Bane [Sheba] (Done)

[Blood]

At every step he made his forelegs trembled with anticipation. The long ostensibly endless ramble across the valley had made him anxious, now he was there, climbing the treacheries of the great mountain. 

A strange power deep within the heart of the great mountain had seemed to be invoking the dark male wolf to pursue its whispering call. Finally allured by the continuous presence, Bane started away from the lesser mountain range where he had grown and lived for so long. His pads were calloused from surviving in the rough mountain climates so this terrain was painless to him stepping over sharp rocks and steep grates. With a deep sigh Bane reached the place, Three large caves sat near each other in the side of the great mountain's face. Two of the caves were unobvious to the gray wolf as his golden eyes were focused on the one he slowly entered.

The cave swallowed him up as he stepped into it's interior. Nothing at all seemed to be unusual about it, other than the over whelming sense of power that was occupying it. Bane addressed the darkness with a deep rumbling of his voice, "Greetings, I am present at your door." 

[Pride]

Sheba was curled neatly in the back of her cave, her posture almost comically feline. The walls around her were frosted with crystals, plain and unimpressive in comparison to those that grew in Taboo's cave. Still, to a mortal she knew that they could be vicious, as each held an edge sharper than a newborn pup's fangs. Luckily for Sheba, she could suffer no harm from the crystal growths, for she was the furthest thing from mortal. Instead she extended a tendril of her consciousness and willed them to grow, arching out in ripples across the cave walls and forming strange, geometric designs. She could feel them, clean and cold and cutting, spreading across stone like water. Feeling oddly satisfied with her work, she settled herself upon a bed of moss, stretching her mouth wide in a yawn. It was only for aesthetics, of course, for never in her entire existence had she been tired. Though, from what she had heard and seen of it, it seemed like a horrible fate. Ones mind and body slowing so that they could fall unconscious for some obscene amount of hours. What an astounding waste of time. Imagine the feats that could be accomplished by a wolf that never slept.

As she was toying this idea, the distant weight of another presence overcame her. Curious, she lifted her head, watching the mouth of her home intently. To her non-surprise, a figure appeared there, staring blindly into her home. By the figure he cast against the light, she assumed that the wolf was male. He was even brave enough to take a step into her cave, which delighted Sheba endlessly, as nearly everyone contented themselves with waiting outside of it.

"Greetings, I am present at your door."

Door? What door? Still, something about the simplicity of the statement made her snort in laughter, betraying her presence.

"So you are." She drawled, pushing herself up lazily and emerging into the pool of light. "And what brings you to my cave on this fine day?"

As if she needed to ask.

[Blood]

Bane listened intently as he stepped into the cave's opening, the sun barely glinted off of clusters of crystals that covered the inside of the mountain hole, creating the image that he was entering the gaping mouth of a hungry monster.

A chuckle reached his ears from the darkness and then a peculiar voice spoke. Suddenly appearing out of the shadows the voice became an astounding female wolf. Her manifestation was breathtaking and her likeness was not of this dark and hopeless world. Bane rightly felt unworthy in her presence yet very powerful at the same time, and he almost forgot that she had asked him a question. He blinked and opened his mouth, his deep voice coming forth.

"...I was led here by a great presence in the mountain seeking unknown power to fulfill what seems to be missing in me." Bane paused and slightly lowered his head. "But forgive me if that presence was false and I am intruding where I should not be, stepping where greater wolves than me should only be stepping."

[Pride]

Sheba smirked at his response, as well as his surprise. It was never an uneventful day when a wolf happened upon the caverns without truly knowing what they were, nor what they played host to. "You are hardly stepping anywhere that hundreds of wolves have not stepped before you. Countless numbers have come to the caves for centuries to request powers, as that is the boon which the White Wolves— my sisters and I— are capable of granting those who live in the shadow of the mountain. The exact nature of these abilities change with the season, and as it is current autumn, I am capable of giving you any sort of defensive ability, or even powers which allow you dominion over air, should you so wish it," her voice was smooth as she spoke, holding the faintest hint of amusement. "That being said, any perceived transgressions are, of course, forgiven."

