There's a flash and a thud, and the large colt tumbles from the hole in the sky onto a hard forest floor. His limbs tangle around him like ropes, and he hears two muffled thuds as Askari and Nguvu crash land next to him. It's followed by a series of whimpers as the pups clamber unsteadily to their feet, then both proceed to vomit the contents of their stomachs onto the soil. Before Mbwana can stop them, they greedily gobble the sick back down with such delight that it almost turns the colt's stomach, and he has to look away in disgust.
This is not home. He remembers what he saw on the other side; he is young, but he knows what death is. He has brought it himself, and watched it dealt out by his companions. He is no stranger to it, but the massacre in Helovia isn't something he wants to dwell on. It hurts in a way that he can't describe, and his melancholy thoughts drift into his two dog bondeds; they whimper and cry, although he notices that Nguvu seems stiff and uncooperative. Her tail hangs low, her jaws open in a pant with her pink tongue lolling, and there's foam flecked around her lips - Mbwana glances down at her, frowning, when suddenly she lunges for his face. Her teeth rip into his delicate muzzle and he roars in pain, his eyes flashing with anger at this act of insubordination. Immediately he strikes back to flip the young bitch onto her back and show her her place, but Nguvu bounces neatly out of the way. Askari watches on in stunned silence as Nguvu growls like a caged beast, her bond to Mbwana's mind flashing red with danger. Then she turns tail and runs, into the forest's blackened depths. With his nose bleeding badly, the boy staggers after her, bellowing like a bull. "Get back here," he roars, and Askari follows meekly on his heels as he rampages through the forest. She is gone, though; turned wild by the Rift, her mind torn from his. He gives up his chase, his ears flopping sadly at the loss of the pup. Askari nuzzles his fetlock affectionately, but it is scarce comfort. He is about to continue his hunt for her when he hears a voice, a familiar and joyous voice - Mother! Now he runs like he's never ran before, his legs a blur beneath him as he hurdles through the forest with Askari zooming along behind him. "Mother!" he booms, his voice already very deep for a six-month-old. Finally he bursts through the undergrowth and sees her, along with a crowd of others - he's not an affectionate colt, but he's so relieved to see her that he plunges his face into her fur, breathing heavily. "Mother, one of my companions ran away." His voice is tinged with sadness as he pictures Nguvu, studiously ignoring Askari's mournful whimpers at his feet. The source of the whimpers are soon revealed, because there's another wild dog pup nearby - the colt's heart soars, thinking it's Nguvu, until he realises that it isn't. His head flops sorrowfully, and Askari glares at the other pup as though disgusted at the fact it isn't his sister. He growls in the back of his throat, his ears flat and his lips peeled away to reveal pinprick young teeth. |
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07-14-2017, 08:35 PM
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Messages In This Thread |
now comes the tide; - by Safiri - 07-13-2017, 07:52 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Rift Presence - 07-13-2017, 09:00 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Zubari - 07-14-2017, 12:49 AM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Katua - 07-14-2017, 02:41 AM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Kiada - 07-14-2017, 04:30 AM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Rift Presence - 07-14-2017, 05:17 AM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Rexanna - 07-14-2017, 05:45 AM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Rift Presence - 07-14-2017, 04:14 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Mbwana - 07-14-2017, 08:35 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Rift Presence - 07-15-2017, 09:44 AM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Safiri - 07-17-2017, 05:11 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Zubari - 07-19-2017, 08:24 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Mbwana - 07-19-2017, 09:00 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Katua - 07-19-2017, 10:25 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Rexanna - 07-21-2017, 01:01 AM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Kiada - 07-21-2017, 01:16 AM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Zubari - 07-21-2017, 12:58 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Mbwana - 07-21-2017, 07:24 PM
RE: now comes the tide; - by Safiri - 07-31-2017, 12:36 AM
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