Shake 'Em Off {OPEN}

[Sivoncé™]

^{hop up out the bed turn my swag on
pay no attention to them haters
cause we whip em off}

They'd thought she was gone, faded, forever broken from the excurciating, unimaginable agonies that had crushed her bones to pieces. They thought she was a mere whisper of the mighty howl she had once been. They thought she was gone, dead forever, leaving the throne to her loyal daughter, Assyria. They thought she was a worthy successor, and worthy she was.
But the queen had yet to fall. In the darkness of her den, she had taken refuge for many moons, leaving her solitude only for the sake of her pups. She was not dead. Her bodice, once the most impeccable beauty in all of lupinekind, was now marred and tortured with black, gnarled scars. But she was alive, and her bones had healed once more. Assyria was more than worthy -- far more worthy than any other wolf she knew -- but the time had not yet come for any wolf to replace her. Babylonia would not budge so easily from her prized throne. Now that Ashur was but a flickering presence in the universe, and any hopes of reuiniting her family had been destroyed by the great blasphemy committed by her eldest son, her throne was perhaps the most precious thing to her next to her young pups. Even if I am gone, Assyria will lead them to a good future. She brought Sumer home. I have faith in her.
But the time had not yet come for Assyria to operate alone.
Slowly, the she-wolf stood and departed from the alpha's cavern. She stepped out into the main camp, eyes sweeping over the pitiful lot without concealing her digust. Her lips curled back in a black snarl of disdain.
"What the hell has happened to all of you maggots?"

^{and we ain't doing nothin wrong
so don't tell me nothin
I'm just tryna have fun}

[H.ell . Fi.re.|†A.lba]

Hellfire had been among the wolves to find out that their long lost Alphess was indeed, still alive. His gold optics flashed with surprise as he gazed up at her, ebony coat ruffled by a slight breeze. They were the pitiful maggots? She didn't look much better herself, but he didn't dare speak of it. Assryia and he had come up with the plan to crush the destinian pack for once and for all, but with the Alphess back some one would have to tell her what the plan was. It sure as hell wasn't going to be him. Not volenteering, anyways. He would pay her the respect that she deserved, but she wasn't going to gain his trust. No. Not yet.
A murmur of surprise was heard through out the crowd, and all the wolves looked up to their long lost Alphess. This was strange, very strange indeed. Some stared at her with impure hatred, while others let their mouths hang agape. Some just stared in complete surprise, and others glared the form down. How could they trust her if she had disappeared into her cave, and abandoned them all to think her dead. Hellfire however, was the only one who managed to keep a straight face. No emotion on his face, or in his eyes. This was how Hellfire reacted.

[Sivoncé™]

^{so keep the party jumping
so what's up (yeah)}

Your eyes won't frighten the likes of me.
Nothing could frighten her; fear did not reside in any tendon or tissue of her being. Some called her supernatural, for she'd sacrified her humanity almost a hundred years previous. She'd lived like the commonfolk in this land lived, a humble Destinian who did what she was told and followed orders and was the most beautiful thing a man could ever lay eyes on. She'd lived the half-life, the pathetic excuse for a life that so many pitiful beings were now so satisfied with. And then, Ashur had come to her. She had awakened and breathed for the very first time. And then, she'd become a mother. She'd found her destiny, and she'd chased it.
And then came Blood Mist...and Verlust....and a great, mighty war....and Euphrates' betrayal...Siveria, oh, that damned bitch....killed her...killed her unborn children....left the others motherless....reincarnation...Blood Mist again...the second death, her third birthing, the second most grotesque moment in lupine history....and now, here she was.
She was more than any of them could ever hope to be.
She laughed softly, icy eyes flickering over the lot of them with no emotion. In a sickly sweet voice, she giggled, "Oh, you'll glare, won't you darlings," he voice dropped in a snarl that seemed to erupt from the depths of hell, "...but none dare to answer. There is no excuse for your blasphemy."

