Posts by ShadeClaw246

Silver looked around, trying to spot the Akita among the tower of make-shift crates where the night's dogs were kept. Nothing. Instead she tried to identify the other dogs in the cages. A sleek black coat with those cropped spear ears, Linx. They wouldn't have her fight Linx, Linx was too valuable. The she-dog knew how to make a show out of the killings; using her lighting speed to slowly tear apart her victims without receiving a single blow. Next to her, a stocky grey Bulldog; Nock. As lumbering and odd as he might look, one bite from those thick jaws was all it took. But Nock wouldn't be fighting her until the No-Paws had finished their fun with him. Then, Sneek. Silver felt the familiar surge of blood-lust cloud her eyes; yes, she would love to get her jaws on that excuse-of-a-dog. As usual, she was huddled in her corner. Those beady-little eyes filled with exaggerated fear, her long pointed snout covered by bony paws. Though she was kept fully-fed by her adoring audience, her ribs pressed against her thin coat. Silver hated Sneek; coward Sneek, lowly Sneek, murderess Sneek. She who trembled and whimpered before opponents, ground into the floor with submission. Then lunged for their throats at the hesitation. The remaining dogs were fairly new; and Silver couldn't identify them. The No-Paw released her from the pole, retreating to outside the ring. It was her turn now.

The jeering and spits from the No-Paw cluster indicated her opponent's arrival. The volume of the room swelled and lights flashed madly in their wild, skittish fray. As Silver twisted her head to look for the "lucky" dog, her gaze was snagged by a familiar snowy coat whose white distorted behind bars. Issac. Silver felt her gut wrench with dread... no, not dread. Dread was too strong, she decided; it was more of a shame. This dog, who had just talked to her- actually spoken to her! Without fear or malice, none of those. He was going to see her fight; and kill. Well, at least he surely wouldn't still want to attempt to escape after this; with her at least. Silver knew deep in her mind that Issac was a dog who would never stop trying to leave. Despite his knowledge of the dog-fight escapees, she could almost guarantee that none of them had come from the Pit. Almost.
Her thoughts were skewered as the metal door belched out her foe. The he-dog could hardly be described as a stray... or a dog for that matter. His coat was lean and lustrous, a striking jet-black fur held rippling muscles under his tight skin. He towered a good tail-length above Silver, with paws the size of water-bowls; and thick long claws to match. His face was blunt and heavy-set; eyes lit with thrill. The way he swelled with the No-Paw's cries cemented Silver's suspicions. This was, or had been, a pet; recently.

A volley of barks were thrown into the pitched chatter. "Get em' she-barker!" One hoarse throat whined, while a rumble of snarls urged her adversary to flay her. Of course of all these voices, none of them belonged to the experienced fighters. Most were just adding a yip or snarl simply to release jittery tension. The he-dog seemed oblivious to this fact, and his tongue lolled about his head in a nonchalant manner. That jet-black fur still lie flat and dry to his skin; amateur. The way his chest was thrust out and exposed to his clamoring audience screamed the word. Silver stood tense, but not rigid; her fur prickling only slightly in the hot screams of the Pit. Her eyes, like emerald lasers, focused exclusively on her opponent. She didn't stand still, but was slowly prowling around the border of the fence with smooth gliding steps. Her dark caramel coat was only a hair-length away from that biting cold wire mesh. "Watch it Ike!" A fellow canine yipped shrilly through the noisy chasm, alerting the he-dog, or Ike, to her coy approach. A fraction too late nether the less. Ike turned just as he saw a sleek blur darting forth at him, followed crisply by a sharp burning pain in his shoulder. Shocked, Ike stumbled back a few paces; blinking as that lithe she-dog slid away out of range. Before he could even look at the crimson-soaked gash, a slight breeze brushed his tail; leaving a stinging bite on his hind-ankle.
Ike's gaze was muddled with astonishment, but his muzzle was already beginning to curl into a savage snarl. He swung his head towards Silver, who stared back impassively; her snout lightly stained with his blood. With surprising speed, he hurtled towards her with a gaping jaw. Silver got a good full look of those large fangs before whirling around and out of the way. Getting that full blast of hot moist breath on the very tip of her thick furry tail.

