Why am I alone?

[Aedon]

OOC: This is the thread where Matchstick gets abducted by Ignum wolves D:

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] Two little bundles of fluff sat in the shade of a large shrub. They were in slumber, curled up together, the larger one with it's head protectively over Aedon. She wriggled, then settled back down, comfortable with being close to her brother. Suddenly, a growl echoed from above them. Opening her eyes, Aedon squeaked in fear, sending a shower of red-hot sparks at their attacker. The Ignum wolf backed off, then howled, a terrifying, blood-thirsty sound that put her teeth on edge. Then Matchstick woke up. He jumped in front of Aedon, who was cowering behind him, trying to protect his little sister. The Ignum wolf advanced, showering them with rancid saliva, and cloaking the area with a horrible scent. “Go 'way!” Aedon barked, then cowered again, fearful of the rumbling voice that came from above them. "Oh no, little pups... I will not go away" Matchstick growled, a pitiful sound compared to them maniac, booming laughter that now tumbled from the Ignum wolf's jaws. A bright flare came from Aedon's mouth, and a stream of red-hot purple, green and yellow fire erupted from her maw, burning the laughing beast above them. Laughter turned to a yelp, then a roaring snarl, and the Ignum launched itself at Matchstick, who cried out in surprise. "You'll pay for that, whelp" the beast growled, then turned and gallumphed off with Matchstick in it's jaws. It took a minute for Aedon to realise what had happened. Then a wail sounded from her throat. Why matchstick? Why not her? Why why why? She started to sob, deep body-shaking tears, that left her senseless and wanting to go get her brother back, every rational thought leaving her mind. A howl, very high this time, echoed around the landscape, shouting her desperation, grief and anger at the world. “Heeeeeeellllllppppppp meeeeeeeeee” the howled, tears flowing freely. Aedon tumbles Aedon fantisizes “She demands”

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[Crista]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] Crista rested silently. The soft grass felt brilliant in the stone den. The addition of flooring was a marvellous choice. She snuggled next to her two pack-brothers. They were still pups, so they needed the protection of an older wolf. Charlie, the eldest, was the naughty one. He loved to play tricks and pranks on his brother Timmy, who is the exact opposite. It made Crista laugh to see Charlie doing his thing. She rolled over. It was good to be with her family. Or, at least her adoptive family. A howl woke the pack up. It was deafening, screeching like an eagle, but fearless like a bear. It didn't sound friendly. The youngest pup trotted to the den's mouth. "Is that the bad one?" Timmy asked. He made such an adorable face at the wrong time. Crista became uncertain. She just shook her head and went over to her sleeping spot again. Another howl filled the air. Can't I get some sleep? she thought sleepily, as she analysed the sound. It didn't sound good. Her mother knew it as well. "The Ignum Mortem have been busy tonight." She muttered angrily. She hated the Ignum wolves, not just for their personalities, but also for the fact they killed Crista's parents. "And they must have gotten a pup..." her mutters echoed off into a silent whisper. "Well let me rescue them! We can't let them get away with it. They did it to me, and it was the event that changed my life." Crista whispered, almost becoming a yell. "I have to help them, mum." Crista's mother, Eden, stared at her, and then the ground. "Go. Save them." she whispered hesitantly. Crista turned, not even a snuggle goodbye, she just ran into the open night, listening for the pups. ***** Minutes passed, and Crista howled to let the pup know she was coming. What if it was dead already? What if she was too late? She couldn't bear thinking about it. She just kept running. Nothing was going to stop her. Nothing was going to be in her way. Nothing was going to prevent her from rescuing these pups. Except the Ignum pack. Crista does Crista thinks “Crista says”

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[Aedon]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] In her grief-filled haze, Aedon still had some sense. She needed a beacon, a signal to show anyone she was there... but what? The she realised how stupid that question had been. She was basically a walking, breathing fireball! She concentrated, and a spark flew, catching on her fur and setting it alight. There. now all she could do was wait. Making sure she was sitting in dirt, away from any flammable objects, Aedon curled up, and waited. She was dozing when a responding howl echoed. She scrambled to her feet, howling back, shouting where she was. After a few minutes, she set off to find the source of the howl. As she trundled through the foliage, she put out the fire on her fur, except for a small patch on her head, between the little stubs that would one day be horns, still letting off a lot of light. Matchstick's squeal resounded in her brain, over and over again. He had tried to protect her, but had got kidnapped for it... it was her fault then, she decided, eyes brimming with tears again, it was all her fault. Suddenly, Aedon heard the patter of paws, in the sequence she new would be a run. She paused, the burst out yelling. “Ova' hewe! Am here!” she barked, making as much racket a she could, fur flaring up in flames again. Aedon tumbles Aedon fantisizes “She demands”

