The Margins

Marco gasped as Rodite fell against him, leaning on his side for support. his natural reflex would be to shy away, as his paws did burn the grass that sheilded her, but they almost instantly reformed. Plus if he flinched, the young fae would fall onto the scorched ground where he had been standing. So instead he stood there, holding her up with ease.

"Marco, i'm super tired. I'm going to sleep now."

His optics flicked around nervously. Is she Ok? What should I do... his mind wandered, but he had to tell her something. "Uh... ok. Just let me, um, here," he stuttered, helping Rodite lay down. Luckily, she was on his left, so the two flames that flickered on his right remained intouched, as his whole left side wasn't lit at all. At first Marco tried to get out from under her so she could lay on her own, but the young female's position trapped him so he was forced to stay by her side.

Marco got comfortable as well as he turned back his ear, stretched out his paw, and laid down with his friend. "You sleep," he told her quietly, "I'll keep watch." Optics flickering around, Marco wondered what he should do next. The adult's were probably wondering where they where, but there was nothing he could do now. I guess we'll just lay here, he pondered in his thoughts, and so he stayed there with Aphrodite, silently waiting for her to sleep by his side.

Silently, the young fae wasn't sleeping. More like in between the two worlds. Dream and reality. She was enjoying Marco's warmth at her side, watching over her. It was a very comfortable position and she hadn't felt his flames yet. This was unlikely to happen because he disliked hurting her.

Yes the adults were probably looking for them, but she was going to let them find them for all she cared. She was well past her state to walk and she was enjoying this moment too much to even move anyways. Marco, a flaming wolf, was the one she was in love with. Even at an early age she struggled to find someone to cling to. To know that she'd be safe. She found him and was tempted to say the most dangerous words of all. The words that honor bound her to him. Something her mother had said to her father as they went into the fire to save Rodite.

I love you

When Marco was almost 100% sure that Rodite was sleeping, he let down his head, but turned it away from hers so they weren't awkwardly close to eachother. He didn't want to fall asleep, for that would leave two pups completely defenseless, but his eyes were drooping. The soothing whispers of getting some rest was tempting, for today had been eventful. And his earlier nap on the sun-bathed rock wasn't exactly satisfying.

Just close my eyes for a little while and i'll be fine, he thought to himself. Almost before he could even finish the thought to himself, he was beginning to drift...

((LAME))

-will make this pretty later-

The russet female looked at Sear and nodded. "Consider yourself one of the clan. There is something dangerous brewing, so stay on your toes, 'kay?"

With that said, the White Lighter glanced out to see the burst from the young Terram wolf before Matco ran after her. Shaking her head, Blaze stood and paced to the side Karatavuk. Her gaze lingered on the elegant fold of his wings before she looked at him, "The young seem to be rather ... Different than I remember being when I was that age," she commented with a slight shudder. [i]Of course, I had a future laid before my laws. I knew my fate. Then, there was the fire.

To be completely honest, Blaze understood why the little pup hat had seemed to captivate Marco so hated fire so much. Shaking her head, the usually warm female gave a shudder against the cold that was enveloping her body. She knew that her crown of flames did not burn as powerfully as it usually did, but so long they flickered, she would be fine.

//lame, but I needed to post\\

Kamea tried to take some time to thinks, slowly walking away from the group. What could be stealing their powers like that? What on earth could even block them so well? What was coming? And what was making that terrible smell? The grey female suddenly realised the scent had become increasingly stronger recently. Racing back to the the packs she arrived just in time to see the disaster unfold.

The giant birds swooped in from the sky. Their frightful cries striking fear into their prey. Wings spread out blocking out the sun, sharp cries painful to any creatures ears. With them came a horrible smell, one that any creature with a nose no matter how insensitive would find revolting. Not only that but the air around them felt thick and heavy, like it was sucking up the energy right out of everything.

Now they were hunting and on the menu today was wolves.

