Raven

[Toothless]

    The night seemed calm, still, and yet a sense of foreboding hung within the air like the web of a spider, waiting for the proper moment to seize its prey. A gentle breeze caressed the grass, allowing the blades to dance and sway in the wind, careless to the troubles of the mortal race. Everything seemed too quiet when you walked past, eyes cast to the earth in a desperate attempt to ignore the sense of evil in the air, the sense of eyes watching your every subtle movement as you quickly walked towards your home where you were sure you'd be safe. The air seemed to drop in temperature, so much so that you could see your breath wafting in the air, before melding into the atmosphere. A shiver of raw fear ran down your spine, causing the hairs along your neck and arms to rise in alert. You muttered something about "not letting the night get to you" and walked faster, keeping your gaze on your feet. The rough croaking of a raven stopped you in your tracks and you swung around, meeting the harsh, beady black eyes of the ebon bird. It croaked again, and began to speak to you in a clear voice - a human voice.



"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore.

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly, there came a tapping

As if someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

"Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -

Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wish the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost Lenore-

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-

Nameless here for evermore."

You could clearly hear the voice, but the raven's beak did not move. Fear crept up your throat, seizing your breath in your chest as the raven stepped off the branch, and free-fell to the earth. Before it struck the hard winter ground, however, it seemed to... melt and reform into a human-shaped being, its cruel, black eyes staring at you. You swallowed as the creature began to speak, a slight hiss accenting his words.

"A wonderful poem, wouldn't you sssay?" it murmured, striding forward. Its voice was decidedly masculine [or feminine], as was its form. "Your Edgar Allen Poe sssure knew the way of thisss world." You shiver, too afraid and stunned to respond.

"Come now, lass/lad," the creature purred, drawing a long finger nail down your cheek, "you must have a voice within that deliciously terrified mind of yours."

"Who - what - are you?"

It smiled, revealing the tell-tale sign: where its canines should be there were two long fangs, glistening in the moonlight, slick with saliva and malice. "I think you know."

You shook your head, your mind refusing to accept what is clearly in front of you. The creature purred once more, preparing to strike, drawing your scent through its nostrils. It froze, hissing.

You gurgled out a single sound, a despaeate cry for aid, for rescue, your fading vision catching sight of others racing towards you. The vampire inclined his head and released an angry hiss, slamming you into the earth. You felt the fragile bones in your back and shoulders shatter and your crushed esophagus continued to slowly suffocate you. "The mortal body is sso fragile," the vampire hissed, backhanding your cheek hard. The bones in your face broke even as the creature shattered your kneecap. You could not cry out, even though the agony was wracking your body. You saw the vampire spin around as the other being tackled him. The sound of the world around you faded, save for the low croaking of a raven, and your world went black.

[Toothless]

_*Claim

[Toothless]

Thanatos, often called simply 'Thane', watched the busy intersection with a cynical, bored expression. He was unseen by every mortal that hurried passed him, his presence - though unknown - sending a cold shiver of fear down their spine. He was dressed rather casually, donning a worn pair of jeans and a t-shirt the color of his eyes - black. Thanatos seemed rather human, though it was an illusion; he could make himself appear in whatever form he wished. Having dealt with the souls of the departed humans for an eternity, he simply preferred their form. His hair was the color of night, sweeping lightly in the breeze that brushed across the street he stood next to. There was a reason that he, Thanatos, King of the Dead, stood here, watching the road that stretched into the east. There was a reason behind everything Thane did, whatever it may be. He was the epitome of calm, standing there and waiting, unblinking, expression bored. Something flashed across Thane's line of sight - a vision of what would happen on this very spot, where his boots touched the earth. The light of the traffic intersection turned red.

A massive red truck, a Ford F-150 to be exact, blew past the red light - whether the driver had ignored the change in the light's color or did not notice it, Thane did not know - and head straight for a small silver sedan. From where Thane stood, he could see a young toddler perched in its car seat, buckled into the rear seat of the small car, bouncing merrily, playing with some toy that Thane could not identify. The child's mother was in the front seat and saw the car hurtling towards her. Shock and fear lit her face and she slammed her back against the seat, stomping on the brakes while simultaneously punching the horn. It was too late, though the truck driver attempted to stop. An ear-splitting crash rent the air, seeming to tear open the heavens and shake the earth's very foundations. The little car, with its precious passenger, was sent flying and rolling after having been struck on the side - t-boned, Thane thought it was called. The little silver sedan rolled once, twice, thrice, before settling into a mass of molten metal and wreckage. A single beat of silence passed, born of shock and disbelief, before wails and screams shook the burning air. The traffic lights swung slight, thrown off-balance by a stray piece of the small sedan's frame.

