempting to knock the wolf's upward to again expose his throat.
The hit on the jaw sends a sheet of black across his vision, and his struggles all but cease, then. His only movement is the labored breathing underneath Malak's weight, and the blackness around the edges of his vision slowly creeps closer and closer, blinding the old wolf with each passing second. His head pounds. His lungs feel as though they would explode. His limbs are numb. The alpha male does nothing, then.. unable, or or unwilling to give Malak the satisfaction of a desperate creature any longer. His mind is quiet, his hearing.. gone.. rung out by the clawswipe. Thoughts of his mate, of his daughters, of his sons, of his past resonate deep in his soul; his body is gone, his spirit is not.
If there are any other wolves nearby, there is no doubt in Revan's mind that they would have heard the howl. As much as he would like to take part in the killing, he remains where he is at, strategically positioned and still keenly aware of everything going on nearby. Thankfully, this old male seems to have been traveling alone. Why the pack doesn't keep a closer eye out on their weaker members, he'll probably never know or understand, but it does allow them to make their statement with relative ease.
At least, the wolf's soul is not gone /yet/. Malak definitely does not give Felstride long to come back from that attack. Growling still, he again snaps at the wolf's exposed neck, attempting not just to rip flesh or frighten, but to tear his throat open and drain the remaining life out of him. He will leave no chance that this old wolf could recover from his injuries with the help of his pack. Of course, after today, the one who confronted them could never again be a functioning member of his pack, not with the injuries both new and old, but there can be no mercy for those who would stand against Malak and Revan.
The body shudders once, blood spilling down his chest fur and soak into the graying color, staining it deeply. The feeble attacks at Malak's stomach cease, the forepaws dropping away to one side, the eyes distant.. quiet.. emotionless. The wolf is gone, limply hanging for a moment from the cougar's jaw before the flesh is rendered from muscle, the the head hits the ground with a dull, aching thud. There is nothing, then, but a trickle of blood from the nose, a pool of dark liquid forming underneath his cheek. The body is left; the mind and the spirit elsewhere vanished. The alpha male of the Lazuli wolves, Felstride, is dead.
As as the wolf's body hits the ground with a satisfying thud, Revan allows himself to relax just a little, as Malak can now be fully ready if more wolves decide to approach. He gives his brother a small nod, and starts toward the south again. The thought of scentmarking the corpse briefly runs through his mind as a further warning to any wolf who would stumble across the body, but he dismisses the idea in the need for haste.
Malak releases the body, and while, normally, killing a wolf would be cause for celebration and a good meal, that howl has eliminated this possibility. At least he has the pleasant taste of fresh blood in his mouth, now. After releasing the body, he stands to follow his brother south. He will be the one to watch out for surprise attacks from the wolves in the area for a while, at least for the duration that it will take him to groom the wolf's blood from his muzzle, and Revan can track after their targets.
Malak, male adult cougar
Revan, male adult cougar
Felstride, male elder wolf
// Theater
Deepening Woods
// Prologue
None.
// Scene
Malak is on edge as he tracks the scent of that dog and her wolf. He has smelled the lupine scent markings, but the wolf and dog have been staying just this side of the lupine border. Well, the trick they used further north will not work again. Though he travels slowly, paying attention to what is around them, he has no intention of turning back this time. A large pack could be a danger to even two full-grown cougars, but they are just on the edges of the pack's lands. They are no further in than they would have been, had they decided to cleanse this land of the lupine filth that inhabit it, so as long as he remains aware, he has no concern that either he or his brother could be in any danger.
Canines and lupines working together. The fact that their prey have actually traveled through wolf packlands is atrocious to the highest degree. Revan has to remind himself that they're dealing with inferior species, and such behavior can only be expected. That doesn't mean he has to like it, though, and the tightening of his mouth at the thought indicates just how he feels about it. Like his brother, his senses are on high alert, neither of them speaking, as they move slowly through enemy territory.