Vultures swooped down from above, their giant talons scooping up wolves. Their eyes were like giant black wells. The small group picked up Audric, a good meal the large one would make, Allaya, Dobharchu, Aeria, Karatavuk and Misea. Along the way the Charmed one's head was knocked on a tree, the female blacked out. Also picked up were Marco and Aphrodite by the one bird. This bird was young and somewhat clumsy. Struggling to hold one in each talon, Marco fell from his grip. He daren't got back for the young wolf as he was already falling behind, struggling to catch up as the birds flew away with their prizes.

Meanwhile, Kamea had been cowering in fear behind a tree as the wolves were taken. After they were gone, she was ashamed to know that she had done nothing to help. She may not have done much good if she had but at least she would have tried. Slumping in a sit she stared at the ground, ashamed that she had been such a coward.

~ The giant vultures are taking the wolves to the Ignis territory, The Desert

((If anyone has any serious problem their wolf being taken or left behind shoot me a pm, but keep in mind the idea is to create some drama in rp not just stick with your friends.))

The golden female felt as though her senses had been ripped clean from her body as she half-listened in mute silence to the words of the others. Without her extra power to feel her surroundings she felt only empty, as if the world around her had been sucked away by some unknown force. Feeling like little more than a delicate shell she remained still in hopes it would pass, eyes glazing over as the time slowly ticked by. Shadows flickered at the edges of her vision but she simply could not bring herself to break free from the simple ignorance she had fallen into.

So absorbed was she in this empty world that it was not until the horrid stench had completely enveloped her form that she was shocked 'awake'. In surprise she inhaled the dense, heavy air and her throat constricted so sharply that she stumbled forward out of her sitting position. Wide, bewildered blue eyes looked around in horror as she saw the cause for her distress, large, black, vulture like birds swooping down from the sky to terrorize and snatch up the unsuspecting wolves.

Before she could even think about getting herself or anyone else to safety a sudden pain lanced down her spine as razor sharp talons dug into her sides. With a cry of pain, the golden female clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyelids shut, wings attempting to spread and beat off the assailants. It was an unsuccessful attempt though and soon her paws were meters from the ground and her head spun at the sickening feeling of being carried by another.

Her closed eyes could not detect the looming branch as the vulgar creature misjudged its flight. The swift and harsh impact of the solid wood on her head was enough to wipe away all consciousness and with the absence of thought she went limp, descending into darkness as she was carried to the realm of the Ignisi.

[[ooc: I am so sorry for not posting lately, I have had a ridiculous amount of school work and things to do]]

((LeJaw-drop))

I'm Dead.

The only two words that could possibly escape his trapped mind were these. Groggy eyes opened to see an ocean of blue surrounding him, splotches of white and a bit of black came into view. Is this what death is like?
No. Marco couldn't believe that being dead could smell so bad and make his stomach uneasy in the ways this experience was making him feel.

Almost before the sound touched his ears Marco was screaming. A caw, no, screech, of pure blood-boiling terror came from above him. Marco's eyes snapped open and his body jerked to life. A large, hideous bird with black voids for optics came into veiw, and it was clutching the young pups underside. It was wildly trying to keep hold of Marco, struggling to find a better grip. Marco couldn't find the voice to speak, as pure terror washed all reminants of his voice away. Now he was wishing he was dead.

But that was not all. Marco jerked his head to the side, as if trying to give his eyes a break from staring in pure horror at the hideous creature carrying him off. Vision still blurry, he first concentrated on looking at the nearest cloud with a small black bird on it. White and black. White and Black.

Aphrodite.

The sight of his fellow captive made Marco's mind race. He was wildly screaming the name, trying to get Rodite's attention. He was so concentrated that before he could say it once more he was falling. The bird had lost it's grip, and let Marco fall meters and meters to the ground. But Rodite stayed captive. The trip through the sky seemed to last minutes, even days, where the sky enveloped the male's body and jerked him around, gravity claiming what is its own. Within a few seconds, Marco felt a snap, hit his head and was laying limply on the forest floor.

