Master of the Innocent (Tagged and Open)

[Blood]

Tiel

Roman (in the forest):

After departing from the presence of Deimos, Roman had followed the scent of the spooked doe, and trailed it all the way to a bending creek. He had snuck up on it and attacked, chasing it along the river for some time until her got close enough to throw a snap at its flank, but his only reward was a hoof scrape along his cheek, and a dizzy headache. For  a short while after his failed attempt Roman had thought about what to do next; He could run after the deer again, and actually try and take it down like he had promised, or just get up and walk away from the whole deal... like he would ever see that cruel wolf again. But no, He had promised, and he would stay true to his word, maybe this was what he was meant to be, a follower of Deimos the Cruel. With that as his purpose, Roman had started out to obtain his second option of a prize meat to bring back to his master before the sun set. Taking down a deer by ones self, was a difficult task, and not easily done, surely Deimos would understand that, so Roman decided on a second option of  kill to bring the midnight pelted wolf. A hare, or better yet, three hares.

Hiding in the thick undergrowth of the forest, Roman pressed his thin sleek body flat to the ground, his heart beat could be felt drumming lightly on the mossy ground. His nose wiggled in the silent air, as he tried to pick up the scent of a nearby rabbit. A faded trail had led him to a hallow that was covered in rabbit scents, but all were old and stale, and no recent scents could be detected so far. Roman grumbled to himself, the sky was shining a deeper golden color, and he still had to catch one last hare for his master, two wouldn't be enough to present to Deimos, three was a much worthier payment in place of the deer he couldn't take down. A small thought came to Roman, and he wondered if Deimos would even except his replacement, or if he would be angered by his disobedience and kill him. The brown and red streaked male pondered the thought a bit longer, but then shrugged it off, he had already gotten a gash along his face, why wouldn't dying be any different, besides there was no real purpose for his life anyways, than living to serve his master.

Roman grunted and stood up, deciding this was not the best place to find a rabbit. The leaves rustled around him, and a twig broke beneath his red paw, sending a sharp sound sailing through the stillness. Before he could take another step, his quick ears flicked to a different sound that came to him from not far ahead. Dark trees concealed any clear view, but his nose had caught the scent of a fresher rabbit trail among the dead ones. Maybe this had been an old rabbit mating hallow, and this one hare decided to return for some odd reason. Roman stalked forward on silent paws, and before long he was sprinting between trees and bushes, with his eyes locked on the white tail of a fleeing rabbit. His long nimble limbs ate up the ground like a snake swallowing a rat whole, and the soft thumping of paw steps played a gentle song in his ears. The silver little animal was in reach now, and Roman had his jaws around the bouncing rump in no time. Slamming it to the ground, the successful hunter snapped its neck with hardly any blood to flaw its soft pelt.

(At the border):

With three limp bodies hanging from his jaw, Roman pranced along the browning ground, as he nervously returned to the scent of Midnight Silence. He had been along these bleak and barren lands before, but never stayed long, now he was bring meat to a member of the dreaded pack. 'Oh what have I gotten myself into?' The young he wolf clamped his grip even tighter, his fangs grinding the fleshy ears of the three rabbits that he carried. With determination, Roman continued on until he saw a rising hill that stood above the rest of the dead land, the sun slowly sinking in the sky as oranges, reds, and pinks began to replace the gold. He scented a territory marker, and stopped short, not moving any closer to the boarder of the pack. Dropping his three kills, Roman would silently waited for the return of his master, without even howling, he would patiently wait.

[Tiel]

Deimos:
A pitch black brute was on his way to the hunting plains. He was in a stressful situation and a hunting trip would help get his mind off of it. One part of him was excited. He and Gaia were going to have pups! Deimos would have offspring to carry on his legacy, but another part of him was worried. What was even the point of starting a family if he had to give his first born to the infamous Geist? What would the rest of his pack think of him? No, he and Gaia would never tell them. They would never tell their children. Only they and the White Wolves would know. Deimos padded in the direction of the hunting plains, but there was a familiar smell in the air. It was that he-wolf from the Forest of Love. Deimos had nearly forgotten about the task he had assigned to.... what was his name, again? Romeo? No, Roman.