After his brief encounter with the young wolf and her non-wolf companions.. Felstride has remained on the northern fringes of the Lazuli's territory, at times crossing the border north trying to determine where the supposed cougars might come from. For a while, he found no traces of anything unordinary, save Sketch, Skel, and Vincent.. no cougars. Three days have gone by and he has not slept and he has not eaten. The alpha male is tired, grizzled, and the walking dead, to be sure. There are burrs caught in his pelt that he has not had the energy to remove, and his face is withdrawn and gaunt. His hind leg is stiff and heavy, dragging behind him longer than it should, only to snap forward with a painful grimace.. his paw at times folding in underneath itself; he's lost feeling on it, having walked on it so long without care. At one point, the vague sense of the feline scent wisps by his nose on a breath, and his ears prick, hackles rising. Despite himself, Felstride kicks his stride into a higher gear, panting heavily despite only running at a trot. His focus on the scent is intense, so much so he doesn't notice a tree root sticking from the soil. His hind paw catches in it, and halts his progress with an echoing shriek, a sound he would never make were he healthy. Ears flat, head bowed, jaw clenched, Felstride stands there, breath tight in his chest, listening to the echo of his painful failure bounce through the forest. Damn it.
Malak stops walking, abruptly, as that shriek reaches his ears. It is the first hint he gets of another animal's presence, as Felstride was not yet close enough that the unnatural gait of a wounded animal had caught Malak's attention. He spends a moment, just smelling the air. The two they are still pursuing are still far off, he can tell, so whoever made that sound... Well, no other sounds have accompanied it, so the creature is doubtlessly alone. He gives a glance back to Revan, leaving it up to the other male as to whether they check it out or continue along their current path.
What kind of creature would make that kind of noise? Revan stops as well, ears straining for any additional sounds that would provide more information. Is it a trap? Or is it an opportunity? A subtle nod is given to his brother as he slowly makes his way toward the sound. Even if it's nothing more than a wounded creature, at least they'll have the satisfaction of killing something to help energize their pursuit of the wolf and two canines. But as they close the distance between themselves and the... whatever it is, Revan feels a thrill course through him as the scent of wolf grows significantly stronger. Perhaps the shriek was the sound of prey dying to the jaws of a wolf, providing the perfect opportunity for the cougars to ambush. Or even better, perhaps the shriek was from a wolf itself.
For what seems like forever, Felstride stands there, his backpaw lame and caught under the loop of the tree root, his side aching from the pull of the muscles, feeling in his leg almost completely gone. He swallows hard, throat dry, and tries to ease himself back and out of the trees strangle hold. Eventually, the wolf manages to do so, hind leg tucked protectively, instinctively against his side, and the offending root is avoided. Tongue rasps across dry lips and he lifts his head, heavy on his shoulders, and tries to catch the feline's scent again. A few hobbled paw steps forward, the aging wolf doesn't get very far before his fur pops along his spine, and he snaps to attention. Amber eyes are darkened, but dangerous, and through the haze of his pain issues a deep, offending growl. The scent is stronger, blown in on a recent breeze; they're here. "Turn /back/," Felstride shouts, a snarl quivering his lips. "You are /not/ welcome on Lazuli lands." Silence, then, the scent of his own fear thick in his nose.
Though Malak drops back to allow his brother to take point as they investigate the noise, he hears the voice from not far ahead easily, and it brings a vicious grin to his face. There is none of the anger that he has expressed when a fellow cougar has attempted to order him to do something, because hearing a command from a creature so terribly inferior as a wolf is almost laughable. Still, he remains silent. The only operation that will garner his full attention is disposing of that dog. This little side game is his brother's, and he is only offering support, for now.
Thanks for stating the obvious, old man. Revan can't help but chuff in amusement. Turn back? Or what? He'll try to limp over and bite them? "The problem with your command, wolf, is that you're assuming that you still stand on Lazuli land." He begins circling around to the side, slowly stretching out and flexing his claws. This is going to be fun. He knows that his brother is probably wanting the kill a little more than he is, so he'll let Malak have the first attack while he makes sure to stay alert for possible lupine reinforcements.
The wolf's eyes narrow, following one of the male's to the side as he speaks and begins to move, though Felstride makes no motion to turn and leave the other male, the silent one, exposed to his back. However fervently he wishes he had listened to Storm and Miakoda, however much he wishes his pack were behind him.. another part.. is glad they are not here. He would not dare put them in such danger. His maw parts as he draws from deep within him a guttural, rumbling growl, head tilted slightly Revan's way. "There is a problem with your /ears/, /cat/. I told you to get out." The wolf lifts his head, eyes ablaze with his anger, tail lifted in dominance; the fear is gone, replaced by the anger, by the desire to save what is his, what he has lived for. "I do not care why you are after these dogs. They are strangers to this land. But you have crossed a dangerous boundary in your foul, misguided pursuit. Turn away, and you will live."