Silver dug her claws into the parched earth as she skidded out of lunge's reach. Every fiber in her vibrated with energy, fur on-end with the electric buzz that hummed in her veins. Those bright green eyes were sharpened by adrenaline and clamped onto Ike; surveying his every move with concentration. Silver pinned her ears to her head as she once again bulleted past the giant dog; not forgetting to leave a new scar across his muscular hip on the way. She could still feel her teeth gliding though his tendons and muscle, slick with crimson blood. Immediately he whirled around, face consorted with agony. That box-shaped muzzle split, pouring out a gurgling snarl. Silver could hear the high whimper laced into the throat though; and tried to look, but not really see what she inevitably had to do next. The wiry she-dog coiled, like a deadly spring; hind-legs gathered under that sleek torso. Ike reared, launching off his back-paws as he went for the top of her neck. It was so obvious that his actions were now fueled by spite and fury, the way his gaze was hazed by lust showed. Silver could see it like a beacon in the night, and had counted on it. Now, as he hovered over her in his helpless blundering flight; she sprung. First came the familiar fleshy crunch of her jaws snapping shut on a meaty jugula. Her teeth sunk deep into the soft skin, slicing veins or squeezing until they burst. The force of her leap knocked both of the dogs down, and Ike came to the floor first. A look of pure shock froze into his face, pupils dialated with disbelief. Silver stood over him, her muzzle still buried into his throat. Then, came the fear. Slowly, that anger, oh that blessed malice, was rinsed off his face. They never could die easily for her... Why not just once ?
The she-dog steeled herself, tearing her eyes away from his own searching ones; refusing Ike's plea for her acknowledgment. His life-blood was staining her lips, she could taste that scarlet copper oozing between her fangs. It was like poison to her tongue. The frantic thrum of his pulse grew fainter...lighter...softer... Nothing. Carefully, as if to take extra care to not disturb him further, Silver stood up. Her jaws unlocked from his body, slowly clenching shut once again. Her crime written in red splattered on her muzzle, she slowly turned away from the dog that was once known as Ike.

Cleo huffed out an icy breath, sinking into the snow with relish. Her dark wind-teased hair fanned out around her sharply angled face. This realm was so bland. Staled of adventure and muted of excitement. What she needed was something to run to. A quest perhaps? Cleo mused with the thought, but her ideas were muddled by the whistling gale and the beating of leathery wings. Wait...wings? The shape-shifter bolted up from her frosty seat.

The hoots and howls emitted from the Pit rose bile from her throat. This was sick. Ike had been a young dog. A strapping fine male who had a whole life spread out before him; and from his jolly pose, he had already gotten a little taste of it. With his open ease towards her, he probably was a friend to many. She had stolen that friend. That handsome face and lean build definitely would have scored him a spread of willing females to chose from; if he hadn't had a she-dog already. So she had also taken a mate from someone. He probably couldn't have been more than a year or two old. Hardly grown out of his puppy-fur.
Silver cursed her selfish being. Every bit of her wanted to snap, to rampage, to snarl with all of the rage that surged within.
The she-dog tensely padded towards an opening gate, hardly stopping for the sharp metal wire to noose around her neck. Ike's limp carcass was dragged out of the ring, and crisply after the gate shut behind him, the crackles of plastic wavered in the air. "Looks like you're finally getting out of here." Silver thought wryly, an edge of regret in fretting in her mind. Her No-Paw tugged impatiently at her glinting leash; she mindlessly followed to the stack of occupied cages. Silver hardly even heard the door slam shut before the No-Paw reached for the neighboring crate.