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[Crista]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] Cristas legs trembled with excitement. The pup! It had howled to her, proving it was alive, therefore there was still time to save it, incase the Ignum pack came back for it. That thought made her run faster, her legs pounding against the grass, now turning into shrubs. The shrubbery grew taller, almost as tall as Crista herself. She had never explored this patch before. She decided to slow down, otherwise she'd be the one needing help. Now, Crista was trotting, following the howls that answered hers, until she came to a small bush. She couldn't see the pup anywhere. Was it too late, did they get the pup? Are the Ignum wolves still in the shrubbery? She growled to make sure no-one was there. She sniffed around the bushes. Signs of burning. Had a bushfire just been? What if the pup was in it? It has gotta be here. The pup must have survived.. she thought as the burning smell got stronger around a single, almost black bush. The pup was here. Reluctantly, Crista laid a paw against the Earth, gently, and it was a good thing too because the purple pup was there. Wait, Purple?! Crista flew back, just a result of the fear that overcame her at the sight of the purple 'creature'. It looks like a wolf, smells like one, and sounds like one.... Crista sniffed the burned-wolf smelling pup. It was alive. “What the ruddy hell are you?” she said without thinking. Crista does Crista thinks “Crista says”

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[Aedon]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] A different source of heat flickered around the pup, and Aedon was confused. She was on fire, not anything else. Then the acrid scent of burning reached her nose. She turned, then noticed a blackened bush behind her. Quickly putting it out, Aedon let her fur burn down, until finally tiny little embers rested in her fur, glowing as they cooled. Hearing paws again, she scanned the darkness, but finding nothing, curled up and attempted to doze. Unable to sleep, Aedon found herself even more alert than ever, and when she heard the growl, her spines were shown, shining wickedly in the moonlight. If another wolf was poisoned by her, god help them. Flareite poison was deadly, and could kill in several minutes, and although Aedon didn't really want to hurt anyone, but if it was necessary... She cut off that train of thought. Suddenly, another wolf shape stepped from the shadows. Aedon growled, fur bristling, and back on fire. Then she stopped. This wolf didn't smell like rancid meat. She smelt like roses... and grass. Aedon, cocked her head to the side, confused. Then a whimper escaped as she heard the stranger's words. " What the ruddy hell are you?" Aedon looked up, then the fire on her back seemed to float away, and land around them, creating little patches of light, so that she could see.“A-aed-don” she stammered, then added, “Ama Flareiytee” she had trouble pronouncing Flareite, and she looked apologetically up at the stranger. Aedon tumbles Aedon fantisizes “She demands”

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[Crista]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] Crista was still scared of the pup, so she kept her distance. It was purple, this pup, purple with green and orange eyes, unusual for a wolf. And it had lit itself on fire, which was too much for Crista. Then, she remembered what she was there for. She stood forward, and bent down to meet the pup. "My name is Crista. I am part of the Rosa Ancra pack. We live only a few minutes away. Are you alright? I heard the Ignum Wolves here." she said, being careful not to speak too loudly. The Ignum wolves could be anywhere. Suddenly, a deafening, blood-curdling howl screeched in the night air. The Ignum Mortem! They must have heard Crista and A-ae-don. She quickly attempted to grab the pup, unaware if she missed him, but she ran off so fast that it was already too late to see if she had grabbed him. Her only thought was whether she would get back to her den alive and with Aedon. Aedon. What sort of name was that? And what was a Flair-rite-ee? Was it human-made, like the Customs? Or was he alien? The thoughts winded in her head like a spinning top, not coming back to reality until something furry tripped her up. She fell on the floor hard, tumbling and turning, before black-out. Nothing. The thought of the Ignum Mortem being led to her den was terrifying. Was she dead? She didn't know. What about the pup? Did he die with her? If they were dead, why was Crista thinking? She must be unconscious. It was the only thing she could be right now. She opened her eyes, and the reality came hurdling forward, hitting her like a stone. She immediately rose, almost tripping over again, and saw what she had smashed into. It was a tree. And a cave. An oddly familiar cave. The den! It was the den! She had made it. She had completed her mission - wait, did she? Oh my God...where is Aedon? she thought, desperately searching the horizon for any fireballs or purple furballs. Nothing. Crista does Crista thinks “Crista says”

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[Aedon]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] The stranger was weird. She was grey, and seemed scared of fire. Nobody she'd met had been grey, and been scared of fire. Apart from the big smelly one. And she didn't have horns. Aedon was trying to figure out what the older wolf was, but thought maybe, just maybe, that he horns hadn't started to grow yet. Actually, she looked big, so probably not. "My name is Crista. I am part of the Rosa Ancra pack. We live only a few minutes away. Are you alright? I heard the Ignum Wolves here." Aedon was puzzuled. “Do yo mean 'dem bad wofs' who take Mat'stick” she questioned, Then jumped at the howl, her spines coming out. As Crista went to grab her, Aedon dodged, thinking she was the Ignum wolf, and blundered off in a random direction. She ran into something tall, and hairy, and smelly. "Hello little pup" the sickly voice came from above. She yelped, then launched herself against his leg, about three of her spines digging into his flesh, injecting the poison. The Black wolf jumped back, and Aedon was shook off. She then spat a stream of fire at him. By this stage, the Ignum wolf was as good as dead. The poison was reaching it's third stage, and he was immobilised, a heap on the ground, throat convulsing a frothy saliva foaming around his mouth. His eyes were rolling, and he gave one last shudder before he died. Aedon stood there, breathing heavily. That was the first thing she had ever killed. She whimpered, then inspected the brute. Yup, this was the one who had taken matchstick. He has the burns of his face, and he still had a faint trace of matchstick on him. What had that done to him? Was he alive? Was he ok? She turned away, then ran after the obvious trail that Crista had left, as a whole new path had been woven through the shrubs. Reaching the cave, Aedon timidly poked her head from a push, relaxed her spines, and padded out. “Am back” she chirped, sitting down next to Crista and rubbing the top of her head on one of Crista's forelegs, a formal greeting. Crista would have been able to feel the little hard bumps growing beneath Aedon's fur. Aedon tumbles Aedon fantisizes “She demands”

