Darkness Dwelling (OPEN!!!)

[Sivoncé™]

Cool ripples flickered across the starry mirror of the lake. Sterling night shimmerd in the skies above; rich, pitch dark blanketed the heavens. Not a single wisp of cloud obscured the pour of moonlight from the giant white orb, glowing frostily in the chill of mid-autumn. The chest of the wolf heaved. Clouds of frigid smoked around his mouth as he panted. Shivering, the brute sagged to the semi-frozen earth, paws tipped pracariously close to the water's edge. Snapping cold laps wetted his paws. Damien winced at the icy sensation travelling up his veins, but reamined still where he was. His eyes rolled shut; he inhaled meditatively, held the air captive for scant seconds, and at last set it free.
Outfitted with copper eyes and a considerably attractice, muscular body format, Damien was a live oxymoron. Despite his ruggedly handsome cut, every atom of his aura repelled his wolven brethren. His once silver pelt was dipped in thick, black ink. Only streaks of his bilogical appearence showed through the opaque film that had settled over him during his days of death. He smelled of flames; the typical Hellfirian.
But I care. I care about things!
About others....about one other...
Which is why Sylvana would have to leave. Soon.
He sat and watched the water twirl and glisten, engrossed by its charm. In its surface, he envisioned a future completely free of the chains that emprisoned any wolf of this valley. He remembered the searing torments of Hellfire, and the exhiliration of Rossa's legends, but now that he had seen the world...
Sanceul would never settle down in a pack; it wasn't her character. Damien was beginning to discover it wasn't in his, either. But Sanceul had always been the solidity of his strange life; she was the very first wolf he ever tried to speak to. And ever since, she had been interwoven with his pawsteps. So Sanceul had to be in his future, too...
And Sylvana poses a danger to that. If Zeffen knew she was travelling with another male? Damien swallowed hard. He'd kill me...and who's to say he wouldn't kill Sanceul, too?

[.Rabid Lycan.]

((“his ruggedly handsome cut” – Damien, you sexy beast, you! xD))

I have the best job in the world.
The serenity of moonlight gleamed underpaw, casting long shadows and shimmering cascades of retreating snow as a single figure raced along a woodland path. The wolf’s ebony locks swirled with every bounding motion and every jovial skip, and not even the uncomfortable chill of the frostbitten valley could affect his temperament.
Of course, there was the unsettling knowledge that this particularly mirthful male was a sadistic psychopath, but that strays from the point.
Gradually slowing to a jog and deeply inhaling the arctic freeze of the air, Lucifer lifted his muzzle to sky and scented. Ah, the packlands. So much fun, so little time… and, from what I hear, a quite popular place for our fiery neighbors. I wonder if—
Wait, why does this smell familiar?
Straining his nostrils for a deeper sniff, Lucifer sealed his eyelids, and exhaled sharply. Could I really be this lucky? Haha, it’s not a fae, but maybe I’ll get more fun out of this little venture than I expected!
Giddy with twisted delight, Lucifer dashed off, the faint crunching of snow the only indicator of his departure. And it was not long before his new target was in sight: a lone black male, quietly minding his own business.
Ah, our little worlds collide again… doesn’t it give you the warm fuzzies when these things happen?
“Hey, you… aren’t you gypsy-girl’s ‘main squeeze’, or something?”

[Sivoncé™]

( I LOL'd when I read that xD )

"Huh? What?"
Lost in his pools of wandering reflection, Damien had allowed his senses to become dormant, something he had gone to great measures to restrict. Blinking in an effort to settle himself once more with the rest of the world, his eyes laid on the patronizing form of Lucifer. Oh. Great, it's that one again... He opened his maw to speak, but Lucifer's next words silenced him. His maw hung agape, brows raised. The grasses themselves seem to snicker at the absurdity.
Cricket. Cricket. Cricket.
"Uh....sorry, come again?"
'Main Squeeze'? What does that even mean? Like...buddies, or body guard...both which could apply, I suppose. Wait...is he saying Sanceul is a pimp and I'm her...um...main squeeze? Really? Where does this guy even come from, anyway? He always pops up at the strangest of times... Finally hearing the words, Damien gazed at Lucifer with an expression of that is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard.
"What's it to you, anyway?"

[.Rabid Lycan.]

((rofl—the crickets! xD!!))

