Post by Yulianna on May 1, 2016 5:00:14 GMT
[attr="class","yulietable"]
[attr="class","yulienotes"]you can't tell me to feel- the truth never set me free- so, i did it myself
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The morning mist crept in on the quiet dens, the sun lighting the sky despite being impossible to see through the forest. The faint hint of warmth glinting off of the frost covered trees stirred one of the few remaining warriors of the Winterwoods. Black paws stretched out before her, a metallic clink following a crack of bone popping. With a sigh, the groenendael licked at the fur on her left leg, wishing it would stop making those sounds. She had been trying to hide the upgrade to her limb for nearly two whole seasons now.
As she rose and stepped out from her shell-lined, feather decorated den, into the glistening snow-crusted camp, she sucked in a huge breath. From what she could tell, most of the pack was still asleep. Mist curled around her and her breath fogged and danced among the gentle, almost warm wind. It seemed like spring was finally upon them, and that had proven that her half-metal leg had held during the worst of what the Timberland had in store. Though it still hurt on occasion, it had been a lot better than her first attempt. It would need repairs eventually, but hopefully it would hold up until next winter.
Shaking those thoughts from her head, she took stock of the camp. Boris, her fluffy white best friend, was sound asleep. Her tail wagged gently behind her, wishing him a good sleep. She ignored the urge to wake him up and ask for good luck, despite the fact she desperately needed it. Her sister, Ivanna, was guarding the camp that morning, looking droopy eyed. The two jet black belgian shepherds only exchanged a small look as she passed, holding her breath the whole while. Things had never been the same since the death of their mother.
Finding Nicolas at this hour wasn't easy. She thought he would be asleep in his den, but her nose told her otherwise. He had wandered out late last night, the scent hours old. As she padded down one of the familiar trails after his scent, she went over the thoughts in her head. She had spent months doing anything to avoid the thought of her mother's death, and the Alpha's betrayal. Her brother's disappearance. The pack had half died off during the harsh winter, having only barely survived the hardest blizzard.
Winterwood was strong, they would persevere... But not with traitors in their midst. The black canine's mind raced with plans made far away from home, in private, through dreams and quiet, gentle conversations she only dared breath in her best friend's ears. Her paws carried her far, her head high and ears alert as she scoured the forest for the single dog responsible for everything.
She nearly jumped out of her own fur when she rounded a snowy bend, her mahogony gaze met with the site of the Alpha himself.
"Ah, Yulianna. Looking for me?" Nicolas greeted, his eyes narrow slits. He sat in the center of the trail, as though he had been expecting her. Yulie stopped in her tracks, reluctantly lowering her head in his presence.
"My Alpha," she spoke softly, dipping her head even more in a bow. Her heart raced as she gave her simple answer, "you weren't in camp. Is something wrong?"
There was a pause in which the air grew sharp, her fur prickling in response to something she couldn't see, but could certainly feel. The Esper's dark eyes did not leave her body, a rippling snarl coming from behind her. Whirling around, she found a mirror of herself-- bristling, snarling, eyes glazed and wild. "You had me fooled, but I won't be made a fool of," Nicolas said calmly.
Her sister lunged. Yulie yelped in surprise and tried to throw herself to the side. Teeth snapped down on her leg and she did her best not to howl in pain, gritting her teeth. She shoved the rest of her body into Ivanna, knocking her away and wrenching her leg back. Sparks flew from her bleeding limb, but as she turned to Nicolas once more she found it could still hold her weight.
"The Winterwood pack took your family in, and yet you dare think of betraying us," the Esper growled. His voice was gritty, his eyes glinting as he watched Ivanna gather herself and charge at Yulianna again.
Breathless and horrified that her sister would turn against her, the warrior did the only thing she knew how to do. Survive. She threw her body into her sister, trying to avoid snapping teeth all the while. She wrestled the dog who matched her in every way, the whole time thinking that this wasn't like her calm, quiet sister at all. Teeth sank into her shoulder and she whimpered, rolling and tearing herself free from her sister's grasp once more. Those dull eyes met hers once more.
"Ivanna knows her place within the pack. She would have made an excellent Beta. It's a shame she'll have to be exiled for killing you," Nicolas commented, his voice drowned out by the vicious snarling of Ivanna.
