[fancypost bgcolor=; bordercolor=; borderwidth=0px; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 50px; margin-bottom: -17px; letter-spacing: -2px; text-align: center; color: COLOR; text-transform: lowercase; text-shadow: 2px 2px 2px black; margin-top: -15px;]✯ATLAS[/fancypost][fancypost bgcolor=; bordercolor=; borderwidth=0px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-align: center; color: COLOR; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 2px 2px 2px black;]MALE ♂ • ALPHA • FOUR YEARS
brick by brick, i will destroy you[/fancypost][fancypost bgcolor=; bordercolor=; borderwidth=0px; width: 400px; color: COLOR; line-height: 100%; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;] before the sun had struggled to lift itself up over the horizon and set the world ablaze with it's light, atlas had already set out into the south wood to begin that day's hunt. food was growing scarce and despite his cold, harsh exterior, he couldn't stand the hungry whines of pups begging for scraps of meat. it was a constant reminder of his duties as alpha and the responsibilities he alone could carry.
the world was silent, if not for the soft falls of atlas's paws submerging deep into freshly fallen snow. his blank white coat blended in thoroughly with the frozen landscape, providing for decent coverage should he be spotted by prey. scar tissue marred his broad frame, tributes from past battles that still linger in the form of stubborn ghosts clinging to his old, rough form. the bare skin, where fur still no longer grows, has long since gone grey and dead. scarred and calloused. his scars only tell stories of blood and violence, but strangely with an underlying tone of victory as well. that despite his odds, he has still survived.
as he'd expected, there had been no prey. fresh snow had covered any tracks and the wind had blown away any traces of a scent. however, by chance, he'd found the frozen bodies of two long deceased loners,their broken bodies half buried under the snow. death had long since twisted their features and scent, bloating their bodies and leaving them undistinguishable by gender or pack. the sight pained him, for he believed this to be the fate of his pack if the winter held true.
atlas stared at the two for a long while, wondering where'd they come, what they'd hoped for, what they'd meant to achieve. their names, their story. had they been mates or siblings, or maybe two strangers who'd somehow crossed paths and knew their obvious fate and wished not to die alone; seeking solace from another one of it's kind during those final moments? their pelts were brown, but it was hard to tell if the red flakes in each coat was from an old, bloodied wound or a clear sign they were from sonder. he left the two in their cold, icy graves and began the long trek back to camp, not once looking back.
by the time he'd returned, it was morning and the pack was slowly beginning to wake. despite how futile it seemed to hunt, he knew the obvious decision he had to make. "organize a hunting party," he demanded to the nearest wolf, narrowing his grey eyes as if silently daring them to question his authority. searching for any sign of weakness or lack of resolve. "try the lands to the west, but avoid the mountains. if we don't find prey soon we'll have to send scouts to petrichor and beg for rations." he paused, letting this news set in. "we can only hope their winter hasn't been as harsh as ours."
to beg for food from another pack was a clear sign of weakness petrichor and his packmates wouldn't soon forget. from such a bold choice he expected obvious backlash, especially from those who believed he'd grown soft these past few years as reigning alpha, but he must do whatever is necessary for the survival of the pack. even if that meant his word is tarnished.
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