To Be, or not to Be? The Answer is simple.

[Apocalypse]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/NuckyGirl/wolfeh-6.png] Red rubies floated through the Dream Realm, accompanied by a swirling mist of darkness and embers. A being like the mist itself moved with purpose towards what looked like a storm. There is no weather in dreams...only emotions and thoughts, however, this was no precipitation. It was a maelstrom of malcontent, a torrent of torment.....it seemed that another wolf was dying in the desert. The rubies slowly began to look more like eyes, and a shadow of a silhouette formed out of the mist. Apocalypse watched another mortal succumb to the desert. He carefully reached out to touch the mind of the dying wolf....he wanted to see the last thoughts. Water, and the face of another wolf, a female. The harbinger's eyes narrowed and he pulled out of the mind in disgust. Why did they always think of someone they loved? Would that not bring more misery? After centuries of life, he still could not grasp emotional connections like that. It seemed to be folly in his mind. He did not bother to speak to the mostly gone wolf, why give him solace in his last moments of having someone there, whether or not they comprehended him or not. His dark maw split in a fiery yawn, exposing his smoldering throat momentarily before he snapped it shut. He slowly began to solidify. His body was strong and powerful in appearance, barrel chested, broad shoulders and a clean sloping back. Sure he did not look like a typical wolf, but he preferred it that way. He liked holding his head high, and he liked fire and darkness. He gave himself four-tails on a regular basis, right now they swept out from him like great gray rivers. One softly glowed like kindling in a fire, he glanced back at it. He needed to reconnect with a certain myou to make it glow brighter. He pushed the thought aside, he would do that soon enough. For now he wanted to watch the aftermath of death. His will formed a sort of slate of rock above the place the mind of the wolf had been. He strode up and lay down to oversee the aftermath. The last bit of the storm was diminishing as the last breath left the wolf. The will to live in everything was strong, everything would like to live forever, it beat out the alternative. Nonexistence. To Be was what everything fought for....yet once the fight was over.....mortals always lost.

[vincavec]

The heat, sand, sunlight. All the features of the Hotali desert that would have been worth noticing were lost behind the veil of the Dream realm. Instead, as the swirling smoke and mist of the incorporeal world shifted hue from contented lavender into a shade of red and black, the beings who lived within it knew that another was suffering on the outside, perhaps succumbing to the tormented end known as death. Mortal gifts, that many were subject to detest. Mortal gifts that were a treasure to Vincavec.

His coat bore a different hue at that moment, the sleek fur mutating from a vibrant and cheering teal into muted and mournful hues of grey. After all, his feet fell in a solemn location, where one of the 'others' was in pain. But he refused to reach out to them, to see what they were thinking or what they saw. While he often stopped to appreciate the dying, he rarely found it prudent to interfere. After all, there was no time for them to believe while dying. What use where they if they couldn't spread information around?

"What unlucky soul were you?" He mused out loud, but didn't expect an audience to return the words. He was often alone, he had accepted that. His host had died and he hadn't sought a new one since the Cael passed on, lingering near the Knights of Therian Order only out of memory. A heavy thought made his head shake as he stood once more and padded forward. Heavy paws would have left deep impressions in the sand of the desert had he been allowed to walk it. It's a shame. The faint glow from the whites of his eyes cast soft light into the darkness before him, trekking onwards. "Death becomes ye, mortal child of the others. Squander your gift and suffer the consequences."

[Apocalypse]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/NuckyGirl/wolfeh-6.png] His red gaze had been focused to the heavens, he was waiting for the next view point on death. It was not long before he could see a faint flicker of a lesser mind. A vulture had caught wind of the death and was coming to feast. Apocalypse reached his own mind out to touch that of the carrion feeder. He was catching flashes of the desert terrain from the bird's eyes. Seeing the wolf who had just past on, noting the emaciation and suffering it had in it's last moments. Interesting. So very interesting. His tall ears flickered as he heard the musings of another near by. He peered down from his dark roost, another harbinger. The last one he encountered had been his son, this one did not seem to be young enough to be his son, at least not from his last litter. He didn't bother to try to figure out if he was related or not, he really didn't care. Perhaps he should go speak with him, warn him that the desert had been Apocalypse's personal theater and host provider for a few years now. He stood up, his dark tails uncoiling being him like a sweeping cape. He pauses a moment, and looked at his back, then tapped into the vulture's mind once more. It had been sometimes since he flew. The dark and sooty mist around him began to bend and twist at his will. Soon two powerful wings unfurled from his broad sides. Black as night and molded after that of a dragon. With a great flap he was airborne and gliding toward the newcomer. It was not a far flight, all he did was swoop over his head and land on the other side, turning to face the white-eyed male. He did not speak, allowing his entrance to sink in a little.

[vincavec]

All was still, if only for a brief moment as the final light flickered from the now-corpse of the 'other'. If he had been paying more attention, he would have noticed the vulture. Of course, he wasn't. His attention had been diverted by a shadowed form that swooped down to stand beside him. The glowing sclera illuminated little as his face turned towards the creature.