She studied the wolf, her gaze unreadable in the half-light of the cavern. What power would he request, she wondered? To her, he seemed a defensive type, but naturally he could prove her wrong. It was well within her abilities to reach out and simply know instinctively what he wanted. Though, for entertainment reasons, Sheba rarely ever chose to do this. It made her task horribly boring, stripping the surprise from whatever one of the valley-dwellers chose and such. If up to her, she preferred to try and guess what a wolf might choose from her selection. More often than not, it spoke volumes of their personalities.

[Blood]

The sense of tension abated from Bane as he heard the White wolf assure him of his presence in the cave. However his interest did perk when he listened to her speak of endowing extraordinary powers on him if he had a desire to want such an ability. His ambition to be completed with a powerful skill sparked a kindling in his eyes. Bane almost stuttered with inner excitement, but controlled his voice and his words came out unfaltering.

"I appreciate your willingness to grant such gifts. As for me, I am unsure of which ability to ask for." He exhaled his breath and thought for only a second before continuing his steady words. "I often linger in the shadows of any outgoing activity, and defense is more of my relating, unless utter need of fighting is required of me. Therefore, I believe I will make my inquiry for a defensive ability."

The Smokey gray wolf lifted his head and met the gaze of the other greater being standing in front of him, his mind hesitant to her approval.

[Pride]

Sheba's brows lifted slightly, surprised but undeniably delighted. How she adored wolves that asked her to choose their powers for them— it was never a boring task— and what was life for if not to be entertained? A strange smile twisted across her face, her eyes alight with some deep, knowing light. "Well, well. Most come to me with a very specific power in mind, but alas, it is rare that someone should come to my cave simply to let me choose it for them. Very well, I do believe that there is a power that is fitting to your proclivities. In my cave lies a vial that will bestow upon its drinker the ability to master the shadows of the world. Even when the wolf who uses it is a neophyte, it will strip them of their need for sleep. You will be able to create domes of darkness to blind your enemies as you progress, and eventually there will come a time when you can even use your own shadow against your enemies." She lifted her head, studying him for a moment before turning and vanishing into her cave. She returned a moment later, a potion of pure black in her jaws, sloshing and pungent like liquid licorice.

She set the potion down before Bane, meeting his eyes once more as she loomed over him. No doubt this would be the ideal potion for this particular kind of wolf. Although, she thought, it would have been somewhat amusing to watch his reaction if she had decided to give him crystal instead. "Drink if you would like shadow mastery for yourself."

[Blood]

Bane watched the exotic white wolf with slight suspicion as he tried to decipher her expression. It didn't seem threatening to his safety but he was still leery of her intensions if they would prove other wise, such as he did with every other wolf he came across. Besides, she held herself like a wolf would if they had undoubtable eternal power and could utterly obliterate him in the blink of an eye. Despite these uncertain thoughts, Bane felt at least safe in her cave.

His ear flicked at her first sentence. Bane hadn't even known the White Wolves granted powers, let alone the variety of powers you could choose from. Previously he had journeyed to the great mountains only by a compelling presence that was invoking him, not by any knowledge of powers he could acquire. Letting that matter slide from his mind Bane listened as Sheba spoke of a power to control shadows and go without sleeping. This remark greatly roused Bane's imagination of the dark arts he could preform.

Suddenly she fell silent and her piercing eyes fixed on him. Bane shifted uncomfortably under her intense gaze and was about to turn his head when she abruptly circled around and walked away. Slightly relieved, Bane lowered his hunches to the ground, but within seconds she had returned with a strange bottle of dark liquid which she placed in front of him. He lifted himself a few inches as he stared at the divine object on the ground. The interior of the potion swirled with a thick juice the color of black, almost the perception of liquid shadows but more concentrated in a syrupy state. Bane's focus was on the potion as he heard Sheba speak.

"Drink if you would like shadow mastery for yourself."

Drink? Bane thought to himself, the black liquid looked like death water, but for some reason he felt sure about this certain potion. With slow actions he moved until the bottle was inches from his muzzle, then with a brief glance at the she wolf he grabbed the jar's neck in his teeth and tipped it towards the ceiling. After almost chugging the continents, Bane set the empty bottle down and tasted his tongue. The flavor wasn't that bad, but the aftertaste had a strange zing to it, making his stomach twist in a sharp cramp. The gray wolf looked over at Sheba with an expression contorted by pain, was this what he was supposed to be experiencing? No doubt, the thought passed through his mind that she had poisoned and would leave him to die.