Deimos trotted toward the scent, and as he got closer, he could smell prey. His nose must have been deceiving him. Roman couldn't have caught the deer. That was impossible. As Deimos spotted Roman in the distance with a lifeless lump of something in front of him, it became clear that it wasn't a deer, but three rabbits. Couldn't keep his promise, was Deimos' first thought, but he then realized something. If Deimos was in Roman's skin and he wasn't able to catch the correct prey, he would have run, but that was not what Roman did. He brought a substitute knowing that Deimos would likely kill him. He was either really stupid or slightly honorable. Either way, there was a new sort of respect for this skinny he-wolf forming in Deimos' mind. Of course, he would never show it. He wanted to see how far Roman would take this.

"I see you brought me the wrong prey," he called to Roman, "I suppose I'll have to punish you for that." Deimos padded over to examine the rabbits. Even all together, they were barely a match for a whole deer. Deimos snorted in disgust at the disappointment then looked Roman directly in the eyes. "You think that this will make up for an entire deer?!" he asked dramatically, trying to put on a show. "I should just kill you now." Deimos paused. "Or.... I can give you another task, but do you think you can handle it?" His voice grew deeper at the last phrase. Deimos stood trying to think of a good task for Roman. Something harder than hunting, but what?

[Blood]

Roman:

The scent of blood slowly grew stronger in the air as the slender male sat, waiting with the three dead hares in front of him, for the black brute to meet him, and it wasn't long before a dark form appeared on the horizon. Roman gave a soft sigh, he had no idea how Deimos would react to him not fulfilling his exact command. If the evil wolf would be forgiving, and cut him some slack, or burst out in rage and murder him. One violate paw-step after the other made the distance between Roman and him close swiftly, "I see you brought me the wrong prey, I suppose I'll have to punish you for that." Brown ears lay flat and head dropped submissively as Deimos stopped before him. A glint of raw flesh showed on the smaller wolf's cheek from the final light of the sinking sun, and a trail of dried blood could be seen crusted on his chin. "Punish me as you see fit," Roman mumbled, "The doe already marked me for attempting to end her life." In respect, Roman kept his head down, studying his paws like he had never studied them before. Deimos barked loudly in anger, his fangs clicking and his hot breath touched Roman's nose. Startled, the guilty male wanted to jump, but he contained his fear and sat still, reminding himself that he had made it his life purpose to serve this dark wolf, and if it came to it, he would give his life for that purpose. Words formed in Roman's mind, but it didn't seem right to try and save himself with more excuses, so he said nothing as Deimos threatened to kill him then and there. 'Yes.' If it came to it. Roman bowed his head further, whiling to accept the punishment if the evil wolf would execute it, but Deimos had paused, and it seemed like forever before the other wolf's voice was heard. Roman should have just let the deer kill him in his attempt to hunt it down. Deimos' tone of speech had changed drastically, and even the offer had taken a sharp turn. Roman dared to meet Deimos' eyes, the harsh orbs that bore down on him glinted with evil intentions, but a certain commitment bound Roman to this wolf, and he returned the glare with reverence and a hint of boldness.

"I will give my life in the effort to complete any task you give me... master."

[Meds]

((Hey! Mind if I jump in here with Nyx, too? If not just tell me and I'll delete my post ^^ ))

Nyx;

