You are the Monster Darkness Fears

[Alvida Osulf]

Ukio - Riverside | [member="Uthixo Nazim"]​

​

Something stirs in the dark, little wolf.​

​

One by one. Step by step. Bare feet carefully shifted across the crumbling edge of a winding sapphire river. Alvida had always loved the way the water took its time. Powerful, yet patient. Slow, yet destructive. Even now she could see just how much work the twisting rapids had been doing over their time. The river bank was soft enough for her feet to sink gently into the mud, it had carved out a ridge in the dirt that seemed to be one misplaced foot away from collapsing. The voices, and the wolf for once, were protesting loudly to the dangerous pass time she had provided for herself. They seemed to protest to any potentially life threatening ideas that weren't their own.

It wasn't that she was bored, but Ukio was a little dull. Farm lands, rivers and nothing else to see but plain grassy fields for miles around. At least she could see for miles in every direction, the wolf liked that at least. The clamouring reached a crescendo and Alvida couldn't take it anymore. Simply to silence them, she sat down hard on the edge of the riverbank and hummed a soft tune. The sweet tone, lilting in her strange foreign accent, carried on the soft summer breeze that gently brushed against her. Her hands stretched out, sinking into the grass, and she lent back into the heat of the sun that blasted down onto her wave after wave. To try and quell the growing warmth that spread through her body Alvida decided to dip her feet into the cool, crystal clear water.

Almost the moment she did the voices cried. Something is coming. Someone is near. The Darkness approaches. Alvida span her head, left to right then right to left. Nothing seemed to be approaching on the horizon. Her wolf eyes spotted no shadows, her ears heard no heart beats, her nose smelled no stench. Gold coloured brows knitted together in confusion. They had never been wrong before, she had never been wrong before. Whatever was coming was bound to change the course of her attempt at a holiday, and rather violently at that. The notion caused her to smile. She always did like trouble.

 

[Uthixo Nazim]

Head breaching the surface, Uthixo gulped in the fresh air. His top bare revealing a body crafted through training and hardened through war he looked around and then down at his body. Wearing not but a pair of torn pants the Sandali scrubbed at his arms frantically. "It won't come off." The warrior mumbled as he rubbed at his skin enough that there were obvious scratches and bits of flesh that had been rubbed raw. The sting doing nothing to stop the sable-skinned man's actions.

Just days ago Uthixo had been on the planet Dantooine and done something unforgivable. Sins that had etched themselves into his mind, and onto his heart. The weight sat heavy on the warrior's shoulders as he kneeled into the river looking at his own reflection that portrayed a man that had not yet slept. Those sunken eyes, the intense black bags that sat beneath them. His braids unkempt as they seemed to come undone in some places, and what he saw above all else was the blood of the innocents he'd killed.

Every waking moment was torture for the Sandali, his fists beginning to hammer into the water, kicking it up. The screams of dozens assaulted Uthixo's mind as he remembered watching helplessly as his body acted under the control of another. As he was forced to slay not just men, but women, the children. He'd slaughtered till there were none left then he'd infected them as the person who had control wished. Uthixo only escaped because he'd been allowed to, and the Sandali knew it. He did not wish to experience it anymore, he didn't want to be just another pawn.

Hands rising to his head, nails digging into his scalp the warrior's head reeled back as he released a cry that radiated around the force amplifying it and carrying it across the landscape. No longer did he have the mental faculties to limit himself. The Sandali just wanted to be free.