Velia pooched her lips, brow furrowing in mock confusion. The slight tilt of the head even further extended her naturally peeving nature. One of those shapely thin eyebrows climbed her forehead to complete this look of complete and utter insolence. "I know mercy... It has an annoying tendency to mettle with the task-at-hand." Velia sighed with unmasked blatancy, a stray strand of thick black hair fell from her head to cup her face. She blinked those luminous eyes once more, clearing her vision and renewing her penetrating silver glint. It might have been a simple illusion, but there seemed to have been a flicker of... intelligence? Just a small peek past her nonchalant demeanor, a little flash of knowing; something curiously observant that was so keen and crisp that it stood completely aloof from her seemingly sloppy and careless attitude. As quickly as it came, it was gone. She popped out a hip to the side, her hands still raised coolly with fingers curled gently into the palm. "And speaking of hands-" A blur of metal sliced through the air from one of her deft fingers. "-you should realize that your tricks don't phase the blunt reality of a situation." It had taken her a while, sure; she could give him that. However the blade biting into her fleshy palm was enough to convince her of its faith to her grip. Plus, a girl had to try right? Velia was greatly pleased that her hunch had not been ill-suited to this mess; it would have looked mighty foolish indeed for her to have flicked an imaginary knife towards the boy. Immediately after sending her dagger curving towards his abdomen, Velia spun around with startling speed. One of her feet slid just inches behind the other as they together dug deep into the cement, her legs coiling like deadly springs. As Velia launched herself upward, her stature began to waver. She grew shorter, shrinking into a feathered torso. Wings sprouted, replacing her arms as they began to heave air to propel her forward and up. A large black hawk now replaced where the girl one hung, but it still carried the haste of the escapee. With fervor, it started its retreat into the sky.

"Woah." Cleo thought, blinking as if to clear the dragon from her vision. Now that looked like foreigner. Maybe it was the gigantic looming bulk that signified it; along with the scales that stood like ink on canvass in this barren realm. More obviously, it was his oblivious blunder towards the geysers that caught her attention. "Hey! What are you doing idiot?!" Cleo began to shamble off her feet into a purposeful run.

((That's totally cool. I'm a bit inactive myself between my sports and competitions and such. What do you play in the band?))

“Looks like your pretty-pet is going out to play.” Silver paused, taking a stretched moment to let the words ebb into the stew of various yaps and growls of the Pit. Of all the places to be locked away, it had to be next to her. She let a tight breath stream out between her teeth as her hind-legs pressed down into the cage floor. The metal was icy to the touch, yet still failed to cool her risen temper. Keeping her eyes trained forward, Silver took care to not look towards the familiar tone. Yet all she could really see was that long pointy snout pressed against her crate. “Guess your little-lucky-pup isn’t going to be stuck here much longer.” The muzzle disfigured into a foaming snarl, spittle slipping between her crooked fangs. Silver closed her eyes for a moment, trying to find enjoyment in the black that soothed her aching mind. Calm… smooth… silky dark; enveloping her sight in its depth. Ignore the spots that danced across her flesh-sewn blinds… Don’t listen to that rambling she-dog…
“-And so close too. Poor doggie almost seemed to have had a chance.” Silver tensed, eyes snapping open in a piercing glare. Had? Why had she said ‘had’? Issac did have a chance; he hadn't ‘had’ one. What had gotten Linx so bold so quickly? The thought was unnerving. The suddenly fretful she-dog ravaged their surroundings with her sight. The No-Paws were clustered. That was what she first noticed; next it was their eyes. They were hungry, greedy almost. It was that craving and lust in their blunt faces that made Silver’s fur prickle. Already her alarm was swelling, but what truly got her was the deformed paw. One of the No-Paws had their pudgy squashed paw jabbed across the room in a point. What a shame that it was directed towards Issac.

A racking cackle gurgled out of the she-dog's throat; Linx peeled back her red-crusted lips in a savage grin. Silver suppressed a snarl, her claws biting into the rough metal creaking under her weight. A sudden burst of tangy copper in her mouth made her realize that her teeth had been clamped down on her tongue. Irritably, she released her clenched jaw; her mood even further soured by a hot throbbing mouth. The hiss of fur-on-metal made the tense mutt flick an eye towards Linx, who was slowly sliding down the mesh-wall onto her back. A glazed film coating her gaze as she sunk into her own thoughts.