"Master?" Sarcastic.
Nyx's voice was ever gruff, as if she were constantly on the point of growling. She had been watching the scene unfold from within a shadow she had formed around herself. Wolves without shadow mastery could not see into the shade she created, and though she couldn't create shadows, she could bend existing shadows around her and make her all but invisible to the untrained eye. The haughty wolf was Deimos, the large brute she had taunted alongside his mate on an earlier day. Talk around the pack was that he and his mate were expecting... talk was also that the first-born was doomed to be brought befire Geist. Nyx hadn't personally had a problem with Geist upon meeting her; in fact, the mortal wolf had revered the deity. In any case, rumor had it that Deimos mate's—Gaia was it?—encounter did not go as well. Nyx chuckled from the darkness. Not that Geist could have hurt her with anything like that. She would never be caught having pups. Not if she could help it, anyway.
The other male Nyx did not know. He was younger and more lithe than Deimos and even Nyx. What in the Power's name was he doing, getting caught up with a wolf like Deimos? She could smell the anger rolling off of him in stinking waves. Her smoudlering eyes glistened.

Slowly, the shadows dripped off of her and went back to their original places. The tattoo around her eye didn't stop glowing, however, because her own personal shadow continued prowling across her back in black waves—making her appear, if not larger, more disturbing.
"I'll eat those rabbits if you aren't going to," She said without a hint of a smile. "Get them out of your way, since they seem to be causing you so much grief." She shrugged her shoulders and walked down the line between pack-land and unclaimed territory, towards the two males. "Or kill him. It makes no matter to me."

[Tiel]

(You're good, Meds )

Deimos:
Not only was Roman submissive in bringing him prey, he was willing to do whatever crazy task Deimos would give him. There was something the coal colored brute had not seen in Roman back in the forest of love. Something like potential. He would do well in an evil alliance.

Suddenly, an orange and black she wolf approached the pair. The same one he and Gaia had met earlier. Nyx. Shadow Master. There was always something eerie about her. At one moment, she would speak in a deep threatening tone, and the next, she would immediately switch to a casual, almost friendly voice. She repeated "master" sarcastically. "Nyx," he greeted her. "This is Roman. He cost me a huge prey back in the forest of love, so now he thinks he can make up for an entire doe with three scrawny rabbits." Deimos spoke as though he had manipulated Roman into bringing him prey, like he had no idea what he actually was doing in bringing Deimos rabbits. Somehow, he needed something to boast about in front of this creepy she wolf, to prove himself to both her and his pack. Their first encounter hadn't gone too well. He might have come across as arrogant or perhaps just flat out blind. Of course, Deimos really was a different wolf around Gaia. He would do or say anything to defend her, which often wound him up in ugly situations. "Take them if you wish," he said referring to the rabbits. "They are truly worthless to me, so now Roman must be punished." Deimos paused for a moment, not really intending to kill Roman at all. "Oh wait, the task I offered you earlier. I almost forgot about it." He looked the scrawny wolf directly into his eyes. The task he had in mind would not involve death, nor would it involve an injury that would just heal after a few days. This would really test Roman's commitment.

"Join Midnight Silence." Deimos spoke in a deep slow voice. "Let's see if you really are committed to evil. Once you join this pack, there is no backing out. You will be marked with this eternal scar, so that even if you decide to leave, everyone will always see your true darkness."

Deimos backed a few pawsteps away, waiting for a response. Roman really could be useful for Alpha Fjord.

[Blood]

Roman:

"Master?" A voice filled with sarcasm growled from not far off. Roman's intense gaze towards Deimos was greatly distracted as he jerked his head over to the extremely dark she-wolf that was slashed with markings of bright orange. Her demeanor was a lot more crude than Deimos, and even her voice seemed darker than his. The very shadows shifted around her, and a glowing mark that matched her pelt was beside her eye. Roman knew a power when he saw one, anything unnatural the young wolf had figured to have come from the all powerful white wolves in the mountains, and this female definitely had a power, a very dark power.

Roman flattened his ears when Deimos introduced him to this Nyx, a deep resentment towards the dark shadowy female had grown in his gut. She had just said that she was going to eat the rabbits he had just killed specifically for the violet legged male wolf, his master. "Or kill him. It makes no matter to me." Her words rumbled the air with how dark the intentions were, and how creepily honest she was. Roman had already given his life to the service of Deimos, so dying by his fangs was less of a tragedy for the brown and red wolf, but Nyx murdering him wasn't going to happen. The eyes of the female glistened with death, and Roman could easily see that she was a lot more evil and less gullible than Deimos the Cruil ever thought he was.

