Warmth in Winter (Tate/Open)

[Cresent]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/Cresent1Mid.png] Cresent sighed of relief when she reached the Mirage. It had been a long trip, which wasn't really a trip since she somehow stumbled upon the only area where any living thing could live comfortably. She wanted to get away from the snowy areas, especially the Lumera Valley, which snowed quite a bit this time of year. So she went to this desert and felt warmer. She thought maybe she could explore more of this desert, if there was anything to find in the first place. Cresent was sure there would be at least one thing that could catch her eye, so she had went further and further into the desert, until she got lost. Everything just looked the same, not one landscape that she could recognize, not even a single cactus. Until, she saw...flora? Cresent thought she was delusional when she saw plants in a desert, but even so, she might as well enjoy the assumed illusion while it lasted. So, she used every bit of energy to run, no, sprint to the flora. When she made it, it was simply beautiful. Large beautiful flowers and trees, and even a small lake! Cresent gasped and ran to the water, and drank until she was content. What a lucky find, she thought. Cresent smiled and walked to the shade of a large tree, and by then, she was convinced that this was real. This is just the perfect, how come there aren't any other wolves here enjoying this?

Table by Eldarwen · Image · Image

[Hafalong Rambling]

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[atrb=background,http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a190/lilDiablo_/hafmid2.png] Hot, hot, hot, hot! Hafalong panted as he stalked the desert. Spirits danced before his blue eyes, dried, withered husks of those who hadn't made it through the deadly heat. The moaned and pawed at him, going through him. He shivered, the blast of cold that distinguished the dead offering him a temporary relief Hot, hot, burning, hot! Hot as fire, hot as hell! Hafalong's thoughts ran in an incoherent swirl. He wanted rest, he wanted sleep, he wanted death. Death, death, mort, mortim, mortuus... Mortus! Where was Mortus? Good for nothing ghost! Undead fiend! Where was he?! He should be there, right beside his living friend, offering him cool and comfort. Hafalong's eyes blazed. Fury built in his heart. He grumbled, growled, roared! "Mortus, you bastard!!!" the shriek split the sky. Pink tongue lolling, head low, Hafalong probed the spirit world, screeching the name of the ghost the whole time. A whimper, a whisper, but the ghost did not appear. Hafalong ran his tongue over his dry nose and snarled. Hot as hatred, hot as hell, hot as- Trees? Hafalong was no stranger to illusions. Being able to see into the world of the dead offered plenty of them. However, he could smell the plant life, even the faint scent of water. This was no illusion. No ghost could create something so realistic. In a heartbeat, he forgot his anger and plunged into the oasis, diving into the shade of the nearest tree. "Oof!" All of a sudden there was the taste of earth on his tongue. A flicker of confusion and anger sparked in his heart, and he turned to see what he had tripped over. A grin broke his muzzle. A wolf! How nice! How beautiful! How fortunate! He lowered his head and licked the other wolf gently on the ear. "Are you alright?" he asked, eyes wide. Random thoughts ran around his head. Wolf! and Friendship! and Trees! And beneath all of that... Eyes, such pretty eyes... I must have one of those pretty eyes...

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[Cresent]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/Cresent1Mid.png] Cresent shivered when the black and white wolf licked her ear, it caught her off guard for a moment. So, there are other wolves who have come to enjoy this, she thought. She tried to act friendly to the odd wolf, and smiled. "Oh, I'm fine. Thank you for asking, you're very kind." She looked down and sighed. She got thirsty again, due to being in a desert, and went to the lake to drink again. She lapped up as much water as her stomach could take, and went back to the tree where the winged wolf stood. "So, what is your name?" She asked, curiosity flowing from her tongue to the wolf's ears. Cresent began thinking more and more of this wolf, who was he, was he a loner or was he from a pack? Was he maybe part of the Children, and she hasn't seen him before? Then her paranoid side started to nudge at her thoughts, and she started thinking, what if this wolf was hostile, what if he was just acting nice and would take her out to the desert, promising to take her back to the Valley, then leave her for dead? She shook her head, realizing the wolf was still there. Cresent tried to get her mind off of the 'what ifs' and said "So, what brings you here to such a beautiful place surrounded by a burning wasteland, and was it hard to get here?"