While the trees had slowed his fall dramatically, the pain was unspeakable. It felt as if he were frozen, no. As if his body was freezing? Is it...
His eyes flickered open with whatever will power hadn't been knocked out of his being. What's freezing me! he screamed in his mind franticly. Pain jerked him fully awake, and Marco took in his surroundings.

On the other side of a stream were most of the adults. Most. many were missing, including the bright one he came to know as Misae. He was to groggy to process whatever state they were in, though. Then his eyes rested on his back right paw. It was submerged in water, causing the freezing sensation. If Marco could've been burnt, that is what he imagined it would feel like. He struggled feircely to escape the small portion of water encasing his foot, and stood as quickly as possible. Reality struck.

"Aphrodite!" he screamed, to the adults or to himself he wasn't sure. Rage made his face burn red under his fur. They had taken his only real friend, and he was furious. Suddenly, with a bright flash, all four of his paws lit up alongside his ears, burning just like the adult Ignisi wolves, yet less bright and smaller. He growled an unthreatening puppy growl and leaped across the stones to the adults. "They took Aphrodite! The... the bird things. I don't know how, but they got us both! One dropped me and... and..." Rage boiled up in his chest as he sputtered to find the words. After cooling off, he turned to Blaze and Sear, his eyes begging the two who where like him. "We have to save her."

((I feel like I just wrote a book. X____X Glad to see the plot in action, though!))

He fought, Charmed ones help him did he fight, but the group that attached him outnumbered and out powered him. his strength was sapped within a matter of moments as he was lifted from the ground. He could feel the separation from the roots like the tearing of tree as it fell in the woods. He cried out in pain and fear attempting to struggle away, but it was useless as the great claws of the vultures dug into the large males skin making blood begin to trickle.

His fear so great that he he didn't even realize where they were going, and that scared him more then ever.

(So lame...)

Dobharchu felt a crushing sense of dread when she stepped into the clearing with the other adults. Dark wings and a rancid stench froze her to the spot, although even if she had the sense to run she would not have gotten far. Like a mouse in the talons of a predator she was helpless and beyond escape as sharp claws dug into the flesh of her sides. She felt as though the wind was being crushed out of her.

The pain was intense, as the capture was meant to incapacitate her. She struggled, but her fear made her fall limp. Hormones, chemicals, the fear of a dying one, hopless, her blood flooded with the toxins to calm one whose death seemed imminent.

((Moving to the new locale))

Aeria woke slowly from her nap, her blue eyes like shattered crystals as she turned her head to look at the other, still socializing wolves beyond. She moved to her feet slowly, shaking her lengthy, wispy coat, and opening her wings to survey how they had progressed. A light smile played at her lips as she saw the pin feathers, true flight feathers, beginning to come out. She would be able to fly in a few days time. Flicking them in an out a few times, as if anticipating flight, the youngster slowly picked her way towards the others. Then, such an event would be triggered, one to pull a reaction from the normally shy and docile female like nothing before.

loud crashing sound came from above Aeria as something tremendously huge came down. She felt sharp, large claws clamp around her and her growing wings, pushing them to her sides and incapacitating any hope of using them to aid in her escape. She also felt a quiet, but horrid crack in one of her ribs. It just came to her that she had felt lighter than before. Perhaps her bones had hollowed as a birds were? It was a likely concept. And now, it was like a sharp stab in her left side, causing her to gasp in pain. Fear and terror struck through her like the first sparks in a path of lightning. But then something else came. A reaction. Like that of a torrent, a dark looming cloud. Anger. Hatred.

A scream of a snarl ripped from her teeth, though she was already gone, she did not hesitate to reach around and tear quite viciously at the thick feet of the huge vultures.

//quick post here and then to the desert\\

Aphrodite was in pain. Her shoulders were gripped in something horrid smelling. She was so incredibly tired. She could make out her name being said over and over. A snap of a branch.

Marco...Marco where are you...Someone fell.

Nothing but the random thoughts of a partly awake mammal. Something made her snap awake. The feeling of flying. She panicked. Gripped the talons of a vulture. Huge evil bird. Bit down on the bird. She'd seen them before, circling high above. Nothing but specks until now.