With a new fear growing inside of him, Roman glanced at Deimos for some help, but the dark male didn't seem to have any worry about Nyx eating the hares. Anger flared in his vision, as Roman mentally argued with his master about why he had made such a big deal about him not killing the deer, apparently that didn't mean anything to him, and he was getting punished just for the sake of getting punished. At least Deimos didn't elaborate or say anything about Nyx killing him, so the punishment obviously wasn't death. Roman was still very angry inside at Deimos until he spoke the punishment, then surprise widened his eyes, overruling his efforts to keep his emotions hidden. 'How am I ever going to join an evil pack when I was never really evil in the first place? Well... I did say I was whatever side Deimos was on, so I guess I am evil now. I have my purpose now.' Roman reminded himself of his life purpose, and he felt a little less angry towards the black he wolf, but the fear of joining Midnight Silence was still very heavy on his chest. He knew the laws of the evil pack, and he wasn't sure if killing another wolf was still a necessity for him. He hoped not.

Before speaking a word, Roman swallowed a hard knot that was lumped in his throat, but that made his voice no less raspy. "I will join Midnight Silence... And take the scar proudly." Roman closed his eyes and bowed to Deimos, he was officially going to be evil, well... he already was.

[Meds]

Nyx;

Deimos introduced her to the shaking, scrawny youth. She lifted her heavily-lidded eyes and inspected him more closely. Yes, he looked like the kind of wolf that would need a master to function. The look on his face when Deimos offered her the hares was perfect, and she almost smiled. The younger wolf was obviously enraged by Deimos' offer, affronted that he would even consider such a thing—but he said nothing.
"You've trained your underling well," She mused, prancing up past the thin wolf as if he was nothing. She let her tail flick under his chin, then went to pick up two of the three rabbits. Once her real tail had gone from the male, however, a shadow tail continued moving in front of him, twirling, flicking, sweeping. She chuckled darkly before letting the shadow meld back with the ones surrounding her in ever-moving waves.
Nyx sat down beside Deimos, though a little ways off, and began chewing one of Roman's dead animals. She looked right into his face as she did so, not merely to taunt him, but because she wanted to gauge his reaction. To his credit, the meat was good—she would never let him see that on her mask of a face, though.

"Hunting in the forest of love, were you Deimos? Did Gaia know?" Nyx asked, turning her head in a sweeping movement, her orange eyes burning quietly as she ripped apart the meat and toyed with the massive brute. "Don't stray too far into those trees, or a different wolf than went in might emerge." This time she really did smile, and it didn't even look very sarcastic. She should really check out the Forest of Love herself, actually—there were plenty of young, innocent minds for warping there, so it could even be fun. She added it her mental checklist.

Then, Demios told Roman his newest task was to join their strong, noble pack. They belonged to the strongest pack in the valley, by far. Not neccessarily with numbers, but with wolves who had nothing to lose, and would fight to the death over... well, over a rabbit. Nyx pulled the second one closer to her, with absolutly no intention of eating it. She dropped the mangled carcass of the first rabbit onto the second and fixed Roman with her haunted gaze. What would his reaction to Deimos' command be?
To her faint surprise but even greater interest, Roman accepted. More than that, he said he would be proud to wear the Mark of Silence. That was quite a claim to make. Her own Mark glistened on her shoulder, light blue against her pitch-black fur. Where would Fjord put Roman's?

"The Mark of Silence? You would speak of it so easily?" Nyx whispered suddenly, then, trying to catch Deimos eye, she feigned one of her more welcoming smiles. "Deimos, who better than to mark this scruffy thing than you? His master?" Her shadow twisted to block her face from Roman, but not from Deimos, and she winked darkly. Of course, the Mark of Silence could only be given by an alpha... but Roman didn't know that. To accept such a brutal form of injury from a wolf such as Deimos was almost laughable, and Nyx dearly hoped her little game would come to pass.
Her shadows shifted back to their prowling waves over her body so Roman could see her again. Every now and again they would pulse out a few feet before coming shrinking back. She was beginning to feel fatigue in her mind, but it wasn't yet bad enough to release the darkness.