Yulie's mind struggled to understand the situation. The feral canine lunged at her again and she dipped to around to the side, twisting and shoving her sister down. "I'm not your enemy, Anna!" Ivanna's strength surged under her, sending the pair tumbling through the dirt, blood stained teeth slashing across skin, searching for a throat. Yulie finally managed to get a grip on her sister and pin her down, shaking with the wounds that trickled crimson blood down her dark fur. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Ivanna. "He's manipulating you!"
Her sister had no response, no words. She only snarled and snapped at her, to no avail, tail lashing as she struggled to break free. Yulie's gaze snapped back to Nicolas, who hadn't moved an inch. The Esper had the faintest hint of a smile along his muzzle, and as she felt panic flood her body she recognized the faint glisten in the Alpha's eyes.
Her heart was racing, her emotions telling her to give in and beg for mercy as her Alpha finally stood and drew closer. Was this an Esper's power? She had felt it before, but it wasn't nearly as strong. Nicolas bared his teeth in a cruel grin. Kill her, Yulianna found herself thinking, I should kill her. I can't take them both. As Ivanna tried to break free of the hold, Yulie felt herself slipping.
"No!" With a snarl, she raised her mechanical paw and slammed it down hard on her sister's head, stunning her but hopefully not causing any permanent damage. When this was over, she'd use her nanobots to heal her sister if she had to. Her mind surged with images, of her biting down on her sister's neck, severing the artery that would cause her to bleed out in seconds. Struggling to keep control, Yulie stumbled away from her sister and--
Nicolas was gone. She looked around, exhaustion suddenly hitting her in a wave. "Coward!" She barked, unsure if she was dizzy from blood-loss or from the mental assault. Her dark chocolate eyes darted around the tree lines, freezing when she noticed her sister wasn't there anymore. There was, however, another thing she noticed. The snow was undisturbed-- ice and dirt untouched. It looked like there had never been a fight in the first place.
Her nose told her another thing though. While her vision was wrong, and while she didn't hear anything, she could smell her sister right where she was... And she could smell Nicolas too. Close. She didn't dare give him time to react. She could feel conciousness slipping from her body, so she lunged for where the Alpha should've been, teeth bared.
She hit something invisible to her eyes and sank her teeth in deep, raking her claws in wherever she could. She twisted and the pair of them slammed to the ground, a muffled yelp that she dearly hoped belonged to Nicolas hitting her ears. Her vision flickered and she could see the canine in her jaws, her teeth wrapped around his muzzle. She snarled and pressed her paw into his neck. Assured she had him held in place, she let his mouth go and spat blood in his face.
"You would destroy us all." She felt hot blood whelm up around her claws. "Why? What kind of leader turns his own against each other?"
The dog coughed in response, red-tinged drool running from his lips. Agonizing pain hit her, a wordless scream piercing into her mind, surging through her. Visions raced through her mind, too fast to understand all at once, and then, abruptly, it was all gone. The light in the Alpha's eyes were gone, his body limp. Yulianna collapsed next to him, head burning with the mental overload and her body ravaged from the fight with her sister.
A cold nose poked into Yulianna's cheek, rousing her awake. Blinking, the dark canine slowly rose, meeting her sister's anxious gaze. "Ivanna... Are you alright?" The words stumbled from her jaws, but instead of receiving a reply her sister lunged into her, nuzzling into her soft scruff. "Ah! Sis? What..."
"Am I alright? Winter winds, what happened to you? To- to- Nicolas..." Ivanna shot back, her voice high with distress. Yulie blinked and drew back, licking her sister's cheek. Her eyes shifted to the unmoving Esper beside her. Northern ice shot through her veins as she reached down to touch her old Alpha, finding the body cold.
"He's... He's dead."
Together, the two belgian shepherd sisters dragged their dead leader back to camp. Yulianna felt less than a dozen eyes on her, a stark reminder of what had happened to her family during Nicolas' rule. The body had wounds to the neck, but the main vein of the neck hadn't been pierced. Though she was no doctor-- and she would leave it up to the shaman to decide-- she felt that he had died from overuse of his powers.
She would not hold herself responsible for the death of an innocent pack member, either way. He had attacked her, controlled her sister, and killed too many of their ranks in secrecy.
And today, the truth was to come out. Stepping forward, she raised her muzzle to howl for the whole pack to gather. She wanted everyone to be there, a solid firmness building in her chest. She would do this. The Winterwood pack needed someone to bring them together. Swallowing any fear she held, the black canine waited for the pack to fall in around her.