This smell was familiar, even if the face escaped him. Features, figures, images were not so easily remembered. Only spoken fact lodged itself into the archives of his mind. Who was this stranger? Almost unseen in the dark mist that surrounded him, Vincavec's eyes narrowed.

"Many greetings, old one." The words came naturally, as if he spoke them every day, but this was the rare occassion that he met a Harbinger older than himself. Much to his displeasure, he always ran into the company of youthful things who still found their life in the Dream realm to be fascinating. Old one seemed appropriate, the idea that it may be insulting never crossed his mind.

[Apocalypse]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/NuckyGirl/wolfeh-6.png] He kept the wings out for a few moments before folding them to his smoldering sides. As he moved it appeared as if cracks were forming in his form to expose molten lava below. He enjoyed darkness, especially the darkness of nightmares. His tall ears perked forward as the other spoke to him. 'Old One' He was called. Most mortals would be offended by being called old, however to Apocalypse it was a compliment and a form of respect to acknowledge age, because with age came power. He nodded a greeting in return. " And to you...." His voice rolled like thunder as it rumbled from his barrel like chest. All four tail twitched and wavered. He touched back with the vulture mind, watching it continue to circle. Other minds were joining it slowly. Back to the harbinger, his eyes searched his chosen form, "Tell me, what brings you to the desert?" He was always full of questions and wanting to know everyone's perspective. The more he knew the more versatile he became in the ways of survival.

[vincavec]

The wings caught Vincavec's eyes as they folded, then the crackling lava pelt turned his attention to the fur of this stranger. The glowing sclera cast soft light into the shadows, but couldn't penatrate them. Mentally, he wondered why this male kept so close to the darkness, but didn't voice the question. In truth, he didn't care; each Harbinger was entitled to their own preferance, he and only ever questioned motive if the being was an annoyance. He didn't suffer stupidity, a trait that did not seem to present in the form before him.

His mention of age went unnoticed, which he took to mean it was accepted. Age was a register of strength, something that young Harbingers did not always realized. But Vincavec did; this one before him had to be far his senior, or powerful regardless. The greeting returned the younger Harbinger's mind to the situation, the question causing the cogs of his mind to turn.

Why had he come there? He hadn't known it was desert as he traveled, but he rarely knew what anything was those days. The reason seemed silly, and certainly it would be to another who didn't understand, but he blurted it out anyways.

"I wanted to see the purple sands." Purple sands were not natural, and he understood that, but it was all his eyes saw. His fabricated reality outside of the Dream realm was fantastically different than the truth, but it never came up in conversation until that moment. "Yourself? Certainly not just for the fantastic view of the theatre known as mortal tragedy."

[Apocalypse]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/NuckyGirl/wolfeh-6.png] ((I'm so sorry! I didn't see this post until now)) His red, smoldering eyes watched the younger harbinger. Purple sands? He had not viewed them as that. He took a moment to turn over his large shoulder as the last of the winds reabsorbed into his body. He allowed his presence to wan a little, so that the image the younger had would shimmer into being. He blinked a few times, not bad. He allowed more of the darkness to wan, releasing the colors back into the dream realm it seemed. Interesting. He turned back to the harbinger, " No, not just to see the mortal's death. The life of those that benefit..." He peered up into the swirling sky, the minds of more buzzards were appearing. Life...death...a never ending cycle....for the mortals. His ears twitched a little at the last bit of the questions. "Tragedy is it? To supply life to others..." It wasn't really a counter argument, or a question. He was musing, exercising his words with new ears. "Tell me. What have you named yourself, young one?" He could have asked why purple, but, like the other harbinger, he knew that question perspective was pointless..

[vincavec]

Sorry! My mind's been scattered.

As Vincavec watched the darkness around his new 'companion', it seemed to receed, to show more of the creature within the depths of the shadows. What a strange creature it was, so dark but not unpleasant in the head. In fact, he seemed to care, in some strange sense, for the creatures within the Realm of the others. But the younger Harbinger didn't feel like asking questions. Instead, he listened, until questions were asked of him.

What have you named yourself, young one? The question was posed quickly after his musing was over, leaving the younger Harbinger in a moment's surprise. What was his name. What WAS his name? A chuckle escaped him. "This one names himself as Vincavec. Vincavec, the prince of the purple sands!" He cackled. The titled wasn't a real one, or one he would remember in the near future, but it felt proper to state it at that moment in time.

[Apocalypse]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/NuckyGirl/wolfeh-6.png] (( No worries. OH! and Happy Birthday!)) He blinked, and then could not help but to utter a deep, throaty chuckle. It had been a while since he laughed. He spent most of his time brooding to be honest. Watching to world and plotting his take over. Elpidia had told him he was too slow about it. But in his mind, he was calculated savoring the plotting. "Well, Prince of the Purple sands, " His dark maw split into a fiery grin, "What do you see in your kingdom?" Kingdom. That was something that he had not seen in a while...he had found himself in the desert so often because the creatures that came out here...be them wolf, dragon or otherwise, always had interesting reasons, not mention unique reasons, for being there. His four tails wavered in a nonexistent breeze. He looked out over the landscape, he would be lying if he said he cared about the animals of the desert. He used them for his personal gain. Like every harbinger should. There was a time where he and his lover/enemy could influence entire nations. To be viewed as a god once more....would be exhilarating.