Silver could tell that the crowd was getting frisky. Large shaded bottles of the No-Paw liquid-fire were hoarded next to the men, polluting their breath with the sharp fumes. That, Silver had learned long ago, was not favorable. When the No-Paws were diluted, those dull little minds went astray. They lost track of the dogs; which sounded much better than reality permitted. In truth, it was these drunk nights that dogs were flayed. Sometimes shot when they didn't fight, kicked when they couldn't rise. This particular she-dog had even seen one of her nation skinned; Silver shuddered at the grim memory. Now that loud-mouthed, rash Akita had to go and fight. Sighing involuntarily, she sunk into the floor; eyes fixed on the ring with foreboding.

The exuberance of the crowd swelled like the ocean tide, rousing her suspicions of the Akita's opponent. The she-dog's brow furrowed with furry wrinkles, sharp eyes scouring the edges of the ring. The idiocy of this attempt was soon discovered as all that her gaze combed through was riddled with the tangles of No-Paw feet and rolling booze bottles. She let out a huff of frustration, hot musty breath searing her nose as it rushed out of her dry nostrils. Agitation gnawed at her nerves, screaming at her to rise and track down the lost sight of Isaac despite the sea of flesh separating them.
"Why should I be bothered?" Silver's thoughts harshly abashed her anxiety. The sheer brutality of the idea startled her, and the she-dog fidgeted uncomfortably on the floor. Logic was almost seeming to be battling for the upper hand, against what though? "When did I grow so soft?" The new-comer Akita was having a demoralizing affect on her survival structured barrier with the grunt of doubt. It was unnerving. She'd have to start to rebuild those walls, the consequences of their downfall would be too great a loss to recover in her state now.
A wave of fear-scent assaulted her nose; the sticky scent clinging to the glands in her nostrils. It almost seemed familiar... Suddenly Silver jolted up, claws madly scrabbling to find a hold on the slick metal. Sneak. The wiry little dog was being curbed into the ring. There was no way Isaac could know. He was going to die, right here. Sneak's washboard rib-cage groveled into the dirt, the white Akita unsuspectingly uncoiling his muscles. Silver could see the bunched tendons in his shoulders loosen; the almost nonexistent glint of weasel-ey triumph flash in her eyes. She almost turned away from the scene, when her keen gaze caught the stiff hesitation in Issac's movement. Sneak lunged, only to rip the coarse fur where his neck had once been.

~Bump

The Pit was in riot. There were shrieks shattering the air, howls intertwining with shrill whines. Dogs burst into whirling hysterics from within their crates. Claws scrabbled against rusty metal and a whole variety of barks tore into the chaos. The electricity ran hot through the room, Silver could almost see it sparkling in the No-Paw's eyes. Splitting crunches of boots splintering glass bottles of fire-liquid filled in any possible space for docile peace. The only true "calm" was laid softly against the dust floor of the ring, her stature still by the cradle of death. Oblivious to the madness that boiled outside the pen.
Silver was a break in the chain of flailing rush among the room. She stood stock-still, rigid. The russet fur along her spine stiff and prickling while all four paws were pressed oppressively into the floor. Two ears were dug into the downy fur behind her neck, jaws clenched. The push to reel back leaned her slightly away from the sight before her; but those shocked green eyes pressed for more desperately. A growl was caught her throat, lodged between a whine and her halted breath. Despite the whirling disarray of thoughts in her brain, one stood dominant.
"Parcel." The name screamed. "Parcel, Parcel, Parcel." It demanded priority, flooding her senses. Memories flickered in a frenzy of words, images, voices. "Poor Parcel, clever Parcel, her Parcel." A she-dog with fur darker than tar. A fighter more deadly than a No-Paw fire-stick. A mentor, a survivor, a friend. The kindling to the fire that fueled her... Silver's savior, and sin.
He had done it, the bow. How had he done it? Where had it come from? There was only one dog who did that. It had to be, but it couldn't be.