[member="Alvida Osulf"]

 

[Alvida Osulf]

Ukio - Riverside | [member="Uthixo Nazim"]

You are in danger, nowhere is safe, not even your own mind.​

As her feet swirled listlessly in the water she could not seem to shake the instinct that was prevalent in her mind. Milk-white eyelids closed slowly and she let herself be entranced by the soothing beat the waves lapped against her skin. Drifting, you are drifting. They called, but they sounded distant, almost as if it were the memory of the voices and not the voices themselves. When Alvida's eyes opened again she found herself not of this world. Before her a terrifying scene laid out. Blood, bodies, fire, the stench of death and destruction. Her head threw wildly around the scene. Visions of the future rarely lasted long, every detail must be drawn in, but her heart was too frantic. In the distance her eyes made out a shape. A man six feet high, hair braided in a familiar fashion and eyes as hard as any she had ever seen before. The one thing she could not make out from this man was his skin colour. Alvida could think of no species that was covered from head to toe in a shade of crimson that reminded her of fresh blood.

As quickly as it had infested her senses the vision faded to a sea of crystal clear water once more. Her chest heaved up and down, desperately drawing cool air till it filled to bursting point. Her heart raced almost as quickly as the wolf did in pursuit of its prey. The vision was clear. A sombre scene of utter chaos headed by a man who had dived deeper into the darkness than any she had ever known. All chances of a relaxing evening were dashed, with nerves as frayed as a century old blanket it was no wonder the voices clamoured to be heard in her head. Alvida silenced them with a sharp snap of her jaw. She needed to be on her guard.

Her Father had often liked to joke about her ability to ignore something entirely when she wanted, which was a rare and strange ability for someone with a heightened sense of hearing. Yet with none of her pack or people of any kind to be seen and nobody to hear her if trouble should arise, Alvida could feel the paranoia creeping up on her like the shadow of some great beast. Every rustle of every leaf made her head twitch in its direction uneasily. The clouds passing overhead cast dark shadows on the water, which forced her to withdraw her feet as they lazed by. Alvida did not like it. Nor did the voices or the wolf. They begged her to shift herself free of the human form her true self was encased in, Alvida could see no reason to ignore them. She would feel better with the wolf in charge. She would see, hear, smell and defend herself better if the beast had been freed from its cage.

Drawing herself up from the bank Alvida could already feel the wolf howling, feel it clawing at her flesh from the inside out. A deafening crack sounded as she threw herself against the muddy ground. Bones shifted to her will, bent and moulded to the call of the beast inside. The process was painful but it was an addicting pain, a pain she would not wish to be without. This kind of pain meant the wolf had been released and it was almost as desperate to get out as she was to be swallowed by it. In the space of a minute the wispy frame of the pale woman entirely transformed into a beast of midnight fur. The wolf shuddered, demanding the fur along its spine to stand on end.

The cry of a wretched soul travelled across the landscape in booming waves that smacked the wolf one by one. It acted instantly. Alvida knew, the wolf knew, the voices knew. This was the source of her torment. Whoever this was had sent the terrible vision that cast her mind in a darkness that she feared would never be forgotten. One paw after the other, at a terrifying speed that sprayed dust and debris up behind it, the wolf charged at the distant figure who's scream still disturbed the once calm river.

 

[Uthixo Nazim]

Head ducking beneath the water, the ice-cold water washing over his frame the Sandali opened his eyes. A memory from the past playing before him, a young farm hand backing away, one ankle broken. Tears streaming down the youths freckled cheeks as he knew the end was near, the pleas that escaped their lips as they begged for mercy. A faint snap-hiss as a saber activated the boy's pleas turning into screams of terror and agony as the blade cut him to pieces, limb from limb the boy awake and forced to experience it all.

Pulling back from beneath the tide Uthixo gasped once more, his mind unwilling to drown out the memories as he continued to try and clean himself. The Scent of burnt hair and singed flesh once more fresh in the Sandali's mind. Coughing, chest heaving water shot out of the warrior's mouth. Heaving himself to the riverbed Uthixo pulled himself out, his bottoms soaked, the water glistening on his skin. Despite his healthy body, Uthixo looked like a partial mad-man, those wild eyes darting back and forth across the landscape.