^{and i'll be doin what i do
we turn our back}

[H.ell . Fi.re.|†A.lba]

You left.[/b]
The lyrics were whispered, but it sliced through the air like a whip, and the crowd fell silent. Hellfire was staring calmly at the Alphess. You wanted an answer, and I gave you one. In fact, I shall elaborate. While you were hiding in your cave there was a battle. Several casualties. Several blood mist lives lost. Members have been lost as well, but you wouldn't happen to care about that, would you?[/b] Hellfire stared at her with orbs that burned with intense heat. He wasn't going to stand by and let her yell at him as if she owned him. His loyalty was to be earned, and so far, she has earned nothing from him but disrespect. So, he opened his maw once more, a smirk curving from corner to corner.
Is that the answer you were looking for Miss?[/b] Slowly the rest of the crowd inched back from him, leaving him as the only standing wolf in the front. It was as if they did not voice the same thoughts, but every one knew what was going through their head.

[Sivoncé™]

^{and we walk over and
just shake em off}

A wide, scarred glasglow smile lighted the femmes damaged features as she watched the oh-so brave rebel take his stand. She let him say his peace without any other reaction than a rather disturbing smile glowing across her maw, a tilt of her head, a wag of hr tail, and a slight bend in her back. Her entire posture made a mockery of him; it said 'let's play!'
"So valiant, of you, really, sacrificing yourselves on my behalf -- I am so sorry I didn't notice! Oh, but darling, you pain me so!" Again, the voice of the demon grew out of sickly sweetness. "But you have grown ignorant with the revels of bloodlust, love, for I am the one who made the ultimate sacrifice. I gave my life for the future generation of Blood Mist, and while the pains of my birthing would've killed a mortal, I survived for you, my darlings, for I knew that there was no mother so seasoned as I to nurture our precious younglings. I am the sole mother of Blood Mist, and have been since the days of Verlust. Your bravery is astounding, but I must say, your blatant chauvinistic disposition won't sire you any children. So what is more powerful, I ask you -- the striking down of our enemies, or the expansion of our own kind blot them out?"

^{shake em off,
shake em off
shake em off}

[H.ell . Fi.re.|†A.lba]

He arched an eyebrow, and said I see...Some one brings up matters to you, and you pose like some incompetent child? I am ashamed to say that you are my Alphess. And even so with all my doubts about where you went my loyalty to Blood Mist has stayed strong.[/b] He tilted his head to the side, eyes wide with a child's innocene. Tell me, mommy, am I in trouble? Did I speak out against the crown?[/b] He asked. The crowd was silent as they watched the exchange, expressionless. He shook his crown, and a silent cackle was heard. Ah. Children. Such innocent things, aren't they? So easily molded to your devices. Is that all we are? Tools for your revenge? In all honesty, miss, I think both are hand in hand, are they not? You can't do one without the other, obviously. He slid down to the playful, mocking pose, and tilted his head to the side. Now tell me, darling, He mocked her use of darling, and looked down for but a moment. Were you hiding because of those scars that you call hideous?[/b] The crowd stopped breathing. All but Hellfire dared to breathe, to blink, and to speak.

[Sivoncé™]

Another soft giggle, and a move to make a snide comment and---
"THAT'S MY MOM YOU ASSHOLE!"
With that, Assyria delivered a classic bitch-slap to Hellfire's face.
Regardless of the physical altercation that had just occurred, Assyria was well aware of something that, quite frankly, Babylonia would never be able to comprehend and still did not. She was ignorant that her daughter had made battle plans, had gone in negotiated with the stranger that could be a threat to the ruling regime, and had taken up the post of leader in her absence. He smile didn't falter, and in Babylonia's mind, she imagined that she'd shown him up quite well.
But, of course, reality was very different. Assyria's eyes, permanently under the influence of an impulsive rage, bore into Hellfire's. Hateful though she appeared, and ready to fight with her breaths already coming in pants, the message she was sending to Hellfire was very different than what the others saw.
Her glare said I'll explain everything soon, but you better shut the hell up first or you're gonna do something you regret.
Assyria had been there at the battles. Assyria had made sure there was a queen to feed the newborns while her mother went through the process of reincarnation. And Assyria would like to think that, despite her display now, she'd managed to command respect from her peers.
Don't do anyting stupid, Hellfire. We'll take this elsewhere and have a nice little chat, but not here, not now.
Babylonia's child was all grown up, and in many ways, her mirror image....and in other ways, her exact opposite.