"Did it work?" He asked, his voice also distorted by the lingering discomfort in his abdomen.

[Pride]

Sheba snorted, half-amused by Bane's trepidation. This was certainly an odd experience. She couldn't quite recall ever meeting a wolf who suspected her of attempting to poison them before. If she had to guess, she'd say that was more Geist's area of expertise. Though admittedly it was rather amusing to imagine Taboo ever encountering someone who thought they might have been poisoned by one of her potions. Oh just imagine the horror! Sheba could hardly blame him, she supposed. A wolf who had never encountered or even heard of the White Wolves living on the mountain had a right to be suspicious when they approached a cave only to have a massive, titan of a wolf step out of it prattling on about powers.

"Uncomfortable?" She questioned mildly, a knowing grin on her face. "No need to fret, I haven't slipped you nightshade or anything of that sort. The potions are perfectly harmless aside from a few minor twinges here and there. The reaction that a wolf has to a potion is entirely up to the wolf." She studied him closely, her fur catching the suns rays like threads of ice in winter. "As for whether or not it worked, of course it did! the question is, do you?"

She stepped around him, inspecting his stance. "Well, go ahead, you'll never know unless you try. Let the powers come to you naturally, a bit like speaking. It's a bit like learning to speak for the first time when you never knew that you had a voice. It takes effort, but as time passes using your powers will become more and more like a second nature to you." The great white wolf paused, lingering in front of him and indicating his shadow with a quick jerk of her head. "Try it there. Go on. No need to be shy about it."

[Blood]

The shining white wolf seemed amused at his reaction to drinking the potion she had given him. "Uncomfortable?" Sheba questioned him, but Bane only replied with a squint of his eyes as he watched her. Without speaking his thoughts at all, the she wolf went on to justify his suspicions to the point. This superior being was definitely beyond what Bane had first depicted her as, and when she had spoke his thoughts, he was entirely freaked out for a few seconds, until her voice came again and answered his question if it had worked or not. Her last words were strange though, and confused him. Do I work?

Bane's eyes followed the immense wolf as she walked around him, the sun's rays reflecting off of her smooth rippling fur and played on the crystal covered walls of the cave. The dark gray wolf's muzzle parted as he heard her words. Try it she says, use the power she says. I just got it and she thinks it's going to come naturally like speaking. Bane almost gulped when Sheba gestured toward his own shadow, but spread his paws wider apart before narrowing his golden eyes. He didn't even want to look at the white wolf, his intense gaze was on the shadow of his head. Two ears erect and cheek fur framing the shaded spot in front of him where the light was blocked. How was he suppose to shift that?

With his eyes glued on the dark patch before him, Bane cleared his mind and focused on turning the shadow without turning his own head. Nothing happened. Mentally he struggled to alter the shadow's form but to no avail. Something seemed stuck, like he couldn't even take hold of the power that he felt since he had drank the potion. He pondered this confusion of his, completely ignoring the white she wolf hovering over him. His thoughts went back to what she had said, "It's a bit like learning to speak for the first time when you never knew that you had a voice." Several ideas rolled around in his head, like the tongue tasting an unknown substance unsure if it should be swallowed. Suddenly Bane thought he had it, and glared at the shadow so hard he saw it move, but his thrill was quickly diminished as he consciously felt his head move. Disappointment cast over his face as he endeavored to grasp the flow of power within himself.

Several minutes passed in silence as Bane's eyes began to hurt from staring at the ground for so long. How was this ever going to work, maybe something was wrong, maybe he didn't have it right. Again his thoughts went back to Sheba's words. It's a bit like speaking... There, he had it. Speaking, speaking was something he mentally had to tell his brain to do, Something he had to direct consciously, and it had to click to make the words come out. If using the power was like speaking, then he had to give the command, and consciously move the shadow. Bane shifted his stance. It seemed simple enough, so he focused on the shadow once again, this time mentally setting the order. He could feel the power starting to churn within him like energy trying to find an outlet. For a second, Bane struggled, then he suddenly grasped the power's flow and directed it. He watched in amazement as the shadow before him shifted slightly to the left, wavering in it's movement, but it was a visual alteration. With delight in his eyes The gray male looked up at the with wolf and then back down at the shadow. It had returned to it's normal form because of the break of focus, but that didn't bother him, he had learned how to manipulate the shadow, and he was happy with that.