The bird strained against the saturated sea-air. Wings pumped vigorously to carry her thin torso up; she was so close she could taste it. The warm thermals lazily wandered just above, already beginning to caress her feathers with its gentle lift. Those currents were her ride out and away from this wretched little town. Velia could hardly wait. The pendant was stowed in the rough satchel that hung from her talon's grip. Another job completed; messily accomplished, but done.
Ir was just about when Velia had come to this settling conclusion that something carved into her shoulder. Her eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and pain. The steady beat of her wings faltered, loosing her concentration. For a split second the mass seemed to dance between bird and girl, skin shifting from feathered to smooth. A strangled cry escaped her mouth, as in a stretched moment of agony and terror, she wrestled her fleeting mind into submission. In her suspended tangle of limbs, Velia caught a glance of a bullet streaking away from her freely bleeding shoulder. Crimson flew with a crusade of feathers down to the earth. It wasn't until seconds later that Velia followed.
It started with a squeeze. Her hysteric heart was beating so quickly that the effect was noticed immediately. She gasped and sputtered for breath, panic lacing her clumsy movements with a helpless jerk. Then the fist closing around her chest constricted, leaving Velia to squirm for escape from the unseen force. It was like an icy corset, slowly but steadily closing her in on herself. Breaths came in shattered gulps, wings giving one last flurry of desperate drive. Then, it stopped. That familiar warm thumping seized. Silence hung like a heavy coat over the night, before she fell.
A still body lay limp under thick rope. Hands and feet were splayed around her beaten stature, torn but intact. Her pale cheek rest nestled into the grit of the roof, lightly grazed with scratches and cuts. The black hair that had once been contained within her linen hood now rest billowed out surrounding her head. While battered as she looked, her image almost made her seem docile. The lack of movement in her chest could even make one compare her to a broken doll. A second passed, which became a minute; and still nothing. Suddenly the girl shot up, drawing in a ragged breath greedily. Bloodied hands flew to support her heaving body, lungs burning as they sucked in oxygen. The net caught her frenzied attempt to jump up, forcing her to succumb to staying on her back. Only her torso risen by the elbows that dug into the floor.

The girl parried the boy's stripping gaze by scorching him with her own silver one. It didn't take much effort to match the disdain in his eyes; if anything it took more effort to keep from spitting at his cool words. The very essence of his being made her itch to take the calm control out of that smug physique. Teasing her with the flask did not soothe her rising temper; it made her feel even more trapped than her situation already detained. Velia felt like an animal under the pin of the rough rope, helpless. Like a pet. Her pose even further enhanced her feral-like stature, limbs coiled and lithe with the flex of movement. She hated it.
"Then I won't rob you of your water." Velia slid back words laced with malice. Even as she said it, her throat burned with lust for the contents of that damned flask. Velia hushed it by swallowing its pleas. A man stood behind the boy, studying them in a bemused fashion. On-sight she decided to dislike him as well, snorting her distaste for her present company.

"Rune." Velia finally had a label by which to brand her seething hatred with. A name to curse. And curse she would; that was imminent. She whipped her black hair across her body, loose strands falling to rest across her cheek and eyes. "I don't need 'fixing'. What do you want? Take the pendant and let me free; I'll be on my way as to not inconvenience you boys. You have my word." Not that that was much to stand by. What could she say? Life was cruel. It didn't pick favorites, and when you needed to survive, it was easier to play dirty. Lies thickened her lips, and cheating was a given. There wasn't much else to say. Velia wanted out, this net was growing increasingly tight on her skin.
She shifted on the ground, a seemingly casual movement with an intended purpose. A leather wallet was still tucked into her belt, but she only had three throwing knives left. Her vials of poisons and seduces had been crushed in the fall from the sky. A cold blade pressed comfortingly in the leg of her boot; at least she still had her signature black dagger. Velia flexed her shoulder gingerly, earning a jolt of pain to spear through her damaged tendons. Her jaw clenched into a grimace, fighting the flinch that threatened to shake her body. The wound had ravaged a very tight-knit bundle of nerves.