Sanceul did say that this guy was her boyfriend, didn’t she? Yeah… yeah, she did.
“Hehe, you are strange, are you not? Your scent is foreign, sure… oh, well. Never mind.” He continued advancing forward until he was standing beside Damien, and prodded the male roughly in the shoulder. “Anyway, what I mean is that, you know, you’re a couple! HA! It still makes me laugh… Sanceul actually hooked up with someone!”
A bout of chuckles bubbled in his throat, Lucifer ducking away to pace about. “What’s it to me, you say? Why… well, I happen to know her very well, and that… it just doesn’t seem right, that’s what.” He grinned. “Besides, I just happen to enjoy pestering the passerby. Great sport. Anyhow, I’m curious… why aren’t you with her? With dear ol’ dad prowling around, she’s going to need every available source of protection she can get her paws on.”
He took a pause, his irregular ramblings taking a breath as he studied Damien. “You know, you do look strong! Is your little, uh, ‘arrangement’ strictly businesslike? Or are you two kids really all star-crossed Sky and Wind style?” Wow, if this dude goes all mushy on me… ugh, disgusting.

[Sivoncé™]

All Damien could do was gawk at this stranger, maw curled into a disgusted frown. A tremor passed through his body as he spoke of Sanceul, surprise strangling his resolve to berate this foul fiend. Sanceul said....what? He blinked in disbeleif, brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the words. But she couldn't have really said that, his mind reasoned. No, this Lucifer character is a tricky one. He'd stretch anything for a good bit of gossip....
He opened his maw to dispell the lies, but snapped it shut almost immediately. He couldn't tell Lucifer no.
If I tell him no, and he spreads it, Morgan might believe her to be an easier target and come after her more readily. Then again, if I confirm this, he might take it as a direct challenge....either way, he's coming again. I'd rather it be me he heads for first rather than Sanceul. After what happened last time, he'd probably want me dead first anyway....but he can't kill me. I'm one of them, I can't die... She'll be pissed, but she'll understand once I explain it to her.
"I suppose you could call us mates," he woofed. The phrase seemed comical, but he disguised his laugh as a beaming smile. He knew Wind and Sky well; the legends were the sole aspect of this life he knew possibly better than any of the real living wolves. That's not how it'll happen, he thought firmly, I won't let it end like that....
But what exactly would be ending, there? A fantastic, unlikely friendship against all odds? They loved each other because they were all either one had. Friends.
I can't think like that....I can't let it be like that, she'd shy away from me the minute she noticed any change in me...I can't let this happen....

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Sapphire eyes glimmering as he paced to and fro, Lucifer caught himself mid-step as Damien uttered the unwelcome phrase. “I suppose you could call us mates.” The ebony brute raised a brow, studying the larger male’s prideful grin with a disbelieving glance. …ugh… love-struck pup. Yuck. And… dear GoldenWolf, did he just say that they were mates?? Of all the words he could choose to… argh, never mind. Please, erase that memory.
“Ugh… yeah, well, better you than me,” he muttered. “Good luck with that… and watch your tongue.” I wonder how much she’s told him then? Maybe more than I suspected, if they’re truly mates…
“…anyway, I suppose I have nothing to lose by letting you know: Diablo’s been murdered, if you’ve ever heard of him. Morgan went a little nutso and decided to speed up the conversation. Didn’t end so well for the old guy, really. But there’s my little contribution to the daily news.” Lucifer lifted his hind leg to scratch his shoulder blade in a casual motion, as if discussing recent deaths was a regular incidence for the brute. “Seeing as Morgan seems to be a little out of it lately, I’d really be watching my back if I were you. A little psychotic breakdown can go a long way these days.”

[Sivoncé™]

Damien did a double take, his mouth slightly agape, all thoughts of his Sanceul facade dispersed. "Wait...Diablo? Like...the ex-Blood Mist Diablo?" Stupid, stupid question! Do you know of any other wolves named Diablo? A grimace sprouted on his maw. Rossa had told him the stories, of course. He knew of Diablo...but entering the real world hadn't gotten rid of the storytime feel that all of these wolves had to him. Diablo seemed to match closer to a protagonist in an epic than just a...regular old wolf who could simply die like everyone else.
It was just plain wrong!
He'd thought Diablo's story had had a happy ending -- Rossa had told him how he'd run away with his neophyte, Lucinda, and they raised a family of loners...but she hadn't followed Diablo's story further than that.
He gazed into the milling lake, his mind restless.
Worse, it was Morgan who killed him. Damien bit his lip, a tad of hysteria in his light laugh. "Well, then, I suppose I'll have to kill Morgan, won't I?"

[.Rabid Lycan.]