Table by Eldarwen · Image · Image

[Hafalong Rambling]

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[atrb=background,http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a190/lilDiablo_/hafmid2.png] Such pretty eyes... Desire cut through Hafalong like a knife. He wanted one of those eyes! He would put it in the bag he had hung from his neck (a gift from a pretty little plant lupus, it was woven from leaves and designed to keep all the moisture in) and carry it around. He wanted it! He wanted it! "My name?" The words worked ahead of his brain. He caught up soon, however. "My name is... my name is..." there was a brief struggle in his mind, "My... name..?" Tiatsu? For a moment, the image of a faintly familiar ghost fluttered before his eyes. Yellow eyes, dusty paws, and the warmth that only a mother could give. And then the image was gone, banished, destroyed. "My name is Hafalong!" he wagged his tail gleefully, proud that he had remembered his own name. It was easy to forget, so very, very easy to forget... "As for what I'm doing here... I'm not sure. I was..." hungry, hungry, desire, it hurts! Murder, murder, I want to kill, I want them! Such pretty, pretty eyes... "...bored. I was bored. As for the journey... it...was..." Mortus! That bastard! That demon! Banishment! I'll banish him! Just like- "...difficult. I had some trouble getting here..." He watched the other wolf. Watched her like a hawk. He could pounce at any moment, but he waited. He could wait. He was patient. Very, very patient. "Your name?" the question was fragmented, broken, but still understandable.

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[Cresent]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/Cresent1Mid.png] Cresent laughed, "You...you chose to go to a desert of all places from boredom?" She couldn't help it, the reason was just funny to her, and stopped cracking up when Hafalong said it was difficult to get here. "Yeah, it was difficult for me to get here too, what with the similar landscaping, why do deserts always have to be so..." She searched for a proper word. "Plain?" She said it with such curiosity that only she could repeat. "Why can't a wolf just come along and put, say, a landmark there so no one would get lost?" She laughed and thought of how much trouble the wolf would go through, and if it would be really worth it or not. Of course Cresent would think it would be worth it, helping others, especially pups, was in her nature. She started to trail off and almost didn't hear Hafalong ask for her name. "Oh, my name is Cresent, but you can call me Cres if you want." She smiled again when she gave the black and white wolf her name, still trying to be as friendly as possible. Even is this wolf seemed a bit...off...she'd still want to make friends. To her, friends were just a nice thing to have, if all of wolf kind had made friends with each other, there would be no fights over territory, no fights over prey, and if all wolves banned together, the larger animals, predators, wouldn't stand a chance against a giant group of wolves, it would be like a giant pack! Cresent shook her head again. None of this would happen, our minds just naturally disagree with one another, and unless there's a wolf that can alter ones thoughts, then 'world peace' wouldn't exist. She laughed again, trailing off in her own thoughts like they were a maze, it was rude to do that, especially when there's another wolf right there. So, she tried to change the subject again. "So, I see you have wings, how interesting," She said. Cresent started to circle around the wolf, looking at his features like she did with Bri. She tried to see every ruffle of his wings feathers, every little bit of his fur, and noticed just black and white. There was nothing that stood out to her about this wolf except he was nice, a little odd, and had wings.