Malak actually laughs as he takes a few steps forward, his pace slow, menacing. The sound in anything but pleasant. To Malak's mind, he may as well be staring down a lame rabbit, incapable of running away, ordering them to turn tail and flee. Recognizing what his brother has offered him by being the first one to move off to the side, he finally speaks, addressing the old wolf directly. "You have obviously met our true quarry, so I will offer you a deal. Tell us where to find what we seek, and we will leave these lands. For now." He is not lying. They will leave. However, he cannot allow a wolf so bold and brash as this one to walk away from the encounter after the way Felstride has addressed them.
He may have not liked the fact that Skelaghe and her companions brought these cats onto his doorstep, but he will not betray their location. Upper lip quivers in distaste as he watches one of the cats ooze forward, disgusted at the feline's words. "You mistake me for a fool," the wolf nearly balks. In the pit of his stomach, he can feel the knot twisting and turning, but he dashes the feeling away. He places his injured hindpaw on the ground, standing as tall as he can before Malak, eyes flitting behind him every so often to keep track on the other. "Whatever misguided judgment led you to pursue those three, abandon it. You will not pass through Lazuli lands."
Revan throws a sideways glance toward his brother, making sure that Malak isn't going soft on him. One look at the other male's expression dispels any thoughts along those lines, but his attention returns to the wolf as he speaks. "You are correct," he admits, though his voice and demeanor are both confident and amused. "We will not pass through Lazuli lands at all." Almost with casual ease, the male spraymarks the base of the tree he's standing near, and stretches out a little more. "We're passing through our own lands. And unless I'm mistaken, that now makes *you* a trespasser. A rather fatal mistake on your part." He falls silent, ears swiveling as he continues to listen for signs of other wolves that might be approaching. His gaze moves from the wolf to his brother, waiting for Malak to administer the proper punishment for trespassing.
Three? Yes, Malak had smelled another dog, but hearing that the two they are seeking are now traveling with a third canine is good to know. As Felstride fails to tell them what they want to know and Revan claims this land as their own, Malak finally crouches down less than a second before he springs forward, snapping his jaws at the wolf's neck. The wolf is old and injured. This will be over shortly, and the Lazuli will be left with a clear message about how dissenters are rewarded.
The wolf turns to face the second male behind him, ears slicking back in disgust and distaste, hackles quivering as Revan marks /his/ tree. Waves of anger wash over the old wolf.. /men/.. and he turns as quickly as his hind leg will allow, attempting to spring forward in a desperate attack to reclaim his land, to protect what resides there. He doesn't get far, for as he turns his shoulder is nearly crushed in by the weight of the fully grown, healthy Malak, and his breath is pounded from his lungs. The only sound that comes from him is a dull grunt, having no breath to draw on; his only saving grace was his turn to Revan.. but it only prolongs what is surely to come. For a moment, the pain seems to melt away from his bones and muscles, and though deep behind his eyes sits a rooted fear, Felstride fights as valiantly as he can. Crushed back legs kick at the cougar's stomach, maw with bared teeth go for what he can reach, neck, face, ears, tearing away bits of fur where he can, spit frothing from his maw.
His marking wasn't so much to claim the territory, contrary to what he might have led the wolf to believe, so much as to make a statement. When the rest of his pathetic wolfpack find his body, they'll also find a very clear indication of who did this. Cougars. That's right, inferior wolf. Sleep in fear tonight, because there are predators out there who are after your blood. Of course, Revan knows that he and Malak will no doubt continue to track the two canines and the wolf, leaving Lazuli behind, though he does want to make sure that Whiskers remains okay. Hopefully his explanation will keep her from following, and he's confident that they won't be gone too long. His dark blue eyes watch the wolf with a coldness that evaporates any of the amusement he might have previously shown. The wolf is going to die, and while Revan knows that his brother will have no trouble at all in dispatching him, he still wants to watch the purging take place.