[Tiel]

Deimos:
Roman gave Deimos a hurt look when he offered Nyx the rabbits, but he did not speak up. He knew who was above him. He knew who had authority over him. In the words of Nyx, Deimos had certainly "trained his underling well." As sarcastic as she was, she was also right. Roman was well behaved and submissive to authority. Not that Deimos had trained Roman at all, or even scared him into doing anything, but as far as Nyx knew, that was exactly what had happened. And that was probably best. Nyx moved on from that topic, with a flick of her mystical shadow tail beneath Roman's chin. Deimos could not help but widen his eyes at her dark power, but he immediately shifted his gaze into a stern, defensive stare at her comment. "That was where I met Gaia," he responded quite matter-of-factly. "Not that I was searching for romance. I was chasing a doe, but happened to meet Gaia along the way." Nyx's next comment intrigued him. "Don't stray too far into those trees, or a different wolf than went in might emerge." It held some truth to it. When around Gaia, Deimos was a different wolf. Although he had only been hunting, he met his soulmate naturally. The Forest of Love was mysterious, and Deimos was certain it was under a spell, perhaps from White Magic or maybe the Power itself. However, Nyx obviously meant her remark negatively, as though it was a greatly foolish thing to go wandering through there, and Deimos had once believed the same thing, until he met the love of his life there.

When Deimos presented his task to Roman, his eyes grew wide with shock, the expression he had hoped for. Submissively, Roman agreed to join the pack, and even said he would be proud to wear his scar. "The Mark of Silence? You would speak of it so easily?" Nyx chimed in, "Deimos, who better than to mark this scruffy thing than you? His master?" She gave him a mischievous wink with the knowledge that only an alpha had the authority to mark a new member. She was messing with Roman. Scaring him. Deimos gave her an infuriated look. Who did she think she was? Deimos was Roman's master. He could mess with Roman all he wanted, but now that this dark female tried to scare him out of his skin with the threat of Deimos marking him, a strange feeling swept over him that he could not quite pin point. Protectiveness? No, it couldn't be.

"Only Fjord or Skia can mark a new member, and you know that, Nyx. What gives you the impression that you can come in here and speak lies to my servant?! I am his master and only I decide how to handle his punishment and reward. No one else!"

[Rykett]

Skia:

Skia was just passing by, roaming the territory for the last time before they moved to Outer Reaches. She definitely wouldn’t miss this place, boring, dead, and empty as it was. She much preferred the forests as a home, but the larger territories there were already claimed. Perhaps, sometime, they would massacre that neutral pack. After all, it would be the closest to their new home in the Outer Reaches. Fjord probably had different plans though. He always had plans. Scents from the border caught Skia’s attention. Wolves were on the border. She turned her path towards it. Tearing apart some trespassers would be loads of fun!

The wolves weren’t trespassers. They were of Midnight Silence. Why Skia hadn’t realized that when she first caught the scent, she wasn’t sure. Maybe it had to do with the stranger in their midst. Why were Midnight Silence members consorting with a stranger on the border. If he was trespassing or threatening to trespass, they should be tearing him apart. If he was joining, he should’ve howled for Skia or Fjord to greet him. ”What is going on here?” Skia called as she approached with a dark expression. She identified the pack members, Deimos and Nyx, before glaring at the unknown male with cold, chocolate eyes.

He wasn’t exactly small in size, but he looked skinny. Lithe wolves tended to lack strength. With certain training, they could become notable warriors, but nothing could quite compare to brute strength. With enough strength, everything could be pushed over no matter how fast they thought they were. At least, that was Skia’s way of thinking. Being on the larger, muscular side, Skia tended to appear intimidating. Right now, however, she didn’t exactly look a warrior. Skia was pregnant and she hated how round her physique was becoming. These pups were ruining her ability to intimidate and fight! Skia had to keep reminding herself who was their sire.