((glad to hear that Diablo & Lucinda’s epic is such a popular bedtime story xD))

Lucifer halted altogether, swiveling his ears toward Damien.
“Heh, what?”
Surprise and amusement stirred in his eyes, the male rolling his shoulders as he considered Damien’s statement. Kill Morgan? What, does this guy think he’s invincible?
“Hey, uh, dude… Duncan, David—whatever the hell your name is—I get that you’re pissed. Morgan beat up your girl and murdered some old guy. I’d be mad too. But there are a couple factors in need of considering: number one, his weakness is females. Last I checked, you weren’t a fae—at least, I don’t think so, and I apologize otherwise.” He shrugged. “Numero dos, and most importantly, he cannot be killed. He’s one of those immortal zombie Hellfirians that sprouted out of nowhere—what are you gonna do? Keep fighting the bodies after they re-spawn? How long do you think that’ll take?”
Pupils swirling around in their sockets, Lucifer shook his head.
“I swear, your beginning to act like gyspy-girl. But at least she tried to kill him while he only had one life.” Not to mention that it didn’t turn out very well for her even after she did do him in.

[Sivoncé™]

(( Well, given the circumstances, I'm sure Damien found it extremely soft and fuzzy xD ))

Hysteria. Did that really cover it now? Maw opened in a gleaming smile, he merely chuckled as Lucifer batted away the thought-provoking idea. It seemed logical, didn't it? Regardless of any romantic emotions for Sanceul, she was his friend above anything else. Which was reason enought to want to beat the living shit outta the guy. Plus he just murdered a sort of hero of my deranged childhood...
Deranged...maybe that covered it...
"Have your senses grown lazy?" A teasing glint flickered through the intensity of his stare. Copper eyes piercing the scornful brute, Damien snickered at the strangeness of the situation. "Lucifer, can't you smell me?" Subsonciously, he took a small whiff of himself. Soot and ash rocketed up his nostrils. Wincing, he blinked away and let his half-crazed eyes drop into the depths of the water once more.
Was it a good thing that he hadn't caught on right away? Did that mean his past would fade into the background, just like the black smears of his pelt....?
No. It'll never fade...I'll always be a monster inside. I can't let myself forget that.
"No matter how many times Morgan rises from the dead, I'll rise, too."

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Damien’s words ceased their ventures, and a silence developed between them. Lucifer stared incredulously, his nostrils quivered for the briefest of seconds. The scent of soot was there—less pronounced than other Hellfirians, but present nonetheless—and, in this moment of recognition, Lucifer began to laugh. The laugh augmented into a hysterical trill of chuckles, and a broad grin stretched the skin of his muzzle.
“Dear Lupus, have I been this blind!? HAHA! It all makes so much sense now! And, really, I knew that Sanceul attracted strange crowds, but this is ridiculous! This is too perfect—too wondrously ironic!”
Still laughing, Lucifer sat and peered closer at the other brute.
“Really, I am a fool, but this is hilarious all the same. So, what, then? You two fight each other for eternity? Well… go ahead, actually. This should be much fun to watch. Hell, I’ll even show you where I last saw ol’ Morgan, if you’d like.” He looked on the other male with an odd combination of amusement and a hint of… admiration? “…and, really… the lesser fae with the living demon? You two make quite the couple.”
How fun. A fight of immortals? Ha, I wonder who’ll win.

[Sivoncé™]

Damien's thoughts traveled over the same paths as Lucifer's, but instead of a smile, Damien felt a grimace on his lips. And a slight prod of de ja vu....the last immortals to walk this earth had been the alphas of the original packs. In the back of this mind, he wondered at the significance. Perhaps these new immortals will fall in the same manner, then? Cause all the packs to uproot again and move away...no, that seems awfully anticlimactic. How many times has that happened, now? This time is different....I can feel it.
If these new immortals would fall....he would fall with them, wouldn't he? It would be suicide to even wonder at the prospect...
At the same time, he felt a great mountain of fear looming in his chest. Lucifer was right; he would battle Morgan countless times across countless lives if he must. But what good would it do him, in the end? If, even just once, Morgan felled him...what was to stop him from killing Sanceul in the period of time it took him to regenerate?
He didn't give any hint of his fears to Lucifer. The freakshow already has enough information to parade around. He babbled on, Damien's eyes narrowing at his remarks.
"Excuse me, but how exactly is Sanceul a 'lesser' anything? It astounds me how one could be so chauvinistic as yourself." For a moment, Damien's eyes were fire, burning into Lucifer's figure. His words came in a sizzling snarl.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Predictions of future brawls between the two immortals excited his imagination, and Lucifer continued to utter musings of situations to ensue. Truly, a fine spectacle… begs the question of when this will end. And, after all… Sanceul is stuck in the middle, and she is neither immortal nor bound for Hellfire, as far as I’m considered. If she were to die… what then?
Suddenly, however, Damien intruded on his wonderings. A hostile tone greeted his ears.
“Oh, don’t act so insulted—I meant every word with the upmost sincerity,” Lucifer replied casually, turning his nose away fro Damien. “I mean, in all honesty, Sanceul is… intriguing. I enjoy her company, her peculiar knowledge of foreign gypsy traditions, and she’s quite the fighter. She would provide an excellent acquaintance… if she were male. As a female… well, I understand that you’re protective as her ‘mate’. But really, a fae is intended for bearing pups—I can’t help but acknowledge where she is lacking. As interesting as she may be, she is useless as a female.”
He lifted a hind leg, scratching behind his right ear.