Dantooine had been much like Ukio, a planet of farms, of people who had simply wished to live their lives and it had been ruined. Would he bring such a fate upon this world for simply being here? Looking down to his hands which had become pruny Uthixo could still see it, the blood in his mind's eye never left, it was a permanent stain on the obsidian knight. He'd never be able to explain it to his superiors, to Cardinal, to no one. They'd immediately slaughter him if they found out.

Head jerking to the right Uthixo stared off into the distance as something approached, a presence that stood out from the other more mundane ones nearby. This one not of a wild animal, nor that of a human. No, it was a mixture of the two. Eyes fixed in the direction, the hair on his body stood on end, a chill retreating down his spine. A warning by the force, but of what? Did this figure mean him to harm or have some other purpose?

[member="Alvida Osulf"]

 

[Alvida Osulf]

Ukio - Riverside | [member="Uthixo Nazim"]​

​

The wolf is free, give in to your instincts.

Paws the size of plates slammed heavily into the soft dirt as the wolf streamed alongside the river. With the cool breeze in her face and her heart rate steadily increasing Alvida almost let herself entirely forget about the reason why she had changed into the wolf. She was simply over joyed that she could be herself again, free as mother nature and wild as the ever changing winds. At least until the voices screeched at her to concentrate, so high pitched the wolf actually winced at their suddenness.

Talon like claws sunk into the muddy bank, leaving deep cavernous wounds in the dirt behind them. The wolf skidded to a stop, eyes of azure fire locking on to the shadow in the river. The man from her glimpse into what was to come. The wolf's heart raced, a heavy staccato beat that could almost be physically heard. He looked different somehow, even with the keen orbs of the wolf scanning his drenched frame. His skin was darker the shade of tree bark as opposed to the deep crimson she had seen in her vision. It slowly dawned on the woman steering the great beast that she had seen this colour of skin before, but that was far from the first thing on her mind. The wolf crouched low into the dirt, a growl breaking from between its teeth.

It was deep, guttural and threatening. It almost shook the earth around her. Lips curled back in tune to the rumbling noise, revealing deadly looking canines with sharp edges that could easily tare through any hide. Alvida wasn't attacking the man because she feared what he would do in the future, no, she would never be so rash. Even with the voices egging her on she had some rational moral compass. The wolf was attacking him because it was afraid. Afraid of the man with the braided hair and the blood stained skin, afraid of who he would become and what he was capable of at this very moment. The wolf snapped its jaw, the sound of teeth crashing together seemed to carry far across the open plains.

The wolf would not be tamed, not now. The great beast with midnight fur locked its muscles, bracing itself for a fight.

 

[Uthixo Nazim]

Thump, thump, thump came the sound, one strange yet familiar to the Sandali. The sound of one running, but not a human. The steps were too rapid, there was nothing else coming and it was heading right in his direction. Looking all Uthixo could see at first were puffs of mud, dirt and sand kicked into the air as whatever was coming charged onwards as though the terrain were nothing more than a minor nuisance. Rising to his full height the Sandali steeled himself, it would not be wise to show weakness in the face of whatever manner of creature had deemed him prey.

Taking up his combat stance, right foot forward and left foot in line with it Uthixo made himself a smaller target as the threat to his life came into view. One that made the Sandali visibly gulp thinking about the challenge of overcoming a full grown wolf. The fur black as midnight, the eyes a blue that rivaled the ocean, and so bright that they eclipsed the moon in beauty. If the warrior hadn't been staring into the maw of such a lethal creature he'd probably have spent more time admiring it.

Right hand extending forward the sable-skinned man shook his head. "Don't do this, not now... Please." This wasn't a question, this was Uthixo giving a command, a warning to the wolf which looked a decent portion larger than a regular one. "I have no quarrel with you or your home, just leave me be." Lacking any skills with animal friendship the Sandali could only hope that the sternness of his voice had gotten the message across. Left hand moving towards one of the hilts on his belt Uthixo's head cocked slightly.