Table by Eldarwen · Image · Image

[Hafalong Rambling]

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[atrb=background,http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a190/lilDiablo_/hafmid2.png] "Boredom. Yes. Boredom." His mouth was working ahead of his mind again as he looked around the pleasant little oasis. He was trying to distract himself. He couldn't simply attack the other wolf. It was rude! He needed a reason... Her laughter reached past the vague barriers that led to the inner bubble of his mind. Laughter... Laughter... She's laughing at me? A low growl began in the back of his throat. She thought it was funny? She thought that his boredom was funny?! If only she knew what was really driving him here! Anger flared in his heart, spreading to his eyes, which glowed with the heat of his fury. Then the conversation turned to the blandness of the desert, and his anger extinguished just as quickly as it had flared up. "I don't need markers to find my way through the desert!" he said with a wag of his tail, "Whenever I get lost, I just ask the ghosts where to go!" he gestured to the air around them, "You can't see them, but I can! The dead, those who didn't make it, forced to wander this place for the rest of eternity..." his voice faded as he considered the dark emptiness of death, something he had felt when he had allowed Mortus to borrow his body for a little while. A low moan of terror escaped his throat, but, much like his anger, it disappeared quickly, "When you have all that time to wander about, you learn the terrain really well!" he smiled again, as though nothing had happened. "Cresent is a pretty name..." Hafalong regained his train of thought just long enough to catch her next words, then fell into his thoughts again. There was a brief registration in his mind of her comment on his wings, but nothing else until she began to circle him. Instantly, something in his mind snapped, and he whipped around, growling, hackles raised. "What are you doing?!" he screamed, drool dripping down his fangs, "Trying to sneak up behind me?! Trying to hurt me?! I'll kill you first! I'll kill you! I'll-" he froze, shook himself, and sat down, tilting his head ever so slightly. A deep, dark sadness filled his heart, and he whimpered. "I'm sorry..." he said quietly, "So sorry! So so sorry! Didn't mean it! So sorry!" he took an uncertain step towards Cresent, then took several back, "Sorry... sorry..." his voice turned to a pitiful whine, and he lay down, covering his face with his paws, "I'm a bad dog! I'm a bad, bad dog!"

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[Cresent]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/Cresent1Mid.png] Cresents ears perked up, did she just hear what she thought he heard? Hafalong can see the dead? She had no idea how to react to that, she guessed it would be helpful, if the ghosts wanted to help, but then she felt a bit sorry for the poor wolf, being haunted by the dead for however long he could do this. "Well, that must be helpful..." She said, and smiled when he said that her name was pretty. But she nearly got a heart attack when Hafa thought she was sneaking up on him. She went into a defensive position and prepared herself for the wolf to attack, but he didn't. He started to...apologize? Cresent was shocked, how could a wolf be angry enough to say that they'd kill another wolf, but then break down and sob for forgiveness? Nevertheless, Cresent was happy she was still alive and unharmed, if Hafalong had attacked her, she would be done for. In the middle of a desert with just him and her there, how would a wolf find her, or even know she was injured? She sighed and patted Hafa on the head, accepting his apologies. "Oh, its fine, its fine, I'm just happy to still be alive and unharmed." She then noticed something tied to Hafa's neck, a small leaf bag of some sort. She looked at it and wondered what could be inside, maybe water? She sniffed it, well it smelled moist at least. "If you don't mind me asking, what's inside the bag?"

Table by Eldarwen · Image · Image

[Hafalong Rambling]