Off she went with the others.

(Goodness, I cannot apologize enough for my inactivity. The school year is fast-approaching and has brought nothing but endless errands with it. I will be as active as I can once school starts, but I cannot promise much. Here, I give you perhaps the saddest Erasmus ever.)

She lay beside him with her head over his legs, her amber eyes tracing every feature, every line, every contour of his face. He was looking out to sea, ears twitching with each wave breaking on the small expanse of shoreline they had claimed as their own. Each of them had long since lost track of time. She shifted closer to him, her golden fur appearing more luminous when paired with his sable pelt. The movement drew his attention away from the deep blue. He tilted his muzzle downward in order to meet her warm gaze with his own ice-blue eyes. They twinkled with love and adoration as he stared unabashedly. No words or promises need be exchanged between them, for everything was said in that shared gaze. Gradually, a small smile spread across her features. His startlingly blue eyes never failed to set her heart aflutter and cheeks burning. Noticing this, he returned the smile with a small chuckle. She always acted this way when he turned his eyes to her, yet it never ceased to amuse him. With the tenderness of an angel, he lowered his head and rested his chin on the place just behind her ear. He could feel her curl even further into him and bury her nose in the fur of his neck. With a contented sigh, he allowed his eyes to slip closed. Everything in their world was at peace. There was nothing but the warm sand beneath them, the last rays of the evening sun, and the smell of…

…rotting flesh? Erasmus started violently, every muscle stiffening as the fog of memory cleared from his head. His very lungs burned with the acrid stench that surrounded him. He nearly retched as a sudden spell of nausea overcame him. The sounds of the rolling ocean were replaced by shrill cries that set his ears ringing. Panic briefly seized him while he was still half-in the wonderful twilight of his daydream. His bright eyes were wide as they darted about the clearing. All around him, his fellow members of the Order were being plucked from the ground by massive feathered beasts. He jumped to his webbed paws as his spinal fin stiffened and stood upright. In a matter of seconds, the creatures had disappeared into the horizon. He stood with jaw hanging open, breath coming in ragged pants as he struggled to reconcile with both the daydream of Penelope and the event that had just occurred. Hysteria and anguish dueled over his expression, creating a curious mix of both. It was the most rattled he had ever allowed himself to appear.

Gradually, his mind found its way back to the present. The memory faded into the oblivion that was his conscience as he fought to control his respiration. His bristling pelt and fins slowly flattened into their usual positions. As the terrified light in his eyes began to dim, Erasmus realized his legs were shaking. Suddenly feeling very frail, he sank back to the ground. The pitter-patter of his heart gradually slowed to a normal beat. Once more in possession of his faculties, the water wolf managed to focus on his surroundings. His eyes traveled from one frenzied face to another. Kamea, Blaze, Quill, Sear, and a breathless Marco appeared to be the only others left around him. The fire-pup seemed to be shouting something, but his ears had not yet stopped ringing from the birds’ screeching.

”...Aphrodite…bird things…got us…dropped…save…”

Erasmus turned his head to face him, eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to decipher his words. Whatever was being said, it was spoken with vehemence and rage. The fluidus leader shook his head forcefully, finally managing to clear the last bits of white noise from his ears. His mind then managed to process Marco’s speech. The other he spoke of, Aphrodite, seemed to be one of the wolves taken by the vulture-like monsters. An image of the white pup flashed before his mind’s eye. He briefly remembered noticing the closeness the two possessed, and realization finally dawned. His fellow White Lighter, Blaze, had also managed to regain her senses and was spluttering a protest. He turned his eyes back to the directing in which the birds had disappeared. The desert! That was where the creatures were headed with their quarry. A new sense of purpose possessed his body, enabling him to regain his footing and stand to his full height. He did not yet trust his voice. Instead, he cast a look to the other five that said what his words could not: Shall we? With a lash of his tail, Erasmus began to head steadily in the direction of the scorching sands. His strides were uneven at first, but quickly turned into a loping gallop. The thumping of his tail upon the Earth echoed with each bound.