Shortly after he lands, he can feel Felstride kicking, but the claws are much blunter than his, and through there is pain, Malak has no need to me concerned about being torn apart by the kicking. He takes advantage of his own position to dig his claws into the lupine's flesh. He cannot avoid every strike from the wolf's teeth, but when the wolf attempts to bite down on his face, he backs up, pulling his claws with him to rake them through the wolf's flesh. He would have preferred warm, fresh blood in his mouth, but not while those teeth present a risk, and it makes no difference to him if Felstride dies quickly or slowly.
The claws in his flesh dig deeply, pinching away his air, and the cougar's weight slowly crushes his lungs. The wolf continues to kick his hind legs when he can, flailing his forepaws at the cougar's face and front, lips pulled back from his teeth that continue to try and snap and bite whatever they can reach. When Malak backs away, hot, searing lines rip through his ribs and sides, and the spit flying from his muzzle becomes flecked with blood. The old wolf doesn't cry out in pain, the pain all but dissolved into a muted throb across his entire body, and issues a deeply aggressive, yet anguished, howl, mixing with his growl.
At the Deepening Woods, Felstride howls in anguish.
The pain in that howl lifts Malak's spirits, but it also tells him that it would be wise to finish this up quickly. He doesn't know how many wolves will respond to it, but he and his brother will not cleanse this land by taking on the entire pack at once. With his own growl, he swipes harshly at the lower half of Felstride's face, his sharp claws exposed as he does so, attempting to knock the wolf's upward to again expose his throat.
The hit on the jaw sends a sheet of black across his vision, and his struggles all but cease, then. His only movement is the labored breathing underneath Malak's weight, and the blackness around the edges of his vision slowly creeps closer and closer, blinding the old wolf with each passing second. His head pounds. His lungs feel as though they would explode. His limbs are numb. The alpha male does nothing, then.. unable, or or unwilling to give Malak the satisfaction of a desperate creature any longer. His mind is quiet, his hearing.. gone.. rung out by the clawswipe. Thoughts of his mate, of his daughters, of his sons, of his past resonate deep in his soul; his body is gone, his spirit is not.
If there are any other wolves nearby, there is no doubt in Revan's mind that they would have heard the howl. As much as he would like to take part in the killing, he remains where he is at, strategically positioned and still keenly aware of everything going on nearby. Thankfully, this old male seems to have been traveling alone. Why the pack doesn't keep a closer eye out on their weaker members, he'll probably never know or understand, but it does allow them to make their statement with relative ease.
At least, the wolf's soul is not gone /yet/. Malak definitely does not give Felstride long to come back from that attack. Growling still, he again snaps at the wolf's exposed neck, attempting not just to rip flesh or frighten, but to tear his throat open and drain the remaining life out of him. He will leave no chance that this old wolf could recover from his injuries with the help of his pack. Of course, after today, the one who confronted them could never again be a functioning member of his pack, not with the injuries both new and old, but there can be no mercy for those who would stand against Malak and Revan.
The body shudders once, blood spilling down his chest fur and soak into the graying color, staining it deeply. The feeble attacks at Malak's stomach cease, the forepaws dropping away to one side, the eyes distant.. quiet.. emotionless. The wolf is gone, limply hanging for a moment from the cougar's jaw before the flesh is rendered from muscle, the the head hits the ground with a dull, aching thud. There is nothing, then, but a trickle of blood from the nose, a pool of dark liquid forming underneath his cheek. The body is left; the mind and the spirit elsewhere vanished. The alpha male of the Lazuli wolves, Felstride, is dead.
As as the wolf's body hits the ground with a satisfying thud, Revan allows himself to relax just a little, as Malak can now be fully ready if more wolves decide to approach. He gives his brother a small nod, and starts toward the south again. The thought of scentmarking the corpse briefly runs through his mind as a further warning to any wolf who would stumble across the body, but he dismisses the idea in the need for haste.
Malak releases the body, and while, normally, killing a wolf would be cause for celebration and a good meal, that howl has eliminated this possibility. At least he has the pleasant taste of fresh blood in his mouth, now. After releasing the body, he stands to follow his brother south. He will be the one to watch out for surprise attacks from the wolves in the area for a while, at least for the duration that it will take him to groom the wolf's blood from his muzzle, and Revan can track after their targets.