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[atrb=background,http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a190/lilDiablo_/hafmid2.png] Hafalong snuffled as he felt Cres's paw on his head. He wagged his tail faintly as she forgave him, then leaped to his paws at her question about his bag. "You want to know what's in here?" he asked gleefully, "Come here! I'll show you! It's time I watered them anyways..." he trotted down to the lake, pausing to look back at Cresent, "Come and see!" He lowered his head and shook the strap off from around his neck, dropping the little leafy bag to the ground. Very, very gently, he opened the top and removed one of his little treasures, a pretty little orange eye. He placed it carefully on the ground, placing his paws protectively on either side of it. "Isn't it lovely?" he cooed, "I've got six more just like it! A blue one, a green one, a yellow one... so many pretty eyes... I love to look at them... don't you think they're pretty?" he looked to Cresent for approval, tail a-wag. He didn't find anything wrong with this, or, if he did, he didn't show it. To him, this was a normal kind of thing for a wolf to keep around. "You know..." he said slowly, gazing deeply into Cres's eyes, "you're very pretty... your eyes are, too..." he nosed his little treasure back into its bag, then slung it back around his neck, "such pretty eyes... I haven't got one quite that color." he moved a little bit closer, then, remembering his breakdown a moment before, stepped back, "of course, I can find one. Very easily, I can find another one..." He half-smiled, trying to refrain from attacking the lyxxus for her eyes. He had just done a very bad thing. He was a bad dog, something he knew all too well. He couldn't beg for forgiveness, then receive it, then ruin it all together. He didn't want to be a bad dog. He wanted to be a good dog. But... her... eyes... He shook himself from nose to tail, then sat down. "Do you like my collection, Cresent?" he asked innocently, "I spent so much time making it. I want people to be proud of me... are you proud of me, Cresent? Please be proud of me..." He lowered his eyes to the ground. He had never shown anybody his collection before, and he was terribly self conscious. In his mind, it was something lovely, but he also knew that most wolves wouldn't react well to it. He wanted desperately for her to like his collection. He wanted her to praise him, to be proud of him. More than that, he wanted to take one of her eyes. Maybe she'll give me one! he thought, If I'm nice, if I'm pleasant, if I'm a good dog, maybe she'll give me one!!!

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[Cresent]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/Cresent1Mid.png] Cresent sighed and wondered what Hafa could possibly collect that could fit in such a small bag? She walked with him to the little lake and saw him open the bag and nose out something that looked like...an eye? He collected eyes??? Cresent thought, she had half a mind to high-tail it before this wolf somehow went on a rampage again and decided to rip out her eyes to add to his collection. But she decided not to do this, she stayed and tried to stomach watching Hafalong describe his collection without regurgitating in the lake. She smiled and acted friendly again, if I'm friendly to him, maybe he won't try to take my eyes, She thought. But she sighed when Hafa started talking about her eyes, then blushed when he thought she was pretty. She smiled and looked down, I'm not that pretty, she wanted to say, but then realized that Hafa probably did want her eyes, but she couldn't call him on it, or he'll probably take them by force. She then saw Hafalong sit down and say something about him wanting her to be proud of him, of his collection. She was too busy thinking about her potential blindness to fully hear it, but that's what she assumed. How could she possibly be proud of someone who collected eyes?! Her values were not to kill, and she stuck to them. She wondered if the wolves that were missing eyes, if they were even still alive. What if Hafalong killed them and then took their eyes, she shivered at the thought. She still had to answer, or Hafa would get suspicious. "Umm, well I find it very surprising that you have collected this many eyes," she wanted to continue, but how could you kill wolves for such a silly collection? She just wanted to say it. But she didn't. She instead said "So, yes, I guess I am proud of you for being so brave to do this, you are.." She went back to when Hafalong said he was a 'bad dog'. Maybe if she said he was good, he would be happier. "You're a good dog, Hafalong." She almost choked on these words, she was really lying at this point, and tried with every ounce of her being not to scold Hafa on how wrong it is to attack wolves and steal their eyes. But, she didn't do that ether.