Thane's gaze was fixed on the little ball of wreckage. All other sounds filtered out, replaced by a single sigh, childlike and peaceful. The little car was surrounded by a glow, one not seen by any mortal, before it blinked out with a brilliant flash. Thane stepped forward, approached the car. There, sitting just outside of the wreckage, was a little boy, face blank with confusion, black hair wispy and soft. He looked up when Thane approached, watching the King of the Dead with confused sky-blue eyes. No words were spoken; what was done was done.

With a gentle smile, Thane bent and picked up the child, cradling him against his hip. The little toddler rested his head on Thane's shoulder, clutching the little bear he'd been playing with before the accident, and stuck his thumb in his mouth, eyes drooping. Thanatos' gaze swiveled back to the car, and sound rushed back in. Sirens, blaring and shrill, came from the northern road; the mother managed to drag herself from the wreckage, body broken and bleeding, though her only concern was for her child. She sobbed and begged for someone to help her save her baby.

Thane's gaze never wavered as he and the child were enveloped in a mist that rose from the blood-soaked earth. When the mist faded away, Thanatos and the toddler were gone.

[Amber]

Claim.

[Toothless]

The air hung still with potential, humming with the inherent power of this land's magic. The small town was unaware of what transpired in the forest, of what power wrapped around the mountains and trees. In this world, magic was real; and it was evident in the sleek black form of a large creature that padded lightly through the woods. Its golden eyes glittering with intelligence, the distinctly lupine form rippling with grace and barely restrained power. The wolf - for that was what is was, and what it was not - stopped, lifting its head and turned its muzzle to the wind. Its nostrils twitched slightly, drawing in the scents around him, before it lowered its head, a low growl rumbling in its chest, slipping past its jaws and into the air. Without another word, the wolf lunged forward, dug its claws into the earth, and hurtled in an easterly direction, towards the scent that drew its attention fully. Intruder, the wolf thought with a growl. Wolves are fiercely territorial and will rarely suffer any intruders on what they consider their territory, and this massive wolf, the color of pitch, was no different.

[Amber]

Of course Bree couldn't stay away from the forest for long. She was drawn to it. Drawn to beauty and mystery it possessed. She sighed contently as she bounded through the forest, green eyes wide with awe. She was wearing a simple piece of clothing, a light summer dress that hung to her knees. She found it easier to run through the forest with this; surprisingly. Ever since Doru had spoken to her, she deemed it was her right to run through the forest without trying to hide. She didn't,t know if the others knew if she was a wolf like them, so she knew it could be dangerous. But she would tell them that she was. Of course, she didn't really believe that she was a Priciolici like thge others, but it was alright to pretend,right? At one point she slipped on the leaf litter that scattered the floor and she fell in a giggling, pitiiful heap. She quickly righted herself up and glanced warily around, brushing a stray piece of hair away from her face.

[Toothless]

[Is she a werewolf? Or Schimba?]

The wolf's gleaming eyes watched the female collapse to the earth with a shrill giggle. He tilted his head, drawing her scent through his nose. Dead and dying leaves fluttered back to the ground, disturbed by the mortal's clumsiness. Curious, the wolf trotted from the shadows, watching Bree with intelligent gold eyes. He sniffed, breathing in more of Bree's natural smell. Cinnamon? Cinnamon and... he growled, trying to identify the other part of Bree's scent. What the hell was she? Not just a mortal, that was for sure; something about her called to him, to his wolf. Fane cocked his head, pupils narrowing slightly as he carefully observed the human, if that was what she even was. As a Priciolici - called werewolf by many - Fane's senses were about three times better than that of a normal human's. Because of that, Fane knew that Bree wasn't a full-blooded human, but whatever other mystical being she was, he could not determine.