"Winterwood pack! My friends, and my family. Nicolas has fallen, his reign of terror is over. Winterwood will never forget his rule, for he has left an impact on all of us. When my mother joined this pack, he was our beacon of strength and hope. I shall forever miss those days-- but know this."
"Nicolas had been abusing his powers. He used his abilities to force my sister to attack me, and had he been successful, I fear he would have killed us all... But I have fought against him and won, so by right and tradition, Winterwood is mine to claim. You have only my sister for witness, and I encourage anyone who doubts my right to challenge me."
Yulianna's eyes shimmered, passing a glance to Ivanna and Borislav. She knew they had her back, at the very least.
"I have taken the Winter Survival Test and survived, and as this winter dies, I find myself among those who have thrived when the worst had rotted our ranks to the core. I only wish to serve you all to the best of my abilities... And with this, I ask you all to consider a change in our path. We have lived in ignorance and fear of our powers. Nicolas put down any who dared act against tradition, and in such, made it so he was the only who could use his advantages over us."
"I believe it is time for the Winterwood pack to come to understand our powers-- not depend on them, for that is not our way, but... There are times when we have no other choice. No dog should be punished for this."
"My fellow dogs of Winterwood, I wish to come clean. Under Nicolas' reign, I was too afraid to show weakness, nor dependence, on my powers. Last year, my leg had been heavily damaged during my trial. Since then, my body has replaced the bone with the technology of a watcher," as she spoke, she raised her paw, holding it out before the pack. The wounds had barely healed on her leg, the machinery glinting just beneath the bloodied fur and skin.
"No longer do I want Winterwood to be a place of fear. Our traditions are our roots, but they should not hold us back. There are dogs out there who would use their abilities to tear us apart. We cannot allow this. So... Stand with me, Winterwood, and let us make our home a place of joy and honor once more."
Yulianna felt her vision tug towards the corpse of Nicolas, the sense of unease unshakable. She stood tall among her pack, awaiting their acceptance or revolt, but no matter if they let her lead... She knew that darker times were ahead. Perhaps the Final Farewell Ceremony would set her mind at ease; the whole pack would feel better once their old Alpha was laid to rest properly.
MARCH 310
The morning mist crept in on the quiet dens, the sun lighting the sky despite being impossible to see through the forest. The faint hint of warmth glinting off of the frost covered trees stirred one of the few remaining warriors of the Winterwoods. Black paws stretched out before her, a metallic clink following a crack of bone popping. With a sigh, the groenendael licked at the fur on her left leg, wishing it would stop making those sounds. She had been trying to hide the upgrade to her limb for nearly two whole seasons now.
As she rose and stepped out from her shell-lined, feather decorated den, into the glistening snow-crusted camp, she sucked in a huge breath. From what she could tell, most of the pack was still asleep. Mist curled around her and her breath fogged and danced among the gentle, almost warm wind. It seemed like spring was finally upon them, and that had proven that her half-metal leg had held during the worst of what the Timberland had in store. Though it still hurt on occasion, it had been a lot better than her first attempt. It would need repairs eventually, but hopefully it would hold up until next winter.
Shaking those thoughts from her head, she took stock of the camp. Boris, her fluffy white best friend, was sound asleep. Her tail wagged gently behind her, wishing him a good sleep. She ignored the urge to wake him up and ask for good luck, despite the fact she desperately needed it. Her sister, Ivanna, was guarding the camp that morning, looking droopy eyed. The two jet black belgian shepherds only exchanged a small look as she passed, holding her breath the whole while. Things had never been the same since the death of their mother.
Finding Nicolas at this hour wasn't easy. She thought he would be asleep in his den, but her nose told her otherwise. He had wandered out late last night, the scent hours old. As she padded down one of the familiar trails after his scent, she went over the thoughts in her head. She had spent months doing anything to avoid the thought of her mother's death, and the Alpha's betrayal. Her brother's disappearance. The pack had half died off during the harsh winter, having only barely survived the hardest blizzard.
Winterwood was strong, they would persevere... But not with traitors in their midst. The black canine's mind raced with plans made far away from home, in private, through dreams and quiet, gentle conversations she only dared breath in her best friend's ears. Her paws carried her far, her head high and ears alert as she scoured the forest for the single dog responsible for everything.