"Last warning." The Sandali were a proud warrior people, they did not run when faced when an overwhelming threat, they rose up and met it with everything they had. Uthixo would not allow himself to be cowed into submission by some wild animal.

[member="Alvida Osulf"]

 

[Alvida Osulf]

Ukio - Riverside | [member="Uthixo Nazim"]

Why do you waste time with words? Attack him.


Alvida found him funny. Who in their right mind would come face to face with a large carnivorous dog and say please? It amused her so much that the wolf actually wheezed, a toothy grin peeling back it's lips for a brief moment. Some part of her felt a little sorry for him, he seemed weary and tired. Tired of fighting, but fighting what? The wolf shook it's head. His words might have been funny, but his potential actions were far from it. The voices were screaming loudly in accordance with her thoughts, the first time they had both agreed on something of this scale in a long time. If she didn't at least try to end the terror before it began then the consequences were untold. She felt no particular connection to the world she had seen in ash and ruins but the thought of it being someone else's home, someone else's family, someone else's life...

The wolf snapped back to the harsh, growling beast it had been a moment prior.

A sharp, deafening bark was used cracked out from the wolf's jaws, loud enough to shock a flock of unsuspecting birds into flight. Used mostly as a cover for the wolf, it dove forward and took a cautious snap at the prey's extended foot. Just close enough for a wave of warmth to roll over his skin as it breathed. It retreated almost immediately, crouching low as it began a slow pacing circle around him. The eyes of blue fire were almost human like in their curiosity, they seemed to measure him up and undress him down to the core. Jet black fur shifted as the wolf walked measured steps, tenderly placed on the soft dirt around them. Despite her desire to attack Alvida knew she would not be strong enough to defeat him. She would need some kind of edge if she were to even get close to her goal. Patience was always a virtue, both in hunting and in battle. So, for now, she kept up with her slow prowl. Teeth bared and ready to strike at a moments notice.

The magic of the Gods came clouding around her, reaching out with ethereal tendrils that wrapped around her opponents mind. Using the threads of force as a temporary form of communication Alvida spoke. 'Do not attempt to threaten me.' Though her tone was pitched and feminine there was an unmistakable harshness too it. A fire that couldn't be explained in words. The wolf and Alvida did not share the same body, but they shared the same mind and it was most apparent in her voice. 'You. You will bring death and destruction. Darkness will follow you no matter where you walk. Tell me why I should not rip you limb from limb where you stand, to save whatever poor world you decide to unleash yourself on.' As she spoke the wolf snarled and snapped it's jaws, claws flexing menacingly into the dirt.

 

[Uthixo Nazim]

Head cocking lightly to the side Uthixo held himself still and kept from making any sudden movements as the wolf’s lips peeled back revealing the wickedly sharp canines that could rend flesh with very little effort. The slight movement of its shoulders, the shaking of its head. Was the wolf laughing? The Sandali had never run into a creature quite so intelligent that it had a sense of humor. This didn’t make the warrior lower his guard however, he would not be left open by a false sense of security.

Almost as if his guess had been right about the creature trying to lure him into lowering his defenses the wolf barked. Despite expecting it, the Sandali still slightly jumped, his ears ringing as the bark echoed off across the surrounding planes. It reached beneath the skin to everything one feared of wildlife, the sheer savagery that they displayed. The snap of those jaws so close to his leg caused the Sandali to retreat a step, the shoto’s hilt now in his palm thumb resting just above the activation stud.

The intrusion into his mind was an odd sensation, almost as though the voice was occupying a portion of his brain but Uthixo answered speaking aloud to the beast that stood poised to attack. Or was it something more than a beast? “For one if you haven’t heard Dark meat is bad for you, I don’t think I’d be that tasty. Second-” Thumb pressing on the stud the gold blade came to life bathing them both in its glow, the scent of ozone now filling the air. “I’ll put up much more of a fight than you’re looking for.”