Table by Eldarwen · Image · Image

[Hafalong Rambling]

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[atrb=background,http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a190/lilDiablo_/hafmid2.png] "You're a good dog, Hafalong." The idea of lying that Cresent might be lying was one that never crossed Hafalong's mind. While he lied all the time, the idea that he might be lied to was one that he had never considered. Therefore, when those words reached his ears, there was nothing that might dampen the sudden burst of relief and adoration that swelled in his heart. "A...good...dog?" He said the words slowly, testing them in the air. He replayed them several times in his mind. "I'm... a... good dog?" Now he applied the words to himself. The fact that she had said them gave them a whole new meaning. "Hafalong... is... a good dog?" The more he said it, the more real it became. His tail began to wag, and he leaped to his paws, barking and hopping around like a pup in spring. "I'm a good dog! Hafalong is a good dog! Cresent says I'm a good dog! A good dog! A good dog!" He jumped around, splashing into the water and rolling around. Eventually, he spun his way to Cresent's side, eyes shining. In all of his excitement, he found himself leaning forward and kissing Cresent's cheek. "I'm a good dog!" he repeated, "You said I'm a good dog!" While the idea of gods and great spirits was something that Hafalong had previously scoffed at, there was now very little doubt in his mind that the wolf he sat beside was some sort of divine creature. Surely no mortal being would have praised such a worthless beast as himself! Perhaps she was some goddess of the dead that came with his powers, or a manifestation of the Great Spirits, but she was clearly nobody normal. Hafalong wagged his tail all the more enthusiastically, pleased with his new take on religion. There had never been a happier day in all his life!

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[Cresent]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/Cresent1Mid.png] Cresent nearly had a heart attack when Hafalong reacted to that one comment. She was surprised how happy he was when she said that he was a good dog, he must be very excitable, or very hyper, she thought. She sighed and patted Hafalong on the head, wanting him to calm down. "Yes Hafalong, I said that you're a good dog." Her heart sank when she said this. But its a lie, I'm so so sorry Hafalong, she wanted to say this and apologize, Cresent was never a big fan of lying, but if she dismissed the comment, Hafalong would go on a rampage. And maybe he'll attack, he'll try to hurt her, no, she didn't want this, she refused this. And this lie made him happy, probably beyond happy even. Cresent laughed and patted Hafa on the head again so he can calm down more. "Okay, okay, its okay, get a grip." She said. He reminded her of a pup, a playful, hyper-about-every-little-thing pup. She almost forgot that she was terrified of him. She thought that now that Hafalong liked her, (She guessed) he wouldn't attack her or go after her eyes. She decided to accept the crazy wolf for who he was and licked him on the nose to show for it. "Hafalong you're such a pup!" She squealed. She loved pups and wanted to just cuddle Hafalong and wrap her tails around him, but he wasn't a pup. He was a grown keiyou (Cresent thought this at least) and needed to be treated as such. But she didn't want to, Cresent just wanted to bring him to the Lumera Valley and cuddle this little pup. She shook her head. This is not a puppy, this is a dangerous wolf, but I can't call him on that...Cresent was utterly confused, she had no idea what to do. So, she just walked to the pond and drank more of the water. She sighed contently and went back to where Hafalong was and sat. "So, Hafalong, is there anything that you would like to do?"

Table by Eldarwen · Image · Image

[Hafalong Rambling]

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[atrb=background,http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a190/lilDiablo_/hafmid2.png] Hafalong struggled to put a cap on his happiness, only managing to do so at the request of his new goddess. He nearly let go again when she repeated the phrase "good dog," but once more pushed his enthusiasm down. "A pup? I'm a pup?" he considered this for a moment. As far as his memory served, he had never actually been a pup. Yes, he could remember the world from a younger wolf's eyes, and the smell of trees and the fur of another young one nearby (Who is "Apollo?" was a question he had asked himself more than once). There were even flashes of an older wolf, the same one who had briefly flickered before his eyes when he had been asked his name. However, none of those memories could have belonged to him. The name that was spoken was not his own. Tiatsu! Tiatsu! that was the name they always called. The other pup, with his slow, thick speech ("Tiatsu? Brother?), and the older one, with her eyes, yellow and fierce (Tiatsu! Silly pup!). He didn't understand why he had all these memories. Memories that belonged to this "Tiatsu." Just a ghost, He thought, Just another ghost, passing through my mind. That's all it is. And thus the matter was set aside. "I don't really remember being a pup," he admitted to Cresent, "I suppose I just came into being as I am now. Certainly I can't have ever been a pup. You're supposed to remember these things, right? I don't remember ever having a mother, or a father, or siblings. Certainly I've always just been 'Hafalong.' Perhaps there wasn't even a yesterday for me. Maybe I was just made today?" the thought went on, becoming deeper and more confusing, and he shook himself, "But no. If I were just made today, then I wouldn't have my collection, would I?" he smiled, and instantly forgot his entire train of thought. He waited patiently for Cresent to return from her drink, taking the time to stretch his wings a bit. This was the longest time he had gone with all four paws on the ground in quite some time, and it was beginning to make his wings cramp. "Anything I'd like to do..?" another thing to ponder. He shrugged, not coming up with anything, "I dunno. Whatever you want to do is fine." He smiled again, but didn't look directly at Cresent. He didn't dare harm her, not if she was a goddess as he suspected, but still... I've never killed a deity before. Wouldn't that be fun?