She nearly jumped out of her own fur when she rounded a snowy bend, her mahogony gaze met with the site of the Alpha himself.
"Ah, Yulianna. Looking for me?" Nicolas greeted, his eyes narrow slits. He sat in the center of the trail, as though he had been expecting her. Yulie stopped in her tracks, reluctantly lowering her head in his presence.
"My Alpha," she spoke softly, dipping her head even more in a bow. Her heart raced as she gave her simple answer, "you weren't in camp. Is something wrong?"
There was a pause in which the air grew sharp, her fur prickling in response to something she couldn't see, but could certainly feel. The Esper's dark eyes did not leave her body, a rippling snarl coming from behind her. Whirling around, she found a mirror of herself-- bristling, snarling, eyes glazed and wild. "You had me fooled, but I won't be made a fool of," Nicolas said calmly.
Her sister lunged. Yulie yelped in surprise and tried to throw herself to the side. Teeth snapped down on her leg and she did her best not to howl in pain, gritting her teeth. She shoved the rest of her body into Ivanna, knocking her away and wrenching her leg back. Sparks flew from her bleeding limb, but as she turned to Nicolas once more she found it could still hold her weight.
"The Winterwood pack took your family in, and yet you dare think of betraying us," the Esper growled. His voice was gritty, his eyes glinting as he watched Ivanna gather herself and charge at Yulianna again.
Breathless and horrified that her sister would turn against her, the warrior did the only thing she knew how to do. Survive. She threw her body into her sister, trying to avoid snapping teeth all the while. She wrestled the dog who matched her in every way, the whole time thinking that this wasn't like her calm, quiet sister at all. Teeth sank into her shoulder and she whimpered, rolling and tearing herself free from her sister's grasp once more. Those dull eyes met hers once more.
"Ivanna knows her place within the pack. She would have made an excellent Beta. It's a shame she'll have to be exiled for killing you," Nicolas commented, his voice drowned out by the vicious snarling of Ivanna.
Yulie's mind struggled to understand the situation. The feral canine lunged at her again and she dipped to around to the side, twisting and shoving her sister down. "I'm not your enemy, Anna!" Ivanna's strength surged under her, sending the pair tumbling through the dirt, blood stained teeth slashing across skin, searching for a throat. Yulie finally managed to get a grip on her sister and pin her down, shaking with the wounds that trickled crimson blood down her dark fur. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Ivanna. "He's manipulating you!"
Her sister had no response, no words. She only snarled and snapped at her, to no avail, tail lashing as she struggled to break free. Yulie's gaze snapped back to Nicolas, who hadn't moved an inch. The Esper had the faintest hint of a smile along his muzzle, and as she felt panic flood her body she recognized the faint glisten in the Alpha's eyes.
Her heart was racing, her emotions telling her to give in and beg for mercy as her Alpha finally stood and drew closer. Was this an Esper's power? She had felt it before, but it wasn't nearly as strong. Nicolas bared his teeth in a cruel grin. Kill her, Yulianna found herself thinking, I should kill her. I can't take them both. As Ivanna tried to break free of the hold, Yulie felt herself slipping.
"No!" With a snarl, she raised her mechanical paw and slammed it down hard on her sister's head, stunning her but hopefully not causing any permanent damage. When this was over, she'd use her nanobots to heal her sister if she had to. Her mind surged with images, of her biting down on her sister's neck, severing the artery that would cause her to bleed out in seconds. Struggling to keep control, Yulie stumbled away from her sister and--
Nicolas was gone. She looked around, exhaustion suddenly hitting her in a wave. "Coward!" She barked, unsure if she was dizzy from blood-loss or from the mental assault. Her dark chocolate eyes darted around the tree lines, freezing when she noticed her sister wasn't there anymore. There was, however, another thing she noticed. The snow was undisturbed-- ice and dirt untouched. It looked like there had never been a fight in the first place.
Her nose told her another thing though. While her vision was wrong, and while she didn't hear anything, she could smell her sister right where she was... And she could smell Nicolas too. Close. She didn't dare give him time to react. She could feel conciousness slipping from her body, so she lunged for where the Alpha should've been, teeth bared.