The words the wolf spoke before had stung though, stung like open wounds that the canine had pulled even further open. Those all too recent memories that were still ripe and on the surface of Uthixo’s conscious thoughts. “What do you mean I will bring death and destruction? You don’t even know me.” Despite his denial of the statement the Sandali couldn’t help but feel a weight upon his shoulders as though the wolf was right. “How do you know this foul beast? Are you some manifestation sent to haunt me?”

[member="Alvida Osulf"]

 

[Alvida Osulf]

Ukio - Riverside | [member="Uthixo Nazim"]

​

True wolves act on instinct alone. Why are you allowing time for foolish human thoughts?​

Fear is the hardest emotion to hide. There was no way to cover the dilation of your pupils as the grips of fear take hold, no way to quell the way your heart flutters rapidly against your rib cage. Eyes of azure fire remained fixed on the way his chest rose and fell quickly, the wolf could hear his heart beating the quickened, heavy rhythm. It was delicious. An aggressively red tongue slipped from behind the sharp white teeth only to lick gingerly around the edge of them with an almost hungry glare in the sapphire eyes. Alvida was cautious though, as was the wolf. They had seen this man before, they had heard his accent before. Cardinal had been a whirlwind, too fast and too strong for her to defeat. The purplely black bruising across her ribs and spine from that particular fight had long since faded, but they were painful enough to be a permanent reminder of it. Sandali warriors were just as powerful as those back home. Caution was not only wise of her, it was needed.

Once again the wolf snickered, it very nearly released a howl as it rolled its great shoulders back and forth. No matter the situation Alvida would always appreciate a good sense of humour, even if the wolf did not. Not that it would do anything at all to save his life. 'A wolf does not distinguish by colour. Underneath, all blood is red.' The ethereal tone spoke with a chuckle in its wake. A bright streak of light cut through the air suddenly, reflecting back it's violent shine in the wolf's eyes. One midnight paw moved marginally backward in surprise, the rest of the great beast's body followed in suit as the muscles tensed for the briefest of seconds. Wolves were exceptionally good fighters, but only when the opponent didn't have a sword that could burn through their flesh with one sweep. If she should obtain an injury Alvida did not want to be stuck in wolf form while it healed. Thus, the hesitation began to arise. Thus, the doubts began to set in.

Almost immediately, the wolf set itself into an attack position again, not wishing to make the hesitation plain on its face. 'Yes...' The voice reaching out to the strangers mind almost purred as it replied. 'Perhaps you would. But I could do just as much damage in the same amount of time. My life would be a small price to pay to stop the horror and chaos I have seen you sow.' The sweet lilt in her tone was intentional. Purposefully crafted in the subtle threat that she was not afraid of death. She was not afraid to risk her life to see the end of his. 'A manifestation!' Alvida lifted up her great head, snout pointing briefly to the sky as a smile crept over her thin black lips. She had been called many things before, an animal, a wood nymph, a faerie... but never an apparition before. Her mind did linger on one thing though. The word haunt. Most who assume they're being haunted feel they're being haunted for a reason. The vision that she had seen was in the future, what could this stranger possibly feel guilty enough about to feel he was being punished?

'I know you well enough.' The voice snapped, followed by another deafening crack of the raven haired wolf's jaw. The creature seemed to visibly relax, shoulders lowering just a fraction of an inch. 'I know this because the Gods saw fit to bless me with a vision. A vision of your future.' In her mind, though not projected by her telepathy, the voices seemed to be arguing. Arguing about whether the stranger really knew what he was capable of, arguing about whether he knew he was evil enough to cause such destruction. Some said they should stay their course, end his life before it has a chance to happen, but others seemed to cry out for a change. They cried out for her to help him, to guide him on a better path. The great beast shook it's head as if it were trying to fling the voices from her mind, but nothing seemed to work. 'You must know... You must know what you are capable of. Nobody falls into darkness so hard and so fast.'