[Blood]

Roman:

Nyx trotted closer with a mad grin, her shadows following her in a very creepy manor. Unsure how to react to the evil she-wolf's approach, Roman sat tight, his wide fearfilled eyes glued on hers that seemed to dance with cruel mirth. He dared not move, for his master's eyes were also on him, watching his every move and whether he would shrink from Nyx's presence or not. Surely she would not harm him, Deimos wouldn't let her... would he?

The bright orange tail of the shadow female swooped up and stroked his chin, making Roman flinch with her nearness to his vulnerable throat, but none the less, he raised his nose to get it out of her tail. However, her shadow tail continued to get in his face, and despite the real look it gave, nothing was felt when it came in contact with his nose. Now that Roman knew she couldn't hurt him with her dark power, he replaced his wide eyes with glaring ones. A glare that hardly showed any confidence in his glimmering gold orbs. Roman hardly heard her unnerving laugh, because he was too busy muttering to himself in his head about how he was supposed to act, and what he was supposed to do about the tight knot he got himself into. The shadow tail had vanished from in front of him and returned to the darkness that surround Nyx who had went to rest and munch on one of the hunted hares. Roman did nothing and said nothing for none of his brainstorming had concluded with a reasonable action. He only furrowed his brows in determined way and stared at the shadow she-wolf and Deimos who were now chatting about what happened that morning.

In only a few minutes the conversation had changed, and the "Mark of Silence" came up. Nyx threatened the slender brown and red male about receiving the scar from his master instead of the alpha, and how honorable it would be, but to be honest with himself, Roman would have preferred to garn the mark from Deimos rather than any other wolf, especially Nyx. The black muscular male suddenly scolded the she-wolf, and corrected her on the actual rules (Roman was assuming) before a sharp voice barked out.

Roman's eyes shot up, again wide with uncertainty and fear. Roman knew that he had to learn to not express so much of his emotions when it came to giving a better impression. After all, he was an evil wolf among evil wolves, why should he be afraid.

A red pelted she-wolf neared, and she was a barrel of strength and malice, a picture of a female tank that could plow him over in one hit... wait, was she pregnant? The she-wolf walked with the air of authority, and her harsh brown eyes held Roman is a scrutinizing gaze. Roman hardly breathed, as he gushed that this female was an Alpha. What would she think, what would she do? Roman was a mess inside, but he pulled himself together and dipped his head respectfully, standing to greet the presence of his possible killer...

[Meds]

Nyx;

Instead of following the lie and having some fun, Deimos went and wrecked everything by calling her out. Wait—was he scolding her? Him, scolding her? It was so out of touch... so wrong, that it almost made Nyx laugh; but instead of humor, it made her annoyed. She rolled her eyes so far back into her head that her orbs became a pool of black, with no orange whatsoever. The smaller wolf was cowering, but she had no patience to even look at him just yet.
"Oh, you're right, I must have completely forgotten one of our pack's most sacred rituals." The sarcasm dripped off of her spiked teeth, and the shadow drifting over her back spiked out violently. Was Deimos so far removed from reality that he thought Nyx would truly suggest him taking a task of an alpha? He truly was as stupid as Nyx thought. She had only wanted to see some maiming... always good for a laugh.
"What makes you think you can give me commands?" She asked quietly in reply to his rhetorical question. Quietly, dangerously. To speak to her as if he was actually telling her anything, or catching her in some mistake, was laughable—if Nyx was more easy with her laughter, that is.
Her eyes burned into Deimos. She was not intimidated by this massive and stupid wolf. Her cleverness outweighed his by a mile, and her indifference could have drowned him. She had gotten this sort of impression from him the first time she had met him, too. Just dissappointing.

