Kona
female-11-freaking out running from the fire
Kona shrugged and began to tear into the carcass. The rich meat was like heaven for her empty stomach. She squeezed into the ribcage of the beast and picked out strips and chunks of meat that had stuck to the bones. She dug out bits with her claws and teeth, savoring each mouthful. Mentally, however, she chastised herself for being late to the meal. There really wasn't that much left, probably just enough to fill her belly, but there would certainly be no leftovers. From inside the cave, Kona heard Attican telling some story about his puphood.
She grunted unappreciatively. She never was one for storytelling. What was the use in them? They didn't need to reminisce about the past when it was the present they had to pay attention to and the future they had to think about. The stories that weren't true were even less useful. Who needed to know about some giant purple caribou that drank an ocean? How would something like that help you hunt, or dig a den? She tuned them out, to better concentrate on her eating. It didn't take much to pick the skeleton clean, and she made her way back into the den, curled up into her little hollow, and began snoring quietly.
Thankfully, she slept so deeply that she had no dreams, just a deep sense of contentment.
* * *
She opened her eyes to a fog creeping through the cave. Kona raised her head ever so slightly, one eye still gummed up. As she took a deep breath, however, she retched and coughed. This fog burned her throat and stung her eyes, making them water. Immediately, she jumped up, still wheezing, but alert, with her hackles raised. The fog had almost filled the cave now, and Kona could see the indistinct forms of her pack mates, anxious and confused, yelling and yelping in fear.
Another wave of this strange fog brought tears to Kona's eyes, and she fell to he stomach, feeling like she was swallowing a pinecone. To her shock, she found that the air was clearer on the ground. Awkwardly, she began to shuffle and crawl out of the hole, grasping with her front paws, shoving with her back. It only helped a little, and it slowed her down considerably, but she made it out of the den.
Staggering to her feet, she saw everyone in a panic, and soon, she saw why. The forest was infested with some leaping, crackling monster. It roared in he ears, and she felt waves of heat rolling over her fur. She squinted, both because of the black fog that emanated from this strange being, and because of the blinding light it gave off.
She blinked the afterimage away, then dashed through the disappearing underbrush. As she ran, she turned her head and watched a small branch blacken and shrivel as the creature devoured it. Kona yelped as she stumbled over a glowing log and felt it bite her, searing into her leg. Now she limped as she ran, trying to keep as little weight on her back paw as possible. A thin sliver of light leapt out in front of her as she ran, and she snarled, snapping her teeth at it. This was an enemy of the pack, and it must be taught to stay away! Then she felt her fangs clack together and yelped again as she felt intense pain on her tongue. Now resolved to avoid touching the monster at all costs, she marveled over it while at the same time, feeling an intense hatred of this creature. A creature that hurt you, just by touching it? Her stomach turned as she envisioned a battle between it and her pack. How could you even kill it? It had no bones, had no blood. It wasn't there, but it
was, and it
hurt. Iparok
male-22-same as Kona
At the first whiff, Iparok jumped up, instantly awake. He could smell something-- and he didn't know what it was. That was unusual for him. Iparok usually was able to identify any scent that he came across. He had smelled so many, you see. He was just about to call attention to it when Mirage skittered about the cave, yelping about dreams and death and fog.
Within a few minutes, all the high-ranked, important wolves were yelling commands, and the cave was filling up with a strange, stinging fog. He choked on the fog spreading throughout the forest, feeling it sting his eyes and needle his throat. Iparok looked up and saw the forest being devoured by a giant, blinding bright
thing.
The sun has come to earth, and it is eating everything up, he thought in his terror. He watched as it sent out tiny flecks of itself, like pollen, and he watched as the bright pollen fell and took root, spreading more and more of the thing, taking more and more of the forest. He couldn't bring himself to move at first, just gazing as the sun crept closer and closer. Everything seemed to fade away as the thing grew bigger and bigger, taking up his entire field of vision. Mighty trees fell before it, and he could see the snow fleas springing away from its dribbling, fluttering maw. His wide-open eyes were dual mirrors, reflecting naught but its gargantuan radiance.
Then he heard someone's voice, as from very far away, and he wrenched himself away. He heard the command to flee, and he bolted. Iparok felt the hot wind ruffling his fur, and he blinked as the sun's pollen blew into his eyes, stinging as they collided against his skin. He willed himself forward, his paws pounding into the snow. As he raced through the forest, it dissolved around him, devoured by the sun. He sprinted faster, letting the wind in his ears wash away the crackling of the sun and the hissing of the trees and the panicked cries of his pack mates. As before, everything faded into the background. However, this time he was concentrated on self-preservation, on outrunning the sun, not staring mesmerized at it.
Self-preservation had always been one of the most important things to Iparok. Nothing would make him give up his short time on this world. Survival was one of his strongest instincts, even over the impulse to find a mate and have pups (strangely, that was one of his weakest). He expected to live a lonely life, for what far would want a brute who would save himself over her? But at least a lonely life was better than none.
Iparok came to his senses moments before crashing into a smoldering tree. He swerved to the side immediately, grazing his shoulder on its bark. Mentally, he cursed himself. On the run from the sun was
not the time to muse about his identity and speculate his future.
You fool, he growled inwardly.
Focus on the present.