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[Cresent]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/Cresent1Mid.png] "You..you don't remember being a pup?" Cresent asked. Well, she remembered being a pup, and she was sure that the other wolves she's met had to have remembered as well, but why didn't Hafalong? "Well, first, you don't just pop up out of thin air, you have to have a mother and father of course, or you couldn't have been born!" She paused and sighed. "Secondly, you grow up to be an adult, you aren't just randomly put into existence as a fully grown wolf, you have to be a pup first." She wondered why, perhaps he went through a traumatic experience and wanted to forget about his pup hood, or maybe Hafa got amnesia or something. She wanted to ask, but she probably wouldn't get an answer if it was true. Might as well try, "So, did something...umm...happen to make you forget you being a pup? Well, if you could remember of course..." She stammered. Cresent frowned and laid down on a bit of flora. "Well, would you like to play a game then?" She was bored and wanted to take her mind off of it, so perhaps playing a little game would help. She decided to wait for an answer a little longer from his past and poked him on the nose. "Tag, you're it!"

Table by Eldarwen · Image · Image

[The Creature Account]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/gback.jpg] The griffin soared over the dessert, the hot sun beating down on his wings and casting him in a royal glow. My how he was proud of his handsome figure; none could dare oppose his regal power, his emanated strength defied other’s abilities and knew that all should fear his sharps talons and razor mind. But for now it was hunger that attempted to defeat the winged king as he flew and he began his tireless search for food, flowing on the hot breeze. His golden eyes scrupulously scanned the dessert floor, his wings beating without sound as he unsheathed and re-sheathed his long talons in anticipation. Below him two small figures marred the perfect expanse of the dessert, and he dipped lower to observe his find. His eyes fell on the two wolves, a winged one and a small one with multiples tails; more to his taste for in his mind it would pose the perfect catch. His talons extracted and his hunger gnawed at his stomach without mercy and though his fancy was not usually wolves he knew this pair would do nicely. Folding in his wings he tore to the ground in a dazzling plunge, the sun catching his golden tawny fur and turning him into a blazing ball of speed. At the last minute he deployed his wings, expanding them to their full width and letting out a defining screech that echoed across the expanse of dry land. Slamming onto the ground a pile of dust rose around him, his claws digging into the dry earth as his eyes narrowed at the feast before him. The pair was odd looking, the black and white striking enough and the striped female an unusual sight all the same. His golden eyes surveyed them with rapt curiosity, he could learn from the primitive species before devouring them. His powerful hind quarters remained knotted in a spring of muscles, ready for the pounce but not quite ready to kill his prey, he was curious about them. Stepping forward he let a loud screech and racked his claws through the ground, asserting his dominance for surely he was the strongest and smartest. Flaring back up his wings he advanced menacingly, demonstrating he was boss and in control, bright eyes attentively watching the pair to see their reaction. If they kept his interest he might not proceed to attacking just yet…