[Amber]

[Were-wolf. I accidentally mixed up the words, but I edited and fixed it]

Bree's eyes narrowed warily, moments before Fane trotted from the shadows. Instead of shrinking away or running in fear, she merely sighed, shoulders slumping. She took a step away from him, green eyes curiously but distrustfully- summing him up. This was definitely not Doru. "Umn...." She nervously wrung her hands together, gaze skimming past Fane and to the area behind him. Were there more of his friends? Was she even allowed to tell Fane who she was. "Hello?" She tried greeting him, raising a thin eyebrow. She knew he wasn't just a regular wolf, Doru wouldn't allow them here, right? Hopefully Fane was a were-wolf, because she believed she would have a better chance of survival. "I'm not tress passing!" She blurted out.

[Toothless]

The wolf's head tipped to the side slightly. With a grunt, he shook himself, eyes narrowing. His eyes gleamed as he pulled himself to his full height and allowed himself to shift. The sound of bones popping clicked in the air as the wolf's form changed, going from a large lupine to a large man. He stood at about six-feet, eyes the same molten gold as they were in his wolf form. His hair was the color of his coat, though that was not necessarily the case for all Priciolici. His nose was straight and proud, face handsome with strong angles. He cocked his head to the side slightly, eyes roaming from Bree's feet to her gaze. "Ah," he rumbled, voice smooth as silk, "the half-blood. You smell different."

[Amber]

Bree watched him shift with horrified awe, green eyes wide in shock. They could shift that quickly? Now that he was a male human, she was scared and nervous. 'Man-eating' wolves? No problem. Male humans? That's a different story....okay maybe she was exaggerating a little, but it was more or less the truth. She blushed profusely, gaze quickly flicking to the earth as she smoothed down her dress and pulled a wilted leaf from her hair. "I-i'm not a half-blood. I..I just have permission?" She pitifully tried arguing the case, mustering up enough courage to stare up at him defiantly. And boy, did she have to look up. "What do you mean 'The Half-blood?' I have a name you know!" She huffed, carefully manuevering around a tree, putting several more feet of distance between the two of them. "Who are you, anyway? Did you come to attack me?" Bree had a problem was she was nervous.....she talked a lot.

[Toothless]

Fane tilted his head. This female rambled apparently, when she was nervous. "I am aware that you have a name, but as I do not know it and have not had the chance to ask it, I referred to you as the half-blood. You're quite famous between the royal guards." His gold eyes watched as she scampered around and the wolf in his head growled, eager to give chase. "Running from a predator like me is not a good idea, little one. I will give chase." He smirked, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards slightly. His smile stayed as he bowed his head. "Fane Lupei, Royal Guard, at your service. And if I wanted to attack you, wouldn't you think that I already would have?"

[Amber]

"Famous?" Bree croaked, eyes widening as she rubbed the back of her neck. She automatically froze when he explained that he would give chase, quickly stopping her movements. She gave him another defiant glare when her called her a little one, eyes narrowed in dissaproval. "How am I famous? Am I famous in a bad way?" She stared at him accusingly, folding her arms in front of her chest. "Doru said I could see the camp. That's the main reason why I came out here." She explained in a softer voice, her gaze turning into a look of friendly curiosity.

[Toothless]

Fane winked with a grin. "Half-bloods who have no idea what they are and have never shifted before are quite rare. Priciolici live a long time, so children and new bloods are exciting." He shrugged one shoulder. "And yes, I know. I am who Doru sent as a guard, when you finally did show up. The forest calls to you, doesn't it?" He tilted his head slightly again, a habit of his. "Defensive, aren't you?" he teased, watching as she crossed her arms across her chest. "I'm of no threat to you. Doru likes you, which means I like you." He smirked. "Ready?"

[Amber]

"Well, the forest does call to me...but I still don't think I am like any of you..I mean....it would explain a thing or two. But still..." She sighed, running her hand down her arm. She ignored his question about being defensive, and instead asked, "well, of course I'm ready. I wouldn't be out here if I wasn't right?" She flashed him a tentative smile, smile large enough to show a glimpse of her pearly white teeth. She approached him, but still seemed hesitant about close proximity.

[Toothless]

Fane was quiet for a long moment, debating on how to respond. "Very well," he said. "Time will tell if you are of my kind. This way." With that, he turned and headed West, towards the center of the forest. He could have shifted and carried Bree on his back and have been at the camp in half the time, but there we advantages in walking. "When you see my home, remember to keep an open mind about my people. You have heard the legends, but lies often blend with the truth. There are many forms of magic in the world, and my kind is blessed with a bit of our own magic."