Silver's mind was in turmoil. It churned like a boiling cauldron, thoughts sputtering out as it overflowed. Her eyes were locked on Issac, but she was't really seeing him. There were too many emotions, too many hurts and yearnings. This was dangerous. It was rattling the walls that she has so carefully built strong; and she was most definitely feeling the tremors from her haven inside.
A chilled skin brushing against her neck started her out of her troubles. Silver stared at the open cage in dazed confusion. She hadn't even heard the door open, and already a No-Paw was prodding her with the metal coil. Tensely, Silver stalked out of her crate. The stiff leash was pulling her past the ring, leading her towards a familiar bushy coat. Her paws flicked her past the Akita briskly, but she couldn't help but scrutinize him. Silver's gaze dug into his pelt, lingering on his face for a moment before tearing away. He looked different now, this was no longer an ordinary dog . He could be a relation of Parcel's; and that made anydog special in Silver's eyes.
The No-Paw thrust her back into the warehouse, her usual cage awaiting her. Small, cold, dark, as usual. Silver felt a biting jolt of pain burn up her tail as it was caught in the closing crate door. The she-dog whirled around from her brooding to snarl at the No-Paw; who had been fumbling with the various locks. Snatching back her throbbing tail, she sourly awaited the arrival of Issac; questions itching her tongue.

((Sorry for the unacceptably late reply. I'm not sure what happened, your reply didn't appear under unread replies. I only checked my bookmarks today to see that you'd left the last reply. I apologize profusely.))

"Where did you learn that?" She spoke slowly, mulling over each syllable before spitting it out off her tongue. Issac's inquiry was left unaddressed, lost to the rigid she-dog. Silver's fur prickled with dry tension; her voice threatening to waver from it's strained control. Two sea-green eyes burrowed into the Akita, as if trying to unravel him by layers. "The bow." She scraped the words off her teeth, intently gorging his appearance with her sights. Looking for any slight break, the tiniest pause of hesitation; anything to hand her the excuse to assault his verbal slip. A pass to enable her to squeeze out every drop of truth from him.
The mutt leaned forwards slightly, ears shoved at the white canine. Blood speckled her soft throat and dappled her vulnerable under-chin, but she didn't care. All that mattered now, was his reply.
"And what will you do if he says he knows her?" The snide voice in Silver's head berated her, taunting the desperation of her need for his answer. She scowled mentally at its presence. "Will it be any different if he says he's never heard of her?" The voice taunted. Silver battered away the thoughts... but not before reflecting on the logic. What would she do if Issac did know Parcel? Or had known... It wasn't like she could do anything for him, could she? Would she even try?

Silver flinched as if she's been bit; recoiling away from the Akita. The name slammed into her like a train, leaving her in a hopeless state of disarray. An incoming breath caught in her throat, stopping her chest mid-rise. The russet fur along her limber figure stiffened, standing on-point from her skin. Wide green eyes dare not blink, and stay shocked in expression. So her assumption was true; Issac had known Parcel. Even more so, she had given her life for this dog. To be captured was ultimately to be dead in the Pit. She had known it too... "Stupid Parcel." She thought wistfully, thoughts fogged by broken memories. She hadn't deserved to die. No, not Parcel...
Silver was snapped back into reality, her eyes focusing once again. Who was this dog? What being could possibly be so special that her beloved Parcel would barter with death to keep alive? Her gaze ravaged Issac, studying him with a mix of resentment and intrigue. She was careful to use her hatred sparingly though. He had sent her to her demise... but it had been she who had sentenced it.
The she-dog looked at him coldly, "Everything matters here. Do you understand? The littlest thing could make or break you in an instant. And don't you dare, ever... EVER, say that anything about Parcel didn't matter!" Silver hadn't even noticed that her tone had lowered into a throaty growl.