She swung her head to the side as if it was disjointed from her body and looked expectantly at Roman, while simultaneously letting her shadows die and giving her head a break. Now. What exactly was this skinny wolf's purpose? Why would a self-proclaimed 'Cruel' wolf like Deimos want a small, skinny, frightened thing like him? She thought back on that, and chastised herself. It was obvious. Weak minds could be formed into something stronger, but they held the added benefit of falling apart without that which made them strong. Nyx fully believed that if Deimos wasn't around, Roman would all but crumble.
With everything unsaid, every bit of judgement, and as much muted animosity as she could muster, her eyes bored into Roman's. What could he do to her? What could either of them do to her? She shook her head at him in disgust, showing just how little she thought of him.

Then, before she had even entered the clearing, Nyx smelled Skia. Instantly, she dropped to her forepaws and touched her nose to the ground. Her eyes still burned and danced, and she stared up at Roman tauntingly, but her position was one of total respect. By the time Skia had actually entered the scene, Nyx's body was still within her bow. When the alphess spoke, Nyx straightened and shook out the wirey fur on her neck.
"Alphess Skia, I came upon this and was wondering the same thing myself." She licked her sharp teeth, and her gravelly voice pumped through the somehow still air. "I was having a bit of fun on my part with the tiny one, it is true... but as to what this runt is doing here accompanied by Deimos, I couldn't even guess. Something about rabbits and what Deimos claims he is owed?" This last part was true, and she shrugged. Nyx swung her head to glance at Skia, then looked back to Deimos and Romane expectantly. This should be good.
Blood @shiver

[Tiel]

((Wow I forgot about this thread. Sorry for the late reply!))

Deimos:
After he scolded her, she snapped a sarcastic comment. Deimos could tell he was getting on her nerves. No matter how clever she was, he was getting on her nerves, which was somehow satisfying.
"What makes you think you can give me commands?"
Deimos had no come back. He mouthed words, trying to form something witty in his head, but failed. Deimos began to smell the familiar scent of a certain alphess. This certainly would not look good. "Enough, Nyx," he whispered. "This is a childish argument, anyway,"

Alphess Skia approached, and Nyx immediately dropped to a respectful bow. It felt strange for the dark and mysterious female to switch so quickly from hostile to humble. Deimos bowed as well, and gave Roman a look to do the same. His head was lowered and his eyes were closed as he listened to Nyx's response to Skia's question. "Alphess Skia, I came upon this and was wondering the same thing myself." This was childish, indeed. They were like a couple of pups tattle-taling on each other to their mother. "I was having a bit of fun on my part with the tiny one, it is true... but as to what this runt is doing here accompanied by Deimos, I couldn't even guess. Something about rabbits and what Deimos claims he is owed?"

"Your Greatness," Deimos said as he opened his eyes and peered up at his alphess. "This is my servant, Roman. He is making a request to join Midnight Silence."

[Rykett]

Skia:

As soon as Skia entered the scene, heads bowed in respect and eyes lowered to the ground. It felt amazing to immediately be considered with such high regard despite her pregnant physique. She held such power. She relished how they immediately tried to explain themselves like naughty pups to their mother. She listened to each of their explanations, before targeting Deimos, ”A servant… and why did he not howl for an alpha the second he stepped on the border if he truly intended to join. For a wolf that’s supposed to be your ‘servant,’ he seems quite uninformed.”

Skia then focused her attention on the silent ‘servant.’ She lorded over him with a slight sneer, addressing him in an impatient, growling voice ”You, slave! You want to join Midnight Silence? Why? What makes you worthy of this pack?” As she spoke, her eyes drilled into Roman’s. She took a step closer. Her paw landed on a small stone, with a soft flash of light she flattened it with her power.

[Blood]

Roman:

Deimos and the black and orange she-wolf began to argue. They obviously didn't get along, and Roman shrunk away from the heated verbal snaps. He had no intention on getting himself involved in the conversation even though he was the main reason they were having this dispute. Brown and silver ears layer back in shy disapproval and Roman thought it would be safer to keep his mouth shut, so he did.