[Sivoncé™]

Bile rose at the back of his throat, and an acid river trickled down his throat. Oh, how he'd love to let the acid seep into those words he wanted to snarl right back in Lucifer's face! The wolf's a lunatic! Distasteful as Lucifer was, however, Damien didn't need a sharp ear like Lucifer turned completely against him. His eyes narrowed an invisible degree, however, and his defensive posture never faltered. So what? He thought bitterly. As much as he didn't need another enemy, he wouldn't hear another word against Sanceul's honor. With a warning undercurrent of a growl, he barked icily, "So what do you think males are for, Lucifer? We're the whores of this world, are we not? It's no wonder they'll call your children bastards. I mean, really, Lucifer, male's are virtually useless. We need a femme to ensure our young are born and nursed into the world, but what in hell's name do they need us for after conception? Protection? From what? More male whores!" He laughed ruefully now, decidedly looking at Lucifer's stupidity from another angle. The boy's no more intelligent than a squirrel! "If there is brand of wolf that is lesser than the other, it has an extra attachment between its legs, let me assure you." There are far more men than women in Hellfire....Huh...this is actually somewhat amusing... He blinked at Lucifer doubtfully, wondering if this would penetra the single brain cell held within his impossibly thick skull.

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Lucifer listened, his expression decidedly amused as Damien berated him. Damien was not friendly with him, of that he was certain. And yet we’re having such an engaging conversation!
“Well, I partly must disagree. Males are not only whores; other uses can always be arranged... but I’m afraid you misunderstand me. I am fully aware that the fae will provide the offspring. That is their purpose, and both genders would be lost without this ability. In fact, I am very fond of the females, as ditzy and dull as some may be.” He smirked. “Sanceul is barren, you see. I—or, rather, my selected females—will conceive my children. My sons, or, uh, ‘bastards’ as you so kindly refer to them, will breed, as will my daughters. Sanceul, unfortunately, is unable to contribute to the gene pool.” He blinked, his delighted grin vanishing from his maw. “And that is why she’s useless.”
Standing and rolling ebony locks along his shoulders, Lucifer glanced up at Damien. “Quite a shame, really. I was originally intent on making her my bride until she told me. She’s a strong one; a good quality to pass onto children.” He shrugged. “But oh well… unless you want to yell at me one more time, I suppose you’ll want to get started on your Morgan hunt, eh?”

A pale sheen illuminated the outline of a single wolf. Fog curled from his slackened jaw, the quiet rhythm of his bounds slipping into a metronome consistency. He scented the air, his pelt thick with soot like many of his brethren.
And yet, he was not consumed with bloodlust nor vengeance. Only despair.
Sylvana… where have you gone?

[Sivoncé™]

Damien snorted, intent on arguement. So what if she's 'barren'? A cold, groan rose in his throat. "Well, really, that's just---" He froze, eyes widening for a moment, then settling into hostile slits once more. The wind stirred beneath his nostrils, ancient ash sweeping through his nostrils. A foreign scent...yet one he'd tasted more than once on the breeze....
He couldn't place it. It was one of his Hellfirian brethren moving toward them, he was sure, but which? His head snapped up, eyes scouring the dark fring of trees around them. Even the gentle tinkle of the Twilight Lake nearby had come to a sudden silence. His sense reached out into the night, feeling, searching, probing for the source of the smell.
No name came to him.
With his next inhale, the image of the heated battle turned over in his mind. His vision had tinged red that night; Damien had succumbed to the Hellfirian rage of his homeland....in order to save Sanceul. But there was another there -- Zeffen -- who'd gotten in the way.
His heart dropped as he realized he didn't remember either scent very well.
Shit. So Morgan could be coming at us right now and I don't even know....or worse, he could be going for Sanceul...

Sylvana watched the two bickering males from her place in the shrouded wood. Her mind was a dark and twisted wood in itself; so many tangles, so many knots! Her alleigience had yet to settle, but she knew one thing for certian. I can never go back to Blood Mist....never....