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[Crista]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] Crista walked over to the den, and walked into something. Or, it walked into her. A small furry purple thing has rubbing it's head on her foreleg. Aedon! She came back! “How did you find me?” She asked, before seeing the trail she left through the shrubs, and then at the dent in the ground on which she had fallen. “Oh, right...” Crista muttered awkwardly. Then she remembered the Ignum wolf. Where did it go? Was it dead? No, this little pup couldn't of killed a deadly thing like that. Aedon was a pup after all! Crista couldn't hear the wolf, so was it unconscious? If it was, then she better get the pup and herself inside the den. She gestured using her head to Aedon, showing she was allowed in. Was Aedon already part of a pack? Woah...slow down Crista. You've had a busy night. Surely the pup's parents won't mind. Then she remembered something. The pup had mentioned a wolf, called Matchstick. Hm. Strange names for a strange family. Crista walked around in a circle for a bit, then sat down next to her two brothers. Who was Matchstick, were they Aedon's parent, or sibling, or even her best friend? She needed to know, because if it was indeed a family member, she would need to go and help them right away. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Aedon. "Not to invade on your family history or anything, but who are your parents? We will need to take you to them to show them your safe. We can't have parents thinking I have abducted you, can we?" She just realised what she had just said. The Ignum wolves might have taken her family! Why had she been so stupid? Aedon might not want to talk about the subject. She slammed her forehead on her front paw. Facepalm. Crista does Crista thinks “Crista says”

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[Aedon]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] Crista seemed surprised that she had fond her so fast. Hadn't she realised that the shrub trail was obvious? Aedon frowned, puzzled, then nodded solemly as Crista noticed the path. She giggled, “Choo' silly” she declared, eyes bright with humour. Aedon then felt like showing off. “Bad wof' dead. very dead, it all bleh” at her last word, Aedon made a dead face, poking her tongue out, screwing up her eyes, and cocking her head to the side. She regained her normal face, then explained, not wanting Crista to be confused. “I kills him wif' poison,” she started, making her spines come out, three of them bloodied, “Den' I breaf' fire all ova' hims like dis.” She did so, turning to the side, and breathing fire over the dirt. She cut off the flame, the turned back to Crista, a wide grin upon her face. "Not to invade on your family history or anything, but who are your parents? We will need to take you to them to show them your safe. We can't have parents thinking I have abducted you, can we?" Aedon's grin faded, remembering. “Bruo is very dead, Mama got Mad sickness from a bad animal, and den' she went crazy and killed daddy... den' Mat'stick got tooken by den bad wofs... but day no kill Mat'stick, cuz dead wof had Mat'stick smellz on him, so Mat'stick still 'live kay? ” Aedon answered, nodding decisively at the end. Aedon tumbles Aedon fantisizes “She demands”

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[Crista]

OOC: Woah. big thread.

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][bg=000000] Crista was amazed that such a tiny wolf-thing could have so much strength. Killed an Ignum wolf? Now that's an achievement. Maybe when Eden gets back I can show here Aedon. she thought, thinking of the possibilities of Eden fainting at the sight. Crista grinned, almost missing the pup's next words. “Bruo is very dead, Mama got Mad sickness from a bad animal, and den' she went crazy and killed daddy... den' Mat'stick got tooken by den bad wofs... but day no kill Mat'stick, cuz dead wof had Mat'stick smellz on him, so Mat'stick still 'live kay? ” Crista listened carefully when she did snap back. Her father is dead, her mother is dead, but the wolf by the name Matchstick is still alive. That means there was still time to save them. But, Crista didn't know what they looked like. It is very hard to find something when you don't know what it looks like. Crista thought hard. Why would you name a pup Matchstick? Then a thought struck her. "Hey, Aedon, what does this Matchstick look like?" she asked. She was going to get Matchstick, no matter what. You can't get one but not the other, it is either all or none. That was how Crista thought. She had her family killed by the Ignum Mortum, and she knew what devastating effects they could cause. She was only a pup, a small thin pup. She was vulnerable. Not her father though, he was big and strong and part of the Kulai Res - Wait, she remembered! They were part of the Kulai Resmo pack, in the Queca Desert. She had her family's previous home, she thought she was part of the Mortum Tiegra pack. Wait, what? Mortum Tiegra, Ingum Mortum, Mortum Mortum Mortum. What was with Mortum? Oops, she forgot about Aedon. "Um...did you say something?" she asked sheepishly. Crista does Crista thinks “Crista says”

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