At the entrance of the third wolf, the two others lowered their bodies to the ground and bowed their heads as if groveling to a powerful queen, and Roman assumed that this alphas was just that. The skinny brown he wolf barely caught the side glance that his master gave him. It took him a moment to realize, but when he finally interpreted the meaning that Deimos was implying, that he should be doing the same as them, he threw his legs out in front of him and jammed his nose to the ground, letting out a soft grunt. Roman squeezed his eyes shut and hoped that his mistake would not be punished, but that the queen would accept his state of submission.

Suddenly Deimos' voice spoke up and he introduced Roman as his slave, mentioning his "wish" to join the evil pack of Midnight Silence. Oddly the sound of his master's deep voice made his trembling paw stop twitching, but the fear was by no means lessened. Roman could sense the annoyance radiating from the Alphess Skia, and nothing could have prepared him for her sudden growl that she directed at him, "the slave". He had almost jumped out of his skin, and even though she never touched him, it felt like he just got a vicious nip to the ear. Skia demanded an explaination as to why she would want him in her pack. An explanation of his worth, so she wouldn't just decide to kill him now. Roman could feel his skin heating beneath his fur as he thought about his answer, and his tongue desperately needed to fall out of his mouth and pant to cool himself down. But he dare not. He dare not remove his face from the earth and show any sign of disrespect for this powerful queen standing over him. Desperately Roman searched for an explanation, something he was good at, skills he could offer to her, anything! He peeked his eyes open but kept his nose to the ground, and what he saw made his heart beat two times faster with fear. The thick paw of the red alphess smashing a stone flat, not just breaking it, but flattening it like a soft ball of fur. Did all these evil wolves have unknown powers? This helped Roman think of something before his time to answer was up and he would be murdered on the spot.

"Y-your Greatness! Alphess Skia!" Roman shouted, coping both Deimos and Nyx with their salutes to the queen. His shout however sounded a little muffled with his muzzle pressed to the earth and his eyes shut tight once again. "My allegiance does not have to be to Deimos any longer." The bowing male paused, hoping he was not offending his master. "It could be to you and only you. I am a fast hunter, and I could bring you personal meals for you and your growing pups." Roman paused again, this time in more hesitation. Would Deimos say something about his half lie. He was fast at hunting small creatures, but big kill was always hard for him, therefore he was not fast at it. "Or if that does not suit you, your greatness, I could be placed under some other rank that requires swift paws and a quiet step... but with everything, I will be loyal to Midnight Silence and bear the mark proudly." Roman fell silent, holding his breath in anticipation for what would happen next.

[Meds]

Nyx;

Deimos scolded her once more, like a parent telling off a child. Nyx felt the shadows boiling within her, bubbling in her irritation—and for a moment her own shadow had a spasm or two. It looked as if it were to attack Deimos' shadow, but then it went still again as if it had never moved. A blink, and it would have been missed. Nyx somehow managed to keep control of herself (after all, Deimos could kill her all too easily), but she would not forget.

When Skia neither acknowledged nor questioned her, Nyx's blinked in slow satisfaction. Being ignored meant the world in a pack like Midnight Silence. If she was not chastised or spoken to directly, she was not in danger. She backed a few paces and let her stance relax, as custom allowed. The alpha was not speaking directly to her, and therefore she blended into the background. Skia questioned Deimos, and Nyx supressed a dark chuckle. Had he seriously thought what he he had been doing was alright? Nyx hoped Skia punished him...
But then, alas, the alphess changed her gaze to the servant himself. She was none too happy with him, either. Nyx's tail lashed behind her.

Black and orange eyes narrowed as a thin, sharp smile split Nyx's lips. Roman was very quick to switch alligences. What would Deimos think of that? Roman had simply dug himself a hole with his current master—for his offer would probably not impress the alphess. She had all manner of wolves ready to do her bidding with but a word, what was one more?
Deimos, on the other hand, was proud. Nyx doubted that he would take well to Roman speaking so forwardly.
Rykett Blood Tiel