She hit something invisible to her eyes and sank her teeth in deep, raking her claws in wherever she could. She twisted and the pair of them slammed to the ground, a muffled yelp that she dearly hoped belonged to Nicolas hitting her ears. Her vision flickered and she could see the canine in her jaws, her teeth wrapped around his muzzle. She snarled and pressed her paw into his neck. Assured she had him held in place, she let his mouth go and spat blood in his face.
"You would destroy us all." She felt hot blood whelm up around her claws. "Why? What kind of leader turns his own against each other?"
The dog coughed in response, red-tinged drool running from his lips. Agonizing pain hit her, a wordless scream piercing into her mind, surging through her. Visions raced through her mind, too fast to understand all at once, and then, abruptly, it was all gone. The light in the Alpha's eyes were gone, his body limp. Yulianna collapsed next to him, head burning with the mental overload and her body ravaged from the fight with her sister.
A cold nose poked into Yulianna's cheek, rousing her awake. Blinking, the dark canine slowly rose, meeting her sister's anxious gaze. "Ivanna... Are you alright?" The words stumbled from her jaws, but instead of receiving a reply her sister lunged into her, nuzzling into her soft scruff. "Ah! Sis? What..."
"Am I alright? Winter winds, what happened to you? To- to- Nicolas..." Ivanna shot back, her voice high with distress. Yulie blinked and drew back, licking her sister's cheek. Her eyes shifted to the unmoving Esper beside her. Northern ice shot through her veins as she reached down to touch her old Alpha, finding the body cold.
"He's... He's dead."
Together, the two belgian shepherd sisters dragged their dead leader back to camp. Yulianna felt less than a dozen eyes on her, a stark reminder of what had happened to her family during Nicolas' rule. The body had wounds to the neck, but the main vein of the neck hadn't been pierced. Though she was no doctor-- and she would leave it up to the shaman to decide-- she felt that he had died from overuse of his powers.
She would not hold herself responsible for the death of an innocent pack member, either way. He had attacked her, controlled her sister, and killed too many of their ranks in secrecy.
And today, the truth was to come out. Stepping forward, she raised her muzzle to howl for the whole pack to gather. She wanted everyone to be there, a solid firmness building in her chest. She would do this. The Winterwood pack needed someone to bring them together. Swallowing any fear she held, the black canine waited for the pack to fall in around her.
"Winterwood pack! My friends, and my family. Nicolas has fallen, his reign of terror is over. Winterwood will never forget his rule, for he has left an impact on all of us. When my mother joined this pack, he was our beacon of strength and hope. I shall forever miss those days-- but know this."
"Nicolas had been abusing his powers. He used his abilities to force my sister to attack me, and had he been successful, I fear he would have killed us all... But I have fought against him and won, so by right and tradition, Winterwood is mine to claim. You have only my sister for witness, and I encourage anyone who doubts my right to challenge me."
Yulianna's eyes shimmered, passing a glance to Ivanna and Borislav. She knew they had her back, at the very least.
"I have taken the Winter Survival Test and survived, and as this winter dies, I find myself among those who have thrived when the worst had rotted our ranks to the core. I only wish to serve you all to the best of my abilities... And with this, I ask you all to consider a change in our path. We have lived in ignorance and fear of our powers. Nicolas put down any who dared act against tradition, and in such, made it so he was the only who could use his advantages over us."
"I believe it is time for the Winterwood pack to come to understand our powers-- not depend on them, for that is not our way, but... There are times when we have no other choice. No dog should be punished for this."
"My fellow dogs of Winterwood, I wish to come clean. Under Nicolas' reign, I was too afraid to show weakness, nor dependence, on my powers. Last year, my leg had been heavily damaged during my trial. Since then, my body has replaced the bone with the technology of a watcher," as she spoke, she raised her paw, holding it out before the pack. The wounds had barely healed on her leg, the machinery glinting just beneath the bloodied fur and skin.
"No longer do I want Winterwood to be a place of fear. Our traditions are our roots, but they should not hold us back. There are dogs out there who would use their abilities to tear us apart. We cannot allow this. So... Stand with me, Winterwood, and let us make our home a place of joy and honor once more."
Yulianna felt her vision tug towards the corpse of Nicolas, the sense of unease unshakable. She stood tall among her pack, awaiting their acceptance or revolt, but no matter if they let her lead... She knew that darker times were ahead. Perhaps the Final Farewell Ceremony would set her mind at ease; the whole pack would feel better once their old Alpha was laid to rest properly.
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