[vincavec]

He paused. Hesitated, perhaps. The words of the elder were almost chipper, almost happy. The laugh was certainly unnerving, at best. But something about this stranger left the mentally touched Harbinger in an odd disposition, at least odd for him. His glowing eyes closed slowly, reopening to reveal another color.

"What do I...see?" The words were distant as Vincavec spoke them, gazing through the shadowed figure into the abyss behind him. What did he see. What? His mind moved, from the greyed body that slowly took on the life of teal that mirrored the bright and charming birds with big tails into the mind of a creature on the other side.

What did he see? The desert was a raging violet, deep and beautiful sands stretching for miles across the Hotali territory. The trees, the few around, the ones near the oasis...they burned blue. Azure tongues licking the sky. The water was inky black, thick like tar. Such a strange world, one that the Harbinger knew wasn't real.

"I see many things. What do you see?" His head tilted, turned towards the elder with a goofy grin. "What sorts of nice, pretty scenes enter your aged mind?"

[Apocalypse]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/NuckyGirl/wolfeh-6.png] He was brought out of his reminiscing when his question was put right back to him. He raised a brow curiously. "I would hardly call them pretty scenes." His voice held no emotion now, he was not offended or anything, just stating facts as he perceived them. "I see what they see...from their point of view." He gestured to the shimmering minds of the vultures with a powerfully chiseled maw. "Hunger and survival are all they think about. But what they see...that is what I want." A classic example of wanting what others have. For the mortals they wished for immortality, they would revel at the sight of the dream world. For the immortals, they wished to experience, to taste meat, to feel the warmth of the sun. His tails flickered idly. He looked back at the younger, his eyes seeming ablaze like hot iron. Consider a younger generation are their views that same as the older?

[vincavec]

"I would hardly call them pretty scenes." The lack of emotion that accompanied the statement piqued the Harbinger's curiosity, his head leaning closer to the black pelt before him out of sheer interest, wanting to be close enough to hear more. How strange, to see from the eyes of the creatures outside of their home. Of course, it made sense. This elder wanted to be outside of the Dream realm they called home. Vincavec sympathized, for a brief moment. "I would never want such a thing."

He shook his peacock-teal head and pranced from one side of the Harbinger to the other, watching him with glistening eyes. "I used to." His voice took on a nostalgic tone, soft and frustrated at the same time. His younger days, before his mind left him alone. He had wanted to be an other, even if it was in the body of one of the cursed walking dead that he had seen around before.

[Apocalypse]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/NuckyGirl/wolfeh-6.png] He turned his head back to the younger with a sharp jerk, his eyes flaring for a moment as the darkness engulfed a little more. A harbinger that did not want to become corporeal? He chuckled darkly once more, the darkness subsiding a bit to allow the younger's influence to affect the area as well, "That's because you have not tasted it...." It was almost a comment under his fiery breath. His memory was vivid of the time where they almost made it. He gave a sigh of ash as he shook the thought out of his mind. Who was he to judge what this Vincavec wanted. His four tails twitched and rippled like black streams of midnight, one glowing dully. Had he been wasting his time, waiting for the right opportunities to fall in his lap? Perhaps Elpidia was right....he waited too long. He looked back at the younger. "What would you do....for the opportunity to be viewed as a god? Would you even want it?" ((ug...sorry it's sooooo short....he put up a wall))

[vincavec]

OOC. Sorry that took so long! @.@ Talk about side-tracked.

He was quiet as he gave due respect to the voice and opinions of the elder, glowing irises gazing towards him with curiosity. He hadn't tasted it. Taste what? Tasted tangible life? He had desired it, at one time. He had wanted it so wholly, and now was left as a husk of what he had once been without such wants. But this male. This male wanted it. He could tell, just from how he spoke. Had he tasted it before? Was that why his desire for it ran so deep?

He watched as the shadows rose and retracted like so many rays of light compiled into one. He listened as he was asked a question. A question that brought the strange smile to the peacock-furred male's lips. "We aren't gods already? A shame. And here, I treated myself as such." Laughter followed, a deep rumbling that bounced out of his mouth with strange joy.

[Apocalypse]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/NuckyGirl/wolfeh-6.png] He could not help but crack a fiery smile, he liked how this one thought. His tails twitched a little, "We are many things. To be truly be gods, we need followers to revere us and seek us out. To pass between realms like walking into the shade from the sun...." He paused at his own metaphor. The veil between worlds was thin....yet strong. He hated that he had to reply on mortals to make his dreams reality, but at the same time, it excited him. Then it hit him. His eyes even flashed white at his epiphany. Sure he would still have his riders to help him with his final ascension, but he needed a foundation...so he could have a stronger grip around the throat of the mortals, "Who's to say we cannot do it again...there are plenty of wolves in these areas....surely a few are dim enough to accept deities into their world...and create a nation of followers...." He seemed wrapped in his own thoughts, he doubted the younger would jump on the idea. If anything it was just a spring board to get Apocalypse back in the game of world changing....