[H.ell . Fi.re.|†A.lba]

He was waiting for that. He took a step back, and almost found himself launching himself toward Assyria. Yet, when he looked into her orbs, he saw something entirely different. He wasn't sure what had come over him, but now he felt as if he should be banned from these lands. He gulped, and orbs slowly traveled up to her mother. He blinked a few times, and found himself bowing, and only a hand-ful of lyrics exited his maw. Forgive me, Alphess. That was not my place. I--[/b] He cut short, and turned on his heel. He honestly for the life of him didn't know what had come over him. Perhaps it was the utter disrespect for everything they did for her. He stalked away from Assyria, and the Alphess, the crowd giving way. He didn't think he wanted to talk about it. All he wanted to do was disappear until he figured out what had come over him. If Assyria chose to follow him he wouldn't object, nor would he welcome her. He was confused. Totally and utterly confused. His cheek still burned, and he could feel claw marks across his cheek. He deserved that. He deserved to die. It was almost as bad as being a traitor.

[Sivoncé™]

Assyria let him walk away.
This is not going to be an obvious rendez-vous.
Her mother was satisfied, proud that her child had upheld her name. She was blind to the fact of what really happened; the entire pack had seen that the old queen could not silence the dissenter, but the young princess certainly could. She smirked with a sense of satisfaction.
I became just what you wanted me to be, Mother; a follower in your footsteps. It's my time now. I can't save you forever...and now, they listen to and respect me.
As the crowd dispersed, and Babylonia sauntered towards the nursery to attend to young Sargon, Uruk, Ishtar, and Phoenicia, Assyria strode casually in a roundabout route towards a private corner of camp and stepped in front of Hellfire.
Her words were whispered, and she kept to the shadows.
"You did what you set out to do, you know," she murmured. "Everyone saw what happened....saw just who is in charge now. I cannot shame my mother's name, but I just upsurped her in a way that was mighty clever, wouldn't you say?" She smirked and tilted her head, eyeing the scratch wounds on his cheek. "You should see Cora or Kreuger for that. Violence is an unfortunate necessity."And just wait until I tell you about Hades...
Something was different about the femme; her pelt was clean.

[H.ell . Fi.re.|†A.lba]

He smirked, arching an eyebrow. Aye, I did, but I didn't realize it was doing it. And as for the scratch it can wait. I've got plenty of scars, and a few more won't matter much.[/b] He lifted his paw up to his cheek, and rubbed it thoughtfully for a few moments, before turning his gaze once more to Assyria. Now, tell me. Was that part of the whole plan the whole time? Getting the pack to see you had more power than your mother? When I spoke out against her, she couldn't get me to shut up. You did it easily, with only one phrase, and then bitch-slapping me.[/b]

[Sivoncé™]

And then, the girl laughed.
Nothing evil, though it certainly had a malicious source, but a geunine giggle spun from humor. It was a sound she could never really remember making before...something sort of beautful.
"No, I couldn't really plan it. My mother likes to make a show, but I couldn't be sure when. It was spontaneous, but it worked out rather nicely. There's no way she'll be able to hold her own in a fight anymore; you can only go through so much for immortality to be enough to save you. Even the first alphas, the true immortals, were all destroyed by extreme violence. My mother was murdered in the most brutal event that has probably ever occurred, and then she had to give birth with the wounds she was murdered with, because even the afterlife couldn't heal them. She might appear in vision, but she is destroyed."
Assyria looked away for a moment. It was strange to talk about her mother this way, especially when loyalty came into question. The truth was, she wanted the best for Babylonia. Her legacy would live on, but only if she stayed a legend; her time was finished. This was for her own good. And, as payment for the change in true leadership, Assyria would bring her what she wanted most: her grandchildren. She suddenly snapped out of her reverie and turned back to Hellfire.
"Now, more important things. The battle is near; I have spoken to our little Hades friend. He has agreed not to ally himself with the Destinians, but I am not precisely certain if that means he will ally the Yozorans with Blood Mist. I think I may have convinced him, but until we secure an an alliance, I will not place any bets on him fighting with us. Truthfully, I do not believe he will go back on his word to fight against us. We can proceed whenever we'd like."

[H.ell . Fi.re.|†A.lba]

Hellfire looked thoughtful for a moment, tilting his head to the side as she spoke. So, Hades would not be siding with the Destinians like they didn't want? This was good. Hellfire nodded his head, but seemed doubtful. If he did not say that he wouldn't fight with the Blood Mist, then who would they fight with? His orbs were puzzled with these thoughts, and he had to shake them away before he was carried away in questions, and trying to find answers to those questions. Good, good. Yet, I can't help but wonder what the other Blood Mists will think about this. Your mother has shown herself again. Will they follow you just because you put me in my place, or will they follow your mother because she is still Alphess?[/b] He wasn't trying to be a pest, and honestly he was just a tool in Assyria's plan. He knew this, and oddly enough he didn't mind. Hellfire looked to her, and awaited her answer.

[Sivoncé™]

I really have taken over, haven't I?
For a moment, she said nothing, but simply marveled at recent events. She had acheived far more than her mother ever had in just a manner of weeks; she'd convinced the first break in the alliance since Silver Mist attacked Grey Mist across those mountains eons ago. Her mother hadn't been clever enough to do that. She dismissed his question with a simple wave of her tail.
"The answer is easy; they will follow the one who leads. My mother has not done any leading since she reincarnated. If they look to her, they won't be going anywhere; they will simply stay where they are. Blood Mists have never been ones to like sitting around. If there is a fight, they will fight in it."
Bloodlust is in our nature...it is an essential to lupinekind. They cannot shy away from who they are because an old, fallen leader tells them to.

[H.ell . Fi.re.|†A.lba]

Hellfire nodded, understanding what she was saying. Now, he still wondered what role he had in this. Often he wondered if it was only because he showed interest in the battles, or if she just needed some one to talk to, and strike up a plan. He seemed perplexed for a moment, but disregarded it with a shake of his head. So now that we have convinced Hades to not side with our enemy, what's the next plan? Wasn't it something about scouting out their pack lands to figure out the best advantage point? or was that already done?[/b] He asked, tilting his head to the side. He knew what would happen next. Events would slowly began a effect that would push everything into place. When the time came, the forest would be drowning in blood, and fire would lick toward the skies causing ultimate destruction. They shared the same vision, so surely with two psychotic wolves with enough cunning, and ability to make it happen, it shall come into being, should it not?

[Sivoncé™]

Assyria nodded curtly. "Unfortunately, the Destinian territories do not offer suitable vantage points for our plan with the rocks. So, instead, I was going to have our dear little decoy Phobia venture into Destinian territory and lead them to us. Our territory is perfect; roll the rocks down from the golden rise, and gradually force them towards the sheer drop by the waterfall. All that is left to do is decide when. I'm placing you in charge of finding a couple of wolves to help with the stones. It won't last too long, so don't worry; you'll get a piece of the fight as well. And while the battle breaks out, I will take a small coup and we shall take back what is rightfully ours."
If wolves gave high-fives, this would definitely be a high-fiving moment.
"I'm glad to have worked with you, Hellfire; you've proven useful. Oh, and by the way, a little bird told me your sister is not officially beta. Congratualations, you must be so proud!" She chuckled softly to herself.
Enrage him. It